Ice 'n Snow

Well good morning! How about a little ice to go with your snow? That's exactly what I woke up to this morning... Ice 'n Snow. We already had the snow. But last night, we got hit hard with an ice storm. Well, hard may not be the word... I mean we're functioning, and I'm at work. But there are sheets of ice covering our drive and our grass and our streets and our trees.... you get the picture. And if you don't, I'll try to take one and post it.

Only 6 days til Christmas... Tomorrow I'm going with the neighbor to have cotton's picture taken with the big man himself, Santa. I hope to post those pictures too!!

A Piece of Wisdom

As I posted earlier, Rob had his wisdom teeth removed. Now, they warned us that he may have pieces of bone that may work their way through the gum. Apparently, it's not a normal response to this type of procedure, but it does happen. And of course, if it can it will happen to us.

After weeks of Rob complaining about a jagged piece of bone sticking through his gum, I convinced him to call the surgeon and go for a little visit. There was in fact a piece of bone protruding through the gum line. They proceeded to Novocaine him up and then sand down the bone. They told him the gum will heal over the remainder bone.

Yet, after Thanksgiving, Rob was in more pain than ever. So the other night, we're relaxing watching some TV when Rob pulls this piece of bone from his gum line... see the picture. It was a huge piece of bone trying to work its way out. Just a small piece of remaining wisdom!

Big Smiles Everybody

So, here's to us trying to make a Christmas card! We love getting the Christmas cards from everyone, but due to some technical difficulties we will not be sending out Christmas cards this year. Enjoy some of the out takes of our adventures in family photos!!

"Winston, look at the camera... I have a treeeeat!"

"Winston, can you sit?"

"Okay, we give up..."

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Thanks for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is possibly my favorite holiday of the year... next to my Birthday of course. (Yes, my birthday is a holiday on my calendar at least!) Love me some turkey and dressing, and unlike Christmas you don't stress out about trying to find the perfect gift for everyone. Even though I love presents, remember the Birthday comment, I am much more thankful just to be with my family.

We had the best time at my brother's house! We played rock band. Now, that's a game for the whole family! And little LB kept us entertained at Rob's parents. She is so amazing. She is learning new things everyday. Highlight of the weekend could have been when she nearly dented the collection plate at church as she threw her quarters in as hard as she could!

I wish we would have taken more pictures, but here's my beef with pictures. I feel that it is hard to be in the moment if you're busy capturing the moment. And, I for one, would rather be in the moment rather than filming it. So, I apologize for the boring post. I'll see if maybe Rob caught a few moments.

PS. My Birthday is this month should you feel the need to celebrate or send presents! I like to think of it as a month long or at the very least a week long event!

Having fun with my Co-Worker's Faces

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

The Run Down

Okay, it's been a super long time since there's been a post relevant to our lives. So, here's the run down on what's been going on in our lives. The new job had taken all my time, and I've been completely wiped out when I get home! I'm growing by leaps and bounds, and I look forward to the day I am more confident in this position.


Rob and I both voted. Of course, I posted about my vote, but Rob also took his civic duty seriously as well and cast his ballot. Sadly enough, we went to bed before the ballots were tallied. We did however see how our state voted as well as our beloved Tennessee. Now we have a new president elect, Barack Obama. Here's to the first black president... or at least semi black president of the United States. It is my hope that he can help the US move forward in overcoming our differences as well as bring the US back to the forefront of world leadership. Since I work with people the world over, I know this election was BIG not only for us Americans but for the world.

Other than that, we've been working diligently with our church. Trying to find a place for our youth. We spent a few hours last Sunday in a meeting to discuss ways to keep our youth involved in church and being a Christian. It always amazes me that we require so little of ourselves as Christians that then spills over to our children. We live in a "what can you do for me" society yet as Christians it should be "what can I do for you." We spend too much time creating programs for our children without actually teaching them that being a Christian is more about what we can do for others than it is about having fun programs that pertain to my needs. It is all of our jobs to bring up the youth in a pleasing sight to the Lord. Be sure your attitude reflects the way you would want others to treat you!


Oh, and in BIGGER NEWS!! L.B. came to visit along with Ty Pennington! No, they did not come together, but they were here at the same time. Rob's sister and family including our youngest niece L.B. came to visit. During the weekend, Extreme Home Makeover was in town. So his sister and I went on a Ty Pennington hunt. We didn't see Ty, but we did see the monstrous house his crew and all the volunteers were building. I've never seen an Extreme Home in person before, but I will say it does look a little odd and out of place to have this million dollar home in one of the "older" parts of town. This house literally reaches every point of the property line. It could eat the houses around it. Not sure what I really think of the whole process. But, it was super cool none the less! Here's a pic of the team working on the Extreme home!


Last but not least on my list... Countdown til the Twilight Movie Premier!! 12 Days and counting!

Book of the Week: Breaking Dawn

So working has literaly sucked the life out of me, hence no posts. I finished Breaking Dawn, the final book in the Twilight Series, a few weeks ago. Quite possibly the best book ever, and definately the best book of the series. Stephanie Meyer, you are amazing. Thank you for giving us such a beautiful story!

Bella really comes in to her own and the story comes full circle. It was an amazing way to end such a turbulant saga. Plenty of Vampire and Warewolf action as well as unbeatable love story. Of course to appreciate the book you have to read the others. So, just know, it's all worth it in the end.

Work. You may be wondering what's going on with work. Training, training, and more training. I won't complain because I've never had a job where you actually recieve any training. I'm full to the brim with information, and today I got to put it all to the test! Today was my very first day doing the job by myself. Took the training wheels off and boy did I go fast! I'm taking on the world one customer at a time! Many appologies for being a big slacker on the blog!

Work Day No. 1

Work day number 1 of job number 3 in a two year span! Whoo hooo! So, I'm finally back in the work sadle again. Of course, I didn't want to jump right in, I'm only working part time. This job does seem promising though. I spent the usual first day feeling a bit awkward with not a whole lot to do. At least I'm getting all that boring company policy training out of the way. Looks like a reasonably fun and young group to work with so here's hoping!

Last night I finished the last book in the Twilight Series... totally the best book ever. I will post my review soon.

Book of the Week: Eclipse

Yup, you might have guessed it. The third installation in the Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer. I know I gave New Moon less than stellar reviews, and I would say that if I had posted about this book mid way through I would have given Eclipse even less. Thank goodness I stuck it out!

As you read, I served my civic duty as a juror, er, something like that. Anyway, wasting my time at the court house gave me a great chance to finish Eclipse. The majority of the book focuses still on Bella and her struggle to deal with young love. For the most part, I found myself agitated by Bella. Gosh, was I that hard too as a teen... I sadly know the answer. I just wanted to shout at the book... "Bella, grow up! These are people here, you don't get to have it all!"

I battled through all her drama to get to the real action. Soooo glad that I did. I loved this book! LOVE IT! I've been renewed with this series. I am as hooked as I was after reading Twilight. Such raw emotions were explored in the final chapters. I couldn't stop reading. You must check this book out, but please, read the other two beforehand! On to book #4, Breaking Dawn...

Oh, and if you were wondering, no I didn't get picked for a jury and was finally dismissed!

Civic Duties

Today I embarked on 2 of my American Civic Duties. I was summonsed to jury duty... ugh. Of course, this had to happen the week I was supposed to start my new job. But, I guess better sooner than later. And, once I was there I really wanted to be put on a jury! It is truly a wonder to know that I would play a part in our judicial system. Even though I believe that so many of my fellow Americans abuse our court system. I wasn't selected today, so here's hoping for tomorrow.

While I was at the court house, I did take advantage of changing my address on my voter registration which meant I HAD to vote today. I'm not sure that I was quite ready to make my decision, but the way things work I didn't want to miss my opportunity later on in November. It was quite a different voting experience here than the last time I voted. Last time it was a computerized system, this time I voted with pen and paper. Yet, like the last time, there were names on the ballot that I had no idea who they were or what they stood for so voting for or against them seemed strange. So, in some cases, I didn't cast a vote for anyone.

Completely separate order of business... did you see Oprah today! Oh my, my, my! I wasn't raised on a farm nor do I know that many farm owners. At least not up close and personal to have a true opinion about the way they run their farming business. Which brings me to Oprah... what in the world?!?

Today she did a look into the farming industry free range vs. not so free range. I'm guessing this follows on the heels of the expose she did on puppy mills. For one, I think we're missing the big picture here... I mean these farm animals ARE headed to slaughter. While I think they should be well maintained, I'm not sold on "giving these animals a life" just to then take it away in mass quantity makes a whole lot of sense. I'm sure Rob will have more insight being that he is more knowledgeable about working farms. But still, these animals are our food... puppies we choose to take as pets. BIG DIFFERENCE!

I guess a way to tie that in to my post is that this discussion was also sparred on by a proposed bill in California to force farms to be free range. Yet again, our justice system at it's finest. But, this is America. A land where the people still have a voice even if it is small. We can make our views and opinions known which in turn means we need to take that responsibility seriously.

Be sure and take advantage of your civic duty, the liberties we are given being American. PLEASE VOTE... YOUR VOICE MUST BE HEARD!

New Project: Bows

Have you seen the prices of hair bows? I mean the prices for baby bows are crazy! So, I decided to take on a new project and start making bows. None of my 3 of my nieces were blessed in the begining with tons of hair. But, my neighbor on the other hand has a little girl with a head full of dark hair.

I made a few bows for her. See how cute she is!

Here's a picture of me and "Cottontail." The only reason I am posting this one is becuase she's smiling so great for the camera! I look a mess...

I promise I made her a few in different colors. The creme one just looks so striking against her dark hair. Get instructions here on how to make hair bows yourself.

Remebering...

3 years ago this weekend was a moment in life I will never forget. Rob and I were engaged. Rob had just gone through round 1 of his thesis review and we were getting ready to go home the next week for engagement photos.

Now, I read somewhere that the greatest fear a bride-to-be has is that her fiance will not live to see the wedding day. That something tragic will happen and the love of her life will not longer be a part of her future. And well, I can attest that that could very well be true at least as I nearly experienced it.

Here's to the fire of 2005!

In memorium: 2 VERY UGLY old recliners, may you rest in peace.

Book of the Day: The Shack

The Shack by William P. Young is a book about a father struggeling to understand his family, his wife, himself, and mostly God in the face of the worst tragedy a father could face. This is a rather unique approach to the struggle to accept God as The Almighty and to give Him control of your life in the depths and sorrows this earth can bring. The running undertone could be summen up by one word - relationship.

While The Shack is fiction, I was reeled in from the begining. I wouldn't say that this book offered up anything new or tried my relegious beliefs, but it did help remind me about the mysterious ways of God and the Holy Trinity. It did bring to light the way I tend to think about Jesus as being the compasionate voice, the Holy Spirit being the force of change, and God being the creator of all things.

The deeper reminder I took from this book is that God too is compasionate, afterall it was his compasion that sent Christ to die for my sins and that bad things happen to good people. We do not deserve all the bad that happens in a lifetime nor can we ever earn or perhaps comprehend all the good that God, our Creator, has put in place for and whithin us.

Again this book is fiction, religous fiction. This is in no way a substitue for the Bible and Christ's Church. This is a great book for anyone who has ever sturggled or is struggling to understand the difficuties of this life. I hope this book inspires you to maintain a dialogue with God, ask questions, seek answers, and listen to His word.

The relationship you have with God can most eaisly been seen and felt by the relationship you share with all of His creation (one another).

Plant A Tree

I wouldn't consider Rob and I environmentalists, but we did plant a tree today. We finally replaced the red bud that didn't come back after last winter. Here's hoping this one will make it through the winter. Keep your fingers crossed. Below is the tree that's soon to get the axe... literally it's only good for fire wood, and it won't make much fire wood either. How sad!


On another note, busy busy day today! Finally, you can't see the crazy 4" dark brown roots coming from my... ahem... blond locks. Then I traveled about town looking for materials to make hair bows. I got so excited about my new craft, I already gave the two I made today to the adorable little girl down the street. Hope to have pics posted super soon.

Career Paths?

Summer is officially over... I have a job! I am thrilled to head back to the workforce. My first day as it currently stands is Monday, which just happens to be my dear brother's birthday.

Somehow I don't think I can pass my new job off as a birthday present to him... humm.... so, I'm out of ideas for gifts and let's not even talk about the crappy cards sold in stores these days. I always enjoyed picking out the perfect card, but over the last year there hasn't been a decent card in sight.

Maybe I should have looked at a career in birthday card writing!

The A.D.D Crafter

I wouldn't say that I'm ADHD becuase I'm not that hyper these days. But, I do have the attention span of a 4-year-old. I love "weekend projects" especially when you're done by the end of the weekend. I suppose my need for instant gratification is the reason I'm leery to do things that I think will take time to finish.

Thanks to the blog that gave me the idea for this super gratifying weekend craft! I was invited to a "grand baby" shower for a friend in the neighborhood. Her son is a soon-to-be-dad to TWIN girls. Buying for doubles can cost a pretty penny, and since I'm such a penny pincher these days I needed a cheap but meaningful gift! Can you use those words in the same sentence these days?

Absolutely, just see the cute onesies I made!

How'd I make 'em you ask? Super simple!! 1 package of onesies, Avery iron-on sheets, computer, printer, and an iron. Pick out your favorite picture or saying, print it onto the Avery sheets, and iron it directly on your shirt or onesie. I takes 10 minuets and you're ready to go! Enjoy!

Book of the Day: New Moon

I wrote in an earlier post about The Twilight Series by tween author Stephanie Meyer. I was absolutely blown away by the first installment, Twilight. I drove 20 minutes out of the way to borrow the second book New Moon to take on our weekend trip. I read it throughout the weekend and finished it before we were barely on the way home.

Yes, this book is a continuation of the first which thrills me more than you know. However, I was quite underwhelmed in the turn of events. I loved the love story behind Bella and Edward, but what had me hooked was the adventure that seems to follow Bella everywhere she goes. This book starts out strong then it turned and spent most of its time focused on the relationships surrounding Bella... gasp... BORING! Now, there was plenty of action, but it just wasn't the same.

I would give this book 3 out of 5 stars Ed McMahon. I will be reading (with a little less enthusiasm) the third book Eclipse. Go ahead check out the series yourself and let me know what you think!

Praying for Wisdom

Today, Rob had his wisdom teeth pulled/cut out. He's been a real trooper through it all. "Can't keep a good man down," I believe is the saying. I would have to agree. Trying to keep Rob resting and healing has been hard.

He's been good about keeping his ice packs on and eating less than solid foods, and he's done well taking his medicine and changing out his gauze. However, he actually mentioned trying to go to the nursery to pick out a new tree to plant in place of our -oh so sad- redbud. And the kicker, he wants to plant it TOMORROW... uh, NO!

Men?!? They just have a hard time sitting still, but I think he's enjoyed the special attention. I have great bedside mannor if I do say so myself, yet I have the heart of a drill sargent making sure he's getting enough rest and fluids.

Thank you for your prayers and thoughts. Rob is doing phenomenal!

Wordless Wednesday: Pumpkin Personality

Photo by: Cindy B.

Cornhole Time In Tennessee

"Cornhole" or "Baggo" is a game we have come to love. It is the mainstay of any successful cookout. Well maybe that's taking it to extreems, but it is a fun game. Whether you're playing for fun or in a serious backyard tournament, this game is a great way to have a good time. Envious of our friends' custom sets, we decided to be crafty and make our own baggo set. While not perfect, they were fun and reasonably easy to make. Everything is done by hand including the chekerboard and the Power "T" for Tennessee!

Looking to make your own set, here is the site we used. You will find instructions on the board specifications as well as the bean bag dimentions and popular fillers. This site gives you step-by-step directions with pictures. (FYI: Lowe's will cut the plywood into sections for you AND if you want to paint them your team's official color Lowe's and Home Depot carry most NCAA offical colors.) Looking for the offical rules or starting your own Cornhole league... visit the American Cornhole Association site to find out more!

Happy Tossing!

Future American Idol

Watch out America... may I present your future American Idol.

Welcome to Mayberry

We took a quick trip this weekend to visit Josh, one of Rob's childhood friends. He and his family live in a huge old house right in the middle of this quaint town. Everything was within walking distance.

We had the best time eating, chatting, eating, golfing, antiqueing, eating, being entertained by their 4-year-old, oh and did I mention EATING! They have the best local eateries!! And for once, I ate my weight at a Smorgasboard. Followed in the morning by donuts from a local bakery, and dinner at an amazing pizza pub.

We were also entertained for countless hours by their 4-year-old. He's such a hoot! When we weren't eating or laughing, we were enjoying the beautiful weather on their large front porch. I felt very... "Rascal Flats, Mayberry."

Book of the Day: Twilight

Okay, so this summer I've had a lot of time off. I've taken advantage of that by reading a few great books, but none compare to the surprise I have found in the Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer. I've just finished the first book Twilight which took me forever to simply pick up. Mainly because this is a book about vampires, and secondly because my lovely niece (the target audience for this book) had expressed her disinterest. Boy, she is missing out! I'm now obsessed!

This book is such a step back into time reading through as Bella, the main character, struggles with a small town, high school, friends, and her first love, Edward. As she discovers more about Edward, I couldn't help but find myself rooting for her and them. I was sucked in from the beginning, but I found it nearly impossible to put it down at the half way point.

So, the best part is that the story doesn't end at the end of this book, moving on to New Moon, then Eclipse, and finally Breaking Down. On top of that, the movie series is set to release Nov. 21. Be alert all you teens, I'm older and wiser but not above taking out anyone who gets in my way of seeing this movie... You have been warned! And, as if all of this isn't enough Meyer is set to write another series from Edward's perspective, Midnight Sun!!

If you haven't read this yet, and you like feeling the excitement of young love mixed with the adventure of a lifetime this is a must read! But don't take my word for it, check it out at your public library and read it for yourself. Thanks LeVar Burton!

What great timing...

Well, it was bound to happen. Everyone around me has been suffering through sinus issues and now it is my turn. Which is great timing since we finally made plans to visit Josh and Liz this weekend. Hopefully, it passes as fast as it came on and it doesn't get much worse. We haven't seen them in a long time and I would hate if this keeps us from getting to see them.

It was also great time because just the other day we were watching The Big Bang Theory and laughed about how Sheldon and I get the same sinus pains (see below). If you haven't seen the show, you should. It tends to hit a little too close to home with me being a dorky engineer working with a ton of nerdy engineers.

Not So Wordless Wednesday!

Okay, so I like the different ideas for posting such as Wordless Wednesday, and Love Thursday... so I'm gonna try the Wordless Wednesday. Being that it's just us and the dog, I may struggle some weeks to find meaningful pictures. So without further adue...


I look forward to everyday with you, even in the rain! XO Love you Rob!

What's God Got to Do with It?

Today, I was reading one of my favorite blogs. The post was about her struggles with God, church, assembly, etc. Being from the "Bible-belt" myself, I found her post to be very interesting. She struggles with having folks and church politics getting in the way of her relationship with God. I think that's something we all struggle with if we really think about it. Most of us go to the church assembly to get closer to God, yet while we're there we're either complaining about whose not doing what or we're sitting in our seats praying that no one will acknowlege our presense with anything more than a simple "Hello. How are you today?" Neither of which have anything to do with God... or does it? I am a firm believer in you get out only what you put in... and that definately applies to church life. It's my opinoin that if you're not satisified with what's going on in your life, YOU must put in the effort to change things. We shouldn't look to others to solve our problems, stimulate our growth, or change our thoughts and habits. That being said, I also believe God puts other people in our lives to help us out, build us up, and perhaps put us in our place as needed, and that my friends is where the joy of assembly is at its best. God did not intend for His people to be closet Christains, so get back out there and look for Christ in others - no matter how little you can see!

Biting the Blogging Bullet

Okay, here it is... my blog! I've decided to bite the bullet and join the 21st century and start a blog. The Comer Chronicles will give you a glimpse in the generally not so busy life of me and my family. I plan to blog about any and everything... all things that interest me, happen to me, and amuse me. Enjoy!