The progression of art in a gymnast's world.....

To cap off a season full of hardwork by all the gymnasts, a few mothers pulled together a painting party.  Something to give the girls a break from their strenuous workouts and hard training schedules....something totally fun...painting!  And the lady who came to teach the girls was just the sweetest and had the perfect painting for our little gymnasts!  I apologize for the quality of the pics, taken with my phone, the very old and outdated iphone 3S....with no flash capabilities. Woe is me. But anyway, here we go:

Oh, she's a cutie alright, and the painting turned out pretty well too! :)

She does her own stunts. :)

Baby Girl trains hard. For hours upon hours in the gym each week. Not just for a few weeks, not even for a couple of months, or half a year....her sport never stops.  She trains ALL YEAR LONG.  And folks, I'm here to tell you, that training paid off in a big way this past December at the end of her competitive season.  

We traveled to the State Championship meet where she placed 2nd on beam! 
(A sweet friend of mine who was almost as proud of her as we were, and is also an editor at the paper, did a little write up for Baby Girl's accomplishment) 

We couldn't be prouder.  She did farily well throughout the season, especially considering this was a much harder level.

                                              

                                                

Baby Girl improved her scores with each new meet and that's what we all strive to do, right?
 Get better with each and every try, improve with each new day.

 She placed on vault and beam in almost every meet throughout the year, placing as high as 3rd, 4th and 5th.  It turns out for Baby Girl the old saying is true, she did save the best for last....and the best brought home a silver medal from the State Championship! 

That's all for this season folks!  But we can hardly wait for her new season to begin!

A 1st birthday that was finger lickin' good!

Our nephew turned the big ONE shortly after the holidays.  We were blessed to get to be in Tennessee for his birthday party....and see him enjoy a pile of chocolate, one tiny pinch at a time.

Hey Mom, gimme that cupcake......I really like the pretty fire on top!!

Do you see that cupcake right there? The one with all the chocolate? 

  

Do you see my fingers right here? 

Let me just show you what they can do.

Can you believe they just let me have it?  Just sat it right down in front of me.  Nobody even took it away. They just all stared while I ate it.  Chocolate is good, friends. Really good. In fact.....

....it's finger lickin' good. 

I can hardly wait 'til I'm old enough for fried chicken.

Generations.

Family visits are always fun, especially when you have a house full of cousins, aunts, uncles, sisters, brothers, parents, grandparents, a great-grandmother and a breakfast table filled with her great-grandchildren!

Family coming from near and far and even farther...it was certainly a "most wonderful time of the year"!

Christmas Family pics

 

Christmas morning annual photo

Kind of makes me sad to look at it.  Instead of looking all wide eyed with excitement about what is waiting around the stairwell corner that Santa brought, they just look sleepy. Of course this year we did have to WAKE them up to begin the Christmas morning festivities. They are getting older. Boo on that.  :(

Stillness = a necessity

It did not take me but a minute to realize what verse to begin with for the new year of H3.  And it won't take you but a minute to realize why I chose it, the relevance behind it, and the necessity it demands.

Do you feel like you are running in a marathon all day for some or most days, even on the weekends?  The holidays are just like a spiraling tailspin for most, if not all of us.  And they often lull me into thinking, "as soon as the holidays are over, things will slow down".  Have you ever said that?  Or as soon as we get past this birthday party month, or this next holiday, or this next deadline at work, or this next big project for school, or this next hurdle with someone's health, or this next birth or death of a loved one, or this sport's season. Well, I've come to figure out what happens after you get through "that next one"....another something comes right on the heels of it.  Not always bad, I'm not saying it's always negatives that bombard us.  Often it's many good things....but still they seem overwhelming when all is said and done.

I didn't make a list of New Year's resolutions this year.  I know what I need to do.  Without a shadow of a doubt, and this verse sums it up completely for me. To be certain my primary focus is where it needs to be in all the hustle and bustle, not of the holidays, but of everyday life.  Hopefully, you can draw from it as well. 

"Be still,

 and know that I am God."

~Psalm 46:10 

The Message version of the Bible says it like this: 
Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God!

I love that.  And truly, could it get any simpler than that? No, not, sit on your laurels and wait for money to grow on trees, your children to raise themselves..... But do take the time to notice God in every day, acknowledge His prescence in your life, allow that prescence to guide and guard you.

Here's how it speaks to me, Kimberly's paraphrase for my life, for my busyness and unsettled days.  I know to begin my day with HIM is best...to be still in Him for a time each morning, or with prayers throughout the day, to rest well in the night.....

BE STILL, KIMBERLY! I am right here beside you, each and every day.  Look at me, I am seeking your heart daily, will you seek after me?  In today's decisions at work, at home, with your family and friends, with your testimony and walk, with the big and the small problems, with the sadness and with the joy...Be still and know that I am God. The God who works miracles.  Not all miracles will be what you expected, but all miracles are what I command. And what I command is always for the best for those who seek me. One day, you will understand. But for today, BE STILL....in ME.

Elder Son...the basketball edition.

A couple of years back you may remember this post....(a tear jerker to say the least)...where Elder Son tried out for the JV basketball team in 7th grade and didn't make the cut (there were about 6 ninth grade boys who dominated that season). He did make the team the next year and had a good bit of playing time.  But this year, well, this year he's doing great! 

I am happy to report, Elder Son not only made the Junior Varsity team this year, he is a starter, and he's one of those 9th grade boys to watch out for.  I can't really say he dominates anything, even if he is my son.  But I can tell you that without a doubt he has made marked improvement upon last year.  And that's not just his mama speaking, that has been told from his Coach's mouth, and various other fans and parents in the stands.

For those of you wondering, Middle Child did not go out for the team this year.  For various reasons, I'm sure of which include the fact that his brother was cut in 7th grade and that's still fresh in his mind.  Also, he's not a fan of running.  I tried to encourage him and explain that there was no need to worry about his height being an issue.  In front of the coach, principal and fellow peers I said...."haven't you ever heard of Spudd Webb 5'6" and Muggsy 5'3"---short statures by baskteball standards sure, but they even played in the NBA".  Middle Child just smiled and politely nodded....but later while walking out of the gym, where only I could hear, he quietly replied, "yes they were short, but Mom, they were also black."  Oh, yeah, there is that.  He is a big supporter at the ballgames though, filming his brother when Temple can't be at the games.  And there's always next year, I'm expecting his excitement and confidence for the game to rise.  While he still won't be black, there's a good chance he will be taller.

Here are some pics from Elder Son's first game of this season.

I am so proud. They won their game 38-21 and Elder Son was high scorer with 11 points!! Yep, that's my boy.  And if you attend a game you will also recognize my mother in the stands...she's the one who yells phrases like "get him off of my grandson" -- loud and proud. :)

My boys of fall....

It's not that I'm a slacker...no, really, it's not.  I lost an entire laptop.  A spare laptop that I had been using after mine perished back in August.  And it was the laptop that I had saved pics from their Junior Varsity football games.  We've been searching for weeks...and finally, I found it! So, here they are, some very overdue football pics of my boys:

I lived to be 39...and then he made me get a job.

EXTRA! EXTRA! Read all about it. 

Apparently, due to my increase in years, dear husband decided I needed a hobby full time job.  Aside from the full time mama gig I had going.  So, he, along with a partner, bought a famous (to us) syrup plant.  Then handed me the keys to the front door and said, "go run it".

I'll let that sink in a bit. And while it's sinking in, let me remind you of a few very important facts:

• He didn't even ask for a copy of my resume. 
• Or any references.
• He never ran a drug test. Or background check.
• Nor did he conduct an interview...where he could have found out these important facts.
• I have been "retired" for more than 15 years.  
• I have never ran a small business in my life.  
• I do not have any actual experience in the syrup industry. 
• Let's just call it like it is...I've never had experience in this thing called the work industry, period.
• Therefore, I may or may not really be qualified to run a syrup plant.
• Or even be married to an owner of a syrup plant.
• Or own my own stock in that syrup plant.

My point is, if you like this syrup, go clear your grocer's shelves of it.  Pretend like it's Y2K all over again, and hunker down with cases of the stuff.  It may be your last chance to ever buy it.  From here on out, I'm the one in charge.  And while I have no idea of all the qualifications necessary, I am confident that I lack the majority of them.  

I do love the syrup. It was my PawPaw's favorite. That's the big reason behind how Temple suckered me into accepting this position. "Now, wouldn't your PawPaw be so proud?". 

I even have a bunch of those letters behind my name now, a famcy schmancy title. Chief Operating Officer--responsible for daily operation of the company.

Which spells COO.  Coo can be defined as "to make a low soft cry like a dove or pigeon".....

Yep, that's me.  The one who has made a few soft cries during the course of the past two months while I have been learning all about the syrup company and how to run it. Acquiring the ingredients for the syrup, mixing the syrup, cooking a batch of the syrup, bottling the syrup, packaging the syrup, shipping the syrup, promoting the syrup, selling the syrup, meeting with chemical treatment folks, learning how to work a boiler room, taking apart a conveyor belt with sticky syrup, managing employees, changing out a labeling machine, running a pallet jack, creating a shipment stack, wrapping a shipment stack, etc. etc. etc.

Slow and steady.... I'm trying my hardest not to sink the Golden Eagle ship, and so far, I'm managing to keep my head above the proverbial vat of syrup water. 

The Finished Goods.

So these pics are from part of the ongoing basement project.  This is the bedroom.  Don't pay attention to the funky, differing shades of green in these photos....camera operator error. 

It's actually a nice shade of green known as Asparagus and it makes the black and white bedding really pop.  We didn't want to "just" put up mattresses in the basement bedroom, so thanks to my parents for hooking me up with a headboard.  That plus a few cans of spray paint equals not only an economical solution, but a pretty addition to the room.   As for the dresser, once Temple stripped it down, the wood was really nice so we washed it down with a dark, black undertoned, wood stain. 

 I'm so happy with the results and how this room is shaping up.  Plus, it just feels good to do those jobs ourself.