Vermont

I thought I would post some pictures of our trip. It was so pretty!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

We were talking with some friends of ours last weekend and they said that for Valentine's they were just going to stay in and cook. I thought that sounded like a great idea!! I hate going out and fighting the crowds on Valentine's.
So, on his way home Tim stopped and picked up stuff to cook for us. He made steaks, salad, french bread and corn ( for him) and peas ( because he knows they are my favorite). How sweet was that? He also had cards waiting for both his girls. Emma loved hers!! She was so excited to get a card too.
Anyway, it was a great night! We ate, talked and watched Lost. Does it get better than that?

Hope everyone else had a great Valentine's Day too!!!

My new baby!!

We have a new addition to our family!!!



The Sunday before we left for our trip, I sent Emma and Tim to Chuck E. Cheese to get out of my hair. I needed to finish packing and getting the house clean. Since Emma's party was 2 days after we got back from Vermont I needed to get most everything done before we left. Anyway, when they were leaving Chuck E. Cheese there was a sweet little kitty that came up to them. It was very cold that night and Tim's mercy quality kicked in. He called me....knowing that I can't stand to see or hear about animals suffering. So, he tells me about the cat and I say "ok, bring it home." I figured I could unload it on my parents. They had just lost their cat and were pretty heartbroken about it. But...oh no....they said no. So, long story short....he is curled up next to me in my chair as I type this. I have to say he is a VERY sweet little guy. He lets Emma carry him all over the place and doesn't even seem to mind the dogs. I am not much of a cat person....mainly because I am allergic.....but he is growing on me. Emma loves him. I told her she could name him. She decided on SugarSmack Pudge Stephens. Pudge is the name of the kitten on Higgly Town....but I don't know where she got Sugar Smack from. I guess he is officially staying ....since I had him neutered and declawed while we were gone. I don't think Lizzie will be with us much longer. She has not been in good health for while. So, maybe God gave us this little guy to keep Lucky company when she is gone.

Thank GOD we are HOME!!!!

Yea!!!! We are finally home!!!





We had a great trip....Vermont is incredibly beautifull. (I will write more details about the trip later). However....getting home....not so fun.





We were scheduled to leave Manchester at 4:45 yesterday. We had a 120 mile drive from Vermont to Manchester. When we woke up that morning we met with LOTS of snow. There had already been a lot of snow but then it started snowing really hard that morning. They got about 6 inches of snow in a matter of hours. Now I admit it was very pretty...but we knew we needed to leave early to make it to the airport on time. We left early and arrived in plenty of time. It was slow going, but not too bad . Then the fun began.....





We sat at our gate like good little passengers...waiting for our flight. The flight before us boareded. Then their plane sat there. Then they all came off the plane. They were headed to Chicago...in case you haven't heard...Chicago...snow...no flying. So I commented to Tim " sure am glad we didn't choose the flight that went through Chicago...poors guys. I feel sorry for them...but I am sure glad it isn't us". God is sooooo funny. Guess where the plane that was going to pick us up was coming from???? Yep... you guessed it...Chicago!!!! So, no plane for us either. So, I got in the neverending line to rebook. I tried to call from my cell phone while in line to see if I could get anywhere quicker. No such luck. I finally made my way to the front of the line. The woman tells me that there are no more flights or connections to Dallas tonight. So I needed to book something for the next day. So, I say to her " if we try tomorrow where will our plane be coming from....Chicago? She said she didn't know but that my bigger problen is going to be that Manchester is about to get a winter storm dumped on them that night. So she said it could be a few days before we got out of there.
ok....I finished this post last night ...but apparently it didn't post it all. Sorry, I will try to finish the story later.

New Background

So I stayed up all night.....but I finally figured out how to make my blog pretty!!! What do you think??

Does anyone else feel overwhelmed???

Don't get me wrong, I love being a Mommy....but sometimes, I just get tired. Last weekend Emma had 2 birthday parties to go to, one on Saturday and one on Sunday. Then after the party on Sunday we went over to some friends house to watch the football game. So basically I was gone most of the weekend. Then I worked all week, worked out Monday-Thursday night, met with some friends Wed. night. Had another birthday party this Sat., went out for my brother's birthday last night. Went to lunch with friends after church today and then went shopping with my friend most of the day. In my spare time....I am trying to plan a birthday party, a golf tournament, put together a package to auction at the gala at Emma's school and get ready to go on vacation. Do you get the idea???? I LOVE everything I do.....but I am tired.....and now it is almost Monday, and it will all start again. Maybe I should just sell everything and become Amish!! I am glad that I have friends to vent to, spend time with, talk to and lean on. The time I get to spend with my girls makes the load seem a little lighter.

Princess party take 2....

Why do I let my daughter talk me into things I really don't want to do?? I love Emma so much.....but I REALLY do NOT want to have yet another Princess party. We did the Cinderella party last year, and I very much enjoyed it. I loved the "fluff" of the whole event. Some of my friends still think I am insane for that party. But, I loved it....she loved it....it was fun. However, it was a lot of work and I really am not up to it again this year. But none the less....she has sufficiently beaten me into submission and we are having an Ariel party . I told her I wasn't going to go all out this year like I did last year. We are going to do an "Under the Sea" theme this year, instead of focusing on the Princess side of it. I think we are going to decorate the house to look like we are underwater. I am still thinking on the details of how that will happen, so any suggestions are welcomed. Anyhoo, as Emma so wisely pointed out, this will probably be the last year she will want a Princess party, so I guess I should have it while I can. I know someday I will look back and wish she still wanted to have these kinds of parties. But right now I am feeling a little overwhelmed by it all. The timing of the whole thing isn't ideal either. The only day "Ariel" was available was the 9th of Feb. We are going to Vermont the week before and won't get back until the 7th. Those of you who are my friends and know the meltdown mode I go into before any event at my house.....are gasping right now. Yes...I know....2 days to get ready for the party.....this could get ugly!!!

New Years Resolutions

I started thinking....what should my New Years Resolutions be this year? I came up with the old standbys - Lose weight, exercise more ( although I have already been doing those 2) I need to continue to do them, get my house organized clean my car. But then I thought....those are all about ME. What about things I can do in 2008 for others or to improve my relationships with others? So this is what I came up with.....

Resolutions for 2008

- to spend more time playing with my daughter and enjoying her before it is too late

- to listen more and talk less

- to be more purposeful in my relationships

- to reach out more and initiate interactions rather than waiting for people to come to me

- to take people at face value

- to plug in somewhere I can serve others

- control my temper and my words so that my daughter learns to be a more gentle spirit than her Mother

- judge less and forgive more

Have you thought about it yet???

What will your resolutions be for 2008???

Why???

So I went to the movies last night. I really wanted to see The Great Debaters...I think it looks good. But instead I was talked into seeing Alien vs. Predator. Don't get me wrong...I actually like Alien 1 and 2. So. it wasn't that hard to convince me.... Anyway, when we got there my first clue to HOW bad this movie was going to be was the size of the theater they put it in. I was at a huge theater so I thought it would be a big room. Ummmmm ...no. It was in the smallest theater ever!!! It maybe held 100 people, if that. So, I started getting a little worried..but then I thought, "how bad can it be?" The answer?.......REALLY BAD!!!! There was NO plot. I still don't know what it was about. All I could gather was that the Alien and the Predator basically both come to Earth to fight each other and kill anyone that kinda gets in their way. Usually though, even these kind of movies draw the line at killing children. NOT THIS ONE!!! They even kill babies in the nursery at a hospital. Why do people pay to see this stuff????? I can't believe I did!!!

Thankfulness...

Last week a friend of mine wrote a blog entry about being thankful. I felt a tug then to write down what I was thankful for, but then never did. Then, yesterday at church the message was about being thankful and how God loves when we are thankful for what he gives us. I am very thankful for so many things in my life and thought I should finally take the time to jot them down. So ....here goes:


I am thankful for my husband- although we have our moments....he is a GREAT husband and father and trys so very hard to keep me happy. Which for those of you who know me well.... you know that this is NOT an easy task. I am blessed to have such a loving , caring husband. Thank you God for Tim !!!


I am thankful for my daughter - I have known since I was a little girl that I was going to be the mother of ONE little girl. I don't know why...but God planted that seed early and it stuck with me. When I got pregnant I bought girl bedding right away. Everyone said I should wait....but I knew. I love Emma with all my heart and all my soul. She is everything that is right, rolled up into a beautiful little girl and I get the priviledge of loving and taking care of her everyday. Thank you God for Emma!!!

I am thankful for my Mother and Father- Who knew my parents would be such GREAT grandparents??? They love Emma so much and she loves them. We are blessed.

I am thankful for my friends - I used to think that I only needed one or two good friends. But as I get older, I realize that I not only like having lots of good friends....but I NEED them. I am so very fortunate to have such great girlfriends.

I am thankful for my sister-in-law- I am so lucky to have someone who can understand my life like she does. When the secrect is too dark to tell ....I can tell her. Thank you God for Stacey!!

I am thankful for my job - I have the BEST job in the whole world. My boss is so very generous to me. He truly cares .....my life would be so different without him in it giving me guidance along the way.

I am thankful for my life - God has done so many wonderful things in my life. It hasn't always been easy....but HE has always seen me through it and I know that He always will.