Monday, February 28, 2011

Visiting Uncle Jack

We took BJ to visit her brother Jack in their hometown of Cullman, AL. It was definitely a walk down memory lane, and we all enjoyed catching up with Uncle Jack.

Part of our Saturday was spent visiting family members who have passed. Here Logan and his mom stand between two of their Westmoreland kin. (Westmoreland is Logan's middle name.)
The girls were excited to see the marker for one of BJ's grandmothers, Hannah Jane. (I believe it is through her that they are descendents of the Cherokee Potatoe- aka Bear- clan, but I will have to double check.)
It was a lovely weekend spent with family, including Uncle Reid. We couldn't have asked for better weather! The only downside was Logan earning a "fast driver award" from an Alabama Trooper. YUCK. It may be some time before we're ever back in the area...


Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Happy birthday, Dad! Today is his birthday, and even though we won't be able to spend it with him, he's always in our hearts! Enjoy the warm weather for your birthday. We love you!

You can wish him a happy birthday yourself over at Traveling Bells if you want to pop in and say hi.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Sleepover Fun

My sister and her husband are celebrating their 10th anniversary by getting away for the weekend. The boys stayed with Nana Thursday night, us last night, and Uncle Brian tonight. Lucky guys!

Here they are jamming out on the recorders, clarinet, and guitar. What a racket! I mean, what sweet music! At bedtime, Alex did NOT want to go to sleep, so I ended up laying down with him in Ansley's bed (my former twin bed, BTW). Needless to say, Aunt Haley fell asleep before he did! (The first time I returned to my bed was too early.)


In the morning (after Macey came it at 6:30 to let me know they were all up), Alex told me that he had wanted me to sleep with him the whole night. Yeah, but so did Uncle Logan! Who knew I was such a popular gal? Don't be fooled by Will in this photo; he is NOT asleep!

Alex had a soccer game, and we got to the gym at about 8:45 (the 2nd team player to arrive! Yay me!). I was very impressed that all the players and coaches circle up, hold hands, and say a prayer before each game. (Upward Sports is sponsored by some of our local churches.)

Number 6 may not make it to the World Cup, but most of us had a good time!
Then, this afternoon, at a balmy 67 degrees (and nine days ago was a snow day...), we went for a pontoon boat ride! Our mission was to search for the missing dock float that we didn't find. :(
The girls have been wanting to go see the Justin Bieber movie, so I agreed to take them. Since I really don't have "Bieber Fever," I opted to sit in the car for the duration of the movie (with my popcorn and book). Lo and behold, though, Faith and her daughter Haley arrived to see the movie, so she offered to bring the girls home. Twist my arm! They really did enjoy the movie, so it's a hit with the tween crowd.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Singer/Songwriter and Amazing Guitarist, Jack Williams

Last night we drove to Jasper to a Jack Willliams concert. We'd never heard him before but had been told that he was one of the best guitarists in the world. We were not disappointed! He was absolutely amazing, and we were all enthralled, especially our budding guitarist. I've never seen fingers fly and pick like his!

We were introducted to Jack (literally) by our new priest, Father Frank. (Frank+ has not only inspired Macey to buy a guitar, but he has been teaching her to play.) When he told us about Jack and the concert, we decided to make a night of it, and Frank spread the word among our congregation. We ended up with a group of eight (the Dockerys, Kay Cahoon, and Father Frank), which fit perfectly in our big "bus." We had dinner at a local Chinese restaurant and then drove out to the Episcopal church in Jasper. Jack isn't a Christian singer/songwriter per se, but his music was certainly fine for church, for the most part at least. He did throw in a little Elvis! He's been classified as a folk artist, but his music ranged across many, many genres.

The girls talked us into buying two of his CDs, which he autographed, and our budding musician was on cloud nine when Jack mentioned her by name several times during his improv.

If you ever get the chance, you should definitely go hear Jack sing and play. He was an amazing one-man show, and his CDs do not do his playing justice. All eight of us were blown away and highly entertained.

Friday, February 4, 2011

Wear Red TODAY!

Today is the American Heart Association's "Go Red for Women" day. Did you know that heart disease is still the #1 killer of women in America? Get your red on, show your support, adopt a heathier lifestyle, and spread the word!

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Role Reversal?

When I picked up our eldest from 4-H after school, she was very upset because she had gotten into some trouble at school. It is not major trouble, but trouble nonetheless. (One good thing about a perfectionist firstborn is that she is a lot harder on herself usually than we are/have to be. Plus, on this occasion, the teacher's punishment is appropriate.) So she promptly spills her guts and sheds some tears. The tempest has finally calmed down more or less when she says for the umpteenth time, "I am so stupid!" (Typical teen, right?)

After a pause, from the backseat, the nine-year-old says, "Well, someone's got to be the mom here. First of all, you're not stupid!" I have no idea what the second point was because I was trying so hard not to laugh and drive the car right off the road!

After I apologized for not doing my duty, I reassured the girls (again) that no one was stupid; just sometimes we make dumb or bad choices. The important thing is to learn from our mistakes and try not to repeat them. New mistakes, however, are another story...

Someone's got to be the mom here!