School's Back In:

Well, it's official now I guess. I met my new munchkins today, they are precious! They will be ready to go on Monday morning for sure! This planning week is always the hard part, yuck! No matter how much you work on it during the summer, actually putting it all together takes a small act of congress! But, that part is done! (And I am so in need of SLEEP that it isn't funny!!) Now we have to endure the first week of "this is how we stand in line", "here is this and don't do that". Then...by September, things get fun again!!

I'll have to take a couple of pictures of my room to share. For now though, here I am. Ms. Tanner in all her glory! Brittany decided that since I was taking pictures of her, she needed a turn to take the pictures. There ya have it!! Welcome back fall, we're waitin' on ya!!

Miracles happen every day!

I had a Sunday School teacher once who really tried to encourage us to look for miracles daily. They happen, they are out there, they just need to be noticed!! Babies are born, the sun shines, the world keeps turning, we remain safe as we travel from place to place, people are healed through medicine and surgery, the list goes on and on!!

We have a little friend, her name is Emmy. She is in the 5th grade and is the daughter of our Associate Pastor and his wife, our Children's Minister. She is a HOOT!! We've gotten to know her pretty well. I worked with GA's for a year, she spent the weekend at our house with about 8 other girls for a children's conference and I see her around church. She is beautiful, full of energy and has a love for Christ! Andy & I have both come to think she's awesome!!

Just a few weeks ago, they found that Emmy had a brain tumor. It was very sudden and was found through an MRI that was done because her hearing wasn't very good anymore in one ear. Just a typical hearing problem, became a huge tumor problem. Within a week she was scheduled for brain surgery.

She had surgery last Monday, they removed 95% of the tumor. It was NOT CANCER and everyone has rejoiced since then! The remaining 5% should began to leave on it's own, not being able to survive without the larger portion. If if doesn't, there will be treatments to get rid of it! God answered prayers that were poured out to him for Emmy during her surgery. Now everyone is confident, he will continue to answer prayers through the rest of her healing process.

While the doctors are super positive about her healing, prayers are still very needed! Pray for her family as they continue to care for and support their daughters. (Not just Emmy, but 2 sisters who are there by her side!) Pray that God will heal Emmy's body and getting rid of the rest of that sucker!! Pray for Doctor's and their abilities to know how to best deal with helping her heal. Pray for her spirit!

The miracle that I saw, just Sunday morning. A little girl, who had brain surgery just 6 days prior...walking down the aisle of church with a big ole' smile on her face! God Bless You Emmy, We Love You!!!

Cricket Salad!!

Want to hear something grosser than gross? Remember that old line from your childhood? Well, bring it back!! Saturday night Andy & I decided to have dinner @ the Applebee's in Hiram. We've only eaten there once since it's opened, we forget it's there. I found three things that I was ready to try and finally chose one. We made plans to come back soon and try the others! We had a great waiter who knew what "extra lemons" meant and was very attentive. We both ordered Caesar salads that arrived speedy quick~ We were chattin' and eatin'... both of us had taken about 2 bites. I was stirring and looked down (thank the Lord!) to find a cricket, belly up and looking back up at me!! Yep, seems I had a cricket salad!

Thankfully there were no words to come, I couldn't speak...much less scream. I showed Andy my bowl and he began to turn green immediately. (He's squimish as it is) He said "we're outta here". We chose to flag down our waiter and point out my little multi-legged friend. He said he was so sorry & couldn't believe it. Before further action could be taken (surely a manager came to find us?) we flew the scene. Andy was ready to RUN out the door.

Needless to say, I wont be getting those dishes that I looked forward to at Applebee's. Andy says that he doesn't know if he'll ever be able to order a salad out again. We went on to Chili's where we had a nice dinner, both of us searching through each and every item brought our way~

At the Beach!

Mom & I have been taking a beach trip since my senior year of high school. Where else is there to go other than Panama City Beach? We've been going there since I was a baby, why stop now? We have our favorite restaraunts and tons of memories to recall while we're there. It's always fun!!


We take a ton of books with us, Mom is the one
that gave me the passion for reading! We both
read John Grisham's "Bleachers". I hadn't read
anything by him in ages & Mom hadn't read
any of his books. I loved it, my favorite book of
his now! Great story!! I read "Hissy Fit" again,
my new favorite book of the summer! (ok, watch the
language if you pick that one up, can't help it) I also
read "Smitten", the new Janet Evanovich book
and "Wyoming Kid" by Debbie Macomber.



We baked ourselves in the
sun from morning 'till late afternoon.
Only taking breaks long enough to
grab a snack. We ate dinner at our
favorites: Angelos, Captain Andersons
and The Treasure Ship twice! YUMMY
You haven't lived until you've had a
steak or ribs from Angelos, messy
shrimp from Captain Andersons (with
any one of the homemade desserts) or
any kind of seafood from the Treasure
Ship!!


We are always amazed at how the place is growing with new huge high rise condos at every step. It sure isn't the same place that it was just 5 or 10 years ago. (which is mostly an improvement) It still makes me sad t o ride by and see Miracle Strip closed, grown up and about to be torn down. Lots of memories down there for sure. Beach trips with friends, taking friends with the parents, trips with Amy's parents, youth camps galore and family trips with Andy too. Those of you who grew up with me should recognize this place!! 'Nuff said about that!


It was the BEST time of the year to
go, wowie!! It was pretty empty and
we loved it!! The beach was deserted
and gorgeous! We walked right in to
eat everywhere, no traffic and the
"crowded" day at the pool there were
10 people there total!! Rates are also
down now that everyone is back in
school, good times~



We saw more dolphins than I'd ever seen
down there before!! They came out in
front of our hotel every day twice: late
morning and early evening. They would
play and feed out there for about an hour,
great to watch. I tried to get pics, but
they weren't still long enough.
Imagine that huh?


Nothing else really to report. We ate more homemade ice cream from "The Ice Cream Shoppe" than I care to report. We didn't see a movie which is rather odd for us, I had "Gilmore Girls" episodes to watch at night and Mom read. We did visit an "Alvin's" store, of course! So, until next time....

Back from the Lake!!

Yeah, you know you missed us! Here we go....things we know to be fact.

#1- 5 Nights is long enough for me to be in the woods!
(even in my nice camper)

#2- Andy turns red in the sun, doesn't matter how much sunscreen he wears.

#3- Not all camping people are friendly, wonderful, down home folk.
(our neighbors this time were the most odd group of folks ever!!)

#4- Not everyone is back in school yet!!
(it was more crowded than I thought it would be, but NOTHING like during the
rest of the summer!)

#5- If you stay for a week at the lake, it will rain at least 2 afternoons for a little while

#6- Naps are a must for those who camp

#7- You can never have too many board games with you!

#8- You are going to need to go to the store at some point for things your forgot!!

#9- When they decide to cut down trees at the neighboring camp spots, you will be woken up by saws, bull dozers and crashing!

#10-You can count on being entertained by critters while your in the woods!!


Now on with the show-

Yes, it's a wimpy fire that night. But... it did the job with marshmallows and really..what other reason is there for a campfire in August?









Here are just one set of the tacky lights that are a must if you own a camper. The other
set is mixed with bugs & flowers. We used those last time, it was time for the fish to return!!



Here is the view from the camper. That's Allatoona Landing across the water, where my parents boat is. (And the cabin that they use to own)







Just one of our furry little friends. HEY- Wait a minute is that Sponge Bob Mac N Cheese he's eating?? Yep, it is!! It was so darn funny. He got in the trash (ok, not funny for Andy) and took out one piece at a time to nibble on beside the camper. I thought he was precious. Andy would try to scare him away and he'd just stare, he wasn't afraid one bit. We also had ants in our sugar container (yikes, oh the joys of camping) and Andy dumped it out in the woods nearby. He got into the sugar and was wired, it was HILARIOUS!! He was flipping around on a limb and jumping back and forth between 2 trees!! He also worked very hard on a nest and was sooo interesting to watch. He would break limbs off of this bushy tree down low (the same spot each time), then run up the same path of branches to a high pine tree and add it to his nest...then repeat the process. We watched it for awhile several nights. Amazing how God's creatures work!!











There were also oodles of deer of course! There always are up there. Of course, this is the only time that a camera was handy. I took it with me on a few of our walks at night and would never see them when I had the camera with me. Now...if I left it back, we'd run up on herds of them! One night we saw 3 babies together, really young with spots still...awesome! Then driving back one night we were so close to 2 by the road that I thought the rear view mirror was going to hit them. They aren't scared of people at all up there!!


It was fun as always. Mom & Dad came up 2 different days for swimming and riding around in the boat. There were not NEAR as many boats up there as during the rest of the summer or on the weekends. But..it was still more people than I expected now that most of the schools around us are back in. We had good old fashion thunderstorms a few afternoons, perfect napping weather! We played in the water so much that my arms & legs are super sore! (Guess that's a good thing) We walked around, alot! We had great food on the grill of course! We played oodles of card & board games, always fun. I took along the personal DVD player and watched more episodes of "Gilmore Girls" than I care to admit!! (almost 2 whole seasons worth) Andy watched "Andy Griffith" when he could get the thing outta my hands. I read books while laying on a float in the water and holding a cup of diet coke. (It's a talent, I tell ya!!) We only battled ants twice in the camper, hey... coulda been worse. We watched them cut down some trees that were eaten by pine beetles and it's was quite amazing how fast they were at it! Andy fished, but only caught little bitty guys! We watched the lake become like a highway on Tuesday night for the 7:00 Bass Tournament!! It got super crowded that night!! We ran to Ingles once and didn't make it to visit Farmer Produce Man at all, strange enough!! It's always great to be away from it all, but 5 nights was away enough!! We both agreed that we were ready for the luxury of home again! So, there ya have it.....that's all I got-

I'll be at the beach with Mom next week....stories & pics to follow!

And hey...yall did good with the survey too!! I stole it from Katie, she used it as a myspace bulletin, I know yall would appreciate a good survey.

Survey Says:

[my name is]: Monica Susann (Rakestraw) Tanner
[in the morning i am]: tired and ill
[love is]: the most important thing of all
[i dream about]: very wierd stuff

-W I T H .T H E. O P P O S I T E. S E X-
[what do you notice first?]: smile
[last person u slow danced with]: that would be Andy Lee

-W H O .W A S .T H E .L A S T. P E R S O N-
[you talked to on the phone]: My Mom
[hugged:] Andy
[you instant messaged]: Holly (and that's been awhile)
[you laughed with]: Andy (while I was thinking of killing him earlier today when he was soaking me with the water hose outside!!

-D O .Y O U / / A R E .Y O U-
[could you live without the computer?]: I wouldn't want to!!
[what's your favorite food?]: chips
[whats ur favorite fruit?]: strawberries
[what hurts the most?] when I feel lonely
[trust others way too easily?]: not at all-

-N U M B E R-
[of times i have had my heart broken?]: more than once
[of hearts i have broken?]: hmmm, not sure
[of tight friends?]: very close....only a handful 5 maybe
[of cd's that i own?]: too many
[of scars on my body?]: a couple
[of things in my past that i regret?]:a handful, but I try to remember that they all happened for a reason and led me to where I am today-

-O.T.H.E.R.T.H.I.N.G.S.-
[i know]: that life is short, God loves me and I am super blessed!
[i want]: a baby.
[i have]: a great family, 3 lazy dogs and one missing cat
[i wish]: on stars....
[i hate]: sales calls
[i miss]: Amy living closer
[i fear]: the unknown (though I try not to and to pray instead)
[i hear]: Hee Haw from the living room....from 1983, Conway Twitty singing-
[i search]: online for useless junk way too often
[i love]: God, Andy, my family, friends and the kids I work with
[i care]: about old friends that I might not keep in touch with too well
[i always]: know each day holds a brand new start
[i dance]: when I'm cleaning with music turned up super loud
[i sleep]: way too late in the mornings when I can
[i cry]: during sad movies and when I hear certain songs
[i do not always]: remember to thank God for each and every thing that comes my way
[i write]: emails that are way too long and not enough in my journal
[i confuse]: Andy sometimes
[i can usually be found]: in front of my computer during the summer or on the couch
[i need]: to get offline and get to bed
[wuss]: yeah, that's me....so what?
[daydreamer]: Often
[brat]: For sure for a very long time and even now it creeps up....
[sarcastic]: way too often.....some people don't appreciate it either....
[angel]: not exactly
[devil]: not that bad though
[friends]: true friends know everything about you and love you despite it all....are super hard to come by the good ones
[shy]: around new people, yeah sometimes....especially people my own age....odd
[talkative]: oh yeah....
[adventurous]: not anymore, old age made me boring!!
[intelligent]: I think so most of the time

-Concerning.The.Friends.(You.Claim.To.Have)-
[impacted you the most spiritually]: Amy McFarland Houseworth
[wish you saw more often]: Amy McFarland Houseworth & Amy Moulder Andrews
[most sarcastic]: Kasey Helton
[wish you knew better]: Holly & Kerri, Laura
[knows you best]: Amy McFarland Houseworth
[best outlook on life]: Tracey Brownlee, Paige Carter



-Self-Analysis.

[a smell that makes you smile]: a fireplace or campfire
[a city you'd like to visit]: Las Vegas or New York City
[a drink you order most often]: Water with extra lemons (then I add 2 sweet n lows)
[a book you highly recommend]: "Hissy Fit" Mary Kay Andrews , my new favorite book- hilarious!
ignore the sassy bad language and it's a hoot!! "A Gentle Thunder"- Max Lucado
[the music you prefer while alone]: owww....can't pick just one....country/cont. christian/70's/80's
[your favorite film]: just one? "Sweet Home Alabama"
[a TV show you watch regularly]: Days of Our Lives, is daily regular enough?
[you live in a(n)]: house
[your transportation]: Dodge Durango aka: Beastie
[your cologne or perfume]: Dream Angel Divine from Victoria Secret
[under your bed or in your closet you hide]: dust bunnies! old home videos from when we were super duper young teeny boppers and acting like fools
[something important on your night table]: Bible, alarm clock, journal, pic of Andy from our honeymoon...

Time for a new crop!!
-I got them today, my new crop. I hold in my hand the official class list for this year. Not complete yet though, I have one open spot. Seems there are 5 little boys and 6 little girls so far headed my way in a few weeks. I look forward to the new crop! New friends, new adventures, new challenges and new goals. I'm excited!! A new year for me begins....

Embarassing Things I Might As Well Share:
Ok...I don't want to be left out...you know who you are!!!

*When I "really" noticed Andy for the first time at church, I told a very good friend who was there..."He's next on my list"
(1 yr & 7 mths later we were married)

*I am always 10 - 15 minutes late for everything, always
(LOL~ to some of you this is NO secret huh?!)

*I spend way too much time online, I'm ashamed to admit!
(3-4 hours can go by before I realize what has happened)

*I am a "Sims" junkie. I can't keep it installed on my laptop or I will not stop playing..ever.

*The first ugly word I ever said was a 4 letter one starting with -s-
(I said it as a small child to my Grand daddy, who is a Baptist preacher)

*I am very clumsy and often trip & fall for no obvious reasons.

*I have a tendency to interrupt conversations when I want in, bad habit-

*I'd rather eat junk food for breakfast & lunch than an actual meal

*I failed a class in college, world history.
(my Daddy still doesn't know this...shhhhhhh)

*I talk (at least touch base somehow) with my internet friends every day, sometimes several times.
(I talk to my life long friends once every few months, not always then)

*I'm slightly obsessed with worrying about cooking meat until it's done, I often over cook things just to be sure...and they end up tough-

*I can be a little OCD with things like locking doors, turning off ovens, making sure doors are shut, etc...I have been known to turn around and go home to check pretty often. (or go back to school/my parents house/whatever)

*I know every clean bathroom stop between home & way too many locations to name, in town & out of town!

*When I was little I liked to eat mayonnaise sandwiches!

"Messy" Enchiladas

Anyone like to try new recipes? I do! Thanks to Tracey (yeah you Brownlee) I have had a ton of new ones to try, she bought me a subscription to a cooking magazine for Christmas! Fun stuff!!
So, I thought I'd share one of our super favorites that I found a few months ago. Andy requests these often! They are actually called "Swiss" enchiladas. The thing is, I don't like swiss cheese to much. I use other kinds. But, here it is!!






You need:

cooking spray
1 & 1/2 cups chopped onion
2 cups chopped roasted skinless boneless chicken breasts (about 2)
secret *to make it faster, buy the rotisserie chicken already cooked at the store & chop*
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 (4.5oz) cans diced green chilies, undrained
1 (14.5oz) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups 2% reduced fat milk
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas
2 cups shredded swiss cheese - divided
*I use about 4 cups of cheese: shredded sharp cheddar & Sergento Fancy 4 Cheese Mexican*

1) Preheat oven to 350

2) Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion, cook about 5 minutes or until tender and slightly brown. *I add a drop of EVOO* Stir in chicken, garlic, chiles and tomatoes. Reduce heat & simmer about 7-10 minutes, until liquid evaporates.

3) Meanwhile combine milk & flour in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, cook about 5 minutes or until it begins to thicken up. (watch it close!) Stir constantly with a whisk! Add salt & continue to stir!

4) Warm tortillas if desired. Spoon about 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture and about 2 tablespoons (I put more) cheese down the center of the tortilla, roll up. Arrange filled tortillas in the bottom of a 9X13 baking dish, coated with cooking spray. Pour milk mixture over the tortillas and top evenly with remaining cup of cheese. (I usually have about 1 & 1/2 left to cover)

5) Bake @ 350 about 25 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. Remove from oven.

6) Broil casserole for about 3 minutes or until cheese begins to brown. WATCH!!!

If you use the "original" recipe, it's 419 calories in 1 enchilada. It's actually from "Cooking Light" magazine. With my altered version, more cheese...I'm sure that it's a little more. It's good stuff though and you'll never know it's a "Cooking Light" recipe! If you eat one of these things stuffed, you'll be full!! They're super messy though and you need a knife & fork to eat them with!!

Here are some people that I love..

Ok, if you aren't in here....it's not b/c I don't love you. It's because either
A) I have no picture of you
B) Your represented by a category here
C) I didn't want to use photos of some of my little people friends,
whom I love and adore very much!
D) So, no offense-

And this is also on myspace, you may have seen it there!

Things that I now remember about camping:

*I now remember, how could I forget, that Gizmo hates camping! He gets hot so very fast, fleas pounce on him every second (despite the small fortune I pay for in preventative junk) he hates getting his feet wet or dirty and he becomes grouchy when we take him to the lake!

*I also remember that we eat way more junk food, more than we'd ever even own at home, while we're camping. Why do we take so much of that stufff with is and then "graze" on it the entire time?

*There is alot of walking involved in camping. I do remember that part and enjoy it. It's nice to take Gizmo on walks, walk to the bath house and walk on adventures looking for deer. (That are everywhere and come so darn close!) Though the fall does make these walks a little more enjoyable with cooler temps.

*I am not as in shape nor as tall as I'd like to believe. I had the insane idea that I could hike my big rump on the front of Dad's boat, from chest deep water. What was I thinking?? I thought one big jump outta do it, boy was I wrong! I now have bruises on my tummy (who knew you could get bruises there) from bouncing off the front of the boat and bruises on my rear. (from bouncing from the boat, down, all the way doooowwwnn to the bottom of the lake, under the boat and under the water) It was pure entertainment for my family who are still talking about it and not so hot for one's pride!

*I had forgot just how much I love looking like crap day in and day out! I love love throwing my hair up in a clip, not putting on a drop of make up for days and wearing only crummy clothes!! Maybe I like it more than I should?

*I had forgotten just how many critters join ya in the shower at the bath house. (That we use because the shower in the camper is super tiny and a pain to function in) On shower #1 alone, I was joined by 2 Grand Daddy Long Legs and 1 super huge mosquito! It didn't get better from there-

*I now remember that my husband is just as scared of big ole bugs as I am. Not the tiny ones that you can squish and come to expect from the great outdoors. I am talking about the super big flying things that you never see until it's too late and only come out in the dark. The kind that buzz in and bonk you on the head while you're in bed..making you scream in terror...and making your husband duck his head under the covers saying "no...you handle it" Where do those things come from?

*I had forgot how much we love the people we run into while camping. There is no friendlier group of fantastic people on earth, than those who camp! Everyone speaks, waves or stops to chat. It's awesome and reminds me that people are generally good hearted and the world is a nice place.

*I had forgotten how much I love roasted marshmallows. I insist on those, over a big ole flaming fire...even if the temps are insane. (triple day time digits and 80's at night) I still make Andy slave to find wood, build me a big old blazin' fire and only roast a few-

*I now remember just how fast we can set up & unpack. We have it down to a science. We can be unpacked, unhooked, set up inside & out, tacky lights hung up included, and ready to go all within about 30 minutes tops!

*I did remember that we really do love being on the water. We were fine up there "in the woods" and didn't mind going to the beach. It's much nicer to be on the water though, with your own little piece of the lake to yourself.

*I was also reminded of how much fun we have when Mom & Dad stop in to pick us up for a few hours of swimming & riding around.

*We had both forgotten how important it is to take our own grill. We decided to just use the fire pit/grill area they provide, low on/in the ground. That becomes a problem with the afternoon thunderstorms that wet everything. While you are trying to start your supper fire....the water drips from the trees to put the fire back out. You must cook your hamburgers on the stove inside. Not too bad, but next time we'll take our own grill again! *Thankfully that only happened 1 night*

*I was surprised to find out that we could survive 3 nights/3 days without a TV/DVD or laptop AND not kill each other!! (We did have the radio in the camper) We played more board/card games than I thought were possible. We played 16 games of "Clue". How much did we love that thing? Alot! (I had just bought it the day we left, hadn't owned it in years. Why not? I love this game!) We played a marathon game of UNO for days, an almost endless game of "Dawg" opoly, oodles of hands of card games and Connect 4. Then....we found a Big Lots just 15 minutes away and bought a giant Game Chest. It has 10 games with it!! (Chess, Checkers, Tic/Tac/Toe, Chinese Checkers, Snakes & Ladders, Mancala, Back Gammon, Pass Out, Parchisi and Solitare) We just may choose to leave the TV at home and off around here more often-

All in all we were reminded just how much we love camping! We are so glad that we didn't sell the camper afterall. We love it, we have fun, we're back in business and looking forward to our week at the lake in early August!!!

It seems I am trying to be "cool" and have a myspace space...
I'm not very good at it yet, man I have such trouble with new things.
But...if you're interested. Here it is....
http://www.myspace.com/tannerlife

"Pirates"
-mini spoilers contained! read at your own risk!-

I saw "Pirates 2" today with my friend Tracey. It was great no doubt. Here's the thing though.... I watched the first one last night, getting in the "mood" of things. I LOVE that movie, I'd forgotten just how much...it's been a long time since I watched it. It's hard to live up to an original, no matter how good the sequel is!

The theater was sold out for most movies during the day, early & late. We were headed to a 3:45, got there @ 3:20 to buy tickets to the already sold out show. So, I settled on 4:15 instead. No biggie- (Most shows before it had sold out and all 7ish -10ish movies were sold out...it was playing every 30 minutes in about 6 theaters) You had to wait in a roped off area outside the theater before even going in. Kinda wild.

My first thought is that it's sooooo long. 2 & 1/2 hours for that kind of movie is super duper long. I think that some of it could have been left out without giving up any real story elements. Speaking of which, there were alot of sub stories going on. I thought this one was much more gross, though that's a known factor going in. (I had to shut my eyes a few times. Davy Jones and some of his gang really gave me the hibbie jibbies) I think the Kraken got a little out of hand and those parts could have used a trimming. *this is the part where spoilers could come in*Then there's "that thing" with Elizabeth, you know...where she.....GASP! You've seen it, right?! I know why she did it, but WOWIE!!! Then..the whole ending....I was disappointed. I totally see why they did that...you're already totally hooked and counting down till #3. I think they should have at least "wrapped up" this story more though. Surely we could have still found a new/similar plot and been just as ready for 3, but had a more final conclusion. Just my humble opinion though.... I love the comedy, Captain Jack Sparrow is one of the best characters that I've seen around in a long time. You get totally involved in his personality, hilarious! Of course Will Turner & Elizabeth Swann are awesome characters too. I love the references to the 1st movie, very nicely done!

Some of the theater staff were dressed up in their pirate get-up. (And I mean big time dressed) and were waiting on ya at the exit doors, that was a nice touch. Well done and cute. I saw some kids with homemade pirate hats and thought it was precious. (Though I wouldn't have taken mine that young to see this movie yet, it's a little much for younger kids) There were a few people dressed up too. (Made me wish I'd have had at least a t-shirt to wear like I did with "Cars"...don't know why....but ya know....)

There ya have it, my ramblings. All in all GREAT movie and a TRUE MUST SEE! (Just don't drink a biggie coke, you'll never make it till the end) *If you haven't checked out the "official" webiste of the movie, through Disney..go do that, neat interactive stuff!!*

So here's the best part, after the movie...we went to eat at the "Melting Pot"....fondue!! We ate strawberry/almond/spinach salads which are my FAVORITE (and strangely enough Tracey is the one who introduced me to those!) Then we ate my 2 favorite courses: cheese and chocolate....YUMMY....

Happy
4th
of July!!

-We didn't do anything exciting today. Grandmother & Granddaddy came up for a little while and tonight Mom & Dad came out for supper: BBQ ribs & all the fixins! Followed by homemade cookies and cream ice cream...YUMMY~ I think we've had our share of weekend thrills and they'll have to set off fireworks across the nation without us! Hope you and yours had a great weekend too!!!!

"The devil went down to Georgia and he was willing to make a deal..."

and Monica & Andy went to the lake-------

Day #3 of the holiday weekend:

We met Mom & Dad at the lake for a day of sun & fun! Dad & Andy went crappy fishing and caught oodles of them, they threw them all back...too hot for a fish fry! There were sandwiches for lunch, all the sun you wanted and tons of water to keep you cool! It was a great day. A cloud came up about 3:30ish, but by then we were all tuckered out anyway...so we decided to call it a day. And yes, there was yet another mountain. In our riding around the lake (and there was ALOT of that) we did go up to Red Top Mountain. This picture of oodles of boats tied together, is the local "party cove" just like the song.."Redneck Yacht Club" I 've never seen that many together though, there were at least 50 in that space, cozy for sure!


It was shopping at "Sam's" as evening entertainment, gotta get those ribs for tomorrow~

"I'm leaving...on a midnight train to Georgia"


Ok, it's more like a 6:15ish train..and it was around the bottom of Stone Mountain...but you get the idea!

Sunday Day#2 of our weekend adventures:

We started our morning off with attending church at First Baptist of Powder Springs. (Where we both grew up at church and were married, if ya didn't already know that) It was their celebration of the 4th and super duper heart warming and soul stirring!! We saw tons of familiar faces and it was a fabulous morning!!

After a quick nap (those are required if you're baptist on Sundays you know) we were off to Stone Mountain. It takes about an hour for us to get there from our house, not too bad. If you haven't been there, check out their website! (stonemountain.com) There is sooo much to do out there now! There are trails both up and around the mountain, the sky-ride, train, 4-D movie, Cross Roads country town, Ride the DUCKS (yep, they have some too), golf, water park, river boat, antique car museum, shows and on and on..... Our goal was to fit in one adventure and catch the laser show!

Here is a picture of the Cross Roads area. It reminds me of frontierland at Disney. Stone Mountain now is partially "owned" by Dollywood and it favors that as well. There are several stores, places to eat (fried chicken, taters & onions cooked out on the HUGE skillets, hotdogs, hamburgers, home made ice cream, funnel cakes, turkey legs, etc..) the 4-D theater, the tree house (a giant play area with all sorts of gadgets for kids), the great barn (an inside play area with foam balls, etc..for kids), a magic show, a few other shows, candle makers, black smiths and more of that kind of stuff. Fun place to hang out! You can pay for each individual thing you do or for $22 you can do anything in the entire park all day. (including the things not located in Cross Roads: riverboat, sky-ride, etc..) If you do nothing, it's $8 per car to get into the park. (You can see the laser show and walk around tons of places)

We also went on the train ride around the moutain. It's about a 25 minute ride with a stop and mini show in the middle. We ate a fried chicken supper and went off to find a spot to claim for the laser show. It's insane and about 10,000 (ok, give or take a few) of our closest friend were there. There wasn't a blade of grass, rock or even cement walk way that wasn't claimed by the time the show started. CRAZINESS! People camp out hours before the show starts or at least claim their spot and go off to do other things. People bring picnics, games, balls & gloves, chairs, blankets and even pillows out to enjoy the evening! We had our blanket, chairs and a deck of UNO cards..what more do ya need?!

I can't think of anything more patriotic than the laser show with it's tributes to the love of our country!! Between "Proud to be an American", the sports team tribute, "Living in America", a whole ton of other songs and then the "American Trilogy" with Elvis...what more can ya do? I'm such a sucker for the laser show!!! (and such a red-neck I guess?!)

It was tons of fun and we ended up leaving when we thought the fireworks were over! (They weren't and we listened to them for quite awhile as we made it to the car, that's the biggest firework show EVER) It was ok though, because we beat the crowd and that was a miracle!! Fun day~

"Just an old sweet song, keeps Georgia on my mind!!"

So it's the 4th of July weekend and what is there to do? Enjoy the beautiful state that we call home, that's what!! You've heard of Disney's claim to their own mountains, right? Well, we have some of our own here in Georgia! Andy & I set out to explore some of those this weekend!

Saturday- Day 1:

Part 1: We started out heading to Rossville, Georgia (right near Chattanooga) to visit Lake Winnepesaukah. Known to most everyone as, Lake Winnie. (Ok, that's most everyone that's heard of it and.. most everyone hasn't heard of it! But, you get what I mean...right?) It's a super cute (but small) amusement park. It's on a lake, thus the name! There are all sorts of rides: ferris wheel, log ride (that goes ends up in the lake!), wooden roller coaster, swings, swinging ship, antique cars, bumper cars, a ton of kid rides (TON), carnival games, food, pedal boats, a show and a picnic area. It's only $5 to get in and walk around. You can pay for ride tickets individually or for $19.99 get an armband and do it all as much as you want. Andy and I chose to take this trip to just "soak it all in" and walk around. There are tons of picnic area inside the park and plenty of shade. We both ate hotdog/tater tot meals with drinks for a total of about $7 though!! (That's hard to beat!) It's a super cute place, check out the website. (lakewinnie.com) Oh, there are super HUGE carp in the lake!! If only you could fish there....



Part 2: We were already up there, so why not go on to Chattanooga? We did!! (It's about 2 hours from our house to Chattanooga, we have been known to visit there ALOT) There are tons of things to do in Chattanooga!! (the aquarium, IMAX theater, incline railway to the top of the mountain, train museum and Chattanooga Choo Choo, Rock City at Look Out Mountain, Ruby Falls at Look Out Mountain, Out let shopping downtown, RiverBoat ride, Tow Truck museum (yes, I've been), ride THE DUCKS (amphibious vehcils from WWII, not quack quack) and on and on....This time we chose Rock City @ Look Out Mtn. We've planned on going before and always get side tracked. Both Andy & I have been before, with our families when we were little. So, off we go!

Rock City is kind of hard to describe, if you have no idea what I am talking about...check out the website! It's a walking adventure through natural rock formations and a few flower gardens on Look Out Mountain. On your way you journey through several things such as fat man's squeeze. This is Andy at one part of that, the only point in which I could actually turn around and take a picture. There are parts that are TINY!!

There is a 2 part swinging bridge that is LONG on both parts, super HIGH and major .. um...SWINGY....if ya know what I mean?! Of course you're on there with obnoxious boys, like my husband...who insist on swinging it so hard that you have to hold on and walk very slowly with both hands. YIKES~ Remind me to take the stone bridges next time!!! My legs were super jello like when we finally go to the end!!

Turns out Andy is super strong and can balance a 110,000 pound boulder, who knew?!



When you get to the top there are snack bars, a shop, a bird show, the house where the people who made & own rock city live (it was an ordinary family who started it all in 1947 and now there family still live up there in a gorgeous house) and a super gorgeous view where you can see 7 states! (or so they say, who can tell?!)


On the way back, there is an area called "Fairy Land". It's of course a hit with the small kids. It's what I remember most about my trips as a little girl! There are all sorts of statues scenes that you look at through these little windows of nursery rhyme and fairy tale characters. They are lit up with black lights, it's dark in the caves where these are...pretty neat.

It was getting on into the evening and we decided that it was time to head back home. (All the while wishing we'd have packed a toothbrush to just spend the night...also reminding myself that when we're there...we're just 2 more hours from Gatlinburg & Pigeon Forge which we LOVE)

So there you have it, day one of our Georgia Adventure!
Forgive my color issues, I have such trouble when I try to change it!

SURPRISE BLESSINGS!

Some things are just HUGE in your life and make such a difference, but others just couldn't begin to understand right?

I taught pre-k for 6 years and though it was at 2 different locations, had great rooms both times. I had bathrooms actually in my room, sinks and huge closets both times. When you teach, especially little kids, you tend to have ALOT of stuff. You save stuff, pack-rat stuff and use stuff! Pre-K also runs for 6.5 hours a day though, with 20 kids...you need alot of room. (and stuff~)

Two years ago I knew it was time to move on. My entire goal had been to teach 1/2 a day preschool, at a church eventually. (When I had kids was the plan) I knew the time had come though, all signs (and there were many) led me to where I am now. (McEachern Methodist Preschool) It's a huge ole miracle how I got the job. You know what...it's my dang blog....I can ramble and share if I want too....so here's a side story about how I got it.

-----Our center had been bought out by a man that I'd worked at before and I totally disagreed with his work policies in dealing with children. I knew that I had to leave. I prayed really hard for a sign (yep, I need those) and God sent me a huge one. Some things happened there that only led to one thing, I couldn't stand by and work at a place like this anymore. At the end of the school year, I packed my bags so to speak. (Actually it was TONS of boxes) I spent the summer keeping a few kids and putting in applications at neighboring churches. I had some serious connections at some of these preschools, but there's only so much you can do.. if there isn't an opening, there isn't an opening. The summer drug on and no one had openings...I prayed harder and got more nervous. What were we gonna do without me making any money. Andy paid the bills, but I supply serious fun/travel/shopping/eat out/have a life money! Yikes! I called to check with these preschools often, still nothing. I prayed and cried. Andy said, "It'll work out, don't worry". It's the end of July now, don't worry? So I finally do the right thing and pray that I'm giving it all totally to God. I can't fix this, please do what's right and I'm done worrying. Know what??? The next day, yep...the next....I got a call from where I work now. She said she hoped I was still free, there was an opening. I was thrilled! (It was where I wanted to teach the most) Later that day, another call...(my old church) Monica, we have ann opening perfect for you. Wait there's more.....because there was a 3rd place that called as well, come on girl, we have a place. I talked to all three places. I prayed again, thanking God for not only coming through for me, but in a BIG way. Now I got to pick where I wanted to be. God didn't just open up a job for me, but blessed me in letting me make my own decision. I just needed to give it up to him. So.... I picked McEachern and have been blessed and thrilled ever since!!**

I love where I teach!! The people are amazing, the environment is peaceful, fun loving, safe, positive, perfect! My boss is heaven sent for sure! The other teachers are fantastic and have become my friends. My assistant is my friend and I adore her. It's just all too good to be true. God is awesome! My room is fine, I love it..it's mine. I'm only there 3 hours a day, four days a week with kids. And...only 12 kids! But... it was smaller than I was use to.

I have been drooling over Kim's room for 2 years. I love Kim though, she's my best friend up there I guess. She's alot like me and I adore her. I talked to her a few days ago, she's leaving. Bigger fish to fry so to speak, she's been there forever and something else came up that works with her life, a blessing she's hoped for. But....her room is going to be used for music....I've begged for that room for 2 years, but....it has another purpose now. I'm sad, disappointed, but what can ya do? Fine, it wasn't meant to be....I've even thought myself of going back to pre-k. Man, I miss that money! I could just go back for a year and do so much...but leave McEachern? I would be miserable and I know I am where God wants me to be. I get a call this morning ... from my boss... (be patient and God will bless you)

... I get the room! The big honkin' room!! The room that's about 2-3 times bigger than mine. The room with a sink and a mini fridge. The room with extra bulletin boards. The room that all my stuff will fit into and then some. I get the BIG room!!!! I can spread out, bring more of my stuff and leave it there. (opposed to carrying it back and forth like a pack mule) I'm so excited. It's meant to be. I'm staying forever! I'll die and be buried beneath "the big room" there! Yay for me!! Yay for the kids who'll have room to do their thing, Yay for extra centers that I can spread out, Yay for personal space, Yay for making my life easier! Yay for me! Yay for me!!

~~~THIS IS HUGE!!~~~