My BFF

I'm not sure how I would make it through my day-to-day job without my BFF. When our boss starts driving us crazy, we just get a little silly and then laugh it off. Once of those instances:Our husbands think we are nuts... but I think they learned to ignore our crazy behavior. So me and my BFF will continue to act like teenagers, make silly faces, and laugh at absolutely nothing. But isn't that what enjoying life is all about?

Fun day at the park

Chris played golf yesterday morning, a treat he rarely gets to indulge in. So I took the kids to the park. This isn't just any park. First, it's the "Right to Play" playground that allows children with disabilities to play. There are ramps for wheelchair-bound kids and special swings that allow children who can't swing on their own to be locked in so they can swing just like everyone else!

Second, there are HUGE musical instruments.

And last, but certainly not least, the water!!

This is what Brady did the whole time.....

It was a great morning and the kids passed out in the afternoon!

Our home

We have brick! I drove by the house this morning on my way to a meeting at W.T. Lewis Elementary School. It took the builders no time at all to get the brick up! But as happy as I was about the progress of my beautiful house, I was sitting there thinking about all our neighbors in south Louisiana who have rebuilt their homes... only to have another hurricane threaten to destroy them again! Hurricane Gustav has already killed nearly two dozen people in Haiti. Now he is on his way to the Gulf Coast and I cannot believe this could be happening again.

Chris and I were living in Dallas when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005. Kennedy was only one year old. We were glued to the television with the most devastating images and stories I had ever seen. I was born and raised in Louisiana, so my heart ached for the people of my home state... even while I was living in Texas. I remember being so moved by the events that happened that I took donations from my company, rented a mini-van and drove them to Shreveport where shelters were open for evacuees.

Now that I am living in Shreveport again, I will be even more effected by the storms because I learned yesterday that LSUS will open a Red Cross Shelter in our Health and Physical Education building. As Director of Media and Public Relations, I'll be corralling the media. I will be even closer to the people who evacuate south Louisiana and I fully expect to be very emotional because I cannot imagine packing up my belongings and family and leaving my house for the wrath of a hurricane. The unknown is terrifying, especially when we have no control over Mother Nature. I just hope she is gentle on us this time.

But in the last year and a half of my family living in apartments and rent homes in Shreveport, I have come to realize that a house is just a house. My HOME is my family and friends that I surround myself with. My HOME is not material possessions. It's my beautiful, healthy children who smile at me everyday. It's my amazing husband. It's my friends who get together and laugh and celebrate life. The house is just a roof. What's important is what's inside.

"Cousin Lauren" Turns One!

My niece Lauren turned one last week and we celebrated this weekend at Nina and Papa's house. She is so precious and a spitting image of my sister. I feel like I'm holding a pint-sized version of Tracy when she's in my arms. As with most first birthday parties, the ceremonial mini-cake was placed on her high chair. Needless to say, she LOVES cake.

Seeing Lauren grow over this past year has been such a joy. I only wish I could see her and my sister more. (Trey, too!) They live in Little Rock, which is only 3 hours away, but traveling with children can be tough. The amount of "stuff" you have to pack makes it hard to pick up and leave for a weekend trip. So we see them when we can, but secretly - I pray that God will lead them to Shreveport soon. I know my parents would love that. And I would love it more than anything. My sister and I have not always been very close - we have different personalities and different interests. But becoming mommies has brought us together in a way that I cannot describe. We have that understanding when talking about late night feedings... we trade parenting tricks... complain about daycare workers. I not only have a wonderful sister but a best friend. And her daughter, Lauren, is very blessed to have such a wonderful mother.

A little embarrassed....

(Photo By: DeAnn Arnold)

If you know Kennedy, you know that she is not a shy child. Nothing embarrasses her. She sings everywhere she goes, including public places. I do not discourage this because I want her to have fun in everything she does... if possible. She never meets a stranger and often walks up to people and says, "Hi! My name is Kennedy!" So you can imagine my disbelief this morning when I saw her BLUSHING for the first time.

We were walking into her school this morning and ran into one of my co-workers whose son, Alex, is in Kennedy's class. After the usual good morning greeting, he said, "Kennedy, did you kiss Alex yesterday?" Kennedy said, "Noooooo..." When the teacher walked by, my co-worker friend asked the teacher if it was Kennedy or Kennley, another little girl in the class. The teacher smiled and looked at me, "Yes, it was Kennedy!" When we got to Kennedy's class, I asked her to point out Alex to me since I couldn't recall which little boy he was. He looked at me and Kennedy and rather loudly said, "Hey! Kennedy kissed me yesterday... TWICE!" And thus, my child blushed for the first time. She was smiling so I was relieved that it didn't hurt her feelings that Alex made this announcement to the entire class.

Of course, I explained to Kennedy that we can hug our friends, but kisses are reserved for family only. I haven't told daddy this story yet. I imagine when he reads this post, he'll have some feelings of his own..... :)

Happy Birthday!

Today is my sweet niece's FIRST birthday! I can remember driving up to Little Rock when she was born. Unfortunately Kennedy and I did not make it there in time for the actual birth, but we were there a few short hours later. My sweet sister did not know she was in labor and when she finally got to the hospital, the doctors performed a C-section because she was breeched.

This is Lauren with her "Nina" - which is what Kennedy named my mother when she was learning to talk. My mom wanted to be "Nana", but Kennedy couldn't quite say that. "Nina" came easier and that has been her name ever since.

This was taken in May and she's already changed so much! We are celebrating her birthday this weekend. New pictures of her smeared in birthday cake to come!

Slept through the night!

My dear sweet Brady gave me a small present last night - seven hours of sleep! He must know that his daddy is out of town and that his momma is exhausted from the daily routine with two kiddos. After I got him out of bed and laid him down to change his diaper, he gave me the biggest grin! It was a great moment... AND a great night of sleep.