Summer & JD's Wedding Part III

My Grown-Up Christmas List

Christmas is my favorite holiday. Every single thing about it. I love the lights, the smell, the Story, the Reason, the life, families getting together, stories being told. I love when my sister gets into town and we all go over to our parents house to welcome them home. And spend as much time over there with them as we can playing games, arguing like sisters do. Eating and eating all the foods that come out of our mother's kitchen. All the good, good food. I love watching my niece and nephew open their gifts from Santa. The look on their faces when they see that they got just what they had wished for. This year I will love watching Livi open her gifts from Santa.

My sister-in-law had posted her wish list on her blog so I thought I would post mine on here. I am in no way expecting any of these. I love and treasure the gifts that I receive but they don't make or break a holiday for me. I just thought I'd help you out in your search if you choose to have one. And hey, it's fun to dream.

This would look great in our bedroom.

I would really like this. I have the perfect spot for it and I would love to put pictures and pretty things on it.

Or I could set these on it.

Or maybe a new vacuum. I do not care what brand, what color just one that can clean my floors really good. I do enjoy the bag less ones.

I've decided I like to wear aprons. I think this one is just lovely.

I really miss wearing this.

These would be comfy and since Livi and I lounge in our pj's all day they would be used too.

I think that is all I can come up with. If you have a better idea for me then go with it. I will love anything I receive this year. Mostly I hope I get to see each and every one of you at Christmas.

What would you like Santa to bring you?

Little Red Rocking Chair

I truly believe all children need a rocking chair. One that's just their size. I had one growing up and Livi loves playing in it.

Climbing up and down just rocking away.

I've been wanting to find one for her but I didn't want a brand new one. I wanted one that looked old and squeaks when it rocks. I also didn't want to pay very much.

Last Saturday Livi and I met Auntie Rach for lunch. We do that ususally once a week. Have lunch then go do some shopping. Really just get me out of the house. Well this past weekend we went to The Spring Creek Tea Room. I really enjoy eating there. They have wonderful food and its an antique shop! We like to walk around and look at all of the stuff and try to figure out where it came from and sometimes why someone would think they needed that. We make up stories and try and picture it in our home. We had made our way through the back and found some pretty sweet tinsel trees for five dollars. Rachel got a red one and I got a green and gold one. Still looking not knowing what we will find next and then Rachel stops. She turns around and says, "Didn't you say you were looking for a rocking chair for Livi?" She was right I had said I would like to get her one and what do you know, Rachel just found it.

It is perfect. Red, my favorite color, the paint is worn and fading in some places, it squeaks when she rocks, and best of all, she loves it.

The End.

The 'G' Spot Hunting Lodge

Two years ago one of Jarad's customers mentioned to him that he had bought some land on Table Rock Lake. The only problem was there were two trailers sitting on this land. One was just torn down while the other could still be used. He asked Jarad if he knew of anyone that might want it. It is in really good condition and he didn't even want anything for it. As long as they could move it he was willing to let it go for free. Without hesitating Jarad says he would take it. He came home that evening with a great big smile on his face telling me the story of how we got a 1969, 55 foot, 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom, blue and white trailer for FREE. He was so proud. And I must add the toilet is pink. All we had to do was get it out to the land in Conway. We enjoy going out there riding 4-wheelers and just soaking up some nature. The boys go out there to hunt. So this free trailer would now be a place for them to stay instead of getting up really early opening morning and driving an hour to hunt. There is no electricity or running water. The boys don't mind though. Jarad and I along with Kenneth and Brian have been going out there and cleaning the place up, getting rid of the rodents and ready for deer season.

The best part of the trailer is what we have decided to call our place in the woods. It's the hunting cabin to the Giddens and George families. So Chrissy came up with The G Spot Hunting Lodge. With the lovely tag line, "It's a little hard to find, but worth looking for. Jarad jumped right on that and now we all have G Spot Hunting Lodge shirts, coozies, fleece jackets, and headbands. He got a little something for the trailer too, a nice clock. The best part is all of these items have a wonderful picture (taken by myself) of the trailer in all of its glory.

To be honest with you its really not that bad. I like to laugh and make fun of Jarad because he really is very excited about it. Why I do not know. But he loves it and I love it because it makes him happy.

Here are a few pics of our lovely place in the woods.

This picture was taken today while Jarad was down there hunting. Jarad's not really pulling it.

I also must tell you that they didn't have to cut down very many trees to get the trailer set up. The man Jarad found to move this thing was very talented. The roads out in Conway are gravel, very narrow, and have a lot of sharp turns. Jarad was in front of him showing him where to put it and he (Jarad) couldn't believe the way this guy drove. My point is, he was good.

Here are a few pictures of the land. So pretty. I love being out there with my man.

The End.

Daddy's Little Booger Baby

Yesterday Livi and I went out to my mom's school to wish her a happy birthday and bring her some flowers. She was very excited and surprised to see us. We had been there for probably 10 minutes and lots of teachers had stopped in her office. They all like to come see Livi when she's there. They were watching her walk and clapping and then they started asking her to point to things. You know, her face, ears, and then came nose.
"Livi where's your nose?"
She points to her ears.
They ask her again, "Livi where's your nose?"
Again the ears.
Then I look at her and say, "Livi pick your nose."
To which she stuck her index finger right up her nose.


The next Daddy's Little Booger Baby has arrived.

Summer & JD's wedding Part II

Mom

Today is a very special day. It's my mother's birthday. 58 years ago today Ward and Dorothy Williams held Carolyn Jane in their arms. I've never met anyone quite like my mother. She's smart, funny, kind, loving, always puts others before herself, loves unconditionally, and many more but you get my point. Growing up I didn't notice or appreciate all the things that special woman I call mom did for me and her family. Don't get me wrong I loved her and respected her. I just didn't know or understand that everything she did was out of love. I wouldn't understand that until I had a child of my own. I consider myself lucky because I have both a mom and dad who are still happily married after 38 years. I grew-up in a loving household. Had three meals a day, wore clean clothes to school, and didn't want for or need anything that I didn't have. My mother made sure of those things. She woke up each and every morning and made us breakfast. Packed our school lunches or made sure we had the money to buy them if we wanted to and every night she would fix us dinner. She always did without so that we could have. Once I was of driving age and staying out later she would wait up for me to come home. There were many weekend nights I would come home and find her on the couch half asleep half awake waiting for me with the phone right next to her. I have so many memories of growing up and my mother being right there next to me. She was at every softball and basketball game, every choir concert and went on the choir trips with me. She helped me move into my first apartment, and then my first house. She was there for me when I called off my first wedding and supported me with that decision. She welcomed me back into her home after that. She was there when I told her I had met a really nice guy and I saw a future with him. She was there with tears in her eyes when my daughter was born and there again when I married that little girls daddy. She has always been there for me and I know she always will be. Happy Birthday Mom! I love you.

What we've been doing

This past weekend we went to Oklahoma. We were invited to a wedding there. A girl that I have known pretty much my whole life, went to grade school and high school with was getting married. After high school though we had lost touch.

This is where it gets strange.

In Jan. 2006 I met Jarad. For our first date we went to Applebee's for dinner. We walk in and I hear someone say, Jarad Giddens. I turn around and who do I see, Summer the same girl I grew up with. She was as shocked as I was. Then I began to wonder how in the world does she know my new man! It was later explained to me, Jarad's sister, Chrissy and Summer met in college, became best-friends and still are to this day. Can you say small world? Summer met Jarad when he was a young spiked hair teenager. She had lots of stories to offer.

Enough of the trip down memory lane back to this past weekend. Chrissy was in the wedding. And I was asked to take pictures of the day! I was extremely excited because I love photography but I have never taken pictures of someones wedding. So I was nervous at the same time. I couldn't have asked for a prettier setting to take pictures in. The wedding was at Turner Falls Park. B-E-A-U-TIFUL! I took a lot of pictures and here are a few of the happy couple. I will post more as soon as I get them edited.







Congratulations Summer & JD! May you have a lifetime of love and happiness. Here's something my mom said to me on my wedding day. When times get hard and they will, always remember the vows you took on this day. For those vows were taken before God and all things are possible through him.

Books...

they are good for lots things.

They are somewhat comfy to lay on.
































They always have something interesting to look at.
































They make a great step stool.

And they make us smile.

The End.

Fuddruckers In A Field

On Saturday Nov. 1st we were invited out to Dan and Shelley's for the Paperwise Fall Festival. Alivia doesn't really look like she is too excited about the horse in this picture but she really loved them and I think they liked her too. Not only did we get to talk to horses and love on them, but Dan had made a hay maze that was a lot of fun too. We also enjoyed a Fuddruckers dinner and a hayride to end the night.

Daddy and Uncle B in the hay maze.

Laughing. We do that a lot. I think PaPa was trying to scare them.

Livi on the hayride. Is it bad parenting to allow your child to crawl around, on a trailer, lined with hay, being pulled by a tractor? I didn't think so and well she was happy. And a happy Livi means a happy mommy.

Playing in the hay with Nanny.

It took Livi all of 5 minutes to fall asleep once we got to the truck. We had a wonderful time and a big THANK YOU to Dan and Shelley for having us.