For so many things!

We had another great night with the kids celebrating Travis's birthday! We always drive away smiling and so full of joy! We are so proud of our three kids ! They are great company with such sweet,giving hearts. I can hardly believe they are mine.

I also loved seeing the excitement on Steve's face about golfing with the boys on Saturday. They had planned it as his Fathers Day gift and he looked forward to it all week!  When they got out of the car I asked Chad how it was and he replied  "epic"
Nothing could be a better gift for this poppa than time with his kids. And guess who won again  ??  Then it was off to Sammy's for dinner to celebrate.

This week I will be going back to my old store for a few weeks and I am sooo excited! I feel like I have been gone forever and can hardly wait to hug some precious customers and see my friends! Thank you Trish for asking me to fill in.
Rest up girls cause we are gonna have some fun!

I hope you all have a great week filled with love,joy, and giggles!
Read a book...catch coffee with a friend...pick flowers from your yard...write someone a note...call a old friend...Take time to thank God for all the blessings we have!
I will never be rich or famous and I certainly have so many flaws that could drag me down,but my days are quietly filled with so many little blessings that have added  up to a life filled with joy and great memories!

I saved the BEST for last!

My time in Nashville was amazing! The music, the stars, but the real stars of Nashville are the kids at my brothers store and my very own family! Words can not express the joy I feel being in their presence. I have always been close to my family and being separated by so many miles has been miserable. But when we are together it feels perfect! I laugh constantly with Dave and I am clearly not the only one. He was Captain Jack at vacation bible school and he got a thank you note from one of the kids that asked what we all wonder??

Another highlight was riding to Sara's camp to pick her up. It was such a beautiful drive and wow what a gorgeous place. She was there for a week and she was so excited that I came to get her!

She won " Best camper of the week" And I am not surprised. Our Silly Sara is always a delight to be around. Her smile lights up a room for sure.....

The other highlight was just hanging out with the people at
" Our Thrift Store" The store looks so good! They have fixed it up even more and it looks like a little boutique. And the best part is that every penny goes back into hiring more kids and providing a place for them to work and have a family  with each other. They are a blast to be around!   

Soooooo proud of my bro and sis. Hearts of gold and endless patience with the kids.

We had to do our famous Krikac "funny face pose"

I also really loved my time with my sweet sis in law Sandy! She is such a sister to me and I adore her !  And more importantly she puts up with our shenanigans and loves us! She is an inspiration to me in so many ways and probably doesn't even know it.

I only got to see my nephew Kory one night for dinner because he was spending the week as a counselor with the youth group from their church! He is perfect for the job because he is such an amazing young man. Works full time as a nurse and then spends his time off doing ministry. Yep he is a chip off their gold heart !

I miss you all already! And promise to be back soon!

Just for fun.....

"Trip of a lifetime" part 2

The AWARDS!!
Wow what a night!
We were in the "mosh pit" right by where the stars walk down to get their awards! So we were able to shake hands or high five Carrie, Keith, and many others. I know I'm such a groupie but wow what a thrill! I was on sensory overload because I wanted to watch the award show but was completely distracted by everything going on right near me. Here is a taste of how close we were and some of my favorite shots! After the show we all went out to a fun Irish Pub with the other folks who were with us on the tour and chatted about how much fun we all had! The whole trip was a BLAST and I feel like we were able to pack in so many of the sights and sounds of Nashville
They will be memories that I will always cherish.

Yes that's me screaming like a 12 year old at a Donny Osmond concert!

" The trip of a lifetime" part 1

Trip of a lifetime!
That's what the package that Katie bid on was called and it turned out to be a true description! It truly was something I will long remember. I arrived in Nashville on Sunday and then picked the girls up when they arrived Monday afternoon. Then it was off for a nice dinner with my family at Carabbas. Then back to the Krikac's house {which is darling by the way, very homey and southern} 
We all got cozy in jammies and talked. Since Sara was at camp they camped out at her house with its  Tinkerbell lamps and fairy wings . It is the cutest little house and you feel like you are at Disney. The next morning we were off for a coffee at the local Starbucks where the stars often hang out. {darn...none that day}  Then I took the girls to the Thrift Store to meet the kids and see the GREAT things going on there. You can hardly walk in the building without feeling the love and joy and it reduced me to tears more than once. The kids are precious!  The first time I saw Beth she yelled out
" I love you Karen" and I melted. Dave showed the girls all around and  gave them un-circulated photos of Marilyn Monroe with my uncle Nick! They loved it....

Then we were off to Puckett's for lunch which is true southern food. Pulled pork, corn cake and squash casserole. It was all amazing! We spent the rest of the afternoon shopping and enjoying old town Franklin. Then it was off to the hotel to meet our host " J.D. Hass" They were taking us that night to the famous Bluebird Cafe and that turned out to be AMAZING! The singer/ songwriters were so talented and in such a small venue it was amazing to listen to the music and feel the emotion! Plus just knowing thow many greats were discovered in that same cafe. The history was something you could feel. What a fun night! So much fun already and sooo much more to come!

Come Back Ya'll

I am still  in Tennessee having the time of my life! But stop back by at the beginning of next week for some incredible photos and stories galore! Being with Dave, Sandy, Kory and Sara plus my friends from Temecula has been amazing!! And the CMT awards were nothing short of a dream come true!  But every minute that I am here is better spent with these precious folks having fun and making memories! The blog can wait

So forgive me for not posting for so long!   Ya'll come back soon.....

Cause I have lots of great pics of these handsome men on my camera! Ahhhhhmazing