Thankful!

Well hello there! I don't think I have that many followers to really say hello to and the few that I used to have have probably given up on me by now considering that I only blog about quarterly per year. Terrible....Oh well....life gets in the way and for that I am "thankful". I have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving season. An adoring husband, precious children, incredible family and amazing friends. Pretty good!! I am about to hopefully catch up on 2012 in blog fashion. Let's hope that I can find the time to get it done. I'm really wanting to figure out how to blog from my new iphone 5. There's got to be a way right?? If you know please sound off in the comment section below. Still wanting to tell you about turning 40!! Women of Inspiration, Elementary Graduation and Awards, Anne Craig's birthday, beach trip 2012, Girl's Trip 2012, Fall Chaos and Back to School, Miami Trip and last but not least the passing away of my Gooddaddy. I promise I will get to this soon!! In the meantime I will continue to reflect on my thankfulness which is very bountiful indeed! Cheers to the start of the 2012 Holiday Season my friends.

Grandaddy Bill

This past summer my Grandfather, Bill Trotter, passed away. He was 88 years old. He went pretty peacefully after suffering a dibilitating stroke. The remarkable thing was that he was man who worked out regularly at the Y daily and was very healthy until the end. He did not suffer in the least and when it was his time to go he was ready. He was a dear, sweet man and we miss him terribly. Here is a picture from when we were all together for visit in Greenville in his home when The Trotter clan came for a visit.

Soccer girls!

Look at this precious picture I dug up from last Spring! Plus with an added bonus!!! Cousin May May was in town and is in the pic as well on AC's back! I love it when I find fun surprises like this!

Delta Rockers- Rockin' The Delta 2012 Tour

Many of you may know that my Mom, Anne Hamilton Trotter, or aka: Annie, is in a dance group that consists of ladies ages 65+ and is led by Betty Aden. They are called the Delta Rockers and they do indeed Rock! I mean they are really really good! They practice several times a week and tour different towns performing to civic groups, retirement homes and etc.. They even put on local recitals during the holidays. They have even been asked to perform on Carnival Cruise ships and at the Biltmore Mansion in Ashville, NC, in which they did both last year. Who knows....New York may be calling next. This is one of their recent promotional shots for the Fall 2012 tour. Aren't they cute? Way to go Annie! We are proud of you. Keep on dancing!

Anne Craig is 9!! Roll out the red carpet please!

I love a good party theme and what better way to come up with one than hosting your daughter's NINTH bday party. It does help that I have a great friend, Michelle Coppage, who is a professional party planner extrordinaire. This past May, we had the best time taking all of our ideas and bringing them to life. (Thank you Pinterest!!) Anne Craig really had a great time and it was worth all of the effort. May is a hard time of year to have a birthday. Why you ask?? Because everything else is scheduled in May that's why. I too am a May baby and I've been dealing with this craziness for 40 years! Geesh, just finding a day to have a party is a feat in itself. But it all worked out, she had a ton of friends attend and had a ball. Even the adults had a great time!! Here are a few of the pics to tell the story! And the guests begin to arrive!!

Secret Service business is hard work.

Back away sir! I said back away! Private party here!

Wait, was that who I think that was??

Handsome movie attendants ready to escort the guests to their seats.

Even the adults had a great time! Stay tuned for more pics of the "celebrities" and the birthday girl in action!

Pillow Academy Cross Country 2012

Floyd decided to run Cross Country this year. It's the first "official" sport that the 6th graders can participate in. Actually the entire team is made up of 6th graders. It makes me especially proud that he is running because Cross Country was one of my favorite sports. Not to mention my team won the State AAA Championship my senior year in 1989. Needless to say I'm glad his love for running is starting to kick in. I hope it will continue.

Floyd and Cole

The Mighty Mighty Cross Country Mustangs!

Da Boyz

Floyd running strong

Hardy, Floyd, Cole and Porter

"Bertie" RIP (January 23, 2000- April 6, 2012) You were too good and we miss you terribly.

Floyd and Bertie on one of her last hunts of last season.

Bertie, and our older lab Belle, with Little Floyd. I guess this picture was in 2001 sometime. Precious!

This past summer we lost a valuable member of our family. Bertie, was our second black lab and she was just a year older than our first born child so we considered her indeed a priceless member of our family. She was a duck and dove hunter at heart but mostly she was a lover of all. She was truly the kindest dog...faithful and true. She'd strugged with her health for a while with tumors here and there but ultimately her health got the best of her. She was 12 years old and she will never be forgotten. I personally took great pride in her name, Bertie. She was named after my family's plantation here in Leflore County, which was named by my Great Grandfather (W.L. Craig) after Bertie County, North Carolina, where our Craig family descendants settled in America when they came over from Scotland. GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN SWEET BERTIE!

INSANITY- the most wicked fitness regimen in the mix!!

Give it a try...you'll see!! For the past 8 weeks Floyd and I have tried to tackle an exercise regimen called INSANITY. "Insane" is the key word....it's completely insane alright!! Well, believe you me it's tough to say the least. I've done it ALL and this is by far the hardest thing I have done but remarkably I really do love it. When we finished the Viking Half Marathon at the end of March I knew it was time to shake things up. I was tired of my hips hurting from the reps of running and spin class day in and out. McLean recommended Insanity not only because of the results he had achieved but because it also had a great stretching program, especially for the hips. Husband Floyd had a bit of a casualty around week 5. His ankle took a turn when it caught under the upstairs couch where we have our home "makeshift" workout area. After "pop, pop, pop" he was down....Remarkably, he didn't break his ankle but the sounds of bones and tendons cracking was LOUD and he's pretty sure it'll ever be the same. I completed the program a few weeks ago with a few workout friends and I truly do really feel fit and in better total shape than I have in a while! Shaun T (the instructor) rocks! He's great. Bottom line....I recommend Insanity! Check it out at www.beachbody.com

Happy 9th Birthday Anne Craig

My sweet baby girl turned 9 on May 26! It seems like yesterday we were just having her 2nd birthday party. Where on Earth do the years go? Heck, where on Earth did the month of May go?? I truly cannot imagine our life without Anne Craig in it. She is very different than her type A control freak Mom and has a whole different laid back style on life. I learn something from her each and every day. Isn't it amazing how God gives you the children you need!! This year for her birthday we had a fabulous Red Carpet Themed birthday celebration. That party in itself will get its own post for sure. In typical interview fashion that I like to do with each birthday passing, here are some of her interests at this stage in her life. I AM....Anne Craig Melton I WAS....8 I HAVE....a cat named Tom Stacy I PLAY....with my friends I WORRY....about getting in trouble I KNOW....how to play the piano I WATCH....Good Luck Charlie I WANT....a phone I CRAVE....goldfish crackers I USUALLY....swim I REMEMBER....when I was little I DISLIKE....school I GO....out of town to play soccer I WENT....to New York last May I CAN.... snow ski I DON'T....eat veggies I FEEL....good I DANCE....at Martha Geeslin's I READ....Diary of A Wimpy Kid I WRITE....letters to friends I BELIEVE....in God I AM SCARED.... of robbers I LISTEN....to our preacher I WISH....I could fly I LOVE....tennis I AM HAPPY....that Gooddaddy is still alive I AM THANKFUL....for my family

Happy Easter Everyone!!

Floyd's 5th Grade Cotillion

Inaugural Viking Half Marathon and 5K....Results a Total Success!!

Sweet Anna came to run with us and did awesome!

Floyd is ready to run that 5k!!

Job well done I must say!

Floyd with me and Jaime (chair and co-chair)

Deer Valley 2012

Look out mountain!!! Get ready cause here we come!!!

Hot Chocolate and turkey chili break!!

The McLean Trotter family

Floyd and Anne Craig

Anne Craigie!!

Cousins!!

It was DERNNNNN cold this year! February skiing is COLD!!

Did I mention it is cold??

Daredevils

Good Times!!


Look out "Stein's Way" here I come!

Mission Accomplished


Lisa, Cham and McLean- our yearly ski pose since 1980 "the older generation of skiers"

"new generation of skiers"


Awesome Time!!

Thanks Papa!! What a wonderful trip!

Oh Dear!! They look so big!!

Wild Thangs!

Gotta love when Dr. Seuss, Read Across America Day, comes around and most schools celebrate by asking their students to dress up as a character. What did mine choose? Yep...
Of course there's no comprising on #1 or #2 so therefore two #1's it is!

11 Years Ago Today...Wow!! Happy Birthday Sweet Floyd!

It's extremely hard to believe that my first born turns 11 today. It seriously seems like yesterday that I was scared to death not knowing anything about becoming a parent. Not to mention knowing if Floyd was going to be a girl or a boy. It's been such a wonderful blessing to be the mother of such a wonderful little man. I can only imagine what the good Lord has in store for him and I feel super lucky to be his Mom. This year he didn't have a particular birthday party persay. We just found time to celebrate here and there when we could. February has been a very busy month filled with Boy Scout campouts and family snow skiing trips. More pics to follow....

Here's a little bit about Floyd Mortimer Melton IV, 2012, and his responses to the yearly questions I ask.

I AM....Floyd Melton IV
I WAS....a running back for my Pee Wee football team this year
I HAVE....a nice family
I PLAY....sports
I WORRY....about my grades
I KNOW....how to have fun
I WATCH....The Middle and Modern Family
I WANT....a phone
I CRAVE....chicken spagetti
I USUALLY....play soccer
I REMEMBER....when I went to Washington D.C.
I DISLIKE....school
I GO....for Ole Miss
I WENT....snow skiing this month
I CAN.... ski black slopes
I DON'T....like Chinese food
I FEEL....nice
I DANCE....at Cotillion
I READ....the sports section
I WRITE....how to do things
I BELIEVE....in Jesus
I AM SCARED.... of poisonous snakes
I LISTEN....to all music but rap
I WISH....I had one million dollars
I LOVE....my family
I AM HAPPY....that I have good friends
I AM THANKFUL....for Jesus Christ

We had a birthday lunch today at The Melton's to celebrate Moss', Moms' and Floyd's birthdays which all happen to be a few days within each other.



Here are a few pics from the Boy Scout campout in which he celebrated with birthday cake along with Nored and John Hollis, who also have February birthdays as well.








Proud of all of you! Happy Birthday Boys!!