"Perry, get your shotgun ready."

Yes, I said that last night. I didn't think I would have to be saying that for at least another year or so.

Alas, Emily came home last night and announced that J.T. had asked her to go to the Homecoming Dance with him this Saturday. I think this is just a "friendship thing" since J.T. is a saxophone player in the band with her and she said "He's just a lot of fun to be around. He's not one of those nasty boys." Ha, ha! At least she recognizes that there are "nasty boys" and it is not a good thing to be around them. However, I don't really want to call this a "date" since she's only 14 and was actually planning to go to the dance with friends anyway. (By the way, he is 14 too.) Any ideas of what to call it to make me feel better? It's not really a date, is it?

Sunday Morning Scripture

One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek:

That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the

days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord,

And to inquire in His temple.

Psalm 27:4

Annihilation

I only have two words for this week's football game - Utter Annihilation.

Wylie Pirates - 44
Boyd Broncos - 0

The worst part of all? They were within 1 yard of another touchdown with only 30 seconds to go and they just put the ball down and walked away rather than humiliate us even further. Perry said it showed good sportsmanship. I said they should have taken what they had earned. It's not like it was going to make us look any worse than we already looked. Oh well...it's just a game, right?

P.S. Sorry I didn't post much for you all this week. I was barely keeping my head above water so-to-speak with a terrible cold Emily so graciously shared with me. Thankfully, I am feeling better as of yesterday and today. Unfortunately, I think I have passed it along to Perry now.

First Official Day of Autumn!

*Autumn gives us every opportunity to live an authentic life. Yet how easy it is to miss the little things in the pursuit of a “perfect” life! An authentic life is made up of recognizing beautiful moments in an imperfect world. It's not fresh flowers in crystal vases or perfectly decorated rooms you are too scared to really live in. We must discipline ourselves to linger even for a moment on those things so they will become emblazoned in our memory like a snapshot in a tattered scrapbook. Embrace the REAL life you live each day!

20 Little Things To Treasure in Autumn
Quiet dinners by the fire...yes, even your gas fireplace will work
Reading mystery novels in darkened rooms
Flannel sheets at the end of a long day
Candles Flickering
Smelling cinnamon, oranges & cloves
Pumpkins
Roasts, Potatoes & Carrots
Fluffy blankets on a cold night
Watching movies snuggled together in a dimly lit room
Cozy socks
Pie in the oven
Warm crackling wood stoves...wouldn't you love to have one of those?
Squash with buttered brown sugar
Chili and corn bread
Wind blowing through leaves
Glow of lamps through windows
Laughter filling a room
Scrabble and popcorn
Caramel apples
Family

What things/memories do you treasure in/about autumn?


*Official Link

Sunday Morning Scripture

For it is God who works in you to will and

to act according to His good purpose.

Philippians 2:13

Our Color Guard Cutie

The McKinney Boyd Broncos triumphed this week over the McKinney High Lions with a final score of 42 - 35. It sure was a close one! Oh, and for those that may be confused, yes, we have more than one high school here in McKinney. Actually, we have THREE! There's McKinney Boyd High School which Emily attends, McKinney North High School, and McKinney High School. All three schools do play each other during football season. Our first game was against McKinney North. Now, are you ready for some Color Guard action?

Abby & Daddy waiting for Emily's half-time performance

Tonight was Emily's first night using her rifle during a routine. She did great!

Here she is doing some beautiful flag work during another song



Finished performing and walking off the field


Abby was so excited to see Emily after her performance



Emily and her color guard buddy Melinda showing off
their extreme performance make-up

Urgent Prayer Request

I'm sure many of you have noticed the Prayer Requests list I have on the left side of my blog. Gary has been on this list for several months because he has terminal cancer. Last night, his daughter Destiny (our neice, Perry's sister's daughter) and other family members were called. He is in the very last end stage of his battle. Please pray for God's comfort and peace for everyone involved in this sad situation. Gary's mother passed away less than two weeks ago from cancer so they are all still mourning her death as well.

UPDATE - Sept 21, 2008: Gary passed away this morning. Arrangements are unknown at this time.

Condemnation???

NEWS ALERT: This just in....major devastation at the Fuller Hotel. Management has issued a warning to a local resident. Will this property be condemned? Stay tuned for updates as this story continues to develop.

Sunday Morning Scripture

In that day they will say,"Surely this is our God;we trusted in him, and he saved us.This is the LORD, we trusted in him;let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation."
Isaiah 25:9

Massacre in McKinney

Boyd Broncos VS Copperas Cove Bulldogs

Final Score 14 - 42

Our beloved Broncos were no match for the tenacious Bulldogs of Copperas Cove and we suffered our first loss of the season. I must say as soon as Perry saw their players come onto the field, he said "Oh boy...we are gonna get whupped tonight. They have got some BIG boys." He was right. Boyd was just advanced to 5-A this season and Copperas Cove has been in this league for a while. We were just puppy chow for them. However, I do have to give the Broncos some credit. They played a much better game than they have in the two previous weeks. Hopefully they will not get discouraged and have better luck next week.

I finally remembered to grab my camera on the way out the door tonight and snapped a few pictures of our girl doing her thing on the field. Too bad she was ALL the way at the other end of the field so my pictures aren't the best. Next week I will definitely walk down to that end of the field and hopefully get a better shot. We had some friends sitting right behind us and the guy has a Mac-Daddy of a camera with a Super-Mac-Daddy of a lens on it. I know he got one great shot of Emily and he promised to email it to me. I'll share it with all of you when I receive it. Great job, Emily! Can't wait to see you out there again next week!

Mothers

While browsing online this morning, I found these three quotes on mothers. I had originally thought I'd save them for Mother's Day, but then realized (knowing myself) I'd probably forget about them by then. So, for your sentimental side, here are some thoughts on mothers. Oh, and while I'm thinking about it....thanks for everything, Mom!

MOTHERS
Real Mothers don't eat quiche; they don't have time to make it.
Real Mothers know that their kitchen utensils are probably in the sandbox.
Real Mothers often have sticky floors, filthy ovens and happy kids.
Real Mothers know that dried play dough doesn't come out of carpets.
Real Mothers don't want to know what the vacuum just sucked up.
Real Mothers sometimes ask 'Why me?' and get their answer when a little
voice says, 'Because I love you best.'
Real Mothers know that a child's growth is not measured by height or
years or grade....It is marked by the progression of Mommy to Mom to
Mother...

The Images of Mother
4 YEARS OF AGE - My Mommy can do anything!
8 YEARS OF AGE - My Mom knows a lot! A whole lot!
12 YEARS OF AGE - My Mother doesn't really know quite everything.
14 YEARS OF AGE - Naturally, Mother doesn't know that, either.
16 YEARS OF AGE - Mother? She's hopelessly old-fashioned.
18 YEARS OF AGE - That old woman? She's way out of date!
25 YEARS OF AGE - Well, she might know a little bit about it
35 YEARS OF AGE - Before we decide, let's get Mom's opinion.
45 YEARS OF AGE - Wonder what Mom would have thought about it?
65 YEARS OF AGE - Wish I could talk it over with Mom.

The Beauty of a Woman
The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that
she carries, or the way she combs her hair.
The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is
the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.
The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole, but true beauty in a
woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly
gives, the passion that she shows, and the beauty of a woman with
passing years only grows!

Miss Independent

Abby has become very independent lately. Her favorite phrase has become "I do it I-self !" Translation = "I will/want to do it myself !" I don't know exactly where that one came from, but it's too darn cute. Here's a conversation that took place Monday morning on our way to take Emily to school.

The car is fairly quiet except for Abby's DVD that's playing in the backseat. Suddenly, Emily sneezes...a big one.

ABBY: Sissy, you otay?
--silence--
ME: Emily, your sister asked if you were okay.
EMILY: (typical teenager's you-are-bothering-my-world big huffing sigh) Yes, Abby, I'm okay.
ABBY: No Mommy! I do it I-self!
ME: Okay, okay. I'm sorry.
ABBY: Sissy, you otay?
--silence--
ME: (clears throat loudly to get Emily's attention again and then impatiently whispers...) Answer her!
EMILY: Yes, Abby, I'm okay.
ABBY: Otay.

Ahhh...life's fun with a teenager and a toddler!

I'm a P.O.O.P.I.E

HGTV recently aired a special called "The 25 Worst Decorating Mistakes." (Yes, I admit it...I was guilty of a few of them.) Do you know what is the #1 mistake most people make in decorating? It's using fake plants and flowers. Oh the horror! <dripping with sarcasm> Yes, I'm definitely guilty of that one.

Anyway, Nester is having a P.O.O.P.I.E. party today and I wanted to participate. What is a P.O.O.P.I.E., you ask? It's an acronym for People Opposing Objectionable Pretend plants In the Environment. She encourages everyone to use real whenever possible, but when it's not possible at least use something that LOOKS real. None of that fake green ivy on top of the cabinets for her! Here is a LINK to read all about it for yourself. Today she is asking us to share the good, the bad, and the ugly fakes in our home.

Yes, I agree with her philosophy. I don't have any real ones though, but I try to stay away from the really bad ones. Want to see some of my fabulous fakes?

This one is on my foyer table. It's mostly all dried things.

There are a few fake berries, but they are very small.

This one is the sister piece to the one above.

I bought the first one ready-made and then custom ordered this one to go on top of a hutch in my dining room since the two spaces are open to each other.

See? Not too bad, right?

OK...I made this one myself to go in a niche at the stop of the stairs.

The upstairs loft sitting area had a beach cottage theme. Hence the

seagull and shells. Yes, it's green, but everything is dried!

Oops...maybe everything is not quite as perfect as I first pretended it to be!

Yes, these are topiaries with fake greenery, fake flowers, and fake fruit.

What can I say...dear hubby loves symmetry and the colors work well.

Oh my! Is this really in my house? I'm afraid so! Remember that beach cottage theme

I mentioned earlier? Well, this is on the top shelf of the entertainment center in that room.

Yes, very fake...but it looks so nice with my daughters' commemorative birth announcement

plates! And there's no dust on it...yet.

OK...OK...I'll show you the REAL me. Yes, I have a fake ficus tree in my living room.

I suppose I AM secretly ashamed because I have it half hidden behind the loveseat.

More truth to share. This one sits on the landing of the stairs. The space isn't big,

but it desperately needed SOMETHING there. I suppose I should keep looking, huh?

Yes, here is probably THE WORST offender in my house.
Fake greenery and fake food....with dust.
I'm so ashamed.
I promise to remove it immediately.

The good news is that I'm already recruiting the next generation to join in my sickness!
These next two fakes are in my oldest daughter's bedroom.

Knock, knock.....who's there?

OK...I know I shared a link to this blog with lots...well, several...people. However, the only comments I seem to get are from my mom. I've had a few people tell me that they have read my blog so now I'm calling you out! If you read this blog...even just sporadically, please post a comment. Even if it's nothing except your name. I'd like to know if this blogging is just mental therapy for me or if others are actually reading it.

If you aren't familiar with how to leave a comment, look down to the bottom of this post. See the word "comments"? Click on that word and it will take you to another page where you can leave your comment. This process does require that you have a Google account, but they are free and relatively painless to create. Don't know what to say? Just say "Hi!" It makes me smile to see comments!

Thanks to everyone that participates in my little experiment to banish lurkers in blogland!

Sunday Morning Scripture

In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,

in accordance with the riches of God's grace that He lavished

on us with all wisdom and understanding.

Ephesians 1:7-8

Victory!

Broncos win again!

Final score was 35 - 28 against Frisco Centennial Titans. It was a great game, but we are all very tired this morning. It was around 12:30am before we all got to bed last night and poor Emily had to go to school this morning. Yesterday was a very long day for her beginning with color guard practice at 6:45am, school all day, afternoon preparations for the game, the actual game, and finally getting home about midnight. Unfortunately today doesn't look much better because she has color guard practice immediately after school and then tonight is Boyd Band Family Night. So, it will be another busy evening for us. I definitely see a nap in store for Abby and me this afternoon! I suppose Emily will spend the majority of her Saturday trying to catch up on sleep. How will we ever survive football season?!?!

Watch This....

I have no words to describe this powerfully humbling video. Just watch it for yourself...

http://www.youtube.com/user/daughtry?ob=1

Emily's First Football Game

Sorry I haven't posted for everyone since Thursday. Friday was a whirlwind of activities and then Emily's first football game was Friday night. I saw her when she went to bed Thursday night and then didn't see her again until we got to the game Friday night. They have practice before school on gameday so Perry had to take her to school at 6:40am Friday morning and then they don't get to come home after school because they are prepping for the game, gathering supplies, eating dinner, loading the bus, etc. Yes, they feed them dinner at school at 4:45pm! I guess they want to make sure no one misses the bus to the game! Ha, ha!

Anyway, Emily did great for her first time on the field. She made one mistake, but quickly found her place again and continued the routine. She said she was soooo nervous, but had a great time. The Broncos won the game 27 - 21. The game ended around 10:30pm, but the band and color guard have to ride the bus back to the school so it was around 11:45pm before Emily called us to come pick her up. Then, of course, she was STARVING since they do not get to eat or drink anything (besides water) after their dinner until the game is over. So Perry took her to McDonald's to grab something to eat, came back home, and then we all sat around the table listening to her tell us about everything. I think it was around 1:00am when we finally went to bed. Boy did I ever feel like YUCK the next morning when Abby woke us up!

We let Emily sleep as long as she wanted to on Saturday morning and it was about 11:30am before she graced us with her presence. Poor girl....Friday had been a LOOOONG day! She got to school at 6:40am and got home at 11:55pm. That's bad enough when the next day is Saturday, but this week's game is on Thursday night which means she has to do all of that again AND THEN GO TO SCHOOL THE NEXT DAY!!!! I seriously can't believe they make them do that. Y'all keep her in your prayers. She's going to have a rough day on Friday. So am I because I have to babysit on Friday. I hope I don't fall asleep in someone's Cheerios!

P.S. Sorry I don't have photos! I was in such a tizzy trying to make sure the camcorder was working and that I had a disc for it that I forgot to take my camera! UGH! However, someone did take a photo of Emily for us. They said they would email it to me so I'll post it later.