Good Grief! It's Been Way Too Long!!

Yes, yes.....I know it's been forever since I've posted anything on here. I've realized I spend way more time on the computer these days doing little more than keeping up with all my friends and before I know it, the time slips by. I feel like I'm not spending my time as wisely as I should, so I've let my blog go. Plus, it's been crazy busy around our place and I just haven't felt like blogging. But here's a bit of a recap:

* November - Most of my activities this month, of course, involved preparing for Thanksgiving. Every other year, Marks' parents come to our house to spend the holiday on our turf. This year, we not only had his parents, but his sister and her husband and 2 kids and Wesley and Wendy and the 2 g-babies. Wes and his family were here for the entire week, so planning activities and buying and cooking food for the that many people for a week took up a great deal of time. We truly had a feast, but I was way too stressed out over it all. I learned a valuable lesson, though: it's just a meal....delegate....and enjoy time with the family while they're with you.

* December - Of course, means Christmas! I did most of the shopping in November, so that we could send Wes/Wendy and g-babies gifts home with them rather than ship them. Whew!! After all the stressing I did over the Thanksgiving meal, Mark informs me he wants to invite the missionaries, our bishop and his wife and daughter and another family in our ward over for Christmas Day dinner and basically repeat the whole Thanksgiving meal! This time, as I said, I'd learned a few things and prepared the meat, while I let the other guests bring the sides and desserts. Much nicer and less hectic! * Perry changed betallions, which caused him to not to get to take Christmas leave. Bummer!

* January - Early in the first month of the new year, I'm on the treadmill at the gym.....done a mile and a half, when I get a call from my mom. She tells me my sister's fience' had been killed the night before in a car wreck. WOW!! I was not expecting that! I grab my things, stop for gas on the way home, throw some things in a suitcase and take off for Texas to be with my sweet sissy. My hubby and bubba girl were so supportive and helpful and allowed me time with my sister and for that, I am so very thankful. Five days later, I returned to Kentucky, was here for 2 days and received word my grandmother, last of all my grandparents, had passed away at age 93. So, we all jumped in the truck and headed back to Texas. That trip is 13.5 hours one way. Thank heavens I had my sweeties with me this time....sure makes the trip nicer. Needless to say, I was worn out for a while. I have no idea where the rest of the month went. It just got lost.

* February - On Feb. 2, we got a new family member. His name is Cooper and he is a 4 month old (now), 5.4 lb. Maltese puppy and he is absolutely adorable! He has been so much fun to have around and really perked things up in our home. He's playful at times, but LOVES to cuddle and relax on the couch. I was sick this past weekend and he was right beside me continually. Nothing like the unconditional love of a precious puppy dog. * Mark has been traveling a bit this month and still has more to do. * Perry is coming in this weekend for a weeks' visit....the one he didn't get to take in December....or January. Yeah!! * Alysa received awards for making the Honor Roll for the first 9 weeks. She is so smart and we love her so much. She is reading Eclipse, the 3rd book in the Twilight series so that she can see the movie when it comes out in June. We've already registered her for softball and she is still taking guitar lessons. BUSY!!! * Wes and Wendy are looking into trying to get into a house....much needed! I can't wait and I'm so excited for them! More room for them means more room for me when I go to visit!!

Playin' Catch-Up

I know I haven't posted in quite a while. But to be honest, I just haven't been in the mood to blog. I know that sounds snooty and I don't mean it that way. I just have lacked the energy and the desire to sit at the computer for any length of time, upload pictures, type explanations, etc. I still don't feel up to it now, but I had to upload pictures for other purposes. So I figured I might as well go ahead and catch up.

• My mom came back from her mission in California. Rather than go to Texas and then back to Kentucky to visit, she flew to Kentucky first and I took her home a couple of weeks later. These are some pics of SOME of the fun things we did while she was here.
  
• The first full day she was here, Alysa sweet talked her into the kitchen where they made a batch of yummy home made chocolate pudding (one of my moms' specialties). It was very tasty, but has proved to be "death by chocolate" for me as I seem to have developed an addiction to it - especially with the cooler weather.
  
• Our new Chik-fil-a had a game day where if you wear your favorite team shirt, you get a free chicken sandwich. Needless to say, we all dressed accordingly and had lunch on the house. Chik-fil-a is one of my moms' favorite places to dine, so of course we had to make this a memorable experience.

• The first weekend mom was here turned out to be gorgeous. So we made a trip to the Louisville Zoo. We had a lot of fun...walked a LOT! I got lots of great pics but this one of Mark and Alysa is my favorite. Mark thinks he might be related to this guy.
  

• I took mom back to Texas on a Thursday and the next day was Grandparents Day at the school where my g-baby, Skylar, attends. Her Mi-Mi and myself were treated to a fun time at the park, a Subway lunch and a special cake just for the grandparents.
  
• This is a cute pic I snapped of my precious g-babies when we were getting my mom settled back in to her old room (she's living temporarily with a friend - her apartment will be ready at the end of the month). They are just too cute for words!!!
  
• The following Saturday, my niece, Randi, had a baby shower. She is expecting a little girl she will name Jacey (not sure if I spelled that right) in November. Bless her heart....doesn't she look miserable?
  
• The following day we all attended church with my mom. It was so nice being together at church and getting to see so many people I haven't seen in so long. Afterwards, we met up with more family and had lunch at a favorite local mexican restaurant. This is a cute pic of my sister and her new beau. Aren't they cute? Here are some more shots, around the table........

• It was a great week and I loved visiting with my family, kids and g-babies. But I was awfully glad to get that long drive over with and be back home with Mark and Alysa. It took me almost another week to get over the trip and back to my old self.

Current Events

The first week of August, we took our annual "James Family Vacation". This year we went to Lake Gaston, NC, where one of my brothers-in-law had a family lake house we used. We rented the house next door as well in order to accommodate all the people coming and going throughout the week. The week was fantastic because we all just relaxed on the dock, swam at leisure, took out the pontoon boat and skied, knee boarded, tubed and jumped off and swam and visited. Perry was able to join us part of the time from Camp Lejeune, which was a wonderful addition to the trip. He brought his guitar and he and Alysa entertained us with music. It was a nice, relaxing vacation....just what the Dr. ordered.

The week following vacation, we went to a Lexington Legends (minor league baseball) ball game. Marks' church made a trip and had a pavilion reserved and a meal of hot dogs and burgers catered. The weather was beautiful and although our guys didn't win, we had a good time. I love the ballpark atmosphere....must have picked that up when the boys were young. They had a huge statue of a Cliedsdale horse (which was probably true to size) and Alysa decided to have her picture made on it. Marks' pastor also took a turn for a photo opp, but was gruffly "asked" to dismount at once. That was probably a bit embarrassing, considering he is the leader of the flock and he's the one acting up. Lots of fun!

This is a picture of Alysa's first day of 4TH GRADE!!!! (All caps for gasping effect.) She has taken a growth spurt this summer, growing out of all her jeans. Where she got those long legs from is beyond me. She absolutely LOVES her teachers - in 4th grade they have a different teacher for each subject. That makes her feel so mature and reminds me junior high is just around the corner. When she got off the bus I asked her how her first day was and she exclaimed "Awesome!". I wasn't expecting that reaction, really, but was SO glad to hear it.

Yesterday, Sat. Aug. 29, we attended a Civil War reenactment at Battlefield Park here in Richmond, where The Battle of Richmond actually took place. All the actors were dressed in period attire and there were cannons and guns firing and sword fights, making it all feel so real. There were period tents set up all over with the clothing and accessories for sale, kettle corn, tin typing photos and a multitude of other things to experience. We really enjoyed it (well, Mark and I did) and it made me feel so much more part of the community to get to know a little history about where we live.

Today, Aug. 30, is my 45th birthday. This past Thursday a few of my girlfriends took me out to dinner to celebrate. We had a great time, eating, talking and relaxing at the Olive Garden. I have great girlfriends! Mark and Alysa also took me to dinner yesterday at the Outback (one of my favorite places ever) and then gave me gifts today. I had "hinted" for some dumbbells for when I work out at home and they also gave me a gift card to one of my favorite stores to shop for clothes, Maurices. I also received phone calls from my grand babies, boys, daughter-in-law, mom and friends. I love my family and friends SO much and truly feel blessed to have them all in my life. It's been a terrific week.

NO WAY!!!!

I was so excited by this news, I just had to shout it!! OUR ELECTRIC BILL WENT DOWN BY $60 FOR THE MONTH OF JULY!!!! Are you serious? Who ever heard of that? I'm all tingly!!

In the past couple of weeks...........

* Alysa pulled another tooth, after much fretting. She didn't want another hole. I think she's adorable either way, of course. She's growing up so fast! I can't believe she'll be in 4th grade when school starts, which is only 2 weeks away!! Her teen years are right around the corner.....I think we've already started seeing previews of what those days might be like. But she's still such a sweetie.........I do hope it lasts!



* We took a hike!! We spent a Saturday hiking up a trail in a nearby town called Berea . This is from the west lookout. It was a beautiful view, but the hike itself wasnt' all that great. I've done better anyway. But we did have fun and spent the day doing something other than hanging around the house. After the hike, we had some very tasty pizza at a local spot called Popalino's then later went on an awesome bike ride around the neighborhood. Whew!! We were pretty tired after all that.


* Said goodbye to one of our favorite missionaries, Elder Crump (on the left). He's going north to finish out the last 4 months of his mission. But he and his parents will be back for a visit in December. Good luck, Elder Crump! We will miss you!





* Went to Clean Water U in Mississippi and made some new friends. These are my classmates in the 102 program.....the one where we learn to "teach the teachers" who will then teach the rest of the community all about using clean water and washing your hands. You might think those are things that would be a given in the world today. But, sadly, there are thousands of children dying everyday from the lack of clean water to drink and disintary (spelled incorrectly, I know). Our plan is to take a mission trip to the Yucutan next summer, where Mark will teach them to install and maintain a water filtration system and I will teach the educational information. Pray for these people and those just like them in other under developed countries. It is beyond amazing the poverty and sickness that has become a part of everyday life for them.

* We celebrated Marks' 46th birthday. He is posing here with his look alike pinata that Alysa and her friend, Savanna made. It took them 3 days (about 8 hours) to complete. Quite a resemblance, don't you think? It also has a bald spot in the back!! That's where they loaded it with candy....hahahaha! Happy Birthday, Babe.....I love ya!!

For Mark.....and all his Buds (Aaron)

This is a cute little video of the fawn and her mama that I told you about before. Mark caught them in the back yard one morning before he went to work and ended up going in late just so he could watch them and take pictures. He thought this might thrill some of his hunting buddies. I thought it was sweet.

Random Goings On

The past couple of weeks have been relatively quiet, but busy. I did purchase a new camera....a Sony Cybershot, which I got a great deal on. I'm still trying to figure out all the things it will do. I am hardly a photographer and don't know what a lot of terms mean AND I'm use to using my trusty, simple Kodak camera. But, I figure I'll catch on in time. The first picture I took was of this fawn and her mother. It was so fun watching the mother coax her baby over the fence, running back and forth across the back yard as if to show her baby what to do and how to do it. Summertime view from our back deck....

We spent the 4th of July with our friends, the Jasinskis. We grilled shrimp and veggie kabobs and we also had fruit kabobs and home made ice cream...yummmmm! Afterwards, we played a few rounds of Hand and Foot, then watched the firework show, right from their driveway!! No fighting the crowds!

Alysa spent the night with one of her friends from school. They put a tent up in the back yard and the dad dug and built a fire pit, where they roasted marshmellows and they made smores. The next day, this same"wonder dad", BUILT this fantastic slip and slide which stretched over half way across their back yard. You can tell by the tent in the background just how long that thing was! He even created water sprayers out of PVC pipe and used a little Wesson oil for a little added slip! They had a mini pool on the side of the house, along with a trampoline they also hosed down with water and then jumped on. Can you imagine the fun they had? When I picked her up the next afternoon, she was worn out but said she had the BEST time ever. Well, I guess!!

Then Monday, we took Alysa to summer camp. Now, I never went to camp when I was young, but the kids in Marks family did. This particular camp is called MADD (music, art, dance and drama), which is right up her alley. The campers make up a skit or play, coreograph the dance, write the words to the songs and then put it all on for the parents on Friday. It is NOT a day camp.....they are there ALL WEEK.....with NO communication with their families (except the 1 way emails we send them daily)......NO hugs or kisses at bedtime....NO "I love you's" throughout the day......(can you tell I'm stressing?). I teared up the minute I closed the truck door, where she couldn't see me. Alysa was really excited about it until it got close to time for Mark and I to leave....then she was a little uneasy, which made me a LOT uneasy. But we've not heard anything from her, so I guess she's doing OK. All I know is I can't WAIT for Friday!! I may not let her go anywhere or do anything without me for a long, long time. Here she is with Mark, just before we left.......

Weekend Getaway

This past weekend, Mark, Alysa and I headed off for Reliance, TN for some outdoor fun. We met 2 other couples at a campground there and did a rafting trip down the Hiwassee River. Although we had a cabin rented (and I use the term "cabin" loosely) Alysa really wanted to stay in the tent. So she and Mark pitched the tent and we spent our 2 nights in sleeping bags, which I truly did not mind....especially after seeing the illusive "cabin" - complete with live mice. OK, to be fair, there was only 1 mouse that we actually saw. But I'm a firm believer that where there's one, there's at least another.....of ANYTHING. The worst part of sleeping outdoors was waking up in the middle of the night because I had to make a trip to the toilie. I didn't want to tromp up the stairs, open the noisy door and trek through the "cabin" and wake up the couple sleeping inside (the other couple opted for the tent too). So the only other choice was.....you guessed it. This happened both nights we were there, only the 2nd night, I had to go twice!! This caused me great distress, worrying about how to remedy this problem. So, needless to say, I had some pretty restless nights. But the rafting trip was great. Alysa had a terrific time....although it wasn't quite exciting enough for her - she wanted more of the "rapids"....maybe next trip. After leaving the Hiwassee on Sunday, we drove to Bald Water Falls, where we saw this beautiful waterfall. We got out and climbed around on the rocks and waded in the water. It was a very pleasant weekend getaway. Only thing that would have made it perfect would have been to have the rest of our family there (Wes, Wendy and the kiddos and Perry). Still, lots of fun!

Out With the Old....and In With the New

Well, here it is.....the long-awaited new car. Our original plans were to get to Kentucky, get settled and then start car-hunting. Since we decided to build, getting settled took longer than expected, thus delaying the new car purchase. But, alas, it finally happened. After selling my Mazda 626 and getting into the Toyota Highlander, I thought I'd never drive a car again. But this baby is so powerful, it is a total BLAST to drive! I can't wait to get in it every day. Plus, it's loaded with all the amenities and has plenty of room. We cleaned up the Highlander and put it out in front of Marks' office......2 days later, it was SOLD and gone. When things happen like that, I'm convinced the Lord is handling it and I am SOOOOO grateful. I haven't decided on a name for my new baby yet, but I'm taking suggestions..... :'D

In OUR plot of the Holler......

...........we've seen 8 deer, 1 fawn, 3 wild turkeys, numerous rabbits and birds, 2 rat snakes and a coyote. Nothing typical around here!!

Flash Backs

I know it's been a long time since I've entered a post. That's because, if you remember, I haven't been able to get my camera to transfer pics to my computer. By some miraculous event, I unplugged the dock from my computer and plugged it back it and, VOILA!!, problem solved!! So, I will flash back to fill you in on what's been going on around here........
Easter...Alysa Loves finding Easter Eggs and she loves coloring them too!

Visit from Mark's parents. Remember, this is where we went to a local opry house. They loved that. The next day we mowed the grass for the first time and the house smelled like wild onions for days (they grow in our yard, which use to be a beautiful pasture).

Mothers Day.....these are the beautiful roses Alysa and Mark got me. They also cooked me a fabulous steak on the grill....Mark grills the most awesome steaks!
Mark and I celebrated out 11th wedding anniversary on May 21. We went to dinner at a Japanese steak house and then saw a movie. But the best gift (besides the 11 years of wedded bliss) is MY NEW CAR!!! Sorry, I don't have a picture yet. I promise to get it posted soon! I got a 2009 VW Jetta TDI.....fully loaded, sun roof, leather seats (the front seats heat up for those chilly Kentucky days), satellite radio and Ipod accessible and LOTS of other bells and whistles. He is so good to me and even spoils me whether he means to or not. Ain't he a doll?!
Alysa started playing softball this year for the first time ever. She's doing great and is really loving it. She thinks she wants to pitch, or maybe even catch. Right now, she plays 2nd base and right field.
Me and several girlfriends from church did a quilted barn tour. There are barns all over Kentucky that have these quilted blocks on them...all different. We had a beautiful day to just drive around our area and look at as many as possible. I think my group got 16 in all. Beautiful!
Alysa's final awards ceremony and the end of 3rd grade. She made all A Honor Roll all year long, got Good Citizenship Award all year and got Perfect Attendance on some grading periods. We are so proud of her and are amazed our little girl is going to 4th Grade!!! WOW!!
The Friday after school was out, we took Alysa to Cincinnati, OH to see Taylor Swift and Keith Urban. Before the concert, we went to a local pizzaria (the girls and I while at Time Out for Women also visited this place....yummy!) and then walked across the Purple People Bridge, which crosses the Ohio River, to get to the coliseum. It was great! Right outside the coliseum, we were viewing all the tour busses and I asked a guy standing there how you get to the entrance. He gave us directions, as best he knew. Come to find out a little later on, he was Taylor Swifts' bass player!! Alysa recognized him when he walked on stage! I didn't care for Taylor at all, but Keith was out of this world, as always!! We had a great time together though. I love family memories like this.
We also were paid a visit from our dear friends, the Anderson Family. They were vacationing in Indiana and called to ask if they could come by and spend a few days with us on their way home. Of course, we were thrilled to have them! We had originally planned to take the kids to the water park, but the bad weather changed our plans. We ended up taking the kids to an open gym to play off some of their energy, then to lunch, then home for a brief rest, then to the movies! We had a great visit and are so happy they hadn't forgotten us.

TOFW....or Time Out for Women

Last Friday, me and 3 girlfriends took off for Cincinnati where we attended a wonderful womens conference called "Time Out for Women". Of course, there were plenty of other gals we knew there as well and I know some of my Louisiana gal pals went to the conference in their area. It was such a beautiful experience...so spiritual...we laughed SO hard one minute and then we'd be sniffin' the next. The time out with the girls was great....we stayed up late chatting, tried some delicious foods at some fun local restaurants and enjoyed hanging out together. But I do have to say, I was sure ready to get home and hug my family. I feel so blessed to have a wonderful hubby who supports me in doing things like this and covers all the bases while I'm away. And a precious daughter who misses me while I'm gone, but tries to look after her daddy (ie. she made grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup for his lunch with NO help). If I can get my photo issues worked out, I will post a pic of a group of us at the conference.

What a Happy Mothers Day

This is how my Mothers Day weekend went.....Saturday morning Mark and Alysa went "mommy" shopping. They came back with a dozen beautiful pink/peach colored roses, which I promptly put in a vase and water. Alysa found the perfect place for them on the table in front of the kitchen windows . Later that afternoon, she went to a local arts fair with a friend while Mark and I did housework, researched cars and did yard work. It looks beautiful! Sunday morning, I woke up to sunshine streaming in through my window. I was promptly handed 2 beautiful cards - one from Mark and one from Alysa. Alysa's card had a recording of her telling me she loved me and that I was the bestest, greatest mommy in the world, followed by a kiss. We all went to church and then returned home to find I'd received calls from Perry and Wes (which I returned) and to have a deliciously grilled steak, very tasty salad and rolls, which we ate on the back deck where we enjoyed the sounds of the birds and the stream peacefully flowing. We later went on a bike ride through the neighborhood (I love riding my bike!), visited with neighbors and then came home so Alysa and Mark could wash my car. We capped off the day by hanging out at our friends, the Jasinskis, and playing an exciting game of Hand and Foot. It was one of the most enjoyable and relaxing days I've spent in a long time. I love my family so much and I am so grateful to have 2 grown boys who don't forget me, who still call me mommy and seem to appreciate my role as a parent more now than they did when they were younger. And I'm grateful, too, to have Alysa around to miss me while she's at school, to give me tons of hugs and kisses and to be my best gal. Plus, I have the best husband - so thoughtful, sincere and humorous! I'm so wonderfully blessed and so grateful for a Father in Heaven who has provided all these blessings, and the atoning sacrifice of my Savior and the gifts his life and death has afforded us all.

FRUSTRATED!!!!!

Can I just take a minute to vent please? I have new pictures on my camera I want to upload onto my computer. Problem is, when it gets time to transfer FROM the camer TO the computer, the entire Kodak program shuts down and WILL NOT transfer the pics!! I am so aggrivated! I've tried over and over and even rebooted my computer several times. I'm not enough of a computer geek to be able to figure out the problem. I'm hoping it's my camera because it's an older model and I want Marks!! His is new and has a great zooming lens. Anyway, that's why I haven't made any new posts lately...I can't upload pics to go with them. If anyone has helpful ideas, I'm all ears!!

Been Gone.....

I know it has been a long time since my last post. Honestly, I had to look back at the most recent pictures to remember what we've been up to around here. Here are some of the highlights. First, was the trip to Texas Alysa and I took to visit Wes, Wendy and the grand babies...and other family too. Of course, we had to make all the usual stops at our favorite restaurants......Pizza King (pizza and salad with the most awesome house dressing), Jalapeno Tree (mexican with warm, freshly made tortillas and melted butter.....my mouth is watering even now) and Swanners for the best burgers EVER!

Wes, Wendy, Skylar and Briley

Skylar at her Chuck-E-Cheese 4th birthday party


Briley (8 months) enjoying his first spaghetti dinner...toddler, of course.
My sister, with her 2 oldest girls, Raney and Randi.

This is a 4 generation photo with my dad at the top of the mountain, my sister and I just beneath him, 4 of our 6 children and the 2 grand babies. Awesome! We were at a nearby park having a picnic and flying kites...and blowing bubbles! Great day!!

Wes and Briley....like father, like son.....too sweet!

Before we went to Texas, Alysa "cheered" at a special basketball game that her class played against another 3rd grade class. Not to sound mean, but we SMEARED 'EM!! This is a pic of Alysa and her bestest bud, Andrea. More to come......

New Man in my Life

Let's play a game.....see if you can guess what's missing in this picture. It probably isn't too hard to spot. Sunday morning I got up and left for church and everything was perfectly normal. After sacrament meeting and Sunday school, I left and went to meet Mark and Alysa at his church. When I walked in, he looked totally different. We were in public, so I didn't know how to react.....I was in total shock. Apparently Alysa didn't like the change at all. When he walked into the kitchen, where she was eating breakfast, she took one look at him and ran up stairs crying. She wouldn't look at him or have anything to do with him for a good while. She's relaxed now but still doesn't like it. I'm still getting use to it too. This is the first time he's been without a mustache in over 20 years so neither of us has ever seen him without it. I've been trying to get him to shave it off for years, so I could see what he looked like without it. But he said he'd do it when I least expected it. Apparently, a few weeks or so ago I told him he would NEVER do it and he considered that a challenge. And because Mark doesn't like to be challenged, he followed through. Reverse psychology? I'll never tell. I thought this absolutely warranted a blog post.

I Just Love This Man

There are so many wonderful things I could say about my adorable husband.....but I'll spare you all the mush. I'll wait until his 46th birthday and make a list of 46 things I love about him.....or maybe not. I just had to post a recent picture of the two of us. I'll just say he's a good 'un.

Can I Have a Drum Roll Please?

Well, here they are.........for all of you who have been waiting for pictures of the inside of the house. Some of them aren't as clear as I would have liked; but you can get the general idea. If you want a closer look, COME VISIT!!! Welcome....
Just inside the front door.....formal dining to the left... and staircase to the right... Straight ahead is the "great room"..... To the right of the great room is the master bedroom... and master bath... Toilet area is on the opposite wall from the tub and the closet is to the back of the tub, centering the wall, going the full width of the bathroom....To the left of the great room is a hallway leading to the utility room, full bath and bedroom/office... The eat-in-kitchen is also just to the right as you start down the hallway... It also opens into the great room. Up stairs overlooks the great room... has a "Jack-n-Jill" bath (2 separate sink areas and 1 combined tub/toilet area)... which opens up to Alysa's room... and a "bonus" room where we have the big TV, Wii, exercise equipment and oversized sofa (I know it's awful looking but I love it and can't bare to part with it)... Outside the doorway is the hall, which leads to a guest bedroom (which I won't show because it's not decorated yet. But it has a king sized bed and chest of drawers, just waiting for company)... That's the tour, minus a few areas of interest that just don't have an effect in pictures. We feel so blessed to have such a beautiful place to live that we feel is "us". It's very relaxed and comfortable and we welcome friends and family to come enjoy it with us.