Bloggy Carnival (better late than never!)

Ok, I check the bloggy giveaways.com site every so often to see if there's any interesting giveaways. Apparently, it's been a while since I checked because yesterday I saw they're having a quarterly carnival right now. So, needless to say, I couldn't pry myself away for quite a while last night. Many are ending at the end of this month and some in early February. So, it's not too late to hop over there and try for a few (or several). Most offer more than one chance to win. Besides possibly winning some great items, it's also a great way to find some great new blogs (and friends) and also get your blog some traffic too! Just be sure you can spare a few hours, cause you won't be able to stop at just one (like the chips)!

Silly Ava

Today we went to a restaurant that had the line of "junk for 25-75 cents" machines, and of course Ava had to have something. Today it was a fake mustache. She just happened to get a color that matched her hair instead of the black advertised on the front, not that she cared. She had daddy put it on her immediately and she immediately became "mr. man". It was too funny. She said she was going to her business as mr. man. She insisted on looking like a "serious man" in the picture.

And here's another one I found on the camera I forgot all about.
I call it Ava Onasis.

Lazy Start To The New Year

I don't know why, but I've just had a lack of enthusiasm to blog lately.

It's already stuffy nose time again. Ava actually never caught what Kevin and I had around new year's eve, but she's making up for it now. She hasn't had a full-blown cold like this one since the summer. But she's still running around playing, so I'm hoping we'll avoid a dr.'s office trip once again.

Well, we now have a new president. I pray he will make good changes, and will do his best to live up to all the expectations. Unfortunately, some of the things I don't agree with him on is already being talked about as his first orders of business as president. I just hope he'll consider both sides of those and all changes in laws that come before him in the next four years.

Sunday was the seventh anniversary of the day Kevin asked me to marry him. I had planned a big post about it, but couldn't find the cd with the photos from that day. So I lost my enthusiasm to write about it. Maybe I can summarize.

Basically, he proposed to me at my job at the time, Memphis Gastroenterology. He was living in Blytheville, AR at the time and had driven to Memphis to pick up the rings the night before and drove right back, which I had no idea. The next day he wanted to surprise me at work, but wasn't exactly sure of how he wanted to do it. So, when he got to the clinic, somehow they snuck him to the back. One of the girls I worked with suggested he say something over the intercom. They got Dr. Wruble's (head dr.) and the office manager's ok. They then convinced and coached him through, and he proposed over the speakers for all to hear! At first I didn't really catch on, I thought they were working on the phones again and using my name to test the system. But then I realized it was Kevin's voice and listened closer. I was shocked, of course! There's actually a picture of me standing at my desk with my hand over my mouth and eyes bugged out (one of the nurses just happened to have her camera). He then came up to where I was and hugged me and gave me the ring. Everybody was cheering, even patients! I was totally embarrassed, but was just giddy in seconds. The majority of the office made there way up to my desk to congratulate us. I had patients mention it to me months later. It was definitely a different way to do it!

Oh, and we were married just 3 months later in April! I wanted to keep it simple so it could be planned quickly and I guess so we could marry quickly. I wish I had pushed the date out further so I could have planned it more easily, but I guess I was in looooove. No, I was, and still am! I can't imagine what I did before him, not much, I can tell you that. God blessed us both by having us meet (a blind date through my cousin actually) during a difficult time for each of us. I was trying to forget about someone that didn't feel the same for me, and Kevin was actually married before. It was short-lived and they were never really in love, it was more feeling sorry for a friend. It's really a sad story. Basically, she ultimately treated him pretty badly (including cherishing her many dogs more), and he just felt he probably couldn't do any better. But then she committed adultery, and that was it, he got out of that situation.

Whoa, didn't mean to go into all that! But it certainly brings to mind the verse at the top of my blog. God most certainly has plans for us and certainly nothing to harm us but give us hope, and make us stronger. Kevin always says he is actually thankful for everything that happened because it brought him to me and, of course, Ava. I have to say the same. It's not always as perfect as I dreamed of, but I am certainly thankful to have them both and yeah it's still a dream come true.

Happy (achoo) New (achoo) Year!

That's right, we all sneezed in the new year at midnight. I hope it's not bad luck to bring an old sinus infection into the new year 'cause we've had it since Monday evening. I'm already sick of being sick... and sounding like my mother-in-law who has smoked all her life. So, that means no big party here. Kevin and I watched The Ten Commandments through midnight actually, while Ava slept.

I had this big end of the year review post planned, but I'm just not up to it. I will say we had a better year in '08 than the previous. But then who is to say what is better or worse when it is all God's plan in which things generally happen for our own good in the end. Like that I feel I grew closer to Him during '07 and then on into '08, so I pray that will continue through '09.

Ok, well I may try for a resolutions post in a few days. 'Cause right now I keep typing double letters and backwards, must be the medicine. Glad you can't be contagious through the computer.

Hope everyone has a happy '09! And when are we gonna start saying twenty instead of two thousand like they do in the movies about way off in the future?
Ok, now I'm rambling, going to rest.

Happy Birthday Jesus!

This is our birthday cake Ava and I made (excuse the messy toaster oven). It tasted a lot better than it looks (I let Ava do her usual poking around before I thought to take a picture). The red velvet (as apparent from the crumbs showing through) and cream cheese icing were really good. The most fun was the toasted coconut for the hay in the middle. The writing gel didn't do as well as it usually does, hence the blobby stars of david on the sides.

Ava told us she loved aaalll her presents. We went a little overboard this year since we couldn't do much last year. Not that that's the point of the season, nor does she know the difference. But nevertheless, let's just say her birthday not being too far off, she won't be receiving as big a load. We stayed in our jammies all day, just the three of us. So it was nice and low-key. We normally like to leave the big gatherings to Thanksgiving, so Ava can stay home and not have to leave her playing. We will, however, go see mawmaw Jennings Saturday and then my momma's Monday. So Ava will be excited to open even more stuff. I really need to go through her toys again and make another donate bag.
I hope everyone had a great Christmas!

Wordless Wednesday, Christmas Edition

The ending being the most important and true fact...

Ramblings For The Day

I'm sitting here trying to talk myself into braving the store for a few things I wanted to get for Christmas dinner, and one last gift. But, it's cold, windy and raining somewhat, so it wouldn't be hard to talk myself out of going, would actually be much easier. I'm also thinking about all the wrapping I have to do tomorrow night. Which reminds me I don't think a couple things I ordered on going to make it on time. On top of all that, trying to make up my mind about supper for tonight. So now I have a bit of a headache.

Ok, enough complaining. I did think of a cute way to do our Happy Birthday Jesus cake. I'll post pictures even if it looks strange. I'm doing red velvet for one thing, and I've actually never had that kind before. I've heard it's just like chocolate.
Kevin has to work Christmas eve and the night of Christmas day, so we'll be doing Christmas at home this year. We did family for Thanksgiving. But, I don't think he has to work New Year's eve, so he won't have to kiss Jeff (his coworker) at midnight haha.
Ok enough rambling, time to get it done. (I would say 'er instead of it but I can't stand that)