Catching Up

Hi everyone! I know it has been about a month since I have really blogged but it has been a crazy month. With school being out the kids and I have been on the go all the time. I will do a fast recap of the month of all of our highlights.

• Last time I wrote I had to make a fast trip back to Indiana. My bestie Lynn her son Peyton lost his battle with cancer. BFF LB and I both went up to the funeral home together to support our friend. It was the hardest thing but yet at the same time I feel it brought our bond even closer because we all hugged at the same time and cried together. 
• While I was back in Indiana I stayed for almost a week. I was able to go to a family wedding anniversary party which was a blast. I got to see extended family that I had not gotten to see since I was a little girl. 
• All of the grandparents met up and we all went for a couple hour trip to this ranch. We got to play and hold with a six week old tiger. She was the cutest thing. I have to say this was by far one of the coolest things I have ever done. 

• I didn't get to spend a lot of time with BFF but the time we did get to spend together was fun. We drove out into the country and explored which was fun for an hour or two. 

•  I've had a lot of play dates with new Okie BFF Liz. We get together weekly for our kids. We have had zoo play date, played in the water at her house, played at our house, park date, and much more. 

• We celebrated my birthday a few weeks ago. It was a fun night and taught me I was not a young pup any longer! I didn't function for half the day the next day. I am thankful to have met these ladies that are now also my Okie BFF. Sad Liz couldn't make it that evening.

 Me, Whitty, Sky

Review + Giveaway

This is a compensated post but all opinions are my own. 

A few weeks ago I was contacted by Dermagist to see if I would do a review of their product. They gave me free reign to decide what product(s) I wanted to try. I have never really had an issue with acne so I thought I would go with their anti aging system. You are never to young to work on those wrinkles right? Before deciding if I would do this I researched their product. I am very picky on what I put on my face.





Once I got the Complete Rejuvenation System I was very anxious to try it out. The first two days/nights I used the Original Smoothing Cream. The first night I put way to much on and could tell. My face felt heavy but not greasy. The next time I used it I used way less and liked the product and the feel much better. The third and fourth days I used the Dynamic Age Defying Serum. This product was very light and went very far. I made sure that I rubbed in all the creams very well before applying the next layer. Once the fifth night arrived I used all three products. I really liked the feel of the instant lifting serum. It was soft and didn't take a lot to use.





I could tell as the days went on that my makeup had gone on so much smoother and looked a lot more flawless and more natural. I like the natural look and don't wear a lot but I am the kind of person you can tell I do have my face done. My skin has been so soft. The bottles that the products came in are a very good size and look as though they would last at least a month if not longer.

I am please to tell you that the nice people at Dermagist is going to offer one lucky reader of Country Roots City Living an opportunity to try out their product too! You must not have won a giveaway of the Dermagist product in the past. This is open to the U.S. and Canada only. Now the only thing that you must do in order to enter this giveaway is to go to their Facebook page and like it, Follow them on Twitter, and follow them on Pinterest. Once you have done all of this please comment and let me know that you are following them, then tell me if you won what product would you choose! Bonus if you follow me on Bloglovin too! ;) Entries will be checked.

This contest will close on Sunday July 7th at 12:00 AM EST.

Peyton's Angels

It saddens me to write this, Peyton got his wings this morning. He is up dancing and playing spider man up at the pearly gates. Peyton put up a strong couragious fight this year. He has taught me many things. I will forever cherish being able to know him and spending the evening with him a couple months ago. Please say a prayer for this family, you may also go to Peyton's Angels on his Facebook page. 

Praying for Moore

The past few days have been a roller coaster to say the least. With moving to Oklahoma in October I knew that there would be storms but had no idea how bad the storms would get. It is heart wrenching listening and watching the coverage of all of the families and the schools. 

The town we live in is about an hour and half north of where the Tornado hit. I am very thankful that my family is safe. Unfortunately there were two families that were affected by the tornado that are co-workers with my husband. They lost their home but luckily they all are safe. The location that my husband works at is rounding up some relief supplies and plan on making a delivery in the next few days. 

Please keep everyone in your prayers. 

Weekend Shennanigans

Happy Monday everyone! This weekend has been very busy but a good kind of busy. I loved every second of it and really didn't want it to end. The only thing I could have done without were the storms that were around last night. I am a big chicken and am scared to death of tornadoes so I pace and text my cousin Stephen while the storm is going on. My cousin lived in Oklahoma up until March then he moved back to the Midwest. He attempts to keep me calm...attempt being the key word! Anyhow moving along lets dig in shall we?

Friday Brayden had a pre op appointment at the hospital. So off Brayd and I went to his appointment. Todd met us and we traded kids. Todd took Brayd out for lunch and had a guys day. By the time they were done with lunch and if he would have taken him to school he would hardly have been there...so Brayd got a free day. Gan and I went downtown and met up with our new friend and went to a festival. We had planned on going and meeting up with a group of moms that we are starting to hang out with. Gannon and I made a new friend on Wednesday but that is a whole different post. While walking around the festival it was really cute Liz and I were both using strollers and the two boys were just chatting away. They have became very fast buddies!

Telling each other bye...they just did high fives and giving each other knuckles. 

Once we parted ways we started texting about an hour later. What else are new friends suppose to do? So we decided that we needed a moms night out and we went shopping then had a late dinner. I can't tell you how much we laughed. I seriously laughed so hard I was crying, it was the best. Of course when we went to dinner we had to have an adult bevie! 

I got the moijto and sent it back..it was horrible. I ended up with my faithful Bud Light. Liz got some kind of rita. We really enjoyed our bevies!

Saturday night Todd and I had a date night. We ended up going and getting Gannon some new shoes. We just got him new tennis shoes like a month ago and they were coming apart at the seams. Once we were done shopping we figured out where we were going to go dinner. I called and made us reservations for Wolfgang Pucks restaurant. We were early and Todd mentioned something about a tattoo. I went along with it but they were not able to get him in that night. He made an appointment with them. Once we got the appointment made we made our way over to Wolfgang's. Let me tell you I had the best Skinny Margarita ever!!! All the ingredients were so fresh and everything was blended so well. The food was absolutely amazing! 

When I woke Sunday morning and turned my Ipad on to play some tunes while I was getting ready I noticed that Gannon and Carley had a little photo shoot. It totally cracked me up. I love that she loves our boys so much!

We normally go to lunch after church which is something that I love that we do. We had to make it a fast lunch because a delivery company was coming to switch out Brayd's new bed. We decided to go to McCalisters for lunch. While we were there Gan decided to greet everyone that came past us. It was really cute because everyone was speaking to him. Needless to say we were cracking up!

This pretty much wraps up our weekend! Next weekend won't be as exciting since Brayd has his surgery on Friday.

Heavy Heart...

This is a post that I have really been dreading on writing. I've known it was coming but in my mind and in my heart I've been praying and hoping for a miracle.

If you remember when I went back to Indiana in March LB and I drove up and spent the evening with our other bestie Lynn. If you have been a follower of my blog for very long then you will have read the info I have spoke about on Lynn's son Peyton. If you need a refresher then you can go here, here, and here. Yesterday Peyton had a MRI done to see how things were going. Per Lynn the report showed that Peyton's tumor has almost doubled in size in just two weeks. There is also hemorrhaging signals which means it appears that recently the brain has hemorrhaged. Thus, creating all these new bewildering symptoms such as slurred speech and hearing loss...etc. The brain is not currently bleeding. So that's good. Probably the only good news. 

Lynn has been very open about talking about Peyton's prognosis. When he was first diagnosed in June 2012 the doctors told her he would last anywhere from 12 months to 24 months. With the new results on the MRI the doctor told her most children last up to three months but they can prove her wrong. As a family they decided to stop the Chemo treatment for Peyton. With them stopping the chemo this will let them be eligible for any trial treatments that may come up.

If you would like to make any donations to the family you may send checks to IU Credit Union in Bloomington Indiana under Peyton's Angels. Awareness really needs to be brought to DIPG. Before Peyton being diagnosed with this awful disease I had never heard of it. Everyone that loves Lynn and her family really hope there is a cure one day for this. If you would like to reach out to Lynn and her family there is an email account set up for them at peytonangels@gmail.com

There are several goals for Peyton but a big goal is that he is still around and gets to meet his new baby sister. Now I haven't asked what the name is going to be but Peyton is pretty sure "Pickle" is the perfect name. So now she is referred to as "pickle". If you are not already following along on Facebook with Peyton's Angels you may click here and it will take you to the page. 

This family could use all the prayers they could get right now. Lynn is one of the strongest people I know. I look up to her and I am so blessed that I can call her my best friend. She is one of the most selfless people I know and always making sure everyone is happy around her and putting others first. She has stayed so strong for her kids through this difficult journey. This is the kind of family that when you get to meet them or know them there is a little sparkle or magic that you know God has his arms around them and guiding them in the path he has set up for them. 

Weekend Recap

Hey y'all! I hope each and everyone of you had a fantastic weekend! My weekend was not to shabby at all!

We are going to skip over Friday because to be honest I can't think of what we did that evening. Whoops! So moving right along to Saturday. Saturday morning started when Todd woke me up early to let me know he was going for a walk. He sent me a picture of some horses and how close he was. I was so jealous! Once he got back he went and got a haircut and the boys and I were still playing outside. We started outside early Saturday! Once he got back I had debated on going to get a pedicure while I was debating if I wanted to go and where I wanted to go he took my truck and got it washed for me. Then once he got back I went and got my toes and nails done. This was my first pedicure since my surgery in December and let me tell you I about came out of my chair a couple of times. Once I got back Ollie and I went for a walk. During that walk we had four dogs at two different times come after us. I claim I was saving him and fighting the dogs off and I am sure if you ask him he would say he was protecting me! (Didn't you know my dog could talk? HA HA) These dogs were in their fence but have found a way out. Needless to say once it was all said and done and we were safe I realized that while I was trying to push Ollie in front of me so the other dogs wouldn't get to him he stood stubborn and was pushing me in front of him to keep me away from the dogs. Once we got back he got an extra treat or two. Oh I also need to add that while Todd was away washing my truck Brayd and I found a turtle in the yard. We kept it for a few hours then once I got back from my pampering we set him free. I also got a delivery of flowers from my parents for Mother's Day.

Sunday I woke up to both of my boys in bed with me telling me Happy Mother's Day. Then once Todd gave Brayd the go ahead he had to lead me out to the kitchen where Todd made me breakfast and had a dozen yellow roses waiting on the table for me. He also got me three balloons and then a Cavendar's gift card so I can go get some good jeans to wear with my boots. We got ready for church which was baby dedication day. It was so cute to see all the babies dressed all up. Made my baby fever kick in extra high. Once church was over we went downtown and ate at this Pizza Place called Joe Mama's. Let me tell you this place is so legite. We have lived in Oklahoma for six months and just now finally found a good pizza place. I have to say I am picky when it comes to pizza!

A lot of activies plus new shoes

It is still crazy busy around here and to be honest I don't see it slowing town until school is out! This weekend Todd had his open house at the company he works for. The kids and I went up on Saturday and met a few of the people he works with. Saturday was basically the first night that week that we were able to spend some quality time with him. We went out to supper as a family then went to a little coffee/ice cream shop for dessert. It was a pretty easy going evening and I loved it. Sunday we got up and went to church and came home. Normally we go to lunch after church but since we ate out the night before we decided to pass. I ended up going to the grocery and made some chili for supper. I figured since it was cool outside I should make a least one more pot before the massive heat of summer kicks in.

Monday we went to Brayden's school for his track and field. It was so cold yesterday morning! Needless to say taking an active strong willed stubborn 2 year old to an event like that does not mix well. Gannon and I left about an hour later and Todd stayed to watch. Todd then went back to work but was coming through town to go see a customer. We switched vehicles and he got my new shoes put on my truck!! The only thing left we are going to do is put tint on the front side windows. I'd love to have a chrome strip going down the side but it's a bit costly!

We have more appointments and activities going on this week. It honestly seems like we have something almost daily from now until the end of school! I love staying busy like this and I love that I am making memories with my kiddos!

Lastly, I've got ad spaces available. I am revamping my ad spaces. I don't feel that my blog is large enough to charge so all of my small and medium sizes are free. If you would like a medium ad space use CRCL in the promo code. Use Swap for the small space.

Is this thing on?

Hey all you lovlies! It has been awhile since I've been on here. Things have been crazy busy around here and I have hardly even been on the computer!

• Brayden turned 9 on April 24th. 
• My parents came into town to visit and to celebrate his birthday with us. 
• Todd bought me a 2013 Tahoe...pictures will come once her new shoes are on! :) 
• We've been wrapping up end of school actvities.
• We scheduled Brayden's eye surgery which will be toward the end of this month.
• We have scheduled Brayden's therapies for the summer.
• We have spent many hours outside playing.
• We have taken many walks to the farm to feed the cows.
• One of the cows had her baby so now we get to watch two babies grow up and play.
• We started attending a new church. 
• We have taken Gan's crib down and he is now in a big boy bed...and doing great in it! 
• Brayd got a new bed also! 

Shew I think that is about everything that is new around here! I hope to become a better blogger and life slows a little bit! :) 

What has been going on with y'all? 

Tales on the farm

I want to first start off saying that prayers are going out to all the Boston people and the runners in the marathon.

I posted about a giveaway that I teamed up with Ashley yesterday so if you haven't entered you need to! This weekend was a fun weekend. We have spent the entire weekend basically outside. Sunday once we got home from church it was time for Gannon to take a nap. I had Brayden change real quick and we went on a long walk. It was nice to spend some one on one time with him. We talked about anything and everything. There is a small little pond in our neighborhood and we stopped and saw some frogs jumping in and we also saw a little turtle taking a swim.

There is this farm on our route that we walk and the baby cows are so friendly. Brayden and I stopped and started talking to the cows. There was only one near us at the time but once they heard us talking they came running over. The farmer had noticed we were standing talking to his cows and came over and asked if we wanted to help feed his cows. Brayden jumped at that and was in heaven when we got near the cows. We fed the momma cows, which one is expecting a baby any day! We also went over to the chickens and Brayd got the fresh eggs that they just laid. Then we went over and talked to his pig for a few minutes. Pete was so nice he sent home some fresh eggs and sausage with us.

I didn't realize until we got home that the cows we see from our backyard are the ones we went and fed. Brayden has been keeping his eye on them to see if a baby has been born. He can't wait until we take our walk this weekend so we can stop by there again and visit with the animals!

HUGE GIVEAWAY

I am so excited to start this week off with a HUGE giveaway!!! Ashley from Being Ashley had the brillant idea to host this awesome ad giveaway! One winner will be posted on 18 different bloggers sites! See below and have fun entering!!!




Hey guys! Happy Monday! I am really excited for this giveaway! 18 bloggers, including myself- have come together to give one lucky person a HUGE Ad Space package. Enter away & share with your friends! Thanks guys!

-Sarah-Kate-Tarole-Marquis-

-Chelsea-Heather-Nora-Kelsey-

-Holly-Kim-Lindsey-Jo-

-Ashley-Lauren-Natalie-Ashley-Kelsey-Rachel

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Stir Fry

In my house Stir Fry is something easy that I know will please everyone. This is also a recipe that most have on hand anyhow.

Ingredients

Thin Spaghetti

Chicken or Steak

Bell Peppers-any color

Stir Fry Sauce

Directions

Boil spaghetti according to the box. In another pan you can boil the chicken, bake it or fry it. I prefer to boil it. Cut up the bell peppers into long strips. In the saucepan coat with a little bit of EVOO then toss in the peppers until soft. Once soft add in chicken cut into strips and add in the spaghetti. Take the stir-fry sauce and coat the noodles as much or as little as you would like. Then mix together. To finish it off you may top the stir-fry with sesame seeds or green onions. 

Aveeno Baby Giveaway

One of the most important things for me when becoming a mom was to know which products to use for my kids. My kids have sensitive skin and I love using Aveeno. It smells so good and keeps their skin soft. 

Whether you’re an expectant mom planning a skin care regimen, a new mom seeking information on relieving the irritation and discomfort of diaper rash or eczema, or an experienced mom interested in toddler skin care, AVEENO Baby has a skin care and hair care solution!

Try: AVEENO BABY CALMING COMFORT LOTION

Contains natural lavender and vanilla, known for their calming and relaxing properties Colloidal oatmeal formula soothes baby’s delicate skin Moisturizes, nourishes and protects baby’s delicate skin for 24 hours Gentle enough for newborns and babies with sensitive skin Fast-absorbing, non-greasy formula Won’t clog pores Hypoallergenic and alcohol-free Pediatrician Recommended

Twenty-five lucky readers will receive a AVEENO Baby Calming Comfort Lotion 8 oz. Tube!

Giveaway ends April 21st at 11:59pm, open to US residents, ages 18+. To enter please use the Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received no compensation for this publication. My opinions are my own and may differ from those of your own. Country Roots City Living is not responsible for sponsor prize shipment. Please contact teri@mompoweredmedia.com with questions or to see your business or blog featured on the next big event!

Bama +Ry FIVE GIVEAWAY

Happy Friday everyone!!! I hope you all had a fantastic week and have a great weekend planned! 

Today I wanted to talk to you about my IRL friend, Jasmine. Jasmine and I grew up in the same small town and went to school together. We ran in the same group and ate lunch together most everyday. This girl is the sweetest thing ever! Besides both of us being from a small town we both love to smile and laugh a lot, we are both have the short people syndrome, and we both moved out of our home states! 

Now you are probably thinking hurry up and tell me about the giveaway already! Jasmine has always had a dream to go into business for herself. In January she decided to take the leap of faith and pursue her part time turned full time at home business to her main job. On April 1, 2013 her life changed forever, she started her first day being her own boss!!! Even though she is crazy busy she wants to offer YOU a chance to win a piece of jewelry. She is giving away FIVE pieces to FIVE lucky winners. (One per person) This contest is open to everyone! 

Contest ends today so hurry and enter going here and follow her rules. Let her know I sent you! 

A little uniqueness never hurt....

I thought this week would be a little more slower paced. I was completely wrong and it looks like our weeks are only going to get busier and crazier. If you have been a follower for very long you will know that I have spoke openly that my oldest Brayden has Autism and ADHD. When we were told he had Autism we were told by his school. Todd and I decided we wanted a for sure diagnosis because we were not convinced he was Autistic. He knows way to much and is way to smart for his own good. 

This week was our appointment with the specialist. We were there for what seemed like forever, in the end she has decided he does not have ADHD and he is not Autistic, he is a high functioning Asperger's kiddo. My first thought was okay I've heard of Asperger's before and I have met a high functioning kid that is labeled similar to Brayden. 

The next 60 minutes was full of information about this syndrome, what to expect, teaching me on how to think the way he thinks and how to direct him, planning what extra therapies he should start, and on how we can make him successful at school and in life. Next week we start our Speech and O.T. therapy. We go two days next week each lasting one hour but these are the evaluations to determine the length of time each is needed.

As soon as I called Todd and told him the verdict he was thrilled for the response. He was thrilled because we knew 100% what was wrong and how we could make a plan. I was also glad to get a direct answer on yes this is what he has. I will admit I was a bit quiet for the rest of that day. I was just soaking everything in that the doctor had discussed with me. My first thought as a parent is to fix your child to make him better. It was hard for me not to be able to fix this for him. I don't want him to have a hard time in school, life, and making friends. 

I know that God will not give you more than you can handle. Yes I feel like I have been tested a lot lately. I am glad I am going through this, I am glad that I was chosen to be Brayden's mom. Brayden makes me want to be a better person, he makes me want to try harder in everything I do, he makes me want to learn everything I can about Asperger's so I can help him, he makes me know the meaning of love, he makes me know how to trust when you don't know what will come next, he just makes me stronger as a person. It is my goal to work my toosh off on teaching him the skills that he needs, to get him ready one day to graduate school and to go onto college, to get him ready to hold down a job as an adult, to get him ready to have a family of his own. I just hope that one day he will know how much I love him and I would do anything for this kid. 

Indiana Recap part 3

Last week I left off recapping my Indiana trip. On Wednesday LB and I drove about 2 hours to see our friend Lynn. Lynn just recently got married and announced that she is expecting a baby. If you have been a follower of mine for very long you will have read updates on Lynn's son Peyton. I can say LB and I had a blast spending the evening with Lynn and her family. 

Lynn fixed a yummy dinner and had an excellent wine that LB and I finished the bottle. We played memory with Peyton to many times to count. The kid is a rockstar at this game, he beat all of us the entire time! Stillman wasn't into playing the game so he was upstairs playing video games.

Lynn-Thank you for inviting LB and I into your home and giving us a tour of your beautiful home! We loved spending the evening with you, John, and the boys. I can't wait until you have that little girl this summer! I look forward to many more visits when I am home. It always feels like everything is back to normal when all three of us girls are back together. 

Once we left Lynn's we ran over to see my friend who is more like a brother at his college. He will be leaving for the summer for an internship so I won't get to see him even when I am home for a visit. I am pretty proud of him tho because only around 9 students were picked for this intern out of hundrends from all over the United States. 

I felt lucky because I was able to spend everyday home but two days with my bestie. I have to admit it was hard to come back and not have everyone around like I had the week prior. Last week was hard for me to adjust too. LB and I have always been glued at the hip so it was so hard to tell her goodbye on Friday. It was the day that I had dreaded the entire day. She was strong for us and held it together until she left me, I wasn't strong enough to hold it together. One of the hardest things is to be away from everyone you know and love. I also feel like it is so much harder to make friends when you are an adult and don't work outside of the home. LB thank you for the time we spent together. I love the days and evenings we were out running around. I miss you like crazy and love you to death. I am counting down til I get to come home for a visit this summer. You are the true meaning of what a best friend really is!

There are also some other things going on behind the scence so if I am not here for a few days please forgive me. With everything going on I am finding it hard to blog and read blogs. This is a favorite past time of mine so I hope this little funk passes soon. 

I would also like to announce I do not feel like my blog is large enough to charge. If you would like a small ad please use promo code "swap", if you would like a medium ad then please use the promo code "CRCL" at checkout. The large ads I am saving for giveaways. I'd love to have you decorate my sidebar! 

Indiana recap.... part 2

If you missed yesterdays post you can go here and read about our trip into Indiana and our first weekend home. 

So on Monday Brayden and I go up and going and drove a little over an hour to our old town we used to live in. We met up with two of my girlfriends Kristen and Gina for lunch. Kristen works at a school so she had a limited amount of time for lunch so we grabbed some Qdoba. Gina is normally off on Mondays so we were able to chat some more once Kristen had to leave. 

A funny story....when the movie Bridesmaids came out us three girls decided to have a girls night and go watch it. We grabbed some dinner first with a few drinks then had the bright idea of going to the Dollar Tree to get snacks. Everything at the theater is overpriced so we thought we would beat the system and stuff it into our purses. We were walking out of the Dollar Tree to my car and Gina lost her footing or something but the next thing I knew she was down on the ground. Kristen and I were dying laughing. This was like a laugh where tears were flowing and you couldn't catch your breath. In the meantime while she was in the middle of falling her phone dialed me. While she was down on the ground I was trying to answer my phone until I saw that it was her. We have all laughed about it so hard still to this day! 

Kristen is on the left and Gina is on the right

Once we left lunch Brayd and I loaded up and headed to his old school. His Kindergarten teacher Mrs. M was the only one who knew we were coming. She opted not to tell anyone so it would be a bigger surprise. When we walked in the front door the principal Mr. F was walking past and did a double take.  He immediately came out and gave Brayden a huge hug. 

Next up was to see Ms. G Brayd's teacher he had last year for 1st grade. Brayd knocked on the door and a kid let us in. Brayd walked right in and said "Hey guys", Ms. G was so surprised she said "Brayden is that really you"?

Right after he walked in they tackled each other

It was the sweetest thing and I had to hold back the tears. If you have followed for very long you will know how much Brayd's old school means to us. All the staff has always been so nice and always treated us like we were part of their family. 

Ms. G needed to get back to class and recess was going to happen in a few minutes. The kids asked if Brayd could come back to play with them. Of course the answer was yes! Next up we went walking downstairs to find Mrs. M. She was not in her room but heard our voices and came out and also grabbed Brayd with a big hug! 

Brayd took both of his teachers fruit snacks so they wouldn't get hungry later! HA HA He is always giving something to someone. He is the most selfless kid ever! Once we were down talking with Mrs. M other staff members had heard we were in the building and they came running to Brayd. He was surrounded by a good six staff members. Then Mrs. M asked if he had gotten to see his best friend Charlie, which we hadn't made it that far yet. So we went looking for Charlie and found him around the corner. To say Charlie was stunned is an understatement. (I am not posting his picture because I didn't ask him mom for permission). It was the cutest thing watching the two boys talk it up for a few minutes. Meanwhile the other kids in the line realized it was Brayden and started yelling out his name and waving. 

Mrs. M did not leave us while we were there. (I don't think she missed him at all! HA HA) We went back to Ms. G room for recess. The kids really enjoyed talking with Brayden. A teacher or two said they could tell he has been living in the south because he has picked up a twang. Once recess was over it was time for us to leave so they could resume class. It was so hard for Brayd to leave. He kept giving Mrs. M and Ms. G hugs and kept talking so he wouldn't have to leave. 

My family is so thankful for these two wonderful ladies. They have shaped the start of Brayds schooling and have set the pace and standard for him. They always believed in him and cared so much. I knew when dropping him off for school they treated him as if they were his mom and he was taken care of and loved. There are not many times that you can know your child is safe and protected. These two ladies are more than just teachers to us, they are close friends and thought of as family. Being a teacher is a hard job. Not only do you have to teach your lesson but you have to figure out how you can teach to 24 different students who learn different ways. These ladies are so special and I am so glad that even being gone for almost one school year that we all still stay in touch. I love that they want to stay up to date on Brayd and even write him letters so he will get his own mail. He talks about them all the time so I know they hold a very special place in his little heart. 

Once we left the school we decided to run past our old home. I had saved this for last in case there were some tears a flying. I am happy to report there was not one tear that shed. It was weird to see how the new owners changed a few things. I do have to say that I loved our first home together and it was bittersweet to drive past it and take pictures, these new owners don't keep it up as well as Todd did on the outside. I might be a bit biased too! :) 

We headed home after our adventure up in our old town. Brayd was on cloud 9 and talked about his day the entire way home. He was excited to tell my mom about his day and everyone he got to see. While he was chatting about his day I had to get ready to have dinner with some girlfriends from school. 

The girls and I decided to meet up at a Mexican restaurant in a neighboring town. These are the ladies that I had lunch with every single day from Junior High all the way to high school. We had our certain spots we sat at for lunch and we sat that way every single day. I have some of the best memories with these ladies and it was so good to see them and catch up. Of course we were friends outside of school too and would do sleep overs and what not. Once we were together I just sat there taking it all in and it was as if nothing had changed. We all just picked up right where we left off even though I had not seen them for years. I can't wait until the next time I go back home so we can get together again! 

 Kimberly and I

Brittany (left) and Courtney (right)

Tuesday was not as busy but we still had a people we were going to see. I had to help dad with a couple of things that morning first. Once I got that out of the way I went back home and picked Brayden up and took him to my Aunt Theresa's and Uncle Joe's place. Aunt T out grew her old shop so they built a new one and I couldn't wait to see it. I was so amazed when I walked into Hollies Eats and Treats. 

Aunt T makes fresh dog treats and cat treats almost daily. She also has custom signs made for your animals and a lot of other dog and cat supplies. She stays so busy with customers calling her and coming in. She is one of the cheapest around that boards dogs and is getting ready to bring a groomer into her shop a few days a week. She also has some customers that she ships items to out of state. If you think you need something she will ship to you! 

That evening my bestie LB came over with her kids. They were so excited to see the boys. They all played so much together and truly missed each other. While they were playing LB and I were busy making supper for everyone. You could tell the kids had worked up and appetite they ate all of their food at supper. They stayed for a long time that evening and it was hard for them to say bye to the boys. They weren't on Spring Break yet so they weren't going to get to spend much more time together until this summer. 

Weekend Recap in Indiana

I want to thank everyone who filled in for me last week! I hope you will go and check out their blogs, shops, and websites!

I am going to go back and recap last weekend in Indiana. I will be giving recaps most of this week! I had such a fun time and I was able to see so many family and friends. It was one of the best visits ever! If you follow me on instagram (linsw00) then you probably have seen a few of the pictures!


I left last Friday morning. The kids got up with no issue and Todd made us his famous french toast for breakfast. It was a great start to the day. The route we were going Todd ended up following us to almost the state line. The drive is very easy and the views are so pretty. I loved going under the largest McDonalds in the US. I always get excited when I see the arch in Missouri and then I know I am so close to home, it is the home stretch. We were able to make the trip with one stop. We got gas, lunch, and potty breaks all in one stop. It made it so much easier and gave us a little more time to stretch our legs.

Once we got into Indiana we were greeted with cold weather and my mom and dad tackling us. Once I got into the house my younger cousin Conner and my Aunt Sherry were at the house visiting. Right away I was able to see two family members and I couldn't have been more thrilled. Once they left dad went and ran errands and mom and I gave the kids a bath. We squeezed in supper in there too but we just kept it simple. We all went to bed somewhat early.

Saturday my bestie LB arrived at my house at 9:30 AM to start our day of fun! She walked in the door and stood in the kitchen and I took off and we tackled each other. We had not saw each other for FIVE months! It's always our thing when we are together she does my hair and normally she tries something new. So she used her little gadget to make my hair crimpy/beach curls and then she added a couple of braids.

Once my hair was done we decided to go hit up a movie. We ended up watching Identity Theif and we cracked up the entire time. Once the movie was over we were starving. Well Indiana was playing so we thought we would go to Buffalo Wild Wings. The game was about to start so we were going to make it just on time. Once we got there we couldn't find any seating, not even in the bar area. We decided to leave and we ended up sitting at the bar at Cheddars. We were able to watch the game and had an wonderful burger. We caught up on each other for the past five months. Then she told me about this Blackberry wine from Oliver Winery. Once we finished eating and the game was over we went to the winery tried the Blackberry and came out with 3 bottles to take back to Oklahoma.

We came home and just hung out. She had a program for her kids that night so once she left I went to bed. I ended up getting a migraine so I slept the rest of the night.

I woke up on Sunday feeling great! It was so bitter cold but that wasn't going to stop mom and I from having our girls day. We went to Terre Haute shopping. I found the cutest military jacket and mom bought me the cutest Sperry's. Once we were done at the mall we hit up Kohl's and were in there for a couple of hours. Needless to say she spoiled me and I made out!

Once we were done shopping we were hungry and had plans to meet family members at Chili's. Mom and I made it there first and once our family came they tackled us and it was the best feeling. Sadly I didn't get any pictures. My cousin Stephen and I were to busy talking and gabbing and laughing. It was such a great dinner and I can't wait to do it again and see them again! I miss them already. Stephen's dad brought pictures of my Mamaw and needless to saw the waterworks started for me. They weren't sad tears just happy tears. My Mamaw always was a special lady to me and I just miss her so much. She was so pretty when she was young. What am I saying she was always pretty!

You can catch some of my other pictures on insta. I didn't want to overload you on the first day! Come back tomorrow for my Monday and Tuesday recap!

It Works

My husband's cousin recently started a new business adventure. So when she was talking about this I knew that I wanted to share all the great things about these products with all of you!  This is perfect right in time for bathing suit season!!! 

Tomorrow I will be back with a recap of our trip to Indiana! It was full of adventure and you do not want to miss it! 

Our wraps tighten, tone and firm. They minimize cellulite appearance while improving skin texture and tightness. They are mess free and very simple to use. Results in as little as 45 minutes and progressive results over 72 hours. Best of all, they are made with all natural ingredients ! They can be used virtually anywhere on the body such as legs, arms, stomach, thighs and chin ! Get your SEXY back in time for summer !

My website is http://heathertownsend.myitworks.com/  

or contact me via email atwrapsbyheather1@yahoo.com

Bama + Ry

My name is Jasmine, nickname Bama, and I am a jewelry wordsmith based in beautiful Portland, OR. My shop combines two of my longtime passions: jewelry and writing. It's the best of both worlds, really. I have been making jewelry on and off since 2002, though I never found quite the right jewelry medium until 2011 when I was introduced to hand stamped jewelry. I have a background in writing, so the idea that I can create a beautiful piece of jewelry that literally speaks to you is enchanting. Each letter is done by hand, so it isn't a perfect art, but when you string the letters together, they form something very meaningful. I believe words are the most powerful things we have. A beautiful or bittersweet phrase is a work of art in and of itself. I try to showcase that with my jewelry.

My husband (Ry) is the other half of everything I do. While he isn't a jewelry maker himself, he is my cheerleader and my best friend. In many ways, this shop was born the moment I miscarried our twins this past February. I've always dreamt of two things: creating for a living and becoming a mother. I've learned, though, that there are things you can control and things you cannot. So, with this shop, Bama + Ry, I'm putting my energy into something that I can control. And, for the rest, I will put my wishes out to the universe and just let.it.go.

I owe every ounce of artistic ability I have to my mother. She is a talent I will never rival. Her creativity, sense of humor, and sweetness show up in my work over and over again. If my jewelry makes you think, however, that's a trait I owe to my father. If, by chance, a bittersweet saying makes you cry, that is my broken mommy heart. I am in repair, and this jewelry is a part of that.

My jewelry combines my love of words with my love of wearable art, and I want you to know that when you buy, you are supporting a real individual chasing very real dreams. Just like you. Thank you so very much. :)

My Shop: http://www.bamary.etsy.com
Twitter: @bama_ry
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bamaryjewelry