Thank you Summer!!

This morning I sit here in the quietness of our back porch, amazed how fast our summer went!! Didn't it just start?!!

It's the first day of another school year. Everyone was up early with the excitement of another new year! Oh I pray this year is the BEST ONE YET for each of our kids! 

As I look back, we had a great summer filled with church camps, our first cousin camp and trips to see our families. We also lounged A LOT!! We were down right bums most days. Way to many movies were watched, countless pool days, and too much icecream was eaten!  I'm not sure we even know what a schedule is anymore. 

I know one thing, I'm so thankful for all those sweet moments!! I'm blessed..

So as we begin another year, my prayer once again..

I will miss you sweet Summer!! 

Xoxo

Naomi

Ugly Christmas Sweaters..and a zillion ugly pictures!

This is my family...the greatest momma, sister, and brothers a girl could ask for!!
Oh the joys of family time...
we tried to get a few pictures of just us 5 and...

...well lets just say cameras were breaking at the sight of our ugly Christmas sweaters!!

We laughed so hard!!

 Little brother decided his older brother needed a fun hair do to go along with this crazy day, I think it may be that one memory that will forever remind us of Christmas 2013!

I mean really...one clear picture would have been nice! 
But it's ok, that just how things are sometimes. 
I love them anyways. 

 The JOY of family!!!

 

 So blessed to have each of them!!! 

We are all unique in our own way...ahem....HA!!
YES...BLESSED!!!

Love,
Naomi

Memorial weekend at the Cabin!

 A 30 minute drive away sits a favorite getaway...our sweet little cabin up in the hills!! 

A feeling of being in the middle of nowhere takes over!! 

Where your phone doesn't work so well, and leaving it behind is something wonderful!

*warning...pic overload!

It all started with a little storage building full of oil stains...

A porch was added...every getaway needs a good porch, right?!

A lot of work left to do, but it's been a fun adventure that I'm sure will continue for many years!

There's a lot of kid driving going on on these dirt roads.

Always wild flowers to pick.

The cactus are starting to bloom.

Many winding dirt road for long walks.

Rolling hills that make you want to venture off the winding dirt road and go explore some more.

Little ones who love the outdoors.

And a wonderful daddy who spends time with his boys doing what boys do.

A little girl who declares it's a no shirt kind of day...gotta love her!!

Because, well...baby isn't wearing one so....enough said!

Dirt..dirt, and more dirt!

Plenty of rides in the back of daddy's truck.

Too much fun for naps.

Hauling water for all the wildlife.

Along with all the fun also came more work in clearing a bit more of the land.

You know boys, right?!

That's what these Texas trucks are for!! 

All in all, every moment spent at this sweet place, is another beautiful memory! 

A good time spent with family, all while continuing to create a place that will be a favorite getaway for many years to come!!

Love,

Naomi

Easter...Listening to your Heart!

This weekend was another wonderful time spent with my family!

It's always a joy filled time with my favorite people!!!

...we gathered together to celebrate Easter!!

This year Easter became so much more...weeks in advance I felt a nudge in my heart to have communion with my family.

Fear set in on how everyone would respond...you know how it is, the enemy wants to come and destroy.

There were so many times where I thought, no maybe next year...

Maybe I should ask everyone first...

I know for some communion is something you do only in church...

Can a simple girl like me, serve communion to her family...

Over and over...All I heard is..

DO THIS IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME!!

Then as I woke you in the morning, what was the verse of the day?!

Mark 14;22-24

The Last Supper

22: As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying,"Take it, for this is my body."

23: And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them, and they all drank from it.

24:And he said to them, "This is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice for so many..."

...tears filled my eyes as I knew, I had to set my fear aside...This wasn't about me, it's all about HIM!! 

...with a lump in my throat, we called our family together.

...and we started our Easter gathering with communion!

Oh the blessings that come with obedience...

Love,

Naomi

Valentines!!

*Thank you to my sweet sister Priscilla  for being a guest writer today...

Oh, how I love this Day!

To know the Love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Eph 3:19

In Elementary school we use to say "es un dia de amor!" I always got so spoiled by a certain someone with candy and heart drawn pictures that said I love you. My family teases me to this day about that!!!

Then in Jr High I met the guy of my dreams and to this day he spoils me so!

In March we celebrate 24 years of marriage!!!

Oh, I love him!

To me, Valentines day is a day to do something extra special for my family.

One of the things I used to do for Natasha is send her flowers

"from someone who admires you"

...I started this tradition when she was in 5th grade.

She had no clue who had sent her flowers and it drove her crazy.

Haha! She would call everybody she knew and asked if they had sent her flowers!

She loved that she had an admirer.

Every year she got excited and wondered if this year she would get flowers again and sure enough she would.

Then when we moved to Lubbock she started to get antsy a few days before Valentines day and I asked what was going on and she was wondering if her admirer knew that she had moved, LOL

...sure enough she came home with a bundle of flowers!

Listening to her phone calls to her friends back in OK was priceless! Her admirer had followed her to Lubbock...

The following year my secrete came to an end. She had a serious boyfriend who was about to break up with her and so I had to tell her that it was me all those years sending her flowers haha!

The look on her face was priceless!

I continued to send her flowers every year and she would tell me with a smile that her stalker sent her flowers again!

Last Valentines Day was super hard!

Natasha is no longer with us and it hurt to not see her big smile coming through the

door on Valentines Day with her flowers...

Now I bring her flowers at the cemetery and the tag still says

"from someone who admires you"

 I will always admire my little girl! She had strength I dream of.

I love her so much!

As Valentines Day is just around the corner again, Pete and I went to Hobby Lobby last night to get her her Valentine bouquet. Today I made the heart tag that says

"from someone who admires you"!

We also went and bought our boys their Valentine gifts!

I love my Husband and Children with all my heart! Valentines - es un dia de Amor!

Love on your family!

Love,

Priscilla

She said Yes to Writing!!!

You ever wonder why I decided on the name of this blog?

You see for as long as I can remember my sister and I have loved creating beautiful things.

We have crafted many things together.

We have gone on many shopping trips.

We share many decorating books that have us on the phone chatting over this page and that page,

and one phrase has always been ours...it HAS TO BE PRETTY!

At our family gatherings, there is always a time before hand where we will call each other, giggling with complete joy as we chat over the decorations. We really think it makes everyone feel special...time and effort into everything you do shows how you feel about it!

While my sweet sister talked me into starting a blog, I've also kept asking her to come write with me...I've heard a lot a giggles with a no answer.....but WAIT...GUESS WHAT?!!!!!!

With complete JOY, I would like to introduce you to my sweet sister, Priscilla!!! 

She is not only my sister and best friend, she is truly a Proverbs 31 woman, and SHE IS GOING TO WRITE THE NEXT POST!!

It's OUR phrase...HAS TO BE PRETTY, it's only meant to be for her to join me...hehee...PURE HAPPINESS!

Stay tuned..I promise you will be so blessed by her!!

Love,

Naomi

Let's Gather..Let's Remember..Let's Laugh and Play!!

That's what holidays are like with our family!!!

We had our Thanksgiving gathering this past weekend.

OH DID WE HAVE FUN!!!

Food at my mamma's house is always so yummy!!

My sister ALWAYS brings the most delicious side dishes! This year she made this Paula Deen sweet potato/apple combo. Talk about a keeper and it's PRETTY!!

...doesn't food always taste better when it's pretty?!!

Are  you getting hungry for your Thanksgiving feast?!

Sadly, I never did get a chance to take pictures of our desserts.

They were consumed quite quickly...sugar rules!!! We get to go have yet another feast over Thanksgiving at hubby's parents...I can't wait!! We always go home to our parents over holidays and celebrate at our mamma's.

How do you celebrate?

We made tons of fun memories this past weekend!!!

We decided it would be a great idea for all the girls to enjoy the afternoon playing dress up!

My sister brought her sweet daughters prom dresses and heels, it was   extra special for everyone!!!

We all miss my sweet Niece so much, 
she tragically passed last year and anything that 
belonged to her 
is just so special 
to all of us!!!
 She would have loved to be 
a part of their fun, I just know it.
With the addition of some of my summer 

dresses and heels and a table filled with Grandma's pearls,
 Those girls lit up!!!

They danced and we all ended up 
joining them for a mini photo shoot!!!

Oh the memories...

Life is so meaning full 

to me these days!!

What kind of memories do we make with 
our our children? 
Will they cherish these times as we do?

I believe so!!

I love the time spent with these girls!! They have beautiful spirits!!

 We have gone through it all...side by side, laughed till we cried, and most importantly, held each other up in the hardest of times!

...Had many PRETTY moments together!!

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

May you enjoy family time as much as I have. Take some time to add those OH SO SPECIAL moments that will forever be remembered!!!

Love, 
Naomi