How Bout Them Dogs!

Georgia 30 Georgia Tech 24

Oh. Yes.

Black Friday Escapades

Well, true to tradition, E, her hubby and I were at Chickfila at 6:30 A.M. this morning. Yes, A.M. - in the doggone morning. It was dark and cold when I left the house. We are the crazies. But, lest we think we are the only ones. The Chick was packed when we got there. Could not even find a parking place in the parking lot. So if numbers verify our insanity, I mean stupidity, I mean shopping savvy - we passed with flying colors. By 7:00 A.M. we were fueled with enough caffeine and chicken biscuits to face the day ahead.

We had a plan. You have to, I'm telling you. A plan we had - yes. But clarity - no. See we knew which stores had which sales, however, we didn't quite have a clear picture yet as to what we were purchasing. Oooooh, bad news. Causes lots of going around in circles. But somehow, someway we managed, and knocked out a good portion of our shopping.

The best part of our day? sitting in the food court watching the people. This exercise was good for two reasons: 1. We got to sit. Yea. My feet were so tired. 2. We got to observe the other shoppers. Now, there were some serious, and I mean serious, shoppers out today. This was my absolute favorite thing I saw all day - several girlfriends shopping together wearing matching shirts that said "Friends don't let friends Christmas shop alone." Loved it. I think E and I will get matching shirts next year. (love you, sweetie)

After 8 hours of shopping, it was time to take a break. The entire family met at the movies - all 11 of us. For what it is worth, I loved and highly recommend "The Blind Side." I laughed, I cried, I cheered and I went away glad I saw this story. It is definitely the best movie I've seen in a long time. But considering my favorite movie is "Steel Magnolias" circa 1989, you'll probably want to draw your own conclusions. That's not the last movie I saw before today, just my favorite. By the way, I feel the need to share my favorite movie quote of all time - from Steel Magnolias, when Clairee says, "the only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize."

And that is . . . clearly . . . enough said.

Happy Thanksgiving!

For most of the day yesterday, E and I worked like crazy going through a mountain of details about a wedding we have coming up in December. Seeing that we needed a relief from this for a little while, we decided to whip up some Thanksgiving treats. I had seen these on the internet a few days ago and thought how fun they would be. So, here is our attempt at turkeys and pilgrim hats. Too fun!

Psalm 100:3-5 (NIV)
3 Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations

Thanking God for them today.

Thankful for Another Birthday - Part 2

I just had to include another very important part of my whole birthday celebration. (after this, I promise to not say another word about it). The Iron Roses got together Monday night and guess what? Yes, indeedy they too, reminded me of how YOUNG I am. Thanks to these dear friends, I now possess a cane, a pill box that can also be worn as a necklace (what every girl needs), a fan for my hot flashes (which I will use, by the way) and of course, a crown that proclaims plainly that I am in fact the "Birthday Queen." You all are so fabulous!

Thankful for Another Birthday

Well, it came and went and I don’t feel any different. The big birthday, that is. I know ya’ll may get tired of hearing about how wonderful my husband is – but it is a fact. He is wonderful. Since he knew this was quite the milestone, he went to great lengths to make it extra-special. During the day of my birthday, he delivered a huge bouquet of flowers to our house while E and I were gone to lunch. That evening, he took me out to dinner at a very romantic restaurant downtown. It just so happened that this was the first night that the restaurants and shops were open on Thursdays nights for Christmas shopping. Santa was there. There were horse and carriage rides. There were carolers. And did I mention the shops were open? He was so sweet to treat me to a little surprise at one of my favorites. It was glorious walking around the square with him, chill in the air, the lights on the trees sparkling, carolers singing.

Well, little did I know that my birthday celebration was not to end there. Imagine my surprise when some friends decided, with a little nudge from my family, that in order to make me feel a little better about the whole “age situation” (as we like to call it), that they would go to great lengths to make me feel young. You just can’t imagine what they did . . . they all dressed up like “old folks.” And I mean old folks. They put gray in their hair! (which is really so funny since we are all trying so hard to cover it up !) Wore toupees! Wore support hose! Wore their mother’s shoes and jewelry! Painted wrinkles on their face! Wore their pants up under their arms! And brought their bag full of pills and fiber! It was simply hilarious.


This was my face when I realized the surprise was on me.




Can I just tell you how funny these two were? They are some of our dearest friends. And you really wouldn’t know it by looking at this photo, but they are quite beautiful and handsome under all of this.




Many thanks to my sweet husband and children for making this birthday so special. My girl even made an amazing chocolate cake for all to enjoy. Many thanks to my friends who ran the risk of public embarrassment in order to make me feel young. It so worked but not just for the reason you might think. You all made me feel young because of the love and laughter we shared. (okay, I’ll admit, the support hose and saggy chest helped). Age is, after all . . . just . . a . . number – so they say. I hear you. I don’t feel any older than I did 20 years ago. I am just truly overwhelmed with the blessing of my life – my marriage, children, family and friends. Grateful? Yes. Blessed? Yes. Thankful? Indeed.

Oh Come All Ye Thankful

The first words spoken yesterday in our worship service by our Minister of Music were “are you thankful you live in a country that sets aside time to be thankful?” Amen. Yes, I am. So in the spirit of this week dedicated to thankfulness, I’ll share just a few of the many things I am thankful for:

1. That there is a merciful God in heaven who has prepared a way for us to meet Him there someday; who loves us with a love we can’t imagine; and who wants more than anything for us to have an intimate, life-depending relationship with Him. Praise Him! He has already overcome the world!
2. That my family and I are healthy today. That may change tomorrow, but for today, we are. That is a blessing I don’t ever take for granted. My heart is so tender for those who are suffering. May God give them strength, comfort and hope.
3. That I have a husband who loves me. We’ve had some huge bumps along this journey of marriage, but thankfully, because our God is the God of miracles today and everyday, we are happier than we have ever been.
4. That I have the most fabulous of children. I know, all mothers say that but it is absolutely true in my case. Now, don’t get me wrong, they aren’t perfect because they have some big time imperfect parents but hands down, I wouldn’t trade them for the world.
5. That I live in a country where we are free. No, freedom is not free. Many are making great sacrifices every day for our freedom.
6. That I am a member of a church that believes that Jesus Christ is the one and only Son of God and that He is the only way to the Father in Heaven. And preaches it.
7. That we are working. That God allows our family businesses to continue. I pray that we are good stewards of what He has given us.
8. That I have parents who show me unconditional love and that they saw the importance of raising me to love Jesus.
9. For friends who model true friendship every day. Thankfully, they choose to see the best of me and overlook the rest. Oh. My. What a blessing.
10. Oddly enough, for the rough spots in this journey of life. James 1:2-4 says “consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds, because the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete not lacking anything.” Life is hard but we have a Savior who never leaves us or forsakes us.
11. For God’s Word. It is life to a hungry soul.

Now for the “lighter” side of thankfulness:
12. Kenra Hair Spray –I don’t believe I would ever go out in public again if I did not have it. It works miracles. Miracles I tell you.
13. Air conditioning! Oh. Yes.
14. The washing machine and dryer . . . and the dishwasher, and the oven and the microwave, and . . . I could go on and on. These modern day conveniences should not be taken lightly in my book. If your washer has ever been broken for more than two days, you know what I’m talking about.
15. My cell phone. I fully realize that they can be the most annoying things in the entire universe at times but if you’ve ever had a 16 year old leave in their car for the first time, or a son in college many hours away from home and you want to know he is okay, or a daughter driving home by herself from Atlanta late at night after class – you understand.
16. Diet Coke over ice from the fountain. I’ve told ya’ll this before, there is nothing better.
17. Milkshakes from Chick-fil-A. You do know that the Peppermint Chocolate Chip Milkshake is now available. I fully plan on having one of these this weekend – just to get in the spirit of Christmas, of course.
18. Spanx. These little jewels have changed the world of many a woman. Me included.
19. Books. I love to read and a book that comes to life is a massage for my mind and soul. What I’m reading right now? “Can Martha Have a Mary Christmas?” by Brenda Poinsett. And for fun, the last installment of the Sweet Magnolias series, “Welcome to Serenity” by Sherryl Woods.
20. Oh and speaking of massages, that’s another thing. Pedicures. Oh, yes. Thankful I am. My Secret Sister gave me a gift certificate for one for my birthday. Already been – it was fabulous.

Well, that’s the first 20. I’ll be sharing more this week. But in the meantime, I hope for you a most blessed Thanksgiving week.

Pictures to go with Posts!

Well, today is the big day. I am half a century old. Okay, I'm really, really trying hard not to think about that. So to keep my mind off of this event, my darlin daughter is spending the day with me. She's has taken me to lunch and now we are having a teaching session about the digital world of photos. I am learning so much. So, from now on, who knows, I may be able to post a picture when I blog. Woohoo!

But to catch you up a little, I'm posting pictures I would have posted with my blog entry if I had known how. So here goes:

Soup Swap Girls 2009




Disney World Trip in October, 2009






The Iron Roses at a very special Rose's Bridal Shower, November 17, 2009




Parent's Weekend - Georgia Southern, October 2009


A Family Photo from the J&J Anniversary Sale Giveaway - July 4, 2009

Reliving a Wonderful Day!

Since I wasn’t blogging when our only daughter got married, you may not know that was a little over a year and half ago. There is an extremely long story to explain why we just got the wedding video, but I’ll spare you. Bottom line – we just got it about a month ago. Well, deciding this was cause for a family party/get together/dinner, the family of the bride and groom converged on our home Saturday night for some chili and jambalaya and to watch the almost two hour movie. Yes, while most families were watching the Georgia/Auburn game, we sat glued to the screen reliving one of the most special days in all of our lives.

We all got tears in our eyes when the doors at the back of the church opened and there stood D with the most beautiful girl in the world; when they danced the Daddy/Daughter dance (which by the way, they waltzed and D never stepped on her dress – amazing); and when you could plainly see the sheer joy written on the faces of that precious bride and her handsome groom. We laughed like crazy when D introduced the new business venture he and Steve were beginning; when we all saw ourselves dancing and of course, when D broke out the Soulja Boy. Priceless. Just priceless.

D and I aren’t really known for our dancing prowess. So to save ourselves from ultimate embarrassment, we took dancing lessons for months before the wedding with E, the groom, and his parents. While it might not have been ultimately successful in increasing our dancing ability, it was an absolute blast. But to add to the dancing pressure, D was given the challenge from a certain young lady to “Crank That” Soulja Boy at the reception with her. Well, you don’t give D a challenge and not expect him to man up. So, for weeks, he practiced . . . and practiced. Actually, I think it was a great stress reliever for him to come every night and crank it for a few minutes. Honey, I thought you were super . . . man. (Sorry that was a really bad joke.)

What fun it was to relive that day! You know, on a day like that, it seems you don’t remember half of what happened or even who was there to share it with you. I am so thankful for the technology and the great job our good friend and videographer did with this video. I am thankful for the merging of our two families. I am so thankful for the special people in our lives who wanted to share that day with us. Those that made some major sacrifices to be there with us. Those who told us they wouldn’t have missed it for anything. It was one we will never forget.

I Should Have Posted this Yesterday

I fully realize that yesterday was Veteran’s Day and I let that pass without even a mention. I apologize. I ask you respectfully, to please pause from reading right now and pray for the men and women who have fought, and continue to fight, for our country.

I saw something yesterday, I have never seen before. I know many of us have seen the American flag folded into a triangle - you have probably seen people do it you if have ever been to a military funeral. But did you know that each fold represents something? Maybe you will find this as interesting as I did.

The following was taken from this website: http://www.usflag.org/

The flag folding ceremony represents the same religious principles on which our country was originally founded. The portion of the flag denoting honor is the canton of blue containing the stars representing the states our veterans served in uniform.

In the Armed Forces of the United States, at the ceremony of retreat the flag is lowered, folded in a triangle fold and kept under watch throughout the night as a tribute to our nation's honored dead. The next morning it is brought out and, at the ceremony of reveille, run aloft as a symbol of our belief in the resurrection of the body.

The first fold of our flag is a symbol of life.
The second fold is a symbol of our belief in the eternal life.
The third fold is made in honor and remembrance of the veteran departing our ranks who gave a portion of life for the defense of our country to attain a peace throughout the world.
The fourth fold represents our weaker nature, for as American citizens trusting in God, it is to Him we turn in times of peace as well as in times of war for His divine guidance.
The fifth fold is a tribute to our country, for in the words of Stephen Decatur, "Our country, in dealing with other countries, may she always be right; but it is still our country, right or wrong."
The sixth fold is for where our hearts lie. It is with our heart that we pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
The seventh fold is a tribute to our Armed Forces, for it is through the Armed Forces that we protect our country and our flag against all her enemies, whether they be found within or without the boundaries of our republic.
The eighth fold is a tribute to the one who entered in to the valley of the shadow of death, that we might see the light of day, and to honor mother, for whom it flies on mother's day.
The ninth fold is a tribute to womanhood; for it has been through their faith, love, loyalty and devotion that the character of the men and women who have made this country great have been molded.
The tenth fold is a tribute to father, for he, too, has given his sons and daughters for the defense of our country since they were first born.
The eleventh fold, in the eyes of a Hebrew citizen, represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon, and glorifies, in their eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The twelfth fold, in the eyes of a Christian citizen, represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in their eyes, God the Father, the Son, and Holy Ghost.

When the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost, reminding us of our national motto, "In God we Trust."

The Saga of the Christmas Card

I really hate to admit this but . . . I am totally anal about our family Christmas card. I have driven my family to the brink of insanity on more than one occasion obsessing over the Christmas card photo, card choice and personalized signatures. In our family, photos have always been a point of contention. E and I take pictures of everything on every occasion. One of us, who shall remain nameless, absolutely does not enjoy having his picture taken. He is patient enough for exactly one photo. Heaven forbid, someone has their eyes closed in that first one. After that, all the politeness and good manners his momma taught him fly out the window. You would think by now, he would be used to it. No such luck. But thankfully, he does give me a little bit of a pass when it comes time for Christmas.

So, much to his delight and to alleviate all the stress of the annual Christmas photo shoot this year, I have chosen a photograph that was taken during a summer photo shoot. Let me explain. As an expression of gratitude for D serving as the Georgia Food Industry Chairman the past two years, the organization arranged for us to have a family portrait taken and then presented the portrait during the annual convention in July. Well, if you know me at all, you know there is no greater gift I could be given. To me, pictures of my family are priceless. I was thrilled.

So I was super excited about this session. Let’s just say my excitement didn’t rub off on everybody. But, hey, it was out of my control this time. I could blame this photo shoot on someone else. Yea! So, one very hot June afternoon, we all coordinated our outfits and headed out to a local lakeside park for the adventure. And an adventure it was. We met the photographer there and she proceeded to check and recheck lighting and background details. If you can imagine, we are finally all in place . . . so hoping she takes these photos before we all melt into a puddle of sweat . . . stuck together . . . trying with all our might not to force a smile. Ready . . . set . . . . . wait. We watch in disbelief as this guy, carrying his bright red cooler and his lawn chair plops down right beside us - pops open a cold one and settles in for an afternoon siesta. How in the world could he not have seen what was going on and thought just for one small second that he might be in the picture? Sometimes you just have to laugh.

Also, as a part of the Christmas card experience, I find it very important for each of us to sign the card with our own handwritten signature. Just a weirdness of mine, I guess. So sometime during our Thanksgiving weekend activities, we’ll all gather around the kitchen table and pass the cards around. I call it family bonding time. The boys just call it halftime of the football game.

Well, I have already ordered my cards this year, with E’s help. She worked tirelessly with me half a day last week accomplishing this goal. Thank you, sweetie. Without her, I would not have been introduced to the world of photo card creation on the internet. Names like Winkflash, Snapfish and Shutterfly could have been just some weird breed of mascara, amphibian and annoying insect for all I knew.

We kinda got carried away this year with the card creation. I hope we haven’t gone over the top. I guess you’ll have to let me know when you see it. Until then, consider the importance of staying in touch with your family and friends this Christmas season. It is so much fun getting those cards, photos and letters out of the mailbox during the month of December. Happy writing!

Mystery Trip

Okay, okay where to start. My precious, adorable daughter who is one of my biggest (maybe only not sure) blog fans has been giving me grief about my lack of posting the past few days. I’m really not sure why, she has been with me almost solid for the last three days and then wondered why I didn’t have time to post? Go figure.

So hang on for the next few days, you are going to be bombarded with our life’s randomness. So much going on I hardly know where to start. But let’s go back a week or two. My precious husband had been cookin’ up a trip somewhere for the past several weeks as a surprise to me. He is the best – he loves to surprise me and it drives me crazy. But not crazy enough for me not to enjoy it! I was told to pack comfortable shoes and clothes for warm weather. Hmm . . . didn’t sound like we were going to the beach or north. So where do you think we went? To see the Mouse. That’s right! Disney World. It is the happiest place on earth, you know. And we are after all, big kids. This trip was also a surprise to his Mother. After we boarded our plane in Atlanta, D’s sister and her husband joined us, flying in from Nashville. You should have seen her face. Priceless.

Okay, even if it is central Florida, wouldn’t you think it would be a little cooler than 95 degrees the last week in October? Oh. No. It was hot! And humid. I would stand in front of the mirror every morning working on the hair only to have it go flat and frizzy the minute we stepped outside. But who cares? It was all about being with the family, having no decisions or responsibilities for five days, eating waffles shaped like Mickey’s face and dessert with every meal (we had to, okay, it was included with our meal plan) and enjoying everything Disney. We rode the rides, watched the fireworks and parades, strolled through the exhibits and even went to the Hoop De Doo Review! It was great! You have to admit, Disney knows how to do it right. And even though it was scorching hot, the lines were short and the air conditioning was our friend.

I get tears in my eyes right now thinking about how my precious man spent hours going over the details of this trip, careful not to spoil the surprise for me and his mom. All because he wanted to have this time with his family. Honey, you did great. I loved it . . . and I love you.

Soup Swap 2009

The Monday night girls have hit upon a wonderful new tradition! Last week before Bible study, we inaugurated our very first Soup Swap! In case you might not be familiar with this phenomenon, please let me explain. Each of the girls brought a crock pot filled to the brim with their favorite soup as well as storage containers. I provided corn muffins, tortilla chips, drinks and dessert. Once everyone and their soup had arrived, we took a few minutes to sample each one. Let me just say . . . yum. The girls had truly outdone themselves. First, a choice had to be made as to which one would fill our bowl for that evening. But, no worries, everyone would leave with one container of all the soups. We now would have enough soup for a week’s worth of meals. How great is it to come home on a cool day to great homemade soup!

The following soups were represented: Chicken and Wild Rice, Vegetable, White Chicken Chili, Potato, traditional Chili, Beefy Minestrone, and Taco Soup. Each one very different from the rest but equally as tasty.

Soup Swap 2009 really could not have been more fun! Let me just tell you, it will definitely be repeated with this group. It is, dear ones, a great idea for your next girlfriend get together!

What I Love about November!

Yes, I have been gone from blog land for well over a week for good reason and we’ll eventually get to that. But first things first, it’s time for the first of the month “what I love” post. So without further ado . . .

1. Marketplace is this month – this weekend actually at the Gainesville Civic Center. The Preview Party is Thursday night and tickets are still available. Friday’s hours: 9:30 – 6:30 and Saturday’s hours: 9:30 – 5:00. Tickets are $5 and children under 12 are admitted free. Complementary valet parking and a parking shuttle will be available. It’s a great way to get a start on your Christmas shopping and benefit a good cause.
2. We have a wedding this weekend we have so been looking forward to. It is outdoors (praying for beautiful weather) at a private home that could not be a more beautiful setting. So excited!
3. Since I am an only child, many years ago two of Darrell’s aunts were kind enough to adopt me as their sister. I am so blessed! These two women are just fabulous. On Sunday, we will be celebrating with my “oldest sister” at her very first grandchild’s shower. I think that will make me an adopted great-aunt? Not sure. Anyway, I do love babies . . . and showers. It’s a boy so we are deep into all things blue. He’s scheduled to make his arrival mid-December so my sister is personally considering him the best Christmas present ever. As she should.
4. Our Handbell Choir has had a slow start this fall so we can hardly wait to ring together on November 15th. The song – “Blessed Assurance.” Oh, and is it ever beautiful. I’m constantly amazed at what amazing music a dozen people and three octaves of handbells can make. We will also be ringing during the Christmas season and to me, it’s just doesn’t seem like Christmas unless we play “Carol of the Bells.” Love it.
5. I will be celebrating a big birthday this month. That’s really enough said about that.
6. Did I mention that my son will be home the entire week of Thanksgiving? GSU didn’t get a fall break as many of the other schools did which makes me happy because he gets to come home for almost nine days. Woohoo!
7. Okay, it goes without saying how much I love Thanksgiving. It may be my favorite holiday. - after Christmas, and the 4th of July, and maybe Easter. Hmmm . . . I can’t decide. I love them all. Why do I love it so much? It’s a day when we can just stop and thank God for the many ways He continues to bless us. A day when we can spend with those we love. A day when D’s mom totally outdoes herself. I’ve told you before what a cooking rock star she is and so on Thanksgiving, it’s incredible. This year, our daughter has requested that after the big meal, we all go see the new Sandra Bullock movie, The Blind Side. While I don’t know much about it, it does contain Sandra Bullock and football. So maybe we can’t go wrong.
8. What can I say? The day after Thanksgiving shopping. In the past few years, this has become a family tradition. This is the drill: On Thanksgiving, my girl and I gather all of the area newspapers and pull out the sale papers – lay them all out in front of us. And analyze. Cost compare. Double check with our shopping lists. Map out our path. And go to bed early. Because we must and I mean must, be at Chick-fil-A for breakfast when they open, usually around 6:30 A.M.!! Yes, it is confirmed . . . we are crazy. We know. The key to this whole experience – you have to have a strategic plan. If you don’t, you might as well not go. You’ll just be ill, mean, rude and ugly. You know you’ve seen those people without a plan. Trust me on this one, strategic planning is the key.
9. This year, the entire family is loading up and heading down to the ATL for the big ballgame the Saturday after Thanksgiving – Georgia vs. Georgia Tech. We have a little inter-family rivalry going on so this could get interesting.
10. Family. Togetherness. Blessings. I am so thankful for the people God has allowed in my life. I have absolutely the best husband, children, parents, in-laws, family, sisters, and friends that a girl could hope for. And that truly is what it’s all about.

Happy November to You!