Wishful Wednesday: Easter

I'm back on the Wishful Wednesday bandwagon this week.  And this week's topic IS ...

'I Wish' .... I could re-live one Easter memory from my childhood, and it would be EVERY Easter!

I know this is incredibly boring and notsomuch creative, but let me explain my Easter's to you.  I've already divulged that I have a HUGEMONGOUS family (you've seen pictures of several of the members already, but those don't even scratch the surface) and every year, since I can literally remember, we do the same. thing.  WHICH, bytheway, I LOVE.  Our Easter's are very much like our Thanksgivings.  It's basically a day long rat race, which again, I LOVE.  My mister, on the other hand, isn't used to the "rat race" type of holidays, but he has adjusted well, I will say that.  Basically we start by going to my Mamo's house (my dad's side of the family) and eating far too much there.  And every year I KNOW that I need to pace myself because I have other binge-stops in the future and every year I COMPLETELY disregard this knowledge, making me feel like a stuffed turkey by the end of the day ... SOOO, after leaving my Mamo's and eating far too much, we head to my Mama's (mom's side of the family) house and eat far too much there.  And even if I WAS to listen to my knowledge of the fact that I need to pace myself, don't worry, it wouldn't DARE happen.  Because most assuredly one or both of my grandma's (and possibly my great aunts/aunts/cousins/everyone in my family) would invariably say "Why didn't you try my such and such?  Don't you like my cooking?  WHY DON'T YOU LIKE ME?" and I will end up feeling guilty and eating their casserole (with all 852 others) and feeling sicker than I thought I possibly could.  I DO, however, miss the Easter Egg hunting.  An excuse to eat a BASKET full of candy?  Yes please.  A prize egg that has (GASP) $5 in it (riches I know)?  Yes please.  But apparently 29 is too old to participate in this activity.  Pshhhhhhhh.  WHATEVER. 

But let's get a little sewious here.  The part about Easter that I would like to live EVERYday of my life thinking on and exemplifying is the REASON for Easter.  Not bunnies and eggs and baskets, but the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  The fact that on Sunday (and everyday) the grave is EMPTY and He is RISEN!  The fact that on Good Friday, He hung on a cross and bore our every sin, shame, disobedience, evil and every part of being a fallen world, so that WE wouldn't have to.  He BECAME sin for us and was seperated from the Father.   He exchanged perfection for wickedness and holy union for separation.  And He did this so we could be transformed into righteous men and women with an eternal future.  No wonder all of heaven exalts Him.  As we should, I say everyday, but let's especially do so on Easter.  The day of our RISEN Lord.  Sorry to get all preachy, but nothing stirs my heart more than the gospel, which is in short, that Christ died for all and rose again so that we might have eternal life with Him in Heaven after we die.  That NOTHING I can do is good enough or righteous enough and that ALL He asks is that I come to Him and lay my heart down at His feet.  Even when I suck and mess up.  Even when I have things in my past that I am ashamed of.  Even when I stumble in my sin.  He just wants my heart, that's all.  And in return I get eternal life.  I think that's pretty dadgum cool.  Also, if you haven't watched The Passion of the Christ (yes, by Mel Gibson, I know he's gone a bit nuts, but this movie is fantastic) I urge you to this Easter.  Word to the wise, remove all makeup and get ready to cry for about 120 minutes.  Because that's what I did.  And so did everyone else in the theater with me.  We all looked like someone punched us, called our momma fat and took our childhood dog when we left that theater.  If THAT doesn't convince you to rent it I don't know what will.  I'm a good convincer eh?  But all kidding aside (as much as I can put kidding aside) rent it. You won't regret it.

Alright, I'm done preachin'.  On that note, Happy Wishful Wednesday loverlies!!!  If you'd like to play, head on over to Kelsey's blog, grab a button and link up!!!

And P dittle S - Don't forget to enter my Giveaway for this little beaute ...


{In your own last name of course!}

... it's ends tomorrow night at 10pm!!!

Temptation Tuesday!

Hidy Ho Ranger Joe friends!!!  It's time for my ever so AH-DORABLE Soulmatey's ...

What has been tempting me lately?  Tickling my fancy?  Well, I'll show you.  And I am going to preface with the fact that I'm about to score MAJOR nerd points (Kinda like Jake the Bachelor "dancing" to "It's Hip to be Square.  No Jake, it's really not hip to be square.  Anyone else think he looked like an ADD kid that hadn't taken his medicine in about a month?  What WAS that spaztic, GOOBERISH so-called dancing?  But DWTS last night could be a whole 'NOTHER post, don't EVEN GET me started ...) 

I mean, ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME!?!?!  If you know me at all you know I'm crazily obsessed, cry at the sound of "When you Wish Upon A Star", wanted to be (and still do) a Disney Princess when I grow up a Disney (World/Land/On Ice/everything) fan.  And I DO realize that this is a Universal gig and that they're sworn enemies in the sacred land of Orlando (wherest I can only dream of visiting again soon) but a world (okay it's not a world, it's a theme park, go with me here) where I can ONLY imagine that the Harry Potter theme song will be played on repeat (which won't bother me one BIT since I currently have it as one of the ringtones on my phone ... I mean, I most certainly do NOT have it as a ringtone on my phone, what kind of NERD would do that ... sheesh!) and I get to visit HOGWARTS, HOGSMEADE, THE THREE BROOM STICKS and MORE?!?!?!  Seriously, I have goosebumps.  And on TOP of all that - my Mister says we can't GO!  He says we have to wait til we have kids to take there.  Um, I DON'T WANNA SHARE WITH MY KIDS!!!  I want to ride what I want to ride and not have to worry about anyone else!!!  Selfish you say?  Absolutely, and I don't care.  So if any of you would like to meet me in Orlando to watch me turn back into a 10-year-old I'd be HAPPY for you to join me ...

{If this just doesn't get your blood PUMPING with excitement I don't know what will ...}

Now, if they could just guarantee Harry, Ron and Hermoine would be there, THAT would just be icing on the cake!

Disclaimer:  I realize some of you may have just hopped on over to the "unfollow" button and clicked away because you just realized what a GIGANTOR nerd I am, but that's okay, if I can't be a nerd on my blog, where CAN I be a nerd?

And on another completely unrelated and random note let me quickly say that DWTS, you are not fair.  NOT FAIR I tell you.  I mean, no way.  NO WAY.  A PUSSYCAT DOLL who makes her living by borderline pole dancing is a naturally AWESOME dancer?  No way.  And she's blowing the competition, Drunkela Drunkerson (who's actually not THAT bad when she's not trying to molest her partner/the judges/the guy in the front row/the camera man), Tony & Kate Plus Not Great, and older than dirt (but precious) Buzz Aldrin?  I'm sorry, but it just gets me when they SING her praises (which she deserves) and treats most of the rest of the crew (although partially deserving) like an imbred, hillbilly, red-headed step child.  Seriously?  I mean, SERIOUSLY?  Okay, that's all of the ranting in relation to a 'ridiculous televison show that I've never watched before this season' for today - but I'm sure there'll be more next week.  WHY DO I GET SUCKED INTO THESE THINGS!?!?

Happy Temptation (and other random rants) Tuesday loverlies!  Head on over to my Soulmatey's blog to play along!!!

Weekend Birfday Palooza Update ...

Hewwo friends.  I hope this Monday finds you all filled up from a weekend full of family, friends, fun & relaxing (not to mention eating too much, staying out too late and possibly sleeping in ...) We spent the WHOLE weekend celebrating my Mister's birfday (much to his dismay)  That's right, THAT'S my husband, "man who likes no attention drawn to him" guy.  Right here.  Maybe that's why he fell for me, because I am SO completely the opposite.  You wanna celebrate my birfday for 2 months?  Go right ahead.  Take me out to numerous birfday dinners?  Well, if you insist!  Get me more than a ridiculous amount of presents?  Pshhhhhhh, I GUESS so, if you FEEL so inclined.  Not my Mister.  But I think he liked all his gifts.  And maybe a LITTLE of the fussing over him?  Probably not, but a wife can hope.  Don't worry that among his gifts included a coffee pot and a robe.  Yep.  We're both 60 year olds trapped in 29 year old's bodies and we AIN'T AFFEARED TO SAY IT.  Um, did I mention I'm from Texas?  Pardon me, sometimes "East Texas Roots Katie" slips out.  Please ignore the hickish girl with a strong accent in overalls and a piece of straw in her mouth, in fact, play like she's not even here.  All that incessant rambling being said, here's a little visual of what the Mister's birfdaypalooza looked like ...

{Friday night before going here, for a fantabulous steak fried asparagus, skillet potatoes, sauteed mushrooms, creamed spinach, chocolate mousse cake & cinnamon/banana creme brulee so much food I could barely breathe dinner}

{With my brother Will who's way huger than me, dumbo (me) holding the camera case, eye sore Kate, EYE SORE!}

{My Mister enjoying his quadruple, tons of chocolatey ooey gooey goodness, chocolate mousse cake}

And then, onto evening #2 at Mi Cocina ...

{The twinyearolds (they're 10, they're twins, get it?) and their big sister}

{Da loot.}

{MMMMMM chocolatey goodness ...}

 And that's it for the birfdaypalooza.  We had us a good time.  NOW, just ABOUT a month and a half until it's MY turn.  Y'all just get REEEAAAADDDY (as in, to rumble) for the way I EAT that bidness UP!

On another completely unrelated and random note, don't forget about my Giveaway!  It closes at 10PM Thursday (yes, April Fools Day, and no, it's not a joke) night and the winner will be announced on Friday, April 2nd.  Good luck loverlies!!!

{P dittle S - Click the HUGE WORD Giveaway up there for info on how to enter.}

Favorite Fridays AND My Giveaway!

Today's Favorite Fridays topic IS ...

Favorite Television Show; Category; Comedy

Oh this one was easy schmeasy.  Hands down.  Friends.  We have every season on DVD.  I have the majority of them memorized.  I seriously feel like I know these characters we know as Joey, Chandler, Ross, Monica, Rachel & Phoebe.  In fact, I use quotes from the show in daily conversation.  Quite possibly too much.  The mister and I will frequently say "How YOU doin'?" to each other ... ya know ... when we're bein' flirty.  I frequently yell "Old or new, OLD OR NEW!" for no good reason ... my hair CONSTANTLY calls for use of "Monica's hair is TWICE the size it was when we got on the plane!"  (can we say HULLO Texas humidity?!!?) but my FAVORITE episode of ALL TIME is The One Where No One's Ready, where this happens ...

{"You hide my clothes, I'm wearing everything you own, "Look at me I'm Chandler, could I BE wearing any more clothes?"}

And this ...

{"Hummus, I got the hummus."}

Always has, always will be my all time favorite television comedy.  I could watch reruns any day, any time and never get sick of them.  Believe me.  I've tried.

And now, ON to my Giveaway!  Woot woot!  And I'm super excited about this one blog friends.  My Silly makes these INCREDIBLE name frames (over $100 value) that can be found at her site, http://www.pinkdoordesign.com/ (among other amazing things like invitations, birth announcements, moving cards, stationary, etc etc - check out the name frames here, that's where her fancy schmancy pictures of the name frames she's already done are) ... 

{example of the one she gave me for my 27th birfday}

... and she is GIVING ONE AWAY to one of my lucky readers! Isn't that SCHWEET of my SCHILLY!?!?  The winner will have their choice between the brown frame with sepia letters (like mine) or a black frame with black and white letters, whichever matches your home decor better.  SO here's the part you've all been waiting for.  HOW do you enter you ask?  Well, I will tell you.  There are several ways you can have extra entries.

#1 - Become a follower (if you're not already) and come and tell (i.e. comment) me so.

#2 - Blog about it on your blog, posting a link back here and a link to my Silly's website and tell me about it. 

AND

#3 - Tweet and/or facebook about it and come back and tell me 'bout it.

I will close the giveaway next Thursday at 10PM (Cause really, who wants to wait up until midnight for the last entry?  I sure as H don't!) and announce the winner on Friday, April 2nd!  Good luck to you all and HAPPY WEEKEND!!!

(Disclaimer: The most letters the name can have is 9 letters and if it's less than 9 letters it will be the size pictured, if it is 9 letters the frame is a little bit smaller as the letters are cut smaller. Also, anyone entering has to be in the United States as they are breakable and hard to ship)

Thoughtless Thursday ANNNND A Giveaway!!!

Yep.  It's THAT time again.  Time to play Thoughtless Thursday.  If you don't know the rules, go here.  It will 'splain things.  And today's Thoughtless Thursday won't be quite "thoughtless".  In fact it's actually quite thought FULL.  Last night my mom hosted a little (and by little I mean 20 + people, we're from Texas kids, we do everything bigger down heyah, especially families) going away party for my cousins (and yes, one of them is a cousin by marriage, I said we're from TEXAS, not Arkansas ...) because they're moving to stinky ol' Arizona.  I mean, who would want to live in Arizona anyway?  Pshhhhhhhhhh.  Dumb Arizona, Texas could KICK Arizona's BOOTIE all the way to border patrol and BACK, BOO DIGGITY BOO YAH!

(PS - y'all know I'm just kiddin' I'm just sad they're movin' that's all)

So this post will be of pictures of my nomadic cousins (I say this because I secretly hope they'll come back, shhhhh don't tell) Mikey and his wife Joanna and their two BEAUTIFUL, PRECIOUS girls, Maddyn and Paralee.  I mean seriously these baby girls have big baby blues and (well one of them, I'm pretty sure the other will follow suit but she's 2 months so it's hard to tell) white blonde hair.  Literally little cherubs.  And I'm now thinking most of these will be of me and Jo.  Not that I don't love my (actual blood) cousin Mikey, but Jo's more fun to do girly schtuff with.  Sorry Mikey.

{Erica, Jo, me, my Silly.  MMMMMM Dilemas at Mi Cocina.  Yummy.}

{Kenny Chesney.  Well hello tan and long hair, have you not gotten my letters BEGGING you to return?  Why have you not responded?  COME BACK TAN AND LONG HAIR!}

{Kenny.  Again.}

{Me n' Jo at The White Elephant Party}

{Me with their first baby girl, Maddyn}

{Jo (yep, she went brunette, she is SUPER brave with her hair and it always looks A-DORABLE) preggers with Maddyn and Mikey showing HIS baby bump!}

{Me (looking AWESOME bythaway, that's what happens when you give a party, you sweat and "shine") and Jo at her shower at my house}

And lastly, tonight at their party ...

FINE.  Go to Arizona.  See if I care (sniff, sniff, tear) ...

But sewiously.  I love you both.  And your precious baby girls.  Come back and visit often (and I mean like every weekend, let's make that happen), mmmmk?

And speaking of tonight, I got to see this favorite at the party too ...

{My SILLY!}

And why am I so excited about my Silly (other than the fact that she's awesome?) well it MAY just be because she's agreed to do a giveaway.  And it MAY just be from her incredible website, Pink Door Design.  And it MAY just be for one of her last name frames.  So you MAY just want to get a WITTLE bit excited.  I'm just sayin'.  You may.  If you want to see some MORE of my Silly's amazing work, hop on over here to see the Christmas cards she designed for me, FROM SCRATCH.  I just gave her the picture, told her my idea and WHAM, she came up with this greatness!  I will explain the giveaway in full detail on Friday after my Favorite Friday post (there's just all kinds of link clickin' happiness in this paragraph idn't there?)  Oh and did I MENTION this giveaway is over a $100 value?  Cause it is.  Be excited, be vewwwwyyyy excited!!!

Happy Birfday To My MISTER!!!

Happy HAPPY BIRFDAY SUGAR (that's his REAL name, believe it or not, I don't call him "mister" at home) !!!  Let me just say, my mister does NOT like to be the center of attention, will BARELY let me get him anything for his birfday and, I have been well informed, if I was to ever, EVER throw him a surprise birfday party he would be ... well surprised, but more importantly ... PEEVED.  This is all no bueno for this little party-planning, present-buying, over-excitable about tiny things WIFE.  I can't fuss over you and everything that has to do with your birfday?  I'm sorry, WHAT?  Am I sure I heard you right?  Because in MY family we have birfday weeks.  Shoot, we have birfday MONTHS!!!   When May hits I start looking around for my crown and fluffy royal pillow that I most assuredly will be esconced on whilst being pampered every day leading up to the specialest day of the month (and maybe a few days after) ...  any of you ladies have this same state-of-mind?  No?  Just bratty little ol' me?  RIGHT.  I believe you.  Now my mister?  He actually FORGOT his OWN birfday last year.  Yep.  I'm sewious.  I called him, and with a cuckoo, delirious and lunatical (not sure if that's a word, but SCHA-BAM - it is now ...) amount of over-excitement, screamed/yelled/shrieked wished him a happy birfday and what did he respond?  "It's my birthday?  Ha, I forgot."  What?  WHAT!??!  How do you FORGET your birfday???  Do you NOT circle it on your calender, draw balloons and write "HAPPY BIRFDAY TO ME" sorta like this ...

Not that that's sitting on my desk at work AT ALL ... ahem, moving right along ...

SO, without further adieu (adieu, adieu, to you and you and youuuu - sorry sometimes you just feel tha need to bust into song ...)  Here is the picture tribute to my mister who SOMEHOW was JUST as cute when he was little as he is now ...

{Brand spankin' new punkin'.  SPECIAL DELIVERY is right!}

{Somehow he constantly ends up in places he shouldn't be or doing things he shouldn't be doing ... this theme will continue throughout the pictures ...}

{See what I mean?  If we have boys, I'm so going to have my hands full ...}

{What?  Does this not go in here?}

{Apparently we have a fixation with the potty ...}

{Matt and his daddy ... who still has the same full head of hair ...}

{WAZZZZZZZUUUUUPPPPP}

{Dad, you missed a spot ...}

{Look at that BLONDE hair!?!?!}

{He does this every day, but somehow it's not QUITE as cute now ...}

{Creepiest. Easter Bunny.  EVER.  My (little) mister doesn't look too concerned though, I would've headed for the hills (and stealing his/her - what the H is wrong with this bunny?!?! - Easter basket in the process) by then!}

{Loved Baylor before he even knew it.  Sic 'em!}

{I'm in a Robin costume on my bike.  What of it?}

{Heart. this. FACE!}

He may hate me for these next few ...

{Oh such a tough guy.  "I'm NOT smiling."}

{Yep, that's my mister.  He's hot.  I know.  Sidenote:  My mister won best calves on a cruise ship contest (and will hate me for divulging that).  You can see why.}

{My boys.  The day we brought Koda home.  See that pillow to the right?  Koda ate it.  And dispersed feathers ALL. OVER. OUR. HOUSE.  Doesn't look like it can do too much damage does it?  Oh how wrong you are ...}

So, HAPPY BIRFDAY SUGAR!!!  I love you more and more each passing day we spend together.  I am SO excited for what all our future years bring.  Happy 29th to the LOVE of my life, my soulmate and my best friend.  I LOVE YOU!!!