Girls Night Out--"doing life"

A few weekends ago, my 2 best friends and I decided that we had "had enough" and needed a girls night! We loaded up and headed out for some food, fun, and friendship!

Our first stop? Hobby Lobby. All I bought (if you can believe it) was some Easter grass for baskets--we looked at ALL Hobby Lobby's treasures, but didn't come home with any. Sad, but true.

From there, we headed to eat. (seriously? Why do all our trips revolve around where we're going to eat?)
......I had never been to this particular place, but Mandi/Scarlett had--we went to Mimi's Cafe! It was SO GOOD. If you've never been, put it on your "to do" list!

They have breakfast, lunch, and dinner and their menu has something for everyone! They served us the BEST bread I've ever had too!
Each of us selected something different from the menu--and it all looked great! It tasted even better!


From there, we headed to do some more shopping--we went to Fresh Produce (I think that's what it's called) and looked at their Brighton charms and such......then, after making small purchases, we headed Downtown to treat ourselves to dessert at The Melting Pot (see? it's all about the food!)


This trip was just what we needed to wind down from "life's ups and downs" and let me tell ya, each of us had some serious DOWNS that week! We needed each other something fierce!

We won't talk about the fact that when I got home that night I had been locked out of my house. The hubby had gone hunting with someone and shut the garage door and of course, I didn't take my car with me, so I had no keys! OH NO! This is when friends come in handy! They had to drive me to where C's truck was and get his house key, then take me all the way back home! What a night.

I saw the following phrase on someone else's blog today and just absolutely fell in LOVE with it. The phrase is "do life"--as in to "do life" with someone or people......These two girls are who I "do life" with and it just doesn't get any better than that.

~CB~

Need help on outfit, please.

Okay y'all. I need some help. You can be honest. Don't worry-it won't hurt my feelings.

Do you think this vest and shirt "match"? I really think it would be fine, but the greens in the vest/shirt aren't matched perfectly. We had to get the shirts from one store and the vests from another.


This is what I'm thinking of putting the boys in for Easter with some khaki shorts and brown sandals.

Okay--let me know.

THANK YOU!

~CB~

Bits of Bargains

Most of you know I coupon, and have seen my posts on things I have bought for pennies on the dollar, or even (gasp)-FREE.

Last week, on my (seldom taken) lunch break, I headed to Target. I needed a break from the office and my co-worker and I headed to Target for some bargain shopping.

I bought:
4 boxes of 12 ct. Pop-Tarts
1 Swiffer Sweeper
1 Swiffer Refill
3 bars of Johnson & Johnson Bath Buddies Soap
1 box Band-Aids (Toy Story)
1 tube Neosporin
1 tube Crest for Kids toothpaste (regular size, not trial size)
1 Oral B Kids Stages Toothbrush
Anyone want to guess how much I paid for this NAME BRAND stuff? Keep guessing.......$16.00 BUT I received a $5 gift card back (for the Pop-Tarts). Basically, I spent $11 on all that stuff! How COOL is that? I had coupons for every single thing you see there and even had a few Target coupons to double up with!

Are ya'll starting to see how this stuff works? It's EXCITING!

~CB~

Asphalt, Easter, and a Visitor

No, the title of this post is not clever or catchy. I just couldn't think of anything else to call it. I know none of the 3 items have anything to do with one another, other than the fact that they all showed up at my house today (well..except the Easter part--that happened A LONG TIME AGO)....ha!

It just so happens that we had 2 loads of asphalt delivered today and you'd have thought I handed my kids the world on a silver platter! These 2 boys were in "hog" heaven! As soon as we got home from school/work, etc. they immediately went outside with tractors and trucks to dig and plow and whatever else it is that boys do outside.
All I know is they went out remotely--somewhat--slightly clean--and came in DIRTY, FILTHY MONGRELS.

While they were outside playing or digging or plowing or whatever they were doing, I was inside cooking supper and decorating (a little bit) for Easter. I know I probably should have used my time more wisely and taken down the snow village that is still up on my entertainment center, but you know--I just felt like decorating tonight. I got out my Easter Egg tree that I made last year, along with my bunny figurines, and updated the chalkboard.

......it's only a little, tiny bit of decorating, but it's all I could muster up energy for tonight. (and yes, y'all that is the hubby standing behind the Easter Egg Tree...he was standing at the kitchen sink getting ready for his supper.....)

The hubby has been planting watermelons this week and has been coming in late every night--tonight when he came in, he had our friend, Travis with him. Travis' wife, Cori is out of town and poor ole' Travis needed some FOOD! ha-ha. While we were waiting on the rice to cook and such, Travis helped out Nolan with some homework......isn't that a sweet picture?
All in all, a great day (except this pollen we're fighting)--

~CB~

Save the Tatas!

I'm sorry y'all...I could NOT resist using that as the title to this post. I've always wanted one of those stickers that say "Save the Tatas" but just knew the preacher would look at me all weird-like when I drove up to church on Sunday morning with that all up on the back window of my van!
HA!

About a week or so ago, the WHS Baseball Team hosted their annual "Catchin' a Cure for Cancer" baseball tournament. This is the second year they've had it and it is always such a good crowd and we have a great time!

Me and Mandi (this is an awful picture of me, but Mandi looks good)

3 coaches wives....Me, Jackie, and Mandi

The boys even wear PINK! It's great! But I can tell you that as soon as the game was over, they were changing back into their red and white! ha! These boys can only take pink for so long! hee-hee-hee

After the game(s), the hubby and I headed over to our friends' house (Travis and Cori) for some steak! Travis cooked us up some BEEF (it's what for dinner) and it was delicious! We had another set of friends (Greg and Jill) who met us there and we had a great time together!

Here is Jill looking up a recipe for an appetizer........I was sure hoping Cori wouldn't sling that dish water on her laptop!

The girls (Cori, me, and Jill)

Here's the guys after dinner doing what they do best...shootin' the breeze...could be cuttin' the fool, I'm not sure which at this point.

We had a great time with each other and look forward to getting together again soon!

~CB~

Nothin' Beats FREE!

Nothin' beats FREE! You don't find many things in life that are free, but I sure did the other day at Target (technically it wasn't me since one of my co-workers picked this up for me using my coupons).......This toothpaste is priced at $1.49 at Target. I had a .50 manufacturer coupon and a $1.00 Target coupon, which equals FREE. Yes, I realize it has an overage of .01, but at Target they don't refund you the difference, they zero it out. I'll take FREE any day.


~CB~

I'm a Hard Workin' Man.......

.......Well, the hubby is a hard workin' man...I sort of drive my car through the field and park by the fence and take pictures........
Last Saturday morning, Cecil and his friend Travis had to separate some bulls out and transport them elsewhere. I thought I would die laughing when Carter (that's our 4 year old) said "Ride Like the Wind Bullseye!"........Y'all have seen Toy Story, right? That's the horse's name in Toy Story.....
They sort of reminded me of "she'll be comin' round the mountain"....they weren't riding like the wind, that's for sure.......

They got all the bulls moved out of the cows in quick fashion.....






Ah well...it was great fun for my boys to watch the big boys ride horses and move bulls!

~CB~

The Gift of Friendship

Look what a sweet friend of mine gave me last week.......I LOVE some Wild Honeysuckle hand soap from B&B works! Don't know how she knew that was my favorite, but it is!

Not only did she give me the handsoap, but an oh, so sweet note card from none other than "Really Woolly"....those are my ULTIMATE favorite cards!
She had no idea that I had an awful day on Thursday all day long.....then, I got her sweet gift that afternoon and it just brightened up the rest of that day and the days following! Isn't it "funny" how God works? I had an awful day and then he spoke through her. She will never know how truly appreciative I was of her friendship that day!

Thank you so much to my sweet friend (I'm more than sure she does not want me to mention her name)--THANK YOU!!

~CB~

Getting to know one another (and a little too much in some cases)!

This past Saturday night, our Sunday School class had "Game Night" at Donnie & Stephanie E's house. WHAT A BLAST! Thank you Donnie and Stephanie for hosting! Our host and hostess:

The GUYS

The GIRLS

I don't have to tell you that when church groups, especially southern church groups, get together, there is ALWAYS food involved. Listen here, I might be watching my weight, but I love a good meal (hence the reason I'm on a diet). You'd have thought by the amount of food we had at the party, that there were 75 people there, but no. Just our "small group" and by the amount of food that was left, our "small group" had expanded waist lines when we left. ha!

We had everything from pizza to cookie cake, chips/dips to chocolate-chocolate chip cake, and a cheese ball to brownies. Lawd have mercy! We love to eat!


We had a great time socializing during dinner (reminded me of a middle school dance where the guys were on one side and the girls were on the other). Let's face it y'all. The guys wanted to watch the Gators play basketball and the girls wanted to chit-chat. Ain't that how it always is? After eating and catching up a bit, it was time to get down to gaming.

We played Pictionary (which I officially stink at) for a while....and I'm pretty sure the guys won that one. They were very particular about what they were drawing on the whiteboard. Let me put in a plug for the girls here....we think they cheated. I'm sure the guys disagree, but I'm just sayin' ......

(see how intense they are? Cheating I tell ya.....)

...and they moved from sitting to standing........very intense!

Here's Danielle for the girls' team.....

Dennis getting ready to finish up a drawing for the guys.....

I'm really not sure what they're doing here. Maybe watching the Gator game? Although, Jason is a Nole fan (Lord bless him), so I'm not sure about that one.....
Then came Taboo. I LOVE TABOO. I was a little nervous about this at first seeing as how I wasn't so good at Pictionary, but Taboo is my game! I loved it! Y'all ever played Taboo? It's great fun!

Clint trying to bring it home for the guys and Kelly standing by with the trusty buzzer!

Dennis for the guys team with his wife, Tammy holding the buzzer, which she DID use.

Someone (who will remain nameless) suggested we play a version of The Newlywed Game, with new questions. Some of these questions were very personal, but I think everyone was a good sport about them and BOY DID WE LEARN THINGS ABOUT EACH OTHER!!!!!! We had a great time though and it was a great bonding experience. Talk about laughing? Oh my.

A few months ago, we did a series on "What If".....for example, one Sunday was on "What if we really cared"......I thoroughly enjoyed the series and highly recommend it!

Through this series, as a class, we decided that we needed to start having more group time (sounds like therapy doesn't it?). Bonding experiences (outside church), if you will. We always have a great time when we're all together, so why don't we do this more? Time, kids, and life seem to get in the way--that's why. The last few months though, we've had 2 couples step up and organize a get-together for the group. I'm guessing I'll have my chance to organize something here soon, but for me to organize it, it'll have to wait for t-ball and watermelon season to be over with.....maybe in the late summer or early fall I can organize something.

On Sunday morning in Sunday School class, we were all saying how much our cheeks hurt from laughing so much! It's great to be with friends and bond--I know if something awful ever happens, this group of people will step up and be my rock(s), my prayer warriors, and my confidants. Here's what I know and what I learned......

• We love to laugh!
• We love to eat!
• We enjoy getting together as a group!
• We love a good time!
• We are not perfect!
• We are all saved by grace!
  
  
  Y'all if you're reading this...I had a great time Saturday night and look forward to more good times!

~CB~

I might be partial, but.......

......is this not the CUTEST little smile you've ever seen??????

Nolan lost his first tooth this past weekend, and I must say--the tooth fairy (that would be my in-laws since that's who Nolan was with) must be calculating for inflation because he got $3.00 for that one little tooth! What ever happened to a quarter? Good grief.

Either way, it's stinkin' cute!

~CB~