Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Date Night with my Bitty girl.

Here is something upbeat for a change of pace.... My posts lately have been a little bit on the down side lately, well mostly because I have been feeling really down...... But this post is going to be a little more upbeat. I have started a new thing with my oldest daughter, a "date" night with just her and I. I have always tried to do things with her alone since her baby sister came along because she does get very jealous of her, but these date nights are going to be extra special outings for just her and I. She needs the mommy and me time more than ever now with how upside down our world is.
So our first special date night-All Fired Up! a paint your own pottery place here in Orlando. She had a blast and I picked the night that they were having a movie and popcorn night and $5 off if you wore Pjs!


Sorry for the tags all over the picture but you really can not trust people anymore not to steal pictures of your children.


We both painted Piggy banks to save money for our up coming Disney cruise to celebrate my graduation from college. Bitty did most of the work painting her own piggy with a little help spreading out big lumps and getting the underside, and she asked me to add Mickey's so he has Mickey Mouse freckles. :) The back of my owl bank I put Mommy on the Purple and then my Bitty's name on the pink and my dinky's name on the green. :) Hopefully we can fill them up before our trip!

It was not the cheapest date, our projects cost $25.00 each but that does include glazing and firing of the pieces. The only thing that I could say about this place verse good old Glaze Underfire when it was still open is that, the paint brushes are in horrible shape and their paint pallets, all though cute, had me going to the paint station more than I would have liked to have been, considering I was alone with my 3 year old in a place with breakable items and paint.

I think we will defiantly go again and when Dinky gets a little older she can join us and it can be girls night. :)

Thursday, April 25, 2013

RIP Kenneth Gayle Snipes, Sr.

 

  
Kenneth Gayle Snipes, Sr.
(March 8, 1955 - April 20, 2013)                    
        Kenneth Gayle Snipes, Sr., 58, of Fort Payne passed away Saturday, April 20, 2013 at his home. He was the owner of Snipes Pest Control.      

He is survived by his sons John (Rachel) Snipes of Decatur and Kenn (Abby) Snipes of Orlando, FL, brother Rick Snipes, sister Ann(Denny) Mashburn, and grandchildren Cecilia Joan Snipes and Harper Gayle Snipes.
My heart is breaking for my husband. His father passed away last week and I can not imagine the pain that he is feeling right now. Although there relationship was a bit awkward at times, there was so much love in that father and son relationship. My husband and his brother were my father-in-law's world and he would do anything for those boys.
What do you even say to someone who has lost a parent? I remember standing with Big Ken at his own father's funeral and he stood silent for the longest time before saying that he was now an orphan, as his mother had also passed away a few years before. All I could do was give the big guy a hug, I had no words, and now with Big Ken's passing I have no words that will comfort my husband. Afraid to say the wrong thing all I can do is be here and hope he knows how much I love him and that I am here for him.
I had only known Big Ken the last 9 years or so but I always felt welcomed by him. There was a time that he was the only member of my husband's family that I got along with because I am painfully shy but some how Big Ken always brought me out of my shell and I so glad for that because I have good memories of him that I can share with my husband as we continue through life. I have stories that I can share with our little girls as they grow older and ask about him. I am sad that he was only weeks away from meeting his newest grand baby as I know those little squishy faces always made him smile, thankfully my husband was able to Skype with him a bit over the last few months so he could see the girls in action. :) I am sure that meant a lot to him.
I posted this on the memory wall for him on Facebook but I wanted to just share it here also.
Since I cannot be there in person on Thursday to share in my own memories of my father in law I wanted to share something here.

One of the things I always loved about Big Ken was that he and I could BS and pick at each other without hard feelings. He was as stubborn as the day is long but I am just as stubborn and feisty, which kept it interesting. Lol It was our silly way of getting along with each other the last nine years. Although in the beginning I am sure he did not know what to think of this strong willed girl taking his sweet baby boy’s heart..

I will never forget his kindness and that beneath that rough exterior (and wild hair) that he was just the softest teddy bear you’d ever meet. There were a handful of times that he was honest with me in ways he was not with little Kenn and it showed me that he was doing whatever he could to protect his boys from feeling hurt, being the best dad he knew how to be for them.

My heart is breaking for Kenn and John and the rest of the Snipes family. I am sad that he will not meet his littlest granddaughter or see John and Rachel marry next month, but I know he will be with us all always in spirit and we will keep him alive with our memories of him, from here on out. We have lost another great one and our lives are forever changed.