Spring Break 2009

It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power.~~Alan Cohen

After much thought, we decided to put our RV up for sale. The reasons varied.

We haven't been able to go camping as often as we'd like so the investment was large compared to the utility of it. We've had it for almost 3 years and it was getting to be about time for routine maintenance...new tires, new batteries, etc. On a 40-foot RV, you can imagine that wasn't going to be cheap. And, the bigger reason was the floor plan. Now, that the girls are older, we desired a floor plan that provided some privacy for them. Having said all of that, we decided we loved camping too much to give it up all together but that we preferred to find an option to give us a better floor plan with less investment overall.

So, we put our RV up for sale just to see if we'd get any nibbles. And, we did. We sold it last Wednesday. In it's place, we planned to purchase a tow vehicle and either a fifth wheel or camper. We have already purchased the tow vehicle, a 2008 F-250 crew cab diesel pickup truck (So, we can still use "Stop and Smell the Diesel.") With all of the rebates, etc. we were able to purchase it at a great price. Jeff traded in his jeep at the same time so the truck will be his daily driving vehicle. We already have some ideas of the replacement we'll get for the RV but we've just got to find some time to go look and select it. That's been hard to do with me traveling so much for business as of late.

Jeff's New Truck

The negative about selling the RV when we did was that it almost hosed up our spring break plans. We had camping reservations at Top Sail Hill Preserve, Florida. Without a camper, those reservations weren't doing us much good. We would've just cancelled the trip but Gail and Harold, my mother-in-law and father-in-law, also planned to travel there and camp as well. So, we were left scrambling at the final hour trying to find a place to stay. We lucked out and found the perfect rental home located less than 1 mile from Top Sail. So, Jeff and I were able to ride our bikes to visit with Gail and Harold at the campground. And, the girls stayed with Harold and Gail most nights with Anna sleeping on the sofa in our cottage the final two nights. The cottage we stayed in was called the "Green Gecko." This little cottage was perfect for just two people. However, due to the cold weather, all of us congregated here several evenings to enjoy the hot tub and to cook dinner. I highly recommend renting from Bert, the lady who owns the property, if you're in need of a place convenient to the beach in the Santa Rosa Beach, FL, area.

The Green Gecko

Rachel and Anna holding puppies outside of Yoder's Gift Shop

We stopped for dinner at Yoder's in Montezuma, GA, on the way down to the panhandle. The food was yummy as always! Rachel and Anna enjoyed petting some puppies that they had outside for sale before we hit the road again. We drove back roads going to Florida and we were surprised by the number of roads closed due to flooding. It had been raining quite a bit in GA over the past couple of weeks but we didn't anticipate that. Luckily, it didn't slow our progress too much. Sadly, it appeared several families were flooded out of their homes.

Unfortunately, the weather never really warmed much while we were in Florida so we didn't get to enjoy the beach nearly as much as we'd hoped. We had one really good day, the day after we arrived. The remainder of the time was windy and cold. But, any day away from work is a good day so I'm not going to complain.

We all ate way too much. We especially enjoyed Miss Lucille's Gossip Parlor (coffee, pastries, ice cream, etc.) Although, Rachel and Anna were a bit put off by a sign that they read inside Miss Lucille's. But, that didn't stop them from wanting to go back the next night for ice cream again. It's a good thing we are all well behaved. :-)

It's Report Card Time

Both Rachel and Anna received their report cards from school.

Rachel's summary read: "Rachel continues to excel in all areas. She is motivated and excited about learning. She is a super reader and loves to tell me about what she is reading. Keep practicing counting coins, bills to $20, and fair trades. Rachel is a wonderful role model. I can count on her to set a good example for others with academics and behavior. It is a joy to have Rachel in the class!"

Anna's summary read: "Anna continues to make good progress in Kindergarten. I am pleased that she is willing to try sounding words out in her reading and writing. She knows all 30 sight words well and reads 1st grade level books. She is very creative and enjoys making things when we have free time. Keep encouraging her at home."

We are so proud of our little ones. Congrats to Rachel and Anna.

Flower Girls

Lauren, our cousin, is getting married in June. She asked Rachel and Anna to be flower girls in her wedding. We went today to let them try on dresses.

It was an awful day to go. For one, it's Spring....the place was packed with soon-to-be brides prepping for summer weddings. And, even worse....it's prom time around here. The place was packed with teens shopping for their perfect prom dress.

The dress Anna and Rachel have on is the style of dress they'll be wearing except the color will be ivory instead of white and the sash will be green. The girls are so excited.

Of course, Jeff wasn't looking so well after he began to think of his girls shopping for their own wedding dress in the future.

Got My Hair Whacked

Was in the mood....decided to get it cut short. Rachel and Anna opted for short do this time too.

Work has been hectic and it appears I'll be in Marietta for most of the next 2 weeks.

Albuquerque, NM

I had a quick business trip to Albuquerque this week. I flew out on Monday and flew home today. I arrived early enough on Monday to do a little bit of site seeing with a coworker who was there with me.

I had printed some information on Jemez Falls and we planned to hike to that. But, I had not looked at the weather forecast and I didn't realize that there was still so much snow around. Also, the trails were poorly marked so we spent a good bit of time driving around trying to find the trail head and then the trail itself was poorly marked. Since it was late in the day, the trail was covered in snow and ice, and it was pretty doggone cold, we didn't make it to Jemez Falls. But, we did find Soda Dam. We happened to drive by it while we were looking for the Jemez Falls trail head.

We finally found a trail head that linked to the Jemez Falls trail and we attempted to hike a short ways on it before determining that it was getting too late to continue. That, coupled with the fact, that the trail was covered in snow and ice made me give up the hunt for the Falls.

We stopped in Jemez Springs for dinner. If you blinked your eyes, you would miss the town. We found a little hole in the wall looking joint called "Los Ojos." We were joking as we walked in about wondering if they would serve "our kind" there. When we walked in, everyone sitting at the bar stopped what they were doing and stared at us. When the waitress walked up to take our order, the first thing she said was, "you aren't from around here are you?" I think what we found most humorous was a guy standing at the bar holding a toddler. I leaned over to my coworker and asked him if he had ever seen the movie, "Sweet Home Alabama." He had because he immediately said the quote from the movie, "Look at you, you have a baby... In a bar." We had both thought the same thing. I will admit that the food and service was excellent. I highly recommend eating here and trying the green chili sauce.

We returned to the hotel and then attended the meeting on Tuesday. We finished with business around 4:15 so that left a little daylight to head to Sandia Peak Tramway. We were able to get to the top before sunset. It was pretty cold on top though....in the low 20s with a wind chill in the teens. We couldn't hike because the snow was pretty heavy still. I made a snow angel and then was ready for a hot drink so we made a pit stop at the High Finance restaurant and got a drink and a appetizer before heading back down to get a full meal somewhere in town.

It was painful getting up this morning. I had a 6:20 flight back to Atlanta. The time zone change and the daylight savings time change pretty much hosed up my internal body clock. I'm about to go to sleep as I type this.

I had a great time on this trip just because it offered something different to do after work was done. I only wish Jeff and the girls could've come with me.

High Falls State Park

The weather forecast was awesome for the weekend so we planned a quick trip to High Falls State Park.

I think the thing that struck us most about this visit was the water level at the falls. I don't recall it ever being so high ever. It made the falls beautiful but it limited our ability to navigate on the rocks at the waters edge. Rachel took a tumble while hiking but after she stopped her theatrical routine, she got along quite well with a skinned knee. I think hiking is a great way for children to learn to be aware of their surroundings and to learn from it. I think she'll continue to remember to watch where she is walking when on a trail from here on out.

It was a nice and relaxing weekend...something we all needed. I'll be packing tonight for a quick trip to Albuquerque, NM. It's been nice having such a long break from work travel lately. I haven't had to go anywhere since the middle of January.

Here are a few pics from the weekend:

Snow Day in Georgia

Rachel and Christian (our neighbor)

Getting an inch of snow is like winning ten cents in the lottery.~~Bill Watterson

We had our first snow fall in our home town since the girls were born. They were so excited to see the first few flakes fall today. The snow fall became heavier and easily covered the ground. Children from all around the neighborhood were outside enjoying it: building snow men and having snowball fights.

It wasn't long before they were cold and wet and in need of something warm. I made homemade hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies. The kids were warm and cozy in no time at all.

The snow started to stop and it quickly melted but it started snowing again a few hours later. We know it too will be short lived.

Anna's 6-Year Birthday Portraits

I was a bit late getting these done this year since we were in Orlando the weekend leading up to Anna's birthday. Better late, than never...right? The photos above are her 1-year portraits. I thought everyone would enjoy seeing how much she has changed in five years. Below are the new portraits.

Simba Makes Garfield Look Like An Olympic Athlete

Here is a video of our lazy cat, Simba, during our recent trip to Orlando. He's so lazy, he won't even sit up to eat. On days when he is feeling really energetic, he lays his head down as well and flicks the food from his dish with his paw into his mouth usually leaving a debris field all around his food dish.

You would think we planned the music in the background but it was actually from the Little Einsteins show that Anna and Rachel were watching on TV. The music was just perfect for the video though.

Disney World

We had a great trip to Orlando and the weather was gorgeous the entire trip. As usual, we would've loved to spend more time. Unfortunately, the cold crud seemed to linger with us for the trip. Jeff and I both had it. Rachel and Anna now have it. I'll probably be visiting the pediatrician with them tomorrow. It took antibiotics to help Jeff and I get rid of it (and we still aren't over it 100%). And, I suspect Anna and Rachel need the same. But, they pressed on like little troopers as they did not let illness slow them down one iota at Disney.

We arrived Thursday evening late in the day and then woke up early and went to the Magic Kingdom on Friday. Our friend, Roger, joined us at the park on Friday as well as Saturday and Sunday. Either Roger is a glutton for punishment or we simply entertain him. I haven't figured out which it is yet.

We went to EPCOT on Saturday, Valentines Day.

Here is an interesting bit of trivia for all you Disney fans...EPCOT stands for Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow. Jeff said that he thinks it really stands for "Every Person Comes Out Tired." That isn't what Mr. Disney said but I think Jeff's opinion is more appropriate.

Roger also joined us at EPCOT and we met up with Mike, a coworker of Jeff's, and Mike's wife, Wendy. It was Mike and Wendy's first visit to EPCOT so we served as tour guides to help them navigate and to choose how to most efficiently spend their time since they only planned to be there for one day.

I think the best part of our visit to EPCOT was the stop at the World of Coke exhibit. Neither Jeff nor I have ever stopped there out of all of our visits to EPCOT. Actually, we never even noticed it being there. Nor have we ever visited the World of Coke in Atlanta, GA. So, we made it a point to stop there on Saturday. But, Jeff was set up. Roger had been to the World of Coke before. And, he knew which Coke products were good and which weren't. He deceitfully encouraged Jeff to try the Italian Coke product called "Beverly." Of course, the rest of us were in on it too. Roger told Jeff how delicious it was. So, it was the first thing that Jeff went for. And, Jeff was thirsty so he took a big gulp. Jeff took a big swig and quickly said, "Oh God!" I thought I was going to pee my pants I was laughing so hard. I took a small taste of the Beverly drink myself and I have to admit, it was pretty bad! Poor Jeff....I almost felt sorry for him....almost. Are you kidding? Feel sorry for him? We live for stuff like that! :-)

During our trip around the World Showcase at EPCOT, we visited the American pavilion. We wanted Mike and Wendy to see the show there as it is one of the better ones in the World Showcase so we waited for it to start. And, in usual Disney style, there was entertainment to keep you busy while waiting for the main show to start. Anna was singled out by the singers. Most people would answer the city and state that they are from when asked where they live. Anna gave a different answer which was very appropriate considering where we were in the World Showcase. You'll have to watch the video to see how it turned out. However, I keep trying to add the video here and am not having much luck for some reason. I'll try to do it another day to see if I have any better success.

We spent Sunday at Hollywood Studios. The highlight of that visit was going to the new American Idol Experience show. We never watch TV at home so neither Rachel nor Anna have ever seen the show on TV but they sure did enjoy it at Disney. They enjoyed it so much that we went to two different shows that day. It's pretty realistic too. We got to vote on the people too. The park guests voluntarily audition to be in the show. And, the winner at the end of the day gets a pass to be at the front of the line at a real American Idol audition. They even had judges that were similar to the three on the real show....including a guy that was a bit candid like Simon is in the real show. We had a blast!

We spent Monday at the Animal Kingdom which is my least favorite of the parks. But, we still had a great visit nonetheless. The Everest ride always kicks my bootie.

Tuesday was our final day at Disney and it was also Anna's 6th Birthday. We spent it at the Magic Kingdom. Anna's favorite character is Winnie The Pooh so we got her a stuffed Pooh bear that was as big as her and it was waiting for her when she woke up on her birthday. Jeff and Rachel ventured to the Magic Kingdom the night before Anna's birthday to buy the giant Pooh for Anna.

She also got some Pooh earrings and a Pooh necklace from us. She had the best time at the park too. Since Disney is allowing any guest in for free on their birthday in 2009, we got other perks since we were already Annual pass holders. Anna got a $62 gift card from the park to use while at the Magic Kingdom. She bought toys for herself and Rachel. Anna was sad that we had to leave a bit early to return home to Georgia today. We had to return home today as Jeff has to travel for work to Dayton, OH, tomorrow. It's hard to believe our little girl is 6 already!

On the way home from Orlando, Rachel noticed a billboard as we we driving down the interstate. She asked us, "What are adult toys?" Jeff began explaining..."You know, remote controlled airplanes (I added, "and, battery controlled.") And, Jeff said, "Lots of action packed movies." I know our children have to learn about the real world at some point but some times they aren't quite ready for the real world and then parents are left in trying to figure out how to explain something to a child who is not mentally ready to comprehend the full scope of the subject. Or, in our case, you lie (sort of) a little just to get past the moment. Of course, the "We Bare All" sign was just a few miles up the road too.

Anna's Early Birthday

We'll be in Orlando for Anna's actual birthday so we (Jeff, Rachel and I) celebrated a bit early so she could enjoy the Winnie the Pooh cake that I made her. It's hard to believe that our "baby" is almost 6 years old! Jeff has the same cold crud that I have and he's got that Barry White voice going for him in the video. Anna reported this morning that her other top middle tooth is loose.

I Don't Care Who You Are; That's Funny

From an email sent to me today:

Anticipating a sweeping Democratic Party victory in the November elections, animals that were formerly self-sufficient are already modifying their behavior to take advantage of what they expect to be a new set of societal norms in the next four to eight years.
This black bear from Montana has ceased hunting for a living and is sitting outside the US Fish & Wildlife Service office in Kalispell, apparently waiting to be fed and to have his winter den dug by government employees. The residents of Kalispell are calling him "Bearack Obama".

Crap

"You look like crap." Yes, that is what my loving husband jokingly told me when I entered our home today after visiting with the doctor this afternoon. And, the sad part is I agree. I not only looked like it; I felt like it.

I went to the doctor this afternoon. I have a sinus infection and who knows what else. Evidently, there is a nasty cold bug going around that is hospitalizing some people. The doctor ordered me to stay home for a few days to recover and I have several prescription medications to take as well. I'm hoping I will have improved by Thursday before we leave to go to Orlando.

Now, I'm going to partake in the cough medication that my doctor prescribed with the codeine in it and I'm hoping for a solid night of rest after getting hardly any the past two nights. I coughed my head off the entire night last night. I'm officially exhausted.

It Was A Monday...'Nuff Said

There have been so many emotions to deal with today that I just think I'm numb now.

Work was good today. I was notified by my supervisor that the team that I led to successfully deliver an aircraft to programmed depot maintenance in December was recognized and we won the team award for the 4th quarter of 2008. The reward for each of us...a day off without charging leave. That was great news! I'll take a free day off from work!

I am still fighting the head cold that I've contracted (along with Anna, Jeff and now it looks like Rachel is coming down with it). It's a nasty little bug. The only reason I'm still awake at this point is that I'm waiting for the Nyquil that I took to take effect so I can hopefully collapse into a drug induced sleep that will hopefully keep my coughing at bay for the next 8 hours.

This evening was full of mixed emotions. After having dinner with the family, I went to a funeral visitation. The 16-year old daughter of one my coworkers passed away last Friday. Her Mom currently works with me. And, I used to work with her Dad several years ago. I don't handle funerals well. I think that goes back to my father's death. I just prefer to remember the person as they were when they were living but I also believe in paying respect to grieving family members. And, death and loss is never easy...no matter the circumstances or age of the person who is deceased. But, there is always something very tragic about seeing parents having to bury their child. It is so sad to see such a young person lying in a casket along with her favorite stuffed animal, books, music and other things that she enjoyed. And, I heard my friend Jerry (her father) say, "I couldn't remember what was the last thing I said to her." I guess none of us know when our final moments will be so it's best to live life to the fullest as if it is our last day. None of us have a guarantee that we'll see another sunrise. It was an emotional ride back home. I grieved for my friends' loss. I grieved for those loved ones that I have lost. My father died February 11, 1985, when I was fourteen years old. Seems like just yesterday at times.

I had one more task to complete when I got home. So ironic that I would be decorating Anna's birthday cake right after attending a funeral visitation. But, I had baked and iced the cake yesterday and I needed to finish up the decorations tonight even though what I really wanted was to collapse in a bed as soon as I got home. But, my effort was greatly rewarded by the look of happiness on my almost 6-year old daughter's face. She loves Pooh Bear. And, she wanted a Winnie the Pooh cake. To see her face light up at the sight of the completed cake made the effort worth it. And, she rewarded me with the best thank you card. Hallmark doesn't have anything on a hand scribbled note on a paper napkin from a loved one. She handed it to me and it said, "I Love You." For that, I'd bake many more cakes. I need an apron that says, "Will Work For Love." Yep, I'm a sap.

Bike Riding and Packing the RV

I have been doing my best to stick with a workout routine of some sort for the New Year. The weather has been pretty cold as of late here in GA but after a week of freezing temperatures, we were blessed with some really beautiful and warm weather this weekend. It has been weeks since I've been able to ride my bike so I took the opportunity to go out today even though I wasn't feeling up to it. I got in a 7 mile ride which is better than I expected feeling as rotten as I do. I have a head cold that has really kicked my bootie the past couple of days that I'm hoping I'll kick before we leave for Orlando later this week. And, I'm praying the girls don't come down with it before we leave for Disney later this week.

We are busy packing up the RV today. We'll be leaving Thursday after school and heading to Fort Wilderness for part of the school winter break and to celebrate Anna's 6th birthday. Many of our fellow Disney fans probably already know about the free admission offer on your birthday at Disney parks but what we didn't know is that if you are an annual passholder like we are, you get other bennies for going on your birthday. Below is a list of options for those who didn't know:

• A birthday FASTPASS® exchange card+ for a certain number attractions at the Theme Park you visit on your birthday; or


• A birthday fun card in an amount equal to the price of a 1-day Magic Your Way base ticket* for you to use for certain purchases including select merchandise, recreation or tour experiences, or for Disney's PhotoPass® on-site services at participating locations at Walt Disney World® Resort; or


• A 1-day Magic Your Way base ticket for you to use any time until your next birthday.

I think we are going to choose the birthday fun card.

I'm looking forward to the trip. I need a few days away from work.

The Mom Song

My new theme song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESe-AysF9mw&feature=related

Awards

Anna and Rachel

Anna got "Student of the Week" last week. Her reading skills have grown significantly in the past few months.

I received feedback from Rachel's teacher a couple of weeks ago regarding her performance to date. She is doing exceptionally well at school. She is in the first grade and is reading and comprehending at a 3rd grade level.

We are grateful that both of our children are doing so well in school.

Angela

I don't think I ever posted here that I was promoted last year. I was hired as a GS-12 back in July 2007. I was promoted to a GS-13 last November. The beauty of it is that I'm in a non-supervisory 13. Usually, those only went to engineers. I interviewed for and was selected for a non-supervisory Program Management GS-13. I am now the focal point for software being utilized on an aircraft.

The other good news is that I was nominated and selected as Civilian of the Year (in the GS-11 thru GS-13) category for 2008. I won at the Group level but not at the Wing level. I was just appreciative that I was nominated at all. I've got to go Monday and get an official portrait done for this.

Lordy! Lordy! Jeff is 40!

Jeff has a fun-filled day from walking into his well decorated cubicle (I did it after he left work on Friday) to cake with his coworkers and leaving work to a decorated jeep (courtesy of his coworkers). He says that he'll return the favor to me when I turn 40. But, he would've had fun at my expense anyway. So, I figured I'd enjoy it as much as I could today. I would share pictures of his cubicle at work but I couldn't take pictures in his facility.

I asked him if he was going to do something crazy like have a midlife crisis and go out and get his ear pierced. He said if he was going to do something crazy, he'd go out and get another motorcycle.

I've had a lot of fun at his expense today but I think anyone who knows Jeff will say he does not look 40. He certainly doesn't act 40, but then again, I'm not quite sure he acts as if he ever left puberty just yet either. :-)

I told Anna and Rachel to tell their Daddy, "Lordy, Lordy, Daddy is 40!" when he got home today. Anna decided to tell him after dinner tonight. He asked her where she had heard it and she tattled on me.

Juicy

I mentioned in my post yesterday that we attended several birthday parties this past weekend. At one of the parties, one of the Mom's had on a sweatsuit that had the word "Juicy" written across the back. Jeff noticed it and he had an odd look on his face when he saw it. I asked him what he was up to as I know that look and he nodded his head in the woman's direction that had on that sweatsuit. I guess I didn't think anything about it as I had seen many Hollywood females wearing Juicy Couture clothing when I've read People magazine, etc. I explained to Jeff that it was a popular clothing brand name. He was perplexed by it. He said, 'why not wear something that just says "wet and wild?"' I can see his point....most men don't keep up with women's fashions and I'm sure the majority thought exactly as he had when they saw the print on that woman's sweatsuit.
He said he was going to develop a mens clothing line that had "Throbbing" plastered across the back. He thinks it'll sell like gangbusters.
If you ever wondered where Anna gets her personality from...you need not look far.

Birthday Weekend

Lunch with Grandma and Papa

Gail and Harold came to visit with us this weekend to celebrate Jeff's and Anna's birthdays a bit early since we planned to be in Orlando during Anna's birthday.

Gail and Harold went to their school on Friday and had lunch with the girls. Anna and Rachel love it when family members have lunch with them at school.

And, the girls can invite up to two friends to eat with them. Rachel picked her best friend Chloe and another classmate, Elizabeth.
Weekend of Birthday Parties

We had a very busy weekend. Rachel was invited to two birthday parties and Anna was invited to one. We had one party 5:00 Friday night, one at 12:30 on Saturday and the last one at 2:00 on Saturday. The last party was at a local place that has putt-putt golf, games, batting cages, go-carts, etc. I spent about 20 minutes in the batting cage. I've always loved to play softball or baseball. However, you'd think I'd have the good sense to not push the limits. My shoulders and back are killing me today.

Lesson learned: We will not accept invitations to that many parties again in one weekend. It was a bit much. We were exhausted from all of the running around.

After all the parties, Gail and Harold took the girls to see a movie and then Jeff and I got a date night out for just the two of us. We went to dinner and then saw a movie. The movie we saw is New in Town. It was a cute movie. The plot was predictable. But, it was something humorous which we both needed.

Jeff's Birthday Cake

I wasn't sure what theme I would choose for Jeff's 40th birthday cake but I found a cute design at the local cake decorating store. In this family, chocolate has to be the predominant flavor of any cake. So, this theme worked well.

It took me a while to do today. I don't think he thought it was nearly as humorous as I did though.

Anna...an American Girl

Gail and Harold gave Anna her birthday presents early. Anna received Ruthie, an American Girl doll, for Christmas. Gail and Harold gave her several more pieces from the American Girl collection for her birthday.

Question of the Week:

Before finishing typing this post, Anna walked up to me asked me, 'Mommy, what does "deep doo-doo" mean?'

I'll close this post on that note. I don't even want to think about in what context she learned that term.