Where did THIS day come from?

Oh my goodness, is it Friday already? If this is how the summer is gonna be, I'm not ready! This week has FLOWN by. Sheesh!

But I will say that this week has reminded me of summers past. As you know, Markell has spent this week with us. It has been really nice having him here. Jayla just ADORES him. There have been several times that I've walked in a room to see what they are doing, and Jayla is either sitting on his lap, climbing on his back or trying to kiss him. It's so funny! And every so often, I'm having to get on them for running up and down the halls. If Markell looks at Jayla funny, like he's about to "get her", she starts screaming and laughing...LOUDLY!!! So needless to say, I've had to get use to that again. But it's been fun.

As I mentioned, on Monday, Mister M. was home for the holiday and he cooked on the grill. Man, we had that delicious grilled chicken, brats, potato salad and baked beans for 3 days straight. YUMMY!!! On Tuesday, when Mister M. got home from work, he advised us that he'd be working from home for the rest of the week. SWEET!!! I love when he's here.

Also on Tuesday, it was so beautiful here. I think it was about 85 degrees, give or take. So me and the kids went down to the pool. They had a great time.

Markell is so protective of Jayla...he just doesn't want anyone to know that :-). Anytime she'd cough or make ANY noise while they were in the pool, he's quickly go see if she was alright. Jayla is trying to get use to the water getting in her face and SWEARS that she holds her breath under water for HOURS at a time :-). And the couple of times that she'd loose her footing or would go under the water a little bit; Markell was right there. And Jayla would tell me, "Mom, Markell saved my life again!" They are so sweet together.

Earlier that day, I had to run to Hobby Lobby (Yes,I said I HAD to, lol). Every few minutes, I'd hear Jayla say, "Hey Markell, guess what? I need a kiss!" And he'd bend down, give her a kiss then pick her up and carry her for a few minutes. Anyway, I'm gonna cry if I keep going over in my mind (and typing to you guys), how they've just enjoyed eachother so much this week.

Yesterday, Markell went and spent the day with one of his old soccer buddies. They had a great time together. And that was the perfect time for me to wash and braid Jayla's hair. She's so cute :-).Today, we are going to our favorite place to have ice cream. Then I'll get to wash my own hair later on today...ARGH!!!

Anyway, it's been a really fun week here with Markell. I'm gonna miss him when he leaves tomorrow. It's been really cool going into the room where he slept and finding this....

EARLY one morning, Jayla snuck down the hall and jumped in bed with Markell. But that only happened once, as he started locking the door, LOL. Cute nonetheless.

Hey, have any of you ever had these before?

Oh my goodness, you guys...they are SOOO yummy! I got them from Walmart. But now that I may have to change my shopping ways (Thanks, BEM), I had to grab the big bag so they'd last a while, lol. This and the dried fruit and nuts trail mix is the snack of us soccer moms. YUMM-O!

Anyway, I think that's all I've got for today. Do you guys have any big plans for the weekend? I don't think we do. Other than Jayla going to a birthday party on Sunday afternoon. Well, whatever ya'll do, have fun and be careful. Oh, and before I forget...here's your FIX!

Take care!

Ummm, BBQ & other ramblings

Happy Memorial Day, everyone. Oh how I love an excuse to fire up the ole grill. Ok, ok...let me rephrase that. Ahem...Oh how I love an excuse for me not to have to cook. Ok, that's better, lol.


The summer is the one season that Mister M. does not mind cooking. Although some people don't consider "grilling" actually "cooking". Call it what you will...Mister M. is doing it and I don't have to, lol. As a matter of fact, he won't even let me go near the grill. That's the "MAN OVEN". Fine with me. I just love the results. I love the taste of anything grilled. Well, almost anything.

Guess what? Markell is coming over today. He'll actually be spending the entire week with us. I'm really looking forward to seeing him. I think Thanksgiving was the last time we saw him. I'm gonna try and find a day to hook him up with some of his old soccer buddies this week. That should be a fun reunion.

Oh darn, I just remembered something. In my last post I talked about the soccer tournament we went to in Columbus. But in all my "venting" about the crazy fans, I forgot to share something with you. I'm sure Cheryl was wondering where this was...Yep, the infamous hotel bed jumping photos :-). This is Jayla and her friend, Jordan. Jordan and her family were in a room just down the hall from us. So the first night we were there, I went to their room and asked if I could "borrow" Jordan for a minute. As our family has a hotel tradition that I'd like her to join in with us. You should have seen Jordan's face when I told her she COULD jump on the bed, lol. She said, "Seriously??" lol. Anyway, there you have it.

So, did you guys have a nice weekend? Today doesn't feel like a Monday/Holiday to me. Most of the day, I've been thinking it was Sunday. I mean, we went to church yesterday. But still, today feels like a Sunday. I LOVE Sundays!!!

On Saturday, we surprised some dear friends of ours. Shanna and her family live about an hour away. We've been exchanging emails quite a bit recently. And in one, she mentioned that her oldest daughter was graduating from high school. They were having a party for her on Saturday and said "if" we could, to drop by. Well, being that we haven't seen them in FOREVER, I thought we'd surprise them. And by FOREVER, I mean just that. The daughter that graduated, we haven't seen since she was about 3 years old. Their middle daughter is 14 years old and the last time we saw her, she was about 6 months or so. And their youngest is 9 and we've NEVER met her. Needless to say, they've never met Jayla either. So it was quite the surprise. We got a little "misplaced" driving out there. But we made it. We walked up to the porch and Bobby, Shanna's husband, came out to greet us. (Bobby and I went to high school together. Shanna and I use to work together. One day, I happened to see a picture of Bobby on her desk. I asked her how she knew him, as I went to high school with him. She told me he was her fiance. What a small world. Anyway, we've all been great friends every since).

Shanna comes to the door to see who Bobby is talking to. And when she saw us, she slams her door open about passes out, lol. She gave me the biggest, longest hug. You should've seen Bobby and Mister M. standing there looking crazy, as their wives hugged eachother and cried. It was priceless. Here's me and Shanna.

Alrighty, that's about it for my weekend and upcoming week plans. How bout a fun list. I borrowed this from Susie who also borrowed it from someone. Like Susie, I love stuff like this. So, if you're already bored, feel free to stop reading here and I'll see you on the next post :D.

1. Last Movie you Saw in a Theater: What Happens in Vegas. Very cute, chick flick.
2. Favorite Board Game: I don't really like board games. But if I HAD to choose, I'd say 'The Newlywed Game" or "Outburst".
3. Favorite Smells: Coffee brewing, clean babies, NEW Pampers, chocolate chip cookies baking, my husband, my MIL's cooking, cakes/brownies baking and new vehicles
4. Favorite Sound: Children laughing, especially my daughters and when someone says they love me.
5. Worst Feeling In The World: Feeling lonely, feeling scared, being lost
6. Favorite Fast Food Place: Chick Fil A (DUH!!) But I do love the fries at Mickey D's and the burgers at Wendy's.
7. Finish This Statement. “If I Had A Lot Of Money I’d…”: Buy my mom, my sister and my oldest daughter the home & car of their dreams, buy Mister M. the car of his dreams, have the home of our dreams built, buy myself a brand new Tahoe with a lifetime supply of gas ;D and donate the rest.
8. Do You Sleep With a Stuffed Animal? Yes, his name is Mister M. :)
9. Storms-Cool Or Scary?: Both. If it's nothing that's potentially life threatening, it's cool.
10. Favorite drink: Another DUH question :-). Dr. Pepper and sweet tea (as if there's any other type of tea)
11. Finish This Statement, “If I Had The Time I Would …..” TIME?? Not sure that's exactly what I'd need. But I'd have another baby.
12. If You Could Dye Your Hair Any Color, What Would Be Your Choice? Hmmm, why couldn't I dye my hair any color? It's MY hair! Well, maybe I'd just go all grey. I love my grey hair.
13. One Nice Thing About The Person Who Sent This To You: Well, being that no one actually sent this to me. How bout if I say one nice thing about the person I "borrowed" it from? Let's see, although I've never met Susie IRL, I'd still say that she's a sweetheart. What I DO know about her is, she's very genuine and sincere. I would love to sit and talk with her and just really get to know her better.
14. What’s Under Your Bed? Dust and maybe a few of Trae's toys and perhaps one or two of Mister M's socks.
15. Would You Like To Be Born As Yourself Again? Yes, but only with thinner bones, LOL.
16. Morning Person Or Night Owl? Night Owl. I don't stay up as late as I use to. But I do love the evenings.
17. Over Easy Or Sunny Side Up? Neither! ICK!
18. Favorite Place To Relax: By the pool, on the beach or whereever my husband is.
19. Favorite Pie: Oats 'n Honey Granola Pie http://www.pillsbury.com/search/searchresults.aspx?terms=Oats+
This recipe is DEEElicious. If you ever make this, please note that the recipe is for 1 deep dish pie crust or 2 regular pie crusts. I made one for each of Jayla's teachers for Teacher Appreciation Week. They LOVED it! (Thanks for the recipe, Mom!)
20. Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: Chocolate, Butter Pecan, Chocolate Almond Coconut (Brusters)


Ok, ok...I'm done for now. See what happens when I'm gone for a while? I can't stop talking ;). Anyway, ya'll have a great Holiday weekend and a wonderful upcoming week. I'll be talk to ya...

READY...SET...BLOG!!!

Well hello there! Happy Friday everyone.

What?

It's me...DAWN! Don't you remember?

Sheesh, you take a few weeks off from blogging and no one remembers you, lol.

Ok, that's not entirely true. Which leads me to one of the most important part of this post...the THANK YOU's! Thank you to all of you who have either left me comments, emailed or called to check on me...I thank you! Talk about a crazy last few weeks. WHEW!!!

Let's dive in, shall we?

~I think my last post was an "Ode to Mothers/Women everywhere, right? Well, I had a nice Mother's Day...sitting on the soccer fields. Isn't that what EVERY mother did? :) Really, it was fun though...the weather left a little to be desired. But fun nonetheless. Our U14 Stingrays won that tournament (YAY!!), which sent them to the State Championships last weekend in Columbus, Ga. The boys played great. We won 1 of the 3 games we played. But they played their little hearts out.

~Speaking of the State Championship...Oh my GOODNESS!!! We played this one team on Sunday morning and the parents/fans were some of the most OBnoxious group of people I have EVER seen! Before I go any further, let me just say that I have absolutely NO issues with people cheering for/supporting their team. I can cheer/scream/yell with the best of them! I mean c'mon...think about it...I don't even have anyone ON the team anymore and I still cheer and have fun on the sidelines. HOWEVER, when your cheering/supporting becomes personal, THAT is where the line should be drawn. After seeing how these people acted last weekend, I can understand how someone can get into a fight or even worse, shot/killed at youth sporting events...hence the videos and pictures that make for great TV watching...Most Amazing Videos :). But this group of people started off really nice. They spoke to us that morning and even made small talk before the game. But once that ball was kicked...it was ON!!! These people were yelling AT us, taunting us, calling us and the boys on our team names. They had made up "cheers" talking about how we were losers and that we were gonna get killed. Even at times when one of our boys may have been hurt on the field, they were making fun of them and making "whining" noises. Man, it was crazy. So much so that Jayla was scared to tears because of how these people were acting out. She'd ask me, "Why do some people have to be so mean?" What do you say to a 6 year old when they ask you that? It was pathetic. Unfortunately, we lost that game (3-1). BUT, WE were the only team to score on this team the entire tournament. So that in itself was quite an accomplishment. Once we got home, I wound up emailing the commisioner of that team to let them know how their club was being represented at the tournaments. Surprisingly enough, he responded and said he'd be addressing that issue...as my email was not the first he'd heard about this group of people.

~As most of you know, I don't get out much, lol. But I did get out last weekend to go see a movie. Me and my Girls Night crew went and saw this. It was really cute. You know, your basic chick flick :-). But very cute. As I mentioned, I don't get out much, especially to the movies. So when Stacey and I got to the theatre, our other friends hadn't arrived yet. So, we walked right up to the window to pay for our tickets. (it was a Sunday evening, so there was no line) When the lady told me how much the ticket was ($8.75), I told her, "Oh, I'm sorry...I'm not paying for her too!" (referring to Stacey). The girl just gave me this weird "I don't get it" look. Stacey and I, on the other hand, found it funny, lol. I was like, "$8.75 for ONE person?!?" DAWG!!! Anyway, I got over that "sticker shock" only to be shocked further at the concession stand. (Note to self: IF I ever go to the movies again, stop at the store for snacks first. Right! Got it!). Ok, first of all...why does ONE person need a drink that comes in a cup that's the size of a bathroom trashcan? WHY? Secondly, why do I have to fill out a loan application to pay for said beverage? $4 for a SODA! Are you KIDDING ME??? I can buy 2 cases of Dr. Pepper for $5! Oh...and that's another thing...they didn't even HAVE Dr. Pepper! What is this world coming to? $15 in refreshments and a breathing treatment later, our other friends showed up and we went to enjoy the movie. (another note to self...IF I ever go to the movies again, I should buy a little bit smaller sized drink. 2 1/2 hours is a LONG to have to wait to go pee. I'm just sayin...)

~Last week, Jayla's class had a shopping day at school. It was so cute. Each kindergarten class was set up like some sort of store. There was a jewelry/accessories shop, a book store, a toy store, a sweets shop, an art studio, a place to exercise & get massages and a movie theatre. The kids were given a bag of money (pennies) and were allowed to wander freely through the halls of the "school mall". They had an hour to spend all of their money however they wanted. Jayla LOVES to shop, so this was right up her alley. I wasn't too pleased by all the CRAP she brought home...but they had a good time. :-)

This 2nd picture is of Jayla using some of her money in the "exercise/massage" shop. You know, a lady has to keep physically fit for a day of shopping :).

~Guess what? The scrapbooks are DONE!!! Talk about a long and daunting task. SHEESH!!! I must say though, they came out really cute. I took pictures of Jayla's book (30+ pages), but needless to say, I'm not posting them yet. Being that there's so many of them, I still need to get them onto a slide show. So if you're interested, stay tuned for that one. Also, I've gotta figure out how to "blur" some faces. Don't want any lawsuits over a kindergarten scrapbook, lol. Speaking of the books, I distributed them to the class yesterday at their EOY celebration. Alright, how crazy is THIS...I was SOOOO nervous earlier in the week about these darn books, I didn't know what to do. I was so nervous about how they'd like them. C'mon Dawn...they're 5 and 6 year olds, for goodness sakes! I'm psycho...that's just all their is to it! But the kids, their parents and the teachers LOVED them. They were a huge hit. WHEW...what a load off! For the EOY celebration, the kids made ice cream sundaes and watched a short movie that was made from some of the pictures I took. They're so cute!

~I'm sad to announce that today, Friday, May 23rd, is the last day of school (sniff, sniff). Jayla looked SO STINKIN sweet today...just like a big girl.

She's also a little sad about it being her last day of kindergarten. But still very excited. I'm planning on going up to the school today to do all my farewells (sniff, sniff, sniff).

~Well, I think I've covered everything. Considering how long this post is, I'm sure you're all hoping I'm done ;). Sue me...it's been a long time and I had a lot to share, lol. Last but not least, how bout we end this post with a flower fix? It IS Friday after all.I hope you guys have had a wonderful week. I'm glad to be back blogging again. However, due to the fact that school is now out, I'm sure I'll be spending a bunch of time entertaining Jayla. But I won't let that keep me from my blogging duties. So with that, I'll be seeing ya! Have an awesome weekend and BE INSPIRED!!!

Mother's Day Wishes

This is just a quick post to wish all women, whether you're a mother or not a...

Looking at the calendar, I think this is the only day that celebrates WOMEN...well, other than Labor day,LOL. But that also sounds like a "Mother" thing, doesn't it? OBVIOUSLY, I have no problem with that at all. However, there still needs to be a day that celebrates WOMEN in general! How bout "Happy Women's Day"? All women are not mothers. Some can't be and some choose not to be. But at the end of the day, we're still women.

So being that I can't change the calendar, Mother's Day is upon us and that's what I've got to work with with this post. Therefore, I wish you ALL a Happy Mother's Day! I hope you all have a wonderful day and that you get the pampering you deserve.

And speaking of pampering...I'm gonna get just that on this Mother's Day. How, you ask? I get to go to a soccer tournament! LOL Oh, don't be jealous! :) Nor do I want you to feel sorry for me. I'll be with some of my friends and family. And that's a good enough gift.

Have a wonderful day, everyone! Be Inspired!

We made it...It's FRIDAY!!!

Alright, let the records show...I am NOT nearly as happy about it being Friday as my post title makes me out to be.

Oh, I'm not sad or in a bad mood or anything. I simply can't believe that my 6 year old daughter won't be a kindergartner much longer. Exactly 2 weeks from day is the last day of school! Now that I look back, this school year has SPRINTED by. I am SO glad she had a great year and totally enjoyed each and EVERYthing about being in school. You have NO IDEA how easy that made my life. I feel so badly for those parents who have to fight with their kids each morning. Or listen to them cry or whine or complain about not wanting to go to school. I'm thrilled to say that I have quite the opposite to deal with :-). Jayla almost comes UNGLUED if she misses school. The only time she didn't put up a fuss was one of the 5 days I kept her home back in January due to her having high fevers. The girl was so drained of energy, she was glad to be home. Poor little thing.

Anyway, I guess I can say now, that we've successfully made it through the first year of elementary school. I am praying that the attitude Jayla has about school will stay with her throughout her educational career.

SO...what have you guys been up to lately? I feel so out of touch with everyone. I've been reading your blogs and leaving comments here and there. But still, I'm nowhere near caught up on everyone. I've missed you.

You'll be glad to know that the scrapbooks for Jayla's class are about 95% done! YIPPY!!! I'm having a few of the moms from Jayla's class come over next Friday to help with the remaining 5%. I must say, I'm very proud of how they've turned out. I really hope the kids and their parents enjoy them.

I'm also finding myself reading about/playing with/shopping for beads more often. I have really enjoyed wearing the 2 bracelets that I've made and I'm thinking about making more. Just what I need, another hobby with overwhelming supply & design choices. GREAT!!! I need a job :).

Welp, not much else going on at the moment. We've got a soccer tournament starting tomorrow for the U14 boys. The exciting part about this tournament is that it's being played at some fields that are about a mile away from us. YAY! Although I won't be able to get any "hotel bed jumping" pictures...HUMPH!!! Oh well, you can't have everything, lol.

Speaking of having everything...how bout a flower fix?

Sorry to overwhelm you. I just couldn't decide today. I think they're all pretty cool :-). Enjoy and have a wonderful weekend. And remember...Be Inspired...I am!

Oh, one more thing...what do ya'll think of my new banner?

How bout a quickie??? :-) (3:41pm update below)

Happy Friday, everyone!

Ya know, I had NO idea how popular I am :). Seriously, I am so flattered by those of you who have commented on my blog or sent me emails, telling me how much you're missing me. Thank you all, so much. Believe me, I have missed ya'll too.

I'm actually about to walk out the door and run to the grocery store. But I wanted to jump on here and say hello and let you know that I'm still alive and kicking.

I also wanted to give you a quick flower fix...because it has been politely brought to my attention that I haven't posted a flower in FOREVER. So, here ya go!!!

Well, how bout THAT for a flower fix??? :-) Well, I've gotta run. But I will TRY and update again later on today, as I have a few pictures I wanna share with you. Until then, have a great day and I'll talk to you soon.

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

*~*~*~*~

Added: 3:41pm EST

Alrighty, I'm back, like I said I'd be. Sometimes, I'm real dependable :-).

A few posts ago, I told you that I wanted to share another picture with you when it arrived. Well, it's here and I can't wait to share it with you. Take a look at this.

This is a wooden statuette that we ordered when we had Jayla's soccer pictures made. We did one of her last season too. And I found out after the fact, that I could've had one made with her and "Coach Daddy". I simply LOVE how it turned out. You can REALLY see how much they look alike, can't you?

Ok, let's see, what else did I want to share with you today? Oh, I remember. I've taken on a new hobby. Well, I'm trying to anyways. Along with my scrapbooking which I totally love, I've started beading jewelry. I've only made one piece so far. But I'm really proud of how it turned out.

I have been SO involved in the kindergarten scrapbooks...almost to the point of nauseum, lol. So, in between pages, I've been dabbling with making bracelets. This hobby, long with my scrapping is gonna get me in big financial trouble :-). The bead choices are ENDLESS and the ideas, even moreso.

Anyway, here's my first creation:

Not too bad, huh? I really like it.

Anyway, the last thing I want to share with you, unfortunately, has no pictures (yet). Last night at Jayla's school, along with the PTSA meeting, the kindergarten classes performed. Oh my goodness you guys. My daughter...what can I say? The classes came into the cafeteria singing and Jayla was the loudest one, LOL. She took her spot up on the stage...in the FRONT row, I might add. And let me just tell you, she stole the show. She was SO loud, hee hee. She spotted me, her dad and her grandma in the audience, stopping singing and shouted "HEY!" to all of us (individually!) It was SO cute. And get this, after the first song was over, Jayla had the opening lines for the rest of the program. I was SO proud of her! She got up there, waited until the audience was quiet and spoke so beautifully into the microphone. Didn't miss a beat! And of course, she ended her lines with a big wave to all of us...again.

The songs they sang were SOOO cute and she knew every word and everyones part. And once she REALLY got going, (as if she wasn't already), she started dancing. I wish you all could've seen her.

Anyway, I did take some pictures, but they didn't come out too good. Once I play around with them a little bit and block out all the other kids faces, lol, I'll share some with you.

Welp, I've gotta run again. Jayla has a soccer game tonight (and tomorrow morning AND Sunday afternoon). So I've gotta pull together a quick dinner.

I thank you all for your patience and understanding, with regards to my blogging. Trust me, I'd much rather have a good balance of both scrapbooking and blogging. But being that I have so many to do, that's not gonna happen. However, we only have 3 more weeks of school and I'm giving the books to the kids the day before the last day of school. So, I'll be back to my regular routine after that.

I hope you guys have a wonderful weekend and I look forward to posting more real soon. SMOOCHES!!