HOPPER HERITAGE...

The "Hopper Family" about 1938.
Jake, Jim (dad), Ralph,
Maude, Ollie, Daisy, Ann
Twins; Bill and Lilly, Jim and Molly, Twins; Ethel and Eiffel.

This is two of my dad's sister's and his

brother-n-law. I am not sure when

this was taken, guessing in the 1940's. Ann Hopper on the left and the couple facing us was Everett and Eiffel Hopper Dearman. They were married in 1928 and had two daughters, Anita and Betty. Ann married Van Roberts in 1938 and they had two children, Judy and Butch. Aunt Ann passed away this year at the age of 93...

2ND PLACE FOR DESIGN!!!

My 19 year old grandson, Justin, won 2nd place for the design of the race car he is working on. The driver and owner of the race car is his room mate, Mike. Justin did the design work on the car and I think he did a great job. The judges must have thought so too...he took home second place! Do I have to say how "PROUD" I am of this young man of ours ;-)

COMMON SENSE...

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:- Knowing when to come in out of the rain; why the early bird gets the worm; life isn't always fair;

and maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge). His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault. Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust, by his wife, Discretion, by his daughter, Responsibility, and by his son, Reason. He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers;

I Know My Rights

I Want It Now

Someone Else Is To Blame

I'm A Victim

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.

I read this on another blog and it was just to good to pass up...

RUBIK'S CUBE...

Remember the Rubik's Cube from when we were kids???

I wasn't good at it then and found out I am not good at it now! Josh was showing Pop and I how easy it is...right!

I must say he is very good at it. He had it going every which way. What is it they say??? Every thing old is new again, or something like that!

WHAT IS A GRANDPARENT?

(Taken from papers written by a class of 8-year-olds)

Grandparents are a lady and a man who have no little children of their own. They like other people's.

A grandfather is a man, & a grandmother is a lady!

Grandparents don't have to do anything except be there when we come to see them.

They are so old they shouldn't play hard or run.

It is good if they drive us to the shops and give us money.

When they take us for walks, they slow down past things like pretty leaves and caterpillars.

They show us and talk to us about the colors of the flowers and also why we shouldn't step on 'cracks.'

They don't say, 'Hurry up.'

Usually grandmothers are fat but not too fat to tie your shoes.

They wear glasses and funny underwear.

They can take their teeth and gums out.

Grandparents don't have to be smart.

They have to answer questions like 'Why isn't God married?' and 'How come dogs chase cats?'

When they read to us, they don't skip. They don't mind if we ask for the same story over again.

Everybody should try to have a grandmother, especially if you don't have television because they are the only grownups who like to spend time with us.

They know we should have snack time before bed time, and they say prayers with us and kiss us even when we've acted bad.

A 6-YEAR-OLD WAS ASKED WHERE HIS GRANDMA LIVED. ''OH,'' HE SAID, ''SHE LIVES AT THE AIRPORT, AND WHEN WE WANT HER, WE JUST GO GET HER. THEN WHEN WE'RE DONE HAVING HER VISIT, WE TAKE HER BACK TO THE AIRPORT.'' GRANDPA IS THE SMARTEST MAN ON EARTH! HE TEACHES ME GOOD THINGS, BUT I DON'T GET TO SEE HIM ENOUGH TO GET AS SMART AS HIM!

It's funny when they bend over; you hear gas leaks, and they blame their dog.

FAVORITE FRIDAY...

This Friday my favorite thing is this picture my daughter gave me for Christmas. It's it the most darling thing??? The pictures were taken outside the Hickory House where we had Thanksgiving dinner and we were both being "Silly". Justin's sweet lady, Kierstin, took the pictures so I never saw them until I opened the present with the frame in it. Do I need to tell you how much I love it! and the "young girl" in it???

SCRAPBOOKING...

Did some new scrapbooking pages the other day. I'm not sure what this yellow one of Josh is suppose to be but it turned out to be very different. I took the yellow color from his hat and just kept putting in layers of this and that. One of his lady friends straighted out all of his curles in his hair. He wanted to know what I thought about it.
Told him it was nice :-)

This is a Birthday Page I did with some of Justin's Birthday pictures I already posted. I try to do a Birthday page of the boys each year. I love the cake on his face, he looks so surprised!

BIRTHDAY CAKE FIGHT!

Justin turned 19 a few days ago and we had his Birthday party over the week-end.
All he wanted this year was "MONEY". He had a truck payment and insurance due, so that's what he got along with three special t-shirts that mom knew he wanted.
It all went find until Suzy, Justin's mom told Kierstin (his lady friend) to push his face in the cake. Justin got away but he also got his mom!!!!
But in the end, as you can see in my last picture, Kierstin got him and got him good! HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEETHEART...WE LOVE YOU!

WELL...IT AIN'T SPRING...YET

I got up this morning to SNOW!
My pretty little yellow flowers, my vision of SPRING, all gone! It has been snowing and blowing off and on most of the day and boy is it cold!
It is suppose to warm up sometime this coming week so guess I will wait and look for Spring then :-(

FRIDAY FAVORITE...

I know some of you show your "Favorite Things" on your blog and I don't know if you do them on Friday or not but here is mine. I think it is my number one favorite thing. My daughter made this for me on my birthday. She NEVER sews and she HANDMADE this for me. I just LOVE it! I love her for doing it, and the saying is so true...oh! she would get so MAD!!!

SPRING...YA THINK ???

Look what is at my back door!!!
As cold as it is...I can't believe this
little bunch of yellow right next to my porch!
I am soooooooooooo ready for SPRING.
I will even take JULY and 90 degree weather.
I am just so sick of cold, gray, snow, rain and all that winter stuff.
How about you?
Are you ready for SPRING?

A BIG "BLOG HELLO" TO DAVID...

A nice big "Blog Hello" to David, my brother's good-good friend.
Jim said you stop by here once in awhile, so in case you are here, HI!!!
I'm ready for another party at Jim's...how about you? ;-)
Hey David, look at this picture I found of Jim and Gloria on their Wedding Day...
(don't shoot me Gloria!)
I think if fits with the post I did yesterday about their Anniversary. Isn't it great!!!!

Today is Aunt Anne's Birthday.

Love and Hugs to you Aunt Anne...

"39th" ANNIVERSARY!

Yesterday was my brother, Jim and

his wife Gloria's anniversary. 39 years...Wow! Congratulations!

39 years, I think that is wonderful, don't you. I hope you both had

a wonderful day and continue to have a wonderful time with each other. You both have no idea what a good time I had at your house in Nov. I keep thinking about it and laughing at this memory or that memory. What fun! Love to you both...

IT'S JARROD'S BIRTHDAY TODAY!

Today is our Grandson's birthday.

Jarrod is an "Awesome Grandson"

a "Awesome Marine" and

a "Awesome Newlywed"

(right Chelsie?)

We love you very much, Jarrod, and are soooooooooo Proud of you.

PLAYING ON "MYSPACE"

Josh spent Friday with us since he was out of school for some kind of teachers meetings. He was checking out his "myspace" when he came across instructions to make a "box of your friends". He asked me what it was so we clicked on it and this page came up that you can print of your friends. I told him to try it so he printed it out and this is what he came up with. Kinda cute except my picture is not! it's kinda blurry :-)

JUSTIN'S 19TH BIRTHDAY...

Today is my grandson, Justin's 19th Birthday. He is one beautiful person. A young man that has made us all very proud. He just moved to his own place a couple months ago and we are going over there for a birthday party on Sunday. Happy Day!!! Another birthday today is my "BLOG",
I started it one year ago today =}

SHARON'S BIRTHDAY...

I want to send a big "Birthday Wish" to my cousin, Sharon. She lives up in Missouri, about four hours from me. I haven't got to see her much lately but that doesn't mean that I don't think or care about her. We didn't know each other as children but we made up for it later. She is a great person and I feel very special being her cousin. Have a great Birthday tomorrow sweet cousin...

HAVE A HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY...

I hope with all my heart that your "Valentine's Day" has been as good as mine. Got a beautiful card and big red heart box of candy from hubby early this morning then we went to McD's for breakfast with all our Saturday morning friends. Stayed there for a couple of hours, then we went shopping to spend my birthday gift cards. Later we stopped by Applebee's for a great lunch. Yes, I have sure enjoyed my Valentine's Day! Hope you do to...

NEW NEAT TEA CUP...

I found this neat tea cup at our "Day Springs Outlet" store for only four dollars and I just love it. I usually drink my tea from a porcelain cup that I have had for about twenty years. I have always said "tea is much better in a porcelain cup" but I had to try this one. I liked it so much, I got one for home and one for the office.

WHAT IS BUTT DUST???

What, you ask, is 'Butt dust'? Read on and you'll discover the joy in it! These have to be original and genuine. No adult is this creative!!

JACK (age 3) was watching his Mom breast-feeding his new baby sister. After a while he asked: "Mom why have you got two? Is one for hot and one for cold milk?"

MELANIE (age 5) asked her Granny how old she was. Granny replied she was so old she didn't remember any more. Melanie said, "If you don't remember you must look in the back of your panties. Mine say five to six."

STEVEN (age 3) hugged and kissed his Mom good night. 'I love you so much that when you die I'm going to bury you outside my bedroom window.'

BRITTANY (age 4) had an ear ache and wanted a pain killer. She tried in vain to take the lid off the bottle. Seeing her frustration, her Mom explained it was a child-proof cap and she'd have to open it for her. Eyes wide with wonder, the little girl asked: 'How does it know it's me?'

SUSAN (age 4) was drinking juice when she got the hiccups. 'Please don't give me this juice again,' she said, 'It makes my teeth cough.'

DJ (age 4) stepped onto the bathroom scale and asked: 'How much do I cost?'

CLINTON (age 5) was in his bedroom looking worried When his Mom asked what was troubling him, he replied, 'I don't know what'll happen with this bed when I get married. How will my wife fit in it?'

MARC (age 4) was engrossed in a young couple that were hugging and kissing in a restaurant. Without taking his eyes off them, he asked his dad: 'Why is he whispering in her mouth?'

TAMMY (age 4) was with her mother when they met an elderly, rather wrinkled woman her Mom knew Tammy looked at her for a while and then asked, 'Why doesn't your skin fit your face?'

JAMES (age 4) was listening to a Bible story. His dad read: 'The man named Lot was warned to take his wife and flee out of the city but his wife looked back and was turned to salt.' Concerned, James asked: 'What happened to the flea?'

The Sermon I think this Mom will never forget ..

This particular Sunday sermon...'Dear Lord,' the minister began, with arms extended toward heaven and a rapturous look on his upturned face 'Without you, we are but dust...' He would have continued but at that moment my very obedient daughter who was listening leaned over to me and asked quite audibly in her shrill little four year old girl voice, 'Mom, what is butt dust?'