WFMW - My Secret Weapon

When all else fails on a long family road trip and my kids are on the verge of meltdown, I pull out my secret weapon – a party favor sized bottle of bubbles! Sitting in the passenger seat, I blow tiny bubbles to the kids in the back, and they immediately forget that they are still strapped into their car seats. They giggle as they try to pop the bubbles, and my husband is relieved that he can drive in peace…at least for a few more miles.

(Kristen and I must be on the same wavelength this week. You can check out more traveling with kids tips here!)

WW - The Wishing Well

Just like in the storybooks...

Make a wish!


For more Wordless Wednesday moments, click here!

"It's a surprise!"

Last night as Pat and I were putting Abby to bed, she asked for a song like she usually does. After singing her favorite, "I Am a Child of God", I asked, "How about this one since tomorrow's Father's Day? " and started to sing, "I'm so glad when Daddy comes home..." only to have her smack her hand over my mouth and say, "No Mom! It's a surprise!"

She proceeded to whisper to me (all within ear shot of Daddy) that the Primary was going to be singing that song for Father's Day, so "we can't sing it or it will ruin the surprise." It was so cute.

This morning, Abby kept reminding us not be late for church because on Mother's Day, we actually missed the kids singing! She was really upset about that. I felt so bad. (In my defense, I had no idea the Primary was going to be singing "Mother, I Love You" as prelude music that Sunday.) We didn't want to make that mistake again so we were rushing to make sure we got there in a timely manner. Abby was so excited to go up and sing with the Primary, even though it's only our second week in this ward. She could hardly sit still during sacrament meeting.

When it was finally time to for the Primary to go up front, she was all smiles as she sang and looked out at us in the congregation.

Daddy was all smiles too.

And me? A little misty-eyed.

Happy Father's Day, Daddy! We love you!

Starring...ABBY!!!

Finally! Here's an encore performance of Abby's storybook recital dance, "Seuss!" She is the third one in from the left. Being a dance teacher has its privileges since I was able to shoot this from the front wing. :)

Abby was so excited to dance on "the big stage" with her Aunt Ali this year. She was grinning from ear to ear. I think she was even more excited to get her flowers afterward. (She made sure to remind me about getting them several times. haha!)Our whole family was there to watch her which really made her feel special. (Thanks you guys!) She loved every minute of it!

(Disclaimer- I love Smilebox, but the video came through a bit grainy, and try to ignore the red eye in the pics I took backstage. I'm not on my usual computer and can't figure out how to edit it out.)

And now....here's ABBY!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

We're so proud of you, Twinkle Toes! You were awesome up there!

PSF - Gone Buggy!'

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

A few nights ago as I was bringing groceries in from the car, I noticed a distinct humming sound that was growing louder and louder. A surprisingly familiar sound that I recognized from my childhood, growing up in North Little Rock, Arkansas, to be, what we called, the mosquito truck.

Sure enough, I saw the flashing lights in the distance and immediately headed inside to avoid being fogged with bug spray.

I guess bugs and mosquitoes are pretty prevalent down in these parts.





Must be a southern thing. :)

Wedding Cake Fight '96 Revisited

In honor of our recent 13th wedding anniversary (Has it really been that long???), I thought I'd rerun these Pop-Up Video Style, candid cake-cutting pics that my best friend (and maid of honor), Diana, snapped and mailed to me when we got back from our honeymoon in San Diego. (No emailing digital pics back then, folks. No email. No digital cameras. Man, I'm old.)

It started out sweet and innocent...
Yes, I smashed a little cake in my new hubby's face...just to be silly
Then it was his turn...I tried to dodge him and it went right up my nose!
You're going down, buddy!
It was a full-out cake fight! How dignified...
That's exactly what our parents were thinking...haha!
My make-up, my lipstick...pretty much gone, but I was still smiling. It really was hilarious, although I did have icing boogers for a week. (Sorry...too much info.)

Ahhhhh...to be young and in love.

"When You Least Expect It"

Several months ago, in the midst of the craziness that had taken over my life, a friend gave me the newest Hilary Weeks cd - If I Only Had Today. The inspired words and melodies gave me comfort and became a source of strength for me in spite of the uncertainty that had come to plague our family. One song especially connected with me, and when my husband finally, after all of these agonizing months, received that phone call with an official job offer from a reputable, secure company, I immediately thought of these lyrics and knew that God had heard our prayers...

It's been raining for days with no sign of it letting up
And all I can think about is how much I miss the sun.

The sound is almost hypnotizing, pounding on the pavement
And drop by drop I forget how good the sun feels on my face.

Then through the shadows, beyond the clouds
A ray of light hits my window.
I can't believe it, but I can see it
Right in front of my eyes.

And that's when it happens
When you least expect it
When it feels like the storm will never end
That's when it happens
Light cuts through the darkness
And Heaven surprises you
When you least expect it.

I quit counting the hours I've prayed for answers
But I can't help wondering how long I will have to wait.

And why is Heaven silent while I'm running out of words?
I keep on knocking but nobody hears me standing at the door.

Then through the shadows, beyond the doubt
Heaven sends the answer.
I can't believe it, but I can feel it
Deep inside of my heart

And that's when it happens
When you least expect it
And you know God has heard every prayer
That's when it happens
Love breaks through the darkness
And Heaven surprises you
When you least expect it...


Even now, it all still seems surreal. Finding a nice family to rent our home (definitely divine intervention), packing up our house, receiving the job offer (along with a relocation package that we were not expecting AT ALL - that's why we were able to join Pat in AL so quickly), having everything go haywire the last week in VA (sick kiddos during recital week while I'm staying at my brother's house - need I say more?), watching Abby perform in her last Shuffles recital (at least for a while), saying goodbye to my family (they were all there with cards, treats, gifts, and big hugs to send us on our way last Sunday morning), even the ten and half hour drive seemed to float by as we made our way to Alabama. (The kids were troopers doing it all in one day. Thank goodness for portable DVD players.)

Yes, it's been an emotional couple of weeks. (I'm sure it will be for awhile.) Yes, I have felt somewhat out of my element. And yes, there are still a lot of loose ends that need tying, but I know that Heavenly Father is watching over us. I know that He hears our prayers, and I have faith that this is where our little family is supposed to be right now. I'm not sure why yet, but I can feel it, deep inside of my heart.