Urgent.....I need help!!

Did I get your attention? Maybe not urgent, but very important!
I am in need of some good "sweet sixteen" birthday party ideas and quick!!! Brittany's 16th birthday is quickly approaching (November 12) and I have been racking my brain trying to figure out what to do. I can't believe she is almost 16...makes me want to cry! We don't have tons of money to spend, but I want it to be super special for her. She had mentioned wanting to have a party and dj. I thought about renting a building in the area and trying to find an inexpensive dj. If you are reading this and have some dj experience (even amateur)or if you have a good idea of a place to rent to have a party please let me know! I also have thought about having a scavenger hunt. I just don't know...what do you think? What kind of theme would be really easy and fun? I would love to hear any ideas you have. I am getting desperate!!

Our camping trip!

We had such a great time camping! Sorry this slide show is so long. In order to see all of them, you have to listen to the song twice. I tried to speed it up somehow, but couldn't figure it out. Anyway, we can't wait until we get to go camping again. The next time we are going to kidnap the Heltons and take them with us! Come on Adam.....it will be fun!! :)

Tuesday's Tribute on Monday!

Me and Angie in 1992




Angie holding Brittany

Today, I want to say thank you to one of the sweetest, most beautiful girls you would ever meet. She has been one of my best friends for a very long time. It all started in Mrs. Elliot's English class. (side note....I loved Mrs. Elliot...she began her struggle with breast cancer while she was our teacher and later passed on) I believe we were juniors in high school...gosh I am getting so old I can't even remember what year it was. Ang was the first person to know I was pregnant (even before Jeff) with Brittany and was with me when I found out. She was one of the only people there when I got married....(I was only 17) She is the kind of person that you could call at 2 a.m. with a problem and she would be there in a minute!!! As a matter of fact, there have been many very late nights I have called her on the way to the emergency room with one of my kids sick, and she would be there within a few minutes! When Radlee took his ride to the emergency room after his allergic reaction to nuts, she was there right away. When I miscarried and had to have surgery, she was there. I could go on and on about how she is the kind of friend we all want to have and the kind of friend we all want to be!

Our friendship has survived so many good times and bad times in our lives. I have been blessed to watch her grow as a christian, wife, and mother. I have some of the funniest memories of our times spent together (especially goats at Opryland)!! I can't imagine the past 18 years of my life without Angie! Ang, I love you!!

Another first!

I have mentioned a lot lately about how God is stretching me out of my comfort zone! Well, this weekend I am definitely going to go way out of my comfort zone and spend a night camping!!!! Along with a few other families, including my sister (Scott, can you believe I got Ashley to agree to go camping with us ?:) we are spending the night at a state park and all sleeping in tents! I have been camping a few times, but we always stayed in cabins!! No straighteners, no hot water, no make-up, no microwave, no t.v..........just our family, nature, and great friends! I am not your "outdoors" kid of girl, but I admit that I am excited to give up all of these comforts I normally live with to just spend quality time with my family and friends! I think we so often get distracted with all of the "things" all around us to truly enjoy spending time with one another. I know the kids are going to have a blast....there is nothing Radlee loves more than spending time outside playing with sticks & dirt......add his two of his best buddies.....and he is going to have a blast. I am sad that Britt has decided to stay at home with a friend, but I was once a teenager and completely understand!


I plan on taking lots of pictures!! I will plan on posting them when we get back, unless a coyote or bear gets us! Or do we even have bears in Nashville?? :)

Tuesdays Tribute: My Uncle Scott

I have decided I am going to dedicate every Tuesday to someone who has made an impression on my life. The first person I have chosen to acknowledge is My Uncle Scott. I have so many fond memories of spending time with him. I will never forget all of the fun times we spent laughing over some of the silliest things while at my grandmother's house. We have had some great times over the years, but what makes my uncle so special is how he stepped up and became the stable person in my life when everything around me seemed to be crumbling. I was a teenager living in a new city after my parent's divorce and in many ways my life was out of control. Not having any children of his own, Scott was so giving of his time and energy to me and my sister. My mom would call him crying on many occasions because of the trouble I was giving her, and my uncle would drive a few hours from his home to either come and talk to me or just spend time with us. Occasionally, he even had to give me a phone lecture.....oh how I hated those!!!! He was the father figure in our lives when our dad was several states away! He even walked my sister down the aisle when she got married. I will always be grateful for the way he so generously gave us his time and his heart....I truly don't know how I could have made it through that very tough time in my life without him. Thank you!!


*****Scott.....I searched everywhere for a good picture of you, but I didn't think you would approve of the ones I had!! I think you must avoid cameras like me!! That is my project the next time we are together...you had better be ready!!

A lesson on control

(The pictures are from today not yesterday's wacky tacky day!...I guess that is pretty obvious though:-)

Yesterday was "wacky-tacky" day at Maddie's school. I reluctantly decided to just let Maddie pick her own outfit and tell me how she wanted her hair. When Maddie came out with what she wanted to wear, I really wanted to go and find her something else. I just went with what she had out and she ended up looking really "wacky-tacky". She won the wacky-tackiest in her classroom. She had her picture made with the other winners in the school, but unfortunately I did not take one! Darn!!!

Today was dress like your favorite story book character. We really didn't have very much at home for her to choose from, but she decided to go as Laura Ingalls from Little House on the Prairie. Once again, I had a different idea of what hat she should wear than she had in mind, but I let her go with her idea. I did get a few pictures today. I thought she looked pretty cute!

I am learning with the kids to not "sweat the small stuff". Sometimes it is just better to let go of some control and let them make some of their own "small" decisions.

Time to vent!

I am so irritated right now! I just need to complain for a minute....I may regret posting this on the net for all to see, but if I do there is always the lovely delete post option.

Today was another first for me at TSU. Today was the first time I have ever took a midterm with the majority of the class laughing and talking really loud. The instructor was even joking with everyone. I couldn't concentrate and ended up turning my test in with only one side completed. When I realized there was another side to the test, I politely asked to have my test back. He gave it back to me but kept saying in a loud tone 5 minutes Pagan 5 minutes! I think he thought he was being funny, but I really didn't find it so funny. I wanted to say MY LAST NAME ISN'T PAGAN ANYMORE AND HASN'T BEEN FOR ALMOST 16 YEARS!!!! (That is an entire different story of how the idiots at this school can't seem to get anything right...they took my maiden name off of my high school transcript rather than my application. I was told just to leave it, because if you try to have it fixed lots of other stuff will get messed up like your classes getting transferred)

I also wanted to just scream to all of the crazy people in my class and tell them to shut the ..... up for just a few minutes! (fill in the dots as you wish) Don't worry, I didn't do that! If I would have, I wouldn't be typing this post right now. It is extremely frustrating to spend long hours away from your family to study, and then to just have all of your hard work studying messed up because you can't concentrate. I really need to work on my ability to tune distractions out....I thought with my kids I had already mastered that one!

I did turn in my test before I was even finished and I am sure didn't do so well.....I probably still got an o.k. grade because he has to curve his test grades so much because they are usually horrible! I am sure that is probably why no one really cares!

I ever so politely asked to speak to the instructor after class. I asked if it was possible to have some sort of quiet testing atmosphere when taking test. I am just asking what you would think would be a given right?!? He told me it is what it is....you are at TSU. Those were his exact words!

I am either going to be a really strong woman after I am finished with my undergraduate studies or I am going to be a crazy woman!