Birthday Party Time!

Today was a busy day spent preparing for Danny's big ole birthday party tonight! To start off the celebration the children and I surprised Danny and took a birthday cake to his Crisis class. His students loved it and so did our little ones!

Then off to my parents home to prepare dinner, Danny's favorite: meatloaf, mac-n-cheese, and green beans!

(draining the meatloaf)

And, finally sitting down to enjoy the birthday dinner. This is about three fourths of our family, just a small dinner party! (D0nna we missed you all!)

Then birthday cake time and time to tell Danny how much we love him--a tradition in my family ever since I can remember. Each person at the table takes a turn and tells the birthday person why or what we love about them. Very sweet indeed!
And then, on to opening gifts. Here, Danny is opening one of the many cards sent to him by his family and friends. BIG time thanks to you all! I didn't know if this "card" idea I emailed many of you about would work, but it did and Danny was SO surprised! Thank you, thank you.

I just need to say, Stan if you read this--you are one funny man! You made us laugh and remember lots of fun stuff--good times, good times!

And, Mark and Lauryn, all I've got to say is "true dat" on the card you sent. It was perfect!

Aunt Carol and Cheri Ann--very creative card! Goodness, I could go on and on--thank you all for sending cards to my Danny!

We sat and opened cards for a while. Danny truly read every one and told my family little stories and memories of EACH of you as he opened them. It was nice to hear his memories!

So now we are home, watching the Country Music Awards. And we are about to enjoy a cup of coffee and hot tea from Danny's new Keurig.

Life is good! Thank you Jesus! It has been a very blessed day!

Happy 40th Birthday My Love!

Happy Birthday to the love of my life! Forty years old! So hard to believe.

For some reason the past few days leading up today I keep thinking of 3 people and thanking God for them. First, Danny's birth mom. What a special gift she gave to so many people when she decided to put him up for adoption! Second, Mr. and Mrs. Logan for adopting Danny, at just a day or two old.

Danny has accomplished so much in his life thanks to our heavenly Father, his birth mother and his parents. Life! They each gave Danny life--each in a different way.

What an incredible man Danny has become in these 40 years. And, I'm not gonna lie to you folks, forty looks mighty fine on him!

Happy birthday my love!

Check back tonight for pictures from the birthday party!

Halloween 2009

So Halloween 2009 has come and gone! Was it just me or did you love Halloween being on Saturday this year?

Without further ado I give you my little Halloween sweets!

My little 11 month old pumpkin.
My all star Tampa Bay Buccaneer.
Sweet Snow White
And, last but not least, my MUSCLE MAN Hero!
Where is Maddie you ask?
Officially TOO old to dress up.
She hung out at my sister Dawn's house and
handed out candy to the trick or treaters.

As I sit here typing, look who I found
rattling paper in the background!

Sweet baby Jane!

Halloween Past

In honor of Halloween, MUWA-HA-HA-HA, I dug up some pretty funny pictures from my past.
First up, Halloween 1996. Danny and had been married for a little over 3 months. We were on our way to a Murder Mystery Dinner and we stopped my my parents to show my sisters and my parents our costumes...and most importantly, to pick up my Halloween treats from my mother... in my hand.

If you have never been to a Murder Mystery Dinner, you have got to get some friends together and do one. THEY ARE A BLAST!!!! Obviously, Danny's and my characters are some type of hoochie momma and a pimp daddy type person!

Next...any guesses who this is?

Halloween 1997, Danny and I, had a big old barn party at my parents house. We had a bonfire and EVERYONE had to dress up. It was again, A BLAST!!! I was a cow, in more ways than one--I was pregnant--imagine that! I cannot remember what Danny was, maybe a farmer???

Anyway, the above picture is of my dear sweet mother, a.k.a. Jenius, a.k.a. Elvira. Some may find it hard to believe, BUT this proper, godly mother of 5 girls REALLY got into Halloween back in the day.

Another great Halloween 1997 costume went to my sister Donna, a.k.a. Mary Catherine Gallagher from SNL.

I give you, Mary Catherine...

...and my other sister Dawn, dressed as a nurse. In the background you will see Princess Leia, a.k.a. Noel of NY Times.

Moving on...

Halloween 1998, heading out to another Murder Mystery Dinner.

Lets see, we have some sort of soldier, a little lady and a sweetheart of an angel. Again we stopped of at my parents to get my Halloween treats and drop off Maddie to be watched by my two high school, "teaching my 10 month old baby girl Brittany Spears songs," sisters, Dolly and Donna.

Okay, I challenge you my fellow bloggers to dig up your funny past Halloween pictures and we will have a HOWWWLING good time laughing at them! I know my sisters have more out there.

Miss Dental Hygienist? Marilyn? The dice?

And in closing I need to say, that tonight is a mile stone in Danny and my life. He is taking our oldest two children to SCAREMARE, a ministry outreach of our church that has been around since I was a little girl. Again I say, MUWAH-HA-HA-HA!!!!

Click here to see what SCAREMARE is all about.

Update: One of my oldest two children did not go to SCAREMARE tonight. I think he made a good choice. The above website is scary enough for me!

Family Picture Day

Today was "Family Picture Day." Usually, a dreaded stressful time for parents, but not for me and Danny. Not when we have the most incredible photographers taking our pictures! Our old friends Rob, Stephanie, Tammy and Mark, of Calling Levi

were in town this weekend, and Tammy and Stephanie, who happen to be sisters, have a photography business called Luminosity . When I heard they were coming in town I quickly asked if they could squeeze in some time to get our pictures and they so graciously said yes.

It was time for us to replace this picture

with another, since

this sweet baby girl came into our family.

Below are some behind the scenes shots our our photo shoot.

Thanks Tammy and Stephanie for taking our pictures! You girls are incredible and VERY funny! It was a fun day!

For our last Luminosity photo shoot, click here.

My Fall Swap Gift!

LONG POST--Sorry!

Yesterday was My Love's fist official day of Fall Break from LU. It was a busy day, and in the midst of it all a sweet and sassy looking delivery girl holding a cute baby boy, came a'knock'in on my kitchen door. It was my sister Dolly and Baby Michael, with my Fall Swap gift from Julie!

Yippee Kie Yay-he-hooo!

I was so excited and started digging into the bags! Then Dolly said, "Whooa Nelly, aren't you gonna get some pictures." I stopped to find my camera, and "Ta daaaa," below is what I received and the notes that were attached to each!

F-Here are some FUNDS!

A-I am helping you ACCUMULATE festive fall decor! Not sure if these (pumpkins) will help compliment your new "Tom Turkey."

L-This fabulous gift is for if you ever have a LAZY day! Let me tell you, these goofy things are all the rave at colleges. Instead of toga parties, they have Snuggle parties. Now, if they just made them with nursing flaps, we'd be all set! (Julie you are so funny/crazy!!!!)

L-L is for LOSER and can't get gifts that go with the fall theme! Check out the bottoms of these comfy things. Perfect to wear to car pool line or just around the house. They're not pretty, but its all about comfort. Put these on with the Snuggly and Danny will be so turned on!

AND if that's not all...

Some how this little accent piece ended up in my bag. I promptly summoned my man Dan to hang it on my freshly painted "pebble gray" kitchen wall. Me likie!


My Review:
Okay, LOVE the Snuggly. It needs to be stated that this is not the "As Seen On TV" Snuggie. IT IS BETTER! Theirs is just a cheap fleece. Mine is nice, soft, chocolate brown, microfiber! I wore it last night and Danny called me Friar-tuck. I didn't care I was so warm and cozy!

The Pumpkins are very nice and although they don't quite go with Tom, they do look good on my kitchen table. Besides, Tom is currently tangled in some grape vine I'm trying to decorate with. It's not working!

Slippers! I could live in slippers-nuff said!

The gift card! Julie, this moved to Georgia/Florida for 7 years and back momma of 5 kiddos needs some new Virgina winter clothes! Thank you so much sweet girl!

And lastly, someone went triple Dub'ya (way,way,way), overboard! Julie Day, you are one special friend! Thank you SO much. You always brighten my day!


Me and Julie 9 years ago at a Pamper Chef party. In this picture, Julie is about 20 pounds heavier than she is NOW (can you believe that?) and I am of course prego with baby #2! Who would'a thunk?

Happy Birthday to Our Dan Dan!

Happy birthday to our Danny Boy! Today Dan Dan is 9 years old. So hard to believe!

We have had a fun fill, pack weekend celebrating! This is a long post with lots of pictures, but for memory sake, here it goes!

On Friday, Danny and I brought pizza and cupcakes to Dan Dan's class.
This is how Danny met me in the parking lot. My mom was so concerned about how I was going to make it from the truck to the school cafeteria with 3 children, and all of my stuff.

My sweet snaggle tooth birthday boy.

My man Dan and sweet Baby Jane.
(BTW, the weekends at LCA and LU are big time spirit days!
There is lots of RED worn on Fridays at school.)

Today, we went to an LU foot ball game.
Then, to my sister Dawn's house for lasagna and a party.
Just a few of the party goers!

Blowing out the candles on his...shhh...store bought cookie cake---I felt so bad, but it has been one CRAZY week. Sorry Dan Dan. Next year we will have a better cake!

Happy Birthday Sweet Boy!