Shot Gun Shell Crafts!

So I have decided to abandon all my ideas about Christmas and be true to myself. This means shotgun shells and taxidermy. I love the rustic look and to honor this self discovery I will be having "Shot Gun Shell" Christmas lights. Barbwire stars and some small guns and ammo ornaments! To start this off right Tim and I began making our lights. It was very fun but I have a few more to shoot before I have enough casings.

 My kitchen is crazy.....don't judge me.

Happy...so very happy.......

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things!

Here is something you may not know about me, I love African culture! The animals, people, art and DOGS! Yes folks I said dogs. I love animal print and I would wear those African moomooo's and head wraps. I must share with you all my most beautiful dogs. They are so spectacular. I have greyhounds! I love them, the way they move and run. Their personalities are so awesome. I wanted to share a pic of them.....

Olive is the fawn one in my lap & SweetPea is the stripped one next to me. Popeye is at the end of the bed & Sterling is the small grey one who I love as well even though he is NOT a hound......

Saturday Night Dinner

My sisters have encouraged me to blog. I realized that there is only 1 thing important to me and that's my family. So, I will subject y'all to all my wacky family antics! Starting with Dinner.......

My daughters and I began dinner with one goal in mind, FEED DADDY!!! As "Th' Man" he must be feed every 6-8 hours to avoid the transformation from this.........

To this........

Its quite scary!

So, we cooked Meatloaf. (please excuse the dirty oven)

Mashed Taters....

                                                                 and green beans.......

We set the table and started to chow down!

As you can see some of us chowed down harder than others...but in the end we were all satisfied and spent some awesome quality time together!!!!

Much Love,
Vet

Sooooo Busy

Well it's been several months since I have blogged and I thought I would let y'all know whats happin'.
..............NOTHING! I have been so busy doing nothing. Daily life is so hectic that "getting stuff done" is just a ridiculous statement. All has been well and many things have happened. First my brother in law has FINALLY married. Although I'm glad he waited. Alita is AMAZING and so perfect for him. Mike and Harmony have begun the renovation of their kitchen. I am so excited for Harmony. Mom and Dad will be going to Florida this summer for a wedding. Cici came down for a few weeks this summer. Everyone is doing well.
     As for Tim & I we have been just flowing along and trying to live through the summer. For so reason an alien invasion descended upon my house and must have switched bodies with my kids because they are not the children I dreamed of spending the summer with.....sigh. School starts soon and much to my shame I CAN"T WAIT!!!!!!!!! I will try to blog more but no promises........

The Wedding Shower.

What a good time we had. Alita being part of our family is going to be amazing!

I have no idea why I stood there at parade rest but......I did o.0

We were playing a "Get to know Alita" game.

We ate and ate until we thought we would bust!

Alita is preparing to become a "Batham Girl"

The "original Batham girl"

And plenty of blessings to end the day..........

Hey

Well, it's been awhile but I'm back. I hope that all is well with y'all and that you had a pleasant winter. Spring is here and along with that is the beginning of bluebonnets. I love our state flower. It is so beautiful. Along with Texas spring also comes the beginning of brutal hot weather and ALLERGIES! Yuck!! So in an effort to overcome discontentment I will embrace Texas with its up and downs and try not to dream of a place that is 70 degrees in the summer........sigh

A Dozen

Hello All,
   Today marks the 12th year that I have been with my AMAZING husband. So many things have happened in such a short time. I say that because it feels like only yesterday we were beginning our life together.
I thought I would recap those memories......

Year 1: Tim learned all my little dark secrets. He still loved me....

Year 2: This year was the roughest. I was free so I just put him on the back burner and did what I wanted. He still loved me......

Year 3: We moved to Austin and got really close. We became best friends. He still loved me.......

Year 4: This began our journey into parenthood. We adopted Silas. We had Denise. I was pregnant and so sick at night that he got up with Silas. This would be the way things would stay from that day to this.
He still loved me......

Year 5: I lost my darling Daddy and plummeted into a dark depression. He still loved me.........

Year 6: Rebekah was born and we moved into our Red Rock home. I stumbled and bumbled through mothering 3 babies. He still loved me....

Year 7: Paul was born. I began a addiction. It broke his heart but he had to make me choose. The drugs or him. I chose him. I shouldn't have had to chose. It never should have happened. He still loved me......

Year 8: God spoke truth into my life and I began the slow climb to being a Help Meet. He still loved me....

Year 9: I wanted to die. I felt like a loser. He took the gun from my hand. He still loved me....

Year 10: I fell in love with my husband again. This time I kept my promise to him and God. I will be a good wife and mother. He still loved me......

Year 11: We are preparing to foster, we are homeschooling and are more in love than ever. I still doubt myself. He still loves me.....

Year 12: I don't know what this year will hold but what I do know is that he will always love me......

For you my darling pomegranate.......

OMG!!!!!!!

    Ok so this weekend will be our FIRST "official" dealings with foster kids. Althought Tim & I have done plenty of family placements. We are doing what is called respite care. That means the regular foster parents need to take some time off and do things that the F.K.'s can't do or they just need a VaCa. Okay I admit it I use the word "VACA". So sue me. Any Who.....we have decided to take the kids to the San Antonio Zoo. Thats right I will have 11 kids and 3 adults. Add that up, and thats alota people! Thats ok thought I am READY!!! The wonderful people at S.A.Z will let all our kids under 17 in for FREE!!!! We bought a family pass so all the kids are free. Yearly passes are great. So the grand total for getting into the Zoo.....$5.00! That is to renew and add our card!!! WOOT!WOOT!!!
    Part of me is so scared. I know though that I am doing what God wants me to so I draw strength in that. Well, wish me luck and I will post zoo pics soon.........

Sigh...tomorrow is MONDAY!

I HATE MONDAY'S!!!! Sure, sure I know all the "God's given us another day" stuff and I also know I should be thankful but how would you like it if Monday was the begining of  a 5 day withdraw? My husband will leave on Monday morning @ 7:30 am and won't be back until 6:30 pm!!!!! This will happen everyday until Saturday! GRRRRRR!!!!! Ok so maybe I'm being a brat but......dang it! I love him and he is awesome and I don't wanna be without him!!!!!   Ok, sorry I'll stop whining now. Everyone have a good week and hopefully I will post something positive in a couple days. As for you Monday......BRING IT!!!!!!!

Really People.......How do I resist all this sexyness? I just can't!

Just random thoughts.......

Ok, so here I sit Saturday morning typing and listening to my precious husband snore away. He has worked so hard lately and I find him to be one of the most amazing people EVER! So as he sleeps the morning away a little wicked part of me wants to.....JUMP UP AND RUN TO THE BED! LEAP THROUGH THE AIR AND LAND FULL FORCE ON HIS STOMACH! WITH MY SUPER NINJA SKILLS I WANT TO GRAB HIS INNER THIGH AND TICKLE HIM FOR ALL HE'S WORTH. I WANT TO BITE HIM AND PULL HIS EARS! ( taking a deep breath from the mental exceleration). ONCE HE JOLTS AWAKE AND TRIES TO SHOVE ME OFF I WANT TO GET HIM IN A THIGH OF STEEL GRIP AND SQUEEZE UNTIL HE BEGS FOR MERCY!!!!! BWHAHAHAHAHAH! (wicked laugh, another deep breath).  But alas, I won't because I pinky promised that I wouldn't wake him.....sigh

                                                   Sleep well Oh Lover sleep well......

Denise

Yesterday my Darling denise spilled some apple juice on the table. Everyone looked at her and she burst into tears. We had Grandma and Grandpa over along with a lady from our church. I just looked at her and said , " Honey no use cryin over spilled juice." With a wink and a smile and a dish cloth the mess was cleaned. All this to introduce Denise. She is sweet and oh so sensitive.

I know she looks kinda cracked out but she really has a hard time with pictures....
Ok so she is in the 2nd grade and I just wanna know. When did she get so big? I still remember giving birth to her like it was yesterday. She does well and she deals with dyslexia like a champ. She is an overcomer. It was so hard but she did it with the determination that only true Bathams possess.

I think I love her.........

I know I love her........

She is the one who is most excited by us getting foster kids. She is just concerned that she won't remember their names. She is so sweet and caring.

Baby Paul

   Well I wanted to introduse you guys to my babies. I wondered what did people care about getting to know my kids but they are so AWESOME that I would be depriving humanity by not sharing. So today I want to intoduce ya'll to Paul......

Ok, so this is "Baby Paul". If you ask him what he wants to be when he grows up he will tell you simply, "a man." He likes to wear mustaches or have them painted on. Kindergarden has been hard for him. He can't seem to stay on the "Angel Strip". He is so protective and caring when it comes to his mommy.

Just the other day he rescued me from being lost in the woods in the dark.

I think what I love best about Paul is that he is so warm and snuggley in the mornings and he always has time for a quick sunggle with mommy.

My induction into the teenage years......

      Ok so I love my children. I have 6 of them. 3 we adopted and 3 are our bio. babies. Amelia turned 13 last November and all seemed to be going well. No nutty hormones, no boys, no DRAMA! I thought, "Well all those other moms were wrong, Amelia will be diffrent. My "perfect teen." Am I full of crap or what!?! September the pooh hit the fan in a major way! Hormones, boys and drama all at once. YIKES!!!! I was totally blindsided. I was so full of myself and my "perfect" teen that when the enevitable happened it made my cry. I mean the full blown ugly cry with snot, wailing and the whole mess.
      First, she has decided to be the trainer/water girl on the school football team. Then she gets a beau,
*quick side note: I refuse to use the "boyfriend" word. Odd I know but it helps me cope*
His name in A.J. and he seems really sweet.

Ok this I can handle. I know I can......

Supervised time together and random text checks. Got it!

I can't discuss her insane hormones because that will cross the "teenage line". I'll comply....for now.

And then when I thought I could handle it all. She took out the big guns. She told me that I embarass her. :(

It broke my heart. And after about an hour of feeling sorry for myself I went to her room and said, "I'm the mommy and have earned the right to embaress you!"

"I don't wear makeup because I want to spend that extra time in the morning with you. I don't wear fancy clothes because I'm busy buying them for you. I don't have a new house or car because I spend all our extra money on you so, suck it up and let me love you the best way I know how!"

Then for the first time in the 6 years that Amelia has been with us she gave me a big sloppy kiss and hug.

She use to tolerate hugs and cheek kisses but last night a wall fell and I wouldn't have it any other way.