A Heartfelt Tribute for Veteran's Day

A Veteran's Day tribute from my Little Miss.

For all the men and women who have served our great country,

and for those who continue to serve today...THANK YOU!

And may God bless America!

Playing Catch-up

Fall is in full swing here, and for us that means busy, busy, busy! (You've probably already guessed that by my lack of consistent blogging these days!) Since today is cold and rainy it's a perfect time to catch up on some Fall baking (will post some new favorite recipes soon!) and some long-neglected computer time.

Here's a quick snapshot of what we've been up to:

We ended the summer with a visit to our local zoo.

Little Miss loved the petting zoo.

Little Man did not.

The playground was a big hit.

 And so were the treats!

 Hubby's aunt and uncle were in town last month when they entered their newest hot rod in Street Machine Nationals. It was my first car show (as well as a first for Little Miss and Little Man). We all had a great time, but I'd have to say Hubby and Little Man enjoyed it a bit more! (What is it about boys--of any age--and their hot rods!?)

Hubby and his uncle talking hot rods

Hubby and Little Man getting a ride (the engine was too loud for Little Miss)

Then of course there was the big event itself...Halloween. The kiddos get excited about any reason to dress up so when Daddy's work, both schools, and our church all provided opportunities, they spent most of the week as their alter-egos, Spidey Kids.

What have you been up to this Fall?

Happy Halloween!

Your friendly, neighborhood Spidey Kids
wish you a safe and

Happy Halloween
filled with fun...and LOTS of candy!

Best Choice I Ever Made!

Nine years ago today I married my best friend.

He keeps me grounded while helping me soar.

He dreams with me while helping me face reality.

He is the rational side to my emotional ramblings.

He is the order to my chaos.

He held my hand and walked with me through one

of the darkest moments of our lives.

He has given me two amazing children and is as

committed to them as he is to me.

He is still, by far, the best choice I've ever made!

Happy Anniversary, Babe! I love you!

A Lightning McQueen Birthday...Ka-Chow!

As you know, Little Man turned 4 a couple of weeks ago. I'm finally getting around to posting some pics.

We are all about the Disney movie Cars around here. Mater, Sally, Luigi, Guido, Doc, Sheriff, Ramone...we can name them all. Especially the star, Lightning McQueen...Ka-chow Pa-pow! (You can't say his name around here without adding his signature catch phase). So, it was pretty obvious what theme we would go with for this birthday party. And lucky for me, Lightning McQueen party supplies are everywhere these days!

I found this scene setter at Party City. At over 6-feet tall it served as the main decoration and doubled as a fantastic backdrop for pictures. (Bonus: the kids loved standing next to their favorite characters from the movie.) It may actually find its way into Little Man's room to serve as decoration until we are ready to paint and decorate in there.



A Cars table cloth and some Lightning McQueen balloons set the stage for the main attraction...cupcakes! We even had a remote-controlled Lightning McQueen doing laps around the cupcakes thanks to a Geo Traxx track we already owned (a big hit with the 4-year-old crowd!).



Hubby built a custom race track through the middle of the living room for the kids to play with as they arrived. We also had a racetrack carpet with a basket of cars and a Lightning McQueen and Mater puzzle to keep them occupied (all compliments of our own playroom!).

We hung a few race flags (also from Party City), and we were good to go!

The presents

The cupcakes (egg-, soy-, and peanut-free for the birthday boy)
with Lightning McQueen and Mater cupcake toppers

The birthday boy

Finally...time to open presents
(he had been asking since he woke up that morning)

Thank you grandma & grandpa!


Most of the presents fell in line with the theme, too!
(No complaints from Little Man about that!)


Helping Daddy build his new bike.

Ready to ride! (Of course it's a Lightning McQueen bike...
did you expect something else?)

Happy Birthday Little Man!

XOXO --Mommy

A Birthday Dr. Suess Story

As if on cue, Little Miss brought home this Dr. Suess book from the school library last Friday...which happened to be my birthday. Not just any birthday, mind you. But my last birthday of this decade. (I will not reveal which decade for those of you who think I may be younger than I am; I'm told a lady never tells her true age.)

I consider myself a Dr. Suess fan and would say I'm rather knowledgeable on his works. However, I had never seen this book or even heard anything about it.

As with most books library books that find their way into our home, we had to sit down immediately and read this new find. I don't know if I've ever laughed so much at a children's book before. From the subtitle one can gather that this wasn't written primarily for a juvenile audience. This is an ode to aging and the ails that come with it. It was so fitting that I read it on my last-year-of-this-decade birthday. I was thoroughly entertained, and honestly needed the humor to lift my spirits a little.

I was not the only one entertained by this book, however. In true Dr. Suess fashion, the colorful artwork, zany contraptions and situations in which the silly characters found themselves had my kids glued to every page as well. In fact, Little Miss chose it to read again before bed the other night. This time Hubby had the pleasure of reading. I think he laughed more than I did. :)

If you find yourself with more creaks and groans than you did a few short years ago, or if you've undergone major health issues recently (and have your own staff of doctors to prove it), give this a read. It may not cure your aches and pains, but it might just make them more bearable.

"A cheerful heart is good medicine" (Proverbs 17:22)

Happy Birthday Little Man!