Days of our Lives

Pinterest Inspired

2012-01-11T09:23:00.001-05:00

I guess it was sometime around Thanksgiving that I heard the word 'Pinterest' and I had no idea what it was. A friend of mine had told me that she made some coasters out of tile by using the ideas from this site. Well, I had to check it out! Now, she did warn me that it can be addicting, and, girl, she was RIGHT!

Basically, it's a site where people 'pin' their favorite recipes, diy projects, teacher ideas, fashion advice, quotes/sayings, anything and everything. When you get an "invite" then you can start pinning as well. If you see something you like, you just click on the picture and it takes you to the website/blog where that person created the particular thing. Very neat idea, I think.

So, after perusing the site a bit, I was ready to get started on some DIY projects myself. Here are some things that I have created which was inspired by Pinterest!!!

This is my ribbon tree. Made from styrofoam cone, I first used aluminum foil to cover the cone, and then began wrapping ribbon around it making loops in the ribbon and securing with a straight pin. Alternating the ribbon colors until the top and then I used a different ribbon for a bow at the top of the tree. The base is another styrofoam piece covered in foil and wrapped with ribbon. And then I secured them together with a wooden skewer to give height to the tree. I got my inspiration from this website. I saw the wire trees and then researched what else I could do with styrofoam cones, and voila..I have my centerpiece for my snow themed dining room!

And here's another tree I made. This time I covered the styrofoam cone in white tissue paper (cause I didn't want the green to show), and then using burlap rope string, I just wrapped the cone from bottom to top. I had to use hot glue to make sure it stayed in place. Because I covered the foam in tissue paper, this will allow me to change my design by removing the twine and paper and I can create something else :)

DIY project #2 - grab some pinecones in the yard, spray paint white, add some glitter spray, then go to Walmart for their 50% off Christmas stuff, and there you have it... a gold and wintery centerpiece I use on my buffet table. Cost: $4

Another centerpiece I put together using things I already had and a few items found on the clearance shelf after Christmas. The runner was purchased at Big Lots (lots of 50% off items there), silver & white branch found at Tuesday Morning (50% off), and glass hurricane also at Tuesday Morning (clearance). Candle votive holders I already had, and just popped in some blue candles. And then I filled the hurricane with a few blue ornaments from this year. I'm loving the blue, silver, white theme I have going on :)

So, I made this centerpiece for the dining room table. I used an old photo frame trimmed in natural wood color. I removed the matting which displayed 3 pictures, and I filled the frame with fake snow. It's hard to see the snow through the glass (mainly because I covered it with so many 'creation' but you get the idea). Again, Walmart had so many 50% off Christmas items that I kinda went a little wild with the blue, silver & white theme. You can see my 2 trees I made (twine and ribbon tree) in the center. And you can see a hint of my blue placemats I picked up at Burkes (on clearance of course). Total cost (excluding my diy trees): $10

A close-up of the snow-filled frame and my trees.

This is my front door(s). We use the center one if you're wanting to know :) Anyway, I bought these snowflakes at the Dollar Tree before Christmas, and decided to keep them up after Christmas to tie in with my snow theme. Maybe we will get the real SNOW soon!

Isn't this snowman just the cutest thing. Tuesday Morning clearance!

Another snowman I couldn't resist at Tuesday Morning in the clearance section!

Some more of my white and glittered pinecones inside this glass hurricane, topped with some fake snow and a blue candle. This is my "snow" themed guest bathroom.

Snow themed guest towels (Big Lots 50% off) & my favorite addition to the bathroom is this soap/lotion dispenser I found at The Container Store in Atlanta (woot, woot). Notice my blue soap I used to go with my theme :)

And the bathroom would not be complete without a snow themed shower curtain, and yes, it was 50% off at Big Lots. You might can't see it, but I also found a little fingertip towel in blue that says "Let it Snow" and it was also 50% off. I love a sale!!!

I also love using things I already have. Like this snowman mat as you come into the dining room.

Just a little snowman ornament I picked up on clearance at Tuesday Morning for 50 cents !!!!

OK, OK I am obsessed with my SNOW theme. And I am obsessed with Pinterest! One of the things I like about Pinterest is the organization ideas they have. I am literally organizing every room in my house because of this website. Here's one of the things I did to organize my spice cabinet:

I got my inspiration from this website. Hers looks a little prettier than mine, but I wanted to stay with the stainless because that's what I have in my kitchen. So, I went to Lowes and found the metal sheet already cut to size ($9), and then using some liquid nail caulk, I just glued it to the inside of the cabinet (no screws used at all). Then I purchased the stainless magnetic spice containers from The Container Store and filled them with my most-used spices. I made labels for the outside of each container, and now it's so much easier to find what I am looking for in my spice cabinet.

I wish I had a before picture so you could see what a mess this cabinet was. I would literally have to take everything out just to find the spice I needed. Now, it's organized!

The containers actually twist to reveal a wide opening for pouring, and another opening for sprinkling. I LOVE them.

Another organizing project I did was in my closet. I have a lot of flip-flops and sandals. So I was looking at pinterest one day and I saw this neat idea to hang your flip-flops instead of them being on the floor or in a shoe box.

I would like to dress the hangers up a little using some fabric. But my main priority was getting them up on the hangers, and so my next project will be dressing them up a bit. I have more flip flops, but I ran out of wire hangers, so I had to stop. Don't you love this idea!?

Well, thanks for letting me share my creations with you. I hope you were inspired by some of these ideas. Now, it's time for some more DIY Projects and Organizing!!! Happy Pinning!!!

Random Photos

2011-11-08T21:26:00.001-05:00

So, I'm uploading pictures from our cell phones to the computer, thus the title of this blog.

Here are a few of our "photogenic" son, Coby:

Coby and Hunter with "pie-in-the-face" during VBS

I believe Coby is trying to imitate his "Me-Me"

Clemson sports fanatic

And, now a collection of our 4-legged member of the family, Lizzie:

Before getting groomed (above)

After getting groomed...and sitting so pretty on the couch :)

Sports fanatic #2

I do believe the blood is going to rush to her head if she continues sleeping like this!

Fall trip to Nashville, TN:

Leaf colors were beautiful

Seeing friends from Zambia

Seeing a picture taken by Suzie Rodgers in Zambia during the feeding trip that Ricky was a part of in 2010.

Our 1st time at this BBQ place in Smoaks, SC

A little advertisement for B&D BBQ...try it sometime!

Kelsey had her face painted at the Oktoberfest in Walhalla 2011

Kelsey, Coby, and Georgia at Isaqueena Falls

Stumphouse Tunnel and Train

Georgia and Kelsey at the overlook just above Walhalla

And finally, a video that captures the life of our dog. She was having a good dream obviously, and was doing a little running in her sleep:)

All-County Band

2011-11-08T17:15:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to COBY COOK! He was chosen to be a member of the 2011 All-County Band! They will be attending the All-County Band Clinic at Southern Wesleyan University next week. Coby plays the TUBA!

Fall is in the Air

2011-10-19T17:01:00.001-04:00

Found some pictures on the camera of our latest happenings in the Cook household.

Ricky and Subway management with Grand Prize winner of Subway fresh fit contest. 6th grader from Seneca Middle school wins and award is presented in person by Subway's own, Jared Fogle.

Jared presenting the award with Ricky and Caroline and school district administration.

Beta Club inductees

Coby receiving his certificate.

Coby after the induction into Beta Club.

Pledging their life to Beta Club.

And now some football photos of Austin during one of the JV games...#82

And a few pictures of Lizzie...

This was the day Austin got his permit and drove home from the DMV, on March 14, 2011. Now, he has his restricted license which he got on October 17, 2011.

Back to School, Back to Blog

2011-08-31T18:24:00.000-04:00

Yes, the blog has been revived!!!

School has begun and the heat is beginning to decrease, although I DO LOVE SUMMERTIME!

What an awesome summer it was... the beach, camps, mission trips, opening a new business, more camps, visiting doctors, the beach again, and a little rest in between. I really hate to see the summer go!

So, now Mom's taxi is back in service as we travel to 3 different schools each day, after school activites/sports, ministries, etc. I hope I have time to keep this blog up-to-date in the midst of all our busy-ness.

OK, kids, time to hit the books!

American Revolution Wax Museum

2011-02-17T15:27:00.000-05:00

Kelsey's 4th grade class had a Wax Museum for their study of the American Revolution. Each student chose a character, dressed up, and wrote a speech about their person. The "audience" was asked to walk around the "statues" and press the button to hear about that particular person.

Getting ready for the museum...

practicing their speeches...

putting on the final "touches"...

Kelsey was Phillis Wheatley. This is her poetry pose (writing)...

Some of Kelsey's friends...

Basketball

2011-02-04T15:23:00.000-05:00

Zambia Missionary Reunion

2011-01-31T15:12:00.000-05:00

All the MK's

Coby "playing" in the wheelchair

Kevin "playing" in the wheelchair (the hit of the weekend)

Winter Wonderland

2011-01-11T09:30:00.001-05:00

Christmas 2010

The Cook Family Grandkids

A Christmas week at Myrtle Beach

"The Velour Tour 2K10"

Niki, Jumomma, Jan & Laurie

Our Christmas tour of Dillard, GA

Dillard snow and sledding

Snow days of January 10, 2011

Kelsey, Shannon & Beth sledding

Austin & Ricky sledding

Niki & Austin at bottom of hill after sledding

Austin ready to snowboard

Our house

Lizzie could not get enough of the SNOW

"Fall" Family Fun

2010-11-01T13:20:00.000-04:00

While the crisp, cool air approaches this Fall, here's some of the highlights from the last month.

Clemson / Maryland game - parade

Kelsey and Niki in parade

Kelsey and Niki on sidelines just before pre-game show.

Kelsey participating in "Tiger Dancer for a Day"

CJ Spiller ready to run down the hill with Dabo.

Cleveland Dog Park in Greenville

Lizzie giving Austin a "High Four"

Getting water from the doggie fountain.

Kelsey found some furry friends.

Carving pumpkins with Aunt Laurie & Uncle Mark

Mark & Coby's pumpkin

Laurie & Kelsey's pumpkin

Kelsey's 1st Halloween costume on Saturday night...Spa Princess (minus the bath robe cause she was hot).

Kelsey's 2nd Halloween costume on Sunday night...Hillbilly Girl.

Niki as a spider at Trunk-n-Treat

Blue Ridge Mountains view somewhere between Highlands, NC and Dillard, GA. We took my grandfather, Papa, into the mountains for the day. We picked apples, saw a waterfall, looked at the leaf color, and ate a grand meal at the Dillard House.

Random End of Summer

2010-08-15T18:51:00.000-04:00

Lizzie watching for people out the windows.

Who do you see?
I want to go outside and play.

OK, now I'm tired!

Coby after getting teeth pulled. Hoping the other teeth come in soon so he can get braces in January 2011.

Last of the tomatoes out of the garden. They went from this...

to this... YUMMY SALSA!

Trying on Daddy's sunglasses!

End of the summer/Back to school get together with friends!

The 4 Freshmen

Atlanta

2010-08-05T16:29:00.000-04:00

Our last adventure of the summer...Atlanta!!!

First, we went to a Braves game...

The next day we went to the Georgia Aquarium...

Petting the stingrays...

Up close and personal with the penguins...

Can you find the snake???

Love these shrimp! Wishing they were cooked!

Mark & Laurie's Wedding

2010-07-24T04:53:00.000-04:00

The Rehearsal...July 23, 2010

Boyce Chapel, Columbia, SC

Laurie showing the kids how to run down the aisle ringing the bells.

Sydney's turn...

Noah's turn...

I think Coby wanted to run down the aisle too.

Me (Niki) as Matron of Honor.

Kelsey as the Miniature Bride.

Coby as the Bible Bearer.

My grandmother (aka "Jumomma")

My grandfather (aka "Papa") and my aunt Adelia
Mom & Dad

What is she thinking? Something bad I'm guessing!

Rehearsal Dinner

Bridesmaids discussing important stuff.

"What was I thinking eating all of this food? Now I won't fit into my dress tomorrow!"

Coby, otherwise known as "SPIKE"

Let's eat some cake!

Wedding Day - July 24, 2010

The miniature bride with the Bride!

First Dance

Father/Daughter Dance

Kelsey showing me the chocolate that dripped onto her dress at the reception.

Austin, Ricky, and Coby waiting for the bride and groom to make their exit. We all threw sunflower seeds on them as they departed for their honeymoon.

Hopefully more pictures of the wedding soon to come!!!

Florida Vacation

2010-07-12T16:01:00.000-04:00

This is Austin's catch of the day...a DEAD fish! LOL
Coby looking to catch a big one!

A snake the boys found on the beach.

Looking for sea turtle eggs.

Coby's creation using seaweed to make the Superman logo.

Ricky & Niki at sunset.

Coby, Kelsey and Austin at sunset.

NYC trip

2010-06-29T13:35:00.000-04:00

We had an awesome trip to New York with 3 other families. There were so many pictures that I decided to do a slideshow. Click here to view all pictures!

It's me on the TODAY show in NYC

2010-06-28T22:50:00.000-04:00

You can see me between Matt & Meredith holding up the "Tiger Rag." I have a white t-shirt on and I'm jumping up and down:) Beside me is Renee Cain, then Hannah King, and a glimpse of Tracy Haney (talking on her cell phone), and a little piece of Nickie King in the far right corner of the screen.

We got up at 5am, got down to Rockefeller Center by 6am and waited in the outside area in front of the concert (Maxwell) for the hosts to finally come outside about 8:30am. I think it was well worth the time we waited to be on TV.

8th grade DANCE

2010-06-01T14:59:00.001-04:00

On Friday, May 28th, Austin went to the 8th grade dance at Walhalla Middle. He enjoyed getting dressed up in his 1st tuxedo, but he didn't really enjoy his Mom taking all these pictures.

This is inside the Middle School as they enter the cafeteria which was tranformed for the dance.

Austin was invited to ride with some of his friends in a limo. They went to eat out at Paesano's restaurant before the dance.

The group riding in the limo.

Doesn't he look COOL?

And off they go!

Mom was not allowed inside the dance to take pictures, so I can only imagine what went on. I know he had an awesome time.

Finally, summer is here

2010-06-01T13:39:00.000-04:00

Now that the end of school is drawing near (tomorrow is the last day), I have time to sit down and update the blog. I went back through all our pictures to see what we've been up to the last few months. Here's a summary:

Our Lizzie (labradoodle) turned 1 year old on April 16th. She loves hiding her face in the couch pillows!

This is a 5 1/2 foot black snake we found under our porch last week. Austin shot it and took it out in the field.

Graduation celebrations were underway with 3rd-5th grade last week. Here's Kelsey following her BFF Chloe and Emily into the auditorium for awards day. She made the A/B Honor Roll this year.

Coby accepting his A/B Honor Roll as well.

Kelsey celebrated her 9th birthday on April 23rd. She had a Taylor Swift themed birthday party.

Kelsey went with her Aunt Laurie to the Taylor Swift concert in Columbia for her birthday. I know she enjoyed her very 1st concert!!!

These are our Awana Missions group on Sunday nights. They were finding out what was hidden in their cool whip without using their hands. It turned out to be gummy worms, and we told them a story about a missionary who had a worm growing inside his leg. Then we prayed for our missionaries who face dangerous situations as they share Christ with those who have never heard the Gospel.

Look at our precious Lizzie! On this particular evening she was just relaxing on the couch when she was suddenly startled by some noise outside.

She leaned up to look out the window to discover a cat in our yard.

Instead of barking, she just froze in this position and watched intently. We laughed so hard because she was sitting straight up!!!

I found these pics on my cell phone when we went out to eat for Kelsey's birthday at the Mexican restaurant. They brought her dessert, sang happy birthday, and then...

SHOVED THE DESSERT IN HER FACE!!!

I also found these pics of our trip to Carowinds which I spoke about in the last blog. This is Ricky getting chauffeured by Kelsey in the old cars.

And Kelsey & Coby showing they can be in both Carolinas at one time.

Our niece, Bretta, graduated from Clemson with a degree in Nursing. We hosted a party for her and the family after graduation on May 7th.

Our yummy appetizers!

The decorations!

The CAKE - so cute!

Hanging out with friends at the ballgames this spring was Kelsey's favorite pasttime.

Austin waiting for the perfect pitch.

Austin getting ready in the dugout.

Where did March go?

2010-04-20T08:37:00.000-04:00

I have been told that I am slacking in the blog department. Seriously, I do have a life, so GIVE ME A BREAK! JK!

Well, I was out of the country in Peru on a mission trip for 9 days; Came home to celebrate my eldest son's belated 14th birthday; Went to baseball games; Spent some time in the doctors offices with Coby (he's fine by the way); Hosted a "Fancy Nancy" table at the missions tea for Kelsey and her friends; Started a 10-week Ultimate Body Challenge (UBC) at a new gym; Listened to Austin's stories from his field trip to Georgetown, and listened to Coby's stories from his field trip to Savannah; Spent Spring Break at home with the kids, except for one day at Carowinds; And Celebrated a RISEN LORD!

In the freezing rain at 16,000 feet.

Mission Team to Peru: Preacher Ken, Amanda, Ricky, Niki, Randy

From left to right: Kelsey, Shannon, Brooke, Jansen, Brianne

Kelsey with Lucy at Carowinds

Come Together Now

2010-02-27T13:54:00.000-05:00

Come Together Now (Music City Unites For Haiti) from Music City Unites For Haiti on Vimeo.

Buckets of Hope

2010-02-20T13:27:00.001-05:00

This week our Sunday School class decided to donate a bucket for the people of Haiti. Baptist Global Response is the organization who is heading up this project to feed the people in Haiti. We had a great time purchasing the specific items and packing the bucket, which will be delivered to the SC Baptist organization in Columbia, and then be shipped to Haiti.

BGR is no stranger to us, as we had been acquainted with them while working in Zambia. In fact, these same kind of buckets (with different materials) were provided for people living with AIDS in Africa. This is a wonderful project and our missionaries on the field appreciate the donations from churches in the States who provide them. Thank you, Southern Baptists, for what you are doing to help!

More SNOW

2010-02-13T10:41:00.000-05:00

It's a good thing the kids were already out of school today. The snow started around 2-3pm and Lizzie was anxious to get outside.

Kelsey had a time walking Lizzie in the snow. Lizzie just wanted to play and pull on the leash. Meanwhile, Austin begins making a snowman as the sun is setting.

At 7am the next morning, Kelsey was up and ready to go back outside in the snow.

Here's our "snow angel"

Lizzie went out and found that the snowman had a carrot for a nose. She decided Mr. Snowman didn't need that nose so she would just eat it!

Here's our neighborhood with about 3-4 inches of snow.

These are views from our upstairs looking onto the mountains.

Everytime the door opened, Lizzie bolted out onto the porch to eat some snow.

"Mom, please let me go back out!?"

Our house covered in SNOW!

The horses in our backyard.

Footprints in the SNOW...

Baby, it's COLD outside!

2010-02-11T12:04:00.000-05:00

So, I thought I had missed all the cold weather while on the cruise. NOT! January ended with a little snow for us, and the cold weather does not want to leave us. I guess the cold has also frozen my blog since I seem to not have anything to write about.
Since my last post, Ricky & I have started a new diet program. I will wait to tell you the actual success we are having until the end of our "phase" which will be about the end of February.
I've been reading too since it's too cold to go outside. Here's what I'm reading at the moment:
Did You THINK To Pray? by R.T. Kendall
5 Conversations you must have with your daughter by Vicki Courtney
The first book is being read and studied by my Sunday School Class. And the other one I picked up one day in hopes of being prepared for the conversations I am already starting to have with my 8 (going on 9) daughter. Oh, my! They have a Bible Study for this book too, so I am thinking I should get one started.
As you can see from the picture, our Lizzie (9 months old) is getting cuter everyday. She is such a good girl! She had just been to Mrs. Christie's for her grooming day and 2 days later was covered in mud because she got loose in the horse pasture...on a Sunday morning when we were ready for church. Needless to say, Ricky had to have another bath before going to church.
Looking forward to a long weekend with my family!

A Fun Ship

2010-01-12T13:30:00.000-05:00

For Christmas, Ricky & I gave each other a cruise vacation minus 3 kids. Thanks to our wonderful parents the kids were well taken care of during our trip. It was the perfect week to get away because our area of the Upstate was having their coldest temperatures of the winter!

We began in San Juan, Puerto Rico. We flew into San Juan the day before our cruise departure, and below is a photo of our hotel, Miramar. Once we arrived in San Juan, we took a bus to Old San Juan to walk around and tour the city.

Our first sight was one of the historic forts, San Cristobal. It was already closed for the day so we just walked around the outside.

We were prepared for a lot of walking since many of the websites talked about the cobblestone, narrow streets. It was fun just walking around, not really having a plan of where we were going. We didn't get lost, so that was important!

Another view of San Cristobal.

Walking along the ocean view.

What a view!

I had to take a picture of the roofs because it reminded me of Africa!

Another narrow street with the blue cobblestone. I'm glad I wasn't driving here cause I never knew which way the cars would be coming down this street.

How'd you know we would find a Subway on our trip?? Actually, it was funny because when we got on the ship we met someone wearing a Subway t-shirt and we found out he was a franchisee in Puerto Rico!

Finally it was time to board the ship on Sunday, January 3rd. Ricky and I are checking out the balcony overlooking the port in San Juan.

We sailed the Southern Caribbean on the Carnival Victory. They have a huge TV screen on the Lido deck so you can watch movies while getting some sun.

A view of San Juan from the ship.

Relaxing after our first dinner. I had the chocolate melting cake - YUM!

A view of the fort at night as we cruise out of San Juan.

First stop, St. Thomas U.S.V.I. on Monday, January 4th.

We took a half-day shore excursion in St. Thomas - "Captain Nautica Ultimate Snorkeling Expedition."

We boarded a boat of about 20 people with our guide and driver. We stopped at 2 different sites for some superior snorkeling. We saw sea turtles, stingray, barracuda, and many other colorful exotic fish and coral.

We liked St. Thomas very much. The clear turquoise water and all the sailboats were really spectacular. As we were leaving St. Thomas we saw this pirate ship near the bay.

The first night our cabin steward, Michael, made an elephant out of towels.

Our 2nd stop on Tuesday, Jan. 5th was Roseau, Dominica. We got off the ship to do some shopping downtown. Instead of getting a taxi we decided to walk since it looked to be close. Well, it wasn't as close as we thought, but we got some exercise and probably worked off our dinner & dessert from the night before! The market reminded us of the African markets we visited in Zambia, except the Dominicans didn't like to barter as much as our Zambian salespeople.

This is a view of the rainforests in Dominica.

After our shopping in Dominica, we relaxed on the ship. Ricky took in a free throw competition while Niki soaked up some sun before our "Elegant" evening when we got all dressed up for the Captain's Dinner.

After enjoying a wonderful dinner & 2 desserts (cause I couldn't decide!), we returned to the room to find Michael's newest creation with towels--a lobster! Hey, that's what we had for dinner!

Our next island stop -- Bridgetown, Barbados on Wednesday, January 6th.

Again, we just got off the boat and ventured into town. We were looking for the "Cheapside Market" and didn't realize once we got there it was only fruits and veggies. We did find some cute shops along the wharf where we did a lot of window shopping. Then, we walked along the shore enjoying the views.

We even visited a fish market on the wharf where the locals were doing a lot of work cleaning the fish.

Castries, St. Lucia was our next destination on Thursday, January 7th. We had booked a tour with a local guy, Cosol. We began our journey with Sam, our driver, along with 4 other couples with a tour of the capital city, Castries, as Sam told us the history of St. Lucia.

We then drove through a native banana plantation where we sampled the local St. Lucia bananas. They are smaller, but sweeter in taste than the traditional bananas. We were asked to send a message to Obama that the US needs to import bananas from St. Lucia. Currently, the export only to the UK.

We drove along stopping at the fishing villages of Anse La Raye and Canaries. The first village was home to a weekly held "Friday Night Fish Feast" where the locals gather in the streets to party. Here on the south end of the island I found many reminders of Zambia -- woman walking with bucket on her head:)

This is Marigot Bay, the site where "Dr. Doolittle" movie was filmed. This is one of the most secure anchorages in the Caribbean. It's a natural harbor with plam-lined sandpits and steep forested hills.

Speaking of steep hills...can you imagine living in this house with those stilts holding it up?!

We visited Soufriere, the 2nd largest town and St. Lucia's first capital. Before arriving at the town we toured the Toraille waterfall and botanical garden.

We made a short stop to sample the local food of St. Lucia, including johnny cakes and fish cakes covered in banana ketchup. One of the drivers (pictured here sampling food) was named Baptiste. He had actually lived in the States and just returned to his home of St. Lucia.

The best part of this trip was viewing the magnificent Piton Mountains, which are a respected symbol of St. Lucia and the most recognizable landmarks in the Caribbean. The Pitons were considered sacred to the island's first inhabitants, the Amerindians. The most spectacular are the Gros Piton (2,619 ft) and the Petit Piton (2,461 ft) which are old volcanic forest-clad plugs rising sheer out of the sea near the town on Soufriere on the West coast.

We enjoyed a visit to the Sulphur Springs, the only drive-in volcano in the Caribbean. More than 20 belching pools of muddy water, multicolor sulfur deposits, and other assorted minerals were baking and steaming on the surface. Actually, we didn't drive in, but we drove up within a few hundred feet of the gurgling, steaming mass, and then walked around a fault in the substratum rock.

Once in the town of Soufriere, we boarded a small boat which took us between the Pitons to Hilton Jalousie Beach. We were given time to snorkel and lay on the beach.

Cosol tours was the best 6 hours we ever spent on an island in the Caribbean! We enjoyed learning about the beautiful island of St. Lucia.

More pictures of St. Lucia taken from the port.

This was one of the airports (the smaller one) on the island where we watched a few planes depart while we were in port.

As we were leaving the port in St. Lucia, I was taking pictures from our balcony when all of a sudden this pirate ship started shooting cannons. After jumping out of my skin we realized it was done on purpose as a send-off for us.

Another "elegant" evening after a long day, and then returning to find a frog in our room.

The next morning we awake to Basseterre, St. Kitts on Friday, January 8th.

We walked around this small town to find a craft market and a pharmacy to purchase some cold medicine. I guess the change in weather caused some stuffiness:( We did get to converse with a shop attendant who told us about her church and pastor (Baptist) and the mission teams from the States who come to help them.

I was cheered up that night by our puppy Michael made. I started missing Lizzie that night.

Our final destination on Saturday, January 9th was Philipsburg, St. Maarten.

St. Maarten had a nice Harbour Point Village Shopping, so we just stayed near the port and then returned to the ship for a relaxing day by the pool. Our last night featured a heart-shaped towel.

After 7 days at sea, we finally arrived back in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Because our hotal was not ready until the afternoon, we did another walking tour of Old San Juan. We found some local Caribbean food which we enjoyed very much.

Just down from our hotel were many name brand shops, including Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Prada, and Harry Winston (which I took this picture in honor of my sister).

On our tour of Old San Juan we got to visit the other fort, del Morro.

After a small delay at the airport on Monday, we made it safely home to see our kids, who were very excited to see us (as were we excited to see them).

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T20:01:00.000-05:00

Our Family on Christmas Day

Kelsey making her grand entrance Christmas morning.

My sister, Laurie, and her fiance, Mark. They were engaged December 23, 2009.

Lizzie's 1st Christmas!

Kelsey with Riley, my sister's dog

Roasted oysters and Low Country Boil for Christmas dinner! Guess who was first in line? Austin, Kelsey & Coby!

Aunt Jackie singing karaoke with Kelsey!

Walterboro family Christmas
Top row: Wyman and Jan Abstance (the parents); Middle row: Ricky, Niki, Laurie, Mark; Bottom row: Coby, Kelsey, Austin

Jumomma with Lala Bishop

Kelsey's silly shopping

2009-12-05T09:46:00.000-05:00

OK, so let me explain. Kelsey was getting a little frustrated on our shopping day with the girls (Megan, Sue, Lindsay, and me) and she could not understand why I would not buy her anything. I mean, it's only 20 days before Christmas! So, we asked her to try on some hats at the ski shop to distract her for a while. I think she liked it! And Mom got in on the fun too.

Christmas is coming

2009-12-05T09:42:00.000-05:00

What a sight to see as we're driving down the highway from Greenville! It's SANTA in his very own sleigh!
Lizzie is so excited about the holidays!

Hollywild

2009-11-30T09:52:00.000-05:00

Our AWANA kids went to Hollywild for our Christmas party. We drove 10 vehicles to carry all the kids and chaperones. I was a driver and had 3 boys including Coby, plus Austin, Elizabeth, and Mrs. Hazel as helpers. First, we drove through the light displays and onto the feeding frenzy from our vehicle. There were deer, buffalo, zebra, zonkey, emu, and many more that we fed from our car. Then, we progressed to the parking area and walked around feeding animals and drinking hot chocolate.

Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T09:00:00.000-05:00

This year for Thanksgiving we decided to help serve the community where Ricky & I grew up - Denmark, SC. We joined together with Denmark FBC, the Class of 1983, and other area churches to cook and serve a Thanksgiving meal for those in need.

the ladies cooking
me getting ready to pick up a hot pot

going to pour the tea into another pot

deboning the turkey

the serving line (I am on the opposite end so you can't see me, but that's my dad on the right helping this little guy choose a drink)

everyone had a job...this is my cousin, Sue, refilling the tea

our guests

After serving lunch, we went back to my Mom's house for Thanksgiving lunch. Here's my Mom doing her FAVORITE job - washing dishes (and I'm not joking)! That's my Jumoma (grandmother) in the background.

And this is what happens to everyone after dinner! Riley is enjoying her nap.

That evening we went to Ricky's parents for another Thanksgiving celebration. It was a full day (no pun intended)!

The Good Life

2009-11-20T08:56:00.000-05:00

Lizzie is actually asleep on the couch with her paws on the arm rest. Those are some big paws!
Napping with my granddaddy!

Half Time

2009-11-18T11:42:00.001-05:00

I just finished reading the book "Half Time" by Bob Buford. The book was actually given to Ricky by a good friend, but I picked it up one day and could not stop reading it. It's basically about changing your game plan from success to significance, and many things have made me stop and think. One particular section of the book I would like to share here with my readers.

Bob is reflecting on a very difficult time in his life when he was forced to lean on God for comfort. He mentions a simple Quaker prayer about giving and receiving. Because the Quakers use their hands as a type of religious symbol, the first part of the prayer is done with your palms up, visualizing yourself receiving all that you need from God. The second part is prayed with your palms down, visualizing all your cares and concerns being left in the lap of a benevolent and loving God.

"God, you have given my life into my hands. I give it back to you. My time, my property, my life itself...knowing it is only an instant compared to my life with you in eternity."
With palms down..."Father, to you I release the cares and concerns of this world, knowing you loved me enough to give your only Son in my behalf. I'm a sinner in need of a Savior and, once again, I accept what you have for me as sufficient. In Jesus' name. Amen."

Then, this morning as I was doing my quiet time, my devotion was centered around Ephesians 3:20-21 which says, "Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen."

If you have a chance to read "Half Time," you will not be disappointed!

Random Pics

2009-11-17T12:04:00.001-05:00

Death Valley during the week.

Lizzie asleep with ball in her mouth.

Kids with Milton Jennings at Clemson Basketball Exhibition Game.

Kids with Bobo - 7 foot 2 inches

Kelsey & Coby's Swim Team (Coby not pictured)

Happy Halloween

2009-10-31T21:09:00.000-04:00

Halloween morning we were up early getting ready for the Homecoming game at Clemson. We arrived early (9:45am) and got into our spot fairly easy.

Ricky's brothers and their families joined us as we celebrated Mr. Ben's 75th birthday. Ricky cooked BBQ and I made 3 different types of chex mix for my taste testers. I think everyone liked the one made with sweetened condensed milk!

Kelsey with her bib while eating her BBQ!

Ricky tasting the chex mix!

Doesn't he look like he loves me?

OK, so we didn't make Mr. Ben blow out 75 candles, but he sure did a good job taking care of the ones we did put on his cake.

After the game it was time to get dressed up for Trick or Treating in our neighborhood. Coby could not decide what he wanted to dress up as, so as a last minute decision he asked Ricky to paint his face from a design he found on the web. Kelsey had a leopard mask, but she wanted her face painted as well, so I ended up free-handing a design I found off the internet.
This blog post was edited by the one and only Lizzie the Labradoodle.

Trunk-n-Treat

2009-10-26T08:01:00.000-04:00

Our church had its annual Trunk-n-Treat Sunday night. Ricky and I set up our trunk Zambian style. Of course, I was the only one that dressed up! You can't see my Zambian towels that are hanging from each side of the car. And we played "Amazing Voices" on CD so everyone could hear the beautiful voices of our Zambian friends.

Austin helped out with the games. He was in charge of the bouncy house. He wouldn't let me take his picture, so this is what happens when you're trying to hide the fact that you're taking a picture of him. (I think it turned out pretty good with the steeple in the background) We had such a large crowd, and in only 90 minutes 500 hot dogs were gone! I took a picture of almost every child that came to my car for candy, so you can see the other pictures in the slideshow.

Coby was a Clemson Tiger fan. Austin enjoyed painting Coby's face, and his hair is painted orange and purple.

Kelsey and her friend, Brooke, dressed up. Kelsey is a leopard (carrying her Lozi basket from Zambia).

Kelsey's First Swim Meet

2009-10-25T08:09:00.000-04:00

Kelsey getting ready to race

Warm-ups before the race

Diving in for the breast stroke

Kelsey did very well her first meet. We are very proud of her!

Blog Neglect

2009-10-13T11:09:00.000-04:00

I find there is not much to blog about these days. I spend time reading so many blogs that I sometimes neglect my own. And I really cannot stand to post anything without a picture! So, I took this picture the other day of Lizzie running around with the horses. They have become quite friendly with one another, and Lizzie enjoys being outside where she can run free for a change of pace. She is usually taking naps inside all day until the kids get home from school. She has really grown since my last post. We weighed her at home yesterday and she is all of 42 pounds now. Her favorite place to snooze is on the porch where it's nice and cool this October.

In other news...I (Niki) will be having surgery on Tuesday, October 20th to remove my gallbladder which is functioning at 8%, compared to the normal 35% or greater.

See You At the Poles

2009-09-23T12:04:00.000-04:00

There were about 80-85 students engaged with God in prayer and connecting with fellow Christians in unity around the flag pole this morning.

The Rains Came Down and the Floods Came Up

2009-09-21T11:44:00.000-04:00

The rains have been coming down here in Oconee County. I guess it started around 2pm on Saturday and rained all day on Sunday, and more on Monday. You can read the full story here.

This is Sertoma Field in Walhalla where our children do recreation sports. We heard the concession stands were flooded, and you can see the soccer goals were almost covered. I doubt the soccer and football teams will be able to resume play for a while until it's dried out.
Even the parking lots were under water so they closed the entrance to the field. Many passerbys were stopping to take photos (like ourselves).

Most creeks were well out of their banks and raging like a river. This creek is near our house that we cross many times during the day.

Soooo Cute

2009-09-13T11:59:00.000-04:00

My sister's dog, Riley, came to visit. She and Lizzie got along so-so. She learned quickly to run under the table where Lizzie could not reach her. Then I guess all the excitement was too much for her and she fell asleep on the couch.

Lizzie is waiting for Riley to come out so she can pounce on her. She just wanted to PLAY!

Another Waterfall

2009-09-07T21:47:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Station Cove Falls located just 9 miles north of Walhalla. We took a short trip here Labor Day morning to let Lizzie get some exercise. She enjoyed being off-leash for a while, but there were more people on the trail than we anticipated, so she stayed on her leash most of the time. Austin was unable to go with us since he was suffering from a virus.

Coby caught a salamander at the bottom of the Falls.

Lizzie meets Dixie

2009-09-06T21:52:00.000-04:00

Lizzie got to meet her "cousin" Dixie on Sunday. Dixie belongs to our brother and sister-in-love who had been in Clemson for the game and stopped by our house to visit. I'm not too sure Dixie was all that thrilled to meet Lizzie. Dixie even showed her who was "boss" one time by growling and showing her teeth.

Tailgating-Clemson Style

2009-09-06T09:24:00.000-04:00

Saturday, September 5th marked the first Clemson home game, and our first tailgating since 2006 season. Ricky held back his tears as he remembered missing the last 2 seasons of games while we were serving in Zambia. Clemson beat Middle Tennessee 37-14, even though it rained the 2nd half. It was not easy making it to our new parking lot this year. You can see from the picture the aisle where cars would enter to find their numbered spot. Every time a car came through, we all had to move our tents, chairs, and tables. We had a spread of appetizers and chicken wings/fingers. I was very proud of my cream cheese Tiger paw covered in Sweet Pepper Jalepeno Jam (by Tastefully Simple)! We celebrated Coby's 11th birthday during half-time with a football cake, and after the rains came down we packed up the tent and food and went home.

It's All About ME (the dog)

2009-08-31T12:15:00.001-04:00

You know how the baby gets all the attention...well, this baby is getting ALL the attention! She thinks life revolves around HER! She is getting adjusted to not having the kids here Mon-Fri while they are at school. Lizzie and I run errands and clean house during that time, and usually on Mondays she sulks around the house like she's lost her best friends. And she has really, cause during the weekend she plays with Austin, Coby and Kelsey non-stop. She's becoming a momma's girl, for sure. And we're happy to announce that Lizzie has graduated from Puppy Obedience Class with a gold star.
In other news...Kelsey is taking gymnastics once a week, plus she starts the swim team this week in Clemson. Coby, unfortunately, cannot play any sports until the cast comes off. And Austin is working on fundraisers for the 8th grade trip to NYC in May 2010. Not to mention they all have lots of homework this year. Even Mom gets to read the same book as Austin and do a Parent Book Report (that should be interesting!). And, Dad and Mom have decided to go back to Peru in March 2010 for the last mission trip to our church's people group.

First Haircut

2009-08-27T14:31:00.000-04:00

Today was Lizzie's first haircut by our good friend, Christi Mason. She did very well except for a few wiggles on the table, earning her the nickname "Lizzie Lizard." She looks totally different with her short cut, and I hardly recognized her when I went to pick her up. She will be a much happier, cooler pup after today!

Lizzie Lovin Life

2009-08-20T13:43:00.001-04:00

What a happy labradoodle!

Stretching after a hard day's NAP!

She loves to hike down to the creek.
She likes getting really wet and dirty too.
Running after Daddy.I love this picture below cause it captures who she is. Lizzie is a very spunky 4 month old. She sometimes looks like a rabbit hopping through the air!

Ahhh, I've had my bath and I'm ready to nap AGAIN! How do you like my pink bow Mom put in my hair?

Accidents Happen

2009-08-16T13:01:00.000-04:00

It began such a lovely day hiking down the trail to the creek where Lizzie and the boys could cool off and swim. The previous day the boys were down at the creek swimming and trying out the slide. However, this day the water was very low. Coby tried going down the slide, but it was not wet. So they hoisted a trash can full of water up to the top of the slide to wet the slide before going down. Second time down, Coby was moving pretty fast. It crossed Ricky's mind that this could be dangerous, but the boys were having such fun that we didn't want to spoil their afternoon play. Sure enough, the third time down Coby was flying when he hit the end of the slide and twisted into the water. In order to brace himself from the fall he extended his left arm into the water. AND that's when it happened! I knew he was hurt as soon as I saw his face. I yelled for Ricky to go get help. Unfortunately for us, we had not left a vehicle at the end of the subdivision so it was a long way back home by foot. Ricky began running the uphill battle to try and get some help. In the meantime, Austin and I carefully walked Coby out of the woods until Ricky could get back. I was so scared that Ricky was going to pass out running back up the hill to the nearest neighbor's house. It was 90 degrees that day and we had already walked about 1.5 miles to get there. Thankfully the closest neighbor was home and allowed Ricky to borrow their golf cart. He picked us up and we headed to the house. Because we had Lizzie with us, Austin and I stayed at the house to give the dog a bath (she was covered in mud) while Ricky took Coby to the ER. Kelsey was over at a friend's house so she stayed there while this was happening.

Here's the site of the accident! (this picture was taken later in the week after several rains, so the water was actually lower than this on the day of the accident)
This is the view from the top of the slide.
At the ER, Coby had to wait in the hallway because all the rooms were full. The doctor even put the splint on in this hallway. He was hurting really bad during the wait. The xray showed that the radius bone was broken, but luckily it was a clean break and did not require any surgery.
Because he had been swimming, he was still in his wet bathing suit with no shirt. There was sand covering his back and he was chilly in the ER. Coby is a tough little fella though!
The first 48 hours were the toughest for him. He was on pain meds those days, but was able to go to school on Monday (1st day back to school). By Wednesday he had his new cast! He's feeling much better now, and is SO happy that he is right-handed so he can do his homework (NOT!)

Lizzie at 4 months

2009-08-15T13:13:00.000-04:00

Lizzie is now 4 months old. Here are some pictures from the past few weeks.

Two poses of a sleeping dog! In the top photo, Lizzie is laying under my chair as I work on the computer. The other photo was her lying on the couch asleep. She also dreams when she's asleep and makes noises or movements to describe her dreams.

Lizzie's favorite activity is going outside to the koi pond and getting a drink. Sometimes she paws the water coming out from the top rock, and she really gets soaked when she's done!

Playing outside with the kids! I think she was getting ready to jump on Coby in this picture.

Lizzie is so much fun these days, and she's doing well in her dog training class.

Carolinas Aviation Museum

2009-08-14T15:59:00.000-04:00

Austin and Ricky went to Charlotte yesterday to visit the Carolinas Aviation Museum. Austin is very interested in becoming a pilot one day so he was excited to see these planes.

Kelsey's Surprise

2009-08-14T15:56:00.001-04:00

This week Kelsey and I have been discussing the possibility of cutting her hair. She kept going back and forth, but finally decided on Thursday, August 13th to donate her hair to Locks of Love. She will be sending off 10 inches which she has been growing out all her life (8 years).

It's time to cut...

WOW, that feels a whole lot better!

Doesn't she look so grown up?! Kelsey, you look beautiful and we love the new haircut!

Snake Stories

2009-08-14T15:41:00.000-04:00

I wish it would have been lighter for you to see this! Some friends of ours were over (playing cards, of course) and the kids yelled to us that the snake was out. We have been watching this snake for several weeks now and can't seem to catch him. So, Ricky and our friend, Steve, went running out, and the first thing Ricky grabbed was the shovel. Well, Steve was looking for somethign to grab so he saw the kids butterfly net nearby. Here are two grown men looking for a snake with a shovel and a net!The snake would come out on occasion, but he was not out far enough for us to catch.

FINALLY, the other night we caught him and killed him. I was not at home to catch the action on camera, but the story goes that Austin shot it with the gun and Ricky jumped in the pond with the shovel to finish him off. Here are the remains of what we think is a baby Copperhead.

Brasstown Falls

2009-07-25T15:17:00.001-04:00

Our adventure today led us about 16 miles past Westminster to Brasstown Falls in the Sumter National Forest. We took Lizzie along for this hike so she could run some energy and play in the water. After all that hiking and swimming, it was time for lunch - at SUBWAY, of course!

Can you see Austin and Coby under the waterfall?

Coby and Austin found these red fish swimming in the shallow water. Coby even caught one with his bare hands!

Weekend at MB

2009-07-20T14:12:00.000-04:00

This weekend we went to Myrtle Beach for a short 2 night stay. Our main objective for going was to get to see the Rodgers family who are visiting from Zambia. Kelsey was so excited to see Hannah after 6 months. They picked up right where they left off. Thanks, Rodgers, for letting us spend some time with you and your family!

Kelsey's Swim Lessons

2009-07-20T14:07:00.000-04:00

Last week Kelsey had swim lessons at Mrs. Debbie's. It was a very busy week including VBS, Basketball Camp, Dog Obedience Class, and dance class. Here are a couple of pics from swim lessons.

VBS Week

2009-07-17T14:28:00.000-04:00

Coby arrived home on Sunday just in time for VBS. After the first night, my mom gave Lizzie and the kids a treat. The kids got a box of whales (like goldfish), and Lizzie got her own "goldfish" toy to chew on. She really liked it!!!

Here are Coby and Cameron heading to the front of the church for VBS.

The first 2 nights of VBS, Niki was asked to fill-in for Mrs. Betsy on the music. Here we are singing the Boomerang Express song. All Aboard!!!

Other fun photos from VBS. The last 3 nights, I was the photographer.

Coby being silly.

Ricky spent the whole week helping out with the bus kids, riding to and from the pick-ups. But one night he got to be a "real live missionary" for the missions station when they were talking about Africa and Tanzanian street kids.
Below is Coby's class - 5th and 6th graders!

Below is Kelsey's class - 3rd and 4th graders!

BAD GIRL !!!

2009-07-06T12:45:00.000-04:00

Take a Hike

2009-07-06T12:33:00.000-04:00

A week ago we decided to go up in the mountains to find some new waterfalls of Oconee County. We thought we had not been to this one, but once we were there, Ricky realized he had been before. But it was a first for the rest of us. It was only a one mile hike once we left the truck, and we saw 2 waterfalls on the trail - PigPen and Lick Log Falls. The kids enjoyed climbing the falls and exploring in the water where they found a snake, of course (see last picture).

Kids in front of Pig Pen Falls

Mom and kids in front of Lick Log Falls.

Kelsey following Austin up the falls.

Coby looking for the snake.

Not sure what kind of snake this was?

New Discoveries

2009-07-06T11:42:00.001-04:00

This week Lizzie has made some new discoveries. First, she met her new cousin, Riley, which is my sister's new dog. Riley is a one year old Bichon Frise Maltese. We met up with Laurie, Mark, and my mom on Friday so they could pick up Coby for the week.

Lizzie's next new discovery is the stairs. She has finally made it up to the top, but she is afraid to come down them. It won't be long before the gate has to be put up.

And just at the bottom of the stairs is our guest bath, which Lizzie has discovered to be quite interesting. She loves to watch the water swirl around in the toilet, and thankfully she has not learned to drink the water.

Last night we watched her as she discovered how to eat and relax at the same time. She was literally laying in her bowl and eating.

She has also learned how to paw at her water bowl and make a big mess on the floor. Luckily we have hardwood floors that just need a mopping after she's done playing in her water.

New Orleans Mission Trip

2009-06-28T15:27:00.000-04:00

Our church joined with the North American Mission Board - Project NOAH in New Orleans from June 13-19. We had 45 people go on this trip, with one evangelism team and one construction team. Most of the evangelism group consisted of our youth, and the construction team consisted mainly of adults. I am currently gathering pictures from everyone on the trip, but here are a few pictures so far...

Gentilly Baptist Church, New Orleans...this is where we stayed. Their sanctuary is currently being rebuilt, so they meet in the gym area, which is where our team slept each night. They have the classrooms turned into sleeping quarters for the volunteers of the NOAH project.

You may not be able to tell that this is Austin in the picture above, SWEEPING the gym floor. The youth had chores to do while staying in the church. The adults, however, were allowed to "play" while the kids cleaned! We played a lot of cards this week! Even though I had a bad hand this round, I ended up winning - HAHA!

Construction team members... Matt and Ryan!

Getting our marching orders before the 1st day's work.

We saw many signs like this on the houses that were not rebuilt. These were done by the inspectors right after Hurricane Katrina, to determine if any bodies were recovered in the homes.

My crew installed bamboo hardwood floors during our time there. None of us knew exactly how to install flooring, but we were very good learners, and we completed 3 rooms in 3 days!

My team: Mike, Keith, me, and Morgan. Below, we are installing the last piece of flooring, which we signed on the back as a momento of our accomplishment. Also, below, is our team with the homeowner, Mrs. Flo. She was a very sweet lady, and we learned about her story of her husband leaving her right after the Hurricane hit. She was left to care for 3 teenage children, and rebuild her house with her own funding. She actually purchased all the hardwood flooring and we installed it for free through the NOAH project.

Kim and I after a long days work. We really needed a SHOWER!

I only have a few pictures of the evangelism team. They worked in 2 neighborhoods doing backyard bible clubs and a block party each day. The block party consisted of a slip-n-slide, popcorn, cotton candy, snow cones, bouncy house, and other fun games.

It is really hard to see in this picture, but Austin is in charge of making the popcorn. He has on a dark colored t-shirt and a ball cap, and he's under the tent.

We did get a chance to visit the French Quarter and eat some bignets at Cafe du Monde.

On the way home we made a pit-stop in Atlanta, staying at a hotel for the night to get some much needed rest, and then went to Whitewater Park before returning home. (Austin is pictured 2nd from the left)

A Visit with Dustin

2009-06-27T14:43:00.000-04:00

Our friends, Sue and Jim, are having their nephew visit from Indiana this week. We have not seen Dustin since before we left for Africa and it was really good to see him again. Whenever he comes to visit South Carolina and Aunt Sue, he has to come visit our Subway. We let him come behind the counter and make his own sandwich, which makes his day! Yesterday, we met Dustin and Sue at Subway for lunch, and Lizzie was there to meet Dustin, too. Dustin also got a new Subway shirt for being our favorite customer!!!

Dog Days of Summer

2009-06-27T14:35:00.001-04:00

It is really HOT these days. And our little Lizzie cannot stand to go outside in the heat. She usually does her "business" pretty quickly and runs back to the door begging to come inside. Once inside, she crashes onto the air vent and chills out for a while. She has found several air vents that she likes to sit on during the day, even if they are not running:)

She had her 1st bath the other day in Kelsey's huge shower area. It was nice to just get in there with our bathing suits on and wash her down. She could run around and shake all she wanted.

She's doing very well at night in her crate. She whines just a little when we put her in, but then she goes to sleep like a good girl:)

Lizzie is HOME

2009-06-23T14:07:00.001-04:00

We left Denmark on Monday morning and headed to Statesboro, Ga where we were meeting Lizzie. We all were very excited to finally meet her.Coby & Kelsey getting the first kisses!

Then Mom gets a turn to hold her.

And now it's time to go for a long ride to Seneca, SC. The kids decided they would pass her around every 10 minutes until everyone got a turn to hold her in the car. Then, she was free to lay down and rest for the remainder of the ride.

We had to make a few potty stops along the way. And not to mention a water break, she was very thirsty.

We made it home, and she likes her new house. She has been slipping around on the hardwood floors cause she's not used to the slick floors. It is hilarious to watch her run and skid across the floor. She likes her new toys we bought her also. Last night (her first night) she slept pretty well in her crate. She woke up around 3am crying, so Ricky took her out, then she slept until 7am. She also got to meet Moto last night when Sue & Jim came over. They enjoyed playing with each other and checking one another out. One thing she really likes is lying across the air vents on the floor. She has found that to keep her cool on these hot days of summer.

Summer with Grandparents

2009-06-22T19:31:00.000-04:00

This past week while Austin and Niki were on a mission trip to New Orleans (this blog will come later), Coby and Kelsey got to stay with the grandparents in Denmark. Poor Ricky had to hold down the fort in Walhalla! Here are some pictures of Coby & Kelsey during their stay with MeMe.

They love going to work with MeMe at Subway, where they put on their hats, shirts, aprons and get busy helping out the staff.

Coby changing the air filter...

and washing DISHES!

Kelsey gathering the chips for the chip rack in the lobby...

I think this was the funniest part of working...breaking down the cardboard boxes!

After a hard days work, they went to Barnwell to feed the ducks. Kelsey said they must be starving since she hasn't been to feed them in 2 YEARS!

Coby's "breakfast of champions" - Frosted Flakes covered in BANANAS!

Hopefully, this chocolate was NOT part of Kelsey's breakfast!

Little MeMe...

One day they went to Walterboro to visit Jumoma (their great grandmother) and cousin Brandon. Coby had been asking to go see the football stadium next to Jumoma's house where "Radio" was filmed. Brandon helped him climb on top of the goal post.

Downtown Walterboro... a waterfall and park area.

Then, on the way home from Walterboro, they stopped on the side of the road to run through a corn field.

What happy days at MeMe's house!!! They also got to build a fort in MeMe's back yard, ride bikes, and swim with their friends who live down the street. Coby even had Granddaddy chop down some bamboo for the fort. Thanks MeMe, PopPop, MaMa and Granddaddy for taking care of them!

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-21T16:48:00.000-04:00

We Love Our Daddy!

Each year on Father's Day my (Niki's) family unites at Lake Murray near Lexington, SC. Since being in Zambia we have missed the last 2 years of seeing this extended family. It was good to see folks that I had not seen in a long time.
The kids enjoy swimming in the lake and going for a boat ride. My uncle David usually does the grilling of hamburgers and hotdogs, and everyone brings something to go along. There goes my DIET!

Below is my sister, Laurie, who was watching the kids swim.

We also learned how to play "Corn Hole" which seems to be the new game at the football games while tailgating. Laurie has her own "Gamecock" boards, but my Uncle David has one Clemson and one Carolina board.

This is my DAD, Wyman Abstance.
This is Ricky's DAD, Ben Cook.

And this is my GrandDAD, Dave Abstance, Sr.

After we celebrated at the lake, we went to Ricky's brother's house for dinner with the Cook family. We are very thankful for our father's!

Coby's Swim Lessons

2009-06-12T20:38:00.000-04:00

Baseball is finished! Coby's team lost out before the final game:(

Now, it's swim lesson time. Coby went the 1st week out of school to Mrs. Debbie's. He started out in a class younger than him, but by the end he had advanced to the older group.

Last day of lessons with the group and Mrs. Debbie. (3rd from left back row)
Coby bringing the heat with his dive! (on the left)

Chilling out on the diving board.

The class swam laps for 15 minutes doing different strokes each lap.

This is the compact jump off the diving board.

Coby was taught the rescue jump and many techniques on saving a drowning victim.

Still tournamenting...

2009-06-02T17:39:00.000-04:00

Is that a word? Well, Coby's team is still in the running for county champion. They won a close game Friday night, and we have another game tonight. We are hoping they make it to the championship game on Saturday!

End of School Awards

2009-06-02T17:30:00.000-04:00

We are almost finished with this school year - tomorrow is our last day of school! Last week was full of awards days, class parties, and field day. Kelsey received the Governor's Reading Honor Roll as well as the Sportmanship & Cooperation Award for her class. Coby received the A/B Honor Roll. Coby & Austin both received Perfect Attendance awards. (sorry no pictures of Austin, cause he was moving too fast for the camera!)

Kelsey accepting her award from Mrs. Garland.

These are Kelsey's friends, Jazmyn and Olivia.
Coby accepting his award from Ms. Rukat.

Lizzie Victoria

2009-06-02T17:19:00.000-04:00

Meet Lizzie Victoria Cook, the new addition to our family. Well, she's not with us yet as she is only 6 weeks old now. We will pick her up in a few weeks. We will update the blog when she arrives at her new home. But until then, please enjoy these pictures of her.

Dogsitting

2009-05-23T21:16:00.000-04:00

This weekend our friends, Sue and Jim, have asked us to dogsit their Jack Russell. His name is Moto, and he's 2 1/2 years old. Just before Christmas 2006, Sue talked us into getting Moto's sister as our family pet, and then we decided in January 2007 that we would be leaving for Africa, so we gave her up to another family since we were leaving the country. We are keeping Moto until Monday. Today he was very intrigued by the koi pond outside and he did take a little dip in the pond to eat the fish food. Isn't he so cute?

We have made the decision that we are getting a family pet. She is only 5 weeks old now so we have to wait until she is 8 weeks before picking her up. She lives in Georgia and we will get her by mid-June. Her name is Victoria (chosen by the owners), and she is a F1b labradoodle. She has very light hair with some waves and the owners think she has turned out to be the smallest. She has a little bit of darker tones in her face and a liver colored nose. We have debated on her name for the past several days because Victoria is too long of a name to be calling over and over. We like the name "Lizzie" but we cannot come to a unanimous decision. I hope we make our decision before she gets used to Victoria. This is her at 4 weeks old (courtesy of http://mcnuredoodles.googlepages.com ). Can you guess what our summer will entail?

Another beautiful sunset from our house

2009-05-23T21:06:00.001-04:00

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1

Coby's Final Game of the Season

2009-05-23T20:59:00.000-04:00

Well, it's the final game of the season and my camera finally made it's way into my hands. Coby has enjoyed playing baseball this year in the 10&Under group. He starts his county tournament next week. He's been playing 3rd base this season.

Double Header

2009-05-21T21:28:00.000-04:00

Tonight Austin's team had a double-header. During the 1st game, Austin got to pitch. They won both games to end the season, and we start county tournament next week.

Austin's Baseball Tournament

2009-05-16T21:24:00.000-04:00

This morning Austin was scheduled to play in a baseball tournament in Seneca. At the same time, Niki was scheduled to attend a meeting in Walhalla. Mama & Granddaddy were on their way to Seneca to watch the game, and Coby was staying at Hunter's. By 11am my meeting was over and I didn't think I had time to make it to Austin's game since it was supposed to be over at 11:30am, so Kelsey and I went home to get ready for the recital. We get the report at 11:30am that the game is tied and they are playing until someone wins. Austin's team was losing 6-1 in the 3rd inning, but Austin led the 4th inning with a line drive into left field. He came to bat 3 times during this games and got on base every time. They ended up winning 10-6 and had to wait to play the next game. In the meantime, the rest of us got ready and went on to the recital at 1:15pm. After watching Kelsey's performance we all went back to the ballgame to see Austin's team lose 9-7 after a time call on the game. They may have come back to win it if there had been enough time left to play.

This is Austin up to bat (red shirt, left handed)...

This is Austin crossing home plate...

Dance Recital 2009

2009-05-16T21:12:00.000-04:00

Kelsey takes Jazz from Unlimited Talent Dance Studio in Seneca, SC. Since coming home in January, she started class a little later than the other students, but she caught on really fast to learn the dance routine. They did a dance to Hannah Montana's song entitle "Nobody's Perfect."

Here is Kelsey backstage waiting her turn to dance.

Here's our row...Coby, Sue, Megan, Mama, Granddaddy, Ricky, and me taking the photo.

And now in action on the dance floor...

Blog block

2009-05-15T12:37:00.000-04:00

For the past several weeks I have really had a blog block. There just seems like nothing new or interesting to blog about. Our days are filled with kids going to school, boys playing baseball, going to church events, Kelsey's dance classes, paying bills, cleaning house...okay, you get the idea! Speaking of baseball, I did capture a couple of pictures with my cell phone the other night at Austin's game. They ended up losing 5-4, but Austin scored one of the runs.

You can barely see Austin, but he's standing on 2nd base waiting for the hit.

As soon as the ball was hit he ran to 3rd and the coach waved him on to home plate. That's him in running action (red shirt) heading towards home where he safely made it without sliding!

When we purchased our house, the owner had his horses kept in our backyard and we agreed to let them stay until his field was established and he could move them. Kelsey has really enjoyed having those horses in our backyard. Everyday she makes sure they have water in the trough, and now she is brushing them when they come to the fence. She took these photos of Wrangler and Rino. They also really like CARROTS and not celery!

Dance recital is Saturday, and Austin is playing in a baseball tournament on Saturday as well. Lots going on these last few days of the school year, and then it's SUMMER time! We have signed up for lots of camps and activities during the summer as well as a mission trip to New Orleans. So maybe I will have something to blog about really soon!

Sunsets

2009-04-26T18:20:00.001-04:00

These are a few views from our house of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

It's Party Time

2009-04-25T18:02:00.000-04:00

Kelsey turned 8 years old on Thursday, April 23rd. Shortly after school she had a bike accident and fractured her wrist. This is the 2nd time she has fractured her wrist, but this time it was the other wrist. She has a splint on for now until we see the orthopaedic. This did not stop her from celebrating her birthday on Saturday. Of course, we had a Hannah Montana theme birthday. Her friends also got to feed the horses behind our home.

More Myrtle Beach

2009-04-19T11:03:00.000-04:00

We had a wonderful, restful time at the beach. We enjoyed sharing time with our friends. This is Emma Elliott, 2 year old daughter of West & Shannon. Doesn't she look happy to be at the beach!?

I didn't know that our friend, Amanda, was such a shell collector. She talked the kids into helping her dig this big hole to search for seashells. They found over 200 shells, including the SC state seashell - the "Lettered Olive." I didn't know we had a state shell?! Look it up - it's true!

Here's Amanda and Kelsey working hard...

And little Emma just having a good time in the sand...

Dig, dig, dig...

Austin, aren't you supposed to be digging?

The hole got so deep we almost lost Amanda...
Emma is burying my feet...
There's Amanda! She didn't get buried after all. (She's actually standing in the hole.)

Harrison celebrated his 6th birthday at the beach.

Happy Birthday, Harrison!

Emma had a little too much CAKE!

After all that cake and digging in the sand, these girls need a BATH...a big bubble bath!
Patrick enjoyed wearing Coby's Clemson wig, but he messed it up with that Carolina hat!

Spring Break at the Beach

2009-04-16T00:11:00.000-04:00

It sure doesn't feel like Spring here in Myrtle Beach. We arrived on Tuesday after traveling through several rain storms. Our first sight of the ocean and beach in almost 2 years!!! The kids were sooooo excited to finally be here, and Mom and Dad, too. We are staying with 2 families from our church for the next 4 days during our Spring Break and hoping that the weather cooperates and gives us some sunshine!

No matter how cold the water is... boys will be boys!

Almost 8...

2009-04-06T00:05:00.000-04:00

Since her Meme and Aunt Laurie were visiting us, they decided to go ahead and have an early birthday party for Kelsey. Her birthday is coming up on April 23rd, but she wanted to use her Easy Bake Oven... So, Aunt Laurie and Kelsey baked a cake and set up the party on the porch. Coby even played "Happy Birthday" with his recorder.

Finally...HOME!

2009-03-24T19:09:00.001-04:00

We have found a place to call "HOME." We moved in on March 19th and we're still unpacking and trying to find things we left in storage while in Zambia.

Right outside our front door is a Koi Pond. We just added 5 fish to the pond, but they are hiding under the rocks. Their names are Ricky, Niki, Austin, Coby and Kelsey. (I know...so original!)

11th Annual Missions Tea

2009-03-21T18:50:00.000-04:00

Our church "gym" gets transformed during the Tea.
For the past 11 years, College Street Baptist has hosted a Missions Tea. All proceeds from the Tea are used for missions at our church. Ricky and I were asked to speak at this year's tea which was titled "A Call to Tea." We spoke about our calling to go to Zambia and also our calling to return to the States. Ricky made history by being the first MAN to speak at the tea as well as sit with the ladies. Our friend, Lisa, called him BRAVE! Hey, it's all in the name of MISSIONS!
I missed not setting a table this year, but I am ready for next year's tea.
Below... my friends Missy Gibson, Sue Maher, and Megan (Maher) Pridmore enjoying the Tea.

SNOW DAY!

2009-03-02T14:42:00.000-05:00

I think we have finally had our last cold spell this winter, and I am looking forward to Spring Time! We were traveling this past weekend when we heard of the report of snow for our area, so we hit the road shortly after lunch on Sunday. As soon as we turned off I-26 onto I-385 the snow began to come down. By the time we got to Greenville, it was sticking to the roads pretty good. We saw a few wrecks along the way, but thankfully, they were not that bad. Our niece, Bretta, was following us back to Clemson and so we stopped at one of our stores in Central to say goodbye to her as she went to her apartment. We drove through the worst of it, and about the time we got into Seneca, it turned to rain. That evening we got bits of snow mixed with rain and just a dusting at our house, but the kids got a day off from school on Monday.

Girls Day Out

2009-03-01T14:53:00.000-05:00

My grandmother turned 79 this year, and for her birthday, my mom, my sister, Kelsey and I decided to take her out for some GIRL TIME! We started our morning at the nail salon where we were given manicures and pedicures. Don't we look relaxed!! After our nails were dry, we went to lunch at Olive Garden, YUM! Jumomma (that's what we call our grandma) invited her best friend, Fleecie (and that's her nickname) to join us for lunch. They have been best friends since they were 14 years old. I enjoyed listening to their stories from way back when.

Jumomma getting her pedicure

Kelsey with her nails done - in Silver polish!

Now, this is what I call "Relaxation" - that massage chair was worth it!

My sister, Laurie, waiting patiently for us girls

4 generations: Jumomma (grandmother), Me, Jan (my mom), Laurie (sister), and Kelsey

My New "Do"

2009-02-26T11:30:00.000-05:00

Last week I went to see my hair dresser for a new cut. I gave her only 1 rule that she could not cut it too short since I had spent the last 15 months while in Zambia growing my hair long. I think she did a great job. Here are the before and after pictures (taken by Kelsey).

Before

After

Relive the War

2009-02-26T11:11:00.000-05:00

Coby as Nathan Hale

4th grade at Walhalla Elementary doing a wax museum

Coby's class just finished a report on the Revolutionary War, and he had to choose a person to imitate during a class project of a wax museum. He chose to be Nathan Hale. The students and parents walked around the cafeteria pressing a button on a card the kids made with the name of their person, and the kids described who they were and what they did in the war. Here are some photos (taken with my cell phone) of the day.

Hunter Mason (Coby's best friend) as George Washington

Matthew Barker as Paul Revere

Mallie Lewis

Jonathan Gibson

Job Shadow Day

2009-02-18T09:09:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, Austin had the opportunity to shadow someone on the job. He has always been interested in becoming a pilot, so we were able to find a flight instructor at the Oconee County Airport to mentor him for the day. He arrived at 8:45am and followed his mentor around the airport, attending some classes and getting to know more about flying. Mr. Smith, the flight instructor, had to go along with a student on a flight to Athens, GA, so Austin got to ride with them. He loved it! After they returned from Athens, he got to eat lunch with some of the flight students and instructors, and then he observed the mechanics in the shop. At this point, Mr. Smith gave Austin a flight lesson and he let Austin pilot a plane about 10 miles north, flying over Walhalla Middle School. Austin sat in the pilot seat, with Mr. Smith as co-pilot. Once they reached altitude, Austin flew the plane by himself! He was so excited. I took some photos with my cell phone, and Mr. Smith took some while in the plane.

This is leaving Clemson

This is the University of Georgia football stadium in Athens

More pictures of Georgia (these are for our Georgia friends in Zambia)

This is over Walhalla Middle and High School

Every morning when I rise...

2009-02-10T13:17:00.000-05:00

This is the scene out of our window when we get up every morning. We are blessed to be staying on Lake Keowee right now while we house hunt. This is actually the 3rd time we have stayed at this house. We lived here for 6 months during the time we built our first home. Austin celebrated his 1st birthday here, so it has some special memories.

In the morning, when I rise

In the morning, when I rise, give me Jesus

Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus,

You can have all this world,

But give me Jesus

When I am alone

When I am alone, give me Jesus

Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus,

You can have all this world,

But give me Jesus

When I come to die

When I come to die, give me Jesus

Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus,

You can have all this world,

But give me Jesus

Youth Choir at CSBC

2009-02-08T13:14:00.000-05:00

This is Ridiculously Cold

2009-02-05T08:12:00.000-05:00

Ricky and I are spending a week in Richmond, VA at the ILC for the IMB (If you know what those letters stand for, bravo!). We arrived on Tuesday and saw a little snow on the ground from the morning's dusting. Since it is sooooo cold, we tend to stay indoors as much as possible. Our first classes started yesterday at 8:30am and ended around 3pm. After dinner last night we met with some new friends to play games - we played Apples to Apples. Today, we will have more classes followed by a dinner at Bob & Linda's house.