The Adventures Of Our Family!

hop on over....

2009-10-06T21:34:00.001-04:00

I have been having problems with my blog so if you want to keep tabs on the Austin's, hop on over to....

meghanelkinsaustin29.blogspot.com

A small setback

2009-09-30T22:17:00.002-04:00

My 5K is approaching quickly and i am not where i wanted to be at this point. Not because i haven't been pushing myself these past few months but because i got sick. Now don't get me wrong, usually when i get sick life doesn't stop. Zicam in my opinion, is the greatest invention EVER! I can take Ziacam and my cold is cut in half in every way...the length of the cold, the severity of the cold, the symptoms of the cold...i love it! Somehow though, this time Zicam failed me. This cold i got (10 days ago) kicked my butt!! The fact that we had rain the week before i got sick didn't help either. Not just any rain but rain that needed and ark! I didn't run that whole week or the week and a half i was sick so when i got back out there last night i thought i was going to die. I feel better but i have this dumb cough just lingering around. Last night i kept having to stop in the middle of my run and cough up a lung. Tonight was the same. It did, however, feel GREAT to be back out there. The weather these past 2 days have been PERFECT!! There is something about running in cooler weather that just makes me want to run farther and longer with my music even louder! Even though i am not where i want to be I am still proud of myself. I have been working hard. I am getting excited. Noah said he wants to come cheer me on and for that i am more excited than running the actual race. He also told me he wants to wear the pin with his soccer picture on it because that is what i wear when i am cheering him on. Is that love or what!?! Okay...i am off for a run!

quote...

2009-09-27T00:28:00.001-04:00

my new favorite quote:

by Aimee Van Rooyen...

"I try not to smile so my eyes don't get wrinkles"

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. love you Aimee but that is the weirdest thing i have ever heard!!!! xoxoxoxox.

Ireland...

2009-09-23T20:33:00.006-04:00

Barrett and I enjoying a Guinness in Ireland at the Guinness brewery!

more blast from the past...

2009-09-23T15:55:00.000-04:00

playing barbies with my friends (that's me on the left).

Blast from the Past

2009-09-23T15:52:00.002-04:00

That's right...i went skydiving...and i LOVED it!! I was 21 years old!! I just found some old pictures and scanned them in so what better place to put them than on my blog... so get ready for some older pictures!!

shots

2009-09-22T20:13:00.002-04:00

i finally took Noah for his 4 year old check up and he had to get 2 shots (which he was NOT happy about). He hid behind the chair when the nurse came in with the needles. I know he wasn't happy but I thought he looked too cute!!!

Sunday Madness

2009-09-22T19:55:00.004-04:00

Sunday Allen had the Life Teen kick off and Noah and I went to tag along for a while...okay we went early to play on all the games. Since it was pouring, things moved inside but it was still great!! 215 Teens came out...I think that is the most yet!!! Noah and I played on the velcro wall...
It was tons of fun!!!

Allen and Noah practiced the bike riding...

Noah had fun trying out all the bouncy houses before the "big kids" took over...

2009-09-22T19:18:00.003-04:00

Our great friends Jessel and Kristin got married on Saturday. Allen read at the wedding and we had a blast!! Here's Allen and Betsy...
Allen and I...
James and Allen were looking too handsome in their vests and James was so proud of his pocket watch...haha
James and i...
We got to see one of our favorite priest and one of our favorite friends, Father Flanagan!!

Congrats to the happy couple!!!!

A Broken Heart...

2009-09-22T18:07:00.003-04:00

A tragic event happened last night, one of Barrett and Aimee's friends (Kevin) drowned. Kevin was a student at Southern Catholic College (SCC) and was from Ireland. With all the flooding happening around Georgia, one of the lakes at the college started to flood too. Some of the guys from SCC thought it would be fun to play in the lake. Kevin was not the best swimmer and the rapids were too dangerous and Kevin did not make it out of the lake.

My heart breaks for everyone who knew Kevin, especially his family who is coming over from Ireland tonight. My heart goes out to Barrett and Aimee because i love them so much and hate to see them hurt and suffering! If you are reading this, please stop and say a prayer for Kevin and his family and friends. Also say a prayer for everyone dealing with issues from the flooding. We have been so lucky that we aren't having any problems with leaking or our backyard flooding but lots of our friends are. Thanks!

St Andrew's

2009-09-22T10:56:00.002-04:00

This is why Noah did not have school today...check out the parking lot of Saint Andrew's!!!

Conversations with Noah

2009-09-20T23:13:00.002-04:00

While driving to school:

Noah: Mom?
Me: Yes Noah?
Noah: You know mom, you are always telling me that Saint Michael fights bad guys and if i want to fight bad guys i need to do it like Saint Michael. But Mom, the ninja turtles fight bad guys too and they wear really cool costumes and have really cool weapons so I think i would rather be like the ninja turtles.

I mean, how can i argue that?

Happy Birthday Allen

2009-09-16T21:43:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday Allen....

McDonalds Fun

2009-09-16T21:31:00.005-04:00

We are so lucky to have such great (and goofy) friends.... We went to McDonalds with some friends after school the other day...check out the goofy boys...
the adult and baby table...
the girl table (we missed Bonnie and Patrick though)...
Kate and Alice...

Michaelangelo in the House....

2009-09-16T21:24:00.002-04:00

We have taken drum playing to a whole new level in our house...
check out the happy fan club...

Soccer Saturday!

2009-09-16T20:33:00.006-04:00

Saturday was soccer picture day! This is going to be a fun year! So many of Noah's friends are in the same league so we will get to play them! Madeline and Noah are on the same team but we will get to play Padon, Luke, Caylie, and Noah's coach from last year Coach Greg and his son, James.

double trouble...

for the team picture Noah wanted his "game face" on....

after pictures the park held a fall festival with fun games for the kids... Madeline and Noah loved the bouncy houses (of course they have had LOTS of practice on them)...

Noah was a champ at all the games...

and of course Noah loves to color his hair...hmmm...I wonder where he gets that from (Allen is looking at funky colors to dye his hair this week)

hmmm, a sight no mother wants to see...hahaha

Bring on Fall and all the fun festivals!!!

Cowboy Noah!

2009-09-16T20:23:00.001-04:00

Noah loves to dress up and play pretend. Today he was a cowboy!

Farmers Market

2009-09-16T20:16:00.002-04:00

I just discovered that right around the corner from our house on Saturday mornings is a farmers market with fresh produce. We got some great fruit and veggies and of course Allen and Noah got some boiled peanuts.

The Stalker In Me!

2009-09-11T22:16:00.002-04:00

Everyone has a purpose in life and i missed mine a long time ago. I think...no, i KNOW i was meant to be a spy!! I was meant to be a spy and i missed my chance. Bummer. You see, i used to be quite the stalker...no really, i was!! People throw around the term "stalker" these days but only a few people in my life (Beth Autrey, Jessica Feeney, and my partner in crime, Alyssa Rhodes) fully understand my love of stalking! Others have heard the stories but those 3 were with me from the start!! Now I learned to "stalk" back before there was facebook, blogs, texting... it is SO much easier now. So that being said I discovered something about myself tonight. As you know, I have started running. I am trying to train myself for a 5K next month (ahhhhh!!!) and i have been a little lack in my running the past week. Tonight i didn't get outside to run until 9:30pm. I usually run right at dusk. I thought i was being motivated to run by several things...my awesome music playlist, wanting to excercise, wanting a good time at the 5K, time alone, time outside, blah blah blah but i realized tonight while running in the dark I am most motivated by one thing....the fact that at dusk most people have not yet closed their blinds and i can take a peek in their windows as i am running by. Sad but true. so there ya have it. Maybe it's not too late to become a spy. hmmmm....

things that make you go hmmmm...

2009-09-08T21:06:00.002-04:00

Last night we had a very dear friend over for dinner...Father Neil. Neil and I went to high school together and dated in college for a short while. While Neil and I were dating, he was playing music for the Life Teen Mass at St Brigid where Allen was the youth minister. Allen and I did not know each other at the time but i used to hear about the "crazy youth minister" from Neil. What a small world huh?? Well, of course Allen and I have stayed close with Father Neil and although we don't get to see him as often as we would like (he is one busy priest!), we treasure the time we do spend with him. Last night Neil...er, FATHER Neil (I am still getting used to it after a year and a half) and I were talking about our time at St Pius and things we learned and didn't learn in a Catholic school. Our favorite priest, Father Lopez came up and Neil and I were trying to remember what we learned in his class. The one thing i remember was Father Lopez always telling us "Never do evil to achieve good". That has stuck with me ever since high school and has helped me along the way. There have been times (mostly in college) when i would want to justify something if the means justify the ends but would remember Father Lopez and his wonderful words of wisdom and would chose the right thing.

So, I have a confession to make....
As you know (from reading my blog), Noah gets bloody noses ALL the time. He has had a lot this past week and has been up a lot at night coughing (from allergies...don't worry, he isn't sick). The other night i got him some cough medicine but he REFUSED to take it because he said he didn't like grape (um, he DOES like grape, he was just being difficult). So of course he was up all night coughing which causes his nose to bleed, so i swore to myself he was taking that medicine tonight! So I thought about what Father Lopez said and in my head asked God for forgiveness for what I was about to do. I went to the medicine cabinet, pulled out the SAME grape cough medicine and in a VERY excited voice said to Noah..."Noah, I got you some new medicine and it is cotton candy flavored!! I threw out the grape and got you some new kind that you will love!!" Man, I have never seen him take medicine and ask for more!!

Too bad Father Neil isn't here tonight to hear my confession...hehe.

Where Has the Time Gone??

2009-09-08T15:49:00.001-04:00

1st day of pre k!!

Pre K Fun!!

2009-09-05T17:17:00.005-04:00

Noah had orientation at his school so he could meet the teachers and we could meet them as well. I am really excited about this year for him, the teachers are awesome! We went and sat in for a few minutes with the kids and the teachers made us get up and dance with them. It was fun and all the parents were good sports about it!

I think Noah is really gong to like Ms. Debbie!
check out all the cool parents with their kids...

Noah and Luke were showing us how they know their letters...
I can't believe pre k is here already!!
Gina and Luke...
Brett and Madeline...
Patrick had a ball..haha..
Beth and Padon...
The Parker girls...
cutie Madeline...
it's gonna be a great year!!!

2009-09-05T16:55:00.005-04:00

My dear friend Jessica and her family came to Atlanta for Labor Day weekend and Allen, Noah, and I got to hang out with her for a few hours! I was so excited to finally meet her little guy, Dominic!
Jess' sister, Cara and hr family were in town too so we made it a family event!!
We hung out at the pool for the day and Noah loved jumping off the diving board.
And what a special treat that Jessica's brother, Andrew was able to come home too!! It was the first time in 8 years they were all home together!! Andrew was such a good sport playing with Noah and showing Noah is amazing flips on the diving board!
Noah wanted Allen to jump off the same board...
And Noah even tried diving off the board...check out that form!!
Cara's husband, Judson, and little cutie Mercy!
Jess and Dominic...
I LOVE Dominic...he is such a sweetie and so cute!!!
Jess, her husband Matt (who is one of the nicest people i know) anad baby Dominic...
The whole Dalton Family.....
We are so glad we were able to hang out with them for he day...we miss them already!!!

Little Drummer Boy...

2009-09-05T16:52:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday Dad!

2009-09-03T21:05:00.005-04:00

Last week was my dad's birthday and we celebrated it by letting him cook..haha. Actually he wanted to cook hamburgers for us so it was a good night for him. We all went in and got him a brick in downtown Rockford with his name on it...the perfect gift for dad!!
we let him open a regular brick just to confuse him at first.
what a fun group...
Noah loves my cousin Elliot and Elliot is great with Noah!
goofy Aimee...
We played a mean game of Dominoes until the wee hours of the morning!!

Happy Birthday Dad, we love you!

Music

2009-09-02T20:46:00.003-04:00

Today was a rough day at the Austin house. I am not sure what happened to my dear Noah but he was overtaken my some evil monster. When i was trying to get him ready for soccer practice he took a hard plastic juice box holder and threw it at me. It hit my lip causing my lip to swell! Needless to say there were major punishments which will be lasting several days and even more kicking and screaming. Then at soccer he decided to squirt his juice all over me. More punishments and even more kicking and screaming (Bonnie was my witness). I was super ready for an early bedtime tonight since Allen had to work late. Once Noah was asleep I decided I needed a bubble bath...with candles and music! I used to take bubble baths ALL the time to de-stress and hardly ever take them anymore! Sad!!! Well, i realized what a sad product of technology I am because i went to play some music and realized we don't have any sort of music player (other than the computer). So i improvised...i just hooked up my ipod to my arm band that i use when i run and hopped in the tub! My "do NOT run with scissors, do NOT leave candles lit in a room you are not in, do NOT let the gas in the car get below half when you are driving out of town, do NOT use a sharp knife to cut that pumpkin" dad would not have been happy I am sure, so please don't tell him. I recently got rid of my cd player since i never used it anymore but now I wish i hadn't! Bummer! But i DID enjoy my candle lit bubble bath with enya in my ear!

Where's Noah??

2009-09-02T20:09:00.001-04:00

can you find Noah among the animals??

Quick Trip Adventures

2009-09-02T19:31:00.003-04:00

Ironically our Quick Trip Adventure was not much of a "Quick" Trip. Last week my dear friend Elizabeth and I were both going to go to a mutual friend's getting fired/thanks for your hard work/good bye/yay for getting a new job party. We were talking and realized we both wanted to make it a quick night, maybe stop by for an hour and then be on our way. We met for dinner beforehand to catch up on life and then headed down to the party. Once we got there we quickly realized it was not a "come and go as you please" kind of party but a "sit down to this dinner and all night toast to our friend" kind of party. We had fun but it was a LONG night. When we finally left (after 10pm) we headed to the parking deck and Elizabeth realized the milkshake at dinner and the fruit she ate at the party were not aggreeing with each other in her stomach. We drove down the street to the nearest (and safest) resturant to find it had just closed. We raced down the street to the next gas station only to find the bathroom was out of order. Poor Elizabeth!! FINALLY Quick Trip came to her rescue. Elizabeth, I always seem to have so much fun on our date nights together!! Thanks for giving me a well needed laugh!! Love ya!!

Mall Fun!

2009-09-02T13:17:00.006-04:00

We went to the mall with some friends the other day...the boys like watching the elevator...haha..

Luke and Noah getting ready for some lunch...
Madeline and Ella waiting for lunch too...
Pookie was trying to get Jack to smile but Jack said "no way"
cutie Padon...
We rode the merry-go-round...

and Ella jumped!!
and the coolest mom ever, Kate, jumped too!!

We go stopped by some ladies doing a work scavenger hunt and needed to catch some people on video singing. They picked the right group...we were happy to help!!! they had microphones and everything!! They said 4 other groups of people before us said no. Man, we are just a cool group of mom's!!!

Party Time!!

2009-09-01T21:24:00.015-04:00

2 weekends ago my friend Allison Reinecke got married!! Alliosn and I grew up across the street from each other and our families have been friends forever! The wedding was in Athens, GA and we got there Friday afternoon for the weekend festivities! We went to the rehearsal dinner Friday night which was so beautiful!!

Here's Barrett, Elliot, and Kevin (the brother of the bride)...life long friends!
My camera went dead after this picture so once i get some from Allison I will post some more. However, i got plenty more pictures of the weekend so here ya go...

My mom made Allsion's cake and we helped her get it to the recepton hall early Saturday morning...

My mom did a GREAT job on the cake...and even more so knowing we had to bring it all the way from Alpharetta to Athens to the hotel for th niht, thn to the reception hall Saturday morning...whew! It made it without any problems!!
Barrett, Aimee, Elliot, and I helped mom (it was a 4 hour event) get the cake together. Allen didn't get to Athens until Saturday afternoon and Noah stayed with grandpa all weekend. We were a little stir crazy and hungry after a while but we sure had fun!

We ended up helping the people who work at the hall get all the chair covers on all the chairs...i mean why not right? we were there anyway!
We finally got sone lunch in downtown Athens and then went back to the hotel to get ready for he wedding!

Aimee and I waiting on the boys!
my mom and i...
The wedding was beautiful!!! Allison and Jason looked so happy! Here's the Peanut Gallery i sat with...

How pretty is the cake??? And it tastes even better!!!
Mom and Linda (the mother of the bride)...
Our table was the fun table...for sure!!!
Barrett and his favorite sister in the whole wide world!!
It was great to see so many people from my old neighborhood. Here's Mr and Mrs Montgomery (my old neighbors).
Barrett and Aimee
Mom and Linda again...
Meredith and I...
Kevin and Barrett...
and finally....the beautiful newly married couple!!
Allison loved the cake....

Barrett and I with the Strickland's (more old neeighbors)
It is amazing what a little (or a lot) of alcohol will do to my family...it WILL get them out on the dance floor....
Totally caught mom stealing a piece of cake with her fingers! her response was " well, I made it, i can do whatever i want with it"..haha
what a group!!
trouble....

mom with Marc and Linda...
okay please noet the faces of my brother dancing with Aimee...i don't think i have ever laughed so hard in my life!!

Elliot too...

Allison was a dancing queen as well...

Congrats Allison and Jason, thanks for letting us share in your super fun wedding weekend!!!

Friends...

2009-09-01T21:13:00.004-04:00

My friend Bonnie had a doctors appointment the other day so I watched her daughter, Madeline for a few hours. It was great, Noah and Madeline are buddies so Noah loved having a play date for the day!

up and running!!

2009-09-01T20:44:00.006-04:00

A few weeks ago Noah wanted to paint some rocks that we gathered from our weekend up at the Kuchar's cabin. I sent him out back while I was making dinner and kept checking on him every few minutes.
He was doing a great job painting the rocks...
I continued making dinner and when I came back again I caught him painting his legs. He didn't see me watching him because i stayed inside...
When I came back to check again this is what i found....
Noah then proceded to walk in a big circle banging his fists on his chest pretending to be a transformer. Thank goodness I caught it on video too!

I was dying laughing! It was the cutest thing in the world!!

We then headed straight up to take a bath...

I LOVE raising a boy!!

Tool Man

2009-08-31T12:18:00.000-04:00

Need something fixed?? I know just the guy!!

So Long....

2009-08-31T11:51:00.001-04:00

Leigh Anne left for college and Noah and I took her out for ice cream to say goodbye!! We sure will miss her!!!

A day with friends....

2009-08-31T11:46:00.004-04:00

We have been so lucky that we have seen our friends so much this summer. Here's Noah and Luke hanging on the swings!

And Padon is such a great big brother pushing Hall on the swing!
Noah could swing forever if i would let him!!

A Day at the Park...

2009-08-31T11:38:00.002-04:00

I know I am way behind on posts but here are a few pictures to hold you over....

Noah and I went to the park a while ago and we were the only ones there (probably because it was 96 degrees) but we had fun playing on the swings...

and looking at cloud animals....
and climbing....
whew...it was HOT!!!!
what a fun day! Although I think I am ready for fall and some cooler weather!!

The Good Samaritan

2009-08-24T22:33:00.002-04:00

Today Noah and I went to the pool. It was early afternoon and all the kids were still in school so we had the pool to ourselves. We have 2 pools in our neighborhood and we decided to go to the one up the hill because it is usually less crowded anyway. You have to have a key card to get into the pool because the HOA keeps it locked up. I opened the gate with our key card, we put all of our stuff down on a table in the shade and Noah and I jumped in the water. I quickly realized I needed my sunglasses that I left in my car so i made Noah get out and walk me to the car which i left unlocked since no one was around anyway. When we headed back to the gate i realized I left the key card sitting on the table with my keys, phone, and our clothes! We were locked out! Now, mind you, I am soaking wet and standing there in a swim suit wondering how the heck we were going to get back in. Luckily, the neighborhood mailboxes are right there and right about the time we got locked out a man pulled up to get his mail. Our neighborhood has apartment-like mailboxes where they are all together. I asked the man if he could help us and get his card and let us in. The man actually told me "No", said he didn't have it with him, got back in his car and drove off. I watched him drive 5 houses up the road and turn into his driveway!! I stood there in shock. I wanted to yell out several choice phrases but was trying to stay calm and positive since Noah was watching my every move.

A few minutes later a lady pulled in to get her mail. I asked her if she could help us, explaining i locked myself out and needed to get back in. She also told me "no" and gave me some dumb excuse about how she was late already for her gym class. I mean come on!! I am standing there with my child and we were locked out!! Both of these people live within walking distance of the pool (I know that because of where they got their mail) and neither would help us out. They both left us there.

As I am standing there stunned, another driver gets out of his car and heads to get his mail. He must have seen the look on my face that said 'I am so mad but if someone doesn't help us soon I am going to burst into tears with my 4 year old son watching as i am standing in the middle of the road in a bathing suit" and asked if i needed something. I blabbed out the story of me getting locked out and although he didn't seem thrilled to be helping me he did tell me to wait 10 minutes until he would be back with his key card. It was a long 10 minutes but we waited and sure enough he came back and let us in!

If that isn't a modern day version of the good samaritan, I don't know what is! Thank you dear man who helped us today and didn't leave us locked out any longer than we already were!! I hope someone helps you when you need it!!

My Playlist!

2009-08-24T22:11:00.002-04:00

I know i am so far behind on pictures so don't worry (Aimee) they will be up soon. I am in the process of switching computers so when i get that all figured out I will be back on track. In the mean time I will share with you my new playlist. I am training myself to run a 5K in October and I know it doesn't seem like a big deal to most of you reading this but it is a HUGE deal to me. I have learned something about myself though.....my music totally manipulates me!! If i don't have the right music my feet just won't move!! Since I finally figured that out I realized I needed to make a running playlist to get me motivated. I have picked some songs to get me started (I am open to suggestions from all my amazing runner friends...and of course from my non runner friends too!). Here it is...

1. (Oh)Pretty Woman (The Van Halen version) just because i like the song and it has a good beat.
2. Come Together (Third Day)
3. Life is a Highway (Rascal Flatts version) ....Love this song and it is great for running!
4. Holding Out For a Hero (the workout version)...i find i start running really fast when this song comes on!
5. Long Day (Matchbox 20)...not only a great song but I used to listen to this album a lot in college and it reminds me of GREAT times
6. Real World (Matchbox 20)
7. 3AM (Matchbox 20)
8. Don't Stop Believing (Journey) ..I need a little pick me up about this time in my run and this song is great for that!
9. Only Wanna Be With You (Hootie and the Blowfish)...Again, love this song and saw my share of Hootie concerts back in the day!!
10. Tubthumping (The Hit Crew)...yes, you can laugh but the words "I get knocked down, but I get up again" do wonders when I want to stop and throw up from running.
11. Mmmmbop (Hanson)....even better memories!! ;)
12. Boston (Five Way Friday)...my favorite band ever!!
13. She Walks (Five Way Friday)....seriously, if i was ever stranded on an island and could only listen to one band for the rest of my life it would be them!
14. Astray (Five Way Friday)
15. Suspicious Minds (The King!)...great song!!
16. Summer of 69' (Bryan Adams)
17. I've Always Loved You (Third Day)...might be my favorite Third Day song
18. Livin On a Prayer (Bon Jovi)...if i am still running at this point it is only because I am livin on a prayer!!
19. Like a Child (Jars of Clay)....another great song with great youth ministry memories!!

so there ya have it...

Things Change....

2009-08-17T21:16:00.005-04:00

Tonight marks the end of an era...well almost anyway. Over 9 years ago I became a youth minister. I had no idea what the job entailed and I am so glad I didn't because if i did there is no way I would have taken it. Most people think of a youth minister as "someone who hangs out with teenagers all day". Wow, if i have heard that once, i have heard that a thousand times. That could not be more far from the truth from what youth ministry is (pat yourself on the back if you are a youth minister, core member, etc. reading this and you just nodded your head because you have been told that too!).

I took the youth ministry job at Mary Our Queen 9 years ago and I will be honest, those are some of the best memories I will ever have! I wasn't much older than some of the teens, I was ON FIRE for my faith and could not wait to share it with the teens. My first week on the job was a week long beach retreat with 250 teens and i was in charge of 20 of them...nothing like jumping in head first! Those teens were amazing!! They made my job so easy!! Nothing like a week with 20 teenagers to really get to know them!! No one told me when i took the job as youth minister that I would love a group of teenagers so deeply. No one told me that I would develop relationships with them as a mentor and learn so much about what makes them tick. I POURED my heart and soul into that program because i loved them! I loved that so many of them would stop by after school and spend hours in my office just talking to me telling me about their day, their newest crushes at school, their upcoming tests they were stressing out about, what fight they just got into with their parents, etc. I loved that we would spend hours talking about our faith and why it is so awesome. I became friends with so many of their families and often went to their houses for dinners. It was hard to separate the job from life...it was all just one. And i loved it!

Of course, being as there is only one of me and there were lots of teens in the program it was hard. No one told me when i started as youth minister that because i developed these amazing relationships with these amazing teenagers that I would get middle of the night phone calls because some of them had no one else to call. I dealt with a lot the first few years of ministry. One teen was being abused by her dad, one teen was cutting herself because it felt better than the pain her parents were putting her through, several teens called me because they thought they were pregnant, and one sweet teen was diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy. That's a big load! Of course there were always the little daily problems and if you don't know, to a teen there is no LITTLE problem...they are all HUGE! It is draining to take on such a load! I am not saying it isn't worth it, but it is draining!

I left Mary Our Queen not because I didn't love those teens (I was heartbroken to leave them) but because there were a lot of changes happening in the parish and i needed some stability. Afterall, I was newly married, buying a house, having some thyroid complications again, and my grandmother had just died. What i really needed was a break! I needed to recharge my energy but instead i jumped into another youth ministry program. This program I had to build from the ground up! And on top of that, a month after starting my new job at St Andrew's I found out I was pregnant! Youth Ministry was not top on my list anymore but what could i do? I stuck with it for 5 more years and developed more amazing realtionship with more amazing teens (and families)!

Well, My time as youth minister has come to an end. I am not exactly sure where God is calling me next but i know it isn't into full time ministry right now. I need that break! I need some time for myself and my family. I am going to miss so many things about youth ministry but most of all i will miss the teens!

Please keep me in your prayers as I find where I am supposed to go next. Please keep the teens at St Andrew's in your prayers as they transition youth ministers and please keep the new youth minister in your prayers as they transition too!

love,
Meghan

Day 4

2009-08-16T23:27:00.009-04:00

Rockford was having a 5K race early Saturday morning to raise money for a little boy named Mitchell who was suffering from Muscular Dystrophy. There were 1,100 people running in the race and even more people who came to watch. In a town of 5,000 it was a big deal. We went to watch...

I have never seen Main Street filled with so many people!!

The winner of the whole race came in at just under 16 minutes...I couldn't believe it!!

Neil and Mary Blakeslee ran in race....

Neil and Dad grew up in Rockford together and have been friends their whole life....

After the race we headed over a block to the Farmers Market where all the local farmers sell their crops. There was everything from breads, fruits, vegetables, and the prettiest sunflowers i have ever seen!

On the way home we drove by the house my dad grew up in....

My grandma moved out of this house the summer Barrett was born and my dad lived there since he was born....

this is the garage behind the house and my grandfather built this garage!

One of my favorite pictures (and i need to dig through stuff and find it) is a picture of Alyssa and I sitting on this bench when we were about Noah's age. We were holding our little Annie dolls. I thought it would be fun to take a picture with my dad on the same bench 26 years later....

I think i would trade Atlanta living for small town Rockford living anyday!! We had a great trip and it was so great to see Grandma again!!

Michigan Trip...days 1,2, and 3...

2009-08-16T14:30:00.022-04:00

This past week we went to Rockford, Michigan (one of my faorite places in all of the world). My 93 year old (almost 94 year old) grandmother was born there and has lived there (with all of her siblings) ALL of her life. I can't really explain Rockford to someone who has never been but to give you an idea it is a mixture between Bedford Falls (from the movie "It's A Wonderful Life") and Mayberry! My grandmother has lived within a 5 mile radius of where she lives now her whole life. How cool is that? My dad and his 2 brothers grew up in Rockford and what i love most is so many people that my dad knew as a kid still live there in the small town of 5,000. It is a slower pace of life and instead of people living to work like they do in Atlanta, people there work to live!! It is probably why people live past age 80 because the stress of life is much less!

It was Allen's first plane ride with Noah so they wanted to sit together on the plane. They spent most of the ride playing a miniature golf game on Allen's ipod.

We flew into Flint and drove 2 hours to Rockford...

Noah crashed on the ride to Rockford but we were all starving so we headed to The Corner Bar for some hotdogs. Dad was very excited for Allen and Aimee to try the famous hotdogs!

Noah slept through dinner and stayed alseep for the night!

Allen and Barrett enjoyed the dogs...

Grandma eating a dog...

Somehow I ended up with everyone's food in front of me...

The next day we woke up early because Dad wanted to take Allen around Rockford and show him all the sights...I love hearing my dad talk about this small town he grew up in. I love that when my dad talks about Rockford, you can hear the passion in his voice about the love for his hometown and memories of when he was a kid.

Rockford is so beautiful. I love the houses and stores....

Of course we had to take Allen to the famous Rockford Dam. One of my favoite stories is listening to my dad tell about the time that he and his friend, Steve Servas (who happens to be Rockford's judge) went slidding down the dam. It was illegal and they got caught but didn't get in trouble since Steve was there. What's funny is that i have heard the story a hundred times but for some reason always thought my dad was in his early 20's when it happened. I just found out this weekend my dad was my age when he did! Now I know where i get my wild side from!!!

We walked along the river on the path...it was so beautiful!!

How beautiflu is that??

Aimee wanted to take a picture of Noah next to this tree and as you know i never miss a good picture so i joined in the fun. Noah was getting annoyed with us taking so many pictures....so...

Barrett joined in the fun with his pretend camera which helped bring Noah's good mood back around...

Later that day we drove about 45 minutes to lake Michigan to see my dad's cousin, Patty, who lives on the lake. We picked up My dad's Aunt Shirley (Patty's mom) along the way so she could go with us. I will tell you what...I have decided if i ever win the lottery i am buying a house on Lake Michigan or one of the Great Lakes. It is soooooooo much better than the beach! Swimming in the frest water is amazing!! Grandma and Shirley enjoyed the sun...

While Patty, My dad, and Noah enjoyed the water.

Barrett and Aimee enjoyed the sun too...

The water was so cold at first but once you got in it felt really good!

Noah liked being pulled on the raft by Grandpa...

what a life...

Noah was a little fish...he was jumping in and under the water....

How beautiful is lake Michigan???

Barrett and Aimee walked up the pier...

The next morning we woke up early again because we thought it would be fun to take a canoe trip on the river. This picture is outside Grandma's place. I love this backyard, i used to play in this yard when i was Noah's age. I love that nothing has changed in 26 years!!

We didn't bring our camera in the canoe because we were afraid we might tip over. Barrett and Aimee had one canoe, Dad and Daine had one, and Noah, Allen, and I had one. We should have brought our camera because the only ones to tip over were Dad and Diane...

After our awesome canoe trip we were starving and tired so we headed back to The Corner bar for some hot dogs...

yum..........

We then headed to Robinette's, an apple orchard...

Noah found a wagon slide...

The apples were so good...

After Robinette's we went to this popcorn place that sold all kind of flavored popcorns. Noah liked the Blue cotton candy popcorn but i like the good old fashion carmel!

On the way home we visited my grandfather's grave. For some reason I had never been there before (or i was way too young to remember). My grandmother visits a few times a week and wateres the flowers on his grave (we moved them for the picture). My grandfather died in 1973 after 33 years of marriage to my grandmother...

We also went to another grave of a man who received the congressional medal of honor in WWII.

Later that night my dad's cousin, Tom made dinner for the family. My dad's Aunts and Uncles and cousins all came over so we could see everyone. Here's My grandma and her sister Aunt Elaine...

Uncle Chuck, Phyllis, and Aunt Shirley...

Doug, Kathy, and Tom...

Aimee, Barrett, and Allen...

what a group...

Noah was exhausted so he sat out on the porch watching a movie...

my Grandma and me...

The whole group (minus Noah who was not in a good mood and was hiding under Barrett)

The Aunts, Uncles, and cousins....

4 Generations...

Come Away With Me...

2009-08-12T10:52:00.002-04:00

So many songs remind me so much of life. This is my new favorite song....

"Come Away With Me" by Norah Jones

Come away with me in the night
Come away with me
And I will write you a song

Come away with me on a bus
Come away where they can't tempt us
With their lies

I want to walk with you
On a cloudy day
In fields where the yellow grass grows knee-high
So won't you try to come

Come away with me and we'll kiss
On a mountaintop
Come away with me
And I'll never stop loving you

And I want to wake up with the rain
Falling on a tin roof
While I'm safe there in your arms

So all I ask is for you
To come away with me in the night
Come away with me

quote of the day...

2009-08-10T21:51:00.002-04:00

Barrett when talking about Noah who was trying to fix a broken chair....

"Well, he is his great-grandfather's son"

um, no Barrett, he isn't! hahahah

The pool!

2009-08-10T20:59:00.003-04:00

Last week, our dear friends Beth, Padon, and Hall invited us to swim at the neighborhood pool. We love getting together with our friends...we have been so lucky to meet such awesome people!!!

Here's Ella swimming away.... and Princess Madeline....

and cutie Patrick....

And Bonnie is probably cursing me for putting this picture up but how cute is she???

What a fun group!!

We got to see some of Kate's awesome swim moves and i must say we were all very jealous of her perfect strokes!!!

How sweet is Alice??

Another million degree day...

2009-08-10T20:53:00.001-04:00

I swear this August has been hotter than mid July!! Thank goodness the Riverside Park opened up the new "sprayground". Noah and I tried it out last week and can't wait to go back with our friends tomorrow...

A taste of Heaven...

2009-08-10T10:36:00.007-04:00

Thank goodness Noah slept in a little Sunday morning! I think we were all tired from a fun Saturday night! Mom, Barrett, and Aimee had to leave early but Noah and I hung out a while. One of his favorite things was driving the golf cart! Bob let Noah sit on his lap and steer and Noah did great!
Noah drove up and down the driveway....

How awesome is their cabin...

Check out Noah with the finished product of the rock creation!

Noah, Bob, Marc, and I took a few more trips down the river before lunch....

I didn't want to leave...i wanted to stay another day...or a week!!!

my explorer was looking for other boats but did not find any....

We headed back up for lunch and showers before we had to head home...

Noah was very mad that i was making him go inside for a shower so he pouted outside....

Robbie asked me if it was okay to let Noah shower outside. I passed off the job to her since it was her idea and i headed inside to shower myself....

check out the tan on that boy!!

How many adults does it take to shower a 4 year old??? I think they all ended up wet and soapy when it was all said and done!

We said goodbye to everyone and headed out...

And before we even left their driveway Noah was passed out!!!

I hope we can do that again soon!!!! It was a great weekend!!

just what the doctor ordered....

2009-08-09T16:05:00.020-04:00

I know I am behind on some of my post and I will get to them eventually. I uploaded tons of pictures from this weekend so I am starting with that.

Noah, my mom, Barrett, Aimee, and I joined Robbie, Bob, Emily, and Marc up at the Kuchar's cabin in Dahlonega this weekend and i must say after Emily's dancing, Apples to Apples, tubing, crazy sparklers, and LOTS of wine, it was the most fun i have had in 24 hours in a LONG time!!! Allen was on another teen trip (I think he went on a million this summer) so he missed out on all the fun. We celebrated all the summer birthdays since we haven't seen everyone all summer. Noah was so funny because when he realized he had some presents to open he asked me if he was turning 5. haha, smart kid!! I explained we were celebrating his 4th bday since the Kuchar's couldn't make his party!!

Bob and Robbie bought Noah a real fishing pole!!! Bob was so excited to take Noah fishing and Noah was so excited to go too!!!

check out the view from the porch....you can see and hear the river which runs around heir property.

Bob and Noah caught a fish before everyone else got down there (so they say) but the fish weren't biting after that...but they sure had fun trying to catch some!!

Marc and his dog Milo had fun trying to catch some too...Milo tried to use his teeth!!

Robbie brought down some watermelon which Noah (and Milo) loved!!

Then we went down to the other part of the river where we could hop in and cool off.

Marc and Noah hung out in the water for a while...

Noah and I played a fun game, i held his arms and he floated with the rapids. The rapids were actually pretty strong so it was fun watching Noah try to move in them.

Then Bob and Noah built a rock monster...

I think Noah enjoyed the tubes the best.....

what a life huh??

Bob and Marc pushed Noah up and down the river and Noah loved it!!

Emily tried it too but started to float downstream so Marc had to save her....

Noah tried to help save her by throwing her a rope....

Mom, Barrett, and Aimee finally got there after lunch....

check out GiGi's life vest...hahahaha

After everyone was there Bob, Marc, Barrett, Aimee, Noah and I went on a tube ride down the river....

We had a few rough spots...

But Milo helped pull us through them!!

Barrett and Marc came in behind....

Milo and Noah were bother worn out at the end of the day.....

Noah got to open another present from Emily and Marc...a tackle box!

Mom and Robbie....

Bob cooked the most amazing BBQ chicken for dinner and it was so great being able to spend so much time with everyone. I feel like the past couple of years we only see everyone at weddings or birthday parties and we are always running out the door to get Noah in bed. It was so nice to spent so much time just hanging out!!!

Mom and Bob....

Marc and I... (by the way, Marc was very good at openeing twist off wine bottles for me all weekend!!!)

Em, Noah, and me...

me and the best babysitter in the world!!!!

Aimee and Barrett...

I enjoyed lots of yummy wine over the weekend....

Noah got to enjoy all the fun things about just being a boy this weekend including peeing in the woods and playing with sticks.....haha

beautiful Aimee...

By dinner time Noah was so worn out he climbed under the table with Milo and they both started to fall asleep....

After Noah went to bed (he fell asleep after 2 minutes of putting him to bed), we opened MORE wine and the party really got started!!!

Emily make s a "mean" mojito!!

We decided to play a nice friendly game of "Apples to Apples" but we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into....First of all I must say Emily did not earn the title "Game Nazi" for nothing!!! You can see from the picture Emily was getting very frustrated with mom's questions on how to play...haha

Marc and Barrett were being way too roudy....haha

But the true entertainment for the night came from Bob and Robbie.....I can't even explain how crazy these two are but at one point in the night everyone at the table had tears streaming down their faces from laughing so hard!! My stomach seriously hurt from laughing so much!!!

check out mom looking at the "Game Nazi"

Thank goodness for wine!!!!

Bob was NOT happy that he kept picking Robbie's card making her win!!! He STRONGLY felt he should have won!!! haha

What I do not have on here is a picture of Emily's amazing dance (you can see a clip of the video on my facebook page) or the crazy sparklers. What a fun day!!!! I am still lauhing about half the stuff we did!!! Day 2 to come soon....

The zoo...

2009-08-04T14:16:00.006-04:00

Noah and I met our friends, Beth, Travis, and Keith at the zoo this morning...
It was another million degree day but we had a great time!

Beth and Travis....

Noah and I feeding some birds....

how cool is Mr Keith???

We ran into Noah's soccer coach and his son, James there....here's Noah and James checking out the elephants...

Noah and keith...

Noah and james...

Noah and Keith...buddies!!

Beth and I...

my little lion cub...

which one is the monkey????

Riding the train....

and the merry-go-round....

Thanks for meeting us Autrey family!!!!

My hero....

2009-08-03T14:46:00.002-04:00

(Disclaimer: Barrett you probably don't want to read this because i mention what happened at the doctor today!)

As you may have noticed from some of my recent postings, Noah gets a LOT of bloody noses! I think he got his first one around a year old and Allen and I would have to hold him down and pinch his nose until it stopped bleeding. It was NOT a pleasant experience! Especially since the first one happened in the middle of the night and I walked into his room to find him COVERED in blood! It is NOT a sight a mother wants to see, especially when i didn't know where it was coming from. Needless to say I overreacted just a bit that night!!!

Since then, he has had his share of bloody noses but they come in different waves....some weeks he will get 2 or 3 in a week and then go months without any. This week he has had probably close to 15! I took him to the doctor today to get him checked out and the good news is that it is probably allergy related. Allen used to get them as a kid and Allen has allergies so what I am trying to say is it is Allen's fault..hahah...just kidding! Doctor Laura wanted to take some blood though just to be sure there isn't an infection or anything. She is pretty sure there isn't but will call me tomorrow with the results. She put him on 4 different kinds of medicine and we will check back in a month to see how it is going.

Noah was such a trooper today!! When Doctor Laura told me she wanted to draw some blood from him, I think i turned pale right away because she asked me if I was okay. I have had my share of having my own blood drawn and i HATE it!!! I have had too many bad experiences with it!! I was trying so hard not to make a big deal out of it for Noah's sake but Dr Laura knows me well enough so she called in 2 nurses. Noah asked me what they were going to do and i told him they would make a little prick on his arm and he went nuts!! The anticipation from the time Dr Laura left to the time the nurses came in was worse for both of us!! Noah kept telling me he was too little or too tired or needed to go home for a nap!! HA!!! Smart kid!!! He did great though! The nurses came in and told me i was supposed to stand above his head holding the arm that was not being pricked. I was supposed to distract him but in reality i needed to be distracted more than him!! They started the process and everything was going great until one of his veins collapsed! Of course, i happened to be watching (even though that was a dumb decision) and about passed out!! They turned him around and did it again on the other arm and after 25 minutes (of what should have been 5) we were done!!! He got two suckers (one for each arm) and the nurses told me i got one too for being so brave! haha!!

After we got into the car I kept telling Noah was a brave kid he is! I mean he only had to get blood drawn but that is scary for a 4 year old who doesn't understand why he is being "poked" or held down against his own will. I do have to give major props to my parents though, especially my mom!! I can't even imagine how my mom watched me go through all the stuff i did with my thyroid cancer. She always put on a brave face for me!! I rememeber she told me over and over that is she could switch places with me she would. I remember thinking "why the hell would you want to switch places with me" but mom, you are my hero!! Thanks for going with me to EVERY appointment and every procedure!!

What better way to celebrate being brave than with a Happy Meal....

My Favorites...

2009-08-03T14:32:00.002-04:00

I think the first rule of youth ministry is your shouldn't pick favorites amongst the teens! Well, i broke that rule a long time ago!!! I think Lauren became one of my favorites very quickly 9 years ago when she was in my youth ministry program!! Her family became my family and i love her even more today!!! When I moved to St A's I had a whole new group of teens and very quickly found another "favorite" in Leigh Anne!! That is the thing about "ministry"....you get to know these teens and you just can't help but love them!!! Last night we took a little girls trip to Stone Mountain for the laser show...here are some of the pictures.... hahahahahaha, i got the "look"...

Love you girls!!!!

like father, like son!

2009-08-03T14:28:00.001-04:00

Both goofy!!!!

What do you do on a rainy day??

2009-08-03T14:25:00.000-04:00

Build a fort of course!!!!

Bowling Anyone??

2009-07-31T15:00:00.003-04:00

There's a first time for everything and today was Noah's first bowling expierence! Miranda came over for a few hours and we all went bowling.
Noah loved it!! He was pretty darn good at it too. He even got a strike without hitting any of the bumpers!!

We played boys vs. girls....

I think the girls won!! Maybe next time Boys!!!

Old friends....

2009-07-30T13:02:00.005-04:00

Today Noah and I hung out with Beth and Keith!! We took the kids to Monkey Joe's so they could get some energy out and Beth and I could hang out and talk!

Noah and Keith had so much fun running and playing together!
And I always love hanging out with Beth....

Keith and I are buddies....

Noah kept wanting Beth to watch him....

Keith is quite the photographer...he took this picture of Beth and I...

And as always, Noah got a bloody nose but was a great sport about it!

After Monkey Joe's, Noah and I got some pizza....

Thanks Beth and Keith for playing with us! We love you guys!! We can't wait for our next playdate!!!!

What a day!!

2009-07-28T21:02:00.003-04:00

My friend Bonnie and I took our kids to Monkey Joe's today for a playdate. Well, Okay, lets be honest, it was really Bonnie and I that wanted the playdate!!

Bonnie has major eagle eyes because the actress Mo'Nique walked in the door and Bonnie spotted her right away! She was so sweet and down to earth and had no problem posing for a picture with us....
and of course the kids had fun playing!!...

We had to take a quick break for ANOTHER bloody nose but then we were back in the bouncy houses!!

Miss Bonnie and Noah....

How cute is Patrick???

Me and my little buddy, madeline....

buds....

me with 2 very cute but tired 4 year olds!! If you notice Madeline is kissing Noah.....sooo cute!!!

Robbie Love...

2009-07-28T20:51:00.002-04:00

Today Noah and i drove Robbie to the airport and got to hang out with her for a while. We love our Robbie time!! hmmm, you think Robbie has enough glasses????

We love you Robbie!!!

Sunday Surprise!!

2009-07-28T20:41:00.002-04:00

I had such a great surprise Sunday night at Mass when one of my favorite people in the world walked into my office...Lauren!!! I am so excited she is moving back to Atlanta next week!!!!

On another note, I am so sad that Leigh Anne is moving away!!

Here I am with my 2 favorite "teens" (They will always be my teens!!!)

Captain Underpants!!

2009-07-27T21:21:00.001-04:00

This is how Noah wanted to play ball with me in the backyard!!

stunning!!!!

Family In Town...

2009-07-27T20:58:00.004-04:00

Allen's sister and her family came to Atlanta last week and we got to spend some time with them! We went and had some pictures taken of us all to send to Granny and Papa! Noah LOVED playing with his cousin, Stephanie...

how cute were Steph and Noah walking through the mall??

Then we went home and played a mean game of Apples to Apples and Cranium...

The girls won!!! Yay!!!!!

Life with Noah...

2009-07-27T10:14:00.003-04:00

Noah spent the night with my Dad and Diane last night (as he does most Sunday nights) and they took him to the pool. Noah was playing ball with a little girl named Meghan. The conversation went like this...

Noah: My Mom's name is Meghan!
Little Meghan's mom: does your mom spell it with an "H"?
Noah: NO!
Grandpa (My dad): Yes, she does, she spells it M-E-G-H-A-N
Noah: No she doesn't!!! She spells it: M-O-M!!

Bucket List...

2009-07-26T15:38:00.002-04:00

I have always had this obsession with the Eiffel Tower.... I just LOVE it!!! I have never actually seen it in person but i plan to one day! I have this very cool Eiffel Tower lamp, some cool black and white framed pictures of it in my house but really really really really want to see it in person!!! I have lots of things on my "bucket list" but this has always been number 1! hmmmm...maybe one day!!!!

Goin' to the Chapel....

2009-07-25T23:39:00.013-04:00

Rise and Shine Campers!!! It's Kelsey's wedding Day!!!! Time to get to the church to see little Kelsey married off!!

(Notice Barrett's pants: Thank goodness for Elliott since Barrett forgot to bring pants!!! That's right, he forgot to bring pants and had to borrow some from Elliot...hahahahahahahahaha) Love you B!!!

WE made a qucik stop on the way to the wedding...I took Barrett and Aimee by USC (my old stalking grounds). Here's the park i used to hang out in ALL the time...

and the street i used to live on...

And the BRIDGE that has very special meaning but we will just keep it a secret why....

And of course The Thomas More Center where I spent most of my time and met so many of my great friends!!

Then it was off to the wedding....My Aunt Tara looked beautiful!!

Jayne Mac was a great flower girl!!! And as cute as can be!!!

The cake was so pretty....

I ran into Mary at the wedding. Mary and Alyssa grew up together and so I knew Mary too...we spent many fun weeks at tennis camp together...

The wild bunch....

Uncle Arlo, The Father of the Bride....

Sammy the Bull, a very handsome groomsmen...

Elliot walked Tara down the aisle...

And Alyssa (The matron of honor) walked with Jayne Mac....

Kelsey was stunning!!!!!! Tears starting streaming down my face as soon as she started walking down the aisle. It didn't help to see Arlo fighting back tears and Alyssa letting them fall down her face. It was very sweet and a Beautiful wedding!!!

Kelsey and Andrew...the happy couple!!

Aimee and I at the reception...

Me with the best looking man in the room!!!

Barrett and Aimee...

Kelsey's Aunt and I talked for a long time, she was so sweet!!!

my very handsome cousin, Elliot...

what a group huh??

Kelsey and Andrew cutting the cake....

Alyssa and I..... It was so great to see Alyssa. I was reminded how much time Alyssa and I used to spend together and it was great to get to see her for a whole weekend!!

Barrett and I with the bride and groom....

The parents of the Bride (who looked amazing!)

ahaha, I love this....Eloise was getting VERY cranky so i took her from Alyssa (to give Alyssa a little break) and Eloise wanted to get down and run around. There were way too many people to do that so I was tryingto distract her by making funny noises with my lips...It worked because she watched me for about 10 minutes....

After she had had enough of that I started swinging her back and forth trying to help her forget she wanted down.....as soon as i started swingingher she was making some funny noises...and within, SERIOUSLY, 2 minutes.......

She fell asleep!!

Man, that girl was tired!!!

Dad, Arlo, and their kids!!!!

The "Elkins" girls are no more!!!!

Time to say farewell to Kelsey and Andrew....Aimee, Barrett, and Elliot found the bubbles!!!!

Trouble....

Asher found some candy....

And so did JM...

My dad and i....

Dad and his kids....

After the reception, we went back to Arlo and Tara's for a little while and Alyssa and i found some old pictures of us when we were little....we had fun looking through them....

Eloise had fun eating.....she is soooo cute!!!

We stopped for dinner on the way home....

We had a great ride home!! We had some great discussions, played some fun games, and rocked out to some awesome music...

All in All, it was an AWESOME weekend!!!!

Congrats Kelsey and Andrew!!!