Ff is for Fireman

Yesterday was a very special school day for Evie because her daddy came to class! She got to be his little helper while he donned his gear and talked to the kids about fire safety. When I picked Evie up at the end of the school day, the parking lot was polka dotted with little red helmets atop happy faces talking all about "Evie's Dad"! This morning at drop off, Dylan S.'s mom said Dylan told his father last night that he "did not have a cool job", I said, "I thought your husband was pilot!" she replied, "He is! But apparently he does not drive a big truck or have a cool suit!" Awesome. Disclaimer: While pilots may be old hat to Dylan S., our family thinks they are extremely cool!I had to show you Evie's outfit, excuse the red paint - it was the end of the day. She looked so stinkin' cute and it was perfect for the occasion! I will have to save it for Anabelle to wear when Daddy comes to her PK class one day (if I can get the paint out that is).

I am finally going to start sharing pics from Annie's birthday party. I have so many because I was blessed to have two great photographers (my SIL and my BIL). I think 4 cameras may have been used! It was one fabulously documented event, so I am going to do a little 3 part series: The Birthday Girl, The Little Details, and The Special Moments. Stay tuned!

September 11th Weekend

This past weekend marked the 9th anniversary of 9/11. Ben was asked to participate in a tribute at the opening of Sunday's Jaguars vs. Broncos game in which a group of Jacksonville firefighters, police, and U.S. Naval personnel opened a huge flag during the national anthem, followed by a Navy fly over. If you can enlarge this photo, Ben is near the 40 yard line in a red helmet. It was a special thing to be a part of, I know Ben felt honored. Now, I don't want to change the topic or to be even slightly irreverent, but I do want to share these pictures that Ben took when he was standing right next to Tim Tebow(!) Tim didn't have his usual verse painted on his face, so to keep things in perspective I pulled up all of his choices from last season and I thought his September 19, 2009 vs. Tennessee verse would have been a good choice for 9/11 weekend...

And we know that God causes all things

to work together for good to those who love God,

to those who are called according to His purpose.

Romans 8:28

Ben Update

We got Ben's second round of test results back yesterday, but they did not really provide clear answers. Basically, Ben's white blood cell count is still sort of wonky (that's medical terminology for you there) and the oncologist wants to run tests again in three months. He said that he "could not guarantee that Ben is not sick". Needless to say I am feeling frustrated. I hate waiting, I hate wondering, I hate worrying! I like to think that this Dr. is just being super responsible and covering all of his bases to be sure that he does not get sued - and I do appreciate him being thorough. It is just hard to feel uneasy for a long time!

But may all who seek You

rejoice and be glad in You;

may those who love Your salvation always say,

"The LORD be exalted!"

Psalm 40:16

This Past Week

The past week and a half has been weighty at our house. Right before Ben left for Las Vegas, he had some routine blood work done. We received the results shortly after we got home, and several of the tests came back with numbers that indicated a possibility of Leukemia. Our doctor ordered more tests and referred Ben to an oncologist - I won't even try to play it cool, I lost plenty of sleep during the days that we waited for answers. I even cried myself to sleep for a few nights. It sounds like I was in a panic, but I was actually still very much at peace, God made Himself know in those fearful days. We finally received word from our doctor late last night that Ben is cancer free!!! He is still supposed to follow up with the oncologist for some more analysis, but things look good! My husband/the girl's daddy is not sick! I can stop planning for the worst while hoping for the best. Thank the Lord! I was preparing to trust Him through whatever He had planned for us, but I am so glad that this appears to have been "just a test"! Now I can get back to all those little things that I am called to focus on day to day - in fact Anabelle is insisting that I "Tide Pen" an imaginary stain on her belly this very second - oh these very important things ;) Back to life as usual... and I'm so happy!

A thousand times I've failed

Still Your mercy remains

And should I stumble again

I'm caught in Your grace

Everlasting

Your light will shine when all else fades

Never ending

Your glory goes beyond all fame

Your will above all else

My purpose remains

The art of losing myself

In bringing You praise

Everlasting

Your light will shine when all else fades

Never ending

Your glory goes beyond all fame

In my heart and my soul

I give You control

Consume me from the inside out

Let justice and praise

Become my embrace

To love you from the inside out

Everlasting

Your light will shine when all else fades

Never ending

Your glory goes beyond all fame

And the cry of my heart

Is to bring You praise

From the inside out

Lord my soul cries out

P.S. While we're on the subject of praises, I don't know if any of you follow Katie Rowe's blog, but I cried and rejoiced when I saw this post! A reminder that God is ALWAYS good!

Seven Years

Tucked in the back of my closet, behind my sweaters, zipped up in a bag, is the dress I wore exactly seven years ago today (July 12, 2003 at 2:00 pm) when Ben and I said "I do!"
Seven years later, today July 12, 2010 at 2:00 pm, I threw on shorts and a tank top and toted our two little girls to the library and Home Depot. Yes, a lot of life (wonderful life!) has happened to us in the seven years between 7/12/03 and 7/12/10, a whole lot of "for better" and a little bit of "for worse". We are so happy to be together and in love - still ;) and we love our daughters! God has blessed us tremendously with the happy and comfortable life that we have shared these past seven years, and I will say (without taking any credit for myself) that everything that is good and wonderful in our marriage has come from Him!

Love you Ben!

Getaway to Las Vegas!

I've been out of town! On the other side of the continent to be exact - no wonder I haven't been blogging lately huh? Last Sunday (the 27th) Ben left for a work trip in Las Vegas (honestly, it was for work!) and I took the girls down south for a few days to visit Kelly and Owen (very fun). Then Friday morning (the 2nd) rolled around and I was off to Las Vegas myself to spend a few fun "all alone" days with Ben! It had been nearly 6 years since I'd been on an airplane, and the first time I'd ever left either of the girls for much more than 24 hours. It would be an understatement for me to say that it was hard to go, in fact I woke up at 2:45am before my 8:00am flight hyperventilating and crying - I nearly backed out! I managed to pull it together though, and flew 4.5 hours, high over desert and canyons - the likes of which I'd never seen in person, to get to my hubs in Las Vegas! I made it, and it was totally worth the somewhat traumatizing start ;) Here are a few of my highlights and favorite sights...

We stayed at MGM's Excalibur Hotel and Casino (look Evie, a castle!)Ben in front of the ExcaliburThe first night Ben took me to the Paris Hotel for a ride to the top of the Eiffel Tower! It was very fun and romantic, only I was starting to feel sick and I forgot that I have a little "thing" for heights, I almost passed out after we came down - yikes!Paris Hotel's Arc de TriompheThe Bellagio's gorgeous fountain show taken from the top of the Eiffel Tower The Strip taken from the top of the Eiffel Tower (the tower is half the size of real one in Paris)At the NY NY with the Statue of Liberty made of Jelly Bellies (more delicious than the real statue in NY!)The Bellagio was gorgeous and had, by far, my favorite interior!I loved this glass ceiling arrangement in the Bellagio. I have a thing for blown glass, I don't so much want it in my own house, but I LOVE it! I would have never thought to suspend it like this!I LOVED The Venetian, it was beautiful! Gondolas, sangria, chips and salsa, a high-end vintage jewelry store that let me play "dress -up" because they were hoping I would buy something (a $50,000 diamond ring? Maybe another day!)... very very fun! At the fountain in front of The Forum Shops (where I did buy myself a treat ;)On the last night we took a bus to Freemont Street, the original "Rat Pack" Las Vegas (so fun!) but on the way we passed the new Encore Beach Club. I fell in love with it from the street! This photo doesn't even come close to showing how fresh, chic, and lovely it is, but trust me! I would love to go there if we ever go back! On Freemont Street we explored the old Casinos and ate dinner at the Golden Nugget's Du-Par's Restaurant and Bakery that opened in 1938. Ben had dinner there one night with the guys before I got to LV and he knew that I would love its charm and nostalgia. Other than the very very drunk family from Ohio, it was great!

Ben also took me to the Titanic Artifact Expedition at the Luxor, which was no joke, a total dream come true for me and probably my absolute favorite part of the trip! He was so sweet to pretend to be interested for as long as he did and to patiently let me read EVERY little thing - I love you Babe, thanks for the great trip! We had so much fun being away by ourselves, but it was so good to get home to our girls yesterday! I missed Evie and Annie so much that it physically hurt at times, I actually came very close to toting Anabelle along at the last second since her airfare would have been free - what can I say, I love my kids! We got home at about 5pm last night and spent the evening of the 4th at my Aunt Nicole's house for a cookout, I forgot to take pictures because I was so tired, but we had a really wonderful time and I was happy to spend part of the holiday together as a family. It's great to get away, but it's even better to come home!!!

FYI: I only took the photos from the top of the Eiffel Tower and the rest I located online after we got home, I was having so much fun that I forgot to take pictures!

Our Week in a Tiny Nut Shell

I'll start off by saying this... I am so stinkin' tired!!! Why? You'll see in a moment. Our week in a nut shell: Ben had a birthday (Happy Birthday Sweet Heart! Love you lots and lots!) and... we got a puppy! Meet Mr. Bingley, the adorable source of my current exhaustion...

I'll post more once I catch up on sleep!

The Kitchen Floor!

So, this post is a little belated, but finally, here are some pictures of our finished kitchen floor! To do this Kitchen project you will need the following ingredients...
- a Ben (mine is taken, so you will have to get your own ;)
- a handful of willing and "happy" helpers
- hundreds of hours to devote to scraping
It is no easy task to remove two layers of vintage vinyl and adhesive to get down to bare concrete, but finally it is done! Once the floor was clean and acid washed, it was at last time for the fun part - staining! I really love the way it turned out and it feels great underfoot. It's also a wonderful spot to eat lunch - as you can see ;) We still need to paint trim, put down quarter round, and finish the lighting for our kitchen project to be completely finished - I hope to have it done by Christmas!!!

P.S. Thanks again to all of our family and friends who donated their own blood, sweat, and tears to our kitchen floor project! We heart you!!!

Five Years!

Last week Ben and I celebrated our fifth (fifth!!!) anniversary with a trip to our favorite romantic getaway, the historic Casa Monica Hotel in St. Augustine. We've gone there every year since we got married and we always have a fabulous time. It is just soooo relaxing (a perfect place for me to "take it easy") and the food is fantastic! After five years our marriage is still so great, that's easy to say when my husband just keeps getting better every day - lucky me!

(The Casa Monica was also the location of the wedding I did this past December)

Today I Thank God for Viruses

Ben and I have had the most exasperating 5 days with Evie. Last Friday night Ev came down with a high fever that lasted all weekend. When we woke up Monday morning the fever had passed, but our bubbly little two year old had vanished leaving behind a small ill tempered human that neither of us knew. Fearing the start of the MOST terrible case of "terrible two's" ever, we sprung into action attempting to gain control of our little monster and our household. Nothing worked. No matter what we tried, it seemed she only grew more infuriated (on top of that she would not sleep or eat). At one point in the middle of a fit, the light bulbs flickered (no joke) and I began to wonder if we were dealing with the second coming of Carrie. I almost expected the furniture to start levitating. We finally got to see Evie's doctor this morning and I prayed that she would find something (anything!), I just felt like there had to be an explanation for why my baby had "gone crazy". It turns out that Evie has a virus that causes very uncomfortable blisters in her throat (poor baby). When the doctor described the symptoms (starts with fever, followed by crazy fits, refusal to eat, and inability to sleep) she described our situation precisely. Even though viruses are total yuck, today I'm saying "Thank you God for viruses!" as I now know that my little friend will be back to her old self within a week.

The Daddy Daughter Dance

Ben and Evie went to the Daddy Daughter Dance at church this past Saturday. Evie had a blast, but it turns out that she is a really terrible date (I was working there, I saw it). This wild girl is one who prefers to dance and party all by herself! She arrived before things really got kickin', so she took full advantage of having the whole dance floor - alone! Poor Ben, Evie is a "date ditcher". Oh well, I have 12 months to teach her some dance/date etiquette between now and next year's dance.

Six Years

Yesterday was the sixth anniversary of when Ben and I started dating (has it really been that long?) To celebrate I thought I'd share a few blast from the past dating photos - enjoy!

Happy Birthday to Ben!

Ben is 25 today!!! He is running a temperature and he feels terrible - poor baby. Happy birthday to the sweetest sicky I know! I love you!