a strange tradition (A post about Homecoming way back in October...a little late)

Homecoming Mums...What's in a mum?...well, you start with a large white silk flower, add long(like 3+foot long) wide ribbons...the more ribbons, the better. Staple the ribbons onto a piece of white cardboard paper that serves as the back of the flower...then attach a bunch of trinkets (bells & whistles(seriously), miniature musical instruments, footballs, soccer balls, musical notes, mini cowgirl hats, etc) to ribbons and staple them on as well. The idea is to personalize the mum for the person to whom you are giving it...These things can cost hundreds of dollars (ridiculous I know...there are starving people in the world) Each grade level at the high school has a traditional color...seniors-white, juniors-navy/silver, etc. The girls wear the mums on ribbons around their necks and the boys wear similarly decorated, yet much smaller garters around their arms. Strangest tradition ever...The mums are only worn to school and not to the actual dance...here are a couple of not so good pictures of what I am talking about.

Mandy and Jana Tryon:)... Jana knows how to make mums...she's done several. She's a good mom...me, not so much:(

I LOVE them...

Ashley and Olivia:)

An early morning view

It's not a great picture...I find it diffcult to drive and take a quality photo at the same time...anyway, this is the scene near our home when I am coming home from the gym in the mornings. I think it is so beautiful. We have water towers all over Texas. I need to get a shot of some in the daylight. Every town has them and they have the town's name written on the side...totally Texas.

We love the missionaries!

We don't have them over near enough, but we love to have the full-time missionaries in our home. It is usually a circus around the dinner table. Grant is hard to harness and generally keeps them laughing. Thanks Elder Hong and Elder Seager for being good sports and for being willing to play on the Lord's team! We love you! (As a side note: Grant wears his Sunday clothes all day on Sundays...even when we meet at 9am! I call him "Bishop"...funny kid!)

Smudgie

This post is for the kids...they adore Smudge. Bill and I like her...she represents work to us...and enjoyment for the kids...she is a great dog though, except for the rare times when she pees on the floor or when she rubs hers dirty body on the furniture leaving a residue...or clicks her nails on the wood floors at 5am...or whines constantly when there is a thunder and lightening storm...we really don't like it when she eats bunnies in the backyard or does the unthinkable (eats her own poop!) Yuck! She is getting old...12, I think. She seems to be doing well, other than going deaf...or is she just playing us? Who knows. We do all love her and are glad she's part of the family...Christine thinks we should have her in our next family picture...I am pretty sure Bill will say "heck no!":)(for any Vera Bradley fans out there...you might recognize her bandana...it's a napkin cut in half in "Totally Turq". Even Smudgie scored from the 6 weeks I worked there:)

Service

A couple of weekends ago Grant, Bill and I participated in the Allen Stake's "Day of Service" which commemorated the Church's 100 year anniversary of the welfare program. We were assigned to help a widow in a town about an hour north of here in Bonham. (Garrett was at play practice all day and Christine was volunteering at a local nature preserve for a college class.) We spent a few hours moving sheet metal and rotted wood beams...hard, dirty work. I was so stiff the next day! It was great to sweat and work all in the name of service...even Grant enjoyed the day...but he won't admit it...the Sonic lunch afterwards helped ease his discomfort:)

An industrious streak

On Saturday I transformed a bucket of raspberry puree into a few bottles of jelly...such a feeling of accomplishment seeing all of these jars!

Top 10 Worries...

As I get older, I am finding that my worry list is growing. I have determined that the bigger my kids get, the bigger the worries. Here is a list of things on my mind lately, and in no apparent order.

1. That William will find a "suitable" mate...someone who loves and cherishes him like he deserves:)

2. That Christine will be able to study in college the thing that will bring her the greatest amount of joy...(she has LOTS of passions...hard to narrow things down.)

3. That Garrett will get to and from all of his many activities safely...driving that big truck!

4. That Grant will not stress too much about his classes...really?...he is only 13...plenty of time for stressing later in life:)

5. That Bill can make enough money so that we can retire in a few years...I really want to serve a Church mission with him:)

6. That I can find something to fill my days with that will bring me joy and fulfillment...too much time on my hands these days.

7. That I have taught, or am teaching my kids all that they need to know to survive successfully in life.

8. That I have shared my testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ enough to my children so they have no doubt what I believe...

9. That I don't make a fool of myself in front of my gospel doctrine class...I am SO not the smartest person in the room...not even close.

10. That I am living a life that my mom would be proud of.