Woo-Hoo 'Pilates Party'!!

I get together with a super fun group of ladies (a bunch of moms) from my church to do a Pilates/Yoga class and I thought it'd be fun to have a ladies game night/party this last Thursday. So, that morning my kiddos and I went to the mall to ask for samples from the different salons and shops. It was so fun. Thankfully, the kids were in great moods and the people at the stores and counters I went to were friendly and I got some fun samples and coupons to make into cute gift bags. The best place I went to though was the Toni and Guy salon. The guy/manager there was amazing! He said that he had some samples he could give me, but to give him about 15-20 minutes so he could get them together. Well, I came back and he was finishing putting full size BedHead and Catwalk shampoos and Conditioners in all these bags. So, that was my little surprise to my friends at the end of the party.

I also said that if they wanted to bring something to eat to bring a healthy snack...which led to a very clever joke my friend Amie played (see pic below) We had so much fun together. I just love these ladies and the time I get to spend with them. The eighties ladies...they had to come up with a dance to a song on my 80s cd. They also had to do it in our bathroom (b/c the other bedrooms were occupied by our dog and kids). They're so funny, they were in the bathroom putting their hair in side ponytails (play up the 80s) and spraying hairspray on it while getting ready for their dance.

The rolo game...a pair of dice went around the circle and if you roll doubles you come up to the piano bench and try to open rolos candy with two knives...if you open one you have to eat it without using your hands. So funny!

Amie's "healthy" snack...so funny! she had this plate full of cucumbers and one of the gals was putting some on her plate and saw something strange underneath all the cucumers...cookies!!!

This is cute Amie! ;-)


the dances!!! be sure to press pause on my playlist...

group #1: they got to practice in our living room and pick whatever song from the internet...I love their song choice...cute dance!



group #2 (my group!): We practiced in our bedroom and had to choose a song off an Enya cd...I forgot to tell my friend who I gave my camera to that this would record so it's only the first half of the dance...oh well, less embarrasing footage of my group dancing right! ;-)



above and below: group #3 these girls had to practice in the bathroom (it's not very big!) and choose their song off the 80s cd. Theirs was the favorite of the night...so funny!

Thanks ladies for being such good friends! I love ya!

10 and a half year Reunion...Go Wildcats!

Nikki, Angie and my kiddos...

Well, it's taken me a while to get these up...but I knew my dad especially would be excited to see them. On our drive home from my parents in Little Rock (for Thanksgiving) we took a detour and drove through one of my most favorite states....Missouri. We stopped in Springfield for one of the most fun, exciting dinners I've had in a long time. This year marked ten years since I graduated high school but our class didn't have a formal reunion, so my friends Rachelle and Nikki and I decided to try to contact as many people as we could between the 3 of us (well, it was pretty much Nikki who's stayed in touch with almost everyone).

Anyway, I graduated from a class of 33!!! Yep, that's it--from Greenfield H.S. in the booming town of Greenfield, Missouri. High school days have so many fond memories. Well, there were 8 of us who managed to get our families together and meet in Springfield for dinner and I'm so glad we did. It was SO great getting to see these fantastic old friends of mine. Here's a few snapshots from the evening... a few of the husbands...

Rachelle and myself...

me and Max, Jen (Nathan's wife), and Jenny.

Nathan, still acting his usual class clownish self...we also were good buddies in our early college days in Springfield...there's Nikki too holding Max. She's hopefully had her baby by now! :-)

and here we all our...25.25% of our class 10 and a half years after graduating!

Thanksgiving week...

We had such a great trip to my parents for Thanksgiving. We got there late Sunday night, I unfortunately got sick with a bad head cold and sore throat so we didn't do as much as we'd hoped the first couple of days, but Tom and I went on a date Wednesday night (we went swing dancing and out to eat) and two of my brothers and their families (one from Virginia and one from Mississippi) and my Grandma (from Georgia) all got in Wednesday. Thanksgiving day was gorgeous! Tom and I went jogging that morning and we ate out on my parents deck. We played football after we ate...It was perfect.

Friday morning, my sister Hannah and sister in law Janette and I all got up to start shopping by 5 a.m. I haven't been a huge fan of the crazy crowds of after Thanksgiving shopping, but I actually enjoyed it this year. I got some good deals for some things my family needed and wanted. I went again later in the morning with my mom...the line at Kohls wrapped all around the store! But, we had fun! Then, on Saturday morning we all left to go home. It was so great to be with our family! I hate living so spread out that you only get to see each other once a year if you're lucky! We had a great time with everybody though....here are just a "few" pictures from our trip! ;-) Taylor and her Great Grandma singing to eachother...

my sis Hannah and neice Sophia

Max and his Grandma, Grandpa and Great Grandma

Jon and Paul brought some of their bottle fed baby goats with them from their farm...it was pretty fun! In this picture is Paul, Jon, me (Max), Matthew and Sophia and Micah

this picture looks like they fed Sophia to the goats! :-)

brother in law Paul, oldest brother Jon, Max and brother Matthew (he's the one just older than me) and of course, the baby goats!

this picture cracks me up! Paul, baby goat and Max...

Taylor wearing her fudgcicle desert!

Friday night dinner...pizza

awe!

cute Sophia

Matthew, Max and Micah

my brother Matthew (a pilot) teaching Max how to fly! Max took the lessons quite seriously!

cute nephew Micah...he loved the goats! (blow up this picture and you can see a goofy me in the background! ;-)

playing football...

Max and my mom...she's great!

my Grandma and the kiddos...

me in the kiddos before our big Thanksgiving dinner...

Grandma and Tom in the kitchen...

this was where Tom and I went on our date! It was a Bop club dance...so fun...lots of older people who are really good at dancing! One old man came over and asked me to dance...he was so good! They introduced us during the dance 'intermission' as their special guests who came all the way from Colorado...we thought that was such a bad idea b/c it would draw even more attention to our pathetic dance skills! We had fun though!

Taylor and Sophia

sunset at my parents...

the cousins arrived!

This was the hat I made for Max on our drive thanks to my friend Rochelle who taught me and lent me her looms and tools right before we left. I enjoyed making it so much...it made the drive easier and I made 1 1/2 more on the way home.

my kids seem to always recieve their introduction to teething biscuits while at my parents! I avoid them b/c they're so messy....but the kids sure love them!my handsome husband and baby doll son!

Taylor and Max playing together...

Thanksgiving travels...

cute kiddos!

We left at 5:30 in the morning on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. The kids did pretty well and eleven hours later we pulled into one of my best girlfriend's Wendy's parents home (she was visiting from her home in Nevada). We got to have dinner with her and her family and spend a couple hours with her. It was so great to see her! We were room mates at OSU and had so much fun together. I just love her so much. The bottom pics are of her little boy Ty and Taylor. They are only about 2 1/2 months apart and then we also have baby boys who are only 2 months apart.

We left her parents house that evening and drove the rest of the way to Stillwater, OK--I love that town! (it's the friendliest town! I lived there for 2 years while attending OSU) We stayed in a cheap motel (40.71! gotta love those bed bugs! ;-) Then the next morning I went to OSU's student wellness center for an all day long Yoga and Pilates instructor training. It was so great! I learned lots of great new stuff. The presenter was so fun. She reminded me of a 40 year old Britney Spears! She was a stunning 40 year old! Tom had a ball with the kids all day! ;-) After the training we took off for my parents home in Little Rock.

To be continued...

Girls LATE night out!

I finally finished the 4th book in the Twilight series the week before the movie came out. They're not my favorite books...entertaining yes, but I had lots of qualms about them. I did think the author did a great job piecing together a fantastic story and the fourth book was my favorite...but I'm glad to have them read and behind me...

But, obviously I couldn't have read them without going to watch the movie, so thankfully two of my friends Sarah and Callie wanted to watch it too and we thought it would be so fun to see it at Midnight...I was a little worried I might fall asleep (since I had mono years ago I have a really hard time staying awake during movies esp. late at night). I did fall asleep when Tom and I went and watched the midnight showing of Harry Potter a few years back!). Anyway, we had a lot of fun sitting and waiting for the movie to start with all the HS girls. I really enjoyed the movie too! There were some really funny parts! I don't know if they were all supposed to be funny...but I loved them. (like when Edward ran really fast and when Bella walked into the Science classroom!) I'm excited to watch it with Tom b/c I think he'll get a big kick out of it too.

So thankful...

I really enjoy Thanksgiving...

I enjoy the fall weather (especially this year in Arkansas at my parents...it was so nice we ate outside on their deck, I went jogging with my husband in the morning and after dinner we played football in the backyard... it was beautiful, warm, clear, crisp weather!

I enjoy the football and the family and the food!

I think I mostly enjoy though the reminder to count your blessings and to be thankful for the little, but oh so important things in life.

Some of the things I'm most thankful for are:

My two darling kiddos! I love being their mom! I love that I can make them smile and laugh and that I get to stay home with them and comfort and play with them. I love that Taylor is learning so much and that we can have conversations with each other now. She is my sweet little "girlfriend" and we have so much fun together. My little Max melts my heart! He has the sweetest smile and is such a jolly little fellow! I'm so blessed to be their mom!

My most wonderful best friend...my husband Tom. Anyone who knows him knows what an amazing "catch" I got! He is so full of patience, kindness, tenderness and love. He's also my favorite form of entertainment...some people think he's quiet and not open...they just don't have the blessing of being close to him. We know better! He's so fun and lively and is quick to bring laughter to our days. He motivates me to be better and do better and to be the great wife that he deserves. I love that we have marital "bliss"! I love him!

Our home. We're not in our dream home yet...no backyard, or garage that we can park in so we don't have to scrape our windows when it snows :-). It's just a cozy apartment. But, I'm thankful for it. It's warm, safe and is filled with so many joyful memories. I love that it's in Colorado (one of the most sunshine filled, breathtaking states).

My friends. I have been blessed with so many wonderful, amazing people that I can call my friends. I have some I've recently made here in Colorado and they help fill my life with that day to day comfort and joy that us women need. And, others whom I have been friends with for years and even though we don't get to communicate much..I still feel the warmth of friendship from. Thank you dear friends!

My body. It is by far not perfect! I have so many flaws...but really, they don't matter. I'm thankful to have a healthy body that I can take care of and that allows me to care for others. I'm thankful for the skills my body has to make things and to be creative, to grow children and to give birth, to nurse them and to run after them.

My faith. It's not perfect either...still working on that. But, even though I have lots of anxieties and fears about the insecurities in life, I still have peace and comfort in this world. (John 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you.)

There are SO many other things...hundreds and hundreds of things I'm thankful for. But, some of those things are currently requiring my time...so I'll just say that the one thing I give the most gratitude to is to my God who has blessed me and blessed me again with all of these great joys in my life that I can be thankful for.