Day 59/365 - February 28

I seriously can't believe the month is February is wrapping up! I would love to think that means spring is around the corner, but in Alabama that would not typically be the case. It's not unusual for us to have some of our coldest weather this time of year - it's so crazy!!

Avery and Kathleen had a great time last night. I let them stay up watching TV until 10:00 and then Princess settled in and they all fell asleep - or so I would like to think :) They were up bright and early this morning and quickly begging for breakfast. Usually when Avery has spend the night company, they fix themselves breakfast since they get up so early. They're too hungry to wait for us to get up (at a decent hour - 7:00 MAYBE 8:00) and fix something. However, Avery picked out some cinnamon rolls she wanted me to make for this sleepover. So, I reluctantly rolled out of bed around the second time she came into our room this morning.

I was looking back over some older blog postings and came across my 8:00 post from Day 2. That got me wondering, what happened to that "rule" we put in place? It sure isn't being observed!!!

After breakfast, we quickly got ready and headed to church. Kathleen seemed to enjoy her visit to our church today which made me really happy. After church, we dropped Kathleen off at her house since she had an early afternoon cookie sale for Girl Scouts.

It didn't take long for me to realize that Avery was in a FOUL mood and it was not meshing well with me. I know she was worn out from softball yesterday and the lack of sleep with the sleepover, but her attitude was B.A.D. I was hoping that a phone call from her NaNa offering to take her shopping for some spring clothes would be just the thing to perk her up. Nope, it didn't help a bit. In fact, she even got a "talking to" from her NaNa!! Any improvement? Negative. 

So, Avery was the lucky recipient of a nap once we arrived home. You would have thought her world had come to an end. I really think she would have preferred a spanking over having to sleep - but that's just Avery, she is not a fan of any extra sleep!  Needless to say, she cried about 5 minute and was quickly asleep. It took me forever to wake her up too - she even went BACK to sleep!! Once I finally managed to wake her up, she just wanted to lay in the bed so I snapped this precious photo of Princess curled up with her.

Wes decided to treat us to some grilled BBQ chicken and corn on the cob for dinner. It was beyond yummy and really hit the spot!!

Thanks sweetie!!!!

Day 58/365 - February 27

We were up bright and early today for softball tryouts. Avery decided to "move up" and play in the Angels division with the 9-10 year old girls even though she won't be 9 until half way through the season. Based on her age, she could have "stayed down" and played in the Darlings division. However, most of her friends and girls she has played with for several years were moving up so she decided (and we agreed) that moving up would be good for her.

Wes will be coaching again this year and we are both looking forward to that. Who would ever have known years ago when we started this journey into softball how much we would both end up enjoying it? Certainly not us, that's for sure. But let me tell ya, we have met some amazing people and feel so blessed by all of the kids we have been involved with.

You know it had to be tryout day because it was about 35-40 degrees with 15 mph winds. I'm talking C.R.A.Z.Y. cold - which it always is for tryouts. Last year we had rain/sleet/snow and tryouts were canceled! Anyway, parents were told they should be "in and out" in 15 minutes. Um, the first group started at 10:00 and everything wrapped up at noon. Two freakin' hours in the crazy wind and cold. Those girls were freezing even though they were running and moving around. I was shocked to see that some girls even had on shorts!!!

Here is a photo of all the papers and spreadsheets Wes uses for tryouts and the draft. There were over 50 girls that registered this year so we are hoping for 5 teams!!

Yep, we do take it pretty seriously :) However, the main goal is for the girls to ENJOY playing, learn some techniques, foster team spirit, and have fun. If we happen to win along the way, all the better ;)

Wes had to stick around after Avery's tryouts for the next age group since he is President of that division. I took Avery and we went to grab some lunch at Jalapenos. I did pick Wes up some to go food though :)

Avery made plans earlier in the week for her friend Kathleen to spend the night tonight. We headed over to her Girl Scout cookie booth sale to buy a few boxes of cookies and pick Kathleen up.

The girls had a great time together. The immediately pulled out a tattoo kit that my sister Christie gave Avery for Christmas. It didn't take long for them to both be COVERED in tattoos - arms, face, stomach. They were DEVASTATED when they realized they still had to take a bath!

While they were bathing, I put together and baked a stromboli for dinner - it was super yummy too!

Oh, and is it bad that I ate an entire box of Thin Mints tonight? Just wondering....

They sure were yummy, but I sure did feel crummy! At least I got my fill and won't need any until next year!!

Day 57/365 - February 26

Say hello to Wes's new toy - we are now a family of Ford owners!

This is a 2007 Ford F-150 and it has FOUR doors - woo hoo!!! The back seat has SOOO much more room than his old truck. Avery can sit comfortably in the back and I can see us getting so much more use out of this truck.

I must admit that I'm pretty fond of this truck myself. I drove it yesterday afternoon and all day today and it handles pretty much just like my Expedition. Of course, it's a tad bit longer and more difficult to park but a WHOLE lot easier than his Chevy was.

I spent the afternoon at the dealership completing paperwork and though I would be sweet and surprise Wes by knocking out the tag paperwork too. So after finishing at the dealership, I headed over to the probate office. Recall my mention about my days being all mixed up? Yeah, today would be the last "business day" of the month. What does that mean? That everybody and their brother waited until the last minute to get their tag renewed and is trying to do it at 4:30 on Friday afternoon.

Needless to say, Wes will have to deal with that on another day on his own :)

Day 56/365 - February 25

Our vehicle saga continues, but we've finally made a decision! We are getting rid of Wes's Chevy truck and buying a "new to us" Ford truck.

As much as Wes loved his Chevy, it really has been a piece of junk in my opinion. Just crazy stuff - headliner peeling, A/C compressor troubles, door molding falling off, dash lights randomly stop working - that shouldn't happen to a six year old car with 77,000 miles. Not to mention the engine problem. So, we decided to cut our losses and not sink any more money into it.

Our original plan was to get a new car for me since it's "my turn" in our grand scheme. However, I couldn't decide what I wanted and felt rushed and pressured to make a choice. We finally realized since we were keeping my truck anyway, it would make the most sense to get Wes a new truck.

Today's photo is hopefully the last I'll see of our green lemon!

Hopefully tomorrow I can show you our new pride and joy :)

Funny story - my days have been all off due to being out sick one day plus being behind on my blog posting. Avery's Jump Rope for Heart money was due at school on 02/25 (which I was well aware of, but thought it was next week). Of course I didn't have all the money and paperwork together since I thought it wasn't due yet. So, while I was heading to Birmingham this morning for work, Wes calls asking about her Jump Rope for Heart money. I respond that it's not due until the 25th and after a few minutes of conversation, I finally realize that would be today - woops!

Luckily, I'm able to tell Wes where everything is and he gets it together fairly easily. However, it makes them 15 minutes late leaving for school. The craziest part of the story would be the phone call from Wes about 30 minutes later after he gets to work. When getting out of his truck, he looks over and realizes that Avery left the Jump Rope for Heart envelope (and money) on the dashboard in the truck! Of course that meant he had to go back to school. Oh, the joys of a crazy morning!

Day 55/365 - February 24

Avery had an autobiography/biography book report due at school today that included dressing up as your character. Thanks to her NaNa, she ended up with a biography on Dr. Eugenie Clark, The Shark Lady. Avery really enjoyed the book especially since it had so much information about sea life and animals.

Many thanks to my friend Jana for letting us borrow her lab coat for Avery to wear. I pulled out an old name tag and replaced the inside tag with an index card. Avery decided she wanted to take her snorkeling gear too just to "show" what her character did. Of course, the pool gear was outside in the storage box and I didn't plan ahead and get it out the night before. Soooo, I was digging it out this morning. Then Avery thought it needed to be washed, then it was wet, blah, blah, blah. It ended up being 7:00 before I left home (I'm suppose to be AT work by 7:00). The best part of all? Avery forgot all of the snorkeling gear in her backpack during her presentation. Fun times, fun times!

Just in case you are following our never ending truck saga, we have changed our minds. Wes has realized that his truck is just a lemon based on all the various problems we have encountered with it. So, we've decided to get rid of it and get a new(er) car. Right now, we're thinking that Wes will drive my truck and I'll get something new to me. Of course, check back tomorrow because I'm sure we'll have decided something different then too!

Day 54/365 - February 23

I can not put into words how wonderful my shower was this morning with HOT water. I can't stand to go any length of time without showering and I really enjoy long showers that use most of the hot water (sorry sweetie). 

What's the point of this? Just to remind myself how grateful I am for the luxury. A friend of mine, Becca, and her family are missionaries in Africa. During their dry season (which is currently on-going), it is not unusual to go many days without showering. It's the small things in life that I tend to take for granted. However, hearing about other people's daily life reminds you how fortunate you are. Thank you so much Becca for the sacrifices you and your family make sharing the word of God with so many!

After such encouraging words, my picture today is going to seem so negative. It's not intended that way. I just feel that it's a perfect representation of the past week at our house.  Please see below for what's left of our money tree

As you can see, there are NO branches left - it's down to the trunk. Waiting for spring to sprout new growth. (This just happens to be one of the crepe myrtle bushes we trimmed during our family yard day Saturday).  Things aren't that bad for us, but it sure does feel that way sometimes!

Just a quick recap of our spending over the weekend:

• Humane Shelter - Princess - $70
• Dr visit & medicine - Kelli - $150
• Tennis shoes & cleats - Avery - $125
• Hot water heater - $1,000
• Truck repairs (not engine) - $450
• Avery's love for Princess - PRICELESS

The cherry on top was when I ran into Sam's (wholesale club) to pick up a few things Monday. As I was checking out, the cashier informed me that our membership just expired so it automatically renewed = $45. Of course it did ;)

I still haven't taken Princess to the vet for her initial check-up and both dogs are due for the annual vaccines and check-up too. Now THAT should be a fun and really inexpensive trip too! And of course, we still have to deal with the truck situation :(

The funny thing is, Avery asked me tonight, "why is all of this bad stuff happening right now?" One simple question is all it took to remind me about my priorities and not feeling sorry for ourselves. My response, "Avery, you know that the devil is always trying to tempt you and make you doubt God. This is just one of those times. All we can do is stay strong and positive."  And that's exactly what we're gonna do!

Day 53/365 - February 22

I actually listened to the doctor this time and stayed home from work today. My cough is getting better so maybe {{fingers and toes crossed}} these new medicines are working.

Nothing like waking up to no hot water (due to hot water heater going out Sunday night). However, unlike Wes, I didn't go to his parent's house last night for a hot shower. I HAD to bathe this morning, so I jumped in the tub and bathed SUPER fast in freezing cold water. Did I mention the water was ice cold?!?

If I had known that the plumbers would arrive by 8:00, the above mentioned icy bath wouldn't have been necessary. Sometimes it is helpful to know such tidbits of information :)

Needless to say, we had a new hot water heater installed by 10:30 - woo hoo!!!

Hot water followed a few hours later after the tank filled back up.

Oh, in case you are wondering....it should NOT take all night for a 50 gallon water heater to drain. Why did ours drain all night? Well, that would be because the valve was damaged and would not completely shut off so water ran to it all night long. Yep, that would be the same water we were draining out with the water hose!! I'm really not looking forward to seeing our water bill this month.After a weekend full of thinking and talking about Wes's truck situation, we finally decided to replace the engine with a used engine. That will allow us to stay on our financial plan, still get me the next car, and be the most cost effective.

{{sigh}} Sometimes being a grown up just isn't fun.

Brickle, anyone?

Okey dokey, so I've had a few requests for the candy recipe from last week. I figured it would be easiest to just post it for anyone that dares to make this sinfully simple candy. I say dare because it is soooo addictive and yummy!

Brickle

graham crackers (about 1 1/2 sleeves or 1/2 a box)
2 sticks of butter
1/2 cup sugar
12 oz package milk chocolate chips

• Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray.
• Line cookie sheet with graham crackers flat across the entire pan. They should be touching and make basically a full sheet.
• Melt butter on stovetop and then stir in sugar until disolved (well mixed).
• Pour mixture over graham crackers and spread to cover.
• Bake at 350° for 10 minutes.
• Remove from oven and immediately spread chocolate chips until smooth.
• You can add chopped pecans, Heath Bar bits (actually called Brickle) on top of the melted chocolate chips if desired.
• Refrigerate until hard.
• Break into pieces and enjoy.

I have never taken this anywhere that it is not devoured. However, it's one of my "holiday goodies" that only gets made over Christmas. Well, except for this one time :)

Day 52/365 - February 21

It's official, I'm sick again. Finally broke down and went to Pri-Med again today. Can I just ask how do I manage to see the same doctor both times I go especially when he's not even assigned there (his picture is not on the wall)?!?

I don't understand it, but I've got bronchitis and a sinus infection again. Exact same thing I had two weeks ago. He gave me a different antibiotic. Should I be concerned that the first wording in the description references "treatment for anthrax exposure"???? He also gave me a steroid pack (vs the steroid shot I got last time) and the AMAZING cough syrup (I call it liquid gold).

Just a quick rant though - how can my insurance company decide it's not going to pay for a cough syrup but once every 120 days? Are you kidding me? If my doctor prescribes it, it's needed and they should pay for it. Over $100 for my medicines today - ACK!!  Of course, I told Wes that I would pay any amount of money for that cough syrup - it works and doesn't make me sleepy.

OK, on to the rest of our day :)

Wes took Avery to get some new tennis shoes and softball cleats. Should've gotten a photo of those because they'll never be clean again!

Avery had a softball clinic this afternoon from 3 until 5 that was run by the AUM softball team. They were super organized and did an amazing job.

I was really proud of Avery too. She fielded great and hit really well too!

After getting home, she played with Princess for while, ate dinner and headed to take a bath. After about 15 minutes she called Wes in saying the water was ice cold.

Sure enough, there was NO hot water. Uh oh! I'm trying to be positive. Maybe the pilot light has gone out (we have a gas hot water heater). So, Wes climbs into the attic for a quick look.

I quickly hear, "hurry, get me a pitcher and a cup to scoop the water with" and I know it's not good. The overflow pan was starting to overflow with water and water was pouring from the valve quicker than he could scoop it out. Again, I know that's not good.

Wes calls a good friend of ours, Brad, with Penn Plumbing, at home for help. Brad tells Wes to turn the valve off and run a water hose from the water heater to the nearest drain (which is the bathtub in Avery's bathroom very near said water heater).

The water runs and drains and is still going strong now. Can it really take this long for 50 gallons of water to drain???

Day 51/365 - February 20

Saturday and I'm officially feeling crummy. Wes was kind enough to secretly take this photo of me this morning after I fell back asleep on the couch.

By the way, this never happens!

Still, I stepped up and joined the land of the living. Wes decided earlier in the week that today would be a "family yard work day" since the weather was going to be so nice. Was wimping out sick really an option? Nope.

The yard work didn't really take that long and it was actually nice to get outside in the fresh air (but don't tell Wes I said that).

Take a look at this adorable photo of Avery and Princess "resting" together this afternoon.

They look to both be in heaven!

I took a shower late in the afternoon and we headed over to Wes's parents house for dinner tonight with Brian, Mollie, and Bowman. Of course, Avery wanted to take Princess with her and so we did :)

According to Avery, "I'm so glad Princess travels well." Truth be told, she does!

Oh, how could I forget this?? Wes has been having some trouble with his truck lately and took it in to the shop this week. Yesterday, we got news that the engine was going bad (with 70k miles) due to what looks like a bad oil change. Someone used too heavy/thick of an oil. But of course, we don't know exactly when it happened :(

At first they thought Wes would be able to drive the truck for another 100k miles before the engine finally went out. Well, we found out today that it is worse than they orginally thought. Turns out one of the CAMS in the engine has gone bad. Yes, they "could" replace it, but feel that there is other damage to the engine too. His truck needs a new engine. New engine = $8,000 or a used engine = $2,000. Are you kidding me??? We just paid that truck off less than two months ago! {{sigh}}

Day 50/365 - February 19

Wow, day 50 - that sounds SOOO big!!!

It's Friday, still feeling pretty crummy, but IT'S FRIDAY!!!!

And guess what??? After making my daily phone calls to all three Humane Shelters in our area, I found one that had kittens - woo hoo!!

I left work at noon so that I could go to Avery's Valentine's Day Party at school that was postponed a week due to our snow day last Friday. Avery wanted to give both of her teachers Brickle for their gift. It is a homemade candy that she took them at Christmas. They both LOVED it and were excited to receive more for Valentine's Day. I love the little boxes I found to put it in - so adorable!!

Avery enjoyed the party too. She is a total nut and loves to make people laugh (even at her own expense).

When the party wrapped up, I checked her out of school about 45 minutes early and we headed to the animal shelter. It was about 30 minutes away so the head start was nice and gave me a chance to stress that "just because they have kitten(s) doesn't mean it's the right one for us" and all that good junk. She seemed to understand, but you know all that would go out the window once she saw those precious babies!

We arrived at the shelter and they showed us a group of 4 kittens that were around 8 weeks old that just arrived the day before. They also showed us a 9 week old male kitten that had been there quite a while longer. After playing with ALL of them, Avery picked out this adorable solid black female kitten.

I'm still not totally convinced she didn't favor this one because it was female, but what can ya do??? She quickly announced that her name would be "Princess" and this was due to the fact that we "never let her name any of the animals in our house before" - too funny!

We took Princess home and ran out to pick up the needed items - litter box, food, and of course toys and accessories :)

Avery is in total and complete love with her new baby as she calls her. I'm not sure yet who is happier - that cat or Avery!

Day 49/365 - February 18

Ah, it's Thursday and guess what? I think I'm getting sick again. Seriously, are you kidding me? I just and I mean JUST finished my antibiotics from my sinus infection and bronchitis. How can this be?!? Maybe it will go away on it's own in a day or two and I'll be back to normal. However, at the rate I'm downing Halls Breezers, I'm questioning that.

Today also marks another day with no luck on the kitten front. At least Avery was a little more understanding today. She actually told me that it will probably be May before she gets a kitten. Poor thing!!!

When we got home from school this afternoon, Avery wanted to go play with her new bubbles from a few days ago. When we went shopping for Bo's birthday present, we picked up some bubbles for Avery too. I never know who has more fun out there - Avery or the dogs.

Take a look at this shot of Lady jumping for the bubbles.

Notice Dosie? Yep, she just stands there and runs after them - because she's too fat to jump :)

What do ya do with this???

I'm sure those of you that aren't familiar with digi-scrapbooking wonder, "what in the world does she do with all this stuff?" Well, let me show you what I have scrapped so far of my Project 365 for January:

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How Could I Forget?

Really, how could I forget to mention how devastated Avery was when I picked her up from school and told her I didn't have any luck finding a kitten?

It completely broke her heart. So, my plan to be the great mom and give her this awesome Valentine's gift has just fallen apart and backfired on me. Now I have a heartbroken child that knows waaaay to much about the mating of cats. {{sigh}}

I learned my lesson...

Day 48/365 - February 17

I must admit that I was wrong about Avery not getting up this morning. Of course, it I had stopped to realize that today was Wednesday I would have known otherwise. Today was the day the Animal Shelter told us to check back to see if they have any kittens available to adopt.

I went in to wake Avery up and she was still in bed, but did have the TV turned on. She quickly perked up and said, "GOOD MORNING!! Do you know what today is?" Of course I do - today is the crazy day you hope we can get an animal, bring it home, and leave it here for hours alone (with our two dogs and mean cat) while we go to church ;)

Being the good mom, I actually DID call all of the shelters in our area (Montgomery, Autuaga, and Elmore) and only one shelter had kittens and they were 10 weeks old. However, it was the one shelter that is more than 30 minutes away - there's no way possible for us to even get there and back before church tonight.  I even called 3 different vet offices and they didn't have or know of anyone with kittens either.

I was actually told it's not "kitten season" - who knew?!? My 8 year old is now very informed about the mating of cats though :)

Today is Ash Wednesday which is significant day in the Methodist religion. Our church had a come and go communion/Lord's Supper service that Wes and I were planning to take part in. However, our in depth class that we participated in (to learn more about the church) ran over and we didn't make it :( We were both pretty disappointed.

However, imagine our surprise to find out that all of the kids were able to go - which meant Avery too!

By the time we picked her up, her cross was a bit smudged but you get the idea.

I was blown away by how much information she learned just from the service and lesson tonight. As we were going to bed, she asked me told me all about the significance of Lent and how you are suppose to give up something that comes between you and the Lord. She explained how long it lasted, when it ended. I was very surprised.

Then came the question..."I still don't understand one thing. How did God get here." Um, yeah. That's one that I even have trouble with Avery. So, I gathered my thoughts (as best you can at 9:00 at night) and proceeded to attempt to answer without doing any damage :)

Me: See, God created everything.

Avery: Oh, I know. But how did He "get" here to do that.

Me: He was here from the beginning. The Bible tells us in Genesis that God created the Heavens and Earth and on the first day He said, "let there be light" and the sun, moon, and stars were created.

Avery: How did Jesus come later then?

Me: God is actually made up of three beings - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Father is God, our creator. The Son is Jesus Christ who died on the cross for all of our sins. The Holy Spirit is what's all around us and lives in us once we accept Christ in our hearts.

Avery: So God is kinda like a cake? You have to have the flour, eggs, and sugar to make it?

Me: Well, I guess it's a little like that.

Ahhh, just when you think you're making some headway....

Day 47/365 - February 16

Today is Avery's last day out of school - they get a two day break for President's Day. So, of course she was up bright and early today :) Tomorrow, we'll have to drag her out of bed by her toenails, but...

Anyway, Wes fixed eggs for breakfast this morning. He asked Avery how she wanted hers - the yolk runny or broken and cooked. Her response, "bust the bubble" - where in the world did that come from?!? It totally cracked me up so I knew it had to be recorded on the blog or it would be forgotten.

Avery went to my Mom's today since she was out of school. I don't know who had more fun - Mom or Avery!

Tonight, Avery and I headed to Prattville to celebrate Bo's 4th birthday with his family. They are some of our best friends and we feel so blessed to have an opportunity to spend such a special night with all of their family! They had dinner at Mellow Mushroom which is one of our fave pizza restaurants!

This was our first time eating at the new Prattville location. When we pulled up, Avery said, "oh, this one's fancy!!" It's in a big stand alone building while ours is in a strip center with the big movie theater. It was still pretty funny though - it's amazing to see/hear things through the eyes and mind of a child.

Day 46/365 - February 15

Ah, what can be better than a Monday holiday? How about a Monday holiday after a Friday snow day!!! These four days off sure have done me some good!

Wes and I both lounged around until about lunchtime today in our PJ's. He was playing with his new toy (that iPod) and we both watched a movie or two.

I cleaned up the house - or at least finished what I missed from earlier in the weekend :)

Wes and Avery got out in the backyard to work on catching some. That was going to be my picture of the day.

Why you ask? Notice the difference in wardrobe between Wes and Avery. In case you are wondering, it was 39 degrees outside today. Yep, my husband was in shorts. He did admit that he was cold, but he didn't change!?!? My only question - how does he keep from getting sick? Does he know something we don't?

After they finish throwing the ball around, they decide to work on riding the bike. In case you are wondering, we are officially "The World's Most Terrible Parents." Why? That would be because our 8 year old (almost 9 year old) kid can't ride a bike. Yes, you heard that right - our kid can't ride a bike. I said it, now I can hide under my rock again.

Well, looky what I have to show you....

This has to be one of my proudest moments as a parent. Is that sad? Seriously, I am soooo proud of Avery and she is just as proud of herself!! Now, to get out of the driveway so she can work on those turns.....

Wes grilled out some delicious steaks for dinner. In Avery's words, "they aren't too chewy or crispy," which was a big compliment and totally made Wes laugh!

Day 45/365 - February 14

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

I surprised Wes and Avery with a candlelit breakfast today before church

complete with these adorable dishes I found at Target - part of the cuteness is covered by the edge of that pancake crust :( - the bottom corner has "i heart u" in red typography - they are sooo stinkin' cute!!!

I made pink pancackes in the shape of hearts, scrambled eggs, and sausage links and Avery was in love with those pancakes! I don't know how, but we managed to make it out the door and to church just in the nick of time.

After church, Wes treated us to lunch. We went to Cornerstone which was a restaurant that Avery and I had never been to before. They served a meat and three menu for lunch and it was very good.  When we finished lunch, we told Avery that we had one more stop to make before heading home. Of course, she moaned and groaned so we told her she could just stay in the car (she didn't know where we were heading).

After driving across town, we pull up to the animal shelter/Humane Society and she just sits there and looks. Wes and I both turn around and look at Avery - she doesn't have a clue what is going on. She looks at the signs - "animal intake" and "administration" and asks, "where are we?" Wes finally says, "Happy Valentine's Day!!!" She just starts screaming and jumps out of the car.

Yep - she's getting a kitten.

Or so we think.

Would it have been a good idea to find out if they actually have any kittens before going? Yep

Did I do that? Nope

Will we be checking back on Wednesday and again on Friday of this week? Most definitely

They did have full grown cats, but considering that we have two dogs and a cat we really think getting a kitten and having it grow up with our animals will be better. I must say that I was really proud of Avery - she did sooo good leaving there empty handed.

After getting home, we sat down together and exchanged cards and gifts.

I got a bluetooth for my phone - yippee!! Considering how much I talk, this will be WELL used!!!

Avery got this adorable new Webkinz she named Heart and these neon pink Chuck Taylors that she has been searching for.

We could only find them in adult sizes and she wanted them so badly. I finally searched online and found them at the Converse site in youth sizes!! She was so excited!

We saved the best gift for last. I went WAAAAYYYY out on a limb with a gift for Wes this year. I knew that I spent more money than I needed to or should have, but I bought him an 8GB iPod Touch.

Don't ya just love the expression on his face?!? He was beyond surprised! At first I wasn't sure he would even keep it. However, one he took it out of the box and started playing around with it I knew he was hooked. I couldn't even get him to come to bed that night!!!!

We really were planning to come home with an animal to occupy her evening, but that didn't work out. So, Avery decided to invite Sydney over to spend the night :) They got along really well and played great together. The evening was going way too good to be Valentine's night....

Avery walks into our room around 6:30 and says, "I don't feel good, I think I'm gonna throw up." Of course, we tell her to go to the bathroom. She doesn't quite make it all the way there and gets sick all over the bathroom door, floor, rug, and herself - yuck! She gets sick a few more times within the next hour. Luckily, it wasn't a stomach bug or anything. Just her acid reflux acting up. The "bad" foods she consumed today - LOTS of syrup (on those pancakes), a piece of chocalate to "wash down" her medicine, a cupcake and candy at church, and a Burger King kids meal (chicken and fries). All of those foods are "no no's" with her acid reflux, but she has been doing so good lately that we both have gotten kinda lax about it. No more!

Day 44/365 - February 13

It was so amazing to wake up and still have snow on the ground today! It's already beginning to melt though and sounds like a steady rain falling - too funny!

Wes helped install a plastic protector along the fence at the softball field this morning (in the snow) and I thought it made for a pretty funny picture.

Today was also the first weekend of softball registration. I doubt there were too many that actually signed up just because of the weather and the long, holiday weekend. Next Saturday is the final day of regular sign up and I imagine that most folks will come out then.

Wes came home and surprised me with a beautiful arrangement of flowers for Valentine's Day today!  So sweet :)

Day 43/365 - February 12

Snow, snow, snow - we got snow ALL day long today!!!!

I know, for most folks this wouldn't be a big deal at all. However, "real" snow in the south is a HUGE deal and hasn't happened like this since March 1993! So of course, we were all beyond excited for the chance to have a snow day!

Avery and I were lucky enough to both have snow days, but Wes had to go into work this morning. We were hoping he would get to leave early so we decided not to ruin the snow at our house and headed up to the park in our neighborhood to play this morning :) Avery and I had sooo much fun! We built our very own snowman and got pretty creative for all of the accessories with stuff we could find around there.

We finished up with a good ole snowball fight which included both of us busting our rear ends too. Avery was the first to fall - she was running away from me and just slipped right down. I thought, "wow, that silly girl - I can't believe she fell" and about that time I went down too! It was pretty funny and we were soaking wet by the time we headed back home. All total, we spent about an hour and a half at the park.

We got home, into some dry clothes, and grabbed some lunch. By this time, Wes had gotten home (around 1:00) and changed too so we all headed out into our beautiful snow covered yard!

We built a snow family

Wes pulled Avery around in her "sled" (the kind you will only see in Alabama)

We headed to the backyard with Lady and Dosie for snowball fights

and several falls

before Avery, saving the best for last, prepared to go down her slide!

To finish off our outside play, Avery decided to make her very first EVER snow angel! We headed back to the front yard for that one (can't run the risk of dog poop in the back yard, lol!)

We wrapped everything up by running and sliding around the front yard - just acting silly and having a blast! Although we were soaking wet and freezing cold by the time we headed back inside. Everyone had to strip down in the laundry room so I could go ahead and get the clothes washed.

When everyone finished up with baths/showers, I fixed hot chocolate to finish off the day.

Ah, just a wonderful winter's day in the south! I must admit, all that play wore me out though - but I would do it all again tomorrow :)

Now, how in the world do I narrow this down for my P365?!?!?