Friendship

In 1995, when I was seven months pregnant with Aaron, we moved just outside of Niangua. We shared a private drive with the people in the white house in front of us. We were moving in and they offered to help unload, brought over cold drinks, just basically helped in any way they could. We would stop and visit and learned she was four months pregnant - their first child. We had that common thread...

Over the last thirteen years we have developed a very strong friendship with the Grissom family - Billy, Becky and Jessie. Becky and I share a love of craft making and what I can't do, she can and vise versa. I can easily talk to her about whatever comes to mind, I have shared Robin with her from the beginning. I can tell you this, I have been blessed with many, many friends, I have a handful of true friends, but I have two best friends...Robin and Becky. I have often teased Becky about her being my MISSOURI best friend!! It was precious to me when three years ago, Robin and Becky were able to meet face to face. Oh, how I dearly love them.

Billy, Chris and the boys have the thrill of hunting, guns, fishing...well anything outdoorsy. Billy spent HOURS throwing darts with the boys, teaching them patiently how to throw a good game. We have made 'traditions' with the Grissom's over the years. We have cried, laughed even harder and cooked enough food to supply a small army. We have learned a lot from each other, we've also gone through circumstances that only friends could endure. Leaning on one another when we didn't possibly think we could take another step. We have a friendship that will last a lifetime. I'm sure of it as the last 13 years have been quite a journey!!

Goofing Around

This is Jessie and Aaron goofing around Saturday night...the laughter was contagious!

In the Christmas Spirit

Aaron wearing the hat Nanny bought him Thanksgiving evening. He wore it everywhere and we even sang Christmas songs on the way home...the hat kinda put us all in the Christmas spirit.

Don't Go Pokin' Around

This is the dinner roll that Aaron stuck his finger in...the moment that caused major chaos in the kitchen...that caused the mess that I am STILL cleaning up. (sigh)

Thanksgiving 2008

Yup, this is all ya get...just one is all it takes...so enjoy this dysfunctional Huggler family portrait.

Don't play with your food unless......

This Thanksgiving, I decided to buy some Rhodes frozen dough that was already cut into dinner roll size, thinking I'd save time, of course! They didn't thaw correctly, sure didn't rise and they definitely didn't bake worth a darn! Mom ended up running to the Bear just a couple minutes before we were to eat so we could have bread of some sort.

Immediately upon taking them out of the oven, Aaron stuck his finger directly in the middle of one thus causing an eruption in this house that was not a pretty sight. Between Aaron, Austin and Grandma (yes, I did say GRANDMA), bread debris is covering the kitchen table and floor...those poor little rolls were smashed, trashed, torn and worn....

....yep, that's what I get for thinking I could save time!

Fruit Loops

Today the Sassy Sisters gathered at my house this afternoon, minus one as Miss Brenda was under the weather. (We missed you, Sister!) Wanda had called a couple of nights ago 'requesting' enchiladas for our lunch date. The rule is, whoever hosts, makes the dinner. I informed her I would make something fast and quick and when she got a bit mouthy, I suggested she would be eating a bowl of fruit loops. My Mom added fuel to the flame by writing her a note reminding her to bring her own bowl for her cereal!! Ha..ha...it was too funny :) Anyway, we happily shared a meal of enchiladas, salad and a pineapple dessert, YUMMY! (Wanda, you are soooooo spoiled)

Seriously, I give thanks for these Sassy Sisters, even though they sucked me into their group without me knowing what I was getting myself into. Whew, they are like an addiction...one I can't live without.

EMMET OTTER'S JUG-BAND CHRISTMAS

When I was a little girl, I suppose around nine or ten years old, I watched Emmet Otter's Jug-band Christmas for the first time. This animated/puppet movie was a Jim Henson production and it ran over and over on HBO. Every single time it came on (when I was able to watch it, that is) I was glued to that big ol' console t.v. set. My whole family enjoyed this heart warming movie. The cutest line in the movie is "you got mashed potatoes?!" My Dad and I found the humor in that for some reason and we would recite THAT line each time and then bust up laughing...it was great. Emmet Otter was absolutely my favorite Christmas movie, hands down.


I believe it was on the Christmas that I was fourteen that my Dad presented me with a little rectangle shaped gift. I tore into it to find a copy of Emmet Otter! (Dad had one of his R.R. buddies copy it off t.v. so the video and audio wasn't the greatest) This girl was overjoyed!! I watched that movie until there absolutely wasn't anything left of it. The day it no longer would play, I threw it in the trash and it broke my heart. What a beautiful childhood memory...and it was gone, just like that.

Today, I was at Wal-Mart waiting for some film to be developed. There, mixed in amongst the Christmas movies was a whole stack of Emmet Otter. I had to take a double take as I have never seen this in stores until now (and believe me, I would've noticed) so with one quick swoop, it was immediately deposited in the cart! I am anxious to share this precious childhood memory with my sons...

...and fondly remember the gift my Daddy so lovingly gave me, so long ago.

LOVIN' TOUCHIN' SQUEEZIN'

Every morning just a couple minutes before 9:00 a.m., my favorite radio station KGBX 105.9 out of Springfield, plays basically the first beat of a song for the listeners to guess. I have tried several times to get through as I knew the song but the phone lines would ring busy as Woody would announce, 'we have a winner!' Yesterday, I called and it was busy so I kept redialing and after hearing two incorrect answers, I was surprised to hear Woody answer the phone. The song was LOVIN' TOUCHIN' SQUEEZIN' by Journey. This time, I was the WINNER!! Boy was I incredibly excited, Woody told me to contain my excitement as I was about to blow his ear drum (sorry!).

I won a $50 gift certificate to Michaels Jewelers!!!! Hmmm...I can see those sapphire earrings already :)

Gas Prices

They say a picture is worth a thousand words so this must speak volumes! This is what gas prices were on November 12th directly across the street from our home. We are very thankful for the relief at the gas pump...considering gas topped $3.89 a gallon not that long ago.

Daddy defeated

Ya know, at some point Chris had to have known his boys were gonna grow up and one day be strong enough to wrestle him down. That is exactly what happened tonight! I am in the kitchen when the hollering began. "Mom, bring the camera" "Mom, hurry!" When I finally decided to grab the camera and check out the situation, it was quite comical when I opened our bedroom door. Chris was in a choke hold by Aaron and Austin was holding his legs and feet. I started snapping away as Chris was struggling to get free. He couldn't hardly catch his breath due to laughing so hard. This went on for several minutes, and no matter how hard he tried, Daddy was defeated.