Reunion.

It's hard to believe that it has been 10 years since high school, but it has and last weekend was my reunion. It only feels like it's been a year or two (except for all of the kids everyone has, Chad and I are really behind). Chad has had a fun time teasing me about how old I am. Friday night we went to my high school's football game. I had a great time seeing everyone especially Abbie and Gina. I wished the game could have lasted longer so I would have had more time to see everyone. Chad and I had to miss the dinner Saturday night, but I did get a chance to hang out with Abbie and Marla afterwards. Well on to the pictures.

Here is Abbie and her daughter Zoe.















Here is Gina.















Here is Marla and Abbie.















And here is a cute picture of Chad and Maggie.

The Dog Days of Summer

Saturdays are usually the best days of the week since both Chad and Chrissy are home to play with me. Not so today. Chrissy has had a cold and laid around the house all day. Chad hasn't played with me much either. He was too busy watching football. Then they went to see a movie (Lady in the Water (Not worth the price of admission (even at the $1.50 movie (It was weird and the people in front of them wouldn't stop talking (Chad told me all about it when he got home (I'm using too many parentheses (I'm going to stop now))))))). I'm not going to be all negative though. There were a few good things that happened. Like I got to go on a walk, and I got to go for a short ride in the truck to the grocery store. Well, gotta go. Chrissy is making banana pudding and she's been known to drop a few crumbs from time to time.

The Things You Here.....

The things you here when you're around youngsters. We had an 80th birthday surprise party for my grandmother. It was a special time for our family. Here are some quotes from my nieces and nephews and one by a parent:

"Owen, Don't hit Uncle Chad in the ding dong"

"Mommy, when I think about that picture of your big butt, I can't stop laughing"

"Mommy, do I have to play with the neighbors? They're really weird."

"I may not be the smarted kid in my class, but I am the most fabulous."

I'm not convinced I will enjoy parenthood, but I sure will be entertained.

The Birthday Girl

The most fabulous kid in the class

The Big One Year Anniversary

I just have to tell you that I have a wonderful husband in case any of you did not already know that. Chad planned our entire anniversary weekend and kept it a secret from me until the night before the trip. He lined up a sub for me on Friday and we took off to Atlanta (actually we went to Oxford first to drop off Maggie). That night we got all dressed up, Chad even wore a tie, and he took me to the Sun Dial. It is a great restaurant with a great view. It is on the 72nd floor of a hotel. We had an excellent view going up the glass elevator and at our table. If you look closely you can see the Braves game in the background, maybe that's why he chose to eat there. Saturday we went to The Cheesecake Factory for lunch, I love that place. That night we went to the Braves game, and even though they lost we still had a good time.

Savannah Day 5

Our last day in Savannah, kind of sad. I had class until 11:30. After class, we went to lunch and then walked around one last time. We then went to Jacksonville for my Grandfather's 50 year anniversary of being a pastor. I couldn't imagine doing something for 50 years. I've got 30 years until retirement and after that, I'm through. It must be wonderful to love your job so much, that you'd be willing to devote your life to it. Well, on to the pictures!!!

Chad and Saint Patrick

We found Luther, John Wesley, and Saint Patrick. We wanted a picture with Calvin, but the Presbyterian Church was closed.

Found that pretty girl in the park again

Papa J O at his 50th anniversary

Savannah Day 4

Had another good day seeing the sites. Don't feel like writing much so without further ado, on with the pictures:

John Wesley

Minister from the Church of England to the New World. Credited as the Father of the Methodist Church

Savannah's "Little Dig"

Some interesting engineering. They drilled into the soil using augers (big drills) about 90 feet down and filled the area with cement grout and H beams for reinforcement. Now they are excavating the soil and pumping the water out. They have excavated over 120,000 cubic yards of soil so far. What are they doing this for? When finished, it will be a large underground parking lot. A hotel will then be constructed above the garage. You can read more about it at http://www.theellisproject.com/

Michaelangelo

Not sure what Michaelangelo is doing in Savannah, but I guess it has something to do with Savannah's art school. This town has a surprising amount of culture, at least surprising to me.

The parks are beautiful downtown. There are many statues and fountains, like this one here.

Savannah Day 3

After a long day of boring class, we had a great evening together. We ate at Churchhill's Pub. Great environment, good food, bad red velvet cake. We then saw a few beautiful churches and walked through some parks. Still no rain!

I'm standing next to a painting of one of my heroes, Martin Luther

Pretty Girl in the park let me take her Picture

Savannah: Day 2 (Chrissy)

Yesterday was a much better day to go looking around. After I met Chad for lunch I went on a long walk by the river. It was so nice and there are so many stores to look at. I won't lie, my favorites were the candy stores with all the fudge and chocolate covered everything. I didn't buy any but I did get a free sample of the oreo fudge, it was yummy. Last night I took Chad to the river and we ate at a cajun place. It was okay, not really my thing though. Later we had some delicous ice cream and sat on a bench while we listened to a guy playing the saxaphone.

The Garden at the Independent Presbyterian Church

Missing Maggie

I miss my dog. This is a picture from the day I first met her. Isn't she cute? She's staying with the grandparents while we're in Savannah. Can't wait to go get her.

Savannah: Day 1

Savannah is beautiful. There are many restaurants we'd love to try, and some beautiful parks within walking distance of the hotel. The problem is, its pouring down rain and we can't even get to the car without getting soaked. We ordered pizza (poor delivery guy) and we're stuck in the hotel, watching TV. I checked the weather and it is supposed to rain all week. Hopefully things will get better.

4th of July

So I know that I've been a little slow in posting this, but it's better late than never. It's been very busy getting ready for the school year and working. Chad and I had a great time visiting with family for the 4th. There was also a lot of great food, we had tons of desserts, casseroles, and bbq. Maggie went on her first boat ride. She handeled it well but she was not too happy at first. Here are a couple of pictures og Chad with Lilly and me with Steffany.

Maggie the Fish and Sox fan

Maggie went swimming for the first time (at least of her own accord). She never ceases to amaze me. That's why she's the wonderdog.




Maggie is definitely a Sox Fans (colorblind too)

Good times at the wedding

Last month, we went to one of my best friend's wedding back in Jacksonville. Here are a couple of pictures from the wedding:

THE IMPOSSIBLE HAS HAPPENED!

THIS IS MY "I'M WEARING LAVENDER" FACE

ME AND CHRISSY ON THE ST. JOHNS RIVER

Boo Pedro?

A lot of debate over the last few days about what to do with Pedro. Do the fans boo him? Cheer him? Act indifferent? I say they cheer him. I know I will not be there. If I was, I'd stand up and clap. Perfect game tonight for me would be a 1-o victory for the Sox, Petey being pulled in the 8th and the Mets giving up the run in the ninth. I'm actually kind of worried about to night. I remember Roger's first game back in bean town after being shown the door. He pitched with a vengeance. Hopefully that doesn't happen tonight. Oh well. The games about to start. Go SOX!

Bittersweet Victory

Our friends Mitch, Jawan, Jennifer, and John Ed

Had a great time Saturday watching the Sox beat the Braves at Turner Field. I'll have to admit though it was a little bittersweet. I've been a Braves fan since I was old enough to know what was going on. I loved Dale, Glenn Hubbard, Ozzie Virgil, and Bob Horner. And I remember being allowed to stay up late and watch Sid Bream beat the tag at home. My favorite pitcher was Steve Avery and favorite fielder was Mark Lemke. But after the Braves World Series beatings by the Yankees, I started getting into the Sox Yankees rivalry. Then I started pulling for the Sox just to see the Yanks loose. Then I started reading Bill Simmon's articles. I fell in love with the Sox. I loved how the underdog finally won. David finally beat Goliath. And now its Boston for me. I love how they overcame a 3-0 deficit for the greatest comeback in playoff history. I love how they might have lost in the past, but they always went down swinging. I love how their fans almost outnumber their opponents at away games. I love how they start anti-yankee chants at away games in another team's stadium. And I love being a Sox fan. Now that the series is over, I say go Braves again. But always, Go Sox.

Great things that happened:

Papi and my favorite player Kevin Youkilis both hit homeruns.

Papelbon came in and recorded a save.

Beckett looked awesome.

And of course, the Sox won.

Vacation Pics

Here are a few pics from our reunion/ vacation in St. Simons Island. We had a great time at the beach, the waterpark, and the lott cottage. Lots of fun!

Memorial Day

Wanted to share a little of what me and Chrissy enjoyed today. We cooked some really good steak kabobs and corn.


The second picture is of somebody wanting table scraps. Do you think she deserves scraps?

Funny shirt and an etiquette question

Isn't this a great T-shirt? I found it on chowdaheadz.com. There were a few other Yankees shirts that aren't appropriate, but they're still funny. By the way, those of you going to the Sox-Braves game June 17th, chowdaheadz is a great place to get your Red Sox apparel.

I read an article a few days ago by Bill Simmons on ESPN.com. A reader wrote him a question about etiquette at a baseball game. His response was: "You only have eight responsibilities during a baseball game: Take your hat off for the National Anthem; don't take your shirt off; don't bring your baseball glove if you're over 13; don't wear a jersey with your own name on it; don't run onto the field; don't reach into the field of play to grab a pop-up or ground ball if it could adversely affect your team; don't boo one of your own players unless it's absolutely warranted; and don't throw up. That's it. Everything else is up to you. " I've often thought about the glove comment. I have to agree with him. If you're too old to be in little league, you ought to be able to catch the ball with your bare hands. But thats just me. I'd never do it, but I'm not going to stick my nose up at anyone who does. I'd also have to add a few items: don't curse a lot (especially when kids are around); don't spill your beer/coke on others; and don't stand up if your the only person doing it. But thats just me.

Happy Birthday to Us

Me and Chrissy's birthdays were last week. For one day out of the year, she is actually 3 years older than me. I thought about getting her a cane, but I don't think she'd see the humor. She got me a great CD for my birthday by Jack Johnson (pictured above). It is great, mellow music. Good stuff. We ate pizza and threw sod on my birthday. The inlaws got me a meat thermometer and a gift certificate. Thanks guys.

On her birthday (the day before), I got her a cake decorating kit, Emma the movie (the one with Gwyneth Paltrow), and took her to a cool restaurant in Auburn called Cock of the Walk. Almost forgot, Maggie celebrated her birthday with us by eating a good tasty bone. Fun times.

Last Day of School

You would think that today being the last day of school I would be pumped. I am pretty excited about the time off but my joy is less because some of these kids will not be back next year. The kids in these pictures all are a part of the extended care program so I have had a lot of time to get to know them. One, possibly two will be back. I can't believe that these kids who have been so sweet to me and have meant so much to me I will more than likely never see again and never know how their lives go. I trust that God will be with them and protect them as they grow.

Praying With 4 Year Olds

Today I subbed for the K-4 class. At the begining of class we say some pledges and then pray. I asked if anyone had any prayer request and a few hands shot up. The first one wanted me to know that her great great great great grandmother died. The next few also told me about someone that they have never known dying. Then the next request was by someone who wanted us to know that his dog died but that it was okay because he now has a cat that he likes ( this also happened a while ago ). Seeing that this was getting out of hand I stopped tham all and said that for today we only need to pray about things that are happening now. Amazingly enough the next request was about someone that had died years ago. I ended up saying my own prayer just asking for us to have a good day and to live to bring glory to God.

Going to the birds

The last few times we've come through the front door at night, a bird has just about hit us. He's nesting under the overhang of our front porch. I've destroyed his nest the last 3 nights in a row, yet he still comes back and rebuilds. Chrissy wont let me kill it. Any non-fatal ideas? I think there has been some bats under there too.

And another thing; is it illegal to shoot a rifle in your backyard if you live in a neighborhood? The guy down the street sure doesn't think so. The thing that is really scary is that there are houses behind his house and a road. Besides the danger, the noise isn't really considerate. Whatever.

We Finally Won!

I know that the Red Sox have won plenty of games this year but every game that I watch they lose. I was begining to think that I was a jinx, thankfully last night that changed. It was so much fun watching the Yankees get beat. I can't wait to watch the next game.

Spring Fling

Today we went to watch Olivia play tee ball, she was great. It was so much fun watching the kids play. After that we went to our church's Spring Fling. Caroline and Olivia had a great time jumping on the moonwalk, I enjoyed playing in the cake walk and winning a cupcake, and Chad had fun trying to convert all the little kids to being Red Sox fans.

Why won't they listen to me?

Wily Mo: 269 avg., 1 Homerun.

Bronson Arroyo: 3-0, 3.04 ERA. 2 Homeruns (HIT!! He has hit more homeruns than Wily Mo)

Why didn't Theo listen to me?

I saw the Sox D-rays game a few nights ago. I know Coco will be back soon, but I really like seeing Youk hitting leadoff. It was amazing how many pitches he saw. I think he's going to be around for a long time. He'll never be a superstar, but he'll be a asset to any team.

Will Josh Bard learn how to catch the whiffle ball? I hope so. I know it took Belli a long time too.

Go Sox

Easter Weekend

We had a very busy weekend, we celebrated my grandfather's birthday and Easter. We went to our old church Sunday. It was so nice seeing everyone again. I was amazed to see how much the kids have grown, it made me realize how long we've been gone. I had a great time hanging out with my cousin Lily. She is cute, she just turned 3. Chad and I hid the Easter eggs for her. I am sorry to say that we hid one so well no one could find it. We are all hoping that it was one with money or stickers in it. Here is a great picture of Chad teaching Lily a bad habit.

GO FAITH!!!!

Yep,

As Chrissy so wonderfully explained in her last blog, it is baseball time again. Sorry to say, after a year in the big leagues (actually the C League of Oxford Alabama's church softball league), I've had to retire based on lack of performance and moving away. Anyways, I'd like to wish the reigning champion softball team good luck in the upcoming season. May your bats be strong and your defense be stingy. GO FAITH

It's Baseball Time!

For those of you who don't know baseball season started last night, Chad is very excited about this. Football is my favorite sport so I can't say that I am as pumped as he is but baseball is growing on me. I'm just not so sure that it will continue to grow on me if we watch every televised game. Last night we watched part of the game and tonight we watched the Braves-go Braves- and right now we are watching the Padres and Giants - neither team I care about but I am rooting against Bonds, even if he hasn't done roids he's just not a nice guy. Well Chad and I need to go walk Maggie before the championship game starts. Go Gators!