I'm Back

Hi All
I am back..
I kind of "gave up" on my blog... but now am going to try it again.

My friend from "House of Rose" gave me the inspiration. She just completed her 300Th post.. what an accomplishment. She is now going to bind her entries in a book. I thought this was a fabulous idea for her family to look back on.
As some of you may know, my daughter; as we like to call her, "The 6 foot baby," is graduating high school in a month and starting college...in other words, she is entering adulthood and I am going broke. I was thinking about my college days and realized, I don't really remember a lot of them.. (It might have been because I had a lot of "social" engagements that involved alcohol...")
I have decided that I am going to try and capture all of my thoughts and happening in our crazy household, so "The 6 footer" will have all of her memories "good and bad" to look back on.
As most of you know, there is always something going on in our household... so please feel free to stop back by and read...

Thanks and Happy Wednesday!
Yaya

Hello Everyone!
Sorry I haven't been in "Blogland" lately. Things have been hectic. My sister and her family, (including her new puppy) came in from St. Louis this past weekend and we celebrated my sister's 40th Birthday! How I remember turning the big 40! Not pleasant...anyway, we also celebrated my nephew Mason's birthday as well so it was a fun weekend. And you can bet my Mother was there for the festivities also. She stayed the whole weekend so you can imagine how packed my little home was including the extra dog. It was like the Klampetts came to town. We also had Emilie's first session of senior pictures Sunday. Amy Galloway did a wonderful job on them and the few I have seen so far, turned out amazing. Amy really know's what she is doing. The picture above is my favorite so far.

I can't stand to think she is a senior. She will be off to college soon.. I dont think I have to worry about her moving out too soon because we had a funny conversation the other day. We were talking about how she thought she would like to move out her second year at SIU and get an apartment and I agreed that was a smart idea. However, that night she came home from work sick with a fever and immediatly needed her "Mama". I was there to get her medicine and a cold wash cloth for her head and I layed down in bed with her. She got real quite for a moment and then rolled over to me and said, "Hey mom, you know how I said I thought I would move out? I dont think I want to do that anymore because you won't be there and I need my mom." Haha! Dear God, she will be living with me when she is 45. Oh well....she is my only and I certainly wont complain how long she stays!

Well this weeks agenda is working on christmas decorating. I am officially in the Holiday mood so that's all for today... Take care and Much love Yaya

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween to all,

Just thinking back today of my childhood and how excited I would be that is was Halloween...really, more for the candy than the costumes. (I have always been a lover of the candy.) Is there a better feeling then coming home from hitting as many houses as you can and then dumping all of your candy out on the floor to "check out the goods." I remember always having at least a couple of the greatest candy bars in the world...I always made a mental note of which house the "good stuff" came from and that I would be sure and stop by there next year... I also remember my father sitting in the floor, telling me it was his job as a dad to "test" a couple of the treats.. I can just hear him saying, "you can never be too careful these days, somebody might have stuck a blade in one." I always wondered how he got around the blade or glass as he was eating the entire piece...(Parents parogative!)
The funniest thing, that I still laugh about today are the outfits(not costumes) my mother would make my sister and I wear. The anual "Hobo outfit."
You say you don't know what that is?? Well let me tell you... you go into you father's closet and pull out that "Sears Leisure Suit" sports coat that is a size 50 along with one of his neck ties. Hopefully your sister hasn't gotten that tie that Aunt "_______" gave him that has pictures of old 1940's cars on it.. you put it around your neck along with one his big "trucker caps" and a pair of his outdoor boots that he wears to take the garbage out and there you go... a fine looking HOBO... What the heck... I really didn't know that hobo's had a certain "look." I mean cowboys do, policemen do, but Hobo's?? When was that last time you saw a hobo? Are there still hobo's around??
My sister called last week and I picked the phone up and she immediately said, "tell my kids what we were for Halloween every year." Her 12 and 9 year old didn't know what a hobo was?? They didn't get it at all, but my sister and I had a good laugh...
Hope you all have a good laugh today

Yaya

Is is to early for Christmas decorating?

Just wondering what you all think. Would if be too early for Christmas decorating this weekend?? This is a picture of ONE of my trees from last year. I usually have about 6-8 trees up in different spots in the house. I usually start right after Thanksgiving and work right up until Christmas eve, trying to get everything "just the way I like it." (never) I thought that maybe this year I would start earlier and be able to keep if up longer and enjoy it longer than a month. I have so many Christmas decorations that I usually am not able to use them all because I run out of room..
I am so ready for the holiday. This year I have talked with "the family" and said I thought it would be a better idea to make each other something for christmas. "The 6 Foot Baby and The Guy have agreed. I am thinking that this Christmans will be more about being together and spending time with each other as opposed to what/how much we can buy. I tried to talk The Six Footer into agreeing to get only three presents "like baby Jesus." Let me just say she said that idea was ridiculous and then told me that I wasn't counting all of the people that came to see Jesus and brought him stuff...(Smart comeback for sure)
Oh well, one new idea at a time.
How are you making new traditions in your family?

Happy Happy,
Yaya

Big Papa & "The 6 Foot Baby"

I love this picture. This is from the "Family Trip 2008." My father took our famiy and my sister's family to Florida for a week. What a great time we had.
When I look at this picture of my daughter and my father, I think how blessed we are. She has wonderful grandparents that are young and healthy. I am lucky that they are so "involved" in our life. Both of my parents are still considered "young" at 63 years old. (Or at least I think so, especially since I am hitting the 40 something mark.)
I was thinking this weekend as my mother was sitting across from me at the dinner table that her mother passed away with cancer when I was 9 months old. I can't imagine raising my daughter without my mother and father being here.
My mother is at every event/school function my daughter has. She loves to be involved in all of it. I hope to be that grandparent someday... (not soon of course, but one day..)

Happy Wednesday to all
Amy

HAPPY SATURDAY

Happy Saturday to all:

Just got home from running errands, the usual "no-fun Satuday" errands: grocery, cleaners, Target and the bank... does everyone do the same thing I do?
Thought I would show a picture of my "6 ft baby" that is current, since all of the pictures I have posted have been about 5 years old.. This picture was taken on her
18th birthday... can't believe she is that old. Seems just like yesterday she was making me coffee in her little tykes kitchen, (And yes, I drank the water that had floating black things in it..) I miss those days. She is a senior this year. Her last year of high school. I have really tried to attend all her events because I keep thinking "this is the last time." Oh, well, enough for sadness and on to what am I going to fix for dinner tonight.. take care and hope you all enjoy your Saturday!

Happy Friday everyone. This picture should remind us all of what we will be doing in another month... found this picture of my daughter and "The Guy." This was taken about 5 years ago.. (One of the pictures I had forgotten about on the office computer.) I am one of those people that love winter.. I am hoping that it will be cool enough tonight that I can light a fire and make some of my famous hot chocolate. Hope everyone is enjoying their day..

Much Love
Amy