Have Kids Will Travel

Would you give these two faces a passport?

I sure hope so!!

Emmy Time

I guess when you think of Emmy, this little statue may come to mind. But in our family Emmy has much bigger meaning. That's the name my sister has earned from her loving nephews. We were expecting a visit next month when her school takes its spring break, but she and her husband made the decision to come home last week to spend time with family after the loss of my brother-in-law's grandmother. While no one was thrilled with the reason they had to hurry home, we have all been enjoying their time here.

On Tuesday, Aunt Emmy and Uncle Jonathan came with me to pick the boys up from school. Jack & Sam had no idea I'd be bringing visitors along with me to school. Jack was excited to see "my Emmy!" It was also pajama day at school, and he just so happened to choose the Lightning McQueen pjs a certain aunt & uncle sent him for Christmas as the attire for the day.

We were overjoyed to have Emmy spend part of three days with us. We also had some wonderful weather and enjoyed lots of great time outside. Wednesday night Josh's R.A. class was studying about a missionary in Germany, so Emily agreed to talk to the boys and field questions about Germany. Questions like, "are you afraid of Germans?"

We were sad to see Emmy leave on Thursday, but are looking forward to some more time together before they head back next Thursday.

Hip, hip, hurra!

That's German for hip, hip, hooray! I'm super stoaked because my sweet, dear sister got a job offer at the elementary school on base where she and her hubby are stationed in Germany. They've been there just over a year, and she worked previously with youth until she had to come back to the U.S. suddenly last spring because of an illness. She's all better now and has been hoping to get back into the classroom where she feels at home! While she won't have her own classroom, she'll be working as a teacher's assistant in a Kindergarten class. She taught Kindergarten for two years here before moving to Germany. I think being back in her comfort zone, working with kids will go a long way to making Germany feel a lot less far away from home.

While I'm on the subject of my sister, she's recently embraced her inner-craftiness. I introduced her to Pinterest. And, while I'm one of those who lurks and constantly pins, she actually tries the stuff she finds. She recently gave her dining room wall a makeover. If you want to see, take a look. Since I have preschoolers that consume most of my patience, I won't be attempting a project like this anytime soon. I am, however, trying out my big cupcake pan for the first time. So, if it's not a complete disaster, maybe I'll let you know how it goes!

Emmy Time

As I've mentioned in my recent Thankful Thursday posts, my precious sister has been on American soil for the last 2 weeks. We've been trying to take advantage of this unexpected time as best as we can. So, last Wednesday she graciously agreed to watch Sam while I took Jack to an appointment in Athens. Afterwards, we kidnapped her to our house for a few days. We LOVED having her with us for a few days!

Fun with Woody & Aunt Emmy!

Even though we didn't do anything particularly "out of the ordinary" while Aunt Emmy was here, it was a sheer pleasure to have her here! The boys loved every moment; Jack asked about Emmy first thing when he woke up Thursday and Friday! He was quite disappointed when the fun ended Friday afternoon. And for me it was absolutely lovely to have a sidekick that I've missed so dearly!

Batter up! Showing Aunt Emmy his skills.

My sister is here for a few more weeks, which is great. We are hoping to have her come back for a few more days before her hubby arrives Memorial Day weekend, and maybe again after!

No, Luke, I AM Your Father

So, last week at preschool, Jack's teacher relayed a funny story to me when I arrived to pick him up. They were talking about Mother's Day coming up and Father's Day would be following soon after. Jack interrupted (in what I can only assume was a some what dejected tone), "I don't have a father."

Jack's teacher said, "what about your daddy?" And he said, "Oh, yeah!"

So, while my sister was staying with us for a couple of days we decided to celebrate Thursday night with a chocolate chip cookie message cake. I won't go into all the details, but this is a very funny joke to the three of us! And Jack certainly didn't mind that we were enjoying cookie after dinner!

thankful thursday

What a week it's been, and oh how much there is to be thankful for. As you may recall from my first thankful thursday post, my sister was scheduled to arrive home from Germany. She arrived pretty sick, but thanks to God's healing and guidance through several great medical professionals, she is on the mend. She's been diagnosed with orbital myositis, which involves swelling of the eye muscles. Her's had progressed so severely that she was suffering neurological issues. High dose steroids have reduced the swelling greatly and she has improved. Her vision hasn't returned completely to normal, which is causing double vision. Thank you to all of you that prayed for her.

click, click

After a one-year hiatus, I'm doing my best to get back on the Project 365 bandwagon. The idea is capturing a photo each day of the year. I've done okay so far. I've had to use my phone a few times since I still don't love hauling my camera around everywhere. Here's how things are going so far.

Despite capturing a photo every day, it has taken me almost three weeks to begin uploading them. So, I won't make any promises about how frequently I'll get around to updating the folder. But, for those of you that care, I will try to let you know when I get caught up so you can take a peek.

My sister has been doing a phenomenal job with her 365. Not only does she take a photo, but she's been giving a short summary or story to accompany each day over on her blog. It's been a pleasure to read since I don't get to catch up with her as much as I'd like to.

Some words from Pop (4th installment)

So, if you've been stopping by here for a decent length of time, you'll know that I've included some of my dad's eloquent words over the past few months. He's a wonderful writer and always seems to find a way to bring beauty, humor and truth to his columns no matter the subject. You probably also know my sweet little sis is off in Germany with her Army husband, and her goodbye was certainly cause for some of dad's words. Here's your latest installment of Words from Pop.

Bonus baby changed the definition of the perfect family

A quarter of a century ago, Jan and I thought we had the perfect family. We had each other, and we had a boy and a girl. John and Laura.

We were so certain that our birthing days were behind us that we gave away all the trappings of infant care. Well, we kept the high chair and loaned it out. It would come in handy one day for grandbabies.

It was 1985, one that marks a sad moment in family history. Having a baby was most definitely not on the to-do list. You see, Jan's mother died in September of that year. Annie Ruth Pulliam had only recently retired from her toil at Thomas Textiel, where she made clothes for toddlers.

She was suffering the effects of chemotherapy that year. It was thus a bittersweet moment to tell her about a grandchild that she would never see.

"Well, how did that happen?" she asked. Given that her son had already presented her with six grandchildren to go with our two, I suspect it was a rhetorical question.

We began assembling the paraphernalia necessary to bring up a little human being. And as we looked around, we noticed a house too small and cars built for four. So we started planning a move.

I'm not sure that many people can tell you the exact date that they moved into their home. We started moving furniture March 7, 1986, hindered not in the least bit by the chimney fire at my parents' house. Saturday, March 8 was moving date.

Sunday morning as I awoke in our new home, I caught Jan looking at the clock radio on a regular basis.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Timing contractions," she said.

"Doesn't look like we'll be going to church today," said I.

We had babies back in the dark ages when ultrasound was reserved for special considerations. We never knew. Boy or girl? Yet, in the weeks before the birth, we had picked out a girl's name, but not one for a boy. So maybe it was no big surprise when Emily Ruth, our "bonus baby," arrived that Sunday afternoon.

The date was March 9, 44 years to the day when Annie Ruth eloped to secretly marry James Pulliam.

For a while it seemed we had misplaced our parenting skills. Three seemed exponentially more difficult than two. And those two will tell you that Emily got away with a lot more than they ever did.

She gave us a scare when she was hospitalized with pneumonia before she was even a year old. But she gave us countless joys too.

Faithful readers of The Oconee Enterprise may remember that I introduced Emily to you last year as the bride whose wedding was moved around about three times to accommodate the Army's schedule for her husband, Jonathan Rupard. They were wed Aug. 8, and he left for duty in Cuba on Aug. 15. What a way to start a marriage.

She visited him in Guantanamo over the holidays, but they only really started their married life as a couple when he returned Aug. 14.

All summer long we have looked forward to his return with mixed emotions. Because we knew that once he got home, it would be just a few short days before they left for his next duty station.

Mannheim, Germany. For three years.

The world is smaller these days, thanks to electronic communication, so it is not like we can't talk and even see each other via the Internet. But the last hug for a while was last Friday, standing in the Atlanta airport, surrounded by luggage and travelers, blurred together by tears.

As a man who makes his living as a communicator, I had no grandiose message as we embraced. Just three words.

"I love you."

Of course, John and Laura are still close at hand, each married. Laura has children of her own.

There was a time when Jan and I would have considered that the perfect family.

Thanks to Emily, we know better now.

Blake Giles is the editor for The Oconee Enterprise. Opinions expressed are those of the writer.

Nope...Didn't Happen

Warning: Reading this post could lead to tears. Proceed with caution.

In case you were wondering, here are a few things I did NOT do today.

• Didn't get a 6:30 a.m. wake-up call from a cranky two-year-old.
• Didn't have to convince said two-year-old that he did indeed want to go to preschool today.
• I did not watch the same two-year-old do a 180 at the preschool door and run screaming in the opposite direction all the way through the lobby and out the double doors of the building!
• I definitely didn't have to hear that two-year-old sobbing as I bolted for the same doors moments later.
• I know I didn't see my six-month old who almost sitting up in the grocery cart.
• I most definitely didn't have lunch with my sister and brother-in-law for one of the last times in a long while.
• I surely did not tear up watching the same two-year-old give his aunt Emmy a hug.
• That wasn't me who wanted to scream, "not soon enough" after hearing that two-year-old tell his aunt and uncle: "see you soon!"
• And I'm most certain that I didn't hug my baby sister today for the last time before she moves to Germany for 3 1/2 years.

Oh, and you are NOT reading this either.

Another Sunday with the Family

Sunday was another family reunion, but this one was a bit more bittersweet. It was our last family gathering before my little sister departs for Germany on Friday. It was a hot and muggy day, so I'm pretty sure that was sweat running down my face as I watched Emily hug my 90-year-old grandad.

Enjoying some Aunt Emmy time

We love our "Aunt Emmy & Umple Jonafin." They will certainly make great parents one day. Just do us all a favor and wait 3 1/2 more years! :)

The whole crew (Giles-Garrett-Rupard Family)

"Are you sure you have to move to Germany?"

Soaking It In...

Last week seemed like a pretty slow week (especially compared to our long weekend) as thing seem to be winding down as everyone prepares to go back to school. Thankfully, we managed to soak up a little bit more sun and lots more Aunt Emmy time. We got to see Auntie Em not once, not twice, not three...but FOUR times last week. Monday she and Mema came to spend the day with us. The boys had a great time being entertained and spoiled. I was hoping to squeeze one more Splash Zone visit in with my best helper alongside us. So, Em joined us on Tuesday for a cloudy turned sunny day stop at our favorite water hangout. The trip wouldn't be complete without a stop at Chick-fil-A and Target, of course.

Sweet Emmy journeyed back to play on Friday night while Josh & I slipped out to dinner. Our fourth visit was Saturday night when the rest of my family gathered to celebrate my birthday (that is fast approaching). We've enjoyed having you around so much this summer, Emily. I know you will be beyond overjoyed to pick up your husband (with whom you just marked your first anniversary of marriage) on Saturday, but that also means just 13 more days with you here on the mainland. And, so much of that will be spent running around visiting lots of family. Anyway, it seems like just last week I wrote this post, and now, it's almost time for you to leave. We will miss you dearly, but know we'll be planning some video chat dates very soon. Then, not long after that we'll be planning a trip to see you in your new home. Thanks for making so much time for us this summer. We love you!

Can't get enough of this...

My sweet little sister's countdown is dwindling. Soon she will be reunited with her hubby who has been stationed in Cuba for the whole first year of their marriage. As I've mentioned, the biggest drawback is less than two weeks later they both leave for Germany...to live! We've been loving our outings to the splash park and love her day trips to visit. We were thrilled to get another visit from her this week. The boys are getting lots of cuddling time in.

Thanks for stopping by and tolerating all the drama that was our Monday! We love you, Em!

Operation Heal Mema

Last Thursday we headed down to Athens to visit with Mema & Pop and help play nurse to Mema as she recovered from gall bladder surgery. While we waited for Mema & Pop to return home from the hospital we hit up a local park. The park's playground is aptly named "World of Wonder." Despite the heat, Jack had a ball exploring this new and different playground. His favorite was bouncing on the bridges. Somehow poor Sam managed to drift off to sleep in the extreme heat. He was a trooper for sure.

After the park we headed to my parent's house to help with Operation Heal Mema. Pop headed back to work for a few hours while we destroyed the house. I'm guessing Mema was still so groggy from the anesthesia that she didn't hear all the ruckus. Thank goodness, because after laying down for 20 minutes Jack said, "I done my nap." He doesn't do so great with napping/sleeping in unusual places. After a while I made dinner, and then dad got home. Soon my sister arrived with her dog, which thrilled Jack. He had a ball playing with him. He also easily convinced Pop to play some baseball in the front yard. We left Friday morning and headed toward Greenwood, South Carolina to catch up with some old friends. My sister stayed home with mom; so I guess we left her in good hands?! ;) No doubt quieter hands!

Splish Splash

Tuesday we ventured down to the Splash Zone in Gainesville. Thankfully, my sweet sister agreed to join us. I'm not sure I would have attempted it alone with the two boys. We went a handful of times last year, and Jack was pretty timid. I wasn't sure he'd be any braver this year, but he let his aunt Emmy lead him all over the place. He waded in the water without too much fear and wasn't phased much by the chilly water...his purple lips told a different story.

Twice Emily got him to the top of the spray tower only for him to back down on previous requests to go down the slide. Later (when it warmed up a bit and the sun came out) we traded spots. Emily watched Sam in the shade while I helped Jack "swim" around the lazy river. He loved kicking his legs and swimming like a fish. He would have done it much longer, but it grew too crowded for this mom and we made a break for Chick-fil-A.

Speaking of Chick-fil-A, I sampled the new spicy chicken sandwich. It was good, but of course CFA doesn't really make anything that isn't. Anyway, I don't think I prefer it over the original, but may add it into my rotation every now and again.

We had a great time with Aunt Emmy. Jack was thrilled that she came bearing gifts from "Umple Jonafin." A very awesome Thomas towel, Sesame Street movies and a stuffed dog just like his Aunt Emmy's. He's been walking around the house with his "doggie." If you ask, he'll tell you, "his name Cash," (just like another dog we know.)

Gonna miss this...

My sweet little sister spent the evening with us Monday. I made one of her favorite dishes for dinner and she joyfully agreed to watch the boys while I went to my bible study meeting. I know Jack had an awesome time with her, her puppy Cash and even got some screen time with his Uncle Jonathan. We will be thrilled to have my brother-in-law home in August, but unfortunately his appearance will be short-lived. He's off again in September to Mannheim, Germany, and this time he's taking his lovely bride with him. (Yah for them; Boo for us!) Somehow while caring for two nephews this evening, Em managed to download Yahoo Messenger on my laptop and then showed me how to use the video call feature. With a 3+ year assignment, I imagine I'll get pretty good at it. I know she's counting down the days until her hubby's return, and we are too...but for different reasons. Thanks again for watching the boys. Looking forward to your last day of post planning in 9 days; we're going to squeeze a lot in these next couple of months!

Spring Breaks

Around here spring break doesn't mean much other than Jack asks every other day if he's going to school. I'm thinking he's going to be pretty disappointed when the answer is "in a few more weeks" instead of "tomorrow." I'm sure we'll find a way to pass the time this summer...like with potty training. Ugh! Seriously though we are looking forward to fun playdays at the park, trips to the water park in Gainesville and more. In the meantime, we enjoyed what spring break meant to everyone else. First, it was a visit from Aunt Emmy a couple of weeks ago when her school was out. As always, Jack had a blast playing with Aunt Emmy.

Last week, it was Grandmommy's turn. She came and spent the afternoon with us on Wednesday. We had fun taking her to our Wednesday night fellowship dinner at church. Jack enjoyed playing some baseball in the yard before we all piled in the car to take advantage of the DQ Blizzard anniversary...does anyone know where to get a blizzard around here? Anyway, here's a pic of Grandmommy Garrett with two of her favorite things: grandkids and ice cream! We loved celebrating the Blizzard's 25th with you!

BIG Post

Where to start...I have no idea! Yesterday was my birthday, but I guess it wasn't just any birthday. It was a BIG one: THIRTY. That looks weird in type. I'm so used to that "tw" that started my age for the last decade and now I'm a "th"? Can it be? Several of my friends have turned thirty in the last year and I was always quick to remind them I was still in my twenties. Needless to say, I expected some tiny bit of hoopla to accompany this milestone, (if for nothing else) as my payback for having been so coy about my youth on my many friends' big days!

But, I was a little surprised by the sheer magnitude of the display. Sometime after 6, Josh & I were hanging around (I assumed we be going to get some dinner soon) when a barrage of horns were heard from outside. I opened the front door to a parade of friends honking their horns and streaming balloons from their cars. But it gets better, they weren't just there to inform the neighborhood that it was my birthday, but they also brought dinner. Not a bad deal, huh? So, my sweet friends poured inside with balloons, dinner, cake, ice cream and birthday gifts. It was one to remember for sure.

If you are wondering how I feel, the answer is mostly tired. I'm hoping it's not all to blame on my birthday though. We had a busy weekend celebrating my sister's wedding. It was a lot of fun. The weekend was full of laughter and lots of dancing, even Jack joined in on the fun. There are lots of pictures from the weekend here. I'm hoping my other excuse for being so slack with my blog, project 365 and a lot of other things is pretty valid too. Josh & I are expecting again. That's right...Jack is going to be a big brother. I haven't been too sick, a lot of nausea, but more than anything I've just been incredibly tired. The worst part is feeling like I'm not doing enough for Jack because mommy would really rather lay on the couch than play outside in the 90 degree heat! I remember being tired last time around and taking naps during my lunch break, but I can't remember when it passed. I'm sure Jack & Josh are ready for it to pass though. I'm doing my best to be my normal self, but some days are harder than others. Here's to hoping I'm over the hump soon.

Our due date is February 24, 2010.

Taking the Stage & Ch-ch-ch-changes

So, in my last post I hinted that Josh had started farming, become a preacher and would flee the country. Well, the first two will be on stage for all to see when "State Road 47" is performed on Thursday - Saturday at the theatre at Tallulah Falls School. It's an entertaining musical that retells three parables in a modern style. In the first, Josh plays a very convincing farmer. The first number in his scene, a song entitled "Corn" is seriously like "Waiting for Guffman" all over again.

In the second scene, Josh plays a preacher who passes the injured man on the side of the road. Complete with a back-up choir, his "Amen" number is one to get you clapping. Overall, it's a wonderfully entertaining show, and I'm hoping for a great turn out each night.

Now, about Josh fleeing the country...he's all set to jet off to San Pedro Sula, Honduras for a medical mission trip much like he did this time last summer. The team he travels with journeys to La Esperanza (a more remote town) and then treks daily to even more remote villages to treat patients (most of which travel hours to see them). Some of you may not have heard (because all the media continues to talk about is the death of Michael Jackson), but there is currently a coup in Honduras. Most of the strife was taking place in and around the capital city, which is not where Josh's team would be. Unfortunately, the ousted president tried to make a return to the country and asked his supporters to rally in protest. A teenager was killed, and the supporters have vowed to now spread their protesting even farther.

Josh's trip is now being reorganized. Although, we haven't had the chance to discuss many details (he was on the phone with a trip leader when I had to leave for bible study this evening and he's now working in the er), it sounds as though they are preparing an alternate destination. Unfortunately, the new trip is supposed to depart Saturday (rather than Sunday), and of course Josh is committed to perform in two shows Saturday and may be forced to miss his trip. Hearing about the many people Josh and his team were able to treat and minister to last year was phenomenal. It is hard to believe that an obstacle would be presented to make that impossible this year, but we trust that God has a plan to prosper and protect the team wherever they should travel.

The other major change we were presented with this week is that my sister has moved her wedding from December to August 15, yes...just about a month away! Thankfully, dresses had already come in and most everything was able to be changed, but it is a stressful and hectic time for her and my mom. My sister's fiance is being stationed in Cuba once he finishes his AIT, and they can't guarantee exactly when he'll be on furlough. On another note, if you know anyone who wants tickets to see Paul McCartney at Piedmont Park on August 15...let me know!

Brrr...Fore!

Who needs to be in school to celebrate Spring Break? Certainly not us. We've been on the go all this week. It's been a lot of fun, but I'm exhausted and am aiming to be in bed by 9:30 tonight. If I can get my Easter goodies finished, I should make my goal. Despite my demanding schedule, I decided to update the blog.

Tuesday morning we departed town dark and early. (Normally I would say bright and early, but it was still dark.) My dear sister agreed to spend a few days with us and watched Jack for us all day while we were in Augusta at the Masters practice rounds. Josh has been several times, but this was only my second trip. We had four passes, so Josh's dad joined us and our friend Derek. We made great time, didn't hit too much traffic and managed to walk through the gates about 8:30 a.m.

For those of you in this neck of the woods, you know Tuesday wasn't exactly what you might dub ideal golf conditions. Now, Augusta is south of us, but not south enough to make a huge difference in temperature. It was windy and downright cold at times. When I bought these fabulous green pants for my spring wardrobe, I did not imagine how they would look with a wool coat or how they might feel with a pair of tights underneath them. Despite the chilly weather, we had a great time (although it was almost spoiled by a temporary depletion of pimento cheese sandwiches and chocolate chip cookies.)

Because of the weather, there weren't a lot of golfers on the course. We managed to see Phil Mickelson & Charles Howell, who were both out very early. We watched Gary Player, Ernie Els, Henrik Stenson & Retief Goosen play a number of holes together. This is Player's last year competing at Augusta. Although he didn't get on the course at all, we managed to catch Tiger on the practice tees for about an hour. Even though it felt like winter, it certainly looked like spring everywhere you turned. As usual, the course was immaculate and the azaleas were in bloom.

We returned home to my poor frazzled sister who had been carrying for a yucky baby. I guess Jack got a nervous stomach or something, because he threw up a few times about 2 1/2 hours before we got home. He never showed any other signs of being sick, so that was a relief...otherwise we might have had to cancel our trip to the LaserShow! (More on that later...remember I'm on a schedule?)

Just Another Saturday

Just got Jack down for a nap and thought I'd get in a quick post. We've had a busy couple of days. Saturday morning we headed down to Athens for a few hours. We started by dropping Jack off at my mom & dad's house, then we headed downtown to meet the Forets for lunch. Ryan & Elise live in Greenwood, where Ryan is finishing his final year of residency. He & Josh worked together for a year there. They both went to LSU and are actually headed back to the bayou and closer to family when Ryan begins his practice in a few months. They decided to spend the weekend in Athens to celebrate Elise's birthday and take in part of the UGA/LSU baseball series. They invited us to join them.

We had a yummy lunch at East West Bistro downtown before heading to the game. With the temperature hovering around 72, it was a gorgeous day for baseball. It was warm, but not uncomfortable...we'll save that for football season. It started off shaky with the second batter jacking a homerun, but the dawgs answered with 4 runs of their own in the bottom of the first. We had to scoot a little early to make it back for a birthday party, but felt confident in the dawgs 6-2 lead. They ended up winning 10-8 (so we missed some drama), but unfortunately it was the only win of the 3-game series for the dawgs. Here's to hoping they bounce back against Arkansas this coming weekend.

After picking up Jack, we headed back towards home to join Andrew's first birthday celebration. The weather was beautiful back home too. Everyone was enjoying the afternoon out on the newly expanded deck at the York's house. Andrew enjoyed seeing his gifts, but I think eating his cake was his favorite part! We all enjoyed it too!

After we left the party we headed home, where my little sister, Emily, was waiting on us. She had agreed to drive up to watch Jack for us while we headed to the Rotary Club's Casino Night fundraiser. We had a great time. Josh got an education in Craps from Spencer Carr, while his wife Nancy & I tried our hands at Black Jack. Thanks to a very kind dealer, I had quadrupled my money by the end of the night. Josh was pleased to have doubled his and may be a little braver next time we go to Vegas. We were feeling pretty good about ourselves until we spotted folks with gobs of tickets (representing tens of thousands...about 20 times what we had). So, I'm guessing there was an even nicer black jack dealer out there. Anyway, the whole thing is fake money and all for charity. Despite spending most of the night at separate tables, Josh and I had a great time.

The night finally wrapped up with me, Josh & Emily all watching the UNC/Nova game. Exhausted, we all headed to bed. So, it was basically just another Saturday around here. What about you?