Saturday, December 31, 2011

Christmas Eve!

Christmas Eve we got to eat lunch with my adoptive family!
So excited that Christmas Eve fell on a Saturday and everyone could come to lunch at Gaga's and Big Daddy's! We had lots of laughs and lots of yummy food! After lunch the kids rode the mule and played outside while the adults caught up while cleaning up (some took naps on the couch) After we got cleaned up we got ready to make our gingerbread house before heading home to get ready for Christmas Eve at Nana and Papa's
Franne, Bryn, Trip, Sheree, Major, Howell, Deen
Caroline, Mariah, Landen, Lauren and Matthew
Gaga and Big Daddy with the Grand's

Deen, Gaga, Major, Big Daddy
Lena, Matthew
Mariah and Caroline

Monday, December 26, 2011

making our annual gingerbread house!

Every Christmas Eve the girls and I make a Gingerbread house!
This year we took it and make it a Gaga's and Big Daddy's house
Mariah joined us in the fun!
I use to put it together with the icing but after a couple of years of our house falling to the ground and seeing so sad little girls I started glueing it together with HOT GLUE!
Yes it isn't safe to eat but all they really want to enjoy is the candy! Right?


We had so much fun and I love doing it as a tradition!

They ate more candy than they put on the house! I had to monitor closely! Lol
Lauren Anne with our masterpiece
Matthew, Big Daddy, Lauren, Caroline, Gaga and Mariah

We had so much fun making memories and keeping traditions

Monday, December 19, 2011

Hey Ya"ll!

The Martin family decided to take Grandma on a weekend trip to Savannah and Charleston before Christmas. We all took off from work that Friday so we would have 3 whole days to drag off and get away! We left as soon as Jerry got off from work and headed to Savannah! We didn't make it far before we had to stop and eat before we had to make the long drive after working all day! Ha! Akins in Bell! We ate and loaded back up to arrive in Savannah around midnight!
Friday morning we got up early! (Grandma likes to get up at out of the room early)
We all loaded up and ate a quick breakfast at Cracker Barrell before driving into Savannah to spend our day walking around the parks and shopping! Oh and don't let me forget our early supper at "The Lady and Sons"
Uncle Jerry giving Caroline a ride to the SCAD Store
It was quite the long walk, but a beautiful one!
Jamie and Jerry set out to find it while we sat at Starbucks enjoying a nice cup of coffee! They got lost several times but finally found their way through the help of the iphone gps.
My sweet husband and his sweet momma!
I love how close they are and how funny Jamie is with his momma! (Poor Nana...he aggravates her all the time....but I don't think she would take anything for it!)
Okay so....here come the Hey Ya'll part.....We pull up to drop off Grandma at "The Lady and Sons" and the line is wrapped around the building! So we go in the restaurant and low and behold guess who is there signing her new cookbook???? Paula and Bobby and Jamie!!!!! Talk about excited I was soooo excited I could hardly enjoy my meal. After eating I got a yellow wrist band and bought her new cookbook and stood in line for 2 1/2 hours to get to meet her and have her sign some things. It was a neat experience and I was so glad Aunt JoAnn and Mrs. Virginia stood in line with me to meet her. They were so nice and friendly!
Notice the background of were we were standing in line? The blinds were falling down...we were in an alley that was by run down buildings but....who cared we were going to meet Paula Deen so it was worth the wait and scenery for that matter!
My awesome husband saw how excited I was and bought me a cookbook to have signed by her!
Thank you Honey!
While waiting in line the rest of the Martin's sat on this bench waiting...patiently on us.
Grandma couldn't get over why we would wait in line to meet Paula Deen? "I just watched her on TV last week she said?" She even said to Jamie..."Tell Franne lets go...I will sign her cookbook!" lol
I LOVE this picture of Nana and her boys!!!!!
My family that God blessed me with!
They really get sick of my camera I drag with me everywhere but despite that they still love me!
The Martin Family!
This was the picture without Uncle Joe
He had to circle the park to loose the cop so he could illegally park the car in the road to RUN get in the family picture! Way to go... Uncle Joe!
Can you tell I loved this picture? I uploaded it twice??
Franne, Nana and Jamie
Paula was so kind and sweet! Even after all the fans she meet and signed books she still gave us that beautiful smile and greeted us with her Southern Hospitality.
She really is a beautiful Lady!!
Umm.... yes I love this picture!
The boys were super nice and very real to talk with!


After all that! I get outside to regret not getting a picture with Nana and all of us girls! So I go back through the exit way to ask Bobby if we can get one more picture! (The sign clearly stated NO personal cameras but I asked Bobby and he said sure and handed it to his professional photographer and here it is...a picture with Nana in it! (She like to have died with Aunt JoAnn and I dragging her through the wrong way but look...what a great picture and memory!
Thank you Paula, Jamie and Bobby Deen for making our day to Savannah a trip we will never forget!