FFF

Favorite Foto Friday

This is how we spent Thanksgiving week of 2004.

Thanksgiving dinner was a huge plate of nachos in Mexico at Epcot.

An incredibly fun week!

I feel my creative juices flowing again.

I think I've had writers block this week.

More later-

~Shannon

Our First Date

Our first date was here....

Cinema 150 on University Avenue in Little Rock.

It was Thanksgiving Day 1986.

I called Mike earlier in the morning (even though I wasn't supposed to call boys) and we chatted. He and his Dad were about to head out to his sister's house in Memphis. We actually were both dating other people but I called anyway. We talked for a while and I had to get down to my Grandparent's house in Bauxite. We did the holiday thing and then my brothers and I headed back home. I called Mike's house...just in case he might be home. HE WAS! His dad had car trouble and they turned around and came home. Divine intervention! We made plans to go see a movie. He had already seen it...but I had not. Cinema 150 was the best place to see this particular movie....AND we probably wouldn't run into his girlfriend all the way out there. I had already made plans with my boyfriend at the time

. We were supposed to go with a couple friends out to the base gym. We did. I was anxious to get home. Remember...I had already tried to break up with him but he cried on me. What's a girl to do? So we go see Top Gun. If you want to watch this video, click on the pause button (the ball that the little orange man is sitting on) to stop the music-although it is a great song. He picks me up in his other sister's car and go to the movie. We were both nervous when we got there. Both of us keeping out eyes peeled for the 'girlfriend'. We sat thru the movie just fine...Mike resting a hand on my leg. Hmmm...do you think he really likes me? The movie, as I'm sure you all know by now, was great. That was THE best place to watch it.
Needless to say we always watch Top Gun

Volleyball scene
And the towel scene!!!
Pete Mitchell....'Maverick'
It all ended up with this
Juts another reason that I love Thanksgiving-
~Shannon

Family Time

Wednesday night we had dinner at my parent's house. My sister-in-law Lisa came in with Taylor and Kyle. My brother Tracy stayed home. He thought his football team (he's an assistant high school football coach) might still be in the playoffs...but they weren't. He stayed home anyway to do some work on his baseball field (he's the head baseball coach). Lisa came in but spent most of the time with her family near Vilonia.

My niece Taylor from Texas.

What?

Uncle Mike and Taylor.

She likes to have her picture made. She stole my camera from me last Christmas and took about a billion pictures o herself.On Thanksgiving Day we headed to Bauxite. My only living grandparent lives there. As does some of my mom's side of the family.

Over the river and thru the woods

to Grandfather's house we go...
Mike, my Pawpaw, Dad and my cousin Joe
Kody Sweet little Olivia
Chase and Mike waiting to eat.
Olivia and her Poppa, Joe, my cousin
My Paw Paw and Mike I took this picture on the way home. The sky looked so bizarre. You can kinda tell here in this picture. Maybe just the way the sun was hitting the clouds. Weird.
I have great memories of going to Bauxite. Growing up we went about every other Sunday after we got home from church. We'd always eat a big lunch, spend the afternoon with family and head back home for evening church. I love that I can now share some of this with my own family.

~Shannon

Hilarious Commercials

Dr. Pepper

http://youtube.com/watch?v=oOevAF9SiFo

Orbit Gum

http://youtube.com/watch?v=WEJJUGJZxpU

I'm easily amused-

~Shannon

Vote For D-Mac

McFadden For Heisman

Go Ahead and Vote....You Know You Want To!

Vote Here

Hawgs

In The Zone

We Got "The Boot" Back

How bout them Hogs!

AND THAT THEY DID!!

Hezekiah Smith (Kody's friend) is in front of and to the right of D-Mac.

Dareen McFadden

The real deal!

Peyton Hillis3 TD's.

He's a horse!

Knocking off the # 1 team in the nation......

PRICELESS!!!

Thanksgiving

II Thessalonians 5:16-18

Be joyful always;

pray continually;

give thanks in all circumstances,

for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

My favorite holiday...a few things that I am thankful for:

• Jesus loves me
• I have a husband that loves me and is a great daddy.
• I have a husband who has a kind heart.
• For my in-laws who raised a great son.
• For my PawPaw - that he is still here and that he loves me no matter what...even if I don't see him like I should. Always an unconditional love.
• For a heritage that all my grandparents have left.
• For my 3 boys.
• For 3 boys that are healthy and are good kids.

• For the opportunity that I can serve my God with freedom.
• For those who have fought for that freedom.
• For parents that are still married and still love each other.
  

• For parents that made me go to church every time the doors were open, Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night and every night of revivals.
• For 2 older brothers-Kirk and Tracy a great sister-in-law Lisa.
• For 8 nieces and 6 nephews that I love.
• For Mike's family that I truly love...his 2 sisters Carol and Lisa, brother Larry and the other out-laws along with myself...Scott and Paula.

• I have a great place to work.
• I love my girls at work.

• I have a home, a decent car and good neighbors.

  
• I love my church and my church family.
• For my friends...who put up with my craziness and listen to me whine when I need to.
  

Thank you Lord,

~Shannon

How bout those legs?

May your stuffing be tasty

May your turkey plump

May your potatoes and gravy

Have never a lump

May your yams be delicious

And your pies take the prize

And may your Thanksgiving dinner

Stay off your thighs!

Giving Thanks

I was looking for a new song tonight to post. I searched on Thanksgiving...November...thankful. Nothing really. Then it hit me. Ray Boltz. I have ALWAYS LOVED this song. Tonight I thought it was perfect...being in the thankful season and Aaron being on my mind. If you haven't heard it before...take a listen. If you have...listen again and think of Aaron!

Thank you-

~Shannon

Go Elf Yourself

Click Here

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9553001919

Have Fun

~Shannon

FINALLY....

FINALLY Mike found me a scanner at work. I've used it for a few things.....way cool! Thanks, honey!

I visited with Christina last night. I hadn't been by in a while. She was busy getting ready for her trip today. I tried to keep the kids entertained while she loaded the car and talked with Jim (her friend from Jersey). Jim was there working on the fireplace and doing some handy-man chores. Mike stopped by, too. We all sat at the table and she and Mike map quested her route. I made her hotel reservations. I just called (about 10:30 pm Saturday night) to check on her and she was close to her destination. The kids have been really good for her - answered prayer! She's had a good trip so far! Pray for the last leg of her journey. I'm sure it will be a tough week for her and the kids. Aaron was always the driver and navigator on trips. They will experience many firsts without Aaron this week. Remember them this week. It'll be good for her to get home for a while. Mike and I wish we were going along...to the beach!

This morning we got up and went to help Chase's girlfriend move into their new home. We went to help pack up. They had plenty of help so after we packed we left. They are moving from an UPSTAIRS apartment. My legs are tired. I think I'll not be sitting in the balcony for church in the morning. Way too many stairs to climb. We went to my parent's house and Mike helped my dad with some fall yard work. Cleaning the gutters, blowing leaves, picking up acorns out of the yard. Our yard needs it next. Carson and I sat outside in the car an watched...and listened to the Hog game.

FINALLY here are pictures of last weekends football. Carson and Chandler playing each other again. Chandler's team beating Carson's team, again.

Lanie and Mike chatting.

Lanie with Chase at the concession stand.
Bennett's muscles.

I love this picture. They all have great smiles. Chandler and Carson were posing and Chrisitna ran up from behind and snuck in the picture.

The victororious.
Chandler on the ground with Carson standing standing next to him...those darn navy blue socks!
Final score. Cowboys win.

Way to play hard, guys.

Finally, an end to this football season!

~Shannon

Favorite Foto Friday

After the season's last football game-FINALLY!

Smile, Carson!

I haven't really felt much like blogging this week. Well, I have, but it seems that I just kinda sit in front of the computer and stare. Writer's block?

No updates on Lawson. Still hanging on as far as I know. How incredibly brutal can that be? Makes me shudder.

Carson has been home sick all week. He went to school on Monday but has been home the rest of the week. I think it's a sinus infection which has flared his asthma up, which I think has turned into an upper respiratory infection. I'm finally taking him to the doctor today. I tried to get him in yesterday but they were booked so we're going in this morning. We'll be seeing Dawn Martin. She is such a great doctor. We go way back to high school together. I would have never dreamed that she would have been a doctor. She's good at what she does and we love her. I really should have gotten him in earlier. I did actually have an appointment for him on Tuesday but Mike said that he had started feeling better so we didn't go. I knew I should have gone anyway. That's the same day Chase had an orthodontist appointment that I totally forgot about. I'm sure he needs a ton of meds.

I guess it's time to gear up for Thanksgiving. It's my favorite holiday. Why? I guess because it's about family...and oh yeah, eating! We had our pot-luck at work yesterday. It was alright. The same ole food. I made a sweet potato casserole. It was a recipe I got off of the internet. I got lots of compliments on it. I sometimes make one that was Mike's Dad's recipe with marshmallows on top. It's SO good but this one had nuts and brown sugar on it....I Like! Our office will probably go out again this year for Christmas lunch. We've done this the last few years. The last 3 years we've gone to Cappriccio grill in the Peabody. They have a pasta bar that is SO good. You should try it sometime. Oh my gah, it's so good. We'll be meeting today to discuss our Christmas luncheon....if some people will get their stuff together!

No great plans for the weekend. I need to get tires on my vehicle. BLAH! That's what I need to spend money on...right here at Christmas. I also need to clean my house. It's nasty. I think I'll be enlisting the rest of the fam to help out with that.

Should be fun-

~Shannon

Update

Lawson Phillips

Carson playing QB (high black socks)

Lawson is to the right of Carson with the mid-calf black socks.
Lawson # 7 on the ground.

Carson # 6 - Lawson # 7
Lawson facing the camera

Update on Lawson

Yesterday I spoke with a long time friend who goes to church with the Phillips family. Their boys have been buddies since infancy and they visited the hospital on Monday. As of right now, Lawson is still hanging on. My post from Monday was wrong...as was all the e-mails flying around about him. He was sent home on Saturday for the weekend and became ill (throwing up, trouble breathing) at home. He was placed on a vent and it was determined that there was no brain activity. The vent was removed on Monday and he continues to hang on. His parents will not leave out of his bed...his mother having to be fed by someone as she will not leave him...begging him to stay. The option to go home on hospice was given to them yesterday for comfort, but they've declined and decided to stay at ACH.

Pray for them, please. Pray for a pain-free, comfortable passing.

My friend Tammy that took action shots during football has some great pics of Lawson. Besides Carson(because we're friends), she has more pictures of Lawson that anyone else on our team. She has a great one of he and Carson together. I'll get it soon. She's having action posters made for his parents, which I believe will be from our team and the Twister organization. They will be wonderful treasures for them.

I will update with more info as I receive it.

~Shannon