A Few Steps Back

I just realized that since I'd taken most of the summer off from blogging, there are still a few things I'd like to share with y'all. Hope you don't mind my doing a little back tracking.

One morning (I mean, afternoon!) after Abby got out of bed, she took a look out our back window and spotted a big, white bird. We had no idea what kind it was, at first.  I was beginning to think we'd discovered some sort of rare breed.  We did some research on the Internet and came to the conclusion that it was a simple white dove.  It acted so strange, though.  It would stand in one spot and flip it's head from side-to-side very rapidly like it was paranoid or something.  Then it turned to the side and I could see that the poor thing was injured.  Looks like it had been shot near it's wing.  It could still fly, but not sure how long it survived.  Kind of broke my heart.

Well, enough of that depressing news!  My birthday was on Aug. 13th.  Now, without uttering the exact number of years I turned, let's just say that I'm creeping ever so closely to the BIG 5-0! Ouch, that hurts to event think about it!  Guess I just need to pull on my big girl panties and suck it up, right?  Anyhow, my hubby makes the best and prettiest birthday cakes for me every year.  Oh, to him, it's serious business!  He won't even allow me to step foot in the kitchen while he's baking! 

See the concentration on his face...

And check out the final result...PERFECTION through and through! So good with a tall glass of ice cold milk!

I had a very nice birthday!  The girls gave me some great gifts and sweet notes. 

Here's Brittany's creative wrapping job...she calls me "Lil Momma".

Abby gave me a peach scented candle and some body scrub from Bath and Body Works...love them both! They smell heavenly! Brittany knows how fascinated I am with Savannah, so she ordered this book for me that contains the stories that are told on the Blue Orb Ghost Tours. It contains a bit of colorful language, which is not my cup of tea, but the stories...oh.my.goodness! Talk about making the hairs on your arms stand straight up!  Not a good book to read before bedtime, that's for sure! 

Chris surprised me with an iPad and I'm completely hooked! I never thought I'd use one, but I don't know how I ever functioned without it. For dinner, we drove over to a little town in South Carolina called Easley and had the best fried catfish dinner (with hushpuppies, of course!) that you've ever put in your mouth! It was so tasty, I think I heard the angels above me rejoicing! :)

Well, you know me...there's still more to tell! See you soon! Have a good one!   

Our Shooting Range Adventure

Yesterday afternoon, Chris got this wild idea to take all of us to a local shooting range to learn how to shoot guns. Now, I must admit, I'm not a big fans of guns; they've always made me nervous. However, I knew it was something Chris has been wanting to do for awhile, so I agreed.  I can't think of the last time I've seen him as happy as he was when he was packing up the guns and ammo.  He looked like a little kid in a candy shop.

Thankfully, there were a few other females at the shooting range when we arrived, so we didn't feel too out-of-place.  Boy, was it  ever LOUD!  I felt like I was in the middle of a war zone!  It took me a few mins. to get acclimated to all the noise.  Every time a gun went off, I'd nearly jump right out of my skin!  The girls just stood there and laughed at me.

Brittany was the first one to shoot the .22.  She looked like a pro because she'd taken a gun safety course way back when she was about 9 years old.

Abby was next in line.  She was a pretty got shot herself!

  

Fianlly, I got a turn...and several bull's eyes to brag about!  WOO  HOO!

Not too shabby for three girls!

Next, we tried our hands at the Berreta. You had to hold on tight!

As soon as we pulled the trigger, it gave a kick that none of us was prepared for!

KA-POW!

 Of course, the "master" himself had to show us how it's done...and he didn't flinch one bit!

Abby's favorite gun to shoot was the .38 revolver.

Chris was pretty impressed with our shooting skills and I think we just might have to go back  for another round sometime.  It ended up being a lot more fun than the girls and I anticipated.

Oh, and have no fear!  The girls and I have no intentions whatsoever of becoming hunters. We take one look at a deer and our hearts turn to mush.  So, you can sleep easy tonight. :)


P.S.  My bloggy friend, Honey, is having a really neat giveaway!  Head on over to her place at 2805 and check it out!

A Wee Bit Of Me Wednesday

Well, for those of you who read my previous post, yesterday was another 'one of those days'! I had a realtor stop by and knock on my front door around 1 PM.  I didn't answer it because I was worried she wanted to show our house right then and there...and I was right! She left and called our realtor who, in turn, called me.  She said the realtor wanted to show our house within the hour.  She said the realtor would call me about 15 mins. prior to coming over.  Well, an hour went by, then an hour and a half...still NOTHING! I, finally, called our realtor back and asked her to find out if they were still coming.  She called me right back and said the realtor told her she didn't know if they would be able to make it, afterall, because they still had 3 houses to look at and she had another client to take out in the evening.  Needless to say, she never bothered to call to tell me they weren't coming.  Oh...what a day!

Now, off to better things!  Participating in A Wee Bit Of Me Wednesdays always has a way of easing my mood...and, boy, am I in need of that today!  If you'd like to play along, just link up at Leigh Ashley's and hop right in!  OK...here we go!

{One}  Have you ever been stuck in an elevator?  No...and I REALLY hope that never happens!  There's just something about being confined in an enclosed space that makes my knees all jittery!

{Two}  Have you ever ridden on an elephant?  That would definitely be another NO!  I'd be afraid I'd slide off and, well, let's just say...it wouldn't be pretty!

{Three}  Have you ever met a well-known celebrity?  Wow...I sure must live a REALLY shettled life...NO!

{Four}  Do you have any food allergies?  I count myself lucky on this one because I'm in the clear.

{Five}  Do you know how to sew?  I can hem by hand and on the sewing machine and I have sewn a few pillows over the years, but that's about the extent of it.  When I was in Home Ec. many moons ago, we each had to sew a dress and model it in front of the class.  Well, my dress would have easily fit someone who weighed about 500 lbs! I have no idea where I went wrong!  I followed the pattern to a tee!  At least I got a lot of laughs from it!

{Six}  Did you get an allowance when you were young?  No...my mom and dad just bought what I wanted or needed.  I didn't consider myself a spoiled child, though, because I did help around the house as much as I could...I just didn't get paid for it. Plus, they didn't cater to all of the desires of my heart.  I had my first job when I was 15 and I understood the value of a buck.

{Seven}  How often do you fill up your gas tank?  I try not to drive my vehicle unless it's absolutely necessary.  My husband has a company vehicle that he's allowed to drive for personal use, so I take his vehicle as often as I can.  We can probably get by with filling my vehicle up once every 4 weeks or so.

{Eight}  Have you ever been stung by a jelly fish?  Thankfully, NO!  I get out of the water real quick if I spot one!  I do have to add here that my hubby got bitten on his big toe by an EEL when we were in Aruba years ago...it was awful!

{Nine}  Have you ever been robbed?  NO...what a relief!  How scary that would be!

{Ten}  What is the worst haircut you've ever had?  Oh, I've had my share of them, that's for sure!  Would you believe that I, actually, had a mullet once?  I'm not like Billy Ray Cyrus because I DO NOT want my mullet back!  I did get a haircut just as I was getting ready to graduate from college...and the lady gave me a whack job! See for yourself!  Here I am with a bunch of my kiddos as I was winding down my student teaching.  They'd thrown a big party for me!  As you can probably tell, when my hair is cut short, it takes on a mind of it's own...that's why I've never gotten it cut short since!  I hated it!

Guess that's a wrap!  Have a good one, everybody...hope those terrible storms aren't headed your way!

Our Savannah Adventure, Pt.1

Well, I'm finally BACK! I had intentions of posting as soon as we returned from Savannah. However, I was pooped from all the walking we did! Plus, Chris had to go out of town for 5 days and I decided to make the most of my remaining few days with having Abby home. As you can probably imagine, I have so much to share about our trip! So, please bear with me...it might take me a few days to get it all in.

We arrived in Savannah on April 3rd, late in the afternoon. We found our hotel, which was conveniently located in the historic district, and got settled in. I had to peel Chris away from the TV because he was watching the Master's. Abby and I were biting at the bit to head out and start exploring! So, we hopped on the free transit bus that picked us up right outside of our hotel, which was really nice, and off we went to River Street. As you can see, it was a happening place! There were all sorts of neat shops and restaurants... and the street was made of cobblestone.

We came upon this gentleman who was playing the saxophone! That man could BLOW!

We saw this pirate ship sailing across the water and they shot off a cannon, which nearly scared Abby and me half to death!

After a nice dinner at a place called Tubby's on River Street, which included an appetizer of fried green tomatoes (YUM!), we caught the bus and headed over to Colonial Park Cemetery. Talk about an interesting place to wander around!

Straight back beneath that oak tree and Spanish Moss is a wall of OLD gravestones. I'm not quite sure where the actual bodies are buried because the wall is only about 6 inches thick. I'm thinking they're buried in the mass grave located there.

As you can see, many of the dates and ages on the gravestones didn't add up. Someone told us that the Union soldiers did that in order to get back at the Confederacy. Not sure how much truth is in it.

I snapped Abby's picture in front of some of them...and, as you can see, Chris thought he was being really funny with the creepy hand shadow he created.

We walked upon a few paranormal investigators who were "communicating" with a girl named Sophia. They called her by name and asked her if she was 'in there'. Then, the guy who's back is facing my camera called out readings on some sort of device he was holding. It was pretty intriguing to watch.

Many people who died from the Yellow Fever Epidemic were buried in Colonial Park Cemetery.

I had to prove that I wasn't a big ol' chicken! I had a reputation to uphold, you know!

After we left the cemetery, we wandered back over to River Street for some out-of-this-world pralines at the River Street Candy Co. They melted in your mouth...LITERALLY! Of course, Chris about passed out when our 3 pralines rang up to be $9.00!

After our 'sugar high', we decided to call it a night and head on back to our hotel for a good night's sleep. Day 2 would prove to be even more exciting! Hope you'll come back to read all about it!

Doctor, Doctor Give Me The News!

You've got to love days like today! Time for my annual physical...YIPPEE! Can't you just sense the excitement oozing out all over the place? Fun times are definitely ahead! I'm so bummed that I couldn't start my day off with my usual bowl of Cheerios because I'm required to fast. Going through Cheerios withdrawal in no fun, at all!

No, in all seriousness, I fully expect to hear my doctor say, "You're as healthy as a horse!" After all, that IS a good thing, right? Thankfully, I've never battled high cholesterol or issues with my ticker. Of course, as my "Golden Years" are drawing ever near, I've learned to never say never! One thing I'm definitely going to address with him is this ongoing trouble with my neck and right shoulder. If I turn my head a certain way, a pain shoots down my right arm. Plus, if I sit too long, my right shoulder blade gets a burning sensation in it. I went to a walk-in medical clinic a few weekends ago about it and even though the pain has decreased, I'm still not back to my old self. It bothers me to run on the treadmill and I can no longer lift my free weights without it hurting. I was given some meds, but I really don't like taking anything unless it's 100% necessary for me to function...and I'm not there yet.

So, hopefully, my doctor will be able to get to the bottom of what's been ailing me. I heard the best quote recently when a 100 year old man was asked what his secret to longevity was and he replied simply, "BREATHING!" Amen to that!

"Just A MOM"?

I was thinking the other day that it's been nearly 24 years since I earned a Master's degree from the Univ. of Tennessee-Knoxville in Speech-Language Pathology. I worked so hard to get that degree! I had to take classes like Statistics, which still gives me the heaves just thinking about it, Anatomy and Physiology, Aphasia, and Research, just to name a few. I, also, had to put in many hours of clinical practicum working with patients who had speech, language, and hearing disorders while being supervised by some of my professors. When I finally earned my degree, I had high hopes of being fully immersed in the field for a long time to come. I was going to make a name for myself!

Well, two years after I graduated, I got married and had Brittany three years after that. When I learned that I was pregnant with her, Chris and I agreed that it would be best for me to stay at home with her...to raise her the way we wanted her to be raised. I had always wanted to be a mother, so I was excited and ready for this new chapter in our lives. Chris and I made the decision that when Brittany entered school, I'd go back to work. Guess what happened in that time frame? Abby arrived on the scene! So, time continued on with me being a stay-at-home mom and as the days and years went by, I realized that my girls needed me more, rather than less. So, my "plan" to return to the work force sort of faded away.

I often get asked what I do for a living and my response has always been, "Oh, I'm just a mom". I've never really given a lot of thought to it...it's almost become a rote response. You know, I think I'm much more than "just a mom". You see, being a mom entails a lot of things. I can't tell you the times I've wiped tears from my daughter's eyes because someone has said or done something that has hurt their feelings. I can't tell you the times I've had to sweat over projects they've asked my help with...and have stayed up until the wee hours of the morning trying to get it all figured out. I can't tell you how many times I've sat by their bedside when they've been sick and kept a wet washcloth on their foreheads to keep their fevers down. I can't tell you how many times I've read them "The Cat in the Hat" or "Where the Wild Things Are" and have added my own voices to each character in order to keep them intrigued. I can't tell you the hours I've spent sharing my words of wisdom or advice when my girls have had issues they've needed to work through. I can't tell you the times I've turned to God in prayer asking for His guidance and His help in making me a more patient and understanding mom. I can't tell you how often I've wholeheartedly volunteered to be Room Mom or Team Mom just to spend a little extra time with my girls. Oh, and lest we forget the miles I've burned up taking my girls from one activity to another. This is only the tip of the iceberg, but it goes to show that there is way more to being "just a mom" than meets the eye and I will never use that phrase loosely, again.

In these past 19+ years that I've been a stay-at-home mom, I haven't discovered new therapy approaches for dealing with stuttering, dysphonia, or tongue thrust. No, you won't see any certificates or awards on my walls that I've been given for all of my outstanding endeavors. However, what you will find are memories tucked deep inside my heart of all the time I've been blessed to have with my girls as they've grown up and matured. First steps, first words, first teeth, first days of school, first loves, and first heartbreaks...I've had the great fortune of being there through it all. Would I turn back the hands of time and return to being a full-time "career woman"? For me, the answer is ABSOLUTELY NOT! HOME is where my heart is and I'm proud to say that "I'm just a MOM!"...and so much more!

NEVER Too Old!

To say that my family and I had a BLAST playing in all the snow we got here at the beginning of last week is a complete understatement! We went sledding, threw snowballs at each other, and even built a 'modern' snowman. Thought I'd share some pictures! Hope you enjoy them!

Look at all the snow that piled up on our back deck!

Of course, I had to make a snow angel...a special request from my sweet bloggy friend, Naomi!

Chris and I went sledding even before the girls came out to join us! He looks like an excited little boy, don't you think?

I picked up some serious SPEED on the hill beside our house!

Abby went zipping down our backyard and landed in some briar bushes...OUCH!

There she goes flying down the road in front of our house!

Brittany couldn't resist taking Bella for a ride!

Bella hopped all over the place like a jackrabbit!

This was Maddie's idea of fun in the snow...having Brittany pull her around on the sled.

Here's the snowman the girls and I created. The snow wouldn't pack enough to be able to roll into giant snowballs, so we had to put the snow in a bucket and turn it upside down to make blocks. We stacked them on top of each other and this was the finished product.

Here's the three of us girls at the top of our hill with our house in the background.

I snapped this picture of a droplet of water about to freeze...I love the way it looks.

So, as you can see, we made the most of our big 'snow event' and it just goes to prove that you're NEVER too old to act like a kid, again!

Christmas Memories 2010

We had such a good Christmas together, just the 4 of us! The girls got out of bed around 8:45 AM on Christmas morning. Actually, Brittany came in our bedroom and asked if Abby was up yet and I told her she wasn't. We both made the executive decision right then and there to go wake her lazy bones up. So, we ran into her bedroom and threw the covers off her. She got up REAL quick!

Down the stairs we went! As soon as I popped our breakfast casserole in the oven to bake, Chris gave Maddie and Bella their long-awaited Christmas presents. They were two HAPPY dogs!

Then, with just about as much enthusiasm, the girls tore into their stockings.

We moved into the sun room where our Christmas tree was and started opening our gifts, one at a time. We like to drag out the excitement as long as we possibly can! I'm going to show you some of the gifts we received.

Here's my stinker of a husband who guessed one of the gifts (color and all!) I got for him just before he opened it.

Giving each other some sisterly love.

Brittany gave Abby a sleep mask...looks like it worked!

I'm about to open the gorgeous mirrored vanity tray that Abby have me...LOVE it!

Brittany gave me the "Women of Faith" devotional book I've been wanting...YAY!

Definitely the way to my hubby's heart!

Brittany gave Abby this Micheal Jackson Wii game...talk about FUN! We played it all night long! I highly recommend it if you love to dance!

Yes, it even comes with a sparkly glove! Abby's striking her M.J. pose!

We got both of the girls Sony Bloggie's. They're tiny camcorders that, also, take still pictures. They were so excited!The best gift Chris gave me is he surprised us with another trip! He told me that we can either fly out to see Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Teton Mountains this summer or we can take a trip down to the Caribbean for a week. So, I'm going to have to find some time to do a little research about all the possibilities and try to come to some sort of decision. He knows how much FAMILY time means to me, so I'm very excited!

Here's the girls playing the Micheal Jackson Wii game after we opened all our gifts.


Later in the evening on Christmas Day, we were surprised with snow...a WHITE CHRISTMAS! It's the first one we've had in the Atlanta area in almost 130 years! It was such a treat! This is how our road looked the next morning...

We left on the 26th for South Carolina where we spent two nights with my mother-in-law and brother-in-law.

Here's the South Carolina flag Chris got from his brother...the year he graduated from The Citadel is at the bottom.


I'm wearing the scarf my mother-in-law got for me on her recent trip to Europe.

The girls both got a pair of UGG boots!

This gorgeous sky is what we saw as we drove home from South Carolina on the 28th. We stopped and had dinner at one of our favorite restaurants in Clinton, SC...The Blue Ocean. I had catfish filets and hush puppies and I thought I'd died and gone straight to heaven! Mmm, mmm GOOD!

So, I'd say that our Christmas couldn't have been any better. Of course, it's not all the presents we received that made it memorable. It's simple having each other and being able to spend time together that made it such a lasting memory for me.