Happy Birthday, McKenzie!

Today is McKenzie's 15th birthday!  She will soon be taking her driving test and learning to drive.  Yes, we are all getting old!

We celebrated her birthday with a weekend trip to Birmingham and had a great time with her!  She is a nut and is a lot of fun to be around!  So, Happy Birthday McKenzie!  Enjoy your video!

Matt's Birthday Trip

During the kids' spring break week, we took a couple of days and went to Memphis to celebrate Matt's 10th birthday a little early. He wanted to go to a Grizzlies basketball game for his gift. We had a great time! We ate an early supper at The Side Porch, then on to the game. We stayed downtown, so it was nice just to walk to our hotel after the game. The next morning we walked to Miss Polly's on Beale St. for a great breakfast. Here are a few pictures from our trip and yes our kids love food just like me and David!!

Happy Birthday, Matt!

Today is Matt's 10th birthday!  We can't believe he is in double digits!  He is growing up too fast!  Here is his birthday video.  We hope you have a great day, Matt!

Easter eggs

I love how McKenzie and Matt's Easter eggs turned out this year. Old Tyme Commissary did a great job as usual. I chose a Visions singer bunny for McKenzie since that has been a big part of her life this year. Matt's is a golfer bunny showing his time on the Coca Cola Jr. Tour this past summer. My favorite Easter decoration is my Peter's bowl full of all of their eggs from each year!

Visions finished up a great competition season last weekend in Hattiesburg. They received 1st runner up at the Magnolia Show Choir Invitational.  They made history in that this was the best competition season they have ever had! The placements and caption awards were the best Visions has ever done. We are so proud of this group because they had obstacles to overcome.  Jenni, their director decided to move up into large group division this year, so that meant adding more new members. Half of our group was made up of freshmen. They had a lot of work to do but gave 100% and did their best. Our seniors led this group well and showed them what hard work is all about. We have enjoyed our time traveling and watching the competitions. Can't wait to see what next year holds for this talented group. So thankful for the many lessons McKenzie has learned being a part of Visions this year.  David was helping backstage with the set at the last one so he was able to take quick video of McKenzie during the song "Enter Sandman".

Catching up

Beware this is a long post!  It's hard to believe spring is right around the corner. We have been busy with Visions show choir competitions, Upward basketball and science fair. Matt has enjoyed his basketball season so much. We had a good little team with some great boys. David was the coach  of our team, the Heat. Here is a short little video clip I took of Matt playing one Friday night.

Team picture with Coach David at the closing ceremonies. 

I have to say that David is one awesome coach! He teaches not only the skills needed to play the game but about God. These boys also learn sportsmanship. So thankful for Upward and what it means to Matt.

We always ended up at McAlisters for nachos after the game!

Matt recently entered the GUES science fair last week and received 5th place for his project...Are your Chips Greasy? It was a really interesting project. We now know what chips we don't need to eat! Here he is after the awards ceremony.

Matt also was awarded Principal's Breakfast for his class this month. It is given to students with good behavior and grades. He got to have breakfast with the principals and received his certificate and a pin to wear.

The winter months is the time for show choir  competitions and Grenada Visions has already competed in two in Jackson and we have two more in Hattiesburg. They are doing great and we have had fun going to the competitions. We have 40 singers and dancers, a band and crew. McKenzie is loving every minute. It's a lot of hard work for the kids but worth it when they get to perform on stage for an audience and judges. The theme of the show is Forever Falling inspired by the Tower of Terror ride at Disney World. It is an awesome show and the audience always seems to love it. This is usually our view...

This is the cute button David and I get to wear at the competitions. All the parents wear one to support their favorite Visions member.

I wanted to show one last thing that I made for McKenzie for Valentine's day gift.  She made one for her best friend's birthday back in January and had wished someone would make her one,  so I did!

You take a mason jar, paint glue on the inside and then sprinkle glitter in the jar. I found bible verses and inspiring quotes that would be good for a teenage girl and wrote them on popsicle  sticks. Next, I placed the sticks in the jar after the glue dried. Each morning she picks a stick out to read for the day. I thought it turned out so cute. And what a great way to encourage someone. 

December

[Editor's note:  This was supposed to be posted yesterday (the 18th) but I didn't get the pictures and video added like the boss asked.  Hey, it was my birthday!]

Time is passing fast! Today is the 18th and the kids are out of school for Christmas break!  Today is also David's birthday and our 22nd wedding anniversary!  We have been really busy this month but things are starting to slow down this week and I like being able to just enjoy the season.

McKenzie attended her first winter cotillion as a freshman the first of December.  She had a great time with friends. I think what she enjoyed the most was getting all dolled up at the salon and wearing a pretty dress.  A few of us moms cooked  dinner for the couples.  They enjoyed that time at Haley Williams' house. We also rented them a limo to ride them around and to the dance since none of the guys can drive yet. Her date to the dance was Aidan Moore. Can't believe she is old enough to do this! Seems like yesterday when she was three handing out programs at a cotillion leadout one year. Here are a few pictures from the night...

Another first this month was McKenzie's first Visions Christmas Show. She had so much fun! The show was wonderful! A lot of hard work goes into this show. The kids do all the work themselves with a little help from the Jenni and the parents.  The title was A Picture Perfect Christmas. The theme of the show centered around different families at Christmas. It was a very funny and entertaining show.  The last part of the show was religious songs and very meaningful. McKenzie and two other girls were given the opportunity to do a lyrical ballet to Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel. Tripp McCrory and Cheyanne Harmon sang the song. It was beautiful. Here is the video of them dancing and also a few pictures from the show.

Merry Christmas!

Happy Fall!

Today is the first day of fall and I couldn't be happier. It's my favorite with hopefully cooler weather, pumpkins, mums, hot chocolate, Halloween, boots and sweaters just to name a few. The kids are finally settled in school. I always dread the first few weeks because it's such an adjustment for all of us. They have been busy and we have been trying to soak in every minute. I've said before that I can't believe my girl is in high school. The days are flying and she is busy all the time. I miss her when she is not at home but I know this is just the season of life we are in right now.

I also celebrated another birthday last week. David was so thoughtful and took off the Friday before my actual b-day and treated me to lunch at The Crystal Grill. We also did a little shopping, too. Here is a picture of my awesome piece of chocolate pie they are so famous for. It was delicious!

We shopped at a really nice vendor mall. I can't remember the name but it had really cute MS State/Ole Miss stuff. Then went to Big Lots where I saw tons of fall and Christmas stuff out. Lastly David went to Turn Row bookstore and I went next door to Mississippi Gift Co. where I used some of my birthday money from family to buy a pretty piece of Peter's Pottery.

Here is the card from the kids. I got a chuckle out of Matt's! Love these kids so much!!

McKenzie had her first ever Visions Student/School show. They did a great job! A lot of hard work and late nights went into getting ready for it. Jenni, the director let us come the night before for a parent preview. We really enjoyed it. Of course the music we had never heard of much (we are old) because this show is designed to please the high school audience. Here are a few pictures from the show...

Here is a picture of Matt that David snapchatted me a few weeks ago. He was having lunch with him at the school.  Isn't he cute as a button with his missing tooth?! Love that sweet boy.

This is Homecoming week for GHS and it started out with a bang with a group rolling our yard Sunday night. They got us good and McKenzie was loving it! Me not so much the next day when it had rained a little during the night and I had to get the mess cleaned up.

Here is another picture of McKenzie on school spirit day where you could wear a college t shirt or jersey of your choice. She wore her State shirt and I think she makes my MS State sign look much cuter! I found this cute hand painted sign on Etsy. I plan on using it until it's time to put out my Halloween decorations.

I got so excited the other day when I discovered Walmart had put our their mums.  I planted a few mums just to give some fall color and take out my worn out looking summer flowers. Happy Fall!