my husband rocks~early mornings~

Michael is really great in the mornings when he has to get up before me. He is quite as a mouse and never wakes me with all his stirring. I'm usually the first one up in the mornings, but he goes in early on Fridays so I get the treat of having him wake me. I'm not sure how he gets ready so quietly but I appreciate those little gestures of love. Michael is one of the most considerate people I know and this is just one of the many ways he shows it. Thanks Baby.

Busy, Busy, Busy

Every year when Branson's birthday rolls around it seems we are incredibly busy. Busy looking for Halloween costumes, busy going to fall festivals, busy trick-or-treating,busy making cupcakes to send to class, busy getting party supplies together, busy making the invitation, busy picking out the stuff for the gift bags you send home with the children invited to the birthday party(who's idea was that?), busy picking out a great present, busy making the cake, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Truth is I love it all. I love going to all the fall festivities, I love pondering over the theme and location of your parties. I don't love struggling with the computer to get the invitation just right, but I love when it comes out just like I envisioned it. I love shopping for everything right down to the bags we fill for the other kids.

More than anything else I enjoy making the cakes for Branson's parties. I have made several cakes for Branson and although it is a lot of work, I have had so much fun. Here are a few...

racing themed party for age 8
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campfire cake for age 7



bowling for age 6

skateboard for age 5

my husband rocks~Veteran's Day~

Michael and Branson spent the day together on Wednesday due to the Veteran's Day holiday. They started the day by sleeping in and then heading off to the college where Michael works. Branson got to shoot a few hoops in the new gym and also meet the new coach who just happens to be a retired NBA player. Branson had stars in his eyes as he told me how he was invited to help coach the EOCC Weevils during this Sunday's game.

A walmart trip was in the plan so Bran could pick up a new DS game with his birthday money. Funny thing is they came home with 2 new DS games because somehow Dad got suckered into buying one too.

To re-energize for the rest of the day they headed over to Ruby Tuesday's for lunch. Branson got to pick the spot as a reward for good conduct in class recently. After getting their bellies full they decided to check out the military surplus store. Now, I can only imagine what this place must be like to an 8yr. old boy. It is just full of all types of military items like clothes, canteens, bullets, tents, cots, you name it. Needless to say they can home with a healthy stash of goodies. Branson purchased a whip, numb chucks, a grenade and a WWII bullet as long as his forearm. He was all grins as I walked through the door and couldn't wait to tell me all about his day with his Dad.

Lucky for me the camo duffle I had ordered for him came in that day, so I got to get in on the cool gift giving too.

Another soccer season has come to an end for the Green Dragons. We had a very successful season coming out undefeated in the 6-7 year old league. Our team works well together and we saw their skills increasing in every game. We saw lots of communication, fancy footwork, speed and sportsmanship in our kids this fall season.

I'm sad to say Branson wants to play football in the coming year so we'll see if we return to the soccer fields again. I love football but I've been against him playing since he was born. We'll see just how persuasive he and his father can be.

Roll Tide Roll!

Looks like we pulled out another game and beat those nasty LSU Tigers. It's one thing to be a good team but to be so heavily penalized is shameful for LSU. I guess this means were headed back to a meeting with Florida. Let's hope we don't have any official problems in that game. I know we got a call in our favor on that interception last night, but in my opinion Florida has been handed 2 games because of poor calls from the officials. I don't know what their coach said that got him fined $30,000 but he should have been saying "thanks" to the officials if he said anything.

my husband rocks~the school cafeteria~

Michael stopped in the eat lunch with Branson at school on Friday. This is something Branson mentioned to his Dad so I know he was excited when he arrived unexpectedly. The kids eat in the classroom on Fridays under the supervision of the parents who visit while the teachers get a small break in the hallway. After shuffling through the line,choosing the traditional flat pepperoni pizza, side salad and fruit, they headed back to the classroom to find a spot at their desks. Michael talked with another Dad there who happened to be a high school classmate of his. He eats with his daughter every Friday and said Branson is always well mannered during his time there. I know this must have made Michael feel proud because we have been working hard to help Branson improve his conduct at school.

Peanut Festival

We headed to Dothan on Sunday for the Annual Peanut Festival Fair. Branson invited Okley for the rides and I invited Berita for the concert. Chip, Gloria and Bryson decided to go with us at the last minute. They followed us to pick up Berita and that's when it happened.

SETUP-As you exit the driveway you must turn right(Hwy 231N) to get to an access in the median to be able to go left(Hwy 231S) but Michael tried to cross the median of Hwy 231 where there was no access. I yelled "you can't cross here" so he stopped. That's when, in front of the big black and white sign pointing RIGHT he turned left(south) in the north bound lane. Again, I yelled "what are you doing"(not a question). All the while 2 seven year olds were telling scary stories to each other in the back seat, Berita was trying to show me the 2 new pair of shoes she bought, the radio was blasting and the sun was in his face. When we were safely in the median I looked back and Gloria had pulled the same move. Lucky for us no traffic was coming in our direction from the north bound lanes. After I finished laughing hysterically, I told Michael "lucky for him this wasn't our first date". I called our friends on the cell to let them know we had not been drinking and we made it to the fairgrounds without further incident.

The boys had a great time and they were big enough to ride some of the more thrilling, big kid rides. Watching them on the hang-glider, seeing the thrill and uneasiness of the unknown, was worth every dollar we paid for those armbands. Branson's head was down and his boots were flying off by the end of the ride. The crazy house,with the moving floors and silly mirrors, was also a big hit and they ran through it many times.They tried their luck at the games and Branson won a stuffed animal for target shooting. Later we restocked the energy supply with soda, corn dogs and cotton candy. .

We chose Sunday because Lady Antebellum was in concert that evening and I am in love with their latest hits. They sounded great and during "Need You Now" a shooting star fell across the sky. I happen to be filming at the time and it just melted my heart. To beat the traffic, we left during the last two songs of the night. The kids were fast asleep before we were out of Dothan. It was a great night.

Happy Halloween

We had a sticky, sweet Halloween this year. Branson wanted to do the traditional house-to-house trick or treating this year so we spent the evening roaming a local neighborhood with a few other friendly characters. He was dressed as a member of the S.W.A.T. team and his friend Bryson was a soldier. We also had 2 friendly witches and 2 zombies from the Thriller video.

It was cold and windy as we headed through the neighborhood. As the kids were busy going door to door our attention quickly turned to the sky. Due to the rain that had moved through the area a beautiful rainbow had formed. It was a full, high arch rainbow with all it's color clearly visible. Adding to the beauty of the scene was the setting sun casting it's golden light everywhere, known to photographers as the golden hour . It was one of the most visually stunning, unforgettable scenes I've ever seen. Unfortunately, I didn't bring my camera along because I figured the kids would be too busy to pose for photos.

As true darkness fell we headed back to the house where more treats were waiting..
Gloria warmed our bones with spicy taco soup, green goblin dip(guacamole), eyeball punch, and some wacky witch cupcakes. We had a great time and Branson ended up with enough candy he could even share with his parents. The only thing he forbid us from eating was the sour heads because those are his absolute favorite.