Unexpected things just happen...

What do you do when you hear bad news? Do you start thinking bad thoughts, do you go into quiet mode, or does it just depend on the situation? Well I have to just say, life just sometimes isn't fair.

Well, I heard bad news today. My mom called me today to tell me the unexpected. She's got breast cancer AGAIN! When I thought things were just turning around with her and she was beginnig to feel so much better she has to go through it all over again. The cancer has come back. I hate that word. I seriously just ran the Susan Komen 5k in her honor because I was so proud of her for succeeding and overcoming breast cancer. It frustrates me really, however I'm no one to question God. God has everything under control, God took care of her the first time and I know he'll once more do it again.

My mom is having to do Chemo once again and suffer thruogh the devestation of losing her hair all over again. A woman's pride right?! Why am I even thinking about her hair? I couldn't help but cry as soon as I got off the phone with her. I wouldn't do it while on the phone with her. I started thinking things I probably shouldn't have been thinking about. My mom is so strong. She was strong and was able to make it through the first time okay. I couldn't help but think about how I may not have my mom around for much longer and it just tore me up. My mom and I are so close! I couldn't imagine my life without her. I'm being selfish obviously, but I tried to stop myself and started thinking positive thoughts and how she was fine the first time and how she'll get through it again.

This time around she will not be getting radiation. The Dr. said it was too much on her body to go through it again. They discussed she will have a mastectomy this time around with reconstruction in the future. Her cancer is stage 2 as it was the first time but agressive. Her dr. said it's a 'mean' cancer so they need to get on it quickly so it doesn't spread, we hope and pray it isn't in her lymphnodes. She will start everything as soon as thanksgiving passes.

For anyone who reads this blog, please keep my mom in your prayers. She's a tough one, but I know it wears on her. She needs strength to get through this once again and for the second time look back and say..."I made it through with God's help!" God works in miraculous ways and I know He'll help her through. I want to be able to run the Susan Komen again and know she's overcomed it again and once and for all!

Wha...what! FREE Holiday Cards?!

Yep you read right!

Who doesn't like getting stuff for FREE?! Shutterfly is giving away 50 free christmas cards to all who blog about them. This couldn't have come at a more perfect time. We're getting our family christmas pictures done in a few days and this is perfect!!! They have so many awesome holiday cards to choose from too! It's actually quite hard to pick because they have over 700 choices!! Yep, something for everyone. Its given me so many ideas as to how I want to lay out my cards.

Check out these links on what Shutterfly has to offer:

Holiday Cards to http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/holiday-cards

Calendars are great addition to any working mom's office, fridge, desk, etc...: http://www.shutterfly.com/calendars

Choose your own card/invitation and URL from our Cards & Stationery page

If you are interested in receiving free holiday cards (you're crazy if you aren't), click on the link below, fill out the form and simply wait for their reply.

http://blog.shutterfly.com/5358/holiday2010-blog-submission-form/

Check them out facebook and twitter and click the 'like' button. :)

Here are some of my favorites:

Happy Shopping!

I naturally tend to go to simple, yet classy. I love this!

I saw this one and automatically was drawn to it. I see Avonlea and Arianna on each side with Robert and I in the middle. Too cute!

I love personality pictures and love the amount of pictures on this card.

This one is just so fun. I love the black and white with touches of hot colors.

I like the simplicity of this one. I'm a brown traditional girl. For this card, I would make it a family group photo.

Whoville's Cindy Lou Who and Baby Grinch

Last year I thought we did a pretty good job at dressing up the girls for Fall Festival/Halloween. Arianna was the cutest skunk and Avonlea was the cutest infant bunny.

This year we decided to be a little more creative...our girls were characters from the movie 'The Grinch who stole Christmas". We wanted to be funny and different. Most toddlers and little girls are princess's (?) or fairies right?! Nothing wrong with this, but every little girl looks the same. So here is my little whoviller....Cindy Lou Who.

People...I had to be creative with this one...i used pipe cleaners and bobby pins to put her hair up like this with a TON of hair spray. The dress, which I believe is perfect and so Dr. Seusish I literally found at Once Upon a Child for $4.50 and the cape was borrowed. This was the cheapest costume EVA!
She loved the makeup most of all of course!


Now to our little grinch. Sad you are probably thinking..but the girl is 15 months and has yet to get a head full of hair...so why not make her baby grinch right?!

Here we are starting out.

She got so mad, but who can blame her right?! Poor thing. I can't help but laugh and was laughing so hard then too. I about peed my pants.

So on Avonlea, my grinchy grinch-I spent $3.00 on her little santa outfit..which is a 6-9 month old outfit actually. She's very small for her age really. I spent more on Avonlea than I did on Arianna-only by a dollar though. I also bought this hunter green sleeper for $1.50 at Goodwill and then her face paint was a $1. Overall together on the girls I spent less than $10 people!!! I don't think I could pull this off again.

The baby Grinch...she looks dirty huh?! I wish it could have been better, but people got the idea being side Arianna.

We had so much fun and they got a lot of attention! More Arianna because of the hair but Avonlea because she just looked funny and icky. There were a lot of people who obviously didn't know us and would say..."His little grinch outfit is so funny" or "Is he okay?" lol...no one knew she was a she/girl. I mean look at her...she's green with barely any hair. It only makes sense I guess that people would think this.

Here are my whovillers

And by the end of the night she was out!!! She had too much fun. Avonlea too of course.

A night I'll never forget and will have fun sharing for years to come with my girls. How shall we top this off next year...any ideas? :)

A Great Song!

I heard this song on the radio and absolutely loved it! I wanted to share because it's beautiful. I could listen to it several times because it's so good. Makes me happy and emotional all at the same time. Sometimes we all need that extra strength to push on and believe! Please listen.