re-decorating

Actually, more like re-arranging. If you know anything about me, you know that I love doing things in my home. I love decorating and such! I also like change in my house after a period of time. I re-arranged my living room yesterday. l like doing that ever couple of months. Makes me feel like I've got a new room or at least a different look in that room. It also gives me a chance to clean behind furniture that I don't do every day.

I was watching a show this week and a interior decorator was saying how people really don't have extra money right now to buy new stuff for their house but that you could actually shop in your own home. He said walk into each room and decide how you can move furniture to a different room for a different look. Well, I did just that. I took a book shelf from my bonus room and brought it downstairs into the family room. I love it! I just think it's so fun to do stuff like that. Your probably thinking....."poor Tam, she just gets excited over the silliest things". ha! But, my home is actually a hobby of mine. I love taking care of my home. Ahhh!!!!!! just brings me comfort!

But now, my husband is gonna have to hang a picture for me in the dining room. The wall where I put the book shelf covered the picture that was hanging on that wall so I had to take it down. I think it will look really nice in my dining room. I would just do it myself but the picture is huge. Steve and I have a totally different way of hanging things on the wall. I "eyeball" it, hoping it's half straight. My husband gets the tape measure out to make sure it's exactly right. ha!

So, that's what I've been doing....among other things!

One of those "Mondays"

Yesterday, Monday, I woke up frustrated. O.K. let me forwarn you, this may be one of those posts that gets alot of comments or none whatsoever.....

I don't understand peoples choices and priorities! Can't we realize how serious the times are in which we live?????!!!!!

I DO NOT understand the lack of church attendance AND SUCH LIKE!!! How can we do everything else we want to do but not come back to church Sunday night? How can we make everything else THE priority and the Lord A priority. I don't get it!!! I really, really, really don't get it. What is it gonna take for us to get serious? Completely sold out to serving the Lord and EVERYTHING that includes.

I did ALOT of praying yesterday!!! Alot of soul searching! I reminded myself...."Tammy, stop looking at man"....Look to Jesus." I will stand before God one day very soon for MY choices!!! I must get it right according to God's Word!!!! I have to do what's right! Regardless of what I DO NOT UNDERSTAND....God holds the record. He sees ALL and knows ALL and HE will reveal what is not right! When he does his revealing and purging, I have to find myself pleasing and accepting in HIS sight.

I'm responsible for me and for rearing my children in the ways that are right! I want to be a blessing and to minister with the love of Jesus!!! I want to be real in HIS sight!

So, after much prayer and scripture reading, I feel better. I still don't understand choices that people make but it's not for me to "figure out". It's ALL in God's hands. I have to keep Tammy right! Pure, Holy, Blameless, before HIM in ALL matters.

God is keeping the record....HE's taking notes!!!!!
GOD HELP ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Only by His Grace and Mercy will I make it!!!!!




hmmmmm.....I wonder if I can count this on my report....hahahahahahaha!!!!!!!

Yard Sale Jack Pot

I got a text yesterday that said...."Leslei and I are going yardsaling in the morning, if you want to go....Early!" So, I texted back..."I'm in". Kim texted me back and said..."Be at my house at 6:45"....I texted back..."I'm out". I was kidding. I even got there at 6:30. Morgan said she wanted to go but when she found out what time we were leaving, she decided that she really was "out". ha!(wimp)!

So, I got to Kim's and we headed out to pick up Les. Let me just say, Kim was serious about this. When we got in her car, she had two pages of addresses and directions of where she had found yard sales advertised on Craigslist. It was great! I had never yard-saled so organized and let me just say, it was well worth her effort. We had a plan!!!

All 3 of us racked up!!!!!!!!!! It was SO much fun! We were like kids at Christmas. Les and I have the same taste and we even got a little competitive over some items as to who "got" it. Fun! Fun! We had to help Kim control herself as far as her buying for her grandbaby, Olivia!:) The funniest thing happened. We came upon this house that had this huge, blow-up, jumpy thing in the front yard. As soon as we saw it, Les and I both said..."Kim, you are NOT getting that." She quickly said..."Oh, Yes, I AM"... We quickly realized it wasn't even a yard sale. They were setting up for a kids party. HA!!!!!!

I found Morgan the cutest shoes. They are wedges! I knew she would love them! They are Banana Republic and I got them for 2 dollars! Yes, Banana Republic is an expensive brand. (i think)! Anyway, I was right. She loved them.

I've been wanting some camo-gouchos for a while now. I found a pair, exactly what I wanted for .50 cents. Woohoo! I also got two really cute sweaters for .50 and $2. Love, love, love it!

About half way thru our journey, we stopped by the house and picked up Morgan. That child is just like me about deals. To be 14, she doesn't AT ALL mind yard sale clothes and Goodwill clothes. I'm very thankful. Les and I were talking today, it's ridiculous to pay outrageous amounts of money for clothes when you can get such good deals at theses places. Seriously, if you take the time, you can get some super good deals. I get so excited over such deals. :)

It's been a really good day!

Bad..... Bad.....Blogger!

That's what I've become.

Nonetheless, here goes....

There's absolutely no way, with MY memory, to go all the way back to my last post. NO way! Wonder why some people have really good memories? They can remember everything! And, then there are those, such as myself, that cannot hardly remember yesterday. I'm bad, really, really bad. I wonder if that's something that can be helped? I wonder if that herb, Ginko (or whatever it's called), really works?! Hmmmmm, I should check into that....IF I don't forget....LOL!

Last Friday, that's where I'll start. Les and I hung out. We had Chick-fil-A for lunch (my fav). Then, we went to Goodwill. Not the one in Smyrna, but this really huge one in Nashville. I really am on cloud nine when I'm in Goodwill. I love it! I found some stuff. I usually always find some stuff there. She and I hit Starbucks after Goodwill. She treated me to a Cinnamon Spice Doulche (not sure of the spelling). Yum!

We parted ways after Starbucks and I had some time to kill so I hit the Goodwill in Smyrna. Again, score! I bought myself 3 more skirts. Cute ones too! I had time to kill because it was 4:00 and I had to pick Chandler up from work at 5:00. His car is sick so I've been taking him to and from work unless I didn't need my car and then he would just take it himself.

Saturday, Steve and I cleaned the church. And..........(the memory thing is kicking in)..........

Oh yeah, I had to hit Walmart to get the things I needed that I was making to take to band service Saturday night. Band service was a true blessing to me. We gathered at Rick and Les' house and Rick did a SUPER devotion on Faith. He's been kidded since then that his "message" was very good. He's not a preacher. So, it's kinda funny. I also enjoyed the good fellowship and of course, food!

Sunday, of course, church. Always a blessing! If it's not a blessing, it's our fault, not the Lords!!!!! Right? Sunday afternoon has become my "nap time". I even decided this past Sunday morning, not to make my bed. That is a huge thing with me. I always make my bed. But, as I started to, I quickly remembered..."it's Sunday"....I'll be napping today! So, I just kinda straightened it and left it unmade. And, sure enough, after lunch, I turned on the fan and climbed in. Within a very short time, I was snoozin! AH! Gotta love that! I slept for a good 1 1/2 hours. Lovely! Simply lovely!

Sunday night, church again, was a blessing. We had a testimony service and that is always so encouraging. I love hearing of the goodness of the Lord. He's just SO good to us!

Now, I'm up to today...Monday....

Morgan had a Dr. appt today. It was time for her physical and she needed to have a sports physical to play soccer. O.K. so we knew she had gotten really tall. Everywhere she goes, someone comments on her llllloooooonnnnnnggggg legs and how tall she has gotten. The child is almost 5ft 8in!!!! YIKES!!! Good grief, Charlie Brown!

that's all for now!

Great day but a busy one!

I think I got up this morning around 8. I've had to take and pick Chandler up from work this week becasue his car has been in the shop. ****I don't want to talk about that*** I've gotten use to not having to drive him around since he's been driving himself. So, I've had to work around his schedule. It's not too bad, just have to plan accordingly.

I got my 3 mile run in. I've run for years but I always feel accomplished each time I do it. I'm glad that excercise is important to me. I feel better for it. It's not "the" priority, just "a" priority.

Let's see.....I had to make a Walmart run to get things to make dinner for the Sutton's. The church has been providing meals every other night since they have been home from the hospital with Braden. Tonight was my night, so I made them a Mexican casserole and a peanut butter pie. I hope they enjoyed it.

After delivering the meal to them, we headed over to my sister in laws house for dinner. My brother in law, Tim, had grilled some yummy steaks for us. Oh! they were good. I made a strawberry shortcake and I must say, it was yummy too. Very simple and easy but tasty. We had a very nice time visiting with them and my mother in law as well. We played the Wii. I claim that I'm a very good Tennis player on that thing but my son says I'm not. i just need a little practice, that's all. I kept swinging too soon and missing the ball all together. At one point, Chandler stood behind me, held my hand and swung for me. ha! Speaking of Chandler....how many 17 year old boys want to hang out with their family on a Friday night?! He never complains or says he doesn't want to go...ever! He such a good kid!

I don't know how many games of golf that Tim, Steve and Chandler played but at 10:30 I had to make them stop. My neice, Lexi, who is 4 needed to go to bed and as long as we were there, it was not happenin.

So, now, I'm home, it's midnight and I need to go to bed but here I sit with a big empty bowl of what use to be Strawberry shortcake sitting right in front of me. Denise, I polished off the rest of it. Oh good grief! Ha! I needed to leave it there with you, girl! Ha!

It's been a good day and I thank the Lord for it!

Trying to decide....

......exactly when to start school.

My kids will be starting their tutorial classes on August 14. Morgan is taking two classes there this year, English and Science. Everything else we will do at home. Chandler only has one class to take at the tutorial this year. His last English class. He needs to finish his Geometry and History from last year. And, I think he needs a half semester of Health. Other than finishing his BTI courses, that's all he's got and he can graduate. I CAN NOT believe that. Really!!! I can't. We started home schooling when he was 6 years old. If I dwell on it for too long, I could cry my eyes out. His plan after graduation is to go to Motlow State Community College. That's the plan right now, anyway.

They have to start their tutorial classes on the 14th but I'm considering waiting until after the Assembly to start everything else. Cha has got to work on some ACT prep stuff though. He's taking the ACT in October. The original plan was to take it in September but we found out that we will be at the Assembly on that Saturday. No biggy. That will just give him more time to prepare.

Morgan will be a freshman in high school. That's weird too. My babies are just growing up so fast. I have a picture of both of them on our very first day of home schooling. Chandler was 6 and Morgan was 3. Boy, oh boy! I would not have traded all those days for anything. Some have been hard, some have been easy, some have been ugly, some have been pretty, some have been nothing but tears and some have been full of laughter. Some days I feel like I got nothing accomplished and others I feltl very accomplished because of what they learned. All in all, I'm very thankful for every single day.

I want this to be a great year. Especially with it being Chandler's last year. As strange as it seems, I want to cherish every single day. I want to make the most of it with him. Not that I don't with Morgan, but I'll still have 3 more years with her.

I still remember having a conversation with my husband sitting at the dinner table the summer after Chandler went to kindergarten. The summer that I really was considering home schooling. I remember Steve saying...."Tam, you didn't even like school yourself." And, he was right. School really wasn't my cup of tea. But, God has helped us. When I was struggling with Algebra 1, I remember calling a friend for prayer and not long after that God helped it to start clicking with me. It has worked for us. What a blessing it has been. Being able to say, with a grateful heart, that "I" (with the help of the Lord) taught both of my children to read. All the many times of being right in the middle of school, getting a call, and the 3 of us stopping that very moment to pray together. AH! Nothing like it!!!

God is so good!