Family fun Saturday!! :)

What a nice way to spend a Saturday! Chloe, Kylee, and I played hot potato (a fav!). Deacan had fun wrestling and rough housing with Uncle Murf while we were doing more civilized (female) activities. haha!! We also played a little Hang Man before venturing outside for a fun game of kick ball-- lots of fun!! I was the resident pitcher (thanx, knees!). The ball got kicked over the fence a few times (always fun sneaking into the neighbor's yard- haha). I almost got blasted in the head with a kick from Uncle Murf (thanx, ducking skills- although I did attempt to catch it before I came to my senses!). The next kick nailed Deacan in the behind as he was digging up worms. Too funny!! I was actually crying from laughter at this point! Chloe and Kylee are both awesome kickers, too.
Afterwards, we went out to eat a yummy meal followed by TCBY (Yogurt Mountain style now). We all got a kick out of Deacan saying "real crab?" when I ordered his crab cakes. My, he is a quite a foodie for his wee age!! :)
We capped off the day with fun on the bikes, a heart to heart with Chloe, and a cartwheel/ flipping extravaganza. I wish every day was a Saturday. :)

Crawfish Festival 2012

Lots of fun today at Crawfish Festival! Ate a few mud bugs, listened to a bit of music, and had fun people-watching. Note to self: next year hit the Butcher Shop burger stand a little earlier:). It was nice spending time with my FABULOUS aunt Natilee, too. :)

Egg*cellent Easter dinner w/ Family:)

Enjoying Easter with our family was so wonderful!! I do regret not taking pics of Aunt Nana and Grandmother Betty, though. :( I got so busy with the hustle and bustle, the photo ops were lost along the way. My apologies to you both! We are so grateful you both were here and please do not feel forgotten in this post. MUCH LOVE!!!!

We had a the family traditional meal of ham, potato salad, mac salad, bbq baked beans (with ground chuck), pistachio salad, corn, rolls, and of course, the bunny cake:) Thank you to Murf 4 making the yummy beans, Betty for the ham, Pops for the turkey, Natilee for the chardonnay:)

Deacan hid eggs for the grown-ups.. We are still missing the yellow egg. Guess we shall start to smell it soon! Haha:)
Here are a few Easter family shots we took:

And here is my handsome little man in his suit:

It was so nice to come together as a family and celebrate the gift Jesus has given us. A prayer was said, a communitive effort of great food was enjoyed, and spending time with our loved ones was appreciated. Most importantly, knowing that Christ died on the cross for our sins and as believers, we will forever be together- lightened my heart. What a beautiful ending to such a sad beginning...

Apology for my lack of Posts

I must apologize for my lack of posts. This is mainly due to the breakage of my digital camera (thanks, Deacan!!). I will post a tutorial on how to make various types of earrings soon (including a bit wild peacock feather ones along with a pair of sweet, simple ones). In the meantime, pick some daffodils for your table. Better yet, cut off a branch of a cherry blossom tree and "force" it in a basic vase. Soooooo refreshingly spring!! Much love!!!! :)

January's Bucket List

Yes, Deacan's bucket is quite full in this photo. Yes, he poured it out somewhere only to fill it once again. I hope his "bucket" is continuously filled throughout his precious life on this Earth. In the meantime, Mommy has a "bucket" also. I am creating this list in hopes to get a better grasp (and perhaps actually do) the things on my Bucket List, so to speak. Some things are small; others are vast. God willing, I will be blessed to accomplish them all!! I hope to report back with a few things to cross off the ole' "bucket list" and have so much fun doing it all along the way.. :)

***Start consistently brushing Deacan's teeth at night.
***Visit New Orleans with Aunt Natilee.
***Take Deacan to St. Louis City Museum.
***Truly reach more children at Hope.
***Finish Mom's memory book.
***Do the Urban Plunge via Hope.
***Finish school/ teach Special Ed.
***Learn how to cook Vietnamese food.
***Visit Hawaii or Jamaica.
***Paint 5 paintings that are somewhat decent.
***Assemble a family reunion (Dad's side).

Okay, so that was pretty easy. I even threw in few "easily done but I probably never would have actually done if it wasn't for this list" ones (hence, the family reunion!). Making this list has inspired me enough to make a few calls tomorrow and maybe, just maybe, I can cross something off my bucket list:)

A Merry Little Cruise*mas!!! So wonderful!!

Oh my goodness-- I have fallen so far behind on this blogging gig!! It is now 2 months later but thank goodness the photos have survived:) We took a holiday cruise with Grandmother Betty to the Western Caribbean-- so much fun!! And a much needed vacation for Mommy. Here are some photos of our Merry Little Cruise*Mas!!

Our ship was the one on the right of this photo, the Carnival Conquest. So much to see and do upon the ship, complete with extravagant decor, show rooms, buffets, and even a casino. Mommy really enjoyed her spa day:) We all loved the water slide and hot tubs:) The comedy show was also a lot of fun-- although one guest thought Deacan's hysterical laughing was even funnier than the act!! :)

Our first port was Costa Maya, Mexico. Deacan went to "Camp Carnival" that day. Grandma tried to learn the layout of the ship. Momma went shopping for Christmas gifts, enjoyed a rita on the beach, and caught her breath for a moment. :)

You better Belize it!!
Mommy went snorkeling while in Belize, complete with a rum boat party and a beach trip to Barrister Island. Kayaking the Caribbean solo is definitely a high light of her entire life-- such a powerful awareness of self, strength, and courage. God's beauty also not unnoticed:)

"It's fun to stay at the YYYY-M-C-AAAAAAAAA !!!!"

Okay, now that Mommy has had her fun, let's take a trip to Cozumel. We went to Chankanaab Nature Park. Deacan loved crabbing with a friend, Madelyn. He also became quite fond of a found coconut, carrying it and burying it over the course of about 3 hours:) We all enjoyed drinks served in fresh coconuts-- so yummy and festive!!:)

Denote the gigantic floaties Deacan is wearing!! I entered a Mexican drug store and asked if they had floaties. The employee looked at me as if I was insane for asking such a question. That is when I noticed all of the Viagra, Xanax, etc amongst the store. Oh, this is a DRUG store!! How silly of me to think you would have other items. Stupid American!! :) I ended up finding a pair in a souvenir shop..

We definitely had a "merry little Cuise*mas"!! On the train ride home (Christmas Eve) we had fun playing a "name that Christmas drawing" game and eating lots of potatoes (the dinner cart was out of pretty much every thing else, other than chicken tenders).. We were able to get a big laugh out of our "potato feast"! hahaha We were all happy to arrive in Memphis but we all can't wait to take another vacation!! :)

Deacan and Santa Claus 2011

Deacan ran into Santa at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in New Orleans!

He was the first one to sit in his lap after the Holiday Show on the Carnival Conquest ship. He was an adorable (and sleepy) reindeer on stage:)

That Santa sure does boogie all around the world!! He later brought Deacan everything on his list (a helicopter, a ship, and a puzzle-- along with a few extras). That Deacan is a very good boy!! :)