Track Season.....so glad it is over

Well, I am not ashamed to say that I do not have a heart for track and field I enjoy it but the season just seams like it lasts forever!!  Jonah and Courtney runs track for the conditioning that they receive for cross country, but with track the meets are usually long, the weather is usually cold and well, it's usually very disorganized and you know me I can't stand that.  My heart just goes out for cross country. 

One thing that I do like about track and cross country is that the kids set their own goals and try to beat them.  This year BOTH Jonah and Courtney lettered so another bar goes on the Letterman jacket,

WHOOO HOO!!!!  I am so very proud of both of them.

Here are a few pictures to summarize the season along with the kids PR's for the season.

 Courtney's personal best for the 2012 track season

2012-04-14   800m      2:59.55PR       Hopkinsville Invitational  

2012-04-17   1600m    6:39.17PR       Sky Conference  

2012-05-01   3200m    15:20.07PR    Bowling GreenCity-County Meet  

2012-05-26   400m      1:16.36PR       KTCCCA Middle School State Championship

 Look at those legs of Jonah,

I don't think  he has an inch of fat anywhere on his body.

Jonah's personal best for the 2012 track season

2012-01-21   1 mile     5:11.86PR      Wildcat Classic

2012-01-21   800m     2:21.33PR      Wildcat Classic

2012-04-17  1600m    4:58.50PR      Sky Conference

2012-05-01   3200m   10:54.82PR     Bowling Green City-County Meet Track Banquet Pictures ~ Coach Winquist and Courtney Coach Eaton and Courtney Courtney and Katherine I think the picture is funny because all the girls except for Emily on the far left had lettered before so they were given this little bar to go on there letter.  It was cute the way they were holding it.  :) Academic All Stars for the high school team. Way to go, guys and girls!!! Courtney and Wade ~ We're going to miss this guy  as he goes off to college next year.  He's a great kid! Jonah with his bar for his letter :) Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. Luke 13:35 Blessings to all~ Carla

Ten Things on the 10th

1. I am addicted to the candy Now or Laters right now.  I loved them as a kid and then Phillip brought some home back around Easter and now I am hooked on them again.
2. It is hard to believe that we are in the middle of shopping for a car for Jonah right now.  Where has my little boy gone???
3. My migraines have decreased since March, can't figure out if it has anything to do my gallbladder sugery or changing jobs, both happened within a week of each other. 
4. The theme for our Summer series at church on Wednesday nights this summer is Building Stronger Families.  Last Wednesday night was our first lesson was Improving My Marriage by Improving Myself.  I am very excited about this summer series, it's focus is on the practical things in our relationship and will help even those not married.
5. Phillip and I sleep with a small fan in our room at night just for the noise.  Well last week, Jonah took the fan to camp, needless to say neither one of us could sleep that first night.  Finally about midnight I got up and turned on the blower in the bathroom so that we could set some sleep.  Who would have thought???
6. I listen to Dave Ramsey on the radio every afternoon on my way home from work.  It's only for 15 minutes or so, but that is the first thing I do when I get in my van is turn the radio to 99.7.  Talk radio, me really???????
7. I will say that I am HAPPY with the new blogger website, well new to me since I fell of the blogger wagon for about a year.  Uploading pictures and placing them in a post is soooooo much easier now. Thanks Blogger!!!! :)
8. It saddens me when I look at the blogs that I used to follow and REALLY only one of the original twenty or so bloggers that I was following in 2007, still blogs on a regular basis.  My hat goes off to you, Tiffany!  I really wish I had kept it up on a regular basis :( 
9. I just ordered something that I am sitting on the edge of my seat until it comes in.  I am like a kid at Christmas right now, it is all I do not to think about it.  I'll share it with you when it comes it.
10. In just two years Jonah will be getting ready to head off to college.  I find this so hard to believe and Courtney will be a Junior.  I can't imagine our house with only one child in it and then two years later the possibility, depending on where Courtney goes to school, our house being without kids.  I know that some time from know, but when you stop and think about it, it's not.  :(

Hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday!!!

LORD, be gracious to us! We wait for You. Be our strength every morning...

Isaiah 33:2

Blessings to all~

Carla

Another school year

Well another year of school has came to a close.  The last day of school for the kids was back in May and I now find it hard to believe that I am now the mother of a freshman and a junior, yes that is right both kids will be at the high school next year.  YIKES!!!! Where has the years gone?

Here is the first day of school picture taken August 9, 2011

And the last day of school picture taken May 24, 2012

Some interesting facts from the year.....

Jonah

• now 5'8"
• 10th grade
• favorite subject - Aviation
• favorite teacher - Mrs. Penny White (pre-ap English)
• favorite SWHS staff member was Me (Jonah told me to put that)
• activities - Beta club, student council, FCA, cross country (lettered), track (lettered)
• maintained a 3.9 GPA

Courtney

• now 5"5"
• 8th grade
• favorite subject - Algebra
• favorite teacher - Mrs. Lemily
• activities - KYA, cross country (lettered), track (lettered)
• maintained a 4.0 GPA

I thank the Lord everyday for blessing me with such wonderful children.

I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.

Jeremiah 29:11

Blessing to all~

Carla

Getting Ready for Summer

Let me just start by saying we went about purchasing a patio set all the WRONG way but it truly turned out to be the best decision (shopping wise) that I have made in a long time. Ha!! We've been looking everywhere for a patio set.  We did not want a glass top or chairs with cushions. 
Last Sunday after dropping Jonah and Courtney off at church camp, Phillip and I did a little shopping in TN.  We found everything that we were looking for except for a table.  On Monday, Phillip and I rode to Amish outdoor furniture store and look what we found.....

From the moment I saw it I knew it would be a match if it was black.  I offered the guy a little less for it then he had it marked at, which is something that I normally don't do.  But I ended up getting it for a bargain and couldn't wait until I could attack it with black spraypaint.

It is a really heavy table.  I can't wait to get it all together. 

Oh and the shape of the base, I love!!!! 

Phillip was so sweet and spent an hour putting the chairs together for me this evening.  I was a little anxious to see how they would look with the table.

Sadly, I didn't get a picture of the finished project on the chairs.  Since we are still working on our backyard project, we put the chairs and the table in the garage for the time being BUT at least they are READY to be used once we finish the backyard project.  Yes, this is the summer of projects :)

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Blessings to all~

Carla

15 things to accomplish this summer

I am a list girl.  I keep a running grocery list on the side of my refrigerator all the time.  I always have a to do list attached to the front of my calendar and by the way I still use a paper 8.5 x 11 calendar instead of my phone, there is something about seeing it on paper that I prefer over the calendar in my phone, plus I color coordinator the kids activities.  I know a little OCD. Ha!!

Back to my lists, at any given time you can ask me and I probably have some kind of list on me.  I love to mark things off that I have done, it gives me such a sense of accomplishment. :)

Usually, our schedules are a little lower key during the summer months so I try to use this time to do a few things around the house or as you read the list I am trying to set some goals to get a few things accomplished and usually if i set a a deadline for myself it helps to motivate me a little more.

Here goes......

1. redo my pantry
2. finish our backyard makeover
3. finish my 2011 scrapbook
4. get current on my 2012 scrapbook
5. get back on the Dave Ramsey program (still doing it, just been lazy with the budgeting, Ha!)
6. finish paying off my medical bills from my surgery in March
7. list and sell some extra creative memories items on ebay
8. paint front porch posts 7/29/12
9. paint the back door
10. find Jonah a car.....can't believe he's old enough to need one :(  6/12/12
11. Holiday World 6/19/12
12. frame family picture for living room 8/8/12
13. new pillows for kids beds 7/28/12
14. have a yard sale, YUCK!!!! (I would rather have by teeth pulled) 7/28/12
15. clean out my closet prior to #14 7/19/12

There's my list!!! 

Maybe I need to set an actually date, you know just saying summer, that's kinda vague.  Summer truly is not over until the end of September, we have company coming at the end of July, the kids start school the second week of August and I turn 3_ the last week of August.  So let's say my deadline is AUGUST 31st.  Whew!!!!  

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you...

Ephesians 1:18

Blessings to all~

Carla

Prom - May 19th

**Beware** possible picture overload :)

Let me just say is this not the cutest couple there is.  Jonah and Morgan has been

dating since October 26, 2011.  She's a senior and of course he's a sophomore,

but they make a perfect couple, they compliment each other so well.  Of course

she asked him, since it was her prom and she drove of course since Jonah

will not have his permanent license until August. 

I wanted good pictures so I took them to Convington Grove and needless to say,

they could not have turn out any better.

Where's my little boy????

This is one of my favorites :)

Is he not gorgeous????

For dinner, Wade H. and his family invited 11 couples to his house for dinner.  Several of us moms planned a dinner and served the kids prior to them attending the prom.  It was a great way for the kids to hang with their friends as a group without having to be rushed at a restaurant.  I thought it was great that we have the kids that enjoy the parents being around them.  I feel so blessed!!!

Morgan and Courtney just adores each other.  If Courtney is not home when Morgan comes by the house, she's a little let down and same with Courtney if she misses seeing Morgan when she comes by.

I have one thing to say and that is......

"I am one lucky momma to have a son like Jonah!"

"The Lord has done GREAT things for us, and we are filled with JOY!"

  Psalm 126:3

Blessings to all~

Carla

Hello June!!!!!

Confession, some days I spend hours reading and admiring fellow bloggers blogs.  Blogs of some ladies that I have no idea who they are but I am drawn to read their blog on a daily basis. I am addicted to their blogs but I can't seem to find the time to keep my blog current!!!  AND every time that I read their blogs I tell myself that I'm going to start blogging again on a regular basis and then I don't.  Well yesterday, I read through my blog and I wanted to cry, there were stories in there that I had forgotten about, memories that I cherished, memories that if it wasn't for my blog....well.  Then I was sadden, because I HAD STOPPED BLOGGING like I used to......UGH!!!  Yes, it is time consuming but WOW, the documentation of my family's life that is in this blog, sadly to say more so then what is in my scrapbooks. So here I am, I am going to try to do better and blog more frequently, I love it, why not do it!!!

His love is perfected in us.

1 John 4:12

Blessings to all ~

Carla

Morgan's Graduation

Jonah and I attended Morgan's graduation this afternoon.  

It's hard to believe that this year is over and that Morgan has now graduated and

 in two years it will be Jonah and then four years it will be Courtney....YIKES!!!!

I will never forget the first time I meet Morgan.  It wasn't by way of Jonah, it was Leslie Hutcheson who introduced Morgan and I a couple days before school started this year.  I was in my office when the two of then came by, they had been making spirit posters for the first day of school.

They do make a cute couple!

It's going to be hard to see her leave in the fall for University of Tennessee,

we are all going to miss her. 

 She has grown to be a big part of our family.  I love this girl!!!

...make the most of every opportunity.

Colossians 4:5

Blessings to all ~

Carla

Easter

After a wonderful weekend of Lads to Leaders/Leaderettes, we closed out the weekend with a wonderful Easter service lead by several young men whom had participated in the Lads to Leaders speech and song leading over the weekend.  The service and singing was wonderful as usual.  After the service we walked down to the fountain to take a few pictures before heading back to BG, it so pretty inside the Opry Land Hotel.  It's hard to believe that the area we are standing in was under water just a couple years ago when the Cumberland River flooded along with Opry Mills.

After pictures and packing everything up we headed to BG, making it back just in time for lunch at the Olive Garden.  We then spent the afternoon weeding the flower beds instead of looking for Easter eggs.  Which sad to say the flower beds needed it desperately and would have made excellent hiding grounds for Easter Eggs.  Ha!  I hadn't been able to do much since my gallbladder gone bad surgery back in March, so it felt good to be able to be out in the yard.  However I'm not so sure the kids enjoyed it. :)

Easter morning at the Opry Land Hotel

Our wonderful friends the Sowders, we love this family!!!

But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;

Let those also who love Your name be joyful in You.

Psalm 5:11

Blessings to all~

Mirror Mirror

Have you seen this movie yet? Courtney and I had a girls night out and saw it.  It was so cute! And actually really funny, too. It was weird to see Julia Roberts in the role of the villain, but she did a great job!  I've always loved her as an actress.

Courtney and I really enjoyed the girl time and the movie with the guys tagging along and actually picking out a shooting up bang, bang.  This afternoon was exactly what we needed!

Blessings to all~
Carla

Hunger Games

Jonah and Courtney both attended the midnight premiere of the Hunger Games last night with several other friends from South Warren.  Based on the popular three-book series, the movie theater sold over 900 tickets for the midnight movie.  It was sold out months before the movie.  Luckily Phillip bought their tickets when they went on sale back in February.

The kids arrive at the theater around 8:45 but kids had been there since 5:00.  Courtney said that they let everyone enter the theatre around 10:00, but the movie did not start until, YES, midnight.  Courtney said that the theater employees sported "Hunger Games" T-shirts, and they led the audience in "Hunger Games" chants.  Phillip, oh how I love the man, set his alarm and picked the kids up from the movies around 2:30 a.m. and seeing how the premiere was on a school night the kids had to be up at 6:00 a.m.  Yes, they were ALL tired but made it through the day, I think.

Blessings to all~
Carla

Gallbladder Surgery

Let me just start out by saying this certainly did not go as planned.

Phillip and I was told 30 minutes and I would be in recovery.  I had made plans to be at work the next day and up until the day before my surgery I really hadn't told anyone.  In fact my friend Diane asked if she could come and sit with Phillip and I said, "no, it's a simple procedure, I'll be home in no time."  But no, who would have thought that once the Dr made his first incision at my bellybutton that he would find me bleeding inside.  He then had to make a five inch incision to figure out where the bleeding was coming from and to stop the bleeding.  Long story short, Dr. Campbell put my gallbladder surgery on hold in order to figure out the cause of  the bleeding and then once everything was under control which he never found the reasoning for the bleeding he then proceeded with my gallbladder surgery.   He said he had never seen anything like it. 

Two in a half hours later, Dr Campbell finally meets Phillip in a holding room, which Phillip said was odd since all the other Dr's were coming out and speaking to their patients in the lobby.  He was asked by a nurse to wait in another room from Dr. Campbell.  Phillip said he was panicked, thinking the worse and then Dr. Campbell came out and said, "there's been some complications."  Phillip said his heart sank.

Meanwhile....I was aroused by the nurses and I believe Dr. Campbell in the recovery room that they were taking me to CT for a complete body scan in order to rule out any interior bleeding and I was out again.  I had no clue what had happened.

My CT can back negative, praise the LORD but my blood count was extremely low so I was in the hospital for two wonderful nights.  Phillip spent the night on a roll-a-way bed both nights with me.  The first night I got really sick and was thankful he was there.  I would have never made it to the bathroom in time and there would have been black cherry jello everywhere if Phillip wasn't there to help...... GROSS!!!

This was my dinner the first night that I was in the hospital and no that is not potato soup, it's cream of celery soup, yeah, who eats cream of celery soup.  I traded in my chocolate ice cream for vanilla and ate a couple bites of my jello and I was done.  Actually every meal was similar to this, not very grand.
    

He sent His word and healed them...

Psalm 107:20

Blessings to all ~

Carla

Wordless Wednesday

Blessings to all~

2012...Really!!!

Really, is it 2012, already!!! Seems like just yesterday Phillip and I were getting married, yet this year we will celebrate our 19th anniversary. Here's just a short summary of what happened in the world in 2011....

• Death of Bin Laden
• Prince William and Kate got married
• A tsunami and earthquake hit Japan on March 11,2011, triggering a massive 23- foot tsunami. The 9.0 magnitude offshore quake, the largest in Japan's history
• 9/11 – 10 years of Commemoration
• New York passing gay marriage law :(
• Apple Co-founder Steve Jobs dies on October 5th (1955-2011) 

Blessings to all ~
Carla

Vinyl Creations

I am loving my cricut right now more then ever, especially with the possiblities that you can do with vinyl.  A friend of mine's little girl is turning three, so she wanted a few personalized items for the party.  The party theme is of course a Ho, Ho, Ho party, that's what the little girl wanted since her birthday is right before Christmas how cute is that!!!!. The plate was a ceramic plate from Southern Home.  Then the small bucket already had the stripes and I added the green circle with her intial, it's from Bath and Body.   The big bucket was just a solid red bucket from Hobby Lobby, she plans on putting the party favors in here.  All of which she can reuse except for the plate and of course the vinyl can be removed. 

I can't wait to see the pictures of the party.

Blessings to all~
Carla

Remembering...

Ten years ago, today....

GOD BLESS AMERICA

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

2 Chronicles 7:14

Blessings to all ~

Carla

Team Photos

SWHS 2011

Cross Country Team

 Being silly

 Middle School Team

High School Team

 Elementary Team

Our team has grown since last year, new faces and old.  Looking forward to an

Awesome year, can't wait to see what our runners do this year.

Blessings to all ~
Carla

She's a Teenager!!

It's hard to believe that thirteen years ago I was introduced to this precious little girl for the first time and immediately, I was in love. 

Today was a CRAZY day for a birthday, but I think it will be a day that she'll never forget.  Being a saturday and in the middle of track season of course she had the Greater Gator Meet at WKU.  Along with cheering for Courtney in her races everyone would yeal Happy Birthday to her as she ran by as well, so by the end of the meet I think everyone knew it was her birthday. 

After the meet we went to Nashville to Fleet Feet, so that she could get a running stick (something that she wanted) then we had dinner at Carrabbas. Yum! Yum!

Thought I would share 13 things about Courtney on her Thirteen Birthday!!!!

1. she loves to read
2. she is very creative
3. her hair is starting to turn wavy like mine did at this age
4. she loves to mix match her socks and she loves knee snocks especially unique ones
5. likes her quality "me" time
6. loves music
7. sings in the shower
8. she is awesome in math (she was horrible in math when she was little but next year will be in H.S. algebra)
9. she is awesome at drawing ( I can't even draw a stick person )
10. she is a very kind hearted young lady
11. she has her blonde moments
12. wears a size 7.5 to 8 shoe
13. loves lots, I mean LOTS of pickles on her sandwhich

Love that girl!!!

Blessings to all~
Carla

Happy Mother's Day