Millbrook/Montgomery, Alabama Trip

This past weekend we visited my cousins Rachel, Pat, Ravyn, & Cody in Millbrook, Alabama. On the way we stopped at Chick Fil A Dwarf House.  I had never been before so it was a real treat!

Millbrook, Alabama is right beside Montgomery so we were able to visit around the town with them. Vince & Pat wen to an event downtown Friday night so we took the kids to eat frozen yogurt.

 Saturday afternoon we went to Bass Pro.  The boys enjoyed all the animals and the aquarium.

 They had a fishing pool set up for the kids. Pat taught the boys how to hold the fishing pole.

 The activity for the day was to create lightening bug jars out of stickers.  The boys had fun with this task.

The staff took our picture with a pretend frog!

Rachel & Ravyn rested on a cool bench.

 Alex gave Ravyn lots of hugs.

It was a fun trip!

Hot Water Heater Death

Last Friday night we were getting ready for bed when Vince saw a huge wet spot on the ceiling of our bedroom. The drywall slightly bulging and water was dripping into our room. Our hot water heater died.  It is located in the walk out attic directly above our bed room. Of course this happens on a Friday night when plumbers are unavailable over the weekend (unless you want to pay double).

Vince, being the clever Boy Scout that he is, brought in his '5 gallon bucket shower' and set it up in our bathroom.  I boiled water for 5 days until Lowe's could finally coordinate to get our new water heater installed.  That process was so long and neither the store nor the installers communicated to each other well.  But we had fun with our shower, especially after I upgraded the 5 gallon bucket to our large cooler.  This allowed for a long, hot 9 minute shower. 

Mother's Day 2016

This year on Mother's Day, we attended church. Evan's Sunday School teacher gave all the moms some seeds.  The boys helped me plant and water them.

We went to the Marriott for their lunch buffet. Vince outdid himself and got me some great gifts from him and the boys.  I had beautiful flowers, chocolates, in dash car cameras, and a few other odds and ends. The lunch was great & we had nice music. 

I'm so glad to call these precious boys mine.  I couldn't be happier to be their mom.

March of Dimes 2016

This year I participated in the hospital's March of Dimes campaign as one of the team leaders.  We pushed for more on-line giving and did some great fundraisers.  The event was held Saturday morning. We had perfect weather! (Last year it poured down rain.)  My parents joined Vince, me and the boys.  Vince pulled the boys in their wagon. We ate hamburgers, chips & huge cookies.  When they announced the awards, I was half paying attention until I heard them call my name.  I won the team captain award this year - for all of Spartanburg.  Woo hoo! We won several awards as a team as well. It was a great day!

Aunt Susie's Memorial

It's so hard to believe that my Aunt Susie passed away on Easter Sunday.  We had gone to Florida last June and visited with her and then Uncle Jack & Aunt Wilma at their beach house.  Uncle Jack died unexpectedly from an aneurysm less than 3 weeks after our visit.  Aunt Susie died 9 months after our visit.  She had gone to her doctor with "bronchitis" and the doctor sent her to the E.R. where she was admitted.  The doctors thought she had an upper respiratory infection, but then her enzymes didn't look right on the 3rd day.  After several tests, it showed she had a mild heart attack within the last couple of days (possibly the first day she was admitted).  They told her the blockage wasn't too bad and gave her some meds and sent her home.  A day later, she had to rush back to the hospital because she wasn't able to breathe well.  We then found out she had been diagnosed with C.O.P.D two years earlier, but had told no one. And now she had pneumonia present in one lung.  And then two lungs.  And then she suddenly had respiratory failure and passed away.  She was only 69.  My mother was in Florida & had just returned from a cruise with my dad that morning.  They rushed to the hospital in time to say goodbye and watch her fade away.

I had recorded a video message from the boys to her where Alex says "I love you, Susie" a few times.  My cousin DeLeigh played it for her a couple of days before she passed and said Aunt Susie said "I love you, too!"  I'm so glad she got to hear our love for her.  The funeral was held this past Saturday.  We drove down Friday, stayed Saturday, then drove back home on Sunday.

That was a long trip for 3 days.  The boys were super great travelers and did excellent in the car on the long trip.  We were able to see lots of cousins and my great aunt, Wilma. I was going to sing, but got laryngitis on Friday on the way down.  Jim led the service for his mom, I played Amazing Grace from YouTube through Vince's blue tooth speaker, and my cousin, Marc, said a few Bible verses.  It was a nice ceremony.

After the service, we went to the Wildlife Survival Sanctuary that Jim runs and my aunt volunteered at daily.  We went through old pictures and let the boys visit all the animals.  (Alex still tells me about the tigers.)  Our cousin, Lenore, flew in from out west, whom we haven't see in 18 years.  It was great to see relatives despite the dire circumstances.

 Alex walked with Nathan to see the big cats.

 Aunt Susie's friend flew in late due to bad weather, but was able to say a few words at the sanctuary after the funeral.

 Aunt Susie's son, Jim.

 Aunt Susie's daughter, DeLeigh.

 My nephew, Nathan.

These are some pictures of Aunt Susie.

 This one had Uncle Jack & Aunt Susie in it.

We love & miss you Aunt Susie.  Florida will never be the same.

Since I-95 northbound was dead stopped on Friday, we opted to take I-75 back home on Sunday.  It was a nice alternative and we stopped at a peach orchard for ice cream and peach pie.  In Atlanta, we stopped for dinner at the Varsity. It was a quick trip, but we made some good memories.