About Me

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Welcome to my blog. I'm a Mississippi country girl transplanted to Grapevine, TX. I have been blessed with a great husband, and my kiddos, Aleck and Ella. When I'm not eating bon bons on the couch, I am my kid's room mom, PTA member, Sunday School teacher, taxi driver, amateur photographer and personal chef. When I'm not doing those things, I'm running a small jewelry business, 2nd Amendment Jewelry (www.2ndamendmentjewelry.com), that I started with my twin sister, Glenda. It's a crazy and busy life, but I wouldn't trade it for anything in this world. I am so thankful for all the blessings in my life!

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Birthday Celebration, Take Four

Joni was supposed to come over for cupcakes on Aleck’s birthday, but Ella was under the weather.  Since there have been four confirmed cases at Ella’s school, we thought she might have pertussis, or whooping cough, a highly contagious disease.  Thankfully, Ella’s test came back negative today and Joni was able to come visit.  The chocolate cupcakes from Hot Chocolate were wonderful, and Aleck loved his gift, Toy Story soldiers.  Aleck lined the soldiers up on the fireplace, but that didn’t last long because Ella enjoyed torturing him by knocking them down.

The soldiers rekindled his interest in Toy Story, because Aleck slept with Woody tonight.  Thanks, Joni, for assisting Aleck in his quest to possess the entire cast of Toy Story.  He must be going down his checklist of characters in his mind because he said, “These aren’t the same thing as monkeys are they?”  Oh brother, we know what his next gift request is going to be.

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Monday, March 28, 2011

Happy Birthday to my sweet Superman

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Happy Birthday to my firstborn.  Since we had Aleck’s birthday with family in Oxford last weekend, we kept it simple today and just had cupcakes with family.  Superman, your Mommy, Daddy and “Baby Sista” love you to Krypton.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Aleck the Superhero

Aleck loves playing dress up.  He received an Ironman costume and Superman pajamas for his birthday.  As soon as we got in from church today, Aleck took his church cloths off and put on his Superman pajamas.

Later in the day, I overheard this conversation between Tom and Aleck.

Tom:  “Aleck, I need you to pick up your toys in the living room.”

Aleck:  “But, I never see superheroes have to clean up.”

Aleck was absolutely positive that as a superhero, he was not required to perform the menial task of cleaning up. 

If I dress up as Wonder Woman tomorrow, do you think I can get out of housework for the day?

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Thomas the Train

Thomas was in town this weekend.  Aleck and Tom love all things train, so of course we wouldn’t miss the opportunity to take a ride on Thomas, the useful engine.  Dede, Brooke and Presley met us for a wonderful afternoon.  Thomas was just pulling into the station when we arrived and Aleck was super excited to see Thomas.  He yelled, “Look, his eyes move.”  Presley made it out of the house with one green shoe and one pink shoe.  She is already our little fashion trend setter.

We enjoyed funnel cake while waiting for our boarding time.  Ella didn’t much care for it, but Aleck and Mommy thought it was yummy!

We were seated in the back of the very last passenger car.  The kids spent their time gazing out the window in the beginning, but on the way back they jumped up and started dancing in the aisle to the Thomas music.  Ella seemed to have just as much fun as the rest of the kids.  The kids were excited to get their tickets punched by the conductor.  It reminded me of when we rode the North Pole Express at Christmas.

The line was entirely too long to get a picture up close with Thomas, but Aleck got to meet Sir Topham Hat.  I love the way Aleck is looking up at him with such adoration. 

We ended the perfect day with cupcakes, pizza and a few presents.  Aleck has been asking for an Ironman costume for months.  He has never seen the movie, but his classmate dressed up as Ironman for Halloween.  I couldn’t find the entire costume, but I found the glove, mask and chest piece.  I bought him Superman pajamas and he quickly put on his pajamas to go with his Ironman stuff.  Dede gave Aleck Mack the truck, from the movie Cars.  He loved it so much he slept with the truck tonight. 

Eryn and Mason were able to drop by for a visit which was wonderful because I haven’t seen them since Christmas.  The last time Eryn visited, I was out of town at my scrapbook retreat.   I forgot how fast babies grow and change at this age.  Mason is absolutely adorable!

I think this is going to be the last year that I get away with not having a real birthday party in Texas because Aleck has realized the more people that come, the more presents he gets.  Oh well, the simple times were good while they lasted.

I know, I know.  There are lots of pictures, but each little memory is so special that I had to post them all.

 

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Aleck’s face when he saw Thomas pulling into the station.

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Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Aleckism on Birthdays

Aleck:  “Mommy, are a lot of people coming to my birthday?”

Me:  “Aleck, we had your birthday party in Alabama.  Remember?”

Aleck:  “But I want a lot of people to come to my birthday party.”

Me:  “Why?”

Aleck:  “Cause I want A LOT of presents!!!”

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Bubble Bliss

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Nana gave Aleck a bubble blower for his birthday and it was a hit!  Aleck had such a great time.  When he was holding the trigger on the bubble blower, he would made the funniest faces keeping time with the sound of the little motor on the blower.  Thanks, Nana.  Aleck says, two thumbs up.

Happy Birthday Aleck, Poppo and Mike

Today is Poppo’s birthday.  We had a combined birthday party for Poppo, Poppo’s nephew, Mike, and Aleck.  Aleck’s birthday is the 28th, but it is so special that Aleck and Poppo’s birthday is close enough to share a party.  We had three cakes: a miniature Thomas the Train cake for Aleck, a sheet cake for all three, and a sugar free cake for Mike, who is diabetic.  We had a yummy lunch of barbeque sandwiches.  Alabama barbeque is yummy!!!!

Aleck loved all his toys:  Handy Manny, Legos, art supplies, books, trains, bubbles and DVDs.  He liked his Thomas the Train cake, that is until he discovered that is was just for decoration and the wheels didn’t turn.  Ella loved her baby doll Aunt Darla and Uncle Paul gave her. 

Thanks Aunt Darla and Uncle Paul, Aunt Joy and Uncle Jim, Aunt Cathy and Uncle Steve, Molly and Uncle Mike.  Thanks Nanna and Poppo for letting us share in this special celebration.  We love and miss you guys more than words can convey.

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Saturday, March 19, 2011

Alabama Visit

We had a great weekend in Alabama visiting family.  I hadn’t seen Tom’s family since the first of September.  Six months is too long!  Tom took the kids to see his parents at Thanksgiving, but since my mom had her knee replaced the week before Thanksgiving, I stayed in Starkville to help my mom.

We had an awesome visit.  The kids were so well behaved and it was really an easy visit.  In the past, I was so busy running after the kids that I would be exhausted at the end of the trip.  I am so thankful that I got a chance to sit and really visit with Nana and Poppo.  Nana told me stories of her childhood.  She said that family vacations consisted of her traveling by train to visit her older brother.  She could remember when steam engines were replaced by diesel.  Since Tom is so in to trains, he loved her stories.  Tom showed Poppo some pictures of the model train he is building and Poppo recalled when he was fifteen he spent a month working on the railroad.  He hauled ballast, the gravel that goes around the railroad ties.  The work was hard and the money wasn’t great so he only worked there for a month but he still recalled his supervisors name.  It was so wonderful watching Tom and Poppo connect on something that they have in common, an interest in trains.

The weather was perfect so we spent a lot of time in the backyard playing golf, grilling steaks, blowing bubbles and running around getting our wiggles out.  Ella quickly decided that Uncle Mike was the best because all she had to do was grunt and point to the door and Uncle Mike would take her outside to play. 

We drove around Oxford and Tom talked about his childhood.  We stopped to visit Ruby and Denman Crowley, close family friends. 

I am so thankful for Tom’s family and hate that we live so far away, but at least I don’t take a single moment spent with them for granted.  Brooks family, as Aleck says, “I love you to the moon!”DSC_0357

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