Thanksgiving Week

I am so excited about Thanksgiving.  I love the house when it smells of turkey in the oven and all the goodies to go with it.  A few MIX 103 listeners on facebook mentioned a Recipe Exchange, let’s us this blog to do that if you wish.  I am willing to share anything we have talked about.. I have a copy of the Taste of Home Cookbook – I can look it up!  

On Black Friday we will be traveling to Texas to see my Ashlee. She is excited and so am I.  Her dad and his fiancee got her an iphone 4. I am so excited for her. She has been wanting a good phone for a LONG time!  Now she has one.  She has been texting me pictures and I LOVE IT! 

Things are going good with Kim and Beccah, too.  We are going to Beccah’s school today to talk to the VP and see why Beccah’s first period teacher picks on her all the time, is mean to her and gives her bad grades for using her nickname – Beccah instead of writing Rebeccah – no warning.  And last night she told us she didn’t want us to go. I don’t know if that is normal or we should be worried.. We are a little of both.  Kim is great. She is still working at Jose’s Cantina on Sundays from 11-2 and doing great in school. I can’t believe she is a junior.  Where does the time go.  

JT and I had a great weekend and we are looking forward to a much better 2013 for us.  It has been a rough year but we have survived and it has made us stronger – the saying is true “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” but we are hoping and praying for an easy sailing 2013! We want the only struggle to be us handling Kim being a senior!!! 

Here is a pic of my Ashlee – had to share! Yes, she’s only almost 14!

Pic from new iphone!

I hope and pray everyone has a great Thanksgiving and if you are traveling, like us, praying for safe travels!  

Let us not forget Thanksgiving!

I love Thanksgiving, but unfortunately it does kind of get forgotten.  We love Turkey Day in our house because it is close to Ashlee’s birthday. This year we are going to Texas for her #14 birthday.  My goodness.. I can’t believe that my baby girl is almost 14.  It is so

crazy. We will have Turkey Day at our house this year though, then head out on Black Friday.  It is safer for me to be on the road than in the stores!!! ha ha ha

Thanksgiving – JT and I have so much to be thankful for.  Great things with the radio station are ahead!  Our business, River Region TV, is going GREAT! Plus & most importantly we all have our health. How many people remember when our parents said, “Oh when you get older, you will be thankful for you and your family’s health” – yea we all eye rolled at our parents, right?! Well, how true they were. I am so thankful that all our girls are healthy, our extended family has no health problems and JT and I are healthy.  What more can you really ask for.  Dang, our parents were right again!

One of the other things I love about Thanksgiving is deep frying the turkey! That is, of course, JT’s job, but it is so good.  Every year I wonder why we don’t do it all year round.  I guess it wouldn’t be as special if we did that.

Another thing I am thankful for this year is that my best friend from high school now lives in Prattville!  I am so excited.  I can’t wait for her to get all moved in and settled so I can stop by and just hang out!  One of the coolest things about best friends – it is like no time has passed.  My
Well, just about time to get moving!  Talk next Monday!BFF was there for me for so many things.  Life changing events and it is so good to have her close again!

L

Drama filled November, so far! lol….

Wow, this month has started with a lot of drama.. I won’t go into a lot of it because I don’t want to embarrass anyone, but holy cow! On the other hand, Ashlee is doing great in Texas with her dad. When I am out in public people ask me about her all the time. She got her first report card and she made all As and Bs. I was very proud of her. She enjoys being the “BIG SISTER” and her dad just proposed to her soon to be Step Mom and I am so happy for them!

It is very hard to get the phone calls from Ashlee, sometimes, about things she doesn’t like out there. I remind her there were things here she didn’t like either. I support my ex husband’s rules and she has to speak up and talk about her feelings and pretty much deal with it because it was her choice to move. I want her to be happy but she has to realize there are consequence for all decisions! Let’s just say we don’t get the same in another situation – hence the drama!!!!!!!

Kim took her ACT and we are waiting for her results. I am really proud of her. She is doing great in school and her driving is GREAT! She is being so respectful and a joy to watch become an adult. JT and I tell her all the time, it is because of her being so responsible that we have been able to do what we do for so long! She will do great things and be such a productive member of society and an independent woman – that is what us mom’s should want for our daughters! I know that the two behind Kim will also be amazing adults – they just aren’t as old yet and still have some room to grow and decisions to make!

2012 Half Marathon

Well, my first half marathon is behind me. It was amazing and what a sense of accomplishment I feel. I wanted to come in at 2:20, but came in at 2:35 – considering how sticky and foggy it was, I feel that is ok. My life saver was training and my Jeff Galloway 13.1 app. I ran 7 minutes and walked :40 seconds the whole way, minus the last 2 miles. I ran straight to the end from there. I loved running thru ASU and Huntingdon Colleges. The fact that the bands and cheerleaders were out at ASU was awesome. I loved the signs at Huntingdon. My favorite was “Chuck Norris never ran a half marathon!” Made me laugh. The course was great and the folks along the way were great. Also, the volunteers and police officers directing traffic were great. I know a lot of them were from Maxwell, your efforts and community involvement were appreciated, always! I didn’t like running in front of the Biscuits stadium and then realized I still had to go past it, up the street and then back to the stadium. That is what I would change. The Mayor being there at the being there to start the race and being there at the end to shake everyone’s hand, says so much about Montgomery and it’s elected officials! It meant a lot to me.

My foot is killing me but it was so worth it. Definitely going to have to give it a break for a few days but then back at the running. Love it!

Looking forward to the future and all the great things that in store for us – exciting things to come with Matt Silverwood and MIX 103, just to name one and the River Region TV Show is moving full steam ahead. The future is so bright, might just have to wear shades. LOL

Leanne

Post Teenage Driver! lol

Well, with Kim’s birthday behind us know, she has been driving for about 3 weeks. I can honestly say, she is an amazing driver. She is so responsible and respectful of us and the car and that it is a privilege! I couldn’t ask for more. She helps out when I need her to pick up her sister or get a couple of things from the store. She isn’t asking to go just driving, yet!  I am very proud.

On the other front with Ashlee living with her dad. That is still very hard for me to handle. I take it day by day. She is loving school, being the big sister and doing great! I miss her terribly. We skype all the time, which is great!  She is loving her speech class and trying out for the Movie Club at school later this month! She is also making a lot of friends. I am counting the days until I see her again in November for her birthday/Thanksgiving.  She will be 14. I can’t believe it.

JT’s daughter is doing great in school and really good in cheerleading. She is playing the flute in school. She is doing great with that. She had her first cheer game last Saturday! It was great and she had a lot of fun and is very talented!  We sent pictures to her mom in Texas. Next week, we will remember to send a video of her doing some cheers!

Work is good. I miss being on the morning show.  A lot of folks come up to me and say the same thing. They are so sweet.  I love spending time in the morning with the kids, but now with only 2 and Kim driving it is a different situation all together. They grow up so fast and become so independent!  It’s crazy.

I am so glad that JT is coming to church with me at Destiny CC. We are really having a great time. The services are so different then when we were younger and going to church w/our parents. Very contemporary and fun. Great music and an uplifting atmosphere! A nice change. The kids love to come to church with us. Which makes us know we are doing something right!

There are still a few issues that we are focusing on and trying to resolve, but all in all the TV show is doing fabulous. JT is so talented in editing and producing TV. I am glad he can do it. LOL…  I love meeting new people and talking about great events going on in the River Region, especially the ones that help other people. Like today, we went to the Ribbon Cutting of Women in Hope. They are a great organization that helps women who have been diagnosed with Breast Cancer.  It was a privilege to meet with them today and make some new friends and catch up with some old ones!

I think I have done a pretty good job of catching everybody up on all the happenings going on in our life!

TTYL

Leanne

Yes, we can all act like we love each other for a moment.. ha ha … Just kidding!

 

 

Kim’s Sweet 16 party – WOW it’s over!

I am glad that girls only turn 16 once. Holy Cow! The party was a huge success.  Thanks to a lot of friends and help from great folks like Jerry @ Rosemont Gardens & Jeff and the staff at Chappy’s Deli and Marsha with ImagineSuites.  It really was amazing and magical for me, especially.

It started about a week before when Kim and I were shooting for the TV show on the Riverfront and Kim told me, on camera, that MeMe and her planned on a special guest for me at the party.  The face expression on my face, was priceless! lol.  Everyone knew except me.  They all kept rubbing it!  Ruthless.

Then the Friday before the party, Ashlee called me and said that she was in town, it was about 830am.  I was so excited and we got to spend some mom and daughter time just us. We surprised JT at the station and then while we were there, the whole Minnie Mouse appearance got started.  I miss her so much. She is my crazy child that always makes me laugh!  We spent a lot of time together, cried a little and laughed a lot.  We then surprised Kim and Beccah at the house.  They were so excited to see her.  We had pizza for lunch, it was great having all my girls back together.  The craziness I miss so much.  So much it really hurts!

Then Saturday, the day of the party, JT and I got up and walked about 3 miles, it was great!  Mom and Dale arrived before lunch and then we had plans to meet at Jose’s for lunch!  Aunt Sue and Uncle Bill had arrived Saturday am really early so we let them sleep as long as possible. JT and I and Kim drove over to the hotel to pick them up and that’s where the surprise guests made their appearance.  Aunt Sue texted me that they were in room 109, so we all got out of the car to get them. Well, I knocked on the door and some strange man answered so I apologized and walked away quickly and said that we had the wrong room. Well, the stranger kept talking to JT as I was walking away and then my Aunt Priscilla came from inside the room and said, it was ok, come on it.. Well, I recognized that yankee accent and came running to her arms, of course, all caught on video!  It was priceless… the strange man, yes, was my uncle that I have only met a few times… totally priceless. They all got me good.  It was so good to see my family.  I was very sad that my dad had decided not to come. That still stings but I am praying on that.  Dave, the girls’ dad, and Karri came. It was awesome!

THE PARTY! It turned out beautiful…. Mom and I had planned to sing to Kimberlee before we did the cake and that’s when Minnie Mouse made her entrance.  She stole the show!  Minnie rocked and was so good dancing and so patient with the younger kids, posing for photos and hanging with the kids.  It was so hot in that suit!  Kim’s friends were great and my friends and family there made it so special.

It was a very emotional good bye.  Always hard to do that, especially when I had to say good bye to my baby girl. I didn’t like that at all. I am tearing up as I am typing this.  She cried too. It was so hard but I know she will do great in her new school and she has 2 sets of parents that love her very much. She is a lucky young lady!  I am excited about the opportunities she will have in Texas. I pray for her every night.  I know it will get easier, but my emotions are still pretty raw from my dad not coming, seeing family leave, Kim turning 16 and seeing and saying good bye to my Ashlee, I am a total wreck but taking moment by moment.  Hopefully soon, we can take a vacation and escape for a few days, if not I am gonna have to do it anyway……

At Kim’s Sweet 16 party!

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Just an update on our week…

JT and I have been shooting some TV for our new TV Show “The River Region TV Show with JT & Leanne”. It is on today and every Friday on Montgomery’s CW from Noon to 1p. We were at the Biscuits game last night and got to visit with Monte at the Biscuits Basket, hang out with Big Mo and talk with Joe Davis – the voice of the Biscuits! That is for next Friday’s show.

My best friend from high school is moving from Wetumpka to Prattville! I am totally beyond excited! We had her and her hubby over for brats, burgers & beer the other night and had a blast.

Kim is turning 16 on 8/22. My goodness. I can’t believe it. My wonderful neighbor and fabulous friend, Venus is helping me stay on track for Kim’s bday party. I wouldn’t be able to do it without her! I am really excited for Kim – her party is gonna be perfect! I hope lots and lots of her friends show up. Her dad and his girlfriend and Ashlee are coming! Looking forward to seeing my baby girl, too. And Andrea, my Navy Buddy from Atlanta may come, too!

That’s right, Ashlee – 13yrs old, my baby has decided to live with her dad for the school year. We are gonna try it out and see what happens. I am dealing with this decision. I am praying a lot and missing her a lot, too. But I have faith in God that all will be ok!

I am also proud of Matt Silverwood, the British legend you hear on MIX 103! He past his test to become an American Citizen! We are going over to his house Saturday night to celebrate! I am gonna attempt to make a 3 layer Red, White and Blue cake – with the help of Venus and Pinterest! lol

I am looking forward to a great weekend!

Be safe and TTYL!