Happy Birthday, Ollie!

My baby boy is two today! Some might say that I should watch out for the terrible twos, but we've been going through that for the last year and a half! Those of you who don't know Ollie don't know what a loud personality he has. He is always in trouble. He is constantly getting into everything. You never know where you'll find him next. Sometimes he gets in the kitchen cabinets, but sometimes he gets on top of them. He likes the tub and the sink. He opens my dresser drawers. He chases and attacks his brother and sister. You have to be extra careful going out the front door because he tries to run out. When he does, he just goes and sits under the porch. Crazy cat!

Ollie is also very affectionate. He loves to cuddle. He also loves children. As goofy as he is, he is very gentle with kids. He can be quite a sweetheart when he wants to be. And this is why I love him so much. I can't imagine my life without this crazy furball. Happy birthday, my little buddy! I love you!

10 Ways to Reuse Your Target Bag
OK, I'm all for saving the environment. I may be personally responsible for the hole in the ozone layer because of all the hair spray I used in high school and college. Now Target is doing its part to help. You may have noticed that they now list 10 ways to reuse your Target bag on the side of the shopping bags. The uses are pretty compelling, so here's the list if you haven't seen it yet. I am also including my own comments on each use, and those comments will be in black.

1. Tiny Trashcan Liner--Great idea! I do use my bags in my bathroom and scrap room wastebaskets.
2. Doggy Duty--I don't have a dog anymore, but I would use a plastic bag for this.
3. Water Balloon--Hmmm, this would be a pretty big water balloon. I don't know about this one.
4. Roadtrip Rubbish--I like this idea too. My car winds up with a lot of trash in it everytime I evacuate for a hurricane.
5. Soggy Laundry--Go to the beach, put your wet towels and bathing suits in the Target bag, and everything else stays dry. Cool!
6. Ice Pack for Head Lump--Uh, I don't know about you, but if I had a head lump that big I'd be unconscious in the ER.
7. Toiletry Tote--Who wants shampoo leaking all over her suitcase? Not me!
8. Kitty Litter Liner--I use plastic bags when I clean the cat litter. I don't line the litter box with them though. Good idea.
9. Tomorrow's Lunchbag--Sure, if I'm feeding the entire faculty. I don't eat that much!
10. Care Package Padding--Keeps those valuables from breaking!

Have any additional uses? Contact Target! Maybe one day we'll see your suggestion on the side of the bag.

Happy Easter-versary!
Happy Easter to all of you! The resurrection of Christ brings hope to all of us. It's time for a new beginning. Spring is here (or summer if you look at the temperatures!). The New Orleans area is rebuilding.

Something important happened in our family today. My parents celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary. Yep, 40 years ago today Bob and Carol got married. It's amazing. In a world where so many marriages end in divorce, 40 years is a wonderful accomplishment. I am so proud to call these two people my parents. No, their life hasn't been perfect, but then again, no one's is. They have had their trials and tribulations, but they have worked through them to create a lasting and loving relationship. I was hoping to give them a party to celebrate, but Katrina wiped that out. We did spend the day, however, with some dear friends. It was a lovely day. I told them next year I'll give them a party for anniversary 41. We'll call it "forty-one-derful" years. Yeah, I know, bad pun. They deserve better than that.

Thank you, Mom and Daddy, for showing me what a marriage should be. Thank you for loving each other and loving your daughters. You are the greatest, and I love you both so very much!

Feelin' Scrappy
I will admit it. I have been a scrapping fool for the last six months. (Some people will argue that I've been a fool all my life.) Scrapbooking has been one of the few things in my life I can control. It has been an incredible therapy since the hurricane. It filled the time when I was unemployed. Now that I'm working it's giving me a creative outlet. It also helps get my mind off of things.

The picture at the left is a project I made in a class the other day. My friend Toni at my LSS Scrappin' Buds had a ribbon holder class. We used coffee tins and decorated them. There's a hole cut in the top of the container to pull the ribbon through. Cute, huh? Not only did I learn something new, but I also got to socialize with some scrapping friends.

Scrapbooking has affected my life in so many positive ways. I'm preserving memories for future generations. I get to be creative. Best of all, I've met many wonderful people through this hobby (or should I say obsession?). I am so grateful I found this wonderful outlet and that I've been blessed with the ability to create lasting memories.

Happy Birthday, Kirby!
Today my little girl turns four! How quickly time flies. For those of you who don't know Kirby's story, here's the Reader's Digest version. When Kirby was just three weeks old, her mother disappeared. She had been left alone in my neighbor's garden and was crying and crying. We rescued her and fed her cat's milk in an eye dropper. She was so tiny. She weighed less than a pound when we took her in and fit in the palm of my hand. She thrived and grew into my precious girl. She is so sweet and loving--well, to me anyway. She's wary of strangers, running the other way when people come over. She actually went into a depression when we took in Ollie. But I wouldn't trade my little princess for anything in the world. I love waking up in the morning and having her staring me in the face ready to give kitty kisses. I laugh when I call her for treats; it's the only time you'll ever see her run for anything. When I'm sick she will lie in bed with me and be sick too. She cuddles up next to me when I read. I love you, Kirby girl! You are my precious girl!