Where have I been?

Some may have wondered where I have been ..... well at least maybe one or two people did :-)  My computer memory is full, so alas all of the photos I have taken since Christmas are locked away in my camera (which thank goodness holds a lot of photos).  So, as soon as I either get a new computer and/or figure out what to do with this one, I can't post new pictures.  When I do, you'll see our pictures from Nashville, the Biltmore, Gatlinburg, and a whole bunch of soccer.  In the meantime, in light of UK's first trip to the Final Four in a while, I felt compelled to pull out an oldie but a goodie.  Hope you enjoyed it!

Plus, here is a little gem that I happened upon today:

Our father who art in KY, let basketball be thy game. 7 banners won, the 8th to come, in Rupp as it is Big Blue Nation. Give us this day our defensive effort, and forgive us our turnovers as we forgive those who seeded against us.Lead us not into a shooting slump and deliver us from bad officiating. In the name of Rupp and Hall, and the... spirit of Bill Keightley. Amen.GO CATS

I'm sure my Cardinal Loving Hubby will LOVE this post... NOT

Delayed Reaction Christmas Pictures

I got a little behind on posting my Christmas pictures this year.... I received a Kindle for Christmas, and have been reading like a maniac ever since!  (Love, Love, Love the Kindle!)  But, we had a wonderful, blessed Christmas full of fun, family, good health and love!  We managed to convince both sides of our family to come to our house, so we didn't leave our place at all, and just had others come to us! Madeline was once again a blessing who brought us a lot of entertainment and giggles.  I could not ask for more!

Our boys, except JJ who was sick unfortunately....

The ladies having fun - Linsay is a new addition to the girlie group

Madeline and Steven playing guitar - LOVE this - she has learned several chords and is picking it up amazingly quickly.

Love the necklace from Uganda - it is amazing to think that some wonderful woman was taken out of poverty to make this necklace for me out of old magazines!

Grandpa's love is like no other!

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Steven loving his Army T .... he really does love these R & M!

Thank you to all of our wonderful family and friends who made this such a wonderful holiday.

We did not forget the real meaning of Christmas... we gave to charity, bought gifts for kids who do not have as much as we do, and thanked our good Lord for the wonderful gift of our salvation.

That's what it's all about!

Noelle the Elf

This post is from Madeline:

This is my Elf, Noelle.  She is a really nice elf.  Santa sent her to watch over me.  She really likes to eat crackers.  Every night she moves somewhere silly.  The first night she hung upside down on the Christmas tree.  She also swung from the ceiling fan.  She sat in the wreath in the kitchen, she took a joy ride in a low rider with Santa, she got in a bowl of marshmallows, she toilet papered my Christmas Tree and made a giant pile of cans.  I've had a ton of fun with her and I'm sad she's leaving today. 

The Holiday Spirit

Steven, Madeline and I have had a great day full of the best of the holiday spirit..... no stress, no spending tons of money, no trying to impress.  Just loving time with each other making creative decorations!  This is what being a Family is all about!  Next Steven is going to fry chicken and Mom & Dad are coming over for dinner.  Love it!

My Senses

What I hear right now - Steven playing guitar downstairs (The House of the Rising Sun), Madeline blowing a penny whistle, tapping keys on my keyboard.

What I smell right now - ham from dinner, scented candle.

What I see right now - darkness outside with a light now falling through window, Madeline with a bunch of toy animals around her, which she has had since she was probably three years old, but still plays with.

What I'm able to touch right now .... flannel pajamas, the keyboard, my blanket, wooden Noah's Ark

What I taste right now.... yummy hot chocolate that my Bro in Law kindly bought for me

What I feel right now.... the loving embrace of home and family.

What am I thankful for?  A life of bounty, the love of my family, and God's forgiveness of my many sins and indiscretions.

Christmas Crafts and Winter Sports

We've had a great Saturday today, making crafts and going to basketball.  Madeline started making a wreath during Fall Break in Atlanta, using Weeping Willow branches from Mark and Rebecca's tree.  We saved the wreath, and added a bit of Christmas cheer today.  We were quite proud of ourselves!  The two of us are not the craftiest pair in the world, so this was quite the accomplishment.  So, I took her pic and she took mine :-)  So, if you come by, keep in mind that we crafted this thing all by ourselves....

Soccer ended, basketball is well under way.... Madeline seems to love it!  Her team has won all of it's games so far, and she has scored a basket or too.  Fun times all around :-)

Veteran's Day

On Veteran's Day I wanted to take a moment to recognize the hard work and sacrifices of all of those who wear the uniform, and all of their families who sacrifice right along with them.  I enjoy peace, the ability to pursue my dreams, and the ability to speak freely because of their hard work and sacrifice, and I appreciate it!

Time With Grandpa

What a blessing it is for Madeline and I that she gets to spend lots of time with my Dad!  Today he came to her soccer game and post game ice cream.  Just some quiet time in the park.... these are memories that she'll have forever and that I always thank God for.  They had a little chat and some cuddle time.  Thank You Grandpa for always coming to her games when you are in town.  She doesn't always tell you, but she does appreciate it, and she will remember it, I have no doubt!

Sweet Success/Good Friends

So I've made it no secret that I enjoy Madeline's soccer. As a person who never had one ounce of success in sports, it is fun for me to see her thrive. She has never backed down from a challenge in the game, and hopefully will never experience the shame of being the last kid chosen for a team (which I remember with painful clarity). This season has been a good one for her - her team didn't win every game, but she learned a lot, scored some, assisted friends, had a great kind coach, and all in all had a great time. Good memories were made.... and that other important lesson - how to lose with grace was also learned. Her team plays tomorrow in the semi finals, then we're done until March. She now has 7 soccer medals :-)

Madeline's Animals

This is Madeline's Animal Post:

These are awesome animals! Turtles, otters, even a baby gorilla! It's so awesome! I wish I could own a zoo. Wouldn't that be cool? I would have all types of animals in it, and it would be fun to look around. I would have animals like big lizards, wild horses, komodo dragons, giraffes, and three zebras. There would be lots of other fun animals too. I hope you like these pictures!