The tree

Trees are ever so much more impressive laying down than they are standing up!!! If you look closely at the right of the pic, you can see Rosie standing by this trunk. The tree people were here Thurs and Friday and removed most of it, but the main trunk will be with us, at least for a while!! Luckily Rosie's garden remains unscathed!

May all your trees remain standing!!! c

The Roo moves to Georgia Tech!!

We were all excited to moved Rosie into her purple-durple room with her friend (and now roomie) Maureen this past Thursday. She fixed it all up cute with her Daddy's prints (selected by Rose), the afghan I made her and lots of purple help from her Aunt Ruthie. We are so proud of her and happy for all the opportunities her hard work now affords her!! Knock 'em dead Rosie!!!

Tough day for my dear friend....

Hard news today for my friend. Please hold her and her family close to you heart. Spent some time with her at the hospital late this afternoon.

Rosie and I had a day. We exercised and I trimmed her hair for her. The dryer was delivered and we have it up and running all by ourselves since the Sears people will not put the vent and electric cord on it unless you buy new ones, which I didn't want to do since the ones we had were perfectly fine! Anyhow, we got that done with careful reading of the directions. And....it is so quiet and actually WORKS!!! The clothes get dry. They are not burnt. AMAZING.

Brent and Fred got rid of the old non-working microwave on Sat before Fred left. Then, they returned the newly acquired non-functioning microwave and got another one that they insisted they check before leaving the store. SO....it works. Brent is in process of fixing the cabinet around it.

In fact, I thought my new shelf and cabinet would be all set when I got home from the hospital. But, no. Instead, he and Rosie were out in the yard working like crazy people, sawing off limbs and hauling them about from a HUGE tree that fell this afternoon. (Poor Rosie thought someone had run their car into the house when it fell!) Luckily, it did not hit the fence, nor the house, nor any person. It did not take out any other important trees including our willow, nor did it knock any other trees onto the fence. And even more importantly, it didn't hit the newly installed garden that Rosie created for me. Brent and Rosie got branches off azaleas and other things so they wouldn't be any worse damaged than they already were, but everything looks pretty good considering. We will have to get some folks in to cut up the rest and haul it off.

Sunday we took Fred-o to Knoxville. Moving in was the usual college bedlam of crowded, slow elevators (He lives on the 11th floor...a climb he, Brent and Rosie made many times!!) and general chaos. My job is more about sitting with "stuff" and making the bed. He was happy to be back with his friends and in his own place again. We miss him dreadfully...but it is as it should be.

Tired with all the events of the day. Hope yours was much less chaotic. - c

Busy week...

Hope your week was a good one. Spent some time at the hospital with my friend each day. Her daughter remains in intensive care and my heart just aches for them all.

We have Fred about ready to head out. Stayed home today to help him put things together. Later, Brent and I went shopping for a microwave (ours has been dead for a while) and a dryer. Yes, I think it is finally toast. Or at least, clothing that is put in it go through the "singe" cycle....heat that will render the most sturdy of fabrics forever changed into small wrinkled balls. So, after much examination (thanks to Brent's Internet research and shopping at various stores) we settled on both items from Sears, with the dryer to be delivered Monday and happily brought the microwave to its new home ourselves. But, functioning appliances are not in my destiny. Despite a perfectly intact box, the microwave had clearly been slammed against a cement wall or sat upon by a 400 pound gorilla...or...well, you get the picture. So, I guess it's back to Sears in the morning.

Rosie made special pizza for supper in honor of her brother. Then, we watched Mulan for old time's sake together. "Can't believe my baby is all grown up and saving China!!!"

Will be taking Fred up to Knoxville on Sunday. Can't believe my other baby is all grown up and off to his junior year...and can pick me up and sit me outside of his room when I try to get him to go through one more pile of junk in his closet.

Hope you have a great weekend. Love - c

Warm wishes for my friend...

We are all doing well here. The kids are excited about going off to school and Brent and I are pondering what we will do all by our lonesome...we do have a few ideas!!! Hope your summers are winding down in the best possible way.

I do ask that you send the warmest thoughts and best wishes to a dear friend and coworker and her family. Her 22 year old daughter had a lovely baby about a week ago. However, on Friday the new mom was stricken with seizures and has been in the hospital in intensive care (now here in Chattanooga) ever since. The Peds Care family is pitching in in such an amazing way, as they always do, but help me hold her hand today.

love- c

Kicking back.....

The kids and I are just chilling for the next couple of weeks. We're going to go shopping for school shoes!!! (HA!) tomorrow and have lunch out together. I want to get them an extra pair of running shoes before they leave. When I told Fred the plan, he said he didn't need any because he has a pair. I said, "But, Freddie, I always get you school shoes before you start the new term!" He just looked at me saying he really didn't need any right now. I told him he could keep them in the box until he did. So, then I got a Fred hug with a kiss and an, "OK, Mommy." He used to think new tennis shoes could make him run ever so much faster and jump way higher than his old shoes ever could!!!

Today I ran badly with Rosie!! It was SO hot and I waited too late in the day. I've promised to do better and run earlier with her from now on.

So, after our shoe shopping we don't have much left to do. We'll move Fred back to UT on the 14th and take Rosie down to GA Tech on the 19th. Not sure what it will be like around here without my lebchukens!! But, I go back to work at Peds Care on the 23rd so that will definitely keep me busy and I am really looking forward to it.

Stay cool - c

Such a lovely birthday.....

Thanks for the great trip, Rosie! We had all the girls (The Queen, Christina, Lady Sovereign, GaGa, Beyonce, Shakira, Gwen Stefani, and Adam Lambert), some angry testosterone (Eminen, Metallica, Dropkick Murphys, Pittbull, Don Omar, Kanye, and a little Bon Jovi for sweetness) to keep us jamming all the way to Prattville. It was fun. Once we got there we had a great time with Ruth and Kik and Rosie's cousins, Charlie, Shane and Becca. Plus on Thursday, Momma and Daddy joined us for a great lunch with Ruthie's amazing lasagna and special Birthday Peach Cobbler!!! You gotta love warm fruit!!! Right, Char?!!! :>)

Anyhow, Ruth's house is so great and looks just like her personality: open, warm and sunny. The kids and Kik and I worked to put in a Rose Garden with beautiful yellow Knock Out Roses that smell lovely in front of her porch. Charlie, Shane, and Rosie dug all the holes while Becca kept the ice water coming!! It was hot as the dickens but I had such a great time doing it! Thanks for playing in the dirt with me everybody!!!

Got back with no problems last night. It was great to get back to my boys and had a Special Birthday Breakfast this morning with Brent making me bacon and omelets! Delish! Plus, I got all kinds of warm birthday wishes from all my Peds Care buddies.

Thanks to all of you for making my 46 years so incredible.

"It's my life. It's now or never. I ain't gonna live forever. I just want to live while I'm alive. It's my life. My heart is like an open highway. Like Frankie said, I did it my way. 'Cause it's my life!" Bon Jovi

Love to each - c