Fully Loaded

What do you do when someone comes up to you with a broken bowl and this animated explanation....

"I washed this bowl, rinsed it, and left it on the towel to dry. I left it alone and washed plates and was in the middle of washing silverware when POW! it exploded."

First reaction? Laughter. Laughter at the irony of it all. : ) Really, it's an excellent excuse, right? And then the second reaction?
Hmmmmmm....likely story. : )

Valentine's Shenanigans

Anyone that knows Ray is fully aware of his uncanny ability to think up the most hilarious shenanigans. From proposing to serenading ~ always for another, of course ~ he's always ready with a prank or joke to keep everyone in stitches. Valentine's Day just couldn't go unnoticed, and since he had found just the perfect poem with a few alterations........

His Sunday School teacher seemed to be the perfect hero for this perfect poem, so with a southern drawl that would melt the heart of stone, Ray read the poem as from Mr. Tesseneer to Mrs. Tesseneer. His plans had been to read it last Sunday, but Mr. Tesseneer was sick. Ray claimed it was love sickness, but that Mrs. Tesseneer hadn't caught it. : )

Kudzu is green, my dog's name is Blue
And I'm so lucky to have a sweet thang like you.
Yore hair is like cornsilk, a-flapping in the breeze.
Softer than Blue's and without all them fleas.
You move like the bass, which excite me in May.
You ain't got no scales, but I luv you anyway.
You're as graceful as okry, jist a-dancin' in the pan.
Yo're as fragrant as SunDrop right out of the can.
You have all yore teeth, for which I am proud;
I hold my head high when we're in a crowd.
Well, I'm in hawg heaven, I'm plumb outta my wits.
And speakin' of wits, you've got plenty to share
'Cuz you married me long before I had grey hair.
Still all them fellers at work they all want to know,
What I did to deserve such a purty, young doe.
Like a good roll of duct tape, yo're there for yore man,
To patch up life's troubles and stick 'em in the can.
Yo're strong as a four-wheeler racin' through the mud,
Yet fragile as that sanger named Naomi Judd.
Yo're as cute as a junebug a-buzzin' overhead.
You ain't mean like no far ant upon which I oft tread.
Cut from the best pattern like a flannel shirt of plaid,
You sparked up my life like a Rattletrap shad.
When you hold me real tight like a padded gunrack,
My life is complete; Ain't nuttin' I lack.
Yore complexion, it's perfection, like the best vinyl sidin'.
Despite all the years, yore age, it keeps hidin'.
And when you get old like a '57 Chevy,
Won't put you on blocks and let the grass grow up heavy.
Me 'n' you's like a Moon Pie, with a RC cold drank,
We go together like a skunk goes with stank.

Some men, they buy chocolate for Valentine's Day;
They git it at Wal-Mart; It's romantic that way.
Some men git roses on that special day,
From the cooler at Kroger.
"That's impressive," I say.
Some men buy fine diamonds from a flea market booth.

"Diamonds are forever," they explain, suave and couth.

But for this man, honey, these will not do.
For you are too special, you sweet thang you.
I got you a gift, without taste nor odour,
Better than diamonds.....

It's a new trollin' motor.

Goin' to Bass Pro in the Snow

A couple weeks ago, Ray received an invitation in the mail to the boat show at Bass Pro. There were to be refreshments, door prizes, a free hat to the first 100..... Can't miss that! The only problem was that we didn't count on it snowing.

The decision was tossed back and forth. Were we going or were we not? The snow was falling fast, but the roads seemed to be staying passable. Someone called to make sure it wasn't cancelled (almost hoping that it was), but I guess they figured if you were tough enough to go hunting, you were tough enough to make it to Bass Pro in the snow.

With the looming adventure in mind, everyone packed a lot of "just in case" things. "Better to be prepared and not need it than to need it and not be prepared" was our motto. Numerous coats, a bottled water for everyone, some food, hoodies, pillows, and even a sleeping bag were among the paraphernalia carted along. Allison mourned the oversight of her CD player (musical earplugs) until she remembered her electronic Rubiks Cube. Oh, brother! Sooooooo glad she can turn the volume down! : )

This was going to be fun!......or was it?

We made it safely with no incident. Praise the Lord!

After a little while of browsing through the clothes department, all but Sara and Ray decided to venture over to a small bookstore. They had a clearance rack, and even their regular priced items weren't too bad. We came away with a small stack of books and several eager girls ready to read them!
When we returned, we got some refreshments, then found a nice, quiet place to sit down in the lobby. (Near the fire!!!!!)

They had Chic-fil-a chicken strips, cheese, a vegetable tray, and a variety of cookies. Not too bad! : )

Mom really wanted to get snowed in there so she could camp out at Bass Pro, but no such thing happened! : )
We made it safely home although the roads were quite a bit whiter and slicker than the way there.

Honor students??????


Here's what it really says! : )

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This snow didn't stay around for very long like the last one did. This morning, the sun broke out with splendor, quickly raising the temperature and melting a lot of the snow. But we did take advantage of the beauty before it transformed into an icky mess.

The kitties were enjoying the snow, daintily taking each step.....and testing that cold, weird white stuff with their paws, feline fashion. : )

It was funny to watch them walk in a perfect line. No trailblazers in this weather!

Some were smarter and sought refuge from the melting snow falling from the trees.

Our street

Rompurr

Itty Bitty

You just have to laugh when you start at the back of the house, and when you reach the middle of the street out front, you still have a caravan of kitties by your side! : )

(But don't laugh too hard.....they've also followed us down the street to neighbors' houses before!)

Computer Savvy????

We have found that we have one electronically inclined kitty! Tiny is drawn to these modern day conveniences as a magnet is to steel ~ and it's not just computers. The camera, the cell phone....his curiosity gets the best of him every time.
Yesterday, Mom was doing some research on the computer when up hops a very willing companion. And right smack dab in the middle of the keyboard he goes! There's no telling where you'll end up after he's through! : )

Intrigued

We were taking pictures with the cell phone as well as the camera so we could text them. As Allison was showing Mom the pictures so she could decide the best one, Tiny was right there in the middle of things so he could voice his approval. : )

Thankfully, his curious mind reached it's full capacity for the moment. Ahhhhhhh.....I do believe it's time for a catnap!

*Guess What!*

A Weekly Serenade

Each Wednesday, our family has the privilege of picking up the children of several families to go to church. It has proven to be a wonderful ministry, not just to the children, but to the rest of the family as well. Our ultimate prayer through this ministry is that the parents will one day be the ones taking the children to church, but for now..... : )
It's fun to watch their different personalities. Some are quiet, some are talkative, some make you laugh while others make you cry.... : ) Just kidding. Some, you can always count on to behave themselves while others....well....it does make our hearts well up with delight when we get good reports from their teachers.
We love to see their progress as they learn about God and about Biblical principles. There have been some interesting questions as the lessons provoked some thought.
And then, there is the singing. We teach them songs and encourage them to sing along on the way to and from church. Granted, the sound can get rather ear piercing in the small confines of the van. But we love it! Ah, yes, we love it! They sing with the gusto of a Pavarati, but with the sweetness of children, as they are. There is no telling what rendition of the familiar children's songs they are going to come up with next......which brings back memories of last night.
On the way home, they decided to sing a song they had learned in class. With all the might their lungs could muster, they joined with force....even the one that claimed he had a headache.... : )

"Who's the King of the jungle? (hoo, hoo)
Who's the King of the sea? *(gobble, gobble, gobble)*
Who's the King of the universe,
and Who's the King of me?
His Name is J-E-S-U-S _ YES!
He's the King of me!
He's the King of the universe,
The jungle and the sea!"

Hmmm....never seen a turkey in the sea? Come to church with us! : )
They somewhat turned it into the "song that never ends" by switching the lines up a bit. Then they began substituting their names in. Nothing like personalizing! : )
As we dropped them off one by one and two by two, the singing waned, then stopped altogether as the last three got out. The good-byes were said, their treats were handed out.....and the sound returned to a lower decibel. : )