Memorial Day Weekend/Marina Round 2

Well, we went back to the Marina on the Friday night of Memorial day weekend. So many reasons to celebrate...

Corey got a new van..... Kiley got green highlights...

Turpin showed up to look for Cougars.... He filled in for Jackson on Cougar Watch '09.

Tiffany and Amy were out for a night of fun...

And Mark and I were happy celebrating our new hardwood.

Thanks to all of the men and women who served and are currently serving our country. You make us all proud and give us the biggest reason of all to celebrate.

Strange Days

This pic was supposed to be at the end, but oh well... Here it is anyway...

We've had a lot of thunderstorms in this last part of May. Here are some shots I took over Memorial Day Weekend during a whim thunderstorm on Sunday. Weird clouds.. very freaky. They came in really fast and left as quickly as they rolled in.

Just thought they were interesting to look at. Hope you enjoy. : )

Hardwoods: Refinished. Check.

Mark and I have been working through a long list of home improvement items and last weekend we pulled up our carpet in the office and turned it into a study. A fancy, grown up study. Yeah!


Here is what the carpet looked like before we pulled it up. I know it's hideous and stained, that why we wanted to embark on this project.
Here is what it looked like after we pulled the carpet up. Hardwoods underneath! Who covers those up?? Anyway... they were a little rough.

This is what it looked like after it was stained. It was still wet and dark.

And here is the final look. It is beautiful. Mark did a wonderful, beautiful job!

Thank you, Honey. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!

a VERY belated Happy Mother's Day

To my favorite Mothers: Some of my favorite pictures of the mothers in my life...


My Beautiful sister, and her sweet bundle...


My mom and her first grandbaby....Holly and I have been replaced, I'm afraid...

Great-Grandmother(and pop) with Ryan.

Happy Mother's Day. I love you all, so MUCH.

Marina: Round 1

A recent discovery: Caney Creek Marina has a really good band called The Riversharks that play there every other Friday night. They do covers that are mostly country, but they are rocked out a bit. It's good music, good food, cheap beer and something to do in Roane County. This makes it worth my while to go hear some country music. (I am not a big fan of country, in case you didn't gather that. ) One of the best parts about the band it that Jackson's dad and uncle play in it! They are a riot, let me tell you. Anyway, this wasn't the first time we went to watch them play, and certainly won't be the last, but it was one of the last things we got to do with Jackson before he left for Vegas. (We are hoping to go and see him, if we can find some cheap airline tickets. ) It will be a first time flying experience for me, and first time to Vegas for me or Mark, so keep your fingers crossed!

Here we are looking like the drunkards we are. Good times. : )


Mrak and Jack don't like photos as much as I do....

And Mark won't do anything I ask him when he's drinking draft beer. Especially pose for photos.

Anyway, we had a wonderful time. Jackson, we miss you! and hopefully, we might see you sooner, rather than later.

Spaghetti-Suarus-Rex

On Sunday, Holly invited Mark and I over to have dinner. She made spaghetti and decided it would be Ryan's first go with America's safety meal. the results? HILARITY. No, really. Watch a baby eat spaghetti for the first time, and it will be one of the funniest things you ever witness. We weren't crazy, but we did get prepared. We stuck a towel under the high chair to capture any "lost noodles." Click on the pictures to make them bigger, if you like. We really had so much fun!The towel should have been lain out in the opposite direction. We realized this about three seconds too late. Ryan flipped the bowl over pour the spaghetti out and then threw the bowl. He looked down and back up at us with a grin and said "uh oh.." After that he started making these "Raaaarrr" noises. I think he sounded like a dinosaur. : )

I think he liked it! He really dug in, too. He ate almost all of what Holly gave him and then played a while too. I have to say I am really proud of Holly. She didn't freak out and start cleaning him up right away, as she normally would. (Yay, sis!)

Poor thing had noodles in his diaper by the time he was done. So bath time followed quickly.

What a ham! So entertaining! Love you little man! (and PS- Ryan, if you really hate these pictures on here when you get older, just let me know. : ) Ha! )

Zoo Fun

Mark, Me, Holly, Ryan and Grammy- Ryan's First Zoo Trip April 2009

Indeed! My mom wanted to take Ryan to the zoo and since Wayne was working on the weekend they wanted to go, Mark and I went along instead. (I will use any excuse to go to the zoo! I love it!

Here are Mark and myself enroute. (I also love any oppertunity to take pictures of us while he is driving.) He wasn't as excited as I was. Nevertheless, I was out for adventure....

I love ANIMALS!! I LOVE THE ZOO!! What more can I say, really?

When we finally made it to the zoo- it took forever because of the 640 detour- we found parking pretty close because everyone was leaving. Lucky for us! We had a 10 month old, his stroller and my mom and Holly who like to bring everything they might need for a nuclear holocaust along with them, everywhere they go.

Ryan and Grammy. I think Mark was helping to assemble the stroller and baked goods. : )

Mom and I in tortise territory. Only, they weren't out. None of them. No turtles or tortises of any kind. I was a little upset, but I think Mark was actually kind of pissed.

Here are Holly and Ryan at the Zebra Exhibit. They actually had electric fences gaurding these striped beauties. Are they supposed to be dangerous?

Here is Mark having a belly pooching contest with a gorilla. I think Mark might have won, but let's face it. The man has talent!

I could have posted a hundred pictures on here, but decided it was probably better not to bore you with pictures minus people. Ryan's favorite exhibit was the North American River Otter. They really put on a show! He had his hands pressed up to the glass and was laughing! I think he really enjoyed it, and I can't wait to go back when he's a little older and will enjoy it more.