Chocolate!

Before I talk of some delicious cocoa bean...let me show you the one & only picture I took of the rodeo we went to on Saturday. We got there right when it started & so we had to sit by the bulls & their waste. :) But it was so much fun & we can't wait to go again. You should have seen some of those cowboys :) If I was their mother, I would have been a nervous wreck. But, the kids loved it & one of Josh's good friends came in from out of town to go with us & we had a great time! Logan laughed so hard @ the clowns & that made it so worth smelling the poop! ha!

Yesterday we went to visit my parents & we went to a late lunch @ Top O' the River which was yummy as can be & we miss it very much! And then we decided to go to the Anniston Museum of Natural History! For those of you who buy yearly passes to McWane Center, you can join Anniston Museum a lot cheaper & they will honor your pass at the McWane Center here in Birmingham - also some other museums all around the country - I know there is one in Mobile that seemed pretty neat & we like going to the McWane Center - so why not buy it cheaper in Anniston?! Just food for thought if you purchase a yearly pass to McWane.

Right now they are doing a chocolate exhibit! My son is a non-chocolate eating kid & didn't love the smell like we did, but we got to see the whole museum, not just the chocolate, so that was cool with him.

Ahhh, simply heaven here!

 Kenlee thought going to the gift shop first was the way to go. My parents got Iphones, so my Dad was checking out his camera on us. :)

 Biggy made a new friend!

 Kenlee & her dog from the gift shop, Balentime. (aka Valentine)

 Kenlee, Logan, Papa & Nana! We had so much fun!

 Kenlee thought some jewlery made out of this stone would be cool. Her Mommy agreed.

 Biggy was a trooper going thru the chocolate. I didn't realize chocolate had so much history!

 The Hudspeth's. That's us. :)

 Me & my Mom!

It was a great day to play outside then go to the museum. Now as I'm typing this I hear the rain outside. Our grass could probably use it though!

(Valentine's is one of my most favorite holidays, so I'm offering $14 off a one hour massage in honor of February 14th! Let me know if you are in need of a little Valentine Massage Therapy! )

Hope your week is full of chocolate & love :)

Haircut & Homework

Morning time...brushing hair...it's the reason I had to cut it. Kenlee asked me if she could get her hair cut long like cousin Katie's...all I could think of was trying to get Josh's grandfather's homemade jelly out of her hair when it's as long as Katie's & I just had to make the appointment! :) So here's the before.... (I tried to get her to wear this new really cute shirt she got, but SHE decided that the winner was Biggy's sweatshirt that he had when he was 4 that said "If it's not a Gator, It's a Croc") ~ at least I snuck a bow in :)

And here is the spunky little after....

I just had to add this one... this is Logan one day last week on our way to school (he had to get there early for a club he is in) and Kenlee was still asleep. So in her carseat her head crashes forward when we stop & sometimes she cries because it hurts her little neck ~ thank the Lord for her adjustments from Dr. Jessica! (I don't love carseats at all!! but thankful they keep them safe when they don't break their necks!) So he was leaning over trying to hold her head up.. HA! Look at his face! He's such a good boy but I think he was really happy he was about to be dropped off!!!

I love the brother you are, Biggy!!!

I just love Kenlee's teacher!! Friday afternoon when she brought Kenlee to the car, she had a little note in her bag that said "When Biggy does his homework, here is a little homework for Kenlee!!" She even taped a giant #2 pencil to the homework & made 20 copies! It was so cute! I am really thankful for her school & her sweet teacher that is so loving & great to Kenlee & her class!
Biggy was just glad he didn't have any homework over the weekend. :)

Thankful for my guys....

Last night the Hudspeth guys were especially sweet. Kenlee hasn't been feeling fabulous this week & last night her little throat was getting a little scratchy (just a little upper respiratory junk I think) & she was just not herself...so Josh offered his side of the bed & he said he would go sleep in her twin bed...then Logan told his Dad that his bed was bigger, so Dad could sleep in Logan's bed & Logan would go to Kenlee's bed. We just played "Ring Around the Beds" last night, instead of the roses, but I am just really thankful for the two sweethearts in mine & Kenlee's world :)

And Sleeping Beauty herself really appreciated it!

Wrong place at the right time?

I don't know how I got so lucky to pull up to what looked like birds waiting to sing for Randy, Steven & J Lo, but yesterday, this is what I pulled up to in our neighborhood...

When I drove up by them, they all took off & it looked as if the sky was disappearing & there were nothing but birds around me. These people must have used some wormy fertilizer or something?

Tweet, Tweet.
Have a good day!

Pure Bliss!

I did it!
I actually started a project & finished it! That DOESN'T happen often with me! I get the bug to paint a room, and never hang anything on the walls. If it wasn't for my mother-in-law, Kenlee's room & our room wouldn't have curtains. We've lived here almost 8 years & the dining room & living room have not really had proper curtains. My friend, Cheryl, will give me great ideas & do I follow through? My head does, but my hands don't. What on earth is wrong with me?
But, here is our lovely closet that you can actually turn a corner in now. It's L shaped, and now you can turn right!

My department....

 Josh's Department! It looks like I hogged it all, but he has another closet in our room besides this one, so I'm not as selfish as it looks. :)

YAY!

Everyone in our house is snooring, so I guess it's my turn.
Please pray for my sis as she goes for CT scan tomorrow. Praying for an easy fix for her anemia with no complications. :)

A hodge podge of a post...

I'm really Thankful for a layed back weekend & some fun with friends...
I was just going through pictures on our computer as I downloaded some from last night....and I came up with some funny one's that I just had to blog about. 
First ~ these little chickens of the Howell farm (my sister & family) deserve some acknowledgement. I love how they just don't even fix their hair (oops, I mean feathers) in the morning. Some days I feel as though I look like them except in a brownish/grayish shade. They look as if they've had a bad perm & I know I've experienced this feeling in my life.
Cute little chicks.....

 I forgot to blog about how stylish my Dad's new glasses are. It's as if he is in an article of a Men's magazine...I love them! I think they were going to a concert or a Christmas gathering here...he always looks stylish & classy.

 And Biggie. He's so cute when he smiles because he is afraid he has stuff in his braces. I think this will be his new look for the next couple years until he gets his braces off....so cute if you ask me :)
I washed his little Trac phone in the washing machine this week. He forgot to take it out of his pocket in his jeans & I forgot to check his pockets ~ he never really used it, only for school dances or if he spends the night somewhere...thankfully they are cheap & I might have to get him one for Valentine's Day right around the corner. We had just gotten him 200 more minutes with one of his gift card's from Uncle Johnny for Christmas, but luckily, we hadn't added them yet, so when he does get a phone, he will have some minutes waiting for him!
He thinks he's getting a mustache as well. Is it seriously time for the peach fuzz around the lips to turn darker? Oh, I'm not ready!!!!

 Auntie Jill gave Kenlee some new gardening tools when we were there a few weeks ago. Every single day she thinks is the day to plant some new flowers. I'm so ready to do this with her soon! I love color, flowers, & sunshine!

 Speaking of color...Nana Noval gave her some new bling shoes for Valentine's Day. Biggie got some $ & that fit him perfectly! She loves them & it's just another pair to add to her collection. She switches from these to her pink converse style & I think some days she wishes she has 4 feet to wear both. :)

Last night our dear friends, The Lott's came over (see previous post for her new blog address that is fantastic!) and we had a good time! The kids danced & played & just had a great time. I want to rent a cabin in Gatlinburg later this year so we can take them & have a fun family vacation...I think they would all love it & I know the 4 adults would! Kenlee is in awe of Allie & I am so thankful for the friendship they all 4 share. We grilled yummy pork chops & deer tenderloin & we just had a good relaxing time.

 Little Miss Thang having a good time below!! She has a little attitude in her dance moves!

I hope your weekend has been full of fun with friends & family.
Off to tackle our closet. It may take me until next weekend, so if I don't blog...come get me :)

Friends ~

I am so happy that I have friends from growing up that have blogs. I love reading Jessica's, Layne's, Cantina's, Crystal's....and now one of my sister friend's (not like sister wives) - she's my friend that is like a sister :) has a blog & it's going to be WONDERFUL! You must read....
http://lottsojunk.blogspot.com/  ~ wait until you see her decor & how she can make anything look great when hung up! And she has two of the cutest little's you'll ever see.

Speaking of friends...do you think these two in our front yard yesterday are friends?

So do you see the little birdie above? That cat just wanted to be friends :)

Fun for all!

I'm thankful to have spent the day with these two little love's of mine....they have been helpful all day long & they played outside, cooperated with a few errands, it was just a good day. :)
Friday, Josh & I had a date & met up with a few of his friends from work after we went to dinner & went bowling in Trussville. It was kind of an unplanned evening that just happened, and we had SUCH a great time. I love it that he is surrounded by good people at work & they constantly have a good time & laugh a lot. I laughed so much my stomach was sore the next day. I love night's like that.

Last week I volunteered again @ the Palliative Care Unit @ UAB. I sometimes do chair massage on the staff & the families that are losing loved one's. It's kind of like a Hospice floor inside the hospital. But, it's beautifully decorated, very quiet & calm & there is a huge kitchen & living area with a big flat screen & leather furniture to stretch out on if you are there for a few weeks. You can donate money to the unit, or I just brought a bag full of individually wrapped snacks for the families to help themselves to & some drinks. The rooms are large & very comfy during such a difficult time. There is beautiful artwork that has been donated by artists. I have to admit, I didn't have the best attitude going last time...I thought, I'm not going to massage all of these Dr's & nurses for free & use my gas money and mark off my book for the day again without getting any business. (Pretty embarrassed to say that, but hey, it's the truth) ~ But this time was different...I got to work on the families of the patients that are soon to pass away & it was more of a blessing to me than I have ever thought. I had one lady who was there about to lose her mother that just hugged me & couldn't believe I was doing it for free & she was sooo exhausted...little did I know, just a year ago, she was on the Palliative Care Unit sitting by her 19 year old son that was passing away from cancer. God knew what he was doing when I went there last week - He made me see that the blessing has nothing to do with money or anything like that, it has to do with when you truely help someone out of the kindness of your heart & know that you have made a difference in their life.

Just had to share what's been laying heavy on my heart in such a world of materialistic things & braggers & selfishness, it's moments like these that make me think of reality & what is most important to me.

Hope your week is full of goodness!

Pitch a Fit!!!!

I think we are going thru the terrible two's @ 3 & 1/2. Is that possible?
When I brush or blow dry Kenlee's hair, she pitches a fit & cries! I'm gentle! Every
single morning there is a meltdown before school after she gets dressed. This morning she got dressed the minute she got out of bed ~ I set her clothes out at night before she goes to sleep.
But when it comes to hair, there is always a fit!
Unless Daddy gets home from work & decides to try it himself....

Seriously?
She sat still the whole time & ate her apple.

Brrrr! 01/11/11

An icy cold day it was yesterday...we were all home due to roads being closed & that was ok by me. It was a pretty relaxing day & we all snuggled up. Barkley was happy to get a lot of attention.  :)

 Kenlee took care of her babies & gave them baths & here she is rocking one of them.
She's such a good Mommy.
Then we all watched the exciting AU game! Pure goodness!
Here is our little house below today. Not much left of the ice & snow. Logan's school was delayed two hours which was right up his alley, so I know he is having a good day. He got an all A report card Friday, so he was pretty excited about that & we are so glad! Kenlee's school is in the Hoover district, so it was closed today. She & I have been to Publix & we're back washing clothes from our weekend trip to Auntie Jill's & linens for my work tomorrow. I wish I was still with Auntie Jill :)

It looks so bare without any Christmas goodness around! I am ready for sunshine & so ready to plant pretty flowers! Now I'm on the hunt for something for the front door that is happy & a little funky, but nothing to do with a holiday. I need a little color!!! On my head & on my front door!

Stay warm!

Going to Auntie Jill's....

We had a great time down @ Auntie Jill's ~ I got to see both of my siblings & that was so wonderful..The kids got to go to their farm & ride horses, pet chickens, & Kenlee fell in love with their two cats, Fettucini & Alfredo. Please pray with me for my sister's next step of a ct scan of her female parts & checking of her lymph nodes. ~ I'm praying for no funky things going on down there & the simple fix of a hysterectomy to make her well. She looked better & seemed to feel better ~ and her health is so important to all of us.
On the way down, Kenlee was somewhat of a little bear at times, she doesn't love her carseat. :) So Mom & I let them out at a truck stop to run around & have a snack...seemed to do some good :)

 Running around @ the rest stop on the way to Gulf Shores!

 Are we close yet?

 Too much excitement to really be asleep!

 Kenlee & her new favorite animal...Katie's cat.

 Feeding Angel some carrots! I love to watch a horse chew!

 Nana even got up there after the kids rode Poncho!

 Visiting with Auntie Jill & Uncle Johnny.

 My mom left one of my car doors open & one of the cats got in my seat & took a nap. She acted ticked when I woke her up to get her out :)

 All of the little chickens. The white one's are my favorite. I think my sister said they are "frazzled" breed & they look like they have had a perm. I love it!

 Uncle Shang letting the kiddies pet the chickens.

This was on the way down, I didn't add these in right order. First one to the tree had to hug it, but you know they tied :)

We've been home today due to ice & somewhat of a snow storm. It's been relaxing, but I'm ready to work & get the kiddies back to school. Momma's tired :)

Loyal to shoes....

Let me tell you about these shoes...They were a Christmas present to our girl that I forgot to get out of the closet, and remembered a few days after Christmas. When Kenlee gets a pair of shoes, she is as loyal to them as we are to our best friends. No matter the outfit, even if they don't match, these babies are on her feet. I might need to open a seperate account from her savings for shoes as she gets older. We all splurge on something, so better it be something useful than just wasting money. :)

I had a client tell me something the other day that made me start thinking...with Obama in office (which some people are for & some against) she asked me if we were to have a gas freeze or someone take over the internet, or the post offices were to stop delivering,  how long would we be able to feed our family or how many shoes do we have for our children's feet? She said it right before we ended our session & I didn't realize the impact it would have on my mind. She said, "I'm not trying to scare you, it's just food for thought, and I want you to pray about it."    Wow.
It truely makes sense, what if something happened, how long would we be able to feed, clothe, and take care of our littles? I don't want to be a worrier about unknown things like this, but I just want to be a little more prepared & I just wanted to pass it along to you & see if it's something that you think about.

Yesterday was a wonderful day of routine & I realized how good it felt to be back in the swing of things after Christmas holidays. Logan had a great day at school & enjoyed seeing his friends on the bus ride home & we went to his orthodontist appointment after that - in which Kenlee asked the ortho if she could get some braces. Thankfully, he's just about mine & Josh's age, so when & if she does need some & we live somewhere close to Hwy 280, maybe he will be the one to put braces on her!
Maybe that's another account we should open! HA!

Full of Crafts

Our kitchen has been full of things to do the past few weeks. (Besides needing a good cleaning!)  My best friend growing up sent the kids goodies in the mail for Christmas - one thing was a Playdoh Ice Cream sundae maker. SUCH A HIT! Auntie Jill sent home boxes of mosaics for the kiddies with Nana & Papa when they visited her last week. (This weekend I am taking the kids & I can't wait! I can't get there fast enough to see her!!!)

And we did the Gingerbread Houses from several posts back (I think I just linked my first thing! YAY!)
Kenlee got up at 2 am last night & told me she was hungry. I finally threw the Gingerbread Houses away because I think the smell of icing was getting to her... making her hungry in the wee hours of the morning when she should be sawing logs. :)
Needless to say, Mom's a little weak eyed this morning & ready to get the kiddies off to school & back to a normal routine. For a while, anyway.
Have a good Monday! Oh wait, it's Tuesday!

Time for coffee....

Dance till we drop!

This was taken this past summer, but this is what she looked like Friday night. A little dancin' machine. We were WILD on New Years Eve, let me tell you. She & I plugged in Biggy's ipod....danced to Gwen Stefani, 80's Michael Jackson, Chaka Khan, even the Gap band & we danced till we couldn't dance anymore!
Then the boys watched "Waterboy" & we all 4 played Bingo ~ next year I think we need to make it for money though. :) Logan & I rang in the New Year with a game of Uno - you know the one where the cards go flying out. It is so much fun! I woke Josh up for a smooch ~ he tried to stay up but all the sudden we felt the house shaking from his snooring. Logan & I just laughed.
I wouldn't trade being with my little family for anything in the world. Not even NYC!!! I do want to go there one day, though :)

Happy Birthday, Katie Lee (AKA MYRTLE!!!!) Next year you will be a teenager & I just can't even imagine you as a teenager! You are precious to Mimi!! So thankful you are one of my neices & we will see you soon! Maybe even next weekend!

Happy January 2nd, everyone!