More Photos

Gary O'Brien, a photographer for the Charlotte Observer, got some great shots of yesterday's demolition on the set of Extreme Makeover: Home Editon.

Can you find me and Toby? (Hint: I'm wearing Toby's diaper bag and have freshly-cut and expensively-washed hair...)

Rib, one of the designers for Extreme Makeover, came by to talk with our new friend Marsha and her nephew Brandon. Check out more of Gary's photos here.

Demolition Day!

Exactly two weeks ago, I mentioned that one of my favorite shows, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, was coming to Charlotte, NC to help a family in need.

Ty and the crew surprised the King family on Monday, July 28th with the news that their mold-infested home would be demolished and a new one would be built in its place (read more about the family here and here). Today was demolition day, and I decided to take Toby out to enjoy the action. Little boys love bulldozers, firetrucks, policemen, and construction workers, right?

After dropping Sam off at camp, we parked at Eastland Mall and were instructed to take the city bus to the King's home (less than a mile away). We met two very nice ladies who were riding the bus to the demolition site, as well...so we became fast friends and talked about everything from photography to children to how cool it would be to meet Ty Pennington :)

When we turned off the main road, it looked like we were entering Hollywood instead of a neighborhood. As I was drooling over the cameras (still and video!) Toby was babbling about the trucks and tractors. We found a spot right across the street from the King's house and waited for the action to begin.

We watched the designers and volunteers film a few different takes before the demolition began (you know...the crowd screaming, Ty running around like a chicken with its head cut off, 'before' shots of the house before it became a pile of rubble...). There were only about 50 spectators plus 100 volunteers there, so we had a great view of everything.

As the two bulldozers began to move towards the house, the crowd screamed louder and the jaws of the huge machines dove into the roof of the King's home. The entire house was a pile of wood and bricks in a matter of minutes.

It was an incredible sight to watch.

I'm sure the Kings made lots of memories in that house in the past...but it's exciting to think about how many more memories they'll make in their new home in the future. It'll be a clean and healthy place where Alisha and Curtis King can continue to raise their children and the children from their community. I'm so excited for them!

After the demolition was complete, we were hoping to get a visit from Ty. We got into a coversation with a photographer who had been with Extreme Makeover: Home Edition for the past 6 rennovations and he said that Ty probably wouldn't be able to come over and visit - not because he didn't want to, but because the directors always kept him so busy. This particular photographer had never seen Ty "walk the line" of spectators to sign autographs or take pictures after a demolition.

Well, there's a first time for everything.

Ty came by to visit with us for a few minutes and, obviously, we were able to get a photo with him! Toby wasn't very excited, but I was! He's such a super-nice guy. Thanks, Ty (and thanks to my new friend Barbara for taking this photo of us!).

Stay updated on what's happening at the construction site this week by going to extrememakeovercharlotte.com.

Not Just A Haircut

I absolutely love getting my hair cut.

For me, it's not just a haircut. Going to the salon is a 45 minute time slot when I get to take care of myself, enjoy a stress-relief treatment (quick shoulder and scalp massages!), reap the benefits of the rediculously expensive shampoo and conditioner Anthony uses on my hair, and get a top-notch cut. It's simply marvelous.

As many of you ladies know, it takes a lot of time and effort to find a stylist worth keeping around. Anthony (at Planet 21 Salon) has been cutting my hair for almost a year now...and since I've found him, I'd never dream of letting anyone else touch my hair. I love listening to Anthony talk about his wife and kids, telling him about the adventures Aaron and I get ourselves into, and always discussing the possibility of coloring my hair for the first time ever (even though I'm too frivolous to actually do it). Anthony even takes extra time to hairspray my grey hairs down so I won't spot them and pluck them out. He's the best.

If you're in need of a fabulous new 'do, give Planet 21 Salon a call and set up an appointment with Anthony. You'll be glad you did.

What A Way to Start the Day...

I heard Coldplay's newest song "Viva la Vida" on the radio while I was driving to work this morning. I think I'll add that one to my workout play list...

Aaron and I were watching the 2008 MTV Movie Awards a few weeks ago when the band performed "Viva la Vida" in front of a crowd for the first time ever. It was incredible.

Check it out:

Updates

Over the past few weeks, I've had some requests for updates on 2 things:

1. The current health (or lack thereof) of our Bonsai tree
   
2. Photos of our home
   

Let's start with the Bonsai tree (click here to get the background story). We found out that our friend Mani sent the tree to us as a housewarming gift (so thoughful of you, Mani!). He comes over to our house a few times each week and we wanted to show him that we were really appreciative of his gift by keeping it alive.

Here's what the Bonsai looked like in March:

And here's what the Bonsai tree looks like after 5 months in our care:

Oops.

We tried to keep the tree alive! I swear...we really did. I don't know what happened. We watered it, put it in the sunshine, pruned it, and loved it...but to no avail.

After many of the needles began to fall off, Aaron decided to prune the entire thing and force it into a "false winter" (something he learned about on an online forum). As much as I hate to say it, I think our Bonsai tree is a goner. For obvious reasons, I'm too embarrassed to take it to a nursery to see if it's truly dead. Why couldn't I have inherited my parents' green thumbs?

Let's move on to something I've been more successful at - decorating my home. I took a few photos this morning after the furniture repair guy left (another post entirely).

*The following photos were taken with a 16mm fisheye lens (which is why they're all skewed around the edges). The fisheye is the only lens I have that allowed me to photograph an entire room at once.

This is where I spend most of my time when I'm home! I love my kitchen because it has plenty of room for me to move around and lots of cabinet space. I would eventually like to purchase this island (which doubles as a breakfast nook) and place it in front of the windows (left of the pantry door) to add more seating and increase my amount of counter space.

This is our dining room. The table is a hand-me-down from my parents (thank you, Mama and Daddy!). Since the floor plan is so open, we decided to paint the dining room and living room walls the same shade of brown. We painted the beams a darker shade of brown to help separate the two rooms a bit. I look forward to eventually putting up light-colored curtains and unique artwork to brighten up the walls.

This is what you see when you walk through our front door. I love the amount of natural light that comes through our windows!

This is our master bedroom. We chose to paint the walls a beautiful shade of blue (and we painted the tray ceiling an even lighter shade of the blue on the walls). I love how open our room is and how relaxed it makes me feel.

This is the green guest bedroom (and the only room in the house sporting curtains!) I love how bright and girlie this room is. Sometimes I just sit and read in here because it's so inviting and homey. I want to paint four 8x8 canvasses and place them in a square above the bed to finish up the decorations in this room.

Thanks to our wonderful friend Courtney for helping us choose paint colors! We still have a lot of decorating to do, but it's fun to do it piece by piece. I'll post pictures of the other rooms when they're a little more complete. I hope you've enjoyed the updates!

**After reading back through this post, I realized that this past Thursday, July 24th marked exactly six months that Aaron and I have been official homeowners :) We are truly blessed!

This Weekend

This evening, Aaron and I are driving down to Charleston to spend the weekend with my family. I can't wait to:

• go to the beach!
• spend quality time with my parents
• goof off with my brother and his girlfriend
• catch up with my best friend from high school
• eat some of Mama's famous shrimp and rice :)
• watch Hobbes play with my parents' dog and 3 cats
• RELAX!

Have a fabulous weekend! I know we will...

Chased by the "Cups"

I pick Sam up from camp every afternoon at 12:45. This is the conversation we had when I pulled up to the carpool line today:

(Brittany, Sam's favorite camp counselor, opens Sam's car door and helps him into his seat.)
Sam: Mrs. Allison! I got chased by the cups today!!!
Me: Oh! You got chased by what?
(Brittany and I look at each other and giggle.)
Sam: The cups! My friend Brandon was a police officer and he chased me around but I ran away from him. I ran away from the cups!
Me: Do you mean you ran away from the cops?
Sam: No...the CUPS!

He's the funniest kid in the whole white world.

HEWWO?! - The Videos

Since we had a rainy morning in Charlotte yesterday, Toby and I were stuck inside while Sam was at camp. After Toby walked around the house "talking on the phone" for 20 minutes, I decided to pull out the video camera and record him. As soon as Toby saw the camera pointed towards him, he turned on the charm.



The next video is my absolute favorite! This is the "HEWWO?!" I was talking about here.



I'll work on posting some videos of Sam soon :)

All at One Time

Last week, my mom sent me an e-mail that said:

Hey Sissy, I had a dream last night that you had 5 babies - 3 boys and 2 girls. At lunch yesterday I think there was mention of grandchildren...

I replied:

Haha! I don't think we'll be having 5 children. That takes a lot of money and patience :)

She replied:

I think you misunderstood. You had them all at one time.

I replied:

AHHHHHHHHHH!

I can't even imagine what it must be like to have 5 babies at once. Watching Jon and Kate Plus 8 gives me a good idea of what it might be like, but I'm not so sure Aaron and I would survive.

Only by a divine work of the Good Lord above will we ever have 5 children at the same time and survive 18+ years with them all.

Audrey Caroline

While the boys were napping today, I found myself clicking from one blog to another in search of something interesting to read. Boy, did I find what I was looking for.

I spent quite a while reading Angie Smith's blog that tells the story of her precious daughter, Audrey Caroline, and the imact her short life has made on the kingdom of God (Angie's husband is a singer in the Christian music group, Selah). Start by reading the first entry and move forward from there.

Angie's strength, faithfulness, and honesty astound me. Her story is incredible and you'll feel like you're sitting in God's lap as you read her beautifully honest emotions put into words.

This letter that Angie wrote to Audrey is one of the most beautiful pieces of literature I've ever read. You'll want to have a box (yes, an entire box) of tissues handy.

Enjoy and be blessed.

A Birthday Adventure...

Aaron and I went climbing and rafting with some friends at the US National Whitewater Center on Sunday in honor of this beautiful lady's birthday. I can't even begin to describe how much fun we had. Click here and here to view some photos of us rafting down the concrete river. Sean and Aaron are in the front, Amy and I are in the middle, and the birthday girl is in the back with our guide, Jeb.

On our last run around the course, Jeb thought it would be a good idea to "surf the rapids." Everyone but Jeb ended up in the water and scattered down the river. The photographer didn't catch our flip, but we probably looked a lot like these guys.

You should go rafting, kayaking, climbing, biking, and/or hiking at the US National Whitewater Center. You'll have a blast and make lots of memories.

If you don't raft, kayak, climb, bike, or hike, there's a fabulous restaurant on the river worth visiting. You can kick back in an adirondack chair with your ice-cold beverage and watch the rafters at sunset. It doesn't get much better than that...

Where Do They Come Up With This Stuff?

I love the geniuses at The Discovery Channel.

They come up with the most creative concepts for new shows and make each episode extremely entertaining and educational.

If this trailer doesn't get you pumped about this summer's goings-on at the Discovery Channel, I don't know what will.



Doesn't that make you want to jump out of a plane, hunt some sharks, and go skinny dipping in the Arctic Ocean? Me too...

She Doesn't Look A Day Over 30...

Happy Birthday, My Dear Friend. I love you!

Videos of Toby

I finally figured out how to upload the videos of Toby from 2 weeks ago! It was a long and frustrating process, but my patience and persistence paid off.

These videos were taken after the boys' bathtime.

Just thought it would be fun for you to see how much Toby has changed recently. Can you figure out what his favorite word is??

Watch closely for Toby's unique and funny mannerisms. Or just listen for my giggles.

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

As you all know, I'm a reality TV junkie. I was excited to learn today that one of my favorite shows of all-time, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, is coming to Charlotte soon!

I love Extreme Makeover: Home Edition for so many reasons. I love that the community comes together to help a family in need. I love that the designers take time to get to know each member of the family in order to make their house a home. I love the excellence with which the home is completed in just a few days. I love that the family gets to go on an incredible vacation while the home of their dreams is being built. I love the spirit of shear excitement and astonisment that comes from such a huge amount of generosity. I. LOVE. IT.

Ty Pennington will be in Charlotte, NC on July 28th to notify the selected family of their home makeover on Monday, July 28th. You can read more about the show's upcoming visit to Charlotte here.

Sam and Toby's Vacation

Before I left work on Friday, Liz showed me photos from last week of the boys on vacation with her and Mike in Savannah, Georgia. Here are a few of my favorites:

Sam on the tire swing.

Grandpa Dan teaching Sam how to fish.

4th of July

The boys in the kiddie pool.

Sam swimming in the ocean :)


My all-time favorite photo of Toby!

Labels

I spent a few hours yesterday afternoon and this morning labeling all 147 of my past blog entries. It was fun to re-read each one and reminisce about the past year.

The labels make it easier to find blog entries related to a certain topic. I hope you find it useful :)

Back to Work!

I missed the boys SO MUCH while they were gone on vacation!

I couldn't wait to give them hugs and kisses when I arrived at work this morning - but I'll be honest...I was a little fearful that a week of undivided attention from Grandma, Grandpa, Mommy and Daddy would spoil the boys and make them behave like little monsters today. They usually have a bit of a difficult time getting back to the real world when family comes to visit or either Mike or Liz go away - but today has been wonderful so far!

I feel like Toby has grown so much since last Thursday! He's saying lots of new words and repeating everything I say like a little parrot. He's such a ham!

Sam has been a wonderful listener today. When I tell him to do something he replies, "OK, Mrs. Allison" or "Whatever you say, Mrs. Allison" and even "I'll do that just because I love you, Mrs. Allison!" I love it.

I finally have access to the software I need in order to edit the videos I took of the boys last week, but of course the one file I want to edit has been corrupted. So...I need to upload the video from Liz's camera again (which is currently in her purse) before I can edit and post it. *SIGH*

Here are some photos from last week to hold you over until I can get that video posted:

Aren't they getting so BIG?!

Inner Peaks

I spent the better part of this afternoon at Inner Peaks Climbing Center in Charlotte.

Aaron and I are going to Oregon with Sean at the end of August and he's planning to take us climbing at Mt. Thielsen. It's a bit of a difficult climb at the end, so Sean said he wouldn't take us there unless we practiced at the climbing gym and Crowder's Mountain first. Hence, my trip to Inner Peaks today.

We met our friend Mike and his son Trevor at the gym and climbed and bouldered until our hands didn't work any more. I did pretty well and had a wonderful last day of vacation. I'm still not sure if I'll have enough guts to scramble to the summit of Mt. Thielsen. We'll just have to wait and see...

We nailed down the final itinerary for the Oregon trip and have officially started the countdown: 44 days and counting :)

Backpacking: Day 2

Here are some photos of the sunset from the peak of Roan Mountain on day 2 of our trip:

Backpacking the Appalachian Trail

OK. I would like to preface this blog entry with a disclaimer:

Both my mom and Aaron's mom get worried when he and I go hiking. We've come to the conclusion that no matter how safe we are in the great outdoors or how often we go backpacking, they will always worry about us. I guess that's what moms do.

Mama, I know I told you that that there were no animals to be afraid of while hiking the AT...but we did have a run-in with some wild animals. We weren't in any real danger and we made some memories that will stick with us forever. Thanks for being supportive of my extremely adventurous spirit instead of crushing it like so many mothers tend to do. I hope these stories don't give you a heart attack.

So...on to the adventures of this past weekend.

Aaron, Robert, and I left town on Thursday evening and headed towards Roan Mountain, Tennessee (only a 2-and-a-half hour drive from our house in Fort Mill). We arrived in the parking lot of Carver's Gap (along the Appalachian Trail) at midnight and decided to hike 15 minutes to the top of the first bald. Our head lamps made the hike easy and we set up the tent in less than 10 minutes. Because the night was so clear (we could see every star in the sky!) and the wind was so strong, we decided to sleep outside in the grass with just our sleeping pads and bags. This is the first sight I saw when my eyes opened the next morning (Friday, July 4th):

I was up at 7am...and no one else wanted to join me in my state of awakeness. Aaron told me not to bother him again before 8:30am, so that gave me some time to take some photos, warm up in the tent, and eat some trail mix. Here are the two grumps as they slept peacefully in the grass:

When Aaron and Robert finally woke up, we made grits for breakfast, disassembled the tent, and re-packed our backpacks. We hiked a total of 5 miles and stopped at a few overlooks and shelters before we were delayed by a thunderstorm at 3pm. Luckily, we had stopped to pump fresh water into our Nalgene bottles and take a break for food and rest at a rustic shelter along the trail. We ran into a troop of boy scouts, 2 hikers who had already hiked 500 miles of the AT in their current trip, and a bunch of other random hikers just out for a few days. When the rain stopped, we continued for 3-and-a-half more miles towards Hump Mountain (our destination for camping that night). Here are some of the sights we saw along the way:

We decided to camp at Hump Mountain on the 4th of July because it's the tallest point along the Appalachian Trail for 8 miles or so. I really wanted to see fireworks...and what better place to view them than from the top of the world? I led the guys during the last few miles of our hike up the side of Hump Mountain. This is what we saw:

When I came to the top of Hump Mountain, I ran into these guys:

These bulls and cows were standing right in the middle of the trail! The sun was setting quickly and I began to get a little worried - Aaron and Robert were about 1/4 mile behind me and had no idea that I was standing in front of 9 wild animals. I just stood still until the bulls went off to the right of the trail and disappeared into the endless sea of grass. I continued on my way and made it to the peak of Hump Mountain.

When Aaron and Robert met me at the peak, we began unpacking the tent so we could get everything set up before sunset. Just as we were putting the last stake into the ground, we saw the bulls approaching us.

At first I thought the bulls were cute and harmless...but as they began to approach our campsite, I changed my mind. Out of all the grass on the mountain, the bulls decided that they wanted to eat the grass that was two feet from our tent. Two or three of the bulls were brave enough to come sniff our tents and nudge them with their noses. That's when I decided I needed to get inside the tent, place myself directly in the middle, and sit still until they went away. There's no way the tent would have protected me from the bulls, but it made me feel better to be out of their sight. Aaron and Robert were sitting outside the tent preparing the boil water for our dinner and they kept a close watch on each of the animals. When they started to get too close, Aaron banged his hiking poles together to "shoo" them away.

This photo gives you an idea of how close the bulls got to our tents. We met this couple on the trail earlier in the day and decided to camp next to each other because we were a little fearful of the bulls.

Once my cow-herding husband directed the bulls away from our campsite, we were able to enjoy dozens of incredible fireworks shows. We stood on the peak of the mountain, turned all the way around, and saw fireworks from every direction. It was definitely the best (and most memorable) 4th of July of all my 23 years.

Roan Mountain, Tennessee is one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited. The bald, grassy mountains allowed us to see breathtaking views and enjoy the beauty of God's creation. When I'm standing on the peak of a mountain looking at mountains as far as my eyes can see, I don't understand how people might doubt the existence of God.

More photos coming tomorrow...

Vacation

I have officially been on vacation since Friday afternoon. The Wallers left for Savannah, Georgia on Friday to visit Liz's parents and they won't return until this coming Thursday. I'm very thankful for the time I have off this week, but I have no idea what to do with myself for the next 4 days!

Aaron didn't have to be to work until 10:00 this morning, so we slept in. He left for work and I watched 2 episodes of ER. At noon, I went to Barnes and Noble in search of a new book to read (but was unsuccessful) and then came home to upload the pictures we took on our hiking trip this past weekend. As I was catching up on the last few days of my daily blogroll, my cell phone rang. A Georgia phone number popped up in the caller-ID.

"Hello?" I said, expecting that the person on the other end had dialed the wrong number.

"Hi, Mrs. Allison!" exclaimed my sweet little Sam.

Sam and I talked for 10 minutes about all of the fun activities he'd been doing on vacation and how much he missed me. I won't lie. It brought a tear to my eye to hear him say, "See, Mrs. Allison...I told you I wouldn't forget your name!" So sweet...

Our trip to Roan Mountain, Tennessee to hike the Appalachian Trail this past weekend was incredible. We captured lots of gorgeous photos (that don't even come close to capturing how beautiful the sights actually were) and I can't wait to share them with you. Aaron, Robert, and I made lots of memories (and have many stories to tell) that won't soon be forgotten. If I can figure out where to begin, I'll post the happenings of our eventful weekend later today.

Trust me. If I hadn't taken pictures, there's no way you would believe the stories I have to tell...

Peace Out

The guys and I are off to Roan Mountain, Tennessee to hike the Appalachian Trail until Sunday afternoon.

I haven't spent 3 days and 3 nights in the wilderness in a looooooong time. This should be fun.

I'll be back on Monday with lots of pictures and stories about our trip. I hope everyone has a safe and happy 4th of July :)

Peace out, yo.

Mark My Words

I hate computers.

You can't live with 'em...but you sure as heck can't live without 'em, either.

I've been trying to install Adobe Premiere Elements 3.0 on the laptop at work for the past 45 minutes (although it feels like it's been hours). All I want to do is edit the cute video I took of Toby yesterday so I can post it on my blog! AHHHHHHH!

I'm married to an "IT Support Specialist" and work for an "Internet Securities Officer." You'd think that I'd be able to hold my own in front of the computer...but I can't.

I hate computers.

P.S. - I WILL figure out how to get those videos onto this blog. Mark my words...