We have been busy, sorry for the lapse in updates! We had a progressive supper at church last night. Well, not just at church. We were one of the host homes. Needless to say, I have been cleaning for a week. I washed windows, swept, dusted, mopped, cleaned out the refrigerator, washed tons of clothes, mainly because of Patrick's room. I cleaned it up finally, since he wouldn't get in there and do it, but I charged him $25 because I had to clean it up. I guess I need to do these things periodically, since the dust bunnies don't normally bother me. The supper was alright. We didn't have as many people to show up as were supposed to, but we had a good time with those who did. We had the Burns and the Collins for appetizers, then we had the Wiltshires for salad. We all ended up at the church for chicken strips and dessert. It was fun, but I felt kinda cheated out of a weekend.

This is homecoming week at school. tomorrow is "Nerd day" Don't you think Patrick is a textbook example of a typical nerd! ha not really. He is not normally nerdy, just for the nerd day. Wednesday is Disney day and Patrick just has to be Little Arliss from Ole Yeller. It is perfect for him. We'll dress him up with overalls and give him a frog and a snake for one pocket and a rock for the other one!! Let's hope that he doesn't really throw it at anybody!! Patrick is doing very well in school. His progress report was very good and first nine weeks tests are next week. He was picked to lead the pledge of allegiance this week. I would love to hear it! He has a great voice! southern drawl to the max, and he is a little sensitive when folks make fun of it, but they can't help it!! He made it to second chair trumpet in the band this week. The jr. high band played at the jr. high ball game last tuesday and I enjoyed listening to them very much. They played so well together.

Jon was in heaven this weekend. He spent the weekend in Memphis watching the NHRA drag races. He even got a "souvenir" !!!! A tire. Yes, a huge 36 inch tall tire. Jon continues to love school and is planning on going back to work this friday.

Liz is hanging in there and checking in every few days with a math problem to solve! she is busy, though with 2 jobs and school. NOt much time for social life.

Sid entered the purple truck in a car show last weekend. He is so proud of her. I am proud of him for working on her and getting her going.

Me, I am tired. Poor baby, yeah, I know. I have no problems compared to so many out there. Life is good and God is awesome!

Where has the time gone? I posted on the first, now it is amost september 11. WE WILL NEVER FORGET. I will never forget that morning, home with Sidney, since I wasn't working at the time, when Sid's cousin called us and told us to turn on the television, something awful had happened. Well, she was right. It was awful, unbelievable, unfathomable that someone could devalue human life like that. Satan was working overtime that day, in those muslim fanatics. Who would have thought that we would have been attacked like that, on our own soil, no mercy. There were fathers on those planes, children, mothers, sisters, brothers, aunts, grandmas. It didn't matter to those men. I wonder if they were surprised that there were not 40 virgins waiting for them when they martyred themselves. I wonder if hell was hot enough. I am glad that our God is a just God, a God of mercy I am no better than those muslim fanatics, but I am FORGIVEN!! YEA!!!!!

Happy Labor Day

It has been a nice day. Very quiet, lazy. It has been cloudy all day and we have been awaiting the storms of the hurricane Gustav. The Lord is good, the storm went way west and we have not had the first drop of rain. Liz's friend has been trying to get his corn crop in and lacks a couple of days to finish, so if the rain would hold off, his crop would be safe. Had a nice visit with Liz and Jon this weekend. Liz went back earlier today, having class, plus working a double shift tomorrow. Jon will go back in a little while, taking his food for the week with him! He had filet mignon for his birthday and there was a little piece of it left. I smoked a boston butt today and it was so good and tender. I marinated some chicken tenders in louisiana hot sauce with some other stuff and they were pretty good! He also has some baked beans, birthday cake, spaghetti and other assorted goodies in his cooler. It is a short week this week. Sid has been working on painting his interior truck doors today. Haven't seen much of him, just when he got hungry.

Happy Birthday to Jon!

This afternoon at 3:37 pm our sweet middle child turned 19 years old. Can't believe it! Seems like he was just a baby, then a little toddler, then a kindergartener with tired hands from all that coloring! Then it was first grade, then fourth grade, new school, peewee football, jr. high, high school and then he was a senior. Then he graduated last may. Boy, the time flies. His little brother just started junior high, so I guess he'll be graduating in a couple of days! We went to church this morning, then came home and cooked steaks with the works and a homemade caramel cake for dessert. Grandmother came and ate with us and Liz came home and ate, too. Jon was tickled to get money from grandmother, new flip flops from Liz and a new tv from his daddy and me.

Tomorrow is Labor day and hurricane Gustav is due to make landfall in New Orleans in the morning. Last year on this particular weekend, we were enjoying a beautiful beach at Pensacola with Margaret and family. The weather on the coast this time is much different. We'll probably get rain by Tuesday, but probably tomorrow. All the hotels and motels in the state are booked with evacuees. Our neighbor has 10 in her house alone. Her family is from the coast and New Orleans.