"Helping"

Last night, Rachel was trying to decorate a cake, and our little brother decided he wanted to "help." He's such a goof ball!

the real reason he wanted to "help"

Lol!

A Burp in the Dark

The cloudy day was now fading into night and the shadows crept upon the earth. Feeling right fine (except a little hungry) I strolled down my driveway and down the sidewalk to the church. My mind was on a bluegrass song and I was sorta humming along, trying to figure out the harmony on it.

As I came upon a corner of the church a figure suddenly rounded it and was in my face. Before I could figure out what was happening a huge burp sounded, right there in MY FACE! Now, I'm not talking about your dainty, ladylike, half-hearted burp that you hide behind a napkin at the table when guests are present. I'm talking about the real deal, I-don't-care, loud-as-you-can BELCH! If that wasn't bad enough, IT STUNK LIKE SMOKE. You know, cigarette smoke! Oh! It is almost to painful to recall!

My reflexes being a little to late, I then jumped a little and said "Oh!" Then the figure covered her mouth and said, "Oh, I'm sorry." And we both quickly parted ways. Her to think about her embarrassment on burping in someone's face and me to eat some candy to try to erase the memories!

~Sarah
(guest blogger for the evening)

'Specting Her Beau

Here is a poem that a friend of ours sent me last week. She copied it from a magazine that they get, Country Woman, and she thought we might adapt it for Rachel! The editor's note states:

This charming poem, shared by Nora M. Lenke of Aberdeen, Washington, was written by her sister Marie Johnston in 1926, when Marie was just 11 years old.

Us girls thought it was really cute, so here it is.....

When Mabel 'Spects Her Beau

I tell you, it's mysterious
at our house once a week.
We know there's something in the wind,
but we don't dare to speak.
For Sis just bosses everything
as says how it should go.
Oh, we all have to stand around
when Mabel 'spects her beau.

She crimps her hair an awful lot
and lights the parlor fire.
And she's so afraid we'll spoil her dress,
she won't let us come nigh her.
Pa kinda chuckles to himself
and winks at me and Joe,
but Ma looks pretty serious
when Mabel 'spects her beau.

At supper, she got no appetite,
but fixes up a plate
of little dabs of this and that
when Mabel 'spects her date.
She does the dishes in a flash
and thinks the clock is slow.
Things always have to hustle so
when Mabel 'spects her beau.

She whisks us youngsters off to bed
in strict, big-sister style.
On other evenings, we sit up
and play for quite a while.
And we ain't supposed to see or hear
nor even want to know
a single thing that's going on
when Mabel 'spects her beau.

The Land of Cotton

Well, I wish I was in the land of cotton

Old times there are not forgotten,
Look away, look away, look away,
Dixie Land!
In Dixie Land where I was born in,
Early on one frosty mornin'
Look away, look away, look away,
Dixie Land!

Well, I wish I was in Dixie,
Away, Away,
In Dixie Land I'll take my stand,
I'll live and die in Dixie
Away, Away,
Away down South in Dixie!

The Ride Home

Eric drove down for the weekend, and then followed us back home on Monday. He and Rachel were so excited that Dad allowed them to ride together! Lol!

Last-Minute Poses

This has become somewhat of a tradition...
last-minute poses before we leave to go home...

playing some old-time music

on the tire swing
(she can look sweet sometimes! Lol!)

Rachel and Eric

Here's Rachel and Eric enjoying a Sunday evening together...


Here's Rachel being attacked by her younger sister, while Eric pretends to be asleep...


Here's Eric (feeling sorry for not defending her) playing Rachel some beautiful (well...umm...not exactly...) music on an antique Melodica.....


Here's Rachel and Eric happy once more....




Oh, yeah, and here's the younger sister, ready to punch somebody in the stomach...

More FL Pictures

my three youngest siblings, along with my cousin's three girls
(the littler ones didn't want to be in the pic!)

Rachel and Eric
(he drove down for the weekend)

50th Anniversary

The main reason for our visit was to attend the 50th wedding anniversary party of our Uncle Doyle and Aunt Lil (actually my dad's uncle and aunt.) Uncle Doyle was just recently diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor, and is having surgery to remove as much of it as possible. Please, please be praying for him! We are pretty close with them, and this has been hard.

At the Beach

Here's several pictures (27 to be exact!) of our trip to the beach. We had a lot of fun, especially the younger ones!

my cousin's little girls

he was scared of the water!

my sisters: "Look, Mom! Papa's teaching us how to swim!"
Mom: "Hmm...it doesn't really look like y'all are swimming."
(Lol!)

there were a lot of jellyfish, and one of my sisters ended up getting stung
(notice how everyone walked way around this one on the sand!)

cousins