Thursday, January 31, 2013

It's Been a Good Day!


Today has been productive. Madison went to school this morning and then Hudson and I went to the Y. Afterwards, we ran to the post office to grab some boxes for some Valentine goodies we're mailing out. Then, we went to Costco to pick up a couple of items. Next, we came home to put our loot away and to grab a snack. We also were able to Face Time with Alex for a little bit before we had to go pick up Madison from school.

Once we picked up Madison we all came home and had lunch (well Madison had a snack since she ate lunch at school). After lunch, it was quiet time. While the kids were in their rooms, I popped in my Jillian Michael's 30 day shred. Today was day 2!

**side note: I decided last night that I was going to start the 30 day shred and do it through February. I have always loved the workout, but for some reason have never been successful at completing it for 30 days in a row. Well, now I'm putting it out there (so hold me accountable). I thought it was a great way to burn some extra calories, in addition to my normal workout, and shed the last few pounds I'm trying to lose before Alex gets home :)

After quiet time, we went to the park. It was beautiful outside. We stayed there for a little over an hour. We met some new neighbors and I also was able to see one of my friends (whose husband came home yesterday) come to the park with her hubby and son. It was so fun to see them reunited as a family! Love it!

I hope that you all had a wonderful day!

***Please continue praying for Tori. Thank you!!***

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Motivated

Well, today was much quieter than yesterday! :)

After dropping Madison off at school today, Hudson and I went to the Y....yahoo! I can't tell you how good it felt to workout again for the first time after being so sick! It was seriously wonderful to run again and to just be active. I am extra motivated again because now I'm on the serious countdown to Alex coming home and I have a goal to meet before he gets home...and I'm not competitive at all ;)

After coming home from the Y, I eagerly went on FaceBook to look at homecoming pictures of two of my friends. It was so fun to see them reunited with their husbands and to see the look on their kids faces! Priceless! I just LOVE homecomings! I seriously think that every American should experience being at a homecoming. They are very powerful!

After the kids went to bed, our life group came over for our weekly study! Tonight we studied what it truly means to Follow Jesus. We had a great discussion and we talked about some wonderful applications to how to be better at being authentic. I love my life group. They are not only amazing people, but they are amazing friends! So blessed by my relationship with each person in our group!

***Please continue praying for Tori. Her sister posted an update last night that said Tori is no longer considered to be in a Coma, but they would really appreciate prayer for Tori's mind and cognition. Thank you for the prayers!!!!***

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Lock Down

Well, today sure was an interesting day!

This morning I woke up and felt almost back to normal. I decided I should still keep the day low key for one more day before hitting the gym though, so Hudson and I went straight to Trader Joe's after dropping Madison off at school.

Once we were home, Hudson and I did our usual morning routine. We played with his blocks, we read stories, we played with is nesting robots, we danced, we sang songs, and we played with some cars. When Hudson went down for his nap, I threw in a load of laundry and caught up on The Biggest Loser, while waiting to talk to Alex. I threw in a few calisthenics while waiting on my phone call, so that I could get some sort of exercise in today.

After getting to talk to Alex for a little bit, Hudson woke up and it was time to feed him lunch. While Hudson was eating, I noticed some weird postings on one of the neighborhood fb pages, that I'm apart of, talking about certain schools being in lock down. I began trying to call Madison's school to see if they were on lock down too, but the lines were either busy or nobody was answering them. I then shot a quick text to Madison's teacher asking if they were on lock down and he responded letting me know that they were and that everyone was okay, but that the police were looking for someone. I also found out that four other schools were on lock down as well. So, the time came to go pick up Madison and I wasn't exactly sure what I was suppose to do, so I went anyway. When I turned onto the street Madison's school was on, there were police everywhere blocking cars and people from getting through. They were super friendly and very informative, but we had to park down the street and wait. So, as Hudson and I were waiting, several of the parents in Madison's class started arriving (along with the rest of the school). At this point, we had not received any formal notice from the school as to what was going on, so when parents arrived that had no idea what was happening and there was a lot of panic and a lot of tears, at first. But once everyone was able to get a clearer picture of what was going on, everyone was able to just sort of wait it out and talk with each other. The kids were suppose to get out at 2:10 and at 2:30 we were all still standing down the street waiting to hear what was going to happen, but we were receiving mass emails and phone calls about them working as quickly as possible. There was someone from the district standing out with us waiting and keeping us informed as she received new information. The police were constantly coming over and reassuring us that there was no threat on the campus, but that they were searching the surrounding homes and their backyards for the suspect (who was thought to be armed and a homicide fugitive from Anaheim), and they needed to keep everything locked down so that it wasn't an easy out for the fugitive. The school, the police, and the district did a wonderful job of keeping everyone as informed and as calm as possible. Finally, at 2:45 we received a call saying that they were going to bus our kids to the local high school and that we should drive over and meet them there. Then, once we all arrived at the high school, we all received another call saying that they now felt it was safe enough to come back to the school and pick our children up, but that they would only be released to their parents. There was a little bit of chaos as the cars all tried to figure out where to go, where to park (they still had the parking lot all blocked off and several areas that people would normally park blocked), but once we were on campus they went class by class and had parents come forward and get their child from the teacher (it didn't matter what grade, K-5 was all treated the same and had to go through the formal checkout process). By the time I finally had Madison it was about 3:05. She was totally fine and thought it was neat that there were so many police at her school. She said that they were told they had to stay inside because there were some bad guys in the area and the police were looking for them. She was content with those details and left it at that.

Thankfully, I had the forethought to grab Madison's gymnastics things before heading to school "just in case" and so we were able to still get to gymnastics on time, which as always, was the highlight of Madison's day!



After gymnastics, we came home, ate dinner, read stories, put pj's on, got ready for bed, read bedtime stories, said bedtime prayers and then went to bed. It was a busy day. It was a full day! It was a good day, nonetheless.

For those interested, here is an article on the events that took place today. (click on the link to take you to the article)

***Please continue to pray for Tori to wake up. Day 1 in her new place went well. Thank you again for your prayers!***

Monday, January 28, 2013

A Much Needed Day

Today I woke up feeling almost back to 100%. I am still working on getting my appetite back and regaining my energy, but overall I am feeling like a new person :)

Madison had a fun day at school. Hudson and I had a fun time at home. This afternoon, Madison, Hudson and I went to the park for a little bit with Brittney and her kiddos, but once that sun set, we were out of there. The temperature dropped significantly and the wind picked up, so we were done!

Here are a couple cute pictures I snapped while at the park:


Hudson discovered Delaney's Scooter and she was gracious enough to share with him. He was hilarious trying to stand on it and trying to figure it out.


Tonight after the kids went to bed, I had a massage that was heavenly. Any of my San Diego friends, if you need a good recommendation for a massage please ask me, because I am not joking when I say I very much enjoyed my massage and will booking another one in the very near future :) 

Hope you all have a lovely evening. I am off to bed! 

***Please keep praying for Tori to wake up. She is now back in So. Cal. Her transport went well. Thank you for the prayers.***

Sunday, January 27, 2013

The Ever Growing "To Do" List

Today was another fairly low key day.

I have been fever free all day!!!!!! Thank you all so much for the prayers! We still stayed home from church today because I didn't want to chance my fever coming back while there and then exposing everyone to whatever it is I've had the past week.

We pretty much did the same thing as yesterday. We watched movies, read stories, and I worked on my puzzle a little bit more.

This evening the kids went to AWANAS...it was sports night. Madison sported her Angel's shirt, but we discovered Hudson does not have an Angel shirt that fits him right now, so I think that will be on my list of things to get for Hudson's upcoming birthday! :)

While the kids were gone this evening, I tried to drive Alex's car around the block, only to find out that the battery had died yet again! I think it's time for a new battery! Yet another thing added to my "to do" list!

Yesterday I started a movie called "The Game." I wasn't able to finish it before the kids were up from their quiet time yesterday (definitely not a kid friendly movie) and I watched another little bit of it today during their quiet time, but still wasn't able to finish it, so as soon as I finish this post I am going to watch the last half of it. It's pretty interesting. It has a bit too much foul language for my taste, but the plot has me wanting to know what's next. I can say though, that this will be one of those movies that if the ending isn't worth it, than I will be very bummed out!

***Okay, so I have finished the movie! I personally didn't care for it. It was super dark.***

Anyway, I hope you all had a lovely weekend. I look forward to getting back into my normal routine this week once I am well enough to do so (I am hoping by Wednesday). In the mean time, I am going to be hunting for my homecoming outfit. I am hoping to have it completely picked and bought (or at least ordered) by President's Day Weekend!

***Please continue to pray for Tori to wake up! Thank you!***

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Joy In Every Circumstance

Well, today was a VERY lazy day! We pretty much stayed in our pajamas all day and lounged around the house watching movies, reading stories and working on puzzles. I have made some progress on my 1,000 piece puzzle, but I want to show that when it's completely finished.

I also had a very sweet friend text me and tell me that she was delivering me dinner! So very sweet of her! She made us Chicken Matzo Ball Soup! It was very tasty! Thank you again Amy for sending me texts all throughout the day to check in on me and to see how I was doing. It really means so much to me to have friends check in, because on days like this all I really want is to just snuggle with the love of my life, but since that isn't possible right now, feeling the love from friends and family texting, emailing, and calling to see how today was going meant more to me than I can express!

I am so blessed to feel God's love from a number of places. Today, I felt God's love and His "it's going to be okay" through the kindness of my friends! There is joy in every circumstance, if you just take the time to find it!

Once again, Madison brought me much joy in her loving and caring way of taking care of me by helping Hudson's needs all be met through things she was able to do for him. I mean even right now, she just finished helping me clean up Hudson's room because he was asking to go to bed and now she is in her room reading books (because she wanted to let me rest). She simply asked me to come tell her when it was time for bed and that she'd put herself to bed tonight so that I could lay down. I mean come on...isn't she just the most precious thing ever!?! I am hoping to surprise her in just a little bit by going in and doing her bedtime routine with her :)

Thank you all for your prayers...hoping tomorrow I wake up and feel 100% better!

***Please continue praying for Tori to WAKE UP!!!! Thank you!!!***

Friday, January 25, 2013

Rainy Day

This morning I woke up feeling better than yesterday, but still had a slight fever. I have had my ups and downs for how I've felt today, but overall today was much better than yesterday. Thank you all for your prayers. Currently my fever is back up right now, I think it's just because of it being the end of the day and whatnot, so praying that tomorrow when I wake up, my fever will officially be gone! :)

This morning the kids were ready much quicker than usual, so they had a chance to color together before we had to head off to school. Here is a darling picture of them coloring nicely together, and Hudson is sporting his new beanie. :)



Hudson and I had a low key day at home while Madison was at school. It has been raining all day, so we've been snuggling and watching movies and reading books pretty much most of the day. While Hudson napped this morning, I threw in my newest Netflix: The Luck One...love that movie! 

Tonight for movie night we watched the short little Charlie Brown's Valentine film and then we watched a new Tinkerbell, that I didn't even know existed, but found on Netflix: Tinkerbell and The Lost Treasure. Not really sure how I missed that one, but we watched it tonight and we LOVED it! Super cute! Here are some more cute pictures illustrating just how much these guys love each other. I am truly blessed and I pray God only continues to grow their friendship! Oh and there is also a picture of Hudson "cheesin'" it up!



Madison has truly been the most amazing helper for me, while Alex has been gone, but especially these past couple weeks when I've been feeling under the weather! She has helped Hudson pretty much with everything he's needed except changing his diapers (which she's offered to do, I just was scared to see what kind of mess would come of it). Anyway, I am so blessed to have a daughter with such a kind, loving, generous heart who is ready to jump and help me at a moment's notice! 

Hope you all have a lovely weekend! 

***Please continue praying for Tori. They hope to move her early next week. Thank you!***


Thursday, January 24, 2013

This Is A Day The Lord Has Made, I Will Rejoice And Be Glad In It

"This is a day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

This was my go to verse today!

Today marks day 100! 100 days since Alex has been overseas and away from us. While I know we still have many more days ahead of us, we are thankful that we are now counting down the days until he is back in our arms. We are in the home stretch! I am so very thankful for how God has given us joy, peace, love, trust, and laughter during these past 100 days and look forward to what God has in store for us until we're reunited as a family. God is so good!

This morning I woke up with a nasty fever just over 101. I took some Advil, and it dropped it, but only for an hour and then it came back full force. I went and dropped Madison off at school and then stopped by Rite Aid on the way home to pick up some Mucinex D (because now everything I'm feeling is in my sinus/head). I took the Mucinex when I got home and two hours later, my fever was higher than when I woke up, my head was pounding, and my nose was unbearable. I was desperate. I needed something, but had no medicine to take (as it was only 9:30 in the morning at this point and it would be at least 12:30 before I could take Advil again and Mucinex is a 12 hour pill). So, I did what I should have done first, I prayed. I asked God to give me the strength to get through the day, as I surely could not do it with my own strength. I asked Him to help me figure out what to do next so that I could start feeling better and so that I could be a good mom to my kiddos. Well, sure enough He answered my prayers! I was able to get in touch with my doctor and she called in a prescription for me as I was leaving school (I had just picked up Madison). I made another quick trip to Rite Aid and grabbed my prescription and headed home.

Earlier while I was laying on the couch, Hudson was being so darn cute. He kept coming up to me and laying his head in my lap and giving me sweet hugs. He also kept asking for his hood to be put on, and then would spin in circles (think of a dog spinning around trying to catch it's tail) trying to take his hood off. I sure do love this sweet boy and his gentle heart.


I am still feeling pretty nasty (and I still haven't been able to shake my fever), but I am hopeful that when I wake up, the antibiotics will have started kicking in and the Nyquil Sinus Nighttime medicine I am about to take, will have kicked in.

In other news, we received a fun box of mail from Alex today. One of the items I can't share with you just yet (I promise to post a picture once I get the okay from Alex), but below is a collage of the sweet items in the box for us. Alex found another scarf (that is super soft) for me. He found laminated Afghanistan money for Madison and a warm beanie for Hudson.


Another thing that happened today was another answer to prayer. I can't remember if I posted the fact that I discovered Alex's battery in his car was completely dead. When I tried to get in the car to put his registration in the glove box, the remote control key wouldn't even unlock the doors...that's how dead it was. Mind you, his car is a Prius, so it's a bit trickier when the battery dies. I spent forever trying to talk to Toyota. I did get a very nice lady on the phone, but the answer to one of my questions was beyond her so she said a supervisor would call me back. Well, that was over a week ago now and I'm sorry darling, but you said it was very important that I get my battery started ASAP, so I can't wait for your supervisor to call me forever. Then, today, our dear friend Kevan, emailed me (as he's done every few weeks since Alex has left) to see if I needed any help with anything tomorrow or Saturday. I shared with him my car situation and he emailed me back the most amazing information and was such a HUGE help. I ended up calling our roadside assistance through our insurance and they charged the 12V battery and all is good now. I sucked it up and put the carseats in the car and went for a 15-20 minute drive to help the lithium battery get back to it's full charge. Anyway, that huge burden was lifted today. I love how God sends friends along just when we need them and to remind us that we don't have to do things alone. "This is a day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it."

I also wanted to mention because I forgot to the other day when I wrote my super short post, that I received the most thoughtful card in the mail. My dear friend Hannah sent me a card that was so uplifting and came at just the right time. Again, another example of how God uses others to love on us and to remind us that we aren't alone! Thank you so much Hannah for taking the time to write me such a beautiful note and to craft such a lovely card. I cherish it and miss you so much friend!

I am going to sign off now and go to bed. Remember, even when things seem to be getting you down, God is always there and there is always something to rejoice in! Find the joy within and don't let anyone or anything take it away!

***Please continue to pray for Tori to wake up! Thank you!***



Wednesday, January 23, 2013

BASIC

Today was a low key day because I'm still feeling under the weather. Whatever I have feels like it is morphing into something else now. I would appreciate if it would just leave this momma alone! I have places to go and people to see and things to get ready for! :)

Anyway, I ran a couple of errands this morning, bought a couple things, returned a couple of things. Then, Hudson and I came home and played for a little bit before his nap. Once he was down, I did my weekly cleaning of the bathrooms. I also dusted and vacuumed, along with a few other chores.

Life Groups started back up this week and tonight is our night! I love our life group! They are such an amazingly wonderful group of people! I always feel so blessed by them! We started a new DVD series tonight by Francis Chan called BASIC. Tonight's DVD was "Fear God." We had a great conversation and just all enjoyed being back together after the long break for all of the holidays. Since we had last met a sweet new baby has been born (just shy of two weeks) and one of our friends in the group is newly pregnant! So fun!

Anyway, forgive me for this extremely short post. I am going to go to bed so that I can hopefully get rid of this dumb cold (or whatever it is).

***Please keep praying for Tori to wake up! Thank you***

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Determination

Today has been a fun day, but a frustrating day (as far as how I'm feeling goes). Just when I thought I was getting better, I get knocked back down again. I woke up this morning at 3:50am feeling terrible (not as bad as Saturday, but still not great). I was unable to go back to sleep, but not for lack of trying. 5:30 came around and my alarm went off, so I got up and went through my morning routine. By this point, I felt a little better, but still decided that I needed to see our Primary Care Physician.


I dropped Madison off at school, went to Trader Joe's and then dropped a bunch of stuff (mostly old toys) off at Good Will. On our way home, Hudson and I stopped by the ASYMCA (Armed Services YMCA) because I'd received an email last night letting me know that the kids' "Operation Kid Comfort" quilts had been finished. This is a service the ASYMCA provides for the children with deployed parents. You send them 6-8 photos (the give pretty specific guidelines for each photo) and then they have a group of ladies that volunteer to make these beautiful quilts. The first one shown is Madison's (notice the lady bugs...funny thing is, I didn't mention anything about ladybugs...kinda neat).




This one is Hudson's:


The kids LOVE their daddy quilts! They walked around with them all evening. 

After picking up the quilts and dropping off our loot from Trader Joe's I went to go see Devan (my friend and PCM). I was tested for strep and it came back negative...looks like I just have a nasty bug that is zapping my energy and making my throat feel unbelievably uncomfortable. I have been popping throat lozenges, eating chicken soup, drinking hot tea and taking Ibuprofen like it's cool! 

Today is Tuesday, so it was also a gymnastics day. Madison did really well today. Her coach came out and spoke to me and said that she's just about ready to test to advance from Novice 1 into Novice 2. She said once she consistently gets her pull around all by herself they will test her. Very exciting! Below is a picture of Madison working on her splits before class started. Their coach asked them to begin working on their splits and back bends at home so that they would become more limber and flexible. Madison was on top of it...after dinner tonight, she asked right away if she could work on everything. There was a little frustration, but then we had the talk about how if everything was easy we wouldn't need to practice and life would be pretty boring. She is doing so well and I reminded her this is suppose to be fun, but that if she did want to get better (as with anything) she needed to WANT to practice and to do it. I explained that it is going to be up to her because I don't ever want her to feel forced to do anything, but that I am more than happy to help spot her and count for her while she practices. She was all smiles after that! :) Love my sweet girl and that determination (not sure where she gets her competitive edge ;)!



***Please continue to pray for Tori. She had a second elbow surgery today and all appears to have gone well. Please continue to pray for her to wake up and for God to fully heal her brain. Thank you***

Monday, January 21, 2013

Where A Kid Can Be A Kid

Well, I thought when I woke up yesterday feeling so much better, that I was out of the woods. I was wrong. While I don't feel anywhere near as horrible as I did on Saturday, I still can feel the lingering of whatever it is that I have going on. It is quite the energy zapper. Anyway, I wasn't going to let that stop me today because I am sick and tired of being sick and tired. I was able to get out of bed (something that didn't some so easy Saturday) and I had a very productive day (might have pushed the envelope just a little, but hey...my backyard is clean and my house has been sanitized).

In the late morning, we went to Chuck-E-Cheese to help one of Madison's sweet friends, Bryce, celebrate his 6th birthday. I just love Bryce and his family. They are truly some of the nicest people I've met. Madison had a blast and Janelle (Bryce's mom) was so sweet and kind to let Hudson come. He had a blast too. Here is a little collage I made from our time at the party.


When we got home from the party, the kids went into quiet time and I went to work. I finished doing the laundry that I started this morning (washed all of our clothes, towels, floor mats and sheets). While I was rotating laundry, I dusted and vacuumed the whole house (including the couch and pillows). I mopped the floors. I raked all of the leaves in the backyard...took me just over an hour and a half (man there were A LOT of leaves). I sanitized all of the counters in the kitchen, the doorknobs around the house and pretty much any other flat surface. I also cleaned the toys. 

After quiet time, we wanted to keep enjoying the beautiful day, so we went to the park for a little over an hour and just hung out in the fresh air with our friends. Below is a picture of Hudson attempting to climb up a ladder on the side of the playground equipment...he stopped to give me a nice cheesy grin!


We had a great day and hope you did too!

***Please keep praying for Tori. She was responsive a few times today. Praise the Lord!!! Please keep the prayers coming! Thank you!***

Sunday, January 20, 2013

My Little Model

Yay for feeling almost back to myself today! Thank you again for all of your prayers! I woke up, showered, made blueberry muffins and did my quiet time all before the kids were up. It was very refreshing.

While getting ready for church today, I put Hudson in a new shirt (it was one I was thinking about using for the homecoming and then went a different direction, so I busted it out today). Hudson was very proud of his shirt...he already has a taste in fashion at 22 months old. Love it! Here are a couple of pictures I took while he was hamming it up for me.


Isn't he just the most handsome little monkey you've ever seen!?!



The kids and I went to church today. I had a great talk with two wonderful ladies who always make me smile. Then, the kids and I went home and had some lunch. We attempted to talk to Alex. We succeeded for a few minutes and then we had a bad connection and were not able to connect again. The kids had a great quiet time and I was able to catch up on the phone with two other wonderful ladies.

The kids had AWANAS tonight. Madison had crazy hair night tonight. I had an epic fail in the picture department, as in I forgot to take a picture of her hair. She came up with the idea though. We did an upside down french braid (so she flipped her head upside down and I started at the base of her neck and worked my way up). Then we put the hair in a ponytail. Next, we split her hair into two sections and each section had a braid. We also used very COLORFUL rubber bands (that didn't match her outfit) because that was "crazy" to Madison. I did get a picture of Madison with some of her little friends in her Sparks group. The way she is in the picture, you can't see her hair, but you can see just how excited she is to be there with her buddies.


At the end of AWANAS, I found out Madison earned her Red Jewel 4 tonight and she also was able to move on to a new book to do the review. She is working on earning her Green Jewel 4 this week. She has to do specific chores (such as picking up after herself, getting ready for bed willingly and not whining or complaining when asked to do things) all week and I have to sign off on each item, each day to prove she did them.  She will also be working on the review of her old book and completing the activities in her new book. She is sooooo excited! :) This girl is determined!

***Please continue to pray for Tori to wake up!!! Thank you***

Saturday, January 19, 2013

A Day of REST

Well, even after getting 12 hours of sleep last night, I woke up barely able to get out of bed. Madison was so sweet. She came in and brought me our thermometer and our tissue box. The kids let me lay in bed until about 7:45, which was much appreciated. It literally took all of my energy to get out of bed and to get breakfast for the kids. 

The rest of the day was spent laying on the couch watching movies. Thankfully, when I had a short burst of energy I threw everything in my crockpot for my homemade chicken soup (and my sweet friend Brittney brought me my only missing ingredient, but a huge flavor booster: celery). Chicken Soup always makes me feel better when I am not feeling well (and my kids love it, so that's a HUGE plus). 



Slowly, throughout the day I started feeling better. Thank you to all of you who were praying for me to feel better. This morning started with tears and not knowing how I was going to make it through the day and finished with me having the energy to do two loads of much needed laundry. I so appreciate all of the sweet texts and offers I received today. I apologize if I didn't respond to them all, as I had my phone on silent much of the day, so that I could just rest. 

My kids were seriously amazing today and I am so thankful for their sweet, tender hearts. I received so many sweet snuggles and just thoughtfulness from both of my kids today. My heart was blessed and I felt overwhelmed with the love I have for these amazing blessings in my life. 

While today was not what I had hoped and planned for, it was a good reminder, that I need to always take time to rest and that no matter what there is always something to be thankful for! God is good...all of the time. 

***Please continue praying for Tori to wake up! She had a brief 1 minute period of opening her eyes and responding today. Please pray that it happens again and for longer this time! Thank you!!!!***

Friday, January 18, 2013

Bleh

I had a fun post in mind for today, but I just can't muster the energy....I am going to bed.

Hope to post today post tomorrow morning!

***Please continue to pray for Tori to wake up! Thank you***

Saying, "Good-Bye" to a Sweet Friend

Today I woke up feeling under the weather, so I did not get to help out in Madison's class, which really bummed me out. Today was little Andy's last day. I've come to know this sweet boy a little better because of being in the classroom each week and for all of the class parties. He is such a sweetheart and will be greatly missed. I have also had the privilege of becoming friends with his mom, Becky, who is an amazingly strong woman. I am so blessed to have met them and wish them the  best of luck on their new adventure.

Today also happened to be College Sports Day. Kristyle was kind enough to bring a Texas, Longhorns hat for Madison, so that she had something to wear to give their class extra points. Here is a picture of some of the kids in Madison's class in their spirit colors (Madison's eyes are shut, but it's still a cute picture)




Here is a picture, taken after school, of Madison, Andy and Kolten making silly faces together for the last time before Andy moves.


A sweet friend of mine, Amy, brought dinner over to us since I was feeling so under the weather. I am so thankful for her thoughtfulness because I just don't know what I would have done for the dinner had she not so generously made it for us. The kids and I ate, watched part of Sound of Music and then I had to cut it short because I was in such dire need of going to bed. The kids were great though. They both fell sleep within 5 minutes of being put to bed (which is not always the case) and I went to bed at 7:45...so not much else to report.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Nerd Alert

So today has been interesting. I woke up feeling crummy, so I decided that after I dropped Madison off at school I was going to run to Jamba Juice and get a Cold Buster (which I learned has been renamed to  Orange C-Booster). Once I did this, I felt much better. I even went to the Mission Valley Mall with Kristyle and walked around for about an hour and a half. We definitely spent most of our time in Target! I must say that my inner nerd came out though because I discovered that Disney has a new line of "big kid" puzzles. I had to get one for myself. I had forgotten just how much I love puzzles until recently when Madison has been asking for my help with her bigger puzzles. These Disney puzzles are 1,000 pieces and kind of the old fashion style drawings. They didn't have too many choices, so I picked the best one of the ones they had, which was a vintage Snow White. I am excited to start this puzzle!



Then I came home and gave Hudson a quick snack and we were out the door to walk to school (it was a gorgeous day...mid 70's). Had a great walk to school, but then it hit me. I started to feel crummy again, but this time worse than I did when I first woke up and we still had 2.5 miles to go to get home. Once we were home and the kids were in quiet time,  I enjoyed about an hour and a half nap, but still woke up feeling bleh!

The kids received two HUGE packages from Alex (last night) from the United Through Reading Program, so I plopped the DVD in and let the kids sit and watch/listen to Alex read them stories.





Then it was shower/bath time and dinner. Thankfully, the kids were very cooperative. Bedtime went very smoothly and then I hopped in the shower hoping to feel better. I do, a little, but still feel under the weather. As much as I am looking forward to starting my puzzle, I think it will have to wait until this weekend because my bed is calling my name. Good night friends!

***Please continue to pray that Tori would wake up! This is the biggest prayer request right now! Thank you***

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Super Star

We had an exciting morning! Madison was selected to be a Super Star of the month for her classroom (usually two to three kids are chosen per month). The awards assembly was this morning! Madison was so happy. It was very cute to see her so proud of her accomplishment. Alex and I are so proud of our baby girl and the amazing little learner she is and is continuing to become! I pray that she always has the love for school and learning that has right now!




Here is the video (my friend Kristyle was kind enough to video for me so that I could take pictures) of Madison receiving her award from her teacher, Mr. Ray and then shaking the principal's hand:


The rest of the day was pretty laid back. I had a doctor's appointment. Then, Hudson and I came home, ate lunch, and played for a little bit before having to leave to pick Madison up. 

After quiet time, Brittney and I took the kids on a nice 3 mile walk and had some good talk time as our schedules have both been busy lately and haven't really left much time for us to hang out. So thankful for my friendship with her and looking forward to many more years of long walks and great conversation!

Tonight will be a quiet evening, might even go to bed a little early! :)

**Please continue to pray for Tori to wake up and for her parents, Tim and Tammy, as they are in the process of praying through what the next steps are and researching transferring Tori out to Southern California. Thank you all for your prayers for my sweet friend and her family!**

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Refiner's Fire

This morning was another chilly morning (33 degrees once again)! I am definitely ready for our warmer weather to come back and according to the forecast I might be in luck! :)

Hudson has a cough that sometimes sounds like a normal cough and other times it sounds down right nasty. I opted not to take him to the Y today, just in case he has something. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow, so he's going to tag along and get a quick check as well! I need to get these kids back to good health...life gets complicated when they're sick, not to mention it is so hard to watch your kiddos be sick! Anyway, so Hudson and I headed straight to Trader Joe's!!!! Oh how I love my Trader Joe's shopping trips! For my sanity, I pray I always live near one!

When we arrived home from Trader Joe's I had an email from Alex with a new picture!!!! LOVE getting new pictures of him.



Madison had a GREAT day at school today and she was extra excited that today was Tuesday, which means gymnastics. It warms my heart to see the glow in her eyes and the joy on her face each and every time we get to gymnastics. I am so happy that she is loving it as much as she does. We registered her for her first Progressive Competition today (It will be mid-February)! She is crazy excited about it! She will be competing on the floor, beam, and bars. We are already trying to decide what leotard she will wear (although I am thinking that I might try to find her a new one as part of her Valentine's Day gift).

This is Madison just before class, enjoying some yummy crushed ice from Coffee Bean!



Hudson was a trooper today. Since he couldn't go in child care, he sat in his stroller and watched Madison during her lesson. He had some snacks and water to help tide him over.



Tonight, after I put Hudson to bed, Madison and I put together one of her 100 piece Disney Puzzles. Tonight Madison chose her Tinkerbell one. I love getting to spend that extra 1 on 1 time with Madison when Hudson goes to bed a little bit early (which has happened a few times recently because of his cold...or whatever he has). Madison gets better and better each time we put a puzzle together, but I love that she still seeks me out to help her and to spend time with her. Here is our completed puzzle:


This time with Madison, while Alex has been away, has been so precious. I am so thankful for this season of life. I know that might sound strange and don't get me wrong, I miss Alex more than I could ever truly express with words, but there has been something extra sweet about this time. Madison and I are very similar and so we can tend to butt heads, but God is so faithful. During this time, God has grown Madison and I closer together and knitted the most amazing bond between us. I just love and adore my baby girl. We have grown in our relationship in so many ways, the biggest of them being in how we communicate with each other. Madison and I are both very emotional beings and so sometimes conflict between us spirals out of control rather quickly. I had been praying for God to refine my character and to grow me in this area, specifically with regard to Madison long before we even knew Alex was going to deploy. While obviously I'd prefer my family to be whole, God has been doing some pretty amazing things in and through my life since Alex has left.  I am sincerely leaning on and trusting in God with everything and going to Him first. I don't have Alex here to talk to at night, so I get to spend many extra hours in conversation with my beloved, the way God had always intended it. It is through these times that I can feel God molding and shaping my heart in ways to help me be more and more like Him, specifically with my children. I am so thankful for the blessings in my life and for the lessons God has been using to teach and to refine me.

Let me close with these lyrics from an old worship song, but one that is near and dear to my heart:

Refiner's Fire
by: Brian Doerksen

Purify my heart
Let me be as gold and precious silver
Purify my heart
Let me be as gold, pure gold
Refiner's fire
My heart's one desire
Is to be holy
Set apart for You, Lord
I choose to be holy
Set apart for You, my Master
Ready to do Your will
Purify my heart
Cleanse me from within
And make me holy
Purify my heart
Cleanse me from my sin
Deep within

I hope that you all are having a wonderful week.


***Please keep praying for Tori to wake up! Thank you friends!!!***



Monday, January 14, 2013

Simple, but Lovely

Today was simple, but lovely!

This morning was interesting. I dropped Madison off, but when Hudson and I got back to the car, it wouldn't unlock. For the last week or so, when it's been super cold in the morning, I've had trouble getting to the doors to unlock with the clicker, but eventually it always did. Well, this morning (in 33 degree weather) the car would not unlock. I tried everything. Anyway, I called the Honda Service department and they helped me. Needless to say, now I will be using Alex's keys until I can go get my other key looked at (the guy on the phone thinks something might be wrong with the circuit board based on some questions I answered).

Once we were back in the car, Hudson and I headed to the Y. It felt so good to get back to my normal workout schedule. After the Y, we headed home. I did a bunch of chores around the house, but other than that it was a pretty quiet morning.

We also had a pretty slow evening, but once the kids were in bed my sweet girlie Alexis came over. Alexis and I had a great conversation. I always love our visits and look forward to the next one!

Hoping that tomorrow morning, the car door opens with Alex's key! :) Hope you all had a lovely day.

**Please pray for Tori as she recovers from some surgeries she had today. Please continue to pray for her to wake up and for God to heal the left side of her brain! Thank you**

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Lovely Weekend!

Today was a very nice end to a lovely weekend.

We went to church and then came home, played for a little bit and then enjoyed a nice lunch. During the kids quiet time, I watched the movie Emma (the one with Gwyneth Paltrow). I really enjoyed it. I love the story of Emma in general and was excited to watch this rendition!

The kids then went to AWANAS tonight. Hudson made a cute little boy because tonight their lesson was on how "God Loves Me." It was so cute! When I picked him up, his teacher asked him who God loves and Hudson responded with "Meeee." Madison earned her red jewel 3 and green jewel 3 tonight. She is almost done with her book. She is super excited about that!

After the kids went to bed, I started the Golden Globes...there is about a half hour left now. I know I missed the beginning (I might go back and watch a little bit of the second airing of it), but so far what I've seen has been really classy and entertaining. I am however, very much looking forward to my next episode in Once Upon A Time that is on soon as well!

Hope you're all having a lovely end to this beautiful weekend.

**Please continue to pray for Tori**

Saturday, January 12, 2013

The Kids and Their Loot!

So, this morning was glorious! The kids both slept in!!!! I was able to sleep in (for me, which was 7:00) and still get up and have time to get up and do my morning devotion before the kids got up! It was glorious I tell you :)

Anyway, once we started our day, we ran to the post office to mail off our tax organizer! :) Yahoo!!! And then we headed to the mall. I had high hopes of finding my homecoming outfit today after all of my research on line last night, but I came home empty handed. Several of the stores didn't have things I found on line, but wanted to try on in person. Also, several of the items I found in person, were slightly different colors than they appeared on line and didn't really go with my overall theme. :/

Once I was done shopping, we grabbed some lunch at Boudin's and then we went to The Disney Store (the kids had gift cards from Christmas). They each made out like bandits. With Madison's gift cards she bought a Tinkerbell Keychain for her backpack, a Tangled reusable sticker book, and a "Boo" doll (from Monster's Inc) that talks. She still has $5 left...she was a good spender today. Hudson bought a Lightening McQueen flashy spinny car thing, a Toy Story car with Woody on it, a Mickey Mouse Camera, and the Peter Pan movie (he reordered it and it will be in on the 5th of February). He broke even. The kids were so cute picking out all of their items today. We walked the store once and then went back to the front and walked it again and gathered the items that were wanting to be purchased.



After we were back home and I'd put Hudson down for his nap, Madison and I spent the better part of two hours cleaning out and reorganizing everything in her room (well, almost everything). Then, she had her quiet time and I cleaned up the kitchen and looked for more homecoming outfits. 

We went to the park, but it was freezing, so that was short lived. We then came home and had dinner and had a quiet evening. 

Looking forward to church tomorrow and possibly going to a few more stores and then AWANAS in the evening!

**Please keep the prayers going for Tori, same as yesterday! Thank you!**

Friday, January 11, 2013

The Snowman Song

This morning when I went in to Madison's room to wake her up, the first words out of her mouth were, "Do I have to stay home with you today or can I go to school?" She was elated when I told her she could go to school. That girl sure doesn't like being out of school!

I was so happy for her that she was able to go and participate in the class song at their school Tribal Meeting. I was also excited because it was Friday, which meant I was able to be back in the classroom volunteering.

Here is a picture of Madison, in her classroom, with her tambourine just before lining up to go to the tribal meeting to sing "The Snowman Song" as Madison calls it:


Here is the video. It was hard to get close because there were classes in front of me. Unfortunately, they had Madison's class sit down, just before the performance started, so it's hard to see her, but she's sitting just behind the two girls in the pink and red coats and the separate shortly after they start and you can see Madison sitting playing her tambourine. Sorry that the volume is slightly low...the kids started out singing pretty soft and then they increased the volume at the end. 



Here is Madison next to two of her buddies: Bryce and Jane, just after they had finished performing.


Madison's school is having Kindness week this week. One of the things they're doing is on the back of each classroom door is a BIG poster board that kids, teachers, and parents can write kind things on about anyone in that class. 

I wrote Madison a little note as I was leaving the classroom this morning, after I was done volunteering:



When I came to pick her up, this is what I found (look in the middle of the picture):



Madison has such a sweet heart!

This evening I attended a special military dinner, at my church, with a bunch of my friends. Because Alex is stationed out of Pendleton, I don't get to go to any get togethers with wives from the same unit that Alex is deployed with, so it was fun to go to this military marriage seminar/dinner with a bunch of my friends! :) We discussed the book, Love and War by John and Stasi Eldredge. I haven't read the book, but I have read books by both of these authors. We had a lovely dinner and then watched a short clip about the book and then had a little discussion about how to protect our marriages in general, but more specifically dealing with the issues that tend to come up within the military. It was a lovely evening with lovely people. 

Now I am home, the kids are in bed, and I'm getting ready to start my Friday night show, "Fringe." There are only a few episodes left in the series. I can't wait to find out how it all ends! :)

Happy Friday! Hope you all have a blessed weekend!

**Please continue to pray for Tori to wake up, for God to heal the left side of her brain and for her to begin consistently breathing more on her own. Thank you!**

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Quiet Day; Part 2

Today was very similar to yesterday.

We all slept in and after breakfast we watched a plethora of movies. We had a lot of fun, but today was harder to keep Madison calm and resting, but I guess that is a good thing. It means she's starting to feel better.

Madison woke up with a slight fever, but after one dose of ibuprofen, it was gone and didn't return for the rest of the day. Yay!!!! She can go to school tomorrow! She's so excited!!! I am just praying that her fever doesn't randomly return in the middle of the night because she will be devastated. She wants so badly to sing her song with the rest of the class tomorrow.

This afternoon, our friend/doctor ran a rapid growth throat culture on Hudson for me and it came back NEGATIVE!!!! Yahoo!!!! Today was filled with great news.

I'm excited because Madison gets to go to her special thing at school tomorrow and I get to go to a special military dinner at church tomorrow night. I am so excited for it because a bunch of my friends are going and it's going to be a lovely evening!

Oh, and another great thing that happened today: I found the kids' homecoming outfits!!!! Yay!!!! Now to find mine! Well, I'm off to start hunting!

Oh and one more thing I just thought of that added to my great day: I finished filling out tax organizer and getting all of the paperwork together! Now I just have to get it all in the mail!!! Yay!!! Maybe I'll even have our tax return before Alex gets home...I know, wishful thinking, but maybe :)

Hope you have a great evening!


**Please keep praying for Tori, things are starting to look better, but there is still a LONG road ahead of her. Please pray for God's COMPLETE healing of the left side of her brain and for her to wake up! Thank you!!!**

Wednesday, January 09, 2013

Quiet Day

So, this morning when Madison woke up, her cheeks were flushed and I could just tell something wasn't right. Well, sure enough, when I took her temperature, it was just over 102. So, I called our ENT to see if her throat culture had come back yet, before I made an appointment with our Primary Care Physician (who also happens to be a wonderful friend). Thankfully our ENT had received the results this morning (crazy that the full culture takes so long) and she has a pretty heafty dose of Strep A. The good thing was that this saved us a trip to the doctor's office. We were able to go straight to the pharmacy and pick up her antibiotics (she is on a double dose of cefdinir twice a day for the next ten days).

Needless to say, today was a fairly quiet day. We pretty much just lounged around and watched movies all day. Madison went back and forth between feeling yucky and feeling fine all day, but just after dinner (which we ate sort of early tonight) her fever spiked back up. I have her some ibuprofen and she watched the end of Little Mermaid and then around 6:00 she asked if she could go to bed. I knew she wasn't feeling good when she asked to go to bed. Praying she gets a wonderful night's sleep and wakes up feeling like brand new. (I am also praying that Hudson doesn't catch it).

We are hopeful that Madison will wake up fever free tomorrow and then she'll be able to go to school on Friday. Her class is performing a song at their tribal meeting which happens only once a month. This is the one and only time her class will get to perform all year. Madison was very upset that she didn't get to go to school today and was almost in tears this evening when she asked if she would be going to school tomorrow and I had to tell her no. Praying that tomorrow is a day of health and recovery, so that Friday can bring smiles before the weekend!

Also, thank you to my friend Amy, who was so thoughtful and brought me over subway for dinner. Now I am watching the movie "Safe." Anyone seen it? So far it seems pretty good!


Tuesday, January 08, 2013

What a Great Surprise!!!!!

Today was a great day!

Hudson and I took Madison to school. Then we stayed and talked with our friend Kristyle for a little while. Love a wonderful conversation between two friends. :) Then, Hudson and I headed home. I put him down for a nap and then I did my Jillian Michael's workout video along with all of my other ab and tricep exercises.



It's Tuesday, so that means it's a gymnastics day and because of this we drove to pick Madison up. Madison's regular coach wasn't there today, but they had an awesome sub. She didn't go lightly on the girls. She pushed them and stretched them harder than I've seen them work before. They did a lot of new things on the beam today.

Walking forward on the beam up on tippy toes:


Walking backwards on the beam:


Here is a video of Madison practicing jumping up on the beam from the floor and then also working on her hand placement on the beam as they increase their upper body strength by hopping back and forth:


After gymnastics, we came home and I began working on dinner (taco salads). I was able to get both of the kids fed and put the bed, but I am still working on my salad, even as I type (almost two hours now after it was prepared...good things it's salad). While beginning to unwind from our day (and trying to finish my salad) I decided to light my lovely candle (a gift from my bestie). It's scent is heavenly! I am sad it's almost gone...I will have to hunt for it!


While enjoying the lovely aroma of my candle, eating dinner and checking a few things on the computer, there was a knock at my door. When I looked to see who it was, I saw a FedEx truck in my driveway and a delivery man at my door. I received the most wonderful, amazing surprise. My dear friend Jamee (we've been friends for almost 14 years) sent me the sweetest care package. I will start at the top of the picture and go across and work my way down. She sent me an original Jamee Block Piece of Artwork (framed and all), which I've already hung on my kitchen/dining room wall. I just LOVE it! She also sent me some darling folders and the most beautiful of journals (for those of you that don't know, I'm kind of obsessed with journals and go through quite a few of them each year). She sent me the most touching card and on the front is says, "Every single day, do something that makes your heart sing." Her words inside were very special to me and truly touched my heart. She sent Madison the most fashionable little apron. I just know she's going to jump up and down when she sees it tomorrow morning. She sent me the most perfect bracelet that reads, "Let your light shine" AND it has a HEART on it (as I mentioned in a recent post, I am kind of obsessed). Last, but certainly not least, she sent Hudson little Robot nesting dolls that are seriously amazing! Jamee, your kindness and thoughtfulness came at such a perfect time and was an amazing blessing tonight. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Love you friend!




***Please continue to pray for Tori! Thank you to my faithful prayer warriors***


Monday, January 07, 2013

Black Belt

Today Madison started back to school and thus our weekly routine has started once again! Yay!!!! Madison had so much fun being back at school; this apple didn't fall far from the tree. I always loved going back to school after any sort of break. Madison was overjoyed to come home with her reading folder and to have a book to read to me tonight. It was cute. Her book was a short play. Each of the characters were animals and she read each animal in a different voice! She is such a joy!

Hudson and I went to the Y this morning and then to the Post Office. We mailed Alex his first care package from us for 2013 and contained within was his new Black Belt, that he earned last week, but was unable to get from supply. I am so proud of my hubby! He amazes me every day!

Today was a good mail day. I received a letter from my love (it's a thick one...yay...can't wait to read it). I also received our Tax Organizer, just waiting on a few pieces of mail to come in and then I can get that sent off and be done with our taxes.

Now I am off to read my wonderful letter and then to watch my shows that are starting tonight! :) So happy it's Monday!

Sunday, January 06, 2013

Simple Day

Today was a simple day! We got up and went to church. Then, we headed to the Exchange to pick up some things for Alex's next care package! :) I am super excited to make the next one after this because it will be the Valentine's Day one and for those of you who have known me even for a day, know that I LOVE hearts, so I sort of enjoy this holiday!

After we were done shopping, we came home and had a nice lunch. Then we all had a nice quiet time. I watched G.I. Jane! I haven't seen this movie in forever, but I really enjoy it when I get to watch it!

AWANAS started back up tonight, and it's at a new time! :) So, the kids were super excited to have that to do tonight. It was nice having AWANAS start back up because it was the start of us getting back into our routine and when we're in routine the weeks tend to fly by! :) I have been working extra hard to fill up my weekends too, so I am looking forward to all of the fun stuff we have coming up.

Right now it's a rainy evening, so I am getting ready to go change into my pajamas, grab a blanket, get some hot tea and snuggle up on the couch and watch two of my favorite shows: Once Upon a Time and Biggest Loser!

Hope you all had a wonderful day and that this week is full of blessings!

***Those of you still praying for Taylore's sister Tori, please continue to do so. Her body needs to do a lot of healing. Here are some things to pray for: the swelling in her brain to go down and to stay down, for her not to get pneumonia, for her to wake up, and for COMPLETE healing.

Saturday, January 05, 2013

What A 'Crock' :)

This morning our day started out pretty normal: got up, ate breakfast, went the Y, went to Trader Joe's, came home, ate lunch, and then quiet time, but today was no ordinary day. A dear friend of mine from high school (I was doing the math and I believe we've been friends for about 16 years now) married his soulmate!

While I was at the wedding, our wonderful babysitter and friend, Alexis, came over to watch the kids for me.  She took some cute pictures of the kids...here are a couple of them while they were eating their snack. The one of Hudson is yet another one of his "cheese" faces.




The Wedding was simply beautiful! It was a small intimate wedding overlooking the water. It was at Paradise Point Spa and Resort! It was gorgeous! The way we were facing, I wasn't able to get many great shots due to the position of the sun, but believe me when I say it was perfect. 

Before the wedding started, James, Dave, and Terry (along with the other groomsmen) came out to mingle for a little bit and I was able to snap a quick picture with these guys before they had to go get ready to walk down the isle. Even in my three inch heels, I was still about a foot shorter than these guys! Some things never change! :) It was great to see these guys. We were all in high school youth group together growing up and over the years we've all kept in touch in some form or another! It had been awhile this time though, since I'd seen all of them. Definitely brings back memories of all the fun we used to have as kids!



Here is James seeing Keri get ready to walk down the isle:


Here is the beautiful Keri and her dad:



Just after saying their vows:


Husband and Wife:


 Cutting of the Cake:



James and Keri, I am so happy for you guys! You are such a beautiful couple and your children are simply adorable! Thank you so much for allowing me to come and celebrate with you guys! I had a blast and wish nothing but the best for you! PS~I hope someone was able to video tape your first dance because it seriously was the best one I've seen at any wedding I've ever been to! Love and hugs!

**If you're wondering about the title of the blog...no worries, it was a throw back to my dear friend...wasn't meant to explain the post**

Friday, January 04, 2013

Hooray For No Tears!!!!

We started our day a little quicker this morning. We got up, ate breakfast and headed to the Y. We were there by 8:10. I needed to be done with my workout in time to get to Pigtails and Crewcuts before they opened. They get crazy busy as soon as they open.

We were the second ones there, but we were in and out pretty quick, about an hour when all was said and done. Hudson received a full on hair cut and Madison had her hair trimmed and shaped. Last time that Hudson had his hair cut, he cried through the whole thing, but this time, not a single tear was shed. He watched the little movie they had on (It's a Bug's Life). He picked to sit in the airplane. He ate the yummy animal crackers they gave him to snack on. He then enjoyed a yummy strawberry lollipop. He had the works! I absolutely loved the lady who cut his hair, Tammy. She is who gave Madison her very first hair cut! She is so sweet, patient and kind the kiddos.


Before Picture:


During:


After:


Madison is an old pro at getting her hair cut now. She did still get some special treatment though. When they were finished with her hair, they put some pretty pink sparkles in her hair. I tried to get a picture, but I couldn't get the sparkles to look like anything other than a bunch of sand in her hair, so I deleted them all. I did get some cute before and after pictures though.

Before:


After:



Here's our InstaGram photo:


After the haircuts, we came home and ate lunch. Once lunch was over, we played for a little bit and then Hudson went down for a nap and Madison and I read some more of her Junie B. Jones book. After quiet time, we walked down to Rite Aid with my friend Brittney and her kiddos. When we arrived back home, it was time to start our movie for movie night and then I popped our pizza in the oven. Tonight we watched Tangled. This was my request. We hadn't seen it in a long time and I was in the mood for it. The kids loved it too!