Sunday, November 30, 2008

♫ Oil That Is. Black Gold, Texas Tea. ♫



"Come and listen to a story about a man woman named Jed Amy
A poor mountaineer, barely kept her family fed,
Then one day she was shootin' at some food,
And up through the ground came a bubblin' crude.

Oil that is, black gold, Texas tea."



Okay well it's not exactly oil.

Or black gold.

Or Texas tea for that matter.

And, come to think of it, I didn't really even shoot at anything.

But I did receive a very exciting surprise here in Crazyville.

I won a contest.

Me.

The girl who never wins anything.

Well, if you don't count the book I won for being a homeschooling dinosaur. But I digress.

Anyway, my bloggy friend Mari at the Mari's Morning Room blog announced about a giveaway that was going on at TitleTrakk.com.

So, I entered, and long story made short, I won their Fantastic Fall Giveaway! I could not believe it. Mari, thank you so much for letting all of your bloggy friends know about the contest.

Here is a list of the items that I won.

The Grand Prize Winner will receive:

BOOKS:

Whispers of the Bayou by Mindy Starns Clark
Rachel's Secret by BJ Hoff
Beach Dreams by Trish Perry
Playing God by Michelle McKinney Hammond
White Soul by Brandt Dodson
The Legend of the Firefish by George Bryan Polivka
Finding Marie by Susan Paige Davis
The Power of Praying Through the Bible by Stormie Omartian
A Man After God's Own Heart by Jim George
Evidence for Faith 101 by Bruce Bickel & Stan Jantz

CDS:

Wake Up! Wake Up! by Everyday Sunday
Rock What You Got by Superchick
Sunday by Tree63
Houston We Are Go by Newsboys (Live CD/DVD)
Nothing Left To Lose by Mat Kearney
I Am Free Worship Collection
Salvation Station by Newworldson
Not Without Love by Jimmy Needham
Pages by Shane & Shane
Colors and Sounds by Article One

MOVIES:

Love's Unfolding Dream
The Ten Commandments Animated
Between the Walls


I was so excited to win all of these items. What a blessing!

So, my bloggy buddies, what can you learn from this post today? Never ever give up. I have entered many contests and never won a thing. But, I didn't let that stop me. And finally, my persistence paid off.

Of course, you should apply this persistence to all areas of your life, not just giveaways. But giveaways sure are nice, amen? ;)

When the world says, "Give up,"
Hope whispers, "Try it one more time."
~Author Unknown





Well now its time to say good-bye to Amy and all her kin.
And they would like to thank you folks fer kindly droppin' in.
You're all invited back again to this locality
To have a heapin' helpin' of their hospitality

Hillbilly that is. Set a spell. Take your shoes off. Y'all come back now, y'hear?


Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Happy Anniversary, Kenny! (& Happy Thanksgiving, Every One!)



If you have been reading this blog for any amount of time, then chances are you have heard me talk about Kenny. Kenny is one of my dearest friends. We go waaaaaaaaay back. About 22 years to be exact.

We met in high school. Kenny and I both took Art classes in high school, and one year our teacher threw us together at the last minute to come up with a creative Thanksgiving basket to hold food for the needy that our school was collecting. (So, Kenny likes to refer to Thanksgiving as our "anniversary.")

We had never "officially" met before that moment, but we both knew upon meeting, that we would be great friends. As a matter of fact, our Thanksgiving basket for the "Art" class was a pitiful looking thing (I wish I had a picture to show you), mostly due to the fact that it is hard to put something together when you are giggling constantly. And it has been that way ever since. If Kenny and I are together, we are laughing.

My family, Shannon included, adores Kenny as much as I do. He is one of the most special people that I have ever met, and I'm blessed to call him friend.

So, since tomorrow is Thanksgiving, I wanted to take a moment to share some old pictures of Kenny and me and to wish Kenny a "Happy Anniversary!"

'It takes a long time to grow an old friend." ~John Leonard



"It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson



"A true friend is one who thinks you are a good egg even if you are half-cracked." ~Author Unknown



"Friends are those rare people who ask how you are and then wait for the answer." ~Author Unknown



"You can always tell a real friend: when you've made a fool of yourself he doesn't feel you've done a permanent job." ~Laurence J. Peter



"Ah, how good it feels! The hand of an old friend." ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Daniel brought the mail in this past Thursday, and I found this card from Kenny.



There was a gift card stuck inside the "Turkey" card, and he had written a little note that said, "I know this is not the most romantic anniversary gift, but I'm sure you can think of some creative way to spend it." It also had a little friendly joke that was very funny, but that's all I can say about that.;)

Isn't he the sweetest thing?



Happy Anniversary, Kenny!
I love you, friend!
Amy:)

"We give thanks for unknown blessings already on their way." ~Author Unknown

I will be taking a bloggy break over this Thanksgiving holiday weekend, so I want to take this time now to wish each and every one of you a "Happy Thanksgiving!"
May God bless you and your family abundantly this holiday season.
God Bless,
Amy:)

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Twilight

Sunday afternoon, my family and I went to see the new movie Twilight. I loved the book, so I was very excited to see the movie. (I should probably mention that I heard about this wonderfully romantic series of books from my bloggy buddies Becky, Liz, and Ellie. Thanks, ladies!)



As you can see, hubby was very excited too.;)



Before the movie started I took a moment to show "The Kid" some love.



Don't judge.

Here is my family waiting for the movie to begin. Matthew, Daniel, Shannon, and Scarlet...... Don't they all look so excited? ;)



They tried to do the "foot maneuver." If you're not familiar with the foot maneuver, it is when you prop your feet on the back of the seat in front of you, in hopes that no one will want to sit there. I should probably also mention that this maneuver rarely works, but my boys still keep on trying.;)

We all loved the movie. Especially Scarlet and me. We just could not get enough of Edward and Bella.



Sigh......

After the movie Scarlet and I had to sneak off to the ladies room. If you've read this blog before, then you probably already know that I have a knack for finding interesting things in public restrooms. This time was no exception.



But "Bren + Bone" just doesn't sound as romantic as "Edward + Bella"...Does it? ;)

Monday, November 24, 2008

Grilling Goodness With Tina And Friends~ 8

GoldenGoodness

It's that time again...Time for some more "Grilling Goodness." If you would like to join in all of the fun, just click here. Tina would love to have you all participate!

Tina got this week's questions off of the Internet. They were part of a husband meme that she did in honor of her husband's birthday. She said that we could either answer these questions about ourselves or mix it up a little and answer them about our spouse!! So, since I love talking about my spouse, today's grilling is all about my sweet hubby.

Sigh.......

Now, on with the grilling.....


1. Sitting in front of the TV, what’s on the screen?



I'm not kidding.

Shannon loves to watch Survivor, The Mentalist, Criminal Minds, The Big Bang Theory, My Name is Earl, and he really loves this show.......




And even though I tried really hard not to like this show, I just cannot help myself. It is very funny!

2. You’re out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad?

Shannon always orders the vinaigrette dressing. He loves it.



3. What’s one food he doesn’t like?

Just the thought of Sushi makes him gag.



Shudder.

4. What is his favorite type of sandwich?

Shannon loves when I make him a Steak um sandwich with onions, peppers, and cheese. Like so.



And a side of fries does not hurt his feelings one little bit. ;)

5. What would this person eat everyday if he could?

I had to ask him about this one, because he loves so many different types of dishes. But he said that if he could, he would love to eat some form of grilled chicken breast every day.

I, of course, giggled, because he used the word breast.

Don't judge.

I live with three males. I now permanently have the sense of humor of a twelve year old boy.


6. What is his favorite cereal?

Shannon is a man who loves all foods that are healthful, so this is his favorite breakfast cereal.



He eats it almost every morning...with lots of cinnamon and honey.

7. What would he never wear?

Shannon would never be caught wearing Jerry's puffy shirt.



I'm just saying.

8. What is his favorite sports team?

Shannon does not care for any sports teams, per se, but he does love to watch UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship). And Matt Serra is his favorite ultimate fighter.



But Shannon's favorite sport of all is rock climbing. Just look at his form.



Oh, I do love that man. ;)

Friday, November 21, 2008

Frugal Fun Friday~Part One

"Cleanliness is next to impossible." ~Author Unknown

In an effort to save money, I have been trying my hand at making all types of homemade household cleaners.

And since I think trying to be frugal is necessary fun, and it's Friday, I am going to call these posts Frugal Fun Fridays.

So, whenever I feel like it, on Fridays, I am going to share with you the different cleaners that I try making at home. Complete with step by step pictures, of course.;)

I will also always give full credit to the people, books, or blogs that I get these ideas from, because I will humbly tell you all right now, that I did not come up with any of these ideas by myself. I am simply a Frugal Fun Finds Follower. (Just ignore me, please. I do love alliteration though.)

I got the idea that I am sharing with you today from this great cookbook that I bought called Dining On A Dime.



The first cleaner that I made is a Counter-top Disinfectant.
Here is the "recipe."



These are all of the "ingredients" that I used, plus water, of course.



The first thing that I did was to add one fourth cup of vinegar to the spray bottle.



Then I added one half cup of rubbing alcohol.



Followed by just two tablespoons of ammonia.



And last, but not least, I filled the rest of the spray bottle with water.



Once the lid was screwed on tightly, I gently shook the bottle to mix all of the ingredients. I also labeled the spray bottle, so that I would not forget which type of cleaner was in it. (Of course, I've never forgotten anything like that, but I've heard stories.)



I used this cleaner to clean my kitchen counter tops and table, and it worked wonderfully. I would love to figure out how to add a citrus scent to it. Do you know how I could safely do that? If so, I would love to know.

Well, that's all the excitement for this post, folks! But don't despair, there will definitely be more. Some Friday in the future, I will show all of you how to make your very own homemade window and glass cleaner. (I bet you can't wait....) ;)

"Our house is clean enough to be healthy, and dirty enough to be happy." ~Author Unknown

One more thing....hop over to The Pink Potpourri blog.....There is a great giveaway going on! So, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and enter. Just click here to do so.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Three Kinds Of Men



I have recently been rereading a book called Created To Be His Help Meet by Debi Pearl. (Click here if you would like to learn more about this book.)

This book has been an amazing help to me in my own marriage. It is a controversial book. Not because it doesn't speak Biblical truth, but because it does. It speaks truths that make a lot of people uncomfortable, and most of the truths go directly against what "modern" day society teaches us.

Whether you have a good marriage that you would like to make great, or if you have a bad marriage that you would like to make better, this book is for you. But, I warn you, only get this book if you are ready to hear what God's Word says about you and your role in your marriage; it's challenging, but it's true.

There is no possible way to cover all of the topics in this book, but there is one section in particular that I would love to share with you all.

The information is found in Chapter 8 of the book, which is titled, "Wisdom to Understand Your Man."

(Any words in bold are direct quotes from the book.)

Debi Pearl starts out this chapter talking about the differences in men and their personalities. Differences, that she points out, that are just as evident in one year old boys as they are in adult men.

She says that most girls wake up one day and realize that they have gotten a "lemon" for a husband, so to speak. And rather than adapting to him, most girls usually spend the rest of their marriage trying to change him into the man that they think he ought to be.

Her suggestion though, is not to try to change him, but to ask God for wisdom.

Wisdom is knowing what you "bought" when you married that man, and learning to adapt to him as he is, not as you want him to be.

No two men are alike, just as no two women are alike. Even though we may be tempted to, we cannot expect our man to be just like our father, our brother, or like Leonardo DiCaprio's character "Jack" in the romantic movie Titanic.



Sigh.

Our husbands are created in the image of God, and it takes all kinds of men to even come close to completing that image. No man is a perfect balance; if he were, he would be too divine to need you.

God gives imperfect women to imperfect men so they can be heirs together of the grace of life and become something more together than either one of them would ever be alone.

Today I will be sharing with you (very briefly) what Debi Pearl refers to as the Three Kinds of Men.

The three types of men are all representative of the three traits of God's personality. God is dominant- a sovereign and all-powerful God. He is also a visionary- omniscient and desirous of carrying out his plans. And, God is steady- the same yesterday, and today, and forever, our faithful High Priest. Most men epitomize one of these three aspects of God.

As Debi Pearl explains in her book, the more you learn to understand the personality that God designed your husband with, the more you will be equipped to be the wife that God intended you to be. You were created to be your husband's help meet.

She gives names to the three types of men, and since I am a very visual learner, I am attaching pictures of well known men just to give you an idea of what she is meaning.

The first type of man that she speaks about is called Mr. Command Man. Regardless of any political opinions that you may have, John McCain is an example of a Command Man.



Command Men are born leaders. They are often chosen by other men to be military commanders, politicians, preachers and heads of corporations.

The second type of man that is mentioned is referred to as Mr. Visionary. A great example of visionary men that she gives in the book is the Wright Brothers.



Debi says that visionaries are often gifted men or inventors. They are the men that keep the rest of the world from getting stagnant or dull.

And last, but certainly not least, is the third type of man, and he is referred to as Mr. Steady. As I was reading about Mr. Steady, I immediately had the image of John Walton Sr. (the daddy on The Waltons television show) pop into my mind.



The Steady Man does not make snap decisions or spend his last dime on a new idea , and he doesn't try to tell other people what to do. He avoids controversy. As a general rule, he will be faithful till the day he dies in the same bed he has slept in for the last 40 or 50 years. This man is content with the wife of his youth.

Sigh.

Of course, there is much more said about each of the types of men in this book, but you will have to read it for yourself to fully understand what I am trying to say.

Most men are made up of a little bit of all of the character traits that I just described to you, but most men will tend to be much more dominant in one.

My hope for sharing this information is to encourage you to read this book, and I pray that it will help you (as well as me) to appreciate your husband for who God designed him to be. Learning the type of husband you are married to will help you to also learn how to be the wife that he needs you to be. And like I said earlier, keep an open mind when reading this book. So much of what Scripture tells us, goes directly against what "society" teaches us. That's why, to some, the information in this book is not easy to swallow, but I promise you, that if you read this book, and listen to God, you will walk away changed. Changed for the better.

Ask God to give you wisdom to see where you need to change to be the perfect help meet for your divinely designed man.

Genesis 2:18,21-22
"And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him....
And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man."


Wednesday, November 19, 2008

(Not So) Wordless Wednesday (And An Award!)

"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole." ~Roger Caras

What's wrong with this picture? Can you figure it out?



Even though we put all of the pillows down on the couch to block her (to keep her from hurting herself even more), and even though she has a torn ACL and a very weak heart, she still insists on sneaking her way up onto "her spot" on the couch.



If I leave the room for even one moment, I come back in the room only to find all of this cuteness going on.



She is a sneaky sneak, my Allie Girl.

What am I going to do with her?........

"Happiness is a warm puppy." ~Charles M. Schulz



Good Grief.

And now, I would like to tell you all about an award that I received.

My sweet friend, Tracey, from the "Grace Comes By Hearing" blog, has honored me with this beautiful award.



Here are Tracey's kind words that she wrote for me on her blog:
"*Amy has to be my first nomination. She's always first every morning to comment on my newest post. My day wouldn't be complete without a comment from Amy. She's inspirational as a wife and mother. I hope I can be half the mommy that she is. Through everything she has her eyes on God."

With all of the nonsense that goes on in my life on a daily basis, I am so touched that any one would be able to say those kind things about me. It is only by the grace of God, I can assure you, that any one could be able to see good in me. And for that, I am very thankful. Just ask Shannon and the rest of my family (and Kenny). They have to put up with me in "real" life. ;)

I'm just saying.

"A friend accepts us as we are, yet helps us to be what we should." ~Author Unknown

Thank you so much, Tracey, for your kind words and for thinking of me. You have been so sweet and thoughtful to me throughout all of the nonsense that I have been through this year, and I am so thankful to have met you. You are a true treasure, my friend. My cup runneth over.

Here is a little bit about the award: The "uber" (synonym for super) is a blog award given to sites who:
- inspire you
- make you smile and laugh
- or maybe give you amazing information
- a great read
- has an amazing design
- and any other reason you can think of that makes them uber amazing!


The rules of the award are:

1. Put the logo on your blog or post.

2. Nominate at least five blogs (can be more) that for you are uber amazing.

3. Let them know that they have received this uber amazing award by commenting on their blog.

4. Share the love by linking to this post and the person you received the award from.

5. Here are my nominations:


*Dianne at the "Deez Dayz" blog.

*Shelly at the "Smiling Shelly's Shell" blog.

*Mia at the "Mama Mia" blog.

*Michele at the "My Blessings From Above" blog.

*Tina at the "Golden Goodness" blog.

*Paula at the "His Ways...are not our ways" blog.

*Valerie at the "Valerie" blog.

*Gina at the "Beandip Blog."

*Laura at the "The Wellblog."

All of these women that I have listed here have really touched my life in so many different ways. This has been a tough year for my family and me, and each of these ladies have reached out to me in so many special ways. I am so thankful and blessed to have had the opportunity to meet each and every one of them here in Blogland, and that is why I am passing this award along to them. To me, all of these lovely ladies are Uber Amazing!

"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive." ~Anäis Nin