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a rare day with Daddy.

Clemson doesn't have a ballgame this weekend which means that Daddy gets a rare day off! We had planned a great day trip to Sky Top Orchard and I was really looking forward to it, but I have been having some trouble with my hip and lower back and decided that I would give my body a break and not spend the day hiking and walking!

Instead, we took a morning trip to Greenville to "clock" the drive to the hospital where Baby Brother will be born, played around, and had lunch. Then we headed back to Clemson where Smith and I took Daddy to our favorite park to play!

Smith and I have BOTH enjoyed having Daddy around today and now we are back home waiting for our GUESTS to arrive from Mississippi!

Tizzie, Grandpa, and Ganne should be here soon!

a true DUNKER.

This is what I found when I heard Smith calling me from the other room....
I guess that's what you get when you try to stand
on the couch and dunk into the goal!!!

high heels and happy times.

***Preface: Sutton will be coming to Smith's house very soon to play with his workshop and tools, choo-choo trains and trucks, bats and balls, and ALL things BOY!

Smith and I spent the weekend in Columbia with the Beamers. Daddy was in Auburn and we decided to take advantage of him being away to go see our friends!

The kids had so much fun! (...and the Emily's enjoyed our time together, too!)

they played dress-up...

enjoyed the fountain at Sand Hill....

practiced for the 2025 Homecoming Parade...

and went to the park...

We had so much fun and can't wait to see them again, soon!

headed to the park!

I asked Smith yesterday if he wanted to go to the park and he a few minutes later he came to me with backpack and keys in hand... He said..."C'mon, momma! On go park. I drive!"

big BOY. big WIN. big PARTY.

I was a little nervous about venturing out to the game on Saturday with Smith on my own, but HE WAS SO GOOD! He was the sweetest thing and such a big boy. He is really starting to pay attention to the games....cheering when we score, doing the "clemson yell" with the band and all the fans, and even participating in the National Anthem. .. His favorite part of the game is the BALLOONS!

We all got a little bored during the game....

Smith and left at the end of the third quarter when the score was like 49-0.

Big win for the TIGERS!

After the game, we headed to a surprise birthday party for our friend, Kristy!

Apple Festival

So what do you do on a Friday night in upstate South Carolina?

You go to the Apple Festival, of course!
When we moved from Mississippi, I must admit I thought that we were LEAVING "the country." Well folks, you CANNOT get more "country" than the South Carolina Apple Festival in the little ole' town of Westminster.
It was a grand time for the Stringers. Dirty carnival rides, sweet old church ladies selling everything from apple butter and apple turnovers to candied apples and apple cake, men with mullets in wife beaters eating giant turkey legs, and lots of hand-made crafts!

...and of course there was lemonade, snow cones, funnel cakes, and more!

There were a few highlights in Smith's eyes.

the choo choo train happened to come by...

and a sweet lady gave him a big red balloon...

I was proud that we decided to venture out and explore the upstate!

Now we must get to bed and gear up to cheer on the TIGERS tomorrow!

back to school

Smith started Mother's Morning Out last week and he LOVES it! He plays so hard and has already made some new friends! When I was taking his picture that morning,

I couldn't help but think back to the day he started school last year!

He is such a big boy and he is smarter and funnier every day!

101 in 1001.

I have decided to take on a new and intertesting challenge. I was flipping through some random blogs one night and came across something that caught my attention. The 101 in 1001 challenge. The object is to complete a list of 101 tasks or goals in 1001 days!

101 goals! That's right. I know it's a lot, but 1001 days is 2.75 years in which you have to complete them all. I began my challenge by creating the list of things I would like to do and accomplish, dividing them into categories, and then beginning my 101 in 1001 challenge on September 1, 2010. That means I must have them all checked off my list by May 29, 2013!

My list contains fun trips I would like to take, projects I want to complete, skills I want to learn, and lots more. I won't be sharing my complete list with the world, because I feel like I will be more honest with myself about the things I want to accomplish if I keep them private. (I have shared them with Reed and my sister so that I can be reminded of them often and also for accountablity.)

Although you may not see a complete list, I do plan to blog about my progress and will let you know when I accomplish something!!! There are several things that will be "on-going" challenges throughout the next 1001 days, such as (#12) Trying a new recipe twice a month, (#16) Saving ALL my coin change, and (#17) Doing one activity or taking one trip a year with just my Daddy.

There are simple things that will just take an afternoon or a day to accomplish like (#61) Watching Gone with the Wind for the first time or (#54) Playing a complete round of golf. While others, like (#60) Joining a tennis league and (#39) Taking my boys to Disney World, will take a little more time and planning.

I hope you are as excited about this as I am and that you will follow me and help encourage me over the next 2.75 years!!!

Here goes nothing!

C-L-E-M-S-O-----N!

We are officially TIGERS! After the First Friday Parade AND our first win, I think we are starting to get the hang of being TIGERS!

The parade is a really big deal with lots of floats made by sororities, horses, firetrucks,

the band, cheerleaders, and even "Miss First Friday!"

Smith and Pop were waiting for the "dancing girls" or to show up!

Smith was so excited and waved at EVERY float or group that passed by!

GAME DAY!

I have never seen so much ORANGE in my life!

If you don't wear orange to the game, you might as well cheer for the other team!

3:30 kick-off is not my friend. Some people need a nap, you know!

Thank the Lord for CC and Pop!

Yay for a Tiger win and we can't wait to do it all again this Saturday!