Moving

Moving is a very interesting process. Each move for us has consisted of three phases.

The first phase in the process is the Cleaning/Selling phase. It consists of going through closets and drawers, totes and boxes looking for items that need to be thrown away or could be sold at the yard sale. Looking at each item asking questions such as- When was the last time I used this? Does this still work? Does this still have all the pieces? Is it still valid (coupons, etc.)? Once you sort through all the places in your house, closet, garage then you look to see what you've accumulated and labeled as "junk" that someone else might find useful and pay you for. Granted, they aren't going to pay you but one-fourth of the price that you paid for it, if you're lucky. However, the yard sale motto is "something is better than nothing".

Once the Cleaning/Selling phase is complete, then you can move on to Packing. This packing phase is typically organized and consists of packing items that you still use but not necessarily on a daily or maybe weekly basis. This is seasonal clothing and holiday decorations. It consists of photo albums, books, pictures, and movies. It is the stuff in the closet that was not deemed junk but remains in the closet. It gets packed neatly in a box. That box is taped and clearly labeled.

However, the closer the moving day comes the quicker you move to the third phase which is PACKING. Now PACKING is different than packing. This is crunch time. Everything must be moved and it must be moved NOW. It does not matter that you are putting books in the same box with your pots and pans. It was all in the kitchen, right? It doesn't matter that part of the box has kids toys and the rest of the box has adult clothing. It all belongs to someone that lives in the house, right? Yep, PACKING is the final phase...the most stressful phase....the phase that almost puts people over the edge and starts them thinking "Why are we moving again?"

Apparently, if I'm typing a blog about moving then I'm obviously in the packing phase and not the PACKING phase. Yes, the boxes I packed last night are taped up, they are like items, and it is clearly labeled. I have about five more weeks to be moved and I'm trying to get things organized and spaced out. I know that the PACKING phase will come but I'm hoping to minimize the effects for me, Jason, and the boys.

A Few Of My Favorite Things

In the movie "The Sound of Music", Julie Andrews sings a song called A Few Of My Favorite Things.





Here are a few of my favorite things -

• A date night with Jason



• Doing something new with the boys like going to the zoo last weekend



• Watching the boys play ball (games not so much the practices....)



• A cook out with friends



• A Saturday with no plans



• Time to read a book



• Holidays with the family



• University of Tennessee football



• Girls Nights (or just lunch!)



• A new friend request on FaceBook



• Time just to browse at a bookstore



• Going for a new hair cut and color



• A family members birthday (or my own!)



• Hearing from an old friend



• Getting something in the mail that isn't junk or a bill



• Having a pedicure



• Sitting on the beach and listening to the waves



• Finding a good deal or something on sale



• Auctions



• A great worship song



• Sleeping in late



• Singing Christmas carols



• Holding a newborn baby


• Getting a great picture (so hard to do with very active boys!)

Well....I said it was just a few of my favorite things....

Home and the Zoo

Well we all survived the week that the boys were gone to Kentucky visiting their Uncle Brian and Aunt Ashley. The boys had a wonderful time. They went to an outdoor park and an indoor playground/arcade. They went swimming. They played games. They went to church and got lots of attention which of course they needed because they are absolutely starved for attention.

To cap off such a big week, we decided to meet up at the zoo in Knoxville. I drove up to the zoo and met the boys, Brian & Ashley, and Ashley's parents, Kevin & Pam. It was absolutely gorgeous weather - not too hot, not humid and fairly cloudy skies. This equals enjoyable time for the people and more active animals than would normally be seen during a typical July day in Tennessee. It wasn't too crowded either. We started off with the black bear and then to a red Panda. We then went off to see some river animals as well as the amphibians and reptiles. There were a variety of turtles. We saw a mama turtle and little baby turtle walking beside her.And then to the reptiles which I have no desire to see. What I am curious about is the fact that there seemed to be every type of snake that exists on the planet at the zoo but only two types of bears? Why? I don't know because I couldn't find anyone to ask.

We then made our way to Kids Cove. There was a barn to walk through with mice and an owl naturally. Then we went through the petting area and brushed some goats and sheep. One goat attempted to eat Ashley's camera bag but we made it out safely. We did get to see one goat poop but the staff managed to clean it up quickly before there was any type of incident. There was a play area with climbing and slides. The boys spent some time there but then we headed out to see the raccoons, beavers, rabbits, and skunks. Unfortunately the skunks were not in their exhibit but we were still able to smell some of their scent that they left behind.

There was also a play area with lily pads and water but we didn't stop there. Riley would have spent the rest of the day there but we had to move on to look at the turkey. And we wanted to make sure we made it to the chimp area before 2:00 so that we could see the baby chimp, George, at his birthday party. He turned one on Saturday and there was a special celebration.

Before we made it to the chimp area though, we stopped to see the birds of Central America. They were so amazing. For there to be so many kinds of birds they were each so different. Then we saw a prairie dog. He popped his head up and stayed up looking around for a long time. There was a small area where the kids could run in and pop their heads up like a prairie dog. We walked through the butterfly garden to look at....butterflies and the beautiful flowers.

The elephants, zebras, and giraffes were next. We spent a long time at the elephants. They are such an amazing creature. We also benefited from seeing an elephant poop. Probably there is a better way to phrase it but after you've had two kids and more specifically boys, this seems like the best way to phrase it. One elephant was apparently in some type of trance because he seemed to dance the whole time. And when I mean the whole time, I mean the whole time. Even when we came back from looking at the monkeys, lions, and the bird show....the elephant was still dancing.

The zebras were in the shade the first time we walked through. Except for one zebra who was partially laying down but had his head up. Brian (brother) gave a narration to the crowd as the zebra laid his head down. It was pretty funny and of course Brian drew an audience to himself. He's been doing that since he was a toddler. In between the giraffes and monkeys, we stopped for lunch. Apparently this was the same time that everyone else decided to stop for lunch too. It wasn't too bad of a wait though. Ashley and the boys found a table for us and rested. The boys called Jason to give dad the up to date information about the zoo.

The monkeys were amazing. Again, several different species of monkeys but only two bears. One of the gorillas was eating a piece of fruit and stopped to look at us through the glass several times. Gorillas have such huge heads and hands. I'm glad there was a thick piece of glass between us. Next and finally, we made it to the chimpanzees. We saw baby George who was just waking up from a nap. He was rubbing his eyes...so sweet. And there were bags laying everywhere from the time that he opened his presents. He walked around and then found mom to cuddle. There were some more chimps in an open area. One came down to the glass and was eating lemons and limes. Jonah and Riley got right up next to the glass and were literally head to head with the chimp. The chimp would spit out the seeds from the lemon and when he did that he would stick out his tongue. And Jonah would stick out his tongue back.

Ashley's favorite part were the lions. The cheetahs were resting in the shade but were very visible. The lioness' were all laying down as well but you could see the lion on the other side of the cage. The tiger however was up and moving around. Although he didn't roar you could hear him making noises. They all were truly amazing.

We walked back through and many of the animals had moved around so we got another good look at them, except for the dancing elephant. He was in the same spot still dancing. The giraffes had come up closer probably because someone had stuck some branches out there for them to eat. The boys stopped for ice cream to help them cool off. We watched part of a bird show as well. They had a bird called Einstein and although I can't remember what kind of bird it was, he was amazing. I can not believe all the words they taught and various sounds they taught him. And the fact that the bird could remember the cues for those words and sounds.

The main highlight of Riley's day was at the end of the day when the two of us rode the camel. Yes, we rode a camel. And prior to us getting on the camel, the baby camel who was in the open area pooped and peed. Riley said that camels just don't know any better to "go and find some privacy". And he's exactly right. We got on this camel and my first thought, It is going to hurt if we fall off. Of course after we started moving, I was trying to figure out why people would ever willingly choose camels as their source of transportation for any length of distance. But I guess if the choice is between your two feet and their four feet, then you'd probably choose theirs too. However when you did start walking on your two feet again, there would definitely be some stiffness and bowing of the legs.

And the boys were asleep before we left Knoxville.....

A Week Without Kids

So....I haven't blogged lately....not because there is nothing going on. Perhaps it is just the opposite. There is too much going on. We're in the process of selling our house and have inspections, people working at the house, looking for a new house or the possibility of building a house. Then there is the daily life stuff including work each day, keeping up with a home and family, church work which includes teaching Sunday School, planning for Vacation Bible School and welcoming a new pastor. However, this blog isn't meant to be about how busy my life is.

Over the 4th of July holiday, the boys went and spent a weekend with my parents. My parents have just recently moved from Sparta (our hometown) to a small town just outside of Chattanooga TN. Granted, it's only about an hour drive however as we get used to them not living within five minutes from my house, it seems like they are an entire continent away. Thus the need for the boys and for the grandparents to have a weekend together. They had the best time, behaved well for the grandparents and came back behaving well. While they were visiting Nanny & Pa, they were treated to Chuck E. Cheese and ice cream, swimming with some of their second and third cousins and a cook out, fireworks over the lake and time being the center of Nanny & Pa's attention. Absolutely perfect, huh?

Yesterday I packed the boys up again and drove them to Kentucky where they are going to spend an entire week with my brother Brian and his wife Ashley. The boys have been looking forward to this for months. We've been talking about it since Christmas and had them in the understanding that they would go stay after "school was out". Naturally, the first week that school was out the boys insisted on going to Kentucky. My sister-in-law is in her last year of school at the University of Kentucky and has some classes that she has to take over the summer in order to graduate in December. Thus we explained to the boys that they would go visit in July after the holiday. And here we are....the boys have counted down all week. They are now at the point that they are asking if they are leaving first thing in the morning (breakfast time) or in the afternoon (lunch time).

This got me to thinking about the trips I made when I was younger visiting my family. I loved trips to stay with Mema and Papa. It was even better when there were some of the other cousins around to play with too. I think of the times that Mema would set up a play kitchen for us and we'd pretend to cook and serve her and each other. I remember when Papa first got a computer and we went to his house and he had the coolest game of "Wheel of Fortune". And he let us play it! I remember the time when Mema taught us some of the "dances" from when she was a teenager. I will never hear the song about the Bugle Boy without thinking of her. It was at my grandparents house sitting in the rocking chair with Mema that I learned to blow a bubble with my bubble gum. And no one could make a peanut butter and honey sandwich like she could.

Many times we spent a few days or a week at our aunt's house. My mom has four sisters and we've alternately stayed with each of them at various times. I remember spending a week with my aunt out in Houston TX and visiting a zoo as well as a the biggest mall I'd ever seen at the time. I remember playing in the living room with Lego's. We left them in the floor of the living room the entire week. And I remember staying with my aunt in Cleveland TN and playing outside by the creek with my cousins. We pretended all kinds of games and scenarios and played in the water. I remember my aunt taking all of us camping, having car trouble and spending hours on the side of the road. Even that is fun when you are with your family. Then there was the times of dressing up and dancing in my cousins room. We were so cool. And I remember the Thanksgiving holidays we spent with my aunt in Lexington TN. The first time I remember making a mud pie was at their house. We had mud all over us and it was the most fun ever! And I remember times staying with my aunt in Chattanooga TN and going out on their boat. It was the first time I'd been tubing and since I was the oldest kid, my uncle went a little faster when I was on the tube. And it was also the first time anyone got thrown off the tube. And the time that we went with them on vacation to Florida. It was so much fun....enjoying the beach and playing in the pool. My uncle got sun burnt the first or second day we were there. I will never forget it.

And these are just a very few of the memories I have of the times I've visited with family. I'm thankful that my children are able to have these same opportunities with their grandparents and family. I hope they make the kind of memories that you never forget.