Fourth of July Fun

We had a lovely holiday with friends, family, and our itty bitty firecracker :) ...

(24 weeks)

Giving thanks to the One who gives us freedom...

Interdependence Day with our Bloomingdale Church Family...

Fourth of July Breakfast...

Fernandez Fun...

Fireworks with the Rich/Murray/Riems...

Twins...

The End.

Goodbye Bulldog. Hello Summer.

Messy: It has been a hard year to say the least. Sometimes saying less is best, and this has been one of those years as far as school goes.

This AmAziNg card from my sweet friend Allison

pretty much sums it up. Basically she has the GiFt of finding the perfect card always:

Beautiful: Since August I've donned the bulldog Monday through Friday, and today the bulldog is officially off of this girl's skirt...It is a beautiful day indeed!

Grateful: I know that this trying year is serving it's purpose in refining this messy soul. We shall see what fruit it will yet bear. As for now, I'm grateful for the many times I was able to rely on the ONE greater than anything my 31 could throw at me for help and comfort. I'm grateful for the FoRgiVeNesS He continued to offer me on those many days I relied on my own strength instead of His. I'm grateful for my patient husband who graciously listened to my daily woes. And finally I'm grateful friends like Allison who pray, listen, and always seem to be there (with reinforcements) when I'm on the brink of losing my SaNiTy.

So Goodbye bulldog, hello summer! I will not miss you. I much prefer the poodle...And just because we're saying goodbye to the bulldog, it does not mean that our Ben and Jerry's days are over. There's always a place for ChErRy GaRcIa, always...

All Packed

Here lies my classroom (minus the peat moss and charcoal)...all packed up and ready for a new adventure come AuGuSt...



...but for now it's Bye, Bye Spring Trail :(...HELLO Summer :)...

Paradise and Peanut Butter Pie...

Once upon a time in a far, faraway land... a LoVeLy little family took my love and me to a place very near to what I imagine PaRaDiSe might be...

This MaGeStiC place was overflowing with food fit for a KiNg...

PooLs stretching for miles and miles...

BaLlrOoMs made for being swept off your feet...

...Palms and SuNshIne as far as the eye could see...

...SoOtHiNg melodies...

...and the most MaGniFiceNt desserts on planet earth.

As I sit here staring out my window at the BleAk Chicago sky, this place seems like a DiStaNt dream to me now. I thought about how I might somehow transport myself back to this time and place and escape the reality of WiNteR for awhile.

My first thought was... ChOcoLaTe PeAnUt BuTteR pie...a life changing experience given to me by my sister at the aforementioned place of paradise...

But where could I go to attempt to recreate this moment in time that seems so far out of my grasp? To whom could I turn but to none other than the PiOnEeR WoMaN...I was pleased as punch to find a recipe for this ChOcoLaTe PeAnUt BuTtEr pie on her site...In fact it's chilling in my FrIdGiDaiRe at this very moment!

...And I'm happy to say that in the time it took me to relive my West Palm Beach BrEaKeRs experience via blogging, I'm ready to relive it once again with this DeLicIouS treat...

Afterall, one can always dream...

A Garden Story

Once upon a time there was a LaDy named KaTiE who dreamed of having a GaRdEn in the NeIghBorHoOd CoMpOuNd...

So she talked her husband into digging up the sod with her in their CoMpOuNd yard...

After a bit of SwEaT and ToiL, the plot of land was ready for Dr. BeArD and his TiLleR...

A few days later fellow CoMpoUnDeRs joined the effort...

After a bit of TrEe BeArDiNg...

...AmErIcaN GoThiCinG...


...And yes, PlaNtiNg...

The NeIgHboRhOoD waited in ExPecTatiOn to see what GoD would bring forth from the EaRtH...

Only time would tell if their SoWinG would indeed ReAp a BoUntiFuL HaRveSt...

And this concludes Part I of our GaRdeN story...to be continued soon and very soon...

Window Seats & Alligators = True Love

One of my favorite JuNkfoOd movies (one you can't consume regularly but you CrAvE from time to time) is The Wedding Singer. Here's just one of the exchanges that I love between the main characters played by Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore.

Robbie : She wasn't the right one, I guess.

Julia : Did you have any idea she wasn't the right one when you were together?

Robbie: I should have. Uh, I remember we went to the Grand Canyon one time. We were flying there and I'd never been there before and Linda had, so you would think that she would give me the window seat but she didn't and... not that that's a big deal, you know. It's just there were a lot of LiTtLe ThiNgS like that. I know that sounds stupid...

Julia : Not at all. I think it's the LiTtLe ThiNgS that count.

Recently the Hubster and I were at a Gator Farm in Florida...

We had a BlaSt on our AiRboAt ride...and even got to see some of the FiNgEr BiTeRs up close in their natural habitat, the EvErGlaDeS...

We were thoroughly entertained and amazed at the gator show that followed...

And then came the opportunity of a LifEtiMe, a chance to hold a GaToR. Of course we were totally PsYcHeD. It was $2 per person to cradle a small reptile so I scoured my purse for four bucks but was only able to come up with $2, enough for OnE chance to hold this coveted creature.

Me: Honey, you can hold the alligator.

Dan: Are you sure?

Me: Yes, I'm sure. I know you ReAlLy want to hold him. I want you to hold him.

As the Alligator man said his final words I rummaged through my purse just to be sure I didn't have two more dollars...sure Dan would be oblivious because he was listening to alligator man and usually focuses on one thing at a time :)

Dan: Kate, you're gonna' hold that gator, and I'm gonna' take your picture.

Me: No way, you're holding that gator.

Dan: I've already decided. It's done. I want to see YoU with that gator.

And as that gator was within my grasp, I posed for Daniel, and in my HeArT I was reminded that ThIs is TrUe LoVe...seen in alligators and window seats, the things that count, the LiTtLe ThiNgS...


Thank you Honey for loving me in all things big and small. You're definitely the right OnE for me.