Because I am his Mama, and this is my blog....

I know last week I posted about my oldest son's first ever junior high football game. And in that post I firmly stated a promise that I would not bore you with my mediocre photos of football all season long. (Although to be honest, I do have some great shots of some of the varsity guys that I may show you sometime.) However, I did put in a small disclaimer that if I did happen to get a good shot of my boy doing something fantastic....I'd be putting it on our blog.

So, here's the deal....with a little background information before the big news.

I take pictures of various sporting events at our school for the local newspaper. (Think small. The paper comes out once weekly.) During football season, I'm usually on the sidelines the whole game trying my hardest to get some good shots. Some nights are easier than others....but it's always fun and I enjoy it tons. Now, on with the big news.....

Friday night rolls around this week. The team has been playing well, leading like 46-6 at the half. Therefore, when our boys took the field in the 3rd quarter, Coach began playing 2nd string folks....and 3rd string folks.....and 4th string folks.

I'm still clicking away, trying to get pics of these guys.

Then the 4th quarter arrives. Sometime during that time, a good guy friend of mine, also on the sideline, yells down a few yards to me.....

"Hey, Kimberly, your boy just took the field."

I think to myself, laughing on the inside....he's such a kidder. My boy can't possibly be going out there.....this is a VARSITY FOOTBALL GAME for crying out loud.

Then, LO AND BEHOLD.....I look through the camera lens again and this is what I see.

Look to the far left....that little 92-pounder is joining the huddle.

And he's not just out there running them a bottle of water or towel, he is lining up on the FIELD OF PLAY.

Oh, my Lord. Do you see that?

He's twelve, in the 7th grade, and he's lining up on the FIELD OF PLAY

....in a VARSITY GAME

....on a FRIDAY NIGHT

....in the SOUTH

....where FOOTBALL rules.

In fact, he was out there for several plays. Huddling up. Waiting for the play to be called in from the sideline. And then trotting over to his "x or y" or whatever position that is...lining up, pointing to the referee to show he was there, and holding his sweet hands up just like a REAL football player.

Y'all.....He. played. on. Friday. Night.

We won 60-6. No, he was never really invovled in a play....the action was all done by the older guys. But he was one of the 11 men on the field for our team. And this mama couldn't be more excited for him.....and he couldn't have smiled any bigger than he did once we were home....away from the "I am a football player, and I can't smile just yet" scene.

I couldn't even get a good picture of him on the game field during play because my heart was racing too fast. However, I love this last shot on my camera for the night.

After each game, win or lose, our boys shake hands, pray together at center field, and then come line up on our sideline facing the crowd and listen to the band play our school's Alma Mater.

Our younger son, Broken Leg Boy, ran onto the field to see his brother and stand behind him on the sideline after the game. It was a precious moment. So stinking sweet I wanted to kiss them both right there on the field.....however, how completely UNCOOL would that have been???

So, I refrained. But I will always cherish this pic and remember the heartfelt words Broken Leg Boy stated shortly thereafter....

W : "Mama, Rivers got to play in tonight's game....he lined up at wide receiver....did you see him?"

Me : "Yes, I sure did. Can you believe it? Pretty neat, huh? What do you think about that?"

W: "I thought he was gonna get killed."

There you have it. Another moment in the life of brothers posted on the blog. Another moment etched in this mama's memory....the first time my boy took the field, the VARSITY field, during a FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL game, as a player.

Just another lovely evening on the Plains....

We certainly didn't want to miss the opening game of the season, especially under our new Coach (who happens to be pictured in the post below this one, with my son and nephew at AU football camp this summer).

But really, who am I kidding, it doesn't have to be the season opener, or a new coach, or even football season for that matter.....if somebody says "road trip to Auburn"......I'm all over it! You can count me in.....so be careful about mentioning it around me....otherwise I'll be calling shotgun! :)

Back to the day at hand....we had a blast, as usual. And I only almost had a heart attack once.

It happened in the 3rd quarter when one kid returned from the concession stand to say the other kid needed 4 more dollars (after being given a $20).....I thought right then and there we might have to pawn the car title just to get a pretzel and coke. :)

However, we were able to feed everyone a snack, remain hydrated with fluids, and even return home with the same 3 kids we left with....plus, our TIGERS pulled out a big victory, after a shaky first half, I even managed to get a few pics from the game play to share with you, and we were able to see LOTS of family and friends at the game!!

I'd call that a GREAT day on the Plains, in God's Country.

• Here's a sideline shot for you:

How cool are you when the trainers come and don't hand you a bottle of water, but squirt it in your mouth for you???

And from time to time during the season, because I think I'm close enough to hear them, I try to give you a little listen inside the conversations of the sidelines....

• "Hey, Chris Todd, what were you saying to me?"

• "Man, I just think if you were to get a little trimmed off the top, you'd be faster. That's all, I'm sayin'....your hair may be holding you back, weighing you down...."

(Also, if you are a fan of the morning radio show, Rick and Bubba, based out of Birmingham--- please notice in the photo above....I think #63 sitting on the bench is Rick's son)

How about #44, Ben Tate? That boy can run.

See Ben. See Ben run. Run Ben Run.

And how much fun is it to run into friends and family? The love of Auburn brings lots of smiles....

with sweet Caroline...

two cousins who share the same name.....(isn't he just the cutest? and he was celebrating his 19th birthday! Happy Birthday--War Eagle!--we love you!)

And another cousin, Jenn....who also blogs. She's a real sweetheart, wish our visit wasn't so short, but glad to get a quick hug before kick-off.

Yep....it was a TIGER-RIFIC day in Auburn.

I believe in Auburn and I love it!

And seeing these sweet moments, where my kids are enjoying the AUBURN experience, make me love AU even more.

WAR EAGLE!!

SEC football is where it's at!!

The excitement has been building. The feel of fall is in the air. And I for one, cannot wait for collegiate football to begin. My favorite sport, hands down. Sure, I enjoy a great Friday Night high school game, but I love those tailgating days on the Plains of Auburn.

And to be quite honest, I love watching just about any college game on TV on Saturdays as well. Nothing beats having friends and family over to share some good food and see the latest & greatest the SEC and even those other regions have to offer.


Now, for your viewing pleasure, I offer you two photos of some "up and comers", "rising athletes", "ones to keep your eye on in the next few years"....who knows, you may or may not see them playing on Saturday someday.

Although maybe not for the Auburn Tigers.

But they do play A LOT of football, and usually on Saturdays, right out in the backyard!!


My oldest son and my nephew attended Auburn's Football Camp again this summer. They had a grand time, even under the new Coach.

In honor of the upcoming kick-off weekend, I thought I'd offer up this little toast to college football, primarily the SEC. I know we can't all agree on a favorite team, although I'd seriously like to see everyone wear the orange and blue color scheme!! That's just not how this world was made, and really, would it be fun if we all LOVED the same team???

However, I do think, for the most part, any readers I have would all agree the SEC is best!!

Happy Tailgating!!!

Because we all know watching football is great, but it's even better with a good dip!!

BooMama is hosting a "diptacular" event just in time for college football's kick-off weekend.

I've put 3 of our favorites over on the recipe blog....HERE.

• Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball (sweet with animal crackers)
• Hot Reuben Dip (savory and so good)
• Buffalo Chicken Dip (spicy, served best with Fritos!)

Please don't forget to serve up some yummy Best Ever Apple Dip as well. Great for fall or anytime of the year.

Sadly, I don't have photos of them on the recipe blog yet....but give me a few Saturdays preparing them for watching some SEC football and I will!!!

I was a cheerleader....we didn't have to know about lining up at X or Y, we just had to know if our team was playing defense or offense.

But now, I have a little athlete on the field. I guess I should start paying attention a little better than I did while on the Rah-Rah Squad.

Well, let me introduce you:

#26 in your program, but #1 in your heart......

And this, boys and girls, is his FIRST ever play on the field of football. His first ever play of his career.....assuming he survives and intends to continue playing this sport for the next 6 years. :)

So, when he's 18, or 28, or 42 or 65 and he wants to dive in to telling all his grandchildren about back in the "good old days when I played football".....well, I have a pic to start him off directly from the beginning.

Of course, he may not care to show off these FIRST EVER HOT OFF THE PRESS photos.....as they don't show much action, on the part of him. But never fear...he's learning. And before long, who knows, scouts may be knocking on the door of the old blog wanting to talk to his agent.

Until then....his mama will just keep snapping away. She has no clue what he's doing, but enjoys immensely the smile he gets when he talks about playing. And because the love of football is in our whole family...we just get a kick out of seeing him take the field. Even for 4 plays.

Even when he's the little 92 pounder in the center of a photo checking out the pile of players before him:

And here's a good shot of my little man with his best friend, J. Seriously....they became buds in Kindergarten.....should they really be on a High School football field or shouldn't they still be just taking a break on a napmat after signing the ABC song?

OK. So, maybe every week I won't bore you with a bunch of nonsense photos of football, that I have not the knowledge to tell you if the guys are playing wheel linebacker or wide receiver. But you better bet, if I do get a good shot of that sweet boy of mine, I will post it. And I'll promptly call his Dad or the coach and ask them to explain what he's doing so that I can tell you all! :)

• However, these next photos, I do not need any help with explaining.
  
  She's training to be a future cheerleader.

She has no idea what lining up in X or Y means.

And I am fairly certain she never will.

However, I'll make sure she understands when we have the ball, that means it's time to do...

• "T-D we want a TOUCH-DOWN"

Congrats to the Junior High team for their win earlier this week!

Victorious....not a bad way to start off.

A wise man once said......

"He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. " ~~ Micah 6:8

• And now you are saying....What?
• Where'd you find that verse?
• What does it have to do with anything?
• Why is it relevant in your life?
• Who in the world even reads the book of Micah??? :)

My Grandfather stood one night and recited that verse at his church.
I've been thinking about it a lot the last few months.
It's not one you hear a lot, not one that's analyzed and spoken in Sunday sermons very often.

But it's stuck with me....because of PawPaw.
I miss him. He was such a loving, good-hearted man. He was an inspiring Christian to many, myself included. Sure he had his flaws....but I ask you, who doesn't?

My point exactly.

I love to memorize scriptures, although I haven't MADE time to do it recently. I dug this one out because I want to get back on track. Care to join me? Scriptures are at the very essence of our daily time with the Lord....for me, they always speak directly to something right at that moment in my life. I continue to be amazed at how the Lord knows exactly when, where and what I need to hear, through the good, bad and ugly.

And believe me, HE's had his work cut out on me several times through the ugly spots.

I miss my grandfather. I see a TON of him in my Dad....especially when he's talking to TB. My PawPaw would have adored her, made her feel as though everything she said or did was the best in the world.....just as he did me. He was an outstanding Grandparent. He was the best PawPaw, ever.

Apparently he did a lot of reading in Micah....he wasn't scared to look at those books tucked away deep in the Old Testament and learn from them.

I want to be more like him.

But most importantly, I want to be more like HIM. Growing in HIM daily. Listening to the words written in Micah.....

......Acting Justly, Loving Kindness, and Walking humbly with HIM more.

Because that's really what was most important in my PawPaw's heart....making sure we saw more of HIM and less of him. And for that little lesson, I am forever grateful.

WARNING: cute baby pics ahead!!!

I can't help myself when AK is around, I just have to take her picture. They change so much when they are little. And they have just the best little expressions.



Hey. I tried to warn you. But, no, you just had to look anyway.
You can't resist.
Neither can I.
I could look at them all day long.

Just look at these Cutie Patooties!

And in this last one, AK is deep in thought.....contemplating very meaningful, insightful, highly intelligent topics, such as....

• "why won't they let me play volleyball with them?".....
• "why do my mama & Aunt KK laugh so hard every time they miss the ball?"....
• "why are they so out of breath?"....
• "when is somebody gonna feed me?"....
• "where's Uncle Temple with that sundrop?"

Top of the medal stand?--no.... Top of the World?--YES!

Who doesn't feel on top of the world after competing well AND getting to ride out on your Daddy's shoulders.....like the princess you are?

Well, just to let you know, we had a very tiring and EXCITING weekend. Chocked full of events. Special events that the grandparnents came into town just to see!!

The eldest had his first experience as a "sideline" player for the high school football team...as a 7th grader, there was no threat that he was going to actually take the field, but he was allowed to dress out...and did a great job looking good in full pads and helmet on the sidelines!! :) Plus, we won! :)

However, Friday night football makes for late nights....and that doesn't coincide so well with extremely early mornings for gymnastics meets. But that's how life goes, and we try to roll (no pun intended) with it! So, after a few, and I do mean few, hours of sleep, we headed out for yet another sporting event.....TB's first competitive meet of the season!

You want to know how early it was....TB saw the sunrise while I fixed her hair this morning! Not our usual Saturday morning ritual by any stretch. We all stumbled out into the car and settled in for a nice little sunrise ride. I hate sunrise rides. I know the Lord has beauty all around, but believe me when I tell you that I completely favor Day 4 of creation, not for the bright ball of light he created for day, but for the blessed moon and stars and am not ashamed to admit it! :)

At any rate, I digress....and I'm sure you are not surprised. So, the gymnastics meet. It was great. TB did a fantastic job. She did not score high enough to make it to the top 3 on the medal stand in any event. However, we were very proud of her because she did actually "place" in every event, which meant she came out to the floor to receive her ribbon, and have her name announced with the winners. And the great news, she placed 6th in the all around, with a total of 18 gymnasts in her division.

She did have one little bobble during her bar routine....which was sad, because bars is her favorite event. But overall she was very consistent and we could see improvement....and with this her first meet of the season, we are hoping she continues to do well!


Now, let me just go ahead and get this out of the way, before the SEC begins this week. Some of you are already aware of it, some of you will see her in person at a meet possibly one day soon and stare at it, and all of you can see it right now in these photos.

I'm certain many of you will notice the ribbon in her hair. Normally, after paying a lot of money for shiny, sparkly, slick, leotards and new warm-ups and new backbacks, etc... we also receive a shiny scrunchie (jacked up ponytail holder) for our gymnasts hair. Well, we did receive a red one, as usual to match our new competition leo. However, earlier last week, while leaving gym, TB held up a ribbon and announced that I was to put it in her hair for competition.

It is a HOUNDSTOOTH ribbon. And while I actually like the houndstooth pattern, we never use it as we are an AUBURN family. But I love my sweet gymnast baby girl a lot more than any school...

It hurt me, but I did it. Lord, forgive me. :)

Like I said, it was a very full weekend. We had special family visitors on Saturday night....photos to come later....I'll give you a clue, she has the cutest little baby cheeks you have ever seen!!! A great meal from the grill too. A good sermon at Church followed by a big Sunday lunch with pork tenderloin ( I totally need to share that marinade recipe on the recipe blog because it is divine), general's rice, green beans and fruit salad.

Yep, it was one of those weekends that made T-5 and I take a 2 hour nap, during the drizzling rain, on Sunday afternoon. But it was also one of those weekends that after resting just a bit, you want to do it all over again....knowing exactly how tired you are going to be in the end. :) How was your weekend?

Who said slavery was abolished?

The car needed a wash.


The kids were hot.


They requested to cool down with the water hose.


I agreed, with one rule....wash the car while you're at it.


And I even paid them....but not with money....with these:

It's much cheaper, by the way. What with minimum wage going up to $7.25---you can get a whole case of these suckers for like five bucks....and they'll last all summer!!! Plus, my slaves love them.

From babysitter to seamstress....where did the time go??

We have a wonderful family friend, Bentley, who was the babysitter for our children when they were small, wee little ones. Instead of the larger, high-school aged one, like the oldest is now. Yes, Bentley was that "cool guys" first ever babysitter, outside of family, back in our days of living in Gadsden, Alabama.

And here's how old I am. Back then, she was young enough that she couldn't drive yet, so the "cool" babe, strapped in his car seat with bottle in hand, and I would go pick her up from off "the mountain" and bring her back down to our lovely abode. She was a very qualified babysitter...about as qualified as they come. She was the oldest girl, and second oldest sibling in her family....which had 7 children total. Basically, she had already had more practice with babies than me, when I gave birth to the little mister.

She was/is just the sweetest gal you could ever imagine. I'm serious. I wouldn't be surprised if honey does, in fact, drip forth from her mouth. And to top it off, she has the cutest little baby girl of her very own now. That's right. She grew up. Learned how to drive. Went to college. Got married. And now has a family of her very own.

And the best part....she started sewing a few months ago for her little one....and I loved everything she did. So I asked her to sew a few things for my sweet TB. And she was more than happy to oblige. You've probably seen them all in photos before, as they have all made an appearance on the blog, but I wanted to show them to you again.

I would have tried to make my model try them all on again, for photographic purposes. However, as to avoid the huff and puff that may have caused....you're getting these lousy shots instead. Just know that these dresses are TONS cuter than the pics offer. She actually posted them on her blog for me to see before they arrived in the mail, so you can see them better, HERE.

I have talked sweet Bentley into sewing a few more things for TB for the fall.....so I'm sure you'll be seeing another round off the runway before you know it!!

Thanks, Bentley. We loved them all, and TB has already worn each piece a half-dozen times or more!! They are great and you did a fantastic job! We can hardly wait to see what little creative masterpieces you come up with next!!

I could be losing my mind....if I had one to begin with.

So, a few weeks ago, I wrote this POST, concerning the painted room surprise that awaited my dear husband.

Who, by the way, had no knowledge of the painting, until AFTER it had been done. And then, because I am no good with ladders and such, I left the high spots for him to touch up. I love it when a plan comes together. Hey, that'll teach him to say he doesn't like all the khaki walls, now won't it?

But I completely forgot to post any photos. Forgive me. I know many of you have seen the new paint job, but to appease those who haven't, here's a few shots. Now realize, this is the laundry room. I wasn't a huge risk taker, I started out with a small job, but it's leading to bigger ones, just you wait and see!! Our house may look like Rainbow Brite threw up all over it before long. :)

• The Before...

• The After....

Don't you just love the color??? I do. It reminds me of the beach. I love the beach. I try to remember how much I love the beach while I'm doing the laundry. Because I do not love to do laundry.

T-5 was happy with the color choice, really was happy with the fact that I had painted. I didn't get in any trouble at all. Surprise, surprise. He finished all the trim work, hard to reach over the cabinet spaces, and even hung some art, shelving and a new mirror.

Now, I have to include this little tidbit, because I think it's pretty neat. Do you see that yellow wooden piece of art hanging above the mirror which is above the laundry sink area?

Well, my dear husband's folks brought that to us a few months ago, along with a plethora of other items of interest from their attic/closets. Stuff of his from his childhood, high school and college years. Much of it we kept, others, we did not. Hey, if his mama doesn't want it, why would I?

Anyway, the point is this: That piece of art is from his early college days at AUBURN. He had a class in the School of Architecture where they had to take a simple object and make a piece of art in a wood carving.

Can you guess what it is? Before looking at the photo below? I'll give you a hint, there's a reason why I hung it in the laundry room......



Keep thinking hard.........






How about that? Who knew, way back when, we'd have a little place to hang a wood carving of a Tide bottle?? And while yellow is not my favorite color, I just love that piece. It helps make even a boring laundry room feel like home.

The glory of a birthday sleepover...they can only come as often as once a year.

Y'all....I'm getting worse than old. Check me directly into the nursing home, skip the assisted living facility, I can barely survive a slumber party. I have friends who've done it....several times (Hello, Kim, Michelle, and others) and I admire them. Maybe they can come paint my toenails in my hospital bed on Sunday visits at "the home".

I did have a good plan....Friday night....getting up early for school and having a full day of activities already....but girls, they have lots of energy, I don't know where they store it, maybe in their purple, glitter-y painted toenails.

They thought those foam toe holders were a hoot!! However, please also look above and notice that orange nerf blaster gun thingie of the boys. Yep. Girls may be girly girls who love raspeberry scented foot lotion, body glitter, fashion shows, fixing hair, coloring flip-flop magnets, iron-on butterfly decals, etc......but they still know how to play hard when it comes down to it.

So, although it wasn't on my "itinerary" of things to do at the sleepover, they broke out the nerf guns and went to town taking hostages and putting them in various holding cells.

Which caused for the smudgery of the purple glitter-y pedicures I had just spent 40 minutes producing. At one point in the night, when Broken Leg Boy's leftover crutches came tumbling down half a flight of stairs, I made a rule of no romping with nerf guns after 11:30 p.m.

Because I like to open another window of fun when I close the door on gun shooting after hours, I offered to allow the birthday girl time to open presents. And I threw in another round of punch!! Simply because I'm crazy and at this point had realized there wasn't enough Xanax in the world that would make me do this again, so you might as well make the best of this one shot at sleepover success.

This year, we opted to ask the party guests to NOT buy Tyner Beth gifts. Seriously, we have enough toys, books, movies, board games, etc. to fill a few hundred shelves at the Toys R Us.

I talked with Tyner Beth about the whole "it is better to give than receive".... she understood and although a bit apprehensive at first, she warmed to the idea quickly. Instead of gifts, we asked everyone to bring school supplies (since school just recently began) and Tyner Beth is going to donate them to her school's principal. She had fun unwrapping....isn't that the best part anyway, ripping into a gift??

And she received LOADS of school supplies to help out those who were unable to bring in all the needed items. Who doesn't love a brand new box of Crayola Crayons???? She was happy with our decision, but I know she will feel even better this week when she drops them off at school, and even better in 30 years when she has a child of her own to tell the story of the gift of giving.

On to other important matters: The cake. The cutest sleeping bag cake of all time.

I didn't have a lot of suggestions for the "cake girls". So, I just passed along these few facts TB requested via email.

"Mama, tell them I want good colors....you know like "hot" blue, "hot" green, "hot" pink, "hot" yellow (etc.etc.) (which translates into normal words such as "aqua" or "lime".....) And I want it to have polka dots."

"Okay TB, is there a certain shape you'd like or design on the cake?" At which point we are looking at the Dessert Box blog and I'm saying how totally neat their Karoake machine cake was....

She pipes up and says, "oohh, mama, tell them to surprise me and make me something really cool like that."

And indeed that's exactly what they did. They made her something really cool. An all "hot" colored polka dot sleeping bag for her sleepover party.

Isn't that just the cutest thing, all folded back waiting for a little girl to climb right in??? And please notice the details. It was "zipped" up and the zipper has her initials!!Fab job, ladies. It looked, smelled and tasted FANTASTIC. I can't thank you enough for your creative talents!!! They have been added on my side bar blog list.....definitely worth taking look.

• It was a wonderful night, really. To listen to little girls giggling. To see them smile when we would do one craft or another. To realize that fun is what you choose to make of it, even when nerf guns are involved and you can only find two foam bullets.

• I enjoyed it. I'm not ready to do it again this weekend, but I enjoyed it. And I don't guess I have to check into the nursing home just yet. But if any of you gals feel like coming to give me a pedicure anyway, I'll be glad to take you up on that offer. And by the way, I like cucumber melon foot lotion, and prefer a french pedi, but will settle for a pop of color, but nothing glitter-y. And while purple is a favorite of mine, I don't necessarily want to see it on my feet.

And don't forget the punch. And any extra medication you can find in your cupboard.

Have you ever seen that tv show, "I survived a Japanese gameshow"?

Well, I have big news. Even bigger than a Japanese gameshow.

I survived a sleepover party!!!

Which may not sound like much to you right now, but try it for yourself sometime....or not, if you want to maintain a normal level of sanity and not have an enormous case of fatigue from sleep deprivation.

A slumber gathering that involved 6 little girls, lots of glitter-y toenail polish, iron-on decals for pillowcase design, and enough punch to sink the Titanic, or at the very least, an Evinrude fishing boat.

Plus the absolute cutest sleeping bag cake you have EVER seen.

Which I promise to show you, real soon. As soon as I regain consciousness. Or pep up with a glass of spiked punch and another sniff of acetone.

Thanks and now I have a request...

Thanks for all your sweet comments concerning the big leap over into high school for my tender hearted firstborn (who should really still be home with his mama learning sight words on homemade flash cards like he did when he was 2)...it does help a Mama's feelings. I appreciate you taking the time to offer a few encouraging words...they bring a BIG smile to my face and put a warm feeling in my heart.

And they help combat the anxiety almost as much as chocolate and Mt. Dew.

Which leads me to this lovely question. In regards to all the dang chocolate and Mt. Dew....and the sympathetic symptoms of raising a child in high-school....know any good dermatologists???

Ha. I've not really been eating tons of chocolate and drinking Mountain Dew....although at times, I have wanted to. However, that's partly true though...some times my complexion looks like I'm all 9th grade again.....well, 9th grade without the taper rolled jeans effect. You know you did it too, don't laugh at me.

Plus I have some moles that may need some attention, because I love the sun, even though it doesn't love me. And I have these red moles? I don't know what they are, but that's what they look like, moles and freckles, except they are red, and they multiply like rabbits. Mostly during the summer. Because I love the sun. Some dermatologist suggestions would be a nice addition to your sweet comments. Thanks.

It was the best of times and the worst of times....and I barely survived.

Well, I've decided I better write about this before my memory fails me and I forget. It's mostly just for motherhood purposes, so I can look back and see how far I've grown in a few years when I have to go through it all over again.....ugh. I don't even know where to begin for these feelings I have. This new episode in the reality of our life.

Excitement. There's one of them. I am completely excited, now as always, for the adventures in the life of my kids. And starting high school is a pretty big ADVENTURE, to say the least.

I just hope he hasn't been stuffed in the garbage can yet...you know, the whole rite of passage of the lowest on the totem pole thing. Usually manuevered by some older upper classmen who are fellow athletes. I will attempt to explain to him that it means they like you, not to take it personally and all, but I'm just guessing that the embarassment and the melted snickers, already chewed blob of gum and pencil shavings that will be stuck to his clothing will speak a different message to him.

But what do I know, I'm just the mom, remember. And being a "mom" means you must have just skipped teenage-hood completely, or at least that's what those munchkins like to think once they reach the "cool" stage of life.

Well, guess what, I didn't get to skip over being a teenager. But I did survive. And I guess that means I will survive this too. Although, I'm beginning to think that being a teenager was actually a lot easier than raising a teenager.

But in order to be transparent, just let me say, concerning the leap up to high school....I don't like it.

I don't like having him start all over again.

I don't like having to let go piece by piece, little by little, watching him mature more and more each day, and thus consequently, need me less and less.

It sucks. How about that? I said it and I meant it.

Although I really shouldn't have said it. My kids read this and that phrase is not allowed at our house. Of course, neither is chocolate for lunch, but I've actually had it for all 3 meals before.

So call me a rebel. It still sucks.

Anyway, it's hard. Parenting. Being a mom.

Giving your heart to a tiny being that you alone provided nourishment to sustain it's life for 9 months....only to find out that same being will grow up to become a high schooler and ask you to drop him off 500 feet from the door. Instead of wanting you to hold his hand and waltz right up to his desk.

Which brings me to the photo I included. His first day of high school. He informed me I was NOT allowed to come in taking photos like some crazed mother full of love. Who Me?? He did offer this small compromise:
"okay, here's the deal, you can take a picture of me walking into high school, but only from the car...."

Ha. He thinks he's in charge...and I let him keep thinking that, too. In order to save face, mine and his, I didn't take my camera inside. I took the photo, from the car. The misty morning you probably notice in the pic was merely a perfect match to my misty eyes behind the lens.

See there's the problem with hard core first day of high school + photography. My car was climate controlled, but when I stuck the camera outside in the morning air....to try and capture that exact moment of letting go....the lens fogged up.

And it would have been beyond embarassing if I would have even thought twice about asking the high schooler in the photo to stop or slow down or wait until my camera acclimated itself. Beyond embarassing. So he kept walking and I kept taking foggy-eyed pictures from both sides of the camera.

It's hard. The letting go is overwhelming.

No, I'm not being dramatic. Try it sometime. You'll see.

So, here's what I've decided. Wholeheartedly. I'm not letting go. I can't. I won't. And you can't make me. So there. I feel much better now.

I kind of think I liked it better when his backpack was a smaller size and hung down to his knees as he walked in for his first day of school.

Oh my word! I may have to start on something a little stronger than Mt. Dew to get me through.

Happy Birthday, T-5!!

The three Temples..... IV, V, and VIth. (+AK in #4's lap) :)

Over the weekend we traveled to TN to see family (not run marathons, like his sister intended) to celebrate the 40th wedding anniversary of my mother and father-in-law. While there, we were also able to celebrate the birthday of TB and the upcoming birthday of T-5, with lots of good food from here there and everywhere.

Pappy and TB served up some good pancakes and sausage for breakfast on Saturday. This would be a lefty and a righty working together in the kitchen.

We celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary at a nice Italian restaurant before heading to Aunt Elizabeth's to eat that heavenly chocolate mousse she had made. Heavenly....except I'm sure it's a sin eating something that rich. But, the Lord, he forgives. So, we ate. I don't have a photo, I was too full from the meal to even worry with pictures...I just wanted some elastic waisted pants and a nap.

However, I did manage to get these fun pics of our sweet little niece, AK. She, (as the kids always say), is just the "cutest thing in the world". However, being cute is not always what it's cracked up to be. She couldn't have any pasta torrino, or ravioli, or fettucine, or lasagna, or eggplant parmesan, or bread with oil, or ribeye, or chocolate mousse. It's the drawback of being the youngster in the crowd....at a mere 7 months of age, it is frowned upon eating a ribeye from the table.

• So she did the best she could at the restaurant while the rest of us enjoyed the culinary gift of PASTA.

She is no party pooper. Sure alfredo would have been great, but she made do with a cloth napkin.

And then on Sunday when Nana had fixed a wonderful birthday meal, complete with poundcake and homemade ice cream.....she sat basking in the glow of being "the cutest thing in the world" and sucked on her arm. Which may or may not have been laced with a little ice cream.

But back to my post at hand....just because I have a gazillion pictures of AK from this weekend on my camera and only one of my dear husband doesn't mean I love him any less, on this, his day of birth.

It just means she's cuter than he is at this stage in life. And she doesn't roll her eyes when I pull the ol' Nikon out and start clicking away.

We love you, T-5. And are blessed to call you husband, father, brother, uncle, son, friend. Happy Birthday --- you are the man. The man who makes dreams come true.