23 November 2010

A month of gratitude



family. i am thankful for my sweet family. for the unconditional love and support they supply me with. i am thankful for that same love that came from my mother and father. for their teaching me to love in that way. 
i am thankful to understand that family is not confined to the bounds of blood relation.   i have those in my life that love me as if i were there own. for that i am truly grateful....


for Brenda who treats me as if i am her own daughter. who includes me in every way as if i were her 3rd daughter. she has made losing my own mother sting a little less and for that i am eternally grateful.


for Laura Lee who is a true sister to me. one who i can run to in need. one who i can giggle with, have literary discussions with, share recipes with, or just veg with. for those comforts i will be for ever in her debt.


for Christine & Cathy who are my sisters...my partners in crime. who love me and my family as if we were their own. who teach us about love, no matter what, no matter who. who are a good time! who i love to pieces.


for Sarah, ahem Amanda. my dearest, bestest bud. who from the second grade has had my back. in good times and bad. who has taught me that doing the right thing is always in vogue. who taught me the value of friendship. who builds me up everyday. for who i am better for having her in my life. i will always love you!


for Laura E. who is my friend, my teacher, my business partner. who has shown me what a good parent looks like. who has shown me what a good friend looks like. who loves my peeps and has the best conversations with them. who wants the best for them and isn't shy in letting us see that. who teaches me that sometimes its OK to jump without looking. who i am on a terrific journey with and grateful everyday that she asked me to join in on.


Family is the most important thing in the world. 
Princess Diana

19 November 2010

this moment


A Friday ritual.
 A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. 
A simple, special, extraordinary moment. 
A moment that is oh so special to me.

18 November 2010

A month of gratitude

thankful ....



  • beauty...purple pansies, perfect pecan tarts, Autumn nail polish, Robert Frost poetry, and eyes that dance
  • Jordan's sensitivity and his smile
  • homemade cocoa on cold mornings
  • my sweet friend Marlo
  • spelling bees with Sawyer
  • watching Cameron solve the hardest puzzle ever...in no time
  • being comfortable in my own skin

16 November 2010

a month of gratitude

wisdom. I am thankful for wisdom. Thankful that Kevin's doctors had great wisdom in performing and reading his procedure today. Thankful for the wisdom a judge and attorney had today to have a court case of a fantastic father we know fall in his favor. Thankful for the wisdom teachers have to help educate my boys. Thankful for the wisdom of the Lord I listened to when choosing my sweet mate. I do love him so. Thankful for the wisdom of my mother and her mother & grandmother before her. That I listened and learned and use all that wisdom in taking care of my family...and treating others. I am also thankful for......


  • crisp cool weather
  • friendships that have stood the test of time and those who i hope will
  • imagination...mine and my peeps. love LOVE to watch their imaginations in motion
  • broccoli cheese soup
  • burt's bees lip gloss
  • Jan Karon
What are you grateful for today?

13 November 2010

An Autumn Weekend Day Planner


Outside my window... the chickens cluck, the birds chirp, and there is stillness and cold.
I am thinking... of ways to be a better mother and wife.
I am thankful for... knowing the importance of the little things in life. not getting caught up in keeping up with the Jones and the drama that goes along that.

From the kitchen... homemade hot cocoa, carrot cake cupcakes and some yummy greek grilled chicken.

I am wearing... cardigans and wool socks.
I am creating... on the sewing machine, Thanksgiving napkins and in my mind, Christmas wish lists.

I am going... to stay right here under this blanket with my book!
I am reading... In The Company of Others by Jan Karon.

I am hoping... to find rest in Him.
I am hearing... peeps involved in a game.

We are learning...sign language, spelling lists, The first Thanksgiving

Around the house... smells of pumpkin brulee candles, the sound of a few Christmas songs (a little early but oh well), and cleaning out that terrible garage.
One of my favorite things... being with all my peeps on a lazy weekend.

I am looking forward to...cooking and baking for my family this Thanksgiving...especially my dad who is coming in!

You really like me!

I feel like Sally Field accepting her award! My little blog has been nominated for Babble.com's Top 50 Mom Blogs for 2010. Can you believe it? I actually am in the top 100...which doesn't take much. So if you are so inclined, hop over there and give me a vote.
I hope your weekend is as luscious as mine. Lots of nothing and everything all at once. Can you say restful?

Today I am grateful for...

:: sweet folks that have given me some recognition
:: cold, rainy days
:: movies and homemade hot cocoa with my peeps
:: groovy wool socks...a souvenir from my last Eureka trip
:: a little guy that has walked around singing Jingle Bells ALL day
:: that same little peep that has decided learning sign language is for him

12 November 2010

this moment and weekend to look forward to

I have so many moments to savor from this week. Unfortunately, I have no image. My camera was not in it's usual spot...right by my side...this week. So sad. There has been some fun going on around here. Kevin and I had a fantastic date night with our pals. A beautiful Sunday. Tuesday night I had a mini girl's night out at my fave deli. And last night a terrific and much anticipated reunion with some of my high school girls. And yet NO CAMERA. So, picture my favorite moment...8 giggling women at the sushi bar reliving times gone passed. 


Now for the future. This weekend we have big plans. We plan to do a lot of NOTHING! The list includes....



  • pizza 
  • movies
  • jump rope contests
  • board games...lots of apples to apples & sorry sliders
  • bike riding and nature walks
  • snuggled up under blankets with hot cocoa and good books
Mom also plans to

  • bake crackers and bread. oh and a chess pie
  • mani & pedi @ home
  • read, read, and read some more
  • laugh with my fellas and wish Kevin didn't have to work
  • NOT do laundry, polish floors, scrub bathrooms or clean windows


A weekend like that sounds simply divine to me!
What is on your weekend list?

09 November 2010

A month of gratitude

The wind is blowing crisp, the birds are chirping, the chickens are clucking away and my mind is instantly drawn to my mother. Oh how grateful I am to have had a mother like Patsy Elizabeth. She was a beautiful southern lady with auburn hair  and  a sweet spirit, inside and out. I learned something from her every day. That was one of her gifts...educating. She knew a little something about everything and was never stingy with that knowledge. I am better for having had her in my life. Today I am grateful for that because she...

  • above all else loved
  • taught me how to cook
  • taught me to garden with an organic hand
  • was an example of righteousness
  • was articulate
  • gave me the gift of education and a love of learning
  • taught me how to mother...breastfeeding & cloth diapers when it was NOT the norm, lead with a quiet voice and understanding heart, and be generous.
  • loved the past and learned from it
  • loved me

07 November 2010

a month of gratitude

  • that love is patient and love is kind
  • for family date nights
  • and adult date nights
  • a church and church family that loves you as if you were family
  • fall flowers...i adore violas and pansies
  • reading a good book

05 November 2010

this moment


A Friday ritual.
 A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. 
A simple, special, extraordinary moment. 
A moment that is oh so special to me.

04 November 2010

a month of gratitude

  • studying spelling words with my littlest peep
  • chatting with old friends and new on facebook.....so thankful for that venue!
  • a sweet boy, future veterinarian, who loves Sadie's puppies
  • educating myself with good books, good videos, and great examples. thank you all you fantastic mamas, papas, and friends!

03 November 2010

right now, i am

soaking up these cousins.
 i am in complete disbelief that one has graduated high school and moved on with her life. while that sweet blonde and her boy cousin will do the same this spring.
all 3 special people.
 all 3 going to do great & wonderful things.

02 November 2010

a month of gratitude

  • to right and privilege it is to vote. i have never taken that for granted. my love for politics began in middle school when my father ran for county judge. today i stand at the polls with our friend Chris Ingram while he bids for the Justice of the Peace. still exciting and still my duty....my honor.
  • for the cooler weather that blew in last night. please oh please let the 90 degree days be gone.
  • the ride to school with Sawyer each morning. we do spelling words. makes my day.
  • our fantastic dog groomer. she is a former classmate of Kevin's. and she is wonderful....and super cheap. only $20!
  • my job. working at ClassSearch.com is the bomb.

01 November 2010

a month of gratitude

"When a person doesn’t have gratitude, something is missing in his or her humanity. A person can almost be defined by his or her attitude toward gratitude."
Elie Weisel 


here it is again. the perfect time to reflect on what is important. what makes you happy. focusing on what we should be grateful for.




this guy. my heart. i am over the moon grateful for this guy. one who would "tattoo" a spider web on his head for a giggle (but really wants one!). ever our hero. ever the coolest dad out there. one who...

::spins on his back
::can spit a Beastie Boy rhyme anytime, any place
::is known as Mike Jones
::a reader of books
::eater lover of buffalo wild wings 
::is totally MacGyver...the man can fix anything
::listens to my stories over & OVER again and will still laugh with me 
::wore a mullet wig to the Kindergarten fall festival just to make us smile
::is a reluctant chicken farmer 
::works so extremely hard for us
::loves his mother oh so much...i do love that about him ( and i love that sweet cajun lady too!)
::is a Godly man
::sings along with the radio with me
::indulges me in chick flicks (Julie & Julia, Atonement), shopping for kitchen everything, and even shoe shopping just because he loves me.
::has my heart right there in his hand

Today I am thankful for:
*this space. a place where i can share my thoughts and beliefs. my hopes and dreams. my successes and failure.
*friends. old and new alike.
*my 3 peeps. i love you boys so.
*this season of my life.
*Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for me.