Tiny Graduation

It just seems like yesterday, I had two little twin nieces that were born... & this past week, there they were in little tiny caps & gowns.  They got to graduate from Pre-K to the big ole kindergarden which is at the "big school"... so you know I'm a picture taking fool - so sit back & take in all the cuteness that your eyes can stand...

How precious are these faces?

Aunt Bec had to get in there in between these girls... I adore these two faces

Sophia ready for her Yaya to give her a big congratulations hug!

And Madi ready to tell her Papaw all about the songs they sang...

Time to head outside & play after all the diplomas were handed out!

Give Madi something to climb & she's all over it - remember, she's the Spiderman fan!!!

See - there she goes again!  She KNOWS no fear of getting on things...

Just loved this picture- thought it was said so much, with the sun setting & a first chapter in the twins lives ending...

ONTO the big leagues of kindergarden...

Before I know it, I'll be posting high school graduation pictures... I think I just got a few grey hairs just THINKING of that...

Project 365-17

Another week gone by already?  Wow... glad I take pictures so I have proof that it actually did happen because its going so fast!  I mean, we're REALLY getting ready to go into June?  Half a year almost down?  Wow... But, without further ado - here's the last week through my lens...

Sunday - BYE BYE LOST!!.... I was so anxious for the evening that started at 7:00 & lasted until 11:30... & then when it went off, I couldnt even think about sleeping because my brain was going in a thousand different directions.  Needless to say, Monday morning came WAY too soon!

Monday - The Future!!!... I went to the twins pre-k graduation (pictures to come in a post all in itself in a few days) & we stopped by the youth trailer so mom could see all the work my brother did in there.  Sophia & Madilynn knows I teach in there, so Sophia wanted to act like her Aunt Becca... She wanted to know where I taught at & I showed her the stool I use - she got up there & was asking questions about the Bible & pointing her finger like I would do... She's going to make a great Youth Leader one day!

Tuesday - Sunglasses goes to the dogs!!!.... I came home from work & looked outside & this is what I see... My Docker sunglasses... UGH!  I am so picky about sunglasses & these were a pair I love.  I dont even know how the dogs got them because they were up on the kitchen counter!  I need to set a video camera up & see what these dogs do when we're gone during the day!

Wednesday - Smelling cotton?.... Actually, this is a game in the youth group... they have to put vaseline on their nose & dip their nose in a bunch of cotton balls.  Then run down to a bowl across the room & get the cotton off their nose, without using their hands... Its not as easy as it seems.... bored?  Give it a try!

Thursday - A storm is a brewing.... I was in Jazzercise & we noticed the wind was picking up.  I walk outside & it didnt look bad.... but I turned a corner & saw all these dark clouds coming... I LOVE storm clouds - think they are so beautiful. 

Friday - No cookies?  Gotta get proof!.... I stopped at the grocery on the way home & after buying food, I didnt feel like cooking.  Thank goodness Penn Station is next to the grocery.  But the one thing Ricky asked for - their chocolate chip cookies!  Ever had them? They are like a piece of chocolate heaven.. seriously - the best cookie EVER.  They were out though & I had to take a picture to prove to Ricky because I knew he'd be heart broken.... which he was!  The lady told me they make them fresh every day & people come in & buy like 20 at a time... I'm telling you - the BEST cookie!

Saturday - Still no AC....Its pretty warm in our house.  Today, it got up to 88 degrees - IN THE HOUSE!!!!... I pull out a Diet Coke to cool down & it instantly gets these sweat beads on it... Yeah - my forehead kinda looks like that too - but not as sparkly...

Hope everyone is enjoying their Memorial weekend!  Click on friends!

Friday Fragments

Its Friday - & not just ANY Friday - but the Friday before a 3 day weekend!  Who knew one extra day off work could stir so much excitement?  Let's turn that excitement into some fragging... shall we?

*I was drifting off to bed the other night & saw a flash of a light in the other room... it freaked me out, but then thought it was my imagination.  As I was drifting off again, I saw it... & not only did I see it, the dogs saw it & they started barking like a man was standing in the living room with a flashlight & a huge knife ready to slit my throat!!! I get up, do my best spy move along the wall to peek into the room... & what do I see?  A lightning bug!!!!!  The dogs barking must have scared him because his light was flashing like a strobe light... whew... little buggers almost gave me a heart attack!

*I had this argument with a coworker this week... UNCOVER BOSS on CBS... I've never seen it, but have heard people talk about it. The idea that the owner of a company acts like the "normal" people & he sees how they work & hears their stories.  Sorry - I'm skeptical.  I mean, how are these people going to tell their family history & life stories to someone who just starts a job?  I have been at my job for 18 years & I still have things about my life my co-workers dont know about me.. And not only one person - but a FEW tell their heart breaking stories?  Just dont know if I'm buying into it...

*Dont even get me started on that 2 yr old that is a chain smoker!  Has everyone seen the video?  Its everywhere.. I sit with my mouth dropped every time I see it.  The parents say he gets upset if they dont give him the cigarettes... wow... just wow...

*I cant handle this Oil Spill stuff ... it just breaks my heart!  I mean, I'm the person who is trying to save a sunflower - no joke!  My dad plants me some sunflowers every year.  Buffy, our yellow lab, was chasing a bug (hey - wonder if that was my lightning bug that broke into the house!) & trampled over one of the sunflowers that was just blooming.  I have taken it inside & put it in water & trying to revive it to plant it again.  One flower broken makes me sad... I'm the girl that CRIED when our neighbor cut down some of our tress (he thought they were on his property) ... destroying nature makes me so sad... & now, pictures are coming in of ocean life dying & oil on the shores.... somebody, FIX IT PLEASE!!!!!

*OK - dont yell at me please... I cant help it.... I watched the interview with Jesse James on Nightline.. & I ended up feeling bad for the guy!  DONT YELL AT ME!!!!   I think when they said, "he's just a man in need of redemption" - I was like - OUCH!  Who isnt in need of that?  I dont think he can make ANY excuse for what he did to his wife - dont think I feel that way - but I do think he's a man who's messed up, made some horrible decisions, has had a hard life, & regrets what he's done.  It kills me to see a man cry anyways & when he got choked up, I took him off my "most hated list"... Jon Gosselin, Vienna & Miley Cyrus are still on it though :)

*FINALE WEEK!!!!!  Dancing with the Stars had Nicole taking the deserved mirror ball trophy.  LOST has blown my mind!  Biggest Loser had Michael standing under the confetti shower.  American Idol had some guy who beat the girl everyone thought would win from day one.  Bret Michael almost risked strokes twice to be on TV with Celebrity Apprenctice & American Idol... its been a fun week!  Did you watch any of the finales?  Who was your favorite winner of all the shows?  Thank God Bret Michael didnt show up on Dancing with the Stars!  I'm so worried he's going to stroke out any minute anyways - that's all he would need to do, a lively jive!

 
Hope everyone has a wonderful Friday... & enjoy that long weekend!!!!  SLEEEPPPPP!!!! YIPEE!!!

Who doesnt love a book?

All you have to do is click right HERE on my Book Blog & leave a comment... how simple is that? 

This book right here is what I'm giving away...

And let me tell you, it'll make you think!  You can find a better description over on the blog, along with a video... but it'll make you look at today's times & the news & I know for me, it makes me want to make sure the next generation has a strong sense of Christ in their life...

The giveaway ends tomorrow night - so hurry over...

Graduation

How many of you all have graduations you are attending this time of year?

College graduations have already happened... high school graduations start next week & I'm so excited because we have some amazing, fantastic kiddos graduating this year.  (Where does the time go?  They were just little middle school kids & BLINK, they are done with high school?)... And the cutest of all, Monday, I got to see my twin nieces graduate from Pre-K.  Oh, & believe me - I've got pictures.  I just have to download & edit them... so be prepared - you'll have some more picture overload coming up in the next few days.

I remember graduating... from all the "BIG" grades.  You go into a new school building & you know you are there for a specific time.  Elementary school, I had a graduation when we made it through 5th grade - moving onto middle school.  Middle school, we had a ceremony ushering us into high school.  Then of course, the big ole high school graduation that is such a fun, memorable time of your life...some head onto college for yet ANOTHER graduation & then you can even continue for a graduation again...

You enter a new school building & you know a length of time you are going to be there... you have a goal that you are working for...

You have people cheering you on... you work hard to make it to that graduation... you put in time & thought & energy... you want nothing more then to get that diploma in your hand

I was thinking about how we KNOW when we are getting close to graduating.  But what about this life we are in... afterall, we will all one day be leaving this world... GRADUATING to the next stage in our life... Heaven Bound! 

And there will be celebration - & we'll be hearing the words "Well done good & faithful servant" & we'll feel accomplished that we made it through....are we putting in our time & thought & energy into this goal? 

Its pretty exciting really - the final, wonderful Graduation of our life...

Dont be a dropout! :)

Splits all over the place...

This is it... the moment I live for... the FINALS of Dancing with the Stars... It takes a lot of fringe & sparkle & listening to Bruno making up words & phrases to get to this point... & we've all watched & survived the weeks Kate Gosselin was on... so lets get to it!

8:00 - "10 weeks of competition & it comes down to this - its the finals" - well said stars!!!!, well said...

8:01 - there's the "head band singer"... I want to know more about her & why she wears those every week. 

8:03 - Bruno stops to visit Erin to give her some confidence

8:04 - "So much better... look at your A**... look at that A**" - Bruno has such a way of words....

8:05 - Samba ends with both smooching up to the judges - literally, on Len's head...

8:12 - "Bruno was supposed to teach me how to walk in heels..."

8:13 - Len giving advice to Evan on where to find "moments" with Anna & not focus so much on the next move...

8:14 - "Piano Man" ... all I can think about is on Glee with Neil Patrick Harris & Matthew Morrison singing it - amazing harmonies....

8:15 - Evan doing the Vienesse waltz looked like Prince Charming in a ballroom..... So beautiful!

8:16 - "It was a beautiful, enchanting dream"

8:17 - NEW MOON movie Clip ****Squeeling like a little girl******

8:22 - "Carrie Ann was just giving Nicole permission to let go & not worry so much on technique"

8:23 - I hate people that can do the splits... hate them even more when they do it so smoothly like it didnt just hurt & ache in every fiber of their being...

8:23 - add to that people who can do the splits, while standing on one leg... I'd be in traction

8:24 - what the heck!  That move looks like its something out of Cirque De Soile.... her legs were literally wrapped around him, but she was HORTIZONAL... let's just defy all laws of science....

8:25 - Carrie Ann is knit-picking & saying there is a "LIFT".... oh geez woman - give a foot off the ground a rest.

8:25 - Was that Nicole's boyfriend in the audience?  must be because he looked like he was going to get up & punch someone in the face...

8:30 - "... the most anticipated dance of the season - the FREE STYLE ROUND" - I agree Tom!  This can make or break a season for me, right here...

8:31 - "We're going to go for a contemporary, lyrical freestyle" - I feel like I'm watching So you Think you can Dance now... where's Mia Michael's when you need her?

8:31 - SHUT UP - I called that - there's Mandy Moore from SYTYCD!!!!

8:32 - "Alone" by Heart... that's already scoring a point for this 80's loving gal

8:32 - Wait... didnt they say this was the story of them?  And there's a bed & lingrie involved?  Just saying...

8:33 - there was some sorta leg flip, toss thing that I honestly had to rewind & watch again in slow motion

8:34 - Shot of Erin picking her underwear out of her butt....

8:35 - "It was a pyscho drama out there... you put your heart & soul out there & took a big risk doing contemporary"

8:36 - "That wasnt the bed we were practicing on" -Marks

8:36 - "OVERSHARING" - Tom

8:36 - Len gave an 8... other judges 9's... I personally LOVED they did something other then hip-hop for a free style.. Boo on the judges for those scores!  That flip alone should earn at least 9's - 10's

8:37 - "In 10 seasons, 'the bed I didnt rehearse on' is my favorite excuse EVER" - Tom

8:37 - "You're coming up with this cheeky stuff & its not going to compete with anyone" - Evan standing up to Anna on her thoughts on free style (GO EVAN!)

8:38 - "Its been proven who wins the free style wins the competition" - Anna is freaking OUT on her lack of skill with freestyle... I'm having flashbacks of the afros & disco she did with Jerry Rice... yeah, she has reason to be nervous

8:42 - a new choreographer, Bobby Newburg has been brought in to mesh the two's ideas...

8:43 - "Footloose"

8:45 - "You look like you were bitten by a tarunula" - Bruno

8:45 - "That was odd" - Carrie Ann

8:46 - There's Ali ... & I saw Jake in the room earlier... Vienna better watch out!

8:47 - 8, 8, 8 - I think Anna's face showed it all - she looked like she was going to puke...

8:51 - I aint gonna lie - I'm holding BIG expectations for Derek & Nicole's free style!!!!

8:52 - Nicole has on a tux?  you totally know its getting ripped off to reveal something next to nothing...

8:52 - "Little Less Conversatin" by Elvis... ummm.. OK

8:53 -... clothes ripped off....

8:55 - "This was the free style we waited for" - Carrie Ann.... I was expecting more... oh well...

8:57 - Add hating someone who does the splits UPSIDE DOWN... did we get splits in EVERY direction tonight?

So what did you think of the dances?  So the competition goes into tomorrow with two MORE dances?  HUH?  Oh well... I'm happy with any of the winners really... LOVE Evan, but dont care for Anna, & I LOVE Nicole & Derek, but think she's had an advantage... & LOVE that Erin is the least experienced in professional dancing... so I'll be happy with anyone really...

You going to be watching the Finale tomorrow night?  I'll be doing some TV flipping with Biggest Loser Finale, across from DWTS Finale, & THEN, add in Glee...

Dear TV People, cant you space some things out?  My DVR may explode with all the pausing & switching of channels.

Project 365-16

Clickin away this week... let's see what we came up with...

Sunday - Wizin't it Wonderful?.... Box seats, with my mom, watching "Wicked" - it was INCREDIBLE... I am still listening to the soundtrack now that I have visuals in my head of the play along with the songs... I want to watch the Wizard of Oz now to see how the play makes me look differently at it...

Monday - Cupcake Celebration.... A birthday in the office calls for a sweet treat... & oh my goodness - these cupcakes were DA BOMB... that was for you Trina ...And because the only small things on my body are my hands, I got everyone's rings from the top of their cupcakes... SCORE!

Tuesday - KISS ME.... Finished the Disney Puzzle - how cute is this - all revolving around Disney Kisses... love that Belle is on there avoiding a kiss from Gaston ... love seeing Esmeralda from Hunchback on here too - she never gets any Disney shout outs!

Wednesday - Diet Time for Bruno .... Bruno went to the vet for his check up & we were told he's gained a LOT of weight... not surprising... so poor little boy is going on a diet & getting more exercise... I took him for a walk & felt like Jillian from Biggest Loser pushing him to go a little further.  He only made it a half mile before he collapses... poor Chub-a-wumba... (I actually call him that & he knows that as his name)

Thursday -RESCUE team to the call.... It was the cutest thing EVER - we saw Zoe out laying on the ground just watching something... we ran up to see what she was getting into - it was a dragon fly - a BIG one too - but its wing was hurt & couldnt fly away.  Zoe just kept taking her nose & touching it real gently, like "Fly little thing" - but it couldnt... Here comes Bruno & did you see the last picture?  He would eat this poor dragon fly, so Ricky got it on this cardboard & put it over in some flowers... hope its little wing healed up.. I choose to believe it did & he's not flying around happily ever after

Friday - Boys will be boys.... I walk outside & smell smoke... I come around the corner & see Ricky with a magnifying glass who was using the sun to burn through receipt papers... "Come, watch this"... you would have thought he was a 5 yr old... he was so proud... (It was pretty cool really)

Saturday - Doing my share... It was time to drive to the recycle location... In all those bags are plastic bottles -  you cant even see in my back seat of the car, there are 5 more bags!!!  The tote is full of cardboard... & I still had to take another load of newspaper... Later in the night, Ricky went to throw away a water bottle & I yelled at him & told him, 'If you dont throw it in the recycle bin, you're like the oil spilling in the ocean" - he just rolled his eyes at me, but he threw the bottle in the bin!  I win...

Hope you've all had click-worthy moments...

Six Word Saturday

I'm in the mood to SCRAPBOOK

You all saw how many pictures I have from our last trip to Texas & those beautiful, adorable, lovable grandbabies....

But hold up, because I still have to scrapbook Isaac's last visit here to our home - his 2nd birthday... which was last October... I'm way behind in scrapbooking....

I dont have any plans today (THANK YOU JESUS) so I think today is the perfect day to pull out the paper, scissors, & glue sticks & see what happens...

Anyone love to scrapbook?  If you do, drop me your favorite scrapbook tip you love...

Friday Fragments

*I'm still so stressed from Grey's Anatomy finale last night... people being shot, blood spilling everywhere, lives trying to be saved, Bailey crying... that right there kills me.  Anytime Miranda Bailey is on that screen, its always a good scene... Did you watch it?  I think I didnt breath the whole two hours it was on!!!

*I saw Brett Michaels is back in the hospital.... I bet Donald Trump is freaking out!  I am so rooting for Brett to win Sunday in the Finale of Celebrity Apprentice... They need to delay the show anyways though!  I mean, really - you're going up against the finale of LOST!  Mr. Trump - do you think anyone is really going to choose you over LOST?

*Went & saw Wicked last Sunday... Its probably the most amazing Broadway Play I've ever seen... & I hold Beauty & the Beast on Broadway up there HIGH on that scale & I think that Wicked may even surprass it - definitely at least on par with it.... the story is so creative & SMART... Defying Gravity gave me chills - I cried at the end - I was laughing at witty little lines through the whole play.  If you EVER get the chance to see it, dont let the opportunity pass you by!

*Anyone ever read the book "Wicked"?  I tried years ago & thought it was HORRIBLE - ended up giving my book to my mom for her Wizard of Oz collection... but now, since I've seen the play, I think I gotta try & read it again....

*So I'm seriously debating going to Virginia Beach on Labor Day... there is a half marathon that I've been reading up on & then saw a blog buddy, Sarah Beth is thinking about doing this same race... It would definitely be an adventure for me to drive down to Virginia by myself ... but this looks like the best race... running with bands playing every mile - running along the BEACH... it would be a weekend I would always remember... I gotta decide by next week because prices of the entry into raise on Memorial Weekend... You only live once, right?

*I got a gift card to Target from my "doggies" for Mother's Day... I'm heading to the store right after work to buy the newest GLEE Soundtrack... "I Dreamed a Dream"... Idina Menzel....Oh my Broadway singing loving heart... I ended up watching that episode on Hulu at work (had to get in my LOST on Tuesday) & when they sang that song, I was just sitting with my jaw dropped on how awesome... Not to mention Neil Patrick Harris singing "Dream On" with Mr. Shue... yep, cant wait to get this CD so I can pop it in the car & tap into my loudest singing voice ever... You all know the car is where your loudest singing voice comes out at :)

*My computer had to be taken apart yesterday during work so I had a lot of free time on my hands... luckily, my wonderful iPod Touch linked me up to Facebook where I put on the Words with Friends page my game name & asked if anyone wanted to play a game... Within 10 minutes, I had 8 different games going... I literally sat with my iPod in my hand all day playing Scrabble with people from all over the US... for that reason & that reason along, I love technology...

*Sunday night, the world will not exist to me... it will only be LOST... I am so anxious to see how it all ends... I'm sure I wont understand it, but I'll still love it... that's the story of the show for me.  If its all a dream of a autistic boy with a snow globe, I'm gonna be mad... (I totally just dated myself with that St. Elsewhere shout out!)

Hope everyone had a fanstic Friday!  Happy Fragging!