If

If you let your child watch Scooby Doo . . .when you take said child to church she might just draw a vampire.

Shocking I know!

At least she put a bow in it's hair. . .this Mommy is so very proud!



Carolina you are so precious!

Neighborly Blessings

We have been so lucky with our neighbors. At our house in Okc the two on each side and the guy across the street were all really nice people and it was nice having our neighborly chats.

Moving here we were really blessed. We have one neighbor that has a small child. Actually it is their grand daughter their daughter and granddaughter live with them. On that side only in the backyard there is a 6 foot chain link fence. The rest of the yard is privacy fenced. We were told that the previous owner of this house left it like that to get a breeze in his backyard. I am so so glad that he did. The kids have so much fun out there.

The neighbors are Italian. Very very nice people. In fact our Pediatrician and my Chiropractor came from their recommendation. Great doctors also! Anthony says she makes the best espresso. Today we were invited over for espresso. I of course didn't drink any but I enjoyed the company.

I ended up coming home with this wonderful fresh Rosemary and Basil out of her yard.



She made a big pot of vegetable soup for lunch so she sent me home with a big bowl of it and some yummy noodles to go with it. I tried a bite after I got home it is so yummy and the closest I have had to my grandma's in a very long time! I think I am going to have to try to make some myself one day.




You might think that has to be it right? No she also sent me home with a big bag of these beautiful potatoes. They own a restaurant and so they had a lot of them. Don't they look pretty I have no idea what kind of potatoes they are but I didn't know potatoes could be pretty. Can't wait to cook them!

God is so Good!

I have been so blessed to belong to two wonderful churches in my life up until the move. The first one was Bodine Baptist where I went from the time I was born. I had many many wonderful friends and still find myself blessed that I can keep in contact with many of them. Of course right now this is due to facebook without facebook I would not be in contact with very many people at all. Especially now being so far from "home".

The second Church Edmond Road Baptist Church was a very big blessing in my life. I joined this church in 2000. The Pastor, a very dear friend and family were there for me during a very trying time in my life. I am so thankful to God and to them for the time and energy that these people gave to help me grow and mature as a child of God. These last 10 years I have became a grown up. When I joined the church 10 years ago even though I was 23 and an adult I still had a lot of growing up to do. My Pastor in particular took the time to counsel me those first few years. I know it was God using him and My heart is still blessed to this day thinking about how much love and respect I have for him. I thank God that he put him in my life to help me find healing and a closer reationship with my Father in Heaven.

I actually ended up leaving that church this summer when we moved with many more family members than when I joined. See I married Anthony in 2002 and he has family there. My sisters and now their families, my mom, Anthony's Aunt Patsy and his cousin Melissa and her family are all very dear family to us. However it wasn't just hard to leave the blood family but the church family also.

When we first moved for the first few months I was actually so busy with the house and the kids. It was a new adventure and we hadn't been gone long so it was fun. Also we had been separated from Anthony a lot for a month so it was good being a whole family again!

Of course it got harder as time went on. There were days that I just wanted to pack it up and head "HOME". Anthony and I talked and I always knew I could go back and visit anytime and stay as long as I wanted. Afterall it was just 1 tank of gas from here to there. I have chosen to be careful in this though because the kids needed to adjust and we needed to put roots down here. Make friends, find a new church home (family) and join a home school group. All of which have been completed except the home school group. However my wonderful new chiropractor gave me a number of a lady and I am going to call her tomorrow.

When we moved for the first few months we just visited the Baptist church that was closest to us. It is actually right outside of our neighborhood. It was a nice church but it just always felt like we were visiting. Then one day a little over a month ago we visited Mid City Baptist it is a little further from home but not too bad certainly closer than I lived to either of my other church homes. The first service the people were so friendly and as soon as the song service started it felt like home (I remember feeling the same was about ERBC). We continued to pray about it.

One Sunday morning we visited a larger Baptist church in S. Bossier City. We both knew that that wasn't the one. It was nice just not the right one for our family. That night we visited Mid City again. Anthony told me that night that he had been praying and he knew it was the right church.

Brother David (the Preacher) and his wife Breanne (I think that is how it is spelled though it is said - Bren) came over the very next night. It was the 3rd or 4th time the Pastor had been over. I think he knew the same thing I knew. So Anthony told him that night what we had decided and we joined the following Wednesday.

It is a very small church and fairly new-but such a sweet spirit. I have to say that my kids love Mrs. Breanne in fact I think Carolina would go live with them (she did actually say she wanted to). Caden has also likes Brother David(the Pastor) very much which is saying a lot if you know my boy! Caylea has made friends she loves a little girl who is 8 named Olivia. Also all of the kids love these 3 girls that are 15, 13 and 10. Caylea talks about Melinda(she is the 15 year old) all of the time! The girls are so great with my kids also.

The fellowship there is great. I have to say that since I had my first child (7 years ago). I have been a little preoccupied at church. In the beginning with Caylea just being an over protective first time Mom. Then relaxing a bit before the food allergies hit. Then I was sent into over drive trying to protect them from an accidental reaction that would send us to the emergency room or worse.

As of know the kids are a little older. So with that comes a little bit of being able to relax that plus the church is taking precautions in providing safe snacks and only giving those to all of kids. I am happy to say that the kids (including Caden) have been to every class since we have been going there. That is saying a lot for my little man. Normally he would rather just sit with Mommy and Daddy. He probably still would but we need him to go to his class. In fact this morning he went right in Sunday School with Mrs. Breanne and sat right down. I was so proud he acted so big!

So needless to say this upcoming trip to Oklahoma has me torn. I was planning on leaving Sunday after church. The trip back home would be sometime after the next Sunday. Saturday the 9th is our Lasenberry family day so defiantly after that. Well something in our plans changed so now we could come up before Sunday. See if I leave Sunday after church I will get to my Mom's maybe around 7 at the earliest. Then Brandy's c-section is at 730 AM the next morning in Shawnee. So it seems to me it would be better to go Friday or Saturday maybe. However I hate for the kids (and me) to miss 2 Sunday's at Mid City. We will have a wonderful church to go to ERBC ( I think we may pay a visit to Bodine on Wednesday also) and I miss everyone tons and will be so happy to see them. I just hate to get my kids out of their routine they are adjusting so well. Especially Caden is doing much better than I expected!

So I am not sure yet. I guess I will have to decide soon though :) I am sure the decision of when to come back will be just as hard. It is always hard leaving family. Plus I won't get to see my newest nephew for quite sometime and babies just grow so fast. I may not make it till Thanksgiving before the next visit. . .

We are so blessed! I want to share how good God is to our family. I want the kids to be able to read about our move when they get older. I really hope they remember living in Oklahoma. I think Caylea will. . .just not sure about the other two. . .

So here are pictures of my 3 blessings that I took on the last two Sunday mornings. They are getting to be so grown up!

Circus

Anthony and I took our kids to the circus for the first time. We were all so excited. So excited in fact that Anthony's keys got locked in his truck. So Anthony spent most of the 3 hour circus outside waiting for the locksmith. Poor Dad!

The circus was fun and exciting. Caden was scared first of the dark and all of the noise but he was soon enjoying it. Caylea loved it and mostly loved the animals. The tigers, elephants, ponies and many breads of dogs. Carolina though had a hard time. She was not only freaked out about the darkness and noise but also the clowns and fire. They had the tigers jump through burning hoops and also juggled some batons on fire. She freaked out both times. However I think overall she enjoyed it all and would like to go back sometime.

Bowling

The kids and I were invited to a birthday party for a little boy named Orion. The kids and I had so much fun. Caylea had been bowling a few times a long time ago. However Carolina and Caden had never been. They all loved it and had so much fun. I can not wait to take them bowling again.

Oklahoma

We were so busy during our week in Oklahoma. I was surprised but oh so happy that we stayed busy. It meant that we didn't waste any of our time there. We were surrounded by loved one's the whole week.

I didn't get pictures of everything we did and everyone we saw but here a few of the highlights.

Sci-port with cousins







Oh and the zoo pictures. I got a lot of pictures from the zoo. I am limiting myself to 5 pictures. There was a huge group of us. I followed a few into the lorikeets and then most were gone when we came back. Then we lost some more when we went to lunch. However we got back with some after lunch. LOL It was a wonderful day I am sure most who know me at all will not be surprised that we out lasted everyone we were there with.







A cookout at the Bells (my sisters house). This is what happens when you put bacon on the grill. Just in case you are wondering.



The kids played in the backyard for a long time and then inside. While outside Anthony had them playing tug-of-war. One game was Caylea against all of the other kids. If Amanda hadn't started cheering them on Caylea would of won. However it is a good thing that two 4 year old's and a three year old is stronger than one 7 year old girl.




Saturday was our Monthly Lasenberry Family day. I was so excited that I didn't have to miss it. We missed it last month. Totally an awesome time! The kids had a blast during water play (and all other play).







We spent most of the time spending the night at my Mom's house. It is so great she helps out so much with the kids and the laundry. I can admit that I turn a little lazy when I am there. A few nights we stayed with Patsy. Melissa, Daniel and the kids were out of town.




I have pictures from Labor Day also. We went to my Uncles house. The kids played in the backyard. It was so nice to see everyone. I am so glad that I happened to be there on Labor Day. I couldn't have planned it any better.

The kids and I plan to go back to Oklahoma on the 3rd of October because I am going to be an Auntie again on October 4th! I can't wait to meet my new nephew Baby Caleb!

So this is my catch up post. I know it probably felt like a book because it was so long.

Pool time

So we only have a few more weeks until the pool closes. We decided to go today after we finished school.

Caylea did a lot of this



While Carolina and Caden did a lot of this




Eventually Caylea caught the butterfly



Then she did this after she accidentally let him go



Eventually they were all doing this again



I count this day blessed as I got to spend time with these little ones.

Turner Falls

I have never been to Turner Falls. . .lived in Oklahoma my whole life (until two months ago) and never went. Tuesday on our way back home from Oklahoma to Louisiana we met the kids Great Grandma Ina up there (thanks to Patsy. . .not sure what I would of done without her help).

I surprised myself when I took my two youngest children (Caylea would have nothing do do with it) and scaled some rocks then climbed up to a cave that a waterfall was flowing over. The kids changed their minds and wouldn't go inside and since I couldn't leave them sitting out on the rocks we all made our way back. Caylea was thrilled though because she was ready to go wade in the shallow water in the falls pool.

Carolina is defiantly my most adventurous child. Ready to try and do anything and everything. Caylea is much more reserved and cautious much like her Momma. I think the bee's kinda freaked her out. Although they did not freak out my Son. He was a hoot! That is until Ina and I were sitting on the shore chatting and watching the kids and I saw him reach down to pick something up and then start screaming. We then realized there were several bee's there eating a piece of fruit. Caden was pretty much done after that ~ so was Caylea. Carolina would of lasted longer but when two are ready that pretty much seals the deal.

It was a good thing we headed back when we did though. We didn't get home till almost 9. There was heavy rain more than 1/2 of the 5 hours between Turner Falls and home. It wasn't too horrible though till it got dark. I do not enjoy driving in the rain and I defiantly know now that I do not like driving in the rain at night. Oh well in my book we made it home safe so it was worth it.

Turner Falls was so much fun. Getting to spend time with Ina was great! I think everyone had a great time with the exception of that now dead bee and Caden's poor thumb.

I personally can not wait to go back and I am pretty sure my 3 blessings feel the same way.

I took so many pictures. I will share some of my favorites.




























I know it's a bit different but I think I will be working this last week from the end to the begining. . .that is just how I roll. A bit odd but I would be faking if I didn't go with it.