Topsail Island, 2008

Finally, I have an opportunity to catch up (again!) and fill you in on my wonderful, exciting life. Last Sunday, Tom took Addie, Sam, Chelcie, Abby, Sarah Hope, Jennifer, and Cassie to his parents' beach house on Topsail Island, North Carolina. The intent was for them to have a last "hurrah" before heading off to college. Drew, Andrew, Dane and I made plans to meet them down there on Tuesday after I have a day or two of intense Reach Them time.

Once I saw Tom and the girls (plus Sam) off, I went to church alone and sat alone. It felt so lonely without my family or friends around me. The Littles, my parents, and the Knowlings all played hooky from NorthStar. Fortunately, the Bowlings and Chris Ellis took me in and kept me from feeling invisible.

After church, I went by Koko's to pick up a little lunch for Drew and me. Then I spent the rest of the day working on Reach Them materials as planned. I can't remember the details of the day because too much time has passed!

Monday morning, Sherry and I went for a walk and Nathan joined us. It was nice to have some youthful energy along with us. At noon, I had the pleasure of meeting Anthony Ingram and Hugh Nystrom at Panera. Hugh is the director of ChildHelp, an organization that advocates for children and foster families. I felt like I was with kindred spirits. Definitely, people who understand my love for kids and the critical nature of our mission. My friend, Jenny Davis, from A.L. Lotts called to let me know that she'd had a stroke and was scheduled for open heart surgery on July 30th. I couldn't believe it! She is in my prayers and I hope if you're reading this you'll add Jenny to your prayer list too.

Late Monday afternoon, I headed over to PetSafe to meet with Laurie regarding the Two Rivers event. Chris, Anthony, Anderson, Ed, Theresa, and Laurie were there. It was a very well run, productive meeting! We're on our way! After the meeting, Anderson, Ed, and I met to discuss our options with Chick-fil-a and how best to approach them with the lack of funding. We were all a little "burned out" so we came up with a viable plan and left it at that.

Drew and I rented Jumper and I was not into the movie at all, so I left Drew watching the movie to make some phone calls.

Tuesday morning, Sherry and I walked to Best Bagels for breakfast, but it was CLOSED! So we opted for Plan B- would you believe it? Panera! After our walk, I tied up a few Reach Them loose ends regarding our invitation to Two Rivers and then prepared to leave for the beach.

The boys showed up at two as planned and we were on the road by 2:05 with a quick stop at Knoxville Pediatrics for Chelcie's shot record. We made great time to the beach. No stops 'til Hickory and the boys made great traveling companions! I was introduced ( by immersion ) into a whole new world of music. I laughed a lot and enjoyed their goofy sense of humor.

Once we finally arrived at the beach, after one wrong turn that led us through dark and scary places, we crashed immediately. The boys piled into one room with two twin beds(?) I bunked with Addie and Sam in the king-sized bed, and Tom sacrificed by sleeping in the upstairs bedroom. All the girls were asleep already, so I didn't even see them until the next day.

Wednesday was a typical beach day. Lots of heat, sand, sun, and book reading. I started the first book in the "F" series by Karen Kingsbury and made my way through over half of it. The Shack is being passed around. Tom finished it and now Chelcie is taking it on. The highlight of the day was the boys vs. girls football game on the beach. My understanding is that the girls dominated, but that's no surprise to me, afterall, those boys were distracted! I managed to sneak away to check my email about 3 and was surprised to see that I had over 40 messages all related to RT4! Ugh! I knew my time online was limited, so I answered them as briefly as I could and got back to house as soon as possible.

Thursday was a repeat of Wednesday with the exception of eating on the back deck of our favorite seafood restaurant. Cassie and I were computer geeks together as we parked in an "unsecured network" zone and checked our messages. Cassie was trying to buy season tickets to the Auburn football games, but she didn't have any luck.

The girls (and Sam) and I headed for home about 7 Friday morning. We made pretty good time and arrived safely back home about 4:30. I immediately got to work on the laundry. Sam went to Evan's house to spend the night, so my two girls and I went to Moe's (What? We were having withdrawals!). We ran onto Trevor, Kelsey, and Mr. Brown right after I asked Chelcie if she'd heard from Trevor lately. It was funny! Then we made a quick run to Kroger for some cinnamon wheat thins (one of my many vices) and milk, followed by a quick fun through the Sonic drive-thru for a bag of ice (another vice).

Tom and the boys made it home about 9:30 and I was already down for the count! Our A/C went out, so our house was steaming hot! I could only lie prostrate on my bed under the fan and think cool thoughts.

This morning we were up and at 'em for the Ulster Project's Car Wash at the Bread Box. Then we shared lunch with the the Storms family at Qdoba. Or rather, Sherry, Tom, Addie, Sam and I had lunch at Qdoba. Katrina, Chelcie, Drew, Dane, Nathan, and Lisa headed to Jason's Deli. We all joined back up after lunch for a little ice cream and laughter.

A tree is down in the front yard, so I think a little branch removal is in store for the afternoon. Stand by for fascinating photos documenting the occasion.

104 is WAY TOO HOT!!!!

Friday night we had our Life Group reunion (?) at the Bowlings. Chris, Lidelle and Rick, Patti and Jim, Ed, some Navy guy named Mark, Tom and I, along with the kids were in attendance. Rick cooked hamburgers on his big green egg and even found time to mix me up a glass of my favorite frosty beverage. We had a great time catching up with Jim and Patti. I hope that this time we can really stay connected.

After much discussion, we decided to study the controversial novel, The Shack. I'm actually looking forward to hearing the discussion that the book is sure to bring out. I just hope everyone reads it. The big drama came about when all three young kids got splinters in their feet, but Olivia won the prize for the biggest one of all! She managed to earn a Webkinz for her heroic act of bravery in allowing me to remove the "beast."

Today we went to Seasons for the Ulster Project's Pancake Breakfast. Of course, Sherry and Robert Storms were there and Chris Ellis came out to support the Irish lads and lassies. Ed brought Olivia and Delaney down and Drew and Dane made an appearance to check out the lassies. Chelcie came along with me and the kids, and we managed to convince her to make another trip to Dollywood. Olivia came along with Addie, Sam, Chelcie and me. It was way too hot and crowded to be fun, so we survived, made the best of it, and headed home. Addie's the daredevil in the family now, so she and Chelcie rode Thunderhead and TN Tornado, while Sam, Olivia and I joined them on Daredevil Falls. I took a solo ride on TN Tornado because Sam and Olivia chickened out at the last minute.

Don't Have a Cow, Man!

Here's a quick (I promise this time) recap of the week.

Sunday, Sam and I went to NorthStar Church. Tom was in Kentucky working with Scotty, Addie spent the night with Morgan, Drew went to WestLake, and Chelcie met us at church. After church, Chelcie, Sam, and I met Chris, Justin, Lindsey, Delaney, and Ed at Chili's for lunch. I called Dollywood to ask about my phone and they said that they found it and would have it for me at the Lost and Found desk, so Sam, Chelcie, and I headed up to Dollywood late in the afternoon to pick it up and purchase a Season Pass for Chelcie. Turns out, the phone they had for me wasn't mine, BUT I was able to identify my phone from the box! Unfortunately, the lady said it was soaking wet when it was turned in, so it wouldn't power up. It still looked to be in good shape. I was hopeful...Sam rode Thunderhead and Timber Tower, got busted for being too short on Tennessee Tornado. Being the good problem solvers that we are, Chelcie and I took Sam into the bathroom, took his socks off his feet, rolled them up into little mounds and stuffed them in the heels of his shoes. Would you believe he instantly grew 2 inches! We got him and armband to avoid the repeated humiliation of failing the measurement test and headed for the rollercoasters! He enjoyed Thunderhead, but opted out of his ride on Mystery Mine once we got to the loading dock. It was a quick trip, but fun all the same. Chelcie now has her pass and can join us whenever her busy social schedule allows. Oh yeah, and I got my phone back!

Monday's highlight was my and Chelcie's trip the Verizon store. Sparing you details, which is so very hard for me, we walked out with a brand new cell phone for me with all my old contacts saved! Chelcie had her contacts and number transferred to the Razor phone, so she was pleased as well.

Tuesday was our Reach Them meeting at Citadel. Jack and Sue, our printers, agreed to sponsor the event and provide for all of our printing needs FREE! God smiled on us today. Chick-fil-a sent in their proposal and we're still working through the details, hoping for a compromise so that we can meet of financial obligations, but God has already provided for our needs. Also, Emmette Thompson sent me Bill Williams cell phone number, so I called and left him a message with the hope that he would call back and agree to speak at our Two Rivers event on August 19th. I also got a walk in with my good friend and mentor, Sherry Storms!

Wednesday, I took Sam to the dentist for his first, of probably many, fillings. He did great and got to pick two prizes from the prize box and Dr. Henson gave him ice cream money as a reward. I had lunch with my Lotts BFF, Jane Manning and we enjoyed catching up as always. The highlight of the day though, was NorthStar's Hoe-Down! Tom and I joined in a square dance with "My Corner, Randy" and his wife, another couple and Scott and Melissa Cagle. We laughed and had fun, but it was hot! The kids looked adorable and had a blast too. BIG BLESSING of the day, Bill Williams called me back and agreed to speak on August 19th. He said he'd be honored! I'm speechless!

Thursday morning I had a mentoring team meeting and managed to opt out of writing an entirely new skit, but compromised with a modified version of our old one. Tom and I had lunch with Mayor Haslam at the Foundry with the Downtown Kiwanians as Anthony Ingram's guest. I was inspired by Mayor Haslam's vision for Knoxville and I'm praying for a face to face meeting with him sometime soon. Sherry and I walked in the rain. I cooked dinner for my entire family who actually sat together at the table with no extra kids and we had a great time. After dinner, Tom, Addie, Sam and I walked to the RR tracks with Buffet.

Friday morning, I met with Sherry, Suzanne, and Nancy at Panera. Then headed home for Cow Day at Chick-fil-a with the kids. Small group meets at the Bowlings tonight, and Tom is debating about going to the Smoky's game or joining our small group. The kids and I are considering one more Dollywood trip before they head to the beach on Sunday. It's good to have options.

It "Depends" on Hooters!

Have you ever noticed how holidays screw up your concept of time? Yesterday felt so much like a Saturday! I guess it should be a good thing to make the weekends longer, but actually, I like the weekdays better in the summer because I like to be off work when everyone else is going to work. Strange, I know.

This morning, I slept in with my little angels as long as they would allow it. Then we snuggled up in my big bed and watched the Williams sister slug it out for the Wimbledon championship. Kinda brought back memories of Katie and me one miraculous day at Fairfield Glade when we were both just pounding the tennis ball so hard we drew a crowd.

Becca, Kelsey, Kelli, and Chelcie had big plans for "dressing up" in their mothers' one piece bathing suits (like wearing a one piece is simply unimaginable!), and playing on a Slip 'n' Slide in Grandmom's front yard. Becca's suit was declared the winner as Katie suggested that it came with a Jane Fonda work-out video. I just kept having the song, "Physical" by Olivia Newton-John running through my head all afternoon. The pictures say more than I could about how much fun was had by all. Addie, Sam, Lauren, and Ben had a great time too. Fortunately, they were safely out of harm's way on a Slip 'n' Slide of their own!

Just to make sure that the situation was as dangerous as it could possibly be, the girls added a bottle of dishwashing liquid to the plastic slide. Fortunately, no one required stitches, but Becca did draw blood on the back of her leg after sliding down the front yard. Bennett got a kick out of wearing "Bubble Slippers!"

I do have an embarrassing confession. Promise not to tell anyone or mention this when you see me out in public? Here goes...I was the official photograher of the escapades so I kept my distance from the water. As I was noticing every detail that composed the perfect shot or camera angle, I happened to notice a rather large bumblebee land directly on Chelcie's right ta-ta. So as not to panic her, I said as calmly as I could, "Chelcie, don't panic, but there is a bee on your right boob." Chelcie then proceeded to pull her bathing suit top out and over to the left to such an extent that had "Girls Gone Wild" been there, she would have made the cut. The funny thing was, she had been turned to the side when the bee landed, but once she was made aware of her dilemma, she turned to face the street head-on! Maybe it was because I'm over forty now, or maybe it was because I've given birth to four children, but when I witnessed Chelcie's reaction, I immediately laughed so hard I wet my pants. Well, the girls got a huge kick out of that one, let me tell you! I laughed it off and headed home for some Depends as soon as I could stand upright again. I can't believe I just blogged that moment, but I figure it's things like this that blogging is for, so I can look back on these seemingly unforgettable moments and remember to laugh at myself...and others of course. I have a picture, but I couldn't bring myself to post it.

The next big event of the day was the incredible news that my cell phone was found virtually unscathed at Dollywood! I will head up to reclaim it tomorrow after church, and maybe even ride a roller coaster or two with Sam if I can pad his feet to make him tall enough to pass the height restriction. What an unexpected blessing!

Drew went with Sam and me to inspect the Littles' house this evening. Both the Little boys were working, so we had an empty house to investigate. There were definitely signs that young men had been there "passing time" but all in all, things could have been worse. I kept telling Drew how proud I was of him and how thankful I was that I never have to worry about finding cigarette butts and beer cans around my house. He just grinned at me. I love that kid!

Tom is in Kentucky today with Matt Stevens and Scotty, so I'm home alone with the kids. Actually, Addie spent the night with Morgan. Chelcie is out "fishing" with Cory and his women, but my boys are here protecting me. Dane is coming over later to spend the night with Drew so they can ride to church together in the morning. Sam is snoring beside me as I bring today's blog entry to a close. Goodnight!

Our KEEW in Review - July Already?! And a TON of Pix to Prove It!

Alright already! So I've taken a few days off from my blogging! Gimme a little slack, I've been...um...busy! Yes! THAT'S the ticket! Busy like a bee. Nah, just kidding! I've been reverting back to my old habits of procrastinating, and putting off for tomorrow what I should have done today. You know the drill. I titled this entry Our KEEW because it's a look at our week, backwards! Clever, yes, I know. :) Get it? KEEW spelled backward is WEEK. Ah, there ya go! Anyway, here are the highlights to the best of my recollection starting with today.

Happy Birthday America! I awoke this morning to my main man, Hallerin Hilton Hill, inspiring me to appreciate the freedoms we have in this incredible country of ours. HHH mentioned that Liona Helmsley had willed her dogs 12 million dollars! What a waste, no? But as HHH pointed out, isn't it great to live in a country where we have the freedom to choose where our money is spent, even if it's on frivolous things? A woman who immigrated from Iraq read a letter she had written to the paper about how grateful she was to live here and how thankful the Iraqi people are to the American soldiers who are fighting in Iraq as I type to restore their God-given inalienable rights. This interview struck a chord with me as I have just finished reading A Long Way Gone, the story of a boy soldier by Ishmael Beal. This book is required reading for all incoming UT freshmen, so I figured it must be a good read and it did not disappoint. I was appalled and dismayed throughout most of the book at the degree of cruelty and violence that is brought out in war, but particularly moved by the story of this young boy's life as he was recruited at 12 years old to serve in the army in Sierra Lionne. Gripping, doesn't come close to describing this book. And sadly, it's all true, and continues to be retold in countless villages around the world. Definitely food for thought anyway. Oops, starting thinking about books and off I go! Anyway, Hallerin's show this morning was inspiring and patriotic, and it made me grateful to be a mom in the country where I don't fear for my children's futures, rather I anxiously anticipate their dreams coming true.

Addie, Sam, Tom, and I headed down to the quaint little town of Farragut for the annual 4th of July parade. As is our standing tradition, we sat on the curb in front of Mike Wallace and his momma. Taylor, Natalie, and Olivia joined us. The kids had a great time...for about 30 minutes, but Farragut Parade Part 2 got a little redundant, especially when they passed a "law" that no more candy could be thrown out to the kids. Say what?

After the parade, we drove by the Littles' to make sure the house was still standing, and it was. We actually passed Drake as we were leaving the neighborhood. He was heading to the house and it appeared all was as it should be. You never can tell what's going to happen when you leave two teenage boys home alone. So far, so good!

Then it was home sweet home to finish my book, then to the Verizon store to transfer my phone number to Lori's old phone because of what happened to my phone. I'll tell that story in a sec...It took nearly an hour to get the situation resolved, but I'm back in business! I lost all my contacts, but at least they can find me if they need me. Tom took Sam to see Wall-E and Addie was at the lake with Natalie, so I just did a little more reading and a little laundry too. When Tom and Sam got home, I made a quick run to Kroger to buy supplies for our 4th of July cook-out at Grandmom's and Papaw's house. I made my specialty-Redneck Caviar! Becca Jones and Kelli Martin joined the family minus the Rymers and Drew for hamburgers before heading to the World's Fair Site for fireworks.

Thursday, Lori, Natalie, Dinah, Sam, Addie, Taylor, Ed, Olivia, Charlie, Allan, and I made yet another run to Dollywood. Surprisingly, this trip turned out to be a life-changer as Addie rode her first big roller coaster and got the fee-vah! Once she rode the Tennessee Tornado, she went on to ride Mystery Mine and finished off the day with TWO rides on Thunderhead. The day was HOT and we were all a little more tired than usual. Poor little Sam! He is about 1/4" too short to ride the big rides, and he was so disappointed! All the kids rode the big rides by the end of the day, but even when we tried to sneak Sam on to Mystery Mine, they busted us, and wouldn't let him ride. We're in the market for some "Tall Shoes." My bad news of the day was that when I was upside down on Mystery Mine, my cellphone aka lifeline, fell out of my pocket and was lost forever, along with all my contacts, so now I'm cut-off from my "peeps." Hopefully, all my friends will call me this week just say, "howdy" and I'll be reconnected!

Oh yes! I must include this little anecdote about our BreadBox experience! I'm sure it'll come across as a "had to be there" story, but it makes me smile when I think of it, so bear with me. Alright, Lori, Ed, and I planned to meet at BreadBox at 9:30, so Ed and I got there on time, but Lori...well, she was confused, so we waited patiently in the parking lot and sent the kids into the store for some "provisions." Would you believe our sweet little angels (Addie, Taylor, Sam, and Olivia) ran around in the store so wildly that the cashier had to reprimand them? Apparently, she told them to go outside and get their mothers IF they HAD mothers with them. Oops! Dropped the ball on that one, huh? Well, Lori pulled up about that time and Natalie bailed out of the car and we ALL headed back into the BreadBox for some refreshments. When the cashier recognized Lori and realized who we were, all the color drained immediately from her face and she weakly asked Lori with a pleading look in her eyes if she still had a job! Of course, Lori laughed it off and said, "Yes! You sure do!" It was only at that point that the lady regained her composure and recounted her emotions when she looked out the front of the store and saw Lori pull up to join us. She said she thought to herself, "Oh God! I've done lost my job!" I thought it was hilarious 'cause that is so much like something I would do! I can see myself now reprimanding our brand new superintendent's children before realizing who(se) they are! Now that I think about it, shouldn't we treat all children as if they are children of the King? 'Cause they are. We've all entertained angels unaware.

Wednesday was a blur. I have no idea what we did. I've slept since then. Maybe my memory will be jogged once I upload the pictures. Ah, yes! Now I remember! Wednesday was another lemonade stand with Lauren and Bennett. Evan came over to hang out for awhile, so you KNOW Sam was happy! They played with cap guns (something that would have NEVER happened with our #1 and #2 kids, but hey- what's the big deal? They had fun. I seriously doubt that Evan and Sam are going to hold up convenience stores and snatch little old ladies' purses now that I've exposed them to the world of "handguns." I think boys today NEED to be a little more masculine anyway.

Tuesday's highlight was another day with the Sistas! Lori and Katie and I made a day of Dollywood and the kids had a blast! I think we're bonding like the Baxter sisters in our shared novels!

There is SO much to do with Reach Them, and this is my week to bust my tail getting on top of things before it gets away from me. The pre-event is August 19th. We have the food, venue, and emcee arranged but we're still working on our keynote speaker, door prizes, printed matter, and guests! If you're a prayin' kinda' person, please take this event before the Lord and then praise Him when miracles happen!