MY CONSTANT SHADOW

As I was cleaning my house yesterday getting ready for a visit from Alyson and my Grandma Elene, I was constantly being followed by my little shadow. She was absolutely driving me Bonkers! Yes, my little shadow has a name.....Ryleigh. Ryleigh is my child who is constantly at my side and I feel sometimes does not give me a chance to breath. If I'm sitting she's on my lap, if I'm laying down she's by my side. She likes to vacuum, clean bathrooms, run errands, and on and on and on.......just so she's right by me. I've been struggling with this lately, but as I got in my bed last night and my mind started to wonder I realized how lucky I was to have Ryleigh. I know one day when I'm feeling the "empty nest" syndrome I will wonder where my little shadow has gone. I hope today I can take time to appreciate her and learn to love her little feet that walk all over mine.

TARGET'S HALLOWEEN T'S

I'm a big sucker for Holiday decor and clothes. Target is the worst though. I'm sure just like myself, every Mom reading this has walked past the cute displays at Target and given in just like I do every Holiday. Target is great at displaying their stuff and make it affordable too. Target is the best! I shop there, eat there, buy groceries, and spend many nights just wandering the aisles. Target gets an A+ in my book!.....by the way-I'm still trying to get used to the fact that my kids have on shorts and short sleeves in October. Crazy!

CONFERENCE WEEKEND

Conference weekend is always a hard one for me. Before I moved out to Tennessee my Mom told me that her most homesick times were during conference. I felt myself feeling the same way just months after we moved here and Spring General Conference was in session. I didn't realize how much I did miss the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, the Conference Center, Temple Square, and on and on..........So of course this last Conference had me feeling the same way, but this time it was feeling homesick for my family. As I was sitting in the chapel with my very irreverent children on Sunday morning, the choir began to sing a Child's Prayer. I couldn't help but shed a tear or two. Not only was this my favorite Primary song but I knew that my sisters and Mom felt the same way. I've had a stressful couple of weeks and get the chance to go home at the end of the month. I'm so excited to see my family, see the return of my brother Reiley, and maybe if I'm lucky get down to Temple Square.

RAIDERS VS. PACKERS

Carson with his friend and classmate, Drew Pace.


Once again we had a nail biter. The game did not start well. This was a team we were supposed to walk all over and it didn't start out that way. Carson was having a hard time putting his game face on. He was playing against his little buddy from school and had invited another friend to come watch. He was a little more caught up into what his friends thought than keeping his head in the game. He turned his game on after the half and scored two touchdowns for the team. The score was 12-0 Raiders. Our lesson was...do not invite friends. We didn't realize Carson was so worried about what his friends thought, but then again what little kid isn't. Once again, great game Carson!

FAST FOOD JUNKY

If there was stock in Chic-fil-A, I would be one rich woman. I had to post this, because as I looked back at my bank statement this month I realized that I have become a fast food junkie. I hate to admit this. I never ate this much fast food before I moved to Tennessee. I don't know whether to blame it on boredom, bad selection of restaurants, or the fact that I have become another American statistic when it comes to fatty foods. Dave is doing so good at eating healthy and I need to learn from his example before it's too late. So......happy, healthy eating to me!

MAKING TIME FOR EACHOTHER

When I was at Mutual this past Wednesday, I noticed a packet of talks given by the Sisters in our Stake for Stake Women's conference. I went through them all but really tried to make this step to strengthening my family a priority. It read:

Making time for each other:

Do things together
Have meals together
Go one on one
Get involved with your children's activities
Turn off the TV
Help your children develop talents
Make chores fun

It's my goal this week to prioritize and make time for eachother.

GOOD OLD MEMPHIS!

So the ratings are in, Memphis was just awarded highest crime city in the U.S. and second "fattest" state. So please.....come visit. We'll for sure take you on a tour of downtown Memphis and load you up with some BBQ while we're at it. HEEHEEHEE!

Let's just say- I'm very blessed to live in Collierville.....a suburb of Memphis.