What A Jokester....

Last week my boss and I catered lunch in to a very important client of mine...

...I ordered lunch from Panera Bread.  My boss gave me a $100 bill to use to pay for the lunch with the instructions of "bring me back the change and the receipt...."

I paid for the lunch, $60 (even, that NEVER happens) and I was given $40 in change along with the receipt.  I carried the lunch to my car and I remember thinking that I would place the $40 with the receipt in one of the Panera bags so I would remember to give my boss his change (and the receipt).

Fast forward to the next day...

....after a VERY long (but fun) quarterly sales meeting ALL day, the sales team along with our boss went to Prison Brews (local restaurant) for some appetizers and a game of boccie ball (it ended up raining so we didn't get to play).  Sitting on the (covered) patio at the restaurant, my boss reminded me that I owe him the change and the receipt from the business lunch the day before...

...PANIC!!!

....OMGosh....THE MONEY AND THE RECEIPT ARE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BAG...

....THE BAG IS IN THE TRASH!!!

I grabbed my cell phone and quickly dialed my clients number, I (hysterically) explained the situation to my client and asked her if the trash was (by chance) still where she could grab the money (and the receipt) out of the bag....

....no such luck...the trash had been dumped and picked up earlier that day!

Guess what?....I still owed my boss the change...he was VERY kind and forgiving and said he would handle the receipt part, meaning I wouldn't have to owe him the ENTIRE $100, and I could just pay him the change ($40).  Frustrated and upset, I handed my boss $40 out of my own money (this is a BIG deal you guys...$40 is A LOT of money to me)!

That night I was laying in my bed, saying my prayers, and I whispered...

"Please God, if you could somehow make the $40 and the receipt appear....

.....I'll place the $40 in the collection plate at church on Sunday...."

The very next morning I drove through McDonald's to get a mocha coffee....my total was $1.13

....I pulled up to the drive through window and unzipped my coin purse to pull out .13 cents....

....Low and behold, $40 cash AND a Panera Bread receipt were folded neatly inside my coin purse!

Rather than put the change in the bottom of the Panera bag, I decided to put the money somewhere safe!!

YAY!!!!  I FOUND THE MONEY...

.....BAM!

....Oooooooooooohhhhhhhhh....I have to put the money in the collection plate on Sunday....

.....God is SO funny!  :)

Amen!

This little girl reminded me of what an AWESOME God we serve! 

The video is a little long, but stick with it...it is WELL worth the time!  :)

BirthVerse...

I found this really cool website...a team of people spent hours researching the Bible, correlating chapters and verses with its month and day to create a "birthverse" for everyone!

Cool, right?

My birthverse is Philippians 4:6 (4:6 = April 6)

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

What is your birthverse?

Textually Active...

Listen...

....if you are going to have text with other people, then you must follow the rules:

1.  Do not text while driving - very dangerous
2.  Do not text during dinner or while talking with friends - very rude
3.  Do not text while on the toilet - very unsanitary

...bad things can happen when you break the rules.

For example, this afternoon hottie husband and I had text (he later confessed to having text with me while he was driving):

Hottie Husband's text:  "Carroll Rehma is going to pick the car up tomorrow and they may need to keep it for a few days."

My return text:  "If that's the case, what will you do for a car?"

Hottie Husband's text reply (read carefully):  "They said they would give me a boner car"

My return text:  "That's sick, absolutely disgusting."

I urge you friends...if you are going to be textually active, please text responsibly...

....know what you are texting!

Q & A...Part II

(Continued from "Answer Me This")

Helen asked, "Would you want to go back to your high school at good old JCHS?"

I would LOVE to go back to JCHS!  Home of the JAYBIRDS!!  JAY PRIDE!!  I loved my high school years, LOTS of friends, LOTS of laughs and AWESOME teachers!

Amy asked, "What is your favorite movie, who is your favorite actress and who is your favorite actor?"

My favorite movie is "Moulin Rouge", LOVE LOVE LOVE that movie!  Music is a HUGE part of my life, it feeds my soul...so any movie that is a musical is sure to grab my heart! 

My favorite actress is (currently) Amy Adams.  I heart Amy Adams and think she is a brilliant actress!  I love all of her movies, and if you haven't seen the movie "Sunshine Cleaning", I suggest you rent it...it's GREAT!

My favorite actor is Kevin Spacey, hands down...this NEVER changes.  I LOVE Kevin Spacey...I LOVE every movie he has EVER been in...have you seen "K-Pax"?  No?  GO NOW AND RENT IT!  "Pay It Forward"....LOVE that one too!

Michael asked, "What do you consider to the most valuable thing you own: when you were a child/teenager/now?"

Whoa, this is deep.  I love it.

Okay, most valuable thing I owned when I was a child was a bear (not a teddy bear, she wasn't fuzzy...she may have been cotton or polyester).  My bear was stuffed with cotton, stitched up at least a dozen times by my mother or my grandmother, NEVER left my side and her name was Maggie.  I sucked my pointer finger and my middle finger until I was eight and I would rub Maggie's ear.  That bear went everywhere with me!

The most valuable thing I owned when I was a teenager...hmmmm....I'm guessing this changed on a regular basis....this may shock you, but I am was high maintenance, so I'm guessing my most prized possession in my teenage years was some piece of clothing, like "hot pants" (bahahahahahahha!)

The most valuable thing I own as an adult...family photos and my Christ filled heart!

Linda asked, "Do you have any talents, besides writing?"

Oh Linda...THANK YOU for the sweet compliment!  (Growing up with an English Teacher as a mother helps in the world of creative writing)!

Talents....I can sing.  I took piano and voice lessons for twelve years when I was younger.  I've just recently started singing at my church...slowly getting back into using the gift that God blessed me with.

I am also pretty crafty (as in arts, not evil)!  I love "do it yourself" projects, although I don't have a lot of time to actually take on a project!

I'm an EXCELLENT cleaner!  :)  And yes, I do see that as a talent!

This next question was just emailed to me yesterday...

Lisa asked, "If you won $258 million dollars, what would you do with it?"

I'm going to answer this in two ways...the politically correct way and then the honest way:

PC way - I would invest the money into various accounts that would draw interest.  I would give some of the money to various charities.  I would continue to work and live as if I had never won a dime. 

Honest way - I would have all $258 million dollars spent within three weeks, tops.  Because I suck at finances.

Thank you to all of you that sent questions!

The Kudlow Report...

My father's insight on whether financial regulation is 85% done...

Funny Farm...

We had an EXCELLENT weekend this past week...

...our family was invited to Jeff and Cathy Martin's farm, located exactly an hour from Jefferson City.  Jeff and Cathy are in our Life Link Group through church.  They have two boys and a daughter, and their oldest son is our youngest son's age and the two of them have been besties since kindergarten!  To take the relationship even further....Jeff's parents were my youth directors at the church I attended growing up, but don't ask him to share any stories...(they are ALL about how much trouble I was ALWAYS in)!

So, Saturday morning we packed up the car with fishing poles, coolers, old clothes and shoes and lawn chairs and we set out to the Martin farm....

....we met three other couples from our Life Link group along with the Martin's and it was a day FULL of farm fun!!

Evan Martin and my Benjamin

Hayden (my oldest, in the green) and his best buddy, Cory

Elise Martin and Oliver Sullivan...are they not just the

CUTEST kids?! 

Jackson rides the battery operated 4-wheeler...

not quite ready for the real thing!

Jeff Martin shows hottie husband how to operate the 4-wheeler

Benjamin...my dare devil (this was NOT battery operated)

Elise blows bubbles!

Catching crawdads and tadpoles...

Natalie looks for tadpoles...

This was the FATTEST tadpole I have EVER seen!

Baby Sophia...isn't she cute?!

I LOVED this "wishing" well...

the farm was absolutely GORGEOUS!

Jackson ended the day by a big brave boy, he finally rode the "real thing!"

Thank you Martin family, for a FABULOUS day!!

Q & A...Part I

Whoa!

Yesterday I posted "Answer Me This", an entry granting my readers the opportunity to ask me any question...

This morning my email box was OVERFLOWING with questions!

My original plan was to answer all of the questions on Thursday of this week...

...because I already have several questions, I am going to begin to answer a few in this entry...

...but PLEASE keep asking...you can email me at gigglesandbits@gmail.com or you can leave a comment!

...remember, no topic is off limits!

Becky asked, "What has changed the most for you since becoming a Christian?"

Wow!  What a question!  This was both easy and difficult to answer...easy because there is SO much in my life that has changed since I opened my heart to Christ, difficult to choose what has changed the MOST...

To begin, I have a joy that I didn't have before...it spills over and radiates, and I have a thirst to share Christ with others, as I want EVERYONE to experience what I have and continue to experience in Christ!

I think the biggest change since becoming a Christian is that I have a new purpose in life.  I now live life (or at least try...and TRUST me, I'm not perfect) to serve God.  I try to be aware of my iniquity and more aware of living for His will. 

Certainly my  priorities have changed.  That is HUGE!  Hottie husband and my children and I are ALL different with Christ in our lives.  We pray together, which is AMAZING and we live life together! 

Friends...God has BLESSED me with INCREDIBLE friends!  Not just friends, but spiritual mentors...I feel very loved every single day!

Stephanie asked "If you were an animal, what would you be and why?"

If I were an animal, I would be a rabbit!  Why?  Because they hop (who doesn't like to hop?), they eat (okay, so I would be a carnivore rabbit, because I'm not the carrot and celery type), they are infamous for having LOTS of sex (and who doesn't want that?) and they sleep...WHAT A LIFE!  :)

Bridget asked "What is one goal you’d like to accomplish during your lifetime?"

This was interesting to me...my answer has changed since I've become a Christian....

Whereas before I was a Christian I would have said something like, "I want to finish college" or "I want to retire at an early age"...

I can honestly say that I have a REAL goal of becoming a motivational speaker!  Seriously!  I would LOVE to travel and speak to youth about my "Real. Life. Change."  Have you ever felt like you were drowning, and God was nowhere to be found?  I have, and I have a real passion to share this with others...He offers a peace that goes beyond your sorrow, your strife, your "life storm."  I feel like I can relate to SO many young adults, even teenagers...those that are trying to find their peace from others (by the way, this is something I am still learning...).  It is my passion to see people know Jesus, to walk in His truth, and to find their place in God’s purpose!

Shelly asked "What’s the ideal dream job for you?"

I'm working my dream job....

Listen, it's hard.  Sales is really hard.  It's a roller coaster ride...some days you are up...others you are down, and often it seems there are more downs than there are ups....

What makes my job at Brown Printing my dream job is the people that I work with and the people that employ me.  It makes ALL of the difference in the world when you work for good people!

Lola asked "Tell us about a unique or quirky habit of yours"

This was BY FAR the most difficult question to answer, because sister, I have A LOT of unique/quirky habits!  Here are just a FEW:

*When I set the alarm clock at night I check it five different times, clicking the "on/off" button each time to make sure it is on.  (Yes, I have seen a doctor about this)

*I cannot and will not eat left over food from any meal UNLESS someone else warms it up for me...I cannot see it coming from a Tupperware container or I won't eat it.

*I will not drink water from a tap.  It must be bottled. (oh, now I'm starting to sound spoiled)...

*I vacuum my carpets AND clean my bathrooms EVERY SINGLE NIGHT before bed.

*When starting my day, I MUST start on my right foot....(yeah, I'm even starting to think I'm crazy)


That wraps up session one of "Answer Me This"!  Keep the questions coming!! 

Answer Me This...

Jenny Lee started a "question/answer" post over at her blog home, so I'm going to use her idea and do the same!

Here's how it works...

Ask me a question...

....it can be ANY question...

....no topic is off limits...

....and I'll answer!

Just leave your question in the comments below OR you can email me your questions at gigglesandbits@gmail.com

I will accept questions until Wednesday, April 21st at midnight...

....then I'll answer ALL the questions at once on my Thursday night post!

Sound fun!? 

Ready...

....Set....

Ask away!!

Powerful Reminder...

Have you seen this commercial....

....incredible.

And This Is How It Ended....

Yup.

Remember the dog sized spider, lost in my car?

...I was sitting in the drive-thru at Hawthorn Bank (the first window, not the "tubes"), cashing a check....

...As I waited for the teller to count my cash, I put my car in park and leaned into the backseat to grab a book I was wanting to remember to take back to the office...

...as I was reaching back around to the front, something caught my eye...

(um, yeah...it wasn't that sweet)

There it was!  That dog sized spider was on the console of my car...INCHES AWAY FROM ME!

So I acted naturally...

....I SCREAMED BLOODY MURDER and then VIOLENTLY SHOVED my car door open, SLAMMING it into the brick wall of the drive-thru....still not really aware of my surroundings, I tried to JUMP out of my car and ended up SLAPPING my face into the drive-thru window...

....all the while the tellers are standing behind the glass (safely, mind you) looking at me like I had just seen a ghost...

....WELL GUESS WHAT?!?  IT'S WORSE....I SAW A SPIDER!!!!

And do you know what happened!?!?!!?!?!?!

By the time I could turn around and try to swat at that dog sized spider....

.....it was gone!!  Back in my car....somewhere....

....waiting for round two!

And after ALL of that....all I got was a dumb-dumb sucker from the teller....

....do you think she was hinting at something?

The Itsy Bitsy Spider....

Correction, it is NOT an itsy bitsy spider...

...it's a HUGE, hairy, black spider....

...like the size of a dog.

And it's somewhere in my car!

Yesterday I left the windows down on my car, the weather has been amazingly gorgeous the past several days, so why not?

When I got into my car I saw the spider on the passenger side window, I immediately swatted at it (with my cell phone) and rather than hitting it I simply scared it and it JUMPED onto the floor board and scurried under the passenger side seat....

Now it's day two and I STILL haven't found it...

....I'm sure it's spun a web and had a million babies by now...

I can see it now, on the front page of the News Tribune...

"Local "Giggle" Girl Runs Off Road, Big Hairy Spider Attacks Her"

PS...I am NOT giggling.

Mission Unflabable...

Ladies and Gentlemen....

....I present to you a new blog...

...not just any blog...

....THE blog!

Fellow blogger friend Natalie and I have embarked on a new mission...

....Mission Unflabable.

Together we will track our weight loss success (or perhaps lack thereof) on a duo blog...

...check it out...

....become a follower...

....cheer us on...

http://missionunflabable.blogspot.com/

....you won't want to miss out on this, trust me!

Whatever...

Today my church hosted a girls conference for ages 5th grade through 7th grade.  There was a guest speaker, several sessions covering health and beauty, fitness and nutrition, "the facts of life" and "what's the big deal about boys?"...

at the end of the day there was a fashion show demonstrating how to dress modestly...

Linda Brinkman (I think Linda has gotten more shout outs on my blog in the past few days than any family member or other friend of mine has the entire time I've been blogging) is who co-ordinates the girls conference and she puts a TON of work into the event...

...earlier in the week Linda asked me if I would give a ten minute talk to the girls about dressing modestly....

...I was really excited that she asked me, so I shared with my boss...

Me:  "Guess what?!  Linda asked me to talk to the girls at the conference on Saturday about dressing modestly!  Isn't that cool?"

....his reply:

Boss:  "You know, generally when people think you could learn from something, they have you make a presentation about it to your peers...I'm just sayin'"

Um, whatever.  He's just jealous because I'm a fashionista.

Sex And The City: Uncovered...

Confession:  I am a "Sex in the City" FANATIC!  I love ALL things "Sex in the City"...hottie husband bought me the ENTIRE "Sex in the City" DVD SERIES BOX SET two years ago.  I own the "Sex in the City" movie. I have "Sex in the City" Christmas ornaments for my tree, I have a "Sex in the City" tee-shirt, "Sex in the City" notebooks, pens, stationary....I even had the ring tone on my cell phone at one time!

Question...

...is it bad for me as a Christian to like such a show?

Answer...

...of course not. 

BUT...

...it is IMPORTANT for me to know that the "Sex in the City" lifestyle is NOT what Christ would approve.  The "Sex in the City" lifestyle is NOT how Christ wants me to live my life...

...and from the age of nineteen through a little over a year ago, "Sex in the City" could very well have been my life story.

Last night on the Mizzou campus in Columbia, Missouri THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY college girls (I'm talking cute, spunky, sorority girls) sauntered into a lecture hall and focused for two hours on the story of speaker/author Marian Jordan as she unfolded the Truth...

...a bit of background...

My new bestie Linda Brinkman (we attend church together), along with her son and a friend of her son's (who happens to be a girl in a sorority) geared up with Greek 12:20 to bring Marian Jordan to the Mizzou campus and reach out to the college women...

What is Greek 12:20?  Well...

Greek 12:20 was started from a small co-ed bible study between the men of Beta Theta Pi and the women of Kappa Kappa Gamma in the Fall 2006 semester. From that small group, Teal Twaddle (Beta Theta Pi) and Kyle Kilroy (Kappa Kappa Gamma AND Linda Brinkman's son's friend...follow that?) realized that there was a present desire for Christian community within the Greek system that wasn’t being currently addressed through any formal organization. Recognizing the need for a spiritual outlet in their own Greek lives, the two decided this concept should be expanded beyond their own chapters. Thus, Greek 12:20 was formed to shed light on the core needs and desires of the Greek system as a whole. The name, Greek 12:20, derives from 1 Corinthians 12:20 (“As it is, there are many parts, but one body.”), which highlights their core value: to unite students from all Greek chapters under a pursuit to develop in the Christian walk.

...cool, huh?

Okay back to the story...

....SO, Linda invited me to the event and asked if I would help out beforehand, setting up tables and tying up loose ends....

When we arrived on campus last night Linda started unpacking all these incredible crafts she had hand created for each girl in attendance to take home...things like bookmarks with Bible versus, little bags of candy....there was Central Dairy ice cream served, door prizes galore...it was INCREDIBLE!

Admittedly, as we were setting up and I realized how much work Linda had put into this event I felt terrible, silently thinking it would be amazing if even twenty girls showed up...I'm going to be brutally honest here...my thought process was this...

"Honestly, how many college 'sorority' girls are going to come and listen to a 'Christian' speaker?"

How many would you guess?  Would you have had the same thought process?  Honestly...

Here we are, contributing our energy and our time setting ourselves up for failure...

*sound of record screeching"

....Until I looked up, minutes before the event was to start, and the lobby is SEETHING with young college girls!!

I. could. NOT. believe. my. eyes!

THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY girls charged the lecture hall and soaked in God's Truth...

About the speaker...Marian Jordan..."Fun, loud, colorful, cyclical, lonely and trashed...Her transparent account of the lure of fashion, sex, booze, and approval chronicle the dilemma of every girl in today's society.

Marian's powerful testimony of coming to brokenness and emptiness and her dynamic account of the gentle mercy and forceful grace of Christ who called her into his arms permeate all of her writings and speaking engagements. Whole in Christ and ready to tell any ear that will listen, Marian has a passion for young women who flock to the parade of emptiness."
 
As I sat and listened to Marian's story, I thought she could be talking about me....her sharp observation of the party years was all too familiar...
 
....and as I looked around at the young girls I sat with, I could see Marian's story resonated with them as well...
 
Marian incorporates clips from the television show "Sex and the City" and uses the questions and longings of the characters to teach Biblical principles. Her teachings are relevant and powerful for both Christians and non-Christians...
 
....but this is where the miracle begins....
 
After two hours of hearing Marian's testimony, NINETY-FIVE, beautiful young women stepped forward and turned their lives over to Christ!!
 

Three hundred and fifty girls heard the story of redemption for the first time while others were finding hope in the midst of pain for the first time....

 

...and NINETY-FIVE women crossed that bridge and opened their hearts to the Hope and Peace that is found in Christ!

 

And that my friends, is the beauty of sharing Christ...

 

"For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." 2 Corinthians 4:6

 

 

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words....

Oh, this is going to be F-U-N!!

Over the weekend I did some "Spring" cleaning (I'm going to be really honest with you and confess that there is no such thing as "Spring" cleaning in my house.  My house is immaculate all the time, thanks to OCD.  So when I claim that I have been "Spring" cleaning, what I really mean is I was bored and reorganized my closets, drawers, shelves and storage boxes...sick, isn't it?)

While I was "Spring" cleaning, I came across some old (and some not so old) photos....

....hold on to your hats folks, some of these will make you pee your pants with laughter.  I'm just sayin'...

That's me...I was a witch for Halloween. 

That's my popo, he and my gramma owned a men's clothing

store in downtown Jefferson City called "Czarlinsky's" (that was their last name).

This is me and my baby brother, I was five years old when he was born.  Check out that couch...classy!

Same people...different room, um...I'm not sure which is worse, the wallpaper or my pajama's??

Are you peeing your pants yet?....

Listen, I was the next Shirley Temple...

Funny, hottie husband always says I have a phone to my ear...

See, I was Wonder Woman back then too....

*check out the boots....meow!

This is me on my birthday...looks like the party was at McDonald's.

Fashion Diva...yeah, baby!

Double trouble...seriously.

6 Years Old!

This is me...I nannied for two families that took me to

Florida with them for a two week family vacation...well, vacation for

them...as you can see by the frown on my face, I was ready to

throw some children to the fish!

Yep, I had three dates to my Senior prom.

Long story.

The guy I am standing arm in arm with is who I really liked...

See the guy on the left...he's such a goof. 

We got along great!  :)

I loved those shorts.

Good Lord, I look at this picture

and think, "Who is that?"

Oh yeah, that's me...prior to three HEFTY children!

Senior picture. 

True story:  Once I had some women that I work with over to the house,

and one of the ladies was admiring all my pictures.  She came across this

senior picture of me and said, "Betsy, who is this beautiful girl?"

I replied, "that's me!" This was her response...

"Noooooooooooo!"

Yes, it really is me.  Shocking, isn't it?

William Woods College (it was all girls when I attended)

That is me in the middle standing with my suite mates.

(Those were the days that I could still wear horizontal stripes)

William Woods College, Delta Gamma Formal...

William Woods College, me and my roommate

Yes, that's the Delta Gamma sign...

Delta Gamma, that's what I amma.  ;)

Hayden, Benjamin & Jackson...about five years ago!

So much fun to look back!! Wouldn't you agree?!

Happy Birthday To Me & Giveaway Winner!!

Today I am thirty-six!

...only four more years to the big 4-0!!  (shudder)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

And now...

...the moment you all have been waiting for....

The winner of the "Who Are You?" giveaway...

Roxanne, that's YOU!!

Here is Roxanne's introduction...

Roxanne said...



I came across your blog while reading the Mayor's Blog last year. I enjoy reading it and I passed the link on to several others who I thought would love your blog just as much as I do. I am in JC MO.


March 31, 2010 10:57 AM
 
Okay Roxanne, I need you to email me your mailing address so I can send you your fabulous prize!  You can email me at gigglesandbits@gmail.com! 
 
I will post a photo of Roxanne's sassy prize after I've put it in the mail...

**Look for another post later tonight....

"With Mirth And Laughter Let Old Wrinkles Come..."

Tomorrow is my birthday....

....thirty-six!

Good Lord, am I really thirty-six?

In honor of my birthday here are a few of  my very favorite birthday memories...

Birthday #1:  okay, so I don't remember my first birthday, but I do have an original invitation that my mother hand made for my first birthday party.  She cut and pasted tiny shapes to create the image of a little girl wearing a bonnet and on the back of each card she hand wrote a poem...

"Join us for some birthday fun,

Ellyn Elizabeth is turning One!"

I have pictures of me opening my presents (well, me sitting in my father's lap and he is opening my gifts for me) and me sitting in my high chair eating a piece of cake!  All my aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents were at my 1st birthday party!

Birthday #8:  I remember this birthday because it was the first birthday after my parents were divorced, so I had two birthday celebrations (one with my mom and one with my father).  I also remember this birthday because my best friend, Lana, was not able to attend my party because she was in the hospital sick from leukemia, she died the day after her 8th birthday, in August...I remember her 8th birthday too, we had a small party in the hospital and I gave her a stuffed animal.  I specifically remember laying in my bed the next morning and hearing the phone ring very early (the sun hadn't even come up yet) and I remember having the thought process of the phone ringing that early must mean that Lana had died.  My mother came into my bedroom and sat on the edge of my bed and rubbed my back as I cried myself to sleep.

Birthday #9: This birthday is significant because it was four days after my mother remarried my now step-father.  They were on their honeymoon in Hawaii and I was home with my new grandma (my step-dad's mother) and my little brother.  My mother and my step-dad called me to wish me a happy birthday from Hawaii and I thought that was the coolest thing EVER!

Birthday #13:  This was HUGE!  I got my ears pierced!  I thought I was the cat's pajama's!  :)

Birthday #16:  My sweet sixteen....my most memorable birthday, but not for the typical "Sweet 16" reasons.  Four days before my 16th birthday my mother gave birth to my youngest sister.  Tiny, sweet, Brendan...born with a hole in her heart, a broken collar bone, a collapsed lung and foot and leg deformities.  She was life flighted to the University Medical Center in Columbia, MO.  My parents were told that the chances of her survival were very small.  My grandmother (my mother's mother) was caring for my sister, my brother and me at home.  I remember spending countless hours on the phone with my boyfriend, crying and scared that my baby sister would not live.  My mother and father didn't sleep for days, the day of my birthday the doctors told my parents to go home for a few hours and shower and rest, they would call if anything changed.  My mother sat in the front room, starring out the window, silently crying....meanwhile, my grandmother was in the kitchen cooking up some of my favorite foods (boiled shrimp, potato salad and cheesecake) for a birthday celebration. 

....a little over a month later my baby sister came home!  God healed her in BIG ways!!  Baby Brendan turned twenty years old on Friday of last week!  Although Brendan is a special needs child ("child" seems odd for a twenty year old, but she functions on a much younger level), we cannot imagine our lives without her...she is VERY special to all of us!

Birthday #22:  I was pregnant with my son Hayden.  He was born just shy of 60 days after my 22nd birthday!

Birthday #30:  A  group of my friends threw me a surprise party at Domenico's Restaurant!  I was SHOCKED!  About 40 people jumped up and down and yelled "SURPRISE" as I walked through the doors...I was very humbled!

And tomorrow I will celebrate #36....

...but my very favorite birthday memory, from the time I was 10 until my 24th birthday, my grandmother Czarlinsky (my mother's mother) would call me first thing in the morning of my birthdays and sing "Happy Birthday" to me.  She passed away the November after my 24th birthday from breast cancer at the young age of sixty-four...

....I miss that more than anything. 

New Beginnings...

New life is the essence of Easter. Even though Jesus taught his disciples that a seed must die before new life can spring forth, they didn't understand that He was the seed from which a new creation would begin!

I didn't understand either...

....until I was saved.

Easter has a new meaning for me...a new reason to celebrate...

....new beginnings, new life.

So this Easter Sunday I am thankful for what Christ is doing in my life...

...every. single. day.

Egg-stravaganza!

Hottie husband and I hosted Easter at our home this year!  Thank you Lord for beautiful weather and fun memories!

Shanna (Mark's sister) and McKenna (our niece) hunting eggs!

All the grand-kids hunting eggs!

Hottie husband bought me pansies!

What a bucket head!

Maw-Maw filled over 100 eggs!!

Um, half of that is now gone...

My nephew, Jamisen

Paw-paw and Jack, in deep conversation...

Purple cupcakes and little girls = one BIG mess!

How many adults does it take to wash a McKenna?

My oldest, Hayden....Beautiful Hayden!

My nephew, Henry...check out those baby blues!