Father/Daughter Dance 2011

Earlier this month the hubby took our princess to the annual Father - Daughter dance.  This is the second year in a row they have gone, and they had a wonderful time.  From what I heard they danced to the YMCA and Thriller, Cinderella by Steven Curtis Chapman, and many more.  Miss Shay also informed me they had sugar cookies from the dessert buffet.  They were heart shaped cookies - a pink one for Shay and a red one for the hubby.  :)  My heart is so thankful they can share special occasions like this.  I know niether of them will ever forget this night.



I took so many pictures of Miss Shay getting ready, I compiled them in to a little video. :)  Enjoy!



So, the boys and I didn't feel like sitting around the house doing nothing, so I took them out for supper.  I thought mama and her boys deserved a little something special too.  ;)

We are SO blessed!  Bessings to you!



Snow Day

Last week we had our one and only snow day so far this winter.  This is what a snow day looks like at our house.

I'm so glad they can keep themselves entertained - and they crack me up in the process!  Kids...you gotta love 'em! :)

Blessings~

Welcome February!

Happy February!  We've survived the "great blizzard," and now we're bracing ourselves for the morbid cold temperatures that are setting in.  Oh, how I'm dreaming of a sunny, sandy beach...and a tall fruity drink with a little umbrella stuck in it.  Ahh...I may be dreaming, but the local newsman told me Puxatony Phil is calling for an early spring...and I am on board! :)  The kiddos were home today (this was our very first snow day of the year), and the house was loud and lively.  I didn't get any homework done, but it will keep until tomorrow. :)  I have a couple of videos to share (especially for Grandma Nancy), so you may want to scroll down to the bottom and pause the music first. :)

Cavy singing with the Cherubs at Church.

Mr. B, singing with the Young Prophets.

Cavy @ his basketball game.

This past Saturday would've been my dear friend, Tami's 36th birthday.  This is the 8th birthday that's passed since she's been gone.  I still miss her.  There are days when I really, really miss her and the friendship we shared.  I miss her laughter, and I miss being able to talk about the "old days" with someone who experienced them with me.  Cancer sure sucks...

Happy Birthday, old friend...  1/29/75 - 11/23/02

On a happier note, I've been taking Mr. Teddy (the guinea pig) out during the day and letting him walk around in his "play pen."  It's so funny to see Emmitt and Chloe walking around the pen and staring in at him.  It's even funnier when they hop in for a closer look, trying to figure out what exactly that little furry thing is! 

Furry friends...well, until Teddy bit Emmitt in an unmentionable place...ouch!!!

Dear Emmitt...I'm sure you'll remember NOT to sit like this again in the presence of Mr. Teddy Roosevelt. ;)

Look at these goofs all ready for bed.  I love how she even convinced him to wear her socks! :)

I thought I would share this last picture, from my "breaking norms" assignment for my soc class.  The norm I chose to break?  Allowing the dog to sit at the table during meal time.  Poor Emmitt, I could tell he knew he wasn't supposed to be up there, but I needed a photo to submit with my paper, so here it is (and then I let him get down).

Don't you LOVE the looks on the boys' faces?  Ha! 

I hope you are staying SAFE and WARM in this crazy winter weather!!  :)  Oh, and Happy Groundhog Day!

Blessings~

Confessions Of A Fat Girl...

Happy Friday!!  What an absolutely gorgeous day!!  The sun is shining and the snow is melting away...I LOVE IT!  I only wish we could keep this sneak peak of Spring and make it last!  Well, today I had my second Weight Watchers (WW) meeting.  I thought it might be helpful to me to blog about my progress (or non-progress) on Fridays.  I didn't even want to go to WW today, because I've been sick most of the week, and honestly, haven't eaten all that well.  However, I think weighing in last week with my winter coat and boots on gave me a little squiggle room with my start weight.  Today I was down 6.4lbs.  I'm happy about it, but not like ecstatic or anything.  I'll be more excited when I know my boots and coat don't get to share in the success with me. :)  Below is my week 1 self-pic.  Notice how I used the cat to hide my double chin?

So here's confession #1 from this fat girl.

Confession 1:

I wasn't always a fat girl.  In fact, I was pretty average when I was born - 8lbs, 20oz; 20.5".  Yes, pretty average indeed.  I was a pudgy baby, but pudgy like babies are supposed to be, you know?

Here's me as a little bambino.  Don't you love the "deer in the headlights" look? :)

See...pretty cute and pudgy too!

It was much more cute to have a gut at this age than it is now.  Apparently I was having an identity crisis too.

So that's the beginning of it, back when there was no "up and down," just cute and healthy...the way it ought to be.  I'm hoping these little tidbits will prove therapeutic...and hopefully there will be less of me next Friday!

...And that's all from this Fat Girl!

Blessings~



Three Weeks And Counting...

I've heard it takes 21 days to make a new habit...and...I didn't want NOT posting to become a habit. ;)  Oh, where has the month gone??  I've been sick, and we've had sick kiddos (poor Cavy had the pukies).  School has flung into high gear for me, and all of our regular activites are back on the calendar after the holiday lull.  Cavy is playing basketball now, which is a hoot to watch! 

That's my boy in the black shorts and long legs!  (Wish he got those legs from me!)

He's doing so much better this year than when he played two years ago. 

The hubby and kiddos have begun Tae-Kwon-Do; they are LOVING it. 

I signed up also, but have to wait until my knee is feeling well enough to participate (grrr).  I started back to weight watchers...it could be that I may just end up being a habitually dieting chubby girl...but at least I'm going to TRY to drop a few pounds (grr again).  :)  Mr. B celebrated his 12th birthday with a football party - which was a ton of fun!

Mr. B and his birthday crew. :)

Mr. B getting a lift from his friends. :)

Football!!

Make a wish!

Money! Money! Money!

We've had some snow...

...and some more snow.  However, compared to the East coast - I'm not complaining!

Chloe enjoyed watching the snow fall.

Speaking of my beautiful feline...I've got to show you what Miss Shay did to her (poor thing).

She dressed her in doll clothes!  The poor cat!

What a stinker!

Miss Shay seems pretty pleased with herself.

Finally...the cat's misery ended. :)

And the dog's misery began.  :P

It's a good thing he's so tolerant! :)

We celebrated again for Mr. B with a family fiesta!

And here's my little ones having a snuggly siesta.  :)

That's pretty much our last three weeks in a nutshell! :)  Thanks for peeking in on our nutshell. :)  Hope YOU are doing well and staying healthy (and warm)!   I promise I won't stay away so long next time!

Blessings~



A New Year & Another Birthday!

Happy 2011!!  I have been MIA - enjoying my break!  The kiddos and the hubby returned to life as usual this past Monday, and I have enjoyed the luxury of having the house to myself during the day, this whole past week!  I have one more day of official "break," and then on Monday, it's back to school!  It's hard to believe this will be my final semester my little community college.  I really never thought I would ever go back to school, and I'm so glad I took the leap of faith to believe in myself.  You're never too old to learn! :)

Speaking of being too old, the hubby and I had planned on doing something fancy and going out for New Year's Eve, but when the weather man said the word "ice," and I chickened out.  There were no tears or frowns; I loved spending the evening with the kiddos.  They actually stayed up to see the ball drop this year (except for my little Cavy - he crashed on the couch).  We had some yummy junk food and played a few awesome games of Guesstures (so far I'm the reigning champ - thank you...thank you very much). 

The kiddos on New Year's Eve.  Notice the use of hands to "spell" out 2011?  Clever, huh? ;)

So, since I've had the week to myself, I had a huge laundry list of chores I wanted to conquer, and somehow my brain confused the task of "complete" with "sleep."  I mean, they kind of rhyme - just saying.  I was Rip Van Winkle this week; I felt like I was making up for all the lost zzz's from the past 12 years of "Mommy-hood."  I have gotten a few things crossed off the list, so I'm not beating myself up. :)

Today marked my official "12 years of Mommy-hood."  Our Mr. B turned the big 1-2 today!!  In the past year he grew taller than me, was bequeathed with some stout B.O. by Mother Nature, grew a little more into his big front teeth, and made my heart that much bigger and prouder.  Seriously, where does the time go?  I remember being in labor with him and realizing it was too late for an epidural...grabbing the hubby by the shirt and screaming at him to tell the nurse I needed something for the pain.  I ripped out quite a bit of his chest hair, but it was quite by accident.  Ah, yes...the memories!  I remember seeing my little man for the first time and honestly thinking, "Are you serious?!?!?  I did ALL THAT WORK and he looks JUST LIKE HIS FATHER?!?!  What the *!#@!!  In my defense, I was obliviously exhausted, in pain, and not thinking in my right mind.  I do remember the hubby holding our new son, and tears just streaming down his face.  I knew it was because he was so happy...and more impotantly... HIS "hooey" didn't hurt like MINE did - yeowch!

After I was better rested, I drank in my sweet boy's orange-y skin (he had jaundice), and his cute little cone head.  He won me over (after I could sit on a chair comfortably again).  My little Mr. B filled my days and nights with so much love and happiness.  It was "fun" for me just to stare at him for hours, or snap off 20 photos of him in the same position - just laying there.  :)  Then he began to be really fun...crawling, walking, talking.  Gosh, it seems like only yesterday.  We had so much fun together.  I'm so grateful for the time I spent with him - uninterrupted and spent solely on him.  He taught me so much about life...and continues to do so. 

Even though he's taller than his momma now - he's still my baby.  He's always going to be my baby. 

Happy Birthday, Baby B!  Your Mommy loves you more than you can ever imagine!! 

What a blessing you are!!

XOXOXO!!!

Blessings~