COURAGEOUS

I haven't seen this movie yet, but I plan on seeing it very, very soon.  If you've seen it, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

So We Went Shopping

I wasn't going to post about Brad's new job at all.  But I just can't help it - I've got to. 

HE GOT AN INSIDE JOB!!!!!

The important part of that exclamatory sentence is the word inside.  You see, for the entire close-to-20 years I have known Brad he has been an outdoorsy working man.  A take-care-of-the-grass man, whether golf courses, athletic fields, or as in the current case, the city parks.  His nickname in college was "Turf Daddy."  Giggle,giggle. 

Turf Daddy has always made a good living for his family, but it hasn't always been pretty. When he arrives home he is sometimes covered in dirt, sometimes covered in mud, and sometimes covered in that lovely green pipe glue after working in an irrigation hole all day.  And on a really, really tough day, he might be covered in all of the above.  During the summer the heat is brutal, and I honestly don't know how he's done it this long.  It has never been easy to watch him come home completely zapped of all energy during the summer months, but it seems to have been getting worse over the past couple of summers. 

Contrast dirty/outside job with clean/inside job.  That's what is about to happen.  He, with the help of a friend, found out about a job opening.  He applied not thinking much would happen and here we are a couple of months later awaiting his start date.  So what did we do when we found out he got the job?

We went shopping, of course!  Someone who has worked outdoors in khaki shorts and t-shirts his whole life is a little short on dress clothes (save the funeral/wedding suit) so we had to go shopping.  

I'm not a big shopper but going alone with my husband to outfit him in dress pants, collared shirts, and ties happened to be a lot of fun.  I rarely see him in a tie, and I told him it would take me a week of him walking in the door all dressed up before I wouldn't wonder to myself "Who died?"

During the shopping session, there were those surreal moments we would look at each other and think, "What the heck are we doing?"  But then we'd notice a cool tie and get excited again.  I'm sure the dress code will be one of the things he comes to dislike about this new job (maybe he could talk the office into implenting Friday bluejean day or something), but if that's the only thing he dislikes about this career-changing move, I think we'll call it a success!

An Important Vote for Mississippi

Have you ever set in a room and heard the conversation go down the path of all the social ills we are facing today?  And have you ever heard someone say, "If only the Christians would have stood up against it....."

Well, my friend, we are about to get a rare 2nd chance. 

On November 8th we will vote on Amendment 26, better known as the Personhood Amendment. 

I will not attempt to explain the amendment, although I'm sure you know exactly what it is about. 

Visit this website:  http://yeson26.net/  and get all the info you need. 

Especially visit the "Real Answers to the Scare Tactics" section.  It has some good answers to questions I had wondered about myself. 

Please vote Yes to Amendment 26 and tell all your friends/family to read about it then do the same. 

I don't want to be sitting in a conversation later in my life and be forced to say, "If only the Christians would have stood up....." 

Mommas Can Be Wrong Too

We signed Poptart up for tennis lessons, and her first lesson was this past Monday.  The lessons are being held at some tennis courts in a neighborhood near our home.  In this particular neighborhood lives one of Poptart's favorite friends, Kinsey.  They were in preschool together for two years.  They go to different elementary schools, but we still get them together every now and then to play. 

From the day I signed Poptart up, she started asking if Kinsey was going to be at her tennis lesson.  I explained to my eager daughter that Kinsey would definitely not be at her tennis lesson.  And I also explained that just because the lessons were being held in Kinsey's neighborhood did not mean Kinsey would be at her lesson.  Besides, Kinsey is involved in soccer, not tennis. 

Everytime we would bring up the upcoming lesson, Poptart would bring up Kinsey again.  And I would again try to explain to her that out of all the thousands of children in this county, the probability of Kinsey being at her tennis lesson was slim to none at best.  Besides, the tennis coach had already told me there were only 3 children signed up for this particular day and time.  Poptart was one so that only left two spots in her class.  It just wasn't going to be her friend, Kinsey.  Sorry, hon. 

On the way to tennis Monday (and after Poptart asked AGAIN if she would see her friend there), I was trying to boost Poptart's confidence since she gets pretty shy around kids and adults she does not know.  I was assuring her with things such as "Remember when you took gymnastics this summer, you didn't know anyone in your class, but by the end you had made friends?"  "This will be the same way so don't be nervous." 

We arrived.  I sat down to write out the check to the coach.  Poptart is bouncing around and looking around taking in this new scenery.  Then she looks at me with this look on her face.  I look up. 

Kinsey's walking up with her tennis racket. 

The class consists of Poptart, Kinsey, and Kinsey's younger brother. 

That night I was sitting in the bathroom talking to Poptart while she was in the tub.  We were talking about the lesson and how funny it was that Kinsey was actually in her class.  She smiled and said,

"Momma, you were sooooo wrong!" 

Yes, darling.  Mommas can be wrong too. 

But not that often. 

10th Annual

We realized on our "camping trip" this year that this was our 10th annual family camping trip.  My parents, my sister and her family, and my family (10 total) have set aside one weekend a year to get together and enjoy each other's company away from the hustle and bustle of life. 

This year we visited a place close to home.  I have many, many good memories of going there as a child to swim.  Lake Tiak-O-Khata, like our original family of 4, has grown over the years.  Cabins, tennis courts, a nature trail, and of course the lake/swimming area are all beautiful.  Unfortunately, the swimming area was closed but no worries-before we left we booked a weekend in June for the 11th annual camping trip!  My kids will get to enjoy the same swimming hole I used to (but with a bigger, better, and safer slide!)



As usual, I took lots of pictures and as usual, Blogger is giving me a frustratingly difficult time getting them on here like I want them to be!  I have not the time nor the patience to post all the pictures today.  If anyone knows why Blogger is rearranging my pictures at random, please tell me!  I'm sure it is something I'm doing, but it's driving me crazy.  Really. 


So, I will leave you with just these few pictures....



If you will look closely, you can see Gogurt in a kayak.  This was by far my kids'number one favorite thing to do. 

The four grandkids sitting down for a brief rest on the nature trail.  Notice Gogurt's boots.  His tennis shoes were back at the cabin drying after an accidental but funny fall off the pier.  Note to self, jumping from a pier into a kayak doesn't work. 

And here's the whole crew posing for our group shot before we left.  We have done this every year and every year it is alot more difficult than you would think.  Picking out the spot, setting up the camera, getting everyone positioned, Brad running to make it into the picture.  One year we need to make a video of us just trying to get this shot.  It would be very entertaining. 



 There's several more pictures I wanted to share, like the one of Gogurt with the shorts he split down the rear-end after sliding down a bank and getting hung on a rock.  Bless his heart, his rear hurt for several hours, but we all got a good laugh out of it. 


All in all it was another successful trip.  Good food, good family, good weather.  Looking forward to June already!