Slacker

So I bet you guys probably think that I am lagging on my blogging...and you're right. But the reason that I haven't blogged is that we haven't been doing anything blog-worthy. School's out, Awanas is over, and our evenings are scott-free. It's really been great! I've been the library just about every week, and we've rented some movies at the Redbox. Last weekend we looked at apartments with Monkey, who is moving back to Little Rock in July (whoo hoo!), and it looks like this weekend I will be hanging out with my Sunday School girls, cleaning my house, and going to a 2-year old birthday party. I also hope to get some back-yard laying out time in as well.

These past few weeks, Brent and I have also been working on our finances. We went to a Dave Ramsey seminar last year where we learned about the debt snowball, but for whatever reason, never actually got the ball rolling. Well, we finally did that this week, and we are pretty excited about it. If our plan works out, we will have three major debts paid off by the end of the year. If his job holds through the end of the year (and we're 75% sure that it will), that will be a huge answer to prayer! But in order for this to work, we are going to start using the envelope system to pay cash for things. The debit card is just too easy to swipe and we ended up spending a lot of money on unnecessary things. So we're changing our way of thinking, and praying that God will bless our efforts to be obedient with what he's given us.

Cummings Prison Circa 1975

As I was reading the Arkansas Times blog yesterday, I ran across a link for some pictures taken by Bruce Jackson at Cummings Prison back in the 1970s. Imagine my surprise when I clicked on the link and the first image I saw was of my second cousin Ross Norris! He was a prison guard back then, and says he remembers Bruce well.

Check out the pictures here.

Here my "Uncle" Ross. At first I was unsure if this was him, but after review with my dad and a closer study of the photo, I was certain it was him. He has the undeniable Norris hands. They look just like Pa's did.

Don't Stop Believin'

I'm just a small-town girl who shamelessly loves musicals and is very excited about this new show coming in the fall. Glee fulfills my need for Tiger Tunesey-type entertainment. And as much as Brent will complain, we will be watching this:

Uncle Bubba and Aunt LaLa

During the visitation, we snuck out and went to see Grannie's house. Marianna is your typical Delta town that has been in a decline for several years, but her neighborhood is still in pretty good shape to be as old as it is.
So the best part of the family being here was getting to play with our 18-month-old niece, Caitlin. (Sorry Dianne, Kelly, and Barry - but it's true)! Here she is playing outside in Marianna. She was very good and loved hanging out with all of her cousins.

Her little pigtails were curled up because of the humidity. It's a dry heat in Arizona, but not here in Arkansas.

Caitlin took a bath in our sink most every night, except for the night we watched her and I let her play in the big bath tub. She had a blast! Taking pictures of her was hard with my little camera - she was smiling right before the shutter went off! Sunday night, Kelly and Barry went to dinner and a movie to celebrate their wedding anniversary, and we watched Caitlin. When she got up from her nap, she hung out on the couch with her Uncle Bubba for about an hour. It was so sweet! Several people at the visitation said that they resemble, and I think it's true too. (Except she has her daddy's eyes).

She is such a sweet girl - we played with toys (Thanks Owen!), ate a bunch of food, tickled, and made fish faces until my cheeks were raw on the inside. They are coming back the first of July to stay for about a week, and I'm going to plan to take her to some fun places around Central Arkansas. This trip was already planned before Grannie died, so this trip will hopefully be more relaxing. Can't wait to see her again!

Marjorie Lou Gardner

Last week was so crazy busy that I am still recovering. The Arizona family came in for Grannie's funeral. We were all sad about the Lord calling her home, but we rejoice because she is in no more pain and is with her husband John. She would have been 88 in July, and this picture is from our wedding last December.

During the visitation and funeral, I got to see a glimpse of the family I married into. I already knew some of them a little, but they all gathered together to honor the matriarch of the family and I realized how much alike our two families are. She was a mess back in the day and I only wish I had known her before she had gotten older. Some of the stories that were told cracked me up. When Margie used to answer the phone, she would say "Alright", as if to say "Alright I'm here, what do you want." She also was very dedicated to working with the Methodist Youth in Marianna, drove a school bus for years, and did the books for the local pharmacy. Apparently there was nothing she couldn't do! (She is in fact responsible for my outside storage room off the carport, the small concrete pad with the basketball post, and the curio case with the toy cars on display in my office).

She was buried in the Marianna cemetery, which also is the place where my great-great grandmother is buried. (My dad's, dad's, dad's mother). About 25 years ago, we were coming back from Nashville, TN, when we took a detour to Marianna to see if we could find the grave. Ma, Pa, Mom, Dad, me and Sarah all looked for that grave, and we were about to give up, when Sarah found it. (She was about 4 at the time I think). So Lina Terry Norris and Marjorie Lou Oxner Gardner are at rest together - how strange is it that our two families are linked at that spot.

I am truly blessed to have married into the Gardner/Oxner family. They are God-loving and love each other. I couldn't have asked for anything more.

Awanas and a Random Assortment of Ramblings

This is where we've been every Wednesday night for the past 4 months. These kids are really great, but I was very overwhelmed and tired this past week. They were wild and crazy! It was pizza night, and there was root beer and pepperonis flying everywhere. But when we took them to practice their program in the sanctuary, they knew all of the commandments and songs! I was so proud of them!

You'd never know how wound up they were by looking at these sweet faces. (P.S. The twins remind me so much of what my sister looked like when she was that age).

Brent has been a really great leader too. I love seeing him with the kiddos, and being funny with them.

So this past few days has once again been hectic and crazy. All day on Saturday I was at a volunteer event at UALR, and I am so lucky to have had Monkey there with me. She helped me a bunch!!! Oh, and did I mention that we had to be there at 7:45 and it was pouring down rain? Oh my word - I was soaked. And trying to be peppy to 8th grade girls who didn't want to be there - very difficult for me. But we made it, and then decided to hang out at the house the rest of the evening (aka sleeping on the couch during a movie).

Sunday we said goodbye to very good friends Holly and John Paul. They are moving to south Mississippi for a new job, and while I know God has laid this plan out there for them, I am still very sad to see them go. I mean - it was the ugly cry in Sunday School. I have been so blessed to have made good girlfriends here in town, and we will miss her tons!

So that leads me to the start of a new week. Monday was busy, as usual. Then Tuesday afternoon I headed out to the 4-H Center out in Ferndale to start setting up for the 4th annual Leadership Conference. It's this big day-long event where we learned about negotiation, and it was very successful. My co-worker\friend Lamona did most of the planning, but I had a lot of fun setting up for it, and seeing all of my friends.

Wednesday was the actual event, and since the 4-H Center is exactly 60 miles from my house, I had to be up at 5 to be there by 7. That was rough, but I made it. I think by about 4:30, I was running on adrenaline. I left at 5, and made it just in time to go to Awanas. By the time I got home, it was almost 8:30. When I walked in, Brent told me that his grandmother (Grannie) had passed away and that his family would be coming on Thursday for a few days. This news really set my adrenaline in high gear, and I ended up taking some Nyquil in order to get some sleep. They say that God doesn't give us more than we can handle, and I'm wondering what He's building up my tolerance for. I'm very excited to get to see my MIL, SIL, and 18-month old niece Caitlin, even if it is to say goodbye to Grannie.

Thanks for all of your prayers during this time. She was 87 and was not in good health, but we are glad because she is with Jesus today and in no physical or mental pain. I just wish I had known her better.

8 things about me

So I was tagged to do this 8 things, and since I am laying low this Friday afternoon, I thought I'd give it a try.


eight things i look forward to:
1. Being a mother some day
2. Seeing my sister become a mother (she's not anytime soon though)
3. Going to Brent's college graduation
4. Retiring with Brent and going on trips
5. Moving to a bigger house someday
6. Receiving my Masters diploma in the mail
7. Going to Honduras again with my family and maybe Brent too
8. Playing the piano again

eight things i did yesterday:
1. Went to work and actually enjoyed it
2. Went to the gym
3. Went to UALR for a volunteer meeting
4. Met Brent at Chili's for dinner
5. Talked to Monkey on the phone
6. Watched America's Funniest Home Videos - it's becoming a regular thing at our house
7. Enjoyed at Weight Watchers ice cream bar and did not feel guilty about it
8. Looked at Facebook - also becoming my nightly routine since I am no longer connected to the site at work.

eight things i wish i could do:
1. Find a cure for all cancer
2. Lose weight and not have to count points or walk on the treadmill
3. Enlarge our house by a few hundred square feet and put in a pool
4. Live a little closer to all of our family
5. See my Pa again (I will one day though)
6. Travel whenever and wherever we wanted to go
7. Live in McGehee, but work at SPP (I stole this one from Emily, but it's true for me too)
8. Keep my house as clean as my mother keeps her house

eight shows i watch:
1. America's Funniest Home Videos
2. American Idol
3. KATV Channel 7 News
4. Castle
5. Paranormal State
6. House Hunters (I especially like the International version)
7. The Tudors
8. 30 Rock

Now here's who I tag: Katy Hill, Kristen Steelman, Terri Lewallen, Lindsey Gray, and Katie Battreal

Hope everyone is having a good Friday! We've got a busy weekend ahead, and hopefully I will have time to blog about it later this weekend. Stay tuned - it should be some good stuff.