I Love Banner Boys

SBU & Ball Boys

2012-02-01T23:23:00.000-06:00

The Banner Boys cheer for the SBU Bearcats. They love getting all decked out in their purple gear. If Chapel finds out that there's a game, all day he begs to put on his "Preston uniform." We don't try to hide that we have a favorite Bearcat.

Ball boys take their job serious, they've only unplugged the shot-clock twice. :)

Our favorite professor and Chapel's best friend... Angie!

Chapel's buddy "Payt." Of course you know you can get Bearcat shirts at CD.

Chapel gets around.

Sports are so fun and such a great way to spend time together, family and community!

Chapel's 3rd Birthday

2012-01-20T08:31:00.000-06:00

In December we celebrated Chapel's 3rd birthday. He was so excited to get his "Bearcats" uniform and his bike! The bike is now located at Creator Designs :) at least until summer.

It's not that I'm a bad mom that doesn't make a cake, he really wanted that one!!!??

Uncle D was in the house! :)

Jake was excited about Chapel's Birthday party.

Bo & Abner, Deacon & Preston happy to be there....

Tough guys :)

Chapel spent the rest of the evening livin' a dream, playing basketball with REAL bearcats.

Fun! Smith's Express & a Movie

2011-12-21T09:38:00.000-06:00

To celebrate the start of Christmas break we decided to have a family night out. We started our evening by going to eat at Smith's Express. The boys wanted to sit at the bar :)

Have you been there lately??? Wow! It's so so good and so so cheap. The boys all got pancakes, and Dwain and I split a brown bag special which includes 2 burgers, fries and 2 drinks. Smith's offers buy one get one half off from 4-8pm. so our total bill came to $16.16. Can you believe that!??!! As you can see the pancakes were huge!

They couldn't eat even half of the pancake, Seriously, if you haven't been to Smith's Express lately... go! Bo stuffed himself...

We then went and saw the new Chipmunk movie, Chipwrecked, and, well... the boys liked it!

Dwain hates movies but he loves buttered popcorn and soda. Funny thing, since we ordered Dr. Pepper they gave us a free Dr. Pepper T-SHIRT, just what we needed! HA! Everyone had fun and they were all pooped, especially Chapel.

He fell asleep while I was doing laundry. Sweet baby! We are excited and ready for Christmas break.

Hat Day

2011-12-16T07:31:00.003-06:00

Today was hat day at BIS and Bo wanted to wear two hats. As Dwain said, this totally reminds us of my Grandpa and my dad. Both like to do silly things like this and both are proud of their name. Oh, and thank you Uncle Kenny for the cool, message-board hat that scrolls "Bo Banner".

Make Grapes?

2011-12-10T08:36:00.001-06:00

I always wash my grapes then leave them on the table in a strainer. Chapel brought me this and said, "will you make grapes?"

Like Mother like... Son-in-Law??

2011-12-09T16:43:00.000-06:00

Funny story, Dwain bought me this outfit for a big event we had. My mom showed up with the same skirt :) Don't worry, she changed! I like to tease Dwain that he has the same taste as a 60 year old woman... but no surprise here... my mom is a classy dresser!

Halloween

2011-12-09T16:12:00.001-06:00

Well since we live out of town we don't get many visitors but the ones we do get sure are cute!!! Check them out...

Millie, our sweet baby girl!

The Bayless kids, Granton & Kaylynn. Granton won the Bolivar costume contest!

Deacon & cutie McKinley

Maisie, who I want to kidnap!!

Cael & Owen, they always have the best costumes!

Precious Baby Finn

Indiana Jones, Mario & Luigi :)

The gorgeous Avery

Chapel attacking Bo!

My favorite Cowboy. Dwain wore this vest as a kid!

Coke Challenge

2011-12-01T07:00:00.001-06:00

Deacon and Bo ended their 5 month challenge of not drinking coke (or pop or soda or whatever you call it). They celebrated by having coke for breakfast!

OKC Lego Cityscape

2011-11-28T13:35:00.001-06:00

We visited Lego Cityscape in OKC. The boys loved it and came up with great ideas to build their own creations.

Jake wants to be a Lego artist, that would be awesome! These buildings were so neat!

Dwain and the red dress. :)

Papa Rex enjoyed the... coffee!

Chapel kept touching everything and I told him "wait and play with lego's when we get home." He looked at me like I was crazy and said "WE DON'T HAVE THESE AT HOME!"

Bo's Sky Scraper!

Fun times!!!

Lot of Catching Up to Do!

2011-11-24T09:07:00.001-06:00

As you know I've gotten a little behind on my blogging. No, our lives haven't stopped, just my blogging. This is my attempt to play catch-up. I've adding some random pics but I have several big events to blog about. Here we go...

Deacon ran for Student Council, having a dad in the t-shirt biz really helps! Deacon printed "Vote for Deacon" shirts for all his friends... and didn't want anyone to wonder who Deacon was. BTW, he won!

Chapel and Colton (good family friend) playing video games. Do these kids really learn so early??

Daddy, Mom and Jake!

Chapel still loves his baby bed for nap time only. Bo decided to sleep with him. As you can imagine, after 4 boys this bed is READY to retire!!!

The Camdenton Laker soccer team came and stayed the night at our house (via the Ingolds). All these shoes cracked me up and I could only think someday my entryway will look like this all time!

Picking Walnuts

2011-10-09T11:49:00.002-05:00

Fall brings one of our favorite family projects, picking walnuts! We had fun and everyone helped. The boys spend all their time talking about what they'll buy with their money :). Chapel enjoyed playing in the truck until we realized he was throwing walnuts out as quick as we were picking them up!

Baby Burrito

2011-10-02T07:07:00.002-05:00

Every night after the boys shower Deacon wraps Chapel up in a towel and brings me my "baby burrito". Tonight my sweet burrito fell asleep before we could get his pj's on.

Weekend with the Johnsons

2011-09-27T15:04:00.000-05:00

This is one of my favorite friends, Brittany. We got close when she lived in Bolivar, since then she has lived in California, Utah and now Iowa (her husband Stan is a coach.) If you wonder why I don't post a picture of us from the weekend they were here it's because we never took a good one and since I'm in charge of this blog... there shall be no horrible pictures of me posted! In honor of Brittany visiting, I made a list of 10 Things I Love About Brittany

1. Shopping with her, she has AMAZING taste in clothing!
2. How we can go months and not talk but pick-up where we left off anytime.
3. Her faithfulness and good attitude as a coach's wife.
4. Her mom & dad!!!! (they are soooo fun!)
5. She is transparent, always honest and never fake.
6. Make-up advice, she introduces me to new products all the time.
7. She's a great mom!!!
8. Adaptability, wherever she goes, she fits in and people love her!
9. Shopping with her, wait, I already said that... well it's worth 2 things just because!
10. As you can see, she is beautiful, but that is just a small glimpse of the true beauty of Brittany!

Ok, now for kids pictures of the weekend... we had a great time.

Burgundy Ball

2011-09-25T21:23:00.000-05:00

Our local hospital, CMH, has a fundraiser Burgundy Ball for the Carrie J. Babb Cancer Center. They always have a great, famous speaker, this year it was Henry Winkler... the Fonz!!! We have fun getting dressed up and going out for a night.

I call it the adult prom in Bolivar... whatever it is, it's fun. Join us next year!

Wars

2011-09-07T16:15:00.001-05:00

In a house full of boys what do you expect... except WARS!!! The boys love all kinds but lately it's been water-balloons or Air-Soft.

Oh - Boys!!!

Chapel, reloading!

the crew... don't they look scary!

even Dwain played

Bo in his ghillie suit.

This is the boys' favorite thing to do, especially Deacon. They divide up teams and then play capture the flag. Another game they play (which cracks me up) is called "deer". One person runs across the yard as fast as they can while everyone shoots at them. ***they wear safety goggles of course :)

Car Wash

2011-08-31T21:31:00.001-05:00

Every time we drive by a car wash, Chapel gets so excited! He would be happy to wash our car everyday. This was our solution to his obsession. :) Jake kept hiding in it and jumping out and scaring Chap.

Kanakuk Kamps

2011-08-31T15:05:00.002-05:00

Deacon and Bo went to Kanakuk Kamps this summer. Wow, what an experience and what a special place! Now I can't say anything without them saying a chant of some sort. My sister teased that they went to cheerleading camp. ;)

Deacon with friends at K-Kountry.

They have parties at night and get to dress up :)

Taylor and Deacon in their cabin.

Bo & Jace at K-Seven

What hams!

at K-Seven the boys sleep in teepee's... cool, huh?

Picking the boys up was the best!!! I never realized how much I would miss them in a week. Deacon was awarded the Faith on Fire award for Spiritual Faithfulness. His counselors said he was "adaptable & respectful." Bo got the I'm Third award for putting God 1st, Others 2nd & I'm 3rd. His counselors called him "determined & thoughtful". Bo also won the Hero award for his TeePee, being a hero, the most like Christ. We loved our Kamp experience and can't wait for next summer!

My Keratin Treatment

2011-08-28T16:21:00.001-05:00

Last Wednesday I decided to see what all the excitement was about and get a Keratin Treatment. My friend, Amanda, works at Premiere Salon in Springfield and they are running a special for the month of August so I knew now was my chance. Keratin is a protein and it "fills all the holes" my porous hair has... we hope. :) I did a lot of online research before getting it done but never found any blogs about it, explaining all the details. I wear my hair curly most of the time so I was worried I would not be able to do that, but was brave and decided to try it anyway.

This is the hip, downtown Springfield Salon & the great stylist, Amanda... & me with frizzy hair.

Amanda started by washing my hair and then blow drying it completely.

We then headed over to the "Color Bar" to put in the actual treatment.

This took about 20-30 minutes. The smell was pretty strong, she described it like tanning oil but Dwain later decided my hair smelled like buttered popcorn... he loved me even more! ;)

I then sat with a cap for 20 minutes... embarrassed about this pic but oh well.

Check out my new favorite shoes... I was bored & had a camera.

Not rinsing out the treatment, Amanda then dried & and flat ironed my hair. You should not wear much make-up because my eyes did water quite a bit!

WaaLaa... my hair was straight... & would be for 3 days now. The instructions I went home with were as follows:

Ugh... I never realized how much I love my pony-tails! Well I obeyed and finally on Saturday I got to wash my hair!

You have to use this special shampoo & conditioner but it smells great!!!

I was dieing to know if I could wear my hair curly so I decided to try that first. It was a lot more relaxed curl than I was use to but with a few curls added with the curling iron, I loved the loose curl look.

Sunday morning I washed and dried it and was AMAZED that it was completely straight. I really wouldn't have had to use the flat-iron but I have some split ends that needed smoothing out. It use to take me 30+ minutes to straighten my hair and now... maybe 10.

I wish you could reach through the computer and feel how soft my hair is now. I can't keep my hands off of it. If you wear your hair straight, THIS IS FOR YOU!!! Ok, here's the deal, Premiere's special only runs through August so HURRY and call Amanda at 417-399-6587 and book an appt. Be sure and tell her I sent you and enjoy your new, soft, straight hair!!!

Football Banners

2011-08-26T12:20:00.002-05:00

The Banner boys have started a new sport! For the first time ever we have a football player... pads & all! Deacon absolutely loved his first practice! He loved tackling the most. I asked him what position a friend played and he said "Quarterback... and I can see why... he's not very good at tackling." Dwain and I have laughed and laughed about that... when someone can't tackle you stick them at QB ;).

Jake is playing flag football, this is interesting. He lost his mouthpiece the first practice. I told him I was going to attach it like a pacifier. When I asked him if he was the fastest on the team he said "No, Blake is. I guess I need to get on a treadmill and turn it on max." haha... these boys are so fun!!!

Oh Chapel

2011-08-20T08:26:00.000-05:00

Chapel and I had to make an emergency t-shirt delivery to OKC this week. Luckily I got to spend some time with my parents while we were there. We went to the local Mexican restaurant and my dad ordered this... "Whale of a Dish" scary looking, huh? Chapel thought is was so cool he asked for the head...

and after inspecting...

my brother said it looked like the fish was Chapel's chew toy. :)

Cackey & Ryan's Shower

2011-08-15T09:03:00.001-05:00

Our lifetime friend Ryan is getting married to a fun, awesome girl from Louisiana... Cackey. We had a shower over the weekend with all his Bolivar families. Looking forward to their wedding in September.

Nursery Duty: Paper Airplanes

2011-08-14T11:14:00.002-05:00

Every week we have nursey my boys help and usually come up with something fun. This week, huge paper airplanes.

Mudbath

2011-08-11T08:02:00.002-05:00

Jake spent the night with a friend and this is the picture I received. Looks like Jake's in "hog heaven"!

Jonnifer

2011-08-09T21:51:00.001-05:00

My childhood (& adulthood) friend came to visit me. We grew up together in Oklahoma then she moved to my town after college, met her husband, then he moved her off. :( They now live in Wyoming and I miss them so much!! Jennifer is her name and her husband, Jonathan... Deacon grew up calling them both Jonnifer.

these two were quite the pair

Silly Pics

2011-08-07T23:24:00.000-05:00

Sometimes the boys use my camera without me knowing and I find some silly pics... Enjoy!

And today I realized it was time to put Chap down for a nap but couldn't find him. After looking everywhere I found this tired boy :)

Championship Banners

2011-08-01T19:30:00.001-05:00

It's been a long, hot summer but good for sports. The three older boys all played baseball and all swam... they were the Bolivar Swimmerators :) Enjoy these pictures from the end of the season Championships.

I was surprised and happy to see this Creator Designs banner at the Drury Championships.

Cousins Weekend - Eldon

2011-07-18T23:04:00.001-05:00

We had a great weekend visiting with cousins from Dwain's side of the family. This family is not capable of having girls. :)

Dwain's Aunt Carol with 2 of her sweet grandsons.

Our Florida cousin, Cross.

Bo & Jake. Bo, you're a ham.

The boys loved playing football together.

Chapel has a new love.

Unc D playing Mario Bros with the boys.

Cousin Chris & his handsome son, Clay

The boys were racing. (look at Cross's face)

and even Chris raced :)

I thought this was sweet of Deacon feeding Cross.

Date Night Ideas

2011-07-17T20:10:00.000-05:00

Our awesome church frequently has date night and they provide childcare. We couldn't think of anything to do and Dwain LOVES golf so he suggested that. I was happy to do anything with him so I went along and watched. We had fun!

I was looking a little rough in the heat but Dwain was just happy I was there. :)

We have a beautiful golf course! Silo Ridge, come play with Dwain some time! I can see us in 20 years still doing this, I might bring a book next time.

Fun with our Fannin Friends

2011-07-13T18:21:00.001-05:00

Nice middle of the week surprise to have dinner and ice cream with our Fannin friends!

Sweets

2011-07-08T00:14:00.002-05:00

Chapel is sweet!

Jake's Baseball Season

2011-07-01T17:25:00.001-05:00

Jake is doing really well in baseball this year. This is the first time he has played on a team without a brother.

Jake was telling a friend of ours about his game...
Jake: I hit a triple!
Friend: Really? That's great!
Jake: Yeah, then I ran to third base!

Jake plays on Monday nights in Bolivar and Bo plays on Monday nights in Springfield so Dwain and I switch back and forth going to games. One night I noticed Jake had been in the dugout two innings in a row when he should have been playing the field.
Mom: Why are you in the dugout again, you should be playing?!

Jake: The coaches let me stay in here again! :) Don't tell dad!!

Jake's buddy Cael plays on a different team, they made a deal they wouldn't get each other out, the dads don't approve.

Whiffle ball in the backyard is paying off, Jake is having a great year hitting.

He also has a GREAT coaches! ;)

And thank you Tracy (my fellow baseball, basketball-boy mom) for some great pictures!

We ♥ Daddy!

2011-06-30T13:59:00.001-05:00

417 Magazine had a "Best Dads in 417land" so of course I nominated Dwain because he is THE best dad around. Boo to 417mag though because he wasn't picked as a finalist... but here is my entry....

“We only have a few years with them at home, and I don’t want to waste a day!”

My husband Dwain has said this hundreds of times, and even better, he models it. He is the best dad in 417-Land because he spends every possible minute with our four boys - instilling values and teaching them how valuable they are.

Even though he’s the busy owner of Creator Designs, Dwain takes the time to teach his sons the qualities that have made him successful. Every day the boys aren’t in school he takes them to work with him. He finds jobs for them to do and teaches them to work, but more importantly he shows them they’re an essential part of our life and business. While at home, he teaches them to mow, cut brush, pick-up after themselves and others. So many times it would be easier for Dwain to just get the job done by himself, but he ALWAYS takes time to share the value of hard work!

Never missing a day of reading the Bible or a Sunday of attending church is essential in our home. Dwain is “religious” about this! J He knows God’s word is the key to life and he wants the boys to know it well. Honesty is required. “Banners Don’t Lie” and Dwain lives this out as an example for our boys, always being above reproach in his business dealings.

His volunteer work takes him and his sons around the world. A few years ago, Dwain and Deacon, our oldest, made the trip to India to visit orphanages. Once back home he helped Deacon and others in our church raise the money for a new orphanage. He serves on the Board of Hopegiver’s International, helping kids who have no fathers.

Although work and church are priorities, recreation is never overlooked. Dwain is known as the best little league coach in town because he knows the sports and he is patient to all the kids. My boys are proud to have him as their coach! Hunting is another area all the boys enjoy together. Dwain would rather watch them hunt than hunt himself. They spend hours together shopping for guns, watching hunting videos, walking land to find the best hunting spot!

“Work hard, play hard”, fun is never overlooked by this Super Star Dad in 417-land.

Swim Meet (& video)

2011-06-25T14:29:00.001-05:00

Our first swim meet in Springfield went well! Team Banner brought home 7 blue ribbons, whoop whoop! Enjoy this video, Jake was filming without my attention.

1, 2, 3, 4

2011-06-25T13:38:00.001-05:00

Deacon & Chapel

2011-06-22T12:03:00.002-05:00

I thought these were sweet, I can't tell you what a good big brother Deacon is!

Father's Day Weekend in Oklahoma

2011-06-20T15:15:00.001-05:00

Daddy Dwain with all the boys for Father's Day.

My mom and I share a birthday and this was our b-day weekend, she turned 60 and I turned ????? :)

Bo & Papa, what is Bo thinking in this picture? My guess "I hope I get that tall!"

Can you see Bo in the top left corner?

Mom & Dwain discussing landscaping as usual.

Papa swimming with boys.

My sis, Becky & her #3 son, Wyatt.

What a nerd.

Cousin Walker & Bo

Cousin Weston & Jake

Papa gave Weston & Jake these helmets and I'm not sure they ever took them off.

They even ate lunch with them!

So cute!

Cousin Ezekiel enjoying one of papa's popsicles.

Cousins!!!

Kids everywhere all weekend!

Papa & Nammy and all eleven grandkids!

Me & my nieces, Tabby, Reagan, Lucy.

Where's Regina??? She must've been the only one watching the kids.

We had a WONDERFUL weekend, I loved every minute. I of course love my family so much and don't get to see them often enough. Jake said "Mom, can we move to Oklahoma to live close to our cousins?" I told him he could save his money and move there for college if he wanted, that after all is how I ended up in Bolivar... chasing cousins :)!

Please Follow - Fossil Watch Giveaway

2011-06-12T17:00:00.007-05:00

AND THE WINNER IS

"LAUREN"

Lauren, message me on facebook and give me your address, and male or female watch?
Congratulations and thank you. I found the winner by using random.org.

Hey friends. Some of you might know I have been working on a blog for Creator Designs. I started it in Wordpress and I guess I'm not smart enough to stick with it... nor do I have the patience to learn it. So over the weekend I re-created it in Blogger... Yay! I want you to check it out and let me know your thoughts. Also, PLEASE FOLLOW (bottom of the left column) because I don't want to officially publish it with no followers :( Thank you so much!!! Ok, and I'll do a giveaway, why not, right?! So, you MUST "Follow" the CD Blog and then put a comment on this one telling me you did and if you have any suggestions for it. The prize... a silver Fossil watch, male or female your pick (it has a tiny cd logo on it and I do mean tiny!) I will announce the winner on Thursday!

The new blog...

http://creatordesigns.blogspot.com/

I ♥ My Camera Phone

2011-06-10T15:16:00.007-05:00

Aren't camera phones great?! You can capture so many special moments at any time. They can also be weird, like if you catch someone taking a picture of you... "hey, I am not worthy of People of Wal-Mart just because I didn't do my hair!" Well, here are some random pictures I have had on my phone that I wanted to share.

Sleeping babies are the best!

There's a business in BoMO that has a cat ALWAYS in the window, the kids love walking by it. Here are the Fannins (our friends from OK) checking it out... you didn't know BoMO was soooo exciting did you?!
Jimmy Needham NEEDS a lot of hats! We print for the this artist and he must sell a ton of these because I see them up at CD a lot!
Grandpa's eyes were closed but isn't this the sweetest! He was just talking away to Chapel.

Our favorite restaurant, Brenda's Cafe serves Mickey Mouse pancakes... the best!!!

Whiffle Ball Days are Here

2011-06-05T17:13:00.004-05:00

Gorgeous night for Whiffle Ball!

Seriously, you have got to come play with us!!! What does your family do for fun?

Thank You Dairy Queen!

2011-05-31T14:44:00.002-05:00

The boys all had DQ coupons for good behavior from school so we cashed in today! YUM! Thank you Dairy Queen!

Winner Winner!

2011-05-30T14:25:00.002-05:00

And the winner is "Amy"! Send me a message on Facebook with your address and the size you want and I will ship you a the new 4th of July Tee! Congrats!

For Your Eyes Only... Giveaway!

2011-05-28T14:31:00.007-05:00

Guess what this is?? Well, besides a pile of shirts...

It's the 4th of July tee for 2011! Yes they are still $5 at Creator Designs.
Not yet though, they haven't been "released" so I'll keep you updated, just wanted to let you be the first to know! Below was our inspiration for the look of this year's holiday tee.

And here it is!!!

Home of the Brave! 2 Timothy 1:7 - "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

Now for the GIVEAWAY!!! I am going to be giving away ONE Home of the Brave shirt! You will get yours before they are "released" or even go on order!

Here is how to enter:

~Follow my blog and leave ONE comment below telling me that you follow my blog and any other comments you have about this holiday tee! That is all you have to do!

The giveaway will end on Monday, May 16th at noon.
I will announce the winner that night or sooner.

And the winner is "Amy"! Send me a message on Facebook with your address and the size you want and I will ship you a the new 4th of July Tee! Congrats!

Boys Will be Boys

2011-05-26T14:14:00.004-05:00

Dwain and the boys LOVE whiffle ball, LOVE IT! Summer time brings lots and lots of games with anyone that shows up. Last summer Dwain decided we didn't have enough daylight to play whiffle ball, so he had a light installed on our barn to light the "field". Still yet, not good enough, the light wasn't high enough! So Dwain's buddy agreed to bring an old pole and add the light. Just check out all the equipment it took to get this all so precious light for whiffle ball... whiffle ball!!!

See the light on the barn (clearly not high enough, haha!)

ohhhhhh, be careful!!!!

This is the field, you will soon see a backstop and bases!

Jake checking out the project.

So when you come and see us, bring your tennis shoes because YOU WILL be playing... or sitting on the bleachers I expect to be built soon! :)

Comfort

2011-05-25T21:44:00.003-05:00

Blessed by God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of ALL comfort, Who comforteth us IN ALL our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them who are in any trouble, by the comfort which we ourselves are comforted of God. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Ephesians 6:10-11

For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9

Who Needs a Cup?

2011-05-20T20:28:00.002-05:00

He had to have learned this from Dwain!

Black Eye #3

2011-05-18T22:58:00.001-05:00

Jake's bike wreck results :(

Jake and his Critters

2011-05-18T14:47:00.002-05:00

We were all at the shop "working" and Jake showed up with these frogs. There's a water-hole out back and he'd been busy! ;)

Nothing to See Here

2011-05-17T10:30:00.004-05:00

Annie and Chapel were sneaking some cheese balls, or "popcorn" as Chapel calls it.

And thought you would enjoy this beautiful but freaky picture, we thought we might be seeing a tornado forming.

And the Winner is....

2011-05-16T13:09:00.004-05:00

"Holden"! Emily is that you? Message me on facebook and tell me your address and the size shirt you want. I used random.org to determine our winner. Here are some new OAK shirts we have available...

My Chalkboard Woes

2011-05-15T23:27:00.002-05:00

I bought this gorgeous chalkboard from Restoration Hardware and LOVED it! It looked perfect and was just what I wanted. I went to write on it and the chalk would slip, wouldn't even leave a mark in some places. I purchased 3 different brands of chalk... same story. I called and they told me to try liquid chalk, which you see here. The problem with that is it wouldn't completely erase (even with water). I called back and they said try writing on the back, some boards had been put together wrong, wrote on the back and it worked. They quickly sent a new one and chalk will work on it (not as good as my $10 board from Wal-Mart) however chalk scratches the board. You erase the chalk and the scratch is still there. Also, you can see the board coming off on the chalk... grrrrrr! What is going on??? Does anyone have any suggestions?

Sneak Peek - OAK - Giveaway!

2011-05-12T14:01:00.001-05:00

I love what I get to do at Creator Designs! I want to let you in on some of it today. We have been working on a new retail line but we haven't "announced" officially yet... we are still testing it out a little so YOU are getting a sneak peek. Of course our main business is screen printing custom orders, but from time to time we like to throw retail out there. The idea came up to print "One of a Kind" shirts, pulling from the orders we are already printing. We have amazing graphic designers (we use to call them artists :)) and day after day we print INCREDIBLE stuff, usually 40+ orders a day. Our new retail line, OAK - One of a Kind, takes a trendy, unique shirt (mostly Alternative Apparel) and prints one of the designs we're doing that day. NO ONE in the world will have a shirt like it! (Now someone might have that print, but not that shirt style/color). Check out some of the brainstorming we did for the look we wanted for OAK...
Kim Scowden wrote this amazing and perfect summary of the message we want to share through OAK...
After meetings and lots and lots of emails we finalized some things...
Marketing tag line:

Introducing our latest in retail design, O.A.K. is one of a kind. Each garment in our O.A.K. line is custom crafted and uniquely designed, just like you. Check in often, as we’re adding new pieces daily… A little something to remind each of us who we were made to be.

O.A.K. Get back to your roots.

And here is the final product...
And one OAK shirt I want to buy (remember they are all COMPLETELY different)...

Now for the GIVEAWAY!!! I am going to be giving away ONE OAK shirt!

Here is how to enter:

~Follow my blog and leave ONE comment below telling me that you follow my blog and any other comments you have about OAK! That is all you have to do!

The giveaway will end on Monday, May 16th at noon.
I will announce the winner that night!

And the Winner is...
http://ilovebannerboys.blogspot.com/2011/05/and-winner-is.html

Party at Grandma's!

2011-05-11T14:26:00.000-05:00

Grandma Mary Kay makes the BEST red velvet cake... or is it red carpet cake?? What's the difference?
Unc D... tired of pictures?
Dwain trying to be sweet in order to get the first piece of cake ;)
Uncle Bob
that's got ornery written all over it!
handsome...handsome!
Bo's follow thru (& proof I play)
Bo likes posing
did I already say... Bo likes posing!

guess what? Bo likes posing!

Fishin with G & G Banner

2011-05-11T14:13:00.000-05:00

The boys begged & begged to stay through Sunday afternoon to fish with Grandpa & Grandma, their begging proved successful!
Jake attracts animals.
... and he loves them!
gorgeous scenery!

proud fisherman...

proud grandparents!
and the dog is STILL bugging Jake :)

Dwain's Stompin Ground - Eldon

2011-05-11T13:46:00.000-05:00

We spend Mother's Day weekend at Dwain's parents'. The boys love going there, all for different reasons, mostly though, they all LOVE the food Grandma fixes.

Dwain & Darin rave about the Cree Mee as you can see "World Famous Chili Dog", not sure what that means exactly but it's pretty good. I always get the ham & cheese and my favorite Cherry-Marshmallow Pepsi (of course I prefer Coke).

What could he be thinking in this picture??? "why did I have so many kids?" "how am I gonna get that new embroidery machine up & running in time?" "where have all the turkeys gone?" Most likely... "I want another chili-dog!" :)

Grandma Mary Kay, Aunt Carolynn, Uncle Bob (siblings)

Deacon's break from football

Chapel hiding from the camera
Aunt Carol, teaching Jake how to Skype, she is so up on technology, it's amazing!!
Grandma's precious flowers.
Grandpa Charlie & Dwain's fish frying... I'm tellin ya, the food never stops in Eldon!
Finally, a picture of Chapel.

Happy Birthday to Angie!

2011-05-04T23:28:00.000-05:00

Chapel loves Angie's iPhone!

Happy Birthday to our dear, dear friend Angie! Here is a short list of things we love about her in no particular order...

10 Things We Love About Angie:
1. How you enjoy organizing our house
2. You are such a good listener
3. The sports NUT in you
4. How you never wear the same outfit in a school year, you're so girlie! :)
5. Your family!!! (especially Mom, Dad, Holly & Tavis, John & Harrison)
6. The love and faith you show in our Lord
7. Our shared obsession for Mexican food (Cinco de Mayo, it's fate)
8. All the pictures you take of the kids.
9. How you make desserts for your students after each test.
10. The constant LOVE and ATTENTION you pour into our family!!!!!!!!

"I Want to be a Cowboy" - Jake

2011-05-03T23:55:00.009-05:00

Jake has decided he wants to be a cowboy. We have friends that have horses and an indoor arena and they offered to let Jake start his cowboy career at their place.

The look on his face says it all! :)

Jake must know, girls like cowboys!
Chapel was obsessed with the "horsey!"
This would be a cool picture... if that were a tiger!

Well we don't know if Jake will end up being a cowboy or a cat herder???

Deacon & Braces - Austin Orthodontics

2011-05-02T15:07:00.001-05:00

Every business needs t-shirts... there are so many different ways to use them! Austin Orthodontics in Nixa, MO uses their t-shirts for advertising & gifts for loyal patients. Deacon (the oldest Banner boy) got to pick out his t-shirt & he wears it frequently to earn "Austin Bucks", a reward system for clean teeth, referrals & timely visits. It's not often kids like to go to the doctor but the staff at Austin Ortho make it fun with drawings & giveaways. Check them out here on Facebook!

Deacon enjoys checking in with this system, I enjoy this gorgeous waiting room!

Chapel enjoys the "fishy... see fishy!!!"

The wait is never long but Austin Orthodontics has a perfect kids' room to wait in.

this is where it all goes down

every patient has their own flat screen

Dr. Austin hard at work

our passion... t-shirts!

www.nixaortho.com

handsome Banner boys, straight teeth (coming soon)

visit Austin Orthodontics & tell them Creator Designs sent you!

Test

2011-04-30T16:26:00.010-05:00

Baby Shower, CD Style

2011-04-27T22:41:00.000-05:00

The ladies of Creator Designs enjoyed a night-out celebrating the birth of McKinley Faith. McKinley belongs to Jenny, our Accounting Manager. It's been hard surviving without Jenny at CD for several weeks but certain things are priority! ;) Congratulations Jenny & Jonathan!!!

: The Invite! It helps to have brilliant graphic artists in-house.

: welcome McKinley

Danielle, Kayla, Lenee & McKinley

: love the pink, never enough pink!

: Jenny, Jessica & Kim

: my turn to hold McKinley

Kim, Ashley & Becca

mexican food & dr. pepper... can't live without!

opening gifts

: lovely party favor

Bo the Turkey Hunter!

2011-04-24T23:43:00.008-05:00

Bo went hunting with his Grandpa Charlie and Daddy Dwain and he found success! He had to lean over "papa" to get the shot off but he got it!

His turkey weighed 26lbs and had a 10.75" beard and 1.5" spurs (hope you know what all that means cuz I don't.)

Poor thing!
You can see our dog Annie in this picture, she was REALLY interested!

Sweet pictures of Dwain and Deacon. Deacon had went hunting with a friend of ours and he was telling Daddy about his hunt.

Bo won the price for the longest spurs! Bo... you are amazing!

No Bakes!

2011-04-24T23:25:00.010-05:00

No bakes have been an Austin girl favorite ever since I can remember! Our love for them developed when dad would say "you can't get up until you finish your milk." Well by the end of the meal our milk was lukewarm... gag! So my sweet, sweet, wonderful mama would whip up some no bakes and that would help get the lukewarm milk down! As we grew older, we would make them almost every day after school, sometimes a payment to Jenn for a ride home :). They continue to be my favorite although the Banner boys prefer chocolate chip cookies... BOOOO! Today I won the battle over what kind of cookie and Chapel wanted to help.

No Bakes
1/4 cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 Tbs cocoa
1/2 cup milk
*Bring this to a boil and stir for 1 minute... NO LONGER! take off the burner and quickly add:
1 teas vanilla
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 cups oatmeal
*Get it mixed together and drop spoonfuls on wax paper. Get a glass of COLD milk and enjoy!

(notice the "big boy undies" I'm so proud!)
Come over anytime and ask for No Bakes and I will be happy to make them!!!

Easter Sunday

2011-04-24T23:03:00.005-05:00

John 11:25-26
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.

We all got dressed and about to walk out the door but couldn't find Chapel's shoes. We scrambled around, found one but not the other :(! The rain boots were the best option (especially with all the rain! :))

Couldn't decide which of these to post so you get them all! I am so proud of these handsome boys! Guess what? I Love Banner Boys!!!

We thank and praise our Father for his sacrifice so that we might have eternal life!

No Need to Fear, the Government is Here!

2011-04-22T22:10:00.005-05:00

Awhile back I started noticing my dishes were very cloudy. Well, my dishwasher was somewhat new so I thought something was wrong with it. After asking around and doing lots of research someone recommended Lemi Shine (along with your regular detergent). I tried it and everything was happy at my house! ...at least in the kitchen :)! A few months later a friend sent me this article from FoxNews. Apparently the government "regulated" phosphate out of dishwasher detergent and guess what... phosphate is a key ingredient to clean dishes. This article also tells how using Lemi Shine every load will help, and it DOES! I have been using it ever since! Today I was lazy and didn't use it (only Cascade), I couldn't believe how terrible my dishes looked so I pulled a glass out, re-washed the load using Lemi-Shine and you see the difference?! It truly is amazing. So the government can mess things up and smart, intelligent ambitious people can clean up the mess!

Field & Stream!

2011-04-22T17:04:00.006-05:00

Thrilling! Field & Stream magazine visited Creator Designs in April. The local NWTF chapter held a huge event in Bolivar and CD donated shirts for it. Dwain and the boys were interviewed by T. Edward Nickens Editor-at-Large for Field & Stream. He asked them questions about how they got into hunting, their first hunt, and generational hunting. They were hunting the next day with Dwain's dad Charlie! "Eddie" then helped print the shirts that were to be given away the next day! Believe me, I will let you know when the Field & Stream publication comes out!

Home for Sale!

2011-04-22T16:18:00.005-05:00

I'm trying to help Darin sell his house, so here you go...

http://bannerhomeforsale.blogspot.com/

Check out how neat he is! Is he really related to my husband?? :)

Family Night

2011-04-19T20:57:00.009-05:00

Fun family night! Dwain cooked the pheasant him and Deacon killed on a hunting trip in Kansas. We kept calling it chicken until the boys decided they liked it , then we revealed that it was pheasant. :) After that daddy let the boys jump on the couch (this is so fun for some reason). Yes, Chapel is picking his nose in this picture.

We then decided to play the T-Shirt Game, fitting huh?! I've heard it's like Apples to Apples.

(Jake wanted to take a picture for the blog.)

... and as you can see, daddy and Jake won the game!
This was one of the funnier matches tonight. Hope you enjoy your family like we did tonight!

Bo's Turkey's

2011-04-14T22:49:00.001-05:00

Bo shot a turkey and even won a prize and I have great pics on my camera, but keep forgetting to have Dwain find it (he borrowed). Will post more of the story soon but couldn't wait to share this! He went with his Grandpa Charlie and Dwain.

More Nursery Duty Fun!

2011-04-10T11:37:00.001-05:00

Deacon's Poetry

2011-04-09T14:10:00.012-05:00

Deacon had the assignment at school to write poetry and he chose to write about his brothers. I thought they were so sweet. Enjoy!

Chapel

Coolest 2 year old in Bolivar

Has 3 basketball goals

Awesome at basketball

Perfect little brother

Eats lots of cookie dough

Loves to shoot ball

Jakin

Crazy, Funny

Running, Jumping, Playing

Jakes loving all the time

Establish

Boaz

Cool, Smart

Hitting, Throwing, Catching

Bat, Ball – Glove, Cleats

Diving, Running, Sliding

Boaz Banner

Christian

Deacon

Athletic, Quiet, Kind, Fun

Sibling of Bo, Jake, and Chapel

Lover of God, Family, and Airsoft

Who feels Happy, Hungry, and Good

Who needs God, Mom, and Dad

Who gives Kindness, Friendship, and Tithes

Who fears Nothing

Who would like to see Heaven, Iraq, and Afghanistan

Resident of Missouri

Banner

Thank you Angie for all the pictures!

I Made It!

2011-04-06T21:38:00.003-05:00

Every time Chapel goes in the toilet he proudly says "I made it!" If he's having trouble he says "it's stuck!" He had a great day overall potty training so we decided to take a big step and go to Deacon's first baseball game of the year. Nervous about Chapel being in the car in big-boy undies, but we rushed around and got out the door and half way there Jake started throwing up...everywhere! All of a sudden potty training took back seat. We were running late to the game so we did the best clean-up we could. Dwain and I were discussing shampooing the carpet, etc etc and as we pulled up to the baseball fields a sweet little voice from the back cried out "I made it!" Oh my...what a night with kids! I had to sing Count Your Blessings all the way home!

Potty Training, Westerns & Baseball

2011-04-04T22:03:00.006-05:00

We started potty training with Chapel today... yay!!! Last one!!! I read a book, Potty Training in a Day, and I somewhat go by that method. I gave Chapel all he wanted to drink of anything we had in the house and set the timer for 15 minutes, and went "potty. " After we move from diapers to big-boy undies we try to never go back. We had a very successful day and hoping tomorrow will be even better!

Jake had his Kindergarten program tonight and it was a "Western. " He was SOOOOO excited about this and sooooo proud! After it was over he said "did I do good or what?"

Bo had his first baseball game of the season. I know, I know, you're thinking "already??" Yeah, me too! Luckily Jake had his western so we had to miss the game and the 40 degree temps. Bo played GREAT though we heard! Go BO!

Sweet Baby

2011-04-03T07:11:00.001-05:00

SBU Basketball & Creator Designs

2011-03-30T23:02:00.003-05:00

I never posted these because, well, they didn't turn out very good. But they are part of our year and I'm really trying to remember as many experiences as possible. SBU honored Creator Designs at the last basketball game of the year. We decided to have all the boys go out on the court with us and I'm glad we did! I'm so proud of my family! As Dr. Taylor was presenting us with the official, signed basketball, Chapel lunged for it, every ball is "Chapel Banner Ball".

Cool Dudes!

2011-03-24T21:32:00.001-05:00

15 Year Anniversary

2011-03-24T06:02:00.003-05:00

15 Years! You know we are not much on celebrating events but we did enjoy a dinner out, alone :) After that we spoke Dwain's love language by driving around looking at farm land and ended with mine... ice cream! When we saw Jake he was curious about all the hoop-la, he said "are you still married?"

Pond Dog

2011-03-21T10:52:00.001-05:00

Annie loves the pond, she jumps in and out of it all the time. She will even fetch a stick we throw in there. It's really cute until she shakes the pond water all over us!

4 Points!

2011-03-20T19:29:00.002-05:00

Chapel came up with a way to double his points!

Ball Boys

2011-03-19T17:16:00.003-05:00

The boys have been the Ball Boys for the SBU Bearcats for the past 4 years. It's been so fun watching them grow and do their job better all the time. They only unplugged the shot-clock a couple times :)

Braces!

2011-03-15T21:34:00.001-05:00

We've entered the world of braces! Deacon did great, I'll post more pics later.

Who Needs Cartoons?

2011-03-10T16:04:00.001-06:00

Chapel really doesn't care much for cartoons, just turn on a basketball game!

Science Fair Project

2011-03-10T16:01:00.001-06:00

Deacon completed his 5th grade science fair project last night. He did it on shooting. I was proud of him and my hypothesis is that he should win because he completed this despite his three younger brothers "helping."

Dr. Suess Day

2011-03-02T08:53:00.001-06:00

Jake had the brilliant idea to wear Bo's ghillie suit and be the Grinch. So then Bo was upset because he wanted that idea for himself. We decided Bo could be Dr. Suess, grey hair and all. Everyone is happy!

Someday...

2011-02-25T13:20:00.005-06:00

Someday I'll miss... a basketball goal in my living room.

Someday I'll miss... my lantern being used as a jail for bad legos.

Someday I'll miss... lego sculptures mixed in with my home decor.

Someday I'll miss... tricycles in my front yard.

Happy 8th Birthday Bo

2011-02-20T07:59:00.003-06:00

Bo is 8! We spent the weekend in Oklahoma with family. Bo's loves his cousins so this was a perfect way to celebrate. Happy Birthday Bo!

Like his Bubbies

2011-02-18T14:40:00.001-06:00

Chapel has decided he doesn't want to sleep in PJ's anymore. He wants to be like his "bubbies!"

Valentine's Day

2011-02-15T15:05:00.006-06:00

I'm not sure what happened with these pics being so small :( sorry!

Tale of Two Boys

2011-02-12T09:26:00.001-06:00

Dwain told the boys this morning he wanted to go play baseball at an indoor facility here in town...Balls n Strikes. Bo eagerly started the process of getting ready for practice. Notice how he is all decked out! Jake, on the other hand, wasn't so eager to go. Finally, he found a pair of jeans and an Indiana Jones t-shirt. :) Dwain got him in baseball pants and a different shirt, but Jake was determined to wear his Indy hat! What a joy... the differences we celebrate in our children!

Fat Birds

2011-02-11T10:17:00.002-06:00

I love these little fat birds that like to sit in the snow on my deck! They are so cute and now that I have a good zoom camera I can see them better! :) What kind are they? I know NOTHING about birds.

Trish's Cupcakes

2011-02-08T12:01:00.000-06:00

Today at Brenda's Cafe Trish shared her homemade cupcakes with us. So this is what Chapel will look like with a mustache.

Big Brother's Homework

2011-02-06T16:52:00.001-06:00

Found Chapel helping Deacon with his homework! Not sure how much help he is??

I LOVE Banner Boys!

2011-02-05T22:33:00.001-06:00

Today was such a great day. We all (including Uncle D) headed to Springfield to see Bo play basketball. He WON!!! Then after that we ate at our favorite, Red Lobster for lunch. Headed from there to the mall, checked on our CD kiosk, then shopped and shopped. Dwain bought me a "sugar daddy" t-shirt because he said that's what he is to me... haha! Bass Pro was the next stop followed by Fazoli's for dinner. We all squeezed in a booth and I sat and stared at all my handsome Banner boys and thanked the Lord for every one of them! I am the most blessed woman on Earth!

Snowbliteration February 2011

2011-02-03T14:36:00.007-06:00

We got close to a foot of snow. The boys have had a great time playing. We have played games, watched movies, cleaned house, cooked and have done LOADS of laundry!

Where Did That Come From?

2011-01-29T15:12:00.003-06:00

Jake took off his sweatshirt yesterday and this crazy thing appeared. "Where did you get that???" He then proceeded to tell the story of how he was cold at recess and some kid lent it to him. I think he just wanted it! Wow, we will be sending this back soon!

Another Jake story: the boys were being babysat by our good friend Angie. The dog had strung trash all over the front yard so Angie gave everyone a trash bag and told them whoever got the most trash, won. Jake reappeared claiming "I won, I won! I got a opossum!" Upon further inspection, it was a dead mole! Yuck!!!

New Business Venture

2011-01-27T00:29:00.001-06:00

Today starts a new business venture for Creator Designs. We are doing a two week trial period of selling our holiday tee and Missouri State tees. Our employees are joining us in this venture by obtaining "shares" for the hours they work the cart. We are thrilled with their enthusiasm and we hope the value of their "shares" continues to rise over the two week period. Come see us!

Wood's Grocery

2011-01-26T18:35:00.003-06:00

Love the sense of humor someone had at Wood's today! The sign says:

FREE to good home

SNOWMAN

Some Assembly Required

"Doda"

2011-01-25T09:37:00.002-06:00

Chapel says everything with a "d".... instead of "Dora" its "Doda". He always wants to take a "showder" with the boys and he also loves to "codor" pretty pictures. He prefers "cerdal" for breakfast. Some days I hope he never grows up, then I have to change a diaper! :)

Deacon & the Defenders

2011-01-24T15:48:00.004-06:00

Deacon is playing a lot of basketball these days. He plays every Tuesday and also a lot of weekends in tournaments. This weekend they won 2nd place at a tourney in Nixa. Unlike his dad and uncle, Deacon passes the ball a lot. :) He also loves setting screens and blocking out. I think he likes physical contact; he's anxious for football!

Mrs. Tweedy's Birthday

2011-01-24T14:33:00.003-06:00

We celebrated Bo's beloved teacher's birthday last week. Bo has some great friends that he has had in class since pre-school. Katie and Jace are pictured here.

Chapel, Bo and a Saturday

2011-01-22T22:35:00.001-06:00

Just thought I'd share some pictures with you from today. We put up a tent and Chapel thinks he has a new bedroom. Bo had his friend Jace over and they had fun pretending like they played for the OKC Thunder. Chapel fell asleep... kids are so cute and sweet when they're sleeping! The boys and I read about John Wesley tonight and we learned and love the saying he coined "gain all you can, save all you can, give all you can." Hope you had a good Saturday!