Thom's Bo

Well, he seems nice enough. Everything was going really well, but seriously, I hate to be brutally honest, but I think that the whole family could have done without the pictures of himself on the beach, in a Speedo. I mean.....C'MON!!!!


Admit it. I got you. You know I got you....(snort)
Anyway, It really WAS a good weekend, but unfortunately Thom's bo had to cancel, so we'll have to meet him another time. We had a great time at mom and dads. It was so great to see everyone again. We had some amazing meals....from baked salmon, to thick steaks, to seafood alfredo. One morning mom and dad fixed everone fried eggs, toast, grits, and home made sausage. It is so fun to sit around the table with everyone, relaxing and drinking hot coffee. YUM!!

There are over 10 new adorable calves dotting the fields on the farm. Thom piled all the kids on the John Deer gator, and took them down to the back fields, to look for rocks in the creek. And of course they came back burdened down with all their treasures!

My kids are so blessed to have family members that believe in them....and invest time in them. My dad took Austin over an hour away on Sat. and Sun. where he had arranged a 1 hr private lesson with a former pro player. He was swinging a bat for an hour straight, and he has a huge blister to prove it...(yes, he had batting gloves on). Also, Uncle Todd spent hours outside catching for him, and then took him out to Game Stop and let him pick out some games. How awesome is that??? Family is such a blessing to us.

We have heard from Race and he sent us a few pictures. We miss him so much!

I have a few pictures from Austin's Court of Honor, that I haven't had the chance to put up yet, so maybe I can get that done later this evening. I'll be catching up on blogs tonight too. Hope that everyone had an awesome weekend!

Well, the stars must have aligned themselves properly or something, because I just got ANOTHER child in for a dental check-up. That's 2 down and 1 to go!In the past, when I would hear of people taking their children in for regular dental cleanings, I would remark, "You do that, eh?" But No more! Woo-hoo!

Austin got promoted in rank tonight at Scouts at the Court of Honor ceremony. Ooo and guess what? MOTHERS get appreciation pins as well! How cool! They honor the moms!(Funny to see each boy look on in horor when asked to pin these tiny pins on their mom's lapelle!!) It was a fun time tonight to get to know all the other parents of these great young men. You know, you always hear bad things about the "next generation", but this just gives you such a great feeling. Because if this is the "next generation"....I am not worried.

Thomasina came tonight to be there for Austin, and to take pictures for me. the boys thoroughly enjoyed seeing a professional photographer confidently snapping shots of them being presented with their awards. ANd then they really hammed it up for her afterwards too! I am sure that we will have some to post soon. Thanks so much Thom!

I talked to Race today for a bit. It was so good to hear his voice. We miss you Race!

G'night,
Melissa

Happy Valentines Day!

So this morning, first thing, Jack comes downstairs and says, "Oh, mom, by the way, in case you were wondering, the Toot-Fest has been postponed." "Oh? How come?" He looks at me incredulously and says, "The HOLIDAY, of course." ANd then he hands me a homemade Valentine that he made all by himself with hearts and streamers all over it. AWWwwwwww... Actually all of the kids made me a Valentine. And then about half way through the day a Fed Ex guy arrives with 2 boxes. One for me and one for Savannah. Savannah's had a beautiful note from her dad, and contained a sweet, plush dog that holds a heart. Inside my box was a beautifully wrapped, tall, pink Tower of Treats. Each pretty pink,striped box holding a new EDIBLE( an important fact), surprise!(Of course there was a super sappy, sweet note enclosed in mine also!) And don't you know that I use my most dramatic effects when opening each and every box. I prolonged the suspense, making the surprise last as llllooonnnng....as possible. THIS drives children insane. The youngest became positively ravenous with excitement before I finally opened the last box!
Thank-you Race, for remembering. You made our day special! We Miss You!!!
G'night, and even if you didn't get a thing, be GLAD you're WITH your Valentine!
Melissa

P.S- The boys had received boxes of conversational hearts and lollipop bouquets from me......just so you know that they weren't left out!

Well, we had a good day today! Our lessons went really well, and we are learning about such exciting times in history and it's meshing with science and lights are going on and eyes are opening..(excited squeal!) I just LOVE it when that happens!!......IT'S WOORRRKKKING!!!!!!!
Everything is going pretty well.
I would like to take a moment to go ahead and express my concern IN PRINT about the youngest offspring. Armpit pictures aside, his frat-boy like behavior is getting to be a little much. It all started innocently enough 2 yrs ago when he began working tirelessly to develop the party trick-to-end-all-party-tricks. He sits on the floor with a hand cupped behind each knee, and then pumps his legs up and down making "toot noises" with BOTH knees. Ahhhhh..yes, my friends, it is something to behold. And it DOES indeed place him over the top in the 8-10 yr old crowd. But now, with the burping of the ABC's...... and tomorrow, I have been informed that there will be a "Toot-Fest" held. Here. In the house. Where we live. Apparently a score will be kept, and the contestants are Jack, Austin, and the dog. Jack is certain that he will be the victor. I hope that he doesn't hurt himself.
And if this bit of information doesn't scare you.....let me just add this: His reading skills are weak. (Big Sigh)

May this child never take a liking to strong drink.

G'night!
Melissa

"Mom, it looks like Narnia!...."

I told the kids that we needed to take some pictures around the house, to send to Race. This evening, I went to download the photos..and I found this....

And this...

and this.....

And this....(that's Crawford waving his claws, hello at you.......or is that a signal for help??)

And.......THIS. (sigh)

Well, after my last post, you know what kind of week that I was in for, didn't you? It was rough one. But it's all behind us now, and I'll just touch on the good points.
First of all, we heard from Race! Aside from the fact that when I talked to him, he hadn't eaten, was really tired, and hadn't showered in three days..........things were really good. he is definitely in his element doing what he does best.
Austin has a lot going on right now. He passed his board review in Scouts. If you aren't familiar with this,each boy is required to be in Class A uniform ready for inspection, and after 3 months of completing requirements, they have to meet individually before a panel of three men, (2 asst. scout masters, and 1 business man from the community). After the boys recite their oath and the scout law, they pose questions to the boys like, "How do you think most people would describe you" , and "How are you living out the Scout Law in your everyday life?" and several other questions about the troop itself, and their opinion of it. Then they give praise for any outstanding work on their requirements, and congratulate them on their acheivement of the new rank. This is so good for these boys! Austin did really well, and has enjoyed the whole experience. They have Court of Honor next week to actually receive their new rank.
As if that were not enough, he has been given the opportunity to participate in a HIgh Adventure Boy Scout camp in August. he will be flying to Minnesota and going on a 10 day canoeing/hiking/camping trip. He is REALLY excited about that! It is REALLY rough, including a 2 mile hike with ALL supplies..including canoe! He can hardly wait and will be working every job he can get this summer, (between baseball) in order to help pay for the trip.
Jack has been under the weather off and on this week, but nothing too serious. But you know that he isn't feeling well if he isn't cutting up all the time! We could all use a little down time here at home, actually. And we are hoping to get it this weekend.
Savannah is enjoying her art class very much.Her the teacher has her Masters in art, and does give private lessons. So we are excited about that opportunity. Also, a friend has given me the name of a professor at one of the local colleges who teaches graphic design. There is a very good possibility that she will be allowed to sit in on classes at the University! Very exciting!
I have made an executive decision to cancel tomorrow's activities and STAY HOME. And if possible, the STAY HOME part shall extend to Saturday as well. We could all use a breather, and I could use a bit of time to catch up on housework.....oh- and painting!!!!
Have a great night!
Melissa

Today was a day of encouragement for me. First of all it was Sunday. My Sunday school was on biblical interpretation (fascinating) and the sermon for today was another in a series on the book of Proverbs. I love it that the goal of this church is to equip me to be a better servant for Christ. I just love it. I am always learning, and so is my family. Today was also Scout Sunday, and as our church sponsors the Scout troop that Austin belongs to, today was a day to basically thank the church for giving to the scouts. The guys all sat together (about 30 of them) in their Class A uniforms, with the Scout masters.They looked so sharp! They actually took up the offering, handed out the program and helped with clean up after the service. Also, today was the day that we receive the Lords Supper at our church, which is such an unbeleivable blessing to my spirit each time.
Today was also Super Bowl Sunday. Austin and Savannah were both invited to a Super Bowl party that was being thrown for the youth. These folks were gracious enough to open their homes to a pile of kids, provide snacks, games and football. And they missed Mick Jagger because they were having a devotional during half time. They watched a movie on the life of a Christian athlete, and then the pastor talked with them all about the signficance of this in their Christian life. The kids had an amazing time. They won prizes and made a lot of new friends.
*But what were you and Jack doing?????* you ask?
Well, we were fortunate enough to be invited over to a freinds house (from church) and got to know them better. Jackson got to play with their Jack(who is also 8 yrs old) and we were just so encouraged. These folks have opened their home to us when they knew that I was going to have a super long late night drive. They fed BOTH of my boys over the course of the day. And they helped Austin finish up his Boy Scout requirements in order to get ready for Board Review on Wednesday. I can't tell you what an encouragement this was to me today.I was so blessed by others of my faith today, and so were my kids. I pray that the Lord will dhow me where I can be a blessing to others. I am so thankful for Gods grace and mercy towards me.
I would like to do something nice for these folks, but I am stumped. What would you do? Any ideas?
G'night,
Melissa

The boys had martial arts tonight. On the way home, I decided that we would just stop by Little Caesars and pick up a couple of their $5 pizza's. The line was really long, but hey, they're "Hot n' Ready" so how long could it take? Well.......*jump forward 20-30 minutes*.........and I have talked to two people that I already knew, and actually met 3 new people. It was so bad. The poor guy behind the counter (who looked as if he had stepped right out of a Far Side cartoon) was so flustered and befuddled, that he just began handing out pizzas left and right. The poor guy just snapped. It didn't matter who was first, or what you had ordered, he was just handin' em' out. The place was heading to the breaking point as people who had been waiting, were snatching those things as if they were gold.I did what any mother of hungry children would do: Hands sweating and heart pounding, I lunged in front of a VERY LARGE man and grabbed 2 pizza's.I made my way through the crowd toward the exit. I could feel Gargantuan's eyes bearing down on me. I turned to the new compadre's I had met and whispered, "Good Luck....good luck to you all..." I never looked back. We were outta there.

Austin has been working on a bunch of First Aid stuff for Boy Scouts. The Scoutmaster explained that the boys needed to know this stuff forward and back, so that in the event of an accident, they wouldn't have to think, but rather, just react. So today, we did some role playing. Jack was the person who was repeatedly being injured. (Pick any day of the week, and that is real life for us). We go through minor cuts, minor burns, choking,frostbite and then we get to snakebite from poisonous snake. Jack pretends that he is sitting down playing unsuspectingly, and then, "Oh no! A Copperhead! It bit me!" It was at this point that he grabbed his butt, writhing in pain, awating his brother to administer First Aid for the snake bite. Of course his brother is laughing so uncontrollably that all is lost. (sigh)

Dy, thank-you for the tobacco tip. I shall pass it along. This should be of particular use to my sister Thom. Did you read my comments,Thom?
Lynette, the crawdad was caught from our creek. His name is Crawford. Jack is taking great delight in watching him eat the food that he drops in. But Crawford better be careful. As you know from my past posts, the boys really LOVE steamed Crawdads. If he doesn't behave, they just might eat him.

I will leave you with this hilarious post from my brother-in-law, over at But Seriously... I swear, we are just a whole family of funny.

G'night,
melissa

Ants, crawdads and a goldfish funeral

Perhaps it is because we are nature lovers. Or maybe it is just that we are easily amused. I am not sure what it says about us, but the entire family has been absolutely mesmerized by a Christmas gift that Em and The Dude gave to Jack this year. At any given time of the day you can see one, two, three, or as much as all four of us huddled around a tiny blue 10 inch square. Upon closer observation, one would discover that it is an ANT FARM! Honestly, this is the coolest thing to see. I mean, I can remember trying to have ant farms as a kid. You know you get just-the-right-dirt, and then dig up just-the-right ants. Then they dig one tiny hole and all die. THOSE are the ant farms of my childhood. ANd if you were raised even farther south than I was then it only took one experience with Fire Ants to know that you didn't want to farm those beastly things anyway!
But this. This is so cool! You can view the ants from all sides and the blue, jelly like substance that they are tunneling through is both their food and water. They require nothing! It has become an addiction. When we arrive home someone invariably yells, "WOAH! Look how much the ants have done!" So, yeah. We are impressed. But then, we also have a crawdad who has happily taken up residence in Frodo's old tank(remember, the deceased gold fish, who was cryogenically frozen?)....so....I guess we like that kind of stuff!
Speaking of Frodo, we did finally bury him. It was quite the service. Jack insisted that we all participate because, "You know.........he was family". I cant remember all of the eulogy,(you can thank me later), but I did hear myself saying the words, " Frodo was a good swimmer. He was the best.MYyyyyyyy...how he did swim". And then later as I became even more desperate, I said "And he was always there to wave a happy fin at anyone who passed by". (groan) Jack was happy and the gold fish is out of my freezer. But God help us if the dog dies.

G'night,
melissa

For dinner tonight I fixed home made link sausage that mom and dad had brought to me. It was delicious! We sliced it and sauteed it with onions and then threw in scrambled eggs, sprinkled with cheese. We had cornbread and a side salad. Yum!

We have a late night tonight, with boy scouts. Savannah, Jack and I will have to take things to do while we wait. Jack has some reading aloud that he will bring, and also his Erragon CD's. Savannah has "her music" and also 2 books that she is currently reading.(One for school and one for fun). I am bringing my next book to tackle, "Gullivers Travels".

I got 'The Old Schoolhouse" magazine the other day, and in it there is an article by Susan Wise Bauer. Her writing on classical education is so articulate and powerful. I wanted to quote just a little tiny piece, of what really jumped out at me.

Excerpts written by Susan Wise Bauer and found in "The Old Schoolhouse" magazine:
"The tragedy of American High school education is two-fold. In the first place, teenagers are not taught rhetoric; they are not given the skills to explain, in speech or in writing, what they believe and WHY. They remain inarticulate, and so they are forced to rely on external means of displaying their individuality-clothes or tattoos or piercings (which make them all look the same)."

"Second, American teenagers are forced to remain generalists for far too long......"

" The neoclassical education seeks to right both of these imbalances. In the classical tradition, the highschool years are a time when the students are encouraged to specialize, to dig deeply into the subjects that interest them most......." "The classical model does not aim to produce a "well-balanced generalist", but rather a student who is passionately interested in and skilled at a particular subject."

"...the classical model focuses on the proper handling of argumentation during the high school years. Teenagers are expected to be opinionated-as long as they are opinionated in an articulate and logical manner. In the rhetoric stage, the student learns how to write and speak with force and originality. The classically trained teenager has a strong sense of her own unique identity because she not only knows her strengths, but can defend her own opinions and beliefs."

Great stuff! Thank-you, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. And of course thank-you Susan Wise Bauer .

G'night,
Melissa

A morning of lessons and painting and walks in the woods. After lessons, Austin had to work on some Boy Scout requirements that he needed help with while Savannah and Jack helped clean up the kitchen. We got our things together and headed out the door. We picked up 2 of the boys' friends from their school and got everyone to their Martial Arts classes.

Savannah and I headed over to Barnes and Noble. We sat and read our new books while sipping our favorite coffee-like beverages. After we had read and caffeinated ourselves to our hearts content we went to watch the guys at their class. She really would rather do just about anything than to sit in Martial Arts and watch the boys' lessons, but I don't hold it against her, because they act as though they are being put to death, when they have to watch her at dance class. It evens out. Thomasina came by and watched the guys do their thing for a bit. They LOVE to have an audience! The jiu jitsu stuff just blows my mind. You are NOT gonna wanna mess with these boys. Seriously.
Austin and I watched the Presidents State of the Union Address. I could not be more proud of the President of my country. Thank-you, Mr.President for understanding what it means to protect our freedom. Thank-you also, for inspiring my child.

Well, baseball season is almost upon us. We found out today that Austin will get to play for Dixie Boys Baseball as well as for the varsity team at New Covenant Schools (Griffons). He is immensely excited about these opportunities. And as for y'all, you know what that means. It means that my blog will be saturated with baseball pictures, because Jack will be playing too.

The long days and nights are getting to me. I need to get myself on a better schedule, start working out, and taking my vitamins more regularly. Hmmm.. Probably should get on that.

G’night,
Melissa

Guess what happened this morning? Austin fixed french toast for breakfast. REAL french toast. Using french bread , eggs, milk cinnamon, and everything! Thank-you Boy Scouts!! It was DELICIOUS! And I didn't lift a finger. And aside from the stereotypical little brother saying , "something just doesn't smell right" before he gobbled it down................EVERYONE loved it!

After Savannah's dance class tonight, we swung by Lowes for another bucket o' paint. I'm still painting, but I think that I can see the finish line: A ceiling and a stairway to go! (and then there's all that TRIM, but I won't think about that now...)
Speaking of dance class.....I watched Savanna's class tonight. She is growing up so fast. She just looked so pretty and tall, with her hair all pulled pack in a pony tail. (sniff, sniff) Where does the time go?

I will leave you with a riddle that Austin was given by an assistant Scout master on the camping trip. We are totally stumped, so please feel free to give it your best shot.

What we catch, we throw away,
What we cannot catch, we keep.
What is it?


Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?
One more coat of paint, and then I'm off to bed,
G'night,
Melissa

Tolkein and Lewis

As I prepare our lesson plans for this week, a few things have come to mind. You know, Austin has been reading through the Lord of the Rings. He has read these before,( and to say that he LOVES them would not be stating it too strongly) but this time it is required reading for lessons. He is having to go through them analytically. To pick them apart, and try to judge what the author is getting at, and how that relates to his worldview. He must learn about the time in which the author wrote as well, and how that colors his outlook. What is the author trying to make him, the reader, believe? And figure out if, indeed he DOES believe it.

One of the first things that came up in analyzing these books, was the comparison/contrast with C.S. Lewis' "Chronilcles of Narnia".

I won't go through all of our discussion, here, but I became incredibly grateful that my world is a C.S. Lewis(who was a Protestant Christian) world. One in which I, (the poor and pathetic Edmund) have nothing to give. There is nothing in my hand, I am worthless, and deserve the punishment of death. But it was Grace. A most precious sacrificial GIFT, that I could never have attained on my own. Grace was Given.

In Tolkein's world, (who was a Catholic Christian) Grace isn't really seen. Frodo works against the forces of evil and ultimately climbs Mt. Doom to destroy it. (However, spending a little time in Middle Earth certainly makes us think more about how we treat others, and reminds us to be more charitable in our thoughts and dealings).

So, I guess that while both worlds are definitely Christian places, it's that the picture of the mighty Aslan being slain for a pathetic Edmund, is just such an amazing picture of God's Grace.

I am so thankful for this literature, for the Christian men who wrote it and for being able to search it with my children. I can see the lights turning on in their minds as they begin to look through the eyes of those who lived long ago, enabling them to see their own world with a much clearer vision. It is my sincere desire that rather than running and hiding from sin, (which is of course, impossible), that they would search and learn the way in which God would have them to DEAL with it. To FIGHT evil, SLAY it, rather than hide in their own little hut and hope it doesn't come looking for them.

Good lessons. Good for us all.
G'night,
Melissa

Watching Paint Dry

Austin is with his Boy Scout troop on a camping trip, (they have one each month!) and won't be back till Sunday after church. The boys were going to be hiking, working on cooking skills(you should see the menu that that they were going to be teaching these boys to prepare!) and doing some orienteering (map and compass).

Last night,at the drop off point for the scouts, our pastor and his wife stopped me and asked if they could take me out to dinner! How Sweet! Of course, I had to decline, because it was Savannah's birthday and we had already made some plans, and Jack still wasn't up to par, but I took a rain check. That was just so nice of them. They know that Race is away, and it just means so much that they thought of us. What a blessing this church is to me.
Savannah, Jack and I decided to try to spend a quiet Saturday at home. We made home made pizza and cookies. Jack has played with Lego's for about 8 hours straight(Oh, and he looks less like the elephant boy today). Savannah has been in and out drawing, journaling, working on her book on the computer, and playing with Jack. We took several walks outside today.

Among all of this relaxed activity, I have been painting up a storm. After finally making a decision on the new paint color,(AGAIN), I got started.( How many coats of paint can a wall hold???) The new color is "Ice Rink Blue".It is very pale and icy, with enough grey in it that it isn't TOO blue. I LOVE it! I ended up painting the cieling too. The same color! It looks smashing! I am shooting for a more European look, with clean lines.....and less STUFF). The living room and one hallway are done, except for the trim, which is all white, and must be done after the walls are really dry. I still have to finish the dining room and the stairway + those cielings. It is amazing how much bigger the house feels already. We are saying good-bye to our nasty carpet in another month and getting new floors as well as new fixtures, so that should really make a difference. I still have A LOT to do though, and it is going to take some time. I want to get things completed on the inside, because my thought are already beginning to turn to gardening! But I can honestly say that it brings me great pleasure tonight, just sitting and watching paint dry! (BTW, I'll post before and after pics when we are all done.)

I have heard from Race, and all is well. He sent us a few incredible pictures of his surroundings. Amazing. We miss him so much, and just can't wait to see him again. Race is so fun, and we miss that around here. Stay safe, Race. Come home.

I am looking forward to church in the morning, and then picking up my tired boy scout afterward. The rest of the day will be spent relaxing as well as getting lesson plans done for the week.

Have a wonderful weekend,
Melissa

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAVANNAH!

.

Surfing the Wave!

Whoo! I can't believe it is Friday already!

This week has definitely had it's difficulties, including an emergency trip to the dentist for Jack with an absessed tooth. His face is still swollen(He looks so pitiful!), but the antibiotics are taking effect, so that the pressure has been relieved. Also this week, I painted 3 walls in my living room "Spruce Frost", which, as it turns out is REALLY a cotton-candy blue. I will be sending Race a picture of this newly painted living room. Have I told you that this room WAS a "holly berry" red? Have I told you that it had Race's prized buck displayed proudly above his chair, and that the walls were donned with civil war prints? I should probably send a message with the picture that I email to Race. Something like: "Look, honey- I've painted our home to look like a giant confectionary Easter egg while you were away."

So, anyway, I have gone BACK to the paint store and am currently going color blind staring at all of the shades that are taped to my walls.

Did y'all remember about Frodo( the beloved goldfish?) dying? I recommended the usual, ritual flushing, in which we all gather around the toilet, I say a few words in memory of the lost loved one, and "SWOOSH!" on to the happy swimming waters, where all good fish go. Upon my recommendation, however,a sick Jack sat up and looked at me in horror. "Mom! That's BARBARIC! Frodo was a CHRISTIAN fish!" SO. It seems that poor Frodo would have a proper Christian burial. (sigh) Austin was kind enough to donate a small, plastic containter with an airtight lid, in which Frodo was lovingly placed.

NOW. With Jack getting all of the tooth problems, the funeral had to be postponed. This, in turn, brought about a bit of an experiment in cryogenics. Yeah. That's right. He's in my freezer. There has been talk of "raising" Frodo some time in the distant future.........and of course, "Bionics" has been discussed. Or maybe using the DNA from Frodo to increase the lifespans of fish everywhere. (Cause that would be helpful, right). And of course the baseball connection: Frodo and Ted Williams.

(Huge sigh) All I can say is that I still have to prepare a eulogy, and that this is the kind of crap that happens when kids aren't raised on a farm! * Can you eat goldfish?*

Have a great weekend!
Melissa

I am Dog Tired and I want My Husband Home!

There. I'm done.

When Race leaves, I spend the first few weeks without sleep. I am just all wound up, and my mind is racing( no pun intended) and I can't relax. So, last night, to fight the insomnia......or rather, give in to the insomnia, I Started my living room remodel. I spackled, sanded and primed all the walls. Before they went to bed, the boys helped me sand and prime. Then, at about 11:30, I hear footsteps down the stairs. It's Jack. He comes running over and flops down beside me and says, "Oh, mom, I just can't BEAR you down here working by yourself. I MUST help you!" I did let him help for a few minutes, before assuring him that I was fine, and that I was actually enjoying myself, and he could go back upstairs and sleep. Too funny. So my once RED walls are now white. And they are awaiting a couple of coats of "Spruce Frost".

We got through school today around 2:00, and all was fine. Nothing to jump and shout about, but fine. We all got outside for a bit in the nice weather. I had an hour to finish touching up the walls, before we had to leave for martial arts, etc. It is now 8:26 pm and we have just walked through the door. I. Am. Beat. So, the walls may have to wait for another day.

I will have to hault this post in progress. I have just been informed by a teary eyed 8 yr old, that his beloved fish Frodo has..............died. Frodo has been with us for 5 yrs, and accompnied us through a couple of moves. Soooooooo, I must go and preside over the funeral arrangements. The grieving has commenced.

G'night,
melissa

Savannah says "Thanks so much for all the birthday wishes".
We had a fabulous time! I don't think that I could have had a better group of girls to take along to the water park. They were FABULOUS! When I take my boys and their friends around, I pull up the doors of the suburban fly open, and boys pile in..(without bothering to move the seat back...they just crawl over). They are loaded and talking loudly within seconds.

The GIRLS however, were different. I pull up. One door opens. the girls all exchange pleasantries, and then stand OUTSIDE the vehicle over-politely offering each other a seat. This continues for a bit, and then finally all the girls are happily seated, buckled in, and chit chatting among themselves quietly. They talked about books and school and music. They told ghost stories. They listened to some of Thom's Jammin' Mix For The Road. At the water park the girls were just perfect. Not a minutes trouble out of anyone. They all got along beautifully. They were smart, articulate,polite, kind, and just a ton of fun. They were really a joy to be around. I am so thankful that Savannah has made these wonderful friends.

We left the house yesterday morning at 9:00 am and we returned at 9:30 pm. LONG DAY! Many Thanks to Thomasina for going along and getting pics of the girls, and generally just making the day so much fun for Savannah. (I'll post a few pics soon).

This morning I got the sleepy headed girls up for Sunday School and church. Everyone asked about Race and reminded me that they were praying for him, which was really(REALLY) nice. I think that one of the things that I love most about this church, is the sense of community that they promote. This church really fills a gap for us.

After church, mom and dad met me at my house with the boys in tow. They had a wonderful weekend, and managed to get several signed baseballs from major league players, as well as some top notch instruction. They had a wonderful time and were bubbling over with stories to tell. We ate lunch with mom and dad, and my WONDERFUL dad drove the Scalded Dog to the dump loaded with all my garbage! What a dad! I can't tell you how much that helps me along. Thanks, dad.

Tonight, I have filled out my lesson plans and feel pretty prepared for the week ahead. I am excited to get started on our little remodeling projects that we have planned for around the house, as well as getting back into our routine for the weeks ahead.

I have heard from Race and things are going along as planned. We've had a good weekend, and I have a heart full of thanks tonight.

G'night,
Melissa

Mom and Dad came for a visit today, and they picked up the boys to take them to a baseball seminar this weekend. It was great to see them, but they NEVER stay long enough! They picked up one of the cousins, A., and brought her along, so that she could spend the night here this weekend, and help Savannah celebrate her birthday.

Tomorrow I head to the indoor water park with 4 pre-teen girls in tow. Thankfully, I have been able to rope Thomasina into coming along with us. We'll see how it goes. The girls are all really excited. Gotta run, cause we'll be on the road bright and early tomorrow.

G'night,
Melissa

Austin??????

Well, you can move this to the top of the "10 Things That I Never Thought I'd Hear" list. Austin and his buddies (from scouts) are thinking about...................a BAND! A Band??? It seems that his buddy is in percussion at school. He is getting a complete, really nice drum set tomorrow. The kids brother is taking guitar. He wants Austin to pick it back up, so that they can get a band started. Are you reading this Race????

What did I say? I did what anyone would do. I said, "Sure! Y'all would be great!"

G'night,
Melissa

The Bat Patrol Flag! Yes, your eyes are correct. That IS part of a deer skull with antlers attached. Yeah. We had some layin' around........Anyway, what a HIT! The Patrol loved it, and it was the best flag there! woo-hoo! Way to go A! He was really proud of it, because he did the whole thing himself.

This morning started out with putting the finishing touches on the birthday party invitations that I was helping Savannah with. They turned out really cute, and we got them in the mail this morning. (Incidently, these WILL NOT be timely,as the party is Saturday, so I had already talked with the moms, and all the girls can make it ;0) ). We are taking the girls to an indoor water park for the day. Should be a lot of fun! Thomasina is going with us too, so I should have pictures! School was thrown in here and there today, but not overly productive. But I don't really expect it to be, until next week. It always takes us a week to get settled again. Austin spent the better part of the day finishing up the patrol flag for his Scout patrol. It is WAY COOL! I'll post a picture of it when it totally complete.

I got a huge pat on the back today. One of the boys' martial arts coaches pulled me aside to tell me what a joy the guys were to have in class. He said that they were good examples. That they were hard workers, and if they had a question, they asked. He also said that they are always willing to help out anyone else in class. His exact words were, "Y'all are doing something right there." Wow. I really needed that. What a nice thing to take the time to say, ya know? I think that this is one of those Pay it Forward opportunities. I know a lot of great kids, but all too often, I don't take the time to tell their parents about it. I think that I will make an effort to do that much more often. And, yes, I am proud of my boys for earning that compliment. It seems that there is much more to them than just their good looks and bodily function noises........huh.

Well, I am going to herd everyone to bed, and then I am headed there myself. Well, after I watch My Name Is Earl, that TIVO is saving for me. Have y'all seen that??? Funniest show on TV. Heck, I feel like I know a lot of the characters personally......ya know, from around here where I live. I LOVE that show!!!

G'night,
Melissa

Parting IS such sweet sorrow! I handed my 14 yr old boy the camera, and THIS is what I found on it tonight. I didn't know he took it. We Miss You Race! So much.

Whenever we see Race off for a trip, I say the same thing:

"Be careful. Come home. Don't worry about us, we're fine. We love you. I love you.........Come home."

I say the exact same thing every time. And I don't cry. No one wants to see crying, weepy, weakness, when you are about to leave. And I don't EVER want him to worry about us. THINK about us, sure. But not WORRY. His mind needs to be on his work. It HAS to be on his work. So, I don't want him to worry. And when I think about being a child, it would unnerve me to see my mother break down, so I don't do it. I dry tears, I don't cry them.....at least not on departures. Race and the kids and I all know how we feel, so in the words of my dad, "I dunno what good cryin's gonna do about it."

But, I love the picture. It was a nice surprise. Thanks, Austin.

So....how many of us are pacing back and forth in the waiting room waiting for Dy's baby to be born? Many prayers headed their way I'm sure.

I am slowly getting into the groove here. Race is where he is supposed to be, so that's always a relief to hear. The kids and I have many projects to keep us busy while he is gone. So, we'll concentrate on those awhile.

My youngest has a knack for almost getting killed daily by his older brother and sister. And I can promise you this....if they were ANY OTHER brother or sister, they would have done him in long ago.

Do you know how to get on your big brother's nerves? Well, you COULD dance around in your underwear in front of the Play Station game, while playing on your harmonica. Letting repeated pleasant requests for you to "move please", embolden you to play louder and dance harder.

Do you know how to get on your Big Sister's nerves? Well, you could crouch at the closed door to her room and use two fingers to scratch ever so softly at the bottom of said door, so that sis thinks it is her beloved cat wanting to come in, and then roll around laughing abnoxiously when she answers it. Or you could constantly threaten that, while she is sleeping, you will remove the keys to her diary, which she wears around her neck and then you will know her deepest secrets.

Honestly, I don't know why they don't just pound him. It seems that there is just enough age difference between them for the older two to find him slightly funny. It saves his life I think. I think that humor may be his saving grace throughout life. I mean let's face it. Funny covers a whole lotta crap, ya know? I mean, if you've got "funny".....you've really got somethin'. This is a kid who can make fart noises with the backs of both knees at the same time. At the ripe old age of 8, this is like the mother of all party tricks! By all indications, this child will be good looking as well. Hmmmmm.......too much?
A mother worries.........

Hey! I updated my side bar! I can't figure out why Jess' link won't work. It looks right. anyone?

Have a great night!
Melissa

I should'a been a Navy Seal....

Yes, that's right. I should have been a Navy Seal, because I just endured Hell Week. And survived. I did NOT ring that bell to give up. I kept going. We all did. But what a week it has been. have you ever just felt as if you were under attack? That's the kind of week it was. We were hit on all sides, from aggravating little meaningless messes all the way to an enormous financial mistake.....made by our credit union........hours before the long weekend!!!!

But I must say, that looking back, I am really proud of how we managed. We didn't lose it. We stayed calm.....(o.k., maybe we spoke under our breath a lot..) but we APPEARED calm....and that's important, right? And there were bright spots, so we tried to hang onto those. We did it all together. Leaving the kids at home, while we hashed out it out with whomever we needed to, would probably have been easier. But we wanted to be together, so if you had a problem with us this week, you didn't have to just deal with Race. Or just me. You had to deal with all of us. And it is clear now, looking back, where God was holding our hand, showing us where to step, and sheidling us from the worst of the blow. He is so faithful, and He has blessed me beyond what I could have imagined. And for THAT I am so thankful.

(raising my glass) And here's to next week! (clink!)

G'night!
Melissa

What. A. Week.

I won't bore you to tears anymore with our sickness updates. Suffice it to say, that we keep thinking it's over...........and it's not. We have aired out the entire house twice, and dissenfected every hard surface. We aren't down in the bed with it anymore....but it ain't gone!

This week has been full of challenges of the nasty, irritating sort. From dead car battery, to slamming my finger in the sliding glass door, and a whole bunch of stuff in between. It's just been one of those weeks.

Yesterday was our ultra busy day with school lessons lasting till 2 and then out of the house by 3:45 for Martial Arts, Ballet, and Jiu Jitsu. Race got to watch everyone, so that's always good. But Race is also the Knower Of All People. So anywhere we go,( and I do mean ANYWHERE), he will almost immediately be standing with several people talking to him. It's funny, because Race is not a talker. But everybody loves him. It IS funny to watch.

Savannah's Acrylics class starts next week and it is on Thursday as well, so....heaven help me.

I have more to write, but we are going to be so slammed for the next few days, trying to get everything done before Race takes off. So, I'll have to try to squeeze in a few moments here and there.

Thanks so much for all the prayers. They are so appreciated.
Have a great day!
Melissa

Well......have you already heard the NEWS? We are all so excited to have another little one in the family!!! My kids are so thrilled, you'd think that THEY were the ones getting the new baby brother or sister!! Congrats Em, The Dude, Q and W!!

Savannah and Race had the BEST time last night on their date last night. It seems that our little girl is growing up. Now, I must confess, that these father-daughter dates have sometimes had Race come shaking his head a little. When she was younger, he came home on one occasion and whisper to me, "I ran out of stuff to talk to her about!!" So he just hugged her and watched her happily eat her dessert. THIS date however, was different. They talked, chatted, found a lot of common ground. SHe told her dad all about the things that she wants to do, and be. ALl about the book that she is writing. They truly had a wonderful evening.

I did roast a marshmallow last night, and it was heavenly. I was still keeping the fire going when Race and Savannah came home. The kids were all getting ready for bed, so Race and I yelled up to them that we were going for a quick walk..(our new favorite thing to do). We donned our headlamps and went for a walk in the woods. We sat and talked for a few minutes, when we realized that we were not alone. A buck had wondered up just a few yards from us. It took off stomping and running loudly through the woods, but you could tell that it still wasn't exactly sure what we were! It stopped and stomped and blew at us. Race blew back at it. This went on for a bit, and then we could hear it trying to circle around and check us out from the other side. What fun! We had to get back to the house, so when we got up to move, he took off again. But it was awesome. I love that stuff.

Now, as for the rest of the night....................you don't want to know. Remember when I thought that Race and I had managed to escape with the abbreviated version of that nasty virus?? Turns out...NO. To make a long story short, my last few trips from the bathroom were on my hands and knees! Race asked me this morning if there was anything that I needed, and I responded, "A bullet." Cheery,huh? So Race got Mom AND Dad duty today, and I have been flat on my back. He is out running the kids to all of their activities, + trying to pull together everythin he has to do to prepare to leave. This is the first time that I have sat vertically all day. I am keeping fluids down now, so should be on the mend. But, if you would, PLEASE pray for Race that he manages to escape this. This thing is wicked and it would not be good to deal with this over several flights. Ugh.

Thanks so much for all of the comments! And Grandmama, I didn't mean to make you cry. We're O.K., and He's O.K. and we beleive that we are doing exactly what God would have us to do..........but occasionally I turn my eyes from Him, and let the situation get the better of me. We're all just fine. We have had an amazing time together, and we all feel refreshed( except for this stomach thing!). God is so faithful to us.

Now, I am off to read Lynette's blog! I finally hounded her enough to get her to make a go at it! Lynette comments here all the time. Be sure and pay her a visit!

G'night,
Melissa

It is quiet around here tonight. The boys are settled around a campfire outback with headlamps in place. They have each had a big bowl of homemde vegetable beef soup, and have started in on the toasted marshmallows. They have become competent (and safe) enough to be able to do the entire operation on their own now. It gets rid of a lot of dead scrub that we have in the woods edge, and it keeps both boys in one place!! Strike a match- and you'll know where your boys are. Literally, they will stay out there for hours.

Savannah is out on a date tonight. A date with her dad. He took her to dance class, and then he was taking her out to eat at one of the restaurants downtown that she loves. Her birthday is in a few weeks, but Race will already be gone. He has been taking her on a birthday date for about 5 years now, and she was really looking forward to it tonight.

It is hard to set aside the idea Race is leaving. I try not to let it cloud the days that we have left. But it has become increasingly harder. I walked into the bedroom today, to see him labeling some of his clothing and shoes. Not with his name, but with his BLOOD TYPE. In big bold letters in likely places on clothing (bottom and sides of boots, inside-back of shirt, etc.) The idea of Race ever needing an emergency blood transfusion "in the field" is a difficult thing to ignore. Also as the date gets closer, he begins wearing his bullet/rocket proof vest around while he is working around outside just doing normal stuff. He does this to become accustomed to the enormous weight again. It is an amazing piece of equiptment. I can't tell you how thankful I am for the technological advances in this area, as well as the fact that he has the absolute best gear available. But, still, hard to watch. Hard. to. watch.

It was a gorgeous day today, and I got outside and cut back my perrinials, to get them ready for spring. I wish I had more bulbs to plant, but DRAT! I didn't get enough! I am thinking about vegetable garden seeds though, and maybe I'll start some things indoors for transplanting in spring.

We got some exciting news for our family last night, and I can't wait to be able to tell you about it! Have to keep mum for now though. Maybe tomorrow?

I am going to scoot out onto the deck and watch the boys. Maybe there are a few marshmallows left???

HAve a great night!
Melissa

Laney, tagged me!

2 Things

2 names you go by:
1. Mom
2. Babe- (I only answer to this one from Race. ;-)

2 parts of your heritage:
1) Southern
2) Southern...

2 things that scare you:
1.spiders
2. The thought process behind the liberal media.

2 of your everyday essentials:
1) Coffee
2) Sounds trite, but : make-up (minimal, but it MUST be done.)

2 things you are wearing right now:
1) Gap jeans
2) Awesome brazilian cowboy boots that I got from Race for Christmas!

2 favorite bands or musical artists
1) Still totally love CCR
2) Harry Connick, Jr

2 things you want in a relationship (other than real love):
1) Trust
2) Communication

2 truths:
1) I am rarely without a gun.
2) I am always blonde.....(by choice, *blush*)

.2 physical things that appeal to you (in the opposite sex):
1) Physical humor
2) A guy who carries himself confidently

2 of your favorite hobbies:
1) Gardening
2) Eating.......er...I mean cooking.

2 things you want really badly:
1) My husband to return home safely.
2.) A diamond engagement ring to replace the one that I LOST! (Long story, involves tenants and moving, and ugh. Still makes me sick to think of it.

2 places you want to go on vacation:
1) Rome
2) Antarctica (seriously)

2 things you want to do before you die:
1) Ski naked in the Alps
2) Parachute naked
*Ooooops! Wait a minute, those are Race's, not mine* Apparently, I am too deft to think of an answer for that one on my own.

.2 ways that you are stereotypically a chick:
1) I can never find anything to wear.
2) I like to talk on the phone a lot.

2 things you are thinking about now:
1) The Pink Panther (Jack is watching it in the other room)
2) What I can get for Jack to make him feel better

2 stores you shop at:
1) The Gap
2) TJ Maxx

2 people I would like to see take this quiz:
1) Well, I would LIKE to see Lynette take this quiz, but as she is not blogging yet, she could answer in my comments section. (nudge, nudge)
2.)Thom

We made it. We are alive.

Thanks so much for all the prayers and well wishes....and..um....the recipe?( Grandmama, remind me never to be sick to my stomach around y'all.....Graveyard Stew?? Ewwww....) LOL!

Apparently Race and I only got an abbreviated version of the nasty stomach virus, so for that we are very thankful. Unfortunately, the boys are going to miss their Martial Arts demo today. I really hate that, because this would have been the one that Race would have been able to see. Austin had a cool fight scene in it and Jack was doing some neat kick and pad combinations. (Sigh)

It looks like Savannah is going to be taking an acrylics class over at the Fine Arts Center. She is excited about this, and the time meshes fairly well with their other activities, so, I think that it will be really good. We are anxious to find a "break" into the art world so that she can stretch her talent.

I am not sure just what the weekend will hold. Everyone is on the mend, but NO ONE has any appetite....(way to drop those Christmas pounds!!), so I don't know if we will just hunker down for the weekend, or if cabin fever will drive us out. I think that we are all a little itchy just to get outdoors. It is crisp and cold here, so maybe we will come up with something like that.

Have a great day!
Melissa

WE'VE BEEN HIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is a tale. A sad and frightening tale. A tale from the trenches. A tale of germ "warfare" and it's effects on a family. This tale is not for the squeamish. Those of you with weak stomachs.....look away.....find another blog.

The good news is that Savannah is feeling better. The BAD news is that it was NOT food poisoning, but rather some nasty stomach virus. And we've been hit.

Race stayed home with Jack from martial arts, who went from feeling a little under the weather........to hugging the side of the toilet bowl in less than an hour. By the time that Austin and I arrived home from martial arts, Jack was in the bed, but was still having to run to the bathroom regularly. (BTW, he would like for me to write here, that, for the record, he threw up 7 times.) We got everyone tucked in bed for the night, and had settled in for ourselves, after calling Lynette and Gregg and having to cancel our dinner for tonight, (sigh). Savannah was feeling better, but wisely decided to stay in her room, hunkered down with her book. Jack was up at regular intervals, running to the bathroom and yelling "MOM!!! I NEED SOME WATER!!" Which, of course he could only have a few sips of, or the whole process starts all over. So I get to be the one who yanks the straw from his parched lips, continually saying, "Just small sips....small sips." It was about 30 minutes after Jacks last call, that I heard IT. That sound. The sound that makes a mother know that something isn't right. A sound that makes a mother rush from her warm bed up the stairs. You all know what I'm talking about.

I get to the top of the steps just in time to witness Austin sitting straight up in bed vomiting a projectile pattern that could have won an award easily, if awards were given for such things. My first thought.........or shout, if my memory serves.....was GET UP!!!!! GET UP!! ("Why didn't he get to the bathroom????!!!", I thought.) I then rush to grasp the bathroom door knob.......and......IT"S LOCKED! (Insert horriffic scream here). Jack is in the bathrom, and he has locked the door!!!! Hearing my paniced cries, he quickly comes out and Austin bowls him over on his way IN. I rush a weak and shakey Jackson down the steps and into our bed.

*******There is a hush, as my sleepy and confused brain realizes what just took place, and the job that must be done.*******

Race comes upstairs with me. He finds this all amusing as he surveys the situation. UNTIL the cleaning up commences. Yes, THAT was not funny. At all. IT.WAS.BAD. We threw everything out.

Austin slept on the floor in front of the bathroom all night. It was very tempting to have him sleep in the tub, as this is a child who, when he was little would run through the whole house to find me , just so he could throw up at my feet. The rest of the night was filled with more of the same. More hugging of the toilet bowl and more raspy cries for, "water....water..."

It is morning. Savannah isn't venturing from her room. Jack is able to keep Gatorade and water down, and Austin isn't up yet. Race and I wait like lambs to the slaughter for our turn.

Have a good day today, enjoy your good health, and.......DON'T GO OUT OF THE HOUSE! ICK!

Melissa

I sit down in my chair for the first time today, with a glass of merlot beside me, and reflect on the last 2 days.
Savannah was sick yesterday with what we think was food poisoning. She is much better today, but still a bit weak. We did get school lessons back up and running, and everything went surprisingly smoothly! Race and Jack worked on building a new tree stand, in between Jack's subjects. They BOTH enjoyed that. I fixed dinner when we were finished with school, and then I was off and running with the boys to martial arts, (which, for the record, has turned into a 3 hour ordeal, instead of the previous 2 hour one!!!!).

Today was productive and exhausting! School went off without a hitch for the most part. We finished up at around 2:30. Then Savannah, Austin and I were off on a mission to get groceries as well as supplies for Austins patrol flag that he has been tasked with making for scouts. Race and Jack continued work on the tree stand.

WHen we got home, I helped Austin as needed on the scout flag. It turned out really cool. He got an army green fabric for the background, and then made a huge black bat for the center, (they're the Bat Patrol). He is doing all the work himself, but wanted to take it in before everything was finalized, for everyone to agree on. I fixed Santa Fe chicken for dinner, and just as it was ready to pull out, my neighbor showed up at the door. I visited with her, and got the guys their dinner so that they could get out the door on time for Boy Scouts.

So, now I am sitting down and enjoying my quiet time for a moment. I can feel the time crunch that is upon us. It is reminding us that Race will be leaving again soon. I am trying to ignore it for the most part, and so is he. But it is there.
I am hoping and praying for a renewed sense of duty, as well as the energy to accomplish that duty, really soon!

I caught up with Dy the other day, and she sounded so great! They are an amazing family, and if you haven't read her blog yet, you need to. They are so inspiring. (And yeah, they're for real......I've met them in person!)

Race and I are trying to arrange a meeting with Lynette and her husband Greg some time this week. Greg and Race were roommates in college, and I have met Lynette (who comments here) in person once before. We can hardly wait to catch up with them and their little ones! Hope that we pull it off!

We have a lot going on, so I know that my thoughts seem scattered. And they are. But we're making it! We are so blessed and I do feel truly thankful.

Have a wonderful night!
Melissa

My sister, THOM has posted pictures from our Christmas at mom and dads. There are some really cute ones!

On New Years Eve we fixed fried oysters. We LOVE oysters!!!!!! We sat around the table talking about all the stuff that had happened to us in '05. The kids counted up that dad had been to 13 diferent countries this year. wow. 13. We didn't even bother with the cities.

2005 was a year of perseverance for us. Kind of like a marathon. Having Race home at the end of it, was like winning the gold! It was a good year, and we learned a lot about the Lord, about ourselves, and what's really important.

Let me just say that yesterday was "one of those days".....or at least one of those MORNINGS! We had a very difficult time getting out the door to church. It was one of those Sundays, that everything seemed to work against you. But we made it. Our church was only having a family service yesterday, and the Lords Supper. I am so glad that we made it, because it changed our whole day, and we ended up being so blessed. Not just with the message and the receiving of communion, but also with the fellowship afterward.

Race and the boys went back out to church in the PM and played basketball. Austin got in on the game this time. Basketball is not something that he has ever spent a lot of time playing, so for him to jump in this game with all men , (ahem, very competitive men.....including the pastor) took some guts. They all had a blast! And everyone helped Austin with the rules, and he ended up playing really well. They had a great time.

We were supposed to start back to school today. Supposed to. Austin was invited to go skiing by another family at church, so I did what any good homeschooling parent would do......Called off school and let him go!

I will be putting some finishing touches on some reorganization projects that I started yesterday, and then I've got to hit the books. Doing the planning for Austin's lessons seems to get more difficult all the time. We are doing the Omnibus 2 which includes history, literature, and Theology ( with logic excercises and a lot of writing thrown in), then there is Algebra, Science Spanish and Latin. Sheesh! I am making myself weak in the knees just looking at the subjects all typed out there! Anyway, thankfully all of it is laid out for me, I just have to put everything into a coherant schedule that gels with what the other 2 are doing.

Have a great day!!

Heading back home.....and leaving "home"..

The other night, Jack and Q made ice cream! Grandmama (Race's mom) got them a non electric, ball-shaped, ice cream maker that you roll around on the floor. You place the ingredients inside one end of the ball, and the ice and rock salt into the other end of the ball, then roll away! Even Walker got in on the action. They had the best time with that thing! The kids were so proud of for being able to make ice cream all by themselves. Pretty cool little contraption, that I believe she picked up at Lands End.

We have been here since Christmas day, and each day, Em, The Dude and thier boys have been over here hanging out and visiting, too. Em's boys are unbelievably good! I am always so struck with admiration when I see the parents of little ones who remain patient, see the humor in situations, and generally just realize that this is all part of the training! What a nice thing to watch. I am not so sure that I "got" that, when my kids were all little. They are doing a great job there, and it really shows in those little boys. They are just a joy to be around.


Grandmama and Frank pulled out at o'dark thirty this morning, heading south. We had a wonderful visit with them. Dad fixed steaks, baked sweet potatoes, and mixed vegetables for all 13 of us last night( Thom had to leave earlier in the day). We all had such a good time talking, exchanging stories and laughing. Grandmama and Frank had to turn in early, but some of us held on till the wee hours. Great fun.

Today, we head back home. When we get there, it will be quiet, and full of "to-do" lists. The kids will busy themselves with the Christmas toys that we left home on Christmas morning, as well as playing with the pets who will be so happy to see them after being gone. Race and I will take down the tree, (which is, no doubt a fire hazard at this point) we'll do some cleaning and just settel back in. I have a lot of school work to attend to in the next few days, and I KNOW that Race wants to get out in the woods to hunt some.

I am making Mom and Dad promise to come down to visit us in the next week or so, so that we can treat THEM for awhile. And we are also hoping to drive south a ways and meet up with Gregg and Lynette for supper or something in the next few weeks...(guess I need to let them know about that, huh?)

Anyway, our holidays are winding down, and I have to say that I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family. To have been given such a perfect example to follow in raising my own kids. My mom and dad love each other...FIRST. And then, they, as the leaders, led us. They would not be divided....EVER. My parents showed us what it means to be selfless. To do just TRY to always "do the right thing". Even when you don't FEEL like it, and even when it is totally unfair. To accept people for who they are, and to only judge people by their actions. And always offer second chances to those who royally screw up and would like to try again. But also to know where to draw the line when misguided souls would foolishly take advantage. They taught us to stand up for one another, and to stick together as a family.
These things.......seeing them lived out in an everyday fashion, with all their ups and downs.......are the greatest gifts that my parents gave to me. I am convinced that these are the greatest things that any parent can do for their children. I sincerely hope that I am giving my own kids that wonderful inheritance so that they can move it on down the line.

Have a great day!
Melissa

Still Holiday'in..

We are still at my mom and dads, and I am starting to feel the pull of the list of things to be done at home, nagging at me.

Yesterday Race and Thomasina went hunting, but so far no one has killed anything. Race saw several large does, but they would have required hauling back across the creek. That creek is pretty deep right now! So, he held off. Tonight Austin is going out with them. They will all be back at it because all the freezers are pretty bare!
We exchanged gifts with Race's mom and Frank, which is always fun. The kids got a cool ice cream maker, that they are planning on trying out tonight.
Today we took the kids up to the skating center, so that Grandmama could watch them skate. Having grandparents who own their own skating rink tends to make children learn to roller skate REALLY well. And they do. I, however, am slightly less coordinated. I donned my roller blades and only fell once. The falling looked bad, but the getting up looked a bit worse!

We all took a trip up to IKEA and looked, and looked and looked.. , all wide eyed at all of the cool, clean, efficient furniture and gadgets. We took home a catalogue and a lot of new ideas for the house. The plan is to brainstorm through the catalogue, and make another trip up in a month or so. You cannot beat the prices for the quality! (Ahem, the cinnamon buns in the cafe' are also tough to beat!) It was alot of fun........until we headed out a little later than planned, and saw the traffic...........and then got rear-ended by a little Nissan. We barely felt the bump in the suburban, but the girls car was all torn up. No one was hurt though, and after about 15 min. we were on the road again.

I love being up here with my family, but I really need to be getting back to my own house, to get school back up and running on time, and just so that we can relax a bit more before Race has to leave again. That time is getting here entirely too fast, and there is a lot that we would like to be able to do before he leaves. ACK!

Have a good day!
Melissa

Ooooo....A belated Merry Christmas! If you want to know all about ours, before I have a chance to sit down and really write about it, go to Em's blog, (on the sidebar at Me and the Guys). She told about it beautifully.

We have had an amazing holiday, and it has left us feeling wonderfully blessed. We are still at mom and dads, and we picked up Race's mom from the airport last night. SO it is really a wonderful time. We are enjoying each others company, catching up from lost time.......................and......eating, of course. Mom and dads house is the absolute ULTIMATE in southern hospitality!

Can't wait to catch up on all the blogs from the holidays, and I will have to sit down with a cuppa joe to read Dy's. I can hardly wait! I know that the happy light beams can be seen from miles away, shooting out from THAT house!!! So many prayers answered.

Have a wonderful day!

O.k., I THINK we're done. Really.....I think we're done Christmas shopping. I feel like I have to keep running back out, because I forgot someone. But now I am getting really excited about the gifts that I got for different people, and can't wait to see how they react when they get them.

I'm happy to say that we were able to secure a ticket for Race's mom to fly up! We will be going to pick her up from the airport on the 26th, and taking her out for a bite to eat, before heading back to Mom and Dads to visit with everyone.

I have enjoyed SO MUCH having Race home for the holidays. I am not sure if EVER, in our 15 years of marriage, he has been home and participated in all the "holiday stuff". From the tree, to the lights, to the shopping, to the wrapping, to the baking. This has really been an undescribable blessing for us all.

The kids each made their own gingerbread houses today. Normally we build an imaginative gingerbread house for the Christmas party at our house, early in the month. But because of our trip, we were unable to pull it off this year. I really missed doing the party AND the gingerbread house. We have done our own home, the North Pole, a log cabin, Redwall Abbey, and a bunch more, all out of ginger bread. My only rule is that EVERYTHING on it must be edible. This year, the kids were going to do Big Ben, because of our trip. But with no Christmas Party to show it off, we decided that idea might best be done next year.

Last night Thom came over for dinner. We had Crab Bisque, a salad, french bread and Christmas cookies for dessert. AND my new, FAVORITE cocktail.......The Cosmopolitan! I LOVED that drink! And it's so pretty.

Race brought out the lap top and showed us pictures that he has taken from all over the Mid East and Africa. The pics were amazing, and the commentary hilarious. For every picture of a woman in a burka he would say, "And that's my wife, you know, over THERE"......"And , right there- those are my two boys.." Heh, heh, funny guy. Anyway, this is the first time that we have been able to sit with him and look at these photos with him, and have him tell us something about them. It's cool to see your husband in front of the pyramids! It was a good time.

Have y'all had any problems with your blog time and date stamp screwing up? Mine is only working about half the time, and if I forget to check it, sometimes it will put my new post back in Nov!

Bridget, did you get my email?
Lynette, the pic. and card was to die for! I think that you may have a little artist on your hands there! Tell Will that the picture was beautiful, and all of my kids were quite impressed.

Have a great night!
Melissa

You can thank me later..

THOMASINA has finally posted about her singles happenings. I shamed her into it, by pointing out that her priorities in Blog World are somewhat askew. (snort!)

Go ahead, go read..........you can thank me later.

O.K., so someone has to go to the store tomorrow. We are out of saltines, and running low on butter.

Race and I have been cleaning out our unfinished basement (which we hope to have "finished" sometime before we die). It has turned out to be quite the undertaking, but we are making progress. One of the problems is all of Race's stuff. He has A LOT of STUFF. Not junk, mind you. But stuff for work. Each job, each trip, each country requires different protective gear, weaponry, techno gadgetry, etc. So we are in the process of trying to figure out the best way to organize the "Go Room". I will say again, it is quite an undertaking. And Thank-heavens that EM has an awesome Ebay business, and can sell some of this stuff for us!

I took the boys to martial arts, and Savannah and I ran around and picked up a few last minute items, and of course got coffee (she got a frap).

We are trying to convince Races mom to let us fly her up and spend a few days with us, and we are REALLY hoping that that works out. We would LOVE to see her.

Thomasina is coming over for dinner tomorrow night. We are having Crab Bisque. Maybe a crisp salad on the side? Oooo...and I have a treat! I got the stuff to make Cosmopolitans! What a pretty cocktail! Don't know about dessert yet. Any ideas? Nothing too rich, because the Bisque is chock full of cream. We are looking forward to hearing about her latest adventures at the whole Matchmaker thing, (since, OBVIOUSLY she isn't EVER going to post about it!), and also showing her our London pictures. Can't wait!

G'night!
Melissa

Well, last night at about 12:00, I was sitting in my dimly lit kitchen, looking bewilderingly at my 14 yr old son. He was sitting across the table from me eating cheese flavored rice cakes, and laughing in silent, hysterical laughter, while he tried to recount all of the funny things that happened while skiing. But why was I bewildered, you ask? Because he was doing all of this with an enormously swollen lip, and the remnants of a very bloody nose. Apparently, Mr. Alpine skiier had cleared one jump, and was about to clear the next one, but was unprepared for the ditch in front of it. One ski caught, and SLAM! Face meets ice. If he hadn't turned his head in time, all the weight would have come down square on his nose. What was so shocking, is how little it bothered him. All he could talk about, (with his disfigured face) was how much fun he had, how he had gone down the black diamond without falling, and all the funny things that were said. THIS, from the once little six year old boy who would need a stretcher to carry him off of the Pee-Wee soccer field, if he accidently stubbed his toe. THIS from the boy, who at 10 asked to be taken to the hospital and put to sleep, to have a splinter removed. And there he was......sitting in the kitchen, taller than me, with his face all swollen and smeared with dried blood......laughing hysterically at the great time that he had.
Did you hear that? That was the sound of time swooshing by me...

As my latest batch of Saltine Toffee cools in the fridge, I thought that I would share the recipe (for you Jess).

Saltine Toffee
1/2 cup of butter and 1/2 cup of sugar in a sauce pan, until it is melted. Let it bubble for a few minutes. Then pour it over about 35 saltine crackers that you have placed, in one layer, on a foil lined cookie sheet. Place in 400 degree oven, for a few minutes until it is really bubbly. Take it out and spread with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of chocolate chips. Let them sit a second until warmed, and then spread them evenly. Place in the fridge until hardened, break and enjoy! Then hide the saltines, so that no one eats them before you can make more.

It has been kind of a lazy day around here today. I am finishing up a lot of last minute Christmas details. And I guess we will be doing a lot of wrapping tonight. We will do some baking tomorrow, and then Thomasina is coming over for dinner on Wednesday night. I bought the book The Littlest Angel to read aloud...(we have quite a collection of Christmas picture books, as I try to find a worthy book each year), so we may get to that tonight. It is pretty quiet and relaxed here this year. And it feels so good.

Well, the Saltine Toffee should be about done, so I am outta here.

G'night!
Melissa

First, and foremost. Laney: I read your comment below, about "Hot Mamma and her family goes to London", and may I just say...(sniff, sniff)...... God Bless You....You dear, dear woman. (sniff,sniff)...God Bless You. A thousand thank-you's.

I finally talked to Dy last night. (Thanks Jess) They are all plugging away like champs. She really sounded great. Like a woman on a mission. Just to give you an idea, she said that she will absolutely freak if she goes into labor early.......................because she still has 3 more rooms to insulate! Yep, she's doing fine. Also, I know that I can't be the only one who was concerned that she would buy her new baby girl's clothes at Lowes, but as it turned out some of her cyber friends were a step ahead, and have sent baby girl clothes, and other things that have just been awesome. She is genuinely touched by the kindness of these people.
Anyway, I was so relieved to speak to her, and just to find out that things were going well, and that they were carrying on like the troopers that they are. Thought I'd give a bit of an update.

We've had the best day today. Church was wonderful, and Race is really loving it. Everyone has made him feel so welcome. Tonight, he and Jack took the jeep back out to church. We don't have a Sunday night service, but the men get together and play basketball. Apparently, they leave the robes at home when it comes to playing ball. Race said it was VERY competitive. He loved it. He has a funny way of playing basketball. He believes that they give you have 4 fouls.........so, you may as well use 'em. LOL

While they were gone, Savannah and I ran out to Target to pick up a few things......o.k...o.k....I HAD to go out to get more butter, because I am completely HOOKED on that damned Saltine Toffee. It's like cocaine, I tell ya. I gotta have it. Thank-you Cribchick . Thank-you. Anyway, I made the excuse that we needed wrapping paper..............but we got butter too.

One of Austin's friends from church invited him skiing today. I tell ya, Mrs. H is ONE BRAVE LADY. She was taking 6 boys skiing.........by herself. She's the kind of lady that you wouldn't want to cross, though! They are a great family, and we couldn't be more delighted with Austin's choice of friends so far. I know that they are having a blast. I can't wait to hear about it.

Have a great night,
Melissa

Checking in...

I have to tell you, that I am having the nicest holiday, with Race at home. It has really just been so wonderful. I can't remember when I have seen him so relaxed. He seems like himself again. He's fun and hilarious and he's spending time doing the things that we all love. The kids are just bubbling over with happiness, because dad is ...............well.................being dad. Their dad. It really has been great.

When he leaves for the next trip is going to be really hard. But I won't think about that now. I'll think about that tomorrow.

We had an ice storm here and were without power for almost 24 hours. It.was.cold! But, we made the best of it. And, hey, there's nothing better to getting up to the sun rising on an ice covered forest, hurrying to get dressed, and heading out to breakfast. My kids love power outtages. They love to get out the oil lamps and the candles. I can remember feeling that way when I was little, too. Everything just seemed so different. Funny how it doesn't really seem like that when you're an adult! Anyway, I wrote out my Christmas cards by lamp light, in the kitchen, with my down coat on!

For the first time in......oh....I dunno how many years.....Race has been here to help with all of the gift buying, and tree trimming, and house decorating, and all of the other stuff that we have always enjoyed doing at the holidays. Last night, we decorated our tree. (Yes, we are later than usual, but we were overseas, people, c'mon!) It was difficult to FIND a tree, because of the ice storm, but we found a nice one. And it smells wonderful. Our ornaments are a big mixture of home made things that the kids and I have made with the kids over the years, along with special ornaments that we have picked up from special places that we have traveled to. (I got to put on the London ornament!) I made home made pizza, and then later we watched a Charlie Brown Christmas and had warm, iced cinnamon rolls. Race is loving it. We are loving it.

I am starting to get worried about Dy. Has anyone talked to her? She and I played phone tag a few times several weeks ago before we left for our trip.. I have left a few messages, but I am not even sure that I am calling the right numbers anymore. Anyone been in touch?

Have a great day!
Melissa

A few London pics

O.K., here are a few pictures (remember, you asked for it). I am not supposed to put Race's photos on here, so I will have to "fix" them a bit, before I post them. But here are some that we took.

The view near our hotel, on the Thames. 

Me and Savannah on the Jubilee Bridge. 

The obligatory Red Phone Booth picture! 

The kids at Tower Bridge. 

Me and the kids at the Tower of London. Not too far from the sight of my beheading. 

Big Ben! 

Outside the palace at Whitehall, watching the Horse Guards. 

A few London pics!

Me and the kids, scarfing down fish and chips at Race's favorite pub, The Clarence. 

Pinch Me! I'm in London!

We are having a wonderful time! I don't think that I will ever tire of seeing and hearing Big Ben while walking across the Jubilee Bridge! We have seen and done so much. We took a seemlessly smooth ride on the incredible London Eye, we watched the changing of the guards and revelled in the parades with their bagpipes and pageantry as they marched by Buckingham Palace. We toured Westminster Abbey, (practiced our latin translation skills on the tombs there), and stayed late for the Evensong. What an incredible experience to partake in a familiar Protestant service and hear the sound of choir boys singing in that enormous gothic Abbey, built for the human voice. Truly a moving experience.

We took the kids to Piccadilly. All the shops and windows are magnificent! We let them shop at Hammleys. They were amazed at the World of Narnia that was built within, and were even more excited to find out that we had gotten cinema tickets at a posh theatre to see the movie that night. AMAZING! The kids have tried all sorts of food while we have been here, but everyone's favorite has been fish and chips served up in a smokey old Pub, called The Clarence.

We have walked for long periods down by the Thames, and the city is absolutely breathtaking all lit up, with Big Ben chiming in the background.

At the Tower of London, the Yeoman Warder guide, took great delight in using ME in his demonstration of a beheading, in front of about 50 people! The kids just ate this up. What fun!

Today we saw the British museum as well as the Baden-Powell House (guy who began scouting, i.e, boy scouts). Then we took the kids down to Covent Gardens to do a bit of shopping, and to see the sights. We ate dinner outside beside the Christmas Tree in the square. The kids drank hot chocolate, while Race and I sipped mulled cider to keep warm. Austin, Savannah and Jackson got such a kick out of all the entertainment in Covent Gardens, from the mimes to the singers, to the magicians. All very exciting!

The people here, have been so accomodating, and one feels st home almost immediately. The city is so service oriented, that it is incredibly easy to get around. We have been very centrally located, so we have been able to walk almost everywhere. I would LOVE to know how far we have walked total on this trip!

Well, that's about all I have time for, but I did want to check in. We are truly having a lovely time, and the kids have just taken right to everything. We are looking forward to coming home, but we LOVE LONDON!!!!! I have to run.

Cheers!
Melissa

C'mon in for chili and cookies!

In Dy's defense, she does not have an internet connection yet. I just hope that she doesn't get used to NOT BLOGGING. I mean, what if she just started enjoying the Forever Home and all it's joys with her family so much, that she just shrugged off posting about it. (shudder) Nahhhh...couldn't happen.


It has been snowing here all day. It is a wet, heavy snow, and alot of it sank into the ground, but there's an inch or two on the ground to play in. It is great packing snow for snow balls. I was led stupidly, once again this year, like a lamb to the slaughter, straight into an ambush. Race and Jack were outside playing in the snow, and Race told me to set the trash bag on the deck, and he would take it out. I opened the kitchen door, and started to open the screen door, and they started at me, nailing me with snowballs that they had collected for the ambush. I scream in terror, (remembering last years sneak attack that left my shirt filled with icy snow). In my confusion and panic, I try to open the screen door to release the trash bag in my hand, and Jack rushes at me. I took a direct hit to the face, with another missile-like snowball whizzing past my head and landing on the kitchen counter near the coffee pot. After taking another hit to the side of the head, I was able to slam the kitchen door shut. I staggered around momentarily bewildered. I creep up to the door and see Jack and Race exchanging high-fives, while taking out the trash. Savannah had been getting herself some chili, and saw the whole thing.

With snow on the ground this morning, we headed out to breakfast. This is a rare treat, because Race is not a huge breakfast eater. I, however, grew up on a farm, and could simply live on eggs,grits,sausage, biscuits and gravy. It was fun to trek out in the snow, down to the local breakfast hole with fresh coffee waiting when we got there. While we were there, we had the "safety talk" for our trip, and talked about "What would you do if....(insert various dangerous occurrences here)". I think we're set!

This evening, Race and Jack took out a salt block and some corn to put out back in the edge of the woods. (No, he's not hunting now...while we are handgun wealthy.....we are apparently rifle poor at the moment. A situation my former sniper husband intends to remedy soon!) Anyway, I love to watch the deer and turkey outside in the mornings. (Ahem.....I also love to see them neatly packaged in my freezer....but.....another time perhaps).

We are all feasting on chili tonight, with freshly baked chocolate chip cookies for dessert. I will try to get outside in a bit and take a few pictures to post.

G'night y'all
Melissa

On Saturday Race took the boys to the outdoor store and to open matt day at Martial Arts. This left Savannah and I to get a bit of shopping done by ourselves, (mostly at Barnes & Noble). We ran into some friends while we were out, and just had a great time.

Dy and I keep playing phone tag, and I still haven't been able to catch up with her. Are y'all missing her blog as much as I am???


We went to church this morning, and participated in a beautiful service. This is the first Sunday that my family has taken communion together in a Looooong time. It was wonderful. The service left us feeling humbled and blessed by God's goodness, grace, and mercies toward us.

We chatted way too long after the service with folks whom Race is just getting to know, but this also gave him a chance to get to know some of the friends that the kids have made too, and see how comfortable and welcome we all feel at this church. What a blessing. We grabbed a bite to eat before coming home.

Race and Austin spent a long time out in the yard throwing the baseball, and working on A.'s pitching. Race is mighty impressed......mighty impressed. Jack and Savannah helped me put up Christmas lights. The rest of the day was spent watching football, making bows for all of the wreaths on our windows, and generally just decorating the outside of the house. I LOVE to do this. I love it all! And before we go to bed tonight, the entire family will be forced out into the cold, to stand in the yard and gaze up at my handy work. I LOVE Christmas! And I am definitely with Cribchick I do all my shopping from a chair in front of my computer. Click n'spend! I LOVE that all my packages are delivered to my door........and I can compare prices so easily!

Speaking of being delivered to my door......did y'all order your free panties from Hanes? Mine arrived in the mail the other day! How about that? I go to Em's Blog and click on the Free Panties link (you'll have to scroll down a ways when you get there)......and BOOM. Free panties right to my door. The internet is great isn't it? Thanks Em!

My mom has been feeling a little under the weather this weekend, so I am hoping that she is perking back up really soon.

They are calling for snow here tonight and in the morning, so maybe we will get some pictures. The kids are excited and already made sure that they knew where their snow bibs and boots were!

G'night Y'all!

Melissa

Well.......THAT was weird!

I created this post last night, and published it to the blog, but for some reason, it went down to the Nov 30th date! Oh well, I brought it back up here where it is supposed to be:


We got new tires, got Race in for a check-up and blood work with the N.D, grabbed a bite to eat out for lunch, and cleared away some of the pesky paper work and mail that piles up for Race while he is gone. He took the boys out for Martial Arts this evening, while Savannah and I made supper with pecan pie for dessert. Jack and Austin are on K.P duty tonight. So, here I sit in front of the computer, while the rest of the fam is eating warm pecan pie and watching............."Leave it to Beaver". Yep, that's right. We love that show. Let's face it, we've all had an Eddie Hascall in our past. And as I watch June Cleaver in her crisp dress and pearls, vaccuming the crown molding.........I say aloud, "I do that". There is silence and everyone stares at me, because they know, without a doubt, that our door facings and crown mouldings have never seen a vaccuume. Oh well......my mama had a housekeeper.
Race has organized all of the camping gear for our family. Each person has a large container with his/her name on it. Everyone has a cool backpack, a down sleeping bag, a sleeping pad, and tents, etc, etc,. He LIVES for this stuff. WE. MUST. HAVE. COOL.GEAR. I never truly appreciate this, until we are camping or hiking.........and.........I am actually warm and dry! Anyway, he enjoys the heck out of doing that stuff! Too funny!
So, tell me. Do your husbands do things that leave you scratching your head and wondering.."huh?"
G'night,Melissa

Out for a hike with dad!

Our creek.

Well, our hike was AWESOME yesterday. Everything was beautiful, and it was so good to get the whole family outdoors hiking around our familiar woods.

Race took Austin to scouts last night, and they had an awesome time. Several boys want to come out and shoot, so I think that Race is going to go ahead and arrange to get a range for a day coming up. Too fun. Tonight we had martial arts. Austin has totally outgrown his Jiu Jitsu Gi, so we had to order a new one. Actually, we ordered 2, because Race is suiting up as well. (You knew that was coming, didn't you?) He has had some Jiu Jitsu training in one of his former positions, and is really looking forward to having Austin teach HIM! "Tap or snap!"

For Savannah's writing curriculum, we have been using Writing Strands. It is a good fit for her, because she doesn't want anything too constrictive. She has always liked to write, and I didn't want anything to dampen that natural creativity of hers. We came to a place in this curricula where we talked a lot about how a good author is able to have all of his readers "see" what the author "sees" in her mind. We talked about the power of words, etc. Well, this totally clicked with her. She has been typing away on her computer for the past several days. I am so proud of what she has accomplished! It is amazing how her writing has matured. I will have to post an excerpt. It is just leaps and bounds ahead of what she was doing previously. I am just thrilled, and so is she.

Jackson is just having the best time soaking all of this DadTime in. They have worked out together, played ball together, wrestled together, played video games together and taken walks in the woods together. This is exactly what Jack needs, and it has made a world of difference in his attitude. He has returned to his happy-go-lucky self, and that is such a relief to me. I thoroughly enjoy watching Race fill a spot that only he can fill.

I was especially thrilled to have Race at home yesterday. We had a flat tire! So the guys got out there this morning, and got it changed, and we head off to the tire place tomorrow for a new pair. And....ummm... OUCH! Those suburban tires ain't cheap! Can't complain though, they have taken a TON of miles and abuse. But still......OUCH!

We are looking forward excitedly to our trip, and I am feeling really good about the grasp that the kids have on British history and the Middle Ages. Most of our time will be spent sight seeing, and I think that this time period will truly come to life for them. Can't wait!!!!!!!

G'night!
Melissa