Read Across America

Hey girls! I just wanted to share some pictures from Read Across America. We had a fun filled week in first grade. We had many special readers, a few special treats and we ended the week with dressing as our favorite book characters. We all had a great time!  Hopefully you will be a able to get a small glimpse of my precious babies' personalities through these pictures. They are a hoot!  I dressed as Miss Piggle Wiggle on Character Day. Her books are very popular in my classroom right now! I made the apron! No laughing! 

This is my sweet Analeigh with her mom who brought our so precious treat for Dr. Seuss' birthday! 

The Cat in the Hat!!!!! I was so amazed at how precious!

Some of my babies acting silly!

Analeigh taking her courtesy bite! You can tell she did not want to! LOL!

Sarah at Kit! She ordered her dress from the American Girl store!

Miss Piggle Wiggle and the Show off, Jim!

Miss Piggle Wiggle and Junie B. 

Miss Piggle Wiggle and Daisy Head Maizie

FANCY!

YAY Nicci! So glad to see your update! I'm sorry about your house sweety.....Mindy will be there this weekend- are ya'll going to be able to hang out? Ya'll have a toddy for me! I miss ya'll so very very much!

As for me... here is the most recent news: My body is officially CRAZY! I have NEVER not had a period- I have been like clock-work every since I was 12 years old! Well....now that baby talk is going on- my body has decided to stop ovulating and having periods all together- honestly this is quite amusing...God always shows us who the boss is- and it CERTAINLY isn't me!!! ha! I am going to a great fertility clinic next Wednesday- so very excited about that! God has great plans and is going to do great things!!! :)

On another note: I'm very excited aobut our girl's weekend in April! Who all will be attending this monkey fest at Laura's condo?? I hope everybody!!!

I love you all sooooooooooooo much!!! I just want to squeeze all of you!!! :)

As for the title "fancy"- well most of you have heard of the book "Fancy Nancy"- today is dress up like your fave book character day at school- and here is "Fancy Nancy" herself (and if you knew her personality- this would be even funnier to you- she is truly FANCY-just look at those eyes) hahahaha Here are the other outfits of the day! SO CUTE!!!

Love,
Adair

Update on Nicci!!!!

Hey girls! I miss you all very much and wish more than anything that I had my monkeys with me right now! Life is tough and I am not sure what is going to be the final outcome with my home but I am moving completely out this weekend. I appreciate ya'll keeping me in your prayers and  I appreciate all of your support and strength during this time. I know I will get through this because I have so many people to lean on!  Thank you for being you! 

Aside from the stress of all that, life has been great! I am ready to read all of your bucket lists! Jump on it! Love you all!

Pictures above: 

I went to Mardi Gras in New Orleans with Michelle and Laura drove over from Laurel and spent the weekend with us. We had so much fun and I think I am still trying to catch up from then! That was 3 weeks ago, haha! 

Relationships

There has been much chatter of relationships around our monkey group lately. There is talk of soul mates and heartbreaks, anniversaries and breakups, true love and falling in love (oh0 and infertility-ha).
With each comment that I've contributed to these discussions, I am reminded more and more of something that I wholeheartedly believe to be true, and that is this:
In real love, there are no mind games. There is no manipulation and no guilt-producing accusations like “Why don’t you trust me?” or “Who are you sleeping with?”
There is no pleading to be forgiven and no promises to never do it again (whatever ‘it’ may be) because there are no violations of trust that require forgiveness.
There is no wondering about whether or not the person you are with truly loves you, because you know he/she does. You can feel it.
What you get from a true, loving relationship is this: enjoyment of each other’s company, honest caring for the other person, consideration of each other’s feelings, and real partnership—not a one-sided deal with one of you as the giver and the other as the taker.
To be sure, there are problems that need to be solved. But they are resolved without drama and life goes on.
If you had told me this years ago when I was in the midst of a relationship riddled with drama, mistrust, and unhappiness, I would not have believed you. I would have said it was a naïve and overly simplistic view.
But I will say it now: I WAS WRONG!- Love is all of these things- and MORE!!!

blogging?

are we blogging anymore ladies? I held off for a while- I didn't want to be the only one posting... I miss you all!

Blogging, stew, Leah and Laura Beth?

Hello my sweet friends! I am missing the mess out of all of you. I am trying to start blogging daily on our family blog- it just sort of helps me focus on the good things that go on in a day and remember to write about it. I decided to focus on the projects that I do and cooking...because I LOVE to cook! I will make sure I link it on here whenever I put up a recipe! Here is the recipe that I put up yesterday:

Hearty Beef and Vegetable soup with Cheddar Beef Wraps
ingrediants for soup:
2 Tbs unsalted butter
5 oz fresh sliced onions (1 1/4 cups)
1 cup diced celery
1 cup crinkle cut carrots
1 Tbs minced garlic
1 cup fresh sliced mushrooms
10 oz. freshed sliced squash/zucchini (2 1/2 cups)
1 (32 oz.) box reduced-sodium beef broth
1 (20 oz.) package refrigerated diced potatoes and onions
1 fully cooked beef tips with gravy (17 oz package)
1 cup tomato sauce
1/2- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

click here to see the entire recipe- all of the steps are included- it was a VERY yummy meal!

On to my next topic of interest:

Leah- how was New Jersey? I can't wait to hear all about it! I haven't talked to you in forever and I'm having Leah withdrawals! haha!

Laura Beth- Your message box is full on your phone! I can't reach you at all-- I am also having Laura Beth withdrawals! I miss you- please call me when you get a free moment- I just want to hear how everything is.

ALL: I have talked to the rest of you within the past few days! I loved catching up with all of you!

I hope that all of you have a fabulous Tuesday! Think of fun things to post today!

I love you! Adair

Christina's Cajun Country Adventure

Hi Everyone!!!

I'm so sorry I have been MIA over the past few months, I didn't even realize it! I'm so glad Adair started this blog BC its a great way to keep in touch and I miss all of you girls soooo much!! So Thank You Adair you are always thinking ;) Well there really isn't a whole lot that has been going on, but I'll start at the beginning... James and I had the time of our lives on our honeymoon (pics on facebook), but when we came back reality just had to show its ugly face, so James went back to work and I just pretty much tried to get comfortable in my new cajun skin. ha ha I have since found my way to the grocery, tj maxx & marshalls, the mall, the gym (which I need to go), and a few other vital places in my everyday living needs. I now feel as if I have made monumental steps towards being a independent women in the sense that I have learned to be comfortable being alone. It is so great when James is home and I miss him when he isn't, but the reality of it is he just is not able to be home 3/4 of the time. Don't get me wrong though I have enjoyed being here in Lafayette, it has all of the culture of Nola and none of the crime. Plus the food is AMAZING! Which by the way I totally felt like that episode of sex in the city where Carrie learns how to go to lunch alone with not even a book...I know you girls know what I'm talking about LOL But on the upside I have meet a group of fun girls, not as fun as y'all! and we get together usually once a month for book club which should be named wine club! I was also excepted into a Mardi Gras Krewe, which is so so so much fun. It reminds me of a sorority for after college, minus the drama, plus more drinking. I have even meet all the alumni AOII's in the area, which they are so nice! It seems like its been one holiday after another and mardi gras around here is as big as Christmas, so I have been immersed in preparations for everything. FYI I do not know why I did this but I signed up and am dancing in the mardi gras ball show...girls I'm freaking out ha ha its going to be in front of over 2500 people and I'm going to be up there just a shaking it to tina turner! Crazy I know. Plus on top of all of that I am finally finishing up my degree at Univ of LA Lafayette and will be done by may... so keep your fingers crossed for me...I only need 3 hrs! Oh Ya I almost forgot, we move down here, I learn to make gumbo from scratch, eat crawfish that burn your lips off, and trying still to lose my southern accent that screams Hi not from these parts.. and we are probably moving in the fall. Which I guess its not all for nothing but james has decided that he wants to pursue his PhD in geophysics, which I totally support and am supper proud of him, so we sent off all the applications back in Dec and now are just waiting and waiting... We should start hearing back in the spring around aprilish. Please keep us in your prayers to make the right decision where to go or even if to go. He does have the option to go to UL, so we are just waiting to hear what are options are for now. As for me I can not wait to get a job!! Again I probably sound crazy but I know for sure that staying home is just not for me. At least not now anyway. Its just not as fun to have time to do things when there really isn't anyone to do them with. So that's what I'll be doing when he goes back to school. Other than that there really isn't alot going on, just the everyday stuff like school and trying to keep busy. Which if anyone wants to come visit my doors are always open!! :) I might even make ya some gumbo, ha ha who knows! On a completely different note: James and I are planning a vacation this summer in June or early July to go to Mexico! There are a few couples that might be joining us and I wanted to invite anyone that is interested to jump on board! I have all the details if anyone would like me to email them, and just to put this out there it is an amazing location and a great price... and when I say great price I mean alot of bang for the buck! Hope y'all will consider it. Plus when are we having a girls weekend???? I can't wait to hear everything that is going on in everyone lives right now! I miss you girls so much and I promise my next entry will not be this long. ;)
xoxo
Christina Crane

student teacher

here is the link to my student teacher's blog- I got her wanting to start blogging again! She is so cute- that is not her baby in the pic- it is her husband's nephew. She is a really sweet girl and a great teacher!!!

http://sproulefamily14.blogspot.com/

Love ya'll
Adair

Recipe: Chicken Breast Supreme

I took this recipe from a fellow blogger- Kelly's Korner (Harper's mom)

I tried it last night using turkey bacon and low fat ingrediants- it was SO good!!

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts

4-8 strips of bacon

16 oz sour cream

1 can of cream of mushroom soup

1 can of sliced mushrooms1 jar of dried beef (this is found near tuna or spam)

Wrap the chicken in bacon and put in a greased pan

Mix up all the other ingredients. Tear up the dried beef into small pieces (this is what gives the meal the real flavor)

Pour mixture over chicken and bake at 350 for 1 and 1/2 hours

Serve with brown rice and pour extra mixture over the rice- I also served this with grilled green beans and feta. It was YUMMO!!!!

Much love! Adair

I'm here...Finally!

Hello my lovely ladies! I miss you all and pray for each and every one of you! Nicci - I def have to think about my bucket list but will post it soon! I have some news and I know each one of you will support me on my decison. I am moving home to FL and working for the TPA base of Air-Tran Airways. Bryan and I have been doing a lot of talking and watching shows about traveling to Europe. We both hope to travel there in a few years and the only way I'll be able to is if I get out of debt and start saving. I feel if I moving home and live with the 'rents I can save $900 a month. I will still be able to travel for free and see you all and Bryan. Adair - I know this puts us farther apart but SouthWest flies out of TPA and should be able to get to Bham. I thought about moving to Memphis but that just doesn't help me save/pay off Credit Cards.

Anyway, I'm doing good other than that lil bit of news. Bryan and I are finally starting to really understand each other and move forward in our relationship. We went to church with his family last week and decided to keep it up as much as can. Please pray for him, he's trying to get into grad school at Harvard, Yale, Columbia or Chicago. He wont know anything until Feb 18 at the earliest. I know he will get into one but I know the waiting is killing him.

My father is having surgury on the 3rd of Feb to remove his prostate cancer so please pray for him on that day.

Ok, enough about me.....I wanna know what's going on with everyone else. I would love to get to Memphis so let's start planning something. Love you all and bye for now....

~Min-Min~

Oh and Adair, I will post the pics from my visit soon. Today is the first day I've had to just chill!

My Bucket List

Good morning Monkeys! I will add to this list as I think of things!! It is no particular order! I have a lot of work to do but I look forward to the challenge called "life"! Hugs!

1. Be a servant to my Lord daily

2. Meet my prince charming and fall in love 

3. Be a loving and faithful wife and spend the rest of my days making my husband and children happy. 

4. Be an amazing friend to all who need one 

5. Have 4 children that I can love unconditionally forever

6. Go to Europe again

7. Win "Teacher of the Year"

8. Learn how to officially play tennis (I am guessing the Wii does not count)

9. Attend Wimbledon and the U.S. and French Open at least once

10. Ride barrel horses again

11. Adopt a baby 

12. Go on a Mediterranean cruise

13. Visit the 7 Wonders of the World 

14. Go to the Kentucky Derby and wear a big, fancy, Southern hat 

15. Travel with my parents 

16. Take many girl's trips to NYC 

17. Travel with my mom to Europe 

18. Go on an African safari

19. Write and illustrate a children's book

20. Visit the Greek islands 

21. Take singing lessons

22. Own a vacation home 

23. Learn something new everyday 

24. Give to someone everyday 

25. Graduate with my specialist degree 

26. Become an administrator or curriculum coordinator

27. Learn to surf

28. Go on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic 

29. Always remain close to my dear friends 

30. Work on and grow my faith every single day 

31. Attend the Olympic games- both summer and winter 

32. Go dog sledding in Alaska

33. Be debt free 

34. Go to every Ole Miss football game as long as I am able 

35. Be a stay at home mom even if it is only for one year 

36. Build my dream home 

37. Buy a house on Lamar in Oxford 

38. Visit Australia 

39. Leave a mark 

40. Grow a garden 

All my love, Nicci 

P.S. Legally Blonde is coming to the Orpheum in early March and I really want to go! let me know if you would be interested!

Adair's Bucket List

Good Morning Ladies:
I just want to start off by saying how truly blessed I feel to have each and every one of you in my life. You have each made a mark on my life that I cannot even begin to expain. We have been through so much together and I know that there are many more memories still in the making. I want to start my bucket list off with several praises- things that were always on my list- but have since been answered by God's Holy power.

So- here goes my list:

1. To have the most amazing friends a girl could ask for, friends that I can go through life with and know that they will always support me, love me, and pray for me as I will them! (check) :)

2. To marry an amazing man that puts me 2nd only to the Lord, that is the christian leader of our home and makes sure that I know I am a blessing in his life. (check) :) 3. To own a yorkie! Little did I know that I would own the sweetest yorkie in the world! :) (check)4. Become a teacher! (check) :)

5. Travel to Italy again (especially Florence and Tuscany)

6. Travel to Australia

7. Become a mother. 8. Learn how to ballroom dance9. Go skiing!!!

10. Learn how to fly a plane (I know how to take off and land- but I want to really learn how to fly)10. Learn to play tennis better!11. Own and train a horse

12. Learn how to sew and monnogram!! 13. Be a wine connoisseur

14. Be just like Donna Reed!!! :)

15. Dress just like Jackie O.!!!

16. Have someone do my laundry and cleaning.

17. Give back to society and friends daily!

18. collect every piece of McCarty's pottery!

19. Have a white house surrounded by trees draped in spanish moss!!! I think I might have to keep thinking and add more to this later! Now- ya'll have to make sure that I do all of this! haha!

Love ya'll!!!!

Adair

A Challenge

I have a challenge! I want us each to create a Bucket List! Anything and everything you want to do before you kick the bucket. I have not seen the movie but I think this will be fun! Don't worry about order- just for the next several days, brainstorm things that you want to do before it's too late and compile a list! Then, put it on here so we can all see! 

By: Nicci (sorry)

The Daily Grind

Hello my sweet friends! Oh how I miss you! It has been way too long since we had a get together! Can we plan one soon!?!? I am in dire need! 

Life has been extremely busy for me right now and so if you have called and I have not called you back, don't take it personal please. Please!!!!

Michelle moved out this weekend which was very emotional for both of us! I am not sure yet what the status of my house is ... but she went ahead and got an apartment.  Her apartment is precious but I don't like staying/living alone! You all know I love to be surrounded by people I love so spending my evenings alone is a different pace for me!

Luckily, I start school tomorrow and I will have class 2 night a week! I am so overwhelmed with getting everything together to begin grad school! I start tomorrow! Please say a prayer! 

Other than that, there is not a whole lot going on! I have been reading about Harper Brown Stamps and it is such a precious story! Her mother, Kelly, is someone I have never met but wow, do I admire her. I went back and read her blogs from years past and her wisdom and faithfulness is so admirable. She posted a blog about waiting for Mr. Right and it was absolutely incredible! It really gave me hope for what I am waiting on! We shall see. Please continue lifting their family up in prayer! They need us! 

Love you all! I will attach a few random pictures soon! Just for fun! -NooNoo

Pray for Harper--

I put up a little stamp up at the top to click on- (click on the stamp to read their blog) I do not know this family- but always read her blog for recipes and ideas- her dad has the devotional blog that I sent ya'll a while back. She also started a blog that is nation wide with a list of names of women that are trying to concieve a child. It is a prayer blog that is prayed over daily by many women around the world included me (my name is actually on the list). This girl (Kelly) is truly an inspiration with her unfailing faith and trust in God. They tried for over 2 years to get pregnant with Harper and now that she is here- she came into the world with a bit of a heart trouble and had pneumonia. She is still in VERY critical condition and really needs our prayers. Pray for them often!

love you!
Adair

Get this Ball rolling!!!

OK- - guys- waiting on everybody to start posting!!!

Cal's computer is down- so our pictures from the holiday are all on his computer- ugh- so i can't put up any yet.

Cal and I are celebrating 5 years "officially" together today! We have been dating on and off for 6 1/2 years now- wow- time flies when you are having fun. We had a dinner and movie date on Friday night- we went to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button- it was really good- I would reccomend it!!!

Mindy is coming to visit next Friday night- so excited about that!!! I'll have to find a way to post pics of her visit!

Happy Birthday yesterday Leigh Anne!!!! Hope you had an amazing birthday- what did you do?

I'll do a little vent- since this is the beauty of the blog! Those of you that are teachers will be able to relate to this really well- Averee (a team-mate) has 12 kids in her classroom and I had 14 kids- well on Wed. a little boy enrolled and naturally the little boy would go to Averee since she has the lowest number in her room- well the administration decided the little boy should come to me instead because he "has a past" and is an "inner city" kid and I "have dealt with that before- so I would be the best canidate for the job". Well...I take the compliment and the challenge graciously- BUT it just doesn't seem fair. So now- I have 15 kids and this little boy who throws fits, and has already scratched and pushed me in the 2 days time, and Averee still has 12 kids- because "she has never dealt with children with a past like I have". UGH!!! I am just so frustrated with this- if I wanted to deal with inner city issues- I would've applied in Birmingham public! Oh well- now I will just try to love him past all of his issues. I will say that this little boy has seen and been through more in his 5 years on this earth than I have been through in my 28 years here. Ya'll just keep me in your prayers that I show this little boy God's love through me.

I love ya'll!
Have a great week!
Adair

Video!

this video made me cry and think of you all the whole time watching!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_4qwVLqt9Q

Love: Adair

Pictures to follow!!!

Nick and Boothe in Durant! They are buddies and Nick loved playing Boothe's patient!

Nick, LB and I  in the boomin town of Durant, OK

Nick and I with Chancellor Khayat... so sad he is leaving Ole Miss!

The Pep Rally!

That is only a small portion of the Rebel fans at the Pep rally! 

Me with Shep!

The Crew before the game!

Barrett(Colonel Reb), Nick, Andrea, and me at the game! 

Hotty Toddy, Go Rebels!!!!

Julie and I with Brandon Bolden after the game! He made a touchdown catch at the game! 

Love you all! Nicci