TOo cute not to post!

Franklinton Fair!!

Ain't no way in H*** you could have gotten me to do this...Sorry I kinda lost track of the seats for a moment....

I went to the Franklinton Fair this weekend with some friends. We had a really awsome time...something different to do...

The fair down there isn't like the fair here. We don't have any "for a $1 see a 75 lb rat"...or "snake woman for $1"...well as you can see the guys gave a $1 each for the 75 lb rat..which turned out to be an animal from another country with no tail.. but i gave into the snake thingy...yea..i paid my $1 didn't even let Wes pay my way on that stupid adventure...LIVE and Learn!

We enjoyed walking around looking at the crafts and we rode one ride...each getting off complaining of something...then of course had to have a footlong corndog, cotton candy, carmel apple and funnel cake...and no one had a belly ache for we sere smart...we shared so it wouldn't cost as much!!! YIKES the prices people charge for this stuff!

Corndogs $ 6.00 each

Cokes $2.00 for small

Carmel Apple $4.00

Cotton Candy $5.00

Funnel cake $6.00

Tickets for rides $23

FUN WITH FRIENDS AND A NIGHT TO REMEMBER PRICELESS

ok..so it was a no makeup and get up wash the hair and go kind of day!! I wasn't planning on any pictures, but Cole let me cut his hair which shocked the u know what out of me...so i thought we needed a picture!

Cole has figured out he can flip!

OK, so it's a little age difference between the two of them. But Aubbie has a boyfriend!

Aubbie is one of my best friends little girl. The guy holding her is Brian a member of our fire department and has become an awsome friend. Aubbie has come to love her some Brian!

Isn't it pretty?

This was taken on our way back from Arizona to as we call it "God's Country", home.

I will be the first one to admit it, I didn't really care for Arizona that much & everyone seems shocked. Let me explain...Chris lives like 5 minutes outside the city limits of Phoenix. Which is like living in Jackson, MS x 5. He has every eating joint he could imagine within 5 blocks of their apartment. You actually turn into the McDonald's parking lot to go to his apartment. There is no grass ANYWHERE around, no trees unless you count the "Sticky Trees" (cactus) as Colby referees to them. I'm sure once you get up into the hills & mountains, things might be a little prettier.

I think this picture of the rainbow was taken in western Texas or New Mexico...It was an amazing sight...Rainbows are hard to capture in a picture. The coloring of the rainbow has to be just right up again a dark sky. I think I about used half my memory card trying to take rainbow pictures. Every few miles during this little storm it was a different rainbow. We even saw a "Double Rainbow" which I couldn't get any good picture of.

This made me think...I say we were coming home to "God's Country", but just from the beauty I was seeing God create around me down that rainy road, I realized then I was just really coming "home". God's Country has it own beauty if it is the beautiful grass, and trees we have here in Mississippi, or the dry desert plains with a beautiful rainbow in the background. These few minutes that I saw this beauty reminded me of how lucky I am to be able to have my life and to be able to enjoy what is surrounding me. Blessed are those of us that have the ability to witness this!

The Double Rainbow is a symbol to our family. I know that Two very special sisters were looking down on Mom and Myself that trip home! One the good Lord blessed me with knowing for years...and the other one I never knew but would have loved as much as the other. I miss you Brandi!!

I thank the Lord everyday for "opening my eyes" and making me appreciate all that is here and all that has passed...blessing of the past, present, and future. I can't wait for what the Lord has in store! AMEN!!!

They all seem to be adjusting well! Bridget mailed me a disk with some pictures on it, but this seems to be my favorite. How weird does Chris look with a wedding band on his hand and a baby on his chest?!?! Anyone that knows Chris knows he never held a child until it was about 9 months old or so. Colten appears to have grown and grown since they've been gone.














Momma and I are going over there hopefully next week to see them and take some things to them. I can't wait!!

THEY MADE IT!

After a very crazy, nothing went right Tuesday, and a very tearfilled Wednesay, they got on the road Wednesday about noon. Bridget, Chris and colten in the truck with Nick and Colby in the car behind them. As a friend of mine and Chris' (Coach Tony Johnson..u are cruel by the way!) said, "we were big ole babies" and all cried and cried as they were leaving...bridget text me about 20 min later and said that in 2 month Chris would pay half the plane fare for Me and Mom to fly out there...THEY ALREADY MISSED US!!

Mom had to call and talk to Colten on Thurday to calm him down a little bit. Nick and Colby were jammin out on the way over there. Bridget said Colby got out singing "To the left to the left...to the right to the right...to the front to the front" so needless to say Bridget was scared of just what all they might have listened to! Oh yea and Nick ate all Colby's M&M's so he was STARVING...but obviously the 19 year old and 3 year old done just fine.

They arrived Friday about 3 pm or so. Got things unloaded and now they are working on sleeping arrangements. The 3 bedroom apt is full! Considering it is 5 grown ups and 2 kids, but they've been in tighter quarter before. It'll all work out!

I've got pictures of them leaving...thru my tears somehow! I'll post them later.

Making the most of the time we have!!

Chris dropped the bomb on us a few weeks ago that his work maybe taking him to Arizona...well, it happened. They are leaving Wednesday the 8th. And Nick (cousin) decided he wanted to go work with Chris too!

Now mind you, this is hard, but taking baby Colten from us is the hardest of all. I think Mom has offered to just keep him for them. Needless to say Bridget said "NO" quickly.

Speaking of quickly, how quick can a new mommy pack a whole house and 2 boys up with very little help? Pretty quick. She turned her keys in to Mrs. Barbara yesterday. They have been staying at Mom and Dad's since they've packed everything up. This weekend, I think they are staying with me maybe until they leave.

So what do you do when you know your baby brother, your new best friend, your 2 nephews, and cousin (Nick is going too), are leaving for a year? You make the most of the time you have! I was scheduled to be on the road a few days this week, I rescheduled them for the end of next week. That way as soon as I get off I'm going to Mom and Dad's to get some "good baby" loves!! Chris will be home from Alabama this weekend, Nick, Brandy & kids will be home, so we plan on spending plenty of time together.

Aunt Chonda has already checked plane tickets!! about $220 round trip. So no one get offended when I say I can't do something that I'm broke...I'm just saving up for plane fair!! I figure I can fly over about every 2 months...They plan on coming home for Christmas. They know better than keeping the new baby away the first Christmas!!!

Please keep Chris, Bridget, the kids and my family in your prayers as we adjust to this change!!!

Colten- July 4th

Chris' version of "burping the baby". He can't seem to get him to burp any other way... Colten don't seem to mind.



















Chris and his boys! See how he's looking at Colby. I'm sure the little stink butt had done something..


These were tanken about 3 weeks ago

I'm still here!

Yes, I'm still here! I know I've not posted in a while. I've been pretty busy lately...I've got lots of pictures from the 4th of July and picture of baby Colten to post. My computer here at work is on the fritz, I don't have internet at home anymore, so I try to upload pictures during my lunchbreak. Which has been a task since I'm working on just a laptop right now at work. It's not the fastest thing in the world, but it gets my "work" stuff done without me having to go uproot someone else from their computer.

I'll try to day at luch to get some pictures going of some sort!

Take care everyone!!

Awwe...wee...ain't i a cutie??

Small town Blessings!


I have always loved being from a small town. Everyone knows who you are, and when you aren't sure of what you are doing, someone else knows! I never really stop to think about the small things until this past week. Living from a small town, the blessing are all around, you just have to take the time to see them.


I don't mean to sound selfish when I post this, and I hope the family doesn't mind, but I feel the need to post how I feel. Maybe someone will get something out of this also.


Small town blessings come in strange places, strange packages and strange ways. This week, a very close friend's grandfather passed away. I have atteneded high school with his grandsons, I am on the fire dept with one, & I hope I can say I feel close to his family, so I felt the need to go to the wake. Which is nothing out of the ordinary for us "small town people" to show our respect to the family. But for some reason, I felt the need to go to the funeral the next day. Oh, as sad as it was, it was a blessing. The gentleman that passed has had cancer for a while now. Which as bad as we hurt, we know it's a blessing he's with the Good Lord now.


I knew he was a retired trooper, retired veteran, but I didn't know he was a former POW. Which all this means, he was receiving a full military service from the 21 gun salute to the playing of Tapps. I had never attended a full military funeral and I now know it's a service that tears at your heart. And having family and friends in the service, this took on a whole different meaning to me.

For I know the children and grandchildren of this gentleman were dedicated to the caring of their father & grandfather. This was a man they looked up to considerably. And so did the community. In today's times, things aren't respected as they were years ago, and when you see two grandchildren of this man stand and salute their grandfather's flag that come off his casket, it warmed my heart to know that there is still respect in today's society. Sometimes it is hard to find. I still get teary eyed when I think about them saluting their grandfather. You could see the love and respect in the way they stood, their posture and the motions they put behind it.


Blessings--I'm blessed knowing that Mr. BT had a great family he's left behind that I can say I'm greatful to be associated with and a friend to.


I was blessed to see that there is still respect in today's society to those members that have served and are still serving our country.


I'm blessed simply because things seem a little clearer to me since Monday.


I hope that if any of Mr. BT's family reads this post, that I've done good in wording what I felt and the blessing that I received.

And my thoughts and prayers are with you always!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ME?!?!?
Am I a Mommy..no..well not in one sense of the word...But I had these two wonderful plants and cards for me on Mother's Day...

Mom took Cheyenne, Cole and Colby shopping for Mother's Day gift and as they were walking off from getting Bridget & Brandy's gifts, Cheyenne said I had to have a plant also...don't laugh to hard at the next part... She said that I was a mommy to Chase, Copper and Paul (the dog, cat and turtle that I have). So that is where the aloe plant came into the picture. As for the homemade card in front of it..that's a story...They made Mike (Mom's catohoula curr) sit down and they traced his paw...which is on the back side of the card, but was too funny when I heard the whole story behind the reason for my plant and then the torment poor Mike had to go thru to make the card!

The next other plant and card brought tears to my eyes...which many of you know I only do when I'm extremely upset, really sad or really really happy. For you see Bridget is about the only girl Chris has dated that I get along with and she gets along with me. We both say what we think and that's the end of the discussion. She has her opinion and I have mine. Bridget not only is my sister-in-law, she is becoming one of my best friends. Which she's carrying my my baby brother's baby, my nephew which isn't here and this means the world to me...Along with the neice and 2 newphews I already have!... But anyways, Colten sent me a little message per his Mommy on Mother's Day. I have made a picture of the card, I hope you can read it ok..if not it says

Dear Aunt Chonda
Thank you for being there for my Mom while I was in her Belly. I was wondering if you would be my God Mother and be there for me like you are my mom
I love you
Colten

I still get teary eyed reading it! So the second plant and card was for me in honor of Mother's Day since I'm a God Mommy!!! Or will be shortly when he decides the time is right for him to grace us with his lovely little self... I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE HIM!!!

Bridget, Thank you for allowing me to be more of Colten's life that just his Aunt.

I love you!

I love Mother's Day..for a few different reasons...but the flowers are always in full bloom at Mom's on Mother's Day. These are just a few of the ones I took

A VERY COLORFUL WEDDING!!!!

The Bride -Breann and her girls
THe girls being silly--as per the camera lady's request!

They remind me of "Men in Black"!

I had the opportunity to help with a friend's wedding 2 weeks ago. As you can tell it was a very colorful wedding. This was a pretty good group to work with. I've done a couple of weddings before, but never one this large and colorful!! I had a blast. The girls even enjoyed a little bit of bowling the night before..

I even managed to get a "short" camping trip out of the deal! That's a different post in itself!

Breann & Josh,

I wish you the best of luck!!