Tales of a Hectic Life

It's the Holiday Season...

2012-02-09T20:38:00.000-05:00

...or...ahem...was several weeks ago.

Christmas this year was a low-key, relaxing time in our house. Last year, with it being the first year we had lived in our current home, we went all out. The decorations were perfect and shiny and new, they came together just so and we rejoiced in the beauty of our home. This year we decorated, but tried some different things and just couldn't achieve "the look" no matter how we arranged....and rearranged....and rerearranged....

Even with so-so decor and a distinct lack of snow, we enjoyed our time off. This was the first year Libby really understood the whole Santa thing, so we played it up! Who knows if our big girl will still be a believer next year...*sniff*

We also managed some short day trips to area attractions. We made our first visit to the beautiful Shaker Village. WOW! It is worth it for the drive alone. The tiny town was decked with boughs of...evergreens and plenty of red bows. They even had a horse drawn carriage to cart visitors up and down the main drag.

The simplicity of the Shaker homes really soothed our souls, as did the rolling hills and towering, leafless trees.

Christmas day itself played out in a flurry of colorful paper and exclamations over new toys (for the kids). Our big "Christmas present" had arrived in August and was hot and bubbling in the backyard. And let me tell you, what a fun tradition to soak in a hot tub on Christmas Eve, long after kids are dreaming of sugarplums.

The night before Christmas....

We tracked Santa on NORAD!

Nana and Plap plap joined us for a Christmas ham dinner, then left the next day to take Anna back to Pennsylvania for a week visit.

While she was gone Earl and I took the opportunity to paint and decorate Libby's new "big girl" room. I had spent weeks searching stores in person and online for the perfect bedding set, paint, and decorating ideas. I had mistakenly believed that my very-particular-about-bedtime-girl would need wooed into a new bed, in a new room. Nope. Long before we even started moving junk out of the guestroom Libby decided she was going to sleep there. And she did. Still, I think her room came out perfect. When it is completely done I'll post photos.
Getting Anna back to Kentucky was the biggest adventure we need for awhile. Let's just say, in all of the many, many miles we spend on the road, we've been blessed to never get hit by the stomach flu.....or a treacherous icy conditions. Until January, when Earl hit unexpected ice and snow, and Anna was hit by a nasty virus. A 6 hour trip took about 12 hours, but they made it home safe and sound. And I must say I thoroughly enjoyed a sick day to snuggle up on the couch with my Annagirl.

It's hard to believe we are already a full week into February!

Fall is Here....and Gone...

2011-12-21T13:19:00.000-05:00

But I still have a few more things to post about Smith happenings this past Fall.

For starters, Halloween.

I'm not a huge Halloween person. Sure, I like the chocolate, but I'd much rather just eat the leftovers from costumed kids ringing our doorbell.

Unfortunately, every year I am out voted, so we shell out money for costumes for our own kidlets.

This year Anna was a ~~princess~~ ~~vampire~~ ~~vampire princess~~ bride.

Libby was Super Libby!

I hauled them around our neighborhood (which gives out AWESOME candy) and Libby had a blast ringing doorbells, thrusting her bag out, and saying "Happy Hannoween!"

And we still have a pretty big bag of the sugary candies leftover...

The weekend after Halloween we packed up the girls and headed to Western PA to drop Libby off at my parents' house and meet our friends' new baby.

If you are somewhat familiar with Western PA, you know all about one of the most beautiful, iconic parks in the area - McConnell's Mill State Park.

I spent many Sunday afternoons of my childhood at the Mill...

eating KFC,

and clambering over the moss covered boulders.

The path along the river is relatively flat, and mostly paved.

If you happen to arrive in the morning you'll be in for quite a treat as the sun filters through the trees.

Climb the rocks at your own risk. =)

Gotta love the old millstones...

and the sunburst....yummy!

Hug a tree!

Marvel at nature...

Are you tired of the sunburst yet?

Too bad, here's another one...

This has to be my favorite picture, by the way!

Annnnd......last one!

After hiking up an appetite we decided to visit our old "Stomping Grounds" and hit up SRU!

Road Trip 2011 Part 2: The Charleston Adventures Day 6

2011-12-19T09:37:00.000-05:00

Waking up early and watching the sun rise over the ocean is a necessity while at the beach. Generally we get up while the stars are still twinkling and walk along the surf, but this time it was cold. Really cold. So Earl and I bundled up in beach towels and planted ourselves on the balcony.

We were not disappointed. As the sun slowly light up the horizon, a pod of dolphins put on a show right in front of us. Had we been on the beach we would have missed them.

When the sun had risen completely we all squeezed into swimsuits and headed to the beach to spend our last day in Charleston with the sand and surf.

We played in the sand...

...took some last strolls....

...splashed in the waves...

...and built one last sand ~~castle~~ lighthouse.

One thing on my "must do" list when we are at the beach is to sail.

I love the sound of the sails flapping in the wind, the water splashing over the sides.

I don't care if the boat is a tiny little 12 footer, an elaborate modern boat, or a tallship soaked in history.

We sailed past Fort Sumter, promising to visit it next time we're in town.

And then, just as we greeted the day with one of God's works of art, we ended it the same.

Marveling at the beauty of such a simple, twice daily occurrence.

That is somehow more magical when it's magnified by the vastness of the ocean.

The sun eventually sank out of sight,

we snapped a few last pictures,

and said our goodbyes to the Charleston skyline.

The next morning we were up early, packed and ready to make the loooong trip back to Georgetown before 10 am.

And that, my friends, is a great vacation!

Road Trip 2011 Part 2: The Charleston Adventures Day 5

2011-12-18T10:28:00.000-05:00

As our week was winding to a close, we wanted to spend some time soaking in the area, "becoming one with nature" and all that good stuff.

We made reservations with Barrier Island Eco Tours, a company that offers narrated boat tours. We chose the Capers Island tour that would give us a glimpse of some of the creatures living in marsh lands, and then drop us ff on an undeveloped island for some shelling and amazing views.

Fortunately, the nasty weather we had earlier in the week cleared up, leaving gloriously cloudy skies!

We boarded our boat and settled in for the trip.

I believe I snapped about 396,479,004 pictures as we floated along...

but, really....can you blame me?

Our tour guide was an exuberant, beach blond girl named Courtney.

She was patient with the kids, and let them touch just about everything she pulled out of this cage!

We saw a variety of wildlife, including this shark that was circling its prey in the shallow waters. Courtney guesstimated that it was about 6 feet long!

Libby was more enamored with Moses the dog...

...and her Plap plap!

Oh, that beautiful sky!

Along with touching all the living sea critters, we also passed around bones from the animals we wouldn't necessarily want to come face to face with!

And then.....and then we reached our destination!

Wide open beaches, littered only with perfectly intact whelk shells.

The interior of the island boasted large alligators, and man eating mosquitoes!

Boneyard Beach, so named for the sun bleached tree trunks caused by the natural erosion process when sea meets forest, was eerily beautiful.

The remnants of the forest created an ideal habitat for all kinds of marsh dwellers.

Long before we were ready our time was up and we boarded our boat (which almost got stuck in beach muck) and headed back to the Isle of Palms.

But not before getting up close and personal with several friendly dolphins!

Road Trip 2011 Part 2: The Charleston Adventures Day 4

2011-12-14T17:44:00.001-05:00

Finally, a good beach day!

Wednesday was reasonably warm and most importantly, not rainy!

So we hit the beach and explored our little island vacation home...

Since it was the off season we were practically the only people on the beach, especially early in the day.

Between the dunes and the puffy grey clouds, I was in photographer's heaven!

I even found this ~~creepy~~ little guy along the surf. He was pretty creepy looking, but harmless enough. In any case, he didn't protest when I picked him and moved him farther out into the water.

Here's Earl daydreaming that he owns one of these gorgeous beach houses!

We didn't do anything besides enjoy the sun, surf, and sand. It was a beautiful beach day!

But the real magic began as the sun went down...

A mist settled over the beach...

giving everything a very surreal appearance.

So we headed out armed with buckets, shovels, and a kite...

we harnessed the wind...

and dug for buried treasure...

and then watched the full moon rise over the eerily still ocean waters.

We stayed out until the mosquitos chased us back inside, and then we sat on the balcony for several more hours, not quite willing to end this day.

Fortunately, we had a really fun activity planned for the next morning....

Road Trip 2011 Part 2: The Charleston Adventures Day 3

2011-12-11T11:43:00.002-05:00

Tuesday dawned rainy, but the sun was beginning to peek through the clouds.

There was hope for a sunny day!

While the weather was deciding what to do, we decided to head back to the city and visit the South Carolina Aquarium.

Among the many other fishy wonders, we saw an albino alligator.

(Which perhaps would have been more impressive if not for King Louie at the Louisville Zoo. )

Outside the aquarium was the bay and a beautiful view (THE SUN!) of the suspension bridge.

Earl even made a friend...

The architecture of Charleston is amazing. I love the old buildings and all those magnificent wooden doorways!

The best way to see the city?

Carriage tours, of course!

Poor Bill the horse was loaded down with over a dozen tourists....good thing Charleston is not known for steep inclines...

We plodded along past dozens of historically insignificant sights...

Afterward we gave Bill some much-deserved love and headed off to find some grub....BBQ was on the menu!

When we returned to our condo we sat out on the deck and watched the lightening dance in the clouds in the distance.

With a view like this, we were feeling very spoiled!

Road Trip 2011 Part 2: The Charleston Adventures Day 2

2011-12-11T10:27:00.001-05:00

Our second day in Charleston also turned out rainy and cold, so we decided to divide and conquer. The ladies (minus Anna) headed to the Old Exchange and Provost in the city.

The old cobblestone streets were phenomenally beautiful....albeit difficult to walk on. =)

The Old Exchange was built on the original wall of the city, dating back to the 1600's. The building had many uses over the centuries, most importantly as the place South Carolina ratified the Declaration of Independence, and the dungeon was used to hold many political prisoners during the War for Independence.

Upstairs held the honor of hosting George Washington during many formal dances.

The views out the windows of the ballroom showed the city of Charleston, steeped in history and beauty.

While we ladies were getting our dose of history, the boys and Anna braved the weather at Patriot's Point.

They were able to tour numerous naval vessels, including an aircraft carrier and a submarine.

Our "two peas in a pod"

These two were practically connected at the hip the entire week. It was such fun to go on vacation with best friends!

Road Trip 2011 Part 2: The Charleston Adventures Day 1

2011-12-10T10:27:00.000-05:00

Life lesson # 778,000,239.9:

Just because the weather channel reported temps in the 80's the previous week, don't assume your beach vacation will be hot and sunny.

The first few days we were at the beach it was quite....unbeachy. The sun was hidden behind thick grey clouds, and the wind made the rain feel like tiny knives.

Yuck.

Fortunately, the kids didn't seem to mind that it wasn't the most ideal weather. They donned their swimsuits and were pumped for a ~~chilly~~ day at the ~~frigid~~ pool.

One advantage to miserable beach weather is having the entire stretch of beach to yourself!

That first day we were only brave enough to get our ankles wet.

That wind was COLD!!!

We ended the day with a drive into the city and dinner at Fleet's Landing. A waterfront sea food restaurant housed in an old Navy building.

Road Trip 2011 Part 2: The Charleston Adventures

2011-11-03T17:23:00.001-04:00

Over Fall Break we packed up, together with our good friends and neighbors, and headed for the Charleston beach. The first leg of the trip went so smoothly that we were actually in danger of arriving far too early! Since we had some extra time to spare we decided to visit the swamp.

Specifically Four Holes Swamp in the Francis Beidler Forest, just an hour or so west of the city.

While planning the vacation I had come across the following video and fell in love with the beauty of the place.

Reality being, well, reality, we visited at the dry time of year so much of the video's marshland was just dry, leaf covered ground.

For a nominal fee that goes toward preservation, we wandered along the boardwalk, nature guide in hand, trying to spot some interesting wildlife.

Much of the ground was covered by palmetto plants.

One eerie, out-of-this-world find was the cypress knees sticking out of the swampy areas.

Tall virgin growth cypress and tupelo trees towered above us, creating a dense shade (which really messed with my camera settings).

From quite a distance we spotted this alligator resting along the banks of the lake.

Surprisingly, we noticed few mosquitoes - something we had assumed would be present in blood-sucking droves. Apparently the mixture of salt and water.....or marsh-i-ness....created a habitat unfit for the pests.

We did see quite a few of these little guys!

The Francis Beidler Forest was a great "pit stop" to visit and stretch our legs during the long drive!

Raven's Run

2011-11-01T20:03:00.000-04:00

If you live in the Lexington area and have never been to Raven's Run, you need to go. Now.

Earl and I spent an afternoon hiking there many years ago and always planned to go back, but didn't take the time until last month.

An easy hike through the forest (or grasslands, if you wish) leads to a beautiful over look of the Kentucky River Palisades.

As Libby is pointing out, the trails close at 4:00pm. There is a gate leading to the nature sanctuary that is closed and locked around sunset, so make sure you get out before then!

Danger signs are always a great thing to see on a family hike with a precocious preschooler. =)

Libby was quite frustrated that I had a hand on her at all times while we sat on the overhang. These rocks had a small ledge underneath, and then a dropoff to the river about 50 feet below.

The view of the palisades is spectacular!

On the hike back to the Nature Centerwe opted for the shorter, flatter route through the grasslands. By this time we were kicking ourselves for not bringing a bottle of water for the kids. Surprisingly, they both made it with relatively littlecomplaining or whining.

Although strolling through a sea of goldenrod in the height of fall allergy season was its own form of torture, we couldn't resist taking the time to snap some pictures of its beauty.

Apple Pickin' Fun

2011-10-31T21:07:00.000-04:00

After the zoo, we decided to go apple picking because ~~we are crazy~~ I had a craving for Evan's Apple Cider and needed more apples for another apple pie.

The weather was perfect, although since it was late in the apple picking season, the trees were pretty well picked over.

We were still able to find enough yummy apples to sample and add to our bag.

And we bought a peck (is that a real measurement) of my most favorite HoneyCrisp in the market along with a gallon of apple cider.

A benefit to apple picking with few apples was the absence of other apple pickers. We pretty much had the orchard to ourselves!

With our apples I made a homemade apple pie, which didn't last long enough to photograph, and since I was on a domestic kick, I also whipped up a loaf of Maple Oat "Becca Bread".

It's soooooooooooo good!

Catching Up

2011-10-30T12:42:00.000-04:00

Many moons ago, when Libby was a monkey-haired sack of newborness and we were sleep deprived yet still needed to find ways of entertaining a demanding almost-four-year-old, we packed up our brood and drove to Cincinnati where we became members of the Newport Aquariam. For roughly the cost of two visits, we got unlimited passes and could go anytime we wanted.

We've continued the tradition of buying membership at local parks where we can bring the kids for a great day of fun.

Lucky for us, we live within an hours' drive of two semi-major cities with a variety of zoos, parks, and museums.

Last year, we had a Louisville Zoo membership pass. We visited the zoo about 4 times within that year, so the passes were worth it.

Since our membership was going to expire the end of September we decided to spend one last morning walking around the zoo and visiting our favorite animals. (I must say, the biggest benefit to having the passes is the freedom to see only the stuff we're really interested in, and not feeling obligated to check out every exhibit.)

Of course, I had to get a picture of my favorite rhino rumps! I have captured them on camera every.single.time I go!

The elephants are always a hit! A bonus with the Louisville Zoo is they have both an African and an Asian elephant, so the girls could see the similarities and differences in the two animals.

We treated the girls to some cotton candy, an often-requested but rarely-gotten treat...

Libby especially enjoyed the sugary snack, which we enjoyed in the shade while watching the seals (sea lions?) swim in Glacier Run, the new Arctic Animal exhibit that just opened recently.

Of course, the Polar Bears were a big hit! Although we didn't get a picture, the main attraction is a cub named Qannik, rescued from Alaska (I believe) after she was separated from her mother.

The exhibit provides lots of places to view the bears.

We also always enjoy hanging out with the Amur Tigers!

And it's become a tradition for Anna to get a picture compared to a Gorilla. See last year's here.

After the zoo, we lunched at Lynn's Paradise Cafe. I don't think my arteries have completely recovered from the hotbrown I ordered. Then, we drove back to Georgetown and headed to Evan's Apple Orchard for from apple picking!

Recent Adventures

2011-09-30T06:56:00.000-04:00

Hello, all! It's been awhile....and I feel like I start off far too many blog posts this way. =)

We've been busy bees lately. Besides the obvious, working long hours, raising two children, keeping a house running (whew, I'm exhausted already!) we've also been dealing with house issues involving our builder - lets just say we've been seeing alot of plywood in places we don't want to see plywood. It was quick to be assessed and is slow to be resolved, so we're praying for patience.

What else?

Well, I've spenting lengthy hours getting my ducks in a row to do KTIP, an internship program Kentucky demands all teachers go through. However, some red tape with my certification have determined that I am not eligible until after I finish my Masters. I must admit my first thought was relief! =) When it sunk in that it's too late to enroll for more classes (I had planned to take off the year to do KTIP) I got super giddy and may (or may not) have spun around in gleeful circles. Okay, just in my mind...

Sooooo, in addition to all of that, we've also been enjoying the cool evenings in our rockin' HOT TUB. It's pretty awesome.

We've also taken the girls and had some mini adventures here...

Here....

And Here....

But those are blogs for another time....

Road Trip 2011 - Anderson Acres

2011-09-04T16:51:00.000-04:00

We ended our road trip (well, mostly, there was still another 350 miles until home) with a weekend visit at my parent's house. We had a get-together complete with a bonfire - an Anderson Acres tradition!

Libby loves the animals....Darla especially!

We got to see great friends, family, and even meet new little ones...

The kids chowed on hotdogs, with Buddy hoping for something to fall to the ground.

We shared food...

...and laughs...

...and toys...

...even some farm chores!

But the best part of all was relaxing...

Soaking in the summer sun..

...enjoying the scenery.

Oh, and cramming small children into a giant ball..

Don't worry....

They liked it!

Honest!

Road Trip 2011 - Gettysburg Farm

2011-09-02T19:44:00.001-04:00

While in Gettysburg, we had the opportunity to visit the farm Earl's mother grew up on. It was located just outside of Gettysburg, with views of Little Round Top across the road.

Luckily, the owners allowed us to look around and take some pictures, although getting a good photo of all three kids proved to be a challenge!

Road Trip 2011 - Gettysburg

2011-08-27T19:32:00.001-04:00

Life has been rather....how shall we say it....HECTIC here as of late. The first few weeks of school are always happy, excited, stressful, super busy times and this year is no different. Toss in a field trip on school day number 8 and you can see it's been crazy.

But in a totally good way.

However, I'm way behind in posting road trip pictures. So, if it's all the same to you, I'm going to inundate the blog with pictures.....and very little description.

Here goes.....Gettysburg!

Litte Round Top....

Devil's Den...

The Wheatfield...

Road Trip 2011 - Finally in Pennsylvania

2011-08-14T17:23:00.000-04:00

Our first full day in Pennsylvania we visited some of Earl's family, then hopped aboard the Strasburg Railroad.

This was our 4th train ride in so many weeks.

But who's counting?

;-)

Libby wasn't too impressed with the "choo-choo"s as it pulled into the station.

Grammy and Anna finding a comfy spot.

We opted for the open car to take advantage of the beautiful day and "fresh country air"

Or, as Libby insisted, poop.

The countryside of eastern PA!

That evening the girls got to spend lots of quality time with their only cousins!

Battle of the Second-Borns

Grammy and all four girls!

Poor tuckered TerrorTot

We had a marvelous time, laughed, and ate some great food - and that's ALWAYS a part of visiting the area!!

Road Trip 2011 - Heading Up the Coast

2011-08-14T16:26:00.000-04:00

After the gorgeous sunrise we packed up our things and hit the road again. The plan was to cross the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and follow the coast up the Delmarva Peninsula.

We were really looking forward to stopping at the restaurant and visitor's center along the Tunnel. Unfortunately, since neither Earl nor myself had traveled this way in well over a decade and a half, our memories of the stopping point being far out into the bay was incorrect.

Or we had always came from the other direction.

In any case, unbeknownest to us, as I snapped this picture we were passing right under our designated stop.

Once over the bridges we seriously considered turning around....

...but, with a promise to the girls to stop "next time" we continued our trek.

After stopping for a great view, of course!

We also made a quick stop at the visitor's center just north of the bay, on the peninsula. They had a great setup with many hands-on things for the kids to get into!

Next stop was one of my family's regular vacation destinations - Assateague Island, Maryland. Assateague and Chincoteague are barrier islands lying along the coast of Maryland and Virginia (going south, the barrier islands become the Outer Banks - another excellent place to visit!). The islands are known for their wild pony populations. Chincoteague, to the south, is more settled, and is also the site of the annual pony round up. Which happened to be happening while we were there.

Needless to say, venturing on to a small island along with 50,000 or so other people is not my idea of a good time. So we passed up Chincoteague and hit the more wild Assateague.

Even it was crowded! Considering the relative obscurity of the little island, we had a hard time finding a beach that wasn't blanket to blanket.

And we did find ponies! Not all of them had been rounded up for sale to fund Chincoteague's fire department.

The beach was fantastic, with soft white sand, gentle waves, and lots of seashells and beachy creatures.

Of course, we dug another hole...

And got our clothes soaked (again)....mental note - wear/bring/make accessible swimsuits.

I met my goal to catch another crab - this time a blue crab!

We did not eat him.

The girls enjoyed checking him out and them we watched him scurry back into the ocean.

After an hour or so of sun, sand, and surf we rinsed off, changed clothes, and continued our journey.......

Road Trip 2011 - Sunrise

2011-08-09T16:58:00.000-04:00

there

anything

better

than

being

the

only

people

the

beach

see

the

sunrise?

Road Trip 2011 - Fort Monroe and a Sailboat

2011-08-08T17:23:00.000-04:00

Fort Monroe is located at the entrance to Chesapeake Bay. It was built to protect the area from sea invasions, and fortifications at the site date back to the early 1600's.

The fort was beautifully built into the ground, surrounded by a moat.

Inside the walls were houses (still occupied - although not by their original inhabitants!) and gardens.

Jefferson Davis spent time here after the Civil War, in a cell designed for him.

Lee also lived here before the war...

Later that day we drove down to Norfolk and hopped aboard a sailboat.

I love sailing, so it has become a bit of a tradition to go sailing at least once during every ocean vacation.

Libby was not enamored of being cooped up on a boat for over an hour.

Hopefully she will grow to appreciate the rock of a boat, the laugh of seagulls, and the flap of sails filling with wind....

Someday...

Road Trip 2011 - First Landing Beach

2011-08-05T11:21:00.000-04:00

So named for its historical significance, First Landing Beach was the first landing point of the Virginia Company when they reached the New World in 1607. They eventually sailed up the James River to found the infamous Jamestown settlement.

As much as I love history, I love a nice, empty, peaceful beach even more.

We found that here.

The sea grass swayed in the salty ocean breeze

Ahhhhhh....

It was truly beautiful

For the kids, they enjoyed collecting seashells

And running in the sand

Barges waiting to travel into the Chesapeake Bay were anchored far beyond the waves, and sea birds perched on what was left of an old pier.

It was here we caught sand crabs

And Libby shed her outer clothing to take a dip in the waters

We dug more holes

(Because, really, its fun!)

Then we sat around and waited for the sun to sink below the horizon

Before that happened a storm rolled in (a nightly occurrance during our trip), so we watched lightening for awhile instead. The lights of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel lit up the stormy sky, and by the time we gathered our towels and left, the boats and barges began to light up one by one as well.

A beautiful night!

Road Trip 2011 Getting There

2011-08-03T16:25:00.002-04:00

Nine days and 2000 miles in a Camry. With two kids.

And we survived!

This was our first major road trip with two talking, walking kids. Sure, Anna hit the road at 4 weeks old, and by the time Libby was 3 months old she had visited 4 states - 7 by the time she turned half a year. But somehow, the thought of two demanding KIDS (which is different than a demanding infant) was scary.

Nevertheless, we persevered in our goal to get to the beach with the girls.

I'm so glad we did! Anna, a seasoned traveller, did fantastic. Libby was the cause of much anxiety for me before we left. Potty-training toddlers (is she still a toddler?) and many hours in the car don't really go together.

We left around 4am Saturday morning, hoping to reach the beach by suppertime. I had tracked down a McDonald's with a play yard in Charleston, WV - just in time for a quick breakfast and a romp around their jungle-themed room.

The girls happily hopped back into the car for another 3 hours, when we hit our next destination...

Humpback Bridge in Virginia.

We got out, stretched little (and long) legs, tossed rocks into the water, ran across the old bridge, then jumped back into the car, headed for....

Crabtree Falls!

Now, Google neglected to inform me that the road to the falls was a narrow, winding road with switchbacks that would put some mountain roads in Colorado to shame.

However, things got really quiet in the backseat with Libby asleep, so we enjoyed the forested view and arrived at the park just in time for our planned picnic lunch.

After we chowed down on road trip sammies, we took the short hike to see the falls.

And play with bugs.

By the time we herded the kids back to the car they had full bellies, and were ready for a break from the sticky heat.

I am amazed that we got from the falls to the beach without making another stop!

We arrived at our beachy vintage motel with plenty of time to stick our toes in the water before going out in search of supper.

We ate breakfast and one other meal in our room every day, saving the headache of subduing the terrortot at the nicer restaurants, and the bellyache of eating ~~fat~~ fast food all the time.

Our first full day at the beach (and by beach, I mean Chesapeake Bay) we went to the Virginia Living Museum so the girls could learn some history and see and touch some critters native to the area.

Anna found this little toad she shared with Libby.

The girls loved climbing on this giant turtle sculpture!

Libby had to touch everything in the touch tank!

The aquariums with local fish and other wildlife were amazing!

We spent the rest of the day lounging around on the beach and building sand castles. We chose to stay farther inland to avoid the blanket-to-blanket crowds we'd find at Virginia Beach, and also because the waves were gentler for the kids.

Anna isn't overly impressed by the beach - she doesn't like the water, and she tires of the sand. Toss her into the pool and she's a happy little mermaid. Libby, on the other hand, loved the sand, the water, and the wide open spaces. Visiting the pool to make big sister happy put Libby in a whiney mood.

Unfortunately, Anna's opinion of the great blue is not likely to change anytime soon. We noticed pretty quickly that the bay waters were full of jellyfish. Big ones, little ones, dead ones, living ones....

Far too many living ones.

Luckily, most often they swim at the surface, and since the waves were gentle we could easily avoid them.

Until.

I was in elbow-deep water holding Libby and felt something sting my arm. I took a step back and felt searing pain in my leg. Little (big?!?!) jelly fish bugger got me good.

As much as it hurt (and it HUUUURRRRRRRT!!!!!!!) I was so very thankful - albeit befuddled - that Libby wasn't touched by the obviously massive tentacles of that nasty sea creature.

Lesson learned - always bring a spray bottle of vinegar to the beach.

You may thank me for that some day. ;-)

What a Difference a Year Makes!

2011-07-08T17:23:00.000-04:00

I realize I am a week or so late on our "One Year Homiversary", but since we had our one year walk through today I figured I'd celebrate by giving a home tour.

In the front of the house we've added a layered flowered bed and planted more perennials.

Laundry "room" hallway.

Staircase...

The ~~toy haven~~ loft area.

Entry way

The living room

Our furniture placement is on a trial run here....soon to be moved again..

Kitchen

Kitchen again

Action shot!

Dining room

Libby's room

Master bedroom

Not a great comparison, but oh well...

Now that we've lived here for a year it's hard to remember when it was brand spankin' new and ~~not a dent or scratch to be seen~~ still had that "new home" smell. We've lived in it...there are dents and scratches, the kids have spilled drinks, animals have been....well...animals. But the house we built last year is, in all ways, our home, and that's all the really matters.

Independence Weekend

2011-07-06T14:38:00.000-04:00

What a weekend! We here are still recovering from lack of sleep.

On Saturday we took the kids on a train ride at the Bluegrass Railroad Museum. The train car we rode in was made in the early 1930's....and judging by the interior, hadn't been updated since then. The seats were original - a constant reminder of the country's "Supersize Me" way of life (they were SMALL!).

Anna's last train ride, many years ago, did not go well.

That would be an understatement.

We were far more concerned with how she'd handle things than our tiny daredevil, Libby.

We brought Cameron along too...

After the fantastic trips we had taken by tour train in Colorado the Kentucky version was a bit of a letdown. Still, it was a nice way to spend a few hours.

If you go, be sure to sit on the right side of the train - we were on the left and had a view of mostly trees, missing the horse farms that were on the other side.

That night Scott County put off their fireworks. We picked up some KFC, grabbed the kids, and headed to our favorite spot overlooking the pond.

Eight years ago, on our first 4th of July in Georgetown, we had the entire side of the park to ourselves. As the years have gone by more and more people have congregated there.

Rant coming:

I know its once a year, but sheesh, these lazy people drive all over the grass instead of parking and actually walking (yes - use foot power!) to spread a blanket or chairs out to watch the show.

Rant over.

The kids played with sparklers and poppers...

While behind us the sky lit up in a beautiful sunset, reminiscent of last year's.

Did I mention the sparklers were a big hit?

...because they were.

On Sunday we enjoyed an incredibly lazy day complete with afternoon naps and red, white, and blue Popsicles....

...for supper. ;-)

We finished the day watching the neighborhood set off fireworks every bit as impressive as the ones the county put off. And we got to see them from the comfort of our back deck.

Monday we headed to Lexington for their 4th of July party.

Floats like this one...

...tickled Libby's funny bone, apparently.

She laughed, and pointed.....howled with glee.....and laughed some more.

We spent the remainder of the afternoon lounging on the grassy lawn of Phoenix Park, listening to music and watching Libby climb trees like a monkey. Then headed over to Culvers' for an ice cream supper (it's my birthday - I can eat as much ice cream as I want). At dusk we watched more fireworks, finding a good view at the upper level of Victorian Square parking garage.

It was a great way to turn thirty....

If you have to turn thirty...

;-)

Day Five - Leadville to Denver

2011-06-29T16:28:00.000-04:00

Monday morning we woke up to big, fat, fluffy snowflakes falling on our little mountain lodge. The mountain tops were hidden behind low clouds. As much as I dread seeing snow on vacation (SNOW on VACATION) I have to admit it was beautiful the way the snow highlighted the trees.

The snow covered peaks were beautiful as well, although on this particular day we could no longer see them.

Judging by the number of scenic pull offs I assume this was an impressive stretch of highway. However, when we were traversing it we counted ourselves lucky to see the lines on the road. At certain points the fog (cloud) was so thick we couldn't!

At last we reached Silver Plume. Not much to say about the actual "town", but this is where we boarded the Georgetown Loop Railroad.

As we chug-chugged our way along the winding narrow gauge track we listened to the guide give us the low-down on the train's history.

It was originally intended to link the town of Denver with Leadville in the west. Another railroad made it there first and this line ended at Silver Plume. For several decades it was considered the "in thing" to catch the train in Denver, travel to Silver Plume for a picnic lunch, then arrive back in the big city for dinner. The train had to be narrow gauge to accommodate the twisting mountains and steep grades. By the end of the 1930's the automobile had advanced to the point that railroad travel slacked and the line closed. The tracks were torn up and sold for scrap metal.

Almost five decades passed before the tracks were rebuilt, buildings reconstructed, and the line opened for tourists.

Today the train goes between the towns of Silver Plume and Georgetown several times each day, making a stop at the Lebanon mines. There were other interesting facts concerning the elevation difference between the towns and the challenges that presented, but I suppose you'll just have to go there to find out the details...

Earl is showing off his silver ore.

It was about this point in our vacation when I realized I had spent the majority of our time in Colorado staring at the mountains with my mouth hung open like an eejit.

....couldn't help it. I just kept saying, "Wooooooooow...."

Georgetown's Devil's Gate Station.

Interesting Georgetown, CO and Georgetown, KY connections....

Georgetown, KY was originally named Lebanon - the name of the mine in Georgetown, CO.

Georgetown, KY was named in honor of President George Washington -

Georgetown, CO was named in honor of the miner George Griffith - originally from KY

They say there's a ~~pot of gold~~ Walmart truck at the end of every rainbow....

The drive back to Denver wasn't nearly as spectacular as driving into the mountains.

Here, the Plains stretch on into the horizon.

The Mile High City!

Our last Bed & Breakfast, the Queen Anne, the delightfully unique. Modern, yet traditional. Very crunchy and green. Owned by a master chef who served us our breakfast - goat cheese, mushroom, and spinach omelets (hold the 'shrooms, thanks) - along with other produce and yummys bought in from local farms.

We were fortunate to have the Roof Top room, complete with a private hot tub with views of the city and mountains (behind Coors Stadium).

A perfect ending to our vacation!

Day Four - Independence Pass (part 2)

2011-06-27T11:02:00.000-04:00

One of the highlights of our trip to Colorado was the drive to Independence Pass.
While I was ~~worried~~ ~~concerned~~ ~~terrified~~ a nervous wreck before the drive, imagining our car careening over the side of the mountain, the trip was not nearly as bad as I had feared.

Either that, or I was distracted enough with my face plastered against the car window staring at the scene before me that I simply didn't notice the lack of guardrails....or road shoulders....

You know how it looks like the world just kind of falls away just past the road in this picture?

Well...it does!!

The valleys were filling with water from the mountain snow melts.

After a surprisingly short drive, we reached Independence Pass.

This was the highest in elevation we visited during our stay in Colorado. The air definitely felt thin!

At this point in the Rockies the water melting falls either toward the Pacific Ocean in the west or to the Atlantic/Gulf in the east.

We didn't see the 16 feet of snow we were expecting, but there was still plenty of the white stuff laying around.

This poor park ranger was furiously shoveling the trail. The snow was so packed down that the path people were using was about 3 feet off the ground. Those dark things sticking out of the snow are the tops of a railing to keep people from walking all over the place.

At this point in our vacation I was mentally kicking myself for not buying a wide angle lens.

My lens just couldn't capture the scale of the mountains.

They went on forever it seemed.

If you look closely you'll see the road in the distance.

Evidence of avalanches were everywhere...

This is where the scale looks so wrong. Those are full sized evergreens, not the bushes they appear to be in the picture!

The Arkansas River begins in this part of the Rockies. It is named for the spring at its head, not for the state.

Again, another picture that doesn't capture the true scale. While we were in Twin Lakes looking up at the mountains we thought the bright green was some kind of grass. Not so. It was actually the spring leaves of thousands of Aspen trees!

I could imagine sitting beside a roaring fire in this fire ring, listening to the water flowing over the rocks and the wind rustling the trees as it came down over the mountain.

So peaceful!

Day Four - Twin Lakes (part 1)

2011-06-26T18:08:00.000-04:00

On Sunday morning we woke up to gorgeous mountain views (right from our sitting room)...

As well as a hearty breakfast prepared for us by the owners of the Twin Lakes Suite. The food was delicious - and far too much for any two people to consume in one sitting!

So after stuffing ourselves we went out in search of our adventure for the day. This charming log cabin was the Twin Lakes Visitor Center.

It was, unfortunately, also closed.

Our B&B owner had told us about the Interlaken Trail, so we headed down to the lake for some hiking.

Could it possibly get any more beautiful?

I seriously doubt it....

It was about a 3 mile hike to get to the old abandoned resort, but with low humidity, cool mountain breezes and hot sun, it was a perfect day for long walk!

Since we kept getting sidetracked by the views....and the pretty rocks on the beach...it took us about an hour and a half to reach the clearing.

Tucked into the trees at the bottom of the mountains was a resort that had previously been a booming tourist destination some 100 years ago. People have been working hard to restore the old buildings in the hope that it can once again house people.

I don't know about anyone else, but staying in this place? I'd jump at the chance to!

I ~~had to fight the urge~~ couldn't resist twirling around singing "The HIIILLLLLSSSSS are aliiiiiiive with the sound of muuuuuuusic!"

;-)

The cottage was open to people, and besides for evidence of a variety of small species of animal inhabitants, was free of any human markings. The cottage had been moved from its original location (now under the water) and still had the same hardwood floors and trim from when it was built.

Maybe not surprisingly, since it was quite a hike - literally- there were very few people enjoying this slice of heaven with us. Actually, for the most part, no matter where we went we didn't have to fight crowds. I guess it was the off season? Whatever the case, we loved the solitude and being able to sit and listen to the sounds of nature.

Day Three - Salida and Twin Lakes (part 2)

2011-06-24T10:20:00.000-04:00

This is the other view of the Arkansas river from the last post...

It got separated from its other half somehow.

Same with this one.
I just can't get over the gorgeous scenery!

Excuse the bird poop. I scrubbed it, but alas, it hung on throughout our journeys...

Eventually we came to the town of Salida.

Nestled among the Rockies, it held the charm of an Old West Town.

Due to the super late (ie. after 5pm) hour, most of the town was vacant, so we were not able to learn the history of the beautiful old buildings like this one...

...or this one...

On the road again, we drove up and down and around hills of various sizes while the plant life grew increasingly greener.

Along the way were pull offs with fantastic views of the river winding its way through the mountain valleys.

Finally pulling into Twin Lakes, we were greeted with this view.

Wow, right?

I couldn't stop saying....."WOW!"

After stopping to photograph the wonders of God's creation, we set out to find our Bed & Breakfast....

And got terribly lost.

And ended up on this dirt road that followed the curve of the mountain.

At one point is was one lane hugging a cliff.

I didn't get a picture of that.

I was far too busy hanging on to the door handle.

While the locals flew by...

Ahem. We did eventually find our destination (after literally walking around knocking on doors and then giving up and calling on the single bar signal we had).

To be continued....

Day Three - Canon City (part 1)

2011-06-23T13:54:00.000-04:00

After enjoying our scrumptious breakfast at The Summit House Inn, we hit the road and traveled to Canon City.

The drive there was full of cloudy blue skies and wide open vistas...

One very scenic McDonalds!

In Canon City we hopped aboard The Royal Gorge Railroad for a train ride through the Royal Gorge.

The tracks followed the curve of the Arkansas River as it wound its way through the canyon.

It passed under the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park, which we sadly didn't have enough time to explore.

Another marvel of engineering along the way was this old wooden water pipeline.

This was how many people in the area received water until the 1970's!!

Earl and I also spotted a little "fixer-upper" nestled along the rapids. Vacation home, anyone?

This kamikaze helicopter buzzed over us, swooping sideways through the canyon.

We saw many rafters, kayakers, and boaters.

On the way back we saw that one of this group somehow got separated from his ride.

We even spotted a flock of Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep.

I had pictured them as furrier. To me they looked more closely related to donkeys.

Once on the road west the mountains again loomed before us.

Like on the train, the road followed the Arkansas River.

At one point we were able to pull off and get an up close view of the rapids.

Because of the higher-than-average snowfall over the winter, the rivers were running higher than usual, providing great entertainment to anyone adventurous enough to get in!

Day Two - Colorado Springs (part 2)

2011-06-23T11:12:00.000-04:00

Due to ~~Blogspot being stoopid~~ technical difficulties, I haven't been able to upload any pictures for the last few days. Frustrating stuff. But it's working now, so I can go back to inundating the cyber world with pictures.

I will warn you that more pictures of Garden of the Gods follow, so be warned....

Ahhh....such beauty...

This was the "strictly OFF LIMITS" section...

...definitely worth the risk!

Yes, I am pretending to climb a cliff...

....no I am not really falling off a cliff....

And last, but not least, the Kissing Camels!

Other oddities of Colorado Springs:

We met an IUP graduate at the park - small world!

While having dinner at one of the local restaurant we ran into a group hosting a birthday party for a very gender confused ~~man~~ ~~woman~~ individual.

We had a fantastic view of Pike's Peak from - of all places - the bathroom at our B&B.

Day Two - Colorado Springs (part 1)

2011-06-22T12:00:00.000-04:00

On Friday we visited beautiful Colorado Springs! Did you know Colorado looks like a desert? That's what we were most surprised about - all the brown. For some reason, I had always pictured the state as lush and green. Not so much....but it is still so very, very beautiful!

Garden of the Gods , a city park (can you beleive it?!) in Colorado Springs was simply.....exquisite. These pictures don't even do it justice. We had planned on visiting the park, then seeing a few more places as well, but as it turned out, we spent the majority of the day just exploring and marveling over the awesome sights.

At the visitor's center there was this picture pointing out all the rock formations, as well as Pike's Peak in the background.

What we saw was this.....

Beautiful! But no 14,000 foot mounatin to be seen.

Yes, our visit to Garden of the Gods, in the "desert" of Colorado, was full of rain.

It didn't matter too much. We still took a trip on a Jeep to hear the history of two of the surrounding towns, Old Colorado City and Manitou Springs. Er, we would have heard the history, but between the rain/hail and the wind flapping our ponchos around in the seat of the open Jeep, we didn't hear much. Still, it was a nice drive! Our tour guide was a lady who looked to be about 60 years old! She had just taken another group 4x4 in the muddy hills. She looked gleeful - they looked a bit traumatized.

The famous Pike's Peak is there somewhere!

The rain really started coming down after our tour - about the same time jetlag kicked in, so we went to our Bed & Breakfast, the Summit House Inn for some rest and relaxation.....and to find a good place to eat.

By the time the rain stopped we were ready to head out to the park again.

The sun hit the red rock formations, and the clouds made an impressive backdrop.

Our first glimpse of Pike's Peak!

We ~~stayed on the trail~~ mostly stayed on the trail, obeying (for the most part) the signs that warned of certain disablement or death.

There were only a few times we ignored it in the pursuit of more fantastic views.

When the sun started its descent we found a comfy rock to sit and watch. Pike's Peak eventually came out to join us.

Day One - Denver

2011-06-18T09:45:00.000-04:00

Denver - city of 300 days of sunshine a year. Our day started out nicely. We planned on doing a walking tour of the city to see its most famous sights.

First stop was the Colorado Capital Building. The dome itself contains some 200 ounces of real gold.

The 13th....or the15th...step is exactly one mile above sea level. Two different steps were marked, one with this gold seal, another with an engraving.

We decided to believe the engraving.....

At the very least, it made for better photo ops.

;-)

From the steps looking west there is a glimpse of the Rockies in the far distance.

Denver horse art...

This library is one of the largest in the nation.

We stopped in briefly to ask for directions...

...to a history building that is no longer there.

That explains why we spent over half an hour walking in a circle...

One place we did find was the "Unsinkable Molly Brown" house!

Did you know she was never called "Molly" in her life?

You would if you went to her museum!

Denver is also one of the "greenest" cities I've ever visited.

Bikes can be rented at several spots...

And the 16th Street Mall tram is run by hybrid energy!

There were also recycling bins next to most trash cans.....go Denver!

.....more Denver horse art....

Larimer Square

This is where Denver got its start. Now it's a classy little block with boutique-y type shops. I'd love to see it lit up at night!

An alley in Larimer Square...

Another famous landmark we saw was the Brown Palace Hotel.

Apparently, royalty and rich and famous alike stay in this hotel when they visit the "Mile High City".

This is the view from the pedestrian walkway connecting the Ballroom to the main hotel.

From the 7th floor looking dooooooooooown....

If you look closely, you might see Earl, representing UK in blue.

And speaking of Earl, he found his namesake restaurant!

Unfortunately, the clouds rolled in around lunchtime and it poured - a rare event in a city with an annual precipitation of around 15 inches a year. We ate at one of the first places we found, which turned out to be ~~Scottish Hooters~~ The Tilted Kilt.

We had a great time, saw lots of great things, and then capped off our day with a visit with friends.

Anna Celebrates the Big Seven!

2011-04-29T21:32:00.000-04:00

For Anna's seventh birthday party we contemplated several different options. A movie party? A swim party? Chuck E Cheese? Another go at the Mad Potter?

We decided to scrap all of those ideas and hold a royal tea party.

Anna's friends received royal requests for their presence at the Smith Castle.

The princesses (and one handsome prince) showed up in their royal finest. No tea party occasion is complete without a beaded necklace, so we began our party by stringing "pearls".

The living room was transformed into a princess wonderland.

All the party goers were greeted with place cards.

And we even scored real bone china for our group of young ladies.

Even the cupcakes joined the flowery theme of the day...

The guest of honor thoroughly enjoyed the festivities!

Of course, the ceremonial opening of the gifts was a hit, too!

Here, some of the princesses were scurrying under the table for better "seats".

A great time was had by all!

Tonight Anna capped off her celebrations by getting her ears pierced. She was so nervous beforehand, but was determined to see it through. Fortunately, a slightly more mature girl (of 9) got her ears pierced right before Anna and gave her some words of comfort and encouragement.

I was expecting tears, but she only let out a surprised, "OW!"

Very brave!

All evening she's been positively giddy.

-----------------

Anna's royal tea theme was due, in large part, to the wedding of William and Kate today. Although some may scoff at all the pomp and circumstance and say it's unnecessary, I for one (and Anna and Libby as well, judging by the gap-jawed, enamoured looks and words of pure delight and exclamation...and perhaps most telling, the fact that their breakfasts sat untouched while they were GLUED to the television) think it is beautiful. I will readily admit to getting teary-eyed watching the newly married couple walk down the ancient aisle of Westminster Abbey.

The carriage ride through the streets of London.

The kisses on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

It was all so.....fairy-tale like.

So exquisitely beautiful.

I wish bountiful blessings and a long, happy marriage to the prince and his new bride!

Now we can all guess on when the newest Mountbatten-Windsor will make his or her appearance into the world.

;-)

For now, as an ending to this fabulous day, my own Prince Charming and I are going to watch The King's Speech.

Can't let the royal tide go out quite yet, I suppose!

Growing Kittens and Catching Up

2011-04-28T15:20:00.001-04:00

Both Indy and Ella are doing great! They survived Libby's overwhelming "love" through their fragile kitty stage. After two rounds of deworming medicine, we finally got them healthy and growing. Now they enjoy getting into mischeif and racing to see you can cause the most damage to my furniture.

Indy is still a gentle, lovey, purring, rather stupid furry feline. He's still quite often taken by surprise when Libby scoops him up out of a sound sleep. He's slowly learning that the safest place for him to snooze is on the top level of their kitty tree - far out of Libby's reach!

That cute little dotted nose! I love it!

Ella is getting over her aloofness and becoming more lovey. She's still more likely to ran maniacally (is that even a word) around the house.

One night we caught her hanging (literally) from the top of our curtains.

Needless to say, both kitties are going in for their surgeries next week. A spay, a neuter and hernia fix.....and, after much consideration, we've decided to get them declawed. I'm still not 100% convinced it's not a barbaric procedure designed solely for human convenience. However, after talking to several (yes, I'm a nerd like that) vets, I believe the pros will outweigh the cons. At the very least, our kitties will be treated to the newest, high-tech, laser claw-removing-surgery.

With a high-tech price tag attached.

pets.

On the homefront...well...I am just utterly grateful to God that we still HAVE a homefront. It's been a crazy month! The tornado sirens have certainly been getting a work-out, that's for sure. April still has several days to go and already it broke the record for the rainiest April and earned a place in the top ten rainiest months. Of all time. Yipee! Oh, and did I mention that I heard on the news the other day that May statistically gets hit by more tornadoes than any other month?

Oh boy.

Over Easter weekend we got hammered with rain. Our already saturated ground couldn't soak it in fast enough and as a result our backyard turned into quite the water park.

So we did what any other sane, normal parents would do.

We encouraged our kids to splash around in the ice cold water while thunder rippled threateningly in the distance.

And it was fun.

These are my feet. We had a good 3 inches of water rushing by.

For the record, we did lecture our offspring on the importance of caution when it comes to flood water.

Then we took a drive around the county to see all the flooded areas.

Life has been flying by at its usual hectic pace.

There is a light at the end of the grad school tunnel - just TWO more assignments and I am FINISHED! I'm really looking forward to taking the summer off completely. No work, no school work, no house building. I'm just going to enjoy the time off with the girls, work on keeping the house clean and cooking good meals, and hopefully go on a few vacations as well.

Anna celebrated her 7th year of life on April 17th. We treated her and her royal firends to a tea party that weekend. I'll post pictures soon. =)

Easter and Eggs

2011-04-28T09:45:00.001-04:00

Hail, Zoo....LIBBY!

2011-04-11T20:52:00.000-04:00

Hail. What a thing to see during Spring Break!

A bald eaglet to be.

This elephant rammed into the other one, and we're pretty sure she broke her tusk. She then searched it out and rubbed it on every surface in her cage. You can kind of see it in her trunk.

And....

...........

If you ever wonder why few pictures of Libby have been posted, behold the reason....

Crazy girl!

A Walk in the Woods With Libby

2011-04-11T19:21:00.000-04:00

Anna..a Red Bridge...a Beautiful Evening.

2011-03-19T10:39:00.000-04:00

Loo-a-vul....Loo-e-ville.....Low-a-vul....fun weekend!

2011-03-15T17:13:00.012-04:00

This past weekend we took a quick trip to Louisville (pronounced Loo-a-vul for all you non-Kentuckians out there).

Please ignore the fact that I look quite stumpy in this picture. It's the angle, I tell you!

The highlight of the trip, by far, was seeing Les Miserables. It was incredible. Amazing. Awesome! I loved it!

While we were hanging around the city we decided to take a tour. I know, we have lived in this area for years - almost a decade - but I personally have seen very little of the city outside of the few specific places we visit (ZOO!). After searching through a few different tours, I settled on City Taste Tour.

http://www.citytastetours.com/

Book a tour with them.

Now.

Seriously.

We had so much fun! The two ladies who own it, Leslie and Eli, make a great team. We learned alot about Louisville's history, visited some important historic sites, and....wait for it....ATE our way through the city.

Yes, that is what I said.

Our first stop was Schimpff's Confectionery.

http://www.schimpffs.com/

They are the oldest continously run, family-operated candy maker in the U.S.

Or, something like that.

They make really good stuff and have a fun cand museum.

Ted's Kisses, anyone? Always a pleasure...

I didn't know I loved Fat Emma, but mmkay...

Yeah, take a guess what she's got...

We also had the chance to visit this amazing old mansion. Did you know Louisville can boast the largest Victorian neighborhood in the U.S.?

This particular mansion was built for a family's retirement home. Can you imagine what their earlier homes looked like??

Fantastic details hinting toward their French heritage...

But, back to more food....

A visit to Nords, a box full of beautiful sugar cookies, a bag of benyas, and...

bacon donuts!!

They were delicious!

We also drove around Louisville's Cave Hill Cemetary and stopped for a quick peek at Colonel Sanders' gravesite.

Going back into town, we found Lady GaGa's bus parked outside of the Yum! Center. She was doing a concert that night and - oh my! - the fans were something to watch! Did you know that caution tape is acceptable clothing? Yeah, I didn't either!

The kids had a blast back at home with Nana and Plap Plap. Libby went back to Pennsylvania with them and will be there for the next few weeks. She loves her time on the farm, and we love the time to have some fun adventures with Anna.

Stay tuned....

Not to Be Left Out...

2011-02-21T19:53:00.000-05:00

Ella!

Is There Anything

2011-02-20T14:50:00.000-05:00

cuter

than a

baby kitten?

I seriously doubt it.

This is Indiana, named after the state from whence he came. We call him Indy for short. We picked up Indy and his sister, Cinderella (Ella), in Jeffersonville last night. Ella is a calico with a black smudge on her little nose. Anna picked her out first thing....over the two other beautifully marked calicos. I guess it was love at first sight! I picked out Indy here. It was a pretty easy choice since the other black and white kitten was a realllllly long haired fuzzball. Indy has the softest fluffiest fur. =) I love it! For some reason Ella's picture is not working, but I'll get it fixed soon.

For now....enjoy the kitten love.

When Enough is Enough

2011-02-13T19:05:00.000-05:00

It wasn't when Baker had an accident on the carpet...

...it wasn't when he spewed dog snot all over the house...

...it wasn't the begging at the table....

...it wasn't the constant trail of water coming from his water bowl...

...it wasn't the muddy doggy footprints...

...it wasn't when he chewed the kitchen chairs...

....it wasn't the vomitting on the carpet....and the rug....multiple times...

...it wasn't when he started snagging things from the counters and table...

...it wasn't even the barking every.single.time he was put outside.

Enough was him whining every morning around 5 am (sometimes around 3am as well)....always waking us and usually Libby as well. I need sleep! I expected the chewing and barking and accidents and messes, but getting up multiple times a night?? No. I did not consider that aspect of doggy ownership. (For the record, he was well over a year old and capable of going 7-8 hours without a potty break. A call to the rescue gave me the advice to "throw a shoe at him" when he tried to wake us up. Uhmmm....no, no I don't think so.)

So Baker returned to the rescue yesterday. He actually seemed very happy to get back. While we feel bad that it didn't work out, he was a spoiled rotten pup during the month he lived at our house. He packed on some much needed pounds, got good medical care, learned some fun tricks, and got lots of lovin'. I suppose the rescue may have benefitted as well since they basically got a sizable donation from us in fees and supplies. ;-)

I have no doubt he will be adopted soon; he's a good lookin' puppy! And we learned a valuable lesson - perhaps we are just not dog owning people. At least not dog-and-toddler-owning people. Not that I'm nervous about Libby being around dogs, but just the work it takes to make sure toddler and dog are both staying out of mischief. It's an exhausting, 24/7 job! In any case, there will not be another canine in the Smith house for many, many years. Well, not one that stays, anyway.

I don't miss the constant surveillance that Baker required, but I do miss the happy furry greetings.

So, we have decided to get a pet that doesn't need as much work - a cat. Independent, quiet (relatively), small, able to go extended periods without needing to be let out of the house. Yes, I think a cat will fit our lifestyle much better.

Tails of a Hectic Life

2011-01-22T15:35:00.000-05:00

Baker is settling in well. Long gone is the lazy dog we brought home. I guess he was just depressed. He's certainly full of energy and mischief now! Overall he is a very good dog.

But here's the thing.

I like dogs.

I always had a dog (or two....and cats....and birds....and hamsters...and fish...and all manner of other small furry creatures....and some more feathery creatures....although some we ate....but I digress...) growing up.

But.

There's always a but.

I'm not sure I like having one in my house.

Like, FULL time.

Even one who looks at me like this.

He kinda looks like the good luck dragon!

And he really is a good dog.

I mean, sure, he does

...chew up toys...

...and leave (BIG) piles in the backyard...

...and always seems to be underfoot...

...and spreads doggy slobber and snot all over the house...

...and steals the girls' pillows...

...and blankets...

....but he's a dog so he's supposed to do that.

I don't mind it!

No, really!

I'm serious.

I expected it...

....put it on my "things to consider before getting a dog" list.

I'm a list person.

Although this was more of a mental list.

Anyway.

So Baker is basically a good dog.

He does have a few annoying habits that I'm really hoping will be corrected by a snipsnip next week, however.

Poor, poor Baker.

He's sitting on my feet as I type this.

But he's still a dog.

And dogs require time

attention

training

somebody home on a regular basis for potty breaks.

He is cute though, dontcha think?

And he and Libby are two peas in a pod.

Whatever that really means.

They torment each other all.day.long.

Well, when we are home anyway.

Bringing a dog home is alot like bringing home a new baby.

A very big baby.

With lots of hair.

Who chases the older siblings.

and knocks them down.

and chews up their stuff.

and steals their food.

and poops in the yard.

and

okay, maybe Baker isn't that much like a new baby.

heh

Anyway.

I don't want to send Baker back.

But

I'm not sure I want him in my house

Like, full time, either.

For the next 15 years.

Oi vey!

Oh, decisions

...Stay tuned...

Introducing....

2011-01-17T14:49:00.000-05:00

...the newest member of the family....

...the one...

...the only...

Baker!

Anna started asking for a puppy for Christmas. Of course, our response was, "Absolutely not!" But then Earl got bit by the puppy bug. And I said, "Absolutely not!" Fortunately, he agreed. So we started stalking Craigslist and looking at all the dogs coming and going. A trip through PetFinder revealed the Kentucky Lab Rescue. We filled out the application, were approved, and made the trek to Winchester where we met this handsome guy, amoung others. Baker impressed us with his great manners and labby good looks so we decided to take the plunge into dog ownership. Assuming his gas doesn't do us all in first, I hope it will be a pleasant experience. I think adding a dog to the family is a far scarier experience than adding another kid.

Anyway, Baker is a one year old fox red Dudley lab. He lacks pigment in his face so his nose and eye rims are reddish pink. It doesn't mean anything except he can't be shown (not an issue) and he may be prone to getting his nose sunburnt.

So far he's been a very good boy. No accidents, no jumping, no barking, very little chewing...hopefully it will continue!

Resolutions Revisited

2010-12-31T23:33:00.000-05:00

The neat thing about having a blog is that I can look back and see what I was thinking or going through at different times. With the end of 2010 in sight I have been contemplating our changes and thinking about what I will resolve to do differently in 2011.

Last Year's Resolutions.....

to exercise. I'm making it a goal to spend some quality time with the elliptical at least three times a week. I'm really lucky to have a great best friend to be my accountability partner in this. (Oh, hey Courtney? I don't owe you a dollar tomorrow!)

Well, this started out promising.....until I pulled a muscle in my back shoveling snow, leaving me unable to even move without searing pain. Exercise?! Are you kidding me? Walking was enough of a challenge! (And oh, the irony! Because right at this moment I am in back pain. Not to the incapacitating extent of last year, but I have that definite twinge that threatens complete mutiny if I move the wrong way.)

to keep my house clean(er). I do not like to clean, but I love a clean house. What a conundrum! With some well placed additions that brought new life into our living room this weekend, I'm inspired to keep our house looking showroom-perfect......okay, okay....probably not realistic. I'm just hoping to keep the toys from overtaking everything.

This one has been kicking my butt all year. I'm trying, I'm really trying. The problem is the other three people who share my space have not made this resolution. And also, have you ever realized that you clean and clean and clean and the house looks sparkling and wonderful......and then by the end of the day it looks like a tornado (ahem, LIBBY!) has gone through the house. Frustration, I tell you!

to choose my food, and my family's food more wisely. Last year I waged a war on high fructose corn syrup and trans fat. With the help of Whole Foods, I was able to substitute many of Anna's favorite, sugar-laden foods with healthy(ier) alternatives. Best find? Late July's double chocolate cookies. Sooooooo good!

Yeah, so, I failed at this. While meeting the following goal, I had to let some things go. Unfortunately, nutrition has been one of them. Full time work, two kids, a husband, a house to tend, and graduate classes....take out and freezer meals have been a mainstay, I'm sad to say.

pursue further education. I've put off getting my Master's for the past decade. To wait longer will only mean I'll be dealing with more kids, more responsibilities, less time and money, etc. So I'm looking into graduate program possibilities. Nothing definite yet. ;-)

I am currently enrolled in Eastern Kentucky University in their graduate program. I'm not altogether sure when I'll graduate...after this past semester I'm only going to take one class at a time. My sanity will be intact to thank me later.

make a concerted effort to pay off debt. We are blessed to so far not be drowning in debt, but with the purchase of a new vehicle (that is, at this moment, in the shop getting put back together from my catastrophe last month...) we are now back in car payment territory. Our visit outside lasted only a few short months, but the grass really was greener. I doubt we'll be able to pay it all off in one year, but hopefully no more than two. Remind me of this when I start dreaming of blue skies and tropical, sandy beaches come June.

Ha hahahahaha, HAHAHAhahaha.....oh, excuse me. Wow. Had I only known when I wrote this last year. Within a few weeks we had signed a contract to have a house built and put our on the market. Then in July we discovered that our car was, in fact, totaled. So now we have not one, but TWO car payments, as well as school loans, a bigger mortgage.....yeah, the list can go on and on here. And forget June, I'm already dreaming of blue skies and sandy beaches....or at the very least, one week with no Kentucky and no small Smithlets in sight.

So there ya go, folks. 2010 didn't go quite the way I had anticipated, but I suppose nothing ever does, and we have felt truly blessed all year long. I have a mindful of ideas and wishes and dreams ready to put into place for 2011. Really, I want more time to focus on my kids. It's just simply hard to find the time to do everything I want to do and to do it well. As the pastor of my church said, it's "hurryitis". I need to hurry through everything, because that's the only way I can cope. Of course, that leads to me doing nothing well, feeling awful about it, and being stressed. All.the.time.

But 2011 is a fresh start! I will only be taking one class, so I'm praying for time to have more movie and game nights, more leisurely trips to the zoo, more bike rides on beautiful evenings, more silly dinnertime conversations, more snuggly bedtime stories with sweet, bath-scented children, more time to sip iced tea in my backyard and to visit with the neighbors, more time to enjoy a good book.

I am praying and hoping for simply more time to enjoy.

So if you come to my house the mail might be piled up on the counter. The floors may just have crumbs from breakfast. You might have to step around some toys in the living room. We may be eating our freezer ready meals on paper plates. And you may see a load of folded laundry on my couch. But hopefully there will not be two stressed out parents trying to hustle two cranky kids through the motions to toss them into bed each night just to get a breather before collapsing themselves only to repeat the same thing the next day.

Oh, and exercise. Yes. That has to be on the resolution list, right?

Happy New Year's, everyone!