Sunday, October 23, 2011

THE LAST THING I NEED TO BE DOING

It is very late on Saturday night and the last thing I need to be doing  is blogging.  My “to do” list is two legal pages long.  I have about 20 tree emails to answer…a full plate

I just made me a cup of Island Coconut coffee and decided I had been thinking about a post all day, so the to do list could wait.

We have finished two houses that took a LONG time and we have another huge house tomorrow AND my legs are screaming.  (as in drugs screaming and rubbed down with bio-freeze)

Even after doing trees for almost twenty years I still forget how the first week is getting your legs back under you.  That probably only makes sense to a tree decorator.
I have a giant bruise on my hand from bending my little finger back last night…I feel bunged up after 2 days.
 
But that’s not the post….
Not even sure why this is on my mind except that  the day before I started trees I did something I still can’t believe I did.

We drove a couple of hours to see one of my dearest friends.  Oh, how I wish there had been more hours to stay. 
Jack and  Jack aka Woody went with me…For the most part Woody was a wild man but I am so head over heels in love with him that his antics hardly move my needle.   Plus I am his Grammy. 

He had been with me most of the week while Amanda and Micah moved. (he is not good moving help)
He had made me laugh so hard and given me a thousand kisses, so he could get by with almost anything.
He is just a free spirit

While he and Pop watched  TV and ate all the fabulous goodies Pat served them…
She and I set in two green leather recliners,  drank wine and caught up on life.  She gave me a foot massage and then a head massage and then a (pre-tree) shoulder massage (that’s a friend)…and it was heaven.

She told me about her mission trip to China where she cut 20 heads of hair a day…She is an awesome hair stylist.  That is how we met 25 years ago. 
Her clients get their hair done, their make up touched up, lipstick applied and then a shoulder massage.  That’s her trademark.

We talked about kids,  about life, deep stuff, funny stuff.   We  laughed and hugged and wished we lived next door. 
I was reminded again why I love her so. 
She is the hostess with the hostess and every visitor she has feels like they are the most special person on earth.
 
If you are reading this Pat, you are a gift to every person that calls you friend.

We had fabulous soup, chicken salad, coconut cake, wonderful coffee..all served as only Pat serves…with love and flair.

I came home with some goodies for me and some for Amanda's new house. 
I forgot to mention she is my favorite decorator of all times.
 
On the way home, I am beginning to move into panic mode as I think about all I did not have done. 
I have a new iPhone 4 and so I got that and my Ipad out and was going to update them.  That would be making good use of a couple of hours on the road.  I updated Facebook and somehow an entire new look came up on my Ipad. 

I have 1000 plus friends on FB and that’s nothing to brag about, (I am not that great of a friend) but we have just lived a lot of places, coached a lot of kids.
 
I hit friends and instead of a list coming up, the faces of everyone came up…like in  nice big sizes..

I started scrolling through and was overwhelmed at all the people that I loved…how my path in this thing “called life” had crossed with all these people.

I took a trip down memory lane…It was so sweet. Many people I know  better than others…

Some I have years of history with.  Some I only know from the blogging world. 
Some I know because they are friends of my kids, some from my childhood (which was a thousand years ago)! 

It was one of the best ways to use those two hours…Just realizing I know some very special people and being thankful.  Try it and take your own memory trip.

Amanda and Micah are all moved in.  I have been little help with tree season here,  but hope to get a day soon to help her…

This will be the picture of the week.  Dana kept Jack (Woody)  today and tonight.  He and Gray are having a slumber party.

Greg not only married a beautiful wife, he married ONE BRAVE WOMAN.
 
This is  Hobby Lobby and a picture she sent us today…Gray and Jack in Hobby Lobby!  Enough said!


Dana is one BRAVE lady.  Jack and Gray in Hobby Lobby


I am not a big baseball fan, but I love the World Series…..

Scotty McCrerry made me so proud singing the  National Anthem a few nights ago.

I was so impressed with him just singing the song and not adding anything…Totally loved it. 


Have a great week.  I will be under a tree or on top of a ladder or in a bathtub of HOT WATER. 

Sunday, October 16, 2011

MY GIRL TURNS 31

The winner of the giveaway will be at the bottom of this post….so stay tuned.

One of my first blog posts in Feb of 2009 was entitled “My Girl”
Since then  I have written numerous posts about my girl.  Here, here, here, here and here.

 I  don’t expect you to go and read these, but if you are new to the blog, you can catch up sometime. 
For a lot of reasons I don’t think you can  say “I am PROUD” too many times to your child.  I never heard that one time in my life. 

Most of you  know Amanda as Our Girl, the Mom of the BABY THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING, mom to Jack aka Woody, wife to Micah, sister to Greg, sister-in-law to Dana, aunt to Austin and Gray.

Some of you know her as my girl that  had a baby her senior year in high school and is the greatest testament to the fact that an 18 year old single girl can be the GREATEST of Moms.
 
I get emails often from Moms that need to know how we did it and what they can do to survive teenage pregnancy.  I have a lot of suggestions but that’s not the purpose of this post…Email me if you need to talk.  annah99@aol.com

That gift Amanda gave us that May in 1999 was the greatest gift we ever received. 
Fast forward to today…when that gift from 1999 is 12…and his Mom will be 31 tomorrow.

She is happily married to the man of her dreams, She is his QUEEN. 
She has a love affair with two little men that others envy, is a full time nursing school student making all A’s, moving into the most beautiful new house this week. She has a husband that not only adores her but  loves Parker like his own. 
When I watch them together, I just have to whisper a prayer of thanks…

He has invested more time in fun things with Parker than I ever dreamed possible. There is no doubt in my mind that their relationship was God ordained…

Daily I see Micah teaching him how to be a man.  Then there is Jack, our wild and funny boy.  Thank you Amanda  for another incredible gift.  This past year on hard days, he has made me laugh.  His hugs are priceless…I guess he got that from his Dad.
  

Here is a glimpse of Amanda's life today!!!!!!!

    aMANDA 39

amanda 9

amanda 8                          Amanda and Micah

micah and am                    
             amanda 31
     Happy Birthday Amanda!!!!!!
 Amanda is a name derived from    Latin, meaning "worthy of love."

I don’t think there is anything in life more rewarding than watching your own child raise amazing kids.


The winner of the giveaway is Debbie at Mama Bears Thoughts! Congratulations to you.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

CHECKING IN and A GIVEAWAY

I feel like the worst blogger.  Those of you that post everyday, have more time than me. 
I am back from 5 days of hard work at market, working on helping Amanda get ready to move, helping her pick out furniture and paint, getting ready to start tree season. 
I started to make a picture of my house (normally everything is in order)but  everything is OUT OF ORDER right now.  Too ugly to show.  You cannot see my dining room table.
 
I have also have had Jack for the three days I have been home so Amanda can pack…That would be tiny tornado times 10 and proud of it. 

Just a few tree pictures I snapped at market!!!!!


purple tree

a beautiful tree but a not so good picture


another pretty tree

PaulMichael.4

snowman tree

snowman

Terri is going to be posting on the holiday blog in the next few days, so please stop by.  We are both pretty much on overload right now. 

I wanted to give you an update on Brooklyn….she is at Baylor in Dallas and beginning to squeeze hands and do lots of therapy.  Please keep praying. 
They are still believing for a miracle…


I feel the need to give something away…you deserve something for just stopping by, so I picked up some great Christmas magazines and a cute stocking.
 
This is not a very great picture…but it’s a good prize. I will draw (Parker will) next Tuesday. 
All you have to do is leave a comment….and tell me your favorite Christmas tree theme.  It can be Old Fashioned, Snowman, Santa….whatever you love.  OR you can go to my PINTEREST BOARDS and tell me your favorite board. I will just admit....MAJOR ADDICTION...


Giveaway


And here is a GREAT THOUGHT for the week!!


choose