Thursday, April 29, 2010

Bon Appetit From 30,000 Feet...


Hello to my family in blog world.
I am sitting here at 30,000 feet on my way to New Jersey to visit with my family after making a quick stop in Nashville.  Okay, so I won't actually be on the plane when y'all read this...no internet but, I am typing to save this until I can post it.

I just put in Julie and Julia and am ready to watch this wonderful film about the finest french cuisine while I am sitting here eating stale Nabisco Honey Roll crisps.  Totally not ideal right now.  What I wouldn't give for a little boeuf bourguignon right about now.  Yummmm



Watching this movie has given me a little push to try to do something in the same light.  What?  I have no idea.  Since cooking through Julia's book has been done, I'm trying to weigh some options for me weather it's cooking or something else.   Call me a follower but, Julie Powells determination to set a goal and completely go above and beyond to make it a reality has inspired me.  The fact that she brought so many along for the ride kept her accountable and really showed her tremendous character.   Now, I know that there aren't many of you out there who follow my blog but, to the ones that do enjoy my rants....what do you think?  Any ideas?  
I really want to do this but need a good idea and am drawing a blank.  Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Mucho Love and.......
Bon Appetit

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

My Movie Review...

I tricked you on that one didn't I?  Ha ha ...I am such a nerd.

Well, I'm actually NOT going to review a movie as you thought.
I am not going to tell you how Avatar completely left my jaw dropping...

...or how Star Wars will forever have my heart!


I am not going to tell you that I cry every time I watch Big Fish or Love Actually.
 




















I can't say that I am a sucker for the Jane Austen romances


 or that movies like Under The Tuscan Sun remind me how beautiful life is and how amazing one persons story can be.
My Name is Paige Royal and YES...I am a movie lover!  When I say "movie lover" I mean I ABSOLUTELY LOVE MOVIES!  They give me a passion to learn more about the location where they were shot, the musical score that brings the emotion to a scene or the presence that an actor brings into a film.  I analyze every part of a movie and love finding the good in all of it.  I rarely come across a story that I don't enjoy....well, unless it's a horror.  Not a big fan on the horror movies but, everything else....absolutely!  It's such fun to escape reality and walk in someone elses shoes.  It's thrilling to throw yourself into an adventure or to experience the emotion of loves found and loves lost.

So grab your loved one and go to the cinema.  Buy a bucket of popcorn and a soda and be sure to make it a Large...after all, it's only 25 cents more!  Pick a seat three rows up and dead center.  Wait for those lights to dim and the screen to ignite and finally.........ENJOY YOUR MOVIE.

Mucho Love, Paiger

Sunday, April 25, 2010

A Note To My Friend...


This past weekend I went to San Marcos to help my girlfriend, Jennifer, celebrate her little girl turning 5. She had asked me to make a cake for the event which I was absolutely honored to do.

Now me and Jennay met in college...community college that is.  We were in the same math class and would usually copy eachothers homeowork before class everyday (sorry for ratting you out girl.  LOL).  Once the semester was over we lost contact and that was that....until one day about a year later we ran into eachother working for Dell Computers.  She got hired in my department and her cubicle was right next to mine.  From that day on we were inseperable.  We worked together, got an apartment together and had eachothers back on EVERYTHING.  This wonderful person has been beside me through some traumatic situations in my life.  She helped me through a divorce, my many illnesses, new relationships, pregnancies and just Paiger trying to find herself.  We also share a bond of losing a parent to illness.  Jennay lost her mother to Lou Gehrig's Disease and three months later to the day, I lost my father to a brain tumor.  She has been a constant in my life while never judging me and always being there to back me in every decision I made...even if she knew it might be a mistake.  You better believe that she was there once that mistake was made to comfort me and help pick me back up.  

After I married my wonderful hubby Dean and had my second little princess, Jennay and I lost touch again for six years.  I know!  Right??  Well, this weekend we broke that streak and came face to face to celebrate her little princess having a birthday.  It blows me away how God has kept bringing us back in eachothers lives.  He's really letting us know that no matter what...our friendship will truly last.  She is my best friend, she is my "sister" and now watching her as a wife and a mother makes my heart just want to burst.  

JENNAY:  You have grown so much from that first day I met you sitting outside ACC not really caring about algebra!  Ha ha ha.  You are still the most supportive and caring friend I've ever known but now you radiate this glow of being a mom and it's just awesome to be able to experience that together.  I loved watching you with the kids on Saturday and felt so much excitement for our future together in raising our kiddos, having our hubbies meet and hang in the man cave and just being there for eachother again.  You are an amazing person and I thank God for your friendship everyday.

  Love ya girl...my bestest froggy friend.   

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Inspiring Volunteer...

This is a pretty amazing production . . .
Emily Somers, created, directed and choreographed this in Portland last week for her Medline glove division as a fundraiser for breast cancer awareness. This was all her idea to help promote their new pink gloves. It's so inspiring to see what one person can accomplish and for such an important cause.



When this video gets 1 million hits, Medline will be making a huge contribution to the hospital, as well as offering free mammograms for the community.






TODAY'S HOLIDAY: Volunteer Recognition Day!
To all of you out there who take time from your busy lives and countless obligations to serve others and their causes...THANK YOU! You don't ever have to be asked, you just do. You don't ever judge, you just love. You don't ever question, you just trust. You are a witness to the rest of us who complain about not enough time in the day or not enough energy in our bodies. You're calling is to serve a cause greater than yourselves and that, my friends, is how we should all strive to be. Thank you volunteers for all you do and who you are.
Now let's get out there and do what we can...run a marathon for cancer awareness, sponsor a child in Haiti or do a dance with your pink gloves on. Anything we can do to walk through this wonderful life together and support eachother will be a splendid miracle.

God Bless you all and of course....Mucho Love, Paiger

Sunday, April 18, 2010

My Temporary Home...

So we just got done watching the American Country Music awards and I have to share a thought with y'all.

I'm not the biggest Carrie Underwood fan out there. I like some of her songs, some of her videos and some of her performances. Tonights was absolutely awesome and not just because she has a truly powerful voice but it was the song she sang....Temporary Home.

The song is centered around three stories. The first is of a little boy who goes from foster home to foster home. The second is about a homeless mother and daughter and the last is about a man dying. All three are moving to hear about but when Carrie starts the third verse about the man...I am brought to tears everytime.

Old man, hospital bed
The room is filled with people he loves
And he whispers don't cry for me
I'll see you all someday
He looks up and says "I can see God's face."

"This is my temporary Home
It's not where I belong
Windows and rooms that I'm passin' through
This was just a stop,on the way to where I'm going
I'm not afraid because I know this was
My temporary home."


Amazing! Makes me think of my father. I was holding his hand when it was time for him to go home and eventhough I miss him every minute of every day...I remember the look on his face when he left this world. It was like a child being picked up by his daddy. It was the most beautiful experience and gave my such peace. I love you Dad and I always feel your love surrounding me. I miss you so much!



Saturday, April 17, 2010

Have Some Cheese...

TODAY'S HOLIDAY:  Cheesy day.  Hmmmm, time to share some cheesy joke I found on the net.  Enjoy!

1.Two antennas met on a roof, fell in love and got married.
The ceremony wasn't much, but the reception was excellent.

2. A jumper cable walks into a bar. The bartender says,
"I'll serve you, but don't start anything."

3.Two peanuts walk into a bar, and one was a salted.

4. A dyslexic man walks into a bra.

5. A man walks into a bar with a slab of asphalt under his arm
and says:" A beer please, and one for the road."

6.Two cannibals are eating a clown. One says to the other:
"Does this taste funny to you?"

7."Doc, I can't stop singing 'The Green, Green Grass of Home.'"
"That sounds like Tom Jones Syndrome."
"Is it common?" Well, "It's Not Unusual."

8.Two cows are standing next to each other in a field.
Daisy says to Dolly, "I was artificially inseminated this morning."
"I don't believe you," says Dolly. "It's true, no bull!" exclaims Daisy.

9.An invisible man marries an invisible woman.
The kids were nothing to look at either.

10. Deja Moo: The feeling that you've heard this bull before.

11. I went to buy some camouflage trousers the other day but I couldn't find any.

12. A man woke up in a hospital after a serious accident.
He shouted, "Doctor, doctor, I can't feel my legs!"
The doctor replied, "I know you can't - I've cut off your arms!"

13. I went to a seafood disco last week...and pulled a mussel.

14.What do you call a fish with no eyes? A fsh.

15.Two fish swim into a concrete wall.
The one turns to the other and says, "Dam!".

16.Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly,
so they lit a fire in the craft.
Unsurprisingly it sank, proving once again that
you can't have your kayak and heat it too.

17. A group of chess enthusiasts checked into a hotel
and were standing in the lobby discussing their recent tournament victories.
 After about an hour, the manager came out of the office
 and asked them to disperse.
"But why," they asked, as they moved off.
"Because", he said, "I can't stand chess-nuts boasting in an open foyer."

18. A woman has twins and gives them up for adoption.
One of them goes to a family in Egypt and is named "Ahmal."
The other goes to a family in Spain; they name him "Juan."
Years later, Juan sends a picture of himself to his birth mother.
 Upon receiving the picture, she tells her husband that she wishes
 she also had a picture of Ahmal.  Her husband responds,
They're twins! If you've seen Juan, you've seen Ahmal."

19. Mahatma Gandhi, as you know, walked barefoot most of the time,
which produced an impressive set of calluses on his feet.
He also ate very little, which made him rather frail
and with his odd diet, he suffered from bad breath.
This made him ..(Oh, man, this is so bad, it's good).....
A super calloused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis.

20.And finally, there was the person who sent twenty different puns to his friends, with the hope that at least ten of the puns would make them laugh.
No pun in ten did.

Have a wonderful night!  Love your friends and family and give yourself a pat on the back for being you!  Stay strong.  Stay happy and never doubt to see the positive and beauty in everything.  Mucho love,  Paiger

Thursday, April 15, 2010

My Little Tax Deduction...

Happy Birthday to my beautiful miss Gracie.  She blessed us with her presence six years ago!


For many years I dealt with Endometriosis and countless surgeries for it.  I was told that I would not be able to have children and that I need to have a hysterectomy and move on.  Well, both times I was ready to schedule the surgery...tests showed I was prego!  Thank you God for having another plan for me and for finally making me a healthy mommy who enjoys her two beautiful little miracles.


Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Looking Up...

TODAY'S HOLIDAY:  Look To The Sky Day
Look up and let the beauty of what's in the sky wrap you in peace.  For me that is alway a sunset.  The colors that are brought out during a sunset are so beautiful and so moving.  You can't help but praise the artist responsible for such a striking picture.  Thanks for the show Lord!  Ha ha ha


This is a sunset over New York....a place I get to visit with my sisters at the end of this month!  I'm so excited!  It's late now but when you wake up and head out for your busy day at work or taking the children to school...look up and admire the breathtaking light show in the sky.  Let it warm your heart and make you smile all day.  If someone cuts you off on the road because they are too busy talking on their phone, feel bad that they are too busy to not see what amazing things surround them.  If you get crappy service at the grocery store, give them a big smile and wish them a great day.  They are stuck in the store and not able to enjoy the beautiful view outside.  Share your smile with everyone so they may get a little piece beauty straight from you.  Open your heart, share yourself and you will be surprised how if effects everyone around you.  Have a wonderful night and a better tomorrow!
Mucho Love,  Paiger

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Having Fun With Photographs...

This past week I took some photos of my family and had some fun editing them with my Mac.  Enjoy and have a wonderful Tuesday!






My beautiful family!!!

TODAY'S HOLIDAY:  Children's Day
You must do this everyday but, especially today....grab your kids and hug em so tight they toot.  Ha ha ha!  Do something special with your little stinkers today.  Take them to the park, play in the yard, play hide-n-seek or paint a picture.  Make sure those beautiful little versions of you know just how blessed you know you are to have them.  Thank you God for allowing me to be their mommy!






Sunday, April 11, 2010

A Mighty Revelation...

Happy Sunday Everyone!  Hope you're enjoying your day of rest and for those of you in the Austin area...I hope you are enjoying the rain.  I love when it rains!  It's perfect snuggling weather with my hubby and kiddos.  I'm in my jeans, a tank and my Vicky Secrets below the knee wrap around sweater.  My hair is up in a bun and tied up off my freshly washed face.  I have a hot cup of gypsy tea in one hand and typing with the other.  The overcast sky just allows enough light in the house to be able to see where you're going.  To some this may be depressing and morbid but, to me it's God's way of telling me to enjoy some peace.  It's like he's forcing me to relax and it feels wonderful.

This moment of pure bliss in my peaceful time with God reminds me of what was discussed in service this morning.  Our pastor discussed Psalm 139 and how God is everywhere, knows everything and makes everything.  What affected me the most was the realization that God truly made every part of me.  He planned how I was going to look and what kind of personality I was going to have.  I think about all the health problems I have had all of my life and how that has effected the way I will look at myself both physically and emotionally.  I'm very easy to doubt myself in everything I do.  I second guess the clothes I wear or if my hair isn't looking quite right.  I second guess the kind of wife and mother I am and if I'm doing enough for my family.  It's a whirlwind of doubts, stress and chaos.  But....I've been working on changing all that this past year and this morning was the cherry on the cake of it all.

It's absolutely amazing when you come to the realization that everyone in this world is different.  Different colors, different body type, different looks and different personalities.  God created us that way to keep the world interesting.  I'm learning to look at myself and tell me that I was created specifically to look like....ME and I'm beautiful in God's eyes.  I value my uniqueness and now enjoy sharing that with my family, friends and folks I don't even know.  It feels wonderful and once again, I feel confident.

This is how I look at you...a beautiful child of God who is unique and brilliant.  Walk with your head held high and tell yourself, "I am a sculpture made by the Lord's hands and I am a reflection of him".  Now go tell someone else.


What an incredible artist he is, huh?
Have a great rest of your weekend!  Be good to one another and make it a daily 
promise to yourself that you will see the beauty in EVERYTHING!
Mucho Love, Paiger


Thursday, April 8, 2010

I was doing some random surfing on the net which led me to something gorgeous that honored...

TODAY'S HOLIDAY:  Draw A Picture Of A Bird Day!
I found this and was stopped in my tracks.  The artist is Nanda CorrĂȘa!


You can see a bunch of her other sketches if you do a search on google of her name.  Her work is beautiful!  

So...in honor of this day...create something.  It doesn't have to be a bird just make something up so that there it is in the world and it is created by YOU!  Go for it!  Mucho Love, Paiger

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

On A Serious Note...

Hello Everyone!
I hope you had a great day today!

I'm taking a bit of a serious moment tonight on this blog.  I had a little bit of a challenge today that I wanted to share with you.  Without boring you all with the details, I had an experience today in my doctor's office that just ruined my morning.  First of all, let me tell you that it was not a big issue and I am totally healthy, unlike my past traumas that I will share with you all in a later date if you're interested.  Anyway, this doc that I see has always been rude, never explains things enough, treats me like a new patient every time I see him and snaps at me when I ask questions.  Now before you assume I'm whining, let me tell you...I am!  I consider myself a very low maintenance patient.  I don't demand a lot from my physicians but what I do expect is someone who generally cares about me and doesn't make me feel like a burden.  I have decided to "fire" him and move on.  It's time to stand up for myself and turn this into a positive.

What I wanted to say to you ladies out there is...You know your body, you know it better than anyone and you know if something is wrong with it.  Never be afraid to tell your doc everything you feel and think.  Never let yourself feel like a burden to him/her.  Never doubt yourself.  It is your body!  You owe it to yourself to fight for and protect it.

Thank you for reading my rant.  Always remember that you are all beautiful.



TODAY'S HOLIDAY:  No Housework Day
I absolutely took advantage of this by not doing any housework...well, maybe some dishes but, I really did try NOT to do any.

Monday, April 5, 2010

The Power Of Friendship...

Hello Everyone,
I've been out of the blogging world for a couple days due to the crud STILL going around.  I wanted to first tell you Happy Late Easter and I hope it was a blessed day for all of you filled with fuzzy bunnies and lots of candy.

This past Saturday we had a great opportunity to hang with our friends, Dave and Kari, who we haven't seen in at least a year.  They invited us out to see their friends, Capital Suspects, play at a local sushi bar.  There is nothing better than some great sushi and live rock and roll.  The band is awesome.  They do all these covers of mostly eighties rock with a mix of alternative and a little pop music thrown in.  Check them out on their website and definitely follow them on Facebook.  http://www.capitalsuspects.com/Home_Page.php

The night was awesome and not just because of the music...but the friends!  I realized that night just how much I had missed Dave and Kari and how much their friendship means to Dean and myself.  They are an amazing couple who make you feel as special as possible.  Everytime we see them they bring some kind of random cool gift for the girls....along with lots of candy (yeah, thanks for the sugar guys.  Ha ha ha).  I can't put it into words to do them justice except to say that I pray everyone has a "Dave and Kari" in their life.

TODAY'S HOLIDAY:  Go For Broke
Tell the people who matter in your life that you love them and you are better for knowing them.  If you've been fighting with a buddy or a loved one...push your fear aside and take that first step to make amends.  Life is too short not to hold tight all the ones that matter.  While I'm on a roll, I wanted to thank the small little group of you out there that actually enjoy my rants and goofiness.  You're positive comments and emails make me so happy!  Much love to all of you and thanks again Dave and Kari for being in my life...I am a better person for knowing you two.  Love you, "Pokey"

Friday, April 2, 2010

Still A Sicky...


Still have the crud and trying to push through it.  It was a rough day but I gathered my energy and strength together to take the kids to Good Friday service at Hill Country Bible Church in Austin and I must say it was powerful.  I had felt pitiful all day but when I took one step into the church and saw the cross hanging over the alter draped in a black cloth it moved me to tears.  The service was real somber with beautiful worship music followed by communion.  Once it was over, we walked to the gym where there were wooden crosses laid out around the floor.  The girls and I wrote our names on a piece of cloth and then nailed it to one of the crosses.  I was in tears once again as I nailed in my named cloth into the cross.  I felt very blessed and thankful for my life and the cherry on top was when Gracie had finished nailing in her cloth...she threw her fists in the air and yelled, "YEAH!!!!!"  Everyone else around us just smiled and laughed.  It was awesome!  The point of this little story is that I realized no matter how bad I was feeling today, it doesn't compare to what Jesus went through for me.  What a great feeling!  


Have a great night.  Love one another and please...be healthy!
Mucho Love, Paiger

TODAY'S HOLIDAY:  National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day!
There is nothing more comforting than a PB & J sandwich...unless, of course, it's Smucker's GOOBER! One of my favorite childhood snacks.  Now all I need is a Thundercats marathon and I am good to go!