Another Hat

During our last two evenings in Cottageville I was able to spend some time crocheting on another hat. This is made from Red Heart yarn in Country Blue (I think that was the color). It has a heather or denim look to it. I have not made a flower yet for it, but I thought I would show the hat since I am finished with this part.

A Weekend in SC

This past weekend my friend, Jo, and I took a trip to Cottageville, SC. It was a genealogy trip for Jo mostly. She has several grandparents, aunts and great-aunts that still live in that area. Since I love the Charleston area I thought that it would be kind of fun. I also enjoy being around her grandparents, Ruley and Hazel. They are some of the sweetest people you could meet (as well as our own little entertainment show!). So for the first two days we went and visited with several of her family members to learn more about her family. On Sunday we went to church and then went to a cemetery where several family members were buried. Then yesterday we drove into Charleston to go to the local library. We each got a lot of information that we had been seeking and lots of laughter from time spent with family. This was the first time in many years that Jo and I were able to spend several days together as just the two of us. It was so much fun! Even though we did not get to do more sightseeing or get to go to the beach, we both very much enjoyed the time together. Hopefully it will not be another decade before we can do another trip together!

Dollywood and the Brave Sirs Butch and Bubba!

Today Bubba, Butch and I took a trip to Dollywood with six friends. After a recent school trip, which resulted in a less than exciting list of rides of which we could participate, we had a much more enjoyable time today. On the school trip my older son, Bubba, and I had measured to see if he and his younger brother would be able to ride several rides. Today we got to ride most that had eluded us last time. The first ride was the Blazing Fury! This has always been one of my personal favorites. It has never been one of the biggest, fastest, etc., but I had always enjoyed the funny little scenes that were created. This was a ride that both Bubba and Butch would be able to ride. Butch was a little scared at first and he said that he did not want to ride a roller coaster. I convinced him that it was a small one and he would be with me. He seemed to be okay with the try it once motto, so we got in line. The entire time I am reassuring him about the ride, but when we got into the car he wrapped his little arms around my waist and was hanging on to me for dear life! It was cute and funny at the same time. He was not sure if he would like it, but he was going to give it ONE try! He was a great little trooper, though he did say after it was over that he would not ride this one again until he is nine. Next we went to Daredevil Falls, which to those familiar with Dollywood (or Silver Dollar City) is the replacement for the Log Flume (and is located where the Flooded Mine, another favorite of mine, was for many years). This ride really scared Butch, though Bubba was really eager to ride. The first time we went to the front of the line Butch was crying so they would not let us on the ride. I tried for a while to calm him and finally he was calm enough to ride. He was still scared, but he was a brave boy and rode with me (albeit hanging on for dear life again as well as eyes shut the whole time!). After getting off this ride and about 30 minutes later he was talking about how he had ridden these rides and was very proud of himself. It was so hilarious! After that he no longer was upset when we mentioned rides. Butch had also mentioned that he did not desire to ride anything that would get him wet. Well, I guess after the Blazing Fury (which got us a little wet) and Daredevil Falls (which soaked us, though not from the drop at the end), he got over that! We went on the River Rampage next. Bubba got drenched in the last little bit of the ride, where previously he had barely received any of the water absorption with which the other five passengers were blessed. His face was absolutely priceless! If we had that picture taken I would have defiantly bought it for future reference! We rode a few other rides like: the old fifty's cars (where Butch showed off his driving abilities), the Carousel, Dollywood Express, and the Amazing Flying Elephants. The boys and I also went to the Dreamland Forest to play in the "bee hive", where we played with the air cannons, before our last ride of the day. The last ride (with just me and my two brave boys) was once more on the Blazing Fury! Bubba had to ride by himself this time (without someone in the same seat) and Butch braved it with me. They were still talking about the Blazing Fury and Daredevil Falls after we got to the car and also after we returned home! I had also been able to enjoy some of the other roller coasters around the park (Tennessee Tornado and the newer Thunderhead), which the boys would not ride. The Thunderhead was great! It is made of wood and lasts longer than the short Tennessee Tornado. It has no loops, but it is one of the top rated wooden roller coaster in the US. All in all I believe we all had a fun day today. I know I did with my boys!

Bee Balm

I came home from being away and I had to go outside to check in on my plants. I know, I know, all I seem to talk about is plants anymore, but this is for E especially. She and I were talking about gardens earlier today, so I wanted to post about my latest bloom. It is Bee Balm, which is in the mint family. I just walked by them at Pope's and thought it looked great, so I bought one. It had started developing a few weeks back, but really blossomed while I was away this weekend. I was finally able to add the pictures in today.

May 30, 2006

June 5, 2006

My garden

I love to grow gardens! A few years ago I started a few small flowerbeds at the house where we were living at the time. I grew to love the time I would spend planting, caring, and watering these beds. I planted a few different types of flowers: lavender, Mexican heather, daffodils, hyacinth, English primrose, spiderwort, pulmonaria, bleeding heart, columbine, pansies, iris, and lily of the valley. It was wonderful to see things that you have planted grow and bloom.

A flowerbed in the backyard

Last year we moved and I had to find a new home for my plants. As we were moving temporarily to a smaller townhouse (and I was thinking that having to dig them back out in the wintertime was not going to be a good idea) I asked my parents if I could use a little area for them at their house. So that is what I did.

Iris in my garden at my mother's

I have a small flowerbed at my parents where I planted several of my plants as well as some others I had bought and rooted. My mother had been teaching me about rooting forsythia and I had been attempting to grow some for the past two years. I went by today and low and behold my forsythia plants, all four that survived, are growing! I went over last month to clean the weeds from the garden and they were only about 1 ½ to 2 inches high. Today they were about 6-8 inches tall! This year so far I have growing in this flowerbed: two spiderwort plants, a calla lily (called Naomi Campbell), red lilies, three lavender bushes, cannas, forsythia, iris, a roma tomato plant, strawberries, as well as several different herbs that I bought for my mother. In other areas around my mother’s house I also have my lily of the valley, pulmonaria, and bleeding heart.

Pulmonaria (one of my favorites)

I have also been so excited to see my little container garden here growing! Here I have some similar plants as at my mother’s as well as a few new ones. I have growing here:

Bleeding heart
Columbine (two different varieties)
Hyacinth
Balloon flower
Bee balm
Sedum (two different varieties)
Money plants
Mexican heather
Rosemary
Oregano
Lavender (two different varieties)
Roma tomatoes (3 plants)
Spinach
Sugar peas
Okra (finally broke out of the ground this week!)

A corner of my container garden

Blooms on the Porch

I was reading the Ardwyn Farm blog this morning, with his list of plants in his garden, and I decided to go and check on my plants. If you did not know I have a container garden on my back porch. I have several flowers, herbs and vegetables. The lovely, newest blooming flower greeted me. It is my balloon flower. So I thought I would post some pictures to show the stages.

May 22, 2006

May 28, 2006

May 30, 2006

Crossing Over

Last night we were able to share a very special evening with the Cub Scouts. We had a spaghetti dinner, then we had our very first Crossing Over ceremony for our pack. A Crossing Over is a ceremony where Webelos II (fifth graders) officially leave Cub Scouts and become Boy Scouts. There were seven of our boys that have earned this achievement. So our ceremony started with the raising of the American flag and the pledge.

Next the Webelos were presented with their Arrow of Light patches. Then the two Webelos leaders came forward for the removal of the colours and all patches from the Cub Scouts.

After the leaders were done changing colours it was the boys turn. Our Cub Master, T, removed all the colours and patches for the Cub Scouts. They then crossed the bridge and their new Boy Scout leaders gave them their new neckerchiefs and colours. It has been a honour to see these boys grow in the past three years. They are such wonderful guys and they make us all proud. So to these members of our new Troop, congratulations!

A New Hat

A friend of mine just had a baby, so I decided to make her little girl a crochet hat. I have made about four baby hats in the past using one particular pattern, but this time I wanted to try a different one. It seemed very similar to the other one, but a little girlier. So here I went Saturday evening. I got my Caron Simply Soft soft pink yarn and started to crochet. A few hours later I sat and stared at my completed hat and could only laugh. The hat is about 3 1/2 inches high and has a 10 inch circumference. Defiantly too small for a normal baby. I even tried to use a doll that I have so I could take a picture, but it would not even fit on its head. So one attempt failed. I guess I will see about sending this one to the hospital for use with the premature babies. Surely it would be able to fit a little girl somewhere!

Boyd's Bears

Today I was able to spend the day with my elder son as we went on a field trip. We went to the Boyd's Bears store and all the children built bears (or a few other animals). The trip started by a trek up to the third floor of the store where you will find the nursery and the bear factory. The kids were all given time cards and hard hats before they entered the building area. Next was when they all picked out their animal. They had several different kinds to choose from: bears, cows, bunnies, cats, dogs, monkeys, etc. After picking the kind of animal they desired they were lead to the "Filler up workshop" where they put all the wonderful things inside of their animals. After they were filled and their bellybuttons sewn up, they picked out nametags and clothes for them. There were so many different outfits from which to choose. I think I already have mine in mind when I go back to make my own! ;) The children were all so excited about the whole process. The naming was also VERY serious. It was so much fun to see how happy they were to make these stuffed animals. Touring the store was amazing with so many cute bears! We also ate our lunch there in the store's Willie B. Bacon's Feed Trough. After all that fun we came back to the school where the children all went outside to play on the playground. Almost everyone was carrying around their animals. Some of the girls made sling carriers for theirs.

The Zoo

The boys and I went to the K-town Zoo last week to buy season passes for the three of us. Since they were out for spring break we could spend most of the day hanging out with all the animals. One son just wanted to see the penguins. The other wanted to see the snakes. Of course, the biggest attraction for both was the exhibit of the mole rats (naturally naked mole rats!). They had seen the billboards around town and asked to go to see them. Our younger son will be going to the zoo again next week with his class, so the elder wanted to go see them as well. It was a great excuse to get them out somewhere so we could walk around for a while. When we got to the mole rat exhibit, we learned that there were new babies born on the 5th of April. If you saw them they were very small, only about 1”-1 ½” long. There were several “rooms” that were connected with the long pipes. There were three different “rooms”: nursery/nesting, food, and bathroom/trash. They also had several other animals there that were relatives of the mole rats. We had a good day together and got to see lots of animals. I look forward to going back more this year!

Yorktown Trip: Scavenger Hunt

After our trip to Fort Sumter, we took part in a scavenger hunt. There were several parts to this hunt and it included not only the USS Yorktown, but also all of the other three ships at Patriots Point. There was a sheet with questions about each vessel and the answers were on all in the information plaques on each one. Our Pack Master split us up by dens and gave us each a vessel to search. The webelos broke up into their groups (Webelos I and Webelos II) to do the search on the Yorktown. The bears took the Destroyer (Laffey DD-724), the wolves took the Coast Guard Cutter (Ingham WHEC-35), and the tigers took the submarine (Clamagore SS-343). There was a contest to see who out of the groups (there were about 8 other groups staying on the Yorktown) could complete their scavenger hunt with the greatest amount of correct answers. It was fun to see the boys looking for the information. After we completed our answers for the Clamagore we went to tour the others. When we got to the Laffey we noticed that the bears had two questions that they could not find the answers. When I started to help my elder son look around, I had no idea he would take me around that ship about five or six times! Boy, did I learn how to take the stairs quickly just to keep up with several 9 year olds! It was fun, though. Then after that Joe took our younger son back to the Yorktown while I (along with the torturous elder son) went to the Coast Guard Cutter. He took me around that thing about as many times as we went around the Destroyer. I was just about worn out! Thank goodness he was starting to wear out as well! We then headed back to the Yorktown to meet up with the rest of our family. Later on that evening we learned that our Pack won the Scavenger hunt! We were all very happy to hear that.

Yorktown Trip: Fort Sumter

The next part of our trip was Saturday morning when at 8:15 am we boarded the boat to Fort Sumter. This was my third trip to the fort. I really loved the boat ride, which has an audio historical documentary playing both on your way to and from the island fort.


As you arrive at the fort you are herded together to listen to a park ranger give a speech on the rules of the fort. It was so funny when our ranger started his speech. We all did a double take. We were not sure if he was serious or not. He had a great impression of a drill instructor! He never cracked into a smile, but he did make some funny comments. One was where he was warning about sticking your head into the cannons and getting stuck. "In order for us to fire you out we have to put the gunpowder in first. You can guess which way you will come out. It will be a Kodak moment, everybody laughing at you, don't do it!"


After his talk he asked that anyone who would like to help in raising the flags to meet him on the upper level. Several of our scouts were eager to help. It put to use the wonderful training they have been received in the Cub Scouts.


After touring the fort we all loaded back on the boat to make our way back to Patriots Points and the USS Yorktown.

Date Night

Last night, Joe and I had a date night. Now Hair if you think that this was a typical date (i.e. dinner and a movie) you are wrong! Joe made a great choice and instead we went to a Tennessee Smokies baseball game. Three hours of watching some good ol' American baseball! It was fun and I really enjoyed our evening. We had Pepsi and peanuts while watching the game. To our surprise, since it was the season opener, they had a fireworks show after the game. The Smokies lost to the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx, but there were some great plays!

Yorktown Trip: Our Beds

After the Citadel we headed over to the USS Yorktown. Our first stop was at Hanger Bay #3 right in front of the big American flag. This is where we got a rundown of the rules and then we were taken to the berthing areas. The men went in one area and the women in another. To get to our sleeping area you took two flights of stairs (very steep), went on a walkway on the outside of the ship, then into the berthing area. There were three "rooms" that were separated by a slight doorway. The first room was a large sleeping area with about 50 beds. The next room was another sleeping area, which is where our group of females stayed, that held about 25 beds. On the end were the bathrooms. Most of the beds were bunks two deep and three high. There was not much room between them. I was lucky enough to grab a top bunk. My bunk was only 5 feet from the floor. The bottom of the bunk was 6 to 8 inches off the floor. The bed that I stayed in had a few of the support springs missing from the side, which made the mattress sink underneath the metal frame. Luckily I could sleep closer to the wall so I would not roll out. It was not too bad, though the berthing areas you see on tour #1 are much nicer and spacious (see lower picture).

Yorktown Trip: The Citadel

At the start of our Yorktown trip we stopped by the Citadel to see the military dress parade on Friday. It was a unique experience. We were able to see the band, which included bagpipes, and all the cadets parading. During the parade several cadets were honored for outstanding achievements. There was a little boy that caught the attention of everyone there when the band was marching around the field. He was dressed in the same uniform as the bagpipers from the band. He was a hit with many people around him. People were taking pictures of him and ignoring the cadets on the field for a little while.

District Pinewood Derby

Today was the Sequoyah District's Pinewood Derby race. We had ten boys who were able to compete in this race, five for speed and five for design. At the race we had only six of these to show for the competition. After a much shorter race today (which made Joe happy) we came away with one son in third place in speed for our District, as well as another one of our scouts who landed in 8th place for speed and another in 3rd for design. We were very excited that both our boys' cars were doing very well in each race. They were happy to cheer for each of our scouts that were racing and not too over the top when they won. All in all it was a fun day for them. I guess they are out celebrating by heading for the local driving range to hit a few golf balls. Congratulations, Bubba!

I've created a monster

Well, as most of you have learned I love to crochet. My latest projects have been gifts for a friend and her brother who both had birthdays earlier this week. I finished the scarf for SD and I wanted to take a picture to add here and also to my folder of my finished projects. Since SD arrived late last evening and I have not had a chance to see him to give him his present I asked my younger son to model it for my pictures. He did not know what model meant, but he sure worked the camera. This was the first picture I took. This was his idea of modeling the scarf! Where did my son learn that to model a piece of clothing he had to look like an ultra cool dude? I was half expecting him to give me a slight nod and say, "Hey, baby. What'cha doing?"

Pinewood Derby results

After dealing with the overly obsessed Joe with regards to the Pinewood Derby this year, I could not wait for this day to be over. I enjoyed the race and I had a blast! I guess I was just so tired of the whole fierce determination that Joe had for our boys to win. All that aside, it was a great race! Our elder son's car was created to be a speeding monster, while the younger seemed more a looker. Well, our happiness was great when the results were given and both boys were in the top five for speed and can now compete in the District race April 1st. First place went to "The Amazing Teardrop" and fifth place was the Americana car (or Washington, DC car, which ever you prefer). I was happy that both boys placed and that we did not have the problem of what if one did and the other did not.

Mirror Twins

I was watching the neatest show tonight on the Discovery Health Channel called " America's Most Identical Twins Test". On this show they brought on sets of identical twins to see which are the most alike through the same tests. I saw the clothes shopping, eating, and dating segments. It was amazing to see how similar some were. After each commercial break they would come back on with a twin fact. The most interesting one was about mirror twins. It gave a percentage of identical mirror twins where one also has what is called situs inversus, where the bodies organs are flipped or mirrored from normal organ placement. Most mirror twins have opposite features (i.e.: one will be left handed while the other is right handed, mirror dental x-rays, hair parts or grows mirrored). If you would like to see this show it will air again on Sunday, March 19th at 12pm.

That Crazy Woman in the Store...That's me!

Now that I have mentioned a few of Joe's oddities I thought I should admit a few of my own to help him feel a little better. So prepare yourselves for a small glimpse inside the mind of a confessed fanatic!

First off we will start with books. When I was a child and more so in middle and high school you would be lucky to find me reading a book. I had a few favorites, but not much peaked my interest. Then about a year after I graduated from high school I was introduced to Jane Austen (see Janeite Clarification). Since then my list of favorite authors has grown. Some of my favorite books are from the Regency period of English literature. Jane Austen is of course first on my list. Some of my other favorites are Charlotte Bronte, Janette Oke, Gilbert Morris and Jane Peart. Reading is a great thing, but I took it to another level. I then started collecting books. It all started when a local library had a book sale. After that I was a goner! I do have an accomplice aka my best friend, JoJo. She has also picked up this obsession, though I must admit she has more self-restraint than me. Joe was making fun of me while I was planning for another book sale fix with JoJo last Friday. On the computer I opened the list of books I have to see which ones I wanted to find. I then explained to Joe that my list was a good thing so that I do not go out and buy duplicate books. After this explanation he conceded and was very proud of me.

Second is the yarn thing. I have wanted to learn to crochet for a long time, but I finally learned a little over a year ago. Since then I have gone a little overboard. It all started out pretty harmless. I only bought yarn when I was starting a specific project. When that changed I cannot remember. So far in the 16(ish) months since I started crocheting I have completed 21 projects. If I continue at this rate I currently have enough yarn for 2-3 years of work. Now you would think that would keep me from buying more, but alas (and to my poor husband's dismay) no. I still continue to buy even more yarn. I have two projects in progress right now, three waiting and many more in mind. This has become a relaxing hobby, which I greatly enjoy. Then my yarn monster comes out. YARN, YARN!! MUST HAVE MORE YARN!! All I can do is just go along with it! ;)

Further Loss of a Great Mind

As if we needed any more evidence of Joe losing his mind, here is another example! He and I were discussing something this evening and he refused to answer the question I asked based on the fourth amendment of the Constitution. I was confused and asked what was the fourth amendment. He said that it was about incriminating oneself. Guess I learned the wrong amendment for that one! Sorry honey!

The Loss of a Great Mind

We were on our way home after stopping by my parents' house when our eldest son made one of the funniest comments. Joe commented on a bush that is on the side of my parents' driveway. It is in the corner of where you park and the area to turn around. It was once, over 11 years ago, a beautiful miniature wisteria vine. Then Joe and I started dating and that was the poor plant's downfall. For some reason Joe could not keep from constantly running over this poor wisteria vine, even though it is at least four feet from the edge of the driveway (and the vine is 3-4' high and 2-3' wide). Well, our eldest son was informed tonight of his father's inability to avoid trying to kill this plant when he would back up. This started the discussion on who was the best driver, Joe or myself, between our boys. They began to over exaggerate how many wrecks he had by saying thousands or millions compared to my one. Joe tried to correct them by telling them how many he has had. He had counted three times and that is when our son said, "You're old Dad. You're over thirty and when you're over thirty you start slowly losing your mind, so I want to talk to somebody younger!" He then proceeded to ask me how many wrecks his father had been in!

Party Planner Heather?

After a very busy and stressful couple of weeks I was hoping to finally be able to rest. After being in charge of the final stages of our Cub Scout banquet on Friday I wonder if I will be able to do this job by myself next year. I guess that it was good for me to be "in charge" during these past two weeks as it gave me something to focus on instead of our loss. Of course, trying to help plan a wedding for April (the month, not a person!) has been keeping me busy as well. Strange to say, even though I really enjoy the planning and looking for all the little things to make it all come together, I am so nervous about how everything will turn out and if everyone liked my ideas and work in the end. The same goes for Friday night. I felt prepared to go and set up, but when I got there realized that the centerpieces for the tables were not going to be enough. We had such a wonderful turn out that we were going to need more tables than I originally planned. I had planned for 10-12 tables to decorate and had fifteen instead! On the one hand that was very exciting to see that so many people were going to be there, but as the one in charge who had not gotten the extra things I then found I needed was terrifying! I was so glad to have some wonderful friends to pitch in and help out. The people that I am working with in scouts are some of the best people I know. They never once made a comment about my underplanning or once complained about having to help. How can you not thank God for the wonderful people he places in our lives to help and encourage us?

Proud Momma and Tiger Cub Leader

I was very proud of all of my boys last night. I was able to have all seven of my Tiger cubs complete all their achievements in time to receive their Tiger badges at our Blue and Gold Banquet. I was so proud of my own two boys as I watched them both complete another milestone in their life. They are such amazing guys! I have been so happy to be so involved in their early years, school life and their scouting. I could not imagine not being there with them for all these special moments in their lives.

The Beach

I was quite envious of Joe when he went to Mexico. He called and told me that his hotel was right on the beach and that he left the balcony doors open at night so he could hear the waves on the beach below. Now, I am a mountain girl at heart and would not want to live anywhere but the Smokies, but there is another place that is a retreat for me. My grandmother hailed from Marion County, South Carolina, which is only a few hours drive from the coastline. I have grown up spending most summers vacationing at the beaches of the Myrtle Beach, SC area. The beach has always been a relaxing spot for me. You could imagine my horror and disbelief when after we were married Joe confessed his strong dislike for the ocean. He refused to take me to a beach for years! My parents showed pity for they knew of my love for the ocean. I went several years with them (minus my husband, but taking the boys). I always loved the little tradition that my father and I shared of going for walks on the beach in the evenings after supper. Those are some of the best moments of my vacations. We would some times just walk silently together or some times we would have long discussions on family. Being near the ocean is such a relaxing place for me and right now I would love nothing more than to be there listening to the sound of the waves crashing on the shore and to smell the salty air. Oh, to feel the sand under my feet and see the beauty of the ocean again!

A Time of Need

During hard times we all search for compassion. During times when our emotions are at a breaking point you look to the ones who are not just strong, but also compassionate and sympathetic. Sometimes you just want to have someone to hold you as you cry and who is not afraid to show their own sadness at the circumstances you are going through. I am blessed to have a very compassionate and sympathetic doctor who knows how difficult it is for me when he has to give me the bad news. Today was once again one of those days. Most people expect that their doctors will be stiff and kind of straight forward, no nonsense. I am glad that he is not one of those doctors. I personally know what it is like to look to a loved one to find compassion and yet only to be disappointed at their lack of the support you need. For Christians there is always one who loves us and is there right beside us during these times. As it says in James, The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. During our loss and grief He is our comforter and rock.

A Woman Who Truly Loved

A passage from Persuasion by Jane Austen

And with a quivering lip he wound up the whole by adding, "Poor Fanny! She would never have forgotten him so soon."

"No," replied Anne, in a low, feeling voice. "That I can easily believe."

"It was not in her nature. She doated on him."

"It would not be the nature of any woman who truly loved."

Captain Harville smiled, as much as to say, "Do you claim that for your sex?" and she answered the question, smiling also, "Yes. We certainly do not forget you, so soon as you forget us. It is perhaps, our fate rather than our merit. We cannot help ourselves. We live at home, quiet, confined, and our feelings prey upon us. You are forced on exertion. You have always a profession, pursuits, business of some sort or other, to take you back into the world immediatly, and continual occupation and change soon weaken impressions."...

(Anne)"No, I believe you capable of every thing great and good in your married lives. I believe you equal to every important exertion, and to every domestic forbearance, so long as - if I may be allowed the expression, so long as you have an object. I mean, while the woman you love lives, and lives for you. All the priviledge I claim for my own sex (it is not a very enviable one, you need not covet it) is that of loving longest, when existence or when hope is gone."

The Birthday Girl

As a parent I have seen through my own children how quickly time passes. Today we have just celebrated Lily's first birthday. I remember a year ago when she was born and how she was so small. It is amazing to see how much she has grown in that time and all the things she can do now. She is mobile and talking. It was funny to see her digging into her birthday cake. She turned out to be an icing girl. All she wanted to eat was the yummy icing! So here is to the birthday girl! We love you little girl!

A New Branch

After letting it slip about my blog to some fellow Cub Scout leaders last month, our Pack Leader decided to check out Joe's blog and mine. He like them so much that he created his own. After weeks of begging I finally got him to tell me what he had named his blog. For some unknown reason he was reluctant to tell me. Well, I finally got around to adding a link to his blog and now I invite you all to take a peek at Traveling The Trail by our own Mr. T. Welcome to our blogging community, T!

Side note: Maybe this should be the picture we use for our Blue and Gold Banquet, T! What do you think?

Let it Snow

I have been looking for snow since December! I always love having snow, though I also like being able to drive. Of course sometimes it is nice to get snowed in at home, too. So until this week we had no snow. Then Wednesday night as I am driving back from Monroe County, we finally got some snow! It had already covered the ground by 9pm. At around 10pm when I got back to my parents' house there were almost two inches on the car and it was still snowing. Now this was still the very wet snow that seems to be quick to leave, but still I was excited. I went around the next morning taking pictures of the beautiful snow-blanketed area. It was so breathtaking how it all looked covered in snow. I even found some of my favorite livestock that were too irresistible to pass up! What is it about cattle standing around in the snow that is so cute? Maybe it is my soft spot for cattle, who knows, but it is probably just me! The snow did melt within a few hours of these pictures. Today on the weather reports they are saying that in the East Tennessee valley we may get 2-6 inches of snow tonight. Roads in the area have already been treated to keep them free from ice. I am looking forward to seeing what comes of this storm moving towards us. I will hopefully have more pictures to add later!

Time for the ones we love

As an imperfect person I know that I will never be the "model" parent. I am sure that when my children grow up they will have certain things that they will want to be different from how their father and I have raised them. I did the same thing when I was younger and thinking of my future family. One thing I hope that I have changed from my childhood is that I am there for my children. I might not spend every minute of everyday catering to their desires and whims or making myself their only source of entertainment, but I pray that I am spending more time with them then all the other things that try to take my time from my family. I have tried to be very active in my sons' school and their other interest. I look forward to the times that I can get them by themselves so we can have some one on one time together. A mother asked me one day (after my mentioning that I wanted to have more than two children) how can you say "no, I cannot spend time with you now" to one of your children?

First of all the myth that you have to divide your love the more children you have is completely "busted." I know it is hard to believe that you can multiply your love, but it happens. Just think of your families. Do you say to your family members, "sorry, but I cannot love you because I have only enough love for 20 people and my 20 have already been accounted for." No!! You can love many people and your love for some is different than the love you have for others. It does not change the fact that you love them all.

When I mentioned to this other mother that your love increases, she agreed though she said your time does not. That is true. I have a husband and two children to divided myself between. Then you have to consider, Are they the only ones (or things) that I have to split my time between? Again, no. As a Christian God is to be our first priority. Above all others, He is first (or at least he should be). After God then my family comes to bat.

The reason for this was a sad realization that there are children who have parents who put everything else before them. Have you ever seen a young child with their parent and all the parent is doing is business or anything else they want, but that child just wants a little time with their parent. To know that they are loved, valued, and are important. Yet to all who can observe that is too much for that child to ask of their parents. Even something so small as one hour a week is hard for some. Can you imagine a parent that cannot take the equivalent of ten minutes per day, or just a lump sum of one hour a week with their children? Of course, I will not even touch the topic of the parents who sign their kids up for all the different sports or other extra curricular activities just to have a place to "drop" them off and let someone else spend time with them. Now I am not saying that all parents who put their children in several different activities fit that mold, but I have seen too many that do.

I know that fathers are the head of the family and that they have to work to provide for their families. Sometimes I think that some people are so focused on making the most money, having the best "stuff", providing every material desire that they forget what is really important. To love. If you are spending more time working and cannot take a few hours out of each day for your family you might want to reconsider your priorities. I do not think anyone has ever looked back at their life and said "You know, I wish I had worked harder at my job rather then spend those hours with my family."

I guess I should end my rant. That was something that I really needed to get out. I want to end this with the lyrics to a song by Chris Rice:

Life Means So Much
Chris Rice
Everyday is a journal page
Every man holds a quill and ink
And there’s plenty of room for writing in
All we do and believe and think
So will you compose a curse
Or will today bring the blessings
Fill the page with rhyming verse
Or some random sketchings

Teach us to count the days
Teach us to make the days count
Lead us in better ways
Somehow our souls forgot
Life means so much
Life means so much
Life means so much

Everyday is a bank account
And time is our currency
So no one’s rich, nobody’s poor
We get twenty-four hours each
So how are you gonna spend
Will you invest or squander
Try to get ahead
Or help someone who’s under

Teach us to count the days
Teach us to make the days count
Lead us in better ways
Somehow our souls forgot
Life means so much
Life means so much
Life means so much

Has anybody lived who knew the value of a life?
And don’t you think giving his own
Would prove the worth of yours and mine?

Teach us to count the days
Teach us to make the days count
Lead us in better ways
Somehow our souls forgot
Life means so much
Life means so much
Life means so much

Field trip to Oak Ridge

Yesterday was a fun filled day spent with my eldest son and his fellow classmates. We went on a field trip to the Children's Museum and the American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge. I not only had my son, but a buddy that I was in charge of watching. So, here I am once again (just like always) surrounded by boys! Really, I am so use to this strange phenomenon of being surrounded by boys that it no longer bothers me and I have come to enjoy them all.

Well, we make our way through the different areas of the Children's Museum (ex.: Train room with model trains, a dollhouse room, a rainforest room, local and international history areas, and animal rooms). I think all the kids enjoyed the model trains. The dollhouse room was great! It was a two-story dollhouse proportionate for the 9-11 year old kids. It had four rooms (two up and two down). Also in the room were glass cases with toys from 1900-2000. It was so neat to see these toys. Of course it was funny to see the ones from my childhood and a few were like the ones I still possess. The local history areas were very interesting. There were displays of a cotton plant, quilts, clothing, spinning wheels to show how the early pioneers had to make there own clothing and textiles. Then there was a room that had three partial cabins. One was set up as a living area, one as a bedroom and the other showed off the tools. There was an area set up on the outside of one to show all the things needed for the washday routine. The lady who did our tour explained the process to the children about exactly how they washed and rinsed the clothes.

Next we went to the Science and Energy Museum. The kids got to look around at the different exhibits and also had a class where they put together series circuits and tested different objects to see if they were conductors, insulators or semi-conductors. The boys loved doing that! Later, we were able to hear a man talking about static electricity. Of course all the kids wanted to go to the stage so they could experience this. I have to admit that my son has some of the most obliging hair for this sort of thing as you can see. It was neat to see the different displays on coal, water, and nuclear energy sources. There were also areas that had information on the Oak Ridge "Secret City" times.

Where are all the Cowboys?

Ok, I was listening to Rush yesterday and heard a bit about the "Wussification of the American Man." During this segment he was talking about a father who went to confront a teacher's assistant who his daughter had said was inappropriately touching her (and she was not the only one). The father was mad that when he went to the school for a meeting the teacher's assistant was not in the meeting. The father asked the daughter to take him to where the man was so he could bring him to the meeting. The assistant was said to have "smirked" at the father when he confronted him, so the father punched him. The father was arrested for assault and a local radio station has dubbed him "Father of the Year." This brings me to the Cowboys. Rush said it well when he stated that women want to know that the men in their lives are going to defend them. He then plays a song that came out in 1996 called Where Have All the Cowboys Gone by Paula Cole.

Now, that said (and sung) I have to admit that most women want the John Wayne cowboy type of man. Rough, tough, doesn't take lip from anyone, stands up for what is right, yet also knows how to be a gentleman around a woman and how to treat her right. That does not make a man a wuss. Yet, there are so many men who were raised to be wusses and almost inferior to women. Many are not the protector and in charge of their families. The Bible states that men are to be the head of the household, but also to love their wives as Christ loves the church (His bride). It is a delicate balance and I like to think it is the best of men like John Wayne and Cary Grant.

This also makes me think of how wonderful times were when a man could be arrested for using foul language around women or children. I would love to see that kind of attitude displayed in men (even society as a whole) today. There are things that women and children should not hear and see. I guess you can call me old fashioned, but so be it. That was a time when men were men and women were women. Now, I am not saying that women should be treated like possessions (which most feminist will argue we are if we are not completely equal with men).

As for myself, I know that my Cowboy (AKA, Joe) would do whatever he could to provide and take care of me and at the same time would stand up and defend me if it was needed. That is just one of the things I love about him.

A day in the woods

I must say that I had a good weekend so far. Our cub scouts had a "winter camping" trip to Wesley Woods yesterday and today. We started out last night with a wiener roast and an evening by the campfire. The boys all loved cooking hot dogs and smores. There were also patches and awards to hand out. We then went back to the lodge we were staying at and had a game night, so to speak. For a few hours the boys (and a few girls) all gathered in the floor of the main room and played card and board games.

This morning we got up to the sound of boys playing Guess Who as well as other games. While two of our hardworking leaders cooked breakfast the kids were content to play games. After a wonderful breakfast we went to learn about orienteering. This is where you are given a map that shows structures and the contours of the land. You then use the landmarks around you to find several set markers. The markers had a type of punch that you mark your paper with, but you must be careful because there are decoys. It was fun to see some of the kids just taking to this and to see how they succeeded. Later we took the boys on a hike to see a waterfall nearby. It was a pretty hike. The scouts then played some games and made some pinecone birdfeeders. From what I saw the boys all had a fun time and most of the families did as well.

Crochet like crazy

In the fall of 2004 I asked my mother to teach me the basics of crocheting. I had been interested in learning for years, but she was always too busy. Well, as my mother says, I have taken off with this new hobby. My first project was a scarf for myself. Then for Christmas that year I made scarves for both my mother-in-law and sister-in-law and a hat for my Chinese "sister-in-law". After that I made the some baby gifts. I made blankets and hats for two babies. It was fun to make the blankets and doing the different designs. Since then I have made 6 hats, 3 scarves, 3 flower pins, and in the process of making a shawl for myself. Here are pictures of the first baby blanket.

Family come and gone Part 1

Talking about my family in Monroe County made me want to post about one of the special people from there that I miss very much. When my mom and I would go for a visit we would most often be found at my aunt Della's house. Della was the first of the thirteen children belonging to my grandparents. My mother was number twelve and Della was just two weeks shy of her 24th birthday when my mother was born. When my grandfather died my mother, who was six years old at the time, went to live with Della and her family. So Della and Kinley (her husband) were more like parents to my mother and hence more like grandparents to me. I remember spending time with her. She was always welcoming to anyone who came to her house. She surrounded herself with family and pictures of her loved ones. I can still in my mind see her living room. All walls were covered with many picture frames that held these precious pictures. When Della welcomed you into her home you were always offered food. She was a wonderful cook (especially at breakfast time). She would keep macaroni and cheese (one of my favorites) in her kitchen just in case we came. She even let me help her cook a few times, which I later found out she never did when my mom was growing up. Though they had little money she was constantly giving a few dollars here and there to me when we would visit. She was very brave and strong after finding she had cancer. She fought it and tried to still do everything she had done in the previous years. During her battle with cancer I watched her weaken so much as to be unable to lift one of her iron skillets with which to cook. She was always upbeat and her faith kept her going. Even when her cancer returned with a vengeance years later, her faith was a wonderful testament to those around her. Although my eldest son does not remember her, I am happy that she was able to see both of my boys before she went home to be with the Lord.

The beauty of the hills

When I was growing up my family never hiked. It is very strange that somehow both my brother and I now really love to hike. I grew to love hiking when I met Joe and he took me on my first real hike. Now saying that my family never hiked does not mean that I did not wonder around through the hills of Tennessee before Joe came along. My mother's family is from Monroe County, Tennessee and they all lived in the hills that border on the Cherokee National Forest. I would love to go there and hike around their houses as well as play in the creeks nearby. It was and still is a quiet peaceful place for me. If times seemed rough I would long to be in that area and just find the peace in the beauty of nature. I often wonder how "city dwellers" can handle all the hustle without that sort of retreat. I am thankful that God created these beauties just for us and that I am privileged enough to live here.