Auburn Tiger Fan: Happy Holidays To All of My Friends and Family

Instead of a Christmas Letter this year, I decided to share my year (since March) with you with pictures and comments in My Blog. First of all, I want to wish everyone a Joyous Holiday Season and hope that you are all doing as well as possible throughout our economic crisis. I pray that we see an upturn soon, and the economy will begin to get better. Gas prices have gone down, so that is a positive beginning!!!

I have had a busy year as I adjusted to my new status as a Single Woman. At times it was challenging, however I have kept busy as you will see when you proceed through My Blog. Each month has been filled with happy times that included my family and friends. They have all helped me to grow and learn to find happiness in in myself. On my journey this year, I discovered that if I put my life in God's hands and live a life were I am happy with myself, then all else just seems to fall in place.

I am so blessed to still working as a Project Manager with McKesson Automation. I have definitely found an organization that is truly a joy everyday to be a part of. Up until November I was a Project Manager with the product IntelliShelf Supply. In November, I was offered the opportunity to move over to the Centralized Pharmacy Division as a Project Manager. I am currently in training and beginning 2 projects implementing their suite of products.

I have also kept very busy as the President of my Homeowners Association. I, along with my board's assistance, have tried to make positive changes for our subdivision. A few of the changes we have made include holding Community Functions, Distributing Newsletters, Started a Welcoming Committee, and Developed a Web page. I am excited about the changes we have made, and expect to continue to be busy next year with additional improvements.

MARCH

I went to Huntsville this year for Easter. My brother (Bill), his wife (Kara), his son (Stafford), my son (Brion), his girlfriend (Kirby) and I went out to eat with mom. We enjoyed the fellowship and spending time with our family as you can see from the pictures below.

Mom and her grandson's (Brion (left) and Stafford (right)

Bill, Kara and Stafford

All of us with mom (left to right) Brion, Kirby, Me, Mom, Bill, Kara and Stafford

MAY

I was in Montgomery, AL at Baptist Health care for an IntelliShelf Go Live. Tracy, a good friend and co-worker, was there also to help me with the Go Live at 3 hospitals. While we were there, one evening we went to Corks n Canvas with Heather Freese. We had a blast learning to paint "Red Hot Chili Peppers". What a great way to spend time with friends. Our finished paintings are featured below.

Tracy

Heather

Me

August

The first weekend in August my friend Meridith and I went to the Journey and Cheap Trick Concert in Birmingham. OMG, what a great concert!!!! Both Journey and Cheap Trick were AWESOME!!!! We had Fantastic Tickets on the 2nd row from the stage. There is nothing like being right on the stage for the concert. What a memorable experience ... I felt 16 years old again!!!!

Journey

Cheap Trick

Meridith and Me

My Best Friend, Sheryl, came to visit me the last week in August. As always, we picked up from were we left off the last time we saw each other. We have been friends for 27 years, since Germany. We started off with Cotton Candy Martini's at Applebee's, learned to paint at Sips n Strokes, got a pedicure, went to Sumo to eat, sat on my back porch visiting and ended it with an Auburn Game. We keep saying either she needs to move to Birmingham or I need to move to Virginia. We shall see which happens first.

Cotton Candy Martini's

Pedicure

Sips n Strokes before we start painting

Sheryl & I with our finished paintings ... not bad for a couple of women who can not paint!!!

Sheryl and I ate dinner at SUMO (Japanese Restaurant) with my daughter (Tonia), her husband (Randy) and my grandchildren (Katelynn, Kameron & Kaylor).

Sheryl & I

Tonia and Randy

Tonia, Sheryl, Randy, Katelynn, Me, Kaylor and Kameron

Sheryl, Tonia and Me

Katelynn, Me, Kameron & Kaylor

Sheryl and I went to an Auburn Football Game. We met Heather, Angel, Deb and Joe in Montgomery and caravan to the game. Eric, Angels husband went ahead and reserved us a tailgate spot. Prior to the game we tailgated and went shopping at Anders. It was so good to be in Auburn again and tailgate with my friends again, especially Deb and Joe (who I had not seen for a year).

My Auburn fire Pit

Deb and I

Sheryl & me at the game

The girls tailgating

SEPTEMBER

I went to Huntsville and brought mom to Birmingham to visit for a week. We had allot of fun and she had some new experiences. I took her to paint at Sips n Strokes twice (she even learned how to paint with a knife instead of a brush), we visited with Tonia and Family, visited with Brion, went out to eat, got her haircut by my stylist, and she got her 1st pedicure!!! It is always so much fun to have mom at my house visiting, she is such a joy!!!!

Mom (isn't she beautiful)

Mom Painting

Our finished flower paintings

Mom & I before painting Angels

Our finished Angel paintings

September 27th I had some neighbors over for the Auburn/Tennessee Game. Although it was another disappointing game, we had a good time.

Me, Steve Johanneson and Tracy Johanneson

Me, Jason, and Tracy

Aubie and Me
(He is out front for all of the AU Football Games)

Brion and I

OCTOBER

Katelynn and Kameron had birthday's this month. Katelynn turned 12 and Kameron turned 10 ... where does the time go? Last year we started Date Night with Granny on their birthday's. On their birthday they go to dinner (their choice) with granny by themselves, and then shopping for their Birthday Gift. Both Katelynn and Kameron picked SUMO for their choice of where to eat. We had so much fun on our date nights. It is always a exciting when I get to spend quality individual time with my grandchildern.

Katelyn's Pineapple Cake

KK getting a Pedicure

Kameron and his Pineapple Cake

My friend Meridith had a Toga Party for Holloween. I made my costume the day of the party. There where people at the party that I used to work with at Emageon and had not seen in quite a while. It is always fun to get together with old and new friends.

Emageon past and present

Meridith and I

Holloween, I went to Huntsville to reunite with some old GHS girlfriends (Sandra Moore and Susan Chasteen)and watch Katelynn play in a soccer tournament. I stayed at the Embassy Suites and had a beautiful room. Friday night, Susan, Sandy and I met at my room, visited and then went out to LeAnn's (a club in downtown Huntsville). We had a blast, saw some High School friends, and danced all night long. Saterday, I picked up mom and we went back to my hotel to watch the Auburn Football Game against Ole Miss (Auburn did not do so well). After the game, we went to Katelynn's soccer game, and then out to eat at Olive Garden (Mom and I love it there).

Susan, Sandy and I

Sandy and I with our bartender

Jimbo Brinkley and I

NOVEMBER

I turned 54years young this year on the 5th. I had a wonderful birthday at tonia's house for dinner with her, Randy, Katelynn, Kameron, Kaylor and Brion. We had a wonderful time and it meant so much to me, to be able to spend this day with them. As always Tonia cooked a delious dinner. The grandkids gave me 54 birthday spankings each at the same time ... ouch.

Me and my grandchildren after their bath

Tona, Me, Brion and Aubrie (his puppy)

Kaylor said Cha, Cha, Cha

Ouch

The 9th - 14th, Sheryl and I took a vacation to the Panama City Beach for our Birthday's. We stayed in a condo at the Baypoint Marriot Legends Resort. We felt like we were the rich and famous at this resort. Our condo was spacious (2 BR, 2 BTH, LR, DR, Kitchen, screen porch), the hot tub fit 25 people and the pool ws on oasis. The weather was beautiful and we were able to get our last sun tan or the year. We stayed busy laying out by the pool, making sand globes, searching for sea shells on the beach, shopping, and many other adventures. Again, it was sad to see her go home.

Marriott Legends Resort

Me at Margarittaville

The pool

Sheryl & I

Sheryl & I by the pool

I went to Huntsville and brought Mom to Birmingham for Thanksgiving week. I had a household for Thanksgiving, which included Mom, Brion, Tonia, Randy, Katelynn, Kameron, Kaylor, Jill (Tonia's BFF), Chad (Jill's husband) and their boys (Nathan and Jacob). I love to entertain during the holidays, so needless to say I was excited to have everyone join me. Mom bought the pies, helped with her delious Sweet Potato Casserole, Polished the Silver and set up the table. Tonia brought the mashed potatos, corn bread stuffing, green bean casserole, brocolli casserole and rolls. I made the 27 pound turkey, bread stuffing (mom's recipe), cranberry sauce, gravy, and spinach salad (with Margo's salad dressing). Everything was great and of course we all ate too much!!

Getting the Kids food ready

Mom and Brion waiting to eat

Some of the food

Randy

The kids

The Hagerla's

Mom and Brion the first to start the food line for the adult's

The weekend after Thanksgiving, was my High School Mini Reunion for classes 1971 - 1974 (graduated in 1972). Friday night we all met at LeAnne's Club and Saterday night was at the Plush Horse (can't believe it was still there after all these years). It was so much fun meeting up with old high school friends and making new friends. I spent the weekend at the Embassy Suites with one of my girlfriends (Sandra Moore) from High School. We had an old fashion girls slumber party staying up late and talking after each nights party.

Sandy and Me

The gang is here again(Melody, Sandy, David, Me and Jann)

Me, Susan Chasteen and Jack (her friend)

David, Me, Luther (Sandy's Friend)and Sandy

David and I ( My Best guy Friend in High School)

Kaylor's 8th Birthday was also this month. His choice was Stix's for dinner. As we were going to eat, he told me the story about their Christmas Elf's and how he heard his but ran back upstairs. The story is if you see it when it is moving around, you will loose it and not be able to get it back.

Kaylor and I at Stix's (they had him wear the hat)

DECEMBER

December has been busy decorating the house, buying gifts, wrapping gifts, getting ready for Christmas and best of all starting a new tradition with my grandkids ... "Baking and Decorating Cookies With Granny". We started this new tradition this past Wednesday night. Tonia and Randy dropped the grandkids off at my house, and then went on a much needed Date Night for the two of them. Katelynn, Kameron, and Kaylor took turns adding the ingredients for the cookies we were making. Then they helped get them ready for baking. They had fun rolling dough, dipping in egg whites dipping in sugar, and cutting out the cutouts. Once the cookies were done cooking and cooling, they got to decorate their cookies to take home. It was so much fun letting them just have fun with Granny.