Christmas Time!

Just like I knew I would, I forgot my camera at Thanksgiving. But...I didn't forget it for our Christmas parties in Dayton!!  I went home 2 weekends in a row...the first for Rick & Christy's "surprise wedding reception," & then the next for Christmas.  We had a great time at both gatherings...

Here's Momma & me...whoa...I look like a whale...especially in gray

...and...the whole family...Daddy-o, Momma, Christy, Rick, Me, Kim & Stebo.

Christmas Time.... Ty & Brie.  I love this pic!!

I have to say, though...This is my FAV of Brie!!

My Ty man is getting soooooo BIG!!

I love time with my family!  I enjoy the time that we have together..especially since I don't get to see them all the time.  Love you FAM!!!!

Time Flies When You Are...

Most people finish this phrase with...having fun.  I'm officially changing this to ...growing a baby!  :)  We are already 27 weeks along, with only 13 to go.  I'm so afraid that with Thanksgiving & Christmas being right around the corner, time is going to continue to fly!  I want to be able to savor the moment and enjoy our last holiday season before we add another family member.

I am very blessed to say that I have had a relatively uneventful pregnancy.  That is a good thing!! 

Today I did my glucose test.  What happens, is that you have to fast the night before, then have 3 tubey things of blood drawn.  You drink this drink...that my dr. said was equal to the sugar in 10 poptarts...(I really don't know if it is, or if she was just "breaking down" for me...hahaha), then wait an hour & have more blood drawn.  You get a call back if your levels are too high.  I got a voicemail from the dr's office, but it was soooo vague.  Of course, when I got a chance to call back, which was 4:50pm, they had already switched their phones over to the answering service.  UGH..That drives me nuts! If you are open until 5, then keep your phones on the regular system UNTIL 5! (my latest rant!!)
 
I'm not going to lie, I totally had a bratty Kayla moment when I realized I missed their call. I mean a good old fashioned, foot stompin', whining, "my life is over" moment!  So, needless to say, I am extrememly anxious to hear from them tomorrow.

Since I've been able to calm down, and eventually quit being a b.r.a.t...I've been praying for peace.  I know that the Lord has plans...and if I have gestational diabetes, its not the end of the world & it certainly doesn't mean that our precious baby is going to be unhealthy...it just means that I have to take more time planning & taking a conscious effort of healthy eating. 

I can do this...I can do this....but until then, I'll be waiting by the phone for the nurse to call me back....

Terific Tuesday!

Happy Tuesday!  I feel like all my blogs start like this...wow..its been for.ever!  But its true! 

Its Terrific Tuesday for more than one reason:

*Donny & Jim attached the hutch to Laney's dresser tonight, added a new shelf in her closet, & put blinds in the windows!! SCORE....now I just have to get decorations for the walls!

*Terrific Tuesday means that I only have half a days work until we get to go.HOME!!! 

* I have had nothing but AWESOME patients this entire week...it has truely been a blessing to have such great people to talk to for 45 minutes.  In those 45 minutes, I do most, well, pretty much all the talking...haha..

*Speaking of going home, I'm so stoked to see my family!  All of them!  My 2 brothers, 1 new sister in law, and another almost sister in law, the coolest nephew & niece ever &  my Mommacita & Daddy-o! Thursday I will get to see the rest of the fam...including the BEST MAWMAW, aunts & cousins in history! 

*Annnnnd...I'm officially 25 weeks pregnant!  Which means that we only have 15 weeks to go....wow!  Little Laney is just growing & growing.  I'm starting to feel her more & more.  Donny actually felt her kick for the first time on Saturday.  Such AN AWESOME feeling. 

Hopefully I'll remember to take my camera home so I can get pics of the family.  With my memory these days, I'll be lucky to remember my clothes.  haha

I'm so thankful for this time of year...a time to reflect on your life, purpose & relationships.  Thank you Lord, for fall... For the season of Thanksgiving & being ABLE to reflect on life!

Where have I been?

Wow..It's been so long since I've been on my blog.  I have been super busy growing a baby GIRL!! Yep, we found out Oct 2 that we are definately having a baby girl!  Donny has been in "better get the room ready" mode.  He hasn't even been bow hunting yet this season....he must be sick! He found mold in her room, so he had to cut out alot of the wall & replace insulation, paneling, and then paint, get carpet, put up trim & assemble & install her closet storage system.  whew...makes me tired just talking about it. 

I am making a vow to TRY to be better about posting...I said...TRY!! I know this blog was sooo boring, but I had to prove to myself that I could,  in fact, get back to blogging!!  :) 

This is the first picture of her face....and her little hands...

Oh...how could I forget...The golden nugget has a name....Laney Jewel!

Whew..What a Weekend!

This weekend was such a whirl-wind...But totally in a good way!

Friday: I woke up kinda late with the dreaded chore of cleaning on my mind.  Ugh...I hate cleaning the house when I let it get completely O.O.C..(out of control)  Mom & Aunt Karen were coming up, so I put a roast on to cook all day.  Lawdy, did the day go by fast...and I was kinda sore from being on my feet all stinkin' day.

Saturday:  Mom, Aunt Karen & I got up early & headed over to Shreveport for breakfast at Another Broken Egg.  I must say...it was deeeee-lish!!  After a belly full of tomato & cheese quiche & fruit...we hit the town for a little shopping.  I hate to admit, but at 14 weeks, I don't have any clothes that fit right!!  I guess fit "right" is the key.  Luckily I got HOOKED UP with some super cute clothes!  Thanks mom!! 

Donny said he was going to take us to dinner for my birthday weekend...but when we got to the restaurant..20 of our closest friends & family were there!  I was so surprised!!  Apparently Donny high-jacked my phone in the middle of the night & stole my friends numbers.  He's so thoughtful!! :)  He's been planning this the entire month of August!  How FUNNNN!!

Saturday night we had 2 extra visitors...I don't think the trai-la has ever been so full of guests before!  My brother, Stephen & Kim came up for the occasion!  So sad to say that we only have one picture from the night...This is my bestie, Megan & Me..

Today, I have slept all day.  We got up early again, had breakfast, all my peeps left...then I had a date with the couch!  Whew...What a weekend!

5th Annual Cousin Vacation!!

Last week I was off work...and I experienced the "Cousin Vacation" for the very first time.  Every year my Mom & Nana take their grand kids, (which is my cousins kiddos) on some sort of vacation.  Typically, us older peeps aren't really invited...but this year we were.  Whoa...

The plan...
*go to Dayton Monday...be there by 3pm
*pick up Ty from Momma Mia's house
*leave Tuesday by 11am to eat lunch (very important)
*arrive at Yogi Bear Park....
Then...Let the fun begin!

The realization...
*went to Dayton...left at 3:45..arrived at 7:00pm
*mom picked Ty up since I was a year late
*left Tuesday at 11:30 am, had lunch (very important)
*sat in Houston traffic on a random Tuesday...in the middle of the day...
*delivered a gun to my Uncle Donnie...(Long story)
*Arrived at Yogi Bear Park, Waller, Tx at 2:15....couldn't get in cabin until 3!

So...that's right...I went camping on my vacation...but it was totally worth it!

Yogi Bear Park is a kids bff.  There are bike trails through the woods, a huge water slide, pools, put-put golf, a craft cabin, karaoke at night, dance competitions, movies played at an outdoor theater...just plain ole cool stuff.

...Unless its 110 degrees outside!  The kids didn't mind the weather...but us grumpy adults did!!  There is only ONE RULE on cousin vacations... DON'T COMPLAIN.    I did my best....and really think I did a great job, considering my current state.  Guess we'll see how well of a job I did...if I'm invited again!  :) 

Here are a few pics I wanted to share with yall!

Gunner, Whitney, Will & Ty

Group shot after the PPG...Put-Put Golf Tourney! My cousin, Shannon & Ty, my nephew, on the very far right were the Champions!! 

The kiddos in front of our cabin...with the sun in their eyes! 

So cute!!  This one is my favorite!

That was the loft where they slept.  They almost look like jail birds...lol :)

Baby G

Yep, this is what you think! Donny & I are going to parents!!  Whoa. Kinda crazy!  Actually...Super Crazy!! 

The news is starting to sink in...just so hard to believe since I'm not sick, super exhausted, or down right mean.  I can't say I'm not moody....Donny would definitely tell you that I am!  Don't get me wrong, I'm so thankful that...so far...I've skipped the nausea!  Pray that this will continue.

I'm so confused..I really don't know how far along I am...I know that sounds crazy, but here's why.  I went to the dr at 7 weeks 3 days, but they baby was measuring 6 weeks.  So they called me 6 weeks. Then I went back 2 weeks later, at what I would think was 9 weeks 3 days, but they didn't measure the little pumpkin...and on the sonogram it says 9 weeks 3 days...but according to the size from the first one, I would just be 8 weeks 3 days.  I have no idea!  Too funny, huh!!  I'm so not good at this!  haha... So I guess I'll just go by the size of the little kidney bean....which means today the babe' is 9 weeks! 

One more week until double digits!!!  How stinkin' exciting!

Here is my quick, little rant for today...
I'm trying not to let negative people influence me in negative ways...This is very hard for me because I don't know a lot..about a lot of things...and others are way more experienced than me in a lot of areas...so I let them skew my ideas and thoughts on things...BUT.NO.MORE!!  I'm serious!  NO.MORE!  I have faith that everything will go according to His plans! 

I have to say, this sure is a NEW YEAR, NEW ADVENTURE!  whoa!  :)

Dog Days of Summer

Donny & I are sitting here, on this Sunday afternoon...with what sounds like a little storm a-brewin' outside...watching "K-9."  Its an older movie, but its so-o-o-o funny!  That got me thinking of the saying "Dog Days of Summer." 

Dog days are known as the hottest & muggiest days of the year, usually between July & September.  That came from back in the day when the ancient people read constellations. This time of year, they saw the dog star, called Sirius.  The ancients believed that the heat from the constellation in conjunction with the heat of the sun caused the sultry weather. This explains the horrible heat wave throughout America today.  So that's your history lesson for the day. 

But speaking of ....dogs...I wanted to share a few pics of my loves with you. 

This is the newest of the Goldens...Copper... He's going to be a HUGE pup.  At 8 weeks old, he was already weighing in at 16 pounds.  We were told he is probably going to be 80 pounds.  I've never had a big, big dog before...so this should be an interesting  journey.

Then we have Chico.  He's a hoot!  This boy is a mess...and Donny's best friend...when he is armed with the nerf gun. I love this pic because it shows Chico at his best..with a leaf in his beard & everything!  Hahaha...that's Chico for ya!

 Little princess Lola Bell.  Well, that's it...she's the spoiled rotten one.  Lola & I are out numbered by Donny, Chico & Copper, so needless to say...we stick together! 

I loved this picture of Nestle & Copper...Nestle is Donny's 120 pound, obese, chocolate Lab..She has totally taken Copper under her wing & I like to think that she is teaching him the "ways of life!!!"  :)

I had to add this picture of Boots...He's the meow meow that survives life with all the dogs...poor little fella has to hide in the trees to get a little peace & quiet!  

So, I may not be the constellation readin' ancient.....but these are MY  "Dog Days!!"

Long Time..No Post...

So much has happened here in the Golden house since that last post. It feels like its been 10 years since my last post. 

Ty graced us with his presence for a week.  It was b.u.s.y!  He had VBS in the mornings, and we tried to do fun stuff in the afternoon.  Poor little guy got so sick on this trip.  This insane stomach bug was going around his house...but I'm so glad that Donny & I didn't get it.  That Friday we went to Splash Kingdom.  It was sooo much fun!   Here's a few pictures from our week.

Group shot from the VBS Program.

Last weekend I went to Dayton & had an awesome weekend.  Laying out by the pool & visiting with the fam took up the majority of the weekend.  I was so excited because I got to see 2 of my high school friends...Keely & Amy!  We haven't seen each other since Keely's wedding 4 years ago.  Oh my!  It was a blast.  We really should do that more often. Catching up, great food & getting to meet little Avery was such a great time!  

There are about to be some changes around here...more of that to come in future weeks!

Weekend Review

Whoo hoo!  Made it through another weekend.  I'm almost looking forward to go back to work so I can rest....notice I said...ALMOST! 

This past weekend was the Bozeman Family Reunion.  The Bozemans are Mrs. Beth's (my mother in law) Mom's family.  So, Donny's MiMi's family.  This is my 4th year to be involved with this C-RA-ZY weekend.  The weekend gets kicked off on Thursday night...with the "drawing for teams."  They have a golf tournament on Friday, that they have so cleverly named...The Bozeman Open....That is taken.very.seriously! lol..

Donny & his momma were a team...and they won by 1 stroke!  In the last 5 years, Donny has won 4 times...What can I say..He's pretty amazing! ;)   Mrs. Beth has been practicing 3 or 4 days a week...and has been determined to get her name on that precious trophy.    Finally...she got it!  lol...

Friday night, I cooked supper for 13 people.  Not like a nice supper...just good ole tacos.  It only took 4 lbs of hamburger meat, 12 hard shells, 8 gordita tortilla things, 8 giant burrito things, a tub of sour cream, 2 bags of cheese & a pan of brownies...and finally everyone was fed. 

Saturday is the "Big day."  Lunch, horseshoes, washers, volleyball, apple bobbin', swing sets, a slip n'slide & supper keeps everyone entertained.  Whew weee...it was Hot!  I'm sure family reunions were way more exciting back in the day...before the wonderful world of facebook.  Now, everyone knows what you are doing, so there really isn't that much "new stuff" to share.  One of my conversations went like this..."I'm so glad you were able to come.  I was worried that you weren't able to get off work.  Yeah, I keep up with you on facebook!!"  haha...their response..."Kayla, your new office is beautiful!  How are Lola & Chico?  Now, tell me again when Donny goes back to the doctor."  I couldn't help but giggle...

Sunday is clean up day.  I got out of that this year...whoohooo! 

Normally, I am the annoying person with the camera..but I didn't bring it this year.  Sadly, I don't have any pics of this year to share with you!

This is Ty from Reunion 2010... 

Ty is staying with me again this week!  I'm so excited!!  He is going to VBS at IBC ..and is totally pumped!  I may sneak in a haircut for him, too! lol..

Happy week everyone!

Summer Lovin'

I.Love.Summer!!

I used to love summer even more...before I was a "workin' gal!"  Its hard to believe that I have been in this crazy dental world for 10 years...and a hygienist for 6 years!  Whoa..when I think of it like that...I kinda start to feel old!

Summer as a kid was AWESOME!!  My childhood best friend, Brandie & I would dress up in my super-stylish, rocky mountain jeans, (which I had in EVERY color), matching shirt & boots...and pretend to do glamour shots by the brick fireplace...True.Story. What were we thinking!! hahaha My favorite pictures were the bathing suit pics out by the pool. Now, keep in mind, we had to WAIT to use the ENTIRE roll of film BEFORE we were able to see these awesome creations!  Good times, good times!

Remember that area in WalMart, I think we called it, "The Photo Center!!" They made so much money off of my parents at the One Hour Photo!  Kiddos these days have no idea what its like to have to WAIT for your FILM to be DEVELOPED!!  lol...I say that like I'm some old, wise owl! 

One of my favorite things to do in the summer was to invite my friends over to swim!  I loved it when Emily's mom, Mrs. Urban, would drop her off at my house on her way to work in the morning!  I would be so excited that Emily was coming over, I could barely sleep the night before!! Donuts for breakfast, pizza for lunch, and lots of homemade cookies...Good times, good times!

As I got older...we would go on GREAT vacations!  

Camping in Bandera was a tradition!  And when I say camping...I mean roughing it camping...no running water, no electricity, cooking over the open fire, bathe in the Medina River kind of camping!  It was great!  Kelli, Brandie, Glenna, Stacey & Bobby were just a few of my friends that I was able to make memories with throughout the years!  Cheer camps, steer shows, & driving the truck while the football boys hauled hay...these were all good times, good times!!

Cancun was a great vacation with the Carmacks; Cozumel with my family for graduation...I really could just go on & on about the family trips & the places we've been...the times that I hauled poor, little Rocky (my very, very favorite stuffed animal) with me...the windows that my brothers held him out of...most of the time tied to a rope of some sort, just so they could hear me scream...Wooowzers!!  Good times, good times!

Although I NEVER see most of the people I have mentioned in this blog, I still have those precious memories of sweet summertime & summer lovin'!

I'm excited about all memories that I can create with my nieces & nephews! I know that these...too....will be good times!!

Wonderful Wednesday!

Today was such a great day!  I'll call it Wonderful Wednesday!  Why was today so great?

Well, today means I only have ONE more day of work for the week...and today means that my maid of honor, one of my very very best friends, Ardra, is getting married in THREE days!  I'm so excited! I know that she will be a gorgeous bride, and I'm so thankful that I get to serve as her matron of honor.  What a real honor!!  (Pics to follow! Hopefully I'll put them up on Sunday when we get home!) I did break down & tell her my bridesmaid dress drama...since I got it all taken care of.  hahaha. No really...REAL BRIDESMAID DRESS D.R.A.M.A... Ardra is such a great person, a great friend, and she is going to be a really great life partner for Brett (with 2 t's). 

I have to say, I already have my speech prepared!  And I will not spill the beans about how awesome it is!! ;) 

Ardra told me today to make sure I bring my running shoes this weekend. I had to insure her that MY shoes were strictly jogging shoes...not running shoes...and that I'm not fast...AT...A.L.L.  All in all, I super pumped about our "pre-wedding jog!!" 

Monday night Donny & I went to hear our precious friends kiddo, Levi, play in his very first piano recital. He was so sweet & innocent!  That sweet child literally..and I mean literally brought tears to my eyes when I listened to him play...and SING..."Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."  Oh my gosh, it seriously made my heart smile! 

No more Awanas on Wednesday, which really makes me sad!  It will start back up in the fall....but that gives me something to look forward to. I did have lunch with Emily & Ty Ty on Tuesday... super fun girl & baby Ty time!!


Megan pretty much kicked my boo-tay today with our little jog!  I'm soooo over having shin splints...Its driving me crazy!  One day I will so pumped when I can write on here that I COMPLETED MY FIRST HALF MARATHON!  But until then...its just single digit miles for Kayla!!

Oh, and I forgot to tell you about our trip to San Antonio!  We attend the TDA meeting every year in order to get CE's. This year was way awesome cause Ashley stayed at the same hotel, took classes with me, and went to dinner with us!  It was a great time!  This is Ashley & Me after dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe! We are rockin' the windblown look!

Thank you, Lord, for blessing me with TRUE friends!!

Whoa!

Whoa peeps...I've been one crazy, busy ole' girl!  I haven't blogged in For.EV.er!!

Since my last post, we were ABLE to celebrate Easter!  What an awesome holiday!  I love Easter!! Can you imagine the excitement when everyone realized that the tomb was empty?  How cool!  I get so excited when I think about that!   Danny & Jessica, Zach & Grasyon, and Megan & Dusty, Rylie & Easton came to Elysian Fields on Saturday.  It was so much fun!!  The kids played with bubbles & had an Easter egg hunt, while us "grown ups" watched with envy!   This is Zach & Rylie chasing bubbles..aren't they cute!

 The Golden Girls...Megan, Jessica & Me...

 

Donny & I were ABLE to go to Church with his parents...

and then ABLE played a pretty fun round of golf!

I didn't get to see my Momma or Daddy...but I had a good Easter.  Mom & Aunt Karen came up the weekend before to watch The Sacrifice, IBC's program.  It was amazing..as usual!!

This last weekend was a great time with girls.  My best friend is getting married in 12 days, so we took her out for a night on the town.  Great times....I don't have a pic to share for this one...lol...;)
oh wait...i do....

This is Nikki, Me & Ardra

Oh, and I was ABLE to run 7 miles in 2 days last week!! 4 miles one day...then 3 the next...That is A HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT for Me!!  If it hadn't been for my bff, Megan & our power socks....I would not have been able to do it!

Have I  told you all lately how BLESSED I am?!!!?

Thank you, Lord, for changing my "to-do's" into my "able" to do's!  Thank you for such great friends & family to celebrate holidays with!  Thank you for friends that push me to the max, and for sharing encouraging words from the Truth that help me realize I'm worth something! 

Little Girl's Dream

There is dream that most little girls share.  They pretend to be the princess bride. The bride that has all of her favorite stuffed animals lined up to be the best bridal party ever! The bride that has the most beautiful sheet from her mommas linen closet as her veil.

No matter how much money my daddy tried to pay me to just..."go get married at the Courthouse"...I couldn't do it!  I still had this little girl dream of a wedding in my mind!!  Two years later I think...man that $$$$ sure sounds nice now..  just kidding!!  I wouldn't trade our wedding day for anything! It makes Valentines Day just that much more special.

Today, I had the most precious 9 year old girl in my chair at work.  I gave her the remote to change the channel on the tv in my operatory, thinking it would soon be on Nickelodeon, or the Disney Channel.  I was quite surprised when I looked up to see TLC's Say Yes to the Dress.  She was so excited to see the beautiful women in wedding dresses, parading in front of their entourages.  She was smiling & so into the show, that she didn't hear me at first when I asked if she watched it at home.  Her response was, "Oh yes, I love it.  Do you like dresses? Are you married?  Did you have a beautiful wedding dress like these girls? How long ago did you get married? Did you have wedding? I can't wait to get married one day."

I love the innocence of a little girl's dream....

These are a few of my favorite things!

Family Time...One of my favorite things!!

Wow!  Donny & I had a great weekend!  It all started with my Mom's 57th bday on friday!  We cooked shrimp, homemade french fries, & Kim busted out the 3rd homemade cheesecake.  Let me elaborate...Kim is my brother Stebo's girlfriend.  The first time we met her she brought a "fresh from her kitchen" pumpkin roll.  The second time I saw her, she brought "fresh from her kitchen" toffee, peanut brittle, & all kinds of cookies.  The truth is...the chick can bake!  Per Mom's request, she made a cheesecake.  Thursday night, she was driving home from a friends house and her precious cheesecake fell on the floor of her car while rounding a curve.  The kitchen saw her again, at 5:00 am on Friday, to make another one.  That one didn't turn out exactly like she wanted, soooooo, we made another one when she got to my mom's house on friday evening.  Poor thing!  She practically had the recipe memorized by that time!!  But, I must say...It was GREAT! This is Mom, Kim, & Me!

My very first nephew...Ty...One of my favorite things!!

Ty, was my other brother..Rick's first born.  I can still remember that rainy day in September we were blessed with him.  I couldn't get from Tyler, to Nacogdoches to Baytown fast enough to see him!!  Tammi hadn't had him yet, so I was trying to keep her company by talking about my new friends I had met at college.  I kept saying, "Tammi, I have a new friend.  Her name is Sarah.  She is from this town called Hughes Springs"....and I kept rambling and rambling.....Ty is growing up for sure...but he is such a tender hearted little guy.  He cares about other peoples feelings...He is sooo smart....& most of all....He LOVES HIS KK!! 

My 2nd niece...Brie....One of my favorite things!!

Sweet baby Brie...Rick's second born.  What a special little angel!  Every time I go to Dayton, we always go pick up baby Brie!  She is a cutie, and spoiled to the core!  My dad is in love that baby!!  She finally took over my daddy's princess throne that I occupied for 28 years.  I was glad to pass that on to her!!  ;)  Brie is loved by  SO many people, and I know that she will also grow up to be an amazing young lady...that also  LOVES HER KK!! 

Mom & Dad had the most beautiful flowers in bloom...and I couldn't help but snap a few pics of my little loves.  It was a tad bit windy on Saturday, so we had her hat on.

I wish you could have seen her face when she first saw Ty!  It was the cutest little expression! 

Donny....One of my favorite things!!

Golden, D, Babe...just a few things that I call him!!  I can't imagine my life without him!  He makes me laugh,  he wipes my tears when I cry about my bad days & is my biggest supporter in life.  Donny is a thyroid cancer survivor!  What a strong & amazing man! He proposed just days after he finished his first radiation treatment...such an exciting time!  When he was asked about our future before we got married he said, "I'm excited...It's going to be like having a slumber party everyday with my best friend!"

Certainly I have more...but these are just a few of my favorite things!!


Thank you, Lord, for all of these things!

Spring Break = Spring Cleaning

Why is it, that every Spring, we purge out the old, crummy clutter, just to make room for new, crummy clutter?  This happens to me every spring.  I get so proud of myself for the hard work that I put into cleaning...and man, I mean...I devote an entire WEEK out of the year to "spring cleaning."

The other 51 weeks of the year are spent cluttering up the area I treasured the week before.  Why is this?  I get so irritated when I recogize this is happening...

But mark my word...this year is going to be different!  I refuse to clutter up my precious space!! 

This year, I began my cleaning spree in my closet.  It is so much fun to get rid of clothes...especially those are too BIG! Yay! I feel like a new woman when I clean out my closet.  I hate to admit, that this area has been neglected for a few years! It is finished now...Whew, what a relief!

I have this room....I think we all have a similar room...that collects all the big junk.  Technically, this isn't junk in my lovely room.  It's wedding gifts that haven't been used yet...like, new dishes, crockpots, small kitchen appliances, towels, shower curtains, that sort of thing.  We are saving all the "goods" for our new house...that way, we will have new things to fill it!! How fun is that!! ;)  Well, there were some things in there that had to go...Donny's grandparents lived in  our home before us, so there was still some of their things in there.  That sounded bad.....Not good things, or anything with emotional attachment, but just stuff we hadn't distributed to other family members or just things that needed to be thrown away that they hadn't done yet.  We found 2 karoake machines, 2 or 3 radios...lots of face masks, all kinds of stuff!  Thanks to Mrs. Beth for her awesome help!! 

I think that was the room that I got the most satisfaction from.  I am still in my cleaning journey this week, so Donny better lock up the things he wants to keep!  Things seems to "disappear"...and its mostly his stuff!!  haha..poor Donny! I told him that if he helped, that wouldn't happen!!

I challenge you to purge your clutter...in all aspects of life...faith, life, and your home!

Funday Sunday!

I know that the title of this blog makes you think I will talk about Sunday, but that is a tad bit misleading!  My bff already took the title "Team Molly," so I had to think of something else...haha...

What is "Team Molly?"  Well, if you read Megan's blog, you already know.  But for those of you who don't, it goes a little something like this:

A few friends & myself have decided it would be a good idea to begin training for a few 5k's, then possibly a 10k, and then we shall see where else this leads.  Team Molly is what we called ourselves yesterday.  It was a wonderful chick, Molly Calvert's 30th birthday!!  How exciting is that! A new milestone!  A new adventure! So, on her birthday, we conquered a 5k.  How cool is that...to run 3.2 miles on your 30th birthday!  We had shirts made & everything for this monumental occasion.  Here we are below...after the run I may add...thats why my face is soooo red!

It's me, Molly ( the birthday girl), and Megan.

It was a great time!  And...not only did Mr. Kilgore prove what a SUPERSTAR  he is...finishing 3rd in his age group, but Stefanie W. also proved how awesome she is, too!  She completed a half marathon!  Wowzer!  How unbelievable is that?!!

This whole running experience has been quite the emotional roller-coaster.  I didn't think that I would be so consumed by it.

I'm learning... from a very passionate person, that there are life lessons in "running the race." She says on one of her latest blogs, "You are stronger than you think. You can push and dig deeper than you think. You may slow down, but don't you ever stop."  She says, "I dare you to believe. To move past the voice of impossible."  

This is my biggest weakness. The voice of impossible....But with Meg's encouraging words, His guidance & strength & a whole lot of FAITH...I WILL obtain victory! The taste of victory is...Oh..So...Sweet!!  The sense of accomplishment makes me crave more! 

What's New

What's new...Well, honestly, this past month has been a whirl wind!

For starters...my niece, Brie, had her very, very 1st birthday!  I can't believe that she's already 1! Isn't she just so cute & tiny!! This is Brie checking out her cake...

Big brother, Ty!  He's so proud of his sister! 

 She wasn't diggin' the icing on her fingers.  Ugh...get it off!!
This..was.... by far.. Brie's favorite present!  Uncle Stebo & Kim did AWESOME!!

The same weekend of Brie's party was Feminar.  Feminar is a ministry of Macedonia Baptist Church dedicated strictly to women.  How fun is that!  And I'll tell ya, there was alot of estrogen flowin' in The Belcher Center.

Here's a little recap of this years Feminar that I sent in to Branches, IBC womens publication:


One word to describe this years Feminar - AMAZING!! I sincerly enjoy studying the Word of God with my all time favorite, genuine, speaker/blogger, Lysa TerKeurst. BUT, in this season of my life, Lori Salierno spoke directly to my heart! I haven't felt tugs LIKE THAT on my little heart strings in quite sometime. She reminded me that when we "run the race of faith" we are armed with freedom, confidence, & power. I felt like she was speaking directly to me, saying "Kayla, be confident! Be confident! Be confident!" It doesn't matter what SIZE my favorite jeans are, or how BIG my new, super cute shirt is..I am His! We are running the race for an audience of ONE. In difficult times, when we think that our world is closing in around us, we are to be reminded that Christ will not let us get destroyed. We may feel the pressure, but with our focus on Christ, we WILL NOT crack! That truth is so exciting! Like Lysa says, some days just a one verse day...and this is the truth that caught my attention during Feminar... "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:18

It was a great time!!

So, with that in mind...I'm going to focus on running the RACE...ALL THE RACES THAT WE RUN...The race of FAITH, the race of LIFE, and literally the 5K race this coming weekend!!

Great-Time-Get-Away

I know I've said before, but last Monday was our 2nd wedding anniversary.  We are trying to save mucho dinero, so we decided to head east, just about 25 miles away from home to have a date night.  Although Donny & I have a date night every Thursday night, this date night was a little different. 

On Thursdays, we don't cook, its a "left over" kind of night, and we just relax & watch recorded tv shows that we've missed throughout the week.  Donny actually took it upon himself to make reservations at this super cute hotel & we spent the night!  Even though we were so close to home, it felt good to get away.  I told Donny that I felt bad leaving Lola & Chico and his response was, "Babe, we need to get away...we need a break!"  Its funny that we talk about them like they are our kiddos....

After we checked in to the hotel we headed over to the Boardwalk in Bossier.  The Boardwalk was packed!  People were everywhere.  Dinner at Saltgrass was amazing...even with the 45 minute wait at 4:30! Neither one of us had ever been to the movies down there, so we decided to check it out.  We had a great time!!

This is our official 2nd Anniversary picture.  Aren't we cute!!  Haha...

You know, it is good to go somewhere alone, even if it is only 25 miles away! 

So now, its back to the grind...I have big ideas of what this week is going to be like.  Megan, Molly and I are hitting the road hard tomorrow after work.  We are training for a 5K in March, a 10K in April ( I think) & a half marathon in October (I think..)  So we shall see how this works out! 

Happy week bloggy friends!!

This is Whats Been Up!!

Oh My Goodness...What in the world has happened to me?  If I didn't know myself, I would have thought I vanished off the face of the Earth.  Not so much...I've just been WAY, SUPER-DUPER BUSY!  I feel so bad that I haven't shared anything that has happened in my WAY, SUPER-DUPER EXCITING life lately! 

So, here we go!  I have a new nephew since my last post. Duty & Megan welcomed Easton Lee Golden on Super Bowl Sunday..maybe he'll be a football player!! He is sooo cute!  Don't you agree?

This past weekend, Megan K. & I hung out with 11 super neat 9th graders!  OMGoodness!  It was a blast!  We lead group discussions at DNow.  I LOVED the theme, "A fire burns within me" ...and our discussions focused on "Love Out Loud."  I always enjoyed DNow when I was in jr. high & high school, so I knew it would be rewarding!  I kept telling them that it wasn't a coincidence that they were there or that we were their group leaders...it was all part of the Lord's plan.  We knew that we didn't have much to offer, we just kept praying that He would give us the words that we needed to teach those sweet girls what it was they needed to learn!   It all worked out...Marvelously!...OHHH...and I showed them my awesome cheer skills that were a little rusty (its been a little over 10 years since those skills were used)...& actually, somehow, managed to do a toe touch or two!! 
  
Monday, Valentines Day, was mine & Donny's 2nd Wedding Anniversary!  Whoo hoo! We made it TWO YEARS!  Donny says, with a cute little smirk on his face.."Its been two Loooooooonnng years!" ..I know he doesn't mean it!!  ;) He was so sweet yesterday!  He made a roast with carrots & potatoes & I made him a red velvet cake.  (His favorite, which is why that was his grooms cake) It was so nice to come home to dinner, and spend it just hanging out with the most awesome guy I know!  Here's a pic of my gorgeous roses!

Oh, and I'm so excited that I get my hair did this Friday!  I love how sassy I feel when I get it cut & colored!  Hahaha...

So, that is whats been up!

*Sense of Humor*

Hello bloggy friends!  (I totally stole that word from Lysa Terkeurst)  I haven't been on here in awhile because I have been such a great host body for the wonderful flu visitor!  NOT!!  Its been horrible...to say the least.

I did learn quite a few things while being home from work all week. I'd like to start with this point...God has such a great sense of humor and I mean that in the most loving way! :) I am involved in a bible study at Church titled Navigating the Life Interrupted, by Priscilla Shirer.  Yep, I'd say that getting ready for work on Tuesday with full make up, cute hair, & ironed scrubs, then, going to the doctor before work, thinking I would be leaving with a z-pack or some free samples, and then on to work...but NOOOOO...After I got swabbed up my nose, and so far into my sinus, that she was practically knocking on the edge of my brain with that crazy flu swab, which was a positive result, I was forced to head right back to good ole EF!  What the heck man!  I had to get to work!  ...then I just giggled, and thought...Guess this is part of navigating the life interrupted!

Second, there is ab-so-lute-ly nothing on during the day! I couldn't help but notice that the only commercials on during the day are one of these: 1) denture cleansers and/or manufactures, 2) car accident attorneys that just want to "get you the money you deserve", or 3) call this number if you have ever taken this medication.  Thats it!  That is practically all that is on.  You really don't want to hear my explanation of why I think this is! 

My third point goes with the first one.  This was a great week to be sick because of the weather.  (Sorry Amy & DL) But, here in east Texas, cold weather also brings other bad things...like frozen pipes.  We were so lucky to have this happen to us.  Our pipes froze on Wednesday, then busted later that day. Donny was unable to fix them at that time, because they were still frozen, so he put lights on them all night to help with the thawing process.  That kind of worked, and he was able to fix them late Thursday.  So, here I am with the flu, unable to wash my hands, and I finally sweated out all that fever in the middle of the night..which was awesome, but I couldn't shower!  I stunk real bad on Thursday!!!  haha...i even brushed my teeth with bottled water & scoop water from the bathtub, that Donny brought in bucket by bucket from across the street, to flush the toilet!! Whew, glad that's over!

Once Donny got it fixed, I was like...I'm an awesome wife & I'm going to wash clothes.  BAD IDEA!  There was still ice in the pipe which flooded the man room/laundry room.  It was super fun...and once again I was learning how to...Navigate the Life Interrupted!!! I called my wonderful mother in law, pouting that I was about to have a nervous breakdown...and she was right over!  What would I do without Mrs. Beth?  I wouldn't have any clean clothes...I know that!!!  She's such a blessing!

Wow..amazing how much you notice something when you are involved in it!!

Well, Me, Lola & Chico enjoyed the snow today.  Donny had to work, so he didn't get to play with us too much.  I wanted to share these two pics with you.  

 This is Chico with snow on his face. He was eating it & acting crazy!  Too cute!

This is Lola & Chico playing in the snow.  She wasn't all about it, but he definitely was! I'm not real sure with an exact amount of snow, but it was alot for this Texas gal & it was super duper fluffy!  Nice..

Dancin' in the Rain

Happy Sunday everyone!  I hope you had an awesome day!  Well, here in East Texas, actually in this thriving metropolis I call home, Elysian Fields, we had a heck of a storm.  Not just a rain storm, but a THUNDERSTORM!  If you have ever been to my house, you were probably greeted by a free spirited, happy, tail-waggin' little pup, Chico.  He's crazy & very misunderstood...and most importantly...HATES THUNDER!

Chico sure made me think long & hard today.  You know how I said he doesn't like thunder?  It actually makes him go crazy.  He was jumping from couch to couch...then on the floor barking at the window, then back on the couch, on top of the coffee table, then in my lap growling & barking & carrying on.  I tried to console him, hold him, & tell him that its just thunder, but he wouldn't listen...and yes I understand that he's a dog.  

Let me back track for a moment.  We are doing a bible study on Jonah, Navigating a Life Interrupted, by Priscilla Shirer, and this week our lessons were about running from God.  When you know God is speaking to you, but you duck and run the other direction..like Jonah.  When Chico was out of control, I dawned on me how we are all like Chico. We get caught up in what we think is "just a horrible situation" and go crazy, yelling & acting a fool.  And there I was trying to calm him down, just like the Lord tries to calm us down.  He is here to hold us, hug us, and show us the truth.  So, I'm praying that when you have an "interrupted life," this week, you look at it like Priscilla taught us...A DIVINE INTERVENTION! 

Cruise Review...Finally!

Wow..I've been a complete slacker lately with my blog. I've just been sooo busy this week!!  I wanted to share a few pics from the cruise that I've been blabbing about for weeks.

This was Me & Sara before our zipline excursion in Montego Bay, Jamaica.  Aren't we so cute in our harness?  haha.  Not so much!

Awww...Look at this 3 week old sea turtle!  He/or she was so tiny!  This was at the Turtle Farm in Georgetown, Grand Cayman.

 This was my 3rd trip on the Fury Catamaran in Cozumel.  I'm totally rockin' my life jacket!

The entire group in Cozumel... Aunt Lisa, Sara, Aunt Karen, Me, Mom & Aunt Deb.

 Ok, if you've ever been on a cruise, you know about the towel animals.  Well, this bat was hanging above our bed with Sara's sunglasses on.  When we walked in it scared us so bad....we were screaming, then laughing, then running for the bathroom!  Too funny..Gotta love giggling girls!

Here's the "Kayla has lost her mind" stingray kiss!  See how huge she was!! Hope you enjoyed!