Happy New Year!!!

I can't believe it has been two weeks since my last post. It has been a busy two weeks though. We had an amazing trip down in Florida. Christmas in 80 degree weather is absolutely amazing. It was a nice change from the lows in the 30's here. It was great spending time at my moms and dads. We also drove down one day to South Florida to see Chad's mom and grandmother. We also were able to stay 2 nights over at the beach at my mom's place. While we were there Chad's Dad and his wife came over and for dinner. We are so thankful for all of the gifts we received but I am most thankful that we were able to see all of the family. ( I guess I should have told you all earlier that I didn't really need any presents -just your presence is enough for me!!!) It was a great time. Well today is the last day of 2007. What a year it has been!! I am so blessed. I have an amazing family. A lot of things happened this year with our move and all, and everything has just been great. I love my awesome husband and my incredible two children. I love our new home and town. I love our new church and new family there. I love that we are only 6 hours away from seeing my family. (The drive seems shorter and shorter each time). I love that I have amazing friends that I am able to stay in contact via email. I AM BLESSED!!! I hope everyone is thankful for everything that they have in their lives. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

p.s. I will post some pictures from our trip when I get them on the computer!!

Lots of LOVE!!!!

Yesterday evening we went to our church cantata/Christmas dinner. It was wonderful. It is really great to have a second family at church here in Georgia, since I am always missing our family in Florida. The people here in Georgia are just amazing people. I have never heard more "I love yous" from adults to each other. The love is just amazing. They love God and each other.

Anyway back to my sweet little angels. I really wanted them to look extra spiffy for the cantata that was put on by our choir. It is a small church and small choir but their voices were truly amazing.

So here are the kids.......love to all.

p.s. This tie and jacket were handed down from his awesome older cousin Gunner!! How special!!

p.s.s. We are leaving for Florida for 8 days on Wednesday so I wont be posting while we are gone but will have lots of pics to share when we get back. Merry Christmas everyone!!!

Guess what I have been up to.................

As most of you know I am a candle maker. I started it about 3 years ago this Christmas. We are always on a tight budget for gifts for family and friends. I always like to make homemade gifts too, so this began my candle making career. Since we are leaving in like a week to go down to Florida for Christmas I wanted to make sure I had everything wrapped and ready to go this week. So on Sunday I cranked out 41 candles. I did it during nap time and Chad was outside working so it really didn't cut into our family time. It is really a lot of fun. So this explains my lack of blogging recently(not like I do a lot to begin with_. As of 3pm this afternoon I think I am done with Christmas gifts. Well it wont be official til I ship a couple of packages which I am planning on doing in the morning. Blah...blah ....blah....I am sure you like to hear me think out loud. By the way I am loving the weather here this week in middle Georgia. It is up in the low 80's today. It's like a Florida Christmas for sure!! But I know it wont be around very much longer-it's supposed to be back in the middle 50's this weekend. Well it is nice while it lasts.

We are now experiencing technical difficulties....please stand by....

Bear with me as I learn out to do this blog decorating stuff.....

Guess what?? More pictures!!

Quick trip to Florida!!

We went down to Florida this past weekend. Chad ran in a half marathon on Saturday. (which he did a great job -although it was a very warm morning) I am so proud of him. While he was doing his run we went to the St. Cloud Christmas parade with my father, step-mother and brothers. St. Cloud has grown so much. We sat near the beginning of the parade route and it was an hour and 45 minutes long. It was very enjoyable to see people I hadn't seen in awhile. The kids loved seeing the bands play and catching candy-although we didn't take any of it home cause we don't eat candy. (that's a whole other post!!) They were very giving with the candy to others though which I was so proud of. After the parade we went back to my dad's and visited for a little while, then we went out to my moms for the night. She lives in Celebration (aka Snow globe world-as I call it). They have the "fake snow" that started on Saturday night and shoots out every hour in the evenings from now until the new year. Santa also arrived and they did the tree lighting. We (you will see in the pic above that my sister,her son, and my grandmother came too!)ate a wonderful dinner out there at one of the restaurants downtown. It was an amazing evening. It was a very quick visit but a very memorable one.

Picture Happy!!

As you will see I love taking pictures and love sharing them too. We went down to Florida before Thanksgiving for a couple of days. We stayed at my mom's condo on the beach for a night. It was so nice. In the one pic you will see my holding my cute little nephew Gavin. He is growing so fast. The rest are pretty self-explanitory.

Thanksgiving Beach Trip!!

Thanksgiving Memories!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I'll be quick.....I have a house full(Chad's sister Kitty,her husband Casey and their 6 amazing kids,Chad's other sister Amy and my niece Audree-tomorrow we have Chad's mom coming in too!) but wanted to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving. I am so thankful for my family and my life and for all of you. I hope everyone has a safe time and enjoys being with those they love and are thankful for everyday that God gives us to enjoy this life.

Oh I am so one with nature today!!!

First I am loving the weather here today. It was 35 when I got up this mornig but got up to like 74. It was just beautiful. Ok....joke time. Did you hear about the ladybug that told the other ladybug and all 5 million of her friends that there was this great house to come and vacation in for the winter months...................
oh you didnt well let me tell you. We have a major ladybug investation outside our house and some of them are getting in. I have read online there they are very helpful insects because they eat aphids which are little bugs that can be problems for gardeners. Well I really dont have an aphid problem but I do have a lot of ladybugs. They started yesterday afternoon. Just swarms of them surrounding the house. When Chad got home from work he found a couple inside and starting getting them with the shop vac. It was hilarious hearing some comments he was saying when vaccuming a couple of them off the ceiling. "You are not going to win" and "What do you want from us". So today I didnt see any of them this morning but as soon as the sun started to heat things up here they came. Pure ladybug craziness!!! Oh and on top of that I got stung by a yellow jacket on my pinky. I have never gotten stung by one before-it stings pretty good. Maybe they are friends with the ladybugs.....

Brrrrr.....Chill what happened to Fall???

(It was actually 27 degrees but I had the idea to take the picture a degree later!!)
I knew it would get cold here in the winter but in the fall?? I love the leaves changing and seeing them fall like snow and I do love the crispness in the air, but I wish there was a little more transition. It is really chilly here today. I do love living here and the kids love it too, but I didnt know fall only lasted a couple days!! Fall and Winter in Florida consisted of a few days of 50 degree weather. This is going to take some getting used to.

I LOVE SUMMER/Fashion Statement

I had to share this pic with everyone. My daughter is just amazing! Everyday she does something that just makes me smile. Yesterday this was her moment. When we are staying home during the day I will let the kids pick out their own clothes and get dressed before we start school. Well Bailey came downstairs yesterday and she was so cute. She knew it was a funny outfit but at the same time she was proud that she put it together. She knew it was supposed to be cooler out but she loves that skirt and shirt so she made it work. Now Braxton came down in a short sleeve shirt and shorts-he is in denial!! (by the way she loved posing for this pic!!)

Yes I have a dog and a cat!!

I have never really been a fan of Halloween since I have had children. There are way too many scary images then peaceful ones that revolve around this day. We went to a Revival last nigh at a Baptist church down in Butler , where Chad teaches. They had a program at the beginning for the children and it sent a very powerful message to the older children there. After that they invited the families to come to the "trunk or treat". Different members of the church had their trunks decorated and the kids went around and got candy from each one. My kids dont eat candy but they love to examine each and every piece. We usually let them pick one piece from their collection. They also had a bonfire and different games for the kids to play.

I receive emails daily from Proverbs 31 ministries and I think she sums it up well here:

( I know it's kind of long but it's worth it!!)

Spooks, Skeletons, and Saints
By Micca Campbell

“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15 (KJV)

Devotion:
When Jesus said, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature,” did He mean for us to include ghost and goblins? I view every Halloween as an opportunity to witness to “the dark side.”

Many Christians don’t know what to do with Halloween. They wonder if they should ignore it; protest against it; go along with it, or find alternative ways to participate without offending their faith. We often reason, nothing good can come from evil so why take part in this holiday? Yet, Joseph tells us in the bible that what is meant for evil God can use for good. In that case, Halloween can be an opportunity for us to do good!

Some of you may be wondering if I’ve been living on a far away planet unaware of what Halloween is. No, I’m very much aware of its meaning and tradition. Before Christ, Halloween was part of the Celtic Feast of Samhain. This Druid priest celebration commemorated the beginning of winter. The Festivals consisted of animal sacrifices to the dead and bonfires in recognition of departed souls. Those who participated in the festival believed that goblins, demons, witches and elves were sent from the world beyond to harass the living. For self-protection, the Druid’s would dress up like ghouls and goblins and involve themselves in demonic activities. They believed participating in this way kept them from being attacked by real witches and demons.

The early church responded by moving All Saint’s’ Day from spring to fall and renamed it Hallows’ Eve. In doing so, Christians used the pagan festival as catalyst in which to proclaim Christ’s death and resurrection. Halloween, for the early church, became a time to evangelize. They took something evil and used it for good. We would do well to follow their example.

Halloween is full of trickery and illusions about mystical powers and the living dead. Christians today can use these illusions in comparison to the truth that Jesus overcame the grave by the power of God and is the true Resurrection and Life. Better yet, those who are in Christ will also conquer the grave and live forever in the presence of God. What good news to share on a dark day!

There are many ways to share the good news of the gospel. My church has a Harvest Party on October 31 every year. The children play games and collect candy while the adults enjoy hayrides and wiener roasts. The most significant part about our party is the gospel room. This is where a drama is presented sharing about the good news of Jesus Christ and His saving power. One way for you to share Jesus with others is to invite an un-churched family to your church’s festival.

Another way to participate if you’re a stay-at-home kind of person is not to turn off the lights and hide as some of us tend to do. Instead, be a shinning light on a dark night. Tie scripture or gospel tracks to some candy and hand it out at your front door with Christ-like love and joy.

If you have the gift of hospitality, then have a Harvest party at your house. Invite friends, family, and neighbors to sit around a camp fire or your living room floor and swap Holy Spirit stories rather than ghost stories.

Halloween is not a time for avoidance. It’s a time to communicate with your children, family, and friends that, “yes,” evil, death and the grave are real, but through Christ, we are more than conquerors over it all. What better time to share this good news with others then when our minds are on such things? It’s an opportunity to take something meant evil and use it for good.

Just something to share.

I havent tried this yet but thought I would share it!!


Pumpkin Fruit Roll-ups
Chop pumpkin and cook in saucepan until soft. Use as little water as possible. Puree in blender or food processor until the consistency of thick applesauce. * Add 1/2 cup honey and 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice to mixture. Mix well. * Spread puree on a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper (tape wax paper down so it won't curl over the pumpkin), leaving a 1-2 inch border around the edge. * Preheat oven to 275 F and bake for 30-35 minutes. Turn off oven and leave door closed, letting the pumpkin dry 8-10 hours. * When cooled to the touch, roll up and cut into 1-inch wide strips. Seal in Ziplock® bags and serve as a yummy, inexpensive alternative to commercial Fruit RollUps®! * OR leave flat and use cookie cutters to cut into fun holiday shapes.

A Great Visit from my Mom and Grandmother!!

On Monday , my mom and grandmother(and their dogs!) drove up from Florida to visit us for a couple nights. We had a great time. They got to see Braxton play his last session of soccer, Bailey try out for basketball and just the everyday happenings of the Ansbaughs. Yesterday we went shopping for a pumpkin, went out to lunch, went shopping around Macon and of course got a latte (did a country girl just say that??). We ended our fun day with my mom cooking (yee haw!) yummy lasagna. I just loved being able to sit out on my front porch with my mom, grandmother and my daughter and just give thanks to have these amazing girls in my life!! They have each made me who I am today, not to say that my husband ,father, and son have not, but there is something about the mother-daughter thing that is just a different relationship. (Did that make sense?) We had a great time and I was sad to see them go this morning!!!

A Visit from my mom and grandmother!!

One mother's trash....another child's rose garden!!

Chad and I received a beautiful flower bouquet for our anniversary a couple of weeks ago from his Aunt and Uncle(and their son) in California. It was just gorgeous and lasted quite a while. Well I noticed yesterday morning that it was starting to look a little puny and decided to go ahead and throw it away. Well I was going to take it to the trash can outside and it was raining so I just put in on the porch floor and knew I would get to it later. Well yesterday afternoon it had stopped raining and the kids were playing outside and I happened to remember I needed to go throw those dead flowers away, well to my surprise the kids thought they had done this amazing thing. They took the roses and a few of the other things that were in the arrangement and planted them in my flower beds in front of the house. They were so proud of their plantings. I tried to explain to them that the flowers were dead and I really needed to throw them away. Well we compromised and I told them we could leave them there until Daddy saw them today. I just love how in a child's eye they don't see a pile of dead flowers they see something that it as beautiful as a rose garden. I love my kids so much and thank God for them everyday to give me a fresh and flourishing perspective on life!!! (You can see the roses in the picture that were planted!!!)

Oh Deer!!!

Living in the country now, we have become quite accustomed to seeing deer out in the front yard and all over the property. We have seen more lately because the big(OK it's actually ginormous) oak tree that is in our front yard is dropping acorns and the deer just eat them like candy. Morning,noon and night you may find at least one deer, and last night Chad saw five deer right out in our front yard eating away. It is just amazing. A couple of the kids soccer balls are out there and I just keep hoping to see the deer playing a little 2 v 2,no luck yet. I have never really been able to see deer this close before. When we lived in Florida we always had to be careful driving on certain desolate roads at night because they may run out in front of the car and can do some damage. Now I get to sit on my front porch and just enjoy God's creation. We realize that come this Sunday, it is open season on deer and our friends in our yard might become a little scarce(although I have been posting signs for the deer warning them of this upcoming event and letting them know that our yard is a safe haven-not quite sure if they understand them or not!!) and we are not against hunting (although we don't partake in it), but we have been blessed to be able to witness these beautiful animals in their natural habitat while we can.
(Kitty-please refrain your husband and son from reading this post as they will be in the car and on their way......although if they bring you and the kids I would be a happy camper! j/k)

A Visit to the Fair

Chad has off the rest of this week for Fall Break, and although he does have football obligations and things to do on the house, we thought we would take a little trip to the Georgia National Fair in Perry. Perry is only about 40 minutes away so it really wasnt too bad of a drive. I must say the Georgia National Fair is the biggest fair I have ever seen. Being from Osceola County, a cattle driven county (well it used to be), I thought I had seen a decent size fair. I really believe that you could have fit 4 of those fairs and it might equal the size of this one. It was huge. We took the kids to see some of the animals and we just picked one ride because we would have had to take out a loan to do any more than that!! We chose to do the agri-lift, which is like a ski lift but it goes over the fair. It was pretty cool. The kids really liked it.

Soccer Kids!!

The kids love to do anything outside!! Bailey started playing soccer last year in St. Cloud and it was quite a learning experience. She was more interested in chasing butterflies than the soccer ball. We had heard from other parents that it was a first year thing. Boy was I glad they were right (not that I don't want her chasing butterflies, but if she is out there supposed to be doing something else-it is good to have your eye on the prize ,or ball in this instance) This year I enrolled Bailey and Braxton in the soccer league in Macon. They are both just doing an amazing job. Bailey is so much more focused and is really learning how to play the game. I must say though she does have quite an amazing coach. (her coach is actually a supermodel that is pretending to know the game of soccer!!! HA HA!!!) Well guess what......I am her coach. They have a lot of teams on her age level so they asked the parents to volunteer and help out, so there I was!!! It is fun. It is great that she wants me to coach her!!! Braxton is doing a great job. He practices with Bailey's team as well and is quite competitive with them. He does really well with the other kids in his age group as well. Well.... I just wanted to let you know one of the things that the Ansbaugh kids do in their spare time!!

Watch out Rachel Ray...............

I used to watch that show "30 minute meals" , hosted by Rachel Ray and thought that it just wasn't possible to pull a good meal ,prep time and all in 30 minutes, but she always did. I was thinking of her tonight as I was trying to find a replacement meal. I started to brown some hamburger meat tonight to make tacos and as I was cooking it , it started to smell like ammonia. I tried tasting it (which I hope I don't regret later) and it tasted fine but I just couldn't shake the smell. So I dumped 2 1/2 pounds of ground meat. So as I was dumping it Chad called and said he was getting ready to leave football practice and was looking forward to dinner with the family. I started to think about what to "whip" up and have ready in 30 minutes or less. I had gone grocery shopping the other day and thankfully I had gotten enough for 2 weeks so the possibilities were endless(which is rarely a phrase used in my kitchen). I already had boil in bag rice cooked in the microwave so I had to do something that involved that. I must say our meal was delicious. I had been wanting to try and make something with chicken breast in a can. So I heated that up with some refried beans (organic-very tasty!) Then I spread those onto a big burrito tortilla and put some rice and cheese on top of that. Then I put another tortilla on it and put them in the toaster oven and VOILA!! we had amazing chicken quesadillas.(had a little sour cream and salsa on the side too!!) They were really very tasty. Now I usually don't share with others what I cook cause it is usually pretty routine (and I will leave that to Jonatha!!). I just had to share that with you. It kind-of, sort-of ,somewhat, (OK it was just a quesadilla) reminded me of Cool Blue Burrito which is a restaurant I love in St. Cloud. So thanks for letting me share my "15-20 minute meal" with you!!!

A New Arrival........A New Life!!!

My amazing sister-in-law gave birth to her 6th child this morning. Westin Earl arrived this morning!!! I am so excited for their family. He has 4 amazing sisters and one terrific brother waiting to take great care of him!!! Kitty and Casey are amazing parents and I just wanted to share the news!!!

Check out my Slide Show!

My little boy is 4!

My amazing little boy, Braxton turns 4 today. I can't believe it. He is just a great little person. Everyday he does something that amazes me. He and his sister get along so well. I am so blessed to have such great kids. I will post some pics tomorrow from some things he did today. Hope everyone has a great weekend!!

Braxton's 4 years old!!

10 YEARS!!!

Ten years ago on this very day was one of the best days of my life.(Other than being about 35 pounds heavier in this picture) I married a wonderful man!! Today is Chad and I's ten year wedding anniversary. Boy how time flies. I can't believe it has already been ten years. I am so lucky to have found such a great man. He is an amazing father, teacher,coach,brother,son,athlete,and best friend. Marriage is an amazing gift and to be able to share life with your best friend is even better!!! I thank God everyday that Chad is my husband. His family is amazing too. Not only did I get a great husband when I married Chad but I got a great extended family as well. Before we started dating Chad was always known to me as Kitty's older brother, because his sister Kitty and I have been friends since first grade. So now I am able to have ties with Kitty forever because of the marriage. I am so lucky. We have been through so much these past 10 years -looking forward to looking back on the next 10............(just hope it goes by slow!-that would mean I would be 41-oh my!!!)

Trip to Florida!!

We had a great trip to Florida last week. I had never made the drive with the kids by myself and they were just perfect!!! When we got in Tuesday we had dinner with my mom, grandmother,my sister,her awesome son Gavin, and Dale. Wednesday we were supposed to be poolsiding it but it was cloudy and rainy, so we shopped (oh it was just terrible-j/k) Wednesday night we went to my dad's and stayed there until Friday morning. We were able to spend some time with our friends, The Piries, which we miss so much. One of the main reasons we went this past week was because one of my brothers, Trent, was playing a high school football game. Thursday night we were able to see him play. His coach is also one of Chad's good friends so were able to see him coach too. Trent did a great job and received a lot of playing time!!! I was so proud of him. He has turned into a very distinguised young man. I can't believe he is high school. We had a great week visiting. I sure do miss my family so much, but it is nice to know they are just a drive away. I appreciate everything they did for us last week. We came back Friday night and are back to our normal schedule. Sorry such a quick recap-wanting to catch up and spent some time trying to figure out how to do the slide show. Make sure you look at it-shows some great pics from last week. "Quick Trip to Florida".

Quick trip to Florida!!

Oh my heart.....Batman!!

Well as I mentioned before the house we moved into is 200 years old. Now with an old house you will expect a lot of things. Leaky pipes, new well, refinish the floors, paint the kids room,etc. Oh yeah and one more thing...............BATS IN THE ATTIC???? When we purchased the house from an amazing couple they mentioned to us that they had a contract with an pest company to keep the bats out of the attic. We thought ok-kind of like termites in Florida. Yeah you might get them but you never see them because you are "protected". Well our first encounter was sometime at the beginning of the summer when one was "out to get me" in our master bathroom. (it wasnt really out to get me-bats dont come after humans on purpose-they are just lost!!) (that's what I keep telling myself anyway). So Chad quickly sealed up the ceiling and we were bat free -yipee. We had the "batman" come out and check the attic and put in a one way valve for the bats to leave the attic but they SHOULDNT be able to get back in. ...................
All was quiet in the Ansbaugh house this past weekend, Chad was in Ft. Lauderdale for his grandmother's 80th birthday,the kids and I went to Blockbuster and we got a couple kids movies and I was all about being able to watch some chick flicks. We all slept well Friday night until 5:30 Saturday morning when I heard a blood curtling scream from my daughter down the hall. I flung open my bedroom door and came face to face with a bat flying up and down the hallway. I felt like I was in a nightmare. I began to freak out , Bailey was freaking out. I shut my door and grabbed the clothes hamper and the sheet off of my bed and raced down the hall throwing both items at this little creature -( I swear the wingspan was 10ft on this bad boy-ok maybe not so big-but it seemed like it at 5:30 in the morning) I grabbed Bailey from the bathroom and we ran in to the kids bedroom. It stopped flying so we went downstairs and barracaded ourselves in the living room ,dining room and kitchen. I called the "bat guy" at about 7. He was here by 8:30. We had the bat contained and I was on the phone with poison control cause I wanted this thing tested for rabies since I wasnt sure what room uptairs in came out of and they can make the smallest scratch and you could be in trouble. Well as I am on the phone, the bat guy comes into tell me.........................................the bat got away. I was freaking .....are you kidding me?? So what started out on the phone as where to get the bat tested for rabies ended up where do the kids and I go get vaccinated for Rabies. I never thought I would be having this conversation with anyone. The chances are slim that this bat had rabies but if you dont get vaccinated and it did have rabies and happened to scratch one of the kids(at the least) and they get sick, there is nothing that can be done once symptons start. I couldnt bare the thought that there was a one in a million chance that this could happen. So we went off to Bailey's soccer game, (we had to go cause I coach the team), then off to the emergency room. Emergency rooms are the only facilities that carries the rabies vaccine. So after 6 hours of waiting we got the shots, which I must mention I have the best children in the world-no tears-a little complaing of being ready to have dinner, but other than that they were so patient and quite amazing. Needless to say I was so happy to have Chad come home last night after that crazy day. Now we have to go 4 more times in the next 28 days to get the shots again. We are going to get our next shot tomorrow morning, then we are on our way to Florida for a much needed family visit. We are looking forward to seeing the family and hanging out for a couple nights. We will be back Friday night so I wont be posting again until possibly next weekend. So I hope everyone has a great week. Sorry to ramble on about my crazy weekend but wanted to share this with you!!!

Our new home...............Georgia.

This is my first blog so bear with me as I try and get my thoughts down as clearly as possible.

As most of you know, we moved out of our beloved state of Florida. I lived there for 27 years(just about all of my life-although I am not sure how the numbers work out since I am only 25???) We bought the house of our dreams in a little town in Georgia,Culloden. The house was built in the early 1800's and it is just amazing. Along with this amazing house came 23 acres of pure heaven. I am just in awe of God's great work every morning I go out onto the front porch with my coffee(yes I just started this habit) and just breathe and pray each morning. We are just so blessed with what has happened. Yes we miss our friends and family so much, but this is something that we could never give our kids in Florida. The experiences that they have here out in the wilderness are priceless. Bailey is a bug collector. Every morning she starts a new collection of bugs,lizards, and anything that is small and moves. Then at night she lets them all go for a few hours of freedom, then gets up the next morning and starts the adventure all over again. Braxton could do puzzles and play "ball"(any sport that ends in ball) from sun up til sun down. Bailey and Braxton have gotten so close with this move, I think they are realizing what great friends they can be. It is so much fun to watch them play together. Chad is now teaching at a little elementary school 2 counties over. He is the only P.E. teacher at this school and loves it. He is also assisting the Varsity Football team in that county as well. It is a very different environment than in Florida. As far as how I am doing..........I am just loving getting to spend everyday with my kids and husband. I am so blessed to be able to stay home.