Dear Me

 

Dear Sweet Naive Teenage Valarie,

 

Do you remember this picture?

Well I was just wondering, do you think you could have gotten your hair any higher on that one side?

Did you also know that they make this thing called an eyebrow brush?  They do, maybe you should have used one.  Also that is some awesome blue eyeliner you are using there.

Dear Sweet Naive Teenage Valarie,

Did you know that some 20 years later, you would be obsessed with a teenage vampire saga, and not Duran Duran, Bon Jovi, or the Beastie Boys!  I know its true.

Speaking of Beastie Boys, did you know that some 20 years later, that your children,  by the way did you ever think you would have 3, would be playing a thing called Guitar Hero, to "No Sleep till Brooklyn".  Yep I know its crazy!

Yes Dear Sweet Naive Teenage Valarie, you heard me right, you have 3 children.  Two girls and a boy.  Didn't see that first one coming did you.  Best thing to ever happen to you.  By the way they are gorgeous and are turning out to be really great kids.

I bet you didn't think you would ever be talking to people all over the world with this thing called a blog either.  I tell you I have meet some wonderful people here in this blog world.  Learned an awful lot too.  You also will reconnect with sooooo many people that you have not talked to since high school on this thing called Facebook.

Yes Dear Sweet Naive Teenage Valarie, life will turn out alright, everything will not always be peachy, you will have some rough spots, but you will get through it and you will enjoy every minute of it.  Ok maybe not every minute, but most of them. :)

Love Always,

Your older ( but not by much )self

 

For more self reflection head on over to Marcy's for some great Fro me to you Post's

Perseverance

 

I love this guy!  :)

Today we celebrate 17 years of marriage!  :)

He is my best friend.  I can tell him anything, even though he says I always forget to tell him anything. :)

Together we have made three beautiful children!

(this is an old picture, look at how little they are!)

 

We have been to exotic places.  Ok we have been to one exotic place, but I want to go to more. (hint hint)

I also want to be that size again.  Oh to fit in those shorts.... :(

 

We have been through ALOT.  We had our first baby when we were 17, and now over 19 years later and 17 years of marriage here we are.  :)

I love you honey and I am so glad we have made it.

"Your still the one"
By Shania Twain
Looks like we made it
Look how far we've come my baby

We mighta took the long way
We knew we'd get there someday
They said, "I bet they'll never make it"
But just look at us holding on
We're still together still going strong

You're still the one I run to
The one that I belong to
You're still the one I want for life
You're still the one that I love
The only one I dream of
You're still the one I kiss good night

Ain't nothin' better
We beat the odds together
I'm glad we didn't listen
Look at what we would be missin'
They said, "I bet they'll never make it"
But just look at us holding on
We're still together still going strong

 

Please go visit Marcy over at "The Glamorous Life" for more "Fro Me to You" fun. :)

 

And it continues...

 

Today is the first day of our softball season!  To say that I am excited it an understatement.  Yet with that excitement comes some wonderful memories and anticipation for the future.  You see last year was Jessie's last year for softball.  Gosh I am getting teary eyed again just thinking about it.  She has been playing softball since she was five, and I had a harder time letting go last year than she did.

Jessie walking away after her last game ever.. :(

getting a hug from a fellow player

 

Now the legacy will continue. 

See Jessie and Sydney are four years apart, which means Jessie graduated last year, and Syd started to the high school this year.  So we are starting all over with high school softball with Syd this year.  Like she did in middle school, she has taken her sisters number.  Maybe I wont cry tonight.

This is the look I always get when I take her picture while she is playing ball. :)

Don't believe me?? Let me show you....

Last night I came home to hear Syd complaining.  She was complaining about all the stains, Jessie had left on the uniform.  :)

Jess about to steal a base and slide to get the uniform dirty

I think when Syd graduates I am asking for the uniforms.  They can just retire their number. 

Ok I have to stop writing this now before I start crying my eyes out at work.

 

For more Sincerely Fro Me to You's go to Kristen's place at We are THAT family.

WaWaWa!!!!!

 

Woo Hoo would you look at my Mama!!!!

Isn't she the cutest thing!!!!  I love this picture!  I love this picture so much, I took it from her house.  :)  I was nice though, I had copies made and gave Lisa, Robin, and Mama a framed copy of it for Christmas. 

So I even though this carnival is sorta about stuff you would not scrapbook, I totally would scrapbook a copy of this.  The original though is totally frame worthy!

Now go on over to Kristen's at We are THAT family place and have a wonderful time look at all the other great post.  Then you can go read this post of mine to see why my family is totally THAT family.

Three totally's, THAT is totally a record.  Ok now five... :)

To Infinity and Beyond......

***update - I just received a call from my sister Robin, that yesterday, the day I actually wrote this post was the day of the 23rd anniversary of the loss of the Challenger Space Shuttle. ***

I live near a really neat and educational tourist attraction. The U.S. Space and Rocket Center. Where the actual movie "Space Camp" was filmed.

Do you want to know when the last time I went there was? I think I was in 7th grade. THAT was a long long long time ago. I don't even know if my kids have gone. Really its a shame. I need to take them.

We did go one time when my cousins were in from Michigan. I am thinking it was probably at Christmas time, cause from the looks of these pictures it was cold!

Don't ask me which rocket that is in the background. I really should know, but I don't. Sad to, since I only drive by it about once a week. Robin, Lisa, Holly, Lorie, Kristen, anybody want to help me out here??

Here we are in front of a space suit. Oooooooooo

It was real and I bet you its still there in the museum, if I ever went there to see it.

I remember one of my favorite things about going to the Space and Rocket Center was getting Dehydrated Ice Cream. That stuff was awesome. :)

Update #2 - My sister works out at NASA and just ate some dehydrated ice cream the other day, and is going to go get me some. :)

So if your ever up in North Alabama and want to go, let me know. I'd like to go there myself. Maybe we could go together. :)

***This has not been brought to you by the U.S. Space & Rocket Center or the National Board of Tourism***

For more Fro' Me to You's fly on over to We are THAT Family

Awwww aren't we cute!!

 

 

This is my sister Robin and myself.....

Just look at Robin's cheeks!  I think we were probably 6 and 4.  This would be during the stage of Robin's hair was so curly and fuzzy, you couldn't get a comb through it.  This would also be pre-short hair for me.  This is about the time I wanted to be Donny Osmond and right before Momma cut my hair off, because I would not stop chewing on it.

We are sitting on the bottom bed of our bunk beds.  They were two twin beds, that would stack on top of each other.  Held securely together by sitting one bed atop little 1 inch high knobs on the end of each post of the other bed. 

Robin claims that my nieces Amanda and Lisa and myself (my nieces are older than me) pushed her off the top bunk.  I think she was just sitting to close to the edge and lost her balance.  Because I would never do such a thing, and neither would Amanda or Lisa.

Oh and don't you just love the wallpaper!  That wall paper was there until I was probably about 14.  I can remember there was a stain on the wallpaper from some chocolate ice cream.  I also remember going to bed crying in that bottom bunk, because I had watched the movie King Kong  and he died.  Oh the memories a picture can bring back.  :)

 

For more great memories, go visit Kristin at We are THAT family.

 

Oh Bless My Ever Lovin' Heart

Well its back in all its glory, and I am here, ready to embarrass myself and throw anyone else under the bus with me if they get to close. :)

____________________________________________________________

Ya Know I just really don't know what to say or do. So I think I will just hold my head in my hands and say "Oh My Gosh, I can not believe I looked like that!"

I had a MULLET!!!! And, And really bad glasses!!!!!!! And look at the V-neck sweater and the button up oxford shirt!!!!! What may I ask was up with that!!!!!!

Then come spring time apparently by the look of the back drop, I opted for my lovely Laura Ingles wanna be dress. WITH SOCKS!!!!!!!!!!

THEN!!! THEN!!!!..............

(Amanda, Robin, and yours truly poodle girl)

Apparently I stuck my finger in a light socket and dyed that yellow sweater green! Cause here I am AGAIN in a V-Neck sweater and a button up oxford shirt! I shudder to even think of the shoes I probably wore with any of those outfits.

I think I am gonna need therapy after this Fro' Me To You. ~sigh~

Ya know what I think???

I think God gives us those awkward stages to prepare us for the future. Cause NOBODY, I don't care how you think you look now wants to go back to looking like that!

For more events that were captured on film, and forever more shaped our lives, join us over at Kristen's. It just might be therapeutic.

Santa C

 

That's what he was called in my little hometown.  Not sure why he called himself Santa C, but I will tell you he was a very realistic Santa.  I think it may have actually been THE SANTA!!!!  One Christmas Eve I even asked for his signature when he came and left the presents.  I had a paper set out and everything for him to sign.  One of his elves that help him must have forged his name though, because it was not the same signature that was on the picture he had autographed for me a few weeks before that.

Robin looks like she is about to cry.  She is right on the edge of hysteria.  Biting her lip, arms ready to reach out for Mama, tears welling up in her eyes. 

Now notice the next year, or maybe it was two years later, I don't remember.  My hair is way longer, I have on a hideous shirt that says "hustle", and Robin is no where to be found.

For more Fro me to You Christmas fun, go over to

Kristen's at We are THAT Family.  :)

Is everybody out there finished with there Christmas shopping?  Well I'm not.  :[

Chosen

 

Last Sunday night was out Christmas Musical at Church.  Our expressive worship group performed in between the children and the adult choir (which I really should have been in , but I have missed to many practices.  Life ya know).  Myself and another wonderful lady from Church lead the expressive worship team.  I love helping them with this.  No matter if I am tired and worn out when I get to practice, they normally make me laugh somehow or another.  The name of the group is "Chosen", and the expressive worship consists of drama, movement, and sign language.  This group of teenagers are awesome to work with.  It is such a joy to watch God work through them.

This past Sunday we performed to "Jesus Messiah", by Chris Tomlin.  I wish I had a video, but I did not bring the video camera and I can not find my USB cable for the thing anyway. ~sigh~

I pulled a video off of YouTube of the song.  You can listen to the song while you read the rest of this post. Oh and you can watch the video also.  :)

 

 

 

He became sin
Who knew no sin

 

 
That we might become His Righteousness
He humbled himself and carried the cross
Love so amazing

Love so amazing

 
Chorus:
Jesus Messiah
Name above all names
Blessed Redeemer
Emmanuel

The rescue for sinners
The ransom from Heaven

Jesus Messiah
Lord of all
His body the bread

His blood the wine
Broken and poured out all for love
The whole earth trembled
And the veil was torn
Love so amazing
Love so amazing, yeah
Chorus:
Jesus Messiah
Name above all names
Blessed Redeemer
Emmanuel
The rescue for sinners
The ransom from Heaven
Jesus Messiah
Lord of all
All our hope is in You

All our hope is in You
All the glory to You, God
The light of the world

 

For more Fro Me to you's (even though this will go in a scrapbook someday) join Kristen over at We are THAT Family. Next time maybe I will have a video for you.  :) 

**Did anybody from church video this performance?????????***