Pics Finally!!

I finally got to see little man's face today! He had his forearms up by his face, but he did move them so we could get a pic. Here is the newest little one!

Britax B-Ready Stroller Giveaway

I have been looking at the Britax B-Ready strollers and they are awesome strollers! They can work as a travel system with the Chaperone infant seat (they also have an adapter for several other brands of infant carseats), but they also have a bassinet and a second seat for toddlers. With the three different accessories it has 14 different configurations of how you can use this as a single or double stroller. I love the fact that it can have the child as front or rear facing with the regular seat as well as the infant seat. It has a large under seat storage, adjustable handle height, all wheel suspension and more! Right now The Bragging Mommy website is having a giveaway for one of these strollers. If you want to learn more about the B-Ready stroller or other products from Britax visit the company's website.

Getting Prepared

I was very excited to get an e-mail with a 20% off code from a website where I have a baby registry. I looked on their site and saw that it would apply to the crib bedding I was hoping to get for our little man. I was able to get a great deal on the set! I am looking forward to being able to get his crib ready for him as soon as I get the bedding!

Two Docs In One Day

Yesterday I saw my OB for another check on our sleeping warrior. Everything was great! From the measurements he seems to be growing well. When the Dr went to check for the baby's heartbeat he was startled by one of his big kicks! It was so funny because I am telling you I am positive it made my Dr jump back a little! This was even funnier because at my last appointment I mentioned that he was not a big kicker like the others, but instead preferred hitting. After then he has decided to show me just how well he can kick! Yes, all is well with this baby boy!

For a while now I have been dealing with some headaches with no clear reason why. After talking with my OB a few weeks ago he told me to get an eye exam. I admit that the last time I had an eye exam was back in 2001 when Butch poked me in the eye which resulted in blunt trauma to my cornea. That eye has never quite been the same, but I never noticed a vision issue. So yesterday I went and had my exam. Everything looked good. The retina scan (I was told) looked amazing and more like a teenagers then an old woman like me. :) I was told that I had 20/20 vision, but she had a prescription for me. Seems that I have an astigmatism in my left eye. Though she said it was slight it might be the cause of the headaches I have been having. So I ordered a pair of glasses and have to wear them all the time for two weeks, go back for a follow-up to see if it has helped then if it has I wear "when needed." So in the next week it looks like I will be sporting a new look.

Otter & The Cow

Otter was so happy to be able to hug a Chick-fil-a cow!

Tennessee Theatre

When JoJo and I went to see White Christmas in December we learned that another classic movie favorite will be showing at the Tennessee Theatre this month. The classic 1954 movie Sabrina starring Humphrey Bogart and Audrey Hepburn will be showingon Feb 14th at 8pm.

Baby #4 Update

Well, it seems that baby #4 (nickname still undetermined) has been growing well over the past month. I had a checkup today and everything looked good with a nice strong heartbeat. Of course he is still moving like crazy most of the time! I go again in three weeks for the glucose test. Yuck!!! I always dread those, but so far have never had a problem. Hopefully this time will be no different.

After my appointment Otter and I headed to do a baby registry. She was excited about looking for stuff for her baby brother. Actually she was a little disappointed that we were not buying stuff for him today! She especially wanted to get him some toys. She would pick out clothes for me to scan for him, too. I must say that although the selection for boy items has improved since I had Bubba, it is still not comparable with all the cute girl things out there!

Honesty and Trust

Some times we lose sight that being dishonest will gain us nothing but a loss of trust. Some times we say it is to protect others that we are not honest, but more often then not it is to protect ourselves. To lie is being dishonest, but it can also be dishonest to ignore or not tell the truth. The not telling of the truth can also lead to misunderstandings or as a sign of wrongs having been done with no desire to be admitted. Trust must be earned and if you are unwilling to be honest and truthful then do not expect to be trusted. The ones who are dearest to our hearts are the ones who are said to be the ones with the ability to hurt us the most. That is true. Trust is not something that is instantaneous. It takes time to prove to someone else that they can trust us, trust our word. We have to prove ourselves worthy of their trust. When we break that trust it will not be returned in an instant. We have to rebuild that trust. Words are empty when we have no trust in the one who speaks them. Can we ever lose someone's trust forever? That depends on whether we care enough to fix the relationship that we have damaged.

Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. Luke 16:10

We tell lies when we are afraid... afraid of what we don't know, afraid of what others will think, afraid of what will be found out about us. But every time we tell a lie, the thing that we fear grows stronger. ~Tad Williams

Tired

My sleep is definitely being compromised during this pregnancy. Seems that this little boy is going to be very active. Normally he would get active right before I went to sleep at night and if I woke during the night he would lightly move until I was going back to sleep. Not for the past few nights! Right now he has been quite the night owl! He has been not only active, but his movements are very strong! Poor mommy has not been able to sleep well at night with this sort of activity and even trying to take a little nap during the day has not helped. I try to sleep and he tries to keep me awake. Hopefully this is not a sign of what is to come!

Hanging Out With Bubba

I had the rare opportunity to spend a day alone with Bubba. The other two children were over at Mamaw's house spending the night. This morning I ask him what he wanted to do and the one thing on his list was to head to the comic book store to pick up a X-men comic that Wesley was missing from his collection (Bubba has borrowed them and has been reading them the past few days). So we get ready and headed out to go a few places. First we went to do a Baby registry where Bubba got to use the scanning gun to add items to the registry. He was going scan crazy! Then we had a wonderful lunch at Chick-fil-a followed by a trip to McKay's. After all that he finally got to the comic book store and found the one he was looking for with just enough time to read it before we got to the grocery store. Seemed like he enjoyed the time with his momma which makes me happy.

And Baby Is....

We finally had our ultrasound on Tuesday! Our new little one was eager to share some things, but hid other things from us. First thing that we saw as soon as she started the ultrasound was that baby #4 is definitely a BOY! That was no secret at all! We got to see that he is growing at a good rate, measuring right on time. The thing that he was hiding from us was his face. He had his arms and hands covering it the whole time. The ultrasound tech tried to shake on my belly to try to get him to move and had me turn on my side, but no luck. So no profile shot of his little face.

Boy or Girl

Today is the day!!! We are finally going to find out what baby #4 will be. I am very excited about seeing the baby. That is the best part of modern technology is being able to catch a glimpse of our newest addition months before we can hold them. Hopefully I will be able to post a picture later today. Off to get ready!

Movement

I have been feeling baby #4 moving for several weeks now and I have actually been able to feel it move from the outside for a couple of weeks. I have not had success with having Joe feel the baby though. The baby moves most during late night hours and early morning hours when I am normally not around the rest of the family. I was feeling a lot of bigger movements just a little bit ago so I called Butch over. He had been very eager to be the first to feel the baby move. He was the same way with Otter, too! He had felt her move several times before Joe felt her for the first time. He is almost desperate in his desire to be the first. He even asked Joe again last night if he had already felt the baby and was happy when his Dad said no. I think that it was a good thing today since we were quite disappointed to not be able to get my ultrasound today. Due to the ice storm that hit us during the night we could not get out today to go to the doctors office. I will have to try to reschedule my appointment and hopefully it will be soon!!!

Christmas Surprise

We are excited because this is the week I go in for my ultrasound with baby #4. We will be learning what the sex of the baby is on Thursday if the baby is willing to show us! We were talking to the boys the other night and they thought we should put it in an envelope and they could open it Christmas morning to learn whether it is a brother or sister. So it looks as though we will not be sharing the news with everyone else until after Christmas. This will be hard for me because I am so excited about shopping after my appointment and sharing with everyone. Now I will have to shop and hide it until after they know (and not refer to the baby as a he or she).

Another funny story was something that happened yesterday morning. We put up our Christmas tree Saturday evening, so on Sunday morning Otter came in the kitchen as Joe and I were preparing breakfast to ask if her presents had come while she slept. She had assumed that we put the tree up and that meant it was Christmas the next day!

Thanksgiving

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year! It was so nice to have almost all the family here this year. There were lots of reasons to be thankful this year. Not only the two new additions we are anticipating through births in the next few months, but we also will have another addition through marriage! We are blessed with the wonderful woman that will soon be my new sister-in-law!

The guys had a great time playing flag football again. There were lots of great plays and several funny moments. We even had a guest this year when one of the boys in the neighborhood (that goes to school with Bubba) came to play for a little while. Several of the older members of the family were sore after the game, but I think that the annual day after Thanksgiving hike helped most stretch out those achy muscles! Not my Joe, though! He had to sleep most of Saturday to recover! ;)

Amazing Music

I wanted to share a link to my cousin's website. I was blessed to be able to spend some time with Andy and his wife while they were in town today. Andy was asked to come and lead music at a local youth conference this weekend. I have heard him singing several times and I believe that he has been blessed by the Lord with his music. He shared some of the recording he is working on for his album with us and I was really blessed by hearing them. Hope that you all head over and listen to his music!

Tabernacle of David

Blessings

Looks like our family is going to be blessed with a new addition in 2011! A couple of weeks ago we got to see the baby as well as hear the heartbeat. I went in this week and got to hear the heartbeat again which was a huge blessing! All the kids have been wanting another sibling and they are all excited. This pregnancy has been the hardest so far because I have been feeling poorly all the time. This is part of the reason why I have not been on here posting much lately. Sometimes it is just hard to concentrate.

Popcorn Time Again

Well, it looks to be time for the annual Boy Scout Popcorn Sales. This is the main fundraiser for the Boy Scout Troops each year. The money raised from this funds the activities that the boys do during the year. So please support the Boy Scouts as they sell!

Fun With Granddad

I took a trip with Joe to Chattanooga yesterday. While we were gone Granddad kept the boys and took them to school and picked them up. On Sunday afternoon Granddad told Butch to bring his baseball stuff with him. He then told us that he was going to take Butch to the ball field to practice his pitching. Bubba asked, "What about me? What will I do?" Granddad responded with "Sit on the bleachers and do your homework!"

Great Labor Day

Today we had a wonderful day with our families! We went up to Metcalf Bottoms Picnic area for breakfast. My mother-in-law makes the best mountain breakfast! We had a picnic site right by the river which made all the kids happy. They were just eager to get into the water. After breakfast the younger kids got in the water and most of the rest of us hiked up to the Little Greenbrier School house. When we returned we got in the river. It was so much fun to watch the three "boys" (Joe, Wesley & BJ) trying to rearrange stones to get a little pool for us to sit in. They got distracted by all the crawdads, though. So along with the older children we captured the crawdads until we were ready to eat lunch. After lunch the kids were all back out in the water. My little Otter did not want to get out of the water except to eat. She did not want to leave! We were all worn out when we got home.

Computer Woes

Over the past few months we have been having trouble with our desktop and after trying several little "fixes" with no real results my husband took drastic measures. He completely wiped off the hard drive and loaded the Linux Ubuntu operating system. This has taken some big adjustments for me. The biggest obstacle is the fact that my Family Tree Maker software is not compatible. That is one of my main uses on the computer and I now have no access on my desktop! All of my pictures have also been moved to an external hard drive. Hopefully I will get settled into this new system soon and post more often.

Another Great Reunion

I was so excited to once again be in South Carolina for my Lane family reunion. I always enjoy getting to see my family. We spent a little more time together this year, though it still seemed to fly by! I actually got to see a few cousins that I don't ever remember seeing before. After the reunion we headed to Dillon to stay with my cousin Theo. All three of his sons were there so we were all able to chat for a little while. Otter decided that she did not like the name Theo, so she called him Gooey. She would not even let us call him Theo! She would try to correct us so that we would call him Gooey, too! I really enjoyed our stay with Theo and his wife Lou! They are awesome cousins!

Humor of a Child

Over the past week we have had some good laughs from Otter. Here are a few:

She walked into the kitchen (where I was) and ask to watch "Billy" (the exterminator). I turn to see her wearing her cowboy hat in preparation! She said, "I'm Billy!"

She has been "tucking in Daddy" a few times. Each time she goes to get a book to read to him. She climbs up and lays beside him and "reads" him the book. One night she started talking about Cap'n Book. He is the brother of Cap'n Hook and he is "VERY scary!"

Last night this is what she told me this:
Otter: God said that we should obey ours parents, right?
me: Yes, that is correct. He told us to obey our parents.
Otter: God is our Daddy, too, so that means we should obey him, too.
What amazing truths a small child can understand!

Preparing For Family Time!

I always get excited about July. More specifically, the fourth Saturday in July because that is when the Lane family gathers in Marion, SC. I have always enjoyed the Lane family reunions and getting to see my SC family. This year is going to be good since I will see some that I have not seen in many years! The internet has been a great tool to help with meeting and keeping in touch with many of them, but nothing beats getting to see them in person! I am thankful for those who many years ago decided to start these reunions and for the wonderful memories I have from each of them. If not for these reunions I might not have met many of these relatives and I cannot imagine my life without their love and influence! So for those Lane relatives out there...bring your best potluck dishes, any pictures to share, grab as many of your family as you can and I will see you in a few weeks!!!

Happy 4th of July

I hope that everyone is enjoying celebrating the 4th of July. Our independence and the freedoms it gives us are precious and cost the lives of many brave men & women. Remembering the sacrifices of all those early Patriots and the men & women in our armed forces from the beginning of our nation to the present make me proud of our nation and the freedom we have thanks to their sacrifices. I hope that everyone has a safe and happy holiday and don't forget to pray for our soldiers who are currently fighting for freedom!

Couple Time

I was excited to be able to get away with Joe for a weekend earlier this month. He made all the plans and picked out a very nice place called the Stone Fort Inn in Chattanooga. It is a beautiful Bed & Breakfast! We had a wonderful breakfast then we went down to the river. We walked along the river then walked partially across the pedestrian bridge. We later went to Rock City. It was a place that neither of us had been to before. I enjoyed the gardens and the rock formations. The skies were very clear that day so we had a great view from "Lover's Leap."

Another interesting part of the trip was when we purchased a GPS unit to help us get to our destination. Joe was very excited about it! On our way back home I was looking at the different voices. Neither of us were particularly fond of the American woman's voice (it sounded too automated), so I decided to try another one. Each language has a man and womans voice and they are also given names (ie: American-English woman - Jill). I decided that I wanted a British voice so I chose the British-English woman Emily as our voice. We both seems to like her voice more than "Jill's." Now it is very amusing because we now all refer to the GPS as Emily. When Otter and I get in the van she now asks where Emily is. We even talk to her and tell her "No thank you, but I do not wish to go that way. Recalculate, please."

All Day Marathon

We have come to enjoy a tv show called "Billy the Exterminator" on A&E. This is a funny show, although what he does is serious and dangerous. Today is an all day marathon! Sometimes it is nice to be a stay-at-home mom!!! All day, all Billy! "Billy, I got a job for ya!"

Great Deals In K-Town!

I learned that Kroger has a great deal until May 1st. If you buy one single day admission ticket to the Knoxville Zoo you get one free! They also have a discount on tickets and memberships with your Kroger Plus Card. $2 off for single day admissions and $5 off memberships with a valid Kroger Plus Card. We love the zoo and I thought I would share this so that everyone else who enjoys going could enjoy these savings, too!

Well, a rough couple of weeks have just passed for me. Sometimes I just wish I could understand why these things happen, but I don't think I will.

Dogwood Time In Tennessee

Yesterday officially opened the Dogwood trails in Knoxville! Trails are open from April 7 - April 25. This year the Fountain City trail is the featured trail. The Dogwood Arts Festival happens every April in Knoxville and there are lots of events. Check out the calendar on their site for dates, times, and locations. Saturday there is an all day event that looks very interesting. The Marble Springs Storytelling Festival will be from 10am-10pm at the Marble Springs Historical Farmstead. They will have ghost stories in the evening, too.

Spring Is Here!

These are all pictures that I took this afternoon as I walked around our yard.

Kerria

Grape Hyacinth

Bleeding Heart

Flowering Almond

Hoosier Cabinets

I have always been a big fan of the Hoosier cabinets. I remember my aunt had one in her kitchen that was a white enamel with red trim. Those are my favorite ones, but I also like the wooden ones as well. I have been keeping my eye out for one for many years, but I currently do not have a kitchen that would accommodate one. My dream kitchen is a farmhouse style kitchen with a Hoosier cabinet in it. Maybe one day...

Duck Duck Goose Time!!!

Alright everyone prepare for some amazing shopping in the next few days! Duck Duck Goose is back in Knoxville and they have packed the old Kmart building on Kingston Pike! I was there tonight to help organize and it is crazy how much stuff is there! If you have children or want to buy for children this is the place to be. The public sale starts on Thursday, March 11th. For more info about this sale go to their website: Duck Duck Goose

Etsy Update

I wanted to let everyone know that I have now opened an Etsy store! I only have a few items listed so far, but I plan to add more soon. I would love for you to go and take a look! Here is the link to my store:

Heather of the Hills

Etsy

If you have not heard about Etsy, it is worth a look. It is a marketplace for items that are handmade. There are so many different varieties of things on the site, but I wanted to share about one particular store. My friend has started a store there to sell hair bows, ribbons and clips. She has a special gift for making these (she is a former cheerleader who absolutely loves ribbons!). I have several bows, clips and her newest items, fabric flowers on bobby pins. They are all great and I love the way they look in Otter's hair. Otter loves the bows that Em makes for her! Please take a moment and go look at my friend's store!

I Love Red Hair

Additionally I would like to add that I am preparing to open a shop on Etsy in the next couple of weeks to sell my crochet hats and other items. I will post a link as soon as it is set up.

New Quarters

I was in Hobby Lobby yesterday when I came upon the coin collecting section. I saw a large new book for quarters. The series is officially called the "America the Beautiful" series, but also called the "National Park" series. I was excited and looked at the book. The series starts in April of this year and goes through 2021. Here is a link if you would like to see some of the design candidates or to learn more: National Park Quarters

Another Background

I was looking at the Hot Bliggity Blog site for my newest background. I love the vintage look and the colors on this one are awesome! There is no name to the designs on this website, but there are lots of backgrounds to choose from.

New Background

This is the second background from Shabby Blogs. The design is called Rozlyn's Roses.

Cool Websites

I came across two websites that provide free backgrounds for blogs. I have decided to use several designs to show off some of the very cute backgrounds they have. The first is a design from Shabby Blogs called Orange Blossom. Every time I add a new background I will add a post to share the site and the design name.

The second website is called Hot Bliggity Blog . I have several favorite on this site, but they do not have names. The vintage, shabby chic looks are very much my style. Thought I would share these with all of you. Hope that you enjoy!

Enjoyable Day

Today I have had lots of fun. This morning I went with my mother-in-law (and the kids) to Sweetwater to go shopping at the Sock Shop. It was so much fun looking at all the different socks and loading up on them, too! I got some more of the Worlds Softest Spa Socks and I am loving them! We went over to Hunter's Bakery and Cafe for a good lunch then walked to a couple of the Antique stores nearby. This evening Joe and I went to an Ice Bears hockey game. They lost, but we did have fun. Now I sit relaxing in my new spa socks (pictured here). Ahhhh. How nice!!

Kalencom Diaper Bag

My cousin had a link to show a diaper bag that she is wanting from Kalencom. After looking at it I liked it as well. It has straps that help it attach to your stroller as well as a few other nice accessories. I like two of the designs best. Ozz Quilted Morocco Orange and Ozz Printed Nylon Flower Power Blue. A site called The Bragging Mommy has a review and giveaway on their site. I encourage you to have a look if you are interested in diaper bags or other products for children.

Bad Beginnings

This year started on a bad note for most of our family. It all started on New Year's Eve. Butch started getting sick. Then in the wee hours of the morning I got sick. It was terrible. We were both so weak from the stomach bug that we just slept for the next two days. We were almost on the point of dehydration. Joe, bless his heart got it a couple days later. Luckily Otter and Bubba did not get it! Then as soon as that passed and I started getting my energy back I got sinus stuff. Ugghhhh!!!!!! Now there have also been other things to add some stress (plumbing issues, heat went out, more plumbing issues, and a root canal). This has been a rough two weeks. I am hoping that the rest of the year proves to be a lot calmer and less stressful!

Humor

So we now are the owners of a WII. It was an awesome gift and we are all very excited about it. Today I forced the boys off so I could race on Mario Cart. (I have my own license so I am having to beat the grand prix on my own to get all the new levels, characters, etc.) So I am in the middle of one race when Butch forgets that he doesn't have a controller in his hand and jerks his hands up as if to jump with me. He instead jerked the glass of orange juice that was in his hands and it was very full of orange juice! Said orange juice goes flying out of the cup and lands all around (and on) him! That was so funny! Should they put a warning about that too? "For those who may be watching a race, please put down all items in your hands so that you might not fling them while race is in progress."

Christmas Time

Well, tomorrow is Christmas Eve. Do I have all my shopping done? No! I am looking forward to the first day of family gatherings tomorrow, though. I love getting together with family (and friends, too)! I enjoy buying gifts for them and seeing their reactions. This year is really exciting because Otter is starting to pick up on more than just presents.

We have a Nativity set and she points out Joseph and Mary, but ours is missing the baby Jesus. He only comes out after they go to bed on Christmas Eve. It is something that was a tradition in Joe's family and we have carried it over into our family. The boys know that when Momma puts out the scene He will be missing until Christmas morning. Now Otter is learning about this tradition. I love it when they start understanding more of what we are really celebrating! The birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!


This is a beautiful set that I saw last week at our local five-and-dime store down the street. The artist is Jim Shore.

Sales

Since Butch's school did not reach their $ goal with coupon books they have two additional sales going on now. One is cookie dough, which we do not have a form yet so I have no info right now. The second is reusable bags. These are really nice looking polypropylene bags from the Mixed Bag Designs company. If you go to the link provided you can see the bags. There are four sizes. Prices are listed (the department store bags is listed as $10 on our forms, though) on the site. I have a Green Mountain Coffee bag that is about the same size as the department bag and I love it! It is also made out of the polypropylene. If you would like to help raise money to help the school please let me know! This will only go through next Tuesday, so hurry!!

Dust Off The Dancing Shoes!

This is the slogan used by the Chattanooga Choo Choo to promote an event that will be held on May 29, 2010. It is the Glenn Miller Orchestra special event. It is a package for two nights that included an evening of dancing to the beautiful sounds of songs like "In the Mood", "Moonlight Serenade", etc. This is an event that would be so much fun to attend! Now if I could only dance like Ginger Rogers or Ann Miller!

Funny Quotes part two

As we were sitting around the dinner table today we were joking about all the hair that is found around Grandmomma's house. We were talking about the possibility of using hair nets, but deduced the main cause for the hairs was the animals. That was when Butch said that the cats should live in hair nets! We all found the thought of the cats in full body "hair nets" very amusing! Wish I could find a picture of that!

Dating 101

If you are in a dating situation here is some advice. After you ask about their relationship with Jesus the next question should be "Are you a Vols fan?" If the answer is no shake their hand, tell them it was nice to meet them and WALK AWAY!!

Funny Quotes

This evening our son just made us laugh so hard! Here is the jest...

Butch: Dad, can you help me with this?
Joe: Yes, but can I get you to do me a favor?
Butch: No, I will not pick your nose or massage your feet!!

Homecoming

This week is an event that I love to see come every year. The Museum of Appalachia is having their Homecoming celebrations this week. With so much going on there I cannot list it all here, but here are a few things you will find:

Cloggers
Singers and musicians
Blacksmiths
Country Crafters
Tatting
Wood workers
Sorghum makers
Homemade soap and lotion makers
Basket weavers
and a whole lot more!

Bubba found someone to play
checkers with a few years ago

Hubby's Reunion

Well, Joe had a gathering of people who graduated from his school in the 90's. It was a big event that was created to be family friendly. I was finally able to see some of the people that he has been telling me about for years. It was an enjoyable evening and I was happy to see some of the people that I already knew, but have not seen in the last couple of years.

Well I thought I would try out the SMS here on blogger. Not sure how much I will use it, but I now have the capability!

Worst Dressed

Personally I enjoy looking at the red carpet pics to see how my opinions and those of whoever these "judges" are that grade them match up. I saw several that I strongly disagreed with and some I completely agreed with. One dress that fell into the latter category was the dress that Victoria Rowell wore. I could see nothing that would make me like this even if it was not Obama. Even a similar dress with Ronald Reagan would still be an 'F' on my grading scale!

Interesting Sideshow

On the PBS tv show, History Detectives, there was an extremely interesting story that I wanted to share. In 1933 at the Chicago World's Fair there was an exhibit called Baby Incubators with living babies. For the two years of the fair the exhibit was used to show the incubators and how they helped the babies survive. It is an extremely interesting show that helps a woman in her quest to learn if she was truely one of the babies on exhibit during this time. Here is a link to watch the episode.

PBS History Detectives Season 7, Episode 4

Holiday

Friday we were blessed by the holiday that Joe had from work and for my Mom who watched our little Otter so we could have some time together. After getting the guys off to school we got the bicycles out. After dusting them off, cleaning the chains and checking the tires we headed off to enjoy the day. We drove to Maryville to ride the greenway out there. Before we left home I looked and estimated the mileage as around 8 miles round trip. We had planned to start in Downtown Maryville, but we ended up starting at the City of Alcoa Municipal Building riding to the Greenbelt Park continuing to Sandy Springs and Pearson Springs Parks. We actually passed Pearson Springs and continued on up to Maryville Intermediate School before turning back. When we finished we came back to eat at my favorite restaurant Puléo's Grille. It was a great day! I told Joe, "Today is brought to you by the letter B and the number 2! Bikes, bottle of water, biking braids, beautiful weather, and my best bud!"

Another Emma

In early 2010 Masterpiece Theatre Classic will be airing the new adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma here in the USA. Here is a press release about the new movie from the BBC site:

Emma is a fresh and witty serial adaptation of Jane Austen's comic masterpiece by award-winning writer Sandy Welch (Jane Eyre, North And South, Our Mutual Friend).

Romola Garai (Atonement, Vanity Fair), plays the "handsome, clever and rich" Emma Woodhouse, a young woman who dominates her small provincial world of Highbury. Misguidedly believing that she is a skilled matchmaker, Emma repeatedly attempts to pair up her friends and acquaintances, often with regrettable consequences.

The cast includes Jonny Lee Miller (Endgame, Melinda And Melinda), Michael Gambon (Harry Potter, Cranford), Tamsin Greig (The Diary Of Anne Frank, Green Wing), Robert Bathurst (Cold Feet) and Jodhi May (Einstein And Eddington, The Amazing Mrs Pritchard).

A Bafta-winning writer, Sandy Welch unfolds Austen's compassionate and humorous story of self-deceit and self-discovery in four hour-long episodes, providing a rich insight into one of the author's most complex characters.

Here is a YouTube Video that is somewhat of a trailer. So far it is all I can find.

Back To School

Once again it is time for school. The guys are somewhat happy with returning, but me... I'm ecstatic! Well, that is rather exaggerated, though I do enjoy the one-on-one time with Otter! I was very pleased when Butch came home this week and told me he had made it into advanced math! They gave a test and based off their scores placed the kids in the appropriate math class. I was hoping that he would get in since it will help lead into advanced math in middle school as well. He was very proud, too! It was great to see him so excited and working hard. Bubba is also in advanced math (now that we have his schedule fixed). Band has started for him, too. Once again the clarinet will be heard in our neighborhood! I am just praying that we are all up to the challenges ahead this year.

Rocky Start

Well, I sit here on the balcony looking out at the ocean and enjoying the nice weather here in the shade. I can look over and see the ocean, watch the waves crash, and be thankful that I have not had to drive anywhere today. That is where our vacation troubles have been!

On Saturday we had planned to leave by 9:30ish. Well, nothing was going as planned (should have known that!), but we finally left around 10:30ish. Our first destination was my family reunion in Marion, SC. We get there, all be it at least 30 minutes late. I am thinking at least I will still be able to visit a little after the meal. Nope. People start leaving before I finish my dinner. A redeeming point was when we were able to go to aunt Dora's house to visit with some of her family after the reunion. We leave there and arrive at the beach after 11pm. Then my little girl decided that she did not want to go to sleep until at least 1:30am! Ugghhh!

Next morning we finally get up and moving by 10am. We head down to the van so we can get breakfast only to find a flat tire. UUGGGHHHH! So we get the spare out (by we I mean Joe and Butch). Only after then do we find out that our spare is not a correct size spare for our van. It doesn't work on the front due to brake stuff, so Joe puts the flat back on the front and goes to take the back tire off to use on the front, while placing the spare on the back. While taking the luge nuts off the back tire one of the stems for the luges breaks due to someone putting a incorrect luge on previously, but that is another bowl of chowder for another time! Now poor Joe is getting really frustrated. "We will laugh at this one day" he tells me. "Not today, and probably not next month, but one day. Maybe." We take the van and drop it off to be fixed. There was a Cracker Barrel right beside it and we were able to eat while it was fixed. After a good meal we find the van taken care of with only a loose valve on the tire, whew! Praise the Lord! Go back to the condo for naps and a restart later in the evening.

Monday we head to the beach after breakfast and have an enjoyable time. Joe and I get burnt, but it is all good, right? After lunch and getting Otter and Joe down for a nap I prepare to go the the grocery store to get our food for the week. Huh...now what could possibly happen you might ask? I check the tires...all good! I get in the van and...click, click, click...click, click, click...the van won't start! UGGHHHH! Back upstairs to wait for my poor husband to awaken from his slumber to fix another problem! After the nice man from the office gives us a jump we head to find the Advance Auto. Directions from the locals over the phone have not been extremely good either day, but we find it faster than we did the Sears the previous day. The guy there checks and the diagnosis is a dead battery. Praise the Lord again! Even the $90 for that is better than a bad alternator, etc., right? Finally get to the grocery store to get our food. Come back to have grilled hamburgers, fries, and baked beans for dinner. The boys swim in the pool while Daddy cooks the burgers. It was a good evening.

Today...well, we went to the beach again this morning. The boys got an inflatable boat that they played with. Otter let me sit in the water (only on the edge) without crying (Grandmomma, she liked it until she got into the water yesterday. She doesn't like the waves and the current as the water goes out back out). Luckily there was an area that was almost like a baby pool with hardly any waves and I was able to sit with her in my lap. She was holding onto me and laid her head on my shoulder, but it was an improvement. By the time that the tide started moving in and the waves were a little more on us, she was doing much better. A little while later we were told by the "boss" that she was ready to go back. She was so wore out that she only ate half a banana before she climbed in my lap to fall asleep. So far we have had a good day! Of course we have not gone to the van yet ;), and every time the boys pray it includes "please don't let any thing else bad happen to the van." Oh the stories we will have after this vacation! Hopefully the rest is utterly uneventful!

Interesting Wedding March

A friend of mine posted this and I wanted to share it here. It was such a cute video. I thought having Star Wars music as we marched out of my best friend's wedding was unique, but this takes the cake!

The Yorktown

We boarded the Yorktown and I learned that I was going to be staying in the "Officer's Quarters." It was SO sweet! The room I was initially taken to had four beds. I learned that another member of our group was in a room by herself. She offered to share her room with me. We went and looked and it had only two beds! I like the top bunk best, which was good since she had the lower one. The first evening was rather relaxed. I once again skipped the movie Tora, Tora, Tora! A group of us adults just sat out on the side landing and talked.


The next morning we took a boat ride over to Fort Sumter. This being my fourth trip I did not do much touring around. Butch was part of the flag raising ceremony, though instead of helping raise the flags he was chosen to lead the pledge afterwards.


Later in the afternoon we had free time to tour the ships. Since the Destroyer and Coast Guard Cutter were closed I did not plan to do much touring on the sub and the Yorktown. The boys each caught me and took me on tours on the Yorktown, though. In the evening there was a big celebration at Patriot's Point. There was live music, lots of tents set up with food, and inflatables for the kiddos. After dark we were treated to a wonderful display of fireworks off the deck of the Yorktown. I decided to try out the fireworks setting on my camera. It would have helped if I had my tripod, but I did the best I could. Here is a couple of my favorite shots.

Charleston

On Friday of last week we spent the day in Charleston, SC. We woke early and drove over to E. Bay Street and parked the van. Then we walked all over Charleston! We hit the open market first. Bubba found an alligator head he just had to have! The guys also decided I needed a floppy brimmed hat to wear around, so they found a great hat for me and some sunglasses to match. We're walking...we're walking...then lunchtime at Bubba Gump. We're walking...we're walking...see some churches, stores, and other cool sights. Then we headed to our main destination. Patriots Point and the USS Yorktown! I will talk about that tomorrow. Until then enjoy some of our pics!

Rainbow Row (on E. Bay Street)

Butch and me at the cemetery at
the Circular Congregational Church

Lunch at Bubba Gump.
Joe, Butch & Bubba with the Shrimp

The Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon

More Garden News

Our garden continues to do well. Our broccoli was very good! The lettuces are giving us plenty to eat. Both Romaine and Buttercrunch are growing splendidly. We also harvested our cabbage this past week. It was also very good! I cooked the first cabbage head for Joe and Bubba. I, personally, hate cooked cabbage unless it is in an egg roll. Today I planted more things. Watermelon, okra, black beans, and more peanut beans. I am hoping to see all of these doing as well as the others.

Our Garden

I went and got more stuff to plant in our garden today. I got eggplant, zucchini, crookneck squash, tomatoes, green peppers, turkey beans, and cucumbers. I got most of it planted right before a huge downpour hit the area. So I was soaked before I could get under cover, but I did not have to water the plants. God did it for me!

We ate some of the broccoli and lettuce that we had planted a few months ago. It was really good! I am so glad we tried the broccoli!

Happy Memorial Day

On this Memorial Day I hope we all remember those who have fought for the wonderful freedoms we experience everyday.

My Plants

Last night I was working outside and thought I would try to propagate some of the plants I have in the back yard. Here are a couple that I am trying currently:

Common Names: Japanese Rose or Kerria Rose
Latin Name: Kerria japonica 'Pleniflora'

Common Name: Aucuba 'Gold Dust'
Latin name: Aucuba japonica 'Variegata'

Prayer Request

As many of you know I lost an uncle in January. Yesterday I learned that I lost another uncle. This was the husband of my mom's sister, Fannie. Grant has been in declining health for some time and it has been very difficult. Please pray for his family during this time. Thank you!

My Dream Refrigerator/ Freezer

For many years I have known exactly what I would love to have in my dream kitchen as my refrigerator/freezer. I saw it in a store once, but after that it was never out for my viewing pleasure at most appliance stores. Today I found them online and also in a local store. Here it is...Frigidaire makes a full size refrigerator and freezer that are meant to be side by side. Aaahhhh! How wonderful! This is my dream (minus the stainless steel look, it is not for me!). Of course, in my current kitchen it would possibly be overkill!