War Eagle!

This one is for the birds

Some days I want to blog and some days I don't but most everyday I enjoy looking at other's blogs. Why? Am I nosey, am I curious, am I bored? The answer is No (exception being maybe a little curious sometimes :).
Am I relational? Am I a photo lover? Am I interested in those I love? The answer is yes. Looking at blogs makes me feel connected to those I am reading about. I love seeing the latest on the children, both yours, their's and mine. I absolutely love children and my slightly overboard obsession with taking photos of my own is just an outlet for loving them. When they are not here, I sort through my photos regularly and it brings the kids to my easliy distracted mind and my open arms that long to hug them daily. It is my understanding from my aunt that my maternal grandfather whom I never knew was the exact same way (Ray Sherman Paul from Waterloo, Iowa). I hope to meet him one day in Heaven and share our mutual love.
You might notice that I do love pictures of birds, most animals, and nature in general too.
Reading a complete stranger's blog also entertains me at times. It is a short version of reading a book. People's words tell a story and people's photos tell a story. Sometimes I have to look beyond the words and photos to see what a person has to say. Sometimes I say "that is for the birds" and move on. So you might be saying the same about my posts on this blog. Just so you know, some of my days are like that and I try not to blog on those days :). Then there are other days when I can't wait to blog. I am not one for posting other's pictures but I found this one randomly and it makes me smile.

And those days are for the bluebirds in my life. Some of you, some of your photos, and some of your words make me feel like a bluebird watching a rainbow. You know who you are :)

collections of sort

I have a few collections of sort: children's bandaids, photos of my loved ones galore, angels here and there, pretty bird things, my mother's needlepoint, lollipop things of course, and of late and of no sentimental or monetary value is my plastic bottlecap collection!


and this is the goal I have to use them as a craft project with all the grandchildren during next summer's visits. We also will be making other fun shapes with all the bottlecaps. I have a 2 ½ gallon ziploc bag already of hundreds of caps but will needs lots more for my vision of this activity we will share.
This of course is a scanned picture so try to imagine this being lifesize. I hope to use our finished projects as decorations for our 2011 Luau :)

My thanks to those of you who are saving them for me!

September 11

hair day

It is not every woman that has a special relationship with her hairdresser. But I do. James and I have the best conversations when I am under his haircare :) He is not just all about making me look better than I could either (he tries his best in that area too). He spurs me on to deep thinking and spiritually, he is wise beyond his years. I have come to love him like a brother and a friend and look so forward to my hair salon days when He and I can catch up. James has done a great job with Magnolia Salon and I am proud for him to be so young and owning a thriving business in the heart of Auburn.
Today was my hair day and I came away with an extra step in my stride. He has that kind of influence over me! No pictures of my new hair do today but maybe in the next week or 2 ,I might share the latest "do" I have now.

When I had the big girls here for the week in July, he gladly accepted my request to do their hair as part of our activities one day (I had their mom's permission too). Lauren had never been to his salon and it was a treat to see her and Sydney in the styling mode together.
Sydney comes to her cousin "Boomer" regularly and she was quite at home with letting him do his thing.
I think he did a great job on both girls. One of the things he and I understand about each other is to say what you think and just be honest. It is a gift to be able to do that with my hairdresser and I have had a few over the years that I absolutely could not do that with.

Let me just say a woman's hair is top priority. I choose the ones that care for me with great care. Some might call me picky. That is ok with me. I am quite particular about my favorite hairdresser and very fond of him. You should be too.

Goodbye Summer and remembering The Big Girls

I had high hopes of sharing some interesting pictures that I took Saturday at the AU game and was all ready to download them from my phone to the computer and I stuck the adapter card in the wrong slot which will now cost me a trip to the computer store. We have shook it every which-a-way and taken off the front without damaging anything but it appears we need help to retrieve it.
Oh well, some of you (Alabama fans don't want to see those pictures anyway) will appreciate other pictures more.

I blogged early in August that I would have to share my Girls' Week pictures in September since this month will be a slow one in our activity of seeing grandchildren. So here are some from Big Girls Week at Lolli and Pops:
We did so much the week these girls were here but this picture sums it up pretty good! We had a blast together :)
When Lauren and Sydney are here, things happen that just don't normally take place. When you put 2 cousins, ages 13 and 10 together away from their brothers and parents they seem to get a little hyper, especially when cooking anything chocolate!

Giggles, smeared faces, laughter, and stained shirts were the result! (gotta love Shout It Out at times like this)

Sydney walked in with not 1 but 3 bags full of Beanie Babies and they certainly had a good time all week with these collectable items. It was fun to see their creativity naming them and grouping them and including them in most everything we did!
My friends' tandem bike was good for some morning exercise too between the 4 of us.

especially Pops and I since the girls could not reach the front seat's pedals.

One of the fun things we did with my neighbor's granddaughters was style us some hairdos with empty plastic bottles (in this case they used small Dr.Pepper bottles:) The girls all had fun modeling their do's to us along with a little skit too.


You knew I could not post without a lollipop picture :)
One of the things I enjoy most about having the big girls is playing games with them. These 2 love playing games as much as I do and they begged me every night to stay up late playing either mexican dominoes or Last Word.

I miss them already. I really am sad to say goodbye to summertime but I already have a few new ideas brewing for next year's weeks with each set of grandchildren :)

Are you ready?

Are you ready for some football?

We are ready at Lolli and Pops' house!