I feel so socially conscious.

Question:  If you get your TOMS half off does that mean that a little African child is only getting one shoe?

In that case I feel half as socially conscious as I did two minutes ago.

I conjured up the strength to tear myself away from the family for the weekend.

It's not always easy, but sometimes I have to make sacrifices to ensure that my husband and children have enough quality time together.

The lengths I will go to for this family.  I'm kinda like Mother Teresa or something.

So Sada, Carrie, and I headed to New Mexico to celebrate Sada's 30th (oh to be 30, burning hot, and pregnant again...) and to visit our long lost friend, Miss Tonya.  

It was fab-u-loso.

Spa Day in Santa Fe:

Here are a couple of sentences I never want to hear out of a male masseuse's mouth again:

"Unclench your butt-cheeks."

"You will enjoy this more if you would unclench your butt-cheeks."

"M'am, you really are going to have to unclench your butt-cheeks."

"At some point you are going to have to give in and commit to this."

The above sentences prove I don't really belong at fancy day spas.

However, despite my husband's opinion, I do belong in the Santa Fe shopping district.

This course in our very nice dinner certainly justified the mass consumption of....

...this.

And if these pictures aren't convincing enough, the highs were in the 80's, the lows were in the 60's and the Coach outlet was having a huge sale.

VBS, MRCC Style

"Hey Son, it's your very first VBS.  Are you excited?"

Mia rocked it as a wicked little Philistine girl. 

Why is it that grown men inevitably turn into obnoxious children during VBS week?  

I guess they'll take any excuse they can get :) 

(I can't believe I just did the colon/parenthesis smiley face thing on a blog post.  It's a new low, people.)

If there were ever any doubts about where Mia gets her passion, look no further.

Yes ladies, he's all mine.  

And in the end the wicked little Philistine girl died a terrible death.

Thanks to everyone who worked themselves to death to make this week special. 

 Both All three of my children loved it.

It the most excited thing I never seen. -Bode

Translation:  It was the most exciting thing I've ever seen.

Bode's first trip to the movie theater was a rousing success.

I think it might be a sign that we don't get Bode out much when he walks into the mall and says, "Wow, what is this place?"

"Just ignore those popcorn buckets, kids.  All the cool people eat apple slices that their mommies smuggle into the theater."

Toy Story 3 in IMax 3D was fabulous.  

I cried (as did Andy). 

Mia squealed.  

And Bode never blinked.

Another 10:30 PM shot

Bode's in the weird if-I-take-a-nap-I-stay-up-all-night-but-if-I-don't-no-one-can-stand-to-be-around-me phase.

It's a lose-lose situation.

So on the off days when he decides to take a power nap at 5:00 PM, Mia has a playmate for her all-nighters.

Here they are curled up in Bode's bed watching Toy Story 2 (in preparation for Bode's first trip to the theater the next night).

(I took this in the dark using my night setting and it turned out all wierdish.  I know I know, I need to read the manual and take an amateur photography class at the VoTech.  I'll get right on that in about 16 years.  That's when the kids move out and I change the locks.)

Summer time

No one is surprised by this.

Sweet Chelsea 

A rare moment where Mia is willingly taking instruction from a peer.  

She usually prefers to be the one in the driver's seat.   I don't know where on earth she gets that.

Summer mornings = perfection

Buzz Lightyear is the Cinderella of boyhood.

Bode just realized he isn't wearing a legitimate Buzz Lightyear costume but rather a cheap hooded towel from Wal-Mart.

"I'm humiliated."

Actually that's a complete lie.  He thinks this thing is the real deal and insists on wearing it everywhere.

He loves this towel more than his own dignity.  

Meet my new bathroom.

I tried to find some before pictures in my archives but had no luck.

I hate to ask you to do this but imagine a brown and gold marble sink, a built in medicine cabinet thingy complete with a fur-down with that weird lighting that is covered by those panels.  And don't forget about the half wall in between the toilet and the vanity, because it really provided lots of privacy lemmetellya.  As if the room wasn't small enough.

But who cares about all that now.  Because I have this tiny little beauty.  It's no frills and no fuss.  And I love it because it's so me.

I had these special little shelves cut from the leftover quartz from my countertop.  They were made especially for naked Barbies.

Next up, the master bath. 

*Also, to answer a few inquiries, it is a linen tile, the brand in Strand.  We purchased it at Emser Tile in OKC.