Kiddapaluzza...

Totally catching up here.  We went for the first time this year to Kiddapaluzza at the Pittsburgh Convention Center.  We got 2 free tickets from Giant Eagle, so why not!  We had a great time, going from booth to booth for fun free samples of may snacks/drinks.  The kids rode some rides, jumped on the bouncey/slide, and got to see those freaky Yo Gabba Gabba dudes.  Here are some pics.  We'll probably go again, but never if we had to pay full price. 

The stage show with Yo Gabba Gabba

Watching the show together

Merry go Round!!

Caitlyn and Snow White... she loves princesses now

Making her own wand

Manicure time!  What a little princess... these were all in the Princess Pavillion

Cinderella

Sliding...

Sitting in the Saxonburg Fire Department truck...

I see a future in this here...

Thankful today...

to be alive! Obviously I like to live for many reasons, but you never know when other plans may be made for you...

On our way home - yes the kids were with me - from Zumba today, we were the front line witness to a pretty bad truck accident that 'if' things had gone differently had potential for disaster. I had stopped to let an oil tanker back into a drive way from the opposite lane (which is funny... I usually stop for no one...) and we saw a huge blue truck coming down my lane towards us from behind the tanker. He had swerved to avoid stopped traffic in the opposite lane of mine, but then realizing he was gonna hit SOMETHING, he swerved back over to the guardrail on the opposite side of the road, nailing the oil tanker. In the accident, the blue truck's full fuel tank was ruptured, dumping 100 gallons of fuel onto the road, running right towards the van. The oil tanker was thankfully struck on the front end (which I think is why he swerved back over), so the oil didn't leak.

Now, we were never in danger, because God was watching us...

The truck came to a stop before hitting us head on, the fuel didn't ignite (thankful I don't smoke today), and neither driver was seriously injured. The drive in the blue truck went to the hospital for minor shoulder injuries, soaked in diesel fuel because he was trying to stop the leak. I snapped a couple of pics while I was waiting for the police to take my statement.

You can see the fuel running down from in front of the blue truck.  The stuff on the road in front of the red truck was safe...

Its also online and I decided to email WTAE my pics cause they didn't have the best coverage since they didn't get there until the red tanker had been removed from the scene.

WTAE's Coverage with my pic :)

The kids were a little shaken up, but we are all okay... minus the 'bad mommy' mistake of shutting Caitlyn's hand in the door when we were trying to leave. BUT there were plenty of EMS around to provide a Snoopy Bandaid!

SOOOOOOOOOO EXCITED!

So today registration for the Zumba Convention opened up to all ZIN members (all instructor-only events) and I REGISTERED!  I can't wait!  Lenny's gonna come with me to chill at the hotel probably... and attend THIS:

This is last year's Zumba Party...

OMG! OMG! OMG! CAN'T WAIT!

First signs of spring

I'm not talkin tulips or daffodils! I'm talkin 4 hours outside at the playground with new friends... Combined with sunshine and leftover snow piles, followed by grilled hotdogs! Ah... I love the first signs of spring!

United...

in marriage for 6 years tomorrow - February 21, 2004

Yellow...

The next color in Benjamin's quest for the Black Belt...

He tested on Friday, February 12th from his Orange Tiger Belt to Yellow Belt.  Unfortunately, Caitlyn and I ended up with the flu and after she puked on me in the waiting room before Benjamin even got on the floor, we had to leave.  So I missed it but Lenny got some pics.  We are so proud of our little Tae Kwon Do Peanut!!!

 Ben's the blond (imagine that)... His One Step

Next was his form...

And there you go folks, the newest Yellow Belt in the Sarver ATA Tiny Tigers!!!

And to show off at home a little to mommy since I missed it... look at that KICK!!!!

Don't mess with this kid, folks!!

So proud... don't my disastrous appearance, I had the flu!

Ben and Daddy playin' around!

This kid amazes me every day.  He is capable of so much and with his little time in TKD, he is far exceeding our expectations.  Next up, Cougar Yellow... I think... its some kind of wild animal.  ;-)

Going Dark...

So I'm like a space shuttle rounding the moon on the opposite side of the Earth... I am going dark... on FaceBook.  I have made a decision, inspired by a close friend, to give up FaceBook completely for Lent.  No, I am not Catholic, but a New Year's Resolution had brought me back to the church and I decided to give something up this year... not because I have to, but because I want to...

So I contemplated coffee.  Well that pretty much flew out the window into the 3 foot snow piles... cause I couldn't last more than a day or two.  Then I thought about chocolate or sweets in general.  But for me, that isn't a true sacrifice... I could do without them on any given day.  So I moved on to fast food... well with toddlers and being on the run constantly, that's just darned near impossible and I have tried that and failed miserably before. 

And so it is... FaceBook is my sacrifice this year for Lent.  Anyone who knows me knows, that I spend probably 75% of my day on FB, whether on my computer or phone.  It hit me today after my friend gave me the idea that that percentage is absolutely ridiculous!  Imagine how much sh!t I could get done in that time!  I suck as a wife lately, am totally slacking as a mom... and what do I have to show for it... FaceBook posts and status updates! 

So, keep track of me here... I will try to post more frequently... and keep me posted on your lives!  I will be on email, my normal forums that I frequent, but my true addiction, Facebook, will not see me for 40 days!  It really is all about sacrifice, and whats the point if its something easy!?  And really in the long run, I see MUCH more benefit coming out of this than bringing me closer to the Lord... really.