Rewards for our Efforts

I am sure we are all familiar with "Punch Cards." You know, those cards that vendors, stores, restaurants, etc. give out. You buy 9 of something (sandwiches, pizza, cups of coffee, haircuts, oil changes, etc.) and the 10th is free, or the 12th or the 13th or whatever.

I recently had an idea. I think City Governments should issue such cards. Any of you who know our recent family history are well aware that we are now going on our 5th court appearance for the hopeful adoption of our youngest. So, I started thinking. The City of Rome (or Floyd County or the State of Georgia for that matter) could start issuing these punch cards.

They could read something like "After your 12th Court Appearance, ________________"

I have a few ideas on the "freebie" they could offer.

• . . . you get 10% off your Ad Valorem Tax for your car tag this year!
• . . . your next parking ticket on Broad Street is on us!
• . . . you get $100.00 off your next property tax bill!
• . . . you receive one month's free garbage pick-up!
• . . . you get five free City bus tokens!

Really the possiblities are endless. All ideas are welcome. Perhaps we could start something here.

Cousins Day at Papa's!

So, while Mitch and I were at foster parent training the boys got to have two Friday night sleepovers with Papa & "Mrs. Joy."

Apparently they had plenty of football-watching time with Papa . . .

. . . climbed a few trees . . .

. . . and visited with their brand new cousin Libby Kate.

Not a bad way to spend a Saturday or two!

Hear That? . . .

. . .It's me BREATHING again because November is OVER!!!!!!

(que Hallelujah Chorus)

November was a hard month. Here are some of its highs and lows.

• We threw one of our biggest fundraisers of the year for Youth for Christ.


• A week later we moved our office


• Two weeks later we are still moving, repainting, cleaning etc two offices: one old, one new


• We spent 3 whole Saturdays in all-day foster parent training


• We had Mitch's birthday


• We had a major holiday


• Gabriel and I went on a field trip to Carlton Farms, a dairy farm in Rockmart.
  

We were all thankful for such a beautiful day. We were supposed to go to the farm in Oct. to see all the pumpkins in the pumpkin patch. But alas. The FIRST & ONLY day it rained a torrentual down-pour since the Clinton administration was the day of our supposed-to-be-first-ever-field-trip. You have never seen such a group of forlorn-pumpkin-shirt-wearin'-kids.

Here we are after finding the elusive check-in station #4. We tromped around finding 1-12, but that dad-blame # 4 gave our team a hard time.


Our team was comprised of us Jollys, Sam and his Nana, and Julia and her Nanny (taking the picture).






We all rode this huge covered wagon hay ride thing that took us into the pasture. The kids got to hand-feed the cows hay from the wagon.

This is Gabriel and Julia. Julia is our friend that "we" continually insist is our sister that doesn't live with us.

This is what the hay ride looked like to the parents and teachers . . .

. . . This is what it looked like to the kids!

And while John Mark and Daniel did not join us, I certainly did not have to go without reminders of all three of my boys!

Visions of sugar-blogs dance in her head . . .

I promise. I have some blogs coming. I just haven't had time.
Things are starting to slow down. Give me another few days!

Giving Thanks

So, Gabriel brought home from school one of his first ever published works. It is a little book he made about things he is thankful for. The cover of the book is the classic cut and paste turkey with "turkey feathers" made from red, orange, and yellow construction paper outlines of his hands. The title of the book is "o give thanks un to the Lord." Each page lists one thing he is thankful for complete with illustrations. Here is the table of contents (spelling verbatim):

• I am thankul for trashmen and dumpsters
• I am thankful for Bonzai (Aunt Joan's new puppy)
• I am thahkful for Christmas
• I am thanKful for toys.
• I am thankful for Daddy (complete with picture them sitting on bean bags playing Xbox)
• I am tank ful for Mrs. cox and Mrs osner (his teachers)

I am thankful for all of you, my wonderful husband, and my three boys (even if they fail to add me - their Mother - to their list).

Happy Thanksgiving

H-e-l-l-o Fall!

Our Fall Festivities have been in full swing during the past month. Here is a recap of some of our highlights:

We went to the pumpkin patch and picked out pumpkins for us to use during one of our most cherished fall traditions - Fall Night with Maurice, Jennifer, Alayah, and Aidan Morgan.

As tradition dictates, we all eat chili, make caramel apples, and paint pumpkins. We have been doing this for four years now!

We had some unexpected fun one night when our friend Mr. Tom called and wanted to know if the boys would want to come watch him burn a pile of wood. "Pile of wood" is an understatement. We went out to his farm to find a huge (think over 7 feet tall at least) pile of old trees, bushes, and wood from old buildings he had torn down in the middle of a pasture. Mr. Tom lit it up and soon we had the biggest display of pyrotechnics I had ever seen.

So far, Fall has been a
ball!

Goodbye Summer

As we hang on to the last of our

"warmish" afternoons, I thought I would send one final salute to those long hazy days of summer.

Good bye dear pools, creeks, fishing holes, beaches, and other favorite swimming places . . .

Good bye necessary flotation devices, underwater eyewear and breathing apparati that helped us learn to be snorkeling aces . . .

Good bye to balmy breezes, the smell of salt in the air, and warm sunshine on our faces. . .

Good bye to sand between our toes, sand in all our clothes, and sand in un-mentionable places

Good bye to living in our swimming trunks and going without shoes that need laces . . .

Good bye sweet summer.