Bomb Threat at LHS

We got a call today about 1130 from MaryAnn asking us if we heard about the bomb threat at the school. Of course we hadnt...so I called the Elementary school and they told me that the threat was at the high school....and that if we want to pick up our children we could...and it wouldnt count against them...well hello....of course Keith was already on his way. Why werent we called sooner? The threat was earlier in the morning...and alot of us were just finding out about it....to me that isnt right? Just because it was at the high school didnt give the other schools the authority to decide that my child was safe especially since the high school isnt even a football field length away from the elementary school. Anyway....most of all the children were leaving...there were officers there directing traffic and blocking roads and such. Now what do we do...? Are they going to resume school tomorrow? Are they giving updates on who or what exactly happened? probably not! Well at least my children are safe at home!!

On another note....we will be ordering our house this week. I just need to finalize all the colors. I want to see all my options on the counter tops....and I would like darker carpet....but other than that the colors of the demo house are what I am going with. We paid our down payment and it will take about 3 weeks to get it built and shipped to the dealer....so probably 4 weeks before it will be here on the property!! I CANT WAIT!!

Here is last weeks picture of the week.....other than the ones of the house.....LOL

...and Thats My Final ...Choice...LOL

OK here it is my new house...well not actually.....but close enough...this is only the demo. But the rooms....and layout are the same. We go Saturday to pick out colors and make sure we have added everything they way we want it!!

Narrowed the Search

Ok well I think I have picked out my house!! I really could get wrapped up in all the details...and what this one has...or that one...but finally I have chosen one! The house is a 16x80...3 bedrooms 2 bathrooms. I went for practicality and room space.....for the kids. I decided to hold off on the double wide...or modular homes due to the fact that Keith and I do not own this land....and having to move a home like that is so costly....which we plan to do once we purchase some land. We should be ordering our new home on Monday....and the manufacturing time is about 1 week...give or take! These are pictures of the living and kitchen. If I choose this one I will have the red on the kitchen walls....and dark cabinets....with black appliances.

Just another Thursday!

Just sitting here thinking about lots of things....which bills are due, which house I want, the laundry that needs to be done....LOL....but not really dwelling on anyone of those things.....!! Instead I am reading blogs, scrapbooking message boards....ect....trying to relax.

We are heading to Gonzales tomorrow to look at a particular house....really think this is the one...I am SERIOUS this time....LOL!! I am just a visual person...so before I buy it from the dealer in Hammond...I need to see it for myself....KWIM?

Everyone is doing good....Coby has a bilateral ear infection....but he seems to be doing well with it....he went to the doctor and is on antibiotics....so he should be over it soon. All he talks about is his squarrel hunt and how he wants to go back to the woods to get another...LOL

Kase is....well KASE....hard headed and VERY independent....but that makes me love him all the more!! For those who dont know this....I wanted to name Kase...CONWAY after Conway Twitty....but of course Keith wouldnt hear of it. Well I got my Conway anyway....because Kase sings his songs ALL the time....even Coby sings them. I love it.....!!! :) Now if I could just get him to wake up in the mornings without being so GRUMPY!!!

Kaitlyn is good....she brought home straight A's on her report card....I am so proud of her!! She loves to have PRAISE in everything she does.....which is great...because it really is her driving force!! She tries to help out so much....which is wonderful....but still has to be reminded that she isnt the boss of Kase or Coby......(I see that being a BIG prob in the future)!!

Well guess I am going to end....we are without water right now so I need to figure out what to do about getting the kids some clothes to wear for tomorrow!! I will be posting my pic of the week on Saturday....so until then...................

ETA: Emily turned 15 today....its so hard to believe that girls are in high school and are maturing so fast. I wish her well in life....but hope that she realizes you get out of life...what you put into it and the choices we make today will affect our future......that is a promise!!

Coby's First Squarrel Hunt

Well today was a lazy day...Kase and Kaitlyn went to church....and Coby stayed home with Keith and I. Keith decided to take him to squarrel hunt. I was in shock when my little baby came busting through the door holding a squarrel like it was an olympic gold medal. He was so proud. I grabbed the camera to capture this moment.... I laughed so hard because he had the goofiest grin on his face.....oh my baby is growing up!!!

Pic of the Week

OK...so I have given this much thought...and I am going to do Project 365. For those who arent in the scrapbook world....Project 365 is about scrapbooking my life for a full year....either everyday, every week....or on a monthly basis. I usually have something for each month.....but its a holiday or activity...and Project 365 is about my LIFE....so it will be from a different angle. I will be recording this on my scrapbook blog....but decided to post a weekly picture here too!! I am posting pics for the last 2 weeks so we will be up to date!!

(Click here to see my scrapbook blog: http://www.southernmadememories.blogspot.com/ )

Pic of the week for Jan 4th-10th

This is the kids with the Christmas gifts mom sent them. It was like Christmas again...they said...LOL

Pic of the week for Jan 11th-18th

This is the kitchen in one of the houses I looked at this week!! I LOVE THIS KITCHEN!!!

Already the middle of Janurary

The last week in December went by so slow....now someone hit the fast forward button....because the last 15 days have just flown by. Why is it....that as a child, life goes by so slow...the weeks drag on....but as an adult....they just fly by? (Have I already asked that?....I really am getting older) This week was full of looking at houses!! I have looked at so many that I can't even remember them all. Who really cares the difference between 'crown' molding or just flat molding? Plush carpet or low grade? 15ft or 17ft refridgerator??? OMG....I really am begining to HATE this. To me.....molding is molding.....carpet is carpet, and as long as my food stays cold....I really could care less about the size of the refridgerator!! Oh and lets not forget.....tan,toupe,beige or mocha.....ITS ALL BROWN!!! Can you tell....I do not have the patience for this!!

Another 3 day weekend is upon us. The kids are out of school Monday for Martin Luther King day. I am on my 2nd of 5 days off in a roll......dont ask...its just how the schedule fell. Well I guess I am going to get off and be productive....and get some cleaning done!!

One of Life's Lessons

Well....I went to Texas on Friday to pick up Chelsea. Her dad had kicked her out on Tuesday and had not contacted my dad in regards to her since. I withdrew her from school, she seemed OK with the whole situation, and we were headed back to my dad's when Tracey showed up wanting to 'say bye'. I didn't want to let her talk to him....since he had had 3 days to make this right...and I feel the only reason he did finally contact her was because he found out from the school that she was being withdrawn. Its really sad that she is naive to even want to go back to stay with him. But she did!! Both of them acted as though me driving all that way and he having not spoke to her in almost 4 days and telling her to leave .....was nothing....they just picked back up where they left off.

Chelsea has hurt me for the last time. I hope that she doesn't need me or her papa again...... because she burnt bridges this time. Help is no longer there!!

I have always felt that is was a mother's job to stand by her children, and help them become mature young adults. I have made many sacrifices for Chelsea, I have been more of a mother than most woman my age ever thought about being.....and it was all for NOTHING!!

I watched my 14 year look at me as though I was disposable and she had no regard as too how bad it hurt me for her to go back with her father.....whom had kicked her out more than once! It took me several months to understand why she left last year....not because I was a bad mother....but because it was a choice....she wanted to live with her dad. But after a year of nothing but misery.....and being unhappy living with him.....I thought for sure things would be different from her......but the child that I saw Friday was not the little girl I raised!! I don't know who she was....because MY daughter would have cared.

Life is all about lessons.....some aren't as easy as others. I never thought that one of my lessons would be this!! ........ I do learn from my lessons........

New Year's Resolutions

Well I have given these much thought and have decided to put out a few resolutions this year!!

1. To blog at least 3 times a week!!
2. Stay current on all scrapping for this year...so I can work on past years!
3. Have a family night at least 1 night a week!!
4. Go to church more regular
5. Find patience....no matter the situation
6. Walk at least 3 times a week
7. Eat healthier
8. Visit my family in Texas more


Thats all I have so far....those seem easy when in print....just taking the time to make sure they are done is going to be the hard part!! But with this new year its time to proceed forward with change!!!

~Happy New Year~

Ok...so technically I am a little early....but since I will be working when the clock strikes 12....I thought I would wish it now!! Wow....this year is GONE....and now we face 2009!! Who would have thought? I can still remember 1999....a whole 10 years ago.....lets see that was the year I met Cory, Dad had his heart surgery, and the whole world thought that the new millenium was going to crash all the computers in the world....LOL!

Now for this last week of 2008...what are my thoughts, wishes....well first and foremost...I wish the years would slow down!! They go by so fast!! Lets see 10 things I am excited about for this last week of 2008:

1. Starting a new church....becoming closer to GOD and letting him guide my life, my marriage, and my parenting!!!
3. Holiday pay :)
4. Looking forward to the weekend to spend time with Amy
5. Getting organized
6. Decluttering my house
7. My 32nd birthday....wow didnt think I would be EXCITED about that :)
8. My baby turning 15..she was once a duckling and now a beautiful swan
9. Spending time with the kids while school is out
10. ....lol school starting back next week ....because of above :)~

Ok so there is my list.....of course I am sure I could find lots more to be excited about but these are on top.

...see ya next year.....LOL

Merry Christmas

We had a great day. The kids woke up bright and early on Christmas morning...eager to open up what Santa had brought them. Kaitlyn got barbie dolls, barbie clothes, barbie furniture, along with a cabbage patch, doll clothes, and a gameboy with games;Kase got a nerf gun, transformers, power rangers, legos, magnetix, and a gameboy with games;Coby got little people play sets, transformers, monster trucks, hot wheel cars, a mack truck to haul his hot wheels, and a laptop...which I have to take back because he wants a gameboy.....go figure!! LOL Of course they received lots more from the family....!

We all had a great time and were exhausted by the end of the day....:)!!

Winter Wonderland

I wouldnt have believed it....if I hadnt seen it with my own eyes....but we had 8 inches of snow fall on December 10th. What a wonderful experience to see.....even if it was short lived!! All snow was gone by Sunday the 14th because the temperature was in the 60's. It was beautiful to drive down the road and see all the pastures covered in snow.....really breath taking. The kids had a blast throwing snowballs, making snow angels, and a snowman. I actually got out there myself and played....cause you never know when we might see it again!! I think Keith was more into building the snowman at first than the kids. LOL I hope the kids remember this always.....that their first snow day was at home in South Louisiana.

Homemade Christmas

The kids wanted to make a paper chain for the Christmas tree....so I just let them make all the ornaments. They really enjoyed glueing, glittering....and making 'crafts' as they say. We added colored lights and all the homemade decorations to the tree. Everyday we light the tree and enjoy our colorful Christmas!!!!

My Favorite Picture

I took this picture when we were about to leave Texas. Have you ever taken a picture....no prep at all....and just looove the results? Thats exactly what I did here....and I LOVE IT!! I do believe this is my all time favorite picture!!!

Our 7th Anniversary

Keith and I celebrated our 7th anniversary on December 1st. Where has 7 years went to? I remember as a child that the years seemed to drag by so slow....and now......the years go by so fast! Life has changed over the past 7 years. We have 3 more kids...which brings lots of laundry,toys and fighting. We have outgrown our house which was once so empty. We both have careers we enjoy....me a nurse and Keith a welding supervisor. But the best part is we have more love for life, our children, our families, our marriage and most of all GOD.

******My wish is for the next 7 years to bring us the knowledge we need to strengthen our marriage and family.******

Our Texas Trip

We returned from Texas the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. It is sooo nice to visit friends and family....but even better to sleep in your own bed...LOL! The kids were great on the 7 hour drive....I guess they have finally gotten used to it.

We had Thanksgiving dinner Sunday the 22nd at Dad's house. Being with family is wonderful......I am thankful for being able to spend this time with them.

I took pictures of the kids together for our yearly Christmas card. It took a few shots to get one where everyone was looking....but we finally got it!!






It was sad when we had to leave......the kids didnt want to leave Chelsea....I know they miss her and wish she was close! Maybe someday the distance will shorten...and they will get to see her more!!!

I Love This Time of Year

The holidays are among us......cold weather,hot coco, and lots of food....and lets not forget the Christmas lights. I love everything about this time of year. I have already started buying some christmas decorations to add to my collection. I had wanted to decorate before I left for my trip to Texas.....but time got away from me......so it shall wait till I return.

I am leaving for Texas on Friday with the kids. We are all so excited to get to see everyone....it has almost been a year since we were last there!! We are going to have a Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday with the family.....since we have to return before Thanksgiving day....but nonetheless it will be meaningful because of family and friends!!

I have been a little sick these past few days....so I hope that is gone for this trip.....and I hope the kids dont come down with anything either while we are gone. The weather doesnt know what it wants to do....its cold then hot....

I plan on taking lots and lots of pictures.....and I will post once I return!!

Maxwell...you will be missed

I was at work last night and Keith texted me to tell me that Max was hit by a car. He is gone! He has been part of our family for over 7 years. He will sadly be missed. I am truly a believer in everything happens for a reason....but it doesnt help the heart when it aches.

On another note....everyone is doing great! I got to see my schedule for the upcoming holidays and I get to be off from Thursday the 20th thru Thanksgiving!! I cant wait...because I will be going to Texas to see everyone.....which I havent seen since Janurary. I did see Dad in May...when he came for my graduation....but not anyone else. I will be returning on Thanksgiving....and will be able to attend the crazy sales on the Friday after Thanksgiving! It was easier to get off for Thanksgiving...when the kids were off....then at Christmas since there are two holidays within a week of each other.

Thats all for now....gotta get ready for next week.....kids in school & me with work......

Halloween Night

The kids had a blast trick or treating....and they ended up with waayyy too much candy...as usual!! Its so hard to believe it is November already....the weather is getting cooler....and all the stores are playing Christmas music. I think I might start decorating for Christmas......it IS my favorite time of year!!

Loranger Youth Cheering

Kaitlyn really enjoyed cheering this season. She didnt get to cheer as much as I would have liked because of schedule conflicts and the whole program being really unorganized.....but none the less she had fun. She still goes around the house cheering....LOL She now says she wants to joing dance....oh and the Girl Scouts....oh when will it end.....!!!