Beautiful Fall Weather!!

Some pics of the kids playing and enjoying the great outdoors!

Fall, Fair, and Funnel Cakes!!!!

This past week we went to the Forsyth County Fair twice...It is totally worth the twelve month wait to go every year. Andrew was so excited this year and he went on rides he has never wanted to go on before. Here are a few pics of Andrew on some rides...Alyssa is not tall enough to go on anything but the Carousel, but she enjoyed looking at the lights and hearing all the fun sounds.

Codi's new (old) car!

This weekend we went to pick up Codi's new car...The car may not look that good, but, it is and has always been, Codi's dream to fix up an old VW Beetle. The car is primed for a paint job, Dale will have to put all the electrical wires back in it, and he will need to put the windows back in, but overall VWs are one of the easiest cars to work on. Dale had a Beetle about ten years ago and he has had several race cars, so ever body need not worry...he knows what he is doing. This car will be an ongoing process, putting it back together. The previous owner was trying to turn it into a dune buggy...but fortunately for us...he ran out of money. It has actually turned into a hobby for the whole family, which is good because lately things have been so crazy busy around here. We are all having a really good time with it. Below are some more pictures of the 1965 VW Beetle.Oh...and it does run...very well actually!

Multi-tasking

This is the seat that Alyssa chose for movie night. Not only was she right in front of the television...Andrew could wheel her around the room whenever she wanted a different toy! She has him wrapped around her tiny little finger...

Driving pics!

Last weekend Dale and I decided to get in the car (or truck in our case) and just drive. First we ended up in Helen for the opening of their Oktoberfest. We stopped at a place called Margarita's for some lunch...the best cheeseburgers we've had in a long time. Then we headed out to drive some more and ended up in Blairsville. We stopped in to see Grandma Millie for a while and then headed home. By the way Aunt Bea, Andrew cried because you weren't home. Below are a few pics of the crew in the car.

Labor Day weekend with Grandma Nancy!!

My Mom made a quick visit up from Florida to spend a couple of days with us. On Thursday night, Codi's nineteenth birthday, Andrew and I went to the Marta train station to pick her up...which was a big deal for Andrew. For those of you who don't know, Andrew is the biggest train fan in the world. So, the next day, Andrew and his Grandma re-enacted the train station...and notice Alyssa in the background trying to get in the picture.She didn't quite get in the picture, however, she did catch the eye of her Grandma...Then, they all decided to search google for their Christmas toy list...which of course Andrew said he wanted lots of trains...

Catch up time

Hey everyone! Sorry it's been so long. Things have been nuts around here...never a dull moment. Alyssa is our little monkey. She loves stuffing her mouth full of whatever food you give her.And then she loves to show you her teeth. As soon as the camera comes out she shows you her pearly whites...sometimes they just happen to be covered with peanut butter!Andrew really had a good summer with his cousin Wesley and was sad to see him leave to go back home to Alabama.

No Smoking!

Well, it's been one month since I took the plunge and quit smoking and I am happy to report...I have not had one cigarette since. On the other hand, my plans on walking the 10k have not been going so well lately. One of the heels of my feet has been injured and things have been so crazy around here lately with Codi working two jobs and going to college two days a week, there really has been a kink in my walking time. I'm not sure if I will still walk the US 10k. Codi says she is still going to walk the 10k, however, she has not gone walking for over a month, so we will see if that happens.

One week down!

So, it's been a week now and NO Cigarettes!!! I usually walk 1.5 miles a day and since the 10k is 6.2 miles I guess I need to step it up a little. But at least now my smokers lungs won't get in the way.

1st step towards 10k

So...last night I smoked my last cigarette...That's right, I finally quit smoking. Even though I have been walking almost every night for the last three months, I was still smoking (about a pack every two days). Please wish me the best in my efforts to keep up with this because so far it has been really difficult.

September 1, 2008 US 10k Walk

A friend of mine and I have decided to take the challenge and do the US 10k walk here in Atlanta this September. It works out to be about 6 miles and you can walk at whatever speed you want. We have 40 days to prepare so...wish us luck!

A little dirt never hurt

This past weekend we did a little yard work,
prepping some planters for some shrubs, flowers
and trees. The boys started the yard work while
the girls went to Codi's college to register her for
classes.


Usually Andrew plays outside like any
other boy, but manages to not get dirty. However,
this time I guess he figured out that a little dirt
never hurt.


Alyssa has never had a problem getting right
in the dirt. As you can see, she is in "hog" heaven.

Too much Home and Garden TV

After a fairly delicious dinner at Steak and Shake last Friday night we decided to take a walk through Home Depot...While strolling through the lawn mower aisles, Andrew looks up at me and says "Let's build something together...You can do it, we can help". I suddenly realized maybe he deserves more of his own tv time.

Cousinly love

This summer my 15 year old nephew, Wesley, is staying with us. One morning while Wes and Andrew were getting themselves some breakfast I overheard this conversation:
Andrew: Wesley, do you love me?
Wes: (no answer)
Andrew: Wesley, do you love me?
Wes: (silence)
Andrew: WESLEY, DO YOU LOVE ME? (no shouting)
Wes: Andrew, of course I love you...we're family.
Andrew: Wesley, am I your little buddy?
Wes: (smiles almost laughs:) )

This was the first 4th of July Dale has been able to enjoy with us in two years. So needless to say we kept busy to make up for the past years. My Mom was here to visit and spend the weekend with us also, which was fantastic. We went to see our downtown Cumming (a very small suburb town outside of Atlanta) fireworks on Thursday night, which were really a warm up for the whole weekend. We wanted to see how Alyssa would react to the heart thumping explosions...she did very well. On Friday morning we Dale and I took Andrew and Wes (our nephew who is staying with us for the summer) to the Steam Engine Parade in downtown Cumming...Andrew loved it , but after about two hours of really loud whistles he said he wanted to go home so he could tell Grandma "all about it". Then Friday night we planned on going to Stone Mountain for the laser light show and fireworks, which I heard are excellent, however, when we drove all the way there we were three and a half hours early, but they had closed the gates due to capacity. Then we decided to go see Lake Lanier's fireworks. When we arrived there we paid the $10 per car fee and were told that was all we had to pay to get in the park and see the fireworks. However, when we got to the entrance of the park it was an additional $10.70 per person to get in to see the fireworks. Needless to say, we tailgated in the parking lot till the fireworks show was over, then we drove home. I will have to say, the fireworks show in Cumming was better...maybe because it was free...maybe because we could actually see it...go figure. On Saturday we did a big breakfast and later in the afternoon we had a huge cookout. The kids went swimming and had a tea party with their Grandma (sugar cookies and raspberry ginger ale). The weekend overall was a success...Thanks Mom for celebrating with us, the kids miss you already!

My Little CowGirl!!!

Yesterday I took the little ones to the SprayGround in Gainesville. I thought Andrew would be the one afraid of the water, like he usually is, and Alyssa would just jump right in. But much to my surprise it was quite the opposite. Alyssa screamed in terror for much of the day and Andrew just ran around in circles going from one fountain to another with the greatest smile on his face. The other three children in the photos are my friend Krista's kids.

Tomorrow is my Dad's birthday! Happy Birthday Daddy!! Hope you have a wonderful day. Here are a few photos for viewing:)

I love you Dad!!xoxoxoxo