Prepare to be blessed....

O.K., I am back at my very own house. We had a great week away. Only a few more days until we get to see Race, and there is much work to be done.
I don't possess the mental ability to post anything even close to what you will find on a few other blogs this morning. Go down to my sidebar and click on "So Here's This" and read/watch all about Annette's family(There is a MOVIE!). Then, come back and click on "Classic Adventures" where Dy has written an excellent post that EVERY mother needs to read. This was so timely for me. So, fill up your coffee cup, and go read, and prepare to have your heart touched.
Have a great Sunday
Melissa

Well, now....don't I feel refreshed!

I am still at the beach house............ALONE!!! Do you hear that? No? That's because there isn't ANY noise!!! None. It is peaceful and quiet, and there is nothing but green lawn and a long expanse of water stretched out in front of me. AAaaahhhhhh......... It is utter bliss, I tell you, UTTER BLISS.

You know, it is quite amazing what you can get done when you can sit and work uninterrupted in such a peaceful setting. I have gotten most of our school year laid out, and narrowed down what I will need to buy for the year. I got a lot done in a relatively short amount of time. Now, lest you think that I have turned into one of those people who are all work and no fun, I will tell you that my friend Janelle came over this afternoon with her two adorable little girls. The girls tirelessly played in the waters edge and in the sand while we chatted. It was an absolutely gorgeous day here today.
Race called. He is doing fine, and it seems that some of the things that we have been praying about are starting to take shape. We just continue to pray for wisdom and direction, and that we would be willing to be used by Him in whatever way that he sees fit. We're ready.

We had a great time celebrating dad's birthday. I think that everyone had a great time. Jackson and Austin each caught a crab out of the water. These were big, blue crabs. Even bigger than the ones that we had eaten earlier that day. They somehow managed to catch them with one of those little dollar store butterfly nets! And later, with the same little net, Jack caught 4 flounder. I have no idea how he was doing that! He is quite convinced that this will be his next big entrepreneurial adventure. He planned to put them in a box and stand out by the mailbox and sell them. Judging by the price per bushel, crabs are about $5 a piece these days.

O.k, I have to go and get some more work done. I will fight off the urge to dance along the beach with a martini in my hand. I will fight it my friends. I will.

Melissa

Sorry this took so long, Aunt D

These pictures are of our cousin, Brandon playing baseball this year. He made All Stars. Way to Go Brandon! I hope that he enjoys seeing these on the internet.....all official-like. ;-) We are a family FULL of great baseball players!

Makin' the throw!

Nice catch!

The game gets intense!

Sure is a hot one!

Today is my dad's birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!!!!! He informed us last night that he would like it very much if, around his birthday, we could go out together as a family. Now, we go out together as a family quite a bit already, but he means just he, and Mom, and us three girls...out to eat... at our favorite french restarant. Awwww...now isn't that nice?

We got a call from Race, and all is well. We're counting the days.

Jackson had a wonderful birthday party yesterday, and all the thanks goes to my family for making it so special for him. The # of times that each of the kids says, "I wish Dad was home", is growing with each passing week. So it is truly great to see your children celebrate with wild abandonment! They love playing with their little cousins Q, and W.
Uncle Todd and Pap-paw have been invaluable assetts to the boys. Who knew that Uncle Todd knew so much about Lego and remote control planes, ( AND he was willing to tromp out in the cow pasture with several little boys, in the most oppressive heat/humidity that I can ever recall, to try it out!) ? And Pap-paw took Austin to the batting cage both morning and evening. Dad, (at 71) is now swinging away in the cages, too, and is apparently making plans to excavate a spot at my house to put up an honest to goodness pitching machine and cage!!!(Not kidding).
Aunt Emily was responsible for buying the ULTRA cool present that brought the party to a hault so that it could be tried out. It was a stone-like Egyptian pyramid (timely), with a hammer and chisel, safety glasses, and paints. Jack had all of the kids around him while he chiseled away, outside on the deck. The sweat pouring from beneath his safety glasses as he worked furiously, chipping away, bit by bit, for about 45 minutes. The sand was flying, my friends. The anticipation was high. Finally, his finished work revealed a sarcophagous (sp?), a mummy, a mask, and an ancient stone tablet with heiroglyphics. After swigging some gatorade, and a quick dip in the pool, he set to work painting it. He is very proud of the finished product. Great gift!

Aunt Thomasina came yesterday too. Her gifts are always tops too, but what the kids love best is that Aunt Thomasina will play "sea monster" with them in the pool.....at night! OH, the fun, the laughing, the screaming. You gotta love an aunt who will get up and fix you a fried egg sandwhich at 9:30 p.m.....AND who knows all the words to the Scooby Doo song and isn't afraid to sing it really loud! Yep, they love that.

It was a great day, and I am blessed with a wonderful family. We said, more than once how much we wished that Race could have been here to enjoy it, because that's Race's kind of fun.

So, it's off to the Beach House today, to celebrate some more. We will be picking and eating crabs just until we are hungry enough to eat the steaks. Because everyone knows that you can't fill up on crabs.....you just eat till you've worked up a good appetite! (Although my mom, who could easily be considered a crab-picking expert, normally does not stop eating until we can't see her behind the pile of shells in front of her!)

Have a great day and stay cool (in the temperate sense),
Melissa

P.S. Aunt D. I haven't forgotten about those pics...still working on it!

I'm back on the farm! Had a great time yesterday. When we arrived at Mom and Dads, Em was already here with her boys, so all the kids scurried to get thier swim suits on and headed straight for the pool. I had a great time chatting with Em and Mom while all the kids swam. Q is doing SO WELL in the pool. They only surfaced once to eat, (and Jack and Q caught some baby toads....a few of which were last seen being carried into Em's car in an empty salad container), and other than that, my guys did not come out of the pool until after dark! We ate chinese take out and chatted with Mom and Dad until bed time. Great day.

I am looking forward to hearing from Race. Suffice it to say that he is somewhere....over there......and it's a mess right now. Thanks for asking Anniesue.

We will have the neighbor kids and the cousins over here tomorrow to celebrate (one. last. time.), Jacks 8th birthday. Just a small pool party with ice cream and cake. Then Tuesday we head to the beach house to celebrate my Dad's birthday. Can't wait.

Right now, I will have to go and rescue my mom. Austin has her trapped in the living room talking her TO DEATH about baseball. Her back is giving her trouble, and she is moving slowly, so that makes her easy prey.
Have a great day!
Melissa

Savannah finished up dance camp today. She has had a good time with that. After we picked her up, we came back home and worked, worked, worked! It was a good and productive day, and we desperately needed one of those, because with all of the activities that the kids were involved in this summer, some things have suffered.

This evening, I took the kids to see "Music Man" at the Fine Arts Academy. Austin's best friend had one of the main parts. We went to cheer him on and clap for him. It was so great! We all had a wonderful time, and I do believe that my daughter just might be getting a bit braver about scratching that acting itch! She saw two friends that she knew there, from Dance Theatre. It was a good day, and we are all tired.

In the morning, we are off to my Mom and Dad's. Everyone is looking forward to getting there. I am hoping to celebrate a few birthdays, lay around the pool, and maybe get a few days to myself(Oh, be still my heart) at their beach house before I come back home. I also plan to get quite a bit of school planning done as well while I am basking in a week of free time. When we come back the boys will start baseball camp.....and then.....by the end of August....Fall Ball.

I am now going to drag my weary carcass to bed,
G'night,
Melissa

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO ME!!

15 years!! We realized yesterday that Race has been away for more anniversaries than he has been here for! At midnight in the time zone where he is, he called to wish me a Happy Anniversary. He had set his alarm to wake him up, so that he could call and make it official. I also recieved a beautiful bouquet of roses that he had sent to the house. Sweet man. I love him. I always watch my wedding video on my anniversary....and eat cake...(It started out being that leftover wedding cake that you keep frozen, but now it's just any cake). That video always makes me misty eyed (gasp! she has a heart!). But seeing yourself as well as every family member and close friend that you had, 15 years ago, on VIDEO, will ALWAYS make you laugh too.

O.k., This story won't be as funny typed out, as it would be if I were telling it to you in person ( I am quite animated) but here goes.....

When Race travels, he sometimes travels with his own interpreter,(this fact alone never ceases to amuse me). This was the case in Egypt. She was an Egyptian woman in her mid-40's maybe 50. On a particular day, Race was with a group of people from the embassy. They were going to tour the famous library in Alexandria. His interpreter was pointing out things and sort of acting as the tour guide for the day. Her english was quite good, but broken. As they all stood outside of the library , about to go in, she steps forward to tell a little about the general rule of the place. She goes on to tell the admission price for everyone and follows that up with: "And it is 1/2 price for the.....blind......the crippled....and for..er....er.....for retards." Yes, my friends, apparently "retards" can go into the Library in Alexandria for 1/2 price! That whole scene: the Egyptian interpreter, the folks from the emabassy, the ancient Library, all with the backdrop of Egypt.....I just find it all so hilariously funny.

Have a great day!
Melissa

Too tired to blog! We hauled trash to the dump, dropped off and picked up from camp, got boy#1's hair cut, took both boys to the batting cage, dealt with passport issues, dealt with tax issues for Race, called lawn guys, conquered the laundry mountain, cooked dinner........and it's just too boring to continue! I am tired. But I do have a little nugget of a funny story that I will try to type out tomorrow. It's a story that Race told me. Funny stuff.

G'night,
Melissa

Dancin' and Campin' and an old ladies digestive system

My two youngest are happily exhausted. It seems that Savannah danced and stretched for 3 hours straight, and Jackson swam, crafted, ate, and listened to "some guy dressed up like Noah tell us his story". Also, the poor unsocialized little things each made a new friend today. So, all is well. The only other thing that I was able to wrestle out of Jackson was that he almost missed the bus home, and that he found the coveted red sticker under his plate at lunch which meant that he won the mother of all camp prizes: a popsicle. Woo-hoo!!

I had the unparalleled joy of having Savannah and Austin accompany me grocery shopping today. This was so different than having Jack along too. You see, jack is the life of the party wherever he goes, so just having the other two was different. They were so funny. No, I mean really, it was a good time. They were cutting up in that way that only young teens can do. When they weren't laughing AT me, they were making me laugh. Ahhhh.....a sense of humor....you can't teach that my friends......thank goodness they all have a good sense of humor. For instance, they found it insanely funny that a little old lady stopped me in the organic cereal section to discuss all of her various ailments, including that the "whole flax seed just runs STRAIGHT (motion with the hand here) thru me." But, being the good kids that they are, they waited till we left the store before they began the playback and laughter. Does that sound cruel and unfeeling? I hope not, because we derive a considerable amount of our joy from things like this. I swear folks I could have a reality T.V. show. Oh, the funny, funny things that would be on that show.... (insert dreamy music). If there can be a show called Jackass, could I have a show called Dumbass?? (Sorry Mom) Now, I'm not saying that I'd put the little old lady on my show, Dumbass. Oh no, I mean give a me a break, I DO have some discretion.

Here is a scary thing that happened today. I was looking at the carpet, and thinking, "Man, I really should vaccume. When did I vaccume last? Wait. WHERE IS the vaccume?" That's as far as I got. I was distracted. Sad, but true. I am no domestic goddess. There, I said it.

So, Em took the tag challenge,too. Way to go Em, loved it. You should check it out over at Me and the Guys. (How do y'all do that link thing?)My other sister, who shall remain nameless has not updated her blog in ever so long.

And lastly tonight, I'm sendin' out a little love to Em, who is remodeling their one and only bathroom...WITH her husband. They're not sure that the marriage will hold. ;-)

G'night,
Melissa

Well, I got to talk to Race for a long while today. THAT is always great. It seems that we may have a few changes in our future, and it was good to be able to discuss things and reaffirm that we are still on the same page. I need that. We miss him like crazy. We talked about me coming to visit his current location. I wouldn't be able to do much, and in order to leave the hotel I would have to wear the customary all black covering with only my eyes showing......This amuses Race greatly. We shall see....

I downloaded passport applications for the kids today. It seems that the going rate is $82 per child. Sheesh.

Jackson goes to camp tomorrow! Bright and early at 8 a.m we will meet the school bus at the church. He will board that big yellow bus, destined for Camp Hydaway, clutching his $1, his towel and his swim suit with his name printed on each in permanent marker........(why does this remind me of an incarceration?). I will not see the little guy again until 4:30 (gulp!) He is absolutely riveted with excitement. He can't wait. His only concern was that he might possibly introduced as "the new kid"...(not fully understanding the whole one- week, day camp concept). I assured him that this was not the case, and that it would be everyone's FIRST day at camp. He was relieved, because.."Ya know, Mom, that's sort of embarrassing."

Savannah is off to dance camp in the morning. She and her friend Tabitha are going together. They have been looking forward to it. They get to try out other forms of dance that they may not be familiar with. The girls take ballet and modern dance together during the school year.

For dinner tonight we had "Whatever's in the Fridge", combined with "Whatever's in the Garden". Turned out pretty good and definitely eclectic! We had sauteed zucchini , squash and onions, with leftover baked chicken, a side of home made pizza, and cucumber spears. And did I mention that we had B.L.T's for lunch today? With tomatoes from the garden? That's gotta be one of my favorite things about the summer!

Austin and I will have a little time together this week. We will iron out some academic stuff, and talk about what he would like to do concerning school. I am sure that i will also be spending a fair amount of time at the batting cages. I am slowly growing accustomed to this procedure. It requires nothing of me other than safe travel to and from the batting cages. Austin is quite convinced (and, correctly so) that I don't know the first thing about swinging a bat. So, therefore, I am required to sit. And watch. And supply $$ for gatorade (which, if the boy had a clue at all, he could get for free from the little gal behind the counter who says gushingly "Well, hey there Austin! Guess you're here for your batting tokens!!").

Gotta go. I have loved reading the "tags" and the comments. Keep em' comin'
Melissa

Here is Little- Race-in Training. This picture was actually taken in the dark.....thus the need for the night vision. oooooo....just like Dad's! I do believe that this is possibly one of the funniest pictures that I have ever seen. That is one happy 8 yr old!

Holy Cow! Dy Tagged ME!!

O.k., here goes....

10 years ago
Well, Race was away at basic Training for 4+ months, and I was living in townhouse in a tiny city/town in central virginia. Austin was 3 and Savannah was 1. I was going to real estate school, and getting our house built (with the help of my family & his family), on the land that we had purchased before Race left. When he got home, we moved in. I was driving a worn out, early 80's ,little blue four door car with white vinyl seats.....caprice? I think?

5 years ago
We lived right where we live now, and the kids were 8,6, and just turned 3. We were home schooling. Race was gone a lot with his work and various "Johnny Bad Ass" schools. Yes, they have training for that. But as I recall we were all enjoying life and kind of taking it slow. We were beginning to discuss some job changes. We took an awesome vacation that year in our first suburban. We tent camped all the way to Jackman, Maine, and lived in a dry cabin, beside a lake for a week.

1 year ago
I believe that I have mentally blocked out most of this, but I think that our house was on the market, and most of our stuff was still packed in storage.......and ......it was hell.....and I've blocked it out. Oh, and Race was gone. (Do you see a trend or pattern emerging here?) Somewhere in between year 5 and 1, I made 2 trips to the U.K., but I have no idea when.

yesterday
Not the best of days for me, and I can't believe that I am going to type this here. Please don't think less of me (and if you do, just don't tell me).
O.K., to make it short and less boring, suffice it to say that things hadn't gone well . And then oddly enough, while trying to run errands, I was harrassed by not one, but 2 of this worlds vile, ill bred men, at 2 different locations. The last of these unsuspecting individuals decided that it would be a good thing to make disgusting noises and horribly vulgar comments to me in front of my children. Not a good idea. This man FOLLOWED me around the store while we got our drinks, paid, and left the store. This just flew all over me, partly because I was already stressed, but mainly because it was in front of my 2 youngest kids. SO. I quickly ushered them into the car, and then with absolute RAGE flaming from beneath my pink Jessica Simpson sunglasses, I turned around and walked to the truck where the guy was sitting with the window down. ( I must have looked like a crazed lunatic already, because the minute that I spun around he got quiet). I walked to the window and in a firm but quiet voice, said, "I-WILL-SLIT-YOUR-THROAT." To which I received a blank stare.I don't know why I said THAT. It just came out. I turned around, got in my car and drove away, while handing out the gatorade to the kids.
True story. Yeah, sometimes I scare me too.
Race's response upon hearing this story?? "Hon, be sure you have a blade with you, if you're gonna talk like that."

Today
Today is Jackson's birthday. He has been celebrating since dawn.

5 snacks that I enjoy
Tortilla chips w/ Paul Newmans pineapple salsa, stuffed grape leaves, really good cheese, really good bread and of course a really good glass of wine to accompany it.

5 bands I know most of the lyrics of their songs
Hmmm... well... CCR, Bon Jovi, The Proclaimers, and I am quite sure that I know all the lyrics to anything by the Kentucky Headhunters and Dwight Yokum. And of course there is a lot of embarassing stuff from my youth.....but I'm not gonna go there.

Things that I would do with 100 million dollars
Well, give it to Live 8 of course. BWAHAHAHA! I don't know, whatever I wanted, I suppose.....and all the stuff Dy said, (seems like she's been thinking about it for awhile).

5 bad habits
rushing, I tend to rush a lot (however, I am NEVER late), I am inconsistent, I drink too much coffee and not enough water, and I make up excuses not to excercise.

5 locations that I would run away to
I would run away anywhere with Race. (I can see y'all rolling your eyes, but it's true).

5 things that I'd never wear
Nothing with Looney Toons on it. I like Tweety and Taz as much as the next person, but c'mon folks, it's just WRONG. I truly believe that the women of this worl could be divided quite happily into two camps: those who wear Looney Toon clothing, and those who would never. I would never wear stirrup pants, or anything with words on the butt. I will NEVER, EVER wear coullottes (I went to a tiny, legalistic Baptist high school where this was considered high fashion....'nuff said.....I have issues). And of course I would never wear a thong bathing suit, for obvious reasons(you can all thank me later).

5things I like doing
Reading, hiking with my family, gardening, camping with my family....and whatever Race likes to do.

5 biggest joys at the moment
Well looking at that remodeled bathroom brings me some joy right now, so does gardening, and watching my kids excel at the things that they love, a phone call from Race, and of course, a fresh pot of coffee.

5 Famous People I'd like to meet
Elisabeth Elliott, the Pope, Pres. Bush, a Boston Red Sox baseball player( so I could get A. an autograph), and then of course a Yankees player, so that I could get J an autograph.

5 movies
Pride and Prejudice, The Patriot, Oh Brother Where Art Thou, Gone With The Wind, Lord of the Rings

5 TV shows
Amazing race, 24, Seinfeld......and that's all I can think of.

5 Favorite Toys
My digital camera, laptop, automatic drill/screwdriver, kitchenaid mixer, and of course , my suburban.

5 people that I tag

Em, Thom, Anniesue, Bridget..... (awww........c'mon y'all, it's fun!)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACKSON!!!!!

My baby boy turns 8 today. I am trying to avoid thinking about that fact. I will come back later today, and try to write more. I actually have a lot to say (big surprise), but can't quite spell it all out on my keyboard, as of yet. I'll be back!

Melissa

The color of the towels did not show up well in the picture, they are a pretty green and of course the pink.

Still waiting on Lowes to get that last piece of trim in stock for that back wall above the mirror. (ugh) Oh, and I meant to move that toilet paper out of the picture....

The Bathroom Remodel. To those of you who had not seen what this little bathroom looked like before.....well...you may not be impressed, but trust me....it looks SOooo much better! The floor, panelling, paint, light, and sink are all new. The stained glass mirror was designed and MADE by Savannah's Great Gammy. The room is so tiny, that I had a hard time getting a picture of all of it!

The kids had a blast at Aunt Thomasina's house. They hiked, played with the dogs, ate, watched movies and stayed up late. They apparently went for a long hike, and found lots of "wildlife". Unfortunately Aunt Thomasina also found Poison Ivy. Sorry Thom. Thanks for having them over.

Now, y'all can finally see some pics of the bathroom remodel. I still have quite a bit of cosmetic decorating to do, but that's the fun stuff. I did have to put the sink in twice to get it tight enough, but I did finally get it water tight. I never could get a picture of the light fixture. All of the fixtures are brushed nickel, and I like the way that they look. Now, I REALLY wish that I had taken a "before" picture!

G'night!
Melissa

When I took Savannah into Theatreworks this morning, her teacher comes rushing out to me and says:

Teacher: "Melissa, Savannah is a very gifted girl."
Me:" Well, thank-you, we think so, too."
Teacher: "No, I mean she is GIFTED. Her art work is no mere talent, and you will not find the guidance that she needs over at the Fine Arts Academy. She has been given a gift. "
Me: sputter, sputter, gush gush.......

This teacher went on to tell me that she will be contacting her good friend who is an illustrator, to help us in deciding how best to further her artistic abilities. SOooo WOW. It feels good to have some direction in this, because I know that my daughter is a talented artist, but for some unkown reason she was born to a mother who sees the world in black and white, and who likes to make lists, and who would organize the entire world into neat little boxes and categories if she could. I have been clueless as to who to turn to to help Savannah to further her abilities. I researched this particular teacher online, and was impressed by her resume' and background (includes Harvard and Broadway). Then when I finally met her in person, I KNEW this lady could help us. She is slightly scary at first, in that "artsy" way. An adult who never lost the imagination from her childhood, and who apparently needs a lot less personal space than I do. But alas, one can not help but like her.
So. There's that. A new adventure.

Speaking of new adventures; The boys and I went to meet the headmaster of the boys academy today.( BTW, the boys both shook the headmasters hand, and introduced themselves beautifully!) Unless something unforseen crops up, we will be enrolling Austin in the fall to the Pactum Boys Academy. YIKES! He wants to do this. This will be so academically challenging. We have been studying Latin at home for 2 years, but this school is using Wheelocks Latin, which is a college text! Some of the books that he will be reading are: The Aenid (translation), The Odyssey, Plutarch's Lives. Gilgamesh, Sophocles I, and lots, lots more. Granted, as I look back over these titles, he is already familiar with all of these stories.....but......it won't be ME teaching it!! Every Friday at this school is set aside for testing and public speaking. On Fridays they have to do recitations or speeches in front of the school ( and in front of anyone else that they can round up to listen, as the school is still very small). I could go on and on, but I won't. Just want to do the right thing here.......and he wants to go.


So, it seems that my children are growing up.
And tonight they are all with their Aunt Thomasina. They just called asking to spend the night. They are having a grand ole time. And it sure is quiet here at home with everyone gone.

Ya know people always ask me if I worry about Races' safety and of course, I do think about it sometimes, but a long time ago, I had to give all of that over to the Lord. One day, I realized that I had no more control over his life here at home, than I would on the other side of the world. SO, it isn't something that I really dwell on. BUT- tonight I was going through my old emails, and I have a box for Race. It has nothing but old emails that he has sent me. They aren't anything special, and yet I have saved every one. And then I thought about the fact that on my phone I must have 20 old messages from Race saved on there, You know, just saying, "Sorry that I missed you, I will call back later.". And yet I save them all. I think that way in the back of my mind, I think how much I would cherish those things if anything were to ever happen to him. Huh. And I have always maintained that I am not very sentimental.

Tonight I ordered a salad from Outback, and tried to wrap up all of my ebay sales from this week. I made over $300, but I don't know how Em keeps her sanity doing it as a business. You go girl!
I watched The Phantom of the Opera tonight. Great movie if you haven't seen it. Really beautiful.

Hope that everyone has a great day tomorrow.
Melissa

O.K., so today went pretty well. Savannah enjoyed another day at Theatreworks, and found out that she gets to be the leader of the mermaids in Peter Pan. How exciting, and how exactly perfect for her! They have spent a lot of time discussing the elements of the story, and really digging in to Barrie's original work. Did you know that it was a play first, and THEN a book?? Anyway, she is loving this class and seems genuinely happy about it.

The boys went to martial arts, while Savannah and I ran to Target to pick up a few new things for the recently remodled bathroom. We love the Shabby Chic line. My friend Janelle is so up on decorating, that she knew Shabby Chic before it was a line at Target. Back before it was mass produced and it cost a lot of $$$$. It is so pretty. When I get everything together, I will post a picture. Race wants to see it too. (Frankly, I think that he is scared.)

We watched both Martial Arts classes, and I am impressed with how well the boys are doing in there.

We came home and got dinner in the oven. I fixed oven sauteed vegetables (from the garden), baked chicken and brown rice. Jack was trying to get Austin to go down to the creek with him, but Austin wanted to catch the Major League All Star game on T.V. Jack just sat down and said' "Nobody wants to go to the creek with me. I wish that dad was here. Then I would hear 'Sure Jack, go change your clothes, and we'll go down.' " He wasn't doing it for show, he was being genuine. So, that's when I turned into a puddle. We got our shoes on and went to the creek. Within moments, he found a turtle. He was chatting non stop the whole time about how he feels a lot like Jeff Corwin, and how "there is just so much wildlife out right now". He is always looking out for me. He said, "I'd better go in front of you, Mom, so that I can watch for spider webs and snakes". Good boy. It amazes me how at home my children are in the outdoors. There are very few plants that Jack can't identify, and he always finds some sort of animal tracks. They really know their way around. Oh, and the blackberries here are almost ripe!

Tomorrow I meet with the headmaster of the boys academy. I'll let you know how it goes. In the afternoon, Aunt Thomasina is going to take the kids to her house to spend some time. They are SOoo excited! They love their Aunt Thomasina, and it has been awhile since they have spent any time together. I don't know what I'll do with myself for the rest of the day. The mere thought of it is a bit overwhelming!

I am heading for the bed. Have a great day!
Melissa

Good neighbor

So- we fix salmon patties with a green salad and french bread for supper. After we eat, I asked the kids if they'd like to go for a walk up the road. We all head out. Savannah and I walking and talking together, Austin coming behind us with his baseball and glove, and then Jack zipping all around us on his bike. As we walk a ways down the road, we come by our neighbors house. They are out riding horses, and their son (10 yrs) hears us from inside the house, and asks if he can walk with us. We say "sure", and he dashes away inside the house and returns with his toy rifle which he has painstakingly strapped a toy dagger to the end of, fashioning it into a bayonnet of sorts. He immediately runs out to Jack, who is on his bike, and holds the point to his neck and pretends that he is a prisoner. Now. Let me just go ahead and insert here that we know that this kid is wierd. I mean it. In a nutshell, instead of wanting to PLAY army, or BE IN the army......he wants to KILL the army. KWIM? Race says that the kid is destined for a black trench coat. He is disturbed, and we have talked to the kids about it, so they pretty much just ignore him. Jack rides away on his bike, so the kid talks to Austin for awhile. When he finally runs to try to catch Jack, Austin just looks at me and laughs and says, "Man,......brutal!". By the time we reach the end of the road, Jack is poised on the hill at the roads end and is clearly about to make a get away from the wierd kid. He yells, "Stand Back!" "Everyone......Stand BAck!!" And away he goes. Flying past us and the wierd kid hunched over on his bike, with his t-shirt pocket stretched waaaaayyyy down due to the weight of the collected rocks that filled it. He peddals like the wind, all the way home. And then, being the good neighbor that I am, I call out a "good-bye" to the kid, and call him by the WRONG NAME! Savannah nearly doubled over onto the road laughing so hard. What a dope I am. (shrug.)

We are off to Theatreworks in the morning and then Martial Arts in the afternoon. And tomorrow I shall answer the question: How much silicone caulking can one small pedastal sink hold???

Have a great day!
Melissa

Savannah went to her first day of Theatreworks today. She loved it. The theme is Peter Pan. She loves her teacher and said, "She made me feel right at home,Mom".
Have you ever read the original Peter Pan? What an excellent book! While I enjoyed the Disney movie just fine, they really missed the essence of that book (gasp!). Great read aloud.

The bathroom remodel is almost complete. I got the new pedastal sink put in yesterday, with a new brushed nickel faucet. It looks so nice. And if I could......just.....take care......of that..one ..drip...we'd be golden (argh!). I wish that I had a "before" picture of the room, because it was such a hole. I installed an excruciatingly difficult light fixture today. Simple fixture, should have taken about 15 minutes-took over an hour. VERY frustrating.

We are still plugging along on the standardized testing, in an attempt to stay legal with the state. Should have them done tomorrow.

I talked to Race for a minute this morning. We are all having a rough time of it. It would be great to be together for a bit.

I'll write more later, I've got to figure out what we're having for dinner, and seeing that it is 4:00, that's not looking too good!
I'll be back!
Melissa

Spent the whole day in the bathroom.........

I'm REMODELING!!! BWAHAHAH! GOT YA! Oh, man, y'all are just too easy.

Before I go on about the remodeling........to Dy and Anniesue: DId y'all think I was going to wear my good shoes out there??? We had just come home. The kids alerted me in that high strung panicy way that only kids can, and I just kicked my shoes off and climbed out the dormer window, while A was grabbing the plastic. AND have you ever been out on a slick, wet, pointy dormer in a gale? Trust me, you're better off barefoot.....you'll get no traction at all otherwise.

Anyway, last night, I ripped out the kids bathroom. Just tore it all right outta there. The remnants are piled in my driveway. Today the kids helped me paint, install a new floor, and cut and hang that paneling stuff that looks like wainscotting. I can't believe how much better it looks. I can't believe that I can use a saw. I also can't believe that I still can't measure very well. The new sink goes in tomorrow!

I had to go to Lowes today. Lowes scares me when I have to buy stuff like paneling and trim. I don't like pushing that giant blue cart loaded with materials all through the store. I almost took out the magazine rack at the check-out. The check-out gal was not pleased.

The kids did most of their standardized testing today. I did it in between the bathroom remodeling. Do you remember those tests? The ones where you fill in the bubble. My kids enjoy taking them. They're not over achievers by any means, it's just that they don't really take many tests throughout the year, and the ones that they do take, are NEVER multiple choice. So, they are amazed that someone would make a test and then put the answers to each question RIGHT THERE ! I think that it is funny that they think of it that way. Anyway, we should have those ready to go in the mail on Monday.

Well, I am utterly and completely bushed. I should have turned in an hour ago. I hope that everyone has a wonderful Sunday.

Melissa

O.K.- in trying to keep a deal with myself NOT TO WHINE on my blog, I will not talk about the fact that my roof began leaking last night, and that I was ON my roof with Austin.......and there was torrential rain.........and a large sheet of plastic........and I was barefoot.........and there was duct tape...........and I was wearing Race's rain jacket..........and I still had my big hoop earrings on, cause we had just gotten home........and it was getting dark.......... and there was wind......... but, I'm not gonna talk about it. (Do you ever worry about the snapshot memories that you are embedding into the minds of your children?)

I have a million phone calls to make today, (Not the least of which would be a "roof guy").

I am looking forward to spending some time at Mom and Dads at the end of this month. I may take a few days and go out to their beach house, take a few books, and some planning stuff for school and just get some time to myself. Whatever I end up doing, I am looking forward to it, and so are the kids.

For the next two weeks, we have Theatreworks for Savannah, Advanced Training in Jiu Jitsu for Austin, Camp Hydaway for Jackson, and Dance Camp for Savannah. The kids are all looking forward to these activities, and it really helps them not to spend too much time dwelling on missing Race. Jackson's birthday is next week, and our 15th Anniversary is the week after that, so we will have to do something special.
Today we will make a paper chain of all the days till Race returns home. Each night before bed, we will pray for him, and then Jack can tear off one piece of the chain. This has always seemed to help the kids to realize that the time is going by and that there is an end in sight. We also put up a map of the world in the kitchen. Every day they look at it. They love to see all the places that Dad has been, and point them out, and to see where he is now. It turns out to be a very good geography lesson, and makes the world seem like a much smaller place.

Thanks so much for all of the prayers. We all really appreciate it. And Dy, stay by your phone, girl. When I get back on my feet, Dollywood will be lookin' pretty good!

I'd better get going. It's a gorgeous day here today, and I have an enormous amount of plastic to remove from my roof!

Have a good day!
Melissa

Race left yesterday morning, and has not yet reached his destination.

I am so outraged by the attacks in London. I am praying for the people who are trying to cope with this cowardly, barbaric attack in what is probably my favorite city. We must continue to go out and hunt down terrorists and take the fight to them.........if we hesitate, the fight will show up right in our home town.

Race came home, and we made the best of it. I won't go into all of the details about the baseball tournament, but let's just say that for the last two years we have been trying to communicate with some of the "powers that be" (that's sarcasm) among the locals re. baseball. Well, come to find out, we have been going about it all wrong. You see they speak another language. It is a language that Race speaks REALLY well. They grossly overestimated his civility when his son is being taken advantage of. They won't make that mistake again. The point was taken. The wrong righted in as much as it could be. I am so thankful that he was home. Austin played like a pro.

We didn't have much time for anything else. We just pretty much laid low at home when we weren't at baseball games. We didn't get to visit the new church because one of the games had to be scheduled for Sunday. We did get to talk a little bit about Race's trip, and we just spent time together as a family. Race won't be here for Jack's birthday, so he got him a surprise early birthday present: a trampoline. That went over really well, and helped to ease some of the pain that the kids were feeling. They really didn't want Race to go. It was a REALLY,REALLY hard day.

On the way to the airport, Race was in an accident. Not a bad one, but the guy is going to be a jerk about it, even though it's pretty cut and dry. He doesn't know that Race was a State Trooper, and has PROBABLY dealt with a few more traffic cases that this guy has, and knows what he's talking about. The guy was a resource officer at a school, and I guess figures that he's going to jerk someone around. Oh well, they will have to wait a good long while. Not exactly the way you want to start a trip though, ya know?

Please pray that the Lord will continue to watch over Race, as this trip is in a dangerous place, doing a dangerous job. Race is good at what he does. I Pray for God's hand of protection on him. And that God will continue to keep us strong here at home, that we will keep our eyes focused on our service to Him. That I would not get sidetracked by my emotions while at the same time being sensitive to the emotional needs of my children. It is a difficult time for our family, but one that the Lord is well aware of, and is guiding us through.

And don't worry, in a day or two I'll snap out of my present funk, and my posts won't be quite so somber!

I believe that I will go and have a spot of tea.

Cheers!
Melissa

well....

Race is not going to make it home for the boys big Martial Arts demo. After he landed, it took over an hour to get his bag, and 45 minutes for the bus to get him to his car in the parking lot. If you have ever driven on I95 after 3:00 on a Friday..........I don't expect his mood to improve.

The boys are bummed that he won't be able to see them. Race is upset beyond belief that he will not be able to see them. Who's gonna watch 'em? Just Mom and Savannah. Same ole Mom who watches them practice every day. Bummer, because this is a big deal for them.

After the demo, I will be racing to the ballfield, with Austin changing in the car as we go. I honestly don't know what I would do without that suburban. We should make it before practice is over (light one today, since 1st game is tomorrow). I will go to the store and pick up steaks, salad makings, potatoes for baking, and a nice bottle of wine......(Merlot? Shiraz?) When we finally get home, Race should be here.

The patches are all sewn on......straightly.

Dixie Boys All Stars Tournament begins tomorrow. The whole family is coming down to support Austin, and that means a lot to him, and to us. Best of luck to our team.

Y'all have a great weekend! We will be making the best of whatever we get.

Cheers!
Melissa