Damned Feeder Pigs!!

This is where I grew up. This is the view from the house, looking down to the barn. Dad had just cut the hay when I took this picture, and you could smell it drying. I love it here. I have so many wonderful memories that are all connected with this section of earth. I am certain that almost all of the really important lessons of life, I learned right here.

Every day after school I walked down this road to do chores. And so did Thomasina. Although I remember being somewhat less than enthusiastic about this sometimes, after I got going, it was always a wonderful release after being cooped up in a classroom all day. Sometimes Thomasina would walk down with me, and sometimes I would do my best to escape my seemingly pesky little sister and get some time to myself.

Thomasina was actually a good little sister. She could have told on me for about.....oh....I don't know........a million things. But she never did. Well. ALMOST never.

One day, when I was 11 or 12 and Thomasina was 8 or 9(Em would have been way-little, so she's not in this story) we were at the barn doing our normal chores. At that time, It was my job to milk Rosie, our milk cow, in the evenings. I had already used up any goodness that was within my wicked little self, at school that day. My friends were stressing me out big time. Stayin' cool, was hard. I STILL didn't have those Jordache jeans. It had been a rough day. Man, I was sweatin' life.

Not long after getting to the barn,I had Rosie in her stall. She was happily munching her feed. I grabbed the stool, squated down and started milking. I had hardly gotten a cup full in the bucket, when a feeder pig, scurried through. Then another. And another. HOW DID THEY GET OUT?! There were more than 5. Feeder pigs are about the size of a medium dog, and they are just full of teenagery youthfulness and mischief. They were all around Rosie's food, and then all around the milk bucket. Rosie was a good and gentle milk cow, but she'd had enough. She kicked at all the annoying pigs, and knocked over the bucket. ARGH!
I yelled. I waved my arms. I stomped around. It was no use, they totally ignored me and ran in and out from under the stall, like it was Disneyland.

I called to Thomasina, and she came running over from the hen house. "Keep these stupid pigs out of this stall so I can finish milking!"

Now, looking back.....I'm not sure how an 8 year old would be able to keep 5+ feeder pigs from doing ANYTHING. But at the time, it seemed like a reasonable request to heap upon my sibling.

Of course this was doomed to failure. And although Thom was a spry and fearless, pig-kickin' kid, the previous scene repeated itself, complete with Rosie knocking over about 1/2 a bucket of milk this time.

I snapped.

I climed over the stall wall while muttering, "I am so SICK of these DAMNED pigs!!!!!!" (gasp!) I said the "d" word! Did I say that out loud?? One look at Thomasina's wide, you're-going-to-hell-eyes, told me that yes..........I HAD said the "d" word OUT LOUD. And with a much smaller voice now, I said "Just don't tell mom, O.K?" .......... long pause.........O.K??? (silence)

I was dead meat. She was telling. She had to. Her big sister was on the path to hell for sure.

I don't remember what happened with the pigs, or with Rosie, or if I ever did get any milk in the bucket to take back up to the house. All I remember was being mortified at how dissapointed that my mom was going to be when she found out that her oldest daughter cussed like a sailor. (Which, at the time, I actually WAS doing on a regular basis at school.)

*To this day, I have never heard my mother utter a curse word. (Although my sister swears that she once heard her day, "Derned thing!"). But I didn't hear it myself, so I can't be sure.*

My mom talked to me about the whole incident. I don't remember much of what she said. Sorry, mom, I'm sure it was a good talk and all. But I DO remember her looking me straight in the eye and asking me. "Now where did you hear talk like that?"

Now...... dear readers, I had heard "talk like that" numerous times every day from my dad. Since birth. (Like a scene straight from The Christmas Story.) Dad has always had a very colorful vocabulary that meshes so nicely with his southern drawl. It's part of who he is. I had learned a whole BUNCH of curse words from my dad.

But I remember looking at my mom and blurting out between sobs, "the kids at school!"

It wasn't too long after that, that I was in private school.

There isn't much of a moral to this story. Mostly just a funny memory. The talk didn't really stick either. I still cuss on occasion. (sorry mom) Though I do TRY not to. But when I'm stressed.....you know.......it's like there are feeder pigs everywhere, again. Damn it!

And Thom, thanks for not telling Mom about all the other stuff.

g'night!

Melissa

A little more.....

I still have more to say about Fran, from my last post.

I was completely taken back by this woman at first, just by her amazing appearance and life (i.e, The 6 kids). I eventually came around full circle and was incredibly encouraged by this. Hard work and determination really DO get you there, ya know?

I like thinking about this, because to me, it means that being healthy and fit really ARE withhin everyone's grasp, no matter what your lifestyle. I mean we don't all need, (or *want*, as some pointed out) to look like a fitness competitor, but we can all improve from where we are. We can all FEEL better, by taking better care of our bodies. One step at a time, no matter where you are in life. I think that is very, very encouraging!

I got the following in my email this morning. It really nailed things down for me.

Written by Elisabeth Elliot

Certain aspects of the job the Lord has given me to do are very easy to postpone. I make excuses, find other things that take precedence, and, when I finally get down to business to do it, it is not always with much grace. A new perspective has helped me recently:
The job has been given to me to do. Therefore it is a gift. Therefore it is a privilege. Therefore it is an offering I may make to God. Therefore it is to be done gladly, if it is done for Him. Therefore it is the route to sanctity.
Here, not somewhere else, I may learn God's way. In this job, not in some other, God looks for faithfulness. The discipline of this job is, in fact, the chisel God has chosen to shape me with--into the image of Christ.
Thank you, Lord, for the work You have assigned me. I take it as your gift; I offer it back to you. With your help I will do it gladly, faithfully, and I will trust You to make me holy.

Have a GREAT day. Do 1 thing today that is good for your body. Let me know what you did.
Melissa

I apologize. Seriously......I'm sorry for this one.

Meet Francisca Dennis. She's beautiful, right? The picture of all that is strong, fit and healthy.

Now, I'm going to hurt you. My dear, dear, readers......this one will truly hurt.

She and I are the same age.

Yep. She's 37. THIRTY-SEVEN! How can this be? Shocking, isn't it?

But, now ladies..........I shall crush you.

This 37 yr old woman has had.....as in BIRTHED.....6 children. Read that again. 6 children.

I tried to deny it at first. I researched. It's not hype. It's not even photo shop. There's not even a nanny. Just her, her husband, their six kids, and a hell of alot of determination and hard work. If you read about her, you can't even hate her. You'll actually LIKE her. She's the real deal. She even readily admits to stretch marks.

So what am I to do with this information? I am simultaneously mega-depressed and incredibly motivated by this knowledge. And it is because of this, that you, dear readers, will likely have to endure more knowledge about my current work-outs and state of fitness that you will EVER want to know.

Seriously, I am incredibly motivated by this woman.

www.franciscadennis.com

G'night,

Melissa

It's Movie night

Friday's is Movie Night at our house. But since we will be out of town this weekend, we moved it up a night. Jack watched Air Bud-Seventh Inning Stretch...(ugh). And Austin and I are watching The Sixth Sense after Jack goes to bed. He has never seen it before. ;-)

Tomorrow Jack and I are going to Mom and Dads for the weekend. Thomsina has a wedding this weekend, so she is going to drop Austin off for camping with the scouts this weekend. She always saves me. Thanks, Thom.

Savannah has been at Mom and Dads for a week. I miss her so much. And Jack really misses her. He will be so happy to have his sister back at home. They have talked on the phone and emailed back and forth. Jack loves to tell her everything. I think that I have not really understood, before, just how close those two really are. They are best friends and true confidants. I am so glad that they have one another.

I am looking forward to seeing Mom, Dad and Em, The Dude and the kids. (Can't WAIT to see those boys!)

It will be tough to spend another Fathers Day without Race. I need to find something positive and creative for the kids. We miss him so, so much, that I just cannot express it in words. The kids handle it so well, but of course I SEE the areas that are lacking, the areas that dad would fill up if he were here.
I believe in playing the hand that I've been dealt, but I also believe that you should never be ashamed to ask of God what he may choose not to give. Does that make sense typed out? I am asking God for a little more time together.And I will take His answer.

It will be nice to have all three kids back under one roof after the weekend. We still have Savannah's theatre try-outs and then 4 straight weeks of rehearsals, Austin's Scout Camp and then Sea Base off the coast of Florida. In between there is baseball and Martial arts and apparently there will be riding lessons in the near future again. There is still plenty of summer left to be busy. But it is a temptation to just let the schedule dictate, and just let life happen. To just be dragged along by lifes necessities. I don't want to fall into that trap again.

So, (raising a glass) here's to keeping one's eyes on the higher calling. (clink!)

Have a Wonderful Fathers Day. Who can know what drives these men to get up every day and go and slay the dragons that they do? Show those dads how much you appreciate all that they do. Be supportive. Be cheerful. Let them know that their sacrifices don't go unnoticed.

G'night,
Melissa

Baseball, Home Improvement, and a question...

I really wish that someone would quit switching the days on me without me knowing it. How the heck is it Thursday already?!!

I woke up this morning to soft rain. I love the rain. There is something so calm and renewing about it. It also means a probable break in a busy baseball schedule.

Jack's season is unofficially finished. They beat the 2nd best team last night in an 11-0 shut-out. But the coaches who are tied for 2nd (one of them from last night), want the guys to have to play 2 rained-out games next week. So...it's not.....quite.......over. But we're confident that they can hang on to their title. They have played SO WELL this year. It was so satisfying watching these 9-10 year olds learn to be team players. We have had an amazing coach. He really loves the kids. He taught the kids to play with good sportsmanship, to never give up, and to play YOUR PERSONAL BEST. The kids all love him to death and they respect him. I am just so thankful for this year in baseball for Jack.

If you've read here very long at all, you know that one of the ways that I TRY to keep my sanity while Race is away, is to stay busy with home improvement projects. Last year I ahad someone come in and rip the carpet in our Cape Cod style house and put down Pergo. Looks great. Except that this is a Cape Cod, and that means that there are steps.........and those steps still were carpeted. WERE. The other morning, I got Jack up from bed saying, "C'mon buddy lets go rip the carpet off the steps." Well, let me tell you, if I have nothing else in this world, I have an amazing demolitoion crew. You want something torn up, ripped, out and otherwise obliterated, we're your people. Construction? Call someone else.
So we yanked it all right out of there, and right out the door onto the porch. The boys pulled up all the padding, and began to pull out the 500 billion staples that were left by the crack smoking carpet people who put the stuff down.

Here I will pause and ask you NOT to ask me about what we found UNDER the carpet. Ummm....I'm thinking that:

1. It's a wonder that we're even ALIVE living in filth like that.
2. What is it that my vaccuume is actually doing when I run back and forth across a step? and
3. The need for someone to come in and clean is no longer being considered a luxury.


So. I've been sanding. And sanding. And sanding. The steps that I've finished are actually beautiful. I am sanding and staining the tops to match the Pergo (just slightly darker than natural), and then painting the sides and fronts a glossy white.

And if we can ever remove all the fine dust that has settled into every cranny of the house since I started it's really going to look nice.

But now. A question for all the Do-It-Yourselfers. What do I put on top of the step to make it more scrubbable. As of now, it just has a natural stain. I would rather avoid anything thick and glossy, but would still like to be able to scrub it. Any advice??

Have a great day!
Melissa

Monday surprise

We had a pretty typical Monday. Bills, phone calls, school, housework, working out. But then..................a bright spot. The mail lady pulled up in our driveway, and blew her horn obnoxiously. (I really don't know why she has to do it that way). I was unfit to be seen having just dressed from the shower, with wet hair and no make up. I rooted the oldest offspring from his Algebra and sent him out to fetch the package. What's this?

Well, I'll tell you what it was. It was a lovely box of delicious, heavenly scented, handmade soaps! Have you seen the stuff over at The foil Hat ? Well, you MUST go over there. The soaps are amazing. I bought 2 of the Gardeners soaps. One for the kitchen, and one that I stashed in a flower pot by the hose out in the garden. There's the margarita salt soap, the lavander soap, the almond soap..........Oh, my. I have a feeling that the mail lady was hording it for a day....because it made her car smell SO incredibly delicious. Seriously, just setting these bars in the bathroom makes the whole bathroom smell wonderful.ANd that's really sayin' something in this house.
Got dry skin??? Well.........then don't even get me started on the shea butter.

Anyway, it was a lovely surprise and I wanted to say "thanks " to Amy who was on her death bed, and still drug herself to the post office to mail my soaps off. Thanks!

Nothing out of the ordinary today. But I DID hear that my younger sister, (also known as "she-who-never-blogs) actually posted something today. So, I think I'll go and check that out.

JAck's team has only 2 games left to play and they are currently in 1st place! Woo-hoo! Wish em' luck tomorrow night!

G'night

Hey! Who turned off my comments???

They're back on!! ;-)

Sunday

A good day today. Church was amazing. And something about our fellowship afterward is so comforting to me with Race away. That's the way it should be, isn't it? We are so thankful to be a part of this church.

I spent some time down at the creek with Jackson this afternoon. He played, and swam with Scout. Scout is Jack's dog. He was a 7th birthday present, and there has never been a child and dog closer. It has been a match since they first laid eyes on each other. The 2 of them played and swam for the entire hour. Jack spoke to me everyonce in awhile. Usually just to point out some new fish, or plant or bug. But almost entirely, he spoke to Scout.

They even have little games that they play in the water. They will dive down COMPLETELY under the water together at the same time. Have you ever seen a dog COMPLETELY immerse itself under water? Head, tail, everything! It was so fun to watch.

The other game that they play, is Jack while float on his back in the water, and Scout will charge, splashing into the creek, swim up to him and grab him by the shoulder of his shirt, and begin pulling him through the water, and up onto land. It was hysterical! That boy and that dog really love each other. And I couldn't help thinking what a lucky little boy Jack is to be able to splash in his own creek on a hot summers day after church, without a care in the world. And what a blessed mom I am to be a part of it.

Good stuff!

Class 0f 1987

We know a lot of kids this year who are graduating from highschool. I guess that this should tell me something: My oldest kid is getting older and is nearing that age. NO. No. I'm not going to think about it.

I remember when I graduated from highschool. The class of '87. It was the 80's. Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi were blastin' from my mustang. My best friend was Janelle, and my boyfriend was Glenn. Neither of them went to my school. I went to a super-tiny, super-conservative, Baptist Christian School. Janelle went to ANOTHER super-conservative, super-tiny, Baptist Christian School across town.

Glenn, however, went to The Big Highschool. He was senior class president of The Big Highschool. He was popular. He had friends. He had friends who were allowed to swim with members of the opposite sex. He had friends who were girls..... and...were allowed to wear......PANTS!!! (gasp!!)

So how, you ask, was a little private school girl able to snag this skinny legged track star for a boyfriend?? With great cunning and skill. With such a carefully laid plan that it would boggle your mind and fill up tons of useless blog space. But it worked.

I was IN.

So my senior year, I got to attend the Big Highschool Prom, as well as all the parties,and the football games etc.

This was the same year that I stood ( yes, STOOD) boldly in my own highschool class and announced during an argument, "Well, at least I have a LIFE! Not like THIS bunch of losers!!" Exact words. Not my proudest moment. But who could blame me? There I was trying my best to shine. My hair was perfectly coiffed in the Big Hair 80's, feathered style....and yes.....the the layers DID meet in the back.(ahhhhhh...) My eye make-up was perfectly applied in a rainbow of colors. I wore Forenza, Limited and Esprit. For crying out loud people......I OWNED a coveted Coca-cola shirt, mini-skirt,slouched white socks and Reeboks!!! I had CROP TOPS!!!

ANd here I was STUCK with a bunch of classmates in which the girls wore coulottes, and the boys "couldn't engage in mixed swimming." It was enough to drive a young fashonista to desperation.

Ohhhhhh.....I would shine! Damn them...I WOULD shine!(With withered carrot in hand, shaking fist at the dusk-sky) "As God as my witness, I will NEVER wear coulottes again!"

And I never have. (Even when they actually came in style, ever-so-briefly, recently).



So. I give you.........................This:
Here I am in all my senior 80's glory. Yes, yes....the hair actually meets PERFECTLY in the back. (I know you were wondering). The secret? Paul Mitchell Freeze and Shine....of course! My eyes were lined, my lashes were mascara'd long and my brows thick. I wore my hair like this EVERY day. It was my crown and glory.

There is more to tell about graduation night, but I'll save it for another time....dinner at the Country Club with the folks and some friends,............Janelle's date that night......... my cousin picking me up in her Porsche (ooooohhh I HAD arrived!!)...........my date that night. All good stuff.

Hmmmmmmm........I wonder if Glenn still has my picture? Who are we kidding?? Of course he does.

Congratulations Class of 2007!!!

G'night!

Melissa

The garden

My garden is coming along pretty good this year.You may remember that I couldn't do a garden last year because of the ridiculously insane baseball schedules that the boys had. And I missed it SO much. I really find it relaxing to till and plant and watch things grow. And I find it incredibly satisfying to be able to grow, cook, and prepare fresh food for my family.


In the picture below, you can see tomatoes, 2 rows of green beans, and squash and zucchini. Just outside of the picture are 4 small blueberry bushes that I planted this year. The pressure is really on these little bushes, as we are all going out at different times of the day to check on the 6-8 ripening berries on each little shrub. Almost ripe!!

You can see the potatoes on the far left....(some of which have started to bloom), onions planted up really close to a row of green peppers, and then the same tomatoes, and green beans. In between the poles, I planted cucumbers. I have some gardening twine that I will stretch between the poles and make a sort of trellis for the cucumbers to grow up. This has worked well in the past, and it really saves space! For mulching, I use fresh grass clippings which are applied by our work crew in thick layers. This is good for the soil, and also keeps the weeds to a manageable level.
For those of you who see the size of this garden and think "small"......I'm with you. It is small. But then THIS is the size garden that I grew up with. My parents' garden hasn't changed in size, ONE INCH. They will be feeding half the county this year.

I was about 4 when I was walking in the garden with dad and he reached down and pulled up a huge turnip from the ground. He took out his pocket knife, peeled it and cut 2 thin slices. He handed one to me. At 4 I wasn't really a huge turnip fan. But I tried it, and couldn't believe how good it was! And I remember thinking how amazing to go out an pull delicious food right from the ground and eat it!!

And below, is part of the work crew we use around here.

They can be difficult to motivate, bbut they are cheap, do a good job, and they don't use foul language in my presence. SO I keep 'em. ;-)



So, how's your garden doing? What have you planted? Is it in the ground, or maybe just a couple of containers on the deck? What are you watching grow this year?

G'night!

Melissa

Thank-you!

Thank-you to Mam-maw and Pap-paw , for driving all this way to see Jack's game. And thank-you Aunt Thomasina for not only coming to watch, but for taking pictures that absolutely ROCK!! It all means so much to him!

What we did with Race.....

Well, that flew by!

We did get a few extra days with Race. And they were chocked full of fun family time. There were MANY baseball games....from Dixie Youth to Minor league.

Race got to see Jack hit his very first homerun to tie up a game that his team would go on to win big. That win placed them first in their division. (wildly cheering)

He also got to spend a lot of time with Austin helping him prepare for his move up in baseball. They worked hard and played harder. Race watched him really tear it up at his first practice, on a new team. His efforts payed off in a big way with the new coach. It was a great feeling for both dad and son.

Race and Austin competed in a homerun derby against one another at the batting cages. Jack, Savannah, and I watched and cheered them on. There were 30 pitches. They had to bat 15 right handed and 15 left-handed. Final count? Austin 19 homers, Race 18 homers. They both only missed one ball! It was so fun. The kids and I were screaming and yelling like maniacs, and people were gathering around to see what was going on and to watch these guys slugging it out left, then right! It was so fun!
Afterward we hit the bumper boats. The kids totally took advantage of Race's first time in the boats and they DRENCHED him, before he even got out into the water. But their dad is never one to go down without a fight, so the whole family ended up soaking wet when we left!!(And wouldn't you know it? Not a towel in the car!)We took our front row seats at the minor league game, soaking wet!

Having Race at home also meant that my work-outs were about to become much harder. No more little dumbbell lunges inside. OHHHHhhh Nooooo...we have to go OUTSIDE...in the HEAT....on the DRIVEWAY.....AFTER we had done all our other lifting. We lunged all the way down the driveway and all the way back up.I had 15 pounders, and I couldn't tell what was going to give first: my totally smoked arms, or my wobbly, trembling legs! Whew!
No more leisurely running on the treadmill in the AC. Ohhhh Nooooooo.....not us. We went OUTSIDE...in the HEAT....with the GNATS...and Race introduced me to 300 yd shuttles. OH. MY. Gosh. I think that's the hardest thing that I've ever done. (O.k, not counting childbirth). Football players? How do you do it?
But you know what? It was fun afterward. Race is a great motivator, and the harder I go, the harder he goes. Savannah and Austin ran sprints with us. He always makes us stronger and more confident. It was all really, really great.I would do it again and again. (I would probably throw up again and again...but..you get the picture).

Looking back, we spent most of our time outdoors. Race and the kids spent a good bit of time down at the creek. They piled up large flat river rocks, to raise the water level in one area, and create a swimming hole. They swam for most of that afternoon.

We got alot of work done as well, but that's not nearly as interesting, so we'll leave all that out.

Race is gone, and life is back to normal. Not drab. Just normal. He has become such a huge presence to us, that the void that is left when he is away is unmistakable. BUt I don't think that I'd have it any other way.

We love you Race!

I'm outta here!

Hey everyone!! I just got some exciting news! Race will be home earlier than expected. The bad news is that we only have a few days with him, until he shoves off again. So I will be spending every spare second of the next few days with the Amazing Race and the kids. So, hold down the fort. I'll be back soon!

My Jerry Falwell story

I was a student at L.U. . Back then,(and to a degree, still) L.U. was pretty strict as colleges go. I had been in trouble before. Not BIG trouble, but let's just say that I was really pushing the limits of my "freedoms" at that time. The Dean of Women already knew me by name, and when she looked at me.......she saw a bad egg.
Now, honestly....I wasn't BAD. Terribly shallow and vain, yes. But not BAD.

For instance:

You were not supposed to have a car on campus till after your freshman year. Well...when I saw how far I was going to be trekking EVERY DAY from my dorm to my fashion classes in my little black leather pumps......wehehelll...you better believe I was bringing my car! SO. There set my little mustang, parked in all the WRONG places, (but miraculously close to whereever I needed to be). The floorboard was piled ankle-high with unpaid parking tickets. No lie. (PLEASE do not bring this up to my father!)

There was also a little run in w/ the dean of women about supposedly seeing MY car over at Race's off campus apartment, at some ungodly hours.After curfew. Honestly....I don't remember a thing about all that. Or about falsifying a permission slip...Threatened expulsion.....I don't remember. Don't ask me, anymore.

O.K, so you get the picture: They KNEW me down at the Dean of Women.

Jump to my 3rd year:
I desperately wanted to move off campus. And my dad, being the businessman that he is, saw this as a golden opportunity to save some money. No more room and board, no more unpaid parking tickets, etc, etc. So, he bought a townhouse. Myself and a good friend moved in immediately. WOO-HOO!! FREEDOM! Well, apparently there were rules and such about all this.(picture me looking innocently at my dad, asking "what? what rules??") Right away,I get a handy note from the same Dean of Women, saying that I, in fact COULD NOT live off campus yet, and that I'd better have all my stuff back w/in the week, as well as a butt load of paper work signed and brought to her office, or I was EXPELLED!

So there I was. I had dragged my dad into this. HE had PURCHASED the townhouse. My roommate also, was COUNTING on this. SHe had nowhere else to go. The pressure was on. I cried. Then I went to see the Dean, and I cried some more. I made my case. She gleefully stood her ground. (My GOODNESS she was an unhappy woman). I figured I'd better head straight to the top.

Dr. Falwell had a studio on campus. I was desperate. I had exhausted all other options. I found out when he would be taping. I parked myself in front of that door early that day. (O,K, thinking back, it was probably like 10:00 am. Bu that was EARLY for me...) But, BLASTED! He was already in there! (sigh) He had to come out some time. I waited. For 4 hours,...4HOURS! I waited.

And then- some scrawny, media kid who was helping with the set, emerged from the room. I woke myself from my half-dazed state. "PLEASE, please, you have to let me in to see Dr. Falwell! You HAVE to! I've GOT TO GET in there! HE's the only one that can help me....PLEASE!" I pleaded, tearing at his sleeve and choking back the tears. He stuck his head back in and then in a monotone voice said, "Yeah, go ahead...their on a break".

I stepped into the studio. It looked just like a ......studio. There were cameras and bright lights and a set crew. There were fake bookshelves and fake books. And there, behind the desk of his fake study sat Dr. F@lwell. (He had a real study too, of course, but this was what they taped in.) He quickly motioned me over.

He was one of those people who was larger than life. I immediately forgot about the rest of the set crew, as he kindly said, "Now, now...what's so bad? What I can I do for you?"

Well. I'll tell ya. I broke down. I started bawling, and sputtering the most incomprehensible string of nonsense you have ever heard. I was going to hell and I knew it. I was TRULY sorry for what I had done, but now other people were going to have to PAY for it.I was a miserable wretch.

I don't know what he heard. Probably alot of crying, sniffling, and the words "off-campus", "dad paid", and "so sorry". But mid-blubbering he picked up the phone, dialed the deans office, and said, "Melissa M has my permission to live off campus." *click* Then he patted my hand and said, "Now, now....try not to be too hard on the dean. She's just trying to do her job. You just go on and do your best in school. Is there anything else that I can help you with?" *sniff, sniff. blink blink* "Um, no sir. Thank-you so much sir". (red faced, teary eyed smile, as I realized that my young life had been spared, and life would, in fact. go on.) As I turned to go, I realized that about 10 other people had also witnessed me spilling my guts and wailing in despair. But I didn't care.

Within 5 minutes, I was on the other side of the door again. A new girl. A girl determined to live right. To put her black-hearted past behind her, and live right.

I can honestly say, that I have NEVER seen the man turn down helping ANYONE. EVER.

He was a man of unflinching character.Therefore, you either love him or you hate him. And he was o.k. with that. He stood for what he believed in, no matter what. ANd THAT's pretty tough to find these days.

I did live off campus that year.
ANd it was that very same townhouse that Race and I moved into after we were married.
Dr. Falwell led us and prayed with us as we dedicated all 3 of our children to Christ when each one was a baby.

Austin was baptized by him.

So, that's my story.

What an enormous impact one person can make on the world. Race is sitting in the middle of the dessert on the other side of the world. He has no phone and no email. He had already heard the news. Amazing.

G'night

From my PCA pastor

Beloved,

We want to express our deep gratitude to God for the life of J.F. Many of you have counted him as friend, mentor, employer, colleague in academia, and pastor.

Our own Greg and Laurie McC. were married by Dr F@lwell. He recently made time in a very hectic schedule to join our elders to pray for and anoint Laurie with oil for healing.(Laurie is in the final stages of pancreatic cancer)
Many of you knew his personal warmth. He was faithful with the many gifts God gave him. He was a man of vision. He always represented our faith to the watching world in a winsome way. He has been diligent in the pursuit of developing a university which continues to send leaders into the culture for righteous transformation, and for training missionaries and pastors. We have so much to thank God for! What a glorious example of "well done, good and faithful servant"!

"We grieve, but not as those who have no hope."
We exult in the hope of the glory of God.Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord.

I was one of "Jerry's Kids"

That was the joke if you went to L.U.

He was one of those people that just seemed larger than life. Someone who just seemed too stubborn to ever be troubled with death. He was one of the kindest people that I have ever known.
He helped me, personally, on several different occasions. Not because he should have, but just because I was some no-name, pathetic student who was, once again, bucking the system, and he kinda "got that". He understood all about the inner rebel.
I'll relate my whole story later tonight, but I just wanted to say that he will be greatly missed. He always said that he wanted to "go" while he was working, and that is apparently exactly what happened. He will be missed, and this area will never be the same.

Woaaahhhh......hang on a sec ...

Did anyone notice that on my sidebar the months are in ...what is that? French????? What the_? How weird is that????

O.K, nevermind. Forget it. It's fixed. I didn't fix it....but it's fixed. Weird.

Please keep voting in the hair poll. Please don't think that your one vote isn't important. EVERY vote counts people. I am going to wrestle with my scanner soon, so that I can show you the importance of your votes. You see.........I have, in the past, made a few hair..."mistakes". A few bad decisions in the name of keeping up with the current trends. I intend to show you these mistakes. That's right. I'm gonna post my "bad hair" pictures.

Please vote.
And comment. I'm not gonna name names, but some of you are slacking. And I know most of you personally and know that you don't have anything better to do, so don't even try that one. ;-)

Blonde is currently winning.

Happy Mothers Day!

Jackson gave me this little bouquet of wild flowers today. Aren't they pretty and unusual??

I had a wonderful Mothers Day. The kids decided that since Race wasn't home, and there was no way to "get" me anything from a store, that they would take me on a picnic! They planned the whole thing themselves. They made out a list.

And then they had me take them to the store. They unloaded everything by themselves.
They packed it all up, picnic style and hauled everything down to our camp site. This is Austin carrying our small grill down the well worn path . He had cleaned it and put the charcoal and everything in it before we started. Aren't the woods just beautiful?
Savannah chose the EXACT PERFECT spot for the blanket, and spread out everything.

This was our view. She could not have chosen a more perfect location!
Austin lit the charcoal, let it burn down till it was good and hot, and then cooked the hot dogs. All while I just sat and watched.
I promise you that filet mignon in the most upscale restaraunt could not have been more delightful than this fully loaded hot dog was to me!! I enjoyed every last bite. And I was truly amazed at how thoughtful and wonderfully capable my children are.
Jeb always has a great time swimming in the creek, but today was especially exciting, because he got to gobble up all the left over hot dogs when the kids were cleaning up!
HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!!

It's all about ME.....right???

Not a bad day, yesterday.

Had a hair appointment in the afternoon.(Huge Thanks to Thom for dropping the kids at martial arts and baseball).

My hair is now in a platinum, just-below-chin length, slightly angled bob. I love it.

But, my friends, ...................let me tell you....... it is a long and lonely road between brunette and blonde. It is a path that I have traveled. I have seen it's pitfalls. Do not be fooled. It is not for the faint of heart.
(O.k, maybe that is SLIGHTLY dramatic..)

But seriously...where is science?? Why can I not choose my color for the day? Why is that not available? I blame science.

Anyway, I am blonde and all is right with the world. My partner in the Great Hair Experiment has, of course, been my hairdresser, Jennifer The Hair Wizard. She rocks. Her exact words, after turning my hair back into a stunning blonde were,(In a small quiet voice, but speaking very pointedly) " O.K.. Our goal for your hair now, is to....be NICE to it. We've done a lot to it over the past few months, we need to give it a break." so, for awhile I am her "every-four-week girl". I'll be in for a root touch up, and a trim (Oh and you know...deep conditioning and all that).

I also ordered some new Bare Minerals. I ordered it from Sephora.com, so when you check-out you get to pick 3 free samples of AWESOME stuff that I wouldn't ever have the money to buy...AND..you can have it put in a beautiful gift box,..... to yourself....for free! "Happy Mothers Day to me!" I am so shallow that I put that on the gift card.....to me. To those of you who know me, this is no surprise.

Oh- BTW, I had the. BEST. thing. happen.

I met the mother of one of Austin's teammates , and part-way through the conversation she said, "Do you lift weights? You must lift weights, because your arms look SO good I wish mine did". AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! SO, yes, of course, we're total BFF's now. I love her. (gushing) I LOVE her! I shall take her under my muscular, toned wing and show her my ways. I shall share with her the secrets to a slender, well-sculpted fore-limb. (sigh) We'll be friends forever.......I just know it.

Best thing of all?? Race called. I may not get another phone call before he gets back, but this one was so good.(The short platinum do will be a total shocker for him, heh,heh..) The comms are bad where he is and it's darn near impossible to call or email, but this was a GREAT call, and I really needed that. He is amazing.

Thank-you for the prayers. They are coveted above all else.

And grandmama, I need you to stop crying over my posts. The kids can't stand it if I am making you cry! And BTW, I DO cry, just not in front of Race when he is leaving, cause that's just not fair! And come to think of it, it's largely because of his wonderful parents that he is the amazing guy that he is! So, buck up lil' trooper and dry those tears!

So. It was a good day. And I'm feelin' better.....and refreshed.....and thankful. Very, very thankful.

Just my musings...

I am really missing Race. Look at that picture. Isn't that just the loneliest thing? It's safer here, than......well........where it would be if it weren't here.;-)

I did get a long-awaited word from him today, so I am so, very, very thankful for that. But I am having trouble focusing on the tasks at hand right now. I'm having trouble diving into schooling, and baseball, and scouts, and theatre, and martial arts. I'm having trouble setting aside my thoughts and grasping the life right in front of me. The NOW. His job can seem so gigantic that it can (and has for others) easily swallow a family if you let it.

I know that this reflects my own struggles with faith. And I DO, deep down, desire God's will above all else. But it is a constant battle with the flesh, isn't it? Wanting things to be easier than they are.

I need to be thankful for the journey.

That is my goal. To be TRULY THANKFUL for the journey. I may not be there ALL the time, but it's what I intend to strive for. Thanks for listening!

Now...off I go.

My Bit O' Earth

This is my work-in-progress. It is also one of the things that makes me happy! I LOVE to garden. Up until 2 years ago, I had always preferred vegetable gardening, but thanks to my mom and my best friend Janelle, I decided to try my hand at flower gardening. This is the first year that things are beginning to fill out and even though everything won't be blooming for another couple of weeks, I think that just the foliage looks pretty. The big "sticky" thing in the background is a HUGE Hydrangea bush that the kids gave me for Mothers Day about 7 years ago. After this year, I am going to move it away from the house and plant climbing roses.


The only things really in bloom right now are the sages, delphinium, and Irises. My roses have just started, but can't really be seen in the pictures yet. I thought that it would be neat to see it now, and then again in a few weeks when everything is in bloom.

The flowers are a wonderful mix of plants that I have purchased and plants given to me by my mom, my aunt and Janelle. I have been going for an English garden look, and I think I may eventually acheive it. I am completely hooked! I think that I may be a flower addict. I need to make some more gardening friends so that I can support my habit!

Jack's BACK!!

After working all week with his brother and his dad, the little guy found his bat again. He played and amazing game, tonight. As a parent, it feels so good to see your child work hard, struggle through and then reach their goal. He was like a different kid.

Race had worked tirelessly with Jack all week, and unfortunately was sitting on a plane tonight when his first up at bat was a triple that drove in the first 2 runs of the game. But I was able to reach him on the phone before the plane doors closed and let him know. I could feel him beaming all the way through the phone!

When Jack got back to the dugout, one of the kids said, "Man, where'd you learn to hit the ball like that??" And Jack replied, "My dad's been workin' with me. He taught me." (Deep, satisfied sigh)

Today was a long day, and not one that I was looking forward to because Race was leaving. But it has ended on a happy note. And we'll take that, and see what tomorrow holds. ;-)

G'night!

I can take a hint..moving right along..

Everyone's been posting recipes, so I thought that I'd post one that we use around here for a sweet-snack for the kids. Even better-they can make it themselves!!! I got this recipe from a message board a few years ago, and we've been using it ever since. You will need dry milk, wheat germ, raw honey and peanut butter. We use the Smart Balance peanut butter, or almond butter when we have a ton of money and want to live frivolously.

Place 1 cup of wheat germ and 1 cup of dried milk into a large mixing bowl.

Next, add 1 cup of peanut butter.

Then add 1 cup of raw honey, and it should look like this:

Complicated....I know.

Use your strongest kid to stir........it's thick.
Stong kid should be able to get it to look like this:
Refridgerate for ...oh...I dunno .........awhile. Approximately 2 Looney Toons cartoons worth, and then have kid roll into bite sized balls. You can see he had to use his mouth to measure exactly what BITE SIZED was. It is easy to roll and read "Boys Life" if one should so desire. Although I would caution you to stay away from the spider issue that just arrived. (shudder)
And now, some gratuitous baseball pics of the sweet-snack-making kid. Doesn't he look so handsome in his uniform?

Thanks Thom, for the pictures!!!

As always, the wonderful baseball pics were taken by my sister, Thomasina. You can see her amazing photography at Photography By Thomasina
You should go and take a look. Her work is amazing.

Feel Better NOW!

Of course I am no expert, but I AM becoming very passionate about proper nutrition and excercise. The reason is because it has made such a positive change in my own life. In addition, I think that many people are confused and misled, just as I was, about what eating healthy and excercising really entails. So. This is something I am excited about, and am even considering going back to school to focus on nutrition. You know.....to "do something with my life". (snort! a little homeschool humor there), but I am considering going back to school.

If you want to eat right, either for weight loss, or just to be healthier, the first thing that you have to know is where you're going wrong. You need to keep track of what you eat for at least a week. Don't change anything....just write down EVERY morsel, EVERY drop of liquid that goes into your mouth for one week. Take 10 min. every evening and look up a calorie counter online, and beside each and every thing write out # of cals, #of protein, #of carbs, and fats. Then total it up. That's it. Do it for a week. The results of this alone will amaze most people. Everyone's food record will show something different.

For optimal health, you want to shoot for somewhere around 40% protein, 40% carbs and 20% GOOD fats (olive oil,avacado, etc)This is not an exacting science, but a loose ballpark percentage to shoot for.(More details on all this stuff later!)

Anyway,I was WAY, WAY off. My totals told me why I was always feeling like crap, and why I had awful mood swings on some days. And why my level of energy was so unpredictable.

Your body is meant for survival. And with proper nutrients and excercise, it can pretty much take on anything. If you are NOT putting in proper nutrients, your body goes into starvation mode. It starts storing up for the "winter", so that it can survive. Can you believe that? You may not even be eating a lot of calories, but if you aren't giving your body what it needs, it will slow that metabolism right down and start storing everything!! This can mean FAT. It can also mean that certain parts of the body will begin to react to the lack of nutrients, and not funtion properly...(this can produce a lack of sleep, a myriad of skin disorders, digestive problems, and hello??? Libido anyone??)

It's worth doing, and I am trying to inspire anyone who has ever THOUGHT about it, to go ahead and take the first step. Do a little record keeping and see where you land. You have to start somewhere, and you don't want to waste time by shooting in the dark. Start feeling good!


So, whatdaya think?? Hate it? Hate me for bringing it up??? Let me hear it, I can take it. I SWEAR it's not as bad as you think!!!!

Thanks for reading till the end!!

O.K., so I was going to do this whole nutrition post tonight, and Dy has to go and post about FRIED SQUASH. (sigh) So you'll all just have to wait on the edge of your seats to hear about what I ate today, cause I ain't competin' with that. (bwahaha!) I took pictures and everything.(Now you're really excited, right?)

O.K., I was watching American Idol tonight with Austin. Ummmm. Bon Jovi??? AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhh!! AMAZING!!! I am going out and buying that cd tomorrow!! Love it! Love it!!

How in the world will anyone choose between the 4 who are left?? How??

Till Tomorrow!!

Now THAT'S pressure

For those of you who don't know, "Andree" from my comments section, is Race's mom. Race's mom is calling me out on the carpet....making me lay it all out there. But, isn't it cute how she said "no tightening of the hips" instead of using my phrase, "sagging butt"? Doesn't that just sound so much more lady-like? (sigh)

I'll try to explain our nutrition plan without boring everyone to tears, and post it here later.

We had a tough night last night. It was Jack's first game. He is on a really good team this year, and by "good", I mean a winning team, not necessarily a team full of great ,fun kids. The team that our guys were playing they had beaten in a scrimmage 9-0. Anyway, here's how it went:

The kids were all playing poorly and there were a lot of errors and several bad attitudes. There were injuries as well. Well, because of good coaching, we held 'em off............. And then the uspeakable happened. Bottom of the 6th(they only play 6 innings in this league), 2 runs down, 2 outs, bases loaded.......and Jack is up. He struck out, and the game was over. The parenting books never tell you how excruciating it is to watch your child struggle.

The coach was great, and really encouraged Jack for giving his best effort under an extreme amount of pressure, and then laid the loss squarely at the feet of the older guys who were goofing off, and knew better. I think that they just never thought that they could lose.

But I must say, that I have never been prouder of my little guy. He handled this SO WELL. He was such a little man. he knew exactly what had just taken place, and he shouldered it. He did it without pouting. He kept a good attitude, and he's ready to get back out there. I am so proud!

But as a parent.....Wow. I really could live the rest of my days happily, without ever having to be in that situation again! ;-)

Thomasina got some pics, so I'll post some as soon as I get them. Whew! that was a tough one.

Have a good day!

Ducking the throw of rotten food........

I read the comments from last time. To those who were inspired. AWESOME! To those who hate me and now feel guilty. STOP IT!! It's not about guilt! And it's not "all or nothin'" Way to GO Bridget for keeping off that 12 pounds! WOW! 12 pounds is no easy feat, seriously. You should be VERY proud of that.



Having small children, definitely does change things. I hear ya.
Besides the time factor, a lot of times I remember being just TOO TIRED!

However, if I had known then, what I know now about excercise and nutrition........... Would I have done things differently? Honestly, I don't know. I mean tired, is tired, but I'd like to think that I might have made a few changes for the better.

One thing, would DEFINITELY be the nutrition side of things. I would have seen to it that my family ate healthier, lower fat meals on a regular basis. I am positively sold out on eating delicious, healthy meals! With this one step, you WILL lose weight and feel better. And you don't need to go around hungry all the time, either. We switched to eating 5 smaller meals a day. This is a great way to go. Not only are you not hungry all day, but you also learn what proper portion control is.(This was a biggie for us).

When the kids were little, I did a lot of walking........(I had no car, we had to). If you strap a kid to your back, and push one in a stroller, you've just added resistance to your work-out!!

Anyway, the thing that hits me now, is that I'd like to try be around for my kids. We don't get any guarantees, but you don't have to look far to see folks not much older than Race and I who are already riddled with health problems and are on lists of medication and in and out of the doctors office constantly. I don't want to be there, ya know? I want to *feel* good. Youth will only get you so far. I don't want to be out of breath climbing one flight of stairs. I just don't want to settle. I want to be thankful for this body, for these muscles, for any abilities that I have to just MOVE.

And whenever I forget, or think it's just too hard, THIS is what does it for me. I watch this all the time. It totally inspires me. It makes me push harder.

My father would make me tell you that this all comes from a girl who flunked PE in highschool.

G'night!

At the risk of losing the 2 faithful readers that I have...

(BTW, thanks for reading mom and grandmama...y'all DO still read my blog, right?)

Way back in March of 2005, I wrote a sad, sad post. I was lamenting my age, my slowing metabolism, as well as my sagging butt. You can read the whole thing HERE .

But I'll post the most pertinent part, so that you can avoid my rambling..(ha!)Here's what I had to say back in March of '05:

O.K. here is your warning: COMPLETELY SELF ABSORBED,VAIN, FAT BLOG TO FOLLOW: (Race, if you're reading....STOP.seriously)
I have NEVER had to worry about my weight. Even after kids. It has just never been a problem. Well......It’s happened. They always tell you that it will hit you in your mid thirties. I am forced, as of late, to admit several things:
* My “fat jeans” are no longer my “fat jeans”.
* My old, dust covered scale confirmed what I already knew: I have gained weight.
* Those low-rise jeans are actually more comfortable than you think. They allow excess belly fat to flow over the top of the waist band. Quite convenient.
* My butt has taken to sliding down the back of my thighs so far, that it is no longer recognizable.
* I can no longer continue my current habit of downing several vanilla latte’s or mocha’s a week without it showing.
* I MUST WORK-OUT. This is no longer an option (shudder).
* I am not firm, I am flabby.
* I must get out my……. STEP. I must get out my …(dare I say it) my FIRM tapes (double shudder).
Now, look, I am still a ways off from "fat", but I ask you.....dare I look the other way?? Dare I ignore the tell tale signs of age and a slowing metabolism?
“Ohhh……help. Help. Oh woe is me. Oh damn that slippery, slippery eel called “Motivation”. Will you ever be within my grasp?” Spring……summer….. shorts……. SWIM SUITS!!! Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
O.K. I feel better. I really needed to let that out. AND I have been working out. Which is good. The bad thing is that I can't tell if it is muscle or swelling that I am seeing right now. Can we say, "Out- of- Shape" ? Seriously, it's killin' me. But I'm doing it. Yep, I'm doin' it. I'm hatin' it, but I'm doin it. That's good, right? How do you stay motivated??



I spent a good 3-4 months or more (this post being in about the middle of those months) doing those Firm tapes and absolutely killing myself without much improvement in the...fanny area. Sure, I was in a little better shape, and certainly more healthy than before because of all the cardio, but I wasn't seeing any REAL changes.

Then in April of 2006, Race had just come home....and he had been doing some serious working out and running while he was gone. I was looking for a way to spend more time with him. So, like any well-meaning, devious wife would do, I made him my personal trainer. He put together a weight lifting program for me that involved light weights and lots of reps. He showed me how to perform the lifts properly so that my weakling body wouldn't get injured. He also got me MOVING. We biked, ran, hiked....whatever. We just DECIDED to get active.

And you know what? It was life-changing. And it was fun.

After that, I threw away my Firm tapes. THIS was fun.....and it was working. I was seeing results in my body. And my whole family was becoming much more healthy and fit, all the while learning new activities and just having a good time together.

It is a natural progression after you become more active, and start seeing great changes in your body, that you no longer want to mindlessly shovel the same crap into it that you were before. You actually CARE about the fuel that you are giving your body to run on.

SO this was the next step: Nutrition. I began keeping a food journal. This was the most eye-opening thing that I could have done. I wrote down everything that went into my mouth, and then made a column for calories, fats,carbs, and protein. At the end of the day, I added it all up, and could see what was going into my body, and what I was asking it to perform on. After a week, I started making changes in the way that we ate. Real changes.

It's been a year!I just can't tell you how much better my whole family feels. From taking away mood swings, to giving us more energy, as well as improving the overall appearance of everyones skin, hair........everything! (And don't forget I have 2 TEENS!)

Honestly, when I think back on it I am so thankful. This is a learning experience for us. But it has improved the quality of our lives so much, and I owe it to Race!!

I have more to say on this whole subject, but I'd love to hear your thoughts about nutrition and excercise....love it? ....hate it?.....just don't get it? Let me hear it people! And if you'd like you can yell at me for daring to post about diet and excercise without warning you.

Stories from scouting

This weekend Austin went on a scouting trip. He was recently promoted to First Class Scout. He, along with a handful of other high ranked scouts, hiked over 15 miles on the Appalachian trail. 15 MILES!!!! His pack weighed a mere 23 lbs, and he was responsible for all his water, tent,sleeping gear and FOOD. Way to go, guys!

The funniest story that I heard from the trip: (As told to me by the Assist. Scoutmaster, because Austin never tells me anything)


Late one night, up in the mountains, the boys had pitched their tents, eaten dinner, and were about to turn in for the night. It was getting cold. The fire was going down. And then........... A sound! Just 2 scouts and one assist. scout master were up.

An Assist. Scout Master: (lowering his voice) "Oh My gosh! Did you hear THAT??"

Scouts: (in hushed tones) "Uh-huh."

Assist. Scout Master: (still quiet) "There it goes again! That's a coyote!"

Scouts: (silent)

Assist. Scout Master: "That's a Coyote.....Do you here it?"

Austin: " Mr. Woods?"

Asst. Scout Master: "Yeah."

Austin: "Sir........That's an owl."

Assist. Scout Master: "Oh. .................Really?? An owl can sound like THAT???"

Scouts do not laugh until far away, tucked into their tents.

Poor guy. He's great, though. As a matter of fact only a few of the assistant Scout Master-dads know ANYTHING about the outdoors at all. But the difference is that they love being with the boys and learning along side of them. ANd they definitely contribute in MAJOR ways when it comes to the NON-outdoorsy stuff!

In case you didn't know, a large part of the population in VA is terrified about coyotes these days. It's the "in" thing to do. (shrugging shoulders) I really don't get it. I mean with all the hype, you'd think that the coyotes were taking over our cities and giant packs were roaming through the streets.
Any of you Mid-westerners want to weigh in on the "coyote" subject??? It seems like a lot of misinformation to me. Whatcha know about coyotes???

Johnny Law........or.......Johnny Bad Ass?????

A long time ago Race used to be a cop. He was a good cop.

I'll let you in on a little secret: Used-To-Be-Cops make the worst kind of criminals.

It's a mighty thin line that they walk between law enforcer and law-breaker. A mighty fine line indeed.

I give you the evidence.
What you see before you is Race's jeep. Oh, yeah....it's been in the mud....and it's seen it's good times...that's fer sure. But- this is the work of a deceiver. This, my friends is Race......on the run from Johnny Law. You see....... there is a purpose to this mud. It is hiding the !!APRIL 2006!! Inspection sticker.

(The state of Virginia cares about it's residents SO MUCH that they require you to have your vehicle inspected every year to guard against the dangers of burnt tail light, or tires that have worn too much........Thank -you Oh Great Law Makers for saving the lowly ignorant sheep...thank-you)






A closer look at the obvious deception that has allowed this man to drive for A YEAR on a dead inspection sticker. (BTW, he DOES clear a good sized portion of the windshield when he is actually driving...... I mean he's good an all.....but, C'MON!)





I am thinking that the following sticker on the bumper of the jeep doesn't help a thing. Can you read the bottom of it? It says : "Backpacking , Climbing, French Kissing, Paddling, Adventure Racing"


And the Arab Chic? Well......... who can blame him? That one DOES turn heads around our small town. (BTW, Moosejaw sells awesome outdoor gear....and gives away free stickers when you order)

G' night!We miss you Race! (You law breaker, you!!)

Dad's Back Home

Dad is home, and everything went very smoothly. He is following doctors orders and taking it easy for awhile. (Which for him, is probably the most difficult part of the whole thing!!)

Thomasina went to the hospital to stay the night in the hotel with Mom, and keep her company while everything was happening. The kids and I went by for a bit to visit after the procedure, and then came on to Mom and dad's house from there.

But I think the highlight for dad happened after he arrived back at home. He had just gone back to the bedroom to lay down and read the paper, when Em arrived with her 3 boys. Q was carrying an enormous boquet of flowers that was so big, it was shielding most of his face. I am not sure if there is anything more charming than 2 little boys carrying flowers, who are very aware that something very important is taking place, and that they are a part of it. Q and W walked over to Pap-paws bedside, as he raised up to happily greet them. Q reverently handed him the flowers while W had a steady running commentary, "Here's your flowers Pap-paw, They make you feel better. Uh-Huh. They do. They make you feel all better, Pap-paw". It was so sweet, and dad was so touched by it.

The kids and I will be on our way back to our house today. Thanks so much for all the prayers for my mom and dad. They are so appreciated, and we are so thankful that it has been the Lord's will to keep our parents here for us. I still have so much to learn.

Have a great day!
Melissa

The next few days are going to busy ones for us. My dad is going back in the hospital for angioplasty. So we will be on the road. We will be praying for dad. We'll be looking forward to seeing him.....and mom........and Race.

The events at VT are right in our backyard, and almost everyone knows SOMEONE involved in this tragedy. The following was sent from my pastor, and I felt that it was such an apt response for Christians that I wanted to reprint it here:

Beloved,

I grieve with you over the evil events at Tech yesterday. What a
sobering reminder that we live in a world which is in rebellion against
its good and glorious Creator. It is not supposed to be this way. One
day, all evil and death will be swallowed up and life will reign in
righteousness on the earth, in the presence of God. Until that day we
trust and pray, we hate evil, we repent of the evil in our own hearts,
we show compassion to the destitute, while being amazed that such things
don't happen more often.

We grieve with those who lost children, knowing the greater horror our
Father experienced at Calvary punishing His Son for the sins of His
enemies. We're thankful that God hates the shedding of innocent blood,
and that justice will be done in heaven. We know that no place is safe
on this earth, save for the everlasting arms of Jesus. To be in those
arms by sovereign grace is profoundly comforting. May it lead you to
worship.

Perhaps God is showing Americans what it is like to live in countries
where terrorists regularly torment others with their acts of vile evil.
We need to pray for them, as for ourselves, that our world would be
increasingly hungry for the good news of the gospel, the only sure hope,
the love of God in Christ.

Pressing on together for the renewal of the earth, humbly by unfailing
mercy,
M.
G'night,
Melissa

Jack is sitting beside me eating gingersnaps for his dessert. he took a look at my blog and said, "Man mom, we need to get a new picture of you for your blog. That one's hideous." Well...o.k.

Today is a sad day for everyone in my state, because of the tragedy that took place at VT. God be with those families.

I will continue to carry a handgun.

This morning, Race was up at 5:00 getting ready to hit the road for his week of "training". I got up, fixed his breakfast, filled his thermos and then watched his car go down the road until I could no longer see the tail lights on the car. I went back to bed, and then got up a more decent hour. By the time I fixed breakfast for myself and the kids. Race called. He was on his way back home, due to a power outage. So, we got an unexpected day at home with dad! By the time he got home,it was lunch time (they just refer to me as Feeder Woman these days), and the younger two were finished with lessons, except for Latin, which we all do together.

By the late afternoon, there was an all out laser tag war going on in the woods behind the house. I figured that if anyone was pinned by a falling limb or tree, surely we would hear their calls for help. After all, it was only GUSTS of 60mph winds, right? ;-) Anyway it was the mother of all laser tag wars, with text messaging, human shields (O.k., that's ALWAYS savannah, and she's used by both sides), and even the dogs were released for a distraction and evasion technique.It lasted for over an hour. Great fun was had by all!

Have a good night.
Melissa

Baseball pics for John!

Dy's son, John, wanted a baseball video. Well, we don't have any video of the boys yet, but here are a few pictures from one of Austin's highschool games. He plays second base for the Gryphons.
Play Ball, John!!!

As always, thank-you to Thomasina for the awesome pics!

The Hotness

To me, Race is "IT".
I mean, seriously, since the first time that I met him, and then later saw him on the football field in college, he has been my definition of "hotness". It was his manyly masculin-esity that got my attention , and it is that very same quality that continues to catch me off guard today. Let's face it, when it comes to pure, potent, muscled, fitness, Race isn't the guy you want to compare yourself to. He IS the illustrious warrior.

That's how *I* see him.

But I was taken aback the other day while sitting in the salon. I was having my hair taken yet another shade lighter, on the LONG road back to being platinum blonde...(which, I have decided, is indeed, "more fun").... and the salon owner, whom I have known for years, slides up to my chair for a little chit-chat.
You should know, that I started getting Race to go to this salon for his hair cuts a few months ago. He would be working in D.C. for awhile, and they give a much more executive-professional looking cut than the barber with his shears.

So, anyway, there I am- foils all in my hair, staring down at the latest STAR magazine, to see what Brittney's been up to... and I hear her the click-click of Ms. Salon Owner's heels on the floor over to my chair. The words that flowed from her perfectly painted lips could not have stunned me more. She says....and I am quoting here...."I just want you to know that we are all just talking and salivating over that good lookin' husband of yours every time he comes in here." END QUOTE

As I gave out a little nervous laugh, several thoughts randomly flashed through my mind: WHAT??!!... "What was he wearing?"...... "Are they going to make my hair look like crap now, on purpose?"....... "Am I gonna tell Race?"...... "Oh my God! Does Race KNOW????"....... "Yeah-I think she's doing my hair like that on purpose".

But I think that it was only the nervous little laugh that actually came out of my mouth. There was a bit of conversation that ensued among the salon gals, all in agreement, and then on to something else.


So. There that is.

It's somethin' to think about, girls. Somethin' to think about. And why was I so shocked? And also...DOES Race know?????? Does he???? How would you feel about that??


I know this one thing, for sure: When I see my Johnny Bad Ass, my definition of all-that-is-hot-in-this-world, being the patient, understanding dad that he is with our kids, helping them be the best that they can be.........well, (swoon) I'll tell ya- it just sends me over the edge. It makes me realize a thousand times over why I married this man. I'd take my skinny butt and fight off an entire clan of Amazon warrior-salon-women, including Sheera herself for Race. I luv 'im. (sigh)

Fixed it!

O.k., there are a few things that you should know before watching the video. First of all, this is my first shot at the whole You Tube thing....so..bear with me and be sure that your sound is on for the full effect.

Next- *this happened this morning. As in A.M. I had just stumbled outside with my coffee, onto the safety of the back deck to watch this scene unfold.

* Race saw a rat snake slithering out of the hole of one of our bird houses this morning.

* Race does NOT like snakes (accounting for a few of the shakey camera moves).

*Race calls Jack out of bed with the news that there might be some fun snake herding and poking this morning. This sent the sleepy-eyed boy straight out the back door, and into his waders ..(for protection against possible bites, I am guessing).

* And lastly and most importantly, what happens at the end of the movie, we did NOT expect. WE ABSOLUTELY HAD NO WARNING THAT THE BOY WOULD DO THAT!! We tried to temper our shrieks with more excited.."way to go!" voices. Shock and Awe, baby. Shock and Awe!

Jack's snake

I am trying this again.

Come back in just a bit!

I'm workin' on You Tube!!!!!!