The t-shirt

Last weekend a new outlet mall opened in our area and I visited it yesterday with two of my best girlfriends. I was on a hunt for the elusive T-shirt. Oh, me and the t-shirt have a love/hate relationship going on right now.

There is the too thin t-shirt.

There is the too thin, and too tight t-shirt.

There is the thicker but boxy t-shirt.

There is the my sleeves are too short, I am trying to hide my mama arms t-shirt.

What is with it right now? I just want a thicker, trim fit, long t-shirt.

I am a 40ish stay at home Mom and I need my t-shirts for the summer. Don't they know that the t-shirt with the long short or possible the capri is THE mom uniform around these parts? Oh, we can do the A line skirt and cute top and all that, but really, the t-shirt is it for us.

Help me Jesus.

So off we went and enjoyed the many cool shops.

I tried on this side zipper shirt and when I put it on I knew it was too tight. I tried it anyway and got stuck in it. D had to rescue me, as in pull it off of my head while I was squealing like a pig.

We were definitely entertainment for the shopkeepers. There were two times we almost laughed so hard we peed and one time K needed an inhaler. We have decided when we are together we need to be packin'. As in depends and inhalers.

Then we happened upon Ann Taylor. She had the t-shirt. Lots of them. Thick ones. They tapered in oh so slightly. They are long. I could have cried. Oh, and they were buy one get one 50% off. AND if you spent so much you got another discount. D and I went crazy, combined our stuff and ended up spending $19.00 for two.

Thank you Jesus!

Now I won't look like a sausage stuffed in a casing this summer.

Here Everythings Better

HEB. Gotta love that store. I have shopped at my dear Kroger for years and love it but don't love their prices. So, I was excited when HEB came to town in all their glitter and glam. I could spend hours in the bread, cheese, produce area. I love having options, and being able to watch people cook new recipes and try them on my family.

Oh, and if you are hungry, you can walk through there and have yourself some lunch.


Which is what happened to me yesterday...I stopped by the Cafe on the Run area and the nice lady was so helpful....200 calories later, I can't even tell you all that I sampled.

It was incredible....but then I found myself buying stuff that I didn't really need. Oh, it will get eaten, I mean we have some eaters over here, but still.

Then I checked out.

I couldn't believe the total. People, the prices have gone up. I mean way up. Has anyone else noticed this? I love to cook, but we might need to go back to Hamburger Helper or something. I am paying for college people!

Maybe its the gas prices, now that I think about it. Or maybe there is lack of rain somewhere. Who knows..

The Moodys are eaten rice and beans next week folks.

I'll file this one under random boring posts.

Of Bikes and Men

What separates the boys from the men? Or the Mom from the kids?

Sore bottoms.

I bought myself a bike this weekend ladies.

My daughter needed a new bike and so we went to the Wal Mart. On Saturday. At 2:00.

Now if you know me, you know that I hate Wal Mart. I know, that is a strong word, but I love Target, and I just can't do Wally World. I don't like their displays. That is the only way I can explain my disdain for it. There were so many people there. I couldn't believe it. I shouldn't have been shocked, but I was.

So, we had the great idea to buy one bike that she and I could share. Then when we all went biking, she could use her old one. Smart huh? Anyway, when we got to WM, we discovered how cheap the bikes were so we bought 2. That is how it is at WM. You get sucked into all those smiley faces.

The younger two were so excited. I was excited too...can I still ride? Will I keep up? Will they laugh? Will I look cute to my hubby? So off we went behind our neighborhood in the woods, by the creek, over the jumps, you name it. For two hours. It was so much fun.

Then.

Sunday morning.

Church.

One plus hours.

Sitting.

Sitting in pew.

OH MY WORD.

Does anyone have a pillow?

It hurt so much that I almost stood during the sermon. Our outstanding pastor would have been a little distracted I think.

On the way home, I confided in my kids about my sore bottom. To which my 8 year old responded...."it can't be THAT bad." Such love, such compassion. He suggested that we ride again today, so my bottom could get used to it.

What a great idea.

I think I better lie down and give this bottom a rest.



Blessings -
Dana

Worship

Last night at youth group one of our youth workers spoke and he did a bang up job. He spoke about Jesus as our king what we give our worship to. We worship things all day long...our work, friends, family, FOOD, TV, shopping, school, etc...etc...etc.... Then we wonder when we go to worship God that there is nothing left.

We wonder why.

We have already given our worship to other things. Oh Lord forgive us.

God has made us to worship. We will worship something today.

Please God let it be You and You alone.

John 4:23
"But and hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth:for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers."

I am not sure what this looks like exactly, but I want to be one of those true worshipers. Don't you?

Amen and amen.

Grace and Peace,
Dana

HE is risen...Indeed!

So I know that I said I would blog about Las Vegas, but I have slept since then. We went, we saw, we ate...it was nice to get away, but not my favorite place. Enough said. Hubby has all the pictures held hostage on his computer :( so maybe someday I will play show and tell.

Easter was a great day. Hubby and boy #2 got up at 5:45 to go down town to Ecclecia to a sunrise service and then to breakfast. Good bonding time and wish I could have gone but the other kids would have looked down on us leaving them alone. We all got to church on time, except son #1 who is always late to church...but he still goes, so there is the blessing in that one. No excuses for being late with your appointment with God though! Our pastor did an outstanding job giving a very good sermon and the music was incredible. We lifted our Lords name high! Fantastic!

I didn't get up to prep lunch, so we didn't eat until almost 2! Blessing #2, you eat late enough and then the fam isn't hungry till the next morning! After lunch, we hunted eggs, just the younger two, then we dove into a vat of Not yo' mamas banana pudding. This recipe is courtesy of Paula Deen, and ladies, it is stinkin good. I mean, it is hurt yourself good. It is slap yo mama good. Here is the recipe, but please, use with caution....


2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies
6 to 8 bananas, sliced
2 cups milk
1 (5-ounce) box instant French vanilla pudding
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping thawed, or equal amount sweetened whipped cream

Line the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch dish with 1 bag of cookies and layer bananas on top.
In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well using a handheld electric mixer. Using another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix until smooth. Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended. Pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas and cover with the remaining cookies. Refrigerate until ready to serve.


Our good friends and neighbors the Jones' came over, then the men took all the kids plus some extra neighbor kids behind our neighborhood for a bike ride, and I used that time to call my weight watcher friends and grip about the 7 lbs I have gained eating the pudding. I have to get back on this program folks, or else...pray people!

So, the party is over, spring break is a wrap and it is back to normal. The homework alone this afternoon should send me right back to the pudding!

Grace and Peace!
Dana

Spanx part deux

I am in Vegas now relaxing in my hotel and hubby is facing yet another morning at the convention. We are having a good time, saw" MAMA MIA!" last night (sat on the FRONT ROW! very cool) and have eaten a lot of great food. I don't care too much for the casinos though, depressing if you ask me! We also witnessed a prostitute getting a date last night. I could have wept right there, but I was too mad. Oh Lord Jesus...

This post was supposed to be about spanx...sorry I digress...

Girls! Go get you some! I was afraid that I would be uncomfortable (I wasn't) or that it would show (it didn't). It is THE confidence builder for us more curvy types. Especially if you have had more than 2 kids! (I have 4).

And the best thing about it....my husband couldn't take his eyes off of me!

Run! Run now and get you some!

More Vegas stories to follow.....

SPANX

I am getting ready for a trip with my hubby to Las Vegas and I went shopping to get a few new things at Macy's. (Gift card had to be used!) I have never seen so many polka dots in my life.

I was having a hard time finding things that would look good on a 40 something and I kept hoping that Tim Gunn would jump out and say "STOP! No, no, no, my gag reflex is kicking in." He didn't show. But I finally found a few things and then I was off to find the dreaded "shapewear".

I have never worn shapewear but have evidently always needed it because when I tried it on I think I went down 1 size...I mean I looked great in my jeans.

But let me go back to the part about trying it on.

The sales lady directed me to the best ones and they have this rubber ribbing stuff on the edge to keep them in place so they don't ride up...

OK.

So as I am pulling them up, the said rubber ribbing stuck to my thighs and just about pulled off my skin.

This can't be good.

After I wiped my tears, I figured out that you should fold over the rubber ribbing before pulling up the shapewear so as not to remove large portions of your skin.

There should be directions on those things.

Anyway, I had a thought, how am I going to get dressed in the shapewear without my husband being the wiser. I want him to think I look this great all the time, or that the lighting in LV is fabulous or something.

Putting on shapewear in not pretty people, but the result is worth it.

I guess I will have to lock myself in the bath room and stick a sock in my mouth so he can't hear my groans!

Wish me luck!