Every Little Thing She Does...

Just in case you miss me...

2010-08-29T12:36:00.001-04:00

We can now be found here.

After all, my single-girl adventures are over. :)

On Being a Boone...

2009-06-05T08:00:00.000-04:00

Yes, I am getting married in just a few hours. Yes, I have a million things to do. Posting on this blog should not be one of them, but I have been "itching" to write. I am so excited to marry that Bryan Spann boy, but there is something I must confess.

I love being a Boone.

(I am already crying. I am a hot mess.)

I got up to do my quiet time this morning and was overwhelmed by God's love for me once again.

Here is today's verse:

You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy."
John 16:20

I didn't understand this verse when I "peeked" at it a couple of months ago. I was actually disappointed! I wanted a special and meaningful devotion for my wedding day and at the time, I just didn't "get it." I wept this morning when I read this verse because I felt truly loved by God. I am amazed that He cares even about my small worried, and today's quiet time proves to me that He does love me and He does care - even about the small things.

I have been grieving. I'm not sure if I'm grieving the loss of my identity, my "freedom", or something else but I definitely feel like I am giving up part of myself today.

I love being a Boone. I am so proud to be a Boone. I love hearing people ask, "You're one of those Boone girls - aren't you?" I love it when people tell me that I sing like Mama or that I have Daddy's eyes. In a silly, but small way it makes me feel famous. :-)

I know that I will always be a Boone girl, but it is an act of submission to "give up" your maiden name and take on your husband's last name. And I do this with a joyful heart. I am excited to be a Spann. I cannot wait to meet Bryan at the mill tonight at 6:00. I know that when I see him, my grief will turn suddenly to joy.

Thank you, Father, for showing me that you love me - especially on days like today. Thank you for giving me peace that today will go smoothly and I won't be a blubbering mess. :-) Help me to be a good wife - to shine Your light for Bryan and love him as You love us. Guide us as we travel together for the rest of our lives. Walk with us through the hardships and remind us to rejoice in you when we are blessed. Thank You for your Ultimate Sacrifice, Your Son. Help us to keep Him at the center of everything we do.

I love you. Amen.

Abigail Lee Boone

Suggestions, Anyone?

2009-04-20T22:14:00.002-04:00

So I'm working on some of the finer (*read: fun for me, not Bryan) details for our big day. One of my "tasks" is to work with the ceremony musicians to determine what should be played before, during and after the ceremony.

Our ceremony musicians are members of Mama and Daddy's church in Arden, NC. It's actually a family - a dad and 2 or 3 of his daughters (the 3rd daughter is a maybe). I had the chance to watch them perform together over Christmas and I loved it. It made me miss being able to sing and play with my own family. It's all instrumental - guitar, fiddle, banjo, mandolin, etc. I'm really looking forward to it.

I picked out some of my favorite hymns for them to play before the ceremony. I know we'll be walking "out" to "Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee" but beyond that I'm kind of stuck.

Here's where I'm asking for help from my faithful blog-public.

I need song suggestions! Particularly songs for the bridal party and yours truly to walk in to. If you can think of a sweet song for us to include I would love to hear from you. I'm open to sacred and secular music. I would actually love a good Beatles song in there somewhere.

So.... whatcha thinkin?? ;-)

She's Baaaccckk!

2009-04-06T12:10:00.002-04:00

Hello peeps -

A quick update.

The Cleanse:

It was supposed to last 10 days. We made it 8. :-) Day 7 was definitely the hardest - it was also the big snow day here in Atlanta. All I wanted to do was make a big pot of homemade soup. We made it through the day, but there was lots of kicking and screaming on my part. Bless my sweet fiance and his patience. :-)

On the night of Day 8, we caved. I heated up some V-8 Tomato Herb soup, and sliced some Nine-Grain Italian Bread from Publix and relished every bite. It was the best freakin' meal of my entire life. We eased back into food pretty slowly. Breakfast and lunch for the next two days were strictly orange juice - again, heaven sent after drinking lemonade and salt-water-yuck for eight days. We ate alot of Kari's homemade 10 Veggie Soup as well. I highly recommend it. It's 0-1 points per serving, and really filling. I will be making another batch this week in an effort to keep myself on the right track before our big day.

Overall, I lost 11 pounds and Bryan lost 13. We have tried (fairly hard) to eat right since coming off the cleanse and have been pretty successful. We haven't gained any of our old weight back. In fact, Bryan is even down a couple more pounds since the cleanse. I am headed to the gym as we speak in an effort to whittle off a few more pounds before the wedding.

I think we may even "cleanse" again one more time before June. Bryan had more energy during the cleanse than I did, but afterwards we both felt an odd sense of "renewal" - like we had restored our bodies a little bit. Does that sound cheesy?

If you have any questions, we'd be happy to answer them! I'll post again soon with a non-cleanse related update!

:-)

Days 6 and 7

2009-03-01T10:30:00.002-05:00

There's not much new to report!

We're still plugging along...

Bryan has lost about 11 pounds, and I'm down about 9 pounds. The weekend has been a little easier than I thought it would be. We even went to my sweet friend Nicole's birthday party last night. Everyone around us was eating fajitas, drinking adult beverages and having a piece of really delicious-looking cake. HOWEVER, it didn't bother us! I could look at it and appreciate it without feeling like I was going to start foaming at the mouth if I didn't have some.

I went wedding dress shopping yesterday with my maid of honor, Sherry. It was fun! I will admit to procrastinating on this part of wedding planning. I haven't wanted to try on dresses that I would feel chubby in. I had some "chubby moments" yesterday, but I did find 3 dresses that I like. I want to try a couple of other boutiques that people have recommended before I make a final decision.

We have 3 more days left! I can't believe I've been doing this for a week now. It's nice to know there is real (healthy) food in sight, but I feel a real sense of accomplishment in knowing we've made it this far.

Check in with us tomorrow!

Right now, I'm sitting in our office listening to the rain and hoping it will SNOW! I could use a day off or a teacher workday. :-)

Days 4 and 5 - The Magic Lemonade Diet

2009-02-27T17:56:00.003-05:00

This isn't getting any easier. :-) I had dream last night that I was eating, and I woke up feeling guilty!! Today (Day 5) has been the hardest for both of us, but we're plugging through! I'm excited when I think about the fact that we are halfway done.

A few more answers to your questions:

1. How much of the weight loss is water weight?

Honestly, I don't know. My best "guesstimate" is that at least half of what I've lost so far is probably water weight. And, that's what I'm expecting to "pop" back on once we reintroduce food to our diet next Wednesday.

2. How often do you have to pee?

A lot. Frequently. Thank goodness I have two other teachers in my room - my children would never get anything done.

3. When you can eat food again, what will your diet be like?

You are supposed to reintroduce food slowly to your body. On the first day, we can have orange juice for breakfast and lunch. I'll probably bring a little of my magic lemonade and water to keep me "full." For dinner that night, you're supposed to make homemade veggie soup. So, if anyone has any good recipes, I'm all ears. For the next few days, you add in more fruits and veggies - keeping it as "raw" as possible. You add in lean protiens and whole grains slowly, and in moderation.

4. What is this teaching you?

That I am much stronger than I thought. :-) That I can live without a lot of the foods I thought were "essential" to my well-being: cookies, crackers, chips, diet soda, WINE, etc. Even on Weight Watchers, I found a way to work those things in to my diet. I'll still indulge on special occasions, but I know now I can eat so much healthier than before.

Thanks for checking in on us! Let me know if you have any good veggie soup recommendations!!

PS -

I do not smell like death. Neither does Bryan.

And, I would make a very good pirate! I have newly acquired survival skills!

:-)

Day 3 - The Enlightening One Shares Her Enlightenments

2009-02-25T18:12:00.003-05:00

Well, the author wasn't lying when he said Day 3 would be the hardest. I. am. hungry. I am actually craving specific foods - mainly cheese. Actually, I would eat anything you put in front of me right now - even the cafeteria corn dogs they served today at lunch!!

But I can do this!!

I wanted to answer a few more of the questions that you guys have asked...

1. What is the reason for the 32 ounces of salt water?

While it is absolutely - without a doubt- the hardest thing I have to do every day, it is essential to the cleanse process. It, um, makes things "move." Quickly. Like, within 30 minutes of drinking it. What a way to wake up, huh?

2. How much weight have you lost so far?

As of this afternoon, I've lost 7 pounds. That's a lot in 3 days. Bryan has lost around 8. Stupid boys, it comes off of them so much faster! It's also been really hard to do!! Keep in mind that wasn't the only reason Bryan and I elected to do this, but it's certainly been a benefit.

3. Why this cleanse? Why ten days?

I'm actually not sure about the ten day time period, other than to say that the author recommends it. He says that doing it for a shorter period of time doesn't allow the body to rid itself of all the toxins that have built of over time. He actually recommends going for longer - up to 40 days!! (That, I can't imagine. I just couldn't do it.)

We actually tried a different cleanse that we found at GNC over the summer, but we had disappointing results.

I'll look at my book and search the message boards tonight again to see if I can find some more concrete answers about the ten-day period.

Keep checking in with us! :-)

Day 2 - The Cleanse

2009-02-24T15:30:00.003-05:00

Well, this isn't easy - but it's doable.

I still say the hardest part is drinking 32 ounces of salt water every morning. Bryan would probably agree. It's just gross.

Alot of people have asked how hungry I am. On a scale of 1 to 10, I'm probably at a 4. If I drink some "lemonade" or water, I'm okay for an hour or so. I drink alot of lemonade and water. I can have up to 12 glasses of the lemonade every day, and as much water as I want. So far, I've only made six glasses each day. The ingredients are expensive!! I don't want to use them all up!

The worst part of my day yesterday was coming home to an empty house. Bryan worked a little late, and so I got home first. Empty house + hunger = a major opportunity to cheat. But, I didn't!! I put on Dr. Phil and made myself comfy on the couch. It was really hard to ignore the Teddy Grahams and sandwich fixins' calling to me from the pantry, but I did it.

I found myself looking forward to the tea last night. I think because it was hot, it made me feel more full. I woke up a couple of times feeling hungry, but all I had to to was think about the salt water flush that I would be drinking in a few hours, and it put me right out of my misery. :-)

Thanks for your emails and comments. They are encouraging - even if you all do think we're crazy!

Cleansing, Cleansing 1-2-3

2009-02-23T11:37:00.004-05:00

Lord, what have I gotten myself into?

Bryan and I made a decision this weekend that I am seriously starting to re-think. We are trying the "Master Cleanse Diet" for the next ten days. We bought the book a couple of months ago and I've been debating on whether or not to actually try it. We went to Harry's last night and spent about $75 on the ingredients --- now we have to do it!

Why???

Bryan and I want it to "jump start" our wedding weight-loss. I've been using Weight Watchers (and will continue to do so after the cleanse). We're hopeful this will also serve as a way to get the junk food out of our diet. The program claims it will help your body start to crave fruits and veggies instead of pizza and chicken wings. :-)

What is it?

The ingredients

It's a "lemonade" concoction of fresh squeezed lemon juice, organic maple syrup, cayenne pepper and flouride-free water. At night we drink a cup of Smooth Move senna tea and in the morning a disgusting salt-water flush. After this morning's gag fest with the salt water, I'm not quite sure how I'll get it down tomorrow. You're supposed to drink at least 6 8-oz. glasses of the lemonade during the day, and all the water you want.

I thought it would be a good idea to chronicle the 10-day (yes, 10 days of this!!) cleanse on the blog. If nothing else, I can look back and see just how crazy I was!

How is it going?

So, five hours into Day One I'm really doing okay. I'm a little hungry but if I drink some lemonade or water, that usually does the trick after about ten minutes. I'm really glad Bryan is doing this with me. I don't think I could stand the thought of smelling dinner cooking or watching someone else eat after consuming nothing but lemonade all day.

The lemonade itself isn't bad at all. It's actually pretty good! I think I put a little too much cayenne in mine. When I make another batch, I'll definitely put less in. The "heat" in the back of my throat is a little nuts. If I wasn't at work, I'd be in trouble. For me boredom = eating.

I'll keep you guys posted. Feel free to leave notes of sympathy, or tell us how crazy we are! :-)

From the mouths of babes....

2009-02-21T13:38:00.003-05:00

Every Friday, my kiddos write their "Weekly Goals." It's something I use to communicate with parents, and a chance for the kids to reflect on their week. Each kid writes two "glows" and two "grows" to wrap up their week, and I make comments on the side.

Yesterday I couldn't help myself. What started out as a giggle snowballed. I guffawed. I became that kid who laughs at words like "fart" and "butt." As I was going through my stack of Weekly Goals, I came across this gem:

"I will make an A on my testes."

Wouldn't you?

I am so STINKIN' excited!

2009-02-10T07:36:00.002-05:00

Valentine's Day stinks when you're single.

Since Nat has recently joined the "singles" category, I invited her to spend the weekend with me! (She's available, people!) There is all sorts of fun stuff going on this weekend - 7Sharp9 plays at Hemingway's, Roper's Birthday at Midtown Bowl, and (finally) dress shopping!!

I know we will take a million pictures. I hope Jennie and Chris will be able to come down and spend some time with us. I hope Friday gets here soon!

There will be lots of sister time this weekend!

A Good Belly Laugh

2009-02-04T17:57:00.002-05:00

I needed to laugh so badly yesterday. It wasn't a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad day - just a frustrating day. I came home in a funk, went to the gym in a funk, and drove back home in a funk. Yuck.

I logged onto Facebook, and came across a video posted by my (almost!) sister-in-law, Leigh. It was the best six minutes of my day. Thanks, Leigh!!

If you can watch this without laughing, there might be something wrong with you. :-)

Saturday Surprises

2009-01-31T13:38:00.006-05:00

Bryan and I have a lot in common. We love the outdoors, good wine, good music, and the company of the people we love most. However, there is something I religiously watch or record on the Moxi box that he puts up with only because he loves me -

He absolutely loathes this show.

If you know me at all, you know that one of my regrets is never auditioning for the show. I'm not fantastically awesome, but I have a pretty good set of pipes. I'd be interested to see what Simon has to say about me. :-) Alas, I'm now too old.

I have always admired the contestants who make it onto the show and use their time to give glory to God. I love to hear their testimonies and see how HE has changed them.

While I was blog-hopping this afternoon (read: avoiding the gym), I came across a video of Jason Castro. Somehow, I missed the boat on this guy. He's got a new fan in me today...

Tagged!

2009-01-25T16:04:00.002-05:00

Sherry, Abby, Nikki and Michelle

This picture is from my 26th birthday at Piedmont Park. Screen on the Green was showing my favorite movie ever - Breakfast at Tiffany's. SotG is one of our favorite summer traditions, and this picture makes me even more ready for summer vacation. I look a little, um, "disheveled" and I clearly remember prancing across the street back to the car. :-)

I thought that "The Texter" took this picture, but (gasp) I see him in the background. I can't remember who else came with us!

Ok, here are the rules:

1. Go to your 4th photo album.
2. Post the 4th picture.
3. Give a little "photo history" for all to read.

I'm tagging - Kari, Nicole and Chris. Get busy!

Whew!

2009-01-23T22:34:00.002-05:00

I have worked 4 nights out of the last 5.
I am a babysitting machine.
I am sleeping in tomorrow until I just can't stand it anymore.

And then I get to do it all over again.

Someone remind me that June 5, 2009 will make all of this worth it. :-)

Yesterday

2009-01-21T08:43:00.002-05:00

I watched 17 not-so-little heads bow as Rick Warren spoke the invocation.

I smiled at those same seventeen faces when they asked me to hold their hands as President Obama began to speak.

I was amazed at how quiet they were when Obama spoke... and remembered how quiet they are not when I am trying to teach sometimes. :-)

I refused to believe that this excitement could be linked to something evil - some right-wing fear-induced "sin" of my country. A country I am proud to live in. A country that chose change. Change that begins today.

I Resolve...

2009-01-19T11:50:00.001-05:00

To try and blog at least once a week this year. :-) I said try. I started this post on 01/02/09, and you see how long it's taken me to finish it!! :-) Here's a few pics to get you caught up on Winter Break 2008-2009!

Our "Charlie Brown" Christmas tree...

Complete with a Charlie!

(Yes K, that monstrous beast is still here!)

I drove to Thomaston, GA to spend time with my "other" family - the Matsons. Mark was my youth minister in high school and he and his wife Angela "adopted" me into their family. There are three other "kids" like me - Allison, Louis and Jenn - and (minus Allie and her hubby) all of us got together to sing at Mark's church and spend time together for the holidays. Sadly, I didn't get many pictures while I was there... life as a Matson is never dull! :-) However, I did get my new favorite picture:

With my baby sister Grace!
Mark and Angela adopted Grace a couple of years ago, and she is the best thing ever!

I also spent my first Christmas with Bryan's family this year - it was also my first holiday away from my own family in almost 30 years. It was wonderful experience, and I am even more excited about becoming a Spann in a few months' time.

We headed to Hazlehurst, GA (Bryan's hometown) on Christmas Eve to spend time with Bryan's parents and grandparents - Nanny and Pa. On Christmas morning, we woke up and spent the day munching on sausage rolls, drinking coffee, opening gifts and watching a John Wayne marathon. (Daddy, you would be proud! I actually enjoyed the JW movies!)

After lunch I got back in the car drove back to Marietta where I met the newlyweds, Jennie and Chris. Bryan had to work the next day, so he stayed at Nanny and Pa's to enjoy some extra family time. The Newlyweds and I made our way to Weaver-Vegas to spend a few days with the Boone family.

This is the result of our annual game of Dirty Santa:

Dad with his Benjamin Franklin "bling-bling."

Boone children...

Being Boone children!

We also drove to Greensboro while we were home to spend time with Mama's family and celebrate Aunt Sherry and Uncle Nash's 50th birthdays. It was so nice to be around cousins I don't get to see very often, and spend time just hanging out together.

Boone girls with Daddy Tom and Mama Carol

Birthday Boy and Girl: Uncle Nash and Aunt Sherry

Mama and her birthday brother

Shook siblings (L to R)
Tommy, Mama, Tia (Louise), Betty, Nash, Norma
Mama Carol and Daddy Tom
You have no idea how rare this happens! :-)

Boone girls with Uncle Nash

Eventually, I had to come home. :-) Here are a few more pictures from the last week of Winter Break...

NYE @ Atkins Park with friends

We did get to spend a night with Bryan's cousins, Jerry and Angie who were in town from Denver, CO for the holidays. It was a special treat for all of us. Jerry and Angie moved from Marietta to Denver a couple of years ago, and we miss spending time with them. Bryan and Jerry were actually born only a few days apart, and grew up a lot of more like brothers than cousins.

Angie and Abby

Bryan and Jerry

I hope this gets me back on the right blogging "foot." I promise I'll try to be better!

Doctor, Doctor Gimme the News

2008-11-24T17:30:00.001-05:00

So a few of you have been praying for me in the last few months as I trekked back to the GI doctor's office for some testing. I waited for awhile to post and write back to some of you. BIG apologies. All my tests came back fine. However, I had a "nagging" feeling that I wasn't finished yet.

I was right. :-P

For those of you who don't know, I've been under the care of a GI doctor since my early teens. I've been diagnosed with acid reflux, IBS,"sluggish stomach," and every other GI condition you see in drug ads on TV.

I have not been diligent in taking my medication in the last two years - particularly the pills that control my acid reflux. When Dr. Lucas called me back a couple of weeks ago, she told me I had done significant damage to my esophagus. The "up and down" of the stomach acid has created several pre-cancerous spots that we will have to monitor closely every year. Before this latest round of testing, I was going in for an endoscopy once every five years. Now I have to have one every year. Boo.

That was not the only reason she called back. When she was poking around in my insides, she did a biopsy on my small intestine and found that my villi were "blunted" instead of long and skinny.

How does this all come together?

1. I have weird, unruly villi. :-)
2. I have IBS.
3. I might have Celiac disease. (A gluten intolerance = Gluten free diet = No fun.)

She ordered a blood test to determine whether or not I have Celiac disease. I get the paperwork for said blood work and off I trot to the place I will now refer to as "The Scariest Lab Ever."

The Scariest Lab Ever is inside of a nearby hospital, so initially I feel fine. I walk up to the window and sign in. Thirty minutes later, my name is called:

"Mih Boo...."

Is that me?

"Mih Abigay Boo"

Yup. That's me.

I walk back to the window and I am greeted by Tomeka. (Toe-mee-ka) I hand her my paperwork.

"Ooh! What dis?!"

Oh my.

"Um, this is the paperwork my doctor's office sent. I have to have blood drawn for the Celiac Profile. See?" (I point to the box checked on the paperwork. There are also instructions beside it.)

"I ain't never seen this afore. I'ma haffa call somebody."

Yes. Yes you will.

She opens the door for me to come into the tee-tiny lab. Panic sets in. She is the only one in the lab. She will be drawing my blood. HOW DID SHE QUALIFY TO DRAW BLOOD???

Five minutes later, she is wrangling with my arm and I am trying very hard not to curse. I swear she was actually wiggling the needle around in my arm.

When she is finished, I hear, "I hope dis is right."

You and me both, Tomeka. You and me both.

Within two hours, I have a massive bruise on the inside of my arm. When I ask my sister Kadee eabout it, she said that Tomeka went through my vein instead of just going inside it.

Shocker.

Two weeks later, my doctor's office calls me back. The blood work was done incorrectly and they don't know whether I have Celiac disease or not.

Imagine that.

I have to go back, but I can't yet because my insurance won't pay for it. Evidently they haven't met Tomeka.

I'll let you know when I go back. (No worries - I don't have to go back to Tomeka.) Until then, keep your fingers crossed!

Our Latest Addition

2008-11-18T12:09:00.002-05:00

We are pleased to welcome our latest addition to the Smyrna Zoo:

Booney Bird!

Because I have been terrible about updating since going back to work, I haven't had the chance to introduce Booney to his new adoring public. For obvious health concerns (aka: a house with four cats), Booney lives at Fair Oaks in my classroom.

Peek-A-Booney

He's actually our class pet at school. On the first day of school, we were outside for recess when I heard, "Miss Boone! There's a bird on the playground!" I made the HUGE mistake of replying, "If you can catch him, we can keep him!"

Ha.

In all seriousness, he is a lovely bird and probably would have been cat food if left outside to fend for himself. Our best guess is that someone decided they could no longer care for him and "set him free."

Because all cockatiels can live on their own. In the wild. In Georgia.

Chillin' in the classroom.

He really has been fun to have around. He plays with our jewelry, eats erasers, squawks when we leave him alone in the room, and sits on our shoulders while we work and teach. We let him out for most of the day in the classroom - with the door closed. There was a brief "escape" from the classroom that ended with my running up and down several hallways screaming "BIRD!" and muttering four-letter-words under my breath. Luckily, it was 3:30 and all the children had gone home.

The kids did name him - although I do think his name is fabulous. When they found out I would no longer be Miss Boone, they decided the bird needed to be a Boone. There is also a popular book we've read, Goony Bird Greene by Lois Lowry. They combined the two. Hence, the name "Booney Bird." :-)

Come see us - all six of us at the the Smyrna Zoo. Thanksgiving Break should be interesting! :-)

Look, Ma! He's Famous!

2008-11-17T11:59:00.002-05:00

Well, almost.

Bryan was recently interviewed for a Food and Wine article in the AJC. It was published last week, and I've been fighting off the ladies who want a piece of my connoisseur ever since. I am ever so proud of my wine-0.

:-)

Read it here.

Tell him how smart he is here.

Election Thoughts

2008-11-05T17:42:00.007-05:00

I've been trying to think of what to say about the last 24 hours and how they have played out across our country.

(courtesy of the New York Times)

Before I say my piece, here are few wise words from some blogs I read that have said exactly what I've been thinking...

From Charles at Blessed Endurance:

"I'm hopeful that good things are to come for the United States, both for its citizens and for its role in the international community."

From Lydia at A Day's Grace:

" Did Obama win last night because Christians didn't pray with enough fervor? NO! Obama won because, amazingly enough, God has a plan for his life and he was meant to play a role in our nation's history. Is he evil? No. Is he wicked? We all are. So, please folks, get off your high horse of judgment and stop posting dooms day type scripture that does more harm than good. I'm all about some scripture, but the intent of most of the scripture I've seen posted as of late has been to make digs and allude to negative or wicked character. God doesn't like His words being misused - so I would encourage one to study their own heart before using God's word to name call."

I watched both candidates carefully. I prayed about it. I voted for Obama and I am proud of my vote. I may not agree with everything Obama says and does, but I do believe he is (and will be) the best man for the job.

However (like most people these days) I have a soapbox:

I am tired of people calling him the messiah of America. I am tired of people implying that he thinks he is the messiah. I am tired of the paranoia-hysteria that seems to have overcome some Americans. He is not the Anti-christ. Obama has not deified himself. The media has, and people need to wake up and regonize it. It's time for people EVERYWHERE to realize that he is simply a man - a child of GOD, like each one of us.

I am excited to see what GOD has planned for Barack Obama and our country in the next four years. I am ready for change.

Where in the World Has Abby Been?

2008-10-16T16:06:00.007-04:00

I know I have been very absent lately from the blogging world, so I thought I would take this rare moment of free time and post one BIG update on what's been going on...

Babysitting

If I'm not at home, chances are I'm babysitting. With the wedding getting closer and closer, we are trying to make as much extra moola as we can. I'm sure my friends are ready to disown me - I haven't been anywhere fun lately. However, it has been a wonderful source of extra income and I get to spend time with these sweet faces.

Thomas

Liam

Chloe

A Little Fair Oaks Fun

I did sneak out a few Saturdays ago for some fun with the girls. We all met at Hemingway's on the night of the UGA-Alabama game. While I drowned my sorrows, we danced and had a good time giggling at the redneck bachelorette party beside us. (Think: lots of AquaNet, fishnet everything, plastic pee-pees, and not so many teeth)

With my Muffin and Toni

on a Hemingway's night

With our F. Oaks Scarecrows

A Visit Home

Bryan and I waiting for the concert to start

Midway through September, Bryan and I headed to Weaver-Vegas to help out with a fundraiser for the now-restored grist mill that belongs to my aunt. We were so busy during the day that I forgot to take pictures!

However, Daddy's band also had a fundraiser that weekend that culminated with a concert "on the green" in downtown Weaverville. It was really neat to see the small town atmosphere - Can you imagine a barbeque roast and band concert in downtown Atlanta? :-)

And the band played on...

Apparently Mama's butt was a little bonier than Nat realized

Nattie cheering on the band. :-)

On a side note, we did decide to move our wedding back to North Carolina after our weekend in the mountains. Bryan and I both fell in love with the mill and are excited about having our ceremony at a place that means alot to my family and our history. The reception location is TBD, but hopefully I'll be able to work that out soon. You can check it out here!

I'm headed home this weekend for some sister time and I'm hoping Kadee and Jennie will be able to lend me their wedding expertise as I try to nail down a site in the next few days. Wish me luck!

Thanks, Nicole!

2008-10-07T07:53:00.003-04:00

I heard about this fantastic contest from my wonderful friend Nicole at her blog. The site is http://www.hangbagplanet.com/. They are giving away 24 handbags every 24 hours on October 15th to celebrate the launching of their new website. I accidentally sent out invites to my entire GMail address book.

WHOOPS! My apologies.

Anyhoo. Visit them, peruse the handbags and enter to win!

http://www.handbagplanet.com/

Good Luck!

Still Alive!!

2008-09-17T10:16:00.001-04:00

Just coming up for air...

I've got several fun posts coming:

- A weekend in Weaver-Vegas with Bryan and the fam

- An interesting night out with Mama and Jennie

- School stories to share

:-) Love you guys!

Abby

Not Playing Hooky

2008-09-02T12:47:00.002-04:00

I have the day off.

I went to the dentist at 10:40.

I asked him to have the nitrous running when I walked in the door.

He numbed up the entire right side of my mouth.

Then he proceeded to do something called "gum scaling."

I was glad my mouth was numb.

The noises his machines made almost gave me a triple anxiety attack.

He filled two cavities - one of which he told me was almost to the point of needing a root canal.

Thanks, dude. Makes me feel so much better about being here.

Bryan picked me up (nitrous oxide = no driving).

I bit my tongue three times on the way home.

I almost choked to death trying to swallow Advil.

I'd rather be at work.

Not Laboring

2008-09-01T09:56:00.002-04:00

I love today. I look forward to it every year. It's the first day "off" for teachers after going back to school.

I know, I've only been back at work for four weeks (three of them with the kids) but I long for summer. I miss sitting on my deck with coffee, Bible and computer in hand. I miss my Tuesdays with Bryan. I miss the random midday margaritas with girlfriends, impromptu lunches and even the extra money made babysitting. :-)

I have a few pictures to post and a couple of stories to tell, but I'm putting it off for just a little while longer.

There's a Monk marathon I must go watch. :-)

Happy Labor Day!

I Have a Secret

2008-08-27T19:49:00.003-04:00

Kind of. Not a big secret, but not little either. It's not an intentional devious secret, but I haven't been forthcoming in sharing it with you all yet either.

I know- enough dilly-dallying.

I've been writing another blog. I wanted to make sure this was something I was going to keep up with, and not just a summer "hobby" of sorts. I'm hoping that by telling my oodles of readers here about it, I'll feel more compelled to write more there as well. I've made some wonderful friends there, and found lots of "prayer warriors" to share my journey with.

It's a way for me to share what's going on with me spiritually - my struggles, my prayers, my victories (however big or small they may be). It also reminds me every time I write that "putting on love" is the most important thing I can do.

Stop by if you have a minute, and definitely keep US in your prayers.

Love to all,

Abby

Fully Loaded

2008-08-23T09:33:00.003-04:00

This one is a little overdue, but still worth sharing...

My longtime friend Michelle and I were on our way to Girls Night at Nikki's house when we noticed something a little odd on the car beside us.

US: What is that?

We squinted and sped up, squinted and sped up. (I wasn't driving, Mama. I was the papparazzi.) It took us about a minute to figure out what we were looking at and why it wasn't moving.

A: Is that a diaper?

M: Holy Crap! It is!

A: That's nasty! Why isn't it moving?

(Keep in mind the speed limit is 45 mph on South Cobb Drive.)

M: That's because it's fully loaded. With crap.

Both of us: EW!!!!!!

We were baffled.

And disgusted.

Up close and personal.

Sadly, my papparazzi time was short-lived. We turned on Atlanta Road and the Stinky-Diaper-Car kept going.

Aren't you glad I took pictures? :-)

In This House..

2008-08-16T17:08:00.002-04:00

Love brings me a cold washcloth when I'm crouched in the bathroom reliving everything I've eaten in the last 24 hours.
Love brings me Key Lime Pie from a fancy-schmancy restaurant because he knows I've had a bad day.
Love doesn't say anything about the fact that I order fries instead of a salad.
Love brings me juice and medicine in the middle of the night because I was too tired to take it when I crawled into bed.
Love makes me feel smart for knowing pop culture answers when we go play Team Trivia - even though he knows them anyway.
Love makes the bed and folds laundry.
Love watches Grey's Anatomy with me, even though medical shows totally gross him out.
Love likes it when I make breakfast for dinner.
Love teaches me something new every day.
Love lets me cry multiple times a day, every day, about the worries I will carry for the next week. He reassures me every time that all of this will be okay.

I love you, Bud.

Happy Monday

2008-08-11T21:25:00.003-04:00

I was cooking dinner last night, minding my own business making BBQ with baked beans and sweet potato fries. Bryan came in to check on my progress and pointed out something that led to absolute hilarity in our kitchen for a good ten minutes.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you....

B&M Beans.

'Nuff said.

I can hear it already...

2008-08-10T19:54:00.007-04:00

"Good Morning, Miss Boone!"

Sigh.

I've been back at work for a week now, setting up and getting ready for tomorrow. The alarm is set for 5 am, my lunch is packed, my outfit planned and even after 7 years of this, I still get "first day jitters."

Before the school stories begin, I thought I'd catch everybody up on the last few weeks.

My life as SuperNanny began in early July. In all seriousness, these were not kids who needed behavior lessons. They were precious, fun, and absolutely wonderful to be with. I miss them terribly. Please meet...

Liam

and Chloe (or, as Liam says, "Kwoh-lee")

I told you they were cute. I got to visit the Zoo, a golf club, a children's museum, the puppetry arts center and a bunch of other fun places. They were long days (8-6), don't get me wrong - but they were fun.

A few pictures from the Zoo...

Tyger, Tyger anyone?

A little panda action

I have a few more pictures to post but since Blogger is being a royal pain in my "tookus," I'll save them for another day.

Catch of the Day

2008-07-27T16:16:00.003-04:00

My Aunt Tanna emailed me recently with a picture that I have absolutely fallen in love with.

I love it.

That is my daddy on the left, and his grandfather Pappy on the right. Two peas in a pod. I will confess to being homesick at the moment and every time I look at it, I feel a little better. Thanks, Aunt Tanna!

I love you, Daddy.

Sunday Surprises

2008-07-25T11:55:00.002-04:00

You all know what big Braves fans we are. So, when our good friend Greg called and asked if we wanted a pair of tickets he couldn't use for Sunday's game, we gladly agreed to take them off his hands.

We were just excited that we could escape to the 755 Club if it got unbearably hot!

We had no idea that we would be sitting 12 rows behind home plate! Woo-hoo! Even though it was a thousand degrees outside, we were really excited to have such great seats.

Chipper at bat

Tiexera (my new favorite) had several big hits, but the Braves couldn't seem to pull it together

Just before we headed for the cold air in the 755 Club

It was not a day for the Braves to come out on top. It was rather sad, actually. I think we lost to the Nationals 15-5. Ouch. I can't complain though - it's probably the first loss we've seen in more than a year. We like to think we're good luck charms for the Braves. :-)

On our way back to the car, we decided our luck was turning around when...

Bryan found a dollar in the road!

I know people find quarters and dimes pretty frequently, but a dollar?! We decided it was a sign. A sign that we needed to give in to our cravings and have...

Margaritas!

We headed to one of our favorite Vinings spots - La Paz. Yum. Nothing better on a hot summer day than Mexican and Margaritas!

Steak and Black Bean Quesadillas

The Triple Taco

We left La Paz and headed home with sunburned shoulders and full bellies. :-) It was a really fun summer Sunday. I don't have very many left! Come see us!

Happy (Belated) Birthday Toni!

2008-07-24T20:58:00.000-04:00

The traditional birthday girl birthday shot.

My sweet friend Toni had a birthday on Sunday, the 20th. Being the good party-ers that we are, we went out on Saturday night to celebrate. We headed to Hemingways to see... you guessed it... 7Sharp9! It's way more fun when you know the band.

Michelle, Nikki, Toni, Moi, Amber
(MIA: Sherry and Claudine)

You know I go out with a date!

Right before we took this picture I heard, "Another one?! We've only taken 15 in the last two weeks!!"

"We have to have lots."

"Why?"

"Duh! Our wedding slide show!"

:-) (If you look back at the photo, you can see my cute new highlights!)

Roper and Toni

That's not Toni's boyfriend Jeremy, that's her work husband - Roper. Toni is switching schools this year, and she needed a photo of her work husband so she's not tempted to find another one. You know, since the number of straight men in elementary school is staggeringly high.

Happy (Late) Birthday, Sweet Girl!

7Sharp9 in Smyrna

2008-07-21T20:06:00.006-04:00

Last Saturday (July 12th), we joined our crew of friends on the Village Green right here in Smyrna. We were supposed to arrive earlier for Michelle's summer shindig at her new house, but we had a small hiccup in the way of our air conditioner.

Remember our air conditioner? And how we already paid to have it fixed? Well, it broke. Again.

This house was hot-hot-hot!

Thank the LORD for my neighbor Anita. She recommended an air repair man who works for the school system. We had to wait a little while, but I'll take a $70 fix over a $300 fix any day! We are currently loving life with a house that's at least 10 degrees cooler and a new air repair man.

As soon as the air conditioner was fixed, I sweated my way through getting ready. I must stop to mention that I loathe getting ready when I'm hot. It makes zero sense to me to take a shower, dry off, get dressed, begin to dry my hair, and start sweating all over again. Yuck.

Anyhoo. Nicole and "J" met us here and we headed towards the Green. And as soon as we arrived, the picture taking began. There was lots of singing and dancing. And picture taking.

My silly girls. I love them.

Not sure what Michelle's up to... Claudine seems interested, though!

With Toni on the blanket!

Nikki and Toni

Big Brother Robel (aka: Our Bacardi Supplier)

And of course, the couple shots:

Nicole and J

Me with Mine.
It was a very giggly night.

Claudine and... Jeremy?

Mike looks a little... disturbed.

My favorite part of the night came when this awesome rock star signed ME. Oh yeah.

That's right folks.
I got signed.
With a Sharpie.

I'm Still Here!!

2008-07-17T23:49:00.002-04:00

I've been Super-Nanny (no, really) for the last two weeks and haven't really had time to blog. The family I'm working for has one of those fancy schmancy Macs that I'm afraid of. By the time I get home, it's 7:00 and all I want to do is eat and lounge with Bryan.

I'm hoping I can take my laptop with me tomorrow and upload some photos during nap time. If not, hold tight - they'll be here soon. :-)

In the meantime, my friend Lydia tagged me and I thought it would make for a fun update...

(PS - You should go check her out. She is fun and smart.)

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? My parents just liked Abigail - it means "Joy of the father." Lee (my middle name) came from my maternal grandmother. I was almost Miranda... Little Randi. SO GLAD they went with Abigail.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Monday night. I was walking in the dark and ended up with a splinter in my heel. It's still there. And hurting.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? I love my handwriting. I'm a little OCD about my handwriting.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Honey Ham.

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? NO. No, No and NO!

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? I like me.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? I teach 4th grade. It's a necessity.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? God did not make me a bird. I choose not to do bird things.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Quaker Oh's.

11. Do YOU WONDER WHAT HAPPENED TO QUESTION 11? Not really.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? I've got some muscle. Rawr.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Chocolate Peanut Butter.

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Hair. Smile. Eyes.

15. RED OR PINK? Red.

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOU? My pant size. :-)

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My grandmothers. And my sisters.

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? No - I'm just wasting time. I am a little curious, though.

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Black boxers (Bryan's) and no shoes.

20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Black bean and cheese quesadilla. Mmmmm.

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Robot Chicken. Not my idea.

22. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Green.

23. FAVORITE SMELL? Yellow Cake baking.

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Bryan

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? I think Lydia is fabulous!

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? College football and basketball.

27. HAIR COLOR? Brown with highlights that really need to be updated... and will be on Saturday!

28. EYE COLOR? Green like Daddy's.

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Yes - and everyone should be really glad that I do.

30. FAVORITE FOOD? Mashed potatoes.

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings.

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Stepbrothers - Bryan got tickets to a Sneak Preview on Monday!

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? A blue and white tank top.

34. SUMMER OR WINTER? Winter.

35. HUGS OR KISSES? Hugs.

36. FAVORITE DESSERT? Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting.

37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Nicole?

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Probably my brother-in-law, Chris.

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? Straight Up and Dirty

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? No mouse pad - laptop.

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT? Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

42. FAVORITE SOUND? Laughter.

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Beatles.

44. WHAT IS THE FURTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Hawaii.

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? I can make my voice sound like I've swallowed an enormous amount of helium.

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Waynesville, NC

47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOkNG FORWARD TO GETTING BACK? Anyone's. :-)

Looking for a Good Read?

2008-07-13T08:16:00.003-04:00

Thanks to my friend Nicole, I found the following list on Entertainment Weekly's website:
(Yes Mama, the one I did shots with last weekend.)

I did the following as I transferred the list here:

Cross out books I've already read.
Italicize the books I want to read.

The Top 100 Books of the Last 25 Years

1. The Road , Cormac McCarthy (2006)
~~2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling (2000)~~
3. Beloved, Toni Morrison (1987)
4. The Liars' Club, Mary Karr (1995)
5. American Pastoral, Philip Roth (1997)
6. Mystic River, Dennis Lehane (2001)
~~7. Maus, Art Spiegelman (1986/1991)~~
8. Selected Stories, Alice Munro (1996)
9. Cold Mountain, Charles Frazier (1997)
10. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Haruki Murakami (1997)
11. Into Thin Air, Jon Krakauer (1997)
12. Blindness, José Saramago (1998)
13. Watchmen, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons (1986-87)
14. Black Water, Joyce Carol Oates (1992)
~~15. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, Dave Eggers (2000)~~
16. The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood (1986)
17. Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel García Márquez (1988)
18. Rabbit at Rest, John Updike (1990)
19. On Beauty, Zadie Smith (2005)
20. Bridget Jones's Diary, Helen Fielding (1998)
21. On Writing, Stephen King (2000)
22. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Junot Díaz (2007)
23. The Ghost Road, Pat Barker (1996)
24. Lonesome Dove, Larry McMurtry (1985)
25. The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan (1989)
26. Neuromancer, William Gibson (1984)
27. Possession, A.S. Byatt (1990)
28. Naked, David Sedaris (1997)
29. Bel Canto, Anne Patchett (2001)
30. Case Histories, Kate Atkinson (2004)
31. The Things They Carried, Tim O'Brien (1990)
32. Parting the Waters, Taylor Branch (1988)
33. The Year of Magical Thinking, Joan Didion (2005)
~~34. The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold (2002)~~
35. The Line of Beauty, Alan Hollinghurst (2004)
~~36. Angela's Ashes, Frank McCourt (1996)~~
~~37. Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi (2003)~~
38. Birds of America, Lorrie Moore (1998)
39. Interpreter of Maladies, Jhumpa Lahiri (2000)
40. His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman (1995-2000)
~~41. The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros (1984)~~
42. LaBrava, Elmore Leonard (1983)
43. Borrowed Time, Paul Monette (1988)
44. Praying for Sheetrock, Melissa Fay Greene (1991)
45. Eva Luna, Isabel Allende (1988)
46. Sandman, Neil Gaiman (1988-1996)
47. World's Fair, E.L. Doctorow (1985)
48. The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver (1998)
49. Clockers, Richard Price (1992)
~~50. The Corrections, Jonathan Franzen (2001)~~
51. The Journalist and the Murderer, Janet Malcom (1990)
52. Waiting to Exhale, Terry McMillan (1992)
53. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Michael Chabon (2000)
54. Jimmy Corrigan, Chris Ware (2000)
~~55. The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls (2006)~~
56. The Night Manager, John le Carré (1993)
57. The Bonfire of the Vanities, Tom Wolfe (1987)
58. Drop City, TC Boyle (2003)
59. Krik? Krak! Edwidge Danticat (1995)
60. Nickel & Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich (2001)
61. Money, Martin Amis (1985)
62. Last Train To Memphis, Peter Guralnick (1994)
63. Pastoralia, George Saunders (2000)
64. Underworld, Don DeLillo (1997)
~~65. The Giver, Lois Lowry (1993)~~
66. A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again, David Foster Wallace (1997)
67. The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini (2003)
68. Fun Home, Alison Bechdel (2006)
69. Secret History, Donna Tartt (1992)
70. Cloud Atlas, David Mitchell (2004)
71. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, Ann Fadiman (1997)
~~72. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Mark Haddon (2003)~~
73. A Prayer for Owen Meany, John Irving (1989)
74. Friday Night Lights, H.G. Bissinger (1990)
75. Cathedral, Raymond Carver (1983)
76. A Sight for Sore Eyes, Ruth Rendell (1998)
77. The Remains of the Day, Kazuo Ishiguro (1989)
78. Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert (2006)
79. The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell (2000)
80. Bright Lights, Big City, Jay McInerney (1984)
81. Backlash, Susan Faludi (1991)
82. Atonement, Ian McEwan (2002)
83. The Stone Diaries, Carol Shields (1994)
~~84. Holes, Louis Sachar (1998)~~
85. Gilead, Marilynne Robinson (2004)
86. And the Band Played On, Randy Shilts (1987)
87. The Ruins, Scott Smith (2006)
88. High Fidelity, Nick Hornby (1995)
89. Close Range, Annie Proulx (1999)
90. Comfort Me With Apples, Ruth Reichl (2001)
91. Random Family, Adrian Nicole LeBlanc (2003)
92. Presumed Innocent, Scott Turow (1987)
~~93. A Thousand Acres, Jane Smiley (1991)~~
~~94. Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser (2001)~~
95. Kaaterskill Falls, Allegra Goodman (1998)
96. The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown (2003)
97. Jesus’ Son, Denis Johnson (1992)
98. The Predators' Ball, Connie Bruck (1988)
99. Practical Magic, Alice Hoffman (1995)
100. America (the Book), Jon Stewart/Daily Show (2004)

My favorites were probably Persepolis, The Glass Castle, The Lovely Bones and Fast Food Nation. Persepolis was the first graphic novel I ever picked up (albiet for a grad class), and it was absolutely fascinating. It has since been turned into a movie.

The Glass Castle is one of my favorite memoirs. I saw the author on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and picked up the book later that week. I could not put it down. People are incredibly resilient.

The Lovely Bones was recommended to me by my Tia (yes, we call her just Tia). Sad and haunting, but awesome.

Fast Food Nation was the book that sent me into a vegetarian frenzy for 2+ years. My mother finally bought a free range turkey one Thanksgiving, and I caved. I still have a hard time walking into a McFatty King and not thinking about Schlosser's expose on slaughterhouses and the fast food industry. Blech.

Like Nicole, I'm curious to see if my readers have any recommendations. My Goodreads list also looks insanely long now. Thoughts on books I might want to stay away from? Your favorites?

As Promised...

2008-07-07T21:21:00.003-04:00

As Nicole recently hinted, we made some mischief Saturday night with Nic and "J" at Suburban Tap playing trivia. We lost on the final question, but a good time was had by all. My favorite part of the evening included one of Nicole's favorites - Key Lime Pie shots.

Don't be deceived - those shots were quite large. However, I drink like a fish. Nicole drinks like a whale. Well, she used to. Maybe now we're both fish. I did find a recipe for them online. I highly recommend ordering/making one yourself - they're quite delicioso!

Before the chug-a-lugging began.

Seriously?
We're almost 30. Well, I am.
Who am I kidding - that was really fun!!

Sorry there aren't more pictures. At least I remembered to capture the important moment: Drinking like the collegiate hotties that we ~~are.~~

I mean, were. ;-)

The Smyrna Zoo Welcomes...

2008-07-05T14:46:00.005-04:00

WOODY!

No, we did not get a dog. Woody the rat terrier has been visiting this week while his "people" are out of town. One of Bryan's co-workers, Bubba, asked if we could dog-sit while he and his family took a well-deserved vacation. We (obviously) said yes. While it has been a lot of work, it's also been a lot of fun. I have someone to walk with 2 or 3 times a day, and he watches TLC and HGTV without moaning or groaning.

We did, however, learn a few things:

We are not big fans of picking up poo at 7:30 am when someone wants to go outside.
It gets really hot in the bed when there's a dog sleeping in your armpit.
Our cats + one small dog = Some pretty p.o.'d cats.

This is not the face of a happy cat.

A few days ago, I kept my friend Nikki's little boy, Tyler while she and her husband Chris did some work in their rental house. Here's what happened when we introduced Tyler to Woody...

I love this face!

This didn't last long. Buddy soon retreated to the bedroom.

These two wore each other out!

Tag! You're it!

I will be sad to see Woody go home today. However, I will enjoy not waking up in a deep sweat and sleeping (at least) until 9 am without dog breath in my face. :-)

Happy Weekend!

Students in the Summertime?!

2008-07-02T11:22:00.006-04:00

Every year, Six Flags sponsors a program called Read to Succeed. It's absolutely fabulous. Students read for 600 minutes after school, documented by parents, and they get a free Six Flags ticket in return. Their classroom teacher also gets a free Six Flags ticket of her very own as well!!

Most of you know I teach in a low-income school. This means that while the free Six Flags ticket is a great reward, it's not something their parents can afford to do with the whole family. So, this year I made the offer (along with my good friend and colleague, John Roper) to take any kid who wanted to go with me (us) as long as they had a free ticket.

My brave friend, Roper.

John and I rented a 15 passenger van, packed a bunch of sandwiches, Doritos, sodas and Little Debbies into a cooler and headed towards Six Flags yesterday morning. We had 8 students come along, and two additional chaperones - Bryan (who gave up his day off) and another parent, Dominic.

Waiting to go in!

This was just before Bryan's most un-favorite ride of the day. It's a carousel of swings (hanging on chains) that rises up in the air and glides up and down for about 2 or 3 minutes. The man with slight acrophobia almost lost his lunch. :-) We made it.

Going into Monster Plantation

Most of you know I am NOT a rollercoaster girl. I will watch from the ground all day long while everyone else gets turned upside down and thrown around in circles in a box on a track. However, I surprised myself by riding the Georgia Scorcher!

Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia :-)

You ride this monster standing up. STANDING UP! I was standing in line, debating on whether or not I would chicken out when I realized how short the ride was - under a minute. I talked myself into it. When we got off, I had two concerns: 1) How to make my legs stop shaking. 2) My blood pressure.

I stuck to less heart-condition inducing rides for the rest of the day.

Drying off after Skull Island

Two tired chaperones.

It was a fantastic and exhausting day. The kids had a great time, we learned we definitely need more time in the park (we only stayed until 6pm - next year we'll stay until it closes), and I can't wait to do it again! I think next year, we'll need another can. Everybody said, "Can we come with you next year?" :-)

Walking back to the van

We don't want to leave!

I said, "Show me a tired face."

Things that Make Me Proud to be a Boone..

2008-06-27T10:12:00.003-04:00

My Aunt Tanna emailed me last night with the latest article on The Francis Grist Mill. Aunt Tanna has worked tirelessly to restore this beautiful piece of our family's history. The mill is located (literally) right in front of my Mimi's (and now Aunt Tanna's) house.

As a child, it was always a big mystery to me. We were never allowed to cross the creek to explore it. The structure was too old and in disrepair. I love being able to walk inside and all around it and wonder how my great-grandparents were able to keep it going as long as they did!

The Mill in Spring
(courtesy of FPMS)

I don't tell Aunt Tanna often enough how proud I am that she (and so many others) have brought back some of our family's history to life. Francis Cove is one of my favorite places in the world, and I am blessed to be a part of it.

The following article comes straight from Haywood County News, by Edie Burnette.

If these walls could talk, they would tell of a historic gristmill brought back to life

This diary belongs to Francis Grist Mill, U.S. 276, just outside Waynesville:

1976–2004: Getting old is not for sissies. My joints creak, the waterwheel won’t turn and part of a wall has fallen down. My gears are probably frozen in place. I long for the days when I was useful, grinding corn and wheat to keep my people fed.

2004: Who are these people looking at me, making notes? One fellow said he was with the Heritage Conservation Network in Boulder, Colorado. New beam and posts? Siding? Unstable? I could have told them that and more.

JULY, 2004: They are back with more people and some of them look familiar. One man lives just up the road and little Tanna (Tiimbes) who swept my floor is all grown up. Why do they have all those tools and equipment? I hope they aren’t here to pull my gear teeth!

JULY, 2004: It has been a busy two weeks since HCN began this workshop. I am stable again! A new sill beam rests where the old one was rotting away and five new posts have replaced the old ones. These people have spent hours cutting and chiseling mortises and tenons. That huge machine called a crane had to lift the 26’ sill beam and get it in place! Nineteen volunteers from nine states and Sweden spent 1,800 hours beginning my restoration, not including some 40 others who brought food, drinks, and manpower.

JULY 2005: They are back for another two-week workshop! Some of them are earning college credit for putting me back together. I wonder if they know that some of the folks around here, volunteers with Francis Mill Preservation Society, have been spending hours working on my facelift?

These good people repaired the support beams under my heavy millstones, put more new posts on my east wall, repaired joist ends, installed new floor joists and new floor planks for the machine room floor, and were so careful that the new was like the old. The siding and battens on my south side were reinstalled and I have new siding on the east wall. Before they left, they restored some of my fascia and eave molding. This year the 16 volunteers included four returnees from Ohio, Michigan, Florida and Texas, along with students from Michigan, Georgia and North Carolina. Add to that an additional 35 who came with food and power equipment.

JULY 2006: Repairs to my structure are finished and I am now stable, completely enclosed and watertight. Bridge timber that supports my heavy millstones has been repaired, the siding on my front wall has been replaced, and they are beginning to reconstruct the flume that collapsed in 1980 under a heavy snow. Flume tower foundations have been excavated and poured and five are completed. Volunteers will finish the flume. Eighteen mill volunteers were here, three returning for the third year. Others were from Florida, Michigan and Texas and North Carolina. Again, 35 other volunteers ran errands, fed everyone, and brought needed materials.

JUNE 22, 23, 24, 2007: My new steel waterwheel has been installed by nine FMPS volunteers and a crew from the Water Wheel Factory in Franklin.

Luckily, I still have much of my original equipment, such as stones, overhead belts and pulleys, wooden gears and a variety of grinders. With new belts, it all still works with the help of John Lovett, a millwright hired to get everything in working order.

JULY 2007: The flume box has been installed and it is handsome. Volunteers from FMPS, Raven Road Builders and Plemmons Plumbing have refurbished the milldam and connected the wooden flume to the pond with an underground pipe.

SEPT. 22, 2007: The waterwheel turned during the 2nd Annual Music at the Mill!

APRIL 26, 2008: I ground 150 pounds of corn meal! I feel like my old self again – ready to work! I surely have a long list of thank you notes to write, including those who financed my return to good health - Steele Reese Foundation, Society for Preservation of Old Mills, Terrence Mills Preservation Fund, James McClure Clark Foundation, Janirve Foundation, Mast General Store, Society for Industrial Archaeology and Haywood County Community Foundation. This has truly been a community project!

This is the opinion of Edie Burnette, who writes a weekly features column for the Haywood County News. She can be reached at ediehb58@bellsouth.net

The wheel turning for the first time!

Sunday Hike

2008-06-25T18:21:00.005-04:00

We (eventually) rolled out of bed on Sunday morning after a late birthday night and decided we needed to do something to "heal" our partied-out bodies. Bryan and I have taken to hiking on the weekends, and we use this site to help us choose our new destinations.

Georgia Trails is really fantastic. You can make really specific searches based on difficulty, scenery requests, county locations, etc.. The site also gives (fairly) decent directions and a review of each trail to help you make your decisions! I decided I wanted to see a waterfall, but we didn't want to spend an hour driving to get somewhere. So, we settled on Oxbo Trail in Roswell, GA.

getting started...

These signs kept Bryan from playing Boy Scout... whew!

We hiked about an hour out to the waterfall. The trail was wonderfully quiet. Evidently there weren't too many people hiking our way to get to the waterfall. We saw several families and couples once we got there, but apparently, they had taken a different way in. We rested about an hour before heading back to the car.

Looks innocent, right?

Looking straight down... I cannot believe I walked out far enough to do this!

a view from the side

peeking through the leaks

Bryan climbed down a LOT of rocks to get this shot...
I stayed my scaredy-cat butt up top.

As we started walking back, we noticed this cool rope swing you could take out into the middle of the water just before the waterfall.

We didn't.

You could also climb this really awesome tree and swing out into the water on the rope.

We didn't do that either.

In all seriousness, I love hiking with Bryan. I love being outside. I love seeing some of the countless wonders HE created. We get to talk without the distractions of people watching, or the TV/Internet at home and we spend real quality time with each other. It was definitely a fun way to end the weekend!

happy hikers :-)

Birthday Weekend Blog

2008-06-24T00:00:00.000-04:00

Bryan and I celebrated all weekend long. We went to a few new places, and did some of our favorite things as well. It was a perfect birthday weekend. :-)

Friday Night: Thai Diner

I have been craving Thai food lately, so we decided to try a restaurant we hadn't been to before. Thai Diner is just outside Vinings in a Kroger shopping center, and it was exactly what I had been wanting.

I love red curry. With red pepper and pineapple. And shrimp.

Outside Thai Diner

After dinner, we headed to Coldstone for some Chocolate-Reese's Cup ice cream perfection. It was so good I forgot to take pictures.

Saturday: Braves vs. Mariners, Late Night Fun and WaHo!

We headed to Turner Field at had a bite to eat at The Chop House. Well, I had a foot. Bryan had a leg!

Bryan and his massive turkey leg.

Mmmm. Foot long hot dog. Mmmm.

Afterwards, we walked around for a bit and visited some places inside the stadium neither one of us had ever been before.

Bryan in the misty Sky Field.

Sitting in a gigantic Coke chair.

You got the right one, baby!

Side note: This was one of the best Braves games I've ever seen. They were down the whole game until the 9th inning. McCann hit home run to break the tie and we won. It was awesome!!

We actually made some really cool friends - John and Kelly - at the game. We started making small talk at the hot dog bar where we were all watching the game, and found out we all lived in Smyrna. We made plans to hang out at a mutual favorite spot - Padraic's in Vinings - and had a few drinks there. Afterwards, we went back to John and Kelly's where Bryan got schooled on Nintendo Wii Tennis and Bowling.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I have long enjoyed the fact that my sweet fiance cares very little about video game systems. All of that ended Saturday night. The Wii has been declared "awesome," but I'm hoping it will be a passing fancy. We have a wedding to pay for, people!

It got to be pretty late, so we headed home. Unfortunately, yours truly came down with a case of the late night munchies and so we headed (where else?) Waffle House!

Wa-Ho Aftermath: Cheesy Eggs, Covered Hash Browns and Raisin Toast. MMMM!

I call this one: Birthday Girl Gets a Smooch
I know. Gross.

Do you see that time?
That's what we call "Goin' Out Like a Champ Time"
That's also why I did not move from my bed until after 11.

I will post pictures and stories from our Sunday hike tomorrow. At this point, I have been fighting with Blogger for at least two hours. I am a tired girl.

29 Things...

2008-06-20T13:34:00.019-04:00

To celebrate my last year of being a 20-something (starting tomorrow), I decided to make a list of 29 things I love right now...

How could you not love this face?

1. Snuggling with Herbie. Herbie is the "baby" in our brood of cats. We think he is half human. He talks to you until you talk back. He snuggles. He even spoons!

2. L.A. Fitness: They have an awesome, butt-kickin' class called BodyWorks. Fun music, an hour of weights and workout, but it goes by fast! I highly recommend it.

3. OPI Nail Polish. I pick out my polish solely based on the name. It's more fun that way.

This week's selection: Santiago Sangria

4. Summer dresses. Comfortable, flirty, and perfect for a night out or a day with the girls.

5. TIME OFF. This means lots of lunch dates, catching up with friends and watching Oprah on a regular basis. :-)

6. The public library. I have a big book addiction. All of my good friends know this. Thanks to Kari and Goodreads, it's gotten even worse. So I am protecting my checking account and my bursting bookshelves by borrowing from the Smyrna library.

7. My deck. I have really loved getting up in the mornings or eating lunch on the deck with my Bible, a good book and my prayer journal.

My hideout

8. Tuesdays. Bryan has Tuesdays off, I'm home from summer school at 12:15. We don't have that time together during the school year and it has been so much fun to just do "stuff" with each other. We can go to the gym together, catch a matinee, have a fun lunch out or just run errands together. It's a nice "bonus" to my vacation time. :-)

9. NAPS. Home at 12:15, Lunch at 12:30, Nap by 1:30... Glorious.

10. Team Trivia. For those of you who don't know, Bryan is a wealth of random facts and information. My girlfriends have dubbed him "Bryan the Brain." We love playing trivia, and we've been doing quite well. Give us a call and join us!

11. Cooking. Again, time off means I have more time to put into things that are somewhat "neglected" during the school year - like my kitchen. :-) I have loved trying new recipes and Bryan has been a willing taste-tester!

12. Weight Watchers Giant Ice Cream Bars. For days when I don't have the points to go to Coldstone, these are perfect.

13. Grilling out. I love being able to do this! After years of apartment life, I relish the nights we don't have to heat up the kitchen by using the oven. Bryan's getting to be quite the grillmaster!

14. KMS Curlup Products. I love this stuff! Everything smells orangey-minty and it puts the extra "schwing" in my hair to make it look wavy and curly.

15. Melatonin. Many of you know I've battled it out with insomnia over the years. This wonderful natural pill can be found in most GNC or natural food stores. It helps me relax and get a good night's sleep. Best of all, it doesn't leave me groggy in the morning!

16. Bryan's Nanny. Well, she tells me she's my Nanny too. Many of you know, I lost both of my grandmothers by the time I was in college. I miss them terribly. I have been blessed to become a part of the Spann family. This wonderful woman calls just to talk to me, wants to spend time with me and tells me how much she loves me. It fills something inside of me that has been missing for a long time.

17. Cherries. They're in season, they're cheap and they only cost 1 WW point for a cup and a half!

18. The Grocery Game. I'm addicted. I am a hard-core coupon cutter. This brillant website only costs $15 for three months. It shows you which coupons match up with what is on sale at your local grocery store. I have saved TWICE as much since becoming a subscriber.

A sample Grocery Game list

19. My sisters. I absolutely adore them. I loved loved loved spending three whole days with my family. No one else loves me, prays for me and understands me quite like these ladies.

20. Anne Lamott. One of my new favorite authors. Funny, faithful and real.

21. Chilean Sauvignon Blanc. Bryan has been bringing these home lately.

YUM.

22. My new capri pajamas from Target. Nick and Nora make the cutest pj's! These are just fun. :-)

Found a picture on ebay. :-)

23. Having a prayer journal. I'm able to look back and see HIM working in my life, answering prayers, leading me where HE wants me to be.

24. My Boys. This is one of the best summer shows on TV. If you can watch it on Thursday nights, you absolutely should. You want to know how good it is? Even Bryan likes it!

25. Braves baseball. I know, they're in a slump. Especially when they play on the road. This is something I have learned to love, but I'm glad Bryan and I have something we can watch together almost any night of the week. We're going to see them play the Marlins tomorrow night for my birthday. Yippee!

26. Coffeemate. In particular, their vanilla caramel fat-free sugar-free creamer. I can have my coffee and my creamer too!

27. AtlantaBridal.com is my new favorite wedding website. It makes it really easy to contact vendors, get quotes and view samples or properties. Fabulous!

just a logo, not a link

28. The new song by NKOTB - "Summertime." I know that probably makes me a huge cheeseball, but I love it. It makes me shake my booty. Will I pay $60 to go see them in November? Probably not. Will I turn up the radio and shake it in my car when I hear their song? You know it!

Le sigh...

29. My Moxi box. Well, technically it's not mine. It's Charter's. But it's in my house. Recording my shows. Letting me skip commercials and do fun things instead of watch TV all the time. Bryan likes to play Solitaire on it. I like throwing tomatoes at Bill O'Rielly on Fox News.

That's it for me! What makes your list? Start with your age and get goin'!

Jennie Boone Goes West!

2008-06-18T15:49:00.001-04:00

My sweet sister Jennie was married Saturday, June 14th. It was a long, wonderful weekend. There was lots of sister time, tears and laughter. I'm sorry for the delay in getting pictures out to the clamoring public. :-)

Our weekend started with a lovely bridesmaid's luncheon on Friday. Several longtime family friends hosted the luncheon for Jennie. It was delicious!

Mrs. Renee pins Jennie. :-)

The yummy spread

Who doesn't love cupcakes?!

Jennie's mother and sister-in-law, Sandra and Nicole

Mama and the Bride

Nattie and Anna

This picture only took about 14 tries.
I love my Mama.

Sisters!

Come on, you knew we had to take a silly one.
We call this "The Nostril Flare."

Kadee-Bug!

After a fabulous girly afternoon, we drove north to Euharlee Baptist for the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. As we pulled into the church parking lot, we spotted this fun surprise...

How cute!

After the rehearsal, we headed out to Anderson Farm - a property belonging to one of the deacons at Chris and Jennie's church. The entire group of deacons put on a fabulous rehearsal cookout for everyone. It was really touching to see how excited their church family was for Jennie and Chris to start their life together.

Bridesmaid Buddies

Brothers-to-Be
(the future of the Boone bloodline... scary.)

We're next! :-)

They are my favorites.

One more day!

Family Picture

Jennie and her MOH (the other Abby!)

Groomsmen (minus JP - he had to drive to Decatur!)

Apparently Bill missed his wife a little more than we thought...

Jennie and her fabulous crew of Samford girls

West women

After a fun giggly night of lingerie showering, we woke up EARLY Saturday morning to get Jennie ready for her big day!

Hair-In-Progress

Buttoning and zipping The Bride into place!

Mama helping with the veil...

Abby and Jennie

Unfortunately, I didn't get any more pictures until after the wedding... You know, it's kind of hard to snap pictures with a bouquet in your hand. :-) There was lots of crying, laughing, Kleenex hiding in scandalous places... It was beautiful!

On to the reception!

Sharing a cupcake

Their "cake" was really cute - cupcakes with their initials on top instead of the traditional cake. Chris' groom's cake was set up on two of his drums - yummy yummy key lime tarts!!

Ready to dance it up!

Taking a breather with Mama

One of my favorite surprises was running into the Stephen Borders family! I tried to snap a picture with Jackson, but he clearly was not interested.

Stephen and Madeline danced it up on the Soul Train a little later - hilarious!! I'm hoping Kadee snagged a picture of it.

Beth and Madeline looking beautiful

Hubba-Hubba!

A few of my favorites...

... and my absolute favorite.

Alas, (I just used the word alas...) all good things must come to an end! Chris and Jennie headed off to Atlanta for a "mini-moon" before flying out to Mexico on Thursday.

The Grand Exit

Trying to recreate a photo from Kadee's wedding :-)

Take Two.

My dancin' machine.

Posing for a few final photos...

New family photo!

Happily. Ever. After.

I Know...

2008-06-18T09:34:00.002-04:00

You are all dying to see what Jennie Boone West looked liked in her wedding dress.

I did attempt to update last night, and there were some techinical difficulties trying to upload pictures. My goal for this afternoon is to get the big wedding weekend post completed - even if I have to borrow someone else's wireless to do it! :-)

This Just In!

2008-06-10T19:46:00.002-04:00

Thanks to my sweet friend Nicole, I just heard that one of my very favorite things is coming to Atlanta!! Cheerwine is quite possibly the best soda in the entire universe. There are no words to describe how happy I feel when that first bit of cherry goodness finds its way to my belly. I often spent my afternoons with Daddy at Tuscola High drinking a Cheerwine and eating a Reese's Cup... one of my favorite treats today! I always always always stock up when I make a trip home, and then spend the next few weeks hoarding it. :-)

Kudos to the AJC for covering this delectable North Carolina treat. Read all about it! If you are adventurous enough to pick it up the next time you are in the grocery store, I highly recommend grabbing some vanilla ice cream and making a "Cheerwine Float."

I Love....

2008-06-10T14:57:00.006-04:00

The air repair man!! :-)

$300 later, it is no longer "Vietnam/South America" in our house! There is COLD air blowing, I am no longer sweating 24/7 and I can sleep without waking up drenched.

We caved in and had a "camp out" in the basement last night. It was glorious. The rain cooled off the outside significantly, the ionizers and fans were running, and best of all --- I slept with covers!! I haven't been able to do that in 2 weeks!

Hallelujah! I have honestly prayed over and over again that HE would take care of us. HE knows how much money we do not have at the moment. HE even takes care of air conditioners!

Come visit us! It's nice and cold at our house! :-)

88 Degrees...

2008-06-09T14:59:00.003-04:00

Dear Readers...

That's not the temperature outside.... that's the temperature INSIDE my house. Bryan has fondly dubbed our living room "Vietnam." I tend to think of it more as the South American rain forest. It is hot, sticky and damp EVERYWHERE in our house.

We knew when we bought our house that the air conditioning was a little old - 1988 to be exact. Unfortunately, because it was January, we couldn't test the unit. When the temperature started rising outside, we noticed that our inside wasn't getting any cooler. We have tried rinsing the coils, closing some of the unnecessary vents, bringing in fans, etc. After waking up this morning to large sweat spots in the bed, I've caved.

I called the air guy. He's coming tomorrow. I am seriously considering getting a hotel room or going to stay with Jennie for the night. Keep your fingers crossed for us and pray that we don't need a whole new unit. I would much rather pay for wedding stuff right now - not a boring air conditioner.

:-) With love from the South American rain forest -

Abby

Who Would've Guessed....

2008-06-05T12:30:00.005-04:00

That rich people could be so weird.

So most of you know that I babysit on my own and through an agency in the Atlanta area. I have to say that a few nights ago, I met a mother who is quite possibly the most anal-retentive woman on the planet.

These were new clients, and I showed up about 10 minutes early. The very second I walk in the door, A.R. Mama appears at the top of the stairs...

"Oh good Amy you're here early could you take off your shoes we have white carpet and we don't wear shoes in the house so if you could just take off your shoes because we like to keep our carpets white you know." (all in one breath)

I take off my shoes. I introduce myself as ABBY. No response.

A.R. Mama proceeds to walk me into the kitchen and show me the pizza she ordered for her son to eat for dinner. "Now Amy, he can have two pieces. Just two pieces, Amy. If he's still hungry, I've cut up some oranges and strawberries. They're here in the fridge (she pulls them out of the fridge), see the strawberries? There's a container of caramel dip if he needs it, but I really don't want him to have a lot of it. Could you spoon it out in a bowl for him Amy? That way he doesn't get too much."

Son comes downstairs. He is THIRTEEN. Why am I babysitting a thirteen year old boy? Oh well, it's not my money. I am introduced to the son. She repeats the entire pizza-strawberries-oranges-caramel dip spiel to the son. He goes back upstairs.

"Now Amy (she is STILL calling me AMY), if he's thirsty he can have a glass of milk. Here are his cups. Make sure you give him a plastic one like this (she shows me what a plastic cup looks like) because we don't give him glass. He might drop it and it would break on the floor so we don't give him glass. He can have a glass of Diet Coke, but only one. Then he needs to drink more milk or water. Water would be good. " At this point, I am really beginning to wonder what I've gotten myself into. I also feel incredibly sorry for her kid.

She then proceeds to pull out FOUR PLACEMATS and strategically places them across the bar where she wants her son to eat. She shows me where to put the plate. Then I get a lesson in how to clean off the bar and placemats using Fantastik. (I am almost 30. I think I know how to wipe off a counter, but apparently not.)

After all of these fascinating instructions, we go upstairs to son's room. She shows me which book he has to read, which Torah passages he needs to practice for his upcoming bar mitzvah and tells me at least 15 times that he needs to do each thing for at least 30 minutes. Got it. I am instructed to stay in son's room while he goes to the bathroom to take a shower. Creepy.

Son is clean. We go downstairs. I meet Dad. She introduces me as Amy. (sigh) I tell Dad my real name. He smiles. A.R. Mom is oblivious. He seems to have accepted the idea that he is married to the most controlling woman in the world. While she tells me AGAIN that her son should only have two pieces of pizza (He's 13! He could probably eat the whole thing!!!), I catch a glimpse of Dad. He is definitely rolling his eyes. I smile to myself on the inside. It is now about 6:30.

Mom and Dad go to get ready. Son dutifully eats his two pieces of pizza and drinks his milk. He even consumes his ONE (plastic) glass of Diet Coke. I eat my one alloted piece of pizza. (Apparently Mom recognizes that I indeed need to be back on Weight Watchers.) I wipe down everything as instructed with Fantastik. We go upstairs and for the next hour, I read while Son sings his Torah passages and attempts to read a book he is clearly uninterested in.

When the hour is up, Son says he wants to show me his new skateboard equipment. I'm game. We go outside and he shows me the new tricks he's learned. A.R. Mom comes racing outside. "He's dirty! He's sweaty! He just took a shower! Why did you get dirty and sweaty? This is terrible! Now you'll have to shower again! Again! You're dirty and sweaty!!" (Get the picture?) Dad is behind her... rolling his eyes.

It is now 8:00. I have been there for 2 hours and they still haven't left!!! I assure A.R. Mom that Son will rinse off and be clean. I am instructed to go back upstairs and listen for the shower. They finally leave.

Son is clean. Again. We go downstairs. I am in shock. EVERYTHING is pink, gold and cream. The chairs ALL have plastic on the seats. There are animal statues everywhere. And each one seems to have a strategically placed animal print blanket or throw on it. Amusing, to say the least. The next two and half hours are pleasant. We play Rock Band and Guitar Hero. He (obviously) kicks my butt.

Bedtime. When lights are out, I go back to the kitchen to watch TV. There isn't really a good place to sit, but I don't feel comfortable going back to the basement and trying to figure out how to work the massive TV setup down there. I am thirsty. I open the fridge in hopes that I can find something that's not milk to drink....

GOODNESS!

That's right. Not one, but TWO sections full of nail polish. And yes, I absolutely took pictures of it. In fact, the first thing I thought upon seeing her refrigerator abnormality was, "I have to blog about this!!" :-)

I knew the woman was a little off, but seriously? This borders on bizarre for me. I hope you've enjoyed this little snippet from my "Adventures in Babysitting" ! Happy Thursday!

She's Here!

2008-06-04T14:28:00.001-04:00

Daddy Kev, Molly Ruth and Mama Lori

My sweet cousin Lori and her hubby Kevin are celebrating the arrival of their 2nd baby today! I don't know how she does it, but Lori manages to have some of the cutest, most beautiful babies in the world!

Molly Ruth Francis Redding
7 lbs, 1 oz.
June 4th, 2008

Molly Ruth Francis Redding is the 2nd grandchild for the Boone family and the first girl! We are so excited and thankful that she is here and that everyone is healthy!

Big brother Boone, Mama and Baby Molly Ruth

May Madness - Memorial Day Weekend

2008-05-31T11:26:00.001-04:00

So this extra-long blog will conclude our May Madness here at Foxwood Trail (and the post-date change cheating). :-)

Happy Anniversary Nanny and Pa!

After our class party ended, I sped off to join Bryan's family at the Terra Grill in Buckhead to celebrate Nanny and Pa's 60th wedding anniversary! As my last post may have hinted, this was not an easy task.

A few things to keep in mind:

1. I was functioning on 4 hours of sleep. I had stayed up Thursday night making a video yearbook for my munchkins.

2. I had been "Miss Boone" from 7:15 am - 8:45 pm when the last kid went home.

3. I was trying to drive somewhere new. In the dark. Anyone that knows me understands that this is just bad. This is why Bryan drives everywhere. Especially at night.

Obviously, I got lost. Very lost. In the dark. In a part of Atlanta I had never been before. My sweet fiance was trying very hard to get me un-lost, but my overtired brain became waaaay too emotional. There were lots of tears, and I am embarrassed to admit - a hang-up.

When I finally found my way to the restaurant (which was not in an obvious, easy-to-recognize location) I was in a terrible mood, pitched a parking-lot hissy fit and had to wait a few minutes and calm down before I went in. We took the picture you see below, and left.

The Spann Clan

I have to give Bryan BIG kudos. Knowing that I had not eaten yet (too busy with the kids), he took me to Cafe Intermezzo where we canoodled, snacked and made up. :-) Sweet boy.

Our weekend did not slow down!!

Leigh and Dave's Big Bash

Bryan's sister was married in December, but Leigh and Dave waited a few months to have an official reception and honeymoon. They had both started new jobs in Tampa, FL and needed to wait a little while before taking some time off.

So, we all convened in McDonough, GA at the Palm Beach restaurant for a fun beach-themed reception! Then Leigh and Dave headed to Boston and Martha's Vineyard for their official honeymoon!

The Newlyweds!

Soon-to-be Newlyweds!

Big Brother and Little Sister

On my way to becoming a Spann!

Wyatt and Emily hit the dance floor

Uncle James, Pa and Aunt Becky

One of the things I really enjoyed about Saturday was spending the night in McDonough at the Spann house. Leigh and Dave spent the night, as well as Nanny and Pa. We were able to get in some good family time and enjoyed a really yummy breakfast the next morning.

Tyler's 1st Birthday!

Our good friends Chris and Nikki had a birthday party for the cutest 1-year-old on the planet - Ty!! We celebrated on Sunday, May 25th - exactly one year! It was a really nice way to end the weekend - time to relax and enjoy being with our friends. We missed Michelle and Gavin, but they were partying it up in Charlotte cheering on Michelle's "other man" - Kasey Khane. :-)

NOT the birthday boy

Proud Papa and Big Boy Ty

Amber, William and his tongue

Note: William is fascinated with his tongue. If you give him a smooch, you just might get a surprise with it. For details, see Claudine.

A few highlights from the big boy's party:

Mama bringing out the cake...

What happens when you give a 1-year-old his own cake! :-)

Yummy Cupcake Cones!

I think he's finished!

Time to clean up in the pool!

What would a party be without a pirate?

A drum set from Daddy
- with the new drummer's initials on it! -

Winding down with all his loot. :-)

It was a very busy, hectic and fun weekend. I still have plenty of bloggable photos and material for June... stay tuned!

May Madness - School's Out!

2008-05-24T18:14:00.000-04:00

I know, I'm cheating. I changed the post date. But I wanted to keep my May Madness theme going....

I tried something new this year for the end of the year. I invited my WHOLE CLASS to come over to my new house for our end-0f-the-year party. I can hear you - "Are you crazy?!" "Seriously? ALL of your students?" Indeed, I did.

And it was fabulous.

My brood.

I've actually wanted to do this for a long time, but didn't have the space to make something like this happen. With the help of my INCREDIBLE room mom, Kim, I fixed spaghetti, salad, and garlic bread. Kim brought two trays of brownies and one of my sweet girls brought a huge tray of homemade sopapillas. See, now you're jealous. You should be - they were awesome.

The kids had a great time. They chased my poor cats. Precious called it "cat-hunting." I immediately declared Buddy, Charlie, Herbie and Lady endangered species, and squelched all further attempts at cat-hunting.

Seriously, they had fun playing Bocce ball, drawing in the driveway (with sidewalk chalk), and playing Twister and Cat-in-the-Hat-opoly in the basement. Every single kid helped clean up and made sure that the house was not a disaster before they left. I was so proud of them! They even hung our Field Day banner in the basement.

Boone's Bulldogs 2008 Beware of the Bark AND the Bite!

Beautiful roses from Lesly

"We Love Ms. Boone"

It was a really fun way to end the year, and I will absolutely do it again. I wish I could say that was the end of my day...

Stay tuned for the rest of May Madness!!

May Madness - IRA Conference

2008-05-12T12:54:00.000-04:00

While we are BIG fans of March Madness in our house, the term "May Madness" seems to eloquently describe what life at 3257 Foxwood Trail has been like lately. Prepare yourself, faithful readers, this could be a looooong post. :-) In the interest of time, I'm going to keep the updates to one event per post. You'll thank me later.

IRA Conference: International Reading Association Conference

I had started a post about a week prior to going to this conference, and it sounded a little bit like this:

"I am way past excited about my plans for next week. Beyond thrilled. It's bordering just a little bit on maniacal hysteria. I will be a complete nerd for telling you all about it, but you should be excited me for me - your favorite nerd."

Every year, the IRA puts on a conference for teachers, administrators, reading specialists and the like. I was fortunate enough to be one of three teachers selected by our school to attend the conference (we had to write a short essay on why we wanted to go) and I was doubly excitged when I found out my friend and teammate John Roper would be going as well!

While I loved going and learning new ways to bring literacy into my classroom, the highlights of my week involved meeting some of my authors and teaching heroes. Not a day went by that I didn't meet an author and get an autographed copy of a book my kids and I loved. It was fabulous.

Some of the highlights:

Jamie Lee Curtis: Opening Speaker

Jamie was hysterically funny, wonderfully real and she even read to us from her upcoming picture book: Big Words for Little People. What really struck me was the way she focused on herself as an author - not an actress. She spoke about her own struggles as a student and how, even for her, getting a foot into the publishing world was not very easy. It was a great way to kick off a fantastic week.

TEACHER PROM!!!

Ok, so there's no such thing as "Teacher Prom" at the IRA Conference, but there was a "Welcoming Gala at the Georgia Aquarium and World of Coca-Cola." Fancy, right? This was one of the fun "extras" John and I were given by our school. It also happened to be the same night as my favorite springtime "holiday" - Cinco de Mayo!!!

Mr. Roper's first visit to the Aquarium!

My Teacher Prom date :-)

Afterwards, I met Bryan, Toni, Sherry and Jeremy at a very crowded Twisted Taco in Kennesaw for lots of.... water!! That's right - water. The Twisted Taco was so busy, we couldn't even order a drink from our waitress or the bartender (and you know we tried both). Somehow, we managed to get a round of waters in plastic Twisted Taco cups. Not quite the fun we thought we were going to have, but fun nonetheless.

Right now, Mama is thrilled that our cups only held water.

The next few days were a bit of a blur, but they included the following:

A dinner banquet featuring Christopher Paul Curtis,
author of The Watsons Go To Birmingham: 1963.

My students and I used his book as our end of the year read aloud. They were SO excited to hear that I got to meet him and get our books signed.

Listening to Alice Walker speak about the importance of literacy.

She also did readings from The Color Purple and several pieces of poetry.
Amazing.

Finally, the absolute pinnacle of the conference for me: Meeting RAFE ESQUITH.

I know most of you are probably thinking: "Who in the heck is Rafe Esquith?" He is, in short, my teaching hero. He lives and teaches in inner city Los Angeles at Hobart Elementary School. He has a 5th grade classroom that is absolutely amazing. His students are no different than mine - low income, ESOL, generally low-performing children. However, once they become a part of his classroom incredible things happen.

Every year, Rafe has some of the best test scores in the state from his fifth graders. They aren't super-genius wonder children. They simply have a teacher who makes a difference because he uses his own passions and interests to make learning fun. His students learn how to play baseball, play rock guitar, read novels like To Kill a Mockingbird, Animal Farm, Of Mice and Men and Catcher in the Rye. Each year, his students learn and perform a different unabridged Shakespeare production. I really encourage you to visit their website. They are incredibly hard-working students and we really enjoyed the pieces of As You Like It they shared with us at the conference. (Rafe brought about 15 of his students to the conference.) John and I were both in tears during their performance and we had the opportunity to talk with them afterwards. Wonderfully fantastic kids.

I actually had time to talk to Rafe after his speech and he invited John and I to come visit his classroom! I don't know when I'll be able to make that happen, but you know I'll try!!

I'll close this post with a little piece of what we saw from Rafe's class. Make sure you visit the Hobart Shakespeareans... these are kids who know what they're doing! They certainly inspired me to give a little more of myself to my own classroom.

Things My Mama Taught Me

2008-05-11T21:27:00.006-04:00

In honor of Mother's Day, a few lessons and words of wisdom from Mama Boone...

1. A hug is the best way to start or end your day. They can stop tears, induce laughter or relieve stress. Always.

2. Sisters are some of the most important people you'll ever have in your life. I have watched Mama with her sisters (she has 3 sisters and 2 brothers!) for a long time, and I know my sisters and I will always be able to maintain our love for one another because of the example they all set.

Boone girls

the Shook clan

3. Laughter is the best medicine. We all have a little silly in us. The best laughs in the Boone house usually involve snorting, tears and gasps for air. :-)

4. Some of Mama's best known phrases:

"I don't know why I buy nice things. (Sigh) I guess I'll just have to start buying everything at KMart."

"It could be worse... You could be in a burn unit."

"I'll be a suck-egg mule!"

"Well isn't that special?" (in her best Church Lady voice)

In the grocery store: "Do NOT let your hands leave that cart. I have my wooden spoon!"

Thank you, Mama for (almost) 29 years of absolutely wonderful memories. Thank you for being fun, silly, a good listener, the voice of reason and wisdom in my head, a nurse, a taxi cab driver, a chef, a playmate, a shopping buddy (the best kind, because you only let me buy what I need!), a role model, a prayer warrior, and most importantly a sister in Christ.

I love you -

AbbyLeeGail

Sister, Sister!

2008-04-28T20:44:00.004-04:00

You knew this update coming! How can I possibly spend time with my sisters and not have stories to tell or pictures to share? :-)

Kadee flew in late Friday evening, but still managed to get up with the early birds and come to work with Jennie and I. She wrote a paper for grad school in my room while my kids bubbled in standardized test answers (not my idea) and spent some time with Jennie and her sweet kiddos as well.

Evidently, I didn't do a very good job of pronouncing Kadee's new last name. Whenever my kids wanted to ask her a question, they kept calling her "Mrs. Promise" instead of "Mrs. Primus" - Ha!

Fun Friday Sisters

We woke up early Saturday to go to Jennie's apartment and help her get ready to take bridal portrait pictures in downtown Marietta. My mom's longtime friend, Anita Painter, came down with Mama to take Jennie's pictures. She is a fabulous photographer and as a wedding present for each of us, agreed to take our bridal portrait pictures. She and her husband, Terry, own a fantastic pottery store - Different Drummer Pottery in Maggie Valley, NC. They are an incredibly talented couple and we are quite blessed to call them family friends.

I was very tempted, but I didn't get any photos of the beautiful bride for fear that her husband-to-be, who trolls my blog from time to time, would see her in all her bridal glory before their big day.

Later in the afternoon, we made our way over to the Byrd's for Jennie's first official bridal shower! It was so much fun. The food and fellowship with friends and future family was fabulous. Whoa. That's an alliteration to be reckoned with!

The beautiful spread!

Bridal Bakeware

I've never seen a more hilarious toaster oven in all my life.

It's not often that we get all the Boone girls in one place anymore.
I love it.

This will have to hold me over until June 14th!

Most of the guests were gone.
We were trying to help clean up.
Not really.

Brides to Be!

Sadly, Mama, Anita and Nattie had to head back after the shower on Saturday. On a happier note, we were able to keep Kadee until Sunday night! :-) Kadee and I woke up Sunday morning and joined Jennie and Chris at their church for worship. I love singing with my sisters - even if it's just while we're sitting in the same pew. We were able to hear Jennie and Chris sing the offertory music too! It was a fabulous Sunday.

After church, we all headed to Subway for a quick lunch where we noticed a new fashion trend.

The Pony Mullet!!
(Jennie has assured everyone this will not be the look the groom is going for on their wedding day. Sad.)

Subway Sistas

All in all, it was a fabulous weekend. I will admit to missing my sisters more than ever at the moment, but it did my heart a lot of good to be with my family for a few days.

I love you Lulas!

To Do:

2008-04-24T18:14:00.004-04:00

1. Work furiously to update blog and clean house before Jennie gets here.

2. Remember to record Grey's Anatomy!!!

3. Pick up Kadee at the airport - YAY!!!!!

4. Remember to stop by Chick-Fil-A on my way to work so Mo and I can have our weekly Friday breakfast.

5. Look forward to hugging Mama and Nattie when they get here tomorrow night.

6. Enjoy an entire weekend of sister time.

7. Try not to think about Sunday afternoon when everyone goes home.

Look, Ma! I'm Updating!

2008-04-21T20:22:00.006-04:00

I heard the flutter of pigs' wings on the horizon, so I thought I would go ahead and update. I'm always up for averting disaster.

My Mortgage

I have now made two, count them, two mortgage payments. I own exactly $351. 86 of my house. While that may sound a little depressing (and it is), I am also quite excited to think that I might actually own ALL of the tiles in my kitchen... and the laminate flooring!

That would be me. Turning the key in my front door.
FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME!!

I didn't realize until I started working on this post that Bryan and I never took pictures of the house with "our stuff" in it. Right now, the house is dirty. I'm not picking up just so I can take pictures. Sorry. :-)

Dr. Seuss Day @ F.O. Escuela

We read some books, we sang Happy Birthday to a dead guy, we got to wear jeans to school. I was a happy camper. I'm a Yertle the Turtle kind of girl. Jennie? She's all about some Green Eggs and Ham. What can I say? The Boones are well-read.

That can only mean cute sisters in cute Dr. Seuss shirts!

Claudine's Bachelorette Weekend
Hilton Head, SC

As always, a weekend with my girls is nothing but fun. So when we decided to surprise Claudine with a trip to the beach before she and Mike tied the knot, I knew we were in for a good time. We left early Saturday morning, with the bride-to-be knowing nothing about our destination until we arrived.

Did you honestly think we would go on a trip and NOT find a pirate?!
We found TWO!!!!

After a little time lounging at the pool, we put on our pretty clothes and headed out.

Claudine, Moi, Toni

If you'll notice the screen on the left, you'll see the bottom half of Buckwheat, from the Little Rascals. This was one of the strangest clubs I've ever visited. While Top 40 music blared, there were random black-and-white flim clips playing on the screens, mainly of the Little Rascals. Bizarre!

Toni, Sherry, Michelle, Amber

It was a fabulous weekend away and I cannot wait for summertime!

St. Patty's Weekend/Housewarming

This was, perhaps, one of my favorite "grown-up" moments. Hosting my first soirée! Unfortunately, Bryan played camera commando and we didn't get as many pictures as I would've liked. It was so much fun to have all of our friends and their little ones in one place. It was like a sneak preview of how much fun our wedding will be!!

Hey! It's the dining room!

And the living room! With our stuff in it!

One of my favorite friends, Megan, drove down from Acworth her hubby and their twins, Bradley and Maddie. "Auntie Cha" loved being able to spend time with them and feed them cupcakes!!

Bradley eating his 99th cupcake. They were pretty awesome.

Maddie-pottamus!

Bocce ball!

I'm terrible at this game, but Bryan insists on playing at least once a week in the front yard. Now all the neighbors know how bad I am too! :-)

A Sign?

2008-04-20T15:15:00.000-04:00

I'm not one to read the horoscope section to see how my day/week/month is going to pan out. I roll my eyes every day on my way to work as I drive by "Fiona's Fortunes: Palm Readings and Tarot Cards."

However, I am a big believer in signs. And this, I know, is a sign that I should put off grading that HUGE stack of papers just a little bit longer.

How can I possibly file and sort through all of these papers when Charlie clearly needs a place to, um, hang out? I would have to disturb him to continue working!

I asked him very nicely to move. He declined.

I think Charlie has the right idea. I'm off to join him.

:-)

Happy Sunday!

Homeowner Blues

2008-03-10T11:47:00.003-04:00

That's right... I said Homeowner Blues.

Since we've moved in, Bryan and I have been spending money left and right on home repairs. After moving in, we have discovered:

1. A back-up in the kitchen sink. $500

2. A leaky water heater that required replacement + updated plumbing. $625

3. Soggy carpet this morning that we thought was coming from leaky pipes in the laundry room. $55

4. The real cause of the leak: groundwater seeping into our foundation. No price tag yet.

I have already cried, called my Mama and my Daddy. I am overwhelmed, but I know that HE will not give me anything I cannot handle. I am praying HE will carry us through this, and I am thankful that all of our other bills are already paid.

I am so very grateful for Bryan, who is on his way home from work to help me get a temporary fix going. He is, as always, calm when I am anxious, positive when I am frustrated and rational when I am... not.

Pictures are loaded, updates will come soon.

I Know, I Know...

2008-02-18T13:17:00.003-05:00

I am WAY behind.

We are still unpacking, rearranging furniture and buying things I never thought we would need. I will post pictures of the house as soon as possible, along with:

- Girls' Night Out at Hemingway's
- Valentine's Day
- Our First Fire!

I appreciate your faithful patience. :-) It's coming... soon.

Love,

Abby

A Year In Review

2008-01-05T12:40:00.000-05:00

I, like my good friend Nicole, am stealing the following post. I also want to do as much blogging as I can before I go back to work and forget what it was like to have a life. :(

1. What did you do in 2007 that you’d never done before?

I finished my master's degree and bought my first house!

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

Last year I made a pledge to talk to each of my sisters once a week. That was a lot easier to do when I spent 3+ hours in a car with no one to talk to. Jennie and I see each other almost every day at work, but I need to do a better job of staying in touch with Kadee and Nattie.

This year, I want to:

Grow closer to HIM.
Continue my weight loss journey.
Keep my new house organized.
Go home more often.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

My wonderful Fab 5 friend, Nikki and my good friend Amber!

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Thankfully, no.

5. What countries did you visit?

Nada Nada Pinata

6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?

Stronger faith.
More time with our families.
A savings account. :-)

7. What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

August 25th and...
November 10th! :-)

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Learning to work with children who have learning disabilities. I'm co-teaching and inclusion classroom this year with one of the most fabulous teachers at my school. We have 21 kids, 5 of whom have learning disabilities in the form of a language disorder. They are anywhere from a year to 4 years behind grade level. It has been a challenge, a reward and a definite blessing.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Not trusting HIM to show me how to love and understand all of my students from Day One. It took a little while, but I'm on the right track now. :-)

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

There was an food poisoning incident involving Sherry and a trailer park hot dog. It was highly traumatic and I'm not sure I'll ever be able to eat another hot dog. Yech.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

Not to be redundant, but I'm really excited about my house!!!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

My sister Jennie, who had given up on hoping for an engagement. Her fiance totally blew her away with a photography engagement surprise.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

I have to agree with Nicole. Young Hollywood was disgustingly trashy this year.

14. Where did most of your money go?

Student loans, earnest money for the house, car payment.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Getting engaged, gaining a brother-in-law, buying a house!

16. What song will always remind you of 2007?

Anything off of Colbie Caillat's debut album, Coco.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: (a) happier or sadder? (b) thinner or fatter? (c) richer or poorer?

Definitely:

happier and
thinner
but poorer.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Traveled more (to England and France!!)
Saved more money
Gone home more often
Spent more time with my girls this summer instead of babysitting --- that kind of contradicts #2. :-)

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Spend
Work

20. How did you spend Christmas?

With my family (including Bryan!) in Weaver-vegas.

21. Did you fall in love in 2007?

All over again. :-)

22. What was your favorite TV program?

I am a die-hard McDreamy girl. Grey's Anatomy is certainly my all-time favorite. Heroes probably became my new favorite, though.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

Did a middle schooler write this question?

24. What was the best book you read?

My Top 3:

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Colbie Caillat
Rilo Kiley
Bethany Dillon

26. What did you want and get?

Holiday time with all of my sisters.
A gorgeous jewelry cabinet from Bryan for Christmas.
Harry Potter 5 on DVD
Harry Potter 7 to read!
A raise!

27. What did you want and not get?

A size 6 body... that's my own fault.
A big bag of money (Still working on it, Pegs!

28. What was your favorite film of this year?

People, you know how indecisive I am.

Top 3:

Harry Potter 5
Knocked Up
Rescue Dawn

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I turned 28 (yikes!) and had a delicious dinner at Loca Luna with Bryan and the Fab 5 crew. We ended the night at the Halo Lounge.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

"Having the people in my life closer and more accepting of one another." - Ditto.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?

Cheap. And cute.

32. What kept you sane?

I have no idea. I'm pretty sure Bryan had alot to do with it. Until he broke his heel, he was doing at least (if not more than) half of the cleaning and general upkeep in the apartment. He still folds laundry and does the late night cat feeding, but I'm definitely looking forward to having him back 100%. :-)

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Do we really "fancy" people? Nicole, did one of your English friends write this?

I have the hots for McDreamy.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

No Child Left Behind = Every Child Left Behind: Ask most teachers what they think of this particular piece of legislation, and chances are they'll tell you it's crap. Absolute crap.

Immigration Reform: It shouldn't take ten thousand dollars and 10+ years to gain citizenship. I love my students and their families. There has to be a better way to help them.

35. Who did you miss?

My grandmothers.

The more time we spend with Bryan's family (we are blessed to have both of his grandmothers - Nanny and Grammy), the more I realize how much I miss my Mimi and Nena. It also makes me thankful for the time I do get to spend with DeeDee and Mama Carol.

Kari.

An entire ocean is an awfully long way away. It's a good thing words and prayers travel quickly. :-)

36. Who was the best new person you met?

Thomas

We laugh, we play, we eat Goldfish. Does it get any better? I think not.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007.

Following my heart doesn't always mean that everyone else will agree with my decisions.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

So it's not a lyric, but it fits.

"My Love Hasn't Grown Cold"
Imagination - Bethany Dillon

You shake your head
What is so hard to believe?
When you are in your bed
I sing over you the sweetest things

Because oh, my love does not tire
I'm awake when the moon is full
And I know the times when you feel lost
And you just aren't sure

Lo and behold
My love hasn't grown cold
For you

You cold steal away in the middle of the night
And hide in the light of day
While you cloak yourself in the darkest lies

But oh my love, it swims in the deepest oceans of fear
And as soon as you lower your head
I am here

Lo and behold
My love hasn't grown cold
For you

If only you could see
How heaven stills when you speak
I know all your days
And I have wrapped you in mystery

And oh, my love for you
Is as wide as the galaxies
Just hold out your hand and close your eyes
And come be with me

Lo and behold
My love hasn't grown cold
For you

Panic at Phillips!

2008-01-04T15:55:00.001-05:00

We were very fortunate to be invited to join some of Bryan's former clients at Phillips Arena for New Year's Eve. Widespread Panic played their 9th straight New Year's Eve show there and we had a fantastic time. It was fun to be a "Spreadhead" for the night... minus the copious amounts of drugs. (Please note definition #2)

Fun Fact: Panic has played 18 consecutive sold-out NYE shows in Atlanta.

They even have their own jersey hanging up at Phillips Arena! :-)

L-R: A girl that did not talk to us, Bridget and John (our hosts)

I'm not quite sure what the "under the sea" motif was all about...
Do you see the ginormous jellyfish?

Many of you know that Bryan and I were "Phish phans" for a long time. Panic falls into that same "jam band" genre. Bryan had seen them play several times before, while I had only seen them at the infamous concert in Athens - Panic in the Streets in 1998. We were both excited to get a little "jam band fix" and go to the show on Monday night. One of the "perks" was that we were able to sit, stand and boogie all from the comfort of our friend Bridget's company suite. As I told my friend Roper, we weren't anywhere near the patchouli oil-laden teenage crowd. That, my friends, is a scent I do not miss. :-)

My boogie-in' boy :-)

We were also able to invite our friends Toni and Jeremy to come along. Bless them both, I don't think they had ever experienced the jam band scene. They took it all in and did some fun people watching. :-) I was really thankful to have Toni there as it was my first time meeting John and Bridget, our hosts. I had people to talk to!!

me. toni. fun.

Toni and Jeremy

My cousin Maggie and her husband Eric drove in from Waynes-vegas with some of their friends to see the show, and we tried really hard all weekend to meet up. Alas, work schedules and dead cell phones worked against us. :-(

Yes, those are pictures of Bryan dancing.
With his crutches.
He is awesome. :-)

Sister Time...

2007-12-30T12:57:00.000-05:00

Always makes me even more homesick for a few days once I'm back in Georgia.

I miss my parents. I miss my sisters. I miss Nattie's touchy-feely demands while we watch movies on the couch - "Scratch my back. Play with my hair. Tickle my arm."

I miss my dog - the old one. I miss the way my Mama smells in the morning when I hug her. (It's a good smell.) I wake up wishing I could get a big bear hug from my Daddy. I miss waking up to the smell of breakfast being made. I miss clean air.

To ease the homesickness, I can look forward to:

The fam coming to Georgia on MLK weekend to help us move.
Time with Jennie during the break - sister date!
The possibility of Kadee and JP moving back to the mountains next fall so he can go back to grad school.

I know the last one is a long way off, but I'll take what I can get today. :-)

Under Contract!

2007-12-28T13:43:00.001-05:00

It's official!

At 10:00 am this morning, I signed my very first contract for my very first home!! My parents happened to be in town for a supper club gathering , so they were able to see the house and give their "seal of approval" before I signed on the dotted line.

My new crib: 3257 Foxwood Trail

When you walk into the house, the first thing you see is the open living room, dining room and kitchen plan. This was something Bryan and I searched high and low for. The first time we saw this house, we fell in love with it.

Living Room

Kitchen

Dining Room

The door you can see at the back of the living room photo opens up to the patio, which also leads to the deck that was built off of the master bedroom. I am already picturing summer and spring mornings with a good book and a cup of coffee on this deck!

Patio

Deck

To get to the master bedroom, you walk up a small set of stairs from the living room. On the right side of the hallway, you'll find the first full bath. Across the hall on the left hand side is the first bedroom.

I love the way the countertops and cabinets match the work done in the kitchen as well!

Guest Bathroom

This will be one of the guest bedrooms... I told Nattie today I could leave it pink and make it her room. When she smiled and said ok, I panicked a little inside.

The Land of Pink

The last room on the right at the end of the hallway is the master bedroom. There is a smaller full bath as well.

Master Bedroom

Master Bath: Part 1

Master Bath: Part 2

Across the hall from the master bedroom, is another bedroom/office. I think we will keep this room as an office. I love the hardwood floors they brought into this room.

Office

On the bottom level of the split, there are three more rooms: a laundry room, 4th bedroom and bonus room/den. When we came to sign the papers today, the ceilings had been put in, the walls were sheet rocked and painted, and they were ready to lay down the carpet. I am so very very thankful that our home will be move-in ready.

Bedroom #4: AKA "ManCave"

Bonus Room:
All of the walls have been painted a neutral cream and the tan carpet will be down by the time we move in.

We are scheduled to close on January 17th, which is perfect due to the long MLK weekend we'll have for moving. Please pray that everything moves smoothly in the next three weeks because no matter what, we have to be OUT of this apartment on January 22nd! Come visit in February! :-)

Christmas Update

2007-12-27T10:11:00.000-05:00

I thought I'd give you a teensy update on what's been going on since my break started on the 23rd. Jennie and I were reveling last night in the fact that we still have until January 8th before we have to see the doors of Fair Oaks again. This is the time of year I really love my job. :-)

Floataway Cafe

Bryan and I started my vacation time off at Floataway Cafe! This restaurant is part of the Star Provisions family - Bacchanalia is a sister eatery. We actually drove out to Floataway to purchase a gift certificate for Bryan's parents for Christmas. When we arrived at the restaurant, we realized: 1) How late it was. 2) How hungry we were 3) The menu was phenomenal.

I had some of the best food I've ever put in my mouth. If you ever have the chance to make your way to Zonolite Road and Floataway Cafe, you have to try the She Crab Soup. Neither Bryan or I had words to describe the creamy, sherry-induced goodness that made its way to our table that night. All in all, it was a fabulous way to start my Christmas Break.

Floataway Cafe

After a night of good food.

Kari's Here!

Bryan and I are currently on the hunt for a church a little closer to home, but the last couple of weeks we have visited West Cobb Baptist Church. What made this week's service even better was being able to sit beside my BFF (Best Faraway Friend), Kari! Les Massons are here in the good ol' U-S-of-A for ten days to spend the holidays with Kari's family. Our time together is always precious, and I really enjoyed being able to worship with her on Sunday.

I know when I get back from Weaver-vegas, she and I will have to make our way to Willie Rae's for fish tacos, fried green tomatoes and some of JJ's key lime pie.

Dirty Santa

As we get a little older, our Christmas traditions adjust to the lives of our growing families. Our traditional Christmas night dinner at my Uncle David's was moved to the evening of the 23rd so that we could all be together. This year, instead of exchanging a bazillion gifts, we played Dirty Santa instead. We each brought a "gag gift" to make the game a little more interesting. And boy, did it get interesting.

My Aunt Donna picked up a new "grill"...

DeeDee acquired a lovely Prostate Exam Kit (oh. my.)

Her exact words: "I'm goin' to beat somebody." :-)

I am also sad to say that the only Christmas pictures we took were that night after dinner. I'm really quite embarrassed. Oh well, there's always Easter. :-)

Boone Girl Cousins around the tree

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-25T14:57:00.000-05:00

Love,

The Smyrna Zoo:

Bryan and Abby (Zookeepers)

and of course...

Buddy, Charlie, Lady and Herbie

Homeward Bound

2007-12-18T22:57:00.000-05:00

I've been looking over my Thanksgiving pictures, making my homesickness even worse in the process. On a positive note, it makes me look forward to several things as I get ready to head home on Sunday.

1. Having someone to ride with. One of the things I've really enjoyed about Jennie being back in Georgia is that we are able to ride home together and share the drive. I love our three hour talks, random sing-alongs and the fact that we know we'll take turns taking naps. :-) I know that these rides are becoming precious sister time - since she'll be riding home with Chris after June 14, 2008!

2. Extra time with Kadee and JP! I am learning alot from watching Kadee and JP figure out how to divide their time equally between their families in different cities. I was so excited to talk to her and know that our WHOLE family would be together for several days. I will take all of the sister time I can get.

3. Snuggling with Nattie. She is the warmest bed-hogger I know. I'll take it.

4. Home Movies. You've never seen The Boone Girls break it down until you've watched our home movies.

5. Christmas Eve Dinner at our house. We spend about 2 days getting everything together. I love being in the kitchen with Mama and my sisters. I especially love potato casserole, blueberry salad, stuffed carrots and london broil.

6. BEATTY! There's a puppy at my parents' house. Need I say more?

7. Seeing DeeDee at least two times in one week.

8. Laughter.

Disclaimer for the general public:
Those are NOT my mother's real teeth. :-)

PS - Scroll down and see the Halloweeny-Post I snuck in via the wonderful world of saved drafts.

Congratulations Leigh and Dave!

2007-12-16T13:30:00.000-05:00

Bryan and I spent the weekend in Charleston, SC celebrating with his family. On Friday, December 14th, his sister Leigh became Charlotte Leigh Hughes! It was a wonderful and relaxing weekend filled with lots of great memories. Besides - how often do we get an invitation to go to the beach in December? :-)

We started the weekend early on Thursday night with a yummy BBQ rehearsal dinner at one of the houses rented for the big weekend. It was a great night to spend catching up with the Spann family and getting to know the Hughes clan. After we wore all the grownups down, the younger crowd headed to Dunleavy's for a couple of drinks. I, being the bright wallflower that I am, sat back and snapped a few shots of the dance-happy crew.

The girls started The Big Friday off with a fantastic lunch in Mt. Pleasant at the Old Village Post House hosted by Bryan and Leigh's Aunt Charlotte and Grammy. It was absolutely fabulous. If you are ever in the area, I highly recommend stopping by and trying the lamb stew or shrimp and grits.

Leigh opening her "First Christmas" ornament!

Leigh with Mama Hughes (L) and Mama Spann (R)

The Spann-Irwin Women
Back Row: Leigh, Aunt Charlotte
Front Row: Nanny (Spann), Emily (Mom) and Grammy (Irwin)

When we came back from lunch, we only had a couple of hours before it was time to walk to the beach! Around 3:30 we all walked across the street to the beach. Bryan was quite the trooper as he hoisted himself all the way to the beach and back on his crutches. :-)

The crowd waiting for the bride!

The groom and his motley crew waiting for Leigh. :-)

Leigh and her dad walked over to the beach once we found our "spot."

The mayor of Mt. Pleasant and a good friend of Leigh's, Harry Hallman, conducted the ceremony.

Leigh's Lovely Bridesmaids

The New Hughes!

David (with Emily) and Leigh (with Baxter)

My favorite beach bum. :-)

After the wedding and a short cocktail hour at the beach house, we all headed back into town to the Water's Edge restaurant for a delicious dinner reception.

Leigh and Pa

My dinner date!

Wyatt and Emily (my future in-laws!)

My sister-to-be :)

We headed home Saturday morning so Bryan could get back to work that afternoon (sigh) but it was an absolutely fantastic weekend. I am so excited about the years to come with Bryan's family - we are truly blessed.

I Said YES! (And so did SHE!)

2007-11-22T19:52:00.001-05:00

Two engagements, two rings!

I am about two weeks late in announcing this, but I wanted to make sure that both Jennie and I were able to "tell" our close friends and family before announcing our ENGAGEMENTS on the world wide web! :-)

Clueless Sisters

(The night before at Chris' surprise 27th birthday party)

I knew Chris was proposing to Jennie on November 10th, but I had no idea that Bryan had been ring shopping and scheming with his family as well! I'll share Jennie and Chris' story first, and then mine and Bryan's. (Grammar Nazis... did I word that correctly?? Mine and Bryan's??) :-)

Chris and Jennie (and I) have a friend Brandon who has recently started a professional photography venture. He and Chris worked up a plan where Jennie thought that she and Chris would be taking pictures to help Brandon update his website. She didn't know they would be her engagement photos. They drove up to a farm property in Cartersville (owned by church friends) and started taking pictures.

After about an hour, they took a break and Jennie went inside for a few minutes. When she came back, they started taking pictures again. After a few minutes, Chris got down on one knee and proposed. Brandon caught everything on film and they have some really cute pictures of it.

Happy Couple #1

Bryan and I were supposed to go hiking (again) on Sunday, November 11th. He was going to take me back to the "mini-mountain" and surprise me with a picnic and proposal there. However, when he called me on Saturday to tell me he had just fallen off a ladder at work I knew the hike was off. He improvised. :-)

After about two hours of limping around at work, Sherlock's sent him home. When he finally got home, I could tell he was really hurt. He hobbled in and sat down on the sofa. He asked me very nicely to help him look at his foot to check for bruises or an obvious break. As I unwrapped the his foot, something very shiny and sparkly fell out of the bandages! MY RING!! My sweet fiancee scooted down on the floor beside me, took my hand and asked me to marry him. I was completely and totally flabbergasted.

Happy Couple #2

Jennie and Chris have set a date for June 14, 2008. She is already looking for reception sites, bridesmaids dresses and wedding gowns. That girl is on the ball!! To keep my parents from going into wedding overload, we have decided to wait until Spring 2009. Bryan's sister Leigh is also get married in December 2007. It's going to be a really fun year! :-)

Keep all four of us in your thoughts and prayers as we begin planning to start our lives together! :-)

Hallo-weeny Post

2007-11-12T18:43:00.000-05:00

Maddie the Puh-Poodle and Bradley the Fighter-Fighter :-)

I know, it's WAY belated. BUT, I did want to share some photos from my "frick or freet" night with one of my favorite very bestest friends Megan (Mo) and her twins - Madison and Bradley. I know this has a November date... I saved it as a draft, but I will confess to finishing it on December 18, 2007. Sad, I know.

This was one of the few times Maddie had her headpiece on all night. Every time we would get it back on her we'd hear, "I hot."

Bradley was creating a feng shui "punkin" garden when I arrived. It was beautimous.

Frick or Freet!

Can you tell how excited they were that I was there?

A little cuter... Madison looks like she just tried her first Lemonhead. :-)

Bradley did NOT like Twizzlers

But he loves to play "Tug-o-Tootsie-Pop-Stick" with his Auntie Cha!

Maddie ends the night snuggling with Auntie Cha

Tales from the Trail

2007-10-30T21:42:00.000-04:00

So, this tale is about a week old but I think it's worth the wait.

Bryan, being the supportive boyfriend that he is has encouraged me every step of the way on my weight-loss journey. If it meant going walking in the apartment complex with me, cutting back on (gasp) wine or getting take out from Doc Green's instead of KFC he was there to do whatever helped me. So, when I wanted to get out of the house last Sunday he suggested going hiking! I had not yet done my "cardio" for the day and we decided this would be a fun way to workout together.

He knows of a hidden piece of the Chattahoochee Nature Preserve in a Buckhead neighborhood that has great hiking trails so we headed over there. Evidently, there are several "Buckhead Bettys" who feel as though it belongs exclusively to them, but the "poor folk" go anyway. :-)

So, we go hiking. It isn't until we get there that I realize I forgot water bottles and I am wearing my oldest, most worn-down pair of tennis shoes. (Hint: The "worn-down" shoes will be important in a minute.)

We've been hiking for about 45 minutes when Bryan decides to play Boy Scout Extraordinaire. We go OFF THE TRAIL. I, being the trusting girlfriend that I am, do not realize we are going OFF THE BEATEN TRAIL. When I do recognize that we are NO LONGER ON THE PATH, it's because I see:

a. lots of snake holes in the ground.
b. an old hobo campfire.
c. a weird rock cave with more hobo remnants.
d. all of the above.

If you guessed D--- YOU'RE RIGHT!!

It took Bryan seeing the snake holes and a DEAD END for him to admit we needed to get back on the beaten path. Did I mention that the entire time we were traveling OFF the path, we were headed downhill? A very steep mountainous-like downhill?

Remember that little "my shoes are old and worn" tidbit I shared with you earlier?? This is when it gets to be important. We begin to CLIMB our way back UP this mini-mountain, surrounded by snake holes, briars and baby trees. There is nothing for me to hold on to. At a certain critical point, I had to grab onto Bryan's hand so he could pull me up. When I went to do so, I slipped (remember my shoes) and he - let - go - of - me!

I rolled down the mini-mountain. I slid down the mini-mountain. And, because my shoes were crap, I could not stop myself as I traveled unwillingly down the mini-mountain.

Evidence of Abuse. Photo 5-B-8.

Thankfully, no major damage was done. I cried. A little. My hands looked like they belonged to a 5-year-old who is learning to ride a bike. I have a gnarly bruise on my knee. Unfortunately for Bryan, I have turned him into DFCS for girlfriend abuse/neglect. I have applied for a foster boyfriend. Maybe my time in foster care will teach Bryan to take better care of me. Maybe I should just go get new shoes.

Notice the lack of band aids. Or booboo bunnies.
Photo 5-B-9.

:-)

DISCLAIMER: Bryan and I have 2 different stories from that Sunday. He claims he did not let go of me. But he doesn't have a blog. So there.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
On a fun side note, my best-faraway-friend Kari found a site that lets you test your vocabulary skills and donate rice to countries in need through the UN. Go play!

Oh Where, Oh Where Did My Little Blog Go?

2007-10-20T23:11:00.001-04:00

I am embarrassed to admit it has been WEEKS since I last blogged. I'm even more ashamed of the fact that I haven't been taking many pictures even though...

I went home for a weekend! My aunt is in the final stages of restoring our family's grist mill. The Francis Mill Preservation Society held their second annual Bluegrass and BBQ fundraiser. I came home to help with the fundraiser and spend some time with my family! I did get to see my FAVORITE boy in the whole wide world --- BOONE!

He tried very hard to blow up a "bloon" on his own.

(Note: Any references to other small children being my "favorite" are null and void. I have recognized the error of my ways and I know that only children I am directly related to should be referred to as "my favorite.") :-)

Bryan and I visited his grandparents - Nanny and Pa - at "The River" for Bryan's birthday. We had a fantastic weekend spending time with his family. His Dad and cousin Tracy came with us. When we left on Sunday, we were all a couple pounds heavier from Nanny's awesome cooking.

I took two of my favorite former students out to dinner. Every time they have something to celebrate (all A's on a report card, a big project, getting accepted into advanced classes) we go out for a special dinner. Most recently, I took Dayra and Estefania to The Cheesecake Factory. YUM!

Happy AND Smart!

There have been TWO Fab 5 birthday celebrations! Sherry and Michelle are both a little older and smarter.

Michelle's Birthday Mafia

I have been spending LOTS of time with a certain almost-2-year-old. Recently, we spent some time trying on Thomas' favorite new toy - an enormous blonde wig!

I know, you're all jealous and you want to borrow it now. Too bad. Thomas says no.

Devoted

2007-09-01T11:38:00.001-04:00

As my family has now expanded to include a boy (besides Daddy) for the first time ever, I found myself becoming reminiscent...

August 25, 2007

My sisters and I have a Christmas tradition of watching the movie White Christmas. Most of the time, it involves lots of begging and pleading on my part - they aren't always as enthusiastic as I am. :-) What they don't know, is that I only want to watch it for one reason.

There is a scene in the movie where Rosemary Clooney's character and her sister are performing in a restaurant/lounge/bar. They sing a song called "Sisters" - You've probably heard it before. I love to hear us sing it together. Every time I sing, hear or think of that song, I think of my sisters.

Kadee

Jennie

Nattie

Time for a confession - I've had a hard time accepting that my family will never be the same again. There will be holidays where the six of us won't be together. Kadee and JP will have to divide their time, share themselves, and eventually start their own family traditions. I'm sure Jennie and Chris will soon join the marry-ed club too. Nattie and I? Who knows... :-)

What I realized this weekend was that none of these things will change how my sisters and I love and care for each other. I know there are things about me that probably drive other people nuts My sisters are able to overlook them, immediately forgive me, and gently help me recognize how I need to change. I can trust that my sisters will always keep my secrets, make me laugh when I can't stop crying, and drop everything to come to my rescue. We will always be able to answer a phone, pack a bag, drive in a car or fly on a plane to get to one another. Being married just gives us something else to talk about. :-)

Sisters, sisters

There were never such devoted sisters
Never had to have a chaperone, no sir
I'm here to keep my eye on her

Caring, sharing

Every little thing that we are wearing
When a certain gentleman arrived from Rome
She wore the dress and I stayed home

All kinds of weather we stick together
The same in the rain or sun
Two different faces but in tight places
We think and we act as one, ha-ha

Those who've seen us
Know that not a thing can come between us
Many men have tried to split us up
but no one can

Lord help the mister
who comes between me and my sister
And Lord help the sister
who comes between me and my man




 I love you, Lulas.

My Favorite Things About Summer

2007-07-18T16:17:00.000-04:00

1. Graduating!!! That's right!! I am finished with my Master's degree. I could not be more excited. I'm taking a year off to recuperate, but I'll go back to UGA for one more degree next fall.

Aderhold Hall... my Athens home.

2. My new hair!! I have found my favorite place - 313 Salon, Spa and Boutique. If you're ever there, ask for Georgia to do any coloring you need. Ashley is my favorite scissored stylist. The prices are really reasonable, and I love their complimentary parrafin waxes!!

A view of the back.

Sexy hair requires a sexy face.

3. My new favorite boy!! Thomas is a little boy I started babysitting this summer and he is so much fun.

Isn't he the cutest?!

4. Hanging with the girls! Between days at the pool, nights at Atkins Park and our trip to Destin, FL I have loved our time together. I am not ready to go back to work!!

At Graffiti in Destin, FL

5. Time at home with the fam. I recently spent 5 days at home and it was possibly my favorite part of summer. I haven't been home enough this year, and it was so nice to go home and do family stuff for awhile. I'm looking forward to Kadee's wedding in August when we'll all be together again.

At Kadee's Waynesville shower.

Eskimo nose!

Missin' JB!

6. Harry Potter!! Not only did movie #5 come out, but so did the final installment of the Harry Potter series. I am a happy Muggle. I haven't read the last book yet (I'm re-reading Book 6 first), so avoiding the news and web sites with possible spoilers has been a little tricky.

Such a good movie!!

7. Weight Watchers. I am back on the weight-loss bandwagon and trying hard to lose and keep it off. I am down 1 size and 12 pounds from my heaviest weight. I'm not going to meetings - just doing the program online, but it's working!!

8. Keeping with the weight loss theme, my personal trainer!! His name is Roger Scott and he is fantastic! I couldn't do it without him!

9. Time with Bryan! With grad school, work and babysitting during the school year, its hard to make time for each other. Summer means fun outdoor excursions, lunch dates and movies on a weeknight! :-) He recently my date to my high school reunion.

My good friend Kati - we were college and "real world" roomies! :-)

10. House Hunting! Bryan and I are looking for a house in East Atlanta. We have lots of friends down there, and there is always something fun to do on the weekend. Our lease is up in December, so I'll keep you posted!

Shock and Awe...

2007-07-14T13:34:00.000-04:00

The Gruesome Twosome @ Fernbank's Planetarium

I know, I'm becoming a regular blogger again! :-)

Bryan and I were planning to take EIGHT of my students to Six Flags on Wednesday. However, an 80% chance of thunderstorms put that on hold, and we managed to get four of them to opt for Plan B!

My own Fantastic Four: Denise, Esthela, Alex and Emily

Pink-Toed Tarantula: Glad it's in a glass box.

Budget Frog: Can you see his eyes above the water??

We went to the Fernbank Science Center (which is free!) and watched a REALLY dumb planetarium movie. Had a picnic lunch at Fernbank, complete with Doritos, Little Debbies and Capri Suns - Mama would be proud!

Apollo 6 Command Module

Right before the Planetarium... We had no idea how boring Hercules could be. :-)

Everybody took turns getting "eaten" just before lunch...

Afterwards, we drove over to Atlantic Station and took the kids to see the new Fantastic Four movie. Unfortunately, this is where I stopped taking pictures. :-)

I'm still waiting on a CD of photos from our trip to Destin. In the meantime, I'll do my best to keep blogging. I have TWO WEEKS left of grad school. It's almost over!!!!!

1,000 Barefoot Children Outside... Dancing On My Lawn!

2007-07-12T10:00:00.001-04:00

I think of this Phish lyric every time I go to Lakewood (HiFi Buys) Amphitheater. Michelle, Sherry, Nikki and I were there on Tuesday night to see The Fray! The last time I saw these guys they were opening for Ben Folds (remember Nic?) and they have absolutely exploded on the music scene. Unfortunately, being on the lawn means I don't have a camera smart enough to take good pictures from far away. However, I did get some fun shots of us!

The band had these really cool lanterns that dropped down from the top of the stage.

Michelle and Abby: Summer Gal Pals

We are fun.

We also aren't afraid to ask other people to take pictures.

My favorite part of the night is that my girls became true Fray fans. They'd heard the radio songs (Cable Car, How to Save a Life) but didn't have the rest of the album. It was an awesome show!!

Lovin' me some Fray.