Camping in Virginia

This past weekend was our first camping trip with Otter. A group from our Cub Scout Pack went to the Virginia Creeper to camp and bicycle. We drove up on Friday evening and finally found the place in the wee hours of Saturday morning (long story). We finally got to sleep and spent our first night in a tent with an infant. She did remarkably well and only briefly woke twice (just to find her paci).

Then after breakfast Saturday morning the group that was going to ride on the Virginia Creeper Trail got gathered and headed for the trail. Joe and Bubba rode with the others from the campground to the trail. Butch, Otter and I rode in the van. Butch decided at the last minute to stay behind. He was not ready to make the trip. So after we got everyone off the three of us hiked a little over half a mile down the trail. It is a beautiful trail from what we saw. Rhododendron lined the trail some and kept it cool. When we came back from hiking we went with the others to Damascus, VA where the group was to end their trip.

Damascus is a cute little town in Virginia. There was also a car show going on in town so we were lucky to find a parking place. We unpacked the lunch stuff on a grassy area close to the train cars on display. It was a great area for a picnic and subsequent naps for some. The guys all had fun on the bike trip and Bubba was even riding the bike without training wheel (they were bent out so far that they became useless on the trail).

It Has Begun!

The day her Daddy was dreading is already here. Otter was getting her picture made with S and look what happened. She reached out to hold his hand. Here is our barely three month old little girl already trying to hold hands with a little boy! Daddy better get the shotgun out!

Otter And Her Dollie

I have been looking and looking for a doll for Otter. Not just any doll will do, you see. I wanted one that was all soft and cuddly for a newborn (or what remains of a newborn). I looked only to find mostly soft dolls, but always with some hard plastic head or other features. Finally while looking in the clothing section in a favorite store of mine I found her! I found Dollie! I was so excited that I immediately picked her up and took her home with us. Otter just loves her, too! I was not sure how she would like Dollie, since other toys and stuffed animals never interested her, but she loves her Dollie. She often will hold her and pull her up to snuggle with and sometimes kiss ( or is that chew?). I am so happy that she likes her new doll so well. Now if Bubba could only find a dart gun in her size! ;)

Bubba's Birthday

We celebrated Bubba's birthday this past weekend. It was fun having a few of his friends over so they could play together. His main priority was to play the board game Risk with his friends. I asked him if he wanted me to make his cake or if he would like cupcakes and he said he wanted a cake with Risk on it. He had also initially stated that he wanted the cake four different colors, but changed his mind. He instead wanted me to write Risk in red on his cake.

Well, the day of the party came and I had made his cake and I was waiting to ice it. Then after my parents came I figured it was time to finish the cake. I iced the cake with the vanilla icing and the left a little extra to make the red icing. That was when my fun began. I started by putting the vanilla icing in a decorating bag. Then I added the red food coloring. The box stated that for a regular size of frosting to add something like 50 or so drops of food color. I was thinking that was a large number, but I was only making a little bit of red icing so a few drops would work. I added the coloring and mixed it well...it was pink. So I added a little more coloring. Still pink! My dad even commented on it still being pink. So here we go again, more coloring. Still pink, though darker. I was tired of adding food coloring by this time so I said that this will have to do. Then I go and cut a small triangle off of the bottom of the bag to write on the cake. Then I realize that I forgot to put in the adapter for my decorating tip in the bag. I also in this process sling a little bit of the red (pink) frosting in the kitchen. I then get another bag and get the procedure correct so that it is ready for use (the proper way). I got the cake done and It looked decent. Defiantly not my best work, but good for how flustered I was at that point. Maybe I will learn from this and make the cake the day before next time. Oh well. Bubba like it and it tasted great, so I guess it worked out.

Tunnel by Third Day

Well I won't pretend to know what you're thinking
And I can't begin to know what you're going through
And I won't deny the pain that you're feeling
But I'm gonna try and give a little hope to you
Just remember what I told you
There's so much your living for

There's a light at the end of this tunnel
There's a light at the end of this tunnel for you
For you
There's a light at the end of this tunnel
Shining bright at the end of this tunnel for you
For you
So keep holding on

You got your disappointments and sorrows
You ought to share the weight of that load with me
Then you will find that the light of tomorrow
Well it brings new life for your eyes to see
So remember what i told you
There's so much your living for

There's a light at the end of this tunnel
There's a light at the end of this tunnel for you
For you
There's a light at the end of this tunnel
Shining bright at the end of this tunnel for you
For you
So keep holding on
Keep holding on

So remember what i told you
There's so much your living for

There's a light at the end of this tunnel
There's a light at the end of this tunnel for you
For you yeah
There's a light at the end of this tunnel
Shinging bright at the end of this tunnel for you
For you yeah
There's a light at the end of this tunnel ooh
For you, for you yeah
Shinging bright at the end of this tunnel
For you, for you
So keep holding on
Keep holding on
Keep holding on now

You got your disappointments and sorrows
Im gonna try and give a little hope to you

Times Of Need

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him
Romans 8:28a

Many times we think of this verse when we consider our sins and those difficult times we sometimes experience. There have been many occasions that I can recall, that in the midst of those times, I could not see how the situation I am facing could ever turn out anything good. Now that I have passed through these times and I look back, I can now see some of the good that God has given me through those times. I grow closer to him through my constant prayer. He can also use those times to show how He provides for us and supplies our needs. Then sometimes He just ask for our faithfulness no matter what we have to endure. Right now is one of those times for me. I am in the midst of a situation that I have no idea how I can continue to endure it or confront it. I can only visualize two scenarios as a result and neither one seems to show any way for a true peace in my heart in regards to this. I was reading Psalm 13 tonight and I realized that no matter how difficult this is for me, even when I cannot see an answer to my pleas, that I must praise the LORD because through every moment He has been faithful to and has blessed me. I ask that you pray for me and that I will praise God no matter what the outcome.

Psalm 13
How long, Oh LORD? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and every day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?

Look on me and answer, O LORD my God,
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;
my enemy will say, "I have overcome him,"
and my foes will rejoice when I fail.

But I trust in your unfailing love,
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
I will sing to the LORD,
For he has been good to me.

A Day With Bubba

Today Otter and I went on a field trip with Bubba to the Tennessee Valley Fair. We were able to see all kinds of livestock, including two cows that were in the labor process (no live births for us, though). We also learned about crops like soybeans, wheat and corn. The kids were all excited because after their "class," where they went around to different stations to learn more about the livestock and crops, they were going to be able to ride the rides. Unfortunately, the teacher was given the wrong information and the kids were not able to ride the rides. :( Of course it probably would not matter anyway as it started raining during our program. Nevertheless Bubba was disappointed. We did have a fun time together afterwards. I enjoy spending time with him and he loves spending time with Otter.

Gardening

I must say that I really miss gardening. So far I have not been able to break ground here at our new house and now I will probably have to wait until the spring to really get started on anything. I am so eager to buy seeds, plants and bulbs to plant. I passed by a local garden center that has one of the plants I really want for the house for 50% off! Do you know how tempted I was to stop and get some? I have also looked online at Park Seed and there is so much I would like to get. There was always something so relaxing about being able to plant things, watch them grow, and sometimes be able to eat what you grow. I guess I will just try to plan for spring next year.

It Is Official!

I sit here typing as I listen to Fred Thompson on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He has officially stated that he is now running for the presidency. How cool is that! A Tennessean we would not be ashamed to see run for the Presidential office. It will be an interesting race.

Lunar Eclispe

On August 28th we experienced a lunar eclipse during the morning hours. I was so excited when I was giving Otter her early morning meal to learn that we would be able to view the eclipse. I had not heard about the event on the previous day, so I went to the computer to learn more. I found that the full eclipse was at 5:52am in our area. Since it was about 5am I rushed in to ask Joe if he wanted to view it. When I told him that we would have to go somewhere to see it he stated that he would pass. I then went to the boys and they woke excited and eager to go. We went down the road to a church parking lot and watched this amazing event. I was able to take my camera and get a few decent shots. I post them for your enjoyment if you were not one who woke early to see it live. The fourth picture has an orangeish/redish color which did not come through in all the other pictures.

Funny Quote

Tonight we had a back to school pool party for the cub scouts. This is a yearly event which includes not only swimming, but pizza as well. The boys also have a chance to earn their swimming belt loop. One requirement is to talk about swimming safety. As our fearless leader, T, was starting this discussion with the boys he asked what some of the most important rules of swimming are. To this one of the first boys to answer said, "To not drown!" About all of us parents had to turn away and control the incredible amount of laughter threatening to spill out after hearing this sincere answer.

New Branch Added

I was looking at a comment on Joe Napalm's blog which gave a link to a blog called Because I Said So. This is a hilarious blog by a woman who is not at all afraid to share the craziness in a household of a stay at home mom of a large family that most people try to hide! How many times have we parents had experiences that make people laugh when we do tell them, but how many were really funny while going through these said experiences?

Oh yes, I could tell the story of Bubba and when he crawled out of the bed during nap time, opened his closet door (I did not think he was tall enough or for that matter strong enough), climbed over boxes that were stacked twice as high as he was tall, just to open a box that of course would contain pens and markers for him to use on everything in sight! Did I mention that the box was one that a stroller came in, which made it as tall as a stroller and it was not packed fully! That might be humorous to you sitting on the other side of the monitor, but it was not in the least bit funny to me at that moment. I had to pull him out of the box, hide everything he took out and clean up the rest, then I had to put him back to bed before leaving the room to call Joe to beg him to come home ASAP! I also was blessed by God in that moment with more patience than I could ever imagine having.

Tell me again why we wanted more kids? ;)

I Have A Problem

They say that the first thing you need to do to overcome an addiction is to admit you have a problem. Well, here it is...I am a shop-a-holic concerning a certain little girl. I know what some people might say, Aren't most women like this normally? You would be correct for many women, but I was never really like that. Now I do like finding great deals and all, but if it is not going to be used is it really a great deal? Not in my book (or Joe's, but he tries to avoid spending money all together in what is considered a counter-attack method). Luckily for Joe (and our bank account) I was blessed with a thrifty, bargain-hunting heart and relatively decent taste!

Hummingbirds and Woodpeckers

Here are a couple of the birds around our house.

Ruby-throated hummingbird


Downy Woodpecker

Update On Otter

On Monday I took Otter for her check-up. She did very well. Her weight was at 12lbs 6ozs. The doctor went on and on about how alert she was and how well she focuses. Then after her clean bill of health the nurse came in. That was when my happy, talking little girl became my sad, sore little girl! She ran a slight temperature through the night and during the day Tuesday. Last night she was becoming more like herself and today she is fine. I am so glad! I really missed my happy little girl. I missed her talking to me. Screaming does not count as talking in my book.

By the way, did you notice the burp cloth she has now? One of my best friends had it made for her. It is very special with an otter for our Otter!

We Need Your Prayers

Today is Otter's two month check-up and she is getting shots! Being the only one that will take her (all of the men run and hide ;) I am stuck. I hate this time. Please pray for my little girl and for me. It will be hard on not just her but me. She will forget it much faster than I will. Mommy does not like to see her so upset.

Also, today is the first day of school for Bubba and Butch. Pray for easy transitions and a strong desire to learn and do their best. I was happy when they got up eager for school this morning.

Guess What?

Otter is two months old!

Crochet Blog

I decided that I needed to make a blog specifically highlighting my crochet interest. I also did this because I am going to be in an Arts and Crafts Fair on Saturday at the Gov John Sevier Home (Marble Springs). This is to draw attention to local talent and it sounds wonderful. There will be artisans selling their wares, music, food, and a flag ceremony with a local Boy Scout Troop. I am also excited about the idea for displaying my hats that Joe is making for me. I hope that all will go well and that I might find some good homes for my hats! ;)

Visit my new blog Heather of the Hills Crochet

Sleeping Patterns

My little Otter has been doing so well the past several nights. She is sleeping between 5-6 hours in one stretch! I am so excited! She first started on our trip to SC. I was shocked when she continued after we returned. I though four hours of uninterrupted sleep was good, but 5-6 is even better!

Family Reunion

Coming to you live from Latta, SC...

Tomorrow is my Lane family reunion and I need all your prayers! I am in charge and will be leading the reunion. Please pray that we will have people there and that I will overcome my overwhelming fear of talking in front of a crowd and that all will go well. Not sure what lies ahead for the early part of tomorrow, but hope we find something relaxing and/or fun.

Otters first long car ride went relatively well. We stopped seven times (three for food, once for gas, twice for new state maps). Only one time was solely for feeding Otter. She has slept like a rock since we got here this evening. I guess it is her first restful sleep of the day!

New Otter Pics

Otter In The Mountains

Otter (along with the rest of her family) took a trip to the mountains for a yummy breakfast cooked by her grandmomma and a hike with her family and some friends. This was little girl's first hike in the beautiful mountains of East Tennessee. She is so happy to be outdoors. It really has a great calming effect on her. Both Joe and I carried her in the baby carrier (Joe on the way up, me on the way down) and she slept peacefully the whole time. I really enjoy these times we get together for breakfast and hiking and I am thankful that our little girl seems to as well.

Otter Is A Month Old!

It is hard to believe that my little Otter is already a month old! She is just so adorable that I seem to not be able to pull away from her. I am not sure if it is that I might be a little bias as her mother, but she is ssooo gorgeous! She is healthy, growing at a good rate, and she is sleeping well. What more could we ask for?

Fun On The Fourth

Today was a fun day (once we got it started!). We met with my brother and his kids and we all headed to the mountains. We had decided to head up to Greenbrier to try to find a swimming hole. We found a nice little area that the kids (along with the two big boys) could play in. There was another group close by that let us borrow a few tubes and the kids had a little area that they could use the tubes to go down. They were having so much fun! Then we headed to the Sinks so that the guys could jump off a rock. After Bubba, my brother, and my nephew jumped off several times Joe joined in before we left. From there we headed to my parents' house for a great cook out and to watch fireworks.

Take Me Out To The Ballgame

It is that time of year again! The Stitch N' Pitch season has already started! So click on the link below to order tickets to see your favorite baseball team while enjoying another favorite pastime! I am sad to say that we will not be able to make it to the Braves game on July 15th. :( Maybe next year!

Otter Is Here!

Sorry it has been a while, but I have been slightly preoccupied the past week. On Saturday, June 9th we welcomed our newest family member. Otter was born at 11:56a weighing in at a whopping 8lbs 5ozs and 22 1/4 inches long! I never thought I would see the day that I would have a 8 pound baby! She is absolutely gorgeous and has a head full of hair. She is very much a momma's girl right now. We were discharged from the hospital with everything looking good for both of us.


Wednesday I took her in for her followup check-in at the Dr. office. They checked her and everything was good (weight loss was almost a pound, but she was eating like a pig!) They also checked her bilirubin levels. Well, they were quite high, so they sent us to Children's Hospital for the "industrial" light treatments. After two nights in the hospital her levels had come down enough for us to come home. So now we are home and she is doing well, or as well as a week old baby does!

How Much Do You Love Cats?

I was shocked when I learned that I was not the cat lover I thought I was! I was shown a link for this new amazing cat that was going to be so extraordinary it would amaze me (the cat pictured to the side is not it!). It has been specially bred to have the exotic feel of a leopard with it's spots, but it is a very tame cat for a regular household. It is even said to be easily taught to walk on a leash! Who would not want one of these amazing cats? (other than Joe! ;) ) Well, you will soon learn why even I would never want to try to obtain one of these amazing wonders of modern science. There is a 9-12 month delivery time (or for an extra fee you can reduce that by 4-6 months). That is not the biggest turn off for these wonderful cats, no that would be the exorbitant price for the privilege of owning one. Get this, you must pay a small fortune of $22,000 for one highly intelligent house cat that would awe your friends and family! If you think that this cat, called an Ashera, is for you here is a link for you: Lifestyle Pets

Finally, Some Time! (I Think)

It has been a while since I pulled out my blogger mind and wrote to tell everyone about what is happening in our neck of the woods. Last week was my last week of working and although I will miss the kids and my co-workers, it is a relief to have that time to focus on other things. Today was also the last day of school for Bubba and Butch. That means that I no longer have to wake up and get two boys ready for school each morning! Alright!!

I have been trying in the last week to finally get the baby's room cleaned out and set up for her imminent arrival. I was able to successfully remove several boxes as well as clean and set up her crib (you can see her bedding pictured to the right). I felt so good about being able to accomplish at least that much while the guys were away on their camping trip. Now if I could only be able to get the rest of the boxes cleared out and get her clothes washed and put away I would be thrilled!

So there you have it! I am now 36 weeks and counting.

Our New House

Well, it has been a while since I could post as we were in the process of moving and now as we unpack and settle into our new home. We moved a couple of weekends ago and have since closed on the house. So, now it is officially ours. Very scary! We have enjoyed being back in a wooded location. We always did enjoy the wildlife that surrounds you and now we have a large picture window to add to our enjoyment.

On the day that we moved my father-in-law saw that my dear Joe had tried to fill a finch feeder with regular birdseed. Of course that just frustrated the birds that came looking for food. So my father-in-law went and got us a normal bird feeder and some seed made for the finch feeder. He came and hung our new feeder and changed the seed in both. The birds were SO HAPPY! Now we enjoy seeing the different birds coming to our front yard looking for food. Recently we had noticed that the feeder was somehow getting knock out of wack and I assumed a squirrel was involved. Well, this morning we got to witness first hand what was happening. And here is the culprit!

One Step Closer

Well, it seems that we are finally one step closer to owning a home. We got the call today that the inspector came and FINALLY gave us the go ahead. I am so glad that I will not have to worry about those little flakes anymore (and I am sure that Joe and Wesley will agree)! Now there is just a little paperwork that needs to come in and I think we will be done. I will be so glad to see this process completed. Now, I am off to try to get some more packing done.

Spring is Here!

I always love this time of the year. The weather starts to warm up a little, trees and flowers are starting to bloom. For the past couple of days I have been able to have the windows open for the greater part of the day, which I love! Peach and pear trees have started blooming. You can see the buds coming out on so many other trees. Ahhh, spring!


I get so excited about seeing my flowers growing and starting to bloom. I started seeing the daffodils blooming in the end of January (in the Great Smoky Mountains by the Sugarland Visitor Center). In the next couple of weeks the dogwood trees in our area will be in full bloom. This is even more exciting now that we will be living on the Dogwood Trail. I am eager to see what kinds of dogwoods we will have. I am a little partial to the pink dogwoods, although I like both the pink and white.

Spring this year will also be very special since we will be having another little blessing in the form of our daughter. I know that I am very excited about her coming and last night we even heard about how her older brother, Butch, is also eagerly anticipating her arrival. In art class at school they are focusing on spring and he said that on his project this week he put "spring with my sister." How sweet is that!

4th Annual Pinewood Derby

The race today went very well. We had sixteen Cub Scouts enter cars and thirteen cars enter the open class (leaders, siblings, parents). In the scout race there are weight and size limitations. I was the person who was in charge of checking the weight as they registered. The race began and as I was unable to watch to see how the races ended (I was also helping with getting the cars in line for each race) I was not sure how Bubba and Butch faired. After the race of the open class we learned the results of the speed and design of our scouts. I am happy to say that both boys placed in the top five for speed as well as Butch winning a spot in the top five for design. This is another opportunity for both boys to go to district to race. Last year Bubba placed third in the district, so we are eager to see how they do this year.

Ready For The Pinewood Derby?

Tomorrow is our Pack's fourth annual Pinewood Derby! Tonight we set up and prepared for the race. It is funny how you take all this time setting up when the race itself will not even take as long as they worked tonight to get it ready. I guess when you think about it from a boy's perspective it makes it worth the time and effort. They all get so excited about the race and seeing the different car designs. I look forward to seeing the cars and the boys excitement. I will be posting the results hopefully sometime tomorrow evening.

The Songs Kids Know

Today was a field trip for Bubba to a local planetarium, which had a combination of fourth and fifth graders. After they watched the movie about black holes and learned about constellations there was a laser show. It was set to music that was a combination of music from the 50's to current day music. I was hoping that they would not be playing any Backstreet Boys, Brittany Spears, etc and I was glad to not hear any of that. There was one song that I was quite amazed to hear three of the fourth grade boys behind me sing along with. It is so surprising that I still have to laugh at the thought of the three of them singing the song and I mean they knew every word! You might ask, What was the song? It was Shania Twain's I Feel Like A Woman!

Eating Until Blue In The Face

The Luau was Friday evening and I believe that it went well. I had some great help in getting everything set up and we had a turn out of over 50 people. Everyone brought a dish of food and a couple of guys from the Pack grilled chicken shish kabobs.

There were skits by some of the dens and some of the boys were awarded advancement of rank. One of these was our own Bubba who earned his Webelos Badge.

Another interesting aspect of our night was called Jonah's Revenge. During the past month the boys from the pack brought in money to "vote" for the lucky den/pack leaders to participate in Jonah's Revenge. All of the monies received were going to be matched by the pack and used for a piece of equipment for their school's playground. After all of the money was counted it seems that the boys favored their Pack Master and the Assistant Pack Master. So they had to use their faces and mouths to dig in a pie of blue pudding for five gummy fishes. Of course the boys all loved seeing the men digging into the pies. It was a really good evening and I was glad that everyone seemed to have a fun time.

Blue and Gold Banquet Time

This Friday it is once again time for our Blue and Gold Banquet in Cub Scouts. Our theme this year is a Luau. This is a really fun theme for any party (it was the planned theme of Butch's birthday pool party last year). So I, along with several others, will be decorating and preparing a room at a local church Friday afternoon for the big event. We had originally thought to have a pig roast to add a more traditional element, but that later seemed like a not so good idea for a mainly indoor event in February! That also means that there will not be any fire dancers at the Luau either. What kind of party are we having?!

Biblical Names

We have been trying to think of some names for our little girl and I thought I might see if any of you might have some suggestions. We are looking for a Biblical name we might possibly use for her middle name. We would also like to know the meaning that go along with the names. Here is where you come in. As most of you will know, female Biblical names are few and far between. So I am asking you to give us some female names and their meanings. I look forward to seeing who can tell us the most unique name. Also if you know where the name is located in the Bible please include that as well! I only ask that you do not include her first name for those of you that know it already.

Oh The Fun Of Birthdays

Do you remember the fun you had on birthdays? The fun gifts you got and getting to play with them. Like Christmas there are always toys that need some sort of assembly. It is amazing sometimes what parents or uncles will do for the kids in their lives. Poor Wesley was working on this Rody inflatable horse that kids can ride or bounce on. Only after several minutes he looked up laughing and stated that the engineers for this must have been crazy. Notice in the picture where they placed the valve to inflate this horse.


He was even good enough to help her take her first ride when she was scared to ride by herself. Grandmomma had even tried to ride before Wesley in an attempt to get L to ride her new horse, but it seems that Wesley just has a way with kids. He is not afraid to look goofy or silly. What child could ask for a better uncle than that?