Bass Lake In Autumn
99 Balloons October 28, 2008
I turned on the television today to give me some background noise as I swept and mopped the floors. Oprah was on, and I thought I would see what her show was about. I normally don’t watch Oprah that much, but I’m glad I did today because she shared the most amazing video found on YouTube. It is a story of a couple who found out that their unborn son was diagnosed with Trisomy 18, a disorder that normally, apart from a miracle, does not allow the child to live. In this video the parents of the boy, Eliot, document his 99 days that he lived. Eliot was not expected to live even three days, but in God’s great mercy, he lived for 99. This video is very touching, and if you decide to watch it make sure to have a Kleenex close by, you’ll need it! Praise the Lord for parents like this who chose to give their son life even if it was a “short” one!
If you would like to read their story from the beginning check out: www.mattandginny.blogspot.com
Xanax: A Dog’s Best Friend October 24, 2008
Up until last week I thought I had seen it all. But apparently I had not. Our sweet dog, Chase, has been having some problems with his ears lately. After multiple visits to the vet, it was determined that he had a tumor in his left ear. We proceeded to book his surgery, and he is now doing great! But we had started to notice that Chase would be so restless in the evenings. He normally would pace and huff and huff and huff. I’ll be honest, it was maddening, but I did take pity on him since he is 14 years old. Still, it was annoying with a capital “A” When we asked our Vet about this, she concluded that our dog was suffering from anxiety, panic attacks, and senility. Am I the only one who finds this a bit humorous?
We asked what we could do for our dog who was suffering, and she said nothing. Nothing! Unless we put him on medication for anxiety. Excuse me? Anxiety medication for a dog???No, I’m not kidding. So what do we do? We fill Chase’s prescription for Xanax. Oh, and we have to get it at the real pharmacy! Yes, our dog who is pure canine is getting a prescription filled at a purely human pharmacy!
So, I’m now referring to chase as my “Little Old Man.” He may be old and smelly, but he’s still cute. Sad thing is though, the Xanax has not helped. He’s still annoyingly huffing and puffing away! Good thing for him that I love him so much…
I’m One Happy Appy: Part 3 October 22, 2008
Once we arrived at the tailgate I noticed that dad had picked out a great spot with a grassy area right beside the road that led to the stadium. And even though it was a great spot, we quickly realized that it was a fantastic spot to be harrassed by the GSU fans. We were even mooned. Now, that was a sight to behold! And one I never, ever want to see again. But all in all we had a great time tailgating. Here’s some proof:
All of the girls
Mom and Halee
Now, that is service with a smile!
After breaking our tailgate down, we headed into the stadium and unveiled our t-shirts to the GSU fans:
7 Hours
6 Cousins
5 Bathroom Breaks
4 National Championships on the Way
Beating Georgia Southern:
PRICELESS!
Everyone loved our shirts and wanted pictures of them. The game was so much fun, and I thought for one second that I might have a heart attack, but we pulled through and won!! It was absolutely fantastic!! After the game we ordered some Chili’s To Go and ate in the hotel lobby. I highly recommend their Mushroom Jack Fajitas, they were awesome!
The next morning we ate breakfast together and then headed our seperate ways. And that was our trip! It was so much fun, and I can’t wait to do it again! I leave you with one last image:
Isn’t that just glorious!
I’m one Happy Appy! Part Two October 22, 2008
Let’s see now, where was I? Oh, yes, I was awakened from a deep sleep around 1:45 in the morning (did I mention I’m not a morning person?) to the sound of the ice machine down the hall and some (rather loud) male voices. Since I was in a state of half awake-half asleep I thought oh, they must not know how loud their being. Ha, Ha. They knew exactly how loud they were being since I found out the next morning that they were having a party in their room and obviously their beverage needed a little “pick me up” hence the trip to the ice machine.
I later found out that one of the partyers tried to open my mom and dad’s door. After that little incident the police were called in. Ha! Guess you could say we rained on their parade!
After my interruption of sleep I slept until 7:15 the next morning and got ready before the others were up. Um, hello, we were headed to IHOP! I would have gotten up at the crack o’ dawn to get ready for IHOP! Once the others were ready, we all piled into our cars and headed caravan style to IHOP, I ordered the “Country Omelet” having no idea how HUGE those things are! I wondered how many eggs they used? See for yourself:
Isn’t that the largest omelette you’ve ever seen??? And for the record I could not eat all of it, I ended up eating only half of it. It was tasty, but way too much! And get this, it was served with three, three, pancakes! Can anyone say heart attack in IHOP! I wonder if anyone can eat all that food in one sitting, because I for one, can not.
After eating my huge,calorie laden hearty breakfast. We headed to where else? Walmart! Because a roadtrip is not complete without one trip to either Target or Walmart. Preferably the former, but we had to settle for the latter. Whilst in Walmart my cousins and I stocked up on some necessary items:
A kettle for boiling water, and:
Knives for self defense. Oh, I kid, we didn’t buy the knives or the kettle, but we did buy rain gear. Since it was raining the morning of the game. After leaving Walmart we headed back to the hotel to recover rest and get ready for the game. We all thought we had an hour and a half so we took our sweet time getting ready, Hannah straightened my hair, and I was going to straighten hers, but as soon as she was finished with mine (it only takes about fifteen minutes) we heard a knock on our door and were told that we had five minutes to finish getting ready! Never in my life have I seen six girls get ready so fast! It was like watching everyone in fast forward. It was incredible! Hair was straightened in record time, make up was put on lightning fast, and outfits with matching shoes were chosen in mere seconds. Good job, girls!
After our Guiness Breaking Time we headed out to the caravans and drove to the tailgate! And oh, was it fun! But of course that will have to wait until tomorrow…
I’m one Happy Appy! October 21, 2008
That’s right! I’m a Happy Appy today!! We won! We won! We won! And what a weekend it was! We left my home on Friday morning around 7:45 and I slept until we reached Charlotte. Listen, I’m not a morning person, ‘k. And then since I was bored I took a picture of my dad, driving:
He was very excited to be on the road and driving! We made it to Statesboro around 2:00 p.m. and Kris and Marshall showed up about 10 minutes later. After checking into the hotel, settling into our rooms which for me meant throwing my luggage into the nearest corner and turning on the TV to see what channels were available. It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it. We headed to the stadium to see where the game was to take place. It was a really nice stadium, and it was really cool to be there when no one else was.
After checking out the grounds we headed into the town of Statesboro. It was a charming, quaint little town and I really enjoyed walking around. Around 4:00 we all began to notice that we were hungry so we stopped at a local coffee shop, when we walked in we were greeted by three young guys two were playing Scrabble and one was playing the piano. After we placed our orders, the guy on the piano started playing some MercyMe. We were all thrilled and began to sing with him! It was so cool to sing some praise songs with these complete strangers.
Bill and all the girls arrived around 6:00 and we set out to find some dinner. We went to this great place called the “Mill House” and since there was a 45 minute wait we did what all girls do: take pictures!
What you are seeing is normal for us. But this next one is probably my favorite of all the group shot we took:
Isn’t that fun!!
I really enjoyed the Mill House but more than that I enjoyed sitting at the table with all my cousins and talking. We had some good discussion, and it really blessed me. After leaving the Mill House, we returned to our hotel and watched the Food Network. But I could barely keep my eyes open, so I turned my iPod on and went to sleep. Until around 1:45 because something woke me up…
To be continued tomorrow
Can Anyone Say “Roadtrip” Part 5 October 17, 2008
Well, folks we have come to the end of our “Meet My Cousins” journey. I end with Mikala the “Baby Cousin” Mikala is the youngest of all us girls. And it is my pleasure to introduce you to Mikala:
Mikala is so much fun, and is always up to watch a good movie with me!! Mikala is also an awesome swimmer! I think she is part fish!! Mikala is always joyful, and hilarious! Let me tell you, the girl can dance! If ever get the chance to see her in action, you don’t won’t to miss out on it!!
I’m so glad Mikala is a part of my circle of cousins. She adds such joy, fun and laughter to our time together. I love you, Mikala!!
Thanks for allowing me to introduce all my cousins to you. I am a better person because of them. I’ll see you on Monday with a “Roadtrip Recap” See you then!
Can Anyone Say “ROADTRIP” Part 4 October 16, 2008
Hello, friends! Today is Thursday!! That means it’s only one more day until Friday!!! Today on “Meet My Cousins” I am introducing Allyson to you! Friends, meet Allyson:
Allyson is the quieter one of the bunch, but she is so much fun to be around!! Allyson is very thoughtful and kind and is always making me smile. Allyson is a GREAT volleyball player and I have enjoyed going to watch her play at the high school.
Allyson and I have very similar tastes in music and we both LOVE Skillet!! In fact, we have been known to bang our heads while riding in the car. Shhh, don’t tell our parents 
Allyson is a fantastic chef, and I’ve had the great pleasure of eating one of her homemade pasta dishes that was fantastic!!
Allyson is a great girl who is so much fun, and a blessing to all she comes in contact with. I love you, Allyson!!
Can Anyone Say “ROADTRIP” Part Three October 15, 2008
Ahhh, it’s Wednesday! That means it’s the middle of the week! For some very odd reason, I’ve always liked Wednesday, I guess because the first two days are behind you and the weekend is just around the corner. I don’t know, I’m weird like that.
And look, I’m not writing about my cousin. I am also really good at that, too! Anyways, today on “Meet My Cousins” you have the distinct pleasure of meeting Halee! And here she is!
Halee is loads of fun to be around! She and I have the best time just talking, watching or discussing football, watching movies and a whole lot of other things. Halee and I have also shared many special memories (Halee, does the restaurant “Makotos” mean anything to you??) I’ve also played mini golf with this girl, and she may or may not have beaten me.
Halee is also a great spiritual encouragement, her love and service to God is so evident in everything she does. It is a real blessing to be around her! Halee is always quick with a smile and an encouraging word, and I’m blessed to call her my cousin! I love you, Halee!
