Do the Chop

That's right we went to the Brave's Spring Training and it was pretty cool if  I don't say so myself.  (Disclaimer: that is coming from a full-blooded football girl, who sometimes sees similarities in baseball to watching paint dry on the wall)  However, this will be an experience I will never forget.  Maybe it was the small crowds, maybe it was getting to see the players up close, maybe it was because it was in Florida, maybe it was because the food was good, or maybe it was even because the first day is when I found out I had a final interview with Chick-fil-A!!!!!  Regardless, this was a great Christmas present for Jess from "T" because I got to tag along!  Me, Jess, "T', the bossman, and Gran headed down to Orlando for the weekend.  We stayed in this really cool resort, had a full breakfast every day, went to eat an early dinner every night, and bake in the sun during the day at the games...that's my kind of trip!  A highlight of the trip was getting Jess a signed ball.  We had to get there every day hours early so Jess could try to get his $12 baseballs signed that we had to buy.  I have never seen so many grown men acting like little boys in one place.  Needless to say, Jess didn't have much luck considering he is not quite as heart wrenching as a sweet 5 year old boy with a Braves jersey with tears in his eyes if he doesn't get his ball signed.  (Jess thinks children will be beneficial to assisting in his signed UGA and Braves collections.  I think that's terrible.)   So that night we went out to this really cool restaurant in Celebration and there sat Chipper Jones, Dan Uggla, and Freddie Freeman out on the deck eating.  Jess dashes back out to the car to get his unsigned baseballs to try at a chance to get them signed.  Of course Jess is to manly to just go up and ask for their autograph during dinner and I refused to do it, so what's next...his dearest mother.  Pretty wise if you ask me, I mean who could turn that sweet southern accent down?  Of course T did it, she will take any dare...and she got the whole tables' autograph.  The next morning, Jess added Tim Hudson and Martin Prado to the ball (only because it was pouring down rain and the parents wouldn't let the kids stand out there-just crazy grown men).

This next picture will always be so special to me.  So this is where I was standing when I got the news that we had a final interview for the Chick-fil-A going in Cordele.  My phone rings, I see a 404 number, and of course, I go weak.  I am standing in the middle of a mob of people, speakers blaring, so I dart to the top of the stadium and find this little tent to stand under.  Like I am seriously weak so I grab the little tree and return the call.  She said she was calling with what she thought to be 'good' news and went on to tell me I had been invited back for a final interview.  Good news!?!?! More like amazing, miraculous, unbelievable, exhilarating, shocking.....I was speechless, literally.  So I rush back down the stadium to Jess to tell him the news.  I can't seem to get any words out and he becomes concerned that something is wrong.  After he finally realizes what has happened, he picks me up over the row of seats and we celebrated!  It was one of those moments we will never forget.  Or that sweet little tree.....notice it's leaning a bit!

Pageant Girls Don't Play

I have a confession to make.  I never had any idea of the intensity of pageants.  I have mad respect for all the girls and parents that do this stuff.  It is a lot of work!  Like I just really had no idea so much went into these things.  It has definitely expanded all of our boundaries.

A couple of months ago,  I got to meet mom and Jo at the Miss Georgia forum.  I was currently in the process of interviewing with Chick-fil-A so it was to say the least, a stressful time for Jess and I.  It was so nice to be able to hang out with Mom and my awesome Aunt Beck in Columbus for the weekend.  I drove straight from Atlanta to the forum dinner where we watched one of the Columbus Pageants.  It is amazing how God makes two people of the same blood so different.  I was sitting there thinking I would rather go through a million intense interviews than have to get on the stage and perform, learning the dance 5 minutes before.  No way, not this chicka.  But Jojo, is awesome at it!  Just a side note: we also were informed that side parts are out and so is french manicures (both of which I was proudly modeling).  I definitely will never win Ms. Fashionesta!!

Mom and Aunt Beck

Mrs. Debbie.  OUR LIFE SAVER.  This lady is an expert when it comes to pageants!

The little girl was so inspiring!

I just can't seem to get the stance down.

I also got to go see Jojo do the Salute to the Troops a few weeks ago, which was AWESOME!!!  All the Miss Georgia contestants spend the day and perform at the end.  I got to see Fort Benning and the troops at work in Boot Camp.  Going there just made me so proud to be an American!!  When they began chanting U.S.A. at the end, I just got chill bumps.  It is on my summer list to go back and take an official tour!

Waiting in line to use the cell phone.  Had not talked to their families since they had been there.  Thanks Verizon!

The Gangs All Here!

Bee's Burlaps.

So...since moving to the farm, I have put my entrepreneurial spirit to work.  Much to my dismay, I have my mother's genes.  The ones that constantly tell me, if you don't have anything to do, you need to find something.  Well not have having a job when we moved, I did just that, literally.  

I noticed lots of burlap laying around the farm.  Burlap is great thing my friend.  It can be used for decor in any room of the house, add southern charm to any party, and in my case, make great door hangers!  Not being one to let resources go to waste, I put this burlap that has accumulated over seven generations to work!  What started as gifts, has turned into my own little business, "Bee's Burlaps!"  I now have close to 100 designs.  It has been a fun way to let my creative side run wild!  

best kitchen wishes.

The Thornton ladies got together to throw Kayla a recipe shower! Kayla is marrying my cousin Rusty, and they have been dating for 8 years!  So basically, she is already a member of the family and we love her.  Lets me honest, mom and Aunt Carole are really not known for there skills in the kitchen.  They are both very talented ladies, but not so much in that arena.  So...throwing the recipe shower was going to be quite the task we joked.  I told mom she couldn't put directions on how to go through a drive-thru on her recipe card!  However, it went off without a hitch!

She's always been a queen to me.

So proud of my sister for becoming MS. SHORTER COLLEGE 2012!!!!  Let me just begin by telling you that we have NEVER done beauty pageants.  Like the closest thing I have ever gotten was having to introduce the MC at Ms. Echo (our high school pageant that is named after the local truck stop...really.)  That same day I had chopped my hand open and gotten stitches working at the local Barbeque restaurant.  Needless to say, I have never claimed to have the grace of pageant girl.  Jojo is the same way.  Never thought of being in a pageant in her life.  Well, her professors told her that if she would do this pageant, they would give her service hours for the year.  So unlike myself, she didn't think twice, and said "Sure, why not?!"  One of my favorite characteristics about my sis.  So entered this pageant not having a talent or the first item of clothing.  She taught herself how to sing and play a song on the piano off of youtube, borrowed a dress that was worn in 1980, and mismatched her swimsuit from Target and Wal-mart.  She told us not to even worry about coming, no big deal. 

Of course we went. We were all on edge and anxious as we made the trip to Rome.  Nervous for Jojo as we believed she didn't have clue what she was doing.  We were hacked!!!!  She was unbelievable.  She walked out there with such grace and confidence.  All I can think is, "you couldn't have paid me a million dollars...."  We held our breath for every round, just hoping to make it to the end.  They began to announce the winners and what do you know?!?!?  She was crowned!!!!!  I immediately jump up screaming, then realize, I am the only one standing.  I was so proud.  Afterwards during pictures, they asked "Are you excited to go to Ms. Georgia?!?"  We did not even realize it was a Ms. Georgia preliminary.  Now she goes there in June!  We have our own little Ms. Congeniality story.

Christmas in March.

Blogger world, yes we are still kickin' down here on the farm.  I have got a lot of updating to do!!

Let start where we left off...Christmas.

 Gosh I love Jess' expressions!!!!

Jess and Jo...they really do love one another.

 Our annual matching PJ's for 2012 themed: Cousin Eddie

 Jo's picture in her UGA sweatshirt served as her gift tags on EVERYTHING!

 Everyone in the family got burlaps!

 Loves her some Papa!

 Callie's new chair!

 Jess' female clone.

We had an unbelievable Christmas!  We got to spend lots of time with both sides of the family, which is always great.  We did Christmas Eve and morning with my family.  Since Christmas was on Sunday, Santa came a little early.  Probably the highlight was seeing Jess get his Franklin County road signs that the FC Police actually brought him (they are legal, promise.)  He is working on a 'smoke house' and his decor is old signs.  He has several Sumter Co. items, but we had to include good Franklin County!  I was not very good when it came to picture taking this Christmas!  Especially on the McNeill side.  When you see those sweet girls, I kind of forget to take pictures.  So, I only have a few that were taken within the first five minutes of us getting together.  The highlight there was Jess gettig his Braves tickets for Spring Training (post to follow)!  It was another GREAT celebration of the birth our Savior!!!!

a SILENT night...really, you really think so?

                     
Well I don't.  Okay, so we have been over this multiple times now, I love holidays.  Everything about them.  I mean like a 5-year-old kid I love them.  Two of my most favorite things about Christmas are Nativity Scenes and snow globes.  So if you put the two together, it just makes for a real giddy me.  I can remember as a kid we used to have a super tacky (now looking back!) life-size, plastic, light-up, Nativity scene we would put on our porch.  Putting it out was the highlight of decorating.  Jojo and I never fought over who put the Angel on top of the tree, but when it came to who got to put baby Jesus in the manger on the front porch, like we had to alternate years.  We put this thing out for years, even after Joseph's head had fallen off and mom would glue it back on every year.  There has always been something special about a Nativity Scene that makes me stop, even for just a second, and ponder.  I think a lot about how my view of that miraculous night changes a bit every year, gaining a new appreciation of how my Lord and Savior was brought into this world. 

So this year, since we have moved, mom gave me the ultimate snow glob.  I used to fill my room with like 30 singing snow globes (plastic of course-Mom learned her lesson and she didn't name me Grace for a reason!)  BUT there was always this one, big, fancy, glass, Nativity Scene snow globe that she would set out in the den.  It played Away in a Manger.  I always loved it and this year she gave it to me so it sits on our dresser.  Last night as I was running around trying to get presents together, packing, baking, cleaning, and listening to Jess laugh about how we lived in a barn and our stuff was 'overlapping', I happen to look up at the snow globe and stop. 

Yes, we are living in a fixed up barn currently, but Jesus was BORN in a stable!  I am sure the barn we are in would seem like the Queen's Palace compared to where our Savior was brought into this world. I think about the bravery of Joseph and how scared Mary had to have been.  I wouldn't have exactly wanted to be Mary.  Okay, not only did she miss the epidural (hence the reason I don't think the night was too silent), sanitized sheets, birthing classes, or c-section, she was a young teenager away from her family giving birth to the Messiah.  I think about the smells of the stable.  I'm from Franklin County, I know what a barn smells like, and let's just say Yankee Candle would quickly discontinue it if it were a fragrance.  I think about the filth and condition of the stable.  I mean this is where animals were living.  Really, there was nothing 'pretty' about the whole scenario if you think about it.  And the crazy thing is, it didn't have to be like this.  When I hear the Messiah is being born, I visualize a symphony playing, lights flashing, a perfectly fluffy cloud coming from the sky, a beautiful silky baby, laying in Pottery Barn's finest linen's with 'The Son of God' monogrammed on the pillow.   I mean the whole 'no room in the inn/stable' scenario is just not how any of US would have planned it.  But thank goodness, He is not us.  Jesus was brought in this world in the most humble way possible by two obedient, simple, loving parents.  Wow!  So what makes us feel a sense of entitlement and pressure during the Christmas season?  Instead, we should count our blessings!  The greatest gift has already been given.  And it was given in the most simple way possible.