While The Moon Looks Down On Me

"We are SO going to be late," Kenna said from the passenger seat. I glanced at the clock on my dash board and involuntarily hit the gas pedal. Our morning had begun with a hurried trip to the Lakehouse to check on puppy-loves and I wondered if the Pastor's daughters would be late for church? I sighed ...

Thirty minutes later, I walked down the long hallway and back into my little classroom where a dozen or so colored pictures hung from the walls, each representing a lesson we'd covered. Joshua looked up at me from the picture he was coloring. "Brit, I really wish they could've stayed in here, but you're a good teacher. So it's ok, don't worry."

Taking a seat across from Joshua, I grabbed my lesson ~ all about the 10 Lepers Jesus healed, and how only one had returned to thank him. From that we would focus on how we forget our blessings. Thanksgiving day is pretty much like { tomorrow? } in my mind, so I had a Thankful Project for them to start working on, and in my head it was oh so perfect. So in line with the lesson ...

Instead of helping my munchkins glue and color and write, I pictured the munchkins I had taken out to the adult Sunday School class after they had bickered for several minutes and my heart cried. The girl is not a fan of bickering, I am in fact a believer in mercy but my little people's character needed some pruning so it left me no choice. It was the right choice, and afterwards they even came up and hugged me and apologized in their little people ways that melted my heart.

Still though, Joshy's words of encouragement did wonders for me and we had a fun-filled lesson with our story and the makings of our Blessings Board for next week. * yay *

It was also the first day of Revival services and the messages all day were great! The Barnes came over for lunch so it was a packed bunch of 12 around our kitchen table which I've never considered small until this afternoon. We had ridiculous amounts of Fun all afternoon ... between the guys washing the dishes { ok, they finished up the smaller dishes for us girls because they were feeling helpful & random, so we let them of course } and rounds of Liar around the coffee table. We knocked out almost three pots of coffee, I don't know how. * winks *

The moment church let out tonight, it was Dominoes Pizza around the kitchen table once again. Followed by another game of Liar before the little boys were put the bed, and endless amounts of laughter and good-natured teasing.

And now it's late. The moon is glowing a golden haze outside my window, the family is spread out all over the house fast asleep, and the girl realized suddenly how very, very tired she is. * smiles *

Goodnight Wonderful Cozy World.



From One Thing To The Next

I opened my eyes as bits of sunshine filtered through the curtains. It was just barely light out and the window was fogged; a result of the slushy downpour the night before. It was Saturday, and I'd been waiting a whole week for this day ... for no reason in particular than for the fact that yet another week had drawn to a close.

Joshy pushed the door open to my sister's room where I had slept, and jumped across the bed full of smiles. "Brit. Brit, it's in the morning time and Mommy wants you up."

Rolling over, I smiled sleepily. "No no, Joshy. Momma just means for me to open my eyes and start thinking about waking up." But he would have none of it, even a few minutes later when Mckenna chimed in with a yawn, "Yeah, she doesn't mean for us to get up just yet. Like thirty minutes or something."

And thus, he pulled his sissies from their nice warm, cozy bed and into the kitchen to make him some breffacts ... better known as Breakfast. But around here, its whatever suits your fancy and Breffacts suit me & mine just fine. Don't ask me how or why, 'cause I really couldn't begin to tell you the long and short of it. * smiles *

From there, we all ended up in various parts of the house. Not only was it Saturday but we were also expecting company. Well, company of sorts that is. The Cajiuats are more family friends than guests really, but we cleaned house just the same. Much to our slumbered chagrin for the earlier half of the to-do list. Somehow, I just can't really cope with the sound of a vacuum while I'm all snuggled up in my PJ's. It's unnatural, too chipperish for the girl's semi-nightowl-ish tastes.

But by mid-morning, all was well in the girl's house-hold once more.

I'm dog-sitting unofficially this weekend for a couple at the Lakehouse which happens to be super-insanely rustic and gorgeous. So I grabbed my sister and we headed out to give Dallas & Precious { the fluffy creatures } some puppy-love. As I bent over to fill their bowls with food, my phone vibrated from my back pocket. It was mommy, she needed a handful of things from the grocery store on our way home. No problemo? Yes, no problemo.

Laney and I must've walked around the same four aisles half a dozen times looking for a large can of Sweet Potatoes. Unfortunately, luck wasn't on our side for this particular shopping trip. I dropped my bag into the basket that Laney was patiently pushing around beside me. "Just stay here, I'll go look somewhere else."

Lana smirked. I think it was on our third go-round that we had begun to both feel rather idiotic. Not to mention we kept running into the same few people, who in turn kept running around the aisle looking for things too. Apparently, we were all having issues today ... but me? Well, the girl just blamed it on the weekend. Who wants to grocery shop on Saturday of all times? Half the world is out on this day. By Monday, the world will have somehow dissapeared and gone back into hiding for another few days.

FINALLY ... did I say finally? We made it to the register with our small basket of groceries, tucked them neatly into the car in the pouring rain, filled the car with gas and made it back home in time for lunch. And the Mother of the brood made Pigs N A Blanket and Potatoe Casserole, and the family gathered around the table with a happy sigh. We watched the football game {Virginia Tech vs. Duke} as we ate, and I thought to myself, What a Wonderful World ...


The Cajiuats came, and as everyone mingled and talked, the girl pulled all manner of delicious ingredients from the pantry and made multitudes of muffins until she had the absolute perfectly scrumptious batch to give away. For who doesn't love a good muffin on a cold, rainy day? I've made quite a lot of them lately, trying all sorts of new ones and the family hasn't complained even once. Can you imagine? * winks *

Tonight after supper, everyone went their separate ways around the house once more. A few of us crashed in the living room, talking and laughing and sharing many blonde moments until the phone rang and my cousin's voice on the other end made me smile.

He would come to the Lakehouse with me, so I could check on the furry creatures once more. So we did and just before we made it home, we passed the store and Chocolate goodness called our names so we ran inside, freezing to the sliding doors and into the warmth of the indoors.

So it was with a bowl of Dark Chocolate Mounds | Reese & Reisens that we all sat down in the family room to watch a movie called Lifted. It was about a boy whose dream was to sing, his dad was a soldier in Afganistan. It was good, but the surprising twist you could almost see from the start {the one you hoped wouldn't happen} made it sad. I'd watch it again, pretty much because I do the same thing every time I watch Pearl Harbor.

All in all, it was a crazy busy and enjoyable Saturday ... and I loved it. * smiles *

When You're So Far Away

I stumbled upon this photo just this morning, and it's one of the sweetest I've seen in a long time. I knew I had to post it, especially for all my friends who have loved ones fighting overseas for the freedom we enjoy! They sacrifice their families {their Sweethearts} their children | their comfort | their lives.

I miss you more, than you'd ever believe.

When you come home, I hope you'll never ever leave. When you're around, gray skies seem brilliant shades of Blue.

Cold air warms me, when I'm with YOU! The air smells sweet, my heart skips a beat. I've fallen in deep, I even dream of you each night when I'm asleep.

There's something about the way I feel.

When I think of you, it's my heart that you steal. I hope you're safe, wherever you are. But I tell myself you're with me even if you're so far ...

So Sweetheart, I'm waiting for you, to come home. To finish our lives, to live happy & free.                                

School in the Food Court

Wow. It's one of those particular points in the day when everything has suddenly gone from a gentle hum of activity to a blur of excitement and noise. You know that feeling you get when you're walking around the Food Court at the mall, standing there with your food looking for a place to sit ... you can hardly register the empty table in front of you for all the noise.

In a matter of minutes, our kitchen went from homey eating place -- where kids quietly work on their school work -- to a massive chaotic Food Court full of noise and questions and a whir of activity.

Joshy sat beside me, reading his story aloud so I could help him with the hard words. This was all fine and good until Abby slid her Math book in my direction, on top the scarf I'd been knitting only a moment ago.

"Brit, I have NO idea what they want!" She almost whined in frustration, for Math takes years off the best of us sometimes. When we've reached the end of our rope and haven't any idea how to go about solving the problem. Really, it's human.

"Hold on, Abs." I said, nodding to Joshua in response to a question he had about a word. Ah! Dear World, is there nothing sacred anymore? Sissy has two ears to hear you with, yes ... but only one brain to comprehend everything she hears. * winks *

It's times like this when I think I'll go crazy, the experience is just altogether too human and imperfect for my liking. But alas, we split up into little helpers. Mckenna working through a multitude of fractions and decimals, etc with Abigail, Elaina quietly leaning over the back of Sammy's chair to answer his question with a great deal of patience, and it was then that I brought Joshy into the living room and we snuggled on the couch while he read aloud.

Can you beat that? Really, can you? It was a breath of fresh air, no more Food-Courty-ness and all was right in the world once more.

And would you like to know something else? Daddy brag moment here ... cough. ahem.

The filter on my car needs changing, along with some other unfun stuff I haven't much idea about and my daddy went to town today, bought the stuff I'd need and is GOING. TO. DO. IT. HIMSELF ... just for ME! How sweet and amazing is he, hmm? * smiles *

When Someone Loves YOU!

This is so very true. When someone loves you, you don't need them to tell you twenty-four seven because the love is so evident by what they do and how they treat you. Lately, I am realizing that Love is such a wonderful thing that binds us together. No matter if you're together in one place, or far away from one another | miles apart ... Love is strong and stands the test of time. You've heard that absence makes the heart grow fonder, and I truly think it does. Love isn't just words, its trusting | knowing | growing | sticking together through tough times | its a gift from God | it's an incredible thing that sometimes  we can take for granted.

 There are so many countless ways to show love for someone. And I think it's so important to always think of little ways to brighten someone's day to show them you care or that you're thinking of them. People do that for me quite often, especially my Secret Sister at church. You would be surprised what a little card filled with XOXO's and a short little prayer can do for a person!

I have a few college girls that I try to text every Monday, just to wish them a wonderful week and let them know that I'm praying for them as they start yet another busy week of school. They'll text me back right away and tell me they appreciate it so much!

And when my boyfriend tells me first thing in the morning he's praying for me to have a good day and stick close to God, it warms my heart more than you might think. It helps me get up and get going, with a positive attitude even before I've had my coffee and devotions.

God shows me innumerable ways through out my whole day that He loves me. Sometimes its not always the affectionate type of love, but the kind that encourages me to grow stronger physically and spiritually 'cause I've just about reached my limit.

Lately, He's been helping me notice small things to be thankful for:

•  Like the way the leaves have turned to Scarlett, Pumkin & Mocha.
• The warmth of my siblings as they wrap their arms around me when I've come in from the cold.
• My Daddy's hardworking attitude, how he keeps going when he's tired and has a lot to get done. I love that about him, and it's something I admire most about my Daddy. Yesterday, he was tired and sore and he chopped wood all day, and fixed a door for Mommy ~ it made me smile.
• The delicious smells of the kitchen when Momma has been flipping through a cookbook and something has caught her eye. Mmmm ...
• My family's love for each other, that's HUGE for me! It's one of the best gifts God has given me and I'm so thankful.
 

I could go on and on ... But really, Love is the sweetest thing on earth and we so often forget it. I just wanted to take a few minutes and share with you what God has showed me so very much of late!


“I will be generous with my love today. I will sprinkle compliments and uplifting words everywhere I go. I will do this knowing that my words are like seeds and when they fall on fertile soil, a reflection of those seeds will grow into something greater.”        ~ Mariboli 

Happiness

Today was one of those days where things started off just dandy. Outside my bedroom window the sky was bleak and gray. I smiled, hoping this meant a day full of rain and puddles and coziness. I checked the weather on my phone, I was going to be oh so prepared for this day. The forecast more than promised rain, so I added a jacket to my ensemble and headed for town. Clouds had gathered by the time I found myself on West Main. I stopped for coffee that somehow managed to taste something like what I'd imagine an ash tray might taste like ...

Nevertheless, in a matter of hours, my grandma and I had finished cleaning two houses. When a dog went the bathroom on my shoe, I thought "Ewww. Eww. Ewww! THIS isn't going to go over so well." But my grandma helped me find some sense of humor to the little incident and soon I forgot all about it.

We grabbed lunch -- a two for one deal from Arby's that made me kind of really happy, cause the girl really loves deals and um, curly fries too. * winks *

My cousin had been telling me about the Habitat store, and after seeing all these really neat ideas on Pinterest , I realized that it would be the perfect place to go look for some things I needed. Not having any idea where it was -- being on the backside of Charlottesville -- my Grandma volunteered to go with me. I thought it would be fun to have somebody go with me anyways, I didn't want to be walking around a big wharehouse by myself.

I found a few things that delighted me beyond measure, and then I saw this sweet little couch that my fingers itched to recover in some homey design. My momma and I could work miracles with such a neat little piece of furniture. I asked the man how much it was, a woman appeared and slapped a sticker on it for a ridiculous amount. I came looking for deals -- not even for a couch, really -- and this woman had just rained on my sunshiney little parade. Thanks, Pony-tailed worky lady. * sigh *

Sighing, I turned to find my grandma struggling not to smile. It wasn't working suddenly, and I smirked. "What? You think I'm crazy huh? Why did I just even think about buying a couch ... my father would kill me, right?"

She nodded. And I knew she was right ... still, I had great plans for some of those things I'd found upstairs. Only, I'd get them someday soon. Not today, it wouldn't fit in my car.

We cleaned another house, and set the stupid alarm system off. This didn't make the girl very happy, she thought how she might lose her hearing and be one of those pre-maturely old deaf people. For 45 minutes the homeowner couldn't figure out how to turn his own alarm system off and my opinion of him lessened considerably. Terribly human on my part, I know.

Finally, I found this place called Circa which creeped me out considerably. I promised myself I would never step foot in there again, so help me. And then something happened that kind of upset me and suddenly, God reminded me to be happy | be thankful ... regardless. To trust | to love | to grow even though things weren't going as I wanted.

It made me feel SO much better! And when the sun began to peak through the little cloud that had crept over my heart, the Lord had already cheered me up and made me glad. It was so amazing what having a good response regardless did. I  am so very thankful for my God! * smiles *

Dare To Be

When a new day begins, dare to smile gratefully.       

When there is darkness, dare to be the first to shine a light. 

 When there is injustice, dare to be the first to condemn it.

When something seems difficult, dare to do it anyway.

When life seems to beat you down, dare to fight back.

When there seems to be no hope, dare to find some.

When you’re feeling tired, dare to keep going.

When times are tough, dare to be tougher.

When love hurts you, dare to love again.

When someone is hurting, dare to help them heal.

When another is lost, dare to help them find the way.

When a friend falls, dare to be the first to extend a hand.

When you cross paths with another, dare to make them smile.

When you feel great, dare to help someone else feel great too.

When the day has ended, dare to feel as you’ve done your best.

Dare to be the BEST you can ... at all times, simply Dare to Be!

 ~ Steve Maraboli

What A Southern Girl Would Do

We are having some cabinets replaced in our kitchen, so this morning we were expecting them to be delivered. Momma & Daddy had taken Abs out to breakfast for her birthday, so he reminded us to keep a lookout between 9 and 1. They would leave the boxes on the porch and we wouldn't even have to go to the door, that's what the deal was. No sweat ... just stay inside, keep on doing whatever it was that we were doing.

The phone rang half an hour ago, the truck drivers were lost. Naturally, every GPS says we live out in the middle of a big field | away from civilization | no Hi-speed and children roam wild, barefoot and free. This was nothing new, Mckenna handed the phone to me and said, "Their phone's breaking up, go figure."

I doubted the men were somewhere standing like garden statues to get reception as the phone crackled in my ear. "Hello? Yes, just follow that road until ..."

They began talking to one another, and I assumed they had forgotten I was on the other end. I hung up the phone, and called the boys inside from the swingset. We've raised them to be cautious around strangers, and since we weren't planning to answer the door, it was better for them to be inside anyways.

Five minutes later, we watched in great fascination as a White Semi pulled down our drive. The boys were wide-eyed, "I didn't know a truck that big could fit in our drive-way!"

The older man came up the sidewalk. Oh drat, my car would be in their way and he was probably coming to ask if we could move it. I grabbed my keys from the kitchen and after a quick hello, etc I moved my car around to the side of the house and the Semi took its place.

They unloaded the stack of boxes -- more boxes than I had expected -- on the front porch and asked me to sign the proper papers. Just as I was about to go inside, the older man asked if he could trouble us to use our restroom.

You know the feeling when like 15 different thoughts run through your head, even though your answer should be beyond obvious? Well yeah, that's what happened to the girl. Only, she didn't blurt out No! like she probably should have. But I nodded that he could and we directed him to the restroom.

All three girls went into some army-like mode without consulting the other, I found this strangely fascinating. Mckenna paused just shy of the hearth in the living room, Lana plopped down on the steps casually and I waited near the basement door.

It was all fine and good, but still Mckenna stood there mouthing to me "What in the world?! I've heard stories, seen episodes of The Closer where these guys came in to use the restrooms every time they delivered something and each time they would unlock a window or something ..."

"Hush," I whispered, hoping the man couldn't hear us. Still though, I had too. But the fact we live in the boondocks had to be taken into consideration, and he was old and I'd want somebody to do that for my grandpa.

A few minutes later, he thanked us and they were gone.  Mckenna said "Oh my goodness. Go check the windows, Brit."

So I humored her, and did. After that, she came in and said "Kenna, what'd you want me to do?"

"I don't know!" Then she laughed, with a funny sort of smile and said, "There's a tree out there, want me to throw some toilet paper out there or just wait?"

"You're a dork," I laughed. She was such a crazy nut, but I would forever love her strange little sense of humor that was so much like my own. Ah, what a fun day it's been so far. * smiles *

Tuesday

This time last Tuesday afternoon, I was strolling through Wal-Mart checking things off my grocery list. It ranged from Milk & Bread, to Coffee and Hairspray. How in the world could one family use so much in just a short amount of time? I wondered to myself.

Nevertheless, I pushed my basket down the frozen food section in search of some vegetables. And after carefully adding up everything on my list, I suddenly felt a wave of loneliness creep over me. It would be an odd feeling if it weren't easily accounted for by one of my siblings usually being with me. Maybe I needed a pet.

Wait, a pet?

I laughed the very moment this thought popped into my head. What in the world? We had a dozen cluck-clucking chickens | two dogs and an ever growing puppy | two kitties who are quite selfish and loving in nature | and seven fish whom Joshy adores with every part of his little boy heart.

And I wanted a pet? What a crazy, random idea. Unless it was a baby goat | a calf | or something useful and farmy, we definitely didn't need another animal on what was quickly becoming a farm of sorts. I shrugged off the ridiculous feeling and went in search of a small box to send a package to a friend at school. The last thing on my list happened to be kitty-food ...

It was in that moment, I spied the row of well-lit sparkly tanks that lined the back wall. "No," I said to myself. "You're not getting a fish. The girl does not need a pet, much less a fish."

And that was that ... or so the girl thought.

Fifteen minutes later, I was headed for home. "I don't know why on Earth I bought you," I said semi-glumly to the shiny blue-green fish swimming around it's little tupper-ware container beneath my radio.

It was a living thing in my possession, and I hadn't any idea where I would put him. All I knew was that he was a pretty thing to look at, and his name would be Bentley; he would bring me much joy. Or so I hoped, of the feelings in my heart when I watched him swim around in circles.

My sister called, I told her what I'd done.

"You bought a fish." She said dryly. "You really bought another fish?! Like we needed more pets ..." She began to rattle off the twenty-one living things our little semi-farm contained with a laugh. So I told her I had, and I had found the prettiest little blue-green pebbles for his home and how cute it was going to be on my desk; a little piece of Inspiration for the girl.

She thought it was hilarious, and well, I sort of did too. But it's been a week and Bentley does wonders for inspiration, though I've no idea why. He's fun to watch when I'm writing letters or blogging or just anything at my desk. No regrets, just happiness. * smiles *

... And There She Sat

I have sat here in a productive little state, listening to the same song fifty-eleven times and sipping enormous amounts of thick | dark hot chocolate for a good bit tonight. Even now, my arm is tingling from sugar overload I think, but inside the girl's head and heart are ever so happy.

I've had a productive Saturday, that just made me feel so wonderful! The sun shined all day long, the Fall breezes smelled of Woodsmoke and Autumn-ey goodness. And I've changed my site design once again, I'm forever trying to switch it up to be more user-friendly. I think I might've hit the nail on the head this time, because it just felt right when I finally finished it tonight.

I put a few hours into getting it all set up again, and you wouldn't believe the overwhelming joys I felt when I hit the publish button and vwah-lah! It was organized, homey and so much more welcoming. It's kind of funny though, when you look at something for hours on end, and everything starts to look the same | words look as if you've mispelled them or worse yet, when you know you are so very close to finishing up and the site shuts down without warning ... without saving. It's heart ache of a simplified | frustratingly complicated kind, I tell you.

But all is said and done. Saved and so forth. Still, I would love to hear your thoughts, etc! Feedback makes the Country Girl quite happy. You are my readers, my friends taking a look into my every day life and living parts of it along with me after all! * smiles *

Also, be sure to check out the Tabs at the top. I'll warn you ahead of time, they are very much a work in progress. I'm sure you won't mind a bit though. Happy Reading and thanks SO much for stopping by!

Third Time's A Charm?

I glanced at the clock glowing green from the dashboard, it was 10:45. After promising the munchkins I would take them somewhere to get a snack while we waited for Mom & Dad's plane to arrive, I quickly scanned the area.

"Do you remember where that McDonalds was?" I asked my cousin in the passenger seat, referring to the one and only stop we had made nearly two weeks ago before we dropped our parents off at the Airport.

He looked at me, his glasses flashing the reflection of the stoplight ahead of us. "Um, lemme see ... ok, you're gonna want to go left up here. It'll be further down though, remember?"

I nodded and took the next left, every intention of getting them a quick little snack and seeing my parent's plane brighten the sky with it's flashing lights and warm welcome. The kids were in the backseat, attentively watching Anne of Avonlea. Ah, how many times had I watched that movie? Memorized parts and even now, could see in my mind's eye what was happening as I listened to it from the driver's seat.

"Well, I think that either this is the wrong way or we're not going to have enough time to get back to the Airport in time. So why don't we get something when we meet Momma & Daddy, okay?" I spoke up a few minutes later. We were still on the same road but it was taking us further and further from the airport, and I have this horrid thing about being late.

It had been 11 days, food was the last thing on their minds just now. In fact, they barely ackowledged me as Anne began shouting at Gilbert in the middle of their walk down the lane scene. I settled back into the seat and kept an eye out for a good spot to turn around. It was the highway, not a tiny small town road after all, if you weren't authorized you weren't about to turn around.

Finally after several minutes, we came up on a railroad crossing and just before that, a side road. "What about here? Do you think it's okay?" Nathan agreed with me that it should be. So I looked for a sign posting for Authorized vehicles only ... When I didn't see any, I put my left signal on and crossed the road.

It was then that Nathan spoke up from the passenger seat, looking down outside the window. "Gravel. Uh oh, that's gravel."

"Authorized Vehicles only!" Kenna said in horror, craning her neck and pointing at a small sign turned at the most illogical angle to me.

Ugh. In my head I was hoping, praying ... How dumb?! Well, maybe I could be an authorized vehicle this time? I didn't want a ticket! I haven't had one up to this point, and I wanted to keep my record clean. About that time, I glanced in my rearview mirror ... a set of headlights snapped on and my heart sank. Wouldn't that be bad if that was a cop? I thought to myself.

Blue Lights flashed, a spot light lit up the inside of our car -- I had no idea that happened. My heart stopped beating momentarily. I sucked in a breath air. "Oh no. Everybody stay calm and be quiet PLEASE."

Mckenna slammed the dvd player back into the ceiling and repeated what I'd said.

I pulled over, Nathan apologizing several times in a matter of seconds. He had come along to help me and I suppose he felt guilty for not seeing the sign too. I didn't see how it was his fault, in the slightest. Mckenna pushed my wallet between Nathan and myself, so I could pull my license.

Do you know the horrible feeling it is to watch from your side mirror as a young police officer walks up in the grass alongside your mini-van with his flash light in hand, knowing he holds the power of writing you a ticket? Oh my lanta, never. "Excuse me, do you know why I pulled you over, Ma'am?"

The fact I smile when I'm nervous makes me ridiculously unhappy, also the fact that my eyes water incessently makes me despise emotion every once and awhile. "Yes Sir. It's probably because I drove through an authorized vehicle zone back there." We talked for a while, he asked me what I was doing so I explained that we had to head back to the airport to pick up our parents etc. He went back to his car, after I fumbled with my stupid wallet to withdraw my license for him. Looking like an idiot, yes.

At some point, Nathan had leaned across me and said, "I'm sorry, Officer. I told her to, it was my fault." So when the officer came back, he handed me my license and said, "I was gonna give you a ticket but you did what he told you to. Next time, make sure you know what's going on okay? Especially in an area you're not familiar with. I assume you're the father?" he asked, looking in at Nathan.

I had some strange sudden urge to laugh but I didn't. "Oh no! He's our cousin, he came along to pick up our parents at the Airport." I wonder if he had known this before going off with my license, I might've ended up with a ticket?

I must've thanked that guy half a dozen times from the bottom of my stinkin' Southern Heart. He helped direct us back to the Airport and said he hoped our parents made it in safe, to have a great night. Needless to say, the conversation in the car was an interesting variation after that.

Whew! What a night, but thankfully Momma and Daddy made it in okay and somehow found the story quite humorous -- I suppose on account of my NOT getting a ticket, hmm? * winks *

Not For The Faint Of Heart

I got up this morning later than I had planned on, which left me feeling like I had to rush through half a dozen things to make up for it. I'm sure you've had those lovely little wake-up calls before, hmm?

But I soon decided that the smell of fresh rising bread on the kitchen counter and the sound of rain drops outside the open windows more than made amends for my hurried morning. The munchkins sat around the table working on school work while I finished the bread | washed the breakfast dishes | did some laundry and finished some little projects around the house. It was such a wonderfully productive day, I had massive amounts of energy pushing me to keep on going.

Nothing like taking advantage of that, you know? * smiles *

Momma and Daddy are getting into Richmond late tonight. They've been eating out of their hotel and a handful of restaurants, so we were thinking they'd love to have some homey goodness. You know, all manner of yumminess you can't get when you're away from home for so very long. So the girls and I combined our Susie Homemaking skills and made plans for supper tomorrow night.

Lana and I headed to the grocery store, at which point the girl finally decided she isn't such a fan of shopping and spending money on things that shall be consumed within days of this little shopping trip. Well, come to think of it, I'm not a man of spending money as it is, but I do love my munchkins so I pushed the cart around the store, figuring the total in my head while Lana carefully marked everything off the list.

Chicken was on sale. Whooptie doo ... wait, I hadn't expected that. This made the girl smile as she reached into the freezer and pulled the bag of meat from the top shelf, thinking how glad she was these freezers were shorter than the ones at Wal-Mart. Oh yes, they are. lol

--- According to one of the Wal-Mart employees who stocks the freezer section, "All you gotta do is step up on that little ledge inside the freezer and it's a breeze." Um, really? No thank you? I'd rather not have frozen carrots if I should look like an idiot in the process. Actually, it's not hard but people just like to be helpful down South, ya know. * winks *

So we finally checked everything off the list and when we rang up, I wanted to die of a heart attack. We hadn't taken the time to really plan our trip out so we hadn't even used the countless coupons we'd clipped at home in the course of several hours.

I turned into one of those "difficult people" you sometimes see, as I looked over my receipt while walking out to the car. Two things -- including the chicken -- hadn't rung up right, nearly doubling in price and the girl turned to her innocent little sister and said, "Lana! We gotta go back, they didn't ring it up right." I could almost hear her rolling her eyes behind me.

We waited in line behind 5 guys purchasing lottery tickets, and finally got our money back. It was a relief to know I hadn't spent what I thought I had. All in all, it went well but my sister said, "Oh my goodness, grocery shopping and all these sales things aren't for the faint of heart. That's for sure!"

On the Menu:

•  Maple Raspberry Glazed Chicken  ~ over Wild Rice
• Steamed Broccoli & Butter Rolls
• Caramel Pecan Pumpkin Layer Cake

We're so excited to have Momma & Daddy come home soon. We've really missed them and can't wait to spot them at the airport tonight and smother them in a multitude of hugs and kisses.  * smiles *

Spots on the Counter

I've been struggling for a week now to get my voice back. It started going out last Saturday afternoon, and I crossed my fingers that I wouldn't lose it completely. After all, I had just dropped Momma & Daddy off at the airport in Richmond and they would be gone for a whole week.

What kind of fill-in-Mother would I be if I couldn't talk | enforce rules | tell them I loved them very much and our parents would be home sooner than we could imagine?

A horrible one. One that relied ever so heavily on her sissy to come in and save the day, enforce the rules and keep things in working order. Ah, Kenna was very much my God-send after losing my voice. Really, she was amazing. To put it ever so simply ... * smiles *

As you might have guessed, a froggie is still residing somewhere between my head and my heart. Matter of the fact, I think it's quite happy living in my throat for what has seemed like an eternity, much to my dispair.

But all was not lost, or even hopeless. Kenna stepped in and saved the day! She took my Sunday school class this morning, and I took back seat as her "helper" though I didn't do much. Two of the little guys began bickering back and forth.

One of them drew a big potatoe in the middle of their picture and wrote the other child's name on it. "Haha! Look, you're nothing but a big potatoe."

The other child didn't think the picture was very desirable, and said "What?! I am not."

I leaned over and asked the first child, "What are you?" in a raspy voice. The child indignantly replied, "I'm a PERSON! What else?"

I smiled, and nodded. "Yeah, and so are they. We should be kind to everyone, like Jesus wants."

First child: "It's no big deal, I don't care."

Mckenna who had silently been helping one of the other children color, snapped to attention. "Would you like it if I said 'Oh look! There's ----- , a big spot of jelly on the counter?"

The child shrugged as they sometimes will, hoping you'll believe they could care less when they really do. "I wouldn't care."

"Well," Mckenna blew a wisp of hair out of her eyes. "I do. Go throw that picture in the trash and think of something nice to draw."

It was a good illustration to use, yes. But the girl could hardly contain the smile that broke forth on her face, she simply couldn't help it. She grabbed her sister when the munchkins weren't looking, as we sometimes will and repeated the little conversation.

Everyone was so very nice and kind after that! I think the next time they make peanut butter and jelly and get something on the counter, they will think of Mckenna's illustration. * smiles *

Just Like Daddy

We're sitting at the library, I'm settled against the wall typing away on my computer. All five of my siblings are safely within eyesight, just where my heart will rest easy.

They partner up -- because the buddy system sounds so old-school but it's so awesome! Sure it's got it's pro's and cons but we rock it and make it look cool. Trust me, we do. * winks *

"Brit, I'm going to go read. Okay?" Abby leans over the funky colored table and smiles at me. "I'll be in one of those comfy chairs over there."

I tell her that's fine and watch her go. Her little head dips down behind the expanse of the chair back and I crane my neck to see her clogged poking out from the foot rest.

"Ab?"

She peeks around the corner, a quizzical look on her face. I tell her to angle the chair so I can see her better. She shoots me a look of disbelief, before carefully rearranging all three big purple chairs to make the move less than obvious to by standers.

"Ah," she shakes her head, her golden-brown pony tail swinging around her shoulder. "Soooo ... embarrassing?"

Her hazelnut eyes pop a little as she settles back into the chair, and flips silently back to the page she had been reading.

I smile. "Oh, look at whose face won't be on the side of a milk jug now!"

She glanced over at me and wrinkled her nose with a smile. "Just like dad."

A Little Culture, Part 2

~ Me and My Daddy-O ~

I love this man, he's so very amazing. Lucky me, hmm?

It's our Laner! Standing on the porch of the 1800's house, full of

fascinating little tools and things. Including a broken chair, to which Sammy

declared, "Look! A big man must've sat in that." Oh the boy ...

Mckenna, not fussing about Mommy snapping a quick picture. If it were

me attempting to capture this moment, it would be an epic failure to be sure.

Walking up the hill to the old school house where we all crammed to fit in.

There was an old school master inside, telling us the reason behind carrying a

big stick everywhere they went. One little boy shouted out, "So's they could beat

kids with!" Ah, yeah ... he was right.

The boys got to try their hand at doing school the old fashioned way, on slates

writing with dulled metal. They only wrote their names and Josh leaned over and

said, "Brit, I think I just like using pencils like normal people."

Abby was content just to stand by and watch, she's been there and done all

that before. It amazes me how much she looks like us girls and Momma here!

Daddy and the boys stopped to look at some horns that were heaped in a big

pile, they were all tagged and labeled for sale. He picked one up and the moment I

took this picture he looked so serious that we had a good laugh about it later.

This man was a wood carver, he was really nice and explained things to Joshy.

Of course, the boys were fascinated and the man gave them wood shavings too.

My Momma ~ And ~ My Momma and Abigail on the side porch of the 1800's house.

Me and my Momma. More and More, I think we're starting to look alike.

This cracks me up really, because people don't even have to ask who I am anymore

if they know my momma.

Mckenna . Me . Lana.

I love how Kenna had to be talking in this picture!

So there you have it, even more pictures of our Family Day over the mountain.

 I told you there was going to be an awful lot. * smiles *

Getting A Little Culture ...

Friday morning, we got up and went to Cracker Barrel for a nice brunch which was -- if you've ever gone to Cracker Barrel -- was simply and deliciously AMAZING! The girl would go there for biscuits with butter and blackberry jam, alone. It is definitely among my favorite things on this earth. Anyways, enough about the biscuits, yes? * smiles *

We went to the Frontier Cultural Museum after that and in spite of the fact that it was slightly windy and a bit chilly, we all had a really nice family day together. Of course, the camera has become a big part of our family, so we turned the whole day into a photo shoot of random shots and fun things we did and saw.

But you didn't come to hear me gab, I know. So here's a handful of our fun family day over the mountain ... enjoy, ya'll! * happy sigh *

I believe this was the 1800's house -- it was really cool.

And old of course, which graced everything with bits of charm.

Daddy and the girls getting ready to watch the boys split fence rails

the old fashioned way. Really? I'm glad I wasn't a boy back then, my arms

would have probably fallen off, you think?

Ah, look at that man-child go! He's got determination, I'll give him that.

What's more, my child loved doing it! Only because, he could rest in the fact

he wouldn't be doing it for more than a few moments in time.

He liked it so much the first time, he thought he might have another go

at it! He said, "I sort of felt like a man. Kind of like Pop-Eye, ya know?"

~ My Momma & Daddy ~

We were all crammed into the little settlement house which wasn't so very

awesome. It made me thankful for my home with walls I couldn't see through, etc.

Aren't they just adorable ... yes, that's a statement. * winks *

And Me, watching the kiddos do their thing ... which meant holding their

jackets while they went to pet the sheep. But that didn't last long of course, because ...

They all squealed, "Oh they're so soft and warm, Brit. Come feel!"

... So the girl did, and they were. So very soft and warm and comfy feeling.

No wonder they use their furr for the sweaters hanging in my closet! I think

we all bonded. * winks *

~ Me & My Sissy ~

The front porch just looked so cute! -- Spoken like a true

modern girl, I suppose. Because really, the wood pile by the door is

oh so very practical. 

The spinning wheel just for looks now, but I thought it was really nice.

Just some tin cups and things hanging by the door ....