Talk about hair...we have a lot of it in our household! I remember saying when I was younger I wanted to have a girl so I could braid her hair. Well, I got that hair to braid...twice! I have been practicing the art of french braids on the girls and I must say it is getting better, although not perfect. At least not perfect enough to take a photo. It's kind of tricky to master. But this was the result after taking out the braids...Poof!! Twice the hair! They loved it! I didn't realize how many comments it would get at the school. My friends asked if they got a perm...no just braids. Their little friends asked how they got their hair to look like that...just mom practicing braids. Wow, it turned out pretty cool for a day. The girls are already asking me to "practice" some more so they can have poofy hair again. Maybe next time I'll be able to take a before photo of those french braids...

I am really proud of this cake. So proud, I actually took a picture of it. Crazy, I know. When something I make turns out this good, I feel like I have to show it off a bit because it doesn't happen everyday! I found this recipe that uses chocolate ganache for the glaze. Ever since I saw Emeril making ganache on the food network, I had always wanted to try it. So when I saw this recipe using ganache, I gave it a whirl. Ganache is actually heavy cream and chocolate melted together and dries to shiny glaze that looks as good as it tastes. Needless to say, it was a hit with the family. Dessert ruled tonight and mom rocks! I love it when I can make everyone happy with good ol' chocolate. So here's my Martha Stewart moment. I'll savor it while I can...okay that's enough. I think I'll go have myself a second piece...

Woohoo...what a great day for sledding!

We survived Valentines Day. The kids have finally come down off the sugar high from candy hearts and chocolate. I too have come down from the day of sneaking a chocolate kiss every time I walked by the bags. After what seemed like a hundred of the little addicting chocolates...but oh so good...I put the bags away. Out of sight. There, now I wouldn't be so tempted. It worked for awhile. Finally I gave in, pulled the bag out of the cupboard and munched some more. There is something about those hershey kisses I just can't get enough of. Somebody stop me!!! It was a good day. The kid's school parties were fun and memorable and my son even joined in on the spirit of cupid. No girl tried to kiss him or anything so he survived! I think deep down he likes the holiday but would never admit it. So on the way home from school, I try and engage the kids in a stimulating conversation of the days events. Usually I get the same responses until my boy changed all that.

"So how was the Valentines party?" I say
"It was so cool. We had sooo much food," he said.
"That's awesome! And looks like your bag is full of the goods! So, buddy, will you be my Valentine?" I say.
He looks at me and says, "You already are."

My heart has completely melted. No amount of chocolate kisses in the world could ever compare to that...

I really dislike shopping for vehicles.

But the time has come to get a new one. Or at least a different one. My bh got his new pickup a few months ago and to be honest with you, I am amazed at how a truck can make one so giddy. Must a man thing. All I need is a vehicle that gets me from point a to point b and has enough room for 3 kids, a dog, groceries and maybe a stray friend or two from school. So i've been driving my van for a couple of years now. Like it okay, never has any problems and the kids are allowed food and drink in it unlike the other vehicle at my house (yes, honey I'm talking about you!) but I think I am ready to move on to something, well, more young-like. Those cute little SUV's with a 3rd seat keeps popping in my head. I figure my youngest child will be in kindergarten this fall so maybe I can get one now. Sounds like part of me is trying to justify this whole deal. I just wish I could order one up from eBay and a week later, it would show up in my driveway. I really dislike driving through endless rows of cars at the lots. I really dislike all the research my bh has to do before deciding on which one is the safest, which one is is more likely to experience mechanical problems, etc. etc. etc. It seems to take up so much time. I guess it goes back to the part of me that just wants a decent vehicle to get me around. Should it really be so hard? So I'll keep checking the internet when I think of it, glance at the paper here and there and maybe just maybe that SUV will say "here I am, take me home."

Until then, my van and I will continue to have our relationship with the kids, dog and spilled juice.

It's Valentine's Day this week which means class parties which means handing out valentines to classmates...not a favorite holiday of my son. I think it must be the having-to-give-valentines-to-the-girls-too that he he doesn't especially like. I know there are some girls who have crushes on my son. I know because when I go to his classroom all the girls giggle and say, "there's his mom.." then they all huddle together and just giggle away. My son says a couple of girls are always staring at him. Hmmmm. guess he'll have to get used to that. But luckily for now, he is very anti-girl and says he'll never have a girlfriend and never get married.


That's what his dad used to say too.....





















Then there is my oldest daughter...loves Valentines Day, loves the hearts, the colors of the holidays and especially making the valentine cards. All of hers are decked out in fancy letters with curly Q's and hearts. V-Day is in her top list of holidays. I think it's because she is a romantic kind of girl. She didn't hold anything back on her cards so look out boys...you're getting the fancy ones too.

Now does this look the face of a girl who doesn't like Valentines Day? She made out her cards for the preschoolers a week ago and handwrote every name carefully. Those Dora cards are packed up and ready to go. She keeps asking how many more sleeps 'til "balentines day" And every day as the number keeps getting lower, her smile keeps getting bigger.

Jill...Carey...Nancy...Kim...Shelly...Susan...Heather...Jen...

These are the names of the best group of ladies I am blessed to be friends with. I have known each and every one of them for all of my adult life and I am so grateful to have met them back at good 'ol SDSU. The memories we have together are too many to count. So every year since we have graduated, a weekend has been designated for us-just us-that means no husbands, no kids. Just us girls getting together and doing what we do best...being friends. When these weekends come around every year, it amazes me at how it seems like no time has passed. It's like we were just together the weekend before. To me, that oozes the meaning of friendship. We can all just be ourselves. We laugh, we talk, we share joys, problems, we eat fancy food, we shop, we sit around a fireplace in white robes getting pedicures and facials, we even share beds when neccesary!

So I got the email a couple of weeks ago that the date has been set for this years girls weekend. The end of April. I have to tell you, I love my family and all, but I truly cannot wait for that weekend! I so look forward to it. We'll all travel to Minneapolis and meet up and let the fun begin. I sometimes think about this group of women and how really great it is that we are all so close. I have great friends here, a lot of couple friends my hubby and I do stuff with, even friends from high school I keep in touch with. But nothing is like the friendship I hold with these girls. It's different and it means a lot to me. So the countdown is on to our weekend in April and I'm sure it will be another weekend to put in the memory book.

So...Jill, Carey, Nancy, Kim, Shelly, Susan, Heather and Jen, I'm thinking of you and I can't wait to see you again. Here's to our weekend together!

This has been a busy couple of weeks, thus my lack of blogging. I have so many things racing in my mind to blog about, I don't know exactly what would be worth the blog space. So I think I will just start with the first thing on my mind and see where this blog leads us...enjoy the journey.

*My dad and his wife returned from the Barrett-Jackson Car Show in Arizona before leaving again for the Virgin Islands. So we snuck in a visit before they left and as usual my dad leaves me feeling like he is the best dad in the world. I always tell him I have the best because he truly is the best. I pray for their safe travels. I offered to come along for company but here I sit wrapped in a blanket, braving the deep freeze we are in. I guess they ran out of space?!

*My 7 yr old was nominated by her teacher to be Student Of The Week! It's a great honor. My son has held this honor twice but this is a first for my first grader. She is very excited and we are proud to have her poster on the wall at the school for everyone to see. There are 4 elementary schools here and ours is the only one to do this for the kids. I think it's great for them. To celebrate, she got her favorite supper...mac n' cheese.

*Although I was cheering on the Bears, I couldn't help but to be happy for the Colts too. Especially after hearing the coach's interview after their Super win. I was driving the kiddos to school and listening to K-LOVE when his words came across..."I am proud to represent the first african-american coach to win the SuperBowl but I'm more proud to have played the way Lovie Smith and I play the game. The Lord's way. That's the only way to play and win this game..." How awesome. And my football fanatic son was soaking in every word. Way to go, coach. Way to go, God.

*My business is picking up! I just bought this new flash for my camera and I can't wait to use it this weekend. My next task is updating my website. I have some cool ideas in my head but can't quite find the person to do the creating. So I need to some more research and see if these ideas can somehow make it to the computer screen. Ugh!

*After a couple of years of looking at houses, putting in a couple of offers only to be outbidded (I know, just like eBay) and seeing some nice homes but nothing we really felt comfortable in, my bh and I have done some soul searching and decided we really like our house! It's home to us. We love the yard space, we love the colors on the walls we picked out and we love the rustic feel we have created. God is telling us something. We are meant to stay here at least for a while. So we have made the decision to do the next step and remodel. The electrician is hired and the plumber is coming to add a bathroom and extra bedroom. It's great to have finally made this decision and to know it's the right move for us.

*And finally, God. I could blog about him all day. For reasons I can't get into, my prayers are being answered in ways I can't even explain. He has always been there, I know, but He is really showing Himself to me lately. It's almost like I have this aura around me. Life is good. God is good. Keep the faith, He really is there making a difference in the world.

My mind is clear now. It's more of a rambling blog filled with things that probably wouldn't interest anyone. I think that's what blogs are for...to write, clear our minds and hope the bloggees reading won't think we are totally crazy. Thanks for listening.