1. It’s not raining today. That’s a good thing.
2. Mom made schnitzel for me last night. It’s my favorite!
3. I brought home some to warm up for lunch today.
4. I’m on a diet again.
5. Schnitzel doesn’t go with a diet.
6. I did skip the mashed new potatoes.
7. I didn’t skip the fried okra.
8. … or cake.
9. Thanks Mom!
10. No really, thanks Mom.
11. Amanda saw an olympian with her hair french braided across the front and remembered we did her hair that way when she was growing her bangs out years ago. So we did that to her hair.



12. Emelia saw it and wanted her hair done the same way.
13. They both looked very cute! I should have taken a pic of the two of them… maybe later today

Here’s Izzy, just out of the bath…

Hair combed!

All dressed for school!

Have a great day!

Whew, that’s a lot of stuff for one post huh? We’ve had a busy day ending with a birthday party. I’m posting this all late Sunday night… but tomorrow is Amanda’s 18th birthday! I can hardly believe that I am the mother of an eighteen year old! It really seriously seems like yesterday that she was a little baby, then a little girl… then a pre-teen… you get the picture. It really goes fast. If you have a little one and you think it doesn’t go fast, let me tell you here and now it does! You will blink and be singing happy birthday to your eighteen year old child.

Amanda has been a relatively easy child to raise. She has a very sweet spirit and is quiet in nature. She is an incredibly hard worker in school and has made us so proud so many times… getting the golden falcon for having all “A’s” throughout junior high… being in the State and National Honor Societies… Having the highest gpa… making over 30 points in a single basketball game and winning MVP of the tournament… so many things she has done in her life to make us proud. She has a silly sense of humor that you only see if you know her well enough for her to show it to you.

Happy Birthday to Amanda. I love you!

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Crystal tagged me for my five favorite things!

1. family! Immediate to extended… they are my favorite peeps.
2. friends! I have the best friends. I’m a blessed girl!
3. church! We have an awesome church.
4. blogging! I love to blog and love my bloggy friends (I’m meeting another IRL Monday!)
5. sleep! My nap was cut short today to get ready for the party tonight… but it sure was nice!

I won’t mention purses or sonic ice… long lunches talking or praying at bedtime with Matt… shopping trips with my mom or snuggling with Izzy. Well, I guess I mentioned it all… but I just have so many favorite things. Thanks for the tag Crystal. I’ll tag anyone who wants to list their five favorite things!

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One of my oldest bloggy friends (Sheryl) gave me the sharing the love blogging award. Thanks Sheryl!

I’ll pass it on to Amanda since it’s her birthday and all… and to my other birthday friends… Jenny (July 30), Marcia (Aug. 6)! I pass it to you too if your birthday is this month or in August! Happy Birthday!

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Last but not least… menu time!

Monday is Amanda’s actual birthday, but she’s going out to eat dinner with Lorenzo and seeing Mama Mia… so we’ll just have a normal meal here. Most likely quesadillas. With grilled chicken and guacamole.

Tuesday grilled burgers and broccoli cauliflower salad

Wednesday we’ll have spaghetti & garlic bread.

Thursday grilled chicken and baked potatoes…

Friday Matt has requested gyros. yuck. but okay.

OH. One more thing. Guess what I got today?

Happy Monday!

Amanda and I went to the ladies banquet/dinner tonight at Sante Fe Restaurant.  It was pretty good! and the speaker was interesting too.  She operates a home for women who are coming out of prison, mostly people who have drug issues.  She is a recovering addict and found God.  Amanda and I sat across from Miki and her daughter Madison.  It was fun!  I enjoyed having dinner with Amanda too, even cutting her steak.  Here we are on our way out…

So yesterday I took Izzy to school and I normally back my suburban into a spot close to the school. I have done that for the past three years… The bus was in the way so I just parked behind the bus to take Izzy in. This is the drop off spot for her class. Anyway, I took her in and then came out and noticed the second bus was behind me so I rushed to my car and got in to pull out as fast as possible for the bus. Before I could even get my car out of park the bus behind me whipped around the side of my car really freakishly close and pinned me in behind the first bus. I knew it was deliberate. It was very obvious. I decided not to get uptight about it and just relax and wait for the bus to unload. No big deal. After that bus left the first bus driver came running out of her bus and yelling, “don’t leave.” I thought she was going to gripe at me for parking there and I knew I was right to be parked there. Anyway, she came to my window and looked like she was about to cry and said that she saw what the bus did and knew it was deliberate. She said she was so upset that that bus had pinned me in and that I was supposed to be there to let my daughter go into school. She wrote down the bus supervisor’s number and the bus number that had pinned me in. She said she was planning to complain and wanted me to as well. I haven’t yet. I kinda decided to let it go… what do you think I should do? Complain or let it go?

So, onto another subject… today I went with Amanda to shop for some things for Lorenzo. Don’t you know it’s their six month anniversary of going out together? Apparently this is HUGE! Anyway, we were coming out of Walmart and the lady who stands at the door and says, “welcome to walmart.” was there and Amanda had on sandals that had heels and I had on flip flops that were flat, making us about the same height. So the lady said, “Are you girls identical twins?” We just smiled and I said, “no. Mother and daughter.” So she said, “Who is the mother and who is the daughter?” Again, I laughed a little and said, “I’m the mom.” Her jaw dropped. It was hilarious. HELLO! Anyway she went on and on about how she could not believe I was the mother and wanted to know what my secret was. I’m not sure Amanda enjoyed this encounter at all, it was a little awkward… but who doesn’t like to be told they look young? Is the lady senile? Probably. I don’t care. I’ll take it anyway.

Last but not least I finally found a trampoline today to replace ours that was destroyed in the ice storm. Our Sam’s club has been out of them and has 14 on order forever so while Matt, Emelia, and I were across town we zipped into the Sam’s there and they had two. Bailey was very excited! It’s square and has the enclosure with it. I hope we get it assembled tomorrow.

Amanda should be home anytime and then I’m headed to dreamland! Goodnight!

Amanda and I determined last night the dress she planned to wear to prom would not work. The main reason being she cannot sit in it. It is extremely fitted! They have reservations to eat before the prom and there is no way she can a) ride in a car and b) eat sitting down! I decided to go out and look for a replacement today. I found two and bought them both, hoping one will be just right.

I also went to a State Honor Society luncheon today with Amanda.

So tonight is the PROM… Amanda is very excited.  Everything is bought, tanned, polished, and ready to go.   All that’s left to do is assemble everything to make a complete prom girl.  My task at hand is going to be doing prom hair.  After looking at a few pics I am pretty sure what she is going for.  Lorenzo’s sisters (two of them) asked me to do their hair for prom next weekend.  Amanda is doing their makeup.  So I guess this is prom round 1.

I do plan to take pictures so I’ll be back sometime to post the couple as they leave.

She is doing better after her oral surgery…

Still not eating solids yet.

She is starting to really get tired of mashed potatoes!

A little update on Amanda.

She is feeling better today.

Her mouth is still pretty sore though!

Again I’m sitting here, eyes half opened wondering, “Is it really Monday, already?” I do know that it is really Monday, but it seems like they come so fast! It was a busy weekend, busier than most. Now it’s Spring break! I was so glad Jenny was okay, you know she was at the Georgia dome thing when that tornado hit? Very scary! I heard (on Matt’s XM radio) early Saturday morning that a tornado had hit there and I knew she was there even though I didn’t.

Annie was great. Crowded, but great. There was not an open seat in the entire place. It was a little too crowded for my taste, but it was really good so I suppose it was worth it. My favorite character was Ms. Hannigan. She did such a great job. The song “Little Girls,” was great! The lead did a great job as Annie. She had a strong voice and was enjoyable. Me & Emelia got red “Annie” t-shirts and wore them to church last night. Fun stuff.

Yesterday morning at church (Palm Sunday) there was an Easter egg hunt planned for the children. Before services were over I was called out to find Izzy crying (hysterically) in her class. I am really not sure what the problem was. I took her out of her chair and she seemed to calm down. They had taken the Easter bunny in to see her and found her upset. I really don’t think she was afraid of the bunny because later she was taking pictures right beside the bunny and not afraid at all. Not a great pic of Iz, but she had been so upset. She smiled when Miki took the first pictures (while I was waiting for my camera) so hopefully I’ll get those too.

They had a fun time hunting eggs. Me and Izzy were slow, we only found one egg by the time all the others had been picked up but we decided one egg was perfect for us. I stopped to let her hold the egg and to help her put it into her basket. That took a few minutes!

There’s so much more that happened this weekend, from the training from my old friend Jacki and seeing Clayton (who was a near drowning and completely healed around the time of izzy’s accident). He’s so cute. She had an oil company and wants me to do topos for her. I’ve never done topos? but I guess I will now! Then there was the trip to taco bell with the whole youth group… fun times! I’ll spare all those details and be back later to (hopefully) post a menu.

One last thought… Amanda is getting all four wisdom teeth cut out at 1 p.m. today.

Okay… updated because I thought of something else! Stacy send me a box of truffles! She was having a truffles book giveaway and I was so surprised to find chocolate in the mail! Thanks Stacy!!! ALSO I got a huge box in the mail on Saturday and it was full of the new bathroom stuff I ordered for the hall bathroom. It says believe on it and it is so pretty. Little fleur de lis shower curtain hooks even! cute!