lately i have had a lot of crazy big projects...and felt a bit like i am going under.

it is all i can do to save face and just hold it together.

so i have decided to just take a moment, and laugh about it.

but i promise i will be back (in full blog force) very very soon! :)

football season

yeah...not really a subject you think i would blog about, eh? but i've been reflecting a lot lately about how my life seems to be flying by...and what better way to put my thoughts into words than with a little seasonally appropriate football anecdote?

in my teens...i cheered/danced from the sidelines.

i wore school colors, pinned my "crush the cougars" (or whatever alliteration they had for the week's team) ribbon to my much too short skirt, and giggled at silly boys. my only worries were whether or not i knew the all the moves to our half time routine, if i had both pompoms, and how hard would that chemistry test be on monday morning?

in my early twenties...i hung in the grove.

parties began on thursday night and didn't end until the wee hours of sunday morning. i wore my cutest dress, high heels, and my steady frat boy's blue blazer when it was too chilly. we chanted hotty toddy, gossiped about the girls who stood while they smoked (gasp!), drank bourbon and cokes, and ate abner's chicken.

we were blissfully high on the fact we were "adults", and blissfully unaware we had no idea what that really meant.

in my late twenties...i was a newlywed.

saturdays were reserved for us (also newlyweds to the REAL working world), we soaked up the time together. we would snuggle on the couch and dine on big plates of clif's favorite foods i had made (okay, sometimes ordered in). and in between smooches and him yelling at the television, i would fall asleep in his lap.

occasionally we would go to the park with our "kids" and play a bit of football ourselves. we felt like seasoned veterans, but were just beginning.

now i am in my thirties...and even though i rarely sit through an entire game, i still love to have it on every television in the house. as i fold the clothes, rush to get ready for another birthday party, finish sewing a halloween costume, working on one of my volunteer projects, or sorting through a lesson plan...i still love those sounds.

the announcer calling fourth and ten, the roar of crowd when their team almost intercepts the ball, that crisp smack of the players pads, the band playing the time honored fight song.....and when you add to that clif hollering with all his heart, explaining to bauer why the ref is nuts, and vivian teaching frances to cheer for the rebel razorbacks. well, i do believe this is the best season yet...

cousins

i keep thinking about this weekend...

and how great it was to be with family, in the quiet peacefulness of our lake getaway. i also keep thinking about all the laughs and fun...although, these two boys might have had the most fun of all.

they skipped rocks (or rather threw them)...

and posed patiently for their sweet mother/aunt...

made adventures for themselves and for mr. beary...

and laughed...

and in the midst of it all, cousins became life long friends.

my own favorite childhood memories involve my cousins. big family gatherings with lots of food, lots of laughing, and lots of fun and games. not a lot of money, or technology, or fancy toys...just simple people loving each other and the time they had together.

i'm not sure when we will be able to getaway again, but for now....

the secret happiness i have from the wonderful memories made this weekend, will hold me over until next time....

treehouse for 12

that's a whole lotta folks, eh? what in the world are they up to....

they are headed here.

for this handsome guy.

and this pretty lady...because this year our patriarch and matriarch both turn 60! months ago su and i decided we would plan a little getaway...and we found this place.

a treehouse right on the lake. remote, gorgeous, big....perfect.

so we packed the cars and brought the oldest granddaughter,

the big boys,

and all...

three...

babies!!

we took lots of hikes, ate, played games, ate, laughed, had a few mini photo sessions, ate, and made lots of memories.

even mia had a good time.

happy happy 60 to our gege and pawpaw.

we can't wait to see what the next decade will bring.

facebook killed the blogging star

i'm just saying...that's all. once i load it onto the computer and post it to a social media, it's totally dropped from my radar. and because the blog is for my family, and our memories...well...i just gotta get focused! ;)

i mean what if i forgot to take note of these cuties enjoying some yummy breakfast before school?!

or the amazing surprise that came all the way from nebraska coutesy of bobbie? can you believe julie's uniform matches vivian's EXACTLY?! down to the buttons and pockets!

or a super fun day spent with cousin jackson.

how about our favorite cheerleader at soccer?

or this? yeah...i'm not sure what exactly this is....but clif and i have a rule that they are NOT allowed to sleep on the floor. i must say, technically this isn't the floor. ;)