Happy Birthday Mom

Today is my mom's birthday. It's also my brother-in-laws birthday but he just gets a little shout out since he doesn't read my blogs. Mom gets a whole post dedicated just for her.

Alexis and I took her out last weekend for manicures/pedicures and lunch at the fabulous Garden Center.

Mom,

Thank you for everything you have done for me and for everything that you still do. I can't express in words how grateful I am that you are always willing to drop whatever you have going on so that you can help me... unless of course you are already helping my sister.  Happy Birthday!

Enjoy your video:

I love you!

a little favor...

My neighbors left for 6 weeks for a Morroccan vacation.  The mom, daughter and son all took off about 3 weeks ago and the dad left a couple of days ago.  We asked if there was anything they needed while gone and they said no, everything was taken care of.  Phew, I was hoping mowing the lawn wasn't going to be asked.  About an hour before the dad left he called with one little favor... could we take care of their daughters 2 beta fish.  Of course we can!!  No problem at all.  We have a fish tank that I have to remember to take care of, 2 dogs and of course the kids to feed so taking care of the beta shouldn't be a problem at all, right?  Well, as he walked over he said with a nervous chuckle that he kinda neglected them since the rest of his family has been gone.  He didn't think they could go the next 3 weeks without food.  No, they need to be fed 3 times a day.  It says so on the food container.  And, the bowl (vase) should be cleaned once a week, not once a lifetime.  I took these two cuties in and decided they needed a cleaner home. I was slightly nervous that the bacteria from their bowls would cause us to all develop some kind of crazy infection.  For my defense, the fish were really sickly looking and the bowls were really nasty.  2 days is all that these fish have been with us and this is what I did:

I killed them, both of them...

It was one little favor...

 I am sorry Goldy

 I am sorry Silver

I am sorry, I can't help you with your one little favor and now I don't know what to tell your beautiful children when they return from their vacation.  I took care of their dog last year while they were away for 6 weeks!!  Dog survived just fine.  

I called my husband and he said to go find new ones and tell them that I took really good care of the fish so if they look a little different it's because of the care they received.  A BIG FAT LIE!!  I took pictures and will go to the pet store tomorrow to start looking for the perfect match.  I really think I need to tell the truth, especially since my kids are friends with theirs and the truth will eventually come out.  Even if it's not for 10 years, it will come out.  Personally, I think the best answer is to replace the fish but tell the truth.  Right? Friends, what should I do???

The Versatile Blogger

While Abbey from Life Treasured is lying in a hospital bed on bed rest with her triplets, she so graciously nominated me for The Versatile Blogger.  How awesome is she??  Thank you so much Abbey, I am honored :)

Here are the rules:

•  Thank the award-giver and provide a link back to their blog
•  Tell your readers 7 things about yourself
•  Give the award to up to 15 recently discovered bloggers
•  Contact those bloggers and let them in on the exciting news
  
  
  So, here we go... 7 things about me:
  
  
  {1} I have a twin sister who has been my best friend for the last 33 years {oops, just gave away our age there}
  
    My sister has a foot fetish ~ she can't stand looking at them while I can't stand someone else's feet touching me (this might have something to do with being squished together in utero with our feet against each other's faces)
  
  
  {2} I grew up going to Lake Havasu, AZ with my family and have the BEST memories of childhood, adolescents, and being an adult there.
  
  We would spend our summers out there and I would always cry when it was time to go home, my older brother would cry too....shhhhh!
  
  
  {3} I love taking care of my kids and my dogs and am so grateful that I can stay home to do so
  
  {an old picture but one of my favorites}
  
  
  
  {4} I am a homebody.  I would be perfectly happy if I didn't ever have to leave my home.  I sometimes think about having my groceries delivered so I don't have to leave.  I'm not agoraphobic, I just love my house and the neighbors on my street that sometimes there isn't much need to go anywhere else.  I love having people over here instead of going anywhere.
  
  
  {5} I walked in the Breast Cancer 3-day twice
  
   We held hands all 60 miles
  
   He is physically holding me up here
  
  My sister and I walked the first year with some of my closest friends and the next year my very supportive husband walked with me.
  
  
  {6} I have had a total of 7 surgeries so far and fear anesthesia.
  
  
  {7} I have such a deep appreciation for life and am so grateful for everything I have.  I have been so blessed.  
  
  
  My nominees for the Versatile Blog Award are... drum roll please:
  
  
  Nicole from The Cisneros Family!
  Kelly from Fly with Me
  Jhen from From here to eternity
  Katie from Minivan Diva
  Jenna from The Duty Family
  Jazmin from The Millers Happily Ever After
  Stacy from blogs tea & me
  
  

Giving it all

As I was reading the story of Pocahontas to my daughter tonight I was thinking of 10 different things I needed to get done.  I feel this has been a more common occurance lately and that really bothers me.  Even as I was reading the story I thought how cool it would be to have The Color's of the Wind playing in her CD player at the same time. Why can't I just stop thinking of what else and just absorb myself in what is.  Take what I have at the moment and stick with it.  I found myself quickly reading through the story in order for her to fall asleep so I could go put my laundry away.  {We all know my laundry won't be put away for a few more days anyway}  She totally got jipped out of story time. {I finished the story, it just wasn't very enthusiastic} I want to work on this.  I want to slow down my mind, not get as much done but at the same time get more done.  Know what I mean?  I want the quality not the quantity.  Instead of calling several friends {totally a hypothetical situation, I'm not very good at calling anyone} I want to call 1 and have a wonderful fullfilling conversation.  My goal is to give it all.  I'm not even saving this one for my New Year's resolution.  It starts right now.  Right here!!  I won't be rushing through anything anymore.  I realize that "it" will never get done so the path I take on my way will be where I will find my joy.
I know I am not the only one that feels this way because there is a song about it:
Alabama - I'm In A Hurry
I'm in a hurry to get things done 
Oh I rush and rush until life's no fun 
All I really got to do is live and die 
But I'm in a hurry and don't know why 


From here on out there's no more "good enough", it's gonna be great!

Linking up

InstaFriday (sort of)

I decided I was going to participate in the InstaFriday gig... yesterday.  So instead of a week of camera phone photos, I have 1.5 days.  Next week I will do better.

 Wyatt is getting ready to hop in the delorean and go back to the future.  Coolest thing ever!  I'm going to have to get the movie so they can understand what the heck we were talking about.  What? Back to where?  What's the future?

 Baked some yummy chocolate chip banana muffins to celebrate my good friend and next door neighbors birthday.  How lucky am I to have my friend move in next door?! {very}

Lunchtime play date.  I like the blonde book ends.

 Freedom got her shots today and ended up sleeping the rest of the day away and wimpered in pain.  Not sure if that's normal or not?  

 Wyatt finished the day with some fun in the sun.

A lot more happened this week but apparently because I didn't capture it on the camera, it didn't really happen.  Have a great day!

Linking up here:

Summer fun

Summer time fun the past couple of weeks:

Bubbles

Playdates

relaxing

night swimming

 wet dogs

staying up late

sleep overs in my room (ok, this doesn't just happen in the summer)

golf cart rides at my sisters

driving to the lake

cousin time

sister time

ahhh, I love summer.  Funny thing is, I love each season in it's own special way.  When I was a kid I hated, dreaded, feared the end of summer because that meant one thing - school! and colder weather.  Now, as a mother, I love the change each season brings... decorating, special recipes (you never really see pumpkin bread in the summer do you?) However, summer will always be my favorite and I am so not ready for it to be over yet.

Too much of a good thing?