rocky top mom

Southern Blizzard Soup

2010-01-09T05:49:00.000-08:00

We really don't know what to do around here when it snows. I would like to say that we all sit around the fire and drink hot chocolate for hours while reading the Bible and classic novels but sadly that is not the truth. Oh we do a small amount of reading and watching TV Land but mostly we just get on each others nerves! Sorry if that kills your Rockwell image of a pastors home but it is what it is. Last night we played Trivial Pursuit for about 2 hours and it almost ended in blood shed when Tyler smacked Adam in the face with a T-shirt but other than that it was all very heart warming.
The one thing that seems to save our sanity is food. We southerners know how to hunker down in the face of a blizzard. We understand that going to the Krogers and buying enough groceries for a month is a rite of passage in these parts and we take that responsibility very seriously. So in the spirit of Carolyn Ingalls I did my duty and bought a mountain of food which in the course of approx. 48 hours is almost gone. Doritos...gone. Cookies...gone. Ice Cream...gone. All the good stuff required for surviving the one and one half inch of snow, gone. So today they will all be forced to eat soup. That's right. VEGETABLE SOUP! But don't kid yourself into thinking I grew a cotton pickin' one of the veggies. Kroger did a good job of that for me and was even nice enough to put it all in cans! Go Figure! So here it is, the soup that will save the day. A soup that Carolyn Ingalls could only WISH she could have made while Pa was clinging to a rope tied between the house and the barn as he braved the BLIZZARD of the century to save "Half-Pint" from freezing to death in the winter storm!

Southern Blizzard Soup:
Brown one pound of ground beef along with one small chopped onion, drain.
Add one can of Veg-All, two cans of tomato soup followed by two cans of water.
Throw in one can of pork n beans and a can of corn. I usualy use Mexi-Corn. Cut up about two or three potatoes and throw em' in the pot. The next step is for those who want an extra added kick and could care less about the potential for heartburn. Ready..... add approx. half a can of Ro-Tel. Let the whole thing simmer until the potatoes are done. Grab some saltines,and rise up and call your self blessed. This soup is enjoyed most while watching hour of mindless television!

Adam's going to India and I am not going to cry about it...

2009-11-13T13:56:00.000-08:00

Last night all five of us climbed into the mini-van in order to go shopping for Adam's upcoming trip to India. It seems that he will not be able to check any luggage so he needed a big backpack that he will carry on the plane. I don't think they make backpacks big enough for all the stuff I think he should take. For example, crackers. Of every variety including animal. My eldest has the palatte of a three year old so somehow I don't think that he is going to pack away much Indian food.He told us last night that he had actually tried to eat some rice this week and it was just awful!I don't think he is going to find a McDonalds in Calcutta and even if he did I am not so sure he should eat there!!!

Also, he is going to need to pack his little sister. The two of them have the most interesting relationship. He is fiercly protective and she is fiercly independant. They lock horns quite a bit but when push comes to shove they have got each others back. When we dropped Adam off at his college for the first time, it was Jamie who sobbed right along with me. I have a feeling she will miss him as much as I will.

Tonight we are having an early Thanksgiving dinner with Adam so he doesn't miss out on the fun. I promise you there will be more carbs than you can shake a stick at.
It will be hard for Adam to be away on both Thanksgiving AND his birhtday so I want him to get to eat all his favorites before he goes. It will be a pig fest! (I'm not sure they have those in Calcutta either!!)

Singing, Shooting and Swine Flu

2009-11-06T03:53:00.000-08:00

I am so glad that it is Friday! This week has been super busy. First, Jamie is singing in high school chorus in a Veterans Day program. There are 5 performances and chances are good that I will be in attendance, with my hand over my heart no less than 5 of those times!Last night it so happened that Tyler was playing in a scrimmage game at the same time Jamie was singing. Lucky for me it all took place in the same building so I got my cardio workout running back and forth from the gym to the auditorium. Tyler had a game high last night with 26 points and he played like a superstar! Jamie was so cute up on that stage singing her little brains out.

Today I have to rescue my home from Satan. It appears his demonic headquarters are in Jamie's room. I have to go in there. Yes I know it is her room and her responsibility, however, she and I do not share the same standard for clean. Plus the fact that I love the child and I don't want her to trip and break her neck falling over some pile of laundry or even worse contract swine flu from the swine that must be hiding in ther somewhere!

Pride and Prejudice- I Heart It So!

2009-10-16T16:04:00.000-07:00

Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite movies of ALL TIME. I love it for so many reasons. Here are a few:
1) Even the poor people understood how important it was to love and be skilled at music. That just makes me happy.
2) I love the word "breeches". Or as we would say in the south "britches"
3) Bustles and corsets. Proper undergarments would make this world a better place!
4)Curtsey's. Why did we stop doing that? I think I may take it up again and curtsey when Joel and the kids get home from the football game.
5)Mr. and Mrs. Bennett call each other Mr. and Mrs. Bennett. 'Nough said.
6)The scene during which the sisters giggle under the covers. It reminds me of doing that with one or five of my cousins at one time or another.
7) Classic lines like "If Jane does die, it will be a comfort to know that it was in pursuit of Mr. Bingley."
8) Mr. Darcy
9) also Mr. Darcy
10)Keira Knightley's hair. It should have gotten it's own credits at the end of the movie.

Washington DC 2009

2009-10-13T19:14:00.001-07:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Icky Sicky!!

2009-10-09T09:12:00.000-07:00

The flu bug has found its way to my house. This is not a surprise seeing as all of Seymour is busy hacking , coughing, sneezing, and wheezing all while standing in the line at Krogers. Its gross I tell you. I knew it was bound to happen. I thought about grabbing a gun holster and filling it with cans of Lysol and various sizes of Purell bottles and then jumping from behind all the people who transgressed in their coughing by hacking into their hands and then grabbing onto the grocery carts, but I feared that unless I was wearing some sort of bio-hazard jumpsuit then it would just be in vain and I would still get sick. And Arrested. Anyway, all that to say that I am not the one who is sick. It is poor Adam. Fever, coughing, aching and lots of "phlegmy" kinds of sounds! ( I have no idea how to spell "phlemy" but it sounded better than
"juicy"). Does the period go after the parenthesis? Not sure. Nevertheless, say a prayer for the boy. He leaves for India in 5 weeks and has many things to do before then. And I have many things to do before then. Like disinfecting my entire house, all of wal-mart and unsuspecting neighbors.

Join the Crowd (NOT!)

2009-10-06T11:06:00.000-07:00

Hey ya'll. If you happened upon this blog in search of a soup recipe you can find it my last post. Just so you know, there are 2 people who read this blog, myself and my oldest and bestest friend Lisa. I write it mostly for myself. It is sort of like talking to myself with no one watching. You are welcome to read all of it or none of it. FYI.. the really cute kids are mine and the dog is mine. The husband, he is mine too. I am keeping them all.

"Chicken Tortilla Soup"

2009-10-06T10:39:00.000-07:00

Here is the requested recipe. It is so good and so danged easy. Throw it all in the crockpot and have a great day.

a pound or so of boneless chicken breast (still frozen)..don't argue with me, I know of what I speak!
A jar of salsa (I buy the cheap stuff for this)
Two cans of beans (black or kidney beans work fine)
Two cans of diced mexican-style tomatoes
A can of whole kernel corn
Shredded Mexican blend cheese
Tortilla chips to crumble on top of soup
Sour cream and sliced avocado (optional)..fyi.. I think avocado is gross and I never use it!
1. Place the frozen chicken breast in the crock pot.
2. Pour all of the other jarred or canned ingredients on top of chicken.
3. Add water until the mixture resembles soup.
4. Cook on low for eight to ten hours.
5. Use tongs and remove chicken breasts from soup.
6. Cut up or shred and put back in soup.
7. Stir well to distribute the chicken.
8. Serve up in a bowl with a sprinkling of tortilla chips and shredded cheese.
9. Add a dollop of sour cream and a slice of avocado if desired.

Your family will rise up and call you blessed! Happy Eating!

Hello World!

2009-09-11T18:54:00.000-07:00

Friday nights often leave me home alone. It's not that I don't enjoy High School football because I do. I just am not crazy about all the crazy people who attend high school football games. Plus, I tend to be a little claustrophobic and sitting at the top of the bleachers surrounded by people that I don't know whose laps I would almost have to sit on in order to squeeze out to make a potty run, which is likely at my age, just makes the whole thing seem like a waste of a good tv viewing night. And that may be the longest sentence I have ever written!

So in the interest of all one or three of my readers here are a few observations observed while watching tv while home alone:

A) Jon Stossel is leaving ABC for Fox News. That's right Jon! Leave the dark side and come to the light.
B)LaToya Jackson is soooo strange.
C)Sleepless in Seattle was probably the last time Meg Ryan's hair looked good.
D)YAZ will help to prevent pregnancy and clear up your zits.
E) Chris Matthews makes me want to throw up.
F) Maybe next Friday I should go the ballgame!

A long time ago I used to blog...

2009-07-18T06:07:00.000-07:00

WOW! It has really been a long time since I last looked at my blog. And boy have things changed since then. I lost my job and Michael Jackson died. Life shattering events as you might imagine. It truly has been a tough few months. I LOVED MY JOB! But the economy ran amuck and it crashed into the non-profit where I worked. I went in on a Thursday and was told that the next day would be my last. It was devastating! Even the director who gave me the news cried when she told me. It has been a very difficult time emotionally and spiritually. I have spent a lot of time confused about what God is doing and what all this means for me and my family. What are the lessons I am supposed to learn? For a while I thought the answer to those questions were complicated. But now I think I am getting it.

When life tosses us around we WANT the answers to be earth shattering and profound and they are. They are profoundly simple. They are found in the Bible verses that every child is taught in Sunday School. Verses like, "What time I am afraid I will trust in thee" (Ps. 56:3) or "Be anxious for nothing.." (Phil. 4:6) and "Cast all you cares on Him because He cares for you", (I Peter 5:7).

The older I get the bigger worrier I become. I think it is because as we age we understand just how scary life can be and we file all that fear away in our brains so that we can pull it out in the panic of our lives. But there is another file that we should keep at the ready and that is the file of God's protection and provision over us! For all of my 45 years he has NEVER left me to fend for myself or make my own way. He has always provided, always cheered me on and always blessed my life. My temporary circumstances do not scare Him in the least nor do they catch Him by surprise. He will always prove Himself to be faithful in loving and caring for me.

I love hymns. These words are my prayer today and everyday:

"Tis so sweet, to trust in Jesus,

just to take Him at His word.

Just to rest upon HIs promise,

Just to know, "Thus saith the Lord"

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!

How I've proved Him o're and o're!

Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!

O for grace to trust Him More!"

Monday Morning Mercy

2009-02-16T03:13:00.000-08:00

Psalm 71: 8
"My mouth is full of praise and honor to you all day long"
I have always been amazed by runners. Not table runners PEOPLE runners. I am talking about the folks who can strap on a pair of Nike's and start to run. And keep running. And keep running... There is just something facinating to me about "the long haul". That is thing that requires focus and concentration and energy and determination. It requires preparation and motivation. For me, that thing that requires all that inner strength and drive is ... MONDAY MORNING! I don't like them and I don't do well. Mine starts way to early and ends way to late. It is the busiest day of my week and I live out my Mondays in a rush of coffee, traffic and emails. So often I run through my marathon Monday, collapse into bed and realize, I lost the race. The God race. I never stopped to praise Him or honor Him even once. Never mind doing it "all day long".
This verse reminds me that God pursues a relationship with us that is living and active. A relationship that invades everything we do and say. All Day Long. So today.....
Lord, may my mouth be full of praise to you while I am in traffic, at my desk and on the phone. My I honor you while I love my children, find their homework and make sure they are fed. May I lift a song to you when I hit my 3pm slump and want to quit in frustration. May I be infused with your Holy Spirit in the most unlikely of places like the laundry room. And when the day is done and my marathon complete, allow me to raise my hand and give you Lord, my running buddy and victory "high five"!

"And on the seventh day the Lord RESTED"?

2009-02-08T13:03:00.000-08:00

Really? Like does that happen anymore? 'Cause let me tell you something, Sunday is a work day for this old girl! Most of the time I fall into bed on Sunday evenings exhausted by the events of the day. See if this rings a bell for you:
6:30 am - feet hit the floor and the mad dash for the coffee pot begins. By 7 am I have peeled 3lbs of potatoes, and seasoned the chicken for frying after church. 7:30 and the dishes are done and I have started making the rounds to wake up the people who were sleeping while I was doing dishes! 8am - Jump in the shower ( water is cold because the people who stayed in bed while I did the dishes are now all in the shower at the same time as me!!). Between 8 and 8:45 I dry my hair throw a casserole in the oven and apply approx. 1/2 lb of Bare Minerals. ( The results are nothing short of miraculous!) Grab Bible, Grab children, crate the animals and jump in the car.
After we get to church I prepare my heart for worship by running around like a chicken with her little head chopped off gathering music and looking for members of our Praise Team.

By 9:45 I am leading rehersals and praying mercy over our sweet sound man who bless his heart cannot seem to make us all happy!

Worship begins at 10:30 and I am lookng forward to the sermon as it will allow me to sit for 30 minutes.

After church I hug the necks of friends and strangers alike while running out the door for home to get dinner on the table. By 1:30 we have eaten and the Rev. and I are out the door to the local hospital to see a brand new baby boy and his sweet parents. Then home again. Plan the service for tonight and help with college son's laundry. (Don't even say it!! It is the one thing he still needs me for and I Love IT!)

Church tonight and I am back home in bed and exhausted but get this, I am also RESTED! How does that happen? I think it is because for one whole day I have particiapted in things that are bigger than me. It is a sweet thing to get a family to church on Sunday morning. It is a beautiful thing to raise my voice in the worship of our King. And those necks I hugged, well I love those necks because they are attached to people who are dear to me. It is a precious thing to see my family all around the same table at the same time. And a hospital becomes Holy Ground as you touch the face of a newborn baby and know that his parents are undertaking the most sacred of jobs.

Thank you Lord for the kind of rest that comes from getting our eyes off ourselves for just a little while and setting our hearts on higher things. It is an amazing thing and you are an amazing God!

Bloggy Confession

2009-02-07T12:56:00.000-08:00

For the last several months I have become increasingly addicted to reading blogs. Many of the ones I frequent leave me feeling challenged and inspired and encouraged. But sometimes.. something else creeps in. I begin to look at the lives of other people and feels downright envious. There I said it. The green monster called envy wants to settle itself in my heart as I read about women who can save 20 gazillion dollars with coupons. Women who find the time to bake cookies, keep their laundry caught up and churn homemade butter. Women who live on a ranch. Women who live on the beach. Women who seem to have it all and getting more of it all the time. I begin to focus on my own issues. Like the fact that I work 40 hours a week. My laundry is never done. We are in debt (SSSHHHHH!) and I drive a van with a dent in it. There is dog slobber on my wall, my baseboards haven't seen a scrubbing in forever and I feel overwhelmed and incapable most of the time. I don't have a stash of bulk groceries and I haven't seen my "hair girl" in months! *SIGH*

But then...... I get myself together and realize that no one has it all together and I find comfort in that. I have been in the ministry long enough to know that very seldom is someone's life the way they make it out to be. We are masters of disguise when it comes to showing people who we really are. After all, it is much more satisfying to our HUGE egos if we allow people to see only what we want them to see. Then we can make the picture pretty. And sweet. And yes, uncluttered.

So here is to being real. And being thankful for what I have. A precious family, everyone healthy, a frozen Pizza to have for dinner and yes even said "slobbery dog". The next time I want to be like someone else I will just look in the mirror. That girl looking back at me has got it pretty good!!!

The list of school closings is as follows:

2009-02-04T16:13:00.000-08:00

Sevier County. Third time this week. My children went to school 6 days in the month of January. This is as smart as they are gonna get.

It all came to a screeching halt!

2009-02-02T15:16:00.000-08:00

For those of you who see snow on a regular basis you cannot imagine what it is like to live here in the south and see the chaos that ensues at the first falling snow flake. We generally lose our minds. Schools begin to let out early, businesses close up shop and everyone hits Kroger for milk and bread. As for me, if I am going to be snowed in my last minute run to the grocery store will garner for my family chips, dip, soda, popcorn, Doritios and salsa. (Also an extra roll of toilet paper because, well, you know! ) Anyway, after we sweep the gas stations to fill up our tanks we hunker down. And then we watch it snow. For an hour. And then it stops. But we are thrilled that there is a dusting on the ground and that alone may get us out of school and work for tomorrow. I LOVE THE SOUTH. It just doesn't get any better than this!

2009-02-01T16:53:00.000-08:00

This is my daughter. She is lovely and sweet. Always concerned about her appearance and is careful that her hair always looks good. She is pretty quiet and unassuming and is mortally afraid of being embarrassed. She nevers wants to be the center of attention and does not like for people to fuss over her. She is a shy little flower.

NOT!

Wake up! It's Morning!!

2009-02-01T03:51:00.000-08:00

Okay. I'm back. During the Christmas season I just didn't feel very bloggy. I began to suffer from something I like to call "holiday blog envy". Everyone in the blogosphere went to work posting beautiful holiday pictures and sweet stories about "shelf elves" and home made decorations and i just began to feel, well... inadequate. But the truth is that we had a beautiful Christmas and a great time with family and friends.
It is interesting how the new year began for us. Instead of looking forward to the New Year, J and I did a lot of looking back. We had to face some difficult realities about how we have managed our lives up until now. Sometimes you just have to take stock of how things really are. We did. And we have a plan. I love the sweet verse in Lamentations that reminds us that God's mercies are "new every morning". Those same mercies are yours and mind every time we need to start over. I am thankful for the voice of God that calls me back to where I need to be.

Pre- Decorating Jitters

2008-12-05T07:46:00.000-08:00

How weird is it that I would get nervous over decorating my house for Christmas? Don't get me wrong I love the idea of decorating I just have never been very good at getting it done without a near nervous breakdown. I am not good at it like so many others are but yet I still have this Norman Rockwell vision in my head that keeps me dissatisfied with my decorating choices. This year we are on a tight budget, as are most people, so I have to go with what I've got and make it work. The only exception is my quest to find an artificial pre-lit tree that is in my price range. The hunt begins tonight and poor hubby has no idea that in a span of 3 hours he is going to find himself in Target, Kmart, Michaels, Hobby Lobby, Lowe's and Home Depot. Pray for him. It is going to be a long night!

Election 2008 and life beyond it...

2008-11-05T10:15:00.000-08:00

Today I will get up and put my pants on one leg at a time and start today's life journey. I am not happy about the election result but I refuse to feel defeated. I guess if my ultimate hope was in John McCain than defeat would be my drink of choice but it is not. Maybe that is the learning curve for some of us today. My hope lies in the firm foundation that is Jesus Christ. He never moves, never tires and never blinks or turns his head. All the events of our lives are sifted through the Father's hands and this election is no different.
So today I will keep on trying to save babies, love college students and be a good friend to others. I will lead choir, do laundry and get food on the table. I will pray, cry, sing and worship and stay busy with kingdom things. And I will pray for Pres. Obama, his wife and precious children that God will work massively in his heart and life, just as I pray He will in my own. And when it is all said and done, "it is well with my soul".

The Top Ten Reasons I Love FALL!!

2008-10-30T07:33:00.000-07:00

10. “IT”S THE GREAT PUMPKIN CHARLIE BROWN”. I watch it every year. It makes me all warm and fuzzy on the inside.

9. Front porch fall displays. In case you didn’t know this is the pre-cursor warm-up for the annual front yard Christmas light extravaganza. J. is breathless with anticipation.

8. Football Time in Tennessee. Eighth place may seem like a low ranking for some of you rocky toppers but it is the best I can do.

7. Fall Leaves. If you have never been to Cades Cove during the fall season, drop everything else and make plans to go. God was in a mood to show out when he created the Smokies.

6. New Wardrobe. I am sick of my summer clothes. Girls can I get an AMEN?

5. Cooler Temperatures. Let’s be honest, at my age I need cooler weather to offset my inner thermostat which is permanently set somewhere between “tropical breeze” and “bake until crispy.”

4. Left Over Halloween Candy. It makes our office a much happier place to work.

3. Dancing With The Stars. Dance Warren Dance!

2. Church Fall Festivals. Our church has perfected this to an art form. It is a combination of food and fun that can only be rivaled by a day at Dollywood!

And the number one reason I love fall is….

1. Family. The fall brings tons of opportunities for families to have fun together. There is so much to do from football games to campfires to carving pumpkins. Take every opportunity to be with the people that you love most and have a GREAT FALL.

No Shave November

2008-10-16T05:59:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard of “No Shave November”? For those of you who may be uninformed it is a holiday recently adopted by women who are sick and tired of shaving their legs. So for one month they don’t do it. That’s right. No shaving of the legs for one month. Personally, I think that is a pretty gross concept but I sure can identify with just getting tired of doing something that seems mundane or monotonous. Every now and then I feel like my life is in a rut and I feel like a robot just getting through the day. I get up at the same time, I shower at the same time, I get stuck in traffic at the same time and I get to work at the same time. I turn on my computer, check my email and begin the motions of the day. And then when the next morning comes, I start over. Blah!
I think it is okay to feel that way some times as long as you don’t get stuck in the rut of complaining about your rut! There are those thing that we do in the course of our daily “sameness” that are good. Every day God gives us the gift of an opportunity. A person who needs love help and encouragement is a reminder from God that He is NOT a God of boredom but a God of excitement, challenge and yes, even FUN!

Galatians 6:9 tells us: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” So go ahead, grow the hair on your legs long enough to braid! Just don’t grow weary in the important stuff. After all you can shave tomorrow but today’s opportunities to love come only once!

Happy Birthday Rev.

2008-09-03T05:34:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Joel. He is 42 today and has held up pretty well. Although he did, for the first time yesterday, hear a Doctor utter the word "arthritis". This is a word I have dealt with for a few years now so Joel has some catching up to do! HA HA!! For 21 years we have had the pleasure of celebrating our birthdays in the same week. And even though we share the same zodiac sign we are NOTHING alike which in my mind confirms that astrology is without fact and is based on gobble-de-gook( a true theological word!). Joel is calm. I am not. Joel is not a worrier. I have it down to an art form. Joel is steady. I am a weeble wobble. He has tons more energy and a lot more nerve. I am so proud of him. He is a wonderful husband and a terrific Dad. Happy Birthday Honey. You are the best!

"I'm the king of the .....lake?"

2008-07-25T18:40:00.000-07:00

I LOVE THIS PICTURE. Adam is a nut!

the sky is falling, the sky is falling..

2008-07-25T18:20:00.000-07:00

I am a blogging slug. Quite frankly I have been to busy living my life to write about it. Summer is flying by and pretty soon life will change forever when we move Adam off to school. Please don't send me comments about how Carson Newman is only 45 minutes away and how I should be grateful that he is not moving to Nova Scotia or other parts unknown. I only know these things... his place at the table will be empty more often than not, he won't be laughing with Tyler while they play basketball almost every night, he won't be swigging out of the 2 litre Coke bottle in my kitchen (gross I know !!!) and there won't be hugs every day. I am devastated. But... I am also very very proud. Adam is a wonderful young man who loves the Lord with fiery passion and is committed to becoming what God wants him to be. He wants to live out God's purpose for his life. He is brave and sweet and very talented and I know that he will be fine. He will. Really. I promise. It is just hard to believe that this day is almost here.
But as hard as it is, we look forward with confident expectancy to what the future holds. It is going to be great and you can bet your bottim dollar that whatever Adam is doing I will be there to take a picture of it and brag about it. It is my job. I am his mom.

I cried some, Oh yes I did...

2008-05-30T05:10:00.000-07:00

Well we did it. We graduated Adam from high school and we are none the worse for the wear. Oh it was really emotional alright. I cried for a couple of days every time I even thought about him. I just kept remembering the little boy who use to be. He is not little anymore. He has grown up to be this amazing wonderful young man with tons of potential and a fiery love for Jesus. We are so proud of him! Jamie graduated from 8th grade last night. It is mandatory of course that any high profile 8th grade event be followed by dinner out so we went to Cracker Barrell. Oh yes sir we did. I consumed enough carbs to clog the atereries of a Sumu wrestler and so did Jamie. My child ordered french toast with a side of bacon and a side of macaroni and cheese. I almost puked. She ate every bite of it.

Adam is graduating...pass the valiuum

2008-05-15T18:09:00.000-07:00

We are in full graduation mode. My sweet baby boy is graduating from high school in just a couple of weeks. It is hard to beleive that he is 18 and getting ready to leave home. I am going to require some pretty serious Hallmark movie time in order to purge all the tears out of my system. But don't you worry, they are tears of sadness but they are also tears of great pride. Adam is a pure joy. He has never given us any trouble and has given his whole heart and soul to Jesus. He is very sweet and has a tender heart that will allow him to cry when he is happy or when he is sad. I LOVE THAT!

when kids grow up: Prom 2008

2008-05-15T17:49:00.000-07:00

Prom day was crazy. Evidently sometime ago, the powers that be in the Seymour School system began to devise a plot that would result in chaos and mayhem for parents in our tiny community. In some smoky room...in the dark...under the influence of some sort of haalucinegens they decided.. lets have the senior prom and the 8th grade prom on the SAME DAY. (hear evil laughter...)

Well we showed them. We survived and managed to look good. Adam and Ashlee looked so sweet.The boy cleans up pretty good. And Jamie's prom fever that has lasted for 3 months finally came to a beautiful end. Sweet days, sweet memories, precious children.

Mini-Me

2008-05-15T17:39:00.000-07:00

This is a girl I love. So young and so grown up all in one tiny body. I wish everyone in the world could know her. She is such a good friend, always funny and happy. She makes me cooler than I am and always keeps me on my toes. I never knew that raising a daughter could be so frustratingly glorious.

Pomp and Crazy Circumstance

2008-05-06T05:08:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe my blogging tardiness. It can only be explained by a life that is in extreme overdrive that refuses to slow down enough for me to gather my thoughts. This past weekend was wonderful. Several months ago Adam was given the lead in his senior high school musical, Little Shop of Horrors. This weekend was show time and He was amazing!!!!! He sang he danced he acted and was downright awesome. I went to all four performances. O yes I did. I have never been so proud of that child. We are in full graduation mode and have lots of things to do over the next 20 days. Parties, trips, baccalauerate, awards night, choir banquet, and a basketball tournament trip to Cinncinatti. Great days. Hard days. Days that are flying by.
Now I have to get ready to go to work with a stop to pick up some Rolaids. You understand I'm sure.

American Idol...The way I hear it.

2008-04-15T17:13:00.000-07:00

David Archuleta-The Bomb! His rendition of "When you Believe" was pitch perfect!
Carly Smithson- Predictable. I knew from the first where she would go vocally. Could use some Crest Whitening Strips. Lower range at the beginning was shaky. Simon is exactly right.
Syesha Mercado- Why does she look angry? There are HUGE pitch problems! Strong ending however.. the judges won't like it. Paula is struggling to complete a sentence. The gold dress is GORGEOUS!
Brooke White- Ooh I 'm worried. Does she have the chops to pull off a Mariah number? Hero? Here we go... good that she is at the piano. So far so good...the bridge has some pitchyness... she looks terrified..uh-oh stumbling at the piano but she kept going and finished respectably. Meat? Buns? What?
Kristy Lee Cook- I like the semi-country feel she is throwing into the song. It seems to suit her voice. Although the key sounds about a 1/2 step to low.. I liked it. It showed the power in her voice. Country Western?Is that a real category of music? I am not sure. No chills for Simon. I think he is being kind of hard on her.
David Cook- I am not excited. I may be the only person in America who doesn't get him. 10 notes in and I don't like it. He looks like he needs a bath. Yuck. I would not buy his album Randy. He is blowed away that Simon likes it. Maybe I am just to hard to please. O He is crying. Now I like him.
Jason Castro-I refuse to watch. I can't get past the dredlocks.

a redneck bru ha-ha

2008-03-18T12:42:00.000-07:00

I have no idea if that is how you spell "bru-haha but nevertheless we had ourselves one at the New Hopewell Baptist Church on Saturday. Rain, snow, sleet or hail cannot keep 800-1000 people from showing up at our church every spring to partake of some downhome vittles that includes the likes of deer venison and yes, I am not even kidding BEAVER. Who knew people at Beaver? I didn't know that and I didn' t eat any. Lest you think that we just feed a 1000 people Goose Casserole for kicks, it is our Annual Wild Game Supper that draws a crowd like you would not believe. I am so proud of our little church for thinking outside the box and doing anything they can to reach people for the kingdom of God. It rained buckets all day and we even had a conflict with the Vols playing the SEC tournament but we pressed on and the people came and ate and ate and ate and sang and ate some more. I'll try to post pictures later so you can see the carryins on for yourself.

how to half kill yourself without even trying

2008-02-29T00:28:00.000-08:00

Step 1: begin th day with a nagging pain in the upper half of your back just under the shoulder blade.

Step 2: Carry a VERY heavy box from the Universtiy of Tennessee Ball Room to the UT parking Garage. (approx. 1/4 of a mile)

Step 3: Gracefully miss a step as you enter the garage, feel pain begin to exaggerate.

Step 4: Ignore pain while focusing on missing soccer cleats, unknown whereabouts of 18 year old son, driving to soccer practice, waiting in the car for 1 1/2 hours, going to soccer uniform fitting and write a $73 check for said uniform.

Step 5: arrive home at 8:30pm after leaving home at 7am. Continue to ignore increasingly worse back pain.

Step 6: wake up at 12 am. Realize you are in the throes of the muscle spasm from HELL

Step 7: Cry...Cry to Jesus...Cry to sleeping husband

Step 8: Move to couch at 1:30 and keep crying.

Step 9: Blog at 3:37 am and wait for daylight and pray for heavy drugs to be in your very near future!

I am so proud

2008-02-15T18:12:00.000-08:00

These are the sweetest nuttiest kids in the world. Never mind that Tyler appears drunk, Adam looks like he is dippin' skoal and Jamie... well is just being Jamie!

tgif

2008-02-15T17:57:00.000-08:00

So glad this week is over. Why is it some weeks seem longer than others! Not that this was a particularly hard week it just seemed to drag on and on. I am propped up in my bed while Joel is at Tylers ballgame, Jamie is at a birthday party and Adam is upstairs on the couch watching a ballgame. Suffice it to say there is nothing on television and even Samson is bored. I COULD be doing everyones laundry but I resigned this week. Well actually Joel resigned me. As my foot was to weak to put down he put down his and told the kids they were on their own. That's right. ON THEIR OWN. The piles had just become too overwhelming and there was really no reason to believe that three active reasonably healthy teenagers could not operate the washer and dryer. No reason at all. Really. At least that is what I'm going with. To be fair, they have each down a load. Jamie actually completed the entire wash, dry and put away cycle. The boys...not so much. I found Tyler's in the dryer and Adam's still in the wash. But let's let the dream live shall we?

SHE LIVES

2008-02-13T09:30:00.001-08:00

It has been forever since I posted. I am aware of this not because of the throngs of people who hound me daily asking for more useless info about our family but because I just took a good look at the calendar. This month has flown by. Just when we thought we had survived sickyville the flu made a stop at our house. And if that wasn't enough Samson has a sports injury. Now people THAT is funny! The laziest dog to ever take up couch space has somehow gotten what the vet refers to as a sports injury to his left back knee. I didn't know dogs had knees and I certainly haven't seen Samson exerting his but nonetheless he is injured. The vet instructed us to "keep him quiet". Right. He has his own doggy mind. Always has, always will. He loves us but mostly he tolerates us. And he is rarely obedient. Only when we ask him if he wants a cookie, will he move from his post and follow us to the kitchen. Amazingly that sounds like our kids!

my drug of choice

2008-01-31T14:55:00.000-08:00

It is sickyville around here. Tyler has the full on Dr. diagnosed flu and I have some version thereof so there has been more than one trip today to the cold/flu section at Wal-Mart. Which is where I was when I found the coolest thing. Vicks Vapor rub on a stick! Anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge fan of that mentholatum rub! When I was little, momma would rub me down good with the stuff when I had a cough and then put some in a vaporizor and I would lay in bed inhaling mentholatum until my lungs were free and clear. I have always remembered that Daddy had a little Vicks stick that he kept in his pocket and he would occassionaly poke that thing right up his nose and take a big sniff. Yes sir he did.

So I bought not one but two Vicks sticks, one for me and one for Tyler (he is not nearly as excited as I am). .....pausing for a whiff.... and I have to tell you I feel better.

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall....

2008-01-23T12:01:00.000-08:00

It was a great non-snow day snow day as I was very excited that I had saved some left over deliciousness from our trip to "Ye Olde" the night before. Broccolli Casserole floating in cheese and butter would be my lunch and I cannot even tell you how excited I was about it. I heated it up to a perfect temperature, added salt and pepper and poured myself a diet coke. Then I began the decent down the stairs. In socks. In a hurry. And it was over before it started. I fell down the two bottom steps. It hurt. A lot. I was comforted for a nano second as I heard the running of four legs, and I felt sure that Samson was running to see if I was ok. NOT! If I had not been in pain I would have a picture of that dog with cheese and broccoli dripping from his drooly jaws. I did however snap a photo of said stairs to remind myself that pride DOES go before a fall and the same dog who somehow manages to leave green peas in the bottom of his OldRoy Country Stew dog food is a lover of Ye Olde Steak House Broccoli Casserole. They should be honored and proud. I am bitter.

weather men crack me up

2008-01-22T07:01:00.000-08:00

At last something for the weather people to get excited about! Icy conditions have caused Knoxville to come to a screeching halt. The tips we are getting from those in the know are nothing if not hysterical. For example, "Icy conditions may cause you to slide.Please slow down and exercise extreme caution." For the stupid in our viewing area!

I also wonder why journalists have a "redneck radar" when it comes to those on the spot interviews. I mean just because we are in Tennessee do have to hear from everyone wearing camo pants and a John Deere tractor hat. Is there no one out there carrying a Vera Bradley purse with a matching umbrella? Sweet Mercy!

But most importantly this weather event has caused me to realize that I NEED some of those cute little rain boots that I see the fashionistas wearing. The ones with ducks or rainbows or daisy's on them. My sweet friend Charlotte has some and they make her look both cute AND prepared. What could be better I ask you?

What's Not to Love?

2008-01-21T17:01:00.000-08:00

family interviews: part two; Here's Jamie

2008-01-21T11:55:00.000-08:00

Mom: What is your favorite candy?
Jamie: Reece Cups
Mom: If you could go on vacation anywhere in the world where would it be?
Jamie: California
Mom: To be a superstar?
Jamie:To swim and tan and shop
Mom: all of those things you can do here
Jamie:I want to do it in California instead. Hollywood.
Mom: If you won a million dolars what would you buy first?
Jamie:Like now as a kid, I don't have to pay off any debt or anything? Mmm an island!
Mom: What grosses you out?
Jamie:Open wounds and wrinkly old men
Mom: Ooo Gross. Do you love Adam and Tyler?
Jamie: I love them but I don't always like them. How much longer is this?
Mom: Almost finished. What do you like most about me?
Jamie: Silence
Mom: What do you like most about Dad?
Jamie: Silence
Mom: Is this interview over?
Jamie: I hope so
Mom: One more question. Would you pick your nose in the hallway at school or $100?
Jamie:Probably not
mom: For a $1000
Jamie: YES
Mom: Thanks for playing

family interviews: part one; tyler speaks

2008-01-20T19:21:00.000-08:00

Mom: What makes you happy?
Tyler: church, Christmas and music
Mom: Do you take drugs?
Tyler: No and I don't plan on it.
Mom: What is your favorite Jim Carrey line?
Tyler: "Loser" and "All-Righty Then"
Mom: Chocolate or Vanilla?
Tyler: Chocolate
Mom: What would you buy if you had a million dollars?
Tyler: a new house
Mom: Do the girls think you are sexy?
Tyler: Do cats Meow?
Mom: Which parent is the coolest?
Tyler: Neither
Mom: Ouch!
Mom: Would you kiss a girl for $100?
Tyler: No
Mom: $1000
Tyler: I would randomly go up to someone and kiss them for no reason for $1000 bucks.
Mom: Do you love your sister?
Tyler: Yes, Goodness. As much as I love Samson
Mom : Are you ready for this interview to be over?
Tyler: Yes

2008-01-20T19:01:00.000-08:00

2008-01-20T18:54:00.000-08:00

Do you believe there is such a thing as an 8th grade prom? Well trust me there is and it is accompanied by great drama! My sweet baby girl will be in attendance this year and she is beside herself,behind herself and on top of herself with giddiness. Guess what that makes me? Beside myself. Guess what that makes Rev.? Poorer! Here is her super sweet and age appropriate prom dress for 8th grade Prom 2008!

WE DID IT! WE"RE BLOGGERS

2008-01-20T18:03:00.000-08:00

Hello Everybody! I am so beyond thrilled to finally have this blog up and running. Oh sweet mercy it has been two days of blood sweat and literal tears of frustration to learn how to enter the realm of the blogoshpere. The point of it all is to have a place for our friends and family to check up on our crazy life. I hope you enjoy the ride as much as I am.