Weekend Photos
(& a One-Day Blogging Moratorium)

Really good weekend, after a sssllllooowwww start. (Delaney was home sick on Friday and then Friday night, so she and Gary and Sydney stayed at home while McKenna and I went to the high school football game. Gary wanted to go, so he was a little bit disappointed by that--and also that he missed our 5th Quarter get-together at church. The game was great--we won 32-10, and the get-together was fun, even though a small crowd showed up. After D woke up throwing up on Saturday morning, I had little hope that she'd be okay for the Bama game that evening. But, around noon she felt revived and she got to go! So, the weekend became good again!)

Some Weekend Photos

From the Bama game--

At the beginning of the post was Delaney, all painted up and ready for the game!

Here we have Sydney, who decided to hop up onto a bar stool and read up on all of the gameday news from the local paper. She was sitting there like she was really reading it!



And then the team allegiances being shown by my two nephews--



And then a few pics from church on Sunday morning (thank you SO much Ryan!)--

Sunday was nice! The youth did an AMAZING drama to the song "When I Call on Jesus" in the morning worship service. McKenna really got into it; she loves performing!




Then Sunday afternoon involved . . . pan pizza from Pizza Hut (yummm!!!), watching some NFL football (fun!), leisurely reading some magazines, folding clothes that desperately needed to be folded (they had created a Pile with a Mind of its Own on a living room chair), and mopping my kitchen floor to where I could actually notice a difference (LOVE a clean floor!). So that was all good!!

And now, a little announcement . . .

I'm putting myself on a Blogging Moratorium! I have become SO addicted to blogging that I've been doing it every week day, plus I have found so many blogs that I love to visit and comment on. I will NOT stop this activity (of course not!!), but I need to take a break for a day or two. I'm seriously behind on FIVE articles I have to get done by October 1 and I'm having serious problems getting through to sources. I'm planning on spending all day Monday working on them--and, pinky swear to myself, I'm not going to be distracted by the big nasty blogging temptation. LOL

Hopefully . . . fingers crossed . . . I'll get some substantial work done on my assignments tomorrow, and I'll be back around on Tuesday (after all, I've got to do my Random Tuesday postings). Wednesday at the very latest!!

Can't wait to catch up on weekend blog postings right now, before my "moratorium" goes into effect.

See ya again soon!!

Shout-Outs and Shameless Plugs

* The first official Shameless Plug this Friday morning goes to my brother Christopher, who just had his first novel published! The Return of Legends is the first novel in his "The Forgotten Heroes" trilogy.

It's just been released by Rage Machine Publishing and is right now just available via the Internet. Go to www.gwthomas.com to learn more about it . You can also visit Christopher's website at www.christophersloan.com and see all the cool stuff he's written and learn more about him.

(Christopher is definitely the most natural writer in our family, and this comes from a family that includes our father, who has had more than 20 textbooks published, and our mother who has written several books, published hundreds of articles, and is working on a novel right now! )

If you love fantasy, you really need to check his book out. The back cover says that it is the story of "several aging bounty killers who go on one last mission and end up embarking on the adventure of their lives. The trilogy is full of sword-slicing, axe-chopping action . . . but is also character-driven."

I'm really proud of him! So go check it out and buy a few copies for yourself (and for gifts--because you know, Christmas is just over three months away!!)

* To my various sports teams this third week of football season. To Hueytown High School (we are 2-0 and ranked in the top ten in the state, and tonight is our first home game; and we're having what we call a Fifth Quarter party afterwards, so that should be fun!), and to the Alabama Crimson Tide (Delaney is excited because she finally gets to go to a game with me; we're playing Cream Puff U--otherwise known as Lousiana-Monroe--but definitely need a decisive win. We've been struggling BIG TIME in the Red Zone and we need to score some touchdowns bad!! Because the real heart of our season, including SEC play, starts soon!)

* To the Creator of all things, who has decided to grace us with beautiful weather the last few days. Down South--where we've been known to wear shorts on Christmas Day--we've actually been feeling a nip in the air when we leave for school in the morning (it was 53 this morning; woo hoo!) and have felt comfortable all day long. I really love it when the weather changes like this!

* To the Gas Lord, whoever that may be, for getting my gas price down to $2.39 a gallon. Hallelujah!

* To my dad and Uncle Kirk. Dad has been having some serious back pain and had to have a spinal shot the other day. He still tries to go everywhere at 110% and doesn't take it easy like he should. And my Uncle Kirk is in the hospital in Tyler, Texas, having all sorts of tests done (he's in a lot of pain, is swollen, and they think he could have a cyst or something, but still aren't sure). Send some prayers out for both of them!

* To my Sydney, aka Scout, aka "The Entertainer," aka "She Who Will Not Be Subdued," aka "Still So Darn Cute that You Just Gotta Laugh with Her, Then Hug Her." You really should be able to buy tickets to just listen to the things she's saying these days! Some of my favorite lately have been . . .

"My name is Ooey Shooey." (Yesterday, she had made a big mess in her Pull Up--yes, she's almost 2 1/2 and since she is also informally known as "Stubborn Like My Pop," she really could care less about being potty trained! But that's another post!--and she declared that she had a new name. This obviously came from my describing her messy pants as "ooey" and "yucky" and "shooey" and various other pseudo-English words. "My name is Ooey Shooey," she said, " and when people talk to me, they say 'Hi Ooey Shooey.'" It was BEYOND funny!)

"Let's Do Cheers" (if you have a cup in your hand, you better be ready to share a toast with Sydney! She grabs her cup and tells you, "Let's do cheers." Yesterday, we did three of them--"Cheers for Mommy and Poppy," "Cheers for the tv," and "Cheers for chips." Then you have to clink glasses with her. Gotta love it!)

Woke up this morning to Delaney feeling bad, so I guess the Sick Bug has left Scout and made its way to her. So, another day of staying home and watching over a little one.

Tomorrow's plans? Sleeping in a little bit late, going down to Tuscaloosa for the game with Delaney, hopefully meeting up with my best friend for lunch, and finding other fun stuff to do! Gary has plans to go into The Woods tomorrow, and he's really looking forward to that.

Hope all of you have an OUT-standing weekend full of football, food, fun, and friends. I'm planning on doing so!

Welcome to my Obsession . . .

Most of you know by now that I am totally OBSESSED with scrapbooking. I have some pretty new blogging friends, though, that may not really understand this obsession and why it's what it is.



I have always loved photographs and have always been great at keeping photos in their albums (in our den, on the top shelf of our bookshelves, I have probably 20 photo albums full to the brim! Now, of course, I have just as many scrapbooks too!). I grew up with a photographer for a father, so I was always surrounded by photos. Now I'm married to a photographer, so we have TONS of photos and I wouldn't have it any other way!

About five years ago I discovered scrapbooking and I've been hooked ever since. I'm attracted to scrapbooking for a lot of reasons, but mostly for two--it is a way for me to capture my memories through both photos and the stories behind them (I love to know WHAT happened in a picture, who the people are, and the meaning behind them. Don't you just hate it when you find an old, faded photo and have no clue who the people are in them?), and it's a creative outlet for me. I'm so NOT an artistic person, but I've found an outlet that I feel comfortable in and sometimes it makes me feel like I'm back in art class in elementary school and I'm NOT the inept kid who couldn't draw a straight line.

And now, lo and behold, they have entire stores that sell only scrapbooking stuff and now you can feed your addiction. Papers, stickers, alphabet letters made out of chipboard, really cool mini albums, buttons, ribbon . . .anything you can think of to put on a page to tell your story. And there are magazines and books to inspire you (and websites and blogs and on and on . . .)

Anyway . . . fast forward to today's post.

I find time almost everyday to work on some sort of scrapbooking project. Sometimes it's getting a half a page done, on other days it's doing three or four layouts. Here are some pages I've created in the past week--



I created the above "Super Star" page with four pictures I just love of Sydney having a mini-concert in our living room one night (in fact, I shared these pics a few weeks ago on my blog). I cut the stars from some other patterned paper, and added some cool alphabets letters and rhinestones. The journaling is around the stars and the side of the page and says:

Sydney loves to sing . . . to perform . . . to bow . . . to act silly . . . to make us smile. Living room concert, singing to "High School Musical," August 2006



I've found that a benefit to having blogs is that they create instant journaling for my scrapbook pages. For this memorial page in honor of Gary's Papa Doug (who died just over a month or so ago), I used the post straight from Gary's blog that day. It was powerful and said much more than I could say looking back now.

The page is really much more vivid in real life; for some reason, it's washed out and you can't really appreciate how pretty the paper is and how cool the metal tags are on it. But you CAN see the awesome picture of Papa Doug; I love that one of him! He looks so young and in his element (in the journaling, Gary says that some of his strongest memories are of his grandfather grilling for the family).



This page above is one I just finished yesterday about McKenna's personality. I titled the page, "Type A," because she is definitely a type A personality--no nonsense go-getter who is always motivated and wants to do everything right. (Where in the world did she get that from? I have no idea, because I'm like a Type G or H personality!) The background paper is cool because it says things like "organized," "prepared," "priorities," "just do it," and "focused." I bought it as soon as I saw it, because I knew it would make a great "McKenna page." Also love the little journaling tag, because it looks like a calendar page. And look Adrienne, I used some of your "leftovers"--those KI letters and those SEI puffy stickers.

The journaling on it says: "Boy is McKenna ever a Type a personality! She is an over-achiever, perfectionist, organizer, and leader! She gets mad sometimes when people cal her 'bossy,' but she just wants things down well and right! She loves to organize things and dream up big plans. She uses calendars, planners, and file systems to keep everything on track. I wish I was more like her in that way!"



This last layout was really special to do and is an example of the kind of scrapbooking I'm wanting to do more of. I really think that scrapbooking is most important for preserving our feelings--and to help people after me (my children and their children) understand who I was. For this "He said, She said" page I took a quiz from the Simple Scrapbooks Quizzes book and "interviewed" Gary about his feelings of me. While he answered his questions, I took the same quiz (so we didn't see each other's answers until we'd both finished).

(Btw--you can click on it and it will get larger.)

Our answers are on the two journlaing pages--

What attracted you to Cheryl/Gary?

him-- The way she seemed to brighten up the room
me-- To tell the truth, it was strictly his looks and his charm on the first night I met him. He was so cute and very charming in the way he approached me.

What does she/he do that makes you laugh?

him-- She makes me laugh in a variety of ways. Her passion about sports and winning does it more often. Sports are year-round in our family and she can get quite passionate about it.
me-- When he starts acting like a little kid with the girls--tickling them, making pooting noises with them, being generally silly with them. He doesn't feel like he always ha to be the "adult."

Where was your first date?

him-- We met at the Ox Restaurant, but our first date was going to see Tim McGraw and a nice Italian dinner.
me--Dinner at Sal's Italian Restaurant and to Midnight Rodeo to a Tim McGraw concert.

Was it love at first sight or a friendship that blossomed?

him--Passion at first sight. Love came quickly.
me--It was definitely attraction at first sight. I think we told each other we loved each other within two weeks!

Are you more alike or different?

him--I think we were extremely different and have grown more alike.
me-- We are very different in the way we handle things (he is a "type A" and I'm more laid-back!) and we used to laugh a lot about our huge political differences. We've become more alike over the years and now just don't talk about those political disagreements.

How do you settle your differences?

him-- Quick outburts and then we talk about the problem after the storm has passed.
me-- Gary gets mad, I want to talk about it right away, then I realize I need to let him simmer for a while.

Do you agree about the temperature in your house?

him--No, I like it cold and she likes it warm.
me-- No! Gary likes the Arctic Zone and I like it much warmer!

Is there a place that you'd like to re-visit with Cheryl/Gary?

him-- Our beach in Aruba.
me-- I'd love to go back to Aruba.

What three words best describe Cheryl/Gary?

him--Outgoing, Creative, Adventuresome (I have many more, but you made me stop at three . . .)
me--Strong-willed, Passionate, and Intelligent (why can't I have more words? How about creative, sensitive, competitive, and handsome too?)

------------

Thanks for letting me share those with you!! And remember--those of you who might be the scrapbooking "type," but also those of you who could care less about it--today you are making memories! Take the time to preserve those memories by taking photos, scrapbooking, or journaling in a journal (or on a blog!). How important will it be someday to look back on what you created and wrote--and to remember the good times (and even the hard times) and recall what life was like "way back then."

Hair Cuts & Icees . . . Running with Scissors & Dancing with Stars

Well, we had a good Tuesday afternoon and evening--and there are some updates that some of you might find interesting (perhaps even entertaining) based on what I blogged about yesterday.

First of all, it just cracks me up that my own daughters read and respond to my posts pretty often. Yesterday McKenna--who just got her one-month grounding from the telephone and the computer lifted on Monday--responded to my post about the 5 blessings in your life.

(The only thing really troubling about this is the fact that she posted while she was in the middle of a class she takes called Business Tech; I also got an email from her yesterday basically saying something to the extent of, "I'm bored in class today. I'm three lessons ahead so I'm surfing around the Internet instead." She also sent me a joke, a "look how stupid you are" quiz email, and links to some websites--one of them being www.bored.com. Do I need to worry about the state of our public education? or should I just be glad that she's ahead in her class?)

Anyway . . . the fifth "blessing" she listed was "People who cut hair." Yep, I got the message . . . I had told McKenna I would make her a hair appointment and she was just gently reminding me of it. LOL

So, after school, she went and got a whole ton of her hair chopped off. Here she is AFTER her cut. I think it's really cute . . .

Then, I mentioned yesterday my love for Icees. For some reason, there has been a proliferation of Icee machines into the Hueytown area within the last few months. You used to have to go out of your way to find one and now there are least four convenience stores that sell them. And better yet is the fact that there appears to be an Icee Price War going on. One store has them for 99 cents ANY SIZE; another one, closer to our house, has them for 89 cents any size. So, they've become an almost every-other-day purchase on the way home from school.

And, yep, yesterday I got me one . . . This was a Coke icee--my personal favorite--but I also enjoy a mix of Coke and cherry (but alas, the 99 cent store only had Coke and Blue raspberry! Not sure yet that that's a combo I want to try.). Yumm--mmyy!!

I got a chance to do a little bit of scrapbooking yesterday afternoon, which all of you know I just love! Sydney joined in and was soon covered in stickers . .

(and, yes, before any of you call me on it . .. those are BIG scissors in her hand. With your third child, you really just throw safety and common sense out the window. Safety plugs in the electrical outlets? Are you kidding? She'll learn quickly enough if she tries to put a screwdriver in the plug. Need to go swimming immediately after eating, instead of waiting the necessary 30 minutes? Go for it! Want to run with scissors? Go right ahead!)

(By the way, I'm planning on sharing a few of my layouts tomorrow with all of you. So if you like scrapbooking--check back in tomorrow. If you don't--well come back and pretend like you do. Or ramble back in here on Friday.)

And then last night, we watched a show that could quite possibly become addictive. I'm not really a reality television show fan--the exception being "American Idol," of course!!--but we got to watching "Dancing with the Stars." It was strangely enjoyable--a little bit like stopping to watch the remains of a car crash on the highway.

Looking at the lineup at the beginning of the show, I figured I would root for Emmitt Smith--one of my favorite Dallas Cowboys of all time! But I imagined he would be quite atrocious at ballroom dancing and that it would be quite difficult to watch, but how surprised was I when he was really good? So he is my favorite after the first show! (But then I really liked Joey Lawrence--partly because I had major "Blossom" flashbacks when I saw him. And Delaney had to vote repeatedly for Monique, the girl from the All Powerful "High School Musical." And then I had to give Tucker Carlson some sympathy votes as well. Something about a guy dancing with a bow tie on!) I may have to tune into that one again next week!

So, just a normal Tuesday afternoon and evening in the "W" household. Who knows what adventures await me today!!

(Edit Add-on-- I posted this all last night as a saved draft and since then Sydney woke up in the middle of the night burning up. She's an unhappy little girls today. So, I guess it will be a "fun" day in the house with a sick Scout. Sniffle . . .)

See ya tomorrow!

Random Thankfulness

I heard a song in church on Sunday that really spoke to me, and it's inspired me this morning for my regular Random Tuesday post.

The song was titled "Drinking from a Saucer" and I remember thinking, "what a strange title. I wonder what that will be about?" Well, as the song developed, its chorus line was, "I'm drinking from a saucer, because my cup has overflowed."

It was a really powerful statement to remind me that, yes, sometimes things don't go my way and sometimes I feel like I should have more. But, when it really comes down to it, my cup is overflowing with good things . . . I should be grateful so much for what I have!

And yesterday reitereated that message to me again. I just cried and cried as I watched the WTC commemorative ceremony online at CNN; people read the names of the victims and it literally took HOURS and HOURS to get through everyone At the end of each pair reading names, they would each read their own loved one's name and tell what made him or her special. It was just too heart-rending and I had to turn it off after about 30 minutes.

So today I'm thankful . . . for the big things and little things . . . for the serious things and the silly things . . . for the neccessities and the luxuries in my life.

On this Random Tuesday, let's think about our blessings. What 5 things are you grateful for today?

I'm thankful for--

(1) Healthy children

(2) Good friends that I can laugh and be silly with

(3) A husband who seems to love me no matter what

(4) A good mystery novel

(5) New scrapbooking goodies

(6) Chocolate!

So, for today's post, share with me 5 things you're thankful for (or even 1 or 2, if that's all your brain can wrap around this morning). Can't wait to hear from you all!!

Some other stuff going on . . .

* Enjoyed a late birthday gathering with my friends Chris and Allison last night. It was our Margarita Night at Habaneros (yay, New Mom--I got my night out!!). We had so much fun, we were literally laughing so hard that margaritas were coming out of our noses and we were crying from the hilarity! The waiter came over to us at least three times and asked us jokingly, "Another one for all of you, right?" and we'd just say through the laughs, "No mas! No mas!" Too much fun!

* Gary's camera is on the blink, so I'm lacking in the photo department for my blogs this week. So bummed about that!

* I'm seriously jonesing for an Icee right now. How good would a coke-flavored Icee be right at this moment? REALLY good. . .

Hope all you have a wonderfully random Tuesday full of blessings!! (I'm off to get an Icee very, very soon . . .)

Never Forget . . .

The memories of that morning still resonate in my mind as if it was just yesterday that I was living them. I'll never forget driving McKenna and Delaney to their elementary school (M was in 4th grade, D was in kindergarten) and then hearing on my favorite morning radio show that something had happened in New York City and it looked like one of the World Trade Centers was on fire.

I rushed home, turned on the television, and soon was anxiously watching each event unfold. The events seemed to happen at a break-neck pace--a second plane crashing into the other tower (and seeing it live on the televisoin), the first tower's collapse (I remember saying out loud, "How can the tower be coming down?"), then the other tower's collapse, a crash at the Pentagon, a crash in a field in Pennsylvania. It was as if my whole body was tightened up, waiting for the next tragedy to happen. And then, it stopped . . . and then reality began to set in.

Probably what I remember most from that day--and then the week afterwards--was just the neverending crying. I cried myself to sleep each night, imagining the terror of the victims and the sadness of their families. The image of the victims' pictures hanging up on subway walls and city streets; the recordings of their frantic phone calls to their spouses and parents, telling them that they loved them. Everything made me terribly sad, and I wished it would just go away. But it didn't . . .

And then I remember the amazing stories of heroism. I will never look at a firefighter another way. September 11 changed the way I think of them forever. They became symobolic of the heroism that so many people seemed to have on that day and the weeks afterward. New York City lost 342 firemen that day--most of them in the towers, as they tried to rescue others.


And then I remember the camrederie I felt with total strangers. I'd go to the grocery store and I'd look at a stranger and we shared a glance that meant--"I know what you're feeling. I feel it too." We talked more kindly to each other, we felt a kinship with one another, we felt blessed to simply be able to go into a grocery store and shop.

Five years later, the world is different. Air travel is different. The thought of terrorism always comes to mind whenever anything bad happens. Paranoia is more rampant. The world is a scarier place.

And, despite the politics and the "what ifs" that governments now play, there is the reality of it all--We should never forget those 2996 innocent people (2996! unbelievably hard still for me to grasp the huge number of victims we're talking about!) who lost their lives on a normal Tuesday morning, doing what they do on any normal day. They didn't deserve it . . . and they don't deserve to be forgotten. I will try and preserve their memory and tell my children (even my little one who won't even remember that day, because she wasn't even born yet) to do the same.



One of the best places to honor their memory is at this blog! Go to www.dcroe.com/2996

This site will send you to more than 3000 blogs that are honoring the victims of September 11. I think it's a very special way to remember the fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters who left us that day!

How will I do my part to commemorate the anniversary of this event?

I will pray for the families of those still grieving the loss of a loved one, I will pray for peace, I will do my part to make my corner of the world a better place, and I will count my blessings. Simple steps, really . . . but still something.

The Sound of . . .

Hmm, what's that sound I hear in the distance? It's so strange . . . something I haven't heard lately. But it's still somewhat familiar . . . like I could have, perhaps, heard it somewhere in my past. What in the world could it be?

Wait, I think I know now . . . it's SILENCE!!

I'm sitting here on my computer in this big ole house all by my LONESOME. No kids, no husband, and the only noise is the NFL commentary emanating from the tv back in my bedroom. This is really nice!!

McKenna stayed up at church after the service this morning; she and two of her friends in the youth group went to lunch with their youth minister, then went back up to church to do homework before getting ready for drama practice they have later this afternoon. So that accounts for one missing voice . . .

Then Gary took Delaney and her friend, Ashley, to watch the championship game of a softball tournament. But when they got there, they found out it had been cancelled. So they just called and said they'd decided to go watch and movie. That accounts for Gary and Delaney . . .

So, who else is missing? That would be little Scout. When she saw that Delaney and Ashley and her Pop were heading out earlier and were leaving her at home with me, she would have none of that! So Gary told her to come with them. They are having Pop and Daughter time and I'm home all by myself!!

What can I possibly do with all this alone time and quiet? I know I should find something revolutionary and exciting to do, but it's probably just gonna be the same ole stuff I'd do anyway . . but, the best news is that I can do it without someone coming to beg me for something to drink or without the sound of the karaoke machine in the distance. (Now I love my children TO DEATH and they are absolutely wonderful, but every mom needs some Me time. Don't you all agree??)

So . . . washing, drying, and folding clothes; washing the kitchen; watching some NFL football (my team, the Dallas 'Boys, don't come on until 4 though). AndI think I will go do some grocery shopping. I don't know about you, but grocery shopping becomes sort of fascinating and fun when I'm doing it alone. I think I will buy something yummy and chocolatey of my own choosing!

A little bit of an update on this Sunday afternoon--
* Delaney's team, the Thunderbolts, played in their first tournament of the fall season yesterday. They won their first two games and were the #1 seed going into tournament play. With the way the seeding ended up, they had to play the other Thunderbolts team and ended up losing. They were one game away from the championship game! So, disappointing in a way, but Delaney still had a good day. She pitched two games (won the first one 7-4 and pitched really well in it!) and also scored in every game and got on base all but one time. So, an MVP performance I think!! (of course, I'm a bit biased!)
* McKenna and I went to the Bama-Vanderbilt game yesterday. McKenna hadn't seen the stadium renovations and she loved them! And, let me tell you, she does me proud! She yells throughout the game ("Defense, Bama!" "We want a touchdown!") Sniffle, sniffle . . . I've raised her right!

I'm anticipating tomorrow being a bit of an emotional day, with it being the 5th anniversary of 9-11. Not sure how exactly I'll feel, but I can certainly guess . . .

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

We've Got a New Addiction!!!



This is Sydney watching her newest addiction--a tv show called "Pinky Dinky Doo," that comes on every afternoon at 2 on the Noggin network. It's really a pretty cool show. The little girl (Pinky Dinky Doo) has a "story box" and has a BIG word of the day that she learns and teaches her little brother. Words like "habitat" and "gigantic" have cropped up in recent episodes. So, it's all about vocabulary and stories, so I like it!

Sydney still loves "Dora" and has other shows she likes, but she absolutely SQUEALS when this show comes on. The good news? It only comes on once a day and there are apparently no marketing tie-ins to it. So it's a pretty INNOCUOUS (a word they might consider putting on there one day, to really stretch their toddler's brain waves!!) show for her to like!

Other stuff going on . ..

* Caught a snippet of MTV's "reality" show "Two a Days," which is based on a high school football team about 30 minutes from here. Let me just say now--the coach is one sort of scary, power-tripping dude! (Let's hope that this truly is a "reality" show and a lot of it isn't very real, but instead scripted and edited from 20 more hours of tape that possibly shows another side of him!)

Now you all know what a Sports Nut I am and I'm not saying that coaches don't need to be tough (you can often hear me yelling at defense linemen to knock some helmets off, so I'm all about toughness and making guys work hard!!), but could you be any more PROFANE? (hey, another good word for Pinky Dinky Doo to consider!) The one thing that was very cool in the last episode, though--the one school that beat Hoover last year (and was in that episode) was Tuscaloosa County High, my alma mater!!

* Working on several writing projects that I'm pretty excited about. Doing an article on Shaun Alexander which should be really cool (NFL player of the year last year and Bama graduate!). Also working on a book proposal that I think could really be good and sell well. Cross your fingers that I can get the book proposal done and someone might be interested in it. (Not jinxing it, so more details when something good possibly comes of it!)

* Delaney has her first softball tournament tomorrow. And, hallelujah, I get to go to the first two games before heading down to the Bama game. Her team plays some teams we know nothing or very little about, so it will be interesting to see how they do!

* McKenna's going with me to the Bama-Vandy game. She's excited!

* Realized it must be okay to write and tell all of you about my STUFF. Got more comments on that usual!! (Maybe I should go buy more stuff now, just so I can post about it!!)

* Off to wake up the girls before it's too late. I had at least FOUR dreams last night that all revolved around waking up late and them getting into trouble for being late for Safety Patrol duty, band practice, and other assorted things!

Have a WONDERFUL weekend everyone!!!

A Totally Materialistic Post about New STUFF

Okay, I'm not usually this shallow, but I've decided that today's post will be a pretty selfish, self-indulgent kind of post. I just want to show off some of my new stuff! I guess it's the slight change in weather (there's a little cool nip in the air in the morning when I take the kids to school), but I've been getting a few new things to put up in the den and it's just feeling so much more cozy in there. Mostly stuff in browns and tans . .. stuff that just makes it feel like Fall and that make me want to lie down on the couch, turn on some dim lamps, and just lie there feeling comfortable.

Okay, so I started with some new curtains. The ones we had in there were sheer and the cats had pretty much clawed the whole bottom foot off of them. Time for something new.

These are just too cozy-feeling, and Gary actually really likes them (a pretty good accomplishment, when it comes to decorating stuff!). Kinda makes me think of hot chocolate for some reason!

The next thing was to find a rug. Our last one was destroyed in the hot water heater disaster (go back about two weeks in my posts if you care to re-live that or missed it in the first place. Yuck!) and then we'd gone without one for about two weeks (we have a tile floor in our den). Gary didn't really want one, but I do not like bare floors. So I guess I wore him down . .. or maybe I just told him I was buying a rug. LOL!

Anyway, the idea here was nothing floral, nothing Oriental, just something simple and graphic that looks kinda macho (and, again, comfy!). I like it.

Then, on that same shopping day, I found this pillow that I just LOVE. I love the colors and the cool paisley thing going on. (Plus it was a great Walmart find; like only $13!). I'd a bought three or four of them, but I respect Gary's dislike of pillows in any fashion (I sleep with like three under my head and all around me; Gary throws them off the bed. And he finds ones on couches to just be a hassle!).



Then while at said Walmart, I found these little bottles for 88 cents. How could I resist? I just love the shape of them and they made me happy! I bought three (don't odd numbers work for design? I think I heard that somewhere) and still haven't quite figured out if I like where I put them or not. Still experimenting! Here's one of them.


Now, here comes the really indulgent shopping spree! I went and got all this really great stuf from my local scrapbook store! Gary got me a gift card as one of my birthday cards and I got a ton of stuff with it (only went like $8 over the amount!). Here's the big pile of it, plus a close-up of some of it.


Lots of patterned paper, stickers, cardstock shapes, journaling blocks, chipboard letters (love them!), alterable wall letters (see below!), and that cutest little paisley-shaped chipboard journal (the plan now is to try and put together some little mini beach album. We'll see!)

I've already started making some creations with all of this great stuff (thanks Gary!!), and the first two things I immediately did were two more things for more den wall.

Blogging friend and ScrapEtc. designer Virginia (www.blackflipflops.blogspot.com ) had this awesome quote link on her site where I found a beautiful quote that I just knew I wanted to put on a wall frame with some pictures of the girls. So, I made the frame; and then I altered my "W" for the wall.

On the first picture, you can see the "W" and the frame and then also a really great picture that I got for my birthday of the University of Alabama President's Mansion (I'm kinda weird; I like pictures of buildings!). Then the other two pictures give you a little more close-up of the letter and the frame.
I love the "5 W's" I put on the letter frame! Back when I was in journalism school, we talked often of the 5 W's in reporting a story--the who, what, when, where, and why. But now I have my own 5 W's in my family--Gary W, Cheryl W, McKenna W, Delaney W, and Sydney W. Pretty cool!

And in case you can't read the quote on the frame, it says (and sorry about that glare!):

"There are lives I can imagine without children, but none of them have the same laughter and noise." I think all of you with children can identify and agree with that. I just love it!!

Now . . . I wasn't the only person who's gotten some new "stuff" lately. Yesterday, Sydney got to play with a special little surprise that came from her Aunt Angel. It's one of those bouncy ball paddle toys. And this one had Dora on it!


She totally loves this toy and would yell, "I can do it! I can do it!" over and over again. (Of course, her version of doing it was just jumping up and down repeatedly and slapping the ball against the floor. This also caused the string to come out of the paddle repeatedly, and we had to go to the second copy of it that her Aunt Angel bought for her for just such a situation!) She was too cute playing with it!! And that's some cheap joy--a toy that costs less than a dollar!

My last real treat of the day came from Gary, who called me after lunch and had to tell me that the company had brought in lunch from Zoe's, one of my favorite restaurants! I begged him to find me a piece of chocolate cake and he DID! It is SO good, you cannot imagine! (He also brought him a leftover box of their yummy chicken kabobs, rice, and Greek salad with feta!) Oh man, was it all good!

Thanks for indulging me today with this talk of the new STUFF in my life! I promise that I do have a serious side (just read my post from yesterday!), but sometimes you just gotta celebrate the little stuff that brings you joy. And if that includes a pillow and a piece of cake, so be it!

Well, I’m seriously sleepy now! It’s almost 1 in the morning and I need to go get comfy with my pillows upstairs. Here’s hoping I have sweet dreams of more new curtains and patterned paper . . and cash in my pocket to get it!

People are people are people are people are . . .

One thing I love about blogging (and about technology in general) is that it brings the world closer together. Through reading other people's blogs and other people reading mine, I get to make friends from around the world.

In fact, just yesterday I learned two new words that I would have otherwise never known--

"Nackered," which means "tired" in South Africa. I learned this from my new blogging friend NMOTB. (Used in a sentence: "I was so nackered last night, that I went right to sleep.")

and

"Wagged," which is used in Australia to mean "skipped" (as in: "I wish we'd wagged school this morning, because we were so wackered.") LOL I learned this term from my new friend Nat in Australia.

I was thinking about all of this yesterday afternoon when my oldest daughter came home from school and excitedly told me about the "Heritage Panel" workshops she'd had. McKenna was invited to be on the 30-student group (there were only 3 freshmen invited, which made it a pretty big deal for her!), which is designed to foster understanding, communication, and friendship between different groups at her school. The students will come back to the school and do various presentations in classes throughout the year.

She said that they did several activities that encouraged them to think about the stereotypes we have of each other, then they discussed the different "isms" so rampant today--things like sexism, racism, ageism, even "ableism" (which I'd never heard of, but apparently refers to our feelings toward disabled people). The group is made up of a cross-section of students at her school, so there are boys, girls, whites, blacks, hispanics, and even kids from other nationalities (she was so excited to meet a guy from Switzerland!).

The activities were great and she especially loved getting to know everyone. She only know four or five of the students to begin with, but said by the end of the day she felt like they were her new friends.

Both McKenna and Delaney would probably tell you that I "preach" to them on this topic more than they'd like (LOL!), but it's something I'm passionate about. We talk often about how Martin Luther King taught us to judge a person by their "character" and not the "color of their skin." And that goes for all the other preconceived notions we have of other people--not just skin color, but their social standing, financial standing, intelligence level, age, and so many more "labels."

I love to ask McKenna what it feels like to be judged just because she's blonde and people think that all blondes are a certain way (of course, she just looks at me with that blonde blank look--ha!, just kidding!), but it's a great way to show the girls that we should never label anyone. We are all unique individuals who are really the same underneath--whether we're red, yellow, black, white, male, female, rich, poor, Australian, or South African.

The thing I was most excited about McKenna's experience yesterday was that she said she made some good new friends, and that they are learning to trust each other--even though they're different. I could be wrong here, but the main reason any kind of "isms" survive in our culture is that people don't take the opportunity to forge friendships with other people. I cannot love a Hispanic, an African American, a disabled person (heck, even an Auburn fan!) if I'm not open to friendships with them. Because, after all . . . people are people are people are people . . .

So it all comes back around to this . . . Thank goodness for things like blogging because it expands my view and provides me with friends from around the globe! Very, very cool!!!!

Random Tuesday . . . Some Bests & Worsts

Well, this is much later than usual . . . but as someone once said, “Better late than never!” I’m so screwed up with my posts this week because of Labor Day. I posted an update and pictures from the weekend just yesterday afternoon (check the post right below this one for that!) and am just now getting around to my Random Tuesday-ness.

It seems like I’m always reading things that claim to share the “Best and Worst” of things (you know—“The Best & Worst New TV Shows of the Fall,” “The Best & Worst of Bama Football this Week,” “The Best & Worst Fall Fashions,” etc.). So I thought today’s post would focus on a few “bests” and “worsts.”

So for your consideration . . .

My Best Personality Trait—
I’d have to say that it’s probably my “Glass Half Full” personality. Even though I do have days that bring me down, I generally can find the bright side to just about anything. While it’s not always the most practical way to be, I think that it helps me stay positive and do better with relationships (it will also probably help me live longer!)

Worst Habit—
That would have to be procrastination! I’m the world’s worst at waiting until the last minute to finish an article (the day after it was due!), plan for a lesson (at midnight the night before!), buy a birthday gift (30 minutes before the party!), and just about anything else. My aforementioned positive outlook on things, though, makes it usually all work out just fine! LOL

(Close on the heels of procrastination would be my late arrival almost anywhere and my complete addiction to any sweet food!)

Proudest Personal Moment—
May sound kinda cheesy, but I’d have to go with the birth of each of my three daughters. I’ve never been the best at labor or giving birth, but there’s nothing like the feeling I felt right after McKenna, Delaney, and Sydney greeted the world. Like I’d done something immensely important!

Most Embarrassing Moment—
Okay, there is no way I’m sharing my MOST embarrassing moment. Only Gary and one other person knows about it (Gary, if you can’t remember it I’ll remind you of it later . .. happened about 12 years ago!). But pretty embarrassing was the time I walked down the middle of my high school’s main hall, lost my footing, and fell hard on my butt. Books went flying everywhere!

So I want to know your . . .

Best Personality Trait, Worst Habit, Proudest Personal Moment, & Most Embarrassing Moment

Nothing like sharing your innermost secrets with the world via Cheryl's blog, is there? Tee hee . . can't wait to hear from you all!

A Photo Recap of the Weekend

Well, I rarely blog late in the evening like this but it's taken awhile to get all the photos I wanted to post today in order. Plus, Labor Day was really quite lazy around here. But, I'm finally here . . .

Great weekend! Lots of football and family craziness! The pics pretty much speak for themselves!

First are some pictures from our Hueytown HS football game on Friday night. We won big--41-13! Nothing like high school football in the south!



McKenna performing in her first official halftime show (all of us musically-deficient adults thought they did great! McK kept saying she was woefully out of step! ha!)


After the game, we went cosmic bowling for our traditional birthday bowling party! If the night taught me anything, it was that my family is crazy!! (But wait, I knew this already!) I think the craziness must have been amplified by the fact that we didn't arrive at the bowling alley until about 11:30 and then didn't leave until after 1 in the morning! Everyone was goofy on lack of sleep!

Gary and Sydney were a team, and she was a HOOT to watch! Whenever the ball would finally make it down the lane (even if it went into the gutter), she'd jump up and down, dance, and give everyone hugs!

I got a haircut Friday morning. Just needed a change, and I'm liking it shorter--



Delaney doing her Spare Dance (btw--there is also a Strike Dance in her repertoire!)


The night quickly descended into goofiness, as the girls decided that they would perform bowling routines before rolling their balls down the lane. The routines included cartwheels, backbends, full dance routines, jumps, and march-ins all the way from the bowling alley doors. Nuttiness! (I do think we entertained everyone around us!LOL )



On Saturday, it was Game Day in Tuscaloosa!!!! Yay!!! We were so excited to head down and see the new renovations on the stadium and to watch our team in action! We knew it would be a tough game against a pass-happy Hawaii and it didn't disappoint! We did some good stuff, we did some bad stuff, but I think we're gonna be okay this year. The best news--we got our first "W" on our schedule!

Some pictures from campus that day--

The first one shows some of the new "plaza" in front of the new grand entrance. There are statues all around it of the national championship-winning coaches and then this really cool statues--their jerseys say number "18" and "72," representing 1872 (the year that the college and football there was founded) and they are pointing to the future championships.



Here is the newly added section. It added like 10,000 seats, to make its capacity over 92,000. It also has two new cool jumbotrons on that end of the stadium.



Then some pics of the band playing, views of the whole stadium, and a little bit of game action.




Well, that's probably enough football for all of you out there. I'll try to avoid the entire topic for the rest of the week, but I can't really promise anything . . . LOL

And by the way--

* Thanks so much, Gary, for telling people that I was 40 and to email me or call me to wish me a happy 40th!! (And shame on you, Ryan, for believing him!!!)

* Thanks, Clara, for my birthday money! I went and used it on a rug today for the den. I'm so excited!!

* Thanks Gary for my ScrapEtc. gift card. I CANNOT wait to go spend it tomorrow!!

* Because this is a late post today, my Random Tuesday stuff will probably be posted later tomorrow too (at least not until noon or so).

Hope all of you had a great LONG weekend (it was nice, wasn't it?). Can't wait to go catch up on everyone's blogs and see how everyone's been!

See ya soon!!

Some Assorted Happenings & Thoughts from My Bday

Let's see . . .

* I LOVE Red Lobster's garlic shrimp scampi . . . and their Strawberry Coladas . . . and their Garlic Cheese Bicuits. Yum!

* If people are honking at you for some seemingly unknown reason, there probably is an actual reason (People were honking at me on the way to taking the girls to school yesterday morning. After confusion--I figured I was either getting on everyone's nerves or had forgotten to replace my gas cap again--I realized that Gary had written on my back windshield, "Honk. It's my birthday.")

* I sure have a lot of sweet people in my life. I got calls all day yesterday from people giving me birthday wishes--Chris, Bobby, Gary, Mom, Lori; and then got 5 cards in the mail yesterday. I love getting cards from my friend Michelle from Hawaii (our family all agrees she gives the best ones) and from my grandmothers.

My two faves--Michelle's was addressed to "Cheryl Wray, Birthday Goddess du Jour" (gotta love that!!!) and the one from my brother was hilarious ("Happy birthday to the best sister one could ask for . . . from someone who really doesn't remember asking for one").

Plus, I got all sorts of great email and blogger wishes! You guys are great!

* Two-year-olds sing the sweetest "Happy birthday" songs in the world. Little Scout sang to me all day long and boy was it super sweet in that little voice of hers!

* Flowers always are a sure bet!

* Ditto on cake from Publix (a crazy concoction of chocolate mousse, hard chocolate shell icing, and strawberries!) . . . and cream-filled cookes from Publix. (Gary came home with both last night, and boy were they delicious! Now another quandary--cake or cookies for breakfast? Perhaps both! LOL)

* Football couldn't have arrived on a better day! (What a nice birthday gift--the first night of college football! I watched South Carolina vs. Mississippi State and, although I sure hated that State lost, it was nice seeing boys in pads back in action!)

* Gary, McKenna, Delaney, and Sydney--I love you!! Thanks for a great day! You guys are so amazing--the absolute best in the world!!

Making a Difference . . .

I know that birthdays are supposed to be a time for parties and presents and celebrating and cake (and if you've read any of my posts in the last several days, you know how much I LOVE that aspect of birthdays!), but I also think that they are a time to be reflective . . .

What have I done right in the past year? What have I done not-so-right? How do I want to be better in the next year? What kind of person do I want to be?

Yesterday, I had an experience that really made me think extra hard about all of this. Gary called me about 6:30 in the morning and asked me to listen to something. It was a tape he had found while going through a box of "junk" the night before; when I heard it, I immediately knew who it was. It was Jim, a friend of Gary's from work who we hadn't seen in several years. On the tape, he was telling Gary how much he appreciated he and I for the love we had shown him. He said that we had been such good Christian examples to him. And he even thanked me for some cookies I had baked him. (Jim had developed some weird infection at this time, and he was in the hospital while they ran tests trying to figure out what was wrong. We had gone to visit him at the hospital.) He said that he thought it was important to tell people that they were appreciated.

We later sponsored Jim on what's called an "Emmaus Walk, " a spiritual weekend that is one of the most powerful things Gary and I have ever been on.

After playing the tape for me, Gary told me that Jim had died the day before. I immediately teared up, then cried even more. First of all, it made me sad. Secondly, it made me amazed that God had placed that tape in the right place, just so Gary would have a chance to find it. Then, thankful for a guy who could say the things he'd said. And lastly, as Gary shared with me how he felt, it made me feel a little guilty. We hadn't seen Jim lately (he had to quit work after he got too sick), and had I made a difference like I'd made to him in the lives of anyone else lately?

I like to think that I do make a difference every day. At least, I try to. I try and help a person when she needs help. I try and be nice and friendly to strangers. I teach at church and hope that it makes some sort of impression on others. I try and be the kind of wife and mother I think I should be. But I know I fall short most of the time. I want to be a shining example of what it's like to love others, help others, and do what Jesus would have me to do. But do I?

My hope and prayer on this, my 38th birthday, is to make even more of a difference this next year. I want to make my 38th year a productive, meaningful, and loving one.

One of my favorite authors, Max Lucado, has this poem at the beginning a journal I have called Grace for the Moment. I think it will be my inspiration for the following year--

Each Day

I Choose Love

No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God does.

I Choose Joy

I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical. I will refuse to see people as less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.

I Choose Peace

I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

I Choose Patience

I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the other who takes my place, I'll invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clinching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I Choose Kindness

I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.

I Choose Goodness

I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I accuse. I choose goodness.

I Choose Faithfulness

Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My husband will not question my love. My children will never doubt that their mother will always be there for them.

I Choose Gentleness

Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice, may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.

I Choose Self-Control

I am a spiritual being . . . After this body is dead, the spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ. I choose self-control.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek grace. And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.

* * * * * * * * * *

(As I wrote this, Gary came down and sang "Happy Birthday" to me and gave me a big hug and kiss. I'm blessed beyond measure today and everyday, for having a husband who shows me he loves me and children who do the same.

I'm looking forward to my birthday--lunch today with Gary at Red Lobster, then our annual bowling celebration tomorrow night. Life is certainly good! So, happy birthday to me!!)

Are You Ready for Some Football?

Boy, am I!!!! It's now just 3 days and counting until Alabama kicks off its 2006 season. Gary and I have our tickets and I am WAY BEYOND excited and ready to get to the game! We get to see Bryant-Denny Stadium with all of its renovations (I saw it about a month ago, but none of the plaza in front of the new entranceway had been completed) and can't wait to hear what it sounds like now that it holds more than 90,000! And we'll finally get to see how our team's gonna stack up this year. People are kinda holding back until they see how we do--we have some young players and we lost some BIG name guys, so they're not really picking us to do great (it doesn't help that we have to play Florida, Tennesee, and LSU all on the road. Yikes!). I just hope we surprise a lot of people!

Some signs that it's almost time for some Bama football--

* The flags have come out! This was a refreshing sight yesterday morning on the way to taking the girls to school.

* The trash talk has begun on the radio shows. I'm an avid sports talk listener and yesterday people were taking off the gloves and pulling no punches against Auburn, Florida, Tennesee . .. any team that seems to be getting more respect than their own.

* I'm singing the Alabama fight song a little more often than usual. Yes, it always does reside in the back recesses of my mind, but I don't hum it quite so much during off-season. But this week? It's running through my mind at regular intervals.

* I've pulled out the Alabama paraphenelia (I cannot figure out how to spell that word, but it's just the perfect word for what I'm talking about it. So forgive me if that's totally mangled!). Got the new jersey, and the Alabama purse. I guess I need to buy me a new pair of gaudy elephant earrings . . .

* I've begun to think less about anything important that needs to get done the rest of this week (wash clothes, talk with editors, make sure kids get homework done) and instead am interested solely in reading any news I can find on sports websites and blogs.

What am I looking forward to on Saturday?

* Walking down the "Strip" and just sensing the exciement, then turning the corner and seeing the stadium.
* Watching the pre-game video about Alabama's winning history. The 12 national championships, the snippets of the great plays over time, and, yes, even the Bear Bryant garbling that I have still yet to interpret.
* Hugging and doing high-fives with total strangers.
* "ROLLLLLLL TIIIIIIIIIIDDDDDDDE" on kickoffs!
* Popcorn, watered down coke, and a pretzel (now, if they'd just get cotton candy into those stands!)
* Walking out of the stadium with a smile on my face, knowing all's right with the world until we have to nervously wait out another victory next week.

Okay, okay . . . I probably do take this football thing a little too seriously and, believe me, I do understand its importance in the Greater scheme of things. (So, don't worry about my soul or anything LOL! ) (In fact, I had a very emotional experience this morning that I considered blogging about. But I'm still kinda processing it and will probably share tomorrow--it definitey reminded me that other things are more important than sports!) I have my priorities straight . . . but a Southern girl's gotta love her college football!

I'll try not to go on and on about it too much here on my blog (don't want to bore those of you who could care less about football .. . or rattle those from across the way who may root for teams like Notre Dame or Oklahoma or Purdue--hey Phats!), but right now I just CAN'T WAIT!!!!

In other news in our house (yep, whether I like to admit it or not, there is other stuff in life!) . . .

* Delaney is officially on the Birmingham Thunderbolts Purple 10u softball team. There are two Bolts teams for the girls her age--Purple and Gold--and she is now officially on the Purple roster. She will pitch, play 2nd base or shortstop, and play outfield. Can't wait to get started!

* Need to try a new candy bar? Check out the Payday Avalanche. It's a chocolate coated payday and really takes this candy bar to the next level. Really yummy! (I'd been wanting to try one and I made a candy bar run to Walgreen's last night around 9. The cashier asked if we were having a party, because I had four candy bars and nothing else! LOL)

* McKenna has got her priorities straight about school, but still worries if she's "geeky" because of it. We went to the Open House at her high school Monday night and, after walking around with me and talking to teachers she said, "You know, all the other students complain because they're drug here with their parents. I don't know why they say that, because I like coming to this." I told her there were other students who did too, but she said it was only the kids on the "Scholar Bowl," but then we discussed some other "popular" kids who also had their act together academically. "Yeah, you're right," she said. Let's just hope she stays this way--nothing better than a teenager who wants to get A's in all of her classes and worries about what her teachers think of her!

Well, too much talk about other stuff!! I've got time for one more

ROLL TIDE!!!!!

See ya soon, and here's hoping that your favorite college team does great this Saturday!!

Random Birthday Thoughts on This Random Tuesday

I guess you could say it's Birthday Week in the Wray household. My birthday's Thursday, but we've already started some of the celebrating. And it seems like everywhere I go--the grocery store, church, school, the gas station--I run into someone who has a million August birthdays among their friends and family. I guess it's just a good month to have a birthday!

So for our Random Tuesday fun this morning, I thought I'd throw out a few questions about birthdays to you. Maybe they will put a little smile on your face, and will help you remember happy times. I know that all of your posts on Tuesdays always bring a smile to my face!!

Here you go . . .

* What is your favorite cake?

This is a VERY hard question for me, because all of you who know me well (or don't even know me very well, LOL!) know that I am a Sweet Freak. And cake is one of my very favorite sweets of all--I love the really great homemade ones, the cheap frozen ones, the ones at restaurants, wedding cakes, heck I even enjoy a good snack cake! But if I had to choose, it would be a tie between two of my Mom's creations--her chocolate cake with seven-minute icing (the BEST icing in the world) and her Italian cream cheese cake. Man, I'm sitting her drooling just thinking about it! Someone get me some cake, quick!!!

*What is your favorite birthday memory?

As I said yesterday, we celebrate BIG in our family so I actually have a lot of really great memories. But probably the one I remember best would be the birthday party my parents let me have when I was 12. I was just going into 7th grade, which was the start of junior high back in my day, so there were lots of changes going on as I was getting older. It was the perfect year for a party with all my friends! Mom and Dad let me pitch the tent in the backyard and I invited six or seven friends for a sleepover! I still remember the Doritos and Dr. Pepper we piled into the tent, and how silly we were telling ghost stories and imagining there was a bear right outside. I still remember it very vividly!

* If someone were to throw you a theme party TODAY, what would it be?

I've actually been thinking that I would love to have a huge 80s Birthday Bash. I'd invite tons of friends and we'd all wear our big 80s hair, dress in our best 80s clothes (leggings, Flashdance shirts, and pumps!), and listen to 80s music all night. How fun would that be??!! (In fact, I'm already putting it on my calendar for my 40th birthday in 2 years. So be warned--all of you are invited to that one!!)

So give me your--

Favorite Cake, Best Birthday Memory, and Dream Theme Party

Can't wait to hear all of your answers and re-live your memories with you!!!

As I leave this Tuesday with you, thought I'd share two scrapbook layouts I just finished. I really like both of these!

I shared these two pictures of McKenna and Delaney on my blog two weeks ago when school started. I wanted to go ahead and get them in my scrapbooks, before my memories of that day faded away. I tried to create a "school" feel to this, using notebook paper and paper clips, and wrote about how I felt as they headed off to their first day of fifth grade (the last year in elementary school) and ninth grade (the first year of high school).

And then here's one I did of Sydney--our Silly Scout. She always says the funniest things; I could seriously write a book just of her sayings! So, this is a page that just captures some of the things she says these days. Things like, "I not sleepy. I just tired," "It's cheetah-licious," "Take a picture me," and "I do it myself." Gotta remember those things by writing them down! She'll be all grown-up before I know it!

Have a great day! Cheryl's outta here!