Announcing Ryan's Graduation!!

I am so proud to announce the graduation of my son Ryan.  It is scheduled for May 20th and it will be the greatest birthday present I could ever get.  I get to watch my son walk across the stage and receive the diploma that he has worked so hard for.  The first three pictures are the ones he chose to use for his announcements.  The invitations turned out to be a perfect fit for him.  Ryan with his guitar.  The last 3 pictures are of his class ring.  Also very fitting for him...rock n roll on one side and the rebel flag on the other.  Way to go Ryan!!  You continue to make your Mom and Dad so proud.    

BMS Weekend!!!

March brings NASCAR to East Tennessee and this year I brought my sister to the racetrack for her first time.  We had a blast!!!  She and I covered every square inch of Ford Fan Friday.  We played around in the campground, entered contests, watched practice & qualifying, and learned all about corn hole.  My little sis was amazed at how much fun the races can be.  On Saturday I took my guys & enjoyed it all over again.  I love Bristol Motor Speedway!

Our Baby Turns 18!!

Brian and I are as happy today as we were 18 years ago when our little bundle of joy came into this world.  It's so hard to believe our son is now an adult.  Ryan enjoyed a whole weekend of celebrations.  He bought a sweet Ford F150 with his money and is so happy he finally has his own ride.  On Saturday his Grandparents from WV came down and we all went out for dinner and came back to the house for cake and presents.  On Sunday we had a surprise birthday celebration for him after Sunday night church service.  The pastor brought Ryan to the front of the church and after some words of advice we all went downstairs & our whole church family came together to welcome Ryan into adulthood.  On Monday the actual day of his birth he enjoyed dinner out with his beautiful girlfriend.  It's so amazing what a difference a year can bring.  We are so proud of where Ryan has been, what he has come through, and the potential for where he is going in this life.  Happy 18th baby! 

My Son the Guitarist

Make Sure You Clip Your Dog's Toenails Regularly

Ok people I cannot stress how important it is to regularly clip your dog's toenails, especially after the experience we had over the weekend with Rascal.  You see I made a mental note last week to give Rascal a bath and clip his nails.  Turns out mental notes don't work very well in your late 30's ;)  On Saturday Rascal and Bozo were running around our backyard having a BLAST!!  In a split second Rascal caught his nail on something in the yard and twisted it completely around.  He immediately started limping and it was so sad to see this.  He would not let us touch it.  We ended up taking him to the vet where they removed the nail and gave him a shot of pennicillin then bandaged up his little foot.  We were informed that this happens a lot even with house dogs because theirs can get lodged in carpet or a crack in a floor.  Rascal immediately perked up and is comfortably resting on the couch, as seen pictured above.  So please, please never forget to clip your dog's nails on a regular basis so you can avoid this type of injury for your pup. 

Count Down to Mud Bog Time!!

The hubby reminded me the other day to update my Mud Bog readers on the Struttin' In The Ruts Mud Bog in Mount Carmel TN.  As far as we know this event will resume in April 2011.  After talking to the event manager/owner last year he was seriously considering opening up a mud track as well, for mud racing, the top fuel kind, however he was searching for some guard rails a must for such an event.  I am not sure if he found any or not.  Since my blog seems to be the only information on the web for this event I figured I would update all you Mud Diggers on what we have heard. 

Struttin in the ruts mud racing is usually scheduled to open in April & runs through October...gates open at 1pm but racing doesn't start until later usually 5pm from what I recall. You can bring your vehicle or bring your lawn chairs and enjoy. Classes for every vehicle (by tire size). Last year admission was $5, kids under a certain age were free and a $20 entrance fee to run your truck.  I imagine it's still around the same price.  Take Hwy 11W from Kingsport towards Rogersville, turn Rt onto Bradley Creek Rd. (1st Rt past Church Hill Fire Dept. St. #2, just past Volunteer High School) Take Bradley Creek Rd. over to Carter's Valley Rd., turn Left and take the 1st right onto Gravely Valley Rd. The event is about 1/2 of mile on the left, just follow the signs. It's a 200' pit. the depth varies, the pit is probably 6' deep but the mud is usually around 3' deep or so at the end, there should be a sign in the median on 11w just passed volunteer high school.

 

For all of you who are searching the web for the old Hog Lot Mud Bog in Rogersville, TN...it is no longer in existence...sorry :( so come on out to Struttin' In The Ruts and support this family event.

Cousin Pat Ready For Some Four Wheelin'

Our guys know how to have fun when it comes to four wheelin' and Brian's cousin Pat is no exception.  He ran across this bad boy and swooped her up.  Now Pat is ready to join us Mud Diggers and trail crawlers with this 79 Jeep Wagoneer Golden Eagle on 44's.   Can't wait to hit the trails with Patrick and family this year :)

I Can't Wait for Days in Rodanthe this Summer

As you turn on to HWY. 12 South, at the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, you are not quite sure how to take what you are seeing (I know I couldn't) and what you are not seeing. Nature is what you are privileged to look at. No buildings or billboards assault you. For about ten minutes you ride only seeing nature, and then you come upon the Bonner Bridge, which crosses over the Pamlico Sound. This is the last connection you have to the rest of the world. When you cross the bridge you are now on Hatteras Island and I remember getting chills, at this point in our trip.

After crossing the Bonner Bridge, you will continue to see huge sand dunes on your left; they are all that separate you from the ocean. You can see the ocean between the valleys of the dunes. On your right is Pamlico Sound, which is in full view on most of your ride. 

The first village you come to is Rodanthe.  There are two adjoining villages; Waves and Salvo.  No traffic lights here. And there is only one franchised business, Dairy Queen. No Starbuck’s, McDonald’s, Burger King or Domino’s. Mom and pop restaurants and businesses are what they have here. The closest grocery store is 20 minutes away. You can get necessities from the privately owned gas stations/convenience stores.

You can literally have your feet in the ocean and in less than five minutes, you can walk over to the Palmellico Sound and put your feet in over there, as well as kite, wind surf or kayak. You can also walk from the beginning of Rodanthe to the end of Salvo in about two hours, depending on whether you walk on the road or the beach. Entire families can be seen not only walking to the beach, but down the street to The Conery for ice cream or up the street to Lisa’s Pizza for dinner.

The beaches are not crowded with people but full of wildlife. Pelicans, seagulls, sand pipers, porpoises, whales and horseshoe crabs are common sights here. Little sand crabs can be seen nervously scurrying in and out of their holes and large sand crabs come out and stare at you trying to figure out what you’re doing sitting right outside of their hole.

Rodanthe is still a pretty secluded place and certainly captivating. Some of nature’s finest works are all around you all day and all night. I am making my reservations now and cannot wait to make it back to the OBX this summer for fabulous Days and Nights in Rodanthe!!!

Super Bowl Weekend!!!

I love love love Super Bowl Weekend and look forward to throwing out the food and beverages for my friends and family every year!  Young and old gathered at my place this year to watch the game and laugh at the commercials.  WE had an absolute BLAST this year!  My neighbor and I even put on our own show at half time ;)  I ended up winning $50 in the football pool at work too...can't beat that.  Too bad my Steeler's couldn't pull it off but there's always next year.