Weekend Trip to Cherokee

What a weekend. I started the blog on the road, but I must admit, that is hard to do. The keys are just too little and then trying to read it! UGH!!

So here goes.

We left Friday afternoon - there were 9 bikes. We were suppose to leave at 1:30, but it was raining cats and dogs so it was after 2:00 before we got to leave. Well we didn't get 30 minutes from the house and we were in the rain. We did pull over at a gas station to put on the rain suits! Tonya poured water out of her shoes.

After getting the rain suits on, it stopped and we did get a chance to dry out. So we stopped again and took them off. It wasn't 30 minutes and as soon as we passed Looking Glass falls, the skies darkened again! This time we did get the suits put back on and then it hit! The heavens opened up and it POURED! We found an overpass to sit under - along with another couple.




We thought it was bad till we look over and see two hikers walking down the road. Of course Chris had to do the yodeling and reminded us of how much they looked like the game from the Price is Right. So I guess it wasn't so awful for us.

We found a cute little place to eat supper. We were still riding in the rain and we were soaked when we got there. We did get lots of looks. We had a blast while waiting to get our food (in shifts). I did get to plug in my phone and it went from 18% battery left to 75%. That is how long we were there.

We made it to Cherokee after 9:00 PM. We had a blast for the next few hours playing a marble board game - men against the women - and the women lost! But we played hard!! So much fun!!!

The next morning we stopped at cute little restaurant for breakfast where I saw this sign.

We were headed back home and at the time it was beautiful skies.
The river running through Cherokee was very pretty.




Going through the mountains was awesome. It was very cloudy and the higher we went up the worst it got. It reminded me of reading in the Bible when Moses went up and God came down on the mountain as a cloud. Makes you realize that He is close!






When we stopped for lunch we found out that we would probably run into some showers - an we did! Only for about 5 minutes but driving on the interstate was not too much fun!

It was a great weekend all in all and I am looking forward to out 2 night outing in August. We will traveling to Virginia.

on the road...

this wil drive Amber nuts to know I am logging on the back of the bike! On our way toCherokee. Before we left it was rainig cats abd dogs. Blue skies right now. We do have rain gear: nine coules. Will check back later...

Give-a-ways!!

I have two that I think you will want to be a part of.

These are two blogs that I love to visit - they are simply fabulous! Make sure you visit and add them to you list, they will soon be your favorites if they are not already!

http://sweetsoutherncupcakes.blogspot.com/2010/07/stella-and-dot-giveaway.html

the other is Amber's:
http://fabulousyoungandnewlywed.blogspot.com/2010/07/kirklands-caddy-giveaway.html

sorry, can't get Amber's to link right.

Wednesday

Half way to the weekend.

Not starting the day off too well, can't find my cell phone. I know I had it last night when I went to a Thirty-One party but now....nowhere! And of course since the battery only last half a day, it's dead. I do love my Palm Pre - but I will say that the battery is half day, so I don't really recommend it.

So excited about the weekend. We are going on a Motorcycle overnighter! Going to Cherokee to spend the night. I am not sure how many couples this time, but we do have so much fun. I haven't even checked the weather yet. All I can really think about is how cute my little brown bag with blue polka-dots is going to look on the rack behind me. Now that I no longer have my pink helmet, I have to add some kind of cuteness to the trip! Ethan will be spending the night with a friend - so woo hoo!! Crickette will enjoy the quietness of the house and have the TV remote all to herself, so I know she will get caught up on her shows that she has recorded and not had time to watch.

Well can't think of much else going on. Hope you are having a great week!

Oh yes, Blockbuster has a really good deal going on right now. Manager's special (but not sure if it is all over) 2 drinks, 2 new releases, 2 candy & 2 popcorn for $16.95. You can also get the 2 drinks, 2 candy & 2 popcorn for $6 bucks - throw in a $10 gift card and put it in their cute little holder and it makes a great gift!!

Miscellany Monday

1) great weeked - Super BUSY

a. Friday, drove to almost Kentucky to deliver Coondogs! Finally sold them. We were going to borrow a truck but couldn't get us all inside and clean out the back so we took them in my truck - NOTE: Covered back end... so we flipped up the back seat and put blankets down and let the dogs ride with us. It really wasn't so bad! Made it to the Kentucky line and back in time to go on a motorcycle ride with friends. There were 9 bikes that rode up north to eat. Yes, we forgot to look at weather and got a little wet, but it was a great night!

b. Saturday, Ethan's party day. We took Ethan and a friend to Build-a-bear! Great think is I had a get a bear free (well up to $12 off a bear) and then another coupon for $5 off, so each one got a bear. It was fun. They decided McDonald's would be enough for supper! Yea for me!

c. Sunday, Happy Birthday Ethan. Noting really special. Great message at Church, lunch, Painted room downstairs and moveed Crickette's furniture downstairs, moved Ethan into Crickette's room so he will have a TV. Then back to church.

It was a great weekend!

Happy Birthday Ethan!

Wow - 7 years. Time is flying by since I first got that phone call from the annuity company congratulating me on the birth of my son....

That was how it began. In October of 2002, somebody from the Annuity Board called to congratulate me on the birth of my son. My reply: Sorry, wrong woman, I haven't had a child, am not pregnant, and don't intend on getting pregnant. That is when she said, "Really? It's says here that you had a son born in July." I proceeded to tell her the ages of my other children, 17, 14 and 12, and we laughed about that. She said she noticed their ages. We went on for a few minutes more and I hung up the phone.

The next day I thought I might better call them back, somebody could have filed on my insurance and I needed to make sure. They have always made notes in their records of previous calls, but guess what. There is no record of the phone call, no record of a baby being born into our family! Have you put this together yet? I think it was a phone call from God to prepare me.

Well about two weeks later I am volunteering at the pregnancy center when I decided I was a few days late. Yes I was extremely shocked to see that double line on the test, so I took another one home to take there, and again two little lines. HMM...I went bowling that night with the test in my pocket trying to figure out how to tell my husband about this one!

Two days later, he reminded me that we were planning on changing insurance companies and we needed to send a check to the other one to get started on their plan. I go to the Dollar Store to find a card for him, something to "share" the news with him. I found the perfect card: "Happy Thanksgiving" on the front, "From me to thee" on the inside. With a note added that said... "and I just wanted to let you know that there is more than a turkey in the oven this year". I handed him the note and walked out of his office. Then I came back in to examine the look on his face... "Your pregnant?" "Yes, is that okay? We won't be sending off a check for new insurance anytime soon..."

Chris then calls his mother and dad to tell them the news. He then puts me on the phone with them and goes to tell the kids (yes, without me). So I told Pepa to really surprise the family and announce the pregnancy during the Thanksgiving prayer. Chris read the card to the kids. Amber thought we were getting a puppy. Paxston ran over to the oven and looked in and saw nothing. Crickette says - "Mom's pregnant?" So I didn't get to see their full reactions.

The next day, Pepa was praying when he thanked God for the new baby in that would be arriving in our family. They said everybody was immediately asking those who had been married in the past few years if they were pregnant, nobody there said yes. Then Pepa told them. I think there were alot of WOW's!

So there you have the story of the beginning of Ethan. Oh yes, I had one day, when Chris went to leave on a trip, that I thought I was having a heart attack. I went and had test run and everything - normal. I really think that was Ethan taking roots inside and send my body into a bit of shock!

You can imagine what I was thinking also when I found out that the new baby was going to be born in JULY!!! I never picked out a girls name, I knew that I was having a boy.

I will say that he was the most active child inside of me. Every time we walked into church and the music started, so did he! That should have been my first warning! I must say that it was a great pregnancy!

He was the first child that I had an epidural with. Can I say that is the best drug EVER! After having three other children naturally and one weighing in at 9 lbs 9 ounces, that I deserved to have one and feel NOTHING! And it worked just like that - NOTHING. I never felt a contraction after it was put it. Another funny story about that was the nurse came in to check me and let the Epidural guy know that I was ready, she said I was six in line, I reminded her that this was baby #4 for me. She left out of the room and then came back in and said I was next.

Amber and Crickette were in the room with my during labor. Guess my thoughts were that it would be good birth control. I forgot that I wouldn't be showing them pain! Chris mom was also in the room. They had come up for Ethan's birth and I wanted her to share in his delivery too. After all this would be her last grandchild and he was number 10.

He is an incredible burst of energy and brings so much joy and happiness to our lives. After my mother passed away, God knew I needed sunshine in my life and He sent it to me in the way of Ethan! I am so thankful!

Let's go to the highlights of Ethan's life. He was an adorable baby!

The first birthday was typical with the cake - he love it. I don't know what I was thinking about buying chocolate icing.

The two year mark was the most eventful, if that is what you want to call it. He was into everything.


The first two stitches came while we were having a play group over at the house.
A couple of weeks later he jumped off the coffee table and broke his foot.

While still in a cast he had an allergic reaction to penicillin and that was not fun!


It really scared me because he was swelling so bad! After that we found out he had a staff infection and had to have surgery to cut it out. They called us after his surgery and said he would be in recovery for the next 30 minutes. About two minutes later I hear him screaming - they were bringing him to me. They could not get him calmed down, so I had that fun job. He couldn't understand about the splint on his arm to hold in the IV, it was driving him nuts. So as long as I had his hand covered up he was fine. I told Chris to turn on Dora to calm him down. That worked fine till Swiper took something from Dora and he starts screaming - Swiper No Swiping (over and over).

Year number three went by without any accidents. When he hit four he was playing around with Paxston and cut his hand on the Gator - only took 12 stitches. When we unwrapped his hand, again he went NUTS! So I had to keep it bandaged up the whole time he had them.


And as you can tell from some of the other post lately, he is a ham. He loves singing and dancing - it's just in him. I will have to admit that I was worried the whole year of being six! Now today he is Seven! He took a friend, Austin, to Build-a-Bear yesterday and they both got the new Ice Cream Bear - Hot Fudge Sunday. After that they chose McDonald's for supper. Austin spent the night and we took them to church. It's been a great day!

We love you Ethan!! Happy Birthday!

44 facts about me...

In celebration of my 44th birthday (last Wednesday) I thought I would share 44 facts about me. It's bad when you think about blogging when you should really be going to sleep!

1. I am a Christian! The third weekend in September of 1986 I gave my life to Christ!

2. I am a preacher's Wife and after 23 years I am still in Love with my Husband - who is also my High School Sweetheart!

3. I have 4 incredible children & I am a Mother-in-law!
4. I love to ride Motorcycles!
5. I have lived in 8 states.
6. I am technically an orphan (my dad died when I was 13 months old and my mom passed away 9 years ago.) But praise God I am adopted by The King!
7. I am an only child!

8. I was a cheerleader for 9 years!
9. I broke my foot in high school (during Homecoming) when I fell from standing in the hands of the only guy in our class. The girls in front of me went down first!
10. I have been to Niagara Falls.
11. I would love to go to a Hot Air balloon festival.

12. I am a Scrapbooker!
13. I am Team Jacob.

14. I am the Mom of Sailor.
15. I am left handed! (and I have one child that is too)
16. I do not have a favorite child, despite what my other kids say!
17. I have never been kissed in the rain. (hint hint Chris!)
18. I love thunderstorms!
19. I love to fly - I think it is because my dad was a pilot.
20. I have lost 20 lbs since Christmas, and I have way more to go!
21. My favorite Candy bar is a Snickers - and you eat the chocolate off first and then eat one layer at a time from the bottom.
22. I am a coffee drinker, and Love Pumpkin Spice Creamer!
23. Steak is my favorite thing to eat!


24. I love sunsets.
25. I do not like the beach.
26. I love the mountains.

27. My favorite season is Fall. The leaves changing are incredible to me. (Mom said I should have been a squirrel)
28. My father named me. My mom named every doll of hers Stacey, so dad named me Stacey Denise. He chose Denise.
29. My top five movies: Hope Floats, Sweet Home Alabama, Fireproof, You've Got Mail & The Notebook. Guess I am a romantic!
30. I can water-ski, but have never been snow skiing.
31. I want to go to Italy.
32. I went on a cruise to the Bahamas when I graduated High School, I would love to go on another with my entire family.
33. I would love to have Christmas in the mountains with my family.
34. I love to take pictures, and would love to be a photographer and have my own studio.
35. I volunteered in a Pregnancy Center in Ohio and Alabama. I hope to do that in the next year again.

36. My top spiritual gift is Faith.
37. I have 13 birthmarks.
38. I would love to take Ballroom Dancing.
39. I want to go to New York City.

40. I am an Auburn Fan. I love college football. My husband and his whole family are Alabama fans. Makes life interesting.
41. I love to watch TV with my husband. Our favorite shows: Dancing with the Stars, So You Think You Can Dance, and American Idol.
42. I would love to go back to Charleston and take a vacation there.
43. I love seeing Waterfalls! Just started this past year when riding motorcycles with a group from our church! Incredible!!
44. I have had the best birthday week EVER - Massage, Taken out to lunch several times, Eclipse at Midnight with Amber, Got a makeover from Crickette, Paxston came home, Had all 4 of my kids for the entire weekend, 4th of July with Friends, Motorcycle ride with Husband, Got cutest Coffee cup & Bookmark, bought a new dress! It was just PERFECT!!

So now you know a little more about me. Now that I think about it, it was probably a crazy idea, but oh well...and it was hard to come up with so many. Good thing I am not 75.. Whew! And I will probably think of more things later, like I am a very sarcastic person...My favorite Color is PURPLE, my favorite number is 3....I enjoy driving a truck...hmm....