"Creeking" at Highbanks

Samuel M. spent yesterday, last night and most of today with us--Trey's cousin's son. Sam is 11 and right in between our boys' ages. The boys had a great time together. Yesterday we spent an overcast and chilly afternoon at the pool. The boys played together last night and had a sleepover in the basement. Today we decided to go "creeking" at Highbanks Metro Park. We purchased nets in anticipation of catching something from the creek.

Noah had been to the creek during his CSI camp earlier in the summer. Thankfully he remembered exactly where to access the creek and we easily found our destination.

The boys spent quite a bit of time walking up and down the creek in search of anything--frogs, crawfish, minnows, snakes... Thankfully we only found crawfish, minnows and the tiniest frog I've ever seen--no snakes, phew!

Alexander searching his net for a "catch".

Sam and Noah opted for aquarium nets. They hoped that the smaller nets would be more helpful in catching minnows. Unfortunately the minnows outsmarted the boys.The boys had a great time together and we hope that Sam will be able to join us again soon!

To Hilton Head and Beyond

We headed South on Friday, July 10th arriving at my parent's home in SC late Saturday afternoon. My sister arrived a couple hours later. We enjoyed spending the week with my parents and sister...many, many memories were created during one week!

Our first "official" day with my parents was spent enjoying the beach! My parents, Beth, Alexander and I went for a "long walk" (or so Alexander thought) while Trey and Noah played in the sand.

Alexander and Dad tossing the football on the beach.

The boys riding the waves in their tubes--not easy to blow up unless

you have a lot of "hot air" (hmmmm...Trey)

Our day at the beach was picture perfect--no clouds, warm sunshine and a wonderful tropical breeze. The waves were perfect and we enjoyed "jumping" the waves . We returned to the beach for our final morning too. The remainder of our time was spent "traveling".

It's official--Trey and I have a teenager in the house! Alexander celebrated his "golden birthday" turning 13 on July 13th! We welcome the teenager years, I think, although we realize there will be challenges and triumphs along the way. Here's to a new chapter in your life Alexander--welcome to the "teen years".

Alexander decided to celebrate his birthday in style--taking a Dolphin Seafari cruise from Palmetto Bay Marina on Hilton Head Island.

Before leaving the marina, we saw two dolpins!

Traveling along the water, it's absolutely amazing to see the homes that line the shore! We passed a 16 million dollar home--16 million dollars!

Captain Noah took his turn at the wheel quite seriously!

A hazy view of the infamous lighthouse at Harbor Town

Captain Cool casually steers the boat in search of black tipped shark

that had been seen earlier in the area. Unfortunately, we didn't see any sharks.

I've always loved the contrast of the sea grass against the water.

The Cross Island Bridge is in the background.

Following our cruise, the deck hand (probably not his actual job description)

hoisted up a nearby crab pot to show us what was under the water surface.

Alexander decided while on Hilton Head that a trip to South Beach Marina

in Sea Pines Plantation was a must.

We stopped by the infamous

and enjoyed some drinks outside, under an umbrella and refreshing mist

After walking around South Beach, the boys decided they needed Salty Dog TShirts. Noah chose to tie-dye his shirt--a masterpiece; while Alexander opted for a store bought shirt.

Alexander's Island celebration concluded with dinner at the Japanese Steakhouse

Noah was determined to use chop sticks

Our chef, Dennis, created a flaming onion volcano. Dennis did an

awesome job preparing our meal table side!

Not to be out done by his younger brother, Alexander opted for chopsticks too

Celebrating Alexander's 13th Birthday Japanese style; not too quietly

I might add!! Alexander we hope you enjoyed your

13th birthday! I know Papa Bill and Grandma Joan were thrilled to

celebrate another BDay with you--they hadn't celebrated with

you since your first birthday in Medina, Ohio.

On Tuesday (7.14) we drove 2 hours to Charleston, SC. Mom and Dad asked each of the boys to select something special and you both agreed on a trip to Patriot's Point in Charleston.

The day started with a tour of the Submarine--Clamagore

If you've never explored a submarine, it's quite fascinating. I LOVE the movie "U-571", but never realized how tight submarine quarters were/are for the sailors! The boys had a blast traveling through the various compartments.

I tried, unsuccessfully, to sail through the openings--the actors in U-571 made it look much easier. The boys were much more successful!

After touring the Clamagore, we headed to the USS Yorktown known as "The Fighting Lady". The aircraft carrier served in WWII as well as the Vietnam War. "The Fighting Lady" could house 90 planes on it's 888 foot surface.

For those that know me well, it's shocking that I agreed to pose in front of a stationary helicopter, but I did! The helicopter is one of several aircraft on the carrier.

Looking down from the bridge at various aircrafts on the carrier surface

In addition to touring the Clamagore and USS Yorktown, we took a boat ride to Fort Sumter (only accessible by boat). Fort Sumter was constructed in Charleston Harbor to protect the city. The opening shots of the Civil War were fired on April 12, 1861.

The fort was built in the shape of a pentagon

Original mortar embedded in the 5 foot thick wall.

The five smaller flags flying above the fort were all flown

at some point at Fort Sumter. We learned a lot during

our stay in Charleston!

The following day, we travelled to Georgia and visited Old Fort Jackson. Fort Jackson, like Fort Sumter, was constructed in the harbor to protect the city of Savannah.

Noah and his favorite new cap--Papa Bill taught him to say, "Long live the Union"

and I assure you that Noah wasn't shy about repeating Papa's phrase.

Probably not too wise considering the Southerners still don't have

warm feelings toward Northerners! Oh well, he certainly looked adorable!

After touring Old Fort Jackson, we headed to Tybee Island

and a visit to "The Crab Shack" 'where the elite eat in their bare feet'.

The Crab Shack's claim to fame is feeding the alligators. Approximately 40 American Alligators are housed in a "pen" located just outside the restaurant.

We clipped "alligator food" to the end of a long pole and placed the

pole into a sea of alligators. Guess they've been fed this way

before because they wasted no time in snatching the bait!

Trey and the boys watching the alligators at The Crab Shack

Our final stop on Tybee Island, GA was a trip to the lighthouse.

Unfortunately, we reached the lighthouse late in the day

and were unable to climb to the top.

Another view of the Tybee Island light house

On Thursday morning, Uncle Len stopped by with his motorcycle and gave the boys motorcycle rides. Noah was a little hesitant at first, but by the time they returned from their ride--he was loving the motorcycle and asked Trey if he would get one....oh no!

Alexander and Uncle Len returning from Alexander's ride

Trey and Uncle Len heading out for a longer ride

After motorcycle rides, the boys headed to the pool for a quick swim before heading out to see "Harry Potter" with Trey and my Dad. Meanwhile, Beth returned to Atlanta and Mom and I headed out shopping. Our final night, we ate at the Crazy Crab and I was able to snap my annual picture of the boys in front of the fishing boats behind the Crazy Crab.

Mom and Dad, we thoroughly enjoyed our vacation and thank you for your Southern hospitality. We did SO much this trip and had a WONDERFUL time spending the week with you and Beth. We look forward to your visit in a couple of weeks!
Love you!!
Trey, Wendy, Alexander and Noah

It's FINALLY finished!

When we first viewed the house during the Spring 2007, I loved the floor plan, but wasn't impressed with the kitchen decor. The space was acceptable, but the white counter tops and backsplash were not my style. I've patiently, OK maybe not so patiently, waited for a kitchen remodel and now it's finally finished!!

The following four shots are of the original kitchen prior to painting and remodeling.

We decided that we would look into the cost of remodeling the kitchen BEFORE Trey's surprise party arrived. I had a hard time delaying the backsplash removal, but eventually I "won" that battle! Ted was in town again a couple days after the party and we decided that he would be a part of beginning our kitchen demolition. I have to admit that I had no idea how wonderful it would feel to remove the old tile!

A view or the original sink and faucet with the backsplash removed in the background.

The backsplash needed to be removed prior the counter top installation. After visiting the show room and seeing firsthand the process of cutting the granite/quartz, we selected a gray/tan/off white quartz counter top from a number of quartz and granite slabs.

As the guys were removing the existing laminate counter tops they mentioned that the counter tops were in the best condition they'd ever seen...just for a moment I felt a little guilt, but it was quickly replaced with the sheer excitement of seeing the new counter tops for the first time. Who knew it would take longer to disconnect/reconnect the sink and dishwasher and replace the disposal than it took for the counter tops to be installed?!

To help the hefty budget, Trey and I decided that with our tiling experience (however minimal it might be) that we could tile the backsplash--no problem. We visited Lowe's and met with a tiling specialist that helped us make our selection. We spent quite a bit of time discussing the backsplash design. After much deliberation, we decided to "frame" the wall with 2" X 12" tiles and fill in the remaining space with mosaic and solid 6" X 6" tiles. It took Trey and I 2 nights, working several hours each evening, to finish the frame--thank heavens the boys were with Trey's parent last week!

Trey used the wet saw to make all of the miter and straight edge tile cuts.

The finished frame!

Last Thursday morning we were awake early and spent almost 9 hours, solid,

working on the remaining "open space".

It was such a sense of accomplishment to have the wall finished! However, the next step, grouting, took several hours Friday morning.

We have spent HOURS working on the kitchen, but I couldn't be happier with the end result! I LOVE the paint color, counter tops, new lighting and the backsplash is a one of a kind work of art created with some tears, a little anger and LOTS of love. I can't believe that the kitchen is finally back in order--it's beautiful! The following shots were taken this afternoon--we enjoyed our first family dinner tonight in our "new" kitchen!

Let Freedom Ring

Trey and I were anxious to meet up with the boys as they've spent the last week on an adventure with Trey's parents. Dee manages to keep the boys hopping from activity to activity. Their first couple days were spent in Cincinnati--spending a night with cousins and a day at King's Island. The next couple of days had various activities including bowling, a movie and a wonderful surprise from Papa--a tank ride! On Thursday afternoon, they headed to Dee and Larry's home away from home and enjoyed 2 nights camping. Their camp neighbors took them on a boat ride their first day at the site and the following day new friends of Noah's took them on another boat ride. As always, they enjoy camping--hot dogs and s-mores on the fire. This year, Grammy gave each boy a camping book with a personal note--their annual week together holds many memories for each of them.

A peak inside Dee and Larry's new camper. It's amazing how much additional room the "slide out" provides. All the amenities of home are within the confines of their "new home".

It's becoming an annual tradition to make the flag cake.

This year, we made the cake for the camp wide picnic.

Grammy has introduced Alexander to a new card game--Five Crowns. Both are VERY good at the game, so Trey and I decided to give it a whirl too.

Thanks Papa and Grammy for another week full of special memories.

We look forward to our annual summer week together every year!

Happy 4th of July everyone!

"Love you forever, miss you always"

The annual Hardin County, Ohio, Compassionate Friends Picnic was held this past Saturday in Ada, Ohio (near Lima, Ohio). Trey's parents have been active members of the chapter since the loss of their daughter, Trey's sister, Ashley, 20 years ago.

"The Compassionate Friends was founded 40 years ago when a chaplain at the Warwickshire Hospital in England brought together two sets of grieving parents and realized that the support they gave each other was better than anything he, as a chaplain, could ever say or provide.

Each chapter, along with the supporting National Office, is committed to helping every bereaved parent, sibling, or grandparent who may walk through our doors or contact us.Today more than 600 chapters serving all 50 states plus Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico offer friendship, understanding, and hope to bereaved parents, siblings, grandparents, and other family members during the natural grieving process after a child has died. Around the world more than 30 countries have a Compassionate Friends presence, encircling the globe with support so desperately needed when the worst has happened. "

--Information borrowed from The Compassionate Friends website: http://www.compassionatefriends.org/

Connie holds the banner Trey's Mom created many years ago to represent their chapter

Following a potluck lunch, we gathered together

for a memorial walk around the park.

Dee asked Alexander to select a balloon to be released in Aunt Ashley's memory.

Each member attached "Heaven's Land" to their child's balloon.

Trey, Alexander, Trey's parents and Noah prior to the balloon launch

Noah releasing Aunt Ashley's balloon

Many parents, grandparents, siblings and other loved ones watching the

balloons drift toward heaven.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the many families who have

experienced the loss of a beloved child.