Saturday

I'm tired of looking like a slob. I'm not happy with my physical appearance and so I tend to dress casual way to often. While I am working on living a healthier lifestyle, obviously it doesn't happen overnight. Well, I fell into some money (Thanks Nana). So I decided the best way to spend it was on some new clothes. RC (my DH) works every other Saturday and this past Saturday was a working one. I had determined to get out with all the kids anyway b/c I had afternoon and evening plans that would keep me from being able to go when RC got home. Also, RC and I were singing in church on Sunday so I really wanted something new for that, too. (Sorry, I don't know why this is underlined and I don't know what to do to make it go away.)

Well, about 8:45 am RC's Nana calls and asks if she can stop by after her hair appointment to borrow some movies and drop off a children's magazine that she gets for the kids. She would be by between 10:30 and 11:00. I knew I couldn't finish getting ready, go shopping, and be home by then, but I decided I could just be ready to go as soon as she left and we could eat lunch out.

When she got here and we were visiting one of the kids asked about our errands that I had told them we were going to run. Nana asked what I needed to do and when I told her she offered to stay home with the kids and let me go shopping by myself!!!

I was planning on going to Maurices (remember, this is Altus, America. not alot of options outside of Walmart)=) but felt God leading me to start at Stage. I got there and they were having a sale! I found four sweaters that I loved, but I wanted to look at Maurices first. I was really needing a new pair of jeans and some black dressy/casual shoes and I wanted to make sure to get those first. Well, at Maurices I found a pair of really cute LONG jeans for $29 and I got two neclaces just for fun. They were BOGO 1/2 off! Then I ran to Payless (all these shops are in one shopping center) and found a really cute AND comfortable pair of black shoes for $12.99! So I headed back to stage to determine how many of the sweaters I could afford (I was shopping with cash so I wouldn't spend more than I had). The lady rang up all four and said "28 Dollars." I said "For all four?!" She said "Yes!" So I said "Put them all in there!!!"They were all 75% off plus an extra 20& off of that! Praise the Lord! I know some of you might think this is very trivial and it is. But, frankly, I'm very much a girl and love sales, my family lives on one income with four children so new clothes are most definetly not an everyday occurance, and I felt the presence of God delighting in this with me. It was a really fun morning!

So...as soon as Rc got home we made a quick trip to an even smaller town next to ours and looked at a furniture store. I found a dining table that is exactly what I would buy if money was no issue! It is gorgeous, has a story, and comes 10 ft long!!! It is perfect for my dream house. I do have to note here that if my dream house is not God's perfect will for our life then I will gladly pass it up and I do mean gladly. But it is fun to decorate it in my head!=)

After that my mother-in-law and I went out to eat and then to the Miss Altus Pageant! It was so much fun and so very girlie!!! Lauren Nelson, Miss America 2007, was there! For those of you who don't know (which is probably most of you) I used to do pageants. (I visualize many of you laughing right now) Seriously though, the only pageant I ever won afforded my college tuition. (which is where I met RC) I had some personal issues I was dealing with at the time that kept me from being able to really enjoy doing them and to really put my best effort into them, but God has freed me from so many of those issues now that I can look back on them and remember the good things. Like getting all my mom's attention for one whole weekend.=) And the awesome evening dresses I got to wear. My mom doesn't really like to shop except for evening dresses. Must account for the 7 or 8 I aquired during my short pageant career.=)Anywho...one thing that was really fun was that Miss OCU Teen was a guest at the pageant. That is the title I held that gave me my scholarship. Of course, I greeted her after the pageant and told her I had been Miss OCU Teen 1996! I'm laughing as I type this, she was so sweet and even acted happy to meet me. Man, 1996 sounds so long ago and I am such a different person now, yet somehow the same. Enjoy the pictures!
Mom, Me, Dad, Grandma, Kara, Andrea, Nana and Papa, cousin Jennifer (peeking between Nana and Papa), Aunt Donna (dad's sister in the black and white stripes) and family friend Donna(far right)

Mema, Me, Grandad, and Eloise (Mema's parents)

Katrina (I don't remember her last name) =( and Me. I got to go to the Miss OK pageant and support Katrina. She got 2nd runner up and I got to wear fun cocktail dresses all week with my tiara! :-)