2-13-11

Mady made an owl for her Valentine's Day party box this year.

It's saying Whoooo wants to be my Valentine?

I don't know who wouldn't love this cute little face!

She did a terrific job, and I'm sure she will have a fun party tomorrow.

2-12-11

Everyone in the Shiplett house LOVES a good Coldstone cake.

We all have our favorites, and everyone's is different, but

this year for Valentine's Day, I got the cake they had especially for the holiday.

It is a red velvet cake with strawberry dipped chocolate ice cream, covered with chocolate ganache.

Yes, it was as good as it sounds. :)

2-11-11

Kate's grandpa is in the hospital suffering from stage 4 bone cancer. 

He isn't doing well. 

I went to pick her up from ODU to go see him, and she's been at the hospital pretty much all weekend

spending time with him.

Please keep he and Kate in your thoughts. Ralph is a very kind and generous man. 

Kate is very close to him, 

and I know this is very hard for her.

2-10-11

Sweet Treats to take to school.

2-9-11

Mady and I agree that Picnic Pizza is definitely a slice of heaven. :) Mmmmmm

2-8-11

Husbands.

They are so sweet when they are sleeping. :)

2-7-11

Miss Lily has been having trouble sleeping this week. 

She goes through every excuse imaginable to get in and out of bed.

The conversation this evening (during multiple trips in and out of the bedroom) went something like this:

Lily - I need a drink

Me - You don't need a drink, you need to go back to bed.

Lily - I need a snack

Me - You are not eating this late, goodnight.

Lily - I need a hammer to fix this for you (a nail still up from Christmas decorations)

Me - It's OK, I will get it later, please go back to bed.

Lily - I want to change my pajamas, I don't like these.

Me - Lily! go to bed!

Lily - I have to go to the potty. 

Which is when this picture took place. You can see the defeated look on her face. 

She realizes this is the very last trip that is going to be tolerated. LOL

2-5-11 and 2-6-11

The girls and I went ice skating today and had a great time!

I have a lot of pictures to share of our time together, 

so I'm combining Saturday and Sunday into one post this weekend.

I hadn't been ice skating since high school, so considering that, I didn't do too bad. 

I do have a nice sized bruise on my knee from a few good falls. :)

Katelyn did great when she could get away from Lily and get off on her own for a while.

Lauryn was a natural speed skater zooming around the rink.

Mady was thrilled that she picked it up pretty quickly and was skating on her own within minutes.

and Lily had a ball keeping all of us busy holding her up while she made her way around the ice. :)

It was a lot of fun, and we all look forward to going again!

2-4-11

The girls decided they would have a slumber party tonight, and on the agenda was cupcake making.

They made pink cupcakes and decorated them with sprinkles, chocolate chips, and fruit. 

They turned out to be quite tasty!

2-3-11

 Tried a new recipe today for avacado egg rolls. 

Craig and I had them at the Cheesecake Factory and I've been craving them ever since!

Found a copycat recipe online, and they were fantastic.

There ya go Cindy, more food! :)

2-2-11

Isn't it cute how thrilled little ones get about watching 

popcorn pop in the microwave.

She could stand there all day! :)

2-1-11

Mady has inherited my love for making lists.

I will make lists for anything and everything. I'm not a master at completing the plan on each of my lists,

but I can make a list like nobody's business! 

I saw this list in Mady's notebook today and it put a big smile on my face!

She is so much fun! This is her list for the things she will need for her wedding. :)

You can click on the picture and it should enlarge so that you can read it, but if you can't, I'll copy it here for you:

For My Wedding I Need:

something old

something new

something borrowed

something blue

a long pink gown

a beautiful boquet of Lilys

me

handsome fiance

at least 50 guests

I also love how she has the items checked off that she already has - soemthing old, borrowed, and blue.

I wonder if all little girls are planning their weddings already at age 8. Is it Barbie that does it to us, 

or are we just born hopeless romantics?

1-31-11

Cindy is always posting pictures of food on her blog, making me hungry.

She asked me recently if I ever cook, so YES, Cindy, I cook, and I'm posting this just for you!

I made chopped steak, baked potatoes, and green beans, and it was very good. :)

I got these new square plates for Christmas, and I absolutely love them!

It's amazing how happy dishes can make me, but I think food looks and tastes better off of these plates!

And I love the square surface, because I hate my food touching, and I have more space to spread things out. LOL

1-30-11

I've had this quote up on my bathroom wall for a couple of years now.

It's a favorite, and I love that it reminds me every morning to focus on my blessings.

I've had this shelf up under the quote with nothing on it waiting to find something that "fit".

I found some cute little votive cups this weekend and got some sand, stones, and shells to complete the picture.

Now I like it even more. :)