Our Parade

If anyone knows where my small town is located they may question a parade, let me explain...I live in a very small community in Kentucky called Marrowbone and if you are passing through you would almost miss it if you blink your eyes, we are located on a stretch of highway 90 between here and there:) when I was a teenager I would say I couldn't wait to leave this tiny town and after living away for awhile I couldn't think of any other place I wanted to be but HOME, yes it's small but it is a great place to raise children, yes everybody knows everybody but if you are ever in need the whole community pulls together to help you...when I was younger I would never admit it but I do love this "tiny spot in the road" So when I moved back I was shocked that Marrowbone has a parade. There is a man that lives here in the community that everyone knows by the name of "Bean" I can't think of his real name off the top of my head but he has always lived in this community, I can't imagine Marrowbone without Bean it would be like Mayberry without Andy:)I can't say that I know anyone else that loves this small town more than Bean, it is not uncommon to be driving thorough Marrowbone on any given day and see Bean on his bicycle wearing "The Cat In The Hat" hat...I'm almost certain he could tell you every family that lives in this community , and if you would like to know the history, just ask Bean...So it was no surprise when my Mom told me Bean had started organizing a Christmas Parade, I'm thinking this is our 5th or 6th year maybe longer....So hats off to Bean for a great Parade, it was Great!!

OUR THANKSGIVING DAY

Happy Thanksgiving!! I am including lots of pictures today to give you a look at what our family did for Thanksgiving...a few I need to explain like my daughters picture...she REALLY REALLY wanted to have curls today and I promised her last night that we would put her hair up in sponge rollers when we got up this morning so it would be ready to take down before we went to eat at my parents house...time got away from me and 30 min. before it was time to leave her hair was still damp (I know I'm a hairdresser and I should have known her hair wouldn't be dry in time) I had a great idea make a homemade dryer like I use at my salon (a teacher taught us this trick while I was in beauty school and it really works) just take a plastic bag tie it around the head ,cut a small hole in the top stick your blow dryer in the hole and turn your dryer on whala! you now have a instant dryer (NOTE: TURN YOUR BLOW DRYER ON LOW COOL) so Cassie had curls!

We always go to my parents house for Thanksgiving dinner it can be a little LOUD at times with all the kids but it's always fun, My Mom aka Nana cracks me up she always request a list from everyone so she can have some ideas for Christmas not that she gets everything on the list but she likes to have ideas, so Nana has gotten organized this year she printed out blank wish list forms for everybody to fill out! My sister and I just looked at each other and cracked up...Nana always makes us laugh! I took a picture of the forum just to prove we officially have a wish list form to fill out now! so after a little eating and filling out forms we went outside , cause what would Thanksgiving be without tossing the old football? then there are a few shots of my two oldest nephews Alex and Allen.

So this is what we did for Thanksgiving day, spent it with each other, and while I watched all the kids eat, fill out wish list forms and play I wondered if they knew how time will fly by and it won't always be like this I never thought about it when I was their age how very precious these times are how blessed we are as a family to have each other, because there are so many that spent this very day alone, without family without a meal to share with someone they love...so if you are reading this and have those special people in your life you are blessed, be thankful for that!

This time 14 years ago I met him for the first time, and I must say it was love at first sight. I can remember the first time I looked into those beautiful brown eyes and felt a love I never knew possible. His arrival was a little unexpected it happen to fall on Thanksgiving Day, plans were rearranged and family met at the hospital instead of the dinner table,while the turkey was shipped to the neighbors to finish cooking (later known as the famous traveling turkey) My Grandpa aka "POP" called him "young gobbler" because he was born on Thanksgiving Day....I had no idea that day how my life would change, how many times a day I would laugh because he was here, all the funny things he would say and how many more times I would shed tears, like the first time he had stitches, the first day of school, and the day that my Dad baptized him at church (that was a great day, I could cry now thinking about it)

This handsome young man I'm talking about is my oldest (14 today) Chad Allen......I must tell you that the teenage years are all new to me, (I have picked up a few pointers from my sister and her 2 older boys:) I am now learning a new language... teenage boys rarely talk they grunt kind of a grey answer not really a yes or a no, most of the time they stick to grunts which I think means maybe or yes Mom I hear you (kinda). They pick at their younger siblings with no avail anything that would make them scream Chad Allen is there....BUT on the flip side (oddly strange how this works) if anybody else picks at his little sister or brother he is there to defend them to the death:)When I look at Chad I see so many things that make me proud like how compassionate he is with a classmate that has Downsyndrom, how he loves to play with little kids and has Patience with them, and he has friends from all walks of life he's never been a "click kid" and then there are the times that I can be so mad at him and when I go to give him the "Mom speech" he gives me that look that makes me unable to hold that straight face that us Moms are suppose to have when we're mad...so I have to leave the room crack up and return and try to give him the speech.

In the last 14 years I can't say I have done everything perfect in raising my son, there are some things that I can never change about the past, there have been lots of hard times but this wonderful son of mine has given me grace, we've done a lot of growing up together and as time speeds by I see what a wonderful person he is becoming, As parents I think sometimes we forget how quick time goes by so today I choose to slow down and take it all in! Happy Birthday Chad Allen I Love You!!

Heritage Days At School

This is my Beautiful daughter Cassie Marie, she had Heritage Days at school today so they ask all the kids to dress up, it was a very last min. throw together outfit but she placed third for best outfit, so I guess we didn't do so bad for last min!!

CAUTION This Post May cause tears!!

I was just one the phone with my Aunt Tonight and we were talking about this poem, I think I will take her advice and post it for you to read....It is so true, our time is so short with them...so take some time to listen and make memories the beds can be made tomarrow:)

Wet Oatmeal Kisses


One of these days you'll explode and shout to all the kids,"Why don't you just grow upand act your age!"And they will ... Or, "You guys get outside and find something to do -- without hurting each other And don't slam the door!"And they don't..... You'll straighten their bedrooms until it's all neat and tidy,toys displayed on the shelf, hangers in the closet,animals caged. You'll yell,"Now I want it to stay this way!"And it will ... You will prepare a perfect dinner with a salad that hasn't had all the olives picked out and a cake with no finger traces in the icing and you'll say,"Now this is a meal for company."And you will eat it alone ...
You'll yell,"I want complete privacy on the phone.No screaming.Do you hear me?"And no one will answer.
No more plastic tablecloths stained.
No more dandelion bouquets.
No more iron-on patches.
No more wet, knotted shoelaces,muddy boots or rubber bands for ponytails.
Imagine ... a lipstick with a point,no babysitters for New Year's Eve,washing clothes only once a week,no PTA meetings or silly school plays where your child is a tree,no car pools,blaring stereos or forgotten lunch money.
No more Christmas presents made of library paste and toothpicks,no wet oatmeal kisses,no more tooth fairy,no more giggles in the dark,scraped knees to kiss or sticky fingers to clean
Only a voice asking,"Why don't you grow up?"And the silence echoes:"I did"

-- Erma Bombeck --

A very long day...

Have you ever had "one of those days?" I had one today a very long one! It all started at 5:30 you know when you feel like you must hit the snooze button just one more time and you actually shut the alarm off...then when you realize you only have 17 min. to get cloths on three sleepy kids and put them on the bus at precisely 6:23am well it all started like that..Knowing I would be in the Salon until 7:30 maybe 8:00 I already dreaded the day..So I cranked up good ol' Joyce Myers to get me going this morning and tried to exit my house in a good mood...Most women that go to salons like to relax and poor their heart out all at the same time. I hear many many things in a days time. I have been doing this long enough I can almost tell you what their thinking before they even set in my chair. But there is an up side to this I can share God with them( and really if you think about it they must listen I'm the one holding the scissors you know) Just today I encountered a crying bride to be and was able to share with her the power of prayer and communication in her life she left with a smile and a "root free head" my next client was an older lady that doesn't get out much I think she said it had been three months since she had been out of her home but when we were done she seemed happy..in turn made me happy....then my Mom dropped off my daughter at the salon (it is now 4:30) and when she came in ,there was a HUGE hole in her sweatshirt I ask her how she had torn her shirt to which she replied (with many people in the salon) "it was like this when you told me to put it on this morning" How did I miss that? I guess the way we were throwing cloths on this morning I'm lucky they got on the bus fully dressed:) So fast forward to 7:45 I walk in the door to "I'm hungry Mom" "Mom I need you to wash my shoes" "Mom the toilet won't flush"
So let the night shift begin, I had ask my oldest son to clean his Guinea pig cage so he disappears outside I go to the laundry room to get the broom and it isn't there I stick my head out the door and that is when I have the big one My 14 year old (I must stress again he is 14...old enough to know better) is using my broom to sweep Guinea pig poop out of the cage need I stress it was stuck in the broom...so I admit it I blew a gasket! (Yes I did apologize ) So now it is 1:05 and I survived the crying bride to be , the headful of information from numerous clients, the poop broom and the very very gross stopped up toilet...My husband says I let things get to me to much...If men only knew what we go through in a day! I am so glad I get to get up tomorrow and do it all over again:)

E-MAILS AND PRAYERS....

I like so many of you get a lot of e-mails and I must admit many of them I will trash before I read (I didn't say all I said many...I read all the emails you send me Mom:)) But a friend sent me this one last night and I have thought about it all day....It made me laugh at first and then it mad me a little sad inside and then the final emotion was shame, read and then I'll explain...




The window...

A young couple moves into a new neighborhood. The next morning, while they are
eating breakfast, the young woman sees her neighbor hang the wash outside.

'That laundry is not very clean,' she said, 'she doesn't know how to wash correctly.
Perhaps she needs better laundry soap.'

Her husband looked on, but remained silent.

Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry, the young woman would
make the same comments.

About one month later, the woman was surprised to see a nice clean wash on the
line and said to her husband, 'Look ! She has learned how to wash correctly.
I wonder who taught her this.'

The husband says, 'I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows.'

And so it is with life:
What we see when watching others depends on the purity of the window through which we look. Before we give any criticism, it might be a good idea to check our state of mind and ask ourselves if we are ready to see the good rather than to be looking for something in the person we are about to judge.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HA! SIGH.... OUCH:(
1. I have been the lady that "sees" the dirty laundry and comments....

2. I have been the lady that idly stands by and listens as someone comments on others laundry..

3. I have been the lady with that laundry....

God has worked on my heart, he has shown me through my own pain in life and many, many mistakes that we all have laundry, some like me mountains of it. But as Christians we are called to climb over the laundry and find the heart of that person and reach out....
Cleaning our windows daily with the Word!

Now to the Prayer part: I have a link on the right hand side of my blog called "Bring The Rain"
I must say it is one of my favorite's to read her name is Angie Smith and her story is incredible but her post today was GREAT!! It is called Seven Prayers A Day a must read if you are a parent so I encourage you to click on her site to the right and read...If you have time read her story it will bless you!

M

That's it?!!!

So today was the big day that we have heard so much about....commercials, extra mail, electronic phone calls, the great anticipated Election Day......So my plans were to get up earlier so I would have plenty of time to go and vote before work except the kids didn't have school thought it would be o.k. to sleep in a little longer this morning....Bad idea! My first appointment was at 10:00 and my eight year old daughter wanted to go to work with me, so we rushed out the door at 9:30 trying to vote and make it to work on time. Thankfully it wasn't to crowded and Cassie Marie was estactic that she was going to get to go in the booth with me while I voted. So as I placed my vote and hit the button my daughter looked at me with such disappointment and said REALLY LOUD with her little hands on her hips "THAT'S IT?!!!" Trying to push her out the door with whispers and giggles in the background she is very upset, and she says "Mom you mean that is it that's all you do when you vote?" and my response was "What did you expect bells and whistles?"
Well there wernt any bells and whistles, (only a sticker that said"I VOTED") only a very disappointed little girl that seem to expect confetti to pop out of the voting machine....pushing a button it was that simple...but what a wonderful privilege it is to live in a country that gives us that right...