Halloween

THE cutest little hippy and Dorothy I have EVER seen! We went to a friend's house for halloween. They had about 35 people there, we ate pizza and headed out to trick or treat.... The girls enjoyed getting to trick or treat with some of their friends, and the Hewitt's have a great neighborhood for trick or treating so they racked up on candy. We went to see Papaw and Julie, Memom, and Nana and Papa as well before the evening was over.

Costume Party

Alexis won second place in the costume party! Pretty good considering I threw the little hippy costume together the night before. The halloween party included a hayride, bonfire, haunted trail, etc.. The girls had a good time.

Family Tradition

It has been a tradition ever since Alexis' second halloween for our family to carve a pumpkin together. In the past few years, Abby hasn't wanted to get her hands dirty so she didn't participate a whole lot, but this year she had her own pumpkin that her and her daddy did and Alexis and I carved our own....Jack and Abby are their names....

Fall Festival

Our children's leader at church had a fall festival a couple of weeks ago to raise money for the kids new bible curiculum...The kids all had a blast.

Carrie Underwood Concert

Scott and Lex went to the Carrie Underwood concert last night and had a fantabulous time. Alexis was so excited when she came in last night....she woke me up saying, "mommy, Carrie Underwood touched my hand and she winked and smiled at me when I yelled her name. She was on cloud nine! She was still going on about it this morning when she got up...she said the band membres touched her hand too, (but they weren't very cute)lol! Scott won tickets on the radio last week....I was glad that they got to have this time together. Lex and I went to see Hannah Montannah last year so it was good for them to get to go to this together, he is such a wonderful daddy! Carried Underwood is Lexi's FAVORITE singer, therefore this was an experience that she will never forget!

While Scott and Lexi went to the concert, Abby and I went to see Beverly Hills Chihuahua. It was really cute! Abby LOVED it! She said it was her favorite movie she had ever seen. She was ready to go buy the movie when we left the movie theater last night. It was a really cute movie and it was also good for Abby and I to have some time by ourselves!

Howl goes tp Brookland

A friend of mine sent this to me yesterday and I thought I would share. Howl visited Brookland yesterday! Although Abby runs away from Howl at the games, she was not going to act scared of him at school. She was bragging that some kids were scared of Howl, but not her cause she knows him. LOL She looks so stinkin sweet! She loves the little boy with red hair in the stripped shirt....she is too funny these days....she said, "Maddox is so cute like daddy was when he was a little white haired boy." Then she proceeded to tell us that when Maddox runs he has a little bit of hair that flys up in the wind so cute like."

Go StAte!

The game was a blast this weekend! The Wolves were on fire, 83 to 10! We went out early to the Davis/Walker tailgate party and had some great food and a great time with some of our very best friends. All the kids were really excited about the Wolf. The introduction of the Wolf was pretty awesome, they really created a lot of hype before they brought him out. Lexi, Abby, Maddi, Shelby, Cailey, Luke, Ty, and Landon were all at the bottom of the stands high fiving the wolf. When he decided to crawl up in the stands with them, Abby came truckin up the bleachers. It was pretty funny, she decided he was a little too close. Our precious friend "BabyHouston" as Abby calls him, was very entertaining! He picked up everything he could find and threw it under the bleachers. One of Lexi's best friends, Miss Maddie Archer, lost her shoe under the bleacher. She spent most of her time hopping up and down the bleachers with one shoe on. There was a very small opening under the bleachers which was not easy to get to, but Zack Gillam lowered his son Landon over the fence and he crawled under and got Maddie's shoe. Landon saved the day! Good thing, Maddie's mom would not be happy, I'm sure! Those were some cute shoes, and they weren't the Old Navy $5.00 special! Abby's favorite part was feeding Houston his little snacks and dancing with Kara! (You go girls!) Lexi's favorite part was that her three favorite gal pals were there with her! My favorite part was watching all the kids crawl all over James like he was a jungle gym, he just thought he was getting a night with no kids! Ha! And watching how excited Kara and Misty got everytime the Wolves scored because they were counting up their discounts they would get at the Design shop! Scott's favorite part was that he got there at the start of the third quarter so he got in free! HA! Needless to say, it was a very entertaining night and I think that everybody that came out had a great time! Thanks to the Lewis/Davis families for the tailgate party!

Thanks Misty for the picture, I stole it from your blog!!!!!!! Love you!

Fruit of the Spirit

On my way to work this morning I was listening to a much needed message on the fruit of the spirit. When I got to work, I had to dig a little deeper. Yes this is a lesson that I have learned and heard more times than I could tell you, I remember doing a chart for Sunday school on the fruit of the spirit, but sometimes we need a refresher. I know that I need to bear fruit. I know that I need to love, have joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, but it's not something that we just "do" it's also something that we "are" as we grow in the spirit. Some of the things that I went over come natural for me. They wouldn't come natural if I didn't have the spirit of Christ in me, if I had not accepted him as my lord and savior, but it is the spirit that gives me these characteristics - the character of Christ. I read something online that stated that with the spirit, he grows us, cleans us and makes good fruit - through Jesus. While I have the spirit and again some of the characteristics come easy (some not so much), I am also sinful by nature and have to be very careful to make sure that I don't roll down the wrong path (like a rotten pumpkin) (ha). Paul also wrote of things that are not part of this character: gossip, the undermining of others, easily believing ill of others, loose sexual behavior, empty speech, quick temper, and the eagerness for money. Wow! I struggle with some of those from time to time. What does that reflect of my walk???? I'm still growing and in order to not stunt my growth, I have to cling to his word and pray that he will continue to grow me. I want others to know me by my fruit! I tell my daughters many, many mornings when they get out for school to let their light shine, but does mine? I want others to know that I can react to circumstances without acting irrational, I can control my temper and my tongue when I feel like letting someone have it, I can trust in God in the troubled times, I can walk away from a good gossip session, I can put myself in others shoes and not pass judgement, I can love the unlovable, I can have joy in the most difficult times, I can be compassionate and loving to my enemies, I can go out of my way to help someone EVEN when it's not convenient or it's not what's best for me and mine ONLY because I have the spirit in me! I'm not saying that I do all of these things all the time, I don't by any means, I mess up often, but it's what I long for - to possess the characteristics that reflect to the world that I am his!!!!!!!

Weekend

The weekends are NEVER long enough, even when we get an extra day! We did have a great one though! Scott and I went to dinner and a movie on Friday night while the girls went to their Papaws. It's always nice to have date night with my hubby and the girls love getting to stay over at Papaw and Julies. Saturday was my dad's birthday so we had my mom and dad over for supper and cake. Sunday we went to church, went to eat with Jimmy and Julie, took the girls to see Memom, Scott cooked some burgers on the grill and we watched a movie. Yesterday some of our precious friends invited us over for a cook out and flag football. I had not played flag football since I was like thirteen, but it was fun. I was very insignificant to our team, the only time they threw the ball to me, I tumbled on the ground, just about turned a flip, and fumbled the ball. I was just so shocked that someone was actually throwing the ball to me that I got a little shook up! LOL, needless to say we had a great time with some great friends and had some awesome burgers! The girls played hard and were almost as wore out as their daddy, nah.... he's whining about being sore today. I just told him to suck it up!

Abby starts school

My baby has started preschool! She has been so excited about going to school with sissy! I felt very blessed that we were able to get her in because we have been on a waiting list and it was looking like the chances were pretty slim, however, with lots of prayer, I feel that she is right where God wanted her to be. None the less, it was a very rough day for me yesterday! Abby looked so sweet and had a good day, however I cried half the day! Abby has always stayed with my mom so it's a bit of a transition! I think I was the first mom there yesterday I was there to pick her up at 2:30. She was all smiles and hugs! She said she had a good day. She was alittle clingy this morning so please be praying that she continues to enjoy it! My fear is that she will go for a week and feel that she no longer needs to be big like sissy! If she is ok, I'm ok, but if she cries, it will take everything in me not to kidnap her from the school! LOL She has a precious teacher that I actually went to high school with. Naps and leaving shoes on all day will be a challenge for her! She made a new friend yesterday named Alexis. Alexis was having a melt down this morning so abby was a little teary eyed when I left. I told her to take care of her friend so she would not be sad so hopefully that will be her mission today and she will have a wonderful day! Mom goes back to the Neurosurgeon in September to schedule her surgery, please continue to keep her in your prayers as well. She is also having a hard time not having Miss Abby with her all day so pray for her comfort in that as well! We are praying that Abby has a wonderful year at school!

School Days

Lexi started back to school soooo hard to believe that she is in third grade! She is such a brilliant little girl, we are very proud of her. She is always a little nervous about who her teacher will be, as am I! Very hard to leave your precious little ones with someone that you do not know! Alexis has been pleased with her teacher and is trying to get back into the groove of having to get up early every morning. She is VERY into fashion this year, so that is our biggest delima each day! We have been very blessed, God has given her a good teacher every year! We pray that she has a wonderful year!

Girls just want to have fun!!!!

Well it's been a while, but I stay VERY busy! We have been preparing for school! Abby has been asking for a long time for Saraya to stay all night. Abby tries to be as big as Alexis and since Alexis has friends stay all night, Abby thinks she should have friends stay all night too. While I don't feel that 4 years old is really old enough for most little girls to stay overnight, I felt her pain so we had a "mock slumber party" for Abby and Lexi had the real deal the weekend before school. Scott went with James to Nashville for a Raiders game so we had a girls night! The little ones came dressed in their P.J.s with sleeping bags and they stayed until 9:00. We decorated our own shirts, got manicures and pedicures, had cake, made ice cream sundaes and danced with Hannah Montanna a/k/a Melissa! The girls had soooo much fun and so did Melissa and I! Here are a few picks from our GNO!

Wii

Ok guys, if you are new to the Wii, be very careful! The girls wanted me to play Wii with them last night and although I have played Tennis and Bowling with them before and got a little sore, I had yet to do boxing. I am a little competitive. I had to beat my eight year olds score, therefore I went a little pshyo. However, Alexis informed me that I was only doing the punching bag, that it wasn't the actual game, so then I started the fight only to find AGAIN that I was still practicing, not the real thing yet. So when I actually started fighting, the girls were screaming at me and I was like a freakin championship boxer. I'm sure you guys would have got a really good laugh if you had seen me! I think I threw my arm out. I am in a little pain today! Wii - Use with caution!

Friends

Why do we worry about how other's perceive us and if others like us? I have recently realized that I care wayyyy tooo much about if other people like me. I'm a "people pleaser" always trying to make EVERYBODY my friends. The reality of it is, some people just are not going to mesh well together and that's ok. Some people just have different personalities that don't click. Some will be there when it's fun, some will be there for what you have to give, some will be there for who you are, and a very few people will be there when you really need them. TRUE friends are really hard to come by. No matter what the situtaion is, I have to be me and be comfortable being who God made me to be and love everybody rather they give that love back or not. Really, it's not about me anyways and it's not about people! I'm here for a purpose and picking up friends on my journey is wonderful, but if a few don't want to be picked up, I have to leave them there and keep on truckin on my mission! I am so blessed with some wonderful friends! Now, for my very best friend, Jesus, he fills voids that no one could ever fill, he loves stronger, he loves longer, he's always there, he always listens, he always cares, he's always real, he always gives what I need, he's always enough! No matter what the situation is, if the picture doesn't look exactly like you think the picture should look, if it doesn't seem like you will make it through whatever situtation that you are in, there's one friend that will always be by your side to pull you up out of your valley and get you on top of things again. Jesus will always be enough!

Doubting

As many of you know, I stay home on Tuesdays to spend the day with my girls. Yesterday was a great day for the girls and I. I have to stop and remind myself often, it's not so much things that they want as much as it is my attention. I decided yesterday was all about the girls and this Tuesday we were not going to the waterpark, or the movies, or the library, we were staying home and enjoying each other's company. When the girls got up I made breakfast, Lexi and I did math facts flash cards to review for school, Abby and I did lower case alphabet flash cards, we reviewed left and right, and emotions. We cut out pictures and made an emotions collage, colored with chalk on the side walk, read books, played in the sprinkler, played Old maid, matching game, and we did our bible verse and read some scriptures. Our bible verse was about having enough faith - as much as a mustard seed. We are reading the book of James right now, and although I have read it before, God keeps revealing new things to me and showing me places that I need to improve. As far as the bible verse goes, I am getting a good lesson from that as well. Why do we doubt when God never fails. Why do we doubt that he will do what he says he will do? I think in terms of a child, when I tell my children that I am going to do something for them, you better believe that I am going to do it. God loves me so much more than I could ever love them, although it's hard for me to comprehend, he does and he will always take care of my needs. Why do I sit and worry about the future when he say's, DON'T worry about tomorrow, I'm going to take care of you. If I told my children not to worry about something tomorrow that I would take care of whatever it might be that was bothering them, they put their trust in what I say. I try to think back to a message that James delivered at church one Sunday on how we decieve ourselves into believing that we are in control of our situations, when honestly we have no control. Everything is in God's hands so worrying about the unknow or the future does absolutely no good. Prayer and Faith....these are the keys to it all. Pray for my faith, that I will learn to apply what I am teaching to my children to my own life in a much greater way than I ever have before. Love you all!

Mom

Just wanted to let you guys that have been praying for my mom know that she is doing soooo much better! They have started a new procedure where they do an ultrasound to see the damaged nerves and they inject something in there to deaden the nerve, epidural block. She has to do it pretty frequently, but hey it helps! Her kiddney infection is all cleared up too so she is feeling a lot better! Thank you for your prayers! Precious friends! Love ya!

Abby's Newest Phrase

I love you SO bad mommy! You are my best mommy I've ever had!

Lacy had the baby! She had him at 3:33 yesterday. Lucas Matthew Hogan - 8lb.4oz. He is precious! Both mom and baby are doing wonderful! His sugar was a little low, but they said it was nothing to be alarmed over. Lacy had a rough time for a while. Her epidural did not take the first time and they had left a stitch in which was causing her to contract really hard, but not dialate! OUCHY! He's gorgeous! He looks a whole lot like Grady to me! Lacy was at the house the night before she had Lucas. We had some friends over, James and Dana, Lesley and Elijah, Melissa and Greg, and Lacy and Grady the guys watched the fight, we plyed games, Lacy chased Grady up the stairs some. She said she thought the big meal and running stairs threw her into labor. I told her she needed to go while she was there, then we could roll up in the hospital with the whole gang! I will try to get my pictures posted ASAP.

Scott and a friend of ours, James Hewitt, went Friday night to get tattoos. Scott has one on his back already of a cross, which I totally love, however, I think I love this one even more. Maybe because it's sentimental because he got initials in it for myself and the girls. He said the initials are for my name Michele Lynn Allen and out of that you also get Michele, Lexi, and Abby. SOOOOO sweet.

My awesome friend Kara and I went out Friday night since the girls were at my moms and Scott was out with James and Jake getting tatted up. We went to dinner, went by the tattoo shop see how it was coming along and to make sure my baby didn't need me to hold his hand or anything, and we went to her house to watch movies. I love Kara dearly and have a blast with her no matter what we are doing. I am so blessed to have such precious friends! Scott and I got to spend some quality time alone with no kids Saturday night after he got the tat, which was great! I love my kids more than words can express, but its very nice to get some Scott and Shell time sometimes too!

13 Years! Scott and I celebrated our 13th anniversary together. He is such an incredible man. I feel truly blessed to have him in my life. I find myself falling in love with him over and over. It's the little things that he does that continue to make me admire him so much. I know that there is nothing that he wouldn't do for me. He's my baby and I love him in a big way!

Last weekend was great. Scott and the girls went with James and Saraya on Friday to watch Wally. We went to Brick Oven on Friday night for Scott's 35th birthday.

Saturday, we went to the Redbirds game with Hugh, Misty and Houston. It was very hot, but we enjoyed getting to spend time with some precious friends. Houston was very entertaining. We ate at Jillians before the game, it was really good. Scott enjoyed getting to play with Hugh's radar gun.

Sunday Scott went with James and Lewis to see Hellboy. Why anyone would want to see that movie is beyond me, but they enjoyed it. Scott's step dad and his wife came over and played with the girls.

4th of July

Forth of July was nice. We went to the Hewitts for supper and played some Sequence. IT was my first time, however, Dana and I beat James and Scott 2 out of 3 time! We met some other Crossrodians at Crossroads, went and handed out glow necklaces and watched fireworks with some of our awesome church family.
We had Lewis, Kara, Lesley, and Elijah over on Saturday. We spent the entire day together and had a blast. We cooked out, the kids played in the kiddie pool, they soaked some of the adults with Elijah's water gun. Kara, Lesley and I jumped on the trampoline like kids, which was pretty funny. I laughed so hard at Lesley! Lewis and Scott played Wii Sports, we played some guitar hero, shot some firworks, played T-ball with the kids...it was fun! We love our friends!!!!

Busy Times

Gosh, I don't know where to even start....for everyone that has been riding my butt for being a non-blogger, I've been REALLY busy! Lets see, my cousin Kara stayed with us for a little over a week, she's 17 and requires more attention that my 8 and 4 year old do. We really enjoyed having her though, she's a little green as Kara Davis says...we went to Memphis to see a Redbirds game with Kara and Lewis Davis and we went to eat at Hardrock Cafe first and walking Beale and she was just in Awww...she doesn't get out much. She was so excited because there was a building with YMCA on it....she said OMG, take a picture, there's a song about YMCA...funny stuff! My grandpa also died that same week so I was a little preoccupied, is that ok with you people???

Lets see, we went to Branson for a week to visit a friend of ours, Kyle Moon and his family. We had an awesome time! We spent a day on the Lake which was great, went to White Water, spent one evening on the Landing, ate lots of good food, seen some shows, went to IMAX, did some shopping, it was nice! It was a little hard to leave, we love Kyle and his family and wish we could see them more! We got really attached to his precious little boys real quick!

We came home and our dog, Ozzie had escaped from my mom's house! MAJOR drama! I was on the phone with Kara when Scott told me and the girls were freaking out! We spent some time making flyers, going to animal control, searching the neighborhood, it was a mess, but 28 hours later we found him in a lady's back yard! Ozzie is safely back at home!

My mom has been very ill. It has been so hard to see her in so much pain. I can't tell you how many times I have cried over the last week just thinking about her. I am so use to seeing my mom be the rock of the family and she is really having a rough time. She told me yesterday that she got in the bath tub and cried for about an hour. She said she just isn't happy anymore. She can't do anything she enjoys anymore and she just really wishes she weren't here. Breaks my heart. Here I go boowhooing again just thinking of it. She is in so much pain that she is on lots of pain pills and I worry if she does ever get half way back to good health, she won't be able to stop taking the hydros and moraphine. I woke up last night and started crying just thinking of her not being able to sleep at night because she wakes up in so much pain. Tough stuff! Scott and I were talking last night and Lexi said, "I don't ever want Nanny to be gone, but if she's in so much pain I wish Jesus would just take her to heaven." About ten minutes later Abby said in a shaky teared up voice, "I don't want my nanny to leave and go to heaven, I want her here with me so I can see her everyday." Broke my heart! I said "Abby, Jesus is going to take care of Nanny, we just have to pray for her," to which she replied, "lets pray now." She took my hand and bless her little heart, her intentions were good, but her prayer was; "Jesus, don't let my Nanny go to heaven, amen" I laugh now, but it's rough. Please keep us in your prayers!

Ok, now you see, I have been a little busy! I told Dana yesterday if she had spent the day with me, she would have had to have been on some medication, I went from 8:00a.m. to 10:00p.m. The girls and I went to eat lunch with Scott, went to T.J Maxx, Old Navy, The Mall, Wal-Mart, went and made supper for Lacy and Grady and Lesley's family, went to Lacy's, went back to Wal-Mart to pick up sympathy cards and medicine for my mom, went to work until 10:00. Life is busy here!