Cottage For Sale

No our home is not for sale. I just love this song because it makes me think of what our house once was and how I hope it will be again. It is a sad song of an idyllic cottage that is now for sale because the marriage is over. I do not see that happening here, but the way the cottage is described is just perfect. The lyrics describe the tidy house, perfect lawn, lovely garden. It makes me imagine our house with all the landscaping done, the house painted, pretty yellow exterior shutters, garage redone, goldfish back in the pond, and so on. I really hope this place will one day be an idyllic cottage once again. Some days it seems like it will never happen, then I remember how much better the place looks than this time a year ago. Slowly but surely we are getting there. But, in my mind I keep seeing our perfect cottage...holding onto the dream.

Behind Closed Doors

"No knows what goes on behind closed doors." Ah, I love Charlie Rich, but that is not the point of this post. I was thinking about how the stuff going on behind our bedroom curtains, yep we don't have doors, can use a little kick starting. So, if you are looking to heat things up "behind closed doors", then pop over to Our Chaotic Life, or Simply Stacie, or Barely Domestic Mama , or Busy Mom all blogs that are currently doing Eden Fantasy giveaways. I've seen so many of these all over the blogsphere and am so envious of these ladies for getting to do these great reviews. Eden Fantasy seems to offer something for those who are a little naughty to those who just enjoy romance. A little something fun for everyone. So, go check out some great giveaways & good luck!

The Best Day

I am a little late getting this up. Mother's Day was fantastic. My darling hubby and kids fed me, did all the housework, and were in general just wonderful to me all day long. We all just really enjoyed our time together and it was fantastic!

It seems we spend less and less time together today and it makes me sad. Tristen will be a teenager in November. It's like you blink and your babies are half grown. All too soon they will be leaving the nest. Makes me want to hold on tight and never let them go!

There is a beautiful song by Taylor Swift called The Best Day that brings tears to my eyes. It talks about how a daughter feels about her mom. Even when I am at my wits end, I love being a mother. There is no more important job out there. I just hope I am letting my kids know how much they are loved, how amazing they are, and how proud I am of them! I pray that the lyrics of this song will one day express how my kids feel about me. And it sums up my Mother's Day this year, it was The Best Day!

Luckenbach, Texas

Guess where we are planning to go for our anniversary this weekend? I cannot wait! I've only been once as a child, and I a convinced it will be much more fun as an adult! Dan has never been so this will be a first for him. I still dream of renewing our vows at Luckenbach...how country am I? LOL. Anyway, I am really lucky forward to doing something fun for our 13th.

This song is so good and is so true of how most people live these days. Dan and I want so badly to slow down and live a simple kind of life. Take things easy, enjoy our family and each other, not be so materialistic. We are slowly but surely getting there. To me the song talks of getting back to what we really need, love and each other.

Plus, the four men singing it in this video are phenomenal! Does it get much better than these country music legends? I find all of their voices incredibly comforting. On my worst day, any one or all of them can bring me back to a good mood. Oh, and the Hag, he can do it to. I find them incredibly soothing. So, if you enjoy great country music, be sure to check out the video of Waylon, Willie, Kristofferson, and Cash. They were amazing together!

Ain't To Proud Too Beg ~ Musical Monday

I just happened upon Musical Monday and it seems like a fun idea! The theme for today is Best Song From A Movie. This one is hard for me, as I have a serious thing for movie soundtracks and there are so many great ones! After much deliberation, I chose Ain't To Proud To Beg from The Big Chill. It's one of my favorite movies ever, and the song is during one of my favorite scenes. Enjoy!

Simple Man

My sister in law Abby recently posted about the poem If by Rudyard Kipling and how it said all the things she wanted to say to her son Milo. I agree it is a wonderful poem and does make me think of what we all want our children to be when they grow up.



But, when it comes to my own sweet little boy, that poem is not the first thing that pops into my mind. Tristen makes me think of Simple Man. I realize that it's a huge leap from Kipling to Lynyrd Skynyrd, but just roll with me on this one. It's a beautiful song with a mother telling her son what she wants for him. There are no fancy words, frills, or anything like that. It's simple, straight forward, and brings me to tears every time I hear it.

I want Tristen to realize there is more to life than money and things. To know the love of Our Father. That it is the ones you love that are important. To be true to himself. To be a man he can be proud of!

So, Tristen my love, this is my song for you.
Mama told me when I was young
Come sit beside me, my only son
And listen closely to what I say.
And if you do this
It will help you some sunny day.
Take your time... don't live too fast,
Troubles will come and they will pass.
Go find a woman and you'll find love,
And don't forget son,
There is someone up above.

(chorus)
And be a simple kind of man.
Be something you love and understand.
Be a simple kind of man.
Wont you do this for me son,
If you can?

Forget your lust for the rich mans gold
All that you need is in your soul,
And you can do this if you try.
All that I want for you my son,
Is to be satisfied.

(chorus)

Boy, don't you worry... you'll find yourself.
Follow you heart and nothing else.
And you can do this if you try.
All I want for you my son,
Is to be satisfied.

(chorus)

Forever & Ever Amen

We had a wild weekend! We took a trip up to Lubbock to visit the in laws. The whole family met up at Garcia's Mexican restaurant for a family dinner. Dan and I split beef fajitas; they were yummy. But, suddenly while chewing a piece of steak, the steak sorta fell down my throat without too much chewing. And the craziness ensued!

I couldn't cough it up, believe me I tried. Apparently coughing requires inhaling, which was not possible. So, I stood up, wrapped my hands around my throat, and preceded to give crazy desperate looks to those around me. Dan says I hit him repeatedly in the arm, but I don't remember this. He didn't know the Heimlich maneuver so he started beating my on the back. Not the thing to do, but it was all he knew to do. I didn't feel it at all and during the whole ordeal I didn't look over at him. I'm not sure why. I do remember thinking that I didn't want the other half of the table to see me, as that is where my kiddos were at. I worried about scaring them. At some point my wonderful sister in law Abby yelled out something about me turning blue. This came about the time I had decided that this was the end. I was blacking out and heading towards the floor when my other wonderful sister in law Tammy pushed Dan off me, wrapped her arms around me, and Heimliched me. She did it twice and that beef flew out of my windpipe. My sisters in law rock!

Folks, I 'll tell you I have never been so freaked out in my life! I am told that he whole incident lasted about a minute, but from where I was out it seemed like hours. I kept thinking that my kids were going to sit there and watch me die in front of them. Panic is not the word. Neither is fear, they just don't seem adequate to cover the range of thoughts and emotions going through my brain.

The next morning I felt terrible. I have a wicked bruise between my shoulder blades where my loving husband desperately tried to save me. He told me he was very afraid that he was going to lose me. The only good thing that came of it is he is being so much more affectionate and considerate than normal. I hope that behavior sticks around :-) He sang me to sleep Friday night to the tune of Forever & Ever Amen. I am a truly blessed gal!

So, now I am going to make the whole family take a CPR/first aid class. I am certified in CPR/first aid, but when it's happening to you, it is very hard to remember what to do. I think that the Heimlich at minimum is something everyone should know.