Hey...its the weekend!

 I counted down the days to this weekend! Long week so super ready for the weekend!

Yesterday was a somewhat nice weathered day as it wasnt too cold outside so we soaked some outside time in! Alexis was gone the whole day....prepping for Carli's 13th birthday party that was yesterday night. I guess there were a whole lot of things to 'help' do! Who knows! So Tyler, Lily and I enjoyed our day full of outside fun, Tenzi fun, and family game night fun!

These two. They curled up....in the kitchen....to watch a movie...and eat popcorn. Callie did not end up spending the night. She ended up wanting to go home but they had fun 'hanging out' before she went home around 9!

Saturday....found this guy living his best life! He has no idea I took this picture! bahaha! :)

This girl worked all Saturday trying to perfect her cartwheel!...with one hand! She was flipping and flopping the whole afternoon!

Carli is 13!

This big crew headed to The Alley in Gadsden! They all had a blast! I decided not to go because Lily wanted to have a family game night at home so this crew missed out on me chaperoning! :)

Cant believe alllll these kiddos are turning 13 at some point this year! Just crazy!

Sunday we went to Church and enjoyed a great temperature day until it started thunderstorming. We have started a Sunday supper club with the Messers so we enjoyed dinner at their house to kick off the week!

Times have changed....yet some things never change....

 Alexis had her last game of the season at Saks this afternoon since they hosted the County tournament and the 9th grade boys made it to the second round. 

Since I was not able to go in....I did a little 'trip down memory lane' while she was cheering.

It has been a couple of years since I have driven down and through the old roads from which I used to fly down and around when I was a teenager. 

It was like riding a bike. Some things just never change. The roads were allllll the same. The same dips, the same curves. There is this one road...where it was the same...always takes my stomach every time. It did it today too.

It was like second nature to just drive and feel how I was imagining driving back to my 'old home' that I grew up in. 

The last time I drove by my childhood home it was really sad because it looked abandoned and looked like it was somewhat falling apart because no one was living in it. It made my heart smile to see that this time...as I drove by about 5 times {checking everything out} that it looked good. It actually looked loved this time. Though some of the siding needing cleaning, it looked like new siding. There was a car parked in the driveway...the same spot my Dad used to park his truck. I drove around to the back road and looked out into the back yard and the decking and the pool is now gone. The tree where I used to have my rope swing was gone. I still envisioned where my playhouse was. Where the swing set was. Where my Dad's building was. The extra lot that my Dad always made sure stayed clear and the grass cut...where he poured the concrete and put the basketball goal was...........now is nothing but a wooded and grown up area. My Dad would not be happy about seeing that but overall, seeing the house look like it was in much better shape and being lived in made my heart happy. 

I wanted to go in and look at how it was on the inside....but I wasn't going to do that of course....and wouldnt want to...either..because I probably would regret it, but nonetheless.......times have changed....but.....

some things never change and memories and emotions swept me.

My old stomping ground! Per Reese...she said thank you for giving her a 'History lesson' of how I went to school at Saks and cheered in the same bleachers that they were about to cheer in as I took them! ha!

The school has had a facelift and it looks really good. Though the school has changed, it still felt like 'my school!' :)

The boys lost to White Plains so they are out of the tournament. These two have enjoyed their season! Here's to the next season starting soon! Try-outs are right around the corner!

 My childhood home. It made me smile.

The lot that used to be so open and neat....now is nothing but grown up and sad. I wish we still owned this piece...

It was a good feeling to drive around Bryan Ave and all through all the streets that was 'home.'

Soaking up the last days....

 Today was a 'fun day' and even though it was chilly outside...it was a beautiful day and we for sure made it fun!

The girl's idea of a 'fun day' literally consists of lunch {somewhere 'fun'} and a trip to Starbucks!

Easy!

So, I have to eat....so that is a win-win for me!.....and we dont go to Starbucks unless they have a gift card or their own money....so....win-win for me also because I can accomplish the 'fun day' mission without little effort on my part! :)

We did some shopping around town before heading back and cracking down on school work! Fridays are considered the 'free' day for school work so today marked the LAST blended school DAY!

WHOOOOOO HOOOOOOO!!!

They go back to school.....FULL TIME....Monday! WHOOP WHOOP!

Pray it lasts...we shall see....but....

it is happening and we all are excited!

Tomorrow Daddy and the girls are going to have a 'fun day!'

Let's see if he can top my day! :)

A big thanks to Nan....and Pawpaw for the extra homework help...during the blended days. We would not have survived without them coming over and holding down the crazy fort!

Here's to getting a little closer to BACK TO NORMAL!

Starbucks...and Target for the win! They know exactly what they want...and how to order...every.single.time.they.go. I have NO idea what half the things they name off and say while placing their orders {because I dont drink any of that and do NOT know the lingo} sooo....

they do their thing and are super happy to do it!

Came home to some laundry....and school work of my own before heading to pick up other cheerleaders and then to drop them off at their final game of the season. Meanwhile...this one did this the entire rest of the afternoon! She was pumped to pick out these 'cool' Valentines at Hobby Lobby so she worked hard making them for all of her friends! Then she also decided to decorate herself!

Wordless Wednesday!

 

 I just love this and it is fitting as today we have the funeral for Mickey Joe. God knows all. He knows every hair on our head all the way to he knows our last days.

 

Sweet throwback pictures!

 Over the weekend I ran across these two timeless gems!

My goodness time sure does fly!

Thought I would share!

Christmas....1990 something! Look how sweet and young everyone was! And Nannie and Pawpaw! LOVE!

Then.......look at these two! Where has the time gone!??! This was at Blake's wedding! They both look like puff balls! ha! :)

{Alexis HATED wearing this flower girl dress! She did NOT like how it 'poofed' out! As you can see in the picture...she is pressing down on the dress!} bahaha!

Our weekend

 Very low key....

that was the goal!

Our 1st 'major' weekend to see how our assignments/discussion boards are going to go....was a success. We had no plans this weekend except to hit school work and Tyler and I accomplished our goal! 

Alexis had basketball, the County tournament so we dropped her off and she enjoyed being with her friends and cheering the 9th grade boys on to a win! They beat Alexandria so they move on to round 2 Thursday to compete for the title! 

 She hasnt worn this uniform very much due to several games, etc has been cancelled so I snapped a picture before they headed out because I like this one on her!

We had dinner and game night with several families later Saturday night....all in our pjs! Talk about casual and we had an early night so it was perfection to head straight to bed too!

My Valentine before Church this morning!

She is growing up soooo fast!

My view this afternoon as I did school work! Can you spy 3 girls....and a very lazy girl cat!?!? :) I wish I got to take a nap like Tickles was.....she looked soooo comfy! ha! It was a beautiful day and the most perfect weather to enjoy being outside! These girls played and played {and Alexis and WK} before coming in to it starting to rain. Tyler got fresh mulch and pine straw out and we enjoyed the day cleaning up and vacuuming out cars too! It was a great low key....and successful schoolwork weekend!

I just love our trampoline! I have said it before but it is soooo worth repeating! Our girls....and their friends...have solved the world's problems out there on that trampoline! They have done everything under the sun on it including dance competitions, cheer routines, karate matches, made up games, laughed so loud, sang, been super silly, made secrets, and so much more....and just like this picture...just sat and had some good ole conversations! 

One of my favorite things is to look out the window and see my view of what is happening on the trampoline! :)

A historic day

 Today marks the day we have a new President. President Biden was sworn in during unprecedented times of us being in a pandemic and how the capital was recently under attack. President Trump left office and peacefully left to his Florida home. 

Prayers for our country. For our new President. For leadership. For the world to turn around. It is needed. 

Wordless Wednesday!

 This is SO accurate! :)

We checked it out!

 We have been wanting to check out the new bowling alley in Gadsden and we did just that today and it did not disappoint! 

We had a great time {I mean really my little fam loves bowling! Its one of our favorite things!} with Gran, Ben and Grey checking out the new area and it is so nice! We made reservations, which was a great idea, and we ate lunch....the kiddos played and then we bowled! 

We hit a round around the mall before heading home! We will for sure be back to the bowling alley! It was great!

Somehow Tyler and I ended up without kids by the afternoon! Lily spent the night with Gran and Alexis is with her friends spending the night at SK's!

At this moment...it is 5:00pm on a Saturday night!.....what shall Tyler and I do?!

I bet now...we will be curled up watching Cobra Kai the rest of the night...binge watching on Netflix once he comes in from cleaning out the gutters! :) What a thrill! :)

We got there at perfect timing! No crowd! We had the whole little play area to ourselves! By the time we were leaving...it was packed!

These two loved spinning around and around!

And...so did these two! Lily's expressions! Do you think she is happy or mad that I asked for a picture!?!?! You tell me....because I can not tell! :)

They went  down the slide....a lot!

This was awesome! These two loved this! They have never done anything like it before! It was soooo funny watching them because we couldnt see what they were 'fighting' etc...we just saw their silly looking moves! ha!

Her..'hurry up'.....picture so she could bowl!

Alexis did great bowling!

Tyler helped Grey! He loved pushing the ball down the ramp and watching it........slowly... roll to hit the pins!

This cutie pie....and the other cutie pie! Best buddies! Gran was the best bowler and then Tyler! I dont know what happened today...but I was just not good! ha! :)

What's been going on.....WOW only 13 days in and SO much!

 Well...we are 13 days into January...

and crazy to say...and think...but a lot has happened in these 13 days of 2021!

so what's been going on?!?!.....................

Well, Lily has officially decided that she hates.every.single.food.item.that.she.actually.likes.but.then.she.likes.it.to.turn.around.and.not.like.it.the.next.

second.....

did you follow me?

Let me explain. She will pitch a fit that she does not like {for example} the chick fila chicken minis. Well, two days before, she ate them just fine. Well, then she gets them the next time and magically hates them and refuses to eat them until I make her. Tyler and I have gotten to the point that we dont even tell her what we are ordering or where we are going, etc....until we are actually there because we just dont want to hear what we know is coming! Somehow....she has to grow out of whatever phase this is that she is going through currently!.........for Tyler and my sanity! :)

Lily also had her check-up on her eye today! Her and I popped over to Birmingham to see Dr. Hall and see his thoughts on if her red spot is dispersing. Well, he determined that it still looks about the same but maybe a little less dense so he wants her to keep doing the eye drops.....4 times a day....for another 6 weeks. On the next appointment he said that he will be able to tell for sure if the drops are working....soooo...we shall see! Lily is a trooper and hanging in there with the whole situation including the eye drops that she does hate but does it! Praying that the next appointment will show some difference!

She has got her Report card.............and A's!!! SO proud of her!! For us to be in a pandemic and for us to be doing blended school.....this is HUGE in my book because it all has not been easy and has just been crazy times so I am so proud of her!!

Even with the mask ON..........you can tell she is NOT wanting me to take a picture! ha! She just can NOT hide her expressions..................even with a mask!

 LOOK at this chick! Way to GO!

This girl! She has literally.....turned into a lady in 2021! In just a flash....she is grown! A young woman! How has time flown so fast?!?! She no longer can try and steal my shoes, too, because her foot is officially bigger then mine! She is now in a size 7! I feel like that just happened in the 13 days of 2021 as well! :)

She got her Report Card too....and ALL A's and just 1B! She had an 87 and was so bummed that she was so close to all A's but said that she is going to strive to pull it up and like I said...because we are in the crazy times we are.........that is a GREAT Report Card! SOOOO proud of her as well! She is such a hard worker and really strives to stay on top of allllllll of her assignments and I have to say between all the late night basketball games...and having blended school....she is a ROCK star!

Sooo...the world we are living in....where do I start?

Only 13 days in.....and there is a very funny meme on Facebook where people are posting that they want a return because they have done the free subscription time and dont want to keep 2021 because so far...it isnt working out very well. COVID is still high. We are still in a pandemic...even more than 2020 at this point. School is still blended/virtual. Masks have really become something more important than anything else in terms of making sure you have it....that you have one that matches your outfit....that you have a storage area in your home to keep alllllll the ones that you, and your family, now own. It is VERY rare that you see someone out and about wearing the generic blue masks as now everyone has their own style of mask that they regularly wear and have on hand. My girls have become obsessed in terms of making sure they have masks that are comfortable, that are fashion statements,etc!

At this point.....there are sooooo many of our friends and family that have either been exposed or have had it. I do know more and more people that have become really sick and have been put in the hospital and have even passed away from it. It is starting to be....there are more people that have been exposed or have had it...that have not. To say that none of my little family has had it...is rare these days into 2021.

There are vaccines out in 2021...just 13 days in! The thing with that is....most people are nervous/anxious/scared to get it because of soooo many reasons. Primarily because COVID is still not understood.....so how do they have a vaccine for something that is still not really understandable. There are lists as to if you are able to get a vaccine at this point because the vaccinations are limited. Gran and Ben were able to receive one due to Ben's condition. Mallory and Mitchell was able due to them being in healthcare. I have many co-workers that have been able to due to them being nurses but my family and I....well, we are not on a list and probably will not be for a long time because we do not fit in any of the conditions to be able to have one right now. So, we will wait our turn...and I will decide if I really want one too...........just because....I dont know....it is all just.....well.....hard. It is all just hard right now.

 NOW...also...there is a second COVID that is starting up and showing up in different areas of the United States. It is supposed to be easier to contract....and about the same symptoms...but they dont really know. Nothing is really known. Just crazy I say!

I CAN say, that there is an actual REALLY good reason that the masks are doing right now {you know...there is always, always, always....something good...something to be thankful for} The masks are keeping my face warm during these cold winter days! ha! :) I am thankful for them for that! :)

On January 20th, we will be having a new President. President Joe Biden. In the 13 days of 2021, Trump supporters raided the White House and trashed it and rioted the fact that Biden will be President. It was really hard to watch as it was happening. Just sad....sad....very sad times we are in. All in 13 days of January............2021....so much going on. 

Prayers and looking to God is more evident than ever. We all need Him. We all need to turn to Him because the times we are in...are just sad. We need prayers for 2021 to turn around too!

Someone shared this on Facebook and I thought it was fitting. Though we have only been in 2021 for 13 days...my little family and I are trucking through and doing the best we can and making the best out of the 13 days that we can! .....................OH...and trying to NOT watch the news...because...yeah..you just cant. No news watching because then depression will set in!

Here's to 2021 at least ending on a great note and hoping that the year starts turning around!

Wordless Wednesday!

 I thought this was a really good one especially with how 2021 is already starting off like!

Another championship

 We actually watched the National Championship last night even though.............we dont normally care....just because it hasnt been Auburn.............in a long while! :)

But to know that Saban's recruits all have been in a National Championship...and this one marked that, was neat to be apart of. Bama has a great program and though I wanted them to loose............that is great for our state! :)

The Messers came over and we grilled out and had TONS of 'football' food since this is officially our last game to have it............until next year {because it just doesnt seem right to have 'football food' and it not be football season} so we enjoyed our 'last meal!' :)

The girls had fun playing and hanging out...so they called it. It mainly consisted of watching That's so Raven...or whatever else they chose to do/watch! We didnt really care what they were doing...they were all playing well....and not bothering us. :)

I realized this is a horrible picture, while posting, but this is all and the best I got! They were lounging around! ha!

 THIS....is how I feel! The weekends go by WAY too fast and then blink, here is Monday!

Today is Monday.

My school/classes start back tomorrow. My students/Nursing starts back tomorrow. My girls had school today. They are still blended. Go back Wednesday so trying to juggle that too. Whew!...is all there is!

Still in a pandemic. Still trying to figure out how we are going to make Clinicals, class, etc work for alllll these students. 

But.

Here we go! All tomorrow!

Today is Monday....I tell ya!

Prayers appreciated for us all to survive this semester!

We did have a great weekend! Didnt do much but did have game night at the Sorianos and then Lily spent yesterday afternoon playing at the Messers. Caught up on laundry and did some relaxing and grilling. It was good and slow paced to gear up for this busy week!

Her last game!

 Alexis' cheer coach told the girls that they were going to get to cheer their last basketball game of the season as we thought they were done due to COVID. So, Alexis got to shine one last time yesterday!

Jacksonville played against Oxford and all 3 games were great to watch!

This cheerleader has grown so much this year! I cant wait to keep watching her! Next month are tryouts for next year! She is ready!

Lily always love supporting her big sister...................for sure................not hanging out with friends that are at the games! :)

Go JHS!

Love watching them! They divided up the squad because of COVID so this half had their last game and the next half has their last game this coming week.

Wordless....one day school day!

 Wordless....

only one day of school this week...........in person school that is....

as school is back in session after Christmas break and the school district decided to go blended for the 1st two weeks....

So my two go on Monday and Wednesdays and since school didnt start back until Tuesday....

mine are only in person one day.

They both were excited to go today and both were up and getting ready at 5:40am doing it!

 First one out the door this morning! She was dressed complete with her '1st day back outfit' {please note.............instead of finishing her virtual schoolwork the night before...........she was googling 'cute back to school outfits' Insert head to face here...from me!} :)

This was the outfit she settled on.................and she has loved her new hair curler so her hair was 'perfection' per her!

 This one was up and ready too! She picked out her complete outfit as well...and told me specifically how to fix her hair.............and decided she wanted to wear earrings today too!

 Ready to go to school! Even Callie was pumped and excited to show off her new sweater and shoes that she got from Christmas and what she chose as her first day attire!

I surprised both of them to Chick Fila {they had to eat in the car on the way and then took the rest into school...though both of them were saying they were going to get in trouble for bringing food in....} to eat since it was the first day back!

Today is my 3rd day back to the groove....and I like it when I have some days like I have been to gear up before my girls....................and all my students start back because that is when all the 'crazy' happens!

Here we go 2021............let's see how it goes!

Our new year!

 Thursday and Friday........New Years Eve and New Years day..........we had even more fun of playing outside....us girls taking a 'Mom's only' beach time........hanging out...riding around and having a quick visit to see Vic, LaLa, Reese and Mal.........and going to Seaside!.......and can not forget......ICE CREAM! 

We hung out at the house for awhile and then we got cleaned up and headed to Seaside to spend the early day and afternoon. We ate a late lunch at the Food trucks kind of right behind them in the picture below! They were soooo good! The kids ran and played and soaked up the beautiful day! We ended up not doing any shopping because it was just too crowded and we didnt want to be around all the people so we let them play a little longer and then headed back to the beach house.

These two have the best little bond!

We got the gang together...though they didnt want to stop playing to take some pictures! It started raining around dinner time so they played upstairs and watched the NYC New years eve fun! We cooked a big Italian dinner with salads and tons of desserts! It was perfection!

Happy New years eve!

You...know....one....more picture or so!.......... :)

Family picture!

Adult picture!

The men! We all played different games to help us stay awake for the new year! ha!

New Years day was full of lounging and watching football and playing games and watching movies since it rained until after lunch. Once it stopped raining....this crew spent the rest of the day....and into the late night just having the best time playing everything they could think of! We took a pause and went riding around...to see LaLa...to get ice cream ......and then came back for them to continue playing! Some of this crew are local kids that they have met while riding bikes and playing hide and seek! ha! They all became fast friends! :)

The neighbors beside the Messer's home live there permanently and are super nice! They had a ton of sparklers for all the kids and they loved it! The kids went to bed SUPER late...they were thrilled and it was the best New Years day!

We got up and ate breakfast and headed home today! It was just what we needed!