The Curse of the Bumble Bee

Yes.

Bees.

Again.

I swear, we are cursed.

On Saturday, I took the girls to a little community fair in Gilbert while David was at a swim meet. At around noon, David called and simply said "DON'T GO HOME. There are bees. Lots of bees." (Cue my stomach dropping...)

One of our neighbors had kindly called the swim school that morning to let them know that there was a huge black cloud of bees circling above the ficus in our front yard. David called the exterminators immediately, and when they called him back to let him know the job was done, apparently they mentioned that there were, oh, say....about TEN THOUSAND bees that were exterminated.

Is your jaw dropping the way mine did?

Coincidentally... Ava's little friend had left this lucky little charm at our house the previous day.



Oh, and did I mention that right before the last bee incident, I had just finished reading "The Secret Life of Bees"??

That's it...no more bee-related materials in our house. Period.

According to Pagan folklore, bees entering one's home is a sign of good luck, and killing those bees will bring terrible misfortune.

Anyone have a rabbit's foot I can borrow?



Speaking of rabbits...here are a few pictures of the girls in their Easter dresses. In true Tait-style, neither of the girls would sit still and let me take a really good shot, so I had to catch them on the run.
Ella, half-laughing, half-crying after church.
Silly Ava...
Isn't the back of the dress cute, too?

These dresses are so adorable, I think I'm going to have to get their pictures professionally taken in them. But...that's a chore for another week. **sigh** I don't have the fortitude to make it through another photo shoot for a while.

Oh, and here's Ella's favorite new pastime... welcome to the world of the chatting on the phone, baby.

An Angel Named Andrina

I was at Fry's Marketplace, picking up a few last minute items for Ava's birthday party tomorrow, which then turned (as it always does) into a full-blown hour-long grocery shopping extravaganza. I spent the time placating my children with snacks, bargaining, promising them some treats if they would sit still for a few minutes, try not to touch anything, "...don't scream, don't hit, don't push!!"...etc. etc. etc. Needless to say, the grocery store is always a bit of an exhausting experience, but a neccessary one, nonetheless. Anyways, as I am at the checkout aisle with my overflowing cart (and a few customers already in line behind me), Ava declares that she has to go potty, "NOW!" Seeing the sudden look of desperation in my face, a friendly customer service lady who had been fussing over Ella tells me not to worry, she'll watch my cart for me while I take the girls to the restroom. So off I went, one girl in each arm, hustling to the restroom as fast as my little legs can carry us.

After a successful (but time-consuming) trip to the potty, we finally make our way back out to the checkout aisle. I was expecting to find my loaded cart to be waiting for me, but couldn't find it, or the girl who said she would watch it for me. Inevitably, my inner-pessimist creeps to the surface, and I am sure that my stocked cart has vanished for good. Just as I begin to heave my chest in an indulgent "poor-me" sigh, I see the customer service girl I was looking for. She smiles and waves me over to another aisle, where she has single-handedly unloaded all of my groceries, rung them up, bagged them, and was simply waiting there for me to swipe my card and pay.

I could have cried. I almost did. I am on the verge of tears right now, hours later, just thinking about it. This sweet girl made all the difference in what could have been a terribly frustrating morning, but what turned about to be a heartwarming reminder of all that's right with the world. This girl didn't even know me. And she didn't have to go the extra mile. But she did. And for that - for her - I am truly grateful.

This customer service lady - her name was Andrina - represents a host of others who have helped me carry the large load of responsibility in my life. My mom, my in-laws, my friends, neighbors, and so many others have shown me a great deal of love and generosity in the times when David is gone, the girls are melting down, and my sanity is stretched paper thin. For the times you all have rescued me from the brink... I thank you. :)

Ella's Big Day

On February 25th, Ella Marie Tait turned ONE YEAR OLD! :)
I can't believe my baby girl is one year old already!

On her actual birthday, we celebrated with some gifts and cake. Ella was very good about sharing with her big sis.



Then on the following Sunday, we had a fun little family barbecue to celebrate the occasion. Again, she loved her cake, and got lots of cute gifts from her grandparents and cousins.



Now, Ella is officially in her big girl car seat, and loving every minute of it. :)

This little sweetheart has been the easiest, sweetest, most wonderful baby a mommy could ever hope for. I love her to pieces, and just can't imagine what life was ever like without her.
Love you Ella!! Happy Birthday!

Family Home Evening

While watching the following video, please disregard the following:

1. My garments hanging out of my shirt. Typical.
2. My coke-bottle glasses. Lovely.
3. My veiny arms.
4. My baby trying to reach up and "help" my play the piano.

On the other hand, please enjoy my daughter's rendition of "I Love to See the Temple". The last line is my favorite. She has her own interpretation of the words, "sacred duty".

I give you.... AVA.

A Sad Discovery

So there I was, at the parking lot at the gym...getting my things together before getting out of the car.

One quick glance in the mirror on my visor to make sure I didn't have any food in my teeth, and then.... and then..... well, at that moment my world came crashing down.

What I found in the mirror, looking right back at me.... was, well...heartbreaking.

What I found has changed everything....

What I found was......

MY FIRST GRAY HAIR!! (Sob, sniffle, sniffle....gasp, wail.... SOBBBBB)

I don't know why, but this shocking discovery really hit me like a ton of bricks today.

I am feeling very sad and old.

So much for being brunette! I swear I'm calling my hair stylist tomorrow. At least grays blend in with blonde...not left out there stark naked for the world to see like on us brunettes. :(



On the left is what I was shooting for with the dark locks, on the right is probably what I'll look like just a few short years from now (cue the sad music and violins, please).

Appalachian Baby

My baby is officially a red-neck.

I am thinking that from now on, she should only be allowed to wear overalls with no shirt underneath, chew on long droopy pieces of wheat, and be barefoot with dirty feet.

Please refer to Exhibit A, and pardon the pieces of slimy banana on her jammies.
In case you missed it... that's a serious snaggle-tooth I'm a referring to.

And this was too funny not to post, check out the pick of David trying to pry her mouth open for a picture to document it... Too funny!


She's not ALL country ALL the time... but if Ella's first word is "AIN'T", then I am seriously going to wonder...

A Brand New Year

I have realized why I love the holiday season more and more each year. Check out the pattern:

1. Recognize and be grateful for the blessings in your life (Thanksgiving).
2. Turn your heart towards Christ, and impart of your substance to others (Christmas).
3. Resolve to be a better person (New Year).

My resolution is to keep this pattern alive and well all year long.

Happy New Year!