The countdown begins.......... Race is coming home!( insert excited squeal, here).

We are planning on having all of his favorite "American" foods while he is home. He has requested Pizza, lasagna,burger'n fries, a good steak , and my bourbon-pecan chicken. Seeing as how how will only be home for just over 24 hours, it looks like we will be eating A LOT! We are so excited!

The kids are going to decorate our front porch tomorrow with "welcome home" stuff. I will try to snap a picture, and post it.

Whenever we get only a brief visit together, it's one of those "rip-your-heart-out" type of things. You are filled with anticipation, and then-you blink- and he's gone. But, we get it done. It's what we do. We are a family, and we love each other. No amount of time or distance could ever change that. And the kids are such troopers. We really try to focus on "the greater good", and working as a team. It also helps that we really BELIEVE in the work that Race does overseas. God has blessed us in so many ways.

*But here's a thought*: Race has not had a pair of scissors or a razor anywhere NEAR that head of his in MONTHS. ACK! Sooooooo.....he is coming in from the Mid East with long hair and a beard!!! Please bear in mind that Race has had a "high-and-tight" military cut for most of married years. *No time to recover from the shock......only have 24 hrs!!!*

I will let you know how things go tomorrow. We have to get lessons done, the house cleaned, etc, etc.

Cheers!,
Melissa

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

If you beg for comments, they will come.

Annette, I know exactly what you mean about those conversations. The other night I had a lady talk to me for 20 minutes about a garden salad. Yeah, you read that right. A GARDEN SALAD. How much it cost, what was in it, why she didn't like peppers and mushrooms, and one time they put those on it anyway, and she had to pick them out, her husband said, "just eat it", but she couldn't she had to pick them out.....AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dy, just got your email. I have too much to write. Gonna have to call. ;-)

Kim, I have a ton of questions about the Pres. churches and their theology and stuff. Thanks for the well wishes, and yeah......a little scary. Race will probably think I have flipped my lid!

I talked to Race this morning. He is feeling sick. Like, with the flu. Wellllllllll..good, that should work out just about right. (sigh) Have I mentioned that he will only be home for about 3 days before he takes off for another month? Prayers would be appreciated.

Jackson woke up with a head cold, and I believe that he is determined to make the rest of the family pay for it.

Savannah has not been acting like herself ever since she got home. I feel like something is bothering her, but so far, she says nothing is wrong. Hmmmmmm.....

I conquered the refuse heap that was our shed yesterday. The secret is safe. I cleaned the basement, and started pulling the house together. I still don't know what sort of meal I will be fixing. The way it sounds, I may be eating it by myself anyway! (groan)

I am going to take Savannah shopping for new clothes while the boys are in martial arts today. Maybe she will go ahead and let me know what is bothering her. I laid awake last night worrying about this. I'm not sure what is going on with her.

The boys passed their testing for their next belt level in martial arts. They will be graduating to the next level on friday. Austin has a fight demo with another kid. Complete with flips and kicks to the head, etc., etc. They make it look real! Hey, if nothing else he will be able to get a job as a stunt guy! (I still haven't sewn on all those patches!)

Have a great day!
Melissa

I feel like I am talking to myself here.

Race will be home in a few days, and we can hardly wait! I am trying to get all of the cleaning and outside work done, so that we don't have to be concerned with any of that while he is home. Oh....and the suburban needs cleaning out, too.......badly. But when you use your car as a snack bar,gym locker, art studio, and entertainment center....well....hey, she takes a beating!

Problem solved about the game situation! Apparently the coach had the game date wrong...so..cancelled! I can not tell you how relieved that I am!

I watched the last hour of Austin's practice last night. I was sitting on the bleachers with the other moms. If I were to write in this space, the sort of conversations that I am party to whilst sitting on those bleachers, you would all be banging your heads on your computers begging me to stop. I mean it. One topic, led to me yell , " Oh STOP! STOP! TMI! TMI!" Which was met with howls of laughter. I was serious. I honestly do not know how to deal with this sort of thing. I mean, I want to be friendly....but sheesh!

I haven't shared this here, yet, but I have been in contact with the headmaster of Pactum Boys Academy, here close to us. I am encouraged. Race and I will be trying to coordinate a meeting while he is home. Pactum is a day school that uses the Omnibus curriculum for it's older students. This is what we were considering for home school next year as well. Currently the school is in it's third year, and only meets in the classroom on Mon., Wed., and Fri. . Of course, no decision has been made yet, but I am very excited to check out the school, which happens to be at the CREC church that we will be visiting this Sunday. I am really praying about this decision. It's a big one.

Well, I'd better get going. With everything else, I also have 5 patches to sew on the boys' various uniforms. So- I MUST get going. If y'all are reading this...PLEASE comment. Even if only to say...."Snap out of it, Melissa..this is the most boring blog I've ever read". I can take it people, just comment.

Cheers,
melissa

We got through our lessons yesterday, and then the kids spent rest of the day in the pool, until about an hour before baseball practice. Our neighbor came over and swam with them too. They all had a good time, and the kids are just as brown as bears already!

We will be quite busy the rest of this week. The boys are going to be busy getting ready for their Martial Arts demonstrations on Friday evening. They will be testing this week for their next belt levels. Of course, baseball practice continues. On Thursday, the coach is letting them skip practice to meet at the city stadium and watch a Legion game of 15-16 year olds. Great idea. BUT -- Race will not be home yet. I DO NOT want to be the only woman in that group! Seriously.......Let me see if I can picture this for you. The coach is a real live lumber jack...no kidding......One dad is sort of like a giant troll king looking fellow, and he is ALWAYS dirty.....I mean REALLY dirty...clothes,face, hands, everything. One man comes to every practice and brings with him a "Ballistics and Automatic Weapons" text book that he studies. I asked him about it, thinking that maybe he was in competition shooting, or law enforcement or something. He looked at me with a blank stare and said, "No, nothing like that, just something I like to study." Which is all fine and dandy. I could go on, but you see what I am getting at here. AND they all went to highschool together. Can you picture me with this group??? When they were all talking about the outing at practice yesterday, they were all wondering how they would keep the boys in their seats to watch the game, that they would all be up running around the stadium. One dad said, "They aren't going to be interested in the game, they're just gonna be checkin' out the girls." DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW FORIEGN THIS CRAP IS TO ME????? I mean seriously, ever hear of STANDARDS? PARENTING? AUTHORITY? RESPECT? MATURITY???? We only have these problems in this small little backwards town. When the kids go to activities in the city, we rarely experience this sort of thinking. For crying out loud....SPREAD OUT THE GENE POOL A LITTLE!
So, what do I do? Do I go? Do I just let Austin go alone.....knowing full well, that he will be the only one there actually WATCHING the game, and that there will be no adult supervision? I really hate this stuff. I wish that Race would be here.

Speaking of Race, he will be home in a few days. I guess that we had better go ahead and make our multiple trips to the dump, so that Race won't know that I shamelessly pile up our garbage in the shed while he is gone. (Do you have any idea what kind of $$ I would pay to get trash service out here?) The yard needs mowing. The house will need cleaning. And I would really like to have at least one really nice meal here while he is home. I have been searching the recipes at www.epicurious.com . I had forgotten how good Bon Appetite is. And they will even give you their choice of wine to compliment the meal. I will let you know wht I decide.

Waving hello to Bridget! You will have mail!

We'd better get going on our lessons. Y'all have a great day!
Melissa

Happy Birthday Emily!

We made it to the new church, Sunday(PCA). I can't judge it very fairly, because the pastor was out of town, and there was a guest speaker. But I must say, that it was a pleasure to fellowship with people who were "like-minded". It's been awhile. But that is the subject of a post that I don't have the time to write this morning! Seriously, these people were very welcoming. We will be visiting another Presbyterian church this Sunday, as long as it doesn't interfere with Race's schedule. He will be getting home that day, but I don't know when yet. We don't want to miss one single second of time that he will be home. But I am very anxious to visit this particular church, as it it's ties are quite close with classical education. Anybdy know anything about CRE Pres. churches?

Mom and Dad brought Savannah home yesterday. They were nice enough to drive her all the way back to our house, which saved me the trip. She had a wonderful time, and she talked and I listened, for a long time yesterday evening. It is SO good to have her back at home. I think that she missed us, too.

Our big baseball news from the weekend, is that the coach let Austin pitch. The first two innings were three up, three down. He did great. This was a huge confidence booster for him. He has worked tirelessly on pitching, but none of the coaches would let him even try. Not even in practice. They weren't interested in seeing him pitch. They wouldn't give him the chance. Well, the stakes are high in the all-stars. This coach gave him a shot, and it ended with the coach telling him to be ready, he will probably use him. Now, in my son's mind, he may as well have just signed a major league contract with the Boston Red Sox. We're happy for him. Hard work will get you everywhere.

Today is Em's birthday. I am guessing that after all of her hard work for the Toddapalooza over the weekend, she is probably feeling every bit her age! Hope not, and hope that she has a great day today.

Gotta get moving,
Melissa

This is what the boys have been doing wheen they aren't playing baseball! Well, they also EAT......a LOT.

Brag Brag Brag........

O.K., so today was a little better. We met Austin's teammate and his family at the batting cages this morning. Austin was tearing up those cages. He was hitting on the 45 mph, 50, 60, and then 70 mph cage. He was switch hitting in all of them with no visible difference at all in his hitting. With A. getting so much attention, Jack decided that he would grab a helmet and a bat too. He jumped in the 45 mph cage and did not let one ball go by him! The family who was there with us was so impressed with the boys and how they supported one another and really wanted to do their best. It helped Jack that this family has a little girl named Emily who is also 7 years old. He is quite smittten, I think.
ALSO .....if you'll allow me to brag for just a second more.....the coach told me that Austin was the only kid who, when corrected, said "yes sir"....and then DID WHAT HE WAS TOLD(gush,gush). They were having a real problem with the boys back talking when corrected, or given a command. The assistant coach FINALLY remedied this by saying that if anyone else backtalked, they would run a lap around the field. And since it was 95 degrees here, that was pretty much the end of that!

I picked enough green beans tonight to have with dinner. Unless the Japanese Beetles get them , I will be over run with green beans this year. Maybe I will try canning them. I have always frozen any extra surplus in the past. We'll see.

I can hardly wait for Savannah to get back home. I would like to really fix up her room before she gets home on Sunday. Nothing major, just a good floor to ceiling cleaning, and arranging. She loves to come home to that.

Race is somewhere on the Mediterranean tonight. He said that he could throw a rock into the Med. Sea right from his room! He will get to visit the ancient library of Alexandria tomorrow. OH, IT IS ALL SO CRUEL TO ME!!!!! How is it that I am dealing with sweaty boys and baseball, and he is traveling around North Africa??!!! He has not studied Ancient history. Not at all....Except what we've told him. Oh, it just seems so wrong!

All said, we miss him. We miss him badly. I can't wait for him to get back home....Even for 3 days.

Tomorrow will be busy. Austin has practice at 8:30 a.m.!!!! EEGADS! Then there is a baseball picnic at 11:00 where they get their trophy's and stuff. Should be really hot right about then. But, then we should be done for the weekend! YAY! What will we ever do with all of our free time!! We are looking forward to trying out the new church, and it helps that Austin and Jackson's best friends(brothers) go to this church. Just pray that there are also some nice girls around Savannah's age. I am finding that as the kids get older, finding good fellowship for THEM is very important. Does that make sense? I mean- boys will be boys.....and girls will be girls....and well....I guess they are going to chose from what is in front of them. SO shouldn't a parent seek out good fellowship for their teens? What is your opinion of this? ANyone? Thankfully, I am still a little ways off from this but the gap is narrowing quickly!!!

Race is on the Mediterranean . Dy is traveling out west with her family. Thomasina is shooting a wedding in St. Lucia (poor, poor girl ;-) ). And Emily is getting ready for the now annual Toddapalooza.

Y'all have a great weekend!
Melissa

It was a blah day today. I just don't seem to be able to focus myself on anything for any length of time. It's as if I am trapped inside the body of an overweight dachsund.............with worms.
I am in hyper-active over drive and running in circles (thus the "worms" part....get it?).

The boys played together all day today. They were in the pool playing" Fat Albert". That's a game that they made up..........and, no, I DON"T want to know how you play it, or what exactly it's about. All I know is that they were howling with laughter while swimming. When they came inside, they picked up what is probably the longest running Monopoly game EVER. It's been going on for at least a week now. And it's Star Wars Monopoly!

Austin had practice tonight, and it was a rough one. Not necessarily for him, but a lot of the players just didn't have their heads in the game tonight, and they made a lot of errors. So the coach was none too pleased. Tomorrow we are going to meet one of Austin's team mates and his mom, (the one that was mad at me....remember? Well, I guess she's not mad anymore...(rolling eyes)), at the batting cages. We are going to try to go early so that the boys will have plenty of time to rest before practice at 5:00. We didn't get home tonight until 9:30! And we only live 5 minutes from the field.

My computer has been trying to choke and die with the Trojan virus. I spent a good part of the day performing surgery on it and nursing it back to life. So far, it's vital signs are good, but what a time consuming endeavor!!!! I don't think that brain surgery on a human takes as many hours!If anyone has any advice about computer safety issues, I'd appreciate it.

There's a ton of stuff that need fixin' around here, and it's all stuff that I will probably just make worse if I try to fix it! So frustrating. I need to hire a handy-man. Wouldn't it be nice to build a little guest house, and have a handy man at your diposal. You know, a nice, older gentleman....preferably British.....not some scary creepazoid loser whom no one else would hire. Are you picturing this? Yes, this would help me. And I have already shared with you about my dream of having a little mexican woman live with us to do the house work and bake the occasional mexican treat. Do I ask too much??? (sigh)

We are missing Savannah. The boys miss her, (though they would NEVER mention it), and Herriott misses her. She is having a good time at my Mom's though, and I can't wait to hear all about it.

We are going to try the new church this Sunday. I will leave you tonight with the words written on the front of their program:

"To all who are spiritually weary and seek rest; to all who mourn and long for comfort;to all who struggle and desire victory;to all who sin and need a savior;to all who are strangers and want fellowship;to all who hunger and thirst after righteousness;and to whomsoever will come, this church opens wide her doors and offers welcome in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ."

God Bless,
Melissa

Over the weekend, I got to spend a little time at my friend Janelle's house. I gotta tell ya, it was a treat. They are doing so well. The house is beautiful. Her flower garden is.....well...... I can't even describe it. Even the words "flower garden" aren't enough to describe what she has created there. It is beautiful. It's like stepping into a welcoming garden somewhere in England. Truly stunning. I wish that I had a picture. Her girls are precious. They are growing up so fast and I don't get to see them nearly enough. Her husband was in the kitchen (which, by the way, is laid out in such a way, that would inspire ANYONE to break out the pots and pans!), making an amazing dish from Bon Apetite. It was just really nice. It was truly wonderful to see how things have worked out for her. They really have a nice family. I do wish that we lived closer together.

Austin is doing so well in baseball. I mean it. He's good. For the next 2+ weeks, he will be on cloud 9! Missing all of this All Stars stuff is absolutely killing Race. Thomasina came out to the ballpark to take a few photos for me. She is looking quite stunning these days , sporting a new hair-doo, and all tanned up for the islands!

Jackson is missing Race. He seems a little lost. I am afraid that this is an empty space that I just can't fill. He sees Austin and Savannah really narrowing down their interests, and he wants to get in on the "fame". He is struggling to grab a little glory. He needs his Dad to help him out here. Race understands Jack, because he WAS Jack, growing up. They are so similar in the way that they approach life. I'm not sure that I know what to do here. His little life is being shaped and molded.....without his Dad around right now. Kinda scary.

We all miss Race terribly. Our phone conversations are in 2-3 minute bursts. Race will be home to see the beginning of the All-Stars Tournament, but only for 3 days and then gone for at least another month.....to a place that we cannot follow. The rest of the year isn't looking very promising either. It is beginning to feel a lot like a brick wall.

I can't wait to talk to Savannah, and find out how things are going with her. I am sure that she is having a great time at Mam-maw and Pap-paws house. Please keep my Mom in your prayers, as her back is really giving her trouble, and any bending or lifting just aren't options for her right now. Very frustrating, I'm sure.

I have blabbed on way past my bed time. Y'all have a great Wednesday!
Melissa

Forgot to say...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TODD!!!!!!!!!!
It seems that Todd and Dy's little guy John share the same birthdate.
Hope that you had a great day!

Savannah

That's a BIG strawberry, Q!

Walker enjoyed his ice cream sundae to the very last drop!

Uncle Todd, Walker, and Mam-maw, at the water.

Aunt Thomasina makes THE BEST ice cream sundaes!

Mam-maw dipping into the Big Jug O' Bubbles for Jack, Q, and W.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOHN!!!! (Well, it was yesterday,actually.) Hope that you had a great day.

We had a great weekend. Race and I just can't say "thanks" enough to Uncle Todd, Bill, and Pap-paw for filling in for Race with Austin. These men each got out there and threw the ball with Austin.....a LOT. And Austin can really relate to Uncle Todd, because he is just as engrossed with baseball as Austin is. I don't mean just putting the ball in the glove, I mean the players, the history, the facts, the figures, and of course.....the BASEBALL CARDS! Thanks so much. It really filled the gap for him on Fathers Day, when his own dad couldn't be there. And by the way, it made all the difference at his practice Monday night. He looked like a pro! Really turned some heads.

It was so great to be with my family again. Em's boys are getting so big. They are so much fun. One of the highlights of Jack's weekend was when Walker decided to wrestle with him. He is still talking about how funny that was. I hope that Em got some pic's of that!

Savannah, Austin, and Jack pretty much stayed in the water all weekend. Every so often, they would surface to eat, and then back out they went. Jackson and Quentin played, and played, and played! Jack is settling into his role as mentor quite nicely. He loves this. His own brother and sister think that he knows NOTHING, so it's nice to have someone who looks up to him. He adores Q, and sees himself as teacher and protector. ;-)

I talked to mom last night, and she said that Savannah has been so helpful to her, and that she is always volunteering to help her do things. (sniff, sniff.......I'm so proud).

One of her cousins was going to be coming over today and she was really looking forward to playing with her. She also has a friend up the road from Mom that she really likes; So girl time will abound!

I'll write more later, we have a busy day ahead of us. We have some yard work to do, batting cages, martial arts, then baseball practice. So for the hours between 3 and 9, we will be OUT. I'd better get moving!
Have a great day!
Melissa

HAPPY FATHERS DAY, DAD!

HAPPY FATHERS DAY RACE

Race, we love you. We miss you. We appreciate, so much, all of the sacrifices that you make for us. We hope that you have a wonderful day. You deserve one. Be careful and have a Happy Fathers Day!

Love,
Melissa, Austin, Savannah, and Jackson

Bueller?..........Bueller?..........Bueller?........

C'mon, y'all, talk to me. I am home alone, with NO adult conversation whatsoever. I KNOW that you're out there. Anyone?...... Anyone?

Well, Race has visited the pyramids and taken a sailboat down the Nile. The Egyptian museum will be next.

This morning we will be cleaning the house and heading out to the batting cage. We will grab lunch, and then come home to pack until time for Austin's first All Stars practice. After practice is under way, Jack and Savannah and I will come back to the house, make final preparations to leave, pack the suburban, pick up Austin and head to the beach house to spend the weekend with Mom, Dad and the rest of the fam. We are looking forward to a relaxing weekend, but as I look back over this it certainly does not seem as exciting as what Race has going on!

For the next few weeks , if you need to find me, I will be living temporarily at the baseball field. If you come by and we aren't there, we have just run across town to the batting cages (Thank-you once again, Pap-paw, for the unlimited tokens!).

Hope that you all have a Happy Fathers Day, and a great weekend.

Melissa

Well, what a gorgeous morning it was here! The air was so cool, the skies were blue, not a smidge of humidity......and there was a breeze! I grabbed my coffee, and my Bible...and a SWEATSHIRT...and headed to the front porch. Really a beautiful morning. And there is nothing quite like being snapped into existence by a couple of dueling humming birds flying kamikaze style straight for your face! The breeze is still blowing, but the cool air is quickly being replaced by the summertime heat, but it was a nice surprise while it lasted.

As we head into the weekend, we are looking forward to spending time at M&D's beach house for Fathers day. It will be so good to spend time with my family again. I am hoping that I will get to see Janelle while I am home, too. I never get to see her girls, and they are growing up so fast. She is also my new gardening/decorating mentor, so I am hoping that she doesn't start charging me by the hour!

Savannah is going to be staying with Mam-maw and Pap-paw for the week. She can hardly wait! Alone time with Mam-maw, and getting a break from all the boy activity around here is always something that she looks forward to.

Race will be visiting the Pyramids today. ( envious sigh) Hope that he gets good pictures.

We have Fathers Day shopping to do, a visit to the batting cages, and Martial Arts today. Have a great weekend.
Melissa

Lone blogger....Where are y'all???

Austin says "Thank-You" to everyone who congratulated him on making the All Star team.

Dy, You asked about the memorizing the lists. We just learn 5 a week. The older two have to keep a list in their notebooks. They add 5 new names each week. They have to quiz each other on them a few times a week. Jack just does them aloud only. We do memory work in the morning before Bible reading (because otherwise I forget to do it!). Sometimes we go around the table and take turns. The kids actually enjoy it, and the funny thing is that memorization is quite the equalizer. Sometimes Jack does better than Austin and Savannah.....which REALLY puts the pressure on the older two to work at it! Those young brains seem to memorize with ease! You'd be surprised how many captured critters were named Ethelred this week! My OLD brain has to cheat and use the list a lot!

Well, I have nothing to say. Oh my gosh, someone mark it down.
G'night,
Melissa

My pretty little vegetable garden! The broccoli is about done. The bare ares has sunflowers, corn and a row of blueberry bushes. The path in the middle is where Austin dumps all of the grass clippings. Then I use them for mulching around the plants.

This is one side of the garden, there are several rows of different beans here, and then, growing up the trellis thingy are cucumbers.

Here are some pictures of my vegetable garden! Behind the, as of yet, nameless scarecrow, is planted several rows of corn that you can't see yet.

The Adventures of Race

Seriously, I am bursting to relate the story that Race just told me. UNBELIEVABLE! And while I can't put it here, I can say that in the last 24 hrs. he has seen the inside of a hospital (that word is used VERY loosely), taken a wild taxi ride, seen the absolutely impoverished conditions that Christians are forced to live in where he is, and been inside a place where it is doubted that any Americans have ever been before! He is fine, and the hospital wasn't for him. But, Wow.
I really miss him. WE really miss him. Ya know, on Monday night I almost booked a flight that I found to meet him. Good thing that I didn't, because Austin got his call to ALL Stars the next day. It's going to take some fancy driving getting everyone to all of their commitments for those few weeks....AND.....this is a huge deal for him. Can you imagine if niether of his parents were here to see it? I would have died.
Have a great day!
Melissa

Well, Somebody stick a fork in me cause I AM DONE. All of this scheduling on the calander has my head spinning. I am supposed to call the Mom of one of Jack's friends to coordinate going to Camp Hydaway. I am supposed to call the mother of one of Savannah's friends to coordonate Dance Camp. I could go on and on. On a brighter note, however, a friend at Martial Arts invited us to a church that they recently started attending. It is a PCA church, and a fairly new church plant. We would be going this Sunday, but we will be at Mom and Dad's for Fathers Day( I did iron out a way for us to make the first practice AND still get to go to M& D's). I am excited to go. The whole Reformed Church thing is new for me, as I was brought up Baptist. But, when I realized the responsibility for my kids learning about the Lord falls squarly and heavily AT HOME.....well........I had to KNOW what I believed. I could no longer just repeat "what I've always been taught...". Turns out that what I believe leans theologically more toward Presbyterian than Baptist. SO. We'll see. And , of course,it will also have to pass Race's scrutiny as well. Whatever the outcome, I was really pleased to get the invite from my friend. I met Thomasina today for coffee and to give her the gift that we got her for her birthday. Poor thing. Just going around breathless preparing for a week in St. Lucia. I feel so sorry for her. I mean having to work on an exotic island and all.......really........she must be dreading it. Well, for whatever reason, Blogger won't let me indent any of paragraphs tonight, so it must really be a challenge for you to read this. And as you can see, I am NOT cleaning the house this evening (you knew I wouldn't, didn't you?). Before I leave you this evening, I must tell you two things that Jack said today. These should be put on a list entitled "Things That I Never Thought I'd Hear At My House", or something like that. Jack: Mom, do you wanna come see my new pet? He's a spider. His name is "Freaky". Jack:(While holding a small lizard 2 inches from his eyeballs): Mom, did you know that lizards have tiny little armpits??? These rank up there with hearing A's booming voice yell "MOM!" "Have you seen my cup?!" And he wasn't wanting a drink, folks. Picture me grabbing my heart Fred Sanford style. For crying out loud, I grew up in a house with 3 girls. I didn't even know what that kind of cup WAS until last year. ugh. Well, I am glad you made it to the end of this post and didn't stay lost up there in my indent-less message. g'night.

ALL STAR TEAM!

Austin was chosen for the All Star team in baseball. He is elated beyond belief. I am excited for him. He got to tell Race the news on the phone this morning. This means 2 weeks of practices, with the tournament starting July 2. In jeapordy so far, is Fathers Day weekend (we were going to Mom and Dads beach house to be with them), and S.T.O.R.M. Team demo. Hopefully we can iron it all out. Hmm.. No rest for the weary it seems ;-)

Happy Birthday Thomasina

Well we made it through a Monday. I spoke with Race this morning, and things seem to be going well.
We got through school and all in all it was a productive day. My youngest is a bit of a challenge. ALL of his lessons are done in spurts. He is really a very bright little boy......but- the child is NEVER still..........NEVER. He does his work at lightening speed and then-FLASH-he's gone. It's like trying to hog tie the legs of a grasshopper. He reads well, but he isn't really INTERESTED in reading for himself, by himself yet. For his reading lesson today, I had to go back through and change the words on the white board so that the story was silly and yucky to catch his attention. Seriously, the child is distracted by a speck of dust floating in the air! SO. While he reads, spells, skip counts, adds and subtracts.....he does flips, sits upside down, builds with Magnetix, bounces (a lot), and generally romps around the room Gollum-style. He is only still when being read aloud to-which, he loves, so we're still O.K..
Some second grade teacher owes me big!

Savannah is finishing "King Arthur", and Austin is finishing "Samurai Warrior". We are still learning the Kings and Queens of England.......(um..yeah....this will take awhile- but they LOVE the names!) We are hitting Spanish much harder now with Austin, and are looking for a native speaking "tutor" for next year. Latin has helped immensly with learning the grammar in Spanish.

My house is a wreck. I have laundry piles (clean and dirty). My room needs attention, the floors need to be vaccuumed.....and I won't even go into the basement right now. It will all have to wait. Tomorrow will be busy. Have to vote, mail some stuff at the post office, get through the kids lessons, and get Jack and Austin to Martial Arts and Jiu Jitsu. Maybe I can make a swipe at it in the P.M.??

hope that y'all had a great Monday,
Melissa

Petrushka

A thousand "thank-you's" to my most excellent photographer, Thomasina, for the pictures below! The ballet was so much fun, and it brought back so many memories! The production , storyline, and choreography were excellent ! The girls were so confident, and really had great stage presence. They had a blast! The boys totally enjoyed themselves and were enthralled with the story. After the production, they did a sort of "meet and greet" on the stage with the performers. Jack rushed onto the stage with Savannah's roses and asked her for her autograph on his program. He collected many other signatures after hers, as well. too funny. Savannah is already missing dance class, and might take a week of summer intensives. She is also taking a unique watercolor painting class through the Fine Arts Academy. They will be introduced to famous watercolor artists at Randolph Macon Womens College's Maier Museum, before going back to the Fine Arts Academy to be guided in their own watercolor paintings. She is also going to be taking a Theatrworks class for one week as well. In this class they will use story-building methods to explore voice, speech and dramatic expression. Savannah is VERY excited about all of these! In the fall we plan to continue with dance as well as Theatreworks. Ahhhhhhhh.........The Arts! I do believe that she has found her thing.

Backstage!!! Ohh.. look at the excitement on those faces!!!

Yes. she will give autographs.

The Twins, from the early 19th century Russian village.

Dy- Yes Herriott was named after our most beloved English Vet and author James Herriott. But OUR Herriott is a girl.....like Harriet. So there you have it. All Savannah's idea. About the church thing: I always imagine that when I go into a church without my husband and have all my kids with me, that everyone is immediately picturing some loser at home with a brewsky in hand, wearing a "wife-beater" t shirt, with his feet up in front of a football game. hmmm.......... Is it me?

We had a very nice visit with Em, Todd, Q and W. Q and Jack disappeared upstairs before Emily even made it into the house. Jack was so excited to have his cousins come to his house to play! The kids are still talking about how funny W is. He says and does the funniest things! He is really talking now. Q is growing up. He was so funny to watch as he made us play "Guess what my favorite Thomas Train is.." We were yelling out names, and he was giving us hints. Too cute! Savannah got to show Aunt Emily and Uncle Todd the graphics that she is working with on the computer, and Austin got to show Uncle Todd his baseball card stuff. Great visit, but we always wish that they could stay longer.

I need to take a picture of my garden, and post it. It is really doing well. Austin, Jack and I did some weeding and thinning this evening. I have tiny green tomatoes and peppers, and the beans are loaded with blooms. I planted two more rows of corn.

Jackson has his own garden this year. He planted watermelon, beans, sunflowers, and sage! Very diverse.

The boys have been helping me with pest control......and you know what? IT'S WORKING!! Every time they find a toad, or lizard , or small grass snake, they let it go in the garden. They are staying! They are eating their fill of all of those nasty pests that WOULD be destroying my plants. There are still a few attacking here and there, but it is definitely controlled. There lots of spiders (mostly those small ones that scamper out of your way), and we have found several praying mantis. I planted marigolds and basil among my vegetables, because supposedly some pests don't care for the strong scent. Anyway, it's working well for all involved......except the pests.

Well, it's back to school tomorrow, and I still have to get the planning done. We are going to work on getting that pool up after that. Oh, also, the library is calling................that can't be good. I guess that they are looking for the really large basket of books in my living room.(shrug)

Talk to ya tomorrow!
Melissa

frustration

I am really having a hard time focusing. I don't know what it is. Like I am just out of step or something.

Austin's team won their last two games yesterday. I had to sit up on the bank and talk with all of the ladies. I can not tell you how excruciating this is. Not because I don't like talking to other ladies (OBVIOUSLY, for those who know me), but because there is a big fight going on amongst the families over All-Stars......ugh. I was met by several ladies who ,up until yesterday would hardly acknowledge me with a nod. But NOW? Oh, I was everyone's best friend. Each one trying to get me to agree with their view. I was suddenly whisked back in time to the seventh grade. I can not articulate how much I despise being in this sort of situation. In the end, I angered one woman by not sitting with her for the entire game.............I wish I was kidding. Seriously. She's mad. SERENITY NOW!

GET ME OUTTA HERE!!!!!

After the games, the kids and I had chili dogs and ice cream sundaes at "Hud's Grill and Ice Cream" which is on the corner of something and something in Rustburg. That was the best part of the day!

I got a phone call from Race. He was looking out of his hotel room on the Nile river! Unbelievable.
Unfortunately, I ruined our phone call by spilling out all (and I do mean ALL) of my frustrations over the whole baseball fiasco. Great going.

I dropped the ball today on church hunting. I guess I'd better get with it. I don't like going into a new church with my 3 half grown kids, and no husband. But that's the way it's gonna have to be. I never know if I should mention him or just leave it alone. What would you do?

We are hoping to see Em, Todd and the boys while they are in town.

I talked with Race's mom yesterday, and she is doing GREAT! It was so good to hear her voice.

Also, I have an unspoken prayer request for a friend. It is just a situational thing, but one that would have great impact on her and her family, and the life that they live.

Well, this is indeed a "frustration blog" as I look back over it. But, I'll get it together as the day goes on. I will be doing school plans today, and working on getting a pool put up for the kids. This is quite a huge undertaking as it turns out. But I think that we can do it.

Please keep Race in your prayers. His work days are long and it is dangerous. He is very good at what he does. I hope that everyone has a relaxing Sunday.

Encouragement, Lego's , and a hairball

I AM MISSING RACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There. O.K. I feel better.

My head is still swimming from the past week. Race and I had so much going on. We were together the whole time, but we were so busy enjoying the kids activities, preparing for his upcoming trips, and handling a bunch of security clearance documentation junk, that we looked up- and it was time for him to leave. Seriously, it's all just a blur.

What did we do yesterday? Well, after race left, we watched cartoons and played with Lego's. Seriously. ALL of us. In the middle of the living room. For most of the afternoon. (Keep it to yourself, o.k.)
I did finally get to call Dy, and it is always great to talk to her. She has a LOT going on right now, and it is always encouraging to me to see how well she handles it and just keeps going. This is particularly nice on a day like yesterday, when I am REALLY prone to feeling sorry for myself! So, thanks, Dy.
Isn't it great how God loves us so much, that he provides the encouragement that we need at just the right time? I talked to Dy, got an email from a friend whom I love, that I don't get to talk with much(Kim), I got a call from Janelle, and my Mom gave me a nice compliment on the phone last night. All in one day. All on a day that I really needed it.

We went to Martial Arts yesterday afternoon, and the boys are doing so well. And Austin's demo is really looking sharp. He loves that stuff.

One more thing. Herriott, Savannah's cat, got a hairball yesterday. I know, I know, you're thinking, "big deal. so what". But you can not posssibly understand the extreme duress that Savannah was under during this trial. Hands were rung, tears were shed. And in the end.....when we knew it was all O.K. --just a hairball........A song was composed...in Herriotts honor.

Oh, Help.

have a great day!

Testing. testing. 1..2..3...

Race is off to the M East. He will most likely be missing Fathers Day, Jacks birthday, and our 15 th Anniversary. Sigh.
We had a good, albeit very busy time while he was home this week. We went to the Petrushka ballet. It was AWESOME! We were so impressed with this performance. My photographer has not sent the pictures yet for me to post..(hint,hint). But I can't wait to put them up.

Austin plays his last game Saturday............unless he is picked for All-Stars (weak smile). He has a demo coming up for Martial Arts on July 1st, so that is going to take up some time. And their are several Jiu Jitsu seminars that he would like to attend. Savannah would like to enroll in some of the drama courses being offered this summer through Fine Arts. Can you say $$$$?
The older two, though are really starting to zero in on their interests and wanting to improve their talents and skills, so I figure it is money well spent. And, I must say that it excites me to think that they are confident enough to jump out there into these unknown arenas and give it a try.

Jack is still taking Martial Arts 3 times a week, but other than that he is mostly interested in catching lizards, snakes and toads, which is as it should be. Speaking of snakes check out the eerie pictures below that I took of an enormous black snake in one of our bird houses!!

I have been talking to my personal Master Gardner, and best friend Janelle. She gave me some good advice about how to create some nice looking flower beds around my house. I found a great little nursery close by called The Patch. I have been working on this one little area this week. I will post pictures later. It doesn't look like much now, but I think that it will really be beautiful next year. Folks, you can really drop some big $$ on flowers!!!

Race's mom is in the hospital with a hip replacement and the numbers that we have for the hospital are apparently wrong. So, I will be calling the florist this afternoon to send flowers to their home. I am sure that Frank will deliver them with a smile! We have been praying for them, and the kids are putting together a packet to send her.

I will be posting a lot for the next few months, because Race will be reading this while he is away. Phone communication is sketchy at best. SO, I will spend the next few days catching up with everyone, and planning out our next several weeks w/out Race.

What? WHAT? What's this sticking it's head out of our (empty) birdouse?

He is heading out.

Couldn't even come close to getting his whole body in the picture!

I wanted to wave "hi" to AnnieSue!! Girl, you totally need to be bloggin! I KNOW that Miss M. and little T. are doing tons of stuff that you need to chronicle and share with everyone!!!! C'mon...You know ya want to. Thanks for the comments below.
Dy, I am praying for you guys as you head down this path with the allergies. No doubt it is uncomfortable territory. I know that you will do just fine. And besides if you check your brain at the door.......you KNOW Zorak is going to call you on it! No worries.

Yesterday was a boring blur. Carpet guy came and cleaned the carpets..(I love that man). Got the oil changed, tires rotated, blah, blah, blah. Savannah had her Petrushka rehearsal (only one more dress rehearsal before the big day!), Jack and Austin went to Martial Arts, and Austin went to jiu jitsu after that. Picked up Italian carry-out and arrived back home at about 7:30 to find Race here! He had gotten home a while before and had already ridden his bike, and worked out on his weights, showered and was RELAXED!! He is off for the rest of the weekend, so we are looking forward to some time together. I am trying not to dread his upcoming trips! The kids and I will be looking for a few things to do while he is gone, (preferably something somewhat educational in nature), maybe an overnight trip. Race axed the idea of us meeting in Europe, because he said that the assignment is just too unpredictable to risk it. (I can hear Willie Nelson singing " Mama's don't let your babies grow up to be Special Agents." )

I have officially harvested the first vegetables from my garden! Broccoli! We love broccoli, lightly steamed with a little butter , garlic, and salt. It is shocking how much greener this broccoli is when prepared. Seriously, shocking. And it was SOOOoo tender and delicious. And there's more..........much more.

If you haven't checked out the blogs over on my sidebar, you seriously need to do that.
Have a great Friday!
Melissa

Not exactly what we planned........

So much happened over the holiday weekend, it seems impossible to chronicle it all. I'll just hit some of the best points and move on. ;-)

Austin had a baseball game Saturday afternoon. A double header. Unscheduled. Out of town. (grrrr!) Race and Jack went with Austin to the game. Savannah and I stayed behind and prepared to camp. After the game Race took everyone to see Star Wars, (which, incidentally, we all loved). The next morning, we were up, packed, and heading to the mountains. And.......I guess....... so was everyone else! Our never fail, "spot that no one knows about" was empty. But just down river there was a "village" of bikers who had set up camp about a week ago and had no plans of leaving anytime soon. I have never seen so much stuff! They were revving their bike engines, and blaring loud music, the likes of which I could not identify. (It has always been my experience that "good" bikers listen to Southern Rock........I'm not sure what these, um, tunes were.) Well, needless to say, the thought of camping next to a bunch of men with pony tails was not appealing to anyone. We moved on. All the way up the mountain......nothing. And to admit defeat and try to get into an overcrowded campground? No Way!

So. We put the Suburban into 4-wheel drive and headed up, up, up the "dirt path that no one knows about". Fleeing civilization. When the road has an old painted sign that reads, "ONLY 4-WHEEL DRIVES BEYOND THIS POINT", you should take that very seriously. THIS was a little scary. The lost car parts strewn in various spots did NOT help. The road was completely washed out in several places, and the river flows across the road in one area. Steep mountain on one side, long, long drop on the other. Believe it or not we actually met two cars coming down!!! YIKES! Really tight squeeze! After about 4 miles, we arrived at the top, and where the appalachian trail crosses. No luck on decent camp sites by the river. We got out, and ate lunch.The temperature was 10 degrees cooler up here. We decided that we would hike to the falls. It is about a 2 mile hike. The mountains are truly gorgeous this time of the year, with the mountain laurel and the wild rhododendrons blooming everywhere. And of course the falls are always breath taking.

We decided that on our way back down out of the mountains we would scout for camp sites once more, in case some folks had left. Still no luck.

So. Race decides that we can camp on our own property and by our own creek. We live on 12 wooded acres surrounded by 100 wooded acres, and there is a big creek that winds its way across the back of our part, becoming the property line. We get home and Race takes everyone down to the place that he was thinking of. It was about a 1/2 mile from our house. When we reached the site, Race got everyone working, and within 30 minutes, we had cleared the site, built a fire ring, got the tents up, and had all of the dead wood stacked and ready to burn. It was AWESOME!! And it was OURS!!! We had a blast. The kids played in the creek all evening. Race taught the kids how to use a compass, and then they played a skills game (w/ the compass) using index cards that he tacked on trees. They saw three snakes, (one in a tree!). It was completely still and quiet, except for the sound of the water rushing over the rocks( well, and the kids). At nightfall, the owls started in, and they were right on top of us! While we were in our tents we saw raccoon and deer, all not quite sure what all this stuff was in their space. And I can tell you that a bed of soft pine needles, beats a rock any day!

On Monday night, Race took us all to see our local minor league baseball team play a game. When we got home, we all dropped exhausted into our beds. Great weekend.