Birthday Weekend!

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26

was my actual birthday!

I went to work as I do every morning and after the lunch rush had come and gone, a gentleman walked in to deliver these:

My 3 favorite kiddos in the entire world, T, K & J sent them to me!!! :)

It was a very pleasant surprise! Aren't they pretty!!!!

I came home from work, packed up my things and headed to the somewhat old stomping grounds. Of course by "old stomping grounds" I mean where I lived before moving to the QC in September!

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27

was Jonah's 1st Birthday!

Saturday morning I woke up and went to a far away town to try on a bridesmaids dress for my friend C's wedding in July and after that I came back to the old stomping grounds and went to a birthday party for a very special little boy!

Sweet Jonah turned 1 year old Saturday! I have never gone to such an AWESOME party before in my life! I'm talking balloon animals, ring toss, pin the tail on the donkey, popcorn, cotton candy, photo booth, lollipop tree, petting zoo and this amazing cake:



Watching Janel put it together was like being front row and center for one of the Food Network Challenge Cake competitions! It was awesome!

Of course, the highlight of the party was this little guy!

I'm sure Patrice will post party pictures so it's definitely worth checking out! She did a phenomenal job planning the party and hosting the party!

After I left Jonah's Celebration of the Century, I met A & K for Birthday Dinner followed by a basketball game. It was so fun to hang out with A & K again and to also see so many people at the basketball game that I haven't seen since I moved.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28

was birthday dinner in the QC w/friends

After work I met some friends for Birthday dinner at a restaurant that I hadn't been to yet. It was yummy! As we were leaving we decided that we should get together once a month for lunch or dinner and try out all the restaurants in the area that we've never been too! I think we are on to something with this plan!

We probably won't be invited back here due to the status in which someone, ABC, left the tablecloth!

The great thing is, ABC wrote that upside down! Don't fret...it's just a thick piece of paper they put on top of the linen!

I think it's safe to say I had a great birthday filled weekend!

I am blessed with such an awesome group of friends not to mention a wonderful family!

Works For Me Wednesday on Thursday :)

Yea so I've got a good "Works For Me Wednesday" post idea....but it's Thursday!

So I'm breaking all the rules...I'm cool like that!

Anyway, I was getting ready for work this morning and I happen to be wearing a sweater with a collared shirt underneath. Sadly, the shirt needed to be ironed and well, I didn't have the time to iron the whole shirt (because let's face it, long sleeves take time!) and I happened to be straightening my hair at the time so I used my flat iron to iron the collar of my shirt! Wa la!

I didn't have to take out the ironing board, heat up the iron and waste 5 minutes for something where only the collar is seen. Instead, I used what I had and what was ready!

I feel like I'm on top of the world!

Not Really Wordless Wednesday

Yes, this is my Gramma (also referred to as G-Unit, because sometimes my brother and I are funny like that)

Yes, she is playing wii....probably golf because that doesn't look like good form for bowling :)

I'm pretty confident that my brother went over what to do with her about 5 times before it was ever her turn.

We had a long, great day of quality family bonding.

Yes, if you look in the background, Poppy looks thrilled!

19 posts and counting

I know I've said this before, but I adore the Duggars.

To watch Michelle pray openly while watching nurses attend to her itty bitty baby is just breathtaking.

To hear Jim Bob talk to the camera crew and his children about God and faith and all of that fun stuff is just a true testament to them as a family.

I know people don't agree with their large family, but I love their show.

And I think some families could learn a lot from them. Values. Character. Faith. Support. Family. The list goes on and on

untitled

Sometimes, things happen that we don't understand.

Late this evening, I found out some news that I found to be very depressing to the point I was literally sick to my stomach. However, it was late. On a Sunday night. Now that I've shared my blog with my Mom (yes, I started in November and didn't tell her I had a blog until January and I didn't give her the website until a few weeks ago in a moment of "it's been snowing forever" weakness, and well, I thought she had plenty of time to catch up since she was stuck inside) I feel like I should mention that since it wasn't a life or death piece of information, I wasn't going to bother her.

Anyway, this information really upset me so I sent an e-mail to my best "new" friend in the QC, who I hang out with often and who knows this particular story...she responded right away. We talked about things for a good hour and while I'm still upset, I feel better. Sometimes God works in amazing ways to bring certain people into our lives, and my above mentioned friend is a true blessing in more ways than one.

In a moment of sadness I started to clean my bathroom (yes, at midnight) and do another load of laundry. But I also got to thinking somewhere between scrubbing the toilet bowl and switching the towels from the washer to the dryer, how blessed I am.

Here, I'm upset over something almost trivial, but still very important and I have a bathroom to clean, laundry to do, a job to go to, a car to drive, food to eat and a roof over my head.

It's funny the things we take for granted. What we define as important someone else defines as trivial. What I find to be upsetting, someone else might think is a blessing.

I guess there is always the silver lining to every situation...you just have to look for it.

Word-filled Wednesday :)

Summer 2007

Poppy fishing

Poppy & I

Growing up, I always thought Poppy didn't like me. Sad, right. The thing was, he teased me all the time. It wasn't until I was older that I realized how much Poppy loves me. When I was little and I would spend the night at my grandparents, I loved when my Gramma would let me wake Poppy up from his nap so he could shower and get ready for work. I wasn't the most gentle person to wake someone from their deep slumber as I would poke and tickle and giggle and say "wake up" in a volume too loud for a sleeping person! However, I would put notes in Poppy's lunchbox while he was in the shower (he worked the night shift at the police station as the dispatcher...this was I think his 3rd job after retiring) for him to read when he took his break. What I didn't realize was that he saved all of the notes that I left him and kept them in his locker at work. Now that we are both older (he'll be 80 in September and I'll be half way to 50 the end of the month) I realize how much he loves me and we both tease one another equally. When I call my grandparents to check in I always ask him if he misses me and he always responds with "like a wart" or something goofy like that. I think I'm probably his favorite wart :)

I love my grandparents and can't wait to go home again and hang out with them! They have the best stories and we have so much fun with them! However, I won't be going home again until all 3 feet of snow melts...so maybe sometime in June! HA!

WOW!

I just figured out that if I hit the "compose" tab, I can change the font, add color,

center text,

align text, and all that fun stuff!

I don't even remember what I was going to blog about because I am so excited about this discovery!

Happy Tuesday everyone!

I feel like I'm Queen of the World with these new found options!!!!!!!!!

Wallum

My senior year of college I lived in an apartment with 5 other gals. We lived next to 6 guys that we were all friends with. It was by far the best living arrangement of my undergraduate career.

In our apartment we had a wallum. What is a wallum you may ask? It's a wall, that we dubbed the wallum after the quolum. A quolum is a column that you put quotes on, making it a quolum. So a wallum is a wall that you put quotes on.

Exhibit A:


It started probably the 2nd day we were all back to start our Senior Year. We started writing things down and decided that the wall in between two of our rooms was the perfect spot for the wallum. So, when anyone said anything really funny, inspiring, profound, dumb or just off the wall (no pun intended) it was written on an index card. Funny thing, after we had a few we redid the wallum with neon index cards and made a pattern. The wallum stayed up August-May. I was the last one to move out of our apartment and I must say, taking down all the index cards was the saddest part of moving out after graduation. However, I kept all of the cards. Tonight, I'm going to start to e-mail the gals I lived with a quote from the wallum. I think this is a great way to keep in touch and reminisce. We are scattered all over the place....2 of us are working/living in NC, 1 is looking for a job and living in Ohio, 1 in working in Maryland, 1 is in graduate school in Virginia and 1 is doing mission work in Lebanon. I think this will be a great way to reconnect!

I'm so excited! And yes, at certain times I often think that something someone says would make it to the wallum!

Jonah's 1st Birthday Auction

As you probably know, sweet Jonah Williams will be a year old on February 27, 2010!!!! YAY! One of Patrice's friends, along with the help of Patrice, has put together an online auction to raise money for DebRA. I think it would be great if you at least went to go visit the site and maybe if something catches your eye, bid on it! Of course, if nothing interests you (but seriously, how could it not!) you could always just make a donation to DebRA. This is a great cause and the Williams family is wonderful. I've had the honor of meeting them (really because I lived a hop skip and jump from the hospital where Jonah spent a lot of time when he was first born and I was the stalker blog reader that brought them some 'waiting room' treats!) and they really are an amazing family.

Happy almost Birthday Jonah! You are too cute for words!

Oh, and I must say, my birthday is the day before Jonah's and really, all I want for my birthday this year is for this auction to be a huge success! He's got the adorable face and charm, a hilarious and loving mom and dad, but you wouldn't want to disappoint me now would ya?! :)

To read the Williams' Family Blog, you may go here: http://patriceandmattwilliams.blogspot.com/

To read all about Jonah's Birthday Auction, you may go here (the items will not be up until Monday, February 22 I think):
http://jonahsebauction.blogspot.com/

Wordless Wednesday

*despite the children getting older, it becomes harder and harder to take a picture of the 4 of us! this one makes me laugh! I do love the outfit K picked out to wear :) *

Marketing & Advertising

Oh when the Saints, go winning a Super Bowl...oh when the Saints go winning...

I majored in Sports Marketing & Management and minored in Business Administration. I love Super Bowl commercials! I think people pay way too much for a 30 second spot, but I supposed that's the way this business has gone. Frankly, I think that money could be used for other things...like rebuilding New Orleans or feeding the hungry in America or working on decreasing the National Debt or maybe even used for removing the massive amounts of snow from DE and bringing it to Vancouver for the Olympics...ha! Ok, just kidding on that last one! Anyway, in no particular order, my favorite commercials from Super Bowl 44 are:

Bud Light
-music w/T Pain and everyone singing the same song in same voice
-stranded on the island finding the radio and beer
-book club

NCIS slapping of the heads

Bachelor Party w/the whale in the truck...I think it was for Bridgestone Tires

Monster Jobs w/the violin

Budweiser w/the truck on the wrong side of the broken bridge

Clydesdale w/the calf...always love those Budweiser Horse commercials!!!!

Green Police...recycle patrol...too funny!!!! Good job Audi

I also think that someone should make some sort of Father/Son Bonding commercial from the coverage of Drew Brees and his son....too precious!

Super Bowl

LET'S



GO



SAINTS!!!!!!!!!!

Really, I'm not much for the NFL but I do enjoy the Super Bowl...for the commercials! These Bud Light/Budweiser marketing people do not disappoint!

Simple Pleasures

A few of the blogs that I read have done posts about "Simple Pleasures" so I thought I should too!

In no particular order, I find simple pleasures in the following:

1. Talking to but also listening to voice mails from these sweet faces (I get a huge smile when I hear T or K say to their mother "but she's not talkin to me" "why she not talkin to me") I love the innocence of these 3, well J doesn't really talk, he's only 16 months old but the stories they share and the things they want to tell me just make my heart melt! I'd rather be playing with them but I'm in NC and they are in DE.

(and yes this picture is from June 2009, and yes it was freezing in Delaware for some strange reason but what can I say, I don't have the January 2010 one yet :) )

2. Doing laundry! ahh i find it relaxing. sorting clothes. washing them. drying them and the amazing smell. I am a "detergent snob" and I love Tide. I think if Tide made a perfume, I'd wear it.


3. I am a firm believer that a Chick-fil-A sweet tea can cure almost anything. If you wake up and have a blah morning, this theory also works if you add a chicken biscuit. If you're having a blah afternoon, this also works if you add some chicken nuggets. However, you must always drink a sweet tea!


4. In college, if I was having a bad day, I got in the car and drove North on 85 until I got to Chapel Hill. I still find it relaxing to just walk around the campus, grab a bite to eat and just hang out and enjoy being outside and watching people. This might make me sound like a loner but I am comfortable with having "me" time!


5. Grocery shopping! I love grocery shopping. Walking up and down the aisles, essentially just for the fun of it for many aisles and finding what it is that's on the list is relaxing to me. I also feel invigorated when something is on sale and I have a coupon! I don't dred the grocery store and I hope my love for it stays around for awhile. I'm blessed I can grocery shop!

6. eating these ... raw and as soon as they come out of the oven and are all gooey and warm and amazing!


7. The beach. In September/October. I mean I love the beach during beach months but I also love walking in the sand along the water in jeans and a hoodie.

8. Clean sheets. Cozy blankets and comfy pillows!

9. The popcorn machine at Ace Hardware :)

10. Spending quality time with my grandparents/finding myself in situations where senior citizens (I'm talking 70+ on this one!) are just darling and start talking and the way things were "back in the day"...just listening to their concerns and reflections in the middle of an aisle or at a restaurant or in a lobby is just precious!

Ok...that's all I can think of for now! I am blessed :)

Wordless Wednesday

TV Faith

Last night I watched the special on TLC about the Duggar Family and all I can say is "WOW!"

While I know that having 19 children is NOT in my future and while I may not think it was such a great idea for them, I respect their decisions but have to PRAISE them for showing their true colors and being so God driven! The fact that all of their children are growing up in such a loving, Christian home--where they all seem to understand those values just amazes me.

The faith that Jim Bob and Michelle expressed last night regarding their sweet little Josie and her fight is awesome. I love that TLC continues to air their life...their entire life...God, praying, church, worshipping and all is just amazing...especially in a world where TV people are too concerned with who slept with who, who can say the most bad words in a certain amount of time and the "dirtiness" that is seen on the Bachelor/Bachelorette, Real World and all of those other shows that I don't watch.

God Bless the Duggars! May everything work out for you according to God's will!