Old Friends

My dear friend Dana flew into NC last week and will be staying through this next weekend. She has been at her parents house and was able to come up to the mountains to spend the day! Her favorite place to eat was PaPa's and Beer, so a few of us met there for a late lunch. Tippy and Marian, who taught with her in 1st grade, came by to bring their shower gifts since they can't go on Sunday. We enjoyed lunch then hung out at Mandi's house for a few hours.


It was time for Dana to eat again, so we headed out for some ice cream at Marble Slab (another place she is not able to enjoy out in CO). You'd think that Dana never ate as tiny as she is, but she says she has to eat every few hours because she can't eat too much in one sitting. Wish this was my problem too! Either way, it was a great excuse for me to enjoy some ice cream as well.






We headed out to Marshall's and Target so she could find a baby gift for another friend of hers. That sounds like a good deal to me. Take a present to a baby shower and leave with a gift for your own baby! Sending Dana with a snack, she headed back down the mountain. It wasn't hard to say goodbye since I'll be seeing her on Sunday for her 2nd shower of the weekend!!!


(notice the fabulous red glasses I have on in one picture? I couldn't hold my eyes open because of the sun, so Mandi graciously lent me hers. I think she was just tired of standing there waiting to get the picture taken!)

Not Too Late

Well, I'm back in the beautiful mountains... enjoying the rainy weather. Oh well! It's nice to be back, but I could sure use a nice hike in the woods! It's Wednesday and I had a feeling this is when I would start missing the life I've had for the past few weeks. I miss my sweet niece and nephew and all the family and friends I was able to see during that time. That will just make it more special when I get to see everyone again.

I have tried to get back into my training for the upcoming race in October. Just being able to exercise puts you in a good mood to begin with and to know that I will be running in someone's memory just means that much more. So, it's not too late for you to donate if you'd like. You can visit my website and donate online at:
http://events.lungevity.org/site/TR?px=1381361&fr_id=1870&pg=personal
or you can mail me a check made out to the Lungevity Foundation. Thanks again for supporting me in helping raise money for Lung Cancer research and for support as I will be "Running for Ridge".

...charge!

...what Sawyer loved saying at his first baseball game! Uncle Kyle called around lunchtime today and thought it would be fun to take Sawyer to a few innings of the local game. The Winston-Salem Dash (I don't know?!) were playing the Myrtle Beach Pelicans at 7:00. So, Sawyer and I headed out to meet Kyle and Marie around 6:30 so we could get tickets and find our seats.

Sawyer didn't quite understand how to hold his ticket out so they could scan it and how to push through the bars to get in. But, he quickly understood and away we went! When we first entered, they were handing out free Dash hats and clappers. Sawyer was EXCITED! We got our stuff and found our seats. They were about half way up behind homeplate.

Before the game started, Kyle and I went to get some snacks, and I had a hotdog for dinner. We made it back just as the game was starting.

Sawyer was intrigued by what was going on around and on the field; and had lots of questions trying to understand the game. He was really into the music that came on during pitches; joining in on chants and hand claps. He never got to see a homerun, but he knew how you got one! We ended up staying for about an hour; making it through peanuts, popcorn, ice cream, 4 innings, and one run scored for the hometeam. Thanks Uncle Kyle and Aunt Marie!!! Go Dash!

Children's Museum

Since Caroline went to bed late and slept late this morning, she did not need or want to take her morning nap. So, mom and I decided we would take the kids to breakfast with everyone. Every Saturday, some of the "Rural Hall ladies" go to the same place for breakfast. They have been going so long, that they bring out hot biscuits as "an appetizer"...bet you've never had an appetizer for breakfast before! So, breakfast usually ends up lasting from 9:30ish until 11:30ish after you've had coffee, chit chatted, and finally eaten the real meal.
The kids were satisfied with the biscuit since they had both already eaten. Sawyer wanted a pancake, so I ended up eating half of his breakfast. After we were pretty much finished eating, we decided to take the kids to the Children's Museum. We took the kids back in December when Jammie was able to go with us. I think Sawyer enjoyed his time then, but I think he had more fun today. He was not shy like he was in Dec. and was ready to try out all they had to offer. Plus, Caroline was interested in exploring too.
The new exhibit this time was life sized letters. They only had about half of them because the other ones can be found throughout the libraries in the county. Pretty cool idea I thought. That room also had a nice rug with someone that starts with each letter, books to read, and a game where you throw turtles into holes in the board. Caroline really enjoyed this game.
Sawyer's favorite place was Krispy Kreme. He enjoyed this back in December, but someone had to help him understand what to do. This time you would have thought he worked there! He had a blast loading up the donuts, turning the wheels to watch them go on the conveyer belt, drop out of the pipe, then placed on another belt, turn the wheel, then watch them drop into the final bucket...and repeat! He choose to spend his last 5 minutes here.
They also have a Food Lion grocery store where he went shopping, scanned his items, and paid for them. He enjoyed going fishing and rowing the boat, looking at the Three Little Bears display, "reading" in the bathtub, going over the bridge for The Three Billy Goats Gruff, building, watching the scarves go through the pipes, climbing, and so on. We stayed a good two hours there before coming home for a late lunch and nap; which is what everyone else is still doing!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Extras

Nothing much happend on Friday, so I didn't post anything that night. Plus, I was out with Aunt Kathryn. We headed downtown for dinner, but once there we decided to just grab a drink and appetizer at a few places. We had buffalo shrimp, spring rolls, and quesadillas all accompanied with beer along the way. I was highly impressed with downtown Winston-Salem!

Mom got her haircut Friday morning and Caroline was sleeping, so Sawyer and PaPa really enjoyed playing together. I just enjoyed my little bit of quiet time until dad came in and asked where Sawyer was. I had to come find him hidden in the big fort of pillows! Then Sawyer got a kick out of covering someone else up. The picture is of him peeking through the massive amount of pillows. Sawyer has also been helping dad on his morning mini-paper route with the three ladies that leave around us. They get up and get the papers delivered from the end of the driveway to their front porches by 7:00. I was up, but didn't capture them until coming home from their job. Sawyer even got a present from one of the ladies!

While I was gone Friday evening, PaPa and Sawyer went outside and played ball. Mom said they had a really good time because dad was throwing crazy pitches and being silly with Sawyer. Caroline fought sleep until 9:30, so she didn't get up today until 8:00ish!

Choo Choo

Thursday morning, we all headed down to Spencer to ride a train! Grandma Gribble lives about 10 minutes from the museum and wanted Sawyer to come down and see the trains. We packed everything up, stopped by the office to get dad, then headed on our way. Caroline slept in the car on the way down, and didn't quite finish her nap. Sawyer was so excited to see the trains when we got there. He was so afraid we were going to miss the train!

We all boarded and away we went. It was about a 30 minute total time boarding, riding, and unloading. He thought it was really awesome to see everything from the windows. He saw lots of "Bob's friends", firetrucks, the roundhouse, other trains, an airplane, an old car, the streets of Spencer, and lots of trees! We decided to skip the museum and head to Grandma Gribble's for lunch.

Uncle Steve, Aunt Martha, Cousin Russ and his wife Jessica came up to meet us...well, mainly to see the kids! We enjoyed playing at Grandma Gribble's house, eating lunch, and talking before heading back home. We finally got in the car for a late naptime, but both kids fell asleep pretty easily. Even mom and I snoozed! We dropped dad off at the office and both kids started waking up. So, mom and I just drove around for the next hour while they sleep some more! I know, it's crazy!

I took Sawyer and Pattie over to Grandmother Gen's to jump and let Pattie run around. We came back to the house to help with dinner then I was off! I went to eat Mexican with the Ridges, Pages and a few other Rural Hall peeps. There were 16 of us...pretty typical for a regular 7:30 Thursday night Mexican evening! Plus, I have leftovers for tomorrow!

Like Father Like Son

Sawyer, almost 4, talking to his parents in Australia:













Phillip, age 4, talking on the phone:

Down on the Farm

Wednesday morning started just as any other morning...early! Mom did find a new tooth in Caroline's mouth which could explain her fever this past weekend and her fussiness yesterday. She was much happier today!

Dad got green beans from someone at work, so Sawyer helped him string the beans after he talked to his parents on the phone. He kept hanging up on them accidentally, so we finally got smart after the third time and gave Sawyer the old school phone to use! I drove to Raleigh to pick up my friend Abby and her sister Kate; then delivered them to Clemmons where they met the next driver who took them home to the mountains. They have been traveling around China and Japan for the past month! I left the house around 9:30 and got back around 2:00. Just in time to eat a small lunch and head to the farm with everyone!

Kyle works at Riverwood two days a week and invited us to come check it out. Riverwood is a therapeutic riding center for people with special needs. We actually had to wake up both Sawyer and Caroline in order to get them to the farm in time to help Kyle. Upon arrival, we walked around and saw some of the horses and toured the facilities. Then the fun part really started! Sawyer got to help Kyle bring in the horses and feed them. Kyle put them in their stalls, grabbed the food, and Sawyer dumped the food into each individual bowl. Sawyer was brave enough to pet one of them and Caroline tried too! Kyle and Sawyer got on the tractor before leaving which Sawyer thought was way cool; actually I think his word in the car was "awesome"! We left Kyle to finish up his job and get ready for the next class coming in.

We played outside for a bit before heading to Little Italy for supper with everyone. We played outside a little more when we got back from supper before the nightly routine began.

Pimp My Ride

Tuesday morning mom left for work around 6:00, I think. I was of course still sleeping! I did wake up around 6:30 and started listening out for Caroline. Dad and I were on kid duty until lunch. Caroline was a little fussy; still not feeling quite herself. So she went down for a nap around 8:30 pretty easily.

Kathryn stopped by midmorning at which time Dad found out he had to go into work. So, Kathryn watched the kids while I finally got dressed and helped them each get dressed so we could head to the park. She didn't want Pattie to go in her crate while we were gone (I'm not brave enough to take 2 kids and a puppy to the park alone!) so she took Pattie to her house to play with "her cousins". Pattie had her first convertible ride! I headed down to the park with the kids for about an hour before it was time for lunch and naps. Kathryn brought a pooped Pattie home around noon. Sawyer got in the car and road down the short driveway and back up. He thought it was awesome!

When mom got home, she crashed with Sawyer and I was on Caroline duty. She woke from her nap, but was still not herself. After an attempt to get her back to sleep, I called a defeat and took her for a 45 minute stroller ride. Mom and Sawyer awoke shortly after our return and we all headed over to Kathryn's to play until supper time. Even Pattie went, but was a little less energetic this time! Uncle Dave-o showed up too and we all got a lesson on the rules of croquet. Kathryn, David, Sawyer, and I played a game while mom and Caroline walked around the yard before we all headed inside to play some more. The usual evening happened: play, supper, play, bath, books, bed. Sleep well.

Good Ol' Monday

Monday started with Sawyer helping PaPa make french toast for breakfast. He helped crack the eggs, get out the yukies, dip the bread, then eat the end result dipped in lots of syrup! Caroline was only running a low fever this morning; only about 99. By afternoon, she seemed to be herself again. Let's hope this continues!

Mid-morning, I took Sawyer and Pattie over to Kathryn's house to play. Kathryn recently got an old croquet set and Sawyer kept asking to go over and play it. I think this was his first attempt at playing it and he seemed to enjoy himself. He also shot a few hoops, played with the toys inside, threw the ball a few times for the dogs (amazing because they usually scare him which they did at first), and roller skated! We used to go up to The Roller Dome in King when we were kids. They had a rummage sale up there a few weeks ago where Kathryn purchased a pair. We tried them on Sawyer and helped him skate from the carpet inside, to the kitchen floor, out to the garage, onto the driveway, and back in. He kept wanting to try it all by himself, but we certainly helped him from falling!

After naps mom and I tried taking the kids to Grandmother Gen's to jump, but the thunder and rain cut our fun short. It quickly cleared up, so after supper mom and I walked with the kids down to the park to play before bathtime. Another eventful day!

Is It Really Sunday?

It's hard to keep your days straight when you're entertaining kids; much less in the summertime! Sunday morning I took Pattie for a 2 mile jog before showering and heading to church. Caroline was still under the weather and sleeping, so mom stayed behind with her. Also in hopes she could get some sleep herself. PaPa and Sawyer went on to church because Sawyer wanted to help give out bulletins. When I got there, Sawyer came to sit with me until children's church.

I headed on to Gen's for lunch while everyone else slept. Sawyer and PaPa came over after naptime. Sawyer enjoyed jumping and riding all the many cars, bikes, etc. with Tate, Ava, Ashlyn, and Katy. He was over there most of the afternoon. Pattie also went along for the ride with me and played with Woody and Riley (Lena and Rick's new puppy). She had a blast and is certainly worn out!

I brought Pattie home around 5 and took Caroline outside to give mom a little break. We went up to the swing at Jane's house and walked around in the grass outside. Kathryn and I went out for cocktails, appetizers, and to see The Hangover. Hilarious!!!! You should certainly see it! It was a much needed laughing break too! I'm feeling refreshed for another week of fun!

Hard Days Work...

on the golf course that is! That's how Sawyer spent his late afternoon, but before I get to that let's back up to the days events.

My new routine in life has become awake by 7, play with kids, entertain a puppy, play with kids, play with kids, rest time, eat time, play with kids, play with kids, dinner, play with the kids, bath, put them to bed, sit on the slow computer and try to update the blog. At least tonight I'm enjoying a beer while updating! Man, I need my friends huh?! Actually, I will probably miss all this when I'm back home. It will certainly be quiet with just Pattie around. I'll be wishing for this crazy life back!

So, Caroline was still running a fever today. It got higher today, but she still seemed happy for the most part. She did want to be held more and really wasn't sure what else she wanted even though we tried a million things! She does sound more congested or maybe she's cutting teeth? She didn't take much of her naps today, so she went to bed right at 8 tonight. She pretty much layed low at the house with GG.

I was able to get a quick walk in with Pattie before taking over my duties. Sawyer and I met Kyle and Marie for lunch at Skippy's. It's in downtown Winston-Salem and I highly recommend it if you're ever this way. It was amazing how much the downtown has changed and how much I never get down there. I guess whenever I'm home it's all about family time; which I'm not complaining about just simply stating a fact. We were able to sit outside and enjoy the sights and sounds during lunch.

After naps today, Sawyer decided he wanted to go "hit some really far shots" at PaPa's golf course. Funny he thinks that it's PaPa's golf course because I'm sure PaPa wishes it was his too! PaPa, Sawyer, and I headed out late afternoon. Sawyer enjoyed putting keeping his head down low and really concentrating. He hit a few "really far shots", but I must say today was not his best performance. I guess he was feeling that too, because he enjoyed filling all the "holes" with sand more than hitting golf balls! While he was busy putting too much sand on the ground, I hit a few balls and actually got them in the air. I probably made it 300 yards....or more like 150-200. Either way, it was fun!

The evening wrapped up with dinner, a little training with Pattie, a little bit of playing, a quick walk with GG,Caroline, Sawyer, and Pattie; baths, and bedtime. All in all a pretty good day!

Friday Fun

Well, since I wasn't able to do any updating while in Raleigh, I have finally caught up on posts. Of course, there are still many more days ahead of us so there is the potential to fall behind again. I'll keep trying my best...

So, we have made it one week now. Let me just say it's been a busy week for all. It's amazing how busy kids can keep you, and I'm not even working now! I truly admire all those mommies and daddies out there! I guess it could also be different at your own house with your own routine, but still I'm pooped!!! I woke this morning determined the cold was not going to take over and determined that Pattie was going to be a better listener today. So, the two of us went for a short jog at 7 this morning. This totally woke me up and got some energy out for Pattie.

I took Sawyer and Pattie over to Grandmother Gen's to play. Pattie had a good time running and practicing coming for treats. Sawyer and I jumped on the trampoline, played on the swing set, and chased Pattie until it started thundering. We headed back to GG and PaPa's house where it cleared up. So, we sat on the driveway and played with some "tools" before heading inside to help GG make banana bread. After helping in the kitchen, GG cut his hair. No Jammie, we didn't cut Caroline's hair yet! We think Caroline is trying to catch the cold so her low grade fever was making her a little out of sorts today. She didn't take much of her naps and didn't want to miss anything that big brother was doing.

After lunch and naps, we played a bit before heading to Wal-Mart. We must be desperate huh?! We had to get a few things, then we let Sawyer walk around the toy section for a good 30 minutes. He was really good about just looking and asking for things for his birthday. However, there were no temper trantrums when he couldn't buy anything. Good Boy!

Dad brought home yummy Dairi-O hotdogs for supper. After supper I suggested we take the kids down to the park to play and to get Caroline some fresh air. So, all five of us headed out for about an hour trip walking there, playing, and walking home. Sawyer even pushed Caroline up the big hill (with a little help from PaPa steering)! Sawyer and I played a little more outside with Pattie then took baths and headed to bed. Whew!

West Coast Visits

While Phillip and Jammie got to see Maggie and Matt on the west coast, we got to see Laura from the west coast! Grant was playing golf with his folks that afternoon, so Laura came up with him to visit. The first time she came, Sawyer and I were napping. I was trying to catch dad's cold, so I think I slept for over 2 hours. Sawyer ended up sleeping almost 3 hours. Laura was able to spend some quality time by herself with Caroline letting mom go to the grocery store. Mom and I took Sawyer with us to run some errands that morning, but we didn't make it to the grocery store for our last stop. It was too close to lunch and naptime and we smelled a meltdown coming. So we quickly headed home saying we'd come to the store later.

Laura came back over to the house after we were all up from our naps and visited for a few more minutes before going to meet Grant. She was also schooled in Geography 101 by Professor Gribble. She and Sawyer looked at some of the books Sawyer checked out from the library and got a little more playing time in with Caroline. Sawyer and GG went back to the library to return a few things and get some more books. Caroline and I took Pattie outside to try and burn off from energy. I have to say that Pattie has been catching the frisbee in the air..she's about 2 for 5 right now! Caroline loves Pattie and loves to taking her toys to her.

After supper, we tried taking Pattie outside again until she decided to run and bark at the neighbor without listening to her command of "come". So, she was in "time out" inside while I took Sawyer up to the horse swing at Jane's house. Then it was on to baths and bedtime.

Outdoor Eating

Wednesday morning, not realizing that Sawyer and I were back from Raleigh,Uncle Kyle called to see if he could take mom and Caroline out to lunch. Mom said sure if Sawyer and I could come too! So, we loaded up the car with kids and headed to Town and Country for lunch. It wasn't that hot yet and they have a nice covered outdoor eating area. I took one look and decided this is where we would eat! It was the perfect place for us to make a mess (which we helped clean) and be busy before, during, and after our meal!

Sawyer loves to do the trick where you say, "What's that on your shirt?" When the person looks down he runs his hand up until he gets your nose. He thinks this is hilarious! Kyle was a good sport and played along and got Sawyer a few times too!
Kyle was heading back to the farm so we said our goodbyes and headed back for naps. The afternoon was spent playing outside, swinging, and a mini training session for Pattie. After supper, we took the kids up to the church where we ran around the playground and Sawyer rode his bike some. I think I'm going to lose some weight just chasing these kids around!