See Ya Real Soon

Hello friends!

I must admit to be super duper excited today because it's my last day in the office until July 1. If you've been living under a rock and don't know where we're going, we are headed to Disney World in Florida tomorrow morning. We are driving so we can stop at my grandmother's house in Louisiana on the way back after spending 8 days in the parks.

So, my blog shall be quiet for the next week and a half (at least - depends on how quickly I get the laundry done once we're back) but know that we'll be thinking of you all as we enjoy the first major trip our little fam has ever taken. Previously we've stuck with Port Aransas for a few days each year so we're charting new territory here, people.

And, don't worry about the Puppy Posse or our home because we have tons of family in and around the area who will be taking care of it all. Besides, we apparently live on top of a snake den so no one's brave enough to come over often anyway...

And I digress...

I'll leave you with a few pics of our hotel (that Miss Thang picked out herself and would think of no other once she saw it). 

See ya real soon!

Absolutely Incredible News from an Absolutely Incredible Kid

See that face? That face that melts my heart, pushes me to be a better person and loves unconditionally? 

Well, I got some absolutely incredible news yesterday about this absolutely incredible kid.

It all started when I got a post on my Facebook wall yesterday from the wife (Carolyn) of one of our deacons (Mark). He is with the kiddos this week at church camp serving as one of the counselors. Let's just take a moment and say a prayer for him, shall we?

Ok, moving on.

Anyway, Carolyn wanted me to know my baby girl had accepted Christ the night before at camp! How amazing is that?

She has actually been flirting with this decision for quite some time (two years to be exact) as she first moved toward it at Vacation Bible School in summer 2007. Anyone who knows my Tay knows she does not make ANY decision lightly and puts a great deal of thought into EVERYTHING so it hasn't surprised me at all that she hasn't been ready to make a public decision until now.

I could not be more proud of my baby and now I really can't wait to see her tomorrow. I also now understand why some things happened right before she left. Let's just say she all of a sudden fell victim to an issue she overcame years ago and it reared its ugly head completely out of the blue. To the point that the morning she was to leave, she came to me crying and said she didn't want to go after all.

I thought, at that moment when I was crying right along with her, that God must have something big in store for the week because the devil sure was trying to discourage Miss Thang. Sometimes things begin to make sense all at once and it definitely clicked yesterday afternoon for me.

Disney's current theme is "What will you celebrate?" Up until this point, I just thought we were celebrating family but looks like we have something even bigger to celebrate.

Don't you think?

Yeah, me too.

Night (or Afternoon) at the Museum

It's Wednesday and, yes, I have survived two days without my little one around asking a million questions, making numerous trips to my room just to tell me she loves me (heart melting as I type) and contributing more than her fair share to the laundry pile. 

In all fairness, though, as I told my friend Candice at lunch today (love you, girl!), I have been structuring my days so that I don't have all that much time to actually think about it. As you already know, I deferred all housework to this week so I'd have something to occupy my time so by the time I do that, laundry, go to the gym and eat dinner, it's pretty much time to pass out and start all over. 

See - there ARE some advantages to being 100% Type A and planning your every move!

Anyway, zumba class was so rough last night that I couldn't think straight so that helped a bit as well. About 15 minutes into the class, we realized the air conditioner had quit working. What happens when you combine a closed in aerobics room with an outside temp of 102 degrees and, like, 450% humidity? 

Glad you asked - I'll be glad to fill you in.

You get mirrors that are completely fogged over, a floor that is so slick you feel like you've gone back in time and are playing on a good ol' fashioned Slip 'n Slide and you don't even realize you've already lost 10 pounds in water weight from sweating because you're praying the entire time you won't do a face plant in the middle of all of the buff people standing around you.

Sweet mercy - I'm just happy to be alive today, friends!

Yesterday I promised more museum pics and, because I always deliver on those promises, you shall find them below.

She made me promise not to put this picture "anywhere" so don't tell her next time you see her, ok? Our little secret.

Blowing a giant bubble!

This contraption here is where I was injured during our trip last fall. You see, Tay convinced ME to stand in the middle while she created a bubble tube around yours truly. Then she immediately let go of the giant ring and it whacked me right in the temple. And created a knot. A really big one. Dave laughed. I cried. It was all good.

She hijacked my camera inside "the heart." This is about the time I learned she now stands at 4'11.5" tall. Hence, the deer in the headlights look. Perhaps I should invest in some higher heels soon?

Hangin' in the heart. It actually beats and she thinks it's awesome.

Miss Thang asked that this little fella be photographed. Why? Because she loves any and every animal she sees. And he was new. Otherwise, his picture would have already been taken.

She also loves starfish.

And sea shells (and I love this picture too).

Finally, what's a trip to the museum without the ceremonial picture of Tay sitting on top of the mammoth remains? Why, it wouldn't be a respectable trip. So, of course, here it is...

Off to send Miss Tay an email at camp (yes, I am THAT mom) and then I have to finish up some projects because we're going to Disney on Saturday. I have mentioned that, right? :-)

If I have fully recovered from the battleground that was zumba last night by the time I get home, I'll download the 'we're off to camp' pictures. 

Until then, try to stay cool, friends. It is a full-time job these days!

Playing with DaVinci's Machines

What do you do when you're lamenting the fact that your baby will be going off to church camp for the very first time? And will be spending the weekend before she leaves with her Nana and Boppy?

Why, you ignore any need for housework, laundry or productivity and decide that you will spoil the child rotten with outings, trips and special treats, of course!

In all seriousness, Miss Taylor had asked if I'd take her to see the DaVinci Machines exhibit at the Mayborn Museum so I thought that would be a great outing right before she took off for Nana's house and then camp. The day before we also did some shopping and hit the swimming pool so, needless to say, we had some good bonding time before she flew the coup.

This is a really cool exhibit and I recommend it to anyone in and around Waco. DaVinci was truly ahead of his time and created machines using ball bearings, a parachute and catapult years before their time. There are actual replicas of those machines at the museum right now and you can touch, turn and use them!

Her aim was pretty good!

Hmm...what's this one? Oh yeah, a water saw.

Very cool

Twisting and turning...

How's this for a parachute?

Needed a little help with this one

She read all of the plaques so she knew exactly what she was working with :-)

Can you say flotation device?

They were all hanging from the ceiling, too, which was awesome.

There were people there to explain the machines as well.

Just workin' with a cannon

Hmmm...

Ball bearings - giant ones!

Me thinks DaVinci was a bit obsessed with flight.

It was really tall so this photo was taken from afar.

Tay had an awesome time and kept telling me that was "the coolest exhibit they've ever had here." We will be going back after vacation because she is convinced that "Davey needs to see it, too." And I must concur.

We spent some time in the rest of the museum as well. This has been one of Tay's favorite places for years but she never tires of the activities so it's a good place to spend an afternoon. 

Plus, it has air conditioning and I'm a big fan of that this time of year. Particularly when my car tells me it's 102 degrees before summer officially gets here. What is up with that, Lord?

I have lots more photos but am going to do a separate post for those so your retinas don't bleed.

You're welcome.

The end.

For now.

Not Me! Monday!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Hello friends, welcome back to another edition of Not Me! Monday! in which I spill my guts so you can bust one. Why, might you ask? Because I'm friendly and that's exactly what friends are for, virtual peeps.

For starters, I most definitely did not skip church yesterday morning so we could take the female members of the puppy posse to shot clinic. I certainly didn't have to do it then because I'd put it off for a couple of months and needed to make sure they'd be ok while we're on vacation. Because I'm a responsible pet owner, my friends, I would certainly NOT do that!

I also did not start crying the moment I woke up today because my baby was going off to church camp for the very first time. I did not feel my heart break a bit because she only did the 'side wave' with a simple 'bye' while she was loading up with her friends. Nope, not me!

I also did not spend the entire (kid free) weekend with my man lounging around the house and doing a whole bunch of nothing simply so I would have housework to do while the little one is gone. Certainly not me because that would probably border on pathetic.

While watching He's Just Not That Into You this weekend, I did not thank God over and over and over again that I am no longer in the dating scene. Praise Him, friends - praise Him!

When my mom picked Tay up from golf on Saturday, she did not tell me she'd picked 246 peaches out of her yard on Friday and went back for 4 more to make an even number. I did not laugh, think 'wow - the Type A apple doesn't fall far from the tree' and then post about it on Facebook. Nope - not me!

I did not go to zumba last week and halfway through think 'wow, I'm really getting this down...I'm bad, you know it...' only to be brought to my knees by the three 'leg songs' that followed shortly thereafter.

But you know what I DID do last week?

I went to the doctor to find that all my zumba has led to being almost completely taken off of blood pressure medications (brought on initially by the need for septum correction surgery) AND then found out that my labs are much better as well. Yep, I sure DID!

Have a great week, my friends, and know that my next post of this type will, I'm sure, be filled with random things I did not find myself doing/experiencing while milling around Disney for 8 days. I mean, seriously, knowing myself, there's going to be some major material there!

It Must Be Summer

When I was down/uploading photos last night, I realized I've been a very naughty blogger and am a bit behind. So, instead of sharing our visit to the Mayborn Museum last Sunday (they have an awesome hands-on Leonardo Da Vinci exhibit right now), I will impart some other nuggets of goodness.

Well, maybe. Hopefully.

Anyway, when I was getting dressed on the last day of school, I asked Tay to go grab my camera out of the kitchen (that's where everyone keeps it, right?) so that I could capture her last day of third grade. 

Side note: I am HORRIBLE about taking pictures on the first/last day of school. In fact, this is probably the ONLY time I have ever actually accomplished the feat. Thankfully, I'm neurotic about documenting everything else with my camera so I still have hope that the child won't be scarred.

So she came back into the bathroom and decided to do a self portrait while I was in the final round of the daily fight I have with my hair. 

Additional side note: for all of you who have straight hair but think you would like to have curly hair, just know that I wish every morning about 7:05am that I had straight hair. Perhaps the grass is truly always greener...

I think she did a pretty good job. And you?

Then I had my turn and took this one. Please know that I did not make my child wear this shirt again for the third time in a week. The shirt that matches those super cute plaid shorts is underneath it. Apparently it was "t-shirt signing day" so we had to do a quick costume change mid-day.

We were a tiny bit excited about school being out. Can you tell?

Even Bo was ecstatic. I know, it doesn't look much different than his usual expression but the nuance is in his eyes...

To celebrate the final week of school and all, we went to the pool at the Y the Sunday before...

Tay really thought she was going to just love that giant mushroom waterfall. Until she stood underneath it anyway. She came back and said "It hurt my head." Guess there's some pressure behind that there 'fall.

So she decided to hang at the deep end instead.

This is one of the million "come on, Mommy, please come in" looks I got. Well, actually it was only about three because I'm a sucker. A sucker who ended up with prune feet and wet (curly) hair.

Here's wishing you many blissful days of summer, Bugga!

Consider Me Schooled

Ok, y'all can now officially consider me schooled/baptized by fire/initiated or whatever else into the blog world. Remember a few days ago when I asked for prayer for a couple whose daughter has just been born? And that she had a chromosomal defect, Trisomy 13 specifically?

Well, I found out last night from MckMama and Angie's blogs that it was all a fictitious story. Heartsick didn't even begin to describe my feelings. 

So I hopped on over to Kelly's Korner where she addressed it with her usual class and compassion. Can I tell you how much I love these three women? And I've never met them. And probably won't this side of heaven but that's ok because we're all in this together.

So I want to apologize to anyone I pointed in that direction and for asking for prayer for a situation that was not what it appeared to be. What I know for sure is that this is surely a woman in need of prayer and intercession as seeking attention in this manner is neither healthy nor productive.

While I do not even know if there is an actual baby involved, at this point, I can only pray (and have over and over) for everyone involved in this situation. 

Well, that, and I can focus on the one bright spot I've found in the whole situation.

You see, I am a pretty cold person when it comes to many situations. Very black and white. Hard-hearted doesn't even begin to describe it but, make no mistake, I love my family with a fierceness that would rival Caroline on Real Housewives of New Jersey.

What I have been praying is that God would soften my heart, flood me with compassion for others and show me where I can contribute in helping in the lives of others. While this was only a small intercession, I do know that He is doing a work in me because, six months ago, I would have blown this off and not felt a thing.

So I am glad for that. And I am happy to be a small part of this wonderful virtual world. 

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it, friends. Just like glue.

So have a wonderful day and I'll be back tomorrow with summer fun pictures.

P.S. I do ask that you continue to pray for our friend who lost her 5-month-old to SIDS over the weekend. While I cannot imagine what they are feeling, I do know One who does and will be with them during this difficult time.

Random Cuteness

So I'm back today, my friends, and am in a much better mood. While I must admit to still being a bit heavy in the heart, I truly believe that's the way it should be. We are supposed to grieve with each other and support each other, right?

Yes, I think so too...

Moving on to my favorite subject - Miss Taylorbug - I bring to you today a few pictures of simple random cuteness. They were taken a few weeks before school ended and I took them mainly because my grandmother bought her this outfit and I wanted to send her a picture of Miss Thang wearing it. 

One thing you must know about my child is that she absolutely loves peace signs. Not sure where she got that gene but it wasn't from me, if you catch my drift. She also loves anything with sparkles, which I will wholeheartedly confess she did get from me.

So when we were in JCPenney returning a few items that weren't long enough (did I mention the child is 9 years old and now comes in at 4'11.5" tall?), she simply could not resist this adorable outfit.

You may not be able to see it unless you enlarge the photo but it is a sparkly heart with a peace sign in the middle - love it!

For a couple of weeks she really got into wearing a tank top underneath her shirts and then tying the back of the top shirt up in the back. Not sure why but she thought it was most fashion forward. It is pretty stinkin' cute so who am I to argue.

Check out the shorts - embroidered peace signs...we're cookin' now!

I believe she wanted everyone to see her 'Taylor' sign over her door in this picture. The girl who cleaned our house when we lived in Belton painted it for her one Christmas. She absolutely loves it and also loves the fact that it "clearly marks" her room. Her words - not mine!

In other news, church camp and Disney preparations are now in full swing. We're on the countdown to both and I've been doing a little extra cuddling each evening with my baby since she told me on Sunday that she was "sad no one will be there to tuck me in for a whole week." 

Knows how to pull the heartstrings, doesn't she?

Yep, that's just one of the many reasons I adore her.

Tomorrow I'll treat you to pool pictures. If Facebook starts behaving and lets me upload them this evening. So, you see, it's sort of out of my hands :-)

Unbelievable Sadness

So I come to you with a heavy heart today, my friends. One of our friends lost her 5-month-old to SIDS over the weekend and there's another family I've been praying hard for as they welcomed their daughter, who has Trisomy 13, on Sunday. Unfortunately, they are dealing not only with a rough diagnosis but also with people who have been cruel beyond belief. 

There are many things I do not understand in this world and you've got two of them right here: babies who don't make it and people who attack their parents. So I'm going to forgo Not me! Monday! today (apparently MckMama has some things going on as well because she hasn't put her post up either) and just pray for these families. 

I cannot fathom what they must be feeling right now but do know that I've been hugging my little one a little tighter and being much more patient with her since I heard these stories. I hope you'll join me in doing the same :-)

Show Us Where You Live - Home Office Edition

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Because I just can't help myself when it comes to decorating, I'm participating in Kelly's blog carnival. I love, love, love decorating and my entire house is a constant work in progress. Drives my man mad but provides me endless amounts of entertainment!

Today we'll be taking a tour of our home office, which happens to be the favored room of the puppy posse.

Let's dive in!

This is who you'll most likely find lounging in the office. The girls like to spend their time outside. Not this guy - he loves to sleep the day away.

Looking into the office area from the living room

Social media central

I love this red lampshade and the box on the table has a Texas star carved into it. Gotta love being married to a bullrider from Texas, right?

This is actually the center section of the curved couch. Put together it is gigantic. This is only a rent house and we'll be moving once Tay finishes elementary school so we were thinking about the great room we want in our next house when we bought it. The loveseat size works great here, though. As you've already seen, Bo loves it!

I love these curtains. This room is octagonal and has smaller windows above the regular windows all the way around. It's great for natural light.

Thank you for touring our home office, which is more like Taylor's Place now that school's out. You'll most likely find her playing Webkinz, Toontown or Club Penguin these days. Next week is bathrooms...honestly, I can't promise much because, like I said, this is a rent house we're just hanging out in until Tay finishes elementary school. But we are blessed to have found a nice one so we're workin' with what we've got!