Girls Weekend!

Opening weekend of modern gun season was this weekend. Shane spend his weekends doing whatever it is men do while off in the woods doing their own thing. This picture was taken at deer camp a few weeks ago while he had the girls down for a weekend.

While Daddy was away we have watched movies, watched Say Yes to the Dress, watched cheerleading shows. We also  baked chocolate chip cookies. All fun things to do on a weekend when it was just us girls.

A thing of beauty

This daughter of mine.

I made her.

Well, obviously I had some help.

She is one amazing girl.

Let me tell you some things about her-

• She makes her bed daily (because she wants to) Clutter makes her nuts.

• Her grades are outstanding.

• She almost always does as she should.

• Last week she ran an 8 minute mile (she wanted to prove to herself she could)

She is a parents dream. And without her, my life would be incomplete. I often say she is a great kid and it is amazing her daddy and I haven’t messed her up!

*She is a teenager. And MOODY. Sometimes that is really hurtful.

Things have gotten easier and more difficult in a whole other way over the last 15 years.

Lucky me that she is my firstborn, what a way to break me in!

Field Day

The last day of school is always field day. At our school instead of the traditional field day with different games we have a kickball tournament.  This year they bussed the kids over to our schools jr/sr high campus and they played on the baseball and softball fields. There were 5 classes participating 2 games going on at a time with the 5th team taking a break. They played 2 regular games then the winners played. If I remember correctly we played in the final and lost. Of course a good time was had by all.  Followed by popsicles!

That's our Sarah Jane in the bright blue!

Gator Park

 

Just a little late. :) I do want to get all of my last few months of photos and events caught up!

Our school does end of the year field trips in May for all grades. 6th grade goes to a local “park” that has miniature golf, bumper boats, batting cages, go-carts. You know all the things kids that age enjoy.

Pizza was brought in, a dessert bar was set up by the parents, along with ALL the soda they can drink. (let me tell you-that's a lot of soda)

Sarah and her friend Haley. She is the younger sister of E’s best friend. I have a picture of them in this exact spot on their trip to Gator Park.

Can you see Sarah taking that corner?

FYI: she doesn’t drive like her Daddy.

 

Such sweet girls. We are very lucky that are girls are able to have such good friends from good families.

Such lovely little ladies

 

 

I took these pictures one morning before church. Both girls were somewhat cheerful and willing to stand together. (unfortunately its too rare these days)

Snapped...again

April 30,2009

Hasn't this been the rainiest spring??? I heard that we are +9.25 inches on average rainfall. It seems as if this is the case in most of the country. This limb snapped off one of our 3 HUGE Bradford Pear trees. We were fortunate that we didn't lose an entire tree. This happened on a night when it was not even all that windy. I didn't see any other branches down the next day like I thought I would.....very strange.

I should also tell you that Shane had the branch cut up and hauled away that very evening! (very rare he is so proactive) He loves these trees and when I pointed out that these trees are 15 years old and don't usually live more that 20 he gave me a very dirty look and ignored the comment.

First swim of the season!

April 26, 2009

So I have been a bad blogger lately. I have gone through the photo album and there are a few things I want to make sure I catch up on!!

The first swim of the season was spontaneous. The girls had friends over and it started with the first one being pushed in...then another...and another...you get the picture. This lead to the kids swimming in their clothes. And when there are boys over...I am all for that!!

Emily is in the red and Sarah in the blue tank top. I think they were playing chicken and E was about to get on SJ's shoulders.

This is Emily and her "boyfriend". I have not mentioned him before because I am not one too blow it out of proportion. He is her first boyfriend and they have been "going out" since right after Christmas. He is from a very nice, Christian family and it has been a new and different experience for the WHOLE family.

Especially daddy. :) Daddy has no idea how to handle this.

Stay tuned....more blog posts to catch you up on.

Grandparent's Day

Every April our school has a day to honor Grandparents, this year SJ had a part in a skit and played an attorney. If you notice, she has THREE costume changes. Those of you that know her this is not surprising to you. She loves clothes, spent weeks meticulously planning each costume change. Imagine my surprise to learn she was changing in the baptistry....such an angel!!

The girls with their WONDERFUL music teacher!!

They will miss her!
A blurry photo, this is her in her rented attorney outfit on the right!

This is Sarah Jane and her buddies before the program~such sweet girls!

Happy Mothers Day

Wanted to wish you all a Happy Mothers Day. Thanks for all the love and support you show to me and my family. We love you!

I BELIEVE

This was sent to me in an email. These statements say so much, and when the girls are old enough to understand the meaning of the words I want to be able to point them towards this.


I BELIEVE

A Birth Certificate shows that we were born
A Death Certificate shows that we died
Pictures show that we lived!
Have a seat . . . Relax . . .
And read this slowly.

I Believe...
That just because two people argue,
It doesn't mean they don't love each other.
And just because they don't argue,
It doesn't mean they do love each other.


I Believe....
That we don't have to change friends if
We understand that friends change.


I Believe.....
That no matter how good a friend is,
they're going to hurt you every once in a while
and you must forgive them for that.


I Believe....
That true friendship continues to grow,
even over the longest distance.
Same goes for true love.

I Believe...
That you can do something in an instant
That will give you heartache for life.


I Believe....
That it's taking me a long time
To become the person I want to be.


I Believe....
That you should always leave loved ones with
Loving words. It may be the last time you see them.


I Believe.....
That you can keep going long after you think you can't.


I Believe.....
That we are responsible for what
We do, no matter how we feel.


I Believe....
That either you control your attitude or it controls you.


I Believe....
That heroes are the people who do what has to be done
when it needs to be done,
regardless of the consequences.


I Believe....
That money is a lousy way of keeping score.


I Believe.....
That my best friend and I,
can do anything, or nothing and have the best time.


I Believe.....
That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down,
will be the ones to help you get back up.


I Believe....
That sometimes when I'm angry
I have the right to be angry,
But that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.


I Believe....
That maturity has more to do with
what types of experiences you've had
And what you've learned from them
and less to do with
how many birthdays you've celebrated.


I Believe.....
That it isn't always enough,
to be forgiven by others.
Sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself.


I Believe....
That no matter how bad your heart is broken
the world doesn't stop for your grief.


I Believe.....
That our background and circumstances
may have influenced who we are,
But, we are responsible for who we become.


I Believe....
That you shouldn't be so eager to find
Out a secret. It could change your life Forever.


I Believe.....
Two people can look at the exact same
Thing and see something totally different.


I Believe....
That your life can be changed in a matter of
Hours by people who don't even know you..


I Believe....
That even when you think you have no more to give,
When
A friend cries out to you -
you will find the strength to help.


I Believe....
That credentials on the wall
do not make you a decent human being.


I Believe....
That the people you care about most in life
are taken from you too soon.


I Believe....
That you should send this to
all of the people that you believe in, I just did.


'The happiest of people don't necessarily
have the best of everything;
They just make the most of everything.

He is Risen!!!

Here is a look at our Easter activities......not necessarily in this order.

Blogger uploads photos in the reverse of the way you pick them, I can never remember!

We woke up this morning to a dreary, rainy Easter Sunday. On Saturday SJ went to the neighborhood Easter egg hunt, Emily was at cheer clinic getting ready for tryouts this week. After church we went to Cock~of~the~Walk for lunch. Then had a quiet afternoon of movie watching and Easter egg dyeing.

Can you tell which eggs belong to which girl?

That is total concentration.

Our Easter Dresses (or skirt for SJ)

This is what the Easter Bunny brought for the girls.

Hope everyone had a good Easter!!

ABJH Soccer (Emily)

Emily had her first year playing soccer. These pictures are from the first game of the season. It is hard to tell in these pictures but she LOVES soccer. I never expected her to have this reaction to the sport. Most of you know she spent her elementary years doing team gymnastics leaving no room for other sports. Those years gave her a good work ethic and a strong body! Most other activities she participates in, these qualities have proven to be beneficial.

In the above picture she had just kicked the ball and was backing up. She usually played sweeper, occasionally other positions. In the last game of the season she played an offensive position for the last 2 minutes of the game. Sarah and I were unable to make the last game. Shane and Emily were both excited that she was able to kick the ball into the goal, although she was offsides so there was no score. Are you wondering why I am even mentioning this??? Of the 7 games played our poor (inexperienced) team only scored once. That is once the entire season. Never won a game! I can tell you that Emily cannot wait until next year.......

Bahamas (Lynn & Shane) 2009

What a welcome break this trip was. 6 nights/7 days on beautiful Grand Bahama! We had a great time as you can see in the photos that follow. I apologize that there are so many, just trying to make sure I shared the fun with all of you.

Can you believe this?

The sunrise from our room overlooking the beach/ocean.

The view from my chair on the first day!
I sat under this fabulous palm tree for shade.

Shane ironing my shirt-priceless.

Said shirt-at dinner.

This is what I could see from my chair on our last day. We rented a set of lounge chairs on the beach that had a bonnet for shade. With the bonnet we were able to spend 12-6 on the beach. As you can see, I enjoy the shade Shane wanted to be in the sun with his chair angled perfectly.

More of the view from my bonnet chair.

We really had a great time!

Spring Formal Cotillion

This is Sarah's second pair of shoes to match this dress. The first pair were beautiful with rhinestones, they broke last week after they had only been worn around the house. I decided to get shoes a little more substantial so they might make it through the evening.

As you can tell that pretty girl is all hair. Every picture taken of her becomes all about the hair. That's a burden she will have to bear. :)

Not sure if she is unhappy with the picture taking or the idea of cotillion.

Evidently she cheered up once she got there and was with her people.

This is the group of kids that live on our street that signed up for cotillion together. I think it made it easier on them to know they had each other. Do they look uncomfortable or what??

February Cotillion

The February cotillion was the last regular date. The March date is the formal held at the country club, they are able to show off the dance moves they have learned this cotillion season. FYI--E is still mad that she is unable to participate. When she was the age SJ is now she refused to register, much less attend, she now regrets that decision.

This first picture I included so you could see her pretty bright pink ballet flats she paired with the black and cream dress.

This was 2 days after she got braces on her teeth, therefore, she was not very happy! I do love her with this serious look on her face.

Horse Races

In nearby Hot Springs, we have a horse racing track. Most of you know of SJ's love of horses, we have visited the horse races a couple of times this racing season. In past years we have taken them a time or two. Our first visit to the races was about a month ago on a pretty nice day, we went with friends, Shane was given box seats to use from a business associate. These seats are up away from the track and we are able to enjoy a more "family" style atmosphere. This was the visit of food.....popcorn, sodas, m&m's, ice cream, nachos, & Jr. mints! Sounds like a tummy ache doesn't it? Here a couple of pics I took of the kids that day!

Our second trip to the races was with Shane's extended family and that trip was just as fun, however, I forgot to take my camera. That is unusual for me these days, as everything is a blogging opportunity! This trip was the Saturday afternoon Arkansas had snow! It was a beautiful sight to see the horses running in the late winter snow.

Neglected!!

My Blog that is!! I hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day! We sure did--Shane and I had been planning an evening without the kids and he started coughing on Friday and had a fever all weekend. Today he seemed to feel better, went to work for most of the day and came home feeling sore and coughing worse!

On to the fun stuff...I want to share with you the Valentine's that Sarah and I made for her classmates. They turned out so cute!

I have lots more to share...soon!

Basketball Cheerleading

Here are a couple of basketball cheer videos. I am sorry it took me so long to finally get into the gym with the camera. E still loves cheering. Soon it will be onto soccer. She has not been to into sports, so this her first time at soccer. It will be interesting!

My Husband Rocks

I just snagged this from one of my real life BFF's blog go visit Tracy if you have a few minutes she is a great friend with a beautiful family.

1. Where did you meet? At BJ's (not the restaurant)
2. How long did you date b/f you were married? too long-or maybe not long enough
3. What does he do that surprises you? He really cares about people
4. What is your favorite quality of his? The love for his family, not just me & the girls. His parents & grandparents & sister. With the distance between us, he cares and thinks of them.
5. What is your favorite feature of his? His bad boy dimples
6. Does he have a nickname for you? Probably
7. What is his favorite food? Milk and Cookies (he can't give them up)
8. What is his favorite sport? Generally whatever can get him out of the house for the season
9. When and where was your first kiss? After BJ's-in the car (hes romantic)
10. What do you like to do together? Travel
11. Do you have any children? 2 girls
12. Does he have a hidden talent? His charm-he can disarm anyone
13. Who said "I love you" first? I don't remember-however after we had dated about 2 months we were sitting on the couch watching TV-he looked at me and turned down the TV-apparently I was sitting next to him humming the wedding march.
14. What is his favorite type of music? We can narrow that to Kenny Chesney
15. What do you admire most about him? His drive-anything he wants he can make happen
16. Do you think he will read this? If I hand it to him-and watch him do it

The missing tooth

Last Thursday Sarah visited to orthodontist to get spacers in preparation for braces in 2 weeks. Back up 2 days to Tuesday night, about 10:00 (0ver an hour after we put her in bed) she came downstairs some what groggy to show us a yucky gaping hole where she lost a tooth. She said "I literally lost a tooth" our response was "literally?" we chuckled at the cutie. "No, literally I lost it! It was there and now I can't find it!" We were still chuckling at this and Shane asked her "Did you swallow it?" She just shook her head at us like we are crazy and mumbled as she was walking away, "You'd think a girl would notice that".

I still chuckle thinking about that conversation-she is a hoot.

Hellloooo

I have neglected the blog for a couple of weeks. We have been getting back into the swing of things after our wonderful break from school. Soon I will get the New Years trip to Dallas blogged, be on the lookout!

In other news, we had report card day last week. I always hold my breath, I am more nervous about their report cards than I ever was about mine. What is that about?

Emily (8th grade) had a great 4.o we are very proud of her. She is the greatest about coming in doing her homework, and studying for quizzes and tests.

Sarah (6th grade) had all A's. With just one B, in math which has always been a struggle for her. She worked very hard for these grades, I am very happy that her report card reflects her effort.

I could go on and on....my kids are great!
enough said!

1992-OGHS

Fill this out about your SENIOR year of high school! The longer ago it was, the more fun the answers will be!!
REPOST with name of high school and graduating year in the subject box.
1. Did you date someone from your school? Yes
2. Did you marry someone from your high school? No
3. Did you car pool to school? Sometimes
4. What kind of car did you have? 1988 Ford Escort
5. What kind of car do you have now? Suburban
6. It's was Friday night...where were you? With my friends and or boyfriend
7. It is Friday night...where are you? (now) Home usually with a gaggle of girls
8. What kind of job did you have in high school? Worked at Target!
9. What kind of job do you do now? Full-time (Mom/housewife)
10. Were you a party animal? Not particularly
11. Were you considered a flirt? Could be
12. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir? No--no musical talent here.
13. Were you a nerd? umm--not in the smart way
14. Did you get suspended or expelled? does Saturday school count?
15. Can you sing the fight song? Did we even have one???
16. Who was/were your favorite teacher(s)? Mrs. Andrelli
17. Where did you sit during lunch? I don't really even remember going to the cafeteria? I'm sure I did
18. What was your school's full name? Oak Grove High School
19. When did you graduate? 1992
20. What was your school mascot? Hornets
21. If you could go back and do it again, would you? Never!!
22. Did you have fun at Prom? Yes
23. Do you still talk to the person you went to Prom with? Nope
24. Are you planning on going to your next reunion? Absolutely! Can't wait!
25. Do you still talk to people from school? A few, with facebook and blogs it sure feels like I do

You know you want to play this game. Let me know when you have this filled out on your blog!