Merry Christmas From Our Family

The stockings are hung....

the presents are all wrap...

now to get some sleep before tomorrow morning.

But I pray that we will all remember the true meaning of Christmas and the ultimate gift He gave to all of us.

Merry Christmas from our house to yours.

I Heart Faces Challenge :: Furry Faces

The Best of Buds!

24 Years Ago & Now

Twenty-four years ago I was a junior in high school. Twenty-four years ago I was playing my first year of basketball. Twenty-four years ago I fell in love with a sport that would forever change my life.

Now twenty-four years later, my daughter is playing on the very floor that I played on.

Ironically too, she is wearing the same number I did.

Last night as I walked in the gym, many memories of my first game and year of playing basketball came back. I remember it like it was yesterday. My daddy came and sat mid way up the bleachers. As I sat at the scorekeepers table, I could almost pick the exact place he sat. My mom was at home because our youth group was having Tuesday night Bible Study at our house. I can remember feeling nervous as I stepped out on to the court the first time. A few years later, my Daddy would tell me that he actually laughed some because I looked so lost out on the court. It would be the first of many games he and my mom would see me play over the next six years. I wish he was here to see her play. He would be so proud of her. It's hard to believe it all happen twenty-four years ago.

Now I am the parent sitting and watching (while keeping the book) my daughter play the game that I came to love in the same gym that I have so many good memories.

I Heart Faces Challenge: Black

I took the kids down to an old grist mill near our home. Needless to say it wasn't the best trip of making pictures but at least I got this one and a few others. Now to find a time to make another trip and hopefully get some better ones.

This photo was entered into the I Heart Faces photo challenge – www.iheartfaces.com

The Big Game

Unless you have been living under a rock or don’t follow college football (which I can’t imagine not following college football), then you know that there is a big game this weekend. Big probably doesn’t describe what this game is - it’s #1 vs #2 - LSU vs Alabama.

Hubs has made sure that he opens that day and Red is getting excited. They are the only two Alabama fans in the house so far since the twins are too young to understand what is going on. You would think me being an Auburn fan that I would be wearing purple and gold on Saturday and yelling “Go Tigers’ all while downing a good bowl of gumbo. This is where things are different for me than most Auburn fans. See if Alabama loses, I will have two very, very unhappy campers in my house and if Alabama wins, I can only imagine how excited the two of them will be. It’s hard to pull against Hubs and Red’s team when it was Hubs who buys all my Auburn gear including championship gear this past season. Plus I don’t know who I dislike more Les Miles or Nick Saban so maybe the game will end in a tie and they both will lose. Yes i know this doesn’t happen anymore but it’s nice to think about.

So this Saturday while all a lot of Auburn fans will be wearing purple and gold, I believe I will be in my orange and blue celebrating an off weekend and eating some good gumbo. Maybe I may venture down to the Christmas Village during the game to do a little shopping.... no I don’t see that happen, this game is going to be good either way.

Boy vs Table

This past week's main event was Boy vs Table. Needless to say, the Table won this round.

 

But we will live to fight another round.

 
(By the way, this is one my favs of my little man)

Another School Year is Underway

School actually started about 2 weeks ago for us but I am just getting around to posting this year's picture. We now have a 7th grader and a 5th grader.

Just seems like yesterday I was taking their pictures for Red's first day of Kindergarten.

Not My Little Boy Anymore

I wish time moved like it did when I was a kid. It seemed like it took forever to get to the weekend or when Christmas would be here. But when you grow up things change. Today is one of those days that reminds me just how fast time flies by.

Red is 10 today. I have to sit and let that sink in. He is no longer my little boy but starting to become a young man. He's the big kid now. The sweet face that greeted me 10 years ago still makes me laugh today. He is a one of a kind kid and all boy.

Over the last decade I have watched him play sports,


build a derby car with his Poppy and win 2nd place,
 

become the a big brother and protector over the little ones
 

and most importantly, this year he joined the family of God.



Happy Birthday Red! We love you!

50 Years

Today would have been 50th wedding anniversary for my parents. I called my mom this morning to check on her and she was going good but you could tell it was hard. She and we all for that matter miss Daddy so much.

They met in November of 1960 and immediately hit it off. They were married June 30, 1961. My sister came a little over a year later. The joke always was that Daddy could never tell the story right at times. He would say "We got married on June 30 and she was born July 13th." He would sometimes leave out the part of it being over a year later that they were married. Everyone would laugh and Mama would just roll her eyes.

Over the years they faced challenges like all married couples do - sickness, car wrecks, cancer, raising kids - yes unknown to everyone else who thinks my sister and I are perfect, we did give them a few gray hairs. But through all the years there was one thing that never changed and that was the love that they had for each other. They showed me what true love and commitment was. I remember one year for Christmas he gave her a crockpot but when she opened it up to look at it, there was box with a pair of diamond ear-rings in there. That was the kind of stuff he did. But what I remember the most is the little things he did for her - he always told her that he loved her, bought her roses every year for Valentines Day and their anniversary - but most of all he was just there for her. They were there for each other.

So I can't imagine how hard today is for my mom. One of the big milestones that you celebrate with family and friends won't happen now. But most of all, she won't get to share this big day with her best friend.

Happy Anniversay to my parents. I love you!

Been Away Too Long

I have been away from my blog for way too long. All the time I tell myself I will write about that but never do. So maybe if I publicly say I am going to write at least every other day it will make me stick to my writing. Please be patient as I get back in the groove. We have a busy summer and I look forward to catching you guys up on what's been going on and what we get into. With us, there is never a dull moment.

Wordless Wednesday - Sometimes One is Not Enough

One of those days when one paci just won't do.

How Quickly Things Can Change

After the month we have had I have come to realize even more how blesses we are. As I sat in the ER with Big Man, my heart broke. So many kids were there. The kid sharing the room with us came in on an ambulance because he had some seizures. I just kissed Big Man and Little Mama (she rode down with me so she could watch him). Then as we waited more for the bed in the Special Care Unit to open up, they had to move us because a full arrest was on the way. That just stopped me in my tracks. Here I was holding my baby boy while there was a mama and daddy panicking because they could possibly be losing theirs. I just held him tight and prayed.

Why is that it takes things like this for us to remind ourselves just how precious and fragile life is. So often we take things for granted and forget how quickly life can change. One minute you are planning your day and the next minute you're driving to Children's.

Here lately we have been so busy with life and activities that we haven't been able to spend quality time together. I want more nights like Friday night where we sit and watch tv, order in and play games. No agenda - no set plans - just spending time with each other. I want to slow down and take in every precious moment I have with my family, Hubs and the kids because in an instant everything can change.

Another Trip to Children's

Yes it's our second trip this month. Two weeks ago I was here with our youngest daughter, Sweet Pea. She had RSV and had to stay two nights. Her trip was hard because it was also the same week that my daddy passed away. When they had to out oxygen on her I thought I was going to lose it. We actually walked out of the hospital at the exact time 1 year ago that my daddy passed away. I know that he was watching over us.

Now I am here with her twin brother. He is the most curious child I think out of the four. He is into everything. This morning as the Hubs was getting ready for work, he laid out his blood pressure pill. The twins were playing when our oldest noticed that he had spit up some in the floor. It was then that we discovered what he had done. He chewed up the pill and we were no sure how much he had in him. Poison control told us to bring him in so we did. They have him on a heart monitor and are watching him over night. He has done so good. He hasn't been that fussy and went to sleep at his normal bedtime.

I am so thankful for the Children's Hospital we have here. The nurses and doctors are amazing and so good. It will be hard to leave his bedside soon, but I praise God he is in good hands.

A Not So Happy Ending

A day that started out with such high hopes and dreams, ended with a broken heart and tears. To an 11 year old girl making cheerleader was everything. One day I know she will look back and see that it wasn't the end of the world, but for a short time the pain and disappointment is oh so real.

It has been a long week. Tonight when I saw her sweet face my heart just broke. The pain on her face was very real. I hugged her for just a second until she looked at me and said that she just wanted to leave. This is the hardest part of being a mom. Every bone in my body wished I could take all this away and make things the way she wanted but I couldn't. It was one of the many hard spots in life my precious child will endure.

As she cried, I cried with her at times. But I reminded her that God has something planned for her this year. He has something He for her that cheer would be in the way of. I believe that nothing in this world happens by chance. Everything flows through God's hands and everything has a place in His hands. So I truly believe God has something in mind for my daughter. What that is I don't know, but He does. She will rise from this a stronger young lady from this. But tonight it hurts and I hurt with her and for her.