The Story of My Life

With the passing of my MawMaw, I finished up the series of photographs I had been working on. I have been working on some final touches tonight.I am going to have a canvas done of each of these to hang on my walls in my family/antique room. Each of my grandparents and even a great-grandparent are represented with something cherished. What do ya think?

I am really not sure how to begin the tale of Baby Girl's 5th birthday party. We had it at home and her only request was a pinata. Her Daddy got up really early the day of the party and went to a Mexican grocery store to have a good selection and get a "good one". There are lots of pertinent facts from here on in the story. ** It was one of those days when the temperature was in the teens and the high below freezing. **The year prior we had a pinata that you pull strings out of to win. She wanted a real one to hit. Daddy held it last year and the sweet little darlings pulled the strings until all the loot fell out. ***After the helpful employees at the Hispanic American grocery got the...and I quote....Gringo...a pinata down from the huge selection, he happily brought it home where we filled it with bags and bags of treats for the children. Now, you have just read about my family's tendencies to do things that are somewhat out of the ordinary and, well stupid. So I h...

A clean house is the sign of a wasted life! I am going to try to spend time on more important things this week. (Like reading with my kids, lying on the couch with my fav white blanket, working on the family tree and photography , Watching my TV shows that I missed last week, blogging, facebooking .....Just enjoying the little things. I am usually OCD clean freak, but am inspired to use my time for other things this week. I am sure I am still a clean freak to some, but I am trying to remember this motto as much as I can. Who sees my house anyways but me and the people who MESS IT up AS I clean?

Guess Who????? Friday night I had the pleasure of meeting with a bunch of Helena Bloggers. We had a blast, shared stories and talked like old friends. It is nice to go out with people you feel comfortable and have things in common with. We laughed and laughed...and laughed some more. Meeting someone in real life that you communicate with daily through the blog world is a unique experience. I have been so blessed this past year to make these new friends. Can't wait until next time, Society of Helena Bloggers- unless it is craft night. I will bring my flute, my camera, of course.... and my perm rods, extra small. We can meet at my house for Rock Band and pizza. I won't be cooking it, of course. Take your charter member badge and post on your site PROUDLY if you want. UPDATE!!!!!!!! Here is one for ALL Helena Bloggers who attended the morning event, minus the night pics..... or if you didn't attend and wish you had. Sorry, didn't mean to leave anyone out!

The winner of the family's STOOPIDIST things contest is (drum roll please......) MY SISTER..... she is the old one in the pic above.....looks good to be kinda dumb, doesn't she....!) For catching a bag of fireworks on fire in the floorboard of her car at a GAS STATION and throwing it OUT THE WINDOW!!!!!. A close second goes to: My MOTHER for running through a beauty shop wall and window while driving with a PINK cast on her foot. MY AUNT J for leaving her car running in the garage for 4 hours which ties with MY UNCLE C losing HIS car in the Brookwood Medical Center Parking Garage for over 5 hours. An honorable mention goes to- ME for locking myself out in a nightie and breaking a window with my BARE hand to get in Several votes were cast for the CURLING IRON TONGUE test....which, I admit was me also--when I was a stoopid teenager MY MOTHER once again for being a human trash compactor. Thanks for all the votes and comments on our family's lack of intelligence. I will be cre...

I have been on a blogging break this past week with the hectic and busy life we have had. I do have lots of things to blog about, just can't seem to find the time to sit down and get it all down in words. -The results from the STOOPID family contest -Baby Girl's 5th birthday party and the Pinata Fiasco Fun- including photos, of course -Family Stories and some new Photography in my heirlooms collection- including an Ancestry.com review and geneaology update -1st annual BLOGGERFEST FUN!!!! -My son's first official vandalism act and ensuing punishment And more.... Stay tuned. More to come this weekend and the upcoming week!!! In the meantime, Dustbunny........ THIS IS FOR YOU!!!!!

My grandmother lived the longest, fullest, healthiest, happiest life of anyone I have ever know. What a legacy she left to all of us. I never saw her without a smile on her face and something to do with her day. I am sure the smile on her face is huge today as she looks down on her 4 kids, 11 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great-grandchildren. We celebrated her 95th birthday with her several months ago. Today, we celebrate her life.

We visited Colorado on our family vacation for 2008 and it was one of the best trips ever. As I researched for my blog posts AFTER my trip, I was fortunate enough to stumble upon a really neat, creative guy from Colorado that I have since become a huge fan of.... Steve, the Colorado Guy. "My name is Steve and I live in Buena Vista, Colorado. This web site started as an itty -bitty little web site in 2000, and slowly but surely it grew in traffic and became a massive hobby of mine. This web site is my excuse to explore the mountains , photograph Colorado scenery and visit new places as much as possible." If you have not checked him out thus far in your time in blogosphere , please do. I am sure you will become a fan and regular visitor to his many sites of interest as well. Whether it be to read about his: Biking Across America , (AN AMAZING FEAT and story.....) Quest for ALL the High Points in the US , Altitude Snob list , Dunkin donuts page, BEAUTIFUL pictures of fourt...

We had a Mini-party last night for Baby Girl WHO TURNS 5 Today!! Note a pizza that she and her Daddy made together has her candle. Her with her present- a DS....and the Birthday dress and hairbow that did not even make it out of the door this morning....but is SO CUTE. Seems like just yesterday we just brought her home from the hospital..... And then our little Princess turned ONE. Then Cutie Pie Celebrated the Terrible.....Terrific Twos! And the Wonderful, exciting 3 year old portrait..... in Sunny Florida. Then the BIG GIRL turned 4! *****On a side, sad note...Here is MawMaw holding her the day she came home from the hospital and at her 1st Princess party. Everyone please say a little prayer of peace for my 95 year old grandmother and Baby Girl's Great grandmother. She is on hospice care and will not be with us much longer. We love you MawMaw and Ally plays the harmonica just like you..... The official party and 5 year portrait will be up soon! I LOVE YOU BABY GIRL!!!

My daughter never ceases to amaze me. Do not get me wrong, my sons amazes me too, but in just totally different ways. Example 1- MY SON LOSES EVERYTHING. MY DAUGHTER KNOWS WHERE EVERYTHING IN THE HOUSE IS. The item of loss this week was his library book. We searched and searched. The next morning, after he lost his library privilege the day before, He was trying to get me to pay for the book so he could go back to the library. I asked Miss Priss if she knew where the book might be. She had seen us looking frantically for it, yet never made a comment. " Um, yes. His book is in the grey car, in front of my car seat, in the pocket where I keep my movies. I put it in there when we went to Tucker Park the other day so it would not get lost." And, indeed it was. Example 2- My DAUGHTER is VERY OBSERVANT. We pass by the same route daily. A new building in front of Publix is going up, quite rapidly. She asked, "What is the new building going to be?" I said I wasn't re...

On January 7th it will be my ONE YEAR BLOG anniversary. I asked my husband how many posts he thought I had done in one year and he said, oh maybe 150 or so. I said OK, so I won't tell you the real number. ....... 307 . And 1800 pictures or so in my Album at Picasa. Crazy to some!! Perfectly normal for me. So to celebrate my Blog anniversary, here is a tribute to myself. Well, to my blog. I really can't imagine not having a blog and wonder why I waited so long to start one. In the beginning, I wrote more thoughtful, actual creative writing pieces. Since I have been working a real job other than blogger lately, it has evolved into a diary of such, but I do intend to write some more reviews, ponderings and reflections in the new year. I have met some amazing friends through the blogging world, and actually many of them in real life. I have received gifts, encouragement and true friendship from bloggers that have made my life much richer in the past year, although I have had to lim...

My favorite gift this season came from my sister in law. A super cool t-shirt from my FAVORITE boutique in my old stomping ground. My sister has one and I coveted it. So my sister-in-law surprised me with it Christmas Eve. Such a thoughtful gift and SUCH A COOL T-shirt. I have worn it so many times already. Anyways- the quote is an Oscar Wilde one. And he has others that equally belong on a t-shirt: --Always forgive your enemies - nothing annoys them so much. --To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all. --Education is an admirable thing. But it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught. --There are only two tragedies in life: one is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it. --America is the only country that went from barbarism to decadence without civilization in between. --They spoil every romance by trying to make it last forever. --Ordinary riches can be stolen, real riches cannot. In yo...