Silence is golden ... but duct tape is silver. Unknown

This is what I did today

Wordless Wednesday

Mail your packages early so the post office can lose them in time for Christmas. - Johnny Carson

I participated in a secret Santa via the mail this year.  I am excited to see what my secret Santa will send.  I am still sick, and that is unfortunate because I have mounds of things to do today.  But the show must go on.  I have just been feeling so grateful for all the wonderful blessings in my life lately.  My handsome man, and all that we have been blessed with.  We are starting our next big adventure, and that is so exciting!

Hoopin' it up with SD

“If somebody thinks they're a hedgehog, presumably you just give 'em a mirror and a few pictures of hedgehogs and tell them to sort it out for themselves.” Douglas Adams

Here are a collection of random pictures from my family's visit to Phoenix.  The top two pictures were snapped at Tortillia Flats.  The next two were at Canyon Lake.  The one that is really too dark is IPG, Bey, and SD looking at Christmas Lights.  Then comes my aunt and uncle with Mickey.  Then my mom and dad at the country club.  Then my mom and dad with SD.  My dad was giving SD bunny ears and she was telling him to stop.  :)   Then comes Bey and his brother, our puppy Shug...my sister dad and mom looking at Christmas lights.  Then my mom, sister, and SD in front of a large cactus.  Finally it is SD in Tortilla Flats.

Who is wise? He that learns from everyone. Who is powerful? He that governs his passions. Who is rich? He that is content. Who is that? Nobody. Ben F

Pics of my sister meeting Stephen King...whoops I accidentally cut the KING out now I am going to have to ask my mom for the pic again. Sigh.

SD's first basketball game was tonight. They cheered for the boys and the girls team, and she looked so great out there cheering! She looked happy! It made my heart hurt that her daddy is not quite here yet. I took my mom, dad, aunt, and uncle, and of course myself to see her so she had quite a turn out.

It is so awesome having my parents here. I don't think we have spent this much time together since I lived at home when I was 17! I am having such a fantastic time. WOW! Really a lot of fun.

So the count down is on for Bey he only has 3 more days of work until he heads west. I am so excited. I don't ever want to spend another second apart.

I have cheer pics, but am too tired to get them up tonight. I will get them up in the morning.

Ah, Joie de Vivre! (The Joy of Life)

Mon français est pourri, mais je reconnais la grande nourriture cajun. Et nous avons eu un temps fantastique à la cajun Cookoff à Phoenix aujourd'hui.





(My french is rotten, but I do recognize great Cajun food. And we had a fantastic time at the cajun cookoff in Phoenix today. )

Sorry about the crappiness of the pic with SD in it. She was busy scarfing down Gumbo. :) So I had to get my snaps in when I could.


I also got some great shots of her on Halloween last night. :) I have more but these were sent to me by SD's BFF's mom.

“The duality of St Petersburg and Leningrad remains. They are not even on speaking terms.” Joseph Wechsberg

We have finished up Moscow and moved on to St. Petersburg. It is AMAZING. I really like it here a lot better than Moscow. Things are so strange. I have also picked up quite a few words in Russian. I will be able to annoy others with it when I return home.


The first is a picture of the cathedral in St. Pete, the second of a church built to atheism, the third is St. Basil's in Moscow, and the fourth is Lennin's Tomb.

Have good night (it is 3:46 AM here!)

Sometimes you need a hairbrush

On my way to Palm Springs for a short Vacay in San Diego. I made sure to capture the empty passenger's seat signifying my childfree weekend.

Nearly Wordless Wednesday

Ghost Hunters the show took pictures and saw spirits in this mirror. I saw the picture, but I am not sure if I saw the spirits. :)

The tree SD is standing in front of was growing in the ground when the Museum club was built around it. A man was hung and burned on this tree.

Also in the Museum Club a man shot himself in front of this fireplace. His ghost is rumored to still haunt the establishment.

The haunted Hotel Monte Vista.

The lobby of the Hotel Monte Vista...perhaps there will be a new ghost....;)

Not just Deer Crossing...Elk Crossing!

A bubble gold fish in a shop in Flagstaff!

We are on a Vacation to the Grand Canyon, Route 66, Ghost Towns, the Out of Africa Park.
Tonight we are in the Hotel Monte Vista in the Bob Hope Suite (trust me it sounds WAY nicer than it is). LOL here are some pics of our trip so far.

Moving Gumbo

Bey and I are going to have to rent for a few months in Phoenix. First of all it is the most fiscally responsible thing to do. I am many many things…but I am usually very fiscally conservative. We don’t want to commit to buying a new home until after this one in Starkville is closed.

Second I want the perfect house. Not just any house, and the perfect house is not on the market yet. :0) So I am going to have to get a rental until at least October after the perfect house has been foreclosed on and is available for sale. Until then we will have a cute rental and tons of boxes that won’t be unpacked.

In other family news…Bey is joining the Navy Reserves. That is exciting. They are giving him a straight commission so he will only have to spend 2 weeks training in San Diego and then one weekend a month for 8 months training for his job. SD and I have been joking around and saluting him all over the house. This is really an answered prayer as he was considering going into the Marine Corps. I really didn’t want him to join the corps. This works out so much better! This way we get health insurance, and Bey is able to look for the right job, not just take any job once we get to IPGzona. :)

SD is in Bible school this week at church. I felt so bad for her because her summer stay this year is so short she will not be able to go to all her camps that I usually enroll her in, such as Dandy Doodlez. The camps are usually several times during the summer, but she is only going to be here for Bible school. I will probably look for some camps in Phoenix…I will just have to see.

Project pack this family up and get them moved is going well. I put a big schedule of everyone’s jobs on the fridge and it has worked like magic. Bey and SD surprised me with how much they had already packed up when I got home from my house hunting mission. My maids tell me I am spoiled, and I don’t say anything because how can I respond? I know I am spoiled. >:)

If you are wondering what is going on with work…I am slowing down a touch next month as happens every summer. However I am going to try to pick up some on ground classes as soon as I get to Phoenix. There is also a school I used to work for that is going to bring me back on board once I get to Phoenix because they can hire from IPGzona.

One thing we are doing about the move that should be fun is staying with friends and family along the way. We have friends in Monroe, Dallas, El Paso, etc that we are going to be having lunch and spending the night with on our trek across the country. That way we can make the trip as fun as possible. Something that we have been doing in our home to keep stress levels at an all time low is that you are not allowed to snap if another person is getting on your nerves. This goes for kids and adults. :) If someone is getting on your nerves you have to say “You are SOOOOOOO Good Looking.” In your best Seinfeld voice. This has not only made everyone giggle it has added some festivities to the packing process.

Finally I have started working on my dissertation again. FINALLY. :) It is coming along although not as quickly as I would like. And that is understandable because I have lots of crazy stuff going on in my life.

Boating pics

My skiddo, Bey, and Shug

Skid aka SD is eating around the clock these days

This was before the "FANTA" incident

I have my life jacket on and I am ready to go!

Relaxing