Oh how fast time does fly!!!!

Many know that my life in the past two years has been a wild roller coaster. With many hills and loops and twist. Two years ago my life changed completely. If you asked me two years ago I would have told you it had changed for the worst. I had lost the love of my life. My world had fallen apart. But with the knowledge of the atonement and having the love of my family and friends along with all of their prayers my life did not turn for the worst but for the better. I have found myself again. I have found a new love for life. I have gained a stronger testimony of the atonement and for the gospel of Jesus Christ. For with out it I really truly would not be the person I am today. Today I celebrate not a two year anniversary of a day that brought much heartache, but a day that has brought much joy to my life.

I love to spend time with my nieces and nephews. One Thursday I had to run a bunch of errands and decided to make it a date with Sabrina. When I came home I asked her if she would like to go to Nana's Park and to the store. She immediately put her shoes on and we were off!

One of my favorite things to do at a park is to go down the curly slide! Sabrina and I did it together...both having static hair afterwards.

Sabrina and Barbie had a race down the slide...Sabrina won!

Lets just say I love the dollar store! We had so much fun in there. Sabrina found my birthday card. She read it to me...it even had my name in it! :) We had blast trying on the
St. Patrick Day hats

Our next stop was Hancock Fabrics!!! Oh is was a blast!!! After a quick trip to the potty we found the boas!!! Sabrina had to try on every color!


She had so much fun!!!! She wore the pink, purple, red, blue, black, white, and green boas!!!!

Valentines can always be such a touchy holiday. But let me just say that I had the best dates ever!!! I got to enjoy Valentines all weekend LONG!!!! Mollie and Grant had taken off for the weekend so Mollie could participate in a half marathon in Myrtle Beach, SC. I was asked to watch the kids. Man...we had fun!!! Our weekend started out with a date to Chili's!!!

When you are with me they are with me...there is never a serious moment!

Of course we HAD to get dessert!!!!

Camp out!!! Mom and Dad went with Mollie and Grant to Myrtle Beach so Blackey hung out with us. They were so excited to have him camping out too!!

Saturday night we went back to Nana and Poppa's where I made them pizza. It was a special just for Valentines!!!

February 18, 2009!!!! What a historic day in the life of Heather Rose Guffey!!! ;-) Charlotte, North Carolina opened its very first IKEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank goodness!!! I am in heaven!!!! IKEA is one of my favorite stores. I absolutely love to go in there and look around. I love the ideas that they have come up with in ways of decorating and using the space. I will tell you my favorite thing to do in IKEA....and yes this is very silly...but I love to go to the kitchen section and open a drawer and then try to slam it shut. You can't! It is awesome!!! It is every parent's dream....drawers that can't slam!!!

It was a very rainy day for the opening of IKEA and as I was merging on to I-85 my driver side windshield wiper decided to stop working. I am serious! It got caught on the passenger wiper and then it just went "FLOP" on to my side mirror! I couldn't get it back over! I had to drive looking out the passenger side of the windshield. It was quite funny!

As you can tell I am SO excited to get to IKEA! It didn't even matter that I sat in an hour of traffic...then found out that the parking lot was full and had to walk a half mile to the store because I had to park on a side street! I was going to IKEA!!! Here... this is how excited I was. Back in the fall I received an email from my sister Mollie and with in less than 5 minutes before she could call to tell me she sent me the email I had already requested the day off from work! Yes!!!! I know!!! I am a DORK!!! :)

Can life get any better???? Actually it could if I had all the money in the world and could buy all that I really wanted from IKEA.

So we ended up buying an entertainment center for Mollie's house. We had a ton of boxes that we had purchased. Mollie asked that I go back and get one more dresser for her girls while she went to get the van and while Suzanna guarded the purchases. Well...I hope that Caitlin and Sabrina LOVE that dresser because I got a box cut from it...not a paper cut....a BOX CUT!!! Think of a paper cut and multiply it by a MILLION and one! ;-)

The 2009 Mr. Hilliard Pageant!!! Oh My! Oh My!!! Mr. Hilliard was a pageant that consisted of 9 guys from the YSA ward here in Charlotte. Each contestant had a Pageant Coach. I just happened to be the Pageant Coach for Mr. Mark Madsen!!!! There were 4 areas that they were judged on. 1-Formal Wear, 2-Talent, 3-Swimwear, and

4-Question/Answer. Let me just say that this is not your normal pageant! You could not prepare yourself for what was shown here. I was amazed by these guys!
For the Formal Wear Mark and I strutted our stuff down the run way. Mark is a very "serious" guy. His biography consisted of 1-being born in a Turkish Camp and losing everyone, 2-being raised by Siberian Wolves, 3-loves long walks on the beach, 4-not afraid to cry. Like I said...very serious! ;-)

The Talent Portion of this pageant was AMAZING!!! We had guys playing the guitar and singing, playing the Bass (big violin), doing CHUBBY BUNNY (and fitting 70 miniature marsh mellows!), teaching us about fire safety, and even a reading from Green Eggs and Ham. But NOTHING was like Mark's talent! No sir!!!! Mark showed his talent of composing music for a ballet, choreography, producing and directing, and acting!!! I mean....HELLO!!! It was like nothing ever been shown before! The performance was a ballet to "Little Red Riding Hood". Now this is not any story of Little Red Riding Hood that you have ever seen. Mark takes you into the heart of both the wolf and Little Red Riding Hood and shows you their struggle with their love for each other. :)

The Swimwear...umm...yes...I know...very questionable. But, have no fear our Hilliard Men were just as sexy as can be! They sported everything from Life Guard attire to Scuba and Snorkeling Attire. Mark...being his serious self wore a Spring Wet Suit and flippers. It was matched with a lovely pair of water wings and a life jacket. To put the right touch we had a neon green snorkel mask. He made his entrance by "swimming" across the runway. Poor thing must have gotten stuck on in the seaweed because his "life coach/guard" had to come save him.

Sadly, after all that Mark took 1st runner up. BUT.....HE and I both KNOW that He, Mark Madsen, the man raised by Siberian wolves,
is truly Mr. Hilliard!!! ;-)

Little Red Riding Hood Part I & II

Starring Mark Madsen and Heather Guffey