Goodbye!

They say it takes thirty days to create a habit but what you can create in seven hundred and thirty?

Together, we've created a log of memories and an album of images that are a window into our lives.  We've shared the ups, some of the downs, the funny moments and the tears.  It's taken each of us, all four, to make sure we worked together and got the job done.  After all, that's what being a family is all about.  Pitching in, helping out and carrying a portion of the load.  And together, we've made it through another year.

And oh, what a year it's been.  Will got to drive a car.  Hunter moved away from home.  Austin has been deployed to a war zone.  We managed to complete years worth of landscaping in less than 60 days (thanks Hunter!).  Jeff and I cheered as we watched Hunter receive his diploma with honors; then we smiled and  watched Will walk into school for the first time ever without his big brother.  We climbed Kennesaw Mountain with all three of the boys.  We proudly saw Will kick off a ski and learn to slalom.  I finally caught a fish!  Jeff's work hours doubled and the studio business tripled.  Hunter aced his first finals while Will was working his way through Drivers Ed.  And all of our hearts grew a little bigger the day we brought Toccoa home.  The happy moments have been many.  The tearful ones have been few.

But it's the tearful ones that will stay in your heart the longest.  So tonight, I happily say goodbye to this year. I look forward to a new year...one filled with opportunities to mend hearts, raise spirits, hug loved ones and move forward together.

Happy New Year to you all!

Step One, done!

I did it!  I did it!

To the naked eye, this looks like a simple draw string bag.  To me, it's a work of art!  It's the first project that I made with my new sewing machine.  Today, a drawstring bag.  Tomorrow, a pillowcase.  Sometime soon, a Vera Bradley-ish purse!

Oh Crap!

What happens when time gets away from you and you forget to "winterize" the deck before the first snow fall of the year?  Yep, that's what happens.  

Ahhhhh...

Can I tell you how thankful I am to have nothing exciting to blog about today?  Jan and Gary made it in before the snow and we spent the day at Jungle Jims and watching movies.  My kind of day.  I'm hoping for another couple of days just like it!

That's Love.

Here's how you know that you're married to the greatest man on earth....

1.  He buys you a sewing machine for Christmas.

2.  He spends hours the following day showing you how to use it (because he actually knows how and you know NOTHING but wanted one anyway).

3.  He plans an afternoon outing to Joann Fabrics.

4.  He finds the nicest woman there to spend her time walking you around and teaching you how to tell the difference in fabrics, how to read a pattern and what you need to fill your sewing basket.

5.  He spends the remaining hour and 45 minutes at Joann's helping you find the perfect "stuff" to make the perfect purse.  

And when I had a heart attack at checkout, he told me how perfect that purse would be.   Spending his afternoon shopping at Joanns, that's awesome.  Faith in me when I can't find any....that's love.  And if you're asking yourself why I took the time to rave about him, please remember that I am raising two teenage boys.  

Merry Christmas to Will.

All Will asked for for Christmas was snow.  But as usual, Mother Nature had a plan of her own.  Better late than never, I guess.  We've already had more snow today than we had all of last year.  Me...I hate it.  Will...he's counting down the days until he can strap on a snow board and ride the hills of snow until he can't feel his fingers anymore.

Merry Christmas!

A message from Austin, a day with the boys and an evening with friends.  Christmas doesn't get much merrier than that.  

This season, I just want to let you all know how much I love you and how thankful I am for each and every one of you.  It's been a trying time and it's then that you realize who your friends are, who's there when the chips are all down and who will help to lift you up when you can't do it.  Please know that I couldn't have done it without you!  Merry Christmas to you all!  I hope your day was filled with love and cheer!

Jingle all the way....

Jingle Bells, Batman smells....

Ok, so when you live in a house of boys, that's the only version of the song that sticks in your head.  I'm not even sure how they would have learned those lyrics (definitely not from me!).  I mean really, who makes this stuff up?  But I digress.

It's Christmas eve and I've just finishing for the evening.  All the presents are wrapped, the stockings are full and Santa appears to have already made his visit to the Thomas home.  The only thing missing is the two little elves that won't be making their appearance until tomorrow afternoon.  No matter how old they get, they'll be here with bells on, anxious to tear into the paper and bows to see what goodies Santa left.  And no matter how old I get, I'll be up at the crack of dawn, waiting for them to come home and get started!

That's why I had a hard time saying no tonight when Jeff insisted that I open one gift early.  He can be very persuasive!  And who was I to say no?  So meet Jingle, the Husky pup!  He's an awesome little guy.  He howls, barks, talks and sings.  I'll probably still be sitting here in the morning playing with him when the boys get home.  And thank you Jeff, it's just what this puppy mommy needed!

Merry Christmas Eve, everyone!

Almost Christmas....

It was the Ballard Christmas today....here's some of the highlights.

The Christmas anticipation is building....

A moment of peace.

No glasses?

Really, does that look like a hat?

The magic bag.....

The smallest Ballard.

You found what in your stocking?

One happy Grandma and one very warm, tacky Christmas sweater!

Oh my, she may be becoming a Buckeye!

Thank you to Charlie and Cary for hosting such a wonderful day.  Thank you to Mom, Michele and Scott for the awesome food, pictures and company (I'm going to dream about the shrimp dip!).  Thank you to Reese, Ryan and Ben for reminding us about the joys of Christmas.  Thank you to Hunter and Will for providing the laughs and giggles.  And most importantly, thank you to Jeff for supporting me and helping me find the courage I wasn't sure I had.

Merry Christmas to ALL of my family.  I hope you know how much I love you all!

Whoopie Cushion

So the Mayans were wrong and the world didn't end yesterday.  At midnight last night, I was rejoicing over that fact.  At noon today, I had a slightly different opinion.

If you know me, you know that organization is my middle name.  In a normal year, I spend the weekend before Christmas admiring my nicely wrapped gifts under the tree while drinking egg nog and laughing at the last minute shoppers that are running each other over to get the last stocking stuffer Target has on the shelf.  The boys think I'm crazy when I get out the sorting baskets in January and start filling them with the bargains and gems I find for the following Christmas.

If you haven't guessed, at noon today I was one of those crazy shoppers filling my cart while screaming "that'll work" in my mind.  I was moving at a mile a minute (ok, with traffic is wasn't that fast) trying to get from store to store, checking must have items off the list.  I had to park in  the north 40, dodging unobservant drivers texting their kids for last minute ideas, while chanting "I'll never do this again!" over and over again in my head.

So if you happen to unwrap a pair of toe socks, a whoopie cushion or an M&M light saber....please know I did my best.  And next year (starting in January), I'll try to do better.

The end.

It's the end of the world as we know it.

As it turns out, the Mayans didn't predict the end of the world any more accurately than R.E.M. did.  And thank goodness for that.  I spend way to may hours Christmas shopping and wrapping presents for them all to burn up in a fiery mess!  So if you're reading this, congratulations on making it through yet another "it's the end" scare.  And if you're Hunter and Will reading this, please stop googling who R.E.M. is, you're making me feel old.

A Little Chemistry

We've made it to the last school night of the year.  By this time tomorrow, Will will be planning how late he can stay up each night until the new year arrives.

Today was the fun day, though.  He's been talking about it all week.  The day they got to make Christmas ornaments in Chemistry class.  Here's what my creative son came up with....

I think it's AWESOME!  And if you can't read it (stepping back a bit helps), it is the Vans logo.  His favorite brand.  One day, they're going to hire him!

Homecoming

I just hope the boys know how blessed they are. 

Families love you because they have to.  Friends are the people that love you by choice.  And each extra person that loves the boys as much as I do makes their lives that much fuller. 

So a nice homecoming "party" tonight was the perfect time to remind Hunter how much he is loved.  A trivia filled evening with our best friends was a great way to kick off the holiday season.

Pinky swear!

Yep, that's where I spent the day.  Remind me, who goes to the mall one week before Christmas?  Oh yeah, that's me...the one who loves to hang out with maniac drivers, crazy shoppers, bitchy moms with strollers and kiosk employees that try to tackle you as you walk by.  Not to mention the one million teenagers that are out of school.  I've already made Hunter pinky swear with me that we'll start shopping for next Christmas in January so I can avoid a repeat next year!

Booms and Crashes!

I really must just take a minute to point out that we had a thunderstorm (not a small one, either) one week before Christmas Eve.  It's crazy!  But even crazy moments get captured in this house.  So here is the light just after the storm....little did I know another one was on it's way!

A little bit more....

"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store.

"Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!"

  

And what happened then...?

Well...in Who-ville they say

That the Grinch's small heart

Grew three sizes that day!

And the minute his heart didn't feel quite so tight,

He whizzed with his load through the bright morning light

And he brought back the toys! And the food for the feast!

And he...

...HE HIMSELF...!

The Grinch carved the roast beast!

More!

One boy, two boys, three boys, more.

Not that I feel outnumbered or anything!  Truely, I can't imagine not having them all in and out over the Christmas break.  Or anytime for that matter.  If we didn't have an extra mouth to feed, I wouldn't know what to do with myself.  And this is one of my favorites :)  

Ahhhhh

I miss my mommy, but it's nice to be home!  Especially when this is the sight I come home to.  Life was normal for about 1/2 an hour tonight when we all sat down for dinner.  Laughter is the best medicine.

Too much fun!

At first glance you might think I had the munchies and cleaned out GFS. As much as I wish that was the case, it was finally moving day. If you know me, I was prepared and everything went without a hitch. You know you may be a little OCD when the movers compliment your packing and organization. I would love to share every pain staking detail with you, but for now, I must get some much needed sleep.

12.12.12

It's a day that comes once a century.  So when it happens, you have to watch it from beginning to end.  I was lucky enough to find a little country road that I could pull off of long enough to snap a picture at 7am this morning.  I don't make it a habit of catching the sunrise, but on this day, I thought it was a must.  I'll never see another sunrise on a consecutive date.....nor will my kids.  My grandkids may, but they'll be much older than me when it occurs.  Either way, it's a once in a lifetime so I had to capture it.

Happy 12.12.12 everyone!

Two?

Summer has left the building.... and Will was the one driving her right out of town.  Ok, so without a license, I'll only let him drive down to the end of the driveway to get the mail.  But no matter how short the distance, I'm still terrified to see him behind the wheel.  Guess I should get used to it since his license test is scheduled for one month from today.  Ugh, I'm not sure I can handle two of them on the road!

The Ticket Master

Didn't we send him to college for a great educational experience?  I swear, he's been to more concerts in the first semester than I have in a lifetime.  Am I jealous?  Maybe a little.  Would I stand in line for an entire day for Maroon 5 tickets?  Nope, I'm definitely too old for that.  Is he having the time of his life while he's getting a great educational experience?  Absolutely!

I'm so confused.

Thunderstorms in December.  60 degree weather.  Will hasn't even broke out his winter coat and he's always cold.  Heck, the trees don't even know what to do.  Check this out.  We found a tree that is sporting dead, fall leaves as well as new, green leaves and buds.  And I thought I was confused.

With a little help.

Isn't that the truth.

In the midst of crazy, it's nice to find a minute of normal.  Tonight we got so spend a couple hours in the company of friends.  Truthfully, they're more like family but they're the friends that you can count on to make you laugh when you can't find much funny in the world.  We laughed, ate, drank and sang.  I listened to old family stories, new stories of kids and grandkids and got to fill everyone in on all of the boys.  There were jokes, laughter and something about rubber gloves.  It was awesome.  Just the few hours I needed to be rejuvenated and raring to go!

Happy Birthday...again!

Wow, two birthdays in a row.  Yesterday, the eldest boy in the family turned 22.  Today, the youngest turned 2.  I would have given anything to spend Austin's birthday with him, but a day trip would have been impossible.  Not so impossible was spending Ryan's birthday with him.  Amid the chaos, the boxes and the packing tape, we were able to find baskets of toys.  We played with cars, Donald Duck, blocks and balls.  But who would have known the best toy of all was the basket that held them?

Happy Birthday Ryan!  Thanks for letting me spend it with you!  And thank you for the wonderful picture of us with our party hats.  I'll love it forever.....you'll love it until you are a teenager!

Happy Birthday

Well I have to say this a birthday of Austin's that I will never forget. Your birthday is a big day in my book. What's better than a day dedicated to just you. I can't imagine being half way around the world and not being able to celebrate with the ones you love.

So here is my birthday salute to Austin.

Austin, we are very proud of you and can't wait to see you. Be careful and know that we love and miss you. Hope you have a very happy birthday!

Just keep swimming.

Disney movies are like crack in our house.  We're all addicted.  Hunter grew up with Andy, Buzz and Woody.  The Lion King taught me about life, love, death and family.  Jeff learned what his bare necessities are and Mater taught Will how to get r done.  I've seen them all, loved them all and taken lessons from each one.  Here's some of the big lessons the little mouse movies have taught me....

1.  The past can hurt.  But the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it.  (Rafiki - The Lion King)

2.  Even miracles take a little time.  (Fairy Godmother - Cinderella)

3.  Keep your chin up.  Someday, there will be happiness again. (Robin Hood)

4.  The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all.  (The Emperor - Mulan)

5.  Giving up is for rookies.  (Phil - Hercules)

6.  The very things that hold you down, lift you up.  (Timothy - Dumbo)

7.  Let your heart guide you.  It whispers, so listen closely.  (Little Foots Mother - The Land Before Time)

8.  Always let your conscience be your guide.  (Jiminy Cricket - Pinocchio)

9.  The seaweed is always greener in somebody else's lake.  (Sebastian - The Little Mermaid)

10.  Forever is a long, long time and time has a way of changing things.  (Big Mama - The Fox and the Hound).

But most importantly....just keep swimming, just keep swimming.  Thanks Dory!

Look quick!

Take a quick look, this is the only time this season you'll see the Christmas show in all it's glory.  I promise, it won't last long.

Country Life....

This is why I was late to pick Will up at school....

And this is why I didn't mind a longer ride.....

Not Again!

Yiiippeeee!  December has finally arrived.  It's officially the end of "No Shave" November!  Will took a extra day to enjoy the stubble but it's finally gone.  Just in time for "Don't Shave" December.  Ugh!

The Gang

It's the first of December.  Time for planning and presents and stockings and lights.  And while I'm not in the holly jolly spirit, spending an evening with friends reminds you what is important.  It's not what you get to unwrap or how many gifts are under the tree.  It's about that group of people that help you forget how hard life can be for a minute and remind you that in the end it will all be ok.  And when I get to bring home a white elephant gift that I actually love, it's that much better :)

PSA

Clear the roads, the baby is driving!  Ok, so at 15 years, 10 months and 19 days, he's no longer a baby.  But that was my first thought when I saw him pull out of the driveway with the drivers ed instructor.  I don't think anyone has been as excited as Will to get their license.  He's counting down the days....and hours and minutes!

You have been warned!

A little piece of home...

You can take the boy out of the country but not the country out of the boy...isn't that the saying?  Well, with Hunter it's more the Christmas bug.  He may not be home, but his holiday spirit is with him no matter where he lays his head.  Since he can't look at his "big" Christmas tree at home every night this season, he took a little bit of home with him.  His personal Santa (a.k.a. Mom) delivered scarlet and grey ornaments and a star to top it off.  So today, I'm at home smiling know that Hunter's got a little piece home with him.  And look...the snack table is clean!