A Hunting We Will Go!!

Well, I never thought I'd see this day! Cleo FINALLY convinced me to go hunting with him. I guess what finally pushed me over the edge was the fact that it's right in our backyard and I'm not stuck in the wilderness for hours without a bathroom! Cleo told me before he left for work yesterday morning that we would go when he got home from work last night, so to be prepared. Well in preparation for the big hunt, I didn't put on any lotion, body spray, hair spray, etc. so that the deer wouldn't pick up my scent (whatever!) but I did draw the line with the deodorant. I mean come on, if I use it the deer can smell it, if I don't use it they'll smell b.o. so you tell me what's worse?? I put on my cute camo pants (thanks Sara) and was ready to go at 5:00. I was a little disturbed that I didn't have a long sleeve shirt that matched my pants (I'll work on that) but it was still warm enough for short sleeves. So we headed down the trail behind the house to where Cleo and Jarod have a deer blind set up.

Cleo was leading the way. Doesn't he look good in camo????

This is just a look at the woods we had to walk thru. It's sooo thick down there and really kinda creepy---I was just thankful it was still daylight and I could see what I was walking thru.

This is the deer blind--I think it's so cute and would make a fun kids tent!! but I guess that's not what it's intended for. I am holding the crossbow, but there is ABSOLUTELY no way I could've pulled the trigger if a deer had come into the clearing. Maybe someday Cleo will convince me to do that, but until I can actually eat the dang deer meat and get "Bambi" out of my head that will never happen.

It looks like I'm really aiming for something, but it was just a great pose for a picture-HAHAHA.

I thought my camo pants blended in really well with the deer blind---now I just have to work on the shirt. I really have looked, but they just don't make cute hunting clothes for females. I know it shouldn't be about style, but a girls gotta look good, right???

You can't really tell, but this picture is of tracks. Cleo was trying to teach me how to track a deer and we came across these--they were actually raccoon tracks. We did stumble onto some deer poop and Cleo picked it up (GROSS!) and squeezed it to see if it was fresh. I was so grossed out and started to gag and then of course he was telling me that I needed to be quiet or I'd scare the deer off. Well, anyhow I didn't get a picture of him actually doing that, but you get the picture, right?

We had a really fun evening and I can't actually believe I went down in those woods with him. After seeing that snake earlier this summer, I swore I wouldn't go back down there, but I always feel safe with Cleo and I know that he'd never lead me directly into danger. We didn't see a thing but at least now I can say I've been hunting. I don't know if I'll ever go with him to the place where he has his treestand set up because it's over by where he works and not close to a bathroom, but stranger things have happened so stay tuned.

This Just Stinks!!!!!!!!

Okay, so this is seriously such a funny story that I really felt I should share with y'all. So Cleo went hunting last weekend (opening weekend) and apparently he got into a bunch of chiggers. For those of you who have never had them, they're miserable to say the least. Anyhow, he probably has at least 100-150 bites all over his body. The only body part that seems to have been spared is his face. He was itching so bad that he had scabs and even bruises because he rubbed so hard. We read on the internet about them and it said that the more you itch, the worse they get because apparently they burrow in further or something like that and the poison gets in deeper. He had been using calamine lotion (left over from my poison ivy/oak episode!) but was still itching desperately. He was at work the other day and was talking to a lady who has lived here all her life and she told him about this lotion called SARNA, said it was the best thing ever for chiggers, poison oak, etc. and to go get some at the drugstore. So he stops at the drugstore on his way home from work--plops down $12 and buys the lotion. He's so excited to get home and shower and put this on thinking "this is gonna make me feel so much better". Well he got home, showered and had me come into the bathroom to get the lotion to all the spots he couldn't see or reach. Well, let me just tell you that as soon as I squirted the lotion onto my hands, I about gagged. It is loaded with campho and menthol and smells so antiseptic. You know, the smell that you always thought was bad perfume on the little old ladies, well it's not--I'm quite sure it's this lotion!! Apparently it's supposed to be really good for dry skin as well and that's probably why this lady knew so much about it. We were laughing so hard when I was rubbing it on him and I was calling him Ethel because now he smelled just like a little old lady. Well, the next morning I had to strip the bed and wash everything because I just couldn't get rid of the smell. I then took Febreze and sprayed everything that I couldn't throw in the washer. Our bedroom seriously smelled like an old folks home. But the funniest part of it all is that it didn't even work as good as the calamine lotion, so not only did he waste $12, but we both had to endure that horrible smell all night long.

Redneck Is as Redneck Does...

Okay, so I was kinda "bribed" into doing this blog entry---you know who you are, HAHA :) Anyhow, here's a little background info. Last weekend I was on the phone to Sara and I told her how her Dad had set up a table in the backyard, put his crossbow on it and was sighting it in. As I was telling her this story and I was spying on him from the side of the house (with the camera) we were laughing so hard I thought I would wet myself. We both just thought it was too funny how "redneck" he has become and it was just one of those "you had to be there" moments. Anyhow, as I watched him shoot his crossbow, I thought to myself that it kinda looked like fun and so the next day I decided to ask him to teach me how to shoot it. The thing was seriously heavy and kinda hard to steady as you are standing, but after some practice shots I decided to stand, see if I could steady it and take aim. To my surprise (and Cleos' I'm sure!) I hit the target!! It was such a rush and I did it again and again. Each time, I hit the target even if not always in the center and I could see that Cleo was kinda proud that his wife was actually shooting a crossbow. I don't foresee myself ever actually hunting or killing any living thing but it was sure a lot of fun. Cleo was sighting in the crossbow at 10, 20 and 30 yards in the backyard.

Cleo has given my the nickname of "Annie Oakley"

This was my first shot!!!!!!!!!!! Pretty impressive, huh??

Cleo also taught me, a couple weeks ago, to shoot a gun. It was only a pellet gun but after I got the hang of holding the pistol and steadying it, I was able to hit that target as well. Guns have always been one of my 2 biggest fears and as I said in one of my previous blogs, I want to tackle those fears. Now, if any of you have any ideas on how to conquer the fear of snakes, please pass that info along to me.

So this is how the "Georgia Rednecks" kill time on the weekends. It may not be a glamorous life, but it's our life and we sure have a lot of fun living it!!! And to answer your question Sara, Dads' next journey won't be sheep hearding, but he has mentioned a couple goats!!!!!

You Might be a Redneck if.....

You might be a redneck if you wear suspenders instead of a belt to hold up your trousers!!! Don't you just love the look on him?

We took this Labor Day literally and "labored" in the yard once again. Cleo and I went to LaGrange on Friday afternoon and picked up a chipper. He got busy that evening and started to chip up some of the trees he had cut down earlier this summer. I did help a little by dragging some of the limbs closer to the chipper for him. On Saturday, I "labored" thru the heat and went to an arts/crafts festival with a friend of mine while Cleo stayed home and finished the chipping. I thought it was a completely fair trade, especially when he told me that he had found another copperhead snake (could've been the same one from the "painting" incident) at the bottom of one of the wood piles along with a box turtle. The turtle took off for the woods as soon as he was uncovered, but the snake just kinda sat there, so needless to say, he was beheaded and put thru the chipper---I know, gross, huh? I was really glad I missed that whole thing. On Sunday morning, we started spreading the wood chips around the shed area. We finished it up this morning and it really looks pretty good. It's fun to see a project from start to finish.

This is the wood pile where the turltle and snake were found!!

This was my contribution to the project.

We went over to some friends house yesterday afternoon/evening for a bbq. They just moved here from south Florida (Cleo used to work with him at Kiewit). They have a pool in their backyard, but we just watched the kids swim. Their were 2 other couples there as well so we had lots of conversation and PLENTY of food as well. I really feel like I've done nothing but eat all summer! We are just going to spend the rest of today relaxing and then it's back to work for Cleo tomorrow after he was off most of last week due to the rains from Tropical Storm Fay. It rained for almost 6 days straight and they had 6 inches of rain on his job, so there really wasn't anything his crews could do. I hope each of you had a wonderful Labor Day weekend.

Update on Cleo

Today we saw the nephrologist for Cleos' follow up appt. Everything went pretty well, with no real surprises. His GFR is now at 24 (up from 20!) so that has actually improved ever so slightly but he is still in stage 4 of kidney disease. Once that GFR drops to 15 he will be in full blown kidney failure so basically we need to try to preserve the remaining function for as long as possible and the only way we can do that now is with the proper diet. We are scheduled to see a nutritionist on Sept. 19 so they can help us with all those issues. He has already cut out salt and we're working on the protein (mostly red meat). That's really hard for a boy from Idaho who loves his meat and potatoes, but we'll get there!! Dr. Khan will be filling out the paperwork to get us in with the transplant team in Atlanta but she said that can take up to 2 months. At that appt. it will basically be 2 full days of testing and then he will be put on the "inactive" transplant list. He will not go on the "active" transplant list until his GFR is around 18 and that is when they will start doing the testing for any potential living donors. They will only test one donor at a time and at this time we're unsure who they decide to test first. It is a very lengthy process and quite expensive so that is why only 1 at a time. Since he could potentially not need a kidney for 6-12 months or even longer, it would be premature to test someone now and then have something change with their health and then find out they couldn't donate and have to start the process over with another donor. We will also be seeing someone with the dialysis team soon so they can go over the 2 different types of dialysis with us so when that time comes, we can make an informed decision of which would be better suited for Cleos' lifestyle. There's a good chance that when his GFR reaches 18 and we start the donor testing process that one will be found quickly and he will never actually reach 15 and need the dialysis, but rather get the transplant right away.

We continue to be very positive and are feeling totally comfortable with the dr. he's seeing. She is a "straight shooter" and tells it like it is without coming off as uncaring or rude. Her bedside manner is great and she has not once made us feel like we are taking up her precious time. Her staff seem to be very nice and helpful and the office doesn't feel depressing when you walk in which is something I'm very grateful for. Right now, I think the family seems to be more frustrated and feeling helpless than Cleo and I feel. Our kids are wonderful and just want their Dad to be healthy again, but he'll get there and he's still feeling really good right now so that' s just one more thing to be grateful for.

We are very thankful for all our family and friends and so appreciate all your prayers, calls and emails these past couple of weeks. We both feel the power of prayer works miracles and we hope that you will all continue to do that on Cleos' behalf. We sure do love each and every one of you and we will continue to keep you updated as things progress.

Family Time

It's Thursday morning and I just dropped Grandpa and Grandma Cheney at the Atlanta airport. We had a good time with everyone and was really glad they were able to come out and see our new home and also to see that Cleo is doing fine and feeling good. Tom and Cindy left on Monday morning and we were sad to see them go, but had fun with them. We went to Calloway Gardens on Saturday and spent the day there and in Pine Mountain just walking around and browsing the antique shops, eating lunch at a cute little restaurant and then had a "BIG" ice cream before heading home. Jarod and Lindsey came out on Sunday afternoon and Jarod cooked his famous ribs for us. It was a pretty laid back afternoon and the food was, of course, yummy! On Monday, Tom and Cindy had to head back to Houston and Cleo had to work so I took Grandpa and Grandma out to see his job and then we did a little shopping. When we got home, Grandma was trying to help by getting some things out of the trunk of the car while I got the mail and Grandpa was getting things out of the car. Anyhow, she backed up and tripped on the small incline in the garage. I could see her falling---the mail flew from my hands---but by the time I could run up the driveway it was all over with and she had fallen on the concrete. She twisted her knee, landing on her "bum" and hurting her right wrist. She "toughed" it out that night and the next day, but by Wednesday she was hurting pretty good so while Cleo and his Dad were off to see Jarods' job I took Grandma to the urgent care. To our surprise, they wouldn't accept Medicare so we had to go to the emergency room. Two hours later and many xrays later, they put a soft/semi hard splint on her wrist and said they couldn't tell because of the swelling if there was a break or not. She is to follow up with an orthopedic dr in 5-7 days and have it re-xrayed after the swelling goes down. Nice way to end their trip, huh???

Calloway Gardens

The Gang at Calloway Gardens

What's wrong with this picture? Leave it to Tommy to find the easy way around...

Sunday afternoon in the backyard

We couldn't get all 8 of us in the picture at once, so had to do 2 takes. Tom and Cindy agreed to be the official photographers and give up their spots one at a time

The big cast.

I sure appreciate all you did for us while you were here Grandpa. He was so gracious and hung my windchimes for me on the back patio, cut a few weeds in the woods for Cleo and hung a picture for me in the breakfast room. He's pretty handy and I could put him to work...which is why I'm sure he was glad to leave!!!! Cleo and I are both glad you were all able to come spend a little time with us. We love you all and hope you get home safely. It's now time to "get back to normal" and quit eating so much. Why is it that when we're with family all we do is eat??? I'm off to Florida next week for my dr. appt and to spend a few days with my friend Tammy. Before you know it, summer will be over so we will take full advantage of what's left of it. Hope all is good with the rest of ya.....

What a Wonderful World...

And I think to myself, What a Wonderful World. This is a line from my favorite song of all time by Louis Armstrong. As I awoke this morning these words came to me and I was reminded that indeed we do live in a wonderful world---surrounded by a very loving and supportive family and network of friends. We are blessed in ways too many to mention.

This week has been challenging, to say the least. On Tuesday Cleo and I went to a nephrologist (kidney specialist) to establish her as Cleos' physician in the event something ever came up with his kidneys. We were shocked (to say the least) to find out that he already required her attention. Bloodwork that was drawn in early June for another medical problem indicated that Cleo is in stage 4 of kindey disease. He is not very far from stage 5 with that being kidney failure!! In the next several weeks, he will be undergoing a battery of tests to determine what the next step will be but the dr. has prepared us for the very real possibility that when we go back on Aug. 25th to get the results of these tests that she will be putting him on a transplant list. Once he reaches kidney failure, he will be put on dialysis until a transplant can be done. The overwhelming support we've already had from family and friends leads us to the conclusion that a suitable kidney will be found in no time and his life will go on as planned.

We both have a "calm" about us and know in our hearts that everything will be fine. He is feeling great and has no symptoms at this time. He refuses to feel sorry for himself and would not want any of you to either. We will continue to live our lives normal and plan to do all the things we've always wanted and in our way. We love each of you and are so grateful for your presence in our lives. As the weeks and months go on, I will post updates. We won't be having any "pity parties" so don't look for any of that!!!

The Patio Pour

Right on schedule yesterday, we poured our patio extension. They kept calling for rain in the late afternoon, so they scheduled the concrete for 7:00 am!!! Now that's pretty early for a Saturday morning, but I did get out of bed and put the coffee on and had cinnamon rolls and milk ready for the guys who showed up. Jarod and 4 other guys that work for Massana (company Cleo and Jarod work for) showed up--as promised, on time--and the fun began. I was so nervous when I saw that big concrete truck pull up in front of the house. It was much easier to have him back into the side yard and around to the back patio. I was REALLY nervous because we'd had a heavy rain Friday late afternoon and the ground was super wet--all I could see was that big truck making huge ruts in the yard and then getting stuck, but all went well. You can hardly tell today that he was even back there. Jarod was the "navigator" and kept the truck driver in line.

Looks like Cleo is a little too relaxed "watching" the pour!!!

Like I said, Cleo looks a little too relaxed....

I guess he felt he needed to get his feet dirty to prove he really did get in and help.

Job well done boys..........CHEERS!!!

Putting the finishing touches on the patio.

And, last but certainly not least, this was by far my biggest contribution to the whole project. I guess they will look good for a while and then next year when we do pavers or decorative concrete over the top it will just be a distant memory.

The project went really smoothly and we never did get that rain they had predicted so the concrete has really cured nicely. Today we mowed the yard, trimmed and edged and then power washed the driveway and patio. We will wait until next weekend to drain the hottub and move it to the corner of the patio. We don't want to put too much weight on the new concrete just yet. We are very happy with the way it turned out and even happier to have more room out there. Guess we're ready for our next round of visitors to have a big BBQ. See you in 2 weeks Pat and Cleo and Tommy and Cindy.....

Goodbye Camille...

My niece Camille left today after spending 2 weeks with Cleo and I. We really enjoyed having her here, but have to admit that a good deal of the time, we didn't really know she was here. I have never seen one person who could sleep so much and I must admit that I am a bit jealous. I have the worst sleeping habits EVER and am always amazed by people who actually get more than 3-4 hours of uninterrupted sleep at a time.

We enjoyed her last weekend here by going to Rib Fest '08 up at Jarod and Lindseys house on Saturday afternoon. Jarod thinks he cooks the best ribs ever and so does his friend Aaron, so they decided to have a cook off to see who did the best. I will admit they were both good, but Jarods were much better! He cooks baby back ribs, which to me are the best and his friend cooks country style and they just have too much fat on them for my liking. There was sooo much food...ribs, beans, homemade baked macaroni and cheese, salad, chips, dip, munchies, homemade cupcakes, cookies, and homemade banana pudding. I guess you could say it's just a typical southern menu!! Camille stayed the night at Jarods and Cleo and I left before the cornhole tournament got under way. Jarod and Camille were partners and apparently got their butts kicked, but I think they all had a good time.

We met up with them on Sunday for the Braves game. Lets just say the Braves weren't in their best form and pretty much looked like the Bad News Bears so we didn't stay for the entire game. I think the final score was 15-6!!! We did, however, get stay long enough to see Bobby Cox have a "discussion" with the umpire and of course he was "asked" to leave which always makes for good entertainment. GO BRAVES............

Our house will be quiet now for about 2 1/2 weeks and then we will have Grandma and Grandpa Cheney and Tommy and Cindy here. We just love having company and are hoping to get our patio extension poured this weekend so we can have lots of room when they're here.

Hope you had fun with us Camille and you're welcome back any time. We love you....

Stone Mountain Park

This is the skyline of Atlanta from the top of Stone Mountain. It was kinda hazy on Saturday when we were up there, but it was still an amazing view. Cleo and I took my niece Camille on Saturday and had a great day. It was really hot but a good time nonetheless. We really wanted to go on the newly opened SkyWalk, but the wait was 120 minutes (for those of you who don't do math, that's 2 hours!) and with temps reaching almost 100, it was just too dang hot to stand in the sun to wait our turn. We did ride the tram to the top and hung out up there where temps were about 10 degrees cooler. It's always so much fun to do different things, and one of these days I'd like to hike up to the top instead of riding the tram, but until I'm in shape I don't really feel the need to punish my body like that!

Camille and I in front of the "face" of Stone Mountain.

While taking pics of Camille and I, these 2 "older" ladies came up to Cleo and asked if he'd like for them to take a picture of all 3 of us. He said, "That would be nice, I'm just her (marcy) pack mule and do what I'm told and then once in awhile she feeds me a little grain and pats me on the butt". I thought they would die laughing and they just couldn't quit smiling--I think he made their day and after that he, of course, had to flirt just a little. Is that in the genes of all the Cheney men??

Cleo and Camille hamming it up for the camera!

It was a great day and after leaving there, we went to eat at a new Mexican restaurant here in Newnan. The food was great and the atmosphere was fun--they had a "one man band" in the bar area and you could pretty much hear him from wherever you were sitting. He wasn't bad at all and we'll definately go back again.

Happy 20th Anniversary Baby!!!

I just wanted to wish my husband a happy 20th anniversary! I know a lot of people wouldn't have given us much of a chance, but thru thick and thin, bad and good, sickness and health we've made it for 20 years today!!! Cleo--you are the love of my life and my best friend. I consider myself the luckiest person alive to be married to you and having the time of my life. You always make me smile and laugh and I ALWAYS feel like the most special person on the planet when I'm around you. You have a quiet sensitivity about you that a lot of people don't see and I swear your heart is made of pure gold. I look forward to spending many, many more years on this earth with you by my side and then eternity with you. I love you baby....

Little Angels...

Just wanted to show off a few pictures of our darling little granddaughters. They are growing so fast and we had such a good time with them this past weekend. They has us all laughing and were just so sweet and loved everyone. It's like they've never met a stranger--which of course scares the bajezus out of Cori and Brandon!!! Anyhow, just wanted to post a few quick pictures of them.

Happy 50th Anniversary Mom and Dad!!!!!

This past week we spent in Wyoming helping my parents to celebrate their 50th anniversary. They are simply the most wonderful people on the face of the earth and what a testimony of their love. We had the best time ever and only hope they will be around for many, many more anniversaries!! At the last minute, Kyle wasn't able to come but our other 3 kids and their spouses were there. We really enjoyed our time with everyone and especially our 2 adorable little granddaughters. Cori and Brandon let them stay with us at my parents house while they stayed at the hotel with everyone else. It allowed us some quality time with them and they are just the cutest most well behaved kids ever. Kudos to you..Cori and Brandon for doing such an amazing job parenting them. Unfortunately, my camera was really acting up and I didn't get hardly any family pics to post. My niece was the official photographer and will be making cd's for us all, so I hope she got some good ones for us all. My 16 year old niece, Camille, came home with Cleo and I and will be staying for 2 weeks. I hope she doesn't get too bored being out in the country, but she says she just wanted to get away from Douglas for a little while and "chill". We hope to take her to Stone Mt. Park and maybe a Braves game while she's here. We did go shopping yesterday and she got some school clothes---she was excited to get clothes that no one else will have so that was pretty neat. It's raining today--started just after I got the lawn mowed so at least now I don't have to water tonight---YAH!! so I guess we will just hang out here at the house for the rest of the day.

It sounds like everyone had a wonderful 4th of July. Isn't America great?!?!?

Chainsaw Massacre...

So When Cleo read my last blog entry, he was upset that I didn't post pictures of his chainsaw "owie". Apparently he's not as vain as I am and clearly wants all the sympathy he can get so in order to keep peace in our home, I am posting his pictures. All he has to show for it today is a small scab on his left knee and he wasn't even sore from the wound so don't cry for him too much :)

Random Acts of Stupidity!!

In my constant quest to find interesting things to blog about, well should I just say that this week I lack in that category! All I can say is that this past week has been full of "random acts of stupidness (is that even a word?). It started with a little accident when I was headed to my friends pool. I guess I wasn't paying a lot of attention and I rear-ended a lady at a stop light. I really just "bumped" her, but she insisted on calling the police and wouldn't even move her car off to the side of the road to await their arrival. Well, it was noon on the busiest road in Newnan and I immediately grabbed my cell phone to call Cleo and ask how to turn on the emergency flashers so that people would stop beeping their horns at me for not moving. You see, I've never had to use the flashers and I seriously didn't know how to turn them on. Well, the police showed up 20 minutes later, immediately asked us to pull off the road so traffic could resume and she wrote it all up. I was relieved when I wasn't given a ticket and there was no damage to either car. The funniest part was that I was in a bikini with just a tank top over it and the lady I hit really didn't see the humor in that!!!

The next act of stupidity was over the weekend when I was "helping" Cleo to remove the trees and bushes he had cleared in the woods. I thought I was being very helpful, but I guess I should've paid more attention to what I was grabbing because obviously I got into some poison oak or ivy and of course I started to "scratch" my face and neck and by the time I realized what it was, I had it all over! Of course I'm too vain to take a picture and post it, but trust me, it isn't a pretty sight. I got hydracortisone cream and calamine lotion the next day and it's a struggle to remember to wash the calamine off my face before going out in public. I am just praying it will clear up before heading to Wyoming this week. That same day, Cleo had a little incident with the chain saw...and was grabbing a tree to drag without putting down the chainsaw and he "cut" his knee. Thank goodness it wasn't very deep and we didn't have to make a quick trip to the ER and he is fine now. I'm just thankful that the "stupidness" wasn't reserved just for me!!

The last thing that I will bore you with is this...I was getting dressed yesterday and had put on a pair of jean shorts. They are from last year and are a bit big so I don't have to unbutton or unzip them to get them on and usually just pull them on. Well, I did this and thought they felt different so I looked in the mirror to figure out what was different and discovered that I had them on backwards...YUP backwards! I always wondered what the back of the shorts look like when you wear them???

I guess we don't lead a very exciting life if this is all I have to blog about but at least we get a lot of laughs at our house. Maybe this will make you laugh as well....

Adventures in Dog Sitting...

While Cleo and I long for the days when our grandkids can come for a weekend or a couple weeks in the summer, for now we will settle for the occasional weekend of dog sitting. Jarod and Lindsey went out of town this weekend for a wedding so we've had their Golden Retriever --Georgia for the weekend. She really is a sweet dog with the cutest personality. Yesterday morning, she discovered a turtle in the driveway and of course wanted to "play" with it. As soon as she got close to it, the turtle retreated into its shell. Georgia picked it up and took it into the yard to play with it. We then had to have the talk about how to play nice with the other kids in the neighborhood! After about 10 minutes, Cleo decided it was time to let the turtle loose into the woods. It's just another day in the country here and thought that would make a cute blog story.

Marcys' Creek

This is a look at my latest "yard project". I got tired of the rainwater washing away the mulch in the flower bed, so I decided to build a little trench and line it with river rock to drain the water into the yard. Although it might not look like much, it took me a good hour and a half to dig the trench, smooth it out and lay the rock down. It was nice and shady in that area while I was doing the project, but I was still sweating like a pig. More than likely it was from the manual labor and not the heat!! I think I need a little more rock to put in it, but was pretty proud how it turned out. I just can't tell you how much fun it is to work in this yard. It is so nice knowing this is our home and we aren't doing all this work for the next owners or worse, the landlords! We still have lots we want to do with the yard, but we have all the time in the world now and that's half the fun --anticipating the next project.

Happy Fathers Day!

Happy Fathers' Day to the greatest Dad on earth!!! You are so special to me and I just want to tell you thank you for all you've ever done for me. You have taught me so much about life and how to work hard and appreciate the little things along the way. You have always been there for me--thru good times and bad without judgement--and showed me how to turn a negative into a positive situation. You are also a wonderful Grandpa and I know that your grandkids love you very much. I also want to wish my father in law-Cleo-a happy Fathers Day. You are a great person who taught your boys how to be wonderful fathers and for that I'm so thankful. Your sons continue to look up to and strive to be like you and there is no better compliment. To my husband---YOU are the BEST husband and father to 4 beautiful kids. You have taught us all so much about life and how to live each day to the fullest and enjoy the ride. I constantly give thanks for finding you and love you with all my heart and soul. Your kids have grown into amazing adults, each with their own strenghts and I know how much they each mean to you. They are lucky to have a Dad like you. To all the other Dads' in my life, I hope that you will each enjoy this Fathers' Day weekend. It is truly an honor to parent a child and help shape their lives and watch them spread their wings and fly....

Lazy Days of Summer

This has been a great week. I had quite a few things going on earlier in the week, but by Friday when my friend Heidi called me to go lay out at the pool in their community, I was more than ready for a break from the heat. It has been in the mid to high 90's this week and there's just nothing better than a dip in the pool to cool you off. I do miss having a pool close by, but unless we have one put in the backyard (a girl can dream, can't she?) I will just have to take advantage of friends with pools. I enjoyed the day with her and her two kids and had fun laying out and doing a little girl talking with the other ladies at the pool.

Today, Cleo and I got up early and went to downtown Newnan to Market Days. It's the first Saturday of the month from spring to sometime in the fall and people just set up booths to sell homemade goodies, crafts, jewelry, pottery, etc. It was really fun (even in the heat) and it's nice to get out and meet the locals. After that, we ran some errands then went to have lunch at Taco Mac where they have great wings and chips w/queso. We then went to Home Depot where we had to buy a chainsaw for Cleo. I swear, we can't get near Home Depot or Lowes anymore without dropping at least $200!! After resting a bit when we got home, Cleo then went into the woods to do some more clearing with the new chainsaw. Our yard is really starting to take shape and hopefully by the end of summer it will look like we want it to. Our goal is to put in a sprinkler system next summer, but for now we are doing the watering the old fashioned way and dragging the hoses around. Cleo did buy (another Home Depot weekend ago) a little lawn tractor that you hook to the hose and it follows the path of the hose. I guess they've been around for years because he said he remembers when his Dad or Grandpa used to have one. It is pretty cool and at least you don't have to move the sprinkler constantly---but for $70, it should turn itself on and off at least!!! We do have a couple small sprinklers to get the spots where the little tractor can't reach. It's been a great weekend and we just love our lives out here in the country.

No More Painting for me...EVER!

Okay, so it's official---I will not be finishing the painting of the shed. After going into the woods behind the shed with Cleo yesterday to lay out corn for the deer...we stumbled onto a snake!!! I'm pretty sure if my bladder hadn't been empty already, it would've for sure after that. Cleo tried to shrug it off and had hoped I wouldn't see it but it was too late. After we got back into the yard he told me he was pretty sure it was a copperhead. I told him that I wouldn't be going back into the woods with sandals on ever and I was for sure not going to sit on the side of the shed that faces the woods and finish painting. Now, I don't consider myself to be a wuss at all, but there are just some things (snakes and mice) that really creep me out. Anyhow, that's my story and I'm stickin' to it...