Welcome to Pace Place

Spring Break Trip to Chattanooga

2011-03-31T07:25:00.000-07:00

Every year since we've been married, I have chosen our vacations. Michael has always agreed, but there have been times that I felt I was dragging him along.

But, this year, he chose our vacations without me even asking. We plan to take two this year. The first one would be a gift to each other for our anniversary during Spring Break. He chose Chattanooga.

We've both been here before. He's been as an adult, but I haven't been since I was a kid.

Even though, we've had beautiful weather in the South for about a month, this weekend was cold and rainy. :(

But, we still managed to have a great time.

Allyson does not like that picture. I think it's too funny!

Here's the best picture I took the whole weekend!

On our 6th anniversary, we toured Ruby Falls. Since it had been raining so much, our guide said the waterfall was twice as big as normal. It was awesome!

My parents went to Chattanooga, too! They actually kept Allyson so we could go out for dinner just like all-grown up people on Saturday night! Yes, like a date! :)

As a kid, I remember eating at the Gardens Restaurant at the Chattanooga Choo-Choo. I remember it being so fancy and wondering if we could afford to eat there. So, I was really looking forward to taking Allyson there. But, sadly, it's not the same. We walked in and considered eating elsewhere. But, we were there and we were hungry after attending services at Central church of Christ downtown. So, we stayed and then took the $2.00 tour in the trolley around the property. Allyson was able to ring the bell over and over. This was very serious business for her.

After we left, we went back to the hotel to put on warmer clothes (I didn't pack appropriately for the conditions, but we survived!) and head to Rock City.

Allyson was so brave. She kept trying to run ahead. This made her father very nervous!

After checking out Rock City, my parents headed home. We stayed one more night. On March 27, 2005, we ate at a P.F. Chang's in Las Vegas on our honeymoon. So, exactly six years later, we ate at the one in Chattanooga. We love that place! :)

We found a cat and he's ours now

2011-03-30T09:41:00.000-07:00

Meet Pickles our new furry pet.

I found him in front of our house in the road. I didn't want this kitten to meet the same fate as Reuben, so we brought him in. He had a collar and we tried to find his owner. We had signs out at our mailbox for a week, but no one claimed him.

And, Allyson got quite attached pretty quickly.

We had a dress-up week earlier this month to celebrate Read Across America.

On Favorite Book Character Day, Allyson had to be Rapunzel.

She's a little Tangled Crazy! Of course we had to get the movie yesterday when it came out. It is currently playing on our TV for the 3rd time since yesterday!

We also had Wacky Tacky Day

I have TONS more to post about since it has been so long. Hopefully, I can get it done before Spring Break is over!

Just Can't Get Enough...

2011-01-17T17:37:00.000-08:00

Lately, we've been looking for some healthy munchies to keep around the house. We've always kept cookies or candy around to munch on. It's good, but not good for us. Time to make some changes. So, here's a recipe of something we just can't get enough of lately. It's got sweet and salty. It's just right and actually has nutritional value. But, watch out! You might find your 4-year-old just picking out the M&Ms!

Homemade Trail Mix

1 large container of salted (or lightly salted) roasted peanuts

1 medium-sized box of raisins

1 medium-sized bag of plain M&Ms

In a gallon-sized ziplock bag, pour all ingredients. Close bag. Use hands to mix ingredients together through bag. Use trail mix for: school lunches and snacking on around the house. And, if you use seasonally colored M&Ms, I think it would also be a cute gift idea.

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Tonight was Monday Night for the Master. It was my turn to bring dessert for everyone. I looked through my old recipes and found one for Key Lime Cake. I got the recipe from a co-worker that I was at WRMS with. She won the bake-off with this recipe the year she brought it. I took it tonight and everyone raved! So, here's the recipe (slightly modified) from what I was given. I don't really believe in homemade frosting. I have no patience.

Key Lime Cake

Ingredients:

1 box lemon cake mix

1 1/3 C. vegetable oil

4 eggs

1 (3oz) pkg. lime jello mix

3/4 C orange juice

1 container of cream cheese frosting

3 T. lime juice

Directions: Cake-Preheat oven to suggested temp. on cake mix box. Grease and flour a 9x13 in dish. Mix cake mix, jello mix, oil, eggs, and orange juice. Pour evenly into dish. Bake according to cake box directions. Allow to cool completely.

Frosting-Put cream cheese frosting in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30-35 seconds. Add lime juice. Stir together. Spread on cake.

Redneck Sleigh Ride

2011-01-10T16:19:00.000-08:00

Ummmm...I don't think any words are needed to describe this...

Today was a SNOW DAY!
But, this wasn't very fun snow. It was hard and icy. Not really snowman-making, snowball-fighting kind of snow.

But, that doesn't mean Allyson can't find some fun!

Looking all grown up!

But, Daddy has quite an imagination!

So much fun sliding down the ditch when you're only 4!

And, guess what! We get another snow day tomorrow. Looking forward to sleeping and staying cozy, but these days will have to be made up. :(

No Place Like Home for the Holidays

2011-01-08T15:23:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas 2010. It was nearly perfect!

Here's our tree with all of Mommy & Daddy's gifts on Christmas Eve. We exchanged our gifts first thing on Christmas Eve morning.

Mike gave me lots of nice things. I guess I've been good this year. I recieved an iPod Nano and a large storage ottoman. And, Mike has been good this year, too! So, I got him a Wii with lots of games and accessories. He said he was surprised. And, he LOVED it!

Allyson got to open one gift.
A Princess Snugii!

Then, it was time to make our gingerbread man.

We put hime in the oven.

But, when it was time for him to come out, he was gone! We looked all over. Allyson looked outside from the window and found him on Daddy's car. I had to go out and grab him fast before he ran away again!

Then, it was time to decorate him.

Allyson arranged the M&M's in a pattern.

And, what do you know! This gingerbread man is actually a girl.

That night, we went to Gray to my parents' house. My sister's family came, too. We had a tasty dinner of deli sandwiches, boiled shrimp, chips, and hot dips.

We all took turns having pics made in front of the tree.

Robbi, Brad, Caleb, & Carlee

My parents, Phyllis & Glenn

My mom found this cake at Publix. Too cute!

When, we got home, we put out the cookies and milk right after we sprinkled magic reindeer food on our front lawn. We put some red sugar on the milk and it turned pink. Santa still enjoyed it. :)

And, then Allyson was off to bed while Mike & I stayed up until a very late hour playing Wii. :)

The next morning, Allyson found lots of gifts that Santa had left just for her!

Someone at our house is a tiny bit Tangled crazy!

Having breakfast at her new Princess table.

Later that day, we went to see our friends Jody & Melissa. We had a gift for their baby Piper.

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New Year's Eve

Mike was off on New Year's Eve. So, we had a family day and went to lunch and to the Museum of Arts & Sciences in Macon. It was a fun and inexpensive day.

Digging for fossils

There's a mini zoo.

And, we came home to get ready for our annual New Years bash at church. There were lots of yummy goodies and we played games until pretty late. Allyson was determined to welcome the New Year, but she fell asleep in my arms around 11:50. I was just glad my husband was home for a kiss!

Happy New Year 2011!

This was so funny! Allyson got to take a bunch of balloons home from church the night before. She rode her trike around our driveway saying, "Balloons for Sale! Balloons for Sale!" I had to grab the camera!

This was such a great Christmas! Everything was so magical for Allyson. Four is the perfect age for believing in everything. I wish she'd stay like this forever!

Happy New Year!

An After-Christmas Recipe

2010-12-26T15:02:00.000-08:00

If you find yourself sick the day after Christmas, which I did this year, you can make a delicious soup to help you to feel better. Or, you may just need to do something with all your left-over mashed potatoes! :)

After-Christmas Potato Soup

You'll need:

1 can chicken broth

3-4 heaping tablespoons of mashed potatoes

4 oz of shredded turkey

4 oz shredded ham

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar

Stir on medium heat and let simmer until hot. Serves 2.

Hopefully, I'll be all better tomorrow. I gotta check out all the after-Christmas deals! :)

Hope you had a Merry Christmas!

Fast "Paced"

2010-12-21T18:09:00.000-08:00

I am quite behind in updating my blog, so guess what. This post goes back to...

Halloween!

We went to Gray so that Allyson and Caleb could trick-or-treat together. First, we had some supper.

Then, it was time to get CANDY!
Random pic of Allyson napping on my shoulder as I sat in our recliner.

Back in November, we went to see Disney Princesses on Ice.

At the end, all the princesses came out in golden ball gowns. Allyson loved it all!

We spent Thanksgiving Day at my mom and dad's. Here's my sister and me with our kids.

Later, we took a walk by the pond. There are huge rocks that Allyson likes to climb.

The day after Thanksgiving, while I was shopping, Mike and Allyson went to see his dad, Grandpop.

Earlier this month, we went to our church Christmas party. We have it at a nursing home each year. We pass gifts out to the residents and enjoy cookies and punch. The kids get to have a picture made on Santa's lap.

Ironically, Laney & Ella wore the same shirt Allyson had on. Apparently, their mom did a little after-Christmas shopping at Belk last year, too. :)

Last weekend, we went to Hailey's birthday party. She had a Polar Express themed-party. It was a lot of fun and all the decorations were so cute. Allyson said she wants a Polar Express birthday party for when she's 5. But, her Dad and I explained that it won't be a fun theme in August. And, maybe a Barbie party would be more appropriate. She agreed.

Hailey's dad punched everyone's ticket.

At the party, there was a Hot Chocolate Bar. It was stocked with whipped cream, marshmallows, choc chips, mini candy canes, and sprinkles. I tried to take pictures of the festive beverages, but they were all out of focus. :(

Well, Mike & I just graduated from FPU, Financial Peace University.

When you get a credit card application in the mail, you should run away like a gazelle from a cheetah!

Here's a picture from one of the most highly anticipated days at our school, Pajama Day AKA Polar Express Day. Allyson had her PJ's picked out for weeks.

Daddy gives us a ride home from school most days and sometimes he plays with Allyson on the playground. This is her favorite thing in the afternoons.

This past weekend, we had some family on my mom's side come visit from out of town. So, we were all together at my mom's.

I am so in love with this sack-a-sugar!! Carlee is the sweetest baby and she's always up for some lovin'.

Here's my Uncle Steve, cousin JJ, and Aunt Janice, my mom's sister. They all live in Columbus, Ga.

That night, Mike had a work party. Our friends' daughter, Kelsey, babysat for us. We were surprised to come home and find that they had made a gingerbread house.

Sunday night, Allyson had a couple friends spend the night. We had breakfast at Burger King Monday morning. They had fun, but Mom & Dad did not get much sleep!

Yesterday, we went to my mom's to do some holiday baking. I love this picture of Allyson and my mom making cookies.

We are ready for Christmas, except for some laundry, grocery shopping, and basic house cleaning. Are you? :)

Merry Christmas!

Love, The Paces

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-14T18:36:00.001-08:00

First Dental Visist

2010-11-24T06:53:00.000-08:00

On Monday, Allyson went to the dentist for the first time. She climbed right up in the chair and wasn't scared a bit!

Barb, our hygentist, was very patient and explained everything. She was awesome! They joked and laughed!

Allyson let her clean and floss her teeth. She actually laughed as Barb flossed because Barb told he it would tickle.

Barb said she wished all her first-timers were as easy and well-behaved as Allyson. (This made us soooo proud!) Barb gave Allyson a Hello Kitty Christmas coloring book and allowed her to choose 5 toys from the treasure box. She also got 2 new toothbrushes.

I gave her dad the report and he was pleased. "Going to the dentist is very important," says Daddy. :D

After her visit, she took a long nap. Well, we had been at Monkey Joes earlier that day. At dinner, she asked when she could go back to the dentist. hehe

Allyson's first dental visit

Nov. 22, 2010

A "Picnik" Lunch

2010-11-18T17:59:00.000-08:00

Today, we had lunch with Allyson's Pre-K class. It was Thanksgiving lunch.

Obviously, it was not a pic-nic lunch, but I had fun editing my pictures using Picnik.com.
It's free and fun to use.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Love, The Paces

"Rock-tober" 2010

2010-11-11T13:58:00.000-08:00

October is my favorite month! This past October ROCKED! Here are a few highlights...

My birthday was on the 18th. We went with some friends to Zen Japanese Steakhouse. It was delicious! You can't beat the entertainment! :)

The following weekend was the Fall Festival and Trunk or Treat. We just did a Fall theme for our trunk this year. Autumn stayed with us so that we could take her.

Allyson was Barbie in a Fashion Fairytale this year. She dressed up 4 times for different occasions. I was glad to get our money's worth out of the costume!

Fall Festival bonfire

Random picture of Allyson coloring in the bathtub.

Happy Fall, Ya'll!

Sarah & I hosted a Tailgate Party Salad Supper. My next post will be about that. Here's some cute pics of Allyson & Abigail from that night.

Another random picture of Allyson coloring

Allyson's PACT time at school-Pumpkin carving!

Daddy carving our pumpkin at home

Trick or Treater Piper came by

In addition to all of these activities, I was able to go out of town twice. That was my previous post. I love Rock-tober, I mean October! :D

Weekend Getaway(s)

2010-11-06T07:52:00.000-07:00

In October, I was blessed to go out of town twice. We went on a family trip to Pine Mountain, Georgia. And, the following weekend was the Ladies Retreat on Tybee Island, Georgia.

Here's the cabin we stayed in at Pine Mountain near Callaway Gardens.

Allyson has become quite the little poser these days. Here she is next to our well.

We enjoyed our fireplace even though it was a warm weekend.

Our cabin had a loft where Allyson slept. She loved it!

Okay, honestly, the pictures of outside that cabin weren't the one we actually stayed in. That was the Pioneer House at Callaway. I feel really bad for not taking pictures of the outside of our cabin. :(

Here are more pictures from Callaway.

The chapel. My aunt was married here.

I love the stained glass. So pretty.

The birds of prey show

The Butterfly House

The following day, we went to Wild Animal Safari. There is a zoo to walk around and a safari where you ride around and feed wild animals.

Cheeky Buffalo

This large animal would have eaten our entire cup of food!

The rhino couldn't get near us. He might charge. But, he was cool!

This guy is on vacation. Soon, he'll be heading back to help Santa.

Back to the zoo. It was later in the day and we pretty much had the entire zoo area to ourselves.

On top of Pine Mountain

More posing...

Ladies Retreat 2010

We ate here on River Street in Savannah. Very good chicken tenders. They are served with honey. Yum!

The people you meet on River Street...:)

Never know what you might see...a huge pumpkin,

A girl in a tissue paper dress...

Here was our room. I shared with Kelli.

Andrea & Angela's room

The living area

Chilling on the back porch...We had a hot tub, too. So nice!

Tybee Beach pics. Some say this beach isn't pretty. I disagree.

This year's organizers Renee, Cheryl, & Suzy. It was the most laid-back, relaxing retreat I've been on.

Can't wait for next year!

Many Moons Ago...

2010-09-19T19:19:00.000-07:00

...I last updated by blog!

But, I promise that it's not because nothing has been going on! Quite the contrary! Michael is back working on his degree online. So, I haven't been able to get the laptop very often.

As a result...this is kinda, sorta a long post!

But, I will keep the commentary short and let you just enjoy the photos!

Family Fun Night-Aug. 21, 2010

Bowling was fun, but not cheap!
Allyson sleeping one night with all her "Barbies" lined up next to her.

Helping to wash the car.

Allyson's 4th Birthday-August 24, 2010

Allyson awoke to the house being decked out in Disney Princesses.

Birthday Princess

Lighting the candles and wearing outfit #2. Mama made the cake as you can tell! She loved it anyway!

Make a wish!

Opening presents and wearing outfit #3. I'm not sure why she changed clothes so much!

She got a Disney Princess bed set.

Putting some lip gloss on Daddy.

Baby Piper came by to wish Allyson a Happy Birthday.

Aunt Issa & Uncle Jody brought her a Cinderella carriage.

Abigail went for a "ride".

Allyson insisted that her bed be changed that night.

I must tell you that when she said her prayer before dinner, she said "Thank you God for letting me have my birthday." It brought a tear to my eye.

The following Saturday, she invited 2 friends to join her to go to McDonald's and Build-a-Bear.

My parents and my sister and her family joined us, too. Papa's being silly!

My niece, Carlee, is so sweet!

The birthday table

Opening presents. We've watched The Island Princess ALOT since the party!

A Leapster 2. That's cool.

But, what is this?

GASP!

"Mama! Look!"

Of course, she had to change right away!

The McDonald's on Bass Rd. in Macon is super nice! It worked out great for our little group.

Time to Build some Bears!

Carlee is getting a bear, too!

Brad and Mike seemed pretty stoked to be Building Bears!

Buzz Lightbear

Yesterday, Allyson's friend, Ella, had a dress-up tea party. Allyson went as a Bride. I made her a veil and tried to do her hair the way it was done at Disney. I'm not a pro, though!

Getting ready to kiss the frog on the lips.

She was right on it. I think those girls could see!

Everything was tiny-sized.

Happy Birthday, Ella!

Our Little School Girl

2010-08-23T14:12:00.000-07:00

Well, this post is exactly 2 weeks late! I'm finally getting around to posting pictures from Allyson's first day of school.

Even though, Allyson is still 3 she was old enough to start Pre-K at Linwood Elementary.

Making her lunch choice. She brought home lunch. Did you notice her Alice in Wonderland lunchbox? A souvenier from Disney.

Allyson got right down to business. :)

Here's her teacher, Mrs. Young. Not really sure why Allyson made a fish face! haha

Hanging up her book bag on her hook.

She got tired of having her picture made, I guess. So, she would not take a picture with me. I just covered my face, too. :) She's peeking, though!

Here's Allyson in the media center. That's Mama's classroom. I love having her at school with me!

Showing off her Disney Princess backpack and Dora shoes that Daddy got her. :) She wore her leopard print dress because at our school the leopard is our mascot.

So, far she's doing great. She's getting better at writing her name and recognizing letters. She's learned a lot of new songs. We're so proud of her!

Can't believe she'll be 4 TOMORROW!

Our Summer Project

2010-07-31T07:40:00.000-07:00

If you're a friend of mine you know that every year when we go on vacation a crisis occurs. Two years ago, our Pug, Percy, died. Last year, we had a triple crisis. Our other dog died, our fridge died, and my car was broken into.

So, this year, when we came home from Disney, we were happily surprised that everything was in place.

Then, two days later, we get a call.

Eight months before Mike and I got married, I purchased a home. I LOVED my house! I wanted him to live with me, but since my house was smaller, it just wasn't practical. We decided I would move in with him and we would just rent my house out.

We found a wonderful older lady to live in my two-bedroom house. She paid her rent every month on time and never called us for anything.

The call we received was our tenant. She was in tears. She'd retired only 6 months earlier, but said she lost all her money in the stock market and now had to live with her daughter. She lived there over five years.

So, our summer project has been painting all the rooms in this house. And, looking for a new tenant.

We would love to find someone to buy my house. But, we will rent it out until that happens.

We are asking $750/mo with a $750 deposit. Or, $85,000. Please tell anyone you know that may need a place to live in the Warner Robins area.

Thanks!!

DAWG DAYZ

2010-07-30T11:17:00.000-07:00

I am taking up a collection for a king size bed. As you can see, there is no room for me in the one we currently have. :(

Well, my friends, it is HOT!! These are the Dawg Days of summer! Most people say Dog Days. But, if you know me, you know I "talk country" so from my mouth it is dawg!

Just wanted to post a few more pictures of our summer. Earlier this month we attended VBS in Gray where my dad is a preacher. The kids had a wonderful time! This is not a great picture, but I just love seeing Allyson looking so happy in her Nana's lap.
The song leader (my dad) for VBS was a gorilla. This made a few kids cry and scream or even get violent. But, Allyson loved the gorilla. She was so brave! She's getting her treat bag and ceertificate.

This summer Allyson attended gymnastics on Tuesday mornings. She really enjoyed it. We go for fun, not really to push her into the Olympics or anything like that. This picture was from the last day. They told them to wear swimsuits.

Allyson with her teacher Ms. Tracey.

I didn't realize until we arrived that the reason they were supposed to wear swimsuits was because they had a water day planned.

Here she is with some friends from her class.

Later, Mommy needed a pedicure. Allsyon got to sit in a chair for a while. I may not take her to the nail salon with me again for 2 reasons.

1. I don't get to relax as much.

2. It has occured to me that this is spoiling. And, she's already hard enough to deal with!

We went to Lane Packing last week to play and have lunch. This picture of Mariah is the only one I took. But, I love it!

I must tell you that while we were at Lane Allyson only wanted salad for lunch. Hmmm...this is a good thing, I suppose. Just strange for a kid!

Now, this summer the biggest struggle I have had every day is getting Allyson to go lay down and take a nap. Every day we have a huge fight! One of us usually ends up in tears. I won't say who!

Last Sunday, she had "nap time". But, she didn't go to sleep. She just played in her room. Ok, fine. Well, at least she had quiet time, right?

Later, she's watching a movie. She's quiet. I think she must be VERY involved in this movie. I walk by and this is what she's doing.

Yes, on top of the couch! Did I move her? NO WAY! She took a 45 minute nap. So, this tells me that she DOES still need her nap every day.

Allyson will be starting PreK this year. She'll be going to school with me every day. I'm excited about it! I think she'll do well. I just can't believe she's not a baby anymore!

We Didn't Go to Savannah, but Savannah Came to Us

2010-07-25T13:39:00.001-07:00

This is my 100th Post!!!!

I don't think I wrote a special post to celebrate, but we are through with daycare! My last day of post-planning was Allyson's last day in "The Big Room" at Meadowdale Learning Center! So glad we don't have that bill anymore.

We did go back to MLC in June on Tuesdays and Thursdays for swimming lessons, but she was not enrolled anymore.

However, Allyson made a very special friend at MLC. Her name is Savannah. Savannah still attends at MLC. Her mom said that we could pick up Savannah from daycare and let her spend the day with us a couple weeks ago.

Allyson and Savannah had a lot of fun playing dress-up and watching videos. They laughed and giggled all day! Such silly little girls!

I took some really good pictures of them playing in the sprinkler.

This one happens to be after the sprinkler, though.

Later, we headed over to McDonald's for some milkshakes and fries. These two were worn out!

They had fun, but I was worn out, too. All day long I heard, "She's not..." "I want..." "She has..." "I told her..." "She won't..."

Just typical 3-year-old girl speech!

Hopefully, Allyson & Savannah can play again sometime! Hmmm...Maybe at her house! :D

Cracking Up!

2010-07-21T09:42:00.000-07:00

At the park last night as we walk to the car and Daddy carries Allyson on his shoulders, I ask Allyson, "What do we call a person we don't know?"

Allyson's answer:

"Jack-A-Ma-Ham."

WHAT?! I fall on the ground laughing hysterically! I guess she would just make up a name, then!

Her Daddy calmly answers, "No, Sweetheart. We call them a Stranger."

And, I'm wondering how he is still standing up.

Today, on the way back from Target I ask her where she got the name Jack-A-Ma-Ham. She said, "From Cat in the Hat. They're always trying to get him to eat ham."

"Ohhhh! No, honey, his name is Sam-I-Am." I'm so relieved we cleared that one up!!

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Last night we found a couple fleas on Reuben. Mike explained that I would need to pick up some flea shampoo and I'd need to wash him first thing this morning.

"When you're bathing him, you'll see the dead fleas in the bottom of the tub. Then, you'll know it's working. That's what used to happen when I bathed my dog as a kid."

"Oh, you had a dog? What kind?" I ask.

"A jack russell," he replies.

"Oh, what was his name?"

Michael stares at me like he doesn't want to tell me. So, I press for an answer.

"His name was Mike," he says.

"Mike?! You named your dog after yourself!" I scream as I bust out laughing.

"Well, my parents called me Michael." he explains, which is still crazy, because I'm sure everyone else called him Mike.

So, after I told Allyson about Sam-I-Am in the car, I tell her about how Daddy had a dog when he was a little boy and the dog's name was Mike.

She thinks that is the funniest joke she's ever heard.

Then, she goes on this rant. "Reuben has a dog and its name is Reuben. I have a dog and his name is Allyson Paige Pace. Mommy, you have a dog. Guess what him's name is?"

"What, Allyson?" I already know the answer!

"Dawn! And, Ralston and Riley have a dog. Him's name is Riley and Ralston! And, Hailey and Jack have a dog! Its name is Hailey and Jack! And, Ella has a dog, too! It's name is Ella!"

So, glad my child has inherited my sense of humor! :D

Something I Just Made Up

2010-07-20T11:12:00.000-07:00

I love lemon bars, don't you? Mmmm...delicious! Just like "eating" a glass of lemonade. My husband loves lemon cake. While I usually prefer chocolate, he always requests fruity desserts. Especially lemon.

I had planned to make him a lemon cake last Friday, but the box of lemon cake mix in the pantry was way beyond its expiration. However, I had just bought some white cake mix and whipped icing. And, behold! There was a box of lemon pudding mix in the pantry (not expired!!)

I got online to try and remind myself how to make a cake with pudding. I found a "poke" cake recipe and it worked out. When I tried it, it tasted just like a lemon bar!

So, here's a recipe that I just made up.

Lemon Bar Cake

You'll need:

1 box white cake mix (including ingredients listed on box required to make cake)

1 large (or, 2 small) box instant lemon pudding mix (you'll need milk. see box for quantity)

1 can whipped white icing

1/2 c crushed Lemonheads candy (optional)

Prepare cake mix according to box directions. Pour batter into a 9x13 dish. Bake as directed. When cake is almost done, prepare lemon pudding according to box directions. While cake cools, use a fork or bamboo skewer to poke holes in top of cake. The more holes the better. Pour pudding over cake. Allow to cool and for pudding to set. May take 30-45 minutes. You can refrigerate for faster cooling.

After pudding is set, spread icing over top of cake. Sprinkle with crushed Lemonheads candy. Store in refrigerator. Enjoy!

Hot Fun in the Summertime

2010-07-19T09:50:00.000-07:00

Here are some highlights from our Summer 2010. I'm looking forward to the upcoming school year in some ways. Allyson will be going to school with me this year. She's going to Pre-K. We are very excited about that. But, in other ways I feel a bit of anxiety. The media clerks in Houston County elementary and middle schools were cut. So, this year I will have to do my job and the clerk's job. I'll need to try and figure out how to clone myself. I hear it's not easy to do that.

Anyway, here's a recap of some of our fun times this summer.

Our VBS theme was Great Escapes with God. Allyson really enjoyed herself. This was the first year that she was not in the youngest group. She's getting so big so fast. Here she is with her teachers Ms. Veronica and Ms. KK.

I worked in a craft room with older kids and Mike was in a story room playing the part of a herald. Here's a family pic from the last night of VBS.

VBS was from Sunday-Wednesday for two hours each night. There were story rooms for Jonah, the fiery furnace, Paul & Silas, and Daniel. They were awesome. Everyone worked so hard.

Here's my Herald Angel hard at work! There was some fog so that's why it looks cloudy.

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Allyson took swimming lessons during June. Her lessons were at her daycare. She wasn't enrolled anymore, but they let her attend since there were slots available.

She was right at home with some old friends. Here are two of her favorites-Savannah on the left and Bailey on the right.

Her teacher wasa young guy who was a certified lifeguard. He was very patient with her. She did end up learning how to swim, but I think we may need more lessons next year.

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After our Disney trip it was time for July 4th festivities. We attended the free concert at the WRHS stadium. The Air Force band performed as well as Diamond Rio and then a 20-minute firewoks display. It was awesome and I'm so glad we decided to go into the stadium this year.

Our friends Pam & Dave invited us. Their daughter came just before dark. She had been at work. Allyson thinks Kelsey hung the moon!

The next day we went to my parents' house. They have a cookout each year to celebrate. the 4th is also their anniversay. This was number 35!

Allyson and her daddy fishing.

My sister helping Allyson and cousin Caleb feed the ducks.

Andrea & Nirav have gone to my parents' July 4th party with us several times over the past few years. Andrea made Abigail's dress. Abigail is always so photogenic.

Daddy found a remote-control boat to play around with.

The Shah's. Abigail's chewing on her necklace. hehe

Sparklers!

A fuzzy pic of us watching the guys set off the fireworks.

Summer is not over yet! I still hope to have some more fun.

However, it is that time of year when people start saying, "So, are you ready to go back to work?" First of all, I'm not really sure why people think it is appropriate to speak in this way. I find it highly offensive! :)

Quite the Characters

2010-07-04T12:23:00.000-07:00

This year, we took a vacation to Disney for 4 nights June 26-30. We had a great time! We arrived on Saturday and just took it easy at our hotel.

We stayed at All-Star Movies Resort. Here's the pool. It was really neat, but we enjoyed the pool at All-Star Music better. It was shaped like a piano. Oldies were playing and there was an Ariel statue. We went there on Sunday.

All of these pictures are from our hotel. There are statues of Disney characters everywhere. And, just like this post title indicates, this trip became all about the characters for Allyson.

On Sunday morning, we had reservations (at 7:45!!) at Cape May Cafe. It's located at Disney's Beach Club Resort. We ate at this fanastic breakfast buffet so that Allyson could meet Goofy, Donald, and Minnie. I bought an autograph/photo album for her. Now that we are home, it is a real keepsake.

At first she was timid, but she warmed up quickly. She didn't eat one bite of her Mickey-shaped waffle. Too much excitement!

She just loves Minnie. She had Minnie on her dress. Minnie was very impressed!

Sunday night we went to Downtown Disney. I have a picture in this very same spot with Morgan. It was Allyson's idea to have a picture made here.

We had an 8:30 reservation for Planet Hollywood. We had $30 in vouchers to eat here. I'm so glad I made a reservation because the wait was INSANE! We had never eaten at a Planet Hollywood before, but we LOVED it!

Monday morning it was off to the Magic Kingdom to have breakfast at Cinderella's Royal Table. This is where you actually eat in the castle and all of the princesses come by to meet you.

First you take a picture with Cinderella. A photographer snaps one as well and you get a package complimentary. It is pricey, but we paid for our meals with our vacation package ahead of time.

Mike says this is the best picture of Allyson with a princess, but the angry girl in the background is hilarious to me!

Daddy and his little princess. This place was so neat! The server called us a royal family and Mike was "Lord" and I was "Milady". Allyson was princess, of course. She was wearing a crown afterall!

All of Allyson's dreams came true when she met Ariel! I was surprised she was there. I thought we'd meet Jasmine instead.

Ariel talked to Allyson for quite a while. I thought that was so sweet! Ariel went on and on about Allyson's dress.

I don't really understand why Belle doesn't get to wear her pretty ballgown like the other princesses. She should complain. I'm just sayin'!

Allyson is only posing. She didn't eat a bite of her food or drink any juice. Well, how could you? Especially when all of your favorite celebrities are just walking all around you! Three & 1/2 is a good age to go to Disney, I think. Everything was so real to her.

One reason I booked so many character dining experiences was becasue I didn't want to wait in lines to meet characters all day. Well, forget that! After she met those princesses, she just wanted to meet more!

So, we waited 45 minutes to meet Aladdin and Jasmine.

Another 45 minutes to meet Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen. Yes, we saw them! They are brand new! They looked amazing!

Tiana's dress was gorgeous! Tiana and Naveen also took time talking with Allyson.

Worth the wait? Yeah, I think so!

We went all out and took Allyson to Bibbity Bobbity Boutique. This was great. Her hairdresser and make-up artist took a lot of time with her and made her feel like a very special princess. It was also in the castle where there was A/C. Her daddy and I just sat back and watched. Probably the most relaxation we had all day!

Her hairdresser was called a fairy godmother in training. haha! Too cute!

And, then it was on to stand in more lines to meet more characters. Okay, one more line for three characters. Disney Fairies.

Silvermist

Tink

And, Rosetta. She talks with a Southern accent in person, too!

Even though we were in long lines for characters, we were still able to do everything we wanted to do. We rode the Peter Pan and Snow White rides. Dumbo, Flying Carpets, tea cups, Pirates of the Caribean, Buzz Lightyear Spin, carousel. Saw Mickey's 3D Philhar Magic, A Dream Come True parade, electrical parade and fireworks.

Here are more pics from the Magic Kingdom.

Oh, BTW, Allyson thought this was the REAL Buzz Lightyear. It did seem pretty real!

Tuesday, we went to Hollywood Studios. We'd never been before. We were at the Magic Kingdom pretty late, so we overslept and didn't get here until around 10:30. I was disappointed because many things shut down at Hollywood Studios around 5:30 or dark. We missed out on some things. But we still had a great time, despite the crowds and heat.

We LOVED the Beauty and the Beast show. It's a live performance unlike many of the shows that are just choreographed or puppetry.

Another long character line. But, so worth it! There is a great picture that the photographer took where she's smiling so big with her eyes closed as she hugs Mickey. It looks like it could be an ad. I'm describing it in such detail because you won't see it. I refuse to pay $14.95 to download it. My own pics will have to do!

We also saw Playhouse Disney Live!, Voyage of the Little Mermaid, Indiana Jones Stunt show and rode Toy Story Mania. We had a FastPass for that, but at one point, there was a two-hour wait. Unbelievable!

Now, if you ever visit Hollywood Studios, make sure you go on a night where you can see Fantasmic! It is an AWESOME lights and fireworks show that includes all the characters. You'll be hearded like cattle into this huge stadium overlooking a lake with a small mountain in the middle. Don't leave when it seems to be over because you'll miss the huge steamboat with every character there is on it! It was GREAT! Someone in our party (I won't say who! I don't want to embarrass anyone!) even had an accident from the excitement of it all! So glad I was prepared for accidents!

My pictures were somewhat blurry. So, I didn't really get any that were very good to post.

Our vacation was great, but I was ready to come home. To rest!! :D

The things we do for daddy...

2010-06-22T10:25:00.001-07:00

Well, Summer is just flying by! I probably feel this way because I've been counting down the days until our vacation for so long! We are going to Disney. So excited!!

Allyson has her new princess dress and she is ready!

In the summer, we generally stay in a pool. But, we've only been able to swim just a couple times. Here we are at Aunty Shaun's a couple weeks ago. We can't wait to go again if all our schedules can just cooperate!

For Father's Day, we had to do something special for Daddy. We gave him a grill last month for his birthday. That was partly for Father's Day, too.

So, we made him a Snack Bouquet.

We shopped for all of Daddy's favorite snacks and arranged them with skewers in a "custom" mug. The idea came from Woman's World magazine. He LOVED it! He had been out of town and came home Saturday evening. We went ahead and gave it to him. I mean, where was I supposed to hide it? We had a frozen pizza for dinner when he came home. But, the whole time he ate, his eyes were on his snack bouquet. lol

We also made him an M&M hat cake. This cake was supposed to be easy, but underneath all the M&M's it is a disaster! This idea was also from Woman's World.

It's a very tasty cake, of course. The brim is refrigerated sugar cookie dough mixed with 1/3 C all-purpose flour. The cap is a white cake baked in a round bowl. Make sure you grease and flour the bowl well before you pour the batter in. This was my problem. Half the cake stuck to the bowl!

But, pretty much anything covered with M&M's is a winner!

Then, just frost with white icing and cover with plain M&M's in a pattern to your liking. Decorating with M&M's was very easy and makes me think I can do this again. Hmmmm...Decorating with icing for me is wayyyy too time consuming.

Daddy had a wonderful Father's Day. I'm very sad that I didn't get a picture of Allyson and Daddy before church. We were in a rush because Daddy had grits, bacon, and fruit for breakfast. For lunch, he choses Indian lunch buffet and he spent the rest of the day sleepingoff his jet lag cuddled up with Allyson.

Michael really is the best Daddy. God chose him for me and he chose Allyson for us. You couldn't find a father anywhere more in love with his child. Such a blessing!

I know Father's Day is a hard day for many without fathers. I'm very blessed to have a wonderful one myself. My prayers are with those without.

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VBS is going on now. We have 2 more nights. Here are a couple of pictures of the singing in the auditorium. Yeah, they are really of just Allyson. But, you might see someone else you know. ;)

Congratulations, Mama!

2010-06-14T14:15:00.000-07:00

Future Hairdresser? That would be great! Maybe she'll give her mama discounts!

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My mom retired just a couple weeks ago. I've been so busy that I'm just getting around to posting about it!

Posing with Mama & Daddy at the table of honor. There were two other retirees.
The Superintendant had a few words to say. The man speaking was the principal when I worked with my mom at this school. The woman with the tissue was also retiring. She's the principal.

Allyson insisted on eating her lunch at the Table of Honor with Nana & Papa. I don't think anyone minded.

My mom's moment of glory. She had worked in education for 37 years. That's amazing to me!

Here's our family that attended the retirement luncheon.

L-R: Allyson, Me, Aunt Janice (my mom's sister), Baby Carlee, Glenn & Phyllis Schliebner (my parents), Robbi (my sister), & Caleb (Carlee & Caleb are my sister's kids-I may be really detailed with who's who, but I just want everyone to understand the relationships. Relationships can be so complex, ya know?!)

I love this picture of the kids. The older ones had just been talking to the baby. She's so angelic. Allyson really loves her cousins. And, being the oldest is cool!

Congratulations to my mom for working so hard and being able to reap the rewards of finally doing what she (or my dad! lol) wants.

I'm so proud of her. She was a media specialist. And, just like everyone keeps telling me, I'm following along in my mom's footsteps. :)

So, we've decided to adopt...

2010-06-03T12:51:00.000-07:00

On May 29th, Allyson had her gymnastics family night. Her class is called Tumble Bears at Precision South Gymnastics Academy. It's for ages 3-5.

She brought some flowers for her teacher.

There are quite a few pictures. So, I'll keep the captions short.

Fun with the parachute

Balance Beam

Priss waiting her turn

I love this one. And, this is her teacher, Ms. Heather.

They made her jump through all sorts of hoops. LOL!

Action hopscotch

Backwards on the low balance beam

Having fun and hanging around! I think the shadow on the mat is cool.

She's learned so much since last August. Her first class was on her 3rd birthday, Aug. 24, 2009.

Daddy helping with marches on the beam.

Her little friend, Bailey, from her daycare class takes gymnastics here, too.

Flipping on the rings ALL BY HERSELF!

And, at the end of the obstacle course, a giant basket ball to shoot through the hoop. Great shot, Allyson!

When we got home from gymnastics, Mike finally got to use his birthday gift for the first time. His birthday had been the day before and I surprised him with this grill. My parents were over for the family night and we grilled steaks and chicken.

Allyson still thought she was at gymnastics.

He got another surprise. A red velvet birthday cake from Publix.

And, here is our new baby! A year-and-a-half-old pug, Reuben.

We rescued him. I heard about a lady that had him but was unable to care for him. When we got him on May 25th, he was so skinny. You could see his ribs. It was heartbreaking! But, he is doing great! He's adjusted to living with us very well. We are already very attached to him.

And, he does a neat trick. Watch the video.

Thankful for These Good Times

2010-05-20T16:52:00.000-07:00

Here's an update of the latest goings-on around here.

Our little "neice" Abigail celebrated her first birthday. Can't believe it's already been a year!

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My Mother's Day 2010

I had such a wonderful Mother's Day that it might just be my new favorite holiday.

Here are the flowers Allyson picked for me from our garden. It bloomed all week. A lovely blessing.

After church, we had a "picnic". We ate outdoors at a Mexican place. It was such a pretty day!
Later, we headed to the Shoppes at River Crossing where I was told I could choose my own gifts. Man, I am spoiled!
I chose a key necklace from Kay Jewelers and a new bottle of Estee Lauder Pleasures. I wanted to go the Coach store, but I was told that I had maxed out my limit. Shucks!

Allyson loves the statues of the children at this outdoor mall.

My mom enjoyed having all of us over for the afternoon and evening.

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Last weekend, we found a new favorite restaurant.

The Catfish House

It's a local Southern seafood house. It reminds me of a place we enjoyed in Milledgeville when I lived on Lake Sinclair with my parents. That place was called Choby's. I think it's still there.

We can't wait to go back to The Catfish House. This is the back of the restaurant which faces Leisure Lake. I think that is a neat name for a lake.

You can go out on a deck over the water after you eat. We saw these ducklings with thier mom.

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And, Sunday my jaw just dropped when I was one of my best friends wearing the same outfit I had on!

This is Ashley on the right. She and I have tons of stuff in common. Here are a few examples.

We are both church of Christ preacher's daughters
We both plan the curriculum and teach 1st & 2nd grade at church. She's the Wednesday night teacher and I teach on Sunday mornings.
We both teach at elementary schools here in Warner Robins. Yes, I'm a media specialist, but still a teacher!
We are sisters in Christ and very active in the church.
We both have just one "real" sister and no brothers.

And, I could go on and on. But, Ashley & I have just become really good friends in the past year. And, I am so thankful to add a new friend to my others.

Friends are such BLESSINGS! I thank the Lord for each one!

And, Life Goes On...

2010-05-08T08:34:00.000-07:00

We've had a busy last couple of weeks. I'd like to share some highlights with you.

Allyson had Hat Day at her daycare a few weeks ago. Had to take a quick pic of that!

Our Little Cutie

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Caleb's Birthday Party

April 17, 2010

Uncle Mike meets Baby Carlee for the first time.

Caleb has an awesome swing set.

Caleb with his Cars cake

3 Years Old!

A Buzz Lighyear from us

A Cars trike from Mom & Dad

Sweet Baby Carlee

Allyson loves her new cousin!

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The following weekend, Allyson attended a Princess Party. It was a 3rd birthday party for my Assistant Principal's little girl, Cammie.

This party was right up Allyson's alley!

Here are all the princesses. Cammie is in the pink dress next to Allyson. Her mom told me last week that Cammie won Little Miss Warner Robins.

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Last weekend, Allyson met up with some of her Bible class friends to play at Monkey Joe's. Her friend, Aniah, moved to Florida last week. Her mommy wanted them to get together and play one last time.

L to R: Aniah, AJ, and Allyson

We will miss the Brown's!

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Random Bath Tub Shot

And, now for the Grand Finale!

This is kind of a big deal. She hasn't been able to make turns on her own. But, her daddy has been working with her. I'm so proud of her.

I'm so proud to be a mom. Her mom.

Happy Mother's Day!

Mission Work in Haiti

2010-04-29T19:24:00.000-07:00

I'm asking for prayers from everyone.

for my dad, Glenn Schliebner.

He leaves Saturday to go to Haiti for mission work at the church there near the earthquake site.

He'll be gone a week.

Thanks, everyone! I'm so proud of him!
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**Update**
5/1/10
My dad's mission trip fell through. He won't be going to Haiti after all. He got a call early this morning to tell him not to come. It's either a problem with the weather (it's the rainy season now) or the government. It's too bad. He's disappointed. He had tons of candy and movies to show the kids there. He was going to teach English and the Bible.
I'm still proud of him for wanting to go and doing something good to help others. He does that everyday, though! :)

oUr CrAzY sPrInG bReAk!

2010-04-05T19:06:00.000-07:00

The question everyone asks each other when we return to school at this time of year is, "How was your Spring Break?"

Most answers are something like, "Too short!", "Wish I had another week!", or the usual answer, "It was great! How was yours?"

Well, mine was CrAzY! We couldn't have fit not even one more event into 9 days if we had tried!

It started off with our 5-year anniversary on the 26th. Michael surprised me with roses and took me to dinner at our usual anniversary dining location-The Langston House at Henderson Village

The following day was the Easter Egg Hunt at church. Allyson's best friend from her school Savannah came. They had so much fun together.
Allyson needed quite a bit of coaxing to sit in the Easter Bunny's lap. We had to tell her it was really Daddy.

The hunt is on!

See this smile. That makes all the hard work totally worth it!

Mike was an awesome Easter Bunny! He may get this job again next year.

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Everyone like somethig sweet at Easter. Our family got the sweetest gift EVER!

Meet my new neice, Carlee Morgan Blackerby

She was born by C-section on April 1 at 7:44 am.

She weighed 8 lbs 1 oz. She was 21 inches long.

She looks like a little angel!

Congrats to Robbi, Brad, and big brother Caleb!

I thought this was a neat shot of my sister seeing her daughter for the first time outside of the delivery room.

Proud grandpa and cousin Allyson

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That same day, Mike and I headed to the North Georgia Mountains for some time alone. Since we just celebrated 5 years, we decided this called for a special time away.

On Friday, we wanted to go hiking at Unicoi State Park. We didn't see a hiking trail right away, so we took a bike trail. What's the difference, right?

Well, there's a big difference! Steeper slopes and longer! I was so proud of us. We hiked over 4 miles!

After the hike, we had a picnic and then hiked another mile and a half to see Anna Ruby Falls. We got more exercise on vacation than we do at home! Go figure!

Here's our cabin. It was so nice! It had a hot tub, rain shower, jacuzzi tub, fire pit, and all modern appliances. We did not want to leave.

If you ever want to rent a cabin in Helen, Georgia, click here and find Moose Creek Lodge.

Our fire in the fire pit. We had a special dinner at a table close by. We had bacon-wrapped beef tenderloin, loaded mashed potatoes, and strawberries with whipped cream and chocolate for dessert.

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We came back Saturday evening because we cannot be away from Allyson on EASTER!

She's already eating candy in this picture.

Pictures at my mom & dad's

Here's two of our family's favorite dishes.

Pear Salad

Large can of pear halves

mayo

shredded cheddar

candied cherries

Put a dollop of mayo on each pear. Sprinkle with cheese. Garnish with cherries

Classic Deviled Eggs

boiled eggs, halved with yolks seperated

mayo

dill picle relish

mustard

salt

pepper

slices of green olives for garnish

In a bowl, mix yolks with 2-3 T of mayo, 2 t relish, a dab of mustard, dash of salt, dash of pepper. Add more mayo, if you like them extra creamy. Use a spoon to dallop the mixture onto eggs. Garnish with slices of green olives. Enjoy!

So, It's Been a While...

2010-03-30T13:17:00.001-07:00

I can't believe it's been since March 6 when I last posted. We have been so busy! I feel like life has just been a whirlwind swirling past me.

I have quite a bit to post about, but I'll start with the pictures I have ready and go from there.

Friday, March 19 was Spring Fling at my school. It will be Allyson's school next year since she's been accepted in our Pre-K program. Yay! Yes, I can't believe she'll be school-age by then.

Anyway, Allyson and Mike came along to Spring Fling. Here are a few pics of Allyson getting involved in some of the activities. She had a blast!

Digging for buried treasure. Basically, looking for marked pebbles in a tub of rice. Which I found out later is many years old. Nasty! Where's the anti-bac?

Her very favorite game-musical chairs. She won 3 times! After that and winning the cake walk after the first try, we were convince we needed to play the lottery that day! Sadly, by the time Mike got to the store that night, it was too late. They stopped selling tickets. Perhaps it was not luck, but my work buddies giving me a hook-up. Hmm... Fishing game

Plinko

Football pass

Tattoos

More from our busy March to come very soon, my friends! I know you are holding your breath! :D

She's So WaCkY!

2010-03-06T12:29:00.000-08:00

Allyson had WaCkY dAY at her school yesterday. It was to celebrate Read Across America week.

I had a hard time dressing her in a non-matching way. We all know how I like her to look "put together."
She told me she wanted "pig tails all over".

The dress is on backwards with leopard print leggins and knee socks. It's the best I can do.
She looks pretty cute no matter what, I think! :)
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Well, we have Peter Cottontail. And, we are holding him hostage. So, if you want him to come to your house you will have to pay ransom!

We have a bunny living in our backyard.
Here's his burrow in the grass.

Oh, well, he's about to escape through our broken fence.

I guess he'll be paying you a visit after all! Shucks! :D

I will have to devise a new money-making scheme! Roo Ha Ha Ha! (evil laughing)

Winter Break

2010-02-26T18:54:00.000-08:00

My Winter Break was so busy! It began with a snow day on Friday, Feb.12. So, I had ten days off from work. It was great, but it went by way too fast!

I have pictures to share from two major highlights from my holiday.

First, here are my beach pictures. Oh, yes, I went to the beach on my Winter Break. I am aware that most people do this on Spring Break!

I went with two ladies from church. We are planning to go to Tybee Island, Georgia, for our annual ladies retreat. So, we needed to go to there to take a look and let planning for the retreat begin.

The beach at Tybee is so beautiful. I've been, but it was YEARS ago. And, I just didn't remember just how pretty it was.

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On Saturday, I went to a baby shower for my sister. She is scheduled for a C-Section on April 1st. She already has a boy and now she is having a GIRL!

It was such a nice shower! The ladies at the church in Gray worked very hard to make it a special day for our family.

There were several fun games. Everyone really enjoyed the belly-measuring game.

Allyson measured her belly, too!

Here's my mom, Robbi, and my sister's mother-in-law, Prissy

My sister looks like she's about to pop, bless her heart!

I can't wait to meet my new neice!

Please pray for a smooth delivery.

I am a Working Mom

2010-02-18T20:20:00.000-08:00

Today, I was asked if I wish I could stay at home with Allyson. This question caught me off guard. It really is comparable to asking a Stay-At-Home mom if they wish they worked outside the home.

It's a personal choice.

I Am a Working Mom.

Honestly, I have very little support. Just about all of my close friends with young children have chosen to be stay-at-home moms. All my blogging buddies, friends at church, hmmm...I'm having trouble thinking of ANY of my close friends with young ones that work.

I have worked very hard to be where I am in my career. My choices have come with many sacrifices. How did I get here?

Well, it all began when I was a kid. I knew I'd go to college. I got pregnant very young, but I was adament about finishing college on time.

I had a single mantra to carry me through. "Men die and men leave. I will not depend on a man to support me."

I became a teacher in the Fall of 1999. I received a Master's Degree in 2002. I taught middle school until January 2008. And, I currently have my dream job as a media specialist (school librarian to those of you that didn't realize the title changed. :))

To become a media specialist, I had to get an add-on certification in Instructional Technology/Media and pass the GACE and go to FIVE interviews and get rejected four times. But, I am finally where I want to be in my career.

I'm saying this to remind myself and anyone that thinks bad of "working" moms that we working moms have a lot to offer our children.

Because of my income and career:

I can help support my family.
I can provide a lifestyle that will provide my child with many experiences that will help her to learn and grow.
I can instill an example and a drive for her future goals in her career.
Because I went to college she will be twice as likely to attend college herself.
I can show her the benefits of working.
I can also show her that she will be able to support herself and be independent.

Could I quit my job and stay home? Yes. But, I'm not going to.

Being a working mom is a personal choice. This is a decision that I have made and I feel it is the best decision for my family.

Do I sometimes feel guilty for the time I'm not spending with my child? Yeah, sometimes. But, I make up for it by making the most out of the time we do have together.

How do I feel about letting someone else raise my child? What!? Someone else is not raising my child! She may be at daycare having a story read to her, a meal served to her, or being taught to wash her hands. But, her father and I are raising her.

We are the ones faithfully taking her to Bible class and church. We are the ones instilling values and expectations for her behavior. WE are raising her. The daycare is just that. They are taking CARE of her during the DAY.

So, as you can see I have some pretty strong feelings about my choice. I certainly do not judge anyone for making a choice to stay home. So, likewise, please don't judge those of us who work. We all make choices and decisions that can be hard and have pros and cons either way.

It's simply a personal choice.

Loves!

2010-02-17T19:34:00.001-08:00

There are many things we love here at Pace Place. This post is about three of them.

1. SNOW!!!!

Here are our snow pictures from the weekend.

#2. Valentine's Day!!!!

I set a special table for our Sunday lunch on Valentine's Day. There were candles and our cards we had exchanged. We had pork chops, rice, carrots, rolls, and heart-shaped rice krispy treats.

Mike told me that I'm cheesy.

Allyson asked whose birthday it was.

Ahhhh, I just love holidays. I know they really do appreciate me. :D

(Disregard the mess on the bar looking toward our living room. We are renovating!)

#3. My new Bible Class!!!!

I just started teaching 1st & 2nd grade mid-quarter on Wednesday nights. I have co-written the curriculum for this class. I have learned so much while doing all of this. We have very engaging lessons and my students are so sweet!

Here they are wearing the (almost) Full-Armor of God. I told them to pose as warriors for the picture. :D

I only had two sets of armor so they had to share.

They look great and I just LOVE them.

So, there are three things that we love.

THE END! :D

Allyson's Prince

2010-02-12T11:25:00.000-08:00

This post is dedicated to Allyson's Prince Charming. Perhaps you didn't know that our little princess has her own Prince Charming. But, she does.

His name is Daddy.

Besides, Mommy (Mom, as I keep getting called lately!) Daddy is her very favorite person.

She loves to...

Pretend to be a teacher and make her daddy be a student.

Rub "him's" elbow.

Cuddle in his lab and watch Arthur when we get home in the afternoons.

And, play at the park, which is really a school playground.

When asked what Allyson likes to do with Daddy she says, "Read stories to him. Color with him.
Draw with him. And, climb on him."

And, her Daddy pretty much does whatever she asks. Which is why she's so in love with him.

Happy Valentine's Day, Daddy! You are my Prince!
Love, Allyson

By the way, I used Picnic for the first time. Very cool!

Valentine's Day Survey

2010-02-11T15:19:00.000-08:00

I saw this Valentine's Survey on Kristen's blog and thought I might fill it out as well! Thanks for sharing, Kristen!

1. When was your "engagement" anniversary: MLK, jr. weekend 2005

2. When is your "marriage" anniversary: March 26, 2005

3. How long have you known your spouse: about 5 1/2 years

4. How long did you date/court before you were engaged: 6 weeks!

5. Where did you meet your spouse for the first time: A cookout at a friend's appartment. I was with someone else and I actually don't remember meeting him!

6. What is your spouses name: John Michael

7. Do you have any children yet: yes

8. How many: One, for now

9. Do you have any house pets: no

10. Do you own a house or rent: own 2; we rent one out.

11. Do you live in the country or town/city: outskirts of town

12. What is one of your favorite activities together: ummm...look at us! Eat.

13. Do you have a favorite vacation spot: a cruise

14. How many siblings (including in-laws): 6

15. What church do you attend: WR Church of Christ

16. Is this the church you were married in: Yes

17. What is your favorite restaurant to eat at together: Shahenshah Diner (Indian), Longhorn

18. Do you work or stay at home: Work-Elementary School Media Specialist

19. Where did you honeymoon: Vegas

20. Leave a piece of marriage advice: Love means putting someone else's happiness first; which in turn, will make you happy. (Does that even make sense? :D)

July 2009-Elegant Night on our cruise

June 2005 Camping Trip-Helen, Ga

Allyson's 2nd birthday-Aug. 2008

A Baby, a Deal, and the Circus!

2010-02-06T13:45:00.000-08:00

Before we get into all of that, I got my hair cut and colored today. It was looooong overdue! I hope my hairdresseer doesn't decide to have another baby anytime soon!

And, now take a look at this beautiful new baby! Our friends, Jody & Melissa had a baby last Wednesday. Her name is Piper Addyson. She's such a sweet thang!
And, here is the deal of the week! Five years ago, when Mike and I were dating, he gave me a Bulova watch for Christmas. It was starting to get worn, so I asked for another one for Valentine's Day. Well, my old watch just completely quit keeping time at all last week. So, I asked for an advance on my V-Day gift. I shopped around and found one I liked Tuesday at Kohl's for $399. The sales lady said to come back on the weekend and it would be 33% off. I thought that would be worth the wait. Mike takes down the serial number and finds it on eBay. For $167 and FREE shipping!

So, it's the deal of the week. It came yesterday from California. Love it! Hope it will last five years like the other one!

This morning we went to the circus in Macon. My whole family went. My dad's birthday is tomorrow so this is how we celebrated. Very fun!

We went to the pre-show. Here's my wonderful dad in a ringmaster's coat (or, maybe a clown's! haha) with my wonderful mom!

Allyson had just gotten a tattoo and now a clown's nose.

My clown!

They brought out an elephant during the pre-show. I'm glad we came early. It helped us get a little more money's worth out of our ticket prices.

Caleb and Allyson-BCF-Best Cousins Forever!

Here's the three of us. This could also be a "before" picture of my hair! (Rough, I know!)

The finale! It was a great show!

I had to take this picture of my mom and dad buying Allyson and Caleb whatever they wanted as we were leaving the circus. My sister and I agreed that we'd never been so spoiled. This stuff is so pricey! Allyson got a $16 horse. For that price at Target it would come with a Barbie!

My little clown!

Nachos for One

2010-02-03T17:42:00.000-08:00

I have created a new and Yummy! snack. I have made this for myself every night for the past week. It may not be "diet" food. But, it's certainly not "junk" food!

Nachos for One
You'll need:
Tortilla chips (I prefer Tostitos Scoops.)
1 and a 1/2 slices of Pepper Jack Cheese
Your favorite salsa (I prefer Pace picante sauce medium. BTW, we own this company. Not! I wish!)

Directions:
Spread scoops on a microwave plate. Keep them close together. Lay sliced cheese on top of chips. Put in microwave for 32-40 seconds. Sprinkle salsa over chips and melted cheese. And, voila! A culinary masterpiece of a snack!

You could make this snack healthier by using multigrain/baked chips and low-fat cheese. Also, this is an easy recipe that older kids can even do.

If you decide to try this snack idea, I hope you enjoy it! I did get this idea from a side that I saw at our new Mama Goldberg's Deli. However, it was Doritos with melted pepper jack cheese. So, at least my way, you get some veggies!

Check Out This Website

2010-01-23T09:58:00.000-08:00

My husband told me about this website. I'd never heard of it. Mybe I'm behind and you have heard of it. It's findagrave.com.

I found pictures of Morgan's grave and my grandmothers.

Click here to search for a grave. Probably not the most fun search, but...interesting.

To My Friend-Susan

2010-01-22T10:44:00.000-08:00

This post is dedicated to my friend Susan!

I picked her caption as the winner for my last post.

So, here it is....Drum roll, please!

Ariel Meets Howdie Doodie

Susan has three beautiful children-the twins, Lauren & Kate, and Baby Brandon

She is married to Jeremy.
What a lovely family!

Here's a picture of her family from Christmas 2009. Her children are always so fashionable!

Susan and I met when she and Jeremy were members at the church of Christ here in Warner Robins. She and Jeremy moved to Alaska thanks to the AF and we remained friends.

We emailed back and forth A LOT! I loved hearing all about Alaska and then we were pregnant at the same time. But, she was having TWINS!!

I have not met Baby Brandon yet, but I hope to meet him soon!

Thanks for being such a good friend to me, Susan!

(No Caption) Or, Maybe You Can Think of One!

2010-01-19T06:05:00.000-08:00

Can you come up with a caption for this picture?

I am really at a loss!

Michael took this picture last night while I was at a Ladies Salad Supper.
He did not dress her up this way. He said she just walked in the living room looking just like this.
Notice she is wearing PJ's. So, he did get her ready for bed. Then, he mopped the kitchen.

Wow, my man is so awesome!

So, to make this interesting, I will pick a winner for the best caption! And, the winner will recieve...

A post on my blog dedicated to him or her!

I know you are dying to play this game!

So, have fun! (And, be nice! This is my kid! :D)

Are you ready for some FOOTBALL!?

2010-01-13T14:16:00.000-08:00

There have been a lot of football and "favorite team" posts lately. So, I just have to share my story.

Many of you know that I was married before. I was very young when I married the first time. My first husband was very much into sports. ESPN was on all the time. If it wasn't, then there was some type of game on. My family didn't watch sports, so this was new to me. I tried, but I just couldn't get into it at all.

We had one TV in our single-wide trailor. So, being bored just became my way of life. For two years I saw no movies or watched no TV shows other than Martin (of all shows!). And, it grew worse. At first it was baseball, football, and basketball. Then, just to irritate me (I think), he started watching hockey, golf, soccer, etc, etc. If it was competitive, it was on!

My life was SO miserable.

*Fortunately, he cheated on me and our marriage ended. I didn't know it at the time, but that was the best thing that ever happened to me.

All of a sudden I got my life back and was able to control the remote!

Years later, I met Michael. We were friends at first and in a conversation he mentioned that he wasn't a sports fan. He just wasn't interested in sports of any kind. I proposed on the spot. We've been happy ever since!

Well, that's not quite how it went. But I did say, "Really!? Will you marry me?!" haha

So, we may not be "cool". Perhaps you think we are lame. We don't think badly of anyone that has a favorite team or a favorite sport.

But, I think you'll agree that we are made for each other!

Mike + Dawn = 4 Ever

*See comments for a note about my ex.

Time to Make a New Year's Resolution

2009-12-30T08:59:00.000-08:00

Allyson was with me in my room as I was dressing the other day. I was in my underwear when she says,"Mommy, you got a baby in your tummy!"

Now, she has been saying this for months. She's told everyone at church. Even her daycare teacher pulled me to the side to ask if I was pregnant. So, I've had enough. I decided to squelch this once and for all.

So, I sucked in my tummy as tight as I could and I said, "No, Allyson, Mommy does not have a baby in her tummy. Look how skinny I am. There's no baby in there."

Then, I turned away from her so I could breathe. And, she says, "There's a baby in your booty!"

Great. Nice.

So, for my New Year's Resolution, I'll be cutting back on the sugar and hitting the gym regularly.

The Pace Family Christmas 2009

2009-12-28T11:04:00.000-08:00

We had an awesome Christmas this year. There was time spent with family, delicious food, and, of course, gifts from Santa!

Mike's mom and nephew came to be with us for Christmas. This was such a blessing! We all went to my parents' house for Christmas Eve.

But, first, Allyson had to make cookies for Santa.

Mike's nephew, Josh, helped out. Allyson just LOVES Josh. He's really good with her.

Then, it was time to head to Gray to see my parents. Every Christmas Eve my family gets together to open gifts and have a very casual dinner. We always have "party fare".

Allyson with her Grandma

We couldn't get Allyson and Caleb to smile nice, so we got goofy faces instead.

Josh is looking like a handsome young man these days.

Opening presents

Haing Josh around is great when you want to have toys taken out of boxes! :D

" Look what I got, Mama!"

My sister's family.

Caleb wouldn't look. He got a new Cars toy he was too busy for a picture. It was Mater, his favorite!

When we got back home, we exchanged gifts with Mom and Josh. Mom got a Snuggie. Josh got clothes, Allyson got a Barbie Thumbelina.

In the morning, Allyson found gifts from Santa!

She opened all her gifts, but didn't find the one she'd been asking for for weeks. A wedding Barbie.

But, wait! Santa left a gift outside in the carport!

And, it was a Wedding Barbie! What relief! Allyson must've been very good this year!

Nana and Papa came over to see Allyson's gifts from Santa.

Then, we had a feast-turkey, ham, dressing, green beans, sweet potato casserole, squash casserole, and yeast rolls.

We had apple pie and Snowball Cake for dessert. The snowball cake was declared by my husband as the BEST CAKE EVER!

Click here for a picture and recipe. There's a video, too!

I really can't think of anything that would have made it a better Christmas. Nothing is better than being with the ones you love.

Then and Now

2009-12-24T21:26:00.000-08:00

Allyson with Santa 2008

Elberta Nursing Home Party

Allyson with Santa 2009

Chick-Fil-A

She is growing and changing so much and so quickly. She amazes me every day. I'm so blessed to get to raise this child. I'm so thankful that God allowed her to be part of my life. Love, hug, and kiss your children everyday. Tomorrow is not promised to you.

Christmas Carols by Allyson

2009-12-23T07:13:00.000-08:00

You may have a certain way that you sing your Christmas carols, but Allyson has her own way. No matter how you try and correct her, she is just going to sing them her way.

Here's Allyson's way:

From We Wish You a Merry Christmas
"Bud tidings we bring to you and your kids

Bud tidings for Christmas and a Happy New Year!"

From When Christmas Comes to Town (The Polar Express Soundtrack)
"Presents for the children wrapped in red and green
All the things I've heard about, but never really seen,
No one will be sleeping on the night of Christmas Eve
Hoping Santa's on HIM'S way..."

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Michael and I decided not to exchange Christmas gifts this year. Instead, we bought a new bed (excluding frame).

Here is a picture of our old bed. I told Allyson she could jump on it to her heart's content the night before the new mattress set would arrive. She really got into it.

New mattress set, new bedding, and new pillows. It's been VERY hard to get out of bed each morning!

Merry Christmas!
Love, the Paces

This is the day...

2009-12-07T19:16:00.000-08:00

Thankful for so much!

2009-12-02T19:56:00.000-08:00

We are Thankful for Friends!

Here's Allyson with her friend Cody. Cody had a little birthday party after evening church services a couple weeks ago. I thought this picture turned out cute!

**********************************************

Look at my husband helping to get our Thanksgiving feast prepared. He must've been hungry!
Allyson and Aunt Robbi

These little cousins have so much fun! Allyson moved Caleb's chair next to hers so that they could have their Thanksgiving dinner side by side. She doesn't look like she had surgery just the day before! She had tubes put back in her ears and her adenoids removed.

Papa and Allyson headed to the playground

My sister just found out that she is having a GIRL! I can't wait to meet her!

Allyson with my parents

We are Thankful for Family!

Hope you and yours had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Ladies Retreat 2009

2009-11-17T17:26:00.000-08:00

November 6-8 was our annual ladies retreat. It was in Dahlonega, Georgia. A very beautiful setting in the North Georgia mountains.

We left Friday at 10:00 am. We stopped at Georgia Premium Outlets for lunch and a little shopping. I could have lived there!

Our accomodations were less than stellar, but all that mattered was the fact that we were all together and were able to uplift one another. There were 51 ladies that attended the retreat this year. What a blessing!

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Stepping Through a Magazine

During our free time on Saturday, we visited the Southern Living Idea House. It was beautiful and already decorated for Christmas. I had seen this house in SL before, but I never thought I'd ever have the chance to go.

Here is my friend and co-worker Angela Jones. She's the med tech at my school. We have a blast together! It is such a blessing to work with a Christian sister.

My mom with a cookie-cutter tree.

Too bad the peak of Autumn had passed. Still very beautiful views.

Yep, I could live here, have my friends over, ya know!

Maybe they will let me move in after they see how at home I am here...

Downstairs

There were even carolers!

Then, we headed to Downtown Dahlonega to find some souveniers to take home for our families. Here's the square.

********************************************

Back at the retreat...

Busted! I took this picture of two people (Crystal & Johanna) trying to break into Sarah and Stacia's room!

That evening we gathered in a circle outside (and it was chilly!) to sing and light each other's candles. We chose a person to say encouraging things to and thank for being an encouragement to us.

Here are two of my new friends, Lisa and her daughter Rebecca. They attend in Byron.

My mom lit my Aunt Janice's candle. My aunt broke her arm in a recent car accident.

The candleligt was lovely shining on the faces of all the ladies.

The dining room had quite a bit of wildlife.

Breakfast on Sunday

Angela and me, ready for church

The entire group

The retreat was organized this year by Ashley Casson, Kim Bencun, and Jean Bodien. Crystal Bivins and Connie Crowe were speakers. They all did such a wonderful job!

Can't wait for next year!

Finally Posting about Halloween!

2009-11-10T18:56:00.000-08:00

So, here we are now nearly two weeks into November and I am finally posting about the last two weeks in October!

First, I have a few pictures to share from our church fall festival and trunk or treat.

Here's my little mouse. I really got my $'s worth out of this costume!

She wore it to:

Playhouse Disney Live
Trunk or Treat
Gymnastics
Day Care
and Halloween

Yesss!!!

Getting ready to Trunk or Treat

Shah's Trunk

Thompson's Trunk with flash

Without flash...Very spooky!

Our trunk.

I didn't even take a picture. Andrea sent this to me!

Thanks, girl!

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

One week later....

We had a Halloween party at our house. It was hosted by the Shahs and the Paces.

We had some very interesting dishes to sample.

From Jan

Joyce

Sarah

Scary hands

We had interesting guests as well.

Here are the little trick or treaters. (r-l):
Abigail and her mommy, Riley, Hailey, Not Sure (JK, it's Cody!), Allyson, Ralston, Jack, Laney, and Ella

Another shot

There was a haunted house on our back porch. The kids all lined up to go out and see.

I should have taken pictures of the haunted house. It was so awesome! Mike and Nirav worked on it all afternoon. Larry helped, too. Nirav was the host as you stepped out. There was a very realistic spider, guts and eyeballs to touch, a spooky flying ghost, and a laughing/roaring Daddy ghost.

This made Allyson cry. She did not want her daddy to be a ghost!

Abigail was the cutest little pumpkin fairy! Andrea was a lovely witch with purple hair. I was a farm girl, but I didn't get in any of my pictures.

Mama Jan was a witch, too. :D

Time to Trick or Treat!

We stopped by Ms. Sylvia's house.

The kids got SO MUCH CANDY! The buckets overflowed and we had to put the rest of the candy in plastic bags.

There were fangs in some treat bags! So scary!

After the party, there was a slumber party. Laney and Ella spent the night.

Here's a lovely pose from the girls. :D

My little mouse

2009-11-05T14:19:00.000-08:00

Allyson has been taking gymnastics since the end of August. Last week, they were supposed to wear their costumes to class.

I wasn't there because I was at a box-covering party (don't ask!). So, Mike took these pictures for me.

She really loves going to gymnastics!

______________________________________

She was a bit overdue for a haircut, so I took her to my hairstylist for a trim. She's never been shampooed and I was worried about how she would do. But, she loved it!

Ms. Melissa is the best!

_____________________________________________

I also took her to the Houston County Cheerleading Competition. All the 7th and 8th grade squads in the county compete. We were there to support WRMS. One of my best friends is the cheer coach there. And, I used to work there. It was good to see some old co-workers.

Now, when you go to the HC Cheer Comp, you have to deck out to support your school. So we were in orange and black all the way.

I would have taken more pics, but my camera battery died! Bummer!

October was soooo busy! I still have to blog about the Fall Festival and Halloween. It may take a while to catch up completely. I'll be at the Ladies Retreat this weekend! Yay!!

She's Catching!

2009-11-03T19:51:00.000-08:00

A couple weekends ago, Allyson caught her first fish. Two of them, in fact!

She was staying with my parents and they were attending the Fall Festival for the church in Gray.

There was a great picture of her actually holding the fish in her hands. As soon as I find that picture, I'll show it to you. It's on my desktop at work. My mom took these.

My Birthday Weekend

2009-10-18T19:21:00.000-07:00

I had an awesome Birthday Weekend 2009! I am now 33 years old. I'm glad to say that. The Lord has blessed me to allow me to see each new day-33 years of them!

Last night, Michael surprised me by inviting our friends to meet us at Olive Garden. We had such a nice time!

Here's my birthday gift from Mike and Allyson. Freshwater pearl earrings, necklace, and bracelets. Allyson called it all Princess jewelry!

I loved the cake Michael got for me. It was a chocolate librarian cake!

Today, we had a birthday lunch at my parents' house. My sister and her family were there to help celebrate.

My sweet nephew, Caleb. His mama took this close-up as he waited for cake!

Blowing out a candle for the past, present, and the future. I just think my mom didn't have 11 times more candles!

Allyson and Caleb got a little crazy from a chocolate cake and ice cream sugar rush. They had a lot of fun running away from Papa, my dad, pretending to be a monster.

I could also call my birthday Thanksgiving. Every year, I see how blessed I am with so many in my life that give me gifts, say "Happy Birthday", or send cards. My life is so full and blessed!

Thank you, Lord for all that I have and for everyone in my life that is such a blessing to me! Amen.

Fair with a Friend

2009-10-14T14:25:00.001-07:00

Meet Eleanor Pauley Durant. She is the newest member of the Durant family that we attend church with. We were so honored to meet her yesterday at the hospital here in Warner Robins. She is just beautiful and we are so happy for Brandon, Leah, and big-brother Phillip.

We met Eleanor before we headed to the Georgia National Fair. We figured four-year old Phillip would be bored out of his mind hanging out all evening at the hospital, so we invited him to come to the fair with us.

Allyson really enjoyed having a friend go along. Mike spent the entire evening with a kid holding each hand.

We looked at some animals before heading to the midway. Allyson and Phillip were able to pet a rabbit. Phillip wanted to know the rabbit's name. I don't remember what it was, though!

Phillip wanted to sit on every tractor. We are not used to boys! :D

"Oh, no!" says Allyson. "I'm a city girl and I don't know what to do!"

Riding in the caboose

Teacup ride

Phillip came down the giant slide with Michael. Allyson came down BY HERSELF! I was so shocked I didn't get a picture!

On the ferris wheel, Allyson and Phillip both wanted to sit with Mr. Mike. :(

Phillip wanted to play the fishing game and Allyson did not argue. She's a little obsessed with fishing and she never has even been fishing. They were so funny reeling in fish. The string is just tied at the end. They can reel in all day!! LOL!

They both won a prize after catching three ducks. They chose light-up swords.

Love it!

The carousel.

Time to go. The kids got cotton candy for the road.

I love the lights reflecting on the water. I thought that would make a nice picture, but I was surprised that a speedboat zoomed right by as I was snapping the photo. So, I thought this picture came out neat. A little action. Lights, camera, action!! :D

We had so much fun! We really enjoyed having Phillip with us. Thank goodness for our wallet the fair only comes once a year!

One Night in Savannah

2009-10-11T19:34:00.000-07:00

We had planned to go camping for Columbus Day weekend, but we decided not to for the fear of rain. I've camped in the rain before and I said that I never would again. That's just misery!

So, instead of camping two nights in Pine Mountain, Georgia, we decided to go to Savannah for one night.

I packed a pic-nic lunch for us to eat on the way. It rained. So, we ate in the car. We were at a pi-nic area. And, it did stop raining while we ate. There was a pond with some geese that looked very hungry. We gave them some scraps before heading on.

*******************************************************

I just LOVE Savannah. It's so beautiful and cultural. Not like Warner Robins with all the chain restaurants and stores.

Michael and Allyson on a footbridge looking past River Street at the Savannah River.

What they saw-A River Boat. We're going to ride the River Boat next time!

We met some friends of ours for dinner. This is Roy, Lisa, and Cody. Mike met Roy in A&P school. Lisa is one of my best friends on Facebook!

River Street-All decorated for Fall

Roy and Michael in front of the River

Our little girl has become such a climber and daredevil since she has started going to gymnastics.

We stayed at the Hampton Inn in the Historic District. It was located on Bay Street, just next to River Street.

Our room was large with TWO windows. This one had a view of City Hall. It has a gold dome. Allyson said it was a castle.

Here's the view from the other window-River Street! Well, it's right there through the moss covered trees.

A step up from a tent, that is FOR SURE!

Today, we went back out to River Street to take in the sights.

Allyson will spot a fountain a million miles away! It's so fun to watch her discover everything in our world. Three is just a cool age. (Not perfect, though! Is there a perfect age? Hmmm...)

A lady offered to take our picture. I thought it was odd. Sure, enough, she wanted us to buy a straw flower.

I told Allyson to hold the flower up so I could take a picture. So, she did...

Savann-AHHH! I love the old buildings. So much character!

Holding onto my daddy!

We went in to one store and there were PIRATES! ARRRG! Apparently, there was a pirate festival going on at nearby Tybee Island.

Okay, there is a significance to this picture. Take a look first.

This is Savannah's Waving Girl. You can read about her history here. Well, she is in a way connected to our history, too. You see, Michael proposed to me here. Right in front of this statue. And, today, here is our child posed with this famous statue.

Allyson and Michael in the courtyard of the Waving Girl.

As a boat passes by...

Then, we headed home. We even made it back in time for evening worship. Thanks to the Lord for keeping us safe on the road! We saw an accident going and coming home. So scary!

We plan to try to go camping next month. We shall see!

Mice Cream

2009-10-09T15:58:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe in Taste of Home Halloween Party Favorites cookbook. I thought it was really cute and simple. Allyson and I made them tonight together. It took about five minutes. The recipe serves 6, but you can just make one, if you want to.

Mice Cream

1 pint vanilla ice cream

1 pkg (6-count) single serve graham cracker crusts

12 chocolate-covered mint cookies (I used Oreos that I broke in half.)

3 chocolate twigs, halved or 6 pieces (3 inches each) black shoestring licorice (We left the tails off!)

18 brown M&Ms (Other colors look cute, too!)

2 tsp chocolate sprinkles

Place one round scoop of ice cream into each crust. Tuck two cookies for ears and twigs or licorice for tail into ice cream. Press M&Ms in place for eyes and nose. Place sprinkles around nose for whiskers. Serves 6.

My little mouse really enjoyed this simple and tasty treat!

My ideal weekend would be...

2009-10-05T19:32:00.001-07:00

Well, if I was able to plan a weekend, and I could choose any activities that I would want, I think the one we just had would be it.

So, what would the ideal weekend include?

Well, I'd leave work a little early on Friday. I'd pick Allyson up from daycare and head home where my husband would be waiting already showered and dressed to take us out for the evening.

Then, we'd head out to dinner. Anywhere is fine, as long as I'm not cooking! Then, we would take our little girl to a show.

We would have good seats!

Allyson would look really cute all dressed up like Minnie Mouse!

She would get to see all her favorite characters. We told her that Daisy was out sick. She wouldn't let it go until she got a reasonable answer!

All of us being together makes the evening so special!

Handy Manny

Pooh & Tigger

Allyson and her Prince Charming

She insisted on having a nose colored on!

And, on Saturday, we would spend the whole day shopping at Tanger Outlets in Locust Grove.

We would go to lunch. Shop. Shop for Allyson. Shop for me. (Mike didn't want anything. Curazy!) Shop for shoes. Shop. And, shop!

And, then, we'd go home and once again, we'd eat out (My ideal weekend does not include cooking!!)

On the way home we stopped at Buckner's in Jackson for dinner. Buckner's is an experience. You sit with strangers at a large round table with a lazy susan in the middle. You are served fried chicken, bar b que, rolls, cornbread, southern-style vegetables, and peach cobbler for dessert.

The food is delicious!

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Yep, that would be my ideal weekend. But, things don't always go so ideally!

A girl that worked at the show asked Allyson to come on stage with her to do the Hot Dog Dance. Allyson said no. Her daddy had just given her a box of popcorn. Of course the girl found someone else. Allyson bawled buckets of tears when she realized what she had said no to!

When we go to Tanger, I spent way too much money at the Gymboree Outlet store. I spent all of the money that I was supposed to spend for Allyson's Fall/Winter wardrobe and only bought TWO outfits. Ugh. I really need supervision in that store!!

At Buckner's, Mike almost walked out when he saw how much dinner was going to be. $13.95/person is kinda high. Bucker's should not have raised their prices!! Even if they do have AWESOME fried chicken!

So, what is on he agenda for the upcoming weekend? A two-day camping trip. Yes, in a tent. Please pray for good weather!

OH, AND BY THE WAY! Please pray for Mike's job situation. He has an interview on Thursday for a contractor job for technical writing. An office job!!! Oh, please pray and cross your fingers!!

Guess Who We Met!

2009-09-27T20:05:00.001-07:00

Today, Allyson met one of her favorite starlets.

B e l l e

Belle was a guest at Virginia Lynn's birthday party. Allyson was so excited to meet her! At first, she stared with wide eyes. Then, she cried. I think she was completely star struck!

Finally, she calmed down enough for a few photos with the princess.

Here's a picture of Belle with Leeta, Virginia Lynn (b-day girl in the middle), and Allyson

Belle gave Allyson a Disney Princess tattoo.

After tattoos, there was a princess crown craft and animal balloons.

This was a big day for our little girl!

A Barrel O' Fun!

2009-09-22T19:21:00.001-07:00

Friday night we met my parents at Cracker Barrel. Michael was working so this worked out great! Mike is not a fan of Cracker Barrel. That is just curazy if you ask me!

I love the grilled chicken strips with honey mustard! Delish!

Allyson likes to sit in the rockers on the porch. She and my dad had a little checker game going on.

She thought the object was stacking up checkers. In her bag a a huge sucker from her Papa. Everyone knows only grandparents would buy something like that. Seriously!

She might be winning!!

My mom & I rocked a bit, too. I just LOVE her!!

And, now, would you like to know how you can make a tasty cake in under 15 minutes? I'm not talking about 15 minutes prep. I mean start to finish!

Microwave Chocolate Cake

You'll need:

Devil's Food Cake mix
all the ingredients needed to prepare cake on box
a can of chocolate fudge icing

In a large microwave safe bowl, mix cake as directed on box. With an ice cream scoop or other small scoop, scoop icing and drop on top of batter.

Cover. Microwave for 12 minutes and 30 seconds. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. (optional) Best if served warm.

I made this for the Ladies Salad Supper last night. I wish I had taken a picture! This cake is good. Trust me. It's a Pampered Chef recipe. Michael and Allyson loved it!

Enjoy!

Please pray!

2009-09-16T15:25:00.000-07:00

Most of you probably know that Michael is completely miserable at work. Well, he found out today that there could be a potential position working back at the Macon Airport for Bombardier (Spelling!?). Nothing would make me happier than to see my husband satisfied with his job. So, please pray that a job (preferrably one close to WR) opens up for him.

Thanks, everyone!

Family and Fame

2009-09-12T20:09:00.000-07:00

On Labor Day Weekend, Allyson and I traveled to LA with my mom for a family reunion. Now, when I say LA, I mean Lower Alabama. :D

Have you ever heard of Opp? It's a small town in LA, and surprisingly, most people that live in Alabama have heard of it. It's on the way to the beach, you see.

Well, we spent quite a while on the front porch of a home for the elderly visiting my great aunts, Aunt Caron and Aunt Zelda. (Pronounced Aint Kayron and Aint Zelder)

The "creepy mouse" kept coming around. This caused squealing from young ones and old ones alike. :D Allyson was putting the "creepy mouse" on my mom. Aunt Caron is looking on.

Here is Aunt Zelda with Allyson and me.

This little handsome fella is my first cousin's youngest. This is 10 month-old Cooper.

Aunt Caron is getting the creepy mouse. My mom's sister, Janice, Cooper, first cousin Jon, and Baby Olivia (his neice) are on the swing.

Here is Allyson with her 2nd cousins, Erin and Jenny.

You can actually spend quite a bit of time on the front porch of a home for the elderly. We were late for dinner. Blame it on Alabama time.

If you get bored spending time on the front porch of a home for the elderly, you can walk around and take random pictures of yard decorations.

Here's Aunt Janice and my mom. The theme of the weekend was, "Here, hold a baby."

We had quite a crew, outnumbered by kids. We didn't have a relaxing weekend, but it was enjoyable. It's always worth it to be with family.

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As far as fame..

Well, I'm not famous, but I met a famous person today.

I went to a book signing at Sam's in Macon to meet

Nicholas Sparks

He was signing his new book The Last Song.

It will be a movie starring Miley Cyrus coming out in January.

I invited Andrea, but really she took me. We rode in her car and she had a Sam's card. I was her guest.

A group photo

I was so giddy! After the photo, I stood up, but he was still talking to me, so I sat back down. And, then when I walked away, I nearly forgot my camera. I was just slightly star-struck!

The book signing was to begin at noon. Andrea and I got in line at 10 am. We sat a chatted for an hour and then I went to get us some pizza and drinks. When I got back, he was starting to sign already! We had to rush to eat because we were near the beginning of the line. There were people and cameras from CNN. I'm sure they captured me shoving pizza in my face!

We were leaving Sam's at about 11:30. We were both thankful that he started signing early.

It was totally worth it to meet my favorite author. I took all my books for him to sign, but there were so many people that he would only sign his new book.

I wanted to say something he doesn't hear all the time. I'm sure he's always hearing, "I'm your biggest fan!" or "I've read all your books and seen all your movies!"

So, I said, "I'm a fan of yours on Facebook." That got an eyebrow raise and then he said some other things to me about a newsletter. He was very friendly and, well, HOTT!

Meeting Mr. Sparks was the highlight of my week, hands down!

Thanks for taking me, Andrea!