aunt tracey's birthday

Our assignment was to make a cake. Our gift this year to Jason's sister was her birthday cake (which was delicious)! As you all well know, India and my mom took many cake decorating classes together. They are awesome at it, so when Rodney (Tracey's hubby for those who don't know) said he wasn't going to be able to make her a cake since he had to work, we came to the rescue. We were supposed to go to the river, but we decided to put that off and to head over to meme's to make a cake. Meme had the cake itself made when we got there (THANKS MEME), and we all gathered together to work on icing it with India taking the lead and Kalib and I doing what we were told. I think the cake came out just gorgeous and we ate a lot of icing while we were decorating and really I think the icing is the best part.

Getting Started

Easter

So, I'm always behind these days. I couldn't stand myself if I didn't put up the maypole pics then I realized just how much I have not been putting up, so I'm going to work really hard at getting things caught back up on here. Easter we went to Jason's grandparents in Winterville for the annual Easter egg hunt and cook out! Tracey and her kids had gone camping and the scurried back so they wouldn't miss out on it. I forget exactly how many eggs we had all total, but I want to say it was around 150. Meme bought the kids some new clothes (I got some too for my birthday - thanks meme and papa), so the kids looked nice while hunting eggs too. Here are the kids ready to go. They always come running out of the house super fast to do it, then the adults (well, me and Tracey) always stop them to get the photos of them all with their baskets. How annoying that must be for them, but one day they will be glad their parents documented their lives as well as we have. As you can see in the picture Austin came along for the day with his mom and dad.

Eggs get hidden everywhere even in trees that are a little out of reach.

Tic Tacs in her basket.

I was wanting a sweet picture with my kid, but always the smarty pants wouldn't take a serious picture. That's ok though I like this one anyhow and you can still see just how pretty she is. Who do you think she looks like me or her dad?

Another tradition the kids have to endure on Easter is a picture in this tree. I think I have one of every year of them in the tree since they were all babies. It gets a little harder to get them to smile each year, but we eventually get a nice photo of them all.

This year they couldn't get into their loot until we got a photo in the tree, but now they are eating it up! Soooooo much candy. I don't know about Tracey's kids, but ours were super hyped up on candy and got tummy aches, but they crashed really hard.

Last, but not least it wouldn't be an Easter Sunday if this really amazing guy I know didn't bust out the sidewalk chalk and leave behind some kind of drawing.

cakes, cakes and more cakes

As many of you know, India has been taking a cake decorating class with my mother. She just finished her 2nd session on Wednesday. Now, we have been eating a lot of cake, but it has been worth it to see her accomplish so great as the above cake! She made all the flowers and the basket weave on this cake all by herself in class. They decided to take the cake to church this week since we are all getting tired of eating cake, but we did get to enjoy the great job she did on this. Impressive, is it not?

India's slumber party

On Saturday night, we had a slumber party for India. She had 5 other girls over and I have to say I was totally dreading it. No sleep, lots of noise, and a headache for mom, but it turned out the were so awesome! I'm not quite ready to do it again, but it was still great! India wanted to have a horror movie birthday, but I wasn't quite comfortable with renting R rated horror movies for her yet, plus I didn't want to have to call any moms to come and get them at 2 in the morning. So, we rented Gremlins, Something Wicked This Way Comes, and The Twilight Zone Movie. 3 somewhat creepy movies that you just can't go wrong with. Meme made her an eyeball cake. The picture really doesn't do it justice. It had the big eyeball on top and the little ones along the bottom. A pretty far stretch from the roses and daisies they have been learning in class - not to mention the cake was delicious!

India lit all the candles herself and served it up to everyone. After the moms all left (a few stuck around to have a glass of wine with me) the kids settled into their play while eating pizza and cheese straws. They did Bloody Mary (remember that - it is still cool) and they dressed up, then they started watching movies. Jason and I watched The Twilight Zone with them, then he and I retired to our room and gave up the house. (Kalib was smart and went home with Elijah for the night). The kids were great! They didn't make too much noise and Jason and I were able to get some sleep (which I have to say surprised me). I was having some allergy problems and had drank some Cold Care PM tea, so getting to sleep wasn't a problem for me. India told me Taylor was roller skating, but I didn't hear it, so she must not have been making too much noise or Jason would have heard because he is a much lighter sleeper than me. The girls all said they went to bed around 6, I don't know about that. I got up around 4 to let the dogs out and though all the lights were on, the TV was silent and it looked like everyone was asleep when I walked into the kitchen.

I was pretty proud of all the kids for being so great. Sometimes it can be trying when there are so many in one place for such a long time, but it seemed like when an issue came up, they dealt with it maturely and honestly, something most adults are not able to do. I really love all the kids that came over and am continually grateful for my children to have such wise other children in their lives and I am also thankful that their moms are all so great. I love knowing and being involved with my children's friends families. Somehow, it feels like it is supposed to feel. I feel in touch with their lives and I appreciate knowing who they are spending their time with and knowing what their friends lives are also like. Life is good and I am now the mother of a 10 year old. 2 digits. Crazy. Who would have ever thought it? Certainly not me... and she only gets cooler!

Meme is RETIRED!!!!!

As of Friday August 29, 2008 at 5:00 pm my mother is RETIRED!!!! I'm so proud of her. She has worked hard and deserves to finally have some time to herself. She worked full time and was an amazing mother to me in spite of me being plenty difficult in my teenage years. She took care of everyone she worked with, she prayed for them when things were going on in their lives that needed prayer, she called them when they were home sick to check on them, she laughed when funny things happened to them, she made sure they all got their time cards in on time so they got paid, she seldom got upset with anyone she worked with and if she did, they deserved it. She doesn't get mad and stay mad - ever... something we could all learn from right?! Anyhow, I don't remember exactly how many years she gave the University. She worked for them before I was born and then took a few years off to tend to me, then went back to work under a different department where she has faithfully served and worked hard and now she is RETIRED!!! What does that mean for us? It means I get to spend time with my mom again! I can't wait! It means when I am having an off day if she isn't off with her sister who I hear has big plans for the two of them, then she can help up out. We've already made plans for the kids to stay with her on Wednesday nights so she can take them to a class on Thursdays that I haven't been able to have them in because of my work schedule. (I'm already taking full advantage of her). I'm mostly excited for her and the freedom to do things she wants to do and the time she will have to do them. Maybe she'll start making her own clothes again, or find some new interesting hobby. Maybe she and my aunt will venture off to places unknown without their faithful chaperon, my cousins wife, Crystal. Who knows, I'm just excited that she doesn't have to go to work anymore - a day she has patiently been waiting for for a very long time!

Here are pictures from her retirement party. My Aunt Janice drove in from Carrolton with my cousin Scott and his wife Hannah, and my cousin Teresa and her husband Roger came from Blue Ridge, and my cousin Jay and his wife Crystal came from Elberton to celebrate with her and what a treat to have family here, it happens so seldom and it meant the world to my mom and it was nice to visit with them in my home town! She had tons of people come to her party because so many people know what a loss it is going to be for the many departments she served and they did appreciate her in so many ways.

My mom, so very happy of this HUGE step in her life!

Her very large cake.Some of the folks that were there and the beautiful room we were in at the Student Learning Center on campus.My mom and her former (as of Friday) boss Mike as he was telling everyone how much they were going to miss her. My mom and her first boss from that department Doug Matthews (he was always my favorite of all the directors she worked for) I'm really glad she started on such a good note and ended with such a good director. She was lucky to work for these men - they appreciated her the way a boss should.My mom very happy to see my cousin Scott and his wife Hannah sort of hidden behind my cousin Teresa. (They drove 2 1/2 hours to get here)

My mothers partner in crime her sister Janice. If you look closely you can see the resemblance of these two. They talk the same and they could pass for twins very easily except my Aunt Janice is a little older than my mom - which she never lets her forget.

Congratulations mom! I love you!