Everything will be Fine in 2009~

I know people say it all the time... but where did the time go... we have had a great year! Every year we always go out to eat on New Years Eve.. and have our picture taken.. This year it was taken at that great Mexican resturant....Las Rancharo. We love eating there and the people are so nice!

I don't know how this new year can get any better... this past year was great! So many wonderful things happened; Mother licking that old Lung Cancer... she is doing so much better, Jaykala licking that old Leukemia.... she is doing so much better, Karen licking that old Breast Cancer... she is doing so much better, and everyone else being healthy! That was the best of all year!

Our house selling was a great way to celebrate the new year! We finally sold our house in March and the kids and I moved in May. We love our new house and new town. We have so much to do to our house but that's half the fun! The kids are really settling in and making some really nice friends.

We are so blessed with wonderful and good jobs. Ken is doing great at his job and is really liking it. I too am loving my job. What a blessing! I work with great people and I hope to get to know the community better that I will soon feel that I am doing some good for children here. While I miss all the kids and wonderful staff at Crievewood I can't really say I miss all other junk I had to put up with for the past 10 years... oh well.. that chapter is closed!

We have so much to be thankful for and so much to look forward to. My life is so blessed! I pray that all my friends have many blessing come their way this new year! ~happy N*e*W y*E*a*R everyone!!

The Quilt Shoppe With Mother~

I love nothing more than going shopping with my Mother~

When I was a little girl we used to go shopping every Saturday. We would hop on the bus and ride the bus to downtown Nashville. We would hit Harvey's, Cain Sloan, Woolworth, and then make a stop at the Ben West Library; it was great! Before we would leave we would either eat at Candy Land, the basement at Harvey's or upstairs in the Iris Room at Cain Sloan. We never really purchased anything, but we loved to look at all the "pretties" and then eat lunch. I loved those Saturdays with my Mother~

So today (Saturday, December 6) wasn't any different when Mother and I went out shopping! I was so excited that she was finally here in my new little town! Our first stop was a great quilt shoppe I love to visit - Needle Me This- they have beautiful fabric and it's a great place to just hang out and be inspired! The people there are so sweet! I frequent this place often and had told the manager, Charie about how much my Mother would love this place... I had told her she was coming to visit and how excited I was. She was very happy to see us and helped Mother around and was happy to help her~ what a dear she is!! This was a great shopping trip! One I will never forget, and every time I'm in the shoppe I will always remember my Mother and the fabulous day we had!!

Giving Thanks for So Much!

This has to be the best Thanksgiving I have had in a very long time! I have so much to be thankful this year.

Such as~ I'm thankful my mother was able to spend Thanksgiving with us! I'm thankful we finally sold our house and I'm thankful we are now all together in our new house! I'm thankful my In-Laws were able to spend Thanksgiving with us! I'm thankful for my new job and new friends. It goes without saying that I'm so thankful our kids are healthy! I'm so thankful that so many are on the way back to healthy; Mother, Karen, and Jaykala! ~ Praise God!! I hope you have a lot to be thankful for this year. Blessings, for a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Lions and Tigers and Bears Oh My~

October 31, 2008 - Halloween night~

Unbelievable! Halloween on our street! We made over 500 (no lie) goodie bags for Halloween and now they are all gone! I couldn't believe it - but our street was packed! Cars were lined up all the way up the street - they even had the Police around for crowd control!! They started coming at 5:00! and came until around 8:00. Big ones, little ones and everyone in between.... it was crazy! The weather was great... it had that hint of fall in the air.. it was nice but just chili enough that your costume wasn't too cold or too hot. It was the best Halloween I've ever celebrated~ Wow, look at those scary costumes.. no wait.. those aren't costumes.. those are teenagers... yep, that is even scarier!

September 11, seven years ago~

Seven years ago today our country was attacked. I guess everyone remembers where they were and has their own story to tell. I have one too, but I wont go into all that now....

However, today was just another day... seven years later.... Today was a busy day, Kenton had braces put on and I had to go to class tonight. As I rushed through this day I felt something was missing.. I didn't see any sign of remembrance of this day, seven years ago. Everyone was going about their day as if nothing happened, seven years ago. It made me wonder if anyone stopped to remember those lost in the senseless act of terrorism, seven years ago. And then, there it was an old car with a flag draped over the windshield. It was the only way they could display our American flag; it was their way of saying "we remember, seven years ago".

I love my country. I love that I am an American. I love that there are people who will stand for what they believe in and will guard this country. I thank them and pray for their souls. I pray this war will be over soon and that they can come home to a peaceful America.

From Baby Teeth to Braces~

I miss the Tooth Fairy~ Kenton had one more tooth that just wouldn't come out... so we had to have the dentist pull it. When he got in the car to go home I was half way down when I realized I didn't have his tooth. I was about to turn around when he asked me why I was going back. I quickly told him that he needed his tooth for the Tooth Fairy - and with that he said "really mom... the Tooth Fairy..." now granted Kenton is now 13... but really.. the Tooth Fairy has to come one last time. It's my child's LAST BABY TOOTH! Such a sadness came over me, a sadness like no other. I longed for the day of new baby teeth. The joy I got when that first tooth came through. The joy I got when he smiled that one tooth smile. The joy of teaching how to brush that one tooth... how did he loose those teeth so fast!

Now it's all about braces~ Kenton got his braces on today (9/11/08). I felt a since of melancholy as I watched the dental hygienist put them on. My baby is growing up so fast. He looked so mature in that chair. So ready for braces, so ready to have a perfect smile.

I wonder if the Tooth Fairy wore braces?~

AAAHHHHH..... Labor Day!

Labor Day has always been a pretty funky day for me. It's the end of summer and the beginning of fall (although it's not for several weeks from now...). It also means no more "days off" until the Thanksgiving weekend- which is so long away! It also is the traditional ending of wearing white and white shoes... yes I still believe that's how it should be! You really do look like an idiot wearing white after Labor day!

We didn't do anything special for today. The kids just hung out at home, Ken stayed on the computer (I know.. no surprise there) and I did homework. We didn't rush out to catch any last minute sales, we didn't work on the house, and we didn't squeeze in any last minute pool time. Just a day of leisure! I guess that's how it should be~

It made me feel a little guilty with noting to do today since so many people are being affected by Gustav, the hurricane hitting Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi. I stayed up all night watching T.V. waiting to hear the news of it's landfall. I talked to my brother today and he had just gotten out of Morgan City, LA- thank goodness he is fine! It's so weird to think that just 3 years ago we were watching the same news about Katrina and that in 1992 we were hearing about Andrew. My brother was in LA when that hit and he had a very hard time!

More reminiscing~ it was also around Labor Day weekend that we were watching the awful news about Princess Dianna... ok.. no more sad memories...

Another thought about Labor Day weekend... Every Labor Day weekend since I was 10... and that's been a long time ago... I have always watched some part of the Jerry Lewis telethon... I can remember staying up all night to watch it. It was a big deal to stay up all night and watch it! wooohoo... how times have changed!!

ok.. enough about Labor Day... now bring on Fall and all the fun holidays!! Hope you all had a great weekend! and remember- you DON'T wear white after Labor Day!!!