Mail for a Princess

As we all know Jolie is in love with the Disney Princesses. In fact, you might recall that she thinks her momma is Cinderella. It's her story and she's sticking to it, and she thinks Daddy is Prince Charming. Who can't love that?

Anyway, of course she received the Cinderella dvd for Christmas. The other day she opened the dvd package and pulled out all of the ads inside. AND we realized that we could send off for a Cinderella charm bracelet for free. SO, she bugged Dad, I mean, Prince Charming until he placed the order.

She started asking had it arrived in the mailbox the very next day. It did take a few days but it finally arrived. Excitement filled her face.

Shek handed her the package and she opened in the car. He also took her reaction photos for me with the phone since I was driving. I am sure there's some kind of law about driving and turning completely around to snap photos of your cute children. SO I train the kids to capture  the moments. They now know that anything and everything is blog material, and we need to photograph those moments as they happen.

This is a precious little Cinderella charm bracelet fit for our princess, and when ya momma is Cinderella, you just have to have the princesss Jewelry to go with the title!

Because I love a little sparkle...

Because I love sparkle, 

Spark, and focus

I am having a little blog 

give-a-way!
Up for grabs is one of these cute

sparkle

cups filled with a variety of

Spark Vitamin Drink pouches!

Great for mental focus, energy...a brain food drink.

To enter, simply leave a comment here naming the flavor of Spark you would like to try! Share this link on your facebook, blog, or pin it I will give you another entry. Just let me know you shared it.

Flavor choices

Mango Strawberry, Grape, Fruit Punch, Pink Lemonade, Citrus, Mandarin Orange, Cherry.

Winner will be announced next week, and at that point I will need a mailing address to send your prize.

Want a sample? send me an email with your name and address to berrybliz90@gmail.com

Freak out?

You ever felt like this? I know I have.  When I saw this little sign I thought it was funny and I find that sometime I can really relate to this phrase in day to day life. In fact, in Bible study this semester we are starting a book called Unglued by Lysa Terkeurst

When I called the book store I kept asking for a book called Unplugged by the same author. At least I knew the author's name so the book store could direct me to the correct book. And after reading a smidge of the Unglued book, some of the unglued moments were me. I could have written the book myself, but I was too busy Panicking and freaking out.
But

you know when I feel like a little panic and freak out is in order, really all i have to do is look to the ONE who created it all in the first place, and there's no need to panic and freak out. Sounds rather preachy doesn't it, but it's true.

Now to just remember that HE holds today, tomorrow and the next day....

Momma's Favorite!

My kids, all four of them, compete with each other to be Momma's favorite. Just yesterday, Shek leaned over and said, "Hey, it's just us, you can tell me, I am you're favorite, right?"

 I've said it before, Momma loves all her kids the same. Each kiddo is unique with special talents, personalities, and quirks and I  love them all  the same. I 've got a bunch 'o love to go around, but I don't have a favorite kid.

BUT 

 Momma does have a favorite! 

and
That would be
Dad
Always has been always will be.

Fog on the Farm

The fog was thick today on the farm. 

It does look rather farm like, even though it's just the front yard. 

Fog

The fog comes

on little cat feet.

It sits looking

over harbor and city

on silent haunches

and then moves on. 

Carl Sandburg

Will run for chocolate?

This past Sunday morning, we woke up before the rooster crows and headed to the ATL for the HOT CHOC 5K. Shek and I signed up months ago for this race. It looked like fun, and the hoodie you get for running it was pretty cool. Karl snapped this photo of us as we waited to go into our corral. We had our AdvoCare products and were ready. I had  Spark,catalyst, O2Gold, and Arginine Extreme. Shek he had a Spark and rehydrate

At the end of the race, who did I see, but the hubster smiling at me. It was amazing out  of the zillions of people there I was able to spot him at the finish. We then got in a line and were given a finisher's mug of hot chocolate, a little fondue, some chocolate candy squares and a few things to dip in the chocolate fondue. It was actually a hot day for the race 70 ish degrees. We did not drink the hot chocolate, although it did look like the creamiest hot chocolate ever.

We ran into some friends at the race, and I was so thrilled to be done with the race, I didn't think to get our photos made with them. Maybe next time.

Isn't this a cute little mug. Baby girl got into the fondue when we brought it home. She had chocolate all over her. I found chocolate on her ankle. She was enjoying our finisher's mug.

These hoodies were in our goodie bags. We are wearing our hoodies today, it's actually cool enough today.

I think Shek is ready for the next 5k, but I think we need some new running shoes, Dad! hint hint!!

A Sparkling Winter Dance

Karlie's class was having a winter formal. She and her best friend had been chatting on what to wear, nail polish and lipstick shades for a while. She found this sparkly dress online right before Christmas and said it would be perfect for  the dance. We ordered it for her and she opened it up on Christmas Day.

 I loved the sparkles too.

 And these shoes were just perfect.

 When the camera comes out, Jolie wants in the photo. Jolie even wanted to put on her Cinderella dress when Karlie put on her dress.

 We had fun snapping a few photos before leaving for the dance.

I think she had fun at the dance.

Some more goofy shots.

She said lots of photos were taken at the dance, so maybe I will get to see what everyone else looked like soon.

Happy Sparkly Day, Karlie. 

Kids say and do the darnedest things...

Kids say the darnedest things and they usually do it at church. Don't you love it when it's your kid who does it? Tonight at church, it wasn't what Jolie said, instead it was her creative art work. A picture is worth a thousand words...how bout this picture?

When Karl rounded the corner and handed me her art work, I spotted it, and asked had he looked at it. He was already smiling. We chuckled all the way to the car.

The Bible verse written on the leg of the paper man or in Jolie's case, woman, is Psalm 119:11.

You know,the verse about hiding the word in your heart. Jolie decided to hide it in a bra instead? I like to think that she has so much Word that she needed two hearts to contain it all.

Embrace the darnedest moments with me... if you're a parent of a toddler, your turn is coming.

Back to Reality?

Today is our first day back to reality! Does that mean that we were living in some kind of fake world over the past couple of weeks since we've been on break? Whatever it was it was nice. Everyone was home, Karl took off vacation days to be home while we were on Christmas break, Zach was home almost a whole month. Our non-reality days were awesome. Today is our first day back to school. We've already completed most of the work for this week's homework due tomorrow. Zach's back to college, Karl's back to work. Back to reality?

Yesterday Zach packed up to go back to Nashville. 

Here we are telling him goodbye. Shek had a brave face while Zach was heading out. 

It's sad to see those tail lights head up the driveway. Shek lost it a few hours later, claiming he was cold and  frustrated. For a fellow that never cries, I knew it had something to do with his big bro. heading backt  to college. He knew there would be no more late nights watching movies or playing nascar games for a while. SO Dad took us all to the store to get our minds off of the 'back to reality' that we are all facing.

Now, when's the next break from reality? I think I'm ready!

Sweet Suga!

Jolie is a very affectionate child. She was blowing kisses to everyone the 2nd day after we met her.  She's always been one dole out kisses to everyone. When someone is getting a kiss in our house she is quick to say, "What about me?"
She's always been a lip kisser too. Right on the smacker is the only way for Miss Jolie.

She gives you a big lip smack and then giggles.

Yesterday, while we were getting breakfast ready for the kids, she told her daddy, "Give me a kiss, Daddy." She looked so sweet grabbing his face and puckering up. I grabbed my camera and snapped.

Sweet Suga!

Look at them boots...

"Look at them boots" is a old family joke. It was originally used at my cousin's graduation. A country boy through and through, he wore cowboy boots under his Graduation gown instead of dress shoes. When his name was called and he walked to receive his diploma, one of his friends yelled loudly across the arena, "Look at them boots."

So when my hubby told Zach yesterday, "Hey, before you head back to school tomorrow, I want to go get you some boots. After all, you need some real boots if you're gonna be living in Nashville." Memories of 'Look at them boots,' replayed in my mind as we traveled to Horsetown. The store was full of boots. Zach said," I am overwhelmed. I have not had boots since kindergarten."

He tried on a few boots, and found the ones. He walked around a while and decided that they were indeed the boots.

 He definitely has a new swagger now.

Somebody, loves her big bro and she wants her own pair of cowgirl boots, too.

These boots

are

made 

for walking.

Jolie's cranio-team visit intsagrammed-- favorite photo Friday

Today was the annual visit to the Cranio-doctor team. The last time we had this team doctor appointment it took fah-evah!!  When I realized that our appointment was at 11:10 am and on a Friday, that maybe just maybe, they would work fast to be done with us by lunch....and I was right, but at first we were off to a slow start. SO Jolie entertained herself by discovering the room and I entertained us both by taking photos. AND daddio, just watched us and chuckled.

She climbed on the examining table, and was fasinated by that paper on top.

She made herself comfortable and told us that she was going to take a nap on that "wrapping paper." She still has Christmas wrap on the brain.

She started posing here, and said, take my photo mom and POST it.  LOL

This was our last photo before the room filled up with the whole team at the same time. I was right, we were their last patient and they wanted to finish, YIPPEE. Jolie let them look in her mouth, answered their questions, and said all of the speech words for the therapist and surgeon. She's come a long way baby, with her participation with doctors checking her out. Praise the LORD. It was determined that she is doing good. We will continue with speech therapy and have a speech review in 3 months, we will see the dentist again in the summer, and see the surgeon in 1 year. Jolie will possibly have her next surgery around age 5 for nose revision and possibly lip and scar revision. Although he said her lip revision was really awesome.

After that big appointment baby girl said I want some chick  fil a ...and that's what she got!

Pickin and a Grinnin'

Yesterday while Zach was practicing, Jolie wanted to play too. He took this photo and I snagged it because it's just so sweet. Maybe we have yet another musician in the house. 

Picture highlights of 2012

A photo is worth a thousand words, here's a few thousand words posted here in photos.

Last winter I got to pose for photos with my sweetie.

We celebrated our first Chinese New Year as a family.

These are some pretty hip merch. models for zachberrymusic

Zach was accepted in to Belmont University as a commercial voice major.

We enjoyed seeing Karlie in another fashion show by Pure Fashion. 

Enjoying a quick trip to Chattanooga

Shek enjoys a cupcake at Chattanooga cupcakes...looks like an advertisement.

Making blueberry pies is always fun when the berries are ripe on our bushes.

Jolie has a little dental surgery over the summer.

We love the beach.

We move the boy into his apartment at Belmont. First time he's lived away from home.

My kids pose as we visit with Zach in Nashville.

Shek loved being on an undefeated fall soccer team this year.

Our new favorite show, Duck Dynasty filmed in the same town where my Great Uncle lives.

Coke in the bottle only at Christmas

Our family is blessed, our cup runs over. 

God is good.

Happy New Year from the Berry Bliz Homestead to yours.