MomMom's Musings

Happy Birthday, Aubrey!

2011-03-07T12:28:00.002-06:00

How is it possible that we have a 13 year old granddaughter? What a blessing she's been to our family. Aubrey, we love you and are so very proud of you. We hope you have a wonderful thirteenth birthday!! Love, MomMom and Pops

Alaska Part 1

2010-09-05T17:38:00.007-05:00

Visit Susan at a Southern Daydreamer for more outdoor posts.

I've been a terrible blogger but I have a good reason. As soon as Cousins' Camp was over, we packed our bags and left for Alaska. We went with our dear, dear friends who also happen to be our daughter-in-law's parents. (They were our friends long before children so we had no idea we'd ever get to share grandchildren when this friendship first began. GOD is so good!!). We all flew to Vancouver, B.C., Canada where we got on the Coral Princess for a week's cruise. We left Vancouver on Saturday, sailed Saturday and Sunday, and woke up Monday in Ketchikan, Alaska.

Many of the streets in Ketchikan are steps leading up to the houses. Imagine carrying your groceries to your house!

It was interesting to watch the salmon trying to swim upstream to spawn.

After leaving Ketchikan, we cruised to Juneau. It's interesting that Juneau is the capital of Juneau, yet the only way to get there is by boat or plane. There are no roads in or out of Juneau. Sea planes seemed to be the main mode of transportation.

We went on a whale watching boat ride and saw LOTS of whales up close and personal. One really decided to show out for us and do all of his tricks. They are SO huge and so interesting. We also went on rain forest hike and hiked to the Mendenhall Glacier which you can see in the above picture. It rains almost every day in Juneau but we didn't let us stop us. The flowers are gorgeous there. I guess they are so pretty because they get so much rain and the weather isn't nearly as hot.

Here we all are on the whale watching boat. I didn't get any good pictures of the whales because I was too busy TRYING to video them and missed any really good still pictures.

We left Juneau to cruise to Skagway which is one of my favorite places in Alaska. There is so much gold rush history there. Hubby and I had gone on the train trip to White Pass before when we were there so we didn't go again. However, we encouraged our friends to go because it's such a beautiful and interesting trip. We walked out to the cemetery where Soapy Smith, the leader of a gang in Skagway at the end of the 1800's, is buried. He wasn't, however, allowed to be buried INSIDE the cemetery because he had done so many awful things. He is buried just outside the fence of the cemetery. Behind the cemetery is a gorgeous waterfall named after F. Reid, the man who shot Soapy Smith. Apparently he was considered to be a hero.

After leaving Skagway, we were on the ship the rest of the cruise. The next day, we cruised into Glacier Bay National Park to see wildlife and glaciers. We saw Marjery Glacier and were able to hear and see it calving. Cruising into Glacier Bay was absolutely breathtaking.

After leaving Glacier Bay National Park, we cruised to College Fjord. Completely opposite to the day we were in Glacier Bay which was sunny and relatively warm, it was extremely foggy when we were in College Fjord. However,the fog only added to the natural beauty and mystique of the surroundings.

Our cruise was now rapidly coming to an end. I haven't mentioned in here all the other fun things we did while on the ship---like EATING!!! It was absolutely fantastic to go to the dining room and have an all day buffet if we chose to do that. We made new friends and ate our way through the cruise. On Saturday we ended the cruise in Whittier, Alaska. There's really not much in Whittier except boats. It's a fishing village and about 800 people live there year round. We had lunch in Whittier and then caught a train to Anchorage where we rented a car for the next part of our trip. Pictures and highlights of that trip will be in the next post, Alaska Part 2. Stay tuned!!

Whittier, Alaska

Cousins' Camp 2010

2010-08-01T13:07:00.004-05:00

Things we probably did NOT do during the week of Cousins' Camp:

Go to bed on time

Eat three healthy meals a day (or 1)

Take a shower daily

Keep any kind of schedule

Take very many pictures--too busy doing other things

Things we DID do during the week of Cousins' Camp;

Two water parks

Swimming daily

Ft. Pickens

Beach Pops

Two movies

Burger King

Marina Oyster Barn

Ice cream every night (with sprinkles and chocolate syrup)

Wii

Hannah Montana

Play with Spirit, the puppy

Stay up late

Manicures for Aubrey and Ashlyn

Have a fun time all the time

All of the above--PRICELESS

To the Parents (our children),

Thanks for sharing your children with us for a week. We had an incredible week of fun and they were so good, helpful, cooperative, responsible, polite, grateful......just plain fun. We love them so much and are so proud of them. We look forward to the day Addison can come, too. In the meantime, I hope and pray we made lots of fun memories for the four oldest ones.

Love,

MomMom and Pops

Catching Up

2010-07-28T08:14:00.005-05:00

Join Susan at A Southern Daydreamer for more outdoor pictures every Wednesday.

Life has been so busy recently (a very good busy) that I'm terribly behind with my blog. The last post we were at the beach for a week with all of our family. I posted Blue Angel pictures, but I never posted any pictures of our family time while there. We had a wonderful week and it went

by much too fast.

Every evening the "oil workers" would unload near our house and seemingly march to their work area for the night.

Drew, our nephew, was only able to stay two days because he's taking summer classes in college and had to go back to school.

Aubrey showing Addison the Gulf of Mexico and she loved it!

Ashlyn and Hannah enjoying the gulf at sunset

Addison and her daddy

David

Lots of fun memories were made that week. This week our grandchildren are with us for Cousins' Camp. Later I'll post about that. Hopefully, even more fun memories are being made this week!

Watching the Blue Angels

2010-07-13T22:05:00.008-05:00

With the oil reportedly covering the Gulf Coast beaches, it was even more impressive to see the Blue Angels flying last Saturday. Since this is their home, they felt even more compelled to fly one way or the other to bring more people to the area since oil has hurt our number one tourist attraction, our beaches. And bring people it did. We came the long way around to the beach from our house (usually a ten to fifteen minute trip) to avoid the traffic jam of people trying to get to the beach for the Blues. When we got to the beach house, this is what was behind our house. It really was a welcome sight with all the negative news recently. We have had oil on our beaches, that's a fact, but it hasn't closed the beaches and this week there is nothing. A couple of weeks ago, there was oil behind the house and up and down the normally pristine white sand, but it's been cleaned up and we are having a great time this week with family. We've been playing in the gulf, on the beach, eating FAR too much, watching the sunset every night, feeding the sea gulls, and just enjoying being together. How thankful we are that the oil hasn't kept us from having a great time this week. Here are some of our outdoor pictures, and, please join Susan at a Southern Daydreamer for more outdoor pictures.

Blue Angels Beginning Their Show

People in Their Boats Watching the Show

People on the Beaches with Their Tents Set Up (I had to get a close up of the Auburn tent--War Eagle!)

Lot of Tents

Our Beautiful Beaches--A View from the Top Deck of "Our" Beach House

What a View!

2010-06-29T21:17:00.006-05:00

Last weekend we went to a family reunion in North Georgia. We sat outside on one of the decks most of the time eating and talking (it was so much fun to all be together). This year all of our children and grandchildren got to go so it was really lots of fun to have them there with all the cousins and for the family to meet our newest member, Addison, and to see our other grandchildren again. It made this mamma proud!

The view from my cousin's deck is unbelievable. Throughout the time we were there, deer would wander into their backyard to graze or eat the watermelon that had been tossed back there. Occasionally a bear visits them and climbs up on one of the decks to eat the bird seed but not while we were there. We were making far too much noise for a bear, I'm sure.

Below are some pictures taken from their deck. Also, be sure to visit Susan at A Southern Daydreamer for more outdoor pictures.

Life Goes on Here on the Gulf Coast

2010-06-14T20:18:00.007-05:00

Be sure to visit Susan at A Southern Daydreamer for more Outdoor Wednesday pictures.

Saturday we decided to go bike riding on the beach with some of our very good friends. We left early that morning (early for me, but not necessarily early for the rest). We drove to the beach, parked, and got ready to ride the 15 miles round trip down to Ft. Pickens and back. As everyone knows, all we've heard in the news recently is about the tragic oil spill. It makes us all so sad, but another thing that makes us sad is the bleak picture that the media insists on presenting daily. Our beaches are NOT closed, and, at this point, there is not oil all over our beaches. In fact, we didn't see any oil nor any tar balls. When we got to the fort, we got off our bikes and walked on the beach until we got to the pass---the place where the bay empties into the Gulf of Mexico. People were fishing, others were sailing, others were on a pontoon boat, and still others were swimming. The shorebirds were nesting, the blue herons were searching for food and watching people, the ospreys were taking food to their new babies, and the sand crabs were dashing to safety in their holes as we walked near. Life on the beach looked amazingly normal. I'm posting some pictures of our day. Let's all pray that the oil spill is taken care of very soon and that we will continue to be able enjoy life on our beautiful Gulf Coast.

Happy Birthday, David!

2010-06-02T14:02:00.004-05:00

David, our only grandson, turned 8 years old last week. This is his cookie cake that he took to school to share with his classmates. We were there so we were able to eat with him on his real birthday. David LOVES anything Lego--Lego Batman, Lego Indiana Jones, Lego Star Wars---so that's what he got for his birthday. His imagination is unbelievable and he can play for hours just pretending. He is a sweet, thoughtful little boy, When we stay overnight at their house, David sleeps with me. He always says, "MomMom, can we snuggle and talk?" How could I turn that down! We snuggle and talk and he tells me SO many things. He loves to read and often tells me about the book he's reading. It's hard to believe he's 8 years old already, but time marches on. Happy Birthday, David!! We love you!

David looking at his birthday gift

He read every word of every card he got!

Eating lunch with his friend Brady at school on his actual birthday

Oil, Oil, Please Stay Away

2010-06-01T22:14:00.003-05:00

Yesterday we decided to ride out to the beach late in the afternoon to just sit, have a picnic, and watch the sun go down over the Gulf of Mexico. We watched families playing in the water, people fishing, others walking or jogging, and fish jumping. We watched the shorebirds trying to find their last meal of the day. It was hard to believe that just 30-40 miles offshore there are thousands of gallons of oil floating in the Gulf of Mexico. Man can really mess up God's beautiful creation, but we're hoping and praying the oil stays away from our gorgeous emerald coast.

Be sure to stop by Susan at a Southern Daydreamer for more Outdoor Wednesday posts.

Honor to Whom Honor is Due

2010-05-29T21:41:00.003-05:00

I know the title probably leads one to believe this will be a Memorial Day post. Lest one thinks I have forgotten the fallen troops who have so bravely given their lives for this great country, let me set that straight. I am deeply grateful to all who have given so much and am proud to be an American. However, this is not about Memorial Day but a time today to honor someone dear to our family.

This afternoon we drove to my hometown to attend a surprise birthday party for a sweet family friend who turned 80 years old. This lady truly is someone near and dear to many. She has three children of her own and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In addition to her immediate family, she has so many of us who have benefited from her wisdom and kindness over the years---too many to even count. I was honored to be invited to be a part of her celebration.

This sweet lady and her husband lived on our farm when I was growing up. For those of you who didn't grow up on a small farm in the South, this may sound strange, but to those of us who did, we know this is the way it was. The land owner (farmer) often had a family live in a house on the farm land and farm "on halves" with him. That's exactly what Margaret and her husband, Grantt, did. They lived in a small house on our farm. Even though intelligent, Margaret's husband had not had an opportunity to receive any education and couldn't write his name, only sign with an "X". However, they were such hard workers and made the most of every opportunity. Over the years and through much hard work, they were able to build a nice brick home. By this time, we were no longer farming and Grantt was working somewhere else. Grantt died many years ago, but Margaret is still doing well. Her children are all very successful and have good jobs, good educations, wonderful families of their own, and Margaret is the one who they credit for everything. However, they will quickly tell you it's not actually Margaret, but her prayers for them and God answering her prayers. Her encouragement, her steadfastness, her Christian example have led her family to a relationship with the Lord. She exemplifies the woman in Proverbs 31. Her children truly do rise up and call her blessed. So do the rest of us who have been blessed by this very special, soft-spoken, godly lady. Here are some pictures from her day.

The beautiful invitation done by her daughter.

Margaret when she walked in. I know it's a bit blurred but had to include this. She was really surprised!

There were well over a hundred people there to celebrate Margaret.

Margaret's older daughter and me-We were good friends and played together growing up. Sadly, we grew up in the days of segregation and went to different schools. However, we had fun playing together in the afternoons after school.

Margaret and Me

A Whole New World

2010-05-20T22:04:00.003-05:00

Our new puppy, Spirit, has opened a whole new world for us. We've been to doggy parks and now a doggy beach. Other dog owners are so nice and always interested in a new dog. No one has been able to determine her breed---we've had all kind of guesses------border collie, Burnese mountain dog, Australian shepherd-----but no one has actually recognized her as an English shepherd because they're not at all common around here.

One other thing the doggy parks and beaches do is provide a place for my hubby to talk to people. He is a people person and loves to talk to complete strangers, find out their dog's name, history, age, etc. and tell them all about how we got Spirit. Today was no exception---among others, we met an older man with a yellow lab named Charlie. The man said he's been taking Charlie to the doggy beach every day for the last 11 years---summer, winter, rain , or shine. He was an interesting gentleman and obviously a dog lover.

We had been one other time to the doggy beach and there weren't many dog there, but today was a different story. Every breed imaginable was there almost. The big dogs didn't scare Spirit and she had a blast. She loves water so here are some pictures of her at the doggy beach.

Thrifty Treasures for Addison

2010-05-16T21:18:00.006-05:00

This is my first time to post on Rhoda's thrifty treasures Monday because I usually don't go to garage sales although I love a bargain. However, our neighbor was having a garage sale and I had to check it out. What does one look for when one has a new granddaughter? Little girl things! So, I immediately spied this Barbie Dream House with ALL the furniture as well as a Barbie motorcycle, spa, and other Barbie related items---all for $13!! Now, that's what I call a deal. SO, now Addison has her first Barbie house and Barbies to play with at MomMom and Pops' house when she comes to visit! I'm so thankful to have a new granddaughter to shop for! Enjoy, sweet little Addison!

Be sure to join Rhoda at Southern Hospitality for more thrifty treasures.

Spirit at the Farm

2010-05-05T22:21:00.005-05:00

Today we went to the Farm to mow. Spirit, our new puppy, had been with us one other time, but she mainly stayed in her crate that time. Today, we let her get a real "feel" for the Farm. Let's just say that even though she's a working, herding dog, she needs a little more work to get used to the animals. In fact, I think the cow was much more interested in this little black fur ball than Spirit was in the cow.

However, we walked down to the pond and that is where Spirit found what she loves most about the Farm. She quickly stuck her nose in the edge of the pond, then, she tested it a little more, and soon she was rolling in the mud!! Needless to say, she had to have a bath when we got home. When I was a child enjoying this Farm, I had an English shepherd dog just like Spirit. That's why I wanted to find an English shepherd puppy when we first started looking for a new dog. We hope this will be one of many trips to the Farm for Spirit to enjoy the wide-open spaces of the land that has now been "home" to five generations in our family.

Please join Susan at a Southern Daydreamer for more outdoor pictures.

Gorgeous Day at the Beach

2010-04-27T20:15:00.006-05:00

For those of you who have ever read my blog, you know that I LOVE the beach and am so thankful to live right on the Gulf of Mexico so I can go often. And, a bonus to that it that I have a best friend who also loves the beach as much as I do. SO, we go as often as possible and have seen lots of things. However, yesterday we saw two firsts for us. One had to do with two sea gulls and I did NOT take pictures but let's just say there will probably soon be some new baby sea gulls flying around at the beach. The second "first" for us was that we found a LIVE starfish and managed to get him back to where the camera was in order to take a picture before releasing him back into the water (we walked and put him in the water every few steps so he wouldn't die). I'll post pictures, but speaking of walking, we always walk on the beach part of the time we're there and we figure if we walk 30 minutes that's probably equivalent to walking an hour anywhere else. Walking in that sand isn't easy so at least that's what we tell ourselves.

Sea gulls catching bread in the air

Hoping for more food

Starfish just before going back into the water

For more Outdoor Wednesday pictures, join Susan at a Southern Daydreamer for more outdoor posts.

A Different "Outdoor Wednesday" Post

2010-04-20T23:26:00.004-05:00

Last weekend we were visiting our children so we able to worship with them on Sunday. Periodically at their church they have what they refer to as WATS--We Are the Sermon. They do not have their traditional Sunday worship service, but they go out in the community to "be Jesus" to those who need help. This particular Sunday they went to an inner city church and worshiped with them, fed them lunch, and then went to the home of one of the elderly members to paint her house and clean up the yard. What a wonderful experience and we're so thankful we were there to be a part of "the church has left the building." For more outdoor pictures from other bloggers, visit Susan at Outdoor Wednesdays . Here are some of our pictures from WATS.

Spring Break for Grandchildren

2010-04-12T21:04:00.008-05:00

Last week two of our grandchildren, Hannah and David, came to visit during spring break. We had so much fun and they even went swimming in the COLD water. They played with Spirit, our new puppy, climbed trees, ran and played in the back yard with children in our neighborhood, and just did what children are supposed to do. Pops took David to the Naval Air Museum for the day. If you haven't visited that museum, you should find time to do that one day. It's a wonderful museum for all ages. I've included some pictures from our fun week. For more outdoor pictures, please visit Susan's Outdoor Wednesday.

David and his dad check out the cannon at Ft. Pickens

David checks out the fort and said he wishes he had a fort like that in his back yard!

Playing with Spirit in our back yard

Hannah hanging from the bar on the swing set

Hannah found the perfect climbing tree in our back yard!

Just a view of spring/summer in P'cola

We found our bird friend back at Ft. Pickens after a long, cold winter.

We wrote Addison's name in the sand and can't wait for her to come to the beach, too, with her mom, dad, and sisters!

David swimming in the sound

Hannah checking out the cold water
David at the museum with Pops

Spring Fun!

2010-04-06T20:45:00.005-05:00

Last week we went to visit our children and grandchildren for a few days and took a side trip while we were there. It was time to see all of our grandchildren and I knew our new granddaughter would have grown and changed since I'd seen her---and she had. It was fun to be with everyone. The side trip I mentioned was to pick up a puppy from the breeder. We had been waiting until it was time to go get her so it was very convenient to be able to work that trip into our visit to Atlanta. We were able to be with our children and grandchildren for Easter--it's always so good to be able to worship with them when we're visiting. Below are some pictures from our week.

Aubrey's Cultural Day--We were happy to be able to go to her school. She enjoyed showing off her new little sister.

Addison loves her changing pad. She is so happy when she's there. She's growing and getting quite the personality---"talking" and smiling.

Ashlyn and Addison dressed for church on Easter Sunday

Some pictures of spring while driving to pick up our puppy-Lexington, KY

Spring in Georgia-The Bradford Pear trees and fruit trees were beautiful.

Our new puppy-Spirit

We came home to our flowers and fruit trees in full bloom. I LOVE this time of year.

Happy Birthday, Hannah!

2010-03-27T15:06:00.005-05:00

For almost 11 years, Hannah was our youngest granddaughter (now Addison is our youngest). I remember so well the day you were born, Hannah. We drove like crazy to make it to Atlanta before you were born and we made it! You are an independent, compassionate, fun-loving, Christian girl. You've always been able to carry on a conversation with anyone around. When you were three, we went to Los Angeles to an Auburn ballgame. After the game, we were all so tired yet you were carrying on a conversation with the lady on the shuttle. You told her your name and you also told her that you had two cousins back home named Aubrey and Ashlyn. She listened politely and you kept talking till we got off the shuttle. You also met a little boy named Aaron at the pool. As soon as you met him, you told him "Oh, Moses had a brother named Aaron!" We love you, Hannah, and are so proud of you. We hope you have a happy birthday!!

Hannah in her colonial costume--Williamsburg, VA 5-1-2009

A Day Trip

2010-03-23T20:19:00.004-05:00

The weather was much too pretty today to stay in so we decided to take a ride just to see the signs of spring which are actually beginning to show themselves in our area. We drove the beach route to Gulf Shores, Foley, and Fairhope and enjoyed hearing and seeing the new signs of life---people on the beaches, flowers blooming, birds singing, and fruit trees blossoming. We looked around the cute shops in Fairhope but didn't buy one thing. I actually saw a smocking shop but didn't go in---I was afraid I'd find something I just couldn't do without! But, I did take time to take a few pictures of downtown Fairhope and the beautiful flowers that are blooming.

Visit Susan at a Southern Daydreamer for more outdoor pictures.

Staying Connected

2010-03-21T18:39:00.004-05:00

When I'm away from my grandchildren, I have the need to feel connected in some way. With the older ones, I can email or talk on the phone or text. But, with Addison (2 months old tomorrow), one way I find to stay connected (and I used to do this with the others but they're too old now) is to smock for her. I can sit and sew on a little dress for her and feel connected to her and look forward to the next time I see her. I started a dress for her before she was born but ended up having to have help from a friend to finish smocking it when I had knee surgery. It turned out just perfect (my friend smocks beautifully) and Addison wore it to church the first Sunday she went. However, this dress I started smocking for her when we came home after being with them to help after Addison was born. I have been working on it off and on since then. I finished it last weekend and had my friend sew it up for her (I don't sew--just smock). Here's the finished product. If anyone reads this who might see Addison, please don't tell her what will be in her Easter basket!

Addison's Tree

2010-03-13T13:06:00.003-06:00

We've planted a tree in our yard for each of our grandchildren. They love to see their tree when they visit. Yesterday we bought Addison's tree. Aubrey has a sweet gum tree, Ashlyn has an ash tree, Hannah has a redbud tree, and David has a drake elm (doesn't that sound manly--he's the only boy so had to have a "manly" tree). We decided to get Addison a pink dogwood tree. This morning Pops planted Addison's tree.

Hopefully next spring it will be full of beautiful pink blossoms.

Happy Birthday, JD!

2010-03-08T17:36:00.005-06:00

How can it be that our second little boy is--------

all grown up with a daughter and son of his own? It seems no time since we were eagerly anticipating his birth---where did all the years go? Happy Birthday, JD! We love you and are so proud of you and the man you have become. Have a great day!! (Sorry about the quality of the baby picture. I had to take a picture of the picture because my scanner wouldn't work!)

12??????????

2010-03-05T18:57:00.004-06:00

Where did the time go? It seems impossible that our oldest grandchild, Aubrey, is 12 today. What a blessing she's been to us all for those 12 years. She enjoys life---loves to read, loves nature, and loves animals just to name a few of her favorite things (so does her MomMom). She enjoys cooking and she's quite good at it, too. She also loves her family. One time she was with us when we were all doing something together and, out of the clear blue, she said, "I love my family!" She's growing into an independent young Christian lady. Happy Birthday, Aubrey! We love you and are so proud of you.

Aubrey--back row in the middle

Happy Birthday, Keely!

2010-03-03T15:23:00.001-06:00

Happy Birthday, Keely!

Today is our daughter-in-law's birthday. This might not be the picture Keely would prefer I post of her but here she is doing what she does so well. She had just given birth to Addison, our fifth grandchild and Todd and Keely's third little girl. Keely was born to be a mother and is such a good one. We've known Keely since BEFORE she was born (her parents are our good friends that we met in college). We love her dearly and want to wish her the very best birthday. We love you, Keely!! We're glad you are the mother of three of our grandchildren.

So Where Have I Been?

2010-03-01T21:03:00.002-06:00

I have been a "blog slacker" the last week or so. I haven't been able to get motivated to really do anything after getting back from our visit with our family. It always takes me a few days to get back "in the groove" of being home and away from them. But, I'm back and tonight we started an exciting new Bible study with a small group of ladies. We had a really good evening of study and prayer time (it's amazing how God always puts the perfect group of people together at just the right time--people who need this exact study at this exact time and who need each other to lean on). Here's the study we're doing-----

The Rest of Our Visit With Family

2010-02-21T18:30:00.007-06:00

At the end of the last post I planned to update in a day or so but never got around to it. We're home now and here's a brief re-cap of our time with our children and grandchildren.

Last week, our second week with them, our school-age grandchildren had winter break so we spent time going on "field trips" and trying to keep them busy so Keely could have some quiet time at home with Addison. Of course, we loved getting to spend more time with them while they were out of school. David, our grandson, was with his other grandparents, but Hannah was in town so Aubrey and Ashlyn wanted their cousin to go with them and we did, too. Our first field trip was to the American Girl store (I feel quite sure David would not have enjoyed this trip anyway!). I had been before but Pops had not and he had an eye-opening experience going to the doll store with three little girls. We had dessert and so did the dolls. Dessert was delicious and the trip was lots of fun!!

The next day we went to the aquarium. Aubrey decided to stay home so just Ashlyn and Hannah went with Pops and me. Here are a few pictures of them at the aquarium. I LOVE the aquarium.

Our last day of fun together was to go to Jumpin' Monkeys. Hannah and David were busy that day so Aubrey and Ashlyn "jumped" without their cousins. They had a great time.
Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of the jumping trip but suffice it to say there was lots of running and jumping and sliding going on.

During our time at our children's house, we were able to stay with Addison while Keely got out one day and also while Todd and Keely went to dinner one night and a movie another day. How special to get to keep our fifth grandchild and spend time with her.

It was time to come home at the end of the week so we reluctantly said good-bye to all of them and left. Before leaving, we took a few new pictures of Addison (we really miss those times of holding and snuggling her and know she will change so quickly over the next few weeks). We miss them all, but we were blessed to be able to go help out and be with them. It's an added blessing that both of our sons and their families live near each other, go to church together, and, when we go, we get to be with both families. We miss all of you!!

Updates of Addison and More Grandchildren Activities

2010-02-07T17:14:00.013-06:00

We are at Todd and Keely's house to help out with Addison and to help chauffeur Aubrey and Ashlyn to school and other events. The other grandparents have gone home now and we'll miss them. It was great for us to get to be together and share our children and grandchildren. We laughed and reminisced and laughed more---how richly blessed we are to be able to enjoy being together now and also to remember fun times when it was just the four of us.

Friday night we celebrated Todd's birthday as well as Marc's birthday. (Marc is married to Keely's sister.) It was the first time David, our grandson, had held his new cousin. He really had strong opinions about wanting a boy cousin this time but the night before she was born, he said "Little Addsion. I can't wait to see her." He had seen her, of course, but had been too busy playing with his "cousin-in-law", Kaden (Marc and Kristin's son), to stop and hold Addison. However, Friday he made the statement that he was really ready to hold Addison but he really didn't want to drop her. We really didn't want him to either and we were close by, of course. The holding didn't last long, but he has now held Addison.

Pops and Addison

Aunt Jennifer and Addison

David and Kaden looking at a Lego sticker book

Saturday was spent at the gym watching our grandchildren play Upwards basketball and our oldest granddaughter cheer for Upwards---a great program by the way.

The teams praying before the game

Aubrey's half time dance routine (back row--middle)

Sandy and Dorsey, our friends and the other grandparents (taking notes during half-time devo)

It was a fun day with a few more exciting adventures before and after the games. That'll be another post coming soon.

Happy Birthday, Todd!

2010-02-02T19:34:00.003-06:00

How could it be possible.......................................

for our first little baby to be all grown up with three little girls of his own?It seems no time since we were eagerly anticipating his birth---where did all the years go? Happy Birthday, Todd! We love you and are so proud of you and the man you have become. Have a great day!! (Sorry about the quality of the baby picture. I had to take a picture of the picture because my scanner wouldn't work!)

Could the Ground Hog Be Wrong?

2010-02-02T19:02:00.010-06:00

Today we drove to our Farm to feed the animals. It was a gorgeous day and it made me really ready for spring to arrive. Robins were hopping around all over the place hunting for worms. I was also able to get a good shot of one perching on a tree branch.

This next shot of a robin is down at our pond. I managed to get a few good shots but missed some excellent shots because I literally got "ant in my pants!" I decided to sit on a stump in order to get a closer picture of the robin near the water when I suddenly realized I was apparently disturbing an ant bed which was beside the stump. After jumping up and stomping my foot and taking my shoe and sock off and hopping around, I was able to get rid of the ants but that had scared the robin away. Here is a shot I managed to get before the ant escapade!

Apparently the geese don't mind the cold water because this is where we found them.

Of course, the animals were glad to see us as always because they knew we were bringing food. If you will look closely at the picture of the goats rounding the corner of the barn, you will see a dolly loaded with hay pulled by Farmer Pops. The goats were not letting him get far from them at all!

Farmer Pops below-----

I loved these pictures of one of the cats. Apparently he thought he heard a mouse in the old smokehouse so he decided to investigate. He had already eaten the food we took him but his "barn cat" instincts took over and he decided to investigate.

I can't end the post without a cow picture. I LOVE cow faces!! Here is one watching me hoping I have a handful of hay for her.

So, maybe the Ground Hog is wrong and spring is right around the corner!! I'm ready. Be sure to go over to Susan's blog to see more outdoor pictures.

Mosaic Monday

2010-01-31T19:13:00.001-06:00

Well, what do you expect from a new grandmother? I wanted to participate in Mary's Little Red House Mosaic Monday and I couldn't resist this collage of our newest granddaughter and some of her family.

The Winds and the Waves

2010-01-30T15:13:00.003-06:00

Matthew 8:27
The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!"

Several times I've posted pictures on here of our beautiful Gulf of Mexico but I think they've all been in the spring and summer when the sun is shining brightly and people are plentiful. Yesterday we rode out to the beach, but it was cloudy and windy and the gulf presented a completely different picture. There were a few people out there but not many. Most of the people we saw were surfers trying to catch a wave while they were high. The difference in the gulf yesterday and in so many other pictures in the past is remarkable. The entire time I watched, the above scripture kept running through my mind. Our God is powerful---these pictures depict that power in a mighty way.

Baby, Buckets, and a Bizarre Few Days

2010-01-27T18:54:00.006-06:00

In case you think I'm an indifferent grandmother who isn't excited about posting pictures of our new granddaughter Addison, I'll fill you in on a few happenings and you'll know why there haven't been any new pictures.

The family was all together last Wednesday night at church for a shower for Addison's big sisters (a big-sister shower which was so sweet----they got books to read to her, diapers, clothes to dress her up in, and toys for her) and we were all looking forward to being together at the hospital the next morning and Addison making her appearance sometime during the day or early evening. However, as the day and night wore on, it became apparent to everyone that it would still be several more hours before Addison was born. Todd and Keely encouraged us all to go home and get some sleep with the promise to call us the minute something began to happen. So we went home to grab a few hours' sleep----3 different houses. Even though I couldn't go to sleep, I was at least lying down in bed with our grandson David. He became restless and asked for water to drink. I went to the kitchen with the phone in my hand and got water. As soon as I got back into the bedroom, David suddenly got sick and threw up everywhere----all over the bed, floor, himself, and a little on me. I felt so sorry for him. He immediately grabbed us both a blanket so we could just move to the couch and finish the night! In the midst of all of this, I DID get a message but it was from our nephew who is a sophomore in college saying he would be having an emergency appendectomy that morning. He had planned on being with us over the weekend after Addison was born but that didn't happen, of course. He spent the weekend trying to recover from surgery. Since I thought I was the only one who had been exposed to the virus, I texted our son to say I thought I shouldn't go to the hospital when the other three grandparents went since I had been "contaminated" with the stomach virus. I stayed home while Richard and Sandy and Dorsey (other grandparents) went to the hospital as soon as they got "the call." However, as soon as Pops (my hubby) left for the hospital, we found out the virulent virus had just hit all three houses at the same time!!!! Addison's two sisters were at their house throwing up, too. Thankfully, an aunt was at that house and could stay with them while the other grandparents went to the hospital (she later was one of the victims). All the grandparents (except me) were there for Addi's birth while the rest of us were either home throwing up or on bucket and clean-up patrol. Needless to say, the next few hours were hectic. As soon as Addison was born at 6:15 AM after almost 22 hours of labor for Keely, the grandparents left the hospital and went home to get some sleep. As the day went on, family members began "dropping" like flies with the bug. There were only 6 of us who were unscathed (out of 16), but we were running like crazy for many reasons------cold wash cloths, throw up buckets, clean up and disinfectant trying to decontaminate everyone and everything for Addison to come home in day or so. Keely, our daughter-in-law and the new mother, even got the bug. She was still in the hospital so they were able to pump her full of meds and fluids and she was better the next day. Thankfully, everyone is much better now (including Drew, our nephew), Addison and her mom and dad are home, and we are all very thankful. I'm sorry for the nitty gritty details but that will just give you an idea of why I haven't updated my blog!

Now, enjoy a few new pictures of Addi. We think she's just adorable, of course.

Addison at her first pediatrician appointment (above)

Big Cousin Hannah holding Addison for the first time (above)

Ashlyn (big sister) holding Addison in the hospital (above)

Aubrey (big sister) feeding Addison in the hospital

Our Newest Blessing!!

2010-01-23T12:20:00.001-06:00

Addison was born early Friday morning, January 22nd. Of course, she is beautiful to all of us, and, much more important is the fact that she is healthy and very alert. She weighed 8 lbs. 5 oz. and is 19 1/2 inches long. We are all thankful for the fact that we can be together with Keely's family as well as all of our family to celebrate this miracle. We waited together at the hospital off and on for 24 hours. Keely was a trooper and we are more than thankful for the team of nurses and the doctor God used to safely deliver Addi. I'm sure there will be more pictures to follow!!

A Convicting Scripture

2010-01-14T13:39:00.002-06:00

1 John 3:17-18 (New International Version)

¹⁷If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? ¹⁸Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

In light of the recent earthquake in Haiti, this scripture has really convicted me. Here I sit in my comfortable house after just driving my car to where I needed to go, and there are so many people in Haiti who are suffering and hurting in many ways. I know a little bit of how the people there might be feeling because our older son was in Jamaica on a mission trip when Hurricane Gilbert hit there. We were unable to contact him for over a week so we didn't know if he and the others in the group had been washed to sea, if they were hungry, if they were thirsty, or if they were injured? The unknown was awful. However, our story has a happy ending. The entire group was safe, and, in fact, they were able to help some of the Jamaicans with their many problems. But, from all the pictures I see of Haiti, the situation there is dire. People have no idea if their family members are dead or alive, buried under the rubble, or just what. They have no idea where they'll sleep nor how they'll eat as well as (this would be worse for me), how they'll feed their children. Disease will be rampant. So, as we all sit here in our comfortable homes with all we need, let's be mindful of the people in Haiti. It's easy to donate through Compassion International. Click on the web site and go to Haiti relief to donate. Or, you can text "Haiti" to 90999 to donate. 100% of your $10 donation goes to Red Cross for Haiti relief. Read the above scripture again and pray about it. I think you'll be convicted as well.

We Need One Another

2010-01-11T15:58:00.002-06:00

Recently I was starting a fire in our fireplace when I was reminded of why we need each other and why it's vital to be a part of a body of believers. I had a match, some wood, some starter material, and some paper. However, if I didn't put all of those together, it would be impossible to start a significant fire in our fireplace. If I struck the match, it would soon burn out without other material. If I tried to start the wood, it wouldn't start without help from the kindling, match, paper, etc. If I just burned the paper, it would soon burn away. If I just burned the starter log without other wood logs to go with it, it wouldn't last long nor give out enough heat for a warm fire.

Yesterday I went to church for the first time since my surgery. I needed to stay home those four weeks in order to be well enough to go back to church, but I have to admit that during those weeks away from the body on Sunday mornings, I began to feel spiritually dry. You see, I think we are like those materials needed to start the fire. We need each other in order to "work properly." Even though I could study my Bible at home, I had visits from many friends from church, and I stayed connected in other ways, I NEED to be with the body of believers that meets together every Sunday morning. I believe that, like the match without the other materials, I would fizzle soon without being with the body weekly. Like the paper, I need the encouragement of fellow believers to do what I'm called to do and without that, I would "burn out" quickly. Just like the starter logs in the fireplace, if I didn't have other Christians to draw strength from, I would just quickly waste away.

The next time you build a fire or are outside at a bonfire, just pull one of the hot embers away from the fire and see what happens to it. Without the rest of the fire, it will soon fade away and go out.

So, as Christians, we need to make being together a priority in our lives if at all possible, because, without the body, it's impossible to grow and mature spiritually. We need the "fuel" that we get from each person there as we worship and serve our Lord together.

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another.......Hebrews 10:25

Is This Florida??

2010-01-06T17:47:00.002-06:00

Having a warm house is not something I take for granted, but I have been a bit more aware and thankful this week. I can't fathom how anyone could live on the streets in this weather and this is Florida which is not nearly as cold as other parts of the country. I've been even more mindful of the homeless and the elderly this week. Council on Aging has been asking for heaters and blankets for the elderly in the area. Yesterday, my hubby told me he was going out for a few minutes. When I asked where he was going, he said he was going to get some heaters and blankets and take them to Council on Aging. I'm so thankful to have a husband who is exceedingly giving and thoughtful. From what we were told, the response for help has been excellent. It's refreshing but not surprising to know that people have acknowledged the need and answered the call.

In the meantime, I am thankful to be warm and cozy sitting by our fire at home. But, I don't want to forget that there are others out there who are not so blessed. I pray I'll never forget.

Christmas-Part 2--and Happy New Year

2010-01-01T19:38:00.007-06:00

What a perfect week we've had! After our younger son and his family and my brother and his family were with us at our house for Christmas, we drove up to visit our older son and his family for the New Year weekend. We've had a great time which has just stretched our Christmas fun over a week now. We had Christmas with Todd, Keely, Aubrey, and Ashlyn Thursday night when we arrived.

Todd and Keely opening presents

Keely opening Addison's (due in January) presents

Ashlyn opening her presents

Aubrey opening her presents

After we opened presents, Aubrey made pancakes for all of us. Here she is wearing her new apron. She loves to cook and is good at it!!

After eating pancakes, Aubrey and her daddy decorated a gingerbread house.

The next day, New Year's Day, our younger son and his family who live near-by came over for lunch and to watch Auburn play in the Outback Bowl. (What a wild game but we'll take the W!!) It was fun to have everyone together for the day.

Watching the Auburn game together----no way to relax it was such a wild game!

Immediately following the game, the grandchildren did their "Pay it Forward" skit that they do every year at Christmas. Pops and I give them $20 each that they must spend on someone less fortunate than they are. Some send it to Compassion International and some choose to do something else with their $20.

After we finally won the game and the children did their skit, a game of Apples to Apples broke out and we continued to watch bowl games but not with quite the intensity we watched the Outback Bowl!!
It's been a perfect end to 2009 and beginning to 2010. Happy New Year to all!!

Not a Creature was Stirring, Not Even a Mouse

2009-12-28T12:57:00.005-06:00

The house is much too quiet today and on its way to becoming much too clean. Our family has all left now and we're in the process of putting away the Christmas decorations. Gone are the wrapping paper and ribbons and bows. Now we're left with fantastic memories. We had a wonderful time with our younger son and his family and my brother and his family. The house rang with the laughter and play of two of our grandchildren, Hannah and David. We miss everyone already but are thankful for the time we had with them.

Hannah with her American Girl doll

David opening his Imaginext Batcave

We opened presents with our son and his family on Christmas night and we knew we still had the next day to all look forward to my brother and his family getting here. We ate together and opened more presents. But, aside from the fact that we enjoyed the food and the presents, we mainly just had fun being together as family. There's nothing quite like that.

Hannah and her mom, Jenn, checking out one of Hannah's gifts

Stephanie, our 15 year old niece

David, Jenn, JD, and Ann, our sister-in-law

Steve, my brother, opening one of his gifts

We missed our older son and his family but they were with the other grandparents and we plan to see them soon for a belated Christmas. We also missed our nephew Drew who is a trainer for the Auburn football team and had to be in Orlando for practice and other activities before the Outback Bowl on January 1st. As much as we missed him, we're so excited for him to have this experience. I know he's having a great time getting to be a part of all of the pre-game festivities. War Eagle, Drew!

Merry Christmas to the Farm Animals, Too!

2009-12-22T20:48:00.002-06:00

We were ready to get out for a while today and go somewhere other than physical therapy. SO, we took a quick ride up to our Farm to feed the animals. We had four bundles of hay, 4 bags of feed for the cows and the goats, and 2 bags of kitty food plus some canned food. It was a beautiful day for a ride in the country.

Here's Santa's sleigh (AKA Pops' truck) loaded with goodies for the animals.

Two very contented cats

Here's our pond. You can see how the floods throughout the south have affected the pond. It's out of its banks all the way around (note the water line on the tree--the water is going down but more rain is expected on Christmas Eve).
Where is the grub and what's taking so long?

We left to come home knowing that all the animals were taken care of and would be warm and content for Christmas.

In Sickness and in Health

2009-12-20T20:29:00.002-06:00

Wow, I wonder if my hubby actually knew what he was saying when we spoke our marriage vows over 44 years ago. However, let me just say that I am SO thankful for him these last 10 days following knee replacement surgery. He has had to go above and beyond the "call of duty." When one has this type surgery, one is almost completely dependent on someone else for the first few days. He was there for every move I made. I really felt bad for him to have to be there all the time, but I really wanted him there with me, too. When we came home, he had to be creative in many ways in order for me to take a shower, sleep, eat, and just about every thing else. He came through with all of the above. SO, I thank God for a caring, loving husband who has taken care of me the last few days. Thankfully, I am much better now and can do most things for myself so he's getting a break, but I would not want to go through this without him.

A Special Christmas Present/Decoration

2009-12-17T18:54:00.003-06:00

Recently I decided to retire at the end of this semester. I've worked with many special people, but one in particular and I have job shared the last twelve years allowing both of us to work part-time. She's been my prayer warrior, encourager, and special friend as we've both been through serious illnesses, family deaths, as well as celebrations of life and large and small victories. There aren't many friends/co-workers like Ramona and I appreciate her very much and will miss her. Yesterday she stopped by my house and left a special present at the door for me---I didn't even know she had come by. As I've mentioned before, everyone in our family has graduated from Auburn University so we bleed orange and blue. Ramona's loyalty is to another team across the state so I REALLY appreciate this gift--it was a supreme sacrifice for her to pay money for this! Take a look at my cute little Auburn Christmas tree!

A Christmas Card Carousel

2009-12-16T15:54:00.005-06:00

Even knee surgery and physical therapy couldn't keep me from taking part in Faith's Christmas Card Carousel! When she announced on her blog that she planned to host that, I wanted to take part in it. Be sure you go over to her blog to check out the many cute Christmas cards that people have linked there. Ours is a picture of our grandchildren when we went on a "field trip" back in May to Colonial Williamsburg. Since that was such a special trip to us and hopefully to them, I wanted to put their pictures on our Christmas card. They dressed in colonial costumes and walked around Williamsburg all day. What fun we had!!

Home for Christmas!

2009-12-14T19:03:00.002-06:00

I wrote in a post last week that I found out I needed to have knee replacement surgery before Christmas. Last Wednesday was the day. I had a host of people praying for me and I went into the surgery feeling a peace from all the prayers. The surgery went well and I came home from the hospital yesterday. Tomorrow I will start out patient physical therapy. I have missed out on many of the "blog parties" going on during the holidays, but am thankful to be home and have the surgery behind me. For those of you who were praying for me, thanks so very much. Now I'm home and looking forward to Christmas and being with family. Merry Christmas to all of you and remember-----------Jesus is the reason for the season.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!!

2009-12-08T19:18:00.010-06:00

On November 13th I found out I needed to have knee surgery. That near the holidays PLUS the birth of our fifth grandchild threw me into overdrive! I immediately went out to buy stocking "stuffers" and Christmas presents, addressed Christmas cards and mailed them the day before Thanksgiving, pulled out all of the Christmas decorations, and got really, really busy. My hubby helped tremendously by putting up the tree, putting the lights on it as well as all of the ornaments. While I don't think I've done EVERYTHING I might have done if surgery hadn't been planned, I have finally gotten everything done that we really wanted to do and decided to take some pictures of our house. I LOVE Christmas and want it to look warm and inviting for our friends and family whether it's a year we can actually entertain or not. I really wanted it to look good for the physical therapists who will be coming in post-surgery! Here are a few pictures of our house ready for Santa!!
I love Santas and have collected them for a few years now. They always grace our mantel at Christmas time and each year I add one or two given to me by some of my friends or family. Also, this year I did something new. I've never had a wreath on the mirror about the fireplace but bought a live wreath from Home Depot this year and, after seeing a picture of a wreath on a mirror, I decided to try that this year. I really like it there.

The buffet has an assortment of Christmas items on it including Christmas plates and Santa pictures.

These stuffed animals sit on the stairs and wait patiently for Santa's arrival. I started putting them out when our grandchildren were born. They enjoyed seeing and playing with the bears and mouse so I still put them there.

The stairs have a simple garland draped on the banister with the addition of red bows. If I had more time, I would probably add a few things to the garland but this will have to do this year.

I love lighthouses and have one that I use at Christmas along with some other houses that people have given me. It's difficult to see them clearly in this picture, but they're on a table in our living room.

Finally, here's our Christmas tree this year. It's waiting and ready for some grandchildren to get here and shake the presents under the tree while trying to guess what's in each one. My mother made the Christmas tree skirt for us years ago (not too many years before she died) and every year I look at it and think of her love when I see all the stitches she put into that tree skirt. It's a special treasure because she made it especially for us.

Be sure to visit Thoughts From Over the Rainbow to see more Christmas decorations.

A Mosaic of Our Weekend

2009-12-07T20:47:00.003-06:00

In the previous post, I mentioned our full weekend of birthday and basketball. I decided to just make a mosaic of the very full and fun weekend!

Be sure to visit Little Red House to see more mosaics!

Happy 11th Birthday, Ashlyn!

2009-12-07T20:36:00.003-06:00

Last weekend we visited our children and grandchildren. It was a fun weekend filled with a birthday party and basketball games where we saw two of our granddaughters play, our grandson played his first basketball game ever, and our oldest granddaughter cheered for her very first time. They play and cheer for Upwards Basketball which is a really great Christian basketball league for children. However, this post is about the birthday girl so here are some pictures of the party. We thank God for a healthy, happy eleven years for Ashlyn!! We love you, Ash!

Thanksgiving at the FARM

2009-11-28T19:02:00.013-06:00

We decided to spend Thanksgiving Day at The Farm. I've eaten many holiday dinners there that were cooked by my grandmother. Ours wasn't nearly as good as the ones she prepared, but we still had fun. I counted the generations and our grandchildren are the fifth generation of people who have either lived on that land or at least have been able to enjoy it. As soon as we drove up, our grandchildren quickly hopped out of the car and immediately went to the gate outside the barn to see the animals. I've posted some pictures of our day at the Farm including a NEW animal that we have now.
Here we are in the kitchen enjoying our Thanksgiving Dinner.
Aubrey is hand feeding the cows, and, by the end of the day, she had all of the goats and cows eating out of her hand. She also gave every one of them a name.
They had the animals eating out of their SHIRT as well!!
Ashlyn loves to fish and immediately caught this HUGE bass on her little Scooby Doo rod and reel! She pulled it in all by herself and I believe that's the largest bass caught in that pond in MANY years. We were all so excited for her.
Isn't that the cutest face on a goat? This goat is my favorite!
Here's the newest member of our animal family--a Black Angus bull that the girls named Big Daddy. I agree and wouldn't argue with him (but he's not aggressive at all).
Apparently the fish were ready for their Thanksgiving Dinner as well. Here's our younger son with the nice bass he caught.
The bass weren't the only fish biting. The little bream were having a feast on the bait. I guess they like earthworms for Thanksgiving Dinner because they were busy biting!!! Here's Keely with one of her prize (???) catches.
Here are all four of our grandchildren doing what all children do best! They were playing in the loft of the barn and made a playhouse out of scrap lumber and wooden blocks. They had a table and chairs up there that they made out of the lumber by stacking it.
I don't know when I've had a better Thanksgiving. They're all good but this year I was reminded of Thanksgivings past and present. I'm thankful for the family I had who have gone on but left good memories as well as values, morals, and spirituality that are influencing our family in a positive way still today. And, I'm thankful for the family I have with me now that I love and enjoy. I'm thankful for good health to be able to enjoy life to the fullest. And, above all, I'm thankful for the hope I have because of my relationship with Jesus.

Fall Fun in Florida

2009-11-25T19:32:00.008-06:00

We have a couple of trees in our yard and our neighbor's yard that look like fall. That's about as close as we get to fall in Florida. However, they're really pretty and today two of our granddaughters and the neighbor's daughters raked leaves and had fun jumping into the pile. They took turns covering each other up and jumping out of the pile of leaves. It was refreshing to watch them having fun outside doing something as simple as jumping in the leaves.

Also, the Confederate Rose is still in full bloom in our yard. Our three granddaughters enjoyed picking the blooms and making bouquets and decorations for their hair. They looked so pretty with the flowers in their hair. The girls were pretending they were living as orphans on a plantation and somehow the flowers played into their pretend play. It's nice to see them still enjoying make-believe.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. I have so much to be thankful for today and always---not the least of which are these three granddaughters in the pictures and our grandson who wasn't in any of the pictures. It's been a fun week having family here with us.

The Christmas Wreath

2009-11-22T20:49:00.002-06:00

Some of you may have read Amanda's post on making a Christmas wreath with ornaments. Two of our grandchildren are here this week and they love crafts. I thought that would be something fun for them to do so we went to Hobby Lobby. We found red, green, gold, white, and bronze ornaments to put on the green styrofoam form. When we came home they were ready to make the wreath so we set up a table and the hot glue gun and they started. Here are some pictures of the wreath as it progressed through the afternoon.

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Finally, the finished project---Didn't they do a great job? Thanks for sharing your wreath on your blog, Amanda.

Happy Thanksgiving in Many Languages

2009-11-18T21:30:00.006-06:00

с днём благодарения

Bonne Action de grâce!

Bonne Appetie

Boldog Halaadas Napot Kivanok!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Turkey Day, Y'all!

I've mentioned before that our Small Group Bible Study is comprised of people from Canada, Russia, Hungary, and the United States. We're very multi-cultural which makes it even more interesting. We can thank the Lord in many languages. Tonight we shared a Thanksgiving meal together. Also, we were celebrating the baptism of one of our newest members, Chris. We have so very much to be thankful for--in whatever language! All of these people bless me in ways they'll never know. So, at Thanksgiving 2009, to all of our small group members, you are a blessing to me and to many. May God bless you always.

Fall Decorations Made With Love--My Favorite Kind

2009-11-15T21:23:00.005-06:00

These sit proudly on my dining room table. They weren't bought at an expensive shop, but they were made with love by our granddaughters. We are hosting our small group Bible study Thanksgiving Dinner here Wednesday night and these WILL BE our centerpiece. I know they were made for me with the love of some very special children and that's what matters most to me! Thanks for the decorations, Girls! I love you!

A More Simple Life

2009-11-13T20:16:00.004-06:00

Every time we go to the Farm, I realize that we are surrounded by a more simple lifestyle than our day to day life back home. This week I was at the Farm with three of my friends for a Girls' Night Out. It was toward the end of the tropical storm which struck our area so the wind was still blowing there and it was drizzling rain---perfect weather for an evening in that old house. We enjoyed sitting around the table eating and visiting with no noise except the farm animals, the birds, and squirrels (or wherever those sounds of nature were coming from). There was no hustle and bustle of traffic, no sounds of airplanes or trains, and no sounds of other people rushing to and fro. It was just peace and quiet. The next day I needed to make a run to the nearest store which is seven miles away without much in between. I needed to buy some ice and some more food for the cows and the cats. I am reminded of the more simple way of life whenever I go to the store up there. It's like going back into the days of my childhood when we went to the store to buy a stick of candy and a Coke. Life is simple there and I think that's a GOOD THING.

Almost a Fairy Tale

2009-11-10T14:00:00.000-06:00

Recently we were able to visit briefly with some very dear, old friends. We met when Sandy and I were teaching together and our husbands were finishing college. We discovered we went to church together and throughout that school year, we became close friends. Our husbands graduated and we moved to different cities but we stayed in touch and visited as often as possible. Soon, babies began to come along. They had a girl and we had a boy, they had a girl and we had a boy, they had another girl and a boy. We spent many holidays together, travelled together, took a cruise together, and just managed to get together whenever possible even though we lived 500 miles apart. We would remark from time to time that surely one of their girls and one of our boys could get together one day. Actually, it just seemed like a dream and highly improbable. However, it came time for college and ALL of our children went to Auburn. Somewhere along the way, their second daughter and our older son started dating. Still afraid to think it might really happen, we tried to be patient to see how their relationship progressed. All of our children are very close friends to this day, but those two fell in love and married and we now share two grandchildren. We have had SO much fun over the years and laughed so much we've cried and also cried happy and sad tears, but to share grandchildren with two of our dearest friends is almost a fairy tale to us! God has blessed our families in so many ways over these years (our children all actually gave us a 40th anniversary party together a few years ago--so very special) and we are all looking forward to another blessing in January when our third shared granddaughter is born!

(You might see a hand behind the picture which is one of our shared granddaughters being funny! We had all just left an Auburn football game and eaten dinner together. We do plan to get together again really soon! It had been too long.)

What a Difference a Few Days Make

2009-11-09T20:04:00.006-06:00

Weather on the Gulf Coast is an ever changing thing. Last week I posted pictures of a gorgeous fall day on the beach and today the waves at the beach are loud and powerful as they crash into the pier. Tropical Storm Ida is just off shore as I write this and we've been feeling the affects of the storm all day. The weather has deteriorated during the day, but actually everything is relative. Five years ago Hurricane Ivan hit our area with a vengeance, and today's weather is EXTREMELY MILD compared to that. Today is just very rainy and windy with the rain getting heavier as the day has progressed. However, it's actually just a good day to relax, read a good book, address Christmas cards, clean out closets, or do whatever you've been putting off that you need to do inside. Here are a few pictures of the Gulf of Mexico this morning. To me, these are just a reminder of God's power and that HE is still in control.

Where will this little fellow spend the storm? I always wonder, but I know God has prepared him to go where he needs to go to protect himself.

When I Was a Little Bitty Baby.............

2009-11-08T15:00:00.002-06:00

My mamma would rock me in the cradle, in them old cotton fields back home. Well, my mamma never actually rocked me in a cradle in the cotton fields, but I've spent lots of time in the cotton fields. My memories of the cotton fields are of a little sack with a shoulder strap that my grandmother made for me to use while I picked cotton, scratchy cotton plants, and then the end of the day when it was time to weigh every one's cotton for the day. I can still smell the cotton as it was all dumped into the trailer after being weighed. I loved to jump into the pile of cotton. Today, cotton farming is so different. There are LOTS of cotton fields north of here and we pass them when we go to our Farm. The cotton is picked with big machines--no more cotton sacks, weigh-ins at the end of the day, nor jumping into the trailer or wagon filled with freshly picked cotton. Here are some pictures of the cotton fields we passed today. Again, things change and cotton farming has definitely changed for the better over the years.

Memories

2009-11-07T21:40:00.000-06:00

As I mentioned in an earlier post, we rode bikes in the country on Friday. I told my hubby I wanted to ride to Aunt Sarah's house. He had no idea where we were going but we went to the old house where my aunt Sarah and uncle Will lived when I was a child. Often my mother, grandmother, and I would go for an afternoon visit with them. On the side of the house, there were huge pecan trees which I climbed. Also, Aunt Sarah always had cold biscuits left over from lunch and they were SO good. In my mind, I can just see the house the way it looked then. Imagine how sad it makes me to see how it looks now. It's been abandoned for YEARS and allowed to completely deteriorate. I walked around it remembering fun times from the past and saddened to see how it looks now.

Life is full of changes. Some of those are good and some are sad. We just have to hold on to the happy memories.

All God's Creatures

2009-11-06T21:17:00.006-06:00

A trip to the Farm was badly needed by me! So, today we drove up there to fish with my new rod and reel (by the way, all the fish are very safe---not a single bite but it was fun) and to ride bikes on the country roads. The day was gorgeous and the temperature just right---in the low 70's. First we fished, then ate lunch, and later rode our bikes for about 4 miles. Even though we didn't catch any fish, we enjoyed just walking around the pond. Apparently, so did the geese. They spent a long time bathing and fluffing their feathers on the edge of the pond while we were down there fishing.

As I walked around the pond, I saw a dragon fly sitting on top of a stick. This isn't very interesting to many people, but I love nature and thought it would be interesting to see if I could take a close-up of a dragon fly.
After fishing for a while, I walked back to the barn where I found Big Red lying down full and content. She had just been fed before we went to the pond. Obviously, she was a happy cow.

I'll post pictures of our bike ride later. It was a fun ride to an old abandoned house that holds many dear memories for me.

A Different Look

2009-11-05T19:55:00.003-06:00

There's something special about the beach in the "off-season." I decided today that I could probably walk on the beach and not know what month it is and still know it's fall from the way the sun looks on the water, the shoreline, the sea gulls, and, of course, from the number of people there. There's a crispness in the air and a different brilliance of the sun shining on the water, the sea gulls seem to be burrowing in the sand and fluffing their feathers more, and the shoreline is much different. Today there were several tidal pools along the shoreline. The dolphins were busy feeding and playing not far from the shore. I never tire of watching them. They actually remind me of a graceful ballet of power and control, artists swimming and jumping in synchronized movement. I didn't have my camera with me so I didn't get any dolphin pictures but did take some beach pictures with my cell phone. Have I ever mentioned that I LOVE the beach--no matter the season?

Christmas Card Carousel

2009-11-04T21:36:00.003-06:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! I love Christmas and am sitting here watching a Christmas commercial on TV right now. Get ready to join Faith as she sponsors a Christmas Card Carousel on December 16th. Grab the button for your blog and help spread the word. It'll be fun to see everyone's Christmas card. Actually, I already have ours and would love to get them addressed and ready to send out just after Thanksgiving.

A Very Special Gift

2009-10-31T21:09:00.003-05:00

One day this week I got an email from our second granddaughter. I could almost hear the excitement in her voice as I read her email. She had found something especially for me and bought it with her own money (they had already given me my birthday present so it wasn't like she was looking for something to buy). Today she brought the gift to me when we met them at the ballgame. She jumped out of the car with the gift bag and hurriedly ran to me. I was so surprised to look in the bag and find one of my favorite things---a lighthouse!!! As much as I love lighthouses, I REALLY love this lighthouse. How special that she found something she knows I like and she bought it with her own money. Isn't this one of the prettiest lighthouses you've ever seen. Thanks, Ash!! I love you!

A Day of Thanksgiving

2009-10-30T11:34:00.005-05:00

Today just happens to be my birthday. Above you can see what I found on the kitchen bar when I came downstairs this morning. These were birthday gifts from my sweet hubby. As you might be able to tell, my interests run the gamut from fishing to clothes to a new charm for my Pandora bracelet to SO many other things. While I'm more than thankful for these gifts (can't wait to catch the big one!!), I am thankful for so many other things today that money can't buy. Both of our sons called me this morning to wish me a happy birthday, grandchildren have sent emails this week with happy early birthday greetings and messages that they love me, and many friends have called or sent birthday greetings. These all mean more than everyone knows. But, today, I am also thankful for LIFE in general. I love my life. I have a wonderful family, fantastic friends, more blessings than I can count, and I am alive!! Five years ago I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Please don't think this is for sympathy. It's not---God has been with me every step of the way and I'm fine. However,as many of you know, it takes a while to process that diagnosis. One of the many things that kept going through my mind was "I want to see my grandchildren grow up!!" God has given me 5 more years to watch them grow as well as five more years for me to experience so many other things. I don't know, as none of us do, how many more years I'll be here on this earth. But, I do know one thing, I'll never ever take one breath for granted. Today I am fine and able to enjoy life to the fullest and I intend to do that as long as possible. Thank you to all of you for my birthday wishes, but mainly thank you to all of you for what you mean to me. I thank God for you as I thank Him for every day.
Philippians 1:3-I thank my God in all my remembrance of you.
Psalm 118:24. This is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it. ...

Murder Mystery Dinner

2009-10-26T21:47:00.005-05:00

We recently hosted a Murder Mystery Dinner for the young people at church (young professionals) and some of their friends. It was a blast!! There was never a dull moment from the moment the first guests arrived until the last one left. The setting was the 1920's and each guest was typecast perfectly to fit his/her own personality. I was actually amazed at how each person really got into his/her own role and played the part to perfection (well, almost). Here are some pictures from our fun evening.

My First Award!!

2009-10-21T21:56:00.005-05:00

How exciting it was to see that June from The Butler Family gave my blog an award. Be sure to check out The Butler Family blog and see their precious family. Here are the rules for the award:
1) You must thank the person who gave the award and list their blog and link it

2) You must share "10 Honest Things" about yourself.

3) You must present this award to 7 others whose blogs you find brilliant in content and/or design, or those who have encouraged you.

4) You must tell those 7 people they've been awarded HONEST SCRAP and inform them of these guidelines in receiving the award.

10 Honest Things About Me

1. I am a Christian, wife, mother, grandmother, sister, sister-in-law, aunt, and friend
2. I like to spend time with my family and do special things with our grandchildren
3. I enjoy the beach and the outdoors and anything involving "nature"
4. I love Auburn University
5. I enjoy photography
6. I like to entertain
7. I like to travel
8. I like Bible studies
9. I am about to retire after teaching ESOL for many years
10.I love our Farm

To be perfectly honest, it was difficult for me stop at 10. I love my life and enjoy it to the fullest. Every morning I try remind myself, "This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it."

I am passing this award on to the following bloggers whose blogs inspire and encourage me:
The Macs
Our Journey of Love
Happily Ever After
Walk With Me by Faith
Sweet Caroline
The Averitt Family
All Things New

Check out these blogs. I'm sure you'll be inspired as well.

Tailgating with Family and Friends

2009-10-20T08:00:00.002-05:00

Our sister-in-law planned a fun tailgate party for the Auburn-Kentucky game. We met at our nephew's apartment and ate burgers and visited and met several of our nephew's friends. We even found good friends walking by unaware that we were all there and invited them to eat burgers with us which they did. It was great to see them and they even became my personal shoppers because the weather had turned so cold, I needed a sweatshirt in addition to all the other layers I had on!! They went shopping and got a WARM sweatshirt for which I was extremely thankful. The wind was bitter. Anyway, here are some pictures of our fun tailgate party. We're so thankful she planned for us to tailgate together because we needed some happy memories from the day. We left the stadium dejected and bewildered----Kentucky beat us for the first time since 1966!! However, it's still GREAT TO BE AN AUBURN TIGER!! War Eagle!!

Time With Grandchildren

2009-10-19T07:00:00.011-05:00

While visiting our children and grandchildren recently, we took the grandchildren to see Children's Letters to God at their local theater. It was excellent and very well done. Before we went to the theater, we went to eat together (no parents---just grandparents and grandchildren).

After dinner, we left for the theater.

Time to go in and sit down for the musical---a fun evening and then a spend the night party after leaving the theater.

The next morning our oldest granddaughter made muffins for us.

She also spotted a beautiful blue jay in their front yard and called me to see it. She knew I'd love to see the bird so she specifically called me so we could go out and watch it together.

Then, another granddaughter showed me the scarecrow she's made for Halloween.

It was soon time to leave for Auburn to tailgate with our family and friends before the game. More on that later. We had a great time with our children and enjoyed the special time with our grandchildren.

Nursery for Miss A

2009-10-18T19:21:00.003-05:00

Recently we helped paint Miss A's nursery. It's still not complete but our daugther-in-law has done a great job in planning what she wants in there and where she wants it. She is a GREAT shopper and has found needed baby items at good prices. What a super job she did of picking out the paint that matches the bedding. One older sister wanted green and one wanted yellow so she's trying to make sure they both have their color choices in the room for their baby sister. Here are some pictures of the prep work and the finished paint job. More picture forthcoming when everything is put in its final place but for now you can see a work in progress. I love what she's chosen!

A Confederate Rose

2009-10-13T19:47:00.005-05:00

My husband, who probably thought this was a weed when he obligingly planted it a few years ago because he admittedly knows nothing about plants, looked at our Confederate Rose today and said, "That's pretty. You should take a picture of that." So, I did since I'm such an obedient wife. Seriously, I thought that was a great idea because it is gorgeous. It does really well in this climate. We have some of these at our Farm which is about 70 miles north of here and they don't do nearly as well there. Maybe some of you know another name for them but we always just call them Confederate Rose---I think they're a member of the hibiscus family. Please let me know if you know more about these plants (or trees).

Filled with buds just waiting to burst open

When they open they're white, but by the end of the day, the bloom is a deep pink.

Be sure to stop by Susan's Outdoor Wednesday for more outdoor pictures.

Show Us Your Life-Tailgates and Favorite Teams

2009-10-09T21:48:00.004-05:00

Every week Kelly hosts Show Us Your Life and this week it's favorite teams. That's a no-brainer for me. Our entire family graduated from Auburn-my daddy, my husband, my brother and sister-in-law, both of our sons and daughters-in-law, and me) so we have strong ties to Auburn University and not just the football team. We have season tickets to football games and also try to go back for a basketball game and a baseball game every year. If a swim meet is in town or a gymnastics meet when we're in Auburn, we go to those, too. In other words, we bleed orange and blue. Here are a few pictures of some of our trips to Auburn this fall.

Our nephew is a sophomore at Auburn and is a trainer for the football team. Here he is on the sideline just behind the yard marker (looking over his left shoulder).

A picture on the jumbo-tron of some of the students

The Auburn University Marching Band in the pre-game show

One of the best pre-game activities in college football---our eagle circling the stadium before landing at mid-field while the crowd yells "War-r-r-r-r-r Eagle!"

It's GREAT to be an AUBURN TIGER!! War Eagle!

Do You Just Love Christmas??

2009-10-06T20:15:00.002-05:00

Apparently I'm not the only one who loves the Christmas season and gets into the spirit really early. We just left Lowe's and they already have Christmas decorations for sale and I know most other stores do, too. In fact, I was in a cute little boutique several weeks ago and they were setting up their Christmas "room" and it was still September! Well, Jill over at The Averitt Family has a Christmas giveaway on her blog. Go over to visit Jill and check into her exciting giveaway! I did ----- it would be so much fun to win.

Homecoming 2009

2009-10-04T20:08:00.005-05:00

Our niece was chosen as a freshman maid on her high school homecoming court this year. We were so excited and went up to spend the day in order to see the parade and then the presentation of the homecoming court before the football game. It was a fun day with family and we are so proud of Stephanie. She looked beautiful, and, what is even more important, she is just as beautiful on the inside. She was excited but totally unconceited. What thrilled me was to see how happy all of her friends were for her and how many people came up to sincerely congratulate her. Stephanie is just the same Stephanie all the time and apparently has been a great friend to all. Here are some pictures from the day.

Congratulations, Stephanie!

Stale Sandwich Friends

2009-10-03T18:12:00.010-05:00

Recently I wrote a post about our long-time friends who are staying at the beach for a month. I mentioned that the first time they came over to visit us when they moved to our city many years ago, we had leftover sandwiches (or stale sandwiches as we affectionately refer to them now). Their older son and his family are visiting them this week so we got to see David and his family. We had not met his wife nor his two little boys so we had a great time getting to be with them. I've enclosed some pictures of their family. They're all leaving Tuesday so we'll miss them, but we're planning another get together sometime soon.

Some pictures of David and Chris' cute boys playing in the condo.

David and I had to eat raw oysters at Peg Leg's Pete's while they're here.

They're all leaving Tuesday so we'll miss them, but we're planning another get together sometime soon.

One in a Million

2009-09-30T20:38:00.011-05:00

I hope Priscilla Shirer won't mind if I use the title of her Bible study for the title of this post. A group of women from our church is doing this study at our house on Monday nights. I just have to say that I absolutely love this new study. We've never done one of her books, but I suggest if you have a chance to be a part of one of her studies you GO FOR IT! This one is comparing our lives today to the Israelites wandering in the wilderness and the part I like so much is the practical application. I took some pictures of our group this week. It's a wonderful time of fellowship as well as valuable and meaningful Bible study.

Smocking 101

2009-09-27T14:53:00.006-05:00

Several years ago we were blessed with three granddaughters in one year. So, I decided I'd enjoy learning to smock for them. I smocked and smocked and smocked and loved it. It helped me feel connected to them. Then, we had a grandson and I smocked a few things for him as well. Our son and daughter-in-law were sweet enough to let him wear a gown home from the hospital that I had smocked for him. Although I enjoyed smocking for him, there aren't nearly as many things to smock for a little boy as for the little girls. They all eventually outgrew wearing smocked outfits so my smocking stopped. However, now that we're having another little granddaughter, I thought that called for pulling out all the packed away smocking plates and needles and embroidery threads. It's been so much fun to go into the smocking shop and see all the beautiful material available. Here's a picture of the little day gown that I'm about to begin smocking. I've also included a picture of what the finished product is SUPPOSED to look like. I can't wait to get started on this little day gown for our little Miss A!!

Number One

2009-09-26T22:10:00.004-05:00

Auburn is number one in the hearts and minds of our granddaughters (as well as the rest of our family)!! Here they are before the game tonight.

Auburn won 54-30. War-r-r-r-r Eagle!

God's Promise

2009-09-23T22:09:00.006-05:00

Genesis 9:12-16 (New International Version)
And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth."

Recently we were on the causeway which crosses the bay near our city. We were in heavy traffic but I looked out over the bay and said to my hubby, "Look at that!!" I had my camera with me because I rarely travel without it for just such occasions as this. He managed to pull over to the side of the road long enough for me to snap a couple of pictures of the most unusual rainbow I had ever seen. It almost looked like it was dipping down into the water. I hope you enjoy these pictures of God's reminder to us of His promises.

Be sure to stop by Susan's blog, A Southern Daydreamer, to see many more outdoor pictures. I doubt I'll be able to ever share beautiful fall pictures from our area as Susan did but we do have other outdoor beauty to share. God's handiwork is ever-present!

A Beautiful Metamorphosis

2009-09-16T07:55:00.003-05:00

What a nice surprise today when I got home and my hubby told me that a chrysalis had hatched and a butterfly was fluttering around inside the netted cage. One reason it was such a surprise is that it had been months since those caterpillars made their chrysalises. Several had hatched shortly after they formed a chrysalis but I had given up on any of the ones that were left ever hatching. But, there it was--a gorgeous swallowtail butterfly. Immediately after being released, that butterfly went directly to our rose bush and spent quite a bit of time there drinking from the blooms. God has taken care of every detail of this world and all the creatures. Instinctively, that butterfly knew exactly where to go to get the liquid it needed. After quite a few minutes of drinking from those flowers, it flew away to points unknown to me, but apparently it knew exactly what it needed to do to survive.

Be sure to visit Susan at a Southern Daydreamer for more outdoor pictures.

A Celebrity on the Sidelines

2009-09-15T19:26:00.009-05:00

Well, the term celebrity is relative, but, to our family, he's a celebrity. Our nephew is a sophomore at Auburn University following the long-standing tradition of Auburn people in our family. Both of his grandfathers, his mom and dad, aunts and uncles, and cousins and their wives all graduated from Auburn. BUT, Drew had a chance to do something really exciting for a college sophomore who loves Auburn and loves Auburn football---something none of the rest of us has ever done as far as I know. He's a volunteer manager for the football team and it was his Saturday to actually be on the field. He held the wire for one of the sideline officials and had to walk wherever that man walked. He said it was lots of fun and he got to be right down there where all the action was---a totally different view than any of us have from our seats in the stadium. We were excited to watch him through the binoculars and I tried to take some pictures--very difficult because they were constantly moving to follow the game on the field. I also took a few other shots of the activities at Jordan-Hare Stadium that night. We won which makes it even more fun, by the way!! War Eagle!!

Before the game----The AU marching band and the national anthem

The team coming onto the field led by Coach Chizik

Drew on the sidelines

It's great to be an Auburn Tiger!

Friends------

2009-09-15T18:58:00.008-05:00

are a gift from God. Some of our best friends are staying at the beach for a week. We became close friends many years ago when we went to church together. They were new to the area and we hadn't been here long after graduating from college. We both had little boys at the time---a year apart. We stil joke that the first time we had them over to eat, we had leftover sandwiches from a party we had had (little party sandwiches.) The invitation went something like this, "Come over and eat stale sandwiches with us." So, they did, and the rest is history. When we met, each family had one little boy and a few years laters each family had two little boys. A job transfer took them away when our children were still young, but we haven't stopped visiting since then. We went from hand-written letters and an occasional long distance phone call to now email, Facebook, and text messages. Their younger son and his family have been visiting them at the beach so we got to visit with them--we had never seen the grandchilren. How fun it was to visit. Everytime we're together, it's like we haven't missed a beat and we pick up right where we left off. Here are some pictures of our fun time together.

Their first crabbing adventure--

Ready to catch a crab on a weiner and a string--

The cabinets in the beach condo are so much fun!

Surely we haven't aged much since we first met---

In a few weeks, their older son and his family will be coming for a visit so we're looking forward to seeing them.

A New Chapter

2009-09-06T20:04:00.005-05:00

Yesterday was the kick-off for college football 2009. We have six season tickets to Auburn games which we enjoy with our family. Last night in Jordan-Hare Stadium a new chapter of Auburn football began. It was Coach Chizik's first game as our new head coach. As always the stadium in all its grandeur and tradition looked stunning under the lights. I know we're biased but I do believe we have the best pre-game tradition in college football with the eagle circling the stadium and landing as 85,000 people join in a rendition of War-r-r-r-r-r Eagle!! If that doesn't give an Auburn person chill bumps, I don't know what will. Last night's game was a fun one with Auburn winning 37-13---a good start to the Gene Chizik era. But, to our family, Auburn is about much more than football. It's about a place that holds a special place in the hearts of our family and has now for four generations-----Auburn University. We believe in Auburn and love it!!

A Bird's Eye View

2009-09-01T20:21:00.016-05:00

For quite a while now, two of our dear friends (our very young friends---much younger than we are anyway), Andy and Katie, and I have been talking about going parasailing. For one reason or another we haven't actually gone so we decided if we were going to go before the summer season ends, we better go now. SO, today we all met at the beach and went parasailing. It was a perfect day---very calm water and clear skies. I'm posting some pictures from our trip. My hubby took some of the pictures from the boat and then some of the pictures were taken by one of us up on the parasail so we could get both perspectives. Hope you enjoy our outdoor pictures! For a variety of outdoor pictures, visit Susan at A Southern Daydreamer and see all the blogs posted on her Outdoor Wednesday.

What a fun way to end our fun summer!! And, to top it off, we went to Peg Leg Pete's for a grouper sandwich. Yummy!

I Rarely Miss a Chance...................

2009-08-26T17:37:00.017-05:00

to blog about the beach---one of my favorite places. We are so blessed to live on the gulf coast which has some of the world's most gorgeous sugar-white sand and emerald green water. So, I was happy to hop on the band wagon of Susan at A Southern Daydreamer, Barbara's Waterside Wednesday (sorry we don't have any beautiful gardens near our beaches, but we have sea oats!), and the Shabby Chic Cottage. Here are some of my favorite beach pictures (and some very special children, too). I hope you enjoy the pictures.

Mr. Seagull at the edge of the intercoastal waterway. (Below)

A close-up look at Mr. Crab thanks to the zoom on my camera.

The lighthouse on the naval air station across the intercoastal waterway

Sunset on the intercoastal waterway

Forever Friends

2009-08-20T19:24:00.003-05:00

Many people come and go in and out of my life, but there are some people who will always hold a special place in my heart. They're my forever friends who would be there for me through both the happy times and the sad times. We can go months or even years without seeing each other; yet, when we do see each other, we can pick up right where we left off and nothing ever changes. Today I had lunch with 4 of my forever friends. We all went to high school together (I went to 1st through 12th grades and part of college with one of them) and we try to get together for lunch every few months. We might not talk during the time between our get-togethers, but, when we see each other, it's just as much fun as it was the last time. Today was so much fun, "Girls", and I am thankful for the friendship I share with each of you. I'm looking forward to our next luncheon!!!

Rocky Mountain High

2009-08-14T11:23:00.030-05:00

I'm so excited that Kelly is having a Show us Your Life--Your Favorite Vacation Spot. I've been planning this post in my mind for a week not realizing Kelly would be doing this. Go on over to Kelly's Korner to check out other favorite vacation spots. Also, Susan at A Southern Daydreamer has Outdoor Wednesday every week. Plan to stop by Susan's blog to see many more beautiful outdoor pictures. Thanks, Kelly and Susan!

Of course, I love our beautiful beaches on the Gulf Coast. Even though we live there, we never take it for granted and we enjoy it as often as possible.

However, for the past ten days, my hubby and I have been in Colorado and have covered some miles seeing as much as possible. We've visited ghost towns, 4 national parks, ridden the train from Durango to Silverton, taken a jeep ride to the top of the San Juan Mountains, gone white water rafting on the Colorado, and enjoyed seeing some of God's marvelous creation. As someone said on the jeep ride to the top of the mountain, "It feels like we can just reach up and touch God's hand." Here are a few pictures of our trip to Colorado.

St. Elmo's Ghost Town

Great Sand Dunes National Park

Durango to Silverton Train Ride

Mesa Verde National Park-Cliff Palace (We made the climb down and up on the tour--lots of fun, but, more importantly for me, I overcame my fear of heights to do this one!!)

I did NOT overcome my fear of heights to do the Balcony House tour but my hubby did. I'm so proud of him. This one is tough!

Next on our stop was Ouray. Here's a picture of the jeep we rode to the top of the mountain (open air and there was ice in the creeks up the mountain---a little chilly but worth wrapping up in blankets to enjoy!!)

The wildflowers in the meadows were gorgeous and one of my favorite parts of the trip.

Ouray was one of our favorite places----surrounded by mountains and gorgeous baskets of flowers hanging everywhere.

Box Canyon in Ouray

After leaving Ouray, we headed for Dillon. First we stopped at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.
After Black Canyon, we drove to Leadville which is one of our favorite places in Colorado as well. It is filled with history and interesting buildings which we love.

After Leadville, we arrived in Dillon and went to eat at one of our favorite spots---Arapaho Cafe. Even though I don't have a picture of it, we also love to eat breakfast at Kula's in Dillon. We have dear friends who have a condo in Dillon and they graciously allowed us to use it while we were there. Kula's and Arapaho Cafe are both in walking distance of the condo which overlooks Lake Dillon.

Our first full day in Dillon, we drove to Rocky Mountain National Park for the day. Here we hiked, looked for wildlife, visited an early dude ranch, and just enjoyed the scenery.

From meadows, to lakes, to mountain tops, the park was breathtaking.

The next day in Dillon, we slept in and then ate breakfast as Kula's. After that we drove off the beaten path to Montezuma (a ghost town), visited Lomax Mine near Breckenridge, and went to Frisco.

Our last full day in Dillon, we went white water rafting on the Colorado River. It as one of the calmest parts of the river because we didn't want to start out with class 3 or 4 rapids, but next time I think I'd like to try doing a trip with more class 3 rapids.

All good things must come to an end and it was time to head back home. We walked out to Lake Dillon for one last look as the sun was setting. It was a wonderful trip filled with many memories. We're thankful we got to take this trip and enjoy God's handiwork together.

More About Cousins' Camp

2009-07-31T21:15:00.016-05:00

Well, last night I didn't get to post about the day so tonight I'll post about yesterday and today. We had a blast both days. These poor children will be so exhausted when they get home, they'll sleep a week! Yesterday morning, Pops and David went to the Naval Air Museum for a "Guys' Day Out" together. They had so much fun and David wasn't ready to leave until mid-afternoon after they'd been there for about four or five hours. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures to post of their day but just imagine David climbing into the cockpit of all of the helicopters and airplanes that he could including a Blue Angel. At one point, he looked at Pops as he was pulling and pushing all of the controls and said, "Pops, I have no idea what I'm doing!" Later they found the playground which is in the shape of an aircraft carrier and David played and played a long time there.

While they were at the museum, the girls and I had a "Girls' Day Out" doing things only girls enjoy plus a few other things! Here are some pictures of our day.

In addition to the manicures, we went to the mall for them to show me how they could bungee jump and to allow Ashlyn to jump for the first time since she was at the Gulfarium the day before when they discovered the bungee jump in the mall. Here are pictures of the jumping fun!

Later we swam in the neighbor's pool before going to the mall to eat.

Today, our nephew Drew was able to join us. He's a college student and has been working this summer but yesterday was his last day of work for the summer and he got to go to Waterville USA with us today. Here are the cousins at Waterville before we start our day in the water.

Tomorrow ends Cousins' Camp 2009. What a great week we've had. They've been really good and gotten along well and were helpful in so many ways. We're so thankful that we are allowed a very special week with them for Cousins' Camp. It's full of wonderful memories!!!

Another Day of Cousins' Camp!

2009-07-29T23:02:00.009-05:00

Today we did separate things. Ashlyn and David wanted to go to the Gulfarium to see the dolphins and sea lions so I took them there. Pops stayed here with Aubrey, Hannah, and Stephanie and he took them swimming and then to the mall. Besides shopping (looking), they discovered a bungee jump in the center of the mall. Pops let them try that and they absolutely loved it and can't wait to show it to me tomorrow. I'll try to get pictures of that tomorrow but below are some pictures of Ashlyn and David at the Gulfarium.

Cousins' Camp Continued

2009-07-28T22:13:00.013-05:00

Today was a day to stay around here. We began by swimming in the neighbor's pool. Then, we had lunch and drove out to the beach. Hannah, Ashlyn, Stephanie, and I played and swam on the gulf side while Pops took Aubrey and David to play and swim on the sound side. After swimming, Pops, Ashlyn, and Hannah drove down to Ft. Pickens. I brought the rest of them home, we got dinner ready, Pops, et al came home, we ate, and then the children and I made our annual trip to Target to buy lunch boxes, back packs, etc.---back to school items. Now we're home and David has been doing what he does best---playing with the toys in the game room and the girls have been doing hair, pedicures, etc.---just what girls do best. I'm posting some pictures of our day. Are you tired yet?

Cousins' Camp-2009

2009-07-27T23:03:00.007-05:00

Every summer our grandchildren and niece come to our house for a week and we call it Cousins' Camp. Yesterday was the first day of 2009 Cousins' Camp. We left church and started driving north while our son and daughter-in-law left church with all four grandchildren and started driving south. We met half way and got the children and headed back home with them. We stopped at our Farm for them to feed the animals and just enjoy being at the Farm. Then, we went on to pick up our niece and we all came to our house.

Today was our first full day of camp. We got up to go to one of our favorite water parks for the day. Our friends, Gran and Jake, went with us because it's become an annual tradition for us to all go to Big Kahuna together. The children (and MomMom) went down water slides and the lazy river all day long. Pops also went down the lazy river and we took turns going with different children to vaious parts of the park. Needless to say, tonight we're all exhausted but it's a good exhaustion after a fun day in the sun. Here are some pictures of our day.

A Bird's Life

2009-07-23T18:17:00.004-05:00

I sat out on our deck for a while this afternoon trying to get some pictures of the birds at our birdfeeder and/or in the trees around the deck. I managed to get a couple of good pictures. These little guys are so quick and flit around, it's difficult to get a good picture. Notice how this one has a watchful eye out for predators---has to grab a bite to eat and check out his surroundings. It's a great example of his unending effort to survive.

This bird was up very high in the tree and actually sat there for a while. I can't quite tell what kind he/she is but I do appreciate him/her sitting still for a while.

As I was sitting there, a cat from the neighbor's house came slinking under the birdfeeder. I'm sure he was looking for his dinner, too. The food chain is alive and well.

Life on the Gulf Coast

2009-07-20T21:57:00.012-05:00

Go on over to A Southern Daydreamer to check out Susan's Outdoor Wednesday. It's always fun to see all the outdoor pictures.

I have a new camera and have been trying it out. My poor husband is having to get used to driving down the road and my saying "Please turn around. I just saw something that would make a good picture!" But, today we rode out to the beach so I could try out the camera and especially the zoom. We both had fun. Anyone who knows me very well, knows I love the outdoors and nature. Today I was able to take pictures of several things that I love!

The Lighthouse on the Naval Base--This picture was taken from across the bay using my zoom.

This duck was busy trying to find his dinner.

Not sure what this crab was up to, but we were able to get some good pictures of him.

Mr. Heron is looking for his dinner.

Later Mr. Herron is roosting getting ready for the night.

The sun sets on the coast and the birds and animals rest in order to attempt to survive another day.

A Leisurely Saturday Drive

2009-07-18T21:18:00.009-05:00

We are blessed to live near some of God's most gorgeous handiwork so today we decided to go for a drive. First we stopped for some lunch and did a little bit of shopping/looking. Then we headed toward a scenic route near the coast. We never got as far as the coast today but we were near farm land, bays, bayous, and rivers.

The first photo opp came near Point Clear where we saw a beautiful old church building.

Next we drove by a horse farm so we pulled off to get some pictures of the horses. I felt so sorry for this one in particular. I think he thought I had an apple or some grain for him. He followed on the inside of the fence wherever I walked on the outside of the fence.

Here are more of his friends who kept their distance but they were gargantuan, graceful, and gorgeous even from afar.

From there, we decided to go to a little restuarant in Magnolia Springs called Jesse's. We had eaten there with friends a few years back and we liked it then and weren't disappointed at all today.

Across from Jesse's there was an old community center (over a hundred years old and it probably started out as a residence and is now a community center) and another old church building. As we left, the church bells were ringing. I wonder how many times those bells have rung over the years.

Lastly, leaving Jesse's and before heading home, we drove over the Magnolia River and saw this OLD boat which looked as if she's seen better days. However, she may still be "seaworthy", but, nevertheless, she looked majestic just sitting there on the bank of the river.

What a delightful way to spend a Saturday with my hubby!!

Just Another Day at the Farm

2009-07-15T20:41:00.009-05:00

It was time to go back to the Farm to mow and check on all the animals and to just "go to the Farm" because I get withdrawals if I don't go fairly often. When we drove up, we noticed how dry everything looked. The hydrangeas that were blooming in abundance a few weeks ago were wilted and the blooms were fading. In many areas the grass looked twisted and dry and the ground was dusty. However, there were still some lush areas of grass and some very healthy weeds that needed mowing. The pears, figs, and muscadines were all beginning to ripen---too bad we missed more of them being ready to eat!!

One thing that never changes, rain or shine, dry or wet, hot or cold, the animals are always glad to see us and are always hungry.

Somewhere not in any of the pictures are the two geese. Now that the one goose has a partner, he/she no longer thinks she/he is a goat and the two geese hang out together all the time. There are also two more cats that aren't in the pictures either. So, there you go---all God's creatures great and small.

And, to make the day even more perfect, just as we finished mowing and doing all the other chores, it "came up a cloud" and we were able to sit on the front porch and listen to the rain fall on the tin roof and feel the cool breeze blowing down the "dog trot" hall in the old house. While we were there, only one car passed the entire time. It was a perfect day at the Farm!!

Beach Week 2009 (Part Two)

2009-07-12T19:55:00.001-05:00

Thursday we watched the Blue Angels practice. Some of our guys played tennis, some of us rode bikes, some of the children went over to the sound to swim, we ate homemade ice cream, and we began to realize that our week was swiftly drawing to a close. How does this week go by so fast when the same amount of time at work drags by??

Friday we tried to savor every moment by kayaking, watching the Blues' dress rehearsal, swimming, playing wiffle ball, sunning, building sand castles, etc. On the last night, we had the awards presentation for the week long shell contest among the children. There was an award for the roughest shell, the one with the most ridges, the one with the most colors, the shell with the most holes, the shell easiest to paint, and the smoothest shell. There was a prize for each category and the adults were the judges. We also sat down by the water and played charades telling our favorite part of the week. That was so much fun and most of the children had more than one favorite so they got to go several times.

Saturday morning was time to leave. We packed up and moved out but not without taking LOTS of fun memories home with us.

Beach Week 2009

2009-07-06T22:24:00.019-05:00

Even though we live on the Gulf Coast only a few minutes from the beach, our family rents a beach house every summer for a week. We forget we're only a few minutes from home and totally relax. A friend actually commented to me yesterday that she noticed I'm able to let my OCD go while we're at the beach!!

Since we got to the beach house on Saturday, we've watched fire works, eaten, played tennis, eaten, had our own family worship service (very meaningful and moving),eaten, had some friends out, eaten, gone out in the kayak and a canoe, eaten, watched dolphins, eaten some more, caught crabs, and played in the gulf (and eaten some more). This afternoon we had "game time" and had two teams. We played egg toss, carry the egg in the spoon, over and under relay, etc.

Tuesday we did much of the same as well as had a game of kickball. Two of the grandchildren, Ashlyn and Hannah, divided the teams into Tigers and Yellowjackets and even told us what color to wear. It was lots of fun and I'm pretty terrible, but still loved it. Tonight for dinner Ann and Stephanie (my sister-in-law and niece) planned a "make your own pizza" night which was fun and delicious!

Wednesday, we took all of the children to a huge water slide on the gulf side and they loved it. It was fun to watch them slide down and run around to climb up the HIGH slide and go down again. By the time we'd been there for about 30 minutes, their "running around to climb up" again slowed considerably. Also, Wednesday night, JD and Jennifer took all of the children for their annual game of putt-putt. This year one of the cousins was missing because Drew decided he'd rather go fishing. He caught two black snappers which we cooked and they were delicious.

Thursday we watched the Blue Angels practice. Some of our guys played tennis, some of us rode bikes, some of the children went over to the sound to swim, we ate homemade ice cream, and we began to realize that our week was swiftly drawing to a close. How does this week go by so fast when the same amount of time at work drags by??

Friday we tried to savor every moment by kayaking, watching the Blues' dress rehearsal, swimming, playing wiffle ball, sunning, building sand castles, etc. On the last night, we had the awards presentation for the week long shell contest among the children. There was an award for the roughest shell, the one with the most ridges, the one with the most colors, the shell with the most holes, the shell easiest to paint, and the smoothest shell. There was a prize for each category and the adults were the judges. We also sat down by the water and played charades telling our favorite part of the week. That was so much fun and most of the children had more than one favorite so they got to go several times.

Saturday morning it was time to leave. We packed up and moved out but not without taking LOTS of fun memories home with us.

America, the Beautiful! Happy Birthday!

2009-07-03T21:16:00.010-05:00

This afternoon we rode downtown to see the boats come in after a day of fishing in the gulf. It's the 39th annual billfish tournament. It was interesting to see the fish that had been caught, but just being able to be there to feel the cool breeze, the salty air, watching the children playing with no trepidation, and being able to enjoy the gorgeous sunset were a reminder of what a wonderful country we live in and how thankful I am to live in America. We were able to roam around and enjoy it all with no fear because we live in a free country. After we left the pier, we drove by a park where there are several memorials for our service men and women, and I just had to take some pictures.

Happy Birthday, America!! I'm proud to be an American.

Fun Time With Family

2009-06-27T21:08:00.006-05:00

We just returned from an overnight trip to my daddy's youngest sister's 90th birthday party. We had an amazing time!! And, I have to add, my aunt looks remarkable for a 90 year old lady and is sharp as a tack. Almost all of her nieces and nephews were there (my cousins) and, of course, her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchild. We told stories, laughed, and just generally had a great time together. Thanks to my cousins, her son and daugther, for planning this fun famly event.

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-21T13:49:00.004-05:00

Happy Father's Day to some special men in my life! The above picture is of my daddy, mother, and me MANY years ago. Even though my daddy has been gone for over 40 years, I still miss him. He was a man of integrity and extremely intelligent. I always thought I could ask him anything I needed to know and he could answer it. I was correct in that most of the time. I never doubted his deep love for "his girl." More girls need that kind of love and acceptance from their fathers today!

The picture below is of my maternal granddaddy whom I called by his given name, Jake. (I never knew my other grandfather who died before I was born.) Jake and I spent hours together and I loved listening to him tell me stories about when he was growing up. Those stories fascinated me and I treasure those memories.

Now, I want to say Happy Father's Day to the three wonderful "fathers" who are in my life today. My husband and our two sons are amazing fathers. It's been a blessing to watch my husband with our boys as they grew up and still today. He spent countless hours with them playing ball of some kind whenever they wanted to either throw the football, pitch the baseball, field grounders, shoot baskets, and then he was always present at whatever school or athletic event they were involved in. As great as he was at teaching them the game of whatever sport was going on or helping with homework, he was even better at teaching them the game of life. He never let their sports activities come before their spiritual life. He taught them priorities and now we get the pleasure of watching our sons teach their own children, our grandchildren, what's most important in their life. What a blessing to see our boys as they parent their children and to see what godly men they've grown to be and what wonderful Christian girls they chose to marry.

Happy Father's Day to our sons and my hubby! I'm extremely blessed by the "fathers" in my life. I love you all!

In the Beginning, There Were Four

2009-06-19T19:06:00.008-05:00

A "few" years ago there were just the four of us. Harriett and I first met when we were teaching together right out of college. We began having dinner together as couples and also playing bridge. Harriett and I were pregnant at the same time although she was a few months ahead of me. Their first baby, a boy, was born in September and then our first baby boy was born in February. Both of us stopped teaching to be stay-at-home moms. Bill was in the Navy and my hubby was working as an accountant at St. Regis Paper Company, his first job out of college. Bill got out of the Navy and they moved away, but we've always kept in touch. They had another baby, a girl, and we had another little boy. We visited back and forth through the years and actually sent letters by snail mail. Now, every year, they come down this way for a week at the beach and we get together for lunch or dinner. Yesterday was the day for lunch with them this year. Instead of four people, now our immediate families are made up of 20 of us. They have two married children and four grandchildren and we do, too. They have three granddaughters and one grandson and we do, too. It's always fun to see them and we pick up right where we left off last year. It's great fun to stay connected with old friends through the years. Our means of communication have gone from snail mail and an occasional long distance phone call to email, Facebook, blogs, and cell phones. Many things have changed but not the friendship we've shared over the years.

Summertime at the Farm

2009-06-16T21:30:00.001-05:00

Be sure to visit Susan at A Southern Daydreamer as she hosts Outdoor Wednesday every week. You'll be glad you did!

Recently we went up to our "Farm" to mow and spend the day. There's a certain look, sound, and smell to summer at the Farm----the smell of freshly cut grass, the sounds of birds singing coming from all directions, clear blue sky, flowers blooming both wild and planted, fruit growing and ripening on the trees, and the sound of the animals at the barn. It's really something very special to me. Here are some pictures from our latest trip there.
Hydrangeas were blooming all around the yard----

Gardenias are blooming--I love their fragrance!

Wildflowers in the woods nearby--

Not a very good picture but the crepe myrtles are blooming, too.

A little too early--the wild blackberries were just beginning to ripen and the figs on our fig trees will be ripe soon.

The lantanas that we transplanted from our yard at home were just "sticks" a few weeks ago and now they're beginning to bloom---I'd say they're very hardy because no one lives at the Farm to take care of any of the plants.
Sometimes it's difficult to leave that place because it has so many wonderful memories and it's a great place to escape the hustle and bustle of life back in the "real" world. However, we're extremely thankful we have it so we can go spend time there as often as possible.

Not Me! Monday---I Have Willpower!

2009-06-15T17:18:00.005-05:00

If you'd like to see what some other people confess to "not doing", go visit My Charming Kids to read some funny posts! In the meantime, I would NEVER carefully try to watch what I eat for lunch, go exercise by walking on the beach in the hot, broiling sun for 30 minutes (which absolutely must count for walking an hour on a regular walking track), and then come home and eat 4 powdered doughnuts!!! Never, not me!

Blueberry Jamboree

2009-06-13T19:58:00.008-05:00

Today we decided to go on a short ride out of town to a blueberry festival. Besides the delicious blueberries, much of the fun at these events is getting to see friends, check out the arts and crafts booths, and EAT!! We did a little of all of these things.

As we were leaving, we bought our own blueberry bush to try our hand at growing blueberries in our yard.

Then, on the way home, we stopped at a blueberry farm and picked a few pounds of blueberries. If you do that one time in the heat of the day, you'll understand why blueberries are so expensive in the grocery store. However, it was fun and I can't wait to try some new recipes with the blueberries we picked.