Holiday Road

Last week we took a trip to the Smoky Mountains. My dad wanted to take us on vacation and he rented us a house in Gatlinburg to stay in for the week. It was the second big trip we have taken with Ari and Emilie, the first being a trip to a beach house in Myrtle Beach when Emilie was just one month old. We were a bit nervous about it, but our fears were unwarranted and everything was wonderful.

We arrived at the house on Monday. Some of the scariest turns I have ever made were on the way up to the house.  Steep roads and sharp turns aren't really my cup of tea. I had a GPS in my car and it was not much help once we got into the actual mountain. When we finally made it up to the house and saw the view from the deck, we knew the trip was totally worth it.  It was breathtaking.
Monday night we kept it simple and had dinner, walked around downtown Gatlinburg and then called it an evening. On Tuesday, we went on a hike first thing in the morning. We ended up doing about eight miles on the Old Settler's trail and found an old wrecked steam engine laying in the stream. It was very cool. The trail was nice and we saw only one other person on it the entire time we were there.

Wednesday, we took another trail to Laurel falls. The Laurel falls trail was much more crowded which made it difficult to get as much enjoyment out of the actual hike. The falls were magnificent though, and made the crowded hike worth it. Below is a picture of Ari and I in front of Laurel falls.
On Thursday, Michael and I decided to do the Chimney Tops trail. It is a two mile trail that pretty much goes uphill the entire time. I was exhausted by the time we got up to the top and I forgot my camera so I was unable to take any pictures. Luckily, Michael had his.  The view from the top combined with the sense of accomplishment I had from climbing to the top was indescribable. I'm glad I did it.

Thursday night we all enjoyed some miniature golf. Ari loves to golf and the course we played had so much going on, he was blown away.
All in all it was a wonderful vacation. We probably only got to do about half the things we wanted, so that leaves the door open for a return trip. I'd do it again in a heartbeat!

Billy Mays

I was saddened today when I learned about the death of Billy Mays. I have always been intrigued by infomercials for one reason or another, though I have never purchased anything from direct response television. My favorite pitchman for any of these commercials was by far Billy Mays. I have most recently enjoyed watching Pitchmen on the Discovery Channel and I was thrilled to get a chance to look at the whole process that went into pitching products. It gave me a lot more respect for Billy Mays and the products he endorses.

I have been on vacation the past week and I was planning on doing a post about that, but decided to wait after hearing the news about Billy Mays. Of all the celebrity deaths that have happened the last week, I am most saddened by the death of Billy Mays. From what I have seen, he really was a good man and I will miss seeing him on my television.

the shock of the lightning

I'm all over my heart's desire,
I feel cold but I'm back in the fire,
Out of control but I'm tied up tight,
Come in, come out tonight..

Comin' up in the early morning,
I feel love in the shock of the lightning,
I fall into the blinding light,
Come in, come out, come in, come out tonight..

Love is a time machine,
Up on the silver screen,
It's all in my mind,
Love is a litany,
A magical mystery,
And all in good time, and all in good time,
And all in good time..

I got my feet on the street but I can't stop flyin',
My head is in the clouds but at least I'm tryin',
I'm out of control but I'm tied up tight,
Come in, come out tonight..

There's a hole in the ground into which I'm fallin',
So God's speed to the sound of the poundin',
I'm all into the blinding light,
Come in, come out, come in, come out tonight..

Love is a time machine,
Up on the silver screen,
It's all in my mind,
Love is a litany,
A magical mystery,
And all in good time, and all in good time,
And all in good time..

It's all in my mind,
Love is a time machine,
Up on the silver screen,
And all in good time, and all in good time,
And all in good time..

Let Me In - 3 ways

Let Me In is one of the most powerful REM songs I have ever heard. The music and Michael Stipe's voice just penetrate my entire body every time I listen to it. It has always been a favorite of mine. I started singing it to Ari before bed after Ang, Michael and I went to an REM concert last June. I was surprised when they performed a slower version of the song live and I fell in love with it all over again.

Below I posted kind of a progression of Let Me In. The first video is from 1994 when the band was recording the Monster album. The second is a live version from the Monster tour. The third is from the Accelerate tour last year and is the slower version that I mentioned above. Good stuff. Enjoy!

Emilie's party

We celebrated Emilie's first birthday today and it was a blast! Friends, family, cookout, cake, ice cream, what more could anyone ask for? It was a scorcher so we got the kiddie pool out and all the kids had fun playing in the water. All in all, it couldn't have gone any better.

I made her a butter cake with strawberry icing. I used the juice from some macerated strawberries to flavor and color the icing and was very pleased with the results. I initially was going to make the cake in the shape of a strawberry, but due to some time constraints I had to make a change of plans and Ang suggested I put a big red "1" on the cake, so that's what a did. I think it turned out well. I threw on a couple of strawberries for good measure. Here is a picture of it along with a nice bouquet of flowers Emilie got from Aunt Sue & Uncle Steve & family. Aren't they beautiful! Emilie had fun opening her presents, but she lost interest rather quickly because it was so hot out. She received many nice toys, clothes, and lots of other girly stuff. She really didn't want to put down a My Little Pony she got from Diana and Lucas. It was a hit!

The biggest surprise of the day came from Emilie herself. She took her first steps! She decided to really be the star of the show and walk for the first time. Show off! I am really proud of her and she is pretty good already. I knew she had it in her, she just needed to let go of that walker. Today was the day and she was loving every minute of it. Way to go Emilie!

New Super Mario Bros. Wii

I know there only a small percentage of you who look at my blog like to play Nintendo (hi Ari). But I just couldn't contain my excitement for this new game and I had to share.



New Super Mario Bros. Wii will be released this Christmas. This game is a throwback to the style of the original Super Mario Bros. and allows four players to play the game together for the first time! I know one thing that will be on my Christmas list the year.

Jar Story 2

My new spice jars are now in my spice racks complete with spiffy new labels. Take a look:
I also made new labels for the tin containers on my cabinet door.

It was time for a change and I couldn't be happier with the way they turned out.

Happy Birthday Oldie!

Today, our little Emilie Renée is one year old. I made a comment that she is no longer a baby and was quickly corrected. Valerie informed me that she is still a baby until she starts walking on her own. I guess I missed the memo. But anyway, happy birthday Emilie! We love you!

Calvin and Hobbes

This really struck a cord with me the other night when Ari and I were reading Calvin and Hobbes before bed. This strip was published in August 1992. Do you think Bill Watterson was onto something or what? And you really don't want to get me started on McDonald's!

New specs

I got a new pair of glasses last week and they are quite a departure from any other pair I've ever owned. I have always tried to get a pair of glasses with as small of frames as possible, but I decided to throw caution to the wind and shake things up a bit this time. So far, I've gotten a lot of positive feedback from my co-workers and family, but then again, they could just be being nice to me and holding back their true opinions. But I like 'em!