It's Out!  IT'S OUT!!!  Little Preston jumped into the car after school with a new hole peeking through his mouth.  He's six years old and he's never lost a tooth.  All of his friends have lost their teeth, his two big brothers have lost a TON of teeth...but no matter how long he's waited...there's been no toothy luck at all - that is - until now.

    Tucking him in his bed that evening, Preston kept his tooth safely in the Ziploc bag that he got from school.  His big brother Ethan showed him how to put it under his pillow as Preston hoped with all that he had for the Tooth Fairy to finally make a visit that night - just for him.

     Before giving him a kiss, we asked, "So tell us how it happened.  How did your tooth finally fall out?" 
     As he smiled a holey grin, he began to giggle.  "I got really, really tired of waiting so I had my very best friend at school hit me in the mouth."
     As long as I live, so help me.  I will never understand the mind of a boy. 
     Congratulations Little Man.  We're happy for your very first lost tooth...and for your very best friend who gave it to you.
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    Having a four year old little girl, I often wonder what it's going to be like when she hits those years of being conscientious of her appearance.  It's impossible to go through any checkout line of a grocery store and not be bombarded with the look of "perfection" staring at you from magazine cover after magazine cover.
    Just recently when we were at the airport in Miami, Florida, we found ourselves standing in the monotonous line waiting for security.  While standing there for what seemed like hours, it was hard not to notice the impressive styles and looks of so many people around us. 
    One woman in particular stood out.  She was stunning.  She must have been in her late 20's or early 30's and she could have come right off the show "Housewives of Miami".  Her dark hair was pulled up in a gorgeous ponytail with designer sunglasses resting on her head.  Her earrings hung beautifully and her necklace and bracelets were chunky and stylish.  Her long jacket looked like money covering her cute fitted shirt and leggings underneath.  Matching her fancy carry on luggage and bag were the tallest pair of killer shoes that were to die for. 
     I'll have to admit, standing in line in my flip flops with my four kids hanging on me and my messy hair, it was hard not to feel "less than".  I could never look like her even if I tried.  But then something happened.
     The time came for the woman to go through the check point.  She placed her bags in the trays, then she methodically removed everything from her sunglasses, earrings, bracelets, necklace, jacket, high heals...everything.  She stood in line - simply wearing a ponytail, tank top and tights in nothing but bare feet and she looked...normal.  Sure she was still beautiful, but the flash and cash were missing.  
     It made me realize that no matter how much you dress someone up, they're still the same underneath.  The quality of what's inside far outweighs the quantity of what lies outside.
     Sure it would be nice one day to wear designer heels through the airport instead of flip flops and crazy hair.  But for right now, it's more important for my daughter to learn that the value of what's inside is what counts the most...and all of the cute shoes in the world can't match that.  
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      I recently sat with a woman who was almost 90 years old.  She wanted to tell me something that was very important about her life - and it stayed with me.
     She began by saying that she was the second-born.  Her eyes began to search into her past and then seemed to gather sadness.  She took my hand and continued with a weak voice...
     "My parents had a baby boy first and he was all that my mother had wanted.  He was a year older than I was - and they didn't plan on having me.  The earliest memories I have are of my mother's dark eyes telling me that she had never wanted me.  I was a mistake that she regretted daily. 
     "If it weren't for the love of my father, I don't know how I would have made it through.  I felt happy and safe with him.  
     "When I was ten years old, I decided to pray to God, asking Him to come into my heart and help me.  I didn't know what the love of a mother felt like and it scared me that I would turn out to be just like her one day.  
    "Years later, I met my husband.  He swept me off my feet.  In no time, we had our first son and as scared as I was, I tried my best to love him with all that I had.  By the time our fifth baby was born, our hands were full.  Times were tough and we barely had enough to get by, let alone put shoes on their feet...but you know what?  We had each other. 
     My husband and I had no money to speak of.  The way we saw it though, we were the richest people on Earth because our house was full of love - and no amount of money can buy that." 
     My throat began to tighten and I felt my eyes well.  Turning her gaze back to me, she grinned and squeezed my hand, then continued.  
     "I just saw one of my daughters today and we had a nice chat.  She carried on about her children and her grandchildren and it was nice to hear about them all.  It surprised me though, when she said that she and her brothers and sisters had all recently had a talk.  She went on to tell me how they had all agreed that they never felt more love in their lives than they did from our family and from our home."
    Giving a smile, she whispered, "So I guess as it all turned out,  God answered my prayer."  
    I smiled back and covered my free hand to hers.  "He's pretty good at doing that."  
    Squeezing my hand one last time, she gave a small laugh saying, "That He is.  That He is." 
    To one of the richest people I'll ever meet. 
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    Last week, our four year old little girl went on her first airplane ride.  She was very excited about the whole thing until we actually got on the plane...

     Her little heart raced and her bottom lip began to shake.  I thought she was going to lose it after take off, but she managed to hold it together.  The view of the Earth dropping further away became a good distraction when the trees and cars became "so tiny".     
     A little while into the flight, someone from behind us stood up and told their companion they were going to the bathroom.  Upon this announcement, Lauren Elizabeth's eyes lit up. 
     "Bathroom?  Do airplanes have bathrooms?!" 
      You would have thought she just overheard someone say there was a unicorn sitting on a rainbow in the back of the plane.
      "Yes baby.  Airplanes have bathrooms but we don't want to go because they're really, really small."
      "Mommy?"
      "Yes Lauren."
      "I have to go to the bathroom."
      (Of course you do.)
      I've never really thought of what it would be like to take a four year old into an airplane bathroom.  Let me tell you.  It's not good. 
      The folding thingy ridiculous door was the first of our problems.  Trying to push it open, we squeezed into the five square inches of aroma filled space.  Pushing the accordion door shut, I became challenged with the task of how to help her.  I didn't want her to sit down on the seat...not that I'm a germ freak...but I thought it best to try and hold her over so she wouldn't touch anything. 
      Ummmmm, yeah. 
      I'll give you ten bucks to hover a four year old over a moving target the size of a volleyball in midair.  Did I forget to mention the fact that the bathroom sink was clogged and filled with water?  Yes?  Well, as I leaned over to make sure she was hitting the right area, my hair fell nicely into the cesspool of dirty sink water.  Shooting up, I unintentionally shifted her aim slightly towards the front which had her soak me down my legs and over my feet.  (I was wearing flip flops.) 
     "Mommy, I'm done!"
     As she smiled from her new and exciting adventure of "going in the airplane", I proceeded to bang my head from trying to bend down to wipe my feet and legs.
     Pulling open the obnoxious door, I wedged it back with my squishy foot to try and wash her hands over the filled sink.  Knowing her next move, I was able to stop her from splashing in the water just in the nick of time.
    As we found our way back to our seats, I tried to ignore the obvious looks and twitchy noses as the other passengers heard and smelled my sloshy shoes. 
    Collapsing in our seats, Lauren beamed as she announced to her daddy, "I went potty in the AIRPLANE!" 
    I shot him a look and he instantly knew it wasn't pretty.
    Before he could ask a thing, I stopped him by shaking my head and saying, "Don't.  Just...don't."  I turned to look back at Lauren Elizabeth - and she had this expression from that point on...

    You know...even if there really WAS a unicorn or a rainbow back there, I'm not sure that she could have been any happier. 
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       A couple of weeks ago, Disney cancelled a cruise that my parents had planned for our whole family.  The ship was undergoing renovations and they needed more time to complete the final details.  Disney rescheduled our trip for this past week and then reimbursed 100% of the money back.
       The kids didn't know about the trip, or about seeing their cousins from out of state...so we began the adventure simply by telling them we were going on a plane ride.  It was the first time we had all flown together.    

                   Prayer before take off.

    We made it to Florida.  When we landed, we headed to the ship... 

     The room was wonderful, but when we went to check the kids area out, we were blown away.

              Lauren Elizabeth and cousin Fiona.

         Soon it was time for a kick off party on deck.

   The rest of the week was filled with magical memories...

                     Trick or Treating...

                   ...and fun in the sun.

           Lauren Elizabeth, Preston and cousin Charlie.

            Cousins watching a hermit crab race.

                        O H I O

    The week was filled with more fun than we ever could have imagined.  Thank You Disney for such a Wonderful trip and Thank You Mom and Dad for the memories that will last a lifetime. 

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    The kids had "Duck Dynasty" dress up day at school for Spirit Week.  They were happy, happy, happy.

    We recently ran out to grab dinner at a restaurant.  When we do this, it's usually pretty chaotic.  Crayons go flying, one or two kids crawl under the table, the other two go running around their chairs and there's ALWAYS someone who has to go to the bathroom.
    This time, Adam and I looked across the restaurant at a perfect family.  There was a mom and dad with their quiet son and daughter sitting in their seats.  I shot Adam a look that was both depressed and defeated.  Then our four year old spilled her drink.  
    Cleaning it up, I began to watch the family a little closer and I noticed something.  They were all on electronics and they weren't paying attention to each other.  The dad was on his cell, the mom had an ipad, the son was playing with a Nintendo DS and the daughter was texting.  They brought these things into the restaurant...for dinner. 
    They didn't look at each other, talk to each other, or really even pay attention to what they were eating.    
    What was crazier though, was that they weren't alone.  So many people were on their cell phones or electronics.  As peaceful and quiet as their tables were, it was strange how totally zoned out they seemed to be from each other.  
    Don't get me wrong, I'm all for checking texts or messages and I'm fine with having the kids play games.  When the connection to electronics leaves us disconnected as human beings though, that's when there's a problem.     
   It made me come up with a little check list that I've been guilty of and/or that drives me crazy about other people.
   1. When you're in your car at a light and it turns green but you don't realize it until the five cars behind you start honking...put it down.
   2. When you're at the check-out line at the grocery store and you don't realize the cashier is waiting for you to pay...put it down.
   3. When you're eating a meal with other people and you haven't participated in a conversation or made eye contact in the last ten minutes...put it down.
   4.  When you're walking, (trust me on this)...put it down.
   5.  When you're at the movies and you've missed the opening plot and have to ask the person beside you to bring you up to speed...put it down.    
    I could go on and it makes me wonder what the next generation will be like.  I've literally seen people text each other when they're beside someone, instead of talking to them.  It's funny but it's true.  
    So, as for now, our dinners will continue to be wild.  Our kids will spill their milk and their little feet will kick under the table so much so that it will drive us nuts.  I'm going to try harder to keep my cell phone out of my daily life a little more, because that dinner taught me something. 
    Even though it's easy to make the world around me disappear when I'm on my phone or online, it's the french fry flying, ketchup squirting mess that's the crazy stuff I'll want to remember.
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    Growing up in the 1980's, I had big hair.  I don't mean - your average, run of the mill, big hair.  I mean, other than "The Great Wall of China", it may have been the only other man made object visibly seen from outer space.
    It was huge.  My hair is crazy curly and ridiculously thick on a good day.  When you took that - and combined it with a can or two of hairspray (while rocking out to Bon Jovi), I was good to go.  Then something happened. 
   The 1990's. 
   Pin straight hair became the new trend and I had no idea what to do.  I fought and fought to try and make it work, but it was useless...and frizzy.
    I finally found someone who taught me how to work with my hair instead of against it.  Her name was Kim and she was awesome. 
    Maybe it's just me, but you know how when you find that someone that you would trust to do anything with your hair?  I could just say, "Whatever you want!"  And I knew it would be amazing.  She was the best.  
    When I moved away, I tried to find someone to fall in hair love with again, but it just hasn't happened...until now.  
    I made an appointment with a new person named Lindsay.  She was nice and cute and I instantly liked her.  I didn't pay much attention when she was cutting my hair, but when she was done - I loved her.  Even after I told her that my hair was so insane that I actually had nightmares of all three of my boys coming out like Bobby Brady, she took on the challenge. 
     When I saw the finished product, it looked like this...         

    I wanted to hug her.  I actually DID hug her.  How she gave my wild hair such a good cut, I'll never know.  What I do know though, is that I can't wait to see her again. 
    Thank You Lindsay!  Thank you for taming the beast.  Take that NASA.  
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    What a beautiful presentation from a book of the amazing author, Janette Oke.  
   Set in the 19th Century, socialite Elizabeth Thatcher is eager to begin her new career as a school teacher.  When her first assignment is in a small prairie town in the dangerous western frontier however, she has a big decision to make.  Will she stay in the comforts of her lavish home and lifestyle with her family, or venture off to the great unknown?         

    When Elizabeth finds a secret diary of her Aunt, she reads of her past as a teacher in the frontier.  Elizabeth learns of her Aunt's journey and struggles, as well as of the (ridiculously) handsome man she encounters. 

    The Hallmark Channel Original Movie is a precursor to the  next Hallmark Channel Original Primetime Series and features three-time Emmy® Award-winner Jean Smart (“Designing Women”), Lori Loughlin (“Full House,” “90210”), Maggie Grace (“Taken 2”)Stephen Amell (“Arrow”), Daniel Sharman (“Teen Wolf”) and newcomer Poppy Drayton. 
    Lori Loughlin will continue her role in the series along with Erin Krakow (“Army Wives,” “Castle”) and Daniel Lissing (“Last Resort”) who round out the cast of the series set to premiere January 2014.
     The Hallmark Channel does it again with this amazing movie that will take you on a journey to another time, while filling your heart with love.  
      Hallmark Channel Original Movie premiers "When Calls the Heart" Saturday, October 19 (9pm ET/PT/8C)
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     A little while ago, my parents secretly arranged for our whole family to go on a cruise.   
     We had gone on a Disney cruise earlier this year and had more fun than we knew what to do with, so Dad booked another one as a surprise.
     The sail date was for this Sunday...as in days from now...and everything was in place.  Work, school and sports were all taken care of and we were ready to go...uuuuuuntil today. 
     My brother David called from Ohio saying, "I can't believe they cancelled."
     "Who cancelled?  What?"
     "Disney!  They CANCELLED!"
     "They cancelled what?  What are you talking about?!"
     "Did you read your email?  They cancelled the trip!"
     "They WHAT?!"
     My first thought was, "How is that possible?" My second thought was, "HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?"  (There may have been a few choice words in between.)
     After talking with my brother a few minutes more, we hung up so we could call Disney.  I had a million questions, beginning with - "Are you reimbursing people?" and "WHY would you wait until DAYS before a trip to CANCEL?"
     As luck would have it, before I could dial, the phone rang again.  I looked down to see that my Mom was calling and I was anxious to hear her take.  
    "Mom?"
    "Yes honey."
    "WHAT happened?"
    "Don't worry.  We just got off the phone with them and it will be fine."
    Evidently, Disney has been renovating their ship because it was one of their older ones.  Things took longer than they had originally planned, causing the cancellation of the trip.  What she told me NEXT though, blew me away.
    Disney was offering a full refund of the cost AND a free cruise for the whole family within the next seven months.  FREE, as in, FREE. 
    In this day and age, especially with the economy, that was the last thing I had expected.  I'm used to companies saying things like, "Well, you didn't have the travel insurance and these things happen you know.  Sorry!"
    A full refund would have been nice enough but a free cruise on top of it?
    So, at the end of the day, what went from good to bad, most definitely became a crazy good.  
    I've always loved Disney but now I'm beyond impressed.  It's not everyday that a company truly takes care of their people in such a way. 
    Thank You Disney.  Thank you for caring more about your customers than in the bottom line.  What a difference that makes.