Ginny's Gab

Happy New Year!

2012-01-03T18:36:00.000-08:00

What a blessed family we are!! We LOVE being together and enjoy many meals and fun times together. We gathered at my mom and dad's for New Year's Day festivities. We ate, collards, black eyed peas, fried chicken, mashed potatoes and many other good old country cookin' things! Then we went out on the porch for a little family photo shoot. Thank goodness it was 68 degrees and noone froze! Jon even let us make his picture even though he'd just had surgery on his mouth. Look, we got a shot of Emersyn's face with a smile on it!!! Wow!! We usually just get the side of her face or the back of her head!

Chad and Lauren are so excited to add another granddaughter to our family! Can't wait til May to meet little Kinsley Faith Everette!

Look at this precious little angel! Don't you just want to squeeze her?? She has brought so much joy into our lives! We love our Emersyn!!

And, Emersyn loves Papa! She is always waving at him or saying "Papa" or standing on his feet. She even takes him some of her toys (but she always wants them back). What a blessed family we are to have each other!! Happy New Year! May it be the best one yet!!

A Little Trip to the Mall

2011-12-03T18:42:00.001-08:00

Jonathan, Emersyn and I went shopping at the mall today. We were looking for Jon's Christmas presents. I've gotten to where I can't buy for the kids myself. I need their help, so, off we went. Emersyn was so fascinated with the train. She got so excited and kept saying "Choo choo". So, being the crazy "Nana" that I am, I conned Jon into riding with her. She LOVED it!!! Here they come. It was so hard to get good pictures. It's really hard to shoot through the plastic windows but, I did the best I could.

Hi Emersyn and daddy!!!

She sat so still next to her daddy!

When it was time to go she kept looking back and saying "Choo choo". I really think she liked it. Not so sure about Jon. Oh well, what a good daddy he is!!

Busy Baby!

2011-10-29T05:15:00.001-07:00

We LOVE having Emersyn come to visit!!! She's such a busy little thing! She's growing and talking and LOVES pushing buttons! Don't think your phone or the TV remote are safe. She even erased my very best picture (the only one of her that I got with her whole face in it) on my camera. She's sooo, sooo much fun and I love her curiosity and love for learning new things. She's a climber and I don't think she's ever still unless something on the TV catches her attention (like the skaters who were jumping and twirling). She loved that and even laughed out loud when they jumped in the air. She even tried the spinning herself. All in all, she's our special, precious angel and we love, love, LOVE having her around!!!!!!

Busy, Busy September

2011-10-03T09:31:00.000-07:00

September is a busy, busy month for us! We have several birthdays in our family. My sister-in-law, Kim's birthday is the 17th. Then comes Danny's on the 22nd and finally my great neice, Katelynd's on the 26th. We had a little birthday party for Danny at my mom and dad's house, since my dad can no longer get out. I won't tell you how old Danny turned but, I can say he sure doesn 't look his age!!! How DOES he do it???? My mom and I made him a red velvet cake, his favorite.

Watch out for all that FIRE!! Danny is such a special person. He's so kind and caring and I couldn't ask for a better husband! Love you bunches!!!!

Of course Emersyn had to get in on the birthday act for her Grampa!! She loves him and when you say, "Where's Grampa?" she looks all around and if she doesn't see him, she holds out her hands like: "Where is he????"

Emersyn has so much fun at Mama and Papa's house. There are always new things to see and do. She'll disappear for a few minutes and then re-appear with something new to show us. Don't you love her hat?? It belongs to my dad and he got it on a Senior Adult trip.

What a busy, busy month!!

Happy Birthday to our Precious Angel!!

2011-08-31T03:47:00.001-07:00

Can't believe it! Our precious Emersyn turned one last week! Where has time gone?? She is such a little angel to us and the light of our lives! She is in constant motion and has learned so many words and expressions! It almost seems she understands everything you say to her. She had a wonderful party at home with her friends and family. This was her first time having cake and she really seemed to "take to it". She mostly ate the icing

She loved every present! She wasn't much into opening them, but loved playing with them when they were open. Can't wait to see what she does come Christmas!

We are so blessed to have been given this precious angel! She is such a gift from God!!

We love you Emersyn Kate with all our hearts!!

Happy Birthday Jonathan!!

2011-08-23T11:34:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to our amazing, wonderful son Jonathan! Can't believe you're 30!! Holy cow, that really makes me old!! You are such a talented, special, Christian young man and we are so proud of who you are!!

You are such a good son, husband and father!

We are so blessed to call you ours!!! Happy, happy Birthday!!

Happy Birthday Lolly!

2011-08-03T17:06:00.001-07:00

Darn, got the pictures backwards again! Never can remember how to upload them so they are in the right order! Oh well!! We celebrated Lauren's birthday on Sunday and had a wonderful family time! We love getting together as a family! Even Miss Emersyn had a fun time, although she didn't get to enjoy the cake or homemade ice cream!

We've almost outgrown our dining room table as a family. Hmmmm! Guess we'll be looking for something bigger before too long.

We are so proud of our children! They have turned into such wonderful, loving, Christian adults!

Lauren has had such a big year this year! She finished college, got a job teaching kindergarten and a brand new car. She is so special to us! We are so proud of her accomplishments, her loving heart and her caring ways!

Happy Birthday Lolly!!! We love you so very, very much!!!!!!!

Isn't She Lovely?

2011-07-17T20:41:00.001-07:00

Just couldn't help thinking of that song!!

A Summer Sunday

2011-07-11T19:47:00.000-07:00

Don't you just LOVE Sundays? We do! We usually get together as a family and either grill or eat out or just hang together! Now that we have Emersyn, it's added a whole new angel to Sundays. There's so much to see, show her and experience. We got so tickled at her last Sunday as she explored "outside". She had a ball picking up leaves and rocks and just running around! She probably picked up 10 rocks. She'd look at us like, can I eat this? We'd make a "yucky" face and say don't eat it, so she'd just look at it.

She did try a few leaves but never really ate any of them.

The funniest part was watching her "experience" the grass. Every time she put her bare foot down, she'd pick it up really fast. When she lost her balance and sat on the grass, she tried to hold her legs up. It was hilarious!!! She finally got better at the grass after we put her shoes on. It just serves to remind us how much of life babies have to experience.

Emersyn LOVE the outside. Even when it's 101 degrees or so!

Our Special Angel!

2011-05-31T18:03:00.000-07:00

We just love our precious Emersyn. She's growing up so fast and has developed such a cute little personality. She is so special to everyone in our family. My mom and dad just can't get enough of her. They think she's the cutest thing in the whole world and, of course, they're right!!!! She just loves to play and will crawl, pull up and play until she drops!

We also think she's so smart. She will work at something until she figures it out.

We just love our Emersyn and are so thankful that Jonathan and Anne Marie are so willing to share her. She is our precious angel!!

Graduated and Grateful!

2011-05-14T17:45:00.001-07:00

Our beautiful, wonderful daughter graduated this week from Kennesaw State University, Summa Cum Laude, with a batchelor's degree in Early Childhood Education. Wow! What an accomplishment!! Today we had a fun graduation party with lots of food, family and friends!! Oh, and lots of gifts too!

Lauren in front of the Education Building at Kennesaw!

Lauren and Chad. So proud!!

Way to go Lauren!! We love you!!

A Beautiful Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T18:20:00.000-07:00

We had the most beautiful Mother's Day today. It was filled with family and that's what makes it so special! We started with a cook out and ended with tons of photos (much to everyone's chagrin). Our Emersyn was so precious! She's getting so big and is learning so many new things every day. She has 3 teeth and stands alone. (Hasn't figured out the walking part yet though).
She's a little copy cat and does some of the cutest things! She is very much loved!!

Here's a photo of four generations of ladies!

And here are the guys.

The original four.

I love my family!!

April Showers bring. . . .

2011-04-21T18:57:00.000-07:00

BIRTHDAYS!!!! The Underwood/Gillespie/Everette household is full of birthdays in April. First is my dad's birthday on April 11. He turned 89 this year! Second is my mom's birthday on April 17. She turned 86 years young!! Doesn't she look great!!

Last, but never least, our wonderful son-in-law Chad turned 29 on April 18. He's such a sweetheart!!

We just love April Showers of Birthdays!!

Happy Birthday Mom!!!!

2011-04-18T17:42:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to one of the most beautiful women I know. She's loving, kind, giving, forgiving, all in all a very, very special woman!!! She loves her family, working out in the yard and music, even though she says she can't sing! She loves to play cards, especially Phase 10, and always trys to give you something when you leave!

She is such a good influence for her family and such a wonderful Christian woman who loves the Lord and tries her best to live "His" way!

I love you mom!!!

Happy Birthday Daddy!!!

2011-04-11T17:34:00.001-07:00

Today my sweet daddy turned 89 years old. He has lots of health issues but he's still my daddy and I love him lots and lots!!! Both of my parents have been such a blessing in my life! My brother Greg, gave him two stuffed dogs that represent Greg's dogs Barney and Peanut.

Opening presents!!

Blowing out the candles!

He's probably wondering what all that noise was! It was quite a rousing version of "Happy Birthday"!! I love you daddy!!!!!

I'm Just a Braggin'!

2011-04-04T19:28:00.000-07:00

Can't tell you how much we love, love, love our Emersyn! Every time I get a few new pictures I just can't help but share. We had lunch at my mom and dad's yesterday and I just had to share a few pictures of Emersyn. She is such a delight!!! She can totally stare you down as if she is trying to read your mind!! She pulls up on everything and loves to play!

"Clap, clap, clap your hands".

Standing at my new toy!

Growing So Fast!!

2011-03-14T17:37:00.000-07:00

Emersyn is growing sooo, soo fast! We haven't seen her in a couple of weeks and now, all of a sudden, she has changed, changed, changed. She is sitting up, leaning over, getting up from her stomach, crawling, pulling up, reaching, grasping, eating baby food and, in short, becoming a little person! She is so precious to us and each change is exciting and fun.

We are so proud of all of our family and are really enjoying being grandparents! There's nothing like it! Can't wait to have more!!!!

Our Precious Angel!!!

2011-01-23T19:07:00.000-08:00

We just LOVE our precious Emersyn Kate! She's getting so big and is able to do so many new things! She LOVES to be upright in her walker! She so reminds me of Jonathan. He never liked being a baby. He always wanted to be straight up and down so he could see everything. Emersyn has developed quite the little personality! She smiles a lot and wants to touch everything. Her grasp has gotten so much better and (of course) everything she holds goes straight to her mouth.

She is doing a great job of sitting up by herself. She can sit for quite a while before she gets tired and falls over. She LOVES books. They are about her favorite toy!

Emersyn is quite the mommy's girl! She's always looking around to see where Anne Marie is.

She is such a precious addition to our family! I can't remember what it was like when we didn't have her. She is definitely our "precious angel"!!!

Happy 2011!!

2011-01-04T19:22:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year! We spent New Year's Day at my mom and dad's, visiting, eating and playing cards. Mom made Beef Stroganoff (quickly becoming a tradition). It was wonderful. We all ate til we were beyond full! Then it was picture time (groan from everyone!) Here's a picture of all the family (except me! Someone had to make the picture!) Okay, okay, I give up. Make my picture!!

Jonathan, Anne Marie and Emersyn. Such a sweet family!

Chad and Lauren

Relaxing, resting, rubbing the eyes and. . .

Reading! Emersyn LOVES books and really enjoys being read to!

Mom and Chad. Love the pose!

Playing "Phase 10", one of mom's favorite games. I think we girls played for 2-3 hours. Lauren won, Anne Marie came in second, mom third and (of course) I lost. What else is new! The guys went to the movie (another tradition for the guys).

Love those relaxing, family days!

A Whole Lot of Christmas!!

2010-12-28T07:46:00.000-08:00

Christmas was wonderful, complete with snow! We ate, laughed and opened gifts and had a wonderful family time! Christmas, such a warm and happy time! Even looks like Christmas with the snow!

Emersyn had a blast playing, opening gifts and getting lots and lots of attention!!

She really seemed to know how to get into those gifts! (Well, maybe she just liked all the colors, papers and bows!)

Chad!

Jonathan and his little angel!

Anne Marie.

Lolly!

Emersyn and her new toy!

Snow, snow, snow!!

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Tree Trimming

2010-12-06T19:09:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again! Time to untangle those lights, drag out the millions of ornaments and put up that tree (that leans a little to one side). No matter what, it's a fun time of year and we love to decorate the tree as a family. This was Emersyn's first time and, by the picture below, I don't think she was too impressed. Oh well, she'll get used to the craziness of decorating! Everyone gets an ornament to add to the tree every year. (I have to throw away quite a few of the old ornaments every year to make room for the new ones. The tree IS only so big after all!)
Lauren always chooses an ornament with "shoes".

Chad got one of his favorites this year. A "Charlie Brown" ornament that plays the Charlie Brown theme song.

Danny chose "Hoops and Yoyo". They just crack me up!

Jon and Anne Marie had to hang their own ornaments plus one for Emersyn.

We had a great time decorating, eating cookies and listening to Christmas music! It's the most "wonderful" time of the year!!!!

Thankful and Blessed!

2010-11-27T11:04:00.000-08:00

Well, Thanksgiving has come and gone but we are all so thankful for our family and all the blessings God has given us! We all met at our house for a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner. We were so blessed to have most of our family with us. Here are Chad and Sam before lunch. Katelynd makes a wonderful baby sitter! Audrey just loves her!!
Lauren and Kim really didn't want their picture made. Oh well, whatever!!
Here are all the kiddos with Anne Marie: Ashley, Patrick, Katelynd, Audrey and Emersyn.
Jan and Patrick with silly faces.
Patrick loves to have his picture made with everyone, even Papa!
Sam and a very tired Audrey. That baby can sleep anywhere!
Ashley, Mama and Greg! (Where are Ashley's teeth???)
Avery sticky, tired Audrey!
The newest Underwood family, Jon, Anne Marie and Emersyn.
A very proud Grampa with his angel!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

A Little Halloween Fun!

2010-11-02T18:17:00.000-07:00

Well, the pictures are backwards (again) but we'll start with Sunday night. The whole family came over to cook hamburgers on the grill and greet the trick or treaters. We all sat on the front porch (except Jon, Anne Marie and Emersyn) after dinner to check out all the costumes.

Mother loves to put on a witch hat and "try" to scare all the trick or treaters. She'd peek out from behind one of our columns and say "boooooo". My dad even got in on the act making scary noises and barking like a dog. Lauren just hung out and watched.

This is Chad, the candy man!

Mother in her witch hat with her "mean" face.

Oh well, I copied the same picture twice and don't know how to get rid of it!

On Saturday night, Mom, Dad and I went up to First Baptist Douglasville for trunk or treat. It was a lot of fun watching all the costumes, eating hot dogs and cotton candy and listening to the music. There were about a million kids there!!!

Even Emersyn came, dressed as a frog with a big bow (of course).

Happy Birthday Danny!

2010-10-04T04:34:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband who celebrated his birthday on September 22. It's been kind of a crazy time so we were a little late with the party but we finally worked it into everyone's schedule. Thanks for being such a loving, kind father and husband. We love you more than you'll ever know!! How old did you say you are???? What's that???? Yes, I'm still older. Thanks!

Happy, happy Birthday!!!!

A Little More Emersyn!

2010-09-12T10:19:00.000-07:00

Our precious Emersyn is 17 days old and such an angel. She has her fussy moments but we wouldn't trade her for the world. She has really rocked Jonathan and Anne Marie's world. No one can tell you what a difference having a baby in the house is. Nothing is untouched or remains the same, especially the ability to sleep! But as it has been said, this too will pass! And it will, in a huge HURRY! We love our little bundle of joy and she is such a tremendous blessing from GOD! I really don't think she's much into these headbands and bows. What a face!!

She loves riding in the car seat!

Such a sweet picture!

Precious, beautiful doll!

She even smiled for her great-grandmother, Mama! (Or maybe it was gas???)

She's HERE!!!!!

2010-08-30T20:20:00.000-07:00

Our precious Emersyn Kate has finally arrived. Born August 26 at 9:26pm, she weighed 9 lbs. 7 oz. and was 21 inches long. What a beautiful, wonderful blessing for our family! She is so loved from the top of her head to the bottom of her toes! Welcome precious angel!!!! She's such a mommy's girl right now! No one can comfort her like her mommy!!

What a beautiful new addition to Jon and Anne Marie's family!

We are some very proud grandparents to be known as Nana and Grampa.

More pictures to follow!!

Happy Birthday Jonathan!

2010-08-23T14:45:00.000-07:00

Can't believe Jonathan's birthday has come and gone! I'm a little behind. Life is pretty crazy right now but we got together and grilled hamburgers, hot dogs and had cake and ice cream on Saturday to celebrate the birth of a wonderful, loving, talented young man. He makes us so proud to call him son! As you can see, my pictures are backwards again. (I'll never learn!)

Pretty mean to make the poor guy light his own candles!

We love you Jonathan and are sooo, soooo, proud of the fine young man you've become! Can't believe you're 29. Jeez, don't blink!!!!

Happy Birthday Lauren!

2010-08-08T18:26:00.001-07:00

Can't believe our beautiful Lauren turned 26 in July. We went to the "Little Hawaiian" in Carrolton to celebrate! The food there is awesome and we enjoyed every bite! Here we are, just the girls! Can you tell I came from work????

We love you Lauren! You are so special and such a blessing to our family!!! God did really good when he gave you to us!!!!!!!

Audrey's 1

2010-07-18T17:26:00.001-07:00

Our precious Audrey turned 1 on July 7. She is such an angel! She's grown so much this year and done so many awesome things. She started walking the day after her birthday. She's not really steady on her feet yet but, boy, does she ever get around! Mama gave her this adorable little "Dora" car and she just loved it! It sings, beeps and she's already learned how to get on and off.

Yea for Audrey! She's walking!

"Watch me!"

Audrey got a new bow and headband for her birthday. It looked so cute on her but only lasted about 1 minute and then, poof, she pulled it off.

Opening presents. I think she almost liked the paper the most of all.

She really liked the little train. It blew whistles, sang songs and rolled along.

Such a cutie pie!!!!

A Little Fourth Fun

2010-07-06T10:23:00.000-07:00

Well, I did it again! Loaded my pictures pretty much backwards but, here goes. These are the fireworks in Douglasville. We went up to the JoAnn's parking lot (just like last year) to watch. It was really a great view. Last year there were very few people there but, I guess the word got around cause this year the parking lot was packed out!! Chad and Lauren waiting for the fireworks.

Danny and Lauren.

Silly Jonathan, Anne Marie and Emersyn

We had family over on Sunday the 4th for a cookout. It was great and the weather was absolutely gorgeous! We cooked hambergers, hot dogs and made homemade ice cream! It doesn't get any better than that!!! Granddaddy and Mickey really enjoyed it!

Anne Marie, her dad Quentin and her sister in law Shannon. (and Emersyn of course)

We even had 4th of July decorated tables!

She's Almost Here!!!!

2010-06-29T12:00:00.000-07:00

Boy, to me it's been a short time since Christmas when Jonathan and Anne Marie told everyone that Emersyn is on the way. Here's a picture that was made at Christmas. Then, at 16 weeks, we were off to find out if it was a boy or a girl. NO dice. Emersyn would not cooperate so we had to wait another 2 weeks.

On May 1, we took my mom to see Mary Poppins at the Fox theatre. Emersyn was really beginning to make her presence known.

On June 12 we had a baby shower at our house with all of our families. What a fun time!

On June 19 we had another baby shower with family and friends! Emersyn will lack for nothing! I've never seen so many awesome gifts! Can't wait for the final 7 weeks so we will get to see and hold Emersyn! She is already so much loved and we're all soooo excited!

I know that Anne Marie is the most excited of all!!!!!

Babies are such a Blessing!

2010-06-12T17:19:00.000-07:00

We had a baby shower for Anne Marie, Jonathan and Emersyn today. It was such fun and they got so many wonderful gifts. We had a lot of people here and 3 babies and one little girl. Children are so innocent and full of wonder. It's so awesome to watch their reactions to different things and people, especially other babies and children. Audrey is 11 months old and is crawling everywhere. She also pulls up on things and walks while holding on. She likes other children and is very vocal. She's pretty shy around adults she doesn't know. Ashley and Audrey are half sisters and Ashley hauls Audrey around all over. Parker is the son of a very good friend of mine and is about 15 months old.

Audrey and Parker held several conversations and screaming matches with each other. It was soooooo funny!

We couldn't decide if they liked each other or not. They certainly crawled a lot together and sat and looked at each other. At one time, they sat facing each other and one would babble and then the other. Then they looked at each other and one would scream and then the other. Guess we just weren't in the loop on what was going on! Parker loved the knobs and dials on the dishwasher. He can scoot on his bottom faster than anyone I've ever seen! Amazing! He never meets a stranger. He smiles at everyone and will go to anyone, especially if they will take him somewhere he wants to go! Such a cutie!!!

God truly blessed us with a lot of babies in our lives. We can't wait to meet Emersyn! She's loved and looked forward to already. Only 10 more weeks! CAN'T WAIT!!!!

Dinner and a Show in Douglasville

2010-05-09T19:57:00.000-07:00

So, last Thursday night, Lauren, Danny and I decided to go to Ruby Tuesdays in Douglasville for dinner. (We wanted the salad bar.) We get there, have a nice dinner, including dessert, and just as we're finishing up, the waitress comes to our table and quietly asks that we please exit the restaurant as there is smoke coming into the restaurant. The entire restaurant ended up outside on the sidewalk, including the staff. In the picture below you can see the cooks, who all moved their cars away from the restaurant and then stood farther away than anyone else. We never saw any flames but the guy on the roof said that they thought it might have been a light balist that caught fire.

We all stood around on the sidewalk until the waitress came out and said we could come back in.

The answer is "NO", they didn't comp our meal. We had to pay before we left.

Oh the joys of dinner and a show in Douglasville.

Mary Poppins

2010-05-04T17:22:00.001-07:00

Saturday we took my mom to the Fox Theatre to see Mary Poppins for her birthday. The show was absolutely fabulous! All the actors were great and the music was unforgettable. We started the day with a trip to get my mom's hair cut and then met Lauren and Anne Marie at the mall for a bite of lunch. Then we were off to the show. We were so afraid we were going to be late because they had 4 of 5 lanes closed off on I-75 North. Traffic was horrific and, of course, I didn't realize the problem until I was already on the ramp for 75 North. We got off at the first exit possible and cut through downtown and actually made it in plenty of time. We had to climb about a million steps to get to our seats but we could see pretty well. Would have loved to be a little closer but, we could see everything and the sound was excellent.

Lauren and Anne Marie loved the show and I hope it was a wonderful 85th birthday for my mom!

I haven't been to the Fox in years and years. It's still just like I remembered it. We got to hear the pipe organ before the show began. Amazing.

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

A Little Easter Fun

2010-04-05T18:34:00.000-07:00

We had Easter dinner and egghunts at our house this year. We only had big kids and tiny kids so we did a double egg hunt. Katelynd (my great niece) is 12 and thought she was really too big to hunt eggs but she decided it might actually be worth it for a "money" prize. As it would go, she won the $10.00 prize for the most eggs! Isaiah is 9 and really got into the hunt. He had a blast, even though Katie beat him out of the prize.

Little Audrey (9 months) loved the eggs. She loved trying to walk all over the yard. She's getting sooo big. She's up to 17 pounds now!

She wants to walk soooo bad but just can't quite get there yet. She's one of the happiest babies I've seen. She always has a smile on her face.

Alyssa (14 months) came with Audrey and loved the egg hunt. She didn't much like walking in the long grass. I guess it tickled her toes.

We had a really fun day with the kiddos. The day was bitter sweet since it was the first holiday without my brother. He is soo missed!

Waiting...

2010-02-26T17:56:00.000-08:00

Well, today is February 26, not March 6 sooooo we're waiting. One more week, seven more days, about 168 more hours, about 10, 080 minutes of waiting. Waiting, waiting, waiting. For what, you ask. Well, next Saturday, March 6, we will find out if Baby "E" is Emersyn or Elijah. What do YOU think? Anne Marie and Jonathan are taking about 10 or 12 of us with them to find out which baby Underwood we will get. We've been asked to wear the color shirt we think the baby is: Blue for Elijah or Pink for Emersyn. Hmmmm. Not sure yet soooooooo we're waiting, waiting, waiting. Something I'm not very good at but, I'm learning. Just Waiting!

Ashley's Hospital Visit

2010-02-13T09:20:00.000-08:00

Last Wednesday Ashley had to go to Scottish Rite Hospital for a little procedure. She's been having some problems with her stomach so they decided that they wanted to go down and take a look. We got to Scottish Rite at 6am and went up to the Day surgery floor. As soon as they took us back, Ashley hopped into her little hospital gown and lovely (NOT) green socks with rubber skids on them. Then she hopped up onto the hospital bed and got busy reading, watching TV and drawing on her Etch-a-Sketch.

Around 9am they brought Ashley her "happy" medicine which tasted awful. The nurse came to take her back for her procedure. The doctor said that if they saw anything while they were down there, they would go ahead and do the surgery.

Around 9:30 the doctor came back and said that they hadn't seen anything. He thought her problems were that she wasn't digesting her food well so he put her on a very high fiber diet and Zantac twice a day for her irritated stomach. Soon they brought Ashley back and she was sleeping like a log!

An hour later they woke her up.

After she came fully awake and had 2 slushies (and kept them down), they let her get dressed to go home. She got to ride to the car in a wagon. Scottish Rite hospital is such a wonderful place! They are so good with the kids and so nice and helpful. They really make an uncomfortable visit so much better!!!!

Blah!

2010-02-06T14:43:00.000-08:00

Do you ever feel just BLAH! That's me today. Had to get up early (and this is Saturday) so I could go and work (my choice). Thought I'd get off around 2 but it turned out to be 3 before I left. The weather is gray and COLD! I know, I know, not as bad as in Washington DC but still, this is Georgia and it's downright COLD!!!! I feel like crafting but don't have anything to make. I want to go shopping but don't have any money. Man, I sure am whiney!!! Just one of those BLAH days. Oh well, a good nights sleep and maybe some sun tomorrow and I'm sure I'll be just fine.

A Little Visit

2010-01-24T18:38:00.000-08:00

Saturday we got a little visit from Brandy and Audrey. We haven't seen them since Christmas and Audrey has really grown. She's 6 1/2 months old and weighs 15 pounds. This is such an accomplishment for her. She was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis right after birth. This disease causes issues with the lungs and the digestive system. So far, Audrey has been steadily gaining weight and we are so excited about that. Every pound is a victory. She is eating baby food, sitting alone and loves to talk and put things in her mouth. She is such a little angel to us and we feel very blessed to have her in our lives!

Such a precious baby!!

Is It Friday YET????

2010-01-21T12:02:00.000-08:00

Do you ever have one of those days when you think, "Is it Friday yet???" That is today. I'm sitting here in Lawrenceville, waiting on my last 3 patients. It's cold and rainy and I know my drive home will definitely be extended (beyond the 1 1/2 hours it takes to get here.) IS it Friday yet??? Then again, tomorrow will also be a very, very long day so, I guess Friday will be no better than today. Why do we always wish for Friday?

Baby It's Cold Outside!

2010-01-08T18:28:00.000-08:00

We woke up this morning to a little snow and much ice. Also to very, very cold temps. I got up at 6 am to check out the traffic and try to get in to work. The Georgia DOT said NO Way, go back to bed so I did. Then I called work at 8 and told them "NO Way". Ice, ice baby!!! Unfortunately this was a surgery day and we had 30 patients booked for surgery. Would you believe all the patients got there, BUT, not all the techs. Go figure. I tried to head in about 11am but got really freaked out on Hwy. 5 so I turned around and went home. Not worth crashing my car or my head!!! Here's my NEW lamppost covered in snow and ice. I LOVE it!

Our house with it's dusting of snow and much ice.

Footprints in the snow!

Lauren commemorated the day by writing Snow 2010 on her back windshied.

All in all it was a pretty laid back, do nothing day!

A New Year!

2010-01-05T04:37:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful New Year's Day with family. Jonathan, Anne Marie, Danny, Daddy, Mother and I got together to enjoy some of mother's wonderful Beef Stroganoff (my favorite!). Then, while the guys talked, we played "Phase 10". (a card game). Of course mother won and I lost (what else is new!)

2010, a new year, a new beginning, a new life. We will welcome our first grandbaby this year in August. Can't wait! Can't even wait til April to find out what we're having! 2010, new beginnings!

We LOVE Christmas!!

2009-12-31T17:28:00.001-08:00

Christmas Day night at our house! What a wonderful time! We open presents and stockings, eat cookies, drink hot chocolate and watch a movie together. This year we watched "Meet the Fockers". Such a funny movie and such a wonderful family time. We LOVE Christmas!

Twas the Night Before Christmas

2009-12-25T05:57:00.000-08:00

"Twas the night before Christmas" and a very peaceful calm settled over our house. No hustle, no bustle, no craziness, just a peaceful calm! Ahhhhhh! We wrapped presents, baked cookies and watched 2 "Santa Claus" movies! Ahhhhhh!

Jonathan built a fire and we all just chilled (except Danny who had 3 services at the church and Lauren and Chad who had a party at his grandmother's.)

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!!!!!

Christmas at Our House!

2009-12-21T05:52:00.000-08:00

Last night was our big family Christmas party. We had all of my family, all of Anne Marie's family and part of Kim and Greg's family. LOTS of people and chaos! (But we love it that way!)
We ate lasagne, salad, bread, cookies and fudge til we were stuffed! Then we opened presents with the kids and had our "dirty" Santa game. It was a blast!!!!! I love Christmas and family!"
This is the "big" kids table! Jonathan made an awesome fire much to my dad's happiness cause he always freezes at our house.

The "dirty" Santa game is always a hoot! Jonathan ALWAYS gets the crazy gift as he did this time. A pair of ladies slippers (size 7) and a pair of baby pants with the legs sewed up to hold clothes pins on the clothes line. (He said, "what's a clothes line???") Silly boy!

I actually got a pretty good picture of the little kids. Isaiah, Ashley, Patrick, Audrey and Katelynd.

A Little Family Fun!

2009-12-01T18:38:00.001-08:00

Well, it's time for tree trimming again. Can't believe Christmas is around the corner! We always get together the Saturday after Thanksgiving to decorate our Christmas Tree. Every year each of us gets a new ornament for the year. Our tree is so loaded that we can barely get all the ornaments on it but, we always manage!

This year we finally got a new angel for the top. Every year Jonathan and Danny make fun of my poor angel (kind of a country cloth angel). I decided we'd retire her this year and get a new one!

Jonathan decided Anne Marie wasn't helping enough with the tree trimming so he sat on her!

Final adjustments on the new angel!

One of the only pictures of Danny and I in front of the tree. Our knees were dead by the time we got off the floor. Old age is such fun!

A little consultation on the lights! @#%#@ half of them don't burn!!!!

Happy 9th Birthday Patrick

2009-11-15T16:07:00.001-08:00

Well, we were off to Ellijay again this weekend for Patrick's 9th birthday. He is one of the sweetest and most thoughtful little boys that I have ever met. We went to a place called Fun Timz (kind of like Monkey Joe's). The kids jumped in the bouncy things, ate hot dogs and cup cakes (shaped like a football), opened presents and enjoyed each other's company! These kids were never, never still!

Do you have to keep making pictures?????

Presents were almost the best part! This was a scooter. FUN!!

Love it!!

Thank you, thank you very much everybody!!

Happy Birthday Patrick!!!

2009-10-25T17:09:00.000-07:00

Well, we were off to Ellijay this weekend for Ashley's 7th birthday. Such a girl. We decided to go up early to get pictures of the kiddos made at Wal-Mart before the party. Unfortunately, Liz, Patrick and Ashley got caught behind an accident and by the time they got there (1 hour late), Audrey had had enough smiling and being cooperative! We worked really hard and finally got a few pictures, (some great ones of Ashley and Patrick but no smiles from Audrey). Then we were off to Papa's Pizza for a really loud and roudy birthday party. The kiddos used about a million tokens to get a whole load of junk to take home with them. We ate pizza, cupcakes, opened presents and had a crazy, fun time! Ashley got loads of presents (money, clothes, and toys!)

Ashley got some new dance clothes and Patrick just had to model the purple tutu! It is so him!!

Audrey had fun just watching all the action. She also got a little "frog" time in!

Ashley just had to go and change into some of her new clothes. She's such a little model! It turned out to be a very fun and busy day!

A Little Family Fun

2009-10-20T03:00:00.001-07:00

Part of our family got together this past weekend "just for fun". Tim, Julie, Sam, Katelynd, Brandy, Audrey, Papa, Mama, Jonathan, Anne Marie, Chad, Lauren and I got to visit, eat and just enjoy each other's company this past Sunday afternoon! I love family outings!
Katelynd and Brandy! The kiddos!

Tim and his youngest granddaughter, Audrey!

Jonathan and Audrey!

Mama and Audrey! Audrey has really grown. She now weighs 12 lbs and 4 oz. She holds her head up well and smiles and talks all the time.

Happy Birthday Danny!

2009-10-06T10:23:00.001-07:00

Well, I'm a little behind but Happy Birthday Danny! Danny's birthday was September 22 and we all went (as a family) to eat at "Little Hawaiian" in Carrollton. It was wonderful food and as always, a fun family time. Danny is such a wonderful man and a great husband. He doesn't look a day over 40 yet, this was the big double nickels for him. Happy Birthday Dan, and I love you very much!!! Do you think he looks like his dad spit him out?????

Anne Marie is such a sweet daughter in law!

I hate having my picture made but Lauren sure makes up for it! Such a beautiful girl!

Yum! You can't have a birthday without cake and this one was to die for! Coconut and absolutely fantastic! ( Of course, Jonathan and Anne Marie had cheesecake and Lauren and I had, yep, you guessed it..... CHOCOLATE!)

Happy Birthday Danny! We love you!!!!

Happy Birthday Jonathan!!

2009-09-01T06:05:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Jonathan's birthday this weekend (a week late). He's such an awesome young man and we are so proud of him! Can't believe he's not that chubby little dude that used to be around with his tractors and boom booms! (Well the boom booms are still around!) We even made him light his own candles!

He just LOVES for us to all sing (if that's what you call it!) to him!

Happy Birthday to my bestest buddy!

A Brother and his Sisters!

2009-08-29T19:36:00.000-07:00

We spent the day with Patrick and Ashley in Ellijay. This was the first time Patrick had seen his little half sister Audrey. He LOVED her. He's such a good big brother to both of his sisters! Ashley and Audrey had matching outfits.

Too bad the sun was in their faces but they are a beautiful bunch of kiddos!

Ashley loves to hold Audrey! She sure is a wiggly worm though!

Audrey is officially Patrick and Ashley's sister. She was christened with silly string! What a fun day!

It's Braggin' Time!

2009-08-13T18:00:00.001-07:00

I have to say that I have the best kids in the whole world! Tonight Lauren was honored by the Masonic Lodge in Douglasville. She was chosen out of 10 applications to receive a $1000.00 scholarship for her college. We were told that out of all the applications, she had the best grades and the best essay. They were all very impressed with her. Lauren is a very smart young lady and can do anything she wants to do. I am so proud of her! She works full time, goes to school full time and manages to be a wonderful wife. She is also very talented in music and crafting. God truly blessed us with a wonderful daughter and we love her very much!!! Wish I had a check like this!

Lauren and Chad

Thanks so much to Granddaddy for helping Lauren know about and apply for the scholarship.

Happy Birthday Lauren!

2009-07-30T16:17:00.000-07:00

Monday was Lauren's 25th birthday. We celebrated on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. (We have birthweeks, not birthdays!) She chose a cookie cake for her birthday cake! Lauren is such a special person in our lives! We are so blessed to have such a wonderful and beautiful daughter! (And a great son-in-law too!)

Yep, she got lots of good gifts!

Thanks to all who celebrated with us!

We love you Lolly!

Aloha Hawaii!!

2009-07-25T10:01:00.001-07:00

Aloha! We got to go to Hawaii for vacation this year. Wow! What a beautiful place to go to relax and enjoy! We flew to Oahu on Friday afternoon (a 9 hour flight). Hawaii is 6 hours behind us in time. We left Atlanta at 11:15am and got to Oahu at about 2:30pm.
This is the view that greeted us outside the hotel window. Can you say paradise???

This is the view of the bay from our balcony. We got to swim in this gorgeous cove. The water was a little chilly but you could see all the way to the bottom.

Here we are on the rocks across the cove. We were waiting for the sunset. It was absolutely beautiful!

Aloha and Mahalo!

Audrey's First Week

2009-07-16T17:50:00.000-07:00

Tonight we went to visit my niece Brandy and her new baby daughter Audrey. They are both doing so well! Brandy is a great mother and Audrey is a really good baby. Brandy's sister, Julie, and her daughter Katelynd came over to visit also. Anne Marie and Lauren went with me. This was Anne Marie's first time to see Audrey. She is sooooo tiny! Anne Marie is such a natural. I know she can't wait to have one of her own. (Me neither!!) This is Julie, Brandy and Katelynd, hamming it up for the camera!
See, I told you she's a natural!

Even Katelynd was really good with Audrey. It's fun to have a baby around when you're almost 12.

Such a beautiful baby!

Happy Birthday Audrey!

2009-07-09T10:48:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday and welcome to my beautiful brand new great niece Audrey! She was born Tuesday afternoon, July 7 weighing in at a whopping 6 lbs. 1oz. and 19 1/4 inches long. She is such a beautiful baby and we are so glad she is here! Happy Birthday beautiful Audrey! Can't believe she is this alert at only 4-5 hours old.

Lauren and my niece Brandy. Audrey looks so much like her mom!

Awwww! She's soooo sweet!

Fourth Fun

2009-07-06T19:10:00.001-07:00

Wow! We had a wonderful 4th of July. Jonathan, Anne Marie, Danny and I started the day with a trip to the Douglasville Parade. Don't they look cool with their glasses! We ran into my mom and dad and enjoyed the parade with them. (They never miss a parade)

After the parade we headed over to Anne Marie's parents house for a wonderful lunch of grilled hamburgers, hot dogs and all the trimming. It was one of the best lunches ever. We all thought we were going to burst when we left. Then, a few hours later we hooked up with Chad's family at Longhorns for dinner. Boy were we full!!!!

Chad's mom even donned her lady Liberty hat. Can you tell she works in kindergarten?

We all decided to head to the parking lot at JoAnn's fabric to watch the fireworks. (Except my mom and dad who decided they'd rather see them on TV.) It was a really good place to sit. We had a great view and enjoyed the fireworks and the company.

We had an awesome 4th. It was a great time of food, fun and family!!!

Weekend with Patrick and Ashley

2009-07-02T18:34:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Patrick, Ashley and Liz came down to spend the weekend with me. Wow! What a weekend we had. On Friday, we went to Clinton Park and let the kiddos play on the playground. Patrick said it was the best playground ever. Then on Saturday, we hit a few yard sales in our neighborhood and headed out to the pool at Jonathan and Anne Marie's. It was soooooo hot but we had the best time swimming and playing in the water!

After lunch at my house, we headed out to Monkey Joes'. What a great time the kids had playing there. (It was really crowded though)

Patrick loved the machines and spent more time on them than in the bouncy houses.

Monkey Joe even came out for pictures.

After Monkey Joes', we went to the mall for some supper and to trade the size on Ashley's new swimsuit. We ran into Chad's mom and dad and his niece and nephew, Naomi and Jonathan. Patrick and Ashley really hit it off with Jonathan at the play area.

Sunday morning it was up and off to church. (Boy Ashley looks excited) She wore the little pillowcase dress I made her. It was soooo cute, especially with the brown leggings.

After church we went to Wendy's for lunch with my mom and dad. Yum! Then, Liz and the kids decided to spend just one more night before heading back to Ellijay. Yay! They got to go with us to church for our big 4th of July program, ice cream and fireworks. What a perfect ending to a wonderful weekend!

My mom, dad and I with the kiddos!

One happy Ashley!

Happy Birthday Anne Marie!

2009-06-20T19:06:00.001-07:00

Today we celebrated Anne Marie's birthday with lunch at "Gabe's Downtown" and a cookout, complete with homemade Ice Cream and Birthday Cake at our house. We are so blessed to have such an amazing daughter in law! We definitely think Jonathan "did good" when he married Anne Marie. She has such a sweet and giving spirit and she's become a real daughter to us! Love you lots girl!

CRAFTINESS

2009-06-12T19:42:00.000-07:00

So, I've been in a crafting mood lately. Anne Marie got me hooked on making the pillowcase dresses. This is one I made for my great niece Ashley. Turned out really cute.

My niece is expecting her new daughter, Audrey Claire, at the end of this month. She has the room decorated in hot pink and hot green so, I decided to add to the decor by decorating the letters of her name to go above the crib. Here's the end result.

So glad I've branched out from just my scrapbooking and painting sweatshirts. I LOVE to craft!

Apocalyptic Literature

2009-06-10T05:08:00.000-07:00

I received this in an e-mail and thought it was so appropriate that I had to post it!

How's this for apocalyptic literature. This was written in biblical
prose as a commentary of current events. It is Brilliant.
~~~~~~~~~~

And it came to pass in the Age of Insanity that the people of the land
called America , having lost their morals, their initiative, and their
will to defend their liberties, chose as their Supreme Leader that
person known as "The One".

He emerged from the vapors with a message that had no meaning; but He
hypnotized the people telling them, "I am sent to save you. My lack of
experience, my questionable ethics, my monstrous ego, and my association
with evil doers are of no consequence. For I shall save you with Hope
and Change.

Go, therefore, and proclaim throughout the land that he who preceded me
is evil, that he has defiled the nation, and that all he has built must
be destroyed." And the people rejoiced, for even though they knew not
what "The One" would do, he had promised that it was good; and they
believed. And "The One" said "We live in the greatest country in the
world. Help me change everything about it!" And the people said,
"Hallelujah! Change is good!"

Then He said, "We are going to tax the rich fat-cats." And the people
said "Sock it to them!" "And redistribute their wealth." And the
people said, "Show us the money!" And then He said, "Redistribution of
wealth is good for everybody"

And Joe the plumber asked, "Are you kidding me? You're going to steal my
money and give it to the deadbeats??" And "The One" ridiculed and
taunted him, and Joe's personal records were hacked and publicized.

One lone reporter asked, "Isn't that Marxist policy?" And she was
banished from the kingdom!

Then a citizen asked, "With no foreign relations experience and having
zero military experience or knowledge, how will you deal with radical
terrorists?" And "The One" said, "Simple. I shall sit with them and talk
with them and show them how nice we really are; and they will forget
that they ever wanted to kill us all!" And the people said,
"Hallelujah!! We are safe at last, and we can beat our weapons into free
cars for the people!"

Then "The One" said, "I shall give 95% of you lower taxes." And one,
lone voice said, "But 40% of us don't pay ANY taxes." So "The One"
said, "Then I shall give you some of the taxes the fat-cats pay!" And
the people said, "Hallelujah!! Show us the money!

Then "The One" said, "I shall tax your Capital Gains when you sell your
homes!" And the people yawned and the slumping housing market
collapsed. And He said, "I shall mandate employer- funded health care
for EVERY worker and raise the minimum wage. And I shall give every
person unlimited healthcare and medicine and transportation to the
clinics." And the people said, "Give me some of that!"

Then he said, "I shall penalize employers who ship jobs overseas." And
the people said, "Where's my rebate check?"

Then "The One" said, "I shall bankrupt the coal industry and electricity
rates will skyrocket!" And the people said, "Coal is dirty, coal is
evil, no more coal! But we don't care for that part about higher
electric rates." So "The One" said, "Not to worry. If your rebate isn't
enough to cover your expenses, we shall bail you out. Just sign up with
ACORN and your troubles are over!"

Then He said, "Illegal immigrants feel scorned and slighted. Let's
grant them amnesty, Social Security, free education, free lunches, free
medical care, bi-lingual signs and guaranteed housing..." And the
people said, "Hallelujah!!" And they made him King!

And so it came to pass that employers, facing spiraling costs and
ever-higher taxes, raised their prices and laid off workers.
Others simply gave up and went out of business and the economy sank like
unto a rock dropped from a cliff.
The banking industry was destroyed. Manufacturing slowed to a crawl. And
more of the people were without a means of support.

Then "The One" said, "I am the "The One" - The Messiah - and I'm here to
save you! We shall just print more money so everyone will have enough!"
But our foreign trading partners said unto Him, "Wait a minute. Your
dollar is not worth a pile of camel dung! You will have to pay more..."
And the people said, "Wait a minute. That is unfair!!" And the world
said, "Neither are these other idiotic programs you have embraced. Lo,
you have become a Socialist state and a second-rate power. Now you shall
play by our rules!"

And the people cried out, "Alas, alas!! What have we done?" But yea
verily, it was too late. The people set upon "The One" and spat upon him
and stoned him, and his name was dung. And the once mighty nation was no
more; and the once proud people were without sustenance or shelter or
hope. And the Change "The One" had given them was as like unto a poison
that had destroyed them and like a whirlwind that consumed all that they
had built.

And the people beat their chests in despair and cried out in anguish,
"Give us back our nation and our pride and our hope!!" But it was too
late, and their homeland was no more.

You may think this is a fairy tale, but it's not.

It's happening RIGHT NOW !!!

Happy Birthday to...........ME!!

2009-05-23T19:48:00.001-07:00

What a great day! Today was my @#%#@%#@ th Birthday. We had a wonderful day! I got many wonderful presents and got to spend the day with family. You can't ask for any better!! My mom made my favorite (beef stroganoff) for supper and a chocolate birthday cake, complete with words and candles! Wow! What a day! Rain didn't even slow us down! All in all, it was one of the best birthdays ever! Thanks to my wonderful family!!!!!!

Huntin' for Tadpoles!

2009-05-11T17:10:00.001-07:00

What a busy weekend we've had!!! Saturday we gave my niece a baby shower (more about that later). My great niece and nephew, Patrick and Ashley, came down for the shower and spent the night with me. Then, on Sunday, we went to church and to my mom's for mother's day dinner. After a wonderful meal, Patrick and Ashley decided to go down to the creek to hunt for tadpoles. Sure did bring back childhood memories! Sitting on the edge of the creek, trying to catch those quick little rascals before they buried themselves out of sight! Patrick finally caught about 10. Poor Ashley didn't have any luck, other than getting wet and muddy! Wet and muddy feet, legs and hands, multiple mosquito bites (mosquitos love the muggy wetness of the creek) and lots and lots of fun! Boy, you wouldn't believe the conversations with a 6 and 8 year old at the creek!!! All in all, a wonderful, fun, interesting and informative Mother's Day! I love these kids!!!

Happy Birthday Chad!

2009-04-24T18:06:00.001-07:00

April is a busy month for birthdays in our family! Chad just celebrated his 27th birthday. We had cake, ice cream and presents. Chad's mom, Terry, and his grandmother, Pat, came to his little party. Chad has been such a blessing to our family and I really don't think Lauren could have ever found a better husband anywhere. He's such a wonderful Christian man and loves and takes great care of Lauren. He's the best son-in-law in the world and we love him dearly! Happy Birthday Chad!!!!!

Happy Birthday to the Best Mom in the World

2009-04-20T13:18:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Mom! On April 17th my mom had her 84th birthday! No one can ever believe she is 84! She doesn't look it and she certainly doesn't act it! She is such a vivacious and happy person and is a phenomenal Christian woman on top of everything else. She's always there for us and gives of herself with total unselfishness! What a wonderful role model I've had all my life! She is always the life of the party and her positive outlook on life effects everyone she meets! She is truly a wonderful person and I love her dearly! Happy Birthday Frances Mama!

Easter Hunt and Ballgames

2009-04-17T19:12:00.001-07:00

Thursday we went to Ellijay to watch Patrick and Ashley play ball. Papa and Mama loved it, even though the wind was a little cold. Ashley's team lost but she didn't really care. She had fun! Patrick's team won 30 to 4. He hit every time up to bat and actually got to slide in home a couple of times. What fun!

Ashley is heading for 3rd base. She's pretty darn fast!

Patrick had some really good hits. Look how intent he is on getting to the next base!

What a fun night! Sure am glad I don't have to get these kids cleaned up! They look like real ballplayers!

This is our crazy family, who all came to our house for Easter. We ate, hunted eggs and had a birthday party for Papa and Mama. So much family fun!!

Patrick and Ashley with their great-Papa.

Getting ready to hunt eggs with Katelynd Ashley, Great Mama and Patrick.

On your mark, get set, GO! Waiting impatiently to hunt eggs! Katelynd won and beat Patrick by 2 eggs.

Happy Birthday Daddy!!!

2009-04-13T19:00:00.000-07:00

My dad just had his 87th birthday on April 11. He is such a special person to all of us! He is a wonderful Christian man who loves his family with all his heart! He has quite a sense of humor and is always joking with everyone! You never know what he'll come out with!!! As a little girl I remember him always singing "Birmingham Jail" to me. He took me fishing with him and I always wiped the worms off on my shirt before he baited the hook. I didn't want the fish to eat "dirty" worms. We used to go camping for vacation and spent many vacations in a tent. I remember when we got our first "pop-up" camper. Daddy always set it up by himself (with a little (very little) help from my brothers and I. He is a very special man and I love him with all of my heart!! Happy, happy Birthday!!!!

Dead In the Water

2009-03-30T18:07:00.000-07:00

My blog has been kind of dead in the water for several reasons lately. First, I don't have lots of time and second, I don't have much to say. Danny is out of town almost all the time. He's in Johannesburg, South Africa right now on a project with work. He'll be coming home on Easter Sunday morning. After that we really don't know where he'll be or what he'll be doing. Pray that his company still needs him when this job is finished. I've been traveling more than normal since my company has lost quite a few people. The ones of us that are left kind of have to pick up the slack. It doesn't look like we'll be hiring any time soon. On a brighter note, everyone is hanging in there and I'm counting the days until I can have a vacation. Don't know when, or where but I DO know I WILL have a vacation, even if I stay home!!!! I'll update again when I actually have something to say!

Happy Birthday Isabelle

2009-03-08T17:32:00.001-07:00

My mom's aunt Isabelle turned 99 on Sunday, March 8. What an amazing thing that is. She was born on March 8, 1910 in Jonesville, Georgia (near Bowdon, Ga.). Her parents were Robert and Eula Adams and she had 6 brothers and sisters. Lewis, Zelma, Lucille, Alma, Ruby and Boyd. She married Joe Lovvorn and had 2 children, one boy Bobby and one girl Shirbie. She worked at Lawler Hosiery Mill as a looper. (something to do with the toes of socks). Her birthday party was held on Saturday and about 100 people attended. (99% were family although all the family was not there.) It was so much fun to see family members that I haven't seen in 15-20 years.
What a blessing Isabelle is to our family! Can't wait til next year when we can celebrate her 100th!!
This is a picture of my mom, her sister Jeanette and Isabelle at the party.

Getting ready to cut the cake!

Happy birthday to Isabelle!

A Time to Brag!!

2009-03-01T16:27:00.000-08:00

Here I am, a mom, about to brag on one of her kids!!! I just can't help it! We went to D-now last night at FBC Douglasville to hear "Edenfield" and "Shane and Shane"! They were both wonderful but I have a hard time watching anyone else when Jonathan is drumming. He is really awesome, even if I am prejudiced! Here's hoping that one day a really big group will pick him up so he can use his talent to the fullest! The boy can drum, sing and do just about anything with sound. God has truly blessed him! I'm very proud of him and that he uses his talent for the Lord! I'm also very proud of his sister Lauren but I'll save that for another post!

BIG MISTAKE

2009-02-21T05:20:00.001-08:00

Well, as many of you know, I've been a bit under the weather with a head cold. No bigee except it just drives me nuts!!!! I started taking a daytime/nighttime cold medicine. It worked okay except the nighttime stuff made me loopy as all get out. Anne Marie has just gotten over a sinus infection and told me that Musinex D really helped her a lot!!! (She actually borrowed the first couple of doses from me and my medicine drawer). So I took some yesterday morning and it really opened up my sinus' so last night I took a second dose (every 12 hours) before bedtime. BIG MISTAKE!!!!!! I was soooooo wired that I was on Facebook at 2am. I finally dosed off around 4am and was wide awake at 7:45am. (NOT too much sleep there). Anyhow, just thought I'd warn you that if you take Musinex D, you might want to NOT take it at night. (Unless of course, you like being on your computer around 2am) I think tonight I'll just try sleeping with a stuffed up nose!!!!!

WAAAAAY Behind!

2009-02-12T17:10:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I'm way behind and out of date (well duh!!) I've just gotten on Facebook and I think it's a really cool way to keep up with friends you don't hear from or haven't heard from in a long time. I've already had several friends "add me as their friend" that I haven't seen or heard from in eons! Cooooool!!! Anyway, just a small blurp about how I really enjoy keeping up with my friends from now and way back!!

Sad!

2009-02-01T16:45:00.000-08:00

We received a phone call this afternoon that an old friend, Reed Bowman, had passed away. It makes you think about how short life really is. I remember when Brandon and Lauren turned two. Brandon came to Lauren's birthday party. It seems like only yesterday. We're never promised tomorrow and should live each day as if it were our last. The happy part of all of this is that Reed was saved and we all know where he is today. My heart goes out to his family and I know he'll be missed terribly!

Is it Friday Yet????

2009-01-28T19:11:00.000-08:00

Wow! What a week. Is it Friday yet???? I've been in surgery every day this week. Tuesday we traveled to Birmingham for surgery, Sandy Springs today, Stockbridge tomorrow, Lawrenceville on Friday and then, back on the loop again next week. I'm getting old and I need to RETIRE!!! Also, to make things worse this week, I decided to move my office from the bonus room to downstairs and Danny's office from downstairs to the upstairs bonus room. What a trip! You should have seen me pushing and pulling all that furniture up and down the steps! It was quite comical. It's a wonder I can even move!!!!! The good part is the heavy stuff is done. The bad part is that as I'm moving things, I find more things to move. Oh well, in a hundred years it won't make a difference anyway. I'm off to bed so I can get up at O'dark thirty and do it all again! Heeeeee Haaaaaaaw!

Kim's Baby Shower

2009-01-25T16:18:00.001-08:00

We gave my friend Kim (from work) a baby shower on Friday after a loooooong surgery day! I can't believe she only has about a month left until her little one comes. Is she going to find out what she's having??? Of COURSE NOT!!!! I can't wait to see what "Baby Grant" is! The picture below is of Kim and Lori (my boss' wife). They are both due at about the same time. We'll be loaded up with new babies! DON'T drink the water at Woolfson Eye Institute!!!!

Happy Birthday Tim and Greg

2009-01-18T16:47:00.001-08:00

Today was a crazy, fun day for our family! We celebrated both of my brother's birthdays. We had an "old fashioned" birthday party with cake, ice cream, balloons, games, prizes and presents. We pulled out the old birthday party games of "pin the tail on the donkey" and "drop the clothes pins in the jar". (You probably would have to be old to remember these games!) Danny won the drop the clothes pin game by getting 11 of 12 pins in the jar. (Go Dan!) Lauren actually got the "donkey tail" the closest and won the prize for that game. We even had trick candles on the cake and made Tim and Greg wear party hats and the whole works! Sometimes it's just a lot of fun to go back in time and celebrate the way you did when you were kids! God has really blessed me with a wonderful family!

Work, Work, Work

2009-01-08T14:50:00.000-08:00

Not much new going on here. This was a "FULL" work week. (It's really hard after having several short weeks!) For those who don't know what I do, I work in Lasik Eye surgery. It's an interesting job and I've been with Dr. Woolfson for 7 1/2 years. I'm what's known as a traveling tech. We have 12-13 offices all over the southeast and I travel to all of them for surgey. We do what's called a loop every other week. We either go up I-85 and do Greenville, SC, Asheville, NC, Bristol, TN, Knoxville, TN and Chattanooga, TN. , or, we go up I-75 and do it the opposite way. We leave on Monday morning and are usually home on Wednesday night. We also throw in Birmingham, AL once a month. About every 2 months we do Columbia, SC and Hiawassee, GA. Then we have offices in Cumming, Sandy Springs, Lawrenceville, and Stockbridge. I write everything on my calender so I'll be in the right place at the right time. It gets a little hairy sometimes. Last Friday we had a huge surgery day in Sandy Springs and our laser went down which extended the day 3 hours (a 14 hour day). Today, we were in Sandy Springs again and our other laser went down. We couldn't get the parts for surgery today soooooo, we'll be working on Saturday morning this week. JOY!!!! If you ever need Lasik eye surgery (not for reading glasses - SORRY) give me a call. I probably can't get you a discount, but, I know the best surgeon around!!

Welcome 2009

2009-01-01T18:38:00.000-08:00

Today was a good day, spent with family. We went to my mom and dad's for lunch (beef stroganoff, yummm). My brother and sister in law from Conyers came down and we really enjoyed their company. Jonathan, Chad, Greg, & Danny put up a new mailbox for my parents. We then cut down a dead tree. (Wow, weren't we productive!) After a visit to Lauren and Chad's to see Hershey (the dog) we went over to Jonathan and Anne Marie's for pizza. I'm finally home and really need to be in bed since I have to be up at 4am to go to work in the morning (boo hiss).
Have a very blessed 2009! God is good ALL the time!!

WOW!

2008-12-30T19:14:00.001-08:00

WOW! This blogging thing is really cool. I've heard from 2 people that I don't usually get to hear from! I can't wait to see how it goes! Thanks for the comments! I know you're out there.
I've really enjoyed having some time off for the Holidays. I could really get used to this! (I'm not holding my breath! I don't think I'll get to retire until I'm 102!) Everyone have a wonderful New Year's Eve and be careful! It's a zoo out there!

Ready for the New Year

2008-12-27T18:50:00.000-08:00

Well, Christmas is officially over at the Underwood house. Today we took down all our decorations except the ones outside (they were too wet). It was a little sad but I'm looking forward to the new year. You never really know what the new year will hold. Sometimes it's a little scary but God has never let me down and I know that He will continue to be there no matter what comes along.

Christmas Craziness

2008-12-26T06:33:00.000-08:00

Christmas was wonderful! So full of fun, laughter, presents, food, family and love! So why do I feel a little glad it's over? Well, I guess sometimes it seems nice to just go back to normal without all the rushing around and busyness. Anyhow, I LOVE Christmas and look forward to it every year and also look forward to getting back to normal every year. I hope each and every one of you had a wonderful, blessed, fun and happy Christmas! We did at the Underwood household!

Quiet, Calm and Peaceful

2008-12-24T18:56:00.000-08:00

We had such a quiet and fun Christmas Eve at our house tonight. A far cry from our ususal wild bunch. We had to move our celebration around this year because of my work schedule. My mom and dad, Danny's dad, Jonathan, Anne Marie and myself ate homemade vegetable soup and then played the game "Cranium" (Very interesting). Then my mom tried to teach us how to play "Phase 10". Anne Marie got fed up cause she couldn't get past the first phase so the game didn't last too long. After opening a few gifts with our parents everyone headed home. Nice, calm, peaceful and different. I'm sure all of this will change when the grandkids come along but for now, a very "Silent Night".

Christmas Eve Already???

2008-12-24T05:22:00.001-08:00

I can't believe it's already Christmas Eve. Seems like we've been getting ready all year and then all of a sudden it's here. We've had a wonderful Christmas season so far. Our BIG family get-together was Sunday night. (28 people). The kids were off the wall and the noise level was pretty darn high. We had a great time eating lasagna (well, at least the adults ate) and playing the nasty Santa game. The kids got a million presents and I'm sure didn't wind down (from the excitement and sugar) until well into the night. I'll post a few pictures if I can figure out how. Danny and I wish for all of you a very Merry and Blessed Christmas!

Christmas Fun

2008-12-23T20:10:00.000-08:00

Me and the Kiddos (Katelynd, Ashley, and Patrick)

Construction

2008-12-23T20:06:00.001-08:00

Currently under construction!