~Spring Break 2009~

On Monday, March 16, it wasn't officially spring yet, but Brooke was out of pre-school for the week, so the girls and I headed to the coast for a little Spring Break road trip.
We were on a mission to spend the week with our special friends the Remonts, at their new home in Ocean Springs, Mississippi.
It took us a while to get there because it was such a yucky rainy day, but after we arrived it started to clear up and the rest of our week in Ocean Springs was filled with sunshine.
Our sweet friends had tons of fun activities planned for us and we all had a super great time!
Here are some of the highlights of the trip...

Upon arrival, we were greeted with hugs and kisses! We checked out the Remonts beautiful new home and played for a while. Before too long we got hungry and decided we had to have some shrimp. I always need shrimp when visiting the coast!
We went to eat at a cute little seafood place...probably would have made a better date spot with drinks and such...can't remember the name, but we had the shrimp and crab claws. The shrimp were perfectly yummy, but the claws were not so good, so we exchanged them for more SHRIMP! The big kids had a colorng contest and even Miss Bailey had a great time.

After dinner, we got a little tour of downtown Ocean Springs and then headed back to the house. We bathed, put on our jammies, and stayed up late just hanging out. The big kids snuggled and watched The Little's on DVD and they loved it! (Do you remember that cartoon from way back? It used to be one of my favs.)
The next day was St. Patrick's Day...
We had a quick breakfast with another visitor, Mr. Flat Stanley(thanks to our friend Kim and her daughter Caroline) and then headed out for a BIG, BIG Green day!
Our first stop was the children's museum for story time and playtime...the story time was really fun and the museum was even MORE fun! The kids got to listen to stories, sing, dance, do a craft, build with blocks, climb (indoors and out), do science experiments, and participate in tons of pretend play. They were train engineers, boat captains, airplane pilots, restaurant workers, hotel managers, and high tea drinkers~just to name a few. It was a really nice museum...wish we had one like that in Bham!We stayed for hours and hours until we were sooooo hungry that we HAD to leave or we would have just fainted. Of course, we decided on and headed straight to Chick-Fil-a for some chicken nuggets and since it was St. Patty's Day they had even turned the lemonade green. We love that place!
After Chick-fil-a, we managed to go back to the house for a teeny, tiny nap and then we were off again. This time it was to see Aiden play in his T-ball game. Watching 5 years olds play tee ball is too funny...brings back memories of when I used to be a T-Ball umpire for BREC.

Brooke was a little upset that she didn't get to be an official player on the team...

So, after the game I asked if she could practice batting and run the bases a few times for posterity. She loves baseball and plays with her daddy in the yard every chance she gets. Next year, she will be old enough to sign on with the local little league in our town. We'll see if she is still interested...
We left the field and headed to Aunt Jenny's restaurant for some all you can eat catfish and shrimp and loved it every minute of it! It's a really cute southern restaurant with lots of windows that give a great view of the water~complete with pralines and all! You should surely go if you are ever passin' through. Too bad I was completely stuffed after my first plate and didn't get to ask for a second helping to get my money's worth...maybe next time. We headed home to veg out in front of the TV and have our humongous praline patties for dessert! To see more pics of this super fun filled St. Patricks's Day click here!
The next day, we slept in a little later and then woke up super excited...Today was BEACH DAY!!!
We packed a picnic and headed over for some sunshine, sea shells, and sand all along the seashore! It was a little cold, so Bailey and I kept our cover ups on, (which was totally fine by me ~my skin was and still is a lovely shade of winter white) but Brooke and Aiden didn't mind sporting their pasty white buns or the cool breeze. They bared their bellies and even splashed in the water...Brrr. The highlight of their day had to be digging in the sand and looking for sea shells...they mostly found oyster shells, but they thought they were all terrific treasures! Each of us had a lovely time...well except for when Bailey was forced to touch the sand! Hopefully she will get over that soon! ;-)
Click here here to see pics of our time at the beach...
On Thursday, we just hung around the house for the most part.

The kids had a blast playing out in the yard. They rode the 4 wheeler, the scooter, and jumped in the bounce house. Before too long they had worked up quite an appetite. It was time for lunch, so we went out to The Shed for some good ole' Bar-b-que. It was a pretty scary looking place upon arrival...Aiden even called it creepy! But since we had Mr. Aaron with us, we risked it and decided to stay and try it because according to the Food Network, it is some really good stuff! We went on in, found a seat, and chowed down on some Q. I'd have to agree with the Food Network...YUMMY! To see a few more pics of The Shed and our last day of Spring Break click here.

After lunch, we went back to the house and packed up the car. Later, we got on the road and headed back to Birmingham.
The trip home was very peaceful and uneventful...
WELLL, except for the time when I almost ran out of gas in the middle of NOWHERE! Yes...NOWHERE...no GAS or SIGNS in sight AT ALL! The van started sputtering and acting strange. Thankfully the girls were sleeping so they didn't notice and I just prayed and prayed and prayed for miles and miles and miles with the big "E" light shining the brightest shade of orange I had ever seen and it was practically blinding me! I have no doubt that my Heavenly Father intervened and carried our little silver mini van to that gas station that appeared out of nowhere, so that I wouldn't be stranded on the side of the road and I am so grateful that He did. I am thinking it was just not my time to go and God just knew that my hubby would have killed me if I ran out of gas...FOR SURE, so He carried us! Thank you Jesus! It was truly a miracle...I was sweating bullets and shaking like a leaf by the time we made it to that little gas station for refueling! Seriously y'all, I am so grateful that we made it to the gas station...such a blessing! (Oh and if you wouldn't ever mention this little mishap to my hubby I'd appreciate that, kay!)

The girls continued sleeping throughout the entire ordeal and didn't wake until Montgomery. When they woke up, they requested Dora on DVD and that kept them occupied for the last hour. We eventually made it to Alabaster where hubby met us and then we headed over to ???? (I'll give you 1 guess) for a late dinner reunion. What a lovely end to a great trip!

Yesterday, I read an article about enjoying the season that you are in and not always looking to or worrying about the next season of life and it really got me to thinking....I am always planning or worrying about what is next and I think that sometimes I may miss out on the now. So I am going to try to enjoy each day to the fullest and learn what God has for me today. Thank you God for the blessing of sweet friends and even better family. I am so grateful for this sunny season in my life and I pray that I can and will be even more thankful for the rainy season as I know it will eventually come because it says so in Your Word! I love you almighty and powerful Lord of heaven and earth...thank you for choosing me and giving me ALL the seasons of my life and what a beautiful life it is!
"To Every Thing There is a Season, and a Time to Every Purpose Under the Heaven ..." -Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Oh and one more thing...since it is March 30th after 10:00PM, I guess you would like to know the winner of the Spring Giveaway!!??!!
OK, so I loved, loved, loved ALLL of your comments and I couldn't possible pick "the best," so I just I just asked the number generator to go ahead and pick two random winners...the first number will win the grand prize...pearl necklace and bracelet and the second number will win the runner up prize...not a pearl set, but a really cute silver butterfly set. It is a sterling and iridescent beaded bracelet with a butterfly charm (made by me) and a matching sterling silver necklace. It's very springy..hope you like it!

This is so much fun!

Are you ready to know?

OK, OK, I will stop stalling.

I entered in the comments from the January 1st entry until the March 20th entry...there were 94. The number machine picked and the winner is...

Congrats to #32 Bridget (grand prize) and #69 Kent (runner up)...woo hoo!
Random numbers generated Mar 30 2009 at 22:8:29 by www.psychicscience.org.

Thank you all for the sweet comments and for joining in on the fun...now don't be a stranger...y'all come back and visit anytime...besides you never know when I will be giving away another prize! :-)

Fat Tuesday 2009...Well actually it was Sunday!

Let me just say that I LOVE MARDI GRAS! So much in fact that it makes me want to move back to Louisiana each year around this time. I love king cake season, going to the parades, and just the excitement of it all.
I have been pregnant or nursing for the past~seems like forevah~Mardi Gras seasons and so it has been forever since I have even been to a parade. And trust me you don't want to go to a parade nursing. I saw a girl in the bathroom this year "pumpin and dumpin' and it ain't pretty folks...just not something you want to do in the middle of Mardi Gras...trust me!
So anyway, this was our year. The girls were both old enough to enjoy the festivities and so we made big plans to go.
Louisiana bound, top down, (not really...we have no convertible...just a mini van...would've opened the sun roof, but it was too cold) petal to the ground!
We arrived in Baton Rouge on Friday afternoon and the first place we stopped was Jay's Donuts to get our very 1st king cake of the year. Jay's is only open for breakfast, but I saw a couple of people inside making goodies and so I banged on the door and begged them to let me in to buy the last strawberry cream cheese filled king cake of the day. YAY! The best $20 bucks I have spent in a long while!

The History of King Cake...
The Mardi Gras season begins on January 6 and continues until Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. During this time of year, one of the most beloved traditions in New Orleans is that of the King Cake. On the Christian calendar, the twelfth day after Christmas is known as "Epiphany", "Twelfth Night", or "Kings Day." It is the day the gift-bearing Magi visited the baby Jesus, and is celebrated with its own unique rituals. The New Orleans tradition, begun in the 1870s, borrows heavily from European customs. As part of the celebration of Mardi Gras, it is traditional to bake an oval cake in honor of the three kings - the King Cake. The shape of a King Cake symbolizes the unity of faiths. Each cake is decorated in the traditional Mardi Gras colors: purple represents justice, green represents faith and gold represents power. A small baby, symbolizing the baby Jesus, is baked into each cake.
In New Orleans, King Cake parties are held throughout the Mardi Gras season. In offices, classrooms, and homes throughout the city, King Cakes are sliced and enjoyed by all. Like the biblical story, the "search for the baby" adds excitement, as each person waits to see in whose slice of cake the baby will be discovered. While custom holds that the person who finds the baby in their slice will be rewarded with good luck, that person is also traditionally responsible for bringing the King Cake to the next party or gathering.

Next stop...Mimi's...there, we unpacked, hung out for a while and then went out to Las Palmas for dinner. After dinner, we stayed up EXTREMELY late...even the girls. But thankfully hubby let me sleep in, so I could be rested up for the next big day.
The next day was Pey Pey's party. It was a special day filled with fun times. Check out the previous post for the scoop and some fun pics!
So now that Pey Pey's party was over we needed to make Mardi Gras plans.
After much discussion and preparation, we decided that the Sunday uptown day parades would be the most perfect place for our little group of families to get together for some Carnival '09 fun. Each family had specific Parade essentials that they were in charge of bringing, including, but not limited to things like...wagons, ladders, ice chests, sandwiches, chips, sweets, tissue, juice for the kids, beer for the grown ups, water for all, hats, coats, jackets, etc. etc. Pretty much everything, but the kitchen sink! People, you have to be prepared (especially with the kids) or you will get down there and have to pay like a million dollars for a sip of water.
Anyway, we were VERY prepared and on the road at 8AM Sunday morning heading east. We had some friends follow and some others meet us near Cannon's restaurant on St. Charles Ave. We were early enough that there was minimal traffic and we got a SWEET parking spot in the restaurant's parking lot. We scoped out the neutral ground right across from Cannon's for just the right sunny patch and parked our wagons and ladders at the edge of a group of frat boys. One of the boys commented that we might not want to be so close to them because they were FRAT BOYS, but I assured them that these mamas could all hang and would be totally fine!
We were not gonna let this spot go...it was right across the street from the Mardi Gras Mambo Punch stand and the restaurant bathroom...no porta~potty for us, baby~YAY again!
We were pleased as punch with our set up and then the fun began. We had a picnic, did a little people watching, and then the parades started roll.ing.
We stayed for 3 consecutive parades that rolled pretty much back to back. The first was Krewe of Okeanos~Founded in 1949, the Krewe of Okeanos is named for the Greek god of oceans and fertile valleys. Formed by more than 250 male and female riders, Okeanos is known for its elaborately-costumed captain and king. The next was Krewe of Mid City~Founded in 1933, the Krewe of Mid-City is the 5th oldest continuously parading organization of the New Orleans Mardi Gras season. Often called "The best day parade in Mardi Gras," Mid City has gained a reputation of having themes dedicated to children and for having some of the best bands in Mardi Gras from all over the country. And last but not least was the Krewe of Thoth~Founded in 1947, the Krewe of Thoth is named for the Egyptian Patron of Wisdom and the Inventor of Science, Art and Letters. Among Thoth's throws are 3-D die-cut metallic necklaces, 6" stuffed polar bears and many varieties of specialized doubloons.
The kids had a great time and the grown ups had an even better time. We talked and danced and laughed the day away! Brooke and Bailey behaved quite well and Bailey even took herself a long nap right on the parade route. It was late in the afternoon when she started to rub her eyes and so I plopped her in her stroller and she passed out. She was literally only steps from all the marching bands and slept right through it all. This one sweet lady passing by on a float saw Bailey and threw her this teddy bear. She was very specific that it was for Bailey ONLY and the other parade goers around us knew not to mess with it.
At around 4:30PM, the third parade ended. We decided we should head out before Bacchus (a very big and popular night parade) started because it wouldn't end until VERY late and we didn't want to get stuck in all the traffic and the scary night time hoopla. Besides we had been out since 8 in the morn and we pretty much had our fill.
Check out all the fun pictures we took!

Sooooo...we headed back to Mimi's house in B.R.
We arrived at Mimi's around 6,unpacked, and took inventory of our loot. After a little rest, we decided that we would take Mimi out for dinner since it was our last night in town. We went to Calendar's and had spinach dip and shrimp poboys. YUM!
It was a super great end to a super great Fat Tuesday 2009...well actually it was really Sunday, but you know what I mean!

Pey Pey's Party!

This weekend we traveled to Louisiana to do a little celebrating! We did lots of fun things while we were there, but the most important was a special birthday party.
Peyton, my brother's son, which makes him my precious nephew, celebrated his 2nd birthday with a (click here to view pics) Construction Themed Party outside at Mimi's house in Baton Rouge. Becky, my sis in law, bought tons of construction zone decorations and we strung them all over the garage to make it look really festive. She even borrowed some authentic orange cones that they put out on real construction sites from a friend that has connections with the real orange cone people. (Shelly does your dad still have his business...maybe the cones were from him?)
Anyway, it looked super festive...complete with a bulldozer pinata' and all! Oh and of course every good party has a bounce house..yep had that too! It was a beautiful sunny day, the perfect weather for an outside party. We all had a great time celebrating with family and friends...the only thing missing was Big Daddy. Big Daddy is Peyton's maternal grandfather. He wasn't there because he went to be with the Lord in January, but I am quite positive he was watching from heaven, bursting with pride, smilin' down on his family, and lovin' that his sweet angel boy had such a great 2nd birthday. Big Daddy you are missed here on earth, but what a comfort for your family to know that because Jesus died for our sins that they can see you again in heaven one day!
Becky, Brian, Pey Pey, and Mimi too, we had a super fun time. Thanks for having us celebrate with you. Looking forward to watching our boy grow and learn over the next year. Please know that we love y'all dearly and are blessed to have you as our family!

Happy 2nd Birthday Pey Pey!!!

A Special Sunday in Baton Rouge, Aweezeeana

So today was a really big day!
We woke up this morning and called it "Brooke's Special Day." It was her special day because she wanted Mimi to take her to get her ears pierced, finally.
I took her once last year while I was pregnant with Bailey, but she backed out at the last minute. It was fine that she backed out because we really didn't have permission from daddy. You see, he was out of town, so we were gonna just get them and hope he thought they were pretty. ;-) But, my Brookie is smarter than the average bear and knew she needed her daddy's approval before she should/could/would do it.
I had just about given up on the ear piercing thing~she was obviously too scared to get them done and daddy was always discouraging her about it. I really figured she would have to be grown and out the house before my girl would get earrings.
Until, just a couple of weeks ago...Brooke was outside, playing in the bed of daddy's truck. She looked at him very seriously and said, "Daddy, I need to talk to you about something REALLY PORTANT!" He couldn't imagine what was on her mind? So, they sat down together and had a serious heart to heart talk. He was surprised when she said, "I really, really want you to let me get my ears pierced OK daddy." It was so cute that she wanted his blessing. He told her that if she REALLY, REALLY wanted real earrings, then it was OK by him! She ran upstairs to tell me the good news and we made big plans for her to get them done with Mimi when she visits at Thanksgiving.
Well then, this weekend rolled around and I some how convinced her to go ahead and do it while at Mimi's house in "Aweezeeana", instead of waiting until Thanksgiving. That way, Mimi could still take her and her ears may be be healed in time for Christmas~ because we all know that Santa would want to bring her NEW EARRINGS when he comes down the chimney!
So today was the day and all morning she kept wavering back and forth. She'd say, "I'm going to get my earrings today!" and then say "I think I'll just wait until Thanksgiving! Is it Thanksgiving yet?"
We headed to the mall. I thought if we were there and she wanted to do it then great and if she changed her mind that would be fine too! Upon arrival to the mall, Mimi rented one of those fun fire truck double strollers. And shortly thereafter, Brooke gave us the nod and so we rolled right over to Club Libby Lu!
The policy there is that you pay ahead of time and if the piercee changes her mind you do NOT get a refund.
OK...so this it it...she says she wants to do it!
We picked out some pretty "diamonds" with a white gold setting. Mimi forked over the $32.00 plus tax and in return they gave us a bag~ with a sticker, a certificate, ear antiseptic, and a cute little hot pink earring tree for hanging the many pair of earrings she will collect in the future! Mimi and I were pumped. Brooke was a bit anxious.
She sat on Mimi's lap in the "chair" and proceeded to shake her head "NO"! She even put her hands over her ears. The piercer lady~Toya~was so great. She talked her down. And it didn't take long before she was convinced that it wouldn't even hurt. Brooke moved her hands away from her ears and I held on tight to her little fingers. Brooke and Toya agreed to count to 5 and then it would be done. Toya had another lady do the left while she did the right. Brooke wanted me to count, so I started counting and when I got to 3, POP~they did the deed. Cooksie was a little in shock! She didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
But after she had a look in the mirror at her "real earrings," she was on cloud nine! Boy, Toya really is the ear piercing miracle lady. She said, "I just pretend that every child I pierce is my mine and treat them like I would my own." Man, she was incredible!
For the rest of the day, I had to make sure everybody noticed and asked about her earrings. She would happily show them off and wait for the next person to come along. I was so proud of her for being such a big brave girl. And then I realized that in the midst of all the piercing excitement, I was feeling woozy. I had to go to the restroom and regain my composure cause mama was a little weak in the knees. I know y'all...what's the deal?...I guess I'm just a wuss! After I calmed down, we headed to the carousel! We promised Brooke a ride as part of her "special day." Brooke and Mimi rode the pig and Bailey and I rode a regular horsey.
Afterward, we shopped a while, ran some errands, and then headed back to Mimi's house.
You see, we had to get back cause I had a hot date with hubby for our anniversary today! Brooke showed off her earrings to Daddy and he gave his approval. Daddy quickly changed clothes and then we headed out for our dinner date.

Mimi kept the girls while we went over to The Chime's.
It is a really yummy restaurant with a really fun atmosphere. We both had some really good drinks and then I gave out some relationship advice to the couple at the next table.
After that, we pretended to be
"young" and had fun some fun eating and just being merry! After dinner, we shopped around town for some LSU stuff, but couldn't find anything we really, really wanted, so we just went back to the house. I wanted to go see the movie Fireproof, but hubs was not in the mood for a movie. At least, we got to have a nice dinner without having to tend to the kids!

Happy Anniversary Honey...that's another year under our belts. ;-)I love you tremendously and thank God for you everyday! You are the bestest husband EVER!

So that was our special Sunday...one I think we'll all remember for quite a while. Oh and next time you see Brooke, make sure to gush about her beautiful new earrings. It is sure to make her grin from ear to ear!

Bailey's 1st Birthday Baa-sh!

Bah, Quack, Oink, Moo
We are inviting you...
Our Little Piggy is turning one,
so saddle up and mosey on over
for some farm fresh fun!
Bailey's 1st Birthday Baa-sh

October 18,2008
@ Mimi's Farm

A couple of months ago, I found a cute pastel 1st birthday pattern with a farm theme and I was hooked. We decided as a family that it would be fun to have the farm party at Mimi's house in Baton Rouge. So, I bought all kinds of party decorations, started planning farm-type activities, and decided that Bailey needed a special 1st birthday party dress. I used to collect pigs and have always loved them, so I decided that the dress must have a pig on it. Besides, pigs and farms go hand in hand, and pigs are pink, and pink is girly.
After many hours of browsing store aisles and the Internet, I FINALLY found one that could be custom made to my specifications! The seamstress lady and I exchanged lots of emails and lots of different fabric samples,(it had to be the perfect shade of pastel blue) and finally agreed on how it was to be finished. The dress was made and arrived just in time to the Bullock household via UPS on the day before her birthday. Isn't is darlin'?

Brooke and I wrapped it up and gave it to Bailey on Wed. with a few other gifts. We couldn't wait to see it on her at the birthday baa-sh on Saturday. Too bad, that it didn't even make it into the suitcase to Baton Rouge!!!! It's not like forgetting a tooth brush that can be replaced at the nearest drug store. I guess that's what happens when you pack at the last minute~you forget the custon made non returnable birthday party dress! I was a little upset, but I tried to go with the flow, so I just had to let her wear an alternate outfit! After the dress catastrophe, we were good to go. No more bumps in the road. Bailey and everybody on the guest list was feeling well and that's all that matters, right?

It was time to party...Mimi bought a bunch of bales of hay and balloons to decorate the "barn." AND, my bestest friend in the world made some super cute little signs to hang all around the party. (THANKS MIMI & ANDREA!) I had my crew help me with all the last minute cleaning and then we arranged everything. We completed it all with like one minute to spare! Bailey ran out to greet the guests......while mommy took a few (hundred) pics for the scrapbook.

The dessert table had 2 types of mini cookies that daddy baked and of course the birthday cake. Mimi picked out the cake and made sure it was really big! It was precious and tasted oh so yummy...Bailey's birthday grub included lots of kid friendly snacks, and a fruit and vege tray (Bailey's Garden) for starters. And then, we ate hamburgers, hot dogs, baked beans, and chips and dip for supper. We also had a good supply of Capri Sun and soft drinks, but had to make a run for more beer midway through the party. Who knew 1 year olds could drink so much beer! ;-) Along with too much food, we had tons of fun stuff for the kids to do! Here is the "duck pond"...a few of the kids even got into the water to sit with the ducks. The "pig pen" corralled all of the kids at some point or another, but it was especially great for big Ted. This way he could join the party without getting lost or run over by the hay ride! The "cow hide ride" was definitely tons of fun. And everybody got a chance to ride or pull it a couple of times throughout the day. And no party is complete without making a craft, so we did that too. But I must say, MY favorite part was the "needle in the haystack game" The kids hid their eyes behind the trees while I buried tons of candy and goodies under the straw. Even Bailey found a few good treasures!
Here is a pic of one of the many hayrides that we went on. This time was particularly fun because it was getting dark and we were able to bust open the glow sticks that the kids found in the needle in the haystack game. We also sang farm songs like BINGO and Old McDonald...sooo much fun! Another great part of the party was the guests, of course! It was so great to see family and friends from Louisiana that wouldn't have been able to come if we would have had the party in Alabama.

Thank you Uncle Brian and Pey Pey for helping us get everything ready for the par~tay....love you!Here's a pic of mommy and daddy being silly after one of the hay rides. (And for the record, we didn't even have any beer!) Mimi and her girls...
Paw Paw with Bailey and Brooke...
The Bullock Gang...
And now it was time for presents....
She's in hog heaven. Lovin' every minute of the party and being such a sweet guest of honor.
Let's sing Happy Birthday to Bailey!And on to the good stuff...
It is soooooooooooooooooo delicious! The face says it allllll!
After the cake, we had one more hay ride and then the party started winding down. Brooke and Paw Paw colored....

And then Brooke, Peyton, and Bailey had a bath (she had lots of cake up her nose) while the guys finished watching LSU beat South Carolina. Geaux Tigers!
After the game, we said goodnight.
Bailey even passed out kisses to everyone.It was a super fun party! I can honestly say a great time was had by ALLLLLL. But most importantly, I am thankful for the reason we had the party...to celebrate an entire year of having our precious angel baby girl! To God be the glory. How thankful am I that God gave her to us?

Sooooo thankful! (Nana and Grandpa can you name that book?)

Bailey's Birth verse

Just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. John 10:15

Looking forward to what God has in store for us this year...I love you baby girl!