Audrey is 5!

Princess Audrey turned 5 on October 18th. I cannot believe it has been five years! I was a little more nostalgic this year than I have been in the past because this year her birthday fell on Saturday - the day of the week on which she was born.

We celebrated her birthday on the 11th at Chuck E Cheese. Enjoy the pictures. She had a great time with her friends. She especially enjoyed Tanner, who she calls her brother. Sorry, Audrey, he is probably the closest you will get to having a sibling. The two of them are so sweet together.

She constantly amazes me with her questions about everything. "Is it still fall mommy?". She asks me this because she understands enough about time to know that winter comes after fall, and with winter comes Christmas. So, she keeps asking me this waiting for me to say "no" because she thinks that Christmas will be coming soon.

She likes to tell me, almost on a daily basis, all the things she will need when she starts kindergarten--as if I must go out and get these things right now so she'll be ready. She loves to talk about being a big girl, and all the things she will do when she grows up.

Growing up, which is happening too fast most days. I will be honest, some days not fast enough, but most days I can't believe my little girl is 5.

God-remind me to be thankful for her...even on the hard days, and to guide her in your truth and love.

Disney Photos

Disney World Experience

We are just back from our long awaited trip to Disney World. It was quite an experience - mostly great. There were a few rough moments as we tried to navigate our way through the whole Disney compound but we figured it out rather quickly.

My first impression of this place is that there are many people out there who have literally made Disney a way of life. I am not sure I understand the fascination. The only thing I can figure is that they are looking for something to believe in. It struck me as quite sad a few times as I watched some of these people - they have put all their faith, time, energy, and money into things that aren't even real. You could really see the emptiness in some of them.

But - on the other hand - it is quite a magical place, especially for little ones. Audrey was very excited to meet all of her favorite Disney characters. We spent most of our time in the Magic Kingdom so if we go back again we will spend a little more time in some of the other parks. A couple of highlights were when she was chosen as the Honorary Princess of the Day on the carousel ride and also meeting all the princesses at a special princess dinner the last night we were there.

We will probably go back again because you simply cannot see and do everything in one trip. But I don't see this becoming the only place we ever go for vacation. I don't know if I would want to go back year after year - I think I might get bored with it, and Audrey might too as she gets older.

Enjoy a few of my favorite pictures from our trip.

Pet Peeves and Other Things

As I suspected when I created this blog, I don't have the time to put into it that I would like. Either that or I just don't have enough going on that I think other people would be interested in reading about! I read several blogs regularly and they mostly seem to be filled with pictures and funny stories about their children, deep thoughts about life, inspirational things, etc.

Sorry. I just don't have it in me right now!

What about things that just get on my nerves? There are several.

1. If you don't live in Roanoke, you won't understand this one. People who cannot merge onto or off of I-581 at the Orange Avenue interchange. What is with people? Entering the highway from Orange Avenue they get to the top of the entrance ramp and come to a complete stop as if they were at a red light. Then they wait for a break in the right lane before they try to enter the highway. Meanwhile people who are trying to exit the interstate can't do so properly because these people are sitting still instead of moving into traffic so others can move out!! It is infuriating. Part of what makes it difficult to enter any highway in Roanoke, not just this one, are people who ride the right lane, no matter what. There are three lanes, the right is for entering and exiting the highway, the middle is for cruising, and the left is for passing. Roanoke truly has some of the worst drivers I have ever seen anywhere. I could truthfully probably do a whole blog about bad drivers in Roanoke...hey, now there's a thought...maybe that would be a way for me to get out some of my behind-the-wheel frustration.

2. Plastic bags and other packaging that is more secure than Fort Knox. Particularly cereal bags, or those boxed dinners, like Mexican dinners, that come with seasoning, sauce, etc. These bags are like steel! You absolutely cannot tear them open. And no matter how many times I try and fail, I still try again before giving up and getting the scissors.

3. People at work who refuse to fill the copy machine or printer with paper. There are people who would wait an hour for someone else to put paper in rather than getting it themselves to finish their print job.

4. Somewhat related to #3 are people at work who will not wash their dishes in the kitchen or will not make coffee. I'm sorry - I didn't realize there were actually people who were too good to do such menial tasks.

I could probably come up with more than that, but I don't want to give the impression that it's all I think about.

On another, happier note: We are planning a trip to Disney World for the first week in September. Audrey is terribly excited and I have to say I'm pretty excited too. Neither Thomas nor I have ever been and we are all looking forward to it. I'm a little worried about the heat and the crowds, and the pressure of trying to do and see too much while we're there but hopefully it will all work out. Maybe I will post some pictures when we get back.

Thomas' cousin Monica has a great blog that I read a lot, and in one of her last posts she told a lot of her story. I learned some things about her that I didn't know before. I have to say she kind of inspired me to write my own story. Maybe next time, if I can find the time, I will post some of my history here. We all have a story. I love to read other people's and maybe someone would want to read mine!

Happy Father's Day

Today is Father's Day and I want to wish my husband Thomas the greatest Father's Day ever. He is such a great dad to Audrey. She is definitely a "daddy's girl". He plays with her, spends time with her, takes care of her and does all the things a great dad should do.

I knew that Thomas and Audrey would have a special bond but I had no idea they would be as close as they are. I stayed home with her for about 2 months after she was born. When I went back to work, Thomas took six weeks of Family Medical leave to stay home with her. The two of them became so close during that time and have stayed that way ever since.

I think that he was born to be a father and I just want him to know how much I appreciate all he means to me and to Audrey.

Happy Father's Day Thomas.

Congratulations Katelyn!!

Today was a great day. My niece Katie graduated from high school. I can't believe that she is 18 years old and a high school graduate. It doesn't seem like that long ago that she was a newborn baby coming home from the hospital. I am so proud of her and all she has accomplished. She is smart, beautiful, funny, and sincere. The day was a little marred by the fact that the assistant principle of her high school called her by the wrong name when she received her diploma. She called her "Kathleen" instead of Katelyn. Oh well, we all know who she is. She's our "Katie girl" and we're all so excited for her future. I love you Katie.

Welcome to my blog

Welcome to my blog. I hope you'll enjoy it. I'm a 34 year old wife to Thomas, mother of 4 year old Audrey, and work full-time as a commercial insurance agent. I'm hoping this blog will serve several purposes - (1) Give me an opportunity for creative expression, (2) Serve as a place for meaningful discussion about current events and issues, and (3) Fun!

I'll try to keep up as much as possible and post pictures so family and friends can keep up with the adventures of our family. For my friends who are experienced bloggers, feel free to offer suggestions.

For those who don't know me well yet, I'm a music lover - I love to listen to all kinds of music (except rap), love to read, love to solve crossword puzzles, love to visit with family and friends. One of my favorite things to do is praise the Lord at Parkway Wesleyan Church in Roanoke with my good friends in the Voice of Praise choir.

Thanks for checking out my blog. Visit again soon!