August to Alabama

Winter Storm Snow Day #2

2011-01-11T22:46:00.004-06:00

Today it was more of a bitter cold out, windier with some sleet, so we didn't stay out in it as much. But we were woken up bright and early this morning by two kids eager to make a snowman. We decided to try and make it as big as we could.

Here they are getting started on it.

Xander starts on the middle portion

while Rhiannon works on the head

and here's our big Harry Potter snowman complete with glasses and wand

the whole crew

our temperatures remain below freezing (with a low tonight of 16!) so the snow is sticking around and tomorrow will be our third snow day!

Winter Wonderland

2011-01-10T22:14:00.010-06:00

The night of January 9th into the morning of the 10th we had a snow storm accumulating 10 inches and even a foot of snow in some areas. Sunday night before we went to sleep we even experienced some thunder snow. We woke up Monday morning to the 3rd largest snow fall in Alabama history! I know people up north or in Colorado are used to this but we're still Floridians at heart and we were SO excited! The cute thing is that because north Alabama doesn't usually experience this much snow, everyone here is excited too, even the local news guys. And because we're not prepared for this kind of weather the whole city shut down so we were all home and able to enjoy it. The snow was so deep but also soft and powdery, not to mention beautiful. Here's a look at our fun snow day...

snow fight!

snow angels!

my snow angel

our back yard!

making snow forts

getting ready to go sledding

heading for the big neighborhood hill

our van!

Xander takes first crack at the hill

then it's Rhiannon's turn

it's a neighborhood sled gathering

another snow ball fight

Phoenix decides he likes it

me on the way down, Annie on the way up

our 3rd time out for the day and another snow fight, I think they liked it :)

having a literal snow cone

Rhiannon and Phoenix check out the hill at the park

which was definitely a faster and better hill....

and here's Eric braving it after Rhiannon busted her chin at the bottom

headed home after a long, fun day

The city remains shut down tomorrow as well so we're heading back out for more fun in the snow and attempting to build a snow man!

Our White Christmas

2010-12-25T22:27:00.006-06:00

We woke this morning to a blanket of snow on the ground. Although it was bittersweet because Xander wasn't here to share this memory with us, I did feel like I was given a special gift to help make the day happier. I have wished since I was a little girl for a white Christmas and I have to say, there is just something magical about Christmas snow.

left down our street

right down our street, toward the park

the neighbors shared their sled and dog

the park at the end of our street

Eric sledding down the hill
Rhiannon on the sled

My first time sledding!

heading for home and hot chocolate

our snow covered home

the blanket of snow on our yard

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night

Vanquisher

2010-12-08T22:50:00.004-06:00

This past Tuesday Xander won the school wide spelling bee and will go on to compete in the county bee in February. We're very proud of him, he put a lot of time in studying. The local paper interviewed him and you can read the article here. YAY Xander! Look out county bee!

Halloween 2010

2010-11-15T11:49:00.005-06:00

carving our pumpkins from the patch

somebody wants in on the action

Trick or Treat Trail at the school

Rhiannon dances in the gym with her friends

Rhiannon and her BFF Lalitha; aren't they so cute like night and day?!

the boys were content to sit on the sidelines and watch

our cute little pumpkin cake to celebrate Halloween

Phoenix, our little pumpkin

Xander as Snake Eyes the ninja from G.I. Joe

Rhiannon as Ariel, The Little Mermaid

Our 3 little goblins

Phoenix after all the trick or treating he could handle

surveying the damage

on to Thanksgiving .....

Autumn and other things

2010-10-22T19:28:00.008-05:00

Wow, it's been a long time. I know, I've said that the last few times I've posted. Life as a member of The Jackson Five is a lot more demanding than life as a member of The Jackson Four. Actually, there's just one really demanding new member. His name is Phoenix. :) When he wasn't mobile he wanted to be held all the time, and now that he's mobile he has to be watched closely at all times. That doesn't make blogging at a computer in an office very easy. Fortunately my techno savvy husband linked the pictures on the main computer to the laptop, so maybe I can make blogging from the laptop in the living room a more regular thing. We'll see how it goes. Anyway, here's what we've been up to lately.

Somebody turned one year old!

The older kids marched in the Madison Street Festival Parade.

To kick off fall break we made our annual visit to Tate Farm's pumpkin patch

And for the remainder of fall break we headed for the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and Dollywood!

here's Eric and the kids by Deep Creek in Bryson City, NC

we hiked to Juney Wank falls

saw Dolly's tour bus and museum

and rode lots of fun rides

and last week we took our annual trip to Scott's Orchard to get our apples

til next time, love from The Jackson Five

Spring Thaw

2010-04-12T14:12:00.004-05:00

If, by some chance, you are still checking on this little blog - we're still here. We're thawing out of a long and cold winter and enjoying a very colorful Alabama spring. I apologize for the lack of regular updates. As a family of five we are staying very busy and I've simply had to focus more on living the life and less on blogging about it. Rest assured,we are making beautiful memories and taking beautiful pictures. I hope to share them soon.

Once Upon A December

2009-12-21T11:08:00.010-06:00

It's been a while, I know. Here's what we've been up to this December . . .

practicing our smiles

Decorating the tree

(which was exhausting for some)

tasting the first snow fall

having snow ball fights

watching Christmas movies

and feeling blessed that our family of five is healthy and happy.

We wish all the same for you.

MERRY CHRISTMAS WITH LOVE

FROM THE JACKSON FIVE

Halloween 2009

2009-11-14T15:37:00.005-06:00

We've been really busy and Phoenix is keeping us on our toes, but I finally found a few minutes to post some pictures from Halloween.

The first picture is from Xander's Cub Scout Halloween Festival where the theme was animals. I made Xander a puppy dog costume and Rhiannon a floppy eared bunny costume from things we already had around the house.

The next picture is from the Friday before Halloween, it was dress as your favorite book character day at school. Of course Xander was Harry Potter for the umpteenth time and Rhiannon was Fancy Nancy.

And finally for Halloween night Xander was Optimus Prime from Transformers which I think is really cute because Eric was Optimus Prime when he was little. Rhiannon was Luna Lovegood, the quirky character from Harry Potter, and Phoenix was a little mouse.

3 Weeks

2009-10-15T11:40:00.005-05:00

I can't believe Phoenix is already 3 weeks old. It's flying by. Here are a few more pictures, because we just can't get enough of him around here.

Last week we took Phoenix for his two week check up. He weighed 6lbs 7oz when we left the hospital and at his check up he weighed 7lbs 5oz. He gained nearly an entire pound in 12 days!

Then we took him to have his picture made with a very talented local photographer named Heather Bookout. The pictures are amazing. You can view a few samples of them on Heather's blog here or on a public facebook photo album here. (You don't have to be a facebook member to view this link.) Some of the pictures on the two different links are the same but a couple are different. I hope you love them too.

Fall Break

2009-10-13T12:56:00.011-05:00

MADISON STREET FESTIVAL AND PARADE

The first weekend in October is always the street festival. We went last year too, but it was nice this year to run into people we knew and it felt more like home. This year Xander walked in the parade with his cub scout pack, so that made the parade more special too.

This is what Phoenix did during the parade; not even the BJHS drum line could peak his interest

Rhiannon and her doppleganger pick up candy

Xander's cub scout pack

my two favorite people in the parade

a little Star Wars for the festival

Then October 8 - 12 was the kids fall break from school and we did a lot of fun things to celebrate. First up, the pumpkin patch

TATE FARM'S PUMPKIN PATCH

This year we went to a different and even better pumpkin patch than last year. They had every Fall and pumpkin related thing you could imagine. Playsets that look like barns and tractors, a hay bale maze, petting zoo, hay ride to the pumpkin patch, bins full of corn for the kids to jump in. It was amazing.

Here's our little pumpkin ready for the pumpkin patch!

searching for the perfect pumpkins

found them!

THE APPLE ORCHARD

We went to the apple orchard again this year for bunches of apples for fall baking and their yummy cider slushies.

once again Phoenix didn't even know we were there :)

apples and cider slushies by the orchard

The Jackson Five!

the whole gang

this crazy bug I found that looks like a piece of moss grew legs, very Spiderwick

We had a really fun fall break. Even when we got rained in we made a fire and had s'mores and watched movies. We also had Phoenix's two week check up and had his pictures made, more on that soon. On the menu for tonight though is Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars. Mmmmm.

HAPPY FALL!

Nursery

2009-10-02T11:50:00.005-05:00

Here's one I've been promising for a while - pictures of the nursery!

So, here are the before pictures of the room we turned into the nursery. This is what it looked like when we viewed the house for the first time. FYI, the previous owners were hoarders. Their whole house had stuff everywhere. Our realtor said most people would have run the other way, but we were able to see past all the junk to the beautiful bones of the house and all it had to offer. But it was scary!!

And here are the after pictures. It's themed with hot air balloons and vintage airplanes. I love hot air balloons and found crib bedding with balloons and planes and sail boats that set the inspiration for decorating the room. The walls are a sky blue color that match the bedding.

It was a very thrifty room makeover. The Mann Clan generously donated their crib, and my cousin Kathie generously donated the wall hangings and hanging hot air balloon that she used years ago in her son's nursery. They couldn't be a more perfect match! My mom gave us the glider which was previously oak colored and we sanded and spray painted it white to match the nursery. And the curtain was an ebay find for half the price it's sold for in stores! So here is the finished room . . .

Here's a close up of the crib

And here is the wall coming in the room that has his little vintage airplane music box which I found at an estate sale

Introducing Phoenix

2009-09-29T15:11:00.009-05:00

Phoenix Teagan Jackson

September 24th, 2009

8:21pm

6lbs 14oz

20 inches

Welcome Home

1st bath at home

One Year

2009-08-18T13:40:00.004-05:00

Today is the one year anniversary of this little blog, of the official start of our lives up here.

Now that the kids are in school, I'll be posting regularly - giving updates of all the work we've done on the house, all the things we've been up to this past summer while the blog was on hiatus.

I can't believe it's been a year . . . and what a year it's been.

Stay tuned.

On Her First Day Of Kindergarten

2009-08-11T13:07:00.008-05:00

She's a girl

Rising from a shell

Running to spring

It is her time, It is her time

Watch her run with ribbons undone

She's a rose in a lily's cloak

She can hide her charms

It is her right, there will be time

To chase the sun with ribbons undone

She runs like a fire does
Just picking up daisies
Comes in for a landing, a pure flash of lightning
Past Alice blue blossoms
You follow her laughter
And then she'll surprise you, arms filled with lavender

Yes, my little pony is growing up fast
She corrects me and says
"You mean a thoroughbred"
A look in her eyes says the battle's beginning
From school she comes home and cries
I don't want to grow up, Mom, at least not tonight

You're a girl
Rising from a shell
Running through spring
With summer's hand in reach now
It is your time
It is your time
So just run with ribbons undone
It is your time, yes my angel
It is your time
So just run with ribbons undone

Run, run darlin'
Ribbons undone

~ Tori Amos

Fourth Grade and Growing Up

2009-08-10T15:42:00.004-05:00

This morning on the way to school my little man asked us if we could please not walk him to his classroom as that would be embarrassing, could we please just walk him inside the school and he would walk the rest of the way on his own. *Sigh* And so it begins . . .

This afternoon he happily reported that he likes his new teacher and the first day of 4th grade was a success.

The kindergarteners have a staggered schedule the first week to ease their transition, so the little lady's first day is tomorrow. Stay tuned . . .

Lucky Seven

2009-07-20T20:13:00.006-05:00

For the last seven, and the next seven, and then seventy more . . .
I love you.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

and thanks for the dance.

Dare to Compare, a fun little survey

2009-07-17T12:15:00.007-05:00

On the right side of the blog I've set up a poll so you can cast your vote on who the baby most resembles in his 4D ultrasound pictures (previous blog post).

To help you make your decision I've included baby pictures of the 4 of us.

EricAmyXander

Rhiannon
Have a happy weekend!!

Baby Face

2009-07-14T20:24:00.005-05:00

Here are a couple of pictures from the 4D ultrasound we had done today!

He's got his right arm curled up by his face with his hand by his ear :)

Summer and The King of Pop

2009-06-26T09:13:00.008-05:00

In honor of summer ~ a new summer playlist that I hope will add some fun to those long, hot days.

In honor of the passing of the King Of Pop ~ Farewell My Summer Love has been added to the summer playlist.

There are many things to catch up on (a couple more months worth), lots of progress made on the house, lots of pictures to share. Just because the blog has been quiet doesn't mean things with us have been. But for personal reasons this blog will remain on hiatus until I am able to properly update it.

The Most Golden Girl

2009-04-28T13:38:00.005-05:00

Golden Girls is one of my top 5 favorite shows of all time; it's comforting to watch any time of the day or night and it always makes me laugh. But Bea Arthur made it smart comedy, which is hard to find these days. Her deadpan delivery and stare made the show. She was my favorite Golden Girl.

You probably heard that Bea died this past weekend. I saw this picture today and just had to share it 'cause she's still making me laugh . . .

Easter Pictures

2009-04-16T10:33:00.008-05:00

Egg hunt on Monte Sano

Easter morning

Easter afternoon egg hunt

We had a good Easter and hope you did too. Saturday we went to an egg hunt sponsored by a church we visited the week before. We met a lot of young families and had a really good time. It was freezing cold up on the mountain, but they had a couple of fire pits and lots of yummy cajun food. The kids were excited about their Easter baskets from the Easter Bunny. We went to church and did an egg hunt for the kids here at home too. Love to all . . .

Snow Day

2009-03-03T13:31:00.006-06:00

On the first day of March we got our first snow that stayed on the ground! Eric woke us up at 7am and we all hurried out to play in it. I guess because of all the excitement the "morning sickness" stayed away (thankfully!) long enough to get some pictures and watch the kids throw their first snow balls.

Sweet Home dusted with snow

our poor little spring flowers

on our back deck

making snowballs

having a taste

Happy Birthday Roxanne!

2009-03-02T10:18:00.004-06:00

You are a brave and strong survivor, a wonderful "Nemo", and a beautiful woman I am honored to call my friend. My family and I thank you for all your love and support. And we wish you

THE HAPPIEST OF BIRTHDAYS!!!

WE LOVE YOU!!!

Was Rhiannon Right?

2009-02-24T10:29:00.008-06:00

Ever since Rhiannon found out we're having a baby she's been convinced that we're having more than one baby. She talked of nothing else but "pwins" and was also very sure that the "pwins" were one baby girl and one baby boy.

So yesterday afternoon I had my first ultrasound, and we were going to find out if Rhiannon's prediction was right or wrong.

Much to Rhiannon's disappointment, there was only one baby. But we are very happy to report that everything looks wonderful with that baby so far. The official due date given by the measurements through the ultrasound is : October 3rd.

I do have a picture, but you can't really tell much. I don't know if the tech couldn't get a good picture or wouldn't give us a good picture, the only one we got is from behind baby so it just looks like a little bean. I'm very sorry to say that the tech really ruined what should have been an exciting experience for us. I think she was upset that Eric and both kids were there with me, but you know, Eric wanted to be there and when you don't live near family or friends that means taking both kids along too. And really, who cares? It could have been such an exciting experience for the kids, but she was rude, gave us the cold shoulder, and didn't speak to us. She wouldn't describe what we were looking at, and only spoke in response to any questions we asked . . . like, "uh, does everything look ok? cause we can't really tell anything from your complete and utter silence." Ok, so I didn't really say that last part, but I kind of wish I would have.

When we go for the 20 week scan in May I'm going to see if I can request someone else. That's right, we have to wait til May to find out what we're having!! Anyway, I saw my doctor after the scan and she is wonderful, I really like her. She said everything looks awesome, the heartbeat was strong - 174 to be exact. And you know what they say about a high fetal heart rate . . . it's just an old wives tale, but all we can do is guess for the next three months.

Ok, so here is baby's first picture. If you're looking from left to right that is the back of baby's head down to the back of baby's bum. :)

I know, it doesn't look much like a baby, but I think it made it more real to the kids to see that something was there, and we got to hear the heartbeat as well as see it and they thought that was pretty cool. And yes, Rhiannon was very disappointed that there were not two babies in there. But Eric and I are pretty sure once one baby gets here, she'll be glad it's only one baby.

After the appointment we went and had dinner and then stopped by Target. The kids have been asking to buy the baby something so we thought it would be special to pick something out after the first ultrasound. We looked for a pair of booties but there was not one pair of neutral booties to be found. So instead we decided on a very neutral colored stuffed bunny that is SO soft and that I'm having a very hard time keeping away from Rhiannon.

I've added a pregnancy countdown ticker to the sidebar so we can all keep track together. October seems a long way off now, but I know it will be here before we know it.

The Name Of The Game

2009-02-19T11:51:00.004-06:00

I thought you would like to know that if we have a girl, Rhiannon has suggested two name possibilities: Peach and Cinderella. Riiiiight. She'd be a hooker for sure!

My Valentine

2009-02-13T10:05:00.003-06:00

Who could resist those dimples? Or those brown eyes?

Not me.

And he knows it too.

They get him out of trouble every time.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

Dear Burker King, what about that "Have it your way" slogan?

2009-02-06T17:44:00.010-06:00

One tell tale sign you're pregnant ~

Your husband calls from Burger King to tell you they're out of macaroni and cheese (which is the exact thing you were craving and the whole reason you chose Burger King to begin with) and you want to CRY.

Welcome, Hormones.

An Early Valentine's Surprise

2009-02-04T08:48:00.010-06:00

Or why you can now refer to us as the

(only a much better version than those guys)

because . . . .

WE'RE HAVING A BABY!!!

This spring and summer will be spent preparing to welcome our third child. The fall will bring us a new person to be thankful for.

They say the number 3 is a perfect number, representing wholeness. We just know that our family feels blessed and happy, and a sense of being complete.

2009 . . . very fine indeed.

Happy 80th Birthday Grandmother

2009-02-03T17:48:00.007-06:00

Five children, fourteen grandchildren, 12 great grandchildren, 30 years serving Winter Haven through Meals on Wheels, and

80 years of memories

is quite a

LEGACY.

I love you,

Amy

Happy 16th Birthday Ward!!

2009-01-30T08:36:00.004-06:00

I'm pretty sure you'll find this embarrassing. I'm just sayin'.

I know I'm only one of many who can't believe you're 16!!! I swear five seconds ago you were giving big sloppy kisses like this

You were the first baby I spent a lot of time around, and boy did I ever. Since my sister was off at college, your mom was kind enough to stand in while she was gone and I spent loads of time over at your house, and I love those memories. You were my buddy. You made me laugh so much. And guess what, some fourteen years later when I had the wonderful opportunity to teach you for a while, you kept me laughing all over again. I loved discovering your unique sense of humor in your writing. You've become quite a guy. I love you so much!

HAPPY 16th BIRTHDAY!! I HOPE IT ROCKS!!

Happy 8th Birthday Jake!

2009-01-29T12:51:00.005-06:00

8 YEARS OLD!!!

You're a special nephew and Xander's best buddy.

I wish we were there to celebrate with you.

I love you and wish you

THE HAPPIEST 8th BIRTHDAY!!!

Love and Hugs,

Auntie Amy

Which Came First, The Chicken Or The Egg?

2009-01-23T21:36:00.003-06:00

Tonight's bedtime conversation went like this:

Xander: Mom, can we have eggs for breakfast in the morning?

Me: Sure

X: Mom, where do eggs come from?

Me: Chickens

X: Well then where do chickens come from?

Me: . . . . . . . eggs

X: so, are you telling me that if you crack an egg early it's a yolk, but if you crack an egg late, it's a chicken?

Me: Pretty much.

X: You mean, I've been eating chickens!?

Me: Uh, well you eat chickens when you eat chicken

X: Ugh, that's so . . . gross.

And do you think he still wants eggs for breakfast?

You bet.

P.S. I've typed the word chicken so many times now it looks wrong, like it's not really a word or like it's the most ridiculous word ever. Does that ever happen to you? Weird.

What crawled up on my lap this morning

2009-01-17T10:30:00.003-06:00

I Hope Your Weekend Is This Happy!!

Handy Dandy Websites

2009-01-15T10:12:00.002-06:00

I've run across some pretty cool websites lately and I thought I would share them with you guys.

The first is called Maghound and it's like netflix for magazine lovers. You pay one low price for a selection of mags, like netflix you choose how many according to how much you want to pay. No, not every magazine is available but if you like the ones that are this is a pretty good deal. Additionally, you can change your selections at any time so that allows you to try new ones. Right now you can get one month free, so if you're a magazine lover like me, hurry on over!

http://www.maghound.com/

Second is a website called Food Tidings. This is one of the coolest things I've seen lately. It's a website for organizing meals for friends and family in "a transitional time of life" as they say on their site. If someone just had a baby, lost a loved one, had surgery, etc and people want to pitch in with meals for a given time there's finally a way to organize this so two people don't bring meals on the same night or so they aren't left with no meals on a night, now you can see when a meal is needed. Genius.

http://www.foodtidings.com/

And finally is a website called Kids In Mind and this is just for the mamas (and grandmamas) out there. This is the definitive website for rating movies according to kids. Instead of just a general glossing over like "some violence" or "mild sexuality" this website gives a detailed play by play of exactly what violent or sexual situations are in the movie along with how much profanity. So now you can make an informed decision on what exactly you're ok with your kids seeing and what you're not. New movies are listed on the front page and you can search other titles alphabetically. What a load off.

http://www.kids-in-mind.com/

Go forth and surf the sites and ~~then tell me how cool I am~~, I mean, ~~send me accolades about how much easier and better my knowledge of the internet has made your life~~, er, enjoy!

How Sweet It Is

2009-01-14T12:17:00.002-06:00

For his birthday Eric requested two homemade edible treats: 1) lasagna and 2) a dessert of the peanut butter and chocolate persuasion. Lasagna I could make with my eyes closed, but a peanut butter and chocolate dessert ~ that would take some investigating. I did some internet searching, knew I hit the jackpot when I came upon this recipe, and voila . . .

a chocolate cake with peanut butter flavored frosting decorated with miniature Reeses cups. It's my very first made-from-scratch-without-a-mix cake and frosting and it's not perfect (maybe a more expert baker could tell me how to get the cake from the cooling rack to the cake stand without it trying to fall apart?) but it's just as sinfully delicious as it looks. It's a peanut butter and chocolate lovers dream ~ the birthday boy was very happy.

And lets just keep it real, shall we? Yes, Xander ripped his good sweater at school and I didn't notice until after this picture was taken. Miraculously, it ripped open in a spontaneous burst while he was sitting perfectly still in class. Isn't that amazing? And Yes, Rhiannon insisted on wearing her pajamas for Eric's birthday dinner beacause, for some reason known only unto her, the (perfectly cute) clothes she was wearing would "look weird in the pictures." Oh kids . . .

Happy 31st Birthday Eric!

2009-01-13T07:41:00.005-06:00

My Sweet Husband, today is a day to celebrate you, and you are the most deserving person I know. When I try to search for the right words ~ words to express my love for you or all the things you are as a person and as my husband, words to celebrate you ~ I become speechless. There simply aren't enough words, there are no adequate words, there are no words that do you justice. Your life is a blessing, one I'm thankful for every day. You are respected, admired, and loved by so many, and I am proud to call you my husband. You've accomplished a lot this past year ~ your dream job and the move; you've grown so much and have so much to look forward to. You make every day sweeter and I thank you for sharing each passing year with me. I hope this year is your happiest yet, I hope it's filled with laughter, fun memories, sweet surprises, and more love than ever. You deserve it.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY LOVE!!!

Duffy

2009-01-12T09:57:00.004-06:00

For my fellow music lovers ~ you must check out Duffy. She's jazzy, soulful, kind of along the lines of Amy Winehouse, only classier . . . and sober. Anyway, I loved the entire Rockferry CD; and how many times do you listen to a whole CD? My favorites are Warwick Avenue, Syrup and Honey and Hanging On Too Long, but it's ALL good, every last song. Some samples are on my playlist below, so have a jam on me.

Happy 5th Birthday Rhiannon!

2009-01-07T08:45:00.007-06:00

Dear Rhiannon,

I can't believe you're 5! Wasn't it just yesterday I was holdling you like this?

And now you're not a baby, not even a toddler, but a child. One who will start kindergarten before I can blink my eyes. I'm so thankful for the last five years with you ~ the way you keep me laughing, all your peculiarities, even when you're exasperating, and especially your unique mixture of rough and tumble and girly girl ~ I've loved every minute with you and will love every minute of all the years to come. I can't imagine life without you, My Girl.

Love For Always,

Mom Mom

HAPPY 5th Birthday!!!!

"Rhiannon rings like a bell through the night and wouldn't you love to love her . . ."

Some Pictures of Christmas and Rhiannon's Early Birthday Party

2009-01-06T12:35:00.007-06:00

P.S. I had to turn the word verification tool back on in the comments because I received a bunch of spam comments. Just type the letters you see in the word verification box.

Happy 60th Birthday Mom!

2009-01-03T12:24:00.006-06:00

You Are Something To Celebrate

George Bernard Shaw once said "Perhaps the greatest social service that can be rendered by anybody to this country and to mankind is to bring up a family." And though life may not have been the fairytale you once imagined, just look at your success story ~ you raised two daughters (who turned out pretty well, if I do say so myself) who are now raising their own families, you have five beautiful grandchildren who adore you. I know that for me, and I think I can speak for Renee too, now that I am a mother I can see your sacrifices and love with new eyes and I appreciate you in a deeper way. Your life has made a difference, all 60 years of it, every new day of it. You have done this great service and it has not been in vain, the rewards are bountiful and are found in the faces of those who love you.

Happy 60 Years!

A Very Fine 2009

2009-01-02T13:37:00.008-06:00

I had hoped to write this post yesterday, on the first day of the new year. Instead we saw The Tale of Despereaux, had free black eyed peas from Cracker Barrel (good luck for the new year), and then Rhiannon came down with 102 fever and that was that. So lets just pretend that today is the first day, shall we?

Ali Edwards, who writes a scrapbooking blog that I visit from time to time, did a post on having one word for the year and I think it's such a great idea. I had already been thinking and feeling this without even knowing it. 2008 was a very trying and emotionally charged year for us and by the last few months I felt an insatiable craving for peace. I knew that if there was one thing I could wish for in 2009 it would be peace. So that is my word for 2009. After the definitions about being free from war come the definitions that I find applicable ~

6.
freedom of the mind from annoyance, distraction, anxiety, an obsession, etc.; tranquillity; serenity.
7.
a state of tranquillity or serenity
8.
a state or condition conducive to, proceeding from, or characterized by tranquillity
9.
silence; stillness

Please read Ali's post that I linked to as she goes into further detail to explain having a word for the year, but the general idea is to have one word to focus on during the year, it's your goal, your mantra so to speak. I like how she described it as a ripple in the pond.

So I wish for this year to be a year full of peace and quiet, less noise and more focus on the small but monumentally important things. I no longer care if life is less than exciting, if it is sometimes very boring. After a very tumultuous year, I appreciate the stillness so much more now.

In the past I have always felt a great deal of pressure to ring in the new year in some exciting way, as if the amount of celebration occuring at midnight is indicative of the coming year. This year we celebrated just the four of us, quietly in our new home ~ some small fireworks for the kids, a toast of sparkling grape juice and chocolate covered strawberries, good movies and giggles and hugs and more love than I deserve. And never have I ever been happier or more content. Xander stayed up to watch the ball drop for the first time, which happens at 11 here (darn that central standard time) but when it actually turned midnight here for us, it was just Eric and I on the couch with a kiss and a toast to a new and happier year. 2008 slipped quietly away and we welcomed 2009 with exactly what I've been wishing for ~ peace.

So this year will be our first full year in Alabama and I look forward to settling in and making this our home and seeing what good things the coming year holds. But most of all I want to extract joy from the every day things that make a home, make a family, make a life.

And you? What's your word for 2009? Leave a comment and let me know. Whatever it is, I wish it for you . . .

We'll take a cup of kindness yet

2008-12-31T10:59:00.010-06:00

Our trip to Florida for Christmas was a good one, pictures will follow soon. We're back home safe and sound and celebrating New Years Eve quietly together.

Alabama to Florida ~ December 23, 2008

I think we can all appreciate the idea of a brand new year. Like the ground covered in a beautiful blanket of just-fallen snow, New Years is clean and fresh; the starkness of its landscape is breathtaking. The new year is an empty vessel waiting to be filled with new memories and experiences, and offering up new opportunities and maybe even some second chances. No matter what we have all been through in 2008, 2009 is a clean slate of endless possibilities. And that, my friends, is reason enough to raise a glass and celebrate.

Cheers!

Sights of Christmas

2008-12-16T09:32:00.006-06:00

Christmas house

Christmas kids

Gingerbread house

Family sleepover by the fire

Glimpses of Grandaddy

2008-12-15T09:35:00.004-06:00

Giving fun rides on the tire swing

Making muffins

Stacking firewood

Teaching card tricks

Having his first s'more!

Burritt On The Mountain

2008-12-09T13:07:00.011-06:00

On Sunday we decided to visit Burritt On The Mountain: A Living Museum. It's up on Monte Sano in Huntsville, which is breathtaking to drive through. The houses - I can't even tell you how beautiful. Dr. Burritt built his mansion in 1938 and when he died, having no children, he left the mansion and property to Huntsville under the condition that it be a museum. Since then they have transported old houses and such from the 1800s to the property, including a barnyard which they turned into a working barnyard. We picked the coldest day of the week to go to the mountain, with a high of 38 degrees down here and even colder up there, we bundled up in lots of layers and headed up the mountain. We took a lot of pictures. *For my little readers* there are pictures of all kinds of barn animals and even some toys from the 1800s! I thought of you when I took them!

Burritt Mansion (not my picture)

The fam on the steps of the mansion

(I love how Xander looks like Dumb Donald from Fat Albert! Pull up your hat, boy!)

A little gingerbread house they had set up under the gazebo (how random) with free lollipops.

What? Free lollipops?! Well this will be the the hit of the day and will be talked about incessently. "Mom, remember the house with the free lollipops?"

Rhiannon and the spinning wheel "just like on Sleeping Beauty"

my favorite thing of the day - the oldest residence in Alabama, circa 1808.

the kids check out a pig

the pig checks out Annie

and licks his block of ice from where his water froze

Looking at the old way of keeping dairy cold, a springhouse

a goat, giving herself a little pedicure

Annie and the cow sayin' hey over the fence

but the cow itself was not the highlight, oh no. The highlight was when it pooped and because it was so cold outside, it started steaming. Steaming cow dung?! What could be more hysterical to a couple of kids? (Ok, and the parents too)

Some miniature horses

and some sheep, our favorite was the one looking at the camera with the black face

checkin' out the chickens (real chickens, not mychickens)

Dad and a sorghum press just like one he used to operate

Grandaddy explains how he used to work the press and get cane syrup

A little room full of toys from the 1800s

An 1800s dollhouse

on the porch of a late 1800s house

Across the street from Xander's school is the First Baptist Church of Madison and this was the original building from 1884

The Jackson Four in front of the Christmas tree inside the church

First Date (since we moved)

2008-12-08T12:38:00.003-06:00

My dad's been here since last monday and it's been a treat in a lot of ways. He's cooked for us almost every night, he's extra hands for tire swing pushing, he's handy with odd jobs around the house, most of all he's been good company to have around. The biggest treat of all though is when he watched the kids saturday night so Eric and I could have our first night out together since we moved here in August. They had a big ol' party back here at the house with popcorn and milkshakes and Kung Fu Panda, and we had a night out with uninterrupted conversation. *Sigh* The movie theater here has a restaurant so we tried that out and then we saw Twilight. Here's a couple pictures from our evening.

The first is at dinner

and the second is from one of those fun little photo booths they had outside the theater

First Snow

2008-12-02T12:13:00.005-06:00

Yesterday was the first snow of the season here in Rocket City and the first snow ever for myself, Rhiannon, and Xander (who, we're sad to say, was at school). Rhiannon and I ran around playing in the back yard and I, for one, was as excited as a little kid on Christmas morning!

Here's BunnyBear getting in on the action with snow on her feet:

And here's Rhiannon back by the gate wondering if it's snowing in the front yard too :)

Yep, it even snowed on the way to get Xander from school :)

It was so fun and I got some video too, so if I can figure out how to get that on the computer and on the blog then you can see that too.

Yay snow!!

The Sounds of Christmas

2008-12-01T13:41:00.005-06:00

Christmastime is here and I’ve put together a soundtrack for the season. It’s set on random so hopefully every time you stop by you’ll hear something different, and even though most times you might only have time to hear one song, I hope that if you’re wrapping presents or decorating or baking you’ll leave it up to set the mood and think of us up here in Alabama sending Christmas wishes to you. Although I’m excited to experience a cold Christmas season and all the new things our first December in Alabama will bring, I’m feeling homesick more than I have since we moved here. We’re going to miss Eric’s CompSci friends annual Christmas party for the first time this year and Roxanne’s ornament party, and we won’t be able to take the kids to see the Celebration Santa like we have every year since we got married, and I’m missing having Christmas shopping company and just missing all of you in general to experience the Christmas season with and do the things we do every year, whatever that may be. All things to be expected with moving away, but still a first for me.

Anyway, back to the music . . .

There are two versions of Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, because it’s my very favorite Christmas carol and I couldn’t pick just one version. Second on the list of favorites is Happy Christmas otherwise known as So This Is Christmas by John Lennon. And of course, no Christmas playlist of mine would be complete without Stevie’s version of Silent Night.

Some songs made the list just because I love them, like Carol Of The Bells by Trans Siberian Orchestra (which happens to be Xander’s favorite Christmas song) Rebel Jesus by Jackson Browne, and Little Drummer Boy by Jars of Clay (the coolest version of that song that I’ve heard). But others are on the list because they go along with special Christmas memories.

My mom always went out of her way to make Christmas special and for that reason Christmas is still the most special and magical time of year to me. Christmas memories are my very favorite memories of my mom, but especially my memories of decorating the Christmas tree with her. First, you have to know what a painstaking job she did putting the lights on the tree. In the days before pre-lighted trees my mom didn’t just wind the lights around the tree, she wound them very carefully, methodically, and quite perfectly around each and every branch of the tree. I passed the time waiting for her to finish the lights by unwrapping each ornament and laying them all out on the couch. I loved our ornaments because they were all different and special in their own way, each carrying some memory or meaning with it. Finally it would be time to hang the ornaments on the tree, and what I remember most about this are the songs that were playing in the background. That’s why you will see some songs on my Christmas playlist that some of you might be surprised to see. In my mom’s house the only music ever playing was country music. And although I still have a strong affection for Kenny, Dolly, and Loretta, I didn’t really inherit my mother’s love for country music. That is, except for Christmas music. The albums playing on the record player (yes, records!) while we decorated the tree were Kenny Rogers and Alabama Christmas albums. Oh, and John Denver and the Muppets too! To this day when I hear any song of Alabama’s I immediately think of Christmas, because their voices mean Christmas to me. So, I share those special songs, and the sounds of my childhood Christmas, with you here.

The Aaron Neville Soulful Christmas songs are here for a special reason too. When my sister moved away to college, first to Gainesville and later to Georgia, I missed doing so many things with her. So I very clearly remember the first Christmas in her new apartment after she moved back. We were decorating and she was playing Aaron Neville’s Soulful Christmas. I was happy she was back, and of course I thought her apartment was so cool (it had a loft!) but what was even cooler was that she gave me a key, and what teenage girl wouldn’t love to be able to escape to a cool apartment with a loft? So every time I hear songs from Aaron Neville’s Soulful Christmas I think of that Christmas in my sister’s little apartment, wrapping her pictures to look like presents hanging on the wall.

So, I hope you’ll enjoy these songs. Maybe you’ll hear some old favorites, maybe you’ll find a new favorite or two. Maybe you’ll laugh when you hear Beaker singing “mee-mee-mee-mee-mee” or Miss Piggy getting huffy about Piggy, I mean Figgy Pudding. Maybe you’ll smile at Thistlehair The Christmas Bear or Madonna’s Santa Baby. Maybe you’ll be moved by Kelly Clarkson’s O Holy Night or Kenny Roger’s Sweet Little Jesus Boy. And maybe you will think of your favorite new Alabamians when Jimmy Buffet sings Merry Christmas Alabama. But most of all, I hope you’ll find yourself happy and loved this Christmas season and that you will enjoy the sounds (and a couple memories) of my Christmas. Oh, and I dare you to try not to get the hula hoop verse from the Chipmunk song stuck in your head. It can't be done.

Love,
Amy

P.S. Rhiannon and I just saw our very first snow flurries ever!!! Stay tuned for pictures!!

A Week of Thanks, Day 7

2008-11-30T13:36:00.002-06:00

I'm so thankful for every single person who participated in my week of thanks. You made it so much better, and sharing all our blessings made me even more thankful. I love and appreciate every one of you for special reasons.

THANK YOU!!!

A Week of Thanks, Day 6

2008-11-29T19:40:00.008-06:00

The blessing of weekend-after-Thanksgiving traditions

and the return of a special little friend

A Week of Thanks, Day 5

2008-11-28T16:21:00.005-06:00

I am so thankful for books~

old favorites

and new ones

where we can journey to any place and any time, and the characters become friends we don't want to part with . . .

and then of course, the ones where the truth is stranger than fiction

I love books in general ~ the smell, the feel, the endless possibilities ~ what would we do and where would we be without books?

A Week of Thanks, Day 4

2008-11-27T14:00:00.003-06:00

On Our First Thanksgiving in Alabama

I am thankful for a table full of decadent once-a-year food, a family to go around the table, a house to hold the table, and most of all I am thankful for always having enough ~ enough food, enough clothes, enough love.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

P.S. I miss you!

A Week of Thanks, Day 3

2008-11-26T10:04:00.005-06:00

How could I not acknowledge my gratitude for the two brightest stars in my sky ~

This boy with an insatiable imagination who reads and reads and then writes his own creative stories, who stuns me with phrases like "It's simply a matter of my own opinion," and who challenges my aptitude daily

And this girl with the funkiest fashion sense who invites me to the coolest tea parties, who makes me laugh more than anyone else with her unbridled humor, and who challenges my resolve daily

"There are lives I can imagine without children, but none of them have the same laughter and noise." - Brian Andreas

A Week of Thanks, Day 2

2008-11-25T09:28:00.007-06:00

5 Random Reasons I'm Thankful For This Man

For slow dancing with me in the middle of the kitchen
For working on the house - cutting down trees, hanging new light fixtures, and other such handyman things
For making cozy fires to keep me warm
For reading to me while I cook dinner
For making me laugh with that dry sense of humor

A Week of Thanks, Day 1

2008-11-24T10:42:00.004-06:00

Each day this week I am going to post something that I am thankful for right now. I am always striving to be more full of thanks than complaints, but especially this week I want to put away anything negative, any current hardships or difficulties, and concentrate on how truly blessed I am. I hope you'll join me in my week of thanks, each day finding something new to be thankful for, and I hope you'll share it in the comment section. After all, our homes may not be perfect, but aren't they warm and dry? Our families may not be perfect, but aren't they beautiful and healthy? Our lives may not be perfect, but won't we all be full of delicious food and surrounded by people we love this Thanksgiving? This is so much more than many people can say.

So, I know you may very well be tired of pictures of trees and my ramblings about how beautiful their changing colors are. I know I get more excited about trees in general than most people, I'm a tree loving girl, but bear with me once more. I have felt amazed as I've witnessed my first true fall season, and today I am grateful for the view from my kitchen window. Every morning when I open my kitchen curtains the whole room is flooded with the most incredible golden light coming from our back yard.

"Golden slumbers fill your eyes, smiles awake you when you rise"

- The Beatles

Funny Face

2008-11-21T14:39:00.004-06:00

HAPPY WEEKEND!!!

Big Steps For Both Of Us

2008-11-20T13:52:00.003-06:00

These are pictures from a couple weeks ago when Xander took his first flight on an airplane with me, in preparation for the one he'll take today by himself.

"Stand tall

And glide

When you're all alone in the crowd

Don't fall

Don't hide

When you walk above the clouds . . ."

Godspeed, little man . . .

Another One Bites The Dust

2008-11-14T10:29:00.003-06:00

We have an over abundance of pine trees around our house and they're problematic in the amount of pine needles they shed. We got a quote on having some of them cut down and you don't even want to know how much they want to charge us. So Eric decided to see if he could take care of one of the smaller ones on his own. I say smaller in a relative way. It was very tall, but not as tall as some others and definitely thinner than others. So Eric put his trusty saw to use cutting down yet another one of our trees. It'll only put a small dent in the pine needles but a dent all the same. He's very proud of tackling this one, so I thought I'd show it off for him; we're proud of him too.

Monopoly Night

2008-11-12T12:44:00.004-06:00

Eric is the banker

Rhiannon throws crazy doubles

Xander makes crazy deals and trades

And it's all crazy fun

This Is What I've Been Waiting For

2008-11-10T12:45:00.004-06:00

" Winter is an etching,

spring a watercolor,

summer an oil painting

and autumn a mosaic of them all."

- Stanley Horowitz

A Tale of Two Trees

2008-11-07T10:42:00.006-06:00

They were the last two holly trees climbing up the side of the house and cluttering things up, and it was their time to go.

The work began

but there was still time for play (a bug in a bug by a bug)

The first holly proved to be a somewhat of a beast to tame

Could one little man tackle the other tree?

Nope, it took two

Firewood was cut

There was even time for a race or two

But there was plenty of work to be done; we all helped drag branches up the drive, even the smallest of us

And lest you think I was only taking pictures of everyone else working, I cleaned out the gutters and raked everything into a pile (of course no one took pictures of that) which the little ones scooped into bags

And, whew, things were much better now ~ cleaner, less cluttered, more open, a much nicer view. I think I even heard the house breathe a sigh of relief.

THE END

Boo!

2008-11-04T12:46:00.013-06:00

I just love a good surprise!

First we surprised the kids with a trip to Florida

then we surprised my mom with our visit

And then my dad

And my sister's kids

And then it was time for trick or treating just like every year.

This year we had a prima ballerina

And a dashing Indiana Jones

Together . . .

Me and my babies . . .

Our family . . .

the cutie-est nieces and nephew

And the whole gang together

It was such a fun surprise and we got to have some really good visits, it made it so hard to come back to Alabama; but it was like a sweet treat to tide us over til Christmas time.

P.S. A new November playlist to ring in the remainder of autumn (with a new blog look too)

P.P.S. I voted for the first time ever today!! I hope you voted too!

Late October in Alabama

2008-10-29T13:47:00.006-05:00

Rhiannon models her new winter gear . . .

trees are the color of fire . . .

Xander's scout carnival theme was favorite book characters ~ of course he was the old Harry Potter stand by and for Rhiannon I tried to throw together something to resemble Fancy Nancy (with cold weather to consider)

Rhiannon twirls (as usual) and as Fancy Nancy would say ~ twirl is a fancy word for spin . . .

Xander looks dapper with his wand at the ready . . .

Rhiannon looks sassy . . .

Xander gets new teeth . . .

Rhiannon gets a hole in one . . .

. . . and stands in line for games like this (very fancy) . . . .

But in the end they decided it would be more fun to go home and make s'mores again, so we did ~ winter gear indoors and all (also very fancy) . . .

We had hoped to watch Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin but we didn't make it home in time, so instead we settled for Rhiannon joining in on the DWTS group hip hop dance . . .

she even ended with her own version of a hip hop pose like the stars did (she's fancy like that you know) . . .

I hope your late October is looking just as colorful ~

Happy Halloween!!!!

Tire Swing

2008-10-28T15:02:00.005-05:00

First we have to thank the very best dad for hanging and testing the swing

And then say, who doesn't love a tire swing? I can't think of a more perfect image of childhood.

First Fire

2008-10-27T13:21:00.007-05:00

It is cold here now, and smells of crisp leaves and smoking chimneys fill the air. We made our first fire this weekend, in our first fireplace, in this new house that is slowly becoming home. We had s'mores and snuggles, and it was so delicious.

Waiting for the fire . . .

ready for s'mores . . .

what could be more fun?

I swear we didn't pose them . . .

but we did turn the lights out on them . . .

Right now, for me, there is nothing more peaceful than cuddling by the fire with the ones I love, and I wish you something just like it . . .

Let's talk . . . books for now

2008-10-24T12:36:00.003-05:00

So I started this blog as a way to stay connected when we moved. But that connection shouldn't go just one way. It shouldn't be all about what I'm doing, I want to hear what you're doing. A handful of you are leaving comments and I'm so glad, but I know (or at least I've heard) there are a lot more of you out there reading the blog.

I adjusted the comment settings to make it easier to leave a comment. You no longer have to be registered to leave a comment, you can choose to leave one "anonymously" but if you would please be so kind as to sign your name in the comment. You can still register of course, that would be great. But I'm trying to make it easier for those who don't want to, in an effort to generate more conversation. I also removed the word verification tool in an effort to make it as easy as possible to comment. I'll have to see how it goes and hope I don't get spam comments.

Feel free to comment on anything and everything, but especially when I ask questions, like "What did you do this weekend?" tell me! I really want to hear. With that said, I thought my first attempt at a "group discussion" if you will, could be about books. So here we go . . .

You'll notice that under "Currently Reading" I've had The Bell Jar up for nearly the entire two months since I started this blog. No, it hasn't taken me this long to read it. I've been saving it for this post and it's just taken me this long to get around to it. I finished it a while ago actually, and I hated it. I was truly disappointed, afterall The Bell Jar is considered a modern classic. I have to say that, as a literary girl, I feel guilty for not liking it. I just found the book to be one endless, droning description after another, all about characters that I had no interest in. And Plath failed to draw me in to being interested in the story. I didn't care what happened. Was this part of the madness? Maybe. But I found it an absolute chore to finish this book. I was determined to finish it though. So, here's my question . . .

Have you read The Bell Jar and what was your reaction? If you liked it, I'm curious to know why, and what I missed. I feel like I'm pretty open minded as far as books go, but I definitely didn't get this one.

Also, whether or not you've read The Bell Jar, I want to know ~ what are you reading now? And are you loving it?

Let's talk. I'm listening and hoping we can generate an interesting discussion.

~Amy~

P.S. I send an email out whenever I post something new. Right now it's just to a few people I knew would want to know, but if you'd like to be added to the list just let me know.

High Cotton and Country Livin'

2008-10-23T12:31:00.005-05:00

A few of you have already heard this, but for those who haven't . . .

When we brought Xander up here to show him the new house, we pulled in the driveway that afternoon after we closed on the house and I said, "Well, Xan, what do you think?" To which he replied, "It's a lot of nature, Mom. I'm not used to all this nature. This is country livin'."

As if our wooded lot alone wasn't enough to convince him, let me show you what we pass by on the way out to dinner . . .

That's right, cotton fields. We're country now baby!

They're harvesting the cotton now and it's blown all over the sides of the road and into the ditches. Hmm, that sounds very familiar. Oh yeah, it's a song . . . from that band . . . what band was that???

ALABAMA!!

"Cotton on the roadside, cotton in the ditch, we all picked the cotton but we never got rich."

HAHAHA!!!

Even though I'm missing Florida, I'm looking for all the positives in Alabama, and I love that where we live we pass by cotton fields on the way to dinner, but we're on our way to Bridgestreet which has first class shopping and dining amenities.

Like Alabama said, "We're walking in high cotton . . ."

5 antiques for 20 bucks!

2008-10-22T10:05:00.004-05:00

So last weekend after the pumpkin patch while Rhiannon was napping and the boys were having boy time together, I went antiquing! There's a huge store right down the road with rows and rows and rows of treasures, and I needed to do something girly. I miss having all you girls around to do stuff with. Anyway, I found a juicer which I had been wanting for a while, and a beautiful casserole dish. The other finds were frivolous, but seeing as how I didn't pay over $4 for anything, I feel like I made out really well and I wanted to share my finds with you. You know, the blog has to take the place of in person visits!

vintage turquoise casserole dish

vintage glass juicer

spice bottle from the 1800s!!!

this old apothecary jar (very Stevie) I thought it would be cute in my bathroom

and a bell jar

Misty Hollow Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-20T10:42:00.007-05:00

The cold snap came suddenly this weekend and I think we've seen the last of temperatures in the 80s. The pumpkin patch was fun, with hayrides down to a waterfall and the pumpkin patch and lots of other fun things for the kids to do. And of course we left there with two beautiful pumpkins, hand picked from the patch by the kids.

Indian Summer

2008-10-17T13:51:00.004-05:00

This week we had an Indian Summer, warm and beautiful. 86 degrees, way above average for this time of year here; we soaked up the last little bit of shorts, skirts, and sandals. We went to the farmer's market on base and they were selling the biggest pumpkins I've ever seen. I know they grow bigger than this, but I've never seen them to buy this big. You can see the regular size pumpkin next to the big ones. Speaking of pumpkins, we're going to get ours this weekend! See you back here on Monday . . .

"Indian Summer"

Along the line of smoky hills

The crimson forest stands,

And all the day the blue-jay calls

Throughout the autumn lands.

Now by the brook the maple leans,

With all his glory spread;

And all the sumachs on the hills

Have turned their green to red.

Now, by the great marshes wrapt in mist,

Or past some river's mouth,

Throughout the long still autumn day

Wild birds are flying south.

--- William Wilfred Campbell

Our guest bath

2008-10-16T13:30:00.008-05:00

is ready for guests!

Before . . .

After . . .

Before . . .

After . . .

now we just gotta get goin on the guest bedroom so our guests will have a place to stay

Introducing Cinderella

2008-10-14T12:32:00.001-05:00

Yep, that's what she named it.

Busy Weekend

2008-10-13T12:58:00.009-05:00

loving the autumn air in Ladybug . . .

on a visit to . . .

with the very best apple cider slushie . . .

enjoyed outside under a tree . . .

and some apples turned into ~ Caramel Apple Cheesecake!

and then some yardwork . . . we cut down a couple of those pesky holly trees and some other tree limbs with Eric's new saw ~ a housewarming gift from his parents.

to remind you, what it looked like before . . .

the damage (we saved some for firewood) . . .

and the result ~ the flower beds still need so much work, but you can finally see the dormer windows . . .

and topping it off ~ a new fan for the living room, hung very professionally by my handyman husband!

Before . . .

and after . . .

It was a good weekend. How was yours?

Did you know?

2008-10-10T10:12:00.003-05:00

Scoob and the gang live right down the road.

Happy Weekend!

Kitchen Curtains

2008-10-09T12:24:00.004-05:00

We're trying to spruce things up little by little. In an effort to accentuate the view out of the kitchen window, we tossed the ghetto blinds that raised up lopsided in favor of some new curtains.

Before . . .

And after . . .

But guess what - they're not actually curtains! They're dish towels! (from my favorite store ~ Anthropologie, which I would decorate my whole house from if I could afford it, but I digress . . . ) the vintage features in my kitchen (window, cabinets, etc) along with my love for antique bottles has led me to decide on decorating my kitchen in a retro/vintage style. So, I wanted an old fashioned pair of curtains. The dish towels are my thrifty answer to vintage linen curtains. I just hung them from clip style curtain rings and ~ voila!

Here's a close up of the embroidered bird cages and applique birds (which remind me of my bird lover Eric) . . .

And now the view is even prettier!

Rhiannon = Always good for a laugh

2008-10-08T20:52:00.004-05:00

So tonight when I was putting Rhiannon to bed she went to get her story book out of her drawer. There were some pieces of paper in the drawer with scribbles on them and she said:

"I use those like a journal, you know, like a diarrhea. I use them like a diarrhea."

HAHAHAHAHA!!!

Weekend Wrap Up

2008-10-07T13:18:00.013-05:00

This past weekend we had our very first visitors. Eric's parents came in Friday afternoon. After showing them the house we walked down to the park at the end of our road for some playtime, had dinner at Bridgestreet and the next morning we went to the annual Madison Street Festival which was kicked off with a parade.

Wanda and Robert left Saturday afternoon after a picnic of Apple Lane Farm sandwiches (you must try them if and when you visit) at Kid's Kingdom. We were sad to see them go, it was nice having a piece of Florida in Alabama for a while.

Sunday morning we headed to the Space and Rocket Center again, this time for a long-time promised viewing of the movie "Fly Me To The Moon" in 3D. Here's my fab fam in their goofy glasses!

After the movie we exited out into a portion of the museum we hadn't seen when we were there the weekend before. On the top floor, displays of the giant Saturn rocket and it's components that launched the Apollo astronauts to the moon.

There were also displays of what NASA is currently working on, and quite a bit of intrigue surrounding them. As most of you know NASA will be discontinuing the space shuttle in 2010. As sad as it will be to say goodbye to that image we have grown to know and love, the replacement will be far more cost effective and efficient. The replacement will be the Ares I and the Orion. The Ares being the crew launch vehicle that will launch the Orion - the spacecraft being designed for human spaceflight missions. For those of you who are curious, we have some pictures of the next thing to come in our missions to space.

The Ares I . . .

Eric and Rhiannon outside the Orion crew module . . .

The words around the top say "Crew Exploration Vehicle . . .Go and return safely."

Inside the Orion crew module, the seats, etc . . .

inside the Orion, food storage, etc . . .

Living in Rocket City and Eric working at Marshall Space Flight Center has brought the space program closer to our hearts. We're excited to see what's next. Mars? We hope . . .

October Hodgepodge

2008-10-06T12:28:00.012-05:00

We had a lot going on last week and I fell way behind in my blogging, so in an attempt to play catch up this post will be about a little of everything.

As you can see the blog has a new look, a blog makeover if you will. August to Alabama is all dressed for fall. And we have new music too. Nothing says October to me like the music of Van Morrison. Some of you already know about my love affair with this man's music, but some of you don't. I don't think there's a single song of his that I don't love. "Into the Mystic" will always be one of the greatest songs of all time, but there are so many more and they all seem to be the perfect soundtrack for this time of year, which happens to be my most favorite season. From the sweet notes of "Warm Love" and "Tupelo Honey" to the quintessential October song "Moondance" I hope you'll leave the page up and let the music linger around your autumn days. And maybe think of me too. I miss you all very much and wish you were here to enjoy autumn in Alabama with me.

Speaking of autumn in Alabama, here are the first signs in our backyard . . .

Our house is all dressed for fall too, and since I can't have you all over to see our decorations I thought I'd share them with you here.

The buffet in our dining room . . .

Our fireplace mantel . . .

and on our table, the leaf bowl I made with some pinecones from our yard and the two cutest little white pumpkins I found for 50 cents at Publix.

So here's a funny story for you - The other day Eric and I walked out the door to find insulation scattered all over our front walk. We looked up and saw a hole in our roof where the insulation obviously came from, but how? How did it wind up all over the front walk? We called the roofer out to fix the hole and guess what the cause was - Squirrels!! Squirrels had chewed their way through our roof and built a nest! They had thrown the insulation out to make room for their nest. Pesky little buggars! Here's a picture of one of the culprits who often makes himself at home on our deck. He's huge!!

Last weekend Eric got free passes to the

so we took the kids and spent the day there on Saturday. And of course we took pictures!

Xander, demonstrating how the astronauts sleep on board the space shuttle . . .

"We all live in a yellow submarine . . ."

Mock up of the lunar landing . . .

Me, in the astronaut footprints. "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

Don't you just want to go to space camp?!!

Apollo Command Module . . .

Eric tries to land the shuttle safely . . .

That's all I have time for just now. We had a lot of fun at the Space and Rocket Center, it was really interesting and we'd love to take any of you who want to go when you come visit.

Speaking of visitors, we had our very first ones this weekend! Pictures soon . . .

Happy October!!!

Conversation with God

2008-09-28T21:49:00.002-05:00

I promise you this is the exact conversation I overheard happening in the backseat of my car. Just so there's no confusion, both parts were spoken by Rhiannon, of course.

"Dear God, can you please please please make my eyes purple or pink? Because they are my favorite colors. Please!"

"No, Annie. That's not the way I made you."

"Oh. Well ok then."

So Long Summer (Part 4)

2008-09-27T14:55:00.004-05:00

Our first visit to Huntsville wraps up our series of vacation pictures. The pictures were taken at Big Spring Park which we visited after Eric finished his interview. Big Spring Park, originally Huntsville's water source, features gifts given to Huntsville by other countries such as the Red Bridge and 60 cherry blossom trees from Japan, a fog bell from Norway and a park bench from Britain.

Rhiannon chats up a duck . . .

ducks and koi fish by the Red Bridge . . .

road trip buddies ~ heading back to Florida . . .

I hope you enjoyed our saying so long to summer with pictures from our first family summer vacation. We certainly didn't know just how life changing it would be. We're missing you all very much, but we're making the most of this adventure. We look forward to what our first fall in Alabama will bring, and we hope that through this blog you will experience it with us.

So Long Summer (Part 3)

2008-09-26T12:29:00.012-05:00

Rock City, Chattanooga Tennessee ~

getting set to go in . . .

squeezing through passages . . .

seeing seven states . . .

at the bird show . . .

more passages ~ fat man's squeeze . . .

Ruby Falls, Chattanooga Tennessee ~

Mining for gems at the Ruby Falls Mining Company . . .

So Long Summer (Part 2)

2008-09-24T12:23:00.007-05:00

Pictures from the Pigeon Forge/Knoxville portion of our vacation ~

Traveling in style . . . .

dancing in the car . . .

Zorb Smoky Mountains, Pigeon Forge . . .

Eric and Xander in the zorb . . .

. . . and exiting the zorb . . .

me, doing the zigzag zorb . . .

Knoxville, dinner on the Tennessee River . . .

Fort Kid, Knoxville; with the Sunsphere in the background . . .

So Long Summer (Part 1)

2008-09-22T11:51:00.011-05:00

Well friends, it's officially the first day of fall. Here in Alabama the hot days have left us and we've welcomed with open arms the perfect temperatures of Autumn. I thought I'd say goodbye to summer by sharing some pictures of our summer vacation ~ the one that led us here.

I've said it before, but we never could have imagined leaving for our summer vacation only to have our lives change so drastically in a matter of days and come back to Florida with such an important decision to make. In all the whirlwind that came with deciding to go, having to pack up again, go house hunting, and then move ~ all within a matter of weeks ~ these pictures were never shared. Saying farewell to summer seemed like the perfect time, and this the perfect place to finally do so. I hope you enjoy looking at them even half as much as I enjoyed taking them.

This first set is from 4th of July on Jacksonville Beach.

Sharing treasures.....

My world . . .

Look at that face . . .

A little silliness . . .

First glimpse of fireworks . . .

A Taste of Comfort

2008-09-21T16:44:00.003-05:00

Grilled cheese and alphabet soup, a quick and easy dinner that offers warmth on a chilly night.

The soup literally takes only minutes to make. I got the recipe from Real Simple Family, but instead of using fresh carrots I used frozen since the peas it called for were frozen too and that cut even more time out.

Alphabet Soup

6 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup alphabet pasta
10oz frozen peas and carrots mix
1/4 tsp kosher salt

Place broth in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add pasta and salt and simmer 6-8 minutes. Stir in peas and carrots and cook until heated through.

* I also added a pinch of garlic powder and pepper as well, but that's just personal preference. Also, my family decided that next time they'd rather have it with just peas, but again that's up to you. Enjoy!

Little Things That Make Life Sweeter

2008-09-19T10:11:00.005-05:00

It's been a long week here, one of those weeks where it's the little things that keep you going.

Sunflowers from the supermarket, the vase is a milk bottle I found at an estate sale in Florida ~ a simple kind of pretty that put a smile on my face every time I walked by. Sometimes a few extra dollars for something frivolous is so worth it . . .

And then ~ it's always fun to open a package, especially when it's belated birthday treats, picked very thoughtfully. Perfect timing, thanks Sis . . . .

I think the dish towel sums up this post perfectly.

I hope all of you find something little, in the midst of all the stress, that makes your life sweeter.

Have a safe and happy weekend.

A Month and Miscellaneous

2008-09-18T13:01:00.010-05:00

Can you believe that one month ago today Eric started work, Xander started school, and we officially started our lives up here in Alabama? We've done a lot in a month and we have so much more planned to do.

I wanted to share a couple pictures of Rhiannon dancing in the kitchen while I made dinner. You can also catch a glimpse of our snazzy kitchen wallpaper right out of the 80s! And don't worry, this is a picture from a couple weeks ago, so those boxes have been unpacked. (Although there are plenty more elsewhere...) It's just one of those moments I really treasured but never got around to blogging about. But I always want to remember her dancing in the kitchen while I cook dinner.

Also, remember the chess board Eric bought on our Mexico missions trip? Well last night Eric asked me to help find some pictures for his digital frame that he puts on his desk at work (they JUST got around to getting his desk set up...poor thing) Well I ran across this picture

We had just come back from the market in Tijuana where he bought the chess board and he was teaching me how to play. Look how young!! So sweet . . .

And lastly, we are slowly making this house a home. I've been really surprised at the things that offer comfort in a strange new house, in a strange new city, in a strange new state for that matter. A certain chair or blanket and oddly enough even . . . refrigerator magnets.

Now our new fridge offers the old familiarity of home every time we walk by.

That's it for now. Here's to another month . . .

It's official

2008-09-17T13:21:00.004-05:00

Eric and I visited the DMV on base today to get our new Alabama driver's licenses. No longer Floridians now ~ they punched holes through our Florida licenses ~ we are officially Alabamians. Nothing like waiting until the very last day of the 30 day window to do this. We live on the edge. :)

Oh, and guess what . . . I failed the eye exam without my glasses! I knew my eyes were much worse than the last time I had to take the eye exam six years ago after Eric and I got married. I felt it coming, but somehow hoped that I could barely slide by this time. No go. When she asked me to read line 2 I was like - Read what? Um, hello, I don't see anything AT ALL!!! So, I've been wearing my glasses to drive at night for a while now, but I'm officially restricted to driving with corrective lenses at all times. Ew.

So now I need to go get some prescription sunglasses. I need one of you women to go with me and give opinions because this is not a $10 pair of sunglasses from Target, this is a substantial investment and I love Eric but you know, it's just not the same. So . . . any takers? You'll have a very important excuse: "I have to go to Alabama because Amy needs a woman to help her pick out sunglasses. Letting her do this without me could be a disaster leading to much embarassment because, as we learned today, she can't even see what she's looking at!"

Right?

Right??

:)

Eh, can't blame me for trying. I miss you guys.

My first little project

2008-09-16T12:34:00.006-05:00

I love antique glass bottles and jars ~ milk bottles, seltzer bottles, canning jars ~ I love stuff like that. I had some displayed on my plant shelves back in Florida and my dad saw them and said he had some old glass stuff he would give me. He sent them with me to Alabama and when I unwrapped them ~ well, they were covered in . . . stuff . . . like dirt, calcium deposits, rust. But they were very cool, I knew they were worth saving. One of them was a milk bottle from the Punta Gorda dairy which from what I could find was only in business from 1927 to 1936, another is an old turquoise Ball canning jar dated 1908.

So I let them soak in a sink full of water and dish soap overnight and when I took them out the next morning and tried scrubbing them - nothing. So I decided to do some research online, and after a little digging I decided on a mixture of things. I soaked them in a sink full of Polident over night. That's right, like the denture cleaner. The next day with a copper scrubber (which I learned won't scratch the glass) and a little CLR in addition to the Polident soak, I am proud to say they came quite clean. :) And I was right, they were definitely worth saving.

We're going to put up a white wooden decorative shelf along the top of the wall around the breakfast nook in the kitchen (after we take down the gross wallpaper and paint) and display these bottles along with the other ones in my collection. So if you run across some old glass bottles or jars you can always send them my way. :)

Remember that flea market I blogged about that we went to in Scottsboro on my birthday weekend? I didn't find any furniture but I did find a great antique jar for four bucks! It was already clean so I didn't have to do anything to it. I thought it was really cute!

On one side, in the glass, it says "cookies, flour, sugar" but the opening is, in my opinion, too small to scoop out flour or sugar, and we don't keep cookies in the house. This one is too big for the decorative shelf and will sit on my counter. So, any suggestions what to put in it?

One more way to help

2008-09-15T15:40:00.005-05:00

Hey Friends and Family! Just wanted to post a little something about the bone marrow drive that Eric and I attended the other weekend. Eric had heard on the radio that a local man was in need of a bone marrow transplant and they were having a drive for donors at a local church. The church happened to be right down the road we live off of and Eric and I felt compelled to go. We joined the official registry of bone marrow donors. I've been a blood donor for the past ten years and this felt like one more small thing I could do to help. Eric and I both talked about how if one of us or one of our children were in need we would hope that everyone that could possibly be a donor would be.

I just wanted to encourage you to please think about being a bone marrow donor. You can sign up online at www.marrow.org/join or in person at a local donor recruitment drive. You have to give a swab of cheek cells to test your tissue type so if you join online they send you the swabbing kit in the mail.

To be a member of the registry you need to:

* Be between the ages of 18-60

*Be willing to donate to any patient in need

* Meet the health guidelines

Give it some thought.

Thanks,
Amy

Oktoberfest

2008-09-15T09:37:00.010-05:00

Saturday morning Eric and Xander went to build a pirate ship at Lowes

Then we were off to the fair on base at Redstone Arsenal. We first rode the ferris wheel where we saw mountain views from the top. Xander thought it was a fine place for a nap.

Then Rhiannon and I wanted to ride this whirlygig ride called The Spider and we convinced the boys to go with us. Turns out I was the only one who appreciated the nature of that ride.

We grabbed the quintessential fair food lunch of pizza/hot dogs/corndogs/funnel cake and then the kids were off to ride everything they could.

We ended the day with a ride on the tilt-a-whirl

And then Eric drove us around base, showed us the Marshall Space Flight Center, including the building where he works everyday....

This was exciting for us because we had never seen where he was going everyday because he is the only one who can get on base. Eric says he loves walking to his office everyday because he gets to walk past the labs where liquids are bubbling away testing corosion and other such things.

We also got to see some missiles and a missile launch range.

What did you do this weekend?

Our House

2008-09-13T12:07:00.008-05:00

I've had quite a few requests to see pictures of the outside of our house so here ya go. The previous owners planted holly bushes that have now grown into trees and cover the house (they're the ones right up against the house). When we get the time we're going to take them down to clean up the look and open up the view of the house. The house also needs a fresh coat of paint and the flower beds need to be redone, but all in good time. In the first picture it's very difficult to see but there are two dormer windows above the door and bay window.

In the picture below is our cutie realtor, and new friend, Beth.

And here is our back yard and deck area. These are pictures are of when we were first looking at the house, so the deck furniture belonged to the previous owners and went with them. We'll have to get some of our own so you can come hang out on the deck with us when you come visit!

Indian Creek Trail

2008-09-12T12:04:00.008-05:00

We found a trail near our house that runs along Indian Creek and beside some farm land with pretty horses, and last night we went rollerblading and biking on it. Well, Rhiannon went strollering. :) Anyway, it was a beautiful way to spend the evening. Madison continues to be a blessing.

Loved

2008-09-11T13:05:00.012-05:00

This post is long overdue. It's one I was hoping to have posted before my birthday, but it has a lot of pictures to go along with it and so it requires more time. So here it is, finally.

Before, during, and after our move we received several care packages. The first one from our dear friends Dana and Sebastian. We had dinner together before we left and they gave us a bag full of goodies to carry us on our way to Alabama. It contained road trip essentials like yummy snacks, pain reliever, gum, etc. It also contained a gift card to Target which came in handy almost immediately.

Seby and Dana were also thoughtful enough to include two UCF travel mugs in the bag. This was definitely our favorite part. I had wanted to go by UCF before we left and by something to remember my college by, but there just wasn't enough time. So when I pulled these mugs out of the bag, I was so happy and thought it was the perfect touch.

And the bag all this wonderful stuff came in was reusable, another thoughtful touch from Dana. It's now our farmer's market bag.

Karis also made the sweetest care package for me before I left. The outside was decorated with lyrics from "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" which I hear all the time now.

Inside the bag each treat was in another separate bag decorated with a sticker from our favorite movies to watch together and a note about what was inside. There was a slice of cake from the Dessert Lady to eat when I wanted something comforting. There was a gift card to Home Depot for when we wanted to get creative in our new home. Then there was stationery for when I felt the need to write and a picture of Karis for when I felt the need to see her.

There was also the sweetest card. The whole thing was so thoughtful and put together with so much love.

At the end of our first week here another sweet gift arrived at our front door. It was an herb garden from my sister and her family. The herbs were right on top, but we had to dig a little to get to the beautiful ceramic pot. You can see Rhiannon had lots of fun with the popcorn.

The herb garden looks beautiful sitting on my kitchen counter, and it makes the whole kitchen smell so good. It contains rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, and chocolate mint.

Here's the sweet message that came with the herb garden!

But the herb garden isn't just pretty to look at, it seasons beautifully. Here is the dinner I made with herbs from my new herb garden. Rosemary Balsamic Chicken and Herbs de Provence potatoes (and carrots au gratin to go along).

We're feeling the love up here in Alabama, and I think we're blooming beautifully.

Getting in the game

2008-09-09T20:18:00.003-05:00

Tonight Eric was showing our newest chess team member some of the finer points of the game.

It's funny....when he bought that chess board in the tijuana village on our Mexico missions trip, we were just dating and neither one of us could have ever imagined that seven years later it would serve such a sweet purpose in our family.

Do you know the ghetto?

2008-09-09T10:17:00.004-05:00

* To head off unnecessary worry, please let me preface this post by saying that Xander attends a very good school, but every school has colorful characters. :)

This made me laugh hysterically yesterday:

I was putting Xander to bed last night and we were talking randomness, mostly about the open house we went to at his school. In his classroom they arrange the desks in an old school cluster fashion with two desks facing two desks making a group of four. I asked him if he liked the people in his cluster of desks and he said, yeah, there's so-and-so, and so-and-so and then there's this kid named Barry. He's strange.

Me: Why is he strange?

X: Well, he says he's the great great great great grandson of Martin Luther Junior King Junior. But I don't believe him.

Me: (snickering) Oh. Well, maybe he is. You never know.

X: I don't think so.

Me: Oh. Ok.

X: He also says he lives in the ghetto.

Me: (unable to speak from laughing so hard)

X: What's so funny about that?

Me: (trying to get out words between laughs) He told you he lives in the ghetto?

X: Yeah.

Me: What did you say?

X: Well, I asked him what the ghetto was.

Me: (still laughing) And what did he say?

X: He said it was a neighborhood where people carry guns and stuff.

Me: (nearly falling off the bed from laughing) You should probably steer clear of that subject in future conversations with Barry, ok?

I hope something makes you laugh that hard this week.

Check Mate

2008-09-08T20:31:00.003-05:00

Xander joined the chess team at school! Yep, he's bringing a new kind of cool to the nerds in Alabama!

A Snippet of Rocket City

2008-09-05T10:32:00.005-05:00

There are so many different things I want to post about, things I had hoped to post about even before my birthday, like care packages and tea parties. Time gets away when there's so much to do and then this week I've come down with a cold..again! I don't know if Eric and I keep passing it back and forth or if I just have no resistence to Alabama germs. :) Anyway, hopefully I'll feel well enough to do a longer post this weekend, but for now I wanted to share a picture of a view we have when driving around here that I find pretty special.

Have a good weekend!

Birthday Weekend Wrap Up

2008-09-02T12:36:00.015-05:00

My first birthday in Alabama was a good one. It started with some beautiful flowers from Wanda on Friday.

And Friday morning I received the good news that Roxanne, who most of you know I walked for in the American Cancer Society Relay for Life, found out from her scan on Thursday that she is now cancer free! I couldn't really ask for a better birthday present than that.

On Saturday we tried to find a local Huntsville flea market but it had closed down so instead Eric and the kids humored me through a couple of antique stores. One of them happened to be across from the Huntsville train depot so we checked it out. There's a really cool place called the round house where they hold events like wedding receptions or parties and it overlooks the depot. We took a train trolley ride around the depot and then checked out what it had to offer. Here are some pictures.

We also took the kids to another park we heard about called kid's space. Here is a picture of the park and also of the sweet sign at the entrance which reads "Few things we do will last a lifetime, even fewer trap the soul, but here we bound our hearts forever....here we never grow old...through glowing smiles of little faces and through new friendships we embrace...God bless this labor of love with eyes that shine above, for your little children Lord...Kid's Space."

On Sunday we drove out to Scottsboro to find a flea market one of Eric's coworkers told him about. It's called First Monday and it's held the weekend before the first Monday of the month, and started over a hundred years ago. It was about an hour away from Huntsville, but it was a beautiful, scenic drive there. Here is a picture from the drive, although it's grainy from the windshield you can see the beautiful mountain scenery we saw along the way.

We went to the flea market in hopes of finding old furniture that we could freshen up, and although we didn't have any luck in that department there was no shortage of treasures and it's definitely worth checking out if you like antiques and you come visit during the weekend it's here.

On my birthday on Monday I was serenaded twice with Happy Birthday! Once by Roxanne, Karis, and Karis' sisters, and then by my sister and her whole family! Those were two of my favorite parts of the day. For lunch we set out to find some sushi in Huntsville. It hasn't been easy, but we finally found a place called "I love Sushi" and they had a great selection of sushi along with a kid's menu for Rhiannon and lunch specials for Eric. They were even willing to make my favorite sushi that I always ordered in Winter Haven. It wasn't exactly the same, but close enough to make me happy!

After our sushi lunch Eric sent me for a massage for my birthday and it was heavenly. It was much needed after the stress of moving and was very appreciated! I also got a splash proof radio/CD player for the bathroom. Remember, music makes everything better, especially bubble baths. :) When I came home there was a yummy chocolate birthday cake waiting!

Later that night we were off to have dinner at Cantina Loredo which is a mexican restaurant at Bridgestreet where they make fresh guacamole at your table! Here we are all dressed up and headed to dinner.

The guacamole was delicious and the company was even better. Eric and the kids made this the very best first birthday in Alabama that I could have asked for. I have the best husband and two kids in the world and 27 is looking pretty good.

P.S. You can see I've added two new features to August To Alabama: "Currently Reading" and "Currently Listening To." In addition to being another small way to stay connected, I'm hoping these features will spark some discussion every now and then. Also, if you're interested in them you can click on the pictures and they will take you where you need to go. Things are getting snazzy around here! Stay tuned....

Lunch and Comments

2008-08-27T15:33:00.006-05:00

Today we met Eric for our very first workweek lunch ever. Something we were never able to do before when Eric worked in Orlando and commuted so far.

We are looking forward to many more firsts of all kinds.

On a side note, some of you have emailed me and said that you've tried to leave comments but couldn't. Right now the settings on the blog allow only registered blogger users to leave comments. I could set it to where you can leave comments anonymously and then just sign your name in the comment, but that would allow anyone to leave any kind of comment anonymously. Right now having only registered users allowed to leave comments feels like the safest option for me. It's very simple to register with blogger, you can do it when you leave your first comment, and you don't have to have or start a blog in order to register. It's simply a form of identifying yourself.

For those less tech savvy, in order to leave a comment click on the comment counter below each post. If no one has commented yet it will say "0 comments" but you still click on that in order to leave a comment. So far only a couple of you have left comments but hopefully you will all be able to soon because eventually I'll be asking questions in my blogs for you to answer via the comment section.

I hope you guys are enjoying the blog because I'm really enjoying blogging and have so many ideas for more posts already. Happy Wednesday!