Barney Date

Good Thursday morning!

The Showcase Pic this morning is of our April Special Guest... LEANNA BROWN! That's right. LeAnna graciously agreed to answer personal questions about herself and family, and share them with the world... or the dozen or so people who actually read A Simple Life. Thank you, LeAnna. You can read Part One of her interview below.

The Gallery Pics are from the tennis match Roxie and friends attended Tuesday evening. Just a few more shots of very photogenic chicks... who are ALWAYS willing to have their picture taken. You've gotta love girls.

RANDOMNESS #1 - I know you think I've "wimped out." I know you think I'm scared to take a picture of the broken mailbox duct taped to the pedestal. But believe me, it is a high traffic area. (Code for WAY TOO MANY WITNESSES.) If I have enough Novocaine in my system after my dental visit today, I'm going to give it another try. (When your entire face, neck and ears are numb, I have found you tend to not care as much about being arrested or other little things in life. But that may just be me.)

RANDOMNESS #2 - As mentioned above, today is "Permanent Crown Day" again. Or as I like to call it, "The Reason I'm Taking DOUBLE Austin Went to College, Josh is Driving and Roxie is a Teenager Medication." I'll probably be mentioning my visit in tomorrow's post.

EASTER "OLDIE"

This is a great tip for dyeing Easter eggs with your little ones taken straight from my Family Fun Magazine. Put the eggs in wire whisks. The whisks hold the eggs securely so the kids can dip them without dropping and cracking them. This method works like a charm and lets even the youngest child dye eggs on their own.

The idea came from Melinda Trudeau from Chewelah, Washington. I think it is brilliant!

SPECIAL GUEST - LEANNA BROWN - PART ONE

LeAnna is our sixth Special Guest on A Simple Life, and she did an outstanding job answering all the questions I posed.

As I mentioned in my hints, she is the second person I met when Mike and I first visited Gardendale First Baptist. She quickly became one of my scrapbooking buddies, and she is generous, talented and sentimental. She is a great mom to her two boys, Alex and Adam, and a fantastic wife to her husband, Jimmy.

She is funny and quick to laugh (which are such good qualities), but she is very practical and down-to-earth, too. She can calm an overly-emotional friend very easily. (Not me... other people. I'm never overly-emotional.)

Here is the first part of LeAnna's in-depth interview...

1. Name three places in the U.S. you've never been, but have always wanted to go... and why?

The first place I want to go is HAWAII!!! (I am a Beach Bum at heart!) Number 2 is New York, and Number 3 is Washington D.C.

2. If your life was made into a movie, would it be considered (mainly) a comedy, drama, action/adventure or a romantic chick flick?

My movie would definitely be a DRAMA!!! Our whole life is nothing but DRAMA, DRAMA, DRAMA! LOL. (This answer surprised me a little. Her children are so well-behaved, and her husband seems nice enough. The drama must come from her beagle, Buddy... which she has tried to "give" to me several times on the pretense he needs friends. Buddy's a sweet dog. He just went through a few years where he was absolutely crazy! You know. Like a teenager!)

3. Not counting the days you were saved, married, or the birth of your children, what are two of the most significant, life-altering days you can remember, and why?

The day my Mom died was probably the most life changing for me. It is a different feeling to not have your Mom to talk to anymore!

4. What was your worst dating experience?

Hmmmm... So many to choose from. Probably a blind date that my cousin set me up on with someone who was just a dud! I tried to keep conversation going all night, and was just exhausted by the end of the evening! He just didn't have much to say. (I have to agree with LeAnna. Nine times out of ten if you answer the question, "What was your worst dating experience?" you are going to get the answer, "Oh, it was a blind date." Been there, and I feel your pain.)

5. How many siblings do you have, and where do you fall in the mix?

I have one sister, and I am the oldest.

6. In as few words as possible, what is the most important lesson you want your children to have learned before leaving your home?

I want my children to know they are loved not only by their family, but by their Heavenly Father! I want them to know they can ALWAYS come home, and they can do anything they set their minds to do.

7. What is one surprising thing people do NOT know about you?

I have a degree in Electrical Engineering. (It's not that LeAnna doesn't appear to be ultra-smart. I just didn't imagine myself having as much fun with an Electrical Engineer as I did with LeAnna. She's not what you imagine an Electrical Engineer to be on a typical day! She's the whole package, baby!)

8. Dog lover or cat lover?

Dog lover, I guess. I don't like cats at all.

9. Who are you most like... your mother or your father?

I am more like my Mom than my Dad. My Mom and I are big talkers, and my sister and Dad hardly ever talk! I seem to have my Dad's family features, though.

10. Did you grow up in a small church or a large church?

I grew up in a very small church. I remember one year our goal for High Attendance Sunday was 100.

11. What is your favorite holiday, and why?

Of course, Christmas! I love the music, decorations, and the whole "feeling" of Christmas! I love going shopping the day after Thanksgiving at 3:30 a.m. (and remember, I am not a morning person) to get that "deal" on the perfect gift! (She's right. She is NOT a morning person. She doesn't bite your head off, but she's a little quiet for the first hour or so until the adrenaline gets going. I'm like that until around 2:00 p.m. I'm kind of a mid-afternoon person... and then it's downhill from there.)

LeAnna will share more of her story tomorrow. She will be available for autographs after 3:00 this afternoon. E-mail me, and I'll be glad to give out her address. I'm sure she won't mind.

Blog Linkage - I have two links for you to read today... and you MUST read them! Both of them are under My Blog List, so they are easy to get to from here.

1. Ready Jody's post on Nitty.Gritty. entitled "Experiencing Everyday Grace" dated Monday, March 29. Jody shares some of the realities of having a special needs child, but also shares the "secret" to overcoming the daily struggles... God's Grace! Beautiful post.

2. This post was so interesting to me. Tara (click on tara whitney photography under My Blog List) took pictures around her house and entitled the post "These are the places my eyes like to land." It is dated March 30. It is wonderful. It is just a little picture essay of things and places in her home which make her smile. I'm going to try this today, and in the Gallery Pics tomorrow, you will be able to see the "places my eyes like to land" in my own home. Very interesting concept.

Barney Date

If you have a preschooler, this is THE date for you! Barney will be at the McWane Center Saturday, April 24. He'll be there from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Here's the kicker, folks! Admission is discounted that day to $5 for everybody. (Of course members are free.) The admission includes the Barney Show and museum admission. (It does NOT include the IMAX.) If you are not a member, this is a GREAT price. If your child loves Barney, again... this is a GREAT price.

I agree with everyone reading this segment this would be a great time for the whole family to enjoy the museum, but the one-on-one time at McWane is fantastic. Being able to spend as much time as your date wants at the exhibits which interest him/her without chasing the other kiddos around is priceless.

Watch Barney perform live on stage, explore the museum and enjoy a full day of activities.

Mark the date on your calendar today (in pen) and plan on making this a special day for you and your extra-special date!

Have a tremendous Thursday. It is absolutely the BEST day of the week... to me! Check back tomorrow for more of LeAnna's interview, Weekend Happenings, the last Easter "oldie" before the actual holiday, and my picture essay on "These are the places my eyes like to land."

Have a wonderful Easter. Share this time with family and friends... and as always, in the middle of all the egg hunts, dinners, Easter baskets and trips to the mall, remember the true reason we stop and celebrate this important day. If at all possible, worship and celebrate this holiday as a family at a church near you.

Take care, and I'll talk to you Monday.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda