C'mone Irene! (& a DIY Kids Roadway to Pass the Time)

She came, she saw and she took lots of T-shirts. 


Fortunately, we were blessed in that we had very little damage to our yard.

There was truly a calm after the storm. 

You could sense the worst was over because the birds in our yard that flew away to escape Irene all later congregated back to their home as if nothing had happened. It was minutes before the sun emerged and you would have never known there was a storm.

Outside our little abode was another story. 

We visited the streets we regularly walk on and drive at the beach. They were completely flooded and many homes were part way under water.

 One of the main streets at the beach was completely flooded and waist-deep with water.

The water became so deep that Hunter was no longer able to walk in it so Dave had to carry him on his shoulders.

 It did make for some serious puddle jumping. Both kids cried when we told them it was time to leave.

We made the most of our 48 hours with no power and being disconnected from the outside world.


The kids were reintroduced to the ipod Touch which they had not seen since our flight to Atlanta.

We ate....a lot. 

 We took walks and we just enjoyed spending time together with no to-do's or time restraints.

 Thursday night before the storm I decided to create this bad boy of a roadway.

I used and old cardboard box, acrylic paints, one piece of scrapbooking paper and foam letters and shapes.

 Hunter is not into cars but Sissy loves them. Hunter has a fascination for letters and words so I decided to make it fun for both of them by creating a roadway for the cars and trucks and labeling items on the roadway with letters.

 All in all, this project took me about 25 minutes and it was really fun to make!

 It was one of those days on Friday so I made waffles laced with winter squash and sweet potatoes using our super cool waffle maker (thank you Grammy!).

When the kids got up they were fascinated with the new roadway. Hunter pointed out all of the letters and asked for help in sounding out the words he didn't know.

Sissy immediately picked up the trucks and started driving them on the road. (I know my kids!)

The roadway got multiple hours of play time during all of the indoor time this weekend but, we have since packed it up and will bring it back out in a week or two when it will be new and exciting all over again.


Until then, we are enjoying the calm after the storm that comes in rainbows and sunshine.

Life Lessons

When I look back over my life, it's the small, almost insignificant moments that are the ones that still remain with me. It's not the pot-boiled-over-obvious-moments but, the seemingly quiet events and happenings that made the biggest impact on me as a person and have molded me into who I am today.

Now that I am grown with children of my own, I know that I have to treat every minute and every moment with care because I don't know if that's going to be the one that speaks loudest to those around me and stays with them hours, months and years after it has passed.

I have held off on writing about one particular event that happened last month because I couldn't find the words to describe how full it made my heart really feel. I didn't know if it would settle deep into the recesses of my son's being but, after weeks of hearing him talk about that particular day, I know it did.

I don't know if he'll remember this moment a month from now or five years from now but, because it burned a marking on my own heart, I hope that it will.

This special moment took place while we were down in Georgia.

My father, an avid fisherman, took my son to catch his very first fish.

 (Getting geared up in the fishing vest P-Pa bought Hunter. 

A must-have for any fisherman.)

***(Click here and copy/paste this link into a new window so you can listen to this song while reading the rest of the post.)***

 (Hunter waited patiently while P-Pa loaded up the fishing boat.)

 (As you can tell by his hands, he was eager with anticipation.)

 (P-Pa talked to Hunter about the sounds he was hearing, how to paddle a boat

and what they were going to use to bait the hook.)

 P-Pa let Hunter paddle the boat,

 and steer the motor.

 (This is one of my all-time favorite photos. I captured the moment--he is looking

right at my Dad with eyes of full admiration and my Dad has no idea he's being watched.)

 (Hunter felt the need to check the water conditions often.)

Hunter really practiced patience as we waited for the fish. He kept attempting to lure the fish by singing, "Here fishy, fishy. Eat that worm!" over and over again.

And persistence paid off...

 (Just look at the delight on his face!)

 (....and my dad's face.)

 After a brief lesson on a fish's mouth, 

 we unhooked him, said goodbye and set him free so he could swim back to his family.

 While walking back to the car, we encountered this friendly fellow which topped Hunter's thick-frosted cake with a big, fat cherry.

Not only did my dad teach Hunter the importance of patience but, how to use a steady hand, and that the very best things in life are worth waiting for yet, they don't always come in the biggest of packages.

That day was a gift to my son as well as me because my dad taught my son one of life's greatest lessons--how to fish.

"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."

-Chinese Proverb

One day we will have a boat and we'll go out on the ocean and ride a pony on that boat but, for now, I'm just as happy if only with my memory of two of my favorite boys in our own little boat. (Thank you Dad! I love you!)