Faith, Family and Friends

Got my hair cut this evening.

Short Cuts. Millbrook.

Now if I can recreate it,

all will be well.

Tomorrow morning will tell.

Stay tuned~

Several have emailed asking "where did the post on your friend go?" To be honest, I wrote that without first asking her permission {and I'm sheepishly grinning right now} and I wasn't sure how she would feel having the "L" word used. I know she does, they know they do, but was she ready to tell the world? So I moved it to Heartstrings. You can click here or use the button at the upper left hand corner of this blog. And yes, they are so cute together!

Dr. Seuss had a birthday celebration

last week ~ and guess who dressed up?

The principal of Coosada Elementary!

Susanne Goodin is one of the best,

she loves what she does,

and she is good at it.

The kids love her~

this is just one of many taken

that day at school,

where Dr. Seuss ruled!

Note, also, the way Google

used their name to let us know

who had a birthday!

Test Post

Here's your new Sig Tag Ms. Nancy!! I removed the border that always pops up around the post images so it wouldn't have a box around it. Your pictures won't have a box either. Hope that's okay.... if not I can put it back =)

Hope you love it, Stacia

Okay, Stacia, get busy fixing me a signature tag!! I have a new look for Spring!

It's been a busy week with its moments of stress, but more moments of love and pure happiness. And laugher. Like today, when Raymond Elliott stopped in at Cute As A Button and asked if Johnny had installed rollers on my furniture yet. Yes, he had to tease me about the moves we make. But we continue to have fun and we are loving The Park as much as we loved our home on Spruce.

Tonight, after dinner at Logan's!, we moved a few more items and although I have yet to get up from the couch and begin arranging them, it's so nice knowing we are closer to having it look like home. Penney's had some drapes on sale that we purchased tonight, along with coverings for the two front windows. These are of a style we have never ever had, but we both like them. Can't wait to see what the girls think :) I found a picture of the ones we'll use at the two back windows, but the ones I think our daughters will raise their eyebrows at are sold only at the stores. I'm hanging one pair tomorrow and will let you know what it looks like later this weekend! The other pair is being shipped from two other store locations.

We also got two down comforters, much like what our daughter Leslie, has on her guest bed. I do hope it's as comfy as hers!! Then, we wandered over and got a set of luggage that has been sorely needed and we pray will be needed the first few weeks of summer. Yeah, did some damage at Penney's BUT what we bought was 50% off and we got an additional 15% from a card we 'scratched off' at the register. John says that I work hard at trying to keep the economy boosted. Think he's complimenting me?!

Our internet access worked great this morning BUT was off once more when John tried to use it late this afternoon. My laptop refused to connect as well. Tonight, about 10 mine came on! John's didn't. Would someone puleese tell us how to best communicate with Knology?! Rarely have I been so frustrated with a company.

How many of you got the latest Ballard's catalog?! I love this idea for our Master bath. I don't intend to hang the curtains but love the way this looks with the shelves and prints. We have quite a few framed prints from local Gatlinburg artists and I'd like to use them in here. Stay tuned as I intend to get this accomplished by the end of the weekend! and to end with a family snapshot, here's our Leslie with her pup, Marley. I'm in love with them both, but love my peanutbutter baby more~

Aggravation

Because the above

didn't hook up the below

correctly back in July,

we have had problems.

BUT

after days without a computer,

and several phone calls later,

we're back online.

And I'm crossing my fingers.

and my toes.

and my arms and legs.

and you get the picture.

Austin has the flu.

I think he needs his Nan and Pa

to come see him and bring some

fresh Prattville air~

and I think his mommy said

he had the flu shot. Poor baby~

and Alaina has had a haircut,

and found her mommy's lipstick~

These next snapshots are ones

that Stacey posted on Facebook,

and I borrowed to share with you!

These were in January when we

celebrated our Christmas~

Alaina and John were playing

'Put the Hat On Pa'

and John was losing~

Noah gives this look to Santa, too.

It's that "Don't touch the kid" look,

and you will definitely get it

if you try to bother him when he's eating.

Especially if the food is chocolate~

One of my favorites is reading to them.

I'm so glad they humor me this way~

Here's a picture of Austin,
before he got sick in March.
I like that smile~

and 'laina is a cuddler,
if you can get her still for a moment~

and me? I am just happy and blessed

to have these people in my life.

and if my prayers are answered,
there shall be more little ones
for our Christmas next year~

Just a couple of snapshots

taken at a recent dinner

with Jenny and her men.

I'm loving the way Noah wears the hat,

and the fact that Ian is so much

like his daddy~

Okay, so Jason just let Molly go

and here comes twittering Melissa.

Now, wonder how he will break this up

and get Molly back?!

We.Are.Online!

Finally, the nice man came today and finished hooking us up. When he left Saturday morning, we had cable but only cable. No phone, no Internet access. There was some snafu with switching the total package, but as long as The Hood had his television he was good to go. Now me? Well, you know I love my computer. Almost as well I love ~

THE SNOW WE GOT YESTERDAY IN CENTRAL ALABAMA!!!! I know, I know, there were lots and lots of other places in Alabama that got snow. But you know what? I wasn't there. But where I was, it snowed! John woke me up at 6:30 am saying, from the bedroom window, "hey, Nance, guess what's outside?" Of course, I had to bounce up and grab the camera. Here's some pics of the views from our apartment. And then I went back to bed and slept until almost 3 pm. It.was.one.of.those.sleepy.days. Not one of my best, those kind never are ~ a residue from the accident that John and I are learning to deal with. But the snow was there when I got up and we went out in it for a bit.

So much mud had washed in from the outlying construction areas Saturday (the weather was horrid Saturday, with lots and lots of rain and lots and lots of wind!) that when the snow began melting, there was just more muck and mess. The Park guys got right on it this morning, though, and once more it's looking good. We are loving it here and can see ourselves not going anywhere else. Unless it's to Gatlinburg, and then I have promised John that we will purchase a place that is furnished. He and Nelson are making ugly faces at me more and more lately. And I'm sure I have no idea why! {and yeah, I'm winking. and grinning.}

There are lots of pics on Facebook of friends and family sharing their views of the snow. Hope you got snow as well!!! Enjoy our snapshots and since I have been offline a while, there's a bit to catch up with. But ~

I am presently watching Molly and Melissa vie for Jason's affections and am seriously rooting for Molly. There are more posts to come, but they will have to wait. I don't know if I mentioned it, but these were taken at 6:30 and it was still snowing when I got up. I don't know when it began to snow, but there isn't much on the ground at this time. When I got up a couple of hours later for a bowl of cereal, there was lots!!!

The view from our front door, through the Juliet balcony~
And there's my cute little car. Oh, how I love getting this sweet thing on the interstate and driving it. Thanks Leslie and Johnny, it's truly a driver's car and you guys knew it ~

This is the view from the balcony you saw above. It is looking toward the front area of the Clubhouse and Office~

Johnny's Bronco looks funny to me. I zoomed in from the porch trying to get a better shot, and only ended up having it look like one of Noah's little cars with snow on it~

Again, looking toward the Common's Area in front of the Office~

This is the view straight across from the balcony looking west~

This shot was taken from one of the kitchen windows. There aren't screens, so I was able to get a clear shot~

Looking out the back into the inner courtyard. You can tell the snow has just begun accumulating. You can also see the construction and the M.U.D. Thank you, Pam at The Park, for pressure washing our steps and building so we don't have mud caked on them anymore!!

New Pictures of The Park!!!

Our apartment is in the far building

on the right. We have a Juliet balcony

off our front door!

Here's the pool complex with the clubhouse

to the left. To the back of this shot

would be the fish-stocked pond

where John will fish with his grandbabies!

Here's a great shot of the clubhouse,

where we had coffee and cookies

this morning! They have a room to the right

for internet usage, conversation,

and a coffee bar!!!

Even The Hood enjoyed it!

This is one of the models and after seeing this,

I am so determined to have ours looking

Our New Home

We are moving to The Park!!! and it is so totally beautiful. Jenny and her family came out this past Thursday night to see our apartment. Ian ran up to me with his arms outstretched yelling, "Nan! You live in a castle!" When we got to the Juliet balcony, he called out to Noah, "Hey Noah, here I am up here!"

Our Brandon doesn't show a lot of emotion, much like his father-in-law. I watched his face as he went through looking at the extras in our new home, and he finally turned and said, "This is really nice" and I had the pleasure of saying, "You haven't seen it all. Wait until you see the garage!" And it just gets better!

We cannot wait to share pictures with you. We are settling in and still have cabinets that are empty!! I promise you, if you are in the market for a new home, you must check out The Park. And I promise, we have much to share with you!! Stay tuned.

Great News Coming!

Oh, I have some awesome news to share with you later this week! It's been a busy time for me the past week or so, but hang in there with me and I promise you'll get a full accounting and pictures!!