Color Crayons

Kallsen and Parker were crayons for Halloween this year. Sara Beth made their costumes about two weeks ago. Every where we went (Truck or Treats over the weekend) people commented on how cute they were. Well tonight at the Downtown Seneca Halloween on the Green, Kallsen and Parker got second place in the most original custom contest.

The boys received $25 for their second place prize.

Learned Lesson

I pulled up to the house this evening after a long day at the office. Sara Beth and the boys were not home yet due to a kitchen running on empty. As I pulled into the drive way guess what I saw...

Pumpkinhead in the garage. And he was glad I was home.

Pumpkinhead apparently got out of the house as the family left for school/work his morning.

For those of you that don't know when we moved to Iowa in June of 2006 Pumpkinhead got out the day before we hit the road and we didn't see him again until three months went by and he had a cross country journey.

I'm just glad he learned a lesson and knows not to wander o far away from home.

Weight Loss Update

The picture on the left was taken June 2006. The picture on the right was taken October 2007. Amazingly enough both pictures were taken at restaurants. I have no idea what I weighed in the June 2006 picture but I believe I was at least 320 pounds if not heavier. In the picture taken in October 2007 I believe I weighed 262 pounds.

If you have any interest in following my weight loss progress or seeing the difference with some more photos, you can read my weight loss blog.

One thing I notice in the first picture is how I can't or couldn't keep my shirt tucked in and I think back and remembered thinking to myself...this is just who I am and how I am. And looking at the picture taken just a few weeks ago I notice that I also look happier and I know I am much more comfortable with my weight.

Remember...two shakes a day, vitamins and Hoodia.

My Boys

One thing nice about having family visit is the amount of great pictures they can capture of your kids. This visit they captured particularly nice photos.

Stumphouse Mountain

On Sunday we headed to Stumphouse Mountain for a picnic with my parents and Joe. What follows are some of the great pictures from our day at the mountain. Stumphouse Mountain has a great story. Here is a post from Joe's Blog about Stumphouse Mountain. You can also link to a story on Stumphouse Mountain by clicking on the title of this blog entry.

Enter Stumphouse Tunnel

My Mom & Dad enter the tunnel

Joe & Dad on Bridge over Stream

Kallsen wondering 'How High Can I Climb?'

Joe pondering the next adventure

Joseph & Kallsen looking at the falls

Kallsen on the Bridge

Parker Climbing

Parker on rock in stream

Sara Beth & Parker

We had a great time at Stumphouse Mountain. We enjoyed the waterfall and the tunnel. There also was a lake so still it reflected the on looking trees. There was also the mountain itself...which Joseph climbed and Kallsen attempted to climb. You can check out posts on Mommy Blog, Daddy Blog and Joe's Blog for more pictures. I'll also post more pictures in the coming days.

Good Morning Keowee

My parents and our friend Joe from Ireland came to South Carolina to visit these past couple of days. Over the next couple of days I will be posting several pictures and some stories about their visit to Seneca.

They arrived Saturday morning via Amtrak. The train arrived in Clemson at 5:something in the morning so after picking them up we decided to eat breakfast and then do some early morning site seeing before heading to the house. We didn't want to over stimulate the kids first thing in the morning. So I drove out to one of the boat landings on Lake Keowee just as the sun was coming up.

The first picture is of my Mom and Joe and the second of my Mom, Dad and Joe along with a boat that was about to be launched into the lake by a local fisherman.


Lake Keowee is one of the three lakes that are man made in Oconee County, South Carolina. There are no natural lakes in this area. Lake Keowee was flooded in 1972 to provide water to cool the reactors at Oconee Nuclear Station operated by Duke Energy.

Oh, my...

That's what Kallsen is saying now. When he or Parker see school buses while I'm driving to school they get excited and yell...'School Bus, School Bus, Daddy!' and they point to where the bus is sitting or turning.

Well these last two mornings when Kallsen and/or Parker pointed out School Buses Kallsen would say really excited like...'Oh, My...oh my, oh my, oh my....'

Just another reason to love my kids....

Birthday Boy

Parker's birthday today meant a phone call from Minnesota. Grandpa and Grandma along with Joe from Ireland called and sang Parker Happy Birthday over the phone. Here are two pictures of Parker and his special phone call...

A Stranger In My House

We woke up this morning feeling something was different. That something wasn't quite the same as when we went to bed. And we discovered that there was a two-year-old in our house!

The boy that had gone to bed last night was only one year old. And when he woke up this morning, he was 2!

Happy Birthday to Parker!

Not Quite Wanting to Barrow the Car...

Joseph has a class fund raiser he is suppose to go door to door and sell coupon books. His bike has a flat tire...so I told him he could walk the neighborhood. He lowered his head and went outside...a few minutes later (while wearing his bike helmet) he came into the house and expecting to hear a 'yes' from me, he asked if he could use the lawn mower to go door to door.

I had to answer 'no' for various reasons. Those being...it's just plain dangerous, a riding lawn mower is for mowing lawns...not selling things door to door and the last thing I need is my 11 year-old riding our lawn mower through the neighborhood while wearing a bicycle helmet.