Homemade Slushies!!

It's hot as the blue blazes out, so the girls and I found a fun and cool treat to make on Pinterest, of course!

Thanks to my mom and dad for the blender (which is AWESOME), we were able to make these slushies in a snap! They are SO good and so much cheaper than even making a Sonic run for basically the same thing. Plus, you can make any flavor you like - tonight, we did Tropical Punch, as suggested by Maddie!

Here's what you need:

1 Kool-aid Packet
1/2 Cup Sugar
2 Cups Club Soda
2 1/2 Cups Ice

In your blender, add kool-aid, sugar, ice and 1 cup of club soda. Blend well or until sugar is dissolved. Pour in the other 1 cup of club soda and give a quick blend until you get a slush consistency. Pour into individual cups and place in freezer for 20-30 minutes. Then grab a straw and enjoy!

This is a fun thing to let the kids help with, too! My girls loved getting to dump everything in and watch the blender do its thing!

My Middle Child

I've always known that Maddie, our middle child, was a good helper. She's always willing to go get things, put things away, help clean up, etc. But tonight, God showed me something special about her.

We were all sitting on the couch talking and watching TV and Maddie remembered that I had bought grapes the last time we went to the store. She said, "momma, do we still have those grapes?" I said yes and told her that if she wanted some they would need to be washed first. She hopped right up off the couch and went in and started washing. I thought she would come back with a bowl for herself, but what she did showed me something very special about her. She did wash the grapes, but instead of thinking of herself first, she came in with a small bowl for each of us. She passed them out and then went back to get her own. It was like God spoke to me right there and said, "Chrissy, she is a servant and a worker!"

She's more than just a helpful little girl. She has a God-given servant's heart. She loves to do things for other people. It's not all about her first, which typically isn't a common trait among small children. Well, really, it's not a common trait among most adults, if we are being completely honest.

I prayed in that moment that God would help me to foster that heart for service and that God would show Mike and I how to raise her to serve him and serve others. So thankful how God can use something so small to teach us something about our children.

Psalm 139:14
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

I'm Random and I know it

I think it's high time for a random post, don't you? Here goes....

1. Having 4th of July in the middle of the week has totally thrown me off. All day Wednesday felt like Saturday. I've been confused all week. Doesn't take much, folks.

2. Macie left for church camp yesterday. How is she old enough for that already. It's weird that she is 9, but that I am still 27.

3. I made a menu for the next 2 weeks today. Going to Walmart 4 times a week is insane. My wallet is feeling the pain of that nonsense.

4. On that note, why is it that you can go into Walmart for 3 things and walk out spending $50 minimum? I'm breaking up with Walmart and going to start dating Aldi again.

5. I worked out yesterday and I'm pretty sure my legs would feel better if someone just lobbed them off.

6. I fear our electric bill this month.

7. When we moved to Arkansas, no one told us that we were moving to the surface of the sun.

8. I'm excited to see family this month. We always look forward to that!

9. My nephew turns 16 in 14 days - trying to wrap my head around that one. I used to babysit him all the time and now he's going to be driving. That is so weird to me!

That is all. I can't think of any more random thoughts at this moment. Have a fantastic weekend, friends!

June 2012

I'm kind of in denial that June is just 1 day from being over! We got back from our family vacation on June 1st and had the whole summer ahead of us and now, there's just a month and a half left. It always goes so fast, but this summer, we are trying to pack in as much fun as possible!

The first full week of June started off with VBS at our church. That's always a wild week, but the girls loved it and I worked with a great group of kids. I had Maddie's group - the kids going into 1st grade and they were so good.

The girls and I decided to make a list of things we want to try to do this summer and so far, we've knocked off quite a few things from that list. Some things we've done the month of June from our Summer Fun list are: Swim with friends at Alma Waterpark, meet friends for lunch and play at Chick Fil A, go to Cici's Pizza for "make your own pizza" day with our MOPS group, have friends over to spend the night, play board games, make Rice Krispie treats, make crafts, have a lemonade stand, and go swimming with friends.

We still have quite a few things we'd like to do and plan to pack the month of July full of fun activities. I really want to make fun memories with them - some of the things we are going to do cost money, but lots of them are just fun things we can do for free at home or with friends.

Here are some pictures of our summer fun so far!

Vacation 2012

We spent all last week in Destin, FL with my parents and my sister and her family. It was as close to the perfect vacation as one could get. I found the rental house online several months ago. I always end up being the "house hunter" for our trips. It's kind of nerve racking because if we get there and it's a dump, I feel a lot of responsibility. HA! But, we arrived and couldn't have loved the rental home any more. It was a great set up, plenty of bedrooms and space for all of us, and the best pool area we've ever had. I imagine we will stay in that neighborhood again - we all loved it.

My parents made this trip so wonderful for all of us. They went above and beyond to make it memorable for us and our kids. We can't thank them enough for all they did and do for us. They don't have to, yet they do, and we love and appreciate them so much! These are memories that we will all have for a lifetime. Nothing can replace that. Thank you, mom and dad - we had an amazing time and already look forward to our next trip!

We did a ton of fun stuff while we were there. Of course we spent a lot of time at the beach and pool, but we also got pedicures, went shopping, played golf, went deep sea fishing, went out to eat, cooked in, had our own family version of Cupcake Wars, went for ice cream, took Mabrie to Build A Bear, played games and just enjoyed being together. The weather was sunny and hot every day. It did rain twice, but both times were in the middle of the night, so it didn't interrupt our plans during the day at all - perfect!!

Here are some pictures of the week and all the fun we had! Very blessed and thankful for the time to get away. We know full well that not everyone has the time or money to take a vacation each summer, and we don't take it for granted that we are able to do this as a family. Blessed, indeed!

Our Graduate

Well, just like that, another school year has come and gone and my girls are another year older. Why is it that when they get in school, the years seem to speed up and go faster than ever before?

Last night, Maddie had her Kindergarten Celebration/Graduation at Beard Elementary. She has had a wonderful first year of school! Her teacher - I couldn't have handpicked a better one for her! She was the perfect fit for Maddie's little personality. And Maddie excelled in her class. She's reading, writing and doing math on a level above where she even needed to be at the end of this year. She has made us so proud this year. She's a great student and a good role model in her class.

Congratulations, Maddie! Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you! You did all that we expected and more and we know that you'll do just as well at your new school next year and make us proud again! But, you can slow down on the growing - I fear that I'll turn around and be posting a blog about your H.S. graduation. And, momma is not ready for that. At all!

First Day of Kindergarten

Kindergarten Graduation

Mother's Day 2012

Yesterday was a great day! I got to celebrate Mother's Day with my 3 girls and Mike. We got up and got ready for church and had a wonderful service. We were challenged to be a Proverbs 31 woman and what a challenge that chapter of the Bible is for all ladies! I don't know about you, but I have a lot of work to do. But, I'm thankful that flaws, sin and all, God loves me and saw fit to bless me with three of the sweetest girls to love and to raise. It's a huge job. One I don't take lightly. One I constantly feel like I mess up. One I pray that even though I mess up, that these girls will understand that God loves them, just the way they are and that they will serve Him all their days. I love these little faces!

Sunday was great, and so was the rest of the weekend. Friday night, our church had Parent's Date night. We dropped the girls off at the church and then met some friends for dinner and games. It was a great time - always nice to have adult time and also know that the girls are having fun and being well taken care of. Saturday, we did stuff around the house and that night I went to a Women's event with a friend of mine at her church. It was a blast! Mike stayed home and played with the girls and got them into bed and I enjoyed a yummy meal and some much needed girl time. It was a full weekend - but also relaxing and fun. The only thing that could have made it better is to have been able to spend Mother's Day not only with Mike and our girls, but with my mom and Mike's mom. Being away from family sure makes me appreciate the time that we get to spend with them, which isn't much. And Mother's Day is one of those days that kind of makes a girl just miss "home". Sometimes talking on the phone just doesn't cut it. But, at least we have that, so many don't and would have given anything to just talk to their mom yesterday. Thankful for our moms and the awesome women they both are - both of them TRUE Proverbs 31 women! Mike and I are very blessed! I hope all of you had a wonderful Mother's Day and got to enjoy a day just relaxing with your family!