A Fun Night on Halloween

Tonight was the night they've waited for since last year...

Playing games at the harvest carnival at our church...

A time for candy...

and Trick-or-Treating fun with friends.

Clayton, Chandler, and Steven wait for the fun to begin.

Clayton and Addi being sweet to each other...

The kids were sooo excited about going Trick-or Treating tonight. After that, we went to our church's harvest carnival. We had hot dogs, cotton candy, games, and MORE CANDY!! They were really well-behaved. Some kids will do anything for a piece of candy!!

In the pictures below, this is Addi with their candy combined! Clayton is playing with his tops he won for a prize at the church. He played with them for hours...

Makes You Wanna Run Away!!!

As you can tell by the title of this blog, I have reached a point of frustration today. I had to call my doctor and beg her to call me in something for this awful cold I've had for 3 weeks now. She called me in something, but it was really expensive. I got it-but now am feeling guilty about spending almost a week's worth of groceries on 3 medications. Then I get home-the stress of homework, cooking, and attempting to do some housework, along with wiping dirty noses, getting the kids NOT to half kill each other while I'm trying to get all this done. My 8 yr. old thinks he is 15 and can talk to me however and not have to clean his room. Now after I tore his butt up, he is finally cleaning his room!! Sometimes I wish I was a man... I have to remind myself that I am a Christian woman and must act like it at all times, especially in front of my children. Wouldn't it be easy if we could just run away??? I also have to remember that I chose to be a wife and mother-that children ARE a blessing and an inheritance from the Lord. I know this life is one that God allowed me to have. EVEN when I feel like running away, I think about all the blessings and realize it's not so bad afterall. I know things could always be worse!! Now I think I'll go finish cooking supper-- and do some more refereeing!

Happy Birthday to You!!

BFF! Addi and Lacy riding her Barbie tricycle. Lacy came to her party and stayed afterwards to play. They are like two peas in a pod!! Addi and Nano

Princess Addi and her princess birthday cake

Clayton and Mimi

Addison opens her Barbie tricycle.

After the funeral, we met my in-laws and parents at a Mexican restaurant before heading home. Addi and her aunt "Panema"

Johnny's mom and step-dad

My mom and step-dad

At first, Addi cried when they sang "Happy Birthday" to her and put whipped topping on her nose. She was all smiles by the time she ate her sopapilla.

What a busy weekend!!

This past weekend, we had to go to Eddiceton, MS, to a funeral for Johnny's aunt. His sister from TX came in, and we were able to take some pictures. These are taken in Natchez. It's bad that someone has to pass away for your family to be able to get together... My sister-in-law, Pamela, and myself.

Me and Johnny... still smiling after almost 13 years...

Peace, Totally 80's, and Pumkins

Last night, at bunko, aka mom's night out, we dressed up in costumes. I love acting like a kid!! I guess that's one reason why I teach middle school...

I am dressed as a hippy; which is not at all my personality. My good friend from church, Ashley, is an "80's lady". We had fun bringing up those songs from the day.Of course, a party wouldn't be a party without ketchup and mustard.

I actually took off work today and went with Addi's class to the pumpkin patch. We really had a good time! I saw a group from ACCS, where I graduated from. My kindergarten teacher was there! I haven't seen her in probably 15 years, at least. She even recognized me--said Addi looked just like me "back then".

Waiting for the hayride to begin...

It's pumpkin pickin' time!!

Happy Birthday Mary Addison!!

Today is Addi's 3rd birthday!! In the pictures on the bottom, she was opening her Barbie movie and licking the cake batter. The pictures on the top are the ones I took to make her invitation. Can't you tell she LOVES to be in pictures?? Her brother, on the other hand, could care less.

Yesterday, my cousin, Jeffrey Waycaster got married in Hazelhurst. The reception was somewhere in Brookhaven. Addi had the best time. I got to see family and old church friends that I grew up with and haven't seen in a while. She figured out that she loves to dance!! She danced from the time we arrived until we had to leave. You asked her if she shook her booty on the dance floor, and she starts dancing again. It was fun. She'll have her party next Sat., since today was Sunday--too much stuff to do with church. I hope you have a blessed week! God is good... All the time!

Getting Ready for a Birthday

Addison is turning 3 this coming Sunday! It is hard to believe that my baby girl will be 3 years old. It seems like yesterday that I was on bed rest with her-thinking this day would NEVER come. The funny thing is, back when we were trying to get pregnant with her, my doctor thought I had endometriosis and couldn't get pregnant. Even after the surgery, I was still having trouble. We tried for about a year after the surgery. My doctor was giving me 6 more weeks and then was going to send us to a fertility specialist. The next morning, I was gagging while brushing my teeth. I remembered doing this with Clayton. I didn't know how this could be possible-I'd just gone to the doctor the day before. Well, I took a pregnancy test at work-yes, at work. Needless to say, I didn't have to see the fertility specialist! We often wonder why things don't work out the way WE want them to. Sometimes, we often question God or maybe even blame Him. I'm so glad He is so patient, loving, and understanding.

Yesterday at church, we were climbing the stairs to get her "Bubba" from G-force (children's church). She very patiently took one step at a time-one hand on the rail-the other holding her daddy's hand. Step-by-step she went very carefully. I followed behind-one step (slowly) at a time. When we got to the bottom, we all had to clap and cheer for her great stair climbing success. As I was following Addi and her daddy down those steps, I couldn't help but see the future glance quickly before my eyes. You know, before too long, she will be running up and down those steps, not wanting our help. Things that we cheer for now will embarrass her in a couple of years. Then before you know it, she'll be walking down those steps with her beautiful wedding gown and her daddy holding her hand. Yesterday, I was trying to get her to say this Bible verse (of which she had no interest) "Children, obey your parents in the Lord; for this is right." Ephesians 6:1 It is so important for us Christian parents to bring up our children in the Lord. God has given us an enormous responsibility-we must do our best to be sure that our children know Jesus and they see Jesus living in us.

Prayer Request

We have (and will continue for the next few weeks) fill-in pastors from our church speaking because our pastor is scheduled to have a triple by-pass this Tues., Oct.7, at Baptist Hospital. He's been able to attend services but not able to preach. Last Wed. night after choir practice, we gathered around and all prayed for him and his family. I'm sure this is hard-when he's the one that's used to doing all the "ministering" to others. He's such a good pastor-always there... We were just visiting the church when my dad was dying with cancer. But he came to the hospital faithfully-just about as much as I did. He is a true pastor and a true man of God. His wife, Mrs. Lillian, sings beside me in the choir-just a precious lady and a true picture of what a godly woman should be. Please remember them in your prayers. My pastor's name is Bro. Carl Prewitt. I know they would really appreciate and covet your prayers. Thanks!! I will keep you posted.

Blast from the Past

I was about 7 yrs old. Check out the
pink slippers. Look familiar???

Prom-look at the bows on

my shoes. This is Johnny!!

Doesn't he look excited?

He hated that dress...
'93 Holmes Com. Coll.
Graduation* Check out
all the make-up and the
forest green eyeliner with
the hot pink lipstick. Oh yeah!



After I year-booked myself on that website last week, it gave me the idea to look through
some older photos. Some of them brought back very good memories as I looked through the ones with us showing what we had gotten for Christmas, being together for Easter, holidays, etc. I found some graduation photos-I'll have to add them when I have more time. They are funny-
Of course, the ones with my dad and grandfather tugged on my heart, because I no longer have them on Earth. It was so good to laugh-and cry... Some of the HS pics I thought about friends that have gotten killed in the last 18 years. My close friends-weddings, births, miscarriages, loss of parents, graduating college, buying our first car (and paying for it), one of them-even cancer, and sending our own children to K5 for the first time-lots of things that a close few of us have been through together. There were a lot of memories that I pondered through in those pictures. It makes you think-of all the memories, when I'm gone, what will I be remembered for? Will it be for being funny? A hard-working student that had dyslexia and still beat the odds and graduated from college with honors... A lady with a husband and two children who taught for "X" amount of years and was dedicated to her profession...Someone who was always on a diet, trying to get skinny and then gaining it back? Will it be for someone who was dedicated to Christ and it showed from the inside out? When you look at pictures or photographs, you normally see a smile; whether or not the person is "smiling" on the inside. I hope that now and years from now, it can be said that I always (okay-mostly) had a smile on my face, that I always wanted to help others, and that it was evident that I loved Jesus. After all, isn't that what living is really all about??