When you can't have Chuck's

My sister had Chuck's for dinner last night...They have a burger with chili slaw and pickles. It's a one of a kind hamburger found at the Rolling Fork establishment.
Paul and I went to the softball game in carthage and got the next best thing ...the Ward's burger with chili, cheese and pickles. It's pretty close.
There are some things I miss a out my home town!

Uncle Paul and Landry

We went by and saw Lisa, my mom and Landry Sunday afternoon and brought them some goodies. Uncle Paul held this little sweetie for the first time. My mom snapped a photo of me but I didn't like it. Aunt Leslie has to look good for her first official photo with her niece!

He loves her! So sweet. He said she was about the size of a football! :)

Less than a month away from Spring Football and the hits just keep coming

One of the things that I love about Ethel High School is that it's small. I went to a small school and I like knowing everyone.
From a coaching stand point it can be a little frustrating. Here's an example -- Attala County is full of woody, undeveloped land. While the school is located in the small town of Ethel, most of the students live in those wooded areas. My point is there aren't lots of places to live. We don't live in the county school district because we couldn't find a place to live.
So the comings and goings of students is a bit normal and when you are the football coach, it's tough.
Case in point -- Today, two students will be moving to Kosciusko due to home life issues. They just both happen to play football and do a pretty good job of it.
They both have been in athletic study hall with the coaches trying to help them with their grades.

Then, you have the school off the Natchez Trace Parkway that tries to lure our kids to come play over there even though you aren't suppose to recruit.

And last but not least, the bad grades. I've never seen so many kids with problems with grades. That's another entry for another time.

I just pray everything works out and that maybe Spring practice will go well.  It's only a month away.

Oh the joys of the being the coach's wife.

And in other news...We are All-Star Coaching again

Paul got the call Wednesday that he has been selected to coach in the Mississippi/Alabama All-Star Game in Mobile, Ala., in December as an assistant coach. The head coach is his long-time friend Junior Graham and his bestest friend Kenny Burton will also be an assistant coach. I've dubbed them the "Dream Team."
Paul and Kenny coached at West Point together for one  year in the early 90s and Paul hasn't ever worked with Junior before. I think Kenny did coach with Junior in the Miss. All-Star game but I'm not totally sure on that.

My favorite coach, of course!

And my second favorite coach, Kenny B!

Landry Rose's first photo shoot with Aunt Leslie

Got to spend the Day with Lisa, Landry and my mom yesterday and we had our first photo shoot! I've never taken photos of someone so little and wiggly! She was 8 days old and since only a few of her outfits fit her we decided her pink blankets were enough. We are going to try and take more photos in about a month.

This is my favorite photo! She didn't like the flash much but she did great.

 Her very first photo taken by Aunt Leslie

 With her bunny Cousin Kay made. I think she like it!

Isn't she so sweet...

My niece is 5 days old! When I do her photos for her birth announcement she will be a week and a day.
Landry is causing me to have baby fever. :)
My sister sent me these.

My baby niece is here!

Thank goodness for an iPhone and text messaging. Get to see Miss Landry Rose in the morning. She is 7 pounds 14 ounces and 20 inches long. Everyone is doing good.

The bottom photo is of Paw Paw and Granna.

Tomorrow is the day...

When my little sister becomes a mommy! I'm excited and happy for her. Landry Rose is going to be very loved.

I remember the day we brought Lisa home from the hospital. It's kinda surreal that she'll be a mom.

I always thought I would be a mom first but my life has never worked on my time table. I'm a late bloomer at most everything.

I can't wait to meet my sweet niece on Wednesday. I'm covering the primary election on Tuesday night so I can't go until then.

Extreme Couponing...well kinda

As some of you know, I heart my coupons. Yes, I have a binder with sections. Over the last few weeks, Paul and I have been traveling to Starkville to go to Kroger and sometimes CVS and Walgreens.

Today was a pretty good day and I wanted to share and explain. Also, just to let you know where we get our coupons from the Internet, The Star-Herald, The Clarion-Ledger, and The Northeast MS Daily Journal. A wireless printer and an Iphone helps with printing too. We also only buy thing that we need for ourseleves and our families.

And away we go....

First stop CVS Pharmacy.

We did this in two transactions -- One in Kosciusko and One in Starkville.

1st trip
Five 12-packs of Diet Cokes 5/$15 -$1.00 CVS printed coupon and you get $5 Extra Care Bucks.
One, five count pack of Zyrtec $5.99-$2.00 printed coupon and you get $5.99 ECB.
Six, two-liter sodas and 2 packs of Nabisco Newton Think Crisps 2/$5.
Total: $29.17; $10.99 ECB

2nd trip
After picking up to NEMS Daily Journals in Starkville and finding a few coupons there, back to CVS.
Two packs of Newton Thin Crisps 2/$5
Two Colgate Optic White 2/$3.99 - 2.00; $4.00 ECB
Two Ultra Purex Pods 2/5.00 -2.00
Used the ECB from the last transaction and only $4.23 for this one!

Next Walgreens and there is where we really got a deal in four transactions.
I had a plan to get my a ravor with register rewards and some buy one, get one free Right Guard Deoderant for Paul matched with some coupons.

Well, they didn't have the razor, I wanted but had another one from men that I did have a coupon for it and we also go register rewards.

Transacation 1:
Schick Hydro Power Select: $9.99 - $2 coupon: 7.99 with 5.00 register rewards.

Transaction 2:
Buy one, get one free Right Guard on closeout for $2.29

Four RG deoderants: 4.49-$3.00 coupon: 1.90; $4.00 register rewards

Transaction 3: Two more deoderants @ $2.29 each; $1.00 register rewards; $2.45 paid out

Transaction 4: 8 deoderants B1,G1 @ $2.29 each - $9 register rewards = 0.80

We stumbled on to this deal with the closeout. It's our most awesome deal yet! I wish I figured that the closeout would have applied to there B1G1 deal and we wouldn't have had so many transactions. Averaged out to be 28 cents each for the deoderant!

Next stop, Kroger. They double coupons!!!! I will just hit the highlights of the deals and not give a blow by blow.

Yakisbo Noodles 2/$0.99 - $2.00 = Free
Dial Hand Soap 2/$2.00 - $1.40 = 60 cents
Texas Toast Croutons 2/$3 - $1.60 = $1.40
Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls 8/$8 -$3.20 = $4.80
Pillsbury Crescent Rolls 8/$8 - $3.20 = $4.80

And when all hope is lost. . .

We turn to prayer. We turn to God. We turn to our loved ones. We turn to our friends.
But what if we have none of those. . .What if we don't believe. . . What if we don't know where to go. . .

I am convinced everyday why my husband was chosen to come back home to Ethel High School. To help those who need it most. To help those who have no mother and no father. Those that live in squalor. To be a constant reminder that someone cares about them and they are not alone.

As like every spring since, we start to see which children aren't performing in school as they should. An alarming number of them are in the 7th and 8th grades. Every year it is a battle to see if they can get to the next grade level.

He has instituted a 7th and 8th grade study hall for those that need extra  help. I pray for some that it is enough and that it teaches them a lesson.

I can't imagine a world where a parent doesn't know how their child is doing in school.

Last year, a student failed and wasn't going to be able to play athletics. Paul had talked to him during the school year and told him "Whether or not, you play football for me is not what I'm worried about. I want you to make something of yourself and not be a dropout."

I just pray for these children and those that teach them.

“But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

I sooooooooo want to go see "Undefeated"

Here's what's going on...

Spring Break is upon us! Which means, Paul get his week out and I'm taking a few days off.

We had planned on leaving Wednesday - Saturday to go antiquing for the mall but all that will be on hold until my sister gets her c-section scheduled and Landry Rose gets here! Either Tuesday or Wednesday. I'm hoping for Wednesday so I can be there. Tuesday is our paper production day and I'm covering an election for the Associated Press and I can't get out of it. She's going to be so spoiled once she gets here!

Powerlifting on Friday, where will compete for the South State Title at Ridgeland High School. We were the runner-up last year. Then, onto State in April. I'm very proud of the boys. They've worked really hard this year. Hopefully, I can sneak out of work early and watch them lift.

Then, swing by and see my sister in  Madison and take a look at Landry's room.

I am a coach's wife

Found this entry on another blog and thought I would share.

I am a Coach's Wife
I am a Coach's Wife, I am married to a football coach. He is best kind of coach, the kind that you want to coach your child, the kind that is there for all of the right reasons, the kind that would give his own life to save the life of one of his players. I move often, my closet is a sea of colors from every school that we have been at. We have been Tigers twice, a Pirate and now we are Vikings. I cheer for not one child but every child. I don't have a son on the team or a daughter on the sidelines but in my heart they are all mine. I care for them as I hope to care for my own one day, their victories are my victories and their heartbreaks I share.
I am a coach's wife. I can change colors over night and cheer on a different group of boys from Fall to Fall. I give up my husband and my life for 5 months so that he can be a mentor to a child. He misses birthdays and anniversary's, party's and get together's, we eat apart all but one night a week and on Friday nights I come home to an empty house. We have been broke, we have been poor, we have lived apart for months, we have given our last dollar to a child in need, we have celebrated and laughed, we have hugged and cried. We are a WE and WE are a coaching family.
And tonight as I watch my husband warm up his boys and help carry them to a victory you will not find anyone more proud in the stands then me. Because it does not matter to me if we win or lose, in my heart its how WE played the game!

“WE are just riding the train. Someday they are going to ask us all to get off. Owners, coaches, players and there are going to be new owners, new coaches, and new players. We should not be bitter about that because the experience of being on that train was so great.” ~Bill Parcells
Channa, Life as a Coaches Wife at 3:02 PM