Summer Begins

The craziness of the last few days of the school year is finally over. The girls finished 4th and 6th grades yesterday. No sleeping in for them on their first day of summer this year. I have a 9:00 meeting at the church and then I am working afterwards. They'll come with me and hang out with some of their friends there.

Once Lance and I finish our work day, we are all loading up and heading to Florida. We'll be in Panama City with my dad for a week. We are looking forward to our time with him. We are also excited about the road trip. We'll be driving a route we've never taken before. It should be fun seeing some new places.

I hope to blog some while on the road.

Dinner

Lance and I ate at the Olive Garden tonight. We only had to wait 30 minutes to get a table, which was great. Even on a Monday night at 7:30, it was packed. It's always packed. From the size of the crowds, you would think this was a brand new restaurant that just opened, but it has been here for years. People around here just can't get enough of the Olive Garden.

We were ready to order as soon as we got to our table. Lance was looking forward to having his favorite dish. I was thinking that I'd probably order the same. Then our waitress arrived and told us that they had no fresh tomatoes. What? We eat at Olive Garden once or twice a year and we decide to eat there the day they have all their tomatoes recalled. Of course, the dish we were both hoping for included fresh tomatoes.

I ended up with some really good fish and veggies. Lance had something that he didn't like so much. And the salad just wasn't the same without the tomatoes.

Upgrade

Hannah is now officially a part of the middle school ministry at LifePoint. We had a blast yesterday at the Elevate Upgrade Party. It was a great way to welcome all the soon to be 7th graders into the group. What great kids. Thanks for a fun event, Jason. Here are some photos from our day at Adventure Park USA.

Wax Museum

The 4th graders at Rachel's school researched and wrote a paper on the life of a historical figure. Today they dressed up as the character that they studied, and students, teachers and parents visited their wax museum. We walked around and listened as the characters came to life and shared their stories.

Rachel as Sacagewea with baby Pomp

Rachel with her best friend Caitlyn (Betsy Ross)

Something Wicked

Friday night's episode of Dateline was entitled "Something Wicked." The show told the stories of 6 women who had all tried to hire hit men. We happened to turn on the TV just as the show was beginning and heard a familiar name and town being talked about.

We lived in Bridgeport, Texas (just north of Fort Worth) for three years, and Hannah was born while we were there.

After moving to Bridgeport I began working full time at a law office in town. I liked my job and the people I worked with. The attorney who hired me was Mike Simpson, his brother Ross, also an attorney, worked in the Bridgeport office of their firm as well. These are very wealthy men who chose to live in the Bridgeport because they liked small town life there. You would have never known by the look and size of our office on Main Street how high profile some of the cases handled there were.

Working with Mike and Ross was fun. They were kind and treated their employees well. I met their wives and children and saw them many times during the 2 years that I worked there.

Several years after moving away from Bridgeport we ran into Becky Simpson (Ross's wife) at a beach resort in south Texas. We chatted with her a couple of times during the week while we were there.

Imagine our surprise when a few years after seeing Becky at the beach we heard that she had tried to hire someone to kill a woman! The story got crazier as we learned that a former student in our youth ministry at FBC, Bridgeport was the one Becky had first approached about helping her get revenge on the woman. This student went to the authorities and helped set Becky up, but he is still a shady character in all of this.

After seeing the story on Dateline, I went online and read the whole story and details of the trial. Crazy!

Concert

Rachel joined the school chorus and began playing the violin this year. Last night she sang and played in her first concert. She was great!

Music

Hannah has been taking voice lessons for about 2 years now. Last night she sang in her third recital. She was terrific. And, so were the other students. These lessons and recitals have been a great experience for her. Here are a couple of photos from the evening.

And, here's Hannah playing in her middle school spring concert. She's wearing the white headband.

4 Days of Parties

My weekend began with party #1, Hannah's slumber party, on Friday night. Her birthday is in April, a very busy month, so we waited until May to let her have a few friends over to celebrate. She and three of her best school friends enjoyed pizza, cookie cake, some late night swimming at the YMCA, and watching Enchanted.

I did some shopping with my girls Saturday afternoon, then we came home and planted some flowers in our front yard. I cleaned up and headed to church while Lance and the girls went to party #2 at our across the street neighbor's house. I checked kids in, played, sang, served snack, changed diapers, cleaned up, took out the trash, locked up the nursery and drove home to join my family. The party was still going when I arrived, and there was plenty of great food. We enjoyed the beautiful view and amazing sunset from the deck.

The girls had a friend come home with them from church Sunday, and she went with us to party #3. This one was a birthday party at our friends' house down the street for their 2 year old son. Again, lots of great food, beautiful weather, and great views from their deck. The girls' friend left later that night, we put Chloe to bed and the rest of us watched National Treasure 2. It was good, but I fell asleep during parts of it.

Monday morning I woke up and went for a nice long walk in my neighborhood. Later that morning Lance mowed the yard and power washed our house. I made some baked beans, then we loaded the car and took off to party #4. This one was at the Fullen's house. It was a fun evening outside with incredible food and friends, and of course, some cornhole. I found my camera in my purse and took a few pictures while we were there.

This weekend really has me ready for summer. Maybe it was all those great meals on the grill.

Only 8 more full days and 2 half days of school!

You're It

I was tagged by my good friend Kristen in this question game, so here it goes:

1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player then tags five people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they've been tagged and asking them to read the player's blog.
4. Let the person who tagged you know when you've posted your answer.

What were you doing 5 years ago?

1. Getting used to life with 3 kids (7 years, 5 years, and 1 month old)
2. Finishing up some remodeling in our house
3. Attending Rachel's preschool graduation
4. Beginning my last summer of living in Lufkin, TX
5. Nursing Chloe on demand

What are 5 things on your to-do list today (not in any particular order)?

1. Finish painting upstairs - hallway and girls' bathroom (of course, this won't happen today)
2. Sew rod pockets in giant stage curtains for a wedding
3. Buy colored card stock and brads so Hannah can finish a school project
4. Fold and put away the laundry that is in the dryer
5. Buy flowers to put in a planter and a front flower bed

What are 5 snacks you enjoy?

1. Pop Tarts and milk
2. Chips and hot sauce
3. Pepper Jack cheese with Keebler Club multigrain crackers
4. White cheddar Cheese Nips
5. Cherry Vanilla Diet Dr. Pepper

What 5 things would you do if you were a billionaire?

1. Go on amazing yearly vacations with my family and extended family
2. Visit my family in Texas, Louisiana, and Florida more often, and fly them up here often
3. Give millions to LifePoint, other ministries, and my friends and family
4. Work at LifePoint (or in some other ministry) for no pay
5. Drive both a brand new Honda Odyssey and a Honda Pilot

What are 5 of your bad habits?

1. Leaving my ironing board out in my bedroom and using it as a shelf
2. Checking my email too many times each day
3. Procrastinating
4. Over eating
5. Under exercising

What are 5 jobs you have had?

1. Regonal Diagnostic Imaging Center - Radiology Clinic
2. Admissions Office at ETBU
3. Substitute teacher
4. Legal Assistant
5. Nursery Director

What are 5 places you have lived?

1. New Orleans, LA
2. Bossier City, LA
3. Bridgeport, TX
4. Lufkin, TX
5. Westminster, MD

What 5 people do you want to tag?

1. Jodie
2. Kelsey
3. Jen
4. Julie
5. Kathi

Haircut

Chloe got a haircut yesterday, and now she has bangs! She loves her new look, but was worried that her bangs were gone last night when they were brushed over to the side. She also woke up this morning and asked if her bangs were still there.

Rachel thinks that Chloe looks just like Hannah with her new look. Here are photos of Chloe with her new do and Hannah (at age 3 or 4) with a similar haircut.

My 5 Year Old

I had the following conversation with Chloe over lunch.

Chloe - "I can't wait until I'm 15."
Me - "Really. Why?"
Chloe - "I want to have a baby."
Me - "You're going to be a great mom . . . someday."

I'm glad that Lance was home to hear that one.

Mom's Salary

This is for all of you hard working moms. No surprise that so much is overtime pay. What do you think?

Boomshine

This is a favorite time waster at my house. Pretty colors, relaxing music. It's addictive. Enjoy!

Weekend 180 - Becoming

Weekend 180 was an amazing time again this year. Even more amazing for us because it was Hannah's first student ministry event. It was a great event for the incoming 6th graders to take part in. They'll be moving into the Underground Student Movement this summer. Hannah is ready!

Lance doing one of the things he does best

Ross King and band

Ross rocks the Underground

Hannah and friends

Hannah's group takes the stage to share their Big Live

Todd Wright - singer-song writer-speaker extraordinaire (and funniest man in the world)

Party Pics

We had a party at McDonald's for Chloe's 5th birthday. It was the best of both worlds - the kids had a blast, and I didn't have to entertain a dozen 4 and 5 year olds at my house.

We were told that Chloe's Ronald McDonald birthday cake was put into the refrigerator upside down by an employee, so the picture on it was messed up. Oh well, our nice party lady didn't charge us for the cake, and she even found a plastic Ronald figurine to stick on it! You gotta love the Taneytown McDonald's.

Friday Fun

I am headed up to PA for the weekend with my good friend Julie. She is speaking at a women's retreat for her former church, and I am tagging along for moral (and prayer) support. It should be a fun weekend to get away, spend time with a friend, and meet some new people.

I ran by the Westminster Wal-Mart this morning after dropping the girls off at school. I have been avoiding that place for the last couple of weeks because of the complete remodel going on inside and outside the store. Honestly, this is one of the nastiest Wal-Mart stores I have ever been in, so I am glad for the face lift. When I walked in today, I was thrilled to see that there were all new shopping carts in the store and they were large! One of the worst things about my local Wal-Mart has been the mini carts that they provide. I can put Chloe in one along with a 12 pack of Charmin double rolls and that thing is full. I don't get it. The senior adult employee that helped me get my cart this morning just didn't understand my excitement over this change.

Well, I'm off to grab my bags and kiss my husband goodbye. Happy Friday!

12 Years Old

Happy Birthday, Hannah!

This has been a big year for my first born. And, she has risen to the occasion. I am so proud of her.

Hannah began 6th grade last fall and has had a great first year of middle school. Just the other day she said, "I don't want 6th grade to be over, it's been so great!"

Hannah loves life and sees challenges as adventures. She loves to learn and consumes books at an incredible rate. She goes against the flow and is not afraid to be different. She is creative, she's a gifted writer, and she has a great sense of humor.

Last weekend, Hannah attended her first Student Ministry event. This was a big moment in the life of our family. For years we've thought about and wondered what it would be like to have one of our own kids in the student ministry that Lance leads. That time is here! Hannah loved every minute of Weekend 180. And, she brought an unchurched friend to the event with her. She really has a heart for this friend and others. She is loyal and befriends and stands up for kids at school who need a friend.

I love the person that Hannah is becoming in Christ. I can't wait to see what He has in store for her this year.

BreakAway Boot Camp

Rachel had a blast at her first over night church event this weekend. She rode the giant swing at RVR and told us, "It was terrifying and I loved it!"

Thanks Jen and the BA team for putting together such a great event.

She's Five

Chloe's 5th birthday was on Tuesday, April 8.

We had a great day celebrating her life.

Her dinner choice was pizza.

She loved all her gifts.

She requested yellow cupcakes with chocolate frosting and a capital and lower case letter "C" on each one.

It's The Little Things

My day started out with a dental appointment, just a regular check up and cleaning. I have always enjoyed going to the dentist. I love the feeling of newly polished teeth. Today's appointment was just for me, so that was fun. I am usually bringing all 3 kids in for their check ups, too. After the appointment I did some shopping.

On my 20 minute trip home I realized what a relaxing time I was having driving all by myself. I was listening to my choice of radio station, and singing along with Elton John, uninterrupted. Going anywhere alone is rare for me right now. And when I get to, I enjoy it a lot. It doesn't matter where I'm going or what I'm doing, but alone time in the car is good for me.

By the time I got home, I felt refreshed. If going to the dentist, Wal-Mart, and driving a car alone makes my day, I guess I need to get a life.

April 1, 1988

Twenty years ago today, Lance and I went out on our first date. I was 16 and a junior in high school. He was 20. I met him in January at a youth event at my church. I was attending the event, Lance was leading one of the middle school groups. When he called a couple of months later to ask me out I said, "I'll ask my Mom." Mom said yes, and the rest is history.

The night we went out was not only April Fool's Day, but also Good Friday. I spent the night before the date with Ericka (my best high school friend) and tried on just about everything in both of our closets as she helped me decide what I would wear. It was an hour drive (from Longview, TX to Bossier City, LA) for Lance to get to my house. He showed up for the date with roses for me and also flowers for my mom - very smart! The weather was terrible that night, the area was under a tornado warning. We had dinner at Ralph and Kacoos, then rented Roxanne and went back to my house to watch it.

It was a great first date. In fact, he called me the next day and drove back over that afternoon for our second date!