Goodbyes are never easy!

37 years ago my Papa opened Drake's House of Sleep, a family owned and operated business. At the time my Daddy lived in Colorado, but moved back to help with the business. The rest is history! Eventually my Papa retired and left my Daddy as President and Uncle as VP of the company. Now after 37 years they are forced to close the business due to lack of business. I have known this day was coming for a long time, but now that it's here, I am much more sad about it than I expected to be!

Yesterday I was out and about running an errand and my Daddy called and said it would be a good time to stop by the store since I may not get another chance to. As I was driving over there I thought to myself, " I am doing this for my Daddy and being a supportive daughter." When I left I realized it was for me!

I parked right in front of the building as usual, and headed through the front doors. This time walking in was different than any other time! The showroom was empty, not a single mattress in sight. SO different than what I usually saw! I walked in to see my Daddy working hard as usual cleaning the floors, and I was so sad! I was sad to think that for the last 37 years this has been my family's source of income, and this place felt like another home to me! He then took me back to the warehouse which was just as empty as the showroom floor...I can't explain how weird it felt to see this! I couldn't find any words to say, I just sat in awe! My visit only lasted about 10 minutes because I needed to get back to the littles and my Daddy had work he needed to get back to as well.

I got in my car and as I drove away the tears started coming...totally blindsided me! I thought of all the many memories I had at House of Sleep. When I was little my parents had different days off in order to be with Sara and I more. On Saturdays we would be with Mom usually out shopping. I remember always suggesting and sometimes begging to go have lunch at work with my Daddy. I thought going there was better than going out to eat somewhere! It was awesome I could see my Papa, Dad, Aunt, and Uncle all in one visit! I LOVED IT! I used to love to go upstairs to the offices when my Papa was there and watch him work away. He loved to pull out his money clip and show me all his money (which was a bunch of dollar bills!) I thought he was rich!

One of my favorite memories at House of Sleep is when the family got together there to make a video for my Aunt Sherri. She was the only sibling who never worked there due to the fact that she lived in Colorado. I believe it was for her 40th bday that we made the video...I could be wrong. Anyway, she is a workout instructor and in such great shape, so we all dressed up in work out gear and headed up to the store to film a video of us goofing off in the workout room at House of Sleep. I was in elementary school, but it was great cause we got to wear make up and some of my grandma's clothes! I'll never forget that day and being all together!

As a teenager when I thought I knew it all, I still loved to go visit my Daddy at work. He then started letting me drive the forklift, and Sara and I would have races with the mattress carts up and down the warehouse aisles. I remember telling my Daddy that I wanted to work at House of Sleep when I got older and he kept telling me that he would never let me  do that, but in my own head I thought, "I'm gonna do it!" haha!

When I got older and married Ted I worked just down the street and once a week I would stop by to have lunch with my Daddy and Aunt. It was our Tuesday lunch day and one of my favorite days of the week. We would eat Taco Bell lots of the time and just catch up! Then, I had Scotty and I would still go up once a week for lunch. We would sit and wait for Scotty to do his next trick! Daddy would drive him around on the fork lift and I would sit back and take it all in. I still to this day have a pic of the 2 Scottys together on the forklift and it melts my heart!

This is just a fraction of all the memories that I have at Drake's House of Sleep. To most it was just a building, but to me it was a huge part of my life! This is why I couldn't stop the tears because I have MANY great memories there with my family, and I am so saddened to see the doors close for good. It won't be the same in so many different ways. I can only imagine what it feels like for my Papa and my family who worked there for so many years. Thank goodness for memories that I can have for a lifetime to tell my children about as they get older. Now all I can do is trust the Lord to provide for my family as they are out of a job now. I am having faith in Him that there is so much good that will come of this, even if we can't see it yet. I am praying for an easy transition for my family and that they will be able to trust in the Lord during this huge change as well. If you think of my family, please pray for them, what a difficult last few months it has been with this!

All I can say is, goodbyes really are never easy! I am thankful that the Lord gave our family 37 years of business there!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!!!

Catch up!

Wow! Time just keeps on flying by! I can't believe it's been over 2 months since my last post..oops! So for today's post, I will catch you up on what our "Party of 5" has been up to!

My sweet niece came for a visit with my big sis from Guatemala! Her and Olivia quickly became the best of friends. This is my very favorite picture of them when she was here...makes my heart melt! I was so blessed to be able to spend a ton of time with her while she was here...I miss her terribly!

Look who graduated from Kindergarten!!!! What an awesome Mommy moment it was for me! We made it through our first year of homeschooling! I have enjoyed teaching my son so much, and am already planning next year. He is growing up so fast, I am cherishing every moment I have with him!

Next up was trout fishing! We went with our very best friends to Bennett Springs to celebrate very early Teddy's 30th! We had a blast! So many memories were made that weekend together that I will cherish for a lifetime! Can't wait to experience it again!

A few weeks ago we were able to get away for a few days just the 2 of us to celebrate early our 8th Anniversary! We don't have nearly enough time together at home, and let me tell you it was SO nice to be able to focus solely on each other!

After the lake it was time for Miss O's 1st dance recital!!! What a fun time it was to watch her! She knew her dance better than any of us thought possible, and of course she looked cute as a button too!

Here we are on 4th of July! We had a perfect day by our pool with just the 5 of us! Then, we headed to my parents for our annual celebration! We had tons of food, fireworks, and of course laughter!

Well, that bring you all up to speed on what has kept us so busy! I will be back with more soon!! Hope you are all enjoying your summer!

Sara Beth is 30!

My big sister turns 30 today!!!! I feel like just yesterday we were living at home fighting over the mirror in the mornings to get ready for the day. Oh my how times have changed! I am so excited that I get to spend her 30th birthday with her! What better way to start off the day than by telling you 30 reasons why I love her so much!

#1: She was my very first best friend!
#2: She was one of the first people to really talk to me deeply about loving the Lord.
#3: She always had my back...even when I didn't deserve it!
#4: She was my maid of honor and stood by my side as I made the best decision of my entire life!
#5: She has always laughed at my jokes and made me feel like I am the funniest person on the planet! #6: She was always pushing me to be better!
#7: I can not talk to her for months (she's in Guatemala people!) and we can always pick up right where we left off!
#8: She always listened without judging me
#9: She loved me for me and never once asked me to change how I am...even though we are VERY different!
#10: She has always dropped everything whenever I have needed her even if it was just to talk.

#11: She asked me to be her maiden of honor in her wedding, and I felt so privileged to stand by her as she was marrying her prince!
#12: Even though she is not even in the same country as me most of the time, she always makes an effort to keep up with my life.
#13: She is a great Tia to my kids and they adore her!
#14: She always looks for the best in someone
#15: She is a very positive person to be around and it is infectious!
#16: She taught me meekness
#17: She taught me to always go after my dreams
#18: Never once in my life has she ever said, "you can't do it!" 
#19: She is one of the most passionate people I know...I learn from her!
#20: She never stopped believing in me...even in times when I stopped believing in myself.

#21: We were pregnant together! I wish every sister could experience that!
#22: Even though my niece and nephew are far away, she has always made sure they know who their Tia is!
#23: I love her laugh...it is infectious and always makes me laugh too!
#24: I love that she always made sure I was included in whatever she was doing...even if it was making me eat Taco Bell sauce packets when we were young!
#25: Every time I see her she always compliments you on something...makes you feel like a million bucks!

#26: She is one of the most self-LESS people I have ever met
#27: I love her clothes! I have since a young age...which is why we fought over them frequently!
#28: She really is the rock that held our family together
#29: She taught me anger wasn't ever worth it!
#30: Most of all I LOVE that I get to call her MY sister...my 1 and only sister!

Sara Beth, I love you so much and have been so grateful for how close we have become over the years. I hope today you feel loved and so very special!

Friends: Please pray for her to enjoy her day today without being sick! She has had a rough few days, and today I am asking the favor of the Lord that she would enjoy this day sick-free!

bad case of the Mondays!

What a crazy month my sweet boy has had for sickness! As you know, he had a double ear infection, sinus infection, and a break out due to his allergy to his antibiotics! Well, Sunday about 12:30 am, which I guess means it was actually Monday, he woke up screaming! I ran in and checked on him only to find him doubled over in extreme pain. I held him and gave him some medicine and tried to get him calmed down. I finally got him calmed down, went back up to my bed for about 15 mins when I heard more screaming! This time, he was on the floor doubled over and and screaming! He begged me to put him in the shower, so I did even though it was the wee hours of the morning. I got him calmed down again and put him back to sleep, only to have this happen every 15-20 min! By morning, I was a zombie, he had these huge dark circles under his eyes, and I knew we had to get him to the Dr. since he was still in extreme pain! My husband, graciously called into work late, and drove him straight to the Dr! There he was diagnosed saying he had a viral stomach bug and sent home. The hubs was told he had to come in to work, which left me with the littles and still doing my best to care for my sweet boy! I was running on fumes by this point! I couldn't leave his side because the pain just kept coming more and more! After hours of doing this, I thought to myself, "I am his Mommy! I know him better than any of those doctors, and something is wrong with him!" I called the Dr and they thought they said go immediately to Children's Mercy. My mom over to drive us, since I was in no way able to do that after no sleep! My bro-in-law came to sit with the kids until my bestie could get there! My hubs was at work and stuck in traffic trying to get there as fast as he could. We arrived and only had to wait around 5 minutes (that felt like a lifetime) before we were taken to triage. When we were in triage, he got another severe attack of pain! I could barely hold him still while they were trying to get his temp and vitals. I had been able to hold it together all day until that moment. Here I am holding my baby who is in extreme pain and I can't fix it! The tear just started streaming down my face as I am trying to hold him still. In my head, I am having this conversation with the Lord. I kept saying, "Lord, this is ultimately your child, and I don't know what to do! Please, please, please help him and help me to get through this, I am nothing without you! I can't do this alone, and we need you!" Then, He told me Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." It's a verse I have heard all my life, but at this moment He knew it was exactly what I needed! I needed to trust the Lord and forget everything else! Forget the worry, the unknowns, etc! From triage, they took us immediately back after telling me, they have never seen a child in this much pain before! A room of doctors and several nurses were waiting for us. After MANY hours and MANY tests, they told us they found something. The Dr came in and told my husband and I that they found something on his ultrasound. He explained he has a condition called kidney hydronephrosis. The Dr also said that he he thinks he has reflux meaning at times the urine is going back in his body instead of out. He isn't sure if this is linked to the pain that he was having, but he urged us to follow up with our regular Dr. ASAP. We got home at 11:30pm, ate some dinner, and went to bed after being up for almost 24 hrs. Morning came too fast, but I called our Dr right away. He had already received all the info from Children's and had already looked at it all. He too, could see the problem with his kidney and told me that he wanted to personally call the specialist at Mercy. He explained that there is a risk of having surgery to place a stint, but he needed to talk to the specialist for a 2nd opinion.

So now all we can do it wait, wait, and wait some more. While I have been waiting, I have been praying and digging in His Word! I don't know what is going to happen, but I know I can rest assured that the Lord does. I know He will take care of us in this time and give the doctors the wisdom in how to proceed.

It has been a VERY long week, but everytime I see my son wanting to play it brings me great joy! Through this, I have learned to cherish your kids health! Cherish that they can run and play outside. I know for me there have been times when I have been too tired to take them outside, but now I feel totally different! We never know how long we have with them, so cherish those moments together! Please continue to pray for our sweet boy and our family! I will update as soon as we know anything else!

We had the best nurse while we were at the hospital! She rounded up a Nintendo Dsi XL, with games for him to play. It really helped distract him! So, thank you Misty!

Spring is here!

Oh how I LOVE Spring! I love waking up to the birds chirping...or in my case, the chickens talking! Every day I look outside there seems to be some new plant or flower coming up! I LOVE it! I thought I would share what is growing at my house!


These are some herbs I have been growing! I miss fresh herbs!


Look at our grass finally coming up!!! SO happy about this! Teddy and I are always wanting the perfect yard!



These are our fabulous David Austin Roses that my sweet MIL bought for me last year! Can't wait to have fresh roses!


My 2nd favorite flower is a peony. I thought I had killed these for good last year, and was SO shocked to see them come back this year. Happy dance!!!


I have always loved tulips because I always think of Spring coming when I see them. I found a great deal on these and we planted them a few weeks ago. Teddy and I were taking bets on if they would bloom this year or not...I WON, cause they did! Don't they look beautiful?!?!


What pretty things do you have growing at your house? What's your favorite flower or plant?

Chicken Dance!

Oh what a day it has been here at the Duff household! First off, sorry I took like almost a year hiatus! I didn't plan to, I just got busy with life I guess. My morning started off with my youngest spilling my fresh cup of coffee all over him and me, not fun to clean up either! Coffee + carpet = no bueno!

After that my oldest, who mind you has been fighting a double ear infection along with a sinus infection came to me with a rash over his whole body! He is on such high doses of meds that I guess he's allergic to one which left his body in an itchy mess! I got the littles put down for a nap and then got Mr. Rash boy settled with benadryl and movie picnic. I knew our chickens were out of water since yesterday, and thought it was a perfect time to go water them. That's when the chaos began...

It has been raining for like 3 days here, and when I went out there to tend to my sweet hens, it was raining rather hard. We have been trying our best to grow grass because our poor backyard is a mudpit! I knew it would be muddy so I put on old clothes and shoes and head out to the rain! Apparently from the rain, the wood has expanded on our coop which was making it near impossible to get into the coop! After a while I was able to get in one side and fill up with their water container. All was going rather smooth until I went to re-attach the board of the coop. HUGE problem!!! I can't get it shut because of the wood expansion!!! I am still in the pouring rain with my muddy dogs jumping on me and trying to figure out what to do since my sweet husband was at work! SO...I left the door lying against the coop so I could run in the garage and get some tools and a phone to call my hubs. In the meantime, the chickens decide they want to go exploring and leave their cozy home. I peek out the door and see all 5 of my hens in my yard! I drop everything and sprint out the door...remember the part where I said it was a mudpit?!?!? Yeah! So I went sliding all over my yard and falling too! I get a stick and herd the hens back to safety after a LONG while of spills! I get them back in there and still have no clue what to do! Luckily my Daddy showed up!!! He helped me drive a nail in to wedge it shut until my hubs returned! Whew! The hens are now safe and sound! Me, on the otherhand, was sopping wet with mud everywhere...off to the showers!!!

What a day! I am ready for bed...until next time!

Congrats Teddy!

I am so proud to announce that Mr. Italian Stallion graduated over the weekend with his A.A! He has been working so hard for the past 10 years on getting this done and he did it! This was a very big deal to our family because when he was in the 8th grade he had made the decision to drop out of school. A few years later he completed his GED with AWESOME scores might I add, and then in the fall of 2001 he enrolled in Penn Valley Community College. Shortly after, we met, married, and had 3 children so it took him a little longer than expected to finish. This is was his very first graduation and I wanted to make it extra special for him! We invited out family and our closet friends to the ceremony and the next day we hosted an open house to thank everyone for all the support over the last 10 years. Funny thing is that only our family and our faithful bestfriends were able to make it to the open house...I was so embarrassed and felt terrible! After the day was done, my sweet husband told me the party was absolutely perfect because all of his favorite people were there and he did indeed feel very loved! So, thank you to all who came and helped me make that weekend a memorable one for him. I kept telling him I'm the luckiest woman in the world to be able to share that special moment with him, I had tears in my eyes as he walked across the stage and never had I been so proud of him in all of our time together! Seriously was one of my best moments ever!

Teddy, I love you so much! I stand in awe of you everyday, you are the most disciplined and hard working person and you have been a great example to our family. Thank you for all your hard work!

After all was said and done, he told me, "Not too bad for an 8th grader, huh?" LOL
Oh, how I love that man!

p.s. I'm trying to get better at blogging...I know it's been 3 months, but hopefully I'll have a little more time to do it now! :)

1 already?!?!

Happy Birthday to my sweet, Bobby!

I can't believe a year has gone by since my last baby was born! He was our surprise baby, and I'm so happy to have him! He completed our family and has continued to teach me new things everyday. Here are a few things I love about my sweet boy the most!

*He loves to cuddle!
*His smile is seriously the BEST smile we've ever seen!
*His eyes, they are seriously gorgeous and you can tell exactly how he is feeling
*The way when he wants to crawl fast, he tucks his head and looks at the ground and takes off...the kid is made to be a racer! lol
*His laugh...his daddy is the only one who can get that boy cackling!
*Every time I go to look for him, he either has a car in his hand or he's playing with the dogs (or dog toys)!
*His hair! He is getting blonder by the day...crazy, I know! The last few weeks after his bath his hair starts getting curls in it! I have curly hair and wanted so badly one of my babies to get it, and I think he did!

There are so many things I love about this little boy! He really has changed me over the last year and forced me to slow down. I usually go a million miles a minute, but with 3 kiddos under the age of 4, it's impossible to go that fast! And guess what?? I don't even miss it for a second! I love being a Mama and I'm so blessed to spend 24hrs a day with them!

I love you Bobby-saurus! I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for your life!

My Italian Stallion

Hello all! I keep saying I'm going to get better on posting, and then I let like 2 weeks go by...eeek! I really am working on it, for real :)

My hubs and I do try and get each other a little something for Valentine's Day, and to kick it off he bought me a cookbook called, "The Pioneer Woman Cooks." She is the awesome lady who lives on a ranch with her 4 kids and her husband known as "Marlboro Man." She was a city girl who went country when meeting her cowboy. She has saved my life when it comes to cooking a roast...as task that I hadn't been able to do well in almost 7 years of marriage. I love reading her blog because she's so honest and down to earth, but most of all because she is madly in love with her Marlboro Man and speaks often of him. My husband and I were looking at her cookbook last night, and I said that I should have a nickname for him on my blog. We laughed over some silly ideas and then I told him I have the perfect name for him...Italian Stallion! I know you're thinking, "wow, that's real original!" Here's how I came up with it and why it fits him perfectly.

First off, he is an Italian and I love that about him! He's strong, loud, passionate, opinionated, loves a good meal, touchy feely, and when he loves, he loves you with every ounce and soul of him! When I think of stallion, I think of the most beautiful, masculine, strong horse. We all know dolphins are my first love when it comes to animals, but if I had to choose my second favorite it would be a horse. I love the way they move and I love how sweet and loyal they are. That's my husband, I love watching him walk across a room and I love watching how he is ALWAYS the life of the party. He can control a crazy situation in one second! He amazes me with his physical strength and how much of it he has! He's played hockey since he was 5, and his legs are the best thing ever!! They are the strongest legs I've ever seen in my life! He will forever and always be my Italian Stallion whom I love and I have the privilege to call mine!

Finally...

I know it's been a REALLY long time since I've posted...so sorry! I plan on being more consistent now that all the holidays are over and we're back on schedule!

In the past, the month of January came with much sorrow for me, but today I want to rejoice that in 3 years this is the first January I have felt peace! Be prepared to read, this is a long one! Let me explain...

Back in 2007, we already had our handsome oldest son and decided we were ready to start trying for baby #2. After 6 months of trying, we found out I was expecting! I remember my husband and I being in the bathroom together waiting for what seemed like an eternity to pass, but a few short minutes later we looked at the test and then looked at each other with tears in both of our eyes...we were finally pregnant! We immediately told our family and even our church family that I would be having a baby in mid-January! A few weeks later...Mother's Day weekend in fact, I started bleeding. I was so freaked out and Ted immediately rushed us off to the ER. They did lots of testing and more ultrasounds only to tell me to go see my doctor first thing in the morning and she would read the results to us. It seemed like a lifetime, but we went to the Dr and they did even more blood work and said come back in 24 hrs again. I spent A LOT of time in prayer and reading my Bible. In fact, my best friend gave me a verse that has stuck with me ever since...Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." She encouraged me to only think on those things and to remember that the Lord is in control and only He could bring me comfort. Next day came, and I had to go back to the Dr again! Funny thing is before I got there, I already in my heart knew what happened, but I was holding out for the last bit of hope. The Dr. came in, hugged me, and said she was so sorry to inform me that at 9 weeks I miscarried. I didn't move, I couldn't even cry...I was in shock and devastated! She said she had know explanation for it, that sometimes things like that happen. She told us to come back again when we were ready to start trying again...she said, "please don't give up!" My husband and I spent that night holding each other and crying together. He prayed with me, cried with me, read to me,etc! He was just as devastated as I was, but we trusted the Lord and knew it wasn't His will at the time. I knew people in my life who had suffered miscarriages and was sad for them, but I never in a million years could have imagined how much it really hurts! I wasn't prepared for all the emotions that came with it! I studied out verses on trusting the Lord and over and over again kept meditating on them. I knew that it would only be through Him that I would conceive again.

After trying for a few months we went back to my Dr only to find out I know was suffering from infertility. I was confused because when I became pregnant with my oldest it was a total shocker and unplanned. After finding this new out, I had to begin take fertility drugs and every month I had to go to see if I was pregnant or not. I did that for 4 months and every month was let down until November! It was the weekend of my sister's wedding and I didn't want to take the time out to go to the Dr. My husband told me that I needed to go and not put it off, so I went. My Dr of course wasn't there so I was seeing another Dr in the practice. I remember sitting on the dreaded table and the nurse and Dr coming in with open arms telling me I was pregnant! My response, "Are you sure???" They were VERY sure, I was about 2 months along and would be due in early August! I couldn't wait to tell my husband that after trying for an entire year we would be having a baby! I was beaming and the minute I saw my sister she knew without me saying a word! I then had to go back to the Dr for an ultrasound to make sure we weren't having twins! We decided to wait awhile to tell anyone else until I was further along because of our history. I remember throughout this pregnancy I was constantly battling my thoughts! There were time when I would get scared of the "what if it happens again" thing, but I casted that thought down (2 Cor 10:5) and trusted in the Lord. At 16 weeks I started bleeding, and my husband rushed me again to the ER. Everyone there was treating me for a miscarriage and in my mind that's what I thought was happening too. It was horrible! We went back to the exam room and the nurse said he wanted to try and find the heartbeat. He tried for about 2-3 minutes, and there was nothing! I was crying and I look over only to see tears in my husband's eyes as well. The nurse told us he needed to get the Dr and he'd be back. Ted held me until the Dr came in and started preparing us for the worst! He sat down and decided to try for himself to find the heartbeat, and after a few minutes Ted and I looked at each other and starting crying because we knew what we had heard...our baby's heartbeat!!! They never could explain why that happened, but in my mind I think the Lord was testing me to see if I trusted Him or not! On July 29th our healthy daughter arrived!!! We've been in love ever since...
After all that the Dr told me that I would never be able to conceive again, and if I did the only chance I would have was to take fertility drugs. Well, let me tell you Dr's are wrong, because baby #3 was on the way and we were shocked to say the least! We weren't trying and in our mind thought we were done with 2, but the Lord had different plans for us! In the beginning, I was freaked out about having 3 kids! I didn't think I could do it, 3 kids under the age of 4...crazy! Ted kept telling me over and over that the Lord wouldn't give us more than we could handle, and I believe that with all my heart and soul! Again at 16 weeks the same things happened...bleeding! Off to the ER again only to be treated like we were miscarrying. They never could explain why that one happened either, but on February 24th my sweet baby was born...our family was finally complete!

Every January before I was sad and frankly kept thinking "what if I didn't lose the baby?" We will never forget what happened, and it still makes me cry even to this day! I can finally look back and be at peace! This is the first January that I can look around in my house...see 3 beautiful babies looking at me and know the Lord had it figured out ALL along! I wouldn't have these babies if I would have been able to carry the other one to full term. I was telling all this to my husband the other day and he said, "Baby, we have peace from the Lord!" I couldn't agree more! I'm thankful that it happened in order to bring me to where I am now. I trust the Lord even more today than I did back in 2007. I fell in love with my husband all over again and we connected on a level most will never know in a lifetime. Since then, we've met many people who we know and love who have suffered from a miscarriage and it breaks my heart. I can really say that I know what they are feeling and it even makes my stomach turn a bit. It give me the opportunity to share with them what the Lord did in our life then and now. Being able to do that makes all the pain we felt worth it! The Lord has blessed us abundantly and proven yet again that He's bigger than every thing and can do the impossible!

Our little getaway!

I know, I know...it's been forever since I posted! I promise to do better! :)

A few weeks ago, Ted and I had the privilege of going away with some of our best friends to the Lake of the Ozarks. My bestie turned 30 recently and we have a new pack with them that whenever one of us turns 30...we go all out!!! Jamie's Daddy owns a lake condo so we got away for 4 nights with NO kids! 2 wonderful families in our church graciously watched our 3 kids so that we could have some much needed adult time. All weekend I felt like I was forgetting something because when we would go out all I had was my purse. I'm used to a heavy diaper bag, a baby on my hip and two holding hands...it was very strange. I have only been away from Bobby for 1 night, so that was different as well. We had such a peace about going away and we really enjoyed our time. We missed our kids, but we managed to not call home and just put Ted's and I's relationship on high priority and just enjoy our time together with our friends.

Ted has been working a ton! That's retail for you, long hours and late nights. I can't even begin to explain the joy I had to spend 5 whole days with him and having his full attention. We all stayed up late talking and playing games, and woke up cooking breakfast together. One morning we slept in pretty late...it was awesome, I'm not gonna lie! :)

My favorite part of the trip was when we went shopping at the outlet mall in Osage Beach. Jamie and I have been on MANY shopping adventures together, but we've never had our husbands come with us when we do them since they're usually watching the children. This time, the plan was for them to come with us for just a few hours and then they'd break off from us to have some "man time." We were having such a great time, that they decided to stay with us the whole time! This really was an ALL day affair! By the end of the day, I said, "I'm shopped out!" Ted was cracking up because I NEVER say that! They were so great about going from store to store with us and maintaining a great attitude the whole time. They would find a seat by the dressing room and give us their opinions as we tried on a million different things. It was wonderful! In the 8 years I've known the Alvarez', this was by far my favorite day that the 4 of us spent together. Jamie and I talked all day how our husband's made our day by staying with us. They even found some good purchases too ;)

On a side note, I hit a major goal while we were there. Since April, I've lost a little over 30 lbs making it the skinniest I've been in a LONG time. I was very excited to get a few new clothes that would flatter my new found figure. The first store we went in was Banana Republic, and I wasn't real excited because all the times I'd gone in there before I could never find anything that fit me. Ted kept pulling things for me and telling me to just try them on. I have been in need of jeans for quite sometime now, but they only went to a certain size. A size that I haven't worn since the January 2003, the exact time I met Ted. I was VERY hesitant to try them on, but trusted Ted and tried them on. To my surprise they FIT!!!! I came out of the dressing room and my husband was VERY excited to see that they fit so well, and very excited about the way they looked. I ended up getting them along with a few 2.97 shirts! I hit the jackpot in the very store I could never wear anything in. The best part about the whole story is that the next morning I took off all the tags and put my new skinny jeans on. My husband told me not to throw about the sticker that had the size of the pants on them. I was really confused! My sweet husband didn't want me to throw it away because he now has that sticker on his wallet to be able to see it everyday. It was such a big deal that he wanted to save it to remind us of how far I've come. I'm telling you, I have the best husband! Thank you, Lord for blessing me with the most incredible man!

Jame, I hope we made your bday weekend special. I love you so much, and am blessed to have you. We made so many memories that we'll never forget! I can't wait to see what comes when Ted and I turn 30! :)

The Incredibles!

This was the first time we dressed up with the kids on Halloween. Last year at this time we were living with my parents while waiting for our house to be ready to move into. We were last minute getting costumes ready, and when the day came Scotty was disappointed that we didn't dress up too. We promised him that we would dress up with them the next year.

Every month we have a movie picnic with the kids. They get to choose the movie and we get our tons of blankets, make popcorn and watch the whole thing together. Shortly after Bobby was born, the kids chose to watch The Incredibles for one of our picnics. About half way through Ted said, "I know what we are going to be for Halloween next year...The Incredibles!" Then he said, "We are for sure going to be The Incredibles because we have 2 boys and a girl just like in the movie." So, it was set we were going to dress up as The Incredibles as a family. Luckily, I had plenty of time to search eBay and slowly get all of our costumes. We got awesome deals on all of them and have been looking forward to Halloween for quite some time now.

It was so much fun! The kids loved it, and I know everyone enjoyed a laugh or two watching my husband and I where what felt like nothing. Teddy kept saying, "I feel so vulnerable!" all night long! I can't wait to see what we will be next year!

Hangin Tough!

We've had more craziness!!! Over a week ago my little man was running a moderate fever for about 3-4 days. We weren't real sure what was going on, but we happy when the fever broke! We were ecstatic to have things return to normal...which lasted about 24 hrs. Bobby then woke up with a rash, not bad just not normal for him. We didn't think much of it until the next morning he woke up with red bumps over his ENTIRE body! I ran him into Ted, and said, "this is not normal, right?!?! I'm not seeing things am I?" He reassured me that this was not normal and we needed to find out what was wrong ASAP. We both were thinking chicken pox, and then started thinking, "ok, 3 kids, so what 3 weeks of chicken pox???" Come to find out, my son has the measles!!! Yes, the measles!! Babies are not vaccinated until they are a year old, so he picked it up from some where. When the Dr. was asking if he's had these certain symptoms it was like are you reading my mind??? Yes, ALL of those and then some! My husband said, "Ame, the 1850's called and they want their measles back!" I LOVE that about him, I love his sense of humor! Measles is VERY contagious if you've not had the vaccine, so we haven't been able to take him out for a whole week. He looks so miserable, and I know he feels that way too. He's not eating like his usual self and is sleeping ALL the time. Seriously, today he took a nap from 10am-3pm! We are praying for a quick recovery and we are doing the best we can to keep him comfortable.

The other night I laying down in my husband's lap talking to him! One of my favorite things to do...he rubs my head and reassures me that this to shall pass and we're gonna be ok. Over the course of this year I've realized I'm not as tough as I thought. We've had thing after thing thrown at us. If you were to ask my parents or sister about me, I know they would tell you that I'm one tough cookie. They would say I have a high pain tolerance, hardly get emotional, am quick witted like my dad, and much more. Lately, I haven't felt so tough at all, and you know what??? I'm okay with that! It's been nice to really need my husband for encouragement mentally, physically, and spiritually. It's been nice to not try and do it all like I usually do. There have been some VERY unusual days in my house where there is laundry waiting to be folded, dishes needing to be washed, and the house not spotless. My sweet husband let me sleep in while he fed and dressed all 3 babies and folded laundry. He has been secretly putting my towels in the dryer while I shower and bringing them to me piping hot when I'm done. He has been going above and beyond to take care of me because I have needed that lately! He has been taking such great care of me, and lifting me up in this hard time...hard year really! By him doing all these things, it's given me the extra push to make it through this time. It's helped me see the light at the end of the tunnel. It has made me so thankful to call this man MY HUSBAND! Paul talks about glorying in his infirmities in 2 Cor 12:9, and that's what I'm going to do! That's how I'm going to be tough and hang tough is to glory in these things that the Lord has clearly allowed to happen in my family. I'm going to be thankful for another day to serve Him, and another day to give Him the glory!! I hope you will do the same!

Filled with joy!

Hello everyone! I have like 5 different post I am wanting to do, but for today I want to share something really special with you about my sweet son. Ever since we had our first baby Ted and I have quoted to them FREQUENTLY...as in every day Ephesians 6:1 "Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right." We realize that they didn't comprehend what we were telling them, but we see the bigger picture of desiring them to hide the Word in their heart. We know if we are saying and talking about it all the time, then it WILL be hid in their hearts. We explain to them that when they obey us then they are obeying the Lord. They understand that the Lord is pleased when they choose to obey. Scotty was able to quote the verse by himself by the time he was 18 months, and we are pleased to report that Olivia can now quote it as well. I don't know exactly what age Scotty was when Ted starting spending time with him and teaching him why the Lord has him here on this earth. If you were to walk in my house and say, "Scotty what are we here for?" He would right away say, "To preach the Word of God!" It gives me much joy to hear him say that, and know that from a young age he knows what the Lord desires from him. Ted and Scotty daily ask each other what they learned about in their reading. It's so cool to hear a 4 1/2 year olds perspective on things, such innocence!

Yesterday, our church had the annual picnic at the park. Each person has 1 minute to share a verse that the Lord has laid on their heart over the year. When Ted woke up yesterday he had a HORRIBLE migraine, which is unusual because my husband is hardly ever sick or down with anything. We went to church and he quickly realized that he needed to be home in bed lying very still until the migraine passed. Scotty was SO disappointed because he had been looking forward to going to the park all week. My bestie offered for her family to take him, which I was so happy to be able to focus more on Ted while the other 2 napped. Apparently while everyone was sharing, Scotty decided that he wanted to share something too. Uncle Mike said that was fine and he took Em's bible up with him in front of our whole church. He quoted Eph 6:1 and said the Lord was teaching him to obey. :) Makes me tear up even now thinking of him doing this. He came home and Ted asked him if he did anything special at the park. He VERY excitedly said, "Daddy, I preached the Word of God at church today! I told them about how I'm learning how to obey. Just like I'm here for, I preached today!" Ted and I took one look at each other and we each had tears in our eyes. Happy tears!!! We were filled with joy as we could first hand see the fruit from raising our children according to the Word of God. I still am amazed that my little shy son got up and spoke in front of quite a few people. We have NO excuses! If a 4 year old can comprehend, then we can too!

This encouraged me so much! Remember our children are little sponges and they ARE listening as you speak...make sure it's according to His Word!

Ahhhh....the Rose Garden

Last Friday was Ted's day off...Woo hoo!!! Since we've been back from vacation he's been working really long hours and his days off have been few. Our brother-in-law has a brother who is an amazing photographer, and we've been planning for months to do some family photos. For weeks we've been looking forward to doing this especially since Bobby is changing so much every day! So, Friday was finally here and time for pics! We couldn't decide where we wanted to take our photos and then they mentioned the Rose Garden. Everytime somebody talks about that place it makes me all happy inside. That is Ted's and I's "place." It's the place where his parents got married, it's the place where we would spend many evenings walking and talking about our future, it's the place that he asked me to spend the rest of my life with him, it's the place that we fell in love! So, we were pretty excited to take photographs there...

We started out with a Duff family photo including Ted's family. Then we took many more photos of the kids! Ted and I decided that we'd like to have some special pictures taken together. Chris (our photographer) asked us what spot we'd like to take our pics together, and Ted and I immediately said, "how about the spot where Ted proposed!" As we're walking there, Chris is giving us many compliments on our family and Ted and I's relationship, and how happy he is to be able to photograph us FINALLY! We get to our spot and it was like deja vu! The flowers looked EXACTLY the same as it did the day he proposed and I felt the same butterflies in my stomach that I felt that very night. For those next 10 min it was like time stood still. Chris did some creative poses with us and most of them were us gazing into each other's eyes. I kept thinking how blessed I am to be this man's wife, and how blessed I am to be the mother of his children. 7 years later, 3 kids, and madly in love with each other. When my husband looks at me, it's pure love in his eyes. I'm not kidding when I say that he gives me butterflies...frequently! He makes me feel like I'm the prettiest woman in the world, he makes me feel important, and he gives me a confidence that I wish I had years ago. As we stood in this same place I kept thanking the Lord for saving this man for ME! I prayed for years for my future husband and WOW the Lord gave me BETTER that what I was praying for! We hadn't visited "our spot" for quite sometime, but I'm so glad that we did! I'm thankful for that 10 min that we shared where time felt like it did stand still for us. Having 3 kids under the age of 4 is CRAZY! We're always on the go and Ted and I have to really work hard to make sure there is time left in the day for each other. But in that moment, I felt 19 all over again!! Thank you Teddy for being my leader, my best friend, and my true love!

All this to say, I encourage you to take some time and just BE with your spouse. Be with them in the moment without thinking about babies, dishes, laundry, etc. Be in that moment and thank the Lord for ALL He's given to you!

Black Bean Soup

Ok, after a month off I think it's time to get back to my blogging. After my husband posted that sweet post about my triathlon, I think he's even hooked. You may be seeing more posts from him in the future...

My sister, who lives in Guatamela, is looking for some new receipes. I think we can all relate to getting in a "rut" so to speak when it comes to cooking. I wanted to share this receipe with her, and then I thought I should share it will all of you. I found this receipe in one of my Biggest Loser cookbooks. Usually I wouldn't be too excited about a receipe with no meat in it. I was hesistant because I thought we won't get full, and I wasn't so sure my children would like it. When Ted was laid off this was a go to meal a lot because it's so inexpensive to make and YES, you will be satisfied! My children even like it!

1 TBS olive oil
1 lrg chopped onion
1 TBS chopped garlic
28oz can fire roasted tomato (I have used rotel in its place before)
1 TSP cummin
1 TSP chili powder
1 TSP red chili flakes (optional)
3 (15 oz) cans of black beans (you can also use kidney beans, white beans, or chick peas) or 4.5 cups of cooked beans
4 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
OPTIONAL: 3 cups fresh choppen spinach
Combine in large pot and simmer for 1 hour.

We top ours with some low fat mozz cheese!

It's so yummy! I hope this helps you Sara Beth! Check out her blog here http://fragrantaromaofchrist.blogspot.com/

The TRIATHLETE

So, Amy and I were talking about how we need to update the blog so here I am. I really just wanted to get on here and tell you all how PROUD of her I am, and that she completed her first Sprint Triathlon!!! What an amazing event to witness, and to top it all off she meet a professional triathlete the day before who also was an olympic sliver medalists. But it gets better, while she was in the last portion of her race, the run, Michellie came along side of her and paced her for a minute to give her that extra boost she needed. Not many people came say they have completed a Triathlon, even fewer can say that they have completed in an event WITH a professional athlete along side of you. WAY TO GO AMERS!!! I guess you have set the bar and now I need to be inducted into at least one of those groups.
Love you babe!
Ted

#2

Happy Friday to everyone!!! I know it's been awhile again since my last post, but my goal is to post more often! So, we shall see!

I wanted to give my husband props today! As you know he just started working for Sprint only 2 short months ago, and previously he was in the construction business since I've known him. He was so nervous about the change of career path because as always he wanted to succeed. Well, he sure has!!! He is #2 for top sales at his store! There are about 14 other people working there, so we were SO proud to hear that he's #2! Anyone who knows Ted, knows that this is the perfect job for him...he gets paid to talk to people! :) It was so great seeing him come home this morning after his meeting and seeing his beautiful smile...he is truly happy! I'm so proud of you, Teddy!!! I knew you would be awesome at your new job! We love you so much!

P.s. he has had 3 professional football players come in in the last 2 weeks...isn't that so cool! He got great feedback from all of them!

Have a great and profitable weekend!

Prove it!

Deut 13:3
"Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul."

I have been getting so much from the Lord in Deut. The Lord really convicted me yet again on my love for Him. This verse is talking about proving just how much we love the Lord. I can say ALL day long that I love the Lord to a million different people, but the words aren't enough. The Lord wants me to prove to Him just how much I love him. Since I've had three kids and since Ted's started a new job, it has become difficult to juggle everything. I'm with the kids 24/7 and without Ted a lot more than I used to be due to his new long hours. I'm having to be diligent about getting in the Word first thing in the morning before our day with a full schedule starts. The Lord keeps asking me, "Amy how much do you love me?" Of course I love the Lord, but do I love him with ALL my heart and soul? Meaning, am I willing to daily sacrifice sleep so that I can get up and be with Him first thing in the morning? If my flesh isn't willing to do that, then I don't love Him with all my heart and soul...see where I'm going? How much are you willing to sacrifice temporally in order to reap so much more eternally?

Saying you love someone isn't enough! Your actions speak louder than words. My father is a man of very few words, and he didn't say 'I love you' every day to us. Even now, I hear it a few times a year...maybe. But, the actions he did told me that he loved me. I never questioned if my dad loved me, I knew by all the things he was physically doing for me. Even as a grown woman he still is helping me physically. I say I love the Lord, and I really do, but what is my testimony projecting? People are always watching, even at times when we think otherwise...what do they see? Do they see that I have an awesome intimate relationship with the Lord or do they view me as just another worldly woman? I want to stand out, and I want to be different because I know what my eternity is going to look like. I don't care if people think I'm crazy, all I care about is pleasing the Lord!

I hope you too take the time to sit and think about how much you love the Lord. Is it will ALL your heart and soul, or only the parts that are convenient for you?

Phil 1:21 "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."
This is my life verse because I love the Lord with ALL my heart and soul and to be with Him is better than anything this world can offer! I look forward to meeting with my Lord face to face. I encourage you to live a life that pleases the Lord. Love Him FIRST, your spouse second, then your children, and I guarantee everything else will fall into place!

Charge, Encourage, and Strengthen...

Deuteronomy 3:28 "But charge Joshua, and encourage him, strengthen him: for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which thou shalt see."



In my daily reading, the Lord showed this verse to me and it really convicted me. Three keywords are in this verse: charge, encourage, and strengthen. This really convicted me as a mom because this is what I am to do with all my children. Everyday, I am charging them to obey like Ephesians 6:1. I sound like a broken record sometimes because I'm always saying, "choose to obey" to the kids. Even as small as Bobby is, I quote Ephesians 6:1 to him because I want it to be hidden in his heart. But, the Lord showed me that charging them isn't enough! I must encourage my children daily...Paul talks about edification over and over in his epistles and that's what I'm to do too. As weary as I may get some days, I must continually encourage each of my children. They need to know that Ted and I are their biggest fans. They need to know that we believe in them to obey. The Lord showed me that by us encouraging them, then it will automatically strengthen them. It's a domino effect. Throughout the days now, those three words are being played again and again in my head to remind me of my responsibility as a Mommy.

I am so thankful for a Lord who can always show me through His Word areas that I need to shore up on. Thank you, Lord! I want to please Him and bring glory to Him in every area, even in being the best Mommy I can.