Beads, Buds, Bacchus

Wes and I had the greatest time this Carnival (Mardi Gras) season. Now that we live on the Mississippi Gulf Coast we are allowed two days off school to PARTAY! We texted our new friends Katie, John, Lauren, and Matt and ventured to many coastal town to catch beads, eat good and not so good food, and celebrate.

Our adventure started Friday night in Ocean Springs at the night parade, but I was so enthusiastic about catching throws that I totally forgot to take pictures.

Next, the Gulfport Day Parade

The first of Wes' funny face fotos.

We got the best beads at this parade because I climbed on a tall rock and became a target. YIPEE!

Sunday was a very BIG day. We started at the Pass Christian Parade...

 

LAUREN, thanks for inviting us to hang out with you and Matt!

KATIE and Wes (funny face foto!)

Our Carnival Krewe: John, Katie, Lauren, Wes, and Matt!

Then we headed to NOLA for the Bacchus Parade where Drew Brees was the king and love was in the air.

Wes helped a little girl collect TONS of stuff! How fun!

Monday, we took a much needed rest. Then we ventured to Biloxi for the FAT TUESDAY PARADE. It was cold and windy but brought lots of unexpected entertainment.

Until next time....

XOXOXOXOXOX

4 FREE ways to help Haitian ophrans

"The Families For Orphans Act would not prevent programs designed to provide temporary care nor would it eliminate or reduce the funding needed for these valued services. The Act recognizes that a family-like setting is better than an institution – but not better than a safe and permanent family.


The Act also helps children by stating that an orphan is not a child living with one parent. It says an orphan is a child who is permanently living without parents – for whatever reason. And perhaps most importantly, it states that we must preserve existing families so that fewer children are orphaned in the first place. For those who are orphaned, it identifies them, tells us where they are and what services they need – all in intimate partnerships with other governments. Without these critically important priorities, the worldwide orphan crisis will only continue to impose its suffering on the children of our world." -Tom DiFilipo President JCICS

Four Things You Can Do?


1. Let Your Voice Be Heard
Call or e-mail to your Members of Congress asking them to become Co-Sponsors of the Families for Orphans Act. You can find your Representative at http://www.house.gov/ and your Senators at http://www.senate.gov/. Feel free to use the following text as a guideline:

“As one of your constituents I am requesting that you support the “Families for Orphans Act” by becoming a Co-Sponsor of the legislation now. We would be better prepared to respond to the needs of orphans in Haiti if the leadership it calls for was already in place. We ask that you stand up for the millions of children around the world growing up in orphanages without the love and support of a permanent family. For information on becoming a Co-Sponsor, please contact Senators Landrieu or Inhofe or Representatives Watson or Boozman.”

2. Demand Action
Call or email the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Ask them to pass the Families for Orphans Act.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Phone: (202) 224-4651
Chairperson’s Email: click here

House Foreign Affairs Committee Phone: (202) 224-4651
Chairperson’s Email: click here

3. Speak with One Voice
Sign the Families for Orphans Act petition. To sign click here.

4. Get The Word Out
Have a blog? A Facebook page? Do you Tweet? How about an email account? Send this Call To Action to those who care about children.

On behalf of children living without a permanent and safe family.

Until next time.....

XOXOXOXO

LOVE is an Action VERB

or at least it should be. Love is something that we do and not just for people that we like. Jesus commanded us to "love one another" and to "love our neighbor as ourselves". We learn and understand these commands at a early age, but actually following through with them is a constant stuggle.

I just came across this organization LOVE 146 that is loving in a very active way to end child sex slavery and exploitation. This is a problem that is plaguing our World.  Check it out to see how you can help.

Love anyone in anyway that you can this Valentine's Day. Love the person driving their car too slow and hitting the brakes every 2 seconds, love the rude teenage worker at McDonalds, love the obnoxious guy next to you at the game because "Love Protects. Love Defends. Love Restores. Love Empowers." -Love146

Just a funny:  "Roses are red, jelly is sweet. You smell as good as the sandwich you eat." Cracks my kids up at school everytime. :)

Until next time....

XOXOXOX

Calligans

Tuesday afternoon Wes and I found out that Dawn (his sister) was going to be playing in Mobile at an Irish bar called Calligans. Well, you all know us and know that we will take a road trip anytime. So, after work we headed to the birth place of Mardi Gras.

It was so much fun!! It was also my first time to see Dawn LIVE! She was amazing, and it was great to catch up with some of the people we met at her wedding. For those of you who don't know, Dawn is kinda famous. She has several albums out, tours the world, and has songs on a few commercials. The most popular one in the U.S. being the Chrysler Town and Country mini van. It is the one were the family is running on the beach.

For more information on Dawn visit http://www.myspace.com/dawnlandes.

In other thoughts, I am excited about the Super Bowl tomorrow! Who Dat! Also, I can't wait until next weekend because I will be celebrating Mardi Gras for 5 days straight. Woo hoo!

Until next time....

XOOXOXOXXO

And the winner is.....

Taylor Swift...... Taylor Swift...... TAY Lor Swift! I just have to say it, SERIOUSLY! I can't be the only person wondering how this is all happening. I have yet to see a live performance at an awards show or a talk show where Taylor Swift performed well. I can understand one or two times maybe the mics weren't working properly or something, but certainly not every single time she opens her mouth to sing.

Clearly, her albums are being altered in the studio. I will admit, I enjoy hearing Taylor on the radio. I even catch myself singing her songs when doing things around the house, but I am appalled that she is rewarded by the fans and the academy over and over. And may I just say, poor Stevie Nix. Taylor was singing too loud and just being hideous during that performance.

At the VMA's when Kanye stood up and said Beyonce's video was better, I thought he was wrong for doing that. I still do. It was unprofessional. However, I am beginning to to think that maybe Kanye is just the only person brave enough to call it for what it is, not the best by a long shot.

Time will tell if Taylor is one of the greats of our time, or if she's "PUNKED" us all.

I know there are lots of Taylor fans out there. So, let me know what you think. Please help me understand this craze. I look forward to hearing from you.

Until next time.....

XOXOXOXOXOX

No Phone Zone

You've seen it... the SUV driving really slowly on the interstate, the sports car weaving slightly into your lane and on to the shoulder of the road, trucks flying by with no regard to others. A quick glance into the vehicle and YEP, they are on the cell phone!! We all think we can do it, but honestly, we can't.

"I pledge to make my car a No Phone Zone. Beginning right now, I will do my part to help put an end to distracted driving by not texting or using my phone while I am driving. I will ask other drivers I know to do the same. I pledge to make a difference." Go to http://www.oprah.com/questionaire/ipledge.html?id=4  to make your pledge public.

Oprah, once again, is doing her part to bring awareness to the dangers of texting and talking on the phone while driving. I know that I am guilty of this pleasure, even though I try to make a conscience effort not to spend too much time on the phone while in the car. It only takes a moment for an accident to occur. Please do your part. Statistics are showing that texting and talking while driving are more impairing than drinking and driving.

Until next time....

Nutty Cocoa Banana Muffins...

I made these this afternoon to explore a new recipe. The muffins look wonderful and taste even better. Just in case you want to try them, here is the recipe.

2 bananas mashed

2/3 cup of sugar

2 eggs

1tsp vanilla

6tbsp melted butter

2 cups of all purpose flour

2tsp baking soda

1/4 cup buttermilk

2/3 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350. Combine bananas, sugar, and eggs. Mix well. Add vanilla and melted butter. Stir. Add flour, baking soda, and buttermilk. Mix with a fork until well blended. Add chocolate chips and nuts. Stir. Line a muffin pan with liners. Fill liners to the top with muffin mix. Bake for 20 minutes or until brown.

Enjoy!

Until next time ......

XOXOXOXO