Red Poppies

Red Poppies by Roxanne Spradlin...acrylic...18 x 24 $400 + shipping.

Happy Birthday, girls!

Double the pleasure! Double the fun!

Every since Kim was born these sister's have shared many things. Toys, clothes, shoes and even their birthday!

So on this all important day, let me start by saying, "Aren't they lovely!" I wish everyone could have the pleasure of knowing them as I do! They make a great best friend! Thoughtful, considerate, loyal and dependable. They also are a barrel of fun! Time spent with these two whether alone or together, is one of my favorite things to do. I love then so much! My heart is full. It is true, that children are a blessing from God, whether they are babies are adults!

Have a fabulous day sweet girls and thank you for all the joy you have brought us!

Big hug!

Mom & Dad

Happy Birthday, Jenny dear!

The nicest thing happened last March, when our son Clint, married Jenny. He became a husband to a beautiful young woman, Coach and I gained a precious daughter and I embraced a new friend!

I absolutely love Jenny Linh Hauser Spradlin!







Though only 5'3, she's the tallest girl I know! We have so much fun together and I get so excited to hang out. You see, in Jenny's spare time, when she's not working full time, going to law school (whew!) or photographing clients, she like's to craft! Yay!!! You know how much I like to craft. To date we have made envelopes out of, well, you name it and we've made envelopes out of it! We've also painted furniture, and a few weeks ago we covered composition notebooks with old Curly Girl calenders. Oh, so cute! Anyway, what I trying to say is I'm simply blown away by this little 'dynamo' that dazzles me on every level! I thank God for Jenny.


Happy birthday, Jen Jen! You are a blessing! Thanks for falling in love with my boy!

Happy Birthday to ...........

.....the one that makes my heart melt!

After all these years, I still adore you!

Grandgirls! Oh, the joy!

Meet Carter and Emme! Earlier this year, Carter began reading stories to her little sister.



Carter is now 5 1/2! Her baby sister has grown a bit...



Emme has just turned 1! Happy birthday precious girl!


They're one of the sweetest things that's ever happened to me! I absolutely love being their grandmother! What a gift it is to have little children again after you've finished raising your own. Life teaches us many lessons and kindly gives us a second chance to redeem ourselves, with our grandchildren.


Coach and I certainly gave our own three kids the best we had to offer. We poured all our love and lives into theirs. Holding nothing in reserve. Yet life's experience, like sifted flour, have refined us into a better version of ourselves. So hopefully, they will not hold it against us when they see what 'Grand-parents' we'll be in the future.

And yet perhaps the most rewarding of all, is watching your children turn into mommy's and daddy's. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .tissue, please. Heart, be still.

If you'd like to wish Emme a 'Happy Birthday" and see more pic's of this little cutie, simple click!

Look what I found in the Abilene Reporter News today!

Coaches Wife Shares Her Wisdom
By Hannah Boen


In 1977, Roxanne Spradlin's life looked much like a fairy tale.She had just graduated from the University of Houston, married her childhood-sweetheart-turned-collegiate-football-star and was embarking on what she called "the adventure of newlywed life."

That adventure grew into more of a hardship as she added three kids in six years, an overworked and underpaid husband, and a struggle to overcome a rocky past.

"I was raising three children while my own heart was recovering from my dad leaving when I was 13," she said. "There were many years where I was supportive on the outside, struggling on the inside."

Her story of motherhood is similar to many women today. Looking back, though, she can see a purposeful strategy that was used to raise three kids that she said she genuinely adores and strike a successful balance in her marriage.

"I have just been smitten and crazy about him since I laid eyes on him," Roxanne said of her husband, Mike Spradlin, Cooper High School's head football coach. "We met in the eighth grade at the ripe old age of 13, and we never dated anyone else. Ours is a true love story."

She never had an interest in sports, but her husband knew as a middle school student he would grow up to be a coach, she said, and it was his passion for football that influenced almost every step of her life since that eighth grade encounter, beginning with their wedding.The pair knew long before they graduated high school and attended the University of Houston together that they would get married. However, Mike insisted the wedding not come before Jan. 1, 1977. It was the day his team was scheduled to compete in the Cotton Bowl in the University of Houston's inaugural year in the Southwest Conference.

"Things before had been all about football," she said, "but even then I'm not sure I realized how much it really would affect me and my family."

The pair were married seven days after Houston's first Cotton Bowl win and soon moved to Freeport for Mike to begin his first coaching job. That move was the first of 17, Roxanne said, in 34 years of marriage. However, moving was the least of her worries as she began to have children.

Everything that was difficult about having a hardworking husband got more difficult with children, she said.

"When our children were little I was just drowning," she said. "It was just hard, managing life. It seemed unfair. Having this unavailable husband plus not having a lot of money. But I just can't complain. All I can tell you is it has been a hard road to get where I am now- a place of peace."

Just as football had dictated her wedding, she said, it had begun to shape her marriage and her role as a mother.

"Mike is very goal oriented with work, but also with life. It's crucial to believe it's more about your journey toward the goal than just reaching the goal," she said. "That's just one of the things, many things that I've learned while listening to him coach."

Just as God wired her husband to be a coach, she said, she was wired to be married to a coach. For her, it's meant being less selfish and more resourceful.

"Anyone in that situation," she said of people overwhelmed in their role as a parent, "has to learn to make a lot out of a little. You've got to quickly tend to the business of making your own fun."

She gauges her success as a parent on the people her kids turned out to be.

"I just adore them," she said with tears in her eyes. "They're good people, the kind of people I would want to be friends with."

Mike agreed that their approach to maintaining the kind of balance that creates a happy home life has had a lot to do with football.

"I always say, 'life's not all about football but football's all about life.'" he said. "It's been interesting in that we've kind of all been brought together through me coaching. Football is, I think, just great life lessons."

He said he has recognized the struggles of families with busy fathers, especially coaches, but felt fortunate to have a job that brought his family together despite having a busy work schedule. Although Roxanne attributes the balance her family has found to Mike's work ethic and life lessons, Mike said it is the other way around.

"I could not have married someone more respectful of what I do or how I do it," he said. "She is wonderful and unwavering in supporting what I do. She is a true dream."

Ultimately, Roxanne said, the way to get the most out of parenthood is to dedicate yourself entirely to your children.

"I think it's human nature to be selfish," she said, "to think first about what's most convenient or good for you. We've spent our lives pouring into our kids all our time, energy, money, everything. Now they're grown up and to see them pour themselves into others is the greatest joy."

note: Hannah Boen, is a beautiful young woman, that writes for the Abilene Reporter News. We recently spent the afternoon chatting and she honored me today with this story. She did a great job and I was touched. As if that wasn't enough excitement for one day, Hannah sent me an email this afternoon and invited me to visit her blog ( meandgretl.wordpress.com/ ). Turns out she had another surprise for me there. . .

More Christmas fun!

There's nothing quite like waking up on Christmas morning with little ones!


What an adorable expression on Carter's face.

After four memorable days and nights with our beautiful girls and their families, we passed out hugs and said our goodbyes. With our hearts full of love, Christmas fun and games, Coach and I hit the road for a 10 hour drive to Ruidosa, New Mexico.

We love spending time in the mountains, especially with our best friends, Laynce and Leslie. Oh, what a blessing these two have been throughout our lives. When we arrived, the cabin was all decked out with tinsel and lights, compliments of Laynce Michael and his fiance Brooke. These two had been busy decorating all day.

They even went crazy on the inside. With a fresh cut tree, lights, poinsettias and candles. This old cabin has been in Leslie's family for years and is loved by many but never had it been more dazzling! Add a roaring fire to the old rock fireplace and a comfy place to sit, and you've got the makings for some serious R & R. Rest and relaxation. It's impossible not too. So we gladly obliged.

The following day we drove up the mountain to ski. It was a beautiful day, nice and sunny. Laynce and Brooke parked the car while Leslie and I bought lift tickets. Leslie was the first to notice the darkening sky and said with excitement, "I think it's snowing up there"! and she was right!

By the time we got in the lift line it was 'big-time' snowing...and I might add, it was cold!

I hadn't exactly brought the warmest ski attire but what I was lacking in warmth, I made up for, in excitement! I was however, so glad I thought to put 'toe warmers' in my ski boots.

Yes! I am wearing blue jeans. Which might be fine if you don't fall much and that was the plan...don't fall.....much.

Here we are, me and my BFF Leslie, skiing in our 50's!

Yea! It's snowing!!!! And meet Brooke! The adorable, beautiful, warm and inviting fiance, that I mentioned earlier.

Well off we go! Everything was so beautiful!

We we're so happy!

We had a blast! (My jeans held up, in spite of falling several times) and closed down the mountain. Brooke, is awesome! It was great getting to know her! I have a feeling these girls are going to have a lot of fun in the future.

Brooke and Laynce are a perfect match.

That night we chilled around a big fire. Laughing and talking, which is one of my favorite past times at the cabin.

When we woke up the next morning we had a nice surprise! It had snowed 4 inches! Which was beautiful and great but Laynce and Brooke had a plane to catch and the airport was 2 hours away... would they make it? You ask, where were they going? Well, if you not asking, you should be!

To be continued.............(Coach wants to go to the drive in! He's crazy like that!) So check back later. There's lot's to tell!!!

Just one more random pic of me and Les! I love you Leslie! Thanks for talking into to skiing again!

What a treat!

Christmas has always been a special time of the year and this year was no different. Gathering with family to celebrate the season was a perfect way to end the year. We spent a fun weekend in the Metroplex with our extended family. Getting to spend time with our mothers and siblings was great! A big thanks to my sister, Lynnette and her husband Rick, for hosting us all in their gorgeous home. Everything was picture perfect!

...and delish! (my beautiful family)

Carter and Emme made everything more precious! I just can't take my eye's off of them. I'm so thankful to be a wife, mother and grandmother. It was a pleasure to spend Christmas with these little girls. You can see more of our fun at Beth and Co.

Hope each of you had a lovely Christmas, too! I'm looking forward to the new year and all that it holds. We all have so much to be thankful for!

2011 Blessings!

Happy Birthday, Clint!

Happy Birthday to my favorite son in the whole world! Hurry up and get here! We love you....and are so incredibly proud of the man you have grown into! You and Jenny have a great year!

Mom and Dad