I am Loving my new camera

the camera I got for my birthday.

We are getting ready for disney. But I made the executive decision to make a family picture in front of the tree. No body got harmed. Don't worry I am going to have some printed.

I am getting closer!

I am trying to figure the picture in the middle thing out. Along with the correct color ink so you are able to read it without your eyes going ga, ga!

If I do it just right I should be able to put a picture and tell you what is happening beside it.

You should be able to click on the picture and it will get big. It is also supposed to stay with the story. In the past I would type something and then change the picture and the pictures never matched the story. I am going to see if this will work! Oh, that is Justin and James Brian playing legos. They are looking at the lego book and following directions!

I didn't tell what we did Christmas Eve. Well, Christmas Eve, eve the dealership gave the employees a ham. A big ham. Brian doesn't eat leftovers so I knew it would waste. So we asked Coach Rob and Pam over, their children and our friend David and his wife and daughter over. Even before that we had ham at daddys last Saturday so I knew my family probably wouldn't eat much ham. Anyway, the children did so good and helped me around the house. It was probably cleaner that it had been in a long time. All the laundry done and put away. Everything cleaned, dusted, vacuumed, mopped. The rugs were washed. The playstation and Wii games were organized. I cleaned out the refrigerator. We baked and cooked and had so much fun. It certainly wasn't our traditional Christmas Eve but the good thing it passed by fast and kept James Brians mind off the anticipation of Santa.

Everyone finally left and now Christmas has come and gone and guess what. It has to be done again!

I wanted to take the tree down but the children didn't want to yet. We are going to Walt Disney World next week so I don't know when it will get down. When we come home it will be James Brian's birthday and I will probably have to put some time in at the carlot. So it might come down presidents day weekend. I think they will be out of school. I saw on TV that in New York it is the law to have your Christmas decorations down by February 1st!

I am looking forward to some good pictures at the park.

Cydney is working on her Joshuas law so she can get your drivers license. Grayce is home now, she went to work with her daddy. She is playing rockband and the boys are playing cars.

I am blogging because I have nothing else to do! I have the den picked up already. You can see the carpet! I am making progress.

The children still have 10 days left before school starts back. We love Christmas vacation. Actually we love all vacations. Momma and Daddy O called this morning. They are on the way to Panama City for the winter. They wanted to make sure that we were coming to see them.

Grayce just told me Brian told her to be using the Wii fit to get into shape for softball season. Does it ever stop! I just want to enjoy basketball for a few days!

Until...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

We are just doing our thing!

The children are having a big time. Santa has no mercy on adults. Everyone got some noisy game for the playstation or Wii. If I didn't know better I would think I was a monkey joes!

Enjoy your day and remember what today really is!

Happy Birthday Jesus!

P.S. Melissa figured out how to add pictures in the middle. I just haven't figured out how to get the information beside the picture.

Cydney is playing Wii fit. Grayce and Brian are putting the Hannah Montana beach house together. James Brian is overwhelmed with packages. The last picture is what we do every Christmas. I sit in the middle of the floor and hand out all the presents.

Family Christmas, 2008

During the holidays we spend a lot of time running around.

It started for us this weekend.

Eric and Andrea came from Fairhope, Alabama. The whole family were together at daddys for the day except Breanna couldn't come this time. We missed her smiling face.

Today we went to Mary and Glenns early and then finished up at grandmomma Croys. We all missed Papa but had a great time and laughed a bunch.

Brian and I rode in the car together and we both arrived home alive! There is always a first time for everything!

We are so blessed to have a big family and to have seen it mulitply over the last couple of years.

FYI: My camera, I am in control of the picture taking. Which included lots of pictures of ME!

A person can only clean so much in one day!!

Good Grief I am tired of cleaning house.

If I could get my children to put up there stuff when they were finished it would help. They are a product of me!

I am tired of cleaning house today so I thought I would take a break.

Brian was off yesterday and went to Sam's so there is plenty of junk food so the children won't go hungry over Christmas break!

Cydney spent the night with her friend Chelsea last night. She is also staying again tonight. Grayce has had Hannah over all day and now Justin is on the way to play. Our Christmas break started today so we have already started enjoying our free time.

G did have bb practice last night. They ended up scrimmaging the other 11-12 year old team. That team is so rough. Grayce doesnt' take there crap though she is right in there.

The girls washed my car. It is funny how in one part of the country it is snowing and here it is warm enough to wash a car outside!

I can't think of anything else. That is a good thing. I am going to just sit around tonight in the clean den and enjoy life.

I Met Myself In the Middle of The Road Today!

I dropped the children off at school this morning.

Then I went to the warehouse to drop off some things that had been piling up in the garage. We have a hidden closet upstairs. It think I had blogged one time earlier that I cleaned it out real good after Christmas last year. All year long when the children don't want something in their room anymore it gets stuck in that closet. So when Christmas comes and I have to get the Christmas stuff out I have to move all that to get to it. Then it gets moved to the garage. I finally moved it to "storage" this AM.

Then I stopped by the carlot so Brian would know where I was, he wasn't answering his phone because it was in the car charging the battery.

I went to curves. G got out of school at 10:00 and he was going to pick her up. Well I got finished at 10:00 and called and he had a customer so I went to pick her up. I dropped her off with her daddy. Came home to change so I could go back to school to pick up James Brian at 12:00! We went back to the carlot and picked up my daddy to have lunch at the mexican place.

Then G made me go to the dollar tree and walmart to find a Christmas present for a friend. Then guess what. We went back to the carlot to drop off Brians lunch!

Now we are home. I just checked the calender and we don't have anything else to do the rest of the day. Brian still hasn't eaten his lunch so that means he won't be hungry for supper and I won't have to cook. The children can just eat chips and dip or something! (don't panic, there if left over pizza from last night's $5.00 pizza run).

JB had ball practice last night. He is loving basketball. It is time to sign up for softball and baseball already. Both girls want to play and he said he was going to play baseball but if they are going to put 13 5-6 year olds on a team I am certainly not going to encourage him. I thought he might want to play soccer instead. I would love the extra work of running across town to an another ball field!

Cydney went to lunch again with her friend. I am still not sure how a 15 and 16 year old can turn lunch into a 3 hour ordeal but I guess I did it when I was 16. I didn't when I was 15 because my daddy wouldn't let me out of the house!

Can't think of anything else to ramble on about today.

Until next time.....

Teenage Drivers! GRRRR!

I will tell you why I said that....

Friday morning when I blogged we didn't have anything to do. Sometime during the school day Cydney decided to spend the night with her friend Chelsea. Fine. I had to take her to Chelsea's house. She lives in Crawford county which might as well be in Panama City! This is how it went...

First off the reason I say teenage drivers is because I am not very good a giving directions and a teenage driver can't read my mind and just turn where I think your supposed to. So that made the trip take longer!

I picked everyone up at school. Grayce has a birthday party to go to. I picked her, Anna and Hannah up. Dropped them at the dealership. Went home to let Cyd pack her things. JB played with Jacob for 30 minutes. We dropped him off at Justins because he didn't want to go with us. Cyd drove all the way to Ft. Valley, we got lost, the dad had to stay on the phone with us until we finally find the house. I came home. Brian went Christmas shopping. I picked JB up and then picked G up at the party. Met Anna's mom at Zaxby's, took Hannah to her house and then we came home.

Saturday-JB has ball practice at 9AM, G went to work with Brian. Picked Cyd up from Chelseas at 10ish. Got lunch. Stopped at carlot and picked G up. Went home and got ready to go to the Nutcracker.

Why would any red blooded American male let there son be a ballerina?? It is WRONG! Grayce said mom I don't think he is wearing underwear. A male ballerina is like a train wreck. You don't want to look but you just can't help it!

Sunday we went to church and Sunday school. My class had a party that I was supposed to bring fruit to. I couldn't get it until Sunday morning because I knew my children would have it all eaten! So the little one and I went to Kroger early Sunday morning. Then during regular church they had a Christmas special. James Brian ate the leftover fruit the whole service!

Today I went to Kindergarten to help make a gingerbread house. It was fun. Well fun might be pushing it but JB enjoyed me being there! Neither girl had to go to school today so I went to walmart and Curves, yea me! Grayce is working on pretzels for the teachers and Cydney is at Jessicas supposed to be studing.

We have to pick JB up in a minute and then we have ball practice at 4:00. Whew!

I talked to Shannon today. I miss you girl! She is doing good at least she sounded good.

Supper is ready, I already ate!

I guess that is all the fun I can type for one day!

Until next time.....

Woman On A Mission!

I have been thinking about Christmas shopping and I have also known I didn't have any done. I also knew that I was going to run out of time!
Last week Brian and I tried to shop. It is a blur now but I don't think much happened. I think we got started too late. Thursday night he said don't worry about it I will help you next Thursday! Ha, I appreciate the centiments, if that is the correct word, but I told him by Thursday I would be done and have everything wrapped.
Guess what! I do! Except a couple of things I have to pick up in town that weren't going to be ready until today!
Needless to say it has been a busy week. But a good and productive one!

Monday-JB had ball practice. He is so cute. He is loving basketball. Except I am not sure white children can play basketball! The girls went to the basketball game at school and I picked them up at 9:00. They had a good time so I didn't mind. Plus I knew they didn't really want to hang out at the gym during 5 year old practice. I shopped all day and had McCallister deli for lunch. Yummy!
Tuesday-G had ball practice. I shopped all day again this day!
Wednesday-G had a practice game. She was nervous about it. Those other girls are so much bigger than she is but she will get right in there and grab a ball from big hoochie mama! This year she is eye level with most of the girls elbows so she has to be more careful. I shopped all morning and then helped out at the car lot.
Thursday-Brians day off. He didn't go hunting. We went shopping early we were doing good, planning to eat lunch together. Cydney called at 10:05 and said the power was out at school and I needed to come and pick them up! There went our lunch date!

Now that I think about it I wished I could get a burst of energy to clean my house like I got to do my Christmas shopping!

I am still going to curves three times a week. My dear husband suggested that I go for an hour instead of 30 minutes a day. I think he lost his mind. The curves program says 30 minutes a day three times a week. I hate going. It is not fun. I don't want to talk I just go and do my thing and leave and then he wants me to go for an hour. No way. He wasn't being rude but I am not going any longer than I have already committed to!

My grandmother is doing really good. She has sounded better on the phone this week than she has in months.

Melissa isn't having such a good week. She had a secret santa all week and the person kept doing things that were supposed to be funny and they hurt her feelings. She hates onions and her person sent her a pizza with extra onions. She gave her a diet coke one day. That kind of thing. Finally last night at the Christmas party her friend confessed and said she was sorry.

We don't have anything to do tonight, yet! The children and I are going to the nutcracker in Macon tomorrow. Cydney isn't thrilled but she agreed to go with me!

My house looks like Katrina hit it but at this point I am just letting it go!

It has rained so much the last two days I can only think about Noah and he must have gone nearly stir crazy on that Ark in the rain for 40 days. Cydney said "mom he was dry and I have to get my hair wet getting to class". I meant just the point of the rain continuing to fall! God is Good!

Our elf on the shelf is still busy. He has checked on all the children and watched them play video games and one morning he was even in the Christmas tree! One morning he was there when G woke up, everyone else was still asleep, I was in the shower and when she woke back up he had moved. He is a sneaky little thing.

Did I tell you my new favorite show is CSI. Well it just so happens that yesterday it was on all day long. I think I watched three or four shows in a row. I didn't really sit in front of the tv but it was fun to be interested in something for a change. The bad thing is it is too bad it can't really be that simple to solve a crime!

I am not having as much fun blogging as I was when I started. I am feeling like Crystal, no one ever comments anymore!

I have to go work on my "list of things to do today"!

May the force be with you.....

Everything Is Getting Better!

We are trying to get back to normal. I fostered my children out for two days. That is so unlike me but my grandmother didn't want the little ones to come to the funeral. She was afraid it would upset them. Now if you ask me the whole funeral home, death, everybody crying thing is enough. The funeral, well what grandmomma wants, grandmomma gets!

Anyway the one good thing out of the dreadful weekend was I got to have supper last night with my brother and sister and their spouses. That was fun. I wished I would have had a camera because in a couple of days I won't believe it really happened either!

We are just working around the house today. Brian took JB's train to storage. It is sad to see it gone but he only used it as a garage for his race cars so in the process of trying to pick up the race cars from every corner of the house I ask him could we take it out and he said yes!

We didn't even go to church this morning. I know, we are heathens, oh well someone in this family always is so today was our day! Brian did go hunting but he didn't stay long. I don't even know why he goes. It is either too hot or too cold or he has to go the the bathroom. Today it was too windy. I think he is tired of hunting and just doesn't want to admit it. No the truth is he just wants out of the house! I tried hunting one time. I bought all the stuff. I looked really good. Just like I knew what I was doing and then the alarm went off to get up and it was cold so I just said never mind. I never did try again. I also tried tennis and golf. I looked good trying them both but that was about it. I only try sports for the outfits!

The girls and JB have to go to school all week next week and then they are out on Monday and get our early Tues, Wed and Thurs. Grayce gets out at 10:00 two of those days and then they are out on Friday. Ah, Christmas vacation. It is such a lovely thing!

Stay Warm!

Today is a Sad Day....

Papa finally lost his battle last night. We are sad for ourselves but happy for papa that he has finally gone to Heaven. I know he wouldn't come back if he could!

Sarah, Sarah, Sarah

I have something to blog about today.

Sarah Palin came to town. I wasn't going to go, I will get to that in a minute, but changed my mind and went and I am glad I did so that when she is president in four more years I can say I "saw" her when! I pointed out to someone today that we needed to be careful. She wasn't Jesus and we didn't need to put her up there. I know Jesus loves her and would vote for her, too!

Anyway, we did go eat Mexican Friday.

Ricky took the children home on Saturday in the pouring down rain. I tried to get him to stay but he had to get home. I don't know why he would hurry home when he could spend quality time with us.

Before they left town I went and got Brance and Annie an elf on the shelf. He is this really cute little elf that comes in a box with a book about him. He is "magical". He moves around at night from room to room and on Christmas Eve reports back to Santa on how you have been acting. Luckily he only comes to live with you for about 25 days. None of us can figure him out. Grayce swears she has seen him move. I just know when we go to bed he is in one place and when we get up he has moved. The book says you can't touch him so we don't. If he falls in the floor you just have to leave him and he will get up sometime when no one is around and move!

Sunday we went to Sunday school and church. The girls friend Kayla and her dad came. I took James Brian to the doctor afterwards because of a terrible cough. He is fine. He is back to doing breathing treatments for a couple of weeks but that isn't the worse thing in the world.

I took myself to the doctor today. I have broncitis. I still went to curves. Ran errands, got my glasses adjusted for the 5th time in as many days(they still aren't right). Fixed myself breakfast, picked the girls up, saw Sarah, picked JB up, he's the student of the week this week and now we are home. I have cooked supper and I am ready for bed. I am just waiting for it to get dark! (Don't get excited about the student of the week thing. It is kindergarten everyone gets a turn at student of the week!) Oh, I didn't want to go to Sarah because I really didn't feel like it.

I am not a tv watcher during the day. Brian aggravates me on Thursdays and tells me he knows he is messing up my tv time. Anyway, I used to watch Regis and Kelly but half the time I don't even turn on the tv. Sometime this weekend at 2:00AM I started watching CSI:Miami. That is a cool show. So I watched another episode on Sunday during the day. Michael said there is an even better one that is set in Las Vegas. It is a little extreme. They always solve the crimes but it was still fun to watch. Oh, I do like animal planet cops but now Whale Wars has taken over and I don't care for that. Meerkat Manor has been replaced with Orangatan Island and I don't like that.

I guess that is all the excitement for the day. Remember to vote tomorrow. The whole world is watching Georgia!