This & That

My Tyler Mattie has his first middle school dance tomorrow night!  I hope he shows everyone his wicked dance moves that he got from me.

Update - After the dance today, Tyler informed me that no one dances at the dance.  You just hang out.  Unless it's a really cool song and then there will be a dance-off.  ;0)

Travis & I wish it would get cold already, so that we could eat soup and bread every day.

I saw this on my way home today and just had to capture it. 

How precious is she?!

♥

Girls Gone Camping

Last weekend was a *Moms Only* camping trip for the ladies of the Eastman clan.  The three of us wanted to get into nature and have some down time.  We worked hard to set up a cozy camp, ate food like we'd never get to again, hiked around the whole lake in a thunderstorm and got out a whole lot of sillies!

It was a GREAT time!

Things that went wrong included:  the mallet broke half way into staking the tent down, a pole cracked while popping the tent up, a den of stubborn skunks lived near our camp, the potty was, at times, stinky & a lot of our stuff got soaked in a storm when we went for our hike.

All those things were stressful, but we were pretty proud of ourselves for overcoming it all and being able to laugh about it.  I really love these girls.  Really, really!!

We're all ready to head back up with our families. 

{{Hopefully soon!}}

30 Something

Thirty sure didn't start out looking like it was going to be any good.  It started out with a heady dose of female relational aggression that made daytime TV look bland.  Saying it was harsh, would be a lie.  It felt like my guts were ripped out, rearranged and put back inside my body in a way that didn't lend it self to normal functions like eating, breathing & sleeping.  It turned my world into a place I suddenly didn't have a place in.  Well, the good thing about this kind of pain and displacement was that it turned out to be just what I needed to actually be able to see and work on my own personal flaws.  It was humbling and caused me to seek forgiveness for the ugly things I've done and resolve to be different. 

{{Still - not now and not likely ever perfect, but better than I was!}} 

Being at the end of this year and close to the start of the next year of my life, it's easier to see the pain of what happened as the tool that, through His grace and love for me, God used to refine my heart and open my eyes.    

• I have the freedom not to worry about what other people think about me.  He knows me & that's enough.  Other people will think what they want to anyhow.
• I have the ability to face the fears of my twenties with an open heart & relax in knowing who's in control. {{Not me, not them, but He! God, fyi.}}
• My view of others isn't what matters either.  We all have issues!
• It's okay to protect me and mine!
• I have a gift and I'm being given the perfect chances to use it. 

Enough self-affirmation for tonight. It's almost time to get my aging bootie downstairs so I can begin my nightly beauty regimen.  Acting 30' something , not trying to look it!

XOXOXXO

A Touch of Fantastic!

Behold, the fresh mozzarella, basil & tomato on chibatta bread with balsamic dressing sandwich from A Touch of European Cafe  (<---click link for more details)  in downtown Glendale.  I've had this sandwich a hundred times and it is always fresh and delicious! 

A Touch of European Cafe is the nicest spot to eat.  The owners are also the operators and they are just as friendly as can be.  Today's sandwich came with these teeny tiny grapes.  I've never seen them so tiny.  They were delicately wrapped up in the paper and opening it to find such a treat was almost the highlight of my day... so, I just had to write about it.  If you visit this spot {{and you should}} make sure you're open to trying some of their homemade soups, because they're to die for.  This is where I discovered that I love Red Borscht soup, a type of beet soup that tastes nothing like what you're probably thinking right now.  I've also had their white borscht soup (♥) and my most favorite, cabbage with sweet onion.  Don't be afraid to sample the soup, you may be like me and find out you're a European soup junkie! I can also recommend their freshly made pirogi and kielbasa.  Sooooo good!

If you go there on a weekday, give me a call & I'll join you for lunch! 

Any time!

Like, how about tomorrow?

(Call me!)

Scared Straight!

The sun is down & the weekend's just about over.  It was a great weekend though.

Friday night I was given some tickets to see the Diamondbacks play the Mets.  I took two of my best guys with me (My Daddy & Tyler) and we had a great time.  Dad taught Tyler & I how to calculate batting averages {{... something about 500, I'm not sure what...}} and we ate oodles of ballpark food including a hot dog, popcorn, cotton candy, nachos, honey roasted almonds and Macayo's mini chimis!  The Diamondbacks won the game & we were treated to a fireworks show after the game.  Honestly, the show was better than the ones we saw on the 4th of July!

Travis was invited to the game, but he said he'd rather stay at Gaw's (Grandma's) house so he & Keira spent the evening with her.  When I picked them up, Keira came out the door carrying a pink purse, which she said Emily had given to her.  Grandma said she wasn't sure about that, but we were planning on coming right back with a suitcase for Emily to borrow, so we took the purse and made the quick trip {{one street over}} back home.  On our way back we saw a pair of Sheriffs and joked around telling Keira that we were going to tell the police men that she'd stolen a purse.  So, of course, I got pulled over!  She started crying and it took a while to assure her that the Officer didn't know about the purse and she did quiet down, but I'm sure the Sheriff wondered what we were laughing about.  It turned out that my license plate lights were out and after teasing me about having an  SUV and yet making my kid (Tyler) hold a suitcase on his lap, we were free to go.  Keira promises to never steal again!

Hehehe!

Today, we all (Nathan included) went to see Cowboys and Aliens.  I loooved it, but everyone else was only somewhat impressed.  What can I say?... Daniel Craig makes as impressive a Cowboy as he does James Bond! 

I'm a little naughty tonight!

;o)

Auntie Debbie's Day

This weekend us girls went to our favorite place

 {{ Dolce }}

for pedicures and time together.

What fun!!

Me, Aunt Debbie, Emily, Ashlee & Brenda

Everyone's toes but Emily's.  She was inside enjoying her birthday
present from mom, dad & us - 2 hour massage! My toes are the uber pink & sparkly ones. {duh!} ;0)

My Aunt Debbie is a very special lady & I'm blessed to have such FAB family to get pampered with. 

Next time we're bringing my Momma too.

No KOL For Us

US Concert Canceled.

Tickets have been refunded.

I'm SAD.

This was going to be my birthday present from Brenda.  It was going to be the Selph Sisters' Second Annual KOL Summer Concert Funday. 

Normally stuff doesn't start going to pot until closer to my birthday, but I guess the fun started early this year. 

♥ I still love KOL & hope they can pull it together. ♥

These photos are of happier times ~ last year's KOL concert.

I have the most prettiest & sweetest sisters, don't I?!

Our beautiful AZ sunset ~ showin off for the Followills!

My Toes showing love.

♥

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's.... Jessica

Last Thursday morning Nathan, Keira & I were playing around on the bed being silly.  Nathan had the great idea that we should "..do Superman with Mommy!" and ~ although I protested~ it wasn't long before I was flying high above the bed.  Like so:

(Nathan on the bottom, me high in the sky)

Flying went swell but we need to work on our landing.  When Nathan let me down my left leg came down on the sideboard in a most painful way.  {Where's an epidural when you need one anyhow?} I know I sound like a wimp, but it really hurt!

Here's the progression of the lovely bruise that followed.

Day 1 : When my dress pants flowing across my legs when

I walked hurt.  My leg hurt all the way up to my hip!

  Thankfully, Nathan felt bad and took me to the Dr where I got some meds. 

{I'm a baby, I know it.}

Day 2 : Didn't hurt until that night after my

back-to-schoolshop-a-thon!

Day 5 (present)

All the yellowish part is still sort of numb.  Bleh.

I really hate when people share pictures like these, but I just can't help it.

I'll probably hate myself later. 

:)