Sit With Me a While

Getting ready for France

2009-05-29T23:08:00.001-04:00

I am beginning to pack for our trip to Paris. My suitcase will be sitting ready a week early , I hope.
My phone rings to "La vie ne Rose" by Edith Piaf, a classic french song to get me in the mood. 8 days, but who's counting !!

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T16:48:00.002-04:00

My mother is one of a kind.
A very gracious , giving spirit no one will find.
She loves her family and the Lord above all else.
She sacrificed so many things for us before herself.
She is the true sense of what a mother is,
a tender, christian woman that everyone loves.
I feel truely blessed to call her mom.
I love You!

School Days

2009-05-01T22:30:00.002-04:00

Sydney's class had a dress up day. They ar estudying the 50's -70's in History. She is here with her teacher and some of the girl's in her class. It is a classical school that meets one day a week. She is homeschooled throughout the rest of the week.

They had lots of fun!

MY HUBBY

2009-04-28T22:38:00.001-04:00

I just had to put up this picture. After the crazy pictures of my hubby, I love this one. His buddy took this on a trip. It's 6 yrs old, but he hasn't changed much.
Love ya honey!

SPRING CLEANING

2009-04-25T16:29:00.002-04:00

Man, I do not like Spring cleaning. The job gets bigger and bigger . I started in Sydney's closet.Wow, what a job! Moved on to Nick's ! DOUBLE WOW!!
TEENAGE BOYS , that's all I can say!
I have way too much clutter! Less is definitely going to be more for us in the future. I am feeling free in purging all these unnecessary things that we have.Mybe I'll be done by the Fall!

Hurts so good

2009-04-18T00:17:00.001-04:00

I joined the gym yesterday, and I am aching today. I know it will be a good thing, but things don't feel so good right now. Todd & Nick are enjoying working out together. Nick is ready to get buff I guess. He is a teen now !

I survived a Herpetology class

2009-04-06T12:03:00.006-04:00

Well, I am back from a very busy weekend with my Junior Girl Scout troop. My 7 girls and one other mom went to an environmental campout at Rock Eagle in Eatonton GA. It was fantastic. We were ina lake up to our knees with nets catching baby Bluegill fish, dragonfly nymphs,and tadpoles. We took a Herpetology class( the study of reptiles & amphibians).. yes ...me too.

We saw huge snapping turtle's GA's state turtle the Gopher Tortise, and all held a 6ft long ratsnake( he was really nice). We learned a lot and had a blast!!

My cute girl's

Sydney and Katie in the lake
What can we find?

Sydney with the snake

YIKE'S, yes me with the snake!

Let's seehow long he is

Yes, that's me!!!Ahhhhhhh

International Night with the Girl Scouts

2009-03-28T22:47:00.004-04:00

Ola,
Sydney's Junior Girl Scout troop had an International Festival tonight. We represented Mexico. It was a fun night serving Nachos and Flan. Sydney and her friend Annabelle are all decked out in their costumes. The girls were so cute.

Happy Birthday Honey!

2009-03-26T23:04:00.004-04:00

Today is my dear ,sweet, loving ,funny husband's birthday. He is my rock and my anchor.
I can do nothing without him, and I love him more every day.I still remember that shy(yes, I know it is hard to believe), little boy in Mrs. Missildine's 7th grade English class sitting next to me. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I'd marry him, but God is good ,and he gave me a wonderful christian man that I now love with all of my being!
Happy Birthday Todd!

Just a Good Day to Be Alive

2009-03-23T14:20:00.003-04:00

It is just another wonderful, blessed day to be with my children. I am always needing to be mindful of the little things that happen in our lives.
Live today as if it were your last. You will never be disappointed!

Honoring our troops

2009-03-21T14:23:00.005-04:00

Last night, Veritas Classical School where Sydney & Nick go, put on their Spring performance.

It was fantastic! They honored every branch of the military by singing all their special songs. There were about 70 children there with family and friends. They did a USO talent show with all kinds of entertainment from the 1940's era and WWII. I even got to sing one of the Andrew Sister's songs in a trio with one of the teacher's and her daughter. We had a really great time,and we remembered what our men and women sacrificed during that time in our history.

Thank you to all who serve willingly in our armed forces!

We APPRECIATE you very much!!!!

IT"S ALWAYS AN ADVENTURE AROUND HERE

2009-03-17T11:59:00.002-04:00

I am now convinced that when everyone goes out of town , (husband and parents included),something is going to happen that I have to fix. Whether it is a leak in the ceiling, rushing river coming out of dishwasher, the air conditioner stopping in 90 degree weather, or last night,the fire alarm going off at mom and dad's , and all of PTC Fire Dept. showing up because they didn't trust your password.
Am I being tested?
Last night,I have my dad in one ear, and the security company in another ear. It was quite hilarious. Should I have put us all on a three-way?
My sister is telling mom they might have to "bust "down the door."Land Sakes" , is her reply.( in her sweet southern accent)
I rush over to the house , and play "maintainence man", to disarm the alarm, as dad is telling me what to do. (I was literally in the alarm transformer box with a philipshead screwdriver, disconnecting wires )
My brother-in-law was hoping I'd be carted off to jail.( he's always messing with me).
Luckily, it was only a faulty smoke detector. That is an easy fix.
Well, at least my children are learning to handle situations that may arise when no one is around.
Everyone have a great trip, I"M HOLDING DOWN THE FORT WHILE YOU ARE GONE!!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day & love to all !!!

Getting ready for a DRAMATIC weekend

2009-03-12T23:22:00.002-04:00

Well, the Thespian( Not a perverted word- it's the Nat'l Drama Society ) in me is ready for an exciting weekend. Friday a friend is, "Thumbelina", Saturday, Sydney's friend is in" The Little Mermaid" at her school, and Sunday a friend from church is "Gaston" in "The Beauty and the Beast" in his highschool play. It should be a fun filled weekend.
Makes me think of the old days staying after school every day for drama practice. Those were some great times!

Getting a Facebook Page

2009-03-03T23:49:00.004-05:00

I have gotten a Facebook page, and am loving getting in contact with some old friends, and seeing their families. It is great to see how everyone has grown. It gives you a chance to talk with dear friends that I haven't seen in many years.

My Sister's back is famous

2009-02-27T23:51:00.003-05:00

My sister and her good friend Kimberly, attended the "Southern Ladies" magazine event in Birmingham, Alabama. They are pictured talking to the Editor of the magazine. How cool is that!? Julie recognized her purse and coat.
She ( or at least her purse and coat), is famous. Kim looks great too. Go girl's!!
Can I have your autograph?

Girl Scout Cookies Yummy

2009-02-23T22:23:00.002-05:00

Well.
This morning ,i spent 2 hours unloading about 2,000 cases of girl Scout cookies off an 18-wheeler truck with about 40 other leaders . It was FREEZING!!! Man, the things you do for those little cookies.
Now I have 502 boxes in my garage.
They are so delicious, we can barely get them out of the car before everyone comes running.
I sold them for 7 years as well as my sister. It is fun seeing Sydney selling them too.

DO a good turn daily!!

The Rockie Mountains are God's Handiwork

2009-02-21T21:55:00.003-05:00

Nick in gear

Uno Who ( man, can he ski!!)

Love ya hon!

It is a beauty!!!!

Carla & Scott Dutton

Our home in the foreground

Lift from the deck of the house

Lumberjack Lift from deck

We have just returned from a wonderful week with 5 other christian families. It is our 4th year getting together for fun and fellowship. There is nothing better than being with great friends for a week and doing something everyone loves as much as skiing. It is the hardest thing we love to do.

Thank you Machemehl's, McMinn's, Dutton's, Brock's, &Brooke's

for a wonderful winter vacation .

Fruit to live by

2009-02-07T22:09:00.002-05:00

I have been teaching a lesson in our Sunday morning ladies class on the qualities of the Fruit of the Spirit. It has been a great lesson and one that I have definitely needed. This is so important, and especially needed in the world.

Love
Joy
Peace
Patience
Kindness
Goodness
Faithfulness
Gentleness
Self-Control

Winter has blown in

2009-02-03T22:57:00.003-05:00

Winter has definitely blown into Peachtree City. It is freezing down here, but is supposed to get up to 65 by the end of the week. Everyone has a cold and it doesn't seem to be letting up.
We are getting geared up for our church ski trip . We head to Copper Mt. Colorado for fun in the snow. My hubby is such a fantastic skier, I could watch him all day long. He just glides down those slopes making it look effortless, but those of you skiers who ski like molasses, like me, looks can be decieving can't they?

We stay in a FABULOUS home on the slopes. Forget the skiing, I just like to sit in the house by the fire and drink my coffee.

There is nothing so beautiful in God's creation as looking to the majestic Rocky Mountains and being so high you feel even with them.

God Bless America

2009-01-20T13:18:00.003-05:00

Today I watched the inaugeration of a new president. May God bless us during this time.
May we all remember what this country represents, Freedom and Justice for all !

Pictures from Franklin

2009-01-19T18:04:00.003-05:00

Here are a few of the pictures from our time with Julie. She had wonderful gift baskets on our beds. Loveless Cafe is a definite stop on every trip into town.

Yummy!!!!

The group of gals!

Hostess with the mostess!

Book Club Night

2009-01-13T21:22:00.003-05:00

Just a normal day today. We had book club tonight. Our book was The Story of Lucy Gault. It is an interesting book. I don't think a lot of our gals appreciate the side of British Literature that this book portrayed. It was a bit depressing, but made for a good discussion.
We are reading Waiting For Snow In Havana next month.

Florida in January

2009-01-10T18:22:00.002-05:00

The kids got to go swimming over New Year's. The water felt like a nice warm bath. It was around 45 degrees outside the pool. Oh, the life!!!

I am a GEEK!

2009-01-08T21:54:00.001-05:00

Well, I am officiallt a GEEK!

I have managed to get 2 Dell computers up and running after a couple of "hair ripping" days. My hubby, of course was out of town and he got tired of hearing me stress. Those BASIC computer classes just aren't the same as they used to be. My A doesn't do much good. I find that it is by trial and error, and when it starts working, you are so happy, but don't have any clue as to how you just did the step that worked. I have an admiration for people who work on computers.
They have to have more patience than Job himself.
My hubby has that kind of patience. He can fiddle with something for hours. It is done in a meticulous manner working fine.I would be jumping off a bridge by the time it was over.

Santa brought Nick a Lacrosse stick, but it had not been strung. Todd bought string, read the pictures(can you do that?) and strung that head himself without ever seeing how it was done. I am very proud of that side of him. I hope that my son will be handy like that one day.

Happy New Year

2009-01-07T12:58:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!!

2008 went out with a bang. We had a very relaxed Christmas at home this year. Nick and I recieved new computers!! Yea!! My computer was 6 years old and was dying a slow death. Maybe now with this great, FASTER computer, I will have the time to sit down. THose of you that know me are laughing now, because it takes me a while to make the time to get on the computer for pleasure.

I had a fantastic trip to Julie's in December with some fun girlfriends. Julie is the "hostess with the mostess" for sure. She had wonderful naskets for us. The theme was" A Dicken's Christmas."

We ate at Loveless Cafe. I got my jars of blackberry preserves, THE BEST IN THE WORLD, by the way. A fun day of shopping in downtown Franklin. It is such a quint town. Every woman wants to live there, once they see it.

The children are back at school, and things are getting back to normal. I am still putting away Christmas decorations. It's fun putting them up, and tiring taking them down.

May everyone have a very blessed 2009!

2008-11-30T21:27:00.000-05:00

Has the time flown by , or what? Man, I'm not to good with this blogging. My sister is fantastic, and I find myself caught up in her memories. I'm sorry for not writing more.
October went off without a hitch, and November was great. My mom and dad were at the beach with Julie, John and Savannah. We stayed up hereand went to Todds parents home. His sister and her family are close too. It is so wonderful having both sets of parents within 30 minutes of us. todd and I both have always considered that as one of our greatest blessings. We often see , and have many friends that have loved one's far away and are deeply grateful.
I am so thankful for my family, it is hard to express feelings. You really appreciate growing up in simplier times when life is so bustling now-a-days.
We are getting the decorations out of the atttic and its beginning to look alot like Christmas. It is my favorite time of year to decorate the house. No matter what time of day, the home is fun to be in, and the lights are always on.
Mom and I are heading up to Julie's with friends on the 13th for Franklin's "Dickens of a Christmas". It is decorated so beautifully for the holidays.
Well, it's back to more decorating.

Long Time, No Blog

2008-09-29T20:29:00.000-04:00

Wow,
It has been a while since I blogged. I just got back from Girl Scout Camp with my Junior Scouts.
Sydney got to go to the same camp Julie and I attended for 6 yrs. in a row when we were little girls. It was really neat having her stay where I stayed and swim in the same lake,remember Julie?Great memories!

We are about to leave for our annual trip to San Diego. We have been to Legoland, Sea World an Miramar Airshow, the USS Midway, Hollywood, and many other great places. Here are some past pictures of our visits.

USS Midway

Blue Angels

Miramar Air Show 2007

Shamu

Sea World

WEEEEEEE.......

Here they go!

Todd and Nick enjoying a ride!
"I can't do this again!"

Fall is in the air

2008-09-18T13:27:00.000-04:00

Autumn brings...
cool evenings
beautiful colors
football
campfires
apple cider
warm soup on a cool evening
Yankee candle fall scents
camping trips to the North Georgia mountains
caramel and candied apples at the fair
hikes by a river in the woods
bike rides on the paths around the lake
Blessings of Thanksgiving to God for what we have
thoughts of the beautiful country in which we live

Kindred Spirits

2008-09-12T09:17:00.000-04:00

Have you ever had someone that was your friend and you did something out of the ordinary that was exactly alike? I mean so alike, it really took you for a loop?
On my sister' s blog(travelsofabooklovingmom),she was talking about her close friend Kim. They both like chips in their sandwich, which is something they didn't know about each other. It was a funny coincidence they laughed over during lunch.
My kindred spirit is Anne Levenson. She and her family were our neighbors( literally across the street), only for one short year. Our boys were both in kindergarten, we were the same height, and we just happened to attend the same congregation at church. It was wonderful!
We had a habit of showing up dressed EXACTLY alike. Same capris, same color shirt(sometimes from the same store),etc. She moved to Dublin Ohio, and on one visit, I yelled from the guest bedroom," I'm wearing my teal shirt with my khaki capris!" She replied," Ok, I've already got on my khaki capris, but Ill change out of my teal shirt and put on the fushia."
That really happened!
Isn't it great that God puts these wonderful people in our path ? I miss her tremendously and I know when we visit this fall, we'll come out laughing, going back and changing shoes, purses or shirts.

Labor Day by the pool

2008-09-09T11:47:00.000-04:00

We had a great time at Grayton Beach. Mom and dad,Julie,Savannah,John, and the kids were there. Our dear friends, the Machemels rented the cottage right behind us. It was terrific!

We had the best shrimp and grouper, fresh from the Gulf, one night for dinner. There is nothing better when you make it yourself. The pool was FABULOUS! We ALL swam . The children turned into fish,they enjoyed it so much. With the jellyfish in the surf, it sure is nice to have another alternative . The washout is always good too ,but looks like you're swimming in tea.

Gustov sure came up close to the homes. I had not seen it that high in a long time. We left on Monday to return home. Oh what fun tmes we have with our family!!!

Heading to the Beach

2008-08-27T21:39:00.000-04:00

We are getting ready to go for the last hoorah to the beach this weekend. My sister, brother-in-law, niece, children and I, will meet at the cottage. We also have our really good friends renting a home behind mom and dad's. They are eagerly waiting for us to join them in breaking in the new pool that was just put in. There may not be much swimming going on with Gustov coming close. Oh well, guess we'll just be together and enjoy each other's company playing Mexican Train Dominos. That would be a blast too! Happy labor Day !

School is in

2008-08-22T10:27:00.000-04:00

I have gotten back into the swing of school with the children this week. It seems the older they become, the busier things are.
Sydney takes Ballet, Jazz and Modern Dance. She is quite good! I love to see her do Ballet. She has such grace and poise. Nick has just signed up for Lacrosse.I have no idea how the game is played. He has wanted to do it for over a year now. I hope he'll enjoy it. I remember all the activities my parents graciously took me to. They sacrificed so much for us!

Back to Reality

2008-08-12T10:14:00.000-04:00

Well, we are back from a restful trip to visit my sister. I read books all weekend while our kids played and played. It is so great to see them grow closer. Julie and I just read and enjoy each others company. She has such an array of books that I love picking her brain on what to read.
School will be starting for us next week. It was a terrific summer. My children are getting more mature, and life is day by day.Many blessings.

Birthday Blessings

2008-08-07T22:32:00.000-04:00

Well, I finally made it to my sister's home on Tuesday. The whole family decided to drive. My husband, son, and brother-in-law played golf for 2 days while the girls shopped. I had a big Birthday yesterday. It was a glorious day . It was so wonderful to spend it with my family. I was sorry mom and dad weren't here to share. They are filling up their new pool at the beach with water. OK, tell me where we would ALL rather be, GRAYTON BEACH!
Each year holds more blessings as my life unfolds. I am very thankful to God for everyday I am given!

It's better to drive!

2008-08-03T00:56:00.000-04:00

Ok, I have to admit, it is better to drive than to fly. Speaking from 25 years flying experience, I have had yet another flying adventure. Thanks to the great thunderstorms in Atlanta, which are a wonder to see, they certainly reak havoc on a trip to your sister's house with the children. Our trip turned into an 8 hr "turnaround and go back home trip". I really think I should have considered driving today. I am going to have faith in saying that we weren't meant to fly tonight,neither were the other 155 people on our airplane . I get to go home to my bed, but the weary travelers must persevere for yet more adventures tomorrrow. Just one of those days when it is better to have driven! Especially when the destination was only 4 hrs away! :)
Sis, I'll get to you yet!

My Busy, Fun Life

2008-07-30T10:22:00.000-04:00

Well, keeping up this blog is going to be a challenge for me. When my life gets busy, time really does fly. Todd and I have been having fun sharing a wonderful nutritional product, MONAVIE. It is a fruit juice with the world's purest, most potent form of Acai (Ah-sigh-ee)Berry which only grows in the Amazon rainforest,plus 18 other free -radical fighting fruits. Dr.'s are raving about it helping their patients! This company has built a 1 BILLION dollar business in less than 4 YEARS.
Due to the Acai content, and other fruits combination, it is really changing peoples lives with ,high cholesterol, cancer,diabetes, joint problems, etc. The list goes on. It's the real deal!
Well, that is my plug. We are just so excited that we need to share it with people. It tastes GREAT too! Feel free to look on the website and links I posted & check it out for yourself.

http://www.monavie.com
www.brighart.com

DRINK IT, FEEL IT, SHARE IT !!

Time with my Best Friend (My Sister)

2008-07-26T19:40:00.000-04:00

My sister Julie and I always go on some sort of girl getaway every May. We have been to

San Francisco, Napa Valley, Santa Barbara, Manhattan, Boston, Cambridge, and Kennebunkport.We have the best time while our precious husbands watch our children for5 days. Aren't they GREAT! It is such a blessing to be able to get together. We laugh til we cry. I usually drive her crazy with my driving, but we get there in one piece. We have always been extremely close and pretty much know what the other is thinking. I'll always thank God for my

precious sis. She is definitely my rock! I love you woman

Cambridge House Inn

Our quaint Bedroom Lunch in Concord(Lobster Rolls!)

The Old North Bridge Lighthouse in Maine
Cabot Cove Cottages

The Sweet Dream Cottage

My Baby's Home

2008-07-25T20:31:00.000-04:00

Well my 12 year old son, Nick, has just come back from Taylor Christian Camp in Ky. He was with lots of great christian teens from the Woodland Hills church of Christ and the Chapel Hill congregation in Tn. He has not been that far from home for a week before. He had no cell phone signal, so it was like the old days with no phone contact for a week. Needless to say ,it was harder on me than him. He had a great time and didn't really think of home too much. He said he was having too much fun. He is a really good christian young man. We are so proud of him and he LOVES his mama!
My sister and I used to attend church camp and Girl Scout camp every summer .No AC and swimming in a lake. You were a good swimmer if you got to swim to the drain in the middle of the lake at GS camp. Devos at the lake,singing songs and praying with friends.
Those were fun times. Many friendships were made that lasted for years. I think that every child needs that bonding experience with other kids.It builds confidence and character, not to mention a sense of independence.

I Love Photography

2008-07-24T19:11:00.000-04:00

I love to take pictures. My wonderful husband bought me a Nikon for Christmas a couple of years ago,and it has been such fun. My parents cottage in Grayton Beach ,Fla. on the Gulf of Mexico is our little slice of Heaven.

Sitting down for the first time

2008-07-24T17:32:00.000-04:00

Well , I have begun a humble attempt to have a blog. I have had several friends start blogs, and I enjoy them immensely.My sister's especially,(Travelsofabooklovingmom). She has become quite the writer. I'm hoping to extend my knowledge and vocabulary somewhat in taking on this endeavor. Either that, or make a fool out of myself for the whole world,which is what I usually am best at.I would just like to carve a little niche out of this world and maybe offer a chair to those who want sit for a minute or two. I love the Lord ,and I love my family.I am hoping the I can sit a while and remember the memories I am making in my life and those around me. Feel free to sit with me anytime.