Mardi Gras on Valentine's Day

After an eventful Friday night, I had big plans for Saturday as well which included an oil change, tire rotation and alignment for Bertha.

When I got my new tires back in the fall, I also got the three year warranty for alignments and some other warranty for tire rotation meaning I can have it done however often I want during that time period. I asked the guy how often those things needed to be done and he said around 6,000 miles so I basically decided that every other oil change I would get my tires rotated and an alignment. I may as well get my money's worth. (I realize this is all so very intriguing.)

So, I dropped the car off at Goodyear and walked to the gym where I did some cycling and then took a Zumba class and then walked back to Goodyear where my car was all ready to go. It was a good way to spend Saturday morning. 

Once I picked up my car, I headed out to University Drive to get my free birthday burger at Steak and Shake (yes, I realize the irony of working out for almost two hours and then eating a cheeseburger) and then I stopped by Sam's Club. I have actually never been to the Sam's on University Drive probably because I loathe University Drive and typically avoid it at all costs. I usually go to the Sam's off of South Parkway because it's close to work and convenient. Anyway, I walked in and literally turned right around and walked right back out. There were so many people there that every line was probably 10 people deep. I haven't seen lines that long since a snowstorm came to Tuscaloosa in 1996. 

So, I walked back to the car and drove to the produce pickup location and just waited for about 30 minuted until they were ready for me to get my basket for the week. This week's basket was filled with goodness -strawberries, red leaf lettuce, avocados, halos, apples, bananas, onions, red peppers and probably something else that I'm forgetting. 

I went home and rested for a short time before it was time to take a shower and get ready for the Mardi Gras parade. I was meeting my co-worker Maria at 3:00 p.m. the parade was to start 30 minutes later. Not only did I meet up with Maria, but also some of my cousins showed up and stood with us too. Greer (the four-year old) got a ton of beads but they must have gotten heavy because he didn't want to wear them after a while. We decided that next year instead of standing along the road, we would be in the parade instead. 

When the parade was over I was supposed to hang out with Maria, but after the morning workout, my knee was bothering me and I really just was ready to go home, so I parted ways from Maria and my family and went home and snuggled up with my Valentine, Pippa. 

It wasn't a bad way to spend Valentine's Day and it was nice to have some time outdoors before the really cold temperatures came to town. 

He's Gonna Be Famous One Day

I've been a terrible blogger lately; you don't have to tell me - I already know. I blame it on a combination of laziness and a boring life. In addition to not really having much going on these days, I also just don't want to pick up a computer when I get home in the evenings which doesn't bode well for the two people who like to stop by here and see what's going on in my life. I'd like to promise to do better, but goodness knows if I make that promise I'll not be able to live up to it. So, I'll just promise to do the best I can and hopefully that will work for all of us. The good news is that I've got a lot going on in the coming weeks for which I am thankful and hopefully it will lend to some good blogging material. 

This past weekend was actually a little eventful believe it or not. On Friday night, I went to The Voice competition at the Academy for Academics and Arts. The very talented Troy McMullen was singing in the competition as was sweet Georgia who also goes to church with us at Mayfair. I sat with Troy's grandparents' Tim and Jan and it was so great to catch up with them. Troy sand a song from "Into the Woods" and he did an amazing job! I might be a little biased, but I honestly think he was one of the top if not the number one singer. He projected very well and had great emotion with his words. It was such a treat to see him perform.  

After all the singers were done (14 in all), the audience voted. Each member of the audience had three votes. You could vote for the same person one, two or three times, or you could vote for two people (one with one vote and one with two votes) or you could vote for three people (one vote each). There were also two judges and I'm not sure how much their vote counted. The audience turned in their votes and I have no doubt that the kid with the most family and friends in attendance got the most votes. 

After about 20 minutes or so of waiting, the votes were tallied and I'm so very sad to say that Troy didn't make the top three which was seriously so surprising to all of us. I think he was pretty devastated, but he held it together and didn't let it get him down, at least not while he was in front of all of us. The three kids that won were okay, but not great. I wouldn't have voted for any of them. The gal that got first place had a lot of spunk but here singing wasn't phenomenal. In fact, there was a tie for first place (the judges broke the tie) and they announced her as the winner, but said nothing about the the person who had tied but lost - that person didn't even get a trophy! Kind of nuts if you ask me. 

Over the weekend though, Troy had an audition and a callback for "13 The Musical" which is bring presented by Lyrique Music Productions. He won one of the lead roles and I'm super pumped for him. It wasn't a bad ending to the weekend for Troy!  The shows will be at the VBC Playhouse June 5-7 and 12-14. I'm thinking he will be in the younger cast which will be the matinee shows at 2:00 p.m. So, if you don't have anything going on one or all of those days, then go check him out because I know he'll be wonderful and I can't wait to watch! 

She's Growing Up

It's been a while since I've written a post about Pippa and I figured this is as good a time as any as we've had some pretty big developments recently.

Over the weekend we went for a walk down to the local pet store in Five Points. The weather was so nice and I thought we could both use some exercise and some practice since we are doing the Bow Wow Fun Run at the Botanical Garden in about a week. We walked to the store and she got her nails trimmed and I got her a walking harness which made walking with her so much easier!

When we got home and I took the walking harness off, I noticed she had a rope burn where she had gotten chaffed from the harness. The good thing about the harness is I can certainly return it; but, when I tried it on her again, I believe it was on too tight. She was acting like a deranged animal when the lady was trying to fit her so it's not wonder the harness ended up too tight. I think we will try it out a few more times now that it's been loosened and see how it does.

Most of you probably know that Pippa has been crate trained. I got her a crate before she came to live with me and it expanded as she grew and she has always stayed in the crate when I've gone out. As she's gotten older, I have felt so sad for her being in the crate. She's such a big dog and loves to roam around and look out the window and it makes me sad to put her in her "cage" as some people call it. However, for months now, she's so used to our morning routine that when she comes in from going outside she immediately goes inside the crate and waits for her treat.

Lately, there have been a few times where Pip has escaped the crate. I've come home and much to my surprise, she's waiting for me by the front door, sitting in the chair by the window, and surprisingly nothing in the house has been demolished or eaten. How does she escape you may be wondering? Well, she gets so mad about being in the crate that she pushes against the door of the crate so hard that the locks come undone and then FREEDOM! This usually happens when she's been put in the crate for the second or third time in one day.

So, over the weekend, I decided I would experiment and I left her out when I went to church Sunday morning and again when I went to Huddles on Sunday night. Both times, she didn't bother anything. The house was just as I left it and she was waiting by the door and window when I came home. So, I left a note for Naaman (who lets her out during the day) that he could leave her out after he let her outside. Both Monday and Tuesday mornings she came in and went straight to the crate and I locked her inside and then when Naaman came to let her out, he left her in the house with free roam and she has done great so far. I'm so proud of her and maybe soon she will be able to stay out all day long. Now, if she would just learn to not act a fool when I have company, all would be well.

Graham Blanchard Discount Code - Just For You

You may have seen some book reviews and giveaways in the past for various Graham Blanchard children's board books. These board books are a great teaching tool for parents to use when teaching their children about God and what God can do for us. Some examples are here and here.

These books are so great for the kids in your life! They are small enough for toddlers to easily hold in their hands and the illustrations are always beautifully done and full of color. Most importantly, the books send a positive message and teach our children about God and Jesus at a young age, developing a firm foundation and setting a positive path for the future.

Graham Blanchard has recently released a new gift set of books called "Knowing my God Series Starter Set" which includes three titles: "Jesus Invites Me" based on Matthew 11:28-30, "Jesus Shows Me" based on John 15:9-14 and "Jesus Saves Me" based on John 10: 14-16. The books "aim to help kids make a personal connection with the words of Jesus, even from infancy."

To celebrate the release of this new set, the nice folks at Graham Blanchard have provided my readers (you!) a discount code for purchasing books through the Graham Blanchard web site. These books are so wonderful for your little ones and I hope some of you will take advantage of this 15% discount.All you have to do is add books to your shopping cart and then enter the discount code TCN15 and is good not only for the gift set, but for all Graham Blanchard products. The code is good through April 30 which means you can use it for those upcoming Easter baskets!

They Paid With Lovin'

I'm sure some or all of you saw the McDonald's commercials that aired during the Super Bowl. I actually didn't watch much of the Super Bowl, but I did happen to see the McDonald's commercial where people paid for their food with "lovin'" rather than money and since it had already been an emotional day for me, I, of course, cried when I saw the commercial. Then, I got on Twitter and my cousin Lauren commented about how cheesy the commercial was and that made me laugh since I had just cried over it.

In case you didn't see it, basically, from that day until Valentine's Day, McDonald's is randomly selecting people to pay with lovin' rather than cash. They just have to do something like give the person they are with a hug or take a photo with someone or dance, etc. You get the picture. If they do it, then the meal is free - they paid with lovin',

Anyway, Monday I was perusing Twitter and I saw where someone I follow had posted a tweet about an elderly couple in Decatur who paid for their food with lovin'. The man had to give his wife a big ole kiss and someone took a picture of it and posted it to Twitter and I'm sure multiple other places. I thought to myself how cool it was that someone so close to Huntsville got chosen to pay with lovin'. Then, on my way home, I passed the McDonald's on South Parkway, as I do everyday, and I thought, "I wonder if anyone has paid with lovin' there today?"

Well, as luck would have it, not only did someone pay with lovin' at that McDonald's, but one of those someones was my friend Meri and her family. Meri and her husband Miko took their four kids and one nephew to the South Parkway McDonalds. They ordered four Happy Meals, two salads, and a number six (not sure what a number six is).Their total came to $35.99. At some point while they were ordering or right after they ordered, a manager came over and said something to the cashier and then the cashier asked them, "Will you be paying with lovin' today?" This obviously took the family off guard and Meri said, "Excuse me?" and the cashier asked again to which Meri replied, "YES!"

Their lovin' payment was that they had to take a photo with the cashier, Karen.

Meri asked how many people had been chosen that day and as it turns out, my friends were the 28th people to pay with lovin' that day and that was just at the South Parkway McDonald's. Meri also confirmed that the people chosen are random but we are still unsure of how they decide what the lovin' payment will be.

I was super excited for Meri and her family. I think it is so cool that they were chosen. I would love to know how many people in Huntsville and all across the US paid with lovin' by the time this campaign is over. I'll tell you one thing, I haven't eaten at a McDonald's since 2011 and even I am tempted to go to see if I get chosen to pay with lovin'. Great idea, McDonald's! What a fantastic way to spread a little joy and a little joy goes a long way!

More Birthday Celebrating

The rest of my birthday weekend wasn't quite as exciting as the trip to Shakalaka; but, it was memorable nonetheless.

On Saturday morning I went to an ALANA meeting which is the ladies association for Agape. The meeting lasted about an hour and afterwards I picked up my produce basket which was full of lots of delicious items. That afternoon I met up with my friends Margaret Anne and Grayson and we went to see the last two episodes of Game of Thrones at the IMAX. Even though we had seen them before, we enjoyed seeing them on the big screen.

Sunday was my actual birthday and that morning I was showered with texts, Twitter messages and Instagram posts from all manner of cousin. After church I went to lunch with my parents, my two grandparents and my favorite Aunt Linda. The lunch didn't go quite as smoothly as I would have liked, but that's how it goes sometimes.

My Aunt Linda gave me a scarf which I love and am looking forward to wearing. It has some of my favorite colors and is super cute! My grandmother gave me the best gift of the day which was my grandfather's Bible. I had no words and still don't. I was overwhelmed and beyond emotional when she gave it to me. I am so thankful to have this gift and will always think of my grandfather and his love for the Lord when I use it.

After lunch, I went by my parents' house where I got a jar of my favorite vanilla from my mother's caretaker and our adopted family member Ada. My parents got me a pair of shoes (that Erika had actually suggested for me) and a monogrammed sweatshirt and my granddad gave me a pedicure.

When I left my parents' house, I picked up the cookie cake they had gotten for me and brought it home. That evening a couple of friends came over to watch Downton so I didn't have to eat cookie cake alone.

Monday at work, Meri brought me another cookie cake. The one she got was super cute. It had a dog on it that reminded us of Pip. My cubicle mate gave me a Starbucks gift card probably to keep me caffeinated and happy.

Overall, it was an eventful few days and really, it's not quite over because I'm still trying to use up all my free birthday food coupons. As I told my friends at church on Sunday, it's great to be 38!

Kicking Off The Birthday Weekend

This past Sunday was my 38th birthday and I kicked off the big weekend with a great group of friends at Shakalaka and we partied like a bunch of 12-year-olds. In case you are not familiar with it, Shakalaka is an indoor trampoline arena here in Huntsville. It opened up last year some time and I have wanted to go ever since but never have had an opportunity. So, I decided to gather up some of my favorite people and jump around to celebrate my birthday and I'm so glad I did.

I decided on the 6-7 p.m. time frame on Friday and sent out an email to everyone letting them know the time and also that the web site suggested to buy your tickets in advance. All of us did except for one person, who waited until the night before to go online and purchase her ticket only to find out that our time frame was sold out. So, sadly, she didn't get to join us for trampoline time, but she met up with us for dinner. Another friend wasn't on the email, but I had mentioned it to her at church. Unfortunately, I didn't have her phone number or email and so had no way of getting in touch with her to let her know it was sold out so she came and then couldn't get in. So, she left and went to have dinner with her parents. We did exchange numbers though so as not to have any issue in the future.

The nine  of us who had tickets to jump had a big time. We jumped on the trampolines, we flew off the flying trapeze into a pit of foam, we jumped into a pit of foam, we jumped on trampolines to play basketball, we walked a tightrope above another foam pit, we jumped on more trampolines, and we played dodgeball against innocent children. In fact, we probably got a little too much satisfaction out of hitting children with balls. Our hour went by quickly but we were all beyond tired when it was over with. I got some of the best sleep I've had in a long while that night.

After our time at Shakalaka, we went to Steak 'N Shake for dinner which apparently is one of the most popular places in town because the joint was packed and we had to wait about 30 minutes for a table. Oddly enough, Macaroni Grill which is almost next door was more or less empty which is so bizarre because when I waited tables there 100 years ago the place was packed all the time.

We finally got seated but had to split up because there wasn't a spot big enough for all of us to sit together. We all had a good time and as far as I know everyone enjoyed their food. Some of the girls got milkshakes to take home to their husbands which was really nice of them.

It was such a fun evening and I'm so blessed and thankful to have these great women in my life as my dearest friends. I hope we get to celebrate a lot more birthdays together.