I AM NOT ALONE!!!

The possibility for titles for this post are endless. 


I have a very busy day, but good busy.  Getting stuff done busy.  I've been busy making my to-do list in my head all morning while I've been busy doing other stuff. 


One problem.  Something else is taking over a good chunk of my brain power.  Something I don't want to think about but I can't stop thinking about.


My husband is at work and my kids are at school, so it's just me at home today.  Only it's not!


I AM NOT ALONE!!!! 


And I can't stop thinking about it.


Y'all, there is someone living in my house.  It's my house, I bought it.  Clearly not everyone got the memo.  I'm not sure exactly where in my house, but they are here. I think in my attic.  OK, before you call the psycho ward to come and get me, I'm not going all "I see dead people", they are critters.  Not rats or mice, thank goodness. (I do not know this for a fact, I have decided that it is not rats or mice and therefore it won't be.)  After talking to our pest control company (they just do our regular bug spray treatments) they are pretty sure it's a squirrel.  Because it is active all the live long day.  Squirrels are cute, right?  Scotty boy says they are rats with fluffy tails.  Thanks for that.  Possibly a raccoon. My pest control company also said "ma'am, we don't treat nothin' bigger than a mouse." Ok.  They referred me to a couple of companies who can take care of my "little problem." (I'm picturing an Italian Gangster shoot out) They also told me it can be "kinda pricey."  When I relayed this to Scotty Boy, he said, we can do this ourselves.  So this was purchased at Home Depot.

And it is all set to entice the unsuspecting creature with apples and peanut butter (my friend Laura had this problem awhile back and her traps were set by a critter company with lettuce, I really want them to want to go into the trap so we brought out nothing but the best for our critters!  Aslo, and this could be a post unto itself, her husband, Jeff, had to arm himself with a BB gun and a flashlight while wearing his PJs and safety goggles in order to finally remove their problem). For now, the scratching in the ceiling/walls continue.  And the chatter.  Cause I'm pretty sure there are babies.  (again, not a fact, but it's what my guts are saying.)  I'm also picturing the insurance commercial where the raccoon has been living in the attic and torn up and eaten everything in sight but it was the best week of his raccoon life  I used to think that commercial was funny. 

Let's get a couple of things straight, I'm not going into the attic.  I won't be checking the trap. Not right now.  Might not ever again.  I've seen "When Animals Attack" and I don't want any part of it.  I also told Scott that whenever he wants to check the trap, he needs to be prepared to go release whatever is caught right that second.  I don't want him running up before work to check and there be something in the cage and he can't let it go until after work because there isn't enough time.  There may be a caged animal up there all day, but I don't want to KNOW there is a caged animal up there all day.  Also, I don't want whatever it is to die.  Ok, I know a lot of you are rolling your eyes, but I don't.  What if there ARE babies like I know there are?  How awful.  I can't have that on my conscience. 

 So I need this whole thing to be done just like this: 

 Set trap with delicious treats.  The mom and her babies all walk in together at the same exact time.  The door gingerly closes behind them.  They snack on the tasty goodies while my husband travels with them in their cage to a wildlife preserve to release them to live a long happy life together as a family.  I also picture them waving goodbye and yelling thanks to him as he drives away.



See how happy we all are?

My real fear?  There are many. Here are my current top 3: One, they are going to chew into my AC tubing, watch me through the vents in the ceiling and fly out of the one above my bed while I'm lying there awake thinking about them.  Two, they might die and smell and draw flies and then there really will be dead things in my attic.  Three.  I might need to call on Wesley to come and dispose of my:

Please tell me you totally appreciate my Princess Bride reference!  Don't you worry, I'll keep you posted on what comes of our "little problem".  Scotty boy is contemplating an attic stake-out with Jeff, complete with lawn chairs and beverages, fingers crossed it doesn't come to that. 

Until then, pray for my safety!

Helping Others Is A No Brainer

Helping Others Is A Total No Brainer.

I mean, right? 

So far my blog has been about me.  What I'm doing.  What my people are doing.  Me, Me, Me.

Today it's about you. About what you can do.  What you can do for others. 

So many of us are so fortunate in so many ways, not to mention the basics, like clean water.  Shouldn't everyone have this necessity for human life?  I sure think so.  There are clean water problems in so many places, but if you help one person, you've made a difference.  Ask that one person, they'd agree.  Together we can help lots of people, let's start here:

WORLD WATER DAY!  GET ON BOARD!

The Adventure Project is an incredible organization who have taken on the challenge of helping others to get clean water.  Let's help them.

Tragically, 1/3 of all wells drilled in India in the last 20 years are now broken. Often there are no tools, spare parts, or trained mechanics to fix them.

OUR HUGE GOAL: empower 186 people to become well mechanics in India. Every $550 we raise helps one mechanic receive:
*Training classes
*Tools and spare parts
*A one-year stipend to help an entrepreneur launch their business.

And here’s a really cool part: One well mechanic will care for 50 wells which will ensure clean water for 5,000 people!

We can do this!

Here's the best part, the way you can make a difference:

Click HERE and that's all there is to it.  It will take you to my fundraising page with The Adventure Project and you can read all about it and click the big orange Give Now button.  It's as easy as that.

Let's do this. Clean water coming right up!

Cup Of Joy

Today is the Monday after Spring Break.  Total bummer.  We all wanted to go back to last week.  School?  How does that work?  I had to set an alarm.  Yuck.  Spring Break should be 2 weeks.  I've decided.  There. Done.

Our week at the beach = perfect, probably why we weren't ready for it to be over.  Seaside, Florida = also perfect.  Cutest little place you ever did see.  Think white sugar sand and clear water in a family friendly place with little cottages and shops and restaurants.  You know that cute little town in The Truman Show?  The one with all the houses with white picket fences?  Seaside, Florida.  We biked everywhere we went.  Only had to get in the car a couple times the whole week.  We are a biking family.  Beach cruiser bikers, not mountain bikers.  We like to be chill while we bike. 

But, in order to have all this fun, we had to get there.  7 1/2 hours, we got this.  We entertained ourselves with in car pillow fights:

And 3-D movies:

And Sleeping:

And being dorks:

We got there right at sunset, perfectly timed, on accident.

Each day we biked to breakfast.

At places like the Cowgirl Kitchen, The Great Southern Cafe, Another Broken Egg, &  The Summer Kitchen - all yum! (and all on 30-A)

Praline Bacon, you totally read that right.  It's like bacon + pie.  What's not to love?  Veggie fritatta, my fav!! Beignets, gone in 2 seconds flat.  The Ricky omelet, holy shmoley!  Love the breakfast bar at Cowgirl Kitchen (Seagrove) and the giant cow mural on the side wall :)

Good thing we biked everywhere!!!!!!!!!  Pretty sure those dishes aren't on the low cal menu.

So while we were there we decided we might as well hit the beach...

So very excited that we got to spend time with sweet friends from Texas and Tennessee!

Took a little excursion to Rosemary Beach one day where we hit some shops, partook of some beverages and were surprised to run into some fun friends from The Woodlands :)

BTW, I really need that rainbow, sequin, exclamation point tank!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The best part of last week was really the great time the 4 of us spent together.  Both by ourselves and with our sweet friends.  It was such quality time :) in every cliche sense of the phrase but we loved it.  Playing games, eating good food, reading books, digging in the sand, swimming in the waves, floating in the pool, watching movies outside, chatting, riding bikes, hitting the watercolor art show, traveling to and fro :) painting canvases and nails, piddling around.  So great.  So fun.  So ready to do it again!

So thankful for the blessing of time with my people, thank you God for filling my cup with JOY!

Super Roosday!

Birthdays are big around here.  Why?  Lots of reasons.  One, we like to party.  I mean that, we really like it.  Celebrate good times, come on! (you know you feel it!) But of all the parties and celebrations that we have each year, and we have a lot, the birthdays are the best.  It's a day to celebrate the birth of someone you love.  When it comes to my baby girls, I am blessed and so thankful they were given to me and for that I will celebrate my booty off!!

Today my Roo turned 7.

We dubbed it Super Roosday, cause that's fun.

In order to get your celebration on, you have to prepare.  This is how we prepare...

we have frozen yogurt to mull over our options. We look like this while we do...

And the yogurt helps us think.  We decide Roo needs a new bike.  She's had hand me down bikes so far, so maybe turning 7 warrants her very own brand new bike.  She only asked for a basket for her current bike.  We decided a basket on a new bike would be better.  Yogurt makes us smart.  We hit the bike stores, don't see what we want.  We decide to try Target - BINGO!

Love it!  Perfect colors, beach cruiser style like mom and big sis, spot for a basket, SCORE!  But, we are still very smart from the yogurt so we know we better try it out before we buy it. 

Roo also wants a new Nerf Gun, she will shoot this while wearing a dress and giant bows in her hair.

Then we head home with our game faces on to finish up the prep work.

Clearly the effects of the yogurt have worn off because we aren't smart anymore and we sign our almost 7 year old up for summer camp.  This is something she is dying to do with her big sister.  You can see there was need of a grown up beverage to pull the trigger and hit submit on her application.

Next I move onto making birthday cake magic happen.  She wanted the whole rainbow cake in a jar thing that I am sure many of y'all have seen.  I'm going to do a separate post on how this went when I try to figure out how to link up with Pintertest Kitchen.

Then we hit the hay (I always sleep with my birthday babies, I want to wish them Happy Birthday as soon as they open their peepers in the morning!)

Ready, set, Birthday.  It's here, she's 7, let's do this.

Rise and Shine!!!

Birthday Break Out

HIIIIIIIYYYY YAHHHHHH!

A little help from Hazel Monkey and she's free to start her first day as a 7 year old.  Being 7 is awesome so far. As a side note, she said to me the day before, when she was still 6 "mom, you know what is going to be really weird tomorrow?" me: "no, Roo, what?" roo: "I have to sit by a 6 year old at school, awkward!" Another reason to crazy love this nut.

So, let's head down for some birthday breakfast.  I should give you a heads up on 2 things here.  1, the hall outside her room is an insane danger zone right now.  Filled with mines and obstacles.  We are doing a slight remodel on my creation station craft room and all the stuff had to be pulled out.  To the hall.  To the landing.  To the girls rooms.  To the gameroom. You get it.  Danger. 2, we have the hardest time waiting to give gifts.  That's one of the reasons I wait until the last minute to get them.  That way I don't give them ahead of time.  So, her day is here and so she'll get her presents at breakfast because we can't wait another second!

This is what you look like when you see this waiting for you

And it's on the kitchen counter which means you get to do this because it's your birthday and you can be crazy. And you are really happy because there are bugles in your bike basket and bugles are your favorite.

Being 7 is better than you expected, especially when your sister makes you a cool card using your favorite colors.

Then it gets better when dad makes #7 pancakes and he puts whipped cream and sprinkles on top with a candle, and there is singing.

So you get dressed super fast and head outside to try out your new wheels before school.

And you are off to school to see just how weird it is to sit next to a 6 year old now that you are 7.

Dad has lunch with you and so does mom :)

And mom brings treats up to your class.  Cause it's your birthday. 

Rainbow Cakes in a jar = Happy 1st Graders

And you actually get to pray in school before you eat :) While you are thanking him for your food I am thanking him for you. Your sweet class then sings happy birthday and you dance around and are silly because you are mine.

So you eat Rainbow Cake in a jar and feel special.

So the birthday girl picks the spot for dinner and of course she picks her fav burger joint.  She's really got a hankerin for some mini corn dogs.  The sisters make sugar packet castles while we wait.

7 is sweet. Ha!

And we shoot toothpicks at the ceiling via our straws because we are cultured.

We are very brave eating here as someone could lose an eye.

So it is after midnight now, and Super Roosday is over.  Wish we could do it again tomorrow! I don't want the years to go as fast as they do, but I do celebrate these girls everyday.  Now to plan her party....(see, I wasn't kidding, we love to party!)