Tip Off Tournament

This past weekend our school kicked off it's basketball season with our annual Tip Off Tournament.

A while back Joanna mentioned how she thought it would be so much FUN to be in charge of the concession stand. Although she had no clue what she was getting into with a 3 day tournament, I think she had me in mind, cuz she know's how much I hate other people in my kitchen messing it up. :)

I told her that I would do it if my dear Friend Reitha would help us. Reitha has much experience in planning this concession and I knew she was the woman to turn to.

Rietha and I had a lunch meeting to "go over the menu"......really I think we just caught up on our lives. ;) And then we spent an afternoon shopping. And shopping we did. We took my truck and I don't think that we could fit ANYTHING else in that truck. It was JAM PACKED!!
But we had fun doing it!!



We were so glad to have Ethan and Elisa there Thursday night. They were a huge help!



Guess who showed up on Friday??

MY MOM!! I turned around and screamed!! She just thought we might need some help and decided to come over. What a help she was!!

For some reason, none of the parents with children in basketball signed up to work in the concessions, so it was really nice my mom came to help us.



(I just have to add that there is nothing better then fresh popped popcorn!!)



Even Hunny showed up for a little while.



Joy also came over after she got off work to help.

I think that by her being there, she brought it a lot of business from the high school boys. They all wanted to check out the "hot girl" in the kitchen. :)



Joy and Joanna taking a break in 1 of the quiet times in the kitchen. I wonder if Joanna's feet still hurt? I know I could barely stand on mine by Friday night.



To the dismay of the high school boy's, Joy's boyfriend came and helped out also. I for 1 was glad he was there.





While I am glad the tournament is over, I did have fun with Reitha and my family.

I also wanted to thank my inlaws for watching my kids Thursday night. I knew that it would be a late night and Gail and DeWayne were more then willing to keep the kids overnight. They took huge load off my back just by doing that.

Of Birthdays, tickle tortures and coffee dates

Today is my Brother Jonathan's bday. I so wish him a very happy bday!

I wish today above all else we could celebrate with him. But I am looking forward to Christmas this year since they will be coming to visit!!! ( I think we should start a count down!!)




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Dear Jeff. I just want you to know that that you are not the only one that Jeremy has tormented. And here is proof. I have always heard of the infamous....he pinned me down and tickled me till I stuttered........and Sat night while I was in the kitchen, I heard Jeremy taking to Brother. I walked into the living room and this is what I saw. And I heard him telling Brother about how he used to do this very thing to Jeff. And how Jeff doesn't stutter now. :) It made me laugh. I thought you might get a kick out of it.



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I love to read Blogs. You can learn about so many different people and actually learn some things from reading about other people's lives.

I can't tell you when I found Liz's blog. But I was instantly drawn to her. She was quickly on my list of blogs I check routinely.

One day she posted about a trip to an apple orchard that she went on with her kids. The orchard looked awful familiar! I messaged her and through the course of our conversation we found out that we live so very close to each other and we both frequent the orchard often!!

As we continued to talk, she realized that she KINDA knew who I was because she was already friends with my sister Joanna!

AND

her sister and brother in law go to my Dad's church, and Joanna and I went to school with her Brother in law!

What a crazy small world!

We of course made plans to actually meet and last night I was able to meet Liz.

Joanna, Liz and I met at our local Starbucks, which we all L.O.V.E!!

We talked and talked and talked. Conversation flowed easily and we were shocked at the time when they "kicked" us out b/c the coffee shop was closing!

I think I could have stayed and talked with her another couple hours.

It's so very cool how God brings people together and I hope that a lasting friendship was formed last night!



Another highlight of my night was being able to sneak and meet Hunny on his dinner break. :)

Book It

I was a little hesitant to take the kids voting with me today. But since Hunny was already at work, I had to do what I had to do. They totally surprised me with how well they behaved. They stood in line right by my side the whole time. I was so pleased!!



After voting and running a couple errands, the kids were thrilled to redeem their Book It coupons for this month. Our neighbor runs a couple of the local Pizza Huts and was at the Pizza Hut that we go to. He saw us come in. He gave the kids a great big smile and told the kids that they would be able to come back and make their very own pizza's.

THEY

WERE

EXCITED!!!!



They both chose sausage and cheese.

Brother even was allowed to put EXTRA sausage on his!



And then they put their pizza's in the oven along with some bread sticks that our neighbor told them they could have.



He even sent them home with Pizza Hut hats that they have had on ever since. While eating his pizza, Brother announced that that was the best night ever.

Family

Sunday was such a GORGEOUS day, I had the brilliant idea to snap some pictures of my family.



It is not flesh and blood but the heart which makes us fathers and sons. ~Johann Schiller



A truly rich man is one whose children run into his arms when his hands are empty. ~Author Unknown



You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them. ~Desmond Tutu





What greater thing is there for human souls than to feel that they are joined for life - to be with each other in silent unspeakable memories. ~George Eliot



Once he drew With one long kiss my whole soul thro'My lips, as sunlight drinketh dew.~Alfred Lord Tennyson

I am so very thankful for my husband. I am thankful for his listening ear and understanding heart. His knowing that sometimes all I need is a shoulder to cry on and arms wrapped around me. His knowing he can't fix the problem but will be there when the going gets tough.



I heard this song and I fell in love with it. It reminded me of Hunny and I.

Lips that taste of tears, they say, Are the best for kissing.~Dorothy Parker



Ancient lovers believed a kiss would literally unite their souls, because the spirit was said to be carried in one's breath. ~Eve Glicksman




A daughter is a little girl who grows up to be a friend. ~Author Unknown

Of all the haunting moments of motherhood, few rank with hearing your own words come out of your daughter's mouth. ~Victoria Secunda



Some mothers are kissing mothers and some are scolding mothers, but it is love just the same, and most mothers kiss and scold together. ~Pearl S. Buck

I love this picture of me and the kids. I think it's 1 of my favorite of the day.



The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness. ~Honoré de Balzac

Of Ice Skating and Apple Pies

My kids had the wishes granted this weekend. They have begged me for a very, very long time to go ice skating. It's just something we have never done. But when my sister called and said hey...Micah wants his cousins to go ice skating for his bday, I thought what a perfect excuse to go. So we jumped in the truck and went ice skating.

When Dada found out where we were going....she goes.....Oh Mom, you are the best!!! (It totally made the effort worth it to go especially when all I wanted to do was take a nap)



Dada of course was gone before I could even try to get her picture!!

Brother was very nervous to go. He walked out onto the ice and turned right around with me and sat with me on the bleachers. He wasn't about to do it. He didn't care if his cousins were out there and they were fine, he was just going to sit there by me.

Thankfully I had the brilliant idea to do it myself and see if that would lure him out there. And lure it did. He walked out onto the ice with me.

It only took him 1/2 a turn around the ice to realize he REALLY WOULD be fine and that I wasn't lying to him. He skated around the rest of the time only pausing once to rest.



Thankfully Dada paused long enough to snap 1 picture of her on the ice.

AND if you must know.....I only lasted 1 turn around the ice. When it comes to ice skating I am a better WATCHER then I am a participator.

When we got home we had a family night planned. With Hunny's work schedule what it is, family time is something almost non existent. So it was nice just to have a relaxing evening together.

I planned on making grilled chicken, mashed potatoes, corn and apple pie. What I didn't plan on was the awesome help that I had doing it. Dada helped me make the apple pie. She was with me the whole time in the kitchen. She peeled apples and has now learned how to slice on apple for pie. She even learned how to peel potatoes which reportedly is harder to peel then apples.

How grateful I am for that time we had together. It was a nice time to talk with my "little" girl.



This is what is left of our pie. Yep, it's that good. Dada did a great job!!

Friday the kids had a merit activity. They had a day planned with fun at the Royal Oaks Apple Orchard.

I was very sad that I wasn't able to go with the kids. Since my helper at school had already requested that day off well.....someone had to make lunch. Thankfully Beth was able to step in and help me that day. We made chili and cornbread for lunch. It was super delish!!!



But since I didn't go, Daddy went with them. He was um....thrilled....to go. ;)






Each child was allowed to pick a bag of apples while they went on their wagon ride.




I put my camera into the very capable hands of my friend Rhonda. She so kindly took pictures since Hunny wouldn't. :)



These are pictures from 2007 at the Apple Orchard when the kids were in 1st grade.

Fear

My favorite quote of late......

Anonymous~ Do not fear little flock, it is your Father's desire to give you his Kingdom.

If Fear were not holding you back, what would you do?

I was shocked to hear what my answer was. My heart answered this question even before my brain could answer.

For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. (Isaiah 41:13)

Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again." (Exodus 14:13)

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31:6)

For God gave us not a spirit of fearfulness; but of power and love and discipline. (2 Timothy 1:7)

The Lord is my light and my salvation--whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life--of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1)

Do not Fear little flock, it is your Father's desire to give you his Kingdom.

What would you do???