So the littlest Chism gets hitched!

We traveled to Ecru by way of Pontotoc on Saturday to see Jason and Rebecca say "I do."

It was such a sweet wedding, they even expressed in their own words how they felt about one another.  They walked out of the church to "Sugar Pie Honey Bunch." It very much suits Rebecca's personality.

They left in a John Deere Tractor since Jason now works for a sod farm in the area. 

This is the only photo I got! You should have seen Rebecca's blue cowboy boots! Too cute!

I have to mention that I got to see all of my FAVORITE people from South Pontotoc @ the Wedding. Miss them so much! It's not that often that you come across a group of people with the same morals/ways of life that you do. I will see them soon when they travel to Ethel for the football game this season!

High School shouldn't be the high point

I think alot about today's high schoolers and where they will be in five years. Ten years. Fifteen years.

My greatest fear is that someone of them do not make the most of the opportunities laid out in front of them.

Four years ago, a fantastic athlete had the opportunity to go to Northeast CC from Ethel. They wanted him and offered him a scholarship. He was smart enough to make the grades. Alas, he refuse to leave Attala County and his baseball career was over simply because he didn't want to leave home.

As Paul told me today -- You can always come "home" but sometimes its harder to "leave home."

It's okay to leave home! It's okay to meet new people. It's okay to go out into the world and find out who you really are.

Today, I heard of another recent graduate that was suppose to be headed to college in the fall but has oped out for work. Sure the pay is good but in a world where the economy is not the greatest, blue collar jobs are the first on the chopping block.

Added into the fact that at 45 are you still going to want to be doing back breaking work when your body isn't in the best shape.

My whole point in this is simply -- When you are in your 60s and you look back on your life, high school shouldn't be the "high point" but merely a stepping stone into a whole new realm. Make the most of the present, work toward a future and when all this becomes the past smile and know you did all you could do.

For Kayla....the wedding, the wedding

From the moment Kayla and Patrick got engaged, Jenny Wood and I both said "Welcome to the club --  the coaches' wives club."

Kayla has started a blog to chronicle her life and at the moment the wedding. So here's a little bit of friendly advice for the BIG DAY. And I'm sure I'll write you up something special about your new role as the wife of a coach in the months to come.

I can honestly say that my wedding wasn't planned out in my mind before Paul asked. I hadn't dreamed of the day. In fact, I thought it probably wouldn't ever happen at all -- not to Paul but to anyone.

However, the moment I called and told my mom and dad and said "We're engaged!" The wedding planning took off full steam ahead. The brunt of it was done in the summer so that Paul could be a part of some aspects before football season started.

My mom was my greatest help! She and I make list and make list and plan and plan. If you one person like that and I am sure Chelsea is that person, you will be fine.

Here's my advice:

-- The BIG DAY: Don't worry if things don't go as planned, you will be in a state of euphoria on your wedding day and it will all go by so fast!

--As far as the REGISTRY is concerned -- If you want and/or need it register for it! This is the one time in y'all lives that people will pay good money to send you a gift.

-- Thank yous for MONEY -- Thank you so much for the money. I know we will put it to good use as we set up our home together. It was so kind of you to think of us during this special time.

--Who is going to show up; Who is not? -- It's the week before Christmas, you will have all the people closest to you there and all the people that matter. Not too many but just the right amount. I can speak from experience since we got married Dec. 18. Don't sweat it!

Back to the couponing....

Spent $65 and saved $30 on my shopping trip at Wal-Mart, Family Dollar and Dollar General in Kosciusko.

I've had a couple of people ask me what's my secret because they can't save that much money!

My secret is that I let everyone else do the work! There are sites out there that calculate the coupons and the price of stuff. -- http://www.krazycouponlady.com/ and http://www.couponmom.com/

Also, where I get my coupons from a monthly magazine "All of You" has at least $85 worth of coupons, The Star-Herald and Sunday Clarion-Ledger and http://www.coupons.com/

I also look at the sales papers in the newspaper and see if I just spot a deal.

I don't regularly shop at Family Dollar but I got 1.4 oz. Lady Speed Stick for 50 cents. They where 4/$5 and I had a 75 cent coupon. FD also had a 2/$5 in store coupon on 12-pack Coke products.

One of my "All of You" coupons was $1 off/2 20oz. Hunt's Ketchup. At Wal-Mart, they were $1. So I got two bottles at 50 cents each.

Gain detergent is what I usually buy. I buy the largest one @ $15. So I bought 4 of the small 32 loads of Gain @ 4.97 w/$1 off each for a total of $15.88. I can do twice as many loads of laundry with the four small bottles versus the large one. Thought that was pretty good.

Happy Couponing. :)

Brooke Ann gets hitched!



Memorial Day weekend Paul and I traveled to Pontotoc to see Brooke get married. By the time, I came into Paul's life he had been in Pontotoc for almost 7 years and Roger Chism had been with him at South Pontotoc almost that long as defensive coordinator.

Roger, Denise, Brooke and Jason welcomed me into the fold with open arms.

Looking at Brooke in this photo, I see the girl who was so shy and tom boyish and how much she looks like a princess! She has the biggest heart of anyone I know and I think that is what makes her such a great teacher.

Anything I've learned about being a coach's wife, I learned from Denise. She's the BEST! I miss her every Friday night during football season. (I'll see her one Friday during football since Ethel and South Pontotoc will be playing. Roger is now the head coach. Should be interesting!)

We will be traveling to see Jason and Rebecca get married at the end of this month. I can't wait!

Congratulations Brooke & Tyson!

The Class of 2011 -- Jasmine & Price

As part of my work duties at the newspaper, I have to cover some of area graduations including Ethel High School.

This year was "extra special" because my cousin-in-law Jasmine graduated. She's super smart and will be attending Millsaps next year.  I'm so glad that I've gotten to know her over the past four years we've been in Kosciusko. Paul's family isn't very close so that makes it all better that Malinda, Marc, Marcus, and Jasmine have been so welcoming and treated me like family from the moment they met me.

Paul and I are so very PROUD of you, Jas! We love you very much!!!

Jasmine receiving her diploma from Principal Michael Ray

Also, my cousin, Price graduated from Heritage Academy in Columbus. He's a super young man who has had to overcome a lot of physical limitations with several surgeries to his shoulder. I am sure not being able to play sports this year was very hard on him.

It blows my mind that the little baby boy I held when I was 15/16 is sooooooooooo grown up.

We love you very much, Price! I know you are going to do great things!

Price with his brother, Dylan.