Camp Q

WE'RE BACK!

2011-06-07T18:20:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to the

2011 edition of Camp Q!

For our first post I thought that I would throw in a few of my recent pics of the kids (and me).

Dan, our future tennis star

Mother's Day

These two are quite a pair together

Rachel's claim to fame

Easter in Chattanooga

Cool Wet!

2010-07-16T07:32:00.001-07:00

My creative kids had a blast in the yard on their home made mega- slip-n-slide! Probably running up our water bill like crazy, but way cheaper than Splash Country!

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4th of July...Abingdon, VA

2010-07-09T20:36:00.001-07:00

It had been quite awhile since we had braved the heat and the traffic jams to see fireworks on the 4th of July. Dan and Rachel could not even remember seeing them before. We went up to the festivities at the Cooms Center in Abingdon. There was fun activities for the kids and vendors selling ice cream and kettle corn. The kids loved the fireworks! It was a fun night.

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Part I of our "Stay-cation".... Jeff's brother and family visit from California

2010-07-02T08:42:00.000-07:00

We were thrilled to have Jeff's brother, David McQueary, his wife, Heather, and their two girls, Sydney and Emily visit us from Ukiah, California last week! (We missed you cousin Christopher!) It was long overdue for these little kids to get together and they instantly bonded as cousins and friends. Sydney and Emily are in between Rachel and Daniel in age, perfect playmates. And Ben had the role of big brother to 4 rather than just 2. We planned a week of staying close to home, letting Jeff's family get a taste of where we live, and just being together. It was a wonderful week!

Interesting... there are no fireflies in California.

The girls loved running around our lawn at nightfall and catching them in their hands.

I am so happy they had this experience which we take for granted.

Took the kids to see Toy Story 3 in 3-D.

We spent a majority of the week at the pool, the kids has a blast and

the mom's had time to relax and catch up.

The Dads and Benjamin went to the Thunder Valley NHRA drag races

for their Father's Day fun!

Monday we rented a boat and took a cruise out on the South Holston lake. We had gorgeous weather though it was a bit hotter than usual. The girls lasted 'till lunch then Heather and I took them to the pool. The guys stayed out longer and did a little swimming and diving. They had tons of fun, the lake water was perfect.

Tuesday morning we had tickets to see Pinocchio at the Barter Stage II.

As usual, it was a fantastic production.

Daniel with Pinocchio

Sydney with the Turquoise Fairy (Tinkerbell)

Wednesday we biked the Creeper Trail for 9 miles. I was worried how that would go with 5 kids, but I could not have been more proud of all of them. Everyone had a blast. Of course, we took the downhill ride and had the Abingdon bike shop pick us up and bring us back.

Water balloons in the front yard.

Thursday we were invited over to our friend's, Roger and Laura Poe's farm for a cookout. The weather wasn't too cooperative but we still had a pleasant evening.

Earlier Thursday we went to Kil'n Time to paint pottery. Fun and different, and air conditioned!

Friday we took the crowd and headed over to the Bristol Caverns.

Very different from California.

Stopped by the Bristol Motor Speedway. Can't miss this on a visit to Bristol TN/VA!

All in all, the week went by way to fast and their visit ended too soon! It was hard to see them go. We have lots of fun memories and many more to look forward to.

We love y'all!

2010-07-02T08:06:00.001-07:00

Love our handy man!

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Home improvement time at CampQ

2010-07-02T08:04:00.001-07:00

Jeff working hard this week to give us a new and improved garage.

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text

2010-06-10T04:15:00.001-07:00

trying out my blog feature on my new phone.

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2010-06-08T14:50:00.000-07:00

Happy to be back at the pool!

First Post Of Summer 2010

2010-06-08T04:31:00.000-07:00

Halloween at Camp Q!

2009-10-31T11:29:00.001-07:00

Rachel was a pink and black cat this year. She was so excited to wear her costume to school!

Each kid cut his or her own pumkin the afternoon before trick or treating.

Looking very halloween'ish!

This year we had a guest trick or treater with us. Hunter, my adopted nephew, helped us out with the little kids. They weren't scared of him a bit!

Who is this big girl???

2009-09-14T13:17:00.000-07:00

... and where is my baby !!!???

Rachel's first uniform Monday at school. Or as she called it, her "assembly costume".

So sweet and cute!

Dan Dan the Soccer Man!

2009-09-13T05:01:00.001-07:00

Daniel has started playing soccer this fall. He wasn't too sure about it when we first got there, but once he figured out what was going on he seemed to have a blast! He even scored! I was so proud! The team did a great job having never met or practiced before the morning of the game. I lost count of the score. I think we tied. Daniel says they won. :o)

Daniel with his coach on the sidelines.

He obviously has talent!

Highlights of Camp Q RV Trip July 2009

2009-09-06T04:13:00.000-07:00

I just thought that I would post a variety of pictures of our RV trip through West VA, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Virginia this summer. We certainly had variety... mountains, beaches, Amish, trains, roller coasters and candy. It was exhausting, but FUN! We certainly had a lot of togetherness. The kids had a blast and hopefully will remember this trip forever.

Slaughter Beach, Delaware on the Delaware Bay.

KOA campground Strasburg, PA

Ben's first roller coaster, Hershey Park, PA

Williamsburg, VA

Dover Downs racetrack, Dover, Delaware

Strasburg Train Museum, Strasburg, Pennsylvania

Train in Strasburg that we rode on and ate in the dining car.

Chocolate World 3D movie.

Harper's Ferry campground West VA

Thank You, Nannie!

2009-09-02T07:35:00.001-07:00

I thought I would post a picture or two of my mom here helping Daniel with his reading this August. She spent a whole month with us and held a lesson with Daniel every single day. I can see the results.... the most obvious is his ability to try. Thank you, Nannie. We love you for it!

A picture of a READER!

First Days!

2009-09-01T12:39:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again for new backpacks, supplies and first days of school! I still love the new outlook on things that I remember from my first days of school.

Daniel is at a new school this year, The Morrison School. His first day was last week, August 26th. He seems happy to be there, but WOW... what a lot of new ideas to take in.

To celebrate the first day, we went out to eat at Daniel's favorite Japanese restaurant. He eats better there than anywhere else! We are so happy Nannie is here with us today!

Tuesday, September 1st is Ben and Rachel's first day to school. Ben is in the 6th grade this year.....a MIDDLE SCHOOLER!!!! The first day of school they had a middle school Hawaiian swim party and got free dress. How funny he looks in his swim suit the first day of school! Middle school looks like it's gonna be fun!

They got a lesson first thing on the raising and lowering of the American flag.

Rachel is now a big girl and goes to Sullins!

Mom and Dad were there to see her and her new classroom in Jr. Kindergarten. She was all smiles when I picked her up today!

2009-09-01T08:41:00.000-07:00

Celebrating One Year!

2009-06-08T05:48:00.000-07:00

Farmer Q

2009-06-08T05:32:00.000-07:00

The Poe's have generously allowed CampQ to have a few rows in their farm garden this summer to grow our veggies and fruit! Thanks Poe's!!!

Roger sweating to plow up a few more rows to plant. What a great guy!

Roger's dad, Mr. Boyd Poe, was the expert farm and gardening consultant for the planting.

Ben was a great helper, hauling water, digging holes and planting.

Daniel and Rachel, on the other hand, were not in a gardening sort of mood. This is Dan's idea of planting a garden. Rachel was looking around for the dogs to play with.

The new baby, Harley, is growing and getting so cute! He still won't get too far
from his Mama though.

We planted watermelon, cantaloupe, green and yellow peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, yellow squash and lots and lots of tomatoes! We can't wait to see how it turns out!

The Water Works Have Started

2009-06-08T05:18:00.000-07:00

We have drug out the hose and gotten out the Slip-n-Slide and have begun running up the water bill! They love it!

School's Out For The Summer!

2009-06-08T05:04:00.000-07:00

Everyone has finished up school in the last week. We had great school years full of good memories. Ready to sleep in, go to the pool and participate in CampQ fun!

We love you and will miss you Mrs. Linda!

Ben received many awards during the awards assembly. Here he is receiving the

Accelerated Math trophy.

Ben had to say "Goodbye" to Mrs. Haas, his teacher for the last two years. He is moving up to MIDDLE SCHOOL!!!!!

I am proud of all of my three campers! Each of them accomplished so much this past year and I can see them growing up before my eyes. Each of them has their own and unique strengths and weaknesses which I love about them. I couldn't have three more different and wonderful kids!

Our Ballerina Star

2009-05-23T14:13:00.001-07:00

Rachel performed in her first ballet recital today. Words cannot say how darling it was to see her and the little preschool girls dance to "I'm A Little Teapot"! Of course, it took hours to prepare for the two minute dance.

Cost of Lessons: $10.00 /Week

Cost of Dress: $45.00

Cost of Hair Style: $15.00

Cost of Cuteness: Priceless!

Not so happy about getting the "do" down. LOTS of hairspray to wash out and LOTS of tangles to comb out!

Our Graduate

2009-05-22T11:08:00.000-07:00

Daniel graduated from Kindergarten Friday morning! The whole class did a super job at the ceremony and we were so proud! We love you Daniel! Dan did a perfect job remembering his lines....

"Please stand for the pledge. Put your right hand over your heart!"

"WE LOVE KINDERGARTEN!"

"Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president."

"Have you met my new buddy, new buddy?

How I love my new buddy!

That's what's new with me 123!"

"Start spreading the news... were leaving today....We want to be a part of it....

First Grade! First Grade!...If we can make it there....We can make it anywhere...

So here we come.... First Grade! First Grade!"

We love you, Mrs. Mathes!

Great job Daniel!

Rachel's Ballet Dress Rehearsal

2009-05-14T14:18:00.000-07:00

Today was dress rehearsal for Rachel's ballet class. The dance recital will be on May 23rd. Their teacher, Carol Lee, said today "they always say, bad rehearsal, good recital!" Cross your fingers this is true. Still it is VERY cute. If Rachel can watch her teachers and not the little girls next to her she will do fine. Their dance is to "I'm a Little Teapot".

Rachel is the one in the black, red, and white dress. :o)

A Good Season

2009-05-03T05:29:00.000-07:00

Ben has had a good season this spring. He is playing on a team that is combined with another school of 5th graders. So far they have been undefeated. Ben got a great goal in this game, he nailed it right into the net. The games are getting quite exciting.

2009-05-01T18:35:00.000-07:00

Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The trouble-makers. The round heads in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status-quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify, or vilify them. But the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.....Jack Kerouac

Better Late Than Never!

2009-05-01T06:45:00.000-07:00

Sorry it took so long for me to get Rachel's birthday pictures on the blog, it is a busy time of year. We have had beautiful weather and have been spending a lot of time outside. Rachel is now FOUR! She is such a big girl, getting taller and taller. And....SMART as can be! Almost too smart sometimes! :o)

Happy Birthday

Rachel!

Princess cake I made, and am quite proud of! I found a video on the Betty Crocker website showing how to make it. She is supposed to be Cinderella. Rachel was thrilled with it!

A pink Barbie jeep from mommy and daddy. More toys to drive you know who crazy on the other side of the bushes! Hee Hee!

Rachel has been wishing for one of these to put over her bed. She always pointed them out when the bedroom catalogs come in the mail. She was surprised to open this.

Little play table from mommy and daddy to have tea parties.

Sweet big brother, Ben, bought her a pink CD player for her room with his own money. He is so good to her! (most of the time!!!) They have a special bond.

Newest Member of CampQ!

2009-04-28T18:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was and exciting day. Quite unexpectedly, a baby donkey was born on Poe Farm. And it's a girl! Mother and baby (and Laura) are all doing fine. We got over to the farm about an hour or so after it was born. It was already standing and trying to nurse. Mama Jenny, is very protective of her newborn, so we got to get up close, just on the other side of the fence. We haven't heard a final decision on a name yet. A very happy day!

The kids always enjoy hanging out on the farm. Playing with the dogs and swinging on the fence. It was a beautiful and very warm day.

Easter 2009

2009-04-24T09:11:00.000-07:00

Right in the middle of a rainy and cold spring we had the most beautiful Easter Sunday imaginable! The Easter Bunny brought the kids candy and treats then we went to the Poe's farm for Easter dinner and an egg hunt. It all added up to a perfect day!

2009-04-10T03:51:00.000-07:00

Perspective: The Invisible Woman -author unknown

It started to happen gradually. One day I was walking my son Jake to school. I was holding his hand and we were about to cross the street when the crossing guard said to him, “Who is that with you, young fella?” “Nobody,” he shrugged. Nobody? The crossing guard and I laughed. My son is only 5, but as we crossed the street I thought, “Oh my goodness, nobody?” I would walk into a room and no one would notice. I would say something to my family - like “Turn the TV down, please” - and nothing would happen. Nobody would get up, or even make a move for the remote. I would stand there for a minute, and then I would say again, a little louder, “Would someone turn the TV down?” Nothing. Just the other night my husbandand I were out at a party. We’d been there for about three hours and I was ready to leave. I noticed he was talking to a friend from work. So I walked over, and when there was a break in the conversation, I whispered, “I’m ready to go when you are.” He just kept right on talking. I’m invisible.
It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I’m on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I’m thinking, “Can’t you see I’m on the phone?” Obviously not. No one can see if I’m on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I’m invisible.
Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this? Some days I’m not a pair of hands; I’m not even a human being. I’m a clock to ask, “What time is it?” I’m a satellite guide to answer, “What number is the Disney Channel?” I’m a car to order, “Right around 5:30, please.” I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again.
She’s going¸ she’s going¸ she’s gone!
One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sittingthere, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a banana clip and I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, “I brought you this.”
It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn’t exactly sure why she’d given it to me until I read her inscription: “To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.”
In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names.
These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.
The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything. A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, “Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it” And the workman replied, “Because God sees.” I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, “I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you’ve done, no sequin you’ve sewn on, no cupcake you’ve baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can’t see right now what it will become.”
At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrificeto that degree.
When I really think about it, I don’t want my son to tell the friend he’s bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, “My mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.” That would mean I’d built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, “You’re gonna love it there.”
As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we’re doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

Beautiful Day At Steele Creek Park

2009-04-04T16:06:00.000-07:00

It sure feels like spring today.... though I hear it is only temporary. Back in the 30's by Tuesday???!!!

Anyways, we were at a birthday party today and the train was running so I took Daniel and Rachel for a ride.

By the way, look at my friend, Erica! She has slimmed down and looks great! She's an inspiration to keep going with my diet. I want to look like her!

Review of Barter Performace

2009-04-03T04:43:00.000-07:00

CampQ gives 2 thumbs up and 5 stars for Barter's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat! We loved, loved, loved it! I am so happy that we decided to take Ben and Daniel. They both thoroughly enjoyed, as did Jeff and I. I think we could go again and love it more! The East TN Children's Choir did a super job. A couple of the singers were in Ben's class at school.

We took the boys up to meet the actors after the show and I was able to take a picture of them with Joseph.... and my camera was dead!!! Here is a link to see scenes: Joseph

Trip to Pigeon Forge and Dollywood

2009-04-02T19:37:00.000-07:00

We took a couple of days to get up to the cabin over spring break. We went to Wonder Works (the upside down building which is a science museum of sorts) and to Dollywood. Our Dollywood day was a beautiful day in the middle of a rainy week. We were so lucky! It was a great day!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Bionic Eye Placement A Success!

2009-04-02T15:08:00.000-07:00

Jeff successfully had his cataract procedure yesterday with out any complications at all. He was sitting in the waiting room when I got there to pick him up. It was a 10 minute procedure. He got the patch off today and things are much clearer. We are happy and relieved!

Time to go ....

2009-03-22T09:21:00.000-07:00

racin' the way it oughta be!

I get to stay home with the little kids for the spring race this year, hopefully I'll be there for the August night race. Gotta plan ahead.

Pictures From Upward Awards Night

2009-03-22T09:09:00.001-07:00

The Upward awards night was so nice, all the kids got recognition for their part in the season. A funny comedian put on a show, the kids thought he was a scream. We were happy to have Stephanie and Willem with us.

It's Race Weekend in Bristol!

2009-03-19T19:20:00.000-07:00

It's like nothing else!

This a cool picture I got somewhere of the man parachuting over BMS with the flag and landed on the start finish line. Every time I see this it just makes we watch in awe.

Daniel's Art

2009-03-19T19:02:00.000-07:00

I thought I would share Daniel's self portrait that was on display at the Sullins Art show. Not a great quality picture since it was taken with my camera phone. But darn cute anyways!

For Sale

2009-03-10T18:12:00.000-07:00

Just released... not available on Amazon... cost: Priceless!

Something I need to remember....

2009-03-10T05:52:00.000-07:00

"For a long time it seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life. This persective has helped me to see there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. So treasure every moment you have and remember that time waits for no one. " ...Souza

Is CampQ now ClubQ?

2009-03-09T15:39:00.000-07:00

Spring has sprung at CampQ! Today was the first day we were really able to get out and play after school. Since we don't have the "club" courts to play tennis on anymore, Country ClubQ devised our own courts right in our driveway. Thanks to Daniel and his really long rope, he tied it from the climbing tree to the basketball goal and we had a net! (well it was as high as a net) Worked great and we had fun. Maybe we are on to something here.

Ben the seasoned player. :o)

Daniel got the hang of it pretty quickly.

The line judge. Ball retreiver. Just like the US Open.

A Pine Cone Party

2009-03-08T13:18:00.000-07:00

I volunteered the little kids and me to help Laura and Roger pick up pine cones Saturday since the weather was going to be so nice to be outside. Man, you should have seen how many pine cones they had in their yard! Thousands! We had fun, the kids did a good job and we were able to get them up in about 3 hours. They also got to help feed the animals, which is always fun.

Little Artist

2009-03-07T04:15:00.000-08:00

EVERY day I hear it....Rachel asks "can I paint?" I cringe at the thought of cleaning up the mess... again. But she loves it. And it is fun to see her creativity. And boy can she get paint everywhere. I am slowly getting better at setting up her painting area so I can contain the mess.

Rachel's interpretation of an "orange snowman".

**note: as I was making this entry, Rachel woke up and peeked over my shoulder...."can I paint?"

Video- Don't forget to turn off the music on the right sidebar playlist player!

2009-03-06T10:16:00.000-08:00

I love, love , love this video!!!! Wow, there is someone else out there that is going through what I am. I thought I was the only one! (just kiddin')

I love my kids like crazy, but they can drive me CRAZY!

Daniel is 7!!!

2009-02-25T16:43:00.000-08:00

2009-02-21T13:01:00.000-08:00

We took a trip to Chuck E Cheese's last week one day after school to celebrate Daniel's birthday with his brother and his friend, Hank. Lots of fun!

Wow, this quote made me think....

2009-02-20T17:08:00.000-08:00

"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." Albert Einstein

FUN!

2009-02-15T15:28:00.000-08:00

I sure was happy I happened to look in Daniel's backpack and found the flyer for the Mark Nizer show today. The kids, Laura and I went to the Paramount to see the comedy/juggling show and we had a blast! Daniel especially!

Check out his grand finale...Don't forget to turn off the music on the sidebar. This is so funny!

Ben Was Riding In Style!

2009-02-15T06:32:00.000-08:00

Last week Ben's class went to the movies and lunch in a limousine! He was VERY excited about this and I hear that they had a blast!

The trip was kindly donated to the class by the Gregorys. Thanks!!!

Upward Basketball- I love it!

2009-02-14T16:50:00.000-08:00

Ben's team had a great game today. (I was able to get about 5 decent shots out of 45that I took. I need to talk to Jesse about my photography technique.) Anyways, his team is still undefeated. The game was intense and very exciting! The bald man in the green is Ben's coach, Tommy Yates. He is probably the best sports coach Ben has ever had and a super nice guy. Seems to really like being with the kids.

Ben had to guard his friend, Jackson, on the other team. They are in the same class at school. they seemed to enjoy it though.

Did I mention that I used to party with the president? (Don't forget to turn off the sound on the Playlist music player on the right sidebar)

2009-02-14T08:26:00.001-08:00

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Lots of Love at CampQ!

2009-02-14T00:00:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends and Family We Dearly Love,

Love, Jennifer, Jeff, Ben, Daniel and Rachel

A Few Pics From Jenn's Birthday

2009-02-13T11:51:00.000-08:00

Since I rarely post anything that actually has to do with me on this site, I decided to take a few pictures of my birthday surprises from my sweet family.

The yummy cupcakes were a surprise left for us in my mailbox!!! How nice is that!!! (and I hear she got a good deal for them too!) It was a very nice birthday.

Someone had to put it on the blog....

2009-02-12T05:36:00.000-08:00

Does anyone think I over did it, just a little?

This must explain why I have put on a few...

2009-02-10T07:18:00.000-08:00

I am starting a diet/exercise program today...

2009-02-10T07:07:00.000-08:00

Mahatma Gandhi :

"Man often becomes what he believes himself to be. If I keep on saying to myself that I cannot do a certain thing, it is possible that I may end by really becoming incapable of doing it. On the contrary, if I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning."

........Wish me luck

My Creative Dresser

2009-02-08T15:17:00.000-08:00

Rachel has a definite mind of her own when it comes to picking out clothes! And she has a love for summer clothes and flip flops. This is the outfit she chose for Daniel's basketball game Saturday morning.

Our agreement is that she can wear the summer halter tops and miniskirts if she wears them over warm clothes. She is happy with that. She made the fashion statement at Upward Basketball this weekend!

2009-02-05T07:41:00.000-08:00

Finally... a snow day!

2009-02-04T16:20:00.000-08:00

The kids were thrilled to have a snow day off of school today. We have had flurries all day, only about 3-4 inches (which is just enough for me). The world from our windows has been so beautiful to look at.

The McQueary Snow Removal Service for hire....

Later this afternoon, we got brave and went across the street to the BIG hill near the front gate of our neighborhood. It was a long and bumpy ride. But FUN!!! Not so fun to walk waaaaay back up the hill. Lots of fun with our neighbors, Putney and Carrie.

The new hot vacation spot....

2009-01-31T08:50:00.000-08:00

Thought provoking

2009-01-24T13:05:00.000-08:00

I saw this framed quote on Friday in the employees restroom of the respiratory therapy center of all places. (Rachel has to check out the facilities everywhere we go these days.) I loved it and it really describes how Jeff and I have tried to face things lately. Though we have a long way to go ourselves.

Quote by Charles Swindoll

"The longer I live,the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes,than what other people think of, say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company...a church.... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past...we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude...I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you..we are in charge of our Attitudes."

Charles Swindoll is a pastor on the radio broadcast Insight for Living.

Why does she do the things she does?

2009-01-21T13:51:00.000-08:00

I now have justification for the time and money I have spent getting my nails done.... I have never had long nails before and it was just in time! For some unknown reason, Rachel decided to put two M&M's up her nose this afternoon. The one out of her right nostril came out easily, but the blue one in the left was waaaaay up there and she kept pushing it up farther. I had to wait until it melted and dig (for a lack of a better word) it out with my french manicured fingernail! I don't remember the saying "they melt in your mouth, but not in your NOSE" ...dosn't seem to apply here.

She is going to have blue boogers for awhile. Can't wait for her to hear this story when she is a teenager.

Hee Hee!

2009-01-19T14:38:00.000-08:00

Snow day!

2009-01-19T09:38:00.000-08:00

Let It snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

It is a white winter wonderland at CampQ today! The world looks so clean and peaceful. We pulled out the tub of snow equipment and headed out to play this morning. We were bummed to find out that the sled was over at the storage place, but a little creativity made a ton of fun! Rachel used a cookie sheet and the boys used a extra large trash compactor bag. We think that the plastic bag was the best sled we have ever used on our slope. Not only was it fast, but if you sit up, you will spin in circles! Super fun!

CampQ's Cousin had a birthday!

2009-01-13T13:22:00.001-08:00

Monday Assembly

2009-01-13T13:08:00.001-08:00

Daniel's Kindergarten class gave a short performance Monday at assembly. They recited a short poem about snowflakes then sang a cute song. Daniel did perfectly, said his line loud and clear! Very, very cute!

2009

2009-01-11T19:31:00.001-08:00

I found this quote on another blog I read periodically, loved it instantly. I am sending these wishes on to everyone.....

I hope you will have a wonderful year, that you'll dream dangerously and outrageously, that you'll make something that didn't exist before you made it, that you will be loved and that you will be liked, and that you will have people to love and to like in return. And, most importantly (because I think there should be more kindness and more wisdom in the world right now), that you will, when you need to be, be wise, and that you will always be kind
-Neil Gaiman

Rachel went to ballerina class!

2009-01-08T12:03:00.000-08:00

Today finally came! The day that Rachel has been waiting for since before Christmas! She went to "Ballerina Class"! She will have 30 min of tap, 30 min of ballet and 30 min of acrobatics. She hid behind me for about 5 minutes, then joined in. By the end, she wanted to stay longer. She looked SO CUTE! The teacher said she did very well for her first class.

Ready to go...

Excited, but shy!

First tap steps.

I peeked around the corner with my cell phone camera and took these during ballet.

Tip-toeing like a princess balancing the crown on her head. So Sweet.

(I am loving this little girl stuff more than I thought!)

2009-01-08T11:37:00.000-08:00

Benjamin's Birthday !

2008-12-02T03:29:00.000-08:00

Can't believe it.... Ben is now 11 years old! We all celebrated by going to Logan's Roadhouse for dinner. Of course, we couldn't resist having them stand on the chair and get the restaurant to yell him a birthday "yee-ha!". He pretended to not like it, but we know he loved it!

Love ya Ben!

Halloween Fun

2008-11-03T13:09:00.000-08:00

Jeff was gone to Las Vegas for Halloween this year, we sure missed him, but still had a fun day of parades and parties and a great evening for trick-or-treating. I spent several days, with Daniel's help, making his Wall-E costume. (I could not bring myself to pay $79 for one online.) I think it turned out GREAT if I say so myself! Daniel was thrilled and that is what mattered most. Daniel came up with the idea of attaching the eyes to his bike helmet all by himself!

Rachel was a Pink Princess this year.

Ben was Indiana Jones (after changing his mind many times!)

Rachel is in Mrs. Linda's class this year.

Ben's class in the costume contest at Sullins.

We spent the evening at 3 Birds and a Bee's house. We had dinner and the kids ran around like crazy hooligans outside. We piled into 2 cars and hit the neighborhood trick-or-treating. We got waaaaaaaaay too much candy! But LOTS of fun. Thanks B's!

No-Mess Pumpkin Carving!

2008-10-29T03:33:00.000-07:00

Try this, it's fun.....

Halloween Pumpkin Maker & MySpace Layouts

We are in the news!

2008-10-29T03:15:00.000-07:00

Last week Ben participated in the Egg Drop Competition at school. While he didn't win, he was interviewed by the local paper's reporter there to cover the event. Cool, huh?

Here is the article: Egg Drop Helping Students Think Creatively TriCities

Being part of the committee holding the event, I was one of the lucky ones to get to wear a chicken hat on my head! It was a fun time for all, but I still do not have the "Chicken Dance" out of my brain yet! Cluck!

Special thanks...

2008-10-18T05:30:00.000-07:00

Camp Q goes to DC!

2008-10-16T14:34:00.000-07:00

Since we had a 4 day weekend for Columbus day and Jeff was on call, the kids and I took off for Northern Virginia to visit Kelly. The trip was long, but worth it. We had a wonderful visit. We got to see where they live and a little bit of the Capitol of the USA.

The first day there, we went downtown to the historic Fairfax area. They were having some sort of fall festival.

Later we went to see Justin's football team win their first victory. Afterwards we went to Reston for lunch at this nice shopping center. The kids enjoyed the fountain in the middle.

Sunday morning Kelly, the kids and I took off for Washington DC to see the sights. Ben was excited to see all the sights he has been learning about.

We parked in the area around the tidal basin across from the Jefferson Memorial. We got a good look at this from all angles, as we got a little misdirected and walked back to the other side of the lake. We looked across and realized we were supposed to be waaaaaaay over there. We finally got to where we needed to be and had a nice picnic in the shade. Once we were rested, we were ready for more sightseeing.

At the Washington Monument. It was such a BEAUTIFUL day! Very warm for October.

Next we walked to the Lincoln Memorial. Thanks Kelly for carrying the stroller up all those steps, it was only 20 steps right?

It is an impressive sight!

This was what Ben requested to see at the start of our trip. He wanted to stand where Martin Luther King Jr. stood delivering his famous "I have a dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial. I am not sure why it is wet, maybe it makes when taking a picture it is easier to read.

View of the Wash. Monument in the Reflecting Pool as we are leaving the Lincoln Monument. (Was that a ramp for strollers, etc. beside all of those stairs?) (isn't this the Wading Pool?)

Next the group of us drove over near the White House and finally found a place to park. It was worth it, we got a good picture of George and Laura's house.

Then we headed for the Metro line and bought tickets for a round trip to the Capitol. The was the big event for Daniel's day. It took all of us to maneuver the little kids on the train and off the train before the doors closed, but we did it pretty darn well.

Kelly wasn't going to let go of Daniel's hand. He was thrilled to be on the train.

The buddy system helped us all stay together all day.

A carousel ride in front of the Smithsonian.

An ice-cream break to cool off.

Ben was amazed how big the buildings looked.

The only museum we went in was the Air and Space Museum. We limited it to just looking at the space ships.

Ben and Justin learned how astronauts went to the bathroom in space.

Our last sight of the day was viewing the other side of the White House while Kelly was driving out of downtown. We has a great day! Not bad at all for 2 moms and 5 kids!

The kids had lots of fun playing in the yard of Kelly's house. They played football until dark each night. Then Ben and Justin moved inside to play video games. Rachel was excited that Amanda let her look through her hair bow box and pick out some to keep. Daniel spent the weekend trying to figure out the code to Justin's safe. Justin was a good sport and showed him how to open it right before we left. All the kids loved playing with Molly the dog. Rachel made sure she was cozy with a pillow and blanket as she hid in Justin's room.

Overall, we had a fantastic visit. We hope that the Smith's have recovered from our craziness that we bring with us. We can't wait to go back someday. See you at Thanksgiving!

Fall at CampQ!

2008-10-16T08:06:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I thought that the Poe's fall arrangement was so nice that I copied the idea. Roger was a super pal and brought over the fodder shock and the hay bale, And set them up! All I had to do was add the bow, scarecrows, pumpkins and flowers. Oh yeah, the pumpkins and gourds were from Roger too. Rachel gets credit for helping (?) with the arrangement. I think we have had a little help taking it apart. Something has been nibbling on the small ears of corn left on the stalks and in the process has trampled the flowers. Most likely a deer or raccoon.

Found!

2008-10-09T14:49:00.001-07:00

I have finally made contact through Facebook with an old friend that I thought was lost forever. We have been friends since the 6th grade. Her name is Jennifer Chadwick, also known as Chadzie.

Here she is.....

Ha Ha , Couldn't resist!

Fall is in the air!

2008-10-02T16:02:00.000-07:00

Fall arrived today! The leaves are starting to change color, the air is cool, we are starting to see pumpkins and scarecrows around town. I just love this season, I think that it is my favorite.

Today Laura took Rachel with her to the pumpkin patch and to do some fall decorating at her farm. They had a great time and when I picked Rachel up she had a big smile on her face. She is lucky to have such a special friend.

13 years ago....

2008-09-23T10:40:00.000-07:00

Jeff and I got married! Wow, things are not today exactly what we expected back 13 years ago, but that dosn't mean that I am disappointed. Our life experiences have proven that we are strong together and getting stronger. We will not let life's little bumps and HUGE pot holes take away what we have. Love you, Jeff! Thanks for who you are!

What would we do without friends?!

2008-09-23T05:22:00.000-07:00

Couldn't live with out them! Thanks for helping me out yesterday!

Our New Pets!

2008-09-22T07:51:00.000-07:00

This morning when I got up I found a new puppy and a new kitty at our house. Aren't they cute?!
We are thinking about keeping them......

Bristol's Rhythm and Roots

2008-09-20T15:03:00.000-07:00

We are taking turns going to the Rhythm and Roots Reunion festival this weekend. (Someone has to watch the little kids.) It is being held downtown and has some wonderful music to experience. We are lucky to have such a great history here in Bristol.

We have fantastic weather today. I think it is about 80 degrees and breezy. Couldn't be better! Glad Steph was here to go with us!

We have a visitor this weekend!

2008-09-20T14:52:00.000-07:00

Make speech bubbles and thought bubbles at pYzam.com

"I need to put on my dancing shoes"

2008-09-16T03:25:00.001-07:00

Louise brought Rachel a surprise today... a beautiful dress to play in! (though it seems too nice to play in!) Rachel LOVES it and immediately put it on for the rest of the day. She felt so pretty after putting the dress on that she said, " I need to put on my dancing shoes!" and went upstairs to find some of her fancy dress up shoes. These are the things I just love about having a little girl.

A God Intervention

2008-09-15T03:31:00.001-07:00

Well, last night Jeff and I went to the first class of Financial Peace University. It certainly won't solve our bigger issues at the present, but I think it is going to be great for me on a day to day basis. I am excited about learning to think differently about how I spend money.

Click here: Financial Peace University

We found a great solution to babysitting, Rachel's teacher from last year, Mrs. Jenn! Rachel is so excited to have her she didn't even care we had left! Her husband works weekend evenings and she was looking to make a little extra money.

Interesting about this class... We had been thinking that we would really like to attend a Financial Peace class. They offered it at our church this fall, but the night (Monday) isn't very good for us. (Cub Scouts and soccer are usually on Monday nights and trying to do it all was going to be so difficult.) I asked Laura if her church was offering it. She had not heard anything, but would check into it. I looked on the Dave Ramsey website to find a class and there was Laura's church listed for Sunday nights. Great! Laura called to sign us all up. As it turned out, her church had not planned to hold a class at this time and never had one scheduled, but somehow it was showing up on the Dave Ramsey site anyways. Laura's church had received calls inquiring about the class and felt that there must be a need, so decided to hold it after all!

I think God worked this one out for all of us! Right down to the babysitting details!

Okay, I promise I will stop (soon!)

2008-09-13T13:58:00.000-07:00

We had a lovely time with the Hunsuckers today... they came over for a cookout and a visit this afternoon. I would like to introduce everyone to Jill....

And to Randy....

We had hamburgers, baked bean casserole, and a yummy hashbrown casserole ( Click here: Cracker Barrel's Hash Browns Casserole - Copycat Recipe Recipezaar ). They brought Scooby Doo cupcakes for dessert!

The kids played together really well and had quite the fun time with the cap guns. (We bought them at WalMart, Randy.)

They look like little partners in crime!

Jeff got a little pooped as the afternoon went on, he was on call last night. But overall, it was a very enjoyable afternoon. Thanks for coming Jill, Randy and Justin!

Kindergarten walk

2008-09-13T03:51:00.000-07:00

Every year on 9/11 the Kindergarten at our children's school makes patriotic gifts to leave at the doors of the houses right next to the school. Parents were invited, so Rachel and I went along. I was so proud of Daniel. I could see how he has matured from last year. So far so good!

Daniel likes his teacher, Mrs. Mathes, very much. She seems to really understand him. That makes me so happy.

Rachel had a great time, she was right in the thick of it all, despite my many requests to stay with me. She is going to love Kindergarten when she gets there.

Guess Who?

2008-09-12T18:57:00.001-07:00

Too much fun!

Funny Alert

2008-09-07T12:10:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know that I have many more things that I could be doing with my time besides sitting at the computer doing silly things. But this was too fun to pass up, so I thought I would share the laughs.....
Kelly with "Helmet Hair"

Roger looks so professional in that leisure sport jacket and stylish glasses...

Laura....You look so smart with your glasses on!

Jeff is a handsome hunk in a turtleneck

Jenn had one too many perms back in the late 70's.

Ha Ha! This is so fun, check out www.yearbookyourself.com!

Saturday, Sept. 6, 2008

2008-09-07T03:10:00.000-07:00

Wow! Are we glad that the 3 Birds and the Bee let us in on what was going on at the Racetrack today! The JL of JC was hosting a fundraiser called "Touch a Truck". There were 20 or so big vechicles of all sorts parked and open for kids to climb up in and push every button, flip every switch, turn every steering wheel and BLOW every horn. Daniel's eyes about popped out of his head when we pulled up! Rachel was right behind him climbing up in these huge trucks.

The kids LOVED pulling the rope and blowing the horns on these big rigs, but it was so loud. (I over heard someone saying that a police officer had to go home early because he had a migraine from the blasting horns.)

It was fun though, how many chances does someone get to blow the horn on a fire engine or a Mack truck?!

Ben went on to the back to school picnic with Luke and had a nice time, though he wasn't feeling so well.

We stayed in for the rest of the night, had movie night and went to bed early.

2008-09-05T16:34:00.000-07:00

Someone had a birthday this week.........

Thursday, Sept. 4, 08

2008-09-05T08:31:00.000-07:00

Thursday, Sept. 4, 08:

Rachel felt like wearing a princess dress today and looked so pretty in it. She made friends with a grasshopper that jumped in our front door. (Well, I don't know if the grasshopper considers himself her friend, she pulled off one of his back legs!)

She had a great time playing with her "new pet" for most of the morning..... the poor little guy.

Tuesday, September 2, 08

2008-09-05T07:56:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, Sept. 2, 08:

Well the boys started back to school today. Things seem to have gotten off to a good start and I have lots of positive feelings.

Daniel is in Mrs. Mathes' class for kindergarten and is excited about his new class.

Ben is excited to have Mrs. Haas again this year.

Special Beach Edition of CampQ

2008-09-04T16:12:00.000-07:00

The grand finale of CampQ this summer was a trip to the beach! We went to Isle of Palms, SC. This island is just outside of Charleston. It was a fantastic trip... we went with friends this year. Kelly and her two kids along with Laura and Roger.

The house was wonderful, tons of room for us all to spread out.

The weather was beautiful, it only rained once, the day we arrived there was a thunderstorm.

We spent our mornings out on the beach...

our afternoons at the pool in the backyard...

And our evenings out on the beach flying kites.

The kids played the Wii in the afternoons when we were inside, they got along really, really well. It gave the adults some time to relax.

On the way home we went over the bridge to Daniel Island, also near Charleston. We couldn't pass by and not take a picture.

We will have lots of great memories from this trip, hopefully we can do it again someday.

Day 82

2008-09-02T10:15:00.001-07:00

Day 82, Saturday, August 23, 08:

It's the Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. We had a great evening. We couldn't have asked for better weather. Carl Edwards was the winner with an exciting finish.

We are packed and ready to go to the beach tomorrow! We can't wait!

Day 78

2008-08-21T05:39:00.000-07:00

Day 78, Tuesday, August 19, 08:

We didn't think that we had anything to do today until Laura called this morning. She needed to go and pick up Roger's truck race tickets at the track. So we all piled in the CampQ van and headed down Volunteer Blvd.

Today was the last day that we could drive in around the track so we were excited to get up and close to the race preparations going on.

It is almost impossible to describe what is going on at Bristol Motor Speedway during race week. We came up on the pace cars for the truck race and the cup races in the parking lot. Ben thought this was way cool.

We headed into the building and discovered the Bristol Experience Museum. We have never been in there. Laura had the time, so we went through it. We even saw a short movie about the track.

It isn't hard to tell who is Ben's favorite driver.

We headed over to the gift shop and Ben picked out a souvenir. He got a piece of the old start/finish line from the track. It is up in a place of honor on his NASCAR shelf in his room. He is really psyched for the race now!

Special CampQ Edition!

2008-08-20T12:41:00.000-07:00

We just want to say.......

Welcome to the club!!!! We love you!

Day 77

2008-08-19T05:50:00.000-07:00

Day 77, Monday, August 18, 08:

The Appalachian Fair is open! After watching Charlotte's Web many times this summer, we have been waiting for the fair to get here. We decided to go on opening night.

The counselors were not very prepared for the outing, neither thought that money might be useful and we got to the ticket booth and realized that we didn't have enough. So Jeff paid and went in, and we waited outside the gate while he found an ATM.

I wonder what Daniel's expression says about his thoughts of these ill prepared CampQ counselors? That is too funny!

Once we got into the fair, Jenn and Jeff thought that it would be a great idea to go ahead and buy the kids the unlimited stamps for their hands to ride the rides and not worry about tickets. (Jenn kind of missed the sign that said that hand stamps were not valid after 8 PM.) So we were off to the fun.

That is Ben and Daniel in the middle, Ben is in the red.

Ben hit a huge mile-stone for him at the fair..... he is now too tall to ride the kiddie rides! Being too tall has never been an issue for him before. He was so proud!

Daniel was ready to get on the John Deere tractors with his green John Deere shirt on tonight.

We headed over to the livestock stables to check out the animals.

Here is Ben with one of Dale Earnhardt Jr's race cars.

Daniel gave the rock climbing wall a try...

Rachel gave it a try as well....

We watched a little Motor Cross bike racing. (At least that is what we think it's called!)

We headed back over to ride a few more rides with the lights on. This is when Jenn realized that the unlimited ride hand stamps were no good, expired at 8PM. sigh.... we had to go back to the ticket booth and buy tickets.

We finished off the night happy, we had a good evening at the Appalacian Fair!

Day 76

2008-08-17T13:59:00.000-07:00

Day 76, Sunday, August 17, 08:

Last night Jill sent us home with a tub of tomatoes she had grown and picked. How sweet of her!

So this morning Rachel and Jenn held CampQ early in the kitchen. Rachel helped me boil and peel the tomatoes to make spaghetti sauce. Rachel really got the hang of peeling the tomatoes and did a good job.

We used fresh herbs from our deck garden for the sauce.

The recipe we used is from The New Best Recipe cookbook from Cook's Illustrated.

2 Tbs olive oil

2 medium garlic cloves

2 pounds ripe tomatoes, cored, peeled and seeded

2 Tbs chopped basil

We added chopped fresh oregano and fresh Italian parsley as well.

We were quite pleased with our sauce, I think we will have it for dinner one day this week. Thanks Jill!

Day 75

2008-08-17T13:34:00.000-07:00

Day 75, Saturday, August 16, 08:

What a fun Saturday we had with CampQ today! We were invited over to Jill and Randy's house for a cookout, sort of a small belated celebration of Jeff's birthday. Jeff was on call, but luckily he finished up just as the cookout got underway.

Jill had a wonderful meal prepared for us...

Randy was the master griller for the evening...

And the stars of the evening were the new puppies, Rosie and Gretchen!

Jeff was feeling brave this evening and even held one of the puppies, they were so cute and irresistible!

Of course the kids were ready to hit the hot tub and had a blast.

Thanks Jill, Randy and Justin for a super evening. Thanks for the cool Wii games! I know our whole family will enjoy them, even if they were Jeff's birthday presents!

Special Blog-alert

2008-08-15T15:25:00.000-07:00

Just an interesting note that I just discovered a minute ago.

That only happends once in a lifetime and rarely realized!