What happens when she dresses herself...

Mailee is now to the age where she has an opinion about what she wears and she changes "outfits" many times a day. Luckily, she humors me and lets me match her clothes when we go somewhere, but this is what can happen when she is home! She actually did not do too badly this time!

Yes, her "hat" is a red, heart-shaped, plastic basket!

Like Daddy, Like Daughter

OK, so Johnny's favorite past-time is playing NASCAR 09 on the X-Box. Mailee has become very familiar with the sight of Daddy with the headset and steering wheel playing "cars." Yesterday, on her own, she got her "wheel" out of her toybox and set herself up to play "cars" with Daddy. Just too dang cute!

First Football Practice

Never too early to start!

Unpacking

Yea!!!! Johnny got back for good on Friday which means our "stuff" is here too! I have to say, unpacking is WAY more fun than packing! Especially when you empty a box, go to put the things away, and when you come back, this cutie pops out of the "empty" box!

Thank you God for bringing him back safe and now we ask that you bless our home and our family as we begin a new chapter!
Amen!

Future Oak Grove Cheerleaders???

Last weekend I experienced "Southern Football." I never knew how real the movies like Friday Night Lights and Varsity Blues were. We went to Jackson's game and I found out that parents can be WAY into Pop Warner Football games. Football is Life!! (I think Johnny is going to like it here!) One woman's shirt said it all, "I BLEED BLACK AND GOLD!"

OK, so the girls were not as into the game as they were in hanging out together and eating candy, but boy were they adorable to watch. Here are Livi, Ella, and Mailee (ages 4, 2 1/2, and 2--- going on 14, 12 1/2, and 12)

Guess we didn't have rain in California!

I have never seem Miss Mailee love weather so much! We had a rain spell and, since it was still pretty warm, we went out to jump in it! She had a ball! In California, when it rains (should that be IF it rains?) it is "cold" and we keep everyone inside. Another of MANY differences...

Smooth Sailing Ahead

We hope to see "Daddy" tomorrow morning and we are all praying for some smooth waters ahead! We have been through some storms and await the dove and olive branch!

Missing Daddy

LOOOOOONNNNNGGGGG story short...
Turns out the moving company that we contracted with got their California License Revoked 2 days before contracting with us. (So when I checked them out weeks ago, all was well!) Anyway, I finally got in contact with them a week after they picked up our stuff, only to get in contact with a representative who tried to engorge the estimated "guaranteed" price by another $1000.oo. Our arguments fell on deaf ears and we were given the only option to come and get our stuff. Oh yeah, by the way, it had been put in a shady storage facility somewhere in South Central LA, not shipped to Mississippi, as promised. After making this suggestion, the Rep. sarcastically said, "Oh, but you are in Mississippi already, aren't you?" (Hmmmmm.... can you smell a scam cooking here?) Well, with no other choice, and practically being dared to do so, Johnny headed back to California on Friday morning to face the beast head-on. En-route, I checked the BBB and the CPUC websites and that is when I learned of the "Cease and Desist Operations" order that they had been issued for operating with a Revoked license. Aaargh! We were working with criminals, a truth that became even more apparent as this adventure wears on! So, Johnny arrives to a friend's house in Ventura on Saturday night, spends Sunday securing a moving vehicle, and meets with the owner of the company on Monday morning at the crack of dawn. He has spared me a lot of details. All I know is that he did not see our stuff until almost 6:00pm, after paying a large "ransom." It was only after Johnny threatened to call the cops on this crook, that he was even given the option to pay through the nose to take our own stuff. So I got a call at around 7:00 that he was driving a truck-full back to his friend's house, going to get a "good" night's sleep, and he will be heading back Eastward in the morning! So, his girls miss him a lot and his quote says it all... "I have grown-up here for 32 years, and yet I feel so far from home!" (Johnny from Los Angeles to Mandy in Mississippi)


EVERYONE BEWARE OF ANYTHING ANYWHERE MOVING AND STORAGE also operating as MOVEAST

I have already filed complaints with the BBB and the FMCSA

Pics along the way and our new backyard!

Halloween with Curious Georg"ette"!

Last week

What to do when you are 2 and Mommy is busy with the movers???

Peanut Butter Make-Up!!!!!

We Made It!

A few thoughts on traveling cross-country...

1. The scenery does not change from Pasadena through New Mexico.
2. You can pack a million DVDs, doesn't matter! A 2-year-old will only want to watch 2 of them over and over (and over!)
3. If it ever is a trivia question to quote the Curious George movie, I would win. I have never actually SEEN it, but I have now heard it from the back seat about 25 times!
4. Texas is HUGE! I thought we had to be close to through it after driving FOREVER...Then I saw a sign that said, "Welcome to West Texas!" Aaargh!!! You have GOT to be kidding!
5. I always thought it would be cool to eat at Sonic. Not really! They have good drinks and the rest is nothing special!
6. Gas is only $1.97 starting in Texas and east. We thought that was a mis-print at first.
7. Mailee's idea of sharing the bed with Mommy is to sleep horizontally in the middle and graciously allow me to use the 4 corners.
8. People in Louisiana do not speak English, I think.
9. No matter what happens tonight, McCain wins according to a lot of people in the McDonalds somewhere in Texas.
and 10. I have a new favorite quote that I came up with myself..." Red Neck is a state of mind, NOT a state of state!"


We made it safe and sound to our new home. I will upload pictures soon!

Love,
The Mississippi Minitellos