Off to the....

BEACCCCCCH!
Today, we leave for our final OBX beach trip. We are going with Wade's family...his mom and dad, his 3 brothers, wives/girlfriends, and ALL the kiddo's! Its going to be a WILD trip...and I am READY to GO! We have not been as a family in over three years.
Lots of pics to come...
Enjoy your trips and time over the Labor Day weekend...the summer will soon be gone again.

Steve

Its been awhile since I posted about Steve....he is doing SO well....he is going to therapy a couple a times a week....still FUNNY as ever....and just a blessing and a joy to be around. He visits here at work sometimes and we look forward to seeing him.

As you can see from the pictures, Steve is a MIRACLE...GOD is good and has most definately had a hand in this recovery.
The first two pictures were taken about mid June, the first one is with his daughter. The last picture of he and Vicky was taken just a few minutes ago.

Bus #173 ready for boarding...

Bentlee and two other girls waiting for the bus at our house

Gotta go mom!

After all was said and done yesterday, the bus came today! And I didn't CRY!

The FIRST day of school!

Well, the morning started off GREAT! Bentlee woke up EXCITED about school...her dad got her dressed and I got her hair done...we were ready for the BUS! We went out on the porch around 7am....waited, waited, and waited....NO bus! There were several OTHER buses but not one to stop at our house.

Long story short and now that my blood pressure is down a bit and I have made myself known ONCE again at school after a breif visit to the school office (LOL for you folks that remember my PTA speech last year!)....the bus WILL stop at our house in the morning...and I guess I will have to post pictures of her first bus ride tomorrow...no thanks to the ignorant secretary that lines up buses at our elementary school. Yes, I am going to keep my comments to myself for fear of cursing and just plain ruining my blog...but when my daughter is DISSAPOINTED, I am DISSAPOINTED, lol~ I am trying to smile about this and I should try and remember it is the first (hectic) day of school. But I stood waiting for the bus, camera in hand, only to have to DRIVE her to school (all the while, rehearsing what I would choose to tell that secretary...lol!).

HOORAH! Bentlee is in Kindergarten....LOL! She was SO cute this morning and RARING to go...with her BRATZ bookbag that is bigger than she is...and her Hannah Montana lunchbox...and her glittery folders and fresh crayons...and still carrying that sweet innocent look of my baby...










Nope, I did not cry this morning, I was too mad to cry....tomorrow, WHEN the bus stops at our house...I will CRY!

Until tomorrow....

Kindergarten!

Last year...the first day of PreK


It's that time again...the school buses will soon be out and about making you late for work...the school supplies have been purchased and the new book bags are waiting for the "ride"...can you hardly beleive it? Bentlee will start KINDERGARTEN this year. Above is the photo of her first day of PreK...I was not blogging then. She was SO eager to start school...and she is this year too. Wonder what grade they start that "attitude" thing about NOT wanting to go back to school? Can't wait for that...right~
And this year, I go "back" to school too! Life is SOOO strange how it changes from one year to the next...one day to the next. I would have never predicted my life would take this turn a year ago as I posed on that sidewalk with her...never thought she would be riding the bus and actually getting off at our house, not someone else's house until I could get off work to pick her up. She is really EXcited about all that too. I can see her now...running off the bus, falling in the rocks in the driveway as she can hardly wait to tell me WHAT she did that day...LOL! Everybody knows my poor Bentlee can trip on an even surface ;o)

A day at the pool...

Bentlee, Karley, Bowen, & Rylee

Tina and I decided a day at the pool would be in order for this past weekend...I wish we had started this earlier in the summer.The kids played well together considering we breezed right through nap time and stayed at the pool until 4pm. The kids had a great time and the mommy's got some SUN!


Puddin' at the pool...




We had a great day and plan to do it a couple more times before the weather turns too cool...maybe this Saturday? Probably not, Tina has her Premier Jewelry Party Saturday and I think my kids will be with my mom and dad.

And the next weekend is Labor Day weekend....and we will be at the beach, HOOray! I can HARDLY wait. I am in need of some SUN & SAND!

Calling all married bloggers...

or married readers....CHECK your CALENDERS and dust off your wedding dress...

Let's meet & greet...a Saturday in September, 13th or 20th...location unknown...wedding dress in tow...photos first, lunch afterwards for fear of POPPING already bulging zippers...

Idea's, lunch...Pace House in Franklin?...Tea room?...needs to be somewhere that has a nice yard or outside area...or near a nice outside area....face it, we are all country girls, lets take them outside...and some inside maybe....

Tell me WHAT you are thinking girls...I say September 13th...or we could do a Friday afternoon/evening...then have dinner...or Sunday afternoon?

Photographers...I have a cousin that may be interested?...Tara? Ava's Randi would be a cool person to ask?!!!

Suggestions, suggestions, suggestions...

Manic, crazy, or FUN?

Mom says I am "manic", Wade says I am "crazy, and I think I am "FUN"!
With the persuasion of Michele (see her post tomorrow b/c she was the first to do this), I pulled my wedding dress out! Michele has not preserved hers so this was a bigger deal for me...but, I pulled my dress out of the preservation box and held my breath...stepped into the dress...sucked in my gut (after having two kids!)...and guess what...




















IT FITS! HOORAY!

















It was almost like Christmas time...so fun to actually see and feel my dress again. I wanted a "Cinderella" dress with a BIG poofy bottom...and thats what I got! When I got married I actually wore 2 crinlins (not sure about that spelling) under my dress and it was VERY big.
So, anyway...what really inspired this was Michele's decision to "Trash the dress"...and I just think that is a WAY cool thing to do. Brides are getting in their wedding dresses again and taking some "odd" photos at different locations...at the beach, water fountains, farms, etc. After some thought, I figured, "why shouldn't I do the same?" What are the ODDS I will ever wear the dress again...ZERO....so, its out of the box and I am planning to "copy" Michele and "Trash the dress"...now, I am NOT going to roll around in the mud with my dress on but Michele says you have to be willing to at least get it wet....no problem. Lets do it! And have some FUN!
Our plans are to do this in September...we'll be sure to post pics or let you know where you can see the pics.
To get an idea of what we are about to do visit www.photobytara.com or visit her blog www.photobytara.blogspot.com. Its all the RAGE for married women with a wedding dress that will never be worn again. And yes, I do plan to preserve my dress again in case my girls want it. What are those odds...15 years from now Bentlee will wear my dress...not hardly...but it will there if my girls want it.
Excuse the hair and makeup in these photos...these were taken at 10pm last night, LOL! And the photos are compliments of WADE, LOL!

In need:

Of one kiddie/toddler table...if any of you know someone that has one for sale or if someone wants to get rid of one, I need one...and chairs too if possible.

Its time to tell it...

I know some of you are still in suspense from my blog post a few weeks back...well, here it is...
I OFFICIALLY turned my resignation in at my job...a place I have worked at for over 8 years now...a place of advancement for me, fulfillment, laughter, stress, and a place I have built many dear friendships.
A few months back I started thinking...oh yeah, I know what you are thinking...but seriously thinking about my life...soul searching, asking myself questions, and it kept coming back to "but"...and I prayed about it and asked others to pray for me, I started making phone calls, "researching" the thoughts of my friends that have made huge career moves, listing pros and cons, endlessly talking to my husband (that orginally thought I had lost my mind)...and it all came together...
I want better for my family and my children than what we have now...I want SOOO many things, I want to send my children to private school, I want my husband and I to enjoy ourselves sometimes rather than worry about living paycheck to paycheck, I need to know ONE day we MAY be able to take family vacations for a week, I want to TITHE to God...BUT what would it take to make those needs and wants happen? alot of sacrifice and more schooling was the answer.
And yes, most of these are WANTS rather than NEEDS, BUT I am doing it for BOTH...WANTS AND NEEDS...
So folks, I am here to tell you today after MUCH consideration, many tears, many talks, and the support of my husband...I submitted my resignation yesterday with a
PLAN!
I have registered for school...I have plans to take 1-2 courses each semester at Halifax for the next two years...while keeping some children in my home...and in two years (when Rylee goes to school, a few bills are paid off, and Wade has a better job, fingers crossed!!!), I will GOD willingly enter the Dental Hygeine program!
Its a 2 year program. And a very hard program to get accepted in to...so when I said, GOD WILLING, I meant it!
Girls (and guys), I have been out of school for 14 years~! I am SCARED silly!
Last week I took my placement test, only had to take the math section because my english transferred from ECU, I nearly CAVED! I ate about 1/4 of a chocolate cake that afternoon due to nerves and nearly lost that before I got there, LOL!
So..there you have it. I am finished TOILING over WHAT to do...now, it's sink or swim...do or die! No more "BUTS"...I am going out on FAITH and giving God the glory for every day He gives me (and every test I pass! lol).
I will miss my job, my comfort zone...this has been a place of "refuge" for me as a mom with lots of adult converstation, lots of laughter, some HORRIBLE days...but mostly, a place I have enjoyed and a place I made three BEST friends...I will miss you three girls...and you too Mrs. Elaine! and the high speed internet, LOL!

The ENTIRE Mayle family

My new title photo was taken back in February...its Wade's FAMILY! YEP~ we country folk come from large families, LOL! I decided to share it with you this morning...since I had nothing else to blog about...and wouldn't want to anyone to think I am SCARED to blog these days, LOL!

I would name all the family for you but most of you wouldn't know them so I figure, what's the point?

Credits of the photo should go to www.sandfootphotography.com (I beleive thats the right address).

HOT!

Let me tell you, I am HOT! Not temperature HOT but MAD HOT!

For those of you reading this while you are WORKING....GUESS WHAT? You are just as guilty as me BLOGGING at work, you are taking your WORK TIME JUST AS I TAKE SMALL BITS OF MY WORK TIME TO BLOG! GUILTY< GUILTY...GUILTY!!!...so, if it upsets you that I blog at work, TOO BAD! You won't have to worry about it much longer...and for the record, its NOT EFFECTING MY JOB PERFORMANCE...leave it ALONE...

For those of my blogger FRIENDS...disregard this posting, its not meant for you...

Thats all I have to say today

Happy BELATED Birthday My Friend!

As you know from our blogs, Tina and I have been friends a VERY LONG TIME! On and off friends, tight friends, distant friends...but never NOT friends...
As I thought of her birthday last week I thought back to some of the pictures we have taken over the years...mainly the pictures we took in our WILDER years...the years when I first started dating Wade...the heavy party years...no fears, no bedtimes, no responsibilities, no KIDS, no nothing... just FREEDOM!
I met Wade (now my husband and the father of my children) when Tina was dating his brother some 12 years ago...we drank too much, smoked too many cigarettes...took off on trips to the beach at a minutes notice...only to get kicked out of a hotel room and drove home in the middle of the night...but it was about 10 of us with two single beds, LOL! Those were the days...
Now, we share in our "faith" and we share our families...we party less, have way too many responsibilities...way too many fears...and not nearly enough time for each other...but we are still friends...no strings attached...you call me when you can, you email me when you can...I will see you when I see you...
I could go on but all of you know I am long winded...and sentimental at times...so,

Tina, Happy Birthday my friend!

Just wanted to share some photos taken some 12 years ago....LOL! You are gonna kill me when you see these but here is my birthday present to you! As usual, I am a few days late but thats me!

Rylee's birthday party

Wade and I finally had Rylee's birthday party yesterday...everyone brought their bathing suits and we set up the slip-n-slides...and had a WET N' Wild TIME!~
Then, it was time for cake and ice cream...and presents too.

Rylee's Dora birthday cake...and everybody helping blow out the candles!

She's peeking in the bag...

Its a DORA baby and POCKETBOOK! And clothes...and more clothes! Hooray!

Slip-n-slide fun...

Bentlee making a splash...

Tyler got the hang of it pretty quickly...

While Rylee played ball by herself! LOL...

Watermelon Princess Contest

Bentlee did not win the princess contest but all those girls were winners in my mind...it was HOTTTTT! They got on the parade float at 9:30am...the parade ended around 11:20...then waited and waited...finally did the stage walk, then the interview....then waited some more...and it was 2:00pm before the winners were announced! It was a real contest...a contest of patience of 5 year olds! But, they all had a good time and all got goodie bags full of watermelon candy, soap, etc. And Bentlee got to play some games with her dad as he had promised if she did her best in the contest($20 worth of games in 10 minutes).
Bentlee was a good sport most of the day...along with Wade, Rylee, Wade's parents, and my mom! It was just a long drawn out process. Wade was definately a trooper...he never complained and waited very patiently! Most of the time Wade is working and does not get to attend these types of events with the girls and I, so I guess he felt blessed to actually be off of work and with his girls regardless of the temperature.
And the little girl that won was deserving of the win...she is a very animated, never-met-a-stranger sort of child. Congratulations to her and the two runner ups.

The Princess Contestants float Bentlee and the other girls rode on...

Rylee watching the parade...

Passing the time using her new coloring book & crayons from the Murfreesboro Fire Dept...

Waiting...and waiting some more to get on stage...

All the girls finally on the stage!

Bentlee and her cousin Hayley...Hayley won the Princess contest when she was 5 years old.

And you know who I would have chosen to win this year....LOL!