Tulsa by way of NWA

What a great weekend Josh and I have had so far!!!! We both left work early on Friday and headed to NWA. Our first stop was at my friend Ashley's house. I was dropping off some puzzles that my family had worked over Christmas. Ashely and I used to live together and we loved to work puzzles so I thought she might be wishing she had some to work. My second stop was to see my friend Shannon. I had her a housewarming gift that I had been meaning to get to her for a while. Josh and I stopped by her work and dropped it off. After that we were on our way to Laurie and Steve's house. When we got there we gave Emily a thank you gift for letting us stay at her house. It was some dress up clothes.

Here she is modeling them. We had a lot of fun playing with Emily. She's hilarious!!!! I love her personality. She definitely put on a show for us.

Sarah Kate was just as adorable. I love her smile. I like to call her "little Laurie." She's such a sweet girl.

THANKS again Steve, Laurie, Emily, and Sarah Kate. We had a great time and can't wait to do it again soon!

This morning Josh and I got up early so we could head to Tulsa to see the Stamps and family before it got crazy. We started off the morning right with some coffee and breakfast at Panera and then headed to OK. I wasn't really sure what to expect since Kelly and Scott normally get TONS of visitors at the hospital on the weekends. I really didn't figure we'd get to spend a lot of time with them at all. The LORD really blessed us though and we were able to spend some good quality time with our friends. They are just such wonderful people and it was great to see them. I had the best time and I'm so glad we went! An added bonus of the trip is that we got to meet two other bloggers. Julie and Kate met us at the hospital and we all went to lunch.

Josh, Me, Kelly

Julie, Kate, Scott

Napkins that Kate brought us to use at dinner. Hilarious! Apparently its something she does with her friends. They bring random napkins to their get-togethers. Anyway, we had a great time at lunch. I really enjoyed getting to know those two girls better. They are great! Go check them out! Thanks again, Kate, for lunch. You're too nice!!

Now is almost 10 o'clock. Josh and I got home a few minutes ago and we're exhausted. I had such a great weekend visiting my friends that I'm sure I'm going to sleep the whole night with a smile on my face.

New Look!

Did you check out my new blog look? I think it looks great!! Thanks so much to my friend Tricia. She did such a great job. The polka dot background is so me!!!! You all really need to stop in and see Tricia on her blog!!! You won't be disappointed! My header blues turned into blog bliss! THANK YOU, TRICIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I LOVE HER ALREADY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Header Blues!

I'm sure you all noticed but for some reason my header is gone!? Do any of you know why this would happen? Or do you know of what I can do to correct it? Or even where I can get a new one? I'm so sad! I loved my header! It was so me!

Great Giveaway!

This past weekend I noticed that Jennifer had updated her blog. I decided to hop on over and see what was going on. I sure am glad I did. She posted a great giveaway from Whitney Caroline Designs.

If you want a chance to win one and if you want to check out some other really great things you need to visit her blog.
And if you win it I think you should give it to me! :) I like the black one best!

Facebook First Timer and More

It's been interesting to watch the popularity of facebook change through the different age groups. When I was in college we didn't have it so it became popular for us "young career" folks to get it. Then I guess that wore off and now it has become popular for people of all ages i.e. my mother. Several months ago I noticed a lot of my mom's friends were setting up facebook accounts. I had given her my information in the past so she could get on it and "snoop" but it became evident that it was time for her to have her own. She's not really the most computer savvy so I decided I'd just set her up on it myself. So that's what I did last night. Cool, huh?! Great way to spend a Friday night. Well let me just say my mom sure is glad I did. She's loving it. Last I checked she already had 38 friends. Go mom!! Confession...I sent out almost all the friend requests for her. I just picked people (my friends included) that she'd want to keep up with. So if you got a friend invite just go ahead and accept it. She's harmless, I promise!

So that was what entertained me last night. Today was just as entertaining though. After breakfast Josh and I went to the church because he had a lot of things to get done before Sunday. I went with him so I could help him make copies and send postcards through the meter. I did pretty well if I do say so myself!

Here's my hot hubby at work!

After that we came home, ate left over Chinese food, watched the rest of the Hog game (lost to Auburn, boo!) and then took a 3 hour nap! Loved it! Then we headed to Walmart for our weekly groceries, ate dinner, I talked on the phone to Laurie (she went to Tulsa today and wanted to update me on the day's events), sipped on my Rt. 44 diet cherry limeade and now here I am. What a day! I'm exhausted!! :) Oh, I guess I left out one thing. After my nap it was time for my parents to head to their function. I wanted to take a picture of them for mom's profile on facebook.

New profile pic on facebook...coming soon.

Check out her styling boots!!!

OK...I'm out!!! Good night! Don't forget to pray for Harper. And Kelly, Scott, their parents, etc.

Soup D' Jour

While off work this week mom made some DELICIOUS soup so I thought I would share the recipe!

Tortellini Soup

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 oz pancetta or bacon, finely diced

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 can (49 1/2 oz) chicken broth

2 tsp Italian seasoning

1 package (9 oz) cheese tortellini

1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes in puree

8 oz fresh spinach, rinsed, steamed, and chopped

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese

Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add pancetta or bacon. Cook until crisp. Add onion; cook 3-4 minutes or until soft. Add garlic; cook 1 more minute. Add broth and Italian seasoning; bring to a boil and cook 5 more minutes.

Meanwhile cook tortellini according to package directions; drain. Add cooked tortellini to soup mixture. Stir in tomatoes and simmer 5 minutes. Add spinach and cook just until wilted. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with cheese.

Yum-O!!! I don't really even like soup all that well. I mean, I'll eat it but it isn't something I would pick for my last meal or anything. BUT this soup is great and I keep going back for the leftovers. A friend of my mom's gave her the recipe but it looks like it came from Taste of Home.

My mom also made Grandmother Paula's Sour Cream Pound Cake. Oh mercy! Add some strawberries and Blue Bell Homemade Ice Cream....delee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

More Good News

Harper is already down to 66% oxygen!!! PRAISE THE LORD!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just yesterday she was at 100% so she is making great improvements. The better she does the sooner the doctor will let that sweet thing wake up!! Keep those prayers coming!

Home Again!

I love to be off work and be at home where I can hang out with my family and be productive. One would think that having spent the last three days at home I would be loving it. Not so much. I did have a few friends come hang out with me. I appreciate them being there so much. In no particular order they are:

The best orange juice ever!!

Mom went all out and got me kleenex with vicks. I should also mention that put the generic vapor rub on as well. Couldn't even smell it!

I understand why they say this is addicting. It allowed me to sleep for about 6 hours last night. PTL! I'm trying to not use it today unless I have to.

And since I've been sick I haven't been sharing a bed with Josh. Last night my bed buddy was Nyquil! Love it!

Z-PACK

And last but CERTAINLY not least...the Z-pack. It hasn't really done me much good yet but I'm confident it will once it all gets in my system!

So I know you're all jealous that I have such great friends to come visit me when I'm under the weather. Well, don't be. You can get them all for yourself here.

Have a nice day!

Still Sick!

Yes, that's right I'm still sick. And I think last night was the worst of them all. I'm pretty confident it is just my sinuses because my head feels like it is going to explode. I plan to go to the doctor this morning...which I should have done a few days ago. It's just that normally over-the-counter meds work for me. Not this time. I need to call in the professionals. Last night I didn't sleep...seriously. I couldn't lay my head down and sleeping sitting up doesn't really work. So I just sat on the couch all night. Then I got up and checked Kelly's blog. How precious is this? I love the little stuffed animal between her legs.

I'm so thankful Harper is continuing to improve. What an answer to prayers! I love how Kelly mentioned all the other families who don't have the support Harper does. It has encouraged me to pray for them. If you haven't read her dad's post you need to. He says it so well. Glory to God!

Update

I just talked to Laurie, who has been in Tulsa with Kelly and Scott. Things are better. The nurses gave them a good report. She said Harper's vitals and oxygen levels are the best they've been. Praise the LORD!!! Obviously she still has a long way to go and no one knows how long that road is but this is good news! Kelly and Scott feel very hopeful!! Stay tuned to her blog because she will be updating with more pictures soon!

Isn't she LOVELY???????????

Harper Brown Stamps

Weekend Wedding

This past weekend I was in Camden for a wedding. The wedding was of one of my friends from Fayetteville. The wedding festivities were great and things went off without a hitch. Unfortunately I was too concerned about Harper to even take one picture! I am having some other bridesmaids email me pictures and then I will post some. We left the reception early last night to come home because I was going to to go Tulsa to see Kelly today. Only this morning I woke up sick! I'm so disappointed! I hope to go sometime this week instead. So for now I'm about to eat my eggo chocolate chip waffles, drink my coffee, pray for Harper, and clip coupons out of the paper. Then I think I'll go back to bed. Hope you're all having a blessed Lord's Day. Please remember to pray for Harper but also for Kelly and Scott. They need it!

PRAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please pray for Harper! She's in a very tough spot right now!! I pray the Lord continues to breathe life into that sweet baby girl! Please pray for Kelly and Scott, her parents! What an amazing example of faith and strength! God is bigger and I trust He will heal this baby! I'm believing it!

Our Weekend Plans

Not much going on here these days. Josh made it home safely last night. PTL! I was so glad to see him. I'm still glad. I keep following him around because I missed him so much. OK, I haven't really been following him around but I wouldn't have been opposed to it. He slept in this morning for a while and I cleaned out my parents dining room which was full of our wedding gifts. I know, I should have done that a long time ago but I really thought we would have found a place of our own by now. It's looking like when we do get a place in the near future we're going to get something SMALL and TEMPORARY so I decided to put my things in parent's attic. It's easy to get to because is off the upstairs room so I can still enjoy my wonderful gifts any time I want.

After getting that cleaned up we went to pick up his dry cleaning, make a Starbucks run (he has a gift card so we didn't have to splurge) and then go to Sonic. I've been wanting to try their $1 menu. It was pretty good. Not as great as Wendy's...can't beat it...or even McDonald's, but it was good.

Now I think it is nap time. We have a chili supper at church tonight and then a youth bonfire and hayride so I think I'm going to need my energy. I LOVE hayrides and bonfires but it is supposed to be COLD here. BURRRRR!!! Not sure how much I'll enjoy the cold. I'll just stay by the fire the whole time.

OK...well there you have it. Our exciting weekend has been summed up. The only that would make it better is if I would get a call saying Harper is on her way! I keep waking thinking it might be the day. No news yet but I know she is coming soon!

Enjoy your weekend!

Favorite TV Show

Do you know how excited I am that The Biggest Loser is about to come...again? It just ended last month and now a brand new one is about to start! Woohoo!! I love this show so much!!! I like to think I can learn a few tips from my FAVORITE trainer, Jillian. Sorry, Kelly, I know you're a Bob fan! I won't hold that against you though!

Missing Josue!

You would think that since up until marriage Josh and I spent the weekdays apart I'd be used to it. For almost two years we spent our weekends in the same place but the rest of the time we were away from each other. It wasn't fun but we made it work. I guess I just knew we had to do it so we did it. Now though, Josh has been gone 7 hours and I'm already sad! He left after church today to go to Ft. Worth for an I-term at Southwestern Baptist Theological seminary. He will be gone until Friday. He is enrolled in seminary there but has been able to take most of his classes in Little Rock at their satellite campus. Now though he has to take 30 hours on campus. Since we have no plans to move any time soon he has to take the intense one week courses. I'm really glad he's able to do this though because it should make his class load during the semester a lot lighter. He works so hard at work and with school that any break he can get is worth it. I'm so proud of all the work he puts in trying to get his degree. I can't wait until he finally gets it...and can move on to another one. Ha! Anyway, needless to say, I miss him and I want him home! I know this is something I'm going to have to get used to since there will be other days in the near future where we'll be apart. But just because I have to get used to it doesn't mean I need to like it. He's my best friend and I just like having him around!!

New Year's Resolution...

I haven't set any resolutions for the last several years because I never stick to them. But this year I decided I'd try a few.

First of all I REALLY want to blog more. I hate being out of the blogging loop. The problem is that I am unable to posts things to my blogs and read blogs at work. The job I started after we got married has kept me busier than the last one. I realize that work is for work but I had the luxury of some freedom at my last position. Another reason it is so hard is that somewhere in my mind I decided I couldn't blog unless I had pictures. And since the computer I use is soooo slow blogging with lots of pictures was something I dreaded...which is why I hardly do it. It's take a while of feeling "out of the loop" to realize that less really is more. And just a paragraph or two still counts as blogging. Don't get me wrong, I will post pictures. But for now I just want to get into the habit of blogging. I'll do my best to keep this resolution going.

Another resolution is to say "no." Not "no" to people but to myself. Since I've been married and out of my work out routine I've put on the pounds. I could blame those things but really my inability to say "no" has caused this downward spiral. Yes, my ultimate goal is to lose weight but my resolution is to say "no" which should allow me to reap the benefits of weight loss. I mean self control is a fruit of the Spirit, right? And I'm certain this battle is going to take the power of the Holy Spirit!

More than just saying "no" to eating I want to say "no" to things I don't need. Fortunately Josh and I have done well about not living too frivolously. We try not to spend money on things we don't need, however, sometimes we go in cycles. Maybe one month we won't eat out at all and the next month we'll eat out 3 times a week. Plus the $10 book here and there plus the extra "little items" at Walmart that getting added to the grocery list. Those things add up and I (we) just need to say "no." For those of you who don't know, Josh and I currently live with my parents. I know, I know...how on earth could we do that? Well, its simple. When we got married I didn't sell my house in Fayetteville or get a job in Little Rock until the last possible moment (Thank you, LORD, for your provisions!) so living with mom and dad was a good idea. So far it has been great, actually. Not at all what people might think it would be like. Josh and I have plans to get a place of our own (rent or buy...we don't know yet) in the near future. We just don't want to rush things. Josh asked that we both read a book about financial planning before we make a big decision. Yesterday Josh picked up The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. I have read it ALL day! It's so good and it's part of the reason saying "no" has become a goal for the new year. Not really a goal but a habit I want to form. Eventually I would love to be able to stay at home when the LORD blesses Josh and I with children so having a good plan and a habit of saying "no" are the things I need to help that dream become a reality. I still have 70 pages left but already I'm feeling motivated...and convicted. There are a lot of things that need to change in our lives. To name one example, going to get breakfast at Panera Bread a couple times a week will not get the car paid off sooner. Hmmm...a sacfrice? It will be to me. But so worth it!

Ok...I know you're tired of hearing my little sermonettes so I'll let you get back to the first day of 2009. Happy New Year to you all!