Happy Easter Turtles!!

I hope you all had a very Blessed Easter!

Wow! It was so beautiful today, I was thrilled!  This is how Spring is supposed to be (as opposed to the summer days we have had lately!)  So, as far as Easter Sundays go, you just can't get much better than today!

So, it was a really crazy, busy day.  Really though, what holiday isn't?  Plus, when you have kids the hoopla is magnified by ten.... per child!

So, we started out at Church this morning. (We were late, as usual...) I figure that getting everyone there, with teeth and hair brushed and clean (mostly not wrinkled) clothes on is mostly what matters, right?


The service was great!  It always is.

After a pit-stop at home to let the dog out, we headed over to my parents' house.  It is the usual gathering stop for holidays.  Great big yard and finished basement where the kids can play, be loud, whatever... without giving all the adults a massive headache.  
Seriously.  There are 4 boys, and one sweet little girl who manages to keep up with the boys.  
The stink of them alone will knock your socks off, so the location is perfect!
Luckily I managed to snap a few pics of some of them before they ran off to play in the dirt!

Well, I got 3 of them at least.  Getting all 5 kids to hold still for a picture in their nice clothes is tough!


So, we had a nice lunch with all the usual fillers!
We had barely made it into the coffee, but the kids couldn't stand it.  So, my sis and I headed outside to hide the Eggs.
There aren't too many places to hide them, so we have to be a little creative. 

They don't care, it's all about who gets the most (the fastest)!


As you can see, we have to give strict instructions before sending them out.  Can't have a brawl breaking out (if Lilly sees one she wants and a boy snatches it... yeah, it has happened.)

And they are OFF!

   

It never ceases to amaze me how quickly the eggs get picked up compared to how long it took us to hide them!
Why can't this principle work for toys???  If only.


We also had a few guests with us today!
Meet Timmy, Pedro, and Pokey.  

We seem to have acquired a lot of turtles lately.  There is a creek behind my sister's house where some seem to live and they manage to make their way to the back door.  It's over at that point, the boys always want to keep them!


Poor Pedro showed up once before, but managed to escape (thanks to her dog, Barnaby..)  Still, he came back.  He still had his name painted on his shell.  
Some turtles just doesn't learn.

Finally, after playing with their new pool sprayer toys and a bucket of water in the driveway (which was a great, cheap form of entertainment that lasted a while!), the kids treated us to a show!  


Not sure how best to describe it, but they practiced and had a good groove going....

I'm still here!

Yes, that's right!  I am still here!
I keep wanting to apologize for my lack of blogging lately, but really... do you want to hear that? 
Probably not.

So, this is what I have been up to.  It has been a crazy, crazy life since the cupcake business launched!!  Wow, I am so blessed by all the wonderful people in my life!  I have had so much support from friends and family, and have made so many new friends in the process! I really love it. (Did I say that already?  sorry.)

I can't even tell you how much I love what I do!!!  It is so rewarding to make a product that people enjoy!


One thing I have made myself do, though is make time for me.  Since I am working almost non-stop lately, I decided that I had to set aside time for myself to relax.  Even if it is only a few minutes a day.  That has made such a difference!  Every night, after the house is quiet and everyone is asleep I give myself about 30 minutes to curl up with a good book.
Love it!  It gives me a chance to unwind, and frankly I sleep better because of it!  I love to read, so this is the perfect stress reliever for me!


So, on that note, I want to know about The Hunger Games movie!  I am still reading the books (I am currently half-way through book 3).  I am curious how people have felt about the movie after reading the books?

By the way, if you have not read it, it is a must-read!  This is something everyone would enjoy.  My 10-yr old is even asking to read it!  Go get it now if you haven't, you won't be sorry!

You know, if you see a movie without reading the book first you will come out with a totally different reaction from someone who has read them.
So far I am loving the books!  I just don't want to be disappointed if the characters and storyline is not in line with the book.


Thoughts?


Now, on a TOTALLY different subject!  My sweet yellow lab, Dixie, is growing so big!  She is quite hyper (still technically a puppy) and does not do too well when I am out working a lot.  She stays in her kennel while we are not home, so there is a lot of energy to be spent when we let her out!
(This is a VERY old picture of her, but trust me she is getting BIG!)

My point (there really is one!) is this:
We have found the most WONDERFUL thing to burn off all that energy!!  Plus, it doesn't take what little energy you have left after working a long day, either!


I guess this falls into the "I Recommend" category.
It is called a "Chuck-It"!  We found this little gem at Target recently, and it is worth every, single penny!  I think it cost around $8.00, but I could be wrong....
Listen, IT IS WORTH IT!

All I have to do is show it to her and she is bouncing up and down happy!
This long, plastic arm-looking-thing holds a tennis ball at the end.  You simply put the ball in it, then reach back and, well.. chuck it!  It seems like it sends the ball flying for miles!  It certainly goes a lot farther than I could throw it!
My sweet Dixie can't help herself... she runs after it.

Now, normally when she brings back a tennis ball that she has so diligently retrieved, she doesn't want to drop it right away.  However, I take an extra ball out with me and have it loaded and ready to "chuck" when she returns!  Therefore, she drops the soggy, dirty, messy ball she just went after!


Now, the real genius is this!  I don't have to touch the nasty, drool-covered ball!  You can reach down with the "chuck-it" and use it to pick up the ball!  So, while she is running the marathon to get the prize I am loading up for the next round!  


After 15 minutes of this.... well, all that puppy energy is spent and I don't feel quite as guilty for having left her home alone that day.  She immediately comes inside, gets a gallon or two of water, then collapses over the nearest air vent and falls asleep.  

(Now, I just have to find friends who will give me some old, used ORANGE or RED tennis balls.  Those yellow balls turn a nasty shade of green once she has had her turn with them, which blends in with my grass....)

We bought ours at Target, but you can get them so many places!
Here is the link to Amazon:

If you have a retriever-type dog, this is something you need... trust me!

Okay folks, that is all for now!  Time for some sleep, but I promise to be back soon!