HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

JUST WANTED TO TAKE A MINUTE TO WISH EVERYONE A VERY HAPPY THANKSGIVING! ENJOY YOUR TRADITIONS! IF YOU ARE TRAVELING, BE SAFE!

May your stuffing (it's dressing at our house) be tasty,

May your turkey plump,

May your potatoes and gravy

Have never a lump.

May your yams be delicious

And your pies take the prize,

And may your

Thanksgiving dinner stay off your thighs!- Unknown

(couldn't resist - thought it was too cute)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

TIME IS NOT MY FRIEND....

No, I'm not injured, sick or lost...just MIA for a little while. Time is just not my friend this time of year. Mid-October to the end of the year just seems to be sooooo busy for us. I am not going to whine & complain about the things I have had going (because I know there are others just as busy & others with so much more than I have going), I am just going to say it has been very busy.

I appreciate everyone stopping by to check on me, and apologize that I haven't been able to respond sooner, but here I am now.

As I said, this seems to one of my busiest times (but one of my very favorite!!) of the year so I have to prioritize or go crazy (and even then the insanity can creep in ;0) ) I have been stopping by to read & keep up with everyone when I can, but haven't been able to comment or post.

I should go ahead and say that from now until after the end of the year, my posts will most likely be very sporadic. I am hoping I can take a little more time here & there to do a little more posting than I have these last two weeks, but I don't expect anything to slow down anytime soon..

I would share with you what I have been doing for the last 2 weeks, but it all seems a blur right now, so instead I will share a few of things coming up.

Birthday...tomorrow is my hubbies bday. We had a small celebration for him tonight here at home because I will not be home tomorrow night (see below). Just quiet time with the family as he requested.

I will be leaving tomorrow for Branson... a girls weekend that is an annual tradition for me. I go with my mother-in-law, 2 of her sisters, and her best friend. They started going years ago while the husbands were out hunting, when I joined the family I got to start tagging along. Even after my kiddos came, I kept going on the annual trip - my mom or sis kept them when they were younger & now they get to go to deercamp too. I look forward to this trip every year. The shopping is great, and if you need help finding the Christmas Spirit, Branson is the place to visit. The decorations, music, hustle & bustle of shopping will definitely help you realize Christmas is just around the corner!! We'll leave tomorrow afternoon and come home Sunday evening.

Of course, Thanksgiving is next week. Thanksgiving is my 2nd favorite holiday (Christmas is 1st), I look so forward to it each year. I will have to work Monday, Tuesday, and 1/2 day on Wednesday; the kids are out of school Wed. - Fri. I will work a trip to the grocery store in at some point and began cooking at some point too. We spend Thanksgiving day at the deercamp - we have our feast outside & it is wonderful. I will share more of that family tradition next week, and let you know what I am cooking.

Those are just a couple of the things coming up that will keep me busy. Hope everyone is doing well, and thanks again for checking in on me - Life is good around here, just busy.

VOTING, BACHELORETTES, AND OTHER RANDOMNESS

VOTING: Don't forget - Tomorrow is a very important day...please don't forget to exercise one of our greatest rights as Americans and go vote! I voted during the first week of early voting, and it felt good, I am glad I didn't wait! I won't express my political views here, but from reading many of your blogs, I feel confident we are all on the same page when it comes to casting our vote. No matter your stand, the important thing is to VOTE!!

Bachelorettes: For all of you bachelor/bachelorette fans....did you see this news flash today? I am appalled. I do like DeAnna, but she broke Jason's heart, and for what? Oh, well, it is supposed to be just entertainment & we shouldn't get so wrapped up in it, right?

Fall Colors: The trees are changing colors now, it seems all of a sudden. I will try to get some pictures soon - not something I am good at doing, but I will try. I have seen some beautiful colors, and would love to see what fall looks like where those of you from other states (or countries) are...

Halloween: We survived Halloween. My children actually went to the "country" to my parents and they did trick-or-treat at some relatives houses down there. I stayed here and greeted the trick-or-treaters. I did have a lot of them, but it was a rather quiet night, nothing out of the ordinary, and mostly polite children who actually said "trick or treat" and also "thank you"! It does the heart good to see the politeness...

Deer Hunting: It was youth hunt weekend in Arkansas. That means hunting was open all over the state to youth hunters (those under 16). That is the main reason my kids & husband went to my parents house for the weekend. My brother & his oldest daughter, my sister & her husband & their kids were there too. Only my oldest nephew got a deer, but they all had a good time at grandma & grandpa's house.

Old Friends: I stayed behind for the weekend to meet up for a girls weekend with some old friends. We met up on Saturday at one of the girl's houses in the town just to the north of me. We spent the day walking thru the lovely downtown exploring antique shops, sharing a cup of coffee, and then to one of the local malls for some more shopping. We also went to dinner, and then back to our friend's house were we spent the night. We did lots of looking at old photos, school yearbooks, and just talking about old times. And yes, my friends, we did share a margarita or two. It was a very relaxing & refreshing time for us.

That's the updates from this end of the blog world. What's been up with all of you?

Hope everyone is having a good week...

DON'T FORGET TO VOTE!!!

BEHIND AGAIN!

Well, it seems I have fallen behind again. This time of year just seems to be crazy for us, so much going on! I have been checking on blogs, but haven't had much time to comment or post.

I would throw out some updates on the happenings around here, but I'm not sure I remember where I left off. So, here are just a few of things that have been keeping us busy:

Boy Scout hike/campout/meetings

Girl Scout meetings

Deer hunting

Parent/teacher conferences

Homework

re-injured hand (better now, I think)

sick hubby (some kind of flu/stomach bug)

of course laundry, cooking, etc....

work, work, work....

I'm sure there are lots of things I am forgetting, but you get the idea. My kids may be older & not as "needy" when it comes to the everyday things, but now there are other needs which requires me to be the taxi driver - some days I think I meet myself coming and going! I barely get home from work, just to turn around to take someone somewhere. But, enough of the whining & complaining, that's just the way it is around here, busy all the time.

I do like blogging and love reading and keeping up with all of you through your blogs. The rest of this week and next week appears to be a little less packed with activity, so my goal is to get back to the blog world.

Hope everyone is having a great week!

Another Award

April has left me the sweetest award. She actually left it for me a few days ago, but I have fallen behind again, and am just now getting to it. First, I want to say thank you so much to April for this award; I am truly surprised & excited to have received it. I am not very creative, so this is very special to me to. Now it is my turn to pass it on.

Here are the rules...You need to list six things that make you happy, and pass this award on to six creative bloggers.

Six Things That Make Me Happy:

1. My family - I know this is a given, but it's true.

2. Lemon Heads - I love everything about them from the fun blue & yellow box to the tart yet sweet taste - love, love, love them & if I am down they will make me smile!

3. Being at my parent's house - there's just nothing like being at mom & dad's. (my kid's love it there too, & of course that is icing on the cake)

4. Home made ice cream - memories of my grandparents:)

5. Sweet Tea (with real sugar) - does it get any more southern.

6. A beautiful, crisp fall day with nothing to do, but be lazy!

Now, to pass it on. I know have passed awards on to most of you who follow me & as I still have many followers, or know very many bloggers yet, I am limited on who to pass it on to. All of the blogs I read are very creative & I love them all. But here goes....(and forgive me if you have already received this award, it must mean you are super creative!)

1. Heidi at The Zawisza Tribune - I so love everything about your blog, you have made me laugh so much and spread so much go with your wonderful stories - and not to mention the fact that your kids are gorgeous & you take the best photos of them to share!

2. Michelle at Love you a Google - I love getting to know your family through your blog; I love the fact that we seem to be in so many of the same places & feel certain we will meet someday. Thank you for sharing with us.

3. Angie at Life from the "zoo' - Love, love, love your blog. I may not know you in person, but it is evident you are a wonderful mom & great person.

4. Lindsay-ann at The Cross-Stitch House - From your lovely crafts to the beautiful walks you share with us, your blog makes me feel as if I have a friend in a far away place to visit each day!

5. Chickadee at A Familiar Path - We've been friends in real life since childhood & probably know too many secrets about each other (that is if we can still remember them). You're the reason I started blogging - even though I held out for a while - I love it & thank you for pulling me in.

6. ScrapperMom at My Yesterdays, Todays, and Tomorrows - Another real life friend since childhood, and another reason I started blogging. Love seeing your scrap booking & I do want that lesson some day!

Thanks to all of you for sharing with me each day - don't forget to pass the award on, if you haven't already!

AWARD TIME

I'm back! (LOL, couldn't resist) So, I need to start this post with a few disclaimers:

1. I have hurt one of my hands and although it is usable, I do have a brace on it & that makes typing a little difficult - so the disclaimer is to any spelling errors/typos. I will blame them this time on my injury. (no it's not serious, just a strained flexor tendon in my middle finger down into my hand, a little painful, but I will live - did it doing laundry.)

2. The awards. This disclaimer is in case I give one to someone who just received one. As I am behind in the blog world it has been hard to keep up with who has received one recently, and also I still do not know many bloggers so my list to send to is limited.

Now here we go.

AWARD # 1:

The first award I received was from my friend Lindsay-ann. It is/was my first every bloggy award, and I appreciate it so much. It has been so much fun meeting new people and reconnecting with some I already knew.

Now, before passing this award along, I have to give one word answers to these questions with no explanation. Then I get to tag five other bloggers with the award. So, here goes:

1.Where is your cell phone? table
2.Where is your significant other? outside
3.Your hair color? brown
4.Your mother? friendly
5.Your father? hardworker
6.Your favorite thing? family
7.Your dream last night? crazy
8.Your dream/goal? happiness
9.The room you're in? family
10.Your hobby? writing
11.Your fear? spiders
12.Where do you want to be in 6 years? happy
13.Where were you last night? bed
14.What you're not? complacent
15.One of your wish-list items? house
16.Where you grew up? Arkansas
17.The last thing you did? laundry
18.What are you wearing? jammies
19.Your TV? on
20.Your pet? none
21.Your Computer? laptop
22.Your mood? busy
23.Missing Someone? no
24.Your car? durango
25.Something you're not wearing? shoes
26.Favorite Store? Kohl's
27.Your summer? fun
28.Love someone? yes
29.Your favorite color? green
30.When is the last time you laughed? Today
31.Last time you cried? yesterday

Like Lindsay-Ann, it was hard for me to decide who to pass this on too, and I would love to pass it back to her because I do love her blog as well as many ohers. But here are my 5 picks (and please forgive me if you've already been tagged, but I do love your blogs).....

1. Girl, 2. Heidi, 3. Angie, 4. Terri, 5. Melissa

AWARD # 2:

The next award was from my friend Angie, and I have also recieved it from Heidi! Again, I am so appreciative of this award - it is so nice. I feel so honored to have met some wonderful new friends here in the blog world.

The rules of this award are to pass it along to five other bloggers. Four of the recipients should be dedicated followers of your blog and one should be a "newbie" if at all possible. So, here goes.....

1. Leigh Ann - I consider her my friend in "real" life too. I love her and her family so much and am so happy I can now follow them (and that she follows me) here in the blog world!

2. Naomi - I think she may have already recieved this award, but I need her to have it again. I so love reading her blog, but as much as I love that, I also love the comments she so graciously leaves for me.

3. Lindsay-Ann - Again, I think she may have already received this, but I have to pass it to her. Thank you so much for following me, and I so love the strolls through your beautiful land!

4. Aubs - one of my first readers. I am so happy to have met her and get know her through her blog, and love the sweet, friendly comments she leaves for me.

5. Michelle - she is from my neck of the woods. Another new friend I am happy to have found.

So, there you go, both awards passed on to those who deserve them. But please understand, I love all the blogs I read, and I consider you all my friend.

Now, I am off to try to figure out putting these lovely awards on my side bar - wish me luck (as I don't seem to have much this week)

Have a great night!

GLITCH!

Throw in a huge glitch in my catching up plans!!! Computer problems tonight - UGH!!! Finally, got it resolved, but now I am afraid I am just too tired to stay up late catching up on the bloggy business, I need to .

Hopefully, without any further glitches, I will be able to catch up tomorrow night. Please be patient with me as I am trying, but this seems to be the week of nothing going right (and it's only Monday). So, I am trying to take it all in stride and not stress out, but to do that I must have sleep. Please stay tuned, I will get back to it on a regular basis soon and get to those awards, I have several in mind to pass them on to.

Nighty, night for now!

CATCHING UP

It was a very busy week, and I have "blog stalked" but didn't have much time to post myself.

Two of my bloggy friends have given me awards, and I can't wait to accept them and pass them on to others. I hope to get to them either tonight (depends on how fast time gets away from me) or tomorrow night.

Basically, I just wanted to a second while I have one to check in and say that I will be catching up on my blogging in the next few days!!!

Thanks again for all of the wonderful birthday wishes, and also thanks to Lindsay-ann & Angie for the awards, I am truly honored!

GREAT DAY!

First let me say thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes, I appreciate them all!

I had a great day! The family - my kids & husband - gave me gifts last night. We decided it best to scale back this year, but I did get a few things I wanted & love. They gave me a Razorback cover for the trailer hitch on my vehicle - I love it. Okay, now this may sound crazy to you, but it was perfect for me - they gave me a jar of Calamata olives. I know, it seems absurd, but I love olives, especially Calamata olives; however, I would never pay the price for these so it was a perfect gift for me. Of course we also went out to eat on Saturday. They gave me cards and were extremely nice to me - the kids did not fight today, a perfect gift! I have felt pampered in many ways from them over the weekend and especially today.

A co-worker friend gave me a cake (german chocolate) and wonderful candle & room spray - cinnamon cider scent, they are awesome! Also, I went to lunch with several co-workers and they bought my lunch. They helped make my day wonderful.

Of course, I recieved many cards in the mail from family and friends. Also, many phone calls - my mom, sister & nephew called. My mom & dad gave me cash (also from my grandma); my sister has my gift and I will see her this weekend.

Tonight we went to dinner at my in-laws. Wonderful! We had pulled pork sandwiches (smoked by father-in-law) and then I had my Kahlua cake - it was awesome (basically it is a chocolate cake flavored with Kahlua liquer - yummy) My present from them each year is a trip to Branson. I go each year w/my mother-in-law, her sisters and neice, and several other ladies, and my in-laws pay for my trip. We have a great weekend of shopping and having fun with no kids and no husbands - I look forward to this present each year; we will go in November.

So, thanks to my family and many friends (including all of you) I had a great day!

ME :0)

So, today is my birthday! I will confess my age - 39. I really don't mind sharing my age because I can truly say it does not matter to me, it is simply a number and not who I am. Today, I choose to be selfish & post only about me! I know, it may be insane for a grown woman to just talk about herself, but it's my birthday, my blog and that is what I choose to do today.

If you go here, you will find I confessed my real name is Tonda. Yes, I am aware it is a little unusual and some of you may wonder where did such a name come from. Well, today, I will tell you.

I am the second born of three children - I have an older sister and younger brother. Of course all those years ago my parents had no idea until I arrived if I was a boy or a girl. Apparently my parents could not agree on a name for me - they had several picked out, but did not agree on any of the girl names. So, I had to have a name and they were getting no where. My maternal grandmother, who I talked about here, wanted to name one of her grandchildren and had mentioned that several times. So, with no name in agreement, they allowed my grandmother to name me. My name is Tonda Yvette (pronounced e-vette, no y sound). Where did she get such names for a little country girl like me?

Tonda - she chose this name because it was one she had liked for many years. Grandma was a nurses aid and had come into contact with many people over the years. At one point, she worked with, in her words, "a beautiful Indian lady" (meaning Native American) who was named Tonda. My grandmother thought a lot of this lady and loved the name; so it became my name. I am told (though have a hard time finding this) that Tonda means "little princess". I do love my name and would not change it, but try finding a key chain, or anything already made up with that name - not gonna happen! On vacations, I love to dare/bet my kids to try and find something with my name on it and tell them I will give them 20 bucks if they do, even used to do this when I was a kid when we went on vacations - hasn't happened yet, I still have that money in my pocket! I do know I am not the only Tonda in the world, I have heard of others on occasion, and I have met one (however, she uses her middle name & not the name Tonda). Also, on myspace there is a page I was asked to join - "For Tonda's Only". It was started by someone who shares my name looking for other Tonda's in the world, there are actually over 500 registered on the page and 5 in Arkansas - unbelievable. My name is mispronounced often - I am called Tonya, Tonka, Tonto, and I could go on & on, but I will only answer to Tonda - I mean how hard is it to see there is a "d" there! :).

Yvette - Grandma chose this name because there was popular actress from her time with that name. It is french in origin. I have discovered that my grandmother's grandparents were immigrants to the United States from France! So, I have a name to reflect my family heritage. And, yes this name also gets mispronounced often.

Yes, I have strange not so normal names, but I love them - they are me!

I am actually writing this post on Monday night the day before my birthday, but because I can choose the date & time to post you will see it on my birthday. That being said, I can not share with you yet how my day has gone, but I will give you an update and share later.

On Saturday, we went out to eat for an early celebration dinner at one of my favorite restaurants - Texas Roadhouse, the speciality is steak - my favorite!!!! It was yummy and we had a good night. I have also received several cards in the mail from friends already. Monday, 2 friends that I used to work with took me to lunch - it was great to see them. Tonight we will go to my in-laws house for a birthday dinner and cake. My mother-in-law cooks a special dinner for each of us on our birthday and lets us choose what kind of cake we want, I have chosen Kahlua cake - I can't wait.

So far, I have had a great birthday! Thank you for letting me talk about me today & being selfish on my birthday.

OCTOBER!

I know we are now a few days into October, and several of my blogger friends - here and here - have already blogged about October, but I figured it's still not too late for me.

I love October for so many reasons, so I want to share some of them with you.

1. The weather starts turning cooler & the leaves begin to change. Let me tell you, we have some beautiful colors here in Arkansas in the fall!

2. It's STATE FAIR time! I love the state fair! I have loved going since I was young and have so many good memories of going. I went with friends in high school and college and we had some good times. My first official date with Lynn was to the state fair on my 22nd bday 17 years ago - we will celebrate our 15th anniversary later this year! We now have so many memories of taking our kids each year, it's great. So, I feel the need to say it again - I LOVE THE STATE FAIR!!!

3. Football - it is the greatest! Love, love, love football - mostly the Razorbacks (even when they aren't doing well, like this year), but just love it!

4. Pumpkins, scarecrows, etc... love fall decorations!

5. Hunting season opens - I know this may not appeal to most, but my dad hunts so I grew up with it and I married a man who loves it and now my son loves. So, this makes them happy and in turn makes me happy. And as a little "gravy" it means they are gone quite a bit on weekends so I either have the house to myself, or it's just me & Sarah so we get girl time!!!

6. It's my birthday month! More on my birthday to come later.

So, these are some of the things I love about October! I know I didn't mention Halloween, but I have to confess, it's not my favorite holiday. I do tolerate Halloween and have always participated and let my children trick or treat or go to parties, but I could do with out it. Don't get me wrong, I love to see all the cute little ones all decked out in costumes, but there are way too many other things about October that I love more!

So, let me say to you all: HAPPY FALL, YA'LL!!! (can you tell I am a country girl)

CUSTOM MADE GIVE AWAY!!

HERE IS SOME INFO. ON A GREAT GIVE AWAY! This one is custom so you can get it to match your needs!!!!

Please visit my friend Heidi at The Zawisza Tribune to see her great give away. Also stick around and visit her for awhile if you haven't already; I promise you will love her blog. She is very entertaining, and let me tell you - she has some beautiful children!!!!

She is going to draw for a custom made cork board - she has one posted here that she has made for her son & it is too cute!

So, jump over to say hi to Heidi and enter her give away! And Heidi - thanks for letting us participate - hope I win!

UPDATES

Just a few little updates on our "Everyday Life."

1. Trombone - Lindsay-ann over at The Cross-Stitch House has inquired about the progress of trombone playing Travis. So far so good. There has not been much practice at home yet. He leaves it at school during the week and just brings it home on weekends. He did play a couple of things for me this past weekend and I do see some potential there - it was actually better than I expected. I am anxious for the first band concert.

2. Names - I have given you my son's real name & I want to share the rest of the family with you - I'm just too distractable lately to try to keep up with 2 sets of names. Flicka's real name is Sarah. I will give you the story of her name at a later date. Hunter's real name is Lynn. And some of you already know, but my name is Tonda. Yes, it is unusual, I have heard of other Tonda's but have only met one. As my birthday is just a week away, I will share the story of my name at that point.

3. Scouts - we are in the middle of fall fundraisers for both Boy Scouts & Girl Scouts. Boy Scouts sale popcorn and the Girl Scouts sale candy, nuts & magazines in the fall (cookies begin in January). Sarah had a GS camp this weekend, she left on Friday with 2 other girls. One of the other moms took them, and I went yesterday to pick them up. Meetings every other week for Girl Scouts & the Boy Scouts meet every week, and then throw some weekend activities in for both. Busy, busy, busy... 'nuff said.

4. Friends - I have recently been fortunate enough to reconnect with a friend from my school years - she moved away after 9th grade, but we kept in touch off & on over the years. We have reconnected after losing track of each other for the past 7 years. This weekend we not only had girls night out, we had a good ol' fashion bunkin' party (or pj party). We had so much fun, it was great. We stayed up til 1:30 am talking, watching movies & just having a great time! I recommend this to everyone - it was therapeutic!

I guess that's about it for now. Just been crazy busy lately, but managing to keep my head above water & throw a little time for me in every once in a while. HOPE EVERYONE HAS A GREAT WEEK! HAPPY MONDAY!

So, what's been keeping you busy & when's the last time you had a bunkin party with a friend?

ANOTHER GIVE AWAY

Go here to find another great give away! Bunny Chic Boutique is giving away a great halloween bag & a carnival bloom wallet. Go check it out & enter! FUN!

Don't forget to check out my post before this one - you might find a surprise for you!

CHICKADEE TAGGED ME!

Chickadee tagged me, so here goes my turn. Check out how she did her random things; I'm going to do it a little different because since I am still a fairly new blogger I'm not sure I know anyone well enough yet to give hints, and also because I think that some of you may have already been tagged.

The "rules" of the game are as follows:
1. Post the rules on your blog.
2. Write 6 random things about yourself.
3. Tag 6 people at the end of your post.
4. If you're tagged, DO IT and pass on the tag.

Here goes - 6 random things about me:

1. I hate gum. I do not like the sound of it when someone is chewing it in any close proximity to me (I have been known to ask them to please spit it out); I do not like the sound it makes when I chew it, and I do not like the way it feels when I chew it (I never chew it anymore, but used to at one time in my life). I can not stand to see someone pulling it in & out of their mouth, or when someone puts it on the side of their plate to pop back in their mouth later. I do not like to see bubbles being blown. I'm not a germ crazy person, but I think gum is just a disgusting, noisy, germ magnet!

2. I love summer! I love heat, I do not like to be cold.

3. I love being an Arkansan. I have never really wanted to move away to another state, I am perfectly happy living in Arkansas forever!

4. I L.O.V.E. country music(especially George Strait)! But, I also love Bon Jovi & Jimmy Buffet. So, I guess, my tastes run a little everywhere.

5. I am convinced that some day I will be the next Mrs. Jon Bon Jovi. (LOL - everyone needs a crazy fantasy!)

6. Some day I would love to write a book. This has been a dream of mine since I was a child.

Now it's your turn. I am tagging Leigh Ann, April, Heidi, Aubs, a boy a girl & a pug, & love you a google. Please play with us, it is fun learning new things about each other!

GIVE-AWAY FUN

Cinnamon*Sticks Boutique is having a fun give-away right now. Hop on over & check out the great bangle & enter the give-away, just maybe one of us will win! Good Luck!

GROCERY STORE MANIA

Call me crazy.... but I love to grocery shop. Ok, what, you may ask leads me to proclaim this bold statement. Well, a brand new Kroger, the only one of it's kind, the biggest in all of the southeast region, just opened in our town! And I LOVE it. I know many of you are shaking your head convinced that I have totally lost it. But, no, I really haven't. I will now explain further.

I really do love to grocery shop. Many times a trip to the grocery has been my only alone time. Yes, I love my family, but we all need (deserve) a little alone time on occasion, and you know w/kids we don't always get that even in the bathroom. So, I love to grocery shop; I can wander the aisles lost in my own thoughts, with no interruptions.

Now, to my favorite grocery store. For many years now, I have been loyal to our local Kroger. There was also a Harvest Foods here, but the prices were higher, and the workers just didn't seem friendly to me, so Kroger was my choice. I not only love the deals and prices, but the manager at Kroger is the nicest, sweetest man you will meet. He seems to always be there, he makes sure to speak to everyone he sees, he does so many things to help our community (I know some he has to, but some he does not.) He is so helpful to all of our Girl & Boy Scouts, donating things for cookouts & sleepovers, letting us stand inside to sale cookies when it is raining or cold (this is definitely not a store policy).

A few months ago, a new Wal-Mart super center opened just a few miles up the road. Kroger lost some business for a while (not mine), but you could see the customers slowly drifting back, Wal-Mart has better prices on a few things, but not everything. And then, just a month or so after that, Wal-Mart opened up one of their Wal-Mart Neighborhood Markets in the old Harvest Foods store. Again, business fell off for a little while, but again, they came back to Kroger.

Well yesterday, my friends, the new Kroger opened and it is heaven! It is huge, I think it is bigger than the Wal-Mart super center! Travis' Boy Scout Troop did a flag ceremony at the grand opening last night. I was tired and opted to stay home with Flicka thinking they would just do the ribbon cutting, and the doors would open today - not so, after the ribbon cutting they let everyone in! I was so disappointed I did not go; oh how I wanted to go in, I have been waiting on this opening for months now.

Tonight, I went, actually the whole family went. It is FABULOUS! There is so much room, it is just crazy. I can't imagine anything you would need that you could not find in this store. They have all the normal sections - bakery, deli, floral, meat, etc... But they also have some not so normal areas - sushi, fresh market (includes organic), cheese shop (over 100 types of cheeses), a collegiate section (it is mostly all RAZORBACKS!!!).

Those of you who know where I live and live in this area you need to go to that Kroger, you will not regret it! I am looking so forward to going back alone & getting lost in the aisles and my thoughts!

I know it is crazy to blog about a grocery store, but I love to grocery shop. And if the store is wonderful, it can make your shopping experience so much better; not just for those crazies like me who love to grocery shop, but also for those who do not like to grocery shop (I think this store would convert you.) I will try to get some pictures of it this weekend to share.

So, call me crazy, but I love to grocery shop! Do you?

RECIPE TIME

On my previous post, I mentioned that Chicken & Dumplings are one of my favorite comfort foods. I promised to share the recipe at some point and since there was some interest, I will share it now.

I think I should preface my recipe post by saying that I am by no means a chef. I love to cook, I love to cook things my family likes, and I love to cook for anyone who will eat what I cook. I love to "tweak" recipes to fit our tastes - you know make adjustments here & there to make them more compatible with our pallets. I also love to try to create my own recipes. But again, I am not a chef - I do not always know the "proper" terminology, or make things fancy. I do have some low fat recipes that are good, but I also have plenty that are in no way low fat - so if low fat is your style, I may disappoint on occasion as many of my recipes have real butter, and other very bad for you things in them. Also, please remember I am Arkansas born & raised, so my recipes are just good ol' southern home cookin - most are simple, passed down through generations, etc... I think I will try to throw in a recipe post weekly ( I think I will have to see how it goes.) If you have requests, let me know I will share if I have what you request.

So, my Chicken & Dumpling recipe will be the first I share. Naomi, here, asked what dumplings are - they are defined at Wikipedia.com as: "piece[s] of dough, sometimes filled, that [are] cooked in liquid such as water or soup" or "sweetened dough wrapped around fruit, such as an apple, baked and served as a dessert." - for my recipe, it would be the pieces of dough cooked in liquid (no filling).

Here is the recipe:

1 chicken

3 cups flour (all purpose)

1 tsp. salt

1- 2 sticks butter or margarine (divided use)

1 1/2 - 2 cups milk (divided use)

Season chicken with salt & pepper and boil with enough water to cover. Add water if needed while cooking. When chicken is done remove from broth to cool. Save broth. Debone chicken when cool and set aside.

Mix flour & salt. Cut 1/2 stick butter or margarine into flour mixture (should be a cornmeal type consistency). Add enough milk to make a stiff dough (not sticky). Turn dough onto floured surface and knead (don't over knead, this will make it tough). Roll thin (1/4 inch or less) and cut into narrow strips (about 1'' by 1'' or smaller, needs to be bite size).

Bring broth to a rolling boil and drop strips in one at a time (I know this sounds crazy, but they stick together if you drop them together). Cook until tender (approximately 10 minutes). Add cooked chicken, 1/4 stick butter (I usually use a whole stick), 1 cup milk, and salt & pepper to taste. Simmer for 15 - 20 minutes. Sauce should thicken as it simmers. If not thick enough, thicken with milk & flour (or cornstarch). If too thick, thin with milk or water. (we like our sauce thick).

Several fellow bloggers commented that the use canned biscuits, I have tried this & it is good, definitely easier (and I love easy), but we like the thinner dumplings over the thicker ones (the thicker ones tend to be too gooey for our taste). There are many chicken & dumpling recipes out there w/many variations, this one just happens to be my family's favorite!

Hope you enjoy them if you use the recipe! Happy Eating!

I have a recipe request of all of you - if anyone has a good potato soup recipe, I will love you forever if you share it with me (LOL)! Any recipe requests from me???

END OF THE WEEK & WEEKEND WRAP-UP

Last week totally got away from me. After Tuesday, it just seemed like there was no time left in the day by the time I got home each afternoon. Hopefully this week will be a little calmer & I will have a little more time to blog. Here is a rundown of what we did over the weekend.

1. Phone problems: I came home Friday to discover we had no phone service (landline). We don't use our home phone often, most everyone calls us on our cell phones now, and that is what we use most too. But, I do still get some calls on the home phone, so I decided I needed to report the problem. After going through several steps on an automated system, it finally said my problem was logged in the system and it would be restored by Sept. 22, and then the automated system cut me off. I couldn' t believe it would take almost 2 weeks, so I decided to call back and try to talk to a human. After going through several minutes of automation again, I finally pushed enough buttons to get to a live human being. She mistook my concern of it taking 2 weeks to restore service as that I needed it immediately. I explained that we didn't need someone to come tonight, but my concern was that I would continue to rack up charges on a line we could not use. She then understood and explained that after 24 hours of no service (if it is their fault & it is in this case) credits automatically start going back on our bill. It was relatively pleasant phone call, and I was satisfied w/her answers. So, we can live w/no home serivice for a while.

2. Internet: I have also had intermittent problems with my internet service this weekend. Since my internet & phone service are through the same provider, I can only assume it is related to the problems above. Now, I don't think we can live without internet for 2 weeks. So, if the internet problems continue, I will be making another call to AT&T to whine & complain & throw a fit if necessary to get my internet back in full force. (but I will be patient & wait to see what happens w/it 1st) I guess if you don't see a blog from in a few days & no comments on your blogs, you can assume my internet is down again.

3. Birthday parties: We attended a birthday party on Saturday at my Hunter's aunt's house. Her 1st grandbabies, Hunter's cousins twin sons turned 1. (I forgot my camera, so I do not have pictures.) They are of course cute little boys. It was fun, but I am so glad my kids are bigger & we don't have the little kid birthday parties to attend as often. I'll try to get some pictures of them to share soon.

4. Hurricane Ike: Of course my prayers are with all of those in Texas who were affected by Ike. Ike affected our weather here in Arkansas again. We received tornadoes in several parts of the state, and high winds were again a result of remnants coming across AR. The rain didn't last as long for us this time (this was a blessing, as many places still have not recovered from the rains from Gustav). We lost power during the night and it came back on here around 10 am - a short lived outage for us. My sister lives in a town further west, and she lost power after Gustav & was out for several days; the school my nephews attend was out for 2 days that time due to no power. Her power is out again and she is receiving reports that it might be up to 3 days before it is restored; the boys will be out of school tomorrow for sure, and not sure about Tuesday yet. It seems crazy to think that 2 hurricanes could affect Arkansas, but it happened.

5. Chicken & Dumplings: Travis has been asking for chicken & dumplings for a while so last trip to the grocery store, I made sure to buy everything I would need to prepare them. Tonight for dinner that is what we had. My family loves chicken & dumplings, but only if they are homemade. I tried to take a short cut once & bought frozen dumplings, they knew immediately something was different & asked that I never make them that way again. So now I only make home made chicken & dumplings. I must say they are my favorite too. Chicken & dumplings are the ultimate comfort food for me - if I am sick, that is what I want; if I am sad, that is what I want. I had tried several recipes over the years, but was never happy with the taste. I wanted them to taste like my grandma's did. I finally combined & tweaked a few recipes and have come up with the ultimate recipe that tastes almost identical to how I remember my grandma's tasting. I am planning to do a recipe post soon, and will include this recipe as well as several other of our favorites.

That is about it for our weekend. I hope everyone had a great weekend, and dodged any damage from Ike. Share with me: what is your favorite comfort food? what did you do fun/exciting this weekend?

I hope everyone has a great week!

Girl Scouts

Tonight was the beginning of one the activities that keeps me the busiest. I have been co-leader of my daughter's Girl Scout troop for 7 years. Tonight was our first meeting of the year. We have a troop of 10 - 12 girls (not sure yet how many are returning & how many new ones we will have this year). All of the girls are now between the ages of 13 - 15.

I do enjoy spending time with the girls (especially my daughter), but this is an activity that takes up way more time than I ever thought it would. But since, Flicka loves it so much it is very worthwhile to me. Most of the girls in the troop have been together for at least 5 years and some of them for all of the 7 years I have been involved in the troop. Needless to say, I have formed a bond with many of them.

Since the girls are older now, we do more with them, it is fun. Also, since they are older, we are beginning to let them lead the troop and the other co-leader (who has become one of my best friends over the years) and I are just there as advisers now. It has been fun to watch them grow from little Brownie Girl Scouts up to the beautiful, smart, creative, talented, etc... Cadette Girl Scouts they are today.

Last summer (07) we took the biggest trip we have ever gone on with them. We used all of the cookie money raised, and money from several other fund raisers we held to go to Savannah, Georgia. Savannah was the home of the founder of Girl Scouts - Juliette Gordon Low. The trip consisted of 9 girls and 5 adults all packed into 3 vehicles going "road tripping." We stopped in Huntsville, AL and went to the Space Center, Atlanta, Georgia, for a day at Six Flags and a day at the most awesome Georgia Aquarium (everyone needs to go here)! Then we headed on to our final destinations. We actually stayed in Hilton Head, South Carolina by the beach - BEAUTIFUL!!! While in Hilton Head, we kayaked in the bay looking at the ocean wildlife - we didn't get to see any dolphins that day, but we saw other beautiful things. Then we went to Savannah, we did a trolley tour of the city ending at the Juliette Low home. It was such a treat to see her home, and meant so much to all of us to be their as Girl Scouts. For lunch, we ate at The Lady & Sons restaurant (this Paula Deen's restaurant - she is on food network), it was great; one of Paula's sons was there that day & we got pictures made with him and lots of autographs (he has a show w/his brother on the food network too). That night we did a ghost tour of Savannah - it is reported as the most haunted city in the US. The tour ended at the "pirate house" where we had wonderful buffet dinner w/Capt. Jack Sparrow. It was lots of fun! The rest of the trip was spent at Hilton Head on the beach - soaking up the sun. We were gone for 10 days, and it was AWESOME! Many people thought we were crazy for taking that many girls on a trip that long, but they were all wonderful! I would do it again, and hope we have the opportunity to do something that awesome with them again. (Savannah and Hilton Head are some of the most beautiful places, I highly recommend them as a vacation spots to anyone)

I hope I still have a few readers after such a long rambling post and hope you are not bored terribly. I just wanted to share with you a little about one of the things I love - my Girl Scout Troop! I am sure as we trek along through meetings and trips this year, I will have many stories and pictures to share!

Here is a picture of the girls from last fall - they hosted a "girls night out at the spa" for our sister brownie troop.

Even though they keep me busy, I love Girl Scouts! I was a Girl Scout when I was a child, and they say "Once a Girl Scout, always a Girl Scout!"

What keeps you busy (besides school & housework, of course)?

WEEKEND RAMBLINGS

It was a rather quiet weekend for us. I just thought I would share a few random things with you today.

TROMBONE:

Long story short, after much research and many conversations, we went with the rental option on the trombone. Here is a picture of Travis w/the instrument. He did not want to pose for me, so it is a silly pose. (if you are lost as to why he has a trombone, see my 2 previous posts for further information)

LONG LOST FRIEND:

I got to go to lunch with an old friend on Saturday. We haven't seen each other in 7 years. She is a friend that went to school with me through many elementary & jr. high years. She had to move away right before 10th grade and we didn't get to graduate together. We have kept in touch off & on over the years, seeing each other several times in college and even after we were both married. We unfortunately lost touch and as I said haven't seen each other in 7 yrs. We were able to reconnect through FACEBOOK. We now live only around 20 miles from each other. We had a great lunch, it was so much fun to visit, reminisce and catch up with each other again. I am vowing that we won't lose touch again. She is the kind of friend it just feels good to be with, and I am so happy to have her in my life again. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera and did not get pictures this time, but I will next time.

LAZY DAY:

For the most part Saturday was just a lazy day. While I was at lunch, hubby & Flicka stayed around the house just hanging out. Travis spent the night w/one of his buddies Friday night, and was gone most of the day Saturday. Hubby worked out in the yard, and Flicka just lazed inside mostly. Of course we were all home & inside in time to catch the Razorback game - we just listened on the radio.

LUMBERJACKS:

I did have a few lumberjacks around the house this weekend. Last week when we had all of the wind and rain hitting us from the remnants of Gustav, it got one of our trees. The top of a little pine tree in the back yard came down and hit the backside of the house, luckily it was small & didn't cause any damage. Even though it was a smaller tree, it was leaning toward the house and we decided the rest of it must go sooner than later (we weren't too sad, as we were not fans of this tree and have been thinking of getting rid of it). Fortunately, Hunter is rather handy and could take care of it himself instead of hiring someone to come in & cut it (Though had it been a bigger tree, I would have insisted we get professionals to take care of it). He recruited Travis & one of the neighbors to help out. He looped a rope around the tree & the boys were supposed to pull on it to help it fall in the right direction - they thought this was cool. All went according to plan - the tree fell the right direction, no one was hurt and no property damage.

That's about it for our weekend. Hope all of you had a good weekend too.

THE INSTRUMNENT

OK, OK, I know you have all been patiently waiting to find out what happened next. I had to take a little break yesterday so that I could do an on-line Continuing Ed course for my license requirements, but I am back; and here goes.

(By the way, if you are just tuning in, you may want to read my last post before you continue reading. This post will make more sense to you, if you read the previous post first.)

And the instrument chosen was......

No, no, no. You really didn't think I would just spill the beans that quickly did you? I have to tell you how the rest of the story played out.

So, by now it is day 4 of the school year. Travis came home excited and brought me papers to look at before I could even ask (usually, I have to ask at least twice before papers are remembered.) He gives me a memo style note w/a bold heading that reads "Getting an Instrument", it is from Mr. M., the Band Director.

The note explains that "your child has chosen to be in the band and now you are wondering about obtaining an instrument." It further explains that to assist us in instrument selection, they have tested our child on every beginning band instrument and we will find the recommendations below. It also had some other explanations as to why or why not they may be good at certain instruments - coordination skills, lip & teeth structure, etc...

Now, before I go further, I feel I should give a little more background on how he even got band on his schedule. Each year in 5th grade, the 6th grade band teacher comes to the elementary school and talks to the kids about band, and instruments, etc... The 5th graders are given some type of evaluation at that time that supposedly lets us know if they might be a candidate for band. Travis, was listed as good candidate, and that was all it took for him to want to be in the band. After all, this was the best way for him and his friends to get a head start on the band they want to form together (obviously not the same kind of band though.) So, anyway before the end of 5th grade when we had to fill out schedules for 6th grade he wanted to band to be on it, and we agreed because we do want to support him and give him a chance to try it out.

Now back to choosing an instrument. I just assumed the instrument of choice would be drums. Drums is all he had talked about for so long, so it seemed the logical answer. Everyone had been telling him that "everyone" wants to play drums in the band and it might be hard to get to do that. At first, this logic did not sway him, and we encouraged him to go for what he wanted (thinking we would just get ear plugs.)

So, to the evaluation. The note breaks down the evaluations into 4 categories - highly recommended (1), recommended (2), okay (3), and not recommended (4). The instruments listed are: flute, clarinet, alto sax, trumpet, trombone, bell, and kit (drums). Travis' evaluation looked like this:

Flute = 3; Clarinet = 1; Alto Sax = 1; Trumpet = 1; Trombone = 1; Bell = 2; kit (drums) = 4

I was shocked. I asked why he thought he had a 4 on the drums. He explained it was because he didn't try for it. He said everyone wanted to do drums and he thought it was best if he just let that go for now & try something else. (I was thinking - O.KAY.) And as you can see we had 4 highly recommended instruments.

So, what do you think he chose?

Nope, not the Sax.

TROMBONE.

The TROMBONE was his choice! It's not that I have anything against trombones, but really? I like to think I'm a relatively intelligent person, but I just couldn't even picture what a trombone looked like - I had to have him explain it to me (and even then I googled to see a picture.) I asked why the trombone. His answer, "Because it's cool."

So, the trombone, it is!

Next installment - the actual obtaining of the trombone.

Stay tuned (if you're not bored yet)... I promise the next installment is good too.

THE BAND

And so it began. . .

Scene: End of 2nd day of school.

Who: Travis, the new middle schooler, in 6th grade, (basically, still "wide-eyed" and soaking in everything, even if he doesn't understand it all yet).

What: Band/instrument

The rest of the story: So, it's the end of the 2nd day of school. I ask the kids if they have any news to share, papers to show, need more supplies etc.... Travis announces we need to buy him an instrument for band. I ask what instrument, he replies that he doesn't know yet, the teacher hasn't done the evaluations yet. I try to explain that we would rather not buy one right away, but should wait to make sure it is something he will like and continue to pursue over the next few years.

Travis: "But, I promise I will."

Me: "Ok, we'll talk about it when we know what instrument you need." (ie...no way, no how, not now - there must be a way w/out buying a new instrument!)

The discussion ends peacefully. Several hours pass and the topic of school and their classes come up again. Here is the next exchange:

Travis: "You, know mom, Mr. M..... says if we play an instrument and they find out when we go to college, they will give you money to help pay for it. So you will be getting your money back."

Me: hysterical laughter (It was just the way he said "and they find out" that was sooo funny, if you're not laughing it may be one of those you had to be there moments)

Lynn: reading a book and oblivious to it all

Travis: "Why are you laughing."

Me: "Just because you can play doesn't mean you get a scholarship. I'm not laughing at you, just at your interpretation of what your teacher said."

Lynn: looks up to see what is so funny so I explain... "that's called a scholarship, Travis, and you have to practice and get good at an instrument to earn one." (he is the logical one, right?)

Travis: "But, I do want to be in the band, and I will stay in it and practice to get good."

Me: "Ok...I know you want to, and we will talk about it when we know an instrument." (still chuckling to myself about the getting money for college automatically when "they find out" you can play something and I will be getting my money back for the instrument at that time.)

Lynn: already back to his book and his own world

So, it was left at that. We will definitely consider renting or buying an instrument when we find out what he wants to play and the Band teacher thinks he is ready. And hopefully he will understand if we don't go buy the instrument as soon as one is assigned to him. But, I will also hope for that scholarship - we will need it!

Stay tuned.... Part 2 and the instrument reveal will come soon!

ONE LAST POOL FLING

The end is near - the end of summer that is! We decided to spend the afternoon at the pool for one last swim of the season. We also let Trav invite some of his buddies over as a little mini late birthday party. My neice also came over to swim too so Flicka wouldn't be the only girl. All of the kids had a great time. We had pizza and cake. Of course we listend to the RAZORBACK game - GO HOGS - we won the first game and hopefully will have many more wins this year!!! GO HOGS!!! (did I mention, I love RAZORBACK football!)

Here are a few of the pics from the day. Our last goodbye to summer!

Trav & his buddies! A rowdy bunch!

My girls - Flicka & my neice - she's 14 & they are good friends!

Blowin' out the candles - wishin' hard.

My 2 girls again - cousins!

I tried to get more pics of the boys, but it is almost impossible to get those boys to be still long enought and with all of the water flying up by the pool I didn't want to risk staying up there too long w/my camera.

A few things about summer I will miss: the beautiful blue of the pool water, the smell of the sunscreen, the shrieks of joy from the kids at the pool, the warmth (we will not lose that completely for a while though), the beach towels draped over the deck - each one showing the personality of the owner. Just a few of the things I will miss till next summer.

HAPPY LABOR DAY WEEKEND to everyone! I hope everyone enjoys one last summer fling!

ELEVEN YEARS

Today my baby boy is 11 years old. Eleven years ago, he arrived in this world at 8:16 pm weighing in at 8 lbs., 6 oz. He had a head full of hair and was all wrinkly, he came fast, and made us laugh from the beginning - something he still loves to do! This may be a long post, and I apologize for that, but I want to share the story of his arrival as well as some other fun things about him. (feel free to stop reading when you are bored)

Here is the story: My actual due date was September 3, but I told everyone and convinced myself his due date was August 31 - you see, if I said September it seemed like another entire month, and I just couldn't take the thought of one more hot month, so August 31 it would be. Well, obviously my little one had other plans, and arrived even earlier.

The day: It was a beautiful Sunday, clear skies, hot but not to the extreme. My parents came up to visit for the day; my dad and Hunter were doing somethings around the house, and my mom, Flicka and I went shopping. I was feeling great, in fact better than I had in over a week. (Little did I know that the constant back and leg discomfort I was having for the past week was most likely labor! LOL!) Mom and dad got ready to go and mom said to me: "We're not going to get home and then get call to come right back up here, are we?" I laughed and said no way, it's still too early, and I am feeling fine. So, off they went back home about an hour away. We went on with our afternoon, I cooked dinner and we - Hunter, Flicka & me - all sat down to eat. All of a sudden, I just didn't feel right, I got up to go to the restroom and halfway there my water broke, it was definitely time. We called my sister to come pick up Flicka - she lived on the same street so she was there in approximately a minute or less. We put the bag in the car, reassured Flicka that mommy was OK, and off we went to the hospital. The labor pains hit hard and strong w/in 5 mins. of the water breaking - much worse than any I had had w/Flicka. It was only a 10 - 15 minute ride to the hospital. Before leaving, we called mom & dad and said we were on our way to the hospital. They thought we were kidding and when we finally convinced them it was real, they headed back up.

A little more background: Flicka had to be delivered by C-section due to some problems with her heart rate. My doc w/Camo was convinced I would not be able to deliver him vaginally due to the previous c-section and his size. I was adamant that we give it a shot, so we compromised. We scheduled an OR for a c-section about a week before my due date of Sept. 3, with the decision if he did not come before then, it would most likely be needed.

At the hospital: I was pre-registered so we were escorted straight to labor & delivery upon arrival. We checked in at 7:20 pm, I changed into a gown immediately. Before even making it to the bed for my first check, I had a sudden urge to push. I announced this to the nurse as soon as I finished putting on my gown, she just laughed it off and said, I had not been here long enough, it was probably just nerves. I again told her of the urge and was very adamant that it was not nerves. She got me to the bed and checked me and her eyes became as big as plates (not saucers!). She then ran into the hallway and screamed page the dr. stat (remember it was a Sunday night, and there was no OB in the building, just one on call - it just so happened that my OB was out of town so they would have to use the on call dr. who was one of the other drs. in the same clinic as mine.) She came back and talked to us, checked the monitors, etc..., checked me again, and again went hurriedly out and we could hear her asking if the dr. had arrived yet, and then a "we need someone in here stat!" She came back in (along with another nurse or 2, but no dr.) sat down at the end of the bed, and tried to convince me not to push, I insisted that I was not going to be able to stop it much longer, she finally gave in and let me push. The dr. walked in, basically just in time for the last 2 pushes and to catch the baby. Camo was born less than an hour after we arrived at the hospital (less than 2 hours of my water breaking), we signed the paperwork giving them permission to deliver him and administer care after the birth. Needless to say, his birth was 100% natural, they didn't have time for anything. He came when he was ready, and there was no stopping him! It was perfect! My mom & dad arrived, and when they walked in they could not believe I was already holding him; they were just expecting to get to see me for a minute before being asked to leave so I could be prepared for the delivery! (Lynn's parents decided to wait till the next morning to come up, since it all happened so fast.)

OK, that may have been more information that you wanted, but I just love that memory and wanted to share it. Now for some of the fun stuff.

I have to confess that my first thought when they handed him to me was "oh, my gosh! he's a monster!" I know this may sound like I was a terrible mom, but not really, it's just that Flicka was only 6 lbs. 7 oz. and with him a full 2 pounds bigger, he just looked huge! He was just so beautiful - head full of reddish brown hair, big blue/gray eyes, no smushed head from delivery, just beautiful. He was very laid back from the beginning and still is, not much flusters him or gets under his skin (except for his sister now - LOL). He never lost his hair as some babies do, it just turned to snow white - my little cotton top! His eyes are still a beautiful blue/gray - they actually change colors from bright blue, deep blue, gray and sometimes a greenish color depending on his mood. I tell him I can always tell when he is happy or sad by the color of his eyes.

He loved to eat from the beginning, and that is something he still enjoys, he is definitely not much of a picky eater. He has had a very sweet, and different sense of humor since he was very young, he loves to make you laugh. He has a very unique outlook on the world around him, his interpretations of things are sometimes so simple, it just makes you think - yeah, you're right; and sometimes makes you think - that is so funny! He rarely meets a stranger, he is very friendly and most people fall in love with all that is him after only a few minutes of getting to know him. He has always been a good kid, a bit mischievous at times, and about 500% boy, but very good - he has a good heart and it is easy to see. Also, he is very smart - he has always been an A student (sometimes some Bs sneak in and that's OK w/us too.)

He loves all things outdoors - hunting, fishing, riding his bike, swimming, camping, baseball - I could list things for days! I like to say he is a country boy locked up in the city.

I have decided to share his real name with you because I think it really is a part of his personality and have decided since I will be sharing so much about my family on my blog, I want everyone reading to know the real family (and besides I use their real names on myspace & facebook, why not here!)

So, today, you have met - Travis Lynn - my eleven year old wonder! Sorry, for such a long post, but I could ramble on for days about my kiddos and all that is great about them. And just thought since it is his birthday, it was a good time to share some things.

Here are some of my favorite pictures of him:

6 weeks - still w/reddish hair

1st bday - loving the cake!

2 1/2 yrs - a very brief stint w/gymnastics - not his cup of tea, he needed more activity & something that was outside!

10 yrs. - his first deer (sorry, if this offends anyone, but this is who he really is!)

Eleven and a cell phone!

A new gun & new phone - life is good. He chose the gun over a birthday party (we couldn't afford to do both.) For those who are not used to seeing an 11 year old with a gun, please remember he is a hunter and the love of it was born in him - his dad loves to hunt as do both of his grandpas. This is not his first gun, but is one he has been wanting for a while - it is a pump action, 20 gauge shotgun. Also, for those who are concerned, please know that all guns in our house are used for hunting only, and are kept in a locked gun safe. Travis is not allowed to hunt alone yet, and all gun usage for him is strictly supervised by an adult.

We went out to dinner to celebrate - Travis chose one of our local restaurants that serves catfish and all the fixings (fries, hush puppies, slaw). This photo was taken outside the; they have a nice sitting area, this bridge leads to it. There is also a pond and the provide bread and other goodies so you can feed the fish & turtles.

Travis had a very good birthday & we had fun celebrating with him.

FISHING DERBY

I think I may have mentioned previously that Camo and Hunter like to fish. Flicka and I also enjoy it, but it seems to be more of a daddy/son event the last few years. Tonight it was a family event. Our local parks & rec dept holds an annual fishing derby each August. It is free at a local lake in our community, and is open to all children under 16. Basically, we just show up with rod/reel/bait, sign in and then fish for 2 hours weighing in each fish, hoping for the biggest in your division. Last year, this derby is what Travis chose as his birthday party, he loved it. This year it was just the four us, and it was a good night. Here are a few pictures:

One of the beautiful lakes in our community. It has a very nice walking trail all the way around it and it is right behind our library.

Our local library. You can check out fishing poles, walk out the back door and fish!

Beautiful skies & beautiful weather for a fishing derby!

The first catch! 1 lb 12 oz -she is in first place!

A rainbow blesses the event!

Uh-oh - dark clouds start rolling in! (but they are beautiful)

Brother & sister fishing together in the rain! The rain held out till the second hour (only a 2 hour event), but it was still fun!

Finally another catch - it's raining and hard to hold it up!

And the winner is... he won his division (10-11 yrs). He won a new rod/reel and new tackle box!

And the winner is.... she won her age division (12-15 yrs) as well as the overall winner, her fish was the biggest all night. She also won a new rod/reel and a new tackle box.

It was fun night. They were both very happy they won, and Flicka was ecstatic that no one caught one bigger than hers! (Not to mention how happy I am they both won, no disappointed one to break my heart!!!)