Blogging from iPhone...

Ok.. I'm trying something new out!! I hope it works! :)



Ethan swinging at Goo Goo's! He just got out of the pool, so yes... He's naked! Haha!



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What's going on...

{1} This week is our first week of summer break!! HOORAY! We spent Monday and Tuesday running several errands. Today we spent the morning at a local sprinkler park! The kids had a blast!! (and it definitely wore them out just in time for naps!) I'll try to post pics soon. LK is out for the summer, but Ethan goes back to MDO one day a week, starting next week. I am officially a full-time stay at home mom! The fun begins!! ha!

{2} In exactly a week I will be in the ATL helping my best friend prepare for her wedding!!! I am SOOOOO excited!! I have been super busy this week making sure that everything is in order. I've been buying gifts, making bachelorette party decorations, getting my house and kiddos ready for a week w/o mommy... it's been a little crazy!

{3} My monogramming machine came in and wouldn't you know.. Singer did NOT include my software!! Of course, I picked my machine up last weekend and Customer Service is only open Monday-Friday.. So, I had to wait till Monday morning to call them. I waited and called, they sent me the software. I got it today. IT WAS THE WRONG SOFTWARE!!! They sent me an upgrade, NOT the basic software! At first, I was not happy! I have been unable to fully enjoy my machine!! So, I called AGAIN! My mood quickly changed though, b/c they are going to not only send me the correct software, but also let me keep the upgrade!!! (which is $200!!!!) I think I can happily wait another day or two for the software to arrive! ;)

{4} I took LK to a pediatric gastro last week. She's had tummy problems since birth! Poor baby! She never could take normal formula. She had to be put on a lactose-free formula. It seemed to get a little better until about a year and a half ago. She started having a lot of problems again, so we took her to the doctor. They diagnosed her as lactose-intolerance. So, we made the switch to soy dairy products. She was also anemic (not surprising.. I've been anemic my entire life too!), so we started giving her daily iron supplements. We waited for a change.. nothing! So, I finally gave in and took her to the gastro. He now diagnoses her as having irritable bowel syndrome! So, we are sticking to the lactose-free diet, but are also increasing her fiber intake. Luckily, we've already changed our eating habits for healthier eating, but we have to get better!! PROOF THAT HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP IS BAD!!!! Kids just can not digest it! In our effort to eat better, I went out and purchased all kids of "extra fiber" items, including a $5 box of cereal!! REALLY??! GOSH! But, hopefully my baby will start feeling better soon! I've also embraced my new "job" and have made meals every night this week. (this NEVER happens!! ha!) Monday - chicken quesadillas, Tuesday - organic lasnagna, Wednesday - my grandmother's homemade enchilladas, and today - Turkey meatloaf! I bought pork chops for tomorrow, cooked with a lemon pepper glaze! YUM! And of course, we're sprinkling all of LK's food with powdered fiber.

{5} The other day I came across a picture on Facebook. It's of someone I know, not necessarily friends with, but I know. It's not really even a picture of this person, but you can see him/her in the background. (soo.. really weird that I even noticed it! ha!) In this picture, the person was smoking. I immediately judged this person! My first thought, "Seriously??! That is so trashy!" (If you are a smoker.. SORRY!! Dont hate me!) I then found my husband and showed him. His first reaction.. "Wow! That's real classy!" So, needless to say, you can tell that we both dispise cigarette smoke! haha! Don't get me wrong.. if you smoke, it's your personal decision and DEFINITELY not up to me to judge you for it! It's just not for me! I hate the way it smells and makes everything about you smell.. your clothes, your hair, your surroundings.. UGH! I also hate the way someone looks as their smoking... most particularly a girl! It just looks awful! SOOOOOO unattractive! Pair that up with a canned beer and you've definitely given yourself an excuse for a few comments! ha! So, back to this picture and my judgements.... basically, I dont really like this person to begin with. And considering there are only 2 people on the face of the entire Earth whom I dont like.. you can be rest assured that it's for VERY good reasons! So, I see this picture... I see this person with cigarette in mouth, canned beer in hand.. and I judge! My husband judges. I feel relieved that I am NOT this person and that this person is no longer a part of our lives! Then.... I felt TERRIBLE!! I mean, no matter my opinions about this person, WHO AM I TO JUDGE??! The thing is.. I hate when people judge others! It's my #1 pet peeve. I make it a point to not judge others! You NEVER know what is hiding behind the exterior!! So, why did I do it??!

Part of me wants to apologize to this person! But that would be very awkward! haha! So.. I'm expressing my feelings on here. I have a feeling that this person occasionally reads this blog, so maybe he/she will see this post??! I know I'm probably being silly, but I really do try to be a good person and I just felt so bad for being so mean to this person! Oh well ... at least I know that I feel bad and I wont do it again! :)

That's all for now... I think.. ha! I hope everyone is having a wonderful week!

Weekend Randoms!

Here are just a few random pics from the weekend...

LK and her Miss Congeniality award!

Saturday morning, Ethan decided to dress himself.. a sweater, a cardigan and jean shorts!! OH - and the blue glasses was just such a nice accent!! Yes, I let him go to Walmart like this.. and yes, he fit right in with all the other crazies! haha!

LOVE IT!

she is SUCH a daddy's girl!!

On Saturday afternoon, we went to Miranda's birthday party! Miranda is in LK's class. She and her mom are too sweet and the party was a blast!!

The best part of the weekend.... picking up my monogramming machine!!! (why we went to Walmart!) I am SOOOO excited to try it out!! :)

Kindergarten Graduation & "Jellybean" Pool Party!

Well, Friday was THE DAY.. Kindergarten Graduation Day! I still just absolutely can not believe that my sweet girl has graduated from Kindergarten!! It seems like just yesterday that we were preparing for her to walk through those big ole doors and now she's walking out! Oh My! She's just getting way too big right before my eyes! On the way to school on Friday (her last day), she even told me that since she is now a First Grader, she should be allowed to wear lip gloss to school!!! WHAT??! Pretty soon we'll be having fights over make-up and curfew! ha! And believe me.. she doesn't need the lip gloss.. the boys are ALREADY starting to notice how pretty she is! Earlier last week, she came home telling us how some boys called her a "Hot Tamale"! If you know my husband, then I'm sure you can imagine how well THAT went over! haha! He is VERY nervous about his baby growing up! ;)

LK's last day of Kindergarten!

Her last day couldn't have been more sweet! The morning started off with a music program that was just too cute! The kids sang, danced and played instruments for almost an hour!! I didn't even know that LK could play all those instruments! Kids never cease to amaze you!!

She was so excited that MeMaw, Goo Goo, Grandma Smith and even Aunt Debbie were able to come! Aunt Debbie works in her school (she teaches 4th grade), so she was able to get someone to watch her class.

The funniest part was when we looked up and saw LK putting on this huge, furry mask! We all just died laughing in anticipation of what we were in for! Little did we we know, but our overly dramatic 6 year old had landed the part of the "troll under the bridge" in the "Three Billy Goats Gruff" song! It was HILARIOUS! And of course, she played it up to no end! haha!

I took LOTS of video, so I'll try to post those later this week! They ended the program with a Shirley Temple classis, "The Right Somebody To Love"! I cried like a baby! :)

After the music program, we went back to the classroom for an awards ceremony. Mrs. Jeffrey had awards for all the students. Of course, Lilly Kate came home with the Miss Congeniality award! HA! We all just died with laughter when her name was called. Mrs. Jeffrey has been just an incredible teacher this year. We are SO blessed that Lilly Kate got to start off her school career with her.

Bailey and LK! Goodness.. I have no idea what these girls are going to do without each other everyday!! Luckily, I think Bailey is going to spending one day a week at our house this summer!! YAY!!

This is Mrs. Jeffrey, Kavia (Bailey's mom) and myself. I have absolutely LOVED being a room mom with Kavia this year!!

The scrapbook that Mrs. Jeffrey made for each student. It was filled with pictures and artwork from the entire year!!! How sweet is that?!

My Room Mom gift!! Each childs handprint was on the planter! It was so incredible thoughtful! And yes.. it weighs A TON!!! It took every bit of energy I had to get it out of the car!

After the ceremony, the kids left with my mom for the day. They went to lunch and swam at Goo Goo's house! It gave me the perfect opportunity to run a few errands! I went by one of my favorite gift boutiques, More Than Words, in Germantown and picked up a little goodie for Mrs. Jeffrey. She had invited the entire class and their families over for a pool party that night! I definitely couldn't go empty handed! :) She lives right down the street from us in Collierville and her home is GORGEOUS!! We had a blast swimming and chatting. The weather could not have been more perfect!

she was so nervous about little adventurous Ethan falling in, that she held on tight! he thought this was hilarious! he adores her and even gave her a big ole smooch when we were leaving! ha!

This was such a perfect start to our weekend!! I just can't believe that I know have a FIRST GRADER and a PRESCHOOLER!! (E starts in the fall!) Where does the time go??!

2nd Annual Stickles Spring Soiree

Saturday night, Chris and I hosted our 2nd Annual Spring Soiree! The name is actually just kind of a joke.. but it's stuck! :) We had several out of town friends back in Memphis for the weekend, so it was a good opportunity to get everyone together! We had such a good time! I always love being able to see all my ladies and getting to chat the night away! I never laugh so hard as when I'm with all of them. We were up till the wee hours of the morning, but it felt like only mere minutes with them! I am such a lucky girl that I have the best friends in the world!

Lyns came over early to help make a few drinks! :) Since I'm so OLLLDDD these days, I dont remember how to make anything! ha! I actually asked her if I could just google the recipe for the drink that we were making.. she told me that I was strictly forbidden to do so! haha!

Most of the ladies! We were still missing a few.. Amanda, Kelley, Vanessa, Candice and Kimberly

I absolutely adore these ladies! (OH - and you'd never know that April - in green - is almost half way through her 2nd pregnancy!!! she looks fabulous!)

Love my sister!

Jacqueline came all the way from Cincinnati, Ohio to see us! :)

Marc and Aaron are old high school buddies!

We look forward to this get together every year! Hopefully it becomes a long standing tradition! I am SO beyond blessed that I get to call all of these incredible ladies my friends! We've all been together for over 10 years and are looking forward to a lifetime!

Look at this INCREDIBLE desert that April made!!! She said that she got the recipe from a Family Circle magazine, so I am definitely going to look it up! It is SOOO yummy!!!

We had such a great time Saturday night!! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!