No pictures, just words...

Avery did the morning announcements at school today. She said the pledge to the Texas flag, and then asked everyone to remain standing for a moment of silence. She spoke very clearly, and she did a wonderful job. I was happy that she allowed Hector and I the opportunity to go hear her this morning, since Samuel told Hector and I that he didn't want us to listen to him when he did the announcements a few weeks ago. But, Avery did tell me that she didn't want me to take any pictures. "You can listen in the cafeteria, but no pictures." So, all you'll get here is the words to this story. :-)

Sweet AND Sassy!

One of Avery's friends had a birthday party yesterday at a place called Sweet and Sassy. Sweet and Sassy is a store that sells tons of over-priced but extremely cute and girly items that most little girls seem to like (jewelry, dress-up clothes, make-up, lip gloss, bubble bath, etc.). What makes Sweet and Sassy so special is that the girls get to make their own items. Not only do they get to pick the color, scent, container it comes in, and whether or not they want to add glitter to their items, but they can also have a variety of beauty services done in the store (hair cut, up-do, make-up, manicure, pedicure, and even a spa treatment complete with a massage!). And in the back of the store, there's a special area just for birthday parties. But of course there is!

Avery's friend had a princess party. All of the girls got to dress up like princesses. Then they had their hair done in an up-do. They all got manicures and pedicures too. They did not get the massage... Oh well... That's probably for the best though because I probably would have pushed Avery off the massage table and taken advantage of that party perk myself. :-)

Now then, here's what I want to know. When am I going to be invited to a party where I get to have my hair done, as well as get a manicure and pedicure??? No seriously, after the girls were all made up, they got to put on a fashion show right in the middle of the store. There's a big "cat walk" all the way down the middle of the store. I must admit, it really was very cute! The girls who worked at the store apparently asked the little girls a few questions before they walked down the cat walk. As Avery made her entrance, the girl working there announced through a microphone that she wanted to introduce Princess Avery, ruler of all Walmarts and all things pink. In her castle, Princess Avery eats ice cream all day long, and she has several cats living in her castle.

Princess Avery is definitely sweet AND sassy!

The girls did a little princess dance and got twirled around by the older girls. It was really sweet!

Daisy Day

Avery had a Girl Scout event today called Daisy Day. Daisy Day is a entire day devoted to teaching the girls about a variety of outdoor activities, in a hands-on, really fun way!

So, what did Avery get to do on Daisy Day? Well.........

She got to ride Bueno the horse.

She loved every minute of it!

She got to pet and brush Talia the horse.

She got to lasso a bull!

She got to pet a duck, some baby chicks, a bunny rabbit, a Shetland pony and a goat!

She got to learn about building a fire and camp fire safety. Then she got to roast marshmallows and make smores.

Avery had a blast. This is her friend Paige.

And these are her leaders and her troop. There are 2 other girls in her troop who couldn't make it today.

My new favorite saying...

...is this month's quote of the month! A while back, a few friends and I were emailing each other back and forth about the fact that you simply can not please everyone all the time. So why do we drive ourselves nuts even trying? And that's when my friend Kim wrote, "Jesus was perfect, and even he couldn't make everyone happy all the time." Boy, isn't that the truth?!?! I asked her if I could quote her, and she said, "Of course!" I am seriously considering having her quote printed out and framed, and then hung somewhere in my house for my 3 children to read from time to time. :-)

Some days...

There are some days when I can not even put into words just how thankful I am that Hector and I both have jobs. This week, I have been told by 4 friends that either they or their husbands have been laid-off.

There are some days when I can't even begin to explain how lucky I feel to have a roof over my head. Last week, I found out that a friend of mine lost her home and everything in it, to a fire. She, along with her husband and their 5 children, are now living in a hotel.

And there are some days when it is all I can do to thank God over and over and over again that Hector, our children and I are healthy. I have been following several other blog pages for friends and their families. It is draining, both physically and emotionally. But I continue to pray for Jonathan, Amy and her husband, Bill, baby Jonah, baby Stellan, baby Scotty, Clay, and so many others because I know that my friends would do the same for me.

And there are also my own family members who are struggling with health issues, with job concerns, with day-to-day challenges that make life so challenging.

Some days, my heart feels so heavy. And it's all I can do to simply say over and over again, thank you, God. Thank you that my family is healthy and that we have jobs. Thank you that we have a home and food to eat. Thank you for all of the little things that I take for granted. And please be with my friends and their families, as well as with my own family members, because even though my heart is heavy, I know that their hearts are even heavier.... Amen.

"Cast all your cares on the Lord, and He will sustain you." Psalm 55:22