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.

When I Grow Up....

When I grow up I want to be..... How often did we think this as children? Well, I wanted to be a professional tennis player, a fashion designer, a lawyer, a teacher. Here on my vacation we have run up against Hurricane Arlene. She has decided to give us 3 glorious days of RAIN. Well, with a toddler, 7 year old and 10 year old you can imagine the creative days we have had. My aunt found this incredible place for the "boys" today. It is called Wannado City. Here you can decide and try out all of the things that you want to be when you grow up. You can be a pilot, Dr. , Fireman, paleontologist, Criminal Lab Specialist, TV personality, and many, many more. Check this place out. It is great and amazing! Now kids can actually get "hands on" experience and ideas of what they really want to be. The only problem is the only one of these parks is in Ft. Lauderdale at Sawgrass Mills Mall. If you are in South Florida with kids and a hurricane try it out. What will they think of next?