Another One Bites The Dust...

Hmmm...do I look any different to you?

Yup...its here...I am one year older today and one year closer to my 30's. Now don't get me wrong, 30 is NOT old, but it is a big deal when you move up a number in the 10's place. Someone in their 20's is young without a doubt, but once you crossover into the the 30's...there is no turning back...and the young without a doubt spunk is gone forever. I hope I am lucky enough to age like my Mom...have you seen her? She is one hot mama! You know your mother looks really good at 50 (sorry Mom!) when people overhear you having a conversation between clothing racks at the mall and totally freak out when they hear me call her "Mom." Someone has even asked us if we were twins! Come on people...I know the woman does look pretty good, but I am half her age, so what does that say about me? Regardless of how I change over the years...or how old I get...one thing remains the same...I AM BLESSED. I have so many wonderful things to be THANKFUL for and so many wonderful people to be THANKFUL for. God has been so good to me in my 28 years of earthly life. He has always provided for me and my family even if at times it seemed He was no where to be found. He has brought me heartaches and He has brought me miracles and peace in this life...but with each...I have learned such valuable lessons and so much about myself as a person. Since today is my birthday...I thought it would be fitting to share with you some of the things I am MOST thankful for on this day in no particular order.

I am THANKFUL for our home. Even though we don't "own" this nest, its a place we can call home. A place that we can lay our heads at the end of each long day, a place where our photos line the walls, a place that looks and smells like us. No matter where we vacation, what sights we see...we have always been so blessed to have a place we call home.

There's No Place Like Home

I am THANKFUL for my health, on this day. I have never had to "battle" any kind of evils when it comes to my health. I have known so many people who woke up to an ordinary day only to find out they were very sick. I have known people who have watched their children go through unimaginable operations and procedures searching for "a cure." God has blessed me with good health for 28 years and I am so grateful for that.

I am THANKFUL for my Friends. Old friends and new friends, it is great to have lasting relationships with people who you truly care about. Everyone I know adds something to my life either by challenging me to be better, or by giving me a good laugh. I am especially THANKFUL for my best friend of 10+ years Jaclyn and my my best friend of 28 years...my Mother.

Jaclyn and I at the shower I hosted for her

"Our Daughters" playing together...what a sweet moment

Me and my precious Mother

I am THANKFUL for my family!!! The relationships that I have developed with my Mom and Dad are the foundation of who I am. They both have such "giving" hearts and "sweet" spirits. My life is blessed because of all the wonderful things they have worked so hard to give me, during the course of their own lives. I couldnt ask for a better Grammy and Poppy for my sweet Jolea. She is really CRAZY about them.

I am THANKFUL for my marriage. It hasn't always been easy...there have been rough spots along the way but without any doubt, it has ALWAYS been worth it. Andy is my partner...my best friend for life...I chose him and he chose me...we are friends, parents and soul mates...and I am THANKFUL for him. I thank God for such an incredible father to our only child. He is not just a part of her life...he is IN her life EVERY single day...which is something that so many kids do not have.

The Man I love

I am THANKFUL for this little girl named Jolea. I thought I knew what love was when I met Andy, but true love hit me the moment I laid eyes on my precious miracle from God. I never knew I was capable of loving another human being as much as I love this little girl. She is one "strong" willed child, and even though it drives me nuts at times, I hope it will benefit her later in life when it comes time to make the right choices and decisions. She has my whole heart and soul in the palm of her hands...and she knows it!

This picture "says it all"

Today really is just "another" day...but it's another day to be THANKFUL for all the wonderful blessings in my life. There are hundred's of images I wish I could share with you that depict the happiness of this life...but I just don't have the time to share them all and I am sure you don't have the time to look at them all.

What a great way to start of another week...Blessings to you all.

Cha...Cha...Cha...Changes

I know...I know...I know...how many times can one person change their blog in one week...ALOT. I would build one on my own...and then find one someone else had already built that was way cuter...then I would change my mind and try to build another...and it was just a nasty cycle. I'm happy with this one for now, but I am sure I will have a simply fall blog, a Christmas blog and a New Years or winter inspired blog before its all said and done. I get bored and I really LOVE changing things up. Okay moving on...

This week flew right by just like all the rest of them and THANKFULLY it was fairly un-eventful. School is really keeping me busy lately...after supper its off to the computer to work on homework. Luckily I have a super-dude husband that really helps out around here...EVEN during football season. Thanks honey!

Tomorrow night we have reservations at Perini's with Grammy and Poppy...a fond tradition of mine for several years now. Each time someone has a birthday, they get to choose where we go eat. The funny thing is...everyone almost always chooses Perini's as their choice. I am no different than the rest...its my FAVORITE. My sweet Auntie is going to keep Jolea for us too...so that is a special little added bonus this year. She can rarely sit through a 30 minute meal...much less a meal that takes an hour and 30 minutes.

Speaking of that sweet little toot...I am having a dilemma! I need advice! I thought all along I was going to do her birthday with hot pink cupcakes from Sam's. A friend of mine from church says they make awesome cupcakes at an awesome price! So with that in mind I wanted to design some of those cute little cupcake toppers to make them extra special. Remember these?

Well I told you I wasn't going to spend money to buy these when I could just make them myself...so here is what I came up with!

What do you think? It kinda looks like the center circles are off-center but I think its just the way the blogger image looks, because when I print them they look fine. Here is the problem...after I print these little cuties...how on earth do I go about getting them on a stick of some sort to be inserted into each cupcake? What kind of paper should I use? What about the sticks? HELP! Also, just curious which one do you like better? Or should I use them both for a little bit of variety? I made a quick trip into Albertsons this week and asked the bakery chic about making me a zebra striped sheet cake. I was thinking it would be thru-the-roof expensive since zebra stripes seems kinda like a specialty request, but she says its one of her most popular cakes right now. The price...16.99 for a 1/4 sheet or 23.99 for a full sheet. I cant decide which one I want to do now...what do you think? If I do the cake that means...no toppers...but I really think the toppers are cute...don't you? Ugh...who knew a party for a 2 year old could be so daunting :) I also got the zebra print wrapping paper ordered this week. I was in complete shock at the fact that I couldn't find any of that around town. I searched high and low and came up empty handed...I mean really...where is the card and party factory when you need em? I turned to the trusty website also known as eBay.com. It should be here this week!

This weeks sweet treat was supposed to be German Chocolate Cake...but do you notice anything a little "off" about this picture?

OMG...I don't know what I was thinking...I bought a classic yellow cake mix for German CHOCOLATE cake! And get this...the funny thing is I had NO IDEA about what I had done until Andy says..."Hey honey, the cake was really good, but we (the coaches) were thinking that with German CHOCOLATE cake...the cake was supposed to be chocolate?" Then it hit me like a ton of bricks...I had used a classic yellow mix by mistake...what a bonehead mistake! And I even took a picture for this post last night BEFORE I made it...and nothing ever clicked! Now...that's funny!

Since we are talking about football...I guess now would be a good time to mention that the Hawley Bearcats did not win tonite against Eastland. They lost 47 to 19. Poor kids...they are barely operating at a 2A level...and they are playing against teams that outnumber them, outweigh them, out-skill them...its really not fair that the bigger districts get a big school/small school break...these little bitty towns like Hawley, Anson and Stamford...don't stand a chance against Cisco, Eastland and Clyde! Its a David and Goliath situation...and David ain't on the winning end! Jolea and I braved the cold tonite...although we did make an early departure after we watched the half-time bands (her favorite part!) We were all bundled up and we managed to get a few pictures...

BAD

BETTER

BEST

We came home...jumped into our jammies and crawled into mommy and daddy's bed to watch some Barney before bed. What a sweet girl she was today. We had lunch at Jason's Deli with Grammy and even did some shopping at Kohls.

Sunday is family picture day! I'm thrilled...Andy is...not so much thrilled! I picked up a top for myself and a sweet hounds-tooth dress for Jolea to wear! I cannot wait to see what kind of images our photographer manages to capture...so my fingers are crossed for good weather on late Sunday afternoon/evening.

I leave you with some pictures of Jolea's newest "thing!" When she sees mommy in the bathroom "getting ready" she thinks she needs to get ready too. She has her very own makeup bag and mirror that she gets out! What a big girl!

~Till Next Time Y'all~

Please Pardon My Mess...

**Edit** Okay so I just got done building a header for my blog...wha-do-ya-think? I'm still such a rookie...but I love doing things like this...its so fun...and free as opposed to scrap-booking. It's officially fall and I am needing a blog "make-over" however these things take time! Its midnight and I have class at 7:30 in the morning...so I had better call it quits for the night! Hopefully I will be beautifully re-blogged by tomorrow afternoon! Goodnight!

Just Because A Girl Can Dream...Right?

Just for fun...and just because a girl can dream of all the things she wishes she could have...I decided to give myself a birthday shopping spree. There was no money or commitment involved in this adventure...and that is the best kind of shopping anyone can do...right? So let the "Fantasy Spree" begin...

I was at the mall the other day and I just so happened to stop in Victoria's Secret. I NEVER go in there because...quite frankly I have no reason to go in there and all my undies and bra's come from Walmart or Target...and they have always suited me just fine. However I do like a nice fragrance and I fell in love with this one...its their new one...just out! It's got a great clean smell with a slight hint of sweetness...I like it, its called Noir.

Speaking of things that smell good...I am totally ga-ga over the Tyler Candle Co's: Pineapple Crush scent. Every year when we go to the Christmas Carousel in November we load up on these candles...but sometimes its a challenge. Pineapple crush is always their demo smell...which makes EVERYONE want to buy one and they sell out QUICKLY. They are sold downtown at The Arrangement, but I rarely find myself in that area...and I don't want to make the special trip, so I try to get them at Carousel when I can.

Moving on to yet another "scentsational" item on the wish list is a Scentsy flameless candle system. Scentsy Warmers use a low-watt bulb to melt special wax slowly, maximizing the fragrance time of the Scentsy Bar or Scentsy Brick...and there are over 80 fragrances. Check out the burners...aren't they precious? I am torn between the leopard and the zebra and the traditional burner that goes with everything in my house! What I like the most about this is there is no flame to worry about. I am infamous for leaving a candle burning and with this I am safe...there is no fire involved...and my little princess with all her curiosity will be safe too. There are several ladies from church that have gotten involved in selling these...but I havent been able to make a party yet...so I am adding this to the wish list.

Hmm...lets talk about some gift-cards...I love gift-cards...they are the PERFECT gift because the gesture is so kind...and at the same time you can go pick out something you really want or at least put the money towards something you are saving for. At Christmas time I am all about giving the gift cards to family. Two of my favorite places to shop are Hobby Lobby and Forever 21. Of course we don't have a Forever 21 in Abilene, so I guess it would be a good excuse to go to Fort. Worth for some shopping. Either of these would put a smile on my face :)

I came across these little darlings at Sam's the other day...and my heart went aflutter. They are so cute and I have seen so many cute ideas that you can use these for. Although my current residence really doesn't have room for these...I still think they are SUPER cute...and I am sure I could find a place for them. I can just see it now...changing out what's inside to match the season or the holiday...Oh what fun.

I have been collecting Willow Tree Angels for a few years now...but I don't have this one. I believe this one is The Angel of Autumn...and since my birthday is a fall birthday...I think its a perfect addition. I cant wait to show off my Willow Tree Christmas manger that my mother-in-law gave me. She usually adds to it every year...and I just LOVE it. I would keep it out year-round if Andy would let me.

I am a big fan of jewelry and I have been wanting something personalized for a long time. I have shopped on Etsy.com and found lots of cute things...and I am leaning towards something like this:

Even if mine and Andy's names were on one silver disc with Jolea's name on the other...and then SOMEDAY when we add to the family number I can have another silver piece added. I love this idea...its sweet...and it keeps the ones you love the most close to your heart.

Finally...just like the gift cards...you can NEVER go wrong with good old'fashioned cash! You can save it, spend it, hide it or share it if you really want to! I can usually count on my Dad for this gift...he would rather just fork it over than have to stress about what to buy his only daughter...and I am perfectly okay with that.

Well that's about all for me...its a shame when you cant really think of anything you "need" and you are just grabbing at things you "want!" It really makes me stop and realize how abundantly blessed I am. Okay I better get off here and do something productive because something tells me "Fantasy Shopping" doesn't qualify as productive.

Is It Monday Already...

Another weekend has come and gone…and it’s already looking like Monday again. This past week has been a complete “blur” to me. We didn’t even have a Friday night football game this week and we were still crazy busy. October is a busy month…Dittos for Kiddos, football games, birthday parties, and Halloween trick or treating to name a few. I presume this week will be just as busy as all the others have been…but I wanted to take a few minutes to update what we have been up to. As I mentioned before…this weekend was the Dittos sale…and boy-o-boy…did I find some bargains. I LOVE participating in this sale and I love the THRILL of the hunt and finding sweet bargains for my little punkin-butt. Since Grammy was gone during the sale this year…I was on my own…and it was ruff. She is usually there with me and the extra pair of hands is awesome. We get double the bargains when we are there together. There were so many racks full of so many clothes, but I am only one woman and I could only move so fast. I came away with some adorable outfits made by the top of the line children’s clothing brands like Mis-Tee-V-US, Cach Cach, Chicken Noodle, Baby Lulu, and Peaches and Crème to name a few. Here are a few of my favorite finds.

I also found this great Pottery Barn ledge shelf at the sale…I have a vision for this little baby…and I think it will turn out very CUTE…and the great thing is I got if for 6 dollars…and it can easily be transformed (painted) to fit her big girl room one of these days when I can afford to start that project. I plan on covering the push-pin board in coordinating fabric leftover from when I was putting her baby nursery together...low and behold…two years later…its finally going to come in handy. More to come about this...

In the end the Dittos for Kiddos sale was another success and I am so glad that I am able to be a part of it. I am already looking forward to the next sale in late February…I wonder what kind of bargains I will find then… Grammy and Poppy got back from Playa Del Carmen on Saturday and we were there to greet them at the airport. I am convinced this is where Andy and I need to go this summer after I graduate. The pictures are beautiful and my Mom says its “Perfect!” We are hoping to do something fun this summer in celebration of me finishing school, but we still have a while to think about that…for now I will look at these pictures…sigh…and try not to drool all over the computer keyboard :) Its a shame that these are so small...but I tried to make them bigger with no luck :(

My birthday is coming up…UGH…the big 28…and since it falls on a Monday we are headed to Perini’s on Saturday night for supper. Its my favorite place to eat in all of Abilene…and I am already counting down the days…Yummy…Prime Rib…I can see it and taste it now. Can someone please tell my why birthdays are so much fun till you hit about 25? Speaking of birthdays…Jolea’s is right around the corner. I just about have everything taken care of, but I still need to print the invites, order the cupcakes, wrap the gifts and make some cupcake toppers for the cupcakes. Something along these lines...

I wish I could just buy them, but SERIOUSLY I am not paying 20 dollars for paper cupcake toppers when I am sure I can just make them myself. I guess I had better get busy.

These are just a few pictures from this week...she was having some sweet moments and I always do my best to try and capture as many of those as possible. Maybe I should start posting some of her "not-so-precious" moments on here as well so you can get the big picture...just kidding...I wouldn't dare :)

~Blessings this week Y'all~

Another Great Weekend...

I just love it when we have awesome weekends together! This weekend was one of those weekends for sure. The "Magic Bars" worked on Thursday...and the Bearcats won Friday night 38-0! Andy's youngest brother Jan called me and had set a plan into motion to drive to Ranger from Ft. Worth and watch the game. I'm usually not that great as a "secret" keeper, but I didn't say a word and I think Andy was pleasantly surprised to see Jan and his Dad at the game. It's too bad that they couldn't have more time to visit and catch up...I guess that will have to wait till after the season is over.

I always feel bad for a team (which has been us many of times) that is losing that badly. Its sad...Andy said the entire second team was in...so they didn't have much choice. There always has to be a winner and a loser...but Saturday morning after a big loss is no fun...and I know I have been there and done that. Anyhow, they came away with the victory and I was really happy about that. I feel like I only blog about the games we win...and when I think about it...I'd rather keep it that way because a loss is hard enough as it is around here...lets just stick to the good stories...right?

We decided to head out to the balloon fest on Saturday evening...let me tell you...the whole town was there. I have lived in Abilene all my life...and I cant ever remember going to the balloon fest until this year. There were so many people there...it was so crowded...I was a complete dork-o and wore flip flops...and the kids were so wild in the play area...there is no way Jolea was going in there. We got arrived just in the nick of time to catch about 3 balloons lift off (which was by far the most exciting thing for Jolea) but after that...we were fairly unimpressed. (I sound kinda grumpy don't I...but really it just wasn't what I thought it was going to be) Maybe when Jolea is old enough to walk around and not be confined to the stroller we will all have a better time. Here are a few pictures that Jolea let me take before we left...

Look at those chunky legs :)

Daddy and his sweet girl...she LOVES it when he does this...

Bren and James...

The lines to eat were outrageous so we decided to head to TaMolly's with my cousin Bren and her boyfriend James. I need to remind you...we boycotted eating out about 3 months ago because our little princess can rarely make it thru the ordering process before she hits grumpy, and we got tired of dealing with that. So...we braved it last night for the first time in a long time...and she was so GOOD...and I was so PROUD of her. She is the funniest kid...she LOVES hot sauce! What 2 year old eats hot sauce? I never intended on her to eat it or like it, but she gets down right mad when chips and salsa are on the table and she doesn't get any...its hilarious. She sat there like a big girl the whole time...waving to people and "Thanking" the waitress every time she came to the table. What a sweet girl! We took lots of pictures...just being silly I guess.

Me and My Sweet Girl

Yummy...Salsa

Mommy and Daddy

This is another busy busy week for us. My babysitter is relaxing on the beach somewhere in Mexico, so I have really had to make ends meet in terms of babysitting. A special THANKS in advance to my Aunt Debbie, Bren and James, Mema and Pepa and Sheila and Noel...for helping me out this week...without you guys I would be in a heap of trouble. Luckily its Andy's off-week so he will have a lot of work, but not as much as usual...and that's a big blessing too.

The big Dittos for Kiddos sale starts this week...and since I am a worker...my shopping starts early on Wednesday! I'm excited...when I dropped my things off today I saw several things that will have to find their way into my shopping cart :)

I hope everyone had a GREAT weekend and I hope this week BLESSES you too!