Harriet's Reunion

Psalm 103:17

But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children

This is where it all began. Great Grandma Harriet, Aunt Merilee, and Grandma Glenda. Your Great Grandpa Woody helped too, but that's for another time. After Grandpa Gary's accident Great Grandma Harriet made a special request that we all do something together, as a family, during the coming summer. What a wonderful idea it was, and Uncle Buzz and Grandma Glenda jumped right to the task of planning a glorious family reunion in our Smokey Mountains. They found a great cabin in Maggie Valley to hold all 16 of us, and all we had to do was create the lasting memories. Boy did we!!

 This was our first day of hiking, we went up to an Elk preserve and walked along a beautiful stream. If you look at this picture you will see Uncle Buzz, Papa, Grandma, Uncle Casey, Cousin Boomer, you and Daddy, Cousin Zack, Mommy, Cousin Megan, Aunt Merilee, Cousin Lindsey and Aunt Kaitlyn. You started the hike asleep on daddy, and when you did "hike" you took a little tumble in your excitement. You are all boy! We did see one elk, and even spotted some gnats! Ha! It was the perfect way to all reconnect and catch up!

 Our little family of course had to go to Dollywood. It is a long standing part of our normal North Carolina trips and it would have been a shame to miss it. You loved being able to drive your own vintage car with daddy as your passenger. They propped you up on a booster seat, and the look on your face was priceless. You even got to go on a few rides all by yourself for the first time! You did great! We can't forget the old time pictures we took! You were so handsome dressed as a soldier!

We finished our day on the Choo-Choo, and you couldn't have been any more thrilled. Uncle Casey got a special treat when we stopped at the Titanic Museum on the way home. Everyone was happy!!

 Uncle Buzz worked very hard to give us a special surprise for this trip. He created custom t-shirts for us to wear to remember our special time together. Though a few of us thought the surprise was Cousin Megan giving you a second cousin to play with, we thought the shirts were great! We were even able to set up an opportunity to take family pictures at a special spot at the cabin. The view was great, and it reminded me of where we would take pictures at your Great Great Grandma Grace's house in Boone. I know we will cherish these pictures for years to come, thank goodness for a timer and fast running!

 This is the special bond a family creates with love, support, respect, and care. We are lucky to be close though we live so far apart from one another!

 Cabin living offered us many opportunities to do fire pits and make s'mores. Of course we introduced them to smoreos which we made last year out of necessity at Grandpa Gary's cabin, and it's always a sweet memory when we enjoy them.

 The cousins were able to enjoy a day of horseback riding up to a 1,000 foot elevation that overlooked the valley. The ride was excellent, we cantered 3 times, stopped and picked blackberries, and even dismounted at the top to enjoy the spectacular view! Yes we may have had to crawl under a barbed wire fence and walk into a cow pasture, but come on, the cows shouldn't be the only ones to appreciate the view!

 The bear picture started much before I can even remember. On our trips into Cherokee, this particular bear used to live on the side of a store wedged onto the mountain. They used to sit us up on top of it and year after year we would go back and take the same picture. One year it wasn't there, and we went on a search and found it now belonged to a hotel that had it posted out by it's pool. Uncle Casey and I always felt foolish walking past the swimmers to go and take our picture, but Grandpa Gary always insisted, and we went along with it for his benefit. Then one year it moved again! Grandpa Gary was on a mission to find it, and learned it was now at the hotel's second location near the new casino. So we located it and for the past few years the annual picture was at this spot. I remember as a teenager dreading this picture, and now with dad not here to prompt us it became our mission to fulfill this year's slot. There is one precious year with Grandpa Gary and you in the picture with the bear, but I hope there are many more years in store with this special shot.

 One of our many game nights! If we weren't playing ultimate uno, we were playing phase 10 or spoons. The laughter, yells, and whoops probably could have been heard down the mountain, but we were having fun! It became something we looked forward to every night. Sure, we had cable, but the TV wasn't on for this, it's called quality time!

 Our second day of hiking took us to the top of Waterrock Nob, which is the second highest point you can climb to on the Blue Ridge, and Soco Falls. The climb to the top was intense and it seemed to me straight up! It was a little hot, and you and daddy were strapped to each other making it even hotter for the two of you. The Bakewell girls were champs and made it first, and it brought to mind how fit this whole family is. I love that!

 Our last day at the cabin wasn't just hard in having to say goodbye but it also signified the day we would go to Grandpa Gary's cabin. I will not say it was easy. There were many tears shed that day by all of us. The dishes left in the drying rack ready to be put away. The clean laundry waiting to be folded. I half expected him to come walking in with his great laugh and smile and scoop us up into a hug. The cabin looked as if he just went out for a walk and was coming back. This was just a short visit, and I  know it will be a big task to start to clean it up and put things where they really go. But the bandaid was ripped off fast and I was able to go back for the first time with my loved ones there with me.

 On our way out of Cashiers we made one final stop to go see Silver Run, which is one last thing we did with Grandpa Gary last year. Going to these places for the first time was hard, but the way we did it, with the support of each other, made it special and manageable.

While at the cabin we found a drawer full of mementos that Grandpa Gary had kept over the years. He saved every Father's Day card, every letter, even Commencement programs from Tim, Casey, and my graduations. That broke us all down. To see the care he took in keeping those items puts things into perspective. It is a shame when you have one family that purposefully hurts their children, and another that takes great care in making them feel special and loved. I will never understand why things happened the way they did, but I know I have a Heavenly Father that is in control and has a plan. We had a wonderful vacation in the Smokies with a terrific family that loves one another. Connor learned so many things while we were all together, and is even repeating the ABC's now! Yes, there are always flaws, but isn't that what stories are made of? We are truly blessed!

Father's Day take II

 I love being a dad.  Almost daily I catch myself looking at Connor thinking that things can’t get much better.  Over the past few weeks, Connor has really started to develop into an amazing little boy.  His vocabulary and comprehension seems to expand daily.  I really do find myself thanking God for blessing me with such an incredible little family. 

 This past Sunday was Fathers day and I couldn’t have asked for a better day.  Kristin and Connor made home made Fathers Day presents and they were so excited to share them with me.  Kristin loves to give gifts and often doesn’t want to wait until the designated day to give them.  I know this, and I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy making her wait.  Well, we volunteered at our church Sunday so we have to be there early (like, way early) so Connor gave me my presents before church.  As you can see in the post below, Kristin and Connor made me the most amazing home-made t-shirts that I was more than happy to sport immediately.  I love how creative Kristin is.

 After church, we went to Waffle Works with Glenda and Kaitlyn, which seems to be our tradition with every holiday (not that I am complaining).  As usual, I ate too much. Don’t judge, it was my day!  After we finished our brunch, we parted ways and went home.  Connor fell asleep and I took a brief nap while watching baseball on TV. That's pure bliss to me!  When everyone awoke, we went down to Glenda’s for some relaxing time around the pool mixed with steak on the grill. 

 All in all, I could not have asked for a better day.  Sometimes it is easy to lose focus of the things around you. This past Sunday, I was reminded that I have a great wife, son and in-laws that love me and care for me no matter what, and to this, I am thankful! 

Father's Day Fun

Being a product of the 80s and growing up in the 90s we created many projects using puff paints. Even today I still use them. There was one project in particular that was a special go-to most Father's Days. I remember the feeling of squishing my hands in puff paint to make sure my hand (or foot) was completely covered, and then my mom would guide my hand to the perfect spot and ::smash:: my hand was forever emblazoned in bright green on my dad's newly created shirt. All of us kids got our own special location on these shirts, and my dad would wear them with pride. I remember how cherished they were and how special I felt when I saw him wear our creations.

This year for Father's Day I gave myself an objective. I wanted to create an updated version of this idea. At some point this past year, my brother's roommates created interesting designs on their shirts using bleach, and it just got the wheels in my head turning. I wondered how I could use that idea. Grandma Glenda and I put our heads together and we created Constellation Hand Prints.

Here it is in a nutshell, but I'll break it down for you.

You will need:

spray adhesive

a spray bottle containing half bleach and half water

a hanger with an upside down plastic bag on it

a shirt

cardstock

First we traced Connor's hand prints onto pretty substantial cardstock, and then cut them out.

We hung the shirt on the hanger that had the plastic bag already attached. We put the bag inside to protect the back of the shirt since we didn't want the bleach to bleed through. Then we LIGHTLY sprayed the adhesive on the hands and placed them in the location we wanted on the shirt. Be sure not to spray too much because you don't want any of the sticky residue to adhere to the shirt itself.

We then headed outside. We placed the shirt on some newspapers just to protect the back from getting dirty on the ground. Time to spray! Now be careful not to go overboard with the spraying. Our first "test" shirt came out almost white from Grandma's exuberant spraying. Now that I had the bottle in hand I sprayed a little at a time. Not too close to the shirt, and trying to get an even spray.

Be patient because as the bleach processes it will begin to show up. If you see that there is a place you want to add more, than do it as it appears and it will keep you from over spraying.

After it processed/dried for a few minutes I peeled back the prints and was able to reuse them for my second shirt/design. I then hung this medium blue shirt up to dry a little more as I worked on the next one.

The second shirt I was able to use the exact same prints since I used a pretty heavy cardstock (think file folder) and I didn't go crazy with the spray adhesive. Remember you're adhering it just to keep the edges down, not to make it permanent. Again, put it on a hanger with a plastic bag, took it outside, and created a different design.

This time I put the hand prints in the center and sprayed even less. The bleach spots on the dark blue shirt turned a pinkish/brown and I loved the way it looked.

It truly reminded me of the Milky Way and I was thrilled. I hung this one up to dry for a few minutes and then promptly took them into the bathroom for a water rinse in the sink. Though we didn't use straight bleach, we were afraid it might eat through the shirt if we let it sit for too long. We rinsed until we couldn't smell bleach anymore and then sent them off to the dryer, and voila! A perfect Father's Day present! I still can't get believe how easy it was, and that a little idea turned into something so perfect and special. I wish I could have made one for Grandpa Gary, because I know he would have sported it the same way he did our puff paint creations. 

I feel like Tim had the same reaction to his shirt that dad always had to ours. It meant so much to him. Here is the one he decided to sport on Father's Day! He was so thrilled and touched by how special it was.  He can't decide which one he likes more and is packing both of them for our vacation!

Photo Book

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A Midsummer Mother's Day

 Wow, wow, wow! It has been a very stressful and busy few weeks, but I have to say Mother's Day couldn't have been any more perfect. Tim and Connor woke me up with my presents and the rest of the day was just as special. All Grandma Glenda and I wanted was a little bit of rest in an otherwise crazy week. After church we had brunch complete with pancakes at a local waffle shop, and the rest of the day was devoted to being outside in the pool.

 Though it was slightly chilly in the pool from all of the rain we have had recently, everyone had so much fun! Connor took right back to the pool with no problem, and even knew how to manipulate the float and kick his little legs to propel himself. Tim and Aunt Kaitlyn had a lot of fun filling up water balloons and bombing each other, and Connor benefited by getting his very own balloon to throw around.

 We grilled up some hamburgers and hot dogs to complete such a special day. I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend Mother's Day. A relaxed fun day, focused only on the things that matter; our loved ones.

 After Mother's Day our rehearsal schedule only became more intense. Daddy was picking up Connor from Grandma Glenda's house because I wasn't leaving the school until after 6pm. Connor adjusted well, and it only made me cherish my little time with him in the evenings even more. I can't believe how much he is changing, and how he is developing words daily. As we neared opening night Connor started participating in our rehearsals because Grandma Glenda was running my sound. He has no stage fright that is for sure! He doesn't mind putting himself right in the middle of the stage while actors are rehearsing around him. Give him a microphone and he is set to go. He is a ham, and I love it! I cannot wait to see what he develops into!

 Opening and Closing night came and went. It is a little bittersweet because of how much time we put into it, how much I enjoyed my time with these special students, and how quickly it has come to an end. I am so proud of them, and I am in awe of what a wonderful job they did. We had pretty good sized audiences each night, and with our ticket sales we will only grow our department. Everyone who came to see our production was so impressed, and I am honored to be a little part in these students' theatre experience. Hopefully we have opened up a passion for them that they can pursue as they grow. There is a magic that takes place when you take the stage for the first time, and my actor's felt it. More than half of my cast had never performed on stage before in their lives. What a privilege it is to give them this experience!

Words

We are beside ourselves with the amount of knowledge that Connor gains daily. There are so many moments where Tim and I look at each other in shock with what Connor says and does. Our little boy has very clear words and other times it is the most adorable babble that includes snippets of intelligible language. Of course he still signs please and thank you, but I'm loving hearing his voice. It is the sweetest sound in the word. I giggle when he says "Hi kitty-cat" when we get to Grandma Glenda's house every morning. We're working on the sounds that animals make, and his "woof woof" is too precious for words. "Quack quack" is another favorite. He called himself "Onnor" this past weekend when Great Grandma Harriet pointed to a  picture of him and asked who it was. Self awareness...check!

We have so much going on around our home right now. I'm so glad summer is right around the corner, I can see some down time in my near future. Though with the rate Connor is growing and exploring, I might have trouble keeping up with him. We took a trip this past weekend to the University of Florida to watch cousin Dale graduate. We are all so proud of him, and it's always touching to watch the joy on students faces as they are about to embark on the rest of their lives. The expectations and dreams they want to achieve are right there. It gave me time to reflect upon how fast time goes by, and how important each moment I have with Connor is. We captured his 18 month phase of life a few weeks ago, and below are some of my favorites from the shoot. It's a moment to pause and enjoy how incredible he is. Savoring the moment....check!

Here is one of the reason's life has been so crazy. My spring play is right around the corner and we are up to rehearsing every single day. There have been countless brick walls we've come up against, but hopefully we are at the home stretch. I am so proud of my students, and am so thankful to Mr. Brown and Grandma Glenda for all of their hard work as well. A show is always a group effort, and that is very true with this one. I will never forget painting sets with G.G. while Aunt Kaitlyn and Connor run around the stage to keep themselves busy. Now if all of the students remember their lines I will be thrilled! Stressed out director...check! (but so proud!)