tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44025176050418080692023-11-16T10:16:15.435-06:00The Leonards' LoungeABLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452775041688514732noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4402517605041808069.post-37856842242589065542011-05-16T10:29:00.001-05:002011-05-16T10:32:00.303-05:00Giveaway shoutout!Don't get too excited, if anyone still reads this, I'm doing a giveaway shoutout to one of my favorite blogs- <a href="http://lauratomlinson.blogspot.com/">Laura</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.lauratomlinson.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Leelou Blogs" src=" http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee180/juliewuliee/Mindi/Custom%20Orders/My%20Sweet%20Life/linkbutton5.jpg"/></a><br /><br />Keep posting LT!!ABLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452775041688514732noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4402517605041808069.post-20836022001359779312010-05-01T12:41:00.003-05:002010-05-01T15:13:43.373-05:00Memories and Hormones!Who knew life could change so much in 10 years? Today, I guess I've been in nesting mode; I'm done giving finals and now only have to grade, so I'm taking time today to clean out my old chest of drawers and desk that are in the baby's room. I know hormones don't help, but who knew cleaning out a desk would make you cry? A little backstory...I've had this desk since moving to Starkville 10 years ago for my junior year of college. It's kind of been passed through my family since we were little. And today going through those drawers was like opening a time machine to 2000. I've found my old printer cartridges, credit cards, library cards, MCC ID cards, pictures, and old copies of Vanity Fair and Entertainment Weekly (with Prince William and Harry Potter on the covers). I've still got my teacher's license, PRAXIS scores, acceptance letter into grad school, old lesson plan assignment when I was in education, all of it. I've also found birthday cards from my parents, my friends, and Alan from when we were dating. Most meaningful, I've found birthday and Christmas cards from all my grandparent, who have since all died. Who knew that just by cleaning out ONE piece of furniture you'd find your whole past, a snapshot of who you were, who you were becoming, and where you've ended up. And now here I am getting ready for another new stage in my (our) life. Whoo...emotional overload today. So, if you've got that piece of furniture or that box or drawer that you've stuffed everything in, be careful! You never know what insights or discoveries it might lead you to. Oh, and P.S. it might make you hold on to things. I was thinking about selling the desk, but right now, I can't bring myself to get rid of my time capsule!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL7q9jLyfYm-jXS4dMnElf5h5_LZFwO9QCH1sY79CRBOXkGfF9IqSBiXuPoASiHpEq7RxNNoJ2YB26GcN4JqXq7488K2daadUeRhAz__uRh0otkOLfKSc5FNKJ1ajoCaO_3VAwaJi4CIY/s1600/IMG_3295.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL7q9jLyfYm-jXS4dMnElf5h5_LZFwO9QCH1sY79CRBOXkGfF9IqSBiXuPoASiHpEq7RxNNoJ2YB26GcN4JqXq7488K2daadUeRhAz__uRh0otkOLfKSc5FNKJ1ajoCaO_3VAwaJi4CIY/s200/IMG_3295.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466372057473594898" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW-I6MlEARWGFEm_GGbEajjjYamqoo5AYIi4C9vhnuxNh3K4lEM-4t4HH_CKU6_oatlh9b-J3Oklexye7x6yTsbWxv-qDgmLC3zMLC6Q0GPby-yO4Pp5ngQHRR2tprPJYrdOqwWXgi8ks/s1600/IMG_3294.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW-I6MlEARWGFEm_GGbEajjjYamqoo5AYIi4C9vhnuxNh3K4lEM-4t4HH_CKU6_oatlh9b-J3Oklexye7x6yTsbWxv-qDgmLC3zMLC6Q0GPby-yO4Pp5ngQHRR2tprPJYrdOqwWXgi8ks/s200/IMG_3294.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466372048074020226" /></a>ABLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452775041688514732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4402517605041808069.post-59801137529564472362010-03-01T11:22:00.002-06:002010-03-01T11:27:44.990-06:00Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w109/Chris_bee05/Pregnancy%20Icons/expecting-a-baby-girl.png"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 100px; height: 100px;" src="http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w109/Chris_bee05/Pregnancy%20Icons/expecting-a-baby-girl.png" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />For those few who read my blog and not my facebook, the verdict is in! We're having a GIRL! It was so amazing watching the ultrasound; we were both speechless. It's amazing watching what goes on in there. The ultrasound tech told us we have a very active little girl, which is good because I haven't felt anything yet, so I was wondering what was going on in there. Remember I said that because in the next couple of weeks or so, I'm sure I'll be able to feel EVERYTHING! But wow, it seems so real now that we have a little person... a little girl person. Thanks for all the well wishes and the advice on the maternity clothes. I finally got some this weekend, and everyone is definitely right...at least right now, your regular size is the one you want to go with. Now we just get to focus on baby's room and names. Stay tuned for more.ABLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452775041688514732noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4402517605041808069.post-14936413818813695272010-02-24T11:40:00.003-06:002010-02-24T11:59:43.604-06:00The Time Has Come<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l25/FlyboysGirl/Pregnant%20Icons/boygirl.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 102px; height: 102px;" src="http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l25/FlyboysGirl/Pregnant%20Icons/boygirl.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Alright, my few and faithful blog followers, this is it. My last post as an expectant mother of an unknown child. We go tomorrow to find out, Lord willing and he/she cooperates, if Baby A is a boy or girl. Drumroll please... I can't believe it's already time. This is a very surreal feeling; the feeling that after tomorrow it won't be just this baby I'm carrying or this mysterious thing, but a more definite little person with a gender and, eventually, a specific name. Wow...it makes this really real, in a great way. Then, we get to focus on all the fun stuff of choosing names and colors and bedding and stuff. And when I go to Disneyworld, in 2 weeks, I'll get to buy his/her first pair of Mickey ears...love it! So people this is your last chance...weigh in now. What do you think, boy or girl? You have until tomorrow at 5 to vote. Then, we'll have the answer. <br /><br />P.S. The most recent perplexing issue I've come across in pregnancy...maternity clothes. Do you buy them in your "normal" size, like they say, because they are suppose fit like that or do I not need to fall in love with the maternity shirts I have so far because I'm going to have to restock in a little while? Help!!ABLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452775041688514732noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4402517605041808069.post-83963231112389401612010-01-28T12:06:00.003-06:002010-01-28T12:31:26.061-06:00One trimester down...two to go!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w109/Chris_bee05/Pregnancy%20Icons/pregnancy.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 100px; height: 100px;" src="http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w109/Chris_bee05/Pregnancy%20Icons/pregnancy.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Well in case I haven't called you personally or you haven't seen my facebook page, SURPRISE! We're expecting a baby! I'm due July 27th, right in the middle of summer...yea! Maybe it won't be too hot until August, but at least Alan and I will be off from school.<br /><br /> It's taken me a while to blog because I've been busy getting back into school and let's face it...I'm TIRED! Number one pregnancy "side effect" I've been dealing with, which isn't so bad considering I've haven't been sick at all (knock on wood). I've been feeling pretty good also, so that's a blessing. But first trimester down, and now I'm on to the second, which according to some sources is suppose to give me energy or at least I'm suppose to not feel AS tired as I have been. Fingers crossed on that one.<br /><br />And doesn't it seem like when you get pregnant that everyone around you gets pregnant! Every stranger you see in Walmart is pregnant and every day you seem to get a phone call about another friend who has found out she is expecting. For example, right now we have 5 people in our church who are pregnant (and we go to a smaller church) and one other close friend who just found out she is expecting while another two are already pregnant! 2010 is going to be a busy year!<br /><br />So I'll try to keep up posting some of my "discoveries" of pregnancy and my pet peeves. For instance, must everyone who has ever had a baby tell you her horror story of her pregnancy or how they "like" your doctor, but he's not their favorite because he did something to tick her off. If you can't say something nice...ABLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452775041688514732noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4402517605041808069.post-30402649281468164452009-09-18T10:51:00.002-05:002009-09-18T10:54:24.391-05:00Happy Friday!!I know I haven't blogged in forever, but I'll catch you up on what's been going on later. Right now here are some happy thoughts and realizations for a good Friday. We're leaving this afternoon going to Nashville to support our Bulldogs against Vandy. Go DAWGS!! P.S. I copied this post from <a href="http://lauratomlinson.blogspot.com/">LT</a>.<br /><br /><div align="center">-More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can think about is that I can't wait for them to finish so that I can tell my ownstory that's not only better, but also more directly involves me.</div><div align="center">-Nothing stinks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.</div><div align="center">-I don't understand the purpose of the line, "I don't need to drink to have fun." Great, no one does. But why start a fire with flint and sticks when they've invented the lighter?</div><div align="center">-Have you ever been walking down the street and realized that you're going in the complete opposite direction of where you are supposed to be going? But instead of just turning a 180 and walking back in the direction from which you came, you have to first do something like checkyour watch orphone or make a grand arm gesture and mutter to yourself to ensure that no one in the surrounding area thinks you're crazy by randomly switching directions on the sidewalk.</div><div align="center">-I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger. </div><div align="center">-Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn't work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magicallyfix the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we all knowhow to fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards orFAQ's. We just figured it out. Today's kids are soft.</div><div align="center">-There is a great need for sarcasm font.</div><div align="center">-Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the heck was going on when I first saw it.</div><div align="center">-How in the world are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?</div><div align="center">-I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags up my forearms than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.</div><div align="center">- I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.</div><div align="center">-The only time I look forward to a red light is when I trying to finish a text.</div><div align="center">- A recent study has shown that playing beer pong contributes to the spread of mono and the flu. Yeah, if you s*ck at it.</div><div align="center">- Was learning cursive really necessary?</div><div align="center">- Lol has gone from meaning, "laugh out loud" to "I have nothing else tosay".</div><div align="center">- I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.</div><div align="center">- How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear what they said?</div><div align="center">- I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up to prevent a moron from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers!</div><div align="center">- Every time I have to spell a word over the phone using 'as in'examples, I will undoubtedly draw a blank and sound like a complete idiot. Today I had to spell my boss's last name to an attorney and said"Yes that's G as in...(10 second lapse)..ummm...Goonies"</div><div align="center">- While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it...thanks Mario Kart.</div><div align="center">- MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.</div><div align="center">- Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.</div><div align="center">- I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.</div><div align="center">- I would like to officially coin the phrase 'catching the swine flu' to be used as a way to make fun of a friend for hooking up with an overweight woman. Example: "Dave caught the swine flu last night."</div><div align="center">-I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.</div><div align="center">- Bad decisions make good stories.</div><div align="center">-Whenever I'm Facebook stalking someone and I find out that theirprofile is public I feel like a kid on Christmas morning who just got the Red Ryder BB gun that I always wanted. 546 pictures? Don't mind if Ido!</div><div align="center">-If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring wouldprobably just be completely invisible.</div><div align="center">-Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to goaround and say their name and where they are from, I get so incrediblynervous? Like I know my name, I know where I'm from, this shouldn't be aproblem....</div><div align="center">-You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at workwhen you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anythingproductive for the rest of the day.</div><div align="center">-Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don't want to have to restart my collection.</div><div align="center">-There's no worse feeling than that millisecond after leaning your chairback a little too far when you're sure you're going to die.</div><div align="center">-I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear Idid not make any changes to.</div><div align="center">- "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this, ever.</div><div align="center">-I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Dangit!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goesto voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?</div><div align="center">- I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.</div><div align="center">-When I meet a new girl, I'm terrified of mentioning something she hasn't already told me but that I have learned from some light internet stalking.</div><div align="center">-I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it's on shuffle, thenI like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.</div><div align="center">-Why is a school zone 20 mph? That seems like the optimal cruising speedfor pedophiles.</div><div align="center">- As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.</div><div align="center">-Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.</div><div align="center">-I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.</div><div align="center">-Even if I knew your social security number, I wouldn't know what do to with it.</div><div align="center">-Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey -but I bet my a - - everyone can find and push the Snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time every time...</div><div align="center">-My 4-year old son asked me in the car the other day "Dad what wouldhappen if you ran over a ninja?" How the heck do I respond to that?</div><div align="center">-I think the freezer deserves a light as well.</div><div align="center">-I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lites than Kay.</div><div align="center">-The other night I ordered takeout, and when I looked in the bag, saw they had included four sets of plastic silverware. In other words, someone at the restaurant packed my order, took a second to think about it, and then estimated that there must be at least four people eating torequire such a large amount of food. Too bad I was eating by myself. There's nothing like being made to feel like a fatty before dinner.</div><div align="center"><em>(I did not write this, but I wish I had.)</em></div>ABLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452775041688514732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4402517605041808069.post-29338101235797802972009-06-24T20:40:00.002-05:002009-06-24T20:43:17.489-05:00C is for Cookie<a href="http://thecookiemama.blogspot.com/">Shannon AKA "Cookie Mama" </a> is giving away more cookies. Go over to her<a href="http://thecookiemama.blogspot.com/"> site and register </a>NOW!! I had her delicious cookies at a lingerie shower, and they were the cutest things! They were heart shaped cookies with bras and panties on! If nothing else, you have to go over and check out her designs!ABLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452775041688514732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4402517605041808069.post-57823680343183760292009-04-02T12:43:00.002-05:002009-04-02T12:49:36.053-05:00My Header!I finally have a header that I made! *smile* Ever since I started blogging, I would see people with all these cute headers, and I had no idea how they would create them. I would read about people using photoshop, which I don't have, and all these other programs, but alas, I could never figure it out. Thanks to <a href="http://thewyers.blogspot.com">Ashley W.</a>, I have been inspired and led to a program I knew about, but didn't know how to work- <a href="http://www.scrapblog.com">Scrapblog</a>. I know this is probably years behind everyone else, but my next favorite thing currently is scrapblog and my new header! Let me know what you think.ABLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452775041688514732noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4402517605041808069.post-67614690886365067122009-03-25T14:04:00.002-05:002009-03-25T14:14:47.103-05:00Raindrops on Roses<div>These are a few of my favorite things. I promised I would blog more if I had something to talk about, and well, I'm doing better. At least this is the second blog in the same month! Maybe I'll finally start blogging every week...gasp! In honor of today and tomorrow, my next favorite thing is....RAIN! <img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 136px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 111px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://i698.photobucket.com/albums/vv349/alayah_alexandra/raining-2.jpg" border="0" /></div><br /><p> I love rain! Thunderstorms or just a spring shower, I love it! I like rain better when I'm lying in bed, and I don't have to be anywhere and the sound just rolls off the roof and keeps me dreaming...sigh. I don't like driving in a heavy downpour, but after the last few summers with little to no rain, I am not complaining regardless. Right now I'm loving rain because it gets rid of all the nasty pollen! What's the point of washing my nasty car if it's just going to become yellow? I'm on carwashing strike! This time of year (baseball season) I also like rain because it gives us a relief, usually in the form of a night off during the week to just be, right Ashley W? When you have 5 games during a week, sometimes you frankly pray for rain. Of course, you have to make them up, but mostly the break is worth it! P.S. I'm praying for a rainout tomorrow!! </p>ABLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452775041688514732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4402517605041808069.post-30117691595561596172009-03-07T18:10:00.003-06:002009-03-07T18:21:19.661-06:00Just in time for Spring...My favorite thing.Sorry my few but faithful blog visitors for the extreme delay in updates, but as I said last time, I'll try to do better. For a quick recap, my spring semester has begun and is in full swing. Spring break is a week away!! Yea! Baseball season is also in full swing, so we've been super busy with that. To inspire me to blog more often I think I'll start or end each entry with things I like. This will help get to know me and my many eclectic tastes better, and it will give me something to blog about when times are slow. Okay...ready? My first favorite thing is....<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m171/iskandar_22/EBAY.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 145px; height: 54px;" src="http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m171/iskandar_22/EBAY.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Yes, EBAY! I'm completely obsessed about what I can find on this website! My husband has even questioned this to the point of suggesting addiction...hmm. But really, I don't buy off of it as much as I LOVE to browse. Need to find another place setting of that china you didn't get at your bridal shower 5 years ago? Check Ebay. What about finding some Mccarty pottery that they don't sell in your area? Check Ebay. Shoes, baby clothes, posters, jewelry, and junk , they have it all! If you ever need any help trying to locate something on ebay or need tips, just let me know. I'll be happy to help!ABLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452775041688514732noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4402517605041808069.post-6841652570894885502008-11-19T10:17:00.002-06:002008-11-19T10:27:42.490-06:00It Getting To Be That Time of Year...And no I don't mean the holidays...yet! It's almost time for....FINALS!!! Yea! The time of year every teacher loathes and looks forward to. The time of year my skin breaks out in a rash at just the word "paper". The time of year that every student (even those that I haven't seen since the first week of class) is suddenly the model student and very concerned about his/her grades. The time of year that I go cross-eyed and blind looking at so many papers, but after it's all done, I'm free! Free to enjoy the holidays! I blame finals for my Christmas decorating not getting done until a week or two into December although I may get lucky this year and have them up the weekend after Thanksgiving (fingers crossed). Maybe this year I'll actually decorate my mantle with more than just stockings...maybe. Thanks for giving me some venting time, and I'll be sure to post more updated pics since I finally have my computer back. Until then...it's the most wonderful/stressful time of the year :)ABLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452775041688514732noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4402517605041808069.post-28314046658753383312008-10-16T09:49:00.004-05:002008-10-16T10:12:09.602-05:00Where has the time gone? Part 2Two posts in one day? That's like a sighting of the Loch Ness monster or Bigfoot! More catch up. The week after my mamaw past away for some reason I was on the Starkville Humane Society page and saw a puppy I just had to meet. Now remember, we put a fence around our yard, and I've always wanted a dog, but I didn't know if I was ready for one this soon. But there she was a Blue Heeler/Australian Shepard mix, and I fell in love. We named her Belle. Then, I swear I went through what I can only imagine it is like with a child: what do I do now?; I don't want to screw her up!; what if I'm a bad owner?. I kid you now this went on for a couple of days, and now she is in to everything. We have gotten the walking on the leash down, but if you have any tips on dog training or raising, please let me know. Here are a few pics I got off my facebook page, and if you want to see more there are more on Facebook.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd9lyBqP477FHaoOUw1eHHIYXO7SpC7ST6jSxsNIZsWQaTOUAYzrd5-LtEoW3L_p-tapR2Z1NtDu5hQxjKMX8TKNYhEWJvz-Q1vTvxZUijL7MvGoB9c1_0qoAUb2PYKKHIw4-Q55CSqoE/s1600-h/Belle+1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257767815252269986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd9lyBqP477FHaoOUw1eHHIYXO7SpC7ST6jSxsNIZsWQaTOUAYzrd5-LtEoW3L_p-tapR2Z1NtDu5hQxjKMX8TKNYhEWJvz-Q1vTvxZUijL7MvGoB9c1_0qoAUb2PYKKHIw4-Q55CSqoE/s200/Belle+1.jpg" border="0" /></a> Meet Belle!<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3gqmPQTFJJPMyWdL-GxQsEwJ7FunxHzLDhHPZfLMK_zz9UYsza4FVioNNIlYL5XuPDb06DxR7Z9LGNTF5sScyxixOUyqru95gagxECBC_xGH9cUuR1iNPINacEE53g-KJABP_AwcY9pA/s1600-h/Belle+2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257768560056898674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3gqmPQTFJJPMyWdL-GxQsEwJ7FunxHzLDhHPZfLMK_zz9UYsza4FVioNNIlYL5XuPDb06DxR7Z9LGNTF5sScyxixOUyqru95gagxECBC_xGH9cUuR1iNPINacEE53g-KJABP_AwcY9pA/s200/Belle+2.jpg" border="0" /></a> Here's a side shot to show her markings.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcsnoT1WdaaLFW4YtetO6nIN_diC35iC1RQLNuKj1YlxUNTIh9ziQFyIoGzfkFGJtuVMU7BzjQIaH1MTmVzg71OYFz0EkrDAbQuqT_wo9wX-OczWUc81L_2psz8YxBGW5d-Gskv_s1OO0/s1600-h/Belle+3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257768564458665410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcsnoT1WdaaLFW4YtetO6nIN_diC35iC1RQLNuKj1YlxUNTIh9ziQFyIoGzfkFGJtuVMU7BzjQIaH1MTmVzg71OYFz0EkrDAbQuqT_wo9wX-OczWUc81L_2psz8YxBGW5d-Gskv_s1OO0/s200/Belle+3.jpg" border="0" /></a> Can I chew on the camera?ABLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452775041688514732noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4402517605041808069.post-82454938295066529092008-10-16T09:19:00.003-05:002008-10-16T09:46:54.994-05:00Where has the time gone?Okay, so my plan of keeping an updated blog over the summer and into the new school semester has failed miserably, but at least this gives me a good reason for a nice catch up blog. Therefore, beware, this might be a long one. <br /><br />In May I made a list of to dos over the summer, so let's see how many I actually did. <br /><br />1. Strip the border in the dining room and get it painted this week. <br />I did this one!! I thought the border would be easier since it wasn't double layered like the rest of the wallpapered rooms, see below to the pictures of the foyer. The dining room also looks great if I may say so. Pictures to come when I get my computer back.<br /><br />2. Go see April, Robert and Duncan in Natchez <br />This one unfortunately we didn't do :( But I hope to change that soon. <br /><br />3. Have a great time teaching Intro to Lit in June <br />This one came true. I had a great time teaching a bunch of great students in June!<br /><br />4. Celebrate Joshua Patrick's arrival on June 4th (give or take a day)<br />This one didn't happen on June 4th, but on May 30th! Little man is not so little any more and so precious. Again, I'll post pics later.<br /><br />5. Paint the 70s poop brown trim on the outside of our house to a nice pleasing tanish and paint our garage so it doesn't feel like your driving into a dungeon<br />Alas, we still have our dungeon, but we do have the paint colors ready!<br /><br />6. Put up a privacy fence in our backyard! (Hopefully, this may get moved up the list) <br />It did get moved up!! And we finished it by the first weeks of July working off and on between my teaching and Alan's baseball practice. <br /><br />7. Read for pleasure <br />This I definitely did! Nora Roberts and I caught up on a little quality time.<br /><br />8. Paint our bedroom (The first room to paint with no wallpaper to take down<br />9. Get our kitchen painted (There's lots of wallpaper, so I'm calling in professionals this time!) <br />Alas, 8 & 9 didn't get done, but hopefully, soon. <br /><br />10. Go to the beach with my family<br />11. Go see Travis, Julie, and Addison in Jacksonville <br />These two were done in the same trip (pics to come). We went down and spent four days with my family and then drove on to Jacksonville and spent 3 days with Travis, Julie, and cutie pie Addison. We had the best time!<br /><br />12. Go see Keith in Boston <br />Unfortunately and luckily, this one didn't happen. I'll explain the luckily in a minute.<br /><br />13. Go see Alan's summer ballteam (mostly in June)<br />14. Relax <br />These two were done, but not always together. The Green Wave did pretty good this summer. They're really coming together as a ball team.<br /><br />Now to the major happening this summer. I said I would tell you why luckily we didn't go to Boston. Well, the only week we really had for out of town travel was the week we went to the beach and Jacksonville. We had orginially thought to then leave Jacksonville and go up to Boston and then get back before Alan had to be back at work. It would have been a push, but in the end we didn't want to stretch ourselves too thin. Well, the last week of July (when we would have went), my grandmother died. My mamaw, Mary Lucille Moore, was the grandparent I was closest to. She and Dada (my grandfather) lived next door to us, and I would always go over and play in the garden or with the dogs or play dress up in her old clothes. They were part of our everyday lives. After my grandfather died in 2001 and Mamaw had fallen a time or two, she moved in with my parents. She was 92 years old and still very sharp. Back in May, she had a light stroke, which she bounced back from pretty quickly, but the after effects to her body really weakened her. She had trouble remembering for a little while, but got that back. It was her mobility that really got her down. She was in a nursing home swing bed for rehabilitation, and she hated it there. She said she didn't like being around all these old people :) That was Mamaw's humor! But the last week of July, she got pnemonia suddenly and past away that same day. Luckiy, my parents were back from the beach and we had just gotten home from Jacksonville; in fact, I was planning on going to see her that weekend. So, she certainly will be missed even though I know she up in heaven with Dada now and all her friends. They're probably having a big time like always :)<br /><br />That's all for now, but I'll be back soon with another edition. I promise.ABLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452775041688514732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4402517605041808069.post-45050429826223024162008-05-26T12:04:00.007-05:002008-11-12T20:48:16.291-06:00Welcome Back!Sorry to the few faithful that stopped by my blog only to be sorely disappointed to not find ANYTHING new. The end of the semester was wicked crazy, and I've be taking my time and enjoying the start of my summer. Of course, I'm about to go back to work since I'm teaching summer school in June. Instead of trying to rehash the last couple of months how about starting anew and looking forward to summer. Here's my summer wishlist:<br />1. Strip the border in the dining room and get it painted this week.<br />2. Go see April, Robert and Duncan in Natchez<br />3. Have a great time teaching Intro to Lit in June<br />4. Celebrate Joshua Patrick's arrival on June 4th (give or take a day)<br />5. Paint the 70s poop brown trim on the outside of our house to a nice pleasing tanish and paint our garage so it doesn't feel like your driving into a dungeon<br />6. Put up a privacy fence in our backyard! (Hopefully, this may get moved up the list)<br />7. Read for pleasure<br />8. Paint our bedroom (The first room to paint with no wallpaper to take down)<br />9. Get our kitchen painted (There's lots of wallpaper, so I'm calling in professionals this time!)<br />10. Go to the beach with my family<br />11. Go see Travis, Julie, and Addison in Jacksonville<br />12. Go see Keith in Boston<br />13. Go see Alan's summer ballteam (mostly in June)<br />14. Relax<br /><br />I admit it's an ambitous list, and I'm realistic enough to realize not everything will get done, but that's why it's called a wish list. I'm hoping we'll at least get to see everyone this summer even if all our projects don't get finished. I have completed my first summer painting project. I've liberated our foyer from the evil hold of ugly tie-dyed wallpaper! Hooray! As you can tell from the pics, it was very trippy wallpaper and even the lightswitches were wallpapered. It was a pain in the butt to remove, but this is the last area I'm removing our two-layer thick wallpaper. We started last year on our wallpaper removal crusade in our master bathroom. We figured if we screw that up only we'll see it. That's when we discovered that we were dealing with TWO layers of wallpaper. The bottom layer being 20 years old. The wallpaper itself peels off okay, but that bottom layer leaves its backing on the wall. So you have to primer over it. I also discovered if you spackle over the lines it makes the wall a lot smoother. So, here are the before, during, and after photos. Not only do I love the color, but by painting the walls, I think it completely changed the look of the tile on the floor. Orginially, the blue wallpaper really made the floor look blue, but now with the gold color, I think it really brought out the different colors of the floor. Let me know what you think!<br />BEFORE: It's bad lighting because of the sun, but hopefull, you can see to full effect.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxJiSn5oo_Hp83-kc3wcru2bws3mdueiYgqjlArnFGTS-Hg1ANYn4_-73Lh3Ic7_AYpptfUqKxFjp74S0bGTgSUaXVRKmCEa5KNk-Mu9hyphenhyphen705wm40-ZYDxgYJsbI5p8j264Z43V2Vtlxc/s1600-h/IMG_1452.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxJiSn5oo_Hp83-kc3wcru2bws3mdueiYgqjlArnFGTS-Hg1ANYn4_-73Lh3Ic7_AYpptfUqKxFjp74S0bGTgSUaXVRKmCEa5KNk-Mu9hyphenhyphen705wm40-ZYDxgYJsbI5p8j264Z43V2Vtlxc/s200/IMG_1452.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204738815236598946" /></a><br />Here's a close up of the pattern and a shot of the lightswitch cover. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUNHQaI7_9Low2AsgZtwcl8YhEphF3rxQvVHOxLV7m0c1lBfBUm8gv2iv7qtzduSldEh5NJXT0uz84KHYL0sGAV_BxBTm39jRdUnpNMjlzeMfvhNQGqXlxsVtCoPzNJxEhTFlMnjvGfv0/s1600-h/IMG_1451.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUNHQaI7_9Low2AsgZtwcl8YhEphF3rxQvVHOxLV7m0c1lBfBUm8gv2iv7qtzduSldEh5NJXT0uz84KHYL0sGAV_BxBTm39jRdUnpNMjlzeMfvhNQGqXlxsVtCoPzNJxEhTFlMnjvGfv0/s200/IMG_1451.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204739352107510962" /></a><br />DURING:Here's what it looks like with no wallpaper and just the backing and spackle on the wall. You wouldn't believe the mess when you have to sand the spackle because then the wallpaper backing gets standed also and makes a huge mess!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRV0VR-waS2LbKxNIS9A4y2X_IBemB97He_PhIGGqpu3Lvjc4M1te6PwgIvcmW5-_CRJ8bOSwXr0MHu00759FvvpxVonJKXLl2Rhv64B_npxj938a9UwGS1132yB1IPQyz-I63uEV8rVk/s1600-h/IMG_1453.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRV0VR-waS2LbKxNIS9A4y2X_IBemB97He_PhIGGqpu3Lvjc4M1te6PwgIvcmW5-_CRJ8bOSwXr0MHu00759FvvpxVonJKXLl2Rhv64B_npxj938a9UwGS1132yB1IPQyz-I63uEV8rVk/s200/IMG_1453.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204740052187180226" /></a><br />AFTER: The final color. Hopefully, you can see the difference in the floor.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibDfRPvzH05yZcdsrr_4ADwskKNl9LnUzy2QdiV15HyxKVn-nlf8mVNgEMTX8cmCmhyphenhyphenqAFloiWI4TuYwdnICGq8cMWF9qo5vE0AfsPDspF7QxLPevheoWDuTS6n-jGigMfZDYK2EnQLZQ/s1600-h/IMG_1539.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibDfRPvzH05yZcdsrr_4ADwskKNl9LnUzy2QdiV15HyxKVn-nlf8mVNgEMTX8cmCmhyphenhyphenqAFloiWI4TuYwdnICGq8cMWF9qo5vE0AfsPDspF7QxLPevheoWDuTS6n-jGigMfZDYK2EnQLZQ/s200/IMG_1539.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204740898295737554" /></a><br />I just realized on the pictures it almost looks like the wallpaper backing and my paint color are the same! I promise they are most definitely not! Here's a close up, although it might not help much.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-rL09oirhJD4ajYzwqCTiIzGoSqBX8CmqTjzBnVwsJ_ayUer7oUzP71AAwLyohtPdft2DugfvLspF2QBevRKYQAW9XOzF1tiHTveE5vAL-iQrrE0nq7Gjh7tdMeT3nxzArqSs9IoBG5g/s1600-h/IMG_1532.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-rL09oirhJD4ajYzwqCTiIzGoSqBX8CmqTjzBnVwsJ_ayUer7oUzP71AAwLyohtPdft2DugfvLspF2QBevRKYQAW9XOzF1tiHTveE5vAL-iQrrE0nq7Gjh7tdMeT3nxzArqSs9IoBG5g/s200/IMG_1532.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204742848210889954" /></a><br />I also want to give credit to Tori because I used the color from her house, Gold 4,although I think hers is actually Gold 3. I loved how her walls looked in this color, and it definitely doesn't disappoint, so thank you Tori!<br />One painting project down, Four more to go. I'll keep you updated!ABLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452775041688514732noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4402517605041808069.post-62033669092393104132008-03-05T15:15:00.002-06:002008-03-05T15:22:48.003-06:00Whew!<a href="http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q24/pengukiss/spring-break.gif"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px;" src="http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q24/pengukiss/spring-break.gif" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Can I just say how fast 3 weeks pass? It doesn't seem like that long ago that I posted the countdown ticker for Disney World and now it's just a few days away!! I love spring break! Of course, I could use a week to recover from my week off and catch up on my papers, but spring break isn't for grading papers! It's for catching up the sanity that you've lost so far during the school year. I'm hoping to find some of the sanity I've lost down in Disney World, but for right now I just want to take a breath, whew. It's finally almost here.ABLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452775041688514732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4402517605041808069.post-24548477989809601552008-02-11T14:12:00.001-06:002008-03-17T11:08:14.141-05:00Countin' Down the DaysAs the piles of papers keep coming in, I'm sitting at my desk not thinking of the test I have to make out, but of how many days are left until I get to go to DISNEY WORLD!! I'm going with my sister, nephew, niece, mom, and brother. Notice that except for my brother, all the men are staying in Mississippi. They don't know the fun they'll miss. Of course, my brother-in-law and father do because they have been before and have "politely" declined going back. Alan has to work since baseball season doesn't stop for spring break, but I think he would like it if it were just us and some friends. I'm not quite sure he's ready for the Disney trip with an 8 yr. old and a 4 yr. old :) <br /><br />Not to go off on a tanget, but I want to mention a website I'm just hooked on: <a href="http://www.woot.com">www.woot.com</a>. I bought Alan and me two MP3 players for just under $10 each! They spotlight one item a day, usually electronic, but not always, at a low price, and regardless, of the item, shipping is always $5. Fabulous! These were the first items I've bought from them, so I'll let you know how it goes!ABLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452775041688514732noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4402517605041808069.post-46959958250566196102008-01-22T22:41:00.000-06:002008-11-12T20:48:16.794-06:00Jackson's B-dayHere are some photos from my nephew Jackson's 8th birthday party! I can't believe he is already 8! I feel so old! He has come a long way from the little preemie who was in the NICU! He had a rodeo party where the kids rode a mechanical bull, chased chickens, and rode a horse. It was so much fun!! The chicken chases were hilarious, about 15 kids that have never seen a chicken in real life trying to catch them! Good times.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnEXgG2Tv9gdLrXP7sjoGPHN4-4At3StEDD6SspQqnw86FEV7_w3-w5IFq5f4WZyjqyQJ0ZbuUcJ7y3wifZHeT0gHFS_x1HiHSscJizmjgwL_ETv-CK618ocOokMMMgouEoTNPu1IPVhA/s1600-h/IMG_1052.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnEXgG2Tv9gdLrXP7sjoGPHN4-4At3StEDD6SspQqnw86FEV7_w3-w5IFq5f4WZyjqyQJ0ZbuUcJ7y3wifZHeT0gHFS_x1HiHSscJizmjgwL_ETv-CK618ocOokMMMgouEoTNPu1IPVhA/s200/IMG_1052.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158529475309478354" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYeJcttXm3aiekuup2ViuVCoRi8IZOeprXVi8UAr2mWQmM5YHX3Kd0xgnIKZ_4_W0jSZuAjEc_5PteGYNWtZV5ZIgQ1Hpl5lQ4-imZyZE15zT5zev1a_VPzMC6-JQhUgVWdr2jzEFVqqk/s1600-h/IMG_1073.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYeJcttXm3aiekuup2ViuVCoRi8IZOeprXVi8UAr2mWQmM5YHX3Kd0xgnIKZ_4_W0jSZuAjEc_5PteGYNWtZV5ZIgQ1Hpl5lQ4-imZyZE15zT5zev1a_VPzMC6-JQhUgVWdr2jzEFVqqk/s200/IMG_1073.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158529483899412962" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLwCGL4r8Ddc_QwuYCP-Git1yyETGCcIMkTdT0xJT9EQvxB87c7q2LXmhlLGsU-h8bRpywq0iHiPuu7U6Q6zVfvB6aA3um6DdbLFUiVQNebqPqRB8au0NJ6vTzlSs6vBHZhbYaI79PR90/s1600-h/IMG_1076.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLwCGL4r8Ddc_QwuYCP-Git1yyETGCcIMkTdT0xJT9EQvxB87c7q2LXmhlLGsU-h8bRpywq0iHiPuu7U6Q6zVfvB6aA3um6DdbLFUiVQNebqPqRB8au0NJ6vTzlSs6vBHZhbYaI79PR90/s200/IMG_1076.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158529488194380274" /></a>ABLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452775041688514732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4402517605041808069.post-12073298034048478452008-01-22T22:35:00.000-06:002008-01-22T22:41:07.713-06:00Snow Days?I can't believe the freaky weather we have been having lately. By the end of school on Friday, everyone was gearing up for snow. Saturday morning, we were awoken by a phone call from JD, who was in Vicksburg, asking if we were getting any snow. To add to my disappointment of being awoken early, I looked outside to see that we didn't have a drop of snow!! This is Columbus, which is north of Vicksburg, how the heck did we not get snow?! And to rub in the irony even more, my parents, and everyone in Collinsville, got about 2-3 inches of snow, not a light little dusting. The last time I saw snow was in 2000; Starkville got more than Collinsville, but I was down home then. Ever since I've become a "northern" Mississippian I have yet to reap the benefits of the "northern" weather. Not only was it freezing cold this weekend, but we had no snow to play in :( At least it was a long weekend! :)ABLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452775041688514732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4402517605041808069.post-35926693184271300802008-01-10T16:28:00.000-06:002008-01-10T16:36:23.391-06:00Tornado experiences<a href="http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc53/lalalaandxo/tornado.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px;" src="http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc53/lalalaandxo/tornado.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />If you live in Mississippi, you've been under a tornado watch today. If you're in the Golden Triangle area, you know that not only were we under a watch, but that watch turned into a warning. There was some damage to the Caledonia schools, but as far as I know, no one was hurt. Thank God, but not to play down the seriousness of the situation, but guess where Ashley got stuck during the tornado warning? WALMART!! My friend Shelly and I were going to make a quick run after we were at Belk's, and right before we got our last item, it was announced for all customers and employees to move to the middle of the store. We were there for at least 45 minutes in the middle of the lingerie section, listening to some very annoying employees for 45 minutes. Now, Walmart's not my most favorite place on most days anyway, a necessary evil, but it is certainly the last place I want to be put on lock down in!! If there is a next time, I'm going to the camping section for a chair, then run by the magazines, then I'm going to get me some chips and dip, and have a little party in the lingerie section, and maybe go get a UNO deck too! Don't get me wrong I'm glad they were safety minded, but 45 minutes!! This definitely goes down as a new experience for the new year!ABLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452775041688514732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4402517605041808069.post-73098584670004775592008-01-06T22:44:00.000-06:002008-01-06T23:29:25.326-06:00Belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!As you can tell from the time that has passed from my last blog, once I finished my papers and turned in my grades I was MIA for the rest of the break. We had a great Christmas with Alan's mom and then down in Collinsville with my family. We played WAY TOO MUCH Guitar Hero on Christmas day at my folks. I now think of guitar solos that I hear in songs as colors and not notes (if you've ever played Guitar Hero you understand, if you don't, let me know and I'll explain). The weekend after Christmas we went to the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, which if you haven't heard the news by now, where have you been? GO DAWGS!! We had a blast; it was the best experience, and I froze my butt off and almost got into a fight with a smoker that sat in front of us at the game. Good times :) I'll post some pictures when I get them downloaded, but right now, I'm sure all good educators know what I'm getting ready for,yep, the return to school. I'm getting my classes in order and fixing up a new batch of syllabi for next semester. And since it's the new year, I catch myself trying to remember all that happened the previous year, and I find I can't quite remember it all. Don't you hate when that happens? So here is a questionnaire that I found on another <a href="http://www.access-anisa.blogspot.com/">website</a> I love to look at. Some of the questions I changed to work more for me.<br /><br />1. What did you do in 2007 that you’d never done before? Painted pottery, was a matron of honor (Amanda's wedding), painted a room by myself, went to Nashville and the Grand Ole Opry, bought a car, and went to a bowl game.<br />2. Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions and will you make more for next year? I didn't really make any last year, but this year I'm going to work on not procrastinating and sticking to working out :)<br />3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Oh yeah! JD and Rachel had John Micheal, Travis and Julie had Addison, Tori and Bo had Brayden, my cousin Tori had Cade, Haley and Patrick had Grayson, and Morgan and Matt had Ella. <br /><br />4. Did anyone close to you die? Not closely related, but a very nice man, Mr. Cecil Fitch, that helped us cut hay passed away this year.<br /><br />5. What countries did you visit? None<br /><br />6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007? a vacation during the summer and more time<br /><br />7. What date from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? Right now it's Dec. 29th because of the Liberty Bowl, but there is also Amanda's wedding and John Austin's birth<br /><br />8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? I got a permanent position at MSU as an instructor. <br /><br />9. What was your biggest failure? Allowing myself to get so stressed out about work and other people<br /><br />10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Nothing more than a sinus infection or 2.<br /><br />11. What was the best thing you bought? My car!<br /><br />12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Alan! He got back into teaching and coaching.<br /><br />13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? The President and some of the world's leaders.<br /><br />14. Where did most of your money go? Mortgage!<br /><br />15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Going to see John Mayer, going to Nashville and the Grand Ole Opry, and going to Memphis <br /><br />16. What song will always remind you of 2007? "Go Rest High on That Mountain" I know it's an older song by Vince Gill, but he sang that when we were at the Grand Ole Opry, so I'll always remember that trip when I hear it.<br /><br />17. Compared to this time last year, are you: Happier or sadder? Thinner or fatter? Richer or poorer? About the same in all categories, except a little richer.<br /><br />18. What do you wish you’d done more of? home improvements and just chilling with friends<br /><br />19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Getting stressed<br /><br />20. How will you be spending Christmas? We spent Christmas with our families <br /><br />21. Did you fall in love in 2007? Oh yeah! with my husband<br /><br />23. How many one-night stands? Zero<br /><br />24. What was your favorite TV show? CSIs, Starter Wife <br /><br />25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? I try not to hate, but I really dislike that smoker guy at the football game :) <br /><br />26. What was the best book you read? Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling and Angels and Demons by Dan Brown<br />27. What was your greatest musical discovery? John Mayer and Josh Turner<br /><br />28. What did you want and get? Job security for the both of us!!<br /><br />29. What did you want and not get? A million dollars<br /><br />30. What was your favorite film of this year? Transformers, Bourne Ultimatium, Order of the Phoenix and The Queen.<br />31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I was 27, and Alan had a surprise birthday party for me with some of my friends in Columbus and my friends from back home<br />32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Tivo<br /><br />33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007? Tried to develop a better work wardrobe and better shoes! <br /><br />34. What kept you sane? God, Alan, and my friends and family<br /><br />35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Harry Potter<br /><br />36. What political issue stirred you the most? War and the upcoming elections<br /><br />38. Who was the best new person you met? A couple of people through church and work<br /><br />39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007. <br />Enjoy the quiet moments in life. You don't always have to be doing something to have good time. Sometimes the best moments are when there is nothing to do. So, enjoy those times that you have and enjoy every day. <br /><br />40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.<br /> "Good friend and a glass of wine, Someone to say it's going<br /> to be alright...Evey now and then Every girl needs a good <br /> friend and a glass of wine" - Leann RimesABLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452775041688514732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4402517605041808069.post-89705653662747676282007-12-13T12:15:00.000-06:002007-12-13T12:22:20.115-06:00Hallelujah!<a href="http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z80/roseytheriveter/128343688002656250hallelujahpra.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px;" src="http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z80/roseytheriveter/128343688002656250hallelujahpra.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />As of 10 minutes ago, my Christmas break offically started!! WHOOHOO!! I just finished recording and posting my last final grade for my last class. I got up early this morning, so I could go ahead and have them done, and for those of you who know how much I like my sleep, and for those who don't, I like my sleep A LOT, you know that was a great challenge. So my finals are all graded, and the grades are turned in. Now, I just sit back enjoy and wait for the emails to arrive.ABLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452775041688514732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4402517605041808069.post-32045158714628572812007-12-12T18:22:00.000-06:002008-11-12T20:48:17.203-06:00Anniversary, My Not-So-Naked Tree, and Car!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheSpExY_LtRek4MFHnOJ0t2bPIjJoA1TLVKdjtJT474hOb3ocJAh52_A22_XTiQfzE-nyM86aZzFhVtjNvgc8vzqZrUlUckgJp0BLYSbXBqr_0tZv4ecgalSiFUT0m9P2T4kym7fjAc7Q/s1600-h/DSC_0290b.bmp"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheSpExY_LtRek4MFHnOJ0t2bPIjJoA1TLVKdjtJT474hOb3ocJAh52_A22_XTiQfzE-nyM86aZzFhVtjNvgc8vzqZrUlUckgJp0BLYSbXBqr_0tZv4ecgalSiFUT0m9P2T4kym7fjAc7Q/s200/DSC_0290b.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143249356400520370" /></a><br />Monday was our two year anniversary!! Whoohoo! I can't believe it's only been two years; it seems like much longer, in a good way. I still love thinking back to our wedding; I had the BEST time! It was so much fun, if I may say so myself, and of course, look what I got out of it :)Happy Anniversary Sweetie!! For our anniversary, we went out to eat, then we went riding around looking at all the Christmas lights in the "fancy" neighborhoods while listening to Christmas music on my new (working) radio! Then, we came home and clothed our naked Christmas tree! Yea! It was a very fitting thing to do on our anniversary because a lot of our ornaments we actually bought on our honeymoon in Pigeon Forge and Asheville, so it was revisting that whole time again! That's kinda been our thing, whenever we go some where we try to find a Christmas ornament from there to remember it. Here are some pictures of our now clothed Christmas tree and my newish car!! <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_wYYhCI9hFAM6mQvsF0Hu04sqORA4myuBDQRzl9UScCPkarZ7r91lgdtE8w2ITKvs3wGf1XG4ctlRAC9GYqd5RfJrQ81cfhuBNlke4BUqkQ3xUDf0SLhEPsN_IHiJNKET99uqfzxojlQ/s1600-h/IMG_0970.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_wYYhCI9hFAM6mQvsF0Hu04sqORA4myuBDQRzl9UScCPkarZ7r91lgdtE8w2ITKvs3wGf1XG4ctlRAC9GYqd5RfJrQ81cfhuBNlke4BUqkQ3xUDf0SLhEPsN_IHiJNKET99uqfzxojlQ/s200/IMG_0970.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143249790192217282" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx55eYxnllr9EdKi8vOKyIiXniUlW7BXcZqosW-_MRHd-iUy3PSVI9MrAU3-kn75TwqpM5R2uUcVWqotKQsrgfTLf4Naw66kErKIhqfOVnHU5W8oNs1DwnIxRHw7NIO_h9wzMwDvAvru8/s1600-h/IMG_0973.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx55eYxnllr9EdKi8vOKyIiXniUlW7BXcZqosW-_MRHd-iUy3PSVI9MrAU3-kn75TwqpM5R2uUcVWqotKQsrgfTLf4Naw66kErKIhqfOVnHU5W8oNs1DwnIxRHw7NIO_h9wzMwDvAvru8/s200/IMG_0973.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143250189624175826" /></a>ABLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452775041688514732noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4402517605041808069.post-10140938910038125242007-12-05T10:22:00.000-06:002007-12-05T10:43:01.642-06:00Finals Have Arrived and My Christmas Tree is Naked!It's finally that time of the year, and no, for us teachers that doesn't mean Christmas, it means FINALS!! Whether it's 9weeks test or college finals, it's the signal that the year is coming to a close and you get more work right before Christmas break, which I know I can't complain because I do get a break, and I LOVE that break!! For me, finals always bring about a hectic 2 weeks of playing catch up with grading and catch up with students. I haven't even gotten my Christmas tree fully decorated yet!! Isn't that sad? It's up with lights on it, but looking so sad with no ornaments! Alan asked last night if we were going to even put ornaments on this year. I hadn't realized it had been up naked THAT long. Anyhoo,this time of year is always the time when students suddenly become worried about their grades. Now, and not 2 months ago when I asked to meet with them or suggested that they get some outside help or when they failed to turn in that paper/homework/presentation. They all want to make up in one week what they didn't do for 4 months!! It only gets better once the finals are over, and I've posted their grades. I will then receive multiple emails that will cover the following topics: <br />1. Why/How did I receive this grade? I want to tell them it was all those homework assignments you didn't turn it or remember that paper you never did? <br />2. What can I do to bring up my grade/Is there any extra points I can make up? My response: If the final grade is in the computer, it's too late! Where was this concern 3 months ago? <br />3. The third type of email is always the most distressing for me because it always includes a family member's death or someone's college career hanging in the balance because of this class grade. There will always be varying accounts of sob stories also. I feel for them, I really do, but I didn't give you these grades in one day right before the end of class. You have earned them over 4 months! If you thought it was going bad, why didn't you do anything about it!!<br />And that's how my semesters usually end. Same types of questions, just different quantities. Hopefully, this semester will be different. Thanks for letting me vent! <br /><br />Oh! another thing that helps make this more bearable: I'm getting a new car!! It's actually used, but it's new to me!! I've had my Galant for about 8 years now, which hasn't been too bad, but it's getting on up there in mileage (130,000) and the biggest concern- the radio doesn't work! It drives me nuts! But I, or technically my dad, have found a GMC Envoy, a maroon envoy. It means it was meant to be. You know the best part? The radio works!! It not only works, but has XM radio and a disc changer!! Love it!! I don't get it until Saturday, but it's help make finals more bearable :)ABLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452775041688514732noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4402517605041808069.post-92216870524760599272007-11-27T22:47:00.000-06:002008-11-12T20:48:17.524-06:00My Thanksgiving was Egg-cellent!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEt-LxxVDarH-Vf4n_c6f0jQ_SqGYu4WvT79-v8nCmG8-53rg5z83bzhua26VC_R1cU4JsOzqIIfaYvN72f1g0vWSAs2H8lXETDMPrJGTznN8A1DVWJZg9bQCphKf8_rHN7qGqRr-KjWk/s1600-h/IMG_0952.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEt-LxxVDarH-Vf4n_c6f0jQ_SqGYu4WvT79-v8nCmG8-53rg5z83bzhua26VC_R1cU4JsOzqIIfaYvN72f1g0vWSAs2H8lXETDMPrJGTznN8A1DVWJZg9bQCphKf8_rHN7qGqRr-KjWk/s200/IMG_0952.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5137753185722530594" /></a><br />WARNING: Long post ahead. Sorry for the cheesiness of the title, but I can't help it. I also can't believe we won the Egg Bowl, but more on that in a minute. A quick rundown of the Thanksgiving break: Monday- went to work and picked up papers in all four of my classes (what was I thinking?) to grade over the break. <br />Tuesday- chilled at home grading papers. I was proud of myself since I got a whole class grade :) <br />Wednesday- beginning of Thanksgiving festivities. We went to Thanksgiving over at Alan's cousin's house in Millport,AL. Usually, this is held at his Uncle Richard's, but he has been in poor health since his stroke last year, so please keep him and his family in your thoughts. After Thanksgiving lunch, we came back home and chilled (I graded another set of papers) I also made supper, Mexican, what everyone should have to get over the overstuffed feeling from too much turkey. Pregnant April and Robert came by the house later that night! Yea!! I haven't seen them since last March, but the four of us haven't gotten together for a relaxin' night probably since our wedding. It was so good to see them and see how cute and pregnant April has gotten :)<br />Thursday- woke up a 4:00 AM, yes, that is AM. For all who know me, you know I don't do the AM. It is with heavy heart that I wake up at 5:50 am to go to work, but I was a nice wife this Thanksgiving (which should be remembered for Christmas hint,hint) and dropped my husband off at my dad's deer camp in Scooba, MS. Then, I drove on to Mom's and went back to bed for another 5 hrs. We had the Belvin family Christmas later that night, which was yummy as usually. <br />Friday- Left Collinsville early, and we drove up to Starkville for the battle for the golden egg! It was a beautiful day for football. Nice and cold, but not sleeting. The game itself was uneventful (I wanted to go to sleep by the 3rd quarter) until there was about 8 minutes left in the 4th, which was unfortunate for all those fans who left with 10 minutes left to go in the 4th. That's when our guys finally woke up and played like they have been all season! I woke up the next morning and my biceps were so sore from ringing Alan's cowbell the entire time! It was beautiful.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdVsdOfVcGGn7ii4Lg9CGPRcMrNcUjDroDgyOXQtIEFEoIFVX9lMkW-svF2C4btmaE-Wb_xCzckRX5Z1GzqG235wGlqG_xboOf4rTWIj2VDviAUwCyin6DFZBUhz5MuK8VFvo97JSDV3Y/s1600-h/IMG_0960.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdVsdOfVcGGn7ii4Lg9CGPRcMrNcUjDroDgyOXQtIEFEoIFVX9lMkW-svF2C4btmaE-Wb_xCzckRX5Z1GzqG235wGlqG_xboOf4rTWIj2VDviAUwCyin6DFZBUhz5MuK8VFvo97JSDV3Y/s200/IMG_0960.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5137753529319914290" /></a><br />Saturday- Graded papers (big surprise) and went to go see Beowulf with Debbie and Tommy. I did my student teaching under Debbie at New Hope. As an English major, I thought Beowulf was interesting, more like what really happens versus the story that gets glorified and passed down orally through the ages. Having the whole movie in CGI is very interesting also. It looks so realistic in parts that you'd swear it was a real shot instead of CGI.<br />Sunday- John Austin was christened in Starkville, so we went over for that and came back to, yes, you guessed it, grading papers and hoping to avoid going back to work! <br />Sorry for the long post, but it's always easier just listing everything out. As you can tell by the amount of grading that took place during the week, I'm ready for this semster to be through. I haven't even put up my Christmas tree yet! Maybe Thrusday. Hope eveyone had a great Thanksgiving!ABLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452775041688514732noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4402517605041808069.post-74272600712454461502007-11-19T09:09:00.000-06:002008-11-12T20:48:17.807-06:00It's Raining Babies!!Guess who's pregnant (and IT'S NOT ME!)? This is how many of my conversations with people have started in the past few weeks. Suddenly, everyone around is having a baby or has had a baby. Something must be in the water, and no, I'm not drinking from it yet. Now, don't misunderstand me; I love children, and I'm SO happy that many of my friends have them or are now pregnant, but that train has not stopped by the Leonard household yet, thank goodness. One day, but not today, God willing. But two of my bestest friends are pregnant: Amanda Williamson Posey and April Frazier Wallis!! Amanda is a little over 2 months along, too early to tell if it's a boy or a girl! I found out early on that I'm going to be an aunt! I found out last week that April is four months pregnant and having a boy!! I'm so happy for April and Robert because she was pregnant before, but had a miscarriage. So please my few but faithful readers, keep my friends in your prayers. <br /><br />Also on the pregnant list is Alan's friends, The Clarks, who already have a 3 yr. old boy, and my cousin Robert and Ruby, who have a 3 yr. old girl and who swore that was going to be the last, famous last words :) Friends that have had babies recently: JD and Rachel with John Austin; <a href="http://boandtoried.blogspot.com/">Tori and Bo with Brayden</a>; <a href="http://www.patrickandhaley.blogspot.com/">Haley and Patrick with Grayson</a> (that goodness he's doing well); <a href="http://www.mattandmo.blogspot.com/">Morgan and Tart are joining soon with Ella</a>; my cousin Tori and Dusty with Cade; and my officemate from grad school Sarah is due in January with Austen. I'm swimming in cute babies everywhere and couldn't be happier! So if anyone has any cute or helpful ideas for baby presents, please let me know!<br /><br />Also, I didn't get to blog last week, but my niece Meredith turned 4 last Sunday!! I can't believe how big she has gotten. It seems like just last week, she was 2. She truly is a miracle. For those of you who might not know, my niece was born a little over a month early. Of course, she went into NICU, but her artery running from her heart to her lungs was not completely formed or closed yet, so she was flown to Ochsner's Hospital in New Orleans, where she was in NICU for a couple of weeks. To see her now, you would never know that little Miss Diva was a preemie. The Lord definitely answered our prayers for her and Jackson (her brother, who was also a preemie). <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmNmaS83HKwTbQzNoYAT50efhRlZciIMsaEOeuU59Dkibc-3BxXfHmiZSP7kZWG-mlaZ_bf_MjMFD-8DlIRAENIVUH6v1FXGaVH8V4XcUx3GkGZ363XVgeZlZzeUSV1GAfIjYv4pSl6u8/s1600-h/IMG_0540.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmNmaS83HKwTbQzNoYAT50efhRlZciIMsaEOeuU59Dkibc-3BxXfHmiZSP7kZWG-mlaZ_bf_MjMFD-8DlIRAENIVUH6v1FXGaVH8V4XcUx3GkGZ363XVgeZlZzeUSV1GAfIjYv4pSl6u8/s200/IMG_0540.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134699734558014226" /></a>ABLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06452775041688514732noreply@blogger.com1