They're Playing Basketball

So, I didn't want to jinx it, but it's OFFICIAL! Our basketball team just completed it's first ever UNDEFEATED season! Kinsey has had a blast with these young ladies and we are going to be so sad to see the season end. Tournament begins Tuesday and we are three games away from our first ever league championship. Wish us luck!!!

Heros in a Half Shell

Teacher Power!


This week is Spirit Week at school and for Super Hero Day, this is what some of my favorite co-workers and I wore. The kids loved it!

Prayer Request

Prayers have been working! Sunday night, my mom had a big scare and went to the ER for severe abdominal pains. Turns out she had a perforated appendix and had an emergency appedectomy in the middle of the night. As of right now, she is in still in the hospital recovering and will hopefully be going home in the next couple of days. Thanks to all for you thoughts and prayers! God is good!

Nifty Nemo

Kinsey was the "Big Fish" as school again this week and as her reward, she got to bring home one of the Nifty Nemo brothers. Nemo enjoyed lots of basketball, meals at IHOP and Shoki, and lots of Patrick fun this weekend!

100 and bats--thank goodness not 100 bats!

Today was the hundredth day of school and the elementary kids always do something fun to mark the occasion. Kinsey and I decided to make brownies with 100 marshmallows on top last night. She also decided she wanted to pull out her 100-day hat from last year and wear it to school.

So, after baking and baths last night, we were putting the kids to bed. As I walked out of Max's room into the hall, closing the door behind me, I saw something flying up and down the hallway. Instinctively, I hit the floor, curled up and screamed like a little girl! Jack tells Kinsey to go in our room and shut the door and he heads upstairs to help out. All the while, Max is in his room yelling "What goin on out der?" So Jack says he thinks he saw the nasty little thing fly into Kinsey's room. We muster up some bravery and go in with a broom trying to find it. Nothing. We shake the blinds, check the closet and poke at the bed. We call for back up. Enter two (useless) Jack Russells. Nothing. We spent about 30 minutes checking the whole upstairs to find nothing. We had decided that it must've escaped out the tiny crack that leads up to the attic. So, we move on. I go back in her room, reach high up on her shelf to get the 100-day hat for her to wear when I hear this evil growling/clicking noise. Again, run out of the room screaming like a little girl! Long story short, Jack "man's up", goes in ther with gloves, a broom and a box and knocks the bad boy down, traps him and releases him outside (much to Kinsey's dissapointment as she suggested a new pet.) The funniest part of the night was after all was said and done and the bat had flown away, we were getting ready to start the bedtime process over again when I stepped in a big pile of dog poo (barefooted) that the said JR's had left behind. Kinsey, howling, says "This is the best night EVER!"

When left unattended...

Jack is going to kill me for posting this (and Max one day, too) but I just can't quit laughing. For our holiday today, we decided to just lazy-around. The kids and I have played Chutes and Ladders, put puzzles together and played stickers. While I finished putting the last of the laundry away, apparently they got into Kinsey's dress-up box and this was the result. His daddy says he and Max are going on a boys' hunting weekend very, VERY soon! ;)

Slumber fun

What a busy week it has been getting back into the old work routine. I had three basketball games (still undefeated) as we are getting close to entering tournament time. Just two weeks left! After Friday's game, we deciced to join some friends and take the kids to the local production of GREASE at the civic center. What an amazing job the cast did! Max and Kinsey both really enjoyed the play although Kinsey fell asleep during the last 10 minutes.

Saturday Kinsey invited one of her school friends for a sleepover. We took the kids to a brand new restaraunt in town that is going to be a big hit. Then we went out for ice cream and rented a Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs--cute! The girls did great getting to bed and Max didn't drive them TOO crazy and then we headed out to church the next morning (we WERE late though!) Sunday night, Jack and I had a date night with another couple and saw THE BOOK OF ELI. Pretty good movie with a great message.

Monday is MLK Day and I'm hopeful for a lay-around kinda day! ;)

Girl Power

Today, UGA sponsored a Girl Scout event before the women's basketball game. Kinsey and her Daisy troopmates enjoyed listening to several student athlete speakers, eating pizza and cheering the Dawgs on against the Gators!

Birthday Bash

A cute pic from my birthday dinner at Inoko.

Birthday Blessings

As I was on the road for most of my birthday yesterday, I has a lot of time to think and reflect on things. Jack was home sick with food poisoning we think and my day started very early in order to get everything done and everyone ready. So, needless to say, I was tired and definitely had my moments of frustration. But in the end, this is the revelation that I had...

While I was frustrated that Jack was home sick, I felt blessed to be a family with two parents...

When I got angry that I was still in a rental car a month after my wreck, I was thankful that I was not injured and that the kids were not with me...

When I was tired of driving, I counted my blessing for having a close family that celebrates big events together...

When my kids were arguing and fussing with each other, I was reminded that God blessed us with two very healthy, beautiful children with no complications...

When I was over the bitter cold weather, I felt so lucky to have a warm home to go home to and appropriate clothes the protect me...

And when I was lonely going to my birthday dinner stag, I was soo grateful to have wonderful friends to help make my night so wonderful.

Thank you everyone for making yesterday a great and memorable birthday!

Fireman Thomas

Yesterday, the kids and I road-tripped to Greenville to my nephew Thomas' 3rd birthday party. It was so cute--a tour of the fire station followed by lunch and cake at Firehouse Subs. All the precious kids had a blast crawling all in the trucks and learning about firemen and their duties. Happy Birthday, Thomas!

Cookies anyone???

It is official!!! Girl Scout Cookies are for sale--delivery around Valentine's Day! Kinsey's ready to sell them to you!

Trip to Antarctica

Well, not really, but you would think with the CRAZY temperatures (single digits with SUB zero windchill) and major amounts of snow and ice. On New Years Day, Jack and I packed our ski gear, the kids and Granny (all of which filled an entire pick up truck) back to NC with the hopes of getting a nice ski trip in with Kinsey. We had no idea what kind of weather we were headed for, but following Kinsey's strict orders, we geared up and hit the slopes anyway. She did a great job and more importantly, we all stayed warm and had a great time. We even got to see some cousins while we were up there.

Christmas WHIRLWIND!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

It's a new year and I am just now blogging about Christmas--oh my! In my defense, though, we have hardly been home a day since then. The holiday was wonderful and our family traditions started early morning on Christmas Day. After checking out Santa's haul (Max's expression after seeing his Lionel train is one of my all-time favorites), we headed over the the Patrick Christmas breakfast. YUM-MY is what I have to say about that. Some of the very best breakfast you can imagine. Next, hit the road for SC for the Putman side of the family. Other than lazying around and playing on the floor until we could play no more, my personal favorite was the beautiful waterfall hike and our hot tub time. Home for two days, then hit the mountains for some snow...

Christmas Eve

Here are a few shots from our Christmas Eve gift exchange with Nan and Granddaddy and the annual reading of Polar Express and Twas the Night Before Christmas.