I think I should start this post with a disclaimer:
I never get to spend the time that I need composing these things, and many times it seems like I just go barf out my thoughts onto the computer and click publish post for you all to read. So keep that in mind as I attempt to tell you very quickly a little about.................

This past weekend my dear sweet Moma won an award at the Southern Living at Home convention in Nashville. This was no ordinary award folks. It was the Lifetime Generousity Award which is the highest honor anyone can receive in a company of 30,000 consultants. It is the last thing they give in the closing ceremony for the convention.
I am always intimidated by the idea of explaining how wonderful I think my mother is, because I am sure it will come out all cheesy, but I have decided to tell you anyway. My mother is
the most selfless person I have ever encountered! She works as a consultant for Southern Living at Home and has built this huge team of girls under her that now consider her a mother to them as much as I do. She means the world to all of these gals and has been the listening ear or shoulder to cry on or giver of Godly wisdom to for each of them at many times. Doing this business has become more of a mission for her where she has truly been "light and salt " to the earth. Oh yeah, and the money she makes....she gives it away to her own children. Back to the night, the company secretly brought Dad into town that night to surprise her and put them up in the presidential suite. He said that if he had known how big this thing was, he would have brought the entire family. I was so sad that I didn't get to go. I just so happen to LOVE Nashville myselfand would have loved to be there for her. He said it was a beautiful evening and overwhelming to meet all of the girls who love and appreciate Moma the way she deserves.

See, I told you it wouldn't do it justice, but this draft has been sitting here for almost a week now and I just have to go with it......








In other Harrison news, the kids turn into Superheroes often these days, especially those that Kiah spends at our house:

I ran my second race last weekend with Rick down in Greenville. It was lots of fun. Well, not the race part cause Rick made me run too fast and I had a painful cramp in my side for the second half. BUT, hanging out with him was great and it was all good when we finished.






And Annabelle continues to be quite darling.

CAMP CHEROKEE

I don't think that I have even mentioned the fact that Caleb and Adam spent the entire week down in Georgia with the Harrison side of the family last week. Angie called me about a month ago and asked if I wanted the kids to come down and go to day camp at Camp Cherokee with her kids. After thinking about it for about 30 seconds, I said, "of course I want them to do that." Cause let's face it, I need a break every once in a while from those guys! Then it got even better because Angie said we could bring them down one weekend and then come back to pick them up the next. (I am pretty sure she didn't want me down there distracting her as she got some things done herself during the week) So we took her up on it and Seth drove them down last Sunday. Everything was going pretty well until Tuesday when Angie called with news that Adam had to come home early after barfing beside the pool and was running a fever. He was so pitiful on the phone that night with me and I felt awful for not being there. Angie took good care of him the next day while he stayed home with her. She bought him a couple of new toys and he was feeling better in no time.

On Friday morning, Seth, Annabelle and I drove down for the weekend to visit and pick up the boys. We met The fam at the dock and boarded Seth's cousin's pontoon boat and drove across the lake to pick up the kids from camp. Adam stayed home again that day with Aunt Angie because he had a "stomach ache" (he was a bit homesick and thought he would see us earlier if he missed camp). I was so excited to see him because that was the first time I had ever been away for more than a night. We had a really nice afternoon and the kids got to swim a little on the way back. Then we ate some good food at the little restaurant near the dock. It was fun, though we were all very tired from the week. (Seth and I were going on just a couple of hours of sleep since the concert was the night before........and neither of us do well in that state normally) Saturday was pretty laid back too. We took the kids swimming at Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Carolyn's pool and had a really great dinner at Papa and Nana's that night.

Sunday morning, we drove our WORN OUT rear-ends home and slept about 10 hours that night in an attempt to catch up on sleep.


I didn't take my camera on the boat, but Angie did so I do have pictures....... I just have to get them from her........and she's in Orlando.......so I will post them next week.

Oh yeah, the boys definitely enjoyed camp. There were 21 campers all together and 9 of them were related in some way to them. They did a lot of swimming, canoeing, singing, and hiking.

On a cute note, before they left last Sunday, I was having a talk with them about doing the right thing while they were there and we were going through some scenarios to make sure they knew how to behave. I said, "Let's say that some kids are being mean to another kid. What would you do? " Caleb said he would go tell the chief. I laughed out loud because it made me realise that they were expecting this to be an indian camp or something. (it is just in Cherokee County and thus the name "Camp Cherokee") Then I understood a little more about Adam's reasoning for getting Aunt Lorie to cut his hair in a mohawk.

Hopefully we will be showing our house this evening. A guy called over the weekend and said he and his wife picked up our flyer and wanted to take a look. So y'all be praying for us. They already live in this area so obviously they aren't against living out west. I hope they have kids and don't need to sell their house first or anything like that!

I'll keep you posted!


Seth called and the dude said that they already made an offer on another house. So, here we go with the ups and downs of having a house on the market. blah, blah, blah.

I think we just need to buy a little camper and live on our lot for a while.

The Benefit Show

I am just dying to post about our benefit Show on Thursday night. Let me just start by saying that it really was the most FUN night of my life. I thought that statement through and I came to the conclusion that it may have not been "the best night of my life" (in Caleb's words), but it truely was the most fun one. (Lorie just informed me that "funnest" is not a word) I got to live out my dream of being a rock star. I mean a old time music star. It was just great! We had a really good turn out and raised quite a bit of money for Dave. I am pretty sure that everyone had fun. (probably not as much as me though!)

Due to the fear of rain, we ended up setting up in the basement of the Monte Vista which is their little bar called The Monte. I was a little disappointed in this at first but then decided that I actually liked it better because it felt more authentic or something as I lived out my musical dream. I got my guitar (actually it is Leslie's) pimped out so that it could plug in. (dad funded that) AND, we had a whole sound system complete with an actual "sound guy". I got a kick out of telling him I needed a little more voice in my monitor, though I forgot to say something like that during the show to seem once again, authentic.

Now all I can think about is how can we do this again?

BTW, more photos and thoughts to come.....................

Top Ten reasons why

YOU should come to the Monte Vista tonight:

1. It is for a good cause.
   
2. We have a really really hot bassist. (taken, yet, hot none-the-less)
   
3. All of your friends are doing it.
4. You could meet some new people. It will be a great place to network your business.
5. GOOD, good music-----We really have some great musicians.
6. To hear my Aunt Carolyn's beautiful soulful voice.
7. If you mostly know me from the gym, you will see me with my hair down and unsweaty.
   
8. Cause I am in charge of the concert banter and there is no telling what I will end up saying.
9. You'll go way up in my book!
10. It would make me SOOOOOOOOOOOO happy.

I'll see you there around around 7:30-8ish!

CIVIL WAR RE-ENACTMENT

Last Saturday, the boys and I went down to Old Fort to see a Civil War re-enactment with our friends, Paul and Amy. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I figured it would be a really great learning experience for the boys and fun too. They have always been obsessed with guns and weapons so I figured they would dig it. They did. Especially the part where they got to play with some 10 year old in the dirt while I watched the fashion show in a tent close by. Yep, while the men got ready for the "battle", the women (a few guys too) held a fashion show. Before we arrived, I had decided that my only regret was most likely going to be the fact that I was not in costume. (I love to dress up) However, after the show, I was glad that I hadn't even attempted because these folks took it very seriously and I was almost intimidated by the authenticity of the attire. This is my favorite little family: AND, the mom made all of their costumes. I was impressed!

OK, let me back up a little here and tell you about these Re-enactments. There are folks who do this as their hobby and will arrive at the designated location a few days ahead of the official skirmish to make camp. For three or four days, they dress the part and act the part of a civil war period family. It is pretty interesting. They try to be as authentic as possible by not using anything that wouldn't have been available in that time period. (within reason I suppose) The guy above told us that they had just "stolen some pork from the Yankees earlier that day" as we explored through the camp. I am sure he didn't use those exact words because it sounded better than that.
IT WAS HOT! But, I couldn't think of complaining with all of those poor souls dressed in wool uniforms or wearing seven layers of petty coats and skirts! The boys were not as sympathetic.



Now, onto the actual battle. We came prepared with earplugs for the boys but I really had no idea how loud the cannons were actually going to be.
It was the loudest noise I have ever heard. I was afraid it might even damage my eardrums so I spent the first fifteen minutes with my ears covered and wishing I had brought some for me too. Amy was such a great help with Caleb who sat in her lap so she could cover his ears over top of the earplugs. Eventually we got used to it and kept a close eye on the guys lighting the fuse so we could know when to brace ourselves.





It was kinda like a play or something. There was a doctor who went around to help the injured soldiers. No one "died" for quite some time because it was hotter than heck out there and I can't think of how miserable it would have been to lie in the grass for thirty minutes or so when you could be up shooting the bad guys.

There are Companies all from all over the place who do this sort of thing quite often. Some have both Yankee and Rebel uniforms and will fight on whatever side needs more men.
Other companies wouldn't dream of being on the opposing side.

These were the Yankees: By the way, they lost this particular skirmish.

My favorite part, aside from the fashion show, was watching the cavalry. The horses were so well-trained and the would charge ahead and do their thing and then all retreat back.

This horse only had one eye. It was creepy looking. He didn't lose it in the battle. He had some disease and the vet took it out. We asked.




For the most part, the place was just full of history buffs and such, but as I suspected, there were a good number of folks who use it as a good excuse to wave their rebel flags and wear questionable t-shirts.

In conclusion, I can't think of a better way to learn a little more about that war or history,in particularly from a little boy's perspective, than watching one of these. If I was in charge of the event, I would have held a "history lesson" before the battle giving information about the skirmish they were re-enacting and what actually happened in Old Fort, NC at that time. If I was more friendly, we could have learned more though Paul and Amy were a wealth of information themselves about it all.


Until the next time, I will be working on sewing our family costumes for the event. Nope, it would be too hot. Maybe if there is one in October or something. Paul may be a part of a Revolutionary War company soon. I think I would like that better. No one is bitter about the outcome of that war.

The neighborhood children are out of school for the summer now which changes our lives pretty drastically. Caleb in particularly LOVES other children so his first thought in the morning is, "Can I go see if Taylor can play?" Keep in mind that Taylor is 10 and doesn't necessarily want to spend his every waking hour with a 6 (7 in a couple of weeks) year old. So, I solved the problem by paying him about a dollar an hour to babysit Caleb. Then Emily gets a dollar an hour to babysit Adam. The boys love it and I love the free time with just Annabelle. Monday they all spent the day running a lemonade stand. They sold sweet tea and lemonade to the folks driving through and the workers at the job sites. What a great learning experience for the boys and they had a blast!

I have said this many times before but I think I need to record it in my blog. I am so glad that God saw fit for Adam to arrive in this world 15 1/2 months after Caleb. It was so hard when they were babies, but now it is wonderful. They each have a perfect playmate for life. Yeah, they do fight quite a bit, but after they get disciplined for that, I usually talk to them about how they are best friends and should be thankful for one another. They get it. I want them to be best friends, and so far they really are. I believe it builds character to have to learn constantly to get along and share and love......


So any of you gals who have just one baby right now, consider having the second soon. It will be hard at first but then so much better in a few years!


I will have to say that there can be a drawback known as "double trouble" because a brother makes a perfect partner in crime. For example you might just walk into the play room one morning , and after a bit of inspection, realise that not one, but TWO boys decided to pee on a t-shirt in the middle of the floor.


That really happened last week. Boys can be so darn gross.

Annabelle at least has cousins that are close in age!

Don't forget to come to the Monte Vista Thursday!

You are all invited to join us at the Monte Vista Hotel in Black Mountain next Thursday for a benefit concert.

Last week, a guy who has worked for Uncle Larry and with Seth some, all but cut his hand off with a skill saw. His name is Dave and he had just began to get his life together when this happened. Uncle Larry and another guy have been helping him out by getting him some governmental assistance for his medical bills, but there are so many other expenses that he will have now and he obviously can't work. SOOOOOOOO, we worked out a concert with our family (though we are not all family now) band at the Monte Vista to raise a bit of money for rent and a few other things.

We would love for you to come and see us play! It will start around 8:00. You can throw a bit of money on our jar up front or whatever.......it is up to you! I just want you to come and hang out with us! So bring your kids or get a sitter and consider it a night on the town.

I promise a good time for all.

Dollywood Adventures Part One

Annabelle and Lucie were dancing around in the new hats at the water park. It was just about the cutest thing ever! Did I mention that these two adore one another? They do.

We didn't ride too many of the big rides this time around. The lines were longer even later in the evening. Uncle Chuck did ride Timber Tower and we had a good time watching him.




Once again, Annabelle wanted no part in riding on a horse on the Merry-go-round. She and Mimi sat on the bench and waved to us as they went by.
Caleb sat there too on our third ride in a row.




The best part this time was the water playground. It was just perfect for Lucie and Annabelle. Caleb, Lanie and Adam loved it too.


Lucy's did not like having to get off of the rides. She might ride this Merry-go-round for hours and hours straight if she could. It was funny to me, not so funny to Aunt Amie.



I left my camera at Mom's house so these are just a few pictures from Amie's camera. I have lots more to write about but it will just have to wait. Annabelle is patiently sitting in my lap right now, but she is going to want some breakfast soon! (and me too)