Fun times with family in Charlotte

Where are you?

Well some of you know but some of you don't. I am still in NC!! My husband's sister, her husband and daughter will be coming this weekend from MD and I haven't seen them in over a year. So I stayed here an extra week to see them. I hope I know my way home! I will have been gone 4 weeks. I have had such a great time here though. The kids are growing up so fast and they all are so different. The kids go back to school Friday. Oh so soon yet they are complaining about being bored. Oh to be a child again. I helped Kyle in his office yesterday. That was a good change of pace. He LOVES to give me a bad time about anything and everything so that opportunity was wide open yesterday. He is terrible! But I hope it is all in fun. Lance's Uncle Paul drove 1 1/2 hours to spend the night last night. It was great seeing him and it is great he is living so close to family. Well the pool is calling me so I will end for now. Hope you are having a great summer!

The Rope

Hope this blesses you as it has me.

http://www.ticz.com/homes/users/bob/The-Rope/The-Rope.htm

London

Kyle just called and they are all fine. Having a great time with the kidos. Pops drove from Maryland today to spend a few days here. It is great seeing him. I'll post photos when I get a chance. We are off to go to dinner.

Good times...good times 

Friends are such a blessing! 

Julie & Shawna in Charlotte 

Cindy, Chase & Jane 

Jennifer & Shawna 

Olive Garden outing while in Alabama 

Humidity..humidity...humidity

Well that says it all. We are enjoying and thanking God for air conditioning. I know when Kyle (Lance's brother) receives his energy bill next month I am sure I will hear about it but it is hot and the compressor is running constantly. Can I help that my Montana genes are never going to get along with humidity? How am I to effectively watch children if I am not cooled? When I am overheated, I am not a happy camper. So for the safety of everyone involved, I will continue to run the air conditioner while Kyle, Dagmar and Kara are enjoying their time in London. They left on Monday. Laura and Shane have been so good. They are great kids, when they aren't picking on each other, which they do more in the presence of their parents. Funny how kids are that way. They are making me feel so old though and that doesn't make me happy. We were talking about London and Princess Diana came up. The children didn't know who she was. How devistating! Guess that is the new generation. They can tell me what is happening on The Real World (MTV show) but can't recite some aspects of World History. That is an eye opener for me. Maybe today we will try and get some ounce of coolness by swimming or maybe just baking inside with the blessing of cool air.

The first triplets adopted in China

WOW! My heart skipped a beat when I received this exciting news of a family getting triplets! Aren't they adorable?

A new poochers?

No it is actually my friend Karen's dog, Roxy. She is a sweetie! Simba is still getting use to her but I know someday they will be great friends.

Crazy summer....mid July already?

It has been super hot here the past week, in the mid 90s. But I am not complaining. It cools off a bit at night so that is a blessing. When we get a breeze, it is a cool breeze and feels so great. In Texas, we didn't look forward to the warm breeze. It would never cool off, even at night. Well I am heading to Wadley, AL for a couple of days and then onto Charlotte, NC to be with family. It will be a nice change. Summer is going quickly. Guess I am keeping busy enough. I spend the 4th at a BBQ with some great friends. It was nice being around them and having some great fellowship. Well today I am off to get Simba a haircut, oil changed in the car, tires rotated. Fun, fun. I'll try to update while I am away. Received some great news. Lance's sister Nikki is pregnant! YEAH HOO! Another baby in the family! They live in Vermont so we don't get to see them very often. Hopefully we will be able to make a trip up there sometime. I would love to see that area of the country. Happy July to you & yours!

Non VIP section AKA Spectator Section

We had just received our VIP passes and left this exact spot. Then Ty comes out to shake hands!

Not groupies but VIPs!

We arrived at 9:30am to standing in line about an hour waiting for a bus to take us to the site. Karen, who I had just met on Tues., agreed to go muster the strength to wait all day for the reavealing. It was so stinking hot by 1pm we thought we were going to die. Around 3:30pm, I saw a friend who had VIP passes and she and her son were leaving. They graciously gave us their passes and we got our second wind! We were able to get some much needed shade and were able to be just across from the house for the revealing. We had a great spot to get some great photos. It was an awesome day! I loved getting to know Karen and am thankful God sent her to me. She lives one block away and we are excited about making cards together. 2 people have called me a groupie since I went to this site to look at the house being built but can a VIP be a groupie? I think not!

YES! They finished in time. The reveal was AMAZING! The family was so appreciative. I still get goose bumps thinking about it.

The house is coming along. Will they be done in time? They are only 15 minutes behind schedule.

Ed coming to tell us he will sign autographs tomorrow after the revealing. He was so nice to us.

Ty shots from another EMHE groupie

Extreme heat

Wow! It is so hot where they are doing Extreme Makeover Home Edition that they should be calling it Extreme Heat! Tomorrow is the revealing to the family. They were wisked off on some secret vacation and will be returning home tomorrow to a brand new home. I am hoping to be there but who knows how many other will want to attend. You have to be there by 10am and they say the revealing isn't until 5pm. I think it will be earlier than that but they are estimating. I am so happy to have been able to see the transformation and to meet some of the designers and carpenters. They are normal folks but have a heart for helping others. This show will not air until the fall but I guess it will be worth the wait. So untill tomorrow........................
I sure hope I can get a photo of Ty. He has been too busy to come and see the crowd very much.

You can see the folks 2 doors down (behind Paul). The show is paying them $500 so they can fix their yard back to normal. We are standing in someone's yard and it is trashed. 

Paul...such a nice guy! 

Paul came to sign autographs. 

Lots and lots going all. It has to be finished Wednesday when they do the unvailing. They will air show this this fall. 

Front of the house 

That is Preston in the middle with the dark blue shirt on. 

Landscaping will be beautiful

2 HUGE rocks being put into the front yard

Progress today...still a lot of volunteers. Yes that is copper on the roof.  

Extreme Makeover in Clarksville, TN

I just had to go see for myself what all the hype is about. I haven't seen all the episodes of Extreme Makeover but the ones I have seen are wonderful. They rebuild from the foundation up a home of someone who needs a new home. It really helps the homeowner and of course they have a story that will make anyone cry. Here is the article of the folks who they are rebuilding their home here in Clarksville, TN, about 3 miles from Fort Campbell.
http://www.theleafchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050625/NEWS01/506250305/1002
and also
http://www.theleafchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050625/NEWS01/506250306/1002
and probably the best story
http://www.campbell.army.mil/Newinternet/news/newsstory.asp?ndid=95

I'll probably go back. They will reveal the home on Weds. So I will try and make it for that. I am surprised more folks weren't out there watching. You can watch just from across the street. No sign of Ty but he was injured Friday when a cabinet hit him in the head. Maybe he was resting. They say he does come out to give autographs.