Seasons

Life is all about seasons, isn't it? Real seasons and holiday seasons, sports seasons, and then the other kinds of seasons, seasons of life... happiness, loss, anxiety, love, loneliness, and the busy season. What "season" are you in as your read this?They don't wait for each other, you know... they overlap. And, I am learning now more than ever that it is possible to have happy and sad ones all at one time. As I write this, it's Fall Season, and it's Football Season, and Fall Baseball Season, and this time is a very happy season in my marriage and family, but my heart aches every day for my brother who died 4 months ago, and for my parents and sister as they grieve with me in their own way. Funny how we can be so happy and so sad all at the same time. Here are some photographs from my current season in life.

Season's Greetings!

P.S. I leave you with one of my favorite quotes.. food for thought in this season. I first heard it in one of my favorite movies, Mr. Holland's Opus.

Life

Is

What

Happens

While

You're

Making

Other

Plans.

Have a great week!

So, I'm gonna try and be a real mom who cooks...

Look at these mistreated children eating fishsticks and broccoli... they deserve better! :)

I haven't quite gotten back into the swing of this after summer break, yet. But, with October right around the corner, I should probably go and ahead and start doing things like making dinner. Lately it's been very haphazard, lots of reheating, sandwiches, and whatever we can grab. It takes so much planning for me to do a good job with dinnertime, since I'm at work all day, exhausted when I get home, and have a short period of time for making and eating dinner because of sports and activities in the evenings. Well, I'm off to a good start by actually planning ahead this week. That's a start...nothing fancy, but it might get us around the table a few times!

Chicken Spaghetti

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Cheesebuger Mac

Wish me luck!

Kids Sports Cancelled = Garage Sales for Mom!

So long, Summer... one last summer pic of my son and his friend, Mike, running toward the beach to play! A rainy Saturday in Texas put me in the mood for Fall thrifting and decorating. Here we go, y'all! (Is it sacreligious to go ahead and put it out there that I enjoy Fall decorating more than Christmas?I think it may be because the colors match my house, and they can stay out longer!)

First of all, I had fun finding some gigantic pinecones. not sure what I'll do with all of them, but I'm sure I'll share it with you when I figure it out.

Steal of the day.... can't wait to use them on my Christmas table!

These weren't from today, but I can't remember if I ever shared.. bought them at The Dollar Tree... my kiddos think they are the coolest. The simplest things can turn Friday night into a special movie and popcorn night!

I've been wanting to try this for a while... like the snow? I added that just for fun with photo editing... probably will never get the real thing...

I'm really into pedestals right now... this was fun for $1!

If you look closely you can see the blocks in the first picture of the pedestal... I got three of those today, they had some bunnies or something on them. I spray painted them and keep in touch, I'm looking for inspiration, and I'm going to do something fun with them, too!

Back to School 2009

We all went "back to school" in Hooks, Texas this year. Dan, as a coach and P.E. teacher at Hooks High School, Tammy as a 5th grade Math teacher at Hooks Junior High (only responsible for one subject for the first time in 12 years of teaching... yahoo!), Bryce-4th grade (how did that happen so fast?), Jayden - Kindergarten (or as we are calling it, "Super Kindergarten" since he was barely old enough last year, we decided to give him an extra year in kindergarten), and Rylan in Pre-K, all at the elementary school. This is a super exciting year for us as it is the very first time that we are ALL going to school in the school district and the first year since Bryce was born over 9 years ago, that we are not paying for childcare. Also, very exciting for the sons of two schoolteachers, they get to ride a schoolbus... they are delivered to me afterschool at my building. Our little family is growing up... we do feel blessed, at peace, and we are loving a much simpler life as we grow accustomed to our "hick town", as my late brother told my grandmother after he visited us last year. Here are a few pictures ... I have been having fun on a new photo editing website try it...