Belated 60th Birthday....

Someone in our family had a huge birthday in March!!! My mom turned 60 at the beginning of March and we had a pretty big shindig in her honor. Her whole family came into town for the weekend and we had lots of fun! The cake above was purchased at Puffy Muffin - which happens to be one of the best bakeries I have ever been to.

My cousin and her husband came into town and brought along their Wii. We had so much fun with it!!! I never knew my family was so competitive!!! My parents and my aunt had so much fun with it, they both ended up buying a Wii on that Sunday. In fact, the people at Nintendo should really be happy with my family - in all we purchased 3 during that weekend (parents, aunt, and sister).

While everyone played on the Wii, Emily and Kristin had lots of fun making Memaw a banner to say Happy Birthday!

Here's a picture of the whole family after dinner and cake!

Hope you had a great birthday Mom!

Hannah Montana...

Since I blogged about Emily's love for music yesterday, I thought it would be appropriate to blog about her love for Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus. Emily can sing every word to every song Hannah & Miley sing. And on top of that, I think she could probably repeat every episode there has ever been made of Hannah Montana. (I'm beginning to wonder if that makes me in the run for worst mom of the year award...) We weren't able to get tickets to see Hannah Montana when she came to Nashville in concert (see I'm telling you, worst mom of the year award). So, when the 3-d Hannah Montana movie came out, Steve and I decided to try to get me out of the running for the award by taking Emily to see the movie. We first on Sunday after church. Emily was so excited, she even wore her Hannah Montana sweatshirt. And of course, it was sold out. Not to disappoint Emily, we bought tickets for later in the week. But we were very psyched to go to the movies so we stayed and watched Alvin & the Chipmunks. This was Emily's second time seeing it, but she absolutely loved it!!! And she loved seeing Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus later in the week!! It was really a great show - not once did I think "wow, that's a little too grown up for a 3 year old to be watching". As Steve said, $25 for refreshments, $40 for tickets (yes, $40), watching your daughter dance and sing to her favorite singer - priceless! Here's a picture of her beside the movie poster: (sorry it's not the best quality - not the best lighting in a movie theater)

Little Drummer Girl...

I only have a second to download these pictures, so it's going to be a short blog. I just love these! Emily loves, loves, loves music! Which makes Steve and I so happy, since music and dancing are what brought us together. If you don't know the story about how we met, you'll have to ask us about it!

We were at my sister's in-laws for Easter and Emily found a set of drums to play. She thought she was auditioning for Barlow Girl!

I think I know what Santa is going to be bringing Emily for Christmas! Maybe she can be the next Christian singing sensation!

God is Good...

Okay, okay I know the last blog was sort of a downer. So, I thought I would share the above picture. I took it one morning as I was out feeding the dogs. Steve was out of town for work (which does not happen often). And I woke up early so I could take care of everything I needed to that morning.

So many times, I rush through my mornings and don't stop to think about how wonderful it is to be alive. But on this particular morning, God made me!

He amazes me every day. Just when I need to hear something or I need to see something, He puts it right in our face.

I can not believe that I have a God that loves me so much he gives me a beautiful sunrise, just when I need to see it - He knows what I need before I even know I need it.

This year has been a tough year so far, but Steve and I know that God has a plan for us. If we look to Him through everything, He will provide so much more than we thought possible.

And he can do the same for you - you just have to put your trust in Him!

Update...

I didn't realize how long it has been since I've posted a blog! The no computer at home and crazy schedule at work has made it a lot more difficult to update on a regular basis. So, I'll try to catch everyone up...

First things first, Emily has a new haircut! I was tired of fighting with her when I was brushing her hair, so I decided to get it cut into a bob. She was so excited, she kept saying she wanted it to be as short as Mommy's. My cousin Megan has been cutting my hair the last couple of times, and Emily had the honor of having Megan cut hers too! She looks so grown up with it - although, she has definitely become a little sassier since it's been cut!

We have also had a few snow falls this winter. I took a few pictures while we played in the little bit of snow on the deck. Emily thought it was so much fun to throw snowballs and try to hit me!!

I have to be honest though, 2008 has been a hard year for the Barrios Household so far. It seems the first 2.5 months of the year have been a roller coaster. First, our washer went out. And when I say went out, I mean gushed water out during the middle of a cycle. So, Steve and I had to use every towel, blanket, and sheet we had in the house. And of course our washer was out, so we couldn't wash them! The next week, I chipped a tooth and had to have a crown. Then, it felt like maybe our bad luck was over.

We received some very exciting news, which I eluded to in my last post. We found out we were pregnant! We were so excited!!!! We had been trying for close to a year and were starting to get a little discouraged, so this came at a great time. Then about a week after finding out, I started bleeding. So to make a long story short, we lost the baby. I do have to say if it wasn't for the support and love of our church family and our friends, it would have been a lot harder than it was. So, now we get to have fun while trying again!

We've also dealt with Steve and I both getting the flu, which put us both down for about 5 days each. Luckily, Emily has not gotten it yet. (On the count of three, find a piece of wood and start knocking. One, Two, Three....)

We've had some good things that I will post about tomorrow, or once I get pictures downloaded. My mom had a big birthday this month. Steve and I are officially married, again. We are also going to Knoxville this weekend for my nephew's birthday and Easter. So I have lots more to talk about.