I am alive!!!!!

I bet you have all been wondering if I was alive or not....well I am happy to report that I do have a pulse! Graduate school is KILLING ME! Here are a few quick updates:

* Clint took his turkey (Lynard) to the NC State fair in October and placed 6 out of 15 in his class. He just got a check in the mail for $35 from where they auctioned Lynard after the show. Poor Lynard!

Clint posing with Lynard before they are off to the NC State Fair. Lynard is camera shy!!

* Callie tried out for the NC Elementary Honors Chorus and made it. There were only 20 from Cleveland County and 160 from all of NC. Their rehearsals and performance were last weekend in Winston Salem. It was AWESOME!

Can you find Callie in the picture?

My little singer!

*Cassie's 1st Cheer Competition was last weekend in Raleigh. They won 1st in their division. Go Force!

Cassie after her competition at Dorton Arena in Raleigh.

* Terry's plant is closing December 31st. He has worked there for almost 21 years. We are scared but know the Lord is in control. PRAY!

*I am in a Masters program through ASU that meets in Hickory , and so far I am making A's. It is sooooo hard, and I cry a lot. But God's in control of that too.

* Clint was nominated by his high school as a Park Scholarship recipient (full ride to NC State!). Each high school can choose up to 2 and they only chose Clint this year. He has completed his application and all the necessary requirements. They only choose 50 for the scholarship out of all their nominees...we are praying.

*We toured NC State on Monday...unfortunately, I think Clint liked it!

Clint outside of the 1911 Building at NC State.

* Clint has applied to NC State, UNCC, and I think he is going to apply to Clemson. I'm thinking Cleveland Community here we come!!!!

* Cassie and Callie made straight A's on their 1st report card, and Clint made A's and a B (in Honors Biology II). Way to go kids!

I guess that is about all to report at this time. I have been overwhelmed with my responsibilities at work and grad school. I can't wait for Christmas break so I can breathe.

Blah!

I have been in a blah mood lately. I guess I always get this way when its about time for school to start back. Don't get me wrong I love my job, and I do miss it in the summer. But each year when it gets about this time, I get frustrated with myself that I didn't do as much summer planning as I had liked to and that I didn't do as much in my house as I should. Yes, I'll admit I have been LAZY! But I keep telling myself, in 2 weeks I will be so busy that I will only be able to dream about being lazy.
A week from today, I go back to work full steam ahead with meetings and getting my room ready. On the following Monday, the kids start back to school. Then on Tuesday the 26th, I start graduate school. Not to mention all that Clint, Cassie, and Callie will be doing outside of school.
Speaking of Clint and Callie, they are leaving in the morning with Mrs. Janet and her crew to spend the next 5 days in Pigeon Forge/Sevierville. Mrs. Janet is in desperate need of a vacation, and she thought it would be a good idea to let 2 of her children take 2 of mine as companions. I am a little jealous! She also invited Cassie, but she has her last week of drivers ed. training this week. Also, Cassie has a weekend babysit gig lined up that she is ecstatic about. That girl loves to babysit!
Speaking of babysitting, Callie has been dying to have K come over for a play date. So, Marla let us get her this afternoon at about 5. They played baby dolls, dress-up, and kitchen. She also had supper with us. We bathed her and took her home around 8:30. You know what that crazy young'un wanted to do when we got her home? She wanted to take another bath. I guess because the rest of her bunch were in the middle of getting their baths when we got to Marla's. Callie really enjoyed having K over and can't wait to do it again soon.

Callie dressed K in a Christmas dress and cowboy boots!

K posing with her babies

Lookie here!

Terry found this conch shell while he was playing with the kids in the ocean. Ain't it purdy? We've never found a shell this nice at the beach. They also found tons of hermit crabs. (no pics of those though) We kept the shell while we were at the ocean that day, but Terry made us throw it back before we left because he didn't want the animal inside of it to die. I thought it would have been a great souvenir.

Moustache Monday

It is taking me a while to catch on to this blogger thing. I am learning that a faithful blogger carries a camera at all times. Yesterday I needed one when the kids and I went to lunch. I had a busy day of running them from one place to another so, we decided to eat a quick lunch at Pizza Inn. Well they are celebrating 50 years in business, and they are trying to spice things up a bit. Yesterday just happened to be Moustache Monday. They gave everybody in the restaurant a sticker moustache to wear while they were eating. If you wore it, you got a dollar off your meal. Well of course I made my crew wear them, that was a $4 savings! We giggled all the way through lunch. What I couldn't understand was why none of the other customers would wear them. Everyone kept staring at us, which made us giggle even more. We had a good time together.

Do you see what I see?

We just got back from the ocean and for the most part we are all fried! Look at this pic of Callie... do you see what I see?

She has a white trail all around the outer edges of her face where she applied her sunscreen. Apparently, she didn't get it rubbed around her whole face. It is hilarious!

Here are Cassie, Leanna, and Abby doing what they like best, cruisin' and cheesin' on the back of the golf cart.

Hope you all had a super Sunday. We sure did miss our church people.

We're Here!

Well, we made it! And I was wrong I do have Internet access. I am apparently bumming off of somebody else's connection. (Don't tell nobody!) Anyway, we arrived at about 11:30, checked in, unloaded, and went to check out our friend's place. Then Marla, Leanna, and I went to Wal-Mart for groceries. Now we are all set, for a few days anyway. You know how excited I was to see Clint? Well, He asked if him and Cory could stay with a friend of theirs tonight. Kids! Well have a super Saturday. I will keep you posted.

Beach Bound

Well the car is packed and we are ready to go. We will be leaving at 6 am tomorrow morning for a week of fun in the sun. I don't know how much Internet access I will have, so don't expect much out of a Hoppin' Place to Be until we get back. I am looking forward to seeing Clint (He's already at the beach with a friend), I have only seen him 19 hours (most of that time he was asleep) out of the past 14 days. We are going to miss Bailey while we are gone, but she's in good hands with our friend Hannah. Sorry Bay Bay we will make it up to you.
We are all looking forward to spending some time with some good friends of ours from church also.
Have a good week!