Addyboo turns EIGHTEEN!!!

 How can this be?  How can 18 years have flown by so quickly?  It seems just like yesterday when I looked into those sweet, brand new eyes and I became a Mimi for the first time.  

See that picture in the upper left corner?  That's the first time I held you Addison Lane.....and right before you looked straight into the camera lens, you looked straight into my eyes....my heart....and oh the sweetness you have given us over the last 18 years! You are such a beautiful young woman Addy....6 ft of beauty and grace.  Quiet,  unless it's just one on one....and then you are a talker.  Even your chiropractor asked if you could come by yourself to your appointments because he SO enjoyed getting to know you and talking with you.  I can remember, just like it was yesterday, we were keeping you for your mom and dad.  You were about 3 months old.  Your mom gave me instructions on your middle of the night bottle....when we heard you stirring to pick you up....don't look toward those eyes of yours, but just pick you up and get the bottle warmed and give it to you.  Don't look, or talk, or smile at you, because if we did, we would be in for a few hours of playing =).  I had my parents and Papa's parents over that weekend....and to see them light up around you....just the sweetest thing ever.  Even my momma, deep into dementia at that time, you brought the biggest and sweetest smile on her face....she grabbed your little foot and kissed it and played with you.  My daddy got down on the floor with you....something about you just brought out the little boy in him.  

And I have told you a million times about the "Chopping"....I so wish I had it on video.  You standing there in a diaper, pink big necklace around your neck, those little plastic pink shoes with the pink feathers, and a purse on your arm....."Where are you going Addison?" I asked...."Oh MIMI....we go CHOPPING!!"  

Growing up, you and Avery were the bestest of friends.....oh the fun you girls have had.  I know life and personalities and things take you in different directions, and although I so wish you were still best buds.....I realize roads go different ways sometimes....but oh the memories of you two....love how you loved one another and enjoyed playing so hard together.  

Through the years, we have so enjoyed watching you grow and mature and one of the sweetest moments was when you were baptized.....

I have kept the text your daddy sent to us telling us that he prayed with you to accept Christ into your life....into your heart.  It was the sweetest....through tears he told us of your decision.  And just the other day, as he commented on the video I made in celebration of you turning 18, I told him that the pictures went by so quickly I wanted to be sure he saw this one.....because it was such an important one....his text back was "okay stop...tears".  Sweetest daddy you have there Addison Lane.  He's had Jesus so big in his life since he was a little bitty boy....and Jesus has just grown and grown so big in his heart.  I am SO very thankful that he shared that love with you and that you accepted Christ as your Savior.  It's an eternal decision.....one that we have prayed for for each member of our family every single day and I will continue that prayer every single day until my last breath.  My deepest desire is that every single one in our family will make the decision you did.  I pray too Addison Lane Corley that you always remember Christ....that you will keep Him close in your heart and that He will grow bigger and bigger as you love Him more and more.  Oh sweet girl, he has the BEST plan for you.....He is writing the sweetest story and if you just let Him have the pen for all your days, my goodness the sweetness that will follow.  Jeremiah 29:11.  Keep Him front and center Addyboo.

We met on the afternoon of your birthday to celebrate beautiful, wonderful, precious YOU.  The KC family came too!  You had a full day....with your mom and Alan til noon, then we celebrated and then your sweet friends took you out to dinner.  Oh Addison Lane Corley.....You are loved SO much!!!

You are beautiful baby girl.  And yes, you will always be our sweet, brown-eyed, baby girl.  I pray for you every single day Addy.  I pray God's hand covering you, protecting you....guiding you.....and that your heart will be open to His lead.  We can't wait to see what God has planned for you in the years to come.  UNT here you come! Love you more than you can every know  - beyond measure!

Happy Birthday Beautiful!

2020 - it's been a roller coaster ride!

 Oh my goodness.....the things we have endured in this year.  Corona Virus is still raising it's ugly head.  Masks everywhere we go, social distancing....feeling filthy after going ANYwhere other than our home.  It's awful really.  But we have made things happen and shared days and loved through it all!  

Hayden Michael Corley turned 10 this year.  

We also had a camp Mimi for Hayden.  It was a fun time....lots of late night movies, of course the scavenger hunt to begin his camp Mimi.  I asked him if he was still going to want a scavenger hunt when he was a teenager - his answer "of course Mimi....and when I am 16, can I find my car at the end of the hunt?"  Another cute saying I was reminded of from this little cutie....I said something about him getting married when he got older "but mimi, I am not getting married....I am going to be a "gigalow" (I have no idea how to even spell it...how in the world does he know the word????) " - 

"Hayden Michael, what in the world does that mean?"

"That's a really really rich guy that never gets married"

"So Hayden, you aren't going to have a family when you get older?"

"Sure I am Mimi - I will have momma and my dad!"

Oh the things this little one comes up with!

I took my friend Suzanne to her first ever infusion.  Her eyes have been bad for 3 years now.  She sees double.  These infusions have all kinds of horrible side effects but it's her only hope to get her vision back.  We pray and pray for God to lead her to healing.  Bless her heart, her left eye goes completely in....but the infusions are working....her right eye has straightened out and for that we are SO thankful.  She has faced this challenge with such grace.....such a strong faith.  She is an inspiration.

Stevie's birthday was celebrated too.....I made Nordy's crab stack salad and these cute little Caprese toasts as an appetizer.  We had such a fun night and sat outside after dinner.  We gave him special gifts with his "Burt Reynolds" posed picture on them.  They were a big hit =) 

Avery turned 17 in August.  I still can't believe this sweet one is a SENIOR....

Avery Grace is still tiny....but she's a force to be reckoned with!  Political.....she knows her stuff.  She and Papa and Shawn get into deep conversations about it all.  I love that they can sit for the longest and the conversation never lags.  We always have such a good time.  She and Papa have a very special relationship.  He sends her texts almost every single day.....funny things, political things....she's always SO sweet to respond.  She's so talented.  Her artwork blows us away.  She's very sensitive....sweetest heart.  She loves us so much and I am so very thankful for the gift of Avery Grace in our lives!

In September, we celebrated this sweet man.  71 ya"ll!  Can't believe it.  He's still just as cute as he was 40 years ago and oh how I love him.  He's his own person.....I mean no airs put on for ANYone!  What you see is what you get.  I need a little more of that in ME!  Not a people pleaser at all.  He wears what he wants....he says what he wants....and his faith is so very strong.  I am so very thankful that he's HERE....he's able to breath without help (in his surgery, the possibility was otherwise), eat, and enjoy our life together.  I am SO thankful.  God is so good.  I love this man with all I have.  Thank You Lord Jesus for the gift of Michael Lane Corley....he's my rock.  

These sweet guys.....we dog sit every once in a while for Shawn - we call it Malcolm's camp Mimi!  We tried at first to both go and take this little guy with the monkey....but oh my goodness....these two do NOT get along.  So what we do - I go and stay at Shawn's and Michael stays home with Sammy and comes over during the day.  Malcolm is the SWEETEST dog.  A little crazy, but so sweet.  I love spending time with him and he loves his Mimi!  He often lays right by my side at night while we watch TV.....his head draped on my leg.  It's a sweet time.  I tend to watch all the Barefoot Contessa video's I can while there and come home to a cooking frenzy.  

Cindy's birthday is in September and what she wanted for her birthday is for us all to go to Lake Texhoma and go on a guided fishing tour.  She's done this once before and loved it so much.  SOOOOO, to celebrate Cindy's 68th we did just that.  It was the BEST fun ever.  

Yes....we DID this!  And I caught the first three right off the bat!  We got up at 5 and had to be at the docks at 6.....riding through the water as the sun comes up - it's a gift.  The tour guide was a good one.  He knew exactly where to go to catch the fish.....

The funny thing.....We spent the first night right by the dock....in cute little cabins.  But for our second night in Oklahoma, Stevie got us reservations at a resort on Lake Texhoma.  It was a little more fancy.  Well, the guide told us he would clean and fillet the fish, but it was our job to rinse them the next day (his only cleaning was with lake water).  We both had two HUGE bags of fillets.....so here we are in the fancy bathroom, cleaning our bounty in their sink!  Oh the crazy stuff we have done with Cindy and Steve.  How I love them.  They are our very best friends and we are so thankful for each one.  We are family.  No need to put on airs or try and be anything you are not - they never judge.....they always love.  

It's been a crazy first 9 months of 2020....but we found ways to enjoy....ways to love....ways to fellowship. Praying for this virus to end....for God to heal our land.  The economy is failing....personalities are changing....even mine.  This pandemic is doing strange things to the people we love.  God please heal us.  

Avery Days

 Sunday mornings sometimes Shawn goes and plays golf.  This last weekend, he and Chase played in a tournament.  On those early Sundays, we are blessed by having "Avery Days".  

I picked her up around 9:30.  We always go to Starbucks first thing.  This time though, I saw an "Estate sale" sign on the way to get her and we spent quite a time driving around Lakewood looking for this estate sale.  It's one of her very favorite things to do....which reminds me of a story....

When she was little bitty.....probably 4 or so, Shawn called at the last minute one day to see if Avery could stay with us for the afternoon....."did we have anything planned" - we did, but as we LOVE spending time with our grands, we told him YES and that we would take her with us.  It was a thing we did every Sunday back then.  We would look up Estate Sales - Michael would do a map - and we would go to all the sales in the big and fancy homes in North Dallas.  I loved seeing the homes as much as I did looking at all the things for sale.  Anyway, we told Avery we were going "on a treasure hunt".  We pulled up to the first house and as we were getting out of the car she tells me "Mimi, I been to this before!  This isn't a TREASURE hunt!"  Her little face was all crumpled up into a frown.  But I grabbed her hand and we went in.  I reached in my purse and gave her 3 dollars.  I told her it was time for her to hunt for her treasures and told her look around....there were SO many treasures!  Well, that little girl didn't take long....she comes running up to me with a little cat figurine and a book - "I found treasures Mimi!!"  Oh my goodness, she was SO cute and the person taking money started adding things up and it was more than her 3 bucks.....I started to grab money out of my purse and the lady says "oh no....those are treasures....and they are YOURS".  As we headed out the door, Avery goes "Mimi, are we going to look for MORE hidden treasures?"  She couldn't wait!  So Michael plugged in another address into the GPS and off we go.  Our GPS talking as we drive along, telling us where to turn etc.  From the back seat I hear "Hey Mimi, who is that?"  "That's Loretta!  She tells us which way to turn and helps us find our way to the next hidden treasures".  Avery is confused - "how does she know?"  I went into a long explanation of satellites and beams and GPS and in the middle Avery goes "Mimi, does Loretta live in heaven with God?"  

So that began the love of estate sales for Miss Avery Grace Corley!  But we found the estate sale in Lakewood last Sunday and we had so much fun walking through and looking at things....searching for treasures.  We didn't find treasures there, but the day for me was such a treasure.  We cooked lunch together.....we played Rummikube and Hand and Foot....it was just a sweet day with such a sweet girl.  

The week before she came over too.....We had an Avery Day.  I was looking for a birthday gift for a friend and asked Avery to go with me.  We went into Macy's and on purpose I parked so we would go through the Junior Department on the way.....she had an upcoming trip to Michigan and I wanted to buy her an outfit for her trip.  But NO.....she wouldn't look at ONE thing.  She told me "Mimi, I would much rather get something that someone else has already worn and loved" - Thrift shops are her thing now!  That day Shawn came to pick her up and we sat outside and watched the sunset....listened to music under the gazebo....we saw a tarantula by the alley....and then as we were sitting outside, she screams and runs.  He had made his was up to our gazebo and went through mine and papa's chairs!!!  The sunset was beautiful....but the spider not so much!  Well, really and truly the tarantula was so beautiful too....just scared the bejeebers out of us!

She's told me for the last few birthdays, that all she wants is a day with us.  We go shopping and I let her pick things out - that way I will know she loves them.  Well, she told me for this upcoming birthday, she wants a day.....lunch and a day to go to estate sales and thrift shops!  Oh my little girl....she's my hippy girl now =). 

I love her so very much and I love the time I get to spend with her.  She and her papa can talk for hours about the craziest things too.  I really do think she thoroughly enjoys being with us.  

I can't wait for Avery and Addy's Camp Mimi.  I am praying we can work it in before they start back to school!  

Love my time with my grands.  It's the sweetest time EVER.  Blessed beyond measure!

So I just noticed I didn't blog about Avery's birthday celebration.....

I am so upset this video won't upload =(

Sometimes I forget about this blog.....I have lots of pics and lots of videos, but I want this on the blog too.  

Avery Grace.....Oh my goodness, my old soul.  Political, driven, creative, beautiful inside and out, compassionate, conscious of the environment, competitive, talkative, speaks her mind.....honest, oh my Avery Grace, our beautiful little gift.  We had such a fun day celebrating you!  you've made me crazy though with your diet....no eggs, no dairy, all vegan and oh how this Mimi used to love making special things for you.  It's hard now....but sometimes I try.  For Hay too....gluten free....some things we have had to throw out, but it's fun trying.  Lucky for us they have vegan bakeries that make beautiful cakes!

A special day celebrating a very VERY special young lady.  So proud of you Avery Grace Corley.....so proud of the woman you are becoming.  I pray every single day for God to grow bigger and bigger in your heart, in your life.....and for Him to protect you, speak loudly to you.....to guide you.  I love you baby girl to the moon and back - I love our days together.....I love the bond we share.  You are such a SWEET gift in my life, in all of our lives.  We can't wait to see where God takes you in the years ahead.  Happy 17 sweet girl.....May God so richly bless every step you take.  To the moon Avery.  

BLESSED SO BIG BY THE GIFT OF YOU!