FYI: I found a camera battery by my printer. So now I have an extra and didn't need to make all the fuss last week.

We celebrated Jimmy's birthday on Saturday. The boys voted to take him bowling. Howie and Aly met us. Jimmy won both rounds of the adults and Luke won one round and Asa won the second. I think next time I bowl, I will use the bumpers!

Busy with week getting ready for the book fair at our school. and the normal family life stuff.

Hope you are doing well. Have a GREAT week!

Josie

 

Josie, my little Josie, I got nobody, nobody but YOOOOUUUUU!

That sounds much better when Asa sings it.

Isn't she cute????????

Family Tree plate

 

Made this this weekend.

Got a Battery!!!!!!!!!!

Stop! don't go get a battery for me because I got one myself at Radio Shack. Paid $6 more than at WMart but that's what happens when you are limited to where you can shop. So all of you who have already bought a battery for me, thanks anyway! haha!

also, I have wait months, ever so patiently I might add, for the McDonald's in St. Fran to get Wi-Fi and I noticed today that they have it. So I am so excited, order my food, pull out my laptop only to discover that you have to pay for it! Oh, I was so mad! I can't believe that McD's can't pay for this! Of all the support that my family and I give to McD's, you would think that they would offer FREE internet service. Aren't they the largest fast food chain? I will never eat at McDonald's again.

It's Wednesday . . .where does the time go?

Boy, is it just me . . . time just seems to go by soooo darn fast these days. Here it is Wednesday night already. Seems like just yesterday it was Saturday. Some days, like Monday, I want to fly by and others, I just want to freeze.

I have several things I want to share but my camera battery is dead and I gave my spare to my dear friend who will remain nameless (you know who you are--haha!) and I haven't remembere to get another one. So this is a first for me since going digital. No battery so I can't take pics or even review them. Ugh! So let's see who is going to feel sorry for me and mail a battery to me? I won't be going anywhere to get one anytime soon and it's not worth it to drive 40 miles just for a battery . . . or is it? Wait, I am working in E. Fel. tomorrow . . . would there be one there. . . nope, probably not . . . so I am back to relying on the mercy of my friends.

ok, as you can tell, I am rambling so I'll close.

More to post when I have some pics. hint!hint!

Happy Sunday morning to you!

Well, here I am, skipping church, trying to have a little quiet time . . . but Luke stayed with me and he is in the background, asking a thousand questions. He is at such a wonderful stage of curosity and with such a thirst for learning. Constantly wanting me to spell for him so that he can write down words; constantly drawing or coloring or creating. Love him!

So, to catch up on the Abadies . . . where do I start? well, last week I took the boys to a 4-H meeting. For those of you who are not familiar with 4-H, it is more than showing animals. There are tons of other activities to do: sewing, baking, photography, record keeping, judging, etc. Also, I was not in 4-H but Jimmy and his sisters were, his dad was a county agent, his mom was a 4-H agent; and there were hundreds of kids in his county 4-H group. He went on a 4-H trip every summer, etc. Well, our county has 10, count them 10, kids in the 4-H program. And at the meeting I mentioned, there were 4 kids, MY four kids. Such a let down but you gotta start somewhere. Anyway, there is an exhibit day coming up on the 14 where the kids can make something and display it at the county level (which for us is in the library) and the blue ribbons will go on to the state fair in October. So my boys are going to each enter several catagories, hoping to go on to state. Their chances are more than good since it is highly possible that they will be the only ones with an exhibit at the county level. Anyway, after we returned from the meeting, Luke wanted to do a Lego structure of none other than the Mississippi State Capitol. don't ask here he got that idea, don't know. so we printed a pic off the internet and away we went to build. It was going pretty well: steps, colums, etc. then we got stuck and couldn't figure out how to build a roof, then it collapsed in the middle of it and he said, "forget it." I have to admit I was glad. Because for him to enter it, we would have to glue it together. now that sounds like a 10 day project! so he will probably draw something. Asa is taking landscape and animal pics, Andrew is entering his baseball collection and not sure about Noah yet. Rest assured he will come up with something. And one of them, not sure who, is going to make a first aid kit. Will let you know who wins a ribbon. and hoping to get the shooting sports program up and running. There is a man who lives in Wville who trained Olympic shooters who wants to help with our county's program. and of course, anything that involves a gun excites my boys.

Ok, now time to brag on my boys. There are many days that I have nothing to report with all the fighting, whining, aggravating, etc. but last Thursday Jimmy had to load 100 square bales which takes him about 1 hour by himself and it is hot and muggy and it is hard work. Well, Andrew and Noah dissapeared and guess where they were. . . . that's right, loading the 100 bales together, without being told! oh my, Jimmy and I were so proud. they did it without being told, just to help their daddy out. the next morning, JImmy and I were still bragging on them when Andrew said, "yeah, the only problem now is that he knows we can do it by ourselves!"

then yesterday we went to bay st. louis to Joelle and Scott's sweet baby boy's first birthday party. more on that later; gotta finish bragging first . . . anyway, we stopped at Cracker Barrel for dinner and as we go up to leave, Noah said, "I'll leave the tip and proceeded to pull out a $5.00 bill." boy he is really growing up! so proud again. and have I mentioned that he and Andrew both give their own money out of their own wallets in church every Sunday. Noah gave a $20 bill a few Sundays ago which was just about 10% of what he had earned that week. They really are growing into fine young men.

Back to the party: the boys and I so enjoyed seeing Joelle and Scott and Landon--what a cutie! his smile is precious! the weather did not cooperate but the boys had fun anyway sliding down the water slide. I am hoping that Landon is enjoying it today since the big kids were a bit too rough for him. Thanks Joelle for inviting us. So good to see you yesterday.

And on the way there we stopped at Robyn's and visited with her and her beautiful children. So cool that she lives so close now. I am going to visit her in about 2 2 weeks and that will make 6 times in less than a year that we have seen each other; 3 times in less than 2 months. That is amazing considering we have probably only seen each other 5 times in the last 10 years before this past year. Thankful for good friends!

Well, since I was a heathen and skipped church, I atleast better get something productive done.

P.S. I'll try to be a better blogger from now on.

For those of you who are wondering . . . .

I am still alive. sorry I haven't posted in a while. Five people in the last day or so have commented that I have not posted in a while. That must be THE five people who actually look at my blog! haha! been really busy. life is good. will share more later. ta for now!

 

picture for previous post--trying for the THIRD time

   

another project . . . done

   

I looked into ordering a wall rub-on with a quote about brothers for the boys' room. However the quote was about $65 so I passed. Then I got out my Cricut today and voila! add a little ModgePodge, Diamond Glaze or whatever you have and it is permanent and shiny! For those of you with a Cricut, it is soooooooo easy and the whole project took about an hour--from cut to finish. Think I may have to share on the Cricut website.

Question of the day

What kind of shampoo should I use? That is the question of the day. I was going to buy for color treated but then I find some for frizzy/fly away hair which mine seems to be the last year or so, so I would buy for frizzy/uncontrollable hair, right? And if there is frizz there has got to be some damage so maybe I should buy for damaged hair. Anyway, you decide. Interested to see your opinions. Remember, my hair is depending on you.

PS No, I don't have anything better to write about today!

Look what I made

 

I've had these pics for a few weeks now and the "canvas" (its not really a canvas but a piece of art work that I bought at Dirt Cheap for about 50 cents) and I wanted to make a wall layout--you know, a scrapbook page to hang on the wall. I have pondered and arranged and thought and rethought until today it finally came together and here it is. It hangs above the closet door in my scrapspace and it looks GREAT! all of my family can now watch me while I create--haha!

Thankful . ... .

for God's loving arms of protection on Jimmy tonight. He was driving the tractor and pulled out of the driveway with nothing coming . . . then a speeding truck came around him, hit another car, etc. So thankful that he was not hit . . . it would have been very bad. Truck was going extremely fast. Can't tell you how many times he drives the tractor down the highway. It is impossible to do his work and not . . . I do follow him when I am here but that is not always possible . . . so scary . . . so thankful that he was not hit. Hoping the elderly couple will be ok. The lady went to the ER just to be checked out.

Hug your honey super tight tonight . . . just because you can!

Stung times 14!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yesterday was something out of a horror movie at our house. I was on the phone with a friend when I heard screaming--that kind that breaks a mother's heart and terrifies even a stranger--and Noah ran in the house with yellow jackets all over him. They were stuck to his clothes and were stinging him! So I grabbed a magazine (his Golf Digest that just came yesterday which is no longer readable) and started beating them off of him. They were also swarming around him and the other boys were screaming. It was terrile. It took me about 3 or 4 minutes to get them all off of him. Most of the time when I hit one, it would sting him there. It breaks me up thinking about it. So we went into the bathroom to start putting toothpaste on him when the phone rang (BTW, Anita who I was on the phone with at the time this all happend was freaking out b/c she thought the worse--a snake bite, falling off the horse, a tractor accident, etc.) and it was Anita again. Luke answered and was explaining to her what happend when one stung him and he started screaming into the phone, etc. I sure would like to hear Anita's side of the story! Anyway, then Asa started crying b/c he was afraid one would sting him. So we are all prisoners in my bathroom--crying b/c of a sting(s) or b/c of fear of one. So I brave it all and go into the living room to kill the ones that got away. When it was all said and done, there were about 20 dead ones on the floor. Hours later, one of the ones that I thought was dead was buzzing in a tied up garbage bag! Those suckers are mean!!!!! It was a very restless evening for Noah. I think Benadryl did the opposite on him--he got very aggitated and restless and could not sit still, was in a lot of pain, etc. AFter we tried everything--Tylenol, cold compresses, toothpaste, Dermoplast spray, cold bath, warm bath, ride in the car, movie, etc., he finally fell asleep in my bed where it is the coolest. He awoke this morning, typical 12 year old who knows everything--didn't want me to put Benadryl cream on him, etc.-- and went to school.

I sure hope this afternoon is a normal one. Normal for us? not sure what that is anymore.

Ever Wonder?????

Why you don't see the headline "Psychic Wins Lottery"?

Why is "abbreviated" such a long word?

Why is it that doctors call what they do "practice"?

Why the time of day with the slowest traffic is called rush hour?

Why isn't there mouse flavored cat food?

Why didn't Noah swat those two mosquitoes?

Why don't sheep shrink when it rains? (care to explain this one--I don't get it.)

Why are they called apartments when they are stuck together?

If con is the opposite of pro, is Congress the opposite of progress?

If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the terminal?

**found on another blog---no, I didn't think these up on my own--do you think I have NOTHING to do???? haha!

Love this saying!

"Lord, please put your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth."

I saw this in a magazine and laughed out loud. Boy have I needed that quote sometimes. Just wanted to share.

I have chairs!!!!!!!!

 

After almost eight months, I have black dining chairs to match my table that Jimmy gave me for Christmas. Well, they are not the original chairs that I wanted however they look GREAT and were about 1/10 the cost. I'm not telling my secret however I will say that my pointer finer on my right hand is permanently damaged from holding down the trigger on the spray can!

My boys

 

This morning was our first day of school. Look at my boys! they are growing too fast. I just want to put them all back in their baby beds and rock them for awhile. I can't believe how fast time flies. We were so busy this summer that it went by super fast.

Everyone was excited about school. A few nerves but mostly fine. Luke got a little teary going into the school and hugged me really tight which made me cry. One of the other children said in the cutest voice, "bye Mama" and I lost it and have to leave. I am sure he is fine and having a great time. Its just the newness and being unsure of things that scares him. I can't wait to hear about his day. Noah started 7th grade--junior high--yikes! and was a wee bit nervous. I told him just to follow the crowd--because his whole class stays together all day--changing classes together, etc.--and this would be the only time that I would tell him to follow the crowd! he smiled a bit on that note. Andrew is in the fourth grade and was actually excited he said. Now that's a change! Asa was nervous but is going to be fine. All of the boys' classes are smaller than normal so that is always a good learning environment.

As for me, well, it feels weird here at home but I am enjoying the quiet. I purposely planned not to work today so that I could play in my scrapbook room . . . . finally! I will work two days a week, plan to keep up with housework and just enjoy myself on the other days. Of course, I'll be at the school a lot too. I am now on the substitute list and volunteer a lot with the PTC. I like being there and knowing what's going on.

Birthday party for Mama

I'm a few weeks late but "Happy 65th Bday" to my mother. We had a party at my sister's house and about 50 people were there. It was very nice and we were happy to celebrate her! and have the attention centered on her for once. You know, mamas don't get that much. I love you, Mama.

 

 

Important!!!!!!!!!!

I saw this on another blog that I want to pass on to you. I did it and my phone number and address were right there for the whole world to see. Scary!!!!!!

"Google has implemented a new feature which enables you to type a telephone number into the search bar and hit enter and you will be given the person's name and address. If you then hit MapQuest, you will get a map to the person's house. Everyone should be aware of this! It's a nationwide reverse telephone book.

If a child gives out his/her phone number, someone can now look it up to find out where he/she lives. The safety issues are obvious, and alarming.

Note that you can have your phone number removed or blocked. I tried my number and it came up along with the mapquest and directions straight to our house. I did fill out the removal form for myself, and encourage all of you to do the same. Quite scary.

Please look up your own number.

In order to test whether your phone number is mapped, go to: google.com. Type your phone number in the search bar (i.e. 555-555-1212) and hit enter. If you want to BLOCK Google from divulging your private information, simply click on your telephone number and then click on the Removal Form. Removal takes 48-hours.

Check your own number and although this may not apply to you if you have an unlisted number or cell phone as primary contact, but you may know someone who needs to know this."

Andrew's allstar tournament

 

 

Baseball is officially over for us for the year. Andrew's team lost out tonight after playing since last Thursday. They were rained out Thursday night--after we drove all the way there--then they played Friday night. AWESOME game! AWESOME to watch! They won 11-0. so exciting. then they got slaughtered Saturday night. Too pitiful to speak about. We went back tonight and it was an exciting game. They lost 4-2 but played their best ever. Andrew is an awesome catcher!!! so proud of him. He caught for an out at home but didn't get the out then threw to second and got the runner out stealing second. and when the umpire made the call, he was so excited. He screamed, "yes!" and I loved the exhiration in his face. what an exciting time and so many memories!

oh and asa played in a "fun" tournament at the very same time in the very same park. so it was a very busy weekend with family and fun!

"Between a Rock and a Hard Place"

For reasons I can't think of right now, I decided to add some elements to my blog, one of them being "books I have read lately." I have enjoyed each of the three books that I have read in the last week or so however I can't stop thinking about "Between a Rock and a Hard Place." You may not recognize the book title but I am sure you will remember the story of the young man who cut off his arm to survive in the Utah mountains. It is a super incredible story of the human spirit AND the human body! It is not a read for the weak-stomached person but I if you are feeling a bit gloomy about whatever situation your life is in right now, then I will glady let you borrow this one. It will definitely put it all into perspective for you.


other notes:

so enjoying Josie. I just love her. maybe she is satisfying the maternal need that I have that every once in a while surfaces--you know the one that wants to hold something soft and small and sweet that doesn't talk back!

Baseball, Baseball and more Baseball--gotta love it! because my boys do. Thank you, Lord for instilling the love of the game in me too.

cleaned my house a bit today however that was this morning and you now can't tell it.

busy day tomorrow: church, errands, movie and celebrating Claire's 21st bday with her.

Night!

New puppy, Asa's birthday, Dirty Man

I am not sure in what order these pics are going to post . . . . Josie is our new puppy, sweetest thing ever. She is a grandchild of Belle, our long-haired daschund that died last year, her mother is a maltese and her father is a short-haired daschund. She is precious!

We celebrated Asa's 8th birthday yesterday at the pool. Hot dogs, cake and ice-cream, lots of presents and swimming!
Happy Birthday Ace! Mama loves ya!

Lastly, this scary looking man is my dear husband after a long, hot day of planting sprigs. So much dust and dirt since not much rain here and this is what you get. He is really is good-looking, under all that dirt! I love you! Thanks for working so hard for us!

 

 

 

additions to my scrapspace

 
the "and" sign bought at Wmart on clearance for $1.00, painted it black; hung another black shelf and unpacked all of my wood mounted stamps; just enough room for all of them, so can't buy anymore. definition of gratitude ordered from lisa&becky--love their stuff, love that word! bought the two black shelves at a resale shop for $8.00 a piece, not sure what they were originally used for but they work great for me. took trim off of Noah's old bulletin board then painted it wall color. works superb!

 
white shelf from Target for $12.99. love it, not quite deep enough but it works. black boxes from Lowe's for $3.99 each work great there too.

  "laugh" from HL with a 40% off coupon. painted it white. white clothespins from Oriental Trading glued to the wall with Diamond Glaze, my new fav adhesive. if it sticks to concrete walls then it will stick to anything.

Asa the all-star!

 

We spent the weekend at Asa's all-star tournament cheering the boys on. They lost, then won, then lost to end their journey in the tourney. I am so proud of Asa for his determination and dedication and for his love of the game! and I am thankful to God for him allowing me to be a baseball mom--it's something I never thought I would want to be but I love it!

Andrew is an All-Star!

 

Just got home from Andrew's last minor league game. They won and he made the allstar team! So proud of him!

Father's Day

 

 

Here are my men--golfing and swimming! What a great day we had!

Walking barefoot on Jerry Clower's grave

After church this evening, we took a ride through the East Fork community that Jerry Clower always talked about and found the cemetery where we thought he would be buried. And after only a short search, we found his grave. I got out of the car and walked barefoot over to where this famous man, from such a humble and little known area, is buried. What a strange way to end our Father's day. I was really looking for his home which I assume would be huge and I know is somewhere down that road, but we didn't find it.

We started our day with 9 holes of golf at the CC. All of the boys played with Jimmy and I drove the cart and just enjoyed watching all of my boys play together. Then we had a picnic and swam for a while. The boys have been begging Jimmy for a very long time to swim with them and he never will so today was indeed a treat for them. We came home for a short nap then to church and dinner in McComb.

On this day I am so very thankful for my daddy and for all he has ever done for me. You never really realize what all a parent does and does without until you become a parent yourself. And I am also thankful for the father that Jimmy has become. Words cannot begin to describe what an awesome Christian example he is for our boys.

Hope you had a GREAT day!

Layouts I did yesterday

SOLO is the title of this layout because this was the first day that he rode a bike without training wheels.

 

This layout is of a picture taken of me and my boys on Mother's Day. The wording is a song entitled "Tending Sheep" and the words are these:
I have a little flock of sheep, and they are mind to tend and keep. and I must guard them every day for little lambs, when left alone, will lose their way. So many voices say to me, a sheep fold is no place to be. Your time in there is dull and slow, and lambs leave very little roorm for you to grow. (Chorus: So if I ever start to stray, deceived by thought of green pastures, remind me, Lord, that keeping sheep will lead to happier ever-afters.) Oh, surety there will come a day when all the lambs have left my side, and I am free to roam about and go exploring other meadows, green and wide. Yet something whispers in my heart that when my sheep have left this pen I'll long to stroke their little heads to draw them close to me and have them young again. So while they still are in my care I pray that I will clearly see these little lambs wtihin my fold are tender gifts the Master Shepherd has given me.

 

That just says it all, doesn't it?

 

Lastly this layout is of a pic of Luke that I captured one day when he was waiting ever so patiently (NOT!) at one of the many baseball practices that has has sat through this season. He was drawing with his tongue sticking out like he always does when he is concentrating. In fact, all of my boys did this in their preschool years. The title of this layout is "little ARTIST." Love him!

introducing My scrapspace!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Well, here it is . . . my scrapspace!!!!!!!!!!! I am so excited about it! so nice to have a room (well half of a room for me) all for scrapbooking. Those of you who don't scrapbook won't understand and those of you who do will be green with envy b/c this is a dream come true. I didn't really have a plan in mind when I started however it has evolved into something I am very happy with. I have a few things left to paint (like the leg on the right side) and a few things left to hang up but for now it is complete enough for me to start playing--fun, fun! So who wants to join me in my new room?

it's been a while since I last posted . . . .

so much going on here. enjoying our summer. living at the country club, sporting our new tans! working on my "studio" as I am going to call it although it is a small bedroom that I will be sharing with Jimmy as his office but my side will be called my "studio!" sounds good doesn't it.

Best news I can share today: Asa made allstars last night. He wanted it so badly and he deserved it. He is really a good little athelete. But you know, small town politics are involved in little league baseball so we didn't know if he was going to make it. So I gave him the speech about if he made it or not, he is a great little boy and he played very well and there were a lot of kids to choose from this year, blah, blah, blah. I felt so sorry for him as we waited to hear his name called. They called him last!!!!!!!!!!!! his was the 12th name called and boy was he grinning when he got his trophy. He later told me that he had his fingers crossed--so cute! I remember how heart broken he was when he didn't make it last year so my heart was really wanting him to make it this year. You know his brothers have all made it before so he wanted to "live up to that" so to speak. He was chosen as 1 of 12 out of about 75 and if I am not mistaken, he was the only one who was not one of the coaches's sons. Told you it was political!