Life with my sister

My boys and I loaded up last Wednesday and headed west to the Lone Star state to have Thanksgiving at my grandparents. There were 25 of us. It was great fun. Marmie (my mama) loved having us there. We had not been in 5 years. Here she is stealing some love from H while he was still pacified by his DVD player. He is so rotten. How did we ever live without DVD players in the backseat?! He never cried on the 6 hour trip because of the Veggie Tales on DVD. It was fun for a while until Randall and I started talking in Veggie Tale accents to one another. I love my Betty Jo. We staged the picture with the ham and I threw my arm up on my hip for the shot. She is too cute and fun. I wish she lived next door to me. I really, really do! I am always amazed at how the meal is perfectly displayed, warm and delicious, and there is always enough for our large group. I hope I have her genes. I like to think I do. Thanksgiving with my favorite boys! Can I just say I wish I was half the mom that Randal...

David and Daniel earned their Arrow of Light award last night and crossed over from being Cub Scouts to become Boy Scouts. I am one proud Auntie! Yes, this is Aunt Abby and not their mom writing this. She is busy packing up their home to move them to a new one. I did not want to miss the opportunity to brag on these precious boys. I hope Henry is as disciplined, faithful, loving and convicted as his Juju's boys. What a blessing it is to be their aunt! I adore these look-a-like faces more than this keyboard will express! Abby

Two weeks ago Stephen was asked by the deacons at First Baptist Star City to resign. It was a complete surprise to us, we had no idea this was in the works, no idea that anyone was that unhappy. We walked around in a daze the first part of the week. We had people to contact. Wee had to find a house, find a job, decide where we were going to live. We also had to keep God center in our lives, keep our children calm and "in the loop" and remind each other that God is good, God is in charge and in control. Although we were walking around in a daze we were still feeling the prayers of God's people. I remember the Monday night after it happened, I went to bed and was re-thinking the day, I realized that it had been much easier than I could have imagined. Sure, I cried. Sure, I yelled. But it was nothing like what I thought it would have been. And then I realized that it was because people were praying. Friends would text me throughout the days and remind me they were praying fo...

Today we are eating it up and giving thanks for the blessings we so often take for granted . It makes me think of this sweet song that my girl Paige sang at our wedding in 2003. What a wonderful memory and beautiful lyrics. I hope your day is full of gratitude and blessings. There's nothing like the warmth of a summer afternoon Waking to the sunlight, and being cradled by the moon Catching fireflies at night Building castles in the sand Kissing Mama's face goodnight Holding Daddy's hand Thank you Lord, how could I ask for more Running barefoot through the grass A little hide and go seek Being so in love, that you can hardly eat Dancing in the dark, when there's no one else around Being bundled 'neath the covers, watching snow Fall to the ground Thank you Lord, how could I ask for more So many things I thought would bring me happiness Some dreams that are realities today Such an irony the things that mean the most to me Are the memories that I've made along the ...

It's Thanksgiving week! I won't be with my extended family this week, but will be with Stephen's parents instead. We are headed to Branson , with a quick stop in Fort Smith to have dinner with my friend Cindy. Thanksgiving dinner will be eaten at Shoney's , Cracker Barrel or Golden Corral. I don't know which one, but I'm sure we'll have plenty to eat. I'm making a couple of pies to take with us, so we'll have a little taste of Thanksgiving in our hotel room. Silver Dollar City is so pretty decorated for Christmas, we love going there this time of year. Well, you know better than that. We love going there anytime of year! What are your Thanksgiving plans? Yesterday we went 4 wheeler riding on a friends property. I so wished I had my camera or even my phone to take pictures. The kids had a blast! Everyone got to drive and I got my first good look at how my children are going to be behind the wheel. Samuel and David are good drivers. Daniel may not ever...

It is party time at our house. We have birthdays galore in the next few weeks and fun holiday celebrations. It is a busy, fun time and this little mama is excited! Today is my hunky husband's birthday. He is 35 and alive! Henry and I are so proud we get to celebrate him all day long! We are so blessed to have him for another year :) Our sweet little Piper Jo had her 2nd birthday this past weekend. She is Henry's best girl. I love these two precious pups. Henry loved being the only boy at her party! This week we had Henry's Thanksgiving feast at school. He ate 3 helpings of mashed "taters" and would have eaten more if he could have. He loves a tater. He also loves Piper. Oh my...those two! Their reactions are priceless. I have to remind him Piper's Daddy is "the law" and wears a gun. Oh, Henry! Here's to a week of eating and celebrating! Abby

This week we had a charity event at work. I coordinated the shindig and had a ball. I love a part-a! We raised money for 5 local charities and ate real good. Leslie (in the pic with me) and I love to eat good so we enjoyed being in charge of the food. I found this cheese tray in shape of a tree on the Pinterest and insisted we had to have it! It was much better in person. This photo was taken at a bad angle, but I was too busy hosting to be taking photos for Food Friday...just sayin ! This is not food related, but this tree and I have had some rounds and I think I am finally ahead! I decorated our work tree in mid-October for a November issue of our local magazine. They did a feature story on our event and came and took photos. We moved the tree to the back of the building until it was acceptable to have a tree on display in the lobby... and it all fell apart. We brought it out last week and I redecorated it. Then, the next day the lights decided to burn out. So, I undecorated it, stru...

I don't think I've told you that Samuel and Daniel are playing basketball for a homeschool co-op in Pine Bluff. We have friends that use the co-op and they asked if Samuel would like to play basketball for their junior high team. Well of course he wanted to. I had just told Stephen that we had to get that boy in some kind of competitive sport with a ball or he was going to go crazy ( or maybe I was going to go crazy!) He was carrying a ball with him everywhere he went just aching to throw it, shoot it or hit it. The team practices every Tuesday and Thursday in Pine Bluff. Practice was going good for a couple of days and then they realized they didn't have many players and asked if the twins would like to play. So, Daniel, my 10 year old, is playing for the jr . high team. It isn't ideal for him or the team, but he is able to let some of the players rest a bit. We have played six games and have lost them all. But we lose with great spirit! One game ended in a tie and we...

For the last few days there our home has been filled with the aroma of trash. It hasn't been pleasant. We have taken the trash out multiple times a day, we've washed the trash cans, cleaned out the frig. I couldn't get rid of the trash smell. But the more cleaning I did, the more localized the odor became. Yesterday we narrowed it down to Samuel's room. He took all his dirty clothes to the laundry room (why he doesn't do that everyday is beyond me.) and said that he had found a wet towel under the clothes. He was certain that was the odor culprit. And because I wanted the smell gone, I agreed. This morning I got up, walked down the hallway, which ends at Samuel's room, and was knocked backwards by the stench . Oh my! It was awful. I decided to do school first and then deal with the stench . But, it couldn't wait. I called Samuel in his room and even he said "this is nasty." He was speaking of the smell, but he could also have been speaking about th...

I have been singing this song all morning! Abby

Creamy Tacos. They are so good. I am having a Sunday School party Mexican fiesta potluck tonight at our humble abode and plan to serve this goodness to my friends. It is a recipe that brings lots of love and memories with it. We did a family cookbook in 2004 and we had our good friends Aynn, Gay and Vicki all submit this recipe with a story of why they love it. It is goodness, for sure! Ingredients: 1 lb. ground beef 1 can Rotel tomatoes and green chiles 1 pint whipping cream 1 can chili beans 1 large box velveeta fritos Preparation: Brown ground beef and drain. Put this in slow cooker/Crock Pot. Add whipping cream , chili beans, and stir. Cut velveeta in chunks and place in slow cooker/Crock Pot. Stir all of this and cook on low for 1-2 hours. Serve over fritos. Note: I also top with sour cream, black olives, onion, lettuce, and salsa. Here is the sweet little foodie eating a sucker after loosing a fight with the spaghetti. So cute! Happy Food Friday! Abby

The other night the kids and I were watching a replay of the 1978 Orange Bowl where Arkansas beat Oklahoma. They laughed at the lack of camera angles and kept asking what the score was and why it wasn't in a box at the top of the screen. I told them I had watched that game that night and that just confirmed in their minds that I am ancient, my days are short my friends. I told them I remembered it because something really wonderful happened that night. My Grandaddy was a preacher and for some reason had a Living Bible laying on top of his tv. Do you remember this Bible? It was hardback, yet had a soft green cover. Strange. Anyway. I noticed that it said Living Bible on it and I asked Grandaddy if I read it did that mean I would live forever. He said, with a smile on his face (a smile that I miss), that if I read it and believed it then yes, I would live forever! I didn't understand the concept of eternity in Heaven but I did get the concept of the Bible, believing, and a foreve...

My little turkey can say "gobble gobble" and "give thanks". It makes my Mama heart so proud. He is a sponge and I love it! This week I am making a thankful tree for us to have on the table at dinner time. It has made me think of all the little bitty things we have to be thankful for. Henry absorbing things and learning so much is something I am most thankful for this year. He has been saying his ABC's for about 2 months now and it is clear as a bell. You can even start at any given letter and he will pick it up and finish it. So smart! He is counting to 14. I have the cutest video of he and his daddy counting but downloading videos is my downfall. I don't take time to do it. Maybe I will this week if time allows. His little voice melts my insides. He also knows all his shapes. You can even throw out a diamond or an octagon and he will tell you exactly what it is. You should hear him say "octagon". Preciousness! It makes me laugh because it is sur...

Daniel scored the first big buck of the family. We are so proud...but not near as proud as he is. Look at that smile!

Do you love deer chili? I do. Since my hunky hunter likes to shoot ducks more than deer, his fun-loving Uncle Tim scored me a deer. We gave him 2000 pounds of corn and in return he was to get me a deer. I texted him last weekend and asked, "you killing my deer, boy?". He responded, "I am working on it, dear!" So, this week I got the text that said, "I got your deer, woman". I love that man. He had it processed and ground up for me. Now I just have to go get it and we will have chili at our house! I cannot wait to make these. Don't they look so fun? Henry LOVES a mini Nutter Butter. When he says "cookie"this is what he wants. Don't give him a mini Oreo, Chips Ahoy or Ritz pb cracker...the boy knows! think I will make these for him this month. Maybe take them to Texas for Thanksgiving?! This is a photo off of the internet. But honestly, doesn't everyone's muffin pan look like this?! Anyway, I like the idea of throwing some jiffy c...

Thanks to Pinteres t I have a post for today. I am in a witty mood and have little to post about today. So, here we have it: This is so true....so.so.so.VERY true. I am Abby and I am a Diet Cokeaholic. This makes me laugh and there is really no need to leave me comments about it...I know, I know. But you know... I need this on my my email signature. I apologize for my misuse of grammar for past and all future posts, emails and Facebook updates. I was an English scholar back in the day. That day is gone. This makes me laugh outloud because it hits real close (Love ya, Mama!) You know it! Everyday. Every stinkin day I am Snufflin like a rock star! And can I get an AMEN!! There is not enough Germ-X to get us to Spring. Abby

There are dates on the calendar that bring back memories. Sure Dec. 25, Feb. 14, Aug. 8 and Aug. 14 are dates that bring back memories. But there are those other dates that when I look at my calendar and see them my heart leaps with joy at the memories, or it falls to the pit of my stomach. This week is a mixture of both. My first date was on Oct. 31. I was a sophomore in high school (& way to young to date), a senior asked me out, and because of his good reputation, and to save me huge embarrassment , my parents let me go. I was so excited. And nervous. Before I could go on my date I had to take my 7 year old sister trick-or-treating. Sounds harmless, but it wasn't. Abby was dressed as a cross between Tina Turner and Cyndi Lauper . Oh, it was just bad, but she loved it. I wish I had a picture. I was hoping to get back so I could hide her before my date showed up but wouldn't you know he was early & I was on time and he saw her. I was so embarrassed, but he thought she...