Immersion

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. - Colossians 4:2

Pray continually – 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. – Philippians 4:6 

I have found myself surrounding my thoughts, forging my plans and discovering new things within the beauty that is prayer. My songs have become prayer, my thoughts, my visions of what is to come. It is an immersion I never expected and an adventure that is wonderfully welcome. It isn’t always easy, it isn’t always second nature; but it is a way to find peace in the chaos – every single time.

The last 7 months have been a rollercoaster ride through this adoption journey. We have already read a large number of “you have not been selected” emails and we know that there could be many more before the child God sees for us finally fills our arms. He/she is already in our hearts. The child we have not even met, even know when born, even know when we will meet already has a place in our life. He/she fills our prayers, our thoughts and our dreams. We know that the day will come when our family grows by one, then by two and then by….well…God’s plans are always interesting and we are definitely leaning in to hear what He has in store. We know that He has us, has the best for us and this desire we have comes from Him and Him alone.

For now, we are still waiting. We watch emails on Wednesday’s like hawks (Social worker R meets with the other states and their social workers on Wednesdays, so lets just say we are attune to our email more acutely on Wed/Thurs than any other day), we recently were in the mix for a child in KY but sadly we were not selected. It was on a Saturday morning that we received the news & as heart wrenching as it always is, my heart took it better than it has before. It wasn’t due to hardening or bitterness – in contrast it was because I’m believing in the power of prayer, in the comfort of prayer and in the truth of prayer. I trust that the Lord will send us the additions to our family, He will do so in His time and every time we get to hear a birthmother’s name, get to read a dossier on these women we are given the opportunity to pray…for a stranger, for a woman/girl who may be family one day, for a child we may welcome home one day, for a girl we may never meet, for a family we may never be a part of…the “mays” are many. But the important part of all this is: opportunity to pray. What an honor! We get to be intercessors for these young women, these unborn/born children, their families, their futures…What a beauty it is to pray for someone, even though the email comes that says “you have not been selected” tears at my soul, my spirit reminds me that I still must pray for them. 

I won’t forget their names, their bits of information and the hope I felt when I read their info summaries. I remember every one and each one is a piece of me, a portion of my heart that is building a memorial to the children we will one day have. I pray that someone prays for us when we are selected, that the couples that receive the emails we see now stop and pray for us, that they love us and that they hope for us. I am excited for that day, for now I will pray in all things and wait for His timing.

While we wait we are preparing for a trip, one that I have always dreamed of taking and one that we know will be a beautiful celebration of two friends getting married and an opportunity to see a part of the world much different from our own.

For now I leave you all, our wonderful Village, with some fabulous travel words that always make me smile….

Once a year, go somewhere you have never been before….- Anonymous

 “To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.” – Bill Bryson

A girl with red hair & love that shines through the ages...

"All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware."

-Martin Buber

***

Well, hello everyone! *shakes head with a smile & waves* Have we all been enjoying the ending of summer and getting ready for those Fall colors that mimic the summer sun? I have been...at least I think I have. :o)

My dayjob has sent me to a few locations lately that have hindered my time visiting many of you except through Google Reader. This makes me sad but also appreciate the ease of Google Reader - though not being able to comment is a real bust!

I am again getting back into the swing of things and have discovered the above quote while flipping through a magazine. I laughed when I read it, could not help it. You see lately I have seen some crazy airports, met some unique people, shopped incessantly for a car, discovered a love for feta & red pepper mashed potatoes, decided Chicago has the BEST popcorn, found Mt. Washington in PA to be one of the most scenic cityscape viewing ever, enjoyed Maryland crab cakes, pontificated over the number of rude store clerks, shopped some amazing stores and fell exhausted many nights in some wonderful hotels...all due to the dayjob. Each trip, each location is technically where I am supposed to go. But it's the roads that I take sporadically in each town, the little eateries that have me whipping the rental around and popping in for a bite, the store windows with their items glowing - pulling me in, the airport travelers, the hidden bookstores and the discovery of a new story that make this quote perfect for me.

I am always amazed at the wonderful surprises that await me when I travel. Those little gems that you take home and ponder over: the young woman with light red hair that fell in waves down her back. She wore dark black tights, tall boots and a striped dolman sweater. Her eyes were red from tears and her hand shook slightly as she sat beside me in Chicago. I did not speak for she seemed to be trying to fold into the chair, to disappear from the strangers around her. She could not have been older than twenty. From the corner of my eye I worried for her. Hoping that whatever was wrong/sad/disturbing would not plague her as she continued her journey. She carried only a purse and held an iPod tightly between her fingers.

Then in Baltimore I watched an older couple, a man no younger than seventy and a wife the same walk hand in hand down the skyway. He held her purse as she entered a restroom and I enjoyed the simple gesture with sheer pleasure. We smiled to one another across the way and later as I stood near a monitor he was there again, she stood beside him reading the scrolling flight times. Slipping another smile towards him he began to speak. "You have a lovely smile my dear. It is so rare to see young people really smile anymore." Grinning I thanked him, told him I thought it kind that he still held his wife's purse and even more wonderful that they held hands. He made a light joke that they would both get lost if they did not and we shared a laugh. I turned to see my gate and wished them a safe flight.

Random encounters give us so much to think about. I felt sadness and a deep need to want to help the young girl, but allowed her the space she seemed to crave. The couple had me tearing up and thinking how wonderful it is to have someone who already will hold my purse and my hand whenever I need it. Those secret destinations that I discovered along Blvd of the Allies, Grandview Ave, Clark Street, Charles Street and along William Penn Highway/US -22 are wonderful, memorable and worth the time; but it is the vision of red hair falling over slim shoulders, head bowed and that of the soft clasp of hands that cling to each other as they pass through the later years of life - those images, those unexpected distractions are what stay burned into my mind and lay upon my heart.

They may become characters in a story I later write, perhaps I will forget about them as time passes... but no matter what, they are dynamic within their own stories and for a moment they captured this traveler's attention completely unaware....

Have a merry Tuesday with a Twist!

P.S.

Oh yeah - just heard about this AWESOME contest: Enter Carol's SPEAK about Banned Books by 9-26-2010

WINNERS!!! Where have Gnick & Courtney Been???

Okay, can I just say this was the most fun contest to host! I seriously enjoyed this. A dayjob work trip is not always exciting and fun, but you guys made this one a blast!! Gnick was the most hospitable chaperone ever and he loved updating everyone!!

I LOVED that Gnick was able to take such a fun group on a virtual tour of where....

Washington, D.C.

Yes, yes I know that some of you have a bit of issue with me saying that it is the city I was in. Well it is a city (sometimes nicknamed Capitol City or Federal City) AND a district. It has a city council, a mayor yet it submits all jurisdiction to the federal government. It did not become a District until 1871 and is still today considered both titles.

Due to the confusion or sneakiness of a question like this I accepted either Alexandria or Washington D.C. since I spent the most time in those locations.

Just a quick note on Alexandria...did you know that for some time it was actually considered a part of the District? I learned a good bit on this trip - not all for the dayjob.

ON to the answers:

#1 - Old Town Alexandria

#2 - The Torpedo Factory Art Center

#3 - The Lincoln Memorial

#4 - The Washington Monument

#5 - International Spy Museum

#6 - National Archives

#7 - National Museum of American History

Bonus - The Star Spangled Banner by Francis Scott Key

#8 - The Smithsonian Castle

#9 - National Museum of the American Indian

#10 - Mount Vernon Mansion in Mt. Vernon, Virginia

Joey stated: You can't have Thanksgiving without turkey. That's like Fourth of July without apple pie, orFriday with no two pizzas! in episode 9, Season 8 THE ONE WITH THE RUMOR - Gosh I love FRIENDS! ;o)

Okay so we know the right answers, but WHO WON WHAT?????

You know me, I love the HAT so watch & see...

PRIZE PACKAGE #1 WINNER:

PRIZE PACKAGE #2 WINNER:

Thank you all so much for playing along, journeying with me & Gnick. I am so honored to have such great members of the Royal Court! I look forward to getting back to a normal blogging schedule and visiting everyone's blogs again! I will see you all on Monday...Don't forget:

BE SURE TO STOP BY ON MONDAY...AWESOME AUTHOR SURPRISE & ANOTHER CONTEST!!!!!

WINNERS: EMAIL ME YOUR INFO!

For Prize Package #1 - Go browse the Book Depository.com for a book

For Prize Package #2 - okay, so WHAT GIFTCARD??? Think about it and get with me!

Have a Fabulous Friday!

CONTEST ENDS TONIGHT! POST ANSWERS HERE!!! Where in the World have Courtney & Gnick BEEN??

So I 've been traveling with our favorite gnome Gnick to a pretty cool location. And today is the day to post your winning comment...

You MUST be a follower and MUST post your answer on THIS POST by 11:59 PM EST tonight!

Contest open INTERNATIONALLY!!!

You can click back through Sunday, Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday's posts to re-evaluate the clues.

YOU HAVE 3 PARTS TO THIS CONTEST IN ORDER TO WIN!!

1. You must correctly name all the landmarks from each picture

2. Name the city I was in.

3. Name who said this: "You can't have Thanksgiving without turkey. That's like Fourth of July without apple pie, orFriday with no two pizzas!

**DON'T FORGET THE BONUS ON #7**

THEN POST YOUR ANSWERS AT THE END OF THIS ENTRY before MIDNIGHT TONIGHT APRIL 29, 2010

So click back through the posts on

4-25 CLUES

4-26 CLUES

4-27 CLUES

4-28 CLUES

A reminder of the prizes...

We did decide that if only ONE person gets ALL the right answers then that person wins the big prize pack and everyone else gets entered to win a $15.00 giftcard to ANY online store.
Yep ANY store!!!! No matter what there will be two winners on Friday 4-30-2010... ;o)

So prize pack for ALL CORRECT ANSWERS:

PRIZE PACK #1
*surprise*Goodie bag from the city I am in
$10.00 Book from the Book Depository
Copy of the book I am giving away on May 3rd
(yes, yes, I know you don't know which book that is yet, but trust me it is AWESOMESAUCE from cover to cover!!!)

PRIZE PACK #2
$15.00 Giftcard to ANY Store
(online that participates in giftcards)

Remember, even if someone else has answered still post your guesses so that you can enter the drawing! Don't be discouraged if you don't know them all, put your guesses, prize pack number 2 is still up for grabs!

Good LUCK!

WEDNESDAY'S WRITTEN WORD: ESCAPE + FINAL DAY CLUE!!!!!!!

On the phone...

Miles away...

He sits in front of the bowl...

Amidst sounds of a strange city I wait with bated breath...

In the quiet of our home he pulls the paper out...

ESCAPE

The city disappears as my fingers find the keys....

***

Screams echo off the stone walls as the smell of loss swamps the air. Another one is lost to the darkness. I feel the cold hard dirt solid beneath my feet; worn smooth by the diggers before me. My toes curl while I crouch beside the wall yet they merely scratch the surface.

I've been told that there is a place where the earth is loose between your toes. It is soft and comforting, a promise of life within its crumbling pieces. Here the floors only breed sorrow and death. Beneath my nails, caked with sweat, are bits of that death. I taste it when the nerves overcome me and I have nothing to grasp in my hands. It is impossible to stop the fingers from touching my lips, from my teeth nibbling on the nails and feeling the grit across my tongue.

Once I believed that the dirt was the only food I would ever eat again. No longer. Weeks had passed since the nerves had fed my hunger. Stories of hope now fed my belly.

At first I desperately tried to ignore them, to pretend that they were only in the imagination of the weak. Yet here I was crouched along the earthen wall for a glimpse of what was called sunlight.

Rumors had begun about a light so bright it could blind you and water that ran free, clear of silt and worms. The idea was preposterous but so tempting. It was a dream that I had banked for months after he came.

The man who held in his hand a small green leaf had finally convinced me. GREEN! The word was new and beautiful in my mind. We had never seen such a brilliance, never held such a tender object in our hand. I had stood there watching him talk, not hearing all the words only seeing the herb he clutched as though it were his child. He spoke of things I had never heard of.

The man had appeared in our crossway. Thrown on the ground by the Leaders, covered in mud. His wet appearance had been bizarre but it had been his hands that had made us listen.

No callouses wore down his palms. His nails were clean and his wrist free of the burns from the straps. The crevices in his knuckles were clean of the smoke that stains us so easily. He had not been down here before, he was from somewhere we had never thought to imagine.

We worked for the Leaders. Digging into the hard earth, breaking it away in huge chunks only to find small sections of a shining stone they snatched from our hands before we could even see what it was. The Leaders were brutal on those that could not produce enough of the shiny stones. A beating by their strap could cut deep into your back or worse break a bone that could not be seen.

So many people had been lost over the years. Today two more children had been turned over to the Leaders. Their bodies limp and their eyes wide, staring blindly into the darkness. The sorrow was palpable today.

I had watched the cold, damp earth claim my parents when I was five. Their bodies already brittle from the hard work when the sickness that stole their breath with its ruthless cough ripped them from me.

The man had changed everything. I had seen the herb, smelled its richness and now I stood facing the strap if discovered. My breath came out slow and steady as I waited for the Leaders to end their daily post. This would be easy.

The plan was simple. An object dangled from the hip of one of the Leaders. I had stolen it two hours ago when he fell asleep watching the early digs. The object now rested in my right hand. There was only one place in all the crossways that was not the familiar brown earth. It was an entry wall made out of a hard material with a hole that they placed the object into every night.

Right now the entry stood only a few feet from me across the hall. The Leaders would be here soon, especially when they discovered the missing object.

I straightened and glanced down at the cold oddly shaped thing in my hand. There is no promise that it would show me where the man had come from. I had nothing to guarantee that wherever it took me would be better or even different from here. Gripping it tightly I carefully crossed the room. The familiar padding of my feet gave me the confidence to make the final steps.

After inspecting the hole I glanced down the hallway. I was losing precious time, the sounds of our picks in the distance told me that digging would be halted for meal break. It was now or never.

Lifting the object I turned it to fit into the hole. It hung there not moving nor changing the entry. I remembered that the Leaders always moved it. Closing my dirt laden hand around it I began to twist it. After a second of resistance my hand moved in a circle. I jumped at the soft click and stepped back. The heavy entry moved away from me revealing its other side.

A silent stairwell curled upward in front of me. It was not dirt but a gray rough looking block system. Glancing back at the crossway I smiled. Turning I took a step forward. My foot hovered over the steps hesitantly before meeting a new type of surface. This one was not earth packed by the many steps of lost friends and family. It was cold, rough like a callous and most importantly it was something I had never seen before.

The man was right. Our dungeons were not all that existed...it was time to see about those herbs. I did not look back at the dark earth that had been my home for eleven years, I only looked up praying that with every movement I grew closer to what he had called freedom.

***

Okay here is the FINAL CLUE!!! Come back tomorrow to name everything before midnight!!!

Gnick was so excited for our final tour stop! He truly thought it the highlight of our trip.

#10 Name the landmark location. Yep it is said that the doors to this house are always open - even when the original family lived here. They loved to have guests! In fact in one year they had over 700 people stay here! Can you imagine?

Gnick loved everything: the view, the classic structures and his most favorite spot: The Garden!

He even said that if he wasn't such a roaming Gnome he might consider this place as a final destination! But alas, he chose to stay with us and we are so glad he did!

***

Have a Wonderful Wandering Wednesday!!!

(As always if you are not familiar with Wednesday's Written Word you are welcome to peruse my Original Works Page or click a dated entry on the right sidebar to read past entries)

CLUES DAY THREE!! PRIZE UPDATE

Gnick and I were grinning at everyone's comments yesterday. We told y'all day one was the hardest clues! We believe everyone now knows what city we are in (but I won't spoil it for those who have yet to figure it out) and we are excited to see who posts the correct answers on Thursday's post.

REMEMBER you have to not only know the city but be able to name each numbered landmark where Gnick's picture was taken.


We did decide that if only ONE person gets ALL the right answers then that person wins the big prize pack and everyone else gets entered to win a $15.00 giftcard to ANY online store.

Yep ANY store!!!! No matter what there will be two winners on Friday... ;o)

So prize pack for ALL CORRECT ANSWERS:

PRIZE PACK #1

*surprise*Goodie bag from the city I am in

$10.00 Book from the Book Depository

Copy of the book I am giving away on May 3rd

(yes, yes, I know you don't know which book that is yet, but trust me it is AWESOMESAUCE from cover to cover!!!)

PRIZE PACK #2

$15.00 Giftcard to ANY Store

(online that participates in giftcards)

So what are todays clues....Well we had the dayjob cutting into our touring but we managed to get a few this afternoon:

#8 Gnick took this one - he did good!!! Name the building...

#9 Wow...these replicas represent the EARLY days in this country...They sit in front of a building dedicated to the story of these native people...name the building...

Good Luck! Only one more day of Clues! Come back on Thursday to list your answers and I will announce the winner Friday morning!!!

CLUES DAY TWO: Where in the World are Courtney & Gnick? & Monday Memos

Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.

-Miriam Beard

Well Gnick and I are running ragged around this town!!! I think we may see everything there is to see....

Well, what do you know just when Gnick wants to rest someone won't share a comfy lap to nap in! Doesn't this particular historical figure know he has enough lap for 1000 gnomes much less one little gnome to rest?! How can anyone tell this face no?

#3 Name the landmark

That's okay, we decided to play around with the next landmark. Look at Gnick! Somehow the point on his hat has grown! (albeit crookedly...)

#4 Name the landmark behind Gnick!

Then we decided to sneak around, you know be all stealth.

#5 Can you name the landmark museum in the background? (the cream building)

After discovering how the word gadget transformed many historical events we decided to hit one more spot today...

OH MY! GNICK's face appears to have disappeared?

#6 Do you think we could find a copy or file with his photo in it at the building behind him?

#7 These last 3 pictures are all one clue. Each of the items below are housed in the same building...Gnick was moved by these the most. I know...red glittery shoes? Well, its because these items represent for many of us thoughts of home. The bottom picture is an actual section of the preserved flag in the middle. Yes that is the real 39x42 foot flag that inspired what some would say is the most well known song in America.

(*BONUS ENTRY: Name the Song & Composer)Whew that was 5 more clues....do you know where I am?

*DON'T FORGET: You have to name the city AND each landmark that was pictured. For instance the first picture of the Fish Market is a clue to the historic landmark NEIGHBORHOOD you must enter. I will be sure to put on whether I am looking for the neighborhood, stature, or place on Thursday. Don't worry you have until midnight on Thursday to get your answers in. ;o)

***

MONDAY MEMOS!!

Oh yeah, while Gnick & I are wandering the sites and working on the dayjob agenda check out today's hot blog posts:

Natalie Bahm posts two quotes on

Writing/Rewriting you should add both to your list of quotations on the process of writing, I did. ;o)

Be sure that you have added the The Book Sniper to your blog roll, google reader, whatever! It is a wonderfully insightful new blog from an insider in the publishing world...

Matthew over at The Quintessentially Questionable Query Experiment blogs today about...blogging! Are you a Troll? Sometimes I am...even if it is a Princess Troll ;o)

***

Have a Magical Monday!

CLUES DAY ONE: Where in the World is Courtney and the Gnome?

So Gnick and I were wandering around. He has been extremely giddy about traveling and the contest!

He decided to immediately visit a few special places & snap some photos. It took everything in me to keep up!

Thankfully he was as hungry as I was so we stopped at a favorite restaurant in the center of a historic landmark neighborhood:

#1 Name the Neighborhood/Town

Then he decided to expand his creative aptitude...(these two photos go together as one clue!)

#2 Name the Landmark Building

Next we settled in to the hotel and enjoyed a nice night of great food and wonderful entertainment!

Don't forget to come back tomorrow and see the next set of clues and return on Thursday to post all your guesses!

Oh & if you have NO IDEA what is going on refer to the original post or my newest contest link on the upper right sidebar!

*note today are probably the hardest clues due to the stops, but I know that if you just put the pieces together you will figure it out...*

***

Have a Sensational Sunday!!

Where in the World is Courtney gonna be???? Contest!

"You can't have Thanksgiving without turkey. That's like Fourth of July without apple pie, or Friday with no two pizzas!"

- ?*

***

I know one of you just hummed the theme song to Where in the World is Carmen San Diego? You know who you are... ;o)!

It has been a crazy week in our house and it will probably get a little crazier over the next couple of days. The dayjob has me traveling to one of my favorite cities for a conference. Now I will be working but when not in conference meetings I plan to hit some of my favorite sites, eateries, bookstores and shows.

Most of you know I not only read and love current books but I collect vintage, rare, antiquarian as well. I have scoped out some promising stores and *crossesfingers* hopefully will discover a new addition to my collection. (*NOTE: "hopefully" - come on we all know I love to shop & impulse-shopper is my credo so we all KNOW I will bring something good back ;o) )

Anyway, I will still be blogging while traveling & I decided to make it into something a bit more than just travel blogging...how about a contest...hmmmm? Something to wet the appetite as I am inching up to 200 Followers (which guarantees another contest).

Speaking of contests be sure to wander over here on MAY 3rd...I have an amazing Author Spotlight (who did not cower during my Royal Interrogation) that day & lets just say if you are looking for a divine prize pack then you will find it here. :o) (yes that means over the next few weeks you will have at least 2 contests from me & hopefully 3!!)

Okay back to travel blogging: I plan to post a variety of pictures featuring our favorite gnome Gnick at some pretty well known landmarks. Each picture is a clue to where I am.

You must get all landmarks correct, the city I am in & who stated the above quote correct to win!

You must be a Follower of my blog and you MUST post your answers on THURSDAY APRIL 29ths Blog Entry by 11:59 PM EST.

I will take all Followers with ALL the correct answers and put them in randomizer.org to select the winner. NOTE: You must get ALL answers correct to be put in the pot to win...

What will you win?

Ahhh...This is the exciting part! *squeal*

A *surprise* Goodie Bag from the city I traveled to

1 Book of your Choice from the Book Depository shipped directly to you!

A copy of the book that I am giving away on May 3rd

(yes, yes, I know you don't know which book that is yet, but trust me it is AWESOMESAUCE from cover to cover!!!)

So watch out...between Sunday & Wednesday there will be clues, gnomes, and fun times!!!

Disclaimer: I promise it is a city in the United States, it is a VERY well-known city, all landmarks can be fairly easy to recognize and/or research. Open to US & Canada.

Spread the word...

***

Around the blogs today:

Help Elana Johnson create some Laughs today...she needs to feel the love...

SarahJayne at Writing in the Wilderness celebrates Friday with a 150 Followers CONTEST!! (don't forget to tell her I sent you)

Have you drawn a map for your work yet? Portia discusses getting lost & finding your way...

Natalie Bahm discusses E-Readers & the Environment...How green are they?

The lovely Shannon fromBook Dreaming is being featured on Edited to Within an Inch of My Life

Don't forget to donate or spread the word about Team Brooklyn! (refer to original post Here you can still donate via my sidebar widget ), my friends walk this weekend!

Have a Fun Filled Fantastic Friday!!!

Happenings....

SO much has happened since my last post.

Marcus, Arthur and myself went to a signing and tasting in Birmingham at Southern Progress. Chris & Idie Hastings have just released their first cookbook: HOT & HOT Fish Club Cookbook. HOT & HOT is a restaurant located in Birmingham and has become a staple on the Southern gourmet circuit. We were lucky enough to receive invites to the private signing & tasting. It was wonderful! The food was amazing, the champagne even better :o) The cheese platter made me immediately glad we went. I love good cheese and this particular tasting did not disappoint. Chris & Idie were gracious and shared some good stories. Southern Progress has a beautiful building perfect for these types of events. We mingled, tasted then went out for some dessert and fun discussions. It was a great time.

Arthur tried an oyster shot and lets just say the pictures tell the story the best....

After coming back from Camden the other weekend and seeing the fam the week started off fairly calm... then Tuesday happened.

My mother calls me saying "Are you sitting down?" okay this question should never have been invented - nothing good follows those four words. I had just hung up with one of my favorite people, Tracy; we had been discussing the upcoming holidays. So I told my mom "no" she said to sit. I did and then she began to just let loose a string of words"Your father fell, we are loading him in the ambulance and heading to Montgomery. He fell down the stairs at the house. We know he broke his ankle and are sure they will have to do surgery. Surgery will either be tonight or tomorrow morning. Please call your sister & try to reach your brother." Then she breathed and said "Are you there?" um yeah mom, honestly rapt attention has never been so good of a description nor has shocked and wondering if she is sure it was dad and not herself. You see the women in our family tend to be pretty clumsy - actually mom just fell down those same stairs 3 weeks ago. So after confirming that it was in fact dad I called my sister and then the next 7 hours were crazy worry. They did do surgery that night and I headed to Camden the next day. He is in an air cast while he has stitches then he moves to a regular cast. 6 weeks no weight bearing on that leg. NO WEIGHT BEARING. Yeah....poor mom. Because after 6 weeks there will be more weeks of recovery and rehab. Eh. What is our family without some sort of injury? ;o)

Driving to Camden is long and full of the beauties of Alabama. There are poignant points that Marcus and I always think of when we describe the drive. Below are some of our favorites.

This past weekend Marcus, Arthur and myself went out again. Dinner at BoneFish Grill with some amazing Creme Brulee and the movie Couples Retreat. Hilarious by the way. But be prepared for its cute situations it really does take a hard look at 4 couples and their problems.

Alabama beat Ole Miss 22 - 3. Roll Tide. Rob came over for a 'play date' weekend. We all watched the game then on Sunday we slipped to Camden to visit my dad again.

Today I happened to be scrolling down my blog and saw an extra comment on an entry. If anyone follows Janette Rallison's blog then you might see a mention of me. I am so excited! I won one of the books she was giving away on her blog and let me tell you I squealed so loudly Marcus thought we had won the lottery... Peanut just gave me kisses thinking I was upset. It is so awesome!!! Anyway, she is an amazing author and if you get the chance to grab a book of hers, I recommend How to Take the Ex Out of Ex-Boyfriend. It was the first I read of hers and since then I look for her books every time I go to Barnes and Noble. She is witty in her writing and wonderful in person. I was blessed to meet her this past Spring and it was worth every moment.

Whew - well we are up to date now. lol. Who knows what tomorrow may bring.....

Okay so do I say 10 Hail Mary's when I walk in or order a Bloody Mary???

Yes weird title for this entry I know but um, even more weird reason for the entry.

I have been traveling on business in Pittsburgh for most of this week. Pittsburgh is like the land of National Chain Restaurants. It is a land where for some reason they feel independently owned restaurants are passe and chains rule... seriously. I asked a gentleman for a good steakhouse he answered "Oh! There is this great place that cooks to order, its the um, Golden Corral. We also have an Outback." Okay look nothing really major against either place, but I was looking for something with more of a cultural setting. Then a young lady came swooping in and said "Cultural. Hmmm, something unique to Pittsburgh that serves steaks. Oh 'Brew Works' in Lawrenceville on the city's edge. Try there." So we did.

Its full name is The Church Brew Works. No Church is not a last name or area, it means Church - Brewery. An old, old church - it was built in 1901. Since then it has been turned into a Brewery and Restaurant. Yes - you eat, drink & be merry amongst the pews, stained glass and confessionals.
Actually the confessionals lead into the kitchen. You eat on church pews. The altar now houses the main brewhouse containers. Yes, the pulpit has been replaced by beer. The most amazing thing is that we learned that just abou everything from the original church has been reconstructed in order to be functional today. The bar is made from the planks of some of the old pews, the tables on the dining side feature 'benches' (shortened pews), the choir chairs are around free standing tables. The rose window on the front of the building shines above the pipes of the old organ. There are elaborate stained glass windows everywhere and if you could see the hand painted cathedral ceilings that are braced by tall columns... oh so gorgeous.



It was a surreal experience. I had this internal turmoil over feeling if this was not the coolest - weirdest atmosphere ever & then it tied with a weird feeling of 'is this sacrilege?' To be honest the battle has yet to be complete, but I will say it in no way makes fun or desecrates anything, really. If anything it allowed an amazing architectural structure to be kept. In a city like Pittsburgh where more often than not you see beautiful architecture with boarded windows and signs for lease or demolish, it is nice that this was preserved.


As for personal feelings on how it is being used, well, it could be worse. ;o) It is definitely worth seeing at least once if you are ever in the area. Check out the website: http://www.churchbrew.com and enjoy the pics I took - sorry they were with my cell phone - I was not prepared for it to be what it would be like. Oh and by the way - yeah did not order a Bloody Mary, but did silently wonder about those Hail Marys........ ;o)

Mickey Mouse, Big AL & Nascar....

OME! Our end of summer has been crazy fun times. We went to Orlando to stay at Mickey Mouse's house for a week with my brother Eric, his girlfriend Mindy, her daughter Hannah, & his twin boys Coy & Colton. 8 days in Disney World with one little girl who has never been...she is 6. Hannah was like a breath of fresh air on this trip. I have never been to Disney with a child who is seeing it all for the first time and taking everything in... her eyes were wide & excited for about 18 hours per day. (that 18 hours is not an exaggeration, we were going nonstop for the first 4 days). The boys had been there once before - when Marcus & I got married - but there were so many things that they had not been able to ride due to the wedding festivities. We did everything. (again a literal statement... we did everything that was not under refurbishment) Marcus & I enjoyed time with the boys & Hannah. We see Nina's four quite often but rarely get the one on one time we did on this trip with Eric's crew. They are growing up so fast and are absolutely adorable. I truly enjoyed hearing "Aunt Courtney look at this! Aunt Courtney can we do this? Aunt Courtney did you see that? Aunt Courtney can we ride it again?" every 45 seconds from 3 directions. They make me smile.

Then after returning from Orlando we had a weekend to just lay around and sleep but after that...well this weekend brought on College Football openers. We had planned to just stay around the house to watch the game unless tickets were magically found. Well on Thursday not only did Alabama/Virginia Tech tickets appear but also a bunch of Nascar Race tickets appeared. It just so happens that the game was in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta and by coincidence the PepBoys night race was in Atlanta too.... Yep so quickly we packed on Thursday night and we loaded up the car: Me, Marcus, my mom & my dad. We were off to the races! (and the game ;o) ) Nina's house played hotel for us this weekend and with Labor Day we were able to really stretch out the weekend. Good thing too, because 3 a.m. was an early bedtime for our crew of 10. Craziness.

It turned into a wonderful getaway, Alabama gave us a great close game against Virginia Tech (final score 34-24) and the night race provided a different kind of entertainment.

We also snuck in some shopping & were able to catch Jon's team the WOLVERINES play as well. Whew! What a weekend. Well for us it was merely the opening to the Fall, the beginning of crazy weekends and fun times with friends & family...