Awesome? No Doubt.

Last night my sister and I went to the No Doubt concert, and it was so much fun! I have always enjoyed going to concerts, but this was definitely my favorite concert EVER! The Sounds (never heard of them but Hailey had) and Paramore started off the show, and they were really good, but the real fun started when No Doubt came on. That may have something to do with the fact that that's when I took out my earplugs. I am getting old.

Really, though, they are just so energetic, and it was fun to see them perform all the songs I grew up listening to. It was funny to see the audience: such a mix of young and old. The youngest person I saw there was probably 2 and I am so not going to go off on that tangent...not okay. There was an entire family in front of us with two teenage kids. It was funny to see the parents rockin' out with their kids.

The only minor incident we had was when a girl 4 rows in front of me decided to stand on her chair for the first 30 minutes. Somebody must have finally yelled at her, because she got down. Which is good, because I was considering fashioning a large weapon to throw at her.

Here are some pictures. The bands look tiny, but you get the idea. Maybe.

Fun and Sunscreen...My Two Favorite Things

I was very disappointed in myself for my lack of picture taking this weekend, but it was a fabulous time! Saturday was great with movie watching and lots of couch sitting. Just the way I like it.

The rest of the weekend was much more hectic. We had a pool party with our Bible Fellowship class, my sister came and spent the night with us, then on Monday we put it some good tailgating and baseball time out at the ballpark.

Now, you would think that I have a good tan going on by now, but the truth is I am as pale as ever. Why? Because I have apparently found the craziest sunscreen known to man: Bullfrog SPF 50. I love the stuff, but I am pretty sure its ingredients were brought to this earth by some sort of extraterrestrial beings. So, if you have decided to spend the rest of your life blissfully pale and wrinkle-free, you should try it. But just know what you are getting into...and make sure you get the SPF 50 with some sort of titanium something or nother in it. The whole titanium thing makes me a little nervous, but oh well.

PS: Soofie was totally dead when we got home last night. And contrary to popular belief, fish do not float to the top.

He's Always Watchin'

This cracks me up. My sister decided to get a little creative yesterday, and then posted this picture on her facebook with the caption, "I always feel like...somebody's watchin' me..." Then she put the little guy on my dad's computer, so that when he got home and asked what it was she could say, "It's all the money you could be saving with Geico". Ha! That still cracks me up...

When It Rains...

UPDATE: After lots of appointments and tests this week, my dad has been diagnosed with a sarcoma in his leg. Sarcoma is a really rare form of cancer. Next week we will find out the exact treatment plan. Right now, it looks like chemo, radiation, and surgery, but that may change. Please pray that when the scans from last week come back they will show no spreading to other parts of his body!

Sheesh, people. It seems like life is moving at tornadic speeds at the moment, and I can't catch my breath. I don't have a ton of witty things to say, but here's the gist of what's going on:

1. Many of you know that 15 years ago my aunt and mom opened a daycare center, and since then they have done an excellent job of growing and maintaining their business. Well, Friday, they officially sold their center! It's a really exciting development, but at the same time my mom is kind of like me and we don't do change super well. She needs to find a new job in the next few months, so please join me in praying that God finds the perfect place for her!

2. In December my grandmother (on my dad's side) was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. She is a trooper, but it is definitely taking a toll on her body. I went to see her this weekend, and it is clear that the cancer is starting to rob her of herself. I don't know if that makes sense, but she is having a hard time doing much of anything. Please be in prayer for her as she fights the cancer and spends the time she has left with loved ones.

3. Okay, this one is brand new and a bit unexpected. Today, my dad had an appointment because he has a large (and I mean big) growth on his calf. The doctors were very concerned and told him it could be anything from a cyst to cancer. He goes in for an MRI tomorrow, so please pray that it is just a cyst!

Whew. That's all I have for now. Sorry for the lack of witty banter, but I appreciate your prayers!

Pets...And Stuff

I don't know about you, but I am surrounded by dogs. So many of our friends are dog people, and I have noticed a trend over the years. Get married, get a dog, have a kid. In fact, I have thought on more than one occasion that perhaps the reason I haven't had a baby is because I haven't followed the marriage, dog, baby formula. Just a theory.

Well, don't hold your breath, because we will not be getting a dog anytime soon. We are both allergic in different weird ways. My eyes swell up and Mike starts sneezing up a storm as soon as he leaves the dog's presence. Oh well.

We do have a pet, though. Two years ago, I bought a beta for my first grade class, and the thing has lived. And lived. And lived. Until now. I am pretty sure Soofie (don't ask me...that's what you get when you let your class name the pet) is on his last leg. Last night, we got home late to find him lying in the bottom of his tank. At first I thought he was sleeping, but he is still like that today. He will swim around for just a second and then sink down again. It's kind of sad.

I Googled "is my beta fish dying?" Oh yes I did. And the people of Yahoo Answers have spoken. Indeed, it looks like Soofie will soon be going to that Big Fishbowl in the sky. One guy said that he usually flushes the fish when it gets to this point to put it out of its misery. He doesn't like to see the fish suffer. Seriously?? How is whirling around in a great abyss not suffering? I think I'll Google that.

Cinco de Mayo!

We always celebrate Cinco de Mayo in my family, but mostly because it's my mom's birthday. Now that I think about it, we should really get her a pinata one year. That would be rockin.


Happy Birthday Mom! You are fabulous, and I am so lucky to have you! Who would answer my endless phone calls if it wasn't for you?

Changin' it Up

Before:


And After:



Much better. Plus, it's a rub-on, so it's removable. Perfect.

Swine Flu Can't Stop the Shopping!

Well, despite the Swine Flu and the rain, we had a fabulous weekend in Canton. I drove down to meet my mom and aunt Friday night, and we hit the grounds bright and early Saturday. It wasn't too crowded at first, so we got to enjoy it before it got too crazy- if you have been in May or November (or anytime really) you know what I am talking about!

We knew what we wanted the most, and we headed straight there: to the plants! I should have taken a picture, but between all of us we purchased more than 15 plants. It was a crazy sight!

Here are a few of the fun things I got!


I always need another purse...right?


Plants! I got a bunch more I'll show you later...I know you are waiting on the edge of your seat...


My mom bought me this, and I LOVE it! You hang it on the wall, and then you can put picture frames on the shelves. It is for our nursery...someday!


A new plate. I am collecting these "holey" plates (technical term) to do a grouping on a wall. Until then this platter found a home in the kitchen.

And last but not least, if you remember, last May there was a tornado in Canton, and we were there for it. We didn't even know it had happened until it was over. Well, the crazy rain yesterday brought back the memories, but I was glad to see that this:


had been replaced with this:


Last year, within an hour of the tornado someone had cut up pieces of the tree and started to sell it. I am guessing that some of those lucky buyers are now wondering why exactly they have a piece of wood in the back of their closets...