Today I am a Rock Star

 each year the 5th grade class plays host to the school dance. this year the chosen theme is rock star. i'm thinking of dressing up a bit, but i'm not feeling very inspirational about it as i did 2 weeks ago. my original thought was total hair band look with the sprayed up hair, leather jacket and thick eye liner. hmmm, not so sure i would be taken any less seriously than the 16 year old i am usually mistaken for at school, so we'll see. the act of role playing tonight and reliving a bit of 80's rock might be just what the doctor ordered.

 

 

mom, i caught it! come look!

Tonight we were cleaning the living room and the kids were helping me dust the mail stand. i walked into the other room to take a phone call and reagan came running into the room to tell me she caught a bug. so, of course, i was a bit freaked out anticipating what kind of bug could be in the living room when she screams, "MOM! Come quick! I caught a dust mite! Well, actually Payton caught a dust mite, but WE CAUGHT A DUST MITE!"

So, sure enough, I came in the room and there "it" was, a pile of dust.

Don't cha just love kids?

Here is a pic of my cleaned living room and the tired babies that worked hard to clean. Thank You!

Oh, yes, Cali seemed to be exhausted too even though I didn't see here do much cleaning.

momma's little boy

This is what Payton woke up to this morning in the kitchen... Reagan caught him singing happy birthday to himself!

My baby boy is having a birthday today?!!!
I can't believe little payton hatched 6 years ago already. how time flies. i can remember every detail about his fast birth, only a few hours in labor and 2 hours from hospital check in to being born at 4:00 am. I remember watching the president on the TV in the hospital in a meeting with Saadam Hussein. I remember getting a shamrock shake on the way home from the hospital when we brought Payton home for the first time. I remeber having only 2 boys and living in an apartment, buying our first house with him in the carrier. Now here he is in kingergarden. Learning to enjoy school and sounding out words as he is about to start reading. Solving math problems in his head and saying, "momma, momma." about 1,000 times a day to get attention.
My little boy, my middle child, my wonderful blessing, Payton Alexander. I am so proud and happy to be your "momma". I pray for you to continue on the path you are headed. sweet, loveable, silly, respectful and most important, loving the Lord. I pray you will follow him and he will bless your life.
love, momma

My 6 year old boy!

The Three Musketeers

tuplis mean spring is on the way

best friends

best friends, originally uploaded by frogverde.

r & k during dance this weekend.

i do, love you

this is a post about my wonderful husband, james william.

first i want to say thank you. thank you for being you and not comprimising yourself for anyone or anything. i think think that is one of the most admirable qualities about you dear hubby. the fact that you have convictions that will stand the test of time. now i am NOT talking about worldly things, but real life, heart and soul things like morals and values. now i do have to say that many, yes many, of the things you believe in are not things i like, want to do, think of doing or even would remotely condiser changing my mind to be a spectator of you participating in, BUT, there is such a realness, a true spirit within you that I am so proud of. I love you, I trust you and pray for you. I love your willingness to change and adapt to the life that has become our reality. To the different circumstances that we have been dealt in the hand of life and the ability to accept them and embrace them. We have built this life together that most people would never choose but that works for us and is our path that we have been blessed in beyond all expectations.

Thank you for being the father you are, for the husband you are and the man that the Lord has made you. I pray that I will become a better wife to you and help you grow as a person and child of the Great God we serve. I love you big jimmy. your wife, nikki

beautiful

 

 

Wedding Recovery 101

Sleep. Many, many hours of sleep. That was my first priority after returning home from the wedding this weekend. Seriously, I am thinking of marketing a kit that people can buy for the recovery portion of a long weekend or big event. Step by step instructions on what to do to get back on your feel and feeling great again in the shortest amount of time possible.

The whole wedding weekend was a blast, so much fun and exciting and filled with joy. But it was a long weekend and it feels good to have slept, done laundry and gotten my life back in order and ready for the week.

Thursday was a whirl wind of activity. I had the meeting for the rock star dance and shopping to do for the wedding. I found a few sweaters and a great clearance deal, shoes for $5!!! I found a black pair of pumps, a brown pair and a cute brown pair of wedges. All for $5 each. You can't beat $15 for 3 pairs of shoes. I did find a few sweaters for myself, a nice white one for Rea and Valentine gifts for the munchkins.

Then I bought the Hugs and Kisses and went home to start making the favor bags. I stuffed and tied and tied and stuffed for a few hours until my fingers didn't bend any more. Then I packed and organized for the trip until 2am. Jim and I also took a quick trip to the White Castle to get a few late night burgers. Mmmm! Cali came along for the ride and got to experience true lap dog formation when Jim let her sit on his lap and hang her head out the window on the ride home. Ah! Dog heaven!

Friday early I had coffee with mom, got the kids (they spent the night) and took Cali to the Fuzzy Dog. She was so excited! She went right into the room with the other dogs and allowed them to sniff her. She seemed a bit nervous at first but she quickly became comfortable. The lady working said it is better if they come in a bit nervous since it is the dogs that come in acting tough that they need to worry about. So I left Cali in good spirits at the Fuzzy dog and went back home to get our show on the road.

0215091052.jpg

0215091052.jpg, originally uploaded by frogverde.

we are home and everyone is happy and calm...its nice to have cali back.

the buzz on the buzziness

I am little stressed right now but everything is coming together and I am confident, will fall into place nicely.

I wish I knew why I perform so well under pressure. Oh, if there were a way to really trick myself into believing I needed to meet an earlier deadline for projects.

I KNOW I would get so much (more) done.

Jenna's wedding is Saturday. Yeah, this Saturday, as in 3 days away. Ugh! How could that have crept up so silently? Just a day ago I had at least two weeks to get it all together. Now here we are just 48 hours short of leaving for the southern part of the state and I need to find a place for Cali to stay.

I had a friend, who was going to take the pup for the weekend, but her doggie is now very sick and she is unable to care for another. This, of course, is totally understandable; it just leaves me in a slight predicament for her whereabouts. It's not like she is a cat and can be left with food, water and a clean box. She really needs the love and care of a real human being. Bathroom privileges would be a plus too. Lol!

Well after a ton of calls today, I think I have secured Cal a place to stay (contingent on her behavior, say a prayer for her getting along with other canines) and it will only cost me $35 a night. I have her vaccination records and have to pick up a bag of food, but this sounds like it is the perfect solution to us making a quick get away for the weekend.

Tonight after Awana, I need to finish cutting the favor tops and bake the cupcakes.

Tomorrow, I need to stuff the bags with kisses and seal them up.

Then there is a planning meeting for the 5^th grade dance we are in charge of this year. (Oh, did I mention that is in 2 weeks! Eek!) The planning meeting holds to be a fun experience though as I will be going…

Incognito!  PI Nikki, in disguise for a cause… hmmm. Let's see if I can pull off an evening of spy work for a friend. Poor G is just so done with the Jman yet, she is really dying to see or get a little glimpse of his alter ego. (i.e. Mr. Super restaurant boy! Cape and mask sold separately). I mean really, what could a waiter possibly have to stay at the place so long after closing time for? We want details and we want them now. Well, actually, we have wanted them for a few years. And, if we would have gotten them, we probably would have not been here today, laughing about how I am going to disguise myself and spy on this guy at a dance planning meeting.

I'll let you know how it goes. So between now and then and everything in between, I will definitely be a busy little bee. Buzz, buzz.

 

love and marital bliss is in the air

 I have been helping plan a shower/ bachlorette party for jim's cousin. she is getting married this saturday, valentines day in normal. so over the phone i have been working with her sister and her mom to plan the perfect girls night out the night before the wedding. one of the good things is that there will not be a lot of crazyness because she is having a baby in june. so we are doing everything very classy and low key to celebrate her time before she takes the marital plunge and the baby leap very soon.

we have decided to hold the shower at a local hotel that has loft rooms with fireplaces and beautiful motif and furniture. we are decorating the room with candles, confetti, streamers, balloons and banners in pink and white. her wedding colors are black, white and pick. very elegant for a valentines day wedding. we are holding the shower for her after the rehersal dinner the night before the wedding. the ladies and girls will come after dinner and we will provide punch, cupcakes, fruit and candy. we will have a quick devotional about marraige and love (which I am writing! eek!), play a few bridal games and then have facials and manicures.

i am making the favors for the actual wedding so i have been consumed with what i want to make and perfecting the thoughts i want to manifest into something tangible. i can't wait until it is all over... although i am excited to know that as of saturday afternoon, i will be off the hook of planning, setting up and preparing and can really just enjoy the party.

right now, my only thought and (rather large) concern is who is going to watch Cali when we are gone. I am struggling to find someone who will be available for the 2 nights we are gone to watch a rather large and barkative german shepherd... Something will happen though and it will all work out.

I will post some pics of the final product but there were a few ideas that i used for insipration.

have a good week!

these we a few of the flowers i received for my birthday.

they were so beautiful the next moring in the sunlight.