Whew!...

What a week!  I'm sitting here trying to get motivated to hit my "to do" list which involves mass amounts of cleaning, organizing, putting stuff away and trying really hard to stay away from the pile of sweets that are left over.  I also have pictures to get off the camera and videos too and add to the blogs.  hopefully soon....

I had a really great time with my parents here and also with Hank's dad.  Just about every day involved a shopping trip, a nap, driving around looking for Christmas lights (what was up this year?!! - no one had any lights!), at least 2 awsome meals, and hearing Jacob say "Grammaw - come play da puzzle?"... We heard that a LOT!  Thanks mom for the puzzles - Jacob sure seems to like them :)  And dad - you would be proud to know Jacob told everyone at church that he got a bicycle for Christmas!  We will be taking it out today as the sun has finally come out and the rain has gone.  Paw-paw - I'm sure once the replacement wheel for the choo choo comes - we will probably have to barricade it in as Jacob will want to be in it all day long!  I think it's time for Jacob to have his own garage as he now owns a bicycle, pedal train, electric car, wagon and lawn mower.  Yep - our back porch is quite full now! :)

And... I must say how much better Jacob is doing after his trip to the hospital.  We started off the week with a stay at Phoebe.  Yep - we always have to have an illness during the holiday - so this year it will be Jacob and his croup.  Can't anyone just get a papercut or something???

So, even though there are no pictures to look at yet - I just wanted everyone to know that we enjoyed hosting Christmas this year and hope to do it again sometime.  It was really special for us to open presents under our tree and hang our stockings on a fireplace that we have never had until now.  And it was also fun to cook the big meal.  I'm so glad the goose turned out good!!! - I had plan "b" in the freezer... what ?? frozen pizza would not have been good for Christmas?? :)

Well - back to my list and I wish all of you a Very Happy New Year!

I love this....

A friend posted this today...I've never heard of the song or the group - but the words are awsome..

These are lyrics written by Jamie Statema of the group Go Fish! Selah!

It's not just about the manger where the baby laid
It's not all about the angels who sang for Him that day
It's not just about the shepherds or the bright and shining star
It's not all about the wise men who traveled from afar...

It's not just about the presents underneath the tree
It's not all about the feeling that this season brings to me
It's not just about coming home to be with those you love
It's not all about the beauty of the snow I'm dreaming of...

It's about the Cross
It's about my sin
It's about how Jesus came to be born once
So that we can be born again
It's about the stone
That was rolled away
So that you and I could have real life one day
It's about the Cross.............................................

From the cd "Go Fish: Snow"

Posted by Tammy (I was signed in as Hank for some reason??..)

I Corinthians 13: A Christmas Version

I Corinthians 13: A Christmas Version
My Friend Ashley posted this on her blog and I wanted to share it with you. I hope that we all don't loose the real meaning of what this season is really about!

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows,
strands of twinkling lights,
and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family,
I'm just another decorator

If I slave away in the kitchen baking
dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals,
and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime,
but do not show love to my family,
I'm just another cook.

If I work at a soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home,
and give all that I have to charity,
but do not show love to my family,
it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a
myriad of holiday parties, and sing in the choir's cantata,
but do not focus on Christ,
I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child.
Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the spouse.
Love is kind, though harried and tired.

Love does not envy another's home that has
coordinated Christmas china and table linens.

Love does not yell at the kids to get out of the way,
but is thankful they are there to be in the way.

Love does not give only to those who are able to give in return,
but rejoices in giving to those who cannot.

Love bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, and endures all things. Love never fails.

Video games will break.
Pearl necklaces will be lost.
Golf clubs will rust.
But giving the gift of love will endure forevermore.

The tree is up!

Slowly but surely we are getting our house ready for Christmas. We got this great tree and even got a new star for the top this year. Now on to the outside lights.....

Autumn

Autumn came while we were away for Thanksgiving....I just LOVE fall colors!

Back Home and more Thanks

Since Hank did our blog on Thanksgiving, I thouht I'd say what I am thankful for.
Safe travels to and from Nebraska and an awsome little boy who really did well considering the 4 days he spent in the car............Generous family for having us visit with them for an entire week!....all the fun stuff Jen planned for us.......Wii Fit (no we don't have one - but we sure enjoyed playing it all week)...........My wonderful husband who is my best friend and keeps me sane and always sees things on a positive note........My church.............My parents whom I can't wait to see in a few weeks!!.............My sweet little Jacob for saying at just the right moments "oh well!"............My friends from all over - I thank God for having to add to our Christmas card list this year and every year.......Our home - this year we spend Christmas in our house in lieu of the apartment we've spent the past 2 Christmas in.............Fall leaves - we came back to glorious colorful trees in our yard!............Fried turkey (yes - this is an awsome thing if you have never had one - you must!)............New recipes from friends and family to add to the collection............My cute nephew Benjamin who made me cry when we had to leave him on Saturday..............I suppose I could go on and on - but must sign off for now. I must get back to unpacking, laundry, etc. It was a great Thanksgiving!

Happy Turken-TACKY Day everyone!

Turken-tacky, Day 4!
We got up this morning and walked the Turkey Trot 5K in our Turken-tacky t-shirts. Then we came back to "Ben's House" to watch the Macy's Parade on the big screen downstairs.

We ate and ate and ate - Pete cooked up two awesome turkeys (including a fried one, which was fantastic), and Jenn took care of the desserts -- rum cakes (of course), homemade pecan pie, and pumpkin cheesecake.

After dinner, we headed to downtown Omaha for the lighting of the downtown Christmas lights. It was awesome! Then back home to watch Texas beat Texas A&M.

It was a great day to spend with family. And since it is Thanksgiving, it is only right to share things we are thankful for. So, all tackiness aside, here's my (Hank's) list:
* the generous hospitality of my brother and sister-in-law
* a great (and cute) nephew
* a strong dad who is a wonderful and loving Paw-Paw
* a beautiful sister who is special beyond words, and her husband who always keeps us laughing
* an adorable little boy named Jacob, who is a blessing every day (even if he is unusually whiny when he's in Nebraska)
* plenty of food to eat (especially today)
* great band kids to work with
* and my amazing wife. She is beautiful and caring; she is a fantastic mom, she takes great care of me, and she is my best friend.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! (Time to start teaching Jacob some Christmas carols!)

Turken-tacky, Day 3 (Wednesday)

Believe it or not, nothing tacky happened today!
Except that we made our tacky t-shirts...pictures coming tomorrow!

Turken-tacky, Day 2

We had fun at the park, then did some shopping. The shopping included a trip to Target, where we bought some brown sugar for $0.77. When we got it home, we found it was hard as a rock. So, we returned it -- that's right, for a refund of 77 cents!

Meanwhile, the kitchen sink broke. So Pete came home from work, bought a new part for the sink, and attempted to fix it. Nope. Didn't work. Back to the store, where he bought a new faucet and installed it. Of course, the kitchen sink was out of commission while Pete worked on it, so Tammy and Jenn were forced to cook using bathwater! (Only at Turken-tacky.....)

Turken-tacky: the Papillion Pilgrimmage, Day 1

Our first day of Turken-tacky got off to a bang....literally. More on that in a moment.

We hung out this morning, then spent the afternoon with Aunt Baby and cousin Ben at the Omaha Zoo. We probably only saw about half of it, but it was awesome. Nice job, Omaha! For pics, visit Jenn's Picasa album.

On to the bang. It seems there was a mouse in the trash can in the garage. We could just leave it there (trash is collected tomorrow), but no. Pete has a better idea. And so, in true Turken-tacky fashion, Pete breaks out the pellet gun. He takes the first shot, and, well, no second shot was needed. Now, is that tacky or what?

A MANS Desk

We went down to Florida this past weekend to visit Hank's Grandfather (Umpah). We came back with this desk, chair and lamp. Isn't it HUGE!! It has been in the family for a long time and we are proud to have it in our home now. Most of you have never seen this desk as it has always had lots of "important papers" on it :) Just kidding Umpah! So here is what it looks like all empty. I know Hank will enjoy filling it up!

sooooo funny!

Each month we get a few different channels on our DISH. This month we have Fine Living Network. This show is cracking me up as I watch episodes. If Martha Stewart drives you nuts - then this is for you.

Chocolate Cake - YUM

This is a cake I made for our friend David's birthday. I don't think I've ever made a cake that came out so pretty :) It was dark chocolate cake with chocolate icing and then a chocolate ganache drizzled and topped with crumbled Heath bars. YUMMY :)

It's that time of year again. I have been working on a large order of Christmas cards for my mom's store. I made about 30 in the last 2 weeks. Whew....They are so much fun to make.
I also tried something new this year. I made gift bags to sell - complete with tissue and a gift tag. We'll see how they do. If they don't sell - then you may see them covering a gift one year :)

What's new with us...

What a crazy year thus far...! Hank and I have had one of the most memorable years yet. Sometimes I forget that our friends read this blog in addition to our family - but I feel like I only write stuff that family already knows about...sooooo...for the rest of you, here's what we've been up to.

Sally...To start off our year, Hank's mom (Sally) was diagnosed with lymphoma. She did chemo from Jan-May and was told she was in remission at end of May. We took a 2 week trek/vacation to visit my folks in Louisiana in early June; and then spent a week with Hank's folks a week later. When we got there on a Saturday evening, Sally seemed like Sally - only with no hair and that was about it. By Wednesday of that same week, she became bedriddin with terrible pain in her back and legs, numbness all over and double vision, facial swelling and muscle control loss... Crazy!! The first half of the week, we were hopeful that she was on her way to recovery, and the last part of the week she was very ill and after numerous calls to several doctors, no one knew what it was. So, at the end of that week, we came home. A week later we were at friends and Hank's dad called on the cell to tell us that Sally had central nervous system lymphoma (spine and brain). They told her initially that if she did no treatment, she would have 8 days to live - and that if she did treatments, she would have 3 months. Sadly, she died in 3 months. During those three months, we traveled to Arkansas where they lived to spend as much time with her as we could. Those times were the hardest times I've ever had, just knowing that she wouldn't be with us and feeling the pain Hank was feeling of losing her. I pray no one has to go through that ever!

During June-September, between our traveling - we bought our 2nd house! We moved here when Jacob was only 2 months old in July, 2006 - moved into an apartment for two years..so it was time for a house! We are settling in finally and loving the back yard. Can't wait to use the fireplace! Today it was 90 -but the way the weather is around here, it could be in the 40's in a day or two :)

Our church....Exciting times at our church (Sherwood Baptist - Albany, GA). When we moved here, we visited lots of small churches, but always kept coming back to Sherwood. We finally joined a year ago next month. We have made great friends in our Sunday School class and through choir and orchestra. Hank loves playing with the orchestra. Those guys/gals are amazing! I love singing in the choir. We have about 80 on a typical Sunday. We are now preparing for our Dec. 14th concert. In other church news, most of you know about Fireproof. That's the latest movie our church made. The first two were Flywheel and Facing the Giants. It's quite exciting to be a part of all that. Go check out Fireproof as it's still in theaters this weekend! and doing great. For an independent church-made film - not bad to stay in the top 10 for 3 weeks running. And when you go see it, look for my name in the credits! :)

Spiritual Growth...Hank and I are also growing spiritually. It's so special to me to see Hank digging into Bible study, joining men's groups, being mentored and teaching Jacob all the awsome things that God has for him. I love the fact that our church challenges us to read the Bible, pray and tell other's about Christ - which is what the church should be doing. We're both trying hard to keep growing in our faith and I'm asking God to help me to be bolder about sharing it - you might have figured that out by now reading this blog :)

Friends....We have some awsome friends :)! It's funny thinking about all the places we've lived and how we have groups of friends in each place. I recently joined Facebook and have had a blast reconnecting with people I haven't talked to in over 20 years! We've got friends through churches, schools, Gator connections, and even family friends. We really enjoy visiting my parents in Louisiana and hanging out with their friends at their church (some are relatives).

Babies....many friends are having babies this year. Welcome to the world John Ball, Stiles Lee Brinson, Andy Leff and Ashley Laurel Canino! You all have awsome parents :) Looking foward to meeting the newest baby McBride next year!

Hobbies....As most of you know, my mom and dad have a shop in Louisiana where they sell mom's mosiac art, old china, gifts and antiques. Dad has gotten into restoring antiques and he build custom furniture. They are having so much fun! They shop when they travel and bring back all their treasures for their store. I started making beaded jewlery years ago and now sell it in their store. I also make scrapbook greeting cards and those have really taken off. I am now starting to make a big batch of Christmas ones.. better get on that...been saying this for 3 weeks now :( Hank's so busy with his job - he really doesn't have time for hobbies - but he loves his Florida Gators! so guess watching football can be a hobby? His other favorite pasttime is playing with Jacob :)

Speaking of Jacob... well - he has his own blog - which I just posted about a mile's worth of stuff on him so check it out if you want to catch up on our little guy.

so there you have it...my first long blog (ever I think?)...I shoud do this more often. I've been reading other friends blogs lately and realized that mine suffers by comparison :(

love you all!

Pumpkin Patch

We took Jacob to Mark's Mellon Patch on Monday - Hank had a long weekend!! We had a great time. Yay for fall!

Finally all moved in...well, mostly

We have almost finished unpacking - but close enough to take a few pictures so you get the idea. The only room not photographed is the office/guest room. It is what it is...so if you want to see that room, you have to come for a visit :)

For those who may not have heard....

From the Reading Eagle:
Sally Jean Prann Carter, 58, Fort Smith, Ark., died Sept. 11, 2008, in Fort Smith.

This also appeared in newspapers in Fort Smith, AR, and Little Rock, AR.

Back Home

Well, we are back home in Georgia after a difficult and emotional week in Arkansas.

It was great seeing everyone, especially Uncle Richard and Uncle Cork, who we haven't seen in a while.

We got back Friday night, and I hustled over to school to try to catch the halftime show. I didn't make it, but it was good to see the kids. At least 10 different kids said, "We're glad you're back." Still, it was a lot harder emotionally than I thought it would be. I thought I would just walk in there, say hello to the kids, and things would be as normal. Things were normal, but at the same time they weren't. I can't really describe it.

So it's back in the saddle on Monday, ready or not. (I'm not ready, but it doesn't matter, does it?)

Stay safe, everyone....

one crazy summer!

Sorry it's been a while since we blogged. June and July were NUTS! After a week of painting, we finally moved in our new house on July 11th. I still have not taken "final" pictures as we still have boxes here and there and I don't think the house is ready for it's close-up yet :) But - I have added to our photo album so you can see all the painting we did (except for the guest bathroom - no pics - oops... you can see it in the "final" batch to be taken soon hopefully).

I know Jacob's blog is much more important - so I'm going to update it as well. We definitely need some new video of him as he's changed so much this summer and has been a ton of fun!

Catching Up

What a crazy few weeks!! The last 2 weeks of June were spent traveling. We spent a week in Louisiana with my parents while Hank worked a camp at McNeese State University for most of the time, and Jacob and me hung out with Papaw and Grammaw. The next week was spent in Arkansas visiting Hank's parents. We had a great time with everyone!

Before we left for our trip, we were watching Diners, Drive-ins and Dives on Food Network and they had an episode called "The Memphis BBQ Tour". We knew we'd be passing through Memphis on our way home, so we picked one of the featured restaurants and stopped in. YUMMY!!! stuff...We got to chat with the owner and he told us all about the TV show filming and how it's increased his business. Wish it was closer. Oh well.


Since we've gotten back home, we closed on a house last week and this week are in the midst of painting and getting ready to move in.

Until next time....

Fun at the pool

Now that Hank is out of school, we can go to the pool when it's not so hot and crowded. Jacob had a blast with his gator that Grammy sent him. Thanks Grammy! We since have bought him some floatie "muscles" for next time. We are getting all the pool time in before we move away from the pool :(

Offer Accepted!

We put an offer on a house yesterday and today IT WAS ACCEPTED!! Here's the listing.

Here's an album of some more pictures we took.

YAY for a back yard!!!

Luau

This past Sunday our church had it's annual Luau. We had a blast - took this goofy picture, played with sidewalk chalk, ate yummy food and then played with Jacob in our church's awsome play area. Each Sunday night through the summer, our church has fun themed meals. This Sunday night is an ice cream contest and sundae bar. YUM. It's summertime folks!

Happy Birthday !

Today is my 38th birthday. It was a great day. Hank and Jacob shopped yesterday and tonight we opened presents. It was the traditional "Carter" birthday as Hank wrote a poem with the first line of each verse giving a clue as to what the gift was and the 2nd line gave a clue as to where the gift was hidden. So, off I went with my clues trying to figure it all out. As you see, Jacob "helped" me :). My boys done good! I got Godiva (dark truffles - my favorite!), pj's, cd's, a dvd and a new dress. Not too shabby :) No cake as we still had left overs from Jacob's yummy cake.

today

Not much new here other than we're counting down the last days of school!!! Can't wait for summer. Jacob just turned 2 and now we're thinking about potty training. That will add some adventure to the summer definitely. Just watched the American Idol finale. Yay for D. Cook! I was so surprised - thought for sure the kid would win - but so glad he didn't. ....tomorrow is my birthday.....Hank and Jacob went shopping tonight.....All I know is they went to the bookstore so Jacob could play with the "choo choos" and they ate "cocos (cookies)" That's all I could get out of Jacob - he wouldn't spill as to what Hank got me :) Guess I'll have to wait :) Oh - I joined our church choir tonight. It's a fun group so I'm glad to be a part of it. Hank said he never thought he'd see the day where I was in the choir and he wasn't. Belive me - if we had no church orchestra - he would have joined choir a while ago. But he enjoyes playing with the guys better than singing - and that's saying something!.....We started looking at houses last weekend. We saw 7 on Tuesday and I have lined us up to see 5 more either tomorrow or this Saturday....Stay tuned... This blog is a ramble - oh well... Until next time..

Band Trip 2008 - Gatlinburg, TN

What a fun trip to the Smokie Mountains! This year we took a small group (2 busses) to Gatlinburg. We left Thursday morning and returned Sunday morning around 6:30 AM. While there, we got a 2 hour bus tour of the Smokie Mountains, hiked up Clingman's Dome, spent an evening strolling around downtown Gatlinburg, saw Ober Gatlinburg,went to Dollywood,and then finished our last night for dinner at the Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant. The kids were awsome and I think everyone had a blast. It's good to be back home. Next year we're off to New York City!

a day in my car

Today I got up with the roosters and drove Jacob to meet my parents in Mobile (half way to Louisiana). They are going to keep him for a week so I can go on the band trip with Hank. It took 5 hours to get there (with one stop) and then we had some lunch, I walked around a store and then drove all the way back. Uggg... 600 miles...I sure do miss my little guy already. I know my parents are going to have a ton of fun with him. And, oh yeah, he will be ROTTEN!! :) but that's what grandparents are supposed to do right :)...I'm so tired of my car that I may just walk to places tomorrow...Thursday will be spent on a bus for about 8 hours. This is not good for my workout schedule!!!

What a weird day...

For almost a year we have had NO neighbor upstairs. It's been awsome as the previous family was quite noisy. The past few days, we've been noticing that the noise was back and sure enough we have a new neighbor. Around lunchtime I looked outside and noticed this guy and a lady walking towards the stairs. I opened up the door and introduced myself. The guy was with his mom. His name is Shai (sp?) and he is from Israel. He seemed very nice and I didn't think any more about him.

Now the fun part....I went to the mall last night to stroll Jacob around and get out of the house. I'm cruising full speed ahead and when passing one of those carts in the middle isle, this guys says "Hi Tammy". I stopped - turned around - and sure enough it was my neighbor. He works for one of those stupid aggravating "dead sea mineral,, hand lotion, nail file, proactive" type products. Those guys drive me nuts!!!! You're trying to walk in the mall and browse, and they are just about ALL some foreign guy who barely speaks English getting in your face and begging you to try their product.!! (that's my experience at least)

So now if I want to avoid him, I have to cut through the Belk to get to the other side of the mall. So there's my day yesterday. It went well with Jacob and his meltdown day. He always has a "day" after we take a road trip. It's like all the extra tired he got on the trip finally catches up with him and he screamed like I was beating him silly about 5 different times yesterday. I'm sure the neighbor has called DEFAC already :/

So - how was your Thursday???

Oh- any new favoriste on Idol? I think I'm pulling for David Cook now. They fixed his hair so that's a good reason to vote for him now right? (giggle)

Gettin' Fit in Tamaqua

Here's what I found to do for my 30 minutes of fitness while in Tamaqua.

I was all smiles at the bottom. Once at the top of these 134 steps, I thought I was going to die!!! It was quite cold and windy that day. By the time I got back down to the bottom my heart was about to jump out of my chest. After the steps, Hank and I toured Tamaqua for another 45 minutes or so. It was the only sunny day so we made the most of it.

Spring Break in TAMAQUA, PA

No, we didn't head for the beach for Spring Break -- we went to Pennsylvania!!
We had a wonderful time visiting with Aunt in Tamaqua. Here's a rundown of our trip:

SATURDAY: Drive from Leesburg to somewhere in the middle of North Carolina.

SUNDAY: Drive from somewhere in the middle of NC to Tamaqua, PA. Of course, a huge dinner was waiting for us, including ham, sweet potatoes, jello salad, asparagus, and rolls. Tammy's parents, Jim and Sheri Spell, were there waiting for us when we arrived. Aunt even had a high chair ready for Jacob -- apparently one that Papa Carter made for Aunt Nancy and Dad to use when they visited!

MONDAY: We had to dress up for lunch. Aunt took us to The Stouch Tavern in Womelsdorf. It was fantastic (of course). Here's how often Aunt goes there: The daily buffet only has one item each day. They publish the buffet menu a few weeks in advance, but apparently they left Monday's menu out by accident. So, last time she was there, Aunt asked what was on the menu. The response: "I don't know; what would you like?" So Aunt requested carved roast beef and custard for dessert. And that's exactly what was on the buffet, just for us. Then we headed to Boscov's.

TUESDAY: Visited the Cabela's outdoor store in nearby Hamburg. This place is AMAZING!!! Jacob had a BLAST in the aquarium. They also have very realistic animal displays, which he enjoyed. We had lunch in their cafe, then off to Allentown for a not-so-quick visit to Walgreens to refill my nose medicine, which I didn't know I was out of. (oops)

WEDNESDAY: Spent the morning at the Hometown Farmer's Market. The fresh produce and baked goods were amazing! The "flea market" portion was less impressive. Jim and Sheri were hoping to find some "goodies" for their store, but they struck out. After lunch, Tammy and I took a walk in downtown Tamaqua and visited the restored Tamaqua Train Station. The restored station now houses a hobby shop, a restaurant, and a souvenir shop. We have some great pics from Wednesday -- stay tuned for those!

THURSDAY: Cousin Louise (Aunt's cousin, which makes us third cousins, I think) stopped by for a brief visit in the morning. It must have been at least ten years since I had seen her last. She still looks great, but she walks with a cane and can't drive anymore. After lunch, Tammy and her parents drove to Morgantown to hunt for antiques and china. Aunt and Jacob and I met up with them at the Shillington Farmer's Market, where we picked up two shoofly pies and a large supply of sweet lebanon baloney!!!! :) That evening we had a wonderful dinner with Aunt Susie, Uncle Joe, and John Scornavacchi. They had tons of toys, of course, so Jacob had a blast. We had a great time visiting with them. Jim Spell and Uncle Joe really seemed to hit it off -- Jim got a tour of the house and was very interested to hear about how they found it, how they built the addition, etc.

FRIDAY: Drive in the rain from Tamaqua to somewhere in the middle of North Carolina.

SATURDAY: Drive in more rain from somewhere in the middle of NC to HOME! It was a great trip, but it's great to be back.

Well, I'm tired, and I'm going to bed! Hope you all had as wonderful a week as we did. Please say a prayer or two for Aunt as she recovers from the whirlwind week we put her through! We had a great time visiting with her. We talked about everything: family history, the renovations of her house (which looks great - a huge improvement since last time we were there), politics, traffic (yes, Tamaqua has traffic), and a host of other things. Jacob was extremely well-behaved for the entire trip, especially in the car. We were very proud of him, especially since he missed several naps as we were running around. Anyway, check back later for pics and even a few videos!

We're halfway there...

We are officially halfway from Leesburg to Tamaqua (give or take about 30 miles)!!!

So I'm enjoying the wireless internet in the hotel -- at least, as much as ou can "enjoy" a slow connection. I'm soaking it up because we will be without internet while we're at Aunt's house. That means NO BLOGS!!! AAAAAAhh!!!!! So, if anything important happens, CALL US!! :)

Anyway, tune in on Friday night/Saturday for pics and more! We're staying at a different hotel on the way back; hopefully the wireless there will be faster.

Happy Easter

Hello all...What a weekend! Friday night we had a Good Friday service at church and then went to friend's for dessert afterwards. We kept Jacob up way late and fed him lots of sugar. He enjoyed that quite a bit. Saturday was a beautiful day so we took Jacob to the park and then had a picnic. Later that day we dyed some eggs and I did some cooking for our big Sunday meal with friends. Today we had church and then hung out with our friend's Amanda and David. We had a great time eating and just being lazy. We hid eggs for Jacob to find in their backyard. Jacob did enjoy all the festivities, but by the end of the day he had a fever of 103 so looks like he's coming down with something. Oh well - even when he doesn't feel well he still manages to have fun :) We took videos and pictures which we'll get posted one day. This week is busy for us. Hank has meetings Monday and Tuesday nights for the spring trip that's coming up. Meanwhile I get to get ready for our trip to PA on Saturday to see Aunt Phyllis. We will head out on Saturday, stop for the night and then arrive on Sunday evening I suppose. We'll be up there for about 4 days and then we'll head back on next Friday for our two-day trek home. Then we get to be home for 1-1/2 weeks and then the spring trip to Gatlinburg will be upon us. So - April will be busy but the traveling will be fun. Guess that's it for our update. Hope you all had a blessed Easter day!

Interesting clip from ER

I don't watch ER any more, but I used to. I heard about this clip and thought I would share it:

A Powerful Lesson from ER

A Great Day!

Yesterday our church held it's annual "Dinner on the Grounds". Our church has built a sports park for the community on 82 acres out in the country. Every year after service, we all head over there for the largest potluck I've ever been too! You talk about some goooooood food..YUMMY... Hank borrowed a easy-up tent from the band and we set up camp.

Jacob enjoyed all the yummy food as much as we did.Hank and Jacob taking a tour. There was a kite derby, fishing in the big pond and we also had a baptism service in a big tank which was pretty cool.
Jacob had a blast with his football and running all over the place. He fell fast asleep on the way home and then slept for 2 more hours once home! He was dirty from head to toe :)

can you believe!!

Today we got sleet and then SNOW!!! It's South Georgia - and it's March!! Crazy. We were up in the upper 70's yesterday and then the crazy wind today along with some precip. this morning. Tonight in the 20's and then back up to 70's rest of the week. Hank was supposed to be outside with his Jazz band at an art fest. this morning. They were moved inside. Who would have thunk it...

stuff

Spring is here! Our weather has been truly awsome. Although yesterday we had tornado watch and crazy wind. No power from 1-6 with trees knocking down all the power lines. Today I worked at the community children's consignment sale. It was alot of fun hanging out with other ladies from church who work as well. I noticed a few of my items have sold :) I have also been trying extremely hard to keep oup the EVERYday fitness stuff. It really has challenged me and I love it! Maybe I'll get better at DDR by day 50 - sure hope so as I am quite a spaz at it - but I do work up a sweat.

In case you missed last night's American Idol - EWWW for Danny N. Hope he goes home tonight. Thanks for the tip on David H. Jenn.....It does make me watch his performances in a whole new way :) I thought the guys did WAY better than last week. Hoping for Danny and Luke to go home tonight.

guess that's about it for now....

Strawberries...yummm

Looking forward to going to the strawberry patch this season. Check out the monthly recipe. YUM!

My Idol Thoughts...

I'm thinking I like the boys better this year.

Girls:
Amanda creeps me out!!!! that hair and those pants last night!!! uggg - horrible
Kady cracks me up with her Briteny impersonations - she's quite good at that - but she's not one of my favorite singers
Brooke and her guitar....hmmm... not sure yet on her - not into that Carly Simon type
Kristy Lee - want to hear her sing some country.. I think that is probably her thing
Carly is good - but tired of all the hype - we'll see
the rest of the girls... well - just average I guess - nothing special to me

Guys:
Michael Johns!!!! - didn't do so well last night - but I really like him - he's a pro and comes across as best on stage to me (love the accent too!)
David Arch. - well he's gonna win so they might as well end it now - but he is quite awsome - although you can tell he's 17 most of the time which can get annoying
David Cook - EWWW - the hair....ewwww. and the first week he just looked like he needed a bath!
Danny - OMG - Hank and I cringe every time he's on screen - I don't have enough time to tell you all I think of him - just gross - but he can sing - but not as good as some others.
Chikezie - yep he's doing the Ruben thing - but not quite as good as Ruben in my opinion - but I like him
Jason C. - hmmm. John Travolta with dreads....maybe....he's not a favorite thus far
Jason Y. - just plain cheesy - don't know why he's there
Luke - well he's cute - but not so good a singer - and yes Ryan - he does look like Dawson (of Dawson's Creek if anyone remembers that show)
David Hernandez - I know David Arch. will beat him - but he's my own fav. I'm pulling for him to get better and better
I know he's off now - but that Garrett kid (Leaf Garrett look-a-like) - poor kid - needs the sunshine or something!
other thoughts....
The judges (ALL 3 OF THEM!!!) are driving me nuts this year. So far I don't think anything they've said has made any sense at all....Simon is crankier than ever and Paula - well I like her better when she's "altered" - she actually said she wanted to dangle one of the guys from her rear-view mirror and squish him - I get what she meant - but that's just plain weird....Randy says something accurate once in a while - but mostly same ole Randy - dawg!! -

Oh and have you noticed that at the end Ryan doesn't thank Simon as a judge - and then they show Simon rolling his eyes - this bit is getting old and is just silly

So - that's my early opinions - maybe I'll post another blog when we get to top 12.

AI

So, anyone watching Idol this year? Hank and I are ridiculous and have been watching it since the first season. thoughts.....

Spring Fever!

Ok, Karen - here ya go....After getting the shoes, I found this adorable green blouse and necklace to go with it. I think I spent a total of $30 for all of it and it all goes with so much I already have. Can you tell I have spring fever!!! The weather teases us. 3 days of 70's and then tonight back in the 20's with highs in the 50's tomorrow. After taking these pictures, I felt like I was doing a blog for Laura's boss. Melanie always has pictures of cool stuff that she has either bought or wants to buy. So - here's my version :)

New Blog

I call this "new blog" because it's a new blog - and that's about all that is new. February has been pretty quiet although we've had some crazy weather off and on. Today was absolutely beautiful and springlike. This past week Hank and the kids had a gig for the blessing/ground breaking of our new YMCA. Jacob and I went to hear the band. This week I am volunteering to work at the twice-a-year community children's consignment sale. A friend of mine runs it in the spring and fall and I always get good stuff for Jacob. Since I'm working the sale this time I'll get to shop before the public when the selection is the best. Saturday Hank has another community gig in town for an Art Festival. His Jazz band will play. Oh! (this is for you Karen) - I too found a great shoe deal. TJ Maxx is the best! Original price was $48 - TJ Maxx price was $25 - then down to $20 - then $15 and I got them for $10. Maybe I'll put a picutre on later. They are quite cute :) Hank is playing his X-Box and I'm off to do some scrapbooking. Have a great week everyone!

I haven't blogged in a while...

For those of you wondering if I'm still able to use a computer -- I'm still here! I haven't blogged in a while, mostly because I've been out of town. Over the past four weeks, I attended the January Honor Band Festival (aka "JanFest") at the University of Georgia, the Georgia Music Educators Association Clinic/Conference in Savannah, and the GMEA District 2 Honor Band in Norman Park, Georgia. This weekend I'm looking forward to spending the long weekend (no school Monday for President's Day) at home relaxing with Tammy and Jacob.

In other news -- just 4 weeks until festival! For the few non-band geeks who might be reading, "festival" (it's proper name in Georgia is Large Group Performance Evaluation, or LGPE for short) involves the band performing on stage in front of three judges. Each judge gives a rating; we are aiming for Superior ratings. Then the band goes into another room in front of another judge and performs a piece of music they have never seen. Once again, we are aiming for a Superior rating. I get to go through that routine on Thursday, March 13 with my Wind Ensemble (that's the top group) and Friday, March 14 with my Symphonic Band. So, the countdown is on!

For those who may not have heard, Mom was diagnosed with lymphoma a few weeks ago. We are trying to convince her to set up a blog to keep everyone updated. Meanwhile, keep checking your email for the latest.

I guess that's all for now. I'm sure you don't want to hear about my nasal rinse, but if you do, please feel free to comment and I'll blog about it later. (You thought the warts were gross....)

busy busy

Today I made some more cards for my mom's shop. I found the cutest papers! I will make some more over the next few days. Hank is out of town for a few days again. He'll be back on Saturday night so me and Jacob are holding down the fort.

T.

A day in the kitchen

What a day.... I have been in the kitchen pretty much all day (but it was so much fun!). Tomorrow night we're having friends over to watch the Super Bowl, so I have been doing as much prepwork as possible for my snack/meal. I'm making the yummy spinach dip in a bread bowl, crab/cheesy bites and some wings. But before I started all those dishes, I made a dish that I am brining to church tomorrow morning. I found the recipe in Paula Deen's magazine. It's not her recipe, but I figured any friends of hers who submitted recipes, had to be good! So - here it is and it's georgious if you want something that comes out pretty too :)

Strawberry Coffee Cake (makes 12 servings)

1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped almonds (I used pecans)

Prehead oven to 350. Lightly greast a 9x13 baking pan. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, butter and sugar at medium speed till fluffy. Gradually beat in milk, eggs and vanilla. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to cream cheese mixture, beating until smooth. Pour into prepared pan. Place strawberries evenly over batter. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and almonds (I used pecans). Sprinkle evenly over strawberries. Bake for 40 minutes. Let cool in pan on wire rack. Cut into squares and serve.

I haven't officially tried it yet as I have to wait till tomorrow - but the batter was sooo yummy and when it was done, it smelled up the house something fantastic!!! Enjoy

January travels

January is a month of travel for Hank. Last weekend he was in Athens at UGA taking kids to an honor band. He was there for 4 days. This weekend we are off to Savannah for his annual GMEA (Georgia Music Educator's Conf.); we leave tonight and return Sunday afternoon. Jacob and I go with him on this trip since we used to live there and get to see old friends. That's about it from here. Until next time....

catching up

Hank has been away for 4 days. He left me with the crappy car, the crappy computer and took the camera. He's back now so maybe we'll get a blog out this week. Although, Wednesday night we're all off to Savannah for 4 days so Hank can go to his annual conference and we'll get to visit with friends. That's it from here. Oh - while Hank was up in north Georgia, he got to see some of that southern snow over the weekend. Jaocb and I stayed in all day Saturday to the 40 degree/rainy day. glad to see the sun is back out today :D

T

keeping up with the bloggers

I love the new background I chose (after looking at what seemed like hundreds!!) - but DO notice that the squares bleed through on the pictures. I really don't want to mess with it anymore as I wasn't able to figure out how to NOT have to re-do al my page elements as I lost them when I switched templates and had to re-do them ALL. So - if anyone knows how I can maybe fix the picture problem - I'm all ears...

A short girl's best friend

Over the holidays I got this brand new Singer....I finally opened it last night and decided to give it a shot. After reading every page of the instruction manual - I was able to set it up, thread it wihtOUT musing the automatic threader and hemmed 2 pairs of pants! Yay me! I was so nervous I was going to thread it wrong and break the needle or something, but the manual had the best picture instructions. They were so easy to understand :) Maybe one day I'll make something... stay tuned.

new stuff

All I wanted this Christmas was kitchen stuff. I haven't bought anything new since we got married and some stuff was from before that. So, I got a new bamboo cutting board and some new knives. And yes, I already cut my finger. All those years with crappy knives and no accidents - now I get brand new ones and there ya go. And it's my mouse-clicking finger too! I also got a new peeler, a new cheese slicer, a batter bowl and a baking dish. It is fun using all my new stuff. My goal this year is to slowly replace stuff in anticipation of a new house with a NORMAL size kitchen with more than one full size drawer!!! Our lame apartment has one full size drawer so all kitchen gadgets are in a basket in a cabinet. I am hoping to find apple green stuff to go in my new kitchen. My mom did her's in red and they make everything in red these days. Looks like the green color is coming along. I hope to see more things pop up in that color this year. guess that's enough rambling. Until next time...

Happy New Year!

We made it back safely from Louisiana on Wednesday evening. We didn't drive through the night coming back. Instead we left around 4:45 am and it actually worked out fine. We stopped a few times and Jacob slept more than he did driving through the night. Since being back home, there have been piles of mail to go through, banking, laundry, groceries, etc. Whew....We did use up one of our gift cards last night for dinner. We just go a new Chili's in town so we tried it out.

Other stuff.....We officially own Hank's car now. We got the title in the mail yesterday:) One car note now YAY! I am putting Jacob in a "Wednesday Morning Out" program next week. He'll go to the Methodist church every Wednesday from 9-1. I think he will have fun with the other kids and it will give me a break once a week.

Oh!! While we were in Louisiana, my mom gave me my Aunt's sewing machine. My Aunt Becky and her family were Katrina refugees for about two months. They lived with my parents during that time. For some reason Aunt Becky got a new sewing machine but never used it. So, mom said it should be put to use so I have a brand new Singer to learn. I can't wait to use it. Hopefully I can self-teach myself.

Looking forward to this year. We plan to find a house this summer. We also plan to try and visit Aunt Phyllis in PA. We might travel there for Spring Break. We also have the annual band trip. This year we are going to Gatlinburg, TN. Should be fun. And Jacob will be 2 years old in 4 months!!! I can't believe it. He sure is growing fast.

Until next time!