Smoking Drains and Trooper's Haircut

What in the World!?!

Last Friday it rained stormed almost all day...so much so, we actually had a real tornado drill at school (guess it's not really called 'drill' if it's real) around 1:20! All around here was fine, thank goodness!!! After school all the neighborhood boys were playing (and they really hop from house to house between ours, the one across the street, the one next door, and the one diagonal from us). I am SO glad they all play so well together!!! They had all been inside Keller's house, and I could hear some shouting (excited) and glanced out the window....to which I see the entire street FILLED with smoke and see our boys out near it (shouting with excitement, remind you). I was like, what in the world!?! as I ran out the front door! And, guess what I see? Mr. Bruce (Keller's dad) helping the boys light smoke bombs and dropping them into the (wet) drains. Not sure who the bigger kids are (ha!). By the time I could go get my camera to "document" this most of the smoke had stopped, but the boys were having a BLAST!!! :)


Thought I would share a recent picture of Trooper! He just got his first "real" haircut yesterday. Last time they just did a puppy trim to get him used to being there, but this time they did everything like they should for a mini-schnauzer.

He didn't even look like the same puppy when I picked him up! Comparing him back to when we first got him....wow! Look at the difference!


I have a few more pictures and things to post but they are on the other camera (at school). So, once I get them off, I will add those! (soon, I hope!). I'll have pics to post with Kate's new car, and next weekend we are going to Raleigh to meet Eli....can't wait to hold that sweet baby! You KNOW I will have my camera for that!

Projects, Furniture, and Diploma

Another post of randomness and happenings...


Look what was shipped to me yesterday!!! It's officially, official! :) I did find out that I have to take one more (ugh) test to finalize the Principal certification in SC, but this one is supposed to be easier (and two hours shorter) than the one I have already taken. I go take that on March 10th. After that, hopefully I'll be totally done with all this....until it's time to interview (GULP, GULP!!!)!!!


Well, we finally (and I say that lightly because we have gone to buy furniture several times but the shape of our living room makes it difficult for the pieces we wanted)got new furniture, and as you can see it made us totally rearrange the way we had the living room set up! We're still trying to get used to it (and I am still on the hunt for laptop/drink holder things since we had to do away with the end table for this to fit)....I do LOVE that all four of us can sit TOGETHER all bunched up!!! It's quite comfy!!! :)


Here's Austin's 3-D Ocean Floor Project (made with bendaroos)! He did a great job, and he actually did do most of this completely by himself! :) Though I must say, I am glad it DONE!!! (and, yes, I have thought about saving this one for when Logan gets to 5th grade...but I really WON'T!!!)

CSE Skate Night

CSE had it's first ever Family Skate Night yesterday! What a great turnout we had!
Here's a picture of both our boys just before we were leaving. Yes, that is sweat all over Austin. Our genius child skated with his hoodie on the whole time. They both had a great time skating with friends!
So, glad Kristin took a picture of me and Logan. I'm usually the one behind the camera (as you can see it in my hand)! First time I had been on skates in a LONG time! Proud to say I didn't fall once!

On a totally different note...all around us (in our school district, at our school, and even friends/football family) it seems the tragedy of death keeps slapping us in the face! :( It's a brutal, harsh reality that life is totally precious and unpredicatable! I pray for the affected families with a heavy heart, and I squeeze my own family in MUCH tighter!!! Love, love, love my boys (all three of them!!!)!!!!

Christmas in January

We celebrated our last official Christmas of the year today, or really, should I call it the first one of the year since it's technically a new year already!?! :) We held off on this one because we went out of town for this one, and we wanted everyone to be able to come! Jadain LOVED showing of her room (okay, really her entire house) off...which was precious! All the kids (cousins) had a blast playing together! Dinner/lunch was yummy, and the car ride home prompted a stop at Dunkin Doughnuts (YUMMY!!!!). It was a nice afternoon spent with family...some that we don't see very often! All the cousins that were there! :)
Three cutie patooties...Logan, Cara, and Jadain!
Austin and Brantlee...LOVE watching them grow up together! Much bigger than the picture in the car (Haylee, I know you know the one I am talking about!)!!! :)

Poker Face on New Year's Day!?!

EVERY New Year's Day we go to Kathy and George's house to spend the day, eat, and watch football (it was a tradition started "BS"...Before Steph, but one we all have come to enjoy!). This year was a tad bit different...no college bowl games (thanks to a weird schedule for them all to be played during the week) AND Zack was sick! So, it was just the four of us and Grandmother and Pa-paw! We ate, lounged, and played....poker! It was the boys' first time playing. It had it's ups and downs... smiles when they were winning, and "grumps" when they weren't! They both came out the winners, though! We didn't stay quite as late, either, because Roger had to work that night...but it was a good family day (laziness, good food, and good times!). Austin at a "winning moment!"
Pa-paw going, "hmmmmmm?"
Daddy whistling "The Gambler" by Kenny Rogers!
Austin with his winnings!
And, Logan with his!

Happy New Year!!!

So, this New Year's Eve was quite busy! The morning started out with finding out Brantlee was at the hospital having tests run- and very quickly after that being prepped for surgery to have her appendix removed! POOR THING!!! Next on the agenda, was the Potter Christmas...a visit to see Brantlee (and to go get her a REAL chocolate milkshake from Rush's)...and, of course, FIREWORKS! Roger & Bruce put on quite the show! Here are a few pics from the night! It's a bit hard to capture fireworks as they explode overhead!
Logan went and got his new bike helmet on for protection...LOL!
Austin holding onto Trooper to help keep him from being scared!
Logan sitting by the one he got to help light (yes, this Momma was quivering inside, but his Daddy was really the one doing it)!
And, this was our box before we started...Mr. Bruce had one of his own! They get a REALLY good deal from a guy that works with Roger! Our neighbors all come to watch the light show! :)

Hope everyone has a gret 2012!!! We plan too!

Logan's First Bike Ride

It rained most of yesterday- not hard like it's supposed to do all day tomorrow, but enough it kept us inside. But, today was beautiful out, and we took full advantage!! Here's Logan on his new orange bike!!! He loves it! Wednesday when the sun comes back out, we'll be out on it again! :)

Oh, and of course, Trooper came for his first walk down the street!



It's hard to believe our little man is actually SIX years old- real six, not "fake six" as he calls it (since we do the half birthday celebration in the summer). Here are a few current "Logan Facts:"
* Has started kindergarten at Carolina Springs (where I teach)

*Is READING the emergent level books and phonemicaly sounding out most all words!!! (WOW!)

*LOVES: Legos, Pirates of the Carribean, Star Wars, Watching the "Wild Kratz" on PBS

*Still likes to cuddle when he's ready for bed and will still randomly say "I love you!"

* Has graduated to being able to play in the front yard with the neighborhood kids (of course, with his big brother helping to watch)

*Still idolizes his big brother, Austin

*LOVES playing video games with his Daddy (especially the Lego games, Skylanders, and Halo Wars)

*Likes to text on my phone (to Gam-ma, Aunt Haylee, and Brantlee

*LOVES having a new puppy, but he wishes he wasn't so much work

*Has Lost his first tooth recently

*Tries to turn his "grow button" ON when we tease him that we've turned it off (I'll have to get a video of this!!!)

*And, much, much more....I'm his Momma and could go on FOREVER about him! Love him to pieces and can't believe he's as big as he is! Happy birthday, Logan!