Wednesday, December 30, 2015

August - December in Review

We have been very busy this year since our Disney Trip.  Life has been non-stop since school started!  In August we all went back to school at Columbia Academy.  This is my 17th year teaching at CA and I have loved every year there!  It is a wonderful place to work and I get to see Grant and Madison everyday.  I love that we get to pray and talk about God daily www.cabulldogs.org!  It is a wonderful place!  Grant started 8th grade and decided he wanted to play football.  So that meant JH games every Thursday night, he was #68.
Grant (#68) is the one jumping up touching the banner. Go Dawgs!

He loves playing football and also loves playing Madden 16 on his Xbox 360.    After the Junior High Football season was over he decided to move up and workout and practice with the Varsity players.  He received a new Varsity number #71 and all the new varsity attire.  He loved playing and working out with the varsity players.  He actually got to play on one game of the Varsity when they got far enough ahead they let the 8th graders that moved up go out and play.



He has really enjoyed playing and loves and respects his coaches.  At Columbia Academy GOD is #1 and the coaches are all about that and all the players love God and it shows in their performances and in school.  It makes me nervous as a mom when Grant is hanging out with Seniors, but those boys Love GOD and put HIM first and are great role models for the younger boys.  He is now waiting for winter workouts to start so he can get ready for next year as a Freshman playing football!  Wow, that really hurt to say "Freshman"......  He is growing up too fast!

Madison is a 5th Grader and loves hanging out with friends and being very social.  She is having a wonderful year in 5th grade and loves all three of her teachers!  She got Ms. Thomason as her homeroom teacher.
Madison and Ms. Thomason

She is still dancing at CDA and loves it too.  She is practicing getting ready for her recital in May to show us what all she has learned this year at dance class.  She loves dancing, but next year she has decided she may just take a break from dancing and take a tumbling class to get better at all her tumbling activities.  We will just have to wait and see what she decides.  She loves going to the games and hanging out with her friends and maybe watch a little of the game that Grant is playing in...  She says she doesn't really understand, but Grant is teaching her!

In September Madison turned 10!  She is now double digits....  She is growing up too fast!


In October we had our Annual Oktoberfest in Hohenwald.  There was a great turn out with lots of cars and Madison and I loved going to the craft fair while the men stayed with the cars.

Grant holding the 2nd place trophy for our car.

Madison went up with Danny to get his trophy!

All of us by Dan and Carolyn's 1931 Model A Roadster.

Our family by our 1931 Model A Fordor.



We lost a precious member of our family on November 9th.  Our sweet and precious and very Godly Grandmother "Gertha Mae Duncan" got her reward in Heaven at the young age of 101!  We hated to let her go, but new God needed her to come home!  We loved her so much and she loved all of us too!  Actually there wasn't anyone that knew her that didn't love her!  She was special to anyone that knew her.  Grant was honored to be a pallbearer for her!  He and Madison was so close to her!  Grant did a wonderful job and he will always remember being able to do that for her!

This was Granny at her 100th b-day party!







In November we celebrated Thanksgiving at Brent and Rachel's house.  We had a very good time with family and Grant and Madison loved playing with Lilli and Abbi.
Grant and Madison November 2015

Lilli, Grant and Madison
Fun Family Pictures from our Thanksgiving Celebration


In December, Christmas was a wonderful time to spend with family. We all got more than we needed and probably deserved.  Grant now has a Xbox One thanks to his grandparents Dan and Carolyn.  He was so excited when he got it for Christmas.  I think that was the only thing that really mattered to him.  Madison got lots of things, but her favorite by far was her new phone from Dan and Carolyn.  She loves her new ipad case with built in keyboard, she wanted a laptop but now her ipad looks like one with her case.  She loves her ipad case and her phone.  Eric surprised me with a new 2.0 Keurig. I was so surprised, I really wanted one, but had no idea he had gotten me one.  Eric and I both got Apple watches from Dan and Carolyn and now we have to figure out all about them.  We love them!  I really wanted a Fitbit, but now I have something that is so much better than a fitbit!   I will get some pictures later this week to add to the blog to show reactions to our Christmas gifts. 
Madison by our tree with her new headband!

Madison's ipad in the new case.

another picture with the ipad in a different positon


Saturday, June 27, 2015

Disney World

Eric and I have been promising Grant and Madison that we would take them to Disney World sometime within the year.  So we planned in January to go in June.  It's quite the process to get ready for a Disney Adventure.  We didn't want to half way do it.  I researched and talked to many friends that go yearly and know all the ins and outs of Disney.  So as school was letting out for the summer we were all getting really excited.  We brought a 5th Wheel Camper/Toy Hauler to travel in and stay in the campground at Disney.

I love the camper and loved being able to come back and sleep in my bed and be in my own space.  It's great and we are a little camping family!  We had an awesome time at Disney and I have lots of pictures to share.  We stayed at Disney for 5 days. We decided since Magic Kingdom is the biggest park we were going to do it the first and last days we stay.  That away if we forgot to do something the first day we could do it the last day.  It was a great plan and we got to do everything we wanted.

1st Day - Magic Kingdom


Space Mountain

Space Mountain

Space Mountain

Splash Mountain


Grant and I after we rode Big Thunder Mountain
Grant and Madison playing at Frontierland

2nd Day - Epcot

We were all focused on Buzz Light Year's ride!

Eric beat's us all!!



Test Track Ride


Epcot - Family Photo





3rd Day - Hollywood Studios

Grant and I in front on the Tower of Terror...


Hollywood Studios Family Photo

Phineas & Ferb with the family

Grant and I on the Rocking Roller Coaster



Eric and Madison driving the cars in Tomorrowland Speedway

Madison was having fun!!





4th Day - Animal Kingdom














5th Day - Magic Kingdom

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train









We had a great trip!  We are thankful we made it there and home safely!  Can't wait to go back!!