Decorating our Tree...

Yesterday (Friday) Ashley wanted us to put our tree up so ...*gasp*..."Mi-chael" could be here also. So, we did. Deanna came over and helped..along with Cujo!Britt got into the season and was in great spirits!I love this picture. Dee is Mike's sister-Donna's daughter, for my side of the family reading this. She loves coming over to be with the girls...and Cujo.I like this picture because it shows Ashley's humor. This is a terrible picture of the finished den. I don't know WHY I don't have any pictures of Courtney, but I don't! MOST UNUSUAL since she's the family ham. I will take better more pics later. We were all too tired to have pics taken...even Cujo...
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving like we did....BYE!

Thanksgiving at Aunt Aurelia's

Aunt Aurelia went all out again this year and had a big dinner...and she knows how to do it up right! I hated we couldn't be there due to my working until 3pm, BUT, we will be there next year for dinner! I'm also looking forward to seeing everyone over Christmas. Dad sent me these pictures ... I want to add for those in Mike's family who view this blog who everyone is...
This is Lauren, my neice. The man in the striped shirt is Jerry Hawkins, my OTHER BROTHER! hee hee! He is a terrific man who has always been a part of my family and is a wonderful friend to my parents. That's my sister-in-law Brenda, Lauren's Mom, in purple.
I have never met Gina's boyfriend, but they look happy! And this pic is of Mom. She has alot to be thankful this year with her health. She has been thru alot and is doing alot to be healthy...way to go Mom!!!!

The Day After the Day After....

Well, I finally recovered the digital camera and weeded thru 100 pictures of the girls taking pictures of their eyeballs to get these...These here were taken on Thanksgiving Day at Mike's parents house...

This is everyone gathering around the dinner table. That's Mike's Uncle Art...who is one of the best AND funniest men I've ever known. Around the table is Mike's cousin's children.

This is Mike's cousin's, Dee (who the girls go and spend part of the summer with in Florida every year), his sister, Dawn, and his other cousin Mike, who moved to Georgia from California...some of the blonde girls you see in these pictures are his children.

This is Art and his girlfriend Delores and Michael (Ashley's boyrfriend) in the background.
Afterwards, everyone sat around and did what they do best...TALK... and talk!

We're So FULL!

OH WOW, did we all over eat yesterday. We're all miserable, even the boys!

I had to work till 3pm...they begged me to stay till 7pm..and even called me twice after I got home to ask me how to do something! Geeeze.
So, I met everyone from Mikes side of the family over at his parents house across the street after work. I don't even know how many people were there, but it was GREAT! The girls LOVE it when family gets together, so they were in rare form! The food was wonderful and everyone is healthy and happy! What more could you ask for!
Britt took some pictures..the camera is still across the street. I think we're all going to eat breakfast over there this morning, so I'll take MORE pics and post them today.
Last night, Lauren came over and stayed for awhile and met Mike's cousins Paige and Devon from California/Georgia, who are SO SWEET! They, along with Deanna, spent the night..and are STILL ASLEEP in the den! I don't know what time they fell asleep, but I DO know they ate good over here...SOMEone even licked all the iceing off the cake! hmmmmm.... Lauren didn't stay all night, but I told her that over Christmas break, she can come over and stay all night! She is SO beautiful, just like her Aunt! hee hee

more soon-

Finally a day off....

Well, we survived the weekend. It was SO busy. The girls- plus cousin- went to Keith Urban concert Sunday night WHICH requires HOURS of pre-planning and strategic hair analysis and placement. They all made it on time.

I checked the digital camera to see if anyone has taken any pictures lately, and they haven't.

Today, the girls are in school ALL DAY- YEE HAW! So, it's me and the boys today.

We are having dinner at Mike's parents house across the street this year. I am to bring Macaroni and cheese, "red jello stuff" and whatever else they need more of. There will be a house FULL on Thursday, so more food the better.

OH, Ashley wanted me to include here that Michael is coming home in the morning for 5 days. I guess that means we won't be seeing much of her/them...until they get hungry and come home for something to eat!

I'll post more on here later. I'm just SO THRILLED to finally be off work! My brain feels heavy..it's so full of knowledge, you know!

L8r!

T.G.I.F.

Well, another week down....now it's the WEEKEND. WHY am I so excited? Because I have to WORK 12 hours a day ALL WEEKEND and MIKE gets to "enjoy" the kids ALL FREAKING WEEKEND! Yee-hawwwwwwwwwww! HA

I will miss the little angels terribly while I'm at work tho...REALLY!

Well, after much thought and hours of wheezing...I have decided that we are joining the gym. I can't handle anymore mountainous hills and being stranded by the "angles". Besides, Mike says the neighbors are wondering why I'm laying on the front porch shoutin' for "MERCY, OH LORD". He says I sound Penecostal. whatever.

So, the gym it is. I already went and signed us all up. MIKE TOO. HA! That'll show him!
They got these bicycles there that will peddle for you! YEAH BABEEEEE! That's MY kinda machine! They have these other machines that are like climbing stairs! PRETEND climbing stairs?...huh?
Now, WHY would I want to pay out the wha-zoo to drive 5 miles there to pretend like I'm climbing stairs? I HATE stairs!
Well, I asked the lady that.
She said it's very popular!!!! And you can even talk on the phone while on this machine! uh-huh.
I told her I can climb up and down my basement stairs carrying a load of dirty clothes while hollering at the kids talking the phone and it don't cost a thing...geeeeze....if that's supposed to draw paying customers in, they better do better than that!

I don't get it.

whatever. Mike is working at some concert tonight and Brittany is spending the night at a friends, Courtney will be at a friends house and Ashley will be at work. I will be here at home trying to figure all this out.

Have a good day!!!

BBBRRrrrrrrr.....

The high today is only 54! GEEEZE! It's 36 out there now. Buddy ain't a happy dog!

Tonight is the Hillcrest High School pageant. The girl's cousin is in it, so they will be there for support, and will take pictures! GO BETH!!! I will be HOME and WARM.

Well, we have all started walking/running/crawling in my case, 1 mile a day. Courtney's voice teacher wants her to, Britt needs to for her pre-diabetes, Ash wants to for her "man", and I don't want to, but told them I would for support. right. We have this mountainous, steep hill on our road WHICH I attempted to walk up last night. NOT PRETTY. Courtney had to get behind me and push! Then she almost stepped on road kill...Brittany gave up half way thru and Ashley jogged. disgusting. By the time I returned home 45 minutes later (I was left on the side of the road...abandoned to tackle the hill alone) Ashley had already taken her shower and was drying her hair, Courtney was on the computer and Britt was at her Grandma's house across the street. I layed on the front porch till dark BREATHING. I hate exercise. Tonight when we go, I'm going to walk to the bottom of the hill and when the girls run back up and get home they can get the car and go pick me up!

Have a good day!

Just another day......

The Beauty and the Beast.







Yesterday DRUG by...like all my 12 hour work days do. Today is my short day...8 hours. It will actually still be daylight when I leave!


I was looking thru my pictures looking for my favorites to add, and I love this one. Britt had a bad day at school yesterday, so this is dedicated to her!

I KNOW Dad will say he took this picture, but I did. Notice how it's properly centered and like, TOTALLY IN FOCUS! Yup! Mine!



Well...I need to get at least one more cup of coffee down, feed the boys, pack a lunch (it's speghetti day at the hospital unless the patients can rally together to get it changed....terrible), and find my car keys.

More later.....

Patriotism all around....

This has been a Very patriotic weekend!
We went to another Veteran's Day ceremony, this time at Woodlawn Cemetery. They hold one every year. This is a great thing Woodlawn does with the Service Corps.
The Veteran's Service Corps. and Woodlawn also, together, provide funerals for Veteran's who cannot afford their own. This is a full military funeral and can have a gun salute if desired. Woodlawn donates the vault and casket and the Service Corps. will provide uniform etc. Courtney gets involved by singing at the funeral service. The last one she did was a cremation. She knows more about funerals than I do!


She was asked today to sing at a battlefield re-inactment on December 10th sponsered by the Sons of the American Revolution. She's SO excited! Those are fun!

Well, it just so happens, being Veteran's Day weekend, Ashley's boyfriend left this afternoon for Camp Geiger for infantry training. OH the tears she cryed. OH LAWDY! She took her cousin with her to his house for "support". (The rest of us was the cemetery ...appropriately.) Except Britt, who was at a friends house. Ashley's cousin took a couple of pictures.
This was taken at his house. Pre-tears.

She's planning on going to Camp Geiger in December to visit him with his mother. I haven't told Mike yet...nope. I think I'll wait.

AND for further family news, Donna (mike's sister) is doing MUCH better since her car accident a week ago. She's still extremely sore and covered in black bruises.

Her chest bent the steering wheel, she broke her arm and her ankle is/was in pieces before surgery. She can't put any weight on her ankle for at least 4 months. We're just glad it wasn't worse.


Well, that's it from here! Tomorrow is a WORK DAY- THANK GOODNESS. I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE. It's pretty bad when you look forward to going to work to recover from the weekend!

Woo-hoo!

Courtney had the honor of singing for the Veteran's Memoral Day celebrations here. She LOVES singing for the Veteran Service Corps. and has been singing for them for over 3 years now. It's a great organization who help all veteran's. She will be singing for them again tomorrow at Woodlawn Cemetery for a Veteran's ceremony.
This is a pic of Courtney and Senator Lindsey Graham. He was a good speaker. Dad said he sounded like a politician. The Senator said his Daddy owned a liquor store. Sounds like a politician to me!!!!

This is Pvc. Michael Schneider. He is in the Marine's and is active duty. AND he is "going-out" with Ashley. She went to high school with him. He graduated last year and joined the Marines. He leaves tomorrow for combat training and will be going to Iraq in February.
We all really like him and he seems to be very nice....which is a tremendous breath of fresh air for us.


The Traveler's Rest High School Marching band was there and played bits of each military branch's theme song. He stood in attention during the Marine part. Ashley was sitting beside him.




Courtney singing God Bless America and There's a Hero.




That's the Most Highly Reverend Senata' Lindsey Gra-hammmmm. Amen standing beside her. I didn't realize he is the only Senator who serves in the military...GO LINDSEY!

The girls at the Veteran's day celebration. I had this picture at the top of the freaking blog page, but it messed up. Anyways, Britt took video of the ceremony and Ashley hung out while Court sang and schmoozed.

Saturday, November 12

OK...so Dad took these particular pictures yesterday. Notice the blurriness and out of focus??? hee hee! I taught him everything I know about photography and he still can't get it right!!!!
Court sang two songs and there were alot of speeches. The Air Force Thunderbirds flew over head and there was a 21 gun salute.

Michael invited Ashley to the Marine Corps. ball last week and oh LAWD what an ordeal getting her ready. It was a dinner, award banquet and schmoozing ball. It was held in Greenville this year. She was SO worried she was going to spill her dinner on him and he was PETrified she was going to spill her dinner on him! hee hee Here are some of them before the ball. If I didn't already mention it, Britt took some of these pictures. I was proud of them helping her out while I was at work. Most of these pictures were taken at Mike's parents house and yard. They then went to see me at the hospital, then to my parents house before leaving out.
Ash had her sisters, two neighbors and a distant cousin who worked on her! THANKS NEIGHBORHOOD!

All made up and somewhere to go! 

Ashley and Michael visiting my parents house before the Ball.