They knew I'd love it...

AND I love it...  My Sisters Barbara and Brenda gave me this glider for my Birthday!  It is a beauty!  I loved it like it was before the paint job!  BUT... I really love it now:)  Thank you both for such a sweet gift that I will enjoy for years!  Thank you also to Jerry for putting so much work into painting it!

We had a glider when I was growing up!  Guess where it sat?  Yep, under that old oak tree from yesterday's post:)  We all remember that glider, the color and how it felt to sit on it!  I think over the years it wore out!  But the memories are still in my heart!  Now I have my own glider!  It will give me lots of joy, just gliding thru time:)

Have a blessed day dear friends!  Autumn has a tournament today, rain is threatening!  Hope she gets to play!  Sending HUGS your way!

The family oak tree...

Would you look at that Oak Tree!  It is HUGE and filled with memories!  Lots of corn shucked under that tree, ice cream being made, a wedding, kids playing, family picnics... precious memories!  I remember Daddy telling the story of how he pulled the tree over and cut the top out with his pocket knife over 60 years ago!  It was just starting to grow then and NOW it is GINORMOUS!

Looking from the back...

You see, the grass had gotten REALLY tall!  My Husband and I loaded the lawn mower. weed eater and tackled this job!  It was a challenge but we made it!

Freshly cut grass really looked nice...

My heart was smiling while doing the work and was really smiling when the job was done:)

Now it will look nice for a while:)  Have a blessed day dear friends, BIG HUGS!

My new friend...

It came highly recommended and I agree, it is awesome!  Let me introduce you to my new friend "Ninja 3-in-1 Cooking System"!  Autumn's Boyfriend's Mother recommended this cooker and I bought one!  It can do it all!  It is a slow cooker, it cooks like an oven AND a stove top!  I have made several things in it and I LOVE it!

One of our favorites so far is this spinach stuffed chicken!  Recipe here!  My Husband said "this is SO SO good"!

A yummy new way to cook:)

Not much going on around my house!  I am fighting this sinus thing!  I can't complain... when you feel good ALL the time, feeling a little bad is ok occasionally:)  Enjoy your day dear friends, BIG HUGS coming your way!

Simple pleasures...

Simple pleasures... focusing on simple pleasures!  I woke up yesterday with nothing going on!  That's OK!  I enjoyed my day of doing nothing!  The pollen is bothering me, scratchy throat but that's all!  Hot coffee helps with the scratchy throat:)  SO I piddled around, got some chores done and didn't leave the house!  It was a restful day!  Sometimes we need those days, don't we?

Simple pleasures?  My buds and blooms really give me joy!  The sunshine, a rain shower splashing on my plants, and the sun shining afterwards, a walk up the driveway and hearing the night critters, watching the tomatoes get bigger and anticipating the first red one... Simple Pleasures!

Enjoy your day dear friends, enjoy the simple pleasures of life:)  HUGS!

Relaxing day...

Marc and I went to spend the afternoon at Tracy's!  It was nice to see the kiddos having fun in the pool!  They swam until bedtime!  They served us some yummy hamburgers and hot dogs with all the fixins!  It was a fun afternoon complete with a  rain shower:)  This is the only picture I took!

This morning... I have nothing on my agenda!  That feels really good!  My morning is just getting started, the coffee is hot and I am enjoying each sip:)  Have a blessed day dear friends, BIG HUGS!

Heroes in my life...

Memorial Day 2014

My Daddy and My Nephew

My Heroes

Yesterday was a wonderful service!  Justin was in uniform, be still my heart!  He played his guitar AND sang!  This young man is a HUGE blessing to me and our family!  What an example he sets for the young kids in our Church!

This is what he sang!  

Mercy Walked In

I have pictures of My Daddy standing in this very corner at Church!  Justin knows that when I want to take his picture at Church, this is where we are going!

And he has a sweet and beautiful lady in his life!  We are all crazy about her!

I wanted a new flag for my Birthday to replace the one that had been hanging since Justin was in Afghanistan!  A new flag flies proudly at the end of my driveway!

May God bless you all on this Memorial Day!  Thank you to all who serve, have served and have sacrificed their lives for our Country!

Final Dance...

Spring DOM 2014  The last one for Autumn, Austin will have many more:)  Tracy and I had to split so we could get pictures of both!  Love them both and love seeing my Grandchildren all dressed up!

Autumn and Justin met me at her friend Amber's house for pictures!  So many friends together for this last dance!  They will all be scattering to different colleges!

Me and my Girl!  Oh how I love you Autumn!  Thanks for letting me be a part of all of your special events!

Early Sunday morning, hot cup of coffee and just getting my day started!  I pray you all have a really blessed day!  Sending hugs and prayers from my heart to yours!

Awards, blooms and a ball...

Yesterday was Awards Day and Alex got a load of them:)  She is SWEET and SMART! 

She received the Citizenship Award for the 2nd year in a row!  That is voted on by her classmates!  I think that is pretty special!

Her Teacher is retiring this year!  She is excited to spend time with her Grandchildren!  I SO understand:)

Then we went over to Avery's Class!  They weren't having awards but I snapped this picture of the board outside the classroom!  Isn't that a cute idea?  I think so!

It was a beautiful day!  I did some shopping for the June Birthdays, laid out by the pool for a while and enjoyed some new blooms:)  My Hydrangeas are beginning to bloom!  LOVE THEM!

These tiny yellow blooms are cute in the old iron kettle:)  Just a little color to make me smile!

Today is the Spring Debutante's Ball for both Autumn and Austin!  I'll be making the drive for pictures this afternoon!  This will be the last for Autumn and the first of many for Austin:)  Have a blessed day dear friends!  Sending HUGS your way!

A gift from long ago...

My Mama gave this cornstick pan to her friend Henrietta when she got married 66 years ago!  When I returned home last weekend after all of the Graduation celebrations, this was on my porch!  She gave it to me:)  What a sweet and thoughtful gift from her heart to mine!  To know that 66 years ago, MY Mama gave it to Henrietta and Thornton and 66 years later they passed it on to me!  I will treasure this gift forever!  Thank you both for thinking of me!

AND... 66 years later it still works perfectly!  THE best cornsticks ever:)

I love this family and they love my family!  Old friends are the best!  Henrietta was my Mama's best friend and her Daughter Celene is my best friend:)  

Enjoy your day dear friends!  We have early awards at the School!  LAST DAY IS TODAY!  Sending hugs your way!

Pet day...

The last few days of School, Pet Day is a tradition!  Avery took Frankie:)

He was loved on by many:)  AND found a little friend that he really loved!

Avery was happy to share her puppy with her friends!

Lots of kids and their puppies on the grass having fun:)

Flashback to last year and Alex on Pet Day:)

What a fun day for these kids!  Avery and Frankie this year and Alex and Munson last year:)  They will sure have lots to talk about on the playground today!  Now just two days left, today and tomorrow!  Summer fun awaits:)  Enjoy your day dear friends, BIG HUGS!

DWTS winners...

THEY WON!  I have enjoyed watching DWTS again this season and sorry that it is over!  BUT... Meryl and Maks won and I am SO happy for them!  Maks won his first mirror ball trophy ever!  Congrats to these two:)

Photo credit

Now the watch will be on to see who will be the Stars dancing in the Fall!  I'll be watching:)  Hope you enjoy your day!  It is really heating up around these parts!  Sending HUGS your way!

Just right weather and a yummy casserole...

What a beautiful day we had yesterday!  Not hot, not cold... just right!  I had some things to return, a gift card to spend and enjoyed being out and about:)  At the end of the day, I made this casserole and it was REALLY delicious!  I didn't have the tater tots and put crescent rolls on top instead!  A very good recipe to hang on to:)

I followed this recipe except that I baked for 30 minutes, put the crescent rolls on and baked for 15 more minutes:)  My Husband LOVED it!  Here is the recipe from Cooks.com...

GROUND BEEF CASSEROLE

1 lg. onion, chopped 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef 1 rib of celery, diced 1 can cream of mushroom soup 2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 1 can cream of celery soup Enough tater tots to cover In a heavy skillet, brown beef. Drain, leave 2 tablespoons of fat in skillet, saute onions until tender. Mix onions and ground beef. Pour in casserole dish. Sprinkle with celery and cheese. Mix the celery and mushroom soup together and pour over cheese. Cover the mixture with tater tots. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

I hope you enjoy your day dear friends!  BIG HUGS!

Rained out, visiting and pretty flowers...

Our tournament was rained out yesterday!  Thankfully we got the call before we made the TWO hour drive!  I had been busy with all of the activities and missing seeing my Brother, SO... that's where I headed!  I had a wonderful visit with Marshall and June!  He continues to improve and for that I am SO very thankful!  After a short trip to the grocery store, running out in the pouring down rain with a buggy full of groceries... I was thankful to be home for the rest of the day!  Some much needed rest in my favorite chair, watching the Braves win and even took a little nap!  It was a very nice day!  I had to share these gorgeous blooms!  My Niece Sonia gave me this Hibiscus for my Birthday and gets prettier every day!  The blooms are sure adding some color out by the pool!  Thanks again Sonia!

That's it for my Sunday!  I missed Church but sure enjoyed my day!  This is the last week of School for the kiddos!  Summer vacation will start next week:)  We have lots of fun trips planned including Bradley and Tiffany's Wedding!  Have a blessed day dear friends, BIG HUGS!

I'm back...

It has been a very BUSY last few days!  BUT... it is done.  Autumn is now a High School Graduate and I couldn't be more proud!  We celebrated on Friday night with Family and Friends!  
So much fun!

She had a wonderful time...

Two of her good friends were there!  These girls played ball together for YEARS!  It was so good to see them and their families!

I think Autumn really enjoyed her celebration and so did we!

And although it was a little cool, the pool was heated and the kids were swimming!

They stayed in the pool until the party ended:)

Then the big day!  Saturday morning, Marc and I got in line at 9:20 for the 11:00 Graduation!  It was worth it!  Look who came walking up to give me a HUG!  She was looking very beautiful to me!  The sky was bright blue and the weather was perfect!

Before the presentation of the diplomas, they sang "Unwritten"!  It was beautiful!

Loved hearing these voices singing together:)

Not a very clear picture but MY GIRL getting her diploma!  

We gathered for some family pictures:)  Three years until Austin will be doing this same thing!  OH MY!  Time flies by way too fast!  Look at my little granddaughters, not so LITTLE anymore:(

Autumn and her fella!  Justin was there to see his girl graduate, just like she watched him two years ago!  They are happy, happy, happy!

Cindy and her family were there for the big event!  They had a day full but came to share this time with us!

My heart was full of happiness for Autumn and I can't wait to watch her in the next phase of her life!  I had my special hankie with me but it hardly got wet:)  I tried to be happy, enjoy the moment and the tears pretty much stayed inside my eyes!  I love you Autumn!

SO... I am dragging after all of these activities this weekend but happy that I was able to share this time with Autumn, her friends and family!  We enjoyed it all!  She got lots of gifts and money!  That is one happy and thankful young lady!  She is overwhelmed with the generosity of everyone!  Thank you all who came to the party, came to the graduation, sent a card or gift, prayed for all of us and endured my never-ending talk about all of it:)  I love and appreciate it more than words can express!  NOW, today... Autumn will shed that red robe for her Softball uniform!  Yes, she has a tournament!  Reckon I will be there to watch her?  OH YES I SURE WILL!  I will be there to hand her a Powerade or get her a snack when she needs it!  Moments are precious to me, every moment is precious to me!  

Love you all!