Book Club - Twilight & sereies plus movie

I picked Twilight by Stephanie Meyers for my book. This book was so good I read the rest of the series in a week. It is a love story with hot cars and cool fights. It really is about a seventeen year old girl who moves in with her father. She goes to a new school and immediatley becomes attracted to this boy. Everyone tell hers to stay away from him but she can't help herself. He ends up being a vampire, his family also warns him to stay away but the draw is to much and he can't stop thinking about her and wanting her and that is where the love story begins. I recommend this book to all. Eclipse, Full Moon and Breaking Dawn are the other three books and written just as well. There are so many interesting characters by the end of the last book I look forward to reading about any of them in the future, if she writes anymore. Of course my favorites are the 1st and 4th but I still recommend them to any one that would ask. Now for the movie 26 of us went to dinner and then went to see the movie. The movie wasn't as good and it usually isn't but the left out some important information. Also some of the character choices were a joke. Edward and Bella (main characters) grew on you and they made it work but some of the others were comical. I hope the next of the series will be better and some how work in the information that was left out of the first.

Arkansas

We went to Lake Ouchita, Arkansas. It was nice and cool. We really enjoyed ourselves away from everything around. We got to the cabin on a Friday.

The kids made themselves comfortable pretending they were in a cage. Sometimes I think that is where they should be.

This is our Cabin. We were right on the lake.

The next morning we had to get up early and go hiking. The weekend we went LSU was playing and we couldn't miss the game so off we went on our 5 mile hike. Now that the kids are older there wasn't as much complaining and Audrey walked the entire thing. The last time we had to carry her part of the way.

Mark looks at the kids while they play around the water on our hike.

Audrey looking cute as usual...

and dramatic as usual. She tripped and fell a lot. She, unfortunately, has her mothers grace. hehehe

We get back to the cabin and begin to grill our chicken. Will or Audrey, I can't remember which, begins to take pictures.

While Mark cooks I go with the kids fishing. NO FISH (boo hoo)

He is too cool for himself. He really needs a haircut.

The next day we get up and pack. Then we go on a short hike before we leave.

We always go the the science museum before we leave. We crawled through this tunnel in the dark. I am not a spring chicken anymore and my knees where killing me. Audrey of course ran into walls.

We are almost out. YEAH!!!

Shoot, another dark tunnel.

Every year the museum has a new theme or show. This year it was real cadavers. You had to pay extra for it and the kids I think are a little to young to see real cadavers and their insides. So we did a few things then headed home.

Catch Up

Many things have been going on. I just haven't had time or felt like blogging. It takes time and thought and when I have time I don't want to think. I haven't had my camera for everything but here are some of the things that have been going on. I have put them in recent to past.

This is Moose. He is a full German Sheppard puppy. I waited to long to take a picture and here he has double his weight. He weights 40 lbs. and is 15 weeks old. He is the newest member of the family. So let me catch you up, that is 3 dogs, 2 cats. And now Audrey wants a fish. I say HECK NO!!!

Audrey and Drake at the 1st grade Tea Party.

That is my girl.....

Will and Will on the haunted hayride. Yes, that is my friend BJ. We had so much fun...

Macy and Audrey smile. That was the last smile I saw from Audrey that night. As soon as we started and she heard the chainsaw she hit the deck. She was holding on to my leg and only looking up when I told her it was OK. But she would scream and put her head back down. She would not get back up on the hay....

When we arrived back at Macy's house, Macy and Audrey had fallen asleep in the back. Audrey has Macy's hand. She was still scared when we got back. There was 14 of us 6 adults, 2 girls and 6 boys. It was great!!!!

We went to the pumpkin shine and this is the pumpkin project from Audrey's class. My co-room mom built and painted the aquarium...

On Halloween I was a vampire and will was my Minoan....

We always go to my friend Amy's house. Here we are trying to get the kids to take a picture. It was harder than it looks...

And here we are going trick or treating. Candy and her husband didn't dress up but the rest of us did.

This house had a Hearst sitting in their drive way where they handed candy out of. I thought that was pretty cool!...

We were leaving and Mark had got out of his scream costume but Steve was still dressed up as Danny from Grease. We have a family picture in costume but I think I am going to put it on our Christmas card. I will probably put it up after I send the cards out.

Amy is Sandy from Grease. We had to drink a little wine before we went and when you look at my eyes it looks like I had more than a little but I assure everyone I didn't....

This is her parents. They crack me up....

Mark says we should put this picture on one of those naughty sites....

Audrey shows off her face paint she slept in from carnival. She didn't want me to take it off until I took a picture.

Audrey, Will and Mark smile at dinner...

Papa turns 60, Mom and my brother Peter all enjoy a nice dinner...


Will has the look of defeat on his face after they lost their first game. He has a game every Saturday morning...

Audrey does good during her YMCA triathlon...

Foot ball started.....

Will and his best friend Cole. Will and Cole have been friends since Will was three weeks old and Cole 3 days. They only get to see each other a few times a year.

Hurricane Gustav brought visitors. My sister Stacy and her girls with their families came. Will and Avery sit and chill. Avery is my great niece. That makes me feel really old.

Cindy got a new bed and is loving it!

First Day of school

Audrey excited that she has a friend in her class, Sarah.

First Day Will gets busy. 4th Grade is definitely different.

Catch Up

-school hair cuts
-making rosemary bread
-closing pta books
-buying uniforms
-buying school supplies
-pta in service
-football practice
-dr. visits
-spending time with the kids
-new school year cleaning

Iron Triathlon

Friday night my Dad and step mom (Cindy or Nana, I may refer to her as either) came in to town. I went to bed about 10 minutes after they got here because the next morning the kids had a triathlon. Needless to say I did not sleep. The anticipation of getting up kept me up, go figure. We got ready and left and it felt like it took forever to get there. So we get there and I sign in and sign Daddy up to help volunteer. Which left Mark and Nana in charge of the kids and camera.

The kids are lined up and waiting for the start. They each had to swim a 100yd swim in the lake.

Daddy and I waited in transition area for the kids. (that was the spot we worked).

Daddy goes to see if Will needs help. He didn't but others did. Audrey being one of them they had to ride a 5k then run a 3k (I think). I really don't remember what they had to run. I do know that when Audrey came back to transition to start her run her shoes were on the wrong feet. So Nicky and I fixed her shoes and number. And off she went. Will did pretty good this year he had his good friend Kaden to bike and run with.

Later that day I took Audrey to a birthday party and then went and did a little shopping. Got home and made chicken and steak fajitas and t-bones with all the fixings. And the Mark and Daddy made root beer floats. YUM

Today was playing of the Wii. Nana got out bowled by Will.

Then Daddy and I played tennis I kicked his bottom. He also played baseball with Will but I am not sure how he came out of that one. Then I showed them the Wii fit, Nana wanted to get home so she could go buy both. It was a really nice visit and it reminds me how much I miss my family and my Daddy. There is nothing like personal contact or listening to your family.

Full Saturday

Saturday afternoon we took the boat to the river and met some friends on an island (sand bar). The grills were set up, gazebo set up and chairs out. I sat in the sun for a bit with the rest of the ladies. I of course put my 30 helioplex (UVA & UVB protection) on and the rest of the women put tanning oil on with no protection I only lasted 30 minutes in the sun. I got in the river with Audrey for a tad then went back under the gazebo. Sat there for a while then I was asked to go on the boat because Audrey wanted to knee board. So I went and she knee boarded. Some big waves came and she fell. She told me she wanted to go again so we went back to the beach and put her back on and there she went. This time I was on the boat showing her what to do to go from wake to wake and she DID IT!!! She never got over them but next time she will. I was so impressed. That girl has no fear at all. Actually it kind of scares me. After she did Will decided he needed to do it. Audrey and I left because she had 100.8 fever (had my thermometer with me) Yes, she did that and had the croup with fever. Mark took us back to the launch and we left. Mark said that Will never got that chance to knee board maybe next time.

Book Club - Between, Georgia

The author of this book is Joshilyn Jackson. She also wrote Gods of Alabama (have not read it but everyone else says it is good).
This book is about a 30 year old who is being pulled between her adopted family and her birth grandmother. Between is the town they are from. She has to deal with crazy family members. So to most of you out there (including me) you should be able to relate. She is also dealing with a divorce. This book kept my attention throughout. I laughed and even cried at one part. Mostly I couldn't wait to see what her crazy family would put her through. I recommend this book.

Book Club - Widow of The South (review)

I blogged about this book once already. I said I just couldn't get into it. I also said I started listening to it on cd. Well my friends said skip the first cd or skip to page 150. Then it gets better. Well I did and it did get better. This story is factual and interesting. The author however jumps around so much that I had to keep looking at my ipod to see if it skipped or a section was out of place. It never was it was just that the author changes paces in mid chapter. My friends reading it also said the same thing. Some of the time they had to go back and reread once they realized what he was writing about. I recommend this book. It made me cry at some parts. It takes place during the civil war. A lady's house is taken over for a hospital. She ends up writing to the families of the soldiers that had died to give them comfort. All the other characters have a part in the her life that makes her the woman she is.

Catch Up

We have been out of town for a while and there was no Internet access. So here we go again with catch up.

Bentley enjoying walks to the pond.

Kids fishing at the pond.

At the city meet Audrey took first place in all of her heats. she finally used two arms. The next night was the banquet and she got a trophy for most improved she was so happy. (It is the big one).

Will with his trophy. He had an off day at the meet but we were still proud.

We had book club at my friends BJ's lake house. Nikki and I spent the night. The next day we skied and jet skied.

The next day we packed and got ready for a trip to Pennsylvania. We stayed in Roanoke the first night and ate at a restaurant called Flat Fire Grill. It was great.

We finally got to Pennsylvania. The kids decided to check out the river.

The kids then went swimming at a neighbors pool. It was so cold. It amazes me how they don't feel the cold. Well Audrey doesn't, Will jumped in 4 times and got out. Then him and my mom decided to pose for me.

The next day we went to Scranton into a Coal Mine. It was cold down there. Will took my camera and started taking pictures.

(We have a lot)

I got my camera back and took one of Will. It was very interesting and dirty. We were filthy.

The day after we went to Rickets Glenn State Park. We hiked down the mountain first. There were water falls . It was a little slippery so Mark had to hold on to Audrey.

The kids and Mark made it underneath a fall.

Audrey and I went to the river and she named the little island Fitz island after my mom's Scottie. He swims to it every day.

Later we sat down with our hats and drank a good glass of ice tea. You can take a girl out of the south but not the south out of a girl.

Will helped his Dad pick up sticks and logs out of the yard.

I am not sure what kind of bug this is but showed up one night and stayed all the next day.

Mark caught this bass the next day, on his first cast. Then the kids decided to get in the river.

Fishing....

Janie and Sarah flew in. The kids took Sarah to the River.

Will wanted to catch a fish like his dad.

Fitz taking his swim....

We also spent a day at my Aunt Patti's cabin. She has a cabin on a creek or would it be brook up there?!
As you can see Mark was really enjoying himself.

Back to Scranton to visit a train museum. It was interesting especially if you are interested in trains, our crew not so much.

Sarah and Audrey smile for the camera as we took a steam engine ride.

Audrey decides to take our picture outside the museum.

We also went to a cheese factory. This is the best cheese I have ever eaten. So of course bought a lot to take back.

On our way home we stayed in Chattanooga. We went to the Aquarium when we got there. It has two sides and you can go to one or both so we choose both. The first was a fresh water aquarium. I recommend it to any one. It was awesome (Audrey's words). The salt water was okay. I would skip that one.

Audrey and Will crawled in a tube for these photos.

The day we were leaving Chattanooga Mark and Will got up and went freshwater fishing. Will caught one bass and a lot of catfish. Then we drove home. It is so nice to be home. I am going to put some more pictures and of my mothers cabins and etc... on later. My mom took some pictures of friends on her camera. I did not have mine one night.