By George

Seriously....where does the time go???

2010-08-14T11:45:00.006-04:00

How can something that used to be so important to me, have fallen so far by the wayside? We are all busy people and I guess that I can use that as an excuse just like everything else. Playing catch-up seems inevitable, so a brief picture of what has happened in the last six months seems appropriate.

At last writing we were in the midst of several weeks worth of blizzards...more snow than I have seen in ages. We were out of school for a total of 13 days...of which we DID have to make up the time lost by adding minutes to the school day for the rest of the year.

Carson completed first grade, and I got the ever so important first year of teaching under my belt. While the stress level of the school year seems to have mellowed over the summer, I am still enrolled full-time as a graduate student, working on my Masters of Education degree. At times, I wonder if I would have been better suited to have chosen the circus as a career path simply because all I felt I was capable of doing was juggling one thing for the other, often at the expense of my family. I am happy to say however, that we ALL survived!

In April, I managed a quick trip back to Texas without Carson or Wayne to see my family. Mom had some recent surgery, and I needed to touch base and was blessed to get to spend time with them. From Amarillo, I flew to Boston and met Wayne and Carson and we headed up to his old stomping grounds in New Hampshire. We were able to spend some time with some dear friends and let Carson have a glimpse of where his daddy grew up.

As I mentioned earlier...the school year ended..quite successfully I might add. My "boys" all nine of them blessed me in so many ways! I learned as much if not more from them as they did, hopefully from me.

Carson started his first ever season of Little League and he decided all on his own that he prefers baseball over soccer. With this being a learning season for him, he did quite well and wants to continue with baseball again next season. He earned his green belt in karate and is now officially a wolf cub in cub scouts.

No vacations planned for this summer, as Carson and I were both in summer school. I spent five weeks with my boys in the extended school year program and Carson was enrolled for an enrichment program to give him a boost for second grade. I also had two more grad classes to complete...so time was kinda gone before we knew it!

Perhaps the BIGGEST thing we did this summer was move into a new house...of course moving is stressful under any circumstances, but we LOVE our new home. It is right behind the school where I teach and right across from the commuter train station that Wayne rides into work in D.C.

I am just about completely unpacked...at least the important stuff is. The basement...no where near done, will be a project for another day

As I look at the calendar now, I am both excited and a bit melancholy that the summer is about over....although with the record heat and humidity we have had this summer...FALL looks mighty good! Carson and I have spent some time at the water park and managed to unwind and relax some. I realized that I start back to school with trainings on the 23rd. Classes for students don't start until the 7th of September. We have given some thought to a short trip over the Labor day weekend... but nothing much is set in stone as of yet. I am excited to see my boys again...I really have missed them, and I DO, do much better with a structured routine.

I have also decided that I need to get back to my photography...while I am still an amateur, I love doing it. It fills me with a joy and a sense of accomplishment when I am able to capture something digitally and share it with others.

Life throws lessons at us each and every day, I have learned this summer particularly, how blessed I am! I have an amazing husband, who loves me unconditionally, as I do him. A son, who fills me with pure joy every single day, and friends that support me and love me.

So here is to NOT, hopefully going so long in between blog posts.........maybe!

Catching Up!

2010-02-09T16:16:00.019-05:00

It is the 9th of February and we are snowed in, and out of school for over a week...I decided what better time to catch up on the blog and hopefully rekindle a joy that I found in blogging.

Carson and I both started back to school in September...Carson in first grade, and myself as a first year Special Education teacher for children with autism. While it keeps both of us busy...I love working in the same school that Carson attends.

We immersed ourselves in everything Conway and had a blast doing so.... This is the 1st annual Trunk or Treat.

Myself with the Cougar

Carson wanted to be a police officer...closest we could find that wasn't too cheesy was a S.W.A.T costume.... HE LOVED it and was mighty cute!

The Trunk or Treat coincided with Spirit week and we all got involved!

Thanksgiving came, and relatives couldn't make it in...so the three of us, along with a teacher friend who could not get home, celebrated the holiday together.

We starting preparing for Christmas, but mother nature had different plans and dumped 18 inches of snow on us on the 19th of December....as a result we missed the last two days of school before Christmas break.

Carson got clobbered in a snowball fight.

But he LOVED every single minute of the snow...

Loved this shot and played around with it in Photoshop

Wayne borrowed a snow blower from a neighbor and Carson had a BLAST!

Christmas Eve came and we prepared for Santa and the reindeer with cookies, milk and carrots. Of course we had to leave Santa a letter.

We tracked Santa on NORAD and waited patiently....

This was our first Christmas in Virginia, and while it was nice with just our little family...we missed friends and family in Texas tremendously...

Santa was on the ball this year and FINALLY brought Carson the drum set he had been asking for for the past couple of years. Santa was ever so wise and brought a drum set that ONLY works with headphones...or plugged into a stereo system....Carson doesn't own a stereo system...and if I get my way...he never will :)

The day after Christmas we loaded up the car and left cold and snowy Virginia...for cold and rainy Florida...and WALT DISNEY WORLD. But first we stopped in St. Augustine Florida and played on the beach for a couple of hours.

Carson Loved running on the beach...and I was hard pressed to keep his shoes on..and his toes out of the water.

One day, I hope he grows into his teeth....

Had to leave his mark...

On to Disney World....

I LOVE this boy!!!!!

We saw lots of characters....

Our Favorites Lightning McQueen and Towmater!The man of the hour MICKEY!
Wayne and Carson goofing off on the bus to Disney's Hollywood Studios

Teacups were a MUST at the Magic Kingdom....

We had Breakfast with Mickey at Chef Mickey's

I think Carson was smitten with Minnie!Goofy helped to cook our breakfast!As did Pluto.

We stopped at a couple of resorts along the way to sight see... This is the Polynesian.The GINORMOUS Christmas tree in the Grand Floridian.AND the MONSTROUS Gingerbread house in the Grand Floridian.

Carson and Dad rode the Splash Mountain.

We spent New Year's Eve in the Magic Kingdom...we stood with 750,000 of our closest friends and waited for the fireworks. While we waited, the light show on the Castle was amazing.

Carson lasted for about an hour and then collapsed and slept on the street...until the firework show. More of the Castle and the many colors.....

And THEN...... the fireworks started.......And it was definitely worth the wait......

This is just a brief glimpse of all that has kept us busy since September. As of this writing we are going on day four of being snowed in...and are waiting the next round of snow that mother nature sends us. We missed all but one day last week at school...and so far we are out until at least Friday. Who knows... I may really get back into blogging....before this snowcation is over!

Carter

2009-12-14T21:14:00.003-05:00

Words really seem inadequate trying to express how sorrowful, and sad we are to tell of the passing of Carter Harris age 6. He was an angel in many ways here on earth, but now he truly is dancing with the angels. His passing is bittersweet. We are sorrowful and broken hearted that he no longer is here with us on earth, but rejoice knowing that he is completely healed! His parents, Courtney and Skip as well as his big brother Tommy and little sister Caroline, need your prayers as they walk down a different path without Carter. Please take a moment and visit the Carter's Crusaders blog linked to the left and read about the journey this amazing child has finished, and the road ahead for the family he leaves behind.

Please Continue to Pray for Carter

2009-12-12T08:45:00.003-05:00

This was last December....Carson and Carter watching the Fredericksburg Christmas parade. It was BITTER cold, and we had the first snow of the season start to fall during the parade. The kids were all bundled, waiting patiently for Santa to arrive. The parade this year was last Saturday....again it was bitter cold, and again we had the first snow of the season. It was perfect....except Carter wasn't there. I find it very hard to even imagine what has occurred to this brave little man in less than a year. He was diagnosed in February with an inoperable brain tumor. He has been fighting ever so valiantly and unfortunately there is nothing left that the doctors can do.

Please stop, and add Carter, his family, especially his sweet Mama to your prayers. Waiting on God, waiting on the inevitable has to be excruciating. Please pray for peace, acceptance, understanding and most of all comfort as Carter is called home to his saviour.

For continued updates check out http://carterharris.blogspot.com/ God Bless!

Time Flies.....

2009-11-06T19:20:00.005-05:00

when you are too busy to stop and notice it. It has been 10 weeks since I started back to work full time. 10 weeks since I moved Carson to go to school with me...10 weeks since I slept late...had a semi clean house, read a book until I wanted to quit, instead of falling asleep. 10 weeks since graduate classes started up again. 10 weeks since I actually enjoyed coming home and playing Mommy and wife. Hectic doesn't quite seem to be the word that I am looking for. I

am looking for balance.....and honestly not having much success finding it. I only have one child...this is definitely doable, but I feel like I am barely keeping my head above water. Carson is lucky to get clean underwear, simply because I bought him more...was just easier than worrying he wouldn't have any clean for the day.

So we stopped last week.....took a break as a family and played all Sunday afternoon. Took the camera with us and this is what we got!

Worth it.....I think!

Lucky # 7

2009-09-15T10:48:00.002-04:00

Today is Carson's 7th Birthday, Happy Birthday Carson. It seems like just yesterday when mommy and me found out about you, our lives changed, changed for the better. There hasn't been a day that goes by where I am not amazed by the things you say, the things you do, and how grown up you are becoming. Your a 1st grader and I hear that you are doing real good in school. Mommy and I are so proud of you and love you very much. So enjoy your birthday.

Happy Birthday,

Love Daddy and Mommy

Hard to Believe

2009-09-07T22:35:00.003-04:00

It's Monday September 7th 2009, it's just after 10:30pm, Carson is sound asleep and Kari and I are headed that way shortly. Tomorrow that little boy who is growing into a big boy is starting 1st grade. Yes that is hard to believe, and in just 8 days he will turn 7 years old. It seems like just yesterday when he came into our lives, and here he is almost 7 years later starting the 1st grade.

Carson have a Great Day in school tomorrow.

Kari - I know that you have been very busy this summer and I know most of your time recently has been spent getting ready for your first day of school as the new Special Education Teacher for Autism at Conway Elementary.

Babe have a Great Day is school tomorrow too.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words....

2009-07-12T14:20:00.003-04:00

A pictures is worth a thousand words.....right???? This is Carson's face as he started the downhill portion of his first roller coaster ride. We have season passes to Kings Dominion, and this time it was just Mommy and Carson. We had spent a major portion of the day in the water park associated with KD and on the way out Carson wanted to ride some rides. This is the Scooby Doo roller coaster in the Kidzville section, not a big coaster by any means, but definitely one that will pull your stomach up and scare you a bit. I asked Carson if he wanted to ride the roller coaster with me and he informed me that HE was riding it all by himself. I asked the attendants, and they stated that he met all the height/weight requirements, and it was safe for him to ride by himself. So he did. Said he wasn't scared at all....face says differently. He did want to ride it again a few minutes later.

Some Carson Humor

2009-06-23T08:40:00.002-04:00

Wow two posts from me in less than a week.... you guys are going to get spoiled!

Carson being the star of our lives, did/said several things in the past couple of days that had his dad and I rolling with laughter, and frankly were too good not to share!

On Friday evening, Wayne and I were downstairs watching TV. Wayne looks outside and remarks that it is POURING out. I get up and go to the back door, and it isn't raining on the deck, it isn't even wet. So I step outside and look up just as water gushes out of the upstairs bathroom window. I turn to Wayne with a look of horror, and we both realize that Carson, who is supposed to be taking a shower, is instead in my bathtub. Wayne runs...literally...up the stairs, faster than I have ever seen him move. For those of you wondering...Wayne can run pretty fast when visions of water damage and catching a small child in the act of mischievous behavior are the motivating factor. I must have been stunned, because I distinctly remember thinking...let his father deal with this, let his father deal with this....it was my mantra. I did make up upstairs shorty after Wayne, only to find him laughing hysterically on our bed. I peek in the bathroom and Carson is naked as the day he was born, standing in my tub, with swim goggles on and a pitcher in his hands tossing water out the bathroom windows. Not window singularly...... but it is a corner tub, with windows on either side of the corner. He had both windows wide open, and alternated which side he dumped the water out of. I will say this for Carson, he had the foresight to take down the curtains, and there was not one drop of water on the floor.

Cut to Father's day, we had been discussing wives and husbands with Carson over dinner, trying to get him to understand that when a woman marries a man, she becomes his wife, and a man becomes a husband. So I was asking Carson if I was daddy's wife, he replied that I wasn't his wife......I was his prisoner! It is almost scary sometimes, what that boy comes up with.

One of the things that we have been working with Carson on is the value of telling the truth, and forgiveness. He had fallen into the routine of lying when he thought we would be angry or mad over something he had done. Trying to get him to understand that it was wrong to not tell the truth has been somewhat a daunting task, and I got into the habit of asking him if I could believe what he was telling me or or if he was lying. So now when we get onto him, his first words are,"I want you to believe me!!!!!" But, immediately if he doesn't get a response with that he follows with "I want you to forgive me forever", and occasionally uses "I want you to love me forever". The first couple of times he used these lines, the sincerity struck like a knife through my heart, and I responded with "of course I believe you" and "I will always forgive you and love you". But Carson, Master Manipulator that he is....uses these ALL. THE. TIME. So much so that I have told him that he cannot use these lines without a good reason. I will have to really be discerning and try to distinguish whether he is being sincere, or trying to manipulate the outcome of a punishment.

Endings and New Beginings....

2009-06-19T11:37:00.005-04:00

This week was the last day of school. It was readily bittersweet, in that Carson, who had a FANTASTIC Kindergarten year is growing up and now a first grader, and I completed my second long term sub position. So much has happened since January....more than I ever imagined.

I subbed as the Special Education teacher in Autism, a position I loved so much, I started back to school, originally to get teacher licensure in Special Ed., but for only one extra class, I can get a Master's Of Education. Obviously, the path I chose. I will have two Master's Degrees when completed. Classes started in May, and while the homework routine takes some getting used to, I really am enjoying it.

The wonderful Autism teacher that I was subbing for came back after maternity leave and I started a long-term sub position for the art teacher. I went from 7 students to 935 students. While I do have an art degree, I found that I DO NOT like "teaching" art. In the mean time, the Autism teacher decided not to return next year to stay home with her beautiful baby girl, I was interviewed and was offered her position. I eagerly look forward to next fall and getting back with my sweet, sweet students. As strange as this might seem, I truly feel like at my age, I have FINALLY found what I want to be when I grow up. I used to teach school many years ago, and while I liked my job and I loved my students, my heart was not in it like it is now. The children that I am working with are all so incredibly unique and wonderful, truly gifts to be treasured, as are all children, but these have grabbed my heart and awakened something that makes me want to do whatever I humanly can to guide and instruct them.

In the midst of the Autism job, I met some pretty amazing people. I have been blessed with some wonderful new friends, and particularly one best friend. It is really nice to feel at home and surrounded by family and friends again.

Carson continues to amaze us... he completed Kindergarten with high scores and will be starting First grade at the school I am teaching in next year. I am really having a difficult time wrapping my mind around the idea of him being old enough for First grade. What happened to the 7lb 4 oz baby boy of mine. I told him the other day that he needed to stop growing up so fast. This was the conversation that followed:

Carson: "I have to grow up!.. I have to get a mom"!

Me: "But you already have a mom, me"...

Carson: "No, I need a different mom"!

Me: (slightly hurt and concerned at this point),"Why do you need a different mom"?

Carson: "So I can be a dad"

Light bulb went off! He doesn't want to get a new mom (Like I would ever let him LOL) He wants a wife! He just wants to grow up and have his own family. I truly love the fact that he is thinking about his future already. I know that if I slow down for one second, time will have passed and he will be grown and WITH a family of his own. If I could only slow time down a little....

I said all of this hopefully, to catch you up.... I have been rather remiss is blogging lately. I know that time slips away faster than I imagined and honestly life is way more important than blogging. I do hope to find time over the summer to update more frequently.

Summer plans are still a little up in the air at the moment. The school district is sending me to several conferences and training programs, and no dates have been set in stone yet, so travel plans this summer are still a little vague. We are hoping to get up to New Jersey, down to Virginia Beach, and hopefully back to Texas.

Quick Reminder....

2009-05-29T16:34:00.005-04:00

As parents, you never ever want to think of your child sick or having something that could be life threatening. If you read my previous post you know that Carson was having issues falling asleep practically anywhere. So a couple of weeks ago, my gut was telling me to take him to the pediatrician and get him checked out. He was asleep on my lap in the Dr.'s office, and running a slight fever. After a very thorough exam, his ped told us two things that really scared the heck out of us. First she ran blood work on him and his white blood count was critically low. So low that she sent the blood to the hospital for a repeat count, and to check for abnormalities. Secondly, she mentioned that she wanted us to get Carson in to see a pediatric cardiologist, as the heart murmer that had previously been detected, now sounded very different.

Wayne was in Orlando at a week long conference, and called him and told him about the heart murmur, but waited to mention the white blood count. His ped told me that if the hospital count came back abnormal, he would need to come home, as we were looking at something critically wrong with his bone marrow. She was thinking quite possibly he had some form of blood cancer, leukemia being first on her mind. I went home and debated back and forth telling Wayne until I had a definitive answer from the hospital, but I told him and he went ahead and came on home on Saturday.

On my way home from the Dr.s office I called my mom and had her get the word out to start praying for Carson and specifically for this situation. I made an appointment with the pediatric cardiologist, and we waited. Friday night, I never heard anything from the hospital, so that indicated that they either were too busy to get the tests run, or that everything was fine. Monday morning I called the peds office back and they called me that afternoon and said that while the white blood count was critically low, he was immuno-suppressed, but his cells were NORMAL! One hurdle down, one to go. The ped, at this point was betting that he had mono, but we had to wait for that test to come back. We saw the cardio on Wednesday, and he spent about 45 minutes listening to Carson's heart and was able to settle those fears as well. Carson has two heart murmurs, in and of themselves completely normal. His Dr. was hearing the two combined, which made them appear abnormal. While what he has is very rare, it is something he most likely will outgrow, and something that should have no effect on his growth. That afternoon we also heard from the pediatricians office, that he did NOT have mono, they don't have any idea what is going on, but that his immune system is suppressed for some reason.

Today, he went back in for a blood draw, and his white blood cells were completely normal, actually they were a little on the high side. Carson is fine! Hallelujah.... no issues that we need to worry about, plus he had his second blood draw with no tears, and watched the whole thing!

Now I say all of this to remind you that not all mothers get the awesome news we got today. My friend Courtney is dealing with her little Carterman's brain tumor. Check my favorites for a link to the his blog for the latest on his condition. He has been in the hospital more than he has been out. They have had 2 steps forward and one step back weeks, but we know overall WHO is in control! WHO, she and Skip are relying on, and are praying daily for little Carter. We know that he is going to be a tremendous example of GOD's healing power and the testimony he will have will lead many to Him. Please remember to pray for Carter. Pray for his family, especially his momma!

He Really Can Sleep ANYWHERE!

2009-05-14T17:39:00.005-04:00

Back in January I posted about Carson falling asleep in an unusual place. He had fallen asleep downstairs and and I woke him and sent him up to bed. He obviously didn't make it, see original post HERE . Then there was a couple of weeks ago, when he was "helping" me clean. I was vacuuming away, and turned around and he was out cold, again on the floor.

Then today, I go to pick him up after school at the sitters, and this is what I see......

I am kinda getting a little concerned. In the past week or two he will sleep about 11-13 hours at a time. I am thinking a growth spurt, along with allergy meds....

More Signs of Spring

2009-05-09T08:19:00.005-04:00

I started this post about two weeks ago, and can't believe that I never got back to it! But as they say LIFE seriously tends to get in the way of the small stuff.... and honestly, life is way more important. I took all these pictures two weeks ago today. So to avoid confusion...I changed the post date. Pictured below is some beautiful pink dogwoods in full bloom. The day was an absolutely gorgeous day.... with one exception. The temperature was only supposed to reach about 85 degrees, by 1:00 p.m. the temps had soared to 95 degrees. Which really wouldn't be so bad, but the humidity creeped up along with the temps. We had a busy day planned... I did my best friends daughter's nails, Carson had a soccer game, and I was taking my best friends daughter's Prom pictures. Before the Prom Queen and King arrived, I walked the grounds of Chatham Manor, a prominent historical site in the Revolutionary war. Dogwoods were blooming, wisteria was blooming, as was all the pollen associated with it!

Aren't they the cutest couple??? Brie and Billy

I had a blast shooting non-traditional photos for them!But the posed shots were fun too!Brie, giving Barb, my best friend a kiss....They have an amazing relationship, and it was sooo much fun photographing someone besides Carson for a change!

I had to include this photo..... Carson just scored his first goal of the season!!!!

I was so happy with how the prom pictures came out, that I took Carson back there the next day for an impromptu photo shoot for me. One of my favorite ways to capture children is from behind, and unposed.

The cheese is coming out now!Walking through an arbor or some sort or another.Love these trees, They are Catalpa trees, and the sign says that they date back to the revolutionary war. I took several photos of both the prom couple and Carson in front of these trees.I LOVE this picture..... Carson walking in a huge field of buttercups.....One of these days I need to post an update and fill everyone at home in on all that has happened in our lives....It just needs to slow down a bit first! Hopefully, when school is out......only 26 more school days til summer! But really whose counting!

It's SOCCER Time Again!

2009-04-13T14:38:00.007-04:00

Carson started his fourth season of soccer a couple of weeks ago. We joined the Stafford Area league. While I am a not a HUGE fan of Soccer in general...I do like to see my son play! he joined the U6 division and I am extremely thankful he got a coach who is knowledgeable and enthusiastic about teaching the game to the kids. What I don't like is some of the rules are a bit different from what we are used to playing. Carson lived and breathed to play goal. He would pick that position each and every time first. He is an AWESOME goalie too! While he is a good offensive player as well, he hasn't quite gained control over moving the ball down the field. He can kick like no ones business, he just has poor aim I guess. Anyway, we have had two of our games rained out, and played a make-up game last Tuesday. It was FRIGID! His division doesn't keep score, and there are no throw in from the side...a couple of different rules, but a fun time was had by all.
See... He loves the goal.... just have a hard time telling him that there are no goalies in this division.There are three red heads on this team...all with like personalities and temperaments!This is the REAL reason he likes goalie.....so he can swing from the bars! So... folks, as I did last year, be prepared to be bored to tears with soccer updates!

Cherry Blossoms!!!!

2009-04-06T21:48:00.003-04:00

Last Sunday, we had decided that it was too rainy, Carson had been sick, and it just wasn't looking like a good day to drive up to see the cherry blossoms in D.C. We went about our morning, I even blogged that our plans had changed, then about 11 am, the clouds parted, the temps warmed up to about 70 degrees, and Carson was bouncing from being cooped up for almost five days. I looked at Wayne and said we really aught to just go ahead and go.......so we did. What a good decision that was!

Wayne dropped Carson and I off on the north side of the Tidal Basin and we slowly made our way around to the west side of the Basin. The trees were almost at peak bloom, and it was seriously like a fairy land walking under the canopy of blossoms. Take a close look at this picture.... do you see any railings along the walk????? Nope! Sidewalk ended at the edge of the water, and Carson loved to scare the heck out of me and get as close as possible, without me having a heart attack! This plaque says: The first Japanese Cherry Trees Presented to the city of Washington as a gesture of friendship and good will by the city of Tokyo, were planted on this site March 27th 1912.

From what I understand most of the original trees were destroyed due to some ailment that they brought over. There are a few of the originals left, but not many. What are there are STUNNING! Most have been replanted over the years.

Just a cute picture of the boy..... he is really turning into a little model.

Close up of some full bloom trees! The Jefferson Memorial across the Tidal BasinThe Washington Monument through the trees.

As we were walking we came into the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial gardens and falls is really a beautiful place along the Basin. There are several waterfalls, and the trees make an awesome backdrop.
The GQ pose....After spending the afternoon walking around the Tidal Basin, we treated ourselves to a late lunch/early dinner at our favorite seafood restaurant Phillips. Phillips is on Maine street right beside the Washington Marina, and the seafood markets.The huge copper pots steaming all the clams, mussels, shrimps and crab.
Carson LOVES Snow crab, and can crack crab like a pro!
After lunch we strolled through the fresh market and looked at all the variety of seafood available to buy. This is an open air market, and believe me when I say you can buy practically any seafood, I mean anything! Carson was amazed at the live blue crab!We had a great time, made some awesome family memories, and started what I am hoping is a George family tradition. If you ever get the chance to be in D.C. or anywhere close to D.C. during the Cherry Blossoms bloom...DO IT! We have two extra bedrooms and can provide travel up and back.... It is amazing experience and something everyone should see firsthand.

I'm NOT Gonna be the MOM of the YEAR!

2009-04-01T21:35:00.006-04:00

This is what I found last night when I opened Carson's lunchbox.... a can of dog food that I got out to feed the dog before school...... I guess mornings have been a bit crazy lately.... and I knew I took out the dog food...looked for 10 minutes for it...gave up and got another can out.

For some reason Blogger or my photo storage program won't allow me to correct the photo, but it reads: I got a kick out of Carson's unusual snack item today! He had an "on the road day" (YAY) But was barking from time to time. Mr. Ward.

Seriously....can I be any crazier!!! I know that this will seriously hurt my chances for mom of the year...Oh well there is always next year!

Happy Blogoversary!!!!!

2009-03-31T07:00:00.013-04:00

I cannot believe that it has already been a year since I started this blog. Originally it was created as a means to update Wayne while he was in Virginia, and we were still in Texas. I once felt compelled to post each and every day....now I am lucky to post once a week. I have used this blog as a sounding board, a place to share some moments in our lives that were glorious, and some that were the hardest things we have ever had to deal with. Now this blog mainly serves to maintain contact with family and friends in Texas.

The purpose may have changed, and that is ok. Life has changed tremendously for the George household. We moved across country away from family and friends to Fredericksburg, Virginia. We left some amazing relationships that we were blessed with, only to find we have been blessed here with some pretty awesome new friends. We are building some new relationships that are taking us in directions we never imagined.

Carson started Kindergarten, and is thriving in the structure of an all day program. He is reading, and growing, and learning new things everyday. I swear if he stands still long enough you can see him actually get taller. He rebounded quickly and made many friends at school. He still has some issues, but we seem to have a hand on them, and it helps that he continues to have amazing teachers.

I went back to work....seriously not something I had planned on doing, but now it has evolved into something I need to do. Not only for the joy of teaching, but for the relationships that I have made in the workplace again. (Those relationships are somewhat hard to kindle when you are self employed). As it stands right now I will be teaching the rest of the year, not in the Special Education classes that I love, but I will be coming back after Spring Break as the Art teacher. I keep telling myself that this is a GOOD thing. I do after all have an Art degree, I have never really used, and I will still be in the classroom, and I will still get to see my special kiddos, if not everyday then at least once a week. I will admit to actually dreading this stint in Special Ed, and look where that got me :) So......perhaps...... God willing, I will enjoy teaching Art as well.

I am starting classes this summer to get my Master's of Education In Special Education....another degree, but one that I am really looking forward to using.

And just because... here some links to some of my favorite posts over the past year. Seriously...we have done so much and seen so much, I cant begin to put all my favorites on here...but here are a few standouts!

Ok... I gotta stop... there are a few more to post.... but seriously...does anyone ever click the link??? Besides I wanted to post some pictures that I took yesterday. We went up to D.C. after all. The weather turned out amazing, Carson was punch drunk from being cooped up for four days, and he was back to normal. So here are a few teasers..... more to come in a future post.

Smiles everyone... and thanks for reading for the past year!

The Best Laid Plans....or is it Best Made Plans.

2009-03-29T09:37:00.003-04:00

This was the weekend we were planning on going up to D.C. to see the cherry blossoms, however, Carson had other plans. About Monday of last week, I went to pick him up at the sitters. Usually I can't get him to leave, he has a teenage boy as his after school sitter, who he LOVES. They play football, basketball, soccer, if it is outside and has anything to do with sports they are all over it. I can't begin to tell you how much of a blessing it is for us and for Carson to have this kid as positive role model in his life.

Anyway, Monday, I go to pick him up and he is ready to go home, he doesn't want to play at all. We get home and he falls asleep immediately, and sleeps all night long. Same routine for Tuesday, wants to come home and falls asleep immediately. I take his temp, slight fever, says he doesn't feel well, so Wayne makes plans to work from home. Wednesday morning Carson is right as rain, and absolutely refuses to stay home from school. Wayne worked from home, just in case. Wednesday night, repeat the past two nights, but throw in a high fever. Carson stays home on Thursday and Wayne again works from home. They head to the pediatrician and a nasal swab indicates that Carson has Influenza B. He spikes a fever at 3 am of 104.5. Scares us to death!

This wouldn't be a major thing to a lot of parents, but Carson really hasn't been sick in 3 years! He is six.....yes the occasional cold etc, but nothing like this that seriously lays him out flat!
Anyway.....we are not going to D.C. this weekend, we are going to try and head up this next weekend and make the rounds with all the other million or so people. The good news is next weekend is supposed to be the peak weekend and the parade, so it should be fun!

Spring is in the Air!

2009-03-22T21:49:00.016-04:00

Just because I like this picture! I don't know about the rest of the country...but it seems like we have been stuck in the dull, dreary, doldrums of winter forever. The cold and rainy mess for the past week or so, finally gave way to a beautiful weekend. I mean if you are going to have nice weather, it is kinda nice to get to enjoy it instead of being stuck inside the classroom.

Sunday, Wayne, Carson and I went out searching for the elusive evidence of Spring. Cherry blossoms are starting to pop open all around us, but nowhere near what is to come up in D.C. We are planning on a trip up next weekend to see the blossoms all around the Tidal Basin. We know it is going to be packed with people, but it is something I personally have looked forward too ever since we moved here.

We decided to drive down to the river and see what if anything was blooming there yet. We didn't find anything blooming, but it is still an amazing backdrop to take some pictures of the boy. I love this shot...holey jeans and all!This was the day for goofy grinsPetey wasn't thrilled with the photo session.See....more goofy grins! We had to at least touch the water!
We spent some time enjoying the weather and then headed down to Ferry Farm. Ferry Farm is the boyhood home of George Washington, and about 2 miles from the house. There are some gorgeous trees blossoming all along the side of the road so we pulled over and captured a few images.

This is driving into old town Fredericksburg.

I think this is a weeping cherry tree?This weekend we are planning on making the trip up to D.C. to see the cherry blossoms up close and personal. Look for a complete post with lots of pictures soon!

The Mind of a Six Year Old!

2009-03-17T17:36:00.002-04:00

This morning as I was getting something green for Carson to wear to school, I explained to him it was St. Patricks Day and we needed to wear green so we don't get pinched. He got a funny look on his face and thought for a minute. Then he piped up and asked if he could wear pink instead. I asked him why pink, and he said that Patrick was pink and we should wear pink instead of green. I must have a had a funny look on my face because not two beats later, he asked me if we wear yellow for Sponge Bob day..... Me thinks the boy watches too much tv.

Please Remember Carter!

2009-03-11T19:35:00.003-04:00

A few posts back I mentioned a classmate of Carson's that is dealing with a brain tumor. He is five years old and no child should ever have to deal with the stuff this little guy is dealing with. Please remember him in your prayers, along with his family. He is dealing with radiation at this point and seems to be responding well. So keep the prayers going up! For more information a blog has been created called Carter's Crusaders. We are a bunch of Moms, friends etc, and we are crusading for Carter, raising money to help offset medical costs. If you would like to visit and receive updates on Carter his blog is http://www.carterharris.blogspot.com/. Please drop in, follow it if you like, and cover him and his family in prayer!

What a Difference a Week Makes!

2009-03-08T19:41:00.003-04:00

Last Sunday...it was cold, and snowing....while I don't have the official totals (11 inches in our backyard), we missed 2 days of school plus had a 2 hour delay on Wednesday when we finally got back to school. Yesterday it hit 78 degrees....sunny, slight breeze, and beautiful. Today temps topped out at about 83 degrees. Gorgeous! Crazy weather! I guess all areas of the country have crazy weather, here is definitely no exception. It just really makes me long for the warmer weather to hang around a bit. I am not looking forward to the humidity and heat that comes with summer, just some nice warm weather.

Tonight we took a walk to the park down the street. We stopped and talked to neighbors we haven't seen all winter, and enjoyed the extra daylight. We opened all the windows and aired out the house....it is amazing how stuffy a home can get all closed up. I am kinda itching to do some spring cleaning, and plant some flowers. But... tomorrow is Monday, and back to work, and from what I understand the temps are supposed to drop back to the 40's for a high temp. It was good while it lasted!

Snow Much Fun....Round 1

2009-03-02T09:09:00.006-05:00

Ok...I looked at the calendar and it DID say that today was March 2nd. Right? The weathermen were joking last night that we are 4 weeks away from the Cherry Blossoms...and this is what we have this morning.

We are still getting accustomed to the weather here. One difference we have noticed.....when it gets cold.....it stays cold. In Amarillo, it could be 75 degrees one day, and 6 the next. Constantly changing weather. We have had some warmer days here and there, but they seem to be few and far between.

This snow started yesterday afternoon, and it was snowing continuously for about 16 hours. Weathermen locally have been complaining about the lack of snow for this season, are all now rejoicing that at least they got this one right. As of last check we have about 9-10 inches. The sun is starting to peek through as I write this, so it looks to be a beautiful, crystal white afternoon. A bit windy, but with very few drifts.

Carson woke up this morning, and was chomping at the bit to run outside and PLAY! I did manage to get him to at least wait for me and his dad. Wayne chose to work from home after our power went out sometime during the night and the alarm didn't go off. So we have a day to play!

School was called out last night, and the ONLY schools in the area that are in today happen to be the schools in the District. Hmmmm wonder if that was because of the Presidents comments during the last minor snowfall. Calling us wimps....We most likely will be out of school until Wednesday, at the earliest...could even be until Thursday. Time will tell. Hopefully, they can get the roads cleared and we can back in sooner.....I have a full plate of school work to do, and NEED to get it done.

This was last evening after about 2 hours of snow.

The same shot this morning...this is the backyard.This is off the front porch.The snow measures about 9 inches...up to Carson's knees at times.I LOVE this picture.....gotta catch some flakes!Can't tell but this is a drift behind the truck...Carson was standing.We got the sled out and walked across the street for a couple of quick runs. It was really deep out in the open, and Carson (and mom) had trouble walking back up the hill.It was even too deep for snow angels.....this is the boy attempting to get up after he failed at making one.Carson managed to make a couple of mean snowballs...and NAILED Wayne!

Of course Dad had to have the LAST word...and Carson got a face full. This quickly ended round one of the snow play..... I am sure we will be back again this afternoon.Petey...did NOT like the snow at all..... he couldn't walk in the deep yard..so he did all his business on the driveway where it wasn't as deep.

Prayers for my son's classmate!

2009-03-01T10:16:00.002-05:00

Please add little Carter to your daily prayers. Carter is a five year old Kindergartner, here in Fredericksburg, Virginia. He began having trouble seeing, slurring his speech, and losing his equilibrium. Pediatrician was able to get a rush MRI done yesterday, and is showed a large tumor deep in the cerebellum. From what I understand, it is inoperable. The doctors are pursuing different treatments to shrink, and hopefully eventually rid his young body of this horrible diagnosis. Please remember this family, his mother and father, and especially little Carter.

Please pray specifically for his mom, a sweet friend of mine. This is devastating news to any mother, and I can only imagine how she must be feeling. I have seen God's power first hand, and am standing believing that Carter can and will be healed, and that his life will be a great testimony for all. Please pass this along to ANY believer.....the more praying the better.

God is Pretty Amazing....

2009-02-19T20:00:00.003-05:00

I really don't believe in coincidences much anymore, however, I do believe in Divine Intervention. There are just too many "coincidences" that are Divinely appointed in my life to think it was all a cosmic happening or something of the sort. Carson being the biggest, greatest example of God's timing in our lives....just the whole process of events that led up to his birth, the gift his birth mother provided us in blessing us with him, and even his autism diagnosis. All are uniquely Divine in timing, and what leads me to where I am. When I decided to go back to work this year as a substitute teacher, I went back believing that I would pick and choose when and where I worked. I would have the flexibility to stay home if I wanted to even......then I subbed in a special ed class last fall. One day, I was hooked...seriously one day in this classroom of 5 and 6 year old boys, with moderate to severe autism. Then I was asked to fill in long-term while the teacher is on maternity leave, and have been doing it since the beginning of this year. The difference in what I was doing as a sub, and what I am doing now...is drastic. When I subbed, I was in the class with the younger boys, now that I am subbing for the teacher, I am in an inclusion (general education) class with 24 third graders. Two of which, are diagnosed with moderate autism. My job is to accomodate these two boys, so that their educational goals are met, while the gen ed teacher, teaches the rest of the class. More often than not I am repeating the same thing 85 million times, answering the same question, and reminding the boys, to have calm hands and quiet mouths. I never in a million years pictured myself going back to teaching.... I haven't taught elementary level since 1991.... a looong time ago, and something, that while I enjoyed it, I didn't feel called to it...if you know what I mean.

Tonight, I went to an informational meeting at Mary Washington University Graduate School, on teacher licensing. I was expecting to go to this meeting and be told that I needed to take umpteen courses to get my Masters of Education degree in Special Ed, emphasis on autism. Since I already have a Masters of Science degree......all I have to take is one class. ONE CLASS! and I will be able to teach this Fall! It will be a provisional, meaning that I have three years to complete the 15 hours needed to get my Masters of Ed degree. This is seriously a no brainer for me....I can take this one class this summer, at night and teach this Fall. I was told tonight, that I would almost be guaranteed a teaching position, and that they are desperate for Special Ed teachers! How is this Divine? I was never going to get back in the classroom. I never figured I would love special ed.....not just enjoy it, but love it. I truly believe that God knew that so long ago, and lined everything up so that when the desire was kindled in me...it would all fall into place.

Ok..... I'm gonna do it...

2009-02-18T22:55:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow night I am heading to an informational meeting to figure out what is needed for me to do in order to get my Virginia State Teachers License in Special Education. From what I understand with my Masters degree already, most likely all I will need is 3 classes to get a Provisional license. Meaning I can teach while getting my degree.

That's right.... I am loving teaching so much...... I want to do it full time again! Call me crazy, but there is a huge shortage of teachers in Special Ed. Particularly with an Autism specialty. The teacher that I am teaching for is coming back in 6 weeks, and I am kinda sad about it...I love those boys! But I will definitely continue to sub at this school for the rest of the year!Plus two incomes has been kinda nice now too!

It's time for Valentine's Card making

2009-02-12T17:43:00.004-05:00

You have to start them young.... plus I have never really likes the cheesy little boxes of Sponge Bob or Spiderman valentines that are available now. I always prefer to make our own. Last year Carson and I made his Valentines, and I had to do 99% of the work this year, he was all about stamping and inking, and writing! We started on Monday night....figured it would take us all week to complete the 30 some odd number of Valentines he needed to make, but once I had all the paper cut, he went right to town. I forgot to take pictures of him stamping, because I was just enjoying watching him have fun.We had no spelling errors...thank goodness. I had him stamp a few extras...just in case!

What a cheesy, goofy grin... Another cheesy grin....but that just distracts you from the fact that he is not wearing his jeans.....The finished product....Normally, I am all about perfection... but he picked the colors, the stamps and the candy we put in the bags.... I let him have at it... and I LOVE them! He did really good on his stamp placement... as a matter of fact he was a little obsessive about them all being in the exact same spot. The only things that I did was the lettering...(I figured we would be here til June if he had to write all that out),the taping and the stapling.Not bad...for a six year old!

A Year Ago...

2009-02-11T09:48:00.004-05:00

I walked into the reception area on the 12th floor of the Vangent Office building in downtown Arlington, Virginia as a new employee thankful to have a job after being unemployed for just over 2 months. I consider that extremely fortunate, especially in today's economy. Ron the guy who hired me basically sight unseen, interviewed me over the phone and told me that while we were talking he e-mailed HR and told them to hire me. Ron told me yesterday that he is glad that I'm here and that he knows he can let me do what it is that I do without having to worry about it getting done.

Since today is February 11, 2009, I have completed my 1st year with Vangent. Seems like it has not been a year but it has. A lot has transpired in the past year, noteably us moving to Virginia, Carson entering Kindergarten, Kari getting a job as a full time substitute, making new friends, exploring Virginia, and having to again pay state income tax (Texas does not have a state income tax).

Today is also Freedom day in that if I were to voluntarily leave the company now I would not have to pay back the $25,000 (gross - after taxes it was about $16,000) they gave us for relocation from Texas to Virginia - not that I'm planning on leaving. I like working here, the bosses and peers like me, the customer loves me, and it is nice to come to work and actually enjoy it.

Now if I can only get a job back in New Hampshire (NH also does not have a state income tax)....LOL...just kidding Kari.

Oh by the way my lovely and young bride of 11 years turns 45 tomorrow (2/12) so please take a moment and send her a birthday wish. Hey Babe your getting closer to that BIG 0 - I mean "50"

You know you are settling in when...

2009-02-07T22:15:00.002-05:00

Since today was a Saturday, and yesterday was payday we made our monthly trek to Costco, BJ's, Walmart and the sort. We went to Costco first, and we ran into two different people that we have met since moving here. Went to Walmart, and again ran into two different friends. I commented to Wayne, that it is nice to KNOW people now. We have been here six months, and we feel so settled. Now, if we could only have ALL of our friends from everywhere, here....THAT would be bliss!

What Kind of a sick Mom am I ???

2009-02-01T21:47:00.003-05:00

I know not the best quality... but what can I say .... my son .... is truely all boy! He only does this if we aren't watching him! Just so you know...he is eating noodles like Lady and the Tramp!

SNOW DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-01-27T13:11:00.003-05:00

As a child I can remember hoping and praying for there to be enough snow for school to be cancelled! Now as a teacher, I can hope and pray for school to be cancelled. Everyone had been telling me that this area of Virginia, does get snow, however the past couple of winters have been very mild with little to no snow. The county we live in is very cautious and has been known to cancel before the first flakes fall, due to a tragedy several years ago. Sometimes they miss it, and school is out and there is no snow, and sometimes they nail it right on the head. Fortunately for us they nailed it..... school was called this morning about 5:30...not a snowflake to be seen...but all the weather stations were telling us it was on the way. So after I saw the news bright and early this morning, I snuggled back in bed for a few more hours. Carson is sleeping with me this week, since daddy is out of town, and I didn't even bother waking him up.

About 8:30 he woke up, and looked at me and said...we missed the bus...He was kinda upset about it too. But I told him to go look out the window and see if he saw anything. He let out the loudest scream...so excitedly exclaiming that it was snowing! Big, gigantic, humongous snowflakes were falling, the grounds were all covered as were the trees, and it was sooooo quiet. I forced him to wait.... (I know, I am a MEAN mom)...while I took a shower, and got dressed before he went out and played in the snow. I am convinced he would have gone out in his underwear if I had let him.

We headed over to the next door neighbors house first, because she called and said she had a sled for Carson to use. We dug that out and he was off....first he made snow angels.Then he helped mommy clear Miss Anne's sidewalks and driveway. We have to clear in front of the mailboxes or they won't deliver mail...so he did that too! The child is finally earning his keep!They we headed across the street to the small hill to try out the sled.

So far we have about four inches...supposed to snow all day and night though...so hopefully a few more inches. The only bad thing about this is that they are saying that tomorrow this is all supposed to turn to rain and ice over...Now THAT will be a huge headache. There is no school tomorrow anyway due to a scheduled in service...YAY! another day at home!!!

The boy is sound asleep as I write this... he wore himself out playing in the snow...I have a huge pot of beans cooking, along with homemade bread, and we are going to venture out this afternoon and make a snowman. Movies, and hot chocolate are in line for this evening. I LOVE SNOW DAYS!!!!!

It Really is a Small World....

2009-01-20T22:38:00.002-05:00

Over Christmas break, while I was in Texas, I went to my favorite nail salon and got my nails done. I needed a fill and I had the day off today and drove around looking for the closest one. I found one that was open and walk in, put my name on the list and wait patiently to be called back for my one indulgence. I noticed one of the ladies working, and I thought she looked kinda familiar, but I have serious trouble remembering how, and WHERE I know someone from. Anyway I get called back and the tech is working on me, and asks me who did my nails last time, and I mentioned that I had them done in Texas. She perked right up and wanted to know what part of Texas. I told her Amarillo, and she starts talking to the lady I mentioned earlier that I "thought" I knew. She comes over to me and asks me what salon, and I tell her, and she gets all excited.....get this she used to do my nails at my old salon in Amarillo.....Her brother still works there. Here I am in Virginia, and this is the second person that I have met who used to live in Amarillo....it really is a small world.

Two Weeks....

2009-01-17T14:36:00.003-05:00

I have been back at work for two weeks now, and while I do come home more mentally tired than physically tired. I also feel a sense of accomplishment that I haven't felt in a long time. There are days that I feel so incredibly blessed with Carson...Lord, knows he is not perfect, but he is ours....loved beyond measure, and teaching me everyday to be thankful....because it could be so much worse.

Home life has changed somewhat, I am not used to flying by the seat of my pants when it comes to meal preparation. I like to know ahead of time what I am fixing for supper....meaning if Wayne doesn't tell me what he wants....I don't have to cook ...right? Carson is eating more lunch at school, simply because he thinks it's cool...it really has nothing to do with the fact that I am too rushed to make him a lunch and a snack every day as well as my own. Time management is an area that I am working on.... no longer can I say oh a small nap now or laundry....I have to do the laundry......unfortunately..the laundry fairy doesn't ever visit here...and surprisingly Wayne doesn't know where the laundry room is in this house. I do recall he used to do laundry quite often in Texas....must be a Virginia thing.

Carson is adjusting to me not meeting him at the bus stop every afternoon....after all what kid wouldn't like going to a friends house where they have all the cool toys....at least for a half hour every afternoon.

Sadly there are a few things that are getting neglected....my blog for one, and my passion of scrap booking is the other. Fortunately, we have a four day weekend. School is out for Martin Luther King day on Monday, and the Inauguration on Tues. (one of the fringe benefits to living so close to D.C.).
So today, all three of us kicked butt and cleaned this house top to bottom....believe me when I say top to bottom....it is three stories, and I despise cleaning!

Tonight, I hired our first sitter since moving, and Wayne and I are heading in to D.C. to eat at a favorite seafood joint, and perhaps do some shopping. Hopefully it won't be too crazy there yet. Then WE have the rest of the weekend after church tomorrow to do whatever! I am gonna scrapbook!

You Know He's Really Tired When....

2009-01-12T21:55:00.003-05:00

he doesn't even make it up the stairs. He must be in a real growth spurt or something...because he is sleeping all the time. When we were in Texas, he would get up in the morning at the CRACK of dawn and be back asleep in a couple of hours. I'm not complaining mind you, just finding it odd..some of the places kids can fall asleep in.

Does Anyone Know????

2009-01-08T19:51:00.003-05:00

Why do toothaches ALWAYS hurt worse at night????? I have had it with my teeth, and if I could convince my dentist... I would get them all pulled and get dentures. We have dental insurance, so in December I realized we haven't used any of it, and the benefits don't roll over. So I made an appointment for Carson and I. I had some major areas of concern, basically all the work I have had done in the past two years was falling out or needed to be replaced. I made an appointment to get some fillings, and both of those turned into root canals and crowns. The dentist was able to put temporary fillings in, but I would need the root canals and crowns asap in the the New Year. The good news about this was that I was able to use every bit of my benefits last year...plus some extra...I will most likely use all of this years benefits in one appointment too.

We were getting ready to fly to Texas, and I start with a toothache...small at first...but I soon realize that it is an abscess....in the tooth with one of the temporary fillings. Dentist calls me in a antibiotic, and some pain meds. We head to Texas....and I kid you not every single night my teeth would kill me. I can bear it during the day...but nights are the worst. Day before we leave to come home, the other tooth with the temporary now has abscessed...so I am back on my second round of antibiotics....dealing with dental crud. Good news..... I am seeing the endodontist on the 20th....unless I can convince the dentist...I want dentures!

2008 in Review

2009-01-07T09:18:00.002-05:00

Got this link from my cousin in New Jersey, I think it sums up 2008 very nicely. Click here to view the video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWiXy55OHyY&eurl=http://www.unclejayexplains.com/media/UJ%2012-22-08.wmv/&feature=player_embedded

Ahhhh..... Home Sweet Home!

2009-01-03T17:00:00.002-05:00

We are finally home, we had a tremendous time, spent with family and friends. I will admit that ever since moving out of Texas, I have looked forward to the return. We had been in Amarillo, for all of an hour or so and I turned to Wayne and told him that it felt like we had never left. I mean nothing was really any different....it will always be my home, and Wayne, being the Yankee that he is also agreed that Texas is home. I say all that only to say this..... we got home last night about 2:15 in the morning. NOTHING is better than walking into your own home, and sleeping in your own bed. As much as we agree that Virginia is now our home, Texas will always have our hearts.

I am sad that several people we contacted were unable for whatever reasons, to visit with us.....but I am glad that we saw the dear friends that we did, and am thankful for the friendships that we have.

The cats were glad to see us, my neighbor who was feeding them, said she never saw them the entire two weeks. Wayne picked up Petey the dog from his visit at the doggie resort, and he was ever so glad to see us.....he didn't eat hardly anything and seriously lost some weight. I am not too concerned because the first thing he did after pooping in his own yard was eat a bowl full of dog food.

Now begins the monumental task of getting everybody back on schedule for school and work, unpacking everything, and putting up all the Christmas decorations. I was smart and did all the laundry in Texas, so at least that is done. Carson is also very impatiently waiting for the boxes of stuff that Santa brought to get here in the mail. He thought that they would magically be in his room when he got home last night.

And so it begins.....

2008-12-31T17:13:00.004-05:00

The end of one year and the birth of another. What does 2009 hold for us???? No one knows, I can only pray that it brings health and happiness to all. Peace and contentment with what we cannot change and a deeper understanding of all that God has in store for us.

2008 was a good year for the most part for the George family, Wayne started a new job, and moved us across country. We left old friends and made many new friends. We have learned what it means to be truly on our own....no family down the street to babysit, or eat Sunday dinner with. While that in itself can be somewhat sad, we have made some wonderful new friends and have truly been blessed with an abundance of new relationships, both for Carson and for Wayne and I.

This was the year of trials and tribulations as well, but we are so much richer because what we have endured. God has seen us though some heartaches, that I would not want anyone to bear. We have learned to be optimistic, and see the silver lining in situations that seemed too deep to get through.

Carson started Kindergarten and is thriving in the structured school environment. Wayne is loving the commuter lifestyle and looks forward to his "me" time everyday on the train to and from work. I rejoined the workforce and am really enjoying teaching....so much so that I will be teaching full time starting Monday for an Autism class until the middle of April.

Today, we say goodbye to 2008, and I know that 2009 will bring many changes for all of us. I am praying that it brings peace and happiness, and a fullness of God that was previously unknown to you.

Today we packed up all the loot that Santa left for us in Texas, and started shipping it across country. Carson is now bored...at least he tells me that...He is also ready to sleep in his own bed, and see Petey, the dog, who by the way has spent the last week and a half at a doggie resort, and is at this moment getting his nails done. We have had a tremendous time here in Texas, and while I miss everyone, friends and family alike, but it will be good to get home on Friday.

Christmas Fun!

2008-12-27T11:41:00.008-05:00

While here in Texas, we elected to not bring our DSLR with us. For one just carrying it on the plane tends to be a real hassle, and also the lcd screen is broken...so never sure if I got "the" shot or not. My Dad recently purchased his first a Nikon D 60 so we commandeered his and used it for Christmas morning pictures.

The house was packed with the whole family...my sister Holly her hubby Mike, boys Zach and Will and the three of us were staying with my parents. We had a houseful! Sister Wendy her hubby Richard, kids Hayden, Hunter, and Hannah all live local as does my brother Brad, his wife Paige and the youngest of the group 21 month old Peyton.

We gathered on Christmas Eve for a wonderful Prime Rib feast provide by my sister Holly's family, and cooked to perfection by my mother. Not much was left of the beast when everyone was done. After dinner, preparations were made for Santa to visit... we left the cookies and milk in the kitchen and Carrots were also provided for the reindeer. Carson was quick to head to bed, and get ready for Santa to come in the night. Then the real work began..... We had to assemble a couple of things and run get the batteries that we forgot AGAIN! Fortunately TRU was still open.

Christmas morning arrives and the boy waited as long as he could to open....His dad decided to shower first.....don't know what he was thinking....you can't make a 6 year old wait!!!! Finally he started opening and was surprised by all that Santa brought him...so much so that he never even saw the Nintendo DS system Santa also left....

Santa couldn't find room under the tree for the Speed Racer race track that he left..so he had to put it in the kitchen....and after everything else was opened he found it. That is the neatest toy I have ever seen and has been played with constantly.My Brother, Brad and his family arrive after a while and we got to enjoy watching him with the first Christmas he really got into.

Merry Christmas!!!!

2008-12-25T13:41:00.004-05:00

Merry Christmas Everyone... Enjoy the time spent with Friends and Family....Santa managed to find us back in Texas... so no worries there... we were blessed beyond measure as usual, and it was a total blast watching the little ones tear into their packages. Will post more with pictures later

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-24T10:48:00.003-05:00

I am a bit disturbed that everywhere you look, whether it be on television or a store people are wishing one another Happy Holidays instead of the standard Merry Christmas. I still feel saddened that Christ is no longer the CENTER of the Christmas holiday. Whether you hold to the belief that Christ's birth was on Christmas day, or the actual time was somewhat later in the spring as many Biblical scholars believe. The date December 25th, doesn't have to be reduced to the day that Santa comes....(Our family is big into Santa...with several small children who look forward to Santa), but we really need to focus on the real reason for Christmas.

I remember seeing, many years ago a Christmas card or something along those sorts showing Santa bowing down to worship at the feet of the Christ Child in the manger, that has really stuck with me over the years, and definitely exemplifies the true meaning of Christmas.

While Santa is dominate in many of our homes.... heck I still believe in the magic of Christmas....makes it so special....I really hope that we can take a moment and focus of the birth of our saviour this Christmas Eve...and remember that without Christ...we truly have nothing.

Merry, Merry Christmas everyone! Take extra time this season to remember the joy that the birth of our Saviour brought to us so many years ago. We are celebrating in Texas with family and friends...this is the first time in Carson's life that he hasn't been in his own home on Christmas morning....so it looks to be very fun...filled with family....presents...food....and chaos.

Happy Anniversary

2008-12-20T09:45:00.002-05:00

Babe, Just wanted to say Happy Anniversary. I love you, thanks for the past 11 years. We have had good times and bad times, we have lauged and we have cried and we have Carson which has made it even all the better.

Love, Wayne

Packing for the Trip!

2008-12-16T17:46:00.005-05:00

Just a silly picture..If any of you all have small children, I know you can relate. We purchased some new luggage for the trip to Texas this weekend. Wayne actually already had a decent suitcase, but I was lacking, as was Carson. So Saturday Wayne bought a bright PINK, three piece set. Carson has already determined that the smaller of the two suitcases was going to be his. He brought that sucker upstairs and told me he was going to pack for our trip. He was very proud of himself, and mentioned several times that he has everything he needs for Texas.

This is what I saw when I opened it up...... we have his pillow, Nim's Island video, stuffed dinosaur, cowboy hat.....

a couple of other dinosaurs, toy airplane, and ONE cowboy boot....I moved some things around and found his John Deere Tractor that Papa gave him before we moved. No clothes....no other shoes than the single cowboy boot. He specifically told me that he had it all ....everything he needed for our trip. If I could "only" pack so well!It warms my heart that he thinks that these are what he needs for our trip...after all a boys gotta have his toys....right?...But I will have to pack some real clothes for him while he is asleep so he wont go naked...oh, and the other cowboy boot too!

Santa Train...AKA The Polar Express...

2008-12-14T12:31:00.011-05:00

Yesterday afternoon we bundled up and headed to the downtown train station to catch the Santa Train. Every Christmas the Virginia Railway Express runs the trains on a special Saturday schedule. The reason for this is three fold. It is used as a teaching medium for children on railroad safety, to collect new toys to give to the Marines for Toys for Tots, and perhaps the most important is that Santa, Mrs Claus, and some of the North Pole helpers are there to see the kids. Our train was scheduled to depart at 3:30 p.m. We left the house a little early and had to wait in line for about 45 minutes to board the train.

The train station is a wonderful old building three stories tall with the track running on the top level. Underneath, are these real cool arches that support the tracks above...

Patiently waiting in line for the train to arrive....The train is coming!

First words out of Carson's mouth was that this couldn't be the Polar Express, because it wasn't black.

Carson waited to hand the Marine his toy.

We finally board and make our way to our seats. The trains are double deckers, but Santa was too fat to climb steps, so everyone had to sit on the lower level.

We get seated and the train leaves and heads north up past Quantico. We traveled though some beautiful countryside.... and parallelled the Potomac river for a while as well.The guest of honor makes his appearance and takes several minutes with each child.Mrs Claus was along for the ride, and visited with each child as well.The Conductor came through too! At this point Carson asked when they were serving the Hot Chocolate. If you have seen the Polar Express, you know that the Conductor punches the tickets....Carson was bummed that he didn't get his ticket punched. I guess being a six year old, everything should be like it is in the movies.... and he totally expected us to get to the North Pole, but he did tell me that he was glad that we didn't slide out on the ice.After all the excitement of seeing Santa, and the rest of the helpers, Carson settled in and colored for a while, and then being the curious child he is, he had to check out the restrooms.

While it was not THE Polar Express, it was fun! We had fun with each other, started a new family tradition, and were able to help out Toys for Tots.

Bake Sale Cupcakes!

2008-12-13T14:00:00.004-05:00

I finally managed to finish the last of the items for the bake sale at Carson's school last night at 1 am. I made 48 Christmas light cupcakes...I think they really turned out cute. I improvised on the actual directions and used a half of a marshmallow on the side under the foil before icing to make the shape. I managed to sell all of them, plus the three plates of Christmas cookie we made as well. All in all a huge success!!!

Hopefully now things will start to slow down a bit... Today was the School Choir Concert, the Gift Giving Shoppe, Pancake Breakfast and the Bake sale. This was my PTA committee's big event for the semester... and I can say with great relief...that it is all done....NOW we are just waiting until 3 p.m. to board the VRE annual Santa Train and Toys for Tots. I am definitely making Wayne take me out to supper tonight.... I am beat.. at least I can relax on the train.

Inauguration Day Planning - Anticipated Long Lines - Millions of People

2008-12-12T12:45:00.010-05:00

Reading through the local news of my favorite Washington DC radio website, WTOP I came across this very interesting posting http://www.wtop.com/?nid=780&sid=1544907 concerning the upcoming Inauguration Day and planning for the masses of people who plan on attending. After reading this I have a recommendation to all who plan on attending - STAY HOME. I can only imagine how lengthy the lines will be...lol

Inauguration week is going to be a very interesting week around here starting on Saturday January 17th 2009 the weekend prior to inauguration that is when people will start arriving into this area. There is a Sunday January 18th welcome event, then you have to remember that Monday the 19th is a Federal Holiday - Martin Luther Kings Birthday so a lot of people have it off - there will be service events planned Then Tuesday the 20th is Inauguration Day. Here are another couple of links you might find interesting. http://www.wtop.com/nid=780&sid=1526353

This next link is an awesome website that gives a lot of history about the inauguration as well as other pertinent information.

http://inaugural.senate.gov/index.cfm

Finally I have to work on MLK's Birthday and on Inauguration Day, I am looking forward to riding both the VRE and the Metro on those days - I'd rather do that than try to make the trip by vehicle.

Cookies!

2008-12-10T23:06:00.004-05:00

One of Carson and mine favorite traditions is baking Christmas Cookies. Carson and I usually spend several hours doing this, and we really aren't too concerned with how they actually look because they are just for us. This year however, I made 10 dozen sugar cookies for the Christmas bake sale at Carson's school on Saturday.
I baked all the cookies ahead of time and started icing them while Carson was still at school....after all I wanted them to be pretty for the sale. I did save several for Carson to decorate and he did an outstanding job. Now all I have to do is make those cute Christmas Light cupcakes on Friday and I am finished.

Santa!!!

2008-12-07T22:30:00.006-05:00

You know what they say about the best laid plans...they can change in an instant. We had planned for weeks to head to D.C. to Tyson's Corner to see "THE" Santa...but I had heard that the line to see Santa was HOURS long. So instead we went to the local mall and saw the "REAL" Santa. Carson took one look at Santa and told me that this one was the Real Santa. He definitely looks the part. He is the kindest Santa... and so patient.

We stood in line for about 45 minutes....Carson hopped right up and started immediately telling Santa what he wanted for Christmas. I heard him make a special point of asking Santa to remember that he would be in Texas, and would he still come there? He proceeds to spend several minutes telling him about flying on an airplane and wanting a drum. Surprise to us...because for weeks all he has said he wanted was a Speed Racer race and stunt track thing. I hunted all over for that and finally found one, and shipped it to Texas. So I have explained that sometimes Santa doesn't bring everything we ask for, he likes to surprise us with special thinks he picks out, so be ready for some cool surprises.

Santa, listening intently....

Santa, explaining...that he will find Carson in Texas.

Isn't Santa Awesome!

The Cheesy Smile....

I love this one too!

My favorite Santa picture from last year. WOW what happened to that baby face???

Let's Have a Parade!

2008-12-06T23:11:00.008-05:00

Tonight was the annual Fredericksburg Christmas Parade. We have made it annual event to go to the Christmas Parade every year. In Amarillo, there was the Electric Light Parade held every year, and we were told that the parade here in town was a really good parade. We planned on meeting some friends and they even staked out our spot earlier in the day with our chairs, so all we had to do was show up and enjoy the show. We arrived early, we were warned that this really packs in the crowds...so we bundled up in as many layers as possible, and hit the bricks. No sooner do we get there and it starts to snow. This is the first snow of the season, and it really set the atmosphere for the evening.

The parade route was in downtown Fredericksburg, which in and of itself is an amazing place. The actual downtown dates back to before the Civil War, and many of the buildings are still in use today. There is something quite unique, being surrounded by all the history of this town.

There were marching bands, horses, floats, beauty queens, dance teams, classic cars, more marching bands, more dance teams, and more floats. I figured that for a town this size the parade would be about 45 minutes long. At an hour, I asked my friend how long it would be... she told me that in years past it is at least 2 hours long. Tonight's parade was 2 hours before the BIG GUY showed up. LONG parade....but the best parade we have ever seen.

Looking up the parade route before the start.

There was the Marine Corp Band

Fire Trucks...
Floats.....
Kiddos all bundled up....Catching snowflakes.....The three of us....I was Freezing!
You can really see the snowflakes here....
Just a cheesy grin.....I LOVE red noses in the winter.....FINALLY.... we see Santa....Carson waving to the guest of Honor....
Santa.....arrived on his sleigh pulled by Clydesdales instead of reindeer.

We get home and there is a dusting of snow on everything.... of course Carson had to play in it. He even tried to make a snow angel.I am STILL cold. I don't think I will warm up until I get in the bed. But it was all worth it.... this was a phenomenal parade in our new town. A tradition we look to continue here.

It is Just Getting Crazy!

2008-12-05T10:33:00.002-05:00

If you guys know anything about me, you know that I am a Craigs List Junkie. I have actually had to take a break from it because I would spend hours scouring the adds looking for furniture etc. Anyway, as you are all well aware, we have a Presidential Inauguration in January. Hotels up to 100 miles from DC were booked by the day after the election for this event. Well, some enterprising folks are renting out their homes for the inauguration.....for get this,..... up to $50,000.00 for the week! You know what is crazier???? People are paying it! In a few short searches on Craigs List I found home from as far away as Richmond an hour south of us renting for $10,000.00 for the week. Heck, In Stafford/ Fredericksburg area people are renting 3 bdrm townhouses for $15,000.00 . Perhaps we really need to think about doing this ourselves...only downfall....no hotel rooms available for us to stay at. I guess we could rent out the two spare rooms and the basement for $10,000.00? Right? Humm.... we could even put sleeping bags down in the basement and Carson could sleep with us and we could easily sleep 15-20 people.

Here are a few links to some ads on Craigs List...
Fredericksburg Rental
Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania
Richmond This one includes the guys car!
D.C.
This one is per night!!!

When we were in D.C. last weekend they were already working on the stage in front of the Capital. While this is historical for our nation, I am not looking forward to the huge influx of people that are anticipated. The news media is already reporting upwards of a million to a million and half people. Traffic is going to be a HUGE nightmare! We are NOT planning on going anywhere near D.C. during that week. Now, had this been McCain that had won the election... I would really consider attending at least some of the festivities.

Hello, Cupcake!

2008-12-03T21:41:00.003-05:00

If you look at my blog roll on the left, you will see I have them divided kinda by interests, family etc. In the third group down, there is a phenomenal blog called The Sunday Baker. I found Tanya's blog from another website I frequent called Two Peas in a Bucket. That site is mostly scrap booking, but there are several boards for different interests, and I happened upon a posting asking for blogs for crafters, and cooking. Tanya's blog was listed and from day one I have read it religiously, if not daily, at least several times a week. I say all that to let you in a secret..... a lot of bloggers have give aways...or blog candy as many call it. Tanya posted a give-away several weeks back for unusual or favorite recipes. I posted a comment on her blog with my mom's recipe for spaghetti cabonera. Well it won for that particular contest. I was very excited because the give away for that contest was an amazing cookbook called "Hello, Cupcake!" by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson. Nothing but cupcakes, and the unique ways to decorate for any theme or holiday.

While I haven't had the opportunity to make anything yet.... I will most definitely be making me some cute Christmas cupcakes next week for the Bake sale at Carson's school.

Aren't these Christmas Lights the Cutest Ever!...and they look pretty simple too!

I Love the Nutcrackers...but don't know if I have the patience for them...yet!The snowmen and Christmas trees are adorable and really look doable...just gotta decide what I am doing!!
Thew neatest thing about this cookbook is that most of these cupcakes are not done with fancy equipment, or supplies. Most can be done with simple decorations and using a ziplock as the icing bag.

Drop on over to The Sunday Baker, check out her blog, she has some outstanding recipes, crafts and contests. Oh and I will post pictures when I make my cupcakes.....if they are cute that is.

Starting the Season Right!

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

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Starting the Season Right! addendum

2008-11-30T16:54:00.005-05:00

Seriously...This cracks me up! I am challenging everyone who reads my blog to Elf themselves and link to each others....lets see how many we can get elfing this year!

The Smithsonian National Museum of American History

2008-11-29T22:40:00.006-05:00

Since we are spending Christmas in Texas, I could not justify spending the day shopping so we headed up to D.C. and went to the newly opened National Museum of American History . This branch of the Smithsonian family has been closed for at least two years for renovations and overhauling and expanding of the exhibits.

They have Julia Child's Kitchen..... Sorry for the flash flare...The Ruby Slippers from the Wizard of Oz, THE Star Spangled Banner (a 3.5 hour line, didn't get to see) Trains, trains, trains and more trains, old cars, and all sorts of transportation from the past. The lines were several hours long to see many of the exhibits so we plan on going back on a weekend when it isn't so crowed...if that is ever possible. What we did see was incredible. The museum is huge.... three stories and at least two city blocks long. Gallery after gallery of Americana at its best. I really felt old when I saw stuff from my childhood, a few short years ago.

Nope the trains are not from my childhood..... I am WAY younger than that!

But because Carson loves trains...we spent the majority of our time there.

Carson rode the El train, from Chicago.
Some really cool old cars.... and I don't know cars, so I am NOT going to guess what this one is. Carson said it was "Doc" from Cars...and I believe Doc was a Hudson....so????

This just reopened last weekend....so needless to say...the place was packed! Fortunately, we walked right in with no lines, however Wayne wasn't so fortunate. He searched for a parking spot for about 35 minutes and met us in the museum....but not before waiting in a line that wrapped around the building and was about two city blocks long. It went pretty fast and he soon joined us. We were literally shoulder to shoulder and butt to butt packed with people in this museum.

I think we are museum junkies.... at least Smithsonian junkies...we have hit almost all of them and a couple of them twice! This one is definitely going to be on the list of we must go back to because we visited two galleries on one wing of one floor...in about 3 hours....way too much to see in one visit.

I Survived!.....

2008-11-29T22:21:00.002-05:00

My first Thanksgiving that I had planned, bought, prepared and cooked all by myself. I did not do too bad, if I do say so myself. We bought a huge Turkey (I am convinced that Butterball shoots those turkeys full of steroids or something) it cooked to perfection. Made the dressing...NOT stove top either. Made the cornbread for it on Sunday and had been saving stale homemade bread for a couple of weeks in the freezer. It was really, really good...and all homemade. I baked two pumpkin pies, on Wednesday, along with two apple pies. We had mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, cranberry sauce (unfortunately if it doesn't look like the can...some people in my family won't eat it). I candied some yams, made the gravy and we had french cut green beans. We had a couple of guests join us, and they provided great company and entertainment. We have had turkey the past two days... and I STILL have a ton of turkey left.....I am thinking about freezing the meat in smaller bags for sandwiches...because that is the best part...the leftover turkey sandwiches.

Thanksgiving Blessings!

2008-11-26T22:07:00.002-05:00

We are so blessed this year in particular, we have our health, home, a wonderful, loving family, friends, both old and new. I wanted to take a couple of minutes and thank God for the many little blessing that I know I take for granted each day. Take time and thank Him for the "little" things in your life...it will really make you appreciate them so much more.

Trains, Trains, and More Trains.... oh and Santa Too!

2008-11-23T21:19:00.007-05:00

Yesterday we had plans to got to the model train show here in town. Admission was pretty cheap, so we made an afternoon of it. There were all sorts of trains...tiny models ( I am not a model train aficionado, ask me about Geo Trax... and I can answer you) so I am not sure of the gage of these trains, but I think they were the HO gage.Larger gage and some really big gage trains as well. Carson was fascinated... he has always LOVED trains... and had never seen that many in one place. He was so focused on the trains that I could not get him to look at me for anything! Finally got him to turn around.These photos aren't the greatest quality...was using my little pocket camera, and I am not used to the lag time...so I kept on missing the trains...

I was a complete basket case... they had the trains themselves roped off, but the dealers had some very, very expensive antique engines etc. on the tables. Carson reached over and picked up one, and I about died when I saw the $495.00 price tag on it. I carefully pried it out of his hands, and apologised profusely...The dealers really need to get a clue though... this place was full of kids, an accident waiting to happen. Needless to say we did not spend a lot of time with the vendors.When we first walked in we were all three given a door prize ticket and we weren't there for ten minutes when Carson won a door prize. He won a real nice framed print of Santa and a train at Christmas. We will definitely use it with all our Christmas stuff this year. He was kinda upset that his prize wasn't a real Polar Express Model train....but that just leaves the opportunity for us to consider that for the future if he really shows an interest in doing the models.Right now he is still interested in the TOYS... I don't freak out when he touches these.

Santa was there and I wasn't able to discreetly listen to what he wanted... so I am sure that we will see Santa again soon. I really want to go to Tyson's Corner and see THIS SANTA.
I am 99.99% positive that this was a female Santa... fooled Carson... which is a good thing... cause he is already asking "those" questions.

Kindergarten Thanksgiving Program

2008-11-21T22:45:00.006-05:00

Last evening was Carson's Kindergarten Program on Thanksgiving. I had the pleasure of attending both performances, one for the school and then the evening event for the parents.

Carson has been practising for weeks, he would recite his poems, and sing his songs wherever we were....the grocery store, a restaurant, the bus stop....anyone, and anywhere. If there was someone within earshot, who he could sucker into listening to him, he would give you the whole run down of every song and poem. He has had them memorized for several weeks so that means that I have them memorized as well. He did such an amazing job and we are so proud of his hard work, but he really wanted his Momo and Papa to hear it. We did video the actual performance, however, I am a bit leary posting videos or pictures of other peoples children without their permission. So we did the next best thing and he repeated all of them for them via my trusty little camera. ****Disclaimer**** If you are not a member of my immediate family or a close friend, you are free to go back to your regular blog reading. This may be a bit on the sugary side for some of you.....just kidding...enjoy! Oh, disregard all the "stuff" on the counters behind the boy, Carson insisted that this was where he had to sing his songs.

I am sure that we are in for lots of performances in the years to come, and this one wasn't even his first....It was however, the first one HE was excited about and looking forward to.

Oh and a little note...Kindergartners are not known for long performances... this one started at 7 p.m. and the final bow was at 7:09 p.m.

He wouldn't sing the cutest song because it wasn't done with the piano...it was done to a soundtrack and he said that he can't do it without the other kids to do the gobbling in echo... I offered...but it wasn't the same.

Side note to Momo and Papa... be prepared... he will have you guys all singing this too when we get there!

Christmas is in the Air!!!

2008-11-18T19:07:00.004-05:00

Wayne and I are having a bit of a disagreement over decorating for Christmas. We donated our Christmas tree before the big move and have yet to purchase a new one. So while I do have a small back-up tree, I won't be able to put up my millions of ornaments on this one tree. Here is where we disagree a bit, I plan on doing all my normal decorating, even though we will be spending the holiday in Texas. We fly out on the 21st, but we HAVE to make it exciting for Carson until then. He was already panic stricken this summer when he realized that our house doesn't have a fireplace for Santa to come down. We are going to write Santa a letter and remind him that Carson will be at Momo's and Papa's for Christmas and they have a fireplace. Wayne doesn't think I need to haul out all my Christmas stuff.....whereas, I am wanting more....more, and still more. My favorite time of the year. Just because we wont be here for the last nine days of the month, doesn't mean that the holiday should not be decorated for....right??? I might have to start decorating next week to get as much mileage out of it as possible.

I am also ready for fun stuff to do as a family to kick off the Christmas season. I have been asking around for some of the things that the "locals" do. There is the Christmas Parade, I am assuming it is a lot like the Electric Light Parade in Amarillo, but this one goes through the Historic district of downtown Fredericksburg. A real Victorian era Christmas. We are gonna hit this for sure.

There is a model train show coming up this weekend as well as the second weekend in December that we are planning on attending.

One of the things that we are really looking forward is the Santa Train. The VRE, Virginia Railway Express, announced today that it will be having their annual Santa Train. (Info here) From what I understand this is a hour long train ride that you can ride to go see Santa. It is only run one day a year, and everyone tells me we have to get our tickets early as they sell out fast. This will be a wonderful surprise for Carson.....he adores the Polar Express, so this should be a blast.

I would also like to head into D.C. on evening or weekend to see the capital and all the other areas decorated for Christmas. I don't even know if they do it or not, but I would love to see it at night.

Perhaps the most exciting thing we are doing is driving to Baltimore on the 21st and getting on a plane to fly to Amarillo...We are way beyond excited!
So even though Thanksgiving is still more than a week away....I am ready for Christmas!

Tagged!

2008-11-15T23:56:00.004-05:00

Tag, and I am it! My friend Keri tagged me and mentioned how these are good for jump starting your blog when you seem to be in a blogging rut. I feel like I am in a rut if I don't post something everyday.

Link the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
*Share 7 random/weird facts about yourself.
*Tag 7 other people and link to them at the end of your blog.
*Let each person know they've been tagged by leaving a comment.

1. I was named Kari Catherine Sanders at birth, but I have been told that I was William Reynolds for a short while. My parents just knew I was going to be a boy. (At least I hope I got this story right)

2. I met my husband on America Online. Now this is not that uncommon nowadays, but nearly 12 years ago, was kinda rare!

3. I have lived with my husband, my mother-in-law, my mom, my dad, five dogs, three cats and a tank full of frogs. This was all under one roof and at the same time for a period of six months while we built our house.

4. I rode in an elevator with John Tesh at the Mirage in Las Vegas. I also met his wife Connie Selleca and their daughter at the Dolphin show at the same hotel.

5. I have lived in Virginia three separate times.

6. I used to keep and breed poison dart frogs.

7. I cannot stand liver...with good reason (Click here).

Ok now for the fun part... I get to TAG seven of my blogging buddies!
so guys start thinking and I call tag to: Tammy, Kari Christie, Kisha,
Dad, Wendy, Holly, and Nicole

Old Times!

2008-11-15T23:36:00.002-05:00

Thursday evening, my college roommate Anita, stayed with us on her way to Maryland. We reminisced about all the old times, and I think we both came to the realization that 22 years is WAY too long to go between visits. We stayed up until midnight and tried to put names to all the old friends in the yearbooks, looked at scrapbooks, and talked about our fantastic children. We talked and laughed and had a wonderful time. It bought back sooo many memories. We only had a few hours together...tooo short of course, but it was so good to catch up, and see one another again. I know that when we head to Virginia Beach, we will be touching base again. Thanks Anita for stopping in.... you and your family have a place to stay anytime.

Visitors....Yeah!

2008-11-12T09:13:00.002-05:00

A month or so ago I joined Facebook, mainly to touch base with friends in Texas. While that has been wonderful, I also have reconnected with some old high school, and college friends. Old takes on a whole new connotation when you are almost in your mid forties. Anyway, I found my college roomate. Anita and I both moved to campus after our Freshman year, she from home and I from my grandmothers. Neither one of us had lived out from the covering of our parents or guardians before. She had to put up with a lot of crap (this the only word that really fits here, even though I HATE that word). We lived on Kellam Hall, and for the most part I remember us getting along. I tended to be a bit messy at times....I know that at times I drove her crazy. (Wayne...you are NOT allowed to comment!!!) We both had different schedules and friends, but for the most part, had a great year and got along great. To make a long story short, she lives in Virginia Beach now and works for a law firm in Norfolk. They are litigating a case in Rockville, Maryland, and she is coming through here on Thursday, and head on to Rockville on Friday.

We have not seen one another since 1986 the year we graduated. So much has happened in each of our lives since then, we both married and have had children...so much time has past, but I am really looking forward to seeing her and catching up. We were both so young 22 years ago....kinda scary when you really think about how little we really knew then. Anyway....just wanted to share my excitement!

Autumn Splendor! (picture heavy)

2008-11-08T18:28:00.009-05:00

I know, I know...by now you guys are probably sick and tired of seeing all my Fall photos. It has to be because it is so new to us. Having lived for the past couple of decades on the vast treeless prairies of Texas, it is so nice to see seasons changing with such vivid color. Today we did not travel far at all, we drove into Falmouth, and explored an old cemetery and church. We walked a path to a park behind the cemetery and just had fun, took pictures, and played.

There is a shortcut that we take home often off of route 1. It cuts back by an old cemetery. There is an old church building facade, but it is only about 6- 8 feet wide. It has a historical marker, I was chasing the boy so I didn't read it. Really unique and fun to explore.Carson trying to peek in the keyhole.Trying the door.

We played in the leaves

Posed for pictures...Carson is a real good poser!Took a hike, and just enjoyed the beautiful weather. I can almost hear the whistling from the Andy Griffith show on this one.More pictures of the boy....My FAVORITE shot of the day!

Thanks for indulging me. :)

Indian Summer!

2008-11-07T13:06:00.005-05:00

By now you all know that I really love Fall....and it has finally peaked in color here in Fredericksburg. Temperatures are supposed to be in the 70's this afternoon, but it will turn colder over the weekend.

I honestly think the colors are more vivid here than they were up in the mountains. Today as I was coming home from a meeting, I passed a couple of trees that were putting out a spectacular color display. Fortunately I had my little point and shoot camera with me and I pulled over a took a few snapshots.

It won't be too much longer before the leaves all fall off, and the trees will be bare. I really don't like bare trees as much, but will admit that there is a stark beauty in winter and I am looking forward to seeing what that season offers here.

I'm Really Excited...a New Opportunity.

2008-11-07T07:48:00.002-05:00

I had to sub yesterday at the school around the corner. It isn't my son's school, but seriously it is about 4 minutes from my house. I enjoy subbing there and try to every chance I get. A couple of weeks ago I subbed in the Autism classroom. There are 5 kindergarten age boys, all with some sort or form of moderate to severe autism. There are a couple that are non verbal, these are the most challenging, but they are incredibly smart, witty, humorous, and so incredible lovable. The others are gifted in ways that would amaze most people, yet they are locked away in a room somewhere in their own body.

Well long story short...the teacher is expecting her first child the first week of January. I was asked yesterday to consider taking her class as a long term sub for her. I really did not even have to think about it... I automatically took it. I am going to have to do some serious cramming on special needs children, but in all honesty... I totally feel a peace about this. I know that there are going to be some things that I wont know how to handle right away. I will have 4 para-professionals in this class as well, so it is not like I am being thrown in a room with these children all by myself and expected to know all and do all. I know that I will be trying to fill big shoes, and that these children develop relationships differently than others.

I am really looking forward to this, and will most likely be asking for prayer covering often, when situations arise when I need more guidance on something. I never in my life imagined that I would enjoy something like this and I am frankly quite afraid that I will get too attached to these little guys.

Carson will have to go into aftercare for about 30-45 minutes after school. My next door neighbor offered to get him off the bus and watch him for me, so that may be answer there.
I am really looking forward to the steady paycheck as well... the county pays their long term subs extremely well....well steady for at least three months. First thing to buy with that first check....my own laptop!

Who is Really in Charge?

2008-11-05T16:48:00.003-05:00

I received this, this morning in an e-mail from my dad. I will preface it by saying I do NOT know who wrote it. But it was too good to NOT pass along.

Who is really in charge?

Some of you will be happy and a lot of us will be unhappy but we will still support the winner simply because he will be the president of our nation.

Top 10 predictions no matter who won the election:

1. The Bible will still have all the answers.
2. Prayer will still work.
3. The Holy Spirit will still move.
4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people.
5. There will still be God-annointed preaching.
6. There will still be singing of praise to God.
7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.
8. There will still be room at the Cross.
9. Jesus will still love you.
10. Jesus will still save the lost when they come to Him.

God approves this message!

Amen

VOTE....I DID Yeah!

2008-11-04T09:57:00.004-05:00

I have voted in every Presidential election since my first one...Ronald Reagan (his first term) can't remember the year...silly I know. Anyway there is something totally liberating knowing that at least I did my part... I have nothing to complain about... I made my voice heard. Please do your part.... and VOTE.

Also please check the previous post for some corrections.... I was mistaken on a few important facts. Thanks!

Tomorrow is THE day!

2008-11-03T13:32:00.005-05:00

Well guys the past couple of years worth of campaigning comes to an end tomorrow. I can only pray that at this point we have all decided on who we will be voting for. Now I do not want to make this a political discussion to be argued back and forth... that is the main reason I have waited until now to post my feelings on this election and who I will be voting for and why.

My dad and John McCain served together in the same squadron on the Enterprise during the Vietnam war. Both were carrier pilots. My father was fortunate enough to never have been shot down, John McCain on the other hand was shot down and suffered for five agonizing long years in the Hanoi Hilton. The following I received in a email from my Dad about McCain and it details the qualifications and experience he has based on his military career and how that will prepare him to lead our country. None of the following was written by me or my father... I'm just passing it along.

OOOOPPPS... from my DAD... I was mistaken... here is the real story.
In your latest post, you have me and John McCain as squadron mates on Enterprise . I knew him casually, he was in VA-65 on Saratoga , I was in VA-85 on FORRESTAL. That was in the early 60’s, probably 1960 or 61. I appreciate your trying to make more than I am, I was just another pilot in the cold war, and happy to make it out alive.

Love DAD

"In all modesty, I can personally verify that the author is correct in his analysis of what the true experience of every naval carrier pilot has always been. When you talk about having visibility, every take off and landing from a carrier is witnessed by several hundred of pairs of eyes. And when on that sombre occasion, a naval carrier pilot fails to return from his mission, an immediate and enduring personal loss is deeply felt by the four or five thousand members of the carrier's crew, and air group. And so it was when John failed to return that day so long ago. But he had met the continuing test of every naval carrier pilot, and went on to meet an even greater test."

This appeared in the New York Times

What is there in the experience of a naval carrier pilot that would help prepare a person to be president? Beneath the derring-do that is part of the successful aviator's image are many fine qualities - some natural, some learned.Above all, you must be true to yourself. Delusional people rarely survive the harsh demands of carrier flying. You cannot cheat your way through a carrier landing, or ignore the reality of a dark night and a pitching deck.You must be absolutely committed to a cause greater than yourself, because your life is what you wager each time you take off on a mission. And you must be a team player. Many other team members are needed to operate both the ship and your aircraft, and you need to provide leadership.A carrier pilot must also learn to accept criticism of his or her own performance, from both peers and overseers. The landing signal officer on an aircraft carrier administers a public debriefing and critique of every landing, and a grade is assigned to every pass the pilot makes at the deck. These grades and the pilot's performance ranking are displayed publicly for all to praise or ridicule. The psychological pressure of this culture is the whetstone that successful carrier pilots use to sharpen their skills, and the grinder that drives some from the profession.The Navy considers its pilots to be officers first and aviators second. Most carrier pilots lead divisions of perhaps 20 sailors who perform the various tasks of squadron administration and aircraft maintenance, so they must learn to balance the pressures of flying, at times as flight leaders, with the demands of full time squadron leadership. And this is just during peacetime. In times of combat, the pressures are increased exponentially. So what do we have that could enhance a presidential resume.? Honesty, integrity, courage, commitment, love of country, leadership, capacity for self-criticism, ability to multitask and grace under pressure. These are great qualities indeed for anyone who aspires to become the leader of the free world.-

STEPHEN R. GRAY, the author of "Rampant Raider: An A-4 Skyhawk Pilot in Vietnam "

Now is this reason enough for me to base my vote on this man? In many instances it is, however I recently read something to the effect that as a Christian, we are neither Democrats or Republicans...we are Christians and we are called to use the Bible as the source of what we believe. We should look to the examples in the Bible and base our decisions upon that. Not on whether the party that is elected will bring about financial benefits, tax cuts etc.... but what does the Bible say about the topics at hand. For me it all boils down to ONE issue...abortion!

I have my beautiful, charismatic, creative, exuberant son, because his birth mother loved him enough to NOT have an abortion. I thank God for her each and every day.

The simple fact is that Obama sees nothing wrong with abortion. Nothing. He actually believes that if a child is born alive after an abortion, it should just be left alone to die. Sickening....absolutely sickening. I am going to add some links, that I saw on a friends blog all about the stance that these two men have on abortion. Thanks Melissa!! Click on colored links below.

Interesting A fellow bloggers opinions on Christianity and Obama

Obama's views on Abortion

McCain's view on Abortion

Thanks for reading... and PLEASE PLEASE don't forget to vote!!!

To Infinity and Beyond!!.... and a Little Aye Matey

2008-10-31T21:09:00.005-04:00

You know that scene in the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, where there are hundreds of kids wandering the streets Trick or Treating? Well that was my neighborhood tonight. This was really the first year that we have really Trick or Treated instead of another "Halloween" activity. In years past we have attended a Trunk or Treat at church or a Harvest Festival somewhere, and maybe hit one or two neighbors houses. This year Carson was determined that we were going to a hundred houses. I drew the short straw, so we headed out to make the rounds. The neighborhood we live in really goes all out for Halloween, people gathered in their front yards with their portable fire pits and hot chocolate. Scary music and decorations really make it a nice spooky event. It was really enjoyable for all involved. We left Wayne at home to handle the hoards of traveling princesses, zombies, and super heroes. Fortunately for me, Carson's candy bag got too heavy after only 50 or so houses, and he had to go to the bathroom. We headed home and he helped pass out the rest of the candy.

Now if you will notice in a couple of the pictures below, Carson refused to smile... he insisted that Buzz Lightyear doesn't smile....he is always serious...all the time.

Finally was able to convince him that if he smiled, he might get more candy.At least he only got Treats....no Tricks from us tonight....He had just as much fun if not more passing out the candy once we got home.Now for the Aye Matey..... a couple of days ago Wayne started complaining of a sinus type of headache. He took some decongestant and was feeling better. Yesterday he comes home from work, and is having trouble drinking out of a glass... I look at him and the right side of his face is kinda droopy....and his speech was slightly slurred. We were a little concerned, but didn't think stroke or anything like that, I immediately knew we were dealing with Bell's Palsy. He was worse this morning, but went into work. He left early and headed to the Dr. and was officially diagnosed with Bell's. The Dr. prescribed him some eye drops, because his right eye doesn't close, and it can dry out very easily. He was also prescribed a prednisone dose pack. The cool thing is that we really could of dressed him up as pirate for Halloween....he already had the scowl and the eye squinch down. Hopefully it won't last too terribly long....It isn't uncomfortable, but he does have trouble speaking.... oh and drinking is quite comical...if I do say so myself.

On the downside of tonight... my super nice digital SLR camera was dropped on the floor....I'm not naming names.....or fault (neither Carson or I did it)...totally accidental.... The good news...it still takes pictures...it took these tonight after the fall, but the display LCD screen is shot. It is really amazing how much we rely on the display to see the shot after we take it. I will just use it as is, until we can wrangle the repairs.

Carving Pumpkins.....

2008-10-30T22:23:00.005-04:00

When I was in first grade I entered a contest at school to decorate a pumpkin.... I remember my Mom and Dad helping me to decorate that pumpkin. It was a normal looking eyes etc, but the teeth were what made it unique. My dad, took toothpicks and attached pumpkin seeds to the mouth as teeth. That pumpkin won for my grade and was entered into the city contest. I remember going to the mall and seeing all the pumpkins on display. I got a certificate, I don't have a clue where the certificate is now, but the memory is one I think fondly of still.

We started a tradition with Carson several years ago that we carve our pumpkins the night before Halloween.

In the past I used those stencils for the designs, but I forgot to buy some more, so I free handed them... besides Carson insisted that Jack-O-Lanterns are triangles anyway.Daddy and Carson both did the dirty work.I did the actual carving.... of course you have to light them up to see how cool they look.

Oh Thank Heaven!

2008-10-30T11:58:00.003-04:00

I love that the sign says it all!Never, ever did I think I would be thankful for gas prices..... this was over the past weekend in Front Royal, Virginia.... it has dropped even lower now...word is that Costco in Richmond has it for 1.96/gallon.....WOW almost worth the drive.

Amarillo By Christmas instead of Amarillo by Morning

2008-10-29T21:08:00.003-04:00

Thought that I would share with everyone that we will be purchasing tickets tomorrow to go to Amarillo, Texas for Christmas. For all our Texas family and friends we will arrive there on the afternoon of December 21st and return home (Virginia) on the 2nd of January. Looking forward to seeing y'all and spending time visiting.

Have I Mentioned Yet That I Love Fall!

2008-10-28T20:11:00.004-04:00

Just in case you were wondering, Fall happens to be my favorite time of the year. I love the crisp air, the smell of wood burning in fireplaces... and I really love the smell of jack-o-lanterns lit with a real candle. Weird I know...but just one of those childhood smells that you never forget. We are going to have plenty of pumpkins to carve, because we came home with two more today!

Today, I had the pleasure of attending Carson's first field trip in Kindergarten to Westmoreland Berry Farm as a chaperon. The kids took a tractor ride out to the pumpkin patch and picked their own pumpkins, and gourds. They had several story and song times with the wonderful ladies at the farm, who did an outstanding job keeping 5 and 6 year olds entertained. It was the coldest day we have had yet this season, about 40 degrees with a real stiff wind. So it was well below freezing with the wind chill.... at least it wasn't raining!

I haven't ridden on a school bus in years, and that was interesting to say the least. I know I enjoyed myself tremendously, the kids had a blast, and we all enjoyed the beauty that is Virginia in the Fall. I am hesitant to post too many pictures of other peoples children on this blog without their permission, so what you see is but a small sampling, or difficult to see who is really in the shots.

When we first drove in there is a large contraption of sort that crosses over the road, with obvious perches and ledges. We all kinda wondered what that was for. As we were eating lunch we were treated to a show from the resident goat. There is a pulley and machine to buy goat feed from. You put the feed in the bucket and use the pulley to bring it up to the top perch. The goat must have smelt our food, because he wandered up and looked around waiting for someone to offer him a bite.

When he didn't get any food, he calmly trotted back down the ramps on the other side.

The kids seemed to enjoy themselves. Did I mention it was COLD???By the way.... I was informed by two little girls that they are Carson's girlfriends....He was indifferent to the whole thing, but he did tell me that they were beautiful... he's right... they are cuties.

Skyline Drive

2008-10-26T20:35:00.010-04:00

The Fall that we moved from Virginia, I was 13 years old. I remember my Mother wanting to go up to Skyline Drive and see the Fall foliage before we moved to the treeless plains of Texas. I distinctly remember driving through the back country and eventually ending up at Luray Caverns in Luray, Virginia.

I have been watching the foliage reports for a couple of weeks, because if you are going to go to the mountains to see the Autumn colors...no sense going unless they are at the height of their colors. We initially had planned on going yesterday, but the weather was a bit uncooperative. So we left this morning...for another family day!

The weather was spectacular...the forecasted high for Fredericksburg was 72, but I knew that there would be a significant temperature difference in the mountains, so we all layered up, and drove North towards Front Royal, Virginia. We entered the Shenandoah National Park at the Northern end and planned on driving about 65 miles South on Skyline Drive and then head back home through Culpeper, Virginia.

We entered the park, and took our time driving. We pulled over at several overlooks and were amazed at how beautiful the valley below was.

The Splendor of Autumn...is very visible in these next couple of pictures.

An Awesome lichen (I think) on the side of a tree.

Some more random pictures of some awesome sights we saw...Enjoy!Then of course, I have obligatory pictures of the two men in my life....Oh and Petey too!I love, love, love this picture....holey jeans and all!It was a beautiful day, one I know I will remember for a lifetime....I hope it is a wonderful memory for Carson too! This has been added as a yearly event for our family.

It's Saturday....Must be Family Day!

2008-10-25T19:51:00.012-04:00

Today was a dreary kinda rainy day, but we did not want to spend the day in the house. We decided to head East over the Potomac River Bridge at Dalgren Naval Station. So we left this morning and brought an extra passenger with us. Petey the dog has been howling horribly when we leave for longer periods of time... so we brought him along. He loves to ride in the truck...so he had a good time with us.

Two summers ago when we vacationed in Solomon's Island Maryland, we noticed that there is a ferry that runs off Point Lookout State Park. This was a important fort during the Civil War, as it was the point at which the Potomac River branches off of the Chesapeake Bay. There is an old prisoner of war camp there from the Civil War, as well as a light house. Having never been down that direction we made tracks. We are really never ones to be daunted by the weather, it was actually not very cold at all, just drizzly and very windy out on Lookout Point. There was a high tide warning as the high tide was expected to be much higher than normal because of the weather system that is punching through.

The Ferry runs only on Saturdays and Sundays, weather permitting and you have to make reservations to get on the ferry. We are planning on heading back in the Spring and make a trip on the ferry to Smith Island out in the Chesapeake. We left the Point and drove back up though Patuxent River, and the Solomon's Island. We drove West out of Prince Frederick, across the Patuxent River and though some beautiful back roads of Maryland's Amish country.

This is looking North from the Point up into the mouth of the Potomac River.

This is the mouth of the Potomac River. Cannot see across here...even on a clear day.

The waves breaking over the rocks.... There is normally a beach area here, but the tide was so high that the water was breaking on the rocks. More of the rocky shore, with the beach underwater.Carson trying to stand straight.... it was really windy at the very end of the Point.We headed back in a bit and walked out on the fishing pier. I was cold at this point and put Wayne's jacket on.Some of the sea grass and rocks just south of the pier. With the boy thrown in for good measure.

Carson wanted to ride on the buggy's that the Amish use. It was raining very hard, and I took this through the front windshield of the truck...so kinda blurry.One of the Amish farms we passed.It was a fun day.....we are hoping to head up to the mountains tomorrow...the leaves are supposed to be at near peak Fall colors.

Just Call me Grace!

2008-10-23T09:15:00.002-04:00

Yesterday morning, as I was racing around getting ready to substitute teach, I neglected to give Carson his morning meds. So I run up to his school and am walking into the school, and somehow manage to trip over my feet. If you are anything like me, I am thinking as I am falling, that I must do whatever I possibly can to not fall. So I brace, and throw out my hands, elbows, whatever I can so that I don't fall flat on my face. It doesn't work, and I fall flat on my face. Now I am sure it was graceful, and elegant, and that I did not make a huge humiliating fool out of myself. I am almost positive that no one really noticed, and I am even more sure that not only was the parking lot full of buses unloading children, there was also a full car rider lot as well, neither of which noticed my tumble. I am also highly hopeful that the Principal and the rest of the teachers greeting the buses did not witness, my ever so graceful entrance. I just know for a fact that the worst thing about falling, is not so much the actual falling, but the humiliation that comes after, when everyone who I was so positive wasn't watching, actually was watching.

The worst part....today I am sore and black and blue... my neck, hands, knees and lower back are achy... I shouldn't have tried to stop the fall... the only things that really hurt are the areas I strained trying to prevent the dang fall in the first place. So I have a new nickname... I prefer to be called Grace... because don't you know it was the most graceful, elegant fall ever.

What a FUN Day!

2008-10-22T17:01:00.003-04:00

You know, when I signed up for this substitute teaching gig, it was more or less a way to keep busy, but also add a little extra income to the family. I was called this morning last minute, for the Autism class at a school in the area. I really debated taking it, but went ahead and decided to do so. I had four students and 3 Paraprofessionals in that class. One of the Paras is only in the room part time as she has several of the older boys in another classroom.

When Carson was diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome (High Functioning Autism), we were initially relieved to find out there really was something going on, and it wasn't he was just a "bad" kid for lack of a better word. We were also terrified with the label that his diagnosis conjures up in most peoples mind.

Today I had "that" class of students.... and I LOVED every minute that I was in this class. I totally understood the struggles that these boys were dealing with. Two of these children were completely non-verbal, and only one was potty trained. Just seeing the struggles that these boys faced, made me appreciate so much the Gift that we have in Carson. We are soooo very blessed, while we still have our day to day struggles, Carson is extremely intelligent, the best hugger, the most lovingly sweet child, and the light in our lives. God knew what he was doing, we are so blessed...we could have it so much worse, and I need to remember this on the days that we struggle with defiance, or some other frustrating issue. There are children so much worse that what we have to deal with.

Back to the classroom, I may be teaching this class as a long term sub in January. The teacher is pregnant, and both Paras, asked me to consider it,believe it or not, I am considering it....maybe I am crazy... but special ed. seems to be something I enjoy.

To Fly...or to Drive...That is the Question!

2008-10-21T09:34:00.003-04:00

We seriously have got to get our ducks in a row and figure out how we are getting home to Texas for Christmas. Seriously.....I DO NOT want to drive... I would much rather spend the time spent driving with family, but we have a small dog who goes ballistic when he is left for more than an hour. It didn't use to be this way... he was fine until his mother died back in May...now if I leave the room for more than a couple of minutes, he panics and starts to look for me.

Prices on flying have dropped quite a bit, to the point that we "might have" considered this option for a couple of reasons. First Wayne only gets a day or two off for Christmas....so he would be able to fly home before us, allowing Carson and I to stay a little longer. If we drive, Wayne will have to take some extra vacation days....He has plenty...but there would be an average of five days on the road round trip. Petey would be able to drive with us no problem....but not too sure about him being able to fly with us. He is a mini daschund......but I don't know if he would qualify for an under the seat carrier.

So we are in a bit of a quandary.... if anyone has any suggestions... I am open to it. We definitely will be going home....just need ideas on how to get there.

Firetrucks...and Ambulances...

2008-10-18T17:56:00.005-04:00

Today being Saturday, is either our day for rat killing, or a family activity of some sort. We had planned on heading out this morning and getting the monthly bulk shopping done at Costco, and BJ's... so nothing planned really.

As we were driving to town, we pass the local volunteer fire department. It just so happens that they are having their annual Fire Prevention Month Open House. They had all the trucks out with the doors open, allowing the kids to sit in the seats etc. There was a bake sale, and rummage sale as well as Sparky the Fire Dog, and a jump house.

Both boys are in their element..... Carson, because of the jumper, and Wayne because it is a Fire House and there are Fire Trucks!!! Seriously...the man has soot running through his veins... we always hunt out the fire stations, and he has been known to follow a fire truck...you know...just because he has to see it himself.

Anyway, today we stopped and Carson was having a good time checking out the firetrucks and the ambulances....The crew was paying close attention to the kiddos, and basically letting them have a ball on the trucks. Carson was climbing to the big engine when he trips and falls right on his chin. As a Mom, you know pretty much by sound and the look on the face, whether it is something that really hurts, or a brush it off kinda face. Carson got right up and looked at us, I knew it hurt, but I thought he had maybe bit his tongue, He teared up a bit, but never cried, and immediately got in the seat for his picture to be taken. So Wayne and I didn't think too much of it. A couple of minutes later I look at Carson's hand and he has blood on it. I make him hold his head back and sure enough he has a cut on his chin. Nothing major...but it is bleeding. Since we were at the Fire Station, we simply asked one of the paramedics if he had a bandaid.

The paramedic, took Carson over to the ambulance and put him up in the back of the truck and started to clean the cut to see it. Then the chief comes over and talks to the paramedic, who at this point is recommending it been seen. Seriously all we wanted was a bandaid. The cut looks real small, and Carson has not shed a tear over the whole thing. Since Carson fell on their property at their event, they really stress that they want us to get him looked at...so off we head to the Urgent Care. Get there and are seen immediately....the verdict, that while the cut is deep, it doesn't warrant a stitch...so they steri-strip him up and we are outta there. The chief calls us an hour or so later to check on Carson and to let us know the Dept. wants to cover the expenses....Our insurance took care of it, and our co-pay was so negligible... the Dept is better using their resources in other areas. Nice to know they were so attentive...I am sure it is because everyone these days is so lawsuit happy, but still nice to have the caring these guys showed.

This is the second before he falls on the steps.

This is the moment after he fell... no blood... no tears.

The Paramedic checking out the boy.

Carson answering all his own questions...did ok until he got to the phone number.

See it really is tiny...and this picture doesn't show how deep it really was. This is right after the nurse cleaned it out.

When all was said and done, we were able to get all our shopping done, an hour or so later than what we had planned, but it sure made for an interesting day. Besides what kid makes it to adulthood without a scar on the chin...He matches me now!

I'm Morphing....into Martha Stewart!

2008-10-16T11:29:00.006-04:00

Lately, I have been on this baking kick....I don't mean opening a box and making a cake kind of baking...but gather all the ingredients and do it from scratch.

I guess it started with THIS post. For Carson's birthday I made him a cake from scratch. I "think" that was the start of this madness...but honestly, I think it has to do with me being frugal....I cannot stand to pay full price for anything! Simple right? I will shop around until I find the best price on anything...from a loaf of bread, to clothing. I clip coupons... will shop in bulk, and stock up. I am even toying with the idea of making my own laundry soap after seeing a FRIEND make her own on her blog.

So when I discovered that my frugalness,(is that a word?)...was sometimes causing me stress, because I really want to pinch pennies, but not skimp on quality, I decided to look into doing more back to basic cooking. I have never been one to make much from the box type stuff....you know hamburger helper etc. I prefer to feed something that isn't filled with preservatives and was basically just crap. Another reason that this is important to me is that when we decided to pull all red dyes out of Carson's diet, I was stupified to find red dye in things such as Pillsbury refrigerated dough???? Why would this be a necessary ingredient in dough?

So look at it like this. I was buying at Wal Mart a loaf of the lower priced bread. One loaf was costing $2.39. A bag of flour was $2.07. Yeast is $1.06 for three pks. Our family can easily go through 2-3 loaves of bread a week, so that was roughly $7.00 per week on bread. Since baking my own, I get two loaves each baking, that roughly cost me $1.47 for two! I can get approximately 5 loaves of bread per bag of flour. Imagine what I can do if I buy in BULK!

I always thought that it would take too much time to make bread from scratch.... not so much actually. From start to finish it is about 3 hours. but 2.5 hours of that is rising time, and clean up. I can do other stuff while my bread is rising.....plus the house smells soooooooo good.

If you are wondering I got the recipe from HERE . It is a very versatile and forgiving recipe. I have made it four times, and each time I make it, it comes out better than the last time. it freezes real well and, I love being able to give my neighbor a loaf every now and then too!

Woolly Worms!

2008-10-15T14:40:00.004-04:00

Legend has it that Woolly Worms AKA Woolly Bears can be predictors of the upcoming winter. Supposedly the band of brown in the middle is what "predicts" the winter weather. If the band of brown is narrow, with mostly black on the front or the back.... we will have a long, hard, cold winter. If the brown is wider...then a mild winter is in store. Now recently moving from Texas, I can recall seeing some caterpillars that resembled Woolly Worms, but was NOT familiar with the legend.
We saw our first Woolly Worm at the apple orchards last week.
According to this little bugger ..... we will have a mild winter here. Since spotting that first Woolly Worm, I have seen several, and I have yet to see another with the wide brown band.....they have all been mostly black with a very narrow brown band..... So color me confused???? Which is it, a mild winter or a long, cold, hard winter???

I decided that I would consult the The Farmer's Almanac ... "The Almanac has claimed an 80-85% accuracy rate over the years, and is often consulted when planning weddings, and family reunions. This years Almanac has predicted a colder, wetter than normal winter for the East Coast, and a milder, warmer winter for the Plains, and Western portions of the United States.

Hmmmm, perhaps this first little Woolly that I found was somehow lost, and should be back West. Anyway....time will tell.

Happy Birthday MoMo!

2008-10-14T07:00:00.001-04:00

Carson made this Video for MOMO...! We miss you and hope you have a fantastic Birthday. We love you MOM and MOMO.

Apples, Pumpkins and Dinosaurs?!

2008-10-11T16:45:00.012-04:00

***Edited to add: These are the BEST apples that I have ever eaten....super crisp, super sweet. Maybe it is because we picked them ourselves, and the stuff in the grocery store is not as fresh..I don't know..but they sure are good.*** Apples, Apples, Apples, all sorts of apples... acres upon acres of Apples! After our peach picking trip earlier in the Summer, Carson, Wayne and I knew that we would head back up for APPLES.....This time we headed to Stribling Orchards...HUGE orchard, with hundreds upon hundreds of apple trees, of almost any variety known. We picked Rome, York, McIntosh, Golden Delicious, Fuji and Gala Apples. The weather was perfect, slight wind, with a mild temp of about 65 degrees. As I said absolutely perfect weather.

Carson thinks he is an old pro at fruit picking now.... he would wrangle the picking stick up in the trees, and snap off an apple or two.

The trees were just loaded with fruit...so much so that anytime you put your stick up, you would come back with several apples.
Of course, Dad had to hold Carson up to reach some...it is just more fun that way.... Almost......Reach a little bit higher.....Got IT! Almost knocked daddy's glasses off... but it was worth it!The Mighty Gatherer, returns with his abundant harvest....We picked about 25 pounds of apples, and then went to the Bake and Cider House ..BIG mistake...if you are hungry. They had fresh baked apple pies, apple butter, apple danish, apple cider, apple jelly and cinnamon apple raisin bread...It smelled heavenly in there! We bought a little of everything except apple pie... I figured I have enough apples to make 20 pies...at least.
After the apples, we headed down the road to the pumpkin patch and corn maze at Hollin Farms. Just so you know...there really, really is a BIG difference in Texas flatland produced pumpkins, and Virginia, mountain grown pumpkins....the difference...Gravity! You can't really tell from the picture how steep of a slope it is... but trust me..it was enough to keep things rolling. Carson would find the perfect pumpkin, and as soon as he broke it off the vine, and try to pick it up, gravity would take over and the pumpkin would roll down the hill. This happened a couple of times, before we realized that we needed to be down slope of the pumpkins and use the gravity to our advantage.
I will say this...I don't know whether this particular patch didn't plant the giant pumpkins....but the ones in Texas..are definitely bigger!
Carson finally found the perfect one, and it didn't get away from him....While we were pumpkin hunting... we came across the carcass of a deer, Carson was entranced....he thought we had found dinosaur bones....We explored it a bit, without touching...it was past the odor phase, so it wasn't too bad. Little Boys...gotta love them!

He informed me that this was a sharp tooth (tyrannosaurus) dinosaur, because it had sharp teeth....

We headed over to the corn maze...again...it is on the side of a mountain...so while it was easy going in... it wasn't too long before you were climbing back up trying to find your way out. Nothing was marked...so it really was a guessing game, which way to go. The only hint was...uphill meant out.

Then there is the Great Pumpkin Cart that almost killed a village.... well...ok... a small child and a woman. Wayne had rolled a cart up the side of the hill (small mountain...if you are from the flat lands of Texas) and he had loaded all the pumpkins he had picked into the cart. He set the cart down for a second...and the cart took off down the hill (you say hill, I say mini-mountain). It was going very fast and headed right for the fruit stand at the bottom of the hill and a small child. This brave woman, jumped in front of the cart and stopped it from hitting the stand and the child.... SCARED all of us to death... the poor little boy was clinging to his mother for the rest of the day... he was terrified, THANK GOD, no one was hurt, it really happened so fast, and that woman was lucky, she didn't get hurt...definitely had us some angels on patrol.

The foliage in the valley is still a couple of weeks away from peak color, but you can see evidence of some changing occurring on these slopes.

These little piggies were foraging in the old corn fields, they were for sale ...if you like your bacon fresh!Ham anyone???

I Read Something Inspiring...

2008-10-10T22:53:00.004-04:00

I found this posted on message board that I frequent. It totally sums up how we as Christians "should" represent ourselves....It really spoke to me... and I hope someone out there gets something from it too. The author is unknown, but I believe that it came from a newsletter put out by Tammy Trent. Enjoy!

When I say, "I am a Christian" I'm not shouting I'm clean livin'. I'm whispering I was lost and now I'm found and forgiven.
When I say, "I am a Christian" I don't speak of this with pride. I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.
When I say, "I'm a Christian" I'm not trying to be strong. I'm professing that I'm weak and need HIS strength to carry on.
When I say, "I am a Christian" I'm not bragging of success. I'm admitting I have failed and need Jesus to clean my mess.
When I say, "I am a Christian" I'm not claiming to be perfect. My flaws are far too visible but Jesus believes I am worth it.
When I say, "I'm a Christian" I still feel the sting of pain. I have my share of heartaches so I call upon His Name.
When I say, "I'm a Christian" I'm not holier than thou. I'm just a simple sinner who received Christ's good grace, some how."

What to Do? What to Do?

2008-10-09T12:31:00.006-04:00

We are so very BLESSED to live in an area where we have multiple things to do as a family on the weekends. This weekend is no exception. Ever since we went peach picking in the late Summer, I have been planning and looking forward to going to pick apples. This weekend, believe it or not, we have no visitors that we know of, of course that could change, and they would be welcomed. BUT, they would have to conform to MY plans for the weekend. We are planning on heading back out to the Shenandoah Valley, for two reasons, apple picking, and pumpkin picking. Call me crazy, but I am very picky about my places to pick pumpkins, I do not want a parking lot stand of pumpkins, I want to pick my own off the vine. I want Carson to pick his own. I want him to enjoy going out in the fields and searching for the perfect pumpkin. We have been able to do that for the past three Fall seasons.

It is my absolute FAVORITE time of the year to photograph! I love the colors, and the way the sun's color seems a little richer, and warmer. I love the smells and the wonderful things that scream Fall.
Here are some pictures from Pumpkin Patches of the Past...

Carson's First Pumpkin Patch was a little "roadside stand"

We drove down to Floydada, Texas when Carson was three to find our first Pick Your Own Pumpkins.The next year, we drove up North to Etter, Texas to go to the Pumpkin Patch and Corn maze. We had a blast with friends from church.Last year, there was FINALLY a pick your own patch and corn maze close to Amarillo. We went with friends and family and had a ball. I forgot to even mention the corn mazes.... We LOVE corn mazes... I mean whats not to LOVE...getting lost, chasing one another, sneezing uncontrollably, and spending priceless time together as a family.

Now the dilemma, the orchard that we picked peaches at has a spectacular pumpkin patch, and corn maze Hollin Farms. They have apples also, but NOT pick your own. There is another orchard Stribling's Orchard that has pick you own apples. We...err, I mean I, really want to pick our own apples. So it looks like we are going to spend the whole day out picking apples and pumpkins, at two different locations. Thankfully, I am blessed with a great Hubby who puts up with all my wacky ideas.

Happy BELATED Birthday Will.....

2008-10-09T09:54:00.003-04:00

Hey everyone...I am a total dork, my nephew, one of my 4 favorite nephews celebrated his 12th birthday on the 6th. Please everyone drop on over to the Field's Journal and drop him a comment.

Will, I hope you had a fantastic Birthday!

Carson Finally decided to be .......

2008-10-07T12:25:00.002-04:00

BUZZ LIGHTYEAR for Halloween. I don't know why it was so difficult for him this year. He would waffle between being Buzz Lightyear and Speed Racer, and Lightning McQueen. On Saturday, while we were shopping at Tyson's Corner, we found a Disney Store (they are so few and far between nowadays). Prominently displayed was This Costume. He was hooked and decided immediately that it was going to be Buzz this year. This is a really cool version of Buzz, it lights up, and has the boots, gloves, and purple helmet hat. It is made of very thick like pleather/vinyl...so it will be warm and hopefully he won't have to wear a coat over it. We already have, the laser gun, and tons of other Buzz paraphernalia, so it looks like we are set.

Fun, Family and extended Family..sort of...

2008-10-06T10:45:00.003-04:00

Things are slowly getting back to normal around here... we had a busy weekend. On Friday, after school, Carson and I headed up to Manassas, Virginia (about 25-30 miles away) to visit with some, sort of, relatives.
In my family, you are related if you share a meal with us, so we have a really, really large extended family. This time, they really were sort of relatives. Holly, my sister, is married to Mike,they have two boys Zach and Will, they live in El Paso, Tx. Mike's sister is Linda, she is married to Nick and they have three daughters Alexis, Kaytlyn, and Lauren, they live in Manassas. Clear??? Anyway, Zach was in Washington D.C. for a school sponsored leadership conference and he spent and extra week in Virginia, with his other cousins.

On Friday evening, Carson and I drove up after school to have supper with them and visit. Wayne was going to take the train to the Manassas station instead of coming home and driving back up. I have not seen Linda's family since Zach's first birthday party a million years ago (I only say that because I am horrible at remembering just how old everyone is...bad of me I know). Wayne had never met any of this off shoot of the family, and I had not met the youngest two daughters. Wonderful girls by the way... all three of them, are very engaging and their great attributes are attributed to their even more wonderful parents.

Since Wayne was taking the train in, it was arranged that he would meet Nick at the station, they would ride the train together and then come on in for supper. This gave them some "special" male bonding time....WHATEVER that means...anyway...we all had a fantastic time, shared a wonderful meal, engaged in unique conversation, and rekindled/started a new relationship with semi-relatives. We all got to spend some time with Zach, (man he has matured so much). Carson had a blast with him as well as with girls. Holly jokingly told me that she only married her hubby Mike, because she liked his sister so much...in all seriousness...We enjoyed ourselves immensely.

Saturday, we had decided that we needed to get the boy some winterish clothes. He is going through a growth spurt, and all of the sudden, NOTHING fits him anymore. Wayne and I both needed some new shoes (I guess you can't wear flip flops all winter), so we headed out for some serious shopping. We decided that we might have better luck if we headed up to Tyson's Corner. We get our shopping done and head home to drop off our loot, and head to Costco, and Walmart for the rest of the weekly shopping. I check the phone for messages and there is a message from Wayne's cousins that were through a week or so ago, they will be back through in a couple of hours and wanted to bunk down for the night. So we make record time in Costco and Walmart, head home, meet up with the cousins and head to a restaurant for supper, where a good time was had by all. They left us on Sunday morning, and I have been doing laundry ever since.

Enjoyed ourselves tremendously this weekend....busier than most, but definitely a ton of fun!

Happy Birthday Wendy!!!

2008-10-04T18:29:00.002-04:00

My baby sister is FORTY today... I am sure that the Black Scorge of OLD AGE is going to be upon her now! If you get a minute, drop over to her blog Blankenship Blog and leave her note.... NOT THAT she would EVER get it, seeing how she hasn't updated her blog in EONS!

Anyway... Happy Birthday Wendy!!!!

Some sad observations...

2008-10-03T08:50:00.005-04:00

I am really enjoying substitute teaching! I have subbed twice this week. Once for amazing first graders and then yesterday in 5th grade resource class. I am so amazed at what these teachers deal with each and every day. In my class yesterday the background stories alone would make a grown man sob. They are that heart wrenching.

I was in a class with 5 students, all with either severe behavioral issues, or severe learning delay. I was one of three adults in that class. These wonderful teachers deal with everything ... most of it would turn your stomach, yet they do it every single day, with a smile, because they love their students. I can see that they care for them, and for a lot of the kids it is the ONLY affection that they get. It sickens me that there are children that live in situations that affect them so severely that this is the only hope for them.

Ever since moving here, there are some things I have noticed.
Crime...seems like every single night there is a murder, rape or other type of violent act somewhere in the DC metro area. Just last week in a small town about an hour from here, two children were found in the freezer of their adoptive mother. They had been in that freezer for over a year. Thank God!... that the surviving child escaped and was found wandering the street, completely covered in bruises and near starvation. How does this happen? Has is been happening all along and I was so far removed that it didn't really affect me? Is it because I was "sheltered" from this for most of my life? I mean I know abuse happens everywhere, but it just seems so sad to watch the news here every night. I know it is because we are living in such a urban area, that the concentration of people is greater, we hear about it more often. Sorry to be so depressing, it is just that these things have stood out as huge differences from my somewhat sheltered life in Texas and the new life here. Don't get me wrong....we LOVE it here...it is just sad that there is so much horror in the world... and I used to be so far removed from it, now it is in my backyard (figuratively).

I truly feel blessed growing up in the life we had, we had a family, that cared for each other, and most of all we loved each other! We weren't perfect...but THANK GOD we were and are a Family... and Family always comes first! Sorry to be such a downer, sometimes...just seeing and hearing these horror stories make really appreciate all the wonderful blessings that I have.

I Survived!

2008-09-30T16:36:00.004-04:00

I guess I forgot to mention that I was hired by the Stafford County school system as a level 3 substitute teacher. Which means I am on the highest end of the pay scale YAY! Anyway, today was my first day subbing. I have not been in the classroom in an elementary teaching setting since the early 90's. I did teach college level Biology in the late 90's, which is practically the same thing....anyway I digress.

Today the Kindergarten, first and second grade teachers all had a required in service for either morning or afternoon. Since I have not subbed for the school system before, I was given a half day shift with 27 first graders. I really, really, honestly enjoyed it. I was very nervous beforehand, and even more so, after I found out that the Paraprofessional for that class, was also involved in the in service....which meant I was all by myself with these little guys. We had a fantastic time, Carson was sent to my room at dismissal, and he even had a great day. The best part.... the very best part.......I got paid for working a whole day. I can see myself enjoying this as a way to contribute to the family... and get me out of the house more and hopefully make some new friends.

That Dang Tooth Fairy!

2008-09-28T14:30:00.003-04:00

She had the audacity to track glitter all over my house.... from the front door, up the stairs around the corner and into Carson's room. Imagine his surprise when he lifted his pillow and found a dusting of glitter!

Seriously it seemed like a cool thing at the time, I used a super fine glitter.....but....Now I am covered with glitter, I had to wash Carson's sheets to get rid of it....which, did NOT get rid of it... it only redistributed it all over the next four loads of laundry. What man wouldn't like wearing glitter to work tomorrow....No wonder glitter is considered the herpes of craft supplies!

The Tooth Fairy is Gonna be BROKE!

2008-09-27T17:19:00.003-04:00

Literally this afternoon, we were out killing rats, and I mentioned that his tooth looked real loose, and we should perhaps get some cash to have on hand for her to find. Both of us completely forgot, and we no sooner get home, and Carson managed to pull his second front tooth in less than two weeks. We put a call into the Tooth Fairy, and she of course has no cash on hand. I don't think the boy understands the concept of a check or an IOU yet... so Daddy was going to run out and get some cash for the Tooth Fairy to have tonight.

I seriously have a "thing" for toothless grins.... this is my favorite!

Trying to get the boy to smile and NOT squint up his eyes, is near impossible.

Future Photographer????

2008-09-26T09:07:00.007-04:00

While I was organising all my photos the other day, I uploaded all of my camera cards too. I thought I had checked all of them, but obviously I missed some. Carson has always had quite a fascination with cameras and will sneak it if I leave it out. Usually I get the standard pictures of his feet, the ceiling fan, the dogs butt...whatever he is currently chasing at the time. This time however, Carson turned the camera on himself and these were quite the surprise when I uploaded the card.

This one looks like he is just trying to figure out if the camera is on. No he is NOT wearing lipstick... I don't know what that is on his lips...probably paint, or some other toxic substance.This next shot, while blurry...is the quintessential Carson...a total goofball.

Notice in this shot, he nicely framed the shot to get the ceiling fan, and the desk in the background.In this shot he finally nailed the focus!

I love this shot... total out of frame and focus... and totally overexposed. But look at how blue his eyes are!

Perhaps my favorite shot, Carson doing his Miss Piggy impression....

Then of course... the important shot of the floor vent.

In all seriousness, I loved finding these pictures.....It is fun to see what he "captures". Santa, whispered to me that he thinks Carson needs his own camera for Christmas this year.

Visitors Visitors Visitor...

2008-09-25T15:35:00.005-04:00

My last post this past Monday indicated that "I got a call from one of my cousins in New Jersey last night, it seems that we will be having them visit us this week. They should be arriving on Tuesday and probably leaving on Thursday. I have not seen Don & Fran since April of 2002 so this visit will be a good one although short. They are headed to South Carolina to visit Fran's sister and then they plan on heading to the Great Smokies".

I get home form work on Monday - Kari had spent most of the day getting the house reorganized from her parent's visit last week and when I got home on Monday night I was going to weedwhack and do a few other things as we were anticipating my cousins on Tuesday. So about 8pm just as I finished and was getting ready to eat dinner the phone rang and it was my cousins. They were in Lorton, VA, eating at a McDonalds and would be here (our house) in about an hour OMG the extra half day that we thought we would have just disappeared. I literally wolfed down one taco usually I have 2, and then I went about getting a few more things down around the house while Kari cleaned up dinner and straightened up a little more. Finally everything was done and I even had time to take a 5 minute shower and go sit on the porch before they arrived a little after 9pm. We had a great visit, having not seen them in over 6 years it was a good visit. I went to work on Tuesday and they went off and did something on their own and Kari made a great dinner for all of us and we had a great visit Tuesday night. On Wednesday they wanted to go to DC so I took them up on the VRE train / they really enjoyed that even when the engine quit and we had to disembark and take the Metro from Springfield to L'Enfant. We walked all over the Mall, did the National Archives that was AWESOME, did the WWII Memorial, and the Vietnam Memorial, as Don was over there. Fran's sister, Linda, her husband was killed over there and we found his name on the wall.

Around 3pm as we were still walking the Mall Kari calls me and lets me know that I am having company tonight - I go ok who - she says that my friend Steve from Florida is coming over to visit tonight - OMG - Steve and I talked on the phone last week and he never said that he was going to be up here this week, so I called him back and asked him to come for dinner and he agreed to. Needless to say that by the time Fran, Don, and I got back from DC on the VRE and to the house Steve had just gotten there about 5 minutes before us - Kari did an awesome job of ensuring that we had plenty to eat with the last minute guest. A good time was had by all, it was good to see Steve again as well.

There are some common threads in all of this - first Don is my cousin, and was a member of my 1st wedding as a groomsman, the last I saw Don was April 2002. Steve is a friend and was the Best Man at my 1st wedding - so he and Don and Fran had met before. The last time I saw Steve was in March 2002. So after 6 1/2 years I had family and a good friend for dinner at our Virginia house on the same night - how amazing is that!!!

Tonight Kari, Carson and I will be all alone in our house - so please give us a week... we will be ready for more!

Organization is a GOOD thing!

2008-09-24T13:56:00.005-04:00

Yesterday I spent the better part of three hours organizing over 11,000 digital photo files. This does not even begin to touch the pictures that I have on disc. That is most likely another couple of thousand photos. I sorted them into monthly folders and then again into yearly folders. It feels really good, having them all neatly placed away, and easier to find.

While I was doing all of this I ran across a bunch of photos, that really made me smile, and I thought I would share them with you all.

The picture below is of Carson with red fingernail polish all over his face. What isn't pictured is the floor, counter, and cabinetry that is "painted" too. I swear I was only in the bathroom for 3 minutes.

Thanks for indulging me.....I really could post a couple of hundred pictures and still not be done. So I will stop here for now.

It Had to Happen Sometime / More Visitors

2008-09-22T08:51:00.003-04:00

Well my favorite football team got defeated yesterday, The Patriots regular season win streak came to an end, they will start a new one next weekend and beat the 21 games, and hopefully they will WIN the Superbowl this season.

I got a call from one of my cousins in New Jersey last night, it seems that we will be having them visit us this week. They should be arriving on Tuesday and probably leaving on Thursday. I have not seen Don & Fran since April of 2002 so this visit will be a good one although short. They are headed to South Carolina to visit Fran's sister and then they plan on heading to the Great Smokies. They have met Kari before, however, they have never met Carson.

Fossil Hunting....and George Washington

2008-09-20T17:36:00.013-04:00

We woke up this morning without any plans for the day at all, with the exception of running to Costco early to try and beat the crowds. Got that done, and decided to go home grab some lunch, and the camera and head South down Route 3. Our intent was to maybe head to King George, a small community about 20 miles from the house. I was studying the map and I realized that we would only be about 20 miles from Westmoreland State Park, and George Washington's Birthplace. So we bypassed King George and hit the road for Westmoreland State Park.

One of the features of Westmoreland State Park is the beautiful cliffs that overlook the Potomac River. Some of the cliffs are as high as 150ft, and the view is spectacular! I had heard about Fossil Beach from another Mom here and we decided to find it and get our own fossilized shark teeth.

I really had no idea what getting to Fossil Beach entailed, and I was in

flip flops and Carson was in sandals, the only appropriately dressed for a hike was Wayne, he was in sneakers. The beach is at the end of a downward hiking trail...funny thing about hiking downhill... it is uphill on the way back...ugghhh. Not a long hike at all, just steep at times, and very, very beautiful. Honestly, we could not have picked a more perfect day for this hike, the weather was GORGEOUS. Temps in the low 70's with a nice breeze coming off the water. The trail opens up at the Potomac River, with breathtaking views of the cliffs and the water.

Carson and I spent the afternoon searching for fossilized shark teeth and other ancient treasures. Wayne was the photographer.Carson and Wayne headed off up the beach to explore, while I continued searching for sharks teeth. A bit up the beach, a lot of the cliff side has eroded away over the years and trees have fallen into the surf. Carson had a lot of fun climbing on those. Good thing he was with Dad... I would have freaked out with him climbing on those over the water, Dad doesn't worry like I do.

A view from the top of the cliffs....crystal clear skies, and a gorgeous view. This is the ONLY shot I took on the hike back up the trail.... notice it is looking up at the canopy of trees.....before you ask if I was flat on my back gasping for breath...I wasn't....(much), I was resting on a bench the park provides at the top of the steep incline for all the out of shape folks.

Here is a very blurry picture of the sharks teeth we found... there are three easily recognizable teeth, along with a crocodile tooth (at least that is what the field guide says). The others are teeth, I just don't know what they are from....yet.

On the way home we decided to make a 2 mile detour and go to George Washington's Birthplace National Monument We did not do any of the tours on this trip, we basically drove through the park, and took some pictures. Carson was thrilled that there was a replica of the Washington Monument in D.C. here about 1/8th the size. Below is a field of yellow flowers, I don't know what they are, but they sure were beautiful.

This is just an old barn on the grounds of the Washington National Monument. I thought it was cool and made for an interesting picture. I don't know the relevance, but it was away from the actual homestead site.

This was probably one of the best whims we have ever followed. We enjoyed ourselves, spent some wonderful time as a family, made some neat memories, had a beautiful drive and a fabulous time hunting for fossils. We plan on going back real soon decked out with colanders and sieves to hunt for teeth, and at least wearing tennis shoes.

Happy Birthday Brad!

2008-09-19T09:31:00.002-04:00

My only little brother is celebrating his birthday today.... I believe that it is his 40th...may be his 41st. Anyway...wish him a happy birthday and visit his website Brad Sanders.com. Maybe that will entice him to post more often on it!!!!

What a Week!

2008-09-17T21:20:00.007-04:00

We had the best week with my parents here visiting from Texas. We have driven back and forth to D.C. several times, and saw many wondrous things in our Nations Capital. We have eaten some fantastic food at great restaurants. We have celebrated Carson's birthday. Had a wonderful visit with Aunts, Cousins, Nephews, and family. I think we wore my parents out. I know I fell into bed every night plum tuckered out... I know they are tired too. Here are a few more pictures of their whirlwind visit.

We finally made it to the Vietnam War Memorial, and my Father was able to look up some of his old students and squadron mates. Very somber, hallowed place.

My mother managed to wrangle a squirrel, but couldn't find anything to feed the little guy.Last Friday, we drove down to Richmond to meet up with my mother's sisters, and their children and families. Carson managed to convince his second (or is it third cousins) that he doesn't cheat at Foosball.Carson got a HUGE package in the mail from his Aunt Holly, Uncle Mike, and cousins Zach, and Will. He had been anxiously waiting for this after seeing this post .
He loved the toys.... but like all the male children in our family... clothes were immediately tossed aside.All in all a fantastic week with family.... we already miss Momo and Papa... and are looking forward to seeing them again when we go home to Texas at Christmas.