MOVING!!!!

Yup, that's right! We are MOVING!!!! Hi-Ho! Hi-Ho! It's to SHUTTERFLY we go!!!


Ha! Ha! Be honest- what was your first thought when you read the words- MOVING!?!? Although this isn't the move I'm praying for currently~We are however moving pages from blogger to shutterfly! We ventured out to take pictures yesterday and I can't seem to find a friendly way to show all the pictures that I want you to see! Plus, I kind of like shutterfly's setup a little better! So from now on..... you can find our family updates here with alot more pictures, hopefully! I'm just getting started so only the most recent pictures show!

www.lifeoflowes.shutterfly.com

Enjoy!

Lent...

Even though I am not catholic, I do always seem to follow the catholic ritual of giving up something for 40 days. Really....its the least I can do for what my savior did for me. But as I sit and ponder what I am really attached to, or what I really need to sacrifice for the moment....it all came to me:

NO MORE SPENDING, at ALL! The budgeting/debt snowball is still going great, but I'm going to kick it into INTENSE mode and for the next 40 days, minus Easter spending. I'm going to sacrifice anything that is not needed above pure living expense. I'm not going to do anything but live off what I have, and not even spend the extra that's left over or go out to eat and such. I'm not going to put entertainment in March's budget either. I'm going to see what life can really be like if we don't have my paycheck and see if we can make it.

THIS IS GOING TO BE TOUGH. It's 40 days.... and I can do this!!!!!

Don't Get Comfortable

Wow! As my day ended on a very blood boiling note after school...... I got in my car, called my husbanded, ranted my vocal chords off as he agreed 100% that the situation that I was dealing with was absolute B-S! So I just threw my hands up....and said "God- I need another sign of this open door that I am needing, show me the way!

I angrily pressed the power button on the radio- and naturally it was set to The Message- and this song was just starting..... I started crying after the first few lines..... please listen, atleast to the first part and you'll know what I mean! (And this song was written in 2006, so it being a frequently played tune is not a reason! I truly feel God was tellling me something!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXBY05jLwj8

Ok, so what did you think? Do you agree? God sent message to me? I'm thinking so!

TYJ for your continual love and helping show us the way of this new path that we are wanting to take!

Couples Weekend.....

Well, we had our annual couples weekend this past weekend, and as always, it exceeded last years! I don't think I have laughed so much in so little amount of time, than I did Friday night/Saturday morning. We all stayed at the Gaylord Texan with the Winter Weekend Getaway package! It honestly exceeded my expectations as to how accommodating and how much there is to do, right there, and never leave the hotel. Some memories that I'll be laughing on for a while..... As the weekend trip began, I told myself that I wasn't going to "be Brittany" that I wanted to be "different and try new things" this weekend....and that is exactly what I did!

My first#1: Let my husband make the decisions.....
He wanted to try Popeye's new Wicked Chicken with Parmesan Garlic Pepper and that's exactly what we did! We came into Lakeworth and I whipped it into Popeye's. Wasn't my first choice- but I wanted him to make the decisions, not me!


My second 1st: Not get the usual, Spinach Lump Crab Dip for my meal at Pappadeaux
I have fallen in LOVE with Jumbo Shrimp Brochette...... a shrimp that has been butterflied and wrapped with savory bacon that is stuffed with mozzarella, jalapeno, and garlic....my taste buds are already watering!

My third 1st: Try something besides Margaritas!
I had my first Martini this weekend (GAG!) It looked so insanely wonderful, even sounded wonderful as the bartender was describing all the ingredients, and took the first drink- yack! I really tried to "Suck it up" but with each different try, it was a little more awful each time!

My fourth 1st:
To try to enjoy the bar that we were going to. There, at the Gaylord, they have the Glass Cactus Club and it was free cover and free shuttle for guests who were staying there. So, we said, "it doesn't get any better/easier than that". ...... well, I then did my "itinerary" for the trip and noticed that Skyrocket, an 80's band was playing that night. Ok, so you that know me well, know that I was obviously not in the least bit interested. HOWEVER- I actually had a blast, totally loved that bar, had an awesome set up, and hope to go back again. The music, of course, wasn't my style, but Kudos to them for the great impressions that they did! They were a really great band!!!

My fifth first....
To revisit Taco Bueno on the way home- had not been to a Taco Bueno, no lie, since High School! I found it funny that it had been so long!!!! It was Muy Bueno!

Now onto some awesome memories made.....
#1- Arson--- yup- sign some of them up for setting a trash can on fire in the parking garage- for the record- don't take the free matches at Pappadeaux-- some of our boys couldn't stand the thrill of lighting them up!

#2- My husband's ADD- everyone knows that Jeremy hardly ever talks, doesn't give his opinion unless called upon, etc..... well Saturday night proved just to be the opposite. He acted like the ADD kid that was fighting for attention. He was definitely what kept the night rolling and us laughing our butts off! By the time I started drinking water, he started holding a beer in one hand and a jaeger bomb in the other, at all times. So you can well imagine then ending that his night entailed..... let's just say that Mommy didn't get a free night away from kids.....

#3- Homosexuals-- as we are taking a group photo of just the girls in our group- this random chick pops into the picture- we all have WTH looks on our faces, then she plants a wet smackaroo on one of our girls.....hilarious does not even begin to describe it!

#4- The ULTIMATE prank! So as we arrive back to the hotel and go our separate ways, my husband proceeds to lock his drunken self in the bathroom, with running water. OK, so worrisome Brittany goes into panic thinking drunk, passing out, water running, drowning, etc and he refused to unlocked the door. As HOURS passed, I could not go to sleep for the sound of hurling going on and I would constantly go and bang on the door just to make sure we was still breathing..... talk about scared to death!!!! So, to play a little joke on him, I decided to go take out the wallet in his pants, and take out some cash. (He was given all the cash for the trip b/c I had the debit card). So as I proceeded to take out almost $200, I just hit it away in my purse. Next morning rolls around, and I nonchalantly ask how much money he spent on drinks last night..... as the morning passed and we joined our friends for breakfast, I never brought it back up. As we return to our room and I'm packing our bags, I notice him, quietly going through his wallet and then let the sweating begin!!!! He never said a word! I also never questioned him at that point b/c I knew that I had "got him". We all went our separate ways, checked out, made a few stops, then we make the wal-mart run. As we go to check out- he remarks that he needed snuff! So I asked him how much money was left from last night and he replied "I don't know- I'm too scared to count it!" BUSTED!!!!!!!! So as I go to grab my purse from the cart, I reach down and hand him the wod of cash I stashed away- and you should have seen the sigh of relief. He goes "I've been looking and stressing all morning over this!" I said "Yup- I knew you had been- GOTCHA!"

At that point.....

Happy Valentine's Day!

Today is Valentine's Day, and it pretty much stinks not having the one you love to be here on this day, but hopefully this weekend will make up for it!

I love you Jeremy! You light up my life everyday and I am glad God gave me you!!!

My week thus far and still to go....

3 hour trip sunday turned into 4 1/2 hours..... whew!

Late sunday night laundry....... get up Monday, hoping for 10:00 start, but, get on the road to work, drop the girls off (to a dumbfounded sitter who thought she heard we had a 10:00 start) and get halfway to work to finally get notified of a 10:00 start!

Wahoo--- housecleaning begins! Got alot accomplished!

After school-- went for a cut/color for my hair-- got home at 6, visited with Mimi and babysitter til 6:30, finally got Valentine Sweetie Pies started for jaylee's Valentines.....

Supper is finally fed and valentines are finished around 8:30... then writing out our valentine cards for friends/family begins!

Bath/bottle/bed time at 9 begins--- I finish watching bachelor (and can't believe it's 10:30 already) finally-- off to bed!

Then Tuesday- take both girls for 3 year and 6 month dr visits- all is well, Jaylee has finally came down from above the curve to leveling out the 95th percentile!

Jentri is still rocking the curve with the weight..... no surprise there! That girl loves her groceries!

Get the girls back home to sitter- get Valentine's gifts delivered- then off to school for the rest of the day!

Get home today- now preparing Valentine's dinner for me and my girls- Chicken Alfredo it is!

Then, still yet to come this week.....

Pack for our Annual Couples weekend trip--- Gaylord Texan, here we come!

Pack for the girls to stay at Lolli & Pa's and Nana and Popo's house (THANK YA'LL!)

Get income tax things ready- got an appointment Friday morning to get that all taken care of!

Then hopefully off to the metroplex to enjoy our evening together, without kids, and other friends!

Unbelievable!

21 years ago today, I was all dressed up in a little white flower dress, carrying a basket full of flowers, and making my way down the aisle, only to trip and fall as I was walking up the steps. I remember falling that day (strangely) and the way my Daddy stepped over to help me get up. From that day on, he has been the best Daddy any of us 4 kids could ask for. Someone who never once had to be to us girls. He always treated us three girls as if we were his very own. We definitely gave him a run....and put him to hell and back a few times..... but only out of love! One other thing I clearly remember was a very rude woman in the background of the wedding video saying "I can't believe Johnny married a woman with 3 girls!"

Well, in my opinion, us three girls and my mom were the best thing that ever happened to him and I can only imagine the life of pure hell he would have been living had he married you!

So---Happy 21 Years Mom and Johnny! Here's to many, many more!!!

Tired.....

The day has come.....

I'm tired of this lifestyle...... it's just getting old.....

We are in our routine, we are used to it, we are going with the flow.....

But, it's old.

Praying for God to open a path to put us back together as a family again.

End of Story

LMAO!

So, this past weekend was a very tiring one, but full of blessings for our birthday girl. Along with the birthday girl, we had a very close family friend stay with us, AJ, who is pretty much like my husbands brother. Anyways, Friday night, he stayed at our house, and slept in Jaylee Ray's room.... then Saturday, was party day which turned into a sleepover for jaylee and Jeremy's friend was booted to our inlaws house (and he didn't care at all- like I said- he's family)

Then last night came around and as we left our inlaws to go back home- he said he was coming back to our house to stay so he could get up at 2:30 with Jeremy and head back! So, Jaylee ray was in bed with us, and at 11 Jentri woke up and I laid her beside me-- then around 1:00 I was tired of us being all crammed in one bed- and put Jentri back into her bed. (At this point- I did not know that AJ had returned to our home, and if he had, I had assumed he would be sleeping in Jaylee's Room. When I went to open the door to the hallway, Daisy ran out of the room. Normally, I'd let her go wherever, but knowing there were 3 sacks of trash by my back door that she would LOVE to get her little paws on, I had to get her back to our room and shut the door. She always runs and jumps on the couch in a certain spot. So, I walk into the pitch dark living room and go to grab her off my couch, and instead, to my surprise, I grab AJ's face and jump back, start hyperventilating and screaming bloody murder, as his hands start swinging at me! I was panicked! I couldn't catch my breath, and I was screaming at the same time. I felt like someone was in my house that wasn't suppose to be! Daisy was too in the living room, just on the floor in front of the couch. My heart, literally, raced for 30 minutes afterwards. I screamed so loud it woke up Jeremy- and that never happens! Then, I busted out in laughter! I finally realized what had just happened and who the hell was laying on my couch! It was AJ! I guess I was so tired and never thought he would have slept on my couch! Talk about freaked out!

So as I went to wake both boys up at 2:30 this morning- get their lunches packed and Jeremy's bag packed- Aj walks into the kitchen and says "Ok- I really had a bad dream last night- but you like came into the living room and started screaming and I started swinging at you"

I said "Yup- not a dream- THAT REALLY HAPPENED"

I am still laughing- 8 hours later-- I can't quit! As I was on my way to school- I called to check to make sure they made it back- and they too were both still laughing!!! He remarked "I didn't know what the hell was happening- it took me a while after she ran off to figure out what the hell just happened!"

Poor guy- he will probably never stay at our house again! He's had to deal with 2 girls all weekend (and he isn't used to that!) and then he can't even get a good night's sleep b/c of a woman who was trying to find her dang dog!

Like the Lowe's always say- It's never boring!

Happy 3rd Birthday!

Our Sweet Jaylee Ray turned 3 this past Saturday.....

What a day full of fun that it was! We were blessed to have all of our family come and celebrate with us! Jaylee was spoiled and had the perfect Dora the Explorer Birthday! After sleeping sound all night, 3 1/2 hours on Sunday, then back to sleep by 9 and having to pull her out of bed this morning~I'd say she had an AWESOME time!

Hard to believe that she is already three, but what a fun three years it has been!!!!

Happy 10 Years!

Exactly 10 years ago today was when Jeremy and I started our Journey together! Technically, it's half time of the super bowl, but the official date is February 2nd! So far it's been an awesome journey and I enjoy everyday that I get to spend with him, be his wife and be a mother to our children! God gave me someone that has taught me alot about life. He has "chilled" me quite a bit and has been very loving and giving throughout the past 10 years! I've also taught him that there are times, that you actually need a PLAN- like Christmas when you have 7 places to be! We are definitely two opposites- who really balance each other out well! I wouldn't have it any other way! He has not only blessed me by being my husband, but has given me two happy little girls and a set of in-laws, and a MiMi that are all out of this world!! It's kind of hard to believe that it's been 10 years, but I do remember lots and have many fantastic memories! I love you Jeremy and here's to many, many more!