No if's, and's, or BUT's

This is our favorite picture from our recent cruise to the Caribbean with our good friends Scott and Kjirsten Fuller. We found a photographer on the ship and we had alot of fun together. He called our picture style "freestyle" and we didn't like getting the same pictures that everyone else on the ship was getting. This picture makes me laugh out loud every time I see it. Jimmy made this picture his screensaver so every time I walk into the office I burst out in laughter. The butts are (from L to R) Jimmy, Shauna, Kjirsten and Scott.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving to anyone reading this! After much gentle persuasion from Jamie B, I am posting. Apparently, I missed a few prime opportunities to post today. But we have definitely been busy having lots of fun. (Maybe I can convince Jamie to teach me how to attach pictures to my posts) We, the moms, all started with a plan. Each of us were to come prepared with a one hour activity or project for all the kids to participate in, mostly at my request to prevent my girls from camping out in front of the tv all weekend. It was alot of fun and we still have a few left for tomorrow. The girls started early today with a "culinary arts" class with Grandma Joy, aka, clean and stuff the turkey. Grandma has offered continuing ed courses at various times during the day, should they have chosen to participate. Jamie B prepared a music and movement course complete with an art project to make ribbon wands. So far, we have only had time to make the wands - tomorrow I am sure that we will see lots of music and movement. I brought lots of paper crafting stuff that Grandma and Cassidy used to make place cards for everyone today. Hopefully we will see some more "cutting and pasting like pre-schoolers" tomorrow. Grandma Whitehead's pie recipes were put to great use today. I made pumpkin, apple, banana cream, chocolate and pecan pie. All were delicious - even if I do say so myself. it must have been the tried and true recipes I was using. (Thanks Gram!) Currently, all the children are in bed with Grandma catching a little shut eye next to them, the men are "saving the world" (in Lea lingo that means playing XBox), and the other ladies are hovered over their laptops. It is not an unusual site to have multiple laptops at the kitchen table at any given time. today there was 3 out at one time. We are all great multitaskers. Thanksgiving is great! This evening around the dinner table, Aaron Jameson had a very profound comment. He said that he was thankful for all the usuals, family, friends, etc. But then he added that he is greatful for all of his experiences. Both the good and bad- because they have shaped him into the person he is today. I would definitely agree with that and echo that in regard to my own life experiences. Thank you to Aaron for bringing that little tidbit into perspective for us all.

Thanksgiving pics

T hese are the pictures that go along with the Happy Thanksgiving post. Just a little sampling!

An apprehensive "Take 1"

Wow! Here we go! The big plunge in the world of cyber-space. Will I need to pack a bag? What should I take with me? Do I need to make a "to-do" list for this? Wow, I am kinda feeling a bit inadequate here. I just spent the last few minutes, ok, almost an hour...reading Jamie B's blog and Jaime Lynn's blog and get this...my mother-in-law's blog! Holy cow, what is the world coming to? From Jaime Lynn I get inspired to drop everything and go scrap. And more specifically, to scrap a few memorializing pages about my Grandparents both on my side and on Jimmy's side. From Jamie B I am inspired to blog the everyday occurences and find joy in "living in the now". And from my ever so wise mother in law, Joy, I recieve inspiration to make the most of my life, my relationships, my time, my resources and it just makes me want to be a better person. She has such wisdom and insight on life that I would be foolish to not take heed to her counsel and experience. I am surrounded by such amazing examples! And I couldn't write about blogging without mentioning my sister and brother in law, Debbi and Jeff, in North Carolina. We all recieve updates and pictures from them several times a week. Even though we live on opposite sides of the country I still feel like we are connected and know what is going on in their lives. This also makes me realize that I am cheating them - and anyone else who cares to read about little ol' me and mine - the opportunity to do so. How selfish of me. And how selfish of me that I am not documenting my life, my successes and my struggles for my children and grandchildren to read and learn from. Can you imagine my future daughter in law(s) reading my journals/blog/whatever it will be called in the future and thinking those same thoughts about me that I think about Joy? Ok, no, I can't either, those are big shoes to fill. But what if? (All I can say is that I will be the first one in line to but her book whenever she decides to retire and become an author.) You all have inspired me. For that I thank you. And here goes nothin' - "take 1".
P.S. Confession time: It took Jimmy and I both a minute to figure out how to post on my own blog. I kept returning to the comments page. Then I found the "new post" prompt up in the corner. Duh! What can I say, I am a work in progress.

Our Family - December 2006

Jimmy, Shauna, Madison, Cassidy, & JD

The Set-Up

I am Shauna's sis-in-law and am getting her all set up with her own blog. Welcome to the Blogging world Shauna!