Today is Mothers Day…and I am so thankful for two young mothers in our family.
This is our daughter Lindsay.
She is Andy and Riley’s mother. Without Lindsay…we wouldn’t have Andy and Riley.
This is Ashley
She is Layla’s mother.
Without Ashley…we wouldn’t have Layla.
Meaning, I might have had other grandchildren by other people, but the personalities would not be the same.
I am so thankful for these two moms. They have blessed my life tremendously. I have loved watching them grow into their roles as mothers.
Motherhood is a hard job, but it is also the most rewarding job you will ever do.
Now that I am on this side of child rearing, I suppose I see things differently than I did when I was younger. I realize what an influence a mother and father have on their children. I also realize that time goes by so quick, that you need to seize the days. And you can’t go back and do it over.
I am glad that you stop and smell the flowers along the way, spending time doing things together. You talk with them, sing with them, laugh with them.
Listen to them, discipline them, teach them, pray for them and with them.
I still pray for my children everyday, even though they are grown. I also pray for their partners and all those precious grandchildren that have come into our family
Most of all, I pray that my grandchildren will grow up to love the Lord with all their heart, mind and soul.
Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.
Almost 27 years ago……I was blessed with this little fellow, Garrett.
Sometimes it seems like yesterday
Sometimes it seems like it was all a dream.
But then I look at these pictures and all the memories flood back quickly.
The things that were just day to day normal activities…changed little by little year after year.
When Garrett was about 10….Billy and I married. I gained two more children. Holly12 and Lindsay 10.
I always wanted more children…now I had them!
And before I knew it….they were all grown.
This is even an old picture…everyone’s lives are so busy, I never get a picture of just the three of them anymore. But that’s alright, because now they have brought more people into our family to love.
Funny how when kids are young, you really think these days are a long way away, but they aren’t. The years go by so quick.
I miss those days. The days that drove me crazy way back then. The noise, the dirty clothes, the dirty dishes, the tea pitcher ALWAYS being empty, the temper tantrums and mood swings in the teenage years.
I miss them at meal time. I miss them watching television with the family or going for a walk together. I miss them on vacations, I miss being able to kiss their forehead when I would check on them before I went to bed at night.
I miss it…..but I am thankful for all the years we had with each and every one of them. I am so glad that they now have their own homes, and now are making some of these same memories with their families. And yes, they will miss it when their children grow up too.
When Garrett was little I tried to always enjoy each and every stage he was in at the time. Looking forward to the milestones, I tried not to miss infancy, the cuddly stage, the crawling stage etc.
So… I will have to say that now I am really enjoying this stage of having grown children . I love to watch them be parents. I am so happy for them, because I know how special it is.
And although I miss all that…… I am glad that I don’t have to cook much anymore, It is a little quieter but Billy and I can watch whatever we want on the television, or go for a walk and not tell anyone where we are going, we get to take more vacations and don’t have to plan around school schedules, I kiss Ellie on the head before bed, and I like having ALL my clothes caught up. I have very few dirty dishes and a pitcher of tea last several days! So there are some perks to this stage after all.
I love being a mother and I love being a grandmother.
I thank God for the precious lives HE allowed me to share my life with for all these years.
Since I have been sharing this week on going to the races, I have heard from my Aunt and my Uncle on my fathers side of the family. I love to hear what they have to say. Thank you Aunt Janet and Uncle Fritz for taking the time to read this silly little blog. Thank you for sharing with me things from the past and present that helps me know what makes me….me.
Aunt Janet brought up the fact that my Daddy’s side of the family camped a good bit. I didn’t know that. I do remember very clearly another one of my Daddy’s sister, Aunt Pat and Uncle Dick took us camping while we were visiting with them one summer. It was fun! Interesting, even as I reflect on that memory, one of the things that sticks out is the smell of that bacon wafting through the air. I am not a true sleep in a tent and enjoy it person. I like a camper of some sort, but whatever way one chooses to camp it surely offers a lot of fun.
I remember my brother watching the races when I was younger. I thought…OH MY GOODNESS…..that is the most boring thing in the world! Why would someone sit and watch cars go around in a circle? One day, many years later, I started getting a little more interested. I went to a short track race, it was loud but fun. A few years later I was able to attend a race in Talladega. WOW…that was on another level. I preferred that kind of racing.
Being a girly girl…I pick out things that interest me probably different than what some would. I LOVE the colors of the cars. You may think that is silly, but if you ever get a chance to see the cars lined up in person, you will understand what I am saying. They are beautiful.
This is an older picture…but it gives you an idea of what the cars look like. I didn’t take any of them in line this time. Notice the drivers name is above the window of the car. My Billy is a HUGE….. Bill ELLIOTT fan. Awesome Bill from Dawsonville or Million Dollar Bill. He ran this week, but only for a little while. He isn’t in the races for the long haul these days, and you won’t see him race very often any more, but we always cheer for him. He won NASCAR’S most popular driver award like some 16 times or so. He even withdrew his name one year. I think he still holds the track record in Talladega for a qualifying speed of 212 mph. and in Daytona at 210 mph both were back in the late 80’s. Bill Elliott was a Ford man. I personally always liked that about him.
There are many drivers that Billy and I like. Matter of fact there aren’t many we don’t care for. And we definitely admire all of them.
Then there is the ROAR of the engines. When they say GENTLEMEN….START…. YOUR…. ENGINES. There is a tingle that runs through your whole body when those engines crank up. I usually am not impressed with a loud engine at a stop light or wherever, but this is different.
They bring the flag around the track and chills run up your spine. I know the flag is touching the ground here, but trust me…they are very patriotic and I don’t think this is the norm. Great respect for God and Country is found at the track.
National Anthems and Prayer is said over the loud speakers. It is very moving. I am so proud that they still pray…they don’t just have a moment of silence. They pray for the safety of the drivers and for the people who have come to watch. They pray in Jesus’ name. That is very rare these days. I am always humbled that this still takes place and pray that it never changes.
There is the FLY OVER.
That brings the Patriotic chills to a tear in the eye. It makes you so proud of the men and women who have served and continue to serve our country. WOW.
For some it is time to put on some ear protection.
For the rest of us it is time to hear the ROAR…..as Darrell Waltrip always says….Boogity Boogity Boogity….let’s go racing boys!
I caught one complete lap on video. There is no way to really capture the sights, sounds and smells as the cars circle the track.
My Uncle Fritz shared with me this week about how he has followed Nascar since the 50’s. He worked with Ford Motor Co., and had the opportunity to work on an experimental engine that Ford only made two of. It was installed in a 1964 Ford race car, that was driven by Ford’s Driver on the Nascar Circuit at that time, Fred Lorenzen.
How exciting is that, for two reasons. One because that was MY UNCLE who worked on that project! The second is that I didn’t know that…maybe that is part of the reason why I love the roar of the engines! It must be in my genes. My Uncle was involved with a lot of things that took place with Ford Motor Co., in various areas. I am very proud of him.
I have to show this picture because this is one of the laps where we were able to see Bill Elliott race. He is in the 97 here….GO BILL!!!!!!
Sometimes we sit in front of the pits which is very exciting. I am amazed at how quick they gas up, change tires and do all they need to do on the cars in seconds flat. This race we sat in a different section on the back stretch. We have tried different areas through the years. Every seat has been a good seat. You just get different views.
I haven’t experienced the infield yet. That is where you can literally camp and/or watch the race from inside the field.
These campers are in the infield.
This was a bad wreck that took place in turn three. The driver had to be cut from the car
and a helicopter flew him out for medical attention.
Talladega is known for “the big one” there is usually a wreck that takes out a big part of the race cars. I have seen tires pop off, hoods fly, cars roll end over end and amazingly enough the drivers usually drop their window net, signaling that they are alright.
It is scary and exciting at the same time. We always hate to see a driver injured, thankfully that doesn’t happen very often.
I like to see a real battle for the finish in the end.
It doesn’t always end that way, but all in all it is usually a very good race.
I still don’t really like to sit and watch it on television, but being there is a different story!
A big part of camping is cooking. Ahhhh….a cup of coffee and the smell of bacon, eggs, and biscuits wafting through the crisp morning air.
I usually start my day with a cup of coffee and then have a cup of yogurt and a granola bar for breakfast.
BUT….while camping….well…..I will just say that it was all good….. including the fresh cantaloupe!
Some fixed Chicken Quesadillas …and they were smelling good at lunch one day!
That is when I was introduced to this new handy dandy little plate.
It is flat plastic that looks like a sheet of paper, you snap the corners into place and….
just like that you have a container to eat out of. Wash and reuse. Pretty nifty!
When night time came, we turned on the monkey lights. I do not know why we call them that…but we always have. This is a string of lights that are little cars and old campers. They make it look so homey.
After dinner it was time for some dessert in the dutch oven. Pineapple upside down cake.
Of course you have to have lots of butter…..
Brown sugar too….
Pineapple and marachino cherries….
yellow cake batter…..
Put the top on and let her cook.
We visited with each other while it cooked.
And visited some more…..
Now, here is where it can be a little tricky. Our coals were left over from cooking our dinner, so they were not as hot as they needed to be. But the good thing about camping at Talladega is that you are not the only one cooking….so I borrowed some hot coals from a neighboring camper.
Billy watched it carefully and it turned out so pretty.
We served it up…. then…of course we took two pieces to the guys who let us borrow the hot coals. They were pretty excited about getting homemade cake…and so were we!
I think it is fun to watch the men….rustle up their meals.
Here the guys were fixing breakfast for their little women. They are good cooks!
After breakfast this man was driving by in his recliner….yeah…a recliner.
He came over and visited with us for a few minutes. We all had to check out his “ride”.
I told Billy when he drove off that the chair sure looked like the one Billy had in his bachelor’s pad when we first married. Hmmmm…..I wonder…no…surely not!?!?!?
We headed to the track with some of our friends…..
only to find more food…. this is a funnel cake. We DID NOT eat one. But it sure was tempting.
Billy did find room for this circus peanut. He loves those things. I passed on those but I did help eat pretzel sticks, cutie oranges, red licorice sticks…a few bite sized snickers and…well you get the point.
And I wonder why my hips are getting bigger. Hmmm…. I remember this saying…..A minute on the lips….forever on the hips! If I could just remember it BEFORE I consume it all!
Meanwhile….after the race.
One family had hobo’s for dinner….I have always loved these. They smell heavenly!
There was also roasted corn on the cob and pots of Taco soup! YUM!
It must be made complete with cheese and sour cream….
And a skillet of corn bread! Oh my…..I DO LOVE CORNBREAD!!!!!!!!
Isn’t she a thing a beauty! There have been many times that I have chosen cornbread over cake….now that is how much I love it!
Of course no camping trip is worth the trip if you don’t have hot dogs somewhere along the way.
Why does a hot dog taste better cooked outside? I don’t know….I guess the same reason everything seems too. It’s just GOOD!
It seemed like we were all able to make happy plates all weekend….no matter what it was we were eating.
I have always been a people watcher. I do not know why. If we are sitting in a restaurant…I like to be able to see the people…not a wall. I just like to look at people. Everyone is unique and yet alike, news flash…. I know. I truly get amazed that God hasn’t run out of nose, eye and face shapes. I am being serious. Don’t you think it is weird when you DO find someone who looks like someone you know. It is pretty rare.
So it seems to be with personalities too. People act and dress in so many different ways.
I saw this hat and it made me smile…then I saw another interesting hat…..
this sombrero and I thought….hmmm…that’s unusual…even for Talladega. Most people wear the typical racing attire. Usually it is a shirt………
or a hat that sports the name of your favorite driver. (Go KASEY KAHNE….)
Pam decorated her hat by putting the numbers in bling bling of her favorite driver. It gave it that feminine touch. Earphones are often used to listen to the drivers while they are racing.
So while I was people watching I saw this one and you know I really like chickens…so I had to get a picture……
Tooooo funny. So then I got one of my bright ideas…and started looking around for unusual hats, so I could share them with all you who weren’t there to see them yourselves.
They handed out these fans one day, this girl got creative and used it as a visor. Seemed to work well. I will have to remember this for future use…if I do not have a hat handy.
Is this not the cutest little hat you have ever seen!
Thanks to these sweet girls for modeling their hats for me.
And to these guys….with hair hats!
they were great sports about having their picture made.
These were matching “reed hats”
These four guys had matching hats….two with black bands…two with green bands. It reminded me of when we were little, if we went to a theme park, Mom would put the same style shirt on all 4 of us kids in case we got separated…then she could say… they look like this…and point to one of the other kids. Funny now…but it worked.
The hotter it got…the more people improvised.
I can relate to this wet cloth. I used my pink bandanna around my neck to do a quick cool down. WHEW it sure felt good!
There are other things that are stylish too such as
pants that match your shirt and support your driver.
And toenails that turn into art work.
Billy and I were styling as well……
Gotta love the polka dot glasses and Billy’s “do rag” and straw hat.
You get to see all the latest fashion accessories at the races!
This weekend we went camping! We went to see a race, and so we camped for the weekend at the track.
O.K……so we don’t really rough it…but we still enjoy the great outdoors. Through the years we have been able to visit several different race tracks. Hands down Talladega has the most camping space of the ones we have visited. They are constantly improving and beautifying the surroundings. Since it is a Super Speedway…people from all over the country come to this track. In Talladega there is plenty of green grass for everyone.
I love to pull up and see all the different ways people camp.
Some people have converted buses into campers.
Some people rent a camper.
Some campers have slides like this one. The wall slides out to allow for more space once you are parked.
This is a little pop up camper. I think it is the smallest pop up I have ever seen. The cool thing about pop ups…is that they do just that….they pop up. When it is time to close them up they look almost flat. Pretty ingenious idea.
I think this was the CUTEST little camper I saw the entire weekend! It is a pop up as well.
It is small and probably would be considered one step up from a tent.
There are the true “hard core” campers…..
I think it helps to be in Scouts. In a matter of minutes, the tent was up. His gear was together and organized. Very prepared. Good Job!
I think this is pretty creative. A tent in the back of a truck, under another canopy in case it rains…which it did. Later the truck was moved and chairs were under the canopy, providing much needed shade. The other little tent was a kitchen….pretty cool.
There were matching tents.
Tents with air mattress comfort.
Some tents now look like they have cute little windows, complete with screened in porches.
Apparently a little family was tent camping here. Mama, Papa and two toddler chairs. How cute.
Precious memories being made.
There were lots of porta potties provided. These things have come a long way. They are much more pleasant than they used to be.
This looks like an outdoor shower. Years ago you would see these a lot. The sun heats up the water and then you have your own shower stall. However, the track now provides really nice bath houses.
There are a few places that charge a fee for camping, but most of the space is free. It makes it very affordable for families or groups to be able to come and camp for the whole weekend.
The weather was great. We had some rain move in the last day, but even after that it cleared up beautifully.
Roughing it or not there is just something special about being outdoors.
If it is pulling up a chair for just a little rest in the middle of the day or……
Yesterday Morning Billy and I went to check on Mama and Baby.
They were still in the enclosed area we provided for her to give birth. Zsa-Zsa has always been one to stand back. Actually, I find that to be the norm….usually it changes after they see how much you care about them. They still come up to you when they want….but they are much friendlier after events like these happen.
When we entered the confined area…we weren’t sure if the mother was going to be defensive of the baby or not. She gave us a deep stare…and a nod of her head, which for her, usually means…back off. I went out of the gate to give her some space. Billy was right behind me. But she gave a little hum to the baby after she did that…..the baby walked away from her and up to us. The first time that has ever happened. Mom stayed where she was….and baby walked about 10 feet over to us and rubbed up on Billy’s leg.
Well…there you go….heart melt down! I was already on the other side of the gate….but I immediately got back in that fence. I didn’t want to miss that special moment for anything. That baby savored every minute. We did too!
Mama gave her another hum…Mom proceeded through the open gate and went across to the third pasture clearing. She must have told the baby to stay with that hum….because she stayed right there at the open gate.
That is when we continued to take advantage of this golden opportunity….it showed a lot of trust on Zsa-Zsa’s part.
Amazing creatures.
With camera’s these days it has the date and time when you take the pictures. As I was going through them I realized the Mama went into the field and left the baby with us for about 15 minutes. That was unusual, sweet and very trusting. Of course time flew while we were loving on it.
When we looked into the field we saw her running back toward us….and the herd was behind her ….running. As she got close she hummed…the baby came out. Then there was a welcoming party. She proudly showed off her baby to the herd.
I find that totally amazing.
What a proud mother! I am so happy for her.
In the far left corner you can see Brandy touching noses with Zsa-Zsa. Possibly congratulating her. Bailey is the one standing by the baby. She is the last of the small cows that I am concerned with. She hasn’t bagged up…yet. So I am not sure when she will deliver.
Then I thought this was sweet….Punkin…who had Toots just a month ago….and was the one who head hugged Zsa-Zsa during labor…greets the new baby. SWEET…SWEET.
After that the herd then went about the business of grazing.
AHHHHHHH. A great way to start the day!
After work….I took Mama a sweet feed treat and did my routine check.
I found them nestled in the field, away from the herd. Which is typical for a little while.
Mama ate, I loved on Joy. This baby is much more willing to be loved on. I can only hope that she will always be like that.
Experience tells me otherwise. I usually have about 3 days.
I've Gone Country 