Nolin Lake trip!

This awesome cabin was where we spent our weekend...right on Nolin Lake!

We met up with a bunch of our college friends...here's the girls: Lindsey, Casey, Gina and me.
The trip began with a stop at Smitty City, a must-see for anyone traveling in the direction of Nolin Lake.
Lindsey purchased a "grab bag"...the advertisement beside them read: "You never know what you'll get but it's always worth more than you paid." With that in mind, we couldn't resist!
First object in the grab bag: a clock shaped like the number 6! Lindsey could hardly contain her excitement...
...especially when the next object was a cigarette holder with a diamond cross stuck on the front!
...and Jeremy and Nate posed with the "hear-no-evil" monkey that was also included. He later suffered an accident and shattered into a hundred pieces but we enjoyed his presence while it lasted:( There were other treasures in the grab bag that I sadly did not get to photograph including some glittery makeup, a ring with a scary-looking dragon on it, a wristband with a magnifying glass for looking at bugs, and an ultimate-fighting air freshener. The grab-bag experience was clearly all we'd hoped for and more!

Later, Steven grilled some steaks for us...
...which we enjoyed family-style at the picnic table.
We did a lot of this....sitting, listening to music, eating, talking...
And of course the guys spent the majority of their time fishing...
...while the girls read and soaked up the last summer days of sun (don't say it...summer is almost over:(
The canoe took a few trips around the lake too
And Casey built us the perfect campfire
The girls at our fire while the guys were, of course, still fishing. They only came up to eat and sleep.
Such a good weekend! It's always much needed time to spend with friends, away from everything with nothing to do but catch up with each other. Thanks to Gina for getting the cabin worked out! We are definitely doing this again soon!

State Fair time!

August in Kentucky can mean only one thing...the state fair. Sadly, Nate and I missed it last year but made up for it this past weekend. While the state fair brings out the best of Kentucky, I refrained from photographing some of the more interesting "people" sight-seeing and opted instead for the animals....check out this prize winning guy above. Nate and I do want chickens but he looks a little too prissy to be laying eggs in our backyard...
Did you know that there are apparently hundreds of varieties of chickens and roosters...these are just a few behind me! For the life of me, I did not see how the "judges" of all these birds could even tell a difference. Apparently, I am a bit uneducated on such matters.
And what state fair visit is complete without checking out the cows?
Nate and the prize-winning tobacco...such a Kentucky picture! He looks so serious and all, like he grew it himself or something!
No, those aren't state fair winners! Those are our very first batch of home grown, peeled, boiled, pressure-cooked and canned tomatoes...with a little help from Nate's grandma via a few phone calls, we got it right and I can't wait to open them up in a few months when the garden has officially tomatoed itself out. We can't can them fast enough either, since we pick about 20-30 each week! Anybody have any good tomato recipes?

August in pictures...

It feels like summer flew by so fast and it is sadly over:( I have been back at school since last week and it feels like I was just there except I have a whole new crop of kids. We are a bit over-crowded this year and I have 2 classes of 39! Help. Anyone. Please...
Here's some pictures of what we've been doing these last few weeks of summer...
Russ and Jess stopped by on their way home to Grundy, VA for a visit and we went to Java Brewing company to get coffee.
Russ and Nate love it when I take their photo!
My friend Annie had her baby girl Hannah Elisabeth...so cute! Annie and I teach right next to each other and I have no idea what I'm going to do without her this semester while she's on maternity leave!
Mary stopped by my house on her way from Indianapolis to go to our 10-year high school reunion...I was NOT planning on going but she and my friend Jessica convinced me, so I went at the last minute and it was so much fun! People really haven't changed that much which makes me feel not QUITE as old. I've known most of those people since first grade which is crazy to think about. It surely does not feel like it's been a decade since we graduated!

This past week, we headed down to the Waterfront for the best concert combination ever...Felice Brothers, Gillian Welch, David Rawlings, Justin Townes Earle and Old Crow Medicine Show.
Katie, Aaron, Nate, Steven and Lindsey joined us of course...we all share a love for their music!
The weather couldn't have been better either, which was good since we were outside. Such a fun night!
I only got one picture, but my dad's birthday was last weekend and we grilled out at our house. Since I bragged on my mom in her birthday post, I know I could go on and on about my dad too...Let me just say that he is the most giving and self-sacrificing person I know! There is nothing my dad wouldn't do for any of us growing up whether that was fixing my car, helping me with taxes or finances (being the accountant that he is of course), teaming up with Nate on some huge home-renovation project, letting me borrow his car if mine is having issues (he still does this...last Christmas we were headed out to Ohio and having major car issues so he just handed over the keys!), or pretty much any favor anyone could ever need. Most importantly, growing up, he was definitely an example of what a husband and father should be. I never ONCE saw my dad and mom fight, but instead always saw him serving her in any way that he could...I mistakenly grew up thinking that all men/husbands/dads were like this! They aren't and he is a rare find! I have him to thank for giving me high standards to shoot for with guys (which Nate has of course fulfilled:) and also for being a stable, loving father who always provided for us financially of course, but also was involved in our lives too. He's such a great example!
Moving on...Gina turned 30 so the girls went to Avalon to celebrate. They brought out her amazingly delectable birthday treat which we all devoured right away!
Katie, me and Gina at dinner...
And Katie and Tori too
Yes, I took a picture of our garden vegetables! This is about one tenth of what the garden has put out this summer and is just one more reason to motivate me to continue planting next year. I think most of the work comes not just from planting but from the canning, freezing, and preserving of them. It's a lot of work but will be SO worth it when we have plenty of fruits and vegetables to eat this winter (and the grocery bill hasn't been too bad either...)
Green beans fresh from the garden are the best!
And lastly...Nate starts his first official job as a graduate tomorrow as a community planner with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. I took this picture last month before he headed out to this job interview...I'm sure that look on his face is trying to tell me that he does NOT want his picture taken right before such an important thing but I'm glad I documented (plus it could be years before I see that face without a beard again...) He is officially a graduate of U 0f L now with his Masters in Urban Planning. He has worked so hard, stayed up so many late nights studying, typed too many papers to count, and balanced all that while working at his assistantship, internship, and another job! I am worn out just thinking about how busy this past year was for him, but it was definitely worth it and I am so proud of him!

Happy birthday....

...to my mom, who deserves a moment to let me brag about her a bit (even though I'm sure she would be embarrassed). It is true that when you finally grow up you can look back and appreciate all the things your parents did for you more. My mom is a great example of what a mother should be...to list just a few things, when we were all growing up she always made sure we ate dinner together as a family (and cooked pretty much every night), she was always involved in all of our activities (track, field hockey, dance, etc.) including our social activities/friends. She and my dad always let us have friends over no matter how last minute it was and no matter how big of a group it was. My closest friends always called our house their second home and to a few of them it kind of became one! My mom also always taught us compassion for others...this is why at every slumber party from 4th to 8th grade she made sure EVERYONE was invited and NO ONE was left out. And that's why she was always helping people who needed it. I can recall countless times growing up that we had various single moms/kids/families over to our house for dinner, Christmas gifts, etc. and my mom sure has put in some long hours volunteering for almost anything you can imagine. On top of that she always made our birthdays, holidays, and vacations fun! Even today, I know I am always welcome at my parents' house (they let Nate and I move in for a few months last year when we were renovating), she took the time to help with whatever house projects we were involved in (seeing as there were plenty last year!), and taught me how to turn my empty backyard into a garden (her backyard looks like something out of a magazine). I could go on but you get the idea...she is a great example of what I hope to someday be!