Summer Fun in The Sun

I have loved the summer time this year so far with my little bumble bee! 

She got a little kid pool for her birthday and we have put it to full use! She is lovin the slide! 

Dalton teaching her to beat on her chest and make Tarzan sounds....
Why I'm not sure...possibly because he needs a son lol

Brynlee poking my camera 

Yeah we ditch the swimsuit while at home 

I'm looking at her from upside down...lol she makes the cutest faces

Savings at Target!

I love when i find a good deal! It's like this giddy high I get for super savings, which is highly addicting!

So today, I ran to target for other things than what I bought of course. I needed a salad spinner BUT we have been needing patio furniture and so I have been keeping an eye open for clearance items. You know wedding budget and all. 

So I found this table for $21!!!! And it just so happens that last year we bought the matching chairs that go with this table when they were on clearance!!! Talk about perfect! 

Then I bought a Schick razor pack that included 5 extra cartridges, shaving cream and a travel cover for the blade on the razor $12.74. BUT of course I had a coupon for $4 off a schick razor. So basically I got all that for $8. Which if you do the math a razor, cartridges and shaving cream all cost more than $8. In fact the razor alone cost more than $8. So i was pretty pupmed! 

And I tested the razor out, and I'm pretty sure I will never use another Venus razor again. I am officially a Schick chick!!!! 

So ladies if you are in the Arlington area and have the Schick coupon, the Target off Cooper has a bunch of those marked down razor packs left, just saying!

My Bumble bee is walking!!!

My little one started walking this week!!! I just could not believe it! At first it was a couple steps here and a couple steps there. Then on Friday June 24th she started taking more than just a few steps!!!

Luckily I did happen to get it on video and then was able to send it to Dalton while he was at work.

I can't believe my baby is growing up so fast...

Meredith, Dalton's cousin stayed with us this weekend, so she got to witness the milestone in action. And now can tell Brynlee later, that she was there when she first walked! We just asked Meredith to be in our wedding also!!! Exciting!

This weekend was super crazy! Meredith came on Thurs or Fri (I can't remember lol). Saturday I worked on a house in Fort Worth for habitat for Humanity with some FBCA members. Sunday we had Church and then a Fundraising event for Gina & Julius who are going to East Asia. It was their last Sunday with us at church as well. So weird. But all the girls did great and we have some talented ladies in our church who can make awesome things! And today besides swimming and spending our last day with Mere, I mowed the lawn in 90 degree heat. Ugh! 

Im gonna sleep good tonight!!!

Ruth: Loss, Love & Legacy

The new Bible study I am doing with the gorgeous "Knot" ladies in my Sunday school class at church.

I thought I would take you along in my journey on this study with my thoughts etc. Sometimes it takes me to let things "sink" in or type it out to figure out what "this all really means", to me at least. God's word can mean so many different things to different people. 

Session 1: Two Journeys

"For physical training is of some value, but godliness has values for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." 1 Timothy 4:8

Have you ever been up late at night watching the infomercial of excessively greased up men and women working their "core", and for only 6 easy payments of 39.95 YOU TO CAN LOOK JUST LIKE THIS?!!? (lol) But your intrigued anyway. You buy the program and a couple weeks in your ready to give up because the results just aren't what you'd expect. 

WELL DUH! 

Like all things strengthening "your core" and strengthening your walk with Jesus takes time. The results aren't always visible, it's not always easy, you might feel like you don't always have the time, or the energy. But it always seems once you finally go to the "gym" you get more energy, you feel better, after a while you can visually see the results, and everyone is benefiting. So for a fitness fanatic like myself I can relate to this. And I say feel the burn ladies!!!! You might be sore tomorrow but in the long run it's worth it! (That was a metaphor in case you didn't catch that).

Another part of the study touched me and it basically gives the example of Naomi and her journey from Bethlehem to Moab and then her journey from Moab back to Bethlehem. 

Sometimes we lose faith in God because difficult things are happening to us and we think we know better so we leave where we are to find an easy place. Even if we don't feel called to be there. Somehow I related this story line to leaving home. As a teenager I basically had a countdown of when I could move out, because I couldn't wait to come and go and I please, and it would just be more fun. In fact I practically moved out while I was still in high school. I would just come home for showers or clothes and then be gone again. Looking back now I can see why this specific time I lost my relationship with God. Because I wanted to follow my own path (which let me tell you was NOT GOOD..ugh that was such a horrible time) and in it I lost myself and God. I also took this time to weep backward (booo me). Thing things that were happening we hard and I cried but never moved forward. Eventually I moved on and cried forward. It was a lot of crying in both directions but like Kelly Minter says " Although there will be weeping in this life, the direction in which we weep is what truly matters....It is possible to cry and walk." Then when I realized things were greener on the other side I went back. But I wasn't following my spiritual needs then either but my personal needs home. Coincidentally the song that immediately popped into my head when I was reading this part was "The house that Built Me" by Miranda Lambert, who is from my hometown, where my parents live. Weird. 

I leave this final study with these realizations. 1- Don't give up because your results aren't immediate. God sometimes as a long term plan that involves just making it until you reach his fantastic plans for you. 2. Don't find an easy way out, when it's not God's way. 3. Bad things happen they just do, but shutting out the world is not doing anyone any good. especially if your shutting out God. Weep forward my friends. You can do it! 

Food for thought:

"It's easy to kid ourselves and justify our behavior when our hearts aren't really committed to God. But when we grasp His love and the truth that obedience is for our freedom, we will change our circumstances to protect our environment to obey."

Recipe of the Week

Healthy Eating on the Run 

Thats always hard to achieve. I know I'm always looking for new and healthy ways to pack a lunch for Dalton to take with him to work. So here is a simple recipe thats super quick if you love fish. 

Ok so this is so easy.

Basically if you buy fresh tilapia or salmon at the store bring it home and freeze them in filets 

(if not already cut that way) 

Take the filets and lay them on top of a bed of spinach (Organic of course, and the amount to your liking) in a tupperware container.

 Remember when spinach wilts what looks to you as a large amount dry is a fairly small amount wilted.

Take a long with you a lemon sliced in half and some pepper and/or lemon pepper.

Put the tupperware container and spinach in the microwave for a few minutes. Fish like tilapia and salmon cook fairly fast even when frozen. 

B/c the fish was in there frozen it kinda makes a steamed affect on the fish and spinach. 

And then just sqeeze the desired amount of fresh lemon juice on top and sprinkle some pepper and your ready to eat!!!

Father's Day

This year Father's day was budgeted due to the wedding. 

I made Dalton a bell pepper, spinach, and cheese omelet before church complete with bacon and strawberries. YUM!

I got Dalton a few shirts and "The Power of A Praying Husband" (a book he had wanted)

Church was awesome! I had like this gospel high by the end of the service after singing Hosanna. And then I was starving and ready to get home. 

Then we came home I made some sandwiches with chips and we all took a nice nap! 

When you have a little one to keep up with or you work the hours Dalton does a nap is the greatest gift to give to a dad. Especially a 2 hour one.

We then attempted to get Dalton some tennis shoes at the mall ..NIGHT MARE ...

Horrible idea and we left. 

We took Dalton's dad and step mom to dinner at The Keg. It was so good! Plus we had awesome service. If you go ask for Anthony, he's a pretty good darn waiter

Then we came home got in bed and I worked on my bible study while he read his new book. Apparently it's pretty good because he kept cracking up a little while he was reading which was kinda distracting in all my Ruth-ness focus.

It was a great day! 

The Birth of Brynlee Ashton Carroll (03/26/10)

I was clearing out my facebook inbox, because i hate clutter, and I came across a video I made and had messaged to special family and friends at the time of Brynlee's birth. I completely forgot about it. But for safe keeping I would like to re post and re-live that special day :-) Not to mention perfect timing near Father's day!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com