The Strings

First Magical Day!! 9/4/11

2011-09-16T22:35:00.027-05:00

We woke up bright and early and headed to Disney's Pop Century. It was really big. I loved all the huge decor outside of the buildings. We had a room right across from the big wheel and next to the Mickey phone. We were in the 70s section of the hotel. We checked in and went to our room to put up our luggage. I packed a backpack with all the things we could possibly need plus my camera. We loaded the bus to Magic Kingdom for our first day at a Disney park! It was so nice not having to drive to the parks. We walked in the gates and the park was all decorated up for fall! It was truly magical!! The first thing we did was go get our buttons. A My 1st Visit for Mana and a Happy Birthday one for me!! Everyone was so nice and asked Mana how she liked her first visit and told me Happy Birthday. Mana told me that I could not wear my button until my actual birthday. She just did not want me to get any of the attention!! Hee Hee. I was just trying to turn it into my birthday week! What is so wrong with that? We went to the Tea cup ride. You see, Mana and I are not big ride people. I like my feet firmly planted on the ground. We got in the cup and Mana and her dad started spinning it like crazy. I had to stare at Brian's shirt not to get sick. Mana loved it. Then she met her first character - Alice. Then we rode the carousel and Its a Small World. By the end of that, Brian was getting tired. We went to dinner at Tony's Town Square. It was pretty good. Brian went back to the hotel for a nap and Mana and I stayed for awhile longer. We saw the Celebration parade.

We visited the princesses, Mickey and Minnie. Then we watched the electric parade. I loved all the lights. By the end of it, we were tired and decided to head back to the hotel. We had an early breakfast to go to in the morning. We missed the big parade at the end of the night and the big fireworks show with Tinker Bell flying out of the castle. That gives us something to look forward to the next trip!!! More to come. Here are some pictures from Mana's first day ever at Magic Kingdom!!!

Family Vacation 9/3/11

2011-09-15T23:09:00.007-05:00

Brian and I have been married for 18 years and we have never been on a week long vacation. We have had several weekend trips but no extended ones. I have been wanting to take Mana to Disney for a long time now. She is eleven. We decided that now would be the best time to go. We left the house at 5:00 am and headed to Orlando, Florida. I had printed out a google map for directions. It took me off an exit that was a SunPass toll only. I saw that at the last second and ended up having to go through it. I could not back up the exit. There on a black and white sign, was $100 PENALTY. SunPass Only! I am sure the camera has a lovely picture of me screaming! Can't wait for that bill. We were not checking into our Disney hotel until Sunday so we stayed on International Drive. The last time I was at Disney was for Grad Night in 1990. We decided to go early so we could go to SeaWorld. We went on Saturday. I love SeaWorld. I think it is my favorite. I have always wanted to swim with the dolphins, and I still would like to. One day I will. Petting them and seeing the shows were amazing. We rode the IRide bus system to and from the park. I did not like that at all. We had to stand up and hold on to the hand straps. I was afraid I was going to fall into someone's lap when we went around the turns. I am glad we got a seat on the way back to the hotel. The hubby's wallet dropped out of his pocket while on the bus and we did not know until we were back at the hotel. I had to call the bus office and someone had turned it in. They also stole $140 out of it. This was an adventurous trip to say the least. It doesn't end there. Here are some pictures from SeaWorld. More to come in the next post!!!!

August Update

2011-09-11T18:36:00.003-05:00

Mana prepared for two auditions. Both were in the same week. She auditioned for "Thoroughly Modern Millie" at TCT and "Willy Wonka" at BCT. She made both shows. She is in the ensemble for Modern Millie and an Oompa Loompa for Willy Wonka. She is so excited. It will be a busy schedule but a fun one!

Homeschooling is good so far. A lot more work then last year. She is adjusting to the work load. We both are not adjusting to waking up at a reasonable time.

2011 God & Country

2011-07-04T23:07:00.005-05:00

Our church's God & Country Celebration was Sunday night. I am so glad Mana and I were able to go. Everyone did an amazing job putting it together. The food was great, the singing was wonderful and the fireworks were amazing! We even had a car show. Two of Mana's friends came and they walked around together. I took pictures all night. I was having so much fun taking pictures, that I ate really late and about missed the fireworks. I managed to get outside and make a few shots. Wish I had my tripod, but I really do not like lugging it around with me so I left it at home. I thank everyone that worked to make the night a wonderful one. They worked really hard planning, setting up, working during and taking down afterwards. Just wanted to let them know that they all did a great job and they are all appreciated!!

2011 VBS Set

2011-07-04T22:40:00.004-05:00

This was my sixth year painting the VBS set at my church. It is something that I really enjoy doing. Most of the years, I have had a few helpers come and paint with me, including art students and friends. This year meant the most to me because my own daughter was old enough to join in and help me paint. We had a lot of fun together, planning and painting. She did a wonderful job and I am very proud of her. She is becoming a great artist. I am so glad I get to watch the artistic abilities continue to be passed down through out the generations. My grandmother and mom were both amazing artists. My grandmother painted mostly in oils. Beautiful landscapes. I remember my mom painting the background sets for my sister and my dance recitals. She also painted the most amazing little paintings to go in dollhouses. I so wish I could find those. I have a few of them. I am sure I put them in one of those safe places that you are sure to remember where you put them! Well until next year, here is some pics of this year's VBS set.

Catching up

2011-06-30T17:39:00.004-05:00

I guess I will continue to try blogging. I have not been that great at it, plus no one leaves any comments anyway. So to try and make two months shorter, here is my effort. Finally finshed up our first year of homeschooling. It was a long one with everything that went on this year. We ended up only being two weeks finshing after the public schools. I did not think that was bad at all. Brian's 4th surgery, on his arm, for the fistula, finally went well and they pulled the port out of his chest. Now he can go swimming with us! I have a job now. My friend got her license for our photography business, so now I am a photographer/graphic designer for her! I got a new Nikon D7000 camera. We have finally started to recover from the hubby being unable to return to work. Mana has started voice, drama and ballet lessons for the summer. It finally seems like life is getting back to what we would call normal. Or as close as it will ever be. I finished up the VBS set for my church and the storybook for the ballet. Was not sure if I was going to be able to do those two things this year. Glad I did. My computer died last Monday. I got a new one last night and I am now trying to type and find my way around a laptop. Not so great at that yet. Tried to load photoshop CS2 and found out that it is not compatable with Windows 7. I have to upgrade now. It will be about two or three weeks until I can even order it. No editing pictures for awhile. :(

We have had a lot of deaths in the family. My grandmother's brother, my Aunt's husband, and yesterday my Paw Paw died. I got to go down and stay with him in the hospital a couple of days before he passed. I loved his grin and I am glad I got to tell him that! The funeral will be Saturday.

Well, that about sums it all up.

My Helper

2011-05-04T00:57:00.004-05:00

I had a project that I needed to do for a lady today. Brian had his surgery to rework his fistula this morning. I thought that we would be home by lunch. It turns out that we were at the hospital for eleven hours. It was a very long day! I still needed to finish this project. I am painting some signs for a new store that opened today. Mana wanted to help me so I let her. She did an excellent job and was a big help. We got all the signs done in a reasonable time.

Tornadoes

2011-05-04T00:48:00.003-05:00

Here are some pictures of the damage from the April 27 tornadoes.
Mana took these!

A Wonderful Family

2011-04-19T23:42:00.003-05:00

Last Wednesday, I got the opportunity to photograph a very special family. Mana has taken dance from this sweet lady for several years. I was thrilled when she asked me to take some shots of her and her kids!! I had two of my friends with me to help out! Thanks Sherry and Lisa!! We make a great team!

A funeral and two prom photo shoots

2011-04-12T00:49:00.008-05:00

Saturday, April 9 was a very busy day. My Uncle passed away and his funeral was that morning. It was out of town. We got back in town just in time for me to meet up with my friend Sherry to shoot a beautiful couple before their senior prom. They were really fun to shoot. The guy kept Sherry and I laughing the whole time. After that I went home and dropped my hubby off and changed batteries in the camera. I then went to meet some friends of mine to take their before prom pictures. All went well. I was extremely tired at the end of the day.

My sweet friend Heidi and my adorable daughter.CJ and Zena's pictures Adriana and Michael's pictures My sweet girl

The Return of Scrapbooking!!

2011-04-02T00:45:00.005-05:00

I use to do a lot of scrapbooking! Every Friday night, my friend Anggie and her daughter would come over and the girls would play and we would scrap. I miss that so much. We had the best conversations those nights. They wouldn't be over until way past midnight, but we never cared what time it was. We would paper scrap on those nights since I have printed pictures of when Mana was little. On other days, I had started a digital scrapbook for her 1st grade year. I was about done with it when I lost all her 1st - 4th grade pictures. I was not one for backups!! I have learned my lesson well! Now I have my pictures backed up in two different places. I have been downloading free scrapbook papers and elements for a long time now. (I lost all that also!) I have finally scrapped my first page since I lost everything. I enjoyed making my first page and look forward to doing others really soon.

Just had to share!! :)

Background paper and elements came from
scrappingsisters.blogspot.com
from the kit - Got Game Tennis.

Spring Photoshoot

2011-03-26T21:53:00.003-05:00

I took spring pictures of my friend's little girl and niece this morning. I have not taken any pictures for awhile now except for the pageant. It was great to be able to take their pictures. We had a lot of fun and got home right before it started raining!

AC giving Mana some love!

BCT Spring Break Intensive

2011-03-19T00:47:00.002-05:00

This week was Spring Break. Mana went to BCT Spring Break Intensive all week. It was from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm. She had the best time. She got to see all her friends again that were in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever with her. A friend from her school she attended last year was also there. That was a nice surprise. She had music, dance, arts & crafts, monologue, puppetry and drama classes. She got up every morning before me and got ready to go. I know she loves it when she does that!!

Mana and Mrs. Kristy White (Music teacher)Set design by Mana's group

2011 Pageant

2011-03-11T23:24:00.002-06:00

Sherry and I were asked to take pictures at the Forestdale Baptist Pageant again this year. We had bought a new backdrop to use. It was beautiful! We had so much fun shooting this year. All the girls were so beautiful! Here is a poster I did for the school to hang in the office area.

Pink Bubbles??

2011-03-11T23:05:00.006-06:00

I dropped by Target last night before going to a friend's Pampered Chef party. I went in to get some writing pens. I always tend to lose them. I came across pink bubbles. I just had to get them for Mana. What was I thinking?
Today, she went outside to play with the dog. I poured the pink bubble solution (which looked like blood) into a bigger bubble wand. It made the biggest mess. I let Mana play with it anyway. She dropped some on the porch. It looks like someone had an injury and bleed all over. Some bubbles landed on the dog. Now she has pink fur. It is really cute! It is washable. Well it says it is washable. I think it is wearoffable. My hands are still pink after washing them. And of course, the bubbles themselves did NOT look pink.

Grab the Lysol!! Part 2

2011-03-11T22:54:00.003-06:00

Yes, after going out to lunch with my friends on Sunday and painting that night, I came down with the flu. I thought I was home free since I waited to see anyone for a week, just in case I had picked it up. Of course not. I had around 3 days of feeling bad. During that time, Mana wrote a message for me on the porch out of grass and made me a bracelet. She was so thoughtful and sweet. She took care of me well!

Construction Zone pt. 2

2011-03-06T22:22:00.004-06:00

We have now finished pouring the self leveling floor. Today, we were getting the walls in the bathroom ready to paint. I had painted a border around the wall and if you do not sand it you would still see the outline of it left on the wall. Mana wanted to help out with the project so her daddy put her to work sanding. She decided to have both hands going at one time. I finished trimming the walls out and put the first coat on the wall tonight. Second coat in the morning and then Brian can put the tile down!! Can not wait to get this project done so I can have two bathrooms again and so we can move on to the next project! ~ Painting the rest of the house!!

Out with friends!

2011-03-06T22:11:00.003-06:00

Since Mana has had the flu and still has a cough, we did not go to church this morning. Some friends of mine from church were going out to lunch to celebrate some birthdays. Brittney's and Heidi's to be exact. I have not been able to spent much time with them lately, so I left Mana home with her daddy and I went to lunch. It was so great to be back in the middle of all my friends. I have missed them so much. Happy Birthday Heidi and Brittney!!

Heidi opening some giftsDebbie and Dee

Going Grey Gracefully!

2011-03-05T17:10:00.007-06:00

Going Grey gracefully, that was what I called what I was doing. FOR YEARS!! (since the age of 20) Well, that is all over. I am now a firm believer that you can NOT go grey gracefully! Over the years I have been mistaken for my friend's mom, and numerous other comments came my way. Ouch, she is not that much younger then I am. That friend has heard me talk about how I needed to color my hair for ever, always never to do so. Well, she changed that. I guess she got tired of listening to me. The other day, she made me an appointment with her hairdresser. I was obligated to go to not make her look bad. That appointment was today at 1:30 pm!! I went and now I actually DO NOT LOOK like her MOM!!! I love the color and cut! This girl did a great job. Mana now wants highlights because I have them. THANKS SHERRY!!!

If you like this scrapbook quick page visit

http://auntiemdesigns.blogspot.com/
Credit: Auntie M Designs, Newspaper QP with Coffee

Grab the Lysol!!

2011-03-05T16:59:00.003-06:00

My sweet child wroke me up Wednesday morning to tell me her throat was hurting. An hour later she had a fever. I took her to the doctor expecting her to have strep. No, she has the flu. Nothing knocks you out quite like the flu. She had a 104.5 fever that night and a horrible cough. Don't you just hate it when your kids are sick and there is nothing you can do to help them feel better? Today, she is much better and getting back to being herself. No fever for a day and a half. Still has a sore throat. Unfortunately, we are not going to make it to church in the morning. I wish that was not the case. We have just started back to church. Pray Brian and I do not come down with it. So far so good on that one!!

Mana sick and Bella looking after her.

Inspired Little steps for Mom

2011-02-28T22:58:00.005-06:00

Well, I have let Mana help me with cooking cakes and other deserts before. I have never let her put the pans in the oven before tonight. I know that I am an over protective mother a lot of the time and don't let her do different things. I also know that sometimes it is so much easier just to do it yourself. She is eleven now. Time to let her do a lot more things on her own. Mana has a friend that she spent the night over at her house not to long ago. Her friend loves to cook. Hearing about her friend's love of cooking and reading a blog I have been following called Necessary Pleasures (her kids love to cook also), I was inspired to let her do more in the kitchen. Mana and her dad cooked supper tonight. We can not experiment to much with the meals because of Brian's strict kidney diet. They made pork chops, corn and handmade drop biscuits (a kidney diet recipe). Mana enjoyed cooking with her dad and the supper turned out great!!

Construction Zone

2011-02-28T22:48:00.003-06:00

Our master bathroom has been under construction since October. Well, I have had a hole in the floor since October. The construction to fix it started a couple of weeks ago. Not to our knowledge, the toilet had been leaking under the floor so it all had to be torn out. My father and a friend of his came up to help Brian put the floor back in. Here are some before and in the process pictures of the project. We still have lots to do on the bathroom until it is finished. It will be a slow process. Brian has his good days and his bad. He just doesn't have a lot of energy these days after dialysis.

Before During Dad and Brian (on a good day) working!!

Strange object found

2011-02-28T22:44:00.002-06:00

What we will do for a science lesson.....

Yes, there was a balloon in my refrigerator.
She was studying air molecules and how they react
when it is cold and hot.

Still Cleaning!!

2011-02-22T16:04:00.003-06:00

Today was a beautiful day!! To beautiful to stay inside. Brian brought a load up from the building for me to go through. I am still not done with all the cleaning out. I still have half the extra building to go through, the basement and the garage. (I will leave that one for the hubby!!) Mana came outside and wrote her spelling words on the porch. I love the freedom of homeschooling!!

Bella, the foreman again!She takes her job seriously!Mana doing spelling!

Art Project: Shapes

2011-02-16T10:51:00.004-06:00

We finally got to do art this week! Mana did great on time for school yesterday, so we had time for art!! That made me really happy. I have missed teaching art. She had to look at objects as shapes only.

Time to Party!!

2011-02-12T20:44:00.003-06:00

Balloons - check, Cake - check, friends - check!!
It was party day! It was really nice to have the whole house clean and not to do anything this morning to get ready for Mana's birthday party. I actually sat down and took it easy. This was the first time ever. My sister, brother-in-law and my nieces came up. I have not seen them since November. The girls are spending the night with us tonight. They have had a great time. Mana has been so excited about them coming this weekend. My friend Anggie and her daughter came over for awhile this afternoon! I enjoyed Anggie's company. The Paw Paw also came over to visit and to make his secret Waki Tiki Punch for Mana and her guests!!

Math Lesson

2011-02-10T23:59:00.004-06:00

Brian is taking over the math lessons while GranMary recovers from surgery.
His lesson today was measurement. I have proof GranMary!
They did do math today!!

The fun part of the lesson!!

Snow Again!!!

2011-02-10T23:50:00.003-06:00

Today's snow was perfect!! It was not that icy slush. It was a beautiful powder! It took awhile to get it to bond into a snowball but it was possible. Mana and I went out early this morning before starting school. I just wish that the hubby could have come out also. He gets really cold quickly now.

Mana taking picturesBellaMana's snowball scarfMana attacking me

Brian's Birthday Lunch

2011-02-06T21:45:00.005-06:00

Brian's birthday is Tuesday. His parents had us over for his birthday lunch today.

Brian's Pineapple Upside Down CakePaw Paw's Secret Waki Tiki Punch

A Birthday Surprise Package!!

2011-02-06T19:01:00.005-06:00

Mana's Aunt sent her and Brian a surprise package in the mail. They will not be able to make it to see them on their birthday get togethers. Aunt Carlye and RK made them cupcakes. They were great!! The box was filled with pictures that RK drew and things she picked out just for them.

Yum Cupcakes!!!Lots of Goodies!!

Christmas Again

2011-02-06T18:57:00.003-06:00

Since we did not make it down for Christmas to see my family, my dad came up to our house and brought Mana's presents.

Fun with Bella!

2011-02-04T15:16:00.003-06:00

Bella thinks she is Queen of the house!!

Such a Mess

2011-02-01T19:25:00.004-06:00

Why is it that everything gets a whole lot messier while you are cleaning? I should be able to see an improvement in the house. I am not there yet! In fact, I can hardly walk through parts of the house for the boxes!! I would put them outside on the porch but it is raining. I do have them over to the side of the rooms so I have a path. I at least know that they will be leaving tomorrow afternoon!! I am really excited to be getting rid of all this stuff! It feels great!!

The Living Room Mana's Room

Happy Birthday!

2011-01-27T01:07:00.005-06:00

Mana's 11th birthday was Tuesday!! We went to see the movie "Yogi Bear" with some friends of ours. We went to the 2:30 pm movie so we had the whole movie theater to ourselves! We had a great time!!

Mana loves this series of books!!Nook Color
Her dad got a Nook for Christmas
and she had to have one also!!

Another science experiment!

2011-01-27T01:04:00.001-06:00

She loves doing science experiments!!

Cleaning!!

2011-01-20T21:57:00.003-06:00

I am on a roll lately and a deadline!! My daughter's birthday is coming up soon and I wanted the house to be clutter free for her family party. I am getting there. My husband, daughter and I have all cleaned out our closets. I have cleaned out the two junk drawers in the kitchen, cleared a few book shelves, and cleared out half the kitchen cabinets. I could stay up all night boxing up everything to get rid of it. I have never been so ready to let stuff go! I hope Hannah Home comes to my house with an empty truck because I am going to fill it up. If they don't have room for it all, I will be strapping boxes to the top of their truck. It is NOT coming back into this house!!

Some of the boxes ready to go!!Two cleaned out junk drawers!!My Foreman, Bella.

Electricity & Magnetism

2011-01-14T21:53:00.005-06:00

Mana loves doing the experiments in science. Here are some pictures from the electric charges and Magnetism experiments we did the other day. She is still making that balloon stick to my hair every chance she gets.

Ice

2011-01-14T17:59:00.003-06:00

One negative to Mana homeschooling...NO snow days!! She got a little behind with everything that has happened the past months that she still did school every day this week when the public school kids where all out. I am such a mean mommy!! I at least let her go out and play in the ice!!

Christmas Snow 2010

2011-01-14T17:42:00.003-06:00

I loved the snow we got on Christmas last year!! It was beautiful! Just enough to have a snowball fight and to melt away!! The snow (or shall I say ice) we got this week was not much fun. It was not good for snowball fights, building snowmen or making snow angels. Here are some pictures of our snow fun over Christmas 2010. What is wrong with these pictures?? The camera did NOT save me from getting hit with snowballs. I thought I taught her better then that!!

Dec. 25, 2010Dec. 26, 2010

Our Charlie Brown Christmas

2011-01-07T12:09:00.003-06:00

Since Brian has been sick and neither him or I wanted to go through the storage building to pull out the Christmas decorations, we let Mana pick out a small tabletop tree for this year. She was fine with it all. She had seen a Charlie Brown Christmas Tree in Walgreen's a few days earlier. She thought it was the best! That is the one she chose! Every year we get a new hallmark ornament for the tree. This year was no exception. She picked out Bumble from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.

Gingerbread Village and Cookies

2011-01-05T13:37:00.004-06:00

On Christmas Eve, we made a

gingerbread village and cookies.

Around Town

2011-01-05T12:20:00.005-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, I finally got to get out and take some pictures with my friend Benita. We went around the city and took pictures. I had fun just hanging out with my friend all day. It was a great way to step back from all that has happened and have a break.

Give the Angels their Wings Video

2010-12-04T13:54:00.000-06:00

Mana is in this promotion video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1Tiy9icbOs&feature=player_embedded

TBCPE

2010-12-01T17:37:00.006-06:00

Mana is currently in the play The Best Christmas Pageant Ever!! This is her first production to be in with the Children's Theatre. They have had four shows so far out of 33!! They have done a great job each show. These are a bunch of talented kids! Mana has made a lot of friends and has enjoyed every minute of every rehearsal and performance so far!! I have enjoyed meeting and hanging out with the other moms in the green room.

Mana in the dressing room!! In the Green Room!During Dress Rehearsal

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-25T21:47:00.002-06:00

I started off this morning with a headache. I have had a headache every day for two weeks now. It is a combination of me trying to get off Dr. Peppers and sinus problems. I am down to drinking one Dr. Pepper a day from around 6 a day. The Tylenol finally kicked in once I got to my in-laws. It turned out to be a great day. We had a marvelous lunch that my mother-in-law and sister-in-law cooked. It was the best fried turkey and sweet potatoes ever!! We played basketball and football. Mana and RK played in the wet leaves. I did not take any pictures. Mana took a few and then asked GranMary to take some of them in the leaves. I really need to start taking pictures again!! I miss it.

I am thankful for my friends and family that God has blessed me with. I have the greatest family on both sides. I missed my family today! I am thankful that my hubby is alive and doing well for being on dialysis. His labs came back good. We are hopeful that his kidneys will kick in within the next couple of weeks.

Playing in the Leaves!!

Seussical Jr.

2010-11-25T21:08:00.004-06:00

Mana was in two play rehearsals at the same time this year. It was really hard, especially through the hospital stays, to keep up with all the times to be there. Seussical rehearsals were mainly on Saturdays until they got to tech week. That was an extremely hard week. Mana was in rehearsals from 12:30 to 9 pm almost every day. Plus add dialysis treatments for the hubby in that schedule. We made it through it!! On opening night, she had her dad, her friend Taylor, Anggie, and I there to see her! It was a wonderful performance. Seussical Jr. is a well mixed musical of acting and singing!! I loved it. You could really tell these kids are talented! They also had their cast party that night. On Closing day, her dad and I went again along with her Grandparents. Brian and I sat in the front row. I will never do that again. It was really awkward sitting that close to the actors on stage. It was like they were staring right at you. It was still a great show even from the front row. Brian and I got Mana a performance gift. We picked her out a necklace with a charm that said Drama. She loved it. One show down, one to go!! I can not wait until the next one!!

Opening Night Mana with the Cast BoardClosing Day
Her performance gift

Mana's Visit to Chattanooga

2010-11-15T08:23:00.004-06:00

While I was in Chattanooga with my hubby in the hospital, my sweet daughter was being bounced around between her paw paws and her aunts. Brian and I have the best families anyone could ask for. They all jumped in and helped out with Mana! I can not tell them thank you enough. I could not ask for a better family then we have!!! They took her shopping when it turned cold because she out grew her last years outfits and I had not taken her yet, they took her to play rehearsals and did homeschooling with her. So much to pack on top of an all ready full schedule of their own!! I love them and appreciate them very much!! More then they will ever know!!
My aunt and cousin brought Mana up to see me one night. I was so glad she got to come up. I was missing my sweet girl!! She was bouncing off the walls and I was in a somewhat glazed over mood. It did not match up well. We did have some good conversations and lots of tears and hugs!! Overall it was just what I needed to make it through being out of town with him in the hospital. We did have some good times while she was there. We ate at the City Cafe that was connected to our hotel. They had huge cakes and goodies. There portion sizes where huge also. I told Mana she could pick out a slice of cake to take home to share with everyone. The cake slices filled up an entire plate!! She choose the sampler cake because of the way the outside was decorated. Her and I had a small taste of all the different cake types and boxed it back up. The whole time I was up there I had my eye on a piece of caramel cake. I told myself I would not get a piece until Brian was discharged from the hospital. That way I would not have to live on cake every day I was there. When he was discharged, Brian's dad went to the cafe and got me a piece for a surprise to go home with. That was so sweet of him. It was good!!!

Mana drawingAt City CafeThat ONE!!More Goodies!!The Sampler

Hospital Bound

2010-11-14T19:39:00.003-06:00

I am getting very far behind with the blogging. On Tuesday Oct. 19th, my husband was working out of town and called that morning to tell me he was in the ER. He was on his way into work and could not catch his breath. He took himself 20 minutes to the nearest hospital. It turns out he was having kidney failure. His blood pressure got up into the 250s and his lungs were filling up with fluid. That hospital transferred him to Erlanger hospital an hour away. His mother and I headed up to Chattanooga. We found him in the ER at Erlanger. They soon put him in CCCU. They could not keep his blood pressure down. On Thursday morning, he could not get his breath again. They ended up putting him on a ventilator with a breathing tube and sedated. He was that way for around 4 or 5 days. They started him on dialysis. They finally found medicine that would hold his blood pressure down. They discharged him on Friday, Oct. 29th. It was a complete surprise. No step down unit, no regular room, just discharged to go home for the weekend. He had not even walked in 10 days. He did fine and we were headed home. It was scary. He had a bunch of meds and a new diet that I did not understand. We made it through the weekend and he was admitted to our hospital on Monday morning. He had a kidney biopsy and it told us that he has permanent damage and he also has an infection. He is on dialysis for 6 weeks and then we will see what happens after that. We are doing ok so far. I thank everyone for their prayers and support that we have received.

Zorro

2010-10-14T16:24:00.004-05:00

We went to the Children's Theatre today for a field Trip. We watched Zorro. It was really good. Mana's drama teachers were both in it. Afterward, we went on a back stage tour with our homeschooling group. I did not get a chance to get a picture of her with her teachers in their costumes. They had another show to do shortly so they were on their lunch break. A couple times through out the tour it was mentioned that Mana was one of their drama students and that she was also going to be in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. She said, "Wow, they said that a lot."

The cast board inside.The poster outside.The poster of the play she will be in!!!

See Rock City!!

2010-10-14T14:44:00.006-05:00

I love Rock City! I could spend hours there taking pictures. Around every turn there is something beautiful. It is the type of place that if I was one that liked to read, I would love to pick a spot, sit and read a good book and drink some coffee. Well maybe some Dr. Pepper! I often have thoughts like that, but then they go as quickly as they came.

I was very proud of Mana on this trip, she is trying things that would normally have her saying NO. After riding the Incline, she decided that she was going to go on the swing bridge with or with out me. She headed straight to it and turned around and looked at me like this is going to be a piece of cake, come on Momma! She went right on and thought nothing of it. My little girl is growing up.

There was the most beautiful tree there! The leaves were a bright orange color. I could not get enough pictures of it.

The Incline

2010-10-09T16:49:00.003-05:00

After Ruby Falls, we headed up the mountain to the Incline.
Mana got a little nervous as we got on it,
but she came around to enjoying the ride.

Ruby Falls

2010-10-09T15:54:00.006-05:00

Thursday afternoon, we packed up and took off to Tennessee. We have not had a family trip in a while and decided we would go somewhere. The last time we were in Chattanooga for a family trip was around five years ago. Mana did not remember any of it and she was studying rocks in Science. Great reason for a field trip!! So off to TN we go. We started out late because she had drama class and a meeting for her upcoming play she is in. We arrived in TN around 7:30 pm. We came to the first motel and decided that we would get a room. We stayed in the Motel 6. Not where I would normally stay, put it was a place to lay my head. Mana was impressed that the Motel 6 logo was on the bar of soap and that they had a vending machine for shampoo and stuff. I was not impressed that the bathroom floor grout was painted black (and may I add not very well) and that the sheets were almost a flannel. It was hot. Mana and I did not get a good night sleep.

Friday morning we got up and went to Ruby Falls. I love the caverns. I sometimes say that I want to live in a cave when I feel very unsocial. Brian preceded to point out that the flat screens on the walls for the information video would make a great place for a living room and that the rocks would be a great place for a bed. The tour was nice and I enjoyed it. My only complaint is that it needed to take a slower pace. It was almost like we were running through it to keep up with the people in front of us. I want to take pictures not just look at the person in front of me to stay in line. We reached the falls and it was beautiful!

Here are some pictures from Ruby Falls...

Just like Mom. Loves to take lots of pictures!

Friend's Daughter 1 yr. old Party

2010-10-09T15:46:00.004-05:00

I had the joy of photographing a friend of mine daughter's
one year old birthday party last weekend!
Here are a few of the day...

Birds

2010-09-27T22:31:00.001-05:00

Our porch corner birds are back!!!

Tennis

2010-09-27T21:42:00.004-05:00

Mana decided that she wanted to try her hand at tennis. Both her grandfathers play or have played tennis. She is looking forward to getting on the court with either of them soon. This was her second lesson with the home school group. She really enjoys it. Her face lights up when she is about to go to tennis lessons. Here are some pics from today.

WATCH OUT PAW PAWS!!!!

World of Color

2010-09-15T12:20:00.003-05:00

Yes, another science project!
Love them! It makes it fun.
Her lesson was on the spectrum today.

Weekend Fun!

2010-09-15T12:10:00.003-05:00

This past weekend, we headed down to my sister's house to attend my niece's birthday party!! She is turning 11 next weekend. She had a bowling party! All the girls had lots of fun. I was going to bowl also, but left my socks at the house. Maybe next time. I did not take many pictures with my own camera because I was to busy taking some with my sister's. I have never shot with a canon before and thought I would try it. Let us just say I was lost with all the menus. I have not seen any that she or I took with her camera, but I am looking forward to it. Here is the only one that I got of Mana with mine.

Science is FUN!

2010-09-07T16:47:00.004-05:00

One of the advantages to homeschooling is that I get to be there to do fun science projects with Mana! We had the best time today. She started the chapter on Light. We talked about translucent, transparent, opaque and shadows. Here are some of our pictures from projects in her science book...

My 38th!!

2010-09-07T15:10:00.003-05:00

Most women I know do not like to tell their age. That does not bother me that much! So I turned 38 yesterday!! It is nice to know that everyone this year was celebrating on my birthday even though they might not have known it!! I love when my birthday falls on Labor Day!! The weekend started off well with the hubby off work, barbecue and Alabama football with family, a photo shoot and lunch with my friend Sherry! Then, I come home to my hubby with a stomach virus. I was about to call a redo for my birthday weekend!! My dad came up to visit me for my birthday and helped fix the lawn mower and cut the grass since Brian was sick. Mrs. Jean and I trimmed bushes. Thanks Dad & Mrs. Jean!!! We got a lot done!! So that made things better! It does not look like I live in a jungle now. Brian felt better on Monday. My sweet daughter made me an artist cat, card and decorated the house with streamers! Very festive. We had pizza and watched television all day! Just a nice relaxing day! Just what I needed. Plus I had several call and sing Happy Birthday!!

My Birthday Breakfast

The Artist CatMy Birthday Card

Birthday flowers from Dad & Mrs. Jean

High School Senior Photo Shoot

2010-09-07T14:57:00.003-05:00

Sherry asked me to help her on a photo shoot on Sunday. We were to take pictures of a high school senior at the gardens. I thought I set my alarm when I went to bed the night before. I woke up at 5:30 am to let the dog out and found out I did not set the alarm. So I set it. Then I woke up late. To find out, I did not turn it to ON. Thank goodness I was only 10 minutes late!! I arrived at the gardens and Sherry handed over the camera to me. We took turns through out the whole shoot. We had a bunch of fun and worked really well together. I miss doing photo shoots with her. We have both been so busy here lately! So here are a few of my favorites from the day....

Locks of Love part 2

2010-08-27T09:40:00.003-05:00

Wednesday, Mana decided that her hair was long enough to donate to Locks of Love again. The last time she cut her hair was when she was in second grade. It has been two and a half years to grown her hair out 18"!! I wish my hair grew that fast!! Last time she cut 14" off!! She was getting a lot of tangles and it was getting to long for her to wash well by herself. A sure sign it is time to cut it all off! She has an audition on Saturday, so I told her that she had to cut it this week or wait until after she found out if she got a part in the musical. She would have to wait two weeks for that. I emailed a friend of mine for an appointment and she got her in for Thursday. Mana had a hard time deciding what length to cut it. She decided on chin length again. I love her hair what ever length it is, but it is really cute in a chin length style!! Since the audition is Saturday and the only headshot I have of her is with long hair, we had to have a quick photo shoot! Now, I will have to go and pick up the headshot today. That was not in the plans, but I am sure glad I thought about the headshot before Saturday!!!!

The first cut!!
Mana and Ms. Jessica after she cut her hair!!

Flip Flop Cakes

2010-08-13T23:30:00.005-05:00

Mana and I went over to my sis-in-law's house today to help her with a very special project. RK's birthday cake!! It has been a long time since I decorated a cake and I would have to say I was a little nervous about the whole thing. Carlye had the cake cooked and cooled by the time we got there. It all went well if I do say so myself! Of course, I could not resist eating some of the outside cuttings of the cake. They are always the best!! Cutting the cake into the flip flop shapes was not to hard, but icing the space in between the two flip flops was. We managed to do an acceptable job. We had to put the icing and fruit roll-ups in the refrigerator several times because it was just way to hot and everything started melting. It did not feel that hot in her house, but it was for the cake. Pulling the fruit roll-ups off the plastic to form the straps was the hardest part of the whole thing. Overall the cakes turned out well and RK loved them. That is what really matters!! Glad I could help with her cake!! Happy Birthday RK!!

Happy Birthday to my nephew Justin also!!
He just had a birthday!!

The girls had a great time playing dress-up while we made the cakes!

Science Projects

2010-08-11T15:50:00.004-05:00

Mana and I have had lots of fun in Science so far this year. Monday, she had a section in her chapter where she had to compare the sizes of different animals. She really enjoyed this project and even recorded Bella and herself in it.

Measuring Bella This is where Mana ended up!

Bella's New Haircut

2010-08-06T01:22:00.002-05:00

Bella had a long day today. We dropped her off at the groomers at 10 am and she was done at 3:35 pm. She was so ready to come home that she headed straight for the door when they brought her out. She feels so soft like a fluffy pillow now!! That did not last long after we got home since it started raining and she had to go outside!

Bella...Homeschool??

2010-08-06T01:16:00.002-05:00

Bella likes to study also??

Official Start of Homeschool

2010-08-06T00:51:00.005-05:00

We officially started our first year of homeschooling two weeks ago!! So far it has been wonderful with just a few days of total chaos!! We survived those and moved on learning from our scheduling mistakes!! I have learned never to do errands before school!! We will never get back on track for the day!! Those days it took us until 8 pm to get through our school day!! Not FUN!! Mana has enjoyed schooling at home so far. She has really enjoyed Science. She has already taken her first Science and History chapter one tests! She did well on both of them. We are both looking forward to a blessed year!!

Here are some pictures of her studying Geography!!
Interrupted Projections

Mana's Fan Club

2010-07-25T22:16:00.004-05:00

There were four shows of Willy Wonka, Jr. I got to attend two of them! Mana did have family and friends attending all of the shows. She had two ladies from GranMary's church come on Friday. They come to every musical she is in!! At the Saturday matinee, her daddy, her daddy's whole family and my sister and her family came. Saturday night, her daddy and I went. Sunday, Mrs. Debbie (Children's Director), my dad and step mom, my friend Sherry and I all came. She was so excited that so many got to come to see her in Willy Wonka, Jr.!

Mana and IMana with GranMaryWith her Cousins!!With her Aunts!!Mana signing a program!!Mana and Mrs. DebbieDad and Mrs. JeanMrs. Sherry

Willy Wonka Cast Party

2010-07-25T22:07:00.002-05:00

Saturday between shows, they were going to have a cast picnic on the playground. It started to rain. Pump It Up saved the cast party. They let us have the party there and it worked out perfect! The kids had the best time and we were all in air conditioning!!!

Willy Wonka, Jr

2010-07-24T23:10:00.005-05:00

I finally got to see Mana in Willy Wonka, Jr. It was the 3rd show. The hubby and I decided on going to two shows only. I usually go crazy and attend as many as the shows as I possible can. That gets expensive quickly. It was wonderful. Everyone in the cast did a great job! Mana was perfect for the part of Grandma Josephina! She was a good Oompa Loompa also! She has had so much fun during the whole process of this musical. Mana made a lot of new friends. Everyone got along like they knew each other for years! Mr. Brad, the director, made it a fun atmosphere to learn in. I can not wait to see the show for my second time!!

Grandma JosephinaMy Oompa LoompaThe Whole Cast

Fun in the Rain

2010-07-07T23:22:00.005-05:00

Today was a wonderful and fun day! Mana started rehearsals for Willy Wonka the other day. Today was the day she would practice her main part. She got the part of Grandma Josephina and an Oompa Loompa. She is so excited about it. She is having a lot of fun! The director interacts with the children in a positive and fun way. He is not your typical musical theatre director. After rehearsals today, he even sat down to eat with the kids and talked to them and then played on the playground with them. All the kids just love him.

After we got home, we went over to my friend Sherry's house. It started to rain and the kids wanted to go out and play in it. So we let them. I did not have any extra clothes in the car for Mana so she had to borrow some from Sherry. She looked really cute in the oversized clothes.

The 2010 Showcase

2010-06-24T10:13:00.004-05:00

For the kids, the day of the showcase usually starts at 8:45 am and ends at 10:30 pm. A VERY LONG DAY!! They gave the kiddos a break this year and they did not have to be there until 11:30 am. We about did not know what to do with ourselves all morning, but we managed!! For me the day, started off with me being distracted and pulled several different ways. By the time for Showcase to start I was overwhelmed and exhausted. My sister called and told me that Grandma was now on continuous care through Hospice. I was worried about what I was going to do with the dog all weekend while I was out of town and two adults got in a rude behavior fight at Milo's during my lunch. I just needed a break!! I finally got into the church where the Showcase was held and sat down for the break I needed to enjoy the show!! I waited and watched all the classes come and go off stage patiently waiting to see my sweet girl perform. The grandparents kept looking at me like is this her class. (All the kids had on the Showcase black t-shirt so they all looked alike and they were not calling out the class names like the years before.) Three fourth through the show, Mana's group finally got to perform all four of their numbers right after each other. Usually they are all spread out. They did great!! Very proud of my girlie!! Grandparents left right after the show. Brian and I went to find Mana. She is to sit in her seat until I come get her, but she forgot and sat down on the stage where I could not find her. Some people where standing in front of her. I looked all over that church for her. Around 25 minutes. I had a huge lump form in my throat. By the time I found the director (which we are not to speak to) and he told me she was on the stage steps, I was in tears. I could not even talk to her when I walked up to her. I am still kicking myself for that one. On the trip home, all the emotions came out and we were fine by the time we drove into the driveway. I was so glad the day was over!! I know that she will not forget next year, but I will remind her anyway before I drop her off!!

They sang "I have a dream" and then
told what they dreamed of.
Mana said she wanted to be on Broadway
and give all the money she made to the poor.
"Green Eggs and Ham" songZumba"The Whole Group"
365 Kids all left the stage at the
same time and parents started to the stage.
See why I was so upset!!!

80s Day at Workshop!!

2010-06-24T09:44:00.003-05:00

80s Day was fun to put together an outfit for!! Needless to say, it was hard to brush all those tangles out of her hair at the end of the day!! She asked me if we really wore our hair like that and I had to say yes. She just laughed!!

Workshop

2010-06-24T09:32:00.003-05:00

Drama Workshop was a blast for Mana these past two weeks!!! She had the best time! She said that this was the best year yet!! They have themed days almost every day. She only got to participate in a few since it is hard to get things together at the last minute. They gave us a list for the first week but not for the second. Plus some of the days we were so rushed getting out the door that I forgot to take a picture of her. I know, I know, NOT ME!! I hear you all gasping out there!! LOL! Here are some from hat day. They had to see who could come up with the most creative but cheapest hat... She had fun making it! By the end of the day, there were no more bubbles left on the bubble wrap!!

A busy summer!

2010-06-05T23:11:00.004-05:00

I am so glad that school is out for my up and coming 5th grader!!! It is going to be a busy and fun summer! My daughter is back in ballet now. She took a year off to take Acting and Musical Theatre Dance. She missed ballet and when we visited the older girls' class she was sad. The director and ballet instructor decided to include her in this year's performance as the Royal Kitty Cat. She was a great RKC!! She has played cats and dogs at home since she was little bitty! Anyway, she has ballet two days a week now. She loves it but was overwhelmed, since missing a year! She has a lot of hard work ahead of her.

She auditioned for Willy Wonka Jr. this morning! I think she did well. We will find out in a week if she got a part! Rehearsals will take up most of July for her. She met a new friend today at the park. She was auditioning also. It was like they had been friends forever.

Youth Musical Theatre Workshop starts this week and continues through next weekend. She always enjoys this workshop. This will be her third year attending. They always have auditions for their year round performance groups the Saturday in the middle of the workshop. She got into two musicals last year, but did not make the performance group. Hopefully, she will have better luck this year!!!

Mana was going to audition for Jungle Book Kids, but we decided against this one since she can not do it all. A lot of shows and workshops overlap making it hard to decide which one is the best to audition for or attend.

She is also taking voice lessons. Suessical Jr. is also coming up this next school year! Wow! This Musical Theatre career path of hers sure does make for a very busy schedule!!! A few people look at me like I have lost my mind when it comes to all the things she does. They do not understand. In musical theatre they want a triple thread, one who can dance, sing and act! That means lots of lessons to be able to compete for the part! It keeps us busy, but she enjoys it! I can see why she does. She is good at it. I just do not have a clue where she gets it from. Definitely NOT me! I could not get up in front of all those people and say anything, much less sing and dance! I admire her for that! For those of you that might suggest that I am pushing her into this, that would be a huge NO! I would whether be doing other things then driving all over town for auditions, and rehearsals! It all stresses me out! She is not stressed, I am, and I am not even the one auditioning! If anything, I will be the reason she doesn't go for an audition! What you do for your kids!!

Jelly Fish at Tennessee Aquarium

2010-04-20T23:22:00.003-05:00

They are beautiful, but I sure would
not like to met them in the ocean!!

Last Field Trip of the school year!!

2010-04-20T22:43:00.005-05:00

Today Mana had a field trip to the Tennessee Aquarium! We had to leave the school at 7 am and got back around 5:30 pm. It was a long day. The kids had a great time! Lots to see! Here are some pictures of today....

Mana with the butterflyMana in the shark cageA possum Dragon SeahorsesIn the Fish TankFeeding TimeI will post some pictures of some jelly fish I took later!!

This Weekend

2010-04-12T00:18:00.002-05:00

This weekend did not go very well. It started with my Grandmother going into the hospital on Thursday. She had fluid on her lungs and she has lost a lot of weight. She did not have any to lose in the first place. They have found spots on her lungs and think it might be cancer. We will find out on Monday. We were going to go to a Disney open call audition on Saturday. My hubby had to work last minute so we made plans to go with some friends of ours. I then realized I had a dog and no one to keep her! It was to late to board her at her vet and I could not find her paper work to prove she has had her shots so I could put her in another vet. We decided we could not go. Saturday, we decided we would go camping after the hubby got off work. I packed the car... I unpacked the car. Mana and I got a touch of the stomach virus again. Sunday, we did nothing but sit around all day. This next week has got to be better!!!!!!

April Flowers & a Princess

2010-04-10T20:43:00.005-05:00

Mana had her dance pictures taken last week. I put her hair up in a bun. It turned out they did not need a bun and when I took it down her hair was wavy. So on her acting picture day, I put her hair up in two buns hoping for more waves. She loved it and picked up her bubble wand and started acting like Princess Leia. So of course I had to take a picture!!

My dogwood tree is in full bloom and it is beautiful!!!

Camping Part 4 - The Beach

2010-03-31T23:19:00.006-05:00

The best part of the whole camping trip is the beach. Yes, it is a man-made beach. Yes, there is grass growing out of the sand. It is the closest I am going to get to a beach within the next two months. I love the feel of my feet in the sand. The wind was even blowing enough for waves to come crashing to the shore.
Almost perfect!!!

Camping Part 3 - Fishing

2010-03-31T23:08:00.004-05:00

Mana wanted to go fishing. Her daddy got everything they needed and we headed down to the pier. It did not take long for her to get bored! (That's my girl!!) The fish were not biting and her daddy ended up fishing by himself. Mana and I watched the turtles sunning instead!!

Where are the worms??Worms Here is one!!Sunning Turtles

Camping Part 2 - Grilling

2010-03-31T22:59:00.007-05:00

One of the best things about camping
is cooking out over a fire!
Everything always taste better that way!!

Cooking on the GrillSupperThe FireMy favorite - Marshmallows

Camping

2010-03-31T19:02:00.003-05:00

Those of you that know me well, know that I do not enjoy camping much!! I like the convenience of a hotel near civilization. I like the great indoors, not the great outdoors!! Do not get me wrong, I enjoy nature, just at a distance or in a controlled way. Well, we went camping. Camper, bath house, and the whole nine yards. We have been two weekends in a row. I am trying to like camping. Really I am!! Mana loves it. Her daddy loves it. It went alright. The first weekend, Saturday was nice. Good weather and all. Sunday showed me that I do not know how to check the weather and pack accordingly. We ended up wearing my hubby's sweatshirts and coats. The second weekend, I did a little better. I checked the weather and I was prepared for the wind and rain. We had a nice time despite that I was not in my comfort zone. Here are a few things we enjoyed doing.....Mana built "Manaopolis" out of dirt and sticks. There was a bike race and the state park was the finish line. Brian and Mana had a race. And we took lots of walks!!
Here are some pictures from our second trip.....

"Manaopolis"Brian and Mana racingCyclistsWalking Bella
More to come....

Snow Flurries

2010-03-02T09:36:00.002-06:00

Mana is in school and I am sitting here watching it snow!
It is so beautiful coming down. To bad it is not sticking so the
kids can get out of school and play in it!!

Snow Flurries Bella catching a snow flurry

A familiar sound...

2010-02-28T15:07:00.002-06:00

We heard a familiar sound this afternoon coming down the road...."the sting." Yes, the good ol ice cream truck playing that lovely tune all through the neighborhood. Of course Mana heard it and came a running. I gave in and we hiked down the road toward the truck.

The Ninja TurtleThe Bomb for The BombBella likes Ice CreamYum!!

Tiger Face

2010-02-20T23:30:00.004-06:00

After drama workshop, Mana and I went to the Mall to have lunch. They were having a Camp Expo!! Lots of booths to look at. We walked all around the mall looking at everyone of them. The last one we came to was a face painting booth. A lady was face painting some gorgeous art on children's faces. We stayed in line for an hour and fifteen minutes. Mana had book club at 3:oo pm and we were late. I figured if we stood in a line that long, she was getting her face painted!!! Mana chose the tiger face. It is so cute!! This lady did wonderful work!! After her face was painted we headed to book club. They read "Alice in Wonderland" this month. Mana really enjoyed the book. Then we went to sit with Anggie and Lauren while they ate. Anggie and I had a great discussion and Lauren and Mana played the DS. We got home around 6:30 pm. It was a packed, but fun day!!!

Pictures of my little Tiger!!

Drama Workshop 3

2010-02-20T22:26:00.005-06:00

Today was the 3rd and final Saturday of this drama workshop. This one was all about stage combat!! The theatre director of one of the Universities here was the instructor. He was also Potiphar in "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat" which Mana was in last year. He taught them the safe and correct way to faint, take a backward fall, slap and other things. It was very interesting watching all the kids going through all the combat moves.

Fainting Taking a Backward Fall Mana getting instruction Other

Drama Workshop 2

2010-02-20T21:53:00.004-06:00

Saturday, Feb. 13

The second drama workshop was all about auditioning. The kids were taught "Put on a Happy Face" and given a script to learn. Then one by one they went through the audition process just like a real one. Then the director gave them advice on how to improve. Mana walked up there like she was shy, which we all know she is not. Then she projected her voice while she sang. If you did not know her you would have never believed that voice would have come out of her. The director said she did very well. Then she said her voice was like soft sandpaper. That was a compliment.

"Put on a Happy Face"MonologueSaw this bike on the wall of the building
and though it was neat!!

Mana Snowball to the eye!

2010-02-20T20:59:00.003-06:00

Feb. 12
Her daddy threw a snowball over the deck toward
her and it landed in her glasses. She was fine and
the glasses were also!

2010 School Pageant

2010-02-14T00:07:00.002-06:00

Tonight was Mana's school pageant! She looked so beautiful! She did not place, but she did a great job. I am so proud of her!! She has such a good attitude about it all!! She had fun and that is what counts!! Sherry and I took the pictures at the pageant. I would have hated to have been a judge. They had a very hard job! Everything looked wonderful and came together great!

Finally Snow!!

2010-02-12T22:55:00.002-06:00

They closed the schools because the snow was coming around 7 am. It finally showed up around 11 am. It was so beautiful!! It snowed all afternoon and did not stop until around 6 pm. The sunset was gorgeous behind the snow covered trees! God sure knows how to paint a wonderful picture!!

Mana's Pageant Dress

2010-02-12T19:29:00.003-06:00

Here are some pictures that I took
of Mana today in her pageant dress.

It all works out!!

2010-02-12T09:41:00.003-06:00

It is all worked out now!! My friend I was going to take her daughter's wedding pictures got a backup photographer! I am able to go to the pageant now!!! I am so excited that I get to see my sweet daughter in her pageant! I hate that I do not get to help my friend out and shot my first wedding, but at least she is taken care of. That is what is important!! I am very excited to be able to shoot some bridal shots with her in a few weeks!! I just know that Kelcie will be beautiful in her wedding!!

Two Places at One Time!

2010-02-12T08:12:00.002-06:00

I am very sad!! Since they closed the schools today for snow (which we are not getting much) Mana's school changed the pageant to Saturday night. I can not be in two places at one time and do two jobs at one time either! Sherry and I were committed to taking the pageant pictures Friday night and a wedding four hours away on Saturday! Now that the pageant is changed, I will not be able to get my daughter ready or take her or take the pictures! I am really, really mad at the school for not informing anyone, especially the photographers, of the backup plan! Nothing was ever said!! I would have never taken a photography job on Saturday if they would have told us. Mana's babysitter agreed to come over and do her hair and makeup and get her all ready for the pageant! Brian is off work, so at least he is able to take her. He would have taken off anyway to help out! I am just really upset I will not be able to be there!!! This will be the first time I have missed a big event in Mana's life. She cried yesterday, (I did also!) after I had to tell her that I was committed to taking the wedding pictures and it was right that I go. She understands, but that does not help much!!

I took her to get her fingernails and toenails done yesterday! She loved that! She said she could get use to that!!

Happy 4oth!!

2010-02-08T23:12:00.005-06:00

Today was my dear hubby's 40th birthday! I am not much of a cook. In fact, I rarely cook. He does most of the cooking. Since it was his birthday, I made roast beef, potatoes and carrots. I also baked him brownies. It all turned out pretty well. I even liked the brownie, which I normally do not eat. Mana hung crepe paper streamers and balloons. She made him a placemat. She decorated the banner I made for him when she got home from school.
Happy Birthday Brian!! We love you!!

Decorating Birthday MealBrownie Cake A Gift

4 month old photo shoot

2010-02-07T23:18:00.002-06:00

I got to take a friend of mine's baby pictures on Thursday! Her daughter is gorgeous!! So many cute expressions. Mana was my photography assistant and planned out the backdrops and props! She had a lot of fun!

Over the Hill!

2010-02-07T17:51:00.003-06:00

My husband is turning 4o tomorrow!! We had a birthday family get together for him today at his parent's house. They had a wheel chair, black balloons and a basket full of things you need when you are an older person. His brothers put together a neat movie of some funny moments in his life. Here are some pictures from his party.

Drama Workshop

2010-02-06T21:07:00.002-06:00

Mana went to a drama workshop this morning. She said she had a lot of fun. It was three hours. They put on a musical theatre dance performance at the end.

Cookies

2010-02-06T21:05:00.001-06:00

Broadway Musical

2010-02-06T21:02:00.002-06:00

We got to go to the 101 Dalmatians Musical a couple of weeks ago.

Pageant Miss Photogenic Photo Shoot

2010-02-01T22:28:00.002-06:00

After I picked up Mana from school, I took some more pictures of her. I was not happy with the last ones we took. They were fine for an audition headshot, but not for Miss Photogenic. I think I am going to be happier with the ones we took today. I just have to decide between black and white or color!!

We have her dress finally. Well, not in our possession. The pageant is in two weeks. Ms. Kathy is letting the back out just a tiny bit so she can breath. Breathing is good!! The dress is the exact one that Mana and I picked out after last year's pageant. She decided that she wanted a puffy dress. It is a crystal blue color. I got it for half the price. We bought it used. That is the way to go. I did not do as well as last year on saving money ($35 for the dress), but half off I think is good!! I still have to buy shoes since we can not find the ones we bought last year and a petticoat to make the skirt puffier.

February 1st has come and gone with out a call or email from Red Mountain Theatre, so that means Mana did not get the part in The Sound of Music. She is good with that though. I am so proud of her attitude toward auditions. She takes it so much better then me!!

Photo shoot from today...