Foot Loose and Fancy Free

This past weekend my Mom kept the kiddos for the entire weekend. Jon and I planned to do some work on our house. Our master bathroom and the kids' bathroom needs some heavy duty work. Jon's already started busting up tile and I 've started peeling wallpaper. However, our work weekend turned into a weekend of being footloose and fancy free.

Friday night I surprised Jon with a candlelight dinner here at home. It's probably been 14 years since I've surprised him with a candlelight dinner. The last one I cooked was Stouffers Lasagna and bag salad. This one was chicken pesto penne with an orange spinach salad. . . . I think I've improved in my cooking skills over the years. We had such a nice evening at home.

Saturday morning I woke Jon up at 3:00 AM. I heard a loud boom and shake in the house. I was really scared. As it took him 15 minutes to find our gun. . . to which I just giggled b/c if someone in our home to do us harm, we would've been dead by the time Jon got the gun out. He didn't feel very safe so he took one of Alec's pocket knives and a paint roller stick with him to check out the downstairs. Sheewww. . . no burglars. Maybe I was just dreaming? We both fell back asleep and then woke up together. This is a rarity for us. Most Saturdays I have to work and I'm up before he is. It was oh so very nice to wake up together and cuddle and watching the morning news together.

Jon then decided to take me on a lunch date. He and I both decided since we are not night owls, we are both more lively for lunch dates. We went to this restaurant set in the 1920s called "Founders". The atmosphere was really cool. The food was super yummy and my date? Well, he's just all THAT and a bag of chips!!!


Next, we decided to track over to the Southern Living Idea House. Y'all it was amazing. We were on the first floor and I know we thought of GiGi at least 5 times.. . . so we decided to give her a call and wait on she and Granddaddy to finish touring the house.

This is just one of the gazillion pictures we took. Jon and I both just love this kind of thing. He loves the craftmanship. I love the decor, the lamps, the curtains, the fabrics, etc., etc. . . we had a GREAT time.

We then went and went trouncing around on our 6 acres. It was really fun walking through the woods out there. We saw a deer. It is such a peaceful place to be.

Next, we went and looked at a few houses to either flip or rent out. I just love doing that kind of thing with Jon. It really is a lot of fun. It's so fun to imagine all the creative things you can do to dress up a house.

We got home, plopped ourselves on the couch, watched some football and I took out my knitting needles.

Sunday morning we woke up, headed to church, and went and picked up the kiddos.

We were both so glad for our time together. . . yet, we were also glad to see our kiddos. They all missed us (which is always a good thing).

I'm always so thankful for weekends like this. . . it is so easy to lose sight of one another in the busyness of life. . . it was so nice to have a chance to rekindle and just focus on one another.

216. For candlelight dinners.

217. For lunch dates.

218. For a Nanna and Papa who loves keeping their grandkids.

219. For a time for one another.

220. For enjoying life together.

Who's the Boss??????

Eww wee. . .I just can't wait. . . less than week until one of my favorite days of all days. . . Black Friday.

I just love being with my mom and little sister, Kristen.

I love the crowds.

I love the excitement.

I love the rush.

I love the deals.

Every year I'm pretty much the one to plan out our route . . . you know where we shop first, what time we are to meet. I've even put either Mom or Kristen or both in charge of making sure they get certain items. This is how it's worked for years.

However, now Kristen is a Mama. . . so for ALL the years she's fought crowds for my babies. . . it is soon coming up it will be my turn to fight for her . . . which means. . . .

I'll no longer be the boss!!!

Since Emory is still a little baby I'm doubting Kristen has any "hot ticket" items this year. . . but next year will probably be different.

So, I decided that I would go out and buy a "boss hat".

I will say it does look a little ridiculous on me. . . I love hats. . . I just don't look very good in them.

I thought a hat, though, would be a fun way of knowing who was in charge. . .

And, since this is my last year of being "boss" for awhile. . . I'm going to wear it on that early Black Friday morning. . . then, as we pack up our cars, give hugs goodbye, and tell one another how much fun we had. .

I'm going to pass the hat. . . pass the hat to Kristen. . .

which means, dadgumit . . . she'll get to be the boss next year. (just kidding about dadgumit. . .if that is an ugly word I don't know, and I don't mean it to be)

208. For Black Friday.

209. For a Mom and a sister to go shopping with.

210. For traditions.

211. For healthy bodies to get up early and fight crowds.

212. For the money to go shopping with.

213. For the loved ones to buy for.

214. For the ones I get to boss.

215. For getting to be boss.

The Soccer Ball

This is a story of a little girl. . . a little girl who had eyes for her Daddy. She's the first one to scream, "Daddy, Daddy," when he walks through the door. She always wants to cuddle up close to him. She thinks he is the funniest man in the world. And, I think, she thinks everything he does is as close to perfect as perfect comes. When she has a choice of who to ride home with . . . Mama or Daddy. . . she chooses her Daddy!

This little girl is the prissy of prisses, but decided this year to trade in her ballet shoes for some soccer cleats. Everything is always a little harum scarum in her house, so for the first soccer practice she used her older sister's soccer ball. She didn't care. At practice, however, she learned she needed a different size ball.

When she and her Daddy pull up in the driveway, she runs out to the woods and pulls out this rag-tag soccer ball that is almost as old as she is . . . "Daddy, I've got a soccer ball." Her Daddy replied to her, "You don't have to use that ball. We will get you a new one."

"That's okay Daddy. This one is good."

Bless her sweet little heart. The ball is half dilapidated, has some sort of fungus growing on it, and wouldn't hold air even if a tornado blew all its wind and gusto into it.

She didn't care. She was so happy to be playing soccer and to have a ball. . . it didn't matter what ball. She just had her very own soccer ball.

The next morning while her Daddy was at work she goes outside to get this ball. She gets some soap, wets a washcloth, and starts washing off her ball . . . making it as shiny and pretty as she could.


Mama tells Daddy. Daddy tears up.

That night after church this little girl, of course, wants to ride home with her Daddy. He makes a pit stop by the sports store and buys her her ball of choice. . . the pinkest of all soccer balls.

This little girl is my sweet little Hanna. Precious, precious girl!

203. For a Daddy's girl heart.
204. For not having high expectations.
205. For being content.
206. For making something as pretty as it can possibly be.
207. For a wonderful husband who is a sweet, sweet Daddy.

Recipe for Once A Month Cooking

Sweet kiddos to help you load all your food for cooking into the car. . .

One kiddo to give the dog some attention so you don't feel guilty about leaving him in the house all day by himself (yes, I'm one of those people who love their dogs).

A car packed down with food, containers, spices, and recipes.

One sweet friend to cook, laugh, cut up, have heart-to-heart talks with ALL day long!!!

**Disclaimer** We DO NOT look like this when we are cooking. We are in stay-at-home mom clothes with no makeup or hair. . . not for the faint of heart to be exposed to :)

This month this is what we'll be serving our families. . .

1. Spaghetti soup.

2. Chicken a La King.

3. Tortilla Soup.

4. Goulash.

5. Pesto chicken penne casserole.

6. Lemon chicken.

7. Sour cream chicken.

8. Sante Fe chicken.

9. Stroganoff.

10. Orange tarragon glazed chicken.

11. Chicken and dumplings.

12. Special potato soup.

13. Chicken noodle broccoli chowder.
14. Pasta primavera.

15. Spicy garlic chicken.

16. Peachy Bar-B-Que chicken.

17. Country fried steak.

18. Roasted chicken w/orange & cranberry sauce.

19. Sesame crusted salmon
20. Pecan crusted chicken.

175 to 202

175. For soccer parties and a good soccer season.

176. For friends to play soccer with and celebrate with.

177. For a cool soccer shirt and metal.

178. For friends who see something that reminds them of you and they think about you when you are not with them. . . (thanks Lisa, Jenn. B, and Faith - I love y'all).

179. For a package of high heel silly bands (thanks Jenn B.). . . it's always so nice to know someone is thinking of you.

180. For the beautiful colors of fall.

181. For texts from Jon everyday telling me he loves me. . sometimes a picture text, sometimes a video text, sometimes just words. . . in all kinds of creative different ways telling me he loves me.

182. For phone calls from my Dad.

183. For apologies when someone has hurt you.

184. For a silly mama who wanted to rub it in a little more that my Grandmama is mad at me.

185. For a Grandmama who is mad because you haven't sent thank you cards for your kids' birthday presents (I'm awful, I know).

186. For a half marathon this weekend (Soliders Marathon) that I hardly trained for and was able to run in 1:58:07.

187. For friends to run the half marathon with.

188. For thoughtfulness of a "surprise" of these beautiful hydrangeas (thanks Ang. L. I love you!)

189. For friends who know you well enough they can detect when you seem overwhelmed in a global email. . . who check on you to make sure you're okay (thanks Faith. I love you!)

190. For the Ms. Crishele knot and the Ms. Crishele hat (thanks Jenn. G. You and your children are a blessing to me. I love you all!).

191. For being called Ms. Crishele.

192. For my Sunday School class. I love those girls so very much!

193. For the ability to learn and teach.

194. For my sweet husband and the desire he has to follow what God is leading his heart to do.

195. For Margo's hummus.

196. For birthdays to celebrate.

197. For a sweet boy. I gave him my half marathon metal because it was in the shape of a dog tag. He didn't want to take it at first, telling me, "No, Mom, that's your metal." I insisted. The next day when I was hugging him goodnight he said, "Mama, thank you for that metal. It really means a lot to me."

198. For reactivating my real estate license.

199. For Christmas shoes.

200. For the anticipation of Black Friday. . .

201. For my prayer partners.

202. For sisters who call and ask for your advice and respect what you have to say.

Stories of Old

Every Tuesdays about 11:30 the kids and I put on our shoes and head over to Gigi and Granddaddy's. Gigi has already left to go volunteer at the hospital (as a pink lady). She's so sweet because she has lunch prepared for all of us to gobble up.

Every Tuesday it's pretty much the same thing. I fix our plates, we sit down to eat, the kiddos are all extremely talkative. . . as soon as they finish eating the usually go get the binoculars out of the drawer to go "spying" with. . . or Hanna may go outside to ride the tricycle (I know tricycle. . . cracks me up, but she LOVES it). Anyhoo, they all go their own way to play.

Then, Grandaddy and I sit down and talk. Sometimes he's not very talkative. Sometimes he is. Normally when he is though, he loves talking about the past.

Not the past like when Jon was a little boy past. But the past like when he was a little boy past.

He will tell me the same stories over and over. . . and I love hearing them. So, every Tuesday I'm going to try to tell one or two of the stories he tells me. . . so I can pass them on to my children.

He is one of 6 children. His daddy was a Methodist preacher. They moved around frequently. However, when they lived in Whigham, Georgia he tells of how there was a city-wide basketball tournament. He decided to play in it. There, he found out he was really good in basketball. He said these men would tell him, "I'll pay you a quarter for every basket you ring." Now, if that's not motivation for a kid. . .that will do it. Grandaddy just loves telling this story. Little did he know at the time but his basketball skills would later get him a scholarship to Georgia Southern. (he tells this story pretty frequently)

He also tells of how they were so very poor. He remembers 2 Christmases where they had absolutely nothing. . . not even an apple or an orange (his words). One Christmas, however, they did get a bicycle. He said someone in the church must have given it to his parents or given his parents the money to buy it, b/c they just were that poor. It was 1 bicycle to share between 6 kids. They would each get a turn on the bicycle and have a certain spot they couldn't go past. One time one of them decided to venture past that line. Well, Uncle Jay (who later became a 4-star general of the Army) got so angry he threw a brick at the spokes of the bike. When Grandaddy tells me this story he will just smile and say when he and his brother and sisters used to all get together they would laugh and laugh about this story.

Another Whigham story he tells is how when they would all be ready early for church they would stand outside on the porch of the parsonage and sing hymns.

Also while living in Whigham he tells how the chairman of the board of the church would sometimes withhold his Daddy's check. As tears welled up in his eyes he said, "Now, why in the world would a Christian man hold a man's check who has 6 children and a wife?" He's only told me this story once. I could tell he's held onto it for a long time. His tears and his hurt after all these years just broke.my.heart.

170. For this precious man I have the honor of knowing and loving.
171. For Tuesdays.
172. For stories of old.
173. For Gigi.
174. For plenty.

The Worst Neighbor EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I bet you clicked on this post thinking I was going to tell you about a horrible neighbor of mine.

Or, maybe you thought you'd get a good laugh and think this was another "Loser" story (actually I haven't seen her in a loonnnng time).

Nope, not that either.

Actually, this post is about yours truly.

Why in the world am I such a bad neighbor? When we lived in our first house we had Gary and Carolyn. They gave our kids Christmas presents, took pictures of them at Halloween. They were ALWAYS outside and I was always so overwhelmed and stressed with small children, work, housework, etc., that I always felt badly for really wanting to be inside my house (even when I would be outside chatting with them). They really were terrific neighbors!

In our last neighborhood everyone really kept to themselves. You'd see people here and there, but no one really went out of their way to greet you or speak to you.

Then, we move to this neighborhood. And we have Mr. and Mrs. C. They are absolutely wonderful.

**One time I was in our local paper when I came in 1st overall female in a local race. She clipped out the article and brought it to me.

**Another time she brought the kiddos a whole bunch of highlighters.

**There was the time when she made us homemade monkey bread and brought it over piping hot before we started school. We annihilated that thing I'm telling you!

Then, there was today. The kids had gone with Gigi and Granddaddy. I was getting ready for church. I hear the doorbell ring. I look out my bedroom down and down the stairs. I see her and she has something in her hands. I really just felt so bad about myself andy my bad neighbor skills that I didn't want to see her. I knew Mr. Rogers would be super disappointed in me in what I was about to do. . .

I let her ring the doorbell over and over.

I never answered the door.

I pretended like I wasn't home.

Awful, awful. . . I know. I really felt badly, but I was thinking "Maybe I can bake her a cake and take it over to her before she has a chance to come back over with whatever she has for us." Seriously.. . . that is WHAT I was thinking.

Less than 5 minutes later I hear the kids storming through the house, "Mama, mama, Mr. and Mrs. C are going to Israel for 2 weeks. Look what they brought us. They said they've missed us."

Made me feel like absolute grad-doo.. . partly because I'm a bad neighbor.. . partly because I got busted about not answering the door.

My original plan today (since I'm such an anal planner and all) was to go to the grocery store before church. However, I bucked the plan and went over and visited my sweet neighbor. I apologized about how awful I am. . .and I thanked her over and over again for being so incredibly sweet.

We talked and I learned she's from Casablanca. Has family in Paris and Israel. She has led quite an exciting life!!! Here is this Southern gal who thinks living in the South is just the best place in the world!!!

Hopefully I'll do better. I really hope I do. Part of me says 'I doubt it', I think I'm just not good neighbor material. I'm going to try though. . . really, really try like 'little engine that could' try, "I think I can, I think I can" be a better neighbor. I'm telling you if Mr. Rogers had me for a neighbor he'd totally rethink his song. He'd never say, "I have always wanted to have a neighbor just.like.you. I've always wanted to live in the neighborhood with yooouuu . . . "

Maybe if I start playing Mr. Rogers' CDs I will somehow subliminally become a better neighbor? Whatdoya think?

School Schmool

That was what we said today to school. We had what I refer to as "abbreviated homeschool" and headed to Macon to spend the day with Melissa and the kiddos. We had a good time doing nothing. . . We did, however, go to Joanne's and Walmart and get knitting needles and yarn.

Here I am. . . I hardly have enough time to sleep, and now I want to knit some scarves for my girls. . . we'll see how far I get. . . hee!hee!

I just love that Melissa is close enough now so we can spend the day together. It doesn't have to be a big event or hoopla. . . It can be part of life now.

We headed back to G-town and I picked up Alexis and took she and Ash to soccer practice. Jon was there, and it was cold, so I took off to Angela's for Grow Group.

I actually got there about 20 minutes before she got there. I was so tired I started falling asleep. So, I decided to go on a run. . . in the dark. . . by myself. . . around her neighborhood.

First things first though. I remember Jon telling me they had a mean dog in their neighborhood. I called him to find out which way NOT to run.

It was actually kinda creeping running in the dark by myself. I run with my running partner (the other Angela) in the dark, but it's different because someone is with me. Then I had all these dogs howling at me. Did I mention it was dark? 'Cause the dark just makes everything scarier.

I was glad I ran though because it put a pep in my step. I just love the ladies in my grow group so.very.much!!! I love how transparent we are with one another. I love that they are my best of friends. I love that I know that they love me and don't judge me. I love how much we laugh together. I love how much I see us growing. Words just can't express how thankful I am for each of them!!!! God brought them to me at just the right time in my life. He knew how much I needed them!

Weekend Wrap-up

My, my where do our weekends go. I believe there is a saying that says, "Time flies when you're having fun." Maybe that is why life seems to be going at the speed of light these days. . . I'm grateful that we are having fun.

Friday night we were at home as a family . . .Praise the LORD!!! I just love it when we're all home together. We played Jeopardy (just with the TV). We do this frequently. However, I would not have blogged about it until now. . . because every.single.time we play Jon beats me!!! I finally took the big "W" this time. I think it was the "Dr. Seuss" books category that brought me in for the winning stretch. I rocked it! After that I was literally falling asleep sitting up on the couch. I felt this thump on my cheek. It was Jon. I was so very tired!

Saturday morning we headed out bright and early to the f-r-e-e-z-i-n-g soccer field. Ash had a game at the same time as Hanna about 30 minutes away, so I went with Hanna and Jon and Alec took Ash. It was a whopping 37 degrees, which meant the soccer field was about 10 degrees cooler so that made it 27 degrees, which means I already stay about 10 degrees cooler than everyone else so that made it feel like 17 degrees to me. Waah, waah, waah what a big baby I am when it comes to the cold.

However, it was ALL worth it to see this cutie pie play her last soccer game of the season!

Hanna decided last year she'd had enough of ballet. Each of the kids get to participate in 1 activity. So Hanna ditched ballet and decided to play soccer. I'm so glad she did. I just love soccer.

My sweet niece was visiting. She is so precious and sweet and loving! I really enjoyed her at the soccer game.

She loved my camera. So, during half-time she and I had a little photo session.

She wanted her picture made first!

Then she wanted to take Granddaddy's picture. . .

Next, she wanted Aunt Michele's picture (don't let that sunshine fool you. It was FREEZING)

After the soccer game we headed to Cici's for Hanna's soccer party. I loved watching her as she interacted with other kids. She's so very shy and it really is so sweet to watch her.

Sweet little thing! She was so proud of her trophy!!!

She and I headed home and played a game of Disney Pictionary. Then we watched part of a movie. Jon, Ash, and Alec got home. We then had our sweet friends, the Lawrences, over for burgers and a movie. Angela had a great idea . . . that we just all have a PJ party. What fun!! and it was so very comfy!!!!!!!! We just love this precious family, and are so thankful God put them in our lives.

I was grateful we got an extra hour of sleep. Sunday morning I hit the ground running. Sundays tend to be pretty busy for me.

Went to church, then went to Kerry S's house. He had the youth leaders over for a time of fellowship. I'm so thankful to be serving with such Godly men and women. One guy there just got back from David Platt's "Secret Church". I was soaking up all the details he had to give. I'd love to go to this!!!! He heard the word of God taught from 6:00 p.m. until 1:00 a.m. WOW!

Then, I got an extra special treat that day. Kerry's backyard backs up to our old and dear friends, the Poole's. Ash came running inside the house saying, "Mom, mom, Benjamin (who she has loved since she was a baby and he has felt the same way about her) is outside!!!!" Then, she came back and said, "Mom, Mr. Greg is outside." I go out there and see their whole family. We were all giving hugs over the fences. My heart was so very full!!! Andrea was such a dear friend to me after I had Hanna. She really took me under her wing. She knew how hard 3 children was on her, so she really reached out to me. She was just a blessing to me at a point in my life where God knew I needed a "big sister" like her. We were really close until she went back to work. They left our church soon after, and it was really hard to keep in touch. However, I'm always overjoyed when I see them!!! When I think back on the memories we share with their family it makes me smile!

After leaving Kerry's I went home, changed into my blue jeans and boots. Shelby came over and she and I went to the church. My discipleship group has grown from 2 girls to 4. I love these girls so very much!!!

After the service we hung out for a little while, then came home, ate frozen pizza, and hit the sack!!!

164. For seeing old friends.

165. For Shelby, Makayla, Jaimie, and Rebecca.

166. For Kim and her partnership with me with loving, serving, and teaching our Sunday School girls.

167. For power of prayer.

168. For being a soccer mom.

169. For the Lawrences.

I Miss Him So. . .

Confession time. . . I don't go to see my Grandmama as much as I should. I know she has my Dad, Aunt Sharon, and Aunt Wanda.

I know I need to go see her. But, I think I aviod it sometimes because it just makes my Papa's death all the more real to me.

I miss him. His picture sits on my desk and I'll look at it and just smile.

I miss his energy.

I miss his vigor and zest for life.

I miss hearing him talk about the Lord.

I miss his presence.

I miss hearing him say "Shuggahh".

I miss his funniness.

I miss seeing him jump up when I walk through their door.

I miss hearing him talk to Jon about sports, especially the Braves.

However, a few weeks ago I saw apart of him. My friends and I were serving a meal at a local homeless shelter. We knew our mission was not to serve these people food. Our mission was to share Christ with them.

I met this lady and this is the conversation that occured.

Me: "Are you a follower of Christ?"

Her: "Oh yeah, oh yeah, I sure did."

Me (with pep and enthusiasm. . . I think I may have jumped a little bit): "Oh you can't just did, you got to does!!!!!!!!!!! You've got to follow Him everyday."

Her: "Oh yeah, yeah. . . that's what I meant. I've been cleaning and trying to move into my house. Oh yeah, I follow Jesus. Um huh."'

Honestly, I really botched the whole witnessing thing. I really should have asked her "What is the Gospel?" But I learned. . .and I did share the Gospel with a little girl there.

However, this exchange between this lady and myself. . . my reaction, my words, my tone of voice. . . I saw my Papa. It was exactly like something he would have said/done.

It made me smile that part of him lives in me!

159. For the life my Papa led.

160. For my Papa's unashamed love for the Lord.

161. For the Gospel.

162. For 2nd, 3rd, and 4th chances.

163. For grace.

Wordy Wednesday

This morning begin really bright and early for me. . . 3:45 a.m. to be exact.



A sweet friend of mine was going to have a decision made for her. . . by someone else. . .that could literally change the rest of her life. She was heavy on my heart all day on Tuesday. I decided I need to go and be with her, which meant leaving my house at 8:15 (makeup, hair, heels, and all). So, work had to be done. I was so glad I made the effort. This is true Biblical fellowship. . . not a potluck dinner with everyone socializing. . . Since studying 1 John the original meaning of the word "fellowship" means life-on-life. You hurt-I hurt. You rejoice - I rejoice. You're going through a trial -I'm going through that trial with you. THAT is fellowship. And, THAT is what took place this morning. Me and 3 other people went to stand alongside our sister in Christ. . .



The girls won a lunch with our children's pastor. With the homeschool students she just goes out to eat with them. It was actually Hanna who won the lunch, but she wasn't going unless Ash went with her. Sweet little thing. . . sometimes I think Ash is her security blanket. I dropped the girls off at Taco Bell with Ms. Renee.


Meanwhile, Alec and I went and got guitar strings for his guitar, then headed to Chick-fil-A. It was such a sweet time. I just love alone time with each of my kids and I don't do it nearly as much as I should. Alec blessed our food and said, "Thank you God for this time me and Mama have together." Just touched my heart so much. If you've been reading my blog from the beginning, you will know he has not been easy for me since about age 8. I was really hoping this would make the teen years easier since he's been hard for so long. It really has. He is very delightful and enjoyable. I'm hoping since we've had so many struggles leading up to this point, that our struggling is over and his teen years will be enjoyable. .. . so far, so good.



Alec and I headed back to pick the girls up. "Miss Chatty Cathy" Ashley wasn't finished yet. She'd spent too much time talking. Hanna only said a few things; therefore, was finished with her food.



We then headed home and started school. . . finished school. . . then headed to church.



I've been kind of frustrated with my Theology class. It is Trinitarianism and it is SO.STINKIN'.HARD. It is just so far above my head, which just causes me to check out. I've been tempted not to go (which I didn't last week). However, I decided not to abandon Jenn. G. and Jon and hang in there.



So glad I did. Tonight was our BEST discussion yet. So, guess I'm in for the long haul:)

152. For our amazing church!!!!

153. For Godly leaders.

154. For my husband's heart and desire to be more like Christ.

155. For the body of Christ.

155. For learning.

156. For true, biblical fellowship.

157. For dates with my son.

158. For laughter.

Billy Goats Gruff Opera

The kids and I spend our Tuesdays with Grandaddy. It is such a special day to me, and I really need to blog more about these days.


Mostly, we just go and eat and talk. But, this past Tuesday we went with Faith and her kiddos to "Billy Goats Gruff Opera".



To say it was great is quite the understatement. Neither she nor I knew quite what to expect because tickets were only $2. There is this place about 45 minutes from where we live and they have shows and plays that range in price from $1 to $2. It was so, so good!!! It was creative. It was funny. The singing was GREAT! It had a good message. It was entertaining. And the fact that it was cheap made it all the better :)

Even Alec liked it. We always love being with the family that shares our last name so I knew we'd have a good time. I just didn't know the show would be this good!

Granddaddy liked it as well. I was glad he went with us. I'm glad we're going back. We all had a great time!!!


146. For Grandaddy.

147. For Tuesdays with Granddaddy.

148. For friends I couldn't imagine our lives without.

149. For cheap entertainment.

150. For a job and a husband who has a job and works hard so we can do things.

151. For homeschooling my children.

One of my Favorite Sounds!!!

If I had to say what my very favorite sound is in the whole wide world. . . it would be really hard to choose from. . .

Let's see. . . laughter. . . I love the sound of laughter.

Children praying. . . Oh yeah, that one may be my favorite!

A heart that is desperate for the LORD . . . oh that sound moves me so. . . can I just have more than one favorite. . . please?

Well, this is my blog. . . so I'll just make the rule that I can have more than one favorite. . . K?

Well, one of my favorite sounds is the sound of my family and friends entering my home.

As I was upstairs putting my makeup on. . . my family always makes a grand entrance.

I think I heard my Mom's loud, happy, southern draw first. . . then everyone else just feeds off of that. It is an entrance that full of hugs and smiles and warmth and, I quietly thanked the LORD as I heard all this noise from afar. Such an incredible blessing it is. When our friends showed up a little while later. . it's the same sounds. . . it just makes my heart so very full.

My little sister Kristen came up and spent the night with us so that we could have an old fashioned trick-or-treat.

I can just eat this sweet baby up!! I have to fight my girls for her! I love watching my "little mamas" hold her, talk to her, love on her. I'm so thankful there's another baby in our family.

Isn't she just precious?

Here is the trick-or-treat crew minus the army men (Noah and Alec) and Mario (Joseph-Scott)

Even Emory had on a poodle skirt!

That her Nanna made for her!

These kiddos were so anxious to get out and get some candy. GA was playing FL on TV and they went into overtime. We left Scott, Steve, and Jon at the house to finish watching the game. Faith actually got to see Jon in rare form. . . excitement over the football game.

However, we trick or treaters had serious business to take care of! We headed out the door and let them catch up later.

Two of the cutest 50s girls!

This precious cowgirl that I named Annie Oakley.

A real, true-and-blue cowgirl knows how to swing her hat off her head!

A 50s girl and a Southern Belle

Three 50s cousins

Mama went as me when I was a majorette. Can't you tell? She brought my Letterman jacket from high school. She was trying to dump off my junk on me. . . but I told her she had to take it back to her house :)

The boys were incognito in their camo

No cars or trucks or hayrides for this trick or treatin'. . . we walked. . . just like Charlie Brown.

Except I don't think Charlie and his gang walked as far as we did. We went through woods (pretty spooky).

Through a golf course. . . and all the way to Gigi and Grandaddy's. . . which is about a 2-mile walk. We were exhausted. Thankfully Gigi had cookies for everyone to munch on. Then the men went and got the cars so we could ride back home. Our treak or treatin probably took us 2+ hours. It was so fun though!!! We had lots of laughs!

The kids got lots of good candy too.

As the night wore on Jon and Steve got funnier and funnier. They were both so hilarious. They had us all crackin' up!!!

Even we moms decorated ourselves up for Halloween. . . a poodle mom, a pumpkin mom, and a cat mom.

This pictures just makes me grin!

I love this little girl!

138. Friends that are like family.

139. A loving family who wants to be with you.

140. Sweet sisters.

141. Nieces and nephew.

142. Fat baby cheeks.

143. Good health to walk long distances.

144. $5 pizzas.

145. Laughter, loudness, southern warmth.