POSSIBLY THE LONGEST POST I'VE EVER MADE...BUT WORTH IT

Just finished this for my baby's 16th birthday - it's a Creative Memories idea, adapted from the book by Max Lucado. Lots of searching through pictures, making copies, getting layout ideas, colored papers and stickers and even the Cricut machine went into it! I made these for my other two kids at this age, so I guess I'm officially finished with this project. I'm sure my son will appreciate it someday (even if he didn't act thrilled when he opened it the other night)!

LUAU TIME FOR MY (GASP!) 16 YR OLD BABY...

Wasn't he a cute little tyke?
The wonderfully dressed party hosts...not sure why the guests didn't wear their muu-muus!!
So I bribed them into wearing leis for a picture!
Some of our delicious party fare: Hot ham buns!
Incredible chocolate chip oreo brownie bars! Yep, you heard right. 3 layers of chocolatey goodness. Find the recipe HERE.
"Little bit of beach" banana pudding cups! A favorite I learned from Family Fun magazine long ago, if I remember correctly!
Close up for you if you haven't seen these before: a layer of vanilla wafers, banana pudding, wafer crumbs, and topped with a paper parasol and bouncy ball!
They actually stayed in the pool a long time - playing Sharks and minnows, Marco polo, and with the big ball!
And I guess it's not a party until something gets broken...and that happened to be the diving board spring. It got quite a workout at the party and finally gave up the ghost 2 1/2 hours into it. (You can tell it was time, though, see all the rust? So we couldn't be too mad at the kids...)

SO NOW JUST CROSS YOUR FINGERS FOR THE DRIVING TEST TO COME!

LETTING GO...

again. My 19 year old son is taking off today for just a little 3 1/2 week singing tour out to California and back! It's kinda scary, I'll admit. This group of 7 singers ages 19-24, driving and being responsible for themselves, a van and a trailer, keeping a schedule, representing the university. I keep reminding myself that I was responsible enough to marry at age 19, they are responsible enough to do this!!!
I was happy to live here, close by, to see them off. My son actually asked me to help make some little curtains for sun shields. So I was busy yesterday, putting together some make-shift curtains. Found these great hooks at Ross, then got some bargain upholstery fabric at Hancock's, and voila! Curtains. Who needs special buttonhole openings for the hooks? Just a little hole with an ice pick. Surely they'll hold up (fingers crossed!). I confess, I flunked making buttonholes. Maybe I never got any instruction on that. I did do zippers!

What do you think? Now taking orders for van curtains...

Prayers for all young people out there going on adventures this summer!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY BABY, GOT YOU ON MY MIND...

I don't know who sang that song, but I always liked that accapella part at the beginning...yes, we are celebrating 28 years today! Pretty crazy! But I decided I must do a post about this, because for one thing, it's a THURSDAY. And we got married on a THURSDAY. Maybe not so weird today. But let me tell you, it was a little odd back then to have a church wedding on a Thursday. Why, pray tell, would we do that? Mostly because I wanted my wedding anniversary on the 23rd. Our first date was on the 23rd, and I wanted our anniversary to be on that date also. And because I always thought it would be weird to get married on a Saturday, then have to get up and go to church the next morning, after well, you know, spending the night in sin...yeah, maybe my thinking was a little warped back then (give me a break, I was barely 19!). Other different things I did: my bridesmaids held little hurricane globes with lit candles instead of bouquets; I had fresh flowers on the wedding cake - didn't want any little plastic bride and groom.
Anyway, maybe sometime I'll write 28 things I've learned in 28 years, but that sounds like too much work...all I can say is that we've had our ups and downs but if it wasn't for our mutual belief in God and the church it would have been a lot harder. We have served in different ministries and reared (almost) 3 kids to love Him also. That is really the binding that holds us together. I love you, DW! Here's to 28 more!

LET ME INTRODUCE YOU TO...

"Avenue Brigade!" Personally, I think we could call them "Four Cute Guys." Probably wouldn't get them any gigs, though! These guys have been meeting once a week and playing together since last year. They are from the OKC Metro area and 3 of them met at a local music camp.
Fortunately the drummer's parents own Bricktown Events Center, so they practice there frequently. They have their first gig coming up....at the State Fair! We have signed a contract. So it's happening. And I sense a lot more practicing before the fair comes!

CURSE YOU HIGH WINDS...

REASSURANCE ON THE ROAD OF LIFE...

was the wonderful message received at our ladies' quarterly RefresHER tonite! Once again, I was blessed so much by the thought and preparation that went into the evening. The ROAD TRIP theme was really pertinent and fun! I had met our speaker previously, and knew she had undergone surgery for a brain tumor, but that wasn't all!!! If you're ever feeling sorry for yourself, just remember this incredible lady and it'll snap you right out of it! She also shared how her life with her first husband took a detour when he died of pancreatic cancer at age 28. Her 2nd husband has recently been battling prostate cancer. Through it all she has been able to let "Jesus take the wheel!"

Her class rallied around the theme, just take a look:
The road safety crew checking us in...
Jane the traffic cop blew her whistle at us!
Our awesome speaker and her young friend
Wonder where those signs came from???
Map placemats
We each received a luggage tag and a book of encouraging scriptures. In addition to that, one lucky person at each table won a gas or Sonic gift card!

Thanks be to God for Ladies' nights!

BIRTHDAY CAKE FAIL...

My DH's attempt at one of my favorites: a dark chocolate cake with ganache. Just FYI, UNSWEETENED chocolate is not the same as BITTERSWEET chocolate. It was inedible. Spit out in the sink gross. He did manage to scrape off the ganache and salvage the cake somewhat...
BIRTHDAY CAKE SUCCESS: My favorite dessert - 12 layer chocolate cake with ganache at El Chico! I know it comes from some food service, but I absolutely love it, and it's been my favorite for almost 10 years. I don't know what I'll do if they ever take it off the menu!!!
ONE HAPPY BIRTHDAY GIRL!

TIME EXPERIMENT...

I decided since I survived on the mission trip without a phone (mine broke), email, facebook, and blogging time that maybe I could gain a lot more time to do things if I kept it up. So....I am restricting myself to 1 hour a day on the computer!

It's 12:40 p.m. and I have been on the computer 35 minutes today so far. We'll see how long I can keep it up! Next time I want to browse recipes and blogs that will be hard!

Do you all do anything special to make sure the computer doesn't dominate your life???

THE BEST 6 DAYS OF MY LIFE IN A L-O-N-G TIME...

was spent last week with the 9/10th graders from our church on a mission trip to Albuquerque. Not only were they tireless workers, we had fun together and the nightly devos were pretty incredible. One of the highlights of the trip for everyone, I think, was Friday night when our meeting room in the hotel was NOT AVAILABLE to us for the devo. Our youth minister found out a family was using it because someone in their family had been accidentally electrocuted and was at the hospital (they were from out of town). We moved our devo out to the parking lot and then our YM felt the spirit leading him to do something for this family. He talked to them and then asked all 60 of us to come into the meeting room to sing, pray and encourage this tearful family. It was an incredible experience and many tears were shed. We then finished our devo in the lobby and the kids wanted to do more so they all gave and last I knew, $507 was collected to give to the family. I ended up at Walmart at midnight buying a couple of cards so the kids could sign them and put the $ inside. This act taught our kids more than any sermon ever could. I am so thankful I was able to be a part of this week of service and for our incredible youth ministers!!!