Father's Day

WOW! A weekend to be thankful! I can not put into words how very important my Dad is to me! I found a quote the other day that made me think about my Dad,

"He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it." ~Clarence Budington Kelland

That is so true! He lives everyday by the Word. You will not hear him spout bible verses, or TELL you the good things he does for others. He just leads by example. He does for others, including me, and never expects any praise or anything in return. I am so thankful to have two God fearing parents who have always loved me unconditionally. The older I get the more thankful I am to have this special relationship with my parents. They have been married 44 years and have been such an example of what a Christian marriage looks like! Thanks Mom and Dad, and especially Dad this weekend at Father's Day! Thanks for pushing me to always give my all and do my best, even when the odds were so terribly stacked against me. Thank you for always leading us in the right direction. I am eternally grateful to have such an incredible Daddy :) Happy Father's Day to all!

5th Anniversary

Our 5th Anniversary is Saturday! Mark has to work 3-11 shift, so we will be having a daytime celebration. I can't believe it has already been five years. It sometimes seems like just yesterday that we met (except when he is on midnights, then it feels like we have been married for 25 years LOL). I know you can relate Nancy :) I am very thankful that God sent me this incredible man to be my partner! I am a lucky girl, INDEED! Happy Anniversary Mark!

Aunt Annie Pearl and Grandad

Aunt Annie Pearl and Grandad
Originally uploaded by susanne.goodin

My Aunt Annie Pearl passed away yesterday. My grandmother and Aunt Annie Pearl were very close and she was always at our family functions. She has taken good care of my Grandad since
Grandma' s death six years ago. The funeral is tomorrow and our family will miss her dearly - especially my Grandad. I know she is in heaven right now getting to see my Grandma again. They were the two youngest girls of five and I know they are glad to see one another. We have a Mother's Day celebration every year at my Uncle's lake cabin. This year I took this photo, not realizing at the time how important it would be to me. Thank you Aunt Annie Pearl for all the special memories :)

Lake Trip 018

Lake Trip 018
Originally uploaded by susanne.goodin

We went to the lake for the weekend. It was great weather and we all had a great time. We only had one minor mishap. We went over to a friends house across the lake and then when it was time to leave - the boat would not crank. I am so glad that Mark came with us because he saved the day. It was an easy fix, just a dead battery! We got a new battery from the marina and we were good to go! It was Allie's first trip to the lake. She kept asking us if there was salt in the water, or if the lake had jelly fish. We tried to explain the difference between saltwater and freshwater. I think she understood by the end of the day! My first vacation of the summer is over. I made good use of my vacation time. I hit the beach twice and the lake. Back to work tomorrow!

Cheer Camp 2008

We had the greatest time at Cheer Camp! I think Cheer Camp at the beach is the best idea that the coach has ever had. This group of girls were so sweet and worked so hard! Our squad won a spirit stick and won first place for their crowd cheer. All the Moms were so proud of them. Check out more great pictures on my flickr site!

All American Nominee :)

All American Nominee :)
Originally uploaded by susanne.goodin

Lakyn was nominated for All American today! She has tryouts tonight and they have to compete tomorrow morning. Check out the cute pictures I have taken of these sweet girls. I will blog tomorrow after the competition! Wish Lakyn luck :)

13 again today!

I got home from my friends beach trip to turn around and leave the next day with Lakyn for Cheer camp. Eighteen little girls (12 and 13) headed for the beach where they get to cheer and play on the beach for four days. To say the least, they were very excited. Do you ever wish you could go back to those teenager days - where you can be silly constantly? I got to do that today! We sang Hannah Montana songs all the way to the beach (and the Apple Bottom jeans song - sorry other cheer moms! LOL) I had the best time with these precious little girls. I was blasted back into reality that I was the grown up with them when the Moms had to go do the grocery shopping for 18 girls! WOW - that is a whole lot of food. We are having the best time and I am getting lots of great pictures that I will share by the end of the week! Go Mustangs! :)

Good Friends and Good Times!

We have taken a Girl's Beach trip every year for the past seven summers. Our Bunco group is usually who goes with us, but the group does change slightly every year. A bunch of teachers who are super excited about school letting out is a sure recipe for fun! We always have the BEST time together! Thanks for the constant laughing ladies. I definitely needed the time away just for me to spend times with friends (no husbands, no children, no worries LOL), and I enjoyed every minute of it :)!

The End and the Beginning

The end of another school year! This one is special because Kyle graduated. He is headed to the Univeristy of Alabama and his Dad and I are so proud of him. We know that he will do great! Lakyn was honored at her school for "A/B" Honor Roll. Mark and I continue to be proud of her hard work at school! Dalton loved PCA this year - he received a baseball letter award, but I forgot my camera (can you believe it)! Byne did great at Troy, but we are looking for a new school for him to play ball at. I know we will find just the right place for him (God has a plan!). He is headed to Hickory, North Carolina to play ball for the summer! It was a great year at Coosada! I continue to LOVE my job - somedays I can not believe I get paid for what I do. We are looking forward to a fun filled summer!

Mother's Day 2008

I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day! I am so thankful to have a wonderful mother who has always been there for me, even when I screwed up. She always put us first and I can see what all she sacrificed now that I am older. My sweet mother in law is so special to our family. She supports all her grandchildren and I know she would do anything in the world for us! We are truly blessed. Thank you to my sweet children who made me feel special today. Lakyn set an alarm to wake up before me so she could hang a banner that she made and to cook me breakfast. She is such a thoughtful child! Dalton is so funny - he said the fact that he got a job is my Mother's Day present (he has a point, because it is going to save me hundreds of dollars in gas money!) Byne bought me a gift card to eat at my favorite restaraunt. It was great to spend all day with them - what a joy! Children can at times be a handful and heaven knows they run me crazy most of the time, but they are worth every crazy minute. I am counting my blessings today! Happy Mother's Day to all :)