Happy 6th Birthday Delaney and more.....

Pin the hat on the Polar Bear

A very blurry but happy Delaney!

Making snowflake frames

The snowman game....before...

On the right we have Contestant #1

On the left is Contestant #2

During.....

And after!

Lovely teenagers !

A game of hot potato

Happy 13th Birthday Chey!

Happy 18th Birthday Ryan!

Riding her new bike

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DELANEY!

Wonderful is totally a open term

My last post I said stay tuned for wonderful party to come. I saw that and about laughed my head off.

Now, when planning this party, we had snow storms hitting us twice a week! There was so much snow we didn't know what to do with ourselves! I decided not to fight Mother Nature and went with the flow and picked a Winter Wonderland theme. Snowflakes and snowmen galore! Then the thaw came. Ok.....we redirected and ordered a bouncer. We still went with the snow theme but planned to throw them outside cold or not!

It certainly turned out to be a NOT! In more ways than....well......NOT!

Let me fill you in on our party day.....

We woke in the morning to cold weather again as stated. Ok. We knew the cold was coming back in. What we didn't know was that it brought wind with it. High wind. As in blow you on your ass wind! It was bad. Very bad. I laid in bed and heard the gusts and knew we were in trouble. Bouncer dude would not be coming that day!

I raked my mind and decided we would just go with the flow and get bubbles and such and kick the kids out anyway. We were going to fill the trampoline with 'snow ball' balloons and send them on their happy way.

We ran to the store and picked up items and ran back home. Put the bags down, unzipped my coat and stood in awe as the trampoline took flight like something from a Wizard of Oz scene! We ran to rescue the trampoline but not without damage.

Rethinking.........again..........what to do, what to do.........

I send Todd to get out own small bouncer. That would keep them busy! Except we couldn't find something that worked to blow it up. Two hours later, three men and two air compressors, we finally had a bouncer. Except....the party was now over.

By three o'clock our activities had come to an end and we were scrambling for things to do with 12 little kiddies! God bless my step mom! Mimi you did an awesome and looooong assed game of Simon Says!

One would think that would be the end of this fun and exciting story. Not!
Let us not forget my nephew throwing up from a stomach virus all over the bathroom. AND I just found out that another went home with her own personal version of a stomach virus too! No she did not deposit her gift here but the germies I am sure were having a blast with all the kiddies in attendance!

Thanks everyone for the lovely, non-returnable gift of viruses and puke! We lay in anticipation to see who gets it next! Next time a gift receipt would be nice!

Delaney, however, had the best party and loved it. She loved her friends there and the gifts and attention and her Mimi and Papa. Overall, in her book, it was the bestest 6th birthday party ever!

Mimi, Mommy and Aunt Michele on the other hand are thinking a very large jug of wine might have been a much appreciated end come that evening!

Happy Birthday sweet Delaney! I cannot believe you are a big 6 year old! Where has my little girl gone!? May your year be full of TONS of excitment, love and laughter!

Snow and bouncers

I would love to say that my life has been so busy that I simply have not had time to blog.

But in truth, I think I am totally dealing with a bad case of winter blues.

We have had no place to really go. Well, other than the typical things like school, work and dr appointments! But they don't count really in my book! And due to cold beyond anything my body has ever felt (for at least a year anyway), we have been housebound.

I have been restless.

Now I know you are thinking that this would be a good time to come on and chat about it all but in truth, I haven't known what to say. You can only chat so much about how you are going stir crazy while your toes are so cold they are about to fall off! An interesting topic to be sure but boring after about the third time mentioning it.

We are currently in a brief respite with a warm up of between 50 to almost 70 degrees and my fingers have thawed out enough to come on and chat! Come Friday we are to hit 68 degrees and I can assure you that I shall be laying spread eagle on my deck by noon praising the Lord for all his glory in making the sun!

Now Sat. it will drop back down to 45. But it is still better than the 6 degrees we were hitting a week or so ago and I will not complain!! Course, the kiddies at Delaney's party might but I am sure that between the sugar and the bouncer coming, they won't complain TOO much!

I am gearing up for Sat. The cupcakes and cookies still need to be made. But the balloons are ordered and the gift bags, plates and decorations sit in wait.

Stay tuned for a wonderful party day to come............

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Lordy, give me strength or direction to the nearest ladies room!

I don't seem to have learned my lesson last year!

Right around this same time, my old Pastor glanced at me from across the room and made a bee line in my direction, never dropping my glance. I knew something was up and had the instinct to run for cover but was nice and stood my ground with a smile. Then he asked me to take over as VBS director......I swore then that the next time he glanced my way and pinned me with his eyes, that I would make a run for the nearest ladies room and hide!

I seem to have forgotten that lesson. Or maybe it is because I was thrown off by the fact we now have a new Pastor and totally forgot my promise to run for the bathroom since, well, he was new!!

Last night at the church meeting our eyes met. He held my gaze and started walking my way. I will admit that the sudden need to find the ladies room came to mind slightly but I figured I was already claimed by VBS and that was why he was coming over to chat. You know, to talk about dates and what kind of snacks I needed, etc etc etc.

NOT!

Where I thought I was already taken....he thought I looked bored. And asked me to be.... Sunday School Superintendent!

When the words came out of his mouth I thought,"Stupid! I TOLD you go run for the bathroom! You did not listen you idiot!" And I crumbled.

Not that I accepted. Yet.

Don't get me wrong. I am currently fighting with my heart that says our church is in turmoil and needs people to step up and my brain that says going to the beach on Sunday, August the 7th is so much more important!!! Or sleeping in on May 22nd after a full week of soccer, PTA and dr appointments. Or simply that my plate is too full and my brain is saying "ARE...... YOU............ INSANE!?"

Probably.

Ok. More likely than probably.

But I will listen to all sides and take it to heart. #1 I truly believe that the younger people need to step up within the church. (Not that I am younger but I am compared to most in positions at the church!) And I cannot whine about how people need to step up if I am not one of those people! #2 I am one major marshmallow! And I do believe it is written on my forehead somewhere too! So I will weight the options before I say my answer so that I can honestly say I thought about it.

The other issue I have is that Todd thought it was funny to tell the Pastor my theory on making a run the next time for the bathroom. He now knows my strategy and plans to cut off my line of direction....or find me when I am furthest from the ladies room!

I am now a sitting duck....

Or should I say.....MARSHMALLOW!?