A few more fabulous shots from Brandi!

B4 Photography

Here is a sneak preview of the pics I had taken of Ava. The photographer is Brandi with B4 Photography. I absolutely love all of the photos she took.

Double Discount

The best thing about my job is the discount. We have this thing each month called Double Discount where I get just that--double the 25% off I normally get on anything in the store. The double discount has bought my sister a Dyson as a wedding gift and one for my parents as an anniversary gift.. I could list all the things I have gotten on my double discount but that would bore you...

The best double discount is this month. KitchenAid. Oh yeah!! So I finally got my KitchenAid stand mixer and also a really snazzy food processor. I wanted the mixer because it looks pretty in my kitchen and might give the impression that I can cook. Also, Ava loves to cook, so I figured she might enjoy using it. So tonight I busted out my beautiful toy and made a cake for a birthday at work. (Is it wrong that I used a box mix in a $300 mixer?) Well, Ava is more scared of the mixer than she is of the vacuum cleaner.

Also, I'm pretty sure John will FORCE me to make Thanksgiving dinner since I bought all these pretty appliances. I might have to hide them until the season is over.

I am tired.

I am posting at 11:43pm on Friday night for one reason. I can't go to sleep because my husband is coughing up his right lung as we speak. He has been so sick the last week. I hope he gets better soon, cause I get really grouchy when I don't get enough sleep.

Yea for me!!

I GOT PROMOTED!!

Didn't even know the position was open!!

To celebrate, I am getting one of my favorite things:

Halloween

This year was the first year that Ava really got into the Trick or Treating. She was disappointed that I wouldn't let her wear her tattered princess dress, but soon forgot when she saw the cool socks that I bought for her Raggedy Ann costume. Ava gots lots of candy that her Daddy will enjoy while she sleeps tonight. Gone tomorrow will be the snickers, twix, kit kat, and peanut butter cups--but still in the pail will be all the sweet tarts and smarties the little girl could ask for!

A blog to make me feel better.

Over the last month or so two men that I had the pleasure of meeting have left this life. Both men were at least 80 years old, and both men made me smile. The first one was John's next door neighbor from childhood Mr. Hubbard. Mr. Hubbard and his wife were from England. Every time I saw him--including the first time I met him about 14 years ago--he would call me his "hot tottie." Not really for sure what that means, but it always made me smile. He would tell the lamest jokes I ever heard. My fondest memories of Mr Hubbard took place at my mother-in-laws home while my father-in-law was still with us. I think Mr. H would irriate my father-in-law to pieces. And I LOVED that!!! They would sit in the living room, Mr Hubbard saying something incredibly silly, and my father-in-law would look at me like I was the biggest nerd for enjoying the company. I loved being there to see those two old farts interact. When I found out that Mr Hubbard died, I was incredibly sad. The saddest I have been in a long time. Every time I saw Mr Hubbard I thought of my father in law. And I smiled. I hope I don't forget.

The second man wasn't a man that I knew very well, but I was so inspired by him. His name was Mr Salter. John had a pretty close connection to Mr Salter growing up. I first met Mr. S when I went to midnight Mass at John's church about 13 years ago. I was incredibly uncomfortable in that church because I am Catholic and we were in an Episcopal church. Mr Salter came up to me while everyone was eating cookies and drinking some sort of hot apple cider (crap) and started talking to me about St. Mary's in Windthorst. He put me at ease. He told me stories of John being an alter boy that made me laugh. Mr. Salter was a volunteer at the hospital in Wichita Falls. I saw Mr Salter most recently when I visited someone at the hospital. He talked to me about my husband and my child, smiling, wishing me the best. If I had known that was the last time I was going to see him, I would have told him what an inspiration he was to not only me, but my husband. I would have thanked him for talking to the "outsider" that Christmas night long ago. I would have thanked him for coming back into town the night John and I got married. John wanted him there so badly. I would have thanked him for the talk he had with my husband when my father in law died.

I know neither of these men had any idea how much of a difference they made in my life. Shame on me. You think there might be Myspace in Heaven? Maybe they can look me up and read this blog.

Rest in peace Mr H and Mr S. The Wahl family will miss you both.