Where are we headed?

Every once in a while, our family likes to pile everyone in van and take off driving. No where in particular to go... just going and exploring. Once we started out exploring small backroads close to where we live. As we explored, we kept finding oursevles always heading west. Barry laughed and wondered if we could get to Mississippi if we kept heading west on all these different backroads. Megan thought it would be great to go and tell her class that she had gone to Mississippi. Barry gave me a wink, and off we headed. We decided not to just stick to backroads, and hit the major highway that did indeed take us to Mississippi. What did we do when we got there? Filled up on gas and snacks, and headed back home.

A few weeks ago we all were feeling a bit cooped up, so we all jumped in the van and decided to go for another drive somewhere. Barry turned the GPS on, picked a random spot, and off we headed... to North Carolina! We had a great time together, and I was very thankful that I remembered to bring my camera along. The kids got along great, we laughed and talked the whole way there, and we just enjoyed the country side. We ended up going to Chatanooga, then to the Cherokee National Forest and the Ocoee River (this is the river that was used for the white-water rafting in the 1996 Olympics). It was a chilly day, but we stopped at several spots along the way. There are several TVA Dams along the river, and we were amazed by those. We were a little sad that the water was so low on the river, but maybe we will actually take a white water rafting trip there in the future when the water will be highter.

Here are a few pics from our day:


The kids at one of the TVA dams


We made it to North Carolina!


These are the Ocoee River, at the spot where the rafting took place. I remember when they were getting this site ready for the Olympics there was a lot of controversy over part of this course being man-made. The first picture really shows some of the work that was done.


Barry and the kiddos.


I asked Barry to sit there on the rocks with the boys so I could get a nice picture of them together... this is what I got instead! Gotta love him!

Who knows where we will head the next time we get the urge to get out of the house!

Happy Valentine's Day

For several years now our family has observed Valentine's Day together with a special family dinner. I can't even remember when we first started doing this, but it is something that we all look forward to. We always have a "red" food... spaghetti, baked ziti, red beans and rice... you get the idea! Barry's favorite meal is chili dogs, and we have had those a few times. Last night we had lasagna, garlic bread, salad, and individual chocolate heart cakes. We always decorate the table up as well; nice tablecloth, candles, hearts, chocolates. The kids always jump in and help, too, which is really fun.

Last year Barry got called in to work at the last minute on V-Day, and none of us had the heart to celebrate without him. We were all very thankful that he didn't have to go in this year, and we enjoyed our yummy dinner together.

Here are some quick pictures of our decorated table:


We hope all of you had a great day, and were able to celebrate it with the one(s) you love!

Pay it Forward

This is how it works..... The first 3 people to leave a comment on this post will receive a hand made gift from me during this year. When and what will be a surprise. BUT, in order for you to leave a comment on my blog, you have to post this on your blog first. (That means that sometime during this year you will send a gift to 3 people as well.) Get it? So, the first 3 people to comment on this post will be the lucky ones. Good luck!

Anyone else sick and tired of being tired and sick?

This Mayfield family has been dealing with sickies all week. YUCK!!!

Last Friday Kyle woke up with a sore throat. I made him go to school anyway, and when he kept complaining about it, I had the nurse look at it. Guess what she saw... white spots, a sure indicator of strep. Thankfully Barry was home to come and get him. He has been on antibiotics since Friday, and was feeling better, but then on Sunday he developed a cold. He spent Sunday and Monday in bed, and finally headed back to school on Tuesday.

On Sunday Josh woke up and told me that he wasn't feeling well. Now, I should probably defend myself a bit by saying that Josh never feels well when he wakes up in the morning. He takes after his Daddy and is NOT a morning person. Plus, he does not enjoy sitting through long meetings at church (He also takes that after his Daddy, but that is another story!), so I ignored him and made him go anyway! Once we got home and ate dinner, he headed up to his room and fell asleep. That should have been a sign to me that he really wasn't up to par, because he never takes a nap during the day. I won't gross you out with details here... let's just say that he was suffering from the stomach bug that has been going around and spent the next two days in bed.

Barry had to work Saturday night, and didn't get home until 9:30 Sunday morning. He was supposed to go back to work on Monday morning, but he took the day off to stay home with the boys. By Tuesday he had a touch of yuckiness himself and took another day off. I have been really run-down feeling, and I woke up Tuesday morning feeling awful. My throat was killing me, and I just felt generally yucky, so I spent the day in bed.

Thankfully, by Wednesday morning, everyone was feeling better and went back to work and school. My throat was still sore, but Advil was taking care of the pain for the most part, so I didn't let it bother me. Yesterday it was still hurting, but once again, nothing major. By the end of school, though, I had almost completely lost my voice. I decided to go ahead and take today off and get myself a sub. I hated to miss another day, but I wasn't going to do anyone any good being there. Today I still can't talk, although I am feeling ok otherwise. I guess I'll make myself clean house today. Heaven knows it needs it!

As a funny side note, I have to share a funny on the kids. As I was whispering to them both yesterday and today, they would whisper back! Kayti finally stopped, looked around, and said, "Wait, why am I whispering?!" It was pretty funny. I may have to remember this trick, though, when I want some peace and quiet in the house!

The time has come...

As most of you know, I have been a Stampin' Up! demonstrator for about 8 years now. I discovered stamping when Kayti was a baby, and fell in love with it! It has been a wonderful outlet for me, and being a demonstrator has allowed me to not only be creative, but also to 'support my habit'! I couldn't have asked for better customers, either. I have appreciated all of the support from friends and family along the way. Barry has been my biggest cheerleader, and I so appreciate him for it.

The time has come, though, for me to say goodbye to being a demo. It was a tough decision to make, but it is the right thing to do now. I still love Stampin' UP!, and believe that they offer the best products on the market, and so I will remain a loyal customer. This decision was made easier because one of my customers, Rachel, has become a demonstrator. She will be taking over my stamping group, and I can't wait to learn from her. She is so talented and creative!! You can view her SU! website here: http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/thescrappyside/
She also has a great blog: http://thescrappysideoflife.blogspot.com/

I appreciate everyone who has encouraged me, bought from me, held a workshop for me (you get the idea!). Y'all have been wonderful!!!

Number Seven of Number Seven... kind of

Alisha tagged me to go to my seventh photo file, post the 7th picture, then tag 7 people. I went to my 7th then 8th folders, and I only had 2 or 3 pictures in each, so I am actually posting from my 9th folder. Anyway.... here is one that Megan took of her brothers and sister during a Jean family dinner at Kristi's shop.


I now tag Amy B., Rachel R., Shari, Trudy, Karen, Cari and Debbie

My Daughters

A Daughter is...
A daughter is love in a bright pink bow
A bundle of happiness all aglow
A tomboy in jeans with a tear streaked face
Crying because she has just lost a race.
Then all of a sudden, no longer small,
She's a vision of loveliness dressed for a ball
A dreamer, a schemer, no two days the same
What is a daughter...It's more than a name
She's a pleasure, a treasure, a comfort each day
Loving and sweet in her own special way
She's a sense of contentment felt deep inside
Bringing a lifetime of pleasure and pride!


I took these two out to take some pictures yesterday. The weather was beautiful, and we were a bit bored... so off we went! We had a great time together, and I got a lot of fun shots of them together. Of course we got some really silly ones... here are some of the best ones!


I love these two silly, goofy, wonderful girls, and I don't know what I would do without them!