with a lawn mower....

Q: What is the worst thing you can see on the road today?

A: That would be a builder with a lawn mower in the back of his truck.
that means it is a finished house that has not sold - get it??

So, we just got a contract on 1 of our houses. 1 down, 2 to go.

And Chris went off this am to mow the lawn at one of them.

Poor guy....

89...well at least it ain't 90!

Yesterday marked our first day in 27 days that the temperature stayed under 90. Yes that was 27 consecutive days over 90. And alot of them were right at 100.
Hopefully with school started it will stay a bit cooler.

the end of day one ...

calling out as she gets off the bus......I loooove middle school


My pack is heavy - are we done yet??

6th grade...

Sixth grade...middle school....11 years old...
All sorts of changes.
Brand new school.
Changing classes.
School starts early - have to leave at 7am!
Riding the bus home in the afternoon.
2 AIG classes every day.
Lockers! (This is what we are most excited about)

and from about 3 hours ago....
Yes this is not the best but my only full body shot:

Ain't she cute!

two cuts and some blonde...

Hannah and I went in yesterday to get my hair cut and highlighted and Hannah a back to school hairdo.
HollyHairdo (our hairstylist for the past few years) wanted to start with me and the color.
What do you want to do today? she asks.
Whatever you want I rely.
Holly laughs - I would make you blonde.
Blonde??
Yes, blonde highlights instead of red.
Hannah starts shouting - go for it Mom!
Okay, lets go blonde I tell her.
WooHoo, I am getting brave! And pretty scared. I have never been blonde. I've thought of myself as a redhead for years but the red has really faded so for the past year i have had red highlights added.

Now it is Hannah's turn (while my color is setting) and she shows Holly some pictures. Hannah wants to take off some of the length - maybe 4-5 inches and add some long bangs and make it fun. So HollyHairdo gives her the "weedeater". Kinda choppy, layered ends, just past the collar bone, real choppy long bangs. Looks real cute but I wish she had gone a little shorter. Maybe next time.

Pictures to follow - we will be shooting on the first day of school. Hannah, not me.

BTW - I am not that blonde. I look sun bleached maybe. Holly backed off a little when she could tell I was starting to freak a little about being too blonde. It's ok but I think next trip I might go back to the red.

the beach...part 3....a full house

On Thursday am, Ashley's mom, dad, sis and a friend (Sara) came down to stay with us for the last couple of day. We had hoped they'd come for longer but work got in the way. Anyway, they arrived early thurs. am so we could spend the day on the beach. (Well kinda early since they got lost enroute.)

It was a breezier day than we'd had so far and the water was pretty rough. The girls boogie boarded, the adults played bocce ball and we all enjoyed the beach. That evening Tony and Susaan took us all to dinner - a table for eight please! We really enjoyed having the full house.



here are the four girls:

Friday's beach weather was not so great. The breeze turned into a pretty forceful wind and the water was even rougher. It was hard for the girls to go out at all, the waves were crashing hard and the current pulled you down the beach fast. Hannah had woken up not feeling well and even went up to the house to take a nap. Yikes - she must be sick! We all gave up on the beach early, showered and went souvenior shopping. Tony picked up pizza and Thai - so we ate in, packed up, and Hannah and Ashley watched High School Musical 2 - we COULD NOT miss that. Well, 2 eleven year old girls COULD NOT MISS IT.

This shot of Ashley is from Friday - the haze is from the water/mist/salt in the air. Almost looks spooky.

Here is a group shot - notice the wind is howling still. The camera almost blew off the table I'd set up for some height:


Sadly, Saturday we had to go home - and the weather was GORGEOUS. It was by far the nicest morning we had seen. The sky was crystal clear, the waves were gentle, the day was perfect for the beach. But no....we had to go. So we packed it up and before we headed out Ashley took some family shots for us (think Christmas card here).

All in all, a nice week at the beach. We loved having Ashley with us (she is a good kid!) and really enjoyed having 2 families there for a while. Mayb again next year....whattyathink Suze??

the beach ...part 2...sea turtles

On my early morning walk Monday, i discovered a newly laid loggerhead sea turtle nest. You could see where the turtle had come ashore and drug herself through the sand onto the dunes, dug a hole to lay the eggs then return to the sea. The sand looked all torn up and her flipper marks showed clearly. A sea turtle volunteer who was daily monitoring the shoreline marked the nest, dated the eggs and cordoned off the area to protect the nest.

The next evening there was a activity at a nest near our house, the nest was dated June 20th. The sand at the nest was collapsing as the turtle hatchlings started to break from the shells. The volunteers said the nest was 55 days old - perfect timing for hatching. Then the volunteers got busy creating a sand pathway from the nest to the water hoping to help the turtles get to the water and avoid heading to the houses where lights might be shining.

Chris and I returned right around 9pm to see if anything was happening with the nest. Our timing was perfect for just as we arrived, about 100 turtle hatchings bubbled up from the sand as they left the nest. A volunteer shown a light at the end of the pathway at the water's edge. The turtles made their way down the path toward the light and the waves.

It was quite chaotic with over 30 observers,too many flashlights and a bit of turtle confusion. But all the hatchlings made it to the water where instinct took over. It was fascinating to watch, something we may never see again - watching endanged loggerhead turtles hatch and migrate into the ocean.

the beach... part 1

We arrived at the beach Saturday afternoon, went to the grocery store then on to the house. We loved the little house. This year we stayed 2nd row instead of oceanfront. The walk was barely farther than across the street and since we were right on the corner, we basically walked down the steps, across the street and thru the dunes. We really loved the little house and will probably return to it again next year.

Ashely and Hannah had their room with 2 twin beds and a TV. All they needed. We unpacked then went over to Keiths for dinner. Keith's entire family had been in town for an annual family beach trip, but Sat. night it was keith and cynthia, keiths sister and husband and keith's mom. Keith's sister had her birds and kitten there so the 2 girls were entertained.

Keith promised to take the girls out for ice cream in his beach cruiser convertible called the banana boat (big yellow old time beach cruiser). Ashley comes in afterwards with chocolate splashed all over her - driving in a convertible and eating ice cream do not mix.

Sunday and monday we spent on the beach. It was great beach weather - hot, sunny, breezy. The girls spent alot of time either boogie boarding or building sandcastles. On the first day, they both got sand sores on thier bellies from rubbin sand and boogie boards so they had to board in Tshirts after that.

Tuesday, with sore stomachs, we took a day off from the beach and took the ferry over to fort fisher to see the acquarium and have lunch. After 6+ visits to the acquarium, we figure it is time to find a new off beach excursion. The ferry ride is fine but the acquarium is becoming old hat.

Later....part II...the sea turtles!

world cup soccer

Team England won by a slim margin....in 100 degree heat.....

another story for you....

So.
You know, it seems alot of my posts start with So.... Yes, that is a warning that there is a story to follow. So, today I locked my self out of the house in my underwear - remember that one. Anyway....

So, as you know we are hosting a young man from England - Francis - he is teaching a daily soccer camp and we are his host family. We have not had alot of time to entertain him - probably pretty boring in ol' Denver, NC.

Today, it was 102 out. After camp we had lunch and went down to the lake to swim. Francis asked if I would take a picture of him lazying on the lake to send to his mum and dad.
Sure I will and I pull out his nifty BRAND NEW little digital camera.

As I go to take the picture, hannah has to get on his raft and mess around. Hannah - get out of the way. And I take a step backwards to try and get a better shot and lean over and.....

fall into the lake from the dock. {insert snickers here}

As I am falling I try to toss the camera onto the dock. I land and they are going "are you all right??" And I am going....where's the camera????

Well, the camera did not land on the dock. We had to fish it out of the mud. Not good.

Tomorrow I will head to Hickory while Hannah is at camp to replace the camera.....the mud did it in. {sigh}

And with that....i am signing off for the week....heading to the beach...unless there is a wireless connection there, then i can fill you in on our adventures or is that misadventures....

a mere twenty years ago...

Do you all remember at our wedding....little 2 year old Lori in her cute pink fluffy dress....had to be in all the pictures.....dancing on dad's toes........

Well that was then.....this is now......

its a sad day...

Yesterday, we came home from a BJ's trip and hannah went next door to give the doggies a bone. She came running back - mom, come quick, it's Truman, he is laying in the yard not moving.

So I ran over and yes, he was there tail thumping but otherwise just laying there breathing hard, not moving. I called Kurt to let him know - something is very wrong, please come home quick.

Kurt has been worried that Truman was not feeling well and had taken him to the vet the NIGHT BEFORE, gotten all sorts of tests, xrays, etc.. and the vet had found nothing wrong.

So Kurt was in Charlotte but headed home - but it is quite a commute. I sat in the yard with Truman, trying to get some water in him, petting him and letting him know someone was with him. No idea how long he'd been laying there before hannah found him but I sat with him for an hour and the only thing that moved were his eyes and tail.

Kurt and Chris moved him inside and Chris and I left.

Kurt told me this morning that he did not make it thru the night.

So, it will be a little tough here for a few days. They have lost both of their dogs in a few months - Cody had cancer and now Truman.

more shots.....

love the pool water in the background here...


this pose would be one of my favorites - but in trying to lighten it everyone looks dead. I will keep trying to keep shirts white but skin tone - well, more alive...

more.....

these are a couple that hannah took -