Happiest girl in the world? Done!

Ohmygosh...what an amazing day!!! It's 3 am and I am wired..but I know I need to go to bed because the weekend isn't done.

But here are the highlights from today:

• Lunch boxes..
• Muscadine slushies
• Rush of old memories from my hometown
• Raspberry apple cider
• “Do not sit on pumpkins!”
• Finding the mecca of fudge in the final stop
• All stop signs have a white line
• You can’t go back, but you can always go back home
• Stuffed badgers
• Creamsicle fudge… Seriously?!
• Making my teenage daughter the happiest girl in the world!
• Homecoming king and queen and a winning game!
• “Done!”

My friend from Macon, Sheila, was making her annual fall trip to Ellijay today and wanted to know if I wanted to tag along. At first I was worried I might not get to sleep last night, and my sleep schedule would be all out of whack and I wouldn't be able to. But I actually got to bed at 12:30 am last night and got a full nights sleep. She got stuck in traffic, so after getting Dale off to work and Chris off to school, I actually had  a little time to catch some extra zzzzz's... so I did :)

She got here about noon and off we were. Sunroof open and the trip up there flew by. Its funny how we always have stuff to talk about. I adore her!!!

It is funny how the rush of memories come flooding back when I go back to Ellijay. Seeing old buildings and knowing that what is in them now is not what was in them when I first saw them. All of the stories and memories of each street, or a building, or a location. Heck even the smells bring back memories.

Our first stop was Mack Aaron's apple house. As we headed down the main road that we used to take to get to the road we lived off of ( Big Creek Rd) it was amazing to see the ole town again. All the open country side, wide open bright blue skies, beautiful fall crips wind.. it was amazing. We got out of the car and as soon as we entered the apple house I was blown away by the decor inside... a ton of old lunch boxes hanging from the ceiling. They were amazing!!! Stuff I remember seeing and having growing up as a kid. I asked the store owner if it would be okay if I brought my camera in and took pictures, he said it was no problem at all. Sheila picked out her 3 bags of apples, and I was clicking away in nostalgia heaven!!!!

Then we loaded up and started heading back to town and I asked if we could stop at the apple stand my family and I always went to when we lived there. It was on the corner of the street we lived on and the main highway. When my older brother Pat would come home, we would always get his favorite raspberry apple cider. And they are the only stand that seems to carry it. I was actually surprised to see some of the other stands that had the same flavor cider, but their's were in glass jugs, not the plastic gallon jugs like I was used to. I like to stick with what I know!! And boy do I know this stuff. If this was ALL I got out of the trip it was well worth the drive. But I also picked up some apple bread, 3 small pumpkins for the dining room table, a chedder jalapeno sourdough bread for Dale and a small half gallon of regular cider. I was a very happy camper!

Then we went to two more apples houses on our way out of town. The first one had the most amazing sign outside:

Just the mere fact that this sign had to be written and posted tickled us both. So Sheila opted to demonstrate what they were trying to discourage.....

She's so silly! Gawd I love her for it too!!

Inside we found some of the same things as the others, and we were reallly on a quest for fudge at this point in the game. But this show had cider slushies that Sheila seemed to find pretty tasty. It was okay..but I'll stick to my raspberry apple cider! :)

We went across the street to quite possibly the biggest apple stand/store I'd ever seen. And we found our fudge!! And they had just about anything you could imagine and mixed it into a butter! Apple Butter.. Blueberry Butter.. Motor Oil Butter ( just kidding! ) But they had some amazing stuff ! I think the grossest thing I saw was "TOE Jam"... It was a jam with three different kinds of things mixed in it... each starting with one letter in the word TOE... I just can't remember what was in it though. So I got some raspberry jelly and some chocolate fudge and some creamsicle fudge. I know... right? Creamsicle fudge.. it is yummy! I saved some for the kids to taste and they loved it! (Well not Ash.. gotta bring her some on Sunday to try!)

PUMPKINS !!!!

Horrible self picture of me...but who cares! I heart her!

So then we headed back for home. I got home before Chris was due home from school and was going to take a nap, but I had had such a fun day that I really didn't need it. Dale came home from work and was ready for his weekend. Chris rode home with his friend Troy and they were going to go to the football game later that night. So off I went to get Ryan and see Ashley at her game.

While Sheila and I were out and about, she mentioned to me that her son had a car that he was wanting to sell. He is in the Air Force and got orders to be stationed in Germany and it won't be possible for him and his wife to take this car over with them. The wheels in my head started to spin immediately!!! Ashley has been begging and pleading for a car. She's frustrated with the car situation at home - not having her own and plans being foiled when she has to share the car she uses. So much so that she posted on her FB page that she wanted to punch a wall and how unfair it was that she is the only senior who doesn't have her own car. I hate that I'm not in a better situation financially to get her one or finance one with her. But the car Sheila's son had is perfect. The price is reasonable, its a 2002 Chevy Malibu.. 138K miles.. grey.. 4 door.. automatic.. PERFECT.. now to figure out how to get it ! When Dale got home  I talked with him about it. Ash has some money set aside from working that she's been using to save up for a car. So the wheels were still spinning trying to figure it out. I called Ashley to tell her about it and she was excited..but I had to figure out how much it would cost, bottom line. Dale and I were still trying to figure it out and how to get it taken care of. Sheila said she would talk to her son and get back to me and let me know the actual price. Dale said we would figure it out.

On my way to A-Ville.. I called my Mom and Dave to check in to see how the move went. In talking with Dave the thought came to me to just ask to see if he could help. I started explaining about Sheila and abouth her son and the car, and the situation with it, and the brand and such and before I could get out any more details, he said "Done". I said "What do you mean Done".. he said "Done" I was in shock.. so I kept questioning.. and saying over and over "Really?" How amazing... he's going to help Ashley finance the car and she will pay him back for the part she doesn't pay. I was so happy that I started to cry.... but I had to fight back the tears so I could talk. But I was so overwhelmed. I only want the best for them, and sometimes I know I'm not able to do for them what they need, and its tough. And now here I am finally able to do something right for them... and it felt amazing. Granted I didn't do it on my own, but askign for the help was not an easy task It felt sooo good to have this information knowing how much it was going to make Ashley's night. I knew she was a little bummed being the only senior who wasn't in the homecoming court... and this was just going to make her night.

I called Sheila immediately when we got to the school and told her it was a done deal. Her daughter in law had a friend in Alabama that was also interested in the car, but I wanted it NOW! Ashley has had so many opportunities slip thru her fingers when it comes to cars, that I couldn't let this one get away. So I told her I have a 3rd of the payment that can be sent now, and the rest he will get in November when they are ready to turn over the car before they deploy. She said she would call him and confirm with him and get back to me.

Ryan and I headed into the game. Ash was cheering the first half of the game with the other cheerleaders and was going tto be allowed to sit out the rest of the game after half time because of the HC court situation.

 So when half time hit, I handed Ryan my camera. She walked up to me and I told... "You have a car"... She said.. "What"  I told her I called Grandpa David and explained it to him and he said "Done"... she was in total shock... and it was priceless.. she was soooooo surprised! And I started to cry yet again because I was so happy.

yep.. those are real tears in my eyes!

I don't think she believed it. I know I shoudn't count my eggs before they hatch, but so far everything is falling into place with this one! So all night long she was grinning from ear to ear.... the other senior girls may have had pretty dresses and gotten flowers, and the HC queen may have gotten her sparkly crown.. but Ashley got her CAR!!!!! :)

Ash and three of the four other Senior Cheerleaders

Ash and Allie - the 4th Senior Cheerleader and this years HC Queen

After the excitement of it all, she needed food! As we were heading to the concession stand, I checked my phone and realized I had a missed call. It was Sheila. I listened to her message and then hit replay so Ashley could hear it. She said, she talked with her son and the price was firm...we have a car! It is ours !!! Ashley couldn't believe it when she heard the message... she was sooo happy!

So we stood in the concession stand line to get food. And then she introduced me to fried Oreos! I know it sounds absolutely disgusting.. that is exactly what I thought too.. but when she got them she told me to try it and OHMYGOSH it was amazing. Almost like a really soft cake with powdered sugar!! It was crazy! But a great way to celebrate the news !!!!  And on top of all of THIS.. they won their homecoming football game.. 31-21!!

It was so amazing to see her face light up all night. I am not sure it's sunk in just yet. My babies are growing up so fast.. its almost frightening. But for once I feel like I finally was able to do something good for my daughter because she has worked so hard and is such an amazing young lady. Word cannot express how happy I am. I cannot wait to see this all come together for her! I start to tear up and cry everytime I think about it because I'm soooo very happy for her.

just look at that smile... it never went away all night either!

After the game she called Dave and thanked him over and over. He said she could thank him by driving them in her new car. She said she would drive them to IHOP at Christmas... Man oh man..that'll be a fun ride!! LOL  But it was cute to see her laugh about it....

Thank you Mom and Dave for this amazing gift for an amazing girl. She works so hard and I'm so glad I can finally do something right by helping her get this car. She deserves it so much .. so thank you!