Our Girls Day Out!

As part of a special Christmas gift and another way for my "girls" to spend quality time together, I devised a plan to take my granddaughters, daughter-in-law and stepdaughter out for a day of fun, relaxation, and a wonderful dining experience.
The day started with my first gift to the girls. We drove to Bastrop and I had made appointments for all five of us to have pedicures at the same time. It was a blast and we all chose different colors! I also had a sweet surprise for each of them. I had Steph (my beautiful stepdaughter) stop and let me out a Walmart. I went in and purchased a box of candy and a bottle of water for everyone. Poor Ashley ate nearly every piece of hers during the pedicure session! Huh!
 Next, it was on to Surprise #2. We trekked on to Monroe and I gave directions to drive over the bridge to W. Monroe. Steph was driving and she just followed my directions and never asked what or where, like a good daughter should.
I forgot that I had heard about the particular place we were going was moving, so after driving past the empty storefront, I directed her to drive back across the river into Monroe. Finally, we arrived at our destination. We drove up to Bath Junkie and I treated everyone to a lotion, scrub, salts or whatever! The girls had a blast!
Moving on to the next destination, we had a little time to kill so we decided to "shop" in SteinMart.

I had already called to confirm our reservations at Warehouse #1 so we didn't have to wait for a table. I had requested that our table be where we would have a direct view of the river. After a wonderful appetizer platter, each of us ordered a different entree' and sampled all the delicious offerings. Ofcourse, the dessert was hard to pass up so we ordered three and shared.

After dinner, the last stop was Pecanland Mall for a very last minute gifts everyone had to pick up and then it was time to head home. I hope I can speak for the girls when I tell you I never have enjoyed my time with them more than that night. We laughed, told some secrets and shared some memories we will never forget.

I hope you enjoy the pictures!

Cupid's Arrow Flies Again!

Dear Johnny,
This Valentine's Day is our 24th as a married couple and I wanted you to know that even though we don't need a special day to show one another that we are in love as much today as when we first met, I want to tell you I Love You.
I am so happy that you choose me to spend the rest of your life with. Our children are a testament of that love...each of them are happy in the lives that they have, and this says alot for our family life through the years. It hasn't been perfect, and at times it was downright frustrating to go from one day to the next, but we always used one anothers shoulder to cry on, and when I couldn't bear the weight, you were there to take it for me.
You are my best friend, my soulmate, my confidante.
I love you with all my heart, body and soul.
Happy Valentine's Day JJ!

Just Thinking Out Loud

This is a picture of my oldest son...can you see him? Doesn't matter really, I know he is in there. I look at this picture often to help me remember that he is proud of what he does. Right now he is on an assignment somewhere, not sure where. I keep hoping today is the day he will call and let me hear his voice.

He is a soldier, a pilot, an american, a husband. He is the father of three boys and a friend to many. He is a son, a brother, a mentor. He is my little boy too! No matter that he is 33 years old. If you are a mama, you know what I'm talking about.

I named him after his father and I sure hope he is watching from heaven, seeing this boy of his grow and mature as a man. I wonder if my son thinks like that too.

It doesn't get any easier to let him go, over and over again. I never get used to that.

Catch and release!

Have a good day son, wherever you are. Do your best, follow your heart, be the best you can be, pray everyday and think of all of us sometime.

We Love You!

Just wanted to post a few of our family pictures from Christmas. It was a wonderful season, full of good memories.

First Day of Autumn

It's been awhile since I've posted anything, obliviously, but I've been a little busy. First thing, my youngest moved into an apartment on campus this quarter and if any of you have experienced this right-of-passage then you know what a chore this is. To compound things, he's nearly two hours away. All I can say is I hope he has everything and if he doesn't, then there's Dollar General.
Today is officially the first day of autumn and while it doesn't feel much like it, I hope for cooler days soon. We've had two weeks of rain and I'm not going to complain because our neighbors out in Georgia are really suffering today. My prayers are will all of you who may be affected by the flooding. Our God has not turned His head and He will make provisions. Trust Him with your very lives and He will not disappoint you. These are difficult times and we will all be tested.
The sun will shine again and you will be stronger.

I haven't relayed this piece of information about myself...but I am part owner of a catering business called Two Friends Catering. My partner and I started this little business for the fun of it. And FUN is exactly what I'm having. We do alot of baking, mostly due to the devastating loss of our bakery in town. I am a self-taught decorator and far from being a professional. But I like to experiment with the different mediums of cake decorating. For years I worked at a job that was very demanding and after 60 plus hours per week, I didn't have alot of time to do these things. Finally, I'm able to relax and have fun.

Maybe I'll take up skydiving next!!

Bring on the fall season!

The last couple of days here in N.E. Louisiana have been absolutely gorgeous! The humidity, which in this area can choke a elephant, has been very low and the sky is blue. I love this time of the year more than any other. The fields are being harvested of their bounty and folks are pulling out the firepits and shopping for sweaters. Kids are back at school, and next week our youngest is off to college at Louisiana Tech in Ruston. Our house is about a mile and a half from the high school and last Friday I listened from my front porch the firing of the cannon, which is our way of celebrating a victorious score over our opponent.

I have always tried to rush the seasons, and I am not going to apologize for nothing. I drug out my ceramic pumpkins and I made a special trip to the corner market to purchase mums for my front walk. I can't wait for the real pumpkins to get here. I love all the varieties we have available to us now. The pale chalky ones and the jasper green ones are really cool. I even like the ones with "warts".

My oldest son, Paul, has three boys (God bless their mama) and he gets into carving pumpkins like you've never seen. He puts a table up outside and gets a wide array of "carving tools" and goes at it. The eyes of those kids nearly pop out watching him. He does one for each of the boys, and even one for Katie and him.

We do not celebrate Halloween, the gross stuff and all, but I love pumpkins and I carve pretty ivy designs and words on mine. I just love the glow that a lit pumpkin gives the outside walk.

It is time to gather some wood for the firepit. This weekend will be the first time we light ours and I plan on sittin' a spell and enjoying the starry sky.

I encourage you and yours to make a memory of your own this week. Children love it when the house is decorated for the season, even if it isn't anything but a mason jar of candy corn. So, have a good time with family and friends this week!

525,600 minutes

How do you measure your life in a year? That's five hundred, twenty-five thousand, six hundred minutes to be exact. Sounds like alot, doesn't it? If I asked you what you have been doing for the last sixty minutes, what could you tell me? Watch some t.v. or read a book? Talk on the telephone, mostly talking about someone whose business is not your own?

What about the words you spoke in the past sixty minutes? We're they words of kindness, cheerfulness or forgiveness?

How many minutes did you spend telling someone that you loved them?

These are pretty hard questions, aren't they?

Our lives are a gift from God. He gave us the very breath we breathe. Each one of us are chosen for His pleasure. How do you think He measures our life?

Five hundred, twenty-five thousand, six hundred minutes...how do you measure them?

We returned last night from a long weekend in Dallas, Texas and while it is always good to go away for a few days, it seems that when you get home there is so much to do, it makes you wonder if it was really worth it. Our son, the "brainchild", had the run of the place while we were a away, and let me just say, he didn't exactly keep things tidy! Between dishes and clothes, it will take me most of this day to get things in order. Besides this, I find it so hard to get back in the swing of things after having been "on holiday". But, once things are in order and I can sit back down and blog abit about our trip, I will be very happy to have the memories.

What My Home Means To Me

This is where I live. It's home to me, my husband Johnny and our youngest son, Michael. To anyone else, it seems plain, but to us, it is a remarkable piece of evidence showing the end product of perseverance and hope. Without hope, this might have never been our home. Without perseverance, it may have never existed as it is. I hoped and I strived for a home. What is home? It is where you can come and be comfortably at ease. You do not have to "be" anything but yourself. I love coming here after being away. Just knowing that this place is waiting for me gives me great peace. I am sheltered here. I am warm. It beacons me to come and take refuge from a world outside its doors that is often unbearable. The words spoken by those who dwell here bring me peace and happiness. I have lived in many places, some much grander than this , some not so much. But, walls and brick don't mean anything without the people within their boundaries. My family makes this place a real home.