Wanted: A hobby!!

So there isn't alot going on here this weekend!! Temi and Jake came into town so as usual Rylen had fun playing with her Aunt Temi!!
I guess I jinxed myself by anouncing to everyone that Rylen was doing so well coming off of the bottle. These past few nights have been torture!! I feel so sad for her but I just am not going to give in. Besides I have already packed the bottles up and put them in storage. I know she will get used to it in the next week or so but it makes me so so sad to hear her cry. The doc told me that I would probably just have to be strong and let her scream in out. Cooper and I both pace outside her door listening to her toss and scream "MOMMA.......DADDA......" so so very hard to do!! But this to shall pass and my mom keeps reminding me how easy of a baby she was and that if this is the hardest thing we have to deal with we will come out of this on top!!!
I am in desperate need of a hobby!!! I think I am getting cabin fever or something! Since the weather hasn't been great and we have been stuck inside being sick for the past 2 months I am bored out of my mind!!!! Rylen goes to her Fathers on Sundays so that leaves me with a free day!! I love love love to read but here lately i've been flying threw books and now i've read everything my fav. authors have to offer!! I guess i'm just ready for some warm weather so I can do some gardening!!! I plan on doing my square foot garden again this spring and am really looking forward to it!!! We will be doing a lot to the outside of the house like painting, flower beds and a deck!!! I have always loved the cold weather but I guess i'm just ready to go outside and PLAY!!!
So i'll leave you with a cute video of Rylen!! She loves to look at herself in the mirror and give herself kisses!!!! Hope everyone has had a blessed Sunday!!!

Proposed Texas Budget Demolishes Statewide Library Programs

I have never been one to get to serious about politics. It has always been one of those things where I keep up with all that is going on but don't dive in deep or carry on long conversations about it with political people.
Wednesday my boss broke the news that Texas legislation is looking to cut funding for public libraries 99% statewide. This means your Public and School libraries. I won't go into full blown details on what all will be cut I'll post a website you can look at if you are more interested. What this means for me is that my job would pretty much disappear. Without the grants and funding we receive we would no longer be able to have Library Programs such as Summer Reading Club, Story time, Santa Claus, Back to School Bonanza, anything relating to the children.
We cannot stand for this. We have to speak out on this issue. This is not just our funding that is in danger it is the understanding of libraries and the role they play in our children's education.
Please take a look at this website if you are interested in helping us out. http://http://www.txla.org/texline-265
This website shows you how you can help. With your help we can possibly make a difference.

Linda and I had a meeting with our Friends of the Library group last night. They are a group of supporters who raise money for various activities and such. They are on board and are doing all they can to make a voice for Scurry County Library during this. If you would like to be a FOL please come and join!! Its a great group of people!!

I just wanted to share this information with everyone. Maybe you can pass it on to just two of your friends and they can pass it on and a difference can be made.

Today a reader Tomorrow a Leader
Jacki Thompson
Scurry County Library
Children's Librarian

Birthday Party Fun!!!

This past weekend our cousin Will had his 4th birthday party at a bouncy fun house!!! Rylen had a blast playing in the bouncy houses!!! She loves to play on the couch and fall face first into the cusions so this was right up her alley!! It was like playing on one HUGE couch!!

Can you see the excitment in her precious face!?

Every womans dream is to be carriend around

by a super hero!!!

Goind down the big slide with Braison!

This is FUN!!!

Yummy Cake!!!!!

A video of Ry doing a little bouncin around!!!

This floor was perfect for her!! She could walk around and not worry about getting hurt when she fell!!! She was getting a little tired in this video and kept falling!!!

Rylen is getting so big!!! I can't beleive it!! She had so much fun at the party!! She played like a big girl. Tonight will be the third night in a row she has gone to bed without a bottle......Makes my heart a little sad to know she is growing up so fast!!

First Steps!!

Rylen took her first steps Thursday Jan. 6th 2011!!! Just a few weeks after her first birthday!! We were so excited as you can probably tell by the video!! I knew she was going to do it any day she just had to get motivated. She is such a fast crawler and she really didn't like the idea of walking at all, but she is getting the hang of it! We had supper at some friends house this weekend. There were some older kids there so Rylen just stood right up and walked with them!!

Sunday was such a pretty day! Rylen spent some time at her Dad's but when she got home we took a stroll in her wagon. It was the first time we have gotten to use it since she got it, and judging by the weather I don't think we will get to pull it out again for a while!!

I do think she enjoyed it though!!!!!

Saturday morning we went to the Holden Uganda Fundraiser at our church!! Such a great the Erwin and Smith family is doing and i'm glad we could be a small part of it!! If you aren't sure what Holden Uganda is go check it out by cliking on the hand prints on the right of my blog!!


Rylen has been dealing with the croopy cough for a little over a month now. We have done antibiotics, humidifier, mentholatum, over the counter things and nothing seems to be helping. Just about the time I think we are clear of it it creeps back up again. We will be making another trip back to Abilene to see what else we can do for it. Keep her in your prayers that we can get rid of this thing. She just hasn't felt 100% in a while.
I know everyone by now knows about the Hailey Dunn case. So so sad!! I hope they will find her and I pray that her family can have some peace. I would handle the situation if something like that were to happen to my child. Gives me a sick feeling in my stomach to know that something like this can happen so close to home..

Well this blog was a bunch of mumbo jumbo but I do hope you enjoy the video of Miss Priss!!! Stay warm everyone!!!!!

Where it all began!!

Where it all began

This was my Harper grandparents home. The home that my Mom and Aunts and Uncles were raised in. The home that all of us filled up on any Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, Mothers Day and all of the other holidays. The yard we watched fourth of July fireworks from, except for the few that watched them out of that front window because they were scared ;) . The home that we all met up at to cheer on the Snyder Tigers and our favorite #1 player Chris Sorrells!!! The home that most of the grandkids walked to after school to see what goodies Granny had for us. The home that was concidered "Poppa Johns" by all of the neighborhood kids! Or the home that we just hung out at to visit!! Man I sure do miss this place!! Would love to see the inside of it!! I hope whoever lives in it now is making great memories just like we all did!!! Thanks for posting it Michelle!!!!!

Sweet sugars!!!

Here lately I have been watching Rylen's actions and wondering where she gets her personality from. I know most of my family would say she gets her stubborness from me but really??!! Where does she pick up all these little habbits from??? Here lately I have been saying the word "NO" a lot!!!!! NO in Rylen's mind means do it 10 times faster!!!!!!!! At first I thought this was a funny thing but now its starting to bug me!!! :) Another new thing she has picked up is pulling hair... She will tug on you hair and you say No mam and she gives you a hug and a kiss..... WHERE DID SHE LEARN THIS??? It's the cutest thing ever but I can't laugh or she will think its ok!! Cooper and I have been calling her toot toot here lately!! She is such a stink.. but a cute stink!!!
As many of you already know Rylen loves to talk on the phone!!! I have know clue where she got this from because I despize talking on the phone and Cooper only takes business calls during the day. Anyways she will grab any object put it up to her ear and jabber away! It's her favorite thing to do. Last night we were laying on the bed and she would talk on the phone a little and then lean over and give me a kiss, and then talk on the phone a little and give me a kiss.. over and over again for about 15 minutes!!! She melts my heart!!!!
On a lighter note (or heavier) next week I am starting a workout routine!! I haven't tried to set any out of this world goals for myself just get a little more fit and have more energy. I'm going to need it when Rylen takes off walking!! I'm giving myself 110 days to get where I want to be. Weight hasn't ever really been a big problem for me but I do know if I don't stay on top of it now it will only get harder the older I get. So as of Jan. 9th I will be hitting the gym!!!!!
I hope everyone is getting back into the swing of things!!

Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers!!

Happy New Year everyone!!! I hope everyone is getting back into a normal routine after the holiday season!! I know this family sure is trying!! It feels like i've been on vacation forever so we haven't quite gotten down to the swing of things just yet. I go back to work tomorrow and am kind of looking forward to getting back in the norm of things!
I am excited about 2011! I've made a few new years resolutions!! Mainly just to get our family on a better schedule, and keep the house more picked up! Oh and maybe loose a few pounds!!
Some of the blogs I follow are doing reviews of 2010! I don't think I will show you every step we took in '10 but I will tell you that is was full of firsts for Miss Rylen and i'm happy to have all of the memories!
Yesterday while Rylen was spending time with her father I didn't have much to do so I just got to piddle around the house!! Sometimes when I don't have anything to do my mind starts to wonder! I am not really a Garth Brookes fan but a phrase from one of his songs popped into my head "Sometimes I Thank God for Unanswered prayers" I think this song is the theme song for my review of 2010!!!!
2010 was a rocky roller coaster of a year for me!! I prayed so so so hard for someone to love me that just wasn't going to. I felt like I needed to change myself for someone to make them love me and except me. I prayed so hard for these things and put myself on a roller coaster of a ride for someone that already had their mind made up that I just wasn't good enough. Don't get me wrong 2010 was full of great things but this one person had put me in such a tizzy sometimes I didn't get to appreciate fully all that was right in my life!! So all of those prayers that I thought were going unanswered was really just god trying to tell me to "chill out" i've got everything under control, and I have bigger and OH SO MUCH better things planned for you my child!!
Weeping may last throught the night, but JOY comes with the morning. Pslams 30:5

So for me 2011 is about following God's plan for me, and not trying to make one for myself. When I finally pulled my head out of my rear end I found Cooper!! Watching the way he loves Rylen and I makes my heart OH SO HAPPY and I couldn't imagine my life any other way!!!

Good luck to everyone on there 2011 ventures!! May it be full of wonderful memories!!!