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.