Happy Birthday!

Eric's Birthday was yesterday, so we had a celebratory lunch and a DATE NIGHT! Much thanks to Kathy and Dave for taking Elena for us on such short notice!

We brought cake to the office and Eric and I got to see the first of many movies we're excited about this summer...last night it was "Thor" in 3D!

So I am posting a couple pictures and want to say that although it's Eric's birthday, he is the best gift to Elena and I. He is an amazing man, wonderful husband, terrific father, and such a loving friend to all. He is patient and kind, and we love him with all our hearts. I am really, really thankful for you, Tender. Happy Birthday! Kisses!

Photos are of cake, Elena and Daddy, and Eric and I in the theater...not the best light, but you can still make out our excitement! :)

"My father didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it."-- Clarence Budington Kelland, U.S. Writer

1 Timothy 4:12 ESV
"Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. "

Breakfast....

After church...we missed Mom and Dad

...

Time to Visit the Zajicek Family!

We went to Indianapolis this weekend to spend some time with family. Spent the evenings with Jaimie and Tony, and days with everyone else. Had an awesome cook out at Jon and Shan's where the kids got to run and play, and celebrated Kevin's and Jon's Birthday along with an early celebration for Eric! Also got to have a great Sunday Service at Sal and Kirb's church...excellent job, Pastor Kirby! :) So we'll have a couple of posts for pics...

on the way...focus on iPad is important...

Time for Fires!

We are getting ready to have family fire nights with the weather warming up...Elena is all too ready for S'mores...our first one was just this week!

Bad...But Not Really...

We have both Critter Food and Bird Food, but for some reason our Critters want both...now there's an interesting ordeal...and Diva is dying to be a part of it all...

The Ceiling...and Dust!

Eric is now busily working on completing the ceiling in the red room...and Elena is happy to help by lending her own form of art work...case in point, hand prints in the dust accumulating everywhere...one day, I will appreciate this...HAHA!

The Bluebird, the Buzzard and the Oriole!!!

Elena is all about the birds right now...she even colored a picture for her teacher today of the Oriole...she really likes him! ;)

More Weekend Photos

And, yes, Eric set up the iPad for me to have a "fire" by the tub (hilarious and sweet at the same time!)...I am spoiled! But I am really, really thankful for every bit, and after seeing AL just a week ago, I know how quickly it could all be gone, so I consider that blessed...and thank you, Julie, for my pink watch! Perfect for my BC work! Time for breakfast! ;)

More Chicago Photos

Happy Mother's Day Weekend!

Some gifts came early, and some came right on time...all of them really, really appreciated. Thank you Honey, for making feel so special and so loved by you. I appreciate you being the husband you are and the father you are, too. ;) XO

I appreciate getting to be a mom...even on days when I feel like this job was given to the wrong person! I know how fortunate I am, how many women would love to be a mom, how I am grateful our daughter's health has been restored for a long time now, and is as healthy as ever...except for this nasty cold that won't go away right now...HA!

I appreciate the moms in my life...my mom who gave me life and taught me about God and showed me what it means to love and be loved...my mother-in-law who has shown me more love than I could have imagined, more acceptance and friendship than I am sure most ever see from their mother-in-laws...the mothers that are my sisters, and the love they show their families and others around them...the friends in my life who are precious mothers to their own children and who have been great examples to me. I am blessed.

I'll have a few posts for pictures. Gifts from my family, getting to go to The Peninsula in Chicago for the weekend for the Y-Me Race at Your Pace Walk for Breast Cancer and for some pampering time, too.

God bless the moms reading this...if you are, you probably know me, which means I've prayed for you today and for God's blessing and strength for you today...PS...I might have set the record for using "appreciate" the most in one blog posting...but I meant every one of them! ;)

More Animals!

Our rabbits have come in for a visit! Thank goodness for "Critter Feed". ;)

Vera Bradley

When I get to visit Julie, it's like Christmas...not just because she is a gift to me, but because she likes to shower friends with gifts! ;) This trip, amongst many other pretties, I got the sweetest gift of an embroidered Vera Bradley Bag. This used to be given every year to the state titleholders at Mrs. America - and one I was really looking forward to since I'd always wanted a VB bag - but our year was a little different and it wasn't meant to be. So Julie surprised me with a matching bag like hers only in blue! Thank you, Julie!!! This was so touching! I've already gotten a bunch of compliments! You are such a wonderful, thoughtful sis! XO

Mrs. Alabama Pageant

Now, what a trip with Julie anywhere be without a pageant? Well, pretty darn good either way, but for some reason, it always works out that a pageant is going on, and since we like that sort of thing we made the trip out to Birmingham to watch the Mrs. AL/MS Pageant. IT was a beautiful drive and and the pageant was just as beautiful. We got to support a sister queen of Julie's from her year at Mrs. America as well as get to see the reigning Mrs. United States, Rachel Juillerat in attendance ( she represented MS the year she won and so of course was there to crown her state successor).

Lions and The University of North Alabama

We visited the campus of the University of North Alabama - such a pretty campus - and got to meet their Lions! Yes, they really have Lions!

Let Them Eat Cake

The Royal Wedding was also this weekend, and of course we had to watch...and how better than to have cake! But not just any cake...homemade, deluxe decadence that is the essence of "Julie Cakes"...oh my!!! So in jammies sprawled about with paper crowns and mounds of sugar, we celebrated the happy occasion. There's a few pictures laughing about trying to sit pretty as well as some issues I had with a pillow. Good times to be able to laugh with and at each other!