Happy Birthday Addie Mae!

Today we went to Chuck E. Cheese for Addie Mae's 2nd birthday. All of the kids had so much fun. Some were a little afraid but seemed to warm up by the end. Katie Lee on the other had was not afraid of a thing. She loved every minute of it. I do think her favorite was the slide.

Happy Birthday Addie Mae!


Let's go play!


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Let's Eat!!



Yummy cake!!

WE MADE IT!!

School is finally out! This has been the longest last few days of school. Since last Friday was orginally our last day of school this week has been extra long. I have only had between 6 to 9 of my 28 kids this week. It is amazing how much you can get done with just a few kids.

The Fourth Grade Team
Nichole, Julie, Audrey, and me


My 6 kids that I had today.


Waiting on the bused to pull off.


Traditional good bye wave.


This has been a pretty good year. Summer---here I come!!

Time Flies

In 2000 I began my first year of teaching 4th grade. Harvest had just changed from a K-8 school to a K-4 school. My classroom was a hodgepodge of old furniture that I later painted. I had 8th grade desk and red carpet on the floor. I had a huge class of 30 kids (20 boys and 10 girls). I remember I was so excited and nervous meeting all of them and their parents. I ended up having a great year. I learned a lot that year and I think that they learned a little too. They were a smart bunch of kids. One was probably smarter than me when she was in the 4th grade. HA I remember her taking her STAR reading test and scoring 12.9 which equivilant to a senior at the end of 12th grade.


Anyway, I say all of this because this bunch of kids is graduating from high school today. I cannot believe my "babies" are old enough to finish high school and go off to college in the fall. I still keep in touch with a few of them. I have taught their siblings and see them a special events. I got a thank you card from Leah (the one who I mentioned above) today. She will most likely go to Auburn where she recieved the Presidents Schoralship Award for such high academics and ACT scores (34or 35, I think). She is a very sweet, good Christian girl. I am so proud of all of them and wish them the best of luck.

Thought for the Day

Our nurse at school is great about providing material for our reading enjoyment for the bathroom by hanging it the wall. Usually it is something about dieting, drinking water, blood pressure, or stress. Anyway, the following is what she posted for this month and I thought it was cute enough to share.

EVERYTHING I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT LIFE, I LEARNED FROM NOAH'S ARK.



One: Don't miss the boat
Two: Remember that we are all in the same boat.
Three: Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.
Four: Stay fit. When you're 600 years old, someone may ask you to something really big.
Five: Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done.
Six: Build your future on high ground.
Seven: For safety's sake, travel in pairs.
Eight: Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.
Nine: When you're stressed, float a while.
Ten: Remember the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.
Eleven: No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting.

Memorial Day

We had a great Memorial Day. Our morning started off with Donnie going with my Daddy and Zeb to Dog Days while Katie Lee and I slept in.

Here is Katie Lee sporting her pigtails watching Handy Manny waiting on her Daddy to get home.

Then it was off to Mother's for breakfast--biscuits, chocolate gravy, bacon, sausage, eggs, gravy, and fruit. Katie Lee was so excited that everyone was together.

If you have never had chocolate and biscuits, you're really missing out. I do think Mother's is the best!!

She has also decided that she is "BIG" and needs a big girl seat rather than her high chair. We visited for a while and enjoyed the morning.

We then left to go to the cemetery to put flowers on Donnie's families graves. We then had to do a little shopping at my favorite stores Hobby Lobby and TJMaxx.I purchased a pot to make a topiary with and a maxi dress.

Katie Lee playing in the car after nap while I shopped.
That afternoon we stopped by to see Virgil. They were having a cook out for all of the people that live at the Manor. Katie Lee had a ball entertaining all of the old people. I really wished that I had taken my camera in because she got a ride on the seat of Virgil's walker as he pushed her back to his room. We ended our evening with steak and potatoes at Mother and Daddy's for supper and her wonderful banana pudding. What a great day! I love when the three of us have an entire day together.

Supper at Aunt Kitty's

Sunday night, Kathryn had us over for supper. It was delicious as usual. Katie Lee has finally started calling Aunt Kitty by her name using words rather than Katie Lee's sign language version. It is really sweet listening to her call her especially since she thinks Aunt Kitty hung the moon.

Katie Lee got to play with the meme (cat) which has gotten much more active since the last time we played.

Somehow Katie Lee got in Zeb's boots and walked several steps across the floor.
Don't you think we should sing----"These boots are made for walking"


Over the last year, Donnie has let Katie Lee jump on the bed at home every night when he comes home. Well, this was something growing up that we were never allowed to do, and I really wish this had not been started at our house. Anyway, somehow Katie Lee has always gotten away with this. Not only that but she can get all of us to sit on the bed and watch her jump. She even gets my daddy away from the TV to sit on the bed with the rest of us to watch her jump. She is ROTTEN!!!! Boy it is amazing how people change when they become grandparents.HA HA
I really do love the fact that they are so crazy over her and she is so crazy over them too.

Playing After Church

Sunday night we walked out of church and all of the other kids were running around in the water. Of course Katie Lee wanted to play too, so I tucked her dress in her panties and let her go. They had so much fun running around. By the time we left a rainbow formed in the sky. What a great Sunday!

She really likes pie

Yummy Yummy Yummy....

I think the pictures speak for themselves.

Fun with Friends

Last night Katie Lee got to play with Annna Beth and Lillian while we had a cook out. I had hoped to have it outside and let all of the kids play in water. Thanks to all of the rain our plans had to be moved inside. I really don't think the kiddos minded. They had so much fun playing and I know that they all slept really well last night. :)

Picnic in the living room.


Gingerbread kids (Katie Lee, Anna Beth, and Lillian)


Slumper party in Katie Lee's crib. HA HA

Playing

Tonight Katie Lee and I played with her little playhouse and the people that go with it. It is so funny watching her and her imagination. The people are "Mama", "Da', and "baby." She would play then Da had to go to work. Ma stayed "home." Baby would go "Night Night." It just amazes me how fast she has grown and changed. Time flies when your having fun!!




Dada had to go to work. I asked her where Da worked and of course she said UPS.



Mama had to mop mop.

Simple Pleasures

I love to cut grass!




I think that I have been cutting grass since I was 8 or 9. Daddy would cut out an area and I would follow it. I probably started cutting grass even before then if you count all of the times that I would get to ride with Mother or Daddy. By the time I was 12 or 13, I was getting paid to cut the yard. I soon began cutting Gary's yard too. This was BIG money for a 13 year old kid. I would save all of my grass cutting money and buy something big. One summer I got a ring. Then another year my first Dooney and Burke purse (Never had more than $20.00 in cash in that purse. HA HA ) Another year it was a Coach purse. At the time I probably only liked cutting it for the money. I still cut the yard about every week. Now it is without pay, and I love it. It is the best instant gratification out there. What else can you do and get rewarded for it right then? You can see exactly what you have cut. ( I wish dieting showed results that quickly.) I love when I finish cutting and the whole yard looks so good. It is two hours of mindless thoughts. I can plan more, think more, and really just clear my mind for just a little while each week. I say all of this to say that if you never cut the grass, you should really try it.

Checking out the Garden

Yesterday, Donnie actually got home before dark. We had time to play outside for a while. He and Katie Lee had to check our vegetables in the garden. Most are looking pretty good. Katie Lee thought that it was something just getting to help Daddy.

Girls' Night Out!

Saturday night, we had girls' night out with our group of girls from church. We went to the Sugarland Concert. The guys hung out at our house. We began our night at about 2:30 and had dinner at Connor's. While eating it began to rain pretty hard and the wind picked up. Amber and I were ready to skip the outside concert and go to the nice dry movies. We were outnumbered. HA We got to the concert which was out in this big field in the pouring down rain. The field soon became a big mud hole. Since it was pouring down rain everyone had umbrellas, and we could not see the stage, I had to people watch.

I would like to thank the following TOP 10 entertainment for the night.

10. The lady with the white pants and the black leather fanny pack--shake those hips.

9. The guy wearing the bag that his chair belongs in over his head--what were you thinking.

8. Blue shirt girl--I really hope you made it home safely and remember something from the night because you had one too many pitchers before the concert even got started good.

7. MUD, MUD, MUD---I have been muddin' on four wheelers and came out cleaner than I did that night. I really wish that I had a pair of these...


6. Amber--for being a "stick in the mud" (literally) with me.

5. The Girls---y'all are the best. I always have a great time when we are together. I am so thankful to have such good friends.

The girls--Amber, me, Beth, Amanda, Nicole, Angela, and Brooke. (Not the best picture of all of us, but the best I had in our very cool van.)

4. funnel cake--YUM YUM best part of the night

3. cute leopard shoes--they held up as long as the could--had to be trashed

2. Sugarland---really good concert--wish I knew more of their songs

1. Finally my dear sweet husband, Donnie, who for once was right and has been singing "I told you so, but you said no and now you have mud between your toes. ---I may never live this one down.


(Amber's and my feet after we had "washed" them in a puddle of muddy water.)


On a serious note, our night ended quite sadly. We all had missed calls on our phone wanting Beth to call Jeremiah. We all know how that ended. We all will miss Daryl and pray for his family. Just lets you know that you never know if you will have a tomorrow, and you need to make sure your life is right today.

Random cuteness

Who Needs a Pool?

Since it has rained for so many days, the yard between Mother and Daddy's house and Jane and Gary's house is full of water. This has happened for years. As a kid, it is a great place to play. Growing up I played and "fished" in this water. Tonight, we let Katie Lee play in it. She had so much fun running, hopping, and rolling in this water. Of course, Daddy and I had just as much fun watching her. This may become Katie Lee new favorite outside thing.
You know, it really is the simple things in life that are the best.


Had to try the water out by sitting in it.


After she ran around in it, she ran back up to the house to get her big wheel.

Crawl around in the water.

I even rolled up my jeans to join in the fun.

Running around in circles.

Running with Poppie.