THANKSGIVING 2008

Thanksgiving started out as usual...me working.  I usually work Thanksgiving so I can be off for Christmas. SO, I caught the tale end of Mike's side of the family and completely missed Aunt Aurelia's dinner.  BUT, that's OK, because I, with my trusty BLACKBERRY CURVE 8330 in PINK was there to capture the moment and Dad was at Aunt Aurelia's to get adequate pictures there.

I got off work a little before 3pm and walked in to the party and Mike had already fixed me a plate....

OOOOOOOOOOO...MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM...GGGGGGGGGGGG.  It was SOOOO good!!!  I sat there with Court and Art and listened while they talked and talked. Harold and Grandma Terry listened too. We were all sitting there having the best time and then I saw Courtney covering up her nose and then whole face.  I KNEW what had happened.  ART.

GEEEEEeeeeeeze.  He just sat there and grinned.

Then, I had dessert...

After all that, we all walked into the den and digested.  Donna, Deanna and Travis stayed in the basement because Donna was sick, so I didn't get pics of them or Karen, who was never around when I remembered to take a pic. I didn't get any of Mike's parents either! I guess they hid from me. 

Meanwhile, Mom and Dad had went to Aunt Aurelia's house and had a feast there!

Evidently, Uncle Dale  fried a Turkey outside I've only had Turkey once that was fried and it was fantastic, so I know there's was great too.

They had a whole house full there too. I really hate I wasn't there, but I assured Aunt Aurelia that I would be there Christmas this year and I'm really looking forward to that.  I haven't been there is a long time for a holiday. That's my Uncle Randy standing there with Gina there in the middle.  I haven't seen him in a long time.  He still looks the same!

AND this last pic I saved for last on here.  JERRY.  HE'S EVERY WHERE!!! You would know that my Daddy would have to take a pic with Jerry in the center of the pic!  GEEEEeeeze.  Whatever.

I would have had a WHOLE lot more pics, but the father of my children forgot to take the camera over to his mothers house, SO, the only pics I got was from MEEEE. Had I had an actual CAMERA, my pics would have been superior to my Dad's.  Just wait till Christmas!

That's it for Thanksgiving! I hate I missed both dinners and seeing everyone.  It all was good tho and I'm SOOO looking forward to Christmas and being off work. 

 I'm even MORE looking forward to our 2nd Christmas we will be having when Ashley comes home in January...we miss that BRAT!

More soon!

Joan

CUBAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaa....

Well, I was sitting in Bubba-Daddy church last night and my new BLACKBERRY CURVE 8330 in PINK alerted me that I had email!  WHAA!??!  It was from ASHLEY!  She said they were now NOT going to Jamaica, but to Cuba.  AND, they had flooding on the boat, no power and had to call a General Emergency!  WOW!! She seemed really bummed out about not going to Jamaica.  

I emailed her back and told her who wants to go to Jamaica anyways?! There ain't nothing there but a bunch of Jamaicans, coconuts and port-a-pottys.  Now, Cuba is the place to be! Not nearly as touristy and there isn't any animals there that are lethal to humans!  At least I ain't gotta worry about her being bit by something!!!

OK...so last night, as I said before, we was at Harmony Baptist Church in Fountain Inn where there was a singing.  So, we went OF COURSE! They were extremely friendly there and Bubba's Daddy is the preacher there. Court, Bubba, Jerry (friend who can pick the FIRE out of a banjo) and Bubba's Daddy sang and picked.

NOTE TO EVERYONE:  I did NOT take these pictures, so they won't be up to MY usual superb standards. Dad took them, but he did the best he could.....BAH-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!

Here they are.  They did traditional songs like Amazing Grace, In the Garden (MY favorite), How Great Thou Art and stuff like that.  Then others got to sing, including our OLD....old as in "used to be" Postman!He did good too! One lady got up there that absolutely could NOT sing!  Court texted me while she was singing and said that BUDDY sounded better than her!  HAAAAAAAAA

Then Bubba and Court did one together.  He doesn't sing, but they sound SO good together...if he could sang, they'd be like, Tammy and George!  WOOO-HOOOO

 Well, so, we were sitting there all behaving and stuff and Bubba's Daddy announced that there'd be an intermission with LOADS OF FOOD being served in the back!  WHAAAAAAAAA?!?!  I heard from behind me, Silker sit straight up!  WOOO-HOOOOOO  So, at the intermission, I casually stroll to the back of the church where this spread was and LAWWWW, they had sammiches, tater chips and tons of desserts! I called Mike, who had just gotten off work, and told him to head to the church, it was FEEDING TIME!  

While I was calling him, Silker CUT IN FRONT OF ME and filled up both her plates to the brim.  I thought, LAWWWWWW!!! She then headed to the corner of the room as to be inconspicuous (Ashley, that means "NOT noticeable"! heee). Well, I saw her and had my memory card in my camera not ran out of room, I would have captured the moment. My parents sat with people I didn't even know and they didn't even SAVE ME A SEAT!  So, I ate with Grandma Terry and Jeremiah.

Then, it was back to the singing again and then we headed home.  Court and Mike then went to Guadalajara's!  I went to bed.

That's it for that! 

NOTE TO ASH: Don't worry about calling us...EMAIL.  Now that I have my new BLACKBERRY CURVE 8330 in PINK, I get emails immediately and can email you right back.  Save your minutes and time for when you get back to the states.  

Have a great day everyone!

Joan

T.G.I.S.

SATURDAYYYYYYYYYY!  House cleaning day!  woo-hoo! That means the boys too!

I was poking around on the net and found this recent pic of Ashley's boat on HAT DAY...Now, that's her Captain front row second from left...WHERE IS MY BABY AT? NOTE TO ASHLEY: feel free to leave a comment below...inquiring minds want to know!!!

Well...let's see what's happened since my last glorious post.....hmmmm....nothing.  Just the way I like it!

We went to hear all the local high school chorus's this week and MAN was Mauldin's Chorus great...they got TWO standing ovations!  Then, last night was another chorus function...the honors chorus program which was again, fantastic.  Next program slated for Mauldin's chorus will be their Christmas program and NO, I DON'T KNOW WHEN IT IS. Count on it being before Christmas tho! HAAAAAAAAAThere is Courtney on the back row with the other "Super-anos".

Last night, Mike and I went across the street and Grandma Terry had fixed MEATLOAF...Woo-HOO! Ashley....sorry you missed it!  They also fixed something they ain't never fixed before...canned carrots!Peas and carrots! Dinner was great...as usual!

Earlier this week, Britt and I was over there visiting and this HORRIBLE stench seeped up from the floor under the table.  BOOMER.  Geeeze...he had gas and I, naturally, was there to record the moment!It really was awful...Darrell, you'd a been proud of that dog! HAAAAAAAAAAAA

Well, that's all for the moment.  Court sings in Bubba's Daddy's church tonight...not exactly sure what's going on there, but I, along with Dad, will be there camera in tow!

Note to Ashley: We miss you and are available to all forms of communication...text, email, call or osmosis. Be careful down there and don't be giving your cell number (or any of your sisters's cell numbers) out to any weird boys.  LOVE YAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Joan

Tuesday

As Minnie Pearl used to say, "How-DEEEEEEE"!  haaaaaaa!!!

 We'll all doing good here....boring, but great!

Lets see what we got going on this week....

Last night Court had band practice in Hendersonville.  Britt and I went and shopped around a little while they were gone.

Tonight is all the High Schools around here's Choral thing.  It was at Furman last year, but THIS year, thankfully, will be at a local HUGEmongous church.

Tomorrow night, Court has band practice AGAIN in Hendersonville.

Thursday night, Court has practice with another group who is putting on a show Dec. 5th in Travelers Rest.

Friday night is....I DON'T KNOW...probley headed to Guadalajara's for some Karaoke!

Saturday night, Court and Bubba are singing at Bubba's Daddy's church in Simpsonville.  He'll be picking for her while she sings....I'm excited about that one because they sound SO good together.

Sunday I ain't doing NOTHING.

We got two letters from Ash this week...WOOOO-HOOOOOO!  She seems to be tired, busy, but happy.  As Grandma Sprouse used to say, "Busy hands are happy hands"!  

She's getting Helo qualified.  She said she has to like, TIE the BLADES DOWN!  Geeeeze.  I hope they ain't still spinning around!  

She got her barracks room assigned to her, but she'll have to wait till she gets back to enjoy that!  Hopefully she won't be on that boat long because I'm anxious for her to get to figure out what she want to do in the Coast Guard and get on to A-School. THEN I want her to make ADMIRAL!  BAH-HAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

The boys (dogs) are doing good, but not great.  Little Cujo's ear is better, but now that Harley is back over here, Cujo can't STAND IT.  I can't even get him to eat.  Ya'll (all 6 of you) think I'm crazy, but Cujo was up at midnight...MIDNIGHT!...wanting to go across the street to his Silker and Papa's house.  He was pitiful. Of course, he then got Boomer all stirred up...Boomer thought it was morning time and he wanted to EAT...AGAIN! THEN Harley comes flying out of Britt's room wanting to play and Buddy was growling his head off.    I.WAS.NOT.HAPPY.  I told Britt when P.J. returns from wherever he is working, Harley is OUT OF HERE. period. Nuff said.

OK...so I'm sitting here looking thru my photos trying to find some to post on here for Ashley.  She said in her email that she checks this board every day, so I feel compelled now to give her something to read and look at. Something BEAUTIFUL!!!

haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!

I LOVE it!  hee

This is another pic I love..........

This pics were alll taken earlier, but they are some of my favorites that I wanted to share with Ash.  

NOTE to Dad:  Before you get all pouty because you don't have these pics, you DO have them, I got them from your web album and I cropped them down to make them BETTER! haaaaaaaaaaa

WHAAA?!  How did HE GET IN HERE?!?!

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Well, that's it for the moment.  If I do ANY thing interesting, fun or unusual today, I will capture the moment on my NEW PINK Blackberry...

Yes, I know....WHY did I get the curve when the Storm comes out this Friday.  I asked myself that too. 

I don't want another all touch screen phone...ya'll have NO idea how hard it is to text on a touch screen while driving thru Simpsonville!  O MY GOSH! So, I got the curve.  I will probley head to Verizon on Friday so I can just HOLD the Storm...just hold it.

I read where Barrack uses his blackberry all the time.See!  The Prez Elect has one!  So does...Jessica Simpson!Her phone is exactly like mine, cept mine is pink....

OK...Brad PITT has one...AHHHH and LASTLY...George Clooney...yup...George got one too! Mom, that one ws for you!

Well, that's all I got time for now.  I'm headed to the post office to mail Ashley's box off and her debit card, which I had replaced when her other one was sucked up in the ATM machine in Miami,  Mama took care of her baby!

Have a great day everyone!

XOXXOX,

Joan

Nothing new....

Well, Not a whole lot going on here lately! I haven't done a whole lot except work...BUT I'm off the next 3 days! WOO-HOOOOO!! The joys of working in a hospital!

Let's see what's new here.....Cujo has an inner ear infection! He has medicine and he spent the night with his frand parents last night.  He's SO rotten, I guess it spread to his ear! ha

Ashley, this update is mostly for you, since you said you would read it while on patrol....

Boomer is doing fantastic!  He's itching, so Papa has been giving him Benedryl and I'm giving him a bath today to see if that helps.  

I won't tell you about Buddy since you don't like him!  ha

Harley is back at P.J.'s house WOOOOOOOOOT-WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT!

We all went to Guadalajara's last Sat. night and had a great time...I DID take some pics...I had to check my Blackberry to see if I had any...I also have some video, but it's of this guy named Butch....OMG....you don't even have to turn your sound on to appreciate this...he's singing "Mustang Sally"...BAH-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Then I took this pic...

which I love! I was so glad Donna went out with us.  She, Britt and I even sang a duet together! It was SOOO good, Papa had to go outside to clear his good ear!  HAAAAAAAAA

Well, that's about it for the moment. We're SO boring! Maybe I can go get Grandma Terry to dance and I'll record it for you all!  haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Here is a joke someone just emailed me....Ashley and Britt, this is for ya'll!  heeee

A car gets a flat on the interstate one day. The blonde driver eases it over onto the shoulder of the road, carefully steps out of the car and opens the trunk.

She takes out two cardboard men, unfolds them and stands them at the rear of the vehicle facing oncoming traffic. The lifelike cardboard men are in trench coats exposing their nude bodies to approaching drivers.
Not surprisingly, the traffic becomes snarled and backed up.
It isn't very long before a police car arrives. The officer, clearly enraged, approaches the blonde of the disabled vehicle yelling, 'What's going on here?'
'My car broke down, officer' says the woman calmly.
'Well, what the heck are these obscene cardboard pictures doing here by the road?' he asks.
'Helllooooooo!!!!' says the blonde. 'Those are my emergency flashers!'

Joan

Election Day, Ashley's Visit Home, Courtney's Trip to GCGMA's

OK...so I'm a day late posting all this, but I needed time to capture my voting moment AT the polls...yes, I actually took a pic of me VOTING! THAT'S where I JUST MASHED MCCAIN!  HAAAAAYa'll KNOW I take my camera everywhere so I can capture the moment...so I snuck it into the voting booth and snapped away as I voted!  heeeeee YES, I'm dedicated!

Notice the green check mark beside John McCain's name!  WOO-HOOOOOOO! Buddy (my political advisor/dog) advised me to vote for Ralph Nader, but I ain't ever heard of him...or any of the other's except Obama, and I ain't voting for him!  So, Buddy is pouting, but he'll get over it...he'll perk up at supper time! hee

OK...so first, Mom was in the hospital.  YES, I do have a picture of her in the bed, but she would KILL me if I put it on here, so I won't.  She was pretty sick too, so you can imAGINE how she looked!  hee!!  She's better now, even tho she still isn't sure what was wrong with her.  She was in the hospital for 7 days and was VERY ready to get home.

The same day she went into the hospital, Ashley came home! Ya'll, she looked SOOOOO good to all of us.  I can speak for everyone when I say that we missed her so much.

This was a pic she took of her new haircutShe looks so much like her Mama!  BAH-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

This was a pic I took of us at Verizon waiting for her to get her phone fixed...Britt even went with us!!!!! WHA!!

Saturday night, we all (minus my parents due to Mom still being in the hospital) went to the Tadpole for supper...Ashley picked the restaurant!I choreographed this pic...notice how they are taking a bite at the same time!?! Yes, I astound my own self!! 

I also managed to bake a ton of cookies and cupcakes for her to take back to her boat for her to share.  Before I knew it, it was time to drive her back to her meeting place to catch her ride back up to Virginia.  

I fixed her up a Christmas box to take back with her to be opened on Christmas day...it's full of wrapped presents.  I wanted her to have something to open on Christmas day.  

Mikes Mother did the same thing, but she copied my idea so don't ya'll be thinking she came up with that, it was ME!

OK...so then it was time to get ready for Courts trip to the GCGMA award show, WHERE she won entertainer of the year for traditional country music!  WOO-HOOOOAAAA!Mike captured this moment fo us to see.  I had to work, so was unable to attend.

Court had a lot of friends there she saw...here is one girl, but I don't know her nameHere is a pic of the girls fooling around before Ashley went back.  After Ashley got back to her boat, she took pics OF her boat...actually the female berthing area..I'm THINKING she said her "rack" is the bottom left...which would explain the pink stuffed animal!  This is a pic of the other side of the room.  VERY small!!!! 

This pic is of their bathroom...mama's always like to know where their babies go potty, shower and brush their teeth!

This next pic is of the girls locker room.  

This pic is of some of them doing something...not sure!That's about all I have for now!  OH...we have a new addition to our family...actuall, it's Britt's boyfriends new puppy!  Harley, a miniture Dachshound.  I don't have any pics of him yet, but I will put them on here on my next posting!

Love to all-

Joan and Herd