Living a Legacy

Catching Up...

2010-02-03T10:47:00.000-08:00

Life just seems to keep flying by. I am having a hard time keeping up in all areas. The kids have been busy with all their activities and school and I have been busy trying to keep a clean house, laundry caught up, and choreographing my recital dances!!! Our weekend consisted of basketball games, indoor soccer games, and church. I was doing great taking pictures but I have slacked off again. Hopefully, I can take some this weekend! :)

Show Us Your Life: Where do you Shop?

2010-01-22T13:34:00.000-08:00

YES...this post is made for me! I LOVE to do some shopping!!! OH MY GOODNESS!!!! Ok...so if you know me, you also know that my very favorite store is Ann Taylor Loft. I.HEART.LOFT!!!! To me their clothes are so cute and fashionable, but also classy. I am in my late 30's so I can't be looking like a teeny bopper!!! Here are some tips for shopping at LOFT:

1. Get the Ann Taylor Loft Mastercard! I am not advocating debt. Keep it paid off. Every dollar you spend at Loft gives you 5 points. Every dollar you spend anywhere else gives you one point. Every 2000 points they send you a 20$ reward certificate. CHA CHING!!!!! I only use my Loft card at the Loft and I try to keep it paid off. :)

2. Resolve only to buy things on sale. If you love that sweater and have to have it, chances are it will be on sale in a few weeks.

3. Sign up online for their notices. They will have friends and family sales and 25% off the whole store. Plus you can keep checking to see when they have that "must have" on sale!!

4. Buy when they give out their 25$ bonus cards. LOVE THOSE!

5. Make friends with the manager. YES...it helps. I know the manager at our Loft and she is so nice. Just recently, I bought some tights and they ripped as I tried to get them out of the pkg. The cashier wouldn't let me return them, but I found my friend the manager and she let me! :)

The only thing I don't buy at Loft is jeans ( unless they are dressy trouser cut). My very favorite place to buy jeans is The Buckle. I probably have about 30 pairs of jeans and through trial and error realized that I might as well pay a little bit more to have 2-3 pair of well fitting jeans. The Buckle has so many great styles and brands and the associates are so helpful.

My favorite place for my 6 year old son is Childrens Place. I just love their clothes and he looks so cute in them. They have great sales too.

My favorite place for the twins USED to be Justice but unfortunately we have just about grown out of their stuff....:( ! I do like Aeropostle for some of their things and Old Navy. I fear we are coming up to the hard years where their stuff will cost more then mine!!! :(

Finally, my very favorite online place is Amazon. I have a prime membership and it is totally worth it. I pay it once a year and I get free two day shipping on all Prime items. I always check Amazon before anyplace else. They have great prices and I get what I want in two days!!! I buy all my DVD's, gifts, etc there! LOVE IT!!!

Weekend Recap:

2010-01-20T08:10:00.000-08:00

Yes its Wednesday and I am just now doing a weekend recap. My week has just been busy and crazy....some not good!!! :( So since I don't want to dwell on the bad, I will instead remember my fun and fabulous weekend. First, Friday night the girls and I went with some friends to see 'Wizard of Oz' downtown.

Ready to leave:

We then went and ate dinner at a pizza place near the theater. Funny story....ran into some girls that I taught last year and their moms. These are very "upper class" mommies. Well one of my friends thought they called our name for a table and we all walked over and sat down. The hostess came and told us that she had in fact called my dancer girls and not us. We took their table!!!! I couldn't look at them the rest of dinner! :( Ha!

The show was good but it wasn't great. I have seen better. We still had a great time though!

Girls in front of the theater:

Kaylynne, Me and Beth :

Twins and me:

Girls being silly:

Notice Meredith wasn't too happy. She got strep the day before and by the time the show ended, she was ready for bed!

Girls Re-enacting..."were off to see the Wizard....." ha ha...across the street!

Saturday was Noah's first Basketball game. I brought my "big mama" camera..got it out ready to shoot pics and NO memory card!!! DUH!!! Next week! Noah didn't know what he was doing but he still had fun and he got the white star "most Christlike"!

Saturday night the twins went to a party. I tell you I was not prepared for all the parties. They LOVE them. The big thing now is to rent out the cheer studio and have a dance party. I figure it is a safe CONTAINED space for them to dance and have fun with their friends while chaperoned. They have 2 more this weekend....they are more social then me! ha!

Here they are with their friend Madison (Veronica's daughter):

After dropping them off the rest of us went to our neighbors for dinner and games. We ate tacos and played Balderdash! It was so much fun!

Katie, Me and Diane:

Gretchen, Katie, Me, and Diane...love these girls:

So much fun playing games:

Sunday we went to church and then out to eat Mexican with 3 other families! FUN! Sunday afternoon the girls got ready for another party....eek! They had to dress up as a character for a "murder mystery party". They went to Beth's house and got picked up by a limo and driven to her lake house for Ally's bday. They spent the night and had a BLAST! Sunday night, we got a sitter for little man and went and ate dinner to celebrate our 16th anniversary...WOW!!!! We went to 'Mint' and it was ok. The best part were the cheese fritters, the drinks, and the dessert. I am just not a fancy schmanzy girl. I like ordinary food! We did have a great time though just visiting and being together. I LOVE YOU Greg! <3

We were going to go to a movie but we didn't feel like rushing dinner so we ended up just going home and watching the rest of Season 2 of 'The Office'. I LOVE that show! It was such a great weekend! :)

Show Us Your Life: Diet, Exercise, Healthy Tips

2010-01-15T11:05:00.000-08:00

Kelly at Kelly's Korner is asking for diet, exercise, and healthy tips. I have always been a "petite" girl. This is partly due to my genetics. My parents are both small. I grew up never having to worry about exercise because I was so involved in ballet. I danced daily through highschool and then professionally for five years. After finishing up my dancing career, it was hard to find some sort of exercise program that would work for me. I will just say it....I HATE WORKING OUT! It has taken years and I am still not there. What does work for me? I do try to make it to the gym a few days a week. I walk/run on the treadmill and I do weights. I also like the ellyptical and taking Body Pump classes. The Body Pump is a great class to take for toning. It is an hour of weights for every part of your body!!! You will be sore though! The best part of the workout for me is when it is OVER and I am leaving the gym...ha! Unfortunately, since I am in my late 30's it is not an option anymore...it is a must!! I also teach ballet classes twice a week, but I don't really count that as my workout. It does help in the area of flexibility since I stretch with my students. As far as diet, I have tried everything. When I was dancing, I struggled with an eating disorder. I wanted to be super skinny and it really affected my mindset. The ONLY thing that has ever worked for me is not denying myself anything. I do try to only eat when hungry and stop when full. There is something about telling yourself you can't have something and it makes you want it even more. I can't do that. I try not to eat late at night if at all possible. I also try to eat healthy. I buy as much organic as possible. I will NOT buy anything but organic milk. I have daughters and I just don't want them drinking all those added hormones. I also try to buy hormone-free meat whenever possible. I have a website that I love ....it is called www.mealmakeovermoms.com I have their cookbook and I like how they take ordinary kid friendly food and improve it and make it healthier. Most everything I have made from the book and website, my family has enjoyed. I have a long way to go in the road to improved health. I am HORRIBLE about taking supplements and drinking enough water. Hopefully in 2010, I can improve and take better care of the life God has blessed me with! :)

New Years Eve 2009

2010-01-14T06:01:00.000-08:00

We had a great NYE. I was a little worried because a couple of people had to cancel and our good friends that we spend EVERY NYE with got sick so they couldn't come. However, we had a wonderful time. We had lots of great food, good conversation, and Noah got to run around with friends. The girls got invited to a sleepover, so they had a blast too! We all made it until midnight! it was lots of fun and I hope the start to a fabulous and blessed 2010! :)

Me and Hubs:

Me and Veronica:

Veronica and Her son Jake:

Noah and Jake:

Veronica, Shannon, and Me:

Noah and His Sparkler:

Girls Night Out!

2010-01-11T10:01:00.001-08:00

I have one more post to do on New Years Eve and then I will be caught up. First, I have to recap my weekend. I love spending time with my husband, but there is something about going out with a good group of girlfriends. I always feel 100% better afterwards. It is great going out and talking about anything and everything and LAUGHING! Back in November, a bunch of us went and saw 'New Moon' and then went to dinner at Bonefish. It was SO much fun!

Saturday, a bunch of us went and saw 'Its Complicated'. I do not normally see alot of R rated movies. I think the majority of them are trash. A friend of mine had already seen this one and she gave me a good review. I am so glad I went. It was HILARIOUS! It is a perfect girl movie!!! ;) Afterwards, we went to our favorite place....Bonefish! It was CROWDED. We had to wait for a table but were able to find seven seats in the bar area.

Here is me and my good friend Veronica. We have recently become very good friends. I LOVE her. We have the best time. We both have 6th grade daughters and so we have alot in common. We have been out to eat many times, lunch dates, flea market, mistletoe market, shopping,etc. I can always count on her for girl time! Ha !

Beth, Kaylynne, and CC! Beth and KL have daughters that go to school with mine. We have made a pact to stay close and are trying to keep our girls good friends too. CC of course is my bestie! Love that girl! She has a 6th grade daughter too.

Missy and Tina: I just met Missy. Tina is another with a 6th grade daughter that is a friend of the twins. Love them!

I LOVE the fish tacos at Bonefish. They are fabulous. That plus fun conversation with girlfriends = a great night!

The Day after Christmas....

2010-01-07T11:21:00.000-08:00

The day after Christmas we loaded up in the car ( Elvis too) and drove 2 1/2 hours to see my brother and his family. My mom and other brother were also there so we got to spend time with everyone. We ate lunch, opened presents, and then went and visited my sister at her workplace. It was great to be able to hang out and enjoy a nice day with the family.

Meredith and her cousin Audrey:

My brother Peter and Audrey:

Madeline:

Me and Greg

Nathan and Audrey:

Madeline and Meredith got clothes and Petsmart giftcards for Elvis:

Mere and I got some favorite DVD's:

I Heart my new Camera bag:

And books:

Noah's favorite gift was "empire Strikes Back" DVD from mom:

I love Miss Audrey:

She is soooo funny. Every picture she takes, after you take a good one she wants to do a silly face:

My mom and all her grandkids (and grand-dog):

Silly face:

Do you know how hard it is to get 3 kids,2 adults, and a dog in position for a picture?

Hard....but totally worth it!!! :)

Merry Christmas 2009!!!

2010-01-05T08:44:00.000-08:00

Still catching up! Christmas was great this year. We spent Christmas Eve at Greg's brothers house. We just ate dinner and watched part of 'Christmas Vacation'. Sadly no pictures, but I always feel like people look at me like I am crazy when I haul my big ole camera out. We drove home and got the kids into bed by 11. Noah left a plate of cookies and some milk out for Santa. Greg and I then got to work getting everything set out. He also had to go next door and get the "BIG" gift. Christmas day was wonderful. The kids opened presents, we ate breakfast casserole, lazed around in our pj's, and then G's parents came over for a late lunch and more gifts. We finished the day by watching 'Its a Wonderful Life' in blu ray!!! Awesome!!!

The Loot:

More:

Noah and his "count Douku"

Girls and Makeup Bags ( with makeup inside...woop woop)

Paw-Paw and Noah

Me and Ga-Ga

Me and Hubs:

And Drumroll.....the big gift of the day...................

Our tiny toy poodle......

Elvis.....

Seriously can you resist that face??? ( I didn't want a pet and I couldn't say no to him):

We all ADORE him:

The Sunday before the storm!

2010-01-03T14:54:00.000-08:00

The two week Christmas break has flown by! Tuesday marks the
beginning of early morning chaos, carpools, schedules, homeworks , and
practices! I. Am. Not. Ready!!!!

Today we went to church and brrr was it cold outside! Afterwards, we
went to applebees and enjoyed a lunch courtesy of a giftcard from one
of my students!!! :). The girls invited friends over, Noah went next
door to play, and I get to sit by the fire and enjoy one last
afternoon of peace!!! Ready or not.... Life is about to get busy
again!!!! ** oh and the picture is what you get when you attempt to
make 3 children stand quietly and smile for the camera ... Not
happening today! ;)

Christmas Pizza Party and Cookie Decorating!

2010-01-02T07:33:00.000-08:00

A few days before Christmas the kids and I hosted some of their friends for a fun evening of pizza and decorating cookies. The kids had a blast hanging out and the moms enjoyed visiting. We were all in great spirits and looking forward to a two week break from school, homework, and events. Here are some pics:

Pretty girls:

Lindsey and Meredith:

The boys:

Madeline and Madison:

Cookie Decorating:

Silly girls:

The mamas:

Fun times:

I think the sugar high made the girls a little crazy. We may or may not have moved the furniture in my living room and let them dance and run wild. It was such a fun evening. I am blessed to have a core group of friends with daughters who share the same values as ours. We are praying the girls will stay close

Testing

2010-01-01T10:33:00.000-08:00

Just a test to see if I can blog from my phone! This is me and C at
olive garden!! Her choice for her bday lunch! I <3 Ms. C!!!!!

***ETA... It worked!!! Yippee!!!

Mosaic Shop Fun:

2009-12-30T15:15:00.000-08:00

Earlier this month, the kids and I did a fun Saturday morning activity. Some friends of ours got together at the local Mosaic shop and the kids got to put their creativity to work. The idea was to make Christmas ornaments, but since the twins have done that already 2 years in a row at school, I let them pick what they wanted for their rooms. We had a really fun time and of course my camera was in attendance! ;)

Mosaic shop is this really cool place where you get to choose from all sorts of broken glass in different colors. You glue it on the shape of your choice and then they grout it and glaze.

Meredith chose a soccer ball ( surprise)!

Scarlett, Meredith, and Annelise

Madeline chose a peace sign ( again..no surprise)

Madeline and Allie:

Finished:

Noah made a stocking ornament:

Whole Gang:

Fun Day!!!!

Twins Christmas Choir Concert

2009-12-29T08:14:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone!!! So much for posting regularly.....I will try for 2010. I am still trying to upload my Christmas pics. My Mac Iphoto is giving me troubles so until I get them loaded, I am going to backtrack. I have a few other events to share. First up is the Twins first Middle School Choir concert. They did a beautiful job and I was so proud. I was also incredibly grateful to be reminded how blessed we are to live in an area where the public schools celebrate CHRISTmas. All the songs they sang were beautiful Christmas songs and most mentioned God. Here are some pics:

Friends:

With their choir teacher...Ms. Bruening!

No choir concert is complete without a trip to Chik-fil-a afterwards! We closed the place down and it was still a school night! YIKES!

Meredith's Very First Christmas Band Concert

2009-12-09T09:46:00.000-08:00

Back in August when I went through the headache of finding and buying a flute, I wondered if it was truly worth it? Would my child like it? Would she want to quit after the first semester? Would she lose the flute? Well I am happy to report that we have only positive things to say about our flute experience. Meredith LOVES it. She even goes early to school for extra practice. Last night was her very first concert....a wonderful long 10 minute concert!!!! The 6th grade band did such a FABULOUS job and we were all so impressed. It is amazing what they can learn in 4 short months. Here are some pictures:

Waiting to get started:

Meredith and her wonderful flute teacher..Ms. Nick!!!

Casie, Meredith, Kaely, and Abby

Best Buds...Ally and Meredith

Meredith and Sehee ( I teach Sehee ballet)

Kayla, Meredith, and Sarah

Back to blogging and Thanksgiving 2009

2009-12-07T08:58:00.000-08:00

I had no intention of taking such a long blogging break. So many of my friends have been very faithful with their blogs, but I can't say the same. However, I am going to try to start being a regular poster again. I love looking back at my pictures and the accounts of our daily life. I hope I will have a few people drop by from time to time and keep me accountable! That being said, we had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We drove to GA and spent time with my family. It was a very relaxing five days but it went by so fast. We spent our time hanging out, watching movies, watching football, cooking, eating, and working on the girls animal projects for school. My mom and my SIL saved me by helping with those. As soon as they get them back, I will post pictures. We are hoping for 100's!!!! Here are some pictures of our visit!

The darlings and me:

Me and my daddy:

Our family photo ( minus my sister who couldn't be there...we missed Kiki sooooooo much):

Being silly:

Taking our family photo for the Christmas cards ( this isn't the one I picked but you get the idea):

And here are a couple of pictures from Noah's Thanksgiving feast at school:

He was an Indian named 'Red Arrow'. We had so much fun. I thought it would be a slow day and the food would be disgusting. Surprise...it was fabulous. They had all sorts of stations they went too. It was so much fun. The food was DELICIOUS and I think I had one too many lemon bars! ;)

Yum Yum! Cookie making station:

They were supposed to roll the pumpkins in relay style but Noah decided it was like a soccer ball and he kicked it the whole way...ha ha!!!

Happy Birthday Noah and Thank you Sedu!!!

2009-10-12T10:41:00.000-07:00

Noah just turned SIX years old. We had his party at the Jump Zone. Here are some pics!

Noah and 2 of his friends from school:

The cake...can you tell what he LOVES:

The birthday boy ( a sweet friend of mine gave me this cute Lego shirt for him):

Blowing out the candle:

I didn't get many pictures because it was CHAOS!!!!

One more thing and this is for my mom. I just celebrated a bday ( no need to tell my age). I decided to order myself a gift and it was between a really nice flat iron or an external flash for my camera. I went with vanity and chose the flat iron....I will ask for the flash for Christmas. If you know me, you know that I have very curly hair and because you always want what you don't have, I long for straight hair. After much research I decided to purchase the Sedu pro flat iron instead of the Chi. The reviews for it were tremendous. Well....I am hear to say that I heard angels singing "hallelujah" when I first used it. It really works well . Please Please excuse the fact that I need a highlight badly!

I.MISS.SUMMER!!!

2009-08-25T08:19:00.000-07:00

I can't help it but I do. We went from lazy (L-A-Z-Y) mornings, fun filled days, and late nights to a bunch of running around, schedules, early mornings, and utter craziness!!! I am feeling overwhelmed. There seems to be so much to keep up with and I find myself living for the weekends. I know that isn't what I am supposed to do, but every single Friday I have such a joy knowing that the weekend is upon us! Then by Sunday night, there is a heaviness that sets in. Hopefully, I can get my life organized and begin to sinc with our new routine! It is sooooooooooo hard!!!! Anyone else feel that way???

Noah's First Day of Kindergarten

2009-08-15T12:31:00.000-07:00

Noah started school the day after his sisters did. They break the K classes up according to alphabet and his name fell on the second day. We were all very excited and also a little anxious ( well mommy was).

I had to remake the same "first day " breakfast:

My big boy:

We had to bargain about the backpack. He wanted 'Star Wars' and I wanted his name monogrammed on it. The Star wars backpacks are made of a plasticky material and couldn't be mongrammed so........he got a Star Wars lunch box and thermos and I got the plain blue backpack. He did pick "lightsaber red" for the color of his name!

Silly boy:

Who wouldn't want to teach this little guy?

Noah, I hope that you have a wonderful year. I have been praying all summer that God would give you the teacher that he wanted you to have. I am trusting that you will learn so much with Mrs. U this year. I hope you always keep your happy and fun personality. I LOVE YOU!

First Day of Middle School:

2009-08-14T09:07:00.000-07:00

Wednesday was the big day. Madeline and Meredith started Middle School. This is such a big turning point for us. So far, they LOVE it. I think they feel quite grown up. Here are some pics of the day:

Our traditional first day breakfast ( cinnamon rolls and scrambled eggs):

The backpacks they had picked out. You only put initials on your backpack when you are in middle school! No full names!

Meredith

Madeline

My beautiful girls:

Navarre Beach Part 2

2009-08-01T09:26:00.000-07:00

The rest of the week just seemed to speed by. Of course it was not without its share of drama. I will not go into detail, but lets just say it involved things that were out of my control and I probably failed the test of going with the flow.

Mom and the girls

Went shopping in Destin and met up with the Embrys ( Meredith and Ally are best friends)

Noah and I on the balcony

Greg and I got to go out on a date because my mom volunteered to keep the kids. We had a very nice evening.

All in all, a very nice vacation. I can't believe the summer is almost over. We are on school countdown here. We are under 2 weeks now. Part of me is not ready, but part of me is READY! I think the kids need some structure and so do I!

Navarre Beach Trip 2009 Part One

2009-07-29T12:16:00.001-07:00

We arrived home safely this past Saturday after a 10 day trip. It was alot of fun, but there is truly no place like home. I was so happy to sleep in my own bed. I am slowly getting things unpacked, washed, and put away. I don't have a ton of photos which is so unlike me. I left my CF card at home for my good camera so all I had was my Canon Powershot. Most days, I just didn't feel like dragging it out and as you can see, I have little people who do not like to cooperate. Here are some pictures of our trip that I did manage to snap:

We actually stayed in Daphne, AL for 2 days just to go ahead and get closer to the beach. The kids swam in the hotel pool and I did some shopping. Friday night, we drove to Gulf Shores to meet our friends The Smiths at 'The Hangout'. I Heart that place!!!! We also got ice cream at 'Scoops' and played a round of miniature golf. It was lots of fun!!!

Our Kids

Rebecca and Me:

Our Family:

We stayed in Navarre Beach this year. I did lots of research and found that this beach is known for being less crowded and commercialized. Truly, there are only 2 places to eat across the bridge and it has alot less condos. I still thought the beaches were crowded though and we ran across some snobby people who thought they owned the stretch of sand! The condo was nice. We had lots of space and the view was gorgeous. My parents joined us for the trip and we had a great time. It went by so fast though. We spent most of our days at the pool and/or beach. There was a very short walk to the beach which was probably the best thing. The funniest thing was that there was a lady who my mom and I nicknamed "the hawk", who sat under a covering near the pool and watched everyone as they went by. You had to have a bracelet on to be in the pool area and boy did she make sure that everyone followed through with that rule! It was annoying.

Noah ( the water was GORGEOUS)

Most of the nights we cooked in the condo or got pizza. One night we went to a place called 'Floyds'. It was ok!

Yep, this is what I get when I try to take a picture!!!

Part 2 tomorrow...

Signing off....for now...

2009-07-16T06:14:00.000-07:00

We are heading out today for our family vacation. I am excited, but I absolutely hate packing. I always feel like I am forgetting something and my husband is the KING of overpacking. Seriously, he brings more clothes then me and my kids combined. YIKES!!!! Anyway, the last few days have been busy and hectic. I finally made it to get my hair colored and cut. It was in deperate need! Yesterday, I had my first meeting as a member of the PTO board at Noah's school. I have never been able to be an active member since I always had a preschooler around. Now I am jumping in. I will be helping with Fun Fridays which happen once a month. I was told this is an easy job......hopefully! The other woman that is co-chairing this with me seems to be very organized, so I think it will be fun! :)

I should be back in a week to update with pics from our trip. :)

4th of July and a trip to Georgia!

2009-07-12T15:01:00.001-07:00

I have been on the road quite a bit this summer. Noah and I went to Gulf Shores, and just recently returned from picking up the twins in Georgia. Before we left, we did celebrate July 4th. We had a few friends over to enjoy a cookout and some fireworks. This is the first year that we didn't actually buy any fireworks. The neighbors put on such a good show, that we really didn't need to. It was great. Here are some pics of our evening:

CC, Lindsey, and Kaleb

Stacy, Madison, Logan, and Cole

Me and Noah

Those were the only pictures I managed to snap. I promise there were some men in attendance, but sometimes I feel like I am annoying people when I walk around with my camera. I just LOVE pictures though! Needless to say, we had a fun evening and enjoyed the fellowship! Two days later, Noah and I hit the road to Georgia. My parents keep my girls every summer for a couple of weeks. It has become a tradition that the twins look forward to. They have such a great time. This year they went to the aquarium, Six Flags, swimming, played nightly badminton games, played the Wii Rock Band with Uncle Nathan, and enjoyed keeping my sisters dog company! Noah and I joined them for a few days before heading home. We went to the pool:

Even though this pic is blurry, I love it. Noah jumping in! He is so active!

Meredith showed us her hula hooping skills

Madeline didn't want to smile but I took her pic anyway!!! Ha!

Here is what they enjoyed doing each night! I even played with them and it was so much fun. I had to run out to Walmart and buy one for our backyard!

I can't believe how fast the summer has gone. We are today at one month exactly until school starts!!!! What???? We have one more fun thing planned and that is our family beach trip. We are heading out this Thursday for a week. I know it will be fun and I hope I can savor the last days of summer! :(

So hard to leave.....

2009-07-03T19:19:00.000-07:00

Noah and I had such a fabulous time in Gulf Shores with CC and her kids. It was the perfect getaway and I owe it all to my sweet friend. She was so generous in allowing us to invade her space and time there. I love you girl!!!! :)

We took our time driving home. We stopped for lunch at 'The Oyster House' in Mobile. I decided to leave my camera in the car. We also stopped in Hattiesburg and went to the 'Forever 21' store at the mall there. I love to order from their website and it was nice to know there is one not too far away. We both got 2 super cute, CHEAP dresses. LOVE IT!

I was sad to say goodbye to our lovely vacation, but glad to get home and see Greg. This week has been a time of getting clothes washed, keeping Noah entertained, and being lazy. I have to pack back up again on Monday and head to Georgia to get the twins. I have enjoyed my 2 weeks and I know they have had a blast with my parents!

Gulf Shores Day Three:

2009-07-02T12:16:00.001-07:00

It was another gorgeous day in Gulf Shores. We got up and ate breakfast and then headed back to the pool. Amazingly the entire time we were there, it was never a problem finding lounge chairs. It was busy but not too crowded.

CC and I at the pool:

Me and Noah in the pool:

CC and Lindsey on the edge of the tiered pool:

We stayed at the pool for a few hours and then headed back up to the condo to get our beach gear. Time to hit the sand....

CC and Lindsey on the boogie boards:

This was Noah most of the time...crying that his eyes hurt. I think the salt in the water was bothering him:

So he decided to help Kaleb and dig in the sand:

We spent a few hours at the beach and then packed up and came back to the condo to get ready for dinner. We decided to go to 'The Hangout'. CC and I had to pose for a picture before we left. Cute, huh???

'The Hangout' is an awesome restaurant/attraction that has open air seating, a sand area for the kids, live music, etc. It is THE place to be on a Friday night. They have really good pina coladas too!

CC and Kaleb:

The food was DELICIOUS! I had shrimp again and so did Noah. He LOVES it!

Of course he spent most of the evening in the sand area where they were having a contest to see who could build the best sand sculpture. Lindsey and Kaleb won free tshirts. I should have taken a picture of their creation!

Another FUN day and a great place to spend our last evening in Gulf Shores!!!

Gulf Shores Day Two:

2009-07-01T11:59:00.001-07:00

We started the next day off bright and early. CC made us breakfast ( how nice is that...her vacation and she is making ME breakfast)!!! Then we sunscreened up, put our suits on, and headed out. First stop...LAZY RIVER:

The Lazy River is FABULOUS. It is about 1 1/2 ft deep so it is perfect for kids. The bottom is made of metal so you literally can sit on it and float along, but it doesn't tear your swimsuit. I could have sat on that tube for HOURS!

Noah and Me:

CC and Lindsey:

Then it was off to the pool! They have THREE slides in the pool that we went to. There is a really big one that most of the older kids monopolize and then there are two smaller ones.

CC and I with the big slide behind us ( yes we actually went down it too):

I tried to get Noah to go down the slide, but he did not want to. I begged him and he agreed if I stood in the water and caught him sooooo:

***Note to self...not a good idea to stand beneath a slide that propels its riders into the water with alot of force. So long hat!

I was so proud of him:

And folks that is all it took! I showed him that all he had to do was swim to the side and that was it:

Over and over all by himself. I got to sit on my lounge chair and read magazines about fashion tips, summer movies, and how much Kate Gosselin spends on her manicures and tanning sessions....ahhhh ;) :

Lindsey ( CC took this pic and I thought it was so neat.) She was the daredevil going down backwards, on her tummy, etc:

Here is CC going down the slide! I went down it too, but my pic is just a HUGE splash of water. Not something I want to share. We actually raced a few times, proving the slides are definitely not just for kids!!

After dragging Noah away from the slides, we headed up to the condos and ate lunch, showered, and got ready to go. We went to a place called the Wharf. CC and I saw 'The Proposal'..super cute movie. Noah and Lindsey saw 'Imagine If' and Kaleb saw 'Transformers'. After that, we rode the ferris wheel.

Noah and Me:

CC and Lindsey:

**Funny note...when we were circling around on the ferris wheel, I thought I saw one of my neighbors children. When we got off, we saw that it was them. Small world!

The four of us waiting for Kaleb to get out of the movies:

We ate dinner at a little Mexican place. It wasn't the best I have ever had, but it was quick and easy. After that, we headed back to the condo. It was nearly 10pm, but Noah and Lindsey weren't through with their day. It was back to the slides:

There he goes climbing those stairs. I am quite sure he burned off at least 1000 calories. He went up those stairs a million times. I knew he would love it once he tried it!

Swimming at night is the best:

** On a side note, while we were in the bathroom at the movies we heard someone say that Micheal Jackson had died. I quickly checked my iphone and found out that it was true. I can't believe it. I remember in 6th grade how infatuated I was with him. We all tried to do the moonwalk and dance to his songs. One of my very favorite movies is '13 going on 30' and the best scene is where Jennifer Garner and Co. do the Thriller dance. It makes me sad, because I truly believe he was a very lost soul. :( It makes me feel old too!

Trip to Gulf Shores Day 1:

2009-06-30T07:50:00.000-07:00

When my best bud Cecilia told me that she was going on a trip to the beach, I immediately told her that I wanted to come for part of it. She very sweetly agreed. Disclaimer...I did in fact find her this condo. I sent her a bunch of links and she hit the jackpot. It was the prettiest condo I have ever stayed in and that is saying alot, because I have been to the beach many times in my 36 years of life. Anyway, Noah and I headed down to Gulf Shores on Wednesday of last week. It was great to finally leave because the day before, my fridge went out and I ended up having to go buy another one. It was totally unplanned and stressful, so a trip to the beach was just the ticket! We finally got on the road around 10 am, but what is the first thing a nice mom does???

Why she stops at Chik-fil-a of course:

We finally arrived in Gulf Shores several hours later after Noah asking me *many* times "how much longer". Cecilia had made us lunch and we ate and chatted until the fire alarm went off in our unit. This would prove to be the first of many times that this would happen. We laughed about it, but it was quite annoying and LOUD! We decided to put our swimsuits on and go check out the pools! Yes I said pools! This place was incredible. They had about 5 outside pools complete with slides for the kids (and adults). They also have a lazy river which is my idea of heaven on earth. Seriously, I could have stayed on that thing for HOURS! After swimming for a bit, we headed back to the condo and got ready for dinner. We decided to go to The Crab Trap. It was very good. Funny thing...the last time I went to this particular place I was pregnant with Noah. I told him that, but he could have cared less. He was all about playing on the playground and chomping down on some popcorn shrimp.

Me and CC:

I Love this girl!!!

Noah and her daughter Lindsey:

We headed back to the condo and got Noah situated with a Star Wars movie. The *girls* piled into the king sized bed and watched 'Confessions of a Shopaholic' which I conveniently bought the day before. I LOVE that movie. So cute! It was a great first day and the start to what would be a most fabulous mini-vacation. Day two tomorrow......

YIKES...

2009-06-28T16:28:00.000-07:00

Wow, it has been over a month since I last posted ( a kind friend just recently reminded me...;) )! We have had a wonderful June and I have so many pictures to upload and post. I need to journal everything before I forget details. That is what I have planned for this week!

Twins 5th Grade Graduation

2009-05-20T10:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a big day in our house. The twins *graduated* from 5th grade. Apparently this is a big deal nowadays. I never graduated from 5th grade so this was new! Anyway, it was the day that never ended. We hopped from one thing to another. I got terrible pictures inside the auditorium. The lighting was really bad. We went out to lunch with a big group of their friends and they had a great time being silly! After that, we met another group at the pool to swim. The water was very cold but they could have cared less. The twins and I raced home after that, changed, and made it out to a recital. It was a LONG day, but a fun one!

I gave the girls earrings to match their new dresses and a makeup bag with....MASCARA! They can wear it for special occasions. :)

Waiting for the event to begin:

Meredith and her best friend Ally:

Twins with their friends Haley and Kaleigh....we thought it was cute how the 4 of them color coordinated

The twins with Kasey and Randi Lane:

More Friends (notice the blonde twins on the end...I was in the twins club with their mommy):

With Principal Ross ( wouldn't want to be on his bad side):

Proud Mommy and girls:

Outside PF Changs:

Jumpin for Joy...schools out!!

Pool Time:

Weekend Break!

2009-05-18T11:30:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, Meredith got to go to the beach with her friend for a birthday party! Greg told me he would take the other two kids to North MS for our nephews baseball tournament. I just about did a cartwheel down the street. I texted CC and told her to cancel whatever plans she might have. We were spending all day Saturday doing whatever we felt like. I slept in and then we met for lunch at Newks. It was POURING rain, but nothing could dampen my excitement. After lunch, we went to the movies and saw 'Ghost of Girlfriends Past'. It was a mindless chick flick but who cares. We then did some shopping ( correction..she did most of the shopping, while I just told her yea or neigh on things)!!! Then we had dinner at a Mexican rest. ( this may or may not have been because we wanted margaritas)!!! Then we came back to my house and laid around upstairs talking and watching 'Walk the Line' which is one of my favorite movies! It was a GREAT weekend. Sometimes it is just so nice to have a quiet house and no schedule that you have to adhere to. I highly recommend it to everyone, especially all my mommy friends! Super Busy graduation, recital week....I am ready for you!!! :)

Projects and a Fiesta!

2009-05-16T08:51:00.000-07:00

We are winding down here...the school year that is. I am actually a little sad today, but in the spirit of moving along, I will try to stay positive. For some reason unknown to me, the 5th grade teachers gave the kids another project that was due on Friday. They each had to choose a state and create a moveable exhibit with facts, info, items related to the state, etc. Of course, that means we had to do two. Meredith chose TX (bless the girl)! Fortunately, I am from that state and my sweet mom was able to send me a bunch of stuff including a very old but still great Dallas cowboys helmet! Madeline chose New York! NEW YORK??? Thankfully, she was able to have a partner and all I did was go to Hobby Lobby and buy New York themed stickons and some fake roses which are the state flower. They decorated their wagon and we downloaded 'New York New York' for the girls to play as they all paraded their "floats" for the lower elementary school.

In other news, Noah had a FIESTA to end his preschool year. The kids played games, jumped in the space jumps, and ate tacos! I have to say that when I dropped him off yesterday morning, I teared up thinking that it was my last time to be at that school. We have loved every minute there and he has had two years of fabulous teachers and great little friends.

Here are some pictures:

Meredith ( TEXAS complete with pink sequin cowgirl hat):

Madeline and Shelby ( NEW YORK):

Meet Diego:

He is a fun loving senor that enjoys playing mexican bingo:

Noah and his precious PRE-K teachers...Ms. Donna and Ms. Jill:

So Long Preschool....Hello Kindergarten:

Noah's PreK Graduation

2009-05-13T11:24:00.000-07:00

My baby boy graduated from preschool. Technically his last day is Friday but his awards program was last night. I can't believe I have a kindergartener on my hands. Where did the time go? Here are some pics from our evening:

Getting his *diploma* from one of his teachers...Ms. Donna

My BIG boy!!!

Singing songs:

I love this little boy so much!!!

The sisters were so proud of him too!

Mother's Day 2009

2009-05-11T10:57:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a great Mother's Day. I sure did. First, I am blessed with the most wonderful mother. Truly, she is a gift from God. My biggest regret in my life right now is the fact that we don't live closer. Life is too short not to be close to the ones you love. Soooo, I had to settle for a phone call. My mom is such a good sport. She will listen to me moan and ramble on about my life for hours. I know she has to get tired of that, but she is so sweet. I LOVE YOU MOM!!! Here is the most recent pic of the two of us. It was over Christmas Break at a bball game.

I am also blessed with a great Mother In Law. She has helped me out so much this year. She and my FIL keep my kids just about every Thursday while I teach. They also make every effort to come to all the kids sports and other events. I really appreciate them. Here is Greg and his mom (can you tell it was a bit bright?):

My mother's day was fabulous. Greg went and got me coffee at CUPS and then made me breakfast. He also cleaned the kitchen up which is even better then the breakfast part! We went to church and then he had made reservations at 'Biaggis' for his parents and our family. It was delicious. My kids gave me some gifts that they had made at school ( precious) and Greg gave me a necklace and 2 bracelets. I love jewelry! I got to relax and chat on the phone with my mom and then we capped off the evening with a HUGE storm and lost our power for 2 hours. Nothing like a mother's day in candlelight. ;)

My sweeties:

I.AM.BLESSED:

Kelly's Home Tour ~ My Living Room(s):

2009-05-07T10:54:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun looking at everyones kitchens last week. Now it is on to the living room. I actually have 3 smaller living spaces. I like it that way because when we have company, it feels like there is room and space for everyone. Come on in my house:

First you enter through my foyer:

Then you are in my formal living area:

Another view:

Another:

One of my favorite features of my living room is the heart of pine floors. They are very pretty, BUT they scratch quite easily. It is not exactly the best type of flooring to have when your son likes to roll his monster trucks across the floor! Ha!

Then we will look at the space where my kids hang out alot. Here in MS, we call it a keeping room, but I know it is also known as a hearth room in other places. Basically just an extension of my kitchen. My kids watch tv in here, play games, and love to hang out.

We have a bonus room upstairs that serves as our main "family" space. My kids love to watch movies, play the Wii, and have sleepovers. I will post pics of that soon! Thanks for stopping by! :)

So Long Soccer (part 1)....

2009-05-03T12:22:00.000-07:00

Noah had a great first year of soccer. Honestly, I wasn't surprised since he has grown up going to his sisters games. He is very fast and can really dribble the ball down the field. He averaged about 2 goals per game but sometimes scored as many as 5. He also impressed us with his ability to show some defensive skills in blocking, etc. I am just so proud of my little boy!!!

Ready to play:

"hey thats my ball"

Look at that face:

Kicking it into play:

Lots of fun:

A snack and a bobblehead trophy?? Life doesn't get much better when you are 5!!!

Hooray for the SUPERGATORS!!!!

TO BE CONTINUED!

Kellys Home Tour - My Kitchen:

2009-05-01T16:35:00.000-07:00

I am a big fan of Kellys Korner blog (the link is on the side). I think she is amazing! She is hosting a 'Show us where you live' home tour every Friday. I thought it would be fun to participate. Welcome to my kitchen:

Here is the view looking in from a hallway. My kitchen is combined with my eating area and what we call in the south...a keeping room. My kids spend lots of time in the keeping room! They lounge on the couch and watch tv, play games, etc! :)

Another view from one side. My favorite thing about my kitchen is the granite countertops. I have had every type of counter surface you can imagine and these are my favorites! :) I love the Method granite cleaner from Target. It smells good and makes the granite shiny!

Better view of eating area and keeping room! Another favorite thing of mine is my bamboo blinds. I love them. I have had them in my last 3 houses. They are relatively inexpensive, but really make a room look pretty ( well I think they do)! ;)

Looking in from the eating area:

Other side of kitchen. I really like my small stone tiles. They are different colors and I like that! We didn't build our home, but I was really pleased with the choices that the builder made.

Thanks for stopping by! :)

2009-04-30T07:10:00.000-07:00

Last week, I got to go read to Noah's class. I forgot my camera, so we took a pic when we got home. Mom, there is my patio furniture!!! I can't believe that Noah has 2 more weeks of school and he is out for the summer. The girls have 2 1/2 weeks. This year has gone by so fast and I am a little down today. It doesn't help that Noah has been sick for the 3rd time in 2 months. Sometimes life feels heavy and its tough to hold your head up! :(

Easter Weekend (Lots of fun)!

2009-04-14T10:31:00.001-07:00

We had such a fabulous Easter weekend. It started with Noah's Easter Party at school. He had a blast hunting for eggs which he put in the *basket* he had made in class. Saturday, we headed out to our friend's lake house. Meredith has been several times and I always imagined a rustic cabin type place, but it was just Gorgeous. The kids hunted eggs ( Noah literally stumbled upon the money egg), played games, played in the water, rode in the boat, and did I mention we ate??? Oh my word, I think I ate my weight in dips, chips, and jelly beans!!! ;) Sunday, we went to church and then over to my SIl's house for lunch. Afterwards, we decided to take the kids to see 'Hannah Montana'. They all enjoyed that, even Noah who was dancing in the aisles!!! It was just a wonderful fun-filled weekend!

Noah at pre-school and ready to go ( look at that cheesy grin):

Serious Egg Hunting:

Me and my sweet boy:

Noah and the Golden Egg ( he is 5$ richer):

Egg Toss:

Madeline and Annelise win:

Little guy is very serious about this race:

Meredith wants to win:

Go Madeline go:

Our Family on Easter Sunday:

Happy Easter!

2009-04-11T06:47:00.000-07:00

I grew up as a very conservative Presbyterian minister's daughter. We sang hymns most of my childhood. We moved to TX when I hit jr high and it was there that we were in a church that started singing "praise songs". I have loved them ever since. However, there is something so beautiful and pure about the old hymns. My favorite is when they take a hymn and make it a little more modern. You still have the beauty of those words, but a sound that appeals to the younger generation. The following song sums up what Easter is all about to me. We attended a HUGE Baptist church for awhile last year. Their worship was INCREDIBLE. We only stopped going there because it was so large. They sang this song many times and each instance, I felt God's presence in such a powerful way! Read these words and then watch the video! Happy Easter!

JESUS PAID IT ALL
ALL TO HIM I OWE
SIN HAD LEFT A CRIMSON STAIN
HE WASHED IT WHITE AS SNOW

Sunday Funny...

2009-04-05T11:34:00.000-07:00

So we are sitting in church and the pastor is talking about the cross and Christ dying for us. It is very serious and there were lots of tears. We stand up to sing a song about being forever grateful. It is a time for personal prayer and worship. I had my head bowed and was pondering the cross. I hear a soft *pop* and hear snickers behind me. I turn to my right and Noah is sitting on the chair with our big green umbrella.....OPEN! He pressed the button and it popped right out. What perfect timing Noah! Did you think it was going to rain in church? ;)

Where did the time go?

2009-04-01T10:07:00.001-07:00

How did we get from here:

to here?

This morning I took my "baby" and registered him for K! Don't get me wrong...I am thrilled that all 3 of my kids will be in school next year, but it is so bittersweet. Noah is such a joy to have in my life. I always wanted a little boy and God blessed me when he gave me this precious son! The other day he looked at me and hugged me and said " you're my favorite mommy ever"! It doesn't get any better then that!!!! :)

I have a few things to say:

2009-03-04T19:51:00.000-08:00

Here they are:

~ I have had sick children for almost 3 weeks. All 3 had the fever virus and just when I thought we were well, Noah got strep. Thankfully, he is all better!

~ I hate how repair/installation people give you a time window for their arrival and it NEVER ends up being even close! :(

~ Madeline scored TWO goals in the soccer game last night and Meredith also played well! Too bad I was sitting in my car due to the fact that it was 40 degrees outside. I could see the game but didn't hear much. I am such a wimp!!! :(

~ Greg, Noah , and I are headed to FL tomorrow. It is a business "fun" trip. The girls were supposed to go too, but they have their big 5th grade field trip to B'ham on Friday and didn't want to miss it. They are spending the night with friends tomorrow evening and they can't wait!

~ I.AM.TIRED!!!

On the mend...

2009-02-24T06:57:00.000-08:00

Well we are making progress...M and M went back to school yesterday. Noah got sick last Saturday, so we are *hopefully* on the final leg of his illness. I feel like I need to have someone come in and totally disinfect my house. I have tried so hard to Clorox and lysol every surface, but it obviously didn't work. What am I most looking forward to? I can't wait to leave my house and go run an errand that doesn't involve a trip to the grocery store to get more motrin or a run to the school to pick up makeup work. Does that make me selfish? ;)

From the land of sickies...

2009-02-19T08:54:00.000-08:00

Yes, I took more then a short break from my blog. I have no excuses...we have just been busy! Now, I am forced out of being busy due to the twins both having a fever virus. Meredith has been sick since Monday and Madeline came down with it yesterday. So, I am lysoling and cloroxing every surface and praying that Noah avoids it. I guess I had it pretty good there for awhile....we have all been very healthy. I just shudder to think of all the work they are missing at school. Is that sad or what? :(

Always a positive...

2009-01-21T10:18:00.000-08:00

This past Monday, the twins had a big project due. They each had to do Reading Fair projects as it is required for fifth graders. You have to use those fold out cardboard project boards and put all kinds of info on them. The winners are usually ones that have obviously had a little help from parents. Some of these people are soooooo creative. Let me state....I am an artist, but in the dance field. I can dance and teach dance, but I am not creative at all. Anyway, I told the girls not to wait until the last minute, but what do you know? We were up until 10pm doing these projects. I was having a little pity party for myself thinking how unfair it is that I have to help with TWO of these and everyone else just has one. THEN...I had a thought....poor Kate (from Jon and Kate plus 8). She will have SIX to do at a time! That made me feel so much better....see there is always a positive!!! ;) PS... Meredith made a 100 on hers and I am pretty sure Madeline will as well. I could care less if they don't place in the fair! 100's were our goal!

Power of Prayer..

2009-01-17T08:11:00.001-08:00

One of my absolute favorite blogs is someone that I have never met. I have followed Kelly's Korner for at least two yrs now. I have read about her journey through infertility and then her pregnancy that began last year. She went into the hospital yesterday to be induced and after a rough delivery, her baby girl was born. Unfortunately, the baby has some breathing problems and they had to life flight her to another hospital. Literally thousands of people are praying for this family. I just thought I would add a post because the more the better. You can click on the link on my sidebar under Kelly!

Friday Funnies...

2009-01-16T11:16:00.000-08:00

Well ok, maybe it is just funny or "annoying" to me, but here goes. Earlier this week, while I sat in a dr's office waiting for one of my children, I couldn't help but overhear a conversation. There were two women, and they were talking rather loudly for a small office. I wasn't purposely trying to listen. Anyway, they were talking about the fact that one of them was building a house and the other one is about to build. I know that doesn't sound funny, but bear with me. They were talking about colors, floor plans, and then one of them said and I quote...." well I just told my husband that we should go ahead and get started building.....so what if we have two mortgages for awhile". THAT my friends is FUNNY to me! Two mortgages????? The housing industry is HORRIBLE, the economy is bad, people are without jobs left and right, and she doesn't care if she has two house payments!!!! What I really wanted to do was give her my friends number and tell her to call someone that actually DOES have two mortgages and has been trying to sell her other house for a year! Then again, this person probably has alot of money and it is no big deal. Does anyone else find this hysterically absurd?

Today, I ran to the mall to get a birthday present. I normally avoid the mall. We have two wonderful freestanding shopping centers now that are so much nicer. Had I known that 'Limited 2' is now 'Justice for girls', I would not have set foot in the mall today. Anyway, now I remember one of the reasons I hate the mall. Since when did it become ok for us to be accosted by vendors that are in the middle of the mall? You know the ones I am talking about...the little carts!!! I went to one store and I was tracked down by 3 different people. One lady tried to sell me some Deep Sea cream, another guy wanted to show me a curling iron thingie, and a man almost ran straight into me trying to sell me some sort of blanket that he was holding near his nose. Are they scented????? Anyway, I HATE that you can't even walk to the store you are wanting to go to without being stalked. It is awful! I decided after shopping at the store that is no longer the store I thought it was, that I was going to pull a "Christy". I totally deserved a latte'!!!! And it was Delicious! ;)

Prescription for low spirits....

2009-01-13T14:23:00.001-08:00

After a particularly rough week, the absolute best medicine was a Saturday night out with good friends. We went out to eat at a nice restaurant and then back to Thomas and Christie's house for more fun. We ended up playing taboo which the guys totally lost, and of course there was some Wii competition. It was a great evening and just what the doctor ordered!!! ;)

Michelle, Me, and Christie......

Wonderful friends.....God planned for us to meet 12 yrs ago in Church home group when we were all pregnant and due with our first kids. Christie was due in Sept and Michelle and I had ours 3 days apart!!!

Me and the husband.....

Stephen and Christie are very competitive with Wii games....

Well Greg can't help cleaning up my drink I accidentally spilled! Michelle took this pic cause she is jealous of my boots!!! Ha ha! ;)

Help...

2009-01-12T11:54:00.000-08:00

I am having major blogging problems. I used to be able to post pictures easily. I simply uploaded them to Photobucket, resized, and copy and pasted here. Now when I try to do that, it publishes them way too big. I have tried making it smaller, etc. I don't remember changing anything. Does anyone have any tips or suggestions? TIA! :)

Back to Real Life...

2009-01-06T09:48:00.000-08:00

I wasn't ready for yesterday. It came way too early! Waking up at 5:45am, trying to wake tired and grouchy children & hustling them out the door for school, driving Noah to and from pre-school, and of course my long afternoon of teaching. Oh, it was great seeing all the kids, but I think they were all a little hyper after having such a long break. I think I hit a wall after my second class and after that it was all about survival! I just can't believe how fast Christmas came and went and now here it is January of 2009. I wish life would slow down. Does anyone else feel that way? I need to get out of this post-Christmas slump that I am in! I've got to think of something...any ideas?

Happy 2009!

2009-01-04T14:57:00.000-08:00

I have some pictures to upload and things to write about. We had a really nice Christmas and a great time with friends on New Year's Eve. One of my goals is to be more consistent on my blog. Not because I think many people care, but because I really like looking back at my journal over the year! ;) I am praying that 2009 will be our year to shine.

Merry Christmas...

2008-12-22T06:33:00.001-08:00

I didn't think I was asking too much. We were all gathered last night at my husbands parents house to exchange gifts, and it seemed appropriate. I simply clapped my hands together, and very sweetly announced that if you were apart of the " " family, then gather up front for a family photo. HA HA!!! After ten takes, I didn't have one picture where someone didn't have their eyes closed or mouth open. So, imagine that in the picture below, Greg is smiling in a normal way and Noah has his eyes open. The rest of the pictures looked like this! I.GIVE.UP!!!!! (Merry Christmas to all my friends) :)

Weekend Wrap:

2008-12-09T13:02:00.000-08:00

We had a great weekend! It was quite busy though. Saturday morning, we were up early so the girls could ride our churches float in the Christmas Parade. The twins are part of the 'Kidstuf' crew and once a month they help lead the program with singing and dance. They love it. Anyway, they were thrilled to ride in the float this year. After that, we had a quick lunch at church, ran an errand, and then went to the 'Nutcracker' at the school I teach for. Meredith sang with her school honor choir before the program. We finished our day by going to dinner with our neighbors. Fun day, but Mom was tired. Here are some pics:

Noah and I shivering together....

Here is Noah's response to waiting for the parade to start:
Girls on the float:
Aren't they cute?
Their float won the overall prize for 'Best Float'. It was such a cute one.

Meredith singing:

Me and My girls at the Nutcracker!
Girls with one of the dancers that I teach who also is a friend of theirs from school. Meredith's best friend from school is also in the picture along with one of our neighbor friends! Sweet Girls!!!

Wonderful Weekend!

2008-11-30T16:25:00.000-08:00

I have had such a nice weekend! Greg took the kids on Friday morning and left for a family reunion on his mother's side. They drove all the way to Florida. I was only too happy to stay home and enjoy the peace and quiet. Friday I took my time getting ready and straightened up the house. Around 5, CC and I went and had dinner at Macaroni Grill. We had a great time catching up. We haven't seen each other since our big weekend getaway! After dinner, we came back to my house, changed into our PJ's, made hot chocolate, and watched 2 movies. FABULOUS!!! Saturday, we got up and sat around talking and being lazy. Then we got ready and headed out for lunch at our favorite place and then did some Christmas shopping. I hadn't planned to get out in the crowds this weekend, but it wasn't too bad. Mercifully, we didn't go to the mall and I am sure that was a wise choice! Saturday night I just relaxed and did nothing! Today I have been able to get the tree up and ready for the kids to hang ornaments on. I feel refreshed and ready for the week! YAY! ;) Do I have a nice husband or what?

Thanksgiving 2008

2008-11-28T13:02:00.001-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving! November has flown by! Noah had a Thanksgiving program at school. He was an Indian and it was precious! He did have a moment of panic when he couldn't see me. I guess I was hidden behind my video camera. ;)
The kids have been out of school this week. It has been wonderful to have no homework and no place to rush off to. I spent Tuesday and Wed. cleaning and getting ready. We hosted the big meal at our home this yr. It went well and everyone seemed to have a good time. Around 4, the women and the kids went to the movies. The kids saw 'Madagascar 2' and the gals saw 'Four Christmases' ( don't waste your $). Still, it was a good day and I ate way too much yummy food. This morning Greg left with the kids to attend his moms family reunion. He offered to go and give me the weekend off. Who am I to say no? I am waiting for my friend C to come pick me up! I am looking forward to a nice relaxing few days. I will even try to get the tree set up so the kids can decorate when they return!!! Here are some pics of the program and our Thanksgiving:
Sad face...couldn't see mommy!

Fall/Halloween Pics 2008

2008-11-16T15:34:00.000-08:00

I am so late posting these but I wanted to put them up before I completely forgot. We had a great Fall/Halloween. We had another fun neighborhood party where I may or may not have eaten my weight in chips and dips and homemade caramel corn!!! ;) There were 2 space jumps and the kids got so much candy trick or treating, that I had to give a ton away to teachers!!!! Here are some pics from the day and also Noah's field trip to the pumpkin patch!

The girls were creative this year. Meredith was a hippie and Madeline just asked for black and orange tights and a black hat. I think she was a hip pumpkin girl or something!

Noah at his school party. He is Anakin Skywalker and his buddy is Darth Vader!

Lovely lightsaber that we bribed him with ( soccer goals...remember?)

Noah's field trip...where I may or may not have glanced at my watch 10 times wondering when it would be over. I am so not a "farm" type girl!

Coming Soon...

2008-11-07T16:46:00.001-08:00

It has been a very busy week with my teaching schedule and normal *life* stuff! I have some Halloween pics to share, so I will get those up soon. I hope all my friends and family are having a great weekend! ;)

I voted today...

2008-11-04T08:44:00.000-08:00

Did you?

If you haven't, please do and when you are before the ballot box, think long and hard before you cast! We can't complain if we don't do our part!

My most fabulous weekend!

2008-10-26T19:21:00.001-07:00

I have been itching to post about last weekend (the 18-19th). After somehow surviving the twins party, I got to leave all of that behind and head off on a girls trip with my fab friend Cecilia. You have to know a few things about Cecilia and me. Whenever we are together, it usually involves several mandatory activities:

1. Eating ( we are huge fans)
2. Shopping ( again...HUGE fans)
3. Lots and lots of girl talk!
4. Finding the most ridiculous things to laugh about :)

We started off about noon. We made a Pit stop at Arby's for a delicious roast beef sandwich and some curly fries!!! I also enjoyed a HUGE diet Pepsi to try and pump myself with enough caffiene to stay awake for the upcoming concert!!

We arrived at our hotel that my wonderful hubby picked out for us. It was brand new and very nice!
After getting all of 4 hours of sleep after that blasted ( I mean wonderful) slumber party, this is all I wanted to do!!!

Cecilia however wanted to read me all of the inaccuracies in the Mormon Bible!!!

Following my lesson in Mormon doctrine, we decided to get dressed and go partake in one of our favorite activities...eating! We ate dinner at Mary Mahoneys! It was so good. We asked our waiter to take our picture. He told us he would take one with a clean table and one of us fighting over our dessert! Huh? We thought he was pretty funny!

Fighting over the raspberry cheesecake! YUM YUM!

Friends Forever!!!

THE MAIN EVENT!!! MICHEAL BUBLE' in concert!!
Check out the Micheal Buble' backdrop! The lady taking our picture suggested we get that in the picture! Good idea!

MICHEAL BUBLE'...well he did not disappoint. That man can SING!!! He even sang the last few notes of his encore without a mike. He WAS incredible!!!! ***Click this picture to see a good upclose view of his face!!!!

Adoring fans...most of which were female..hmm..wonder why???

You can see his awesome band behind him. He had this slanted stage that he would walk up and slide down. It was FABULOUS!!!

The concert was over around 11ish. We made it back to our hotel. We were tired but in great spirits. For some reason, we found a sign in the elevator particularly amusing. Something about "if you would like to read a copy of the elevator inspection notice, check at the front desk". We laughed and laughed about this. I promise we were not intoxicated...well maybe a little on Buble'!!! Ha!

The next morning we tried to sleep in but 8am was about all we could manage. We enjoyed a delicious breakfast and stuffed ourselves silly with Belgian waffles and omelets!!! Told ya we like to eat! After that we loaded the car and headed off to another one of our favorites...SHOPPING. We shopped for four hours and managed to get several great deals. I even found jeans that fit me and was so happy the saleslady had to tell me to calm down!!! ;) After that we decided to eat...AGAIN...

Here we are at Chili's. We shared the best quesadillas and a divine chocolate chip cake thing. We really know how to pack it in!!!

We drove home listening to Micheal Buble' cd's and talking non-stop. Of course, that was after I discovered that the perfect jeans I had bought were the wrong size and we had to turn around and go exchange them. You see, that is the type of friend that CC is....she didn't get mad at me, laugh, or anything. She just immediately turned the car around and headed back toward the shopping area. :) God blessed me the day that our mutual friend canceled her plans to have dinner with us. We discovered that night 10 years ago that we had alot in common and have been best buds ever since!!! She is the only friend that has visited me in every town that we have moved to! What a girl! Love ya C!!! Can't wait till our next trip!

Guess who I got to see yesterday???

2008-10-23T10:31:00.001-07:00

CHRISTY!!! We got to have a *quick* lunch together! I miss her so much! :(

Happy 11th Birthday Twins!!!

2008-10-20T10:22:00.000-07:00

I should have known what I was getting myself into when I received lots of laughs and sarcastic chuckles upon telling folks that M and M were having a slumber party with 12 guests. Yes, you heard right. That is 14 GIRLS including the twins. What in the heck was I thinking? It started off fine. They all arrived at 5:30, we fed them pizza, let the twins open gifts, made ice cream sundaes, and then put a movie on complete with popcorn. For some reason, around 11pm things got crazy. I had one girl crying because she missed her parents, one girl rolling her eyes telling me she was bored, and a pack of girls in Meredith's bedroom calling boys. Yes, you read that right. The only reason I know this is because one of them called on MY cell phone and when I answered he asked me "why do yall keep calling me". I tried to be the cool mom and give all the girls a mature response to this. Let me tell you that talking to 10 and 11 year old girls when they outnumber you is POINTLESS!!! Anyway, around 1:25am I made my way up to the bonus room for the 5th time and told them it was time to go to bed. They were apparently having a singing contest and promised me they were almost done. At about this time my husband finally made it home. Yes, I agreed to let him go out thinking it would be easier that way and he wouldn't be underfoot. He saw how exhausted I was and told me to go to bed and he would take care of things. I got in bed and tried to close my eyes. The next thing you know I hear what sounded like a herd of cattle rushing for the back door along with screams and shrieks. Apparently he said something to them and they took it as an invitation to grab all sleeping bags and assorted blankets and truck it out to the trampoline. I was livid. I managed to get them all back inside and upstairs. I gave Greg a glare that I am sure he will never forget and went back to bed. Ten minutes later I hear another herd of cattle and my fridge being opened and closed, chip bags being opened, girls chattering, tv blaring! I LOST it....I went out and told everyone in a firm mean mommy voice that they had to go to bed. It was 3am people!!!! Never again will I do this. I got a grand total of four hours of sleep. Now I know why my mom always said slumber parties were not a good idea!! Next time I will listen to that advice and we will go to a location far away from my house and pay a small fortune to make a mess somewhere else! :( Enjoy the pictures of the party before it got wild and crazy.....

Thankfully it was not raining, so most of the eating was done outside on the patio!!!

Who knew that pizza and non-caffienated beverages makes 10 and 11 year old girls this hyper?? I certainly didn't!

Let the gift opening begin.....

Madeline with one of the many cute gifts she received!

Meredith and Lindsey ( doorbells for your room anyone?)

Thank God for my neighbor and good friend Stacy. She not only videoed for me, but also went and picked up the SEVEN pizzas, AND stayed at my house until after 11pm keeping me sane!!!!

Sweet girls with non-stop energy!!!

I can't believe they are 11!!! We had ice cream sundaes instead of cake!!

Completely full on sugar!!!

**** The best part of the party was when it was OVER! I was then able to leave for one of the most fabulous weekends ever! More on that in my next post, complete with pictures!!! ****

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NOAH!!!

2008-10-15T14:13:00.000-07:00

NOAH TURNS FIVE!!! We had so much fun last week! I have had pictures to post for awhile now, but life has been CRAZY BUSY!!! I am ready for it to slow down!

Opening Presents first thing in the morning ( check out the hair)

Cupcakes for the class!

Thank you SueSue and Pawpaw for the Star Wars ship and new legos!

Thanks Aunt Kiki for Yoda and his horse.

Thanks Ga Ga and pawpaw for the Optimus Prime and Megatron Transformers!!!

Thank you sisters for the C3-P-O Star Wars Figure!!!

Me and the Birthday Boy!

Birthday Party at the park complete with 'Transformers' cake!!!

IT'S FABULOUS TO BE FIVE!!!

FIVE YEARS AGO:

2008-10-07T20:42:00.001-07:00

One of the happiest days of my life:

Noah Plays Soccer!

2008-10-06T11:08:00.000-07:00

I am back from a long blogging break to post a VERY long montage of my little boys soccer experience. Poor Noah has grown up at the soccer field and endured many a soccer game played by his sisters. This year he is finally able to play on a team. It is quite the experience! Noah is actually pretty good at soccer. He can run very fast and knows how to dribble. The thing that trips him up is his love for falling and pileups! Yes, he is very young, but when he puts his mind to it, he can do it. This past weekend, we finally discovered what it takes to get Noah to really play soccer and score.......Daddy and a bribe. Daddy took the twins to soccer practice so I was at Noah's game for the first half. He came running to me for every little hurt, etc. He was not doing much. As soon as Dad showed up at the game, all the crying and whining was over. He also knew that if he scored 3 goals, he got a new light up light saber. That is all it took...that little boy took off down the field and scored THREE goals. He almost had four except for some unruly kid *tackled* him right before he kicked it in. I wasn't aware that tackling and pulling someones jersey were allowed in soccer? Anyway, he is now the proud owner of a new lightsaber and we are trying to come up with a new bribe for Sat. And before anyone lectures me, we were told to bribe him by a coworker of Gregs whose son plays for the Fire! At this age, it is about the only thing that works! HA! ;) Here are some pics:

Noah gets ready to kick it in:

Loves to laugh...

Fun loving little guy...

Isn't he the cutest? ;)

Check out that hair!

Guess whose legs those are? He LOVES to fall down! The more boys involved, the better!

Loves to run...

One of his most favorite things is the amount of gatorade he ingests at each game!!!!

GO CROCS!!!!

Moment of Panic...

2008-09-24T08:01:00.000-07:00

I just realized this morning that in less then two weeks, my little boy will turn FIVE and then in less then 3 weeks, my twins will turn ELEVEN! ELEVEN....People, how do I have eleven year olds? I am sweating as I type! I also realized that I haven't even given a thought to the boy's party! Do I have to give him a party? That sounds pathetic. The girls are happily resigned to having a slumber party which means that all I have to provide is movies, pizza, ice cream, and my floor space upstairs! EASY!!! Meredith has already taken to writing me out lists for the food supplies, the movies she wants, the rules of the party ( HUH ?), etc. She is very organized! They also already told me what they wanted for their bday and it is one thing. Expensive, but EASY!!! Noah on the other hand.... I haven't a clue what to get him. He would be thrilled with anything Star Wars related, but I wish there was something like last years gift ( the four wheeler). Anyway, I am in panic mode and also quite sad that somehow this year has gone by way too quickly....my babies are growing up ( all of them)! PS...My birthday is in a week...however... I am not in panic mode about that because I refuse to acknowledge how old I will be!!! ;)

What a weekend....

2008-09-22T10:33:00.000-07:00

Sit back folks while I tell you all about my crazy weekend! Yes, I said crazy! Greg and I went to Atlanta for the weekend without kids. Most of Friday was spent cleaning my house and getting everyone packed. I checked the girls out of school early and drove them to my inlaws. Once the three kiddos were settled, I came back home to finish packing my bags. I thought we were leaving at a certain time, but I should have known to always tack an extra 2 hrs on because my time and DH's time are completely different. FINALLY...we got on the road. We enjoyed the first part of the trip talking and listening to good music. About 9pm, we stopped for dinner at a Cracker Barrel in a small town that shall remain nameless ( it was in the state of AL). Dinner was fine, and we got back in the car and planned to get gas since we were on Empty. We drive up to the first station...no gas. Drive up to the next station....bags on the pumps...no gas. At this point, I am getting a little nervous. We decide to try the next exit. We drive and drive and realize that may have been the last exit for awhile. We turn around to go back to the same town and I am starting to panic. I envision us stranded on the side of the road...in the dark....and a serial killer pulling over to *help* us. Greg is not too sympathetic to my state of anxiety. We try the other side of the interstate. NO FREAKIN GAS ANYWHERE. Greg says we should pray..."buddy what do you think I have been doing for the last 25 mins?". He tells me to stop chewing my fingernails too. We stop at yet another empty gas station and he goes in to ask what the deal is. Apparently the whole town is without gas due to demand at the hurricane ( yeah the hurricane that landed on the other side of the coast). He gets a tip that Walmart might have some. We race over there and YES God has answered our prayer. We get in line. We are the 5th car in one of the lines. The man pumping takes FOREVER! The next lady..bless her heart...an older woman...she took at least 10 mins to go pay for her gas.....10 mins to figure out how to work the machine.....12 mins to pump...and then she realized that she didn't get a receipt...another 8plus mins to go ask for a receipt. I. AM . LIVID and there is no sign of Christ-likeness in my behavior. The next woman...is a bit better but still slow. THEN....the truck in front of us...oh my goodness....I kid you not....there were two men driving the truck and then in the back of the truck were two shirtless boys. I think this was there idea of a good time. He pumped 10$....yes 10$ into a truck and left. I have no idea where he was going with 10$ in a gas guzzling truck...nor do I care...but it was just too weird. Actually every person at that station was strange which is why the town shall remain nameless. We pumped our gas and Greg got out of that station so fast..you could hear the tires squeal. We vowed never to stop in that town again...EVER!!! We finally made it to the Atlanta area. where we may or may not have missed our turn and drove around the city in circles past midnight. I did finally go to sleep around 1am. The bed was blissfully comfortable. The next morning we got up and met my parents, my sister, and my younger brother at the Ga Tech/MSU game. Let me just state here and now that I have never been more embarassed to be a State fan then I was at this game. It was HORRID! We left before it ended. Greg and I drove to Macon to stay with my parents and from that point on, we had a great weekend. We hung out, visted, ate good food, watched LSU win ( yeah), and just had a lovely time. We got back home about 7 last night. To say that I am tired is an understatement and to say that I am looking forward to my 4 hrs of teaching would be a total lie. So I will just end with a few pics ( I intended to take more...but you know how that goes):

Nice stadium that Ga Tech has and they also have some very nice fans! Seriously!

My brother Nathan and Greg

Me, my sister Kiki, and my mom ( Kiki is probably going to disown me for posting this pic...but I thought it was a cute one of the 3 of us)

Look...its straight....and its darker...and shorter

2008-09-18T18:57:00.000-07:00

Ok...so I wanted a change.....I went to my hairstylist yesterday and decided I wanted it shorter and a little more auburn. Well her version of auburn and my version were completely different. I left and came home and burst into tears. I called her back crying and she told me to come back today. Two hours later and I am much happier with the results. She ever straightened it for me for free. That is a rare treat, so I decided to post a picture so that my mom could see it. Since it is so humid here, this look won't last. Every now and then it is fun to do something different.

Random Weekend Post:

2008-09-14T14:34:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it is already Sunday afternoon. That means that Monday is coming soon. Mondays are my tough days. I have to get everyone going again for the week, and I have a long teaching afternoon. The weekend went by so fast. Yesterday was busy with different things and the kids all had soccer games. Madeline and Meredith are now playing on this HUGE soccer field. Seriously, compared to last year...it is LARGE! They played so hard yesterday and were both redfaced. Noah had his first game and apparently he likes pile-ups. Does anyone think football might be in his future? We had the inlaws over for dinner. I.AM.TIRED !!!

For the past few weeks, we have been attending church at the place that we were members at about two years ago. I never wanted to leave there! Ever since then, we have been the roaming church goers! Anyway, Greg's parents go there now and they are so happy when we come and sit with them. Also, all of our friends there have been so nice and receptive. We went out to lunch with a few of them today and it was great. I am just ready to belong somewhere and get settled. I think our children need that. I am praying that God will work all the details out! :)

Noah's First Field Trip

2008-09-10T08:52:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was a day that we have been waiting for. Noah was going on his first field trip. I was giddy with the fact that I would actually get to be apart of one of my children's field trip experiences. You see, I rarely went on the twins due to the fact that I had an active toddler running around. Now that I am free as a bird ( ha ha), I am determined to participate. Anyway, the morning started out fine. Noah and I got to the school and I stood there chatting with the teacher wondering why I was the only parent. Finally another mother came in and said to the teacher "see you in an hr". Ah ha......I obviously did not read the info correctly. Typical! When we did make it to the actual field trip, it was enjoyable, but extremely hot. Why I didn't have the foresight to pack water bottles to drink, I will never know! I also endured listening to one mother who talked my ear off about how her older child is so intelligent, but the teacher won't put him in the gifted program because he isn't getting his work done. The mom said it is because he is bored. I tried to listen politely, but gosh it was hard!!! Anyway here are some pics from our day! Exciting stuff around here......

Guess what color we had to wear?

Can you spot my boy? I noticed there are lots of blonde boys in his class!

Noah in front of the helicopter!

Doing what little boys like to do....play in the dirt!

Here he is listening oh so patiently to the men explaining what the helicopter does. Notice the fact that his hair is drenched with sweat and sticking to his face!

Noah and his class in front of the heli...they got stickers.

Checking out the heli....

Just an FYI:

2008-09-06T15:38:00.001-07:00

For any of my friends that are fellow 'Loft' shoppers, RUN do not walk to your nearest store. Through tomorrow, you can get double savings cards. So, for every 50$ you spend, you get TWO 25$ cards. Those cards will go into affect on Monday and you can use them through Oct 19. It's a really good deal, and don't even kid yourself if you think that I haven't already taken advantage of this deal!!! ;)

Football Fun

2008-09-03T09:01:00.001-07:00

This past Saturday was the kickoff of Greg's favorite time of the year.....SEC football. We had some neighbors over for food and fun. I had high hopes for a victorious game and great conversation. One out of two isn't bad!!!! HA HA!

Do you know how hard it is to get this many children to smile and look at the camera all at once? Aren't they cute though in all their MSU garb? Poor darlings don't know any better!!!!!!! ;)

Finally after much begging, screaming, and bribing....we managed a decent shot:

Here is Madeline's attempt at an artsy, decorative, CROOKED, picture. I was trying to be cool and show how I had school spirit even though I was the only one not wearing Maroon. I jokingly said that maybe I would be the smart one if we lost! Unfortunately....those words became true.

Stacy and Me! I love having her right down the street!

All Things...

2008-08-26T13:51:00.000-07:00

Today has been one of those days. I woke up at 5:45, read my Bible, drank lots of coffee, woke/fed/and shuttled off kids to their various schools, ran to the store for 5 things including milk, came home to find that milk was leaking everywhere, got back in car to go exchange said milk, home again to do some minor chores, shower, go pick up Noah, take Noah to chik-fil-a for playdate, back home AGAIN to do more chores, get girls going on homework (ugh), and here I sit. I did all of this while feeling like my head is spinning. You see, yesterday during my *baby* classes, I learned a valuable lesson. When 3/4 year olds are hacking and drooling all over their hands and they then try to hold your hand.......RUN.FOR.THE.HILLS!!!!! Also, that Germx stuff......it DOESN'T work, which I proved by putting all over my hands at every opportunity only to come home with a headache, drainage, and congestion! So, I am sitting out on my back patio while Noah plays with his play-doh and I am not having one of those days where the birds are singing, the flowers are gorgeous, and all is well in my life. No, like everyone, I have my problems and issues. I was asking the Lord today to give me an encouraging verse, something I could claim and reflect on. This is the one he reminded me of:

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

What I am struck by today is that he doesn't say in some things, he doesn't say in good things, he doesn't say in perfect things....he says in ALL THINGS he is working for GOOD. Today I have to persevere and choose to trust that he is working in the situations in my life and it is going to be for my good. Even when my nose is pouring and I am tempted to never teach 3 & 4 year olds again!!! ;)

Lord, grant me energy ( and patience)...

2008-08-21T08:48:00.000-07:00

Being a ballet teacher requires lots of things. It requires ability, skill, a good understanding of technique ( which just because you took dance for 10 years doesn't mean you have), patience, and when dealing with young children, TONS and TONS of energy! I can usually be the peppiest of people, but Mondays are testing me big time. To start with, my classes are HUGE and let's just say that me and eighteen 3 & 4 year olds doesn't always go well. Here are some excerpts from this past Monday:

~ I always go in the studio early and take my time getting my shoes on and thinking through my class...oh who am I kidding...I pray, pace, breathe in and out and tell myself that it is just 4 hours!!! Anyway, I am sitting there in the CLOSED studio putting my tap shoes on and this dad barges in with his daughter and just stares at me " uh ..oh...she just wanted me to see her classroom". I nod and we just stare at each other and he very quietly backs up and closes the door behind him....AWKWARD!!!

~ I turn my back for one minute to put the music on and one *precious* little girl decides to be a monkey on the barres and when I run over to grab her off, I realize she has left scuff marks from her tap shoes ALL.OVER.THE.WALLS! Grumble grumble!!!!

~ Another *precious* one REFUSES to hold my hand in the circle. I have never in all my 18 years of teaching had someone NOT want to hold my hand. They usually fight to actually hold it. Yes, it might have hurt my feelings a teenzy tiny bit!

~ On that note however, I do not want to hold the hand of a child that has just coughed and sneezed all over it! ICK!

~ I had several little girls that went to the bathroom and came back undressed! Lovely!

~ No, I do not give suckers after EACH class. That is a special treat and "wouldn't you rather a stamp on your hand"? Uh....NO!

Fun days ahead I tell you....;)

Six Random Things:

2008-08-19T08:18:00.000-07:00

Christy tagged me for this ( link is on my sidebar) Here goes:

1.) I absolutely HATE working out! I know some people say it gives them more energy, relieves stress, etc, etc. It does NOT do that for me. I exercise purely for selfish reasons. The happiest part of the workout is when it is over...which leads me to my next random thing....

2.) I am a big procrastinator! Gosh, I hate confessing that but it is true. I can find a million excuses why to delay something. I can also talk myself out of going places or doing things that take me out of my comfort zone....however....

3.) I used to be extremely disciplined. When I was in highschool, I had ballet class and rehearsal five nights a week and all day Saturday. I LOVED it. I got up early every morning, had all my homework done on time, ate the same "lowfat things", and absolutely loved every minute of the hard work. I had focus and determination and nothing could sway me from my goals!

4.) I am a total girly-girl. My favorite things to play growing up were house, store, Barbies, and paperdolls. However, I LOVED to climb trees. We would go visit my grandmother in New Orleans and I would climb these huge trees in City Park. I even fell out of one! Oh to be young again....

5.) My favorite love song is 'Everything I do (I do it for you)' by Bryan Adams. Everytime I hear that it takes me back to being 18 and all the craziness that comes with that age! I was watching the original video on YouTube and then surprise surprise I found the song paired with a video using my favorite show 'Robin Hood'. Enjoy:

I tag Diane, Kearsmom, Katie, Katrice, and anyone else who wants to participate!

Oh Nastia, how you amaze me!

2008-08-15T10:26:00.000-07:00

I am sure there is absolutely no person that is interested in my talking points about gymnastics, BUT since it is my blog, I don't care. I have always loved gymnastics. In fact, I took gymnastics before I ever started ballet. I must have shown some talent, because they moved me up a few levels and the coach wanted me to be on the team. For some reason, after that I quit and turned to dancing. Anyway, I can remember where I was when saw Mary Lou Retton win the gold. We were at the beach and I remember how my sister and I were practicing our cartwheels and roundoffs in the hallway! I digress....last night was AMAZING. I stayed up until well past midnight to watch Nastia Liukin take the gold. She is usually in the background next to Shawn Johnson, but she is my personal favorite (big surprise). She combines the power of gymnastics with the beauty and grace of dance ( she so obviously takes ballet classes). She doesn't even have the typical "gymnast" body. I was so impressed with how she handled the extreme pressure and how she basically rocked all of her routines. I think most impressing was when they showed her and Shawn on the today show and how they are actually good friends and very kind and supportive of one another. How awesome it was to see someone on top of the podium that a.)is an American b.)was well deserving & c.) has definitely lost all of her baby teeth!!!!!!! ;)

First Day of Pre-K!

2008-08-13T11:44:00.001-07:00

Today was our first day of our last year in preschool. Where did the time go? Noah will be going 5 days a week to the same school he attended last year. He has two sweet teachers and I think it is going to be a great year. The reason I chose this school ( and stood in a line for 2 hrs to get in) was because of the Pre-K program. It is supposed to be very good and he will be well prepared for next year. Noah was very excited this morning! My little boy is growing up! I picked him up and we got to go enjoy lunch at Chikfila with his best bud! :)

My big boy!

He picked out a Transformers backpack ( his favorite)! :)

Who wouldn't want to teach that cute face? ( I might be a tad bit biased)

Back to the Barre....

2008-08-12T06:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my return to teaching. Oh how I have enjoyed my summer break, but it went by far too quickly! I thought I was ready though to get back into the swing of things. Monday is going to be my long day. I teach 4 classes in a row with NO break. I know that doesn't sound like alot, but when you are teaching dance and have to be peppy and energetic, it is a LONG LONG afternoon. Here are my thoughts on my first day back:

1. 18 three and four year olds is too many and enough to make one want to run and hide.

2. 19 five and six year olds is also way too many. It will make you want to cry for your own mommy!!!!

3. Putting the numbers I listed above in tap shoes is enough to make you want to numb your eardrums.

4. Most 3 year olds do not understand the concept of making a circle.

5. If one child needs to go to the potty, suddenly they all do.

6. Certain children think it is funny to pull their nametag off and just throw it on the floor.....for no apparent reason. Those same children think the ballet barre is really MONKEY BARS!!!

7. By the time you get to your last class which is Ballet 2/3, you want to hug every one of those girls because they do what you say and can actually DANCE!!!

I.AM.TIRED.

I LOVE IT!!!

2008-08-11T07:37:00.000-07:00

Gymnastics and swimming are my favorite things to watch in the Summer Olympics. I really like the relay competitions in the swimming. Last night was AMAZING. France was talking all this smack about beating the U.S.A and even the announcer guy was saying how he just didn't see them winning. You can hear at the end how the announcer was going hoarse...that last guy was incredible!!!

First Day of 5th grade...

2008-08-07T18:05:00.001-07:00

Meredith was up before 6am! I will not hold my breath that this will be a normal habit. Let's just say that both the girls were very excited. They hopped out of bed, got dressed in their chosen outfits, made their beds and were ready to go way before it was time! Here are some pics of our morning:

Our traditional first day of school breakfast .....cinnamon rolls. I did make them some eggs too for the protein!

My TALL girls! They are very close to my height ( which isn't saying much....I always said that by 5th grade they would pass me up...could be???

Madeline:

Fun backpacks they picked out while we were on vacation!

Meredith:

Look how far apart two girls with very long legs and independent personalities can be!
(walking to the neighbors for carpool)

Tomorrow is the day....

2008-08-06T15:58:00.000-07:00

5th grade!!!! Can you believe it???

We met the teachers last night and dropped off supplies. Madeline has a male teacher ( but he seemed VERY nice and he is apparently a great math teacher...hallelujah...thank you Jesus). Meredith got the "most desired" teacher and is in the same class with a bunch of friends including a neighbor. The teacher is even letting them all sit together for now! Stay tuned for first day pics tomorrow!!!!

Summer 2008

2008-07-29T14:19:00.001-07:00

I can't believe how fast our summer came and went. I have mixed feelings about starting back to school next week. Here are a few photos from our summer. I wish I had a pic of the girls with Sue-Sue because their two week visit with her was one of the major highlights of their summer!

Meredith enjoyed her first season of "fast pitch" softball. I don't know how much she actually learned about the game, but she sure did love all the socializing in the dugout!!! ;)

The girls went to camp ( where they had cute counselors)!!!

Noah finished his first season of tball. He LOVED his medal and trophy. PROUD BOY!

Lots of fun times at the pool:

Noah even learned to swim:

Beach Trip:

My favorite part was sitting in the shade with a book!

Home Again....

2008-07-25T14:45:00.000-07:00

Our family just got home last night from a little vacation to the beach. We had a nice time. The kids swam, played at the beach, we went out to eat a bunch, shopped a little ( just school stuff), watched two movies together ( 'College Road Trip' which was hilarious and 'Horton Hears a Who'), ate tons of M & M's, and just relaxed. I didn't bring my laptop so it was a very nice break from normal life. Of course, the saying is true...there is no place like home. I was quite happy to get back to my own bed and pillow. The kids have been playing non-stop today with their friends and I managed to get to Kroger and fill a cart with tons of food since we had no groceries! Greg is still "on vacation" until Monday, so we will continue to relax this weekend. I need to upload some pictures, so check back! :)

Three weeks from tomorrow....

2008-07-16T10:50:00.000-07:00

my summer will be over. The twins will head back to school and be 5th graders! I can't believe they have only one more year in elementary school. Another big milestone is that next year at this time, I will be preparing Noah for Kindergarten! WOW! Our summer has just flown by. I have tried hard to enjoy every moment! I think my favorite thing has been not having to get up at 5:30am. Anyway, we are going on a little trip next week and then we will come home to buy backpacks and get into a routine again. The fun just keeps on coming at our house! :)

Richard Armitage Video

2008-07-12T19:31:00.001-07:00

OK...if you are not a fan of this man or show....here is a reason to be. Is he not absolutely adorable and charming? He is currently my very favorite actor! Yes, I have a thing for Brits!!! I personally feel they blow American actors out of the water! PS...The episode that he refers to being his favorite scene just happens to be my favorite!

Laughter is great medicine....

2008-07-04T10:14:00.001-07:00

I have said it before, but I absolutely LOVE spending time with a friend. I don't have tons of them, but the ones I do have are incredibly special. Last night, I went out with my friend C and we just had a lovely time. I have known C for almost 12 years. I met her when I was pregnant with the twins and our daughters are only a month apart. She correctly pointed out to me that she has visited me in every state that we have moved to. She even flew out to CO! Now that is a true friend...:) ! Anyway, we go way back and I never get tired of her company. We talk and laugh and it is just great. Last night, we ate at P.F. Changs. Oh the food was DELICIOUS and it was so nice to talk to an adult after being home all week with Noah. We were laughing so hard that I am sure the waiter thought we were NUTS ( & I only had ONE glass of wine). After dinner, we walked around at the new little shopping area that is right across the street. We ended up sitting on a bench outside talking until it grew dark! Two weeks ago, I got to spend time with Christy and then this week it was with C. I am blessed to have wonderful friends that I can laugh with! It truly does feed the soul! :)

And then there was one:

2008-06-29T11:01:00.001-07:00

One child, that is!!! My girls left this morning with my parents for their annual two week summer visit. They have a blast and it is a wonderful break for me. Greg and I went to church this morning and to brunch and it was quiet and peaceful. Of course, by the end of the two weeks we will be missing those girls!!!

I had such a wonderful time with my parents even though it was far too short. I always enjoy visiting with my mom. We had lots of good conversation. Friday night, we watched the new 'Sense and Sensibility'. It was my second time in a week and I LOVE it. If you like period movies like I do, then this is a must see. I actually like it better then the Emma Thompson one and that is saying something since it has always been one of my favorites. The British really know how to do those kind of movies. I can watch them over and over!!!

I don't have any big plans for our first week. Noah and I will probably go to the pool and I promised to take him to see 'Wall-E'. He will enjoy that! :) For now, I am off to put my feet up and enjoy the quiet. The two weeks will fly by so I am determined to enjoy every second!

Weekend Recap:

2008-06-23T10:55:00.000-07:00

After a long and lazy week in which my children were climbing the walls and I wanted to pull my hair out, the weekend finally arrived. We spent it relaxing, eating, hanging out with friends, etc. Friday night the girls had a friend spend the night and Greg and I watched 'National Treasure 2'. Saturday ( ahhh blessed Saturday), I left the kids with Greg and met up with CHRISTY!!! We had a fabulous time and I have a picture to prove it!!!! LOL I am so blessed to have sweet friends to hang out with. I can't tell you how many times I have felt low and down on life, and then I have "girl time" and I feel so much better. Christy, you better come visit again soon. I miss you!!!!!

Lazy Lazy....Days!

2008-06-18T09:43:00.001-07:00

This week I have been so sluggish. In my defense, I did clean my house Monday, but other then that we have been relaxing. The kids have watched tons of movies and I have enjoyed no schedule. We will go to the pool this afternoon which is such a nice way to spend our time! I updated my reading list for 2008 and I am ashamed at the amount of books I have read. I have got to get going on that. I LOVE to read. I am trying to read some more "classic" type literature. 'Emma' is a slow read for me because I have to make sure that I follow the dialog even though I know the basic story which truly helps! I also added a list of movies and tv shows that I have watched and enjoy/recommend. As a disclaimer, some of them have some objectional content, but are still worth a view. I just rented two movies last week, but I will not put those on my list! :( Sometimes I wonder why Hollywood can't put out better quality. That is why I love the BBC period films so much. They are just really good drama! :)

Fun Week...

2008-06-10T16:38:00.000-07:00

I have tons of cute pics to share and I AM going to get them uploaded soon ( I promise Sue-Sue). I got the twins off to camp yesterday and I just know they are having a BLAST! I am teaching a few summer classes this week and LOVING it. I absolutely adore the age group I am working with ( Kears Mom...your daughter is precious)! My DH left today for the rest of the week so for now it is just Noah and me! We went to the pool this afternoon for two hours and now he is showered and happily watching a cartoon 'Transformers' movie. Transformers is to boys what Barbies is to girls! I am so glad that I have the honor of finding that out!!!! ;) Tomorrow we are going to sleep in and then I am taking him to see 'Kung Fu Panda' with a friend and her children. He is very excited! THEN...Noah is spending two nights with the grandparents. I have to teach Thursday and Friday and I have some fun plans for Thursday evening that involve eating, movies, and girl talk with a friend! Christy...I miss you so much! I wish I could say that those plans include you.....BUT... I can't wait for the 21st. :) SO I am planning on a fun week and I just shared that online! How exciting! ;)

Getting back into the groove...

2008-06-05T08:23:00.001-07:00

Why is this so hard? Hmmm...lots of reasons...some simple and some I don't care to go into. I am frustrated with myself for not posting all the cute pics I took and journaling our life. I am going to try to do better. I know that I keep saying that, but I truly mean it! What have we been doing? Well.....a whole lot of nothing to be quite honest. I have been sleeping in until a little cutie pie comes in my room and asks me to put a movie on for him. The current favorite is "Air Buddies". Then we lounge around in our pjs all morning eating, drinking coffee (me), playing the Wii ( current favorite game 'Carnival Games'), watching movies/tv, playing with friends and occasionally I do some housework. Then in the afternoon we usually mosey on over to the pool and spend a few hours playing. We come home eat dinner or go to a softball game and then the kids play until bed and many nights they either sleepover at a friends house or we have someone sleeping over here. It is FABULOUS! I do feel as if 100lbs of stress have been lifted off of my shoulders by not having homework or tests to deal with. The girls leave for camp next week and I am hoping to pawn Noah off to MIL for a few days. That would truly be heavenly! So there you have it....just not much going on. Just the way I planned and hoped for.....:) !

No more pencils no more books....

2008-05-22T06:38:00.000-07:00

no more teachers dirty looks!!! SCHOOL IS OUT FOR THE SUMMER!!! Noah finished last week and the girls were done yesterday. I am looking forward to lovely mornings that don't begin at 5:30 and fun afternoons where I am not shouting for children to come inside and STUDY!!! WOO HOO! The twins have been partying non-stop. One of their best friends had her bday on Tuesday and a limo picked them up from school and took them to the mall for a scavenger hunt. They had a BLAST! Last night they spent the night next door for a "schools out sleepover". Oh the joys of being 10 and not a care in the world. We plan on taking it easy for the next two weeks and going to the pool alot. Then it will be time to get ready for camp. They are so excited.

I have a recital this evening and it is the big one. We had the dress rehearsal yesterday and all I am going to say is that it was LONG and TIRING. I am really not cut out to run around on my feet (read...up and down stairs) for FOUR plus hours. I came home and was completely wiped out and this is NOT my first recital experience!!! :)

So, tomorrow I will hopefully be lounging at the pool and enjoying the sounds of my chidren laughing and splashing! It's summertime and I dare you to find a happier mom! ;)

Playing Catch-Up....

2008-05-20T19:06:00.000-07:00

Wow...I just can't seem to get with the program. I have been so busy which I hate saying because it sounds like I think I am busier then everyone else...which I know is not true. Summer is right around the corner and I plan to get back to blogging, if not for me.....for my mom and the one or two people that actually check this out. So....here is a brief recap with pictures of my life.....

First, I had my recital at the private school I was teaching for. I have to say it went really well and these girls looked so pretty. I was surprised with how mature they were on stage and I think the parents were proud. This is one of the classes....don't they look great?

Muffins with mom at pre-school. Noah *served* me my delicious CHOCOLATE muffin and fruit and I had the sweetest survey that had been filled out by one of his teachers. I guess she asked him the questions and he answered. You will be happy to know that I weigh just 5lbs and he wouldn't trade me for a cracker!!!! Apparently my job is in the basketball field!!! ;)

Happy Mother's Day to me! I have 3 gorgeous children, huh? My husband served me breakfast in bed...that was divine!!!!

Last day of 3yr old preschool! Next yr is Pre-K. I don't know how the time went by so quickly. This is Noah and his two teachers...Ms. K and Ms. C. We had a wonderful year!

Swimming Lesson! Noah and his buddy Jake. Don't these two look like alot of fun together?

Yeah....fun is exactly what this teacher is thinking!!!! ;)

Look at my backyard...we have a fence!!! Oh my word...I love the privacy and I love the fact that Noah can't escape ( yet)! Of course...Greg had other ideas....

He figured a fenced yard meant the green light to bring home a puppy!!! Meet Roxy....I don't *love* her yet....but love is such a strong word! She is slowly growing on me!!!

Happy Mother's Day!!!

2008-05-11T15:45:00.000-07:00

It is fitting that my first post for this month is on Mother's Day. I have the absolute best mother in the world. I truly do not know why the Lord decided to be so kind to me and saw fit to let me be this woman's daughter. My mom is an inspiration to me and a woman that I have watched walk through both good and bad times with integrity and grace. She has never wavered in her faith and she has always pointed me upward when I have sought her guidance. She has birthed four children and from that she now boasts 4 grandchildren and another one on the way. So today, I honor my mom and tell her once again how proud I am to be her daughter. I love you MOM! :)

She will not be happy with this picture, but I couldn't find many with the two of us. I need to change that!

Here is our family (minus grandchildren):

Hump Day....

2008-04-30T09:27:00.000-07:00

There is not much worse then sitting in the dentist chair while some hygienist scrapes on your teeth. I know it is all for the cause of a healthy mouth, but geez....it hurts and sounds horrible!!! I was quite frustrated that I had to WASTE part of my morning in the dentist office....but at least I am done for six months! Noah had his appt on Monday and he did really well. The most exciting thing for him was the power ranger toothbrush he acquired! ;)

Today is hump day and the start of my crazy schedule for the week. I am subbing for FOUR hours today. I know that sounds like nothing, but when you have to stand on your feet and teach ballet and jazz for FOUR hours, it is LONG! I have a sitter coming to keep two of my kids and a very kind parent picking Meredith up for softball practice. Tomorrow, I will be teaching my normal class and subbing for FOUR AND A HALF hours. At 8pm tomorrow night I will breathe a sigh of relief!! We are getting so close to summer and I can't wait. I look forward to sleeping in, not rushing off anywhere, and going to the pool. Of course, as soon as I think about that, I realize that after about a week of that, I will be wishing for school to start again! ;) It is a vicious cycle! Ha!

Long Week.....

2008-04-28T10:22:00.000-07:00

As last week was short, this week is LONG with a capital L! Seriously when I get home on Thursday night and my husband gets in from his trip, I will breathe a sigh of relief. The weekend went by so fast and Greg had to leave last night which is rare. The highlight of my weekend was definitely date night Friday and then watching 'Robin Hood' Season 2 premiere on Saturday night. It was GOOD!!! I will have to post something on here about it ( when I get a free moment...ha ha). This week will be my crazy week. I thought that since I finished my time with the private school I was teaching for, that things would be slow....not so! Today I have to take Noah to the dentist ( just a cleaning), get back in time for the bus, and then leave to teach at 3:15. When I am done at 5:30 I will run by and pick all 3 kids up ( from my friend who has graciously agreed to keep them) and take Noah to t-ball practice. No one will be happier then me, when I put all 3 to bed tonight and climb the stairs to our tv room and plop myself on the couch with my DVR!!!! Tomorrow is my slow day...and then Wed and Thurs I am subbing LONG hours that I am not used to teaching. I will survive though and God will give me the energy I need!!!! Where oh where is that energy drink??? ;)

Short Week...

2008-04-24T07:09:00.000-07:00

Since the kids were out of school on Monday, this week has gone by quickly. Not that I am complaining or anything....I can't wait for the weekend. We don't have any big plans and that is a good thing. Well I take that back....I do have big plans for Saturday night. It is the season premiere on BBC America of 'Robin Hood' Season 2. I am a huge fan of a certain actor on the show and I can't wait to watch it. Neither can my mom or my sister who are equally as big of fans! In fact, we email each other talking about this person. Yes, I am aware that we are strange, but if you saw a certain movie that I have mentioned many times on here, then you would completely understand. So since I have nothing else to blog about, I will just say this.......Guy is really really really evil this season! Did I make anyone curious? ;)

Countdown.....

2008-04-19T06:16:00.000-07:00

One more week.....until I am finished teaching at school # 1 ( small private school that I teach 2 classes)

Two more weeks .......until 3-4 yr old recital at ballet school

Two more weeks ....... until Noah starts swimming lessons

Four more weeks.....until MAIN recital

22 more days.......until SCHOOL IS OUT and summer begins! :)

7 more weeks.....until the twins go to camp ( they can't wait)!

Exciting stuff....huh? ;)

Rewind to the Weekend....

2008-04-16T16:32:00.001-07:00

I have been meaning to post since this past weekend. It was crazy busy. Meredith started softball (pictures to come) and Noah started tball. Madeline got to go to a 'SweetWater Jade' concert with her friend. Here they are with the group. One of the girls is the niece of Madeline's teacher. They had so much fun!

Noah playing T-ball has to be the funniest thing ever. Tears were rolling down all the parents faces. I mean, lets get real.....this is comedy at its best. Two grown men trying to teach a pack of 4 year olds how to play baseball! Here is Noah running to base ( all pictures compliments of proud big sister Meredith):

Here he is after fielding a ball. He laid there for awhile and everyone just died laughing. Madeline ran out and pretended to give him CPR!!! My MIL was dying with laughter!!!

I adore this picture. Look at my sons proud face......then look at the poor little guy on the ground. Noah beat him to the ball!!!! LOL

SWING BATTER BATTER............

Actual quote from the coaches: "Hey guys, this is baseball not football"!!!!

"How long do we have to stand out here?"

We had company over two nights in a row. This is what happens when your child decides to photograph every move you make. I love this classy picture of me pouring chips into a bowl. Yes, we strive to serve gourmet food all the way!!!! ;)

Of course, I grabbed the camera and got a cheesy shot of them. Aren't they hams? ;)

God Cares about the small things:

2008-04-11T08:35:00.000-07:00

I thought I would post a few seemingly insignificant things that have happened this week which have let me know that God hears my prayers. I am hoping that I will call times like this to mind when I am struggling with the larger things.

1. I was in Limited 2 (with my Too bucks) and there was a woman in front of me. She bought about 200$ worth of clothes and left. As I was checking out, the cashier had finished ringing me up and I was about to leave. I looked up and thought to ask her where my reward cards were. She told me she had forgotten and it was double day so I got 2. Then she said that she had forgotten to give the woman before me hers. That woman probably would have received about 8 of them. I actually prayed that God would let me run into her so I could tell her. Well I walked around the mall and never saw her. I walked out to my car on the opposite end of the mall and as I was about to get in, I saw her. SHE WAS PARKED TWO SPACES from me. I told her and she was so thankful. It made my day to help someone out. I know that I would have appreciated that if it had been me. Limited 2 is so expensive and those cards help!!!

2. Meredith is played softball for the first time. I have struggled with whether or not I made the right decision letting her play. I didn't realize it was fast pitch. I know NOTHING about softball. I had several know it all moms tell me that it was going to be rough and the girls weren't nice, etc. Well if you know me, then you know how I have fretted about this over and over. Well we had our first practice on Wed. for almost two hours. Meredith had a blast. She told me afterwards that she didn't even mind the length because she was having so much fun. The coach is very patient and nice and the girls seem to be sweet. There is another set of twins on her team and this is their first year too. I just felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Now I don't expect much this first year. I told Mere that this is a learning experience for the first year. I will be *thrilled* if she hits the ball!!! We have our first game on Monday so I will be sure to update and take pics!!! ( Noah starts tball practice tomorrow...this should be HILARIOUS) Oh and the one bad mommy moment....my child was the only one at practice without her own bat, helmet, and cool bag. So guess where we went yesterday??? $$$ later and I kid you not it was $$$.....we have a purple bat, a grey helmet, batting gloves (???), and the COOLEST purple bag. She is very excited about the accessories.......definitely my daughter!!!! ;)

Breakthrough...

2008-04-09T07:10:00.000-07:00

Are yall thinking this is going to be some sort of spiritual post or something? Fooled ya.....it is a FASHION breakthrough. Ok, there are 3 things I hate shopping for due to the fact that I have a hard time finding a good fit:

1. Swimsuits

2. Bras

3. Jeans or any kind of pants in general

Here is my problem with #3 and before you roll your eyes and say" some problem", I would like to point out that everyone and I do mean EVERYONE has issues with their body. The grass is not always greener on the other side. I am admitting here that I know that I am thin....my whole family is small so genetics are on my side....& I am a dancer. We are known for long lean muscle. Does that make anyone want to take up ballet??? I digress...anyway, my problem is that my lower half is shaped like a boy. I have no hips and no butt. Believe me when I say that I wish I had some curves. I bought about TEN pair of jeans this winter. I went crazy..ask Christy because she knows and understands. I think one pair fits me the best and it was the most expensive ( figures). Well yesterday I had a breakthrough....want to know what it is.......two little words......JUNIOR DEPT. Why haven't I tried that before? I am just talking about shopping there for pants.....they FIT me!!!! I bought the cutest little wide legged cropped denim pants for $21.99 and they kept their shape on me all day!!! Hallelujah and I am so happy! :) Now.....if I can just find MODEST jr pants......hmmmmmmmm! ;)