VICTORY IS SWEET!!

ROLL TIDE ROLL!! 32 to 13 over Florida! I am still grinning from ear to ear!!! I am so proud of them all!! Great job guys! My girls mad up a cheer for the game that follows!! Another friend wrote this great poem!! Thanks Heath!

More determined than ever the elephants they came & he clapped and he shouted and he called them by name; " Now Cody! Now Mark! Now G Mac & Ro! On Tiffin! On Javy! On Trent and Julio! To the top of the conference to the top of the polls! Rammer Jammer Alabama! Roll Tide Roll!!

I Just Love it. We have been good! Went to Nana and Papas (My mom and dad's) for thanksgiving although it was weird not having Courtney and Marcus there!! But it was great to have dinner with them in town!(They were driving through) We had ablast with the twins, Eric and mom and dad!! The kids got driving lessons in a golf cart! They all did a great job!! I hate that I didnt get to see my big brother at all. He was either working at the shop, on a wrecker call, or working at the deer plant. We did have a feast in a half!! I only gained three pounds!! Life is good!! ! still have to get decorations up!!!! Merry Christmas!! Till next time! Roll tide!

NEW MOON

The wait is finally over!! New Moon is a fantastic adaptation of the book!!! Thank you! Thank you goes to Chris Weis for staying very close an true to the book!! You did a phenomenal job!! As did all of the cast!! I am so ready to see it again and again!! Jon and I had a fabulous date night!! We had a scrumptious dinner at Red Lobster and then went on over to the theater where we ran into bunches of friends!! The theater we first went into had no good seats left so we asked if we could wait int lobby for the next one to open up!! Oh it was so worth it!! Front row with the foot rest!! Couldn't be better!! They opened it up at 10, so we quickly got to know the people around us!!! It is always Mzing when a movie like this can give common ground to a 12 year old, college student, teenager, 37 year old and 50+. We have been given something special that I hope with changes in the directors, will still remain true to the story. It was so great!!! Now I have marked my calendar for presidents day in February for the movie of The Lightening Theif based on the novels by Rick Riorden!! Great teen series!! I couldn't put them down!! Enjoy one and All !!

Apple Picking in Elijay, GA

Courtney you are slacking... this is three posts in three days? Whats up?

I know its late this year, but we made it again to our anual apple picking trip. There was only one apple still up in the trees.... the Rome Apples. They are huge and ofcourse were fun to get. We broke one of the rules and let our kids climb the tree to get them...Yes, we made sure it was big enough to hold their weight first. It was a lot of fun, they had a petting zoo there too. Anna fell in love with one of the baby goats. There was this little boy there who was grabbing the pigs tail and following him around while he and the pig squeeled with glee (the boy that is)!
I don't think the pig liked the game quite as much. The hardest part when doing an outing like this one is when you enter the main area and are tempted by all of the baked goods and the jellies, peanuts, ciders, and other goodies for your taking.
I am so excited theat the kids enjoy this family time as much as they do... they have been asking to go for three weeks!! Love it! Needless to say we had an absolute blast just being together they are so much fun!! I think they loved climbing the tree the most.

On the ride home, the girlswere playing in the back of the car and singing some reallly cute songs!! It brought back so many memories of Alison and I playing the same kind of things when we were that age!

1st Round of State Playoffs In the bag!!

Jon had his first round state playoff today in the cold rainy mud!! Yeah!!! They won the game 33 to 20. Our team looked fabulous! They play really well together! It was an exciting game!! Jon is having a great time playing football and really learning alot. I hope he continues to enjoy it!!here are some of my pics from the game... we have someone on the sidelines taking pictures too... I will upload them soon!!

IT's HALLOWEEEEN!!!

Once again, it is Halloween night and all the lively characters are out and about in full fashion. Both Ghouls, goblins and pretty bugs and princesses are having a fun evening in the COLD RAIN!!! I am so glad Keith volunteers to take them on their rounds!!! This year Jon got to go on his own with his close friend Corey and about 6 other guys... He was NEO from the Matrix, Anna was Selena Gomez (AKA Alex), Jessica was Lola Hannah Montana's bff, While Christian was the ever famous Zorro!!! They are still as cute as ever...NOW for Mom and DAD to get their fair share....MUAHHHHH...

new hairdo

Its a whole new me!! I got my first low and Hi light!!! It was soooo much fun and sooo needed!! She said my hair was a mousy brown!!

U've been BUZZED!!

GO WOLVERINES!! ALL THE WAY TO STATE!!

Jon is in his first State Playoff situation and has decided he should have a mohawk to celebrate the season!!! He is still cute as can be if I do say so myself!! Keith actually did the buzz job I just got the chance to clean it up a little. Jon is proud of it!!

THEY'RE GROWING UP!!!

Well it is inevitable isnt it? Jessica is now 8 and has pretty pink earrings in her ears... Jon has gone to his very first Homecoming Dance!!! Is there any way I can slow this down??? Didnt think so..Bummer... Actually when all is said and done, I am enjoying them growing up. They each have their own special traits and idiosyncricies (I think I spelled that right)!!

Jon is a great oldest child. He is responsible and caring. He is easy to talk to and a lot of fun to be around. Anna is so sweet, she has a loving heart and wants to be grown up!! (working on that). Jessica isnt far behind!! She is the shopping and jewelry queen. She is a fashion diva!

Christian is my little big man... He says the funniest stuff sometimes... YO DUDE!! He is a ball of energy!! He was bouncing off the wall today!! FUN!!

Anna is always one for drama.. she has many voices she speaks with and love to play dance and sing!! She smiles constantly, well except when Christian is doing something to aggrivate her!! He is really good at that too!!

Today our house was PROJECT CENTRAL!! Anna and Jessica were both finishing their projects that are due on Friday!!They did a great job! It is always fun especially when they all come in ont the same time!! yea me!! Luckily dad was home today and got to help Jon with his Math!! Fractions UGHHHH....Anyway Life in my house is never boring.. I will try to update more often!!

The absolute best thing about all of them is how well they get along and that they enjoy playing with each other!! I am so proud of each one of them. I look forward to each day we have together. I just have to let them keep on growing dont I!! It is going to be a fun ride!!

WELL Yes we are still Alive and WEll in Atlanta. We have had an awesome SUMMER even though it ended more than 3 weeks ago. We had a great time together and with family. We got to spend some time at the beach, and alot of time at Nana and Papas'. We had swimteam, baseball, birthdays, weddings, Braves games, ER visits, more baseball, just fun swim time and finally we have gotten into football!! So Sorry I have been amiss in keeping everyone updated... If you are in the area, please give us a call!!

I was having trouble posting my snapfish pictures to the blog and so I decided to just post this link instead. Enjoy!!

http://www5.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=2141647014/a=114023833_114023833/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/

FYI

Just to let you know.... we are still here!!! I was trying to upload pictures from as far back as Easter and my camera died!!! Sighhhhhh so I will get them uploaded as soon as i can...It has been a fun summer!!

A Christmas Addition

As some of you know our youngest Christian has been asking for a puppy for atleast three years... He is definately persistant.... This year, he even posed the question to THE BIG MAN himself. So it was time. Keith and I searched the internet for days and weeks... when we found one we liked, they were usually already gone. On the 23rd, we had decided to get one that was in Carrolton Ga only to find out she was already gone, and we had our lovely complications I talked about in the previous entry.... so as Santa said, he cant bring dogs on the sleigh....

He left a lovely note for the kids, with some dog bones, letting them know that mom and dad were on the search for the perfect dog and would bring one home as soon as they found it..Christmas eve, I had to work all day and Keith got the lovely job of finishing the last minute shopping with everyone else in GA. I absolutely love Christmas DAY... Our kids are the best... the promptly come into our room at 730 and jump on the bed... we read the Christmas story from Luke. Keith and I go first and get ready with the camera and then they come down the stairs...(one at a time, so we can get their individual pictures) Our day can be a rather long process... we take our time opening the gifts and love seeing each others expression at what we had gotten them... We made some great mini egg quiches with tiny suasages for breakfast then did crackers, suasage and cheeses for lunch. The grand finale was a luschious ham, green beans and some killer sweetpotatoe pie ( if I do say so myself). The kids had a fabulous day got almost everything on all of their lists and then some!!! Yes, the Wii probably trumped all of their other gifts by far. It has been lots of fun having tournaments in all of the sports as we learn the games. I do love the excitment children bring to the whole day... Mimi and Papa were totally exhausted by 5...

Then it was all over. A big mess and the next day I had to work for 11 hours!! Yea me... Luckily, it was extraordinarily busy. I had to work alot over the next few days and then it was a New Year... The center I teach classes at held a class on New Years day and all of the instructors participated... It was a blast.. I was very sore the next day. On Sat. Keith, Jessica, Christian and I drove to Wedowee Al. (just south of Anniston to pick up our new addition) She was so scared, she had no idea what was happening. For the next 2 days, her favorite place was underneath our bar stools.. Since then she has begun to let loose, loves to play (and bite), sleep, and bite, eat, and bite. We are working on the potty training thing and I have to say she is getting better... She has her moments though.

The first two nights, I got to sleep on the couch by her crate, so everyone else in the house could sleep. Keith got up early on day and took her out, too. It is truely awesome to see the kids step up to the plate and take care of her without complaining. Sometimes I do wonder if the Democratic system is not flawed. When we were trying to come up with her name, we started out with 30 names... Not one could we all agree on ( you got to vote as much as you wanted too) then we whiddled it down to 5 still no winner.. the next night we had a revote and a name that wasnt even on the first list (Kaela) won out.. go figure..she is a lot of fun to have around... I am so glad we got a new pup...till next time I have posted a slide show with more extensive pictures on my space enjoy....

PRE-Christmas 2008 RECAP

OK I know it is now 2009 and I totally missed the walk through our Christmas events, but my Christmas was totally crazy..I started working at Macy's on the 3rd then worked once or twice a week...the weekend of our 16th wedding anniversary on the 12th Keith and I both get to go to the ER and get IVs and shots all because we couldnt stop throwing up... I have never gotten that dehydrated from vomitting before... Anna and Jon then came down with the same thing.. we think? My workout that wednsday just about killed me... Litterally..

Ok so we had put up the tree with no other decorations up yet... When Anna was home sick, she and I put the lights and trees up outside as well as in the dining room. Then Mike and Connie, my inlaws, arrived on the 18th... they spent a few days with us... while we were waiting to see if anyone else gets sick before we head to my mom and dads to celebrate Christmas... on Sunday.
We leave around noon on Sat...(oh yeah, because Keith found out on the 12th that he was taking over the Northeast region of sales form the company he works for and would be traveling back and forth from Va the next week!!!!!) So needless to say, we had not yet started packing.... We hadnt shopped hardly at all.. We were both feeling very overwhelmed and knew we would have to stop in Auburn to get some things from Academy (the sporting goods store). We were able to get all of the gifts for the men in my family, which was great... then on to moms... we arrive late Saturday and have a blast watching old movies and stuff. On Sunday we had the whole crew over to mom and dads there was 21 of us in their house... it is always a blast... Courtney and I did all of the cooking due to moms migraine that conveniently hit right before she was to start cooking..I am totally messing with her.Courtney and I had fun cooking and if I do say so myself, the food was great. I do love having all of my sibs in the house together. It is just a blessing to see them as often as we do now.

Keith had a meeting in Birmingham on Monday and wanted to get some shopping done( since we hadnt gotten it done before) so he was gone all day on Monday... The twins had to leave at about 3 to go back to their moms so Eric was very gracious and took Jon hunting that afternoon. It was a successful time... He came home with a doe... He was so Excited... Now he is ready to get a buck... So after all that excitement, we head out to Smiths Station, Al. to meet up with Keith's parents and see his side of the family for their Christmas celebration. All was right. Keith had a conference call that came in at 1:30 I walk into Goody's in Montgomery and run into one of my cousins that I had not seen for oooohhh 14 years maybe... she looks absolutely fabulous and it was great to catch up... then we are off again only to travel approximately 20 miles before we break down on I85 just shy of the Auburn exit we were heading for. As I am searching for our insurance number, Keith talks to my dad and he surprises us both as he is coming to pick us up.... I so love my parents.... they are the absolute best... We unload the suburban and send the kids with mimi and papa to go to Aunt Elaines...I would have loved to have spent more time with them... we dont see them enough...

Then papa comes back to pick us up and take us to the party for atleast 30 minutes...Then we go back to meet up with mom and dad...It was a small gesture, but I know my parents had not eaten, so we tookthem out for dinner at a great little steak place... Dad even brought us a great suburban to use till we could figure out what to do with our car(or if we get a new one) So keith and I head back to Atlanta since I had to be at work at 945 on Christmas Eve...Yeah me!! I will finish this tomorrow... Are we having FUN yet????