BB's senior pictures......

I can't believe that my baby is a senior! When she went for her setting Wednesday, day before Thanksgiving she was so nervous, the few that she has posted on the photographer "Melissa McCrotty's" website turned out beautiful! Thanks to my good friend Angelia Burris Slaughter for recommending her! Below is Melissa's website, she comes highly recommended! (if you are unable to get to her website through this link, you may also go to her website through her blog)

Website: http://www.melissamccrotty.com/index2.php#/home/
Blog: http://www.melissamccrotty.com/blog/

Thanksgiving and Family, what could be better?

History, How much do you know?

A little history on Thanksgiving.......How much do you know?

Thought out history the Pilgrims and Indians celebrated with a 3 day feast for their bountiful harvest. But it was not celebrated as a National holiday of Thanksgiving. Many farmers in the 1600's believed their harvest contained spirits which either caused the crops to grow or die. Many farmers believed that the spirits were released when the crops were harvested. Some of the celebration they would defeat the spirits.

In 1621, the Indians and Plymouth colonist shared in a feast, the main reason for the feast was to show or symbolize the cooperation and interaction between the white people and the Indians. Many historians feel this was the very first Thanksgiving celebrated.

Do you know about their celebrations?

1. Do you know what was on the menu?

2. Do you know what they ate with?

3. Do you know what a cloth napkin was used for by the people?

4. Do you think they used salt and pepper?

5. How was the food served to the people?

Answers are below...

The first Thanksgiving celebrated by our country was after the Revolutionary War. In 1863 when Abraham Lincoln was in office, he declared the last Thursday of November will be "Thanksgiving Day" a national holiday! In 1941 Congress set the national holiday of Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of every November, then the decision was reversed when President Roosevelt wanted to celebrate Thanksgiving on the third Thursday of November, "this would give people more time to shop for Christmas." (Good decision, LOL)

Answers to above questions:

1. Lobster, seal and swan

2. Pilgrims didn't use forks, the ate with spoons, knives, and their fingers.

3. The cloth napkin was used for wiping their fingers/hands and to pick up hot morsels of food.

4. Salt was placed on the table for the feast so people could sprinkle salt on their food, pepper was used for cooking, but not placed on the table for use.

5. Pilgrims didn't set down and eat like we do today, they placed the food on the tables at them same time, meat dishes, pudding and sweets were placed all together and people at in the order they chose.

References:

http://www.history.com/content/thanksgiving/the-first-thanksgiving

http://www.thelaboroflove.com/articles/when-how-did-thanksgiving-become-a-national-holiday/

Off for her Senior Pictures............

BB ~ Senior 2010

It is amazing how time flies! One day I was bringing her home from the hospital, the next I am getting ready to send her off to college! In five months she will be graduating, making her way into this world to make a life for herself. Which leaves me at home with the animals! The only good thing about that is, they do not talk back! LOL I am sure I will be finding things to do.

As one leaves the nest, the independence grows strong. Making the decisions of an adult, but yet still in a young woman's body. She will makes mistakes and learn from them, and will be remembered from her great things she has done. This will be the last time she will be with her classmates as a class, the last year she will be playing in the gym at Lamar High School. She needs to cherish these moments. As she goes out into this cruel world, I hope that she can make an impact like she has made on my life! Always keep our Lord and Savior first in your life so that He will guide and lead you through life.......I love you!

New Couch?

Decisions, Decisions.......my good friend who is a teacher in another school district bought this leather couch (looks Burgundy, but is deep rich brown color) she said she is tired of it and is selling it, so I ask her how much and she priced it to me for "very, very, cheap" for a leather couch. I think it is a little shorter than the couch we have now! There is nothing wrong with the couch I have, but I do need a newer one. I noticed it is starting to wear....so I don't know about leather, I sure would love to have opinions here! Leather or not? (pros and cons section)

Pictures tell a story

The smiles tell it all "Chris Holland and dad Coach Jay Holland"

After a game of success

Thumbs up tackle

Warrior in Waiting

Waiting patiently on sideline for his next touchdown

After a good catch

The look of determination & to prove a point

Stretching

Disciplined

As I sit and wait for the next playoff game at Fountain Lake, Friday, Nov. 27th the day after Thanksgiving, I thought I would share some of my photographs. I do not claim to be an experienced photographer, but as my boys have ask me to 'take' pictures of them, I sometimes are in the right place at the right time. I also feel you have to see through a photographers eyes what they are feeling and thinking. It is just recorded in a second through a picture! This tells a lot about a photographer, what lies deep in their souls!

It seems all my pictures have centered around Football and Basketball for the last 10 weeks, but this is my love, "The Warrior Football Boys" who call me "Momma A" and the "The Lady Warriors" who my daughter plays and is the point guard for. I spent part of the summer with them at camp and feel like I am also a part of those girls! Season just hasn't started in full swing, football is still rolling!

My good friend and teacher

You know you meet people and just instantly you know they are special! Well this is my friend from school, a colleague and teacher, Laurie Cowling. We have to much in common, we LUV our football boys, students, and children at school. We love being amateur photographers, and being rowdy! LOL I guess I am to blame for her blog now! I realize I can reach many of my students, family and friends through my blog, so I felt I need to share the experience with my good friend Mrs. Cowling!

Oh, if you visit her blog, be sure and ask her how she was "almost part of the football team last night at the 'playoff' game against Parkers Chapel"........LOL sorry Ms. C, but I sure wish I had taken a picture, it was one of those moments! You were an inch of getting that 'run down feeling'.........:)

I have the best family ever!

My sister in law, Melissa

This has been a great weekend and starting of the week! I have been so blessed with my friends and family! Also, my Church family is amazing! I have grown so close to them. I see why our Father wants us in Church!


I can't wait for Thanksgiving, my precious family from Texas is coming in and we plan to spend special time with them. Over Christmas we are looking to travel to Texas! Gosh, how blessed I am. This is GREAT!

Where do I go from here? Thank you Father for giving me such wonderful friends and family!


God has blessed my brother and his wife, who I absolutely love my sister in law, Melissa. She is the best!

Chocolate...everybodies friend....

"3" homemade chocolate cakes

Every year I always 'serve' the Warrior Football team. In the past I have served ice cream cones, Pizza, cookies, and more. This year I decided to make homemade chocolate cakes and ice cream. I went to the store to purchase the ice cream, chocolate syrup and Oreo cookies. Yes, all about chocolate, it is every ones best friend, especially on rainy cool days!

Once in the store, I am thinking on the number of buckets of ice cream I would need, so thinking maybe 3 family size buckets will be enough! Wrong, these are football players...are you kidding? So I ended up buying 5 family size ice cream buckets. I came home and iced my cakes after they had cooled and crushed the Oreo cookies for the ice cream. They may all be sick by the time football practice gets here at 2:30.

We are kicking off the "Playoffs" if AAA will decide what they want to do (see below post) they are meeting today to decide to appeal or suck up their mistake and let the playoffs begin. As much as they were wrong, they will never admit their ignorance and immaturity in this matter, others are slamming our boys terrible for the coaches being right! So what better way to sooth the 'harsh' words from idiots than with 'chocolate'!

The best 4 hours of butt numbing.....

Blaid now has the world off his shoulders since we won the court case

As many people know now that Lamar Warriors of Lamar Arkansas were 'supposingly' playing and ineligible football player who moved in to our district in mid September. We have been fighting the AAA (Arkansas Activity Association) for 2 weeks now! Since 90% of schools, individuals and communities have been receiving "INCORRECT" information and "ASSUMPTIONS" about this player, I thought I would take the time to use my blog to post the CORRECT information.

I did attend the Court hearing, for 4 hours I sat between my boys, the Lamar Warrior Football players, and we held hands, we prayed and listen tentatively to both sides being presented. That being said, I can tell you from the beginning how all this came about!

A student from a neighboring district moved to Lamar schools because he had been threatened and ganged up on at this school. They were on a trip back from a school which they had played a 'scrimmage' game. Some boys had thrown a bottle and hit him in back of the head, this is where it all started. From there it escalated to a fight and then continued to a 'threat' and 'hand gestures' of a gun towards this boy. His truck was stolen and destroyed. So the family feared for his life and moved him to Lamar. (Under AAA rules, in these cases this is considered a 'hardship' and the boys is automatically eligible) The school paperwork, transfer and AAA documentation was 'all' filled out. To verify that he was for sure eligible, 2 phone calls were made to AAA from our Administration and the school he transferred from also called AAA and they were also told he was eligible. We were told "2" times that the paperwork was in order and he was eligible to play football. This was the second week of football season. Then 9th week of football season, we received a phone call and was informed we had an ineligible player. If AAA new the 2nd week of games, why did the school he transferred from wait until the 9th week of games they would call AAA and inform them we have been playing an ineligible player? THIS SEEMS VERY PERSONAL! Hummmmmmmmmmmmmm Or very scared of our football team!

We filed an appeal for a hearing to the AAA, on Tuesday of this week. The team that ended up 6th in the conference, were informed on Thursday at a game against Russellville and Cabot by the AAA executive director that they would be playing in the playoffs! Hummmmm, we had not even had our hearing yet, so yes, that told us that they had planned on denying our appeal. We went to our appeal at the AAA office. Seven board members sat there while we (our attorney, Superintendent and Athletic Director) presented our case, one of the members had his head down on the table, one was texting....another red flag, decision made?

Once we were denied from the AAA, we filed a petition for an injunction with the courts. Why? Because 2x's we were presented that AAA was not going to balls up and admit they made a mistake by telling us the boy was eligible. Trying to put all the blame on us! Time was an essence, playoff were suppose to start tonight (Friday), and so we needed to move fast. Our school attorney had all the paperwork ready for Thursday (after Wednesday holiday) and Thursday morning we filed for the injunction. A judge agreed to hear and rule on it.

We spent 4 hours in the court room, I sat from 3:15 - 7:05 hearing both side as each attorney presented their case and witnesses. It was amazing how AAA were arrogant, and so sure they were going to win. The judge spent much time with each side and asking many questions to clarify the statements made.

When the judge came back from his chambers for the verdict, all the boys and I locked hands and held on tight to each other. You have to understand, these boys worked very hard during their season, the boy that transferred in was not a starter, he is a good player, but he never started, so it is fair to say, we won games with and without him. Our last game was with Paris Eagles, who was projected to beat us by 7 pts. By the end of this game, we won 52-21! Without the 'supposingly' ineligible player! LOL

The judge started reading his verdict and I was blown away at how he was very disappointed how the AAA rule book was so vague,nothing was explained and half the paperwork that is suppose to be filled out was not even in the rule book, but on the website the papers were not accessed easily. He informed Lance Taylor the executive director of AAA should be governed and they need to get together and revamp their rules, that ONE man should not be the one who makes the decision if a school has an ineligible player or not! AMEN! Finally, someone realizes that ONE "Control" freak should not decide the fate of a school and its players! Especially, since HE is the one who said the boy was eligible! HUMMMMMMMMMMMMM

We all prayed that the truth would come out! That was the reason for my previous post.....we knew our Father would bring the truth out. We didn't know if we would win our injunction, WE JUST WANTED TO BE HEARD, WE DID THINGS RIGHT!

I am happy for my boys and our school. WE made History and DESERVE to be in the playoffs! Thank the Lord above!

So our school is getting bashed terribly because the ruling has caused 3A playoffs to be postponed until the Judge can sign the ruling and the two attorneys can come to a consensus.

My boys and our school do not deserve it, we are the BEST! And our new record is 10-1 (9-1 without the win over AAA)!

Keep praying for us and our boys! The reason behind all this was for OUR boys! Isn't that why we are teachers? What if this was your child who played football and in his senior year was stripped from their record and playoffs? You all would be fighting for the truth also! :)

Have to leave this one to the Lord!

The next few days will be a very trying time and so many are on their knees praying for the truth~ Being a faithful Christian and a true believer I know that all things work for the good of the Lord. For all things there is a purpose and a reason, we may not understand it at this time, but I have to continue having faith and leave it in God's hands. I have seen grown men fall to their knees praying and crying all week, we feel we have no more tears left. Our hearts are breaking and we feel we have lost one of our own! I do believe in Karma......and so do the others! So I keep praying we all have the strength to sustain the ones we love the most! Luv U TTLWFBB!

OMGosh, my new icemaker! LOL

I realize that when you are looking at a sales paper from department stores, they enlarge the picture so you can 'see' the item. Most items are smaller than the picture(laughing) normally. The town next to us recently opened up a "Tuesday Morning" store, what make me interested in this store is they had a 'portable ice maker' on sale. Since my side by side refrigerator, is an older one and thought I would probably purchase a new side by side in the future, also thinking, "why spend the money on a new ice maker for my refrigerator when it may go out tomorrow!" So why not buy us a small ice maker and I can control the amount of ice we need and want vs. getting ready to sit down to eat and WE ARE OUT OF ICE for our drinks.

I head off to Tuesday Morning store to 'investigate' the portable ice maker. It makes up to 35 lbs a day, LOL. I get there and it is on sale as the paper says (really good price), it does not require a drain, or line coming in to it! I look at the box sitting on the shelf at the store and the outer box is large, but I really think it was lots of packing. I get home with my new ice maker, I start unpacking it and hook it up! To my surprise, this ice maker is huge! LOL. 2x's as large as expected and the picture showing in the sale paper *SURPRISE! I purchased the ice maker and have temporally set it on a corner cabinet until I can figure out what I am going to do with the ice maker! I am thinking I may need to build its own space!

Seriously, I am glad I purchased the ice maker, with holidays around the corner, I am making ice and bagging it up! We have two dinners we are going to have to attend at Thanksgiving, (yes, we love getting together with family and eating). I have my relatives, newly married cousin and his beautiful wife coming in from TEXAS, so I will be intertaining them! PLUS, the cubs are so cute and easy to eat, not like the large, hard cubs of ice that regular ice makers make! I just am not sure about the size of the maker and what to do with it! Laughing~ Every 8 minutes, it drops the ice cubes, now tell me how anything can make ice that quick? HUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

My amazing dear friend.....Talent

"Off the Clock" Painting

"Mousers to be" Painting

Joni McKim, each one of her paintings have a story behind them. When you visit her website, she will tell you the inspiration behind each of her paintings. AMAZING friend I have!
She is just beginning her love, here is her website: www.jonimckim.com

I met Joni about 4 years ago at a barrel race in Tulsa, Oklahoma at a Drysdales barrel race. Approximately 400-500 barrel racers show up for this 3 day event. I was getting my stalls ready for the horses to bed down on a Thursday afternoon when I heard this woman laughing and just loved her personality. I had to go and get water when I realized that the water faucet was by her stall. While my water buckets were filling up, Joni and I started visiting. I really had a good time visiting. After getting my horses bedded down and fed, I went to the RV park (on the same grounds by the huge indoor arena), parked my living quarters trailer and within 30 minutes I looked up and here comes Joni, her parking place was next to us! SO, this friendship was meant to be! We sat up late that night, laughing, visiting and going over our lives, but she never told me that she loved to paint! This woman is amazing! I love her and so blessed to have her a friend!

We are quit far apart mileage wise, so we have to visit through phone calls and emails, she sent this link to her website and wanted to share the talent of this woman. I plan to purchase one for my Christmas present! :) Here is her website: http://www.jonimckim.com/

Senior Night and Tears......:(

H2O girls

One of my boys "Blaid"

Zach running in for a touchdown!

18 Senior boys

Us in the middle of the pack!

Wow, what a wonderful and sad night Friday night was! Senior night, had to see all 18 of our senior football players walk for the last time on Warrior Field (until playoffs) and one H2O girl, our daughter B! I can not believe she is a senior! I have been adopted by the players, because I am always on the sideline with them. Taking pictures! Friday night was the 'muddiest' night in football history at LHS. Once the game was over, I had 4 of my boys running to hug me! I think after the hugs, I had more mud on them than they did! :) I love it though, they are my boys! All 36 of them!

A HUGE surprise for our boys!

What is so great about our booster club, is the support we get from our community here at Lamar and great parents who want our 'boys' to have something special! At the last home game, a few selective ones were able to know what was coming UP! As the boys and the coaches were getting ready to come out, we aired up their surprise! A run through, that "smokes" when you come through it! GREAT huh? When the boys and coaches came out, they were SSSOOO proud! It was worth the $$$ that it cost, because WE ARE HEADED TO THE PLAYOFF AGAIN!

GO WARRIORS!