Abby's Birthday and more

    Abby turned 10 on Friday, June 10! I can't believe it. Wow, time sure has flown. She had a birthday party with her friends at the skating rink in Memphis before we left. On her birthday, she opened tons of presents and had a lazy day. Check out her blog.        
     We needed a dresser and to update the bed. When we were here during Spring Break, Jesse went to the flea market and saw some woodwork that was amazing. He asked the guys to custom make a bed and dresser.  Jesse picked them up and I was speechless! (I know, amazing, right?!) The work is phenomenal. The guys also made nightstands to match and we went and bought the next day. The prices were shockingly cheap for the amount of wood and labor. Score! Click on the pics of inside page.
     Shadow needed a fence so he could lay outside in the sun or just hang out.  Jesse and the kids built one this weekend and the pictures are on the pics of outside page.

     Life is good!

Rock Park

   We went to the Rock Park yesterday!  Our house is 30 minutes from the state line and the park is another 15 minutes. It is at the top of the Ocoee River where they let the water out. They had not let the water out yet this week, so the water level was a little low. It is a huge area that has a little store and restaurant, trails that go on forever, and the views are amazing.  The kids love to walk on the rocks (and I have mini-heart attacks!) and then wade in the shallow water. I walk on the trails and enjoy the view. We looked for the best spots to play in and the laughter filled the air. It was not crowded at all since school is still in session here. When the water is let out for the weekend white water rafting, the crowds will be in full swing.  The weather was perfect, sunny, but not too hot. We stayed for 3 hours and then had a picnic lunch.
     Dad and Patricia came back from her brother's surgery. Everything went better than planned and he was released the next day. Amazing!
    I have added several pages to our blog, one each for the kids and one for pictures. Check them out!
Life is good!

Hello All

     We decided to start a blog about our summer here in Murphy, NC. First of all, we miss you guys in Memphis already! We are enjoying the cooler temps, about 10 degrees cooler during the day and at night. We eat every meal outside if we can. It is chilly in the morning, perfect for a trail walk. Shadow loves being outside! We do not have a fence yet, so he can not stay outside as long as he would like. Our trip here was fine; we made it in 7 1/2 hours on Saturday. Sunday, we had breakfast with my dad and his wife, Patricia. The guys went golfing and the kids and I vistited with Pat, their two dogs, Casey and Cara, the cats, Ivan and Halley, and the bird, Scrappy. Yes, they have a zoo! Oh, they also have a pond full of koi fish. Pretty cool. The kids and I went back to the house and we all went to Walmart for our first (of many!) shopping trip. After we got back, I walked up to their house. Ok, yes it is only .3 of a mile, but it is all uphill. Boy, that was tough! Dad drove me back and then we all went to a Mexican restaurant for dinner.

      The next day, Jesse had to drive to Atlanta at 5:30 in the morning for a flight to Seattle for a team meeting. The kids and I went on an hour-long trail walk and then to the rec center to swim. Dad and Pat went to see her brother who is having brain surgery as I write this. He has Parkinson's disease and it has progressively gotten worse. Please keep him and the family in your prayers. We are watching their zoo while they are away. Today, June 7, we cleaned the house (yes, the kids helped!) and are about to run some errands. Life is good!