The new guy

We've added a new member to the family. Meet Leo.

Here's Leo with the kids and Em.

Our friend Morgan found him as a stray at UGA. When she first found him she said you could count his ribs. She took care of him for awhile and got him healthy and in a routine. Since she is a college student living in a condo, she wanted to find Leo a new home. I know she misses him, he is such a sweetie.

We just love him, and even Em, our  10 year old shih tzu tolerates a new doggie brother.

Leo seems to be adjusting well to his new family...and he is happy being a lap dog. 

The kids and Karl have been wanting a BIG dog for a long time. I even saw my hubby, kiss Leo on the head. He has never kissed any of our other dogs on the head before.

Leo is much loved and we're glad he has found his way into our heart and home.

It's a Great Day at Chick-fil-A

It's a great day at Chick-fil-A....my family could truly eat there everyday. The Tim Hawkins' song about Chick fil a, we so relate to, because we just love it. Always have. My boy, Shek has always, always told us that he wanted to meet S. Truett Cathy. This year, when he realized that his Konos class would be studying him and reading his book, he couldn't wait to get started.

 AND at the end of the unit his class had a scheduled back stage tour to Chick fil a headquarters. I had been before with Karlie, but he was too young to go back then so this was his first trip there. It is such a beautiful place,and the tour is super nice.

First things first, you get your photo made with the Cathys, thanks to a green screen, and they have the photo ready for you take home at the end of the tour. Here we are with our good friends. We carpool with them each week. Their sisters missed out on this awesome field trip.

Shek and some of his school friends...

Sitting at the counter of the replica of the very first Dwarf Grill.

Learning about Win Shape (Shaping Winners)

Sitting in the Truett Cathy's office.

Ordering from the original menu would be awesome. Loved those prices. And we learned that Mr. Cathy signed the original menus and gave them to his very first and loyal customers, the ones that have been with him since the beginning. Those customers can order from the signed menus and pay the original prices until their death. Now that's pretty cool.

Mr. Cathy owns a lot of classic cars...even the batmobile.

At the end of the tour, we all met back with the entire class, and everyone was given their photos with the Cathys, a Chick fil a cow, a be our guest card for a free chicken sandwich, a chocolate chip cookie and a ruler with the Golden rule on it. Mr Cathy believes that if everyone lived by the golden rule, we would not have any enemies, and we'd have more friends than we could count. Shouldn't we all live by those words of Jesus?

It was a great day at Chick-fil-a...if you ever have the chance call and schedule a tour of the headquarters. 

Music in my Soul

There's Music in my soul....and I've just gotta get it out.

Sometimes...the way I get that music out, is in the car singing with the radio. Sometimes, I try to pause the expression of the joy in my soul at the redlight, but more times than not, I just carry on. You should try it too.

Sing, it's good for the soul.

When I was a very little girl, and we'd find ourselves at family gatherings at my Great Grands home, there would be singing with everyone around the piano, singing in 4 part harmony. Awesome memories were those. There's a lot of music in my roots. 

This past Christmas, when Zach wanted us to sing around the piano, it brought those sweet memories back. My Great-Papa Creel was a bi-vocational music minister. He died when I was nine so, I don't have a lot of the family musical memories like the generation ahead of me had, but I do remember.

He wrote a few hymns, and they were published. He learned to read music from the shaped notes (do-re-me). He was particular about music and often said, "If you can't do it right, leave it off."

Oh how I wish everyone would take that piece of advice.

Joyful noises are fine and good, but I think joyful noises should be more of a private thing and not necessarily displayed in a solo type thing...

An old family photo. My musician Papa Creel stands in the back.

Papa also liked his music a little on the jivey side. ME too, I love music with a good beat. BUT I am also partial to music that has a good message. The lyrics, they need to be special.
Sometimes, today's music gets one little line and it's gets sung over and over. Give me something with meaning.

The very first hymn I learned was Leaning on the Everlasting Arms, and my grandmother, Honey taught it to me.

Call me old fashioned, but I do love a hymn. It's nice to just pluck out a melody out of the hymn book and sing to the top of your lungs. 

There's music in my soul, it's part of my roots....and sometimes it's just got to come out. I love reading music. I miss it when we don't use the hymnals at church anymore. I love to see the music on the page, and see which note is next. There's just something about the language of music on the written page. 

But whether reading the music on the page or singing with the radio, my family and I just have to get it out, we have to have music. So if you see us at the redlight having our own private concert...you will know what we're doing.

We are getting that music out...it runs deep in our soul.

Woodworking with Pop

Shek has a project that he needed to complete for his school's market day. His idea required a little woodworking. So, that was a project that required a day at Gam and Pop's. Today, after they completed their morning jog at their church's walk track, they dropped by and picked him up. He spent the day making wood creations to sale at his school's market day. I picked him up late in the afternoon today, we snapped a few photos.

Pop and Shek in Pop's Shop.

Jolie wanted in on the photo taking.

These are the bowls that pop makes. They are everywhere in the house. Gam and Pop let us pick out a couple to bring home. These are truly art pieces. Shek's project for the day, is a secret. So no post of it until after the market day.

Gam and Karlie pose for a photo after Karlie "shops" for her wooden bowl.

Jolie said take my picture with my coloring book that Gam gave me.

Shek had a fun day at woodworking class at the grands home. He can't wait till the next class.

A DAY of adventures

Yesterday was a busy day or maybe it was just an adventure.

Karl decided to take the kiddos to school for me so that I could spend a few extra minutes with Z and E before they headed back to college. BUT the truck decided to stop on the way to school...I had to go to meet him on the side of the road, to get the kids and get them to school. So Z and E ended up babysitting Jolie while I made a mad dash to grab the kids. (The kids were about 15 mins from school, but I was about 40 mins away from them. They were 30 mins. late. The girls were worried about being late the boys thought it was an adventure.


 I came back to sit with Karl and wait for the tow truck. The tow truck driver was lost. We were praying it was not the transmission, and for a cheap fix. When the tow truck arrived, so did a girl out of no where wanting a ride, and to hide behind our truck that was about to be loaded on the truck. She wanted me to take her to her brother's house, she didn't know the address for that. He texted it to her. I was afraid she was up to no good. AND I didn't know what she might have in that purse. So we told her we were sorry we could not help her, after all we were having car trouble and had to go with the tow truck. Yesterday, was adventurous.

 Praise the Lord, it was  a busted hose, and Praise the Lord, Karl was the one the truck died with. He knows how to handle situations like that better than me. We thanked the Lord for the favor, and we know that delays are sometimes just what we need.

That was the first time I've watched that big red titan ride off on a tow truck. I've seen all the others ride away on a tow truck but not the titan. The titan has had it's bumps over it's 160k lifetime but never has it left us on the side of the road. It's been hit at a red light by a run away trailer, it's had a door almost ripped off at a oil change, but it's never left us on the road....but I guess that's ok for it to do it once in all these years and  miles....moral of the story. Get a Nissan.

Later that day...

 Zach and Emily left for college....and we headed to the doctor for Jolie's 4 year checkup...

Jolie turned 4 back in the summer, but I forgot to schedule the checkup. We finally got around to it yesterday. Jolie wanted everyone to go and hold her hand. She especially wanted Daddy to go. He rarely gets to go to her doctor appointments, but with the whole truck towing escapade he took the day off and was already at home and available. so he went with us. This photo was taken after the finger prick. She had already had to give a urine sample. She was offended when the finger prick happened. AND yesterday she needed 4 shots. Yikes. She was very upset....but then before it was all over, and Dr. J. had listened to her heart. She asked for a Doctor kit for Christmas.

We made it home, and I made a mental note of a doctor kit for Christmas.

How many more days before you come back?

College Fall Break was this past weekend. They only get a couple of extra days off, not a week like the schools around here get, but a break is a break. SO we got to see college boy this weekend for a few days, and we met a new friend too, Emily. You know me, a few photos were taken over the weekend.

The whole crew

Jolie wants to know how many more days till you come back? 

all too soon...

it was time for these two to head back down the road to Nashville?

So in the words of Jolie,

"How much longer before you come back?"

Who You Are...A Fashion Show---Favorite Photo Friday

Every fall, the kids' school (Konos Academy, a home school academy) has a talent show. It's a fundraiser for the sports program. This year Karlie did a fashion show with two of her friends.

Isabella, Karlie and Victoria pose before the talent show begins.

The girls with their friend Ruth, the photobomber.

Using the music from the popular video, who you are, a message to women,  the girls did a fashion show. They walked across the stage wearing their cute outfits while the words of affirmation played with the music.

Then each girl took a turn caring a card with a scripture verse as they walked across the stage. I snapped their photos after the fashion show.

 At the end they turned their cards around to the words, beautiful, treasured, and cherished. I thought it was a very moving way to do a fashion show. The message of the song is one all women need to hear, daily if need be. Here's a youtube link to their fashion show response.

Today, because I am excited about the message these girls shared with their school, I am participating in Lisa's favorite photo Friday...

Lunch with friends

Last week, while the older kids were at Konos, Jolie and I had lunch with my good friend Leslie and her daughter.We met at a neat little bakery with a New Orleans spin. When I saw the menu, I felt like  I was back near my childhood home.They had po-boys, and beignets, and lots of other tasty items, but  it was the crawfish corn chowder that was calling my name.

Leslie and I met at a HOME of fine arts several years ago. Both of our oldest kids have graduated and have ventured off to college, so we just do not get to visit with each other each week like we used to.

Lunch with friends is always fun.