Amber's Adam's Birthday Party....

My Adam was so excited to have been able to leave his house at 5:30, go right down the street to our new fancy dancy Food Lion, AND be at Amber and Adam's house at 6:00... what a rarity...to finally have a grocery store on our side of town and friend to hang out with as well...very nice!!I was glad that Amber wanted all of the kids to come too...there were big kids and little kids...kids, kids, kids...and each one as adorable as the next....this is Aiden...he had a thing with shoes...by the end of the night, everyone's shoes were up in living room where he played...here he is with my stacks on.....

The big kids stay for awhile and then Becca drives them all over to our house...there are upsides to teenagers...for sure....

we had so much fun - Amber has great friends and we enjoyed playing games and hanging out with the birthday boy....

Here we are before Adam and I take off....me, Amber and Kimber, and Rhonda....Kimber is the one dead center...you know that basketball...Rhonda and I were tickling Amber on her sides..action shot... love me some Amber and Rhonda!!! I felt kinda bad for leaving so early...10:00 - but I guess I am getting old or something...we had seen the transformer movie the night before and didn't get in until 1:00 am....and I was just plain tuckered out by this time.... there is always next time....

Three Rotten Girls!!

I come home to find my oldest child yet again eating on the couch.... I have already had to put a cover on it 'cause of her...jeez.... she gives me the grin..and then I go put it back in the freezer....

A fine example of our rottenness ....Adam bought a personal ice cream for each of us at the store the other day...just out of the blue..because he loves us...how sweet...he knows what our favorite ice cream is....Adam is a definite keeper!!!

Thelma and Louise

We have been after Rebecca to get a job ever since January...but she just wasn't studying 'getting a job' - She went to a couple of places and got an application...Rue 21, Taco Bell...and the applications just got stuck to the bulletin board in the kitchen..she later confessed to Adam that it was "for show"..... rotten kid...

One day, she wants to be a nurse. She already started her nursing classes through West Central Tech...Adam and I are very proud of her, that is for sure...but as for now, it ain't paying for gas....

So Adam was telling Josh how Becca was enjoying her service hours for class at the nursing home and how well she worked with them...and that is where it all started... Josh told Becca to call her - he wanted to hire her to help look after Ma Maw...

So that is how Becca got her first job.... as Ms. Saylor's 'personal assistant' - it has been a great job for Rebecca! We are so proud of her! She works hard and loves what she does. Becca goes over 3 times a day for several hours each visit - she does the driving, errands, meals, and of course, water aerobics... just whatever she needs during the week...

We call them Thelma and Louise - because they are really funny together.... Ma Maw is a talker..each of their personalities fills up a room, so you can see when they are together...well it is comedy... God bless the two of them...running all over Newnan - in and out of water aerobics, the dairy queen line, then to Subway...then to the drugstore...then home to watch tv..too sweet!!

The learning curve as a Fireman's Wife...SCBA testing day...

Adam had been telling me bits and pieces of how he had been asked to be on a committee to help choose what SCBA - Self. Contained.Breathing.Apparatus the county would purchase. During June, most of the meetings were on his days off or on days he had taken off for vacation. I was annoyed with it, really...I guess I just didn't see the importance and I was cynical..asking Adam, "how can they have you come in on days off for goodness sake.." This went on and then the day came when Adam needed to go to do the testing on the 3 leading company's SCBA's...

Adam asked me the night before if I would meet him at the training tower and maybe take a few pictures. He had been at the fire station the day before... so he met me there at 8:30am....

It was really fun to get to watch the guys in action...there were fire trucks all over and the guys came in one by one and set up their gear .....

Captain Denney went over the checklist of the drills Adam had written up to test the BA's

the guys had set up their gear and were ready for instruction.....

the last of the firefighters arrive...I think they are ready now..... how cool to get to see them all in action....

Adam and Denney discuss the action plan for today's testing inside the tower.....

the set-up was really nice...I was impressed with how organized everything was...men did this...cool....

then they were debriefed on what they were going to do....

Captain Loftin...more paperwork..they wrote down everything..who did what drill...etc..etc...

Chief Coggin takes over the paperwork and the radios..making sure he knows who is 'in' and who is 'out' ....

SCBA #1

SCBA #2

SCBA #3

the masks..it is part of the purchase... they will be purchasing the tanks, the gauges, the straps, the mask...all of that is part of the SCBA ....

the guys all sign in - in two different places...many of them on their off time....I was touched, really...

Here is Jonathan and Mark taking a closer look at the mechanics of each BA.....

And there they go....

They made smoke by making a hay fire in these barrels...Adam helped with that earlier project after returning from Smoke Diver School...it was cool seeing Adam as a leader showing the new guys how to work the burn barrels that I remembered him making and showing the guys how to keep the smoke going...

The tests included going in and testing the masks, they did a 'fireman down' drill where one of the guys lays on his back and two other fireman drag him outand a bunch more tests (i used a different camera for all of that)...then they went into the AC and discussed the pros and cons of each BA...I got to take notes...it was really fun.. much like a textbook adoption (remember i teach math), but way way cooler...all things that were important..like there was one that the person wearing the tank couldn't reach the valve to turn it on...or one the material of the straps fit on the person down, that they couldn't get a hold of him ..things that could be the difference of life or death...it was a new awakening for me...it was like a light bulb going off..

For the last test, they needed to set a fire using wooden pallets in another part of the burn building and test how well the BA's held up in extreme temperatures... Adam told some of the new guys to go in to watch the fire progression...a learning opportunity.....

And then he pointed to me....Adam pointed to me!!

The next thing I know I am being suited up ..yes, that is me!! They help suit me up in full gear...which the BA alone is around 35 pounds...

Here I am putting the finishing touches on my outfit....the gloves.... I had no warning...I was in total shock...and they were rushing me because most of the guys were already seated and waiting...

They put my gear on clear across the parking lot - it was hard enough just the walk to the building...you see where that fire is billowing out..that is where I am headed....

Here we go....... that is me on the right with Adam..... we go in and he says..."Stay Low!!" - so I crawl in the best I can with all of that heavy gear...it is dark except for the fire that is heating up to our right...

I get in and my eyes adjust..there are about 4 other fireman in there already seated...of course, Adam didn't give me a lick of instructions..so I had no idea what I was doing or how to breathe..nothin..so I asked to go out...but the guys, insisted I was fine..so leaving was not an option...

After I figured out that all we were there to do was watch the fire progression, its behavior and just sit..no crawling or moving...just sitting and watching...and I figured out how to just breathe normally in my mask, I relaxed...and listened to Adam explain how the fire moves up and over...i just kept telling myself..."relax, it is just a day at the beach..."

Here I am coming out while Captain Loftin helps he out of my gear.....I did it!! What a rush...what an experience...

It was 280 degrees on the floor where we were sitting and a couple of thousand degrees at the ceiling of about 8 ft...... wow.... I knew it felt hot in there, but I had no idea it was that hot....

I learned so much from the opportunity to suit up and physically go into an involved building like that...the light bulb really went off. I have been married to a fireman for more than 15 years, but now I know what it feels like to walk in that heavy gear and the overwhelming heat...and how frightened I was...I understand so much more now.......

Before the testing began and now after the training is over, each fireman must have their vitals taken...I learned so much today.... fireman understand safety, they are good at organization and procedures, they work together for the common goal of protecting me and you and each other in a fire no matter the cost..... I was so impressed by each and everything I saw and learned...

This was my partner in crime...Austin...he was a cutie...he was Warren's son, one of the fireman... I learned all about his girlfriend issues and how he likes summer and on and on...

Austin...what a cutie!! Future fireman...wants to be just like his daddy....

Tybee Island - a get away trip just for me and Adam

For the first time ever in the history of our 17 year marriage has Adam ever booked a single hotel room. I am always the one to handle calling and making reservations - I handle all of the details...where we will stay, when we will go, what will we do when we get there, the research, the planning, the packing, the unpacking...that is what I do....

But Adam called and on the spur of the moment, we were headed to Tybee Island for a two night stay... he was very proud of himself...he took care of the room AND was spontaneous... I smiled from ear to ear...and EVEN agreed to take his jeep (which if you don't know..I hate) - and we rode down there with only the bikini tops...we didn't even take the doors...that's right...no doors -

So we rode down there...and I soon figured out why Adam wanted to take his jeep with no doors all the way to Tybee Island...'cause it disabled my ability to have a conversation with him...yep..Adam didn't have to listen to my thoughts, my feelings, ask him about his thoughts or feelings...we just rode in silence as the air whipped around me and my ears ...oh..my ears...

but i didn't complain...we teased that instead of being the wolf ...I would be his poodle..so he would look over at me with that sly grin...because keep in mind..he loves his jeep..and he was in heaven driving along ....he was "cool"....anyhow..he would look over at me...and then I would act like a dang ol' poodle...

we pulled off for a break at a Dairy Queen...I was glad 'cause you know that a Dairy Queen is always freezing on the inside...and it was really hot that day...high 90's... Don't you know that the air conditioning was out..it was so hot in the DQ, that I could hardly eat my banana and butterfinger blizzard....

We finally arrive in Tybee that evening and the room is....hmmm...cozy....but at least the bed was comfortable....

we took a romantic walk along the beach....oops...this is not the one i meant to pick for the blog of the moon...oh well.... the walk on the beach was just lovely.....we ate a restaurant, Fannie's, that overlooked the water...a great first night....

The next morning, we got up early to see the sunrise.... here is a boat that came by...they were HUGE!! I remembered these boats from Savannah....

it was a little cloudy right at sea level..so this is when we first got a glimpse of that beautiful ball in the sky....

Nothing like the beach at sunrise.....gets me every time ......

the walk under the pier back to our condo.....

No, this is not a carnival set up for children...this is actually a movie set...for the next Miley Cyrus movie...we watched it all come to life the night before while they were filming...they had the pier and some of the beach petitioned off for the filming.....pretty cool...

we didn't take the time to walk out on the pier since it was closed off for much of the time for the movie...maybe next time.... but it was pretty and near where we stayed...

the first time I have ever caught starfish and sand dollars.... we stayed out in the ocean during the day and you could feel them with your feet crawling right on the top of the sand at about 5 feet deep...and they you could just dive down and pick them right up...we could have had as many as we wanted...the hard part was holding them on their backs and waiting for them to dry out..which I felt sorry for the little things..and only wanted to take back just a few...

chilling under the chairs and umbrella we rented - well worth the money!! It was a really hot day...with the heat index....104, I believe.... what a cutie!!

relaxing in the shade....

Tybee Island - my first trip here...and I loved it!!

The way home we managed to find yet another Dairy Queen with the AC out...what are the odds - but it was, I admit, funny....not so funny at the time...but it was funny to have randomly picked two different DQ's just because they have the reputation of being cold and they both had no air...

Also, I braved the heat all the way home....again ...no doors..no AC....it was hot!! I mean seriously hot!! That night and the next day, Adam was in the bed with a fever...sun poisoning...go figure.... Next time, no poodle talk for me...it is wolf all the way... a jeep with no doors..really?

June 16th - Mom's Birthday

Mom turned...let's see I turned 29 again this year....so that makes mom....um...49? yeah.....49...even though I know she looks even younger than that!! She looks so pretty in this shot!! Love you, Mom!! I hope you like the pictures I picked out for this entry!!

Natalie and Bridget made her a yummy cookie cake. We held this wondrous occasion at their new house, which i love!! We made a Chinese dinner....yummy vegetables, salad, fried rice, stir fried pork and chicken...mmmmm mmmmmm

Becca ruins another shot...she likes to act crazy in the shots ..cause my mom can't stand it when she doesn't "smile pretty" .....so again she gets the ..."Becca, smile pretty for your Mee Mee"...

That's better, Becca.... Mom and her girls....we had a nice evening celebrating mom's birthday...Happy Birthday, mom...WE LOVE YOU!!

My first official day of Summer-June 2009

My first day of summer......aaahhh...I woke up around 9:00 ......the girls were still in bed...the house was so quiet...aaaahhhh....so I get the book I am reading and a cup of coffee and head out to the front porch...Sammy was so happy that I came out to spend some quality time with him outside...

it was warm, but not too warm...in the low 80's...still had that morning coolness...it was so quiet..it felt like I was at some mountain cabin far away from civilization... a few birds chirping, but other than the sounds of nature....beautiful silence.....

we have quite a few sets of cardinals living around us... The neat thing about cardinals is that they mate for life.... the male cardinal is the bright red pretty one and the female is ...well..the homely one...with brown feathers in serious need of a dye job...

I watched one married couple all morning as they built them a new nest. The female is in the picture above, you have to really look, but she is there and holding up a twig in her beak. Mrs. Cardinal did all of the work and Mr. Cardinal..well..he supervised. She first started out in the bush right beside the swing. He was a few feet away perched on the center of the bush while she furiously looked through the bush for the perfect twig. She would pull this twig and tug at that twig. She would get one in her beak and then Mr. Twig would chirp at her...and she would drop it and keep looking...it was like I spoke bird and was listening in on their conversation...he was saying, "nope, that twig is not structurally what we need...we need a twig that is 1/4 inch by 5 inches..."

Finally, she got mad and told him to go away and let her be....so he flew off and she found the right twig...i tried to get the best shot of Mrs. Cardinal as she perched on the tree right beside me with that big twig in her beak as if to show it off to me....but she flew off too fast...

Next, they did the same song and dance down by the bench on the ground...He was perched up on a chair that I had made into a planter and there she was slaving away through the leaves..picking up one leaf, one twig after another...and he would look down and make snippy little chirps....

That is when she found this twig in the picture above...finally...and they flew off again....

Here is Mr. Cardinal...he really didn't want to have his picture taken - but here he is barking orders at Mrs. Cardinal....hey I am just stating the facts.....

Here he is supervising yet again... this one higher up...near the nest....

Adam bought me this pretty flowering plant for the front porch...it was my mother's day gift....

Here is the rose bush he planted in the island with its one bloom....Adam and I are far from gardeners...not into that....that is why we live in the woods...I like the natural look, myself....

the dogs took a walk around the house to just take in the morning...and try to get some glimpses of the birds.....

Bo did alot of scaring them away, I am afraid...he thought he was helping....

every nature yard needs a big toad...don't ya' think....

the yard is nicely shaded....no signs of the cardinals....

There he is.....

the tree that looks after the house.....

the dog path.....

one of my favorite places...my porch....

this picture and the ones to come...well...they explain it all....

i like insects too...thought this was a cool moth....

another cool moth....

guess what Cardinal eat.....DOG FOOD!!...... not only do they eat dog food, they hear you when you put it out and just like Bo and Sammy..."run" for the bowl....I tried to get him IN the bowl that is right beside the trash can that holds the food, but he was way too fast for me....

He is looking at me like..."excuse me, would you please leave!"

My first day of Summer was fabulous...I sat out all morning and just enjoyed the quiet...read my book...loved on my dogs...and watched the Cardinals...aaaahhhhhh