Lunch w/ Friends

On Saturday I took off to Greenville to meet Cindy my best friend growing up so we could go into downtown Greenville to a place called Brick Street Cafe to meet twin sister Amy & Jamie that we were good friends with back in school. It was a great time of catching up and getting to know each other all over again. Jamie and I have been in contact since we work near each other we have had lunch together a couple of times and Cindy even came and meet us one day but this was the first time in 20 something years seeing Amy. I feel like I know who these ladies are just from pics, notes and all you can on Facebook.. I hope and pray that Saturday was just a start up of friendships that will continue on and we will be able to meet up every so often and stay in contact beside Facebook.

These girls will say things now and I am oh yeah I remember her, him or when that happen so they have been a great reminder to me...I can't remember when mine and Cindy friendship started we lived out in the country so you had to be friends with the kids around you cause that is all we had but even if she would have lived somewhere else she would have still been my friend... Cindy was always the friend that made me laugh and told me like it was at times, but she was silly and we always laugh together. She had a wonderful family and all her sisters had the initials CLG which I thought was great. Actually one of my most embarrassing moments in my whole life I was with Cindy. Back in the day we would go to the mall and hang out cause my mom work there and I think we were in the 7th or 8th grade and we were going out with 2 friends and we were all walking through the mall and I turn around to say something to Cindy and Jody and what to do I do I run smack into a pole, I mean it knock me back. Of course I was embarrass but I remember us laughing about it. Now, the guy I was with happens to be her husband now and they have been together I believe for 23yrs and have raised 2 wonderful young men. We went through great times with friends, we have gone through the girl drama time with each other rather it had been between us or other people. But as I had sat back and reflected on my life over the years Cindy was the one friend that I had that I truly missed. I missed out on knowing her boys, her knowing mine, b'day, celebration times and times of trouble, our husbands being friends, moves, jobs, laughter, tears, encouragement and sometime just being able to tell each other what we needed to hear. Through the years I have thought of her often and have felt lead to pray for her on occasions. I missed out on a friendship for the last 20 years and as I sat there yesterday on our way back from lunch us 39/41 moms riding back w/ the top down I realize that even though we have not been there for each other we were able to start right where we left off. I am so proud of her for the woman she has become and the mother and wife she is. She runs the a preschool at her church and just looking at her pics, and reading comments from her girls that work for her and the moms that bring there children there she is loved by all. Just what I knew would have happen w/ her life cause back in the day she was loved by all then too and was the one with the beautiful spirit and always with something funny to say and a smile on her face. My prayer now is that our friendship will grow more each day and we will never miss out of each other life's again.

Only In The South

I am behind all the other posting about snow (I missed my computer up, still needs working on) and as I sit here posting about all the snow we got which was only 5/6 days ago today will be high 70something. Only in the south will that happen..lol

We heard all about the snow coming and oh course I didn't believe it cause we never get it but boy was I surprise to see coming down on Sunday night. I just thought at this moment it would just be enough to put everything on a 2hr delay boy was I wrong on that too.. I think Eric said we got 6" and it was beautiful. Eric prepare us by batteries, firewood, food, you know all the stuff just in case the power goes out. Which thank goodness we never lost power, I know some friends that lost it on Sunday and didn't get it back until Tuesday and I am totally surprise we didn't cause we always do. We did lose our satellite around 7pm and didn't get it back until 11:30. I was complaining about not getting to see the first night of Celebrity Apprentice but Eric reminded me I was warm and had light and could heat something up and there was people who couldn't so that was my one and only complaint... I still need to get DVR..

Ok, what did we do w/ no TV Sunday night?? Well, Eric had bought everything to make a cake and made a comment about the chocolate chips would be good in it. So, I made us a chocolate cake w/chocolate chips and chocolate frosting (I must have rub off on him w/ my chocolate love). I got it out before it burn (our oven is weird), I let it cool before I put it on the cake pan and frost it but for some reason it doesn't didn't do what I wanted to. By the way, I was told by Eric if I didn't post about this he would do it so I figure I would give myside of the story..lol



Now, do you think I need to go and get Kim to help me out. Her cakes are always so pretty. This might look bad but it is all gone and that is unusal in this house esp when I can't yeah you just read that right I CAN'T eat the cake not because of dieting which it help it out but since my surgery chocolate is one of those foods that I bothers me to eat and this cake really hurt my stomach so those 2 bites I had where good but not good for the pain it cause.

The other thing that happen during all of this was that Ryan had gone to Cumming, GA to play at a D Now weekend with our youth band Ready To Rise and on the way back they came up in the traffic, saw lots of wrecks, and wipers freezing up and not working so Bucky did a great thing and pulled off and got rooms at a hotel in Powdersville, they had to go to 2 but they were off the road and safe so I was able to sleep that night. I am sure those kids and Bucky and Julie have stories to tell. They finally made it back to Spartanburg about 1 Monday after a stop to Crackle Barrel and some play time on 85 while they were in stand still traffic.

We didn't prepare by having gloves, snow shoes or waterproof, getting the 4wheeler fix so we could go out and ride, checking out around us for hills and getting sleds so we didn't get to have all the fun that everybody else did but they men in my house did go out for a snow ball fight. Nobody wanted to build a snowman and with me still coughing and had been sick all Friday night and Saturday I just went out to take pics and came back in.. So, here is some of our snow day pics. Sorry I do in a slide but it takes like 5 min per pic to download and slide is easier to do cause I can do all at one time and while downloading I can go take a shower..lol

What happen?

I installed Internet 8 and now I have lost my toolbar for posting. I can't add anything to my post, I can't check my spelling (boy I need that one), I can't save and come back I have to post to save. I can't even read some of your blogs. Do you know how to fix this????

Lazy Weekend

Eric left Friday afternoon to go on the men's retreat and Ryan has gone to Atlanta to play for a church there for their retreat so its just me, Stephen and Tyler. While Eric was gone I had so much plan for my overnight and my Saturday esp since while I was gone he had clean house, wash clothes and done some other things around the house so I wanted to do the same..

For Friday- Eric usually takes them to Cici and the pet store so I thought about taking them to Ryan's since I had coupons and then coming home and watching a movie and then starting to clean the house. But instead I went to Ingles to pick up stuff for lunch on Saturday and Chick Fil A for dinner came home and while they were playing with each other I watch Wife Swap (I know I am sad) and the second movie of Janet Oakly seriis of Love movies and stayed up until 3am (I don't sleep when Eric is gone) all the while doing this blowing my nose.

For Saturday- Depending how much I had gotten done on Saturday I was going to go to Mugs & Muffin and here Kim's full story and then come home and finish the house and clothes and get started on doing clothes for the consigment sale at church (Rhonda you might want to come and get them and do them for me..lol) and by 2 be shower and dress and go pick up Eric from church. BUT instead I selpt to 10 got up and ate Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookies and chocolte milk and then took meds and have been laying on the couch all day flipping channels dreading having to get up and get dress to go and pick up Eric (yes I wanted to see him just didn't want to go out). Around 12:30 I was talking to my friend Lorraine and I hear the door bell ringing well I am mess my hair is not comb, still in my pj, shower not had and I am sure I am stinking since I think I have broke a fever. It was Eric all I can say is thank you Beaver for droppig him off... I felt bad that I had not done anything so he came home to house not clean and wife not clean but my mother would have a fit on that one since she said if yo don't do anything all day you should be clean and dress when your husband comes home and so should your house ( I strike out on both of those).. He came home fix us lunch and he went to bed and I have been laying on the couch watching the saga of Janet Oakly movies on Hallmark (Yes, SB I am watching all of them now)...

Eric and I have been going out of dates at least once a week (that is the great thing with having teenagers when you have little ones) since I came back from Charleston in January. We might just go us or we might go w/ other couples, we might just go to Ricky's and grab a burger and go to WalMart or we might like last week take off and drive to GA to the welcome center. But tonight we were going to out to eat but I had to cancel on him cause still at this point at 7pm I am still like I was when he came home. My head hurts, my body aches and I can't breathe which might be a good thing... lol

Sunday, hopefully will be a better day. I have to go to church and teach the girls about prayer and I have not been to a service since my surgery so hopefully I will make it tomorrow. Maybe I can get the clothes at least started for consigment sale and maybe next Saturday I will get the house done.

Facebook

I have had my Facebook account for almost a year and I mainly did it just so I could keep up with my kids and with the youth from church. Over the year I have had friends come on line and church people and like being here blogging you feel like you know each other better.I finally got my friend Kim to come on board and like some of you I can keep up by blogging or Facebook and go on vacation with y'all from your pics and your blogs of each day. Anyway, a couple of months ago I notice that alot of the women had there maiden names in their name so I change mind to Jennifer Merck Glover about a month later my friend Jennifer that lived across the street from me found me and we began catching up well from her I found Tammy, Kara and Cindy they were girls that grew up out there with us (we were country girls away from all the city subdivision kids so we only had each other). Cindy and I we were best friends from middle school until high school but we lost touch each with each other and have not been in touch for almost 15 years but I feel like we are building our friendship back up. I have enjoyed getting to know the ladies again and I have really enjoyed seeing pics of their families and where the paths have gone. I also connected with alot of other middle school/high school friends even the 1st love which by the way made a huge impact on me as in relationships and I use our past experience to talk to the girls as w/ the boys and w/ their friends cause I let him control me and I spent more time pining for him and not with my girlfriends. Some people come up and I have to ask Cindy or my friend Robbie (we have been friends since 4th grade and is one of 2 people that have stayed in contact with from high school) who they are and was I friends with them. I finally got the yearbook out and look up people and realize who was who. Some I had memories with that I had never forgotten. Like Angie whenever I heard anything about Barbara Streisand I thought of her cause I remember being at her house and watching Main Event and The Rose, when I think of Duran Duran I think of Lynn cause her and Stephanie loved them and Boy George along w/ Lynn comes Al her husband now I remember his car and me and my friend Lorraine riding around w/ him one night and running into some girls that I didn't like (goes back to that boy again), Tammy I remember going over to her house and all of us spending the night and playing those middle school girls games, Jennifer I remember her brother driving a school bus and we use to go over and play inside of it and there pop up camper,playing ball in her front yard, Kara her mom gave me my nickname Fer and driving around on her go-cart that looked like a van, Nick sitting in class and getting in trouble I was a good student but you put Nick in a class with me and I seem to get in trouble alot esp if you had me, him, Cindy and Chris. So it is nice to see where these people are what they look like now and how life has been.. But now with Cindy I have also reconnected w/ twin sisters Amy and Jamie the 4 of us were friends from middle school until high school. For the past couple of years every once in a while I would be at Wal-Mart or somewhere in Spartanburg and see this girl that looked familiar but had no clue why she would be over here in Spartanburg well I found out it really was Jamie she lives here, we know alot of the same people esp from our church, she works right down the street from me so she was the first person I hooked up with and had lunch with and we have continue having lunch at least once every 2 weeks. One Tuesday Cindy even came and meet us but we still had not meet up with her twin Amy that lives in Greenville so on March 7th we are all getting together for lunch to catch up and starting our friendship back up... I look forward to staying connected to all of these ladies and getting together with others. Since I did not graduate and have not been to a reunion this is my reunion of sort. Try looking up your friends by their maiden names, change yours to show yours, look up high school name it really is fun to reconnect but can be addicting...

Our Weekend Getaway

Eric and I had not been in anywhere over night ALONE since Tyler was born and that was 6 1/2 yrs ago so we were due with a weekend get away. I plan and booked the hotel in Gatlinburg back in October for it to be a surprise for Eric but about a month before I couldn't hold it in anymore so I told him. He was just as excited as I was so daddy made a big step and left his buddy. With help from my sister in law Tyler went to spend the weekend with her the older boys had Pure Love for Friday night and stayed at host homes and then went to stay w/ their dad so we are all set to go.

Friday morning we got up and of course we had said we were going to be on the road no later than 9am but after having to take the kids to school, drop stuff off for Tyler's daycare parties, back by the house, drop kids clothes off at the church, back to school to pay for 8th grade trip, to Greer to drop off our taxes we FINALLY hit the road at 11 of course the time we wanted to be in Gatlinburg but instead we got there at 1:30. The funniest thing about our trip was that we set our GPS to get us to the hotel just to see if there is a different way to go to Gatlinburg than we know of well it tells us to get off at the first exit in TN but Eric is unsure of it so he goes on and then it told us to get off at the 2nd exit so we did well like me tell you that was some BACK roads we took for about 2 miles the road was only big enough for a little car to go down and of course we passed 2 cars and we had to pull off and then the last 2 miles is a little bigger but not much. We did find out it was closer to get off there but you can't go back that way cause there is not an exit ramp to get on the highway.

We arrive in Gatlinburg and got settle in our hotel room and took off to walk the streets and to meet up with our friends Jamie and Gina Campbell from Enoree that we have not seen in several years and we found out we were going to be in Gatlinburg the same weekend. We all use to hang out together even started dating at about at the same time but since the kids have came along we just don't get time. We met up with them in front of store and sat on the bench catching up and watching people and had a lot of laughs. We finally got up and went to 3 different places to find good ice-cream and then we took off to Riverbend Mall where our other friends Darrell and Kristie Owens were meeting us. They are from Moore and we had not seen them in a year so we had to go to Gatlinburg to see them too. Is that not sad??? Kristie and I do talk and in one of our conversations I was telling her about his trip and she ask if I could get them a room too since it was their anniversary. So we actually stayed at the same hotel. Eric has been friends with them since his high school days and we use to ride motorcycle with them and hang out alot together. Anyway, we all just walked around looking in the shops and decided we would go out to eat that night all together. We started out at Bubba Gumps but I was having a bad day and Eric didn't think I should eat the spicy food so we went to Texas Roadhouse (totally against my new rule that Ginger gave me on vacation you don't eat where you can at home but we have had not been there in years either so it doesn't count)..

Now, let me fill you in on our friend Darrell there is never a dull moment w/ him... First in one of the stores he told the lady that him and Kristie just got married and they were on their honeymoon, in Bubba Gumps he told that lady that he just married me and Kristie and that we have done nothing but argue where we were going to eat and not have at all about whose husband he was now at Texas Roadhouse he is talking the waiter like he knows him after we got our meal the waiter comes up to our table with a chair and stands on it and yells and I mean yells across the whole restaurant for all of them to give ME a big ye haw cause it was my b'day. I have no idea how he pull that one off we just saw the waiter come and whisper to him, we all laugh so hard (thank goodness this was not the week before I might would had to kill him, remember I couldn't laugh)I was blushing.. I could sit here and tell you what all he did the rest of the weekend but this blog would way longer than it should... You just never know what he is going to say and who he is going to say it too. Kristie is great women for putting up with it and she is truly bless being married to her high school sweetheart that was is also a comedian...

So, Friday night we all just stood around talking until Gina and Jamie had to catch the trolley to go up to their hotel. Then on Saturday us and the Owens got up and went to the Apple Barn cause I was told you didn't go to Pigeon Forge without going there and in many years that we had been there we never have been there. We get there and they stop serving breakfast at 11am and it was 10:30 when we got there and they told us it was a 40 min wait and that we would have lunch we stayed anyway but more and more they brought those breakfast plates by we all keep on hoping we could get breakfast.. They called us at 10:50 and said we could get breakfast so we are happy. It was worth going and worth the wait, the apple jubilee that I thought was OJ was wonderful, the apple fitters were great and the apple butter thank goodness we have a jar of it cause it was great too. I am sure we will go back again just earlier so we don't have to hope and pray we get in for breakfast. We did try to find the apple jubilee in the store to buy but we couldn't and I forgot to look for the apple fritters but I can look on the website... If you haven't been go and take an appetite w/ you.. After that since it was raining we decided to head to Bass Pro Shop and see what they had we stayed there for about an hour at least and then headed back to Gatlinburg and Eric and I had plan to go and spend the afternoon at Cades Coves well that didn't happen from Bass Pro Shop to our hotel room it took us at least 1hr 1/2 if not 2 hrs to get back which by that time it was 5 and we were ready for supper and to beat the crowds. Now a word of advice, if you are sitting in bumper to bumper traffic and you are mad at your spouse remember to close up the sun roof before you start yelling at them cause EVERYBODY around you can hear what you are saying. It was entertainment but I felt so sorry for that guy..

We went to Bubba Gumps that night and ate with Darrell and Kristie (the Campbells hotel came w/ a package for dinner on v-day night and for breakfast). I have to say if you have not ever ate at Bubba Gumps it too is very good. All kind of shrimp that was really good. They had a store attach that sold all kind of Forrest Gump stuff. After dinner we went our separate ways for a little bit and got the kids stuff to take back and then we meet up later for dessert and headed back to the room.

Sunday, Eric and I slept in until 9am something we never get to do we got up and got up and got ready and packed up. We were on our way to ride the tram up to Ober Gatlinburg and get our pic in the spot we have had a pic made every time we had been there and where he had proposal but the line was out the door of all the skiers wanting to go up there and 1 tram had just left so we knew it was going to be a long wait to get up there and we would not be able to really enjoy the time up there cause it was now 11 and we wanted to be on the road no later than 1 at least. So, we decided to just go ahead and leave after we made one more trip to a couple of stores to get stuff to bring back. We headed out by 12:30 and went to pick our little man from our sister law house and all I can say is he had a great time and he was worn slap out he feel asleep within a mile of her house...

A couple of things to share.
The weather was nice compare to how cold I saw it was in January. We never really were cold and had to break out the big coats.
Never wear new shoes for the first time, no I had no blister or sore feet they were actually really good. They look like the Dansko but they are Dr. Schols and are $70 cheaper but between that and a weak ankle I fell flat on my face (really knee) Friday night, just glad only Eric and alot of strangers only saw it.. Yes, you read it right I FELL on main st Gatlinburg and about did it again on Saturday night on our way to eat.. Seriously, no drinking going on just new shoes, bad sidewalks and weak ankle.
Its really funny to see how people act when they are on vacation and people are really nice and just talk to you like they know you.
If you make it Gatlinburg make sure to stop by Sauce Up I think that is the name of it they have all time of dips and sauces and you can taste them also the Beef Jerkly outlet. Do you know they make peanuts you can eat the shells and they have them in flavors like garlic, salt, cajun and something else. Did really appeal to me but maybe it has to grow on you.
Surprise to see all the youth group kids up there and the skiers instead of people getting married.
Just a few things I wanted to share.

We had a wonderful time spending some alone time together and spending time w/ old friends. We will have to make time to get together with them here in town. We did have close friends of our Tammy and Dexter that were there too w/ Katelyn their little girl and Chloe there new little puppy and were going to be staying in Gatlinburg too at the other Fairfield and we had plan to see them but once they got Chloe they had to change hotels so she could go too and they were all the way near the Bass Pro Shop and when we were that way they were in Gatlinburg and they ask us to meet them for dinner that night near them but Eric was not getting back in that traffic. We see them here so I guess it was ok we didn't see them there but it would have been nice too..

We are getting ready for our next alone trip and it will be all alone cause we don't know of anyone going at the same time. We are headed to Savannah in July for a our anniversary.

Happy V-day to all!!!!!!!!!!

Real Housewives Of Oconee County

This week was my friend Ree Davis b'day and we celebrated Saturday night by going to Cafe & Then Some in Greenville to see Real Housewives. We got there in time to order our dinner which we all but Tim got appetizers of wings and potato skins and most got salads and then each couple order there dessert called Sinful (yes I blog and I didn't take a pic of this wonderful dessert). It is a huge chocolate chip cookie w/ a half of gallon of vanilla ice cream on it and then cover in chocolate syrup and nuts. All the food was wonderful... If you have never been what it is a couple of name Bubba & Norma Jean (they are really married in real life and own the place for 30 yrs) and their friend Dot and this one had Dot's long lost son and his wife and cover a very "housewives" story and that was really funny. They do alot of it improv and let me tell ya with just having a gallbladder surgery I had to turn my head away from the stage several times so I would not see them getting tickle and the looks on there faces. They change out with the season so I can't wait to see what the next one is. The men even liked it so maybe we will make it a qtrly quad date night. I did pretty good and was just hurting a little bit when we left but after we got back to Denny's parking lot to drop off the Horne's and Davis's off I have to say our conversations are just as funny at times and me trying NOT to laugh I have strained myself so today I am paying for it but it is all well worth it. Us girls always have a fun time but I have to say we had a great time w/ the hubbies coming with us... Can't wait until our next quad adventure hopefully it will be before Oct beach trip and next time I will be able to laugh with all of you, Brent will have to finish his story for me one day so I can hear it.....


Happy B'day Ree, we love you and are very thankful to have you as a friend in our life. We are bless that we got to share your b'day celebration and we hope to celebrate many more with you.


PS: Ginger you did a WONDERFUL job getting us there and back without any mishaps...

Here are some pics from our night...