How Great Thou Art

I am well aware that Carrie Underwood's latest performance has gone viral. However, I had to post it...I could watch this video 10 times a day, and I will cry every time. She totally whooped Elvis' version if you ask me. How Great Thou Art is a huge part of me, and will forever be. It was one of my dad's favorites {he was an Elvis lover too}, and most recently we just sang it at my Nana's funeral.

Why do I find this performance so special? Well y'all...we live in one messed up world. A world in which I can't even play Christian music in my classroom in fear that I will offend someone. So, when I get a chance to witness a huge star, raise her hand in praise {on prime time television} during Vince Gill singing Jesus Take the Wheel...and then watch other stars raise their hands in praise while she is belting out an awesome hymn, well...it just touches me. It makes me believe that there is still some good in this world. It gives me hope.

I'm posting the 12 minute segment of Girl's Night Out...If you just want to see Carrie sing, then move the timeline up to about 7:30. However, I would encourage you to grab your coffee {or in my case your Rt 44 DDP} and watch it all. You will NOT be disappointed...and, if you are...well, we probably can't be friends.

Easter & More

We had a fabulous Easter this year. Grandma and Papa were in from Dallas for the long weekend. They were a tad bit sneaky, and showed up late Thursday night instead of Friday at lunch. It was definitely a pleasant surprise, and added to the fun! The kids looked super cute in their Easter outfits...I slacked though, and used my mom's point and shoot to get their picture Sunday after lunch...

Big hugs...

For lunch on Sunday, we went to Clementine's in Champions. It's been there forever, and they have an AWESOME Easter brunch/lunch. We don't get to eat like that very often, and it was such a treat! {Thanks Grandma, Papa, & Mimi!} Did I mention they were offering unlimited Mimosa's?!

Grandma and Papa headed home Monday morning. Grandma was a HUGE help, and cleaned my downstairs because we were hosting small group Monday night. We came home from school and Trey asked if the cleaning ladies had come...I said, "Nope, you just have a fabulous Grandma!" For small group, the menu consisted of party sandwiches, greek pasta salad, brownies, and raspberry bites. I found the raspberry bites on Pinterest, and new I had to try them. Um, hello...genius. These will be a regular treat in our house!

{source}

Yep, that's all there is to raspberry bites. Clean raspberries and stick a chocolate chip in them. Done. They're pure genius.

This week is TAKS week at school. Just another week that emphasizes the love I have for the elective class that I teach. Good luck to all of the kiddos that are subject to taking the test, and for the teacher's who must endure the 'active monitoring'. Dear Friday, hurry up. Thanks!

Curious...

Today's one of those days that I'm feeling a bit curious. I glanced over at my Feedjit and was caught off guard by some of the locations! Do you ever get that? I can pinpoint the 5 readers that I know read my blog {HI Grandma!}...lol...

Anyways, who's out there? I'd love to hear from you and how you found me! Leave me a comment so I can go check out your blog.

Happy Friday!!!

p.s. Teachers, 29 DAYS!!! {that's not even counting TAKS days or half day final exams!} We're almost there!!!

Summer Trip 2011 {Cancelled}

Joe and I looked at each other and one of us said, "It sucks being adults!"...that's how we feel about our newest revelation. The annual trip to Illinois has been cancelled due to the fabulous insane, ridiculous, outrageous, absurd price of gas. The route is 1,894 miles round trip...do the math...I'll wait...yeah, it's gonna hurt the bank account a little too much to try and do it. We would be subject to staying at home the remainder of the summer and pinching pennies. While we pinch pennies anyway, it's just too much. I needed a good laugh at the whole situation, so I found these:

I'm super bummed about not going, because we have such a GOOD time with the kids in the car {no, really...we do!}, and we LOVE spending time with our Illinois family. However, we will press on and find some great things to do around here. We are going to spend a couple of days in Galveston, seeing as how we can get there and back on one tank of gas! The furthest we might go is San Antonio and let the kids do the Sea World thing...If you have some fun suggestions for around here, let me know! For now, I'm going to go count the remaining school days left until summer...it can not come soon enough!!

Greek Pasta Salad Recipe

In an attempt to make sure I post something this week, I thought I'd share a recipe that I had a few weeks ago. I was at a good friend's baby shower and one of the ladies had made a Greek Pasta Salad. Oh...my...word...I could have eaten the whole bowl. Try it, you won't be disappointed!

Greek Pasta Salad

• 1 10 oz. package vermicelli or angel hair pasta, cooked and cooled; cut into 3-4 inch pieces
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 heaping tablespoons Cavender's Greek seasoning (best to try to find this brand)
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1 small can chopped ripe olives, drained
• 1 small jar pimentos, drained
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 5 green onions, finely chopped using part of green tops
• OPTIONAL: she added feta cheese and cherry tomato halves and have added shrimp at times

In a large mixing bowl, place cooked pasta. Add oil, Greek seasoning and lemon juice. Toss to coat. Add remaining ingredients. Cover bowl and allow salad to marinate in refrigerator at least 4 hours. (I usually make it the night before.)

Don't worry...

We are still alive and well...our lives are just staying busy and I'm finding less and less time to keep y'all updated. Well, that or we're just boring. :)

Another need to not worry, is that Emery turns 3 in July, and I already have her birthday party planned and the invitation designed. See?!

It's going to be a pool party with ice cream sundaes. What else is there to do in the middle of a Houston summer, but be in the pool?! When they're all sticky from their ice cream, we just throw them back in the pool/sprinkler! Genius.

Moving on...

Please tell me that I'm not the only one that LOVES Pinterest?! Recipes, decorating ideas, crafts, you name it...and it comes just the way I like it...with pictures! I must have a picture of something before I can decide on it. Here's a couple of things that I grabbed off of there today...{Let me know if you need an invite to join!}

{all pictures came from Pinterest}

...and because I'm feeling super scatterbrained today, I should share with you that I am going to have my first vendor table for my photography business! I will be set up at Rhea Lana's of NW Houston's consignment sale this week. Thursday thru Saturday at the Berry Center. Check out their web page for more details. I will have some discount tickets for y'all to use with future packages, and will be doing a drawing for 2 free sessions! They have great stuff for all ages, come check it out!

Weekend Recap

Last weekend, was my SFAVB Wedding weekend. Two of my college teammates were getting married...one on Friday night in Kyle, Texas and the other here in Houston. A few friends decided we would do the Tour of Weddings and attend both. Let's just say I could have really used a weekend to recover from that weekend! I don't have pictures, because for once I decided I would just enjoy the fun times with friends. {Bravo to Joe who held down the fort Friday night, while I was having a blast in Austin!} On a side note, always travel with a good friend who needs to use their Hilton points...it definitely has its perks! Love ya E!

Fast forward to this weekend...I helped host a baby shower for a dear friend. The theme for the baby's {Lane} room is Surf's Up, so we just carried that into the shower. I had noticed that a friend from high school has started making cookies at home, so I asked her if she would barter some cookies for a photo shoot...it was a yes, and look how cute the cookies came out!! Check out Natalie @ Crashin' Cookies! I'm tellin' y'all these were a HUGE hit.

The shower was Saturday at 11:30, but I have had a certain community garage sale on my calendar for months...SO, at 5 a.m. Saturday morning I headed to Walmart to get the goodies I needed for the shower. Got home, assembled all of the sandwiches, and loaded up the car with Joe and the kids at 7 a.m. to head out to the garage sale. Let's just say the garage sale was good to us! I made a promise to Joe that I was just looking for the kids spring/summer clothes...I was proud of myself for sticking to it. Here's what I came home with for Emery: 1 swim vest, 2 bathing suits, 4 dresses, 13 shirts/tank tops, 10 pairs of shorts/skirts, and a pair of Gymboree flip flops. For Trey: 5 t-shirts, 3 pairs of cargo shorts, 2 pairs of swim trunks, 2 polos, and a pair of jeans. I got ALL of that for $25! I love that feeling!

I'm going to back up real quick {I'm scatterbrained like that}...Thursday, I got to do a photo shoot for one of my BFF's and her family. Ryan and I talk EVERY day. I am so excited that they are back in Houston! Here is my favorite outtake from the day...this goes to show your family portrait does not have to be posed to get something that is just y'all.

Ok, back in order...Sunday quickly turned into a pajama day, as I probably did 10 loads of laundry. I have one load left and then it will be done! for about 2 hours and then the pile will build, again!

This week marks the start of Joe's track duties...he helps run the timing system/video for all of the district races. I'll be glad when those are over, and then the final countdown to summer will begin!!

Don't forget to check out the Mommy & Me session special!