Use it all up….

I ran across this saying again today – I love it! I am trying Lord to use it everyday!

Throw me some Mista…..

I have been working in Baton Rogue this week and this past Saturday night we took the opportunity to go to a Mardi Gras Parade in the downtown area. We found a parking place right across the street from the First Baptist Church so that made me feel safe – hehe. It surprised me that is was a very family friendly parade and was so much fun. The floats were TALL and had scary masked men on them but they sure threw me beads! I guess they could spot a tourist from a far –hehe. You had to be a good catch or they hurt you , especially if they hit you!

I was pretty proud of the beads I got –

Hey friends- do you have any ideas what to do with them? And now I got to figure out how the heck to get them home.

Saw a Mardi Gras Parade – check

Ate Gumbo – check

Ate one crawfish leg- check

Ok, I guess I can say I experienced Louisiana.Can’t wait to get back home to my Texas!

100%TEXAN

Molly B

When “Just Cause” is not good enough….

This past week I got to  help out with Drew/Callie while Erica had to be out of town on Business. Picking them up from Day Care is such a joyous time for me. It doesn’t matter what kind of day I have had – when I open the door to their classroom and they see me standing there and come running across the room into my arms yelling “Grammy-Grammy “ I melt into their arms as much as they melt into mine. They greet me like I have been  gone to war and haven’t seen them for years- I just saw them yesterday but to them – I have arrived ! No feeling on EARTH is that wonderful – pure sweet love.

On our way home every afternoon Drew and I talk -  non stop. We look for cows, horses, mountains,cars, buses and anything interesting along the way. One afternoon he was full of questions – like any 3 year old. His favorite words are – why,what is it, how’s that work,where is it going. This particular day we were coming to my house so we went through town and he had many more questions. I found myself not being able to answer all of his WHY questions and so I would just say ”Just Cause”. Well he sat in silence a little while and then said to me “ Grammy I don’t know what Just cause means” with a frustrated little voice he said “ what does it mean?” Oh me I have a smart one on my hands….

I decided that day that “Just Cause” is not good enough answer to a 3 year old or really any age. How many times have I heard the still small voice of God saying to me when I ask WHY – just cause my child – Just Cause. The answer will come – wait. Sometimes answers are not easy even to a 3 year old. I can not tell you what Drew is teaching me about living and loving- out of the mouths of babes!

I decided that day I had to give Drew answers to his questions – no matter if I didn’t’ know the whole answer – I must take the time to explain it to him – how it works, where its going, why.

Just cause he deserves the answers-

Molly B

Nesting….

I have been doing a lot of this lately – winter time does that to a girl!

As I was taking down the Christmas Décor I decided I was really tired of the Jolly Roger Green in my entry way – so off to the paint store I went to find a color that just made me Happy or calm – just right. What I found was a wonderful color called – Sparrow – from Benjamin Moore. LOVE it – LOVE it. I love it so much that when I was in Dallas recently and visited Restoration Hardware I went crazy over the color the whole store was painted in – I got a paint card to come home and paint something that color – guess what as I held it up to my entry  wall – SAME exact color! I loved it Twice!

You know how it is when you get started – one thing leads to another and before I knew it – I had also painted my little old dresser – white-it feels so much better now.

Love these nesting days till I can get outside and dig in the dirt -

Happy Nesting!

Molly B

A look to the future….

This past weekend I attended the wedding of my daughter in laws – sister Erin in Dallas. What a beautiful occasion it was                      Mr. & Mrs. Matthew Kraxberger

I didn’t know any one at the wedding but the main characters(family) and that was A-OK by me because I had the job of hanging with my grandchildren . Drew and Callie were in the wedding and we had talked,practiced,talked- ok BRIBED them to PLEASE walk down the isle and make Aunt Erin happy – and mom and dad too!

It fell upon Josh and I to get the two of them dressed and ready for the big party! I wouldn’t have missed that for the world. Callie got right in her little dress – she is such a little girly girl already! She just beamed in it like she knew exactly how darling she was!

As I watched Josh help her get ready I thought of how many times he will watch her get ready for a big night. Dances, Dates and even someday her own wedding. I got a little teary eyed just thinking about it! She walked through the lobby of the two hotels going up to complete strangers showing them her dress – WE just cracked up and all the people just loved her!

Drew took a little more convincing how cool it was to put on a tux and go to a party – that was not a birthday?! Erica decided that if we added some “Cars” to the tux it just might help him down the isle. I sewed cars fabric on the back and he wore cars socks,underwear and even shoes that lite up when he walked – I’m telling you by the end of the night all the grown guys were wishing they had the cool tux!

We practiced dancing -

had many talks about the wedding and finally – they did it!

 

 

I will never forget the look on  Drew’s face  when he walked down the isle and got to where Josh and I were sitting and hugged me and said in a very quite voice –“Grammy – I did it” both of them walked down the isle like old pros and even smiled! Oh the relief we all felt! What did Grammy have for them at the end of the walk you might ask? M&M’s off course and yogurt raisins! I told you we BRIBED them!

WE were ready to stop partying by 10:00 – late for two little ones and a very tired Grammy from chasing after them all day. Callie past out on her moms shoulder during one last dance.

 

 

The sweetest part of any day is when you put a child in bed at night and talk about the day you just spent. Drew still was excited about the wedding and all the he did and saw. We reviewed every detail before he talked himself to sleep-

What a wonderful weekend we had watching two beautiful people start their lives together. Congrats Erin and Matt!!

For more wonderful pictures go over to Erica's Blog and check out all the photos she took – I am telling you she is one good photographer!!

Just love these two-

Finding Molly B……

In 2011 I went on a long journey to find Molly B. You know the girl I use to be – the one who knew she could conquer WHATEVER came her way- the one full of confidence- the one who walked through life with her head held high- the one who could take care of herself – the one that could play- the one who lived her artist life to the fullest-the one that stood up for herself and had a voice - the HEALTHY one…….This has pretty much been my theme this year – creating a better,healthier- happier ME! I began my journey one year ago this month – I decided what I wanted more than anything in life was to be healthy and that meant – LOSING WEIGHT! There I said it !!! I knew the hard part was STARTING – that is always the hardest part – but I kept thinking -

“A year from now you will  wish you started today”

So began my journey

My journey through life has not been a normal –easy one for sure. I have had many bumps – falling off cliffs and tough times. But this year I decided to leave it all behind-

I can say I have SURVIVED and lived through those days and I am not looking back – no looking in the rear view mirror for ME! I am stronger spiritually, physically and mentally than I have been for years.

I have just kept moving forward towards the goal of finding Me! My journey has never been about being skinny but HEALTHY!

I realized it was working when all of a sudden -

• my clothes fell off
• I could buckle the seat belt on the airplane
• I could buy clothes anywhere I wanted to
• my blood work was amazing and every marker came down
• I would not – did not- eat things unhealthy
• I thirst for water – yes I still LOVE diet cokes
• I have ENERGY- my body can keep up with my active mind

The BIG added bonus is I can walk – you might say of course you can walk – but I could not walk more than one block with out being totally out of breath! I can walk 2 miles now – I do almost daily – And today I checked off another goal of mine this year – I walked to my Sisters house! I think it is over 2 miles. Next new years eve I am running. I know that does not sound too big of a accomplishment – I do have nieces that run marathons but for this 54 year old terribly over weight girl – It was HUGE.

I started Weight Watchers in January last year and to date I have lost 53 lbs.! it is like losing the weight of my two grandchildren. This year I want to lose the last 50+ lbs. and I will – I have that much confidence in myself and the lifestyle I now follow. My leader said to me last year when I was saying I wanted to lose 100 lbs. that I needed to remember if I lost just 1 lbs. a week I would lose 50 lbs. this year. I knew I would take baby steps – slow and easy for me! With each lbs. I lost I got stronger-

“ The world gets brighter as you get lighter”

I share with you my story not to impress you but to maybe be an encouragement to some other women out there who needs to make a change to find her healthy self!

 

It has been an amazing Journey thus far finding Molly B- my journey continues on…..

Happy New and Healthier 2012!!

Love you my friends-

Molly B

Packages tied up with string….

My greatest gifts this Christmas were not tied with string but with LOVE.  My greatest gifts were the family members I spent it with. They – all 22 of them bless my life everyday.

I start Christmas day making my Santa stops to Ben and Josh’s Homes to see what Santa brings the children. Such a special and fun time to see the joy on the children and parents faces – I wouldn’t miss it for anything in the world.

This year did not disappoint -

Christmas Morning VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

One thing that was on Erica and the kids list was a art Bucket filled with art supplies for them to create wonderful masterpieces with. I had so much fun putting this together for them. I can’t wait to share some fun times with Drew and Callie making all sorts of things.

Christmas Night is the time to spend with the Brown family – all 22 of us. This year it was at my home and oh did I love every minute of it.

To think the Brown family started with (5)Mom/Dad, Danny, Brenda and Myself and expanded to 22 and counting! The second generation has 8 cousins

And now look what has happened – WOW!

I couldn’t help but think about my Mom and Dad on Christmas Day as I thought about my family coming to celebrate . How very proud they would be of their 8 Grandchildren and how they would have enjoyed loving on these three- the third generation cousins !

I tried to share with my family( the lump in my throat got in the  way) that night how very blessed we are to have the greatest gifts  – our precious family. What a legacy of love my parents left us

           All because two people fell in Love

What a fun night we had catching up with each other and talking non stop.

We are Family VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Until the next time Christmas comes around I will cherish the moments shared with family and friends this Christmas Season…..

Happy New Year!

Molly B

The Blessings of Christmas…

I am counting them one by one on this day….

My precious family…

“Other things may change us, But we start and end with Family”

My friends….

“A cheerful friend is like a sunny day spreading brightness all around”

My Savior …..

“ For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

I saw Christmas today-

• I saw the smile of a grandmother holding her first grandson who lives very far away from her. A family reunited again after months apart.
• I saw a perfect stranger give a roll of money to a women in the parking lot of Kmart I had to stop and get the tears from my eyes to be able to keep walking to the door.
• I saw the patience of customers waiting in line at the grocery store – everyone with smiles on their faces and cheerful.
• I saw the excitement in the eyes of my grandchildren- as they opened their presents last night and squealed with delight!

Christmas is a time when Gods love is spread all around – even to a complete stranger.

Blessings to you today –

Merry Christmas

Molly B