What a month...

I can't believe it's been forEVER since I posted last! We have all been so busy, I haven't even really sat down at the computer hardly any.
Let's see what's up with us....
Britt and Ashley are working 3-4 evenings a week at Brixx (yuppy, yankee pizza place...yick).
OH...Britt dumped Justin...the guy in the pictures taken over the holidays. They are still friends, and we think he's very nice.
Ashley and Michael are still "going out" even tho they ain't "gone" out anywhere because he ain't here! He's at Camp Lejeune. OH...Ashley was chosen over many to co-op at the Sheriff's Office starting in August. As you have read, she loves law enforcement (I know, VERY hard to imagine) and she is thrilled and very proud to have been selected. She wants to be the Chief Frisker! Apparently, she really excelled during that part of her class! hee hee She wants to work in homicide. As her Mother, I think she will choose another path within law enforcement once she gets out in the field.

Courtney was invited to go to Furman Univ. this weekend to attend a studio class with 4 other students. She will sing two songs, one italian opera and the other, an american folk song. She will be critiqued by her peers and instructors. She is very honored and excited, as are we.

Mike and I just work. And haul teenagers. We just try to maintain.

Well, I'm now off to pick up prescriptions and take them to the hospital pharmacy, get my hair cut, get the van washed, pick up Courtney from school, cook supper and THEN...take Brittany out practice driving, console Ashley more about her choice in hair color...she got her hair done yesterday...she returned her hair to it's original color. Dark Brown. OH MY GOSH. what a shock! She HATES it. I told her it makes her look smarter. WRONG thing to say. NOT what I should have said. So, we have ALL been consoling her.
It didn't help matters any when Courtney told her, "NOW you know how I FEEL, being dark headed." WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN? I'm dark headed, it ain't ever bothered me any!? WHO knows. I give up.
bye.

Woodruff, SC Friday night

We went to Woodruff, SC last night for Courtney to sing a couple with a local country band. The band was pretty good and Courtney enjoyed herself. These pictures a terrible. Ii was dark inside and the flash didn't seem to help any.






She didn't have alot of room to move around, so she stayed behind the podium.




Her showing us our investment...her braces!













Britt and Ash were WORKING! Yip-EEEE. My kind of night.

This wekend, we plan on taking the Christmas tree down-FINALLY. We haven't been home to do anything, so this is the weekend. Laundry included. Heck...I may just cook something!!!!! (I'm sure one of the girls will capture THAT moment!)

Joan and Herd

2006

Here we are into 2006. Only 257 days left until Christmas! It will take me that long to recover from this Christmas.

Yesterday, New Year's Day, was the first year we weren't all together..sniff sniff. Britt and Ash had to work from 10am till 4:30pm. Mike had to be in at work at 5pm for hockey. Next year they are taking off from wherever they may be working. I heard whatever you are doing on New Year's Day, you will do they whole year. Maybe they will be employed the whole year! OH HAPPY DAY!

So, the rest of us ate.







and ate...


and Courtney was loving being the only child for a while....




and then we ate somemore. I was going to bring a plate home to take to lunch today, but our shower is leaking somewhere and I needed Mike to look at it before he went to work, so I had to run back home to show him, and I never made it back over to get my plate!











We hope everyone had a good day and will have a safe, happy year this year.

Joan and Herd

Snowboarding in Sugar Mountain, NC

What a terrific week!!! We had the best Christmas and our holidays ended on a ski slope! Actually, it ended with dinner at Mike's parents house, but that's for tomorrow's blog!

We took a trip to North Carolina on Friday and spent the day there. Mike worked and couldn't go, but I, along with Britt and her boyfriend Justin, Ashley and her boyfriend Michael, Courtney, their cousins Beth and Deanna, and more cousins, Dee and his wife Robin and his daughter Savannah went in two vehicles. I had the van load of teenagers and have never laughed so much!

We left home at 5am and stopped at the Waffle House for breakfast. I know my girls hadn't seen a sunrise in years, so this was all new to them! hee hee








This is Michael and Ashley trying on their goggles in the van...








Court didn't ski much and mostly checked out boys...










Ash and Michael did pretty good. They snowboarded all the way down the mountain several times...

More pics....

That's Court on the left, Britt, Justin behind her and Deanna beside her. We were waiting for everyone to ski/snowboard down the mountain so I could capture the moment!




Here is the city of Linville, NC. It was so pretty there and I want a cabin up on the mountain. No TV's or phones (xcept my cell). Yup.

Britt just couldn't get the hang of what the snowboard was supposed to do!!



Britt snowboarded 3 feet. Total. I don't think snow is her forte.


That's Britt on the far right sitting with the pink cap. You can click on the picture to make it bigger.

Ash and Michael on the ski lift. I wish I could have been up top to take their picture falling OFF the ski lift! HAAAAAAA





Well, these are some of the better pictures. We had a wonderful Christmas week and it ended wonderfully. Now, it's back to reality. I have to work 12 hours tomorrow, Mike and the girls will be home cleaning out the van and taking down the Christmas tree and Mike needs to caulk around the bathtub. Michael went back to Camp LeJeune and Justin will be working.

Hope everyone had a good week and I hope to talk to everyone soon-
Joan