Tulips for the Cure

It's that time of year again. Tulip time!!! No, I'm not talking about those beautiful spring flowers. I'm talking about tulips for Elizabeth's Garden, which is part of Komen North Texas Race for the Cure. This is my second year to be on the tulip committee. I really enjoy it because it lets me be my crafty self. We are able to decorate tulips in any way we like, being sure to leave an 8 1/2 by 11 space so a message can appear on the tulip. We sell tulips for $10 each. You can buy them in honor or in memory of a survivor. All tulips are displayed on Race day. My favorite part of the day is walking through the tulip garden, reading all the messages, and watching Survivors find ones that have been made for them. It makes all the hard work worthwhile. I've been decorating LOTS of tulips lately and am still not done. If you would like to purchase a tulip let me know. You can also do so online here. I've included some of my creations below.

tulip bling

supplies

tulips to be done

I finished this one last night.

kitty paws

zebra print & shoes; fyi, shoes are not easy to draw

I really like this one!

tulips on a tulip

daisies & animal print, some of my faves

Happy Mother's Day, Mom & Grandma!!!

April 2010

I love my Mom more than words can express. She is more than a Mom to me, she's my friend. She is an amazing example of what a Christian woman is supposed to be. She's a fighter, SURVIVOR, strong, loving, smart, a terrific daughter and friend. She's a hard worker and has been an educator for more than 30 years. Mom is fighting cancer for the third time and she has a wonderful, positive attitude. She KNOWS God is going to bring her through this once again. I pray to God to give me her strength. Her situations don't bring her down and define her. Mom is an example to so many that fight the same fight as she is. When someone in town is diagnosed with cancer they contact mom for advice and support and she joins the fight with them.

I love my Mom. This Mother's Day was a great time to spend with her and show her what she means to me and our family. It was a wonderful time spent with all of them.

Courtney & I joined Grandma at her retirement home yesterday morning for a continental breakfast. We brought her roses and a balloons to which she exclaimed "how sweet!". We took Grandma to church at the home and then we headed back to Mom & Dad's to help prepare lunch. Right before noon we arrived back at the home to pick Grandma up for lunch. She didn't remember we were coming so we found her in the dining room and got to her before she sat down and started eating. I think she enjoyed the visit to Mom & Dad's, even though she doesn't say much. After being away a few hours she exclaimed "I'm ready to go. I need someone to take me home.". This was music to our years. She was calling the retirement home HOME!!! It has not been an easy transition for her since my Grandfather passed away and she resisted the change a lot. Thank you God that she is adjusting.

Mother's Day spent with both Mom & Grandma was fantastic. I couldn't ask for two more beautiful, strong, and courageous women to be related to. Thank you God.

How to Get Rid of Hiccups

So I got the hiccups today at work. I HATE having the hiccups. They drive me crazy, they are loud and disruptive, and I feel like I can't breathe when I get them. So being a huge fan of Google, and using it daily, I decided to see how to get rid of them other than just holding my breath or having someone scare me. Many of the tips were pretty humorous. I hope you think so as much as I did. OH, and did you know that hiccups are involuntary spasms of the diaphragm?! Who knew?!

*Plug your nose and ears then swallow 20 times as fast as possible. (How is it possible to plug your nose and ears with your hands at the same time? And I didn't have cotton balls laying around here at work!)

*Distract yourself. Sing a song, go over your 7 times tables (7 x 1 = 7, 7 x 2 = 14, etc) until the hiccups are gone.

*Squawk like a chicken while flapping your arms and bobbing your head as if you were pecking at something. Bugawk!

*Stand on your head and drink small gulps of water from a sports bottle. (Seriously?)

*Exaggerate your hiccups by inhaling right as you hiccup - this will result in a long and loud "huuuaaagggghhh" that'll either be funny or embarrassing depending on your environment, but after 2-4 of these the hiccups should be gone. (Um, no.)

*Think of the ugliest person you've ever seen. Now picture them naked, rolling naked down a hill or riding a bike and slathered in A-1 steak sauce. (My personal fav!)

*Eat some pickles.

*Take a shot of lemon juice.

See, funny right? I think what eventually cured mine was my laughter after my co-worker told me which other co-worker to picture naked.

So next time you get the hiccups remember these tips and either do them or laugh about them. Either way those pesky hiccups will be gone! :)

Big Kitty Turns 6

Sylvester is 6 years old today. My how time flies. I love my big kitty...bad attitude, hairballs, and all.

July 4, 2004

Tonight he enjoyed cold water from the sink...his favorite.

Tuna for dinner...another fav.

And rest time, without little brother Jax bothering him.

Happy Spring!

Yesterday was the first day of spring. Here in Texas our first day of spring consisted of SNOW! Yes, snow. It hasn't seemed much like Texas this season. I think I've seen more snow this season then all the other times in my 30 years, put together.

I went to Gunter yesterday evening to visit with Keelie & the kids. It had snowed a bit before I left for Gunter and a bit on my way there, but nothing was accumulating so it wasn't a big deal. I got on Facebook while there and noticed all the snow accumulation in Decatur that my friends were talking about and thought it was crazy. I even talked to Courtney that evening and she mentioned the snow they had in Decatur and I told her nothing was on the ground in Gunter. Of course Keelie & I were pretty surprised when we looked out the window at 10:30 pm to see tons of snow on the ground and it was still coming down heavy. I guess alot can happen when you are busy catching up and don't look outside for 5 hours. Opted to spend the night on their couch instead of drive the 30 minutes back to Frisco in the dark, snowy night.

Livestock in the snow in Gunter.

The snow that accumulated on my car. I drove with the big mound from Gunter to Frisco.

My apt complex.

Outside my patio.

The stairs really got it too, but I thought they looked pretty!

It was everywhere. The cement around my door and stairs was icy as well.

Jax inspected the snow from his perch on the recliner.

Magically Delicious Master

Saint Patrick's Day was yesterday and work decided to have a Spirit Day. Potlucks were coordinated within the departments, people were encouraged to wear green, and there was a dessert contest. The winner would be named the Master of the Magically Delicious. I decided I needed that title. I mean hey, I think I'm the Ghetto Ace of Cakes anyway, might as well show my skills, right? So off I went to google Saint Patty's Day treats. I came across these super cute Leprechaun Hat Cookies on Betty Crocker's website and I knew that is what I HAD to make! There could only be one entry per team, so after my team decided I could be that entry, I was off to bake.

Betty Crocker Sugar Cookies & large marshmallows formed the hat shape.

Once the vanilla icing was melted and dyed I poured it over the cookies. I must have done something wrong because one can of frosting and gel dye didn't do the job. Thankfully I had an extra can of frosting and food coloring in the pantry. Too bad the color was a bit off. Pouring the icing on the cookies was harder than it might seem. And beware of it running right off the counter. lol. Also, keep your cats from jumping in the excess icing once cookies are complete.

The hat bands were made of Tootsie Rolls. Ever try to roll a Tootise Roll with a rolling pin? Not the easiest. Toward the end I skipped the rolling pin and just made snake-like bands. Who says hat bands have to be flat, right?

Ta da! Finished product. It turned out pretty well if I do say so myself! ;) Only took like 6 hours. lol. These will never be made by me again.

There were definitely some mishaps. These three got thrown in the trash instead of taken to work. The frosting got too thick, I tried to take it off and melt it some, and then it was way too thin and oily. Not a pretty sight.

My final product. I decorated the tray to push the cute factor over the edge. ;)

Taking them to the judges table.

The 9 entries.

And the people who made them.

AND THE WINNER IS...

Not me. lol. Booo! Hisss! Monica's Leprechaun Hat Cake came in first. It was pretty cute, I have to admit. Cane's huge cupcake in the background placed as well.

The prize. Deb made a super cute prize bow. My Cricut did a pretty good job on the letters too. ;)

Even though I didn't win it was a fun Spirit Day at work and I did enjoy the compliments on my cookies. Oh, and an insider on the Spirit Team told me I came in 4th, so I guess that's not too bad. I think next year I'll throw some green food coloring on rice krispies and call it a day!

10 Years Today

Ten years ago today was one of the worst days of my and my family's lives. I had just returned from a fantastic mission trip to Galveston with my college Sunday school class to find out that my mom had been diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer. CANCER. How could this be? What now? Other people got cancer...not my mom! In just a few short days I had to return to Nacogdoches to college and mom would be over four hours away battling this terrible disease. After chemo, a mastectomy, more chemo, and radiation she was in remission. CANCER FREE. Praise GOD! Faith, family, & friends definitely got all of us through this difficult time. It's still hard to think back on that time; that day. It brings tears to my eyes to think about those difficult struggles. The scary unknown we were facing.

Mom is a SURVIVOR. She never got down and wallowed in self-pity. She trusted God and had faith. Mom has told me many, many times that "Attitude is everything." She's right...as usual. She's a fighter. The strongest person I know. A steel magnolia that has SURVIVED breast cancer TWICE. I thank God for my terrific mother. I thank Him for the Christian example she has always been in my life. I would not be me without her.

God, thank you so much for Mom. Thank you for healing her from breast cancer. Thank you for bringing us all through the hard times and for bringing us closer together as a family because of those hard times. Thank you for the example she is to so many. Thank you for the help that she gives to others who are going through breast cancer, just like she did. God, I thank you so much for my mom. Please continue to take care of her and her health. She means the world to me.

In Jesus' Name.