Noccalula Falls

We visited Noccalula Falls Saturday. We decided late in the day to go. Jason loves the falls - it's his old stomping grounds. So, we get all excited about going - get everyone ready and start our journey. We are having a great time singing to our favorite songs and when we finally reach Gadsden we find out that the Noccalula Falls exit is closed and the next exit is 17 miles up the road!! So our short little trip is getting LONG! So we finally take an emergency exit and get back on track. We get to the falls, get everyone out, cross the bridge, and the time is 3:20. Then over the loud speaker they say "Attention guests, the park will be closing at 4" - FOUR!!! WHAT?!? And then I look at Mary who is admiring the Falls which are "not so much" because it hasn't rained in a MONTH...and Mary is creating her own falls! She is peeing EVERYWHERE and standing in a puddle. At this point I just want to leave b/c it's becoming all to complicated. But Jason loves this place. I take Mary back to the car and get her changed - BUT we have no change of clothes! I know most of you are not surprised by that fact and I don't think I'll ever learn to pack an extra pair. So we plan to just play at the little park right next to the Falls which ended up being a lot of fun! We stayed about 2 hours and made it home in time to watch the games! (AL/TN & Giants/Phillies) These are the days!

50 Free Holiday Cards from Shutterfly

So, my friend Liz clued me in on a promotion from Shutterfly for bloggers in Birmingham Bargain Moms. From what I gather I'm supposed to tell you what I think about the new designs and I'm eligible to get 50 free Christmas Cards!! Easy enough - it's a great company! I love them and use them often!

First of all I just received a photobook I put together last halloween. I know, better late than never, right?!? But I'm so glad I ordered it! It was a small book soft cover and it's so cute!! It brings back such great memories from last year! Can't wait to make another one! This Halloween I want to use their "Tricks or Treats" mini book! Make your own PHOTOBOOKS here!

I've gotten a CALENDAR from them the past two years and this year I plan on using their "Fresh and Fun" design! I'm already filling in our pictures! I also gave the grandparents one for Christmas last year! Great gift that won't get eaten, trashed, or worn! It really shows the personality of the kids and now my new found love of photography!!

Last feature I want to share with you is...CHRISTMAS CARDS! I'm hope hope hoping to use their "Monogrammed Snowman" card. But after pursuing there are many more I would like to get! I love the "Candy Boxes Christmas Cards" too! I really think their cards are so classy. If you are fancy they have something for you if you are fun loving silly they have something for you! And their cards are of highest quality.

We make cards often and pretty much for every occassion ... Cards for Father's Day, Mother's Day, end of the year cards for teachers - I love their designs and freedom in creating! I also love their sales. They are aware of what people are looking for at the appropriate times and it seems I can always catch a sale OR something like this - FREE merchandise!

This year I hope, hope, hope to use the Christmas card named Monogram Snowman! It's so adorable and with my recent love for photography I've got my pictures done just the way I like them. Everything I've gotten from them has been done with high quality - and I treasure as a true keepsake!

So, I hope this works! I'll be letting you know!

Happy Birthday Mamma

My sweet beautiful grandmother - my one and only - turns 80 today! Words just can't express how I really feel about her!

Some of my favorite memories are:

• My grandmother used to have REALLY long hair and she would let me and my sister brush it. And our brush would go WAY far down her back. She definitely wasn't tender headed. I even remember what the brush looked like. It was yellow with black bristles.

• When my sister and I would spend the night with her she would get in the middle of us and with both arms going she would scratch our backs until we were asleep. Now, having kids I know that was NO easy task.

• She used to pull a chair up to the sink and let us "wash dishes" - another think I can't believe she let us do. What a mess! And if we would break something she was never mad at us!
  

• One time she took us to the house my mom and uncle grew up in and she started to cry and all the grandkids were hugging her telling her it's ok and I just piped up and said, "Dry up Mamma!" And that did it! Everyone started laughing and she did "dry up" - I hate for people to be sad - especially my grandmother. Now, with kids of my own, I'm starting to understand the sentiment in things!

• I remember her coming to our church and us going to hers and she sings SO loud in the congregation! I'm JUST like her. I know that's where I get it from. I LOVE IT!!

• When it was time to stay with her for a week out of the summer she would come pick us up and when we would leave from picking up my cousins she would say..."Let's take the scenic route!" I will say that now when it seems we are going the LONG WAY!

• I remember all her cars - the black beetle we would fight over who was going to sit in front for the air conditioner and she would say "We didn't even has AC when I was little!" I remember thinking how horrible that would have been!

• Speaking of cars - she had a stationwagon and we could sit in the very back. Everyone would chant for her to race the other drivers on Oakwood Ave. I would get so scared if needle got to 55. 55 was in RED...I thought the car would explode if it got to that number. I'm sure she wondered why I was so freaked out about it. I freak out like Anna by the way so it wasn't a quiet freakout! HA!

• The holidays are always so fun - we spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with her. Every year we would get a hundred dollars. And it makes me laugh at how excited we all got - EVERY YEAR! She has a bunch of hooligans for grandkids - that's for sure!

• One Halloween she surprised us with a visit. I was getting ready as Rainbow Bright and they knocked on our door. She had a Garfield mask on and I was SOOO extremely happy to see her. We both put on our masks and got a picture together. How about I only had on my red tights and a mask! I didn't care - I was just so happy she was there! I have to say that was one of my all time favorite Halloweens!

• Now that we are grown I love how she likes to snuggle up against us. She is so tiny and always has been!! She likes to hold hands and she'll put her head on my shoulder - it's a wonderful place to be!

• I love how she loves our kids even though her memory is failing! She doesn't always know who they belong to but she loves them because they are ours!

She's amazing! I love to see how she's shaped my life. I just plain love her!
Happy 80th Birthday Mamma!

And if you are feeling a little weepy after this (like I am now) - here is Anna to say "DRY UP!"

Happy Birthday Francie

My sister is SO creative and girlie...I wish I was more like her. She threw Francie, who turned 5 over the weekend, a Pinkalicious party! It was SOOO much fun! Everything was PINK! The girls got pink tutu's, pink fairy wings, pink crowns (which they decorated - and ours are actually GOLD...not yellow), we painted their fingernails pink (with a dash of purple), we had pink cake, and pink drinks! I just LOVE that idea. It was a lot of fun! Happy Birthday Francie...You had a FABULOUS Birthday Party. We love you SOOOOO much!

I didn't bring my camera to the party...these are all my sister's pictures! I love them!

SMCS Visit

Today is Columbus Day and the kids were out of school - BUT, SMCS was not out of school! So we went and surprised our friends and had lunch with them. We had such a great time. All the kids just crowded around Noah and Anna and were so happy to see them. Many kids asked if they were coming back! My eyes teared up when one friend said, "Noah, I thought I would never see you again!" SWEET! Noah and Anna thought it was SO fun to go back and see them. Before everyone came in to lunch Noah said, "My heart is beating so fast! I'm so excited!"

What a joy!

I really hate the Lord took us from that school but I'm so happy the kids are adjusting so well and they got to see today that their old friends are not forgotten!

I want to do it again!!!

My wedding pictures are getting riduclously old looking! Almost embarrassing, really! I want to do it again (with Jason of course)! I would so have Brian Branam do the wedding (b/c I would be marrying my first choice - Jason) and I would have SO many more bridesmaids now that so many more amazing people have come into my life! I would get my hair, nails, and make-up done by someone this time...doing it myself didn't work out quite like I thought it would...ha ha ha! I wouldn't be so nervous - b/c hey, I've done this already! I would get married in October on a day like yesterday at Matthews Manor. And who would take my pictures?!? hmmm... I want all these modern pictures of the dress hanging...the shoes, girls putting on makeup, silly pictures with my bridesmaids, Jason and I together looking NORMAL - him bald and me well, I don't know if I can pull off "normal" - but look like we look now! I would have Marybeth do my hair just so! I think this time I would want a big poofie dress but somewhat fitted. I'm not sure about bridesmaids dresses - I haven't gotten that far in my thinking - BECAUSE...I'm not doing it again so I guess I can quit dreaming about it.

But WOW...look how we've changed! Wouldn't it be fun?!?

So what sparked my desire?!?

Our friend Mindy got married to Lee this weekend. You may feel like you know them! They rocked my camera a couple of months ago with their engagement pictures. They are such a beautiful couple! And their wedding was TOP NOTCH and absolutely beautiful. It was the first wedding I've seen Jason perform and it was so good! I was so extremely proud of him and I even got convicted AT A WEDDING! Really!?! Ok...Well, Mindy was ABSOLUTELY beautiful all the bridesmaids were too the place was gorgeous and the weather - wow, couldn't get better than it was! Enjoy the pictures "From my point of view" -

Mindy we love you so much! You are such a great friend and it was an awesome privilege to be apart of your day! We are so overjoyed for you and Lee. Have fun on the Honeymoon - RELAX!!