Spring Break

Tomorrow we are off for Spring Break. We are going to Pigeon Forge with the baseball team. Zach will be staying in a 30 person cabin (not sure it is still considered a cabin if it holds 30 people. I imagine a cabin as being cozy. Not with 30 people.). Steve and I are staying in a nice hotel close to the "cabin". We will be in Pigeon Forge for 2 days and then we go to Knoxville for 3 days for the boys to play ball.

I am looking forward to the down time and shopping. I want to sleep late (at least until 8) and enjoy being with my husband. I hope there are lots of sales because I love to shop too.

When we return, I will be sure to share some of the pictures. I am sure the scenery will be awesome. The trees and flowers are starting to bloom and I hope the sun shines bright the whole time we are gone. I just can't seem to talk the weatherman into seeing things my way.

Happy Birthday, Kolbi!

Today is Kolbi's birthday! She is 12 years old. She is the fashionesta of the middle school. I believe she has a complete new wardrobe after today. She was fortunate enough to go to Richmond/Danville and spend the weekend with her cousin and aunt and they took her on a shopping spree much like the one she went on a week or so ago with me and my mother.

Kolbi will be the best dressed middle school girl in Winchester. She has great clothes and better accessories. But most of all it is her winning personality that make her so special. I have to say I enjoy spending time with her. We share a love for reading. I hope she enjoys the book I got her for her birthday. She also received several great selections from her other aunt and cousin. I think she will busy for some time with her new reading material.

Softball starts on Wednesday for Kolbi. I can't wait to see her play. I won't be able to make it on Wednesday but look forward to watching her play soon. I hope all of her and Zach's games are not on the same days. I hope to see her pitch and hit a homerun.

Happy Birthday, Kolbi! Good luck Wednesday. I will be thinking of you.

Spring is Finally Here!

Today has been so beautiful. I hate to see it end. I love to see the trees budding, the flowers blooming and the sun shining. It was wonderful. I even went and got a pedicure. My toes even look springy.

This week has been very busy. Monday was Zach's first day of Varsity baseball. The first game was at home but we have also traveled to Paris and Jackson this week. The boys have won all there games so far and Zach has played in two of the three games. He has only got to hit and got out both times but at least he is making contact. I hope he gets a chance to play more but he is having a good time and that is all that matters.

The baseball team is going to Pigeon Forge for Spring Break so we will be leaving with them on Tuesday. I am looking forward to this mini vacation. I hope it is warm and sunny there but if it isn't we still have a nice hotel and I will enjoy sleeping in for a change.

At work, I am finishing up training our new hires. I have been told that I will start my new job on April 14. I am very excited and nervous at the same time about this. I am very comfortable in my old job and being a paralegal analyst is all new to me. I know I am going to have to dig in and work hard but I look forward to the challenge.

Great Easter Weekend

This has been a great weekend for many reasons. First, my husband, Steve, did not have to work. We got to sleep in and then Steve, Zach and I went out for breakfast before Zach went to baseball practice. Then Steve and I spent the day running errands. I know that doesn't sound very exciting but I really enjoyed spending the day with my husband doing mundane tasks.

My favorite time on Saturday was when we purchased a new gas grill. Mine went out in late fall. It was a terrible disaster. The knobs burned off. Can you believe that? My brother-in-law, Leo, says that a spider built a nest in the tubing that goes to the knobs and when I lit the grill it caused the nest to catch fire, in turn setting the knobs on fire. Sounds like a good explanation to me. (At least, this way it isn't my fault. My husband is always making fun of me about burning things. That is definitely a good topic for another post. I only have small fires.)

Back to the grill story. Here is my son, Zach, admiring our new grill. I love to cookout and ever since the fire incident, I have had to fry way more foods than my family needs fried. Grilling makes dinner quick and easy. I even have a side burner and a gridle to use on this grill. Saturday night, Steve grilled out hamburgers. They were so good, the only thing that would have made them any better was if I had had a garden tomato to go with it. I plan to have tenderloin later this week.

Sunday was a good day also. I got to sleep in again and I prepared breakfast for my family. It isn't often when we can have breakfast together two mornings in a row. We just spent the morning doing household chores but I love that we were all home working together. I even had an afternoon nap. It doesn't get much better than that.

Then we went to my Mom's for dinner. I really enjoy getting together with my family for Sunday dinner. Sometimes it is filled with chaos but it is always heartwarming. I love each and everyone of them. I get to hear about Lainie's swimming lessons, Trace's judo class, Kolbi's middle school friends, Kelsey's softball games, stories about Team Mitchell, and all about Clays Mill and Hannah McClure Elementary happenings. I know that some days there is chaos, even crying and screaming but most of all there is a lot of love.

So, that was my weekend. I can wait to see what my week brings. I will be sure to share it in my next posting.

Birthday Shopping with the Fashionesta

I am very lucky to have 2 wonderful sister-in-laws that let me share there children. I have only one son. They have girls. Now, don't get me wrong, I love my son very much and I love my nephews as well. But I love shopping for little girls and my sister-in-laws let me share in there shopping trips with their girls. Sometimes they even let me take them on my own. What fun!

Last night, I had the pleasure of shopping with Kolbi, my middle school niece, and my mother. We were on a shopping trip for Kolbi's birthday. She is truly a fashionesta. She loves accessories. Anything from headbands, purses, funky socks, jewelry, sunglasses and every other kind of accessory you can think of. She also likes clothes.

When Kolbi and I get together, watch out. The dressing room will be stuffed with all kinds of outfits. We have an understanding, she will try on everything, she doesn't have to like it, just try it. Sometimes we get a good laugh out of an outfit and sometimes she is really surprised when she likes something after she tries it on that she thought she wouldn't like. I have to say that some of my favorite times with Kolbi have been spent in a dressing room.

Last night, we were very successful. Kolbi will be in high fashion this spring. She will be the envy of all middle school girls and all the little boys will like what they see.

I must again reemphasize my thanks to my two brothers and their wives for sharing their children with me. I am very fortunate to have these kids in my life.

Jamboree Fun!

Last night, Steve, Zach and I went to the local theater where we saw the Clark County Jamboree. Tickets were only $5.00. It was really good. The mayor, the County Attorney, Centerline played the Hee Haw gang. It was very entertaining.

Zach really enjoyed it. He like the "HOT" girls, Hannah Rector and Jesse Pennington. Les Taylor also sang. He was very good.

I like the fact that we could go out for a night on the town and stay within our county and not spend a fortune and still have a great time. I was very impressed with our local theater. I am proud of our city officials that put it all together.

I look forward to going there again to see other performances.

Hannah Montana Plays Baseball

My young niece, Lainie, has a very vivid imagination. She loves to play dress up and has been every princess Disney has created, she has been an M&M and even a member of the Incredibles. Sometimes she takes on the personality of an animal, such as a cat. When she is a cat, she meows and licks paw and pretends she is giving herself a bath, just as a cat does.

Her most recent fantasy is a bit more modern and mature. At Christmas, she receive a Hannah Montanta wig as a gift. As you can see, before she received the Hannah Montana wig, she was Snow White (I hope I have my princess correct). Now, each Sunday when she arrives at my Mom's home for Sunday dinner with the family, she is Hannah Montana. She has been Hannah Montana for several weeks now.

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of watching Hannah Montana play baseball (indoor T-ball actually). I love T-ball. If you have never watched 4-6 T-ball, you should. It is great entertainment, you never know what to expect next. I have to say Lainie at least knows how to hit the ball fairly well and knows which way to run. That is more than I can say for some of the little players.

I loved the end of the game, as each team passes the other team shaking hands and telling each other good game. In first stage T-ball, you don't keep score (however, some parents do) and you don't actually get out. Everyone is a winner.

Exciting Day and Great Night!

Today is the day I have been working for my whole professional career. Today, I was promoted to Paralegal Analysis. I was so shocked. I didn't really think I had a chance at it. We were suppose to only have one slot open and they announced someone elses name. She is very qualified and has been working at ODAR for longer then me. I was happy for her. Then they announced my best friend as receiving a promotion too. I was very happy for her. She is a hard worker and how can you not be happy for your best friend if she receives a promotion. But then the chief kept talking and he said he had one more position and it was for me. I know that my mouth had to drop clear to my knees. I was so shocked. I am still having a hard time believing that I was selected.

That is my main fault. I don't have enough faith in myself. Maybe it is lack of self esteem. I want to work on that and give myself more credit. I have worked hard to get where I am and I deserve this promotion.

Tonight has been wonderful. My husband, son and mother took me out to dinner to celebrate. They all told me how proud they were of my accomplishment. We went to the Mexican resturant and celebrated with margaritas. My favorite. The food was great as well as being with my family. If only Daddy could have been there.

Spring plays Peek - a - Boo!

Today was wonderful. I love spring weather. I just hate that it is going to rain and get cooler tomorrow. I feel like Spring is playing Peek - a - Boo with us. We opened the doors and windows tonight at dinner. It felt so good.

I hope by having the doors and windows open, it carried some of the germs out of my house. As you may have read from my last post, Zach has the flu. But today he became even worse. He now has strep to go with the flu. Dr. Taylor says he got the combo pak. At resturants and other places the combo pak is a good thing but at the doctors office the combo is not a good thing. I hope he gets well soon.

I want to wish Leo Means "Happy Birthday!" today. Just in case he reads my blog, I want him to know that I am thinking of him. "Happy Birthday, Leo." Hope you have a great day!

Soon another little girl will be having a birthday. She is my super cool middle school niece. I hope to have a picture to go with that post. More on her later.

Flu Bug

My poor baby, Zach, (he's not exactly a baby anymore) has the Flu. He is miserable. He has a temperature of 103. I has been to the dr and the dr says he can expect the feel awful until at least Friday, then it may go into a sinus infection or pneumonia. Wow, isn't that something to look forward to.

He missed the basketball game he was so looking forward to on Tuesday and didn't even get to say a proper goodbye to his girlfriend, Morgan, before she left on her trip to Florida with the GRC Choir.

Zach doesn't usually like school too much but I think he will be glad to return. He is also missing baseball practice. I think that is what he hates most about being sick, even though he has been too sick to even complain about missing it.

I too wish all the sickness would be gone, along with the snow, ice, rain and cold temperatures. I want abundant sunshine, beautiful flowers, leafy trees and baseball. More later about our trip to Pigeon Forge with the GRC baseball team.

Princess Callie

I know that each and every one of you have been sitting on the edge of your seat since my last post to find out more about Princess Callie. She is my beloved calico cat. She just thinks she is a princess.

This cat is like no other cat I have ever had the pleasure of owning. She is by far the most lovable. Callie is always waiting at the door for me when I get home. Steve says she can hear my car drive up and starts meowing for me. She would be happy and content for me to sit on the couch all day long holding and petting her.

Callie is almost like having a dog. She loves to play fetch. If you will throw her toy mouse down the hallway, she will go and get it and bring it back and drop it at your feet. Sometimes in the middle of the night, she will bring her mouse for Steve or I to throw for her. Needless to say, Steve and I aren't up for playing at that time of night.

Callie is also like a dog because she like to lick you. I know dogs like to lick people, especially when they are glad to see you but I didn't think cats were that way until we got Callie. Steve doesn't like it too much at night when she licks him in the face. He has called her several names in the middle of the night, but Princess was not one of them.

She also like to chase a laser pointer. This is her most favorite game of all. All you have to do is touch the laser pointer and she is at your feet just waiting to take off after the light. I don't understand why that game is so fun. It is not like she can ever catch the light.

Callie is jealous. If Steve and I are touching, she has to be right with us, usually touching both of us. If we get in bed, and Steve puts his arm over me, you can bet she will find a way to get between us. If she gets too hot between us, she will sleep on my hip. That is sometimes dangerous for her because if I turn over in the night, she goes flying off the bed.

Well, that's enough about Princess Callie for today. I'm sure you are glad you tuned in to get the scoop on the Princess. Maybe I will have something even more interesting to talk about tomorrow.

Bad Day

Did you ever have one of those days where the minute you step out of bed, your whole goal for that day is to get back home to get back in bed? That was my day yesterday. I felt so bad. I was coughing and my ears and my throat hurt. All I wanted to do was take some medicine and crawl back in bed. But of course that was not what I did. I forced myself to get up and get ready for work. I kept saying this mantra over and over to myself, "you'll feel better in a minute". Well folks, it never happened. I drug to work and everyone kept saying, "Are you sick? You don't look so good." Well, duh. I don't feel so good either. But I kept repeating my mantra over and over. "You're going to feel better any minute now." Instead of feeling better, I just coughed and coughed. When I got home, I was so happy to see my bed, right there where I left it. Just calling me to crawl in and that is just what I did. It felt so good. Now in hind sight, I see I probably should have stayed right there. But I pushed myself to get up and go. Next time, I am going to listen to that little voice in my head and stay put.

Today was much better. I feel much better. I still feel like crap but I am much better than I was yesterday. I am at least able to make it down the stairs to write my post. Shawna got me started with this but I am really enjoying it. I miss the days I don't have time to write. I am not sure anyone really cares what I have to say but I enjoy doing it and I guess that is all that really matters.

I guess this post doesn't really say much. I will try and do better tomorrow. Hopefully, I will have something exciting to write about. Maybe I will tell you about Callie, the princess cat.

Date Night

Steve and I rarely get a date night but this Friday everything just seemed to fall into place. Zach was going to the ballgame with his girlfriend and Mom wanted to stay in because of the awful rain. Dinner was great. My filet was cooked to perfection. Met with some old friend and was able to share parts of my Reno trip with them. After that we went to see a local play.

Steve and I don't usually go to plays. Steve really isn't a play sort of guy. If he had known there was also a wrestling match in town also, we probably wouldn't have gone to the play. I'm glad I didn't know about the wrestling match until the next day. I am sure he would have accused me of holding that information out on him. But he was a really good sport and took me to the play. I think he even liked it a little bit.

At the play we were greeted by a beautiful brown haired girl I have know since she was a baby. She was working the spot lights. I think she should have been one of the girls on stage wearing one of the fabulous dresses. She would have really lit up the stage. She has a wonderful smile. At the end of the play she was surrounded by friends, but didn't hesitate to give me a farewell hug. Her moma should be very proud of her.

The play was very exciting. It was called Sillouettes of Broadway. It was produced by a guy I went to school and church with back in the day. It had short scenes from various Broadway plays. Lion King was my favorite. It was very moving. I loved it.

I also have to mention there were two guys that have played ball with my son. One was a football player and the other a baseball player. I have to say they are much better at acting than ball playing. They both did a terrific job.

I really enjoyed spending time with my husband. It was like we were dating again. He even opened the truck door for me. He is such awesome husband. I love him more and more each day.