December 31, 2012

The last day of 2012!

 

How exciting, nerve-wracking, fun, lazy, cold, and delicious!!!

Let me explain.

 

It's exciting

because a new year has so many new possibilities! 

You get to start all over.
The book is empty at this point. 
You get to fill it with whatever you choose.
 

 

It's nerve-wracking

because of the things I did not accomplish in 2012. 

It's not necessarily a bucket list, but a list of things "to do" no less.
Painting projects, craft projects, recipes to try, visiting long distance relatives and friends...the list goes on and on and on and on....
 

 

It's fun

because we have plans to hang out with sweet friends to ring in the new year. 

Our incredible hostess invited our kids, too.
I love gatherings where the kids get to play and hang out together.  

(That's SO my style!)

 

It's lazy

because I'm still in my jammies. 

I've done laundry since 7 am, though...so it balances out, right?
Nuff said.
 

 

It's cold

because...well...it's finally snowing.
We were very excited to see this season's first snow falling this morning.
I love to sit in the big comfy chair and watch the snow fall.
(DELICIOUS!)
 

 

It's delicious

because....HELLLLOOOOO!!!! 

Where 2 or more are gathered, there's delicious food! 

(I know...it doesn't really go that way, but it works for this post today.)
We are having sandwiches, chips and dips, crackers and dips, fruit and veggie trays snd desserts.  Yummy!


If you are traveling tonight, be safe.
Happy New Year friends!!
Enjoy every delicious minute!

(Speaking of...I think I'll go sample the cookies I made to take to dinner......)

 

 

Christmas Favorites

 Christmas Eve at Home

 

 

Courtney and Momma
(Not very flattering, but it was getting late!)
 

Corbin and Momma
(Seriously...Santa was on his way.  The radar said it was WAAY past our bedtime.
We were at risk of Santa's skipping our house!)
 

Our tree

 

 

Once more with presents this time.

 

 

 

Christmas Day at "Grandma's" House

 

The gang all together! 

 

 

Sibling LOVE!

Glad they are both smiling at the end of the day.

 

 

 

Celebrating Christmas at "Nana's" House

 

Courtney, My Momma, and Me

  

Me and my Granny

 

 

Celebrating Christmas -- Silver Dollar City Style!

 

Baby it's cold outside!!

 

 

My Family!

(BIG.  LOVE.)

 

 

 

CHEERS!

May your days be merry and bright, friends!

Christmas was delicious.

We made some incredible memories this year.

We hope you did too!

 

Christmas Vacation

Yahoo!  It's finally here.  I am like a kid in a candy store when it comes to Christmas vacation. 

Day one:  Sleep in.  (Check!)  Clean house.  Catch up on laundry. (again)  Make Christmas goodies! Play with my kids.
Day two:  Sleep in.  Make more Christmas goodies.  Shop for the last minute gifts.  Play with my kids.
Day three:  Sleep in.  (Notice the pattern?)  Wrap the last minute gifts. Play with my kids.

This will continue through Christmas morning.  One thing is for sure.  The kids and I will be sleeping in!  Yes!!!  It's 9:00 as I type this, and they are still in bed.  One has a cold and has studied all week for finanls.  The other is fighting the beginnings of a cold and has helped the other one study all week for the finals.  They are beat. (Can I mention how incredible it is for Thing 2 to help Thing 1 study for finals?????)

Christmas vacation gives me the excuse to stay home and hang out with the kids.  (They don't really want me to play with them....just so you know.)  They'll tolerate a board game with me once in a while, but they really love it when I play the XBox with them.  (mostly so they can laugh at how BAD I am.---and that is not "Bad" as in the cool way.)  We enjoy sleeping in and staying in our PJs until noon.  We don't go a lot of places, and there aren't a lot of expectations.  As a matter of fact, one of the only expectations is that we make the Christmas goodies and have crock pot meals cooking all day.  Yeah for crockpots!!  (That's a topic that could be a worthy of it's own post!)

I hope you get to sleep in on your next day off.  It is refreshing to be able to just sleep.  Maybe I'll go to bed early tonight and then I'll be able to get up at my normal time in the morning.  HA!  Who am I kidding????  That's the part I left out on Day 1, 2, and 3!  Staying up late is the other fun part of the vacation.  #ilovespendingtimewithmyfamily

Christmas vacation is delicious friends.  I hope you enjoy every bite of it.  Be safe if you are traveling.  Take LOTS of pictures.  Please remember how precious every day is.

Granny

 

 

I sure do love this lady!

Granny is ...well...she is about 40 years older than me. 

(wink wink)

 

I cannot even begin to tell you all the reasons why I love her.

I'm so thankful for her every day.

 

Chrissy and Granny, Christmas 2012

The Countdown to Christmas

Vacation, that is!

We celebrated Christmas with my family last weekend.

This will be a short school week.

Our Christmas parties are Thursday, and my kids are SUPER EXCITED.

This year we have had an "Elf on a Shelf" in the room.

The kids named him P.J.

P.J. sometimes leaves notes fro the kids.

Sometimes he leaves treats.

Sometimes he leaves messes. 

One day he left a "Naughty" list.

(YIKES!)

Another day he brought letters from Santa.

P.J. has only 2 more visits with us before he leaves for the North Pole until next Christmas.

(I'm a little relieved, but don't mention it to P.J. or to Santa.)

 

We've done a lot of fun activities at school.

Most deliciously...we've had food days in the lounge.

Teachers will eat anything.

We leave the lounge with stacks of papers from our mailboxes in one hand

and mounds of mouth-watering treats in the other...hoping these sugary bits will provide enough energy to get us through the afternoon with indoor recess because the wind chill is 32 degrees.

(Sigh....I know it's Pathetic!  It's all true, though.)

 

We had a field trip to the Christmas tree farm and the movie theatre to see Santa Paws.

We wrote letters to Santa.

We were BUSY elves making gifts for our parents!

We had a food drive to donate to the Fire Station to help local families.

This was one of my favorite activities. 

Our whole school was involved.

We made it a contest to see who could get the most cans.

We did not get off to a good start. 

No.  Really.

It was terrible.

They announced that the classes in the lead had over 100 cans.

When I emailed asking how many we had brought....I was mortified!

We had only brought in 26 cans!

Good GRAVY!

That was NOT acceptable. 

I am a little too competetive sometimes.

I quickly fired off a group email to my parents alerting them of the severity of the situation.

The winning class got to take the food TO the fire station AND get ice cream!!!

Uh.  Huh. 

I wanted to win!

The next day, we brought in 124 cans!

Whew.  We were in the race!

We continued to bring food for the next few days,

watching the numbers of cans we brought as well as those of other classes. 

We were in 1st place for one day.

But then...another class mom brought in a dolly full of flats of cans.

They won. 

 Holy moly, did they ever!

I was really proud of the kids though. 

They kept bringing cans and cheering each other on.

Mr. even bought them ice cream for their good effort.

(yeah...I know.  I'm a lucky girl!)

 

Anyhow...Christmas is only a week away. 

I can't believe the school year is half over!

Where does the time go?

I know I say it over and over, but seriously friends...

don't blink.

The milk spilling toddlers turn into finals taking freshmen before you can even say sassafrass.

Every single minute has the potential to become a memory.

Make the most of every single one of them.

 

Be Present.

Life is a Gift.

 

Enjoy the days leading up to Christmas Day.

Mmmmm.  they are delicious!!

 

 

 

Thankfulness continues

Hugging my babies today.

I"m thankful that God protects us and keeps us safe.

His blessings are too numerous to count.

My cup runneth over.

 

 

Happy to be Giving Thanks!

Happy belated Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday.

I love the simplicity.

I love being with family and friends...

without stress of the perfect gift in hand.

I love, love, LOVE turkey and sweet potatoes, cranberry salad, and PIE.

Haha.

Thanksgiving is delicious.

 

This weekend, we were fortunate enough to visit my momma.

My Granny and Grandpa were there.

My sweet sister and her family were there.

My Momma's baby brother was there wtih his family, too.

We missed the "middle" brother and his family.

We ate waaay too much.

We made plans for our family Christmas.

We laughed and visited.

 

Friday I did NOT attempt to shop the Black Friday sales.

That's not my thing.

Courtney and I did go out Saturday morning.

We met a sweet friend for coffee and then headed to the mall.

Christmas shopping SCORE!  I did great there.

(without the early bird specials and running and fighting over merchandise!)

Yeah ME!

We even came home and wrapped them all up and stashed them under the tree.

#shoppingnearlyfinished!!!!

 

We fried a turkey on Sunday and took it to the home of my inlaws.

We took a lot of sides to go with it, too. 

Ahhh.

Sigh.

Stuffed belly.

Zzzzzz.

#TurkeyComa!

See?

Thanksgiving is deliciously the best.

(in my opinion)

 

I hope your Thanksgiving was delicious!

 

Now, if I could just figure out a good Christmas card picture for our family!!!!

Ideas?

Suggestions?

Still waiting on those.

Let me know if you have a silly idea you're willing to share, okay????

Thanks!!!



Silver Dollar City

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

 

I love going to SDC to see the lights at Christmas.

We have enjoyed the parade since the kids were tiny.

Last year was no exception.

This is what we saw while we were there...

 

 

This "toy solder" was marching along and saw this little girl looking at him. 

He silently knelt in front of her and shook her hand. 

It was a beautiful moment. 

That sweet little angel was giddy for the rest of the parade.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is our family in front of the tree at the entrance.

 

 

 

 

This is our kids' favorite "non-roller coaster" ride!

I think it is beautiful at dusk.

 

 

 

 

 

Here comes Santa in the parade!

 

 

 

Again, these were shots from a few of our SCD trips last year,

but we are excited about the opportunity to go again soon!!

 

Where do you see your favorite Christmas lights?

Do you take pictures?

How often do you go?

 

These pictures have me ready for a cup of hot chocolate and a light show. 

Maybe we'll go to SDC tomorrow!  

 



Kids say the darndest things!

We have been studying Pilgrims, Native Americans, and the First Thanksgiving in 1st Grade.  We had our own little feast in class this afternoon.  We invited the parents to share in our celebration, too!  As things were winding down, one momma approached me to tell me a story about her son. 

This was just too cute not to share!

While out of town this weekend, they stopped at a Dairy Queen.  During their meal, a large group of Mennonites walked into the DQ.  My PRECIOUS little student got wide eyed, looked at his momma, and quietly whispered....."Look Mom!!!!  Pilgrims just walked in!"

Innocence is delicious!

Colorful

 

There it is.

Finished.

(I think)

 

It's certainly not perfect, but we like it anyway.

Now...I'm heading to the kitchen to start the decorating there. 

Have a delicious day friends!

 

 

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

The stockings are hung by the chimney WITH CARE...
only because they keep falling from there!

Grrrrr.

My stocking holders are not terrific with empty stockings. 
Maybe I should fill them for Santa so they will stay put through December.

Oh well.
The tree is decorated.
The mantle is partially decorated.
I still have a lot to do, but it is a start!

I'll post pictures soon.
(I hope)

Enjoy the week friends!
I cannot believe....
It is the week of Thanksgiving!
What a delicious time of the year.
(Thanksgiving is worthy of a post all it's own.)

Enjoy!

Fabulous Firsts

 

 

First grade is fabulous for yet another reason!

 

This precious baby let me pull her tooth. 

To the ordinary person, that is not a big deal.

I get it.

Let me explain.

 

I am so easily grossed out by all boo-boos, owies, blood,

and bodily fluids in general.....

I have NEVER pulled a tooth in my life.

Until Tuesday, November 13, 2012.

My own children did not trust me with their loose teeth.

Their daddy was allowed to torture them with tooth extraction.

The dentist was known to take 4 or 5 at a time.

I was not even allowed to wiggle them.

(I most likely would have passed out anyway.)

 

For YEARS I have asked the Kinder Kids if they would let me pull their teeth.

Every time someone's tooth got close to being pulled, I would get all excited.

Then...in our business of the day, I would have to say we could try to pull it "tomorrow."

I never wanted to hurt anyone if the tooth wasn't ready!!!

And every single time "tomorrow" came and the tooth had come out the night before,

I would moan and be so sad that I missed another opportunity to pull my first tooth.

(he he he)

 

So...on Monday evening, I received a text from a teacher friend/mommy.

Her baby's first tooth was ready to come out--

and Audrey wanted ME to pull it!

 

Holy Smokes!!!

The pressure!

 

We pulled that tooth out first thing on Tuesday morning.

My hands were shaking.

I was nearly ready to fall out of my chair.

She didn't flinch.

She was so brave!

She just smiled and smiled while I turned her little tooth until it rolled right out!

If you could have heard the cheers and celebrating!!!

(Maybe you did!)

 



 

That little tooth is IN MY HAND!

Oh my goodness.

I was STILL shaking here.

 

We were still hugging to celebrate our bravery in this one.

(The blurriness makes me think Mommy was shaking for this one.)

 

I'm so blessed to have my loving kids in class again this year.

First Graders are incredible.

 

This was a morning I will never forget!

Thank you Audrey (and Mommy and Daddy)

for letting me pull your very first tooth!

 

...and thank you to the Tooth Fairy!

She left ME a bag of chocolates for helping her.

What a deliciously sweet deal!

 

Happy day, friends!

Happy Day!

 

 

 

It begins!

The Christmas tree is up!

It has lights and deco mesh on it.

I will try to refrain from dragging out the rest of the decorations until next weekend.

I'll try!

I can't promise though. 



Meatloaf

It's what's for dinner!

 

I don't usually get all ahead of myself when it comes to cooking dinner.

It is usually a day by day thing.

Yesterday, however, I was looking at 3 pounds of ground beef...

just sitting in my refrigerator...

waiting...

waiting.......

waiting to be cooked.

I looked at the use by date and decided the time was NOW.

I baked a meatloaf for tonight's dinner.

I also browned a pound and a half for tomorrow's pot of soup.

Preparedness. 

That's the good news. 

The bad news???

THIS is what I'd rather have.

(Thanks for the temptation Ree!)

 

 

 

Or ...

maybe this.

 

 

What?

A girl can totally have cupcakes for dinner once in a while!

You know you've done it.

...and it was delicious!

Have a terrific dinner my friends--whatever is on your plate!

 



One Happy Girl!

Last weekend Sister had tryouts for Club Volleyball.  

Can you say nervous? 

I couldn't hardly think about anything else today. 

(one would have thought Courtney would have been nervous...

but nope...just me)

Okay...she might have been a little nervous, but I was the one eating Tums by the handful..  

We drove into town and prayed together for most of the drive.

She hung out at the gym with friends while I went to church. 

When I met up with her, she was doing great.

We went to the tryout, and she came out smiling.

She said she did great on her serves (her weak area).

She felt great!

But then......the WAIT!!!

It is so hard to watch the girls walk to the lists to see if they made the team.

As Courtney and her friend walked with their arms around each other,

I wonder what they said to each other.  I could have cried.

We knew that at least 3 young ladies would not make the team. 

Would one of them make it leaving the other one heart broken?  

They got to the door, turned around and walked back to us.  

Relief.

They both made it.

Again, I could have cried.
I'm so thankful that our girl made a goal for herself and worked to earn a spot on the team.
I'm also thankful that she turns to Jesus in times of need as well as thanksgiving.
I'm proud of her for being concerned about the girls will not join the team this year.
She is sad for their hurting hearts.
I'm so thankful for her kind heart.

As we drove out of the parking lot, I could feel her excitement.

She asked if she could call a few people to tell them the news.

(and give her sales pitch)

She is one happy volleyball player.

We celebrated with frozen custard, pork chops and macaroni and cheese for dinner.

tonight, all is right with her world.

I'm so thankful that she is a healthy, able young lady, who had the desire and drive to accomplish a goal for herself.  

Although it was full of stress and worry, the day was a delicious day for many reasons.

What have you celebrated this week?

I hope you took advantage to enjoy something delicious.

Have a fabulous week friends!

  

Let the fun begin!

Halloween is such a fun time.  I get all nestalgic every year!  It's crazy, I know.  I love dressing up for the day.  I enjoy the party in my classroom.  But most of all.....

I.  LOVE.  Trick-Or-Treating!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Every year we go to the same neighborhood.  Together. The kids dress up and we follow them through the neighborhood.  I love it!!!  It reminds me of the street where I grew up.  The streets are lined with different styles of homes.  Each yard is FULL of big old trees.  The streets are lined with colorful or dried up leaves...depending on the year.  I love hearing the kids yelling "Trick-or Treat!" and the "Thank you"s that follow. The damp smell of fall and wet leaves takes me back.  The sounds of the kids laughing and the many people crunching through the leaves make me smile.  

Halloween has always been a fun day.  Mr. enjoys the night as much as I do.  Maybe some day we will live in that neighborhood...or one very similar so that we can stay home for the fun.  Once our kids are grown, I hope that they enjoy the day as much as we do.  I hope that they have fond memories of it like we do, too.  Halloween is just a night that we spend together...laughing, sharing candy, eating pizza or soup for dinner (thanks Grandma!), and being a family.  THAT is delicious.  Family time.  It doesn't get better than that! 

Be safe out there tomorrow night, friends!  Enjoy the Trick-or Treating with your kids.  Take a moment to breathe it all in.  The night is full of deliciousness!

Another Season...

is nearly over.

Courtney's cheer squad has just finished their regular season.

We have the "Super Bowl" games this weekend.

 

 

Corbin's soccer team just finished their regular season.

It was full of laughing, cheering, and nail biting.

Sigh.

It seems like they just had the first games of the season.

Don't blink.

It really goes that fast.

 

Have a delicious weekend Friends!

Granny!

This sweet lady celebrated another birthday this month! 

What a trooper!

In the past 5 years she has been attacked by a dog and ended up with a broken back,

had cancer---and kicked its butt,

and had a major stroke---and came out on the other side.

 

Last month, she used chop sticks for the first time in her life.

I love that she never gives up.

She is a strong lady.

 

I love our Saturday morning phone calls.

I love that we still tell secrets and trade recipes.

Just this weekend she gave me two recipes.

I'm excited to make spiced peaches and pumpkin cookies!

 

What old family recipes do you have hidden in your recipe box?

Anything good that I need to know about?

I'll let you know all about spiced peaches if you want to swap sometime.

They ARE delicious!

 

Granny with her 81 candles.

That was some serious heat!!!!!!

(And...just so you know...there was a fire extinguisher under the table.  Just in case.)

 

Family filled weekends...

 

Earlier this month we celebrated the union of marriage with family in Kansas City.  We stayed on the Plaza, witnessed the union in a beautiful church on Ward Parkway, and then enjoyed FOOD, dancing and family at the Madrid Theatre on Main.  It was a beautiful wedding.  I'm so happy that we were able to spend the day together.  We laughed, ate M&M's until they were gone, ate yummy food, danced together, and laughed some more!  It was a DELICIOUS day!  Congratulations to the happy couple!!

I can't believe how tall he is...thankful that I had on high heels.

Our baby girl is getting so big. 

I'm so lucky to be married to this guy! 

What a sweetheart!

After the wedding celebrations, we celebrated my Daddy's birthday by taking our money donation to the Wound and Care Clinic that cared so well for him before his passing.  The gift began with what we would have spent on his birthday gifts and the same type of donation from family and friends.  A few weeks ago we gave $2200.  Our total for the past 4 years is $10,500.   The contributions are used for patients in the clinic who cannot afford their treatments. 

When they have to tap into the funds, they tell about my daddy. ...his kind heart, his ornery smile, his prank jokes, and his joy.  They tell about the 3 of us that he left behind and how we give a gift in honor of him for his birthday.

Each year,  the girls tell us of anonymous lives that are touched by the donations.  I cannot take away the hurt of losing my daddy to a battle with cancer, but I can lessen the hurt by helping others in his honor.  Just seeing them (the hospital staff) each year for his birthday is a healing day for me.  It is bittersweet, but still healing.  I'm happy that something so delicious as giving to others has come from something so heart breaking. 

My family

(Love)

I will always savor the delicious 30 years we had with him.  He chose to be with the 3 of us.  That's a story for another day though.  Today, I'm so thankful for having him as ours.  What a blessing!  ...and what a blessing it is to serve others in his honor.  His name lives on in the contribution to the clinic.  THAT, my friends, is delicious. 

Now...go hug your family.  You don't know what tomorrow will bring.  Really.  Go.  You can thank me later.    

Memory Lane...Revisited

Friday would have been my sweet Daddy's birthday.

  He would have been 60 years old.

5 years ago we celebrated his 55th birthday with a surprise party.

He passed away 2 short weeks later.

The next 3 weeks will hold a lot of memories....sweet, sad, cherished.

 

 

A few weeks ago, we visited some very dear friends for an evening.

Three short days later, a small tornado went through their property. 

Most of the damage was done to their outbuildings and sheds.

The saddest part (for me) is that their old house is now leaning and is being torn down this week.

We grew up visiting in that old house. 

Playing board games.

Playing cards.

Baking cookies.

Riding bikes.

Learning to drive.

Opening night of Deer Season Mexican dinner--every year.

The list goes on and on........

 

I vividly see all of us there.

Men playing cards at the table in the small crowded little kitchen.

Women in the living room visiting around all the kids playing  running through the house.

 

I will miss that old house--more than I can say.

Is it silly to miss a structure as much as a person?

Somehow it feels wrong.

I suppose it's not really the  house. 

 

We look for stability because of change, or at least I do.

I look for the things that are constant....things that I can count on.

That old house was a constant source of love and laughter while growing up.

It was comfortable.

It was my home away from home.

It was love.

 

I'm thankful that God is like that old house.

He is  constant, comforting and comfortable.

He is a sorce of love.

 

I am happy that He nudged me to visit on Labor Day weekend.

I've had a chance to see the little old house once more.

I've been lucky enough to have some closure.

Don't get me wrong...

I still do not like that it will not greet me when I pull into the drive. 

I AM thankful that I have the memories of it.

I have felt safety in its' walls.

I have heard laughter and joy,

and the memories are delicious.

 

 

 

 

 

 



Life Happens

 

 

Life served us a BIG batch of lemons this week.

 

It has been a very long week, to say the least.

 

It's okay though.....

 

 

We made lemonade.

 

We are thankful for the opportunity to slow down and are thankful for the little things.

We are thankful that we have it all because we have each other.

 

When Life gives you lemons, go ahead and make the lemonade.

Drink it up.  Savor every sweet droplet.

Thank the Lord above that you've had the opportunity to grow a little.

Life, my friends, is delicious....even the days (or weeks) full of lemons.

 

Find the sweet lemonade in the midst of your darkest hour.

 

 

 

Lazy Weekend Love

Rain

Lots of rain.

Get up early to go to an early morning football game.

It's still raining.

Starbucks on the way home.

Nap time.

Watch a movie.

Nap time again.

Make a pot of Taco Soup for dinner.

Yes...you guessed it.  More napping.

Soccer game on TV

Yawn.

Time for bed. 

ZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

Homemade breakfast...french toast and eggs with lots of coffee

A couple loads of laundry.

A little bit of work for school

Snuggling on the couch.

Playtime with puppies at the pet store.

(LOVE the giggles there!!!)

Grocery shopping as a family.

Lunches made for tomorrow.

Dinner on the grill.

The calendar double checked.

Homework completed and ready to turn in.

More movie time.

More snuggle time.

 

We did not get much accomplished. 

We did not go anywhere exciting.

I sure do love my sweet family time, though.

It truly is delicious.

Maybe next weekend we will have bigger plans.

 

(I sure hope not!)
I hope you enjoyed a well-deserved relaxing weekend too!



High School Soccer has begun!

Our High School and Jr. Varsity Soccer teams began their season last Monday night. 

The Varsity team won 2-1. 

The JV team tied 2-2. 

Both were very well-played games. 

It was a fantastic way to begin the season.

We are excited about this week's games.

Go Bulldogs!

 

 

Heavenly Hugs

I visited my Daddy's grave yesterday. 

Courtney and I took him a Coke. 

On our way, we shared stories, remembered, laughed, and shared tears. 

Once we were there, we talked to him and waited in silence as if to hear his sweet voice.

The sun was warm.

The cows in neighboring pastures moo-ed.

The crickets chirped.

We remembered more.

His dark headstone was warm from the sunshine.

It was warm enough to feel like a hug from the other side of Heaven.

 

 

 

 

 

The shade tree just south of his burial spot. 

It has grown so much.

 

The memories are simply delicious.

 

 

Memories of Labor Day

Labor Harvest Picnic. 

 

Three little words that everyone in Deepwater understands.  The Labor Harvest Picnic has been an annual tradition for over 100 years.  As a little girl, I got excited about the carnival rides and the spectacular parade. My sister and I were IN the parade as "Grandpa's Princesses" one year. 

We dressed in our best dresses, fixed our hair just so, spread a blanket on top of Grandpa's car, and he happily drove us in the parade.  It was so exciting.  We felt so important!  There were queen candidates, shriner cars, old cars and tractors, kids riding decorated bikes and Mommas pulling decorated wagons.  There was always a plethera of candy to be thrown out along the parade route. 

 

As a parent of young children, I loved taking our kids to the same events.  Both of the kids were part of the baby contests.  Courtney won the baby contest the year she entered.  (I think it was the naturally curly hair and BIG blue eyes, myself...not to mention her sweet, sweet smile and infectious giggle)  I remember telling my parents that they would be grandparents at the Labor Harvest Picnic. FOND memories, I tell you. 

 

My parents were on committees to plan the celebration for years.  When Daddy was going through chemotherapy treatments, he quit helping, but he continued to attend.  We took our BIG kids and made a "Papa's Pirates" float.  We dressed the kids as pirates, armed them with water guns and candy, and had a blast in the parade.  We won 2nd place that year, squirting spectators with a cool blast of water as we went. 

 

Five years ago was Daddy's last Labor Harvest Picnic.  We watched the parade together.  We ate grilled hamburgers and chips with a cool, very refreshing soda.  I can hear the bluegrass music being played by the band in the park.  We finished our day with a trip to the hospital for Daddy to get his blood checked.  His levels were low, and he needed a blood transfusion.  I knew we needed to get back on the road for our long drive home, but I really felt the necessity to stay and visit a while longer.  We stayed at the hospital while he got his transfusion.  We visited.  I made a hamburger run.  We visited some more.  Today I am so thankful that we did not rush back home to prepare for school the next day.  I am thankful that I had those extra hours to just visit (in the air conditioned hospital room).  I would not trade the tired day after for anything.    

 

Yesterday Courtney and I drove to Deepwater.  We stopped at my Granny's house where we sat and visited for a few hours.  When we knew it was time to go, we went down to the Picnic to get a burger.  Here is a quick look at some of the things we remember most.... 

 

 

Entertainment for this weekend

Canned fruits and vegetables.

I love seeing the projects that people bring in.

Yesterday we saw the most beautiful quilt made with black and white fabric.

There were splashes of red here and there. 

It was beautiful.

I should have taken a picture of it.

My Daddy's Senior Class.

He was the Class President.

(Mr. says he should have been the Class Prankster)

 

Yep.

Not your average school mascot, is it?

This trophy case is holding trophies from the old high school.

Deepwater doesn't have a school anymore. 

Daddy Graduated from Deepwater High School where he was a Demon. 

I went to Kindergarten as a Deepwater Demon.

Momma took this picture of me and my sweet girl at the Picnic yesterday.

My word! She has grown up since the day she won that baby contest.

Her Papa would be so proud of her and her brother.

 

This is the sunset at my Daddy's best friends house.

We stopped there for a quick visit on our way home.

It was terrific to see their family.

It was their 40th wedding anniversary.

I'm pretty sure that Daddy nudged me to call them as ask if we could stop to say hello.

This was certainly another visit that I will never regret having stayed out past my bedtime.

I'm pretty sure that today and all it's memories of days past were a little taste of Heaven.

 

We've moved on from the Labor Harvest Picnic.  We don't attend every year like we used to.  As a matter of fact, we rarely attend.  I have to say though...stopping by yesterday was delicious.  The visiting.  The walking.  Seeing old friends.  Yes, it was delicious, and I am so thankful for the opportunity to have been part of one more Picnic. 

 

 

Oh! 

And that parade???? 

The parade route was 3 blocks long. 

 It really is the LITTLE things that become the big things. 

Isn't that delicious?

Have a blessed Labor Day my friends.

Make it a memorable one.

 

 

 

 

  

Today is the Day!!!

IT'S HERE!!!!!

Today is "Meet the Teacher" day at school.

Remember, though,

...most of my families already know me from Kindergarten.

I have 6 new students and families.

It will be so exciting to talk to them about 1st Grade expectations this afternoon.

They already know that I expect a lot of my kids.

They already know that I will push the kids to give their best effort in academics

as well as in citizenship.

They know I will send newsletters to let parents know what goes on in our classroom.

They already know that I will love their kids.

They know me and how much I love being at school.

THEY ALEADY KNOW!!!!!

I shouldn't be nervous.

...but I am.

First grade kids have a lot of curricular "stuff" that Kinder Kids do not. 

I am eager to dive into the curriculum and begin teaching and learning.

This year will be a learning process for me as well as the kids.

I'm excited for them to see the classroom changes.

I am excited.

I am nervous.

It will be terrific.

It just might be the "Bomb-Diggity!"

 I'm sure it will be delicious.

Prayers for a happy, healthy, encouraging new school year.

Today is the day.

Let's do this!!!



Deadlines for projects!

It is amazing how fast I can get things done when I am on a deadline.
I wanted to get a few little things finished before school started.
I go back to work on Monday, so my time "on vacation" is ticking away.

Door Knobs "before"
(Sorry for the crummy picture)

Door Knobs "after"

Thank you very much to my new BFF...

Rustoleum Brand Oil Rubbed Bronze Spray Paint!!!

 

"S" after I spray painted it black...

It has a coat of Mod Podge on it, and it is in the drying phase

"S" after all the layers of Mod Podge

and scrapbook paper have dried. 

So much cuter. 

That's it for projects and deadlines.

I love to get little things done.

Now, if only I could convince Mr. Incredible to help me tackle the "honey oak" cabinets,

the hollow wood doors,

 and the stained trim. 

Sigh.

A girl can dream, right?

Haha. 

Have a delicious week friends!