Birthday Boxing Ballyhoo Gathering

Friday, Nicole and I started our letterboxing adventures early by planting 2 of their (The Dallas Doodlebugs) boxes and then by planting 2 of ours (The Farkle Family). Of course, we laughed non-stop... Here I am at Nicole's "Caroline Shipp" box "area" / no spoilers here folks (letterboxers you know what I mean).



Saturday we were going to meet up with Holly from the Talley Valley Farm Clan but she noticed when she stopped to letterbox in Gaffney, S.C. that she had forgotten her backpack (and that would be her letterboxing backpack). Luckily, the Troll was responsible for packing the SUV for the trip north so yes he was "more than happy" ha! to meet her half way with her bag.

So the Birthday Boxing Ballyhoo gathering started around 12pm and all you could see was ink, stamps, boxers frantically writing clues down, personal travelers, and exchanges being made - fun, fun, and then yea, more fun.

Here Nicole, Holly and I are stamping a box...





Greg was so good about hanging with us girls and hunting for the boxes - love that man of mine! Here is a picture of Greg and Nicole.



We finished up the day with the Freebird box by the lake - - Rankin Lake. Then we were done, done, done; 7 hours of boxing kicked our tail and it was to home for showers and grub and yea, logging all of the days found boxes.

Blog you later,
Tammy

1st Day of 7th Grade

I still can't believe my baby boy is now a 7th grader. He was so excited, sleepy but excited Monday morning. Oh yea, I'm sure it most likely had to do with the fact that ever since Orientation night he's been texting a "girl" friend of his to no end. She came up to him in the courtyard and said, "oh, Mason you have a moustache"! How funny is that? Needless to say my baby boy now has a little sweetheart - teehee. Don't worry...I know...he's only 12, but we're talking sitting beside one another at school, texting, talking on the phone...cute, cute, cute.

Here is a pic of him on the first morning...look at those sleepy eyes.




Blog you later,
Tammy

We gave it another GO!

Ok. So we weren't able to find the letterbox first time around...well, let me rephrase that - we only found 1 of 4 letterboxes last time we set out for this box. Today we actually completed the FIND. YEA!!!!

When we were out looking for the box before it so happened to be at dusk and all I could think of was wolves and moutain lions and bears, oh my! So, needless to say, we cut that trip waaaaaaaay short and left with only the 1 find - ok by me - I didn't want to be some big cats din din.

It was a beautiful hike for the set.











Blessings to all.
Tammy

Wordle...it's a funny name but it's kinda fun

I happened on to a website today and I have used way toooo much of my time playing around with all the possibilites - - try it and use one for yourself. http://www.wordle.net/ it's a lot of fun :).

Last day of summer vacay!

Well, today was offically the last day of summer vacay. *boo hoo* We went swimming today just like we had planned and Nicole brought Madison and a couple of her friends to join in the splashing, jumping, screaming and OMG'g. The weather was soooo nice - breezey with just the right amount of sun shining through. While Nicole got her vitamin D I sat under a big shade tree, but of course, we were close enough for even the slightest whisper to be heard. :)



Our washing machine has been on the blink and wouldn't you know it...the repair man called while Nicole and I were dishing it up and that meant we had to end the day early...well, at least I'm able to wash clothes again. Though, it did get me to thinking - I can hardly imagine what pioneer women had to deal with - washing clothes on rocks down by the river/spring/gully. Praise the lord for the invention of the washing machine.

Someone emailed me with the story below and it really spoke to me...I thought I would pass it along.

A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were talking at a reunion and decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired.

During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work and lives. Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups - porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the hot chocolate.

When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor said, "Notice that all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. The cup that you're drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was hot chocolate, not the cup; but you consciously went for the best cups...and then you began eyeing each other's cups." "Now consider this: Life is the hot chocolate; your job, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life. The cup you have does not define, nor change the quality of life you have. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate.

The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything that they have." Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply.

Blessings.
Tammy

My 7th Grader

I can't believe it *sniff, sniff* that my very own Mister Master Mason is now in the 7th grade. To see him striding down the very halls through my alma mater is quite a more difficult task than I thought it would be... He is just so confident in being himself and hangin' with his friends that my heart aches (just a little) but at the same time I am also proud *big smile* that he can be confident and hold his head up to show the world his uniqueness in spirit and character.

Today we had a goodbye summer day...just me and Mason. It was sooo nice to spend time, just the two of us. Boy, we haven't done that in a looooooong time. First we went bowling and we had tied scores both times...we still can't believe it.




We then went and played miniature golf - I WON! *teehee* not bad for a little ol'mama from NC huh - yeah I beat a 12 year old - that's what I'm talking about - haha!





Tomorrow I'm taking him and a few of his friends to a local swim club we're members of to swim, yell, laugh, dive, jump, splash and of course his favorite word right now - EAT.






I also told him to finish it off we'll go for a movie - we haven't seen The Dark Knight so maybe that will be the one. Then it will be off to school on Monday - *sniffles*. My bigga boy.

Thanks for reading and have a blessed day,
Tammy

Are You Sniggering at me?

Well today marks my very first post. Kuddos to me!

I was sitting here at the computer "sniggering" at the fact how Mason now finds it hilarious and sometimes a little embarrassing of how I talk. HA! Are you kidding? Wasn't it just yesterday, when I was his age (the ripe old age of 12) teasing my Mom about how she would talk with of course, not even the slightest hint of being "cool". Insert side splitting laugh here! :-)

I told him...oh boy, you may want to hold your words, one day in the far, far, faaaaaaar future you will have a little blessing of your very own to snigger at YOU. :-)

Thanks for reading and have a blessed day,
Tammy