PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE!!!

I promise I am going to update this blog one of these days!  I haven't forgotten about it but I haven't had the time to get caught up.  I'm keeping track of everything I need to tell you all about so you might be overwhelmed with all the stories I've got to tell.  Be patient people, after the holidays I'm making it a priority to get back on track.  Thanks for continuing to check for updates and stay tuned for future posts!  Until then, I hope this season finds you all happy and healthy and you have a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year...cheers!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAYLON!!!

Kaylon just turned 14!!  He's growing up so fast all of a sudden!  He's at least 4 inches taller than me now (which really isn't saying much) and he rubs it in my face at least twice a day!  He is in size 11 shoes and his hands are bigger than Rodger's!  I can't image how big he's going to end up and he hasn't even hit his growth spurt yet!!  

We had a crazy week with everything Kaylon had going on so to celebrate his birthday he got to perform in the school play.  Since this week was going to be nuts we decided to celebrate last weekend.  He wanted to go to Golden Corral for his birthday dinner and then on his actual birthday he wanted chicken turnovers.  Inbetween school and getting ready for the play he opened presents and we had ice cream cake that he had requested.  He got a 3DS and a couple of games, along with lots of money from everyone, THANK YOU!!   There were plenty of parties going on this weekend to also help him celebrate.  Friday was a cast party for those that were involved with the play and then several of his friends had birthdays this week also so they had a big birthday party for all of them at his friend's house.  Overall he had a great birthday even though it was a little bit different than usual.   We love you Kaylon!

 

 

We wrapped his 3DS in three different sized boxes so he didn't know what he was getting!  That's the only thing he wanted so we wanted to disguise it!  It worked, he had no idea! 

 

 

 

This is the point where he figured it out, 

 can you tell how excited he is?!

 

 

 

 

$$$$$ 

  

YUMMY!!!

INTO THE WOODS

Kaylon just made his big stage debut as 'The Baker' in his school's production of "Into The Woods"!  This was a hidden talent that we didn't know he had!  When he auditioned I was thinking he would get a small part or just be in the background but when he came home and told me he got the lead role I was shocked!!  After many hours of practice and staying after school every day, they finally got to perform what they'd worked so hard on.


I was a nervous wreck hoping that he could really do this!  I kept asking him if he was nervous and he looked at me like I was crazy, what's there to be nervous about?!  He was cool as a cucumber and not worried about it one bit!  He had to sing a couple of solos and I didn't even know he could sing!  Well, he was amazing, I didn't know he had it in him! Rodger and I kept looking at each other like, is this really our Kaylon, who knew??  Needless to say, it was another proud momma moment!  
     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MOTHER'S DAY

I had a great Mother's Day, other than I had to speak in church!  Of all the wonderful mothers out there why would they ask me?  Aren't the men supposed to talk and tell the women how wonderful we are?!  Oh well, I did it and survived, it just wasn't my idea of how I wanted to celebrate the day.  

Rodger and the kids gave me tulips (my favorite) a candied apple and a nice jewelry box.  We went to my favorite restaurant, Fireside Grille, and had the best prime rib EVER!!!  

  

  

 

 

Did I mention I love tulips!!!

I hope all the mother's in my life, sisters, friends, neighbors, etc., had a wonderful day as well and you were celebrated for being the wonderful mothers you are!  You were all in my thoughts and I love and miss you all!  

EASTER

Time to dye the eggs!

Cute cupcakes!

Danielle is thrilled that the 

Easter Bunny came, 

can you tell?

They have to count the eggs to make sure one doesn't have more than the other! ;)

New Easter outfits!

SPRING BREAK - ROAD TRIP!!!

WARNING - THIS POST IS GOING TO BE LONG AND FILLED WITH A LOT OF PICTURES!

(It's only taken me three days to make this post...ugh!)  

Wow!  What a trip, literally!   We covered a lot of territory and saw parts of the country that we had never seen before, it was great!  I kept track of our trip and we drove a total of 2300 miles and spent 43 hours in the car.  That sounds like A LOT but it didn't seem like that at all.  We only drove a few hours each day and stopped a lot so it wasn't bad and I am surprised that we actually went that far.  We rented a car so at least we didn't put all those miles and wear and tear on our car.  Here we go...

DAY #1 -  We wanted to get up and going really early but we had to put Reece in the Pet Hotel and they didn't open until 7:00 a.m. so we were there right at opening and actually got on the road about 7:30 a.m.  This would be our longest haul which was about 8 hours.  

      

   Our first stop was Nashville and we went directly to Opryland!  Of course it was closed that day but we were still able to walk around outside and get pictures. 

Next we went to the Opryland Hotel.  It is so awesome, you could spend your whole vacation in there and never have to leave! 

That's our rental car in front

We ate dinner at "Caney Fork River Grille". 
It had a great atmosphere and the best ribs I've ever had!

DAY #2 - We got up WAY early and headed out for Georgia! The kids could not wait to get to their cousin's house to play!  The cousins didn't know we were coming and they were still at school so while we waited for them to get home we went with Lisa to lunch and then to go shopping for decorations so I could help her decorate her newly remodeled upstairs.  We came home and got busy hanging and embellishing things.  It was so much fun and it turned out so cute, I love it!  When the kids got home from school they were so surprised! Katie started to cry she was so happy, it was so sweet!  We had a BBQ that night and a sleep over.  Lisa let her kids stay home from school the next day so they could stay up late and have fun together while we were there. 

 OUR GEORGIA FAMILY - THE CARLOCK'S

Jack loves his Kaylon, he was his little shadow and didn't leave his side the whole time.  

 

DAY #3 - We are off to Savannah, GA, the drive was absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!!  Everything has bloomed or has blossoms and the colors were so bright and vibrant!  It was so good to see color again!  Wisteria grows wild there so it grows all throughout the trees, it was in bloom and it looked so pretty.  

When we got to Savannah, we went straight to The Pirate House and then to 

River Street to go shopping in all the fun little shops down there.  

                                                                                                                                   

 These are secret tunnels under the restaurant that lead to the river where pirates would kidnap people and steal things and make their way back to their ship without getting caught.

  RIVER STREET

We had dinner at Fiddlers Crab House

            
         

We thought this looked like the 
"Narnia" lamp with the real flame.

            

 One of Paula Deen's restaurants, 
"Lady and Sons".

COLONIAL PARK CEMETERY at dusk...SCARY!!!

 

A relative?

 

 

 

This is the grave of someone that signed 
The Declaration of Independence 

 

 

 

Danielle trying to push the lid off.  

 

 

 

 

 

Chillin' in the hotel before bedtime.  

Big day at the beach tomorrow!!

 

DAY #4 - HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SO. CAROLINA

So. Carolina is BEAUTIFUL!!!  

Even the freeways are pretty!

This sun dial really told the correct time!

Kaylon had a hard time staying in the hammock!

 

 

BEACH BOUND BABY, OH, YEAH!!!!

                                      

 

This is how Rodger does vacation....

  
 

We saw all kinds of creatures that 

had washed up on the beach.

 

 
 
 

After spending the whole day at the beach we went back to the hotel and got cleaned up and went to the "Sea Trawler" for dinner, it was delicious!!!  

I had Wahoo fish and it was the best seafood dinner I've ever had! 

DAY #5 - Back to Savannah, GA

I love the spanish moss that grows in the trees!

Forest Gump was filmed here 

when he's sitting on the bench and says, 

"Life is like a box of chocolates...".

   

  

After spending most of the morning in Savannah, it was time to head back to The Carlock's!
We had one more sleep over before the journey back home.  


We left all the kids at home to tend each other while the adults 
went out for sushi.  I have never had the desire to eat sushi but I decided it would be a good time to go for it, so I did.  We went to Tim and Lisa's favorite sushi spot, She's Bistro, and I have to admit, it was pretty good.  I don't know that I'll be ordering sushi very often, its definitely an aquired taste but at least I can say I tried it and lived to tell about it!  
I had the PTC Roll (Peach Tree City), that's where we were.  

DAY #6 - The long road home!
We were anxious to get back to Nashville because we wanted to spend a lot more time there so we got off to a pretty early start.  The kids were sad to say goodbye to their cousins but I think they were ready to get home too.  


Back to Tennessee!!

We went straight to Nashville and hit Lower Broadway which is the heart of Nashville!  The only day it rained on our whole trip and it was a DOWNPOUR!!!  We withstood the rain and were able to walk around and see quite a bit.   

 
 LP Field where the Tennessee Titans play.  

 
 The Ryman Auditorium

 

 Danielle LOVES Elvis!!

 

Rodger's friend recommended we eat at "Noshville" so we tried it.  It was good, it's a New York style deli and they mainly had soup and sandwiches.  They serve a bowl of pickles at every table.  They were good but way too salty!

 
 

One of the highlights of our trip was driving around in Brentwood, which is where all the big country music stars live.  Holy cow, we could have drove around there all day but it was so rainy that it kind of made it miserable but it was BEAUTIFUL there!  We are already planning on going back just to drive around.  We couldn't believe some of the houses we saw, it was incredible!  

Here's just a sample...

 
 
 
 


 
 
 
 
 

You can't go to Nashville and not see The Bluebird Cafe.  
Every successful country music star has sang there.  
When we were trying to find it we keep thinking 
we had the wrong address, 
because of where it is located you would 
never know this little place existed.  
In fact, if you blinked you'd miss it!  
It's in between all these big businesses 
and stores and totally out of place.


After spending most of the day in Nashville it was time to make one more leg of the trip.  
Our last night was spent in Louisville, Kentucky.  We went from 90* at the beach to freezing and a major snow storm.  We wanted to turn around and go back!  


 DAY #7 -The last morning we went into Louisville to check out what that city had to offer.  
We definitely had to go to the Louisville Slugger Museum.

 

 

 

 

 And finally, the last major stop...Churchill Downs!

 

 

Driving over the bridge from Kentucky to Indiana

 

Only one more state to go!

The kids were great sports and never 

did complain about the long drive.  

By the end of the trip they were done and ready to be home!

(They are going to kill me for posting these!!!)

 

HOME SWEET HOME!!!

 What a great trip, we loved it!!  We were able to see so many neat things and see so many new places.  
We couldn't have asked for better weather (until the last day). It felt so good to get away from the cold and go to mid 80's where everything was green and beautiful!  
We can't wait to go again!