My Weblog

At camp...

So Miss Abbey left for camp this morning. We spent the majority of last night packing...and getting fresh batteries in her flashlight and camera. By now she should be settled in her cabin...and out hiking and explore nature. I am just praying that she doesn't have trouble sleeping tonight. Abbey doesn't do good if she has to sleep by herself...last night she slept with us. I am sure she will have her sleeping bag as close as she can get to someone! I am going to miss my little booger!

Today started the McDonald's excitement for me. I LOVE to play their monopoly game. I didn't win anything on my large diet coke this morning...but I will be hooked into the game until it is over! I am confident that I will win a free mcflurry, free fries and a free ice-cream cone before the contest ends!

Tomorrow is our wedding anniversary. Joe and I are planning a little field trip of our own...and a picnic lunch We have no idea where exactly we are going...but it will be a day just to ourselves to enjoy.

Undefeated weekend!

Abbey team played again this weekend in the Mustang Round-Up in Gardendale. They were UNDEFEATED. Our first team to play was the Red Storm Frenzy from Trussville...we beat them 3-1. Our next team was Chill from Hartsell. I'm not sure of the score...I think it was 8-0. This put us the top seed for playoffs...so we had a 4 hour break. Sometimes that is bad...the girls usually play better when they are back to back without long breaks. Saturday was different. We were seeed for the final elimination game against the Bandits. We game was called when the score reached 12-0. Championship was next! We had to replay the Frenzy team. The game stayed neck-to-neck every inning. It ended in a 3-3 tie...so we went on to an international tie breaker. We had the advantage of being the home team...which meant we would bat last. We kept them from scoring...and they couldn't stop us! We won another 1st place trophy! The girls were tired, FILTHY and happy! We left the park and took the celebration to Chic-fil-A!

Yesterday we were too tired to move. We didn't get out of bed until around 1:00. We never left the house...we ate leftovers...and vegged on the couch all afternoon watching the race and old movies. It was much needed....after our stressful week!

I am taking some vacation days this week. Today and tomorrow @ work...and then a few days to myself!

TGIF!!!!!!!

Finally...I survived the week! Now let's see if I can survive the weekend!

Joe went off to work this morning & left his cell phone...so now I am carrying his too...hoping it doesn't ring too much & drive me crazy!

Tonight is the Pelham/Thompson football game. It is a "GO GREEN" day at the schools. The football head coach's son is in Abbey's class this year...and he sent their class special shirts to wear today. Abbey looked so cute in her Pelham Football oversized t-shirt---and her green and gold hair ribbon. Since she didn't do cheerleading this fall...we haven't been much into the school theme. Her softball team colors are red and black...which would NOT be a good color to wear today...since Thompson's colors are similar!

Next week is our wedding anniversary. All the 5th graders go on a 3-day camping trip every year. It just happens to be next week that she will be gone. Joe is on vacation next week...so I just asked---well actually "told" my boss that I wanted some time off next week. After the amount of hours that I put in this week...I deserve it!

A ton of picture orders came in last night...so I have got to get busy tonight & place the order with the developer...and then I can anxiously await UPS! The dance recital that I did back in May...just keeps blessing my photography business! Just when I think the last order was placed...I get another one. Last night...3 separate orders came in. My only thought is that since the fall classes have started back up, moms are seeing my pictures in the dance studio...and are just now remembering about the recital!! And then I have been asked by several people that I met through the recital...to take family portraits. So much fun!

I heard through the grapevine (ie my mom)...that my best friend in high school, who just happens to be an editor of a paper (and who lurks on my blog)...wrote an article that I need to read. Sooooooo Janet...if you are reading this...you need to email me the article. I so want to read it. Better yet, you need to START A BLOG...so I can read all your articles!!! She didn't read me the article, but she mentioned that it had Cheesecake Factory, Publix and Starbucks in it.

Funny story about my mom @ Cheesecake Factory. When she and my dad came for Kayla's graduation. Kayla wanted to go somewhere "nice" for lunch on the day of graduation. She wanted to do either Cheesecake Factory or PF Changs (which is an AWESOME Chinese restaurant). Well she knew that my mama wouldn't want Chinese...but I told her NO...This is your lunch treat. YOU pick where you want to go...and Nana likes rice and she likes vegetables...she will find something to eat. Well of course when Kayla mentioned where she wanted to go, my mama turned her nose up...and said "well you know I don't like Chinese." So Kayla being the sweet person that she is, decided on Cheesecake Factory. Well we all start placing our orders...and guess what my mom orders. She orders SESEME CHICKEN and RICE. Joe and Kayla both knew that I was going to loose it before we left the restaurant. Amazingly I held it in...but it verified the fact that she is looney!

Weekend come quick!

It is ALMOST here...and I'm running low on energy! Abbey has a tournament this weekend. Lucky for us that it is local. Unlucky for us that we have a game @ 8:00 am...which means...be there @ 7:00 to warm-up...which means...leave the house by 6:30 am...which means get up at O-DARK-HUNDRED! Let's cross our fingers and toes for VICTORY! Our team always tailgates...to keep everyone together & we always have something good. Last tournament one of the dad's grilled chicken breasts for everyone...and we all brought salads/desserts/fruits---plenty to keep us happy. This weekend we are all bringing chili and the fixings. I'm sure that Abbey will want a trip to the concession stand so she can make chili cheese fries for her lunch!

Taking Time to Share...

 

Here are a few pictures from my photo shoots this weekend.

enjoy!

Is it Friday yet?

What a day---What a week!

Yesterday was one of "those" days.

After I came home from work...I had a good cry, watched some "Dancing With the Stars" & went to bed. Abbey was actually in bed BEFORE 9:00 ( and NO she was not up and ready to go this morning!) I am hoping that today is going to be a "better" day...but no luck so far! I have my door shut with a "do no disturb" sign on it...problem is, evidently I work with some "illiterate" people who can't read...either that, or they don't think their knock or "hey...can I ask you a question" will actually disturb me! I need some CALGON!!!

I really need a "me day!"---but I just don't see that happening any time soon. Of course, Joe and Abbey were at ball practice on Thursday night...and I stayed at home---and called him because I was lonely and bored! I'm helpless!---I just simply can't relax...although, I do think that I could stay in bed until noon for a couple of days in a row. Now that would be relaxing!

Ok---nothing else to write about today...just a blah day!

Hello from T Town

Kayla rode home with a roomate on Friday---so we brought her back home tonight.  She needed Joe to fix a few things for her...so here I sit waiting!

We enjoyed a  WONDERFUL church service @ Hunter Street this morning.  We ran into several friends...and happened to run into someone that Joe knows as a frequent Delta flyer & he teaches a SS class for our age...so we will be visiting that class on next Sunday.

I did an engagement photo session this afternoon @ Aldridge Gardens.  They have already booked me for their wedding---so it was fun to get to know their personalities a little better.  Abbey had been wanting me to do a session of her, since her school pictures were the pitts...so we got that accomplished before my engagement couple arrived.

This week is going to be hellish @ work!  It is year-end & I have to get stuff closed out.  I will be burning the midnight oil---foruntately they are downloading all the software on a laptop for me...so I can do a lot of stuff @ home.

Abbey has a tournament---local this time.  So we will be enjoying some softball this coming weekend.

Now for the drive back home...I may sleep.

I took my  last chemo on Friday.   My face is once again raw & aggitated.  I felt something while ago..and looked in the mirrow.  I have 5 lovely fever blisters on my upper lip & nose.  Hopefully this is the end of it all.

There's a Chill in the Air!!!

I'm sitting here at work...with my foot heater on! I guess I need to put up my open toed sandals---and start wearing fall stuff! Whenever my toes get cold, my whole body gets cold...so hopefully my toes will be nice and toasty in a few minutes!

I am LOVING the fall crisp air. I actually got up this morning and packed Joe and I a picnic for lunch today. Don't start thinking I am super-mom or anything of the nature. It's just PB&J and a bag of doritoes...and we'll have to get cokes from the breakroom. I meant to grab a blanket, but forgot---so we'll just have to sit on the park bench to eat it. He commented the other day...with the nice weather, how we could run through the drive-thru & take it to the park---but we didn't do it.

Abbey had to be at school at 7:00 this morning for her chorus practice. We do so much better, when we get up 30 minutes earlier & leave the house on time. I am usually still "hollering" at her to brush her teeth @ 7:00!

Fall weather has me giddy for a few reason---1. photography wise...it will be so nice to do photoshoots WITHOUT dripping in sweat! I have one to do this afternoon & I think it will be the perfect afternoon for pictures! 2. Fall is the perfect weather for softball! The girls, even though they still get hot/sweaty/stinky (believe me about this. We had to ride with the windows down on the way to hotel on Saturday night!!! Sunday she wore an extra dosage of deodorant!!!!!)---they don't have the summer sun blazing down on them. It is also nice to have a gentle breeze blowing while you are watching the games. 3. ALABAMA Football---need I say anymore?! 4. The foliage change is one of the highlights of the season. The girls have VERY fond memories of us flying to Montana and New Hampshire for "leaf peeping"---Kayla will tell you that our trip to NH a couple of years ago, was her favorite vacation EVER. Growing up, South Alabama and Northwest Florida wasn't the perfect place to experience any color changes. You had green and you had brown. I don't remember seeing any vibrant red, yellow or orange. Now living at the foot of Oak Mountain---we still all these colors. Sunday afternoon driving is at its best when the leaves are changing. Joe and I know exactly where to go---what back roads to take & truly enjoy it. 5. Halloween. Ok---Abbey and I seriously LOVE Halloween...and we LOVE to decorate! Several years ago, I found a 4 foot cackling witch. Then I found some ghost lights...and we decided to turn one of my small Christmas trees into a ghost tree. After Halloween, that ghost tree becomes a turkey tree...and then it is finally decorated for its original intent. Abbey LOVES to try and scare Kayla. One year she found the glow-in-the-dark mice at the Dollar Tree...she spread them all around Kayla's bedroom to try and scare her. Last year she found a cheap mask. Lookout Kayla---she's already starting the plans now to SCARE YOU! 6. Thanksgiving will be here before we know it too. We do a "just the 4 of us" thing. I cook a turkey and enough fixings for 10 families though! But the day after Thanksgiving...all the artifical trees will go up---all the decorations except for the main/live tree...and of course we will go out for some shopping with the masses! 7. I know I already mentioned Alabama football...but there is also the Alabama v. Auburn game that deserves a place to itself! This year, the game will be in Tuscaloosa...and we will be there!

Ok---back to work for me.

Oh and if you get the Shelby County Reporter. Check out the back page of the Sport's section.

What a weekend!

Kayla came in from Tuscaloosa on Friday. We didn't have time for much though...our evening together consisted of dinner @ the Mexican restaurant together & a trip to the grocery store (for ballgame supplies!).

(typepad and I are having issues right now---I have over 600 pics from the weekend...but I am unable to post them---they will be forthcoming later!)

Kayla, Abbey and myself got up bright and early and headed to Cullman. It had rained during the night (@ Cullman)...so the weather was nice and cool. We played two games (Birmingham Mustangs & Bases Loaded Bombers) before lunch. During the afternoon break...Joe (who drove up after he got off work) & I headed to the hotel to check in...I decided that I was going to change clothes & I got nice and comfy in a pair of sweats and a long sleeve t-shirt. We went back to the ballpark...and watched the Vipers win AGAIN...this time it was against the Shoal Shockers! We played a total of 4 games on Saturday---and we only lost the last one, against the North Alabama Explosion, ...by one stinkin point!

We got up bright and early on Sunday morning & back to the ballpark we went. Our first game of the day was against the Bay City Bombers from Mobile. Their parents were so rude---so it was quite nice that we shut them down! We then had to face the Frost Falcons from Chattanooga. They were tough...and ended up beating us by a couple of points. Our next team was the Huntsville Comets. This was one of those run-away games. Abbey batted twice in one inning! Our final score was like 15-1.

We were headed to the championship---against the Frost Falcons. It was intense for the first couple of innings. 0-0 first inning, 0-2 the second inning...and then we did our thing----we WON the championship 9-2! The girls (ok, the parents too!) were so EXCITED!!!!! We left Cullman---VERY happy!

After Abbey's bath last night...she enjoyed a nice backrub! I don't think she moved in the bed at all!!! Now back to work and school-reality check!

Thank God...

My child has a job! She just called me before I left for lunch. It is the Rose Administration building. This is DEFINITELY an answer to prayer! Her spending money was dwindling...and there are no funds to replenish. Yeah...she was so HAPPY when she called...a big relief off her shoulders. And the job is a M-F job...so it want interfere with her weekends! She is coming home tonight-yeah!---this means that I need to get the laundry off of her bed!