Life is a battle...

It's been too long since I posted but well .... basketball happened. Oh and a slight outbreak of flu. And maybe even one or two nights of catching up on TV. Let me see if I can sort it all out -

Last week, the second week back to school, I felt like I could probably battle my way through all that was coming our way. I knew we would play three nights of basketball, one of which would be a rivalry game for the boys and all of which would most likely find Kamdyn's team on the loosing end of the score board. Two at home, one on the road. So, I was ready!

We celebrated the wins, encouraged Kamdyn to battle on with her team and teammates and pushed ahead through the week. The kids worked to keep up their homework and I worked on some Sunday School material I have been writing and Brian gave his best effort to continue up the ladder on Candy Crush {a game I have not attempted because I just can't have one more thing I feel like I need to accomplish right now}.

By Wednesday we started seeing kids drop like flies with flu and strep throat at the school. Then teachers and even our administrator and on Thursday I sent Brendan on to the doctor after lunch because I knew we needed to stay on top of whatever was developing in his sinuses. He had a negative flu test but they did go ahead and treat him for a sinus infection and cough. By Friday it was my turn!

The kids played away on Friday night and Brian and I had already decided this would be our game to miss, mostly because it had been THE CRAZIEST week and we both needed to just catch our breath. Plus we also had a gift card to a local restaurant that we were eager to spend! So we had big plans to go out to eat and catch up on our TV shows but I took some kind of medicine for my cold/flu and was OUT at 7:30. Clearly I am not quite the date that I used to be!!

So Brendan and I have fought this stuff all weekend and into our holiday today. I am finally feeling better but I did have to take Brendan back to the doctor this afternoon. Thankfully, the doctor gave him some different medicine and a shot of an antibiotic! While I was thankful the doctor was going to be aggressive at treating whatever is lingering with Brendan, he was not and was willing to do battle with the poor nurse who gave him the shot. He remembered the medicine from his fight with pneumonia the summer before last and was NOT eager for a repeat of it! However, I am not eager for a repeat of the pneumonia-that-wouldn't-go-away so I told the nurse, "just go on and stick him please".

The truth is, I can't stand to get a shot myself. When the kids fuss about having to get one I instantly have a flash back to a time when I may have been held down so that a nurse could just stick me! I also take the opportunity to remind our kids of how many shots and sticks I got in order to bring them into this world. I don't think it helps them but it helps me!

So anyways, now you are all caught up on our medical woes. Hopefully Brendan will be on the road to recovery and nobody else comes down with whatever this is. The kids play three games again this week but thankfully they are all at home!

I have had some time to look for new recipes over the long weekend and came across two I wanted to share here with y'all. I will most likely make both of these - at the end of basketball when my kitchen will once again come alive!

So this is a dip recipe that I think might work for the Super Bowl party:

http://everydaycheer.com/2014/01/18/super-bowl-corn-dip/

and this is a link to a spin on ham sandwiches that I am eager to try:

http://mixandmatchmama.blogspot.com/2011/10/ham-and-swiss-pinwheels.html

Well, now you are all caught up on us! We are once again awaiting the arrival of the "Polar Vortex", or what was known in my day as an Arctic Cold Front. I was thankful for the 57 degrees and sunshine of today and will confess I am eager for flip flop weather to arrive!

We are Back Jack...

The Bailey bunch is officially back into the routine of school, basketball and a piled high laundry basket! The break was good while it lasted and I was reminded this morning as the alarm sounded that I can no longer stay up until 11:00- not even to see the National Championship game!

It has been so cold here, which I know you will not have a hard time believing since the north pole is now anywhere above Interstate 20! It is the kind of cold that makes you want to stay inside - in comfortable pajamas with a good book and the fire going. For the record, I like to pretty much do that even if it was 45 degrees so imagine the desire of my heart when it is 9 degrees with a negative windchill.

Our time off really was a blessing! We found ourselves staying up late, watching movies or catching up on some shows on Netflix. I cooked, read, cleaned and read some more! Oh don't be jealous - I didn't get watch to near enough Hoda and Kathie Lee and I didn't spend a single whole day in my pajamas, which was one of my goals before getting out for the Christmas Break. Yes, I aim high!!

So yesterday I had dinner cooked, served, cleaned up and was in my new pink flannel pajama pants and comfy sweatshirt all before 6:30!! I was so excited and even a little bit proud of myself. I am in a TV dilemma right now because we have two nights of basketball this week plus church. Monday night was dedicated to the National Championship. However I still need to work in a two hour season premiere of Downton Abby, the season opener of the Bachelor and wrap up the final episodes of Scandal. Times are tough!!

And in a total off the wall topic dealing with tough times I have to ask WHO KNEW we would be having a Velveeta shortage in 2014? I was shocked to see this story on yahoo today. I feel like I should be stocking up on what is left on store shelves because my family uses Velveeta as a staple food! It is an essential every time I buy groceries the same as milk and bread! So if you thought your biggest problem was going to be your first credit card bill after Christmas you have another thing coming!

It really is hard to believe today is already Jan. 7 and I have found myself feeling curious and anxious about the year 2014. Brendan will graduate, Brian is most likely retiring from the Air Force, Kamdyn will turn 16 and Koby will finally figure out how to check the balance in his checking account before using his debit card. And on top of that it looks as though the Aggies will loose Johnny Football! So you can see my anxiety over 2014 is indeed legitimate!

To be honest, in January I try to spend some time praying about a verse or word that God might have for me to face the coming year. I have recently been reminded of my verse from last year out of Deut. 31 as Moses gives Joshua the "torch" to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. He tells Joshua {v.8} "Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will go before you. He will be with you; He will never leave you or forsake you." It was exactly the verse I needed in 2013 and now I am asking the Lord to go before me in 2014, through emotional parenting times and scary job security times and lead me. I haven't landed on my verse for this year, but I know that the Lord knows exactly what I need to face all that is ahead of me and without fail the scripture will be a lamp to my feet and light to my path.

So in the frigid start of this new year I hope you have given thought to how the Lord will lead you. What things does He have in store for you this year? How can you grow in your relationship with Him and what ways will you impact the Kingdom? We all want to loose weight, exercise more, run a marathon 5K but what goals do you have for your relationship with Christ?

I have to wrap this up or risk being up past bedtime yet again. Adjusting back to the 5:30 alarm is not near as exciting as it might seem. I do hope you are staying warm wherever you are and I pray the Holy Spirit leads you to just the verse you need in your heart as you dive into 2014!!

Happy New Year

I tried and tried to think of a creative title for this post but I went for the obvious because of one reason........

 

The Fighting Texas Aggies won the ChickfilA bowl just minutes before the clock struck midnight! What a way to ring in 2014 - although it is highly possible my heart almost gave out at least three or four times in the fourth quarter alone!

Our family along with my parents headed to Atlanta to see the Aggies play Duke in the ChickfilA bowl at the Georgia Dome. We did some shopping on the way over and then made it to the hotel late Monday evening. After finding food and checking things out we got ready to head out for Midnight Yell along with 1500 of our closest friends!

After we took our group picture on the stage the boys found their way in front of a tv camera, being interviewed for the local College Station news.

 

Click here to watch the video

 

http://kagstv.com/News/KAGSNews/ID/2313/AM-Fans-Excited-Gather-for-Midnight-Yell-in-Atlanta



 

We had time to get a few more pictures before all the story-telling and btho yelling began!

 

 

 

The kids did such a great job posing for all the pictures I kept taking!! We really enjoyed yell practice and then made the long walk back to the hotel to get our rest for the game and festivities of New Year's Eve.

 

 

I found the closest Starbucks to get my New Year's Eve morning going then we had some late breakfast and took in the parade. We had several hours to kill between the parade and getting to the Dome so Brian led us down to the Marta {or train}.....

 

 

 

 

...and it only took three workers to help us figure out how to get a pass to ride and what train to take!! Indeed country had come to town! After finding us some good supper and doing a little more shopping we got back on the train and headed to the game!

 

 

 

 

We were all bundled up while we waited to get into the Dome...

 

 

 

....but then we were able to get inside to our seats and get comfortable!!

 

In my wildest dreams I would not have thought this would be such a close game and I even leaned over to Brian at one point in the second quarter and said, "if we loose this game we will be the laughing stock of the SEC". It wasn't that I didn't have faith in the Ags but I was starting to wonder if our defense realized that the game had started!

 

I spent a good part of the fourth quarter with one hand over my eyes, wanting to know but scared to look! At one point I thought I might even be sick...literally! Once the final minute began to tick away the boys headed down to the rail to get a good view of the trophy presentations...

 

 

I can't think of a better way for us to celebrate the start of 2014! I took this picture of Brian and I just before midnight...

 

 

...a happy new year's selfie just minutes after we won!

 

We had so much fun with mom and dad and the kids - cheering on the Aggies and spending time together. What a great way to end 2013 and I do look forward to what 2014 holds for the Bailey bunch!!

 

  ****HAPPY NEW YEAR Y'ALL!****

 

 

 



 

 

All Is Calm, All is Bright...

Merry Christmas y'all! It feels like forever since I have sat here with my laptop and perhaps it is related to the holiday busyness that seems to crop up this time of year in spite of the best of intentions.

However, I did want to take a minute to wish everyone a "Merry Christmas" from our family!

Things at our home are calm today and outside the sun is brightly shining. I have finally accepted we have passed the years of late night Christmas Eves as Santa's workers and the early, pre-dawn Christmas morning excitement. The kids assured us last night that they wanted to sleep in this morning yet they were all up and going at 8:30.

Their stockings were filled with some of their favorite things...

And Kamdyn did a great job acting surprised as she opened gifts that were picked out weeks ago shopping with me...

Koby always loves to open gifts and he takes his time looking each one over...

This gift caught Brendan a little off guard! We will see how long it takes him to actually wear it and he said IF he does he will have an Texas ATM shirt on underneath.

And even Johnny was feeling festive this morning, sniffing through all the wrapping paper in search of a treat!

We enjoyed our presents, ate a big breakfast, rested and cleaned up and have now filled ourselves on a late lunch. Brian and I are enjoying a movie, the boys are playing a new game and Kamdyn is dressed in new clothes watching Netflix. Talk about all being calm!

Of all the things I have enjoyed about today though I am most thankful for that little bit of quiet this morning, with the trees lit and my coffee hot as I read through the Christmas story. To reflect on the birth of my Savior and worship Him this morning was indeed the greatest gift.

I hope each of you have experienced the calm that only Christ can bring! I trust you have taken just a moment to reflect on the love of our Savior and the hope that He provides.

I wish you all a truly Merry Christmas and over the next few days I plan to sit down and update on all that has been going on with the Bailey bunch!

Slowing Down...

Last week kept us on the go! The kids played three nights of basketball and they had their youth group Christmas Party on Wednesday night. And I want to say I love a game of "Dirty Santa", especially with 45 youth!!

The kids started the week off with a rough basketball game where all teams got beat but the boys bounced back winning the rest of their games for the week and Kamdyn's team won a big game on Friday night. The boys are undefeated in district which was one of their goals going into the season. We still have a tough team on the schedule in January to play twice so we aren't counting on the district champion trophy yet! Kamdyn's team continues to improve and they were so excited about winning this week!

She is learning a lesson about turning the other cheek, literally. This week in a heated game a girl from the other team gave Kamdyn a big slap on the cheek after she had already been very physical. The slap got her a tech and thankfully Kamdyn showed patience and didn't retaliate! Her coach has also told them if you get a tech you run two miles so that might have contributed to Kamdyn not saying/doing anything back to the girl. I worry about this happening to our boys but not to Kamdyn!

So all of that to say tonight I am sitting at home in front of the fire with our Christmas trees all glowing because after last week I need some PEACE!!! Our choir performed their annual Christmas program Sunday and the theme was peace. I think I needed to be reminded peace comes from God our Father and we need to live in it. I don't think He calls us to a life of chaos and activities that so easily distract families, tearing down communication and relationships. I think we need to slow down and walk in peace!

Tonight we all five at supper together, which is very rare for us. We are used to more than five at our supper table!  The kids have all gone on to study for their semester exams and here I sit typing and Brian is reading TexAgs and checking out Ebay and I will just say in this moment, life is good!

We also had some company this weekend....

....and our house seemed to be more like a fraternity than anything else. These boys played unlimited playstation and ate all kinds of food and laughed and joked and talked about love and life. Our boys have been so blessed to have some great Christian friends, and this weekend I realized these guys were an answer to my prayers. I have always asked God to provide them with friends who are faithful, who love God, who want to live life for Him. I think so many kids today think you can't live a life of faith and have fun. Our boys and these boys are far from perfect but they all are trying to live out faith and life. I took this picture after lunch Sunday before Thomas headed back to Auburn and I just wonder if they realize they are standing on the edge of the rest of their life with a journey ahead of them that only the Lord knows.

Along with the basketball games and Christmas party last week we also had a Christmas party for the women at our local mission. I am more than thankful to serve in church with such compassionate women who want to serve others! We had this party last year and I was so excited to offer it again. I will share more about it later but I did want to tell you about one of the things we did with the women - we made these super cute little chocolate covered marshmallows! It was so easy and I think I may do some more for teacher gifts. Just take the largest marshmallows and put the candy cane in the end of them. Dip the end of the marshmallow in the chocolate almond bark and the sprinkle crushed peppermint on the end or you could even use red sprinkles. The women loved doing this and I think you would, too. {Also, special thanks to Pintrest because of course that is where I found this cute idea!}

So there you go....as our life slows down a little yours may be speeding up. We are on half days at school through Thursday and my kids will be done taking semester finals Wednesday. Brendan will be going to see Ellie at the end of the week and I will be cleaning house, catching up on everything I didn't get done last week!! {If you haven't gotten a Christmas card from us that's in my catching up plan!}

I hope peace finds you or rather that you find it through the One who provides it. Just slow down..

Baby it's COLD outside...

I can not even tell you how cold it is! I know many of you probably are going through the same thing wherever you are but oh.my.goodness! It's like we had winter then about three days of spring then hello - winter times 100!

The kids played ball out of town Thursday night and on our way to the game the temperature fell 31 degrees and I was so glad I had kept my sweater handy! I am thankful we are not frozen on ice like many of you back home in Texas because I want no part of that. Snow = yes, Ice = no way!

When I got up to a gray, cold morning Saturday I plugged in my Christmas trees and sat with a hot cup of coffee and the fire and just enjoyed the peace that comes from doing that....

...and I just praised God for quiet and warmth and a home and peace. I don't know what it is about Christmas and the lights and being all snuggled in but I do know it is good medicine for my soul to just sit and enjoy it. I realize some of you don't have teenagers who sleep until 10 or 11 so this not be something you identify with but I can tell you the quiet and peacefulness is coming one day and you need to enjoy it!!!

Not only did we welcome in the cold at the end of this week but we also got to welcome a special visitor...

 

 

Our sweet Ellie came home for a surprise visit and I think it is safe to say everyone was happy to see her! She worked with one Brendan's friends to surprise him at his basketball game Thursday evening. She showed up just before halftime of the girls game and it really was sweet to see the surprise on his face!! This girls is one in a million and you just about needs those odds to fit into this family of ours!

Friday night Brian and I took the kids plus Ellie plus Koby's friend Anna out to eat. I caught myself looking around the table, watching the kids talk about this and that and I couldn't help but thank God for pouring out his blessings on us. I also had a brief moment of vanity, thinking "am I really old enough to sit here with almost grown boys and their dates and a daughter planning her Friday night out with friends?". Well age is only a number in this birthday month of mine and I am truly learning to count my blessings in this season of parenting.

Saturday we cooked our normal big breakfast, did some grocery shopping and then snuggled in for football and soup as the north wind kept things frigid outside. Today we had to take Ellie back to Birmingham and Brian did such a great job getting us through the yucky rain and fog. We were sad to see her head home, but thankful for her time here with us and the added excitement she brought to our weekend!

It looks like we will be bundling up all week as we go to basketball games and Christmas parties! We have 5 more whole days of school left this week and 4 half days next week so we are on the countdown for sure. I hope you are staying warm where you are and that you too are finding peace and joy in this season...

Truly Thankful...

We spent Thanksgiving at home in Mississippi, which is not the home of my heart but the home God put into our lives almost 12 years ago. When I finally came to terms with the reality of missing Thanksgiving in Texas {or glory land as I tend to refer to it} I decided I would make the most of whatever it was that God had for us here at our home.

I was down in my back. Brendan was anxious about his ROTC interview. Kamdyn came down with strep throat and the flu. Koby bought three different necklaces and took back two of them all for the same person. Brian took care of all of us!

And we survived!

For that I am truly thankful!

I do have a few pictures to share from our Thanksgiving....

The boys wanted to get picture taking over with quickly and get on to the eating so they didn't want to stop to put on a coat or anything! We were truly thankful when we saw the sun come out on Thanksgiving Day because we had dealt with freezing cold temperatures and rain for about five straight days! And honestly I wouldn't complain much about that because I love a gray, wintry day where I can snuggle up with a good movie or good book and a fire and we did that pretty much all of Monday and Tuesday.

First of all, it's been almost a year since we brought this little fella home! By Thanksgiving Day not only was Kamdyn thankful to finally be kicking the flu but she was also talking about how  Johnny's first year in the family had passed by so quickly! I think this will forever be one of my most favorite pictures of her!

This could be a close second though!

I'll admit we did get a little photo happy while we were waiting to sit down to lunch! I think Koby gets the photo credits for this picture and that might explain why we are laughing more than just smiling.

And clearly it was a special day if both of the boys were willing to take a picture!

But then it was time to get serious! Brian is carving the first of two turkeys that he fried for Thanksgiving. He did an amazing job and we stuffed ourselves full!

We did a little Black Friday Thursday shopping, which included Brian's first real experience with the crowds and sales and checking out and also the boy's first chance to brave the cold just to get a deal. Koby's shopping experience is still making me laugh today!

On Saturday, the boys played in Memphis at the FedEx Forum - home of the Memphis Grizzlies! This was their third year to play up there and they really look forward to it. Here is a picture of the five starters before we went in to the Forum...

...and you can tell they are an entertaining group!

We were thankful to come out with a win and I was able to get a few pictures of the boys...

...but those were two of my favorites!

So this morning we found our way back into our school routine. We will have to make it 9 more full days and 4 more half days until our Christmas break arrives - not that I am counting down or anything!


*As a total side note thanks to all of you who have prayed for my quick recovery! By Wednesday I finally felt like I was going to be able to live somewhat normally again and I have since put the heating pad away. After 10 days of constant use I decided that the investment of that heating pad might just be better than any Black Friday deal!


HAPPY DECEMBER EVERYONE!