Stuckey Family Blog

Aahhhh! I don't know how to being to catch up!

2009-12-11T21:38:00.000-05:00

Wow. Seriously? Its been WEEKS since I have last blogged. Sounds like a beginning to a Catholic confession. Maybe I should do 10 Hail Marys and call it a day? Anyway, I am so sorry that it has taken me this long to update this thing. Where do I begin? Hmmmm......I'll just bullet it all for now. Pictures may soon follow.

Thanksgiving was great:

We went to Stuckey and visited with everyone. Deck & Shannon had us over for dinner. Sue knitted me a great shaw. Cody loved playing with Heath and Abby was in Heaven playing with Willow. I wish they lived closer.....they love their cousins!

Trip to Charleston:

We took a couple of days and went to Charleston. I love it so much! Clay & I went downtown and ate at Poogan's Porch. Lee & Martha Ann watched the kids for us and even changed a diaper! Congrats to the Grands!

Kids at their New School:

They both seem to be adjusting well. Cody has been teaching the kids new songs and the word "poop". Abby carries her purse and several baby dolls with her every where she goes...she channels Martha Ann's diva-ness!

My job:

I really, really love it. Everyone is so nice and have taken me in as one of their own. We spend most of the day laughing and occasionally take a break to play a few rounds of Catch Phrase. It is a great place to work. Everyone (and I mean everyone) on staff are top-notch genuinely nice people. Its a privilege to be there.

Clay's job:

Its Top Secret, can't say much about it! : ) Clay is playing bass at the Hope - Holly Springs Campus now. Tomorrow, he will be in the Holly Springs Christmas Parade!

House stuff:

We were hoping to rent Blue Sky, but then opted to sell it (or which ever came first). We had an interested buyer, but that fell through. We currently have an interested renter...we're hoping that happens! So, if you know anyone looking for a beautiful custom home in the Charleston area....send them our way!
Here in Raleigh, we put up a few Christmas decorations. All of our good stuff is still at Blue Sky! Clay & Cody made the angel for the tree out of paper. I am using a lot of the kids artwork from school as the ornaments....its cute. Simple, but cute.

Christmas is coming soon:

The kids are getting excited about Christmas. Abby has already unwrapped some things (several times). So if your present looks like a cat got a hold of it, that's why. I haven't sent my Christmas cards yet. I lost most of my contacts, so I hope I get around to actually sending them this year....its just stuck on my "to do" list for now. If it doesn't happen....Merry Christmas to you anyway!

I'll leave you with a funny thing that happened the other day....

I had just strapped the kids into their car seats and we were leaving the church. It was around 5:30pm, so it was rather dark out. Abby kept asking me to turn the interior light on in the car and was saying it was dark and she was scared. I turned around and said, "Abby, it's ok. Don't be afraid." Without skipping a beat, Cody said to Abby, "You are going to have a baby....and his name will be Jesus."

Merry Christmas!

Thinking About Black Friday

2009-11-25T14:33:00.000-05:00

Spend Less, Give More This Christmas....it's not just about gifts under the tree, but about how you can help people.

Cody's Date with Morgan

2009-11-05T22:54:00.001-05:00

NC State Fair 2009

2009-11-05T22:45:00.000-05:00

Ugh! Trying to catch up....

2009-11-05T22:37:00.000-05:00

I have so many photos to crop & edit ...and so many stories to tell. Hopefully, I will find some time to catch up to speed. It may out of chronological order and may just be a bunch of pictures. I hope to get back to writing soon, but no telling when. So, hang in there and I'll be posting more stuff soon.

Thanks for checking taking the time to read my posts.

Happy Birthday Clay!

2009-10-21T14:08:00.003-04:00

Today is your birthday, you know it is here.

The day you were born…its your 39^th year!

You ask, “Thirty-nine years? Where have the days went?

How can it be that my youth is all spent?”

Let me remind you that “youth” is inside.

Its not how you look, but what’s in your mind.

Forget about wrinkles or a gray hair or two,

Age is irrelevant for a young guy like you!

And you of all people are far from being old.

You laugh and you joke and you still Rock and Roll!

You remind me that “youth” is found everyday,

When we sing and we dance and watch the kids play.

You are the reason our daughter smiles and laughs;

And the reason our son sometimes pees in the bath!

Your family is proud of you and your friends love you too.

We can’t imagine this world without a great guy like you.

And for me, dear husband, you light up my life;

I thank God everyday for being your wife!

So today, let’s celebrate thirty-nine years “young”!

I’ve ran out of words and this poem is done.

Happy
Birthday
Clay!

We love you!

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-16T12:05:00.005-04:00

Mad Scientist: Baby Girl Abby

Frankenstein: Grandad Lee

Werewolf: Big Boy Cody

Bride of Frankenstein: Mamaw MarthaAnn

Dracula: Daddy Clay

Director & Choreographer: Mommy Terri

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Mad Scientist: Mommy Terri
Frankenstein: Poppy Thornton
Werewolf: Baby Girl Abby
Bride of Frankenstein: Nanna Tanna
Dracula: Big Boy Cody

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Mad Scientist: Big Boy Cody
Frankenstein: Daddy Clay
Werewolf: Mommy Terri
Bride of Frankenstein: Great Grandma Mary Lou
Dracula: Baby Girl Abby
Invisible Ghost: Grandma Carolyn

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Celebrating 6 Years Together at the Derby! (10-11-09)

2009-10-14T14:07:00.003-04:00

Clay and I celebrated our 6th Wedding Anniversary by going to the Demolition Derby in Proctorville, OH. The event was a fundraiser for the Proctorville Fire Department (my Dad is the chief) and it was a great success. The weather was perfect and there was a good sized crowd who came to participate.

We decided to take Cody and let him experience it and boy, did he love it!

All in all, it was a great time and we wouldn't have had it any other way. Well, maybe next time I'll enter the Powder Puff heat and drive one of the cars. For now, we we'll just enjoy sitting on the sidelines eating candy and hoping someone's car catches on fire. It doesn't get better than that!

Jim's Spaghetti

2009-10-14T13:37:00.000-04:00

One of our favorite places to eat when we go to Huntington is Jim's. Jim's Restaurant has been a local landmark & signature restaurant of Huntington, WV since June of 1938. Over the years, they have served celebrities and politicians (there are autographed pictures all throughout the restaurant). There is even a picture of my grandfathers graduating class on the wall.

I loved eating there as a kid and now I love taking my family there when we visit. We love the food and the service is top-notch. Cody & Abby loved it too.....they could be poster children for Jim's.

Cody Boy

2009-10-14T12:00:00.000-04:00

Sweet Abby

2009-10-14T11:58:00.001-04:00

Politically (In)Correct

2009-10-07T12:33:00.002-04:00

I have never really been one to voice my opinion on politics.

Yeah right, who am I kidding. Over the past few years, I have started becoming of those fear-mongering, flag-waving, right-wing extremists you hear about. Well, I don't really consider myself to be extreme, rather informed. I listen to Glenn Beck most mornings and watch his television show most evenings. (I'm currently reading Arguing with Idiots: How to Stop Small Minds and Big Government). And yes, I have attended a Tea Party. I am (*gasp*) a conservative!

Since moving to Raleigh, I have found myself surrounded by a bunch of I-voted-for-Obama-bumper-sticker-wearing liberals. Some days, I feel like running into the back of their car, so they have to remove his mug from looking at me at every stoplight. I'd never actually act on that urge, but I wish they wouldn't make me look at his face...if they like him so much, they should put it on their dashboard where they can look at him daily. There isn't even a conservative radio station here in Raleigh. I have to listen online or through my iphone app. I am officially in the "Land of Change".

I've heard that we have the highest sales taxes in the Southeast and that there are businesses moving away from NC because it is not as equitable for big businesses. I decided to take a look at my local representatives and see what they believe in and if they in any way represent ME. I wanted to see why the Smartest City in America could be having so many problems?

I found that Congressman David Price is my (District 4) representative. It is obvious that he loves Obama and any plan that Obama supports. I think he actually wants Obama to be more liberal and spend more money. He believes that all problems stem from Bush and that the current economic downturn is only survivable by spending more money and devaluing the dollar.

Rep. Price does not represent me and does not even represent sensible solutions for a broken & corrupt system. If anything, Rep. Price represents corruption. Recently, he was accused of wasting $10 million that was earmarked for our National Guard & Army Reserve. Instead he spent it on his friends, paying them 6-figure salaries and reimbursing one friend over $76,000 for food, travel & lodging....with nothing to show for it. Disgraceful.

Recently I was on one of his staged* "Town Hall" phone calls and listened to him go on & on about how we can pay for everything without spending any money. What?
How he equates universal healthcare to having liability car insurance. Liability car insurance doesn't cost us a trillion dollars when our government is already broke!
How we can help pay for healthcare for everyone (including 7-20 million illegals) and somehow actually save money through it all. Does he understand basic math?
How he says tort reform shouldn't be a part of the health care debate. Lawsuits and malpractice insurance are the bulk of the rising healthcare costs!
How we can use universal healthcare as a gateway to regulate and socialize MORE programs. Can you say path to communism?

*I say "staged" because they had screeners take your question, then they picked the softball questions & prompted him with canned answers without taking any rebuttal or follow-up questions. That's not an open discussion.

So, I have decided to get more involved with my local government. I recently attended a luncheon with the GOP leaders for North Carolina. I learned that the democratic party has had control in NC for 111 years! WHAT!? They say that "this may be the year to change the power". God, I hope so.

They talked about our Governor's recent increase in sales taxes. She said that she will not make the working class carry the burden of the budget deficit...but that's exactly what an increase in sales taxes does.

I was sort of disappointed in the lack of turn out at the luncheon. More importantly, I was disappointed in the passion for leading the people out of a dem-ran government. Where is the enthusiasm? Where is the turn-red-in-the-face determination to defeat the democrats? Isn't this the Bible Belt? Pretend that you are a southern baptist preacher and start spitting and screaming a little when you talk about the corruption and misrepresentation....get mad, I sure am!

In a way, I can see why so many people supported Obama...he was a charasmatic orator that moved people to believe in something that was so vague (hope & change), but it didn't matter....because he was convincing everyone that we needed it. And he would deliver it. He was a great salesman.

Where is that kind of leader now? We need one. BUT we need one with a real vision and real values & principles. No more half-truths and winks to the Unions and special interests. It's time for WE THE PEOPLE to be the special interest. We should be the only interest for our elected representatives.

While I was at the GOP Headquarters, I noticed a picture of Nancy Reagan on the wall. It makes me sad to look back and remember where we were in the 80s and how we (or at least I did) believed in our President. That he was good and decent and had our best interest in mind when making tough decisions. I don't believe that anymore. I don't believe that our President has surrounded himself with people who love America. I don't believe that he will make decisions based on what's best for the People, rather than what's best for the big unions and specials interests who paid for him to get into office. Its obvious that this administration is all about payback time for all of Obama's financial supporters.

Now, I am not going to stand on this soap box and say that the Republicans are blameless. I believe that they are all have their hands in each others pockets (Dems and Reps) and they're all pulling us down further and further. We need to pay attention to what they are doing and call them on it.

I'm sick of all the "change"...its too much of the same thing for me.

Basically, I'm fed up with them all! So...don't be surprised if you see this in a few years:

Who will join me in taking back our country and making a better future for our children and grandchildren?

Four Eyes!

2009-09-30T16:57:00.000-04:00

Over these past few months I have been having headaches and noticing that my eyes were straining when looking at the computer or driving, especially at night. I knew that it was time to get my eyes checked. So Clay went with me to LensCrafters at the mall to get an eye exam. It seems that I am far-sighted and have a astigmatism. So, I got to pick out a pair of glasses!

I ended up getting a really cute pair after trying on a bunch of other ones. Here are some that didn't make the cut....that last picture is of me in my new glasses!

Don't they look good? I even feel smarter!

1st Time at the NC State Fairgrounds

2009-09-21T14:32:00.003-04:00

The kids were both sick last week, so by the time the weekend came we were ready to get out of the house...and boy, did we ever!

We went to a fairly new playground near our house and Abby brought along her purse. She loves taking it with her wherever she goes. She packs it full of random things and frequently unpacks and re-stuffs the items back in the purse. Here is one picture of her applying her chapstick.

Our next stop was the Farmer's Market. We ate at the restaurant and had a great lunch. The restaurant has a "petting zoo" attached. Here are the kids playing with all the animals (and SpiderMan). You'll notice that these animals are a little different that your regular farm animals....they are all cement statues!

Sunday, we decided to take a trip to the Fairgorunds. They had a ton of activities happening and I think we caught them all, except the "Pagan Pride Day". We just couldn't find the time to squeeze in a pagan ritual before naptime....maybe next year. But we did get to do several other things. We started off looking through the flea market and ended up going to the Greek Festival. After eating our authentic Greek food and watching the Greek dancers, they called all kids to come up and do a fun Greek dance on stage. Abby wanted nothing to do with it, but Cody went with Clay up to the stage. As the music started, Cody chickened out and wanted to leave. At least I got a picture of him attempting to participate.

Next stop, was the Flydog Competition. These dogs would jump over 4 hurdles, then step on a box that released a tennis ball. They would grab the ball, then take off back over the hurdles and run back to the start, where 3 other dogs would consecutively take their turns. At the end of each heat (no pun intended), the dog team that ran the course the fastest won.

Later, we went to the Antique Gun Show. On our way there, we went past the Turkey Shoot Booth and I got a picture of this sign. You don't see stuff like this anywhere but the State Fair Grounds in North Carolina!

All in all, we had a great (and tiring) weekend. I wonder what we'll have planned for next weekend?

FHS Reunion Weekend - Dinner @ Savannah's

2009-09-15T13:41:00.000-04:00

FHS Reunion Weekend - Football Game

2009-09-15T12:13:00.002-04:00

I had the privilege to attend my 15-Year High School Reunion a couple of weeks ago. On Friday night, we went to the FHS football game. Abby stayed home with the grandmas, while Cody came along with us to his very first football game.

It was super exciting for me. I don't remember the last football game I went to & it was nice to be back at my alma mater.

As we did 15 years ago, the majorettes led the way out onto the field as the band played the Fairland school song. Nothing has changed. Same routine, same uniforms, same director. It was a little surreal to watch....like an out-of-body experience.

On our way into the stadium, Cody received a free football jersey. Not just any jersey...it was a Fairland football jersey! He was so excited....he was yelling "football! football! yeah, football!" He wanted to go down to the sidelines and watch the players. He didn't understand why he couldn't have the ball though and was getting frustrated. Daddy made sure to give him lots of candy, so that made things seem much better. He devoured a couple of Nerds ropes and some ~~soda~~ pop. He was a VERY happy boy.

My cousin Taylor was cheering....I can't believe she is old enough to be on the Varsity squad! She is growing up into the most beautiful young lady. Cody took her some roses and gave her a hug.

I watched the half-time show and reminisced about my years in band as a majorette. Oh, those were the days. Several of my friends were there at the game too....I got to meet their kids and spouses, many for the first time. We stayed until the end of the 3rd quarter so Cody could go to bed at a reasonable time. All in all, Cody had the BEST first football game of his life and I had a great start to my reunion weekend.

After the game, we went to a bonfire. I played "corn hole" for the first time. It is sort of like horseshoes and beanbag toss combined. I was horrible. I only played one game and I actually won, due to the fact that Neil Johnson was my partner and he did an amazing job. So, as he put it....I am officially "undefeated" in the game of corn hole!

A Word from our Sponsor...

2009-09-14T15:24:00.003-04:00

Hello! I'm sorry that I haven't been updating the blog as much as I had been. Trust me, there are plenty of posts swimming in my head, just waiting to come out. I just need to make time to sit down and organize everything. You can follow me on Twitter for my random thoughts throughout the day.

What have I been doing? I've been traveling and working hard to find a job here in Raleigh. But don't fret.....I'll be posting again more frequently. Just keep checking in.

For those of you who use other social media to stay connected, you can find me here too:

LinkedIn
Facebook
Follow Me on Twitter!

Chow for now! Thanks for coming back.

A Visit to Poppy's Store

2009-09-14T15:15:00.000-04:00

Fun & Random Pictures from Raleigh!

2009-09-14T14:13:00.003-04:00

Getting Plugged In

2009-08-31T12:34:00.007-04:00

I have finally made the leap back into Children's Ministry! I attended the KidCity Kickoff last week where we got to learn about serving in KidCity at Hope Community Church. There had to be well over 600 folks there....it was impressive to see so many folks committed to serve in the children's ministry!

The staff did a great job with registration and opening music, a cool glow-in-the-dark dance routine. Laura Lee, the KidCity Children's Pastor, gave an inspiring talk about how we need to work on ourselves spiritually before we can change lives in others spiritually. She related it to working out at the gym to keep physically in shape.

We then got to go to our breakouts...mine was the "Nuts & Bolts of Large Group Teaching". I met the other large group teachers for preschool & elementary and we got a brief overview on how to make eye-contact, use body language and tone in our presentation. Basic stage presence stuff.

Then we went to our classrooms in which we will serve. I'll be in the K-1 room on Saturday nights. Here we got an overview of what to do in case of an emergency & where to go. They showed us the procedure to call a parent & where the info for CPR & First Aid was located. We finished it off by doing a mock fire drill and went outside to the parking lot.

The most impressive thing was receiving my curriculum for the rest of the year! At Seacoast, that was what we spent most of our time doing....re-creating curriculum. In KidCity, they use it "as is" from Willow Creek's Promiseland Curriculum. I'm still at a loss for words. (For those of you in Children's Ministry, you know what I mean...rarely does anything just work out of the box!)

On Sunday, I attended the KidCity Orientation class. This is where we heard about all of the positions within the ministry and how they all work together. We also completed the paperwork to do the background check.

They have these orientations once a month for new folks in addition to the big KidCity Kickoff that everyone attends to re-commit for the next year. They allow you to choose 2 months out of the year to take off from serving. They actually recruit folks to fill in for those "track outs" so the position is never empty. That's smart.

Can't wait to actually begin teaching again. This is exciting and making me a little nervous all at the same time. I hope they like me. : )

Trip to the Barber Shop

2009-08-25T23:48:00.003-04:00

Mom's Eye Surgery

2009-08-25T23:17:00.005-04:00

The purpose of my trip to Ohio was to be there for my mom as she underwent cataract surgery. It really wasn't a big deal, but she was nervous and I wanted to be there for her. She will probably kill me for posting these pictures, but she knows its inevitable...sorry mom! : )

For starters, she got the coolest blue bonnet to wear that morning. Seems like they could have invented something a little more discrete....I mean, that just screams "cafeteria lady" or circus clown, right.

As they were inserting the IV, we were trying to make small talk to keep her focus off the pain. I asked the nurse if the doctor was going to write on her head which eye to work on, so they didn't accidentally cut off her foot. Two minutes later, in walks Dr. Lilly with a pen and he wrote his initials over her left eye. Mom asked if "DL" stood for "Do the Left Eye". I guess that could be it too.

The surgery only took about 40-45 minutes and mom was wheeled back to the room. She was mumbling about bees and I was certain that she was still high on the meds. She wasn't though. I'm not sure why, but the doctors had been discussing bumble bees during her surgery, so for the last 45 minutes she heard nothing but "bee talk". I'm sure she was glad that was over!

Next, came time for the recovery talk and instructions for the eye drops. She also got an eye-patch/bubble that she had to wear over her eye so she wouldn't accidentally touch it. He gave her some really cool black sun glasses to wear home. Here is a picture of me & mom with our shades on.

After that, she was a free woman! Just a quick ride in a wheel chair and she was out the door. I am proud of her for doing so well and for being a good sport.... and for letting me take all these pictures & post them on my blog. I love you Mommy! : )

Proctorville, Ohio

2009-08-25T12:24:00.008-04:00

I made the trip to Ohio with the kids all by myself....and even came back with the same two I left with!

Disclaimer: As I got on the road, I realized that I had not charged my good camera, so most of my pictures on this trip were taken with my iphone. They didn't turn out too bad, but definitely not as of good quality that I like.

Proctorville, Ohio is a small town (a village actually) along the Ohio River, across from Huntington, WV. I grew up in "Proctorvegas" and loved the true sense of community among the folks who reside there. My mom asked me recently if I miss it and I had a hard time answering her. I miss some things about it, like driving down the road and knowing almost ever person you pass. I miss the people who live there, like my friends and my family. But moreover I miss the good times from when I was younger. You could play outside without parental supervision. You could ride a moped several miles across town and it wasn't a big deal. A date could include sitting in a pick-up truck looking up at the stars. Life was simple then, or at least I like to remember it that way.

When I go back to visit, I am amazed to see the things that have changed: new businesses, new roads, new homes...signs of growth! And still there are things that haven't changed in a long time: the police station/village hall/water company share the same old church building and of course the overwhelming pride in Marshall University....almost everyone wears "Herd" apparel. Speaking of apparel, I found this t-shirt at Kroger. It says "Greetings from Proctorville" and shows a Fairland school bus, a fire station, a Kroger, a post office and a barn. That's pretty accurate, minus the East End Bridge, some gas stations and a pizza joint!

Interesting fact: According to the 2000 Census, the population of Proctorville was just 620...that's about how many folks live in my neighborhood in Morrisville, NC!

2009-08-12T16:45:00.007-04:00

I love saving money. I guess most people do, but I really LOVE it, maybe too much at times. I don't know why it has taken me so long to make it to this place, but I decided today was the day....I went to Aldi Food Mart!

Have you been there? If so, you know why I was so excited. If not, let me tell you about it and then go find one in your neck of the woods and save your family some money on groceries too!

If that's not enough, then you should check out their Online Meal Planer!

BEFORE SHOPPING at Aldi, you need to know a few things:

1. They only take CASH, food stamps, and a handful of selected debit cards. (Your standard bank debit/credit card is not accepted. So, just run by your ATM and pick up some green.)

2. You need a quarter. If you plan on using their shopping cart, you need to insert a quarter as a deposit to use the shopping cart. You'll get it back when you leave though, so don't worry...its not a rip-off. (See pictures below)

3. Get over yourself. By that I mean, try to not be a snob and insist on name brand foods/items. Sure, some things are better than the generic. But with most things, the generic brand is often so similar to "the real thing" that you can't tell the difference. For example, I bought the kids "Toaster Tarts" instead of "Pop Tarts"....It saved me nearly $5.00!

4. They don't use grocery bags! Nope. Just like Sam's Club or Costco, you just grab some boxes along the way or bring your own bag from home. And they don't have someone to help you out to your car...you actually have to push the cart and groceries out to your own car AND load them yourself. THEN you actually have to return the shopping cart to the store. (For those of you who don't usually do that, please do it...for me!)

I used to shop at Aldi when I was in college. I used to brag that I could buy a whole months worth of food for under $50. That was about 10 years ago and my diet was primarily ramen noodles and frozen chicken, but still....$50 a month for food! That's impressive.

Today, I stopped by the bank and withdrew $100 cash and grabbed a quarter. I got excited to see they haven't changed much with the store other than updated their signage and selection.

When I shop, I turn into a little "Rain Man" version of myself. I start calculating price per unit, comparing brands, and keeping a running tally in my head. Today, I was so excited about it all that I lost track of the tally and as the lady was ringing it up, I started to worry that I would go over. I tried to assure myself that it probably happens to folks all the time, but was praying it wouldn't happen to me! She read off the total: $60.37...what?! I was way under! Woohoo!!!

Why do I love Aldi so much? It comes down to the savings. I usually budget about $100 per week for food for our family. Today, I just spent a little over $60 and I bought 2 WEEKS worth of food!!!!

Kaden's Birthday Party

2009-08-09T22:15:00.005-04:00

Our neighbors had a birthday party for their little girl Kaden today. She turned 2 years old! Branden and Kaden are the same ages as Cody and Abby....and their mommy, Lauren, just found out that she is expecting #3. Lauren made this beautiful cake herself...it was "The Very Hungry Caterpillar"...these pictures don't do it justice.

Cody & Abby had a blast playing with all of Branden & Kaden's toys and making a mess at someone else's house for a change. They really like birthday parties..what kid doesn't? Abby kept going through all of the gift bags and found a pair of shoes that she likes. Cody even brought his ukelele and sang "Happy Birthday to You" to Kaden before she blew out her candles. So sweet!

Here are a few pictures I took at the party. We talked someone into talking our picture, with all 4 of us looking at the camera. Abby wasn't smiling because she had to stop running for two seconds while we took our picture. And I notice that Cody has a dinosaur on his nose! Oh well...that just shows you how hard it is to get a good picture of all of us together.

Luau Day at School

2009-08-07T21:14:00.007-04:00

The kids had a Luau Party at school today. They have been studying Hawaii all week and had a big party to wrap it all up. Clay & I went to join in the fun. We got to help serve the food and drinks and get the kids dressed for the party. Man, Miss Margaret & Miss Gwen have their hands full. They are so sweet and patient with the kids....we love them!

They had made cute Hawaiian skirts, leis & hats. All of the parents brought fruit and the kids sampled it all...I was impressed to see they were eating fruit that I won't even eat! Cody was so cute in his shirt and hat.

Abby had a grass skirt and lei on for about 30 seconds then took it off. Unfortunately, we didn't get a picture of her class because we were in Cody's room most of the time. She had brought her ukelele to school for show-and-share. They said she strummed it a few times and said "round and round" and "beep, beep, beep" (that's her version of The Wheels on the Bus"). I wish I had got that on video!

In addition to learning about the number & names of the Hawaiian islands and learning about the culture, they have been learning about the word "Aloha" this week. We use it as the traditional Hawaiian greeting to say "goodbye and hello", but the word actually means "love". I didn't know that! See, I even learned something!

Next week, the kids will be learning about various forms of transportation used in Manhattan. They will be learning the letter "Ii", the number "5", the "rectangle" shape, the color "blue", and all about the big city of Manhattan! Ooohhh, sounds like fun! Maybe at the end of the week, we can have a NYC Party. We will all wear black, avoid eye contact with each other and teach the kids to pick pockets. We can pump in sewage smells and eat street food for snack. : )

Poppy's Birthday Card

2009-08-04T21:19:00.005-04:00

Today the kids made a card for Poppy, who will be celebrating his 59th birthday this week.
Cody did most of the artwork on it, which is unlike him. Usually Abby is our little artist, but today Cody was our Picasso. He even practiced writing his name several times on it. He did pretty good with it. We ended up with only one seat cushion having purple marker on it, so it wasn't too bad.

Cody was very excited to pick out the stamp and selected the "Maggie Simpson" stamp because it looks like Abby when she has a pacifier...I can see the resemblance.

After picking out the stamp and addressing it, we went out to the mail box. I took their picture as they were putting it in. As Abby realized the mail box door was closing, she took the card and ran off. She wanted to keep the mail for herself. After I caught her (she's fast) and tore the card from her hands, I put it back in the mailbox and the crying began.....whahhhhh!!!!

So Poppy, I hope you like your card....it was made with lots of love, sweat and tears. We love you. Have a great birthday weekend!

Oh, how our garden grows!

2009-08-03T10:23:00.010-04:00

We are growing our little garden in the back yard. If you remember, we started this garden in April from just a few seeds, planted in dixie cups.

These plants thrived despite being moved across state lines, being attacked by beetles, and having to protect themselves against my black thumb! Nonetheless, I am proud to say....we've finally got veggies!

Here are some pics of our progress and of our first ones that popped out. We still only have two tomatoes, but we have 12 green bell peppers and a buttload (that's not an actual measurement) of basil!

Our flowers are even thriving. Some of them took a 2 story plunge off the porch in Charleston, they traveled in the moving truck for over 4 hours in the heat and survived the humid summer we've been having. They are like super flowers!

Hope Community Church

2009-08-02T21:23:00.014-04:00

We "church dated" another new place this weekend - Hope Community Church. The Children's Director, Laura Lee, and I have been emailing back and forth for a month or more, but we just hadn't been able to get together. Even after we arrived early and looked all over for her, we kept missing her in the hallways. Everyone would say, "she was just through here, maybe she's in room [x]". We'd go there and they would say the same thing. After a while we gave up. I will definitely make sure I get together with her next time we go....I have a lot of things to ask and pick her brain. (Clay says I act like I still work at Seacoast! Oh well, it's in my blood.)

Here are some highlights & thoughts from our first experience:

They had the "turn on your flashers if you are a first time guest" signs...and the parking team did a fantastic job communicating with each other. A guy at the front door even came out and greeted us at the car with an umbrella! He then walked us to the info desk.
The ladies at the info desk were excited to see us. A woman named Jennifer was on standby to take us under her wing and show us to the kids' area. She stayed with us all through the check-in process, getting them to class, and then walked us to the auditorium! (Now, that's customer service!)
On the way to KidCity, we saw the cafe area, which was huge. They serve hot breakfast & lunches there during the week. I also noticed that their cafe "proudly served Starbucks coffee"...everything looked very professional.
Another thing that I noticed was the artwork throughout the building....it was by the same artist who did some for Seacoast Church. It made me feel like I was back there.
Once at the kids area, the check-in process was great! They asked our names and the kids names & birthdays (and for allergies). When Abby's tag printed out, she had a birthday cake on it to show that she had a recent birthday (very nice!). Both Cody & Abby's tags had the same parent number....but you know, I didn't see one number go up throughout the whole service!
The KidCity decor was fantastic...they did a great job theme-ing each area and keeping it simple, but good quality. It was like they took Seacoast's ideas and added NorthPoint's high quality. Loved everything about it!
They had an indoor playground, called The FunZone, and it had a parent viewing area and rules posted very clearly. I liked that they limited to a height restriction (48"), opposed to age, but it seemed to work.
The classrooms are closed until 15 minutes prior to service. We were one of the first ones allowed back to the rooms and there were volunteers ready to greet the kids and stations were already set up for them to play. No one looked rushed or understaffed.
Outside of the classrooms, the small groups were listed on a cute display of sea animals. (Pictures below explain it better than I can.) On Cody & Abby's tags, it listed what small group they were assigned to for the day.
They close the classrooms once they reach capacity (which is 40 kids in the 3 year old class). They offer a Family Chapel to go to if you need to bring your kid to service with you. It is located upstairs and its in a very nice theater-style room. I don't recall seeing any kids in the main auditorium now that I think about it. Hmmm...I wonder how they redirect folks from bringing the kids in?
The "big church" service was great....great music, great message, and very comfy seats! The Pastor was wearing white pants, a turquoise button up shirt with sleeves rolled up and flip-flops. He looked like he should have been on the beach in Cozumel sipping a Corona! He was funny, engaging and overall, a really nice guy.
During the message, the Pastor mentioned their class for parents & kids to attend so they can learn about salvation and baptism. He really pushed parents to get involved in their kids spiritual decision and talked about the importance of being parents partnering with the church. I started to cry!
When we picked up the kids, Abby had a sticker that said "I was changed"...they said she accepted Christ as her personal Savior and was ready to be baptized. Just kidding. She had her diaper changed during service. For kids who go potty, they get a sticker that says " I used the potty today!" I thought that was a great idea for the kids who are being potty-trained. : )
I forgot my camera, so these pictures were taken with my phone. I only went into Cody & Abby's classes, so I didn't get many pics of the Elementary area. What I did see was a cool diner-style hangout for the elementary kids, with booths and tables. I just love that look!

Overall, I LOVED IT! I can't wait to go back and see more and meet more folks. I really wish my team at Seacoast could come up for a visit. I think they could get a lot of great ideas. Plus, they would get to see me! : )

Angus Barn

2009-08-01T11:22:00.006-04:00

Last weekend, we went to dinner with Lee & Martha Ann at the Angus Barn in Raleigh, NC. The company was great, the meal was wonderful (I could have just had the salad and been full) and the dessert was fantastic. We got a tour of the wine cellar after dinner. They showed us the kitchen and beautiful dining rooms downstairs. I think they have over 26,000 bottles of wine on hand at all times. Needless to say, they win the Grand Award from the Wine Spectator each year. (That's a very impressive award!)

After dinner, we went outside and I gave myself a swift kick in the butt with the "Butt Kicking Machine"! Here are the rules that were posted:

Use machine at own risk
Children under 12 must be supervised by an adult
One person at a time please
DO NOT STAND FACING BOOTS

Disclaimer: The Angus Barn will not be responsible for anyone who does not like the way they were kicked.

Abby's Birthday Party

2009-07-27T23:21:00.005-04:00

We celebrated Abby's Birthday this weekend with Mamaw and Grandad. They drove up to spend the weekend with us and we had a wonderful time. Abby loved her princess birthday cake and all of her presents....especially her tea set!

Happy 2nd Birthday Abby Michelle Stuckey!

2009-07-27T21:54:00.009-04:00

Abby ended the day standing on the front porch, holding her balloon, in nothing butt (get it?) her "birthday suit"! It just doesn't get better than that! Now, let's take a look back over the last 2 years....

Kids went back to school!

2009-07-27T21:07:00.004-04:00

Yes, its true. We have decided to put the kids back in school. We found a lovely little school near our house that offers some wonderful learning opportunities for the kids. They are taught sign language, Spanish (Cody was learning Japanese symbols last week), computer skills and they even have a water park to play in once a week. I couldn't ask for more in a school (other than for it to be cheaper!)...but it is well worth the price!

The teachers send home notes each day/week to give us updates on their progress. Abby is doing great and this week she is learning to be potty trained...they are taking her to the potty every 30 minutes. She did great today - only one accident - and it was only because she forgot to pull her panties down when she sat on the potty.

Cody seems to have a harder time in the morning when we are leaving. He gets fussy and whiny. It seems like forever until he lets go of us so we can slip out, but he still cries every morning. We were getting there right when they transitioned to the cafeteria for breakfast. That just seemed to make it worse, so we are now taking him to class early so he can transition with his classmates. Hopefully he will get through this phase soon. It breaks my heart to hear him call out for us as we are leaving.

The great thing about this school is that it offers internet monitoring....that means I can log in and watch them in their class, in the cafeteria, on the playground, etc. It is awesomely addictive! : )

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UP: The Movie

2009-07-17T20:57:00.006-04:00

We took Cody to his first real movie this week....we went to see the movie UP in 3-D. He was so excited....as were we!
The movie itself was not what I had thought it would be. It was a little more geared toward an older audience. It made me cry a few times and the mean dogs in it scared me a little. All in all, it was a cute story, great animation (of course, its Disney!) and Cody was happy. He took his 3D glasses off during most of the movie, but he said he still liked it.

Cody's Inquisition

2009-07-13T21:02:00.007-04:00

Cody is a very inquisitive little boy...always asking questions. I hear that it is very typical for kids his age. But no matter how many blogs I read or articles I see about "dealing with your child's curiosity", I still seem to get annoyed and aggravated by having to constantly explain EVERYTHING, ALL THE TIME!

It happened again today when Cody started asking questions about where we were going and where was it and how were we going to get there.... Clay decided to beat him at his own game by answering questions BEFORE he could ask them. Here is how the conversation went:

CLAY: (Where are we going?) We are going to the movie theater, (where is it?) it is located on Cary Parkway, (how do we get there?) we have to drive to High House and turn left, (why do we have to go to High House?) because that's how they engineered the roads, (why did they engineer the roads?) because they hired smart engineers to design it, (why are they smart?) because they went to college, (why did they go to college?) so they could get good jobs, (why did they want good jobs?) because they wanted to make a lot of money, (why did they want a lot of money?) because they were greedy.

.....about then is when we stopped to laugh at how ridiculous it all was and celebrated how Clay had outsmarted Cody's inquisition. Then Cody said....

CODY: But why?

Missing old friends, buying new ones

2009-07-09T11:46:00.004-04:00

Today, I was having Cody practice spelling his name by typing it on the keyboard...C.O.D.Y. Then we practiced spelling Stuckey...S.T.U.C.K.E.Y.

Then Cody said, "Mommy, let's spell Rainey's name." (She is a girl from his class back in Charleston. I think her real name was Rayleen or something like that. Cody has always called her "Ray-nee" though.) He typed out R.N.Y....."Rainey!"

It made me sad that he still remembered her, afterall its been well over a month since we left. I asked him if he missed her. He said yes.

Then I said, "Well, we will just have to make new friends here in Raleigh." He replied, "Maybe we should go to the Friend Store and get new friends...maybe I'll get a new Rainey."

4th of July Weekend in Ohio

2009-07-07T13:04:00.013-04:00

Political News

2009-07-07T13:04:00.001-04:00

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Jump Around

2009-07-07T12:47:00.003-04:00

Abby loves to dance. Here is a quick video of her busting a move for "Jump Around". Everybody Jump, jump, jump, jump....

Hot Topics

2009-07-02T11:35:00.002-04:00

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Chocolate Chess Pie

2009-07-01T13:49:00.012-04:00

Today, I made one of the best desserts ever...Chocolate Chess Pie!

This recipe is courtesy of Angus Barn in Raleigh, NC. Thad Eure Jr. and Charles M. Winston opened the Angus Barn in 1960 when this part of Raleigh was a pastoral, country setting. Today, the Angus Barn is in the midst of t he action between the RDU Airport, Raleigh and Durham. It is consistently ranked as one of the top 100 restaurants in the U.S. When you pay your bill, this recipe is given to you on a beautifully decorated card. It is a most requested recipe from their restaurant. It is incredibly delicious with the richness only chocolate can bring and let me tell you, your chocolate craving will be gone with the indulgence of this pie! The time is not including making your own pie crust, if that is what you use.

SERVES 8

Ingredients

1 unbaked pie sh ell
1/2 cup butter
2 (1 ounce) Bakers semi-sweet chocolate baking squares
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 dash salt

Super Easy Directions

Melt butter and chocolate.
Mix with other ingredients which have been blended together.
Pour into pie crust.
Bake 35 minutes, at 350 degrees.
Top with whipped cream or ice cream.

Chess pies are a Southern specialty that has a simple filling of eggs, sugar, butter, and a small amount of flour. Some recipes include cornmeal and others are made with vinegar. Flavorings, such as vanilla, lemon juice, or chocolate are also added to vary the basic recipe.

The origin of the name, Chess Pie, is uncertain, but there are plenty of guesses

and a bit of folklore surrounding the name. The most probable explanation is

that since the English lemon curd pie filling is very close to lemon chess pie, and they believe the word

“chess”

is an Americanization of the English word “cheese,” referring to curd pie. Basically the Chess Pie is a cheese-less cheesecake.

Some folklore:

One explanation suggests that the word is “chest,” pronounced with a drawl and used to describe these pies baked with so much sugar they could be stored in a pie chest rather than refrigerated.

Another story is about the plantation cook who was asked what she was baking that smelled so great - “Jes’ pie” was her answer.

Killer Punk Vampire Squirrels!

2009-06-29T20:51:00.005-04:00

Ok, maybe the title sounds a bit dramatic, but let me tell you what happened....

This morning I had decided to take the kids to the Lake Crabtree playground. It is peaceful and beautiful and in the middle of the woods, where I could sit and just have some quiet time while the kids played on the playground.

As I pulled in, I was excited to see that no one else was there...we were going to have it all to ourselves! As I was unhooking Cody from his car seat, I heard a rumbling next to my foot. I immediately thought it was a snake, but looked down to realize that it was a squirrel!

He was only a couple of feet from me and was frozen in his squirrely stance. At first, I thought I would say, "Oh look Cody, a squirrel!" But then I figured he would run away before Cody would get to see him. Plus, I didn't want Cody chasing after him as he did the last time we went to that park.

So, I opted to just "Shoo!" him away. It didn't work. I kicked at him and he didn't even budge. He actually took a step forward. I swatted at him and he didn't budge. He moved even closer! At this moment, I was wondering why he didn't move. Any other "normal" squirrel would have ran away and up a tree. Not him, he moved even closer and was about a foot away from me with his I'm-getting-ready-to-jump-on-you stance.
I feared that he might jump into the car with my kids...that would be horrific!

I decided I really needed to protect my children at this point and pulled out my keys and jingled them in his face. Nothing. I didn't know what else to do .....so, I grabbed my purse, told Cody to scoot over and I jumped up into the car (in the back seat with the kids). I tried to close the door but my purse was caught in the door and it left about a 4inch opening. I started hearing the ee-ee-ee music from "Psycho". He had moved in even closer at that point and was ready to come in with us! Ahhhhhh!!!!!!

Quickly, I pulled in my purse and closed the door. At this moment, Cody is asking me, "Mommy, what's going on?" I immediately started thinking about the situation and began laughing and said, "Mommy is afraid of a little squirrel, honey. If Daddy were here, he could help us, but I don't know what to do." He thought for a moment then asked, "Ohh, can we go to another playground that doesn't have squirrels?" That's all I needed to hear. I climbed up into the front seat and we got the heck out of there.

Looking back, I wonder.....was the reason that no one else was at the playground due to the crazy punk vampire squirrels who creep up on you and bully you into leaving? I don't know, but I'll be ready for them next time.

East Triangle Church of Christ

2009-06-28T22:28:00.005-04:00

Today we "church dated" East Triangle Church of Christ in Cary, NC. I wish had my camera with me today, but I didn't take it with me. So, I used pictures from their website for this post. I have no idea who these folks are, but I'm sure we shook hands with most of them today. : )

Well, long story short, we met a guy named Alex at the Crabtree Lake park yesterday with his kids who were Cody & Abby's age and he invited us to come to his church today. We took him up on his offer and we really enjoyed it. The church was actually in an office park. There were a lot of folks there from all ethnicity and age....probably the most diverse church I've ever attended.

The folks were super friendly and the music was as diverse as the people. The started off with a hymn and worked through several worship songs (with an amazing choir) and a band with guitars and drums. Clay said it reminded him of early Seacoast days. The congregation was really into the worship too, swaying from side to side and snapping fingers...it was nice to hear everyone singing in tune too! : )

The message reminded me of the good ol' baptist church I grew up in. The pastor was very animated and made some good points that drew a few "Amen Brother!" and "Preach It!" shouts from the crowd. His message was called "Dead Man Walking", which talked about how we must die to live. As he preached, I started to remember this verse that I learned many years ago at Church Camp. Next thing I know, he referenced it in his message!

I didn't really get to check out the kids ministry while we were there. They used a piece of masking tape and wrote "Abby" on it and stuck it on her back for a name tag. All of the classrooms were kind of small with little decor, but they were full of kids and had plenty of workers (which is way more important). I'm not sure if Cody liked his class because he was too busy trying to find someone with lollipops after church. FYI: They don't have a lollipop man there....it was very frustrating for him.

The overall experience was uniquely different than any other church visit I've ever done. I felt like everyone knew we were first-time visitors, yet they were very inviting and genuinely nice to us like we were already part of their family. I don't think it was just because we were new, but because they are really friendly people...or at least it seemed that way to me. I am intrigued with this church and look forward to going back to learn more about what they are all about.

New Horizon Church

2009-06-28T21:30:00.003-04:00

I'm a week behind in posting this....but last weekend we visited a church in Durham, NC called New Horizon Church. Kids' Pastor Cathy had met me through twitter and had invited us to come visit once we got moved up here, so we did. After our visit, she had asked for some feedback...here is some of what I sent her:

Kids Areas:
I just have to say...WOW! I loved the kids ministry. (Let me back up a little...the HUGE inflatable was really exciting to see when we 1st pulled in! They have a team of folks who set it up out there every week. The kids loved playing on it!) Ok, back inside...The rooms were themed well. Everything seemed organized, clean and new. The quality of equipment/lighting/video/signs/murals, etc.etc...was outstanding. Many churches would envy the quality of equipment/design that they have. She even let me look backstage and it was immaculate & organized.

Signage:
They had some terrific signs in the building. Everywhere you went was beautiful signs and murals. A lot of their signs were hand painted by talented folks in their congregation, but I think some of the design was from Wacky World...very nice!

Registration:
It was so funny when I said we were first-time visitors. Both of the ladies got very excited! As I filled out the paperwork, she added my info in the system...it was very fast & efficient. The ID number tags were explained very well. The kids loved their goodie bags...I was impressed with how much stuff was in them (candy, stuffed animals, bubbles, playdoh, stickers & more)...and very nice stuff at that! I liked that someone walked me and Abby to the Nursery and showed us where to go. It is obvious that newcomers are very welcome and appreciated. : )

Classrooms/Space:
Like I said before, the classrooms were fantastic! With all the space they have available for the kids, it seems like there would have been more kids there. I would say that was the only thing that surprised me about the whole church was that there were a lot of empty space/empty seats. With a facility like that and a quality team of folks they have on staff, they should be packed out. Once the word gets out about how fantastic they are, they're gonna be busting at the seams!

Big Church Message:
Loved it all. I thought Pastor Jamie had a cool radio-DJ voice. And man, was he funny! He did a great job with the message. My favorite part was when he asked folks to open their Bibles. Too many churches get away from that nowadays. It was nice that everyone around us had their Bibles out and open. Very cool.
We also loved the "peanut galley" in the audience. It made it feel very intimate and open when the audience felt comfortable enough to interrupt Pastor Jamie and he was ok with going off topic for a bit. Overall, he hit a home-run with the message...didn't hold back...just preached it! : )

Overall....two thumbs up! (Or 8 thumbs if you count my husband and kids.)

Since our visit last week, I have received a follow-up phone call to thank us for coming and welcome us to the area. Plus, I received a hand-written thank you with an invite to their Block Party. It is obvious that this church loves its people and loves to welcome new folks. The quality of the facility, the signage, the materials, equipment, etc...shows that they invest back into the church and care about making a good first (and lasting) impression.

Great job New Horizon Church! We hope to go back again soon.

Watching Monsters

2009-06-26T09:36:00.005-04:00

This is what happens (every single time) when the kids watch the movie Monsters Inc.

Powder Bandit Attacks

2009-06-24T08:56:00.003-04:00

I left the room for two minutes to make some juice cups for the kids. I walk back into the bedroom to a familiar aroma (is that [snif, snif] baby powder?) and a priceless look on Cody's face. He was thinking..."Busted!" Here is what I found...

What do I do all day?

2009-06-22T21:06:00.007-04:00

I guess I had never thought much about what my average day would be like after I stopped working at Seacoast...I just knew it would be different. My life before becoming a stay-at-home-mom or SAHM (yes, there is an actual acronym for it!) just felt right. There was a set time to be at work, there were goals and deadlines, projects and planning meetings. I even had a desk with pictures of my family....to remind me of what it was all about in the end....working hard to ultimately spend quality time with my family.

Well, now I'm here at home with my family 24/7 and things are so different than before. I have daily play dates & outings and chores & dinner that I try to get done before Clay gets home. Wait, that sounds a lot like projects and goals. Hmmm....maybe this stay-at-home thing isn't as different as I thought. I'll blog more about this topic again....I think I'm on to something with this.

So, here it is...a glimpse of an average day at home with the kiddos:

Father's Day with the Stuckeys

2009-06-21T15:56:00.006-04:00

For Father's Day, we took a trip to the Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh, NC. Before going in, we stopped for a quick lunch from a street vendor....hot dogs, yum!

The museum had a lot of cool exhibits (including a chocolate exhibit) with a nice mix of live and "stuffed" animals. There was a hands-on learning room for the kids to run around and be ok with them touching everything.

We had fun at the museum and it will definitely be a place we would like to come back to without the kids some day.

Rocking at the Java Divine

2009-06-18T13:40:00.005-04:00

This morning I took the kids to a place called Java Divine in Holly springs, NC to see Stacy Clearman. My new friend Lauren invited us to go and boy, it seemed to be the place to be. The place was packed with toddlers and mommies.

As soon as he started playing, Abby took to the dance floor. She felt right at home dancing and playing the drum. Hmmm....wonder where she gets that?

Stacy played a variety of songs from traditional kid songs like "Wheels on the Bus" and "If you're happy and you know it" to some originals like "Ridin' a Horsey". He even played some big people songs too. He had instruments for the kids to play and let kids sing along with an extra microphone. So much fun!

Cody was more interested in hanging with me and eating Cheetos (yes, Cheetos for breakfast) but I think he was secretly enjoying the show. He found one song that he really liked and got out on the dance floor and boogied a little. It was the song "Life is a Highway" from the movie Cars. That's why he likes it so much...he calls it the "Cars Song". After it was over, Cody went up to Stacy and gave him two thumbs up and a high five.

First Impression: Loved it! Loved it! Loved it! I think the kids did too. We will definitely go back again.

Beetle Juice

2009-06-17T20:54:00.004-04:00

I've been noticing that my flowers are looking a little funny lately. Some of the petunias had chew marks on them and we started noticing more and more insects in the soil.

We also noticed that our neighbors had these funny looking bags hanging in their yards. I asked around and it seems that we have Japanese Beetles eating away at our plants and trees. So, yesterday we joined the battle of the beetles and got some beetle traps for our yard too. In one day, we have caught about 50 beetles! Wow!

Hopefully, we will win this battle. I have worked too hard to keep these plants alive. They came with us from Charleston and despite my black thumb, they are thriving. I'll keep you posted on our beetle epidemic.

Marbles Museum

2009-06-15T21:02:00.006-04:00

CrossPointe Church

2009-06-14T13:17:00.008-04:00

We tried a new church this morning...called CrossPointe Church in Cary, NC. It was like a combination between Seacoast Church and Newspring Church. The building itself looked a lot like Newspring Church and the music and message were similar in style to Seacoast. I will say the folks were dressed even more casual than the Long Point Campus!

We got there a little early so we could check the kids in and find a good seat. We were helped by a sweet lady at the front who showed us a chart that broke down the ages and classrooms and once we told her which areas we needed, she took us to each room and helped us get checked in. They use basically the same visitor tags that we do at Seacoast. They could use a computer system to help with the check-in process, but for now the "regulars" just have parents sign them in on a chart. Those kids have hand written tags too.

The kids area was designed very well. Great decorations and jungle theme like North Point Church's Waumba Land. It was very simple, but well thought out to help parents know where to go and easy for parents to see into the classrooms.

Steve Daugherty was the Teaching Pastor who spoke. The message was about how we should try not to be so quick to judge others. He wore flip-flops and jeans. Pretty laid back and "raw" speaker (not too polished). He was different from Pastor Greg at Seacoast in that he moved around a lot more and didn't keep his hands in his pockets. : )

The message was good. I really liked listening to him...very funny guy. The thing that caught me off guard was the ending. He just said "Ok, that's it. Have a great day!" That was it. No closing prayer, invitation, or benediction...no special closing music. Just lights up and everybody left. Kinda different than what we are used to....left me wanting just a little something more at the end. Clay thought it was because the next service was starting in 15 minutes and he had ran over a little bit. Other than that, I wish I had more time to connect with the folks there. They all seemed nice and friendly. Maybe next time.

Overall first impression: Lots of families, lots of folks our age, good music, good message, good-looking place, great kids area. Definitely worth another try again.

Here is Cody getting picked up from his class. When we asked how he did...the teacher said, "He's a typical boy!" (we didn't ask for an explanation...I just knew that meant he was naughty). When we picked up Abby, they said she had a super-pooper blowout and had to get her pants changed. Well, I guess you can say the kids left an impression on the church! : )

Kids at Play

2009-06-12T22:52:00.004-04:00

Over the last week, we have done so much....playgrounds, parks, the pool and so much more. The kids love getting outside and playing. They are particularly fond of bubbles right now. As you can see, I have been stocking up on them and keeping a bottle handy everywhere we go.

Couple of things to note...there is a picture of Abby looking at a collage that her class made for her when she left. She looks at that everyday and points at each picture as if she is saying hello. It is super cute and I'm so glad that they thought enough to make that for her. It means a lot to her and me!

The other thing is Cody at the pool. We took some bath toys from home. We have some animals that you can fill up with water and then squirt a steady stream of water out of their mouth or blowhole, depending on the animal. Clay showed Cody how you can stand at the edge of the pool and squirt it to look like you are peeing....Cody loved it (of course) and this is what he did for everyone to see.

Visiting Daddy's Work

2009-06-12T22:49:00.000-04:00

2009-06-12T22:42:00.002-04:00

Here are a few pictures form the day we actually got packed up and headed to Raleigh. Clay was there waiting for us and the kids were excited to see their new home.
Cody slept most of the time in the car. Abby enjoyed drinking my sweet tea. By the end of the trip, she looked like a wild woman.....maybe too much sugar?

Leaving Charleston - Part 2

2009-06-12T22:38:00.002-04:00

Well, the day finally came where we had to pack it all up and head out of town. I miss my flowers that I worked so hard to keep alive and actually succeeded (that never happens for me!).
And I miss seeing my dog Miga sitting on the front porch waiting to greet us everyday. She is with Clay's mom now and happy as can be.
Oh, there are so many things we loved about that house, but we are thankful that we haven't had to sell it and we have fantastic renters moving in.

Kidscoast Fun Day

2009-06-12T22:32:00.002-04:00

Before leaving town, my Kidscoast comrades took me to Blackbeards for some competitive fun. We played golf, drove the cars and played lots of arcade games. They gave me the most beautiful engraved bracelet to remember them by...I need to get a picture of it to put on here. It is beautiful, just like each of them! I miss them so much already!

Kids will be kids....

2009-06-12T22:24:00.001-04:00

Here are a few pictures from the kids goofing off at the Grandparents house. They loved finding Grandads reading glasses and trying them on...it made for lots of laughs!

CHEX - Charleston Lindy Exchange

2009-06-12T22:20:00.002-04:00

Here are a couple of pictures from the one night we went to the Charleston Lindy Exchange in May.
A few years ago, we would have been out every night and even attempted the all-night dance from Midnight til 4am...but not now. No, we were in bed early and sore from the few songs we did dance to the first night. At least we had pictures to prove we were there!

Dr. Pam Honoraium

2009-06-12T22:09:00.004-04:00

Here are some pictures from our dear friend Pam's graduation party on the USS Yorktown. She graduated from MUSC and is officially "Dr. Pam" now. The cake was a story in itself. The bakery messed up the name and it said "Congratulations Dr. Pam Loomis Honorarium" (her last name is Hourihan)....we fixed it by taking off the icing and making it read "Congratulations Dr. Pam". She was a good sport about it and the cake ended up being free becuase of the mistake. Who says you can't have your cake and eat it too?

Clay DJayed it and we danced our buns off. I had a blast....definitely the best party I've been to in a while. I said it felt like it was a party for me but better. It was all of my friends, great food, the best location in Charleston and I didn't have to pay for it!

Love you Pam...best to you as you start making the big bucks. Time to pay off those student loans now! : )

A good day

2009-06-08T10:05:00.007-04:00

Yesterday was one of the best days I've ever had.

We started off by enjoying breakfast at CrackerBarrel. They have one of the best potato casseroles ever made. After brunch, we spent time at Lake Crabtree, just a few miles from our house. It was so beautiful and reminded me of being in the mountains. We played with the kids on the playground, walked through the hiking trails, and walked down to the lake where we saw a turtle, some lizards and people out in boats fishing.

We grabbed some Goodberry's Custard on the way home. The kids loved it too and had it all over their faces and clothes. After the kids got a nice bath and put to bed, I actually took a nap...for over an hour! I can't remember the last time I did that.

Later in the evening, we headed to our friends' Daniel & Michelle's house for chicken n' dumplin's and some homemade chocolate cheesecake. Yum!!!! To finish off the night, we saw lightening bugs dancing around the yard and a beautiful orange full moon in the night sky. It felt like summer had officially begun!

Leaving Charleston

2009-05-29T15:41:00.006-04:00

Wow....only a few more days until we leave Charleston, SC. There are so many things I love about the Lowcountry. Here are a few of my favorite things:

Our friends!!!!
Our family
Seacoast Church
Downtown (in general)
The gorgeous sunsets & sunrises
Lowcountry cuisine
Boiled peanuts
Shem Creek
Alhambra Hall
Dancing on the Yorktown
The list goes on and on and on....

It's hard to believe, but there are a few things I won't miss when we leave Charleston. Some things I won't miss:

Palmetto bugs!
Allergies
Sweltering heat & humidity
Potholes
Hurricanes
The smell from Westvaco when driving over the bridge

All in all, there are way more reasons to love this town and all the wonderful people who live here. We aren't "gone"....just think of us as being one state up.

Trip to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

2009-05-10T16:56:00.008-04:00

We're Moving!

2009-05-08T10:35:00.002-04:00

Clay has been offered a fantastic job opportunity in the RTP in Raleigh, NC. We will be packing up and moving the whole family there in a few short weeks.

I'm still in shock from it all, so no big sappy post this time. I've got a huge house to sort through in order to make this move a little easier. Plus, I need to find a way to see everyone before we go....*sniff* ok, can't have any tears yet!

I'll post more often and keep everyone in the loop once we find a new home and decide what we are doing with this one. Is it possible to take our bathroom & closet with us? Hmmmm...

Farming, Fannies & Fun!

2009-04-25T21:24:00.010-04:00

Cody's class has been learning about gardens and how flowers grow from seeds. Here is a picture from his class...at the bottom it says: Young Threes How Our Garden Grows! They got to make each phase of the plants growth: seeds, roots, stems, flowers, rain and sun.

Inspired by his garden picture, we decided to let Cody & Abby plant some things of their own. Today we planted basil, rosemary and peppers. In a few weeks, we will transplant them to our back porch garden. By the way, Clay custom built our plant holders...very nice!

Cody really got into the planting of the seeds. Abby was more interested in playing in the dirt and going outside to play in the water. I included a few pics of her playing on the back porch..she was in her bathing suit for a while, but then opted for skinny dipping. They played in their new pool and then laid down and watched TV together. They love spending time together, even if they are fighting most of the time. It was cute to capture them together and not fussing for once.

All in all, it was a great day of family fun. I'll be sure to post updates of the plants as they grow.

Charleston Tea Party

2009-04-16T19:14:00.002-04:00

Easter

2009-04-13T21:01:00.004-04:00

The kids had fun at Grandad and Mamaw's house. Martha Ann let the kids do their annual Easter egg hunt in the yard. Cody closed his eyes as we hid the eggs, then he ran around gathering as many as he could find. I got one picture of Uncle Bill holding all of the eggs. I don't think he's ever had a pcture taken with his eyes open...so this one was another one for the books. Funny!

The Thorn

2009-04-13T11:36:00.019-04:00

After 12 weeks of rehearsals, The Thorn cast & crew put on 12 sold-out performances at Seacoast Church from April 1 -11th. I am so proud of how well everyone worked together to make this one of the best Easter productions ever performed. The impact that this has had on our church, our community and beyond, will not be fully known, but will definitely be a catalyst to bigger & better things for many of the people who were involved in this epic production. I am honored to have been a part of The Thorn and I'm thankful for all of the new friendships within the cast & crew. Only 8 months until we start work on our 2010 Thorn production! Like the photos? Many of these pictures were taken by Gary McElveen...check out more here!

The Miracle of the Moonpies & RC Cola!

2009-04-06T21:25:00.002-04:00

One night at our Thorn rehearsal, we were running through the "Miracles" scene...Jesus took the bread and blessed it and instead of multiplying the bread, he turned it into a bunch of moonpies and RC Cola. They went flying through the crowd....so much fun! We all took a break and feasted on a true Southern dessert. Cody & Abby had a moonpie for the first time....Abby was a HUGE fan of them and kept begging for more.

Later we gathered together to do an impromptu baby shower for the Bolins - John & Sarah are the producers of this amazing production. We all love them so much and are glad they joined our Seacoast family.

March Mania (continued)

2009-04-06T21:19:00.006-04:00

I had started to post images from each week of March Mania, but as you can see I slacked off the last few weeks. So, here are a few favorites from over the past month of March Mania at church. Man, I love my job!