What a deal!

This came in the mail today! Isn't it just adorable? I know, I'm a little biased! Several weeks ago, I heard about this website that was giving away a free 8x10 canvas. I jumped over there and found that it was true, you just have to pay the shipping. I upgraded to the 11x11 size so that it would be square canvas. I paid less than $30 for this.....including the upgrade and shipping.

*Side note: I had decided not to purchase this even though I thought it would be a great deal because I had already spent my "fun money" for the month. The weekend of Valentine's Day, Kevin told me to order the canvas! How sweet and thoughtful!

Just me and my honey...

For quite some time, we'd had a Marriage Conference on the calendar for Saturday, February 20th. I had talked to Mom about keeping the girls, and she really wanted them to go to church with her and Dad on Sunday as well. After the last couple of weeks around here, I was looking forward to the girls being with Reesie and Papa! Mom graciously offered to have the girls spend Friday night and Saturday night. So,we took the girls over to Americus on Friday morning and picked them up in Cordele at lunch on Sunday. It was wonderful! Kevin and I really enjoyed having our house to ourselves on Friday night. We cooked Chicken Fettuchini Alfredo and broccoli. It was delicious! And we were able to have an entire conversation over dinner! What a blessing that was!

Then on Saturday morning, we headed over to the UGA Conference Center to join about 500 other people from the surrounding areas as we were entertained by Dr. Kevin Leman. He is the author of The Birth Order Book, Sheet Music, Have A New Kid By Friday, Turn Up the Heat, and 30-something others. He was a great speaker and said some things that others are not willing to say!

Saturday evening, we enjoyed a relaxing dinner with some great friends and then dessert back at our house. Although I didn't get anything struck off of my "To Do" list, the weekend was a great "breather" from life as we know it now and a much needed time of just me and my honey! Thanks so much, Mom and Dad! You were a blessing to Kevin and I this weekend!

Now it's back to the real world...........as Ty Pennington would say, "Welcome home sweet children, welcome home!"

*picture taken about 1pm....that's right, this is just from the morning of play!

Our trusty companion...

We've had quite the time over the past 10 days! It all started last Saturday when Chloe began running fever. We had to stay home from church on Sunday and she still had fever on Monday. So, Monday afternoon, I took her to the doctor and found out that her chest was pretty inflamed. More times than not, this "stuff" settles in Chloe's chest and causes cough and inflammation. I had begun breathing treatments with her already, and at the doctor we added an antibiotic and oral steroids to our line-up. The next couple of days were hard with her being on the steriods, as they affect how she feels.

On Thursday night, I put Claire to bed as usual. She was a little snotty, but no different than she had been all week. However, at midnight, she woke up and was having major problems breathing, coughing, gasping, and staying calmed down. I quickly got her going on a breathing treatment and got her calmed down. I realized that she was not having trouble breathing, but that her seal-like sounds could not be good. So, instead of heading to Troy to visit Aunt Megan and Uncle Chuck on Friday morning, we headed to the doctor again with our croupy Claire. After talking with the doctor and a chest xray, we left with oral steroids for Claire to try and clear up her croupy lungs. The steroids are making her so emotional and "out of sorts" so she and I are staying at home tomorrow as well.

So......all of that to say, our trusty companion has become our little nebulizer......without it, we would be a gaspy mess around here!

*I want to dedicate this post to my friend, Heather, whom I've never met! Heather's husband, Kevin, and my Kevin were great friends in highschool and on from there. Kevin was actually in our wedding, but Heather was unable to get enough time off of work to come. So, she and I have never met. However, we "stay in touch" through the blog world. Her girls have struggled with breathing issues, just like we have. So I know that if anyone understands my life over the past week or so, it's her! Heather, one of these days we'll get to hang out......hopefully sooner rather than later!

It snowed in South Georgia!!!

It snowed today!! This happens so rarely in South Georgia, so when the meteorologists forecasted possible snow for us.....well, you can imagine how excited people down here get!

We were actually supposed to be in Troy, AL visiting my sister and her husband this weekend. However, our plans got thwarted when sweet little Claire woke up at midnight last night with croup-like symptoms. She and I spent about three hours at the pediatrician's office this morning. Kevin and I decided it would be best for us to post-pone our trip to Troy until everyone felt better.

It rained most of the day today.....and then about 5pm, it turned into snow! It was so pretty! We bundled the girls up to go out and see the snow. Here they are......do you think that we could get one more set of stripes in this picture?



The progression of this next collage defines Claire! She really wants to get the full effect of life.....and so she often times resorts to tasting it! I love the last picture....she was looking up at Kevin and grinning!

Chloe takes in everything in life, and we are sometimes amazed at the things she comes up with! Kevin made a snowball and showed it to her......and what did she do? She rared her arm back and nailed him in the leg with it! We laughed so hard! How did she know to do that? Maybe that's one of those things that kids just automatically know how to do.

And what's a snow fall without a little snowman as a souvenier? Chloe decided that he needed arms......I'd say he succeeded!

The girls really had so much fun. I'd say they had more fun that I thought they would! Also, one of the known "soothers" of croup is cold air. It was good for Claire to spend some time breathing in that crisp, cold air......good for her lungs and good for the soul!

Can I just be honest?

I know that you all think I've fallen off of the face of the earth. However, I have not.....I'm back. And can I just be honest with one big reason why I haven't posted anything on the blog lately? I just didn't want that sweet post by my husband to be sent down the list of past posts! What a sweet and humbling surprise that was for me. As you all know, I'm no super-hero.......just a girl fulfilling her dream and doing exactly what God has called and made me to be. I pray every day that God will give me the capability, patience, and strength to be the wife and mommy that he has called me to be. I only get this one lifetime..........and I don't know about you, but I want my one chance to count for all of eternity!

I may be his super-hero, but he'll always be my prince charming!

Being a princess is hard work...

Sometimes you have to do the hula...

and wearing all of that jewelry and a crown is exhausting...

and high heels are killer to walk in...

and keeping all of that fancy stuff organized is so time consuming...

especially when there are two princesses...

sometimes being a princess is embarrassing...

but it makes it all better when you ask Daddy to "Yook!" and he tells you that you're pretty...

and in the end, the best thing to do is throw your hands up and dance!