We pray that you have a day filled with giving thanks.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name. Psalms 100:4

One of Those Things ...

I really can't remember when this started, and it is something I usually forget about, but Makenzie will. not. eat. with a metal utensil. Isn't that the strangest thing you have ever heard?

A child with strange habits and fears ... where did she come from?

Um, yea, but don't judge me! 

I am one of "those" moms. Makenzie, Jenna, Marshall, Meggie & I intended to take a nap last night ... but, we were too excited to sleep! Why were we excited you ask? Because we had tickets for the 12:01 am showing of NEW MOON, of course! Yes, it was a school night and yes, we had to be at the theater at 10:30 and yes, Troy gasped when he looked at our online banking transactions and yes, we only got three hours of sleep ... but it was SO WORTH IT! The movie was great and hanging out with awesome teenagers is incredible!

(photo taken before we picked up Meggie)

It's My Birthday!

Seriously, with an awesome family and great friends, what is not to love about getting old?

Little Miss Addie & I LOVED

 the cookie cake her momma made me!

A Golden Opportunity

I recently had the opportunity to join some close friends, and make a new one, in a gold panning trip to the North Georgia Mountains. We had an amazing time with beautiful weather. We hope to make trips like this a yearly event. We set out not knowing anything about panning for gold, but enjoyed learning the art of panning together while having a great time. Even now, I look forward to next year. With the four of us together, there is bound to be more silliness than seriousness. I had a great time, Jamie, Flechs, and Reavis. Thanks for experiencing this adventure with me!

You should see the other guy!

Mitchell loves to sleep in Makenzie's room on the weekends, and even though Makenzie has two beds, he normally sleeps in her twin bed with her. Well, those days may be over. This weekend, according to him, she pushed him out of bed onto her trunk. We have been thinking of really tough sounding stories that he can share with his friends! :o)

The sweetest part of this story is that in the middle of the night when he came into our room to tell us, he told Troy that he hit his face on Makenzie's "treasure chest". Isn't that the cutest?

Cheerleading Banquet 09

"Competition Cheerleading

Makes Stars!"

Makenzie's middle school cheerleading career official wrapped up tonight with a Red Carpet Affair! I have to say that this year has not always been easy. In fact, Makenzie has faced a lot of challenges this year, and we could not be any prouder of how she has handled her self. She has worked hard, did things she did not like to do, was a team leader and a team player. Makenzie is amazingly disciplined (definitely not a trait she received from me!) and it "shines" in everything she does.

Nerd Bowl 2-1

Marshall is a member of LHS' Academic Bowl team.

The have won two meets, and he enjoys hanging out with friends. Makenzie, well, she just doesn't get it. She has taken to calling it "Nerd Bowl". (and, I find myself laughing!)

I am NOT calling Meggie a nerd ... I just don't like picture-less posts! :o)

Northeast Georgia Invitational

 Makenzie competed in her very last

Middle School Competition today.

It was definitely a bittersweet day.

 We are so proud of her work ethic and determination.

Halloween Bunco

Can it still be called Bunco if we don't play Bunco?!

A Night Out In Savannah

Happy 16th Birthday, Marshall!

Marshall spent his sixteenth birthday sipping hot chocolate, browsing in a comic book store and enjoying tacos and pumpkin pie with his family and Meggie.

I spent my day thinking about how quickly 
time flies when you are having fun!

You bring cRaZy joy into our lives, Marshall.

CraZy   wEEk!

Dear Walton County Board of Education,

First, I would like to tell you that I really do appreciate everything you do for my family. My children are attending award winning, distinguished centers of learning where they have awesome, well-educated caring teachers instructing outstanding, challenging curriculum. You provide safe schools, offer fabulous sports programs, clubs and extra curricular actvities for enjoyment and growth. You faithfully pay our insurance premiums, contribute to my husband's retirement account and of course, I look forward to hearing from you on the 15th and the 30th each month. However, I would like to understand why

  you insist on totally jacking up a week of my life each semester?

I will never understand why you think sending all of the children home shortly after they arrive two days in the middle of the week is productive. I do understand the importance of the teacher/parent conferences, but I thought it was common knowledge "in the industry" that the parents the teachers need to confer with don't show up! So, I am to believe that these same parents take Tuesday afternoon off of work to hear how little Johnny is not performing at grade level and is, in fact, probably going to be in the court system by next semester?! I don't thing so. But, to be perfectly honest it is not little Johnny or his parole officer's time that is my concern - it is my time. Do you understand the two most hectic times of day in my household is bedtime and morning time? We still have to do homework, pack lunches, get backpacks packed, set our alarms for 5:30 and do it all again! Plus, I get to add the extra trips back to the schools because just because there is no classroom instruction in the afternoon there is still band practice, cheerleading practice and football games all at their regularly scheduled times. I am not angry, but I am holding you personally responsible for the fact that it is Friday and my house is not clean, my laundry is not done, we have no food, I haven't taken any pictures of my kids, I haven't blogged, I haven't done any decorating or crafting and I didn't make it a week on one tank of gas. Would please consider giving us one whole day off and preferably a Friday?

I cannot do everything ...

but I know Someone who can!

Today was one of those days where it becomes crystal clear that I cannot be everything to everyone! Our day started out at 5:00 am. The Cheer Devils competed at Morgan County High School today. The caravan pulled out of the middle school at 6:30 am. The Marching Red Devils competed at Lassiter High School, and they had to report in uniform at 8:00 am. Mitchell's soccer match was late in the day -10:30 am! So, what is a mom to do? I can pray! I can pray that my children will be well rested and give their all. I can pray for their safety. And, mostly I pray that His presence will be with them ~ encouraging and guiding their steps. (and flips & kicks!)

I can praise Him for loving my children more than I ever could.
I also can thank God for Aunt Tammy!