Joyous July

July was a busy but relaxing month. Shortly after taking Madison to GSP, McKenzie, McKayla and I visited the Yates' in Alabama. We all had a great time doing lots of nothing...just swimming, floating, laughing, reading and making memories. I tried to preserve some for us with a short photo session which included this photo...I really like it. And, if you go back through my old blog posts you will notice how much everyone has grown up. Speaking of photos....I am also still working on my photography hobby. Recently I took some staged photos of a bride and some senior portraits. I really love it and I am so very excited and flattered that my sister has asked me to photograph her family this fall!!! (in Boston...even more exciting!) We took some time to stop and taste the ripe raspberries on the farm. It was a great time spent with Nana and Papa doing something I remember doing as a child. For more photos of this you can check out facebook(because the upload is a lot faster there)...the whole berry picking outing was great fun until me and my trusty camera were staring right into the eyes of a black snake warming in the sun! Our niece, Tori, and husband, Shane, were blessed to deliver Taelor Shealynn. She's a beautiful baby...as you can see. Congratulations to Tori and to all of us too! While it was fun to visit and hold baby Taelor, it was just as much fun to observe 1st time grandmother--Vicki! I wouldn't doubt she hasn't photographed every minute and I am sure she knows the way to Cookeville blindfolded!! Madison graduated from the Governor's Scholar Program on July 25. Since we had to travel to Louisville to bring her home, Randy and I went up a few days early to hang out and do some things the girls are never excited to do. Below, we visited Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby Museum....very impressive. We also went to a Louisville Bats game, went to the Falls of the Ohio State Park, saw a movie, ate well and did lots of sightseeing before attending Madison's GSP closing ceremony, packing her up and coming home. The welcome home crew. And then....on July 29, 2009 McKenzie and McKayla turned 11. They got cell phones which they think they needed, I don't.We celebrated with one big cake...two different icings and different colors. That's what you get when you have a twin sister and a former babysitter who bakes wonderful cakes, understands your differences even as twins and caters to your wims. Thank you, Mrs. Pat..it was perfect!! After a sleepover--still trying to figure that word out since no-one sleeps at these events--we all went skating and laser-tagging for the day. Now, we are just two days away from the beginning of school and McKenzie and McKayla are both sick. Hopefully the antibiotic prescribed today will clear things up quickly. Madison continues to spread her wings as she drove herself to Richmond today (interstate driving) and made it fine although I worried. Just pray for our healing, our safety and our sanity! We are truly blessed and one of our best blessings are the dear people that read this post....true friends and family! We love you. Kim

Life...Edited

I seem to sit down to do a blog update when it's raining outside or I am feeling emotional...both of which apply today. If I were to write everything I could say, we'd all be here way too long so I will opt for the edited version...

• Yesterday (Fathers Day), we delivered Madison to Bellarmine University in Louisville for the prestigious five-week Governor's Scholars program. We are very proud of her and are honored that she has such a privilege but as I sat through the opening ceremony I kept wishing life had a pause button. I know Madison is ready, but I am not sure her parents are quite as anxious for her to actually leave...although we want only what is best for her and we know that will not allow her to stay here or with us forever....thus a pause button would be nice at times. The other emotional issue related to this is that my sister, Misty, was a Governor's Scholar back in the 90's. I remember visiting her at Centre College and I remember how much she began to grow up after GSP. I think about how much both our lives have changed since that time and it's just a little sentimental.

• Here are some scenes from the move in....

• Maddie & her roommate Teal

• Last weekend, June 12-14, was the Miss Kentucky Outstanding Teen pageant where Madison placed in the top ten semi-finalists out of a pool of 23 contestants...most of whom had done this pageant and many others prior. We were exceptionally proud of her.

• Instead of vacation this year (since our schedule doesn't allow our family to be together long enough without some event) we've opted for a staycation...stay at home or on the lake. To make that a little more fun, we bought a waverunner. Here are some scenes from the girls first rides.

• Randy was off all last week and we made use of the waverunner and pontoon a couple of days. We also took the girls to Kings Island. On Saturday, we went to the farm to cook dinner for the dads (Randy & Kay). McKayla made the best campfire potato dish and truffle cupcakes!!

• My sister, Misty and her family, Abe & Mira visited with us the first weekend in May. We enjoyed what little amount of time we got to spend together. We went out on the boat for a chilly Friday but enjoyed a beautiful evening as the sun made it's way out. Check out Misty's blog at www.westcoastojures.blogspot.com for better photos than I have.

• We've had a week of Bible School and Randy is playing on a church league softball team two nights a week. I taught a week at Health Rocks Day Camp and McKenzie and McKayla attended part of the week.

• Of course May brought the end of school where we watched our daughters receive honors for their hard work. All three were honor roll students for the entire year. Madison will be a senior next year and McKenzie and McKayla will be sixth graders.

• Memorial Day weekend was a blast as Dad celebrated his birthday with his annual bash. McKenzie and McKayla say he has the best birthday party in all the world. Of course they usually get to visit with cousins they seldom get to see...well visit might not be the best word choice...

May 9th, Madison competed in the Wayne Co./Monticello Junior Miss program where she was first runner up. She won preliminary awards in talent, interview, poise and fitness. We were very proud!! There are so many more happenings that I could include but the post is long enough for now. As everyone can see, God continues to bless this family in a beautiful yet undeserving way. May we show His glory through all we do.

Spring Break??? What Break?

Seriously....we are now meeting ourselves coming and going. Since mid-April, it seems we've had something every minute...so hold on for the ride and I'll try to give you a quick overview... Easter came. We participated in our church Easter Egg hunt and cantata. Also went to Nana and Papa's for lunch and another egg hunt. McKenzie and McKayla shopped and chose their own dresses. Madison, Randy and I had to wear black (yes...black) at the request of our choir director! (above....they borrowed Nana's shoes) Madison got her intermediate driver's license. She was selected as Governor's Scholar. She went on a trip with the band to Virginia Beach. She attended orientation for the Kentucky State Outstanding Teen Pageant and she is preparing to participate in the Junior Miss Program. Oh...and she went to prom last weekend. Now I know that only looks like three sentences but if you can only imagine how much preparation, time, energy, money and DRAMA went into ALL of these events.....well, I guess you all know since you all know Madison (and me...I admit it). (I think I am learning to use the new camera...a little better...) While Madison was gone to Virginia Beach, we let McKenzie and McKayla decide what they wanted to do. They chose to go to the farm, spend the night at the cabin, go fishing and then the next day go to the lake. What a pair of SMART girls! When we spent the night at the farm, Randy and I got up early and hid out in my dad's hunting blind where I got to take some photos of wild turkeys. In the thick of all this, we lost Benji. He was killed by a car last Saturday night. We've all cried until we can't anymore. We buried him in the back yard at 2:00 a.m. in the morning in the rain. We plan to plant a weeping willow tree beside him. McKayla made a sweet memorial for him with rocks, shells and twigs. Everyone misses him including Kiya, Lady Maye and Crystal. In closing, I hope all of you are doing well. With summer coming, I plan to see some of you soon and I can't wait. I wish we could all get together soon. The things I cherish most in life are memories of good times with my friends and family...and I thank all of you for those. I pray God gives us all time to love and forgive all we are capable of. Love, Kim

It's Finally SPRING in Kentucky!

Hip, Hip Hooray...for sunny days. Yes...it's a real toad! The redbuds and dogwoods are beginning to blossom. And Lady Maye has now moved to Conley Bottom with the Gooch family. She arrived last weekend and has settled in very nicely.

And now that we have a horse, a calf, a dog and a cat....there's lots of action to watch from the front porch. We've had our first lake trip and a Spring Break sleepover....

And I continue to practice with my new camera!

Love and blessings. May God send you just enough spring rain to make you appreciate the sunshine and reward you with a magnificent number of blossoms all around! Kim

February/March Update

As you can see from my background choice, I am soooooooo ready for Spring. Never have liked winter, suppose I never will.

Lots of happenings since my last post....

February 13, 2009

Randy & I celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary. I came home from work and dropping off kids to this....a candlelight dinner complete with tablesettings and wine beside the fireplace!!!

And just to tell you how well my hubby knows me, of course my first expression was, "Wow, how nice! Did you take a picture yet?" to which he replied, "No, where is the camera?" to which I replied, "It's in the office. I'll get it." And there, instead of my Kodak Easyshare was a Nikon D100 with a 2.8-300 mm lens!!!! BIG difference. He purchased the camera from a professional photographer friend of mine and scripted the perfect drama to give it to me!! How's that for knowing each other well after 21 years? And for a husband that pays attention to what his wife really loves.....so to all of you married less than 21 years...hang in there....there is hope!!!

Of course I had to take a photo of him with his much less exciting anniversary gift....a guitar amp...and I think I missed the amp completely but here he is playing the guitar plugged into it.

I am really excited to have the new camera but I admit I am very intimidated by it. I've forgotten lots of important photography lessons since college. Luckily, it has a point and shoot mode (auto) so I don't completely have to rely on my own abilities just yet. I am studying again to refresh my knowledge but the best thing is practice. I can't wait for Spring to come so I can get outside and photograph the new life....photographing nature, documenting travels/events and snapping my own family is my only real interest in photography.

Shortly after our anniversary, Randy got a new car, a Pontiac G-6. Madison is excited since it is the "coolest" car in the family. She likes to drive it too. She actually qualifies to get her license in April, but has decided to wait to get a car until December 2010 so that it will still feel new when she goes to college. She has always been this mature!!! Let's hope it continues!!!!

Our whole family along with my parents took a short trip to Nashville at the beginning of March to see my favorite group, Selah. I took my new camera along only to find out how much I didn't know about using it. I'm only posting one of the bad photos.

We enjoyed the concert, good food and a bit of shopping in the monsoon rain which turned to snow!!

Other interesting happenings have included the finishing of our barn and fence construction. Anyone with an interest in painting can come on over....there's hundreds of boards and posts to paint!!!

And a couple of Saturdays ago, dad called to say he had a resident for our new barn stall. Meet Kiya.

Kiya's mom died two days after giving birth to him. We found him in the saddest circumstance, lying curled up next to his expired mother, all alone in a great big world. At first he was a little frightened (confirmed by the amount of pee he soaked Randy in) but Randy carried him across the field and we transported him home without incident due to his weak condition. Mom and I spent a couple of hours locating milk replacer and by 5 p.m., we were feeding Kiya via a calf nursing bottle. It only took showing him one time. Every feeding since, we can't get the bottle in his mouth fast enough. He is doing great and is beginning to chew on the new blades of grass springing up as the weather warms.

The girls are busy. McKenzie and McKayla have been trying to decide which camp to attend this summer. McKayla has a "boyfriend" as of Valentine's day. He's a real romantic. He bought her a silk rose at the school dance which she has enclosed in a recycled acrylic case in her room. He calls her every night without fail. It is really sweet. She sits next to him at the lunch table most every day.

McKenzie has several admirers, but she really isn't interested in any of them. At least three boys continue to tell her friends they like her, but she doesn't really care. She says they are all weird...including McKayla's friend!! Needless to say, she reminds McKayla often.

Madison is extremely busy with school, music, pageants, and her social calendar. Of late, she and John Matt have "broken it off" yet they still plan to attend prom together and still talk/text too much on the cell phone. She has spent more time with several friends lately and I am happy that she has a good network of people to enjoy her (little) spare time with.

As I end tonight, I am thinking of many friends and family members and mentioning how thankful I am for all of you in my prayers.

Love and blessings to all,

Kim