A Day in Marietta, GA

Today was May-Retta (an arts and crafts festival) days on the Square in Marietta, GA. This is the town in which we live. You may think that the name is b/c it is a festival in May, but....is is really the PROPER Southern way of pronouncing our city. Mayretta!!! Anyway it was a ton of fun and we got alot of cute things. Some frames, flip flops and frozen sweet tea. What could be better. The weather was beautiful and the little munchkin had FUN!!

We did face painting. Abbie got her FAVORITE- Scooby Doo (or so she says!!!)

Here's Scooby Up Close and Personal

There was a fun Jumpy House

This is the first firetruck the City of Marietta ever purchased. Look at that cute firefighter!


We also got to paint some "pottery"- GOOD TIMES


We had so much fun and can't wait until the next year!!!

Happy Belated Birthday- Randy Elrod

This post comes a day late but it still had to be done. Actually, since Randy know us so well, I don't think he would expect anything less!! Better late than never right??

Randy Elrod is one super amazing man. He and his wonderful wife Chris, were a family to us during a very transitional time in our lives. When we moved to Tennessee they were the ones there with open arms inviting us into their family. We fell in love with Randy, Chris and his girls. Randy began to mentor my husband on a weekly basis. Since Mark lost his dad at an early age this allowed for a "father" figure that had been lacking for many years. We would dine, laugh, and dream with Randy. He is always thinking outside of the box when many of us are trying to get comfortable in the cozy little box we are in!!! He took our church to a level that few had seen. He went through some major tough times and through it all he was a beacon, strength and encourager. If someone made me describe Randy in one word it would be- SMILING. He is FOREVER smiling. Good, bad or ugly he will give you his token smile that makes you happy. Randy has given us a model of parenting that I think we will forever uphold. He encourages Mark to "date" his girls. Make time for your wife and your kids. Always be there as a friend, but let them know you are the leader and example as well. He has shown us how to love and be loved. We will forever be grateful for the friendship he has given and continues to give us. He is always there for Mark whenever he needs it. We are honored to continue to dream with this gifted man. Even though we are miles apart there is no doubt that about 8 years ago we forged a bond that will never be broken.
Randy, thank you for your love, your support, your challenges and your beautiful heart. We are truly blessed that you were born some ?? years ago. (see I didn't tell !!!! :) )
With love!!!

Biker Chick

My big girl is growing up. She LOVES to ride her bike. She is so proud. I am so proud. I can't believe how quickly she is growing up. I am glad this is the only thing on wheels that we will be sporting for now!!!

The Lee Family

Aren't we cute. Don't you love PhotoBooth!!! Enjoy

You Wanna Be A Rockstar?

Today I read a friend's blog. This particular blog generally makes me laugh or question what my view is on a particular matter. Today's reading made me question and comment. This I rarely do. I have known Shaun for many years. We attended the same church when Mark and I lived in Tennessee. He is in the same industry that my husband is in- yet, now to a different degree. With that being said he was very real and honest in his feelings about the Christian Music Industry, or the music industry in general. I gave my heartfelt comments in a totally different view and this seemed to excite Shaun. He has encouraged me to do this post.

Let it be said in both cases it is not a who's right or wrong. It is a this is how it is for you, this is how it is for me. Shaun also raised some very real questions that he encouraged me to answer. So, here goes.
Shaun:

Stephanie is a friend - a friend I don’t see much, but a friend. And I totally agree that there are folks like her and Mark (he’s in Third Day) who “succeed” and remain healthy in marriage and faith. But it’s hard. I think you’d agree, Stephanie, as someone who’s made the effort and fought the good fight, that’s very very hard to do at times. And, as part of a band, I think you’d agree, your husband and you give up some (a lot?) of control over your lives to the other members of the band, the product cycle, the demands of marketers and radio stations and label types and contracts and managers. And, if those folks who have a say in how your life will be lived, don’t see things as you do, don’t share your priorities, your life can become difficult/impossible. Agree with all that, Stephanie? It’s hard.

Stephanie: Never ever in a million year's have I said that my life or what Mark does is NOT hard. I think anyone who has a "normal" job (IE: working for the man) has it hard. They give up of themselves a little everyday to make a living and support their families. Yet, I have been fortunate enough to have a spouse who "LOVES" his job. To quote my daughter- it's like he's always on vacation. See that is how we feel about his job. Please don't take that the wrong way. This is a job. He has tons of emails a day with decisions to make. As a shareholder in any company would have. But in general he leaves the house and gets to enjoy his job, minister to others and spend time with his best friends. Therefore I would have to disagree with Shaun in that NONE of the other members of our band control our lives. You see from the beginning of the band, back when the earth was cooling, the boys established that if anyone had a major issue about something they wouldn't do it. This has allowed that they decide collectively what will and will not be done. As for the other powers that be- they will strongly advise that things be done, but I assure you, if it were to conflict with our family, or any others, that it would not be done. NO MATTER THE BENEFITS. We make sure that all parties that we work with have our same priorities or at least know that we will not veer from them. A good example would be Nashville. In the beginning we were "told" to make it we had to be in Nashville, well- as you all know, Third Day is and will always be an Atlanta based band. They stood firm, dug their heels in and did whatever they had to to make it work- from home. Mark and I lived in Nashville for 5 years b/c we wanted to not b/c we had to. Mark is a songwriter and was spending tons of time up there. At the time it made sense to be there, when we had a daughter, we moved home b/c it didn't make sense anymore- being close to our families was more important.

Shaun:

Let’s imagine we’re in Third Day. Incredibly successful band. Great guys. Much respect here. Imagine you’re in the band. Your life is shared with and partially governed by a business called Third Day, and one called Creative Trust, and one called Provident Music Group and the wives of the other guys in the band and on and on. Your dates are planed out months in advance and secured with contracts. You can’t just take a vacation when you need one. You have to have permission in some form. That’s just normal work/community stuff right? You can’t just leave the tour and come home because you’re needed or just wanted or because your kids miss you. You can’t sit together in church most Sundays. You can’t always make the Christmas party or the garage sale or… It’s hard. And Stephanie and Mark and others have dealt with the difficulty well. Very well from what I see on the outside. But not everyone does or can though. I can’t do that. I’m not made for that. Most artists I’ve known have dropped out within two years of signing (I just counted 13) - because it’s hard - harder in a band - harder when no one warns you upfront about what this life is like. Labels don’t. Managers don’t. I am. Prepare yourself, I’m saying, get ready for it, eyes open, be alert, talk to your wife about all this now, set boundaries now, find wise counsel now, weigh the costs now, then do what you’re called to do in the healthiest way you can.

Stephanie: Thank you for the kind comments. First, for 10 years Third Day was managed by Creative Trust, needing a change- as some folks do we are now managed by Red Light Management. Ok, having cleared that up, yes I can look into next year and tell you where Mark will be on any given day. I can also look into next year and tell you when I will be able to take off to the beach with my family on any given week. You see, Third Day has a system. Foolproof- NO, but very, very workable- YES. We know what days we have and don't have to be an entire family unit. Again, is it hard, YES. For a few days out of the week I am a single mom. On the other hand for a few days out of the week I have my husband at home ALL DAY. I think any person with a job experiences the stress of balancing work and family. I feel we have it a little easier. If we need off, as long as we give enough notice (as anyone would have to do) we get it. No boss to answer to. A "normal" employee can't just take off work to be with their child who just needs a hug. Work is hard, but necessary. What about the traveling salespeople, bus drivers, truck drivers, ball players or more importantly the service men that are gone for 15 months at a time. It is not easy for ANYONE. If we want to exist in society we have to make money, thereby we have to make sacrifices. It has been hard, there have been squabbles, there have been tears, there have been gatherings attended alone but what I like to remember the most is there has been much laughter, joy and life experiences beyond my wildest dreams. I am not preaching that this is a fairy tale, but at times it sure feels great. A husband/daddy that gets to spend the entire day with his child for the majority of the week. Who could ask for more. I think the whole key here is balance, determination, drive, willingness, calling and mostly BOUNDARIES. If you don't set parameters in the beginning you quite easily can be pushed and pulled in too many directions.

In conclusion let me say. We love our life. I think everyday how fortunate I am to be married to a man who loves me, loves my family but most importantly love the Lord and desires to spread that love via his music. Comparatively, I think Shaun has the same goals for his life- just different styles of management. That is not bad, or good. It is what it is. I just want to stress that it's not all about being consumed by the business side of life. Regardless of who or what you do. I agree, make sure this life is for you. If you don't think you can handle it DON'T. but don't let the fear of what the "powers that be" will make you do scare you away either. You can have your cake and eat it too! I PROMISE.

To quote Mark's dad- "if you don't love what you do, there is no reason to do it!!"

GARAGE SALE!

Well, we made it back safely from our trip. Now we are diving into the wonderful world of getting rid of stuff. We moved in our new house a year ago and basically filled up a room in the basement that consists of boxes and boxes of stuff labeled "garage sale". We were committed to move in, unpack and a few weeks later have a garage sale. As we were getting it together a wise friend, I really can't remember who, said "you might want to check into that, I bet your subdivision doesn't allow garage sales". Whatever, I'm from the South. That's what you do. You recycle your stuff to get some other stuff, right? NOPE. We checked the covenants of the subdivision (or better yet, asked my brilliant neighbor who seems to know all the hood info). GUESS WHAT- NO GARAGE SALES ALLOWED. Ok, put a for sale sign in the yard. I ain't livin' in a hood that don't allow garage sales. (Just Kidding) cause you see, we spent 18 months desigining, building and pulling our hair out over this hear home. I ain't goin' NOWHERES.

To the point. I get a newsletter the other day that says we are having a subdivision garage sale. Basically we all put our crap out for 1 day (April 26) from 8-2 and then at 2:01 we best have the crap back in the garage or else face the consequenses. Don't get me wrong the folks we live near are great but they are serious about following the rules. For the record- I'm not such a good rule follower, neither is my husband for that matter. We kinda "buck" the system when we can- only in good ways. Seriously, just ask my parents- um..... better yet DON'T. Ok, back to the issue. So here we are sorting, tagging, and wondering if we really can live without that cheese grinder we have never opened. Please pray for us. We are not the terribly "organized" sort. Two left handers, our minds do tend to wander. Maybe the thesis blog post about garage sales will help you better understand that!!!! Anyway, if you are around April 26th, have nothing better to do between the hours of 8am-2pm. Come on by. We would love to sell you some used stuff.

If you can't get by we are happy to take photos and let you "shop" via photos!!! Sounds like fun right.

Don't be late. For at 2:01 PM all junk will be swiftly placed in the trash, given away or stored back in the basement until the next appointed garage sale date!!!

SPRING BREAK!!

I love being a mom. You get to have Spring Break all over again. Can you believe it. A whole week off. No school, no packing lunches, no getting up early (thanks to grandma!!). The tour is over and Mark is off work for an entire 5 days. We are in heaven. We are on a trip with his mom and stepdad. Having fun, relaxing and enjoying family. There will be minimal posts this week so go have fun elsewhere!!! But come back for all the excitement of our lives next week.

Daddy's Little Girl

We recently went with Mark to some shows. Abbie was dying to ride on the "Fird Day" bus. So we packed ourselves up and braved the cold, windy weather and headed to Nashville (after being in Athens) for a little show at this thing called a NASCAR race. It was really cool being at the track and hearing the roar of the engines at the start. I don't know how safe all the gas fumes were for the unborn baby, but hey!!!! Anyway, our buddy Dalewas there taking some amazing photos and he snagged this one that is about the most precious thing I have ever seen and had to share. Hope it makes you smile as much as it did me.

It's A....

GIRL!!!

We found out a few days ago that our new little bundle will be a girl. According to technology at least!! We are very happy and "she" is doing great. Measuring BIG. If you knew me when I had my first you aren't surprised by that fact. We are still discussing names but the munchkin has has dubbed her "Scooby-Doo". WOW. Sad thing is that since we are undecided Mark and I have been calling her Scooby. Could be worse I guess!!

We are blessed and thrilled that the Lord has blessed us with another female. I really feel for poor Mark.
wife+
2 daughters+
female pet
____________
too much girlness!!

I will say that Mark is an amazingly, super, fantastic, play pretend girl daddy!!!
HOORAY FOR PINK!!!

Proud Wife

I just have to give an ode to my awesome husband. He has had some heavy stuff going on the last few weeks and he has prevailed like a true champ. Something has been happening in this house that has rarely if ever happened in the 10 years we have been married. Just about daily Mark will practice. Now, don't get me wrong- Mark usually will pick up his guitar and fiddle around with it consistently. I am talking about sitting down with music and working out parts, figuring out what to play, sorting out chords, etc. At one point the callouses on his fingers were so thick that his iphone wouldn't even recognize that he was touching it. OUCH.

When he is on the road, I will call and ask what he is doing. Practicing he will say. Dude, relax and go to the movies like you normally do. All this to say, I am so very proud of him and the way he has really stepped up his game to a level that I don't even know if he thought he had. You're in the big leagues now boy. No behind the scenes might not be turned all the way up covering up mistakes for you!!!

I have had the pleasure of seeing about 4 shows with the boys. Each one has given at least 150%. People can say what they will but change can be good. Third Day has grown up and realized they have to all give their best. That being said, I am very impressed and it just makes me smile knowing that Mark is realizing just how amazing I have always thought he was. So, if you are reading this hunny, I LOVE YOU and am proud of you and it is truly an honor to be your wife.

Preschool Birthday Parties

Sorry it has been so long in posting. We have been very, very busy. I will catch you up in due time. What I do want to post about is Preschool Birthday parties. These little shindigs crack me up.

First was a fun party for Abbie's little friend Perrin. Now Perrin is the cutest, sweetest, most adorable little girl I have ever met. She LOVES, LOVES, LOVES my husband. She wants to learn to play the guitar because of him. How cute. Although, one day Mark was at Abbie's school and Perrin said "hey, I know you". Mark replies, "oh, have you seen me play with Third Day". Perrin says, "NO, you were the pirate at Abbie's party", (and we use the term "pirate" loosely) can you say HUMBLING!!! Maybe another reason I love her.


I do digress, OK so we are at Monkey Joes- a jumpy house place. There are 9 million kids running around jumping, screaming, playing- WOW. So I am standing there talking to a friend and her daughter comes up with puke all over her. She is crying that someone in the jumpy house threw up on her!!! Seriously- that is GROSS!! So we get her cleaned up and luckily I had another set of clothes in the car that she could borrow. Then we go have pizza and cake. Can we say chaos. As kids are climbing on and under the table I try and figure out how we are going to feed them. It worked! Pizza was consumed, cake eaten, juice boxes enjoyed and kids back playing. All in all a success.

Onward to tomorrow, another party for a friend in ballet. We are having a cooking party. Excuse me, did someone just say 4 and 5 year olds cooking? Do I have to go? Can I get ill and leave? This sounds like work not fun for me. I thought the purpose of a preschool party was to take child to establishment for said period of time, have extended period of active time while moms catch up on latest happenings, feed sugar then release to parentals. I didn't sign up for work. Maybe there will be other adult supervisors. Better yet, maybe I can feign sickness and one of the grandparents can take her! It will be fun. Please pray for me, especially if we have to eat what they cook!!!

I was spending some quality time on the computer yesterday (is that really possible?) There was this great little test I took. Let me tell you, most of these things are a bit of a crock to me. This one was spot on. It pretty well describes me to a tee. If you know me you will probably agree. I should probably try to work on that "brash" part- am I brash???? I guess so.
What are you???

You Are An Exclamation Point

You are a bundle of... well, something. You're often a bundle of joy, passion, or drama. You're loud, brash, and outgoing. If you think it, you say it. Definitely not the quiet type, you really don't keep a lot to yourself. You're lively and inspiring. People love to be around your energy. You excel in: Public speaking You get along best with: the Dash

What Punctuation Mark Are You?

I am TOTALLY a MOM!!!

The other day I was watching some late night TV and saw a commercial to see these guys OK, besides my friend Lillian, I am the biggest Bon Jovi fan I have ever met!!! So, I decided to order up some tickets the next morning. That morning as I was on Ticketmaster my little girl found this. I'm just gonna let you guess which one I ended up with tickets to that day! I am a sucker. She was so excited about seeing the Pony Teaparty. How could I resist. She was sleepy eyed, messy hair and had the cutest gown on. Seriously, I have a heart! So then I think- OK, I have made a huge sacrifice. I am going to just see what kind of seats are left for my 2nd favorite band. (I have to say that b/c I might offend my husband since this should be my favorite band, but I think deep down he knows the truth. To be fair I was introduced to the boys from New Jersey before the boys from Georgia- RIGHT???)
I do digress.... so I check the calendar b/c I have been schlepped to more concerts than I care to mention and if I'm going to head to the ATL I surely need a driver. Well low and behold, guess who has a show on May 1!!! Dang it. So tonight I take a look thinking, hey maybe those folks in Kentucky decided they didn't need Third Day to come so let's check the Bon Jovi seat availability. Guess what I found!!!! BON JOVI ADDED A SHOW ON APRIL 30!!!! NO THIRD DAY SHOW THAT DAY- guess I need to finish this blog and grab some tickets. Maybe I should ask the husband first- NAH!!! Wish me luck

I LOVE THURSDAYS!

When I was several years younger Friday was my day. Now that I am older and don't have the "what am I gonna do this weekend" feel, I have changed to Thursday. Here is why. My little girl doesn't have school, dance, gymnastics, etc. There is nothing on the docket. We can sleep in- be lazy in our PJ's, go to lunch with whomever we please, have fun at Target and mostly just stay at home and play outside having crazy adventures. Today we had a Silly String fight- with pink silly string of course! The only thing that is missing is our daddy. He is normally at work on Thursdays, but then again that gives us "girl" time.

Dressing Room Art

Having a 4 year old is quite entertaining (as most of you know). My little one LOVES to do art and drawing. She also loves to have you draw something and guess what it is. Well here we will showcase some of the art she asked us to draw as we were in the dressing room at one of Mark's shows recently.

This is the Third Day bus that a blimp landed on!


Self Portrait


Her Dinner Plate


This is my favorite. It is a house that she then took to our Bass player Tai and he "embellished" it with the guitars and the "ROCK THE HOUSE"- Funny, Funny!!!

Spring Training 2008

Well, we have returned from our Spring Training trip and I promised you some highlights. Ended up that my dad, mom and little sprout went down to Orlando for the games.

Of course, since the Braves train at Disney my little one decided we needed to go. It was a great time. Weather was perfect. Sunny but not too hot. My sweet husband even came home from a show on Sunday and flew to Orlando. We went to the game and then drove home that very day. THAT IS TRUE LOVE!!!

Really Hard Week

It has been a very difficult and painful week emotionally, mentally and professionally this week. That is why there have been no posts. I have some that are waiting in my head and will make their way to this here blog soon. Until then thank you for understanding and we love all of you who are being so supportive of us and our Third Day family. Please keep us in your prayers as we make it through this transition time. Please understand as well that we know there are questions but right now we don't have all the answers. The Lord has been at work this entire time and He is the one in control. I will not be commenting on the "situation" and don't see that changing anytime soon- thanks for understanding.

Meet Lovie

My little girl has a favorite stuffed animal that she has had since before she was born. His name is Lovie and we want you to meet him. Lovie was found one day while Mark and I were out shopping for her before she was born. One day as I was changing her diaper she reached for Lovie (who just sat on the changing table b/c he was so cute). That was the day that she and Lovie became the best of friends and totally inseperable. She loves that lion so much that even to this day 4 years later she has to have him at all times. Lovie goes with us everywhere. He loves to be in the stroller and he even gets to eat every now and then. He is a Lion but he doesn't like meat. He only likes macaroni and cheese, cereal and waffles.


Lovie periodically gets baths. We have to be very gentle with him so he goes in on delicate and is placed in a pillowcase for safe spinning! When I got Lovie I didn't know the beauty of buying two of the animals that your child loves. I didn't even know she would love him. Sadly, he has been discontinued and there is no chance of getting another one. Therefore, we protect him at all costs! He likes to escape every now and then, but we are always able to recover him- PRAISE THE LORD!

So, you have now met Lovie. He is a true member of our family and we love him dearly. I will admit sometimes when the youngster is at school mama will come home and "rest" a little, somehow Lovie ends up cuddling with me!!! Let me tell you- he is a good cuddler and I get why she loves him so. We will try to keep you posted on the adventures of Lovie the Lion!

33Miles

Need something to do Sunday? Want to catch some great music? Come see the awesome band 33Miles at Union Baptist Church in Winder, Georgia.

527 Union Church Road
Winder, GA 3068

Jason Barton, who is the singer of the group, is one of our dearest friends. He used to be in a group called True Vibe. (Check the link on the right for another one of True Vibe's former members Nathan) He has one of the most amazing voices I have ever heard. Don't miss the opportunity to see his newest creation up close and personal. Best of all you can do this for FREE!!! Yes, FREE. Here is what you can expect:

"On our album, listeners will feel a rock moment and hear a country moment and a pop moment," says Jason. "I feel that what is going to make our sound a little bit different musically is that it integrates various musical styles. The listeners will get a taste of each and every one of the influences in our lives and when you fuse all those together, it becomes a unique project. We are forging new territory, not only musically, but also in our own hearts, becoming what we want to be. Everyday it's an adventure."

This may be a little biased but I think it would be well worth your time. Hey, if you go and like the guys comment here and I will have a "blog giveaway" and draw a name and send you your own signed copy of their album!! What are you waiting for?

LOST

I now know why they call this show LOST. I am totally confused. Who watched last night? How the heck did Kate get Aaron? Why won't Jack see the baby? Why are they lying about the other passengers? Oh wait, if i knew the answers to these I wouldn't watch each week.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame!

I LOVE BASEBALL. I know. Not what you would expect. I totally understand and am not offended. I have been a long fan of theAtlanta Braves. I was born and raised in Georgia- metro Atlanta to be exact. I remember going to the games at Fulton County Stadium, tuning in on the Superstation WTBS- good ole Ted Turner, watching the likes of Niekro, Murphy and Horner. I would fall asleep in the seats and wake up during the fireworks. Oh, the days of Chief Noc-A-Homa. (Get IT!!).

Then came the free games with good grades era of Pasqual Perez. The joy and delight of the beginning of the Team of the 90's with the World Series Braves of Smoltz, Glavine, Dave Justice. Skipping school to attend the Braves Parade in downtown Atlanta. Watching the destruction of Fulton County Stadium and the opening of "The Ted" Turner Field. Are you getting the picture? This gal likes here some Bravos!!! All hail the Tomahawk Chop. Now we head into the era of the "young guns" as I call them. Francoeur, Chipper and Mark Teixeira.

But... it all begins in late February. The cracks of the bats, the cheer of the crowd and muching a ballpark dog in the warm weather. SPRING TRAINING is here!!! Last year my sweet husband FINALLY decided to take me to some spring training games for my birthday. I think he thought it would be cheaper then the season tickets i was vying for. So, in early March, we load the little sprout up, head to Champion Stadiumand catch some games! I was hooked. Then and there I told him- um, sorry but this is now my birthday tradition. He thought I was kidding! Guess what I am getting for my birthday this year- SPRING TRAINING games!



This year will be a little different. You see, as stated before, in light of what Mark does we cannot always celebrate birthdays, anniversarys, valentines day, 4th of July, Memorial Day, Easter, etc, etc along with the traditional calendar. We adjust. So seeing as the first show of the Spring Tour is on my birthday!!!!!!! (NOT BITTER, NOT BITTER) we will celebrate early. On Friday the 29th I will be sitting in the seats at the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex enjoying my game!!! Then later that night I will enjoy the rock of one of my favorite bands, then the next 2 days I will watch games with my daddy! He is going as my partner in crime this year as husband has to work. Sorry Hunny!!! Bring on the Braves and bring on the season-

Sorry you had to endure this but..... it's my blog I get to post what I want!!!

craphead30

I know a really weird title. I will explain. Due to the nature of what my husband does there have been many times in my life that I have learned things about myself that I didn't know, weren't true or that weren't yet public. This is just another example. Today while spending some quality time on youtube (oh yes- QUALITY time) I came across a post by one craphead30 (why you choose to call yourself this I don't know)

people i swere mark lee is my cousin he is the dude playing the acustic he started playing violne at about 9 and has a wife and daughter and his wife is currently pregenet right now 1/7/08 with another one of my cousins

First off, because I don't know of someone in the family named craphead I cannot verify that this is really one of Mark's cousins. Secondly, yes I am pregnant, but we have NOT told anyone outside of immediate family and closest friends. Therefore, it is really odd to me that it is publically posted on the internet. I guess that's the breaks when your spouse does what he does.
I probably cannot document them but here are some other examples.

It was relayed to me, by a friend of mine, several years ago that they were very sorry that I had been having trouble getting pregnant. Really? I didn't even know I was trying!!! You see, my husband and I decided to wait about 7 years before we even thought about having a kid so I didn't know if I could or couldn't at that point. Apparently I was having a problem according to the public.

Another time, Mark was "accused" (online) of being seen at a family reunion- DRUNK!! Let me tell you I think the last time we were at a family reunion was about 10 years ago and there wasn't even any alcohol around. This was posted by one of his family members!

Lastly, this is not a rumor but just another example of info. getting out without our approval/knowledge. When my little sprout was born we sent out an email to close relatives/friends listing her birth details, etc. Someone took the liberty of sending this email onward and before we knew it the information had been posted on the Third Day message boards! Down to what room number I was in at the hospital. Now that is scary.

These are some of the more major one's- there have been other one's like: I had colored my hair to blonde- nope, always a brunette, that we attended a church that we have never even heard of, we were seen shopping (down to what we were buying)
Let me state for the record that I am not upset, mad, angry or anything, I am just pointing out that is is sometimes hard and a little eerie. We know this is something that comes with the territory. I sure couldn't imagine being a Britney, Bono, Angelina/Brad.
It is nice to retain some of our privacy.
If you know of any other rumors let us know.
We would love to clarify them!!!!

Happy President's Day

President's Day. What is it? Is it a retail Holiday?

Today, the February holiday has become well-known for being a day in which many stores hold sales.

I sometimes wonder b/c it seems all the furniture stores and mattress stores are having their annual President's Day Sale. For those of us in desperate need of a bed and mattress we can score big right!!! Or is it just a day for students to get out of school for a day (or an entire week as is the case in our city!!!)

Consequently, some schools, which used to close for a single day for both Lincoln's and Washington's birthday, now often close for the entire week (beginning with the Monday holiday) as a "mid-winter recess".

What in the world. Winter Break. What is that- I will save that for another post, but all i know is that I didn't get an entire week off about 4 weeks before Spring Break. How can Winter and Spring break be that close together??? Back to the topic at hand. As a looked up info. about President's Day I came across this regarding President's Day

As the official title of the federal holiday, Washington's Birthday was originally implemented by the federal government of the United States in 1880 in the District of Columbia (20 Stat. 277) and expanded in 1885 to include all federal offices (23 Stat. 516). As the first federal holiday to honor an American citizen, the holiday was celebrated on Washington's actual birthday, February 22. On January 1, 1971 the federal holiday was shifted to the third Monday in February by the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. A draft of the Uniform Holidays Bill of 1968 would have renamed the holiday to Presidents' Day to honor both Washington and Lincoln, but this proposal failed in committee and the bill as voted on and signed into law on June 28, 1968 simply moved Washington's Birthday.

Ok so now that we have all had a history lesson check out this little diddy I found. It gives you almost any information regarding Presidential Trivia that you might ever need! This if my favorite!

Q: Does anyone haunt the White House?
A: Haunted Places: The National Directory, a book by Dennis William Hauck contains a section devoted to this topic. It cites William Henry Harrison and Abigail Adams as ghosts who haunt the president’s home

That may also need to be a topic for another day!!!
In conclusion I will say, enjoy the sales, enjoy your day off but regardless let's celebrate the highest held office in the land and say: "Thank you Mr. President" or President's

Meet Priscilla

"The Pink Pig" is an Atlanta Christmas Tradition. I realize that we are nowhere near Christmas and some of you may still have up your last year's decorations (SHAME ON YOU!!!). Regardless, I have a little girl, we love PINK, and I am currently looking at a Priscilla the Pink Pig laying on my bed at this very moment. I felt the need to blog about her. Here is some history:

The undeniable star of the attraction was the Pink Pig, a carnival ride of sorts that was a miniature monorail sized for children. Adults would be hard-pressed to fit inside the enclosed cars that the children sat in as the ride operated. The ride took children over a Christmas village outside the building that surrounded the Great Tree and once the Pig returned indoors, it "flew" over the toy department before returning to its starting point. The original pink Pig was named Priscilla. A second pig, named Percival was later added to meet the high demand to ride the pig. After completing their journey, riders got a sticker that said "I rode the Pink Pig" that became a badge of honor.

(thank you wickipedia). Oh and how that badge of honor holds true- even today!! Well, needless to say as a true Georgia Peach, I have ridden the Pink Pig every year since I was a little girl. I am sure there were some missed years, but I have just blocked those wretched days from my little head. Seeing as I HAVE to create the same heartfelt, cookie warming memories for my little sprout we have, since she was about 2, taken a spin on The Pink Pig every year. Let me tell you we have some swag to prove it!!! Did I mention I am a SUCKER for souvenirs!!! So... as a pay homage to my girl Priscilla I leave you with this. If you are ever in the ATL during the holidays between Thanksgiving and Christmas you must, no I demand that you go to Lenox Mall and ride The Pink Pig. You may feel odd, a little cramped in the tiny ride but you will leave there delighted beyond all belief that you have just participated in a true Southern Tradition- we have many!!!!
As a side note, my husband is also an avid fan of Priscilla- read about his fun here!!!

A New Leaf

My dear husband has requested that i enter the world of technology and begin updating my blog on a more regular basis. I don't know what he means. It has only been about a year since i updated. Well let's play catch up. We finally moved into our new house that we built. Rather my father and brother built! It is great. We love it, couldn't be happier!!! We have traveled, worked, played and just lived life. That is pretty much it in a nutshell. I will try and be better. I PROMISE. Come back and see me and see what silly stuff I can find! It should be fun.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Originally uploaded by ladybuglee.

I love September. It has the BEST birthstone and I have so many special people that celebrate birthday's in September. Therefore, this post will serve as a HUGE HAPPY BIRTHDAY for all my friends and family. Let the singing begin.
May this next year bring each of you joy and happiness.

Carolyn Lee (my wonderful mother in law) 9/10
Gail Turner (my most amazing mom) 9/20
Jennifer Barton (one of my BEST friends) 9/24

If I have forgotten you then..... It must be b/c I don't know your birthday.

1/2 Marathon Training

runner
Originally uploaded by fubuki.

Ok, today I have finally gotten back on track to my 1/2 marathon training. I decided to run outside to be in the beautiful weather and also do get some more "real" life running. I had a novel idea of running from Kennesaw Mountain to my grandmother's house. I had no idea how far it was but hey...... When I got there as she was going to be my ride back to my car (unknown to her) she wasn't there!!!! EEK. Well thank the Lord that my dear MiMi keeps a phone on her screened in porch. So, I called my daddy and he came and took me back to the car. It was a great run. Beautiful weather, great run, and a nice rest while I waited for my daddy. Thanks again Pops!!!
Stats:
Distance: 4 miles
Temperatue: 73 degrees
Weather: clear blue skies, nice breeze
Pace: 12:00
Total Time: 50 minutes
300 calories burned.

Thanks Mickey

DisneyPhotoImage9
Originally uploaded by ladybuglee.

We just got back from another wonderful trip to the always fun and adventerous Walt Disney World . We had a great time eating with Cinderella and her "friends" at the Castle. Let me say that if you ever get this chance to do this is it a MUST. We rode all the rides in Fantasyland about 20 times each!!!! Fun with a toddler. We went with some of our best friends and their children and I am surprised that my child didn't get on the plane with them b/c she seems to think she is one of their kids. Oh, well. As always thank Mickey and see you next time!!!

Words and Pictures

have you ever wondered what a picture made totally of words would look like. i think i made one in my 6th grade typing class. I think it was like santa or something and if i think hard enough it seems it was made of x's and o's and took like the whole semester to type. 25 x's then 45 o's return. 82 x's. oh crap i hit the wrong key. white paper to erase and backup. what a joke. thank the lord for the invention of computers and the delete button. many a rude email and my likeablity in the world has been forever saved by the delete button. anyway, i have been notified by my dear husband mark of this fascinating website. toggle. you type in a word and the first image that appears in google images is recreated (if you can call it that) using that word. my favorite is idiot- i am still trying to figure that one out. maybe it's b/c i am an idiot for wasting my time on it. my daughter's personal favorites are elmo, dora, wiggles. she just can't figure out why we can't color them. but then again she is 2 1/2 and i fully expect to one day open the lid of the laptop and find crayon all over the screen. that is why we only use crayola washables. that is for another post!!!! go ahead see what your favorite toggle is. i even have a picture of me that will come up with a famous guitar player and a cucumber and tomato!!!!! have fun. tell me your favorite!!

Cooking Stinks- Literally

ummm.. waffles
Originally uploaded by ladybuglee.

ok, so i love to cook, but right now we are in temporary housing living in a townhouse. don't get me wrong i am very happy that we have a roof over our heads. but, we recently relocated back home to marietta, ga and thanks to our speedy agent back in franklin,tennessee we had to move before we expected. praise the lord but..... now i am stuck with a very tiny kitchen and little to no cooking utensils. poor packing on my part. i had this dream that our home would be ready in like 2 months!!! yeah right!!! i do digress though. anyway, i find many times that i don't want to cook or go out to eat so mark and i will say hey, let's go get a waffle. it's yummy, cheap and really really good. i never said it was good for you but WOW! let me tell you. i love me some waffles and i must say that waffle house makes the best waffle known to man. try and beat it. you can't. mark got a waffle maker for christmas and he tries but has yet to perfect it. he has come dang close several times. i like them lightly browned. there is a technique too. you can't put syrup on the entire waffle or it gets soggy. cut it in to quarters (after putting 1/2 a packet of whipped margarine- so healty- on it) then add syrup to 2 quarters. when you are close to finishing those quarters you pre-syrup the other half and it soaks in just the right amount. don't believe me. try it, i dare you. if it's not the best waffle then i will give you your money back- NOT, but really it's like $3.00. take the gamble. let me know what you think. now, i am going to leave you to head to the waffle house b/c i am lazy and we want a waffle. see ya!

Family Photos

ok, so i never ever liked getting those church photos made. who did? getting dressed up with your family on a non church day, what is that about. nevertheless, i had to smile and make the most of it. well, my ideas of family photos have changed drastically. we recently had our own "photo shoot". we met this amazingly talented photographer. mandy robinson . she has the best eye and is amazing with kids. she met us at the marietta square and spent about 2 1/2 hours with us and we had over 100 photos to choose from. it was so very hard to decide but we finally did. i must say i don't know what i will ever do with all of these photos (yes we had to buy them all!!!) but i will have plenty photos to give to friends. anyone need one!

1/2 Marathon Training

I will post this as an ode to my friend randy he is a major marathon runner. he took my husband over to the dark, i mean, good side of running. now i have been sucked into this crazy thing. it really is quite addictive. having not run for over 2 weeks i felt compelled to just start over. how sucky is that. ok, so i have about 5 months to train. i can do it 13 miles (i am not crazy enough to tackle the whole lot) and i will get to run in the "happiest place" one can torture themselves root me on team!!!
3 miles
70 degrees (climate controlled treadmill)
weather: just right
12:00 pace
35 minute duration
300 calories burned.

ok, not so impressive but still..... it's a start!!!

How Time Flies

oh my how time flies. today is the first time i have even thought about this blog in quite some time. i just don't have the time that i used to. noone will really read this so it doesn't matter what i type really. i will just do a little update. i have been busy being a mommy. quite fun actually. the reason i have decided to continue on the blog train is this.... i read a ton of blogs each day and it is really a great way to learn a bunch of useless information. so, why not. let my blog become that of useless and trivial information. maybe i will start having contests. selling my soul to the internet world or just giving out unsolicited mommy advice. who knows where this will go but don't you think it will be a fun ride?????

VACATION

Greetings from my amazing summer vacation week. This is the first time in over 4 years that I can remember that we have had a full 8 days without ANYTHING scheduled. Therefore, we have escaped the hustle and bustle of life and are rotting on the beach in beautiful Amelia Island. This is where I vacationed every year with my family growing up. I have watched this little town turn into a thriving well.... a bigger little town. I am very exticed about being back. We stay at Amelia Island Plantation and it is the most beautiful, fun, activity filled time. We have had both sets of our little ones "grandparents" down with us. We are having fun and not really in techno world so no post for awhile.

Cell Phone Companies

OK, so it seems that everyone I know is upset with their cell provider. Today I talked to 2 friends that had just recently gone to "upgrade" their phones and their respective companies told them that they weren't elibigle for a cheaper phone, even though they had been with the company for over 5 years. Not loyal enough I guess. Just as this was going in in their state it seems my husband and I were attempting to do the same thing with the same result. Needless to say, I was outraged. If I were a new customer they would roll the red carpet to have me sign there beloved contract! Yet, b/c I have been a customer for SO long they won't help me out. Has this ever happened to you? Well needless to say this company that we all were with no longer has our cell service. Instead, we each have registered at new companies, have better rates, fancy new "upgraded" phones, better promises (yeah right) and a better feeling about our cell phones. Do you think the love will last- I DON'T. But for the now, I am happy to learn about my nifty new all in oneTREO 650 !! Happy talking.......until the next "upgrade"

The Paper

Recently I have realized the importance of the daily paper. We live in a town where there is always something going on. It is a smaller town with street fairs, etc. Well, if you don't get the "paper" you don't know what's going on unless you hear it around town. Therefore, we are now happy subscribers to The Tennessean. This is our local paper with a smaller section devoted to our county every day. Now I won't miss that bake sale, or the latest scoop. Of course, the paper is also a valuable tool for finding out the important things in life. I'll be honest and say that I normally read the front page of each section and move on, but at least I'll save money. On Sunday is coupon day!!!! Grocery stores BEWARE! In reality in this age of e-commerce it is still nice to sit and read the days events with a good ole' fashioned honest to goodness gettin' the ink all over you paper. If you don't subscribe - you should! Remember as well to recycle that paper.