Happy Birthday Arizona, have some chocolate!

I typically don't celebrate Valentine's Day, but last year I realized that it doesn't just have to be a made up Hallmark and Hershey holiday (nice alliteration, right?).  I decided to make it really fun and special for the kids.  I was up late making preparations, so it felt oddly like Christmas.

Idea number one was chocolate covered strawberries.  I do a dinner exchange with two other families in my neighborhood, I cook for them on Tuesdays, and then one of them brings our family dinner on Wednesday and Thursday, two less nights a week that I have to cook.  Since my night fell on the holiday this year, I decided to have a little fun with it!  We're having heart shaped meatloaf, strawberry and spinach salad, and chocolate covered strawberries.  I made enough for all three families, leaving plenty for my kids.  I spent a couple hours on the project, and I can't wait to sink my teeth into the first one later today!

After dinner and F.H.E. (and Grace watching Mary Poppins for the first time, epic), we put the kids to bed and got started on project number 2.  Austin helped me cut out paper hearts of different sizes and colors, and then we wrote the things that we love about our kids on each one and taped them up on the walls in their bedrooms.  Thanks again to Pinterest for the idea!  (My life revolves around this website, seriously).  They were excited to see their wall valentine's when they woke up this morning.

Still didn't go to bed.  Next we prepared the breakfast table so it would be decorated with their special valentine's when they got up for school, even if they woke up before we did.  They got a "bouquet" of heart suckers, a tiny pail of jelly beans, and a box of chocolates.  Yes, I'm pumping my kids full of sugar and I will definitely complain about their behavior later.  I did it to myself, I know, I know.

And most important of all is my funny Valentine.  Really, he's very funny, he tries to make me laugh every day.  I decided to buy him a gift that would make him (and me) laugh, every time he wore it.

Yea, if you watch the Office, this is HILARIOUS!  

Even if you don't watch The Office, this is pretty cute.

Austin surprised me with roses this morning, and 

a beautiful poem which he published on Facebook.

From Austin:

‎Jill, I love you...

Because you love me the best,

Especially when I'm not at mine.

Specifically when I've had a hard day,

Time is what I like to give and to get.

For me, God created someone very special

Required to help me grow and develop.

I admire the way you keep persevering,

Even though, sometimes, I know you'd prefer just to quit.

Now is the time to remind you I love you.

Definitely, Jill, you are my best friend. 

Happy Valentine's Day to my best friend of...a lot of years.

I sure do love this man!

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

And Happy 100th birthday to my favorite State!

.

Are you kidding me?!

This week I bought this movie:  (yes, I'm 36 years old, a grown-up, and sometimes I read vampire books and watch vampire movies.  This does not reduce my IQ in any way, as some people have insinuated).

Unfortunately, this movie came with this really STUPID fabric poster, 

as if I'm really going to hang it up on my wall.  Really?  A fabric poster?

Sooo... Austin and I decided to keep it.  We thought it would be funny to use it for practical jokes.  Last night, it was my lap blanket and it kept me warm and fuzzy while I was reading "These is my Words" (incredible book, by the way, and NOT about vampires).

Austin was the first one to use it as a joke.  He had early morning Sunday meetings today and he left before I woke up.  One of the girls came in and got me up some time later, while Austin was still gone, and asked me, "Mom, is there someone sleeping by you?" 

Huh?!?!

Well played, Austin.  Well played.  

Since it's fabric, maybe I'll sew it into a dress

and make him take me out to dinner wearing it.

I don't know, I'll think of something.

This is going to be fun :)

Valentine tradition

Every year my visiting teacher, Susan, takes my kids to her home for the afternoon to bake, frost, and decorate sugar cookies.  She's done this for at least six years, because she came and picked up Ember & Ben when Grace was born for some cookie making, to give the new Mama a little break.  She took the kids the following year when I was in the hospital for a week with complications from Crohn's disease, and she's pretty much made this a tradition ever since.  My kids really look forward to it, and I had a quiet afternoon to myself!

I needed the relaxation time, since my BFF Emily talked me into waking up at 6:30 and going for a hike at South Mountain.  We'll talk about that BFF status tomorrow, when my body hurts everywhere.  My butt already hurts today!  I had a blast, and we've made plans to hike every Saturday, for the great exercise and great company.  I'm fun to hang out with, right Emily?  Right?!

So here's the photos from today's new adventures and old traditions.

hummingbirds are really pretty, but they have the 

ugliest birdsong I've ever heard.  

This poor cactus made me sad, the top half was healthy, but the bottom half is more than half rotted away from animals making homes in it, among other things.  This isn't a very pretty picture, but I do love the desert and I love the Arizona landscape.

Grace is the only one who stuck with the project to the very end, Susan said that Ember & Ben got a little bored and wandered off to watch TV.  For that, perhaps Grace will get to consume one extra cookie!

Pompom rainbow tutu's!

Follow this link to my sister-in-laws blog (she's so adorable, and an awesome photographer).  She uploaded a bunch of pictures of her daughter's and her niece's double rainbow birthday party, which includes shots of the rainbow tutu's my friend and I made for them.  I saw this picture on Pinterest, and decided I had to copy it for my sweet nieces.  They turned out perfect, and the girls looked adorable!  Happy birthday Adria & Valette!

School Parties

I helped out with the kids class parties today at school, and took a few photos while I was there.  I forgot the pull the camera out in Ember's class because I was busy scooping the ice cream, and my hands were sticky, sorry Ember!  But her homemade valentine was the hit of the class, kids in other rooms heard about how cool it was and asked to see it at recess.  Awesome!

Ben's class played the donut on a string game, and he did great!  He competed next to his best friend Henry, who won the game.  But everybody wins, because they all got to eat donuts!

Grace was really proud of her Valentine bag she made, and the best gift she received all day?  Pencil and paper.  That's my artist!

Also?  I have the cutest cubscout in the world.

(sorry about the crappy lighting)

Pinterest Valentines

I finished making the kids Valentine's to pass out during their class parties tomorrow.  I'm a procrastinator, but they turned out fabulous if I do say so myself!  Thank you to Pinterest for the idea!  And I took these pictures using my brand new camera, which I saved and saved for and paid cash.  Just a side note, I'm patting myself on the back :)  It's just a small Fuji FinePix F500EXR, something to fit in my purse so I don't have to carry my bulky camera around on family outings, and so I don't have to rely on my unreliable camera phone.  Yay!

We now return you to your regularly scheduled blog post:

Happy Valentine's Day from the Lawlor kids!!

...of the people, by the people, for the people...

All my kids are in the Franklin school system, and every grading period (six weeks) they are required to memorize and recite a poem in front of the class.  Grace started this in Kindergarten, with easier poems, and Ember is still doing it in sixth grade, with increased difficulty.  This most recent grading period her class was asked to memorize Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address... the whole thing.  Ember saw the length of it and was overwhelmed, but she got to work without complaint.  We had several discussions about the words she was learning, what they meant, and why they're still relevant today.  Today was the day she was assigned to pass it off in class.  She went to school armed with hours of study, a blessing from her Dad and prayers from her family, and she NAILED IT!  I am one proud Mama!  I asked her to recite it just one more time, so I could capture it on film and share it with the entire internet :)

Goofy Golfing!

We took the kids to Golfland tonight for their first ever round of goofy golf, or miniature golf.  They did so great, and we had so much fun!  Nobody used their golf clubs as swords or baseball bats, no one fell in the water, and no one got in a fight!  And best of all, Mom won!  Ok, that wasn't the BEST part, but it was a bonus for sure.

 Gracie, you're holding it wrong!  :)

I SCREAM

Starting with verse 2, then the chorus, this is ME.
My song.  This is what I do.  I scream.

My latest review on www.Goodreads.com

Must read!!  There are three in all, the series is called "Sisters of the Quilt."  I just finished book 1, and I can't wait to start reading book 2!  Click on the links below to read my full review.
When the Heart Cries by Cindy Woodsmall
My rating: 5 of 5 stars




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