Make New Keep Old

I asked my college roommates to come come to my house and I have been thrilled ever since! We planned this for like three months so it gave me a lot of time to plan!  We all left the weekend realizing how good it was for our soul! We were revitalized after being together!  Kim and Kia came Thursday night and we were up until 3 talking!  Then Friday we did a little shopping and picked out Lauren from the airport!  Right after, we found Emily who was trying on wedding dresses!  It was fun!

 Before we left my house after picking up Lauren, she asked if she should put her 19 Kids and Counting book in her purse just in case she ran into any of the Duggars!  Lauren came to my house  three years ago and we knocked on the Duggars door! Lauren got me hooked on their series! She loves them, it is the only show she watches and I have been following in her footsteps!  Chad says Lauren loves Michelle Duggar because she is so much like her!  Lauren has that sweet Godly spirit like Michelle.  I never run into the Duggars, Kia and I both kind of felt bad because the odds of running into them are very low. Well needless to say, we picked Lauren up at 12:30 and went to Market Place(our favorite restaurant) at 3 and the first table we see has none other than the sweetest woman on cable TV!

 I screamed to Lauren when I saw her and Lauren was a bit star struck! Michelle calls her fans her friends and told us it was a God thing we ran into her! I was so glad Lauren brought her book!  She gave us signed cards with their picture on them.  The back is full of Bible verses and notes about Jesus!  Harry was so excited about it when I got home!  Harry things he is Jason Duggar!  We had to do a quick drive by on Saturday, they put a fence up since our last visit! Saturday we shopped and lunch at Fish City Grill and dinner at Table Mesa! Afterwards we hit Footloose!  It was the perfect time with my friends! We were up way too late every night!

 Kia left to spend the rest of the day with her family on Saturday and Kim left on Sunday morning.  Lauren helped me teach the tree year olds and we hit the best Sunday lunch place in our area!  Fred's Hickory with Chad and the kids outside did not disappoint!  It is my new favorite Sunday place!

 Every time I talked to Chad over the weekend I would just say "I am so happy!"!!  Happy HAPPY!  It was a very happy weekend with my friends who I love so much!  We loved talking about old memories and catching up on our current lives!  These three girls are just beyond precious to me! I can't wait until our next weekend together!
Monday was a whole new friendly day! My friends here in Bentonville all celebrated Kathy's big 4-0!  She is my closest friend here in NWA and we have so much in common yet we are so different and I love that about her! It was so fun celebrating with our friends on her special night!

My Kind of Camping!

No, we didn't go camping! We did meet some very special friends at an amazing campsite a quick drive from our house to cookout and have church!  It was a gorgeous day and I am really making more effort to spend time outdoors with my children! I am not an outdoorsy girl....I actually would choose to be in! I don't like smelling like outdoors.  It was worth every stinky minute!

 My kids LOVED it!

 Elly is Georgia Kelley's friend and Elly has the best personality! I love watching her...although she does not love me...yet!

 Georgia Kelley is my little biker! She LOVES bicycles! We caught her with the Faubus's bikes!  So funny!  Their family of seven spend the rest of the day mountain biking!  Super cool family!

 Her dream with Mr. Chad! Mandy and Chad are our friends and it is easy to get us confused...same names! Mandy is my artist friend...no pics!

 Elly and her Daddy...Chad's brother, Todd!  My Chad and Todd are so good for each other! I am hoping Todd will get my Chad biking...I have a dream of being a little biking family!  With a house by the square and we ride our bikes to the farmer's market! Maybe one day....not looking hopeful!

 Grayer is the youngest Faubus in the Chad branch...age two and rides a bike without training wheels...and does amazing tricks!  Like ramps and wheelies!

 My two little kids who are growing so fast! 

 A very natural picture!

 The caves were cool! I love Elly watching the big kids!

 Precious Layla sharing her oreos with the beggars!

 These are Elly's feet..so so cute!

It was a great Sunday! We went home at one, napped, then took a two mile walk at the BV park and then played!  That night my neighbor Melissa, showed me how to walk hills...three miles of fast pace walking!  I spent Monday walking with Mandy and Erin through hills too!  I had shin splints for two days!  All better now! REady for my Rainbow Camp tonight with Harry and some special little friends!

The Truth on Friends

I am sure it is obvious I have been going through a tragedy. Some would say that we are suppose to prepare for a grandparent's death and expect it. I did both of those things and I still feel empty and sad. I know the process of grief and I am dealing. I had wonderful friends reach out to me through this saga, as I have been calling it. They sent precious texts, calls, offered help with the kids, messaged me, wrote on my wall and even offered to help clean my house! Like my house would need cleaning;)!  Comic relief there!  I haven't been through close family member death and I didn't know what to say or do or even what to ask for. I sent a text out after it happened to three of my friends. In hind site, I probably should have sent it out to a few others but, I was just in shock and not really certain how to ask or what to say. I sent this text out to my two besties from college and my closet most loyal friend here in Bentonville.  I didn't expect them to do anything, I just knew these friends who pray for me. K, you know who you are...I am so sorry I didn't text you..I don't know what I was thinking not sending it to you! I wasn't in my right mind and I know you are friend who would pray for me.  The first person to respond was my college roommate whom I met at camp in high school.  I could tell through her texts that she was sad for me.  She knew through living with me how close GG and I were. She knew this wasn't just any death...it was Grandmother Georgia!  She kept asking what she could do and really....I didn't know! Fast forward a few days and she is at the hotel before we even left on Saturday morning! She came to babysit the kids and just be there for me! As wonderful as it was to be there with family, there was some sense of comfort having an "outsider" there as "base" for me.  She watched the kids with my MIL(more later) and then went to the grave site with me.  She brought double doozies from the Cookie Factory....you know she knows me!  I don't know what made this so special to me?? The fact that she didn't have me ask her, she drove four hours away from precious weekend time with family, going to a funeral(no one wants to go to funerals), or the fact that she came ready to do what ever was needed! I can't put my finger on it but, it is exactly what I needed. I ended up riding with her and had the opportunity to vent. 

I was so happy to introduce her to everyone! Little did they know she knew the cast..just hadn't met them yet!

When she left, my mom was doing dishes and started talking about how special it was she came. We were so grateful! It was a need we didn't know we needed!  What a gift....such a gift! I feel so blessed to have her in my life. I know her as a loyal friend, she will always be there, she is no drama, she won't put new friends before me, she loves me no matter what phase I am going through.  I have learned a valuable lesson and I am so grateful.

I am not writing this to make anyone feel guilty, really it is just to acknowledge this service that was not expected! It means so much to me! I learned so many lessons through this! I learned what to do when tragedy hits....to do...not ask!  The truth on friends!

Thank you Kim! Thank you for just being  there!  You are so precious to me!



"Not So Newly Wed Games"

So Chad and I hosted the "Not So Newly Wed " game with some of our friends!  It was a blast! I am still recovering from the ridiculous amout of laughing that went on!   We have been in a life group with this crew for over four years now!  We have grown really close and learned so much more about them last night! I had to weed through the questions and we still didn't do very good!  Chad and I got second to last! The funny thing is the couple who won had been married the least amount of time and the couple who lost had been married the longest(13 years)!!  Everyone brought a dish they served at their wedding and there was some good stuff! 
No one left empty handed!  The winners won chocolates to celebrate and the losers went home with the Memory game and ear plugs(one of them was going to get an ear full)!   I am still laughing at some of the answers!  One of my favorites: Question "If you gave your wife $20 and told her to go spend it, what would she come back with?  Answer: "A $30 shirt"!   Another one was " What is one item your husband would like for you to eliminate from your wardrobe?" Answer: "Nursing bras"!  There were many more that had me bent over laughing!
I have a print out of the questions we used, so if you would like to host this game let me know!  It was a success!

A Friendly Visit

Harry got a double dose of fun today when Lindsey and Owen came over to play!  He was so excited!Owen is so laid back and easy to be around! His mom and I have only known each other a short time but, we immediately bonded.  We have a lot in common and I knew she would mesh with my good friend Holly!

Lindsey is also super sweet and loved on GK a lot!  Bree and Cole were here too, but didn't make it in the pictures:(! 

I enjoyed hanging out with the mamas!  Holly and Rachel are two of my favorite moms and although we had a lot of distractions we enjoyed talking and catching up! Of course I didn't get a good pics of them!  We can't wait for the next visit!

Pals

Who like to hang out in the girl's room!

Rockin' and a Bowlin'

If you didn't know, Fast Lane has 99 cent bowling on Wednesdays from 11-5!  We are taking full advantage!Harry loves to bowl and lucky for us we have friends who like to go too!We cheer for our friends! It really is a sight to see!

We have been the last three Wednesdays.  I didn't get pictures today, because I seriously look like I am smuggling bowling balls, as K and E's daddy would say!
On another note, I got a new camera and it is not fool proof! It doesn't just take good pictures like my other camera did.  Oh well!

Kaleb Comes to Visit

Talk about a big treat! Kaleb brought his parents to visit this weekend! Harry was obsessed with Kaleb! He wanted to hold Kaleb, show him his toys and even take a bath with him! Kaleb is beyond precious.....I could have held him all night(Harry could have too)!

Harry also loved Brian, although I didn't get any pictures of them playing! I have decided that Brian is one of my favorite people too! Katie and I have always hit it off and I have always loved Brian, but the more I know him the more I appreciate him!

It was a very sweet trip, we love our Fowler family! Kaleb, next time you come we will let you eat ice cream....not just tease you with it!