Photos....

Here are the pictures of our recent adventures...

Jasen and Davis in front of our cabin outside Anderson, SC, near Lake Hartwell and the Georgia border








The kids on our hike (more like a walk!) to the Lake Hartwell dam. On the left side of the dam is Georgia!



Jasen and Davis on our hike

Davis playing on the shores of Lake Hartwell

Roasting marshmallows for S'mores!

Davis' first S'more!

Sara and the kids at the top of Issaqueena Falls

The hike down was a little treacherous

The view at the bottom was breath-taking!

Jasen and the kids got a little more "up close" than I did!

Grace wanted a "We Did It!" picture!

Going up was easier than going down. Davis did it on his own. We've got two great hikers!

On the porch of our cabin

Reading a bedtime story on our last night
Ready for our church's Easter egg hunt

Davis would pick up the eggs, shake them, and if they didn't make any noise, he put them down!

Grace went all the way to the end of the hunting area and worked her way back. That might have been the winning strategy since she got the most eggs for her age group!
We do love Crosstowne Christian!

The kids on the front lawn of our church

Decorating our eggs

Both of the kids were very serious
Davis would stir and stir...
Easter morning

Jasen and our kiddos; don't they all look gorgeous?
The family before brunch at High Cotton.

At the harbor-side park in downtown Charleston

Grace was as serious as ever about finding eggs!
Grace was generous with her brother and left a few for him!

Spring Break is over

I have no good excuses for not blogging. So I'll try to catch you all up!

The first weekend of Grace's spring break, we went to upstate South Carolina (Lake Hartwell, which is near Clemson/Greenville) to go camping. We have caught a lot of flak for saying we were camping; we stayed in a cabin with a potty! However, we did cook all of our meals outside and had no technology to entertain us, so I felt like that was a big step! Remember, people, I didn't grow up camping. Jasen, to save face with the other men at the campground (who would randomly stop by and say "Wow, those are some great digs!") told them we were easing me into camping. I guess that is true!

We took the scenic route there and back, which was great. Sometimes, you need to take the long way! On the way there, we stopped to eat in Blackville, at a restaurant Granny and Papaw had told us about called Miller's Breadbasket. It's run by an Amish family and man, was it good! I also found an old hope chest that I am hoping to go back and purchase! We also saw an incident of what we assume was road rage. We came up behind two cars at a stoplight in a small town, with a man out of his car, screaming and yelling at the car behind him. "Birds" and expletives flew all over the place and the man spit on the other car! Jasen and I were shocked! We sat there with our mouths wide open and Jasen said he felt like he'd just witnessed the road version of Jerry Springer!

We arrived at our camp, downloaded our stuff, then went on a small hike to the dam at Lake Hartwell. It was easy and non-challenging, but we got to see great views of the lake and down on the beach there. Then we went back to our campground and had dinner and S'mores. After we put the kids to bed, Jasen and I sat on our porch and read for an hour or two. It was so relaxing!

The next day, we headed closer to the NC line and visited Issaqueena Falls, a 100 foot waterfall. We walked down to the observation point, which was the official end of the hike. We decided to try to get down to the bottom of the falls. Now, keep in mind we had two small children. Jasen carried Davis and went down first, followed by our adventurer, Grace, and me. It was so cool! The climb down and up was tricky, but the view from the bottom was amazing!

We got back in the car and drove into Clemson. What a gorgeous campus! Very hilly and old. We went to the botanical gardens there, but weren't impressed. Not much was blooming. We took the long way home, stopping to get ice cream, then back to the cabin. One of the kids favorite things on the trip was the mini-golf course at our campground. It had all the Disney characters on it, so they loved it.

The next morning, we headed home, stopping for some great pepper-vinegar barbecue at Shealys. It was amazing. When we got home, we were pooped!! Jasen went back to work the next day. That same day, Grace and I had a mother-daughter date to paint pottery and get our hair done. The next day, we didn't do much, but Jasen and I had a date night, where we did a restaurant crawl. It was fun!

On Friday evening, we had our pastor and his family, Paul, Susan, and DeeAnna Rienzo over for dinner. We love them! Jasen and I laughed at how we always end up close to our pastor and his family! The guys played XBox and the girls (including Grace) sat around and visited. Such good company.

Saturday morning was the Easter egg hunt at our church. We decorated eggs that afternoon. That evening, Jasen had an ROTC event. Sunday, was Easter, so we were at church early and then went to brunch at High Cotton in downtown Charleston. It was sooooo good!! We walked around downtown for awhile, then came home. While we were walking, Davis sang "Bare Necessities" from Jungle Book at the top of his lungs, unaware of everyone staring at him with sheer pleasure on their faces. He makes quite an impression!

We came home to find the Easter bunny had visited and put eggs all over the front and back of our house and in the front yard of the house next door. Our neighbors, Sarah and Hunter, came out to help us look and we had a great visit with them. After the hunt, we came inside, where we watched the Masters, which was a great way to end the day and Spring Break.

I'll post pictures soon!

Spring is Here!

You should see all the gorgeous flowers that are in bloom right now! Honestly, I don't know what they are; my suspicion is that they are azaleas, but I am not sure. Anyway, there are bright fuschia and white flowers all over down here.

I wish I could say some of them are mine, but they are not. Last week I replanted our camellia and azalea plants, but they don't look much better. A neighbor of ours told us that the drainage in our main flowerbed (he has the same flowerbed at his house) will not allow for any good growth. The only thing that does well in that bed are our rose trees and weeds! I am getting ready to get some pine straw to cover up the weeds because I cannot keep up with them!

Let's see, we've been busy, as usual. Grace has started Upward soccer. Her first practice was rained out and the second wasn't a lot of fun because the gnats down here were swarming. Truly, they are awful!!! Anyway, she's on a team with four boys and another girl. It should be an interesting year. At the second practice, one of the boys said "We've got girls on our team????" OOOOOh, this momma was ready to tell him my girl could knock his block off if he wanted. Yes, I am a little protective, feminist momma! :)

Davis is doing well. He still wishes he could go to school everyday, so he cries almost all the way home on M-W-F. Oh well! Next year, he'll only cry on T-Th!

Jasen is on spring break this week, but they are doing a special "exercise" with their top cadets, so he's still working, except on a funky schedule. I won't lie, I was a little mad that his spring break was taken up with this "fun" especially when his schedule would be weirder than normal. But Jasen is having fun, wearing a fake mustache, not shaving, going to work in crazy clothes, so I guess I'll get over it!

Home Again, Home Again

Yep, I am back!! Some of you didn't even know I was gone! A few months ago, my brother-in-law, Clancey, sent an email to me and my other two sisters asking if we might be able to come to Dallas for a surprise party for my sister, Katie's 30th birthday. Of course, I wanted to be there. Jasen agreed and we started looking at airfare. Yikes!! The last time I checked, it was still over $300 and I knew we couldn't afford to do that. So Clancey donated some of his frequent flier miles to me and purchased my ticket.

Of course, with all the other family and friends I have in TX, I couldn't just go to Dallas. SOOOO, I arrived on Thursday, got a rental car, and made a running trip to Harker Heights, TX, where I stayed with my friend, Kim, and her kids, Jake and Natalie. It was very nice to see them.

Friday, after lunch, I got back in the car and headed to Dallas, where I picked up my friend, Christine, who flew in from Fort Bliss to see me. We met my older sister, Amy, at our hotel. After a couple of hours visit (and one really neat gift later), we went to Katie and Clancey's, where the surprise party for Katie was to be held. At that point, I got see my mom, two of my cousins and their spouses, Katie's in-laws, an old high school friend, and some of Katie's Dallas friends. Katie was shocked to see Amy and me there, as we'd been lying to her all day about not being able to enjoy her birthday with her. It was AWESOME! Who knew lying could be so fun? :)

Saturday, Christine and I slept in (until 9:30!!), grabbed breakfast, then headed to Katie's house. After a late lunch, we did some shopping, then got Clancey and went to Uncle Julio's for dinner. I had to get my Mexican food! The next day, we did brunch, then said goodbye. Christine boarded a plane back to Bliss, and I hit the road again, this time for Houston.

First stop, our friends', Connie and Shane. Long story on how they are my friends (my sister is generous with her relationships!!!), but they are like family. They recently moved to Conroe, when Connie got a promotion with State Farm. I got to see their new house, Amy and the kids met me there, then we all went to "carb up" at DoubleDave's!! Yum!

After that, it was back to Amy's house. I have to tell you, it was so nice to be at her house without my kids. I enjoyed being with Randall and Reagan, without the added entertainment/distraction of my kiddos. We watched a video of Reagan's dancing abilities (she's great!), then went to bed. The next morning, I slept in again (8:30!!), then went with Amy to what we thought would be her first radiation appointment. It ended up being more radiation mapping, but I am so glad I was there. I got to meet the radiation therapists who will be taking care of Amy and I am happy to report she's in good hands. They seem to be very gentle, very caring, and concerned. Then Amy and I treated ourselves to some Pappasitos! :)

That evening, we went to Reagan's Open House, for a ride in Jeff's new car (Acura TL with all the bells and whistles!) and to get ice cream.

Tuesday morning, I was up and at them again, back on the road after taking Reagan to school. I drove to College Station, where I picked up my baby sister, Angie. We went and got some coffee, then some new T-shirts for the Graham family. Then we met my friend, Amber, at her son, Kyle's gymnastics class. After that we headed to McAlister's for a quick lunch. I dropped Angie off at her class, then pointed the rental car to DFW airport. After almost 900 miles in 5 days, I dropped the car off at Enterprise, took a cab to the airport, grabbed a snack, and was home by 10 p.m.

It was a fast trip, with lots of driving, visiting, and eating. And it was wonderful!!! I had a great time with everyone, although the time was too short for all of the visits I made. I am really tired now that I am home, but I wouldn't trade it for the world! I'll post pictures and more in-depth stories soon.

Kudos for our Kids!

Day before yesterday, I was getting ready to go get Grace from school and got a message on my phone from her assistant principal. First off, it never rang on my phone. Don't know why, but it didn't. Second, when I heard who it was, a moment of panic ran through me! I was afraid we had a discipline issue. Boy, was I wrong. Miss Smith goes "fishing" at different times of the week to different classrooms. Well, she went fishing in Mrs. Branch's room and caught Grace modeling respect and obedience to the rest of her class. We were so proud!

The other day, Davis and I went outside to play. When we came in, I told him we needed to wash our hands before lunch. Because I was making lunch, I washed mine in the kitchen. He dutifully went to his bathroom and washed his hands all by himself. Isn't he a big boy? Here are the pictures!


We currently have some company. Our babysitter from Kansas, Jayme and her friend, Katrina, came to visit. Can I just say, they are the great house guests? We haven't seen them much, but that's okay. They've been very respectful (calling to let us know when they'll be "home," etc.) but they've gone off to do their own thing. That takes a lot of pressure off of us to entertain. As thanks, they are taking us out for dinner tonight to the Fat Hen. Woohoo!

Update/Magnolia Pics

This Saturday morning began with a start for me. Jasen had to be at an inspection at The Citadel by 7, so he was gone early. At 7 on the dot, Grace comes in and announces, "Davis cannot wait any longer; he is hungry and I am tired of hearing him say it!" Literally, that's what she said. And I know how she feels. I cannot tell you how many times in a day I hear my son say "I'm hungeeee." It's annoying and I feel like I have only two jobs concerning him: to make sure he doesn't pee on the side of the toilet and deliver him food!! And, as a mom, I get tired of trying to figure out what he wants to eat. So I am resolving that from now on, he gets two choices. After that, I am done.

Grace was a little mouthy this week and it really upset me. I don't know if she was tired or what, but she gave me some zingers and got some pretty good consequences out of the deal! UGH! I don't want her to get mouthy!

Big news: we are having a swing-set put up in the backyard! Yea! We found one on sale at Toys'R'Us last weekend so Jasen went and purchased it. He got home with every intention of putting it together. Then he looked at the instructions and told me it would take all the joy out of the purchase. I concurred and was secretly glad he said he wanted someone else to do it. So we got out the yellow pages and found a handyman to do it for us!! He should finish up by lunchtime and the kids will have something to play with in the backyard. WOOHOO!

Jasen and I enjoyed a fabulous evening out on Monday. We used our Fulton Five gift certificate from Larry and Renee. It's this great, quiet, out of the way Italian restaurant and it is now our favorite place! The Pundts got us the gift certificate to thank us for letting them stay with us on their way to Germany. Believe me, it was a great gift!

On Tuesday, we will have some more company and the kids and I are thrilled. Our babysitter from K-State, Jayme, and a friend of hers are coming to visit. Woohoo! They wanted to get away from Kansas for a little while and Jayme called me. You know how it is when you are first out of college; you can afford somethings, but not others. They could afford the plane tickets, rental car, meals, but lodging would put them over the top. We are glad to host them and can't wait for Jayme to see how big the kids are! All the Grahams have to remember is that they aren't coming here to see us, but it's a perk!

Here are pictures from our recent trip to Magnolia Plantation.




The kids and me under some massive bamboo shoots!

Grace checking out a smelly pig
The freaky white peacock. Really, it was creepy.
Grace and Davis on one of the bridges at the plantation.
Checking out a deer that was too close for my comfort and ended up freaking out the kids, too. We don't like free-roaming animals that will come *this close* to you to get food. It's unnatural!

Reason for Not Blogging?

In the past few days, I've found myself feeling pretty melancholy about updating this site. I know some of you know why I started this, but others of you may not. Jasen's grandmother Graham, Leta, learned to use the computer at about age 85, when we went to Germany. She wanted to be able to keep up with what Grace was doing. Isn't that amazing? Wait, she didn't learn to use the computer, she learned to email and use the Internet. Still, amazing.

Anyway, she's the one that encouraged me to start a blog. She had heard that it would be easier for people to check out what you are doing. When I started this, I know she checked it daily. She told me that she checked for a picture email from us and an update on the blog every evening, the time of day when she and Jasen's grandad were feeling a little down. That kept me going on the blog.

Now that she's gone, it's harder to blog. Before Mrs. Graham died, whenever I didn't feel like blogging, I always thought about the Grahams, checking their computer, only to be disappointed that I didn't blog. Now, I know it's not all about me and they certainly weren't wondering what I was doing, but I knew they were counting on me to keep them updated and, in some ways, uplifted. So when I think about blogging now, I know she's not there to check for herself and for him and I just avoid it. I guess it's an emotional block for me.

Long Weekend

Jasen was able to wrangle a long weekend off from work. Yea!! Most active-duty soldiers have this for a long weekend, but The Citadel does not observe President's Day. I don't know what is up with this university; they don't observe much! Coming from the "real" Army, it's a shock to the system for your soldier not to have every federal holiday off, plus an extra day! Anyway, Jasen's boss gave the active duty guys Friday off, since they couldn't have Monday off. You see, they don't teach on Friday, so he let them not come in at all. Since Jasen doesn't teach on Mondays either (he teaches on Wednesdays and Thursdays), he asked for Monday off and got a four day weekend out of the deal. Yea!!

Yesterday morning, I met with a few of the ladies from my Sunday night small group. It was so nice to enjoy a large coffee from Barnes and Noble and just relax and chat. I love the ladies I am meeting at my church. I told them last Sunday night that I hoped they would join my Army girlfriends as my friends for life.

Jasen and Davis went and ran some errands while I was gone. Little did I know, until this morning, that I was going to receive a couple of Valentine's gifts. One of them was a gift certificate for a massage at my gym. Woohoo!! With all the working out I've been doing, my shoulders are killing me again. So I need that massage.

The other gift was a surprise to me. Jasen reserved a spot for me and a friend (of course it will be him!) in a cooking class at the wine/gourmet store I think is cool. Isn't that awesome??? I am excited about it and can't wait for us to be a part of the cooking class.

Later on today, we'll be going out for a date. We decided to do an afternoon date downtown. We're going to tour a couple of historical homes and grab a late lunch. Then we'll come home and spend some time with our other Valentines having a family movie night. That means, frozen pizza, a kid's movie and lots of cuddles in the living room.

Update on Grace and her "loves:" One of the boys from school wrote "I love you, Grace" on her Valentine. When Grace got home, instead of coming and showing us her Valentine's, she went straight to the computer room and erased it!! I asked her why and she said she didn't want it to upset us. I guess I need to quit asking her about it. Anyway, when she talked to Jasen about it, she told him that Jefferson loves her and that she really likes him, but she is not interested in loving him. Yikes!!!

Before I Forget!!

Before I forget, I am going to blog! Today, I was driving down the road, thinking about things to write on here. Then I got online and almost didn't blog!! I don't know why. Anyway, I gotta make myself do it!

Davis had his school Valentine's party today. He and Grace have been so excited for this holiday. I think it's because I let them make their own Valentine's. When we saw what was available in pre-made cards at Wally World, the kids weren't very excited. So we went and bought a bunch of foam hearts, glitter glue, and sticky hearts/jewels to make our own. I am the least crafty person I know, so I felt I had accomplished a lot, allowing the kids to craft their own. Grace's turned out pretty nifty and Davis' were more my creation than his. Oh well. He didn't seem to mind.

Grace came home yesterday with two Valentines from two boys in her class. We met her as she came out of school. She whispered that Jefferson had given her a special Valentine. Jefferson was standing next to her and he had an anxious eye on me. When I looked at him, he just blushed and looked away. When we got home, I asked Grace why the boys gave her an extra Valentine. She told me that they love her. Oh man. Life is going to be hard on all of us when she starts loving them back!

Today has been one of those days in the lowcountry that I love. After I dropped Davis at school, I was able to go spend some time at Magnolia Plantation. Jasen, the kids and I went there this past weekend and it was great. The only thing in bloom right now are camellias, but it was beautiful to walk around. They have a petting zoo there and we found out that Davis is his momma's boy; he did not like the free-roaming animals!! Jasen carried him around while Davis had the death grip on him. In the end, Grace even freaked out, when the "bocks" (her word for roosters/chickens who go "bock-bock-bock") were a little too confrontational. We also saw a white peacock. Anyone ever seen one of those??? They are beautiful, but a little creepy. We don't know if it's a defense mechanism or a "look at me, chick" tactic, but once they unfurl their tail feathers, they vibrate them and it's a little freaky.

Anyway, with the admission to the plantation, you can come back one time in the following week. Well, today I took advantage of that offer. I went and sat on a bench on the banks of the Ashley River. When people ask me what I like about Charleston, it's hard for me to put into words. But as I sat on that bench, finishing up a great book (My Three Fathers by Bill Patten), I just felt so blessed. The beautiful river, glistening in the early morning sun. The live oak tree whose trunk is almost as big around as Jasen's car. The Spanish moss (which is neither moss nor Spanish, right, Renee??) hanging down, adding a touch of drama. The wind whistling through the still-green leaves of the plants. The smell of the camellias. It just moves me and I feel so close to God. Life down here is just slower and there seems to be more beauty to enjoy. At least to my eye. I love it here.

A Return!!

Okay, okay, I am back to blog a little!! I am stepping away from the Facebook!! It's addictive, I promise!! If you aren't on it, you should give it a try. It's lots of fun and you meet up with so many people you haven't talked to in forever. Or, like in the case of Jasen's cousin, Allyson and me, you find out there are less than six degrees of separation!

Here in Charleston, things are going pretty well. I think I am still winding down from the holidays. Yes, I know it's February, but it seems like there was so much going on. After my mom, sister and grandmother left, we hosted our friends, the Pundts, during their last few days in the US. They are now in Garmisch, Germany, with our other friends, the Kyles. I can't tell you how much we miss them all. I think it's made worse by the fact that I know I won't see them for a long time. We got spoiled having the Pundts in NC. At least we made the most of our time near each other!!

The kids are doing well. Grace just celebrated her 100th day of school. She had to make some sort of collection of 100 things. We used 100 stickers to make a poster board illustrating her favorite things and then she put Jasen, Davis, and me on there for good measure. We're getting ready to sign Grace up for Upward Soccer. I am very excited because she'll only have one practice a week, one game, and she'll be on a team of all girls!! Yea!

Davis becomes more boy everyday. He's getting a little less cautious and doing some crazy things. He's not couch jumping yet, but he's close. Anyway, he continues to love school and we just registered him for next year and he'll go three days a week. Let's hope both kids get great teachers again next year!

Jasen came home from work yesterday very happy. He booked a trip for us to Disney World!! Disney is running a special military rate until December 23rd, so we'll be going the week before Christmas. It's going to be great. Grace is very excited and Davis is just confused. He doesn't understand what Disney World is, but we know he'll love it!

The kids and I are battling colds right now. They've both been kind of hacky (is that a word??) for a couple of weeks now, but nothing major enough to go to the doctor. I started feeling cruddy day before yesterday. We are pounding OJ and decongestant!

Merry Christmas!

I think I figured out why I haven't been blogging much lately. You know how, when you've had a lot going on, it tires you out to tell someone about it? I think that's been my issue with our blog. I have had so much to do when I go online, then once I finish that, when I think back on what we've done lately, I just get tired.

So, on this Merry Christmas night, I am going to blog a little differently. I am going to just hit the highlights of the last few days.

• Lots of food! We've had great dinners out: Hyman's Seafood, 82 Queen, Andolini's Pizza, Saffron Bakery. Then, I cooked a holiday meal: Honeybaked Ham, sweet potatoes, veggie casserole, baked pineapple, green beans, Derby town pie, apple pie. Oh, and don't forget the cookies we made.

• Grandma's 75th birthday -- We spent Grandma's birthday night, out to dinner with my friend/personal trainer, Justin. After our lowcountry fare at 82 Queen, we went to Club Habana, where the guys had cigars and the ladies had martinis! Fun times!

• Downtown -- we've made a few trips downtown, toured the Calhoun Mansion, and shopped the Market Street shops. Also, we've driven around, just looking at houses and across the Ravenel Bridge during the day and at night.

• Giving back -- We took Christmas cookies and gingersnaps to the firemen down the street. Grace was annoyed we were doing it (she only wants to save trees!), but was sweet when we delivered them.

• A Christmas Day beach trip, of course! We went to Folly Beach this evening, just before dark. Grace and her grandmama put their feet in the water like the nuts that they are. Jasen and Davis ran around with Santa hats on their heads. Angie, Grandma, and I tried to capture the perfect picture.

• Presents, presents, and more presents. Wow. So, we all agreed to cut back this year, but why did it seem the number of presents did not go down!! I think I can sum up our favorite presents: Grace: her comfy chair for sitting in front of the TV (!!), and a robe Davis: Buzz and Woody figurines, Lightning McQueen car and slippers Jasen: Old Citadel photos (from the 1890s and 1950s), Gods of Diyala book (written by two lieutenants who were in Jasen's unit during their first deployment to Iraq), light sabers to share with the kids (they indirectly each got one!!) Sara: full-length apron, first edition The Razor's Edge by Somerset Maugham

I am not sure what Mom and Grandma's favorite gifts were, although their kid calendars are usually big hits. I think Angie had a favorite but I am not sure she wants to share it with everyone!

I will post pictures soon!

Absence

Wow, it has been awhile since I have blogged. I can't say why, but I just haven't. I think in some ways, it's because I would be repeating myself. We still love Charleston. Jasen's job is affording us some great family time and I cannot tell you how thankful we are for that. Grace is still loving school and we still adore her teacher, Mrs. Branch. The did a trip around the world this past week and Grace was able to take in some Germany pictures. Also, Jasen attended a field trip with her this week. Davis is doing well. He's almost completely potty-trained which is exciting!! He loves school and I am worried about how he's going to do without going for two weeks!!

This weekend, my mom, baby sister, and Grandma are all coming in to spend Christmas with us. We are quite excited!!

Holiday Happiness

**Postscript before the blog -- as I read back over this blog, it dawned on me how wonderful my life is. God is so good!!

Can I just say again how much I love Thanksgiving?? I mean, I really, really love it. I told someone "What could be better? Family/Friends, food, and football!" But it's really so much more than that.

Let me back up and tell you about our weekend before Thanksgiving. We went up to NC, to see our friends the Pundts. If you've read my blog before, you've definitely heard their names. Larry was our chaplain in Germany, Renee one of my dearest friends, Ari was Grace's first "same age" girlfriend, and Davis has a boy crush on Ethan. The Pundts will be leaving Fort Bragg after the New Year to go suffer for Jesus and the Army in Garmisch, Germany. It won't be suffering, really, except it will just be a long way from home.

We went to see them because we needed a little more time with them before they left. We arrived on Saturday, then went to Jim's Gems to pan for gold and cool rocks. The bigger kids really enjoyed it; Davis just wanted to play in the water, which was not advised because it was about 40 degrees outside!! We went to dinner, then to Fresh Market (like Whole Foods...great!), then home for bed. Sunday, I don't think we really did anything with them. Oh, I had a stomach episode but what's a trip to friends without one of those???

Sunday evening, we were blessed to have dinner with our friends, Sean and Chris Heidgerken. They were here over Labor Day so we were glad to see them again. They are some of my (Sara) oldest Army friends, some of the first people I ever knew in this Army life. They met me when I was completely green and naive about the Army. I've grown, right, Chris? They just moved into a huge and beautiful new home through Fort Bragg and we are so happy for them. After years of living in crap on-post housing, it's always great to see someone get a good house!! We totally enjoyed our night with them and are looking forward to our next visit.

Monday, we met Larry at the dining facility at the hospital. That evening, we had an adult date at a cool restaurant, The Mashhouse. Great beers there and a great deal on Monday night for dinner: appetizer, 2 salads, 2 entrees, and a bottle of wine or pitcher of beer or root beer for $40. Can't beat that!! Then we went to see "Quantum of Solace" which the Pundts thought was a bust and we were at least entertained. What can I say? They are smarter and more refined than we are!!

On Tuesday, we headed home. We stopped at Cracker Barrel and the kids ate so good. It's refreshing when you pay for a meal that your kids actually eat! When we got home, I got busy cleaning because I had less than 18 hours to prepare for my dad's arrival. Long story short, I got the house clean and some cooking done before Dad arrived about 11 am on Wednesday.

Once Dad arrived, we hit the ground running. We took him to The Citadel first, which he said was more like the A&M he went to than Aggieland is now. Then we drove further down the peninsula to show him old Charleston. We ended up on the tip of the peninsula at Battery Park. It was awesome to take Dad around. Everywhere we went, he stopped to read all the monuments and asked questions about Charleston history. I was embarrassed not to know some things!! I'll learn more before he returns!

After that, we went to eat at Hymans. We've heard that is a tourist trap and yes, it's built for the tourists, but we really liked it! The two brothers who own it, each came by our table to make sure everything was okay. Then, there was an older man who came around with a certificate for kids that, if they ate all their food, they could get either ice cream or popcorn at the end of the meal. Talk about incentive!! Dad had his first lowcountry food, boiled peanuts, grits, Cajun-style shrimp, a bite of my crabcake. He said he liked it and I think he did! Then we headed to our house.

Later that day, we had to go to Wal-Mart, of course, for Dad to load up on his salsa ingredients. I had to get some last minute things, so Grace and I took him. I spent ten minutes walking up and down the same aisle, looking for those two twerps as they were off getting toys!! I was so mad!! We came home and Dad commenced to make his cold hot sauce. Yum!! I also continued to make things for our feast.

Thursday morning, we got up and got going. Turkey breast in, etc. Then we went to the closest fire station and delivered a homemade apple pie to the firemen to say thank you for their service to our community. That was Grace's original idea but she acts like she didn't know she said it. Why is it your kids try to act like you make up stuff??? Anyway, when Grace mentioned wanting to do something on Thanksgiving to give back, I thought the pie idea would be easy. I can't wait for the day my kids are old enough that we can go serve at a shelter or soup kitchen before we have our family meal. I hope to nurture Grace's benevolent spirit!

So, after the pie delivery, we came home and I got in gear. Dad commented that we were going to have enough food for 12 people and I am pretty sure he was right! I made stuffing, giblet gravy and an egg custard pie for the first time and they all turned out pretty well. Next time, I will tweak them a little, but I think they were fine. The men ate them and that's all I needed!! The kids lapped up my homemade cranberry sauce which was hilarious! I think Grace might have a new favorite sandwich: turkey and cranberry sauce on a roll. She's had it twice since Thanskgiving Day.

We watched the Cowboys play, then the Aggies. Not going to comment on that last one. The score was not as ugly as the game really was or could have been. Jason Karnes, do you agree?

Oh, one more thing. While I was cooking, getting ready, etc. Dad would go outside and play with the kids. I can't tell you what a great grandad he is and it's really a joy to watch. He was kicking the balls with the kids, letting Grace lead him around, showing him the ins and outs of our backyard and neighborhood. Truly, I can't tell you how happy it makes me watch him with Grace and Davis.

Friday, we got up and had a breakfast casserole which was made better with the homemade hot sauce. Then we headed out again. We took Dad to see the Atlantic Ocean at Folly Beachwhere Grace had a shoe/sock crisis. Sometimes, I just want her to go barefoot to keep the drama to a minimum! Which is what she did when we went to Angel Oak. Dad says the trees down here must be ancient because he's never seen live oaks this tall.

We ended up our sightseeing with a stop at one of my favorite places: Stono Market. It's a combination veggie/fruit market and homecooking restaurant. We stuffed ourselves on good ole food, purchased a couple of Christmas ornaments (Dad said it was the rustic version of Cracker Barrel and I think he's right!), then came home to enjoy the last few minutes of Dad's visit. His delivery to the airport was excruciating, like it always is. Dad's visits are always perfect in time; he leaves later than he wanted (he's a homebody), but he always leaves us wanting more. Isn't that the best kind of visit?

Longer Blog Soon!

Okay, I know I need to blog, but I just don't have the time right now. And I probably won't have time for the next few days. We just returned yesterday from a trip to NC to see the Pundts and the Heidgerkens. This morning, my dad comes into town for Thanksgiving. So the past 18 hours have been a blur of cleaning, organizing, cooking, etc. I promise to blog when he leaves!!

Great Date!

Jasen and I had a great date last night. We went to the Terrace Theater, which is an independent movie house. They get all the best art/independent films and all the different movies you can't find anywhere else. They've been running "Lawrence of Arabia" for the last few weeks and we went and saw it last night. I am SO glad we did! First off, Jasen got to see the Terrace (I had been there previously for a British film Jasen wasn't interested in) and he really liked it. They have cool candy, wooden-backed chairs, small-ish sized theaters, and beer and wine! Anyway, I was glad that Jasen liked it as much as I did.

I am really glad we got to see the movie the way it was intended: on the big screen. Because I just recently finished a book on Gertrude Bell, who is sometimes called the "female Lawrence of Arabia," I've been anxious to see this epic film. There is just something about seeing a movie like that on the big screen. Jasen and I both agreed that it wouldn't have had the same affect if we had seen it on our little TV at home. Yes, our TV is still pretty small!

Again, because of my recent readings, I've been really curious to see how Lawrence was portrayed. First off, Peter O'Toole looked nothing like Lawrence. And there were somethings in my Gertrude Bell book that were left out about Lawrence. From her perspective, he was much less "happy-go-lucky" pompous and much more "the rest of y'all are stupid" pompous, if that makes sense. He was smart, but knew it in a not-so-nice way. I thought the movie kind of glazed over that.

We both laughed at Obi-Won Kenobi playing King Faisal with a horrible beard and fake nose. Anthony Quinn's nose was even worse!! Omar Sharif was great, though.

Also, curious that the movie made little mention of the work people like Gertrude Bell also did in the area of Arab revolution.

Some of the parts of the movie, Jasen laughed out loud because it reminded him of his time in Iraq. There are some things about Arabs that are still very true; they haven't changed much from the early 1900s to now. For instance, toward the end of the movie, Lawrence is trying to get them to council themselves. Good luck getting two warring tribes to agree on anything! Especially if their disagreements go back centuries! They'd rather watch the whole city of Damascus burn rather than help each other.

Again, Jasen just kept laughing and at one point had tears in his eyes because we're trying to make them like us but we KEEP ignoring one big fact: ARABS ARE NOT LIKE US!!! No matter how we've tried throughout the years (Crusades, Lawrence of Arabia, etc.), it hasn't happened yet. Still we try to make them like us. Wonder if we'll ever stop? Wonder why we care? Jasen in essence said "Once a Bedouin, always a Bedouin."

Breakthrough!

We've had a potty breakthrough!! Davis is consistently using the potty (he doesn't tell us, we just take him!) and using the big one, at that! Yea!!! I'm good with taking him every half hour to an hour as long as we don't have to buy more diapers!

Grace is doing well. She continues to love school, Tae Kwon Do, and Mrs. Branch.

Finally, Jasen and I are going to have a date night! After two previous attempts failed, we are going out tonight. We aren't going to be able to do all that we wanted (Jasen desperately wants some oysters), but we are going to do one thing we've desired. An independent theater here is showing "Lawrence of Arabia." I've never seen it and Jasen's only seen part of it, so we're going tonight to see it. I am excited to see it on the big screen. And this theater has the coolest candy. Yes, I will be taking a nap this afternoon, since we'll be up until almost 11!

Last night, we watched "Casino Royale" which was awesome, if I do say so myself. Jasen had already seen it, but I needed to see it in preparation for seeing "Quantum of Solace."

We're heading to NC this weekend, to spend time with the Pundts. Yea! Sadly, they'll be leaving Fort Bragg for Garmisch, Germany, after New Year's so we must spend as much time as we can with them.

Friends or No Friends

Jasen and I got into a pretty deep conversation on Saturday. I begged out of the ROTC tailgate party because #1 Davis was up and down on Friday night #2 It was muddy and #3 I was tired and didn't want to go. Jasen returned in a funk because the other couples were there, sitting around enjoying themselves and Jasen felt like we are outside the group. It made me sad for him, but in my initial defense, I pointed out that we'd never been to a tailgate where we all sat down to visit. Usually, the guys are talking/drinking, kids are getting into rocks/mud/etc., and the wives are drifting in and out of conversations.

Anyway, this situation led Jasen and I to go deeper about friendships and what we are looking for here. Jasen is used to being in "the" group. It's not that we have been the most popular people at his previous duty assignments, but because of his work role or friends I've made, we've been in with the people we've really liked and wanted to be with.

At Fort Riley and here, Jasen has really wanted me to get out there and make friends immediately. He has wanted me to accept every invitation, every playdate, etc. He was going on our previous assignment, in Germany, where we were so involved, had lots of friends, and were really busy.

I can't explain it, but at Fort Riley, God gave me very clear discernment about who I should be friends with. Because of Jasen's concerns that I wasn't making friends fast enough (and not just his), I made friends with a few people I KNEW were not who I needed to be friends with. Those relationships didn't turn out, but the ones I did make, slowly became so important and valuable. I am thankful for those friends!

Now, being here in Charleston, I am feeling the same "hold back" feeling I felt before. Because Jasen watched my friends become so important in Germany (and maybe too important), he worries when I don't have friends immediately. And, he wants us to be involved in what everyone else is doing. I understand that, because it's been our modus operandi. But here, I am not feeling that need.

You know why I don't feel that need? On a small level, I feel like it's because I already have so many family/friends who I feel I neglect more often than not. I feel bad because the people I already love get slighted by me. But the most important reason I don't need to make friends, is that I have my best friend here with me. Jasen is finally here with our family with no impending deployment on the horizon. We can finally be a family of four, just enjoying each other. And for quite some time, that's all I have wanted.

Always Busy

You know, I wish I could tell you what we've been doing around here, but it seems to be a lot of nothing. Or maybe, because it's stuff we do all the time (Grace to school, Davis to school, Jasen to school, the gym, etc.) it just seems like nothing but it's actually a lot. Either way, we've been doing stuff, just not a lot to report.

Davis is making strides in the potty area. Woo-hoo! He even kept his diaper dry at school on Tuesday and went potty there! Yea!! So we're keeping it up and quite excited about this development.

I have to tell you that Davis is showing more and more of his personality and it's so much fun. He's just so funny in "I don't mean to be funny" ways. It's just in the way he walks around and talks to us all.

I think I am going to go to the doctor for some blood tests. As much as I've been working out and eating better, I have lost ZERO weight. I am also tired all the time. I've had my thyroid tested in the past because three of the five closest female relatives (sister, mom, grandma) all have thyroid problems. It's never shown any issues in the past, but I just can't help but think there is something else going on in my body. Also, a friend and I were talking not long ago about how I haven't ever recovered my original energy level since I had mono in high school. Anyway, pray for wisdom for me and the doctor. If I even see a doctor....

Jen and Tripper

We had a great visit with my old friend, Jen, and her baby boy, Tripp. I'll admit, we didn't do as much as we should have, but there's just so much to do down here! Anyway, they arrived on Friday afternoon and we went straight downtown. We went to part of The Citadel parade, which was neat. But I have to admit it has nothing on the Corps of Cadets at A&M! I'm not partial or anything!

Then we went down to Cupcake because I had promised Grace and Davis a treat! Of course, we all had to have one and they were delicious, as usual. Then we came home and I made dinner.

Saturday, Jasen had a prayer breakfast and football so we waited to go downtown. Jasen graciously took care of our kids while Jen and I took Tripp to sightsee. We went to eat at the Noisy Oyster. I'll admit, it's probably a tourist trap, but we liked the food. Jen got her first taste of fried green tomatoes (she liked them!), Tripp tried grits (he liked them!), and I struck up a conversation with the Germans at the next table!

We went shopping at the market, of course and just walked a little downtown. Again, we didn't do anything really specific or fun. I kept thinking that maybe if I didn't show Jen too much, she'd need to bring her Jason and their older kiddos with her next time! We drove across the Ravenel bridge and then went down to the park on Battery. We went into the courtyard of a bed and breakfast downtown and took some pictures. It was a gorgeous day and the scenery was great, too. We went to Wal-Mart then to Crosby's seafood where I got some local shrimp, then came home and made dinner. We watched the first part of the Tech/OSU game, then went to bed.

Sunday, it was off to church, which was unusual, then brunch at a new place (Mimi's Creekside) which was delish, as usual! Then we came home for, um, nothing! Wow, I think I owe Jennifer an apology because we did next to nothing during her trip! But I was glad to have her and Tripp here. I got my baby fill and got to visit with a friend who knows me so well. Yesterday, we even made her use her Psych degree in the form of marital financial counseling! :)

Thank you, Jen, for coming to see us!

Pics Galore

I have a million pictures to post of the past few weeks. Of course, they are in reverse order, so bear with me! I hope you enjoy! I'll post more real stories soon.

Here is Grace and Osso, the dog she loves, loves, loves.



And Davis is with Bullet, who weren't quite as fond of each other as Grace and Osso!

The kids and the dogs

Granny and Papaw try some Cajun flavored boiled peanuts. They aren't too bad! Much better, in my opinion, than the just salted ones.

Jasen, Sara, and Grace on the piazza of the Edmondston-Alston house in downtown Charleston. It looks right out on the harbor.

Granny and Papaw get ready for the tour.

Grace with her "I Spy" list. This house was awesome, because it provided kids with something to do. They looked for items inside and outside the house to cross of their list. It was right up Grace's alley!

Sara, Grace, and Jasen on the joggling board. We want one!

Jasen, Grace, Granny, and Papaw in front of the Edmondston-Alston house.
Davis says goodbye to Granny before heading off to school.
The kids check out some of Granny's videos of the dogs when they were puppies.

Granny, Grace, and Papaw at Easterbys.

Sara, Jasen and Grace at Grace's Awana awards ceremony. Grace now has her "Hang Glider" badge! She memorized 7 verses and is going to memorize more!

Davis and Grace say "Ta Da!" at the Angel Oak. yes, those are limbs going into the ground and coming back out. It was awesome!

Jasen, the kids and the great-grandparents at the Angel Oak.

Look at how big the Angel Oak is!

Davis the welder!

Jasen "plays" with the dogs. Some would say he is antagonizing them!
Our "new" mantle clock. It was Lori's and Granny and Papaw had it repaired for us. It chimes and everything! We feel like such grown-ups with our mantle clock chiming away!

Yes, that would be Osso in the stroller!

Grace smothering Osso with love! Or is that Bullet?
Our cowboy and black cat on Halloween!
Grace says "Meow!" Do you see her claws??
Davis is really saying "Yee haw!" He would take his hat off and wave in front of his face!
Jasen, the terrorist. We were so proud....not!

Carving the pumpkin

Grace is the smartest yardworker I have ever seen!

Grace and her classmates on the Junie B. field trip

Grace Loves Mrs. Branch!

Our own little Junie B., complete with glasses, at the Junie B. play.
Go Cowboys!
Davis sleeping with his fire truck

And his cowboy hat!