Cheaha 2009 - A Trip in Pictures

We were able to go to Cheaha this year with the Guy family for Labor Day weekend. Mom and Dad went Friday morning. Leyden was sick with the flu last week (not sure if it was H1N1), so she and I didn't leave until Saturday, after she had been fever free for more than 24 hours. Scott got there Sunday morning with Angel, the dog. I left Sunday evening, and Leyden came home with Mom, Dad and Scott on Monday. Below are some pictures I took on the trip. Cheaha is always fun, even in the rain, which is what it did most of the time we were there. It is beautiful up there, and I can't help but thank God for creating this wonderful spot right here in Alabama!

This is the "loop" that goes around the park.

Mom and Dad got a new tent that will hold three queen airbeds. It's really nice! This is a picture of our site, which was conveniently located right next to the bath house.

Another view of our site. That brick building behind the tent is the bath house.

We were at Cheaha all of 10 minutes when we put on our hiking shoes and loaded up in the back of the truck to head to the Bald Rock trail. This is Leyden and Jackson.

Bald Rock is an accessible trail, and it's awesome! It allows those in wheelchairs or families with babies in strollers to experience "hiking" down a beautiful boardwalk "trail" that runs alongside a flat, rocky trail. The view at the end of the trail is breathtaking, and it is really wonderful that folks that normally wouldn't get to see something like that are able to experience it. At the Bald Rock trail head... Mom, Leyden, Jackson, Taylor, Karmen & me at the trail head.

The kids walking the boardwalk to Bald Rock.

Karmen & Leyden on Bald Rock.
The "big kids" walked back on the trail, and the "little kids" walked back with me and Mom on the boardwalk.I caught Leyden in a sweet moment: reading a book to Taylor.
It finally stopped pouring rain and was only sprinkling, so the kids stood by the fire to warm up.

Mom, Dad & I went to see Grand Brown on Saturday afternoon. She has been in the hospital for a blood clot in her leg, and she is getting stronger every day. She has dementia, and doesn't know who I am, but she gave me huge treat Saturday... I hugged her when I got there, and she gave me a kiss on my cheek!

Sunday after lunch, just about everybody went to the lake. A whole gang of folks loaded in the back of the truck.

Dad, Mom, Scott, me & Angel at the lake. I heart this picture!
Leyden and Karmen convinced Karmen's dad to swim to the platform with them so they could jump off, a highlight of the trip for Leyden. This is a picture of Leyden jumping off.

Karmen and Leyden swimming in the lake.

Dad, Scott, Mom and Angel found a shady spot to enjoy the breeze and watch the kids play.

Jean (Mom's best friend), Libby (Jean's daughter), and J.J. (Libby's husband) hanging out at the lake.

Jackson (Libby & J.J.'s son) found a friend to play with.

Dad was hanging out with Angel just like they do at home.

On the way home Sunday evening, as I drove the loop out of the park, I didn't want to leave. So I took a picture to use as the wallpaper on my computer at work so I can go back to Cheaha every day!

Angie's Lemonade Dip

I went to a Stampin' Up party last month, and our consultant, Angie, brought the most delicious dip e-v-e-r! I've never had anything like it. I asked her for the recipe so I could make it for a party, and then yesterday I saw where BooMama is having a DipTacular, so I just had to post this recipe. Warning: it's very addictive! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Angie's Lemonade Dip

2 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. sugar
1 pkg. unsweetened Kool-Aid lemonade
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Combine the above ingredients and fluff with mixer.

Serve with animal crackers.

Feelin' the Pain...

Leyden and I went to the orthodontist today. I got a new wire (maybe the last one!), and Leyden got rubber bands that connect her top and bottom jaw; we're both pretty sore.

Part of our conversation as we sat on the couch tonight:

Leyden: I feel sorry for you.

Me: Why?

Leyden: You have braces.

Me: So do you!

Leyden: Well, I feel sorry for myself, I just don't announce it.


God bless her!

Sweet Dreams...

Conversation in the car after our orthodontist appointment today:

Me: Meme and Papa Jim are home; they got home yesterday afternoon.

Leyden: Where have they been?

Me: Peru, on a mission trip. We read their blog and sent them messages, remember?

Leyden: Oh... yeah.

~Pause

Leyden: How long were they there?

Kristi: Over a week. Why?

Leyden: I thought Meme had taken me shopping, and she got me a purple top. I couldn't find it this morning. She also got me some jeans that weren't too long, and a pair of purple flip flops. I couldn't find any of it this morning, and I couldn't figure out why. I must've dreamed it!

A New Year, A New Sport

As you know, Leyden tried out for the JV cheerleading squad at her school, but didn't make it. It was a hard blow for her, because cheering is all she's ever really wanted to do, but she has held her chin up and set her sights on new things... like JV volleyball.

Leyden has only played volleyball at PE during school, so she's not an all-star or anything, but she has a great attitude and a lot of team spirit. She's pretty athletic, so we're optimistic that the skills of the game will come to her quickly. The JV team practiced for two weeks before school started, and they have practiced every day after school so far. Coach A has told us that the girls are doing very well in practice and are learning a lot.

Every fall, at the beginning of the school year, the Booster Club hosts a Fall Sports Introductory Supper, where all the players of fall sports (cheerleading, football, and volleyball) are introduced. We've spent the past three years watching Leyden perform a cheerleading routine with the Termite and PeeWee cheerleading squads, so this year was going to be a little different.

Leyden sat with the other volleyball players, looking cute in their matching shirts. (Leyden's on the front row, the last green-shirt on the right.)

And when Coach A called up the 7th graders, Leyden and her friends lined up side by side, looking like old pros. (Leyden is fifth from the right.)

There are 20 players on the JV volleyball team, which is a LOT since only six players are on the court at a time, but we're going into this knowing that Leyden will not be playing very much this year. The important thing to me is that Leyden has a team to be part of, whether she actually plays or not. Like I said before, she's got a lot of team spirit, and she's an encourager. She's a team player in every sense of the word - willing to sit the bench if it means the team stands a better chance of winning. Leyden realizes that 7th graders don't get a lot of playing time, and she realizes that the players on the court need her support. I think that takes a lot of maturity, and I'm proud of her for taking all of this in stride. I was a proud mama to see my baby line up with all those other girls, knowing that volleyball is a fun sport and we're going to have a lot of good times cheering on her team this fall. After the team was introduced, they all took their seats, and my it made my heart smile to see Leyden sitting at the feet of girls who have been her friends for as long as we can remember.

God knows what He is doing, and when things don't turn out quite the way we wanted, there is a reason. God surrounds us in His love every day, and while we don't always see it, He looks out for us and gives us the friends we need. That picture of Leyden surrounded by her friends is like a promise from God... no matter what happens, Leyden will always have friends that love her.

I am grateful for the blessings that God has showered on our family. He has always given us the means to take lemons and make a big 'ole jug of lemonade! This is going to be an exciting year, learning a new game and new rules, surrounded by familiar friends and cheering on our COLTS!

Another Change, A New Perspective

I don't like change. Until recently, I couldn't deal with it. Well, I could deal with it, because I didn't have a choice, but it really threw me for a loop. And the wonderful people who live with me go through torment every time a major change occurs in my life. I'm really hard to live with when things change. And, of course, the more sentimental the area, the worse I deal with the change. But, I'm working on it... I've gotten better at letting go of things, letting God be in control, and going with the flow. A certain year of struggling made me face changes head-on, and I learned a little about letting God guide me through it. It takes a lot of work on my part, sometimes, but it's worth it, and I'm improving. And He's doing a great job of leading the way.

I'm glad I've been working on dealing with change, because my Uncle Butch called the other night to let us know that their church, Twelfth Street Baptist, is moving. They are moving from a beautiful building in downtown Gadsden to a location in Rainbow City. The building is in need of renovations, and the church body decided it would be better to relocate than to put more money into the current facility. I think the church is choking where it is now... the neighborhood has changed since the church started so many years ago, and the church isn't thriving now. This move is a fabulous opportunity for the church to grow; it's a definitely a good thing. But for a second, my heart was sad, because something sacred in my life will be changing. The comforting sanctuary at Twelfth Street will be home to another church.

My family has been a part of Twelfth Street since... forever. Well, maybe not forever, but as long as I can remember and then some. My grandmother was the financial secretary for many, many years (I should remember how many, but I just can't say exactly, at least 20). My grandfather was the Treasurer for many, many years, too (again, I can't remember - maybe 30 years? My memory is terrible!). Anyway, when I was a little girl, I thought they owned the church. Does that tell you anything? My grandmother was a member of the church her whole life, as far as I know. My uncle and aunt, and Dad's cousins are still members. Most of my cousins have been married in that church, and Grandaddy's funeral was in that church. That beautiful, old building holds LOTS of memories.

When I was growing up, I loved going to church with my grandparents. I loved the smell of the church building. In the sanctuary, the beautiful stained glass windows framed by stately dark wood, and the familiar blue carpet and cushions were comforting to me. I loved the nursery, where my grandmother taught Sunday School for most of her adult life, and I loved the people. Oh, the people were the BEST! The sweetest, most cheerful people go to that church. I know they were kind to me because I was Jeff and Juanita's granddaughter, but mostly they were caring because that's how they were, and still are. When my grandparents died, the people of that church reached out to our family in ways I will never forget. They prayed, they brought food, they sent cards, they came to the funeral, and they made us lunch and served it after we went to the graveside service. Angels. Those people are God's angels. I didn't have a lot of friends to show up at my grandparents' funerals because it was so far from my home, but my grandparents' church family took us under their wings and made sure that we were comforted, fed, and loved. I still feel drawn to Twelfth Street, and the precious people.

See, it's the PEOPLE that make Twelfth Street so special. And it doesn't matter if the church PEOPLE leave the building where I made lots of memories, because the building doesn't make the church. The PEOPLE are the church. And wherever the people of Twelfth Street go, there go my memories of all the good times (and the sad) at Twelfth Street's beautiful old building. With such sweet, caring people holding my memories, my heart's not so sad after all!

The Beginning of the Second Half

Today marks the beginning of the second half of Leyden's primary education. Can you believe it? She started seventh grade! With only six grades left before she begins her college education, I thought I'd take a minute to reflect on the past seven years.

Leyden attended kindergarten at Forest Avenue Academic Magnet School in Montgomery. Her teacher was Miss Ross, and she wore uniforms to school. Her grandfather, Jim Johnson, performed construction work at the school during the year, and she delighted in seeing Papa Jim at her school. Just like preschool, Leyden did not like nap time and took a couple of trips to the principal's office because she refused to take a nap. Since Forest Avenue is a grade ahead of regular schools, Leyden began learning to read in the second semester of kindergarten. I was able to eat lunch with her quite a bit at Forest Avenue, because of its close proximity to my job downtown. I drove on a field trip to the pumpkin patch and we took a hayride to the pumpkin field to pick out our pumpkins.

Leyden attended first grade at Pintlala Elementary, and Mrs. Self was her teacher. Leyden improved her reading skills and really enjoyed it when Mrs. Self would read books about Junie B. Jones. Because Leyden was ahead of most of her classmates, she got bored some during the first semester, and although Mrs. Self did a remarkable job at keeping Leyden occupied, sometimes her efforts were futile. So, Leyden visited some with the principal, Mr. Lowe, and after a couple of good conversations, she had no further problems behaving in school. Leyden had the starring role (Little Red Riding Hood) in the school play and made her acting debut on the stage in the library at Pintlala Elementary. Mrs. Debbie Gibbons (my best friend's mother) made her red cape with a hood. Leyden received an award for being the "Most Improved Student" in her class and her reward was a trip to Burger King in a limo. We were very proud of this accomplishment!

In second grade, Leyden again attended Pintlala and her teachers were Ms. Leonard and Mrs. Mosley. Leyden began to struggle during the first semester of second grade, and after extensive research and a brief try at tutoring, we decided to move Leyden to Hooper Academy in Hope Hull, where the teacher-to-student ratio was smaller. After Christmas, Leyden started at Hooper in Ms. Calhoun's class, and was happy to be reunited with her friends from day care.

Third grade was a fun year because Mrs. Dempsey was a fun teacher. Leyden continued to thrive in the small classroom environment, and her friendships continued to grow. Leyden was thrilled to be a termite cheerleader and wore a white shirt and green shorts to cheer on the Colts' termite football team on Tuesday nights.

Fourth grade was a challenging year... Alabama history! Ms. Whitely was an interesting teacher and did her best to make things fun. There were LOTS of cool field trips, and it was fun doing the Alabama notebook project and learning about different things to do in Alabama. Mom, Dad and I took Leyden to Daphne for Spring Break and visited the USS Alabama, the shrimp boats in Bayou la Batre, and we explored Dauphin Island and Ft. Gaines. Leyden's "Alabama notebook" is a project that we will treasure forever. I was able to drive when the class went on a field trip to "water day" at AUM to learn about water conservation. Leyden continued as a cheerleader for the Colts, and for the first time in a long while, the termite cheerleaders got real uniforms. Ms. Donna Watts was her cheer coach.

In fifth grade, Leyden's teachers were Mrs. Hall and Mrs. Kizziah. This was a fun year, because the new elementary building was finished and Leyden got to be in two of the new classrooms. There were book reports and special projects, but not a lot of homework, so it was a fun year. Leyden cheered for the Colts' PeeWee football team in fifth grade.

Sixth grade - AH! - sixth grade! Leyden had awesome teachers, Mrs. Richardson and Miss Bell. But the homework load? CRIPPLING. And I'm not saying that lightly. We quit going to church on Wednesdays, because Leyden couldn't get all her homework done. Our lives revolved around homework, and then there were lots of special projects all year for extra credit. Projects which Leyden participated in because she needed all the extra credit she could get. They flew through her math book so fast that Leyden hardly retained anything, so Brad spent a lot of time re-teaching the math concepts. But sixth grade also brought the BEST FIELD TRIP EVER - Space Camp! Leyden continued to cheer - her last year as a PeeWee cheerleader at Hooper.

So that brings us up to date. Seventh grade. Junior high. Where did the time go?

Leyden is playing on the JV volleyball team, and plans to try out for the JV softball team. She is every bit a "pre-teen" and is doing pretty well keeping her "sassy self" in check. She is looking more and more each day like a teenager and less and less like a little girl. She is into clothes, earrings, purses, her iPod, and her cell phone. Boys? Well, I know it comes with the territory, but for the sake of Brad's nerves, we'll all pretend that Leyden just isn't into boys at all. Yet.

Celebration Week - Leyden's Birthday Dinner

The third part of Celebration Week was Leyden's birthday dinner with family.

We met at Leyden's favorite restaurant, Red Lantern, which is a Chinese buffet. We go there so often that they know us, and this is the second time Leyden has had a birthday dinner there. I was so happy to see everyone that was able to come. We know the rest of you were there in spirit!

This is a picture of Dad, Mom and Leyden in front of the restaurant. I can't get over how grown-up Leyden looks! Brad's niece, Kimmie, is exactly 7 days older than Leyden, and they are very close. I am so glad that my mother-in-law was able to bring Kimmie to the birthday dinner!

We were so happy that Leyden's paternal grandparents, Papa Jim & Meme, could be there.
Leyden has two doting aunts on her father's side, Crystal and Jessica. While Uncle Brady, Aunt Crystal and Leyden's cousin Tyler were out of town, Uncle Robb & Aunt Jessie were able to come. They are expecting their first child in February, and we are so excited for them!

We were so excited that Brad's mom (Nana) was able to come!
My brother, Uncle Bubba, was a little late to dinner because he had a situation with some horses that he had to take care of. He and Brad act like little kids when they are together...
We had a big crowd!

The ladies sang "Happy Birthday" in Chinese!

Leyden got lots of nice gifts and had a wonderful time. Thanks to all of you who were able to come and celebrate with us!

Celebration Week Update - Savannah Trip

Our whirlwind trip to Savannah was a good one, despite the rainy weather. Leyden's friend from school, Shelby, was there because her mother is also a paralegal and was attending the conference. It was fun having one of Leyden's friends there! Friday night, Leyden and I went with Shelby, her mother (Pam) and her grandmother (Miss Nanny) to the Savannah Theatre to see "Return to the 50s". It was MUCH better than a carriage ride in the rain! The theatre building is beautiful.

Leyden and I in our seats at Savannah Theatre:

Miss Nanny, Pam & Shelby at Savannah Theatre:

The sets for the show were well-done, and the costumes were fabulous.

During one part of the show, the audience is asked to stand up and "dance". Miss Nanny took it to heart and boogied down! She had so much fun!

Our favorite part of the show at Savannah Theatre was anything that Mario Morin did... he was FABULOUS! He sang "Splish Splash" as he rolled across the stage in a little bathtub with a bubble machine blowing bubbles:

He dressed up like Little Richard and sang, "Good Golly Miss Molly" and a crowd participation version of "Tutti Frutti". We cracked up every time he said, "Shut up!"

And Mario played Costello's role in Abbott & Costello's hilarious "Who's on First?" skit:

We bought a DVD of some of his skits, including most of the ones in the "Return to the 50s" show. One thing that didn't make the DVD was Spanish Elvis, which was a hysterical part of the 50s show.
We had our picture made with Mario and his beautiful wife, Lucinda, after the show, and Mario autographed Leyden's DVD cover. Mario and Lucinda are really nice folks, and we were so excited to meet them!Saturday afternoon we were able to see some of downtown Savannah on our way to the City Market on the free DOT shuttle. The city has several squares, which are beautiful parks, and they all have names. Below is the square across from the Savannah Theatre.

I really enjoyed seeing the houses and buildings in Savannah. This is the entrance to an apartment building.

Of course, everywhere you go in downtown Savannah, there are horse-drawn carriages. Riding in a carriage was #2 on my to-do list (climbing to the top of Tybee Island Lighthouse was #1, and seeing the "Bird Girl" and the house from Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil was #3). Of course, I got to do none of these on this trip. Oh well, maybe I'll go back one day and do it all!

While at City Market, we visited the gift shop at The Lady & Sons (a/k/a Paula Deen's place), and no, we weren't able to eat there. The line for dinner reservations was down the block, and we were there at lunch time! Below is a picture of a square at City Market, where a band was playing. We ate lunch at Wild Wing Cafe and visited a couple of little souvenir shops, and we caught a glimpse of Marilyn Monroe outside a restaurant...

When we left City Market, the free DOT shuttle arrived at our stop, two blocks from our hotel, just as the bottom fell out of the sky. We had two options: 1) ride the DOT all the way around the route until we got back to the hotel (which would take an hour or more); or 2) get off the shuttle and make a run for it. We quickly decided on option 2, and danced in the rain on the way back to the hotel. Needless to say, we were soaked! We were a sight walking through the hotel dripping wet, our flip flops squeaking with every step! But it was so much fun!

Late Saturday afternoon we went to River Street and visited the shops and restaurants. We didn't let a little rain slow us down... we bought umbrellas and ponchos and made our way to the many souvenir shops, ate dinner, and sampled fresh, warm pralines and taffy. YUM!

Barb (one of my traveling buddies) was singing in the rain!Below, Leyden is posing with a unique dog sculpture at one of the shops.

While at the riverfront, we saw many massive barges pass by, loaded with boxcars full of goods. I think I heard someone say that Savannah's port is the fourth busiest in the nation. From all the action we saw in one afternoon, I believe it!

On the riverfront there are lots of people who play instruments, sing, or make roses out of bamboo shoots, and they have buckets and instrument cases for tips. We saw a man playing accordion, and Leyden gave him $1 and told him that her grandfather plays accordion also. The man has only been playing for a few months, and donates all of his tips to an anti-war fund. In this picture, he was singing Leyden a song.

We ate dinner Saturday at a neat place called One-Eyed Lizzie's. They had the best quesadillas EVER! And I had to make a picture of Leyden with this multi-colored gecko they had hanging on the wall.

This is one of the steep stairways to the riverfront. They look ancient, and according to my friend Barb, slaves once traveled up these stairs to be traded.
Saturday night, we went on a ghost tour. We boarded a trolley on River Street, and our tour guide (a wonderful storyteller with a cool Southern accent) told us interesting stories about strange "happenings" in Savannah. Leyden couldn't muster the courage to go in the Sorrel-Weed House (which was featured on SciFi Channel's Ghost Hunters) so we hung out on the sidewalk and took some pictures. This is the front of the Sorrel-Weed House (creepy looking, isn't it?):

And this is Leyden with our tour guide, who was dressed in period costume:
While on our ghost tour, we passed the Juliette Gordon Low house. Juliette Gordon Low was the founder of Girl Scouts of America. Our tour guide told us a "ghost story" about her, but I honestly can't remember how it went. It was fiction, anyway! It's hard to see the house in this picture. I got a new camera just before we left for Savannah, and I'm still trying to figure out how to use it!
We also visited a graveyard on the ghost tour, but we stood outside the fence while the tour guide explained to us the interesting "vaults" that were used in Savannah. It wasn't scary at all, just very, very interesting. I won't gross you out with the details here.

Overall, we had a wonderful trip to Savannah. We squeezed in a whole lot of stuff in a short little while, and we even got to dance in the rain! As always, Leyden and I were delighted to visit another town we've never seen before, and we basked in its Southern charm as long as we could. If we ever go back to Savannah, I'll get started at the top of my to-do list the minute we arrive!