My Guilty Pleasure

Hey Y'all!
I am so glad this week is almost over with!  It has been such a chore to drag my boo-tay out of the bed this week.  I know that getting to bed so late has been the reason.  Here it is at 1:00 AM, and I decided to write a blog.  See what I mean?
Last night it was 2:00 AM before I could get to sleep.  I am reading a good book--so good that I couldn't take my eyes away from it!
If you're looking for a great read, check out Alice Hoffman's BLACKBIRD HOUSE.
It's so strange, that you can't put it down--at least I think so anyway.

Now...I'd like you to say hello to my little friend....

One Sunday afternoon, we went to eat lunch after church with my sister and her husband.  After lunch, we decided we'd go to Big Lots.  They happened to have these recliners on sale for $199.99, and I instantly fell in love with this one!

I told Big Daddy that I REALLY REALLY needed this!  He has a HUGE recliner called The Cuddler.  Me and Robbie bought it for him on Father's Day two years ago.  It is so comfy, and last year when I had to have emergency gall bladder removal surgery, it really came in handy.   But still...it's HIS chair and he deserves to relax in it after work.
So....
One Friday night, we had a little choir rehearsal and party to prepare for our Christmas Cantata the following Sunday morning.  Every year, the choir takes up money and they give me (the piano player) and our choir director a gift card.  This year, I took my gift card, along with my profit rewards from selling Scentsy, and bought my recliner---immediately after the party!  hahahaha
I love it and have enjoyed plopping my big self in this chair and doing some crochet or spending time with my two boys.
Tonight Robbie is spending the night with his Pop Pop and MiMi.  They are going to take him to school in the morning, so my routine will be totally different tomorrow.
Enjoy your Thursday--however you spend it.

The Weekend...

Hey Y'all!  I hope you did something fun to ring in 2012!!

Here at The Doublewide, we decided to have a little last minute par-tay!

We had a gazillion things to eat and were not able to get everything eaten.  Still there are leftovers in the fridge! We learned how to play the card game 31.  Robbie and Payton had a blast playing together while we all rang in 2012.

Sunday we didn't have evening services at church, so my family got together here at ate the traditional New Year's Day meal for good luck and what not.

Since I just love taking pictures of food, you're in for a treat!

You ready?!

First we had some mixed greens:

Macaroni and Cheese

Black-Eyed Peas

Grilled Pork Loin (Made by Chad)

and great biscuits too!

It was all wonderful and we went to bed with full bellies!
I loved finishing everything off with my pumpkin spice and whipped cream decaf! 

Have a wonderful night!  

Things go back to normal for us tomorrow!  Headed back to the everyday routine of school!  I guess I'm now counting down the days until MLK Holiday or Snow....whichever comes first!

My 2011 TOP TEN

Hey Y'all!

I hope you've had a great day today!
Can you believe tomorrow will be the last day of 2011?  Seems like yesterday that we were looking forward to 2011...now 2012 is just around the corner.
Some of the major happenings around The Doublewide this year were:
#1.  My sister and her husband had their first baby.  Sawyer was born on October 5th and has been such a blessing to our big family!  I was invited (well I begged and my sister let me) to be in the delivery room when he was born.  This is my second nephew and we love him bunches!

#2.  Robbie started kindergarten!  Here he is with his teacher, Mrs. Mesimer.  

He has done exceptionally well!  He's been tested for the AIG program and I'm really proud to say that he's the only one in kindergarten and first grade that has actually placed into the program so far.  His AIG classes will begin when they go back to school.  His reading level was also tested and he's at a third grade level already!  It does pay to start reading with your children at a very young age!  I'm so proud of our adopted blessing!

#3.  My job did a complete 180!  I have taught Home Ec. for the past three years.  Last year our school system decided that our middle schoolers didn't need to learn any of the skills taught in the class, so they nixed the program.  I was blessed to be able to stay at my school but was moved to teach 6th grade Language Arts and Social Studies.  I'm a math teacher at heart, so this has totally been a learning experience for me.  I do love it!  I love reading novels with my kids and learning about how to improve their reading skills.
Here's a picture of me and two of my students, Anna and Brooke on the first day of school in my new classroom:
(Photo credit to Mr. Bill Ward!)

#4.  Robbie (and us) battled "Hand, Foot and Mouth" disease for the first time.  Big Daddy and I didn't get it, but poor Robbie was pitiful with it!  See what I mean?

#5.  Robbie gave himself his first haircut at school while using scissors.  It was on school picture day.  Luckily, it was after his picture was taken!

#6.  I was asked to participate in a Donkey Baseball game to raise money for our town's new park which will be called Harper Park.  It was so much fun but I was scared to death at my turn.  I wasn't allowed to ride a donkey---I had to ride a dern llama!  Oh the sheer joy of it all!

#7.  I found out I now have high blood pressure and officially entered the "Take your meds every morning" club!  After switching from one, the Azor that I now take seems to be working, thank God!

#8.  On Mother's Day weekend, our sweet Lulabelle ran out into the road and was killed when a car hit her.  For Robbie's sake, we immediately got another dog, Tennessee:
Don't let that sweet face fool you!  He was NUTS!  Drove us crazy because we couldn't get him house-trained to save our lives.  

So, we traded him for Miss Cookie!  She's precious and was already house trained.  We love her and we've only had her for a week!

#9.  I was asked to be the Emcee for my school's talent show in the spring.  It was so much fun and I had different outfits.  We all had a great time!

Here's a little video:

Click Here

#10.  I have met so many great friends here!  I love reading your posts and I enjoy keeping up with what's going on in your world!
Thank you so much, to each of you, who faithfully read and comment on my blogs.  I truly wish nothing but the best for your 2012 and future!

HERE'S TO A GREAT NEW YEAR!  MAY GOD BLESS EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU!

Nook Cover

Hey Y'all!  

I have done absolutely NOTHING today.   Well...unless you count making a breakfast casserole at around 2:00.

Last night I finished this Nook case using light pink cotton.  It works up really quick and was so easy to make! Go here and grab the pattern if you're interested in making one for yourself!
 I didn't do the whole thing like the pattern stated.  I just stopped, created a flap by doing decrease stitches, then added two vintage buttons to help keep it closed.

We're getting ready to go to church later on tonight for Wednesday night prayer meeting.
Hope y'all have a great night!

Today's a Great Day to Crochet!

Hey Y'all!
I hope your day is going great!  Today's awfully windy here at The Doublewide.  I took our sweet girl, Miss Cookie out to potty and the wind almost blew us into the woods!
I have been gone so long, so please let me introduce you to our new girl!
This is Miss Cookie:

Ain't she cute?

We had to swap her for our Tennessee.  He was too much of a wild puppy for us!  He got to where he was chasing Robbie and biting at him.  He chewed anything that he could chew and we just wanted a dog that was LAZY and...since I'm the only girl in this place, I needed another female!  She's so adorable and we just LOVE her!
So, last night I absolutely could not sleep to save my life!  Ended up watching New Moon and Eclipse on the Free Movie channel and I crocheted one of those curly scarves and then finally went to sleep around 4:30 this morning.  Big Daddy had a doctor appt. at 8:00 but I never even heard him leave.  I slept until 10:45 and hopped into my recliner to start on a matching hat for the scarf.  It all centered around the little yellow flower I made yesterday.  Here's the hat and scarf all done:

That's also a picture of my nephew, Sawyer, on the old dresser that belonged to my Pappaw Fred.  My sister and her husband gave each of us a photo for Christmas!
Robbie spent the night with his Pop Pop and MiMi last night.  Here's a picture they sent us:

Hope your day is wonderful!

It's Been Awhile...BUT It Won't Be This Long Again!

Hey Y'all!

It sure has been awhile since I've posted, but I promise it ain't gonna happen anymore.  I enjoy blogging and even more, I enjoy reading YOUR blogs and your posts.  There are a few of you that I check on frequently, even if I don't leave comments.

I miss blogging and it's time to get back on track.  There's too much going on in my life and I enjoy having a record of it all and I enjoy looking back and reading it too!

Sooo...

Have you ever heard of T-Yarn?

I found a video on Youtube that taught me how to cut an old t-shirt and make yarn.  If you're not bored to death right now, here's the video:

So, Robbie and I got to work!  I cut up an old t-shirt and had my t-yarn.  Then I went to the kitchen, got a packet of strawberry kool-aid and grape kool-aid.  Dumped them into two mason jars, and filled them with hot water.  Then I put them into one of my Mammaw's old soup pots, filled the bottom with about three inches of hot water and boiled the yarn into the jars.  Just like this...

Afterwards, I draped the yarn over the box to let it dry, then rolled it up into a ball.

After thinking about what I wanted to do with it, I decided it'd be best to make a hot pad with it.  So....

Isn't it cute?  I think so too!  It's not perfect, but it was fun!  Robbie and I had a great time making the yarn, and I'm sure we'll be doing it again really really soon!

Now...before I go, I wanted to show you this flower I made today:

It was super easy and I made it in no-time!  Here's a link to the free pattern tutorial in case you're feeling crafty!  

Y'all have a great evening!  I'll be back tomorrow!

Have you missed me?!

Hey Y'all!

It absolutely feels like FOREVER since I've posted!  Things at The Doublewide have been crazy busy!
First of all, meet my brand new nephew, Sawyer Lee!

Isn't he adorable?  My sister Amanda gave birth on October 5th and we are all just smitten with him!  I was honored to be in the delivery room with her and her husband and got to witness the miracle of birth.  He weighed 7 lbs and 3 oz.  My birthday is 7-3 so me and him are stuck together like glue already!

Robbie is doing wonderful in school!  He actually kept his behavior card on GREEN for the entire month of October.  We're celebrating by going bowling very soon.

School is moving along quickly.  I can't believe we're a little over 1/4 of the way through the year.  My kids make me laugh on a daily basis and I am enjoying the group we have.

I have also been SUPER busy making these crocheted hats:

Almost can't keep up with the orders, but I'm not complaining!

Last night our friends Beverly, Vernon and Payton came for supper and brought their nephew, Justin.  He's an 11th grader, but I was his 7th grade math and science teacher.  I fixed a new dish that my cousin gave me a recipe for called Crock Pot Chicken and Dressing.  It is SOOO good and you can click HERE for the link and make it yourself.

That's about it for now!  Hope everyone of you is having a great day!