A FAUX Slumber Party

Last Friday, my baby girl turned 6 years old! I don't know why, but I feel incredibly older myself just knowing I have a six year old! Presley has always dreamed of the day that I would allow her to have a slumber party. I'm not even sure how she knows what a slumber party is, but I do know that it will be many years before we have REAL one. That doesn't mean, however, that we couldn't have a FAUX Slumber Party. So began the planning....

We made some cute invitations.... We were really surprised that every girl we invited was able to come except for one. Presley is so blessed to have so many good friends. It was a fun crowd...school friends, church friends, and lifelong friends all together! The girls all showed up in their favorite pajamas and, of course, had their favorite stuffed animal or doll. As the excited little girls arrived, they jumped on the trampoline. Once everyone was there, we got busy decorating pillow cases. I am so glad I had my mom there to help me with this activity! This didn't go exactly as planned because the pillow cases were ginormous. You really do get your money's worth at Dollar Tree, I guess! Anyway, the girls all decorated the cases together and everyone wrote their name on each one of them. Let's just say they were....um...creative? Next we ordered pizza and had a feast. We also played some games. We put all the stuffed animals or dolls in the center of the room, and then we blindfolded each girl one at a time. They had to find which stuffed animal belonged to them. They were so cute! I love the sound of little girls giggling! Of course, our Fat Friday (see previous post) had to be combined with Presley's birthday party, so we had chocolate cake and ice cream, and then Presley opened presents. We put a movie on, but the girls were too excited to really watch it, but they did get still enough for me and mom to paint their fingernails and to snap a few pictures! The three hour party ended with a wild and crazy dance party. Thank goodness for Jim Bob...he kept the girls entertained. As you can see, I had to provide some entertainment myself with my awesome dance moves....Thank goodness there is no video!

At the end of the party (9:00), we sent the girls home ready for bed (well, maybe a little too wired to go to bed, actually) with a goody bag filled with a package of popcorn, a toothbrush, and some fingernail polish, along with one of the pillowcases they decorated. I think everyone had a great time....I know Presley had a blast!

June 12th--My Luckiest Day

On June 12, 1999 my greatest dream came true. I married the man of my dreams. Ever since I was old enough to think about getting married one day, I had this picture in my head of the "perfect husband." He would have a wonderful sense of humor, he would love to laugh and have fun, he would be handsome, of course, and he would be incredibly romantic. This "perfect man" would rescue me from spiders and tornadoes and he would hold my hand when we were driving in the car. I imagined that this man would love music and would maybe even sing to me sometimes. I pictured a man who loved and respected his family and would be an excellent father. I knew that this "perfect husband" would love the Lord with all his heart and that he would encourage me to grow in God's Word.

As I got older, I began to doubt that this image I had in my head could possibly exist. Even if he did exist, I certainly didn't deserve him. In September of 1997, Jim Bob Archer came into the Love Shop where I worked and asked me on a date. I remember rushing home that very night and calling my mom to tell her to pray, pray, pray. I already knew that this guy was different and I'm pretty sure I told my mom he was "perfect." We were married on June 12, 1999 at 7:00 pm at Second Baptist Church in Levelland. Ten years later, I am still overwhelmed by God's love for me....He gave me Jim Bob.

As if our wedding wasn't enough to make June 12th my favorite day of the year, four years later Jim and I were blessed with our first child. Presley Laine Archer was born at 6:15 pm on June 12, 2003, just 45 minutes shy of the exact time Jim and I were married! She weighed 8 lbs. 12 oz. and I literally felt my heart expand the minute I laid eyes on her. I remember every single detail of that incredible day, and as I think back, a slideshow of memories plays through my mind. Is she really already six years old? Did she really just finish her first year of school? Is that sweet baby girl that I used to dress in ruffles and bows really the same little girl that waltzes through my house picking out her own clothes, getting her own snack, and becoming so independent? Presley is one incredible little girl, if I do say so myself. She is compassionate and is learning that the most important things in life are to "Love God, Love Others." She has such a joy that shines out of those green eyes. I love to watch her dance around the room or hear her sing at the top of her lungs in her bedroom. Her infectious smile draws people to her, and she makes friends so easily. It has been amazing watching her draw closer to God. She has always had such a spiritually mature outlook on life for her age. I learn things from this child every single day. She makes me a better person. I am so blessed to be her mother. Again, what a perfect picture of God's love for me....He gave me my children. June 12, 2003Presley's 1st Birthday/Our 5th AnniversaryTwo Years OldThree Years Old4th Birthday5 Years OldMy Birthday Girl

June 12th....What a glorious day! Happy 10th Anniversary, Jim Bob! Happy 6th Birthday, Sweet Pea!

Fatten UP Friday

So, obviously, I have fallen very behind in my blogging lately. The last time I posted, I was in the midst of surviving a week without my hubby. Since then, he has made it home safely, and we are all thouroughly enjoying our first summer to all be home together. Yes, I have fallen behind on my posting, but it has not been due to lack of blogworthy material. My husband hijacked my camera and took it to Morocco, so I have not been able to post any pics. (Thankfully, he did not leave my camera with his passport in Spain.) Anyway, what's a blog without pics, right? I have now retaken possession of the Kodak, and boy do we have pictures.....Consider this your warning that the following post/pictures may give you indigestion via the internet...

I confess, my family and I love to eat. It seems that often our most exciting, fun moments revolve around where and what we will eat. Now, we have made a pretty big effort to eat healthy for the majority of the time, however, after today, all Fridays throughout the summer have been declared "Fat Friday." It started out this afternoon with a craving for ice cream. I have always wanted to go to the Ice Cream Shoppe on 26th and Boston. So, we loaded up the fam and headed out for a sweet treat. By the way, this is now my new favorite ice cream shoppe. It is like stepping back in time, complete with a free juke box in the back. We each got our favorite flavor, loaded the juke box with Elvis songs, and had a great time.

Oh friends, if only it ended with an innocent ice cream cone. We then decided that it would be a great night for a date to the Drive-In. I love, love, love going to the drive-in with my kiddos and my honey. There is nothing better than holding my kids in my lap, sharing a box of popcorn, and watching a family film. That is unless you send your husband into the snack bar without you. Most of you who know Jim Bob will understand that I should have known better than to send him into get food. I should also know better than to tell him to just surprise me with something. I kid you not, my husband returned 15 minutes later with....3 chihuahuas, chicken strips, two corn fritters, chili cheese fries, a funnel cake, and a large box of popcorn. Seriously! What was a girl to do? What kind of wife would I be if I allowed my husband to bear all of these calories on his own? So, I set all calories and points aside and dug in! The kids didn't help much, but they did what they could... Yes, that is a funnel cake in my lap....

On a LIGHTER note, ahem, we saw the movie UP. It was wonderful, and had a great message. I would highly recommend it. I was not prepared to get misty eyed within the first 10 minutes and surely did not expect to actually cry by the end, but it could have been the cheese fries. We ended our fabulous, first "Fat Friday" by taking a ride on the Marsha Sharp Freeway aka "The Shark" as Grayson likes to call it. For some strange reason, anytime we go on "The Shark," my kids throw their hands up in the air and scream as if on a roller coaster...Don't really know why, but I love it! Life is an adventure, so take a day every now and then to grab some icecream, stay up late at the drive-in, eat some fried food (I am not suggesting you eat as much as we did tonight....a little goes a long way), and when you are on an overpass throw your hands up in the air and scream!