More Celebrations!

We just returned from a fantastic week-long visit with my folks in H-town. It was just so nice and relaxing. One of the things we did was help celebrate my mom's 60th birthday, which is also my folks' 39th anniversary! My dad treated everyone to Taste of Texas. We all were delighted, when much to our surprise, Linc was dipping the toast into the cheese-berry dip, licking it, and returning it for another dunk! It's like he must've seen us doing it!

Wendy thought it was adorable that her little bro was eating the toast in this way! My sister-in-law, Missy, was brilliant. She brought along paper and crayons for the girls. Phew, thanks Missy!

Stephanie glowed. Third bambino is ripening in her belly as I type! This will be their token man-child!

Restaurants like this one are known for great steaks among other things. I'm so glad I'm carnivorous!

At home, my mom gave Linc a bath in the kitchen sink. This is a tradition in her home...and perhaps a little bit "southern."

Of course, Linc loves it every bit as much as all the other kids love it!

We enjoyed a couple meals at University Place, too, home of my grandmother. Here is Lincoln with my cousin, Victor. Lemme tell y'all somethin'. When my brother and I were young, we were PICKY! Then, I recall a short period of time in which my cousins, Devon, Wesley and Victor, were themselves, picky. They are no longer picky at all. Well, now Wendy is the picky eater. And it's a battle to get her to eat anything healthy if it's not fruit! The great thing about babies, like our little Lincster, is that they aren't picky yet. NOT YET! Oh, please, please don't become a picky eater, Linc! Okay?!

As HOT as it is right now down here in Texas, sometimes we just have to throw on the suits, grab water guns or fill the ole pool and splash our way to comfort. Of course, Wendy had to have one of her beloved Zhu Zhu's out there to "watch her" play!

I took this series of playful shots on my dad's "nap couch." Linc was just pure sweetness. Giggles spewed out of him like green pepper jelly from a soft, gooey, Texas roll!

I truly love the one below....

Lincoln and Winston.

My nearly four-year-old daughter! AH! Look how long she is! Look how mature she looks! I don't recall giving her permission to grow up so quickly! Wah!

It really gets me when I go shopping for her, or my mom in this case, and we find that the clothes in her size match the styles WE WEAR! WHAT?! These safari capris, come on now, for my baby?! Well, they sure look cute on her. I'm okay with it. I just sometimes look back on the days of bubble suits and elastic waistbands stretched over puffy diaper bottoms. Sob.
Note the Texas star on my mom's front door. I love their front door actually. Wouldn't mind having one like it on my next house! We'll see....

On Thursday, we met up with Grandma and Grandpa in Columbus so that they could enjoy Wendy at their house for a few days. It was great to see them and give them a big hug. We had a nice lunch and then parted ways. I took the next few days to shop and prepare for Wendy's birthday party.

Behold the Zhu Zhu Pet Party Princess Cake that I made! I had to find an Easter egg cake form in August, which wasn't easy, but thankfully, a specialty baking shop had one! I followed an online tutorial and added my own embellishments to make her extra foo-foo. I made it on Sat. for her party, which was yesterday, Sunday.

The tiara and ears are from Claire's. I was going to make the ears out of banana chips, but when I saw these ear hair clips, I was like, "SCORE!"

Linc, my dad, my bro, my uncle. "The menfolk."

Wendy and some of her party guests checking out the unicorn pillow pet from Mimi!

I kind of went nuts with party favors, knowing they'd all love having these goodies the way I used to freak out with joy whenever I'd get a bag or basket of treats at a party. I'm still a little girl inside.

The early stages of decorating. So glad Wendy wasn't there for that. She walked in in amazement and it was a great wow factor for her. More pics of her party to come once I get them!

Birthdays!

These are the three or so months of concentrated family birthdays. Recently ~James' sister, Tiffany's birthday, his grandmother Alma's, and today is his! We, the kids and I, met up with him and our new friends for lunch at Sodalak's! I picked up a cheesecake, candles and "goodie bags" and we had a great time. In this first pic, however, a very sweaty and quite fussy Wendy sort of steals the show with her puppy dog eyes! Still, she had a good time celebrating her old man, and at home, right before she had her quiet hour, she and I celebrated Num Num's birthday...with all his Zhu Zhu pet friends.

Wendy couldn't have been more proud!

And sidekick, Linc, seemed to enjoy the festivities as well.

Taken last night, before we left for Community Group at the church. Wendy calls this her "Walker face."

Oh, for the LURVE of Zhu Zhu!

Our precious Wendy is INFATUATED for the first time in her tender nearly four years of life. No, it's not a boy, THANK GOODNESS! It's hamsters. But she thinks they're chipmunks...or used to think so until we informed her otherwise. These precious squeeking, talking, scurry-rats are her bffs, and there is absolutely no way to leave the house without at least TWO tucked away carefully inside of her special, kitty cat be-jeweled handbag. She eats, sleeps, BREATHES Zhu Zhu pets, and has made them the focal point of playtime, obviously, and bathtime and potty time, making me set them up on the sink counter so that they may keep her company. They watch her eat. They watch her everywhere. It's kind of eery. Zhu zhus here, zhu zhus there, zhu zhus underneath your chair! She wants me to create some sort of Zhu Zhu costume for her to proudly don on Halloween, and of course, she wants a Zhu Zhu-themed birthday PARTY, so with the loving help of my sister in law, we have found sites that actually instruct moms, or dads, how to create Zhu Zhu paperware, cakes, favors, and the like, so stay tuned for more blog posts that will eventually make you Zhu-Zhu-Crazy!

Take it from Me (no pun intended)

I can't believe this happened to us,

I'd offer a seat as I tell 'ya,

But the movers have trashed every surface we have,

So lean on those shelves, be careful! They're busted,

And that shattered mirror might nail 'ya!

~It would've been better had thugs in their quest

Pilfered, destroyed and stolen,

Than for us to have PAID these movers on-line

to leave our household so broken


I know this ordeal should not have a spot front and center in our world. After all, it's just stuff. But because I'm constantly realizing I need something that's GAWN, it's harder than rocks to get past it all just yet. And after literally thousands of dollars in damages and lost belongings, including my only two antiques with now-missing pieces and my own art, which James had professionally framed for me last year, and which he asked them to crate carefully, AND after breaking our backs to pursue justice, and as of yet, with absolutely no fruit, it's just one big long outrage. It's a freakish thing. I mean, I remember my family's moves across the GLOBE y'all, and they were here when the guys arrived. They've NEVER seen such disorder, such a horrendous outcome. It's a loooooong story, and one I so desire to put behind me. I pray so hard now. I just pray for justice, perfected according to God's own judgment. And I pray that if that does not come, that we will have peace over it and move on soon. We have to. I'll do all that I can first though, and will do my part to protect others!