Speaking of teachers....

I always thought my kindergarten teacher was an angel.  She was the most beautiful, gentle, kind soul and she took care of me.  She was my 'school mommy' and she wiped my tears away.  She LOVED me...I knew this. That's the funny thing about teachers.  I don't think teachers always realize how children do not soon forget them.  How many children, like me...hang on their every word, remembering and cherishing those encouraging words, and being totally torn down by the negatives.  Every teacher I have ever had left an impression on my life, not always a good one, but I have never forgotten a single one of them.  Teaching is probably the most important job a person could have.

When I climbed on that big yellow cheese wagon to head to kindergarten, I was scared to death.  I remember how high those bus steps seemed and how totally unprepared I was for this whole 'social' thing.  I was so shy, painfully shy, and on top of that I was a pretty-plus-sized thumb sucker with a bladder control problem.  Now I'm just speakin' the truth here..the five-year old Joelle was a mess (and I know you're thinkin'..STILL IS, right? wink wink)  Of course, mom was all over the pee problem and she had met with my teacher, Mrs. B, before the school year started.  So I felt a little better knowing that if I did have an accident, I would have 'backup' bottoms to change into.  Just so you know, I'm leading up to my 'most embarassing elementary school moment' and it's pitiful so you might want to grab some tissues.  Seriously sad.

It was still warm, maybe late September, and we were still having playground time, which I hated.  I could never run fast enough to score a swing and I have never been able to do monkey bars.  The half-moon climber was fun but I was too embarassed to climb alone so I would usually just sit on the bench with my sweet Mrs. B.  Of course, I wasn't adventurous enough to tackle the merry go round.  No way.  The round and round would make me nauseous and I wasn't going to get on there not knowing who the pusher-around-er would be.  It could be one of the very wild little boys that wouldn't let me off.  And that would be..well, the end of the world. I have always been a very 'safety first' type of gal...'born to be mild', as my friend would say.  This particular day, however, Mrs. B decided she was going to get the whole class on the merry go round and she talked me right into hopping on.  I knew I was in good hands and I was actually glad to get off the bench for a change.  Plus, I knew we couldn't go very fast with the whole class crammed on that thing...I had convinced myself to finally have some playground fun.  I was 'participating'...making progress!!!  Anyways, I was one of the first ones on the merry go round so I ended up in the very middle, as the others piled on around me.  Oh, everyone was so excited.  Cheering and laughing.  Mrs. B started pushing...round and round we went.  I was actually having quite the enjoyable time but was starting to get concerned as my classmates were getting more and more excited and LOUD.  "FASTER!", they shouted.  "Faster!"  "Faster!"  We had already been spinning for a while now and I had already sensed the pee pains but I tried to ignore them.  Round and round we went, I was dizzy, I was nauseous, I had to pee, I couldn't hold it.  More spins, more dizzy, more pee pains.  I tried to get Mrs. B's attention but she couldn't hear me above the roar of the kids' laughter and screams.  It was too late.  The deed had been done.  It was almost an out of body experience because I couldn't believe this was actually happening.  I popped in my thumb, with tears streaming.  I was in total panic.  My pee was running all over the merry go round and all over my classmates' shoes!  They were standing in my pee puddle!  'JOELLE PEE'D, Mrs. B!'  'GROSS!!.  EWE!!.  PEE!!!'  'JOELLE PEE'D, Mrs. B'  'EWE, IT'S ON MY SHOES, Mrs. B'   And it went on and on and on and I was horrified.  Mrs. B stopped the merry go round immediately, she grabbed me up in her arms, pee britches and all, and carried me into the school.  She made sure I got cleaned up right away and held me.  She held me for a long time, wiping away my tears.  She could have made me stay the day but she knew I needed my mom and wouldn't want to be subjected to the teasing that was bound to go down that afternoon.  Before I knew it, my mom had pulled up out front in her burgandy Oldsmobile to check me out of school and take me home. 

After one of the most horrible days of my life, Mrs. B had made everything better.  SHE was the only reason I would be able to get back on that big yellow bus the next day.  SHE was my special person.  It didn't matter if the other kids didn't love me, SHE did.  I had HER and she thought I was smart and sweet and special.  I knew it because she showed me every day.  I love you, Mrs. B.

Homegirl got her groove back....

One thing for sure..my house is filled with laughter and that is a blessing, indeed!  I thought I would share a convo from lunch today.


Josie:  Whatcha eatin, dad?
CTK:  Chicken.  Josie, did you know this chicken actually came out of another chicken's butt?  It was actually an egg, but it came right out of a chicken's butt.  Yes, and then it hatched open, grew up into an adult chicken, someone killed it, and now we get to eat it.  And it's soooo good!!
Josie:  GROSS, dad (gwoss, rather).  Ewww, is this true, mommy?  It's not, is it? 


This was concerning for me because Josie only eats about 1/4 cup of food per day.  Two bites of a waffle.  Three goldfish.  And some chicken.  See my concern...take away the chicken and what do we have left?  No nutrition.  Good one, daddy.  Let's hope she forgets the whole chicken butt thing by tomorrow....or we can forget her eating chicken or EGGS or any other animal byproduct ever again! 


Well, things have been hectic here at our house.  We have celebrated two birthdays since my last post.  Jillian and Chris have birthdays one day apart.  You know, I was induced with Jillian and I got to choose the date.  I sometimes wonder if I chose the right one.  I could have chosen 12/11 and they could have shared a birthday, but I really felt like she would want to have her own day.  I hope that was good mommy thinkin'.  I do get concerned about the fact that Chris never knows his age.  Test me on this one.  Next time you see us, ask him how old he is and see what he does....he looks at ME!  (like I don't have ENOUGH to keep up with!)  At first I was thinking dimentia but at this point I am blaming it on excessive meat consumption.  I mean, think about it....meat, meat, meat - all day long.   (low carbin' it, he is)  Now he occassionally will add in an egg or a slice of cheese, but it's pretty much straight meat.  He does take vitamins though, so that makes me feel better....a little.  I think we both could benefit from some gingko billobongo-or whatever that stuff is called- I just asked Jillian to pass me the candle, when I really needed the butter.  Not good. 


And I have just been slacking about my blog, but I think I've got my groove back.  I really do love to write but I just haven't felt inspired for the past couple of months. One thing I did feel inspired to share were some old facebook posts....I had read some old ones the other night and was cracking up remembering all of this funny stuff...I hope these make you laugh because they sure gave me the giggles.  Plus, I just wanted to transfer these from my fb to my blog so I would have them in one place.  I will cherish these.

Jillian is practicing her Awana verses. She always calls Psalms 'possums'   right now, she is trying to learn Possums 23.

As I was explaining Easter and Jesus raising from the dead to Jillian.....Josie says 'yeah, Jillian...Jesus had to get back up to heaven so he can fix our food and give us money when we get there...and he don't want us to be alone when we get dead'. Lol..she's not too far off base though.

‎'I'm not saying that I'm awesome at tying or anything, but I probably can tie better than anyone in Bear Creek...I mean I might even be able to teach some people to tie up here, like maybe if they don't know how to tie yet like me. (and this is the best part coming up) I'm not twying to bwag or nuthin', mom.' The All-New-Improved-Shoe-Tying-Josie!'

Jillian: 'Mom, it's about time you say two words to me and I will give you a hint about what they are. They rhyme with CHANK and WOO'. (She had just watched the baby so I could take a relaxing bath and felt a 'thank you' was obviously in order). Josie just said 'Mom, I can't eat this healthy banana as a bedtime snack because it hurts my lungs....well, not my lungs exactly. It could be my tooth.' then Jillian says 'Shew, just hurry up and eat it Josie, the fruit flies are going to get us.' No, Jillian, we cannot put a certain family member's gas problem on the prayer list. Mom, you have to remember God made your feet that big for a reason.....Jillian is so sweet. I still wonder what that reason might be. Jillian's response to the tooth fairy this morning....comes out with a disappointed look on her face: "Ten bucks!?!? Way to dig deep, dad...I was hoping for THIRTY!!" ‎'In what way do I sound different from Adele, Jillian?' 'In every way, mom. No offense though. pause. Love you, mom.' Me: 'Jillian, can you all please go in your room so I can have some quiet time? Hud is asleep and mommy needs a break.' Jillian: 'Mom, honey, this is the LIVING room. And I gotta LIVE, ok?' Josie: mom, how do you spell FANKS? Like FANKS for being my frand? I got F-A so far, is that right? Jillian: 'I'm sure that robber wasn't always mean. It's like this: babies-always nice and good, kids-still nice and good, teenagers-start being meanie butts a little, adults-some get real mean and start robbing banks.' I just walked through the house feeling heavier than usual....upon looking down, I realized there was a pee diaper hanging from my hoodie string. This sums up my day to a tee.   Jillian: 'Mom, you need to let dad go buy a gun or a truck. It's not fair. I mean, look at all of your new dishes everywhere.' Josie kept singin 'I uhv my baby daddy' over and over at the dr office. very embarassing for the homeschool mom. :) I love my baby daddy...??? After about five minutes on the treadmill, Jillian looks at me and says: 'Mom, you are going to faint.' She is definitely not going to be a personal trainer when she grows up. I have decided to sit down and eat some Bugles. ‎'Mom, I have something to tell you. It's very important. pauses her movie. I believe in GOD. What I don't believe in is the tooth fairy, passy fairy, Santa, Easter Bunny, or Valentines Day person, but I do believe in GOD and I wanted you to know. That because he is a real person who died on the cross for us and I know he is REAL.' Jilli.. I think she was six. I probably have the only homeschoolers who have a T-Pain microphone on their Christmas list...lol.... -Shawtaaaay-Sing like a pro- Jillian just told me that her Papaw (my dad, a preacher) saw her and her cousin dancing the other day..He says 'Girls, that kind of dancing isn't going to bring you any closer to the Lord.'...I love Jillian's reply: 'Papaw, I'm as close as I can get.' Jilian and Josie made a turtle for their puppet show...well, they decided to call the turtle by a nickname....which was the first syllable of the word turtle (plus the D sound). They do not know what that word means and they did not understand why I could not stop laughing during their show. It was so hilarious. They are so clueless and I love it.

Happy Birthday, my angel baby

Hudson is ONE today!  Happy Birthday, weetie-pie!  Here are a few of my favorites from the past year:

Why yes, I do have perfect cheeks.  Thanks for noticing.

I'm starting to get rolls, which my mommy loves.  I also have a dimple and amazing pig meat aka neck sugar.

 Yes, mommy, you can eat my thighs....but make it quick.

I can even make man boobs look good and that is no easy task.

 I miss these days when he was only rolling over, not eating dead moths and sea shells.

Keep the prunes comin', this I pray.

Nose sugars.

I like to be naked, ok?  I sweat a lot, give me a break. 

Huddle's TO DO list:  Wrap daddy around little finger:  CHECK!

Wrap mommy around little finger:  CHECK!

Somehow get OUT of this crib and IN that big ole comfy bed mommy sleeps in:  CHECK!

This is the grin that gets me lots of neck sugar.

Naked again. But it's August, people. 

Calm down, dad, I am secure in my manhood.  I can rock a hairbow every now and then.

 I like to drink the tub water and get totally strangled at least five times per bath. 

THE onesie. 

If spatulas are wrong, I don't wanna be right.

Yes, I am heading toward the husky department and I'm ok with that.  Me and mom prefer elastic, one of the many things we have in common.  Also, please notice that I am an avid reader and quite limber.

Puffy, Puffy, Puffy Stuff...I just can't get ENOUGH ENOUGH!!!  You will only understand this if you watch Little Bill.  And we do.  Huddle loves some PUFFS!!!!

I rule this house.  I sleep where I want.  I am too cute for a crib.

The oven drawer.  My current favorite place to be.

This is my sugar-high face.

This is one of my two tricks.  I can show you my teeth and point to my nose.  Stay tuned:  more tricks coming soon!!!

Happy Birthday, Mr. Awesome!  You have already taken ten years off my life with your dare-devilish-ness, but I have loved every minute of it.  We are so blessed to have you.  God gave you to us in a special, miraculous way and I will never stop praising Him for the gift that is YOU.

Few days, full of trouble....

Well, I hate to be a Debbie Downer on this post but I have just been thinking lately how this life is full of problems....problems we don't expect, problems we aren't prepared for, and problems we don't know how to solve.  Thankfully, my little family has not had to deal with anything serious.  No major illnesses or anything like that.  And Chris and I both have good jobs and good insurance.  I realize so many deal with serious health problems or financial issues or they have lost parents or siblings or they don't have health insurance.  I know that kind of stuff is BIG, really big and I don't know anything about that kind of hurt or frustration at this point, and for that I am thankful.  That is why we really need to thank God for each day that we have and try to just see the big picture.  This world is not our home.  We are just passing through, but we are not walking alone.  OK, I'm about to break out into a hymn here.  Where's that pitch pipe?  lol.  Doe So Me Doe (then the 'hummmmmmm'). 

In my life,  most problems lately have involved dealing with PEOPLE and that is what makes them so difficult and emotional.  Over the past few years, problems have arisen that I did not see coming and  I really did not do the best job in handling them. Here are some things God taught me as I dealt with this stuff and these were hard lessons to learn:

1.  I don't have to always tell people how I feel.  Like every thought in my head.  I am an open book and I am honest and I have always thought that was one of my good qualities...Weeell, I have learned that being open does not alway have to translate into dislodging every thought from my brain and spilling it out of my mouth.  Sometimes keeping the old mouth shut can be a good thing.  My dad always quotes the Bible 'Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent'. (Proverbs)  I need that on my fridge, for real.

2.  I should not be surprised when problems arise.  I should expect them to arise.  The Bible says that life is a few days and full of trouble, however,  it also says we should praise God anyway because these trials work patience in us.  No wonder I am having extra trouble--duh!  I am the most impatient person EVER.  Again, I am so thankful for Chris because he really does help me with that.  He never over-reacts.  He usually just lets things work themselves out and is not confrontational at all.  That's a good thing, I have learned.  I'm just a fixer, what can I say...workin on this but it's a struggle.

3.  I have to go with the flow and not have an 'admit me to Marion' breakdown every time someone doesn't think I am MissWonderfulness or hurts my feelings.  People hurt each other.  Christian people hurt each other, unintentionally most of the time (I would hope).  We are just imperfect and we act emotionally instead of patiently and prayerfully (preaching to myself here).  I have to forgive and move on and not hold bitterness in my heart because that is just plain old sin. I shouldn't be waiting for apologies or acceptance or a lovey dovey hug fest. As long as my heart is in the right place, a place of love and compassion, then I am pleasing God and that is most important.

4.  I have to realize that I cannot be close friends with everyone I have always been close friends with.  People change.  Times change.  God moves us around in life.  I have great, close friendships in my family and I am thankful for those. 

5.  I always want things to 'get fixed' when problems arise, whether it be problems with the house, relationship problems, whatever.  I want the world to stop and all of the bad to go away and get some super glue and have some heart to heart talks and fix fix fix.  I have realized that most stuff, big stuff, especially the relationship stuff, can take days, months, even years to 'fix'.  God works differently in everyone.  But I will tell you this:  ME?  I like to make-up right away.  No matter what.  It makes my stomach hurt to be at odds with a person or a family member.  I want things to be back to normal and perfect.  It doesn't always work that way with every person (can't imagine) but some people just like to woller in it (and that is one of my favorite words, woller...just wish I got to use it more often). 

6. OK, here is a recent one and it should not bug me but it DOES:  It seems like everywhere I go lately, there is a homeschool buzz-killer.  I mean, here we are having a great time, my kids are learning, I'm having fun teaching, and things are going relatively smoothe...then along comes Miss or Mr Negg (ative) 'Are you getting them involved in enough activities?  You don't want them to be UNsocialized, now that's real important.  You do get their vaccinations now, don't you?  Will they be able to go to college with that homeschool degree?  What about their prom and stuff?'  I am serious.  This happens all of the time.  Random people.  At Lowe's.  At Kmart.  It's bizarre.  I need to realize that not everyone is going to think it is super duper that I homeschool my children.  I have realized that I don't have to explain in great detail why I do it or defend why I do it to anyone.  The truth is, most people DON'T think it is the best choice (and that is ok because it is certainly not for everyone), however, I am only being obedient to what God has called me to do.  I only answer to God and my husband...and us three, we are all on the same page so that's all that matters.  I saw a tee shirt that was awesome...It said 'Ask me why I homeschool!'  Then underneath, 'On second thought, DON'T'.  That is so true because it is such a touchy area for people.  I have found many people are offended because of the 'If it's good enough for mine, why isn't it good enough for yours?' thing.  I have told my children that public school is not a bad place, there are great teachers and great kids and they have lots of fun.....it's just the teacher's not as great as ME, the kids aren't as great as YOU GIRLS, and they don't have as much fun as US.  wink wink.  Plus, we get to learn God's word and that is something that can't be taught in the public school.  We get to learn every subject from a Biblical view point and that is just plain awesome.  So, here would be my advice to the HSH mafia (home school haters)---- you know the old saying 'if you can't say anything nice..' (you should know the rest)----well, that would apply here. 


God bless you all. 

Shewww.  Now, I'm really depressed and I'm going to have to go to DQ and buy a blizzard from the guy with the crusty fingernails.  Next blog----HAPPY THOUGHTS!

God's WHEEL

This morning, this girls and I were reading a Bible story about Noah.  I was trying to explain to them how dangerous it is to be outside of God's will and how Noah and his family were protected and safe because they were obedient to God.  I explained that the safest place for a person to be is in God's will and doing exactly what He tells us to do in the Bible.  Jillian looked at me and asked the funniest question:  'Don't you mean God's car, mom?'  I was obviously confused by this and asked, 'What are you talking about, Jilli?'...She explained, 'Well, you said the safest place for us to be is in God's WHEEL and that is weird to just say wheel...you mean God's car, right?'  I realized that I had never really explained to my girls about the WILL of God.  I thought that was so cute. 

The more I talked with them about it and thought about it, the more I realized that Jillian was not far off base.  Being in God's will really just means being in God's car...riding with Him, letting Him steer and lead the way.  Only going where He would go, stopping where He would stop, and having the same destination.  The safest place to be is in God's car.  I wouldn't want to ride with anyone else, would you?  My only problem is I try make Him scoot over and let me drive...Not a good idea!

These are a few of my favorite things (this week):

1.  SIMPLY VERA PJ's.  Listen to me.  You need to have at least five pair of these in your pj drawer.  At the end of a long, stressful day I look forward to these. They are so flowy, soft, and comfy (and beautiful).  Do yourself a favor:  buy these!  Go to kohls.com, wait for the 30% off sale and then BAM..you get Vera Wang pj's for about $25ish-$30ish.  Most all of the styles have the same material and it is HEAVENLY.

2.  IPAD.  I cannot live without my ipad.  $600 from BestBuy and we chose the 18 month, no interest option.  Our payment is sooo low and now, I am so over laptops.  They are so heavy and cumbersome.  The battery life is awesome on the ipad and we have not had the first issue.  Our laptops were always so touchy and always shutting down and locking up.  My girls love it so much and they learned how to use it in a snap.  Seriously, we fight over this thing!  There are so many free, educational apps.  I use it for their homeschooling (and shopping) and they learn so much (and more shopping) and I think I may even buy another one (and facebook) because it would help them get the best possible education (and more facebook :).  

3.  DUNKIN DONUTS COFFEE.  So, I have just started drinking coffee since the having of the babies.  I never thought I would be a coffee drinker and I still have to have the cream and sugar but I could not survive without my morning coffee.  I have tried all of the brands and I really can't find any I like more than dunkin.  I buy the original and I think it is even better than....dare I say it......STARBUCKS.  It really is.  Their scones still have my heart, but for coffee---DD all the way!  Try it!

4.  KEURIG.  Speaking of coffee, I LOVE my Keurig coffee maker.  I am the only coffee drinker in the house and I found myself wasting so much.  I like the convenience of the K-Cups and there are some delicious varieties, however, I use the personal filter with my own DD coffee most of the time (much cheaper).  If you are going to do the K-cups, I do recommend Kohls.com during the 30% off sale.  Go to retailmenot.com every couple of weeks to check for codes.

5.  ROSEMARY & PARM TRISCUITS.  These things are so amazing!  I use them for lunch time when it's just me and the girls.  I top them with deli turkey and swiss (american for the girls)...microwave to melt the cheese...and then I stick an apple slice on top!  DELICIOUS.  I love the flavors together.  Try them.  They rock.

6.  WHONU COOKIES.  Ok, these things just came out and I was thinking there is no way those are edible.  One serving has as much fiber as a bowl of oatmeal and tons of calcium and other vitamins.  Well, the girls LOVE them.  I found them at Walmart and they have chocolate chip and 'oreo'.  I feel so much better about letting them have cookies for a snack.  They are definitely a far cry from the real deal but it's something sweet for them, sweet AND healthy.  Wow.

7.  LEARNING RESOURCES.  This one is for the homeschool nerds (like me)  hehehe.  I love this stuff.  This website, learningresources.com, has tons of hands-on learning tools and games for the kids.  As I blog, Jillian is playing a money match game and this is her math lesson for today...such a nice break from the dreaded 'worksheet'.  Here's another tip:  Go to their clearance link and they have great bargains.  Web-Wednesday is the best day to shop because they have even more amazing deals.  To top that off, go to retailmenot.com for coupon codes and you get additional % off.  Two weeks ago, I scored 40% off clearance.  Needless to say, I stocked up.

8.  KNITTING!!!  A friend has taught me how to knit and I am loving it.  I was always intimidated by those long pointy needles...but little did I know, it is easy and so fun.  I can only do a basic stitch and fringes at this point but that is all is all you need to know to make a SCARF (everyone can expect a scarf at Christmas, btw).  So far I have made one for Jillian and am working on Josie's.  It is so easy to learn so if you want me to depart my vast knitting knowledge (joke) upon you, just HOLLER!  :)

9.  DOLPHIN TALE in 3D.  Sooo good.  Such a feel-good, CLEAN movie.  Enjoyable for kids AND parents (how often does that happen?)  Josie and I grabbed a friend and went to see it Sunday night.  Jillian wasn't feeling well so she stayed home with Chris and Hudbud.  I didn't understand that until I got home and she was running a fever of 103!  Josie is sick now too with high fever, btw.  I'm so ready for my kids to get better.  Sickness for the past week!  Anyway, back to the movie.  Go see it, you'll be glad you did.  I'm not even an animal lover and I fell in love with that dolphin.  Plus, I thought there was a good shout-out to hands-on, practical learning.  Sometimes books are so boring, you know?  I hope, as a homeschool teacher, I can see learning opportunities and not be so regimented with the books and worksheets.  B O R I N G.  Below is the only relevant pic for #9 here, Josie in her 3D glasses!

10.  And, last but not least, HUDSON IN HIS WOODY PJ's.  (Shout out to Parker for the 'HAMMY downs').....Of course, he is always a favorite thing!

I have realized while typing this blog that (a) I use too many comas,,,, and, (b) I ALL CAP WAY TOO MANY WORDS.  Please love me anyway and don't think I'm a bad punctuator, and, hence, a bad homeschool teacher.  Please.  I ,NEED, YOUR, APPROVAL!!!  ;0)

Love never fails.

Chris and I celebrate TEN years today!  I will take this opportunity to brag on my husband.  Here is a list of things I appreciate most about him:

He is the most humble person I have ever met.  He does not try to impress anyone. 

He puts our (mine and kids) needs and wants before his own.

His eyes light up when he sees his kids...he's the best dad I have ever seen.  He has made up silly songs about each of our babies and I still remember them. 

He loves my family and treats them like his own, which is very impressive to me and would impress anyone else who has met my brother...lol.

He doesn't talk bad about people.

He loves God and always thinks about what is right according to God's word.  He has integrity.  (should probably be the first item on the list)

He has never told me a lie and I have never told him a lie.  We trust each other.

He does my dishes every night after he gets off work.  I never have to do dishes.

He lets me take naps and never complains or makes me feel guilty if I need extra sleep.

He is always happy and content.  He is rarely in a bad mood and never complains.

He is calm and never gets upset about things, which helps me because I freak out over everything.

He is patient with me and all of my ailments...always sympathetic and caring.

He is handy and can do all of that manly stuff like change oil in a car and hang big mirrors on the wall. 

He thinks I'm beautiful even when I have no makeup on and my hair is sticking up like a turkey.

He doesn't try to 'fix' things/people the way I do sometimes, and this is a good thing.  He realizes when to leave things alone that he cannot control or correct.  I have realized that is a very good quality. 

He loves getting a package as much as I do.

He never expects me to cook.  He appreciates it when I do and we both love to enjoy a home-cooked meal together, but if I don't feel like cooking, he just gets out a can of Spaghetti-o's without complaint.  Where would we be today without Spaghetti-o's?  Don't want to think about it.  :)

Now, keep in mind I have a 'things that annoy me really bad' list also but that will be published at a later date....just kidding.  Happy Anniversary to the LOVE OF MY LIFE!  I am one happy girl and I thank God for you, Chris!