HOTC

We did HOTC today. It was our first time. We had a really good time. It was really ALOT of work. Whew! We worked at the Cultural Center. We removed all of the plants around the sign. They had grown up bigger than the sign and really took away from it. So, yes, moved A-L-L of the shrubs. And let me assure you, those babies were rooted like all get out!!! Me and Donna worked hard together to remove all the ones we were able to dig up. The biggest ones had to be winched to get them up. And even with that, Monty had to chock the tires on the Expedition because when he cranked the winch, the tires on it woud turn. Yep....not exaggerating. Those suckers had ROOTS baby!!! So we got all of it removed - and by the way, I shall not forget to mention the snakes, yep, S-N-A-K-E-S (got that...yes, plural, not singular) that those who chose to touch removed from the bushes and set free in other shrubs that we were not working in. ......shudder..... Give me frogs, lizards, centipedes, whatever, but don't get a snake or spider up next to me. Poor Dee Dee, one of her boys took a couple home. Bless her heart. But we completed the project and it looked great. Here are a couple of photos.

Doesn't the end result look great??? I think so!! It was alot of fun but alot of work. And you thought I was kidding about the snakes??? Those were just the babies. I didn't clip a picture of the 2 big ones (referred to as Mommy and Daddy).

Lane nejoyed the lunch at the park catered by Granddaddy's BBQ.
Of course, while we were there we had to get some quality play time in too. I really don't know how LaneBug made it through the whole day. We didn't get home until almost 2 and he took about a 30 mintue nap. Then we went to a friend's house for dinner and LaneBug played with their 2 boys. It was a long day - we had lots of fun. But I am ready to hit the hay.

you know it is time....

....for a haircut if it looks like this!

Picture Post

OK - short and sweet. Mainly pictures. I have G-O-T to clean my house before tomorrow comes around. It will be Monday and week of month end. So I have got to clean and cook my meals for the week.

These are pictures from the River.You must hold your arms up to pass under a bridge, per LaneBug. He quickly taught this to his friend Tanner who was riding with us.

Swapping potato chips.....(cringe).

Uncle Mark and Ty - Ty is about to wake board. He is very good for a kid his age!We had a lot of good friends come in from Florida who we met at the Moomba Jams we attended this Summer. Here are some snapshots of them.And some funny faces from a certain silly boy!

And last, cool pictures of Josh - he can wake board very good!

And a picture of a super sweet birthday girl!Well, off to take some casseroles out of the oven and fold some clothes!

Weekend Blogger

So I suppose it is evident that I only post on the weekends, huh? I didn't plan it that way but it seems that is when I actually have time.

What's new? A lot of the same with some new sprinkled in there. Work is crazy due to month end rolling around A-G-A-I-N! Ugh....man, 30ish days never move so quickly as in the business sense. Check out these wild turkeys that hang out up at work most mornings now that it has cooled off. They better be careful....they obviously didn't get the memo - we have some country folk (AKA rednecks) working there. I can say this without prejudice whereas I am in that category. Most days....I walk around the office barefooted.

Can I say that it is has been so crazy and absolutely wonderful watching LaneBug break out and form his own little personality this summer? Monty and I were talking the other night and this is one of the subjects we lingered on. Lane has really changed a lot these past few months.

He has sprouted up a bit and certainly showed tons of maturity through the whole tooth debacle. Which by the way, they are still very loose. He has a "concussion" in his tooth sockets. And from what I gathered, the teeth can not tighten back up until the blood recedes back out of the sockets. Nice....Doc always comments on what a good job Bug did in whacking them in the first place. So yes, through all that bad, uncomfortable and clinically "yucky" ordeal, we witnessed a very mature side of Lane that would stand still and listen carefully to specific instructions and follow through. And the down side of that realization is that we are certain he willfully disobeys far too much. (sigh) But back to his personality...man, that is so cool.

He physically looks so much like Monty and mostly acts like me. But as Shirley pointed out, he does get shy at times and that is definitely a characteristic of Monty and not me. Can you say "sassy"?? Man on man.....just like myself, he feels the urge to always get the last word in.

And a fairly new but oh so wonderful thing Lane does now - cuddle. That's right. CUDDLE. I love it. He has never, ever been a cuddly child. And compared to a "real" cuddly child he probably isn't still. But he has started just walking up to me and jumping up in my lap and hug on me for a minute or so. I absolutely love these moments. He did this last night at the football game. Of course, he was incredibly tired and was just resting but it was so nice for me to just hold him so close.

Sports. Lane is still into all the different sports - golf, basketbal, baseball, soccer and his favorite is football. Here are some pictures of us at the soccer fields earlier this week. Our neighbor and one of Lane's best friends, Bryson is playing this year.

As soon as the game concluded, Lane had to run out there and kick his ball around a bit. I can't wait until next year! It is not that I personally love soccer (it didn't get popular until after I graduated high school) but I personally love for Lane to be really, really tired. :)

And here are two snapshots of us with Lane. We were eating at "Louie's House" before the football game.

Well, I have got to run. We are meeting Monty and friends at the River later today. This will be our last time skiing until Spring 2009. Gosh, it seems so weird to know this is it. We will take the boat back out for boat rides again but no more water sports. (sniff..sniff) And Lane will be back in town later today for a friend's birthday party. Not just any friend though....one of his girlfriends. Yep....Urs, be sure to tell Chris that Lane has officialy put Ms. Harper on his girlfriend list. She has good company with Elyse, Emma Kate and Sara! My name used to be on the list.....not anymore.

Catching Up, again....

OK - I am pathetic at blogging consistently. Ugh. It is just crazy most weeks to say the least. So here are a lot of random pictures and thoughts.THIS is the girl (note the tiara....) that slapped my baby boy FOR NO REASON at the GA Aquarium last week. Oh man.....Mommy claws came out long and sharp. But I did resist the urge to push her down and slap her Daddy who witnessed the scene too and did NOTHING. What's the old saying - "Never say never" - I won't say my child would never do something like this but I would never smile down at him and walk away without a care after I witnessed it happening. Jeez....I am getting all fired up again thinking about it.

Moving along, LaneBug still "skis behind the mow-mow". Priceless...

And my co-worker, Shannon, has a GREAT sense of humor and found 2 big rubber duckies to float in our waterfall outside of work. They are a hoot and I am so glad she put them out there. LaneBug also appreciates the gesture but for different reasons. He always loved the waterfall - never passed up the chance to put his feet in and play. But now he has the ducks to play with also. We stopped by the office yesterday to grab some things I needed and I had my camera with me. Funny!

And lastly, the locusts skins are all over - LaneBug pulled his wheelbarrow around and snagged all he could find. Here is his loot.


*****sigh*****

Boys....aren't they the coolest??? I think so!

Cutest Picture!

Hey - I know - remarkable of me to post twice in a 12 hour period!

But I took this picture over the weekend and downloaded it late last night. I knew it was a cute picture but didn't know how much so!

This is Bug waiting for his Daddy to finish some chores. He was wanting to play football. Yes, I realize that is a too big baseball helmet he has on.....but Bug says it is a football "hemet" when it is turned around backwards. And believe me....he knows EVERYTHING these days so it must be true! LOL