Not Much to Report

Ah, Friday!  It's gonna be a semi-busy weekend.  Our high school is hosting it's first ever show choir competition.  Tonight, middle schools perform, and then tomorrow, it is the high schools.  Our show choirs will do an exhibition performance while the results are being tallied.  It should be a great thing for our city, as what few hotels we have are booked up.  There are 30 show choirs coming to our city for this event.  I am going to attend tomorrow afternoon.  Jordan and his group will perform tomorrow night.  You do know that he plays bass guitar for them?  I'm sure I've mentioned that once or twice!  Anyway, I'm really looking forward to it.

Sunday is my birthday, and it is also Justin's birthday.  He will be 21, and I will be 41.  That's right, exactly 20 years apart.  He will be coming down Sunday, and we'll probably go out to eat.  That's pretty much our birthday celebration.  I need to get him a gift, and I have no idea what.  Maybe I can come up with something. 

So, that's about it.  Sorry for this boring post. 8)

Post That's Chocked Full of Pictures

So, I was able to see Millie yesterday.  She and Justin came to visit, and they stayed a long time, most of the day.  She is beginning to smile a little and make those sweet baby noises.  I've been waiting for this!  But, it seems like she changes so much from one time that I see her until the next.  She's getting a little more hair on her head.  There is this one spot on the top, close to the crown of her head, that is thicker than everywhere else.  It's funny, because Jordan's hair was just like that.  He had more there than anywhere else.

Justin has turned into quite the father!  You can tell how much he loves that baby just by watching him interact with her.  And, I must say, she always has her eyes on her daddy when he is in the same room, no matter who is holding her.  It's so sweet.  She is going to be a daddy's girl, for sure, already is.

I can hardly wait until I get to see her again, which will probably be this weekend.  It is mine and Justin's birthday on Sunday.  He will be 21, and I'll be a year older. :)  Well, he was born on my 20th birthday, so let's just leave it at that...or, you can do the math.  I posted here about how he was the best birthday present ever.  I also posted here about my feelings on the milestone age that I celebrated last year.   I don't know what we will do Sunday.  I guess we'll go out somewhere nice to eat.  What is funny is that Chelsea's birthday is Saturday.  He will be celebrating with her and her family that day.  Chelsea is one year older than Justin.  I don't know if I've ever mentioned that...not that it really matters.

So, that's an update on what's been going on with the new family.  Here are some more pictures that I took this weekend.  Enjoy!

Sucking on her fist in the bouncer.

She loved Uncle Chase's hat.

Crashed

All bundled up for the ride home.

"Service" Stations: A Thing of the Past?

Call me lazy, but I HATE to stop to get gas.  I will run my gas hand as close to that little "E" that I can.  I just hate to have to stop, go in and pay, go back out and pump it.  It's such a hassle.  And, since I rarely have any money in the bank, I can't just swipe my debit card, and go for it. 

Gone are the days when you could simply drive up to the pump, a guy would come out, ask how much, pump it for you, and you would just pay him.  If you needed change, he would reach into his pocket and pull out a big roll of money, and make change right then and there.  And, if you needed it, he would check your oil, and clean your windshield...at no extra charge!  I remember those days.  I wish that the gas stations of today would go back to the "service" stations of yesterday.

Today I decided to go visit my mom and dad, since it's been awhile.  When I headed out to go there, I realized that I really should stop and get gas.  There were no gas stations on the road that I took to get there, and I would have to go out of my way just to fuel up.  Plus, I really had to pee, and I just wanted to get to my parents' house.  So, I drove slowly, not pressing the gas pedal very hard, in an effort to conserve what little gas was left in the bottom of the tank.  Heck!  I probably drove down there on fumes!  I made it.  I had a nice visit with them.  When I got ready to leave, I remembered that I still needed to get gas as soon as possible.  Then my dad said, "If you'll go over to William's, they'll pump it for you.  You might have to pay a penny more per gallon."  I told him that I would gladly pay a penny more a gallon just to not have to get out in the cold and pump gas!  So, I left there, still taking it easy so that I could make it to this "Williams".  I pulled up to the pump, and looked around at another vehicle already there to see if the guy standing there was actually pumping gas for that person.  He was.  And, even though the sign on top of the pump said "this pump self service," he left his post at the other vehicle, and came over and asked me how much.  He got the pump started, headed back over to the other vehicle to finish theirs up, and another man came out to finish mine.  He came up to the window.  I paid him.  He took out his roll of cash, gave me change, and made a friendly comment about the weather.  I drove out of there so happy that I didn't have to get out and do all that and wishing that there were more of these "service" stations around.  You just can't beat good service.

Simple Woman's Daybook for January 25, 2010

FOR TODAY:  Monday, January, 25, 2010

Outside my window...it's a very windy, cloudy, chilly day.

I am thinking...if I should cook supper since the kids have already eaten a frozen pizza.

I am thankful for...my family.

From the learning rooms...I have been learning the basics of PhotoShop via YouTube.

From the kitchen...chaos.

I am wearing...white tennis shoes, khaki pants, and a blue sweatshirt.

I am creating...only this meme.

I am going...to watch the practice "run through" by the show choirs tonight as they get ready for competition.

I am reading...Shape magazine.

I am hoping...to stick to my weight-loss plan this time.

I am hearing...the clothes dryer running, and the video game playing in the other room.

Around the house...lots of clutter.

One of my favorite things...getting to see my new granddaughter, Millie.

A few plans for the rest of the week:  not much planned right now except for work each day through Friday.  http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...
 

My sweet granddaughter watching her dad brush his teeth! Isn't she a cutie?!

  Join this meme over at Peggy's Simple Daybook blog.

A Great Show Last Night

We attended the 9th (I think) annual Sweets and Songs last night.  I left my camera in the car :( , so I had to "borrow" a picture from a friend on Facebook.  There were no pictures to be had, so far, of the band, so I will post a picture of my bass-playing son, before the show, at the end of this post. 

The show was awesome, as always.  The middle school show choir, VocalPoint, blew me away!  They did a lovely ballad with some awesome soloists.  It was called "Up On The Mountain."  It is a song written by a singer named Patty Griffin.  It's a tribute to MLK.  I had probably heard the song before, because Kelley Clarkson has sung it a few times on television, but it made such an impact with these young people doing it last night.  It was so powerful that I want to post the video of Patty Griffin singing it.  Let me know what you think about it.  I hope to be able to post a video of VocalPoint singing it soon.



Jordan plays bass for the main act, Centerstage!.  The show this year is a bit odd.  It will be interesting to see how it does in competition.  The kids are great in it.  It is centered around the idea of finding out WHO you are.  There are some faceless dancers and some disguises and masks involved which contribute to the strangeness of it all, but it will definitely be unique! 

So, here is a pic of Jordan that I promised.  He is turning in to quite a handsome young man.  He will be 16 in April.  My baby is growing up!

Enjoying Saturday

Ahhhh!! It's Saturday.  My favorite day of the week.  The first day off from the work week...and still one more to go.  The house is quiet, all except my pug/French bulldog snoring in the floor.  Kevin has gone hunting with a good friend, and the boys are still asleep, nevermind that it's noon!  Jordan must be getting up because he has to be at the school in an hour to perform (bass guitar) at the annual "Sweets and Songs" choir show. You get to go sit back, eat a few brownies, cookies, etc., all while enjoying watching Albertville's students perform.  It's their first public performance this year which kicks off the start of show choir season.  It also acts as a fundraiser for the choir programs.  I posted about last year's Sweets and Songs here.  I look forward to posting some more pictures after tonight.

I'm back on the bandwagon again.  I'm trying to lose some weight.  I started last week by counting calories.  Fridays are my weigh in days, and this week I lost 6 pounds!  That didn't even include exercise!  But, I know that I will have to start adding exercise, so I bought a dvd of  a "Dancing With The Stars" workout.  I did a little of it this morning.  It is going to be a fun workout...especially since Maks is one of the instructors!  I'll be learning some of the cool dance moves that they do on the show, too.  I love to dance!

Justin came for a visit yesterday.  He didn't bring Millie because she has a snotty nose and has been coughing.  Hopefully, she will get better soon, so that she can come see her Granda!  I miss that little thing, but it was nice getting to spend some time with Justin.  We went to Huddle House for supper last night.  And then, we just hung out at home for a bit before he had to make his way back to Scottsboro.

So, that's the jist of my weekend so far.  What are your plans for the weekend?

A "Meaning To" Kind of Day

Well, you can tell by the lack of my blog posts that school has finally gotten started back after the holidays and the Winter weather.  But, I took a much-needed "home alone" vacation day today.  I did it on a whim.  It was rainy this morning when I got up, and I thought, "Boy. I wish I could stay home."  So, I did!  GO, ME!!  It's okay.  I have vacation days and a personal day built up at work, so I was NOT playing hooky!  Nothing pressing was on my schedule at work, so I went for it!  And, while I would like to say that I sat in my pajamas all day and watched television (that will be another upcoming vacation day), I did some things around the house.  I did some of those "meaning to" things.  You know, I've been "meaning to" strip the paint off my front door for painting.  I've been "meaning to" declutter my area of coupons, newpapers, and mail.  I didn't wear myself out, though.  I just did it at a slow pace.  Of course, I didn't get done with any of it, but I did get a good start for when the next "meaning to" mood strikes me.  I even hung the little flower frames that I bought at a yard sale LAST year, as in 2008.  I had been "meaning to" hang them in my purple laundry room for quite some time now.  And, it felt good.  It felt good to clear out a little more clutter.  It felt good to strip some more paint from my door...even though it is not a very welcoming site to visitors, but it will be...when I finish it...one day.  And, it felt good to hang those little pictures. 

What have you been "meaning" to do?  Why don't you take five minutes and just do it or just start it?  I look forward to reading your "meaning to's."