Death of a legend...

As a child of the 80's, I grew up watching John Hughes movies. The music from the soundtracks are also tied to vivid childhood memories. My best friend in 6th Grade, Ginger Gentry, looked JUST like Molly Ringwald.

Every girl I knew, including me, wanted Jake Ryan to pull up in his sport cars and point at them. "ME?"... "Yeah, you!" And wouldn't this have been the best 16th birthday ever...

I don't know about you but I never had a detention as adventurous as "The Breakfast Club". But who could forget Molly Ringwald applying her lipstick from her cleavage??

The list goes on and on... Weird Science, Ferris Bueller, Home Alone...

With all of my memories and reminiscing, nothing has been quite as profound to me as a blog entry I recently read. This blogger did a better job remembering John than anyone could have. So, I will let her do the talking. Here is the link to her blog.

Conversations with Tucker...

Tucker had a lot to say yesterday, so I thought I would share...




(If you can't play the video, please click here.)

Visiting The Chosen One...

Yesterday I spent the better part of the day cooking food for the Chapman's to ease their schedule some as they adjust to having a new child in their home. That afternoon Jason and I delivered the food and got to meet little Luke Brandon.

He is adorable. Admittedly, I know nothing about babies however, he was supposed to be a "big" baby at 9 pounds and he still looked TINY to me!!! I was fascinated by his tiny little fingers and toes! He has a head full of dark hair and the undisputable Chapman chin.

Big yawn.

When we got there, Luke was sleeping which made it easy to pass him around. When Shaunna asked me if wanted to hold him, I froze. She just smiled and told me to sit next to her and she would put him in my arms. I am told that this is something that comes naturally when it is your own child... but it is very foreign for me. After some coaching on the best arm position and where to support him, he was sleeping in my arms. So, everyone pay close attention to these pictures because it is a RARE sight!!

He was so sweet. He just laid there making funny faces as he slept and made cute little baby noises. Jason and I visited with Luke's very tired Mom and caught up on the events of the past few days. Then Jason took his turn holding Luke. He just scooped him right up like an old pro. He has more experience with babies being the Uncle of 6.

Heath came in from running some errands and joined us to visit.

We reminisced about how it was just over a year ago that we were all in the US Virgin Islands for their wedding. One of my favorite pictures from the entire trip is from when we randomly bumped into the Newlyweds on St. John.

Their dog, Mali, had just come home from staying with friends and she still hadn't quite figured out this baby thing. So, she checked him out too...

It was nice to see Shaunna, Heath and Little Skywalker. We are so happy for them!!!

Happy BIRTHday Luke!!

July is a Baby Boom for my friends. We celebrated with Kara as her little man, Dylan was born earlier this month. This week one of my oldest friends, Shaunna had her baby!!!

Shaunna's husband, Heath, has made us laugh throughout her pregnancy with witty one liners. However, I believe he may have topped himself when he put this sign on their door a few days before Luke's arrival...

Shaunna had hoped to have Luke without any medical help but apparently, he was a happy little clam in there and didn't want to come out!!! Also, the Chapman family has a history of large babies and they had been watching Luke's weight pretty carefully. Since he didn't seem like he would be coming out very soon and he was getting larger every day... Shaunna had to be induced. This made for a long day... Luke's didn't arrive for almost 12 hours after they checked in to the hospital.

Luke Brandon Chapman
Wednesday, July 29th
5:41 PM
9 lbs 0.5 oz
21.5 inches long

Here is some Luke cuteness...

His big sisters Nicole & Paige meeting him...

Jason and Heath have had a lot of fun sharing Star Wars quotes regarding little Luke. It all began when Heath commented that he was looking forward to saying, "Luke, I am your father" in his best Darth Vader voice. It has continued since then.

So on Saturday, we will go see "the one that will bring balance to The Force". I am sure I will have more pictures to share!

A Conehead once again...

You may remember a blog I did back in January about Cheyenne having to wear a protective cone collar. That was just for a minor scratch she had. Well, unfortunately, she is sporting the cone again, but this time the injury is little more serious.

Poor Chey apparently had an encounter with another dog while at work on Monday. In general, our dogs all get along pretty well. My honest guess is that they were playing too rough and it just got out of hand. They all have their moody days and like to chase and wrestle. So, there is no dog to blame- its just part of having a group of dogs together. Consider all of the different breeds we have out there... 3 Labs, 1 Heeler, 1 Labradoodle, 1 Cavalier/Terrier and 1 Cattle Dog (Cheyenne). We occasionally have a Bulldog and Basenji too. So, the temperament and activity level of these dogs vary greatly. However, that mixture is also what is so great about it... its Doggie Day Care. They get to be social and play ALL day. They are exhausted when they come home!

At my office, the dogs have their own play area. Its a large, nicely fenced in area. The house offers air conditioning and water.

As soon as we arrive in the morning, Chey runs to the gate and is ready to go in!!! Her buddies, Cyphus and Tucker (the Labs), greet her and they usually roll around for a while and talk.

After I get her settled, our Tucker and I head into my office for the day and I don't see Cheyenne until it is time to go home. I noticed when we loaded up to leave on Monday that one of her eyes looked a little runny. Dogs have this occasionally, so I didn't think a whole of it. By the time we went to bed that night, it was looking worse. Then by the time I woke up the next morning, it had badly swollen and looked awful. Luckily our vet was able to see her within the hour so we headed out.

She stayed glued to me while we waited for the vet to enter the exam room. I am sure it was a combination of fear and that she didn't feel good. However, I LOOOOVE our vet and he was so good with her. As he worked with her eye she whined and even growled. He said she was in a lot of pain. After thoroughly checking her out, he said that is appeared that she had been bitten on the eye!!! It could have been much, much worse if the tooth had made contact with the eye itself, but it had apparently only punctured the inside of her lower lid. On top of that, it seemed that it had already become infected! My poor baby girl!!!! He had to give her some medication in her eye and she was NOT having that. He had to muzzle her and she made the saddest sounds I have ever heard... it broke my heart. I tried to stay in her eyeline and talk to her, hoping that could help in some way.

So, she is home now. She has to wear the cone 24 hours a day so she doesn't scratch or rub her eye. I know she hates that thing. Plus, she bangs into walls, doors and has a hard time negotiating the stairs and furniture. We have to give her eye drops 3 times a day. She also has a week's worth of antibiotics, pain killers and anti-inflammatories. The worse part, as far as she is concerned, is that she has to stay home for a least a week.

Other than being slightly drugged and sad from being home constantly, she is her normal happy, tail-wagging Chey.

Best childhood book EVER...

I am sooooo excited to see that they are making a movie based on one of my favorite childhood books. I have read this book over and over again. It is just one of those stories that everyone could relate to and children (and their parents) could enjoy! For those of you that have read it, all I have to do is show you the picture below and you will know what it is...

That's right!! Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. It was originally published in 1963 and was a staple both my Mother's elementary school classrooms and our home. The story begins with...

"The night Max wore his wolf suit and made mischief of one kind and another his mother called him "WILD THING!" and Max said "I'LL EAT YOU UP!" so he was sent to bed without eating anything."

From that sentence on you are swept into the fantasy world that is Max's bedroom. If you haven't read this book, you must complete your library with it at once!! If you have children in the house, it is unthinkable that they continue their childhood without it!

Sadly, I will have to wait until this October to see the movie. I seriously can not wait!!! I don't typically enjoy fantasy movies... I have never seen a Harry Potter movie, couldn't get into Lord of The Rings and can't stand dragon slayer flicks. However, as I watched the preview for WTWTA, I honestly got choked up!!! To check out the preview, click here.

By the way... if you want another suggestion for an awesome kids book, check out Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, by Judith Viorst. To this day, my Mother and I still quote it to each other!!!

Mississippi River Tour (July 4th cont.)

It was a very leisurely 1.5 hour tour. While the tour guide shared some history and interesting facts, it really was more about enjoying The Mighty Mississippi.

We saw many barges and tugboats chugging along. Vicksburg acts as a massive supply "stop" for a lot of carriers. I say "stop" because the system they use to do this is quite fascinating. Carriers send word ahead of what they need and there are boats in Vicksburg waiting for them. These boats carry mail, months of groceries, gas, mechanical parts, medical supplies and care as well as numerous other items that can be requested. The boats go out to the barges and service them so that the barge never has to dock or even slow down. Its a moving resupply stop!

When you look down at the water, you are reminded of its strength. Just look at these currents... (and no, those aren't generated by any boat!!)

As we went under a bridge, he told us that this set of bridges were the MOST hit along the Mississippi. Because there is a bend in the river there, it often makes it difficult for boats carrying a heavy load to make the turn. You can see dents and scratches in the cement pillars. He also said that very often barges and their cargo will sink. Because of the depth of the water, the traffic and the currents they are usually left at the bottom of the river until it goes down. Its is very consuming process of both time and money to pull them up!

We saw lots of people camping out along the shore and on sand bars. They were enjoying their holiday weekend and getting ready to watch the fireworks. My Mom shared many memories of doing the same thing during her youth.

We also saw an awesome sunset. It was a nice way to end a lazy boat tour.

As we headed back to the dock, we passed the fireworks barge. That was our cue that they were setting up for the show!!!
We made our way back to the car to get water and our lawn chairs. The area was now packed with a spectators, kids running around with flags, tailgaters and ice chests. There was a local band playing to keep folks entertained until the sun went down. We found a place high up so that we could make a quick escape to the car to beat some of the traffic.

They put on quite a show from that barge. All the fireworks went out over the river and they went on forever!!! I took pictures but they didn't come out very well.

After enjoying the show, we drove to Jackson and spent the night in a hotel. After breakfast the next morning, my parents took me to the Jackson airport for my flight home. It was a great trip. It was a nice mixture of lazy relaxation and touristy fun. We even threw in a little educational history too!!! Thanks again Mom and Dad... I love you!

Vicksburg National Military Park... (July 4th cont.)

For those of you that aren't familiar with that area, here is a brief history:

Vicksburg was a crucial area for the Confederate Army because it allowed them to control about 8 miles of the Mississippi River. This meant they controlled the supply lines in and out and basically blocked any access that the Union Army might have to send supplies and soldiers up from the Gulf. It is also what joined the two halves of the Southern Army. Because of this, it was a target for the Union. President Lincoln was quoted as saying, "Vicksburg is the key. The war can never be brought to a close until the key is in our pocket." So, he sent General Ulysses S. Grant on a mission to capture this town. After the Union gained control of New Orleans, they had basically surrounded the Confederacy in Vicksburg. From May 18- July, 4 1863 Vicksburg was under siege. There was constant cannon bombardment and gunshots fired killing many soldiers and civilians. However, the South wouldn't give up and the Union began to realize that they couldn't be beaten by military activity alone. President Lincoln sent an order to cut off Vicksburg from its supply lines and back-up soldiers. This meant that the town basically began to die due to starvation and lack of medical care. After 47 days, Confederate General Pemberton surrendered the city and his 30,000 troops. The Union now had full control of the Mississippi River and split the Confederacy in two, cutting it off from its Western allies. The South would never regain Vicksburg or The Mississippi River.

At the same time that Vicksburg fell, so did Gettysburg. The combination of these two Union victories are considered the turning point of the Civil War.

The Battle of Vicksburg involved so many different types of warfare and strategy that it is still studied by military analysts and scholars. The day Vicksburg fell was July 4th, 1863. Because of that strong Southern Pride, the city of Vicksburg didn't celebrate July 4th for almost 100 years because of the other meanings that day held for them. It wasn't until a Proclamation by the the President (FDR) forced them to do so. There are some die hard folks from Vicksburg that still don't!! Which is why I mentioned that is was kind of ironic that we chose this town to be our July 4th trip. So, now you have been caught up on the significance of Vicksburg... on to our trip.

After leaving The Tomato Place, we headed to the National Military Park in Vicksburg. It is a very interesting place that has obviously been given much thought and planning. When you first arrive, you enter the Visitor's Center. Just outside the VC, there were some men playing roles of the men that once fought there. They interacted with visitor's and answered questions.


Once inside the VC, you can watch a short movie about the history of the park. Then you purchase a CD and jump back into your car for a narrated 2 hour driving tour. It is really a brilliant idea. There is no way someone could cover that much ground on foot- especially when the humidity is so thick you can see it! I had done this tour once before as a child so I offered to drive so that my Dad could enjoy it more.

You can tell that there were many hours of study and planning put into the park. There is a marker for just about every sneeze a soldier made during battle. Every trench is marked Confederate or Union and there are statues to mark positions of different state infantries. The voice on the CD explains the historical significance of all of these blended with interesting tidbits, quotes and stories.

There are about 20 stops along the route that you can get out an explore. We got out at the very first stop because they were firing a cannon! It was really interesting.

Of course, all I could think of was... "those poor guys in this heat wearing heavy wool uniforms!!"

Here is a video of the cannon blast...

After that stop, we realized how much we enjoyed the A/C in the car... so we only got out one more time!! After winding through the tour for another hour or so, we came to the USS Cairo. We got out for this one because it is so interesting. The USS Cairo was an ironclad gunboat used during the war. It sank in the Mississippi and laid there for over 100 years. Then there was a pain-staking, slow project that took place to bring it to the surface. After being reconstructed, it is on display and really, really interesting...

When you look at the amount of wood and iron on this thing- its a wonder it floated!!! It was used by the Union during the efforts to take Vicksburg. During battle it was hit with two massive explosions in its hull. Within twelve minutes the ironclad sank into six fathoms (36 feet) of water without any loss of life. Cairo became the first ship in history to be sunk by an electrically detonated torpedo.

One of the very last places you visit on the tour is the cemetery. Its a very haunting place that makes you realize the human toll that war takes. The narrator explains that you notice two different heights of gravestones... the taller ones are for those that were identified and the shorter ones belong to Unknown soldiers. It is at that point that you realize that the short far outweigh the taller ones.

After finishing the tour, we headed to downtown Vicksburg. We found a parking place and headed to dinner at a restaurant in the main strip along the river. I enjoyed some nice Southern Fried Catfish and again, we enjoyed the cool A/C. After dinner, we went down to the lake shore to hop on our riverboat tour...