the frolics & fun times of the fabulous freeman four

Somethin' smells good!!!!

2010-02-14T23:47:00.000-06:00

Shortly before it got too cold, we decided to cook a few burgers on the grill. The kids enjoyed some time together on the swingset (as did the dogs, Sissy and Lu-Lu) and Ashlynn even got creative with a few old household items and made her own little scarecrow!

Our Faith Just Rolls That Way! Church Bowling Party...

2010-02-14T23:31:00.000-06:00

During the fall months, before it got too cold outside, some of the younger folks of Millport Baptist Church journeyed over to Vernon, AL, to The Strike Zone to have some fun and fellowship.

Thanks to our gracious hosts, Tim and Stacy Evans, we all felt right at home

and had a ball (pun intended, LOL)!

Brother David and Christie both agreed, we'd HAVE to do this again soon!

Come bowl with Millport Baptist Church at the Strike Zone in Vernon, AL!

We'd love to have you!

My Poor Sick Little Baby Boy...

2010-02-14T22:52:00.000-06:00

After we finally were able to get SteelMagnoliaMom home from the hospital (see previous post), our little TMan fell ill...and I do mean ill! We were very, very lucky thanks to Dr. Robert and Miss Melissa of the Millport Family Clinic - they took exceptional care of our little man and we were able to narrowly avoid a hospital admission. Kingdaddy and MomtheBomb both agreed that it was way too close of a call to ever make again. Our hearts go out to all parents everywhere who ever have to live through a seriously ill child.

happiest place on earth? Disney....noisest place on earth? Hospitals

2010-02-09T21:32:00.000-06:00

Mother of MomtheBomb gave us all quite a scare in November...having to have emergency bowel surgery, she ended up in the hospital a LOT longer than predicted, expected, or worried about due to complications. But boy was she a trouper - she, unlike our much missed Grandnan - was a wonderful patient to all those caring nurses, doctors, and busy bee workers at Gilmore Memorial Hosptial in Amory, MS. Rarely complaining (okay, well, except for the whole hot/cold issue...at 20 below zero, she was rocking the hospital gown look while fanning herself and drinking ice cold water...the rest of us smiled...and froze), SteelMagnoliaMom was polite and accommodating. I was impressed (but then, SteelMagnoliaMom often impresses me). After all she'd been through, had it been me, they would've rushed me out the door with an IV in one hand and a fresh, made-of-1-ply-napkins-hospital-gown in the other.

We're happy to report that SteelMagnoliaMom has returned home after her long stay at the germ factory (I'm sorry, but hospitals make me feel all germy) and has been progressing quite well with her recovery, thanks in large part to ThatDogWon'tHuntDad - he's been a gem, waiting on her hand and foot and even doing ***GASP**** housework and food duty. It's truly nice to see two people who love each other so much. They are an inspiration. Yep...riding the mushy train again - toot-toot! What can I say? I love my mom and my bonus dad and you would to if ya knew 'em. But seriously - ThatDogWon'tHuntDad doing laundry? Sweeping floors? Cooking? I woulda paid good money to see THAT...but I would pay even MORE money to see my very own KingDaddy do such things...*whew* you'll have to excuse me...the thought of Kingdaddy performing such incredible acts has made me all woozy...I think I better go lie down...

bless my heart.

do you come here often...

2010-02-09T21:13:00.002-06:00

Okay, so there we were, Chore Fairy Jr. and myself, just minding our own business at one of my total utopia stores, Michael's Crafts (second only to my OTHER total MomtheBombcandy. the Hobby Lobby).

We're minding our own business, as I said before, and then out of nowhere, HE was there, standing in the aisle, lurking...gawking...staring with

cold...

dead...

eyes...

Unlike myself, Chore Fairy Jr. was immediately taken in by his rather unusual attire and what she described as a "nice smile." I guess beauty really IS in the eyes of the beholder.

Anyway, I agreed to go and talk to him. After all, what harm could it do, really? Yes, I admit, every bad "man choice" I've ever made flashed through my mind as I watched my daughter approach him. But I wasn't worried...she's got good sense...she would know it would never work out between them...

after all...he's only available once a year during the Halloween season. Bwah-ha-ha-ha! Boy I had you goin' didn't I? Everyone who knows me IRL was probably terrified (which makes this even funnier...well, at least to me), and I imagine when my mother reads this she too will also have flashbacks of all my past bad "man choices." (Sorry Mom - just tryin' to help you get your heart rate up...get the blood pumpin' - maybe give you a jolt of energy? :) )

Halloween is without a doubt, Ashlynn's FAVORITE holiday, hands down. She gets into all the ratty curtain decorations, carved pumpkins, spooky sounds CD's, the whole kit-and-kaboodle. And for most of her life, she never has really cared much for candy...go figure. That's my girl - a perfect picture of contradiction...and I wouldn't have it any other way.

there's somethin' special goin' on here...

2010-02-09T20:25:00.007-06:00

My baby girl turned 11...and is goin' to skip the entire next 14 years and go straight to 25. Agh!

I knew this day would come. And it did. WAY faster than I wanted it to, but boy has it been a fun ride. Ashlynn (aka Chore Fairy Jr) has been the shining light in my world for eleven years now and I still cannot figure out what I did that was so right to deserve such an amazing, beautiful daughter. I know. I'm gushing. I'm a mom. We do that. Now, canIcontinueplease?

She's incredibly smart - and by incredible, I mean, holy-crap-how-did-you-know-that-and-when-have-you-found-the-time-to-discover-all-this-information? Spelling? Check. English? Check. Math? Check, check. She makes my life as a mom to an eleven year old amazingly easy. She can do it all and do it well. The girl's also got a talent for writing and I'm hopeful that one day, she'll be able to pursue that as a career. She's got something special goin' on there...I know, I know - in her words, I "don't count because" I'm "the mom." Whatever Chore Fairy Jr. ;)

She can sing like nobody's business. All my life I've envied people with strong, beautiful voices like hers. It's an absolute pleasure to hear her belt out a song, whether we're in the car or she's maneuvering TMan's toys in the floor while doing her chores. Now, if I could only convince her to lend those pipes to the Millport Baptist Church Choir, we'd be onto something...'cause the girl's got something special goin' on.

Beauty? Well, duh. Look at the photos.

Go ahead, admire her in all her glory (and try to ignore the way her hair sticks out in some of the sillier pics - okay, TOTALLY kidding...that was strictly for Chore Fairy Jr.'s benefit, LOL).

Are you don't yet? No? I understand. I'm often dazzled by her as well. Take all the time you need...I'll wait.

{{{{this is me waiting patiently}}}}

Okay, enough all ready! Let's get back to ME and what I was saying about this girl that's got somethin' special goin' on.

Of course we had to celebrate such awesomeness - it's not every day a gal goes from age 10 to 11 and then just skips on up to age 25, so we partied in style. Two of her BFF's came over and they embarked on an all nighter of make-up, photo shoots, vampire tales (and fangs), scary B movies (the original "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" anyone?), and party crashers (really just party crashER...it was this funny, short little fella with some sort of sucking device in his mouth...went by the name "TMan."). Below is our photographic evidence of such revelry.

Enjoy.

Nothin' like some nice painted faces and vampire teeth to get your party on...

Here is A.B. vogueing...or is she flashing the peace sign? Or is flashing the peace sign considered vogueing and she's doing both? Plhfft! Who cares - she looks adorable doin it...whatever it is you call it that she's doing.

Here is Double L fighting off the paparazzi, including a small party crasher...

Sorry Short Stuff, your name's not on the guest list...gonna have ta' jet...

Here the birthday girl is clearly gettin' her groove on with some of the members of the pumpkin gallery...let's all gawk and wish we were more like her...

The Pumpkin Gallery...aka the paparazzi that that Lady Goo-goo woman sings about.

Wonder how many years of therapy this is gonna cost us?

High-Five on the agreed number of therapy years: 2.3 to be exact.

Until next year...this is MomtheBomb signing off.

Happy Birthday Ashlynn - you TOTALLY ROCK!

Millport Baptist Church Hamburger Cookout

2010-02-08T22:56:00.000-06:00

If there's one thing most folks know about Baptists is - we like to eat! :)

Don't ya' just love the "pumpkin" cake I made? Who knew I could be so handy in the kitchen? :)

The men of MBC are grillin' it up right while lots of activities went on around them...

...including jumpy things for the kids...

...strategizing before play...

...actual play...

...time for car playin'...

... and deal makin'.

Two of my favorite men...

...and some of my favorite women...

Cutie Pie #1 had fun...

...as did Cutie Pie #2 (this one's got my heart - I simply ADORE her!)

This segment is called, "Bailey scares the fire out of Mrs. Freeman,"

...and a few of the carriage riders were surprised too.

Just some of the wise women of MBC enjoying some fellowship...

...and friendship...

...and of course...THE FOOD!!

Tucker spots "the baby" (the beautiful Marley B.) who is being held by my favorite Kim (aka Baby Magnet)

I think he's smitten....wonder what Beth would say?

Millport Baptist Fish Fry

2009-10-17T09:47:00.016-05:00

Every year my church family at Millport Baptist Church gets together for a fun time and lots of great fish for our annual fish fry. While our plans were dampened by the rain (no fishing at Brother David's this year), our spirits were alive with the love of Jesus.

My adorable husband, Gary, and one of my favorite people, Coach Howard Byars, were in charge of feeding a huge crowd lots of really tasty fried catfish.

Mrs. Louise Freeman (the "original" Mrs. Freeman to me and my blessing of a mother-in-law), helped out in the "kitchen." Did I mention that she is also another one of my favorite people? :)

There was lots of time to spend catching up...

...enjoying familiar faces...

...time for secret-sharing...

...and time for LOTS of giggles...

Tucker enjoyed playing cars with Bailey...

...and a friendly game with favorite girl Beth...

...while Ella got into the action with her grandpa Randy.

Noah was plotting his next move...

...while Ben took it all in stride.

The adults enjoyed lots of conversation...

...including Mrs. Della's pictures of her new grandbaby, Marley Bristol. Congratulations to Mike and Janea's family on their new addition!

The adults enjoyed MORE conversation...

...while the kids enjoyed the swings...

...and lots of good food...

The church was packed with hungry folks both of the younger generations and...

the older generations.

I believe Tucker's happy face says it all: Millport Baptist Church is THE place to BE!

Come join us!
Sunday School: 9:30am
Sunday Worship: 10:30am
Sunday Night Services: 6:00pm
Wednesday Night Bible Study: 7:00pm

Brother David Honeycutt - pastor

Remembering September 11th

2009-10-14T22:21:00.006-05:00

One of our awesome teacher assistants, Miss Heather,
somehow managed to single-handedly organize an amazing tribute to
area "heroes" (rescue squad, EMT, sheriff, police, air-evac, etc.) in remembrance of 9-11.
Here are some glimpses into the fun the kids
(and teachers) had that day.

Here are the elementary kids anxiously awaiting the arrival
of the highlight of the tribute: the Air-Evac Helicopter!

COOL! :)

Ashlynn thought the helo was pretty awesome, as did her classmates.

Third grade began the tour of heroes with our fearless chief of police, Chief Allred. He let the kids get inside his car, honk his horn, and even run the sirens and lights! He wanted to
show the lights off to us, in case we'd never seen them. I told him
that was great, but that I was as familiar as I wanna be
with those blue lights! :)

The Lamar County Sheriff brought their cool-as-ice-truck and robot (see below).
Pretty knarly, huh? :)

If you look closely, in the big wad of kids (Ashlynn's class), you can see
the robot...the little black thing that looks like
a very flat version of WALL-E. :)
Who knew Millport was so high-tech?!

Mrs. Dotson and I took a moment for a friendly
photo-op in between stations. Aahh..what fearless
third grade leaders we are...LOL.

The Rescue Squad was working hard, teaching the kids about
the ambulance and the many people who work
together to save lives in our area
every day.

Here is a great specimen of some of the great ladies of
South Lamar. Note the umbrellas to keep the sun
off their delicate skin. Gosh I love these gals! :)

Below is the banner that Lisa Wright and Heather Fields made. If you
look closely enough, you can see into my incredibly junky and messy classroom right
above the sign. :)

What do you see when you peek at me?

2009-10-13T03:51:00.004-05:00

Peek-a-boo! I see you! What do you see, when you peek at me?
Do you see...

a happy mommy...

a weary wife...

a stressed out teacher...

a loving woman...

an imperfect Christian...

a dear friend...

a caring daughter...

a tired lady...

a laugh-out-loud kinda girl...

What do you see when you peek at me?

I see you when you peek at me...
and this is what I see...

the apple of a father's eye...

the joy of life for Red and Louis...

a happy corner in Ashlynn's life...

a never-ending source of love in a mother's heart...

God's perfect love.

That is what I see, when you peek at me.

Baby Cussing...

2009-10-10T16:21:00.004-05:00

Sometimes we believe it is best that we don't know the translation
of what Tucker says when he gets mad, but boy is it obvious
that he's mad! Punctuated with lots of
"doy, doy, doy's" and "bo baah bows,"
there is never any doubt in anyone's mind
that this little guy is an unhappy camper!

Zoomin' Dune-Buggy Grandpa!

2009-10-10T16:08:00.004-05:00

Another thing we'll miss this winter will be Tucker Dune-Buggy riding with his Grandpa. Note the cool camo paint job! :)

Of course, no buggy ride would be complete without the accompaniment of
faithful companions, Lil Bit and Mitzy.

Critters of Summers Past...

2009-10-10T15:10:00.007-05:00

With the brisk fall air beginning to fill our days, I began to think of all the critters and what-not we've come into contact here in the big city of Millport, particularly during the summer months. I guess it won't be long before we won't be seeing many of these once winter sets in.

This armadillo was caught by Mrs. Freeman (my wonderful Mother-In-Law) the day of our yard sale. It seems this critter had been digging up her roses and other garden areas
and she'd had enough! Tucker was both fascinated and
terrified by this creature...long refusing to go anywhere NEAR
where the cage was last seen.

These guys will NOT be missed! Amazingly, after we had our roof
replaced, we no longer had any wasps "mysteriously"
gaining entrance into our kitchen. Gary swore up and down
they all came in through the front door, but I know better! :)

I discovered this monstrosity in our butterbean section of our garden. Yeah,
I was thrilled - while he is actually quite pretty, I did not like the
idea of my delicate feet stomping around the knee-high
weeds (thanks Honey!), my gentle hands diving down
into the butterbean plants and tall grass (thanks again Honey)
only to have the possibility of something this large and
this "insecty" jumping out at me. Yeah, I know they
can't bite or anything...what's your point?

Ahh...Fred the lizard. He's such a cute little thing...at least as long as he stays
on our porch, frolicking amongst my house plants on the porch
railing. I'll miss his little greetings this winter - the gentle
bopping of his head up and down, the pink chin pouch
expanding out like a friendly wave of a hand.

We took down our hummingbird feeders about three weeks ago
and I've missed their chattering and wild
flying about ever since. I'll look forward to seeing
them again next year.

Several years ago, I was convinced we had a raccoon visiting
our porch every night, eating our cat's food. Gary told
me I was a crazy city girl until I finally convinced him
to set a trap. Lo and behold, the next morning, there he was,
a HUGE raccoon. So cute and cuddly...until he hissed and growled at me,
throwing his claws about and thrashing against his cage. They are
so cute to look at - from a distance - but their tell-tell
washing of their hands (in the cat's water bowl) gives them
away every time. :)

You know that piercing cry you hear on
shows where someone is lost in the desert? Well, this
summer I kept hearing it and I told Gary I thought it was a hawk.
Sure enough, it was! I managed to click a photo
of it in our backyard before it flew away. What a pretty bird!

Mr. Scaredy Spider is still living on his giant web on our
front porch, where he's eating up the gnats and other
annoying buggy-boos. I call him "Scaredy" because
anytime you walk anywhere near his web, he scrambles up
to the porch post and curls up in a ball like he's afraid. If
he only knew how much more afraid I am of him!!

HE'S BAAAACKK!! When I was pregnant with Tucker,
we discovered that we had a groundhog living behind our shed. We took
lots of photos of him one day when he ventured out (in broad daylight no less). Well, we haven't seen him in years and just this week, he popped up again, running under my vehicle, through
the garage, and out back behind the shed. He's HUGE. I don't know what
he's been eating, but he's certainly healthy. :)

It's never a dull critter day at our home in Millport, AL!

U Scream, I Scream, We All Scream 4 Ice Cream!

2009-09-11T22:58:00.011-05:00

Millport Baptist Church Ice Cream Social August 2009

In August, Millport Baptist Church had their annual Ice Cream Social - we ate, we prayed, and we enjoyed each others' company. Praise the Lord and pass the goodies! :)

Some of the lovely ladies of Millport Baptist Church - sweet hearts and sweet spirits.

The men seem to be in deep discussion. Wanna bet their topic is the upcoming football season?

There was plenty of food and homemade ice cream to go around for everyone.

The Daffrons enjoyed their meal and fellowship...

... as did Miss Lindley.

Here's Melissa, ready with a helping hand as always...and some boys (below) who looked as though they could've used anyone's helping hands to pile on the ice cream!

Noah looked ready for anything...

...while Anna appeared ready for another scoop of ice cream!

When you're ready to worship, we'll save a pew for you
(and maybe some ice cream)!

Millport Baptist Church
Pastor: Brother David Honeycutt
Sunday School - 9:30am
Sunday A.M. Worship - 10:30am
Sunday P.M. Worship - 6:00pm
Wednesday Bible Study - 7:00pm

Speaking of Swimming in the Faith...

2009-09-11T22:24:00.004-05:00

One of the best days of my life was the day Ashlynn got baptized. It's so wonderful to know that I will one day be sharing the Kingdom of Heaven with my little girl. The pictures speak for themselves, although I must tell you, being my daughter you KNOW the baptism didn't go off without a hitch...she basically SLID into her spiritual rebirth as she descended the stairs into the baptismal...luckily, just as he's done with our faith, Brother David was there to catch her.

Here we are after the service: Me (with longer hair), Ashlynn, Daddy David, Mom, Gary, and Tucker

After the service, we ran home to change clothes and then went to Mike's One Stop for a great after church buffet lunch! Above is the photo taken of Ashlynn and the Freemans after our feast.

If you don't have a church home, you really should consider coming to Millport Baptist Church on Hwy 17 in Millport. Sunday School begins at 9:30, with a class available for every age, need and want, and Sunday morning services begin at 10:30. Evening services are at 6:00pm. Come on out and join us ya'll!

Swimming in our Faith at Millport Baptist Church

2009-09-11T21:34:00.006-05:00

With the cool weather announcing the soon-to-be-here (and my favorite) season of fall, I realized I never got around to posting our AWESOME swim party at Dr. Robert and Melissa's house last month (thanks ya'll!). I'm sure you'll be able to tell that a fun time was had by all.

Nothin' like a friendly "chicken fight" to get the fun started. Ross appears to be cheering on Bailey's foe, Sierra, in this round. Is it a case of brotherly teasing or sincere wishes to watch his little brother get squashed by the competition?

It appears that young Beth would rather sit this particular pool fun out and sunbathe quietly on the rock waterfall.

Smart move Beth! The action really started to heat up when Ross & Bailey decided to take on the super powers of Ashlynn & Brother David.

Bailey and Ross hold their own, but Sierra could be heard cheering for....what? Ashlynn and Brother David?! I bet right about now Ross regrets rooting for her earlier.

The next thing that was heard was a loud "SPLASH!" followed by cheers from Ashlynn (and her mom, Yours Truly), polite clapping from Beth, and grimaces from Brother David (who admitted the next day in church that he was just a bit sore from all the activity).

Christie and Jonah (Brother David's wife and baby boy) seem to be pleased that their hero won the battle.

Once again, Ross found himself on the wrong side of a battle...and completely unarmed! Noah, (Brother David's oldest) on the other hand, not only had a weapon, he had PLENTY of ammunition.

Anna is precious AND prepared! :) Do you know she actually asked me before she hopped into the pool, "Ms. Malin, Do you think this'll hold me up?"

One thing is certain(thanks to the picture of Bailey above) - at Millport Baptist Church, we have learned that there's a lot of fun to be had in fellowship and worship, especially when there's water involved!

Breakfast at Tiffany's...

2009-08-29T13:14:00.003-05:00

This summer we all realized just how grown up our Tuckerman had become...and Mrs. Freeman told us, and we agreed, that Tucker needed to be around other children at least PART of the week while Mom and Dad are off educating our future leaders...SO, Tucker is now enrolled two days a week at "Miss Tiffany's" daycare (Doodlebugs).

The first day, big sis Ashlynn came to the rescue and stayed with Tucker in his new environment for the first half of the day. All was fine until he woke up from his nap and was a bit confused as to where he was...and who these people were. Dad swooped in to save the day and took the little man back to work with him (it was a teacher inservice day, so no kids were harmed in the swooping and saving of Little Tuckerman).

The next day, Tucker did much better. However, Tucker's Dad is a bit depressed at being the person responsible for dropping him off at the daycare - it's really hard on his heart to hear his "Little Buddy" cry and howl for him as he leaves to go to work.

Each day Tucker goes, he is getting more comfortable with Miss Tiffany and the other children, and it doesn't hurt that Miss Tiffany jetted out after his first visit to find some new tractor and truck toys for Tucker to play with.

Miss Tiffany is such a jewel, she even allows Tucker to watch the RFD channel occasionally on the playroom T.V. We are so blessed to have the best of both worlds: a daycare setting full of other children and lots of love...and childcare at Grandma and Grandpa's the rest of the time.

Summertime Memories...

2009-08-19T22:24:00.010-05:00

Ahh...summer...it goes by so quickly...

Up by 5am every morning and working hard to teach my Little Darlins each day
has gotten me back into a reminiscing state of mind...just thinkin' about
our enjoyable, family-filled summer has lifted my spirits
today...but boy I sure do with I could relive
some of my favorite summer '09 memories...

Including...

Tucker's First Boating Trip to the River

Lunch with Good Friends (I miss you Kristy!)

Ashlynn's First Set of Motorized Wheels
(PLEASE be careful on that thing Ashlynn!!)

Vacation Bible School Memories
from Millport Baptist Church

Yes, it seems summer comes and goes all too quickly...
but I bet if we look hard enough with hope,
and pray lovingly enough with faith,
our fall and winter
will be just as blessed!

My Second Home...

2009-08-19T21:37:00.007-05:00

This is where I've been...

South Lamar School - Home of the Stallions...and the home-away-from-home for many of Lamar County's Finest Educators...toiling away long hours in the hopes that our "Little Darlins" will grow up and go forth into the world wiser, more prepared, and more loved than they were before we met them.

This is where I've been....

Changing THIS...

...into this...

This is where I've been...

Cheering on these guys...

...and this coach...

...with these ladies...

This is where I've been...

Spending the larger part of my days with these cuties...

MRS. FREEMAN'S THIRD GRADE CLASS

...instead of with these cuties...

So now 'ya know and 'ya don't have ta' ask, "Where ya' been?"
:)

why life with a 16-month-old is never boring...

2009-08-05T21:22:00.014-05:00

Why is life with a toddler so exciting you say? Well, here are just a few examples of why no one rests easy in our home...except when the little devil is asleep or off on an adventure with his grandparents (or some other brave soul):

You're on a never-ending hunt for the T.V. remote and when you FINALLY find it, it's in the oddest of places (between the kitchen sink cabinet and the oven, in your husband's boot, under a pile of unwrapped, albeit thankfully clean, toilet paper...need I go on?).

You find yourself clapping along enthusiastically every time the little fella' throws something in the garbage can (nevermind that he usually drags something out of the garbage can specifically so he can throw it back in so that he can hear his audience applaud him). Can boys be divas??

The words "tractor," "daddy," and "bath" all kick off a flurry of toddler excitement that can only be expressed in shrieks and spastic dance moves.

You always have someone available who will be more than happy to push the little red panic button on your car key remote entry and alert the neighbors to that handy little alarm device...the neighborhood dogs especially appreciate that noise.

You find yourself sprinting across the living room more often than you'd like in order to snatch the remote control to the satellite out of someone's tiny fingers...preferably before that tiny someone clicks "Yes" to the question, "Confirm Purchase?" for the MLB sports package that can be paid in three easy payments of $29.99.

Because it is amazing to realize that this child can reach things six feet off the ground and four times the length of his tiny arms away from him...like the remote...or the car keys with that nifty red panic button.

Because who else do you know that loves to boogie down to the Toyota Prius and McDonald's commercials?

Redneck Destiny???

2009-08-05T20:27:00.007-05:00

Okay, if anyone out there is wondering if your son may be destined to one day grow up into a handsome young redneck, here are a few
red flags that might get your attention...

Clue #1: If your son received a gun while still in utero...you may grow up to be a redneck. (Thanks Mr. Freeman!)

Clue #2: If the mere uttering of the word "tractor" makes you break into an elaborate set of dance moves before you can even speak...you may
grow up to be a redneck.

Clue #3: If you once teethed on the moist bottom of a Pepper's Deli cup or your favorite toy used to be an empty (and clean) Skoal can...you may grow up to be a redneck. (Thanks Honey!)

Clue #4: If Fried Pork Skins are a favorite treat soon after you start to teethe...you may grow up to be a redneck. (Sorry piggy!)

Clue #5: If NASCAR races are almost as interesting as anything on the RFD channel (oh, come on, you know - the agriculture channel that has tractor shows, horse whisperers, and cattle feeding techniques...don't deny that you record the tractor pulls!)...you may grow up to be a redneck.

Clue #6: If your favorite color seems to be "camo" and you can easily and comfortably pose next to a Ford pickup while wearing your camo overalls (and wearing your matching camo cap)...you may grow up to be a redneck.

Clue #7: Your dad grows tomatoes in upside-down 5-gallon buckets...you may grow up to be a redneck.

Feel free to post any additional "red flags" that you
may be aware of in the comments section. :)

SHE'S B-A-A-C-K!!!!

2009-07-28T15:15:00.004-05:00

SIGH....Ashlynn had been gone for a WHOLE week and
I was missing her so very, very much...
everything was so quiet...

so still...

so neat & tidy...

But happy days are HERE again! SHE'S BACK!!! YAY!! WHOO-HOO!!
She had a GREAT time in Mississippi visiting McCain Daddy and Grandma, but goodness we were glad to have her home. The house was much more normal...
more lively...

more fun...

and just a tad messier...

Looks like Gary and I weren't the only ones
happy about her being home:

WELCOME HOME ASHLYNN!!
We REALLY missed you! :)

TRUCKER TUCKER

2009-07-28T14:41:00.008-05:00

While Tucker and tractors will almost certainly always be a winning combination, three of the Freeman Four recently realized just how much Tucker enjoys the rumble and rolling of big rigs. Recently during a trip to Tuscaloosa, AL, Tucker broke down into quite a fancy alternative to his "Tractor Dance," when a few 18-wheelers breezed by on the highway next to Captain D's. When one of the big rigs blew their horn (thanks to big sis Ashlynn's understanding of trucker sign language), Tucker exploded into a frenzy of toe-tapping, leg bopping, head banging, arm waving dance moves.

Too bad we didn't have our camera at the moment...

BUT...

we DID have the camera ready
when much to Tucker's DELIGHT,
one of those metal stallions of the road
arrived in our driveway
for Gary to weld.

Tucker not only danced, he clapped and squealed at such a sight and he could not WAIT to test out that massive engine power.

Being the kind-hearted son that he is, Tucker knew he couldn't hog all the fun for himself, so he graciously allowed Gary to try out the driver's seat.

It was an exciting day in the Freeman household...at least for one small member of our humble home.

dogs, river water, and tractors...

2009-07-28T14:04:00.008-05:00

Ahh...the river at Pickensville...with Ashlynn gone to Mississippi to visit her McCain family and the house lonely (and unusually quiet), we decided to jaunt down to Pickensville and join the elder Freemans for some peaceful grillin' on the river.

Here is the "Head Grill Master of the Lamar County School of Technology" at work. No, really, Gary honest-to-goodness owns that title, courtesy of Coach Moss and the crew at the Vo-Tech. We know why too - boy can he grill a mean burger!

Tucker kept his grandpa busy while picking up tips on "Da-Da's" method of grilling.

Of course, the Freeman Canine Crew was in attendance. This is Mitzi...she's the smallest Feist dog I have ever seen. I promise you, her little leg bones are no bigger than a pencil!

Lil'Bit spent much of her time hiding from the camera. Unlike her sister Mitzi (who hammed it up every chance she got), Lil'Bit was less enthusiastic about her photo-op.

Tucker and his Grandma (and Lil'Bit) goin' on a walk. Wonder what they might find on their mini-adventure?

HOLY MOLY!!! IS THAT A TRACTOR????!!!

Why I believe it IS a tractor! This definately calls for Tucker's tractor expertise and the owners should not be shortchanged out of his careful inspection!

After stuffing ourselves with too much burger, family fun, and tractor-inspecting, we admired the setting sun as it dipped below the river's horizon and cruised toward home.

Back to Reality...

2009-07-21T07:51:00.006-05:00

After a WONDERFUL few days in God's backyard, it was back to reality for the Fabulous Freeman Four:

Messes to clean...

Don't 'cha just love how everyone "unpacks" by simply lugging their
stuff from the car to the house and then dropping it wherever it lands...
I assume in the hopes that the "After Vacation Fairy" will pay
them a visit...and she always does...ahem...
no need to thank me...excuse me while I
adjust my fairy wings... *wink*wink

Beds to make (see opening photo)

Laundry to do...ahh...the Laundry Fairy...another of my aliases

Grass to cut...okay, there's "Chore Fairy Junior" workin' her magic

Children to bathe...

Check off "children to bathe" - that's been taken care of.

What? It's better than a baby-wipe wipedown bath!!

Veggies to tend.

Dogs to love (they REALLY missed us).

And for some of us....

...naps to take.

Another tractor spotting

2009-07-15T12:51:00.006-05:00

After our fun filled time at the children's museum, we decided to go to Olive Garden and enjoy a nice meal, just us girls...well, and Tucker. Tucker enjoyed himself quite a bit, flirting with any girl he could find and playing with his Elvis and Prisilla rubber duckies we'd bought earlier in the week at a cute candle shop. For some reason, the men in our family (and in a few others we know) simply don't care for Olive Garden, but every woman I know seems to love it. Anyway, we decided to take advantage of the absence of men and Tucker's inability to express his opinion verbally, and fill up on breadsticks, salad, and pasta.

We made a quick stop by the Lifeway Christian Store and Petco (where Tucker LOVED the fish and Ashlynn, Mom, and I loved the dogs), we went back to the playground behind the children's museum for some outdoor play.

We were having a grand old time playing when all of a sudden, HOLY MOLY! IS THAT A TRACTOR??!!

Well I believe it IS! Just butter me and call me a biscuit! This calls for a rousing rendition of the "Tractor Dance!"

After our exhausting day, we retreated to our cabins where the men cooked for us...no, not fish...

...some of the BEST cheeseburgers we'd eaten in a LONG time. Yeah, the men caught quite a few fish on this trip, but they threw 95% of them back...or so they said.

Please play with EVERYTHING!

2009-07-15T12:10:00.014-05:00

After spending most of the trip thus far doing fun grown-up things like shopping, Mom and I decided to take the kids over to Florence, AL, for some fun at the Children of the Shoals Hands-On Museum. It was a GREAT amount of fun!

We started in the music room. There were tons of things to do in there, but the big attraction for Tucker was the HUGE kettle drum...more specifically, he enjoyed hitting everything...and everyone, with the oversized drumsticks.

Remember the movie "Big"?

In the construction area, Ashlynn and Mom got busy with the hammer and nails, while Tucker "plumbed" his little heart out with the PVC pipes.

Tucker and I enjoyed playing with the puppets. Okay, I guess I enjoyed it even more than Tucker. :)

Upstairs there was even more fun to be had, beginning with the dress-up and dance area. Well, the dance area really was dubbed that due to Tucker's sudden inexplicable need to break out in the "Tractor Dance," despite the absence of all things "tractor."

After admiring Ashlynn in her "hippie gear" (isn't she beautiful?), we had some fun with the woodland puppets (still upstairs).

Speaking of beautiful...I can't believe this is my daughter!! When did she grow up??!

Here's a little segment I like to call "Pimp My Child," LOL.

The Colonial Room was next. As you can see, Ashlynn enjoyed tricking Tucker into thinking she was from the past.

Then she felt he should get into the spirit of things. I only wish we could have known his thoughts on the matter...

Here is Mom and Tucker in a quiet moment enjoying some art. I wonder if Tucker thinks that cat in the picture is J.W. back at the cabin?

More time at the Tennessee River

2009-07-15T10:25:00.012-05:00

Here is a photo of Papa David and Ashlynn trying to convince Tucker that he really is a great guy. Back story: Earlier this summer, Ashlynn and David were playing around, roughly, and it freaked Tucker out. He thought David was hurting his sister and he did not like it one bit. Ever since then, he's been rather leery of Papa David. How many years of therapy are we up to now, I wonder?

Do you think it's working?

After a relaxing dinner of wrestling Tucker at the table, "shhing" Tucker at the table, taking Tucker outside where he did NOT burn his little finger on a spotlight, and then following Tucker around the restaurant as he practiced his possible career as a greeter, we went to the overlook at the dam.

HOLY MOLY! IS THAT A TRACTOR???!!!

Ah, yes. A tractor at the dam. Of course, it was the highlight of the overlook for Tucker. And of course, we did have to get a little closer to inspect it. Just another day with Tractor-crazy Tucker

INTRODUCING...J.W....the cabin cat

2009-07-15T10:02:00.007-05:00

We had the sweetest little furry companion during some of our stay. We dubbed him "J.W." (for Joe Wheeler) - our little cabin cat. He was SO sweet - never minding for a minute the tugs, pulls, squeals, and other obnoxious (in cat terms) antics of Tucker. I even considered adopting him, but then I prayed about it and realized that I would be pulling this sweet creature out of a virtual cat's paradise - freedom to roam beautiful landscapes, lots of cabin dwellers to feed him and love on him, all the birds and small critters a cat dreams of to stalk...and I realized he was already home.

Guess who's ready to go fishing?

Gary drove us over the dam that night for supper at Walton's, so I was able to take some photos of the dam and the water...and the EXTRAORDINARILY narrow roadway.

I don't care what you say...this road is TOO narrow! :)

Yes, I was thanking the good Lord that I have been saved everytime we went over the dam's roadway.

Lemons and Delicious Krackers...er...Crackers

2009-07-15T09:53:00.004-05:00

Someone please explain to me the cuteness factor of using a "k" instead of the proper "c" in words like "country" and "cabin." I don't get it. It's just bad spelling. Maybe it's the teacher in me. Tee-hee. Here is Tucker sampling a lemon at Bonnie's. PUCKER UP!

Lemon...following by delicious crackers. :)

I can't say that lemons and crackers would've been MY first choice of an appetizer, but then I'm not 15 months old, either!

Wednesday at Wheeler Park

2009-07-15T09:01:00.007-05:00

Don't 'cha hate it when you spend the night in a new place and all the usual sounds and comforts of home aren't present? You know the feeling...every tiny "crack," "creak," and "bump" makes you jolt away and think, "Did we lock the doors? I wonder what that noise was? I hope Tucker's okay. Maybe that was just Ashlynn making a run to the bathroom?"I promise you, that first night we were in the cabins I slept MAYBE two hours. And I wasn't alone - it was the WORST sleep in the history of sleep - can you tell?

Combine that with the crib of death...that's what I called it. It looked as though it was created in the early 30's or something...all metal...all squeaky...all the time. Ugh. Definately had to find an alternative.

Plan B is pictured below. The "rules" of the cabins specifically said not to move the furniture, but I believe that if the park folks had talked to me after another sleepless night I probably could've moved furniture, danced naked in the yard, and set the woods on fire without much hassle...at least until they called the cops, LOL. Thankfully, we didn't have to do all that - we simply (quietly) pushed the twin beds together and that's where the kiddos slept the last two nights. Peacefully. As did we. PRAISE THE LORD! :)

Shopping kids - guess who had more fun?

Ahh...lunch! Homestyle cookin' at its best!

Tucker was INSTANTLY enamored of our waitress at Bonnie's Kountry (with a K) Cafe. That child watched EVERY move she made! I don't even know if a tractor could've distracted him. It was so funny!

Look at this child's face - can you say, "LADIES' MAN"??? :)

Joe Wheeler says, "Hi."

2009-07-15T08:20:00.012-05:00

We had a GREAT time at the Tennessee River. The cabins at Joe Wheeler State Park are actually quite nice (much to my pleasant surprise - quite honestly, I wasn't sure exactly what to expect). Here is my summary of our trip. As always, it will not be brief, LOL.

Here is Tucker helping me make the bed that morning before we left. I know - he has a very interesting technique, huh?

After an AMAZINGLY smooth car trip (no Tucker tantrums, quiet and fun conversation, etc.), we got to our cabins. Everything was going so amazingly well. Then Tucker decided to make a mess - and in about 1.3 seconds, the living room floor was drenched.

Did you know that a relatively small styrofoam Sonic cup holds roughly 500 gallons of water? Well, we didn't either until Tucker got ahold of Ashlynn's cup and poked a hole in the bottom of the cup with her straw. Above is Ashlynn graciously cleaning up the flood.

My Nana, Audrey, passed away this past January. Above is a photo of a black butterfly that paid us a visit at the cabins as soon as we arrived. Mom noticed after Nana passed that she began to see a very unusually large number of these type of butterflies. I had also noticed bluebirds almost daily in a variety of places each day. Mom and I decided that these beautiful creatures are just Nana's way of checking in on us and reminding us to enjoy each day the Lord gives us.

Below is a picture of Tucker at the outside water source. It's also the same place that Gary convinced Ashlynn that it was our "water pump" and the ONLY source of water...for drinking, cooking, bathing, and yes, the toilet, LOL. She believed him until he mentioned the community showers up the road...then she called him on his bluff, saying, "I've already SEEN the shower inside, THANK YOU." I'm so thankful to have a child with such a great sense of humor!

Ahhhhh.....the great outdoors. Isn't it BEAUTIFUL?? :) But wait...where's Ashlynn?

There she is! Can you say, "City Girl"?

We explored the nearby town of Rogersville, AL and on our first night we discovered a place called the "Tiger Hut." It sold AWESOME ice cream products...including chocolate-dipped cones (Mom), peanut butter milkshakes (me and Ashlynn), and regular soft serve (Tucker).

Speaking of the Tiger Hut, you may know that Tucker's life revolves around tractors. He even has his own little "Tractor Dance" that he does when speaking of, seeing, interacting with, reading books about, watching shows and videos about, tractors. Just mention the word "tractor" and he immediately perks right up. That having been said, our first day of our trip Tucker slept most of the time and hadn't had his usual dose of tractor immersion. That all changed at the Tiger Hut. There was a flyer in the window and his little eyes zeroed in on it IMMEDIATELY - HOLY MOLY! IS THAT A TRACTOR? Sure enough, it was a flyer, complete with photos, for a local tractor show and pull that was occurring that weekend. That small piece of paper in that window made that child's whole evening. He broke into the "tractor dance" for all the Tiger Hut patrons to enjoy. :)

After that awesome display of tractor love, Mom couldn't resist giving Tucker a new gift when we got back to the cabins that evening.

This is a GIANT tractor book that is taller than Tucker and weighs
twice as much as him (at least). He was THRILLED. It is stocked full of
pages and pages and pages and pages of nothing but tractor pictures.
That day, I believe his Nana was his favorite person
in the whole world...even bypassing "Da-Da" for
one brief and shining moment. :)

Tucker Tantrums, Cows, and Garbage

2009-07-07T08:10:00.017-05:00

I realize that with everything going on, we all tend to get too busy and overlook a few household chores, turn a blind eye to things that "someone" should do, and generally cruise on along in the hopes that "someone" will handle an obviously pressing situation. Care to guess what I'm talking about? Take a look at the picture:

Why do people do this? Why do they pile more and more garbage on top of (literally) a can that is overflowing and needs to be taken care of? My children at school do it and my children at home do it (and yes, I'm counting Gary as one of my kids this time). :) What gives? This sort of ranks right up there with not replacing the toilet paper after you've used the last square (although I admit the garbage situation really doesn't put anyone in quite such an unhappy and awkward position as the toilet paper thing can), putting empty cracker boxes back in the pantry (Gary), or keeping two billion empty and half-empty shampoo and conditioner bottles in the shower (Ashlynn). Ahh, the tiny annoyances of everyday life - makes you appreciate how small our worries are in comparison with others I guess. Okay....I'm off my soapbox....for now. :)

How did we spend our day? Well, here is a montage of photos to help you visualize how the Fabulous Freeman Four spent Monday, July 6, 2009.

Took garbage out (obviously).
Began loading the car (I know it's an S.U.V., but I just can't get used to saying that)!

Tucker declared that he was ready to leave and had all that he needed.

Watched Tucker watch a cattle auction on T.V. Seriously.

That auctioneer put him RIGHT to sleep. And he slept SO peacefully...for about 40 minutes.

Guess who didn't get their nap out?

Fed our cows across the street.

Okay, THEY fed the cows, I took pictures. :)

Laughed until I cried at Tucker's "diaper wedgie."

Diaper wedgie's are obviously not too fun - sorry son!

Admired my beautiful daughter (who got her haircut last night - thanks Momma Freeman!)

Watched Tucker drive his car.

Watched Tucker have a bad experience with his car.

Watched Gary fix Tucker's cap after the bad experience with the car.

Wondered how many years of therapy this child will need before he hits his teen years.

Our Trip Prepping...and, oh yeah, Happy Birthday America!

2009-07-05T17:17:00.010-05:00

We really are a patriotic family, really. Just drive by our house and look at the ENORMOUS U.S. flag that hangs from our porch. But we're so excited to be getting away from it all here soon, that we've simply been running, running, running to get stuff done. Here is how the Fabulous Freeman Four spent the 4th of July:

Ashlynn did her chores, including her part for saving the environment, going green, reducing greenhouse gasses, improving climate control, etc., by crushing the aluminum cans our family so smartly keeps and recycles. See pics for proof. :)

Gary asked me if we had any bread for our cookout. By bread, he meant BBQ bread, and no, we didn't have any, but we did have some Texas Toast, which Gary didn't seem too happy about.

Gary spent a LOT of time cleaning out, cleaning in, washing, waxing, and buffing his boat. Tucker helped.

Gary spent a few minutes setting up the sprinkler so that Tucker would help him less.

Stripped Tucker down and gave him a bath.
I went to the grocery store for the THIRD time this week to pick up - yep, you guessed it - BBQ bread.
Got rid of a few unwanted guests - no, not noisy neighbors or annoying animals - just a few red wasps - UGH! I can't stand those things.

I marinated steaks for us and my wonderful in-laws (seriously - they're worth their weight in gold).
Momma Freeman calls to see if I want the BBQ bread she told Gary that she had earlier this week...when they first talked about cooking out on the fourth...the same kind of bread I went to the store for the THIRD time this week to buy.
I ask Dear Husband why he didn't just mention his mom's offer of bread and he mumbled something about being forgetful and then felt the urge to refill Tucker's sippy cup of juice. Don't ya just love men? LOL :)
Checked the hummingbird feeders. They still fight over the crumpled, old one but are beginning to consider the other shinier, newer feeders.

Changed Tucker's diaper...didn't catch him quick enough...so he tinkled...on me, on himself, and on the floor.
Gave Tucker another bath.
Searched high and low for the the one specific cooking fork my dear husband must have to cook steaks - he relied on the roughly 6 others we have until I could locate the original "must have."
Ate the most WONDERFUL, DELICIOUS steak Dear Husband has ever cooked (did I mention he can grill a mean steak).
Ate too much.
Promised self to make up for it tomorrow by eating only nuts and berries. HA!
Ended the day listening to the Halo's Fireworks Show in Millport while starting on another book. Thanked my lucky stars to be an American and said a prayer of thanks to God for all my many blessings. Hope your 4th was just as rewarding!

Millport Baptist Vacation Bible School - Boomerang Express!

2009-07-04T10:28:00.006-05:00

We had the MOST awesome VBS this year with our new preacher and his wife - it was absolutely a BLAST! Here are some pics of the fun time we had. Anytime you're in the mood to praise the Lord, come on by Millport Baptist Church - we'd LOVE to have you!

Christy, Noah, and Brother David dancing the Boomerang Express! :)

Brother David preaching God's Word.

Mrs. Freeman, Gary, and Tucker (with Jewel and Doug behind them) gettin' some religion!

Here is the cupcake croc I made for Family Night for VBS. Cute, huh?

Lindsey Homan had horse rides for the kids on Family Night - too fun!

Isn't it wonderful to see old friends again? LOL This is Beth and Tucker - aren't they precious? We've got a picture of them at last year's Family Night sitting beside each other in their baby seats. :)

Can you tell that Tucker likes to swing?

This is after Tucker's first experience with a chocolate covered donut. I would say that he feels very happy about Family Night at Millport Baptist, wouldn't you? :)

Millport Baptist Services
Sunday School: 9:25am
Sunday Morning Worship: 10:30am
Sunday Evening Worship: 6:00pm
Wednesday Bible Study: 6:00pm
Come see us!

Ashlynn's Softball Swimming Party

2009-07-04T10:23:00.003-05:00

Here's Ashlynn - READY TO SWIM ALL DAY!!! :)

Ashlynn and Megan in a chicken fight - with Holden supervising. :)

Michelle and Lindsay - more chicken fighting! Whew!
You know these girls slept good that night!

Just wanted to post a few pics of Ashlynn's softball swimming party. This was her first year playing softball and she really enjoyed it. She even learned to pitch (slow pitch), but wasn't crazy about playing that position. Maybe she'll get a position she really loves next year. :) Anyway, her coaches decided to celebrate the end of the season by having a swimming party for the girls. You can see by the pics they had a great time! :)

GO STALLIONS!

More Pics From July 3rd - Since I Can't Figure Out The Layout of This Blogging!

2009-07-04T10:10:00.007-05:00

Here's Gary - he's talking to his parents, trying to decide which steaks we'll cook on the 4th. After 5 minutes of much discussion, we still had no decision. LOL

Gary is getting his fishing gear together for our trip. :)

Yippidog - bless his heart - he must be 200 years old in people years, but somehow he manages to keep going and going. Tucker adores him. Can't say the feeling is mutual though. :)

Tucker the Gardener - ever so helpful. ;)

How We Spend Our Days...At Least How We Spent Yesterday

2009-07-04T09:52:00.006-05:00

Well, yesterday here is what we did:

FINALLY hooked up the DVD/VCR converter in the BR (this has only taken me two years to do).
Moved the Wii from Ashlynn's BR to ours (more room for all of us to play, plus we can keep up with the games and remotes better - no offense Ash!) :)
Cleaned and sprayed off the porch (MUCH better! Now it only looks like a few of Sanford & Son's relatives live here).
Weeded the flowerbeds (a little). See the pic of the one I started on - it's a "before" pic. :)
Make sure you check out the "after" pic of the flowerbeds already worked on!!
Played with the new Nikon camera while watching the hummingbirds...speaking of which, why do the hummingbirds all want to eat out of the old, squished up feeder versus the beautiful new teardrop shaped feeder or the nice and shiny glass, flat-bottomed feeder complete with resting station)?
Watered the tomatoes and peppers (including Gary's upside-down tomato plants...I'll have to post some pics of his homemade topsy-turvy planter made from a huge bucket - he's so innovative)!
CLEANED HOUSE - including repeatedly picking up books and toys and of course items that Tucker felt needed to be spread out rather than neatly put away.
Gary began getting his fishing stuff together for our river trip, including packing his "rooster tail," for those of you who are up on the whole fishing scene. :)
Tucker worked hard in the garden, on moving switches and knobs on Gary's manly machines in the shop, and generally being an active kiddo.
Ashlynn slept late, spent some time with Sissy and Lou-Lou (her adorable dogs), did several chores, and tested out the Wii in its new location. She also set up a Facebook page, since several of her friends (and her Mom and Nana) have one. :)

I can't figure out how to post the pictures the way I want to, so I'm going to add a few more after this post - I don't have time to really play with this thing this morning. :)

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!!

Our First Post (or...how does this work exactly??)

2009-07-03T06:07:00.007-05:00

Here is just what I need
- yet another PROJECT!

Between teaching (yeah, yeah, I know it's summer, but for those of you who don't know any better, many teachers hone their craft year-round), child-raising (Ashlynn - soon to be 11 and Tucker - soon to be 15 months), husband-tending (Gary - 44, but tells everyone he's 34), church fun (we just finished an AWESOME Vacation Bible School on the Boomerang Express at Millport Baptist), scrapbooking (okay - I admit, this is a hobby of mine...no, a PASSION of mine, that hasn't been touched since I was preggers with Tucker, but half our bedroom is taken up by my scrappin' stuff and I do, indeed, LOVE it), photography (just bought a SWEET new Nikon D90...now I need one of those Dummies books to figure it out, LOL), reading (I actually finished the first book front to back since Tucker was born that does NOT include anything about child raising, teaching, or large print with simple words - yay me!), friends (okay, I know what some of you are thinking - but Malin, we never hear from you...yeah, yeah, but it's the thought that counts, right?? My Mississippi friends are NEVER far from my thoughts or heart), gardening (no, I am not a farmer by ANY stretch, but we DO lay claim to butter beans, peppers, and tomatoes...and I'm doing my best to clean up our flowerbeds in the front and side yard...not exactly a full-time job, but it does require daily attention), Ebay (it is SO much easier to sell than it used to be - FYI: I'm trying to clean out our house {read: dejunk} and make a few bucks without the hassle of an actual yard sale),and just life in general (let's see a show of hands for all of you who believe laundry mysteriously multiplies on its own in the wee hours of the morning), I barely have time to turn around!

Yet here I am, starting another project. I couldn't help it - I was inspired by one of my dearest friends, Hope Dumas, after reading her blog (www.thedumasfamilyof6.blogspot.com). You should check hers out - not only is she beautiful, an AWESOME mother (she's the mom at the daycare that whips up 60 cupcakes just for fun while the rest of us frantically swing by the 24-hour Wal-Mart to buy already prepared cookies for our child's Christmas party), and an OUTSTANDING teacher (I know this because she and I graduated from Mississippi State together in Education), she is one seriously funny girl. Oh, and don't forget how unbelievably adorable her kids are. Okay, enough gushing over Hope for now. :) I am going to sign off and see if I can figure this whole blog thing out...in between my confusing visits to Facebook. As Tigger would say, "Ta-Ta for Now!"

PS - Isn't Tucker the most adorable little boy? You should see him do his "tractor dance" - the boy is ALL ABOUT tractors!!