Pictures from the Farm

I didn't get any of the horses because they let them run wild and they're kind of elusive. As you can tell, we didn't really ever get good light, and Jeremy decided that the light was way too bad by the time I got up in the saddle to take pictures!

Anyway, here are a handful from the Traylor house!

Doe, she left her baby behind that morning

TJ and the crew-- TJ's the one who chases Earl around!

Tu, the new puppy, who has a love hate relationship with Lady

I couldn't get a shot of the wings open to save my life! I took about 20 shots trying!

I loved this gazebo-- it has hanging things, plants, and seats. So perfect!

The boys on the 4 wheeler

Tu

Josh and Sarah on the 4 wheeler

What vacation?

Sunday: I went and picked up the 2nd rental car from the airport and then we left for the Traylor house in Paris, TN to spend a day or so out on the farm. We got there about dinner time and settled in, Earl threw a bunch of brain benders at us and we sat up playing puzzles for the rest of the night. I am not that great at those things, but it was fun to watch Jeremy and Josh blow right through them! Sarah and I stumbled through a few and then brushed them aside when Earl wasn't looking!

Monday: Slept "in" and by that I mean we got up at 8a. Amazing what sleeping in entails when you're used to 6:30a! We sat around and watched some Discovery in HD, then Sarah went back to bed for a while (her stomach was giving her problems) and Josh and I went with Uncle Matt and Grandma Traylor over to the Mennonite store to do some shopping. I picked up a couple of little embroidered doilies for mom's belated present, some snacks for the car (yogurt covered raisins and figs!) and Matt got me some fig preserves to try out. We went to another Mennonite store, Yoder Bros., where the meat processing takes place and I bought more stuff! Matt had never tried Muscadines, so I returned the favor with some Muscadine preserves and picked up some Habanero pickles for Jeremy. Josh picked up some Habanero cheddar for us to enjoy, and enjoy we did! It was soooo nice and creamy, great flavors, and we still have most of it left to munch on for the rest of the week!

We got back and Jeremy started making yeast rolls, Josh and I watched more Discovery HD (seriously, Discovery channel is awesome, it's even better in HD!) and I went out and took some pictures of the dogs, turkeys, and birds. The neighbor Dan (Dan, Dan, the CIA man) came over for dinner and was a real treat. He doesn't talk about his CIA past much, but you can tell he's worked in the area.

After dinner, Earl took us back out to the pasture and saddled up the horses! He took me out on Buddy first, the easier horse, then I swapped out to Earl's horse Dago and Sarah got up on Buddy and we walked them around the yard; for those of you unfamiliar, the yard is reeeeeeally big! I walked us up to the porch so everyone could see Sarah on the horse (it was only her second time up on a horse) and they both spooked big time from some of the birds in the trees! I got Dago under control pretty quick, and Earl hopped off the porch and got Buddy out from under Sarah-- she was scared, but she held it together pretty well!

I rode around with Earl a while longer, then we put the horses back to pasture and went back to the porch to watch the storm come in. Then we got wise and went in to take showers in case the power went out! We watched some more Discovery channel, and fell in to bed.

Today: Woke up after a rough night's sleep (this cough just won't go away! Thankfully, Jeremy's seems to be getting better) and went with the boys in to the Suzuki shop after breakfast. We went ahead and stopped by Enterprise because the scraping noise in the car just got super loud! Poor little Paris, TN Enterprise only had about 8 cars on the lot and they were all going out, but they called the Decatur branch to try and swap it out for us. One of the guys at the Decatur branch (shockingly) said to send us up to get it checked out. So, we got in the car with the suspected brake problem and went up the street. The guy got us in and checked it out perfunctorily and sent us on our way. "Well, I don't hear anything and the brake pads look good so must be ok!" After wasting an hour there I said fine, we'll drive it back to Memphis, but if it makes one more noise I'm swapping it out.

We got back and had lunch, packed up and said our goodbyes and hit the road. The car was still making noise, so I called the airport and asked to come in and swap out. I gave them a little time to get some new cars in and went on up. They got me set really quickly, and even gave me the Hyundai Santa Fe (my dream car) and then... Atlanta wouldn't answer the phone to approve the swap. For over an hour. Today alone, I wasted 3+ hours on the rental car! This is the second one that broke, and if I don't have my Hyndai in the morning there will be even more hell to pay. I missed dinner with the family, Jeremy missed dinner coming to get me, not to mention the hassle.

Now I feel kinda sick again, but I'm trying to stay in a decent mood and stay up to finish the Deadliest Catch tribute to Phil Harris. So sad that he's gone!

Pictures later, and more vacation updates. Hopefully I'll come home with the right car tomorrow!

Graceland, Graceland, Memphis Tennessee

We're in Southaven with Jan and Marc, and Josh and Sarah! Our trip up was pretty good, fairly easy and relaxed. We're going to leave shortly to head to Grandma and Grandpa Traylor's and see them for a couple of days.

There will be plenty of pictures from there, no doubt, between the horses and the infamous turkey!

Vacation!

I can't believe I'm still up, I'm about to go to bed, but I'm going totally manic packing for the next week! We can't wait to see Josh and Sarah, and Grandma and Grandpa Traylor!

Don't worry, there will be pictures ;)

All crazy on the Eastern front

Well, folks, it has been anything but quiet here in the life of JeremyandMeg. Last time I actually updated (instead of just throwing more pictures at you) was Spirit Week. Lock In Week followed, and it was a lot of fun-- way better than last year's! We took the little kids to Cici's Pizza on Tuesday and put them to sleep with WALL-E, then the big kids went to Golden Corral (totally awesome) and eventually fell asleep to City of Ember. We were pretty beat after that, and spent the weekend of the 4th trying to relax and recuperate.

Last week was Lake Lanier, which was one hell of a week since we were short staffed. Wednesday went smoothly (except for the fact that we were surprised with 101 degree temps!) and all the parents who came with us had a lot of fun. I'm most proud of having a camp where the parents feel as comfortable as the kids tagging along on field trips! The kids were completely whooped for the rest of the week so even though we were desperate at the end of the week, it wasn't too bad.

This coming week is Movie Week-- so awesome. Monday, the kids will have the option between Avatar: The Last Airbender and Toy Story 3. Tuesday, we're watching the entire Mighty Ducks Trilogy. Wednesday we're all going to the Movie Tavern to have lunch and see Despicable Me. I'm pretty stoked. Friday, the older kids are going to see Sorcerer's Apprentice, which I actually really want to see.

After that... VACATION!!! We're leaving Saturday morning for Memphis to meet up with Josh and Sarah, then heading over to Paris to see Grandma and Grandpa Traylor, then just chilling out for a while. CAN'T WAIT.

Independence Day

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government.

Cooking!

I've been trying to get creative with cooking on a fairly limited budget, so I've decided that even though the pre made sauces and mixes aren't always THAT healthy, using them every now and again is a time saver and if you get a good brand they taste pretty good, too!

Fresh veggies!

Stir fry

Stir fry and beef with noodles-- faux pho

Cookin' up a storm

Blackened chicken topped with bacon and pepperjack cheese over rice with corn

Not so red curry-- it tasted like it, though!

Mmmmm onions and chicken