Crawfish Boil

There's so much to share about last week and our fun adventures! Tonight I'll share a few pics from Tanna's crawfish boil. It's become somewhat of a tradition for Tanna to do a crawfish boil at his parents' place when his family comes to town. He went to undergrad at Tulane, so he has a special appreciation for this particular fare. In fact, the Tulane alumni group in our area has an annual crawfish boil that he likes to attend when it works out. (Seems like the event is always scheduled during a full weekend or when we are out of town--it's an especially busy time of the year.)

Anyway ... here are a few pics from last week's boil:

Breach of security! Those crazy crawfish kept escaping!
At one point, there were several scurrying all over the deck.

Believe it or not, this is only about half of the food.
And yes, it was all consumed in one night. Although ...
Tanna did have to call in some backup (otherwise
known as his friend Burt). LOL!

Survey says ...

So I am going through my in-box, trying to catch up on some e-mail. I have several of these surveys that friends have sent. I thought I might try to just respond here. I've adapted these a bit for blogging purposes.

Four things about me that you may or may not have known:

Four jobs I have had in my life:
What? Only four? LOL! I've had so many! It's hard to choose what to include, but here we go ...
1. Bagel shop counter girl (Very fun job b/c of the people I worked with--I used to laugh sooooo much at this job! The regular customers were great, too!)
2. Writer/editor at three different daily newspapers
3. Assistant editor/copy editor at an international magazine (Don't judge my skills based on this blog--I'm off the clock--ha!)
4. Professional gift-wrapper

Four movies I would watch over and over:
What do you mean "would"? These are movies I DO watch over and over:
1. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (and many other John Hughes classics--anyone who knows me knows this movie is going to be on this list!)
2. It's a Wonderful Life (quite possibly the best motion picture ever made)
3. About a Boy (hilarious--love the humor)
4. Amelie (A few years back, different people told me that they'd seen this movie and it reminded them of me. So I had to see it, and I loved it! So quirky--it's great! I loved seeing some of the spots in the film when we visited Paris year before last.)

Four places I have lived:
It's a good thing this isn't asking for addresses--after moving eight times in about five years, I am glad to finally be in one spot. We've had the same address for three years now. I think it may be a record for my post-college life!
1. Piney Flats, Tennessee
2. Blowing Rock, North Carolina
3. Maryville, Tennessee
4. Charlotte, North Carolina

Four TV Shows that I watch:
1. The Today Show
2. Jon & Kate + 8
3. Friday Night Lights
4. Beauty & The Geek

Four places I have been:
1. South Korea
2. Spain
3. Uruguay
4. Panama

Four American Landmarks (or should be) I've seen in person:
1. The Big Chicken in Marietta
2. The Grand Canyon
3. Seattle Space Needle
4. The Piney Flats Crossroads

Four things you might not know about me ... or maybe you do:
1. I was voted class clown in middle school and high school.
2. I love the post office.
3. I once kissed a hot doctor on top of the Eiffel Tower. (Well, maybe more than once--ha!) ;o)
4. I was interviewed on television about my scandalous seventh-grade science fair project.

Four of my favorite foods:
1. Chocolate
2. Chicken
3. Bread (biscuits, toast, etc.)
4. Green beans

Your turn!

Date Night!

Tanna and I had a date night Friday night. We met up with folks from our Sunday school class at a local restaurant. Once a month, our church offers evening babysitting for a small fee. This was our first time to take advantage of this opportunity. We were a little worried about how Kate would do, as her record in the nursery could use some improvement. Thankfully, she did great! She cried at first, but then fell asleep and later was fine. Yay! Her Mom and Dad had a great time hanging out with the SS peeps. It was a fun evening out for all!

Celebrity Saturday--Pat Summitt

This week's installment of Celebrity Saturday focuses on Pat Head Summitt, coach of the University of Tennessee Lady Vols-- seven-time NCAA champs (in case you didn't know). I met Coach Summitt a couple of times--both at book signings back in Tennessee. Boy, were these book signings ever crowded! The first time, we waited for a few hours at least--and there were tons of people still there as we left. (If I remember correctly, Summitt said she would stay until everyone made it through the line.) The second time, I learned to ask about the policies and procedures, etc., and found out that I could go to the bookstore ahead of time and get a number. I did just that on the morning of the event--stopped by before work--and got No. 1! How fitting, wouldn't you say, to see the coach of a No. 1 team? ;o) Anyway, this was really all for my Mom, who wanted the books. She met me there both times after work. She's a big Pat Summitt fan!

The Lady Vols play Notre Dame tomorrow in the Sweet 16! If you go to the game, be sure to wear orange so I can see you on the telly!
Ummmm ... yeah ... these photos are a few years old! Like ... maybe nine or 10! Yikes!

P.S. With this post and last Saturday's, you might think that I am a big sports fan ... LOL!

Busy week ... busy month

Wow! It's been a very busy week--and a busy month as well. I can't believe March is almost over. It's usually the one month that just seems to drag on and on and on for me. But now there are only a few more days until April! Where has the time gone? We started out this month in Tennessee for Abigail's 5th birthday party--she had a Build-a-Bear party, and it was a lot of fun. On our way back to Atlanta, we got to see Joe, Joshua and Caleb for the first time in more than two years--they were in the States for some church meetings. Then, after just two nights at home, we were off to Savannah! (I'll have to write about that in more detail another time.) Since then, we've been keeping very busy with work, church, taxes (finally got our taxes done!), and keeping up with family and friends. It's been great to have Tanna's brother and his family visiting this week--we have a ton of photos to prove all the fun that's been had. We are thankful to have plenty to do ... and plenty of loved ones with whom to share life, love, and the pursuit of the chief end of man. And what is the chief end of man, you ask? Why, as any good catechism student will tell you ... it is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. :o)

Abigail and her birthday cake

Grammy, Grampy and five of their 13 grandkids

Meeting some of the family from Spain for the first time--
Joe, Joshua & Caleb

Strolling the streets of Savannah with Ah-pah

Happy 7th Birthday, Marianna!

It's Marianna's birthday today! Marianna is one of our 17 nieces and nephews. We wish we could celebrate with her today, but she is across the Atlantic in Spain. Here are a few photos from the last time we saw sweet Marianna--back in 2005. But we hope to see her and the rest of her family again later this year! Hope you have a wonderful day today, Marianna!

All smiles!Looking contemplative after church: Packing shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child:

Kate's First Trip to The Varsity

Before we headed to the zoo earlier this week, we had a bite to eat at The Varsity. This was Kate's first trip there--and my second. Don't tell anyone ... but the first time I ate there, I wasn't all that impressed. (Around here, I could seriously get my ass kicked for saying such a thing! It's like not wearing orange on game day in Knoxville or something.) Anyway, this time I had a quick hot dog, and it wasn't too bad! (In case you didn't know, I have some food issues. I'm a very picky eater--have been since childhood. Have I got lots of stories I could share on that subject! But I am getting better all the time. I've really come a long way in the last few years!)

Even if you don't care for the food, the atmosphere is really something to experience. Love the hats they give the kids, too! Here's Kate in hers ... well, actually I think it's Kylie's, and she is sharing it with Kate. (If you look closely you might see her crouching behind the high chair, holding the hat on Kate's head.)


The lovely ladies at lunch. I guess Kate must be wearing Eric's hat in this photo:

Here's the little man himself:

Kylie's all smiles:
A family shot outside:

A Day at the Zoo

We went to the zoo the other day--it was a lot of fun! We actually signed up to be members, which has worked out very well for us. It's a great place to take visitors--and the kids love it, of course! Up to four children get in free with us--and we got the guest option, so one adult gets in free with us as well. Let us know if you're in town and want to see some animals!

Here we all are ... getting ready to leave:

We watched the gorillas getting fed. It was really neat! I recommend going to this if you have the chance! I have a ton of gorilla photos--here's one (taken through a window):
The California crew with the elephants:
Kylie enjoyed the meerkats:

Eric's favorite was the train ride:

Last time we were there, the giraffes weren't on exhibit. But they were out in full force this time:

A few Easter leftovers ...

As you know, Easter came early this year ... on March 23, in fact. Did you know that the earliest Easter can ever appear on the calendar is March 22? I learned this from 11Alive News meteorologist Chris Holcomb (as well as a good old-fashioned Internet search for confirmation--a good journalist gets confirmation, you know). Easter will not be this early again until the year 2160--and the last time Easter was so early was 1913. As far as March 22--the earliest Easter possible--well, that hasn't happened since 1818. And it won't happen again until 2285.

Tanna asked me recently if I knew how the Easter date was figured each year. (He often quizzes me on various subjects just to see if I know the correct answer--although he sometimes surprises me with a legitimate question--LOL!) Anyway, all I could remember at the time is that the Easter date has something to do with the moon. You can read more about early and late Easters and the moon here.

At any rate, we had a nice day for Easter 2008--even if it was early. It was much warmer than last year, when we had record lows in Atlanta.

Here are a few pictures from our church Easter egg hunt. We didn't find any eggs, but that's OK. By the time we got there, all the eggs were gone--but we brought our own. We weren't, as a guy in our Sunday school class put it, "hard-core." Luann happened to be running in the park that day and came over with Trey to join us. Lu's running a half-marathon soon!

On holding the baby ...

I love how now when I pick Kate up she can hold on to me ... and sometimes she'll lay her head down on my shoulder. Love that!

Easter Greetings, Everyone!

We hope you all have had a wonderful Easter Sunday. Here are a few pics from our day:
















Lim ... Party of Three: Here we are ready to head to church.
















In town from California: Tanna's brother's family--
Mike, Darlene, Kylie and Eric
















Here's Kate with her Ah-pah, Halmoni and Halabaji.
She's so sad that the service is over!




















Easter lunch at Waffle House--LOL!
The Cali folks wanted to eat at WH, so we
skipped the church dinner for some waffles and such.
Kate is smiling up at her Ah-pah (that's Korean talk for "Daddy").




















Eric and Kylie after hunting eggs that
Tanna hid around his parents' place.















Some bunny left this stuff for Kate.















She seemed to really like the eggs ...















... and the Cheerios--well, the container at least.




















Cuteness alert ... cuteness alert ...
Three cousins ready for church!

Sorry the big spaces and for the photos being out of order. I am still figuring out how the features and functions work on this thing.

Happy Easter!

He has risen!

"Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!" --Luke 24:5-6, NIV

Hoppy Easter from Baby Kate!

It's an Easter shout-out from Kate and her Peeps!





















































I took these photos the other day. Kate's "Peep Sweet" shirt was Rebekah and Riley's once upon a time. As you can tell, Kate wasn't too into the photo session. Ha! She is a busy gal--always on the go, go, go!

Easter Weekend

View Him prostrate in the garden;
On the ground your Maker lies.
On the bloody tree behold Him;
Sinner, will this not suffice?
--from the hymn
"Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy"
by Joseph Hart

I am a words person. (Surprise, surprise!) When I listen to a song, I can't tell you much about the music, tempo, beat, whatever, what have you, insert big impressive musical word here. But I can tell you about the lyrics, what I thought about them, how they made me feel, if they were grammatically correct.

I also love old hymns. (I am a traditionalist when it comes to worship. Nothing against contemporary worship at all--I'm just old-fashioned.) Anyway, I love the old hymns. I think of one in particular this time of year. It's "Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy" by Joseph Hart. Fernando Ortega and Amy Grant recorded a version of this hymn, and you can hear it here.

I find the verse at the top of this post particularly haunting. It paints a poignant picture--one for which you and I are responsible. But, thanks be to God, that is not the end of the story. Christ paid the ultimate price for our sins, making it possible for us to escape eternal torment in hell and to spend eternity with Him in heaven, enjoying Him forever. And He calls us to Himself. No matter where we are in life, Christ is calling us. Don't wait. Go to Him today.

Come, ye weary, heavy-laden
Lost and ruined by the fall.
If you tarry till you're better,
You will never come at all.

Tomorrow is Easter. We'll get up and see what Kate got in her Easter basket. We'll get dressed in our Sunday best, attend church, have a ham dinner with family. We already did an egg hunt and visited the Easter bunny at the mall. These are all fine traditions, and I enjoy them very much--as many people do. You can bet that we'll have lots of photos to remember this special occasion. But the one thing I hope our little girl grows up to always remember--and to truly comprehend, as much as anyone can--is the importance of what this holiday celebrates. That God gave His one and only Son. That His Son conquered death so that we could enjoy eternal life. That as much as I love her and as much as her father loves her and as much the rest of her family loves her, Christ loves her so much more. So much more.

I will arise and go to Jesus.
He will embrace me in His arms.
In the arms of my dear Savior,
O, there are ten thousand charms.

Celebrity Saturday--Mike Tirico

Welcome to Celebrity Saturday! In honor of March Madness, today's celebrity spotlight is on Mike Tirico. I met Mike Tirico back in 1997--it was my last semester of college. I was just days from commencement, actually, and I got to attend a sports journalism seminar at Churchill Downs. The seminar took place the weekend before the Kentucky Derby, so participants got to meet and/or see several of the bigtime jockeys, horses, trainers, owners, etc. I was very interested in journalism (of course), but not that interested in sports journalism. However, I had so much fun at this conference, and I gained a new appreciation for sports writing--and horse racing. There were aspiring sports journalists there from all over the country, and we learned a lot from some of the best in the business--including Mike Tirico. We had a great time working and touring the area. It was an all-expenses-paid (or at least almost-all-expenses-paid) type of thing, which made it even better! I remember putting together a birthday survey among the participants, which was a lot of fun, but that's another story for another time.

At any rate, I hope your brackets are doing well. Enjoy the games!

Are you a crunchy mom?

Here's a quiz to take to see if you're a crunchy kind of mom. If you know me, then you know that I am soooooooo not a crunchy mom! But some mommies I know and love--you know who you are--are very granola. :o)

Happy Spring!

Hey, y'all! Happy first day of Spring! We met Tanna at the park this afternoon. He had a dinner tonight, so we caught up with him between work and the dinner. It turned out to be a beautiful day, even though it was a bit chilly. Here are a few pics:

















































Since Kate has been on the move, it is getting more difficult to get a photo of her. She just isn't interested in sitting still, it seems. This is a common sight around our place these days:

Happy Birthday, Mr. Rogers!

Today would have been Fred Rogers' 80th birthday.

I did not know this until I received an e-mail from Kristen, a friend of mine in Charlotte. She also informed me--via a link--that in honor of the occasion, Mr. McFeely had asked people to wear a sweater today.

From the official site: "We’re asking everyone everywhere — from Pittsburgh to Paris — to wear their favorite sweater on that day," (Mr. McFeely) asks in his best speedy delivery voice. "It doesn’t have to have a zipper down the front like the one Mister Rogers wore on the program, it just has to be special to you."

If you continue reading, you'll learn that this special day--"Sweater Day"--is part of Pittsburgh’s 250th anniversary celebration and the first-ever "Won’t You Be My Neighbor?" Days (March 15-20).

How cool is that?! Kate and I wanted to be part of the celebration, so we wore some sweaters today:















A few years back, my sister, BIL and his brother went to Pennsylvania to see Punxsutawney Phil for the "Phillennium" (02.02.02). Also on this trip--which was sooooo much fun--we visited Indiana, Pennsylvania (hometown of Jimmy Stewart and The Jimmy Stewart Museum), as well as the Rolling Rock headquarters in Latrobe, Penn. (I was just thinking ... how appropriate that I mention Rolling Rock on this blog, which so happens to have the number 33 in its title?!) So what does any of this have to do with Mr. Rogers, you ask? While in Pennsylvania, we stayed with a friend from high school who had moved up there, and he drove us by the home or former home of Mr. Rogers! Or at least I think he was pretty sure that was the house--LOL! I have a photo, too, but that was before I'd gone digital.

So there you have it! I loved watching Mr. Rogers when I was a little girl, and I especially loved the Neighborhood of Make-Believe. (Remember King Friday and the gang?) Mr. Rogers, you are missed.

P.S. Did you know that Mr. Rogers was an ordained Presbyterian minister?

Easter Bunny!

Yesterday, Kate had her picture made with the Easter Bunny! Apparently, there has been some controversy in the past over the Easter Bunny being called the "Spring Bunny." Can you believe that nonsense? What is the world coming to?! Anyway, here's Kate with the EASTER Bunny:

Play, play, play!

Kate's been a busy bee in the last week or so with various social engagements and play dates and such. In fact, we were supposed to attend another play date today, but unfortunately it was canceled due to illness. We hope to catch up with those friends another time. :o)

Here is Kate with some friends and their mommies last week. Funny story about the townhouse where this play date took place. Turns out, it's the same townhouse where Tanna lived before we got married! The couple who now live there (Stephanie is in the white/ivory sweater below) are friends with Daniel (a co-worker of Tanna's) and Jennifer (in the pink shirt below). It's a neat small-world kinda story. This is actually where we got engaged--well, out on the deck just off of the living room!















Earlier this week, Kate got together with Jasper, Jeremy and Jane's little boy. Jeremy is the brother of Don, one of Tanna's good friends from high school. We spent some time with him and Jane year before last when we were all in France for Don and Celine's wedding. Anyway, Jasper is a few months younger than Kate, and this was the first time the two met. He's a cutie--such a happy, smiley baby! We took a walk to a park near their neighborhood, and the kiddos enjoyed the swings!















When we got back from the park, Jane invited over a neighbor and her little boy, Blake, who is just a few days younger than Kate (if I remember correctly). We couldn't resist getting a group shot of the sweet babes!