A Bike Ride To Amherst

Millie loves to ride her bike and she gets very excited when we tell her we can ride to Amherst. Amherst is the grade school she will be going to at the end of the month and it is just a short bike ride from our house to get there. I get nervous when she rides on the main road but it is just a short little bit and then it is pretty safe from there.


When we get there, we play on the play ground. She was practicing jumping off the swings but was having trouble timing it right. This was a close accident but she finally figured it out.


Reed has fun too because everything is made so he can play on it with no help.


I can not believe that in just a few weeks, Millie is going to be a student at this big school. Time sure does fly!

Karns Community Parade

I had forgotten about some photos I took last weekend at the Karns Fair. There wasn't much to see but the kids enjoyed the parade. They were excited for it to start.


The biggest hit of the parade for Reed were the tractors. There were a lot of them!




Grandma Lucy and Grandpa Alan came to visit us last weekend as well. We went on a nice bike ride and the kids had fun playing in the water table and spraying Grandpa Alan with the water hose. No photos of that because camera on bike doesn't work well and camera around water fight does not work well either.

A little Conversation

Reed is playing trains, Millie is working a puzzle...

Reed - "Oh oh. Help please Millie. Help."
Millie - "Wait just 1 second Buddy."
Reed - "Ok."
Millie - "Ok, what do you need?"
Reed - "Help this please Millie." (He shows her where the track came apart)
Millie - "There you go Buddy." (She fixes it)
Reed - "Thank you Millie"
Millie - "You're welcome Little Buddy."

Now, if only all of their interactions could be this pleasant, my job would be a piece of cake.

No Publishers Clearing House

Winning a million dollars from Publishers Clearing House would be nice, but I think taking your finances into your own hands, making a plan, living on less than you make and being responsible for your financial future is a better and more realistic approach to being able to enjoy a future where you don't worry about money and you don't wonder if you can pay your bills. Wouldn't it be nice to keep your paycheck and not have to send it all back out again for the car payment, a student loan, the mortgage, several credit cards and who knows what else? I am proud that Rick and I have worked hard, made many sacrifices and didn't try to keep up with other people, the dreaded "Jones", in a high consumption life style.

I am proud to say that Rick and I are debt free and we love every bit of it. Yes, it would have been nice to have cable, the latest video game systems, new cars, fancy vacations, the fanciest clothes (new clothes period even) or enjoyed going out to movies, eating out, pedicures, buying the kids every new toy as it hit the shelves but we didn't. Now, we didn't live like paupers. We made wise decisions about how and where we would spend our money and with every purchase, we asked ourselves "Is this worth it?" Will this purchase bring us days and weeks of enjoyment and help to make us a closer family, or is this a purchase we can live without? Is this something we need or just something we want? Are we teaching our kids to be responsible? Are we setting a good example?

America is in a terrible decline because of over spending and because so many Americans seem to think they are entitled to have anything they want. They think if their friend/coworker/brother/neighbor has something, then they should have it too. I am not sure where this attitude came from, my grandparents certainly didn't live like that, nor my parents. I pray that our children realize that you really do have to have money in order to buy something and more importantly where that money comes from...it is called work. And in today's society, young people don't seem to know what the word means. Rick and I both grew up in farming families and saw our parents work, hard, from the time they got up to the time they went to bed. We knew where money came from and what it meant to work. Thanks, Mom and Dad, for that lesson.

Kids, I hope we can teach you the value of a dollar and this simple idea..."Live on less than you make." It is that simple. I hope that you all, early in your life, can get a letter in the mail like the one Rick and I got this week...

Dear Mortgagor:
First Horizon wishes to inform you that we have posted the payment in full on your loan on 06-28-10. After your payment funds clear, we will send a mortgage discharge to your county clerk to release the lien we have maintained on your property.

It feels great kids. I hope we teach you well and that you can enjoy even more financial freedom than we do. I hope you see that when you have money, you can give money and that feels better than any 'thing' you can buy for yourself. The Bible says it well..."The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender." (Proverbs 22:7). Don't go through life working just to hand your money over to your "lender". Don't be a slave, be free so that you can help others and live your life the way you want. Dave Ramsey says "Live like no one else now, so that you can live like no one else later." Those words are so true. A few sacrifices early in life will open so many doors for you to live like no one else.

Obstacle Course

My kids really enjoying watching the show Wipeout. If you have never seen the show, it is a couple of goofy hosts and a HUGE obstacle course set up outside that is pretty much impossible. The hosts make fun of the contestants as they fall, flop, get smacked with huge balls, bounce off huge balls, fall in mud and are sprayed with paint.

So, my kids watch it and then they build their own Wipeout course in our bonus room. It is pretty funny to watch. Reed will run around the room gathering up all the pillows and just keep saying "Mommy Wook! I make obstacles course!"

Easily Entertained

This is how Reed entertains himself at Millie's swim lessons. He just kept asking for more and more. I really wanted to throw him in the pool and watch him bob around.

Millie The Fish

I have a few videos to upload because Rick finally got them off his phone and on my computer. This is Millie after only 5 swim lessons. Please ignore her little wardrobe malfunction. She jumped in 4 times and was loving it. The other little boy in her class would have no part of it but Millie said even though she was scared, she wanted to be brave and try it.

Reed Is Making Rick Proud

It didn't take Reed long to learn how to pedal his new big boy bike. Pretty much from sun up to sun down he jabbers about bike races and going fast and how Mommy, Daddy, Millie and Reed have bikes. I think Rick is pretty excited that Reed likes to ride because now I am sure we will all get matching family jerseys and be biking across the country. Little does he know, I think I am the most excited because I am the one who has to pull Reed in the cart when we all go riding and that chubby boy is HEAVY! A little more practice with the brakes and Reed will be hauling himself around. Maybe I should make him pull me around while I kick back and have snacks.

Blue Mountain Mist

Rick and I bought a new house...I wish!


The Blue Mountain Mist Country Inn is where my mom and dad stayed this past weekend and where we celebrated Reed's birthday. Rick has been fighting a really bad ear infection so while he took a nap, the rest of us walked up to the main house and enjoyed some front porch sittin'.





This Inn not only serves a fantastic full country breakfast, but in the afternoon, they start baking and we got there just at the right time to enjoy some cookies right out of the oven, some delicious pie, homemade lemonade and my dad got his favorite...a nice cup of coffee. This is the third time my parents have stayed here and I can understand why they keep going back.


It was very peaceful and relaxing but just a few miles from Dollywood and all the attractions you could want.









It really is a beautiful place. Their website is www.bluemountainmist.com

Celebrating Reed's Birthday

I like to focus on family adventures and just enjoying each other for the kids' birthdays. I want it to be less about the gifts and more about celebrating life. The day started early by getting up, packing a large picnic lunch and heading to Pigeon Forge. My mom and dad rented a little cottage at a bed and breakfast so we met them there and drove up together to Clingman's Dome. Rick was pretty excited about this because he brought his bike so he could ride back down the mountain. I was worried about a bike being involved because of what happened last year on Reed's birthday but I put my fears aside and figured it would be ok.



By the time we got to Clingman's Dome, we were pretty hungry so we had our picnic in the back of the truck like true mountain men before we made the 1/2 mile walk to the peak. My dad stayed at the truck and waited because he was not able to make the walk but the rest of us headed to the top.

Millie made sure we knew where we were going.


I think Reed's favorite part was walking along the wall.


Millie and Rick went all the way to the top of the observation tower but mom and I stayed with Reed at the base because it was pretty foggy and you couldn't have seen anything anyway.


Rick and Millie walked on down the hill while Mom and Reed decided to take a little detour on the Appalachian Trail.


Then it was back to the truck and down the mountain to pick up the ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins.


Reed and my dad waited patiently while we got things ready for the cake.


Fortunately Rick made it back safely and we all enjoyed some yummy cake.



Then of course, what birthday isn't complete without a few gifts. I don't know which gift Reed was more excited about. The bike Rick and I got him...


...or the tennis racket, balls and play dough my mom and dad got him.


We were prepared and Rick brought tools so he could put the bike together. Reed didn't want to get off the thing the rest of the afternoon.


We spent a few hours at the main house, relaxing on the front porch and enjoying some nice home made deserts and lemonade. I will have more details on that later because this post is getting WAY too long.


After the kids played, Dad fired up the grill outside and we had some brats, dogs, fresh corn from the garden and some squash (one of my favorites).


Reed was helping him get a few sticks.


Once we got everything cleaned up, we packed our stuff and headed back to Knoxville while my parents stayed at the cottage another night. The kids were exhausted and they were asleep before we even got to the main road.


Happy Birthday Reed, I hope you had a great day!