Charity Event

I am apart of Junior Auxiliary of Desoto County and we host a fundraising event in the fall called Catfish and Khakies. This year I was a decorating co-chair and we came up with a great look for this years event. The Bouffants played and we designed the theme around Austin Powers meets Martha Stewart. It turned out beautiful and we raised the most money we have ever raised. This organization helps children in the Desoto County schools with different needs.
The night of the event, Frank couldn't attend, so I invited my friend Cathy Groner and we had a great time. It was an exhausting week, but well worth it. The other girls are friends of mine in JA, Emily and Marianne (decorating divas!)

Spirit Week and Boo the Snake!

I had forgotten about Spirit weeks! You know I love to dress up when given the chance! For superhero day, I was Webb's Depth of Knowledge Girl...educator thing. I even painted a web on my eye...the kids were confused! My best buddy, Holly was a ghost buster. What fun!
The other picture is my 5th period class...they are a trip! I am learning all the lingo from my young ones...it keeps me young!

Boo the snake visited my room with his owner (one of my students)! I have never held a snake...what an experience...you are never too old! We were talking about how you should give children new experiences and he suggested bringing in his Boo for a project...and along came Boo!

Happy Birthday Southern Girls!

Mine and Holly's girls and Granny all have birthdays in a row...Bentley-June, Callaway-July, Jameson and Burkley Ann (same day)-August, and Breland and Granny (same day)-September. So, for Labor Day weekend we celebrated their Birthdays. The cake was funny. We just bought a WalMart cake and put Mini dolls that was like each girl on top...we even found a Grandmother doll!

We had fun. My grandparents are hanging in there. Right now my Grandfather is battling Prostate cancer and my Grandmother is suffering from Parkinsons. Please keep them in your prayers.

Burkley Ann grabbed Granny's nose and would not let go...what a little stinker!

Cousin Visit!

We went to visit my sister, nieces, grandparents and mother for Labor Day weekend. My Dad bought my mother a puppy- she is so cute. Her name is IzzyBelle. The girls thought she was the best thing ever!
It was good seeing my sister and her girls. The bathtub divas love to jump in a play with bubbles.

Water Slide Mania!

The girls went to a birthday party and had a blast! They had 2 water slides set up. They slept like champs that night!

Back to School!

The girls started back to school on the 12th of August. They were so ready! Callaway started 1st grade and Breland was entering 4K. They love school and are doing really good in their classes. Callaway is starting to read great and Breland is sharp as a tack!

It's My Birthday and I'll Sleep if I Want too!

Burkley Ann had her 1st Birthday on August 8th. We had friends over for dinner and I made her a cake. She loves this little ladybug in her room so I thought a ladybug cake would be perfect!
She was very tired after hanging out with everyone outside and decided to go to bed early for the night. Needless to say she missed the candle blowing and well wishes. I had to feed the hungry monsters! She did not go without her cake. The next day we celebrated with a half eaten cake and SHE LOVED IT! That was her first time with sweets and went to town.

Summer Fun!

I can only imagine in 10 years them riding around looking for boys!
This was a fun day hanging out in the front yard being silly in the sprinklers. It reminds me of when I was a child.
The battery was getting low so Breland stepped in for the rescue!

Where does this go?
Enjoy your freedom, BA!

I CAN WALK! I CAN RIDE!

July...Burkley Ann was on the move! She was starting to walk really good around 11 months. She loves being outside and trying to keep up with the big sissies!
Now, she is running and getting into everything! She is so funny!

At the same time, Callaway conquered the bike without training wheels...just a few falls and "I can't do this" and she had it down pat in 30 minutes flat! She loves it now! Go Callaway!

Callaway's 7th Birthday!

I can't believe my baby is 7! Wow, how time flies!

We had a great day! Callaway sweet friend Emma came over in the morning and we headed to the movies to see Journey into the Center of the Earth. The girls loved it!

After the movies, they played and then we hit the Mexican restuarant and pigged out! Callaway, Breland and Emma get a little tasting of a Sopapia! They thought it was the greatest. Following supper we came home and ate the homemade cake I enjoyed making for callaway. It was yummy. It was a "sleepover" cake with the girls in a sleeping bag. Immediately following cake we were going to go to a play. Well, we did not make it because our sweet friend fell from the trampolin and fractured her arm!!! What a memorible birthday. We are praying that Emma's arm will heal strong and fast. That was our day! Now we are chillin' on the couch. Happy Birthday, Callaway!

New Family Photos..

A friend of mine took these beautiful pictures of our family. The girls did a wonderful job. My little future Top Models! Hope you are having a fantastic Spring!

What's up Doc?

Burkley Ann playing Bugs Bunny!

She loves getting in the tub with the girls. A tub full of craziness!

Party Girls

Who needs a reason to party?
The girls love having fun dressing up and being silly. My parents, sister and nieces came into town and when they went to the zoo they bought face paintings. When we went to Lowe's later, they looked like circus performers! I kept wondering why everyone was starring. Silly me, my children looked like trapeze artists!
Have a party of your own today!

Easter 2008

We went to my Grandmother's for Easter where we saw cousins, Aunts and Grandparents. The girls had a wonderful time searching for eggs and eating candy. Egg dying was a mess but everyone enjoyed it. Burkley Ann loved the stuffed animals she got from DaDa and NaNa. She made a precious bunny rabbit. The Easter bunny brought all the girls rabbit ears and they were all decked out as little bunnies.

Snow!!

Snow in Hernando!
We finally had snow in March! The girls had a blast making snow angels and being silly in the snow. Breland had a boot incident and big sister came to the rescue!
Even the animals had fun enjoying the one snow day of the year!

Bye, Bye Baby!

Finally! Callaway has lost her first tooth! Not by the natural way however...Doctor Jason said that little tooth was never going to let go! Her other tooth has been hanging around for about 5 weeks waiting for the baby to say bye.

The root was extremely long! It looks like a shark's tooth. Callaway called it a vine. She is almost right!

Please come tooth fairy!

Day in the Water!

Last Sunday, the girls and I went swimming at the indoor aquatic center. My little water bugs are soooo ready for the summer to swim. We had a great time! It was Burkley Ann's first pool experience...she adores the water!

Update on the Face!

The girls change so quickly!

Burkley Ann is growing at a rapid speed. Good thing we are about to change seasons, because all of Breland's pants are now crop pants! Callaway is now almost at my shoulder.

They are the best little garden!

Who is Who?

Can you guess who is who???



OK...Callaway is first on the bed, Burkley Ann in the high chair and Breland in the hat

They look so much alike at this age. Callaway and Breland look so different now. Thanks for playing...

Callaway is a STAR!

What a great time! Callaway did MARVOLOUS! We are very proud of her and all the children in the musical. She has definitely found what she loves to do.
The highlights were her smiles and funny faces and of course when she broke out of a holding pose and bowed, kissed her fingers and blew them toward the audience while everyone was still holding their poses!
A funny moment was when she took it upon herself to pull a girl in line with the back of the girl's shirt! Who's the future director?? Also, when she took a quick dig to straighten her undies!

We are very thankful to Mrs. Erin, Mrs. Kris and all the moms who helped. It was a fabulous show!
Thanks, also, to her "fans" who came, Mrs. LeAnne, Mrs. Carla, Mrs. Caroline and Mrs. Ashley!!! She was so excited to be able to sign her autograph! What a thrill for a 6 year old! Burkley Ann even enjoyed the show...she was dancing on Mrs. Carla's lap the whole time!

Gearing up for the BIG SHOW!

Callaway is getting ready for her big production! She is very excited and pumped up for her small solo part and all the dancing she will be doing. The pictures above are of dress rehearsal.

She does a really super job. We are proud of her...all that drama is finally paying off!
Come see her if you can....

COLD BUGS!

The cold bug has bitten us hard!
It all started with a "weird" cold virus Callaway had about 2 weeks ago. Then Burkley Ann had an ear infection and I had strep last Friday. Now Breland was diagnosed with the flu today!
Good thing I don't have anymore kids. I would never get to go back to work!
The big kid, "Frank", has not yet been bitten...hopefully he can stay well.

HOPE YOU ARE ALL WELL...STAY BUG FREE!

Burkley Ann is growing soooo fast! She will be 6 months old on February 8th. She is still a wonderful, delight to have in our lives. She started eating foods and loves them! Carrots are a favorite. She should have abs of steal because she tries to sit up constantly. She also has forgone the Binky and has opted for the middle and ring fingers on her right hand. Her favorite is chasing every bite with them. It makes for a messy meal time!

Pixie Chick Mommy and the Flying Montanas

Well, I guess my secret is out! I am a super model, rocker mom on the side. No really, I am a member of Junior Auxiliary and we serve about 500 local children. One of our projects is for 6 grade girls. 3 friends of mine and I dress up as the Pixie Chicks and perform for them. We have a ton of fun and I amazed at the innocence that lies beneath the tough skin of a 12 year old.
When I returned home, my two future Hannah Montanas were pumped up and still in there PJ's! They put on some rocker stage jumps for me...I think the flying nun is the best!

All that Christmas wore us out!

Callaway and Maisy, Burkley Ann and John Weston (my cousin's, Fleming, new baby boy) were worn out! I am jealous...I admit it!

Christmas with the Gibbs

Christmas in Oxford was quick but lots of fun! The girls love seeing their older cousins. We only see them a few times a year and they change so much everytime we see them.
Frank's brother Dean and his family lives near by but his brother, Monte, and his family live about 6 hours away.
Mrs. Gibbs' brother and their family joined us and it was great seeing them as well.
The girls loved dressing up in their Santa dresses MeeMaw & Pop gave them!

Our Elf on the Shelf...

Our "elf on the shelf" did a great job! On Christmas morning we found him snuggled up on the couch. He had been watching tv, eating candy and cookies and talking on the phone! It was his time to take a break...he left a note telling the girls to be good and that his name was Flicker!
We will be seeing him again!

SANTA CAME!

The girls were so thrilled Christmas morning. They got music and art things for Christmas and loved it! They tried on every dress up they got and then put on a "Snowman Band" show for me. It was hilarious!
The joy of Christmas lives in them and is beautiful to see. When I was taking their group pictures by the tree, I said to them to smile, and they said Happy Birthday Jesus! I thought it was precious and a great thing.

Stylists in Action!

The girls cousin, Bentley, received a beauty kit from Santa and went to town on NaNa's hair!

Snowchildren!

We traveled to West Point on Christmas day to spend time with my family. Our DaDa was home from Thailand! We were able to visit with my grandparents, my parents, my Aunt Marty and her family, my cousins Amy and Debbie and their families.

Also, during Christmas, on the 26th, we had a snowman party for all the little ones at my Grandmothers. They had a fabulous time making ornaments, painting, drinking hot chocolate. eating smores and getting snowman happies.
We did this in place of exchanging gifts among the cousins. I think it was very successful and will become a tradition now. Christmas can be so overwhelming and wallet biting! This was a great way not to be so stressed and give the children something to experience and make memories.

Love our Cousins!

My sister, Holly, came to visit a few days at the end of the holidays. Her girls are soooo cute! Callaway and Breland love to see them and play. We were super lazy while they were here because it was cold and rainy. We mainly stayed in our PJ's and played!
Holly and I were able to go shop! We love after Christmas dealing!

Visit her site if you can...nelsenfamily.blogspot.com

Hello Santa!

The girls love going to the Pink Palace to see Santa and to ride the escalator! It is so weird to go there now. When I was a child, it seemed so huge and so amazing. If only we could view things like a child all the time!
Getting there was quite fun! I had them all dressed up to match and while getting into the car they decided to play in the front yard which was muddy from the 3 days of rain! Well, I grabbed the first thing I saw in their closets and ditched the matching idea! It was worth a shot...with three children, I have learned that things are not always going to be like I imagine!
Matching or not, they were able to visit Santa and tell him what they wanted for Christmas.

Maisy

Our cat, Millie, that we got in November of '06 disappeared in October. She never returned. When my Dad returned from Thailand in December, he discovered that a momma cat had used their backyard to deliver her babies...and meet Maisy.
She is a very sweet and frisky kitten and is becoming a family member all ready.

Princesses Galore!

Princesses on Ice!
Our beauties enjoyed their time at Princesses on Ice. Callaway was Snow White with her cousin and Breland was a very excited Cinderella! Burkley enjoyed it, too!

Christmas Ornaments

I painted ornaments again this year. It is sometimes overwhelming but I just can't stop doing them. I really get enjoyment out of creating a wonderful keepsake for families. Thanks to all of you who ordered from me and thanks for being patient if they took a long time!
If you think you might want something by Christmas next year...let me know now! No really, it might take me that long!

MY FEET!

My feet are just too cute!
Burkley Ann has grown so much!
I can't believe that she is already 5months.
She is the sweetest little thing. I can't imagine life without her!

Parading Around

Our Christmas parade was on December 11th and the girls had such a fun time on the Daisies Girl Scout float. They had the wave down perfect!

Our Little Elf

We were very proud of our little elf, Callaway, singing her first solo in her kindergarten's Christmas play. She did a great job! Watch out Hannah Montana! Ha!

Blessings from God...

The Lord has blessed Frank and me with such a beautiful family. I am so thankful for them and for all of our friends. I was once told that even friends have a purpose in our lives. I am grateful for everyone in ours! We love you all!

Before Thanksgiving, the Wednesday night class that I teach with my best friend, Holly, gave an encore performance of our play "Stone Soup" to the retirement home here. I played the hungry fox, Callaway played a rabbit and Breland was a chicken. It was so cute! (pre-K-1st)

Thanksgiving was very nice. We went to the Gibbs and the food and company were great! On Friday, the Lord blessed our family with a new cousin! My cousin, Fleming, gave birth to an 8.14 lb. baby boy named John Weston. We can't wait to meet him!

Hope you all had a blessed and wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

Pink Tinkerbell

Today Callaway had a Girl Scout event where the girls dressed as a book character. Callaway drew Tinkerbell as her character. We did not have a green suit so we put together a pink version! She had a great time!

Breland's New Look!

Today we went to get Breland's hair cut and we went for it!
She looks so adorable!!!!
We all had a beauty day!

Orange Beach Vacation!

Our trip to Orange Beach with the Gibbs was lots of fun and relaxing. Yes, I was actually able to relax. The girls had a blast on the beach and tanned so pretty. Holly and her girls came to visit and stay with us.
Callaway was in the water most of the time and Breland stayed in the sand. I think I picked sand out of her hair for about a week after we left! Burkley Ann never knew we were on the beach because she slept the whole time!
Callaway has a memorable story about a Man-of-War that almost stung her...this one is for real!

Burkley Ann's Baptism

We had Burkley Ann's Baptism on September 22.
She was beautiful in her eggshell colored, linen gown.
We were so proud to have my parents, Holly and her girls, Granny & Granddaddy Southern and my Aunt Marty with her granddaughter Katie, and Frank's mom and our niece Hannah.
We also celebrated Granny and Breland's birthdays. It is such a blessing they share the same day!
I found this verse that is so perfect for the christening...
I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign Lord; I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone. Since my youth, O God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come.
Psalm 71:16-18

Callaway the Star

Callaway has taken a strong interest in the performing arts. But that is no surprise to those who know her! Her drama queen ways will sure pay off for her. I guess all this time she has just been in training.
She has joined a theater club where she learns how to perform and the ends and outs of the theater. She will be singing a solo part in the musical the group will performing in February. She is also singing a solo part in her play at school. She is a little elf!
Callaway also has a talent at drawing. She reminds me so much of me at that age. Her drawings are quite impressive and detailed.
She is a very kind hearted soul.