Autumn came for a visit!

We spent a good part of the day today making Miss Autumn feel at home on the Rutland Farm. She took me around several shops to make sure that she was properly adorned for fall out on the farm. I hope we did her proud and what she thinks we did to the place is acceptable for her. We sure did have fun doing it! Here's what Miss Autumn chose to be adorned with at the Rutland House. Wonder what style she'll decide at your place? Enjoy the pics!

Fall Festival Pictures

Fall Festival Sunday

Gentry has discovered that he can take pictures...here he is taking one of his Uncle Ryan right before church started. Love you, bubba!

Hello, my friends! It's been another great day and I just wanted to share a bit of it with you and some pictures as well. It is always a privilege to be well enough to be able to attend church. I took church attendance so much for granted until I was unable to attend so many services due to my ill health. It truly is the rest and the refreshing that my soul and spirit longs for. I find such refuge when I can close my eyes and sing a song of praise and worship and find myself immediately translated to a place where God's presence is so near to me. I am thankful for strength and health enough today to be able to make it to church. Pastor Blake's message was so inspiring about how many more benefits there are to salvation than just eternal security. It made me thankful all over again that I know the truth and have been blessed to be a part of the family of God all of my life. My desire is to continue to share this precious way with as many people as I can so that "whosoever will" can come and drink from the river of life and live "the good life"!

And so, part of "the good life" we live included a celebration of the bountiful blessings God has bestowed on our lives this year and we celebrated with the annual church Fall Festival. The people involved with this ministry always do such a superb job of planning and executing a fun-filled day with events for kids of all ages.

Of course, my eyes were tuned most of the day to a certain little blonde haired, blue-eyed, red-faced angel who had SO MUCH FUN climbing up the slides and tumbling down the other side. He jumped in a pool of colorful balls with a bunch of girls and LOVED being the center of their attention! He used his tickets to play several games and even won a prize or two. His laugh was infectious and I had so much fun just watching him play. He climbed like a monkey up those slides and wasn't afraid to tackle anything. I know the theme of most of my blogs are him, but I just can't help it. He brings so much joy to my life and I guess waiting so long to become a mother has made me really appreciate these special moments that will all too soon slip from my hands.

But after a few hours out in the sun, we were HOT and ready to head to the house for some rest. And the sun and lupus are not the best of friends, so I had to get out of the sun before I ended up looking like a red lobster! Enjoy the pictures of our day today, and thanks again for stopping by!

Blessings - Melanie

P.S. John McCain

P.S. Oh...and how could I forget the most important event of the day!!!??? We got to have our picture taken with Presidential Candidate Senator John McCain!! Well, a life-size standup cutout of him anyway!!! :):):):):):)

A Yahoo Day!

Oh what a fun, family day we had today! I'm glad I'm cozy comfy in bed now with my feet propped up though! But the swollen feet and sore muscles were all worth it.

Today we spent the day in St. Louis. My sweetheart of a niece, Courtney, got to spend the day with us as well. I had seen that there was going to be a "Picnic in the Park" at Forest Park today and there was going to be lots of inflatables to slide & jump around in plus "characters" to meet & greet. Well, it was a good IDEA, but that was about it. We got there around 1:30 and it started at 11:00. There were SO MANY people there!! (about 50,000)! We had NO IDEA it was such a huge event and the lines to meet Bert, Ernie, Curious George, Clifford, Arthur...and some others I didn't know were over an hour. You would have thought people had come to meet the president or a famous movie star! So, how do you explain the concept of having to wait in line that long to a 2 year old? He just didn't understand that. Sooooo...we waited in line to slide down one of the inflatable slides and then decided we'd just have to wait until next year to meet all of the characters.

It was fun, but we'll know next year to get there EARLY if we want to really have fun.

After we left Forest Park Dale wanted to go to Cabela's out at St. Louis Mills. Oh and by the way...for those of you who don't know...hunting season starts next week. Yes, I will officially be a widow for the next four months! So, a Cabela's run was a "necessity" to make sure he is ready to go the first day of hunting season!

Well, Courtney and I decided we would do a little shopping of our own. Court found some cute tops for school and I...well, what does every mom do? Shops for her kids instead of herself! And man, did we find some sales! Gent is set for fall...and spring because of all the end of season sales. We found a choo-choo train and some cars for Gentry to ride in and then took a pit-stop to the Cookie Company!! Mmmm...all that shopping can sure work up an appetite!

We finished our evening at Cracker Barrel and then headed back to Mimi & Papa's house to drop Courtney off. Courtney showed mimi & papa the stuff she bought and then Gentry wouldn't be outdone. So, he wanted his poppa to go get a bag of HIS clothes so he could show off what he bought to mimi & papa.

And I have to say, they were such a gracious audience to him and he just grinned from ear to ear each time he pulled something else out from his shopping bag.

We about fell asleep coming back home, but it was such a good day to be together and spend time with each other. Gentry is sacked out next to me and I think life is just really good right now.

I'm worn out and probably should have stopped a lot sooner than I did today, but I'm just happy to be feeling well enough to be out of the house. I've had such a rough go of it lately that it makes me want to capitalize on my good days and squeeze as much fun out of them as I can.

We've got another big day tomorrow with our Fall Festival at the church. It is a huge outreach event for our community and is an all-day affair with a concert under the stars to end the day. I'm looking forward to it, so I better sign off for now or I'll never be able to get up in the morning. Enjoy the pictures of our day and thanks again for stopping by!

Mel

A Mommie & Gentry Day

TGIF! It seems like this week has flown by. Gentry and I spent our day cruising around several small Illinois towns. Our first stop was right here in New Baden. I took him to our town park and boy did he ever have fun! I had promised him yesterday that we would go to the park and slide, but by the time I had finished running my errands and was headed to the park, my little blondie had given out on me. He was sacked out in his carseat when I was almost to the park. I happened to notice the extreme "quietness" in the backseat and looked back in my mirror and saw him sound asleep. So, when he woke up this morning, the first words out of his mouth was, "Mommy, we go to the park?" How could you say no to those adorable baby blues.

So, away we went this morning to play. It was a gorgeous day here with the bluest of skies and not a cloud in sight.

After wearing ourselves out, I decided to do a little sightseeing and go to some small towns that I'd never been to before. My first stop was Highland. Can you believe as long as I had lived in Illinois before that I'd NEVER been to Highland? It's a shame to even admit, but I can finally mark that one off of my list. It had a very quaint downtown sqaure and I stopped at one of the boutique gift shops and picked up some more fall decor for my house.

Then I decided to go to a town called Greenville...or was it Greenfield??? Well, I can't remember the name of it, but I do know they had a Dollar General!

Now I know you're thinking, "Why in the world would she remember that?" Well, about 5 miles outside of the town Gentry got sick! He had been fussing to get out of his carseat and so I unbuckled him and put him in the front seat with me (buckled in the passenger seat, of course). I had driven through Mc'D's to get us something to eat and he wouldn't eat a bite. Now, those of you who know Gentry's eating habits know that is not totally unusual for him. So, I really didn't think anything about it until he started gagging. I started watching him REALLY closely at that point. I asked him, "Gentry, do you need to throw up?" He rubbed his eyes and emphatically said, "NO!". But no sooner had I put the Mc'D's bag under his chin than he started filling that bag up! YUCK!

Oh, I felt so sorry for him. But he was really good with his "aim" and didn't make a huge mess. Just all over his shirt and hands.

I didn't have a wipe one in the car so I just kept driving until I saw a gas station or ANYTHING that might have some wipes.

Luckily, as soon as I got to the Greenville/field? town I saw that yellow box sign that said "Dollar General"! It was like an oasis in the desert!

So, I ran inside while Gentry sat in the vehicle and found a clearanced short & shirt set and a box of baby wipes.

After he got all cleaned up and changed, Gentry was ready to go again. I don't know what made him sick, but he just threw up that one time and he hasn't been sick the rest of the day. Strange!

So, we found a few shops that we looked around in and then it was on to Lebanon. Now, I HAVE been to this town before, but not to shop. I found three more boutique shops where we picked up a few more things for our fall decorations around the house.

Our final stops were back home at Cold Stone Creamery for a chocolate shake, World Market, Hallmark & Michaels.

Then we decided our day just wouldn't be quite complete without a visit to Mimi's house. Gentry knows as soon as we turn into the subdivision where we are going. He gets a big grin on his face and starts yelling, "Mimi, Papa, Mimi, Papa!".

He is always so glad to see his mimi. Papa was still at work so he didn't get to act silly with papa. Gentry told mimi about going to the park and then getting sick. He went into dramatic details of how it all happened too. What a ham he is.

We finally headed back out to the farm to meet Dale and go to dinner. We went to Tony's in Mascoutah and Gentry stole one of the waitresses heart's. When we were leaving he ran back into the restaurant and said, "I give you a hug" and he wrapped his little arms around her neck and gave her a big bear hug. She was speechless.

Then, we raced home to catch the rest of the presidential debate between McCain & Obama.

All is quiet again on the home front. We're going to take Gentry and Courtney to Forest Park in St. Louis tomorrow so we're looking forward to another fun-filled day. With the weather being so beautiful, we're taking advantage of it while we can.

I hope you have a great weekend and thanks for dropping by here.

Much Love - Melanie

Cambridge

Happy Thursday! It's been a fairly quiet week around here. I've had an array of "ailments" that have kept me close to my comfy bed. First I had a strain of the muscle on top of my foot and couldn't put any weight on my foot for about 2 1/2 days. It was swollen really big on the inside of my ankle and SO sore. I don't know what I could have done, but I took some anti-inflammatory medication and this evening it is much better and not as swollen. But in its place came a terrible cold and sore throat! Hopefully lots of rest will make it all better! :)

It's also been a sad week for me because my little shih-tzu, Cambridge, is gone. When Dale was in Mississippi last week and I had gone to Louisiana, we took our dogs with us as we always do. Well, Dale let them out one evening and when he went to put them back in their cage, Cambridge was no where to be found. We looked everywhere that evening and all morning the next day and NO Cambridge. It's been a week now and no one has called saying that they found her. I guess she's gone for good. I was SO heartbroken! I can't think about it too deeply because my mind just starts wandering and thinking of all the possible scenarios of what could have happened to her.

Cam-Cam was the princess of the clan. She was high-stepping in her prance and LOVED being pampered. Her favorite place was at the end of our bed cuddled up in a pile of blankets. She never met anyone - person or animal- that she didn't like or was scared of. Maybe that's what got her in trouble! :) She LOVED to eat and begged with the best of them.

I only have two shih-tzus left now: Little Bit (the mom) and Emmy. I miss that little thing so much. I miss her brown eyes that could stare you down over a chicken leg. She was a sweetheart and brought many smiles to my life. I will certainly miss her, but am thankful for the seven years I had with her and a whole scrapbook full of pictures of her in her crazy little hairbows and outfits.

Well, I'm off to bed...again! I'm still trying to get my front porch finished...a project that was supposed to have been done three days ago! I'll post pictures when it's finished.

Toodles for now!

Back to 'Blog-land'

Hello, my friends! It's been a GOOD week...but I haven't had a chance to blog about anything because I've been too busy having fun! :) This past Monday Dale and I went to Mississippi. Dale did some work around his mom and dad's house that needed to be done, and I got to go to Lake Charles to see my best friends in the world...Glenn & MaDonna Massey. It was kind of a last minute thing and I didn't have a lot of time, but it was SO GOOD to be able to see them and their beautiful children again.

MaDonna and I met 16 years ago!! It doesn't seem like it's been that long since we were in college together, and other times, it seems like we've known each other forever. The cool thing about our friendship is that our husbands were best friends growing up at youth camps together. God smiled on all of us when He allowed best friends to marry best friends. It's been a beautiful, colorful, never-a-dull-moment friendship over the past 16 years. We've cried together, vacationed together, went to our first pastorates at the same time, weathered deaths and births together, and ALWAYS enjoyed life over a good cup of coffee.

I have so many fond memories and this week was just another wonderful time to file away into my box of memories. The theme of the week was FOOD. I wanted to consume as much good southern, cajun food as I could. So, MaDonna took me to a bunch of the local hangouts that had the most fabulous food I've ever put in my mouth! I'm telling you, I've traveled all over the United States, and there is just NOTHING like good ole Southern cooking. Those people down there just know how to make it so much better than the rest of us. I had some out-of-this-world Seafood Gumbo, a loaded baked potato with fried shrimp and crawfish etouffee (I know...I thought it sounded like an odd combination...BUT! OMG...SO GOOD), and then some good ole chicken fried steak smothered in white gravy with mashed potatoes so good it'll make you wanna slap 'yo mama! But the best thing I ate the whole time I was down there was some Rice Dressing from a little restaurant called Nina P's. And can you believe the lady that ran the restaurant was nice enough to give us the recipe for the dressing!! (with the promise that we would not ever open a restaurant and steal her rice dressing recipe)!

Man, I can't wait to try that stuff out on all you yankees who grace my dining room table. I know it won't come close to comparing to Nina P's, but I'm sure going to give it a good old college try.

So, now that I've made myself and everyone else sufficiently hungry for good ole southern comfort food I guess I better hurry this up so we can all go find a snack! :)

I am truly thankful that my life has been blessed with such wonderful friends. They are the kind of people I know I can always count on and I am blessed to have them in my life.

It was good to get away for a few days, but I was also glad to get back home to my guys. I missed them terribly and especially my little Gent-man. It felt so good to feel his little arms wrap tightly around my neck and welcome me back home.

Tomorrow is the first official day of fall, so we're going to be busy this week getting our pumpkins carved and fixing up our front porch for the beautiful harvest season. I'll post pictures when we get it all fixed up. Have a great week and enjoy the beauty that surrounds you during this time of year!

Until next time - Mel

Time In A Bottle

Wow! What a weekend! First off, I want to say how thankful I am that my friends in Texas and Louisiana are safe! None of them had any damage of homes or power loss so far. My thoughts and prayers were with them all during the rampage of "Ike"...Glenn, MaDonna, Tara, Michael, Brian, Doretha and the entire Bourn family. I hope you all find a reprieve from mother nature and stay safe and dry!



This has been a very reflective week for Dale and me. Dale got some bad news about one of his uncles that has been diagnosed with end stage bone cancer. He also has another uncle that is in a battle for his life fighting drug abuse. It's just made us take a hard look at what really matters in life and has found us pouring over old family photographs trying to capture a sense of who and what we came from.



I recently scanned in literally HUNDREDS of pictures into my computer from my childhood. And I guess Dale had never taken the time to look at them. So, Saturday night when he came up to bed he said, "I feel like I know you just a little bit better." I looked at him confused and asked him what he was talking about. He said, "I was just looking at all those pictures of when you were a little girl, and I think I've figured out a little bit more about your personality."

I thought it was sweet of him to take the time to look through those old pictures and it got me to thinking about how quickly time really does move. I have ALWAYS been resistant to change for as long as I can remember. I don't know if it was being raised in a military family and moving around a lot or if I was just born that way or if we all are resistant to change to a certain extent. I remember EVERY birthday that my mother or I had I would go to the bathroom and lock myself in and sit on the toilet and cry and cry. After my mom realized my absence she would carefully make her way to the bathroom door and knock softly and ask me if I was in there. I would sob an "Uh-huh" through muffled tears and then open the door. She would ask me why I was crying and although she always knew the answer she would wait patiently while I wrapped my little arms around her waist and squeeze so tight and say, "I'm crying because it's your (or my) birthday and that means we're getting old. And if we're getting old then that means we're gonna die!"

Looking back having a little one of my own now, I don't know how in the world she kept a straight face and got me through my crisis. But somehow, she would say all the right things that mommie's instinctively know to say and she made it all seem alright again. After the tears were sufficiently wiped away, we would walk back out to waiting family and friends to finish opening presents or cutting the cake or playing games.

I think about those childhood memories and look at who I am today and think, "Man, not much has changed." I still am SO resistant to change. But you know, the only certain thing in life is change and we must learn to ebb and flow with the river of life. I have to remind myself everyday that change is positive and can be a good thing if you keep the right perspective.

I look back over the last two years of my life and see SO SO many dramatic life changing events that have taken place and sometimes I feel like I've gotten lost in the whirlwind of it all. The biggest life change came for me when I became a mother 2 1/2 years ago. That was one of the most defining moments of my life to date. But then so many things happened afterwards that spiraled my life seemingly out of control and forced changes in my life that I would not have normally chosen.

I don't understand it all, and maybe never will, but if there's anything I've learned from this journey I've been placed on it is: simple truths keep me going, simple loves keep me strong and really...how could I ask for more?

I wrote a poem I'd like to leave on my blog today that I actually wrote almost ten years ago. It was at a time in my life where I was a newly diagnosed lupus patient and had gone through HUGE changes in my life. I was still a relative newlywed, I had lost all of my hair, I had gained a lot of weight from steroid use, and I was just a sick little girl. I remember coming home from a chemotherapy treatment and feeling like the weight of the world was on my shoulders. I remember getting situated on my couch and leaning my head back, closing my eyes and wishing and dreaming about the simpler days of my youth. Back to the days when I was just a little pesky sister who teased the life out of my sister and brother...back to the days of braided pigtails and barbies and koolaid popsicles. I closed my eyes that day and the words came pouring out that became this poem - "The Girl That Used To Be"

I WORE MY HAIR IN PIGTAILS
MADE OF GOLDEN SILK, YOU SEE
SUCH A LONG WAY BACK TO REMEMBER
THE GIRL THAT USED TO BE

MAMA SAID I WAS A HANDFUL
BUT QUITE HAPPY AND CAREFREE
I SMILE AS I RECOLLECT
THE GIRL THAT USED TO BE

DADDY MARVELED AT MY COOKING
NO MATTER HOW SIMPLE IT DID SEEM
FOR HE WAS FOREVER AND ALWAYS PROUD
OF THE GIRL THAT USED TO BE

BIG SIS AND I WOULD PLAY UPSTAIRS
OFT' TIMES WITH "KEN & BARBIE"
NEVER DREAMING THAT LIFE MIGHT VERY WELL CHANGE
THE GIRLS THAT USED TO BE

BUT SOON WE SEE LIFE MUST GO ON
WE GROW UP AND WE MUST LEAVE
THAT WONDERFUL PLACE WHERE WAS NURTURED AND LOVED
THE GIRL THAT USED TO BE

AND WE FIND "ON MY OWN" ISN'T ALWAYS THAT EASY
AND MORE OFTEN THAN NOT WE SIMPLY FAIL TO ACHEIVE
THEN WE SIT DOWN AND WISH FOR ONE DAY IN THE LIFE
OF THE GIRL THAT USED TO BE

YOU SEE I'M ALL GROWN UP NOW
LIFE'S HAND HAS BEEN DEALT TO ME
AND WITH TEARS IN MY EYES I HAVE A LONGING TO FIND
THE GIRL THAT USED TO BE

WHY DID SHE LEAVE? WHERE DID SHE GO?
IT SEEMS IT HAPPENED SO SUDDENLY
THE BLOSSOMING OF THIS WOMAN
FROM THE GIRL THAT USED TO BE

BUT...IF MY THOUGHTS COULD TAKE ME BACK
TO THAT PLACE MANY MILES FROM HERE
AND I COULD LAY ASIDE FACADES AND FRONTS
BUILT UP THROUGHOUT THE YEARS
I KNOW THAT I COULD RESURRECT
THAT CHILD CRYING OUT IN ME
AND I COULD WALK IN THE SHOES
FOR JUST A MOMENT IN TIME
OF THE GIRL THAT USED TO BE

Written by: Melanie Joleane Sullivan Rutland (1-25-97)

Where Were You?

September 11th, 2001...Where were you?
Has it really been seven years since that devastating attack on American soil? That date is one that is forever embedded on the memory of every American. It becomes a moment included in ones like the Challenger disaster or the bombing of Pearl Harbor or the Oklahoma City bombing or the shooting of a president. One of those moments you just don't forget where you were or what you were doing.

As for me...I was working at a hospital in Tupelo, Mississippi as a registered nurse on the renal (kidney) unit. I had just finished making rounds to see my patients and one of my patient's family members came running out of the room and grabbed me by the arm and said, "You've got to come see this! Something just crashed into the World Trade Center tower!" I went running back into Ms. Hadley's room and watched in utter shock and disbelief and in less than 2 minutes watched as the second plane crashed into the second tower. There was so much confusion. No one really knew what was going on. People were GLUED to TV screens all over the hospital. It was hard to get any work done. I remember hearing rumors of planes flying into the White House and the Capitol. And then hearing that another plane had crashed in Pennsylvania.

Looking back, the plan is much more clear to us as to what the terrorists had in mind. But living through that day moment by moment and not knowing where, when or what they were going to do next was so unnerving.

I remember thinking throughout that day that I just wanted to hear my loved ones voices and to know that they were ok. In times of crisis you feel at a loss as to what to do. Slowly over the next few weeks, our pride in our country surged and we laid aside the facts that there were Republicans and Democrats in America. We were just "AMERICANS" and found our senators praying together in unity on the steps of the Capitol.

We all started wearing our flag pins and brooches and trying to find a cause that we could sink ourselves into to try to make a difference in the lives of those whose loved ones had not been spared.

Slowly, the pieces started coming together and we declared war on terroism. It is a war we are still fighting seven years later. And whether we agree on how it was handled or not, we must be united in support of our troops who put themselves in harm's way everyday for us and the priceless freedoms we are privileged to everyday as Americans.

Thank God we have not had another attack of terroism on American soil. Thank God we have brave soldiers that will answer the call to fight and defend freedom. Thank God we are STILL the land of the free and the home of the brave. May God continue to bless America and may we never forget that it still is "In God that We Trust".

So...where were you...on 9/11?

God Bless America...

Letter to my little guy

To my little guy with "bluesicle" eyes and hair streaked with glimmers of sun...It's just me and you this week, little man. Your poppa is somewhere in Alabama working. I write you lots of letters and save them for you to read when you grow up, but I felt like putting one on my blog for you tonight.

Do you know how much joy you've brought to my life? You are not my blood, but is that really what makes a mother-son relationship so special anyway? I think not. For you see, the moment I laid eyes on you when you were hours old, you had me. I was gone, lost, in love... at first sight. You wrapped yourself around my heart and have been holding on tight for almost three years now. How can such a small package carry such a mighty gift? But you did, and you've given me such wonderful gifts of joy and happiness since I brought you home from the hospital.

We got to take you to Disney for the first time this past week. Seeing your eyes light up at the wonder and magic of it all was like reliving my childhood again. You were so full of life and wanted to see and try everything. I kept tearing up throughout the days at the parks because I couldn't help but think of what your life might have been like if you hadn't gotten to be my baby. It is my privilege and pleasure everyday to provide the fun things in life for you. I love the fact that you got a chance at a great life. Not that I'm anything special, but always know that until I draw my last breath, I will always try to give you the best life has to offer.

The road won't always be straight and decisions to make down the road will be anything but easy, but always know that I'm in your corner and will always believe in you and whatever you attempt in life.

I love our "conversations" that we have and the way your mind is always thinking and trying to figure things out. You're getting so independent and that's what makes those bedtime snuggles all the more special. I don't know why I've been blessed with such a special little guy like you, but I'm thankful everyday for you, my special gift.

May you always feel unconditional love from me and know that I will do my best to make as many dreams come true for you as I can. You are my angel...my little piece of heaven...my little "Gent-man".

Mommie loves you, man!

More Vacation Pictures

Back From Florida Vacation

Hello everyone! It's been awhile since I've been able to get on here and get something down. We just got back from vacation in Florida and the place we stayed didn't have wireless high speed or any kind of internet for that matter. It actually was kind of a nice break, but I'm glad to be back in blog-land!

A few months ago, mom and dad leased a vacation home down in Florida and they asked us to go down there with them and help get it ready for occupancy. We were thrilled they asked us to go and we definitely needed a vacation. We haven't taken a vacation since we left Virginia and it was way past due!

We left out on a Friday afternoon and took our Expedition. I had been so sick and it was up in the air on whether I would even be able to make the trip, but my sweetie fixed up a PLUSH bed in the far back seat of the vehicle and I was like a princess on a soft feather bed back there.

We got dual DVD players so Gentry could watch his favorites and mom and I could watch some singing DVD's.

We drove to Chattanooga that Friday night and got a hotel and spent the night there. Then the next morning it was on to Florida. We didn't get in until late that evening and then had to make a Wal-mart run around midnight to get a few groceries, towels, toilet paper and the other "essentials" that we needed for our stay.

On Sunday we slept in and had lunch in Orlando and drove around for a bit checking out the lay of the land. Mom and dad bought a lot of things for the house like new curtains, blinds and other things to make the place look like "home".

Tuesday and Thursday we decided to do the theme parks. We did Disney's Animal Kingdom on Tuesday and Sea World on Thursday. Gentry LOVED both places, but I have to say I think he enjoyed Animal Kingdom a bit more. They had a broadway type show of "The Lion King" and "Finding Nemo". Both shows were fantastic!

Dad and I rode a water ride at Sea World and had such a good time. We captured our "screaming" on camera and I'll post that if I can get it scanned in. Mom and I were EWC Queens at both theme parks. (electric wheelchair)! :) I could NOT have made it through the parks without that assistance this time. It turned out being very convenient and saved me so much pain. The only thing is Gentry didn't understand why in the world he couldn't ride with me. Rules, rules, rules! Bother! :)

The joy of the day at Animal Kingdom was Gentry getting to meet the Disney characters. We weren't sure what his reaction would be because he didn't even know who Mickey Mouse was a week ago. But when it was his turn he just ran right up to Mickey, Goofy, Winnie the Pooh, & Tigger and gave them all big hugs and kisses and posed for pictures. I'll post those later too. He was SO PRECIOUS and we were all "oohing & awwing" over how he acted. He loved riding the rides and even "bungee jumped" sort of and just waved and squealed and yelled and had such a good time. I think he's going to be my thrill seeker. He just isn't afraid of anything...yet!

Last week was the week Hurricane Gustav hit the gulf coast and thankfully it was not a repeat of Katrina three years ago. Our best friends, Glenn & MaDonna live in Lake Charles and of course we were concerned for them as well as Glenn's mother. Luckily they were all able to evacuate early and find safety with family. We kept in touch with them as much as possible and were so thankful that they had no damage of any kind when they returned back home. Thank goodness for that!

Last week was also the week of the Republican National Convention, so there was MUCH discussion of politics over the week. We got to see history made when Gov. Sarah Palin from Alaska accepted the nomination for Vice President of the Republican Party. We enjoyed watching her speech on Wednesday night and then Senator McCain accepting the nomination for president the next night. We'll see what happens! I'm looking forward to the debates over the next 60 days. The McCain/Palin ticket sure is an inspiring ticket. Both of their stories of determination are infectious and inspiring. I guess it's not a question of who I think would be more qualified to win this election! :) We shall see!

I will post more pictures later of our vacation and mom and dad's cute little getaway. We had such a wonderfully relaxing time together and enjoyed each other's company so much. Be sure to check out "mimi's musings" for my mom's take on our time together too. And if you can't view it, just send a request to her...she'll share I'm sure!

Glad to be back home this week. I missed my three doggies and they sure were glad to see their mommie too! It was good to be back at my farmhouse and to climb back into my MOST comfortable bed. Our garden had lots of tomatoes, okra & squash for us and the chickens were faithful with their egg laying as well. I'm going to make some homemade spaghetti sauce and some salsa this week with my abundance of tomatoes.

Doctor's appointments call my name tomorrow and then I've got to dig into the pile of mail and get myself organized again...oh and I think I have piano lessons this week...and I need groceries...and Dale is gone this week...and it's just me and Gentry... So, it looks like my vacation days are officially over...at least for awhile!

Enjoy your day...whether routine or fun-filled...this is YOUR life!

Blessings - Melanie