Stockings are hung....

I saw on one of my favorite blog sites, Tip Junkie, that she was posting some different ways to hang stockings if you do not have a mantle. Well, I have a mantle but since we use our fireplace often during the winter, they would be in the way there. So, I thought of doing something different with mine. I thought I'd show you my stockings and Wes's handy work. I purchased these wooden letters and had Wes paint them. Then he drilled some holes in the back so I could hang them. I bought some wooden dowels from Hobby Lobby to glue onto the front of my letters....and there you have it....homemade stocking letters. What do you think?

What more could a boy ask for?

Today has been such a wonderful Sunday. One of my wishes came true. Wes finally agreed to have family portraits. We had wonderful weather. I'm sure they turned out. I just can't wait to see. I'll share with you when I can. My men looked SO handsome.

Ok, so now on to the subject of this blog. Some of you may have known but Wes has been building Logan a playhouse out in the backyard. It has taken a few months to get to this point and it's still not complete.....still needs the paint on the top floor to be touched up and it needs a door......but this playhouse is able to be played on and that's all that matters. I am so proud of my husband. I think he has done an awesome job on this thing. I don't think Logan could ask for anything better. Here is Logan's playhouse...not sure if he has a name for it yet. Don't boys name things like this? Not sure, I'll have to ask Wes.

Here's a shot of Logan using his rope. Wes tied knots in it so it would be easier to climb. Logan needs a little more work on the going up but the going down he has it covered. :)

This is a shot of the slide attached. It can be moved around from one side to the other or taken off. Not sure if it will stay like this but it's the way it is for now. Why do kids like doing things the oppposite way?

I thought I'd include a couple of pictures of Logan looking out his playhouse. I think these shots show off his beautiful blue eyes. I think he's such a good looking kid, if I do say so myself. OH, and I have to mention the colors. Logan wanted it all to be green (outside and inside) but since we have a big red shop out back, Wes thought it would be best to not have 2 things that grab the eye. So Logan and Wes compromised. And for that compromise, Logan got to paint the inside ALL by himself. I think it made him feel so big and important. He sure is growing up. His vocabulary and reading skills are really improving. He's making me really miss him being a baby and making the baby itch even worse.

Now, to my favorite part of this playhouse. Wes put together a zip line. And let me tell you it is an awesome zip line. Heck, if I were a kid I'd be up there in a second. It's really too bad Wes didn't build one for adults too. So here it is....hope this video clip works.

Blessed and Thankful

I try to be one that stops and thanks God for all the wonderful things He does for me, big and small, throughout the year...not just on one day. But it is this time of year that it is especially on my heart and mind.


I want to try to come up with something different for my list of things I'm thankful for but the brain just isn't going along with that thought.


I am first very thankful for God and his dying on the cross for my sins. He is always right there when I need Him. He listens to me, He is my friend. I would be nothing without Him, His love and His mercy.


I am thankful for my freedom and this country that I live in. It has it's negatives but we are free here.


I am thankful for my family. Each and everyone of them. They are each special and different in their own way. Each have a place in my heart.


I am thankful for my friends. I have often thought of all the friends I am so blessed to have. They too, are special and different in their own way. Each one knows just the right thing to say or do. Several I have been friends with since college. You know, a lot of people only have one real good friend and several acquaintances. But I have several real good friends. I cherish friendships more than anything sometimes. A good friend knows how to lift you up when you're down, tell you when you're wrong about something even when you don't want to hear it, gives you the best advice they know how, listens when you just need a listener, makes you laugh when you need it, and prays for you. That's the key...a friend who Believes! I love that.


I am thankful for my health and my families health.


I am thankful for my faith.


I am thankful for my love for my friends and family.


I am thankful that God has a purpose and a plan for my life and that He is helping with my patience.


I am thankful for my church.


I am thankful for my mom who made a way for me to get braces and now I have straight teeth. :)


I am thankful for my dogs.


I am thankful for my boss and coworkers.

I am thankful for Starbucks on days like today where it's so hard to get to work.

I am thankful for short weeks at work....

I am thankful for YOU....LOVE YOU!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Anxious for Christmas

I haven't blogged in a while because there hasn't been much excitement going on around my house. But I am getting really excited for the holidays. I love this time of year. I enjoy spending time with friends and family.

Move over political ads and signs and make way for the numerous Christmas commercials for our local stores. Blah.

Oh I can't wait to pull out The Christmas Story and Home Alone.

Short and sweet but that's it for now. Just letting you know where my mind is lately....the holidays. Yay!

Six years

Yesterday was my 6th wedding anniversary. Man how time flies. It seems like just yesterday I was walking down the aisle. When I look back I can understand all the lines that I heard "are you sure?" "you're so young" "they'll never make it". One guy, that worked with Wes then, said "they'll never make it past 6 months." I think we've proved him wrong. Yes we were young. Yes we hadn't known each other that long. But I knew in my heart that Wes was THE ONE God wanted for my life and as my husband. I have told several girlfriends..."you just know". And I knew in the first conversation with Wes that he was heaven sent. No, he's not perfect. No, I'm not perfect. No, our marriage hasn't been a fairy-tale. But who's is. And I am happy and couldn't imagine spending my life with anyone else.

I had a friend ask me this weekend while we were discussing a situation in her life...."have you ever just looked at your husband and had this overwhelming feeling of love and appreciation?" And my answer was "absolutely!" Many times.

I love my husband, love the man he has become, love the father he has grown to be, and love him for simply being Wes.

Thank you God for six years! My prayer is that You will bless our marriage and help us to continually grow together and grow in You.

Overcome by Emotions....

What an amazing feeling I had as my sister walked into my house for her surprise birthday party. This is just what I had been waiting for. A month's worth of preperation and this was the day. The day to see if all the hard work and stress would pay off. And boy did it!

About a month ago my sister-n-law Amanda had talked to me about us giving Ashley a surprise 18th birthday party. The thought had already entered my mind but I had been consumed with giving a baby shower for a girl at church I hadn't given it much more thought. Then as Amanda and I began to discuss it we came up with the perfect plan. Amanda mentioned something about Dallas Cowboys, Ashley's favorite football team, and then I knew that was it! I quickly checked the Dallas Cowboys schedule and found out they would be playing on October 19th at 12. Perfect! We would have a surprise party at my house with it being Dallas Cowboy themed and with the game playing. So the planning began. Thank goodness for Amanda to be my sounding board. We had lots of instant messenger talks about how should we do this and what should we do about that. Oh the excitement was about to boil over for both of us. But we HAD to pull this off. What an accomplishment if we could keep this a secret.

Mom is really bad about letting the cat out of the bag at times so I kept this party a secret from even her for a couple of weeks. I had to find the perfect time to tell her or it would be ruined. Even telling her over the phone could be a hard job because mom doesn't know how to discuss things over the phone secretly. A perfect example.....do you want to know how Anthony and I found out mom was pregnant with Ashley? It wasn't a sit down discussion between the family or even a one on one with either of us. You see, she was talking on the phone. Anthony and I were in the same room and she was talking to an aunt of ours and there it was. The secret was out. Mom was pregnant. Oh I jumped and screamed and giggled. At the age of nine I was SO excited of the thoughts of being a big sister. I couldn't wait. So there you have it, mom is NOT good at keeping secrets. So anyways.....back to this surprise...we all managed to keep it a secret.

Invitations were sent out and the waiting began. I could not wait to see how Ashley would react. I wasn't really prepared for the emotions that would consume me at that moment. I always stress out over parties or showers that I'm helping with. Wanting everything to be just perfect. I am sure the other party goers thought I was a spaz. I am thinking that next time I give a party or shower that I will take a pill that morning. ha!

So I give Anthony and Amanda a lame excuse as to why they need to park in the back of my house for a "planned" lunch we would have together at my house. This was actually going to work. They pull up out back and I let all the family and friends know. "She's here!!!!" That's when the emotions were raging for me. Excited, scared, nervous, hands were shaking. I stood by the back door, off to the side, with camera in hand. "SURPRISE!!!!" Ashley just stands there looking all around at all the people that have filled the house. Dumbfounded I think would be a good word for her expression. She walks in further and puts her hands to her face and that's when it happened. Tears! Tears from Ashley, Amanda, me, and others. It all happened so fast but I remember us all hugging and tearing up and laughing. Oh it was wonderful.

Even thinking about it now, the emotions start to hit me. Who would imagine a surprise party being so emotional. This was it tho, the baby of our family is turning 18. To make someone feel so special and loved makes me feel so wonderful. There are no words to describe how I felt at that moment standing there watching Ashley become overcome with emotion because of pure surprise. Being 9 1/2 years difference between us, I have often felt like another mother to Ashley. I want to protect her, encourage her, be a friend, be someone she can come talk to about anything, and sometimes even be a sister that gripes about what she should be doing. But over all, I want her to know that she is loved and very special to me. I can't imagine life without my sister. She is very spoiled but I couldn't ask for a better sister. One thing I admire most about her is what a great christian young woman she has become. In today's society it is extremely difficult for teenagers. They get caught up in drugs, sex, alcohol, etc. at such an EARLY early age. But by the Grace of God, Ashley is still walking on the right path.

Time sure does fly by. Friday will be 18 years from when my sister was brought into this world. I remember Anthony waking me up early that morning telling me that Dad had taken Mom to the hospital. I couldn't wait to meet my little sister and I wondered what she would look like and couldn't wait to help with her. Now, 18 years later I thank God for the beautiful, sweet, loving friend He has given me as my sister.

........Love you Ash!

What we can GET excited about at our age!!!

I am SO excited! I have been in my house for 2 years now and I haven't done a whole lot of decorating (as far as things on the walls) because I had to do a lot of painting and applying money to the kitchen and flooring.........but I feel there is a change in the air. I know, I'm a nut. I can't help it. Meet my 2 new, (well, new to me) items...

I can definately tell I'm not a 21 year old anymore. I mean, come on, I'm getting grins and giggles over CHAIRS, for goodness sake. But these do make me happy. I'm not sure if I'll have room for BOTH of these in my living room or not but one more thing to sit on will make me happier. And I will be getting these recovered...don't you worry...they don't match each other...I know. I got these for $20 each. I thought I got a wonderful deal and that made me even happier. Sorry if I bored you but I just had to share. Next time you see these babies...or atleast one of them, will be recovered and beautified in my living room.

Keep swimming...

On a more serious note than my past blogs....I have been dealing with some personal issues lately. At times I feel like I'm going and going and getting nowhere and then somehow God brings me back to reality. Reminding me of all the things He has brought me through so far. There are things that have happened in the past year that I know without a doubt God's hand has been in it. So as I was needing to be reminded of God's grace I picked up a book off my shelf that I had started a couple of years ago and never finished. I needed some encouragement so I decided to start back to reading this book. It's called Facing Your Giants by Max Lucado. And I'm going to share with you what jumped out at me while I read. Maybe you're going through some struggles yourself and need a reminder just like I did.

Be quick to pray, seek healthy counsel, and don’t give up…..

Don’t make the mistake of Florence Chadwick. In 1952 she attempted to swim the chilly ocean waters between Catalina Island and the California shore. She swam through foggy weather and choppy seas for fifteen hours. Her muscles began to cramp, and her resolve weakened. She begged to be taken out of the water, but her mother, riding in a boat alongside, urged her not to give up. She kept trying but grew exhausted and stopped swimming. Aids lifted her out of the water and into the boat. They paddled a few more minutes, the mist broke, and she discovered that the shore was less than a half mile away. “All I could see was the fog,” she explained at a news conference. “I think if I could have seen the shore, I would have made it.”

Take a long look at the shore that awaits you. Don’t be fooled by the fog of the slump. The finish may be only strokes away. God may be, at this moment, lifting his hand to signal Gabriel to grab the trumpet. Angels may be assembling, saints gathering, demons trembling. Stay at it! Stay in the water. Stay in the race. Stay in the fight. Give grace, one more time. Be generous, one more time. Teach one more class, encourage one more soul, swim one more stroke.

*This passage can be found in Chapter 8 of this book.*

Eat dirt...and WIN!

That's exactly what one of Wes's cousins did last night at the church softball game. I wish I had taken a picture of that. Seriously, this kid slid to 2nd base and was COVERED with the red dirt. Afterwards he looked like he had been to a bad makeup artist who had chosen the wrong base color. ha! The church guys did awesome last night. We had our first win of the season! The final score was....US 15 and the opponents 12. Close game but we won!

This is our pastor, Clifton, doing what he likes to do best...instead of running for the balls...Gotta love him!

Thank you Lord, for our win, and no hurt men.

One more thing..

I forgot to mention that I did indeed put my sister through much torture during the Hobby Lobby shopping trip. Too many decisions. So I owe her a HUGE thank you for her support. HA! Love you Ash!!!!

For the Love of softball...and my husband...

I did it. I actually went to Hobby Lobby and purchased some crafty items. Now I was about to say that this was my first attempt at being crafty, but I really can't say that. I have done my own share of making invitations for my sister-in-law's baby shower and a friend's lingerie shower. These weren't your typical invitations that you print and go either. These took some time and effort and in the end I was quite proud of my work. Now, if anyone thought they were actually bad, I don't know. They've saved my feelings and kept it to themselves. Anyways, my next step into the craft world was taken this past weekend. Wes plays in our church's softball team. All the team members have their numbers on the back of their shirts. I had purchased a tshirt for myself to show some support but it didn't have anything on the back. It needed something. It needed some spruceing up. So with the help of my little friend Candace (the pastor's daughter who is a Freshman in H.S.) I did just that. I added some sparkle and some of my own taste to my shirt. I wonder what's next when it comes to my crafty skills? Hmmmm I'm still thinking on that one.

A year gone by..what have I done?

Let's see. I'm going to try and summarize what has all happened in the last year and get caught back up to where I am today. And believe me.....this will be long.

October 2007: Picked up Sadie. It was quite interesting. We took Logan and headed down to Godley, TX on a Saturday. Picked Sadie up and she was so nervous and out of her comfort zone that she decided to throw up dog food all in her new crate. We stopped at the nearest convenience store, cleaned it out, and I drove home while Wes held Sadie. ** Inside note** He wouldn't admit it to anyone but he LOVES our little lap dog. I'm going to try and attach photos. Hope they all work...

A year later Sadie is still a bit nervous of strangers or too much excitement around her. Her and Roscoe (our other dog - a/k/a Bat Dog) have become good buddies. They can be quite affectionate towards each other....Sadie tends to lick Roscoe's slobber from his tongue when it is hanging out. HA! Then when Wes drives up out back Roscoe will bulldoze over Sadie so she's sure not to get too close to Roscoe's master. It's the craziest thing.

Next in October was our 5th wedding anniversary. You know, it's a pretty big accomplishment for young people to make it to their 5th wedding anniversary. A lot of people our age do not think of marriage as a commitment anymore. It's really a shame. But you know, I give all the credit to God. Only He knows how much Wes and I have gone through and He has always been there. I thank God for Wes every day....ok enough of the mushy stuff. Wes and I went to Granbury, TX to celebrate. We stayed in a bed & breakfast, played golf together (well, Wes played while I drove the golf cart), shopped the square, went to a drive in movie theater, saw the local musical (50's singing), and got massages. It was wonderful. I wish I could go back there every year!

2007 2002 February - March 2008: Next is the BIG deal. Updating our kitchen. Oh my goodness. If you haven't ever had to remodel part of your home before you are lucky. We didn't "have" to but when you see before and after pictures you will understand. And you know what, it's not even 100% finished yet. I got so tired of dealing with workers, their schedules, my schedule, decisions, AND money that I just decided to take a break. The only thing I lack is the backsplash. It will just have to wait. Ok, so what all did I do to my kitchen. I had the old cabinet doors and hinges pulled off. Had new doors made with the no-show hinges. Had interior and exterior painted. New knobs & pulls. New flooring (ceramic tile that looks like hard wood), solid surface countertop, new sink, new faucet, new dishwasher, & new microwave ventahood. Some people may not like the offwhite cabinets with white appliances. Well, the stove and fridge were already there. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my new kitchen. The previous owner was an older lady and she loved to paint. So she decided to paint leaves and vines on the cabinets. Good for her but headache for me! Ackkkk! Bye, bye blue...hello loveliness.

Before (with previous owner's stuff):

After:

June 2008: I went on a fabulous 10 day trip to Nashville/Cookeville, TN, Mississippi, and Panama City Beach, FL. I flew by myself to Nasvhille stayed with my good friend Shontel. We had a great, relaxing time. Oh, and would you believe (if you know me really well) that I ate Indian Food. Now, if you don't know me very well, you wouldn't know that I am a VERY picky eater and have just started venturing out and trying new things. I do have to say it was something that I tried and probably won't ever try again. HA!

We also did some hiking and sight seeing at one of the local Falls there. It was very pretty. On this hike I saw an itty bitty baby mouse that wouldn't move and an albino (sp?) squirrel. If you look in the middle of the picture you can see it. It looks like a cat, but believe me people...it is a squirrel. Very cool!
Shontel took me to the Grand Ole Opry, Opryland, downtown Nashville, to her church, and showed me around Cookeville.

Next my friend from Mississippi came and picked me up. We met up with 3 other girls and we drove on down to PCB, FL for a few days. We had such a good time eating, drinking Claire's homemade margaritas, playing games, lounging on the beach, and the best part of all SHOPPING at the best outlet mall I've ever been to. Oh man. I was in hog heaven. We're going to try and do this once a year. And I'm pumped up ready for next year to hurry and get here. Whooooohoooo!!!!
And I can't forget to mention my celebrity sighting. Well, I'm STILL going to say I met the real deal. You can believe what you want...... As we were standing in the LONG line at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville one of the girls said "hey, isn't that Kenny Chesney??!!" It looked JUST like Kenny Chesney...here in a sec, I'll let you see for yourself. But we kept thinking "why would he be with that woman, that's no model or KC-type woman." So Diana, being the super tech-savy person she is looked up his tour date on her BlackBerry. Nope, it couldnt be him. He was scheduled to be in Wisconsin that night. Well, I had already decided that if he were to get close enough to me I would definately ask him to take a picture with me. Guess what.....he came strolling by with his "woman" in tow. Well I blurted out...."sir, sir, do you mind taking a picture with me??" He looked at me a little weird and then said "you'll have to ask her" (looking toward his "woman". She agreed. (You can only imagine what they were thinking of me!) So there as we stood getting ready for the quick picture I decided to introduce myself....here is the conversation: T-"thank you so much, I'm going to tell everyone back home that I met Kenny Chesney - you look so much like him, do you get that a lot" K - shrugs and answers "not really". T -"I'm tonya" (shaking hands) "what's your name" and I don't even remember his name he said he was from LaGrange, Georgia. At this point I am asking him questions to REALLY see if he's Kenny or some dude TRYING to be Kenny. He didn't sound like Kenny but he could have been trying to fool me. *shaking head* So when I got home I compared the picture I have of him and lots of pictures of Kenny on the internet. Now, I tell ya, if this wasn't Kenny this dude was trying seriously hard to be Kenny. Check out the necklace, hat, and glasses. You could've fooled me (he did).....so to this day I'm still saying this was Kenny Chesney...I don't care what anyone says!

And that, my friends, are all the most exciting things that have happened within the last year. Now, hopefully, I'll do better with my blogging and won't have to do this once a year. lol!

Logan had a war with the playground and the playground won...

Well as I mentioned yesterday Logan got hurt on the playground. I'm not sure what he was playing on but he told his dad he was playing and fell and busted his chin open. Yep, Logan will officially have his first chin scar. Wes said "that's alright buddy, I have plenty of scars on my chin." Logan's mom said he was a really good sport while getting 3 stitches in his chin. He didn't cry or throw a fit or anything. I'm proud of my little man. Wish I could have been there to give him a hug and take him out for ice cream or something. Poor little guy.

We won't have him this weekend but maybe next time we do I'll take a picture for ya.

Need your opinions....

Ok, for those of you who MAY be reading this...give me some cool ideas for a new title to my blog site instead of Tonya's Space....that seems boring. Come on Summer, I know you can help me think of something.....and you better become a blog stalker of mine like I am of yours. HA!

About a year later and still thankful...

Well maybe I can do better about posting some blogs here and there. I found out that my life just doesn't seem all that interesting as some peoples'. But if you're here reading this, you atleast must love me for something......

Even before I came back to this blog site today I caught myself, walking outside, thanking God for what a BEAUTIFUL, AMAZING, FRESH, cool day it is. The sun is shining, there is a small breeze blowing and it is just a great day. Atleast I have a window to look out as I sit here at work. I hope you're enjoying some great weather as well, wherever you are. So I was right when I said I would be back with some other things I would be thankful for (from my previous blog). God is so awesome.

As I was typing this Logan's mom called and asked about Logan's insurance. It seems Logan fell on the playground. I do not have all the details since she was calling from the doctor's office but it seems he hurt his chin. Bless his little heart. But there again, something I can be thankful for...no broken bones, etc. I'll keep you updated on how he turns out.