My Dearest Tori,

It is amazing to think that you have been with us for four years already. Four years of beautiful moments, funny sayings, the best hugs, and lots and lots of kisses. After having gone through not one but two labors with you, I was sure that you would be one who would take her time and do things at her own pace. To some extent I was right, but boy do you know how to make an entrance. Then, as you do now, you enter ready to play and explore with a smile and a twinkle in your eye. You, my little one, are the bright star in our home. You have such a beautiful heart and easy demeanor that everyone around you just smiles when you are near. Being the little one in the family, you have definitely perfected your "baby" title and definitely use it to your advantage. You are so lucky that your sister is such a "big sister" and picks up your messes, protects you and inevitable lets you play the "baby" whenever you play. You know how to use your little rolled lip pout to just melt those around you and get what you want. That's our Tori. You want to be big, but just a little bit.

These last four years have been some of the best of my life, and being your mommy is one of the greatest things I've ever done. It is amazing that even though I am your mommy and it is my job to lift you up when you fall, you my little one, lift me up when I am down as well. A simple smile, hug or kiss from you seems to make it all better and the things that may preoccupy my thoughts suddenly don't seem like such a big deal. Instead, I choose to listen from around the corner to you play pretend, or talk to your sister about whatever you are playing, or simply sing your favorite Mermaid songs. I know that I must take a mental snapshot of these moments because all too soon you will be off, all grown and no longer my little four year old baby.

I love you my Tori, and we are so proud to be your parents.

happy birthday!!!

With all my heart and love,
Mama

so my mom has been in town this week and Marie and i have been sharing her. i'm sure my poor mom feels like a hobo going back and forth from house to house with a change of clothes in her little carry on bag. The girls, of course, are quick to ask why Memaw isn't staying with us today, and why she keeps going back and forth. Tori insists that Memaw is "taking for longer" (a.k.a. is taking to long) to come back to our house. we have been having all girl lunches all week and have eaten some yummy food. We went to Which Wich, which by the way, if you haven't been there it is FABULOUS!!! you will never eat Subway or Quiznos again. fortunately they are building more in the area so they won't be so far to get to. we also ate at La Hacienda Ranch and had some yummy flautitas. a little taste of home. when we came out the girls spotted the required horses at the entrance and as a result "needed" to have a ride. this, I have to admit, was $1.00 well spent. those rides lasted forever, and they were well entertained for a while. i kept thinking to myself, if these ponies were all over the place, we would have some good, cheap entertainment. It is amazing how the smallest of things can still entertain my little ones. Thank goodness.


In other news, we took in a movie while my mom was in town. yes, alex and i actually had a movie night, unfortunately the movie we chose was a let down. we went to see Ocean's Thirteen, and I am totally bummed that it wasn't a better flick. I loved, loved, loved the first one and really hoped that this one would be a better one than the second one, which sucked. Well it was to be. Just to paint a picture, i literally fell asleep for about 5 minutes during the movie. enough said.

okay, i am off to work on some more projects. i'll post some pics of the creations later.

have a good day.
*ciao*

so a little while ago Tori walks in and asks me, "Mama, what do you think I should write in my diarrhea today???" WHAT??? what she meant was her "diary"... her special purple "diary" that she got from her birthday party. so funny...

Hope that gave you a chuckle. have a good day.

*ciao*

i have a bazillion projects that i am trying to finish. paint, paint, paint, crafts, crafts, crafts. went fabric shopping with my friend Pippin yesterday for her girls rooms. I love putting fabrics together. i found the yummiest fabric for my powder bathroom. i had seen it before and for some reason never thought about it for the bathroom. can't wait to put it up. i'll post pictures. today, i am off to finish my room... FINALLY. it will be nice to have things finished up before starting a new project. after that, which means in a couple of weeks, is the kitchen cabinets.

mom is coming in this weekend for tori's bday, and will be here for a week. so excited. it will be good to have her here especially since alex will be out a few days next week. he is off to Dover, DE to be wined and dined. the word is that they want him for that sector, which would mean a move. I really hope not. we totally support him and would move if we needed to, but he honestly doesn't want to and it would have to be a PHENOMINAL offer to make us leave our home and house. in my gutt, i feel like nothing will become of it, but you never know. wait and see and leave it in God's hands.

okay, i'm off to paint. have a great day.

*ciao*

we celebrated our 10 year anniversary this week... wow 10 years!!! it's amazing how fast time flies. alex got off early so we could go have a yummy dinner at our favorite restaurant Banana Leaf.
It is seriously the best Thai food ever. Our favorites are the cream cheese rolls and Crunchy spring rolls. mmmmm, my mouth waters just thinking about it. it was great and the girls really enjoy it too. they are getting way to spoiled. bella will ask me," Mom can we go eat at Banana Leaf or Pei Wei?" What happened to McD's and Chick fil a???

anyway, here is a pic of our anniversary outing.

It finally stopped raining here, and it is freaking hot and humid. lots of mosquitos also. OFF is my new best friend. I don't even want to step outside cause those little suckers just buzz on in. poor tori has taken the brunt of their bites too. she has such sensitive skin that a bite turns into this huge bump. hopefully it is cooler where you are...

Okay, off to bathe the girls. have a good evening.
*ciao*

about the new template??? the new banner??? i have been way creative the past couple of days. i like it, i like it!!!

*ciao*