What’s Been Happening…

For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been meaning to blog about some more meaningless things, but I just simply have been exhausted.

So, without further adieu….

A couple of weekends ago, I had the wild urge to go stay at my parents’ farm and stay the night in their cabin. My dad has worked so hard on this place, and I would have never imagined it would look as great as it does now. It has come A LONG WAY!

 

I baked some yummy treats for our grade-level meeting!

Cleaned out my filthy fridge {it was long overdue}. It made me feel surprisingly refreshed about doing it, too!

 

My niece {aka Sis} came over one day last week and just adored my new fall decorations. She can always make you feel better about things like that. She noticed it all right off.

Tricks are always a part of any visit…

Then, she tried her best to make Uncle Colby proud by taking to his dove decoys…

So, that’s about it….you’re all up to date! Hope you’re all having a great week!

I’m not going to lie. I’m SO READY for the weekend! I need rest and complete silence =)

Continue to keep my friend, Brittany, in your prayers! If you missed it, you will understand here.

Mourning

I’ve been absent from blogging this week, for good reason though. The fear of a wife came true as one of Colby’s fellow firefighters lost his life on Wednesday.

Any death is tragic, but this one is particularly sad. Our friend Luther got married basically a month after Colby and myself. The two had a beautiful house built and were beginning their lives just like Colby and I until this tragic news came upon us.

Words cannot describe this loss of such a great man and the pain that his wife and family are going through. I simply cannot imagine being in her position.

Luther was a terrific man. He was looked up to by many, even at the young age of 34. His intelligence was amazing because it seemed Luther knew so much about everything….and he did. He was an amazing firefighter, and each and every person at the fire department liked Luther. If you had ever met him, you would like him. A true country boy. Kind. Gentle. Caring. Yet, he was strong and came through during tough times.

We all loved Luther, and we certainly love Brittany, his wife. Whether you know her or not, please pray for her to have the strength to take life day by day. Pray that she does not lose faith in God and recognizes that Luther is in a place we all hope to be one day. She needs more prayers sent up for her now than she will in her entire life.

As a firefighter’s wife, I can tell you that we love each and every one of those men that work at that station. We’re a family, and the firefighters are brothers. They unite when the going gets tough. I can tell you now that the experience that I had tried to prepare myself for today could not be prepared for.

This career impacts our husbands’ lives, but it also impacts our lives and our children’s lives. We love these men so deeply, and we pray each time they go to work that they will be kept safe while in the line of duty.

While my life has not been turned upside down as Brittany’s seems to have been, I ache for her inside. She was presented today with a flag and Luther’s helmet by his very best friend and my best friend.

The last page went off, which can tear any human person to pieces. It is the hardest thing you will ever hear as a wife of a firefighter. The bag pipes. The last page. The fly-over by Life Flight. It’s a memory that is stamped in your mind forever, and you pray you never have to go through it.

Again, I ask you to pray for Brittany. I ask that you pray for his family, and I ask that you pray for his brothers of the fire department. They are going to need it. Even today after all they have been through, they are back in the line of duty and going on calls.

Say thank you to someone you know who is a firefighter. Say thank you to their family for sacrificing all that they do. Just say thank you.

Number 89- Check!

Box Tops for Education

At our school we participate in the Box Tops for Education program. While it is such a simple and easy thing to do, so many people either have no idea about the program, OR  they just toss them in the garbage.

My goal was to take an extra 30 seconds to cut out a box top before throwing it in the trash. It is really not a hassle, and as a teacher I realize the importance of taking on such a simple task.

I’ve made it fun for the kids in my class by sending home the Halloween collection sheets. There are all kinds to print out, so that parents will get involved.

I have officially collected over 50 box tops, which is over $5 for the school. That doesn’t sound like much, but it could buy a ream of paper.

Paper is like gold. It’s a precious material in our school, more particularly in kindergarten.

So this is ME encouraging YOU to take 30 seconds and cut it out. Put it in a baggie or print out a sheet for yourself. Give them to a student whose school participates in the program.

Click this link to go to the website and find your school!

Click this link to print collection sheets!

Getting My Fall On

As you’ve been reading, I’ve been searching for easy, but classic fall decorations that don’t cost a fortune. After this weekend, I finally accomplished my goal.

The front flower bed will be having a facelift this week as it is my husband’s mission this week to dig up what is there and replace it with some bushes that make more sense.

It will fill it out much better. Those stones that are keeping the flower bed in are about to go, too. The planters are changing to pansies.

Does anyone recognize the runner? You might recall it being the runner that went under my wedding cake.

I also am about to start on my tablescape with a bit of this stuff.

I can’t wait to share the progress photos that are going to start taking place around our house. I’m S-O excited I can’t hardly stand it.

Hope you all have a wonderful week!

Loving This House

Okay, raise your hand if you’re shocked at the amount of posts I have had this week. I’ve broken the rut I have been in.

I’ve went from posting once a week {maybe} to a few posts this week. Progress, people, progress.

So, I have stumbled upon this….

This is from Southern Living. You can click the picture to find out more about the house. This house has an unbelievable before photo there.

On to my purpose of writing….my house doesn’t look anything like that. It doesn’t have the amazingly beautiful front porch like that nor is it close to that size, BUT I‘m loving the mum and pumpkin combination that is A VERY SIMPLE SOLUTION to my lack of fall decor.

I must admit that I love mums, but I’m not very good at keeping them alive. However, they will be a perfect addition to my front porch with a mixture of various sized pumpkins.

I might even add a few fall pillows to my swing and rocking chairs. 

Does anyone know if that sidewalk is fairly simple for a DIY person, or should it be left to a more experienced person?

Slowly but Surely

I am slowly but surely adding some fall decor to our house. I just added this to our coffee table. Tasteful and classy. Not tacky.

Plus, I figured I could re-use the basket in the future. I actually got the decor from Wal-Mart. I seriously did not want to go that route, but I just couldn’t resist. It is like I just get sucked in every. single. time.

I must admit that I am pleased though.

Did you get your Southern Living magazine and pour yourself over for a good hour like me? Or am I the only one?

I enjoyed my afternoon by sitting outside in our rocking chair and reading it. I anticipate that magazine every month. It is everything I am about.

Anyway…I’m getting off track. Did you see the tablescape in there?

Don’t you just love the simplicity and unexpectedness of it? So do-able in my mind…

Now if I achieve this is yet to be determined, but I am certainly going to try to find some time.

P.S. Tomorrow is Friday! Do your happy dance =)

Having Some Fall Fun…

I’ve been in the fall spirit today. I love getting a new magazine in the mail, especially one that has lovely autumn colors on it and is filled with Thanksgiving ideas.

I can taste that food in my mouth right now. It is delectable. If I really in the mood this weekend, I might venture out to even make a pumpkin roll. I’m not even sure if I like pumpkin rolls, but I do love cream cheese. I’ll return with my vote soon.

This afternoon I brought my niece home with me after she insisted that she go to “B’s house.” I caved and let her come. I mean, how much longer will she want to spend some quality time with her Aunt B????

Let’s hope it is later than sooner! I love that girl!

She loves the outside more than anything, so we ventured out into the yard.

We listened to the band practice, practice, and practice at the high school.

We searched for these little jewels.

And added them to our zip-loc bag, so Aunt B can make some fall decorations with them.

We discovered these beautiful flowers. Does anyone know what they are called? They are in the worst place possible in my yard, so I think they need to be moved, but I loved being surprised by their presence.

I now have this scent going in my house, and it is absolutely decadent.

What are you loving about fall? Right now, I’m enjoying every  little bit.

Happy Fall, Ya’ll!

A Birthday and a Parade

Over the past week, my dad turned the big 5-0! Bless his heart, he even had to work on his birthday.

Knowing he wouldn’t want to celebrate his birthday with friends knowingly, my mom took it upon herself to plan a surprise birthday party for him. It was just a small get-together with his hunting buddies and their wives, and of course our immediate family.

My mom baked a cake and cooked a tasty pot of chili {I’ll post this recipe for your taste buds on a later day.}

Lot of serious talk went on that night. You know….deer, turkeys, dove…who kills the biggest buck, etc., etc., etc.

And of course the birthday boy kept us all entertained with his usual antics…

Now changing topics!

Friday was W.S. Neal’s homecoming, so of course that means a 1/2 day of school and a parade. It has it perks, but it also has its down side.

Perks:

1/2 day of school

Parade and Candy

Seeing friends that you usually don’t see

The Down-Side:

Students go nuts!!!

Traffic is terrible

Oh and did I mention that students go nuts!!!

After the crazy day we had at school of rushing around, I ventured away from the school just in time to see the parade. I met my sister and niece, Aly, with about 20 minutes to spare.

Camera time it was =)

It is your typical small town, southern high school homecoming. Class floats, homecoming queen and accompanying maids, band, and the whole nine works.

That was me at one time…oh the memories =)

It’s tradition that the queen wear a beautiful white gown, while the maids wear royal blue gowns.

This is the float I thought should have won =)

It was my mom’s 30th reunion, which was great until Aly saw her Nana. That caused this reaction.

We ended the parade on a better note than this, I promise. Sorry for such a long post….That’s just how it kind of happened.

Here’s a preview into what I’m working on now…

Do Not Disturb

That’s the sign I wish I could put on my bedroom door for the next week. Simply put, I AM EXHAUSTED!

I need sleep. I know what you’re thinking….so do I! Kindergarten is wearing me out. I love my job, and I love my kids, but I’m getting worn out.

The good news is that school lets out early on Friday to celebrate homecoming. Will I go? I’m not sure yet. It really depends on how tired I am then.

What bothers me more about being tired is that I have a million and one things to do. The house is not meeting my expectations. I have more stuff to print out for school, yet I can hardly move my behind off the couch. This is not good for a Type A personality.

Pray that I make it through the rest of the week.

Getting in the Spirit of Fall!

As I was looking for some inspiration for fall decor, I stumbled upon a blog that had just what I was looking for. What do you know? I rhymed and didn’t even mean to.

I found this wreath that you could supposedly make for $10 and immediately thought there was no way unless it looked completely tacky and cheap.

Let me just say now that I was wrong, and I even made the wreath for $8.

 

So, what do you think?

I was going to take a photo of it with my entire porch, but I’m not quite ready with my other fall decor. Maybe after my shopping spree tomorrow…

Here’s how to make it!

What You Need:

3 pics of leaves from the Dollar Tree

1 garland from Wal-Mart that has pumpkins, gourds, acorns, or berries

1 grapevine wreath

Glue Gun and Hot Sticks

How to Make It:

1. Cut the leaves off of the pics.
2. Separate them by color.

1. Cut everything off the garland and give it its own pile.
2. Glue one set of colors at a time around the wreath while spacing them evenly.
3. After you have done all of the leaves from the pics, begin to use the leaves to fill in all of the extra spaces with the leaves from the garland.
4. Attach the pumpkins, gourds , berries, or acorns.

Hang up that gorgeous wreath and enjoy!

I’m loving mine!