Rock Ranch!

So, this coming Saturday (November 5th) is "Pumpkin Destruction Day" at this little farm called Rock Ranch. The owner of Chick-Fil-A also owns this ranch, and it is a great place to take your family if you are ever in Georgia about an hour south of Atlanta.  Pumpkin Destruction Day sounds super fun (although I won't be attending)! On November 5th the public is invited to help the staff at Rock Ranch destroy any unsold pumpkins!  They are destroyed via "the pumpkin cannon, pumpkin bowling, the hammer smash and the 40 ft. lift crane pumpkin drop, among others. There will also be airplane pumpkin bombers, monster trucks crushing pumpkins (and crushing cars)." This info retrieved from the Rock Ranch website. Sounds fun, right?! Well, the reason I know this is because when Isaiah, my parents, and I visited Rock Ranch in September, I must have signed up for Rock Ranch email updates, and there in my email was an invitation to Pumpkin Destruction Day! Anyway, the whole reason for this super long blog intro was to share with my blog readers some pictures from when Isaiah, my parents and I visited this fun family farm!  I stumbled upon these pictures on my mom's computer, and had to share the fun with you all!  Plus, I don't think the hubby got to see any of the pictures from our visit to Rock Ranch, and being that he's a million miles away, I thought he might like them!  So, here ya go:

First Stop: Pony Rides... this is right before the pony started walking...

Trying to convince Isaiah to stay on the pony... although he looks
like a pro in this picture, he's super nervous about the whole thing!

Two minutes later (Isaiah's pony).

Petting Farm.

Pappy and Isaiah at the petting farm.

More petting farm.

Isaiah's favorite: miniature goats. He got to feed them and he loved it!

Tiny Town! So cute and made just for kids! They had everything from a jailhouse to
a church to a grocery store!

More of Tiny Town.

The bank at Tiny Town.

Tiny Town jail...

more Tiny Town play!

Pappy and Isaiah at Tiny Town.

The Tiny Town church...

Inflatables! Isaiah loved bouncing!

Peddle Cars! So much fun!

Pappy racing peddle cars (I was beside him)... we lost...

Mama and Isaiah!

We didn't make it to the car before Isaiah fell asleep...
and slept the entire trip home.  He had so much fun!

Bittersweet...

So, Daddy left yesterday! And I was a miserable mess. Seriously. I don't know how I drove Little Man and myself home from the Louisville airport. But, we made it. And, at home, well... I didn't even want to go home. I wanted to be anywhere but home! Needless to say, I was feeling horrible! This was so much worse than when he left the first time. I didn't have anyone here. The first time he left, we didn't really know what to expect. And, Matt was working, so I didn't get to see him 24/7 like I did this past month.  And, I was with my mom. And, let's face it those of you who have good relationships with your parents, we need them!  After spending all this time with him, and getting back to a complete family again, it was really, really tough to take him to the airport and leave. But, we did it. And, I was so sad... not just for myself, but more so for him. I thought about him having to be by himself all over again. As hard as it is for me, I still have Isaiah. I have Little Man to look after and take care of.  Well, those of you who have been in this situation, understand. Those last hours we got to spend with him before he had to leave are the best hours, but yet the worst hours.  Then, once the "good-bye" moment is over, you face reality... he's gone. We're separated by thousands of miles... and plane rides... and time zones. And, it is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. Seriously. 

So... I got home. Got a plane ticket (thanks Dad). Got on an airplane this morning at 7:00 a.m... and left. I went to Atlanta where my mom picked me up. Definitely last minute. Definitely spotaneous, but definitely needed! I didn't want to be home. And, since I had a choice not to be... I chose to visit my parents since they are driving back to Kentucky this weekend, I figured, why not go spend the week with them and just ride back with them. So, Isaiah and I got onto a 30-passenger airplane this morning... and flew to Georgia. I am so thankful for my parents and the ability to do this. And for cheap tickets. You can't drive to Georgia for the price of my plane ticket. So, here I sit. And, indeed my life is still bittersweet. I am so happy to be able to be here, but I miss my husband terribly. We got to take Isaiah Trick-or-Treating, and that moment was also bittersweet... sweet because it was so much fun and Isaiah was so cute, but bitter because Matt couldn't be here to go with us. 

Daddy... we love you. And we are praying for you as you finish your journey there. We are proud of you for choosing to do this. Proud of you for being the Daddy and husband that you are. We will see you soon. And we will pray for you everyday.  Can't wait to talk to you when you get settled! 

So, Isaiah got to go Trick-or-Treating. And, he was the cutest monster out there tonight! And, at the last three houses, he finally got the hang of it!  So, here is mommy's little monster:

Oh, and he can even walk like a monster too:

Do Away With Dieting.

So I recently read an article featuring a lady who wants to "do away with dieting".  Her argument was that we (women) should just maintain healthy lifestyles. And... I must agree.  You see, our society puts so much emphasize on tall, thin, blonde women. Well, I have the blonde thing goin' for me... but I will never be tall or thin. I will most likely shrink from my 5'1" frame and I'll probably never weigh less than 125 lbs. I will always have a few stretch marks and freckles. My hair is a mess (daily).  My fingernails chip. My toes are not perfectly manicured.  I have a little jiggle (which will most likely get worse in the future). I wear glasses. And I DO NOT look perfectly made-up after a workout.  I am usually a mess. I usually have food stains on my clothes (thanks Little Man), hair in a messy bun, outfits that don't quite match, and shoes that have full contact with the ground. In other words, I will never look like this (except in my mind):

However, I am a mother. I am a wife. And, most importantly I am God's daughter.  I don't know about your god, but my God has a sense of creativity. He thought I should look like Hannah.  He designed me to carry and nurse babies. He designed me to be a perfect fit for my hubby (who, I must say is the best husband ever).  My God is amazing. He created me the way HE wanted. So, why "diet" and try to look like something we're not? I'm guilty too. I want those abs (ain't gonna happen). And I've tried eating salads for an entire week... ugh. So, my fellow women... you are beautiful the way you are!  Most of us could stand to lose a few lbs. (myself included), but the bottom line is, we were not created to look like Barbie. Don't measure yourself to that standard. And, most likely, if I looked like Barbie, I wouldn't be able to run with my baby, or dance with him, or play outside. I would NEVER straddle a fourwheeler in the outfit above... yikes! And, Little Man loves riding the fourwheeler. Oh, couldn't you just see me trying to squat to pick up Little Man's pacifier?! Double yikes! Imagine that walking through the grocery store!  With that said, I'm sure the hubby would love for me to walk around THE HOUSE in that outfit!

I Love Camping.

I love camping. I really do. You see, camping and I have a love/hate relationship. I love the outdoors. It hates me.  Let me explain:  upon getting to my most recent destination Chehaw Park, with my parents and Little Man, I jumped out of the truck, anxious for our new adventure (and the first camping trip with Isaiah).  Then, a swarm of gnats gathered around my newly showered body.  They didn't just swarm me for a few minutes... oh no... this went on for the entire evening. The swarming and buzzing only died down at dark. And, let me put it this way: bugs and I have a hate/hate relationship-I hate them, and they hate me.  The swarming led to this:

Notice the Chick-Fil-A cups?! Oh yes. We ate out. And got bug spray and citronella. It helped... a little. I still managed to come home with red dots all over my feet (thank you fire ants).  Then, I stubbed my manicured toe and my toenail broke.  Oh, but I won that battle.  The firewood is now a pile of ashes.  I might be overexaggerating just a little... my toes are only manicured by me, and the firewood was burned up by my father... but the swarm of gnats... that's literal.

Little Man managed to step in a pile of fire ants. That was fun.  But, remember, I love camping. I really do.  The evening was nice. After getting Isaiah to sleep in the camper, we sat outside and read. It was so relaxing... until I went inside the camper to sleep on my table-that-makes-into-twin-bed-I'm-glad-I'm-only-five feet-one-inch-lest-I-fit...  It wasn't that uncomfortable, but my parents (Maw maw and Pappy) decided that the air needed to set on 50 degrees and run all night even though its only 55 degrees outside. I had a blanket that didn't reach my toes... and a little sheet. I woke up with my jacket on and cold toes.  I am still loving camping.

Day two: Camping Day Success. We went to this little wildlife zoo located right in our campsite. It was fun. And it was nice. Isaiah loved it. We fed alligators. We really did. This was probably the most exciting part of our trip. 

If you can see the small orange and yellow thing in front of the bob cat, that is actually
Isaiah's candy corn. He thought he would feed them. Shhhh... don't tell.  But the bob cat
did indeed eat that piece of candy corn. Feel special cat, candy corn is Isaiah's favorite candy.

The bear that posed for us.  These animals are only separated by a small fence.
In fact, there was nothing to stop the bob cats from jumping out of their cages...

Two dozen gators in this swamp... glad we were on the board walk. This was when
we were getting ready to feed them.

Feeding the alligators. Isaiah caught onto what was happening, and realized
that you throw the dry fish in to them... and he took all of mommy's gator food.  He loved it.

Day Two continued:  As we ended our walk through the wildlife park, we went to the petting zoo and rode the train.  Isaiah loved the petting zoo.  He tried to get in the fence with the miniature ponies... so sweet.  Isaiah enjoyed the train... very much I might add.  He even got his picture taken with Old Man Conductor... who was a very kind old man by the way.

Old Man Conductor... Thank you for the wonderful train ride!!!

Day Two ended with a campfire, marshmallows, and more reading for mommy.  We had a good time. I really do love camping. I sometimes like to exaggerate how bad things are... when they are not really that bad.  And, I really do love being outside.  And, I also really do hate bugs.  Happy Camping!

Oh, and I might add that mommy and Isaiah played on the playground. Maw maw played too.  The playground was huge, and fun, and perfect for Isaiah.

Little Man was excited!

Little Man also loves slides.

and tunnels...

And Little Man loves his Pappy.

Surprise!

Great Grandma's 88th Birthday Surprise took place in Maryland on July 21st 2011. Family who attended: 

Great Grandma Hawkins (or if you're Isaiah or Mason, Great, Great Grandma Hawkins)

Papa Hawkins

Grandma Hawkins

Uncle Greg

Aunt Tracey

Cousin Aaron

Cousin Paige

Cousin Mark

Uncle Steve

Aunt Brie

Cousin Sammy

Cousin Delia

My Mom (Pam)

My Dad (Ed)

Matthew

Cari

Baby Mason (Six Weeks Old)

Luke (or Uncle Ukey if you're Isaiah)

Hannah (Myself)

Isaiah (17 months old)

And Matt (my husband...) in spirit

We all had a great time! And we got some great family pictures.  There are now five generations in our family. See pictures below.  Oh, and Great Grandma was super surprised and enjoyed her party!  It was fun just watching her have fun.

Surprise! We all waited for Great Grandma's arrival, brought to you
 by Uncle Steve, Aunt Brie, Sammy (pictured) and Delia.

Surprise continued...

Five Generations.  Great, Great Grandma Hawkins, Great Papa Hawkins,
Grandma Hamlin (Hawkins), Hannah West (Hamlin... daughter of Pam or Grandmama),
Matthew Hamlin (son of Pam or Grandmama), Baby Mason (Matthew's son), and
Isaiah (Hannah's son).  Wow!

Uncle Steve and Aunt Brie
Sammy and Delia

Uncle Greg and Aunt Tracey
Aaron, Paige, and Mark

Matthew and Cari
with Baby Mason

Myself and Isaiah
with Hubby Matt in spirit (notice the bright orb... lol)

EVERYONE!  Who would have thought that Great Great Grandma's only son,
Tom (my Papa Hawkins), would multiply this much?  Almost as bad
as Abraham (minus the concubine)...

All of the Grandkids and Great Grandkids to Papa and Grandma Hawkins

Mi Familia...
Mom, Dad, Brother Matthew and Wife Cari with Baby Mason,
Brother Luke, Myself and my son Isaiah.

Happy 88th Birthday Great Great Grandma.
We love you!

"Grandma's Hands"