I am NOT Chewbacca!!! ....Seriously.

So, funny story. We've established that my birthday was last week. One of my bday gift requests was laser hair removal. All you ladies want it, so don't be pretending like I'm nasty...y'all are all plucking your chin and whatnot. Anyhoo...when my Mom asked what I wanted, that was atop my list. She said that she was going to look around and do a little research. So, I was at work on Monday & my phone rang...it was a number from Illinois. I had a moment, so, I answered it. I said hello, and there was a really uncomfortable sounding dude on the other end who knew my name. I was like...uh, yeah. He said he was from some place - but to me, it sounded like "wonk wonk wonk" - you know, Charlie Brown's teacher. Then he started asking if I was interested in laser hair removal. I totally played dumb - and said, "uh, no". I was picturing this college dude sitting behind a desk with one of those headset things on who was picturing me as this big, fat, Chewbacca looking woman with a five o-clock shadow. Humiliated, I say!! So, I continue the denial & said, "now, where are you from?" He proceeded to tell me the name of his company and I said, "how did you get my phone number?" He told me that it came from a website where I entered in my info. It struck me suddenly that my Mom had temporarily LOST HER MIND and gave my name and PHONE NUMBER to this random website. OMG!!! I never, ever, ever give the digits. Ever. So, here I am, speaking with college dude and he thinks I'm King Kong's wife. What to do, what to do?? Should I lie to him some more? Should I hang up? Should I overcompensate and tell him that I'm not a fat, hairy person...really, I'm not? Argh. It was AWKWARD (say it in a sing-song voice, to really get how I felt). He started telling me where places were near me for the hair removal. All this time, I'm just embarrassed and want to get off the dang phone!!! So, I said to him, "oh, my Mom must have done this. I totally don't need it, not a big deal." Ha ha ha ha!!! Maybe he would think that I was cool and hip because I was blaming it on Mom, you know, two young adults, together in solidarity against Moms. Little did this dude know that I AM a Mom. I need the (tiny itty bitty) hair removal because my old-woman-I've-had-a-kid-and-am-in-my-30s- hormones have kicked in and I want to get it taken care of before I go all Werewolf. Although, we all know Jacob Black is cool ;) ha ha. That's a "Twilight" reference, Mom and Dad! We got off the phone shortly thereafter....maybe because I cut off the rest of his speech because I was humiliated. This dude probably got a big laugh out of the woman who denied and blamed her Mom and tried to be "cool" during a phone conversation about laser hair removal. AWKWARD!!!!

For the record, it's just a little hair removal. Really. It is. Do I need to convince you a little more?? ;) Getting old kinda sucks!!! ...but, it's better than the alternative - so, I'll take it!! ....AND, my sweet friend Carla is gonna hook me up - so I didn't need that college dude and his headset!!!

P.S. Mom....I love you bundles, but please, please, don't give the digits on the internet without permission ;) Ha ha ha!!!!

What I learned on my birthday :)

I know y'all love my "what I learned" posts :) Ha ha. Today is my birthday. A couple of posts ago, we learned about my love for all things birthday and how I feel about them. Of course, nothing has changed - and my day was nothing short of perfect. I had a nice run this morning (part of it through a cemetery - it reminds me that I'm alive - although, I get nervous that I'll have my ipod on too loud and the rapture might occur and I wouldn't hear the trumpet sound and the dead people will start rising up and terrify me), then a great day of worship with my church peeps, lunch at pf changs, shopping at Gap (with a gift card, no doubt!), a ride on the carousel for my little love, a stop off at Krispy Kreme, an afternoon nap, and a pumpkin carving. Oh...and a brand new TV for my bedroom and a gift card for a massage. Pretty awesome day. Loved spending time with my little and big loves.

Here's what I learned today: and the lesson came from none other than Facebook - aka the "mecca of all information". This morning, I checked my facebook while I was drying my hair, just to pass some time. I had a couple of "happy birthday" messages. Made me smile. I went to church and didn't check it for several hours...but, when I got time to sit down and check again - I couldn't believe how many messages that I had - 125 to be exact - and the night's not over yet! Overwhelming. In a good way. I read every single one of them. What God showed me through this was a lesson that has taken a long time to learn. He puts people in your life for different seasons, different reasons, some you teach, some you learn from, some lift you up, unfortunately - some bring you down, some you will stay lifelong close friends with, others just acquaintances, some you will be close with for a time and then on to other things. The bottom line is, your heart is stitched full of memories and sometimes even dramatically changed because of each and every person with whom you come into contact. As I scrolled through my messages, there were some from my "first" friends (like pre-school people), from elementary school friends, high school friends, hilarious memories brought up of kicking it at the mall in our cheerleading jackets, college friends, sorority sisters, graduate school friends, friends from my first "real" job, family, friends that I met when I worked real estate, nursing school friends, church friends - from my hometown and now, friends with whom I work. Some of these people know a lot about me intimately, others just know my face or my smile. This brings things full circle in my mind. I often wonder why I didn't choose nursing when I was at UA. Sure would've made life a lot easier for me. But, I would have missed out on a lot of these people...these memories...these relationships. For some reason, God didn't want me to fast track to my career path. He wanted me to go around a different way. Now that I have surrendered my life to Him and what He wants, He has allowed me to see this in such a different light. I don't regret any of it...because it helps to define me.

Each message made me think of each person individually. If you're reading this and you sent me a message, or a text, or called me...Thank you. I really took it to heart and realized how many people care about me and my family. It's a beautiful realization and a beautiful blessing. It is my hope and my prayer that I have touched each of your lives in some way - hopefully for the good :) This is why God teaches us that we are to be salt and light....we are making tiny differences in the lives of others! Bet that some of y'all didn't realize that when you typed "happy birthday, Amy" that you really boosted my day!!

From the bottom of my 33 year old heart - Thanks be to God for another birthday and for each and every person in my life now and that has been a part at some point!! :) <3

.....and Roll Tide!!!!

Pinterest and Tangled

Two things that have been burning lots of time for me lately. Have y'all checked out Pinterest?? OMG. It's a virtual corkboard so you can group ideas that you have for crafts, recipes, cool quotes, fashion, decorating ideas, etc. It owns me. Oh, and there's an app for it too - so you never have to be without. Aah, love it! Anyway, I heart art projects - and pinterest has had me hoppin! Especially bc W wanted a "Tangled" party for her 4th birthday. I spent too many hours on Pinterest searching for fun craft and cake ideas and party ideas. I found stuff, "pinned" it, and then went to Hobby Lobby to buy the stuff to make all the fun stuff that I found. I'm pretty sure that I was thisclose to having Jimmy make a repeat of his most classic statement to date: "Amy, she ain't no dang Paris Hilton." Then there was some little statement about me needing to stop buying stuff for the party. Yes, yes, pish, posh. I love to decorate!!! Pinterest is gonna get me into trouble :)

It was worth it, even the complaining about money spent - and he knows it, too. Seeing her tiny face light up when she saw the decor, saw the bouncy house, and saw each one of her loved ones and friends walk in was worth any stress, any amount of money, time, anything...everything. We are blessed to be able to have had her a birthday party and to be surrounded by such sweet people. Here's a little highlight:



 W and her sweet friend B as Rapunzel and Flynn Rider :)

 Silly, silly Dada!!

 She requested to put her own candles in the cake :) Ha ha!

So stinkin' excited!!!!



Birthdays

October is a huge month for our family. Not only is it Fall, but football is in full swing, the colors are amazing, it's legit for me to drink hot drinks and wear my Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin fragrance without odd looks, and our whole family celebrates b-days this month.

I'm a gigantic fan of birthdays. Maybe it's an only-child thing, but I think that birthdays are the one special day out of the year that is only for me (or him, or her - depending on the day). I think that everyone should get to do whatever they want, calories shouldn't count, and everyone should be nice to that person on the special day. So, I try to make it just like that for my people. Jimmy's b-day was Monday. I had an awesome plan to surprise him with something - but, boom, his work had him working in another part of the stinking state :( boo. I've still got it up my sleeve...and with a little help, I may still pull it off. We'll see. I did the same thing for W today. Anything she wanted, we did. I bought her a Tangled balloon to have first thing this morning, even though I think they are a waste of money - because I know she loves balloons and Tangled. Sure did. Yep, we ate a cookie for lunch. Sure did. We spent too much money in the leotard store. Sure did. We bought a much-too-expensive lunchable made by Disney at Target because she wanted it. Sure did. We jumped in puddles in a parking lot because she wanted to. Sure did. She got to be the leader at dance class today. Sure did. We went to Quiznos for dinner (seriously? my kid picked THAT?) because she requested it. Sure did. I did ballet with her in the dining room with her Tinkerbell card from Mama Trish & Poppa playing 2 bars of a song over & over & over again...because she asked me to. Sure did. I ate donuts with my family tonight because W wanted that to be her birthday dessert. Guilt free. Sure did. I love it. My heart is full - because I have served my family for the last two days. I hope that I have made them feel special. Everyone deserves to feel extraordinary on his or her birthday.

I know that God has matured me in mommyhood and wifedom when I really can honestly say that I have enjoyed the last two days making my people feel super special. I have enjoyed it almost as much...if not more than my own birthday - which I will celebrate in 12 days, btw :) Maybe I will make it my goal to try to make everyone that I come into contact with feel special in some way - everyday - as if it were their birthday. How awesome would that be?!?

Thanks for my little and big people's birthday wishes via text and facebook. I conveyed them all. We are so blessed, really, really we are. Praises to God!

whew!

It only took me one hour and 15 minutes...but I have successfully changed the pic at the header of the blog! Woot! This pic was taken on Jimmy's b-day and the day before W's bday. Despite the fact that I had worked a 12 hour shift this day, I was proud of our blonde little family picture :)

Smiles and Love!!!

One of my favorite memories :)

Yes...I am about to devote a whole entire blog post to the stuffing of tissue squares into chicken wire. Yes, I am. Anyway, for those who aren't in the know. The stuffing of colored tissue squares into chicken wire in order to make a mural/decoration is known as "pomping". It's a beautiful thing. I often wish that it was cool to pomp outside of our homes. Yep, I sure do. I bring this up because I had a conversation with a friend today who is a freshman at UA and it's homecoming week and she's in a sorority. For us people who have lived that life, yes, she is about to embark on a whole lotta pomping - 30 hours to be exact. But, I told her that it will FLY by, and this will be one of the most fun weeks of her freshman year at Bama.

So, Homecoming at UA is a big deal...especially if you're in the Greek system. There's huge competition between the sororities as to who will have the best lawn decoration, the best dance routine, etc. Anyway, what I remember the most, and that I miss the most about life at that time is pomping. Sure, it was a pain in the bootie, but it's not about what you were doing...it was the fun, the friendships, the music, the crispness in the air, and you know me....the smells :) I remember the fun of eating dinner (preferably including Zeta Potatoes & zebra pie) and going outside in my pullover and grabbing a handful of pomps, climbing up on scaffolding and staking my claim to an area and sticking those tissues in the holes while music was blasting, my friends and I were chatting, and tons of people were doing the same thing up and down Magnolia Drive. Love it. Hanging out as the sun went down, ignoring that I probably had something that I needed to study - ooh, sorry Mom and Dad - and just being relaxed and having fun. Then we would take a break and walk all around sorority row to scope out the competition :) Man, we didn't have a care in the world, did we? My biggest concern was that I got my hours completed. Ha ha. I think that it was the pomping and the ambiance at UA that truly began my love for all things fall. It's so easy to transport myself back there in my mind. Good times. Good times.

This week, I'll be thinking of all of the fun that's being had down at my Alma Mater. Especially after the big time beat down of UF this past weekend! I may even throw on a pullover, make some orange kool aid for old times sake and sip on it a little bit...yeah, life IS different now, huh?? Roll Tide Roll :)

...and for you people who are still unsure about what this pomping is all about...check it: