Family Vacation

     After all the busyness of Christmas, Mike and I took the kids to Chattanooga to visit Dick and Daphne, Mike's dad and step-mom.  I thought we would never get on the road.

    Mike had to work Monday and Tuesday, so I tried to get everything packed and ready to go.  It is easier said than done when you are trying to unpack all the mismatched clothes and short-sleeve shirts your kids put in their suitcases and telling them they can't take everything they got for Christmas.  I could not keep my focus on what I needed to do and would get distracted at every turn.  The kids were helpful in that they cleaned my bathrooms, dusted, loaded and unloaded the dishwasher and whatever else I needed them to do.

     Hannah's friend MaKayla was going with us so her mom Ami dropped her off late Tuesday afternoon.  While going through our bags to see what to put in the van first, we realized that MaKayla's suitcase was still in the back of her mom's van - 45 minutes away.  Ami and I met halfway at Sonic.  The kids ate dinner while Ami and I made the exchange.  As I am pulling out of the restaurant, the car behind me started honking at me.  It was Ami again.  She forgot to give me a permission slip in case something happened while we were gone.  So, we both pulled back into the parking lot and Ami gave me the paper.  Once we get home, Mike helped me get the van loaded with all the suitcases, toys, bags, food, cooler, pillows, blankets, movies, DVD players, etc.  We make the kids take a potty break while we walk through the house one more time then get on the road.  We finally pull out of the driveway at 8:55 p.m.  Yes, you read that right - PM.  Since I had to make an extra trip I wasn't planning on, Mike thought it would be good to top off the gas tank.  We pull into Sam's and notice the gas station closed at 9 p.m.  It was 9:02 on the van clock.  Since Mike had not eaten, we decided to forget getting gasoline and stopped at Krystal's.  Normally we are in and out within 5-7 minutes.  That night, we left about 15-20 minutes later.  We finally got on the road at 9:30 p.m.  Mike bought two 8 ounce coffees, one for me and one for him.  I drank both of them plus most of a 24 ounce cafe mocha Mike bought when we got gas at the Linden exit.  (In my defense, I was tired after all the packing and late night plus I was driving.)  Needless to say, I was wired and could not stop talking once we finally got to Chattanooga.  Mike and his dad were amused.

      We arrived at Dick and Daphne's at 4:15 a.m. and got the kids settled quickly.  Mike and I slept until 10:30.  Mike's brother Rich, Michelle and their boys drove down from Pigeon Forge and spent the day with us.  Brent and Jennifer, Mike's step-brother and his wife, along with their two boys came over too.  We ate a wonderful dinner and opened Christmas presents.  We had a great time.

     Thursday found us being lazy all day and not doing anything.  We thought about taking the kids to the park and letting them run around and play but we never got it in gear.

     Friday, we all went to Brent and Jenn's house.  The kids ran around outside and played (the temperature was around 65).  Everything we ate was delicious.  The kids have a picnic outside and enjoyed it.  Jennifer made chocolate fondue as a snack.  GOOD!!  It started raining late and rained all night and most of Saturday.  Mike and I took the kids to the Creative Discovery Museum Saturday since it was wet.  The kids had a blast playing and looking at all the exhibits.  Their favorite was the water feature at the very beginning.  If they had a choice, they would have never left.

     Saturday night, Cody and Erinn came over along with Brent and Jenn and their kids to celebrate New Years and Cody's birthday.  Erinn is pregnant and due any day.  She wasn't feeling few well so they left early.

     After an awesome breakfast, we left Chattanooga around 1:30 for home.  We made good time and made it home by 7:15 after stopping for lunch in Dickson.  I was so excited to be home.  We really enjoyed our trip but it was nice to sleep in our own beds.

It's Been A While

I can't believe my last post was on July 16th.  We've been busy around here and I thought I had posted some of our happenings, but I guess I hadn't. 

Oh, where to begin? I will give a brief synopsis now and, hopefully, a more indepth look at a later date.

*  Hannah got her ears pierced on July 17th.  She is so excited and can't wait until she can start wearing other earrings.
*  I had the mole on the side of my nose removed on July 19th.  I've had it for about 25 years and I'm glad to finally have it gone.  The biopsy showed there was nothing to be concerned about (standard procedure).  YEAH!
*  Registered the kids for school.
*  Vacation with Mike, Hannah, Andrew, Will, Melanie and Nathan to Pigeon Forge.  This subject deserves a completely separate post when I have time.
*  I got to visit with a friend I graduated with.  She moved away right after graduation and I hadn't seen her since until I found her on Facebook.  Turns out, she lives in Pigeon Forge!!

The next bit all occurred after we returned from vacation on Monday:
Tuesday:
*  Dad had knee replacement surgery.
*  Our air conditioner decided to stop working sometime while we were out of town.
*  Washing machine wouldn't fill up and would just run.
*  Needed to make cookies for a football team our church sponsored. (Remember, our air is out)
*  While I am cooking dinner on the grill, we run out of gas.
*  Remembering Mom's knee replacement surgery and the nightmare that followed.  Not fun!

Wednesday:
*  Air still out.  Temperatures inside reached 87 degrees in our hallway (the coolest part of the house).
*  Washing machine is still messed up.
*  Kids put dish soap in the dishwasher; soap and water get all over the floor.
*  Bug man is suppose to come out and spray for ants.  Thanks to the good Lord above, he came early.
*  Worried about my dad and his surgery (it went fine but I wasn't able to see him due to everything going on at the house).
*  Remembered it was a year ago Gracy passed away.  Still get really sad when I think about it.
*  Get into a fight over my dad.
*  Find out the air conditioner has a slow freon leak.  Air conditioner man recharged it but said we will probably need a new unit (and a new furnace) before long.   GREAT!

Thursday was MUCH better.  Went to the Pink Palace with my friend Tracy and her kids then saw my dad at the hospital.

The kids started school today.  Yes, I know it is early.  The temperatures this week and the end of last week have been in the 100s with the heat index between 112 and 125.  It is a good thing school started because the kids are busy with school work and not watching t.v. or playing on the computer all day because it is too hot to go outside.

Hannah is getting baptized Sunday.  She is excited and a little nervous.  We were paying the storage unit note and Hannah told the clerk she was being baptized Sunday.  They talked about it for a bit afterwards.  It is neat to see her interested and excited about this.  It is a really big step.

Sorry this post is all over the place.  Mike will be playing his online game with some of his friends in a few minutes so I only have a short time to write. 

Visiting With The Links

No, not golf links, my friends Barry and Stacy Link and their kids.  They came here to visit with me and my family and take in all the sights.  Stacy is originally from this area but is now living in Virginia.  They arrived Monday afternoon and, after checking into their hotel, came to visit with us here at the house for about an hour.  It was so good getting to see her again.  It has been eleven years her last visit.  All of the kids played in the backyard while Stacy, Barry and I got to visit.

Tuesday was a lazy day for them, swimming in the hotel pool while I was at a funeral.  That evening, they came back to the house.  The kids played outside again while Stacy, Mike and I visited.  Barry wasn't feeling very well so he stayed back at the hotel and rested.

Wednesday, we braved the heat and humidity (it was really bad) and went to Graceland.  As long as I have lived here, I've only been to Graceland once and that was to visit Elvis Presley's gravesite.  It was neat looking at how he furnished the house.  It wasn't as big as I thought it would be.  My kitchen is bigger than Elvis' was.   I think my living room is about the same size.  Sometimes you can see his horses out on the grounds but they weren't out Wednesday (I don't blame them).  After the tour, we thought about seeing the other exhibits on display like his airplane the "Lisa Marie" and his cars but the kids were hot, tired and hungry.  Stacy found out that we can use our other tickets on other days.  The only thing we had to see on that day was the mansion.  I am planning to go back and take the kids one day.  I think they would really enjoy it.

We ate lunch at Steak N Shake.  The kids all enjoyed is, as did the adults.  Found out, our drinks were half-price (even the shakes) because we were there during Happy Hour, which is 2-4 p.m. (and a.m.).  COOL!!  Stacy's family had never eaten there before and they loved it.  My kids were all excited when I told them where we were going.  They love it too.  After we ate, we went back to our house.  Barry's birthday was Tuesday and, since he was sick, we ate cake and sang Happy Birthday.

That night, some friends of Stacy's from high school got together and had a Girls' Night Out at Maria's Cantina and invited me.  They all were really nice and very friendly.  The food was really good too.

Thursday, we went to the Pink Palace Museum.  We saw "The Cowboy Astronomer" at the Planetarium.  Everyone, even Andrew, loved it.  Andrew sat in my lap the whole time and was very still.  Found out, some time during the show, he fell asleep.  Sweet!  Afterwards, we looked around the museum and checked out the gift shop.  Andrew got a clown fish and a whale toy.  He sat the clown fish on the escalator hand rail and it started moving.   It was so funny watching this little toy travel up on the escalator hand rail.  Nathan went to the top and caught it as it fell off.

We ate lunch ate Krystals.  This was another place the Link family had never been so Stacy wanted to make sure they experienced it.  The kids all seemed to like it.  My kids were excited about going too.

This morning, the Links headed out.  They are going to Stacy's dad's house then to the Cincinnati area to see the Creation Museum before heading home.  It was so good getting to see them and spend time with them.  Hannah had a blast with Christy and made a new friend.  Will, Nathan and Andrew enjoyed playing with Philip and BJ.  Joseph and Daniel were very helpful with the younger kids and are fun young men to be around.

Here are a few pictures that I remembered to take while they were here.  I kept forgetting to get my camera out.

Hannah and Christy were playing around at Steak N Shake

Stacy and me in a self portrait

Andrew acting silly at Steak N Shake

Spring Break and Time Changes

The Time Change to spring forward an hour occurred Sunday morning at 2 a.m. and the kids started their Spring Break this week. Even though we lost an hour, we are all still getting up about the same time, even with them sleeping late.  It sounds weird, doesn't it?  They are getting up around 8, which is 7 before the change.  Their normal wake time for school is 7 a.m.  I know. I know.  Stop it.  Okay!

We've been busy this week.  Monday was spent grocery shopping.  It isn't the funnest thing to do while you are on vacation, but it was a necessary evil.  We were completely out of fruit and veggies, bread, eggs, and milk.  The kids were really good, though and helped out a lot.  They played outside riding bikes and scooters, and playing basketball. 

Tuesday, the kids and I went to the Memphis Zoo with our friends, Tracy Gallagher and kids.  Our kids are all about the same ages, so they have a buddy to have fun and partner up with.  We met up there at 9:30 and left at 1.  We took our lunch and ate it while watching the Sea Lion Show.  The kids had a great time running around, seeing all the animals and hanging out with friends.  All of us were wiped out.  Andrew finally fell asleep for his nap after 2 p.m. and slept until 6.  He walked the whole time.

Tomorrow, our friends Jack and Marilyn are taking Hannah and their granddaughter, Emily, swimming at the Y.  The girls go to the same school and are about a year or two apart in age.  They've met a couple of times and enjoying playing together.  The boys and I are probably going bowling, but I haven't completely decided.  It's either the park or bowling.

Thursday will find us at Chuck E. Cheese's with Susan and her boys.  We've been looking forward to getting together for a while.  Susan home-schools her boys so it limits our time to do things together.  It worked out that their Spring Break was the same as ours so we decided to take advantage of it and hang together.

Friday, we will probably go bowling again and maybe to the park. I know, we plan to do that twice but the kids love it.  Since Hannah wouldn't be able to go with us on Wednesday, I thought we could go again.

Growing up, I didn't get to do a lot during Spring Break because my parents worked.  I remember sitting at home and playing with Melanie and my friends instead of taking trips or going a lot of places.  Since we don't know what the future holds, I want to do as much as I can and hope the kids enjoy and remember it.  You're only young once, right?  Or, at least until you have your mid-life crisis...HAHAHA

Hannah's room and Happy New Years!!

On Sunday, December 27th, Mike and Hannah started cleaning Hannah's room about 2:30 p.m.  They finally finished about 8 p.m. with a few short breaks mixed in.  They filled both a 55 gallon trash bag and 33 gallon garbage bag with trash.  Mike also filled one box with toys for Andrew's class at school.  They cleaned out the plastic bins under her bed; cleaned up all the junk, toys, clothes and dolls in her floor and in the corners of her room; cleaned up her closet and bookshelf; and cleaned up the storage unit and boxes in her room.  Everything looks wonderful!!!  Now that we are back from our trip to Chattanooga, I plan to get Melanie's old daybed and change out Hannah's bed.  The daybed Hannah has now is a heavy wood frame that is more suitable for a boy.  I bought it for my guest room when I was single.  I don't know what we will do with it, probably sell it.

Happy New Years!!  I know it is now the third of January but I did not have access to the computer while we were gone.  We left for Chattnooga on December 30 to celebrate Christmas and New Years with Mike's dad and step-mom and returned today.  While there, we got to see Mike's brother Rich and his family; spent a couple of evenings with Brent, Jennifer and their boys, Ethan and Blaine; celebrated Cody's 18th birthday (Brent's nephew); celebrated Christmas with the family; and went to the Creative Discovery Museum with the kids. 

The Creative Discovery Museum is very similar to the Childrens' Museum of Memphis.  It has a ton of hands-on exhibits, things to do and play with and interesting things for parents.  We were there about two hours.  My favorite was the water exhibit when you first entered the museum.  You could play with the dam trying to redirect the water, open and close locks and dams, and generally have loads of fun.  The kids had a blast!  I don't know what their favorite things were but I'll make some educated guesses.  Mike seemed to like the area where you could make a toy car that would run using an electrical charge on a special track.  He made two cars: one for Hannah and one for Will.  Andrew seemed to like the musical area where he could play the drums.  Will's favorite seemed to be a machine that would help you get a basketball into the goal using a bike, skate, kiddie pool, double-ended kayak paddle, two shovels, a tube of fabric and a clothes basket.  Sounds weird, I know but you had to see it.  It was neat.  I'm not sure about Hannah.  She was everywhere and participated in just about everything. 

I hope everyone has a wonderful God-filled year. May Adonai bless you as you seek to know and love Him more each day.

Busy Thanksgiving Week

We arrived back home from our adventures around 5:45 p.m. It was a week filled with fun, family and food. Tuesday night, we left home and headed to Pigeon Forge. Wednesday, after Mich got off work and James and Jerrod got out of school, we left for Stedman, NC. A few months ago there was a rock slide on I-40 near Asheville so traffic has been re-routed. So, instead of taking I-40 through North Carolina, we took I-81 and went through Virginia. That was soooo neat!!!

**Side note - this was my second time to go to Virginia. The first was in November, 1999. After Mike finished his weekend drill in Johnson City, TN after the Marine Corp birthday celebration, I asked him if we could cross the state line since we were so close. He agreed so we crossed the VA/TN state line, took the first exit and turned around JUST SO I COULD SAY I HAD BEEN TO VIRGINIA!!! We had so much fun laughing about it. After we passed under the first exit's bridge, I got excited all over again.

We arrived in Stedman around 8:30 local time (I think; I can't remember exactly). The kids had a blast. Hannah played with Ashtyn, Isabelle, and Gabby while Will and Andrew played with them or the other cousins. (Hannah and Ashtyn are the only girls in their respected families. Since they are only two months apart in age, they really enjoy getting together once a year and playing.)

Thursday, we ate, and ate, and ate. Barbara, Sharon and others out-did themselves again. The food was awesome!! Thursday night we had a scare, though. Mike's Uncle Woody had a seizure while we were getting ready to have a Spades tournament. Thank the good Lord above, he is doing fine and is now at home.

Friday, Rich, Mich, their boys and I went to the movies and saw "2012." It was pretty good. The special effects were good. It was sad in parts but was interesting to see how the director and writers depicted their take on the end of the world. As I watched the movie, I kept thinking that I was glad I know the Maker of Heaven and Earth and that He holds me safely in the palm of His hand. Since He is the ONLY one who knows when the end of the world will actually end, I can rest in the fact that He will take care of me until then. After the movies, we went to Joe and Sharon's and joined the rest of the family for dinner. We had Carolina barbeque, baked beans, cole slaw, chicken tenders, and hushpuppies. It was the first time I had Carolina barbeque. It was good. I prefer Memphis barbeque since that is what I grew up with but the vinegar base of theirs was delicious.

Saturday afternoon, we left North Carolina and headed to Pigeon Forge where we spent the night. We got up this morning and left around 9:30 for home. Traffic wasn't too bad at all, not like it has been in the past. We had sunshine most of the way, then a few clouds. We encountered some misting after Nashville for about 20 miles then again once we got closer to home. It started raining after we got the van unloaded and settled in. We had a great time but it is good to be home.

Busy Weekend Leads Into A Busy Week

Ever have one of those weeks where you feel yourself meeting coming and going? It looks like it is going to be one of those weeks after a busy weekend.

In case some of you weren't aware, Mike, the kids and I went to Chattanooga for a quick, almost last minute trip. Mike's dad was celebrating his 70th birthday with a party for friends and family. Dick's birthday isn't until the 11th but he wanted to take advantage of the long weekend. When he first called about the party, we didn't think we could make it. The kids were suppose to have their first soccer games on Sept. 5. Since Mike is coaching Hannah's team and helping Will's coach, we couldn't miss. Monday, I called the lady directing the Upwards teams to check the schedule. Because of the holiday weekend, she decided to move the first games to the next weekend. This now freed us up to go to Dick's party. We had to find a house/dog sitter since our usual sitter was also going out of town. Thank goodness, a dear friend, Sandra, volunteered to help us out. With that taken care of, Mike and I packed for our trip.

On the road, I remembered I left my ring soaking in ring cleaner. When we stopped to get gas and take a bathroom break, we found out the diaper bag was missing. Mike left it on Will's bed when he changed Andrew's diaper before we left. When we arrived in Chattanooga (about 1:30 a.m. ET), we found out Hannah's suitcase was left on her bed back at the house. Andrew was awake for most of the trip out. He finally went to sleep around 2:30 a.m. (I'm guessing on the time because it was after I went to bed). Saturday, the fam went looking for Walmart since we had to get Hannah all new outfits, pajamas, toothbrush and toothpaste. We went WAY out of the way but finally found it. (Oh, our Tom-Tom decided it didn't want to work at all while we were gone.)

The party was great. It was held at Vandergriff Park in Hixson where there was a great playground area for the kids right next to the pavilion. The kids played on the equipment and in the sand next to the tables. Mike got to spend time talking to Brent and Rich. Mich, Jennifer, Toni and I got to spend some time talking too. This weekend was the first time Mich and I had gotten to meet Toni. She is married to Mike's half-brother, Richard (yes, Mike has two brothers named Richard). Her Richard wasn't able to make it this weekend but Toni came. Afterwards, we went to Brent and Jennifer's (Daphne's son and daughter-in-law) to cook hot dogs and s'mores. We were all exhausted and went to sleep pretty quickly once we got back to the house.

Sunday was quiet. It started raining sometime during the night and continued off and on during the day. The kids enjoyed watching the Scooby Doo marathon on Boomerang while I enjoyed a nap on the couch.

We slept late every morning (at least 9-10 a.m.). This morning, we got up, packed and got on the road about 11. When we were almost half way home, I remembered we left Andrew's sippy cup and the container of milk we brought with us in Dick's refrigerator. A perfect ending to a busy weekend!!

Tomorrow starts a busy week. I have a board meeting at church; Hannah has soccer practice; there is a PTO meeting for Will's school; and Will's school starts selling cookie dough as a fund raiser. Thursday will be an equally busy day. Fun, oh fun!!!

Fun and Kids

Hannah and Will went with Dad, Joan and Nathan camping in Kentucky at Columbus Belmont State Park. A few friends of Dad and Joan's went also with kids the same ages as ours. There was a playground across the street from their camper, plus all the games, bicycles and toys that were also brought. Joan said Will loved a game called "Hillbilly Horseshoes(?)." I don't remember the exact name but Joan said Will played it all the time. You have two stands that have three bars each. You throw a rope with a bead on each end and try to get it on one of the bars. The bars are worth different points.

Hannah played with a little girl about her age named Brittney. They rode bikes and played a lot. The campground also had a miniature golf course. The kids had a ball playing on it too.

Andrew was with Melanie for the weekend. Friday night, they went to the drive-in with our cousin Cindy and her boys. Melanie said they got home around 10:30 and Andrew was still awake. She finally laid him down about 11 p.m. and neither one woke up until 11 a.m. Saturday morning. (I wish he would do that here. No matter what time he goes down, he's usually up early.) They went to Matthew's baseball game where Andrew played. Matthew showed Andrew how to spit and his football stance. Melanie said it was funny watching Andrew. Alyssa was working in the concession stand and ran out when she saw Andrew. He didn't want to have anything to do with Alyssa until she asked him if he wanted to look for Matthew. Andrew grabbed her hand and they went off. Sunday, after church, he and Mel went to the Collierville mall. On the way home, he fell asleep. Melanie wanted to take him to Chuck E. Cheese but he didn't fully wake up. She even went as far as to unbuckle him but he didn't want to go (this is really unusual for Andrew-He LOVES CEC!!!). So, since he wasn't quite awake enough, they went home and watch some movies and played. Melanie said Andrew talked her ear off. They both had a great time together. Andrew loves his Meme!!!

Back Home

We finally were able to get away from home and go to the cabin for the long weekend. Mom and Nathan went with us while Melanie stayed here to take care of our dogs and her cats. Dick and Daphne, Mike's dad and step-mom, came up late Saturday night are are planning to head back home either Tuesday night or Wednesday. My Great-Aunt Joy and Uncle Bob came over to visit Saturday. Aunt Joy was my late grandfather's baby sister. She and her husband live in Farragut, which is just west of Knoxville. Mom went home with them Saturday afternoon and we picked her up on our way out of town. They had a great visit.

The trip up to Pigeon Forge was a long one. We actually left here early; we got on the road about 6:30 p.m. and hoped to be at the cabin around 2:30 Eastern time. There was a bad accident on the interstate past Carthage so we were stuck in bumper to bumper traffic that barely crawled. We went about two or three miles in two hours. The trip home wasn't much better. There was an accident at mile marker 335. Traffic was backed up past m. m. 338. It took us about 1 1/2 to 2 hours to get through that one. We left the cabin about 11:45 ET and arrived home at about 9:45 CT. The kids were getting restless so we ate dinner at Cracker Barrel on the trip home. We all were excited to see the house!!!

Since it is late, I am going to get off the computer. The kids have school tomorrow and I have a few things to do before going to bed. I'll try to post more about our trip tomorrow.