Doing the Math

This is a big year for us.  Well, I guess you could consider Tim's big year as 2008, if we focus on the year he turned 40.  It hasn't been long, though.  Today he is 40 years, 1 month, and 3 days.  Our kids like to count their ages down to the minute - especially Reed, our numbers boy.

January, February, and the first 12 days of March are my favorites.  These are the few days when I am noticeably younger than my husband.  I tend to rub it in as his days continue to add up.  However, as we get closer to my birthday, my gloating subsides and I prepare myself for age equality.  Yes, my 40th is looming and my list is not yet finished.  I still have quite a lot of running to do.  I am not optimistic that all will be completed.  I am optimistic; however, that I will hit the big 40 very soon - God willing!

The other day Cole was eating lunch while I was cleaning the kitchen.  He was rambling on and on about various topics and I was polishing the cabinets (I don't usually clean this diligently, but I am about to put the house on the market).  Somehow his conversation topic turned to math and he wanted me to listen to his addition facts!  He had come to the realization that all 6 of us are really 40.  Cole added all of the kids' ages and came up with an amazing fact.  Add Caroline's 12 years to Brooks' 11 years, plus Reed's 10 years and Cole's 7 - guess what!?!  They are 40!  and so is Tim. He was lumping me in to the "40" crowd....

Ha ha ha!!!  I'm not 40 yet!  I still have 45 days.  I'd better head to the gym.  I promised 40 miles this year and I think I've only run 5.  Yikes!  Surely I can check this off before I do hit the grand old age of my husband!

Farewell to an Old Friend

It's been a week now and I am still feeling desperate and sad.  You might think I am trying to be funny, or that I am absolutely ridiculous, but I am seriously in need of counseling.  My days of perusing classic, stylish clothes, all while drinking an ice cold bottle of Diet Coke have ended.  Harold's (Harold Powell in Houston) filed for bankruptcy one week ago today.  My friend, Amy, called to give me the bad news.  The last time I was at Harold's was approximately 3 weeks ago.  I was there with her and we had a marvelous time.  She was a little bit sick and I was soon to contract the same virus, but we still had a great time.  I always had fun at Harold's.  

I've been a customer of Harold's for the past 14 years.  Amy and I were together in the Germantown, TN, store for my very first experience at their Midnight Madness Sale - it was around Halloween in 1994.  We walked in a bit intimidated by their rich, dark paneled, expensive store.  We were the wives of two students on a limited budget, so we were hoping to find some bargains.  There were bargains galore in that place!  So many bargains that I took home a mint's worth of clothes. I modeled them for Tim and took back what he didn't like (and what I really didn't need).  I don't think her husband ever recovered from my antics.  We'll just say that I established quite a reputation with her husband, Bill.  Yes, he gave out warnings to any other female who planned to shop with me.  I spent a ton, and claimed to take a ton back, so the husbands needed to be warned.  I might rub off on their wives!  I think it was that shopping trip where I coined my motto for every sale:  "The more you buy, the more you save"!

Harold's had some great sales.  Midnight Madness was not to be missed.  Just after our shopping expedition in Memphis, we moved to Harold's home state, Oklahoma.  We lived within 45 minutes of their original store.  Every Halloween, Tim treated me to a trip to Harold's.  That first Halloween in OKC, I was pregnant and barely showing with Caroline.  I managed to find a great deal on a sweater that would work for a little while longer before my belly would bust forth.  I do believe I shopped again about 6 weeks after Caroline's birth.  We made many, many trips to those stores.  The clerks were always helpful and eager to tell you just how marvelous you looked in a particular outfit.  They could also drum up 15 outfit options to wear with one skirt - amazing!  Occasionally I have to admit that we would stop in just because we were parched.  Within minutes we were refreshed with a Coke, Diet Coke, Dr. Pepper, or a simple bottle of cold water.

Moving away from Oklahoma was exciting but sad.  We were moving out of the school mode into REAL life, but we had to bid good-bye to Harold's.  The saddest was giving up the bi-annual Warehouse Sale.  This pilgrimmage involved waking nice and early and driving to the Convention Center.  I would dress in tight-fitting apparel so that I could try on the bargains (there were no dressing rooms and all sales were final).  Harold's would gather all clothes from their stores and slash the prices.  What was originally $118 would appear at the Warehouse Sale for a mere $29.90.  Then, there would be an additional discount which would quite often reduce the price by another 30% - 40%.  Amazing.  I couldn't begin to count the number of items I brought home that had been just $4.99.  Talk about buying more and ringing up the savings!!!!!  This sale was awesome.  It was a crazy environment, though.  Women would be in the aisles, stripping down to near nothing and trying things on.  I swear there were men along just for gazing.  They were undercover as husbands/boyfriends but their heads were turning from side to side just observing the sights!

Once we moved to Mississippi, our trips to Harold's were reduced greatly.  We frequented the Houston and Baton Rouge stores as we travelled back and forth to my parents'.  We also shopped in Jackson, MS and Memphis, TN.  I once ran into a friend from high school in the Jackson store.  Talk about a small world!  

We went to the Memphis store a few years ago while celebrating our anniversary.  That particular store's employees were quite inattentive.  They never even offered me a Diet Coke - or a dressing room.  I waltzed right out of there without a purchase and sent a letter to let them know that their customer service was compromised in that location.  Within a week, I received an apology/thank you letter and a $25 gift card.  Can you imagine??? 

 I could always count on Harold's.  That store always had whatever I needed.  Once for a meeting I needed a long, straight denim skirt - found it at Harold's in 1996.  Another night I needed a simple black dress - found it at Harold's in 2000.  I found shorts at the perfect length in 2002, then cute suede mules with bling in 2004!  Denim jackets, sweater sets, cute dresses and short skirts for 14 years.  And, of course, the best PATTERNED PANTS you could ever find.  All at Harold's.

One of my roomies from college sent out an email today.  Here is what it said:

Hey everyone! Well, as you may or may not know, Harolds is my FAVORITE store in the whole wide world and I am heartbroken that they are going out of business. There is not a store anywhere in Florida and the closest store is 5 hours away in Atlanta. Needless to say, I have even looked into flights to GA for a last minute one day shopping spree but the flights are outrageous.

I have gone through my email address list and all of you live in cities where there is a Harolds location. Anyways, in my absence, please feel free to go shopping at Harolds. I will feel so much better knowing that you all have enjoyed drinking a Dr Pepper there for me while you shop and enjoy the great deals. If they have a catalog, would you please pick one up for me and mail it to me? I don't know if they are even taking catalog/phone orders but I'd like to see their catalog one last time.

 

I know this sounds ridiculous but I truly am a Harolds fan (as you can tell). Take care and please email me back with details about your farewell shopping experience at Harolds.

I'm telling you the truth.  The closing of this store is a travesty.  Where will I shop?  I have no idea.  What will I miss the most?  Hmmm, probably the nice people who worked there - always eager to help you with whatever you needed.  I'll for sure miss the sales (and I'm so mad I am missing the biggest sale ever as they liquidate their inventory).

Good-bye old friend.  You were with me before kids, celebrating with me as I got the baby weight off, and through these "approaching 40" years.  Thanks for the memories and for the unforgettable fashion!  I'll miss you immensely....

The Wedding

We spent last weekend celebrating with nephew Adam and new wife Sampy in their beautiful wedding. Caroline was a Jr. Bridesmaid. Her description? The dream job in her dream shoes. She looked so pretty and I think she had a fabulous time.

Brooks and Reed were ushers. Brooks had the honor of walking his Grandmother to his seat. Both boys were great at their jobs - once they mastered which side was which (bride's or groom's). The wedding coordinator even had a little trouble with that concept. Reed's comment when asked how he liked it? "those tuxedos were HOT!" He looked great, though.

Cole was the "Ring Bear" (in his own words). The weekend began with his determined little mind saying "no, I am not holding the flower girl's hand" but fortunately, he acquiesced and they were adorable. Of course, that is after he had the tux de-linted twice from crawling under pews and after a fairly long session on his DS while waiting for pictures to be taken. He stood pretty still and only gave us a "thumbs up" once during the ceremony. The reception was especially fun for him - he got to dance with all cousins and a few aunts!

Overall the weekend was lots of fun. It is always fun to see what personal touches couples add to their very own ceremony. Adam's groom cake was a King Cake and Sampy had chosen words to a Jack Johnson song for hers. She even had banana pancakes for breakfast that day.

Congratulations, Adam and Sampy! We hope you had a great time in San Francisco!

At Last, Atlanta!

We’ve been looking forward to this trip all year – those of us following Thunder Baseball, anyway. Brooks’ team entered a Wood Bat Tournament which was planned for Memorial Day, 2008. Caroline and I traveled to Atlanta with some friends for a day of shopping first. After all, we have to take the opportunity when it presents itself. The males all followed in a later car – after school was out and after the dads got off work.

Our 2 families met up again outside of Turner Field. We endured a bit of rain before we went in, but our spirits were up and we were ready to see our boys on the field! The baseball team wore their uniform shirts for a parade around the field. They looked great on the jumbotron. They are even cuter when they are giant-size! See - those 2 bigger guys are the coaches - aren't they cute???

Unfortunately, Brooks is nowhere to be seen...

Here are a few pics from our eats. The dads pigged out on delectable hot dogs – fancy style. - everything on it to completely grossed me out. Once off the field, the boys ate a few dogs, cotton candy, dots, pretzels, plus cokes.

Saturday morning we began our tournament. We lost a few games that weekend, but we all need to lose a few, right? Well, we won’t reflect on our losses. No, we will reflect back on the fun we had eating, swimming, and SHOPPING with friends till we were so tired we fell into bed.

Sunday after we were booted right out of the tournament, we caravanned up to PAPPASITAS for the best TexMex you can find this side of Houston. If you’ve been there, I’m sure descriptions aren’t necessary. We just love the fajitas and tamales. and chips, salsa, cheese, and handmade tortillas. oh, and the mariachi band is always a great addition - my favorite song to request is "One Ton Tomato" (I don't know the real name, but the chorus sounds just like my lyrics). Our Tennessee friends were quite satisfied as we rolled back to the hotel and into the pool.

So the beginning of our summer was terrific. The wood bats added a new flair to our base-running game. The boys showed their personalities on a giant screen – funny faces and all. I have to say the losses gave us character and a little perspective on the typical teams we face in our area in Tennessee!

The Chimneys

I have a new story to tell.  I think I am ready to tell you about one of the longest hikes I have ever taken.

Let’s go back to the Fall of 1994.  Hubs and I decided we would go to the UT/Alabama football game with 2 other couples from medical school.  One pair were UT fans and the other poor souls pulled for Alabama.  We borrowed a mini-van from our generous Sunday School teachers and headed across the state.  Our drive took a good 6 to 7 hours, but it passed quickly as conversation was plentiful.  There’s always a lot to say at the beginning of a trip, isn’t there? Our plan was to stay in a cabin in Gatlinburg, go to the UT game, and leave after breakfast on Sunday.  Let’s just sit and focus on the word “breakfast”.  I do believe that word is defined by the eating of food.  You eat breakfast in the morning.  It is the key to a successful day.  At least that is what my mom and dad always taught.

Maybe this would be the best time to describe my favorite 1994 breakfast food.  In Gatlinburg, there is a restaurant called The Pancake Pantry.  They serve pancakes (amidst eggs, blintzes, waffles, bacon, sausage).   You get the idea.  Well, they also serve Swiss Chocolate Chip Pancakes.  This was hands down my 1994, 1993, 1992 favorite.  In fact, chocolate chip pancakes were my favorite since way back when I was 8 or 9.  But the Swiss ones were tops – and only found in Gatlinburg.  So, you can understand how much I was looking forward to breakfast on Sunday morning.  Have I mentioned that we had been planning to have breakfast before we left the mountains?

So, we arrived at our cabin.  Slept.  Awoke.  Headed out to the game.  The game was a bust for the Alabama fans.  That was no tragedy.  We had a blast as a part of Big Orange Saturday.  We usually were trapped in our houses watching the games on our 26” televisions.  It is certainly more fun to be a part of the 90,000 people in orange.  Even though it is deafening.  After the game, we celebrated our victory and rubbed in their loss at some burger joint on the strip.  We then traveled back to Gatlinburg along with all 85,000 other Big Orange Fans.  Meaning:  the trip took forever on those traffic stricken curvy roads.

The next morning we arose slowly.  We ventured out to the living room.  I was imagining those fluffy chocolate chips melting in my mouth.  I was ready to shower and head out.  After all, there is always a long wait at The Pantry.  However, the rest of the crowd had a new idea.  They were “tossing around” the idea of hiking to The Chimneys.  Ummm, excuse me.  What about my pancakes?  No one seemed to care too much about my dream to indulge in pancakes.  The really didn’t care that I was not a big football fan and had agreed to the trip thinking that pancakes would be mighty tasty on Sunday.  I felt invisible.  My needs were absolutely and completely ignored.

In fact, 3 grown men were fully agreeable to skipping breakfast and hiking up a mountain just to see The Chimneys.  Because I am such a cooperative team player, I agreed to accompany them on their jaunt.  But I was steaming mad.  Mad as a hornet.  My feelings were hurt.  I was hungry.  And I am stubborn.  That is why, when everyone else fixed themselves pb & j sandwiches, I did not.  No, I was furious.  I was not cooperating with them.  No way, no how was I going to let them think I was happy with this ridiculous idea.  To be clear – all 3 men had class the next day in Memphis.  7 hours away.  And at 10 am, they were deciding to hike all day and then drive back across the state of TN.

Off we went.  Parked the car.  Up the mountain.  In our discussions, everyone else failed to mention to me that this hike would be straight up.  It was no leisurely hike.  No, it was level:  impossible.  Especially impossible on an empty stomach. It was a climb that took us 1350 feet up one side of the mountain and I have to say that I complained most of the way.  I looked for hope in the eyes of the hikers whom we passed.  I just wanted to see a promise of the trail easing up.  I needed them to tell me that I would make it.  I wasn’t sure.  Had I not been with these impossible men, I most certainly would have given way to tears.  But I was stubborn.  And foolish.

After about 2 hours of climbing, we did indeed reach the top.  Whoop-dee-do.  We were at the top of some mountain.  Gazing at I don’t know what – the chimneys.  At the top, most people sit down and have a picnic as they gaze at natural beauty.  Well,  those with food do anyway….   Unfortunately for me, I had nothing.  No lunch.  No breakfast.  No restaurants anywhere in sight.  I had to stand strong.  I am stubborn and to acknowledge that I needed food would have been weak.

I realized an amazing truth that day.  I mean, I knew it was true in words, but not in times of great sacrifice.  The truth?  I married a super guy and he really, really loved me.  He took his sandwich, broke it in two, and gave it to me.  Please note that I did not ask.  He didn’t ridicule me for being stubborn.  He didn’t embarrass me in front of our friends.  He very quietly and kindly, gave half of this squished pb &j sandwich to one very starving and humbled 24 year old girl.

I guess I learned a few things that day.  Food does make one feel better.  Stubbornness doesn’t get you anywhere when you are hungry.  The Pancake Pantry had been there for 40-somethin’ years and it would be there when I came back.  And most important of all:  I experienced how much he loved me.  He told me all of the time.  I just didn’t really see it until he had to sacrifice his own comfort for me.  Finally, I learned that he makes a really good peanut butter sandwich!

April Fools

It’s been a fun day full of pranks at our house.  After I initiated my first two children in 2007, they have been just waiting for April 1^st to come back around.  Last year the 1^st was on a Sunday – a beautiful day – prime for sitting on the deck and drinking some good ‘ole iced tea.  I brewed a big batch for those two and invited them to sit and chat on the deck over a glass of unsweetened tea.  They had the biggest grins on their faces, not really understanding the occasion for such generosity from their mom.  I presented the tea with sliced lemons and a bowl full of sugar, which they liberally sprinkled into their glasses.  Strangely enough, the tea just didn’t take on the sweetness one would expect with a teaspoon of the granules.  And two teaspoons really grossed them out.  But they were diligent.  They tried again.  While hubs and I watched through the French doors….  It was “alarious” as Cole likes to say.  Unfortunately for them, tea will never taste sweet when you are pouring in salt by the spoonful.

 So, now you can see just why they have been so intent on revenge.  This morning my alarm clock went off at 5:30 am rather than 6:30.  Hubs even asked, “why is your alarm going off, and mine isn’t?”  He is the one who rises at such a dark hour on Tuesdays.  I quickly hit snooze and realized that my hooligans had started the day out a little early.  Caroline also greeted me with a smile on her face and some crazy get-up on.  She was dressed in quite a concoction of clothing when she greeted this morning.  I thought she had suddenly lost her mind.  The last trick I saw today was the swapping of cereal bags.  I began to prepare my bowl this morning when I realized that it was Raisin Bran rather than Honey Bunches of Oats ( yes, I still eat this most every morning – since college).  Oh, and the one that got the most attention, was Reed's trip downstairs to ask, "uh, mom?  What do you do when the toilet overflows?"  Now that got my attention.

 I’ll have to plan better next year.  I am sure with every year that passes, their pranks will evolve.  I'll make sure mine do, too.  But for now, I am having fun introducing them to the oldest tricks in the book.  They are stand-bys for some, but for the young, they are just “alarious”.  

Tonight will be fun.  I made Cole and Reed’s beds backwards and for Brooks and Caroline, they will find climbing into the sheets a bit difficult.  I spent the afternoon short-sheeting their beds.  Ahh the fun of being the most experienced and having some tricks up my sleeve.

Snowshoe

We just returned from our annual ski trip to Snowshoe, WV. I think everyone would agree that we had a great time. Brooks and Reed decided to switch to snowboarding while the rest of us remained on skiis. Cole showed the biggest improvement. This was the first year he made it off the bunny slope. Now he is lightning fast. He makes turns looks easy and the slopes look flat. He couldn't go fast enough! Plus, he did little jumps - making baskets as he calls it - all the way down. His favorite trail included the terrain park where he skiied the rails and I bit my fingernails! Tim and Caroline discovered the fun of the black diamond slopes. and how it feels to snowplow too long when you are on a really steep mountain. Oh, excuse me, Tim says he did NOT snowplow. I wasn't there, so I can't contest his story. but Caroline said her hips hurt for days. Nevertheless, try and try again was the theme. When a slope seemed really hard, Caro was ready to go again to master it. She gets that fine quality from her dad. He tried a slope but felt like it had mastered him, so he rode back up and did it again until he was skiing down - not skidding down.

The snowboarders did quite well. After a day on their rumps last year, the boys traded in their boards for skiis. But this year, they stuck with it and now they are boarding down blues. Brooks even took off on a black and only fell twice. Wow!

As for me? Well, I am slow by choice. I prefer to bring up the back of the crowd. I skiied the blues with everyone - I just like to stay in control and watch how everyone else is doing. The first year I was the only experienced skiier, so I brought up the rear to pick up poles and skiis as they were lost on the way down. I don't really have to do that too often these days, but I still like to watch. There is nothing like watching your kids head down the mountain on their own as fast as they can manage. Dragging their hands through the snow as they glide, gathering as much snow as possible in those little hands. They never get cold and they don't mind cold hands. They might fall down, but they are right up again with a smile on their face and the snowball still ready for throwing as soon as they find their dad.

How about these legs on the way to the pool?

We swam in the pools and visited various restaurants at night. It snowed the first night and rained on the last. Spring skiing is iffy. There is always quite a bit of slush by the afternoon but the mornings are perfect. Not too cold. Not too crowded.

Here we are ready for the slopes!

Last Weekend...

Countdown for a 90th Birthday Party

1 Birthday cake with pink roses

2 bowls of pink, green and white mints

3 bags of ice

4 grandchildren

5 cameras

6 arrangements of roses

7 platters of finger foods

8 hours to prepare

9 cans for the punch

10 minutes to rest

...

9 -inch basket for depositing cards

8 photo albums

7 trips to the grocery store

6 trips to the airport

5 meals with mexican food

4 cartons of strawberries

3 (x20) friends with smiles

2 doting children and daughter-in-law, too

1 sharp grandmother to keep us in line!

White Wednesday

Grandmother

We celebrated Grandmother's birthday this weekend.  She's been living for 90 years.  My parents' house was full of old pictures of my grandmother throughout her life.  I spent a long time studying each one.  As I gazed at the pictures of Grandmother in her youth, I found myself trying to get more.  You know what it's like when you are trying to see something in a picture because the angle is just not right?  You want to see what is behind the person's left shoulder, or what the writing in the picture says.  But you can't quite get there.  In a picture, all of the information is there, but it's only as clear as the focusing of the camera.  You can only decipher what the camera saw, not what the photographer was attempting to capture.  Pictures don't talk or sing or narrate.  They just are.  They are a window to the past but there is only one side. You can look through it, but you can't climb through it.

Grandmother had pictures out from all of her albums.  She had the pictures sorted by child/grandchild and event.  She wanted us to have the albums - pictures some of us had never seen.  I recognized most of the ones she had picked for me; although, there were a precious few which were new.  Like the one of Caroline scrunching up her nose at Poppy through the window that connected the upstairs to the kitchen in their house...or the pictures of our first dog (Amber) and my cousin David's first 2 girls at my house in Edmond before I even knew I was pregnant with Caroline.  What a treasure!

The pictures I was most interested in were those of Grandmother and Pop before any of us were around.  They are black and white, but not to Grandmother.  She could give me all of the details.  Like the portrait of her in the navy and white dress with the red cherry pin and matching earrings.  Or the snapshot of her with her friends right before she married.  Her dress was blue - "between royal and navy" - with a matching hat and shoes.  She always looked happy and so beautiful.  The shots of Poppy were so handsome.  They were taken long ago when he was working for Conoco and going home to a young family.  Those were the days when they were teaching my dad and my aunt about the love that they had together.  The same love that they would give to us as grandchildren.  I couldn't count the number of times that they told me, but I can remember it like yesterday.  It's the love that you can see in the photos and the same love that I can feel in my heart.  The warmth and peace and happiness that I feel every time I talk to my grandmother and in every memory of Pop.  The photos show a story, but it's Grandmother's to tell.  I don't really need a window; I just need a few more hours to sit by her side and listen.  

Surprises

I had a few surprises last weekend at Windy Gap...

#1 The music. It was interesting to me that the music played was not all Christian music. The lyrics were all meaningful and the kids knew all of the words. They played Taylor Swift, Soulja Boy, Celebration by Kool and the Gang, Rascal Flatts, plus lots more (but I never heard YMCA). Those kids loved the music and they knew all of the lyrics. I mean, no matter what song was played, they knew the words and now they know all of the dances, too.

#2 Young Life Leaders are willing to do crazy things to get the attention of teenagers. Lighting themselves on fire, jumping on tables, and chewing the gum of 8 different people (I just have to say EWWWW). They love to laugh and to make others laugh. They are willing to go without sleep and to sleep on the floor in front of doors to ensure safety. God Bless 'Em!

#3 Exhaustion makes you feel sick. The doctor didn't have any patients the first night. The second afternoon and night there were lots of kids not feeling well. Most of them seemed tired - although some schools have been closed up here due to sickess, so I'm sure some of them were ill.

#4 Exhaustion makes kids 10 and under very testy. Testy with each other, testy with parents, testy, testy, testy.

#5 Cold water will not deter thrill-seeking teenagers. I'll bet at least 50 flew through the air on a mere wire, coming to a halt in heart-stopping frigid water. I've never seen such big goosebumps and red bodies from the cold.

#6 The innocence of a 6 year old. Cole was really taken with all of the skits last weekend. He began to look forward to the arrival of "Ford" and "Chevy" the 2 Man Country Boy Band. He kept saying, "I wonder if those 2 guys will come back". It wasn't much later when I realized he completely believed the act. He thought they were real, that they were serious when they hammered the exercise bike to pieces and beat the guitar to a pulp. He thought Ryan Long was going to be really mad. Oh, to be 6 again....

#7 Young Life was able to purchase the Windy Gap property for just $1 from the Douglas after their daughter went to Young Life Camp and said it was "the best year of her life"!

#8 Even the Young Life Crew knows how great ice cream pie is! Here's our dessert on Saturday night....

Mint chocolate chip ice cream in a chocolate shell. We all enjoyed it, even if it wasn't Blue Bell!

Twelve

She's 12 today. I am sitting here contemplating how strange that is to me. How can 12 years have passed so stealthily? It seems like just yesterday that I was dragging her dad to The Black-eyed Pea at 10:00 pm - before I checked into the hospital. I couldn't deliver a baby hungry, could I?

It hasn't been that long since we were giving her very first bath. I can still remember how soft her skin was and how tiny her feet. They all said she had long fingers, just like her mom, perfect for playing the piano... and they were right. She plays just beautifully.

Sharalynn nicknamed her "Caro" 'cause she's sweet like the syrup. Her brothers called her "Ho", "Hine" and "Garoline".

We watched umpteen episodes of Barney and Arthur. Our favorite was Gullah Gullah Island because they were like a real family and they sang catchy songs everyday. She rocked her babies to sleep as I rocked mine. We were mommas together. We used to do "hearts and crabs" (arts and crafts) in the afternoon while her brothers slept. She celebrated with us as we brought home each new boy. She still celebrates their milestones with us.

She's kind and compassionate. She is independent. She is musical. She is confident. She keeps those boys in line (including her dad). She is a leader.

We travelled to Disney World to visit the princesses. She's grown out of dress up clothes (almost). We've been to the circus and spent hours at the zoos. She danced her debut in patriotic costumes. She has opinions about movies. Her favorite musical is Wicked. Her favorite food, ice cream. She reads and reads. She performs with Sound Company and plays the oboe in the band.

She's 12 today. I find myself nostalgic and misty-eyed. She's almost 5' tall(57"). She has braces. She's a Christian. She knows the lyrics to all of the popular songs. She doesn't like to make her bed and leaves clothes in her floor. She is almost a teenager.

She's ready for makeup. She matches purses with her clothes. It's all about the necklaces and the earrings (the bigger, the better). She inherited it all.

My daughter Caroline Hope. She was really just 2. Then 5 and 7. We moved when she was 8 . She had the flu on her 9th birthday. 10 was a sock hop, 11 brought the dinner of her dreams. This year at 12? She's been planning her dinner for days (and lamenting that we can't repeat last year again).

How can these memories all be true? I'm telling you, she really was just 2. I love her. I'm proud of her. I can't wait to see what she will be. But for now I am just so thankful to have such a wonderful girl to call my very own.

Windy Gap

We visited Windy Gap Young Life Camp this weekend.  It was a blast!  The setting was unimaginably beautiful - right smack in the middle of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  The food was pretty good and plentiful.  The hours were LATE (for an almost 39 year old and 6 year old).  The music was LOUD!  Sounds perfect for a group of 380 high school freshman, doesn't it!?!

We arrived on Friday night around 6:30 and were greeted by the nicest, smiling crew you've ever seen.  Dinner was at 8pm - penne pasta with meat sauce.  The work crew brought out our pasta and served each table. One poor man wearing a cream-colored sweater got to actually wear the sauce, when a server accidentally unloaded her bowl right down his back.  Aside from that, the dinner was tasty.  Hot chocolate was served by the bonfire and we headed up to our first "club" meeting.  Cole and I skipped Club that night - 11:30 is a little late to begin worship when you've been through a typical week of Kindergarten.

We met the Amigo Trio, a Country Boy Band, and saw some really crazy skits.  Those leaders are crazy!  One leader was Amigo Dos.  He got to collect items from the audience - including hats, belts, chapstick (he put all 7 tubes on) and "abc" gum (which he promptly inserted into his mouth and blew a bubble).  The gum still grosses me out - 7 people's gum mushed together and chewed by an 8th person.  He still had the gum 10 minutes later when he came to talk to his parents.  Now that is "the love of Christ" as I've never seen it before.

Saturday afternoon was filled with free-time activities.  The high ropes course, horseback riding, tree swinging, zip-lining into the lake, hot tubbing, beach volleyball, and frisbee golf.  We spent most of our time watching the kids who were brave enough to zip into the lake.  I don't know how cold the water was, but the outdoor temp was around 55 degress.  Those kids would hit the water and scream till their breath was sucked out of them.  They couldn't talk or walk for a minute and then they would "come to" and hastily grab the hardware off the rope so they could get out of the freezing water.  

Last night we had skits and a concert for entertainment.  The skits were hilarious, as usual.  Ryan Long performed some of his hits for swooning girls and guys.  If you haven't heard his songs, don't miss Snow White available on his website.

We all made it to bed last night around 12:45.  I have 4 tired children today, need I say more?  But they had the best time and are counting the days until they hit 9th grade and can get back to Windy Gap, this time with their friends.

In Search of the Perfect Shot

I have been filing pictures away in my photo albums this week. I am not a scrapbooker. I started out that way, but by the birth of #3, I realized the album by album account of our life was never going to happen. I now resort to collecting our pictures for the year in a photo-safe box. At the end of the year, I spend a day going through the photos and selecting the best for an album like this.

Before digital cameras, I used to get a bad case of Christmas Photo Anxiety that I am sure many of you can identify with. Tim and I would spend several frustrating afternoons trying to capture that perfect picture to send out of our little angels (or a picture that at least made them look like angels).

2002 took the cake for requiring the most patience. We set out to the country club with adorned children in a happy mood. Hair was fixed, outfits picked, and naps had been taken. We even brought along some outfit changes, as I recall. I was feeling energetic and optimistic!

Unfortunately by the time naptime ends, the gnats are out in Ocean Springs. If you aren't familiar with gnats, avoid them at all costs. Gnats are the reason we moved away from Ocean Springs! Here is our photo journal:

Reed hadn't found his smile yet...














attempt #2...














attempt #3 with gnats:

change of location, attempt #146














a little fun in the middle:


new clothes for attempt #339 (and we left the 1 year old out completely)....

one year old chose to leave self out of this one...

not cooperating (again)... but the older ones are really trying to smile!
We ended the day with this shot, although Tim wouldn't let me send it out for our Christmas picture that year. I personally thought it was a perfect solution to our rigorous shot attempts. As you can see, even this one took a while. But don't they all look like angels?