It's Christmas in September!

I know, I know... there was at least one of you who is bored silly with these posts, but I feel the need to show you some of the new canvases.
I have been on a pretty big Christmas canvas kick.

Oh, and this was a request for a church nursery. Sorry I am showing this one in a early stage, and I will show it later when it is ready for send off.
This one now has a big old BELIEVE across the bottom. It is on its way to its new mama.
Charlene, this is the basic shape, and I haven't worked out the color scheme yet. But... it is going to be Kacie's.
Dank. I am working on your footballs. This is going to be hubby's.
Lord have mercy. What do you think about this color? I think I am going over it with a greener green. Or any other color that someone may want to request. Or... do you like the limey green? It was meant to be yours, Pepper, but I realized that yellow is for the "other" one, and the heart with wings was supposed to be pink. Soooo.... now I have to start those over. Duh!
This is my dad's classroom. And these are the Christmas ones without the words on them. Hey, Denise. Two of these little babies are yours!

oh, and that little 8x10 polka dotted canvas closest to you now says BELIE?
These are some that still need a little TLC. They have the original layer of gloppy texture on them, but backgrounds are coming later. I have two crosses and a PEace sign. If you think you may be interested in any of those, let me know and I will reserve some for you with regard to color preferences.
Here is the peace sign. See it? See it?
Oh, and this is a new one I was in the mood to try! If you could look closely, you would see that I have red glitter in the stripes of the socks. This one doesn't have a home either. I've had several requests for Christmas canvases lately, so those of you who have made a request... if you like this one, let me know and I will get it out to you. I don't know if I have added anything to the side of it, but I am THINKing that I put Believe on it?! Hmmm... I just can't remember. Contact me if you want him. mgroves11@comcast.net
Ok. Liz. You wanted two small ornaments. Well... this is one of them. Of course, it has a BELIEVE on it now.
ANd this one has BELIEVE and a ribbon through the top of the ornament.

Someone ordered an 8x10 presents package. I seriously considered adding, "Gabbi Girl" on the side of this, but asked if pink would be acceptable to my "customer". So glad you ok'd my sending you PINK presents. I think you are going to love them. They now say BELIEVE too!
Hey, Denise. I think these are yours.
And these hit the mail today too.
All of these have words on the side. Either Believe or Merry Christmas. I can't figure out how to retrieve the photos from my email to put them in my iphoto. Little help please?! So, I can't retrieve the completed pictures that were taken at my office and emailed to my house to share with you.

And this is a special request for a "Please Snow". This little painting now has eyes and...
this one. I thought about just "Ho" for you Dawn Pierce, but for this person, "HO3" means HO cubed... or HO HO HO. Cute, huh?
Mary Hall.... this is FINALLY coming your way!
I kept thinking about what I should add to your canvas, but, I really liked the verse alone, so it is really big right across the middle of the canvas. I hope to show a completed picture soon.
This is my work space about half way through my 4 hour span of painting last Friday.
I am IN THE ZONE when I am painting. I didn't realize how much I had missed painting. Until Shake 4 Jake when I got a wild hair up my butt and decided to paint a few canvases for the event. And since then, it has been ON like a CHICKEN BONE!
Again. Thanks to all of you who are buying the canvases, and to all of you who are STILLLLLL waiting on yours.

Mo

Oh NO! It is happening!

Ellie's obsession with her purse and all of its contents is CRAZ-Y!  We have to have a purse everywhere we go! Including to bed!  And it has to be filled with her "stuff".  

Well guess what...
Ol' Gabbi Girl has been waiting in the wings and studying her sister's every move.  She has even learned the art of the sling back.
This is Gabbi slinging it back over her shoulder like big sissy.
And this appears to be Gabbi investigating to see that all of her "stuff" is in there!  
Not sure... but I am going with this being Ellie NOT understanding that Gabbi can have HER own purse too!  Ellie feels that ALL purses are HER purses! 
Go ahead, baby, SLING that purse!
I got Gabbi Girl this purse for her birthday.  We got Maddi a similar one for her second birthday this past Sunday (post to come!) .
Gabbi is not as into the "stuff", ("stuff" being about 50 hair rubber bands, around 25 bracelets, and the occasional brush, toothbrush, play or REAL keys, and headbands... those are her staples!), as she is into her cell phone. 
This is a real cell phone but hasn't been activated in years.  She knows the difference between the real one and a play one.  And, mind you, has a strong preference! 
Gosh, I think I could suck her little lips off! 
And would you look at those cheeks?!  Ummm.
I loves, loves, loves me some Gabbi Girl.  I wish you all could experience her "aweees" as she throws her arms around your neck, lays her head on your shoulder and pats your shoulder.  All the while, saying, "awwweeee".  
This is one sweet baby girl!  Mo

My Betrothed.

Well, guess what..
No, I mean guess what other than I have the cutest kids in the whole world.
Including one with a dagger of a tooth coming up through her head! 
Here is what... I have been married to this dancing machine for 13 years today.  I am working to get this blog post in by midnight so it can be official!  
And some day, maybe I will learn how to use a scanner and post pictures of our wedding day!  Until then...

These pics were taken this week during "So You Think You Can Dance."  And let me tell you, the people in this house, THOUGHT they could!  
Ellie, of course, couldn't function without numerous rubber bands on her wrist and a headband or two on her neck! 
Even Gabbi Girl enjoyed watching this man I have been wed to for THIRTEEN years bust a move!  

Ummm... this would be Ellie Sue break dancing! 
It is a bit surreal that Todd and I were married for 11 years before we ever got a kid (well, of our own anyway).  We felt like we had three for a long time!  Here we are at 4-0 and starting this whole new chapter of our lives!  TOGETHER!  
 Last night, we slept four strong in our bed, and it was just the sweetest thing ever!  Morning time, when Ellie is kissing Gabbi, and I am holding one and he is holding the other, we just feel blessed beyond measure!  

Toddly, it has been a sweet ride. 

 I marvel at how much we have been through and how everybody has "the one" who is chosen to go through life as their partner.  Glad my "one" is you!  

Mel

Another IMOT graduation!

Remember how I have told you about our program at MMPT called IMOT?  It is a program where folks come in (from all over the country to be honest) for three weeks of intense therapy.  To the tune of 5 days a week, 4 hours a day, for three weeks.  Anyhoo... with this kind of intensity, it is always worthy of a celebration when they graduate.  And this week was no different!  

Our graduates were treated to an LSU themed party!  
We always have a theme, and one of our graduates, Craig, is a diehard Tiger fan!  So... LSU it was! 
Our foolish staff is ALWAYS up for a themed party!  Especially if it means jeans and a tee vs. our work shirts.  Oh wait, we ALWAYS wear jeans and tees!  We have a rather casual atmosphere!  
This is Kristy and Jessica.  We don't even THINK about having a party without full on grub! 
And then there is RON!  Party pooper extraordinaire!  He wore his crimson red to totally get under Craigs' skin!   Boooooo, Ron! 
And this is Mr. Craig.  I am proud of Craig.  He and I have been working together for about 14 or so years!  I, for sho, have watched him grow up!  If any of you have a kid who needs ongoing therapy, you know that you just all become one big happy family!  
Craig is now a greeter at WalMart.  Believe me, if anyone can greet and TALK, it is Craig!  This is him and Robin, cheesin' it up. 
And graduate number two is Tony.  Or as I like to call him, Tone Loc.  He thinks he is Rico Suave' with the chicks!  Seriously.  He DOES!  
Of course, I asked permission before I put them on the blogola!  They seemed pumped about it, really! 
Although, I don't think any of them actually read the blogola! 

I will tell you a little about Tony.  Let's just say on the job, SERIOUS, injury!  Had we stopped a year ago when we were advised that maybe he would never make any more progress, Tony would not be walking around his house in a walker today!  He could barely even sit alone at that time and definitely was unable to stand.  Now, he can rise and stand unassisted and get his walker and take off.  He has made HUGE gains, and that with others saying his potential was met and we should STOP therapy.  Hmmph!  
I love what we are now sending home with our graduates.  
These are three ring binders full of personalized exercises that we have done while they were with us in PT.  This final page has a picture of all the folks who worked with the client and little words of encouragement or praise.  Might I add... the top picture below is of a therapist helping Tony onto his hands and knees.  As I was looking at it, I thought it may need a little clarification!! 

Arent' these nice?  I had not seen them lately, and DUDE, they have certainly improved!!  
We always give our graduates a little send off gift.  (remember the canvases?)  Well, Karl went to the Holy Land back in the spring, and he got all of our staff crosses made of olive wood from there.  Here, he is presenting Tony with one of these little tokens. 
And that brings us to graduate number three... Sanders. 
Sanders is from North Dakota!  
He is down here staying with his Aunt Robin.  I have a bit of a connection with an aunt who loves her nephew so much that she will let him live with her.  Sound familiar?!  
There is a special bond between an aunt and a nephew.  Especially when the aunt has no children of her own.  It is like he is a part of her!
Sanders will be staying with Aunt Robin through Thanksgiving, and he will continue in therapy with us for another couple of months.  We are excited to have him!  
And Sanders is NOT shy of the camera!  He says, "Cheeese"!! 

Karl and crew would send his mom daily updates and make sure she was getting video of her boy's work in therapy!  Sanders is a twin, and mom is home taking care of brother!  
This is a few of the crew with Craigers.  
I think he won the LSU decked out award!  WHo knew... LSU high tops?  really? 
Oh.  ANd watch?! 
He was so proud of his trophy!  He said he was going to go home and show his sister. As for all you Wal Mart customers in his hometown, I imagine you will hear about it as soon as you walk in the front door as well!! 

And what else for Craig's special prize?!  An LSU hoodie of course. 
Ok, so as for this cake.  John, our PT Tech's, wife made it.  Cool, huh? 
I happened by to see that the way the cake had been cut, it said, "OT".  Wellllll, OT's and PT's have a bit of  a territorial battle from time to time (just picking like!) and I knew something had to be done.  Immediately! 
Sooooooo.....
And there you have it!  

Three more IMOTers starting next Monday!  Pray for their very obvious and uplifting progress!!  (Christian, Abel, and a new woman from whom I have not gotten an OK to post about.)