A Growing Violet

A Moment in Time

2012-01-26T02:37:00.015-06:00

It has been a long time since Violet came into our room in the middle of the night. Her sleeping habits, albeit aren't great, have drastically improved over the year. She still requires our presence to fall asleep but we aren't having to sooth her to sleep. My poor daughter has issues falling to sleep and has a deep fear of the dark. I blame this on some bad advice that we tried to follow when she was an infant. You know the advice - let them cry themselves to sleep while you check on them every few minutes. Yeah, THAT advice! Instead of encouraging our daughter to be able to fall asleep on her own, we scared her so badly that it's taken us over six years to get her to sleep a whole night in her room. If only I could go back in time and burn that book the moment it graced our hands!

Violet still enjoys her lullabies at bedtime. Who wouldn't want to fall asleep to songs that were written, or altered, specifically for you? Songs that express how deeply you were wanted, how sincerely you are cherished, and remind you of what an incredible blessing you are to those who love you? Yes, these lullabies are a nightly ritual for our little family and I am going to miss them terribly once Violet feels she's "too old for such childish things". I can see that day coming in the not-so-far-distance. And to be quite honest with you, my heart is not prepared for that day. It will be a painful moment in my life but one that is incredibly important for Violet's life. She's growing up so fast and is slowly changing things in her life. The younger toys are being pushed aside for her Liv dolls and Transformers. She is creating more things with her Lego kits. Flopsy, her trusted bunny that has been with her from the beginning, is the only thing with staying power. Flopsy has been taken to school a few times this year and she travels with us on every big trip. She was even the first thing I was asked about when I was home alone one day and we had an emergency evacuation due to flooding that set off the fire alarms in an apartment across from us. "Mommy, did you take Flopsy out with you? Was she safe too?" and I honestly told her,"Yes, I took Flopsy with me!" I had forgotten a ton of things that day but I hadn't forgotten Violet's most cherished possession.

I know this time with Violet is fleeting. My heart feels it coming, and my mind even tells me it's a good thing - I know that and understand it. But I am terribly unprepared for that day. As a parent you rejoice with your child as they meet each milestone. The goal is that you've raised a child into a healthy, independent adult who will make their mark on this world. But how do you prepare yourself for the day they leave the nest? Each new milestone that's met is a little bitter sweet. They show you're doing something right, your child is getting it, but they also step a little further from you each time. They pull away. And it hurts. It's good. But it hurts.

I have a feeling that I'll be spending a lot of time with Flopsy then. Holding her in my arms while recalling every image of Violet holding her, snuggling her under her chin as she slept, and how she would hold Flopsy by one ear as she sleepily made her way to our room in the middle of the night. In the meantime though, I plan to savor and cherish every moment with this precious gift God gave us in a child! For she is truly a gift from our Father in heaven, created specifically for me and Gregg. He decided we were worthy of this blessing and we are incredibly thankful.

Goodbye 2011 - Hello 2012

2012-01-03T20:37:00.003-06:00

It is unreal to me that we have ushered in a new year. 2011 sped by at an alarming pace. So many things happened with us in 2011 - Violet turned seven, Gregg lost his job and started a new one within ten days after hearing the news his company had to shut down the survey department, Violet experienced the beach for the first time and she started her second year of Classical Conversations, we got to see the exhibit of King Tutankhamen, my Mother finally retired (something I wondered if I'd ever see), I fell (twice), and we've joined Cross Community Church of Katy. So many things happened and nothing I've tried to write thus far seems to properly sum up what 2011 was for us.

As the year was coming to an end, and the new year was being ushered in, I pulled out my camera and did a little interview with Violet. Please excuse the yellow tint in the video, the lighting in Violet's room is very unforgiving.

If you're feeling nostalgic, you can watch last year's interview and be blown away by how much my precious kid has changed in such a short period of time and how she is very much the same. And you can see how well loved her beloved Floppsy is.

One final thought, from our family to yours, may you have a blessed and happy and healthy new year!

Silent Night

2011-12-10T18:55:00.001-06:00

In the stillness of the night, while enjoying a hot cup of tea, this is what my eyes behold as I think of thee.

Thirty Days of Thankfulness

2011-11-30T16:39:00.009-06:00

It is entirely too easy to get swept up in the rush of the holidays. As we prepare to go into our first day of December, I thought it would be nice to think of the last thirty days of November and be mindful of what we're thankful for.

Here are my Thirty Days of Thankfulness...
1. My God who created the earth and all that is in it. He knows not only my name but He knows my innermost thoughts and the number of hairs on my head. He knows my heart, my joy and my pain. He cherishes me and loves me and counts me as His own.
2. My husband. Greggory's patience with me has been endless. I am thankful that God created him. He is a wonderful husband and father.
3. My beautiful daughter. It was a struggle to bring Violet into this world. God's hand was on her before she was even conceived, bringing her into our life when we were told she may not make it. She's beaten the odds of a complicated pregnancy, a pre-term birth, and severe reflux as a baby - she's healthy and she's happy. What more could a parent ask for?
4. My incredible parents, George & Dena. They gave me a home, a name, and a family. Life could have been so different for me had they not chosen to adopt a child. I may not have been born to them but I am very much their child! They love me unconditionally and they've provided incredible things for me. I don't tell them often enough but I love them beyond words.
5. I'm thankful for adoption! I don't know who my biological parents are. Honestly, I don't really care to know them. Not because I don't care about them but because I love my family. I am so thankful for their difficult decision to give me up for adoption. They didn't have to give me life but they cherished it above the freedom of not bringing a child into this world. My biological mother sacrificed nine months of her life so that I may have mine. Whoever you are, thank you!
6. My in-laws, Garry & Paula. You raised an incredible son who turned into an amazing husband and father. He learned these things from you! You have accepted me into your family as one of your own and I love you.
7. I am thankful for Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross for my sins. His love has redeemed me of my sins and failures.
8. Laughter. The world would be a better place if we laughed more.
9. Books. I am such a book worm and would be lost without them.
10. I am thankful for each of my friends. They all bring out the best in me and have helped shape me into who I am today. I am a better person from knowing you and being allowed to be a part of your lives. I love you!
11. I'm thankful for the roof over our heads.
12. I'm thankful for the food on our table. We are incredibly blessed by the bounty we are provided.
13. I am thankful for my church, Cross Community Church. We are so blessed by the people God placed in our lives. I look forward to seeing what He has in store for our church and the impact it'll make on our community.
14. I am thankful for the freedom of speech. I may not be the most eloquent person but I'm allowed to share my voice.
15. Photography - the memories it helps me to hold dear, the beauty it can bring into my life... I simply love it.
16. Our military. They put their lives on the line to protect my rights and my freedoms. Without them we wouldn't be the great country that we are.
17. Cuddling with my child. To have Violet nestled next to me is such a pleasure and a joy. It also is a little bittersweet too because I remember how easily she used to fit in my arms.
18. I am thankful for the freedom to educate Violet at home and for the wonderful group we're a part of. Classical Conversations of Katy has made a tremendous difference in our lives. We are a part of an incredible group and the families are all amazing.
19. I am thankful for music. Music is an outlet for every emotion that you have.
20. Traditions. I love passing things down to Violet that I did as a child. Something as simple as snapping green beans together while watching the Macy's parade is a special time.
21. I am thankful for Gregg's new job. So many people are seeking employment right now.
22. I am thankful for good health for my family and myself.
23. Our history - it reminds us of where we've been and hopefully it shows us how far we've come.
24. I'm thankful for quiet time with Gregg. We don't get a whole lot of that and when we do, I cherish it.
25. Date nights! There is no questioning that we love our daughter but without time alone we aren't as good of parents as we hope to be.
26. I'm thankful for good babysitters. They make mine and Gregg's time together that much more enjoyable. It's not easy trusting you child's care to others which makes finding ones you trust so important.
27. My big bathtub. It is where I retreat to when I'm exhausted or stressed and I can be rejuvenated.
28. This may sound silly, but I'm thankful for facebook. It can be a huge waste of time for me if I'm not careful but it has helped me reconnect with old friends.
29. Another silly thing I'm thankful for, Pinterest. Yes, this can be another waste of time but my family is better fed because of it. I've found so many wonderful new recipes and home school ideas on Pinterest, so it's not a total waste of time.
30. I am thankful for time. Time with my husband, my daughter, my parents, my extended family, my friends. Time to rest and time to do things. Time to enjoy the life that I've been blessed with and all that comes with it - joy, sadness, pleasure, pain. Time, it can go so slowly but usually it seems like it rushes by too quickly.

What are you thankful for?

Stitched Together

2011-11-21T18:34:00.005-06:00

While enjoying some quiet time with my precious little girl, Violet and I were holding hands. She opened my hand, traced along the lines, and asked, "Why do we have these lines on our hands?" I've never thought about that and told her that I didn't know why. She then looked up at me, and with the greatest conviction of heart she said, "I think that's where God stitched us together after He made us."

I never will never cease to be amazed by this child God blessed me with for a daughter.

Halloween 2011

2011-11-06T19:25:00.006-06:00

Earlier this year we had the opportunity to go to an Astro's baseball game. This was Violet's first baseball game and she had a wonderful time. Before the game we bought Violet a baseball cap to commemorate her first game. That was supposed to be it for souvenirs. But as we all know, things don't always work out the way you think they will.

Once we got to our seats, we quickly discovered we were directly under some massive air vents. And it was frigid! It was 90 something degrees outside and we had dressed accordingly for the heat. We were totally unprepared to sit in a giant sized ice cooler! Okay, maybe ice cooler is a bit of a stretch but it was really, really cold. Gregg and I were able to tolerate the cold temperature but Violet was turning blue and so we bought her a long sleeved shirt.

I'm not entirely sure how our discussion turned towards Halloween but Violet mentioned that she wanted to be an Astro's bat-girl for Halloween. We had basically just bought two key items for that costume! Isn't is amazing how things work out like that?

Violet made an excellent Astro's bat girl...

The kid made out like a bandit when she hit the streets. She knocked on the doors of some major Astro's fans and they made sure her bucket was filled to the rim with candy.

The baseball bat belongs to Gregg, Violet's Daddy. It was his bat when he was in Little League. The bat is solid wood and weighs about ten pounds. He ended up carrying it around the block for Violet because it got to be too heavy for her, especially with the weight of the candy-filled bucket.

My little slugger...

I hope you all had an amazing Halloween. Violet and her Daddy had a wonderful time. Me, not so much. I had to stay home because I was incredibly sick. It broke my heart to see her leave with her Daddy because I have never missed a Halloween with my precious baby girl. She was so kind to share some of her loot with me. Yes, my seven year old only child shares easily with everyone. She has a heart of gold and I'm so proud to call her my daughter!

Conversations

2011-10-29T00:34:00.002-05:00

This particular conversation was between me and a very handsome, and insanely sweet, seven year old boy in my home school group. We had the opportunity to have a time of fellowship tonight after school with a few other families when this young man came up to me. Here is a snippet of our conversation...

Mr. A. - Mrs. Wiltshire?
Me - Yes sir, what can I do for you?
Mr. A. - I just want to say, I think you are beautiful. And I love your curly hair.

Oh, be still my beating heart!!! He is going to make some young lady very happy someday!!!

Dewberry Farm

2011-10-13T22:00:00.013-05:00

We had our yearly field trip to Dewberry Farm recently. As usual, we had a wonderful time. Truly, this has to be our favorite field trip for the whole year. There is so much to do and the kids always enjoy every moment of their time while there. The only sad thing is that we have to go home.

One of the first things Violet did was hit a favorite slide.

Then she ran immediately to this new feature at the park. So much fun!

Of course, you can't beat feeding the goats...

We finally got a picture with the three Indian Statue (I only managed to get two in this shot) that greets all the guests at the entrance to the park.

The new zip-line was a huge hit with all of our kids!

I took a unique self-portrait...

Kiddo and I then took a fun little ride together...

Violet went to the jumping pillows and had an amazing time there. Girlfriend caught some serious air!

And then she crashed! Look at that face of hers. There's no way you can't see the pure joy on her beautiful face.

Catching Up

2011-10-12T16:23:00.013-05:00

Hey there everyone! Are you still with me? I've been a bad blogger lately. I'm sorry. Life has been so crazy and hectic lately that I've not had much time for blogging. So much has gone on that I'm not really sure where to start. First off, we've finally found a church and have dived in there. It took us so long to find a place to join but it feels good to be a part of a community again.

The school year kicked in and we've been crazy busy the last five weeks. It's amazing how fast time has gone by. We've already had three field trips. So far, we've been to the Houston Arboretum (highly recommend it!), the Houston Museum of Natural Science and we just returned from Dewberry Farm. Needless to say, we have been doing a lot. Our school work has increased a great deal this year and we've had to adjust to that. And let me just say, it has been quite the adjustment! We are still a part of Classical Conversations and feel incredibly blessed to be a part of such a great program and an amazing group of people. Truly, I'd be so lost without our group.

Some of our homeschool group at the Houston Arboretum field trip, taking notes on what they found after skimming the pond...

With the new school year has come new responsiblities. I've been working hard on our afternoon program's reading time. I did this last year but didn't really know what I was doing. This year I've worked hard to step things up and have organized our books to go along with either the history or the science that we've learned about that day. This has brought out my inner-bookworm and I have had so much fun with it. Also, I've been setting up a new website for our group. This has been a huge challenge for me but I've enjoyed working on it. I'm so excited about the new site and am proud of myself for taking on this challenge and learning something new. It's also an honor for me to be working on this project because my director had the faith in me to ask me to do this.

Violet's birthday was in August. I managed to get our yearly video montage done and posted it on time but dropped the ball on everything else. On her birthday, we enjoyed a low key night at home with just the three of us. The celebration started off with me singing Happy Birthday to my precious girl at the time of her birth, 1:16p.m. Later in the day, Violet received a very special phone call from Belle (of Beauty & the Beast)! Amazingly enough, Belle knew a lot about Violet - what kind of cake she likes, what her favorite color is, and what she wanted for her birthday! It was a magical moment that made the day even more special. Later, we feasted on Violet's menu choices - Piggy Rolls (aka pigs in a blanket) and homemade mac n' cheese, and to balance everything out I added a salad. There were lots of phone calls from family and she was showered with gifts galor. We then feasted on a cake that Violet and I baked earlier in the day. Surprisingly enough, it was edible and quite tasty! A few days later we celebrated kiddo's birthday with our church family and a few close friends with a big water slide and cake. It goes without saying that Violet had a blast!

My baking skills are improving!

Baking skills aside, it's the magic of making a wish and blowing out candles that matters...

Even she was amazed by the cake!

Love

2011-09-24T18:40:00.003-05:00

No one else will ever know the strength of my love for you. After all, you're the only one who knows what my heart sounds like from the inside.

Tested By Fire

2011-09-10T10:58:00.001-05:00

I've been rather distracted lately. Situations beyond my control have nicked at my sanity to the point where I feel broken. It's hard to see something you love literally burn before your eyes. It's even harder when you know people are losing nearly all their worldly possessions - homes, pictures, physical remnants of their family history, the things that tie you to your history. And worse, actual loved ones.

My beloved state of Texas is truly going up in flames. And there is nothing I can do to stop it. This is personal for me because family and friends are being affected by these fires. And it truly hurts my heart to see what people are going through.

Wednesday was a particularly hard day for me. I'd been wrapped up in watching everything on the news, or on the Internet, when something in me snapped. Like twisting an ankle when you fall, it happened that quickly. My heart was broken and I needed a lifeline. So, I called a friend. And it was during that call that I realized I was exactly where God wanted me at that moment in time - because in my brokenness, I was more willing to come to Him in prayer. In my brokenness, I was more willing to ask Him to take control of these fires than to ask Him why. And it was in my brokenness that I realized God knows what the future holds and He can do mighty things through these fires. I need only to trust in Him, the author and creator of this world and all that is within it.

1 Peter 1:6-9

In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.

Bedtime Battles & Conversations

2011-08-18T12:31:00.006-05:00

We had a huge battle of the wills a few nights ago. After a weekend full of activities and late nights, and not much one-on-one time with her Daddy, Violet went into a full fledged melt-down. Trust me when I say that it was not a pretty sight. We gave Violet her typical warnings of what she should expect if she continued to misbehave. Finally, her Dad said, "Okay, that was the last warning." Violet's response was to cry even harder and to push things even further.

I was trying to get ready for bed when Violet busted in the bathroom and started yelling at me at the top of her lungs. "I DON'T WANT TO GO TO BED!!!!" I guess she didn't think I understand the depth of just how much she wanted to stay up for the night. I turned to Violet, with my mouth filled with my toothbrush and toothpaste, and told her that in no uncertain terms did she want me to get involved in this little drama of hers. Apparently though, she didn't believe me.

Here's a part of our family's conversation that night...

Violet ~ I DON'T WANT TO GO TO BED!!!(at the top of her lungs)
Gregg ~ Sorry but it's way passed your bedtime and we've all got to go to bed.
Violet ~ But I'm not even tired. (again, at the top of her lungs)
Gregg ~ If you just lie down you'll realize that you really are tired. Now, this is your last warning. If you don't stop yelling, and don't get in bed, you will lose your TV for the day. (This is when Violet bursts into the bathroom and proceeds to yell at me.)
Me ~ Violet, you've heard your Daddy and you have to do what he's told you to do. You don't want me to get involved in this because the punishments get bigger.
Violet ~ What will you do? (you can easily see the wheels turning in her brain.)
Me ~ You'll not only lose your TV, but you'll also lose your video games. And it won't just be for a day either. This is the only warning I'm going to give you. Now go do what your Daddy told you and be nice about it too.(Violet stomps out of the room and starts back on her Daddy. And that was the straw that broke this camel's back.)
Me ~ Violet, you just lost your TV and video game for a day.
Violet ~ No! I didn't mean to! Just give me one more chance!!!(She turns to her Daddy and starts begging him.)
Gregg ~ You might get it back if you do what we're telling you to right now.
Violet ~ But Mommy MEANS what she says!!! I've lost my TV and games and she won't give them back!!!

Yes folks, our daughter has her Daddy wrapped around her little finger.

Happy 7th Birthday

2011-08-10T03:00:00.003-05:00

It amazes me that yet another year has come and gone. You are an incredible young lady and your Daddy and I love you more than life itself! Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
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Conversations

2011-08-08T00:45:00.002-05:00

Violet ~ "Mommy, I have gotten a hug from you in a long time!"
Me ~ "Oh Sweetie, you forget that I just gave you a hug."
Violet ~ "But, that was too long ago!!!"

Oh, how I love this child!

Joyous Sounds

2011-07-30T05:26:00.003-05:00

I'm awake in the wee hours of the morning. Sleep eludes me. Normally, I wouldn't be happy about this situation. But right now I'm thankful to be awake. There is a slow rumble of thunder and rain is dancing on the roof. These are joyous sounds to my ears and I'd be missing them if I were asleep. Even to hear the slurry sound of water as tires drive over it makes me happy. I love a good rain storm even when we're not in a drought. But I thank God, and am most grateful, for a rain storm when we are in a drought.

Thank you Lord!

Things That I Love Right Now

2011-07-23T02:44:00.006-05:00

Some of the things that I'm loving right now are...

1. Air Conditioning! It is so stinking hot here in South Texas right now. Enough said.

2. My trusty little fan on my nightstand that runs on high while we sleep. It helps to keep us cool but it also blocks out noise.

3. Medical care and insurance. I've been fighting a migraine for the last week. It has been a killer. Our insurance helped us save some money on the prescriptions I've had to get lately.

4. That our homeschool program will start in August!!! I miss my friends and the opportunity to see them once a week. And what's even better, Violet is ready for school to start as much as I am. I truly love our Classical Conversations group!

5. Sketchers Shoes! Violet was given a pair of Twinkle Toes as an early birthday gift back in April. I noticed at the first of May that the fabric on her shoes was pulling away from the rubber sole. I immediately called Sketchers and they quickly worked at fixing the problem. We've ended up with a new pair of shoes and they gave us a different size to accommodate how long Violet went without her shoes. She would have outgrown them during the time period it took to get the shoes back.

6. How God has taken care of my little family over the last few months. Gregg was told by his employers that they were having to shut down the surveying company he worked for in the middle of June. He immediately had his resume out and within a few days two companies had called and arranged interviews. Gregg had two job offers, one from each company, the following week. Within a ten day time period, Gregg lost his job, interviewed with two companies and was offered jobs with both, he accepted one offer and started his new job. Gregg just completed his first full week with his new company. I'm amazed at how quickly all this took place and so grateful for God's provision.

7. Cross Community Church in Katy, Texas. Gregg and I have gotten involved in a church that is planting in our area. After looking for a church to call home for an incredibly long time, we feel like we've finally found the right place. Our church is in it's earliest stages of development but we have high hopes that God will use us in great ways to make a change in our community.

8. My daughter's sweet, gentle heart. I mentioned earlier that I've been dealing with a migraine for the past week. Violet has been such a sweetheart during this time. We've had a lot of snuggle time, curled up in my darkened bedroom and watched TV or read. She has been so helpful too, watching over me and asking if I needed something on a regular basis. This is SO not how I envisioned parenting, as it really stinks for my daughter to have to experience this with me, but Violet has been such a trooper this week. She hasn't complained once about not getting to go out or do something. Lord, how I love that kid!!!

9. That the weekend is finally here! We get to have some family time. I'm not sure what we're going to do or even if we're going to do anything at all. I'm just excited to have all of us together for a few days.

10. Rain! We have been in a severe drought in our neck of the woods. The heavens have opened up and given us rain the last few days. Some have lasted longer than others. No matter how long the shower is, we're thankful for it.

Enjoy the Show!

2011-07-06T23:35:00.004-05:00

We found the perfect spot to take in a local fireworks show last year. And, I DO mean perfect!!! The show this year was a little shorter than last year's show but that didn't diminish the quality of the show. It was absolutely amazing. As my daughter put it, "It's quite an amazing show!" I couldn't have said it better myself! Here is clip of that show. Enjoy friends!

Independence Day, 2011

2011-07-05T23:04:00.005-05:00

Nothing speaks childhood fun to me as much as fireworks on the 4th of July! I love hearing the oohs and ahhs and giggles of delight brought on by fireworks. They are incredibly dangerous but so beautiful to watch.

I hope you enjoyed your 4th of July with the colors of red, white, and blue.

Writer's Block

2011-06-24T23:27:00.002-05:00

I'm so sorry for not posting anything here for so long. I've got a major case of writer's block. My brain has been a foggy mess lately. On top of that, I've been running around like a chicken with it's head cut off. Going non-stop and with very little sleep makes for a worn out brain. And, as if that wasn't enough, I'm sick right now. So, please bear with me. Life is going to pick up real soon here as we'll have a teenager in the house for a few weeks. Violet and our whole family is thrilled to have RC come back down for a visit.

One of the Greatest Gifts I've Ever Received

2011-06-10T23:57:00.003-05:00

I was playing around on facebook several months ago when I noticed that Rachael Rossman, an incredibly gifted artist, had a giveaway on someones blog called The Modchick. I have been a fan of Rachael's work the moment I saw it floating around on the Internet! When we lost our beloved cat, Pepper, there was a part of me that hoped we would someday be able to get a portrait of her. Never, in my wildest dreams, did I ever expect that I'd actually WIN a Rachael Rossman portrait of my choice!!!

When I saw the contest at Modchick, I thought "It won't hurt to at least try." So, I entered the contest. Lindsey's question to answer for the contest:

"What do you love most about your pet?"

Since we no longer own a pet, this was my response:

"We had a beautiful cat that passed away last year. Pepper was my best friend, always by my side for fifteen years. Her loss is still incredibly hard at times. I’m just now able to consider adopting another cat into the family. Still, I miss my furry, grey, hemingway feline!"

Ever since I found out that I actually won this giveaway, I have been in a state of shock. Tears of joy have flowed from my eyes numerous times today. This is a dream come true. I immediately got in touch with Rachael. She asked me to send her two to three of my favorite photos of Pepper. The one Rachael chose was my absolute favorite. It is a picture I was fortunate enough to take when Violet pulled Pepper up into her lap. Violet called out to me, "Mommy, look! Pepper's sitting in my lap!!!" It was obvious that Pepper didn't just jump into my precious little girl's lap. There was a great deal of maneuvering to get her there. And I'm pretty sure it was against Pepper's wishes. But that cat was amazingly sweet and let Violet have her moment of joy. Here is the original photo...

Rachael did an amazing job. Right?

This painting means the world to me and I will cherish it forever! Thank you Modchick for hosting this giveaway. And thank you Rachael for providing the artwork. Words cannot adequately express how much I love my painting. Thank you, thank you from the depths of my heart.

Where Valor Led

2011-05-30T01:22:00.004-05:00

"We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies."
~ Moina Michael

Freedom does not come easy. It is earned by the blood, sweat, and tears of those who fought for it. And in countless cases, by the lives sacrificed for it. To everyone who has answered the call to serve our country, thank you. To everyone who paid the ultimate price, you are remembered today and always. Your service to your country will never be forgotten!

SCORE!!!

2011-05-25T16:55:00.008-05:00

I am a self-professed book worm. I love books. I love books so much that I actually get giddy when I get a new one. So, you can imagine the mile-high cloud that I'm walking on right now!

We had a Scholastic Book Fair in our area earlier this week. Never having been to a book fair before, I didn't really know what to expect. What I found upon entering the fair was a little glimpse of heaven to me. Books everywhere! New books that were all marked down to 50% off or less. There were all kinds of goodies to be found there. And there was something else that I loved ~ Violet was just as giddy as I was at the sight of all the books.

Crafty Tuesday

2011-05-23T17:09:00.003-05:00

You will rarely see that title on my blog because I'm not the craftiest person on the block. But every now and then the crafty bug strikes me. I'm not sure if this should even be considered a craft but it makes me happy. I love wrapped books. Especially when they're done the old fashioned way, with a brown paper bag.

The Blackest Crow

2011-05-11T22:19:00.001-05:00

During my visit to my parents in Little Rock, Arkansas last month I had the pleasure to come across Atwater~Donnelly, a wonderful musical duo. We went to Mountain View, Arkansas's The Ozark Folk Center for a concert, not realizing we were in for a real treat.

After listening to a few different musicians, and watching some very entertaining dancing, Aubrey Atwater and Elwood Donnelly took the stage. Their only instruments were a well tuned guitar, a fun banjo, a lovely mountain dulcimer, and some amazing feet tapping for percussion. You know you're in for a musical treat when you see only two people take the stage with only themselves and those few instruments. It was quite deceiving though because my expectations were met and exceeded!

Their first song for the night was Bonnie James Campbell, one I've never heard before. It tells the haunting tale of a woman waiting for her husband to return home (presumably from war) when his horse returns home but he never does. The wife is with child and is understandably worried about what the future holds for her and her unborn child. Despite the depressing subject matter of Bonnie James Campbell, I was hooked by the talent of Aubrey and Elwood.

After a few songs were under their belt, and the audience was drawn in, Aubrey and Elwood performed The Blackest Crow. With only the first few notes played, Violet turned to me and asked me if I could learn that song and sing it to her at bedtime. Who could resist such a request? I surely couldn't and so, at the first opportunity I had, I went and bought their Cd. A decision that has decidedly been a great one because the Cd is played quite frequently in our house and car.

I met Aubrey and Elwood earlier in the day during the center's folk dancing and old fashioned Hoe-Down. Violet was given the opportunity to dance with the group of people who were enjoying the hoe-down. Elwood was so kind to my daughter as he taught her the steps to a particular dance. Aubrey was fun to swing around with during the Dosi-doe. Both were a pleasure to meet and to be around. And the fact that they were so patient and gentle with my little girl earned them high marks from this Momma!

Violet and I met Aubrey and Elwood after their performance was over in the back of the concert hall. Elwood remembered Violet and said he was, "Happy to see my sweet dance partner!" The fact that he remembered her made her experience even brighter in her mind and memory. I talked with Aubrey and Elwood for a little while and they even signed our copy of The Blackest Crow for Violet (her first autographed Cd).

I walked away from that night's concert with a lovely Cd in my hand, that was soon downloaded onto my Mp3 player. Also, because of how personable Aubrey and Elwood are, I feel like I have two new friends.

I was fortunate enough to have recorded Aubrey and Elwood performing the song The Blackest Crow. Enjoy!

If you have the opportunity, and if you like folk music, I would highly suggest you buy their Cd. Aubrey and Elwood's duets are spot on and they never miss a beat with all the instruments they play. And if you do get the Cd The Blackest Crow, be listening to Aubrey's magical feet dancing the percussion on John Stinson's #2/Scotland the Brave/River of Jordantune. They truly are a joy to listen to.

Spring Trip, Part 3

2011-05-06T22:27:00.024-05:00

You would think that after everything we did at Mountain View that we'd be too worn out to do anything the next day. After all, we did cram a lot into one day. But we were up, bright and early, the next day and had another full day ahead of us. After a nice breakfast with wonderful avian entertainment, we made our way to Blanchard Caverns.

Violet has never been to an actual cave before, so this was a real treat for her. I remember going there as a child myself and the memories are still vivid in my mind. To experience it again with my daughter, who is relatively the same age I was the first time I went, was a great experience.

A few noteworthy things about Blanchard Caverns... it is the only living cave in the United States. Meaning, it is constantly growing new formations, albeit very slowly. The caverns have two lighted trails that you can tour. The top tier level is open year round and is considered the shortest and easiest of the two. The lower tier level is only open part of the year and is a more advanced trail. The lower tier level closes during the local bat hibernation period and opens at the end of May. Apparently, there is a virus called The White-Nose Syndrome that is killing hundreds of thousands of bats throughout the northeastern United States. The virus has not hit Arkansas as of yet.

Blanchard Caverns is home to six species of bats, two of which are endangered: Endangered Gray Bat (Myotis grisecens), Endangered Indiana Bat (Myotis sodalis), Keen’s Bat (Myotis keeni), Tricolored Bat (formerly known as the Eastern Pipistrel Bat)(Perimyotis subflavu), Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus), and the Red Bat (Lasiurus borealis). (If you're interested in bats, then click on the links that are provided with each species of bat that is listed.)

We learned about Stalactites - the formations grow from the ceiling of a cave. Hope they hold tight!

Stalagmites - formations that grow from the ground up. They "might" grow up!

When a stalactite and a stalagmite meet in the middle, they are then called a column.

And if you're lucky, you can pick out a form of some sort while looking at the beauty inside these caves...

Our tour guide said you could tell a lot about a person depending on what they think the previous formation looks like to them. If they say it is a Love Boat, then they are a newlywed. If they answer the Titanic, then they are an older couple who have lived some time together. If the answer is New York, then that person is a dreamer. We had several different responses within our group.

Once our tour was over, we made our way to Blanchard Waterfall. Oh, what I wouldn't give to have a nice little cabin nestled near these falls!

While in the midst of all this beauty I realized how lucky I was to be there with my daughter and my parents. I can't thank them enough for making these last few days possible and for the memories that came with them. I love you guys more than anything and I am incredibly blessed to be your daughter. Thank you for a wonderful spring break.

Spring Trip, Part 2 (Video Included)

2011-04-29T22:33:00.034-05:00

After staying up late on Tuesday night, while riding out tornado alarms, we woke up early on Wednesday morning and hit the road. Our destination, Mountain View, Arkansas. More specifically, The Ozark Folk Center. There we introduced Violet to folk art, music, crafts, and so much more. The Ozark Folk Center is like walking through time where you get to experience life as a pioneer would.

Violet was surprised by the simplicity of life during that time period. Practically everything she has is made in an unknown location, packaged nicely, and then purchased. She had never seen things like baskets and quilts being made by actual human hands. The center is dotted with little interactive shops where you can watch things being made and then purchase something if you wish to. Our first stop was at a jewelry shop that had beautiful silver work. I'm kicking myself now for walking away from an amazingly detailed silver dogwood ornament. It was absolutely beautiful.

We saw beautiful dolls being made from corn husks...

Basket weaving...

My favorite basket was partially made out of a gourd...

Violet experienced a one room school house...

As you can see, she took this very seriously...

After cutting up in class, I decided Violet needed to do a little manual labor. There's always laundry needing to be done...

Only problem is, she was enjoying herself too much!

We visited a few cabins and then had an afternoon snack of ice cream and fried pies. Afterwards, we needed to work off the calories we had just consumed so we checked out some live music that was taking place. There was an old-fashioned Hoe-Down starting up. The band consisted of a guitar, violin, and straight bass, along with an occasional banjo or dulcimer (who did some amazing rhythm with her feet), and a "caller" (someone telling you what steps you're about to make). This is where the day took off for Violet and the memories will last her a lifetime.

After some encouraging on my part (and her Mimi & Grandpa), Violet got up and joined in the dancing. She was the youngest, and the shortest, dancer in the whole group. Thankfully her dance partner was gracious beyond measure and had a great way with my little girl. Before long, her giggles were heard above the music.

We cooled off on a free old-fashioned carousel ride that is powered by a donkey. Violet was so enamoured by the donkey called Tango that she purchased a toy donkey in the gift shop for her souvenir. It should come as no surprise that she named her toy Tango. From there, we returned to our cabin to freshen up and rest a bit before we went out to eat and then to the concert.

At the concert we heard a fantastic couple play. Atwater & Donnelly. I had never heard of them before but their music was great and they deserve their own post, which will come after this one. In the meantime, I want to brag on Violet a little. The gentleman who played the guitar earlier in the day recognized Violet and asked her to come up on stage and dance for the audience. His words...
Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a young lady that is sitting up here in front of the stage. She has a toy donkey with her that hasn't stopped dancing during this whole concert. We'd like for her come up here with her donkey and dance for you fine folks. And let me tell you this, she will literally light up the stage with her feet!

As you can imagine, I am one extremely proud Momma!!! My baby girl busted out of her shyness and grabbed the opportunity to dance in front of an audience of strangers! And you can bet the farm on the fact that I was the first, and the loudest, to cheer for Violet once the song was over!

Spring Trip, Part 1

2011-04-26T16:39:00.005-05:00

We took our yearly spring trip to Little Rock, Arkansas to visit my parents last week. As usual, we had a fantastic time. So much happened last week that I am going to have to put everything down in installments. I love you guys too much to make you read everything in one sitting. You can thank me later.

There is so much that we're trying to absorb from our trip. Our flight in was a good one. We had what a fellow passenger called a "Navy-pilot's landing" because an air force pilot would have landed a lot smoother. I still get tickled over that! As usual, we did a lot of shopping. This time though, the shopping wasn't at Lowe's but at every clothing and shoe shop in the general vicinity. I needed shoes and Violet needed a dress and shoes for Easter. My parents bought Violet an early birthday present while we were there, a bright pair of Twinkle Toes by Sketchers. That kid has been walking on lighted air ever since she received them! Too bad they don't make them in adult sizes.

Violet ate quite well while at my parents house, willingly trying new foods. The one food she had an issue with, pizza! That is when she decided to be her usual picky self. We bought an amazing supreme pizza from Sam's for dinner one night. After carefully picking everything off Violet's slice, she bit into her pizza and declared she didn't like it. Grrr. I told her that I'd make her a peanut butter sandwich (yes, no jelly!) once I was done eating my dinner and she happily accepted that. Being the frugal (and somewhat lazy) mom that I am, I halved her slice of pizza and cleaned every topping off it. And then, I lied to my child. I told her I fixed her another slice and asked her to try it. She looked at me warily (I think she's starting to catch on to me) and takes a bite. This time though, she declared her pizza was wonderful and proceeded to eat every last bite!!! My Mom looked at me in astonishment, not believing what she was witnessing with her own two eyes. Yes folks, that's life for you with a picky eater.

Tuesday night we spent the night holed up in my parent's hallway. Tornadoes were barreling their way through Arkansas and the surrounding states. Violet took it all in stride, never realizing the danger we were in. After watching the news carefully, I yanked cushions off one of my parent's couches and lined the hallway with them. Next, I pulled out blankets, pillows, and kiddo's portable dvd player and games. The headphones she wore were a godsend as they blocked out the sound of the alarms going off. We were fortunate, no tornadoes hit our area. We did get golf ball sized hail though. Even though I don't like living in the coastal areas of Texas, I'm thankful for where we live. At least here we know well in advance when a storm is coming and we have time to evacuate.

Changes

2011-04-12T00:28:00.006-05:00

It never ceases to astound me how quickly time passes by. And it seems the older I get the faster time seems to go. This is especially true as I watch Violet growing up. I wish I could stop the clock. Or, at the very least, make it tick a little slower.

It seems like it was only yesterday when we welcomed Violet home. Here she was being held by her Pops shortly after she was born...

And here they are, playing on Pops iPad...

Technology isn't the only thing that has changed by leaps and bounds in six short years!

A Beautiful Day

2011-03-29T14:13:00.009-05:00

Several years ago we discovered a wonderful little family festival that is held one day each year in our area. We froze our tails off that year but the fun surpassed any discomfort we felt. Unfortunately, we couldn't go to the festival last year. I forget why. But we made it this year!

The day started off a little rough. Parking took a little effort on our part. The little festival we discovered two years ago is not so little anymore now that everyone has heard about it. Once we found a good spot, we parked and made our way to the festival. And then, I fell. Hard. As in, painful boo-boos and owies. Yes, I'm a baby. No news there. At least I'm adult enough to admit that I'm a baby. Right?

I'm still not sure exactly how I fell. I thought I was sure where I was stepping. Heck, I was on solid ground on a concrete sidewalk. I just miss judged a curve/curb/slope somehow and the ground came up to meet me. What's really sad in all of this, I was holding Violet's hand and ended up taking the kid down with me. In the confusion of the moment, I thought she was falling! So, imagine my confusion when I realized at the last second that it was actually ME who was falling. After making sure Violet was okay (which she was) it was then that I noticed I wasn't. I had scraped a knee and palm but my wrist and shoulder really hurt.

My sweetheart of husband suggested we go home. And as much as I loved him for that, there was no way we could disappoint our precious little girl. She has been looking forward to this day for several weeks. So, with a limp in my step, we went to the festival. And we were rewarded with countless smiles and giggles throughout the afternoon.

Violet made several crafts throughout the festival (it was an ART festival after all). Our first stop of the day, a little sketch art...

We got up close and personal with some critters at an animal rescue center's booth...

Which, let me share a little known fact about me here... I HATE snakes!!! So, that photo is a testament of how much I LOVE my daughter!!! I got close enough to take a picture. Just. For. Her!

The fantastic clown who did balloon figures was there again...

The highlight of the day though was the opportunity to meet several Princesses! First, we listened to them as they performed the theme songs to their movies. Then Violet got to do an art page while Belle held her paper for her!

The smile on her face shows how much Violet enjoyed her day...

St. Patrick's Day Fun

2011-03-17T20:24:00.010-05:00

St. Patrick's Day is a great day to have a little fun. Violet had high hopes that we'd have a repeat of last year's activity and have another scavenger hunt. Who am I to disappoint her?

The clues are carefully laid out...

Just waiting for our little girl to come home from the park...

She's here and found the first clue! Look at the joy on that precious face!

Yumm!!!

Sickness & Blessings

2011-03-08T13:27:00.005-06:00

You might be wondering how the two go hand in hand. In our case, they really don't, but you'll understand the title in a moment.

One bug or another has been making its rounds in our little family. Well, not all of us. Just me and kiddo actually. Gregg, thankfully, has a magical immunity and rarely gets sick. Violet doesn't get sick very often but once she does it takes a while for her to get over it. Me, if you sneeze in the general vicinity of me I'm likely to catch something. My immune system is null and void. And no, I'm not imagining things. A fever doesn't lie folks.

So, that's where we've been at the last few weeks. Ain't life grand?!!

I had to take Violet out of school early because she started to run a fever again. Her sinuses have been screwed up due to all the spring allergies and wind we've had lately. When she woke up yesterday, her voice had dropped three octaves. Violet wasn't running a fever when we left for school and didn't act sick. All that changed in a three hour time frame.

It was a heartbreaking scene when I told Violet we had to go home. The water-works came on so suddenly and so hard that you would have thought she had gotten hurt. But she wasn't. She just didn't want to leave school. And that right there is a crazy example of blessing number one. How incredible is it that my daughter loves her homeschool program so much that she'll cry at the thought of leaving it?

Our homeschool group had a fundraiser for one week, which closed today. We have a sweetheart of a mom who sells Thirty-One products. She held a catalog party and then donated all the proceeds to our group's facility fund, which is going up next year. So basically, she worked this party for free! That's blessing number two.

I went through the catalog and developed quite a wish list. It was hard to choose just one item to buy. I finally settled on the Large Utility Tote. The practicality of the bag was just too overwhelming for me not to get it. I carry a TON of items to school on the days we meet and really needed something that would hold everything. Also, with summer already breathing down our necks here in the south, I can use the bag to carry everything to the pool. No more juggling four or five things and a bag that barely holds our towels! Even though I purchased this bag, this is blessing number three.

We are truly blessed to be a part of the Katy, Texas branch of Classical Conversations for many, many reasons. The curriculum speaks for itself. It is hard (especially this year's cycle) but fun at the same time. A love of learning has been instilled in Violet and renewed in me. We have an incredible group of families who all bring their unique qualities to our program. Everyone works hard to make things run smoothly and we all get along. A group of forty or so women who all get along is pretty amazing if you ask me!

Not every branch does things like our does. We all follow the same outline for the most part. Meaning, if you go from one branch to another, you'll be in the same cycle and working on the same material. We all start and end at the same times. We cram as much as possible into a three hour morning session, then lunch, and then an afternoon program. A LOT of material is covered in one day! Violet and I are usually so tired when we come home that we veg out until the next day. Dinner on those nights are always simple and easy.

Our director though has planned many outside things. She has worked hard to ensure that our families develop relationships within our group. We have a Mother's Night Out once a month. We keep in contact throughout the week through email in regards to many different things: outside learning opportunities, field trips, questions and support, and prayer. We are a little different in our morning assembly as well, which happens to be one of my favorite times of the day. We have time set aside to start our day with worship. Just a few songs but it really sets the tone for the day. We have joined this group not only for the outstanding curriculum but also because it's Christ centered. And to start your day off with worship is yet another blessing to be incredibly grateful for.

52 Weeks of Me ~ Shadow

2011-02-26T17:57:00.007-06:00

This week's photo assignment at 52 Weeks of Me is Shadow. I'm going to be perfectly honest with you and say that this photo is a shot I've already posted. I've been sick this past week and have been absolutely worthless.

The camera has been sitting on a table and hasn't been picked up once. It's feeling very neglected right now.

I played around with my camera a few weeks ago, trying to get a decent picture for my facebook profile. This is one of the shots that I got.

Sorry for the photo repost but trust me, you wouldn't want to see what I look like this week. Just take my word for it. It's been bad around here. I'm happy to report that I am on the mend though. Onward and upwards my friends!

52 Weeks of Me ~ Zero In

2011-02-20T19:14:00.008-06:00

This week's assignment is Zero In. Technically, I only zeroed in on something that is an extension of me. You rarely see me without my glasses, and I definitely can't see you without them, so it seemed fitting they get a little attention of their own.

Amazed

2011-02-18T00:12:00.009-06:00

It amazes me how when you want to bless someone you are the one who ends up being blessed. A friend called me the other day while at her wits end and needed help with a big project. I was honored to be the one she called and gladly agreed to come over and help her. That's what friends are for, right? To be there to offer help when your friend needs it.

Kiddo and I showed up at her home at the agreeded upon time. After laying out the ground rules to Violet I let her run off to play with my friend's kids. She walked me through the house to where she needed help tackling, appologizing for needing my help. Really, things weren't that bad. There was some challenges but it wasn't completely overwhelming to me. But it was to her and that's why I was there. To help straighten up a big room, organizing and purging things from it.

My friend is in the process of preparing for a garage sale. She had several items ready to take to the garage but wanted to show me a few things first. There was a beautiful quilt bedding set that was perfect for a little girl's room, along with several other items. My friend gave us that lovely bedding set and my heart swelled with joy and gratefulness. Here's why: I flipped through a Pottery Barn Kids catalogue recently and saw a bedding set that I loved which is almost identical to the one my friend just gave me! I flagged the page and started caculating how long it would take me to save up enough money to buy that set. And here I was today, being blessed by my friend, who I came to help/bless, with a gift that fulfilled a desire to dress up my daughter's room. The following photo doesn't do the bedding justice but you get the general idea of it.

My friend also loaned me several books that help teach reading. Violet has struggled with learning to read and it has been quite disheartening to me. Gregg and I love to read and have wanted to pass that love of books to our daughter. She loves being read TO, she just doesn't want to read. As I shared that with my friend, she took me by the hand and led me to her library, and said, "These have worked wonders for my kids. Take these home and use them for a while. I bet Violet will be reading better in NO time!" Again, my heart leapt with joy and hope began to burn again in my spirit.

I am amazed, and stunned, by how God turned this around on me. I went to my friend's house to help her and to be a blessing to her. I didn't expect to get anything in return for helping her. I enjoy helping friends, especially when it comes to organizing things. I don't know why, I'm just wired that way. Also, this was a way for me to get to know her better. Yet, somehow the blessings were turned around and placed on me.

Recovered

2011-02-16T20:40:00.011-06:00

Monday is a blur to me. Valentine's Day officially kicked my tail.

Seriously.

The day started abruptly at 5 a.m. when Violet decided to wake up. Bright-eyed and bushy tailed. And I rolled out of bed as blurry-eyed as a drunk on Sunset Bulevard.

Once I loaded up on coffee, like two or three cups of the stuff, I was ready to tackle the day. Somewhat. I ended up drinking even more coffee while at school that day. (Mondays are when our home school group meets.) Mondays always start off early, just not that early, and are always busy. So, it's no surprise that I didn't get to sit down the whole day except for a few minutes at lunch. Otherwise, I was on my feet the whole day.

A busy bee has got nothing on me! Of course, I was on a caffiene high for most of the day. So I had that in my favor. A bee only gets a rush on honey and pollen.
Our Classical Conversations group celebrated Valentine's Day like most everyone else does. We had a little party with tons, and I DO mean TONS, of sugar!!! Woo hoo!!! SUGAR!!!!!!

I had the privilege of working with some amazing women who helped me set up for the party. And, we had twelve moms bring cookies, some made from scratch and some store baked. Either way, it doesn't matter. A cookie is a cookie, right? There were 74 kids on campus that day and we had enough cookies for each kid to have two and for all the parents to have one or two themselves.

One of our very talented moms made the banner that we hung behind the table of treats. Another mom brought the lovely flower arrangements on the table. And another mom brought decorations and balloons. It's impossible to single out every mom who helped out because it truly was a group effort. A group that I am incredibly blessed to be a part of.

After the day program was over, we still had another three hours to get through. Oh. My. Word. I am beyond exhausted at this point and my caffiene high had worn off. But you know, I would do it all over again and again and again! The joy on the kids faces was worth every bit of effort that went in to this party. But my day didn't end there.

Violet has been working so hard on her school work lately. As a reward for good behavior and hard work, Violet earned a trip to Chuck E. Cheese's. So, where do we go for our Valentine's Day dinner? You guessed it! Chuck E. Cheese's!!! Ahh, the things we do for love. Yet again, I'd do it all over again because I got to spend time with my family and we made a very special girl beyond happy.

So, even though it took me three days to recover from Valentine's day, I just want to tell you that I love you guys! I've made some amazing friends through this little blog of mine (you know who you are!) and it wouldn't be right to not pass some love your way. I hope you had a wonderful day!

52 Weeks of Me ~ Profile

2011-02-13T02:56:00.007-06:00

I cannot even begin to describe how difficult this week's assignment was for me. I took countless photos trying to get just one decent one. Something I've learned in this assignment: my camera does not like curly hair! I mean, it has a serious aversion to my curls. I finally wised up and pulled my hair away from my face and vi'ola! The first decent photo appears. Oh well, you live and learn. Or you go insane trying!

To my blogger friends: I figured out how to post the button on my blog but not how to center it. Help!

Passing Along Good Music

2011-02-11T23:52:00.007-06:00

There is a widespread abuse of children that most people don't know about. Our children are being exposed to junk that passes itself off as music. I don't know about you, but I consider that abusive. Okay, really, seriously, I don't. Just want to clarify that to those who may be actually taking me seriously. Still, it's a crying shame what our kids are listening to these days.

Good music is good music. We should be letting our children listen to the many great artists that are out there. Forget about Beiber! How about The Civil Wars!!!

Gregg came home tonight with two tickets to a concert that will take place in the great city of Houston on March 19th. The musical greatness that we will have the privilege of seeing is none other than the Civil Wars. Oh my word, excited doesn't even cover how I feel about this opportunity.

The concert will be held at a small venue so there literally won't be a bad seat in the place. To be in the same breathing space of these amazing artists is mind boggling to me. Lord, I can't wait!!!

Oh, and let me just say for the record, their CD Barton Hollow is a-ma-zing!!! Pure genius folks. So, if you haven't already, please rush out and buy their CD. Even though some of the songs have older natured topics they are tastefully done. So, please, don't deprive your children of this amazing talent. Let them experience what great, dare I say genius, music sounds like.

Half Is Better Than Nothing

2011-02-10T17:14:00.004-06:00

Oh, kill me now. I am stretching myself and my boundaries right and left. For one thing, I've joined a weekly photo assignment called 52 Weeks of Me. I really don't like being in front of the camera. And now, and now, I've added exercising to my routine. What am I thinking?!?!!!

Torturing myself seems to be a common theme in my life right now.

But, I'm doing these things not only for myself but for my daughter and husband too. The photos are for Violet's benefit. Someday she'll look at our photos and notice that there are none of me. Hopefully, she'll be happy that I undertook this project. That she'll look at my photos and remember me as I am now.

I have selfish reasons for exercising. To be perfectly blunt, I am so tired of always being tired. The extra insulation that I've been carrying around for countless years is getting to me. I need more physical strength and energy to keep up with Violet.

Oh, and let's not forget that I am one of the women that are running the afternoon program for our home school group on Mondays. I help with the reading portion, something that I love. I also help with P.E., something I have loathed up until last week. We are working more relays into the P.E. time. The kids LOVED it and so did I. That is until I was bent over in pain later that evening because my muscles were screaming at me. "Whhhhyyyyy did you do that to us?" they screamed. To which I replied, "It was a moment of insanity! Please forgive me!"

My moment of insanity turned in to an eye opening moment for me though. I realized that I can change how my body responds to physical activity by becoming more physically active overall. So, once I healed up a little after Monday's activities, I started working out.

Well, let me rephrase that. I started "trying" to work out. It seems that my tired old body just doesn't have a whole lot of stamina right now. So, as I set out to complete a video work out, the farthest I've managed to get to was half way through. But at least I made it half way through! That's half way more than what I was doing. Which was nothing. My goal, finish the videos!

Stretching yourself can be painful at times. It can be really, really painful at times! But it can also be worth every single ounce of that pain. If I can gain strength and energy through the exercise program then it's definitely worth the pain! If I can keep up with Violet, and be more active in her life, then bring on the pain.

Things are changing a lot in my little world and all for the good. So, just bear with me if there is more whining and crying than usual on here. I foresee some pretty rough days ahead of me. Thankfully, I have an incredible family and some amazing friends to cheer me on! Family and friends that I am forever grateful to.

52 Weeks of Me ~ At Arms Length

2011-02-06T21:25:00.004-06:00

I'm going to bust out of my comfort zone by joining a weekly photo project. 52 Weeks of Me. We'll see how well I do with this. Here goes nothing!

This week's assignment is At Arm's Length. I ended up propping my arm on my knee to take this photo. For those who are my friends on facebook, sorry for the repost of the photo. I'm a newbie with this so please bear with me!

(If one of my fellow blogger friends who are participating in this project could tell me how to post the button here, I'd greatly appreciate it. Thanks!)

Playing With Light

2011-02-03T00:40:00.003-06:00

I have a few blogger friends who have taken on a year long project called 52 Weeks of Me. I wish I had the guts to take this challenge on. As a mom, I think this is a fantastic idea. Documenting your life through photos for your children is an amazing gift. They will have the gift of seeing you in the future as you are now. While I love the idea of this project I just don't think I can do it right now. I have so much to learn about my camera and photography in general. Maybe next year? In the meantime, I was spurred on to take some photos of myself. I played with the afternoon light that spilled into my home the other day. I'm pretty pleased with the result.

No Greater Joy

2011-01-29T01:45:00.001-06:00

One of the hardest aspects of schooling at home is the desire to over-achieve on the projects you do. This has become very evident to me today as I did some preparatory work for Violet's class presentation. Her topic for this week is our solar system. As I worked hard to draw everything out on a poster board for Violet, I began to get frustrated. The great little protractor did its job by drawing perfect circles for the planets. I then drew out the individual patterns on the planets and sun and then I labeled each planet. The rest was for Violet to color and fill in. I'll admit, I colored the sun and one planet because (A) I love to color, and (B) it helped to move the project along.

Violet knows the planets in our solar system and she knows a lot of facts about the sun. We studied these things last semester in Classical Conversations... which planet is the biggest, which is the smallest, that out of the eight planets Earth is the cleanest (go figure!). When it came time to work on Violet's presentation there were some complaints and whining. It took some time but our little girl finally decided to give me her full attention and ran through her presentation. Hopefully, she'll remember everything we've worked on after she has slept. Hopefully, she won't hate me for pushing her so hard in order to get her attention and to focus on details that I KNOW she is capable of. Heck, if she can play Mario Brothers and get past five levels in less than ten minutes, she can give me a good presentation!

When you home school your children there is a certain pressure to perform and put out quality material when we do things. After all, we can't blame the teacher when things don't go well because I am the teacher! We have no room for error and failing is NOT an option. Because, if Violet fails then that means I have failed her, not only as her mother but as her teacher. No pressure!

You know what though? The rewards of homeschooling far outweighs the pressure and stress that I place on myself. I love being by Violet's side as she learns something new. I love hearing her sing her history sentences or math or English grammar songs as she plays in her room. Do I make her do that? No, I do not. She just enjoys the songs. I enjoy knowing that she's actually learning something that will be put to use when she's older. Am I a stellar teacher? Hardly. It's our curriculum that is fantastic and I love, love, love it! When Gregg suggested Classical Conversations, and I looked through their program, I thought he had lost his ever-loving mind. It looks hard. It is hard, especially for the older kids. But it's also incredibly user friendly. And the support we have in our group is amazing. We have accountability in our group that ensures we don't just sit at home singing Kumbyyah. We are actually working. Hard.

There's something about home schooling though that puts me on edge when people ask why Violet isn't in school. I don't feel guilty for home schooling my child. I just know that a lot of people look down on our choice. As much as home schooling has grown, and improved, over the last decade, many people still hold to the fact that a public school education is the only education; that if you home school your child you are doing a disservice to them or going to harm your child. I don't know how many times I've been asked, "Well, what about socialization? Aren't you afraid she'll be a social outcast when she gets older?" Honestly, those two questions grate on my nerves like nothing ever has before.

No, I'm not worried about socialization or that my daughter will be a social outcast when she gets older. Here's why: Violet has routine meetings with children her own age. She goes to a "class" once a week and has that classroom type setting. We get to go out on several field trips where she's with kids her own age. And let's not forget about play dates and church. Violet has so many opportunities to interact with kids her own age that we've had to say no to some things, otherwise we wouldn't get any school work done! Yes, Violet gets plenty of interaction with kids her age. But she has an added advantage that kid's in the public schools don't get, she's learning how to interact with people of all ages. She is not too shy to address an adult and actually loves talking with an adult. Violet loves to share with the adults in her life "all the cool things she's learning in school." As a matter of fact, she gave her G.G. (Great Grandmother) a pretty thorough lesson on the solar system tonight. I don't think G.G. was expecting that but she was a good sport and it was fun to watch Violet as she described all the planets and the different parts of the sun to her. Violet is very enthusiastic when she relays information to another person. She loves learning (for the most part) and she loves to share what shes learned with others. You can't ask for anything better than that.

Gregg and I have a great kid! Violet is smart, healthy, polite, quick to pray for someone, loves people and her family, and is respectful to others (for the most part). Even though she can drive me crazy at times, I wouldn't change this for anything in the world. Home schooling is hard work but it's worth every ounce of effort that you put into it. We didn't make this decision lightly. We prayed over this for years. We researched everything we could find on home schooling. We talked to countless parents who home school. And everything we received in return was confirmation that we should school our child at home. It has been one of the greatest blessings in my life to be able to do this. I will be forever grateful to my husband who works hard and provides a way for us to home school. And I will be forever grateful to God for giving me this opportunity to teach Violet in a way that she'll grow up to walk in the truth.

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth."
3 John 1:4

Migraines

2011-01-24T22:39:00.003-06:00

I've dealt with migraines since I was fifteen or sixteen years old. They weren't a regular occurrence but when one would hit it would knock me off my feet for a day. As I've gotten older, the migraines seems to hit more frequently. After dealing with one for the last few days, I've developed a new perspective on migraines. They are proof positive that I do indeed have a brain. So, for all the times I've ever questioned that fact (or my husband, friends, or family have), there ya' go. I do have a brain. But no one can accuse me of using it on a regular basis!

Joan of Ark

2011-01-18T13:56:00.013-06:00

I am incredibly blessed to be able to stay home with my precious little girl and homeschool. Don't get me wrong, there are days that are so hard you end up questioning your sanity at the end of the day. Or midday depending on the circumstances. Are we doing the right thing? I believe the answer is a resounding YES!

Violet is learning some amazing things and accomplishing things that I didn't think were possible at such a young age. She is still behind in her reading skills but every child is different and we're trying not to stress over it. Violet's strongest subjects appear to be math and history. Her memory for dates astounds me!

After a long holiday break we started our school work again last week. Violet and I were both ready for the regular routine and to see our friends in our homeschool group. Let me just say this one thing real fast: I LOVE our homeschool curriculum and group! There is not one person in our group who I would not enjoy sitting down with and talking to. We are so fortunate to be members of such a wonderful group of families. We have the same hopes and dreams for our children that every mother and father have, for our children to receive the best education possible and to succeed in life.

One of the components of our homeschool curriculum is doing a weekly presentation on a given topic. Last week's topic was to present something on their favorite history, science, or geography lessons from the previous twelve weeks. Violet's topic of choice was Joan of Ark (you can learn more about her here). I am so proud of Violet! She had some difficulty with her book and a minor distraction but otherwise nailed it. I thought I'd share last week's presentation with you. Enjoy!

Better Than Pearls

2011-01-12T15:29:00.006-06:00

I am over the moon happy right now. My Christmas gift, something I've wanted for the longest time, has finally come in. Gregg ordered a necklace for me from The Vintage Pearl. My necklace is prettier than I imagined it would be and had to share it's beauty with you.

I'm such a lucky girl.

Beauty Has Its Price

2011-01-07T15:16:00.009-06:00

When you use a styling tool on a near daily basis you expect it to work properly. Especially if you keep the tool clean and lint free. The last thing you expect is for it to catch on fire while it's in your hands! While blow drying my hair the other day my hair dryer's cord started sparking. I was in the full-on head upside down stance, trying to add just a tiny bit of body to my lifeless hair, when I heard a popping sound. I turned the dryer off, lifted my head, and saw sparks shooting out of the cord of my dryer. Yikes! I held the dryer in disbelief when a flame shot out and hit my wrist. Immediately I dropped the thing as my brain processed what was happening. My blow dyer just caught on fire and burned me. Wow! Thankfully, it died withing a few seconds of landing on the floor.

Violet heard the dryer drop and she came running to see if everything was okay. What she saw put her in a tailspin. Fire freaks my little girl out just as much as it does her mother. After answering all of Violet's questions and reassuring her that I was okay she finally settled down some. That is until she noticed my burn. Poor thing went into full-on mothering mode and made sure that I was okay. Man, I love my kid!!!

As if getting burned wasn't enough of a downer, I had to go out and buy a new blow dryer that night. As everyone who is trying to stretch each and every penny as far as it can possibly go knows, this was not something I was happy about having to replace. Especially once I saw how much blow dryers can cost now days. Ughh. So, I determined that I was going to call the company to see about getting reimbursed for all of this.

Just a side note: I always take care of the things I use. My blow dryer didn't have any lint in the unit. The cord is always loosely wrapped and then dropped in it's little basket where it waits until it needs to be used again. No built up residues from hairspray or anything like that. From all outward appearances, there was nothing wrong with this blow dryer.

I spoke with the company that made the blow dryer earlier in the day. They were on top of things. Even though my blow dryer is several years old it didn't matter to the lady who I was dealing with. Here is the most part of our conversation...

Customer Service Lady: "I heard you had an incident with one of our dyers? Are you okay?"
ME: "Yes, for the most part. I have a tiny burn mark on the underside of my wrist that is a little bigger than a cigarette sized burn. I was frightened more than anything."
Customer Service Lady: "I bet. So, Mrs. Wiltshire, what can I do for you?"
ME: "Ummm, I'd really appreciate you reimbursing me for the cost of my new dryer."
Customer Service Lady: "Yes mam! We can certainly do that for you. You will be getting a postage paid envelope in the mail next week. Just put your receipt in that and mail it back to us. You'll get a check the following week."
ME: "Wow! Thank you!"
Customer Service Lady: "Thank you for letting us make this right for you. I hope you have a good day now!"

Now, I'm no fool. I know they are doing everything to cover their tails so that I won't sue them. Which, really, I have no desire to do. In my opinion, we live in a nation that is too quick to sue. I just want the situation to be taken care of and then call things even. But, I must say that their customer service was amazing.

My new blow dryer is the exact version of the one pictured here with the only difference being the color. Mine is a bright blue. When I pulled the blow dryer out of the bag Violet's response was, "Oooohhh, it's so pretty!" She is such a girly girl.

Happy New Year!!!

2011-01-03T15:21:00.001-06:00

May you have a blessed and happy New Year!

Silent Night

2010-12-19T23:27:00.005-06:00

One of my favorite times of day is bedtime. I love the ritual we've created that surrounds this time of preparing for bed. Once the teeth and hair are brushed it's time to cuddle up in bed and read a story or two. This is such a peaceful time and is one of the few times in the day where I have Violet's undivided attention. Once the book is read and the lights are off it's time for some lullabies. Violet calls them her songs since they all were either created or adapted for her. Someday, if I'm brave enough, I'll share them with you here.

After tucking Violet in for the night I went out to the living room and enjoyed some reading time. Violet had been sleeping for over an hour when she came rushing out of her room. Even though she was sort of awake, Violet was pretty much out of it. I never figured out what woke her up. My being awake and so easily accessible was rewarded with something from the past...

My beautiful girl climbed into my arms, snuggled in, and fell fast asleep. It has been several years since she fell asleep in my arms. Tonight's rarity made me realize how much my arms have ached for this. I've missed her presence in my arms, her contented sighs as sleep settles in, the weight of her body as she gives in to sleep, and the trust that it takes for your child to do all of those things. I thought Violet had outgrown being held in my arms for any real amount of time. My heart is bursting with joy as I find that I was wrong.

Violet isn't as small as she once was. She doesn't fit in my arms like she did when she was a baby. Yet, my heart made sure she fit when she came to me tonight. Sitting on the sofa, with my precious child in my arms, while looking at the Christmas tree we finished decorating earlier today brought me to tears. Tears of gratitude for this moment. Tears of sorrow at realizing how fast my little girl is growing up. Tears of hope as I dream of our future as Mother and Daughter. Tears from realizing that even though we may drive each other crazy, we love each other more than anything else. Tears from realizing how incredibly lucky I am to be Violet's Mother and that I was here to enjoy this moment in time. And then I cried when I realized I had to carry her back to bed and wondered how I was going to manage that.

Ten More Days!

2010-12-15T17:46:00.004-06:00

Wow, is Christmas really only ten days away? Where is time flying off too? Are you ready? I'm not but I'm trying to get there. I knocked one major thing off my holiday To-Do List today, Violet and I went to see Santa. The parking lot was crazier than usual but I was pleasantly surprised once we got in the mall. Actually, I was stunned when we walked in the mall. There was no one standing in line to see Santa!!! Violet and I were in and out of the mall within twenty minutes. I think we set a world record! That was Santa's gift to me this year and I couldn't be happier!

December? Really?

2010-12-06T14:28:00.017-06:00

How on earth did we get here? And by "here" I mean in the month of December? This year has gone by incredibly too fast. Heck, I'm still digesting things from November. No, I don't mean the turkey and ham. Although that was pretty awesome. I mean, there's just so much that I've been trying to wrap my brain around so that I can share it with you. Nothing big or earth shattering, just recent events and what-not.

My birthday was last month and the days surrounding it are still a blur to me. Friday the 19th was my birthday and we spent the most part of it in a car, driving to Austin. My precious and beautiful little niece, Miss. Doodlebug, celebrated her third birthday the following day. There was no way we were going to miss a chance to love on her and celebrate her birthday. Which, we had a fantastic time at her party!

Once Miss. Doodlebug's party was over we loaded up in the car and drove another two hours towards home in order to make a big Thanksgiving party for our homeschool group. Everything was outside and the weather was absolutely perfect for such an event. There were grilled hot dogs, chili, and every other manner of food you can imagine. All of it delicious too. But the amazing thing, the party was held on someones property that's out in the country. You could actually see the stars. And the moon was stunning!!! Also, we had our own private symphony of crickets and frogs that serenaded us while we were there. Since I moved away from country life and have been in the city for the last twenty years or so, I didn't realize how much I missed those things until that weekend. What I wouldn't give to have that back in my life right now.

The following week was Thanksgiving week. After school on Monday Violet and I were in a mad scramble to get everything we needed for the rest of the week. Loads of laundry were done and our bags were packed for the next day. Tuesday we loaded up the car and drove to Little Rock, Arkansas to spend the holiday with family. Gregg's great-uncle Ed joined us too. We enjoyed our time with family, which is most important, and we managed to get in some much needed rest.

We also went to the Mid-America Science Museum in Hot Springs, Arkansas. I grew up visiting that museum a lot during my childhood. My Mom worked for the state of Arkansas and so we spent many vacations exploring that beautiful state. Mid-America Science Museum was always one of my favorite places to go. There is so much to do there and not a whole lot has changed since my childhood days spent there. After knowing so much of the place from my own childhood, it was a real treat to see my daughter experience it for the first time. I got to relive some childhood experiences through her eyes and it was incredible.

It's hard to say who had the most fun at Mid-America Science Museum. Violet? Me? Gregg? Mimi or Grandpa? Or, Uncle Ed? There really is something there for everyone who visits, young and old alike.

So, with the holidays taking off in full speed mode, I thought I'd share this one last photo with you...

Remember to slow down and enjoy this time with your family and loved ones. Be in the moment and don't let the "moments" overwhelm you. Have a blessed and happy holiday season!

Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy this little clip of video of me and Violet with the static-electricity ball. Violet had a "hair-raising" experience!

M.P.P.D.

2010-11-29T00:54:00.002-06:00

My kiddo has come down with a serious personality disorder recently called "Multiple Princess Personality Disorder". My child's personality will change from one princess alter ego to another within the time period that it takes to change a dress. One moment she can be Snow White...

The next minute she could be any random princess...

And another other minute she'll be Cinderella...

Please be advised that this can happen to any little girl. The side effects are rather confusing as you don't know how to address your little princess. But they are also a lot of fun. We are enjoying every adorable moment during this time frame.

2010-11-26T20:53:00.003-06:00

The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.
~ E. E. Cummings

Such Seriousness!

2010-11-24T23:58:00.004-06:00

My serious little girl. Figuring out how water makes it from one end of the hose to the other. My sweet baby girl was only three years old when this photo was taken...

My precious little one has always been serious when playing. Her mind works furiously as it processes new things and what they're supposed to do. Even her pretend-playtime is completely well thought out. To sum it all up, she has a very analytical mind. And, even though we don't always see eye to eye (because we're looking at something from two totally different directions!), I can appreciate how she's processing something. Some of the greatest minds out there are very analytical and hopefully, someday, my kid will be counted as one of them!

Weekend ~ Part 2

2010-11-16T14:20:00.016-06:00

Sunday was a WOW day for the three of us! We were given tickets to this year's Texas Renaissance Festival and our only opportunity to go was this weekend. So, with Violet's presentation ready to go on Saturday, we went to the festival on Sunday. The weather was overcast and quite chilly but we still had a fantastic day.

Since Violet didn't get to wear her costume on Halloween, we let her wear it at the festival. Everyone addressed Violet as "Princess" throughout the whole day, something she adored. She was even singled out by one of the workers at the festival and asked to enter a dancing contest within minutes of our entering the grounds! We never made it to the contest because there were so many things to see and do. I must say though, she was quite beautiful in her dress...

Violet finally had the opportunity to ride a pony on Sunday. Her pony's name was Happy but I think kiddo was the happiest of the two...

We got to ride an elephant. Let me just tell you now, it was a scary, thrilling and very uncomfortable ride! Here we are on top of Paige...

We saw a living statue. She was very eerie but beautiful at the same time. Also, she was one of Violet's favorites at the festival...

We saw a phenomenal Birds of Prey show. The birds were stunning and the show was very informative and entertaining. This owl will be at this week's Harry Potter movie premier...

We cheered on Sir Thomas, a knight from England, during the royal competitive events...

And we met royalty! Queen Anne Boleyn...

Violet like Queen Anne so much that she asked if she could babysit for us the next time Gregg and I go out.

Queen Catherine of Aragon...

King Henry VIII...

Oh what a tangled weave those relationships were!

Gregg and I have heard mixed reviews on the Renaissance Festival. People either love it or they hate it. The festival can bring out some pretty crazy people (think Spider Man in a kilt!), some of whom need lessons in modesty. We were fortunate in that we didn't see a whole lot of questionable/revealing outfits (IE. women wearing chain mail and nothing else) and most people were well behaved. We knew we would have opportunities to teach Violet about modesty and the difference between reality and fantasy while at the festival. Maybe that helped us in how we viewed things or we just got really lucky on the day we went. Either way, we plan on going back to the festival!

Weekend ~ Part 1

2010-11-16T00:44:00.011-06:00

Thank you Mr. Weatherman for putting in a good word for us. It was an insanely busy weekend but we had a fantastic time!

Where to begin? We went back to Dewberry Farm on Friday. It was a gorgeous day and the farm wasn't as crowded as our first visit was in October. Because we've had a little bit of rain, it wasn't as dusty either (something my sinuses really appreciated!). Violet had a greater affection for the rope swings this time around. And I'm happy to report there were no face-plants or belly-flops into the hay!

Violet got to experience the Jumping Pillows on this visit. There's really no way for me to describe them other than pure joy. Just look at the expressions on Violet and Miss. M!

After being sick for a few weeks, and out of our usual routine, I was worn out after our day at Dewberry! So, we let Saturday morning's weather (and my achy bones) determine for us that we were going to stay home that day and rest. Knowing that we were going to be out all day Sunday we had to get everything ready for school on Saturday. With her Daddy's help, Violet prepared her class presentation for Monday. This week's assignment ~ make and share a favorite recipe. There was no debate on what Violet would present to her class! She had to make chocolate chip cookies!

Sunday was packed full with new experiences for our little family. The day's events merit their own post which I'll share with you soon. Right now, my body and my brain are screaming for rest. Until then, have a great day!

Dear Mr. Weatherman,

2010-11-11T12:26:00.003-06:00

I know you can't really control what the weather decides to do. But if you have any pull whatsoever, please, please, please (with a cherry on top!) let the weather be nice the next two days!!! You see, we've had a rough few weeks around here. As a result, my precious little girl has had to miss out on a lot of exciting opportunities. Now that we're feeling better, we have the opportunity to go back to Dewberry Farms AND the Texas Renaissance Festival FOR FREE!!! Please, for the love of God and this poor Momma's soul, let the weather cooperate with us!!! Thank you.

Sincerely,
Cabin-Fever Momma

Prayers Appreciated

2010-11-09T11:37:00.003-06:00

I'm here to ask you to remember a dear friend's son in your prayers. J. (the son) was in a horrific car accident a few nights ago. The accident was so severe that they actually had to life-flight him to a major hospital here in the Houston area. (Thank God for quality health care!) J. has had two surgeries already and is in stable condition but in critical care.

God had his hand on J. during his accident. Three air bags deployed and they had difficulty getting him out of the car. His mother said that to look at the car you wouldn't expect anyone to survive. It is truly a miracle that he's alive today!

Please keep J. and his family in your prayers. The recovery process sounds like it is going to take a while. His Mom, who is like a second mother to me, is holding up well (as are the rest of the family). Still, this must be affecting them a great deal.

I remember when J. was born. He was three years old when Gregg and I were married and was already quite the lady's man. J. went to every woman at our wedding reception and gave us all hugs. That act was a great reflection of his Mother and her loving spirit. It's hard for me to think of him as a young adult now, ready to take on the world and make his mark on it. I believe that God is going to use this young man's life in remarkable ways. That he survived this accident is a testament that God has greater plans for him.

Thank you for your prayers!

UPDATE:
J. is home recuperating! Thank you for remembering him in your prayers.

No Tricks...

2010-11-01T07:48:00.006-05:00

or treating on Halloween here. No, we're not making a statement. Unless if that statement were It SUX to be sick on Halloween! Violet has been looking forward to Halloween since last year's Halloween! So, we've heard plenty of "It's not fair!", "I want to go!", "But, I'm not that sick!" And each time it was hard to tell her, "No, we can't go out."

My sweet husband, and father-extrodinaire to our precious little girl, went out and bought a bag of sweet treats to fill her bucket. Granted, that isn't nearly as much fun as actually walking the neighborhood and earning those treats. Still, I think he's pretty awesome for doing that. Hopefully, someday, Violet will realize what a gift that was for her ~ trying to make the best out of a stinky situation.

Ten Random Thoughts

2010-10-29T12:54:00.002-05:00

1. Being sick stinks!
2. Having a doctor that goes all out for Halloween makes being sick a little easier.
3. Nothing prepares you for seeing a vampire with red eyes walk into your exam room with a needle.
4. Unless if you saw a tall clown walk in just before her and he orders the shot.
5. Shots in the hip hurt.
6. Unless if you have a talented vampire nurse who has a magic touch with a needle.
7. What vampire needs to bite someones neck or rob a blood bank when you work at a doctor's office?
8. I saw Pocahontas today!
9. No, I'm not hallucinating.
10. Being sick stinks big time!

'Tude

2010-10-26T20:24:00.004-05:00

My dear sweet child is such an angel. Except for when she's not. And, boy oh boy, she can be quite the lovely little terror if she chooses to be. Night time has been such a challenge for our little family. Violet runs around like a banshee and Gregg and I are ready to pull our hair out before she goes to bed. Welcome to our world the last few weeks. Pretty, huh? Yeah, I didn't think so.

Anyhow, enter tonight's moments of terror. Violet is fighting us over something (I have since forgotten what). She won't sit in time out and is still giving some major 'tude (it's long since passed the mark of attitude and is full blown 'tude by now). So, our next step ~ strip the kid of her TV privileges for the night.

Our little princess's attitude straightens out for a brief moment. Violet then comes up to us and asks...

"Can I watch something that I DON'T like?"

Hmmm, I'm wondering what would be the best show to plop her in front of. CSPAN? Weather Channel? Nightmare on Elm Street? The options are limitless!!!

Mommy & Daughter Photo

2010-10-20T17:17:00.004-05:00

I prefer to be behind the camera rather than in front of it for many reasons. One, I'm a control freak (yes, I admitted that!). Two, I have self-esteem issues (oh boy!). Someone mentioned recently that they haven't seen a photo with me in it that wasn't several years old. So, setting my self-esteem issues behind me, I had Gregg take a snapshot of me and Violet together. Surprisingly enough, the camera didn't break! I'm kidding! (Sort of.)

Kemah

2010-10-17T14:08:00.013-05:00

We had the opportunity to go to the Kemah Boardwalk this weekend and had an amazing time. Kemah has changed so much since we moved to the other side of Houston in 2007. There were only a handful of restaurants when we lived out there and the only ride was a train that drove a circle around the boardwalk. We hardly recognized the place!

Our day started off with a birthday party held at the Aquarium restaurant. After the party the kids were given the wonderful opportunity to feed and pet the stingrays. All the kids (and their parents) loved this!

It was amazing to see how high the stingrays would get in order to reach a tiny little fish. You're actually supposed to put your hand underwater, with the small fish dangling from your closed fist, but everyone was intimidated by the size of these magnificent creatures. The stingrays had to work hard for their meal yesterday!

This was the first ride of choice for the kids. I don't remember the name of it but I remember this being one of my favorite rides as a child.

I also remember being slammed against the person sitting next to me. So, you can imagine how hard it was for this Momma to let her child on this ride. Thank God for seat belts and lap bars! Hang on Baby!!!

Dizzy?

"Let's go again Mommy!"

Thank you to our friends for such an incredible experience. We had an amazing time. Thank you for letting us share this special day with you and your sweet little one. How is it possible that she is eight years old already? I remember waiting at the hospital for her to be born and celebrating her birth with you. It's crazy how quickly time flies by. Happy 8th birthday Miss. M!

Friday's Funnies From Dewberry

2010-10-14T21:56:00.003-05:00

After finding out that Dewberry Farm offers pony rides it was all my daughter talked about.

Do you think I can ride the ponies Momma? Really? Puh-leez!

We'll see what we can do dear but I don't see why not.

Which only set off her excitement through the roof! Still, it was sweet to see her so excited.

We arrived bright and early only to find out that the ponies weren't there that day. My daughter's disappointment was heartbreaking to watch. She really, really wanted to ride a pony!

Well, we got her on a pony (of sorts) for her to ride. Just not a living, breathing kind of pony. This was a metal pony with a real saddle. I think Violet really enjoyed her chance to ride a pony, even if it was of the metal sort.

Giddy-yup Pony!

Yee-Haw!!!

Dewberry Farm Memories

2010-10-12T22:47:00.024-05:00

Oh, what an incredible day this day has been! Our homeschool group had a field trip today to Dewberry Farm. I've wanted to go for a few years now but have never been. And let me say this, we've been missing out!

Our day at Dewberry Farm started with a wonderful hay ride (minus the hay, thankfully). We missed the first tractor that had the majority of our group thanks to my fantastic directional disability! Yeah, I got lost, what's new? It doesn't matter if I travel with Miss. GPS (which I didn't) or with printed directions (which I did), I could get lost trying to find my own house! But I digress.

Where was I? Ha! Get it? Where was I? I don't know! Okay, enough about my directionally challenged self and back to Dewberry Farm! After a short wait for the second tractor we were on our way with Farmer Dewberry himself as our driver and guide. See? Sometimes it pays to be late!

Farmer Dewberry was a great guide as he carefully drove us around the farm. We rode out to the 16 acre pumpkin patch where we found out the patch didn't do too well this year thanks to all the rain Mother Nature dumped on us not too long ago. So, we didn't get to see all the pumpkins that they've had in previous years but it was still a lot of fun. And, there were enough of the tiny pumpkins in the field to last the groups that came out today. Unfortunately the groups that come in after today will have to pick out a pumpkin that wasn't grown on Dewberry Farm. Yet, even though that's not ideal, at least their desire for every kid to have the opportunity to walk through a pumpkin patch to pick out a pumpkin is very commendable! I'm impressed by that kind of thinking and I appreciate the effort that takes.

We found out on our hay-less hay ride that Dewberry is now branching out into Christmas tree farming. Get it? Branching? I'm on FIRE people!!! Oh, bless you for sticking with me so far! Anyway, they are growing several different types of Christmas trees. I wish I could name all of them for you but it was early in the morning and my brain was pretty much still asleep. I do remember though that the trees are on the back 40 acres of land. They have a massive irrigation process and even with the distance from our tractor to the actual tress, we could easily see that the trees were beautiful. Gregg is wanting a fresh/real tree this year and I would love to buy it from Farmer Dewberry.

With all this chatter about farming let me assure you that that's not all they do at Dewberry! Granted, much of the land is farm related but there's nothing boring about it. There is a fantastic playground called Fort DewHickey that has a great variety of rope walks, slides, levels to climb, and so forth. One of Violet's favorites was something called The Flinger! It's housed under a giant pavilion and is basically a mountain of hay bales that the kids can climb. But here's the kicker. They have rope swings that they can use to get air borne and fly up in to the air. The only drawback to that though is if your kid doesn't understand the concept of gravity and let's go of her rope when she's over five feet in the air.

And she falls. A. Direct. Face. Plant. Into the hay. And her mother's heart did the same dive of terror as I watched her. With a few "ouches" and "I'm okays" the next words that Violet uttered was, "I didn't eat the hay Momma!" Woo hoo for not eating the hay baby girl, now, is your spleen in the right space? What about your brain? Did it drop into your stomach? After a quick inspection of my precious, yet very clumsy child, I determined that she was okay. And with that quick assessment she was off to the next adventure. Away we go!

After a brief lunch we took off in another direction. We had farm animals to meet. The most adorable farm animals I've ever seen. Goats, chickens, ducks, geese, miniature donkeys, a couple of cows, a few baby piglets, and even some cute little bunnies. Violet's favorite animals were the goats and mini donkeys. They were the most social out of the bunch. Her least favorite were the geese. They were cranky birds and would honk at you if you got within five feet of their space. Very cranky, antisocial geese! But they sure were pretty to look at. And, those honks of warnings were actually pretty funny to listen to after a while. Which, of course, lessened the fear factor that was attached with them. Still, just to be safe, we kept a wide berth of the geese. I've been chased by a goose before and I didn't want my child to suffer the same trauma. Besides, it would have looked really bad if I thew her in the way of the geese and I took off running in the opposite direction, right? Yeah, that's what I thought too.

Okay, I really wouldn't have tossed my daughter to the geese. But I may have thought about it for a second or two before I would lay myself down as the sacrificial lamb so that my daughter escaped a horrible experience of being pecked to death by some vicious geese! I'm a good mom like that!

We ended our visit at Dewberry Farm with their 4 acre Corn Maze. Yeah, me. The one who is severely directionally challenged! So, how well do you think this little escapade turned out? You guessed it! I got lost. And not only did I get lost, I got my group lost. Why can't I just be a follower? Really, it would be so much easier. After walking through the maze of corn for about 30 minutes we found our way out. We ended up right back at the beginning! Hey! At least we made it out!

There is so much to see and do at Dewberry Farm that it was impossible for us to fit it all in one day. We're fortunate enough to be able to go back for another visit next month thanks to a dear friend's sweet gift. Needless to say, we're looking forward to our next visit! And no, I'm not getting paid by Dewberry Farm for this fantastic review of their program. They don't know me. Yet!

So folks, if you live within an hour or two of Dewberry Farm, I would highly suggest that you take a little country drive and head out there. Enjoy some good old fashioned fun with your kids. Let them run around. Let the make memories of being on an actual working farm. Let them wear themselves out! And be sure to take plenty of water with you because you will find yourself thirsty. Also, if you want to buy a small jar of their all natural, locally produced honey that is grown right on the farm, you may want to buy it as soon as you get there. I was really bummed out when they didn't have any left at the end of the day. (Note to self: Buy honey immediately and take it back to the car!)

Worship The Sun

2010-10-04T00:08:00.004-05:00

With summer coming to a close (and all the Southerners rejoice!) I wanted to share one of my favorite summer pics with you. I took this last summer while in Creede, Colorado. Poppies are one of my favorites and these seem to be enjoying some time worshipping the sun. I especially love poppies now as they are my daughter's birth flower. What's not to love about a poppy?

Caught My Eye

2010-09-27T22:12:00.003-05:00

Our Classical Conversations Homeschool Group had a Pizza & Fire Truck day today. The weather couldn't have been more perfect. We had the most fantastic time! Below are just a few shots that caught my eye. Enjoy! (BTW, everything is straight from the camera. I'm just too tired to think about messing with these!)

Overheard

2010-09-22T20:03:00.004-05:00

While listening to Violet as she's going through her bedtime preparations...

"It's time for the Toothbrush Tango!"

I don't know where she comes up with half the stuff she says but I think she's pretty stinking hilarious!

A Parent's Praise

2010-09-20T17:09:00.005-05:00

It doesn't matter how old you are, whether you're four or forty, it means a lot to hear praise from your parents. Especially if they tell you you're doing a good job raising their grandbaby. My Mom caught me on facebook last night (yes, she's on facebook folks!) and we had a great little "chat". And out of the blue, my Mom said...

"Kimberly, your Daddy and I are so grateful and blessed by what a great job you and Gregg are doing in raising our grandbaby. We are so proud of you two!"

I choked up with that simple sentence.

I'm choked up by it now.

And all I can say is, "Wow. Thank you Mom! Your words mean the world to me!"

Happy Birthday Love!

2010-09-14T20:38:00.010-05:00

Thirty seven years ago, on September 14th, the most amazing man was born on that day. And today, we celebrate his birthday!

The Birthday Boy with Violet by his side.

Checking out the cards that were sent to him and showing off his balloons.

A present, wonder what it is?

Oooh, I think he likes it!

Now maybe he'll stop stealing MY coffee mug!

Football cake! Are you ready for some football?!!

Man VS. Cake! Well, actually the candles. Wonder which will win?

Oh, poor fella. The cake won! Sorry baby, I didn't realize those candles would reignite after you blew them out. Ooopsie!!!

Happy Birthday Baby! Have a fantastic day. Your girls love you more than anything. Even more than infinity! Thank you for being the fantastic husband and father that you are! We love you!!!

Showing Off

2010-09-09T17:32:00.007-05:00

The Tooth Fairy will be paying another visit to our house tonight. Poor thing, her wings must be worn out from all the trips she's been making to our neck of the woods!
Violet has been working really hard on all her memory work for Classical Conversations. (Is it still considered work when you're having so much fun learning?) She asked me to record her today while she ran through everything. How could I turn her down? You're right. I couldn't! She's especially cute with the missing tooth and the lisp that comes with it.

Princess Birthday Tea Party

2010-09-01T11:24:00.016-05:00

It has been a crazy few weeks around here. It all began when Violet asked for a Princess Tea themed Birthday Party. Violet wanted a pretty, pink princess dress for her party (and for Halloween) and so we searched high and low for a dress. After going to four obvious store choices we had nearly given up on finding a dress that would fit my little princess (they all were for age 3). I finally remembered that Cracker Barrel had their costumes out a few weeks ago. So, I called and they had ONE dress left in Violet's size. I asked them to hold it and we were there within five minutes.

Isn't her dress beautiful?

I put all the decorations up while Violet slept the night away. We created a bowery, of sorts, in the entryway of our living room for everyone to walk under. It had a magical feel to it.

Then we draped crepe paper over the light fixture in the dinning area.

The birthday banner was hung, appropriately, over a wall of photos of the birthday girl herself.

The moms all seemed to get along and enjoy one another's company. Two of them are mom's of two of Violet's Classical Conversations classmates and one is her tutor! A happy accident that we didn't realize until after the party, with the exception of one couple, everyone at Violet's party home schools.

My beautiful sister-in-law D. and her husband, D., came to the party with their precious daughter (my lovely little niece) C. Violet now has a cousin that lives close by!

BFF's!!! Miss A. and Violet. They became buddies back in July when we had a homeschool practicum we attended for three days. They are inseparable when out of their class on Mondays.

Miss. A., Violet, and cousin C. Such pretty little princesses!

Violet with another BFF, Miss. R. I can hardly stand all the cuteness!

Violet and another BFF, Miss. S.

And here is everyone at the party having a wonderful time playing around in Violet's room. The sweet faces are enough to still my beating heart. They're all so precious!!!

Violet had her finger in all of the details which included... having all the boys and girls dress like princes and princesses (tiaras were welcome!), finger sandwiches cut in the shape of flowers and butterflies (and a few little bears were cut for the boys). We also had tea (lemonade for the kids), veggie and fruit trays, chips, dip, and cake.

Make a wish!

Cousin C. enjoying her slice of the cake!

Pin the Gem on The Bracelet...

I think everyone enjoyed the game! Sir. T. was our lone Knight in shinning armor and was a very brave knight while in the mix of all these girls. His sister, Miss. M. is to his left (your right) ~ unfortunately, we didn't get pictures of the birthday girl with Sir T. and Miss. M.

Presents!

We had a wonderful time at Violet's party. Most importantly, it was a very special time for her. The smile on her face, the joy in her laughter, and her giddy steps of delight made it worth all the work and effort put into arranging this party.

Thank you everyone who came and celebrated Violet's birthday with us. Your presence here made the day all the more special. Violet loved seeing her friends and enjoyed playing with them. And, Gregg and I enjoyed the chance to talk with all the wonderful parents. We love you all and thank God for your friendship!

To Do List

2010-08-27T14:51:00.003-05:00

1. Dust. Achoo!
2. Sweep all floors. Where does all this dirt come from?
3. Mop all floors. Oh, my aching back!
4. Vacuum carpet. Needing an ice pack right about now.
5. Straighten up throughout. Jeez, we have too much paper in this house.
6. Pick up toys. Really must get rid of some of these toys.
7. Clean kitchen, top to bottom. Wow, things look so pretty when they sparkle!
8. Clean out the fridge. So glad we didn't eat THAT!
9. LAUNDRY!!! Wish I had a Genie right about now.
10. Bathrooms. One word ~ Ick.
11. Hang up decorations. This look so cute. Violet will love this!

Exhausting work but SO worth it!!!

Too Many Pans On The Fire

2010-08-24T15:40:00.005-05:00

I have too many pans on the fire right now. Life is just a LITTLE bit hectic around here, to say the least. I'm in the process of cleaning up and out our tiny little space we call home. Violet's birthday party is this Saturday (yes, we're a few weeks late but at least we're getting it done!) and I'm in full panic mode. To top it all off, we're starting homeschool this week! Oh momma mia, help me!

Yes, I'm just a tad bit crazy. What's new? Nothing really, just my brain not connecting the dots very well (as usual) and planning everything all at the same time!!! I must say though, it feels good to de-clutter. My china hutch still doesn't have my china on it, as it's used for all our homeschool stuff (we're in desperate need of some bookcases around here!), but at least it's organized and looks halfway decent. By the way, the china will come out when we're in a home someday and not a moment sooner. It's a precious heirloom gifted down to me from my Great-Grandmother and is packed up tighter than a bug in a rug.

To say Violet is excited about her party would be a major understatement. She wanted a princess themed birthday tea party and so that's what we're doing. We only invited a handful of friends and amazingly enough, they've all RSVP'd and are coming. Violet and I picked out the party decorations last weekend so all we have to do is set up. We're having tea (lemonade for the kids), sandwiches and other snacks. And, of course there will be cake!!!

See what I mean by too many pans on the fire?!! Cleaning, de-cluttering, school, and a party. I'm certifiably insane. Thankfully, you all love me despite that, right? Right?

Conversations

2010-08-19T14:58:00.003-05:00

While building a tent with chairs and blankets here is part of a conversation I had with Violet...

Me ~You know, I used to build tents like this when I was a little girl.
Violet ~ You did? Who taught you to do that?
Me ~ Your Mimi & Grandpa taught me. But I did this a lot at your Great-Great Granny's house too when I spent time with her.
Violet ~ I bet she was cool.
Me ~ Yeah, she was very cool.
Violet ~ I wish I knew you as a kid because I bet you were a lot of fun as a little girl.

Just Because

2010-08-18T13:30:00.005-05:00

My dear husband came home the other night with these beautiful flowers...

No special reason, no make-ups needing to be made, but just because he felt like I deserved something special. I tell you what, I'm a very lucky girl!!! And, I know it too.

Here are the flowers two days after receiving them...

I love my husband for many, many reasons and I appreciate everything he does for our little family. Gregg works hard at his job so that I have the opportunity to stay home with our little girl. He never complains and he puts up with a lot from his scatter-brained wife. He laughs at my corny jokes and he's a strong shoulder to lean on whenever I need it. And, he does special things like bringing me flowers for no special reason other than he just felt like it. He's pretty hot too! How I got to be so lucky I'll never know. But, I will forever be grateful to God for blessing me with such an incredible man for a husband.

Not Our Finest Moment

2010-08-14T19:44:00.007-05:00

Do you know what's worse than a nightmare? Walking in to your parent's room and scarring the daylights out of them which, in turn, scares you even more! Umm, yeah, not our proudest parenting moment.

Gregg and I were sound asleep at 2 AM when our daughter woke up terrified from a bad dream. As she ran her tiny little self into our room she accidentally knocked our door against the wall. Hard. Hence the screams of terror that commenced from the three of us. The loud bang against the wall scared the stink out of Gregg and me which set off the worst chain of events in our parenting years. As our poor daughter stands in the doorway of our bedroom seeking comfort her idiot parents are screaming their heads off in fear. Which made her scream in fear. It was awful, I tell ya, a-w-f-u-l!!! Momma, help me!

After about a minute of the three of us screaming at the top of our lungs Gregg finds the composure to tell us, "Everybody needs to stop screaming." Hmm, yeah, he was screaming too. And not only was he screaming, he screamed the loudest. Talk about a rude awakening!

Obviously, no one was able to go back to sleep right away. Violet was trembling from fear, my heart was pumping so hard that I was afraid it'd pump right out of my chest, and Gregg was lying there trying to calm his girls down. Not the easiest task after what we had just been through. Gracious, what a night! There's no telling what our neighbors thought was going on in our house.

Exposed

2010-08-13T11:28:00.017-05:00

I know that I'm opening up a rats nest of controversy with this post but I wanted to share a few things with you that have been on my heart lately. I read recently of a church in Gainsville, Florida that will be hosting a book burning on September 11, 2010 in protest of the attacks on our country on that day in 2001. You can read all about that here. And it's not just a regular book but the Koran, a book that is considered holy by countless Muslims. While I don't agree with the Koran or the Muslim faith (I am a devote Christian) I don't think burning the Koran will do any good. It is a blatant disregard for a group of people and their faith.

I believe, that as Christians, we are supposed to model Christ to those who don't know Him. Burning someones book they consider holy is not, in my opinion, an action that Christ would be proud of. I can imagine He is shaking his head in wonder of how a group of people would think this is okay. How are we supposed to reach a group of lost people if we're not modeling Christ to them? Where is the love of Christ in the act of burning a book that someone considers holy?

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 5:14-16

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Ephesians 5:1-2

I'll be very honest with you right now. And by saying this I am exposing myself to criticism but that's okay because someone out there may feel the way I once did. I used to be afraid of people who are from India, South Asia, and so forth. Why? Because I didn't know anyone from there. I wasn't trying to be racist. I didn't hate them because they were different from me. But I was afraid of them. My limited knowledge was of the radicals who attack others by using extreme means. My heart was jaded by the media's reports of attacks and terrorism. And I was wrong. So very, very wrong.

Not all Muslims are violent. Actually many believe in living peacefully with people of different faiths and don't strictly adhere to the teachings of the Koran. Not entirely different than someone who calls them self a christian and yet never graces the doors of a church, leaves their bible on the shelf gathering dust from a lack of use, or the one who calls him/herself a liberal. It is the Islamic radicals that are behind all the attacks and they terrorize everyone, even those of the Muslim faith. And, all religions have their own fanatics that will kill you because you believe differently than they do. Muslim, Hindu and Christian alike. But we can't lump everyone together and think they believe the same things just because of the color of their skin or where they were born. We are all unique individuals with different thoughts, opinions, and feelings. Just because we may look like our neighbor doesn't mean we think like them.

We had amazing neighbors who were a living testament to the fact that most Muslims are a group of people who wish to live peacefully with people of all faiths. And, I try to keep in contact with them even though we've moved to the other side of Houston. She was curious about our christian beliefs and I had the opportunity to share Christ with her and her husband a few times. They weren't indignant or upset with me for talking openly about my faith. They actually asked me questions to why I believed what I believe. We visited one another's homes frequently and our daughters played together on a nearly daily basis. I pray that those seeds that were planted will someday come to fruition and that we'll meet again as brothers and sisters in Christ.

Ramadan began on Wednesday (11th) and goes through September 9th. Please, check out the 30-Day Prayer Network and pray with me for this group of people. Even though this is a Muslim holiday for seeking enlightenment it is the perfect time for us to pray for them. While they are fasting and asking for visions I ask that you pray they will see Christ and that His presence will be made known. I have heard first hand several stories of how whole families have come to know our Father after seeing visions of Christ during their time fasting and praying. They need our prayers now more than ever and I hope you'll join me in this.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16

(All scripture verses are from the English Standard Version Bible)

6th Birthday Video

2010-08-11T10:46:00.002-05:00

I know I posted a video yesterday but this is the easiest way to show you the festivities of the day. Enjoy!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Happy 6th Birthday

2010-08-09T15:24:00.003-05:00

It hardly seems possible that six years have passed since Violet was born. Where has the time gone? These have been the most amazing years of my life. Being a mother is the greatest gift and being Violet's mother makes it even more incredible.

Happy 6th birthday baby girl! You are an incredible young lady and we love you more and more every day.
Love,
Mommy & Daddy

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

A Great Resource

2010-08-08T17:56:00.009-05:00

As a relatively new homeschooling family I am naturally drawn to sites that help support families in their endeavor to educate their children at home. I recently found a new site called My Homeschool World and have to say that I really enjoy it. The site is new so membership is on the low side but I can see that it is growing as word gets out about it.

Having support while homeschooling is a huge thing for families, especially for the parent who is the main educator. It is very easy to get stressed and lonely without the encouragement and support of others. My Homeschool World is a great resource for those. I still recommend being involved in a group that meets in person on a regular basis because a web site is no substitute for the physical meeting of likeminded families. But, this site is a great thing to turn to when you feel like you’re the only one who is having a hard time (or a hard day) with homeschooling.

Even though statistics show that more and more families are choosing to educate at home the mindset of most people is that a public education is the best (or only) education for children. That is why a website like My Homeschool World is a great resource. New homeschooling families, as well as the seasoned ones, can meet online at this site and share information, stories, and encouragement. We all want the best for our children whether we choose to send them to public school or to keep them at home and homeschool. For those who do homeschool, I hope you will go check out My Homeschool World.

I Am Blessed

2010-08-01T01:09:00.009-05:00

I have some amazing friends that God placed in my life over the years. One in particular, Karen B. We met several years ago while we were in college. Go SADERS!!! (University of Mary-Hardin Baylor) Karen and I lived in the same dorm and met by chance one day while I was sitting on the steps to our dorm waiting on Gregg to pick me up for dinner. We struck up a conversation and quickly became friends. And, the rest is history.

Fast forward seventeen years later and Karen and I are still close friends. She was a bridesmaid in mine and Gregg's wedding. And, she and Gregg are actually very good friends too. Karen came and spent a few days with us shortly after Violet was born to share in our joy and to help around the house. Karen has seen me at my best and has never judged me when I'm at my worst. Our friendship is one where we can pick up right where we left off, even if we haven't seen each other in a few years. And mostly, our friendship is more like a family relationship more than anything. We may not be biological sisters but our bond feels as if we are. You can't ask for a better type of friendship!

I'm bringing this all up because I am visiting my dear friend this weekend. It has been a while since we've had any one-on-one time and so here I am. Gregg and Violet are back at home enjoying their father/daughter time together while I'm enjoying some time away from home. I miss Gregg and Violet terribly but I'm not letting that bring me down. I've needed this time away just as much as I needed to spend some time with my friend. Karen works overseas which makes this time together even more special.

I've not had the best track record with friends over the years. And I'm not exactly sure why that is. So, when a friend sticks with me through the years, like Karen has, I notice it and I thank God for it!!! When was the last time you looked at your friendships and been amazed by the generosity of their friendship? Have you thanked God for placing them in your lives? Have you thanked your friends for sticking with you through thick and thin? Through trials and joys? Through the good and the bad? Because, a good friend is hard to find and a blessing to be grateful for.

May you be blessed by your friendships and may you be a blessing to your friends!

Good Lord I'm TIRED!!!

2010-07-22T23:07:00.004-05:00

Today (Thursday) was the start of mine and kiddo's three day practicum with Classical Conversations. I was so nervous about meeting these people whom I will be doing school with for the upcoming school year that I had a serious case of butterflies in my stomach. Those darned butterflies thought it would be funny if they woke me up every hour, on the hour!!! When my alarm went off at 5 AM I seriously wanted to throw it across the room. The urge to hear that alarm die after it made impact against the wall was very strong. Very, very strong. Ahh, but I did the adult thing and slapped the SNOOZE button several times.

You may be asking yourselves, "Why would you have to wake up at 5 AM Kimberly?" Well, the answer is quite simple. The practicum is an hour drive from where we live now. An amazing church in the Houston area opened their doors for the Classical Conversations Organization. And without charge! Wow, you just have to love a church that will open their doors for a community of believers to meet in for a reason that is beyond that church's business and services. I wish there were more churches like Sagemont around because we desperately need more like them!

Thank you Sagemont Church for opening your doors to us. And for serving us while we learned how to best utilize our curriculum. May God bless your church in glorious and wondrous ways!
I am enjoying my practicum immensely. Violet is having the time of her life while in her class too. She has already made several new friends. It melted my heart to see how well she got along with the other kids in her group. Hugs were shared by all when it was time for us to leave for the day. And one precious little girl even asked if Violet could come over and spend the night!

This year's theme for Classical Conversations is "Thinking Beyond a Book!" I love that theme. I love books! I love reading! But it's easy to forget that books are actually tools to be used in a home school setting. And, if you aren't careful, books can become a task master. Our mission statement says so much...

We believe in an integrated education that seeks to know God and to make Him known.
How awesome is that?!!!

It's getting late but I want to leave you with one thought that was shared by Amanda Butler, our speaker today. Amanda shared with us this thought...

"Children are souls to be nurtured, not to be measured."

Yet another quote that I absolutely adore! I want to nurture my daughter and teach her in a way that she is excited to learn! I want her to love reading, math, science, history, and so forth. Because a child that is excited to learn is a child that WILL learn!

Random Thoughts

2010-07-19T14:18:00.008-05:00

It's amazing what a difference it makes to your family's dynamics when there is an extra kid in your house. Not really a kid but a teenager!!! We have had a precious family member visit us for the past two weeks and there has never been a dull moment since she arrived. And I totally mean that in the best way possible. There has been a level of constant chatter and movement that hasn't been experienced in our home before. Needless to say, it has been quite the experience!

We took RC to Austin over the weekend so that she can spend the week with my sister-in-law's family. Monday was the first day in two weeks that it has just been me and Violet. While Violet was able to fill her day with different things to do the house was eerily quiet. I miss the sweet laughter of shared jokes and activities between the girls. Thankfully, we'll get RC back for a few days before she returns home. That is if I'll let her return home. We've enjoyed having her here so much that I'm thinking of keeping her! Yeah, I know, that'll never work but a girl can dream can't she?!!

The rest of the week is going to be pretty busy and very crazy for Violet and me. We have a three day practicum we're participating in, Thursday through Saturday. Up at the crack of dawn so that we can leave the house, and beat the traffic, just as the sun wakes up for the day. I'm SO not looking forward to that. But I am looking forward to the practicum itself. Violet will be in a day-camp while I am learning how to use the curriculum we'll be involved in for this coming school year.

I am so thankful to be involved with Classical Conversations this year. Violet and I did okay for her Kindergarten year but we really missed being with other people. Homeschooling can be a lonely existence if you're not involved in a group of some sort. We intended to be involved in a group last year but missed the cut off date to join. Lesson learned. The school year hasn't even started for us yet but we're plugged in with the group and are already keeping busy. While I'm not accustomed to all the activities I realize they are an important part of the social settings of school and are greatly needed by not only by the children but the parents as well. The 2010-2011 school year is looking very promising and we're ready to get started!

Busy, Busy, Busy

2010-07-13T23:05:00.010-05:00

I am LOVING having my niece down right now! We are having so much fun. Today we got up and out of the house pretty early. Our quest was to conquer the day and I think we did a pretty good job of doing just that!!! Our first stop was at a local movie theater to watch the movie Doogal. That was pretty much a let down but we didn't let it keep us down. From there, we went to Memorial City Mall. R.C. was amazed at how big our mall is. She had some money that was burning a hole in her pockets and so we looked for a little something to buy. Her choice was an amazing white shirt that has a cross on the front and angel wings on the back along with the words True Love. I have to say, I really wish that shirt came in my size because I would have totally bought one for myself!

After we ate lunch we headed to Sephora. R.C. is of the age to where she wants to start wearing some makeup. So, I thought it would be fun for her to get a professional makeup lesson. Julie, our sweet makeup consultant/artist, did a fantastic job on R.C. She kept things young/youthful but without putting on too much makeup. I have a beautiful niece and when the makeup lesson was finished, she was simply stunning. Oh boy, we are going to have a hard time keeping the boys away from that one!

From the mall we went to the Museum of Natural Science. We had an amazing time there. I asked the girls what their favorites were and they said they loved seeing all the different dinosaurs and the Egyptian Mummy. Which those were my favorites too! But I also loved the Foucault Pendulum, watching the pendulum swing back and forth, showing how the earth rotates, eventually knocking over a pin when it comes in contact with one. Every one was waiting to see a pin get knocked over and cheered when it finally happened. If I understood correctly, it take close to an hour for the pendulum to move over a fraction of an inch to hit one of the pins. (Don't hold me to that little fact though because I could be wrong!)

We had a fantastic time today! I enjoyed watching the girls as they fell in love with one thing or another at the museum. There is nothing better than to see a child's look of surprise and wonder as they see, and learn, something new. I do have to say this: I'm not as young as I used to be. My body aches all over due to all the walking we did. And, I'm sure it didn't help that my purse weighs a ton! With all of the aches and pains as well as the absolutely crappy traffic we drove through, it was totally worth it. And then some!

And speaking of traffic!!! Personal Rant Here, so consider yourself warned: if you are driving down a major road/interstate, then please get off the freakin' phone and pay attention to HOW YOU'RE DRIVING!!!! I'm driving along in my lane, the lane I've been driving in for the past fifteen minutes, when a lady (who had her cell phone glued to her left ear) decided to move over into MY lane. And in the same exact spot where my car was. Yikes!!! I laid on the horn several times and she just kept talking (blah, blah, blah), never once looking in the lane I was in and never hearing the freaking loud horn that is blaring RIGHT NEXT TO HER WINDOW!!! Grrrr, I can't begin to describe how much that hacks me off!!! Okay, rant over. Thanks for sticking with me through that.

We'll be taking it easy tomorrow (Wednesday) because my body will need time to recover. Also, I have a ton of launry to get done before we drive to Austin on Friday. But on Thursday, I have even bigger plans for the girls. A trip to the Museum Of Fine Arts is first on our itinerary, and after a quick lunch, we will be going to the Museum Of Health & Medical Science. Yeah, I'm trying to sneak some "culture" in to these kids, even if it's the last thing I ever manage to do!

Cousins

2010-07-05T23:39:00.004-05:00

Violet's cousin R. is visiting us all the way from Michigan. It has been so much fun having her here. After weeks of unbridled anticipation Violet is having the time of her life! We've had a ton of rain lately and unfortunately we're expecting more ~ not very helpful when you have two kids that want nothing more than to just go to the pool. Life has been pretty crazy around here lately. Crazy in a good way though! If things keep going so well between the cousins (which I'm sure they will) then our family may never see R. again unless if they come down for a visit. Because, I'm pretty determined to keep the kid!

R. and family landed on Texas soil just as Hurricane Alex was making landfall in Mexico and South Texas. Thankfully, their flight was a good one and they arrived at our home before the rain caused flooding throughout the Houston area. We finally got a break from the constant rain and actually had a beautiful 4th of July. The skies were amazingly clear, the temps were down, and we were able to get out of the house. We enjoyed a few hours at the pool and then went to a fireworks show at La Centerra here in Katy.

The fireworks show was absolutely stunning! I have never seen a more incredible fireworks show in person than what we experienced the other night. We knew that La Centerra would be jam-packed with people for the pre-show events so we decided to just go for the fireworks. We drove around the area for a little while, looking for a decent parking space, and our search paid off nicely. After a short walk, we ended up across the street from where the fireworks were being set up. We set up our chair and picnic blanket in the most ideal spot, right in front of a little pond. It was a perfect day! I hope you and yours had an amazing 4th!

I Am In Love!!!

2010-07-02T00:59:00.011-05:00

I am in Love people!!! No, I'm not talking about my dear husband. Although, I DO love the man. He's incredibly handsome and knows the trick of turning me on ~ he does some house chores! Yes, that's this housewife's porn ~ watching my hubby clean a shower stall or taking out the trash, you name it, it's sexy baby!!! Somehow I don't think Justin Timberlake meant a man doing house chores when he sang, "I'm bringing sexy back!".

Yes folks, I'm in love with an non-living object, my newest sofa! Ahh, I love that baby. If I weren't happily married to my dear husband I might would consider marrying this sofa. I kid you! Of course I wouldn't marry a sofa! But that's how deep my love runs for this baby, baby. Yessirree!!! I looovesss my new sofa!!!

Great Expectations

2010-06-27T17:31:00.009-05:00

I HATE SHOPPING!!! There! I've said it. Now, here's why. I don't seem to have very good luck with shopping, especially for big ticket items (ie. mattresses, sofas). We picked out two new mattresses for our family shortly before Thanksgiving and within three days of owning them a spring broke in one. It took a lot of finagling to get the store to fix the problem despite us having a warranty on the product. After several phone calls, and even more complaints, the store finally did the right thing. We got a new mattress after sleeping on the sprung spring for a month (as if I don't have enough trouble sleeping in the first place!).

We decided to try our luck again after the holidays and shopped around for a new sofa. And shopped, and shopped, and shopped. You can read about that here. I was nearly certifiably crazy before we finally agreed upon something. That should be the end of the story but it's not. Oh no! That would be too easy!!!

Our brand spanking new sofa was delivered in late April and we couldn't have been more thrilled with it. Our sofa was so soft and comfy and we had great expectations of living happily ever after with it. I guess our expectations were too great for this lone sofa though because it didn't take long for it to look sad, depressed, and rejected. Poor thing! We really only had eyes for you! Really!!!

I called Star Furniture last week (after owning the sad sofa for all of two months) and told them something just wasn't right. I guess our match-made-in-heaven wasn't really such a great match after all. I tried to self-diagnose what was wrong with our lovely sofa and they immediately told me, "We'll send out a professional to come take a look at it!" to which my reply was, "Great!". It took all of three days for someone to arrive at our doorstep and he quickly said, "That's a sad looking sofa."

Mr. Inspector was on the phone before I could even blink an eye and told the customer service lady that our sofa had a manufacturing defect and that it needed to be replaced. Mrs. Customer Service Lady gave us two choices. (A) We could do an even exchange and get the same style/brand sofa, or (B) we could select a different sofa. After talking briefly with my dear husband we quickly agreed that we wanted to go with option B. We loved this sofa but are concerned that we'd have the same problem develop with another one just like it. So, Hi-ho, hi-ho, back to the store we go!

I guess all that shopping we did earlier this year helped me. I didn't have nearly as much trouble deciding on something. I went in, told the sales associate what I like and don't like, what our price range was, and the search was on. I quickly narrowed our choices down to three different sofas but only one really stood out.

Hello lover! Welcome to my place.

Two completely different sofas and styles but both lovely and comfy in their own individual way. Our new sofa will be delivered in two days and I'm really excited. We even ended up saving a little money and we'll be getting a check for the difference. Now I'm shopping for a new end table.

I have to say this ~ Star Furniture is a great company to work with!!! They really want their customers to be happy with their purchases and are quick to fix any problem that you may have with them. Dealing with their customer service, furniture inspector, and sales associates couldn't have been any easier. Star Furniture appreciates their customers and does everything they can to assure that you will be a repeat shopper with them.

BUBBLES

2010-06-21T22:21:00.003-05:00

What girl doesn't love a good bubble bath? You can just see the "stress" melting off her. I tell ya, it's a hard life that an almost-six-year-old has.

Pool & Movie Days

2010-06-11T16:13:00.007-05:00

It's that time of the year again. Summer. Hot, humid, mosquito fighting, dog days of summer. Okay, it's not all that bad! It is HOT though, that's a given here in the Houston area. But, there are tons of things to do too! Sanity-saving and free things that keeps Violet busy and our wallets intact.

One of Violet's favorites is pool time. The kid takes to water like a fish! She loves the water and would spend every single moment at the pool if given the opportunity. I already have a healed sunburn to testify to that fact. We're at the pool in the early hours of the day, before the heat gets too sweltering hot, working on Violet's swimming. Violet can't swim yet but we're working on that!

Tuesday through Thursday there are a few movies theaters that offer free or dollar movies at 10 AM. The movies are generally a few years old, which is fine with us, but there are a few that were released last summer. And on Thursdays we can get a bit of "culture" at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston with their free events for families.

On top of all of that, we're also trying to work out a summer visit with one of Violet's cousins (Hi R!). And if that wasn't enough, we're also making plans for Violet's sixth birthday (where has the time gone?). So, Violet and I have a pretty full summer planned ahead of us. Poor Gregg, he has to work all the time but we aren't complaining about that because at least he has a job! Still, he's going to be missing out on a lot of fun. We'll be doing some school work activities so that Violet doesn't lose what she's learned so far (I can hear the groans already) but the structure is much more relaxed. That's our summer, what does yours look like?

Memorial Day ~ May We Always Remember

2010-05-31T13:17:00.005-05:00

"We will always remember. We will always be proud. We will always be prepared, so we may always be free" ~ Ronald Reagan

To those who are serving our great nation now, and to those who have served in the past ~ Thank You! May God bless and keep you safely in His hands.

To those who have given the ultimate sacrifice ~ You Will Always Be Remembered!

To the families who have (or had) someone in the service ~ Thank you for your sacrifice too. I can't imagine the worries, fears, and sleepless nights you've encountered while your loved ones are serving our great nation.

To my amazing Dad (who served in the Vietnam War) and my husband's incredible Grandfather (who served in World War II) ~ Thank you for the great examples of courage you have given to me and to our nation. You are amazing men. I'm honored to be a part of your family and love you! You are my heroes!

Homemade Snack/Trail Mix

2010-05-24T10:39:00.006-05:00

I decided to try making my own snack/trail mix this weekend and it couldn't have been easier! And, it's very tasty. I spent $6.59 in extra ingredients onto my regular grocery list. Which $6.59 can be considered pricey for a snack mix but this makes twice the amount of what you'd pay for a regular package of snack mix and you know exactly what is in the package. Here's the breakdown...

1 pkg. Small Lightly Salted Pretzels (a regular grocery item and store brand)
1 pkg. Cascadian Farm's Honey Oh's Cereal (a regular grocery item and $1.00 coupon)
1 container Roasted, Unsalted Peanuts
1 container Planters NUT*rition Antioxidant Mix (contains almonds, bananas, peaches, blueberries, cranberries and cashews)

The peanuts and NUT*rition were the only things that were added to my regular grocery list. The peanuts were next to nothing since I bought the store brand and had a coupon. The Planters NUT*rition was the most expensive item at $5.59 but it ended up being cheaper than trying to buy all the different dried fruits that are in this package. For instance, a small package of dried bananas would have cost me $2.00 and raisins were $2.00 and up.

I tossed the whole container of NUT*rition into a gallon zip-lock bag, then added a few cups of cereal, pretzels, and about one cup of peanuts and then mixed it all up. Super easy! And considering that I have a gallon sized bag of the mix, it's rather cheap. Not to mention, I have enough cereal, pretzels and peanuts to make this at least two more times with the only additional ingredient needed is the NUT*rition.

Enjoy!

Fresh Food!

2010-05-19T15:59:00.002-05:00

To say I'm ubber excited right now would be a major understatement. Katy, Texas now has it's very own Farmer's Market!!! I just discovered this tidbit of news and thought I'd share it with everyone I knew. If you're in the Katy area, go check out Katy Fresh Produce Market. Now I don't have to wait for Saturdays to arrive to buy fresh-locally grown produce. Yay!

A Girl Met A Boy

2010-05-11T22:10:00.008-05:00

It all started in the summer of 1990. Twenty years ago I met the most amazing young man that I have ever met in my life. And here's our story (some of it at least!)...

I was new to the town that I was living in and knew absolutely no one. A pretty lonely existence for a girl that's a social butterfly. I finally got involved with a church's college program, knowing that I would meet some good people and possibly make some new friends. While involved in this group, the youth pastor asked me if I'd be interested in going to the youth camp for a week and help out. I knew other college students would be there and so I jumped at the chance to go.

I was housed with three other young girls, girls that were still in high school. Girls that loved to laugh and stay up late. Very sweet girls! (I was lucky with the housing department that year!) Well, one day, while walking up to my room I found one of my girls sitting outside talking with a handsome fellow. I stopped and said hello and this is were I found out the name of the "future love of my life". His name was Gregg.

Gregg and I got to talk a lot over the course of that week. We talked about what classes we were taking, God, family, friends, and so forth. We laughed a lot over the stupidest things. He didn't even get upset after I smoked him in a swimming challenge. (I had conviently left out the little fact that I was a lifeguard when the challenge was made.) We were around each other a lot during that week and I was so happy to have made a new friend. Gregg was a bright, shining light of hope that I would soon develop even more friends.

I found out a few weeks later that Gregg's feelings for me were more of the romantic kind. I was totally clueless. Which if you haven't figured this out yet, I pretty much live in a state of cluelessness. Yeah, I'm the girl who has a dumbfounded look on her face after hearing a dirty joke because I simply didn't get it. And, I didn't get it the second time I was told the joke either (something that seemed to bring great delight to the joke teller!). Not that Gregg was telling me dirty jokes, because he wasn't! That is just a testament of how clueless I can be sometimes.

Where was I? Oh! I was clueless of Gregg's romantic feelings towards me. So, I called Gregg one night and asked him to get a group of friends together and we could all go to the movies. Gregg called me shortly afterwards and said that everyone had plans but that that shouldn't keep us from going out. And so, I said sure!

So, we went to the movies that night. We saw Die Hard 2. We enjoyed the movie and somewhere during this innocent night out the air began to change. Things felt different than just two friends going out and enjoying one another's company. This was starting to feel more and more like a date. How did that happen?!!! Even though the tide had changed, things felt right.

I won't bore you with the details. I'll just tell you that we ended up dating after that night, for nearly five years! And we've been married now for 15 (FIFTEEN) years! Yes folks, fifteen years ago I married the man of my dreams and became the luckiest girl in the world on this day! Time has flown by and it doesn't seem like we've been married for fifteen years. Besides, I'm not old enough to have been married for fifteen years!!! Ha!

Happy Anniversary Baby!!! I am the luckiest girl in the world to be able to call you my husband. Thank you for being such a wonderful husband (and father to our beautiful little girl). You are my prince charming and I love you more than ever.

Gorilla Bars?

2010-05-10T12:41:00.002-05:00

Violet ~ Mommy, can I have a gorilla bar?

Me ~ A gorilla bar? What's that? Is it like a monkey bar?

Violet ~ No, not like that. A go-ril-la bar! (Here she talks to me real s-l-o-w, like that'll make me understand what she's saying.) The ones you eat!

Me ~ You mean a granola bar?

Violet ~ Yeah, a gorilla bar with peanut butter on it!

And that's where I broke out into the worst case of giggles ever! It's never a dull moment here.

Conversation

2010-05-07T00:07:00.003-05:00

After making Violet lunch and a special treat (blueberry muffins) for her snack, this is the conversation we had.

Violet ~ Thank you Mommy for making me lunch. This is the best grilled-cheese sandwich ever!

Me ~ Wow, thank you. That's high praise considering your Mimi P. makes some pretty awesome grilled-cheese sandwiches.

Violet ~ Yeah, hers are really good too. Soooo, let's not tell her I said that. Okay? (sorry Mimi P.)

Me ~ Okay, I think we can do that. (obviously, I can't!)

Violet ~ You know what else I think?

Me ~ What's that?

Violet ~ I think you're a magician in the kitchen!!!

Do I have an awesome kid or what?!!!

Confused

2010-05-05T00:59:00.001-05:00

I'm a bit confused at this moment. Blogger isn't working properly for me, especially with my most recent post (see the one below). My last post isn't showing a way to leave comments. Not that I get very many comments, but I would like for there to be a way to leave one should you feel inclined to do so. So, if you like what you read below this post, please come back and leave a comment here. Thanks!

Just A Little Excitement

2010-05-04T22:17:00.001-05:00

I think Violet was just a little bit excited once she figured out what we were doing for the night (Disney On Ice) a few weeks ago. We did a great job at keeping everything a secret from Violet. Here's some video that I got just as Violet figured out where we were and what we were doing there. So much fun!!! Enjoy!

If you listen carefully, you might hear me calling Violet "Munch". If you're scratching you head on that little nickname of hers, let me explain. Munch is shortened from Munchkin. I said it one day and it just kind of stuck! Makes perfect sense to me!

A Night of Magic

2010-04-28T20:35:00.005-05:00

We had a magical night last week that was filled with wonder and awe. Mimi & Grandpa bought tickets to see Disney On Ice for the four of us for a show last week. Needless to say, it was a wonderful experience. We decided to wait to tell Violet about the show until we arrived there. Keeping this a secret was no small feat. Violet knew she had a big surprise coming, she just didn't know what. This way, we had something to hold over the kid's head to keep her in compliance with whatever we said. I'm kidding! (Sort-of.) Can't you see how excited Violet was on the car ride to the show?

Violet was totally clueless to what she was about to experience, which made the whole thing even more fun that it already was! We arrived at the venue an hour and a half early, beating the crowds that were about to come. Only thing, we had to wait for the doors to open. It was during our time in line that Violet figured out why we were there and what her surprise was. It wasn't long before her excitement took over and she was jumping up and down. We then began a guessing game of who we thought we were going to see. So much fun!

While waiting on the show to begin, the four of us checked out the different vendors. Big mistake! Everything there was a kid's delight. Mickey & Minnie ears. Tinker Bell wings that light up. Some kind of spinning flashlight gizmo (that was really, really annoying, especially if you were sitting behind a kid or two that had one and you're trying to take pictures). Special cups that were either filled with snow cones or lemonade. And a $15.oo program that came with a special party hat that had Mickey ears attached. Lord, these people know how to cater to a kid's imagination and to a parent's (grandparent's) wallet!

Violet has the patience of a gnat! Waiting for over an hour for the show to begin was sheer torture for our little girl but she was still very good. Just sitting there, soaking up the whole idea that she was going to see Mickey & Minnie, was a bit mind boggling for her. And I'll be honest, it was amazing to watch. There really is something magical about anything and everything Disney.

We got to see nearly every Disney character that has ever been created! There was Alice and the Mad-Hatter, Cruella De-vil, Jack Skellington, Captain Hook, Goofy, Pluto, Daisy & Donald Duck. All of the princes and princesses were there, including the newest Tiana & Naveen from The Princess And The Frog, which was a major crowd pleaser. There was even the cast of Toy Story 2! And so many more characters that it's hard to put them all in here. But I imagine, if you can think of a character they were probably in the show.

Violet walked away with a pair of Minnie Ears that light up, a tinker bell cup, and a tinker bell doll (think Barbie Doll) before the night was over. Most importantly, she walked away with special memories filled with magic and wonder of Mickey Mouse and all of his friends.

Thank you Mimi & Grandpa for providing this night of magic for our precious little girl. This is something that she'll never forget.

(all photos are straight from the camera and are a mixture of ones taken either by myself or by my mom)

Wordless Wednesday

2010-04-28T14:04:00.002-05:00

Best Shot Monday

2010-04-26T11:13:00.002-05:00

I can't believe I'm actually posting a photo of Ebony & P.B. since these two and I aren't on the best of terms. Still, I think it's a great photo of the two. I was waiting on some birds to arrive at my parent's bird feeders and when none showed up I turned the camera on the cats. Ebony reminds me of Toothless, a dreaded Night Fury, from How To Train Your Dragon.

Having Such a Great Time!

2010-04-20T16:40:00.014-05:00

We're having such a great time here in Little Rock! I failed to mention in my last post that we're here visiting my parents for the week. The weather has been absolutely amazing (a far cry from our last visit here!). An old friend from college drove a few hours to come visit me and it was great catching up with one another. It has been nearly twenty years since we last saw each other. Wow!

We all went to WildWood Park yesterday, a fantastic park here in Little Rock. The gardens were beautiful and Violet enjoyed looking at all the different plants. We even saw a very pretty swan as it swam around in the lake at the park. BTW, did you know swans can actually hiss? I didn't either until yesterday. We were all sitting in a beautiful pavilion when three dogs ran up. Apparently the swan didn't like the dogs getting too close because he ruffled his feathers, lowered his head (giving them the evil eye) and hissed!!! I can't tell you how amusing we all thought that was.

(Sorry for the quality of the photo. These are straight from the camera.)

Today Violet, Mimi and I went to see How To Train A Dragon (while Grandpa stayed behind to get some yard work done). We LOVED this movie!!! There were a couple of scary scenes but we could tell when they were coming and prepared Violet for them. She did great! It's been a while since I've gotten so involved in a movie that I've actually cheered for a character to succeed. Violet is already asking to see How To Train A Dragon again. This is a movie that I would gladly see again!

And with all of that, I'll leave you with this funny picture. Toodles!