End of Summer 2009

I'm not sure what was in Mel's water that afternoon.
Cameron is having second thoughts about holding the python.
The bartop in this picture was cut from a single tree. They had to cut the slab in a few places to get it inside the building, but what a beautiful piece of wood. It must have been 30 feet long.
Sucking in my gut and hiding behind Mom at Wood Island Lighthouse. The sky was a perfect shade of blue.
Dad, trying to stay ahead of the tourists at Wood Island.

What vacations are made of...

Mel and I had the absolute best vacation this year.. we took two weeks off - enjoyed the first week at the Belgrade Lakes....

Mike & Maryann came and stayed with us and we had a great time..
Then we went to Amy's and went with Cameron, Amy, Tom, Mom and Dad to York Wild Kingdom..celebrated Mom and Dad's birthdays...

Imagine two weeks - no computer, no work, no looking at projects that needed to be done! We just kicked back.. wow! I think we will plan to do this again next year..

Here are some pictures to share! Pictures are not in any particular order because I can't get them to do what I want them to...

What a beautiful sky.
I tried to post last weekend, I guess I wasn't on yet.
I had said that everyone was so busy. I had been working in the shop on some cabinets for a bath remodel that Matt is handling and I'm building the cabinets. I'll take some pictures and send them when it's installed maybe today.
Saturday I did my first funeral, for a friend and volunteer of ours at the World Impact Center at Church. Bill died as result of alcohol abuse. His wife wanted a full gospel message because most of his friends were going to the pub after the service. The first song was Face to Face then my message from Luke 16:19-31, the rich man and Lazarus, we then closed with Amazing Grace and a benediction. I was a bit nervous my mouth dry but I made it through it.
Sunday we went to church at 8am-2pm, Pastor was back after a month long sabbatical, he was loaded with ALL barrels. we had a number of visitors stop by the World Impact Center (where we kinda of Live on Sundays)
We went back for the evening service and had a great time, after the service we went back to the WIC and had a number of friends and missionaries stop by that we hadn't seen in a couple years, some had just come from the field and were back on furlough we finally left the church at 9:30 that night and we never even got to the ice cream social they were having.
What a good day in the Lord.
This past week back in the shop some more, today I help Matt on a job, another busy day and weekend.

All for now, Love to All
Michael
Col 3:23-24

No words necessary

Message from Julie

Hi everyone, Tom showed me how to Blog; so now I can participate.
Melany and MaryAnn, those were great pictures. Tom and I enjoyed them. We are getting ready to plant pole and bush beans. Hopefully they will do better than our last crop of vegetables. I will attempt to can some Fig jam/jelly soon.
I went to Michigan a few weeks ago to visit the family and see Jennifer's new baby Lily. She was born June 8. I've included a picture of her and her new family. The other picture was taken at Hartwick Pines. the picture is with my brother, Greg, Mom, and her husband Bill. We had a great time at Greg's cottage at Higgin's Lake. The weather was crazy. It was in the 50's on Saturday and in the 70's on Sunday. We were able to go out on Greg's pontoon boat. The lake was beatiful. Mom, Bill and I went to Laura's on Monday to see the rest of the family.
Tom took the flower pictures. It bloomed today and the blossom was 9 inches in diameter. We were amazed this plant grew. We dug up plants in the front of the house and later I find the root. I wasn't sure what it was when I planted it. I decided to plant it on the side of the house. We were having ant problems and ants decided to build their home over and around where I planted it. Tom and I were pouring boiling water on the ant hills and I thought "Oh well, it is never going to grow now." The ants were gone and a few weeks later I saw the plant poking through the ground. I believe this is a Forever plant and it lives up to its name.
Well, I'm going to go now. Tom and I are going to go to the location auction that is held weekly and maybe we'll find some good bargains. Love the bargains.

Love you all as well.

Julie

Hi!
Can't seem to figure out how to put all my pictures last, so start from the bottom.
My first attempt...

Wow!

I can blog!

Thanks for everyone's patience.

I have been wanting to share my pictures of the gardens we have this year. It has been very colorful flowering and bountiful vegetable gardening. Spirng starts early in the south. We had tulips and daffodils and crocus in late February and March. We planted the marigolds and pansies and petunias. Then the roses started blooming - all over our land (front in back). If you haven't been here for awhile we cut down 13 trees last year (old ones that crack easily). Then we landscaped the back yard and Michael is taking great care in growing deep green grass. The roses have doubled since last year (Knockout variety).

The morning glory and clementis have overtaken the mailbox. Thanks Mom! Your suggestion turned out to GREAT success! Every morning I think the morning glories double in blooms!

Then we have the perennials that we have been gradually adding to the gardens. We have hybiscus, verbena, mandevella, and cannas (the cannas are going to be enormous white lily looking flowers that won't bloom until September. I transplanted them from the front yard and ended up with 28 bulbs for the back yard - I'll send pictures when they bloom. I have hydrenga and magnolia and honeysuckle, but they just didn''t take off this year like the could. Last year was the end of a three year drought so they are likely still recovering. Oh yes, we had gorgeous luna hibyscus for two weeks - opens at night with a plate like flower.

Then....we planted 13 crape-myrtle last fall and we are THRILLED at how pretty they are opening up (blooms at the end of every branch!) gradually. All sorts of colors (pink, white, purple, lavender). It is a popular bush and also a tree. We got them at the Marietta Farmer's Market last year. And I can't forget the VERY popular bush for the butterflies & bees - the butterfly bush (it is six feet tall and five feet wide with purple flowers at the end of every branch).

In the spring I asked Michael if we could try growing a vegetable garden. Well, he went out and plowed the land in the back and made a real nice cultivated area that I put a fence around. We never expected to have such a nice harvest. We have had beans, tomatoes, bell peppers, egg plant, lettuce, and squash (not bunches but enough to go out in the back yard and pick something out for dinner!). We have coming the cutest pumkin!

Well, here are some pictures. It is so much fun to have the colors all over the yard. We didn't water them much this year (still shy of using too much water and we have had pretty continuous showers the last few months (the lakes are very full!!!). I added a picture of our "baby" Mercedes (our dog) and a picture of Melany for her birthday at Disney in front of a garden at Disney Village.

Lovingly, M&M

P.S. all these photos are from my phone. That's my camera.

Summer 2009- where did it go?

Awesome pictures Sis,

I've got none to share.

Our summer in Ellijay has flown by. We watch the sunset over the trees and it keeps shifting further to the south each evening.

Bethany and Robb came up on Thursday. They came back to Georgia for their vacation. We had a great time with them. They brought a DVD of the baby. Kind of cool to see the little heart beat at 168bpm. We are so happy for the two of them.

We went out for dinner Thursday night. Friday, I went with Bethany, Robb and Andrew downtown Ellijay and wandered around. Later in the afternoon, we answered an ad for a welder, so we hopped back into the truck and drove to the other side of the county. This woman had a basement full of tools that she needed to get rid of. I wound up buying the welder, an acetylene torch, a router table, a 10" table saw, a gigantic vise, two trunks full of hand tools, assorted nuts, bolts for $250.00. What a bargain! Now, I have to find space to jam it all. I promised Robb the router when he gets a place big enough to accomodate it along with the torch. Andrew gets the rest. Friday night, we went to the auction, nothing but junk, but you never know what's you might at auction. Saturday, Bethany, Robb, Julie and I hung around the house.

I've torn up the garden for the summer, we picked the last of the cucumbers. Julie canned 12 jars of pickles. I'm going to be putting in a late summer bean crop, both bush and pole. Now that I've learned some of the things I did wrong with the last harvest. ( not enough topsoil, inconsistent watering, planting too close and too many together, really causes small yields). I will make corrections and hope for a better harvest.

We haven't gotten the whole interweb thing figured out so, Melany put the cottage up on Craigslist for us as a rental. The cottage hasn't gotten any bites on it yet. We may consider renting it as a weekend cottage if we can't find a tenant. Andrew is planning on moving in February.

If you're on this blog, don't forget the BBQ last Saturday of September. Always fun and always something different every year. We hope you can come and bring a friend.

Love to all

T3

July flew like the wind

The title says it all... July came and went like the speed of lightening. However, we had some great times to remember during the month. Friends came up for the 4th of July and we all went ATV riding..

Cameron celebrated his first birthday with a wonderful celebration with friends and family...Imagine a year has already gone by! He has grown and has such a great little personality. He is definitely going to keep Amy and Jason on their feet.. he is not only walking - he is running!

August is already starting as a great month. Mel and I had a great time with Mom and Dad for this first weekend.. Friday night started with Lobsters that they brought up from Maine.. hmm.. yummm. On Saturday we went over to a little town (Andover, Maine) for the Old Home Days. Dad and Mel walked around and checked out the antique cars, while Mom and I checked out the photo, flower contests and flea market. Today (Sunday) we went for a nice ride to show the beautiful vistas and came home and had dinner and homemade ice cream...




And how have you all been? What are you up to?