My Pops...

xoxo

Pops...

I just wanted to say a word about the most- most important man in my life (before my Hubzie & before I knew the Lord) my Pops. This fella here was the man who raised me w/ so much love & security(& @ the time,  hands that seemed as tho they belonged to a giant). I went back & forth from my moms to her parents house all of my young life (for reasons I won't share). My grandfather had a ranch in NM, where thankfully I spent quite a bit of my youth. There I got to be a cowgirl, explorer, treehouse co builder & basically anything that my young mind could dream up. While on my trip back to NM last week I had a really wonderful visit w/ him. (now 85 years young) It was such a reminder of who is in my life. He's a really great man & one to whom I have measured all of the men in my life.( so many will never measure up). So I just want to say,"Thank you Papaw, I wouldn't be the woman, wife, mom & friend that I am today, if you hadn't been there to love me & to teach me how to love." I love you...

Leah Allen
-- Sent from my Palm Pre

New year, I'm here!

Hi peeps! Well I'm posting this from my Palm Pre in the middle of an ice storm, so we'll see if it works! I wonder if any of you know if you can post pics on here from a mobile? Anywho, I just returned from NM. My mom found a lump so off I went. We just got the results back & Praise God, it was just a tumor! Things have been crazy here as usual when anyone has 3 teen girls @ home! Kait has a boyfriend- whom we really like!  - (God-is-so-very-faithful! ) We also really like his parents, which is such a nice bonus! Man, I can hear the sleet hitting the window right now! Brrrrr! The girls just went on their church ski trip last week. They had so much fun but were sore! The place they went is only 5 or so hours away & we are thinking of maybe going back before winter is gone. Everyone seems to hate this time of year (including hubbsie) but I just love it & I really can't explain why, but for you I'll try :). Theres just somthing about bundeling up ( scarves, gloves & nice warm fur boots) & feeling the snow on your face. Looking out the window & everything is covered in white!. Makes me feel all warm & cozy inside- nevermind the excuse it gives me to make a fire ;). What's your favorite part of winter? Or are you one that just wants it to hurry on by? %ve missed you guys & what's happening in your world (although a good number of you are friends of mine on FB ;) so I'm gonna get going & pop around to your places & see what's up wicha! (also lil P has just asked me to start a fire. How could I say no to that :) LYLAS/B. & stay toasty warm! LA

I'm A Winner!!!

Helllllo, hows my peeps? I hope your all having a fabulous summa. We are having a really great time!! Im just a lovin this Oklahoma heat ( ok, not really, but what can ya do??) I have alot to report but we"ll take it slow. First off, 2 of my teens are off in Iowa visitin family and boy has it been quiet round here!!
I have also been on a "Eat Clean" diet for 3 months. I have now lost .. wait for it.... 54 lbs. Ohhhh YEAH! I was in a "Summer Slimdown" challenge & I won 1st place, also $450.00!!!... Not to Shabby eah???. I am going out tonight w/ Big Daddy (for the first time in over 90 days) to celebrate & I am reallllly looking fwd it it!! I know I have told a few of you how I lost the weight, but if any others of ya wanna know, just zip an email over to me and I'll spill the goods!!
Syd is back from camp & we have had such a good time hanging out & having one on one time. I love it! Although, she has a busier schedule than I do so we have to squeeze in time... Ahhhh, to be a teen again!

Also, I dont know whats going on (other than I prayed specifically for it) but I have started meeting some of the most precious women (in computerville & round town!) & have really enjoyed these precious, genuine, loving friendships!!. Here are just a few pic's of em: ( Lisse above w/me & JW down with my man;) Very excitin, God is so very faithful aint He?!!

Well gang, we are off to our fav. local Mexican joint, but I hope you guys are enjoying the sun, fun & freedom the summer brings.

I LYLAS/B and I'll post again reallllly soon! ♥ LA

Oh the fun that was had!!

Hi gang! I surely do hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful July. Its been nice here the past few days, in the 80"s, a little rainy & I love the rain!!  We have had alot going on this summer (as Im sure you all have!). Two of my older girlz are out of state seeing family, and the other (older one) was in Waco last week on a poverty mission trip w/ our church. She had some amazing stories. One was that they did the prayer of salvation with two sisters who wernt saved. I cried. Its such an awesome feeling to see how Gods plan is unfolding for your baby. We are very proud of her!!! Lil P hasnt gone anywhere except over to a friends to sleep over. She said the other day that she is LOVIN the sisters being gone. She's "not treated like poo and she gets to do what she wants" ( her words!!) We had a wonderful 4th of july party with friends.There were about 12 people and lots of food n fun. The kids swam for hours then we did fireworks for even longer. Here are some photos of the fun filled night...(at the top in our bff Kevin and Syd!)

 This lil P and her friend Abby.

These are my sweet friends Christy & Jw.

This is Abby's older sis. Makenzie...

My bff JW & my man!!

lil P and her bff Kenzie

and JW's sweet lil self w/ moi!

The forth was one of the first nights that I had been out in awhile, for 2 reasons. One is that Im doing this weightloss challenge and OMGAW its been realllly difficult. Ive lost considerable weight, but I've barely made it through!!(thank you honey for your love and patience!!)

The second reason is because I fell in my back yard...(ugh!) Sprained both ankles, my right knee, anddddd peepled all the skin off my big toe on my right foot.( I posted pic's on FB case yer interested ;)

So Sat. night was a very special treat, not to mention the fact that we were celebrating the men and women that have fought and are fighting for our freedom. I am so very thankful to live in this counrty, and am deeply thankful for the sacrifices being made!!

I miss all of your beautiful selves and promise to be here way more! Hope your having a fabulous week!!

xoxoxox ♥ LA

We survived!!!!

Friday night we had a lock~in birthday party for Kait's sweet 16th. Oh man was it a BLAST!!! I am so dang tired but it was totally worth it!! We had her fooled into thinking that we were meeting friends in Tulsa at her fav. mexican place & that we had to stop by our church for camp papers. So off we go upstairs to the youth area where a room full of people lay in wait to jump out & scream "Happy Birthday" to her. She,was SHOCKED!! The whole thing went off w/out a hitch, including the fact that 5o people from our church & friends knew & managed to keep it a complete secret~ Amazing!!

I had a cake made with a precious pic of her when she was 1.

(It's sitting in the kitchen right now beacause I cant force myself to cut into her precious lil body!! We did eat some, all around the edge, lol!) . 7 or 8 of my girlfriends came up to hang with us. I love my friends. They are truly supportive & sincerely love the girls & myself. I can see it in their actions, & I couldn't feel more blessed!!. Jenn Wedemeyer & Kelly Grubb did above n beyond & were there to get their "up -all- night" on & I am soooo thankful that they were. We played a series of games in the dark & after the boys went home these 2 ladies kept right up with the action & totally joined in on the chaos!  The alarms went off somewhere around 1am & we missplaced the code, we ran around for 20 minutes trying to find it, imagine 15 girls running around , SCREAMING  for 20 solid minutes!! I called 911 to let them know what was going on so they wouldn't send anyone, they didn't know a thing about it!!. The poor security company chap showed up around 2 am, I guess he didn't get the memo?! Mayyyyybe we need to re-evaluate our alarm situation?? lol. At one point Kelly & I hid in an area together that one of us could barely fit in, let alone both of us. We laughed, & laughed our henies off!!!. (also lost feeling in our butts & toes, & still continued at a ridiculous pace well past 4 am!!) And this is a pic of Jenn stuck, in a secret location that we cannot devuldge otherwise there might be consequences!! ;) Thank you ladies for taking time away from your families to embark on that adventure with me, your awesome!!

Kait & her friends are still talking about it & are already ready for the next one. Which is perfect because Kevin & Jenn are already offering to chaperone so I gatta get it on the calendar!! ;)

I cherish this time in our lives & hope to drink it all in. I just really hope that I'm not to worn our when lil P gets this age & needs me to participate in her life, lol!!

I hope you all had a fabulous weekend & I can't wait to read all about it!!

LYLAS/B ♥ LA

My baby is turning 16 tomorrow....

Kait my oldest turned 16 in ummm, 28 minutes ago. I seriously cannot believe it!!! Where in the world did all the time go, huh? A few days ago on Mothers day I was sitting doing somthing & suddenly realized that I only have 2 more mothers day's with all four of my girls under one roof~it hit me like a mack truck. I'm just not ready.

Tomorrow we are having a surprise lock-in birthday bash up at our church, & I'm having a pic of her on her first b~day put on her cake. As I sat going through all of the pictures of her over the last 16 years, I started to really struggle with how quickly the time has gone by. Did I spend enough quality time with her?. Does she know how very special she is to me?. Have I been a good mom to her?. Have I listened & encouraged her?. She was born 13 months before her twin sisters, & the first few years were really hard on her & took some adjustment (for all of us!!). I have wondered over the years if she got to be a baby long enough?.

She has really been a great big sister. When lil P came along she just jumped right in and was such a huge help to me. She has always been so mature & level headed & before she was a teen she was already offering to watch our friends children so that they could have a break!!

As of late, our life hasn't been one filled with very many tender moments. She & I are so much alike & there have been times when I wondered if I would make it through, but I have realized is that this is a time in her life where I am working on letting go, & she is working on going......

I couldn't have asked for a more precious Kaitlyn. She was hand picked just for me. I cherish every tick of the clock that God has gifted me with her as my daughter, & right now more than ever I want to celebrate having her in my life.

I love you very much Kaitlyn. Always know that I believe in you. I'm always going to be on your side. And you always , always, have a home here with me.

I cannot wait to see all of the wonderful things you have yet to do, & all of the mountains you have yet to climb.

Happy Happy Birthday Baby!!! ♥ MOM

Florida, Girlfriends, The Lord Jesus, & a sunburn! Ugh...

Had the best week, nearly ever!! I flew off to Fl. last Sat. for a week on the beach with my girlfriends. Just some time to rest and renew & boy did I. We moved from Florida 4 years this Sept. & until last week I really didn't think I missed it. I quickly realized, I do. I not only miss the white sandy beaches, 90 degree days, aqua marine water, but I realllly misss my friends.
I know God moved us here for a few reasons. I have seen our buisness blow up, I've seen God truly work in my family's lives, but theres somthing about girls who know your dirt, & still love you...The friends I have there are strong,so loving, very tan (lol) real women of God who were (& are) such a special part of my life. I came home on thursday & told hubbs to pack it all up!!( although I couldn't leave my friends here.......... with out a few weeks advanced notice... :)
I have found some awesome friends here too. Why, just last night I had a teriffic G.N.O. & feel truly blessed that God has placed them in my life!!
I have just realized that the saying about season's of friends in your life is so true, but it takes alot of time & dedication to grow "old friends". I truly hope you are growing some of your own...

LYLAS/B ♥L.A

Well, It's official!!

Summer has arrived!! Hi ya'll, boyyyy have I missed you!!
Today (as most of you know) is Earth day.We went to see the movie Earth with some of our friends... (this is a pic of the little girls that went). It was really good and I just love how they filmed it.
It's so beautiful here today and 95 degrees right now. A few months ago I wasn't excited about summer, but after these last 3 windy cold months, I am READY!!
I have said this before, but I am so vexed about what to do with this blog. People have been getting on to me about not posting, but I just think of so many things I want to tell ya'll!!!
Well, lets see, I have recently lost some weight. It's been a toughie but I have had the most awesome support system of girlfriends and hubby, and I am well on my way. I am doing this wonderful eating thing, and if any of you want it, please email me and I'll be thrilled to share it with you. The weight has been seriously dropping. I had lost quite a bit of weight a few years ago on atkins, but the eating was so darn strict I couldn't stay with it... This isn't like that ;)
The girlies are at church right now so my casa is quiet. Ahhhhhhh.I love getting on here and not having a bazillion interruptions.
Things are going really good. We still have the typical life stuff, and parent of teen stuff, but I couldn't be happier. Our summer is already booking up. We have church camps, then 2 of the girls are going to Iowa to visit their cousins and Nana, and then in Aug. we are going on a vacation with some of our bestest friends. I can't wait, and hopefully I'll be 40 pounds thinner!!
We are about to start getting the pool ready. The girls have started to mention it often, so week after next I'll do may annual trek to the pool store and begin my daily ritual. I don't mind it, they spend alotttt of time in it during the summer.
I am also going to Florida next week with my girlfriends. I can't wait. I'm gonna sit my self on the white sandy beach and lay around laughing, loving and visiting the entire time!! I'm going to spend time with one of my bestest friends in the whole world! For some strange reason the girls are very excited for me to go. I think I might need to install motion censored security cameras in my house whilst I'm away??!!
Oh and I am twittering now. If you wanna add me shoot me an email and I'll be happy to link up!!
Okay, I have about covered it for now, and I want to pop around and see what you have been doing... I Heart you and can't wait to hear from you!!

LYLAS/B ♥ LA

wii are a lil late in the game!!

The older three girls stayed over at their friends last night, so lil P, hubbs and I went to dinner... Ahhh.

Then after, we wanted a coffee naturally and hubbs asked...

"Hey, how bout we buy a wii." Well, how could I say no?? So he and lil P stayed up well past midnight kicking each others butt at the various games. Why did we wait so long?? The girls and I created our wii~selves this morning. Ughhh!.

I've been working out with a personal trainer and the girls still made my wii girl chubby~ Sooo not fair!!!

The older three girls wern't home an hour and 2 have already been sent to their rooms!!

Well just as most of you, we got snow. It started early this morning and is still comming. We have a total white out!! We've got satelite TV and it's out today due to snow, which gives me the perfect excuse to be on here, for hours!!! ( I should have said" to do my bible study", but who am I kidding??)

Welp, I just sent # 3 to her room... This day just gets better and better!! I seriously just heard thunder right now, THUNDER & SNOW??? I have never heard of that in my whole life!!

Well,thanks to Keli's (Dream Imagine Live) update on facebook, I am heading out for wing's today~ Yum and eakkkk!!!

Okay, well I'm off to check some of you out, then get dressed to head off into the white, cold yonder to get me some wing's.... Man is it quiet here, Mama likie!! ;)

LYLAS/B ♥ LA