Taekwondo Belt tests

Our two older kids take taekwondo.  It was something that we tried on a lark - just to do something different and probably because my kids are obsesses with the Japanese anime cartoon of Avatar.  But that's another blog post....

What started out as a "let's try this and just see if we like it" has now truly become a part of who they are.  Our little taekwondo school - Perfect Strength Taekwondo - was started by one really nice guy who wanted to combine the discipline and strength or martial arts with the compassion and love that comes from his faith....and he's doing a fabulous job.  After just over a year, we now have 3 levels of belts practicing together, sharing bible verses, and becoming an extended family.  It's awesome.  If you live anywhere near Smyrna, Ga, or know anyone who does, they should come check it out - send me an email for details.

Harper & Zane just earned their green belts - not bad for just 13 months of study!  That's their 5th level belt!

One of my favorite moments was their orange belt test - they had to break a board!  It was very nerve-wracking and was the cause of much worry - but in the end, they were both champions!  Here's a LO that I did to celebrate the achievement:

Template & papers by Crystal Wilkerson (Playground collection)  Font: Myriad Pro

So....I am a proud Mommy...and looking forward to getting the little wild man (our 5yo) signed up soon!

Daddy Daughter Date Night

2 of my 3 kids are totally "Daddy's Boy or Girl."  Ware is a complete Mommy-boy...but he is the baby and only 5, so things could change.  But Zane & Harper have been all-Daddy-all-the-time since birth.  In fact, Zane's very first act was to turn his head & look at Bennett when he heard his Daddy's voice right after birth - we have the picture to prove it.  But, I will spare you the trauma of seeing me immediately post-partum...it's not pretty.

But - this is:  on Saturday, our local Chick-Fil-A hosted Daddy Daughter Date Night.  It was awesome.  Harper knew about it since last week so by the time Saturday rolled around, she was literally vibrating, she was so excited!  She picked out outfits & hairstyles, and changed her mind, for days prior to the Big Event.  I have a feeling that Prom may send her completely around the bend and I'm a bit nervous about the whole wedding thing....I was kinda hoping for a ladder & a check....but since she's not allowed to date until she's 40, I have a few years to stress over that yet.

So - faced with the BIG EVENT that is a date with Daddy, Harper finally pulled together an outfit & hairstyle (with some very nice input from Daddy - he's a budding fashionista - who knew?)...and the two of them went out on their date.  It was awesome.

Crystal's {PLAYGROUND} Paper Pack Crystal's {PLAYGROUND} Element Pack Crystal's {Sweet Vintage Charm} Papers
Glitter Action by Atomic Cupcake Font: Pinktoque Dots LO Inspired by TTillman 25 Days template

Here's Harper's complete outfit:

Yep - that smile stayed on all day & night & even was going strong today.  Harper loves her Daddy..and that's just awesome.

It's February!!

I love February.  Not because of the winter yucky weather we Georgians endure (today = 33 degrees and rain.....seriously?!), not because somebody dreamed up some holiday to sell cards & candy, but because of some important days....no, not that one.

My wedding anniversary is February 17th.  I am married to one of the greatest guys on the planet.  He is calm and measured, thoughtful and does not run through life all willy-nilly.  I, on the other hand, tend more towards the bride-to-be at the last sale day at Filene's Basement.  We are good for each other - balanced - zig & zag, yin & yang.  This does, however, mean we have some LOUD conversations sometimes....Ok, I'm loud, he's usually not.  Plus - he's really handy & techie so he can fix anything...and I do mean ANY THING.  Plus, he's cute.  Yes, I am married to the only super cute geek on the planet - yay for me!  Anyway, the 17th is a pretty cool day.

My daughter - the fearless one, the one who "rocks AND rolls" - has a birthday on the 25th.  Which, oddly enough, is actually the day we originally wanted to get married, but because Lent & Easter were early that year...blah, blah.  It's always entertaining to see what she'll dream up next.  This week, she announced that she's going to grow up to be a Super Hero, a veterinarian, and a singer/dancer, and a great whistler.  Yep, that's my girl.  She will totally rule at anything she wants to do....and lord help you if you try and get in her way.

Another reason to love February is that we start seeing signs that all the winter gloom may be over soon.  We live in a city that is nicknamed the Jonquil City.  There are those pretty yellow daffodils planted everywhere - including our yard!  So, they start poking little green sprouts up about this time of year....it gives me hope.  This Southern girl detests any kind of weather that requires more than one layer & demands shoes.  Plus, the days start getting noticeably longer.  Fabulous news for us SAD sufferers!

So - what do you love about February?  It's OK, you can like "that" day.  I won't laugh (loudly).

Speaking of things to love - you need to go check out this fun hybrid project that you can use for "that" day or any day you just LOVE - here's my version:

and here is the original from In The Making Designs at JessicaSprague.com:

You can grab it for only $1 until Sunday night - woot!  The download includes .pdf files to make the exact one shown in the preview and .psd files to make your own version like I did - enjoy!