HAPPY 7TH BIRTHDAY BUG!!!

well, today is my bug-a-boo's 7th birthday.

i can't believe that we have been lucky enough to have this little guy be our lives for seven years already.

saturday is his pirate party and i can't wait (and he can't either).



since we're moving and all, me being betty crocker was not an option this year. so i improvised on the cake.

he didn't care at all.

happy birthday bug man, i love ya more then life itself!

ONE YEAR AGO TODAY.....

...i was sitting in a hotel room in tallahassee, florida with the two kiddos and my mom wondering what kinda of destruction was going on at home.
wondering if my husband was alive.
wondering if the police department i work for was still standing.
wondering if all my fellow co-workers (aka friends) were okay.
wondering when i would get to talk to my husband.
wondering what i was going to see when i got back.
wondering if i still had a home to go to.
wondering if i was going to be able to explain all of this to my kids.

i sat in that hotel room for over 24 hours with a knot in my stomach and tears brimming in my eyes while i constantly dialed phone numbers over and over again to be told by a machine that lines were down and i couldn't get through.

i sat trying to keep my kids occupied, while trying to answer their questions.

i sat watching the weather channel and cnn feeling as if i would throw up every time they showed pictures of home.

i sat.

then, late tuesday night (the 30th), i finally got a text from michael letting me know that he was okay.

that everyone was okay. i have never cried like that in my life. shortly after i got the phone call that i waited all that time for. i heard his voice. i knew he was okay. i got to hear that everyone else was okay and that i was very blessed to have my house be okay.

the next morning we hit the road. i couldn't drive fast enough. i still had the knot in my stomach. i didn't know what i was going to see when i got home. i had no idea that gas was going to be like gold. that water was going to be like gold. that i wouldn't be able to drive down roads b/c they were blocked by trees. i had no idea of the stench that had taken over the coast.

i didn't know that when i pulled into the parking lot of the police department that wednesday that it would look like a war zone. officers (aka every day heroes who are my friends) would be filthy and exhausted. the vehicles in the parking lot would have tree limbs on them. the pd is just a block from the beach. but still, i wasn't prepared for the sand in the parking lot. when i pulled up with my mom and kids in tow (b/c after all, this was the first stop i made as soon as i pulled into town), i saw the major (aka the boss) and a captain by one of the back doors. they looked horrible. purely exhausted. i asked them where mike was and was told that he was in his office. i couldn't park and get outta my car fast enough. this has got to be what military wives feel like when they finally get to see their husband after not knowing if they were going to come home or not. i ran to michael and cried. i cried so hard i couldn't breathe.

one year ago today, i had no idea how everyone's life on the gulfcoast of mississippi would be changed forever.

say your prayers for those that have lost loved ones and say your prayers for those who are still trying to rebuild their homes and their lives. b/c they need it.

for those that didn't read my blog last year at this time, you can find a post and pictures here and here.

MIKEY'S BDAY PARTY INVITE!!!

last year, mikey was supposed to have a pirate birthday party, but due to katrina hitting five days before his party, we weren't able to have it.

so he decided (okay, maybe i swayed it a little) that he would have his pirate party this year.

i'll post a picture of all the pirate goodies later, but i wanted to post the invites i made. the stamps on the envy came from stampin' up and i simply love them.





his party will be complete with a treasure hunt, pirate music, and a good time in the pool.

on another note, i wanted to thank everyone for the kind words in the last post. things are a lil smoother now and we should close on the house next tuesday (still keep them fingers crossed). i will just be so glad when all of this is said and done.

*smooches*

I NEED EVERYONE TO....

cross your fingers, cross your toes, cross your legs, cross your arms, and hell, cross your boobs if you got em and you're that talented.

i think i may have mentioned before (i'm not sure) that we had a bite on your current house and that closing on it would be at the end of the month.

well....

i don't know which staircase these potential buyers climbed up on to get outta hell, but they arrived right to my doorstep. i'm not going to get into all the nitty-gritty due to being tired of thinking and talking about it, but lets just say that today they are going to make their decision as to whether or not they are going to back outta the deal.

of course this is a fuckin' week before we are supposed to close.

can you believe this?????

i have never dealt with more picky assholes as these people. they have also accused us of being fraudulent and liars.

seriously, i don't know how much more i can handle.

why not cancel myself you ask? b/c since i have wasted a month on these fuckers, i want their earnest money that they put up.

so if these people back out (which i have a feeling they will) then we will have to start all over and i have about two and a half months to get rid of this damn place before my other house is finished.

feel my pain yet???

if not, maybe this will help.

tuesday evening on the way home, me and mike discovered this whistling sound coming from my car. it kinda went away, no biggie. wednesday a.m. while i am driving the kids to school, i get down the block and my car is shaking violently. lo and behold, the driving shaft is out. so not only did i need four new tires on the car, an oil change, and new brake pads on the rear of the car, i need a new driving shaft (whatever the fuck that is). so now my car is in the shop and i'm looking at a $1800 (yeah, thats right) mechanic bill.

now ya feel it????

MAIL GOODIES!!!!

i participated in amber's super cool crafty swap and let me tell you that i had the best partner.

EVER!!!

andrea spoiled me rotten. this girl got me down pact. you would have thought that we have been friends forever with all the wonderful goodies that she sent me.

now don't be jealous :)


a prima jar filled with all sorts of fabulousness!


where oh where did she get those bingo tokens that have letters on them? eeeeek!


cigar tins. one which she decorated and one plain that she left for me to decorate. both were filled with goodies (which i forgot to photograph).


this is friggin' awesome and i cannot wait to use it.


and a stack of the most *amazing* paper in all shades of blue. she also sent this license plate paper with a note that said since i know all the state capitals. i think i am going to use that paper to scrap that story on.

thanks again andrea. i am so sorry that it took so long to praise you with this post but i know you understand. i'm so glad that you had me. i have enjoyed reading your blog and have found a new friend.

*smooches*

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on a different note, i did a lil swapping with anna-maria and she sent me this ka-yute tin filled with piles of aussie candy goodness.

thank you so much anna. i promise your package is going out shortly :)

HAPPY 7 YEARS BABY!!!

today is mine and michael's seven year anniversary!!!

we didn't really do anything to celebrate it. we're busy getting everything ready to get outta this house (which would explain why i have fallen off the bloggin' earth). we did however, after the kiddos went to bed, sit on the porch where mike surprised me with a glass of wine and we watched a lightning storm.

wow! seven years. its been a wonderful ride baby.

here's to 7x7x7x7x7x7 more.

i love you more then life itself.

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on a side note, i've been reminded by my father-in-law today {waves hand wildly} that i haven't blogged in about two weeks. so i thought he might enjoy seeing some pics of the new house. they started the bricking yesterday and are more then halfway done. our builder (who is also our neighbor in the new 'hood and lives right across the street) stopped us when we left and told us it should be done by tuesday. here's hoping that it doesn't rain.


front of the house


the first set of windows you see on the (l) side are in my craft room. middle window is in guest room/future nursery, far window (r) side is in the guest bathroom.


window to the left is garage. window on the right is mikey's room.


front shot of the porch. very far (l) photo is mikey's room, middle window is dining room, and again you see the craft room window.


garage window with a good shot of the brick.


soldier design.


more brick. god, i love this brick and am glad i went with my gut :)


garage shot. in this shot to the far left kind of, you can see mike's work space and then kind of behind that is the storage area. this is also a two car garage.


back of the house. this is the garage. window you see ot the left is bells'a bedroom.


back of the house. far (l) window is master bedroom. then you see french doors from the master bedroom to the porch, middle windows are living room, another set of french doors from the morning room to the porch, last set of windows are in morning room.


full shot of of porch. the very last window you see on the left is in the master bath.


back again.


master bedroom side of house.


good shot of front porch. can you believe the size of that thing. yowzers!!! i cannot wait to be rocking on that thing.


and a brick shot (this is mostly for greta ;)

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i know you guys (is there anyone still around?) expected a better post since i have been gone for so long and i promise that soon there will be, but we close on the house that we are in now at the end of the month and i am going through seven years of shit trying to get things cleaned out and packed. plus, we'll be living with my mom for about two months until the beauty above is finished. so needless to say, i have been busy. plus my bug-a-boo started school last week and i'll have pics of that soon.

i've have received some awesome mail lately and i promise to post about that tomorrow.

hope everyone is having a lovely august (and are not melting) and i will try to sneak in some time to check more blogs.

i miss you all madly.

*smooches*