Sweet Sharon

Sharon, my sweet friend Sharon, who always thinks of other people and is always thinking of me, Tony, & the girls (both sets), appealed to my sweet tooth and got me these for my birthday! I've never had anything from the Sweet Tooth Fairy although I've heard amazing things about their treats.

(From top left to right: Red Velvet, VaNiella Squared, Orange, Mint Chocolate 'n' Chip, Strawberry Shortcake, and Cream Cheese)

This was such a surprise! Sharon presented these delicious cupcakes to me this afternoon - right about time for our afternoon snack. Jo & the kids were over for a swim party, and although I offered a sampling to JoJo & Sharon, they both declined (Yes!). I was secretly pleased they said no, because I am selfish and wanted them all to myself! Sharon's son, Sean, got himself a treat at The Sweet Tooth Fairy - Double Fudge Cake Bites - and contrary to my selfishness, he gladly shared one with me. Oh, it was good! Sean left me another cake bite (cut in 4's - I guess he wanted me to share with Tony & the girls) on top of the cupcake box. He is so nice - just like his mom.

But I'm not done! Sharon gave me this on Monday too:

It's a Willow Tree figure, "Bright Star," and a Willow Tree picture frame. I love Willow Tree figurines. Sharon said she choose this particular one because of my bright personality. Is she talking about me? Thank you Sharon - I love all of my gifts from you, especially your friendship!

We're SQUARES around here

I have been wanting to show Grandma & Grandpa Kemp how much Rebecca & Mary-Gail absolutely love their books & crave reading. So, after I read this fun blog & post, I had the girls help me gather a few favorites for our picture.

(Seriously, this is a skimmed-down version of what the girls picked out!)

Story time around here is filled with request after request after request - not just a minutes or just a few books. The girls constantly pull books from their bookshelf (I need to get another one - theirs is overflowing) and request me to read to them. I chuckle at their request, only because they have the books memorized! I used to leave the last word of the sentence off and have the girls fill-in-the-blank; now I'll skip words in the middle of the sentence, or I'll leave 3 or 4 of the words off at the end of the sentence, and let Rebecca & Mary-Gail fill them in.

(Some of the books are missing in the 1st picture - Becca & Mary-Gail couldn't wait for me to finish arranging the books, so they snatched back their books)

Mary-Gail still loves "The Monster at the End of This Book" and will quote lines from it daily. She also loves "The 10 Best Things About My Dad," "I Love you More," (she says that to us when we say to her, "I love you"), anything & everything "Mermaid" (that's been a big help in getting her potty-trained: she has Ariel patties & loves them!), and "In Grandma's Arms."

I've noticed that Mary-Gail (my bi-lateral, grade 3-brain hemorrhage, supposed to have sever Cerebral Palsy & confined to a wheel chair, 27-weeker) remembers lines from the books easily, and knows when Lovey tries to skip a page or two!

Rebecca loves the "I Spy" book series, all "Dora" books (although Dora panties are no help with potty-training this little girl), "Can you Find Me?" and more "mature" reading from the Scholastic Books "Plenty of Penguins," and "Don't Eat the Teacher!" She is very specific about who reads the books and how the books are to be read. And if you (me) read the book "wrong," Becca says," No, no, Mommy. Read it this way." Stunning. Sometimes Lovey just points to the picture, and Rebecca & Mary-Gail read the entire line (they've got great memorization skills!)

We all love the "Little People Lift the Flaps" books, "That's Not My..." book series, Dr. Suess books, and Sandra Boynton books. I've gotten wise to Rebecca & Mary-Gail's "tricks" to stay up late (they'll continue their requests for "more books! read more books!"), but now I send them to bed with one. I smile when I read my friend Jessica's blog and her narrative of her cute twin boys wanting more "bookies" too.

And my Lovey, well he loves it when it's finally singing time and prayer time!

Three things - Part 2

OK. I have thought about my three things - three amazing things that have happened to me this birthday year - and I've listed them below (listed in order of importance to me):

#1: I finished reading The Book of Mormon, and I finished it on my birthday! I began re-reading The Book of Mormon in February, and set a goal to finish it by my birthday. And I did!

#2: Went on a 7-day cruise (10-day vacation) with my Lovey this past January. If you missed the pictures, click here, and scroll on down.

#3: I lost the baby weight I'd been carrying around for nearly 2 years. All 23 lbs (lame, I know). Now if I could just loose the additional 12 lbs that I've been carrying around for the last 6 years, I'd be at my high school weight again. Wish I would have won her giveaway. Darn it!

So, those are my "amazing three." I'm making a list of three new things (for next year's b-day), and I will most definitely be including #3 on that list. he-he-he.

4th of July party @ Mom's - Food

I love a good cook-out (it's not a barbeque unless you have a pit and you're roasting a pig - according to my Southern husband). Mom provided the hamburgers & hot dogs, and everyone else brought a side dish. There was a lot of food, and it tasted sooo good. Something about flame-cooked food. Delicious!

Lovey manned the grill

Mary-Gail curled up in her Tickah and cradled the cement steps.

She does this at home too - just plops down with Tickah where ever, when ever.

Hangin' out on the picnic table. Georgia & McKena discussing something

Pam & Jo watch "the Littles." JoJo just came from the 10K run @ the Freedom Festival Parade. She is one awesome, tough, girl!

Cheers JoJo!

JoJo made patriotic jello - blue & red jello with Reddi Whip on top. (mmm, I love Reddi Whip)

This girl can eat...when she wants to, and if it's loaded with sugar

Mary-Gail loved the jello, and went from plate-to-plate eating the jello. Kristie & Madi made "Uncle Sam" upside down ice cream cones too. Can you see it in the picture?

And... JoJo & Mom truly did surprise me with a birthday cake - a cheesecake (my favorite) - and they even put a sparkler on top! Everyone sang "Happy Birthday" to me, and the kids tried to guess my age. Someone said I was 38!! (Thanks a lot Madi). The best guess was Reese who said I was 22. (I feel like I'm 27, but hey, if I look 22 then that's good too). Well, here's to being 32 years young. Happy Birthday to me!

4th of July party @ Mom's - water! water! water!

Super 4th of July party @ my Mom's house. She has a great backyard and huge covered patio. The whole family was there (sans brother, Jason, and sister, Carly who both live out-of-state). Mom has a blow-up slide, we brought our kiddie pool, Rosser's & Chrisman's brought water guns & toys, and the kids ran & played for 3 hours straight!

Mary-Gail was shocked by the cold pool water

Becca didn't care one bit

Taylor Bug, playing with a water gun. See how she's watching McKena work the gun - Taylor is super observant and quick to learn; She's got 3 older siblings & a new chocolate Lab puppy to watch out for!

P.S. Taylor Bug is 13 months old, walks now, and is wearing a 3T swimsuit.

She's 30 lbs!

Reese Carly

Cy Jedidiah

Abbie in motion; Pappy was no match for the 14 grand kids!

Tommy squirting his sister, Madison. The rest of the gang is behind them @ the "filling station" reloading their water guns.

The ever-cool Cy

Rebecca showing the exact spot that Mary-Gail needs to be after going down the slide.

Tony calls Rebecca a "little bossy Mom" or a "mini-Amanda"

4th of July party @ Mom's - People

Loved this day - just loved it!

Lovey, Me, Taylor (13 months), Rebecca, 2-years

Taylor was like, "Seriously Aunt Amanda, how many more

pictures do I have to endure?"

Pam & little EllaMae (13 months)

Baby Rebecca in background; Grandma Rebecca watching

(the girls call her "Grandma Pink")

Mary-Gail, what a complex little 2 year old. She is so full of emotions and expressions. Most often Mary-Gail always has a smile on her face and a smile in her eyes (amazing how her eyes smile). Mary-Gail likes to tease Aunt JoJo into thinking that she [Mary-Gail] is grumpy & won't talk to her [JoJo]. Poor Aunt JoJo usually gets this look from Mary-Gail:

Lovey & I call this look: "The Stare-Down"

Mary-Gail is like this 98% of the time:

Smiling, happy, full of life, Mary-Gail; our little ham-bone Kemp Kutie

Climbing down & heading to the pool to play

(Cousin Isaac joined us - looks like he was having fun...NOT!)

Mary-Gail played with Aunt JoJo and didn't give her any "looks." Which made Aunt JoJo's day!

Mary-Gail played peek-a-boo w/Aunt JoJo, who loved every minute of it!

I love that Mary-Gail still plays peek-a-boo

JoJo having a fun time showing me that my kids actually do have boogers (sometimes)

Pappy was a little trigger-happy as he squirted "drinks" into Rebecca & Mary-Gail's mouths

The girls loved it!

Rebecca adding some "topping" to my cheesecake b-day cake...

...it turned out to be salt

Little EllaMae decorated herself with her blue-frosting, chocolate cupcake.

Now she can try-out for the Blue Man Group!

Becca & cousin, Isaac Kemp

Miguel, clinging to her Tickah on the drive home

These girls were so so so tired!