T.G.I.F!!!!!!!

This is my first day this week to be at home and I am loving it!  I am a homebody at heart (although my mom could tell you that was not the case when I was a teenager) so to be running hither, thither and yon everyday, all day makes me really appreciate being able to be home and catch up on some things.

In all of the craziness of preparing for the Hoedown, I have been making some "crafty" things...some out of necessity and some out of fun.  Since I am in charge of the decorations this year, I tried to make things that could be used year after year.

I bought two galvanized buckets from Home Depot, painted them with chalkboard paint, hot glued some jute twine around it and voila...we can use them for snacking peanuts during the Hoedown but the staff can use them afterwards during lessons for the riders.

I'll take pictures of the decorations that night but I did paint a picture for the silent auction.  I've already showed you what Spencer painted so I was inspired to create something as well.  I got the idea from here but had to change mine to fit the need.

I used a 16x20 canvas instead of wood (because I already had it) so to make the impression of the letters, I used carbon paper.

I used silver puffy paint to make my swirls.  Now I'm trying to decide if I should finish it with R.L. glaze or leave as is...this was so easy.  If you're in my family, don't be surprised if you get a smaller version of this for Christmas. ;)

For my cousin's baby shower, I made Isabel a picture frame.

Can I just say how much FUN it was making girly things!!!  Boys definitely don't appreciate swirls, glitter or feather boas!

I bought a bag of diapers and wrote a different message on each one.  That way, they will remember their cousins and how much we love them every time they change her diaper!

 

That's all my crafty stuff for this week.  Gotta run and get ready for Spencer's last baseball game this evening, Cole is having a friend sleep over and we're going to the Razorback game tomorrow.  Fun, fun, fun!  Hope ya'll have a great weekend.

A Busy Day...

Every year I volunteer to work on the Hoedown for Hearts & Hooves and every year I forget how all-consumming the two weeks leading up to the big day always are.  You would think after eight years I wouldn't be surprised/stressed/wacked out of my head when I'm trying to get everything done AND still feed everyone, wash clothes and get people to school on time.

Spencer was very kind to paint me a picture to put in the silent auction for the Hoedown.  He usually paints the most beautiful abstracts but this year he decided to go with an actual picture.  I got a frame at Hob Lob and tada.....doesn't it look great?!

I am working on mine but there's no way it will compare to his...it's hard having to compete with a 14 year old!

To find out more about the 10th Annual Hearts & Hooves Hoedown that will be held Saturday, November 6th, go here.

Tonight was Spencer's last football game for the season.  He did great as usual.  RUFL (Rival United Football League) does THE BEST job ever of organizing players and volunteers.  I think it is probably Spencer's favorite sport.

Coach Alex, Spencer and Coach Don...three great guys!

Tomorrow will be even busier because Cole has two interviews, one with radio and one with a magazine, to promote The Christmas Story and rehearsal starts next Monday.  Let the games begin!!!!!

Weekend Fun

On Saturday, my mom, my grandmother, my aunt and I headed to Plano, Texas for a long-awaited baby shower for my cousins.  Aunt Martha and I are very hot natured and mom and Gigi, well, not so much.  We brought them blankets and jackets...everything short of an electric heater!  Gigi still got cold in the back seat so she used a Kroger bag to block the vent and we found my ski headband I wear while I'm running and she made good use of it!  Adorable!!

My friend Mindy gave me good directions on how to avoid the Dallas construction traffic so she sent us up 380 to North McKinney.  Unfortunately, Mindy hasn't learned that even with detailed directions AND a GPS in my car, I can still get lost.  Mom was in the front seat with me helping and we figured we were off course when we started seeing signs for Oklahoma!  After circling McKinney four times and 8 hours later, we made it!  Love it that my mom thinks of it as "the McKinney adventure" and not something much worse!

So, the whole point of going over there was to celebrate the birth and adoption of Isabel Faith Copeland.  My sweet cousins have been waiting 10 1/2 years for God to bless them with a little one and I must say, He outdid Himself!  She is precious!!!

Zane, Shannan and Baby Izzy.  I had to have Zane stoop down since he is 6'5"!!

I got to hold her after church.  Oh my goodness she is so sweet and such a good baby.  I can't understand why Brad doesn't want to have another baby?!

The weekend went way too fast and before we knew it, it was time to head home.  We got away from Dallas around 3:00 but wouldn't you know it, we hit the hail and wind storms and finally pulled over in Hope, AR to ride it out at a Walgreens.  Hey, if you're going to be stuck it might as well be someplace that you can shop;)  We were all home safe and sound by 10:00ish and so thankful for a wonderful weekend.

Hope you all had a great weekend as well.

Fun Lessons Learned

This week has flown by and I'm sure it's because the boys were out of school Monday and Tuesday.  Everyone is doing great, especially since tomorrow is Friday! 

Spencer and I went to the Eagles Junior High Football game tonight.  I go to these games strictly on the basis of finding my friends, sitting with my friends and catching up with what is going on with my friends.  I do watch the game, occasionally, and have even been known to follow it for more than one play although that doesn't happen often.  I totally admit that I am no sports person (and I live with the biggest sports nut on the planet) but here are a few things I learned this evening:

* There is no such thing as the 53 yard line (who knew?)

* It's called an on-side kick, not an off-side kick and if you don't know the difference, you shouldn't act like you do!

* Since there is no yellow line on the field to show where the first down line is (you know, like they have on tv), they use the orange flags on the side of the field.

* If you listen to the announcer, you can learn a lot of things.

*And, finally, sitting at these games just confirms that I have THE BEST friends ever because who else would sit and answer all my stupid questions?!

Thanks, girls, for trying to teach me something.  I love you!



Many Blessings

Yesterday, Spencer spoke to KidzRap at Little Rock Christian school.  Karman Fegtley, a good friend of ours, has led this group during the past two years and they do all sorts of projects to benefit Arkansas Children's Hospital.  Spencer gave his "testimony" about his experience with ACH but true to form, he talked less about himself and more about the experiences of the patients and how they benefit from anyone who gives to the hospital.  He was AMAZING!  I was in awe of his candor, poise and his ability to keep his composure in front of 200+ people.  Incredible.

Cole received his script yesterday (although still a work in progress) for The Christmas Story.  It is so neat to watch him dissect 121 pages and break it down into workable portions.  He is not intimidated or concerned in the least and truly feels that this is what God is calling him to do!

Even in the midst of this trying economy and the continued health issues with Spencer, God is reminding me everyday that He has BIG plans.

Rev. Lavon Post says, "...it's easy to praise God AFTER the blessing comes, but God wants us to have a higher faith - to praise Him BEFORE the blessing comes.  Our Father knows about our 'rubble' and He has plans to change these tough circumstances, to send us wonderful blessings in these areas.  Why not take a walk through the wastelands of your life and praise Him NOW that He will bless these areas in the future?  Sounds weird?  No not really, if you do this, you will be truly living a life of faith."

Love that and I'm making it my goal.

R & R

Isn't it amazing how a get-away, even for two days, changes your perspective for the better?  Our little jaunt up to Big Cedar this past weekend was just what we all needed.  We didn't "do" anything special...grilled, watched movies, played putt putt...I think it must have been getting away from our everyday routine that made it so relaxing.

We went with our friend Carol and her kiddos and we stayed in some new condos Big Cedar just built called The Cliffs.  One word...GORGEOUS!!!  Oh my goodness, everything you need and even things you didn't know you needed, they provided it for you.

The upstairs living room was more than roomy enough for all eight of us but they had a game room/theater room downstairs that was just as big.

One word to sum up the kitchen...fabulous!

Beautiful sunset from our deck.

The fam before our friendly game of putt putt...kids vs. adults.  I don't even need to tell you who won!

Cole at the pool after a game of tennis.

These "horses" were made from straw.  So cool.  And the two boys standing in front of it are pretty cool too!

The boys have today off of school so we're going to make the most of it...maybe take in a movie and relax before it's back to the grind tomorrow.

Pictures!

Aha, got it to work!  So, back to how cute my niece and nephew are...isn't Allie a doll?  I'm pretty sure she gets that from her Aunt Marilyn and Aunt Karen!

Isn't Will the cutest?!  Love these kiddos!


 Warming up.  They lost by 3 runs but they always have a good time.

 Race for the Cure...Mindy, Lisa and Kim.  What a blast we had!

 A sea of pink.  We walked in honor of our friend Valerie who is amazing.

We're at Big Cedar now so look for more pics today. 


Fun, Fun, Fun

Oh my goodness, I can't believe it's been four days since I posted!  There's been so much going on...

This past week was Homecoming at Arkansas Baptist so there was lots of fun going on.  Spencer and I went to the Pep Rally on Friday and it was so much fun.

My peeps Anne, Karen and Ann.  Love these girls!

While Cole went to the Homecoming game Friday night, Spencer had a baseball game.  Dwayne, Will and Allie came to the game...I just don't get to see those kiddos enough.

For some reason, I'm not able to upload any more pictures.  Ugh.  I have some great ones. 

Anyway, we're at Big Cedar.  We came up yesterday after the Race for the Cure.  I will try to post some pics later.

Quiet Day

It was a nice, quiet, normal day...love those days.

Homecoming week at school continues with tomorrow's theme being "Nerd Day".  Cole finalized his outfit tonight so I snapped a picture...he is so goofy.  Where does he come up with these ideas?

Crazy!

This picture shows how much energy we all had tonight.

Tired.

Stay tuned for some new craft ideas I've been working on...I want to know what ya'll think.

Terrific Tuesday

So, today was not nearly as crazy as yesterday, which is a good thing.  I actually got a few things done around the house AND got to watch Martha Stewart's show on The Hallmark Channel...no matter what you say about her, she does have some crafty ideas!

Spencer is going to be participating in P.E. at school two days a week and he is soooo excited!  He was so sad last week when we had to go to school to withdraw him (we'll be homeschooling) but he told Mrs. McElrath that he would love to come to P.E. twice a week.  Well, the arrangements were made and he went today for the first time and LOVED it, of course!  I can't tell you how many times I faked a stomach ache in order to SKIP P.E.!

As Homecoming week continues, today's theme was your favorite Superhero.  So, Cole, in his creative mind came up with "Super Snuggie Man"! 



Crazy boy!  He was voted best costume for the 7th grade!  He cracks me up!

While I went to my Hearts & Hooves' Hoedown meeting tonight, Brad took the boys to Spencer's RUFL game (flag football).  Spencer absolutely loves that sport and talked non-stop about it when I got home!  I love it that he loves it so much and that there's a team for which he can not only participate but excel in.  He had so much fun and guess who was there helping....Kris Allen!!!

The boys said he was such a nice guy.  Brad said it was amazing how "normal" he was knowing he went through American Idol.  The guy must have nerves of steel!

Hope you all had a great day and got some rain.  We got some on the mountain and it was awesome.

Another Busy Day

Whew, another busy day at the Ewing house.  I had my monthly Hearts & Hooves' Board meeting and I was so glad Spencer decided to come with me.  Every one always enjoys visiting with him.  Next, it was off to the Toyota dealership to get my oil changed.  The oil change turned into front & back brakes replaced (oh, so that's what that awful squeaking sound was from), two new tires, the recall on my muffler finally fixed and new batteries in my remote key.  I am now selling any and all possessions in order to finance this new wrinkle to my balance sheet...anyone like to buy two adorable children?!

After we dropped off the car, Brad brought me home and dropped Spencer off at karate.  It was so nice for Spencer to be back after missing four weeks from being sick.  He did a great job.  I picked Cole up at school, ran through Sonic for my daily pineapple lime slush and then proceeded to "help" Cole with his math homework.  Ok, "help" is a strong word.  I encouraged him to find the right answer!

Home for an hour after karate and then time to leave to head to school for the Powder Puff football game.  It's homecoming week at school and the Junior girls challenged the Senior girls to what was supposed to be a "flag" football game but I'm pretty sure all those players will be taking Tylenol tonight.  Who knew girls were so rough?!  All my peeps were there so for me, it was a great game, although I have no idea who won.  It's all about my visiting!

Beautiful sunset from the bleachers at the game.

The sweetest boys in the world.  We are so blessed.

Sunday Funday

Don't you just love a good church service, beautiful weather (although a little too hot to suit me) and a day of endless crafting!  That's what I got to do today while the boys watched non-stop football.

I've become so addicted to the shabby chic/cottagey blogs that I follow.  They all have the cutest ideas that I want to try every one of them....like today!  So, I picked a project that I had all the supplies on hand.  Love new projects but love even more NOT having to spend any money.

This was so simple.  I copied the idea from this website.   I used frames I already had on hand and found an old book in the attic to trace the shapes on to...

I used a piece of brown craft paper for the background.

Sorry for the blurriness.  Burlap was the backdrop for this cute pumpkin.

A cute little acorn with leafy translucent paper for it's backdrop.

 

The collage. 

I really need to replace my camera (mine bit the dust) if I'm going to keep posting pictures.  My camera phone leaves a lot to be desired.

It was a nice, relaxing day for everyone.  I hope you all had a wonderful weekend too!

Fun Saturday

What a great day it has been.  The boys slept late so Brad and I left early and took Max to the vet for his checkup...turns out, ol' Maxy (or Goofy as Brad calls him) is five months old, 36 pounds and according to Dr. Peck, part Lab and GREAT DANE!  What?!  Seriously?  Oh well, so much for the lap dog I was thinking about.

After a trip back home to check on the boys, Brad and I headed to Jacksonville to go to the Memphis Flea Market.  I was so disappointed that it wasn't a "real" flea market...you know old stuff, rusted stuff, trash to treasure stuff.  However, we spent all afternoon together, by ourselves, with no kiddos...it was GREAT!!!

As soon as we got home, the Hogs game was on so I sat down to watch it with the boys and then proceeded to work on my napping skills!  Whew, needed that two hour nap.

Cole has gone to the movies with a friend, who's a girl (!) so it's just Spencer and I at home.  I'm recharged and ready to go since I had a nap but I'm the only one so guess we're in for the night.

Busy, Busy, Busy

What a busy day but a lot got accomplished...

Bills paid

Worked on decorations for the Hoedown

Filing

Worked on decorations for the Hoedown

One bathroom cleaned

Made phone calls pertaining to the Hoedown

Washed, folded and clean clothes put away

Worked on decorations for the Hoedown

Took Spencer to therapy

Met a lady about flowers for the Hoedown

Came home and put my pj's on at 5:00 so I could finish my decorations for the Hoedown!

For those of you wondering about the Hoedown, it's Hearts & Hooves' 10th Annual Hoedown to be held Saturday, November 6th and it is going to be awesome!  For more info, click here.

Here's my one picture for the day.

The escape artist!

Smorgasboard of Fun!

What a great day today!  Lots of fun stuff going on at the Ewing house.

To start the day off just right, Lisa and Mindy came over for t-shirt decorating 101 or as Mindy referred to it "Craftfest 2010"!  We made shirts for the Race for the Cure in which we're walking in honor of our bestest friend, Valerie, who is going through chemo right now for her breast cancer.

Lisa and Mindy, the cutest, sweetest, tiniest friends I know...that's why I'm not in the picture!

Pink tye dye with green, sparkly puffy paint.....L-O-V-E I-T!!!

What outfit would be complete without a tiara with added embellishment...I was so excited that we had to break out the hot glue gun!
Can't wait until the Race!

After all the artsy craftsy stuff was cleaned up and Spencer knew it was safe to come downstairs, he and I headed to North Little Rock to Hearts & Hooves' barn to take stock of our decorations for our upcoming Hoedown.  I'm in charge of the decorations this year and I'm so excited about all our possibilities.  We stopped off at our fearless leaders' house to pick up some posters and Spencer got to meet her "child" Remi, who is a 5'1", 185 pound, three year old Great Dane.  He is absolutely adorable!!!

Do you think Brad would mind if we brought Remi home?!?

 

We had to keep Remi from leaning against Spencer!  Remi is sooo cute and has the sweetest disposition.

 

The little puppy is Kane, a 9-week-old Great Dane.  He thinks he is the size of Remi and will run up and bite Remi's tail...I really would have brought both dogs home if I thought Brad wouldn't divorce me!

 

And, last, but not least, I got in one more craft project.  My cousins, after 10+ years of trying to have a baby, have adopted the MOST ADORABLE baby ever!  She is precious!  The boys cannot wait to meet her but I made her this Blessing Ring.  I got the idea from http://www.thedavisfamilynwa.blogspot.com/ and I just thought it was the cutest idea.

 



You take a big ring, or in this case, a necklace that you can get at Hobby Lobby.  I printed out a card and punched holes to wrap ribbon through it.  Then, for each card you receive, you punch a hole in it, add it to the ring and tie a ribbon between each card.  I thought it was a great way to keep track of all the cards and you can hang it somewhere in the baby's room where you can see it everyday!  I love arts and crafts!

It's the Little Things...

I've decided life is made up of a lot of important little moments that eventually add up to make bigger moments more memorable.  There was nothing earth shattering that happened today to put me in a better mood or give me a different perspective, but it was the little things:

1.  My children are happy and wake up with smiles on their faces (most of the time!).

2.  My husband is always kind, no matter what my mood may be.

3.  It was a wonderfully cool 40 degrees when I took my coffee to the deck this morning.

4.  I was able to sit at my desk for two hours straight and do some much needed work.

5.  I got to have quiet time AND exercise time today!

6.  I have a family who loves me and whom I adore.

I thank God for reminding me today for all that I have to be thankful.

Moody Monday

The weather was p-e-r-f-e-c-t today.  Perfect in my book is 60ish, no humidity and bright blue skies...it was 40 on the mountain when I got up.  Everyone is feeling great, Spencer's feeds are going very well, Cole is finished with his play, Brad has a little work going on...then why am I so blue?  A little overwhelmed maybe.  A lot sad for Spencer.  A little anxious about the future for him.  Fearful of what this button will mean for his activities.  Perplexed as to what I'm supposed to be "doing".  A lot anxious about the Ewing economy and our country's economy.  Mourning the loss of my grandfather as today would have been his and Gigi's anniversary.  Tearful for my friend who is getting ready to start chemo for her breast cancer.  

It's a Waffle House Day...I'm scattered, smothered and covered up with emotions but God knows all this and He is not surprised.

My Bible verse this morning was perfect..."He gives power to the exhausted and to him who has no might, he increases strength...they who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength..."Isaiah 40:29,31   

Restful Sunday

What a beautiful day!  I got up early, had coffee, took a shower, did Spencer's feeds (he didn't even wake up) and left for church before anyone ever woke up.  Guess they all needed the extra sleep.  Church was wonderful.  Brother Fred always has a great sermon and today, it felt like he was talking directly to me.  I love how God does that.

Cole had his last show for Tom Sawyer today.  YEAH!  Should be a "normal" week next week.  While he was at his play, Spencer, Brad and I decided to take the dogs and go to Two Rivers Park so the boys could ride their bikes and I could get Max used to a leash.  It was just what we all needed.

Max didn't do too bad.  He did walk for a while with the leash in his mouth but when he figured out that was a good way to get choked, he left it alone.  Poor Rusty has had the horrible job of teaching Max how to be a good dog...I think it's gonna take a lot more lessons!

The boys and their bikes.  I hate that Spencer is in the shadow because he had a big smile on his face.  I think he loved being able to get out of the house.

The boys decided to play football until it got dark.  Isn't this what Sunday afternoons were meant for?

We're all heading to the living room to watch the Amazing Race and then get ready for school tomorrow.  I hope you all had a wonderful weekend like us.

Busy Saturday

You know those Saturday's where you get to sleep as late as you want, then stroll around in your pj's while drinking a cup of espresso and sit on the back porch and read the paper?  Well, that was not the day we had!  We hit the ground running at 7:00 a.m.  I did get to spend some quiet time on the back deck to get my morning started, but I had a little visitor.  Someone got out when the door was open!

Kobe was so excited about the cooler air that he snuck out the back door and wanted to check out everything.  Fortunately, the dog "wranglers" herded him back in to the house!

Since the Dodgeball Tournament was cancelled, Spencer still wanted to do something with his friends so we decided to go play putt putt.  We all met at Gator Golf but since they were closed for remodeling, we ended up at Arnold Palmer Driving Range.  I haven't been there in years!  In fact, the last time I was there was with Dwayne.  We were ther for the driving range but after I hit one over my left shoulder and almost killed five people that were behind me we ended up at the putt putt course too!

Seth, Spencer, Brady and Jake.

Spencer is so blessed with awesome friends.  They had a great time and then we headed back to our house.  A rousing game of nerf gun wars went on upstairs for a while and then we headed down to the pond.



It is so peaceful.

But the peace was gone when the boys started their game of football!  I think they had a good time.

Now, this is supposed to be the spot where I post pictures of Cole's day.  He had a Tom Sawyer show at 3:00, then went over to a cast members house after the play for a party, and then he and Brad were given to tickets to Evita so they didn't get home until 11:00.  Did I get one picture from any of those events?  Not a single one!

Baseball and the Theatre

Everyone had a great today.  In fact, Spencer was feeling so good that he decided to go to his baseball game at Miracle League.  He did awesome!  I was so surprised at how much stamina he had, considering he just got out of the hospital on Monday.  He was tired after the game but I love the sparkle in his eyes.

Zach and Spencer after they game.  They won by one run.

Cole has two more shows (Saturday & Sunday) and then will be done with Tom Sawyer.  That boy has more energy than I will ever have...he just got home from his show and is back there working on homework!  Hmmm...he must want to do something this weekend!