Winter Wonderland

This year I loved Anthropologie's storefront and I just had to have that look! So, the theme this season is a winter wonderland that even includes snowballs . . .

"Picnik Show"

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Maddie's First Swim Meet

Here is Maddie's 1st Swim Meet. She was so cute and I thought you would enjoy seeing this video that I made of her.

Sing It Girls

This is the funniest video ever!!!!!

Inspiring Words for the Class of '09 (and for everyone else too)

"The knowledge that you have emerged wiser and stronger from setbacks means that you are, ever after, secure in your ability to survive. You will never truly know yourself, or the strength of your relationships, until both have been tested by adversity. Such knowledge is a true gift . . . it is painfully won, and it has been worth more to me than any qualification I ever earned."

~ from J.K. Rowling's 2008 Harvard commencement address

The Grand Opening

It finally opened . . . this is big news around here! (Known as Jingle Bells by Morgan) Bojangles has opened its doors. My children were sooo excited! Yes, we went to the grand opening and while eating Maddie asked Owen to name his favorite restaurant. After much thought he replied "either Brazilian Steakhouse or Bojangles." Morgan agreed that her favorite restaurant was Bojangles. Maddie rated Bojangles as #2 on her favorites list. It was a great dinner together!

My Smart Little Nugget

Maddie who is also known as the "Drama Queen" in the family has had the flu since Sunday. Now that the fever has subsided, today she claims that the aches in her legs so severe that she cannot walk and must crawl around the house on her knees. (I know you are feeling sorry for her but trust me, it is all a front! Her legs move more by crawling than if she just stood up and walked. I'm not saying that they aren't a little sore . . . but come on already.) Being the wise parent that I am, I tell her that if she is THAT BAD we will have to go back to the doctor and they will take blood work to make sure there is not something more going on. I thought this would surly do the trick and the drama would end . . . but she continued to crawl around on her knees.

Since that didn’t work, I called the doctor to make sure I wasn’t being an overly insensitive parent and the nurse confirmed my suspicions . . . "sounds like she is faking it."

After crawling around for several more hours on her knees, I thought I would show her what real drama looks like . . . when tucking her in for a nap she says with a smile "Mom, what happens if my legs always hurt." I replied, "Well, I guess they will have to amputate and you'll be riding around in a wheelchair." The smart Little Nugget smiles at me and says "Why can't I just get the wheelchair and ride around and get to keep my legs." I replied "Just to make sure you're not faking" and the Little Nugget just grinned up at me and giggled!

Check List Please!

You've heard the complaint that parents all over the world wish their child came with a manual. Even when you buy a toaster, you get a manual . . . but this is not the case with kids. At this point in my life, after raising kids for past 8 years, I would settle for a check list!

There are some things that I remember. For example our bedtime routine, "Morgan, have you gone to the potty? Brushed your teeth? Gone to the potty, are you sure??? Did you get your diaper? Well...go get it." You see, I don't need a check list for this because I have been trained due to many tragic nighttime events so now these questions are automatically asked. However, I would like a check list for the simple things in life that might not be so obvious. Here is what happened today . . .

Both girls are home "sick" (also known as milking it) and I being the wonderful parent that I am (ha!) I gave them fruit popsicles. A few hours later, I go to the fridge to get Morgan milk. There on the bottom shelf is a melted, pink, soggy, puddle that has spread over the entire shelf and in the center is a popsicles stick. Needless to say, I know who the culprit is . . . so I said "Morgan, you can't put a popsicle in the fridge to save it or it will melt!" The tiny voice replies "But Mamma I didn't know!" Oh, if it was only on the check list I would have remembered to tell her this simple fact of life!

What A Difference A Day Makes....

Well, after seeking an answer for over 2 years, I've been told that my life is now going to change. The doctor says I am Insulin Resistant so I now get to follow a diabetic diet for the rest of my life. No white carbs, very little wheat carbs, no yummy goodness sugar including my oh so favorite sweet tea, no longer will I be able to participate in the unending supply of cream/sugar/and a little coffee in the mornings. My lovely morning routine has now been replaced with water! The good news is I can eat vegetables & protein...yum, yum...my favorite. :\

So Ricky...this one's for you...I guess we will do the no-carb thing together - ha! This blog post is a farewell to everything yummy and hello to a new skinny me.

Morgan's Outtakes . . .

Here is Morgan singing her A,B,C's:

"A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,O,P,Q,R,S,VUT.... (which comes out like "But" & doesn't sound good coming from a 4 year old.)

Picking Morgan Up From School:

"Mom, when can we go to Chuck E. Chex Mix?" (aka: Chuck E. Cheese)

Morgan & I are working on laundry:

"Mom, I'll show you how to play Star Wars & I will be Princess Layers." (aka: Leia)

25 Random Things About Me

1. I don't do States, Capitols, or Multiplication so I really stink at Trivial Pursuit. I am 99% sure that I have dyslexia which makes me get numbers backwards. The good news is that this dyslexia makes me really creative! (Too bad I didn’t know about dyslexia when I was a kid that really could have helped me in school.)
2. If I didn't have Owen to keep me sane, I would adopt every child, every animal, every teenager, and even random people down on their luck. They would all live with me in my house. Do you remember the nursery rhyme "There was an old woman who lived in a shoe. She had so many children, she didn't know what to do..." that would be me!
3. My favorite job was working for Dr. Reynolds as a vet tech. I would still be there today if we lived in Cookeville. I guess you don't see many 50 year old vet techs so not sure how that would have worked out in the long run. The worst job I ever had was being the director at an animal shelter…very sad. :'(
4. I LOVE driving really big SUV type vehicles. I hate driving small cars. I think I have "short dog" syndrome so I have to be sitting on the back of the couch all the time. My ultimate vehicle would be my Expedition as a stick shift!
5. If you went with me to Kauai, I could drive you to any place on the island, I know it by heart! I've gone there 7 times, my girls have been 6, and Owen has been so many times he can't keep count.
6. If I could look like anyone it would be Nicole Kidman or Meg Ryan. The closest I came to Nicole Kidman was having a friend, Polly Harrell. She was tall with beautiful curly hair. When we stood beside each other we ended up looking like Mutt & Jeff, total opposites. It was very funny!
7. I was married when I was 19 & Owen was 21. Yes, I'm proof that young marriages can work with a lot of hard work. However, my girls wont' be allowed to be married until at least they are 28! ;)
8. At least once a month, I think about my dog Percy who ran away 5+ years ago. She was such a happy soul. She is the only dog that I knew that broke her tail by wagging it too hard because she was soooo happy. She is an inspiration on how you should live your life!
9. My favorite food is Roast & Noodles. The only person who can make it correctly is my mom.
10. My favorite drink is cream, sugar, and a little bit of coffee. Oh, and SWEEEEET Tea! I would take a sugary drink over dessert any day of the week.
11. When I was pregnant with Maddie I was sick for eight out of nine months. My cat, my two dogs, and I would curl up in the sunny area on the floor to take our daily naps.
12. For some odd reason, I can't recall memories that are vivid for other people. My mom will ask do you remember when you kid and… or Owen will say remember when we were at…… all I can say is "nope." Guess that means I can't hold a grudge for too long – ha
13. When I was 16 I drove a black pickup truck. One night coming home, I fishtailed my truck, went airborne over a ditch, missed a telephone pole, busted through a privacy fence, jumped a pool, and landed in the middle of a swing set. My truck's nickname from then on was "Wave Runner" and yes this is a true story.
14. My sister, two neighbors, and I were almost kidnapped catching fireflies. Thank the good man up above that my parents talked to me about not going with strangers. Police and search dogs were called out to comb the woods but he was never found.
15. My favorite spot in my house is my computer chair. Too bad I need a new one that is softer on the hiney.
16. I am a total rule follower!!! This fear has kept me from getting in trouble at school, ever being tempted by illegal substances and driving the "Super" Chaffee Expressway.
17. I am not a procrastinator. In fact I would classify myself as the total opposite and lean more towards the "majorly obsessed to get a project done" type person.
18. I'm always cold and love my heater which sits beside my computer chair (see #15). This is a constant battle between Owen and me. I would tell every young couple that they should find out what temperature the other person likes to keep the house before you get married!
19. I always sleep on the left side of the bed. I hate any type of light when sleeping. I am the crazy person running around putting towels over televisions to block the little red glowing light when we stay in hotel rooms.
20. I've slept in the same bed with my mother-in-law more than I have ever slept with my own little girls.
21. My favorite place to shop is Etsy.
22. If it were up to me, I would sell my house and live in a tee tiny house so that I would never have to pay another bill as long as I'm alive. Again, Owen keeps me sane on things like this.
23. I never realized that having kids would include laundry, shopping for groceries, cooking, cleaning, cleaning, more cleaning, picking up, cleaning, oh and cooking. I'm still trying to learn to cope with this new revelation. I'm not sure that I will ever get use to this.
24. My sister and I were not close for a long time, now we are awesome friends. I love her passion!
25. If I wasn't afraid or selfish, I would pack up my family, move to Ecuador, and work with the Hacienda of Hope. I think Cathy is amazing for doing just that!
26. Bonus: Sometimes I leave the refrigerator door open just to see how long it takes Owen to come behind me and close it. (That is high on his pet peeve list and usually will be closed in a matter of seconds.)

Morgan's 4th Birthday Party

We had a family, dress up, tea party for Morgan's fourth birthday. Morgan fell during her grand entrance and got a little embarrassed. I had to keep it in the video because it was such a memory. This was such a wonderful day!

12 Lessons in 12 Years

Looking back over twelve years of marriage, I can see I've gotten a lot of things right and I could have improved in many ways too. Here are the top 12 lessons that I have learned or am still working on…

1. Accept Criticism: Everyone says "you just know" when it is the right person. Listen to yourself because it is so true. Even though I've changed over the years, I could not have found a better person that has inspired me to grow, encourage me to stand strong, and let me know when I should back down. Here is my lesson learned: The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism. Be open, be honest, be accepting and realize it is better to be "saved" rather than ruined.
2. Write It Down: We spend so much time & energy planning for our wedding day yet we leave out the planning of the rest of our lives together. If I got a "mulligan" (Yes, Owen will be proud of the terminology), we should have taken the time to write down goals for our future. Here are some of the things that would have been discussed: How many kids are we going to have? What are the top 5 things we want our kids to leave our home knowing? What will your chores be in the house? Who is cooking, how much can we eat out, who does the shopping? How much are we saving for retirement? How will we spend the holidays? What are your pet peeves? Where will we live in 10, 15 or 20 years? Do we agree on a budget? What would your plan be if you got cancer? Do you like the house to be hot or cold? I know that some of these are trivial questions yet other questions and/or answers have the potential to change the course of your life. Dave Ramey says in his book More Than Enough, "Only about 8 percent of Americans have clearly defined goals and only 3 percent write them down. It is no accident that only 3 percent of Americans retire wealthy." I would say the same philosophy applies to the success or failure of a marriage.
3. Define Instead of Simply Repeating: I would have changed my wedding vowels (and taken them more seriously). Here would be what I would have said: I, Casey, take you Owen to be my husband, my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our friendship and love you today, tomorrow, and forever. I will trust you and honor you. I will laugh with you and cry with you. I will love you faithfully through the best and the worst, through the difficult and the easy. What may come I will always be there. As I have given you my hand to hold, so I give you my life to keep. For where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. And where you die, I will die and there I will be buried.
4. Complete The Cycle: I've learned that love (like life) is a cycle. Sometimes you "love" each other then there are times when you just "like" each other. However, it always circles back to "love" so don't call it quits before the cycle is complete.
5. Work Hard: It is so true that nothing ever comes to one (that is worth having), except as a result of hard work.
6. Welcome Home: Your spouse should look forward to coming home rather than dreading the arrival. Even if it's a rotten day, I need to remember to greet Owen with a smile just so he knows I'm glad he ALWAYS COMES BACK. (I'll have to learn this lesson from Sophie our little dog. She is always so glad to see him!)
7. Don’t be a Chihuahua: A lesson for us ladies....your husband needs his armor shined and his sword sharpened, not a Chihuahua barking around his ankles reminding him of his past failure.
8. Laugh: It is better to learn to laugh through life rather than cry your way through.
9. Go To Bed: It's ok to go to be angry because sometimes you just wake up in a better mood!
10. Make Incompatibility Work: Remember that what counts in making a happy marriage is not so much how compatible you are, but how you deal with incompatibility.
11. Practice Makes Perfect: Marriage, ultimately, is the PRACTICE of becoming passionate friends.
12. Become Embers: Some start to complain when the spark is gone from their marriage. Remember that a spark lasts only a second. It lights a fire. When the flame burns down, you are left with the hottest part of the fire, the embers, which burn the longest and keep the fire alive.

(Happy Anniversary Chuppy Luv)

Note: Some of these lessons are my own thoughts some of these are reflections of good advice that I have heard over the years.

Grow & Stretch

My family has been very blessed to have a wonderful and truly hysterical minister, Brad Cox. He has helped us to grow and stretch both personally and as a family. I hope take time you listen to some of his lessons as a "devo of the day". One of my favorites is "Living with Margin." I hope this inspires you (as it did me) to lead by example! Sermon Audio

~ Casey Green

Pachelbel Bedtime

My Crazy Life Theme Song!

A Sweet Surprise!

I have a talented friend, Laureen, who has become a huge inspiration to the way I look at life & raise my kids. We also work everyday together through Minutes Matter. As a surprise present, she is drawing my girls. I wanted to share with you her art. This is a picture of Maddie & she is still working on Morgan's illustration. (She sketches these without tracing them out first. She is just amazing!)

~ Casey Green

Words to live by...

As you can see, one of the books that I love is More Than Enough by Dave Ramsey. Here are some highlights of the book which has helped me build my character. I hope they bring you inspiration too.

"When one door close, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us." Alexander Graham Bell

It is much better to look where you are going than to see where you have been.

A driver using only the rear view mirror on his car will get nowhere fast. Look forward with vision and set bite-size goals to accomplish your vision.

Only about 8 percent of Americans have clearly defined goals and only 3 percent write them down. It is no accident that only 3 percent of Americans retire wealthy.

One big hairy lie that we allow to steal our hope is: Failure is permanent. If we see failure in our past as an indicator of our future, our only possible future, that will rob our hope. Winston Churchill said "Success is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm."

Failure is natural, normal, and is going to happen. Failure is caged when we realize it is not permanent.

"Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently." Henry Ford

For us ladies of the house: Your husband needs his armor shined and his sword sharpened, not a Chihuahua barking around his ankles reminding him of his past failure.

"Yesterday is history, tomorrow's a mystery, today is a gift, that's why they call it the PRESENT."

"And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulations produce perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope." Romans 5:3-4 Problems give us the ability to hang on and that ability changes who we are. When our character is permanently molded by the trial we are stronger and the end result is hope.

"There are no hopeless situations, only people who are hopeless about them." Dinah Shore

"The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism." Norman Vincent Peale

Find people who are being who you want to be and spend time with them. Your habits and values will be better because you become like those you are hanging around with.

"….and in a multitude of counselors there is safety." Proverbs 24:6

"One outstanding success can cover a multitude of blunders."

"Those who have never made a mistake usually work for those who have."

"I tell them if they are going to do something, do it right the first time and they won't have to go back and correct their mistakes." Sharon Ramsey

Work is doing it. Discipline is doing it every day. Diligence is doing it well every day. It all starts with work.

"Work like it all depends on you and pray like it all depends on God." St. Ambrose

Posturing is not work, and looking good is not work; you cannot confuse activity with accomplishments.

Edison said it best, life's greatest feats, the world's greatest discoveries, his own most fantastic inventions were "1% inspiration and 99% perspiration."

"Nature gave us two ends – one to sit on and one to think with. Ever since then the man's success or failure has been dependent on which one he used most." George Kirkpatrick

Discipline understands that the best way to get rich quick is to get rich slow. "A faithful man will abound with blessings: Be he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished." Proverbs 28:20

"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:11

Welcome to My Crazy Life!

Yep, you've guessed it....I'm blogging! Since our family and friends are so spread out, I thought I would use this as a way to tell everyone about major events that happen in our family. I hope you find this blog as a place of encouragement.

As we all know, each of our lives can be crazy at times but I firmly believe in The One who "is able to immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us." Ephesians 3:20

May we all enjoy this journey together!

~ Casey Green