Happy Holidays!

It's been a while - I've had internet issues! We had family pictures made the Saturday after Thanksgiving - the Tuckers were here anyway, and Mom came up for the pix. She brought Patti with her, and Patti was a big help - holding purses, setting up the pix, getting the kids to smile/look at the camera/be still! I think these are the first pictures we've had made since...I don't know when! The Tuckers have had pictures made, but we haven't had any of the six of us.

A sweet friend emailed me and was very encouraging. It was almost like someone said, "you are just fine the way you are - you don't need a man to complete you." I should know that, and I do. But sometimes it's hard to really feel it. Thank you sweet thing for encouraging me and inspiring me to get out there and do things.

Another holiday! I'm not really scrooge, but not the opposite either. I'll admit - I didn't put up my big tree or much else this year. I have a little tree in the kitchen but I didn't dig out the ornaments, so I'm hanging my Christmas cards on it! Lovely. I have a little tree at the office too. Maybe next year, I'll have a brunch/lunch one Saturday to refresh my friends out shopping! I need to wrap my presents - I hope the two I'm waiting on UPS to deliver arrive!!! I'm excited about going to Fordyce for Ethan's program, then to Ashdown, back to Fordyce for Christmas!, then back to Ashdown. Mom, Patti, and I may go somewhere - Jefferson, TX or Dallas maybe. Then it's back to work!

I'm trying to enrich my life in 2008 - read my Bible through, take several classes for my masters, pick up my clarinet again, and try to meet some other singles and make a difference. Find my spot. I'm not sure the kiddos are really my strength though. Oh, and keep my house and office straightened up and organized, and maybe "do" something with my den (get it decorated).

The Highlights

Ahh, what a great few weeks! Thanksgiving was, of course, a wonderful holiday. Mom arrived in Searcy on Tuesday before the Thanksgiving. We left Searcy Wednesday morning about 9:00 a.m. in Mom's van. We stopped by the Key Lime Cottage (I had ordered the YUMMY friendship bread, pumpkin bread, and pumpkin cupcakes!!! awesome!!!!) because I thought we needed to take some snacky/breakfast food. We stopped in West Memphis for a late breakfast/early lunch at Cracker Barrel (one of the three times we ate at CB on this trip) before heading on down the road. I drove and it wasn't too bad until we hit Hattiesburg. It rained off & on the whole time, but then on the radio we heard the tornado warnings. And then the tornado watch. We heard what county the tornado was in, but since we don't live there we had no idea where it was. So Mom got out her trusty AAA map, only to discover that we were IN the county, and in the storm's path. Hmm. We filled the tank with gas and finally decided just to keep going because the storm was morning east and the further south we went the better. So, we head out. We called the Eyrichs to ask about the storm and they told us to keep coming too. It was really pouring rain, very windy. I told Mom to watch the skies! The traffic slowed to a crawl, people had their hazard lights on, it was wild. But we made it through!! It didn't last very long, but I was sure ready to get to Long Beach! We ate, talked, caught up on the latest. We prepped food (whatever they told us to do), looked up recipes, got the Pina Colada cake on, etc. Thursday morning, Mom & I got up quickly and showered and dressed. We headed downstairs and chopped some more, crumbled cornbread, whipped cream, etc. More people arrived, and we ate about 2:00 p.m. It's been a while since I've been so stuffed. We managed to sit around and check out the sale papers while planning our "Chicks Day" attack for Friday.

Mom & I didn't get up to hit Michael's at 6:00 a.m. I didn't need anything that bad. But I did get up and around in time to hit Tuesday Morning, Stein Mart, etc. We came home to unload (again) and eat Mr. George's delicious oyster po-boys for lunch. Then we headed out again. We finally gave up and limped back to the house for leftovers.

Saturday morning, we took our time getting around before heading to Mobile. We met old friends of ours Phillip & Ann at Cracker Barrel for lunch, then we shopped at the new Eastern Shore Mall until dinner (do you notice a pattern here - shop & eat, shop & eat?). We went to Stix - sushi and hibachi grill! Mom & Mrs. Sue had never tried sushi before, so Elissa made sure we ordered several things for them to try. It was great! The show was wonderful and the food was way too good.

We went to church on Sunday, and then ate at a casino (it was a buffet and yummy - and we didn't even have to walk through the casino!). We had planned on leaving and getting on down the road, but the weather reports were calling for more bad weather. So we stayed another night with the very hospitable Eyrichs!!! And on the way home Monday, guess where we had dinner?!?!

More later - it's time for Bunco!