Nice To Meet Ya

Grace could not believe I hadn't added a picture of our new friend.  In the wake of losing our desperately missed Maggie, G and I decided a new hamster was in order....and we decided that a few weeks ago.

 

Meet Sweetie or as I call her, "Cakes".  She is tiny and very, very cute.

Doing Our Part

Just some scenes from our day of delivering Thanksgiving meals to those in need.  Saw some fantastic parts of town and was really proud of my girls for taking an active role in helping out.

 

Full van...the food keeper, Miss Grace...

 

My sidekick, Miss. Eme...

 

The drivers....:)

 

She loved carrying the boxes up to the door...she's in there somewhere...under all that hair....

 

My favorite moment...the first house we dropped off at...this little boy came bounding out of the door, HUGE smile on his face, thanking us over and over...grinning at Grace as he took the box from her...asking if they had colored the pictures that were in the box w/ the food and weren't they great....he was adorable...completely smitten w/ that little guy...what joy....I tried to grab shots of him as quick as I could....

 

He was so excited, I don't think he even noticed the 30 degree weather as he hopped around in bare feet and shorts!!!

 

Now...where is the next one?!

 

Found it!!  Now....if they would just open the door....:)

 

I loved the people that were milling about.  All of our meals were delivered to this particular section of government housing and I loved that so many kids, despite the cold, were out playing...happy, appearing content...with what we all would consider so much less....when all it is really is just another way to live life...not less...just different....(I took these thru the van window because, well, I AM spoiled like that)

 

 

 

 

 

And then...before we knew it...the van was empty!!!

I was proud to share this with my girls.

Thought For the Moment

"Once you know what you want, act on it."

Proud

Grace is part of the Community Service Club at her school and they set up a donation drive this holiday season to provide Thanksgiving dinners to families in need.  They got everyone in the Wheeler community to donate enough for 75 families.  That's amazing!!  Last night after school, some of the kids in the club stayed after school to organize the boxes of food and hand them off to the families in need.

 

This is the face I found when I came to pick her up.  She LOVED it!

 

The Christmas donation project that the club is setting up is the Giving Tree....providing gifts for families in need.  After organizing the turkey meals, they settled in to make signs for the Giving Tree.

 They then got to hang their sign wherever they wanted to in the school.

 

Love to see her enthusiasm for such a good cause.

 

Hanging the ornaments w/ the gift ideas written on them...

Done. :) 

John Mayer Live at Pinnacle Bank Arena

He really is damn talented.

Tears and Goosebumps For Me!

They say you don't choose who you love, you just do.  Can't choose what gets to you, it just does.

Haven't seen this guy in over 3 yrs..haven't listened to him in a long time either, but man.....felt like home. :)  Realized just how much his music makes up a part of who I am...what it has helped me thru...and how much it means to me.  You are lucky to get touched by someone or something at all in this life....lucky me.

He's good people. xo 

The First of the Season

Clash of the Seasons.....Autumn, meet Winter....

 

First snowfall of the season...small, but pretty....the sunrise was glorious and G stepped out into it right away....love her tracks in the snow....

Just love the way the snow sparkles. :)

I LOVE the changing of seasons....just when I get bored....Mother Nature spices it up...

Thought For the Moment

Make that coffee a hot chocolate w/ peppermint schnapps and AMEN!!!

 

And I Quote

Me:  "The One Direction movie comes out on DVD on Dec 17th, perfect timing for Christmas...you should ask for it for Christmas."

Grace:  "Can I have the movie on DVD?"

Me:  "Yeah...ask for it for Christmas."

Grace:  "I just did."

We always think our own kids are the smartest, wittiest, funniest, etc and that's exactly as it should be, but I am often floored by how clever Miss. Grace is.  Honestly.  She is smart w/ her words, at the age of nine has mastered the art of sarcasm(is that a good thing?)...I forget she is nine!!  The best thing is she always says things w/ such a straight face...it's the BEST!  The above is a weak example, but oh, it made me smile.  She puts me in my place so often...I LOVE it. :)

Pancake Man

Good times for the girls at Grace's school tonight....the Pancake Man and the first night of the Book Fair. 

 

Good times for me because I didn't have to worry about dinner.

 

Can you tell she had been crying?  It's true...she and I were late getting in due to her little tantrum in the car while I waited just outside the car for her to get herself together.  Sigh.  Proud moment.

Brought along G's pal Leah.

Oh, yeah...these guys were there, too. :)

 

What do you know....found some other friends...Olivia and Madi....

G showed off her classroom to Papa....(Mawk has already seen it)

At the bookfair, the girls showed me their special handshake...

She's just a wannabe...she didn't really know the handshake....

And I Quote

"I don't want you to be killed until I'm killed.  Okay, Mommy?"

 

Ahhh...you talked me into...okay. xoxo

Thought For the Moment

“There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” —Nelson Mandela

And I Quote

"It's a perfect day!"

"Why?"

"Because we have bacon!"

That's my foodie.

Thought For the Moment

And I Quote

"Life is nothing and nothing is life" - Emerson

 

 

What?

 

Did I give birth to a mini Buddha or something? 

 

Thought For the Moment

I admit, I laughed

Happy Birthday, Dad xo

Thought For the Moment

Thought For the Moment

Seriously.

 

Thought For the Moment

"Remember, being yourself is the only way to find out who truly cares and loves you for you."
- Unknown