Happy 8th Birthday, Grice!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Labor Day Weekend 2009 Slideshow

Make a Smilebox slideshow

The Sistas Come.....And The Sistas Go.....

A HUGE highlight of our summer was when JJ and "The Sistas" came to Myrtle Beach to stay a night with us. It was such a quick visit but we felt so special that we had that time with them. There was not a dull second during the 14 hours they were here and we loved having them!

A Day on the Water

Summer Swim Team

Not sure what he is doing here.....trying to be funny....
Dani has a brother.....so she totally understands!

Anna, Dani and Grice
Dani and Anna were in the same class last year and they will be in the same class again this year!

Swimming Lessons

Well, we haven't been doing swimming for a while because it would be too much to overlap with baseball and softball. Anna and Grice did one session of level 4 which is to teach perfection of the strokes. This summer I plan to get them back to do level 4 until they have mastered it. That could take several more sessions, but it is such great exercise and they also learn water safety. Tonight I was looking through older pictures and found these two of them swimming and I realized that I happened to get the exact same shot of each of them!

This is for the Birds!!!

Last weekend we bought a new bird feeder to replace the one blown into the lake by the wind. We have been so excited to see new and different beautiful birds coming to our yard. Lately we have not seen quite as many birds, and I guess THIS is why! "Rascal" does not seem to be afraid of us and must really like bird seed as an afternoon snack.

Grice gets his Tiger Badge!

Upside Down Man

Dragon Boat Festival

Chris Sligh...Empty Me....

Molly's Wedding

Molly and Cole
Carrie and Wanda

Anna and Grice in our room

ready to go

Grice and J.J.

Jo, Jean, Linda, Wanda, Glenda
it is over!!

Grumps and Jean
at the

reception

Jean, Ali, Molly, Me, Carrie,

Anna, and Emily

at the reception

Couple voted Parents of the Year for rescue of lost hamster!

A seven year old boy was distraught when he discovered that he had left the cover off his hamster, Bandit's space ship! The cage had been opened, for all he knew, 24 hours. But who really knows? And is that really important here?? NO! What is important in this miraculous rescue is that this boy has some pretty awesome parents!! This husband and wife team went on a hamster search that can't hold a candle to the FBI. Late tonight they simply decided to "sit and listen". This, of course, was the wife's idea. Almost minutes later a scratching noise came from the half bath. They went wide eyed in the direction of the frantic scritch scratch and knew they had found Bandit! They looked at each other and faintly whispered, "it's him!" "He is stuck in the wall!" What a relief it was for these parents to find their son's adored pet alive! After a great deal of time trying to lure Bandit out of the wall through the hole under the vanity that he had used to escape...uh, I mean lose his way, the husband went for his tools. As you can see from the photos ,taken way past their bed times, that everyone was thrilled. What a celebration there will be at breakfast in the morning! The boy and hamster will be reunited and the proud parents will bask in their moment of glory for rescuing this small creature that could have been anywhere! And with only two holes in wall! Ahhhhh, and as I close this post, what a wonderful sound it is to hear Bandit running at the speed of light on his little green wheel. Welcome back, Bandit!

Thought for the day

HOPE.........Believing that something GOOD can come out of something BAD.

We know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him. Romans 8:28

PInewood Derby 2009

He didn't win a single race! But next year they all better watch out! We have it figured out now! Flat is better with a hole, one wheel not touching, as close to 5 lbs as possible.....

Next year we will not be so focused on how cool the car "looks". Live and Learn!

Good friends!

Houston, WE HAVE A PROBLEM!!!!!!

OUR TWO "SUPPOSED TO BE GIRL" BUNNIES ARE ONLY ONE GIRL AND A BOY!!!!

Before and After Windows.....Finally!

Before

After

Thought For The Day

Angry words take just one moment

And bring forth a flood of tears,

But the wounds they have created

Linger on for months and years.

When a person's temper gets the best of him, it reveals the worst of him.

Ice Awards 2009

We went to the Ice Awards on Sat. night at The Palace Theatre. WMBF and one of the news reporters was nominated for an award. Neither won an award but it was a huge deal to be nominated since they have been on such a short amount of time!

Thought For the Day

Maturity is moving from a soft skin and a tough heart to a tough skin and a soft heart.

Father Daughter Dance

This was a big night! We returned 3 dresses before we got the right one, spent about 2 hours shopping for the perfect earrings and crown, and worked almost 2 hours on the hair including sending Dad to the store for more bobby pins. They practiced the funky chicken ahead of time and felt ready to take on the dance floor. Anna looked beautiful and Dad was lookin' pretty hot himself! It was a night to remember!

Workin' it!

Friends from her class, Megan and Ashley

The lovely couple......

Those are my shoes, necklace and purse....she is borrowing already!

Thought for the Day

Hope

Hope is believing that something good can come out of something bad. Whatever happens, remember God has a plan.

Romans 8:28 "We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him."

Heart Ball

Jubilee.... A long thought for the day!

Leviticus 25 is the only part of the Bible that deals with the Year of Jubilee. And there is no reference that some of the principles of the Jubilee being carried out, but the intent of the laws and principles established are eternally valid.
The Year of Jubilee begins with verses about the sabbatical year which occurred once in every seven years. During the seventh year the people were to rest. In order to provide rest for the land they were not to plant, sow or harvest the land. All debts were to be cancelled, and slaves were to be set free. How do you think the people must have felt knowing that they could not plant their crops for a year? They may have been wondering how they would survive, or they may have been happy to have a year of vacation time! This year of sabbath was to teach them the faithfulness of God. To look to Him for everything that they needed. God demands times of rest and renewal. On the seventh day He rested from all His work. Even though God never gets tired, He wanted to reflect and enjoy what He had made. Remember the sabbath and keep it holy. Remember with gratitude all that we have been given.

The announcement of Jubilee began with the sounding of trumpets throughout the land in the fiftieth year. Jubilee was a special sabbatical year, a sabbath of sabbaths. The same principles were applied as in the seventh year but also, any land owned was returned to it's original owners. Everyone was to return to his own property. There is no reference that this actually happened. It could be that people ignored these instructions or found ways to get around them, just as people try to get around God's commandments today. The point was not of the land returning to the people, but the people returning to the land. If land is taken from the people, the family becomes scattered about. That is why the land is important. The land existed for the people rather than the people for the land. Families are the ultimate basis of any society, so to the degree that families are destroyed, so is the society destroyed. Of course a system of land reallocation could never be carried out today. We are much too greedy. But think about what this would do for our society today in terms of poverty.

The principle is that God's people were not owners of the land. The land was God's. Everything we have we are holding for God, and we are responsible to Him for what we do with it. The rewards for obeying the laws of the sabbath and Jubilee were blessings of rain causing them to become prosperous by incresing their crops, peace, protection, power, prosperity, provisions, and privaleges.
Before I started this Bible study, I didn't think God actually punished us. Boy, was I wrong! The punishment for sin is extensive. We as sinners are motivated by evil. It is stated that if the people did not obey the laws of the sabbath he would bring sudden disasters upon them, withold rain, allow wild animals to harass them, send enemies against them. Fortunately, for us punishment is not the last word. God says He will have mercy. He will not abandon us, but forgive our sins ( if we ask ). Whether He is blessing us or punishing us God always keeps His covenant and is true to His word.
Are you obedient or disobedient? Do what He asks and watch the blessings pour in. There is so little value in material possessions. Today everything we have has been given to us by God and is to be used faithfully to serve Him. Are you using what God has given you?

Swimming Lessons at Pepper Geddings

They hold onto the floating dumbells and practice turning their heads to breathe.

They have made good progress. Today we start another session and will repeat level 3 for 4 weeks. Level 4 will concentrate on all the different strokes.

Practicing breathing.....

New additions to the family..

Smokey and Bandit

Cookies and Cream

Unfortunately, Smokey left the world 5 days after he came home, but we still have Bandit, Cookies, and Cream. Bandit is doing well and seems to like being alone. He sleeps all day and runs really fast on his wheel at night. Cookies and Cream are really great pets. They are usually pretty lovable and are really cute. Anna is doing a great job keeping them fed and the cages cleaned out.

Paintings in Progress......

Excuse the tater tots......acutally they are crispy crowns!! My favorite!

New Year's Eve

I am a little behind on my posting! Here is a picture of some of the kids from the New Year's Eve party we went to. I guess they didn't think they were making enough noise, so they raided the kitchen cabinets and found some pots, pans, and spoons to create a sound of celebration! We were at our friend's house on the other side of the neighborhood, and it was a perfect New Year's Eve! Happy 2009!

I was tagged!

Alyssa tagged me....so I am supposed to post the 5th picture from my 5th folder on my computer.....

Here it is......

This is Anna getting her 1st cast off so that they can put a shorter one on. For those of you who didn't follow the old blog, Anna broke her arm in 2008 when she attempted to jump from a "moving" golf cart being driven by her 11 year of friend. We had a sitter at the house while we were out for something going on with the TV station. The sitter was supposedly inside when this happened.....A learning experience for all!

Grice's Patio Art

Grice used a piece of burnt wood from the fire pit and created quite a work of art on the patio!

I think he has some talent!

Critter in the Trash

On Christmas Eve Ted went out to put some trash in the trash can. When he opened the lid to drop the bag inside, this is what he found. Mr. Racoon could have possibly been in our can the whole time we were out of town. If so, I would think he was pretty hungry since there was nothing in there to snack on for 5 days. Ted got a real shock when the lid was opened and Mr. Racoon went nuts hissing and scratching like a mad hungry racoon would after getting trapped in the bottom of an empty trash can. In uncertain fear Ted threw the garbage bag into the can, slammed down the lid and came rushing inside. He said that he had just had the daylights scared out of him! Well, you all know that is not really what Ted said, but in other "Ted sort of words" he said that he had gotten "really scared" beacause there was a racoon in the garbage can. There was no way I was going out there to see it since I have seen enough angry racoons at Poplar Creek to know that they can claw your eyes out! So, with all of his bravery, Ted went back out into the darkness, opened the lid, snatched out the trash bag that was now on top of the racoon, snaped this picture, then turned the can over to let Mr. Racoon out. Ted said that once he knew that he was free, Mr. Racoon took off like a bat out of hell.

December 28th, 2008 in Myrtle Beach

More thoughts....

Have you realized you cannot change someone else? Letting go is not cutting yourself off. Trust God with it. Letting go is fearless. Hand over to Him what is dear to you, and He will take care of it. If your goal is to control what is God's to control you will always be subject to fear. Give your fears and control to God. Trusting God fully will always bring great rewards.

New Orleans Bowl

Future Golden Eagles!

We had a great time in New Orleans at the Bowl Game!

The Eagles won!

Eagle Fans!

BIG Eagle Fans!

Little Eagle Fans!

Thoughts for the Day

When the self life finally runs it's course,

God settles us in the desert of His choice to teach us.

A servant's attitude is developed in our hearts

when we wait on God's timing.

Our disappointments are allowed by God so He

can bless us with something far better.

The more impossible the situation the greater

the deliverance.

God will encourage you if you have ears to hear.

Life is short, death is sure, and eternity is long.

House full of critters!

Would you all believe that myyyy Children have now brought a lizard into the house and LOST it?????? So I guess the lizard is somewhere around here.....probably with the turtle! I just hope they stay away from my room!!!!!!!!!

Magical Elves!

Would you believe that these Elves just appeared in our house?? Anna and Grice discovered 2 red Elves on the mantle one night a couple of weeks ago and then Saturday morning they each found a white one hanging out of their stockings! We were all in shock! They just hang around the house mostly, but some nights they get a little crazy and we find them hanging from light fixtures or dangling from the Christmas tree the next morning. Anna's Elves were just wacky yesterday, and she got some great pictures of them up to their usual mischief!

On the phone....with Santa, of course!

Checking out Facebook....

Pack 899 in the Broadway at the Beach Parade

The pack

Grice, Ben and Splash

This was a short and small parade that was held at Broadway at the Beach on Saturday morning. Broadway is a huge shopping area where the Aquarium, Magiquest, a movie theatre, an Imax theatre, restaurants, and some carnival rides are located. It is a fun place.

More paintings.....

Whimsy trees.....

I still have to do a little work to the one on the left.

All will have a decorative ribbon to hang....

12x16

$25.00 each

Something I am working on.......

I have started painting again.....It is what I love to do.....I can spend hours painting with complete silence. You know I have always thought that you should do something you love, and then find a way to make money doing it. I am not sure how much money I can make doing this, but painting makes me happy. I am certainly not a professional by any means. I just do fun things! This is something I whipped up last night. I was inspired by a rug I have at the bottom of the stairs. He is still a work in progress. I am wondering if he needs some lips......

The Rock!

We made a stop at the University of Southern Mississippi on our way to Tylertown.

Here are my three Eagles on the field at The Rock!

It isn't always easy being an Okra in a house full of Eagles......

With Hayden in tow.....Help! The sky is falling!

Just a quick picture from Thanksgiving.....

Today is Wednesday, so I have been to BSF this morning and just stopped at home really fast to scarf down some chicken noodle soup before I have to rush to the school to volunteer. I decided to check my e mail which let to checking Facebook, which led to checking the blogs I keep up with......Which ultimately led to me feeling guilty for not posting anything lately.........

So.....here is a glimpse of our trip to Mississippi.......Much more to come later!

Hayden went to Tylertown to see Grandma Dot with us!

Oh, Where Has My Turtle Gone?

Grice and his friend Noah found this little turtle on a canoe ride Saturday. "Stick" was spotted on a stick by Grice and Whoa! Nelly! we now have a pet turtle! They had the turtle in the garge in this little critter catcher thing which was all good. I had great intentions to encourage them to let the turtle go before the day was over. Well, little did I know that the turtle was taken to Grice's room where he was going to "live" for the rest of his turtle life. He was in the critter catcher, but as you can see in this picture that little turtle is a climbing turtle. After Noah went home and Grice went up to start getting ready for bed we heard this wailing coming from upstairs. I thought something serious had happened, and it had indeed! Stick was GONE! The fourfortenberrys instantly went on a turtle hunt. We searched the house over.....then.....who comes around the corner? Daisy.......the dog......the turtle eating dog?? The whereabouts of Stick are still a mystery........stay tuned.....

Stop Grumbling!

I thought I would share something that we talked about last week in BSF. Our speaker talked about grumbling in relation to the Israelites complaining to Moses about being thirsty as he led them out of Egypt. She mentioned a difference between expressing your needs and grumbling. When someone blames someone else for something that is called grumbling. How often do we do this? She continued to say that complaints lay right at the feet of God, and when we grumble we are grumbling against God. We have no right to complain against things because God has placed us where we are and provides all that we need, and it is always right on time. He engineers our circumstances so we will get what He wants us to get out of it. Whatever He is doing, He is fitting us for a plan. When He does provide something for us He is showing us His glory as he did for the Israelites by providing for them with water and manna. The conclusion of the lecture encouraged everyone to fast from grumbling and complaining for 24 hours. I walked out of the lecture and didn't even get down the hall when I caught myself complaining. Wow! It just shows how much we really do try to find fault in just about everything. The fasting has stuck with me for longer than 24 hours, and I am trying to stop it completely. I have had the most pleasant past 6 days!

Grumbling tears down, finds fault in everything, and keeps you from being thankful.

This is our Clubhouse!

This is a Clubhouse! It belongs to Anna and several of her friends who live near us. There are a couple of empty lots around us that the girls have staked claim to. They have gathered items to add some ambiance and have been spending a lot of time hanging out and guarding the property. No boys are allowed, of course.

The other day a neighbor from several houses down the street walked over and asked if I had seen anyone suspicious around her yard because her lounge chair was missing. She was a bit distraught and worried that it had been stolen. We discussed the situation and just came to the conclusion that the economy has led people to resort to stealing which resulted in her lounge chair disappearance. I went inside and got back to what I was doing when all of a sudden I had this feeling......you know the feeling.....a light bulb moment....a sort of hey! wait a minute kind of feeling.....like, I know where that chair might be......but oh, surely not!! I went and told Ted the whole story, and we marched right over to the clubhouse and low and behold, right there stretched out in lounge fashion for the Queen of Sheeba was that lady's chair! I did a big Motherly gasp and said, " how could they take this chair from someone's yard??" When the girls were confronted they said that the chair was found out in the middle of nowhere! Ted simply picked up the chair and carried it down the street and put it back in the nice lady's yard. She was not home at the time. That was several days ago......she has moved the chair back to the spot it was originally, but has no idea how the chair got back into her yard. The girls have been going to her house everyday after school to explain...that should be interesting to hear....and apologize, but she has not been home. They will apologize! and hopefully the Mrs. will have an understanding heart and not be too hard on them....afterall, the chair was out in the middle of nowhere!

Get Ready for Turkey!

Well, I spent the day yesterday packing up all of the Halloween "stuff".....it is just that....stuff.....
Costumes, wigs, pencils, skeleton flashlights, glowsticks that are out of glow, plastic teeth, and of course, spider rings! This "stuff" is everywhere so I have to go on a scavenger hunt through the house trying to find any little lost trinket. This must be done while the kids are at school or else I am stuck with this stuff on the kitchen counter until maybe next year! It is all put away in a big box in the attic where no one will see it until next Halloween. And it will be a joyous day when we open the big box and find the treasures that were forgotten!
But now we are on to the next celebration! Thanksgiving! I cannot believe how the year is flyng by. Christmas is practically here! We are going to be celebrating Thanksgiving "travelling style". If any of you live away from your family, you know, not in the town you grew up in with all of your relatives close by, you know that you must travel. This is just one of the cons of living far away. Every holiday is spent on the road in a car. Yes, we have travelled by plane, but this is certainly not the year to fly. It will take us about 12 hours to get home this year, but it is a small price to pay. I am so excited to see my new nephew, I get goose bumps thinking about it. And we are just ready to see our family. We love Myrlte Beach, but there is no place like home.
At 40 years old with two kids, I have never baked a turkey and wouldn't know where to begin. This is NOT a complaint. I don't really care for handling slippery, wet, raw turkeys. The food will be great and the fun will be.....FUN!

Halloween in the Neighborhood

Halloween Fun!!!

We had a fun time last night! It all started when the kids got off the bus......we rushed home and got costumes, wigs, etc. on and headed to the other side of the neighborhood where there we two parties going. Anna went to one party and I took Grice and his twin friends to the other. There were games, tons of food and just lots of fun. After all the Dads got there the kids loaded up on a trailer for a Hayride and trick or treating. I went home to give out candy. Ted , Anna and Grice made it home around 9:00. They had lots of candy and treats, and they were really tired. Around 10:00 Ted went upstairs to tuck Anna in and I went to take Daisy out to potty. This is our usual nightime ritual. Grice brushes his teeth and waits for me in his bed. Well, when I got back from walking Daisy I found Grice wrapped up in a blanket sound asleep on the rug in the foyer by the front door. I guess he was too tired to make it upstairs and passed out waiting for me by the front door. Ted said Anna fell asleep in the middle of her prayers. I have to say that it didn't take Mom and Dad long to fall asleep either. It was a fun night!