Interesting Stuff....

Ronnie got home tonight after finishing up a job for a friend of our's. (notice I said friend). Anyway, I am always amazed at this guy's story but....he is directly linked to Rihanna....not much else I can say but it's too cool! There are tons of other celebrities but my brain stopped there..... I know, doesn't take much to amaze me but I just had to share, lol!

Oh and by the way, Ronnie made it home safe and sound....much better weather today than yesterday!

What a beautiful day!

So the weather men were only calling for a 'dusting' today but just in case we got up early and headed someplace where it was warm, sunny and the skies were blue! YAY! We are really tired of snow so what better way to spend the end of January but sightseeing and playing football?! The kids had a great tiime and felt sort of bad for you folks suffering with the snow.Even Kayden and Mickey got some fresh air...

Ok, I'm just kidding!! It snowed like crazy today - the 'dusting' was 8 inches at my last count. We were stuck inside all day AND Ronnie ended up staying in Virginia to finish up the job because the roads were too bad to get home. Shew....I'm really hoping this time next week we are heading south to warmer, dryer weather and sunny skies! As you can tell, I was bored so played on the computer practically all day....and by the way, church is even cancelled!

Britt's got a 'new ride'!!

and it's beautiful!

A few years ago when Ashley got a new Honda Accord Britt bought her Honda Civic and it's been a great car however recently she's had some issues. So...today she went car shopping and came home with this - a 2010 Honda Accord! I think she did good, huh?

Happy Friday ya'all!

Woo Hoo! Friday is finally here and we are now officially entering the countdown to our trip to Daytona! One week and we're off! We have a lot to do between now and then but ready or not, February 6th is going to come :)

Friday eve has always been one of my favorite days of the week but lately it's become even better.....how could a Thursday evening with this little face not be great?!
Kayden got some new toys last night - she loves buttons and music. She was definitely entertained and so was Java. Not long after the animals were unpacked from her new farm we found a few that Java had carried off. Luckily she's not a 'chewer' so a rinse off and all was good.
Kayden worked up an appetite which meant what else but a bowl full of cheetos - looks like Scanlon likes Cheetos, too!She was a busy little bee all evening!

Thursdays Thoughts....

Every now and then Ronnie and I have a night where we just go up to "Crockett's Tavern" and savor the moment....last night was one of those nights. We have both been really busy with work so it was nice to just spend a few moments enjoying life on our little corner....we typically sit and talk. It is so comforting to just share those 'raw' moments with each other and talk about what's on our minds. So...a question for you - have you heard and really listened to Zac Brown's song "Highway 20 Ride"? Wow, it hits home for both of us (in different capacities). Nothing else to say but it certainly sparks some conversation between the two of us.



As we sit here I spot 'my life' ..
This picture captures my family in an Old Time Photo - we had a lot of fun that day! (Kayden isn't visible but she's actually in Ash's belly:), Disney - this set of 'spreaders' was one of those random purchases a few years ago and everyone knows how I love Disney, ha!, 'stolen coasters from Woody's bar in St. John (ahhh take me there) and Granite City - I remember buying this for Ronnie on one of my work trips and then having to pack it without breaking it :) but this reminds me of work as it is a popular restaurant in Minneapolis. Wow....what a 'group of things'. Didn't put it all together intentionally but it's funny how these things of mine all fit togther!

Once we 'check back in to reality' I see this.....a child who is always focused on doing 'the right thing', homework! Then there's this one.....
who loves being a part of our conversation (and got a schedule change today so is 'happy')!!

Then as I start to head downstairs to feed the kids, I realize that I need to push in the bar stools a certain way (according to Ronnie)....one plank in between(it's all about perfection)....why does that surprise me?! LOL

Only 24 hours?!

have you ever felt like there just isn't enough hours in the day? There are only a few weeks a year that require 'extra' hours all week long and this is one of them. Don't get me wrong, I am very thankful for my job and have been very blessed over the past 19 years but shew.....I need more hours!
I try to keep up with my e:mails in the wee hours of the morning in hopes of dedicating my full day to the task at hand but that just doesn't happen. So....this is what my nights are looking like! stickies, notebooks, scrap paper and my laptop. But the good thing is ----- this time next week it will all be done and I'll be on the countdown to Daytona! Yay!

What have we been doing you ask?

And more importantly, where have I been...too funny! I apologize to that 'certain someone' that relies on my blog to keep updated with our family happenings :) I'll certainly try to do better!

But, here's what we've been up to - Friday is a bit of a blur. I didn't go to work but didn't get anything done around here either. Ronnie worked 'out of town' both Friday and Saturday so our typically Friday night was all but typical. Probably for the best since I didn't feel that great.

Saturday - well that was a different story. Chase and Cierra decided they needed to go shopping to 1)get boots that Chase had saved his Christmas money for and 2)for Cierra to get spring/summer clothes for our Florida trip in less than two weeks (did I really say that?). Cierra has lost weight so none of her 'old' clothes fit her. The good thing is that now we can wear the same size so in some cases it is pretty nice.

Chase on the other hand is growing taller but not thicker.....so his jeans are getting short - well fear not, he has figured out that he now fits into AE and Aero jeans. Wow, no more kids jeans for him. Needless to say when we got home I didn't hear a peep out of them for a few hours as they sorted out the old an were 'in with the new'!

We also picked up a photo book that I put together for Kayden's first birthday. It was really cute. I decided on Ritz versus Snapfish or Shutterfly because I really like being able to use my own pictures as the background page and adjust pictures my own way instead of using a template. Because I didn't get it finished in enough time I opted for the 1-hour book. Believe it or not, it is actually pretty good. The guys at Ritz know me pretty well (not a surprise, right?) so told me they ended up printing it a few times the night before just to get it right. So, if you're ever in a hurry check out Ritz - you won't be sorry!

And what about Sunday?! That was the big day - it was a party for a princess! Kayden enjoyed her party but was a little hesitant about putting her hands in the cake. Mommy got her a small one and at one point she thought about picking the whole cake up but 'thought not' after realizing it would be all over her hands. She is actually pretty particular about getting stuff on her hands :) It was a great party hosted by none other than Aunt Britt. Kayden's Mommy and Daddy made her birthday a perfect party!

Here's a few pictures from the party - she loved this dog! Not only does it have a button to push but it sings and it's ears flop up and down!
Any doubt Kayden taking a few steps to Daddy was the center of attention?Cake or cheetos anyone?Mommy was all smiles, too!

Happy 1st Birthday!

It's hard to believe you're ONE year old today! You've grown and changed so much and have brought so many smiles, happiness and joy to our family. We enjoy every day we get to spend time with you!

We love you very much -

Poppy & Gigi

Wordless Wednesday?

Nope. Speechless? Just maybe!

So I'm working on a very special project for a very special person (wink, wink) and needed to take a break to clear my mind. And, what must I do but stalk some of my favorite blogs...in doing so I clicked on this! You just have to click on "this" and read the "72 days" post. It is just the sweetest! I can only hope that one day one of my children are able to write something very similar about me and Ronnie.

Now, back to my "project"!

Game Face

Chase has really started enjoying Chess. He played a year or so ago but never really 'got into it'. Then a few weeks ago the Boy Scout Troop played and he liked it alot! The other night when I was putting clothes away this is what I saw this....
totally thinking about that next move..and the move.....
now Ronnie's move.
Keep in mind that Ronnie loves Chess and is really good at it. Not sure who won but I know they had a serious game underway.

Meanwhile Cierra and I stick with the less challenging games, lol! I swear it used to be a whole lot harder removing those body parts when I was a kid :)

Moving on....

Wow - Ma has lived on Polk Street for at least as many years as I have been around and that's a LONG time, but today she is moving to a new home. I can only imagine how hard it is for my Mom and Aunt Nancy to 'move' her into a new home but I think we all agree, it's a good thing! Ma will become a resident of Berkeley County, no more making fun of people that live up there, ha!
So, here's to you Ma - Good luck! and to Mom and Aunt Nancy - you've made the right choice and it will all be just fine! Ma seemed excited and I'm sure she will do great and love her new roommates!

Clean up.....clean up!

Today was a dreary, dreary day. We didn't even go to church (although I am almost caught up with my daily reading of "God Sightings"). All five, yes I said five kids slept in, we had a late breakfast then off to work Ronnie and I went cleaning up piles, files, e:mails, etc. How fitting that I discover during my mission that January is "National Clean Up Your Computer" month?! Wow, I actually can say I met the challenge. I cleaned out all my e:mails, filing and deleting as necessary, downloaded some overdue digital scrapbook elements and sorted through actual 'paper' piles. The only thing I have left is to figure out the best way to sort and file my downloaded scrapbook elements and papers. I have looked around at a couple sites but can't seem to find anything that I follow or can figure out. If anyone out there has any ideas, PLEASE let me know!

I did have a little bit of fun creating this scrapbook page

Saturday - NOT a day of rest!

Up, breakfast and on the road to bowling. Ok, so we didn't have to be there until 12:30 but still....it's Saturday, right?

Today was the 4H group's annual bowling event at Shepherd University. They had a great time bowling, playing pool, air hockey and even arcade games.
Then back to drop Cierra off at the house (she wasn't interested in going 'tubing' with the Scouts). Chase invited Jimmy so we gathered him up in the Food Lion parking lot after we grabbed McDonald's drive-thru for lunch.

We headed up to Whitetail - weather was great - 3 day weekend so it was busy! The troop ended up having to wait until 5:00 to get started which worked out really good for them because it was 50 degrees...a little slushy but by the time the sun went down, all was good. They had lots of fun!

Then down the road to pick up Nemo :) In the mean time the girls called (Cierra had two friends over) in search of a movie.....The Dance Flick and 4 Cheese Hot Pockets :)

Nemo - check

groceries - check

Red Box - nope...off to 7-11

No red box in sight so on to a movie rental shop which we haven't been in ages. Finally by 9:30 we were home and all was well. Here's what we found -

Then the boys joined in the fun.....movie, popcorn, pizza, hot pockets, fruit snacks...

We went to bed and I think the boys were actually asleep - they were exhausted from tubing!

It was a busy but fun day and even Nemo is happy!

Muffins for HAITI!

A few months ago Cierra held bake sales after church in an effort to raise money for Autism and UNICEF. Four Saturday evenings were spent mixing, baking and filling up her basket to be carried to church and sold to the many people in the congregation that support her. She raised $176 which was going to be distributed to Beading Against Autism and UNICEF. We had been awaiting the final word and information in order to send off the funds and then the Haiti earthquake hit. Wow. Cierra has been disturbed by the event and even knows a girl from her school that lost some family members. So sad.

Isn't it ironic that it took longer than anticipated to get the information to send the money she raised? Is it also 'perfect timing' that I received an e:mail today from our bishop providing information in the event any of us choose to donate to the efforts underway for Haiti? So what must Cierra do but open up her blue pouch filled with dollar bills and send the money she made to Haiti... I'm sure the congregation will be happy to know that the funds raised were 'well spent'. Nice job Cierra!

Kelly's Korner - Show us your Life!

I'm sure weight loss was on many people's New Year's Resolution list. It certainly should have been on mine but I am not really good at sticking with a routine so spared myself having to post in my update that I failed.

Keep in mind that I don't drink soda or sweet tea. The drinks that make up my day are typically water and unsweetened tea. With that in mind, there's not a lot I can cut out from that perspective. I also already eat either eat yogurt or oatmeal for breakfast so not much there either :) So what does that leave? Well, to start off, cutting out those yummy cheese steak sandwiches I love so much and pizza from Brown's! We eat dinner late which we all know isn't good when it comes to eating then going to bed...those pounds seem to increase overnight.

But, here are a couple of things that I actually like to do and have proven effective for me.

Wii Fit - it is fun and with the many activities it stays interesting. I love getting to the 30 minute mark and having my trainer/coach get excited and cheer! Look, Kayden even enjoys working out!

Our treadmill - I enjoy that 1/2 hour as well because I walk slow enough (lol) that I can read and then when I speed up I can either watch TV or listen to my docked iPod.

This last one I haven't actually tried but when I saw the results of Amanda's program, I was definitely motivated and wanted to shed a few pounds and firm up what I have...she has so many ideas on her blog - check it out!

With the recent rearrangement of rooms in our house, we freed up a bedroom and are turning that into our workout room. It's not completely finished yet but we have the tradmill, ab lounger and Wii in there. Now it's just a matter of motivating myself to get with it.

Now it's time for a confession.... One of my employees gave me a huge variety pack of this for Christmas. I love chocolate. Any kind of Chocolate. I can (and do) eat chocolate any time of the day. Pretty sad but....this certainly didn't help my addiction. Just last night while in CVS I was so excited because these packs were actually on sale - 2 for $6. Not gonna share how many I bought but what a deal, ha! I'm sure you agree that with habit like this I really must find a way to maintain my weight and stay fit!!

Feel free to share your ideas and program - click on the picture at the top of this post and add your link. It's always fun to see everyone's ideas.

Thursday's Thoughts -

I'm always thinking...sometimes it drives Ronnie crazy because I am always full of ideas about what we can do next at home, where we can go and even things I think we should buy, ha! I'm always looking ahead instead of 'living in the moment'. Since the beginning of this year I have been really focusing on some of my New Year's resolutions.

I teach the Tweens in Transition Sunday School class and I'll be honest, it's challenging to keep their attention and keep it interesting. They are actually teens now which adds to the mix. I am not the best educator when it comes to learning about the bible but do the best I can with the literature and tools provided. I have always wanted to read the Bible but it has really hard words, isn't very interesting and has so many people with really odd names that I can't keep up. As I was trying to come up with a plan for the class, I stumbled upon a web-site that talks about reading the bible in a year and actually in language that can be understood. Yay, right? I did more research and decided I wanted to try this myself and even challenge the class to participate.

After reading through the information it may take us a little longer but I'm still excited. Each day (or as often as they want to read) scripture is read from the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs. This in itself keeps it interesting. Last night I picked up the books and started this challenge myself. I think it may be a little easier for me since I read every day already. Regardless, I'm excited about the challenge for our teens which could start on Sunday. Who knows, they may even ask the congregation to share in the challenge.

If anyone has other ideas or has found a better way to conquer this task, feel free to let me know!

WooHoo!

Here's the "sign" I have been looking for!

So do any of you out there believe in 'sign's or that 'everything happens for a reason'? Well, I do! I am always looking for that indication that I'm making the right choice or that whatever has happened truly has a meaning.

For the past 10 years Ronnie has gone to the 'kick-off' of the Nascar season being the DAYTONA 500! He has always been gone on Valentine's Day but that's ok :) In 2006 I left the children home and went with him, 2007 we took the kids and spent a few days in Disney, 2008 I stayed home then 2009 we took Chase so as you can see, it's been a rollercoaster as to who goes, etc. Last March we made reservations at the Speedway KOA and renewed the package of tickets for this year, not really knowing for sure what the year would bring since Chase started Middle School. So, here we are. One of our children (not gonna mention a name lol) is struggling in school and adapting to middle school so for the past three months we have been working closely with the school to help him work through his struggles of adjusting to 7 classes, potentially homework for 5 classes and bringing home everything he needs in order for us to help him. We have been trying to make a decision as to what the impact would be if we take him out of school for five days (notice I say him). In years past, it seems like weather has kept them out of school a lot during this week so it's always a chance we take. Regardless, we have been waffling and not sure what decision to make. The deadline to cancel our reservations is tomorrow....so when I got home tonight and saw this sign, I knew all was good and we will be Daytona bound in 22 days; YIPPEE! Who knows if we're making the right decision but the important thing is that a DECISION HAS BEEN MADE!!

We are all excited but haven't yet told Chase so it's our secret for now, right?! :)

Wishful Wednesday!

Today I'm along for the ride with Kelsey and dreaming about having those 'start up' funds for my consulting firm which would include marketing and design. Wow! Wouldn't that be great? Don't get me wrong, I do actually like my job but....if money was no object and I could start a whole new career, that's exactly what it would be. I would be able to work remotely from a beautiful, warm island (and travel whenever my husband was following Nascar). I would provide design of web-sites, blogs, and any type of marketing that would promote their product/business. Photography would also play a key role in their business to include photos of whatever it is they produce and/or sell. I would have all the technical equipment necessary and definitely own CS4. Yay!!
So, what about you?! Wanna play along today? Just click the "Wishful Wednesday" button at the top of this post and tell us all about your 'dream' job!

p.s. just in case you're intersted, while you're reading this, I am at my desk working at my 'regular' job. The 'start up' funds have not yet arrived, lol!

Wrapping up that Birthday!

Today was Dad's 71st birthday and since one of my New Year's resolutions is to do better with birthday's, my sister and I decided to get together for some cake. It's Tuesday so we had to wait until after Chase and Ronnie finished up their Scout meeting but I think we will all agree it was worth the wait.

Dad opened his presents. He got some really neat things, too. He loves getting toys so we had to sneak in a singing dog (with flopping ears). Mom picked up an ice cream cake and of course we had some red velvet cake balls :)His biggest fan was by his side...I think it was a nice way to end his Birth"day"! Happy Birthday Dad!

Happy Birthday Dad!

We hope you have a wonderful birthday! Your birthday is always fun to celebrate because not long after your special day everyone starts getting ready to head south - pretty soon you'll be pulling into 'the big gate'...
going to the famous flea market.....then to the mall for the 'talk show'and spending 'quality time' with people like Joey!

So enjoy your day and remember that we all love you!