Thank you so much to everyone (Mark) who participitated in the contest of trying to figure out what the picture contained. It was a picture that Nathan actually took of Lauren and I, and for some reason it turned out the way it did. Again, i appreciate you guys (Mark) who tried to figure it out.

Mers, Where Are You???

You used to clean our kitchen,
now you watch us from afar...
dust bunnies are growing,
o how we wonder where you are.
Surviving alone almost a year,
everyday life without our friend so dear.
It'd be nice to have a really clean home,
but truth be told, we can do it alone.
The kids can all vacuum, even Greg does his share,
tho folding the laundry is a 3 day affair.
It's your smile that we miss
and dinner at the table,
your little white car,
and your siblings coming over.
It's all this and more,
rhyming words just won't do,
So please get your blog back,
and we'll watch over you, too!

What or Who is in this picture?

 

Missouri Mudsledding

 

Shout It Out...
Oxi Clean...
Ancient Chinese Secret...

I had to pull out the big guns to try and wash up all the mess after this mudbath adventure. Us Missourians would know, mudsledding is a common sport in our Ozark winters. Springfield got "8 inches" so they say... I don't believe it. Maybe on the backporch of KY3, but not on the slopes of a certain church on the East end of Battlefield that happens to have a nice, short but steep slope. Too bad it ends in a fence post you have to dodge, and a gully full of mud.

For those who have asked...

 

Here are some pics of Caroline. Isn't she sweet?

Birthday Happenings

 

Nathan just had his 11th birthday! And get this - he decided several weeks ago that he wanted to go rock climbing at Petra with his friends. Sounds like fun, right? Well...

We head out to have some pizza for lunch and on the way I get this feeling I should call and confirm our party reservations at 2:00pm. So at 11:40am my call goes like this:

Me: "Hi this is Teri Roy and I'm just calling to make sure you have us down for a party there at 2:00 today...

Petra Dude: Uh, well hold on, let me get the schedule... long pause...
Is this Regina?

Me: No, ha ha, this is Teri Roy, and I have 9 boys coming for a party at 2. I gave you a deposit last week...

Petra Dude: Oh yeah, hey, yeeah I gotcha down. See, we had this party here last night from 11pm to 3(am) and the schedule just hasn't been switched over yet. Yeah we'll see ya later.

Me: (trying to sound like I know what I'm talking about) Great. OK, I also have my own boleer's , too (sorry I have no idea how to spell that), so we should be covered on the ground.

Petra Dude: Right, K , see ya later.

Me: Thanks, see ya this afternoon."

Now, what do you think I'm leading up to? We get there at 1:45, and the doors are locked. OK, we are a bit early, so we wait in the car. Pretty soon I have 9 active boys in my yukon, and the doors are still locked. Now it's 2:15 and we need a back up plan. Fast. Bowling it is. So, in spite of some disappointed kids who'd much rather climb a rock wall, we had fun throwing down the ball and only spent $19 because they gave us a break. A big shout out to Enterprise Lanes for bailing me out!! (Lighthouse was booked)

And by the way, Petra NEVER showed up.


Here's to NATHAN. Who learned the lesson of flexibility on his 11th birthday. Thanks for thinking this cake and the homemade cookie cake were the best ever. You are awesome!

Happy Birthday Jesus

 

This year we tried something a little different for our annual gather 'round the Christmas photo shoot.

Not pictured:

Lulu and Nana
Allen and Cheri, Camryn, Brooklynne, Connor, and Britton
Mrs. Thomas because she is actually WITH Jesus...

"Uh, Houston, we have a problem..."

 

...Emma's own words. On this day, that is.

On the road again...

Sorry, folks, it's been so long since I've written, but life's been a little full. So, in honor of my Dad, I will give it to you in memo form:


1. A couple of weekends ago we started our adventures with a quick trip down to OK to visit my Mom. I fixed her a full Thanksgiving spread complete with homemade cranberry sauce, greg did some yardwork, and we just got to enjoy spending a little time with her. Pleas PRAY for her, she is hoping to get a 2nd liver transplant ASAP. I talk to her everyday and she sounds fine and her spirits and good, too, but I know she is miserable and wants to do anything to feel better and live a "normal" life again. More on that later, I'm sure.


2. Went to Mizzou for Lauren's swim meet - The Reynolds, Rogers, Tiltons, and many SPA families were there. She did awesome and shaved time off each race. Maybe I'll actually post a pic when I get home. It was a blast!


3. We left only 2 days later (just long enough to do laundry and repack) for our 2200 mile, 7 day, 3 kids, plus Nana roadtrip to SC and NC to visit family for the holidays. Again, thanks for praying.

4. This now brings you up to date... we are now on day 5 of this particular adventure. Hotels every night and never in the same one for more than 2 nights... I feel like I'm in a traveling singing group or a circus. Maybe even debutation. Oh well, we thoroughly enjoyed Columbia, SC and the family there. Ron and Pam, if you see this - THANK YOU! I so wish we lived closer together.

5. Now for a random thought: I bought sunglasses again the other day. I opted for cheap and stylish instead of the polarized kind for driving. Keeps me young.

6. PEOPLE! If I go to all the trouble to make you a personalized calendar for Christmas - USE IT. Write all over it, scribble things out, and put stickers on it. It's not a keepsake album to store in the drawer. Thanks JoAnne for having yours up and wearing it out.

That's all for now, sorry this was long, but if you really read it, thanks. You're my friend.

Autumn Promises...

 

Is there no end to Betsy's creativity???

Portrait Time Again...

 

 

It's been a good season, and now it's over... Not just baseball, but going to the Pool, late nights, late sleep-in mornings, the lake, berry picking, birthdays, and road trips. I know there's a few more weeks of summer, but after labor day it all changes. I am trying to convince the kids (that includes my husband) that Autumn is wonderful and there's so much to look forward to. So far, I'm not getting too far. Hey - what's your favorite thing about Fall? I need all the help I can get!

Gratefulness comes in small packages

Summer is so wonderful. Tonight, as we drove home, I thought of how happy I am. The windows were down, letting in the warm air as it whipped my hair all around, beatiful music played, but it only barely covered the tree sounds of the locusts singing... the sky was clear with bright stars against a black velvet background. And to top it all off, I had an Andy's Heath bar concrete in my lap. I almost cried. I needed that moment and I thanked God for it.

Summer Highlights... so far

 

There is still a little over 2 weeks left of this crazy summer, and still several things on our "to do" list. For instance, you may notice there are no pictures of a chicken coop, and no chickens either. The fish tank still sits dead and empty (I prefer it to stay that way forever), and the canoe is in the barn, not a creek. The kids have not yet had nearly enough whiplash from tubing at the lake as they would like. We have, however, stayed up late every chance we get, renewed some old friendships, hugged on our grandma's, and swam so much it warrants the green highlights in Emma's hair.

So, here is an explanation of the pictures you're looking at:
1. Discovery Cove in Florida. One word: Wow.
2. Busch Gardens in Tampa with the Eastin's and the Hoffman's
3. My Bday - goin' out to dinner
4. Father's Day at SDC
5. Lauren's 13th (oh my gosh I have a teenager) birthday!
6. Makin' plum jelly the old fashioned way
7. our 17th on the 7th day of the 7th month of 2007 - cool huh?
8. Just a bunch of kids (it's the Hoffman boys, Roy's and Reynold's)
9. Emma's 9th bday - and No, that pink is NOT from the chlorine in our pool
10. Piano recital - the only really responsible thing we've done all summer
11. Hike on Fox Acres
12. Mom's 67th BDay - I took her to "Cattlemen's" and made her a Tres Leche cake topped with strawberries!
13. Dinner out with the Reynolds and Eastins: we saw Big Smith at the Landing where we had Gourmet Mexican. "There's a Hole in the Bottom of the Sea" could never have sounded better.
14. That's my sweet Mom... and doesn't she look great?!
15. A visit from the Armstrong's!! We talked all night, swam all day, learned to ride the 4 wheelers and played the Wii. Whew!
16. Swimming, swimming, swimming...

7/7/2007 = 17 years!

 

... all this luck and we didn't go buy a lottery ticket!

By the way, to my Matron of Honor, THANK YOU for the flowers - they're beautiful!!!

Too many powdered donuts

Before:

 

After:

 

Have You Ever Chased My Dog???

if you have ever had to chase my dog maddie, i would love to hear your story! yes, i know that ther're many many stories about our little westy. (good idea, Lauren!)

We took her to the Vet this week, and the comment Dr Vet gave on the report was simply, "get her teeth cleaned ($$$) and she gets so excited!"
We have dealt with that for 12 years now and she is still going strong. Chasing that dog through many fields and backyards, it's a miracle she has not yet dashed in front of a truck... but some of you have AND have lived to tell about it. So, please do....

A Week in May

 

SCHOOL IS OUT FOR ROGERSVILLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TOMORROW IS THE VERY LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!!!!!!