PSF - Gone Buggy!'

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

A few nights ago as I was bringing groceries in from the car, I noticed a distinct humming sound that was growing louder and louder. A surprisingly familiar sound that I recognized from my childhood, growing up in North Little Rock, Arkansas, to be, what we called, the mosquito truck.

Sure enough, I saw the flashing lights in the distance and immediately headed inside to avoid being fogged with bug spray.

I guess bugs and mosquitoes are pretty prevalent down in these parts.





Must be a southern thing. :)

Wedding Cake Fight '96 Revisited

In honor of our recent 13th wedding anniversary (Has it really been that long???), I thought I'd rerun these Pop-Up Video Style, candid cake-cutting pics that my best friend (and maid of honor), Diana, snapped and mailed to me when we got back from our honeymoon in San Diego. (No emailing digital pics back then, folks. No email. No digital cameras. Man, I'm old.)

It started out sweet and innocent...
Yes, I smashed a little cake in my new hubby's face...just to be silly
Then it was his turn...I tried to dodge him and it went right up my nose!
You're going down, buddy!
It was a full-out cake fight! How dignified...
That's exactly what our parents were thinking...haha!
My make-up, my lipstick...pretty much gone, but I was still smiling. It really was hilarious, although I did have icing boogers for a week. (Sorry...too much info.)

Ahhhhh...to be young and in love.

"When You Least Expect It"

Several months ago, in the midst of the craziness that had taken over my life, a friend gave me the newest Hilary Weeks cd - If I Only Had Today. The inspired words and melodies gave me comfort and became a source of strength for me in spite of the uncertainty that had come to plague our family. One song especially connected with me, and when my husband finally, after all of these agonizing months, received that phone call with an official job offer from a reputable, secure company, I immediately thought of these lyrics and knew that God had heard our prayers...

It's been raining for days with no sign of it letting up
And all I can think about is how much I miss the sun.

The sound is almost hypnotizing, pounding on the pavement
And drop by drop I forget how good the sun feels on my face.

Then through the shadows, beyond the clouds
A ray of light hits my window.
I can't believe it, but I can see it
Right in front of my eyes.

And that's when it happens
When you least expect it
When it feels like the storm will never end
That's when it happens
Light cuts through the darkness
And Heaven surprises you
When you least expect it.

I quit counting the hours I've prayed for answers
But I can't help wondering how long I will have to wait.

And why is Heaven silent while I'm running out of words?
I keep on knocking but nobody hears me standing at the door.

Then through the shadows, beyond the doubt
Heaven sends the answer.
I can't believe it, but I can feel it
Deep inside of my heart

And that's when it happens
When you least expect it
And you know God has heard every prayer
That's when it happens
Love breaks through the darkness
And Heaven surprises you
When you least expect it...


Even now, it all still seems surreal. Finding a nice family to rent our home (definitely divine intervention), packing up our house, receiving the job offer (along with a relocation package that we were not expecting AT ALL - that's why we were able to join Pat in AL so quickly), having everything go haywire the last week in VA (sick kiddos during recital week while I'm staying at my brother's house - need I say more?), watching Abby perform in her last Shuffles recital (at least for a while), saying goodbye to my family (they were all there with cards, treats, gifts, and big hugs to send us on our way last Sunday morning), even the ten and half hour drive seemed to float by as we made our way to Alabama. (The kids were troopers doing it all in one day. Thank goodness for portable DVD players.)

Yes, it's been an emotional couple of weeks. (I'm sure it will be for awhile.) Yes, I have felt somewhat out of my element. And yes, there are still a lot of loose ends that need tying, but I know that Heavenly Father is watching over us. I know that He hears our prayers, and I have faith that this is where our little family is supposed to be right now. I'm not sure why yet, but I can feel it, deep inside of my heart.

Finally!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I sent this video message to Pat when he was in Alabama for his first "final interview". It must have brought him luck! He starts on MONDAY!

WOO-HOO!!! We are so excited!!!!!!! (and relieved) More details to come. Right now, we are up to our eyeballs in boxes. :)

WFMW - Teapot Cake

Who would have thought that something like this...

could turn into something like this?

TA-DAH!!! Oh, the miracle of frosting, paper clips (for the handle and spout), and candy decor.

I found this idea for Abby's birthday cake on this website which was perfect for her little Princess Ballerina tea party. The girls absolutely loved it!


For more WFMW ideas, click here!

And to leave a "Gratitude Attitude" nomination - click here!

When life gives you lemons...you may get an award!

An overdue thank you goes to Heather (of Heather's Hodgepodge) who nominated me for this "Attitude of Gratitude" award a few weeks ago...

Cute, huh? I love blog awards!

Here's how to share the love:
* Put the logo on your blog or post
* Nominate at least 10 blogs that show an an attitude of gratitude
* Link to your nominees within your post
* Comment on their blogs to let them know they've received this award
(I'm tweaking this a little...)
* Share the love & link to this post & the person who nominated you for the award (Thanks again, Heather!)
* Tell us how you've come to have an attitude of gratitude

Now for the nominees -
If I may bend the rules just a bit, I was hoping that maybe my blog savvy friends out there could help me extend my nominations. I feel like I'm always passing awards to the same people - all of whom I love! But I would also love to hear about some "attitude of gratitude" blogs that aren't on my sidebar yet. So if you would be so kind as to leave a comment nominating a blog (along with the address), I will be sure to hop on over there and leave a comment letting them know you've nominated them so they can pick up their award. Thanks for your help! I'm excited to venture over to some of your favorite blogs.


How I've come to have a "gratitude attitude" -
It's a work in progress! I have to admit, when I first saw Heather's note about this award, I had to laugh. It had been a crazy day, and my attitude wasn't reflecting much gratitude. Still, the picture reminded me that even though Pat and I been handed our fair share of lemons over the last several months, we are moving in the right direction and trying to focus on the positive. As Thomas S. Monson said in the last General Conference,
"Be of good cheer. The future is as bright as your faith."

I was first given that counsel to "be of good cheer" when I was a teenager, and I have often relied on those words when dealing with difficult situations over the years. "Be of good cheer and do not fear for I the Lord am with you" is just one of several verses in the scriptures that reminds us to be happy and grateful. Not that it's always easy. I have my days. We all do. We're only human. But when I put things into perspective, I am reminded of the many blessings in my life. My children, my husband, good health, safety, supportive family members and friends... And I have to say, I can always count on my kiddos to put things into perspective for me. They make me laugh and smile on a daily basis (between the fighting and whining and throwing tantrums in the grocery store). They remind me of what is really important and how much potential we have. How much we can learn and grow and experience in this life. And for that I am truly grateful.

Catching Up - Part 3 - Birthday Extravaganza!

Abby started making plans for her birthday back in February...seriously. She couldn't wait to turn FIVE! She wanted to make a birthday countdown poster at the beginning of April, so we did and then put it up on the refrigerator. It was a thirty day countdown, and she never missed coloring in even one day (without any reminders from me). She was that excited.

Abby's birthday breakfast - She requested Eggo chocolate chip waffles.

Birthdays are pretty much a week long event when it comes to the kiddos.
On the Saturday evening before Abby's birthday, we had her "family party" for which she requested chocolate cake. (She added those Pet Shop figures to the top as a finishing touch right before we started singing "Happy Birthday".)


Then on her actual birthday, we made a special trip to the Build-A-Bear workshop. As soon as we walked in, she spotted a pink teddy bear with white hearts that she had to have. She added the Hannah Montana theme song to its foot and picked out a frilly ballet outfit to dress it in...just "perfect for my Princess Ballerina party," she said.



Abby squeezing "Ballerina Bear" and Noah posing with "Air Bud".

Next up was the "Princess Ballerina" birthday/tea party. Abby loved her teapot cakes (yes, I made them)! She had so much fun with all of her little friends.




My sweet girl has now been FIVE years old for a whole week, and she is loving it. As for me, I don't think it's quite sunk in yet. Five already? Time really does fly.

Happy Birthday, Doodle! I sure do love you.