The Medina's

A day at the beach

2009-02-23T20:37:00.008-05:00

A couple of days ago, the weather was perfect - it wasn't too cold and it wasn't too hot. John got home early from work, so we decided to "get crazy" and take the dogs to the beach. They've never been before, so we decided to take them up to Hilton Head to see how they would react to the sand.

They LOVED it! Hilton Head doesn't require your dogs to be on a leash during certain months of the year, and February is one of them, so we were able to let them run wild. They had the best time playing with each other, greeting other beach goers, and chasing sea gulls.

Everyone celebrates Valentine's at our house!

2009-02-17T14:56:00.003-05:00

Valentine's Day has never been a really big deal for John and I. Of course we love each other and we consider it a day to express our love to each other and those around us, but we figured that our puppies needed to get in on the action as well. First, the puppies really wanted to get their daddy a card to tell them how much they loved him. You know - Valentine's Day isn't all about romantic love. Second, John and I purchased the dogs a Valentine's treat to enjoy since all of the adults would be indulging throughout the weekend. As you can tell - they enjoyed!

Happy belated Valentine's!

Pink Donuts

2009-02-08T14:58:00.006-05:00

My Friend, Abigail, celebrated her 3rd birthday last week. John and I kept asking her what she wanted for her birthday and all she could tell that she wanted was pink donuts. I don't know if you've been out shopping lately, but pink donuts are hard to come by. Second of all, this girl is super cool and is really in to Hanna Montana and High School Musical stuff, so we automatically thought that she would want something that had to do with one of those two things.

So, John and I were on a mission: We had to find pink donuts and we had to find them fast. Well, as you can imagine, pink donuts aren't just everywhere, so we had to go to "plan B." We went to the party with an alternate gift, and hoped that we would find pink donuts before Abigail's actual birthday.

The party was a blast - As you can see, Abigail had a great time. We started in the mall food court and then went to Build-A-Bear.

After the party, we were on a hunt for donuts - pink donuts. They were NOWHERE to be found. So, we did the next best thing. We found some Krispy Kreme donuts and then went to the grocery store to buy pink icing. The fun began. We literally had an argument over which pink icing was best. I wanted one kind and John wanted another - John said that the kind I wanted wasn't good enough for "his Abigail."

Long story short - we got the donuts home and John, yes, John iced them and covered them with pink sprinkles and we called Abigail over to come get her present. She was SO excited and we had the best time watching her eat her PINK DONUTS!

I've officially said goodbye to my husband......

2009-01-22T10:22:00.003-05:00

Yes - I admitted defeat and decided to tell my husband goodbye and allow our household to enter the 21st Century. It all started with a harmless trip to Best Buy to simply "look" at flat screen TV's. Two hours and a headache later, we were officially owners of a new flat screen TV and an iPod Touch. Yes, you read that correctly. No - the iPod isn't for me and I'm still not quite sure how it all happened. It all happened so fast.

I think Best Buy and other places similar, design their stores to do these things to us on purpose. The store happened to be packed that day, and every single TV was on in the place, not to mention every stereo was blasting a different song. They want you to be distracted and caught up in the glitz and glory of all the technology. And on that day, as I mentioned, they were packed and were WAY understaffed - therefore, we were beginning to get aggravated and towards the end, we just wanted to get out of there! Before I knew it, John had us meandering over to the iPod section. The next thing I know we are getting one, AND all the accessories to go with it!

BUT - I am smarter that I appear...before we left the store, I did set some ground rules. The iPod cannot go EVERYWHERE we go and he does have to pay me SOME attention, but he does love it and it is pretty cool! It does some really neat stuff!

We had to wait for our new TV to come in - it came in the next day. Only two came in on the truck...Believe it or not, Best Buy actually kept one for us, since we prepaid. We brought the TV home and thus began the process of installing it. Finally around midnight the TV was mounted on the wall. Unfortunately, John had to get up at 5:30 and go to work for two days. But - when he gets home, I won't see him nor hear from him for days........

It's that time of year

2009-01-20T13:41:00.002-05:00

I know that a lot of you (again, all 5 of you) thought that perhaps something serious has happened to me. I have not talked to many of you and I haven't been so good with emails or keeping up with the blog.

Quite contrary. I'm perfectly fine - despite the fact that I have had 14,976,347 migraines and am now trying to fight the ever so lovely cold, but other than that, I'm good. John and I survived Christmas and I would almost go as far as to say that we had a great Christmas at home. It was the best trip home ever.

But - if I must remind you - it is THAT time of year. Our friends over at the ole' IRS office are just a buzzin. Being that I am in the accounting field, this time of year is quite hectic for me, thus that is why you have not seen, nor heard from me much. I will try to keep in touch, but don't expect much! Toodles!

Christmas Aprons!

2008-12-09T22:24:00.002-05:00

No, you aren't seeing double - this is my mom and I in matching aprons....that I made!!!!!! Crazy, I know, but believe it people! I worked countless hours on them and surprised my mommy so we could match at the Smith Family Christmas Cookie Bake! All the hard work was SO worth it! My mom was SO surprised and it was SO much fun to match! I think the last time we wore something matching was was I was about five years old and my mom made us matching dresses. Boy, have times changed! I had so much fun sewing something for my mom for once and even more fun surprising her! And, to top it all off - our aprons matched the goodie bags!

Exiciting News!

2008-12-09T22:12:00.002-05:00

I have such exciting news that I have to post immediately! For most of my adult life, I have wanted a tandem bicycle and now I HAVE ONE! I it is a crazy, long, story, but now I am the proud owner of a tandem bicycle.

I am beyond excited and thankful and surprised and everything in between! I will post the details and pictures soon!

FYI: I'm alive!

2008-11-28T09:31:00.002-05:00

I know that it has been quite a while since I've posted, so I wanted to let all of my friends and family (all 5 of you) know that I was alive and well - just busy. We have been running around like crazy getting ready for Thanksgiving and even Christmas. I went home to Montgomery for our annual Christmas Cookie Bake, then came back to Savannah for less than 24 hours and headed to Charlotte, NC for Thanksgiving.

I have SO many things to post about, so be patient!

My latest sewing project

2008-11-10T09:30:00.003-05:00

For the last 39,576,343 hours I have working on sewing an apron. Not just any apron - a custom apron! After days of sewing (with several interruptions) I'm finally finished and I LOVE it! I learned so much from making it and I eventually had fun! I can't wait to make another one!

Full View

Side View

Fun Weekend Part II

2008-11-09T20:08:00.005-05:00

Sorry it's taken so long, but it's been a long, busy, headache filled week.....
As I mentioned, my parents came down for Halloween and my birthday. We had the BEST time! On Saturday my mom and I went to my neighborhood's Needlework Group meeting at a local coffee shop. I usually go and sometimes crochet, but I usually just visit. The group is filled with WONDERFUL, christian ladies that I love, and look up to! My mom was able to meet all of them, watch them knit, and enjoy some good coffee.

The ladies talking & knitting while enjoying some coffee at Baibry's

The next agenda for the day was the neighborhood fall festival. We had a golf cart parade scheduled, a dessert auction, and a cookout planned. Someway, somehow, Dad got suckered into being the auctioneer for the dessert auction. He did a GREAT job and raised over $200 for our committee! For those of you that know my dad, you can only imagine how funny he was - he managed to have grown men arguing over a red velvet cake.

Dad conducting the dessert auction.

Mom and I - I somehow ended up with two cupcakes from the auction.

Mom, Dad, and John getting ready to leave for the golf cart parade. We went with an Auburn theme.

The last part of the weekend was to celebrate my birthday. John and Dad cooked some great steaks and we had the good old salad and potatoes to go with them. Then I had a ....get ready for this: DOUBLE DOOZIE cookie cake! It was SO good! Afterwards I got to open my presents. Mom and Dad had the collage of granddaddy that is in the Auburn Athletic Museum framed. I was SO excited because I've wanted one of my own for some time now. (I'll post more about this later) We have it hung and I love looking at! I'm so proud of granddaddy! John went above and beyond - he is building (almost finished) me a bench for my kitchen. It is about 8 ft long, and will allow for seating, but will have storage baskets underneath. He also got me a massage package from a local spa. I can't wait to use it!

All in all we had a great weekend. I love it when my parents come and I can't wait until they come again!

Me with my granddaddy collage.

Fun Weekend Part I

2008-11-03T14:24:00.002-05:00

Mom and Dad came with their two dogs Max and Millie for Halloween and my birthday. They got here Thursday night and left Sunday morning, so we tried to pack in as much as we could during those few days. One of the main things on the agenda was to dress the dogs up Friday night and take them "trick or treating." As you can imagine, this was quite the adventure. Naturally, they wouldn't be still and pose for a picture, so I tried to get the best pictures that I could. Captain was a bumble bee and Lexie was a lady bug. We took them down to a few of our neighbors houses and exchanged "puppy treats." We had a great time and the dogs loved it! All except for the dressing up part!

And then there were two!

2008-11-03T14:20:00.002-05:00

I finished my second pillow case! That means two down, and two to go! Actually, I'm not too sure that I'm going to do the other two, but we'll see. And, no, you're eyes aren't playing tricks on you...one pillow case IS smaller than the other. I'm still learning - I'm not perfect YET, but I'm working on it! I'm just happy that I completed yet another project and this one didn't take me near as long! They look great in my guest room! I'm so proud!

2008-10-25T16:21:00.007-04:00

Some friends of ours wanted to get together and we all wanted to do something different - something different than what we usually did. So, we put our heads together and decided that we would go bowling. We met up at the bowling alley and dove right in. I haven't bowled in years and to be quite honest, I wasn't too excited about, but we had a BLAST! Of course we had to make it a contest - boys vs. girls - I'm not going to say who won - but you can take your guesses. We had a great time wearing the nerdy shoes and trying to out score each other. We are definitely going to make this a regular activity. Here are a few pictures:

The guys decided to roll up their pants, hoping it would make them bowl better.

John & I

I finally got a strike!

John bowls like a professional - he really gets into it!

Us girls - Stephanie, me, and Jessica

Morgan bowling old fashioned style

A Few Visitors....

2008-10-25T15:35:00.004-04:00

I have had the pleasure of having some great friends and family pay me a visit over the last few weeks. John and I LOVE visitors and pretty much have an open door policy - you can never invite yourself to our house. Friends and family are always invited.

My first visitor was my long time friend, Keri. It just so happened that neither one of us had anything to do on that particular weekend, so she hopped in her car that Friday afternoon and drove over to Savannah. John was at work, so we made it an all girls weekend. We got all of our talking out (which was GREAT) and we shopped until we dropped. We found some great deals at the Hilton Head outlets! We had some great food and great fellowship and Keri was even able to meet some of my new neighbors and friends. I'm so thankful that she was able to come! It made my week!
My second set of visitors were my aunt and uncle, Davy and Bettye, from Auburn. They were on their way to Beaufort, SC and decided to stop in Savannah on their way to say hi to us. We were thrilled to have them stop by. They came by on a cold, yucky, Saturday, but we made the best out of it. They were able to stay for a couple of hours and we even were able to take them on a "GC ride" (that's a golf cart ride for those of you who don't know our language). They headed on to Beaufort, but came back through the following Thursday. They met us at our house and then we all headed downtown and had lunch at SoHo Cafe. It was fabulous! We had the most wonderful lunch (and desert) and really enjoyed visiting with each other. After lunch, we strolled through downtown Savannah. We went to see several of the famous squares and we even did a little shopping. On our journey, we stopped by Paula Deen's restaurant, Lady & Sons, and then went into her store, where her two sons were - which was pretty neat. We also got to go to City Market and visit an authentic candy store and get some good ole' fashioned pralines - so good! It was a great visit and we can't wait until next year!

I'm learning how to sew!

2008-10-17T22:56:00.005-04:00

I know. It is so hard to believe. Rebecca - sewing? Are you sure? Yes, I'm sure. I'm ashamed that I've waited all these years to learn when I had plenty of opportunities to learn from my mother when I lived at home, but for some reason, I just wasn't ready. But - now I am ready and willing, so I'm taking sewing lessons from my neighbor and friend Kathy. She teaches a class out of her home each Thursday. This Thursday was the first class that everyone in the class was going to be making the same thing - a custom pillowcase. Kathy sent out an email earlier in the week letting us know the materials that we needed in order to complete our pillowcase. I was so excited - I went shopping and picked out my fabric and ribbon - I just knew this pillowcase was going to be great!

So - first we had to learn how to measure and cut. I know that I'm an accountant, but this has to be one of the hardest parts! I think it is one of my least favorite things about sewing so far - the math! I need my calculator!

Next we had to start the actual sewing. Well, of course of had to load the bobbin and thread my needle. For the first time ever, I did it all by myself! I was SO proud (this is BIG for those of you who don't sew!). Second, we learned how to do french seams. Unfortunately, I don't really remember what these are, but they give your project a really nice, finished, professional look. It takes a little extra time, but it does look nice. After that, I had to sew on my trim, which happened to be 4 inch satin ribbon (not easy to sew). At some point, I got really frustrated - see below:

Eventually, I got the hang of it and got into a groove and figured out how to sew on the ribbon without messing up. Before I knew it, I was almost done. Kathy kept encouraging me and kept pushing me and BAM- I had a pillowcase! I was SO proud! I have enough fabric for 3 more, so I guess I better get busy!

A day at the dog park

2008-10-15T07:38:00.009-04:00

"Aunt Kathy" called Monday to see if we wanted to take the pups to the park since they had done NOTHING for the past 3 days (it rained ALL weekend). It was a gorgeous day, so we loaded up on the golf cart (riding on the golf cart is half the fun), picked up "Aunt Kathy" and her two pups, Kirby & Hoover and headed to the park. Kathy came prepared and brought us blankets to sit on, toys to play with, and of course treats! The dogs had the best time running around and playing at the park. They played chase, they played with tennis balls, and they sniffed like crazy! The weather was perfect - it wasn't too hot and it wasn't too cool. We all had a great time. As soon as we got home, the dogs crashed.

As I mentioned, Kathy brought a few treats for the dogs in her backpack. The dogs quickly discovered that the treats were in the backpack. As you can see - they tried to dive in the backpack to retrieve them! We decided that if Captain wanted to get in the backpack so bad, we would just put him in it!

The ABC's........of Life

2008-10-12T17:14:00.004-04:00

Accept Differences...Be Kind...Count Your Blessings...Dream Big...Exemplify Patience...Forgive...Give Freely...Harm No One...Imagine More...Jump for Joy...Keep God First...Love Truly...Make a Joyful Noise...Nurture Hope...Open Your Heart...Pray Daily... Quarrel Less...Receive Compliments...Seek Wisdom...Teach Others...Understand...Value Truth...Watch Your Actions...X-tra Special People Do Exist...Yearn For Peace...Zealously Support Your Loved Ones.

Cupcakes & Icing and more..........

2008-10-12T12:49:00.005-04:00

A new neighbor and friend of ours, Christina, had surgery last week, so I decided to try to help her out a little bit. She has two little girls - Abigail who is 2 1/2 years old and Avery who just turned one. I figured that Christina and her husband Todd had their hands full, so I decided to try my hand at the whole "kid" thing and have Abigail over to make some festive fall cupcakes.

So - I went to pick Abigail up, but she wasn't totally sure that she was ready to come over. I coaxed her into getting on the golf cart and going for a short ride first. After our golf cart ride we came back to my house and got started on the cupcakes.
Abigail was SO excited! The first step was getting her an apron. I couldn't find any of my kid size aprons, so the next best thing was to let Abigail wear one of my aprons. It was so funny, because the apron went all the way down to her ankles!

Next, we started to mix up the batter. Abigail wanted to do it all - she put in the mix, the eggs (one at a time), the oil, and the water. It was then time to mix. The directions said to use a mixer, so I put Abigail up on the counter and let her hold the mixer with me and we did it together. She thought it was so neat. After the batter was all mixed up, I asked her if she wanted to taste - to my surprise, she declined. BUT - the cupcake mix came with sprinkles that you added to the batter once all the ingredients were mixed together. So - I let her add the sprinkles and stir them in. As soon as the sprinkles were in the batter, she immediately wanted to taste - and not just a little taste - she asked for a spoon full!

After the cupcakes baked and cooled, it was time to decorate (this was the fun part). She told me that she wanted to ice the cupcakes herself, so I gave her a small bowl of icing and a spoon. I walked away to get her a few cupcakes to decorate and I came back and she had icing all over her face. So I quickly learned that she probably didn't need to ice the cupcakes by herself. So - plan B: I would ice the cupcakes and let her decorate them.

So - she had a blast decorating. She had her choice of sprinkles, m&m's, candy corn, and colored sugar.
Bless her heart though - she LOVES sugar! She kept finding every excuse in the book to lick her hand, fingers, and even elbows! She did a great job decorating and seemed to have a good time. She told me that she was making cupcakes for herself, me, her mommy, daddy, and sister.

All in all it was very fun, and the cupcakes tasted great, but it was a nice little reminder, that I'm not quite ready for kids!

Remember our Troops!

2008-10-10T08:27:00.002-04:00

Today I have a heavy heart as I am reminded how many of our fellow Americans are overseas right now fighting for our freedom. I am reminded of this daily, because my husband and I both have sacrificed things to serve this county, but there are others whom I happen to know that are sacrificing MUCH more.

Please keep our troops and their families in your thoughts and prayers. Take the time pray for them and their families. There are so many wives and children left behind for months at a time and there are so many dads that miss so much.

"I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling;" I Timothy 2:8

Noah's Ark!

2008-10-08T13:07:00.003-04:00

I came across this story today and I just thought it was too cool not to talk about. It's Noah's Ark! Of course, it's only a replica of Noah's Ark, but still - it's still pretty neat. It was built by Dutch creationist Johan Huibers as a testament to his faith.
Johan's fully functional ark is 150 cubits long, 30 cubits high and 20 cubits wide (he got his measurements from the bible). That's two-thirds the length of a football field and as high as a three-story house.
Life-size models of giraffes, elephants, lions, crocodiles, zebras, bison and other animals greet visitors as they arrive in the main hold.
"The design is by my wife, Bianca," Huibers said. "She didn't really want me to do this at all, but she said if you're going to anyway, it should look like this."
A contractor by trade, Huibers built the ark of cedar and pine — biblical scholars debate exactly what the wood used by Noah would have been.
Huibers did the work mostly with his own hands, using modern tools and occasional help from his son Roy. Construction began in May 2005.

On the uncovered top deck — not quite ready in time for the opening — will come a petting zoo, with baby lambs and chickens, and goats. And one camel.
Visitors on the first day were stunned. Visitors stated that they had grown up hearing the story of Noah and his ark, but after seeing the model, the story became so much more real. Believers had no idea how big the ark really was.
In fact, Noah's Ark as described in the Bible was five times larger than Johan's Ark.

The model ark will have a 50-seat theater where visitors can watch Disney's "Fantasia" that tells the story of Noah. There will also be exhibits showing ancient tools, old-fashioned barrels, and exotic stuffed animals.

Huibers said he hopes the project will renew interest in Christianity in the Netherlands, where churchgoing has fallen dramatically in the past 50 years. He also plans to visit major cities in Belgium and Germany.

So - I'm ready to visit the Netherlands - how about you?

Story and photos courtesy of Fox News & Associated Press.

One Minute...........

2008-10-07T10:52:00.002-04:00

This is the scariest election we as Christians have ever faced, and from the looks of the polls, the Christians aren't voting Christian values. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says...'If my people, which are called by my name shall humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.'

During WWII, there was an advisor to Churchill who organized a group of people who dropped what they were doing every night at a prescribed hour for one minute to collectively pray for the safety of England, its people and peace. This had an amazing effect as bombing stopped.

There is now a group of people organizing the same thing here in America. The United States of America and our citizens need prayer more than ever!! If you would like to participate, each evening at 9:00 PM Eastern Time (8 PM Central, 7 PM Mountain, 6 PM Pacific), STOP whatever you are doing and spend one minute praying for the safety of the United States, our troops, our citizens, for peace in the world, the upcoming election, that the Bible will remain the basis for the laws governing our land and that Christianity will grow in the U.S.

Sunday Afternoon

2008-10-07T08:00:00.002-04:00

This is how we spent our Sunday afternoon. I had to test out my new bike and of course the puppies wanted to go, so we loaded them up in their baskets and went for a ride around the neighborhood. It was the perfect day!

Wiener Dog Races!

2008-10-06T10:06:00.006-04:00

It's that time again! This Saturday was the 2008 Wiener Dog Races! There were literally hundreds of wiener dogs down on river street. There were dogs in every size, shape, and color attending the races. Some were actually racing and others were just spectators. We decided not to race our dogs this year so we could actually have a little fun and watch all the action. Captain & Lexie also got to meet and greet all kinds of new friends - they had so much fun and they were so well behaved!

It was also Octoberfest this weekend down on River street, so there were lots of vendors, music and food to enjoy. The dogs sat in their stroller and took it all in.

I Went Thrifting!

2008-10-04T00:29:00.005-04:00

I went thrifing today and boy was it fun! I woke up bright and early at 6am so I could have plenty of time to get ready for the thrift sale. I was going with my neighbors and friends, Carey Jo and Kathy, who were going to be ready to leave around 8:30ish.

We left the neighborhood right on time and headed downtown to the Savannah Civic Center. We got there around 9 and waited in line until the doors opened at 10:00. We were pretty close to the front of the line, so we had a good shot at getting some good stuff.

When we went in, I decided to make a fool of myself and make a run for it. I went straight for the furniture. I have been wanting a bookshelf to store all of our books and photo albums. I immediately found one for $20. Next I headed to the bikes, and low and behold and I found my cruiser bike! I was SO excited. And, the best part was - it was only $16! Granted, it had a little rust and needed new tires, but otherwise it looked like it was in great condition. I was beside myself I was so excited. I flagged down a Jr. League girl to pay her for the bike and they took it away to hold it for me. While I was paying her, I saw this cute little table, that I thought would look perfect at the end of my hallway, and it was only $10. I asked her to add the table to my purchase. Cha ching!

Next, I was so excited I couldn't decide where to go next - I was meandering through everything, but not settling on one particular section. I saw a section labeled "greenhouse." I figured there might be some neat garden stuff in there, so I decided to check it out. Over in a corner, almost out of sight, were two, barely used, old fashioned, reel mowers! They were only $14! John has been wanting one of these for so long, but they are quite expensive. So, I stood there and guarded them and called Kathy over to take a look at them. She was so excited and said that we must get them for our husbands. So - picture this: two ladies walking through the thrift sale, pulling an old fashion reel mower behind them. It was quite a site. People were staring and pointing! We went to go checkout and put the mowers in the car, so we could continue to shop. Once we checked out, we figured that we had to test out the mowers - so, we of course had to cut the grass at the Civic Center! First of all the mowers worked and second of all it was so funny! Again - people were staring!

I found a few other nick knacks - a really cute picnic basket, a Southern Living Cookbook, and a really pretty glass decanter. Overall it was a fun filled day, and very productive.

I'm going thrifting!

2008-10-02T22:23:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow morning (Friday) I get to go thrifting! I'm so excited! The Jr. League of Savannah http://www.jrleaguesav.org is having their annual thrift sale this weekend at the Savannah Civic Center. I have been once before and I had a blast. The civic center floor is covered with just about anything and everything you can imagine, except for adult clothing. There is furniture, household items, artwork, books, and all kinds of other stuff. It is so much fun! It's like a big treasure hunt!

People get there hours early and line up so they can be the first to get in the door. Then - once the doors open, everyone runs - yes, I said runs. People run to get the best stuff. I can't wait. I will post tomorrow when I get home and let you know what I found!

Jack Smith - My Granddaddy

2008-10-01T22:47:00.004-04:00

So, as you can read below I was in Auburn this past weekend at the AU v. TN game. As some of you know, my grandfather, Jack Smith, played football in Auburn in 1939 and just so happened to kick the first field goal in Jordan-Hare Stadium, which is where the Auburn Tigers play today.

When I was in Auburn this weekend, I couldn't help but think how neat it was that granddaddy actually played in that stadium, ran and played on that field and actually kicked a field goal through those goal posts. It blew my mind.

Granddaddy has been gone now for a little over three years and I miss him terribly. I never knew how important he was or how much he had done until he was gone. Unfortunately, it took my little brother putting in some time and effort to make sure that granddaddy got the credit that he deserved.

Last fall my little brother, Blake, met with the director of the Athletic Museum at Auburn University and eventually had my grandfather added to the museum. If grandaddy were around to see the pictures and plaque he would be SO embarrassed, but all of us grandchildren and all of his children couldn't be any happier!

It was so neat to be in Auburn this weekend and I don't think I'll ever go back there and look at it the same knowing how much it meant to grandaddy. The phrase "war eagle" means so much more.

Welcome Baby Jack!

2008-10-01T15:04:00.004-04:00

Welcome to the world Baby Jack! Jack Harrison was welcomed to the world last Thursday, September 25th, weighing in at an amazing 8lbs 10 oz's! I was able to meet baby Jack while in Montgomery and he is absolutely adorable. He looks a lot like his big sister, Ansley, and some like his dad, and some like his aunt Heidi.

It was so great to meet him and see his mom and dad beaming with pride! I admire them both! They are both such great parents!

Jack was named after our grandfather, Jack Smith, and after Will's grandfather, Harrison Brown.....This boy has quite a legacy to live up to! I can't wait to watch him grow!

War Eagle!

2008-09-30T19:23:00.005-04:00

We are finally home from a great few days in sweet home Alabama. We had a great time visiting friends and family. The main reason for this trip was to go to the Auburn v. Tennessee game, so we of course, had to make that top priority.

We arrived in Auburn Saturday morning decked out in our orange and blue. Tommy Tubberville asked all Auburn fans to wear blue instead of orange to this particular game, so we had on mostly blue, which was a nice change (but it was hot!). We got to Auburn and found us a nice shady spot to park the car for the day. We got out all of our stuff and set up "camp." Dad sent some food with us - he made us fresh market blue cheese burgers and some other goodies to snack on. Blake and Amanda arrived (decked out in blue as well) ready for a great day of football. Then we met up with Shay and Josh who had tickets to the game too, so we invited them to join us, so they obliged. So - we enjoyed some good ole' fashioned Auburn tailgating: we had the radio on, we pigged out on great food, the girls talked, and the boys played horseshoes. The weather was absolutely perfect!

After we ate lunch we packed up and headed to Tiger Walk to see the coaches and players. It is an Auburn tradition, and a rather neat one if I must say so myself. John had never been, so I really wanted him to be able to go. Tiger Walk was fun - we got to see Tommy, Ben Tate, Kodi Burns - you know - all the cool people.

After Tiger Walk we walked over to Anders book store to do a little shopping. I decided to be five years old again, so I bought some AU tattoos and put one on my arm to show my enthusiasm. Everyone else thought I was a nerd, but I thought I was pretty cool. After Anders, we walked around campus admiring the buildings and the grounds. Auburn has such a beautiful campus!

Finally, it was time to head to the stadium. We began the long walk back. We arrived at the stadium to wait in line, in which we finally arrived at the front. We got in around 2:00, which was 30 minutes until game time. We rushed to our seats because we didn't want to miss the famous eagle flying.

For those of you who might not know - an eagle flies from the upper deck of the stadium, soars around, and then lands on the field - all while the fans and yelling a big "waaaaaaaar eagle, Hey!" It gives me chill bumps every single time. It is really something to watch. The bird is so large and to see it fly through that stadium and to hear the fans at the same time. You just can't beat it.

Anyways - it was finally game time. The game was great. It was back and forth, back forth. And to be quite honest - Auburn didn't do too well. I still love my team, but there have been better years for the team. If it wasn't for our defense we would be nothing. In the end, we ended up pulling out a victory.

After the game, we left exhausted and sweaty, BUT glad that we beat Tennessee! It
was a great day!

Long Week!

2008-09-26T21:51:00.003-04:00

So, this week has FINALLY come to an end! TGIF! I didn't think that this week would ever end! When it rains it pours and apparently God is trying to teach me some patience and pain tolerance.

I haven't done too much blogging or "net surfing" this week due to a really bad string of migraines and a sinus infection. I finally ended up at the doctor this week and got things taken care of, but let me just say that it was a long week.

Even after the doctor visit, I STILL couldn't get rid of the headache! Wouldn't you know that it would rain most of this week, which always brings on a migraine for me. The doctor did give me some new medicine to try, so I'm hopeful about that.

On top of my week long migraine, my washing machine quit this week, my wireless keyboard and mouse broke, John hurt his shoulder and his foot, and I had a dentist appointment. It has been a week.

BUT - the good Lord has prevailed and all the yuck stuff is over. John came home this morning, we loaded up the puppies and we headed for sweet home Alabama! We are going to the Auburn game tomorrow and can't wait! I hope to have a nice "winning" post on Sunday. Until then War Eagle!

Welcome Fall!

2008-09-22T12:27:00.003-04:00

So, today is offically the first day of Autumn (so the calendar says) and what a pleasant change! The weather has been great the past week, except for the love bugs.

Today has been such a pleasant reminder of just how blessed we are and just how smart our God is. Not only did he create four seasons for us so people like me don't get bored, but he has blessed us over and over. I'm not a big fall lover so to say - summer is really my thing, but I'm really trying to embrace this fall thing. I will have to admit that the temperature drop has been nice the last few days. Anyways - today I was rather bummed because I think the weather change has brought on a bout of NASTY migraines this past week, especially in the last few days. Second - I'm just not quite ready to say goodbye to my shorts, flip flops, and evening golf cart rides. That being said, I wasn't too thrilled that today was the first day of fall.

Which brings me to how cool AND smart God is. I have learned over time that he places people in our lives at certain times for a certain reason. So, this morning I was taking my shower, and John came in to tell me that one of my neighbors and friends, Martha, told me "happy fall." I didn't quite understand why he had to come to come tell me that while I was in the shower, but I went on about my business. When I got out of the shower, I soon found out what he was talking about. Martha, a dear sweet neighbor and friend, brought by the sweetest little bucket of fall flowers to wish me a "happy fall." It then hit me, that 1) fall IS a good thing and WILL be fun, despite the temperature change (look how pretty those flowers are!) and 2)I am SO blessed to have such great people in my life! Thanks Martha! I have many more special, special people in my life that I intend on blogging about.

All that being said, have a great first day of Autumn!

Bug Love - NOT!

2008-09-21T16:33:00.004-04:00

Have you ever heard of the ever so lovely "love bug"? Well, let me tell you - they aren't so lovely. First, a little biology lesson: The love bug is part of the bibionid fly species. They were first reported in Galveston, TX in 1940. They are basically flies that are "in love."

From what I can tell, there is NO PURPOSE to these bugs, other than to drive me crazy! They have invaded the area, and even more so, my particular yard. From what I can find, these little "flies" are rather smart. They hide out in the grass, and wait until about 10AM and then they attack! They are attracted to light colored objects, which happens to include my front porch, front and back storm door, and garage door. They do their thing during the day, then they hide for a while, then they take flight again at night, but only for a bit. They are only prevelant usually twice a year; in the early Spring and late Summer/Early Fall.

Anyways - I have NO tolerance for these things. First of all, there is NOTHING that you can do to get rid of them. Bug spray doesn't work, Citronella candles, nothing works. So, you just have to deal with them. Second, like I said - they are smart and can figure out how to get into your house! They figured out how to break through the screen of my storm doors and literally invaded my house. I just about had a nervous breakdown. I had to get the dust buster out and suck them all up. It was not a good day. They are still hanging around - they typically live for about two days and die. Thus, leaving my front porch to be a love bug morgue. I'm hoping that their remains will serve as a warning for the others.

Please pray for me. I can't take much more of these love bugs.

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!

2008-09-16T11:57:00.003-04:00

Today is my parents 30th wedding anniversary! I can't believe that they have been married for thirty years! They have set such a great example for John and I to follow. They have taught me so much about what a "real" marriage should be like. My mother has always told me put God first, your husband second, your children third, and your job last. She has always been such a great example of doing just that. I have learned so much from her about being a wife and a good housekeeper.

I hope they have a great anniversary with many, many more to come!

Stomping Grapes

2008-09-15T16:23:00.008-04:00

These days, when they make wine, apparently they use machines to get the juice from the grapes. However, there was a time when it had to be done by hiring hundreds of women to, literally, stomp the juice from the grapes with their bare feet. They told us the reason women were preferred was due to the condition of their feet. Since most men during this period worked some type of labor intensive job that their feet wouldn't be as clean nor as soft, therefore taking more "care" of the process.

So, guess what I got to do this weekend? Stomp the grapes! It was a feeling that I can't describe! We had an absolute blast! The had this stand set up because you had to hold on because it got SO slippery and then they dumped TONS of giant muscadines, not grapes, for us to stomp on! And, the neat thing - they were actually going to use the juice from the muscadines to make wine! They had everyone sanitize their feet before they could stomp!

First of all, they were huge, so it was kind of hard to smash them, which made it even more fun.
It felt so good on our toes!
Our new neighbors, Todd & Christina and their two little girls, Abbigail and Avery met us there. Their two little girls had the best time playing in the mess.

So, I caved

2008-09-15T10:27:00.002-04:00

It seems like this blogging thing is sweeping the nation and I have found myself reading blogs way too much. So, a few of my friends have convinced me to start my own blog. I told myself that I was not going to be a copy cat and blog, but as you can see, I caved.

I can't promise much, but I hope you enjoy. Since John and I live live so far away from most of our family and friends, I hope this helps everyone see what we're up to.