Its about time!

I decided it was about time I updated my blog, since the last post has pics from Christmas!

So as it is now, we are still unemployed, but God has truly blessed us by allowing contract work for Laile. We are praying for continued guidance and are hoping that this contract work might open up to a full time opportunity. All in God's hands so we are just going to trust in Him!

Bryanna is now 11 and she is maturing more each day, and turning into a beautiful young lady. I am so proud of her!
Meghan is 2 1/2 now and full of laughter and energy, with occasional tantrums true to her age!

Both the girls keep us on our toes and we are trying walk in love and patience as these ages can both be a bit trying at times.

I have included some new pics from Easter, and if you would like to see more please see my Shutterfly share page.. http://thenealfamily5.shutterfly.com Its much easier to upload many pics to this site.

Enjoy and I will try to update a little more often!!

My girls

I love my girls! I have been really bad about updating my blog, and decided to write a little about what's been going on.

Christmas was wonderful and we enjoyed spending it wil mom and dad! Dad and Meghan's birthdays were also on Christmas, and we celebrated with cake and ice cream. Meghan kept saying Happy Birthday Papa to her Grandpa, and then gave him lots of hugs! She also said Happy Birthday ME! She was so excited! Time flies! I can't believe my sweet baby is already 2!!

Papa and Meggers blowing the candles out on their cake.

Bryanna is going to be 11 this year!! I can't believe she is getting so big! I often feel she thinks she is already 16, but trying to keep her in the realization that she is still only 10 ;0)

I love to see her sweet spirit, and her love for her sister too. It is great to see them play together. Meghan loves Bryanna so much! She loves when she comes home from school and always says "Sissy" so enthusiastically when she arrives. It is great!

Meghan is talking so much now and we have to be careful of what we say! Even little things we don't really think about being too bad, sound really bad coming from such a sweet little girl! Really makes us thinking of really having appropriate, clean and kind speech!

She has just recently been saying "Love you" and it is really sweet! She is so smart too! I really think she has had so much stored in her brain, and we will hear things here and there that come from out of the blue, but make complete sense and is so cute to hear from her! Of course, one indicent I have to share.. we were driving the other day, and I said "Oh my word," and she said,"No, mine word." It was so cute and funny! She is so adorable and and cute and I just can't contain myself! I just wanna eat her up :) I love kissing her sweet cheeks, and we love cuddling with her! She is so precious when she lays on us and just enjoys our love. These are definitely the moments to cherrish!

Laile is about to start contract work so we are very excited there will at least some money coming in soon, and we are praying they open up the hiring to bring him on full time in February!

Well, that's the short of what's been going on in the Neal home. God is good and is providing for us in every way!

Things for which to be thankful

Thanksgiving was wonderful this year!! I turned 30 the day before Thanksgiving, and though I thought this was going to be horrible, it was an awesome birthday!
My parents came into town and watched the girls so Laile and I could go out to dinner BY OURSELVES!!! IT was WONDERFUL to say the least! Due to my husband being laid off almost a month ago bc his company went bankrupt, we have all been together A LOT! We have not had any time by ourselves without at least one of the girls and needed a date! We love our girls but as any other married couple knows, you always need alone time together too!
Anywho, Meghan and Bryanna were both excited to see their grandparents and vice versa. Meghan is talking so much now and it is really cute to hear all she says and see all she is doing now!
My parents gave me a beautiful sweater for my bday.
Laile and the girls gave me some really nice new red cookware that I wanted, and the biggest surprise was the awesome new camera Laile got me!! A Nikon D40 SLR! I am soo excited to have this (though not sure how much I will get to use it as my hubby is having soo much fun trying out so many things on it.. I think he got it for himself too) ;0)
Anyway, we ate at Abuelos for dinner, and then had a piece of cheesecake from Salt Grass Steakhouse for my bday dessert.
Since then, I feel all I have done is eat eat eat.. I feel so stuffed and fat right now!! I was planning on working out some, but all that fell through bc I wanted to spend time with my sister and parents while they are here!
SOO Things I have to be thankful for:
-My WONDERFUL family that God has blessed me with - my wonderful hubby & beautiful girls
-My parents who have showed me what a relationship with Jesus is all about, and have been such great examples of love, faithfulness and commitment! I am so thankful for their work for the Lord and it is so inspiring!
-That my sister and her husband were able to come for Thanksgiving and I pray a very safe return back to TN, esp with the long drive!
-The sweet presents my sister brought the girls for an early Christmas since we prob. won't see her.. a Radio Flyer wagon for Meghan, as she LOVES wagons (and we had a hard time getting her out of it), some musical instruments and for Bryanna a CD and Nintendo DS game.. they were very excited!
-For the sweet sister necklace my little sis gave me for my birthday
-For how awesome a cook my hubby is!! He grilled a turkey for the 1st time ever and it was DELICIOUS!!
-For all that God has done, is doing, and has given us!!
I know that God is in control and whatever the future may hold it is in His hands.. His timing.. His guidance and wherever He leads!

Raising a preteen.. does it get any easier ever??

Argh! Here we go again.. wow! When did my girl change from listening to this attitude that everone is more important than me??!!! Thankfully, God helped me to have the peace I need not to blow up as I did another day and the goodbyes were a lot nicer this morning.
So then my question is always does it get any easier?? I mean, this is just a preteen stage.. soon to be a teen and I don't know if I can handle it. I mean, I know I can bc I know that I have the Lord with me, but its so rough sometimes bc we don't have a manual that says, "Now, when your child says or does this, you say or do this and all will be well." - Man! Wouldn't THAT be nice!!
Who ever said it would be easy.. no one, but I can still wish eh?
One day at a time, moments with Christ, time in stillness.. I must cherish these times. I love my daughter and I want her more than anything to have the wisdom and knowledge of the Lord and His holy spirit so I have to remember to do my part with my attitude and words so I can do all on my part to be that example.. EXAMPLE.. I have to remember this and focus constantly so I don't let my frusterations and emotions take over.. oh hard it can be too!
I do have to remember even in the times of hardship, when my daughter is more worried about her friends or being late than listening to my words that it is just that.. circumstances. So many times it is the timing and I have to be sensitive to that.. she is growing up.. she has a mind and obligations and she is becoming a lady. I am thankful for how the Lord is working and continue to pray for His hand in her life! I want so bad to establish the right timing and all this before she does become a full teenager.. while I can reach out to her still.. spend time with her.. talk with her.. I pray that the communication will never diminish, even if it isn't always as deep as I would like! I pray for love and respect in this home, for all of us, in Jesus name!

So this is my prayer today Lord - Let me be a light to my child, an example of how to STAY calm and NOT blow up in anger. To be an example and help her learn to be quick to listen, slow to speak and SLOW to become anger for man's wrath does not bring the righteous life YOU desire! Lord fill my daughter with your Holy spirit, with wisdom and knowledge of who you are and let her so desire to know you and seek you every day. Work in all the selfishness in her heart, as well as my own. I surrender my life and my parenting to you once again, daily I ask that you would take my life, change me for your Glory and pour out your spirit in this family and home. I love you Lord and know that I can do all things through you bc you strengthen me. You are my King and I pray that you would teach me and help me to grow in you to be all that you have me to be as a person, wife, mom, sister, and friend. Thank you Lord for loving me even through the tough times and please prepare my heart, attitude and mind for the future, esp. in my parenting and in my marriage. Let me always shine forth your love, and be quick to turn to you! I love you Abba Father!

Crazy times

We have had a long past couple of weekends. We were in Tulsa the past two weekends. The first was to visit family, and we had a great time with the girls at the aquarium while we were there. More on that, along with pictures later.
This past weekend was nice bc we went to Laile's high school reunion. It was great to meet his buddies from back in the day, and to make some new friends that maybe we can hang out with now sometime when visiting T-town.

Now.. Friday morning I was drinking some reheated coffee I had made the day before like I do occassionally. I was getting to the bottom of the cup, when I felt something in my mouth, which I spit immediately back into the cup.. I knew I had not dipped any food in the coffee so I had a really nauseating feeling in the pit of my stomach already, thinking this may be a bug.. Well, I poured out the coffee, and sure enough it was a dead fly! YUCKKKKKK!! I threw up into the sink as soon as I saw it! From now on it is fresh coffee ALL the time.. I am still disgusted and have a knot in my stomach thinking about it!

Sooo.. on the way to Tulsa we stopped at Applebees to eat lunch. I was on the phone with my sister, and Laile said I needed to change Meghan bc the guys bathroom didn't have a changing table in it. I was really into my conversation and had the phone in one hand, and Meghan on my hip when I walked into the bathroom. It took me a few minutes to realize there was a man standing up, looking at me over his shoulder with an uneasy smile, like he was saying "hello.. this is the men's restroom.." - Whoa... I finally realized I was in the men's restroom, ran out, and went straight into the women's restroom. My sister said she had done that, which I remember bc I laughed at her! Well.. another reason to get off the cell phone and focus on what you are doing! :)

Last crazy story.. we arrived home at 3am Sunday morning from Tulsa bc Laile was on call and I had to be at church at 8 am. Laile was taking Meghan inside, calming her down so she wouldn't wake up, and all of a sudden he flipped out! He threw his keys down, was flailing his arms, and Meghan was screaming and crying! I was wondering what in the world caused him to do this and wake up Meghan, when he said he walked into a spider web!! I couldn't believe he freaked out so bad! He did not want that spider on him! Well.. he put M in her crib and when I walked in she was screaming.. I told him she was prob. scared bc of what had just happened and we had to lay with her for awhile for her to calm down.
The next day, I actually saw this spider and realized I would have freaked out if I had known how big this little sucker was!! Laile got it down from the door with the broom, and then finally killed it.. not pretty!!
So goes the many adventures of this last weekend.. it was very eventful to say the least! :)

Silly Times

Meghan found this pair of goggles and wanted to wear them around. It just cracked me up! Oh, and a friend mentioned what great pics I could use to show when she gets married!! :)

Its So Bright!

Meghan does not really like when the sun is in her eyes, so when we are outside she likes to cover one eye to block the sun. her eyes, so when we are outside she likes to cover one eye to block the sun.

Then, in the car she recently put her rag on her head to keep the sun out, and I had to capture that also bc it was too cute, and smart!! She does cutest things these days! :)