Saturday, December 20, 2008

Oh The Sounds of Christmas in Alabama....

...The musaac of the Ice Cream Man. Yes, I said the Ice Cream Man. The kids are in shorts and flip flops and the ice cream man came today. It is December 20th. Most people would say that's crazy but my friend DeAnne and I were talking today and I remember more warm Christmases (sp?) than cold ones. So here are some "traditional" Christmas Pictures...from the South.




I very comfortably walked down the street barefooted to find my kids for these pictures. I really like this weather, it sho is easy!

If you read this, please comment so I know you are out there.

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Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Rose and Ian













Yay!! We did it. I have wanted to do this forever, and for no good reason, never did. I think it is just one of those things you think "I'll do it tomorrow" and then you don't get around to it. Meanwhile there is a child out there anxiously awaiting some help.
We went to church Sunday and were to pick our child. Well of course the children couldn't agree, so we got 2!! Maybe that makes up a little for waiting so long to do one. They are cute aren't they, Rose and Ian. We know very little about them, but hope to learn more. I hope that we will communicate with them through letters. I know that Rose is in Kindergarten and Ian is in 3rd grade. They live in Buloba, in the African Region of Uganda. With the money and help from our church, these children will get to go to school, this will pay for their books, their uniforms, and a meal at school. We did this through the ARM Project. Africa Renewal Ministries. You can look it up on http://www.africarenewal.org.
My kids asked me why they aren't smiling. Wheeler said "they were sad because they don't have much" but I don't think so. I imagine these children are very happy children and very happy with what ever they do have. I think they don't smile because they don't get there pictures taken very often and probably just don't know that smiling is what you do. Interesting I think.
We plan to write them a letter and tell them about us and hope to hear back from them but I don't know how long that takes. I'll update about them as soon as I know something.

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Thursday, November 27, 2008

Okay, I know, I haven't posted in a long time. I felt like I couldn't until I did something about sponsoring a child somewhere somehow. I have been waiting to hear from my church as I signed up a long time ago and was waiting for more sponsors before we could get the program going. I got an e-mail this week that says we can pick out our child this Sunday so the kids and I will do that and then I can fill you in on more details. I'm excited.

As for what we have been up to lately. Not a lot but it's been nice. Today is Thanksgiving and I am very full. We went to Joe's sister's house today and ate way too much. Joe's mom makes the best dressing and I just can't stop until it is time to go,and then we pack a lot more into tupperware containers and bring it home to eat more tomorrow. Actually, I'm thinking I might go eat some now....

We also went to my dad's for a short visit. He is doing a lot better. He doesn't have much of an appetite so he has lost a lot of weight. It is getting better though. He is eating a little and gaining strength. He is frustrated because it isn't moving fast enough for his satisfaction, but isn't that the way all recoveries go?

My birthday was Sunday. I've had a really nice week. We went to eat at a friends house Friday night and really had a good time. I thought about my parents as we finished our dinner but still sat at the dining room table for a long time after and just talked and laughed. I remember my parents having people over for dinner and they would stay at the dining room table for hours. I never understood what they were doing. Now I understand, you are just having so much fun, you don't dare move to the living room for fear of breaking the groove and having to end the night. Thanks, T and M, we really enjoyed it.

I have also been taken to lunch with 2 friends that was fun, Thanks B and T. Went shopping with a friend, thanks A. Ate at the Olive Garden with 2 more friends and then we did some late night Target shopping, thanks D and K. Anyway, it has been nice and I've been spoiled.

Whoops, forgot to mention that Joe and I had a date to Amsterdam Cafe and then to a movie.

This was my first 39th birthday and I plan to have 10 more, until my 1st 49th birthday. Maybe tomorrow I'll post some Flashback Friday pictures of a younger me.

First though, I'm getting up really early to go Black Friday shopping!!

One of these days I'll tell you about last years birthday and black Friday. It is a memory I'll never forget, and I'm telling you, my friend Anne and I are the smartest people in Auburn!

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Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

I got on the computer this morning and read all of my favorite blogs. I thought if anyone is reading mine that doesn't read these other 3 is really missing out. My friend at Where the Green Grass Grows (please check my friends blogs on the right hand column as I can't figure out how to put a link directly in a post) tells the best stories. She really has me laughing out loud or nodding my head in agreement with every post. I look forward to your posts every day Tiff, you add a smile to my day every time you have a new post.

My other favorites are Big Mama and The Pioneer Woman, usually also telling funny stories or posting about their daily life. But right now, Big Mama and The Pioneer Woman's family are in the Dominican Republic on a Compassion Trip. I hope you will check out their blogs as they are posting pictures and thoughts about this trip. Compassion is an organization where you sponsor a child to provide food and healthcare, and also you form a relationship with this child. I think if I can slow my self down tonight and realize how much I have and how much these people don't, I will show these posts to my children and probably sign up to sponsor a child.

Maybe I'll do some research, I know there are many organizations like this. Is there one that looks at some of the children right here in America? Maybe that is a much harder thing to do. I don't know, but I think it is important. For me and for my children. I'll keep you updated. I hope you will check out these blogs too as they are very interesting.

And on a lighter note, these 2 girls are just like me on a daily basis and their blogs are fun and head nodding too. Check out Ree on The Pioneer Woman, her love story of her and her husband is great, it is a novel you can't put down. The links are again in my right hand column, under my favorite sites.

I am also going to let Kate post about the election. It was a historic day, she might be the first 8 year old to actually vote in a presidential election! Though I do hope that who ever you voted for you are excited about the history that was made last night and how involved so many more people are in this process than ever before.

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Saturday, November 1, 2008

Double the Loot!!

Boy did my kids ever luck out. We got to go Trick or Treating twice!

In the town we live in, if Halloween falls on a Friday, they reschedule Trick or Treat for Thursday. They say it is for High School Football. I also think that it probably helps to keep the mischief and partying down if the teenagers have a school night curfew.

We had a fun time in our neighborhhod. We all get together in the cul-de-sac for a pizza party before dark so the kids can all see each other's costumes and play for a while. Before we get down to serious gettin candy business.





There were some great costumes!!
Then the race is on!!! Nobody is home because they all are about our age and have kids too. So the kids just run and get a piece of candy out of a bucket left on the porches. It is an all out sprint, fast as you can before the buckets are emptied!! We had a great time and thanks to my nephew Will, I didn't have to sprint with my kids, he kept up with them and made sure they were safe. Thanks Will!!



So, On Friday night. We went back home to my hometown. Now they do Halloween up right!!! Golf Carts are a main means of transportation so we can go all over town in the golf cart for trick or treating. The golfcart paths in town run all through the woods and behind the neighborhoods, off the main streetways, so that is fun because it is dark and quiet and perfect for Halloween.




This guy had "Ghostbusters" playing as he drove his kids around to get their goodies. Looks like there is a skeleton in the background who needs a ride!!

There are several neighborhoods in town that really get into Halloween. They decorate their houses, have haunted mazes, live action drama etc... We had a great time!!

Thank you Wendy and Bobby for the fun and hospitality!! Thanks to all the Conners for allowing me to keep my Honorary Connerary status!

And my kids got the Double the Loot!!!
(This picture aint nothin, cause they have eaten half of it already!!

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Monday, October 27, 2008

Who "Just Wants to Have Fun"...We Did!!!

Oh wow, did we ever have fun. What a fun night, the 80's added such a great twist to Halloween. The costumes were great, the band was really awesome!!! We had so much fun, thanks to everyone who hosted but a big thanks to Jack, Barclay, Jodi, Paul, and Ronnie and Tamara who did most of the work. It was just fantastic!!!!
Coming up with all of these costumes was so much fun. I had about 5 different ideas when my friend, Anne, and I went to the local thrift store to find some 80's clothes. Hate to say it but the 80's was so long ago that the even the thrift store threw that stuff out a lllooooonnnnngggg time ago. So for some reason I was drawn to the wedding dresses. "Puffy sleeves, I think I can make this look 80's", so I go home and try to find some pictures of anybody I knew who got married in the 80's. I'm proud to say, that I am too young to have friends who got married in the 80's, Most of my friends (that I would have wedding pictures of anyway) got married in the 90's.
In the 80's I was very attached to Patch and Kayla on Days of Our Lives, I'm sure I'll never forget their wedding and all the turmoil that they had to go through to get to that glorius (how do you spell that?) day. And so, I modeled my headpiece after her, what do you think?!

But then, when I would tell people that I bought a wedding dress they would say, "Oh, is Joe gonna be Billy Idol?", well, we hadn't thought of that, he was going to be Jason, from Friday the 13th. But the more I thought of it, it sounded fun. Joe thought it sounded hard, didn't think anyone would know who he was. I had to do some real convincing, then I had to put Jack and Ronnie up to coaxing and convincing. Well, I think he is glad he decided to be Billy Idol. He said he got more attention from women that night than he ever remembers getting. (I find that hard to believe considering how used to look in his gold chain and pink shirt).



I think there was even a record set for Most Pictures Taken of Your Rear End


Paul (or Camille) and Joe (Billy) tied for this award.

Eric wins the prize for most pictures taken from the front. I don't know why. Neither does Kim.


Paul also wins for most original? or just most......likely....to leave us...speechless.



The Best Hair award goes to Nick and DeAnne.
That mullett is really scary, look close, he is wearing his gold chain, the one from that 20 year old picture you've seen before.


I'll say Kim and Amanda had some pretty good hair too.



The award for scariest goes to Britton Herbert as Teen Wolf; Jack as the Heavy Metal Dude,(who brought along his beautiful groupie); and.................Paul.
So is Jim Baker trying to lead Camille in a different direction spiritually or is he making a pass at her?


Most Creative goes to Mark Cantor as Elliot with ET.
Loved it when Mark started handing out Reese's Pieces.


I think I'll have to take away Most Original from Paul and give it to Mo and Allison Wright as John McEnroe and Borg.



The 2 that really got into character were definately Rebecca and Will as Axel Rose and Slash from Guns and Roses
Jodi I wish I had a picture of that split, you'd be running a close second here.



Best Group...The Maxwells and the Emfingers, KISS




Tina Turner said she had fun but she thought the party was a little short?! On the other hand, the nerd she came with , said it was so much fun it felt like 2 parties!!!



There were so many great costumes, Mad Max, Jane Jetson, Jim and Tammy Faye Baker, Cheech and Isaac from the Love Boat (Jonathon's got the fingerpoint down pat).




Jane Fonda, Tina Turner, and Cyndi Lauper ; Cheech and the Valley Girl; The Greatest American Hero brought his Aerobics Queen.




I thought Lynn and Dale Lightfoot were cute as Def Leopard (look close the ears are taped) and a Rubiks Cube



Shannon Chandler was by far the best Madonna.






Bartles and James were even there to thank us for their support.




I have no idea who this 1st guy is but I liked his shirt, cut off shirts were definitely the thing in the mid 80's. As for Michael and Rachel who were rubbing it in that they were babies in the 80's...you may be young but I bet you learned a thing or two Saturday night! Maybe Kenny and Dolly taught it to ya.



Here is Jonathon, Jodi, and Paul cutting a rug.





The Auburn University Swim Team was represented by Hugh Heffner, one of his bunnies I guess, Tom Cruise and the FlashDance girl.




Here are some Madeline girls: Carrie in a prom dress, Jennifer as Wonder Woman and Tracy Cantor as Daisy Duke. Anne and Todd came all decked out in 80's attire, is that a Members Only jacket you have on?





I bet you didn't know that was Kayla Brady in the White Wedding video did you?

By the way, please click on comments and let me know you are out there. It isn't hard, just click on the word "comments" at the bottom of each post.
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