Burlap heart

A friend asked me to make something for her to hang on her door during February.  This burlap heart is what I came up with.

I must say, I love how it came out.  I believe I'll be making a few more of these (they are super easy).  Happy Valentines day and thanks for stopping by!

collecting seashells and fond memories

This is Kate.  Oh, and me, of course.  Kate and I met in high school.  Well, technically I was in jr high school.  See how I'm WAY younger ;)

If only we'd had digital cameras back then, I would now subject you to hundreds of photos of us eating cookie dough shopping for weird clothes at thrift stores and driving around in her pink Dodge Neon giggling and chasing boys.  (Usually her latest love interest, perhaps occasionally mine)

I was there when she got her drivers license.  She was there when I got accepted to college.  We've been on dozens of road trips, church retreats, and we celebrated each others graduations and weddings. 

Kate was there the day I had my first child.  It was that day that she told me that in 9 months we'd have another birth to celebrate.  Here are our oldest together on the beach.

Hannah and Andy age 7 & 8

When Andy was 3 Kate called me with the news that Hannah would be a big sister soon.  I cried tears of joy and tears of jealousy.  Dave and I had been trying for a second child for 2 long years.  4 weeks later I called her back crying hysterically and shouting about yet another baby to celebrate.

Rick Allen and Zadie both 4 1/2 

I can't believe the blessings that have come to us both.  Here are our now 6 precious children all together.

Rosie and Emma Harper join the fun

I think about us in high school.  We had such different visions for our lives; I don't think I could ever have pictured us here.  It's so strange to know that these 6 beautiful people didn't even exist back then.

Things may not have turned out just the way we planned, but I know one thing for sure.  We changed the world.

Off to see the Wizard!

I have been waiting (and waiting.... and waiting) to post these photos until I have the time and energy to  work on them in photoshop because, well, they're not the best.  But Dave keeps going out of town and the dog keeps pooping on the floor and I keep getting more tired and more cranky and less interested in doing anything but eating chocolate and glaring at the dog once the kids are in bed, so here it is, The Wizard of Oz, presented by the children of Tallassee and Missoula Children's Theater.

Andy was cast as a flying monkey.  Type casting if you ask me :)  Here he is with his fellow minions posing for a picture after the show.  Yup, he's the goofy one on the bottom row, second from the right.

The Messoula children's theater comes for one week each year.  In five days they hold tryouts, run rehearsals and perform the show.  It really is remarkable what the kids accomplish in just one week.

Our talented friend Sarah played the part of the wicked witch.

Happy after the show

Andy's buddy Becca made a ferocious cowardly lion and Jillian made a very sweet Dorothy.

 I love that Andy has so much fun with all he does.  Next up, baseball season.  Hopefully we'll have the dog potty trained by then!