Lights Out!

What I learned today....I could never be Amish.  Or a storm chaser.

The storm of storms made it impossible to blog last night.  For the first time in 7+ years, we lost power.  Without a flicker of notice, it went out....for 12 hours.  Now, if you know me at all, you know that I hate thunderstorms.  When the sky starts to darken, you'll normally find Jeff on the front porch watching the lightening.  You'll find me in the living room, trying not to crawl under the couch.  And if it's bad, you'll find me in the basement with a movie loud enough to drown out the noise.  How ironic that we were watching a movie yesterday when all hell broke loose. 

Forty five minutes of panic later, we made it out to survey the damage.  The good news...none of the four dead trees (that we received a quote on removing earlier in the day) fell on the house.  The bad news...three live trees were down for the count.  We haven't seen this much damage and debris since Ike and I would say it's comparable.  Maineville suffered major damages.  Trees, power lines, houses, businesses.  We had to drive all the way to Lebanon to find power (and food!).  

But that was only the beginning.

No power means no sump pump.  No sump pump means battery back up.  And it worked perfectly - until the power outage exceeded the 6 hour back up battery charge.  So at midnight, we found ourselves with no power, no sump pump and a dead battery.  Thankfully, I'm married to Mr. Fix It.  I'm sure the neighbors were laughing at us a midnight when we were uncovering the boat and borrowing it's battery.  Who knew that the sump pump could operate off of the boat battery?  And it lasted just until the power returned at 5:30 this morning.  

All in all, it's the important things that matter.  The kids are safe, we made it through, all our family is safe (although Charlie, Cary and the kids are still in the dark!) and the house didn't sustain any damage.  Let the clean up begin.

That's just from part of the front yard!

 

Hot Stuff

Oh my, the dog days of summer have certainly set in.  And as the mercury continues to rise, the leaves, plants and flowers continue to wilt.  We just can't water it all.  I'm not positive, but another degree or two and I may actually start to melt.  All I can be thankful for is that I'm not with Hunter and Will at Cedar Point!

A quick question....

Ok, here's a trivia question for you.

What's better than live trivia, good food and an evening with friends?  Absolutely nothing.

A spur of the moment trip to McCauleys tonight for live trivia with Mark, Pamela and Sharon was just what the doctor ordered.  Of course, the fish and chips helped a lot too!  Just the midweek pick me up that everyone needed.

I'm starting to feel like myself again.  But did I mention that I miss the boys terribly and can't wait until they come home?!

Orientation..for all of us!

Orientation Day at Ohio State.  Let me tell you how much I learned today!  I'm sure that Hunter didn't learn as much seeing as he's been preparing for college since Kindergarten.  Our day started at 7am and was packed with sessions, lectures, Q&A's and meals.  The students had their own sessions so I can only confirm how overwhelming it was for us.  But what an exciting time.  Hundreds of incoming first years (that's what their called now...very Harry Potter-ish!), all waiting to take the next step.  It was exciting to see.

In five weeks, we'll be moving Hunter into his new home.  And as we walked around campus today, I realized how ready we all are.  Will it be easy?  No.  But it's the day that every parent works towards.  It means we've done our job.

For the Birds.

What a long week!  It's only Monday, you say?  No way, it can't be.  Mondays are for the birds.  

Thankfully, as Jeff reminded me, life is all about ups and downs.  I was looking for some smooth sailing, but that's just not what life hands you sometimes.  So let me apologize for being a downer this week, although everyone in our house understands.  I'm going to spend the rest of the week enjoying family, friends, time with Jeff and counting down the days until the four of us can have a family dinner.  

Have a great week everyone, it's got to look up!

Yuck.

I guess all good things must come to an end.  It's a good thing we all had a great day yesterday, because today pretty much stunk.  Maybe we'll talk about it later, maybe not.  But for now, I just feel like I've been hit by a very large truck.

A great day!

What a perfect day.  

Sometimes it's nice just to be a passenger in life.  I feel like I make a million decisions per day.  Everything from the studio to dinner...decisions, decisions, decisions.  So when Jeff made surprised me with a full set of plans for the day, I was thrilled.  We started at Penn Station for lunch followed by "window shopping" for kitchen ideas.  After that, we were off to Lowes and Home Depot to look for paint colors for the bonus room (I think the Eagles theme has won out!).  A couple others errands and a finale at Kroger.  I know it probably doesn't sound like an exciting day to anyone else...but it was AWESOME.  The weather was beautiful and the company was even better.  I love weekends.

Vacation, again!

I think we've found the one in the house that's going to miss Will the most.  Well, at least Fancy's going to miss him as much as I am.  It's funny, there are some things in life you never get used to.  The boys leaving for 10 days is one of them.  But I know they'll have fun, enjoy their vacation and come home with a million stories and a darker tan!  Have a great time guys, I'll see you soon!

Just a bee

See a cool bird...no camera.   Run in the house, get camera...no cool bird.  Instead, I found the bees hanging around.  Wrong lens, cute shot.  Since I couldn't take a picture of Hunters phone call saying he got accepted into the Leadership Collaborative or Will's stuffy nose (he's almost better though)..this will have to do.

UGH!

Oh, heavens!  The Goldens like to play fetch.  The Husky...she likes things that squeak.  Heaven help me, she's been chewing and squeaking that thing ALL DAY!  Here's the picture...I'm off to find some rum!

 

Friends

FRIEND

n.

1. A person whom one knows, likes, and trusts.

2. A person whom one knows; an acquaintance.

3. A person with whom one is allied in a struggle or cause; a comrade.

4. One who supports, sympathizes with, or patronizes a group, cause, or movement

What the definition of friendship leaves out is that warm, fuzzy feeling you get in their presence.  There is nothing better than spending time with a person (or people) that you know have your back.  They are the people that love you at your best, your worst and all the times in between.  A friend will hug you, cry with you, cheer with you and give you a good shake when you need it.  They're the people you would drop everything for.  

Tonight, Hunter is pet sitting for his best friend (Logan's on his way to France).  Will's in the bonus room, watching Back to the Future for the umpteenth time...because Daniel is here and hasn't seen them.  I was lucky enough to share wine and sushi with three of the most amazing friends.  And Jeff...he got to spend the evening with his three favorite furry friends.

So here's my life lesson for the boys.  Cherish your friends.  Some will come, some will go.  But the real ones, the ones that know all of your faults and love you anyway are the ones you want to hold on to dearly.  The number of Facebook friends you have doesn't matter.  The number of friends that will show up when you fall on your face is what's important.      

One last day.

Ah, the last day of vacation.  Let me tell you, I could have slept all day long.  The same applies to Jeff, Will and Hunter.  Unfortunately, an 11am appointment for Hunters event monitor nixed that plan.  So with an extra day of vacation, we managed to get done a few of the chores that had been put off for too long.  The dogs all got a bath (and a new pool!) and the aquarium got a thorough cleaning and a makeover (and 6 new fish!).  Not bad for a days work.  Too bad we all have to head back to work tomorrow...I guess the rest of the chores will have to wait until Saturday.

Happy Fathers Day!

We left so early this morning, I forgot to whisper Happy Fathers Day to my dad before we left.  We driving along the Ocoee before I remembered to tell Jeff.  Driving home from the lake had me a little off my game.  I don't know how all the men in the family were punished having drive home on Fathers Day, but I'm hoping the preceding week made it worthwhile.   So even though I'm a little late....Happy Fathers Day, Dad!  I had a wonderful week at the lake with you and can't wait to do it again next year!

Another Year Has Passed...

Who can believe a week has passed?  Since my pants no longer button, I'm guessing it's true.  Eight days of the fun, sun, lake and food has worn us all out.  Could I live here?  Absolutely!  Do I need to go home to all of my "stuff"?  Yes, yes and yes!  I miss my couch, Jeff misses his shower, Hunter and Will miss their beds...and we all miss the girls.

So here's everyone's thoughts of vacation.....

Abby - I love tubing!
Hunter - Spending time with the family was the best!
Will - I'm a slalom stud!
Chris - The French Dip at the Whistle Stop Cafe was divine!
Jenni - The rules of vacation...no watches, no schedules, no whining.
Jeff - Oh my Gosh!
Colleen - Who's going to eat this?
Noreen - The best vacation so far with family, lots of laughs, hope to do it again next year.
Fred - It was too short...but wonderful.
Jan - The boat rides were the best.
Gary - The best part was getting away from it all.

But seriously, thanks to everyone that made this week wonderful.  It was a much needed vacation for EVERYONE.  We'll meet you in Blue Ridge next year...same bat time, same bat channel!

Another Big Day

It's taken two full seasons and a lot (and I mean A LOT!) of wipe outs to get this picture.  I'm not sure who was happier...me or Will.  He's worked hard all week and now that it's time to go home, he has slalom skiing  mastered.  Hopefully, we'll be able to keep it up at Caesars Creek when we get home.

We also found out that Hunter was accepted into the R-Lead program at OSU, so the new move in date is August 13th.  One more program to hear from and we'll finally be able to set a final date.  Pretty soon, he'll be moving in on his birthday!

Congrats Will...Congrats Hunter!  You both had a wonderful day!

BRSR

After a morning of slalom skiing (yes, he finally did it!), Will was a little too sore to do any more for the day.  So it was the perfect afternoon to roam through town, buy a few souvenirs and score a wonderful seafood dinner (severed over grits, lol!).  One visit, I'm going to get all of the boys on the train for a ride to nowhere.  But today, I had to settle for a picture of them in front of it!  We don't have to come home...right?

It's a Fish!

I did it, I did it!  Even thought my family thinks that I photoshopped the picture, here's my latest catch!  As a point of reference, I couldn't use photoshop on my phone if I had to.  But anyway, 7:45am is apparently the time to catch a fish in Blue Ridge.  I've tried every other time, but today I found myself wandering down to the dock at an early hour.  The lake was like glass, there wasn't a boat to be found.  But in the peace and quiet of the morning, this little guy chomped on my line.  It appears that Jeff was the good luck charm.  The minute he showed up on the dock, the bobber took off and I reeled in a catch!

The Price of Forgetfulness!

Planning an eight day trip to the lake is never an easy experience.  I normally spend 2-3 months planning, packing and re-planning.  Dinner menus, snack foods, beach and boat "stuff"as well as the common items that we'll all need.  This year was a little different.  I left my comb, my toothbrush...both sitting on the bathroom counter.  I forgot the condiments, side dishes, Sudafed...and I'm sure a couple of others things that I haven't figured out yet.

Thankfully, I don't feel like the odd man out since I'm not the only one that forgot something.  The skinniest one in the house forgot the most important thing....his belt.  It's impossible to find a waist size to fit a 6 foot 2 inch skinny teen, so a belt is a must.  He's spent the last two days, walking around with one hand holding up his shorts.

So when Jenni and Chris took off to Rose's today (Blue Ridges version of Walmart), Will kindly asked Hunter to tag along and please find him a belt.  This is the one that Jenni and Chris picked out for him!  I'm thinking he'll wear it with pride...especially to dinner on Thursday, just to embarrass those of us that are with him!

What Follows the Rain

Day two of rain.

But rainy day bring the best evenings.  After a day of playing cards, watching movies and more eating, Will manged to get a quick trip in on the tube in between rain storms.  Jeff and I managed a quick outing that included Starbucks, boiled peanuts and night crawlers.

And all of the rain was worth it to be able to sit on the dock fishing tonight, watching the sun finally break through and set behind the mountains.  I don't care what anyone says, you just don't find views this awesome in Ohio.

If it rains tomorrow, I'm making an appointment to meet with a realtor.

A Rainy Day in Georgia

What do you do on the first day of vacation if the weather man calls for rain?  You eat, of course!

Here we are, our first day in Blue Ridge and it's rained ALL day.  And the forecast for tomorrow...you guessed it.  Rain.  But heck, a rainy vacation day on the lake in Georgia beats a sunny day in Ohio... every time.  So in an effort to make the most of the day, we spent it eating.  Doughnuts, fried pies, lunch at Sue's, Mom's awesome burgers for dinner, more fried pies, doughnuts and ice cream.  In between, we walked around downtown, played cards, the kids played Clue and Life and we all just hung out.  It appears that our evening hours of sitting on the deck, making the kids laugh, will have to wait until later in the week.

The rain better stop soon...or I'll be crazy and we will all have gained 20lbs.  

  

Welcome to Georgia

We made the trip in record time.  In fact, the weather and the trip were perfect.  Will slept most of the way...actually, I think Hunter did too.  Come to think of it, I slept quite a bit of it too.  After the treacherous trip down the gravel road, we made it to the cabin (and I use the term cabin very loosely!).  And this is what was here welcoming us.  Will and Hunter managed to capture a picture of him but I'm sure he'll be back to visit soon. Kelsey and Austin found a few at their place too. Since tomorrow is looking to be a complete washout, we'll have to look for him again on Monday.  

What It Means to Me

It's the day before Blue Ridge.  I really thought we were more prepared than this!  But we've cleaned, scrubbed, packed and loaded.  The last load of laundry is in the dryer and Jeff's on his way home to start his vacation a little early.  But believe it or not, we still have a ton to do.

So since we'll be up all night getting our last stuff together, I thought I would share how we spent last night.  As everyone knows, Will won the "What Memorial Day Means to Me" essay contest for the Village of Maineville. Against his will, he was required to attend the Councel Meeting to read his essay and shake hands with the Mayor.  Don't let him fool you, he did great!  It was a touching essay with a little "fluff" as Will calls it.  For everyone that couldn't be here to see him, here it is....

And let me tell you...a few minutes of uncomfortable certainly paid off for Will.  When he was done shaking hands with the Counsel, he was presented with a gift basket that included gift certificates for Itunes, McDonalds, LaRosas, Laser Tag, Blockbuster and more.  Not bad for an hours worth of work and a few minutes reading it out loud.

Crayons

In 1903, Crayola sold the first box of crayons.  The box included 8 colors.  Those colors were black, green, violet, blue, orange, yellow, brown and red.  The colors were enough to make a rainbow and the pot of gold at the end of it.  In the hands of small children, those colors drew little houses with picket fences and stick children playing in the yard.  Those colors can draw hearts, puppies, unicorns and blue birds.  It's amazing if you think about it.  Eight colors that can draw and color everything in life.  But if you look at a box of eight crayons today, it looks so small.  For the record, I think that eight is perfect.

Happy Anniversary, Jeffrey!  Thanks for spending the last eight years coloring my world.

Freshmen

It's still surprising to me the things that the boys point out that I might have overlooked.  Maybe it's the blog, maybe it's their ages, maybe it's just the fact that I'm tired and ready for vacation.  But last night, the boys explained to me that today would be the last day they would both be Freshman since Hunter's already graduated and is officially a Freshman at OSU and today was Wills last day as a Freshman at LMHS.  Thankfully, Hunter was up and ready so we didn't have to wake him!  I always take the boys picture on the first day of school but I think  it was a morning worth capturing.  Wonder if Hunter will mind if I show up at Ohio State on the 22nd of August for a quick picture?  Guess we'll have to discuss that later.  Happy Summer Vacation, Will!

Just a day behind.

Oh, Gordon Ramsey...I have missed you so much!  Fox managed to screw up last nights premier of Hells Kitchen, but Itunes managed to have it available today.  So tonight, Will, Jeff and I were able to catch up after last nights disaster.

Fresh!

It's summer!!!

The email came last week.  With all of our sunshine and warm weather, the farms crops were strong and ready to go.  So today, Will and I made the trek out to pick up our first week of fresh veggies for the season...picked today, just for us.  Kale, radishes, bib lettuce and broccoli.  The first salad tomorrow will be heavenly!  Maybe I can even get Hunter to eat one.  Can't wait for next week!

My Tired Face.

Oh, that's definitely how I feel tonight.  With a little droopier eyes though.  It was a wonderful weekend, the good news kept on rolling in today.  But I think we've all had more fun than we can keep up with so it's early to bed for all of us.  Will even came in to go to bed...on time!  And since graduation is now over, I can remind everyone that we only have 5 more days until we leave for Blue Ridge!!!!

It happened again :)

Oh, it happened again.  I missed the "blog" cutoff by a few seconds.  But this time, it was for a wonderful reason.  We're all still basking in the glow of graduation and I just got wrapped up in the day.  I have so many pictures to show and stories to tell, but I'm too tired to start tonight.  So keep an eye out this week for the wrap up, but for now, I'm off to fall into bed.  Congrats Hunter!  And thank you to everyone who made this day wonderful!

HE DID IT!!!!

He did it, he did it, he did it!!!!!!!  Sitting through an hour of rain, 50 degree weather and 20 mile per hour winds was worth every single second of it!  I love you, Hunter!  We couldn't be more proud of you!