Laurie AnD FamilY

2010-06-10T07:02:00.002-04:00

Michelle and Riley are here! We have been taking lots of walks on the beach and as you can see, Riley loves it.

Opal is happy to have a friend for awhile and loves walking with Riley. We have been doing a whole lot of nothing and that is always relaxing.

2010-06-03T08:29:00.002-04:00

My friend, Leighton, came visit me from Chicago last week. We did not do much, just went to movies, ate and walked the beach. It was very relaxing and great to see him again. The pics below are all his.

2010-04-02T20:34:00.000-04:00

The absolutely,

positively,

best kids in the world!

2010-03-29T07:44:00.002-04:00

The morning of the Cooper River Bridge Run. It is a 10K over the big bridge.

there are about 40,000 who do this and I was worried about being trampled!

I was very happy to see the finish line. I walked it in about 2:30 and Keith ran it in about an hour. He did really well. We had a great time and want to do it again next year.

2010-03-15T09:17:00.002-04:00

My friend, Scarlett, and I went paint our dogs on Saturday night. It was lots of fun but honestly, mine was one of the worst and Scarlett's was one of the best. Opal doesn't even have a mouth! But I can't wait to go again and paint something else.

2010-03-12T10:53:00.000-05:00

Walk on the beach. Almost the twins birthday.

2010-03-06T19:57:00.000-05:00

More pics of this beautiful family! Miss you so much.

2010-03-06T19:48:00.001-05:00

I went down for Christine's birthday and we had a great time. Those children are incredibly precious.

2010-02-14T19:03:00.002-05:00

Keith and I spend the weekend in Savannah's compliments of Michelle and John's gift certificate to a bed and breaksfast. This is us eating fried chicken at Paula Deen's. It was sooo good.

Even though it snowed, the weather turned out beautiful (as it usually does in the south) and we did a lot of walking. Here is Keith on a schooner that was made to look very old.

This is the outside of Paula's restaurant. We had a great time and can't wait to go back again.

2010-02-09T18:55:00.001-05:00

I know people are tired of looking at my gators so I am giving you the opportunity to look at the 3 most beautiful men I know.

Took these from my backyard.

2010-01-18T14:25:00.000-05:00

2010-01-01T00:18:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year!

2009-12-20T13:51:00.001-05:00

we saw hundreds of starfish on the beach. The storm must have washed them all up.

Keith was trying to throw them all back into the water until he realized that there were too many. He thought about keeping one for a pet!

2009-12-19T12:55:00.002-05:00

The house is almost ready. This is the master bedroom which is kind of a seafoam color.

This is the first spare room which is blue.

This is the second spare room which is kind of a silver bluish color. We will move into the house when we get back from the holidays.

2009-12-17T07:32:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday to the most wonderful woman in the world! A lot has changed for Michelle in this last year but what hasn't changed is that she is the sweetest, strongest, most generous person I know.

Being Michelle's mom is the greatest gift I have ever received and I feel blessed every single day. I love you, sweetie, more and more everyday if that is possible. Have a great day.

2009-12-15T08:25:00.001-05:00

Made Mom's soup. It was yummy.

2009-12-10T11:31:00.001-05:00

Our pink house is now green.

2009-11-04T15:46:00.002-05:00

I went to Indy this past weekend. It was actually a long weekend and we had such a fun time. Josh came in so that I could see him since I haven't seen him since June. We went shopping and just hung out.

Michelle and I went get pedi's on Saturday and it was relaxing. But our "feet technicians" would not shut up and that made Michelle and I laugh! Since we couldn't talk to each other!

As usual, the dogs got along really well. John was kind enough to take Opal every time he took Riley for a walk. Which was lots of walks. It was just a great time but a reminder of how much I miss being around my kids. I love how they love me and when I am with them, my world is just perfect.

2009-10-28T18:12:00.002-04:00

This past weekend Keith and I took a trip to Cherokee, NC. It was so beautiful but cold.

We took a train trip and made a stop and saw a beautiful river and rapids.

The colors on the trees were breathtaking. It was a great little getaway for Keith and I and the best part was we didn't have to do any driving!

2009-10-27T08:00:00.002-04:00

Here is the t-shirt quilt I made for William for his birthday. This is the best picture I have cause it was so big. I think he really liked it and was excited about it. Now I am on to different challenges with quilts.

2009-10-21T16:18:00.002-04:00

The second weekend in October we went to LA for the baptism of my new godchild, Kiley Grace.

She is really so precious and cute. It was a great day spent with the family and friends.

Everything went well except poor Connor getting sick later that night. It was a really quick weekend but well worth the trip. Can't wait to see the family again for the holidays!

2009-10-12T19:22:00.002-04:00

Brandy came for a visit the first weekend of October. We had such a good time. Here is Brandy eating Paula Deen's lunch. We spend a day in Savannah and it was great. The weather was perfect and we did some shopping.

We also took a ghost tour of graveyards. It was incredibly interesting and I am pretty sure that the orbs in the pictures are ghosts. Charleston has a rich history that is filled with dead people.

We also spent an afternoon downtown and a beach afternoon. It was so much fun and I am so glad Brandy came for a visit. It is never long enough and I can't wait for her to come again. Love and miss you, Brandy Anne!

2009-09-09T16:12:00.002-04:00

Michelle and John came for a visit this weekend. We had a really good time. We went downtown and rode a carriage ride around the historic district.

We walked around by the harbor and looked at all the houses with Michelle actually peeking in a few windows. It was a gorgeous day and we ate some really good food.

On Sunday, we had a beach day. It was relaxing but I got to much sun. The weekend went by to fast and before we knew it, Michelle and John were gone back to Indy. I already miss them and can't wait to see them again.

2009-08-30T18:43:00.002-04:00

The Halles, family friends, came visit Keith and I today. They went to Savannah to go eat at Paula Deen's restaurant and drove the two hours to spend the day with us. We went eat downtown, showed Mr. Halle the ship at Patriot's Point and

went to the beach. Our time was to short but we really enjoyed being with them. Hopefully, they will come back another day for a longer visit. We miss you, Halles!

2009-08-24T12:36:00.001-04:00

These pics are attached to the blog below. I wanted to show everyone that was there with us on Sunday.

2009-08-24T12:18:00.003-04:00

Keith and I just spent a week down in Lafayette and Houston. Though we did lots of stuff I only took pics of Brandy's birthday party. Happy Birthday, Brandy Anne!

I was lucky enough to spend her actual birthday with her as well as our Sunday lunch to celebrate!

Look how great Christine looks after just having a baby and not sleeping at night!

Here they are eating Daddy's barbeque which was fabulous. Daddy does not cook his barbeque enough so it was a real treat to have it. Thanks again, Daddy for the dinner!

Brandy is wrapped in the quilt I made her for her birthday. I had such a good time making this quilt for her cause I got to use all kinds of fun fabrics. I miss everyone already and hope to make it back soon!

2009-08-17T16:58:00.002-04:00

Kyle came for a visit last week and we had a fun time. We spent lots of time at the beach and Kyle spent most of his time skimboarding. Here is one video of many. We miss you, Kyle. Hope you had a great first day of school!

2009-08-08T18:09:00.002-04:00

Keith and I went to Gatlinburg with Michelle and John recently. We had a great time hanging out with them. Michelle and Keith are posing in downtown Gatlinburg with a bear that we all new MaB would love.

Here we are at Clingman's Dome which is high up in the mountains. It is the second highest point east of the Mississippi. My friend, Pam told me about this and even warned me of the walk up but I couldn''t imagine how hard the walk would be until I did it. And I can't even say I did it since Keith pushed me up almost the whole half mile. It was cool to be up there even though you can see how thick the fog was.

We stopped by a stream on the side of the road and took some pics. I love this one of Michelle.

There are lots of little country stores along the way and it was fun to take pics of Michelle and John like this! Michelle really went with it.

The best part of the trip for me was the white water rafting. I just love doing that and we all had a really good time. The trip was fun and I can't wait to do it again. I miss Michelle and John and am hoping to see them again soon. Love yall!

2009-08-06T15:17:00.001-04:00

Here is an old reunion picture from around1973 based on the facts that Christine and Neal are not in it so therefore, not born yet. Those were fun reunions with lots of good barbeque.

2009-08-05T19:10:00.002-04:00

While I was in Lafayette, we had a family reunion. We had not had one of these in over 15 years so this was lots of fun. Though I don't know everyone, it was fun to see some of the people that I do know. Everyone looked great and I hope to do this again next year.

2009-07-18T20:37:00.002-04:00

I went see Kyle in Lake Charles and we took a tour of my old house (above), school, hospital where I was born and baseball field where I spent a great portion of my time watching my brothers play ball. It was really neat to see these places after so long. The house used to be green so it is very different now but I still remember all the good times I had there.

2009-07-14T16:44:00.002-04:00

Welcome to our world, Kiley Grace!

Christine had Kiley July 12 at 8:54. She is 6lbs 13ozs, 19 1/2 inches long and absolutely gorgeous. It is exciting to have another niece.

PaB is a proud grandpa.

This is the quilt I made for Kiley, my first baby quilt. Christine went with a bear theme for the room so it has lots of bears on it. I enjoyed making this for my niece and can't wait to make more of them (hint, hint). I am glad that I get to be here with Christine and enjoy the first couple of weeks of Kiley's life!

2009-07-07T18:04:00.002-04:00

Keith and I went to Indy this past weekend to celebrate the blessing of Michelle and John's wedding. We had a really good time as we always do. We all took a carriage ride around downtown Indy while eating ice cream.

Michelle cooked a meal worthy of MaB. It was delish and we stuffed ourselves (which we did all weekend).

On Saturday night we grilled and ate with the in-laws. It was fun to hang with everyone on the 4th.

Sunday morning we went to mass where the blessing took place. It was a beautiful ceremony and again, Michelle looked gorgeous in her dress. John wore a suit this time and was very handsome.

Afterwards, there was a reception at a really old restaurant and it was wonderful. It was all of John's family and friends and some of Michelle's work friends. It was good to meet so many people. Unfortunately, we had to leave early to drive home. But it was a great weekend and I am looking forward to spending more time with my daughter and new son-in-law!

2009-06-29T08:42:00.002-04:00

Josh spent last week here in Charleston with us. I wish I had more pics of him but we did not do much except relax. We did see Transformers and did some shopping but that is about it. But it was good to just hang with Josh since I miss him so much. Hopefully, he will be back soon. Love you, Joshua.

2009-06-23T21:21:00.002-04:00

Michelle and John were married on Sunday, June 21. Michelle looked absolutely stunning and her happiness was overflowing.

The wedding was in Pensacola Beach and the weather more than cooperated.

The ceremony was both funny and sentimental. They laughed and cried and I have never seen Michelle so happy in her life.

We are excited to have John as a son-in-law since he is such a great guy but even better, he seems to want only Michelle's happiness. He shows her love and respect and that is all I have ever wanted Michelle to have. My heart swells when I think of how great the rest of Michelle and John's life will be. Congrats, you two. We love you both!

2009-06-05T22:12:00.002-04:00

Leighton spent the week with us and we stayed pretty busy. This is the Angel Tree on John's Island, 1500 years old. I really wanted to climb it but there are signs everywhere that told me not to.

We also went to the aquarium. It was a little disappointing cause I forgot how small it was. But we did get to see penguins which are always cool.

Here we are in Savannah eating at Paula Deen's restaurant called Lady and Sons. It was amazing and we stuffed ourselves pretty good.

Of course we spent time on the beach, it was pretty most of the time this week. We took Opal walking almost everyday. Leighton found lots of pretty shells to take home with him.

This is at Fort Sumter which we took a ferry ride out to see where the first shot of the Civil War was fired upon. We also saw dolphins on our way out there which were really neat. We had a great time this week and I am sorry to see Leighton go home. Hopefully, he will come back again for a visit.

2009-05-26T09:47:00.002-04:00

We did a lot of stuff over the long weekend and one of them was finding pictures for Keith's new office. We cleaned out our storeroom and found several. Here is Keith in his new office (finally) and one of the pictures that we had. So far, he is loving his job and I must say, he seems to be able to come home earlier than before so I am loving it too.

2009-05-23T18:22:00.003-04:00

We rented bikes to go ride on the beach. It was lots of fun as long as we were going with the wind and not against it. There was a sand art competition and we were stunned at how good some of them were.

I posted twice with lots of pics of the sand sculptures. They make my little sand castles look bad!

An airplane.

Loch ness monster

2009-05-23T18:19:00.001-04:00

this is a building that is on Market Street. Some of you may recognize it.

That's a polar bear with the baby on top.

This was a whole treasure island sculpture.

2009-05-21T10:02:00.002-04:00

This is a rose in my yard, I have several rose bushes and they have bloomed lots of beautiful flowers. I think I love them so much cause they remind me of my mom (who I miss every single day).

Here are some of the neat shells we found on the beach. I was so excited to find a whole sand dollar. And Keith found the listening seashell while running on the beach. We almost feel like we are on vacation every day.

2009-05-17T08:15:00.004-04:00

Keith and I went to an airshow in Beaufort yesterday so we could see Keith's college buddy, Robbie. We haven't seen him in about 8 years so it was fun. Of course we ended up kidnapping him and bringing him home with us. He and Keith are out running on the beach right now.

At the air show we had to eat the requisite funnel cake. That is a B-52 behind Keith. We recevied the VIP treatment and were able to go sit in the cockpit. It is a HUGE plane and really cool looking.

Those are the Blue Angles and they were fun to watch except they make me so nervous cause they fly so close together. It was a fun day with perfect weather and a good friend.

2009-05-12T10:51:00.002-04:00

Mother's Day weekend was great since Michelle decided to visit. We had a great time shopping downtown, going to the beach and eating (of course). Michelle is a sweetheart to be with and we had lots of fun. I am so lucky to have Michelle who always thinks of me and makes sure that I am going to be ok. I love you, honey! Thanks for coming.

2009-05-04T13:34:00.002-04:00

There has been no update on the termite situation. We still don't know what our options are but we do know they will have to tear into our bedroom wall to see how much damage there actually is. So, this weekend, Keith and I decided to escape and we went to Indy so that I could attend Michelle's wedding shower that John's family gave her. We brought Opal so she could visit with Riley and they had a good time.

The shower was a lot of fun and John's family is adorable. I just love them all and it is obvious that they all adore Michelle. It was a quick trip but well worth it. Now, if we can just figure out what to do about the termites!

2009-04-30T08:19:00.004-04:00

I am trying really hard not to freak out but I might. We have termites. On one hand, we are renting so it is not our responsibility which is good. However, things have gone from bad to worse. At first, a contractor came in to fix a few things and found a few near the front door. Then the termite people came and found them in most of our window sills so they they killed them all. Ok. Creepy but I can deal with that.

But it is not over, The contractor comes in and tells me he has to pull up all the window sills and replace them. I say ok, I can live with that. But no, it is not that easy.

The next day, the termite people come in again to treat the house along with the realtor guy and they start tearing up walls like the picture above. That is my bedroom. Yikes. Now they are saying they may have to rebuild whole walls in the house either from water or termite damage. To sum up, we may have to move....yep, you heard me right. The bigwigs are all coming today at 4:00 to decide what to do. I am trying not to hyperventilate on the fact that I am 95% done on unpacking and may have to do it again. I will keep you updated....

2009-04-22T19:54:00.002-04:00

This is one of our neighbors in our new place. He is only about 3ft long and seems pretty calm. Later we saw him sunning himself on the greens and golfers playing around him. I look forward to seeing him grow!

The beach is awesome and just a walk down the road. We went again tonight and it was almost deserted so we had it to ourselves. Keith ran and said it wasn't to bad. Opal and I just walked around. It is really beautiful here and I am happy to be back.

2009-04-18T21:35:00.002-04:00

Easter was a great day to be with family. Here are a few fam pics.

Of course this pic just gets me cause all I see is 3 wonderful kids who I love so much and now miss so much. It was great to spend time with them and soak up the love. At least it won't be so long before we are together again..Hurry up, June 21...

2009-04-12T08:50:00.004-04:00

These are some pictures of my time in here in Louisiana. Thursday night when Michelle and I got in, I went to my dad's and we had the best po'boys ever. I finally got to see my nephew, Connor who turned into a little boy since the last time I saw him. He and Kyle really liked to play.

On Friday, Brandy and I went pick up Joshua at the airport in NO but first made a stop for beignets. They were so good and took care of a cravin' I had been having for a couple of weeks. Brandy was kind enough to do all the driving and did a bang up job of it. Thanks, Brandy Anne!

On Saturday morning, we sat around the pool at Christine's and Keith played with Connor. Connor was quite entertaining and is all boy with playing in the dirt. I think somebody may be ready for a grandchild!

Saturday afternoon was the big event! Michelle's Bridal Shower was fantastic. We had a great time, with great food and best friends. She got more loot than I have ever seen and fitting all that in the car will be my biggest challenge to date. But I am excited for her and John and I am sure she is looking forward to the next one.

Saturday evening we spent dying Easter eggs. This is one of my all time favorite things to do with the family. There is something about all the colors and doodads that I just love. Josh is always creative with his eggs and his favorite part is the pacque' on Sunday. We also ate some boiled crawfish Saturday night but I was to busy eating to take a picture. Happy Easter, everyone.

2009-04-04T22:09:00.002-04:00

The four of us have been having a good time. Today was beautiful so we took to the park and enjoyed the sunshine which has been in short supply. And will probably not last long either. Riley was a hit at the park as many people commented on how beautiful he is and talk about well behaved. John even had him off leash for a little while and he never even moved away from us. That is one fantastic granddog I have.Being here with Michelle has been so much fun. I told Keith today, I know where I am going when I get old! Of course, they will have to move down south since my old bones can't take this northern cold. I took lots of pics of them in the park and they came out really well. But of course they are the cutest couple ever. Just looking forward to my next road trip.

2009-04-02T21:42:00.002-04:00

So I made it to Indy and have had a great time so far. Michelle has made some great food like crawfish etouffee' and shrimp fettuccine for me and it was delish. My wonderful future son in law took me to the movies today and we saw Slumdog Millionaire which was outstanding. I totally recommend it. Tonight we went for Michelle's first fitting of the wedding dress and she looked absolutely gorgeous. The pic above is from the fitting but of course you can't see the dress yet! You must wait for the big day...

2009-03-31T10:50:00.003-04:00

So we are finally out of the house. The movers were not finished until 11:00 last night. It was crazy but it is done. Keith is on the road now and I will be on the road tomorrow, finally. I found a companion for my drive. Napoleon Dynamite will be riding shotgun with me on my travels for the next 15 days. He does talk and man, can he make me laugh. Especially when he calls me an idiot. So, hope to see a lot of people in the next couple of weeks and when you see me, don't forget to tell Napoleon hello.

2009-03-29T10:26:00.002-04:00

Keith and I watched this movie last night On Demand cause it never made it to the big screen. It was ok,however, if you want to see scenes from New Iberia, St. Martinville, and Jenerette, this is mostly where the movie was filmed. There is also lots of good cajun music in it. It is from the book "In the Electric Mist with the Confederate Dead" by James Lee Burke. It was fun to watch.

2009-03-27T22:17:00.003-04:00

Yep, this is our life for the next two days. They are picking up our stuff on Monday so we are living among boxes. I am so anxious to be out of here. The north is so not for me. But I will miss Edna, parts of my job and the Amish food. However, I will be gaining so much more. Like sun and heat! Of course there will be traveling before I make it to my new home and I am very excited about that. I will get to see all my kids (Hooray) and lots of my family. That also means good food is involved so my excitement level is way up. I have to say that I consider SC my second home not only because it is so Southern but because I have many friends there and I am feeling the love going back. So beach, get ready cause here I come....

2009-03-17T09:50:00.002-04:00

Happy Birthday to my St. Paddy's Day boy! Time is flying by and I hate to think that Joshua is spending his birthday with no family around him. However, we are proud of him and how he had been so independent and able to take care of his business. But I miss him like crazy. Josh has become the kindest, sweetest, most generous man I know and I feel I took that for granted while he was living in my house. Now, I miss those moments when he is looking after me and making sure all is right with me. I am grateful that we can still have great conversations on the phone and that I know he loves me. On this day, I hope Josh knows that I love him with every beat of my heart and I miss him every single day. Hope you have a great birthday, son.

2009-03-14T21:49:00.003-04:00

Happy Birthday, Keith. We were both off today so we spent the day together and it was nice. We spent the major part of it going get Michelle's wedding dress in Philly (yes, she will be the most beautiful bride, ever) but that is what makes Keith such a great person. He thought doing something for one of the kids was a great way to spend his birthday. He is such a generous man and the best thing about him is the way he loves our kids. And he is always willing to do anything for them. I love him with all my heart and feel incredibly lucky to have him in my life.

We also went eat out for dinner and stuffed ourselves then came home and Keith stuffed himself on Peach Cobbler. So now we are being couch potatoes and I am thankful I am doing it with Keith.

2009-03-07T11:19:00.002-05:00

So here it is finally! My first brand new table. Keith and I are famous for buying used stuff or antique stuff but we finally broke down and bought a new table and after two snow delays it was delivered yesterday morning. Keith insisted on one of those counter high tables cause he says we are tall and we don't need to scoot down to sit. It is comfortable and I can put away tablecloths for awhile. At least until the boys visit cause they ruin all my furniture!!! Just joking boys....

2009-03-02T11:54:00.002-05:00

The snow is winning. I left work last night at 12:15 in a blizzard. It had been snowing for hours and when I turned into a median to get to another road, I got stuck. This video was taken while I was waiting for Keith. However, Keith had his own problems getting out of the neighborhood to try and get me. I finally got out of my car and used my umbrella to dig my tires out. Of course after I got back into my car I realized something was wrong, felt my face and realized my glasses had blown off my face. I went back out there and dug around the snow to find my glasses (this is not the first time I lost glasses in the snow) and was finally able to back my car up onto the highway. I met Keith right off the highway and we made it home 2 hours after I left work. It was absolutely horrible. We saw many cars in the ditches so I guess we can count ourselves lucky!

2009-02-28T21:51:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was Keith's Change of Command and it was bittersweet. His good friend Jim came in from California to attend. Jim is always there to support Keith and we are lucky that he has family in Charleston so we will continue to see him often. Jim is the best!

It is bittersweet because Keith is sad and I am so happy. Keith loved his job here but I know we are off to bigger things and better places!

That is Col. Hafer pinning on the Meritorious Service Medal that Keith was awarded during the ceremony. He has been a great friend to Keith also while Keith was Commander and he speaks really well and said wonderful things about Keith. Even I got choked up.

On the right is the new commander and that is Keith giving it up in the middle. It is kind of a weird ceremony where the old commander and his wife are banished afterwards so we had to go straight to our car and leave. Do not pass Go....

But it went well and Keith will work in the Headquarters office for a while before we leave. Sometimes I say this happens to fast but right now I am saying this is not happening fast enough, probably cause I want to get closer to the sun!

2009-02-25T14:34:00.002-05:00

This is my fourth quilt that I have made. It is called a Memory Quilt.

I wanted to do one with pictures of the kids (of course) and I picked our Christmas pictures from a couple of years ago cause they are some of my favorites. Besides the kids looking good, it brings back good memories of the fun time we had out there taking the pictures and what good sports my children are to get all dressed up in the middle of the week, (wasn't it Halloween) and drag themselves around for my benefit.

It is not a very big quilt because I plan on hanging it on the wall somewhere after I finish the backing on it. It did not take to long to make and I love anything to do with pictures. This will probably always be my favorite quilt.

2009-02-09T11:42:00.002-05:00

Well, Kyle has done it again. This time in the Lake Charles newspaper. He made the front page cheering on the McNeese Cowboys wearing that same old blue paint on that skinny chest of his. I don't know how many times this makes it for him but there must be something quite photogenic about him. I couldn't copy the paper so I had to take a picture of the picture. Go Kyle!

2009-01-28T14:23:00.003-05:00

I told Michelle I would blog my Banana Pudding I made but the pictures do not do it justice.

Those are Nutter Butters on top. I got the idea from Southern Living magazine and decided to make it for a coworker for her birthday tonight. I remember Mom making banana pudding and putting vanilla wafer's in it and it was so good but hopefully this will be just as good and bring back the memories of eating banana pudding when I was young.

2009-01-17T16:51:00.002-05:00

Happy 19th Birthday, Kyle. I remember 19 years ago when you were born and we had no idea how things were going to turn out and Aunt Jenna was in the room with me and when you came out all she could say while bursting into tears was "He is beautiful". And then I cried and then later your dad cried. And to this day that statement has held true and not just about your looks but also about your soul. You are a beautiful person whether it is being a caring son or a funny brother or a great friend. We are proud of the way you have become an independent person and making your own way at college. We miss you so much but know that you are becoming a man that any parent would be proud to call their own. Have a great day and know that you are always in our heart. We love you, bub.

2009-01-16T08:54:00.002-05:00

Happy 10th Birthday, Opal. It is hard to believe that 10 years have passed since we picked little Opal out of a litter of really cute pups but she has been the best dog ever. She does act like a cat sometimes cause she is a bit snobby and I caught her on the couch this morning but only because it is so cold, but we all love her so much. She is a sweetheart that follows me around the house like a 2 year old child. She will get lots of treats and lots of love today.

2009-01-06T13:53:00.005-05:00

Here is a pic from a few days ago, Keith did a retirement for a guy who has been a loadmaster for 26 years. Kyle and I went and in a "The air force is a small world kind of way," Kyle knew the retirees' son from Charleston and had played ball with him. Keith did a terrific job of speaking and we were proud of him. And they both looked terrific so I wanted to share it with you.

Last night, our last night with Kyle, we celebrated his birthday. We are early but he left today. We went eat and then had cookie cake (of course) and watched Texas whoop up on OSU! It was very hard for me to be in to merry of a mood cause it was hard to see Kyle leave this morning. I loved having one the kids back in the house. I am still wrestling with this being my new reality. So I will go to work tonight and be thankful that I have other teens that I can be around to give my attention. Kyle, we miss you and good luck for the new semester!

2009-01-03T17:39:00.003-05:00

Here is my second quilt that I made for Judy for Christmas. She has been home since a little before Thanksgiving and is slowly making a recovery, thank goodness. I made her a quilt since we are far away so she knows we are always thinking about her and because she said she is cold a lot so it can keep her warm. We love you, Judy and keep getting stronger!

Thanks Kathy for the pic.

2008-12-30T11:39:00.003-05:00

Saturday was a busy day for us. Even though we only slept a few hours the night before, we got up early and drove to Baltimore to spend some time at the aquarium there.

It is a really cool place. I had been there before with Leighton over the summer but no one else had. It was also the only day I had off to spend this much time with the family.

The weather was not too bad, cloudy but not too cold so that made it bearable to walk around some.

After we left Baltimore, we went out to eat and then went see "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" which is almost a 3 hour movie. We were so exhausted by the end of the night. But it was a great way to spend my birthday. So the next day, we spent most of it in bed before we got up and I opened presents (thanks for all my goodies and cards!), Keith made breakfast and baked me mint brownies. Then it was off to work. It was a great weekend and we had a fun time. Now another year is done and off to another good one, I hope!

Dolphin Trick

2008-12-29T08:28:00.002-05:00

We went to the National Aquarium on Saturday and it was loads of fun. Here is a quick clip of the dolphin show we attended.

2008-12-27T08:21:00.003-05:00

Merry Christmas to everyone. Joshua came in Christmas morning and we could not wait to jump in and unwrap presents!

Joshua received a new laptop and was quite happy about it. Kyle got money so that is not as fun to show off especially since it went straight into his account. Now that they are older, the gifts get fewer though more expensive!

Here is how we now spend quality family time!

We had a pretty good dinner and Kyle said it was the best rice and gravy he ever ate. Those kind of compliments always make me think of Mom and give me a lump in my throat cause I wonder if it is even possible to cook as good as her. I keep trying though!

We had a great day and was even blessed cause I got off of work. We went see the movie Seven Pounds and it was incredible. Now, on to the next celebration!!

Happy Christmas Eve

2008-12-24T23:07:00.002-05:00

Kyle has been home over a week now and it has been some kind of fun. Tonight I only had to work for an hour so that was awesome. We went eat out and then came home and thought we would watch a movie or something on the tv but there was nothing. Keith was up early cause he flew today and of course, fell asleep. Kyle and I are mean and like to make fun when he does.

Keith finally woke up and we took a picture. We were kind of bored. Right now, Keith and Kyle are playing Tiger Woods golf on the Wii. We are just in a hurry for Josh to come so we can really feel the Christmas spirit. And we are wishing Michelle were here, we miss her sooooo much...

On another note, Keith did fly today and made 5000 hours. That is a big deal in the flying community and he got a patch which is posted underneath. So, congratulations, honey. We are all so proud of you!! And everyone else, hope you have great holidays...I know I will be thankful for the day.

2008-12-21T11:34:00.002-05:00

Yep, that is Kid Rock with his nasty hand on my husband. Keith just got back from a USO tour with him, Kelly Pickler, Lewis Black and some other "celebrities". The only reason he took a picture with one is cause I told him to so I could blog it not knowing how much trouble the Kid would be. I will not go into a rant about how some celebrities think they are above everyone else and think they can do whatever they want but it can be irritating for the people around them and possibly cost people their jobs. I am just glad that Keith is back home and safe with us and ready to celebrate the holidays!

2008-12-20T00:51:00.002-05:00

Here is my tree all decorated. And of course it has pink lights on it too! When I come home from work late at night, Keith always has the lights on so that I can see them and they are so pretty. This week has been dark cause Keith has been on a trip and Kyle does not turn on the lights for me. I hope everyone is enjoying the season...I know I am...lots to be thankful for every day.

2008-12-17T14:40:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday to the best daughter in the whole wide world! It is hard to believe that a quarter of a century has passed us by but the best is yet to come for you. This next year should hold a lot of great things for you and you deserve every single one of them. Once again, you are the bestest of the best and I am blessed every day for having you for a daughter. I should be showering you with gifts but it seems as if the gifts are all mine. I love that our relationship has moved into the realm of best friends and it makes what we have even more special. I love you and I hope you have a great day! I wish we could be together but know that you are always in my heart.

2008-12-14T14:45:00.002-05:00

Keith and I went to a Christmas tree farm to pick out our own Christmas tree and I thought Keith was going to have to cut it down his own self but they had two guys out there to cut it down for us. It was a really cold and windy day so we made our selection quickly.

Don't let Keith fool you, he is a real tree hugger.

This is our tree and it is probably the biggest one we have ever bought before and it only cost $35.00 bucks. We thought it was quite a steal. It definitely the cheapest tree we ever bought together. It took a few days for us to decorate but we finally got it done. I will have to wait until Kyle gets here with his camera to take a picture of the finished product cause Keith went on a trip and he has the camera. Happy Holidays!

2008-12-08T17:05:00.003-05:00

I finally received my tote in the mail that was designed by William. I am really excited about it. I have been using it for work and everyone there loves it and I love saying that my brother designed it!

I also got a new coat while Michelle was here and I have been wearing it ever since. It goes very well with my new bag.

2008-11-29T15:56:00.002-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. I know I am late but it has been a whirlwind since Michelle got here on Thursday. When Keith and Michelle walked in from the airport, they said the house smelled like MaB's and it was the greatest compliment I ever had. We had pork roast instead of turkey and it was really good but it is hard to mess up one of those from Adrien's. We had a nice day but I had to leave and go to work that afternoon so it was short.

On Friday, Keith felt like frying shrimp which was fine with Michelle and me. Of course, Michelle needed an appetizer of rice and gravy beforehand!

The shrimp were great and Keith fried them up perfectly. They were quite spicy! The place we bought them had all kinds of seafood including Louisiana alligator meat! Today is Saturday and we went see a movie, Four Christmases, which was very funny and walked the mall a little bit. Tonight we are going to go eat out at Dover Downs which has several restaurants and a casino. I am finally off tonight so we have the whole day and night but Michelle leaves tomorrow which is to soon for me. But it was fun while it lasted. We love you, Michelle and we will miss you.

2008-11-24T21:34:00.002-05:00

Michelle and John came in Saturday for the day. We had breakfast at the IHOP and it was really good. They brought me this really funny magnet with the woman on the phone telling her child "Sweetheart, I die a little bit each day that I don't have a grandchild." That one made me laugh hard and still does when I see it on my fridge. I just want my kids back!

Even though we are almost a month early, I let Michelle open her birthday present and she does it like such a ham!

she was quite excited to get a new purse. I think it shows on her face.

Here we are again at the IHOP. The reason the pictures are different sizes is because I took the IHOP pictures from Michelle's MYSpace page. She had a good one of Keith but she did not post it. You know what I am talking about, Michelle. Anyway, it was great to see them cause even though Michelle will be back on Thursday, I won't see John for quite a while. Can't wait for Thanksgiving!

2008-11-21T13:34:00.003-05:00

alright, this is my last blog about the quilt. It is finished, well, except for the actual quilting. The top is finished and I am very pleased with it. I certainly feel a sense of accomplishment for something I was really unsure I was able to do. Of course, it took a great teacher like Edna to help me and she had lots of patience.

This is the final borders I put on. I love the last border the best and it was one of my favorite fabrics. I think it really brings the whole quilt together.

Edna convinced me I needed to make pillow cases to match my quilt so I did (cause I always do what Edna tells me!). They were not as hard as I thought to make and when I put it all together on the bed, it will look really good. I am now in the planning stages of my next quilt (or two) and very excited about it. Thanks to everyone for the good wishes and compliments....I always appreciate the support.

2008-11-17T18:33:00.002-05:00

Before it gets to be winter, I want to post some fall pics. This one is me coming home after work at 12:30 a.m. and it is so foggy, I can hardly see anything. I drive down some back roads where deer hang out so it is quite scary when I can't see.

These are just pics of some pretty trees that I get to see all the time. Because we live in a rural area, there are lots of trees and they were such pretty colors but now they have mostly lost their leaves and winter is heading in. It is supposed to snow tomorrow!

2008-11-08T15:31:00.003-05:00

Finally some real progress. Thursday, I sewed all my blocks together and got this. I had quite a few problems and let me tell you, ripping out seams and re-sewing takes a lot of time but some of my blocks did not line up. However, with Edna's help and the help of a few ladies that came in the shop, I finally got it together good enough. Quilting ladies have quite a few opinions when it comes to how things are done but I find it all quite amusing. I still have to sew on three borders but it was extremely satisfying to see it finally come together. I am already talking about my next quilt and looking at different patterns. I guess that is a good sign.....

2008-11-06T08:39:00.003-05:00

This is called squaring up. I had to get all 24 of my blocks and make sure they were 13 and 1/2 inches all the way around by using that clear square thing on top of my block and cutting them straight. I go for my lesson today and Edna and I are going to lay out all the blocks in some sort of pattern and then I will start sewing them together. As you can see, one part of my block is light and one part is dark. By putting the light and dark in a certain way, it will form a pattern. That is what Edna says anyway. I will let you know.

2008-11-03T09:42:00.002-05:00

This is just a random shot I took while I was driving and on the phone with Michelle. I thought the trees looked pretty though there are other prettier trees but I never have my camera with me when I see them. This is for people down south that are still sweating in the heat while I am wearing longjohns because it is so cold here!

Saturday, Keith and I worked at a craft fair selling frito pies for the spouses group for Keith's squadron. Please don't ask how I got roped into that. The amazing thing is how many people asked what a frito pie is. I thought people all over ate that but apparently that is a southern thing.

Really, Keith did not want to sell frito pies so he took his show on the road. He pulled a wagon around the fair and sold cold drinks on the go. I swear! It was quite the day for us.

2008-10-28T10:19:00.002-04:00

First, I am disappointed because Keith and I met John in Philly on Saturday but I forgot to take any pictures. It could have been because we went to the Terminal again to eat lunch and it is such a cornucopia of food that I was distracted. Anyway, it was great to see John since I haven't seen him in such a long time and I used to see him all the time so I miss him a lot. My future son-in-law is a great guy and I am glad he is going to be a part of our family. Hope to see you again soon, John!

Ok, my quilt is progressing. There is more to quilting than just sewing. I had to cut all my fabrics and little by little I am building these blocks. I pin them together to sew and I can tell you, I have pricked myself a million times already.

Then I sew them together. I am getting better at the sewing as I go on but some on my blocks are a little crooked. Sometimes I want to do them over but Edna tells me I am to hard on myself and that it will end up ok, so I will trust her in this since she is the expert. Also, I have had trouble threading the needles and such and end up bringing the whole shebang to Edna at the shop to help me. The machine is the hardest thing to learn.

There is a LOT of ironing involved which I had no idea when I started this. Everytime I sew a block, I have to iron it. All in all, I have 24 blocks so that is going to be a lot of ironing and most people know, I am not the ironer in my family.

Then I have to cut the blocks each time to start sewing a new fabric on to it. Keith thinks this is all very tedious but I find it kind of relaxing though it is very time consuming since I am trying to go slow and do a good job.

Then I have my blocks but I still have 3 more fabrics to put on so I had better get to work because my next class is tomorrow and Edna will want to see lots of progress.

2008-10-17T13:20:00.002-04:00

I am about to embark on a brand new hobby. I have wanted to learn how to quilt for some time now but I thought I was to dumb to do it. Of course, I thought the same thing about me going back to school and I guess that turned out ok (thanks again, Christine) so I guess I can learn to quilt. I have to start at the very beginning since I don't even know how to sew. I had to buy a sewing maching and have to learn how to work it. I was lucky enough to find a lady, Edna, who will teach me one on one to work the sewing machine and quilt once a week.
Here are the fabrics I picked for my first Log Cabin Quilt I am going to attempt. I really have no time for this right now since I am still Christmas shopping, I am in the middle of a big Christmas project that I am not telling anyone about and I am about to pick up a book that has about 800 pages. Oh yeah, and who knew a job took up so much time. But I am determined and excited about it so I will just have to cut out my computer time or something! Wish me luck....

2008-10-15T14:34:00.002-04:00

The last C-17 arrived last week and there was a big ceremony. That is Keith standing on the end if you can't tell. Sometimes those guys all look the same in the flight suits. Anyway, his picture was in the paper and it was a really big deal. I was unable to go because of work (shucks). But now, Keith's squadron is complete and they are full steam ahead.

2008-10-12T21:40:00.002-04:00

Michelle recently visited with Kyle at college. And though this is her picture to blog, I am stealing it for a reason. She told me while she was with Kyle that they talked about me and how I am doing with an empty nest. The day before that, Josh had asked me how I was doing with an empty house and it struck me how concerned my children are with how I am doing. As most people know, I carry a purse with my kids pictures on it and many people comment on how beautiful they are but I always want to say "But they are so much more than that". Their concern for me at a time when they are on their own, doing their own thing, shows how much heart they have, how kind and caring and unselfish they are. Every single day I feel blessed with these children and how much we all love each other. It is also what makes life without them in the house that much harder. But I will be alright eventually and I will get through this empty nest mess. I have heard grandchildren help!!! Just Joking, children. I love you.

2008-10-09T15:15:00.004-04:00

Keith bought this vanilla flavored plug in that has been making me smell cake in my kitchen now for a week so today I made cupcakes to bring to work. I didn't know what I was going to do with all the cupcakes until I realized all the boys I take care of would probably eat them. By now, most of you know that I have a job working in a group home for boys and I would like to say they would appreciate them but the boys I work with will probably complain A) they have chocolate frosting B) they have an M&M in the middle C) they are not cooked perfectly D) you get the idea. They like to complain but if at least a few boys enjoy them, it will be worth it. I find my job extremely interesting to say the least. Every day is different and my coworkers are fantastic to work with. Yesterday, I worked with a woman who is also a Pentacostal minister and Praised everything that happened. I love her...she is fun! So I am off to work now and we will see how big a hit the cupcakes are. At least I have satisfied my own craving for one!

P.S. I am just home from work and I was wrong...the boys loved the cupcakes and I even got two compliments and many thanks! They are always surprising me...and they were good.

2008-10-04T19:25:00.002-04:00

Today on our way back from Rehoboth Beach we stopped at Cape Henlopen which is a State Park where lots of people go lay out at the beach. We had never been there before but Keith sometimes flies over it and sees people driving on the beach so he wanted us to do that. Unfortunately, the only people that are allowed to drive on the beach are the ones that are fishing. Since we did not bring our fishing equipment (hahaha) we had to settle for just walking around and seeing the sights.
There is an old Fort there and here is one of the big cannons that are still standing. Believe it or not, they call this a 3 inch gun. They also had an observation tower but it looked like to many stairs for me to climb. I didn't take very many pictures because I did not have my camera with me just my phone camera but it was really beautiful out there and we are going to try and go again. The rest of the day was spent on the couch watching football....Go Bama!!!

2008-10-01T09:50:00.003-04:00

Michelle came in this weekend and we had a great time. We found the most perfect wedding dress ever but unfortunately I can't blog that. Just know that she will be the most beautiful bride to ever walk down the beach but I guess that has more to do with Michelle than the dress. So, Michelle decided to get in shape with the Wii fit and is doing some yoga here. It is a lot of fun and really funny too.
Of course after Yoga and getting fit, Michelle needed a snack.
Here we are at Rehoboth Beach, one of my favorite places in Delaware now. We did some Christmas shopping (yes, I do mean Christmas) and ate at a good restaurant that had a fantastic crab and spinach dip that Michelle refused to try for anything. Now that I think about it, I should have offered her money. Maybe next time. Anyway, she took off on Monday and I miss her so much. We love you honey and come again real soon.

2008-09-21T09:52:00.003-04:00

We went work at a Nascar race yesterday and it was a pretty good time.
They call the track the Monster Mile and it is really huge. That is a real size car in that monster's hand.
I am pretty sure that is Jeff Gordon's car there. I don't follow Nascar but I do know a few of the names and Jeff Gordon is one of them.
And here is one of the common sights that I saw all day long. I was working in a booth selling food and drinks for Keith's squadron and there were so many men who thought is was ok to walk around without a shirt on. I wanted to post a sign saying "no shirt, no service" but no one else was on board for that. But that is Nascar.

Here is short video of the cars being led behind the Pace car right before the race starts. It was really loud and really exciting. Like a baseball game, it is much more exciting to watch in person than on television. Keith had to go back and work again today and it will be much more busy but I was glad I finally got to witness a real Nascar race. It was pretty cool.

2008-09-01T19:39:00.002-04:00

Today, Keith and I went to Amish country in Pennsylvannia near Lancaster. We ate at the same restaurant we dined at back in 2001 called Stoltzfus Farm Resaurant. It is family style and we ate so much food. Everything is homemade including the sausage which is processed in their butcher shop fresh daily. We also had ham loaf, fried chicken (the best), Pepper cabbage, corn and string beans, potato filling, buttered noodles and for dessert we had cherry crumb cake, apple crumb cake a la mode and we tasted Shoo-fly pie which didn't taste like much. It is kind of a molasses sugar pie. Man, we left stuffed.
We took a ride in an Amish buggy but the guy that took us was a Mennonite who was born into the Amish but his family left them when he was 15. The ride was great and we went around and saw many Amish homes.
Here is an Amish Farm where they were growing corn and tobacco. They had two teenage boys cutting the tobacco by hand. The Amish really work hard, it is so amazing. They use no electricity at all but do use diesel engines for milking cows because the dairy farms require it.
We went through this pretty covered bridge that was built in the mid 1800's and used to be used by the steam engines.
Lastly, we went to a great antique store and purchased this great bench for the end of our bed. Of course we need a new bed to go with it but that will come in time. We had a great day and I am ready to lay down on my big ole couch and take a nap! Happy Labor Day.

2008-08-27T22:03:00.003-04:00

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways,
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight.
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of every day's
Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Happy Anniversary to us. Yes, it has been 15 years. Time has really flown by and for the first time we are on our own. We have a lot of big changes ahead of us and the next 15 should be pretty interesting but I couldn't pick a better guy to spen them with. I love you, honey.

2008-08-19T16:47:00.002-04:00

I just drove down to Lafayette and Houston. I spent some time with my mother in law, who just had another surgery. I didn't take any pictures while I was down there but I did take pictures of my drive. The one above is the Atchafalaya Basin which is my favorite part of the drive. It was about 6:30 in the morning and extremely foggy. I think the swamp in the fog is just beautiful.
These flowers in the median were in northern Alabama and just seemed to stretch forever.
Opal traveled with me and was quite fascinated with the hotel. She found more things to sniff at in the room. I tried to keep her on the bed so she would calm down but no dice.
I went through the whole state of Virginia and it was so incredible with its mountains and green hills.
And, I went through a double drive thru McDonalds. It wasn't even in a big town, but I was fascinated. These are some of things I am lucky enough to experience by driving to my destinations.

2008-08-08T12:02:00.002-04:00

We would like to offer our congratulations to Michelle and John on their engagement. John asked Michelle today if she would marry him and she said YES! We are very happy for them and wish them every happiness. I know Michelle will go into more details about the engagement on her own blog when she gets to a computer so I won't spoil everything. Welcome to the family, John....you are one lucky fella.

2008-08-07T21:54:00.002-04:00

This is Opal's first time at the beach. She did pretty good considering she doesn't even like the water. She did go into the water for just a bit. I thought I would take Opal to the beach much more often but I forget about having to pick up her poop afterwards and that takes all the fun out it!

2008-08-02T09:57:00.002-04:00

On Tuesday, the boys slept pretty late so we couldn't go to far. But we did go to my favorite place in Dover, the Amish market. The Amish market has everything. It is only open 3 days a week and I find myself there at least once a week if not twice. First, the food is incredible. Everything is fresh, fresh, fresh. Above is a strawberry short cake with fresh strawberries and I also had an apple fritter with real apples. In the pastry department, we buy their blueberry bread and chocolate chunk cookies. The best. They sell every pie you can imagine. They also sell hot food like sandwichs and they have meat department. The whole place is just fabulous. Then, they have a farmers market and a flea market outside. It is just a shopping and eating paradise!
After that, we went to Rehoboth Beach and walked around and window shopped. This is my favorite beach cause it is just so different than what I am used to. And I like looking in their shops.
On our way home, we stopped and ate at one of my favorite restaurants for a all you can eat crab legs. It was really good and the crabs were huge. Josh left very early the next morning (and I mean early) and I have missed him ever since. It was good to see him though. We love you Josh!

2008-07-29T10:59:00.007-04:00

Josh is in DE for a visit and he, Kyle and I went to NYC for a visit. This is a view from the Empire State building.

Here we are in Times Square. We went eat at the Hard Rock Cafe' and met up with Keith's cousin, Misty, who is nine months pregnant. It was great to see her and very nice of her to venture out since she is due any day. Of course, those New Yorkers are used to walking everywhere! Not like us lazy Southern people...

We made it to Madison Square Gardens which was a goal of ours and we just kind of found ourselves in it. It is a really huge place with the whole underground a subway station and train station. A really busy place.

This is Josh and Kyle at the top of the Empire State Building. Kyle is taking the pic because I am safe downstairs sitting in a bar drinking a 7-up. Elevators are not my thing. But the boys loved it and thought is was cooler than the arch cause there was more to see.

Here we are on the ferry going back to Staten Island. It is a great way to head into NYC. We also saw St. Patrick's church which was unbelievable. If they would have built that church behind my house, I would not have complained at all! We lit candles to St. Jude for Judy, my mother in law who has been in the hospital for a long time and to St. Rose for my mom (I know she would like that). I tried to post pics of the saints but I kept getting an error and it would not let me put them on here. Weird. Anyway, we had a great time but I was exhausted. Who knows what is in store for us today.

2008-07-20T21:21:00.002-04:00

The last two days have been quite a whirlwind. My friend, Leighton, came to see me from Chicago.
On Saturday, we went to Baltimore and walked around downtown and then went to the aquarium. It was a beautiful city but it was very hot.
The aquarium was a lot of fun and we saw lots of cool sharks, dolphins and other ocean life but this is coral that was just beautiful. Oh, and all these pics are courtesy of Leighton who was the official photographer for our weekend. We also went shopping at a mills outlets and a prime outlet so it was a very long day.
Today we went to Washington D.C. Also a very hot day but we went to a couple of museums that were really great. I don't often get to go to museums cause no one likes to go with me so I really enjoyed it. Both of the museums were in beautiful buildings too. We saw lots of modern art but I like the old stuff the best including this one by Monet. We also saw the memorials but it was really too hot to be walking around D.C too much. We had a great day but I am tired. Tomorrow, the beach!

2008-07-14T13:44:00.004-04:00

I received an email from my brother, William, last week telling me about the pre-launch of his newly designed tote in NYC this past weekend. The company, cykochik, is putting out 6 totes by 6 different artists including William. The owner of the company is a super nice woman named Nikki (above with me). We decided to go to this NYC market and give William's tote some love.
The original bag he designed is orange and pink but she has this one done in green. It was the coolest bag there and I thought I would be able to buy one but I have to order it online and that won't be until August. But I will and when I do, I will certainly blog the finished product. The new website for this is http://www.custom-handbags.com/ for anyone interested in checking it out. It was great to meet Nikki who had just wonderful things to say about William.
Of course since we were in NYC we decided to make a day of it and did a lot of walking about and riding the subways. This is Kyle down in the subways.
We went to Battery Park where we could catch a glimpse of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, and went in the opposite direction to Times Square. Keith and I had seen it before but I think Kyle enjoyed it especially Times Square.
But the best was catching a Mets game at Shea Stadium. It was free t-shirt night so we all got free shirts and it was perfect weather. The Mets had a great game, we saw two homeruns, and ate lots of food. Especially Keith! We got home at about 2:00 in the morning but it was worth it.

2008-07-10T18:58:00.002-04:00

I went to New Hampshire this week to see my friend, Chrissy. I haven't seen her in a long time so we had lots to catch up on. She lives really close to the beach so one day we went lay out at the beach. Being it is so far north, the water was freezing cold but there were people in the water. I thought they were nuts!
This beach had many interesting sights but none so intereting as this bird pecking at this fish skeleton. It was nasty to watch but fascinating. There were also lots of rocks on the beach which is weird for me.
We went to Portsmouth, NH which is a very old, quaint town that has lots history there. However, lighthouses are my favorite things so we went see this one. It is called Portsmouth Light and it was built in 1878. While we were there we went eat at a restaurant called Ferry Landing and while there, we saw Tom Bergeron who is the host of Dancing with the Stars. I don't watch that show but apparently Chrissy does.
This big contraption is called a DUCK. It is a tour car that can also go in the water. Chrissy and I toured Boston yesterday on this and it was lots of fun. It took us through a good part of Boston and pointed out many highlights such as where the outside of Cheers was filmed. Also. where many people lived such as Samuel Adams, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and where some were buried like Mother Goose!
This is Paul Revere's house that was built in 1680. Paul Revere lived here from 1770 to 1800. It was cool to see something that old. There are many old buildings still preserved in Boston which makes it a great city to spend time in. It was fun to spend time with Chrissy and her family and hopefully it won't be so long before we see each other again.

2008-07-04T19:18:00.003-04:00

Happy 4th of July. Today we celebrated by going to Hershey, PA. Home of Chocolate World.
They have an amusement park which I wanted no part of the roller coasters. Michelle and Kyle are in the last car of that coaster that is headed straight down. Just watching them makes me a little sick. There was also a zoo that was neat and we saw some neat animals. Since it was not very hot. most of the animals were out. That is one big elk behind Michelle and Kyle.

Lastly, we went on a tour in Chocolate World. They put us in these little cars and take us around and show us exactly how everything is made. At the end, all of this candy is around. Here is a big mess of Reeses. When I saw this, it made think how happy all this would make my Dad.
When we drove into PA, they had lots of signs for us drivers but somehow this one really spoke to me. I thought Keith would have pointed this out to me and said "Laurie, they are talking about you!" Below is a video of Michelle and Kyle on a ride that starts off of them shooting out like a bullet. It was really fast. Anyway, it was a great day. We just wish Josh and Keith could have joined us but maybe next time. Hope everyone had a good 4th.

2008-07-04T19:04:00.003-04:00

I am really behind on my blogging since Michelle got here a few days ago. We have been busy as bees as usual.
The first day she was here we went to the beach and had a really good time. The beach we went to is not really big but has a cool boardwalk and lots of shops and restaurants so when we got tired of laying out, we went shopping and ate lunch. The weather was perfect and their was no burning!
That night we all went eat at a great seafood restaurant and ate some really good food. Keith and I had eaten there last December and it is one of my favorite places. Kyle ate chicken, God bless him.
The next day, after another day of shopping with Michelle, we went meet Keith on the flight line after his day of flying and Michelle was able to tour the C-17. Here she is in the pilot seat of the plane.
After, we got to ride on the crew bus with everyone in the flight. It was a lot of fun to see Keith taxi in and wave at each other and to be that close to the plane while it is moving. It is quite a sight to see.