What I'm Loving Wednesday!

"A teachers affects eternity, they never know where their influence will stop." ~ Henry Adams

Today, I'm loving TEACHERS! 

Specifically, my son's teacher Mrs. Olson.

She emailed me yesterday afternoon,

and the email just made my day.

Hi Jamie, I just couldn't help but share this with you, it was too funny!

I was teaching reading and we are reading a book called An Orange in January about the life cycle of an orange and the process of getting oranges from the orchard to the store.  I asked what it is called when we only see the flower on the tree but not the orange yet.  Ty raised his hand and responded, "A Possum!"  (He was shooting for blossom).

It was so cute :)  I thought you would enjoy it!

Hope you have a great day!

Haley Olson

This is the 2nd year he has been blessed with an amazing teacher.

As a mother, that is a huge deal.

She spends more time with him during the day than I do.

It makes me feel good to know he's taken care of so well.

It's easy to make a buck.  It's a lot tougher to make a difference.  ~Tom Brokaw 

Now link up & share what you're loving =)

Who runs the world? GIRLS!

It's good to have connections.

Our good friend Jim Allen hooked us up with concert tickets, to see Miranda Lambert!

enter hotness! 

Dropped the little one at Grandma's and took the big 2 to the show.

Kaydee was the most excited! She got many compliments on my her hat, and her earrings.

Here we are waiting for the show =)

After the 2 opening acts, someone fell asleep....

enter dippin dots...

The cold sugar treat wasn't enough to keep the kids awake, and we headed home mid Miranda Lambert kick ass performance.  What we did see was all of awesome!

Thanks Jim!  We had a great time!

I thought this image was hilarious!

Enjoy your weekend everyone.

Football tomorrow, Go Raptors!

Happy.

Life isn't perfect, or kind sometimes.

Life can suddenly change, or seem to stay the same dull for eternity.

 

I have learned, and try and remind myself, that life is only what you make it.

Don't rely on others to make you happy.

Don't expect the too much, and don't settle for too little.

Stop playing the victim.

Stop living life like it owes you something.

Find happiness, in the small things. 

The things that really do matter at the end of a life.

Time spent, memories shared, love felt.

I thank God every single day, for what he's blessed me with. 

Even the struggles, without them I would not value or appreciate the little things.

My life may be less than glamorous to some people.

My life is exactly what I want it to be for now.

If God sheds light on our next path, I will trust & follow that direction.

For now, I am consumed & enjoying every moment he gives me as a mother, wife, daughter, sister, friend.

I give, pay attention, help & encourage.

And I love it.

I also LOVE this song:

My next post promises to be funny, light hearted & good ole' Jamie =)

Heaven has another beautiful angel today...

Today I am praying for an old friend of mine, Lynda.

On June 30th 2011 she gave birth to a sweet baby girl, Amelia.

Amelia suffered from Downs Syndrome.

This morning, sometime before 4:00 a.m., Amelia was called to Heaven.

Peacefully in her sleep, she left this earth and is now no longer suffering.

I'm Free
Don't grieve for me for now I'm free,
I'm following the path God laid for me.
I took his hand when I heard him call,
I turned my back and left it all.
I could not stay another day
To laugh, to love, to work or play.
Tasks left undone will stay that way,
I found that peace at close of day.
If my parting has left a void
Then fill it with remembered joy
A friendship shared, a laugh a kiss,
Ah yes, these things I, too, will miss.

But not burdened with times of sorrow,
I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow.
My life has been full, I've savored much.
Good friends, good times, a loved ones touch.
Perhaps my time seemed all to brief
Don't lengthen it now with undue grief,
Lift up you hearts and share with me,
God wanted me now,
He set me free.

Please say a prayer for Lynda, who today, is living every mothers worst fear.

Thank you.

Our Mini-Photo Shoot

Camera in hand (thanks Molly !) I set out to snap some photos of my mini-me's.  After all Christmas is 

tomorrow...

I mean, next week...

No, next month...

Ok so there's really 88 days until Christmas, but I decided to get ahead of the game and prepare the Christmas cards early.  

So here's what we came out with: Enjoy!

Hope everyone has a great week!

Oh Hello Pnuemonia...

So, our sweet Kaydee June is in the hospital.

she is very upset about this

After feeling rather icky for a few days, we got in with the doctor (puking all the way).

and we ended up here:

Yes this is our hospital, we don't live in a 3rd world country.  We call it Kansas, we call it home.

After much testing & xrays she officially has pnuemonia

 

she is very upset about this

IV fluids and a couple antibiotics and today she's finally smiling!

of course this helps a little too:

An Apple Pie caramel apple & all the chocolate covered strawberries they have left. Don't even ask how much it cost.  I could have fed a small village for a month.

and the sweet ladies at our parish brought her up a prayer blanket:

They let her pick, and she loves it =)

The nurses here are top notch, very friendly and they share my evil sense of humor.  Mine is what keeps me from going crazy.  Really.

More test results tomorrow.  Chillin for now.  Did some mani's & pedi's, watching some tv, reading, cross words.  Whatever she wants to pass the time.

Have a great week!

A week with my mom!

I am still in shock over the entire surprise, and the fact that they pulled it off.  It was, without a doubt,one of the best surprises ever!  We had an amazing week, it's so hard when she's here for a short time, and we try and cram in as much as we can!  So much to do, so many people to visit, so little time.  I love seeing my kids with her, they love Nana SO much!  Plus, they behave much better when she's here.  They love tea parties, dressing up, playing outside, going on walks.  Oh how I wish she would just move back [hint hint mom, I know you're reading this]!

So excited to have their nana back, even if it was only for a week!

We didn't want her to leave! (Yet, apparently Carsen thinks something is super funny)

Nana with the girls =)

Sisters!  My mom & my 3 beautiful aunts =)

They make me smile =)

My mom & my Aunt Cindy

One last "game day" tea party!

We went shopping and found her a GORGEOUS dress for my brothers wedding next year. 

We also went to sonic every single day for happy hour drinks.  It's just those little moments, I really enjoyed her company all week.  She's gone now, and it seems she took the heat back with her.  I am totally loving the current weather pattern and the fact that I had to dig out sweaters & jackets for the drive to school!  Amen for my heated seats =)  All this sweater, and heater business has me hungry for chili.  So, excuse me while I go stock up on all that good stuff!

Have a great week!  Call your mom & tell her you love her, I sure do LOVE mine!

Oh, AND, we have a new little cheerleader in the house!  Congrats beautiful girl! You worked hard, kept a good attitude and made the team! We are SO proud of you!

Best. Surprise. Ever!

I love my mother as the trees love water and sunshine - she helps me grow, prosper, and reach great heights. ~Adabella Radici

I'm the kind of person who gets joy out of making other people happy.  Surprising them, making their day, especially when they least expect it & most deserve it.  I, myself, on the other hand am very hard to surprise.  I don't like being surprised, I like considerate thoughts in little things, but as for big surprises... they scare me.  I am & always have been a self proclaimed control freak.  The planner, the one in charge.  But enough about history....

Last week, my bestie Maegan emailed me asking me if we could have dinner Friday night.  "Yes!" I always get excited for girl time (and food of course).  My 30th birthday is over & done with.  My husband did an amazing job at executing my "Happy List" for  my birthday and making my day amazing.  Then he & Maegan planned a perfect adult weekend, which I previously blogged about, and it was amazing as well!  But Friday, just when I thought it was over & done with.... they did something I never EVER thought possible.  They planned and brought my mom back, from Texas for me.  

Cue the ugly cry!!

For a couple months now, they emailed and planned for her to fly back & surprise me.  Just for me.  Just b/c they love me & wanted to show me surprises can be great & I deserved this.  I miss my mom, daily.  We are best friends.  BEST friends.  She's been down in Texas for almost 5 years now.  We talk daily, email every hour, Skype (gotta LOVE that!)... but having her here in the flesh is a gift that overwhelms me. 

This was Friday night at my surprise dinner.  Me with my mom, my bestie & my aunt Cindy =)

To have a best friend, Maegan, and a husband who would plan something like this just for me leaves me feeling oh so loved!  Enjoying every single minute with my mom.  Watching her with my kids, tea parties, dress up, baseball, ice cream dates, shopping.... much much more.  I won't want to send her back on Saturday, but I will never EVER forget this time.  Just for me.

I hope everyone has an amazing week!

Confessions of an Addict Part I

It's been a while since my last link-up, and now that my big kids are back in school I actually have a little time to play along!

 Here's what I'm confessing today!

I confess to being addicted to the following things:

Coffee: I started drinking coffee shortly after high school, it replaced my need for mountain dew every morning (and I have not drank a sip of mountain dew since HS! ).  I love coffee, and love trying new coffee's.  I'm not a fancy coffee lover, I'll drink anything as long as it has some sugar & milk in it.  Right now I brew vanilla coffee every morning.  God bless my self timed coffee maker, it's ready when I wake up & it saves me time.

French Onion Dip: and I hate onions!  But I can barely go a single day without this stuff.  I only like the kind made with sour cream & I love to eat it with plain ole' tortilla chips!  Carrots, broccoli, cucumbers, cauliflower, peppers, pizza rolls, chicken strips.... my list could go on & on.  Sort of like ranch dressing, I could eat this stuff with just about anything!

Vacuuming: I have to vacuum every single day.  The whole house & rugs.  It's like self medicating or something.  I did home daycare for 5 years when Kaydee was born, and the carpet in our entire house paid the price for all those little ones running wild!  We replaced the whole house last year, and ever since I've been obsessed with keeping it clean.  We just had it professionally steam cleaned too, and now I can't stop staring at the floors.  I know, a lame sickness.

Cherry Dr. Pepper: I have one & only 1 every day.  I prefer sonic's cherry dr. pepper but we keep it on hand if I don't feel like going to Sonic.

Entourage: Classic HBO programming.  I love me some Vinny Chase!  Hubs & I watch it together. Ari totally makes that show, one of the funniest actors around these days.

TV shows dealing with FOOD: Food Network, Travel Channel, Bravo and whatever other channels carry shows with food!  Top Chef, Man v. Food, Iron Chef (one of Chris' favs), Heat Seekers, Rocco's Dinner Party, Diners Drive-In's & Dives..... again the list could go on & on!  I love new ideas, especially quick & healthy ones.  Bring it on!

To Be Continued....

This is just a small list of the things that I love and consider my self addicted to!  What do you confess to be addicted to?  I'd love to know!
LINK-Up Here! 

Part II of my Confessions of an Addict next Friday =)

Have a great weekend!!

I AM.....30.

I have been 30 for 2 weeks now.  Getting used to it, still have a hard time saying it.  I sort of feel wiser, instead of older.  Using the knowledge and experiences of my 20's to make my 30's kick ass!

So for my big day, the hubs asked me the week prior, to make a list of things that would make my birthday perfection.  After much consideration and thought, I made a sort of long, but very simple list of things that just make me HAPPY!  That's what I wanted to feel on that day, was happy!  We don't do store bought gifts, often.  I appreciate them from other people, just not my husband.  He executed my list, along with the kids help on some of them, and my birthday was amazing.  Simply amazing!  I cried that day, but not b/c I was another year older and entering a new decade of my life, I cried with overwhelming emotion for what God has given me already and how blessed I am to have what I have.  These people I share my life with are rare and wonderful!

So enough with the mushy stuff..... you can't turn 30 without having lots & lots a few adult beverages right?  Ok, so the bestie & the hubs got together and planned an adult weekend in KC for our group of friends.  Hotel reservations & all!  Hubs was committed to a golf tourney that morning, so the bestie & I headed to KC bright & early to enjoy the entire day together!  Loved every minute of it.  Once everyone was in KC, we drank, had dinner, drank some more, danced, drank some more.... and more... and more... and then had breakfast & crashed back at the hotel.  It was like old times, times before any of us had children to wake up to =)  Here's a photo re-cap of the weekend that is now in the history books.  I am lucky, and thank God every day for what I have in life.  

So we ran into some "men" in the elevator.  One asked me what I was drinking, I was quick to reply "Oh, it's just lemonade". "From where?" he asked.  "Malibu" was my response.  You had to be there, it was too funny.  It was malibu & pineapple juice.  Oh. So. Yummy.

Ain't we purdy?

Not sure what's up with my face, I was having a good time though =)

This was prior to dinner, and I'm still trying to figure out why Chris appears to be a midget when he was in fact the tallest man in the room at 6'4". 

Again with the face.... I have no words.  I love this man =)

Cheers to 30!!

My favorite people =)

Have a great weekend all!