I love this boy

{There are lots of new posts today. Scroll down and click "older posts" if you want to see all of them.}

These were made one Sunday morning before church.

 

 

 

 

Our Rose Bush

God has blessed us with such a beautiful yard. I love the rose bush we inherited with the purchase of our home. I like to imagine when the bush was planted and with whose loving hands it was tended before it became mine. I wonder how old it is. Was it planted in 1967 when the house was built? It is really in full bloom right now, and I couldn't be happier.

Happy Birthday Ella Clare!!!

 

Oh my goodness... My Ella Clare is FIVE!!! These pictures are from her birthday party at Dandy Doodles in Starkville. What fun!

My Reese

We were SO HAPPY Jonathan and Teresa got to spend one night with us while they were home for Spring Break! Teresa, I miss you every day.

Bike Tricks

JC showing off some fancy "Power Ranger moves" on his tricycle. March 2008

Aunt Lori and EC

Just Ella Clare and I being goofy with the camera!

Easter Family Photo

Aunt Bev and Chas hosted the whole family for Easter lunch, dyeing eggs and an Easter egg hunt. After the egg hunt I convinced everyone to pose for a family picture.

These pictures makes me laugh... I wanted to badly to get a good shot of everyone, yet you can tell it didn't really happen... Ha Ha!

It was a funny scene really. They kids were all way past nap time, so they didn't want to cooperate. Many of the adults were disinterested and ready to go inside(mainly the men), and I was fussy because I was trying to get the perfect picture. You may be wondering why I am in such an awkward pose in the second photo. I had just ran to catch JC and jumped back into the picture right before the camera's self-timer went off. Gotta love it!!!

This is all of us, minus Lee, who was probably at the beach somewhere. :) He would have gotten a kick out of this whole scene too, I bet!

Easter Sunday

I took about eight pictures of the kids in that same spot trying to get one with all of them looking at the camera. Ella Clare was perfectly posed and smiling in all of them. These were the best ones of our crazy boys... Gotta love them!

Mamaw

We spent the night before Easter with Rosey and Chuck. JC had a great time doing Easter eggs with Mawmaw. I snapped this picture right before JC went to bed.

Good Firday at Grammy and Papaw's

What a fun-filled day - Marshmallow roast, Easter eggs, baseball and 4-wheelin! All in a day at Grammy and Papaw's house!!!

Eggs

Ella, JC and Cullen dying eggs on Good Friday.

That's What She Said!

I have some fellow "Office" lovers reading this blog, so I had to share. I found this on youtube and LOVED it!!! You will too!!!

Idol's "Music of the Night" and OMG - Jim has a ring for Pam!!!!!

I've said it once and I will say it again... I love show tunes! Maybe it is from my days of show choir and sextet numbers at EHS, or maybe it stems from the live performance of CATS I was able to see at the Orpheum several years ago... Whatever, I love them... and I LOVED Idol last night! Well, for the most part.

First of all, let say how much I missed KLC last night... not. No, in all seriousness, KLC had gotten a lot better - notice I hadn't hate-blogged about her in a while? Her last two performances were really good. I just think the earlier part of the season (when she sucked) finally caught up with her.

OK, last night... I thought Syesha was really good. The sexy, red dress, the sleek hair, the dancing around... it all made for a great Broadway-styled number. Obviously she will not win Idol, and may not even get a record deal, but I could definitely see her performing on Broadway!

Jason Castro... I cracked up when Andrew Lloyd Webber was talking with him, especially when he said he never imagined a man with dreadlocks singing this song. Priceless! You could tell Jason was totally out of his element. I wish he hadn't admitted he didn't know "Memory" was from CATS. I am not surprised (at all), but he didn't have to tell the world. Performance was weak, weak, weak, but I am not mad at him. He is still a beautiful boy. I think he will probably make it through because of the number of votes he got from Curtis last night... He is still his favorite... One last though, I think it is so funny how every man on the show (even Randy now) has a man-crush on him.

Brooke... I have gotten tired of Brooke. I LOVE the song, "You must love me," but no one will ever sing it as well as Madonna in my book. It bugged me that ALW had to tell her how sad of a song it was so she wouldn't just stand there and smile all night. When she stopped her song and started over I told Curtis they would never give her a second do-over this season... Paula called her on it, and I was glad.

Little David... I am about tired of him too... Glad ALW told him to stop closing his eyes, but he should have also mentioned the lip-licking and heavy nose-breathing. Also, "Think of Me" is SUCH a beautiful song as it was arranged by ALW... Why mess with perfection? I didn't like his arrangement. Obviously, he is totally safe though.

Carly... Loved her look last night!!!! I love it anytime he wears a shirt that covers her huge arm tattoo friend. It distracts me. I liked her performance too... Although, that is not one my favorite tunes, I though she did great!!!

David Cook... I had to blink back the tears. I love this guy!!! He has shown us another side of his awesomeness. Curtis didn't like the note he added on the end, but I thought this was his one way of putting the DC twist on a beautiful song. I think it was VERY WISE of him not to mess with ALW's arrangement. It was sheer perfection. I don't think there is any beating this boy now.

Who is going home? Brooke - sorry...

Best of the night? Duh... I love you David Cook!

And... "How have we not already talked about this?" Jim has a ring for Pam... And he has had it since a week after they started dating!!! Wow. The last few episodes of "The Office" this season will not disappoint.

Thinking of Having Kids?

Do this 11 step program first! {I found this on another blog.... too funny (and true) not to share. I wouldn't change a thing!}

Lesson 1
1. Go to the grocery store.
2. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office.
3. Go home.
4. Pick up the paper.
5. Read it for the last time.

Lesson 2
Before you have children, find a couple who already are parents and berate them about their...
1. Methods of discipline.
2. Lack of patience.
3. Appallingly low tolerance levels.
4. Allowing their children to run wild.
5. Suggest ways in which they might improve their child's breastfeeding, sleep habits, toilet training, table manners, and overall behavior. Enjoy it because it will be the last time in your life you will have all the answers.

Lesson 3
A really good way to discover how the nights might feel...
1. Get home from work and immediately begin walking around the living room from 5PM to 10PM carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 8-12 pounds, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly. (Eat cold food with one hand for dinner)
2. At 10PM, put the bag gently down, set the alarm for midnight, and go to sleep.
3. Get up at 12 and walk around the living room again, with the bag, until 1AM.
4. Set the alarm for 3AM.
5. As you can't get back to sleep, get up at 2AM and make a drink and watch an infomercial.
6. Go to bed at 2:45AM.
7. Get up at 3AM when the alarm goes off.
8. Sing songs quietly in the dark until 4AM.
9. Get up. Make breakfast. Get ready for work and go to work (work hard and be productive)Repeat steps 1-9 each night. Keep this up for 3-5 years. Look cheerful and together.

Lesson 4
Can you stand the mess children make? To find out...
1. Smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains.
2. Hide a piece of raw chicken behind the stereo and leave it there all summer.
3. Stick your fingers in the flower bed.
4. Then rub them on the clean walls.
5. Take your favorite book, photo album, etc. Wreck it.
6. Spill milk on your new pillows. Cover the stains with crayons. How does that look?

Lesson 5
Dressing small children is not as easy as it seems.
1. Buy an octopus and a small bag made out of loose mesh.
2. Attempt to put the octopus into the bag so that none of the arms hang out.Time allowed for this - all morning.

Lesson 6
Forget the BMW and buy a mini-van. And don't think that you can leave it out in the driveway spotless and shining. Family cars don't look like that.
1. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment.Leave it there.
2. Get a dime. Stick it in the CD player.
3. Take a family size package of chocolate cookies. Mash them into the back seat. Sprinkle cheerios all over the floor, then smash them with your foot.
4. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car.

Lesson 7
Go to the local grocery store. Take with you the closest thing you can find to a pre-school child. (A full-grown goat is an excellent choice). If you intend to have more than one child, then definitely take more than one goat. Buy your week's groceries without letting the goats out of your sight. Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys. Until you can easily accomplish this, do not even contemplate having children.

Lesson 8
1. Hollow out a melon.
2. Make a small hole in the side.
3. Suspend it from the ceiling and swing it from side to side.
4. Now get a bowl of soggy Cheerios and attempt to spoon them into the swaying melon by pretending to be an airplane.
5. Continue until half the Cheerios are gone.
6. Tip half into your lap. The other half, just throw up in the air.You are now ready to feed a nine- month-old baby.

Lesson 9
Learn the names of every character from Sesame Street , Barney, Disney, the Teletubbies, and Pokemon. Watch nothing else on TV but PBS, the Disney channel or Noggin for at least five years. (I know, you're thinking What's 'Noggin'?) Exactly the point.

Lesson 10
Make a recording of Fran Drescher saying 'mommy' repeatedly. (Important: no more than a four second delay between each 'mommy'; occasional crescendo to the level of a supersonic jet is required). Play this tape in your car everywhere you go for the next four years. You are now ready to take a long trip with a toddler.

Lesson 11
Start talking to an adult of your choice. Have someone else continually tug on your skirt hem, shirt- sleeve, or elbow while playing the 'mommy' tape made from Lesson 10 above. You are now ready to have a conversation with an adult while there is a child in the room.

Why I love "The Office"

A short list of why I love "The office"

Jim and Pam’s pranks

Michael’s cell phone ring tones. For example: Mambo #5, My hump

Michaels man-crush on Ryan

Kevin’s bands – Scrantonicity and Scrantonicity II

Jim’s expressions

"That’s what she said!" (especially when Jan used it...)

Dunder Mifflin jingles composed by Darryl, Kelly, Kevin, Andy and Creed – LOVED THESE!!!

“Islands in the Stream” performed by Michael and Jim at Jim’s BBQ.

Roy’s mug shot

Mose Shrute

Jim and Pam – JAM

Andy Bernard of the group “Here Comes Treble,” has the best falsetto of anyone I’ve ever heard!
Pam’s Beach Speech

Michael’s disdain for Toby. What is that all about anyway?

Michaels admiration of Darryl – he wants to be just like him… it is zoppity!

The Dundies

Packer

“Ryan started the fire,” sung by Dwight Shrute

At the end of the day, Michael Scott really is a good businessman.

The bet on how long Kelly could ramble about Netflix and Ryan kissing her on the forehead after he won the bet.

Michael accidentally cross dressed

“The Injury” - the entire episode… the one where Michael George Forman grills his foot and Dwight gets a concussion trying to go save them. Michael, Jim and Dwight in a vehicle together always proves to be comedic genius.

Jan and Michael David Wallace – love him!

Dwight and Angela – Dwangela Stanley’s love for Pretzel Day

Creed – enough said…
Jim in Madge’s warehouse shirt and a moustache

Michaels love for Wikipedia

Michael’s Dunder Mifflin ad – it was really good!

There are SO MANY MORE... this is just my short list!

"The Office" returns Thursday night at 8PM! Can't wait!

How time flies...

I had the pleasure of holding a newborn this weekend - my friend Lynn's new baby girl, Sophie. She is beautiful! Since then, I have been reflecting on how much my baby has grown over the past three years. It seems like yesterday I had a newborn of my own... I thought I would share some pictures from the past three years so you can see how he has grown.

just a couple of months old

about 11 months

15 months

age two

age two

almost three

age three

Oh, Dolly!

Here is my Idol wrap-up from last night!

First off, I love me some Dolly!!! She is adorable! I think Idol made a great choice in picking her to be the first mentor. I thought her comments about each of the performers were so nice and thoughtful. She just seems like the nicest person ever.

I thought it was a great night for almost ALL of the remaining idols.

Brooke was a natural with the guitar singing "Jolene." I agree with my friend Laura, who says she smiled too much for that song, but I thought it sounded nice.

David Cook was AWESOME - as always! I cannot get enough of this guy! I will definitely buy his album when it comes out. You can hear some of his original music on his website. Also, have any of you noticed his orange bracelet he has been wearing the last couple of weeks? This video gives the story behind the bracelet; very heartwarming! So, not only is David a great singer, but he also seems to be a really nice person! From my previous post you may have seen that reports say David is suffering from high BP due to stress. Apparently his brother has cancer and has recently taken a turn for the worse. It must be really hard to be away from his family at such a hard time, but it just shows his dedication to his craft. Good luck to David and his family!

Ramiele is so cute and spunky, but I just don't think she is that good of a singer... "sorry," in flippant Simon tone.

Jason Castro is JC's favorite because he sang "the song from Shrek." I like him too and thought last night was one of his best performances in a while.

Carly was great! I LOVE that Dolly song, and I liked her slower, more emotional version of it. Simon's comment about her clothes was just mean-spirited... I think the finale will be Carly and David Cook.

David A. is back! I worried about him for a few weeks there, but I liked last night's performance a lot!

I thought Syesha's mix of Dolly and Whitney's "versions of "I will always love you" was pretty good! Overall the judges didn't really agree... I think she thought it was AWESOME, so her let-down at the judges comments was hard to watch.

Michael Johns is so cool. I liked his bluesy little number! He can do lots of different styles well. Dolly really liked him!!!

Ha- Ha- Ha! i just realized I skipped completely over KLC. Folks, even though you know how I feel about her, this was not intentional at all. I guess it just goes to show that Simon is right when he says certain performances are forgettable... Why is it when we saw Brooke barefoot I thought it was endearing, but KLC's bare feet made me squeamish... She just gets on my nerves... Not her worst performance, but not that great either. I love "Coat of many colors," and she did not do it justice... sorry.

Predicting the bottom three: KLC, Ramiele and Syesha

Who should go home: KLC, obviously - although I won't get my hopes up this time...

Awkward moments of the evening:

• Ryan's / FOX's April Fools prank
• Brooke complimenting Paula on her hair - I am sure this was sincere on Brooke's part, but it came across as sucking up...
• Simon dissing Carly's wardrobe
• Carly's face after Simon dissed her wardrobe
• KLC saying she was would rather make Dolly proud than her mom
• Ryan commenting KLC on her French pedicure... Really Ryan!?
• KLC sarcastically saying "Love you Simon" and blowing a kiss his way
• Syesha's face when she realized the judges were not impressed by the note she held out for 20 minutes...

All in all a good night on Idol. I am looking forward to the results tonight. I won't hold my breath for KLC to go home... sadly, it may be cute, little Ramiele this week.

David Cook... Oh no!

Apparently, David Cook was taken to the ER for high BP and heart palpatations after Idol last night. Read the story here. Poor guy...

My Idol wrap up - later today.

Return of "The Office"

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Yes readers... the best show ever - "The Office" will be returning with all new episodes on April 10! I, for one, cannot wait!!!!

In honor of my love for / obsession with "The Office," you can expect some other "Office"-inspired posts between now and then...