The Newvines

Change of blog site address ...

2009-12-14T15:39:00.000-08:00

Hello fellow bloggers, friends, and family:

I just wanted to let you know that I've had trouble with my blogging at this particular site, so I have created a new site with all the old pics that you can still see. The new address is: http://www.thenewvinefamily.blogspot.com/. I will leave this site up a couple more weeks and then I will delete it.

Hope all is going well for you and your family!

Jordan and Jared

2009-12-04T12:25:00.000-08:00

Here's a few pics of big bub and little bub ...

Here's Jordan giving Jared some gee-tar lessons ...

They are working on guitar lessons as we speak ... :)))

Catching up on blogging ...

2009-12-02T10:27:00.000-08:00

Sorry everyone for lack of blogging lately. I am having technical difficulties uploading any pictures to the blog site, so there will be none until I can get it straightened out.

As far as my pregnancy goes, everything is going well so far! I am almost 30 weeks and counting down! My C-section is scheduled for Thursday, February 11th unless this little Jacob Harrison comes sooner.

Jared is taking guitar lessons from Jordan and he is enjoying it. Jared is also in cubscouts right now and enjoying that as well.

David has taken up refereeing for the season to bring in a little extra income. I think that is all I have to update for now.

Hope everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving and has a wonderful Christmas!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDADDY!

2009-09-02T10:46:00.001-07:00

Hope you are not working too hard today. We love you!

I'm 15 weeks ... and here's my story ...

2009-08-25T12:23:00.001-07:00

A Tribute to Howard T. Knarr ...

2009-08-10T10:08:00.001-07:00

Howard T. Knarr, Sr., passed away this past Saturday, August 8th. This was David's grandfather and Jared's great grandfather (Pap Senior). He was a monumental influence in David's life and David had a great love for this man who did much in his lifetime.

We are thankful he had 93 long years and are also grateful to the Lord that he is resting peacefully now.

Pap, Nanny, Jared, and David (07/2005)

NOT Good-bye, Just See-You-Later ...

2009-08-05T13:14:00.000-07:00

The Diner where we ate before our departure.

Our beloved twins.

Jared getting in on the action ...

The Newvines with Barbara, Kate's mom.

The Borders and Newvines ...

We love you! We miss you already ...

Helping Chris and Kate Move

2009-08-04T09:11:00.000-07:00

On July 17th, after everything was loaded up, we pulled out of our driveway around 6:30 p.m. We drove 3 or 4 hours, stopped for the night, and then proceeded North by 10:30 a.m. Saturday. We arrived at Bub's house about 9:30 p.m. Christy, Benssy, and Isaiah were there to meet us when we got there!

Benssy, David, and Chris unloaded the bikes Saturday night, and the rest was unloaded Sunday.

I was feeling pretty "baby" sick, so unfortunately, I did not get pictures of Christy and Benssy OR Bubs for that matter, but Kate did! We were thankful to have been there to help Chris and Kate get transitioned, and had a wonderful time doing a few fun things while we were there ...

The Yankees Game

2009-08-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, July 21st, was David's birthday, and his gift was seeing his favorite team play the Yankees ... the Baltimore Orioles ...

We drove into New York and Crossed the George Washington Bridge ... whew! Talk about traffic! Our truck ended up close to the stadium but ended up in the Bronx were some good fellas took care of our truck for a "good" price :)) They kept our key, which was a little scarey. I wondered if we were going to have a truck when we got back. BUT, we took a chance and walked over to the stadium in a pretty good rain wondering how the weather was going to be the rest of the evening ...

It had been raining all day, so they had the field covered up and the game started 30 minutes later, but by the time the game started, the rain had completely stopped for the evening.

A shot of the "twins" before the game.

Truthfully, the game was a yawn, but we had some fun people behind us giving us a true New York experience :)) It would have probably been more fun to go to Monday night's game where they were neck and neck up to the last inning ... All in all, it was a fun evening and we came back to find our truck having been well taken care of :))

A Day in Manhattan

2009-08-04T07:30:00.000-07:00

We drove the car to Weehawken, NJ to park and then took a bus straight into Manhattan. I don't think it took longer than 10 minutes to get there. We were dropped off outside the Port Authority and began our journey from there.

We walked over to Time Square and they really do have the lawn chairs for people to sit in and "experience" the city!

David said he always wanted a characacture ... they said $5! So David took a seat and 5 minutes later his drawning was done (not funny like David wanted, but pretty good). David had to haggle with him though because the guy put it in a framed protector and wanted to charge him $25. David only had $10 in his hand and the guy finally took it, but very unhappily ...

A shot of the Newvine Family on one of Central Park's bridges.

Jared was really enjoying the rocks and shade!

Jared and Dad on a rock :))

Jared making new friends on the rocks.

David climbing up to have a look-see, while Jared is sliding down the rock ...

Is that SUPERMAN?!?!! Where is his cape???

Jared's new friend Clay, from Atlanta.

Our tour guides ...

A shot from Central Park.

Cutie ...

One last shot from Central Park.

Back to walking ...

FAO Schwarz was on the list of stops to make ...

Kate and Jared on the BIG PIANO ...

Fun, groovy-cool tunes!

David had a get a pic in front of Trump Tower

Our tour guides deciding where to go from our rest spot at Rockefeller Center

Jared and Mom :))

After a quick subway trip, we made our way to the site of the Twin Towers that was totally under construction, but then we made our way to see Lady Liberty. Another must-see along the way ...

A shot of South Manhattan

Lady Liberty ...

The pier where we ate dinner ...

Going home ... a long, fun day in Manhattan!

Motorcycle Camping Trip

2009-07-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

The guys decided it would be fun to have one last trip before Chris left for New Jersey ... so they got a group together (Chris, David, Curt, Dan, & Jared) and headed out ...

Everyone getting their bikes ready.

Dan tweaking a few things...

Curt getting ready ...

Get set ...

Go!

Vow Renewal Ceremony, June 21, 2009

2009-07-01T12:14:00.000-07:00

Crazy Daisies were placed at all the tables ...

The start of the ceremony began with us building an Ebenezer or stones of remembrance of how God has been faithful in our lives.

This is what it looked like when we were finished placing the stones.

Next, we exchanged our vows and rings.

Not forgetting the kiss!

Lastly, Jared had an announcement to make ... daddy's expression went from this ...

To this ....

To this ... Happy Father's Day!

Jared is as excited as daddy.

Then onto grilling burgers and dogs while Kevin plays some songs and sings beautifully ...

Snapshots of some who celebrated with us ...

Curt and Dawn

Scott and Kariny

Lindsay, Dawn, and Carol

Joy and Shelby

Newvines and Stedinas

Newvines and Carpenters

Borders, Newvines, and Coverts

Joy and Kate

The Small Group Girls

Lingerfelts and Newvines

Newvines and Hethcotes

A quick shot of the dessert table ... A happy ending to a lovely evening ...

The Tile is Finished!!!

2009-04-10T12:06:00.001-07:00

The tile is grouted and sealed. Isn't it beautiful?

Today David is working on finishing mudding, Once that is complete, we can texture the walls. When the walls are finished being textured, then we can paint and move our all-important sink and toilet back in :))

The Tile is Down!

2009-03-23T12:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, so ALL of the tile is down! Yippee!

David came up with this design himself :))

Jared's New Bike ...

2009-03-23T11:48:00.000-07:00

Like father like son ... Jared wasn't so interested in his go-cart, but wanted a "bike" to ride instead. So the go-cart was sold and this is what he got in it's place ...

Happy riding Jared!

Jared in Jordan's Sunglasses ...

2009-03-19T11:45:00.000-07:00

Is he "cool" or what???

Plumbing is Finished, Framing is Up, and Tile is Going Down ...

2009-03-02T12:26:00.000-08:00

The shower pan has been poured and is drying ...

The tile is started ... yippee!!

Another Snowy Day in February ...

2009-02-21T12:20:00.000-08:00

The snow has actually been refreshing for me to see this year. It's been so long since we've really had a pretty snow fall ...

Some Framing is Up!

2009-02-15T12:15:00.000-08:00

Framing for the Jacuzzi tub

David working on framing for the closet

Shower framing finished.

The Plumbing Begins ...

2009-02-04T08:02:00.000-08:00

Snow in Our Own Back Yard

2009-02-04T07:57:00.000-08:00

Master Bathroom Demolition Begins

2009-01-27T07:34:00.000-08:00

Total bathroom makeover, here we come!

The stand-up shower was removed and the popcorn ceiling is going away ... yippee!!!

Demolition in full force

Demolition completed and David removing staples from the floor ...

Climbing Trees

2009-01-24T07:21:00.000-08:00

What is more fun on a warm winter afternoon than climbing a tree?

Family Pictures ...

2009-01-05T09:36:00.001-08:00

Jordan came for Christmas at the Newvines on Christmas Day, which I totally forgot to take any pictures ... so he and Nicole (his girlfriend) came back over New Year's Eve and we took a round of family pics ... Unfortunately, the pics where we were trying to get Kipp arranged (we are all bent over and cortorted in different positions, were the ones that came out clear. The ones where everyone was looking at the camera came out fuzzy :(( Here's the best one of the group.

Jordan and Nicole

Better picture of Jordan and Nicole back in November.

Update on Benssy, Christy, & Isaiah

2009-01-01T09:21:00.000-08:00

We had a chance to visit with them before they headed up to New Jersey, and enjoyed our time together!! Benssy is stationed in New Jersey until he goes to Ship School in Jacksonville, which will be in about a month and a half. Ship school will be about 2 months, and then back to New Jersey. They will be there for 2 years ... Please keep them in your prayers!

Jared on his New Roller Blades

2008-12-26T09:27:00.000-08:00

Jared enjoying his new roller blades!!!

Christmas at Home

2008-12-25T17:37:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!

May we always acknowledge the REAL reason for this day. Our family is so thankful to our Lord for allowing us to live in such a place where we can bless each other in these kinds of ways. Our sincerest thanks goes to the One who gave us the greatest gift of all, salvation.

A few of the favorite pics to share ...

We started out opening our stockings ...

And then onto opening our gifts ...

From our Family to Yours: May the Peace of Christ fill your hearts and homes.

Christmas Eve at the Coverts

2008-12-24T23:04:00.000-08:00

We spent our Christmas Eve with the Coverts ... starting out with a yummy meal of Taco Salad and then progressing onto all sorts of scrumptious desserts that LaDonna and Clayton had made :))

Later, we heard a knock at the door and look who showed up!

It was raining cats on dogs on Santa, but he was gracious to let us get a quick picture. Jared and Clayton were thrilled with their girlie toys :))

Now you would never suspect, but this beautiful gift bag is jam-packed full with a story screaming to get out. The gift bag was TO David, FROM Joe ...

David looked inside the bag and caught himself doing a double and triple-take of what he saw inside. He was hesitant to pull it out, but after some coaxing, he lifted his gift out of the bag ...

Now, I know you are thinking this is a pair of underwear ... why would David get a pair of underwear??? But you see, they aren't just any pair of underwear ... they are special ...

You see, we had the Coverts over for Thanksgiving at our house. We were having a special time of sharing what we were thankful for around the dinner table. David was last to tell what he was thankful for. As he begins telling his story, Joe is intently looking at him (listening for what he will say). David catches a glimpse of the intent look and says, "What are you look'in at???" ... all the while Joe is wondering what David is talking about. David goes onto tell what he was thankful for ... and we get onto other subjects and so forth, somehow ending up on the subject of tattoos. David said, "I'm going to get a tattoo on my butt that says back up 25 feet and get a running start, and kiss this!!!" He went onto say, "I'm going to have a circle on my left cheek with a cross through it with an arrow pointing to my right cheek."

Joe decided to graciously give him a gift so that when David gets the tattoo, he can take that in so the artist can have something to go by ... Oh, and by the way, just so everyone knows ....... the underwear was new ....

Joe's gift was a little less on the "exposing" side. David decided to pass along the "Michelin Man" rain gear to him ....

Jared and Clayton opening their gifts from each other ...

A flying helicopter!!

LaDonna opening her gift ...

A beautiful bracelet!

Clayton's Christmas Eve gift ... a new hat.

Justin's Christmas Eve gift ... stretchy pants ... (for when he turns into the Incredible Hulk, but PLEASE don't tell anyone, we are trying to keep it under wraps).

Jared and Clayton checking out the new copter.

Time for Jared to open his Christmas Eve gift.

Okay, so the wrapping was a bit hard to break into ...

Ooooooh, what is it??????

A Lego Star Wars painting compliments of Mom to hang in his bedroom ... Aniken, Darth, and Luke Skywalker; the best companions ever ...

We continued the evening with caroling across the street to a sweet but sick neighbor, playing games (watch out when partnering with LaDonna, she's competitive!!), and watching a couple of comedy shows. Seriously though, many thanks to the Coverts for a wonderful evening!

Kipp gets a bath

2008-12-23T05:00:00.000-08:00

A bath is not Kipp's favorite thing to do, but he's good during the process. He will stand there and let us do our thing ... his favorite part is after the bath ...

The Fantasy of Trees

2008-11-30T22:43:00.000-08:00

David isn't crazy about going to Fantasy, so Jared and I had two special guests join us ... one was a rather last-minute surprise, neither of which had ever been to see this wonderful Christmas event ...

Our first picture op moment ... the boys favorite tree ...

Jon and Jared in front of the Star Wars Tree ... (our first guest of the evening) ...

A close-up of the "favorite" tree ...

One more shot ...

Now standing in line for a carousel ride ...

And off we go!

Soooo ... who was behind this wonderful picture taking experience?? Not me! Carousels make me nauseous!!!

Surprise!!! TIVIS! She went to Kansas for Thanksgiving to see Mike and Kathy and parked her car at our house. We dropped her off and picked her up at the airport ... so, before she headed back to school on Sunday, she came along with us for a fun adventure!

Good Buddies ...

Time for a picture with Mom ...

A beautiful picture of Tivis :))

A couple of artsy pics I thought Tivis would like :))

Dan's 40th Birthday

2008-11-17T07:14:00.000-08:00

Surprise !!!!! (or not a surprise)???

A "Salute" to our Oldest friend .... Dan ...

Speak of the Devil! Where is he entering??

Oh look, Mickey Mouse ...

Okay, enough with family pics ... now begins the fun ...

We wanted to get you some "special" things for your birthday. Did you just pull out of a tube of Polygrip??

Of course! Polygrip is not complete without the container for your teeth to go in!

We have to make sure you stay "regular" now ...

What kind of pills are those???

Help for when you go "nighty-night" ...

Dan, could you have better friends than us???

Click on the picture and get a look at Paige's hair :))

Happy 40th Birthday Dan!

Autumn at Springbrook Park ...

2008-11-07T10:16:00.000-08:00

We are so blessed to live in such a beautiful place ... Enjoy

May we always take time to stop and enjoy the view!

Look Who Showed up at Small Group!

2008-11-05T22:34:00.000-08:00

Isaiah and Christy were the first ones to arrive tonight and we were so excited to see them! This picture makes me think of that old show .... oh, I can't remember, what is it??? .... but the little guy says "Wha'choo talkin' bout Willis?"

Jared was so excited about getting to see Isaiah!

Isaiah and Ireland spending their small group time catching up by watching Nemo together :))

Mommy and Isaiah ...

The first thing I heard Isaiah say when he came in the door was "motorcycle" ... he was really excited to be able to have a seat on one :))

Just look at that little cutie!

I see future motorcycle buddies!

"America Has Chosen A President"

2008-11-05T06:58:00.000-08:00

I don't believe I could have said this any better than Albert Mohler did below: Please read as our family shares his same sentiments ...

Read the article posted: Wednesday, November 05, 2008 at 5:04 am ET

AlbertMohler.com

Blessings to you all, and let us be fervently praying for our new President Elect!

Sunday School Doodles ...

2008-11-02T11:16:00.000-08:00

For your viewing pleasure ... compliments of Jared ...

Who IS our Cheerleader in the Family???

2008-11-01T12:36:00.000-07:00

Don't ask me how, but David was successfully talked into dressing up as a cheerleader on the biggest game day of the year for Greenback. Somebody snuck in a shot of him ... Wow, look at those legs!!!

Greenback was playing Oneida on Friday, October 31st for the Region Championship. Unfortunatley, they lost 20-6. They still made the playoffs and host Hampton this Friday night. Go Greenback!!!

Our Letterboxing Experience...

2008-11-01T10:49:00.000-07:00

Do you know what letterboxing is? We certainly didn't. At least not until last weekend when a friend shared it with us. Basically, you get a stamp (or make one) that is suited to your personality and a book to stamp in (you might need some ink too), and you go on a scavenger hunt. This is great for children ages 6 to 12 (fun for adults too)... AND, this is all over the country! So whether you are close to home or on vacation, you can log onto Atlas Quest and see where you might be able to grab some clues for a scavenger hunt ... you can collect stamps from all over the nation!

Jared taking a break at the "big rock" to read about his next clue.

David and Kipp enjoying the scenery ...

Oh look! We found it! Shhhh! We won't tell anywhere where this is ...

The Little Hiker stamp ... hand carved. Awesome! We had fun finding it!

Catching up ...

2008-10-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, I must admit, I have been shamefully neglectant of updating our blog, so I apologize for those of you who will need to take an extra long time to read it ... :)) but, hope you enjoy anyway!

A Golfer in the Making ...

2008-10-20T15:58:00.000-07:00

Sunday afternoon David, Jared, and Chris Carpenter went to the Driving Range to hit a few ... This was Jared's first experience at golfing on a range ... he said Chris was a great instructor :))

Look at that form!

A Motorcycle Ride ...

2008-10-11T09:36:00.000-07:00

Jared decided he was ready to go for a ride around the block to test out how what it's like to "ride" ...

Jared is ready to go!

And they're off!

Pulling out of the driveway ...

On their way back ...

Elijah waiting for his turn.

Here we go!

A safe journey home ...

How Many Motorcycles Do You Have???

2008-10-01T09:07:00.000-07:00

This is what I get for allowing David to go to a motorcycle charity event :)) He comes home with 2 Suzuki's just like his black one. Seriously though, he got a great deal on them, and they started right up; they just need a little TLC. His plan is to fix them up and sell them.

Here they are being hauled in.

Up close ...

Happy Anniversary to Me!!!

A Visit From Mom and Dad

2008-09-29T21:56:00.000-07:00

Mom and Dad came for a visit, arriving Friday, September 26th in the afternoon and staying until Monday Morning, September 29th.

Friday evening we went to see Fireproof (http://www.fireproofthemovie.com/), which by the way, if you haven't seen it, go see it! It's a great movie!!!

Michael and Jennie Walston - Joy's Mom and Dad ...

The Newvines and Kipp ...

They came to church with us Sunday morning, and then Sunday night we had a cookout to introduce them to the "riff-raff" we hang out with :)) Sorry, I forgot to get pictures of that ...

We were glad to have you here!

Happy Birthday Russ!

2008-09-17T23:00:00.000-07:00

Russ showed up at our house tonight, and to his surprise, no one showed up for Small Group. David and I told him we were going to just go out to eat since it was just us.

David also told him we had to run by Thunderworld to pick up something for a student ... but instead, it was a surprise party for Russ!

Surprise!

A Birthday Cookie for Russ ...

Waiting on the pizza to come ...

Having fun bowling after pizza ...

The biggest hit of the night ... The Jukebox ...

A fun way to end the evening ...

Weekend Camping Trip to Elkmont

2008-09-14T20:15:00.000-07:00

The Newvines and Roberts had a "guys" weekend fun-filled with camping, fort-building, and orienteering.

Jared hiding behind his stone-made "fort." He said the Park Ranger came by the last day and knocked the fort down saying, "You don't mess with Mother Nature."

The "boys" hanging out ... when it got dark, the boys would gather their weapons and go to "Rock Island" and play.

Group photos ...

The fellas in charge ...

While the Boys Were Away ...

2008-09-12T22:02:00.000-07:00

Friday, September 12, 2008:

Girls night out ... Sushi Time! We had 2 ladies who had never tried Sushi before ... Kate and LaDonna. It was a fun new experience ... well, it was fun to watch their new experience anyway ...

Our choices ... salmon, A rainbow variety, California rolls, and Yellow Tail (if my memory serves me correctly).

Here's Kate giving it a whirl!

Back Row Left to Right: Lindsay, Dawn, & Kate.
Bront Row from Left to Right: LaDonna, Joy, and Caroline.

Neither Kate nor Ladonna were overly excited about the sushi, but I'm waiting on a craving to suddenly hit them one day as it did me ... :))

As a side note, I would love to say what an encouragement and blessing these ladies have been in my life. They are women whose heart is to follow Christ, and I am especially blessed by having the chance to know each one of them. I love you girls!

Labor Day Fun ...

2008-09-01T22:00:00.000-07:00

LaDonna came up with a great idea of taking the bikes to Fort Loudon for a picnic. It was a great day to ride (a little on the warm side, but awesome when the bikes were moving) ...

So ... the Coverts, Borders, and Newvines rode to Fort Loudon Park for a Labor Day picnic with Justin driving the car with the boys close behind.

Jared and Mom ...

Discussions while the burgers are cooking ...

The fellas cooking the burgers ...

After a big feast, it's feels good to lie down and rest on an old Indian bed ...

The Covert Family

Joy and Kate in the doorway of an old storage building for food ...

A sweet moment ...

The Borders ...

The entire clan ... Happy Labor Day!

Next Stop ... A Vow to Remember

2008-08-31T12:00:00.000-07:00

Our friends, the Coverts had been praying about exchanging rings as they did not do so their first time around (almost 20 years ago). After much thought and prayer, they decided it would be a good thing for them to do. The Newvines were planning to have a hotdog cookout on Sunday, 08/31/08, so on the spur of the moment, it was decided we would have a combo hotdog cookout/Renewing of Vows at our house ...

The Rings ...

The Bride and Groom ...

The BEST men ...

The merry married maids of honor ... (say that 3 times fast!)

The fancy shoes for the occasion ... look at those beautiful toes!!

The guests ...

Chris Carpenter performs the ceremony.

Their son Justin, shares his heart about his mom and dad. He makes a statement that when he gets married, he hopes his marriage looks like theirs ...

Thanks LaDonna and Joe for allowing us to be a part of your beautiful Renewing of Vows!!

A Trip to Dollywood

2008-08-30T18:31:00.000-07:00

We took a trip to Dollywood on 08/29/08: LaDonna, Clayton, Jared, and I traveled out to Dollywood on Thursday planning to have a great day of fun, but when we got there, lo and behold, it was CLOSED! So, we decided to post-pone our trip to Friday. We traveled back out to Dollywood, and here are a few pics of our day ...

Our first stop at LumbarJack Lifts - one of the biggest hits of the day!

Jared getting ready to climb ...

Look at him way up there !!!

Clayton climbing ...

Jared and Clayton are a little "wet" after the moms got 'em with the water guns on their ride :)))

Waving from "The Scrambler" ...

Taking a lunch break. Okay, you know the old pics of "Where's Waldo" ... I took this wondering, Where's LaDonna?

Picking up after lunch on the rapids ... here they come ...

There they go!

Flying high in the sky ...

An Outing on Tellico Lake ...

2008-08-20T13:54:00.000-07:00

A few of us in Small Group took this past Saturday to have some fun together ...

We started out with eating pancakes, bacon, & sausage at the Newvines .... but wait a minute ... what is going on here ???

None of the girls thought fast enough to get to the camera ... but basically, the guys tackled David, held him down, and gave him his very own tattoo. They didn't want David left out ...

Featuring ... "The Tattoo Trio"

From there, we headed out to Tellico Lake on Curt's boat ...

Our driver for the day ...

We did some swimming ...

Everyone did some tubing ...

Then of course, there was just plain enjoying the ride :))

But what is this? The guys decided to pull out the "Tube of Death" ... all the guys gave it a shot ...

C. Sumo boy ...

C. Sumo Boy in the water ...

Video of C. Sumo Boy in the Water

D. Sumo Boy ...

D. Sumo Boy ... again ...

D. Sumo Boy - final pose ...

Okay, now HERE is our STAR of the show ... J. Sumo Boy (a.k.a. Jacob) ... all our other Sumo boys tried but couldn't handle the "death trap" like this... just take a look ....

We ended the day with dinner at Uno's and then off to an exhausted sleep that night. Thanks Curt for a great day out on the water!

What Ever Happened With Those Bookshelves???

2008-08-01T14:47:00.000-07:00

Okay, finally ... the drum roll ... sorry it took so long to get the finished product up!! Just so you know, it wasn't the cabinet maker's fault ... it was the blogger girl's fault :))

Doors painted with the trim put on.

Doors with the handles put on.

A close-up.

Here's what the bottom of the bookshelves look like.

A full shot.

Jordan's Birthday Dinner

2008-07-25T13:25:00.000-07:00

I asked Jordan what he wanted for his 18th Birthday dinner and he said "Taco Salad" ... so .... Hat's off to GRAM ... I got it from her!

The family sitting down to dinner.

Do you mind? I've got food in my mouth!

Look at that beautiful dish!

Next, for the cards ... Jordan said his favorite one was from Jared ...

Now for some Wii Boxing!!

Jared vs. Jordan

Mom vs. Jordan

Mom's the champion!!

Okay ... now it's time for the cake ...

It was a beautiful strawberry cake ... made from scratch ... the problem was, I didn't quite get the middle cooked all the way through ... so we ended up eating the outside edge :))

Sunday Afternoon Fishing ...

2008-07-24T09:08:00.000-07:00

Once we left Townsend after our big hike the day before, we decided to go visit Curt's mom and see if the fish were biting ...

Curt and David discussing where they might catch the biggest fish ...

Curt's mom, Lynn, is an incredible gardener ... do you see anyone peeking up from the middle?

Curt and his dad built this waterfall ... amazing!!

Curt helping Jared out ...

Lynn, Curt, and Jared hoping for a bite ...

Dawn taking a stab at it in the shade ...

Curt and Jared becoming pretty good buddies ...

Doesn't get any better than this ...

Oh, wait a minute ... I think David got one !!!

Look at that catfish! Looks like a 5-pounder to me ...

THEN, it was time for blackberry picken!!!!

Let's see what we can find!

The blackberries were wonderful! Jared was eating them about as fast as we could pick them :))

Lynn is finding plenty herself ...

Oh, what's this? Caught blackberry handed!!!

Who's peeking through those blackberries?

We had a lovely afternoon at the Davis's!!!

Birthday Hike to the Chimneys ...

2008-07-23T13:26:00.000-07:00

We decided to get a cabin in Townsend and hike the Chimneys on Saturday for our birthdays. We invited Curt and Dawn to join us ...

Here's the group ... fresh and ready to go!!! Had we read the sign we were standing next to, we would have discovered that the trail near the top was closed due to erosion. That meant we were in for a challenge we weren't expecting ...

Beginning our journey up the trail ...

Lovely sights to see on the way ...

Take a breather while it's flat!

I think we would all say, the camera does not do the incline justice ...

Photo-op time!

The face of the rock ... climb all the way up to get to the top ... a 1700-foot elevation from bottom to top ...

Whew! We did it!! ... but not at the top yet!

An amazing view; they don't call it the Smoky's for nothing ...

Taking a break on the way up ...

Okay, we made it!!!

The view's great from here!

Jared and I decided to not head up to the very top ... we enjoyed the squirrels and chipmunks scurrying all around us ...

So, then we made our way back down ...

With a few stops to enjoy the scenery!

Since we are here, let's get our feet wet!

Did you splash me?? That water is cold!!

Beautiful ...

Time to head on ...

The end of our journey ...

A Cabinet Maker Discovered ...

2008-07-18T12:57:00.000-07:00

David and I decided back in the winter that it would be a great idea to build bookshelves (well okay ... maybe me more than David) instead of buying premade ones so we could use the brick space that is really wasted space in the Family Room.

Scott was gracious to let David use his tools as well as helping him get started by getting the pieces cut out of the cabinet-grade birch sheets we bought to do the job.

After the boards were cut, I got to work priming and painting ...

Frame and shelf boards ...

Top of cabinet boards ...

Frames built and routed for the shelves to go in ...

Shelves are in!!

A better view of the unit ...

The Creator and Twins ...

Getting the bottom of the cabinets finished so the doors can go on them ...

David putting up the trim ...

Here's what they look like inside ...

Aren't the beautiful!?!!

The almost finished product.

David is still working on the doors, so when they are finished, we will get a shot of them! They have been the most time consuming because he has put decorative edges on them, and there are 4 of them, so it's a little more tedious ...

This ended up being one of my birthday presents, and my favorite for sure!

Sugarwood Swim Meet July 9th

2008-07-09T12:19:00.000-07:00

Jared was in 4 events this time around ...

Freestyle, Backstroke, Butterfly, and Freestyle Relay

Jared and his buddies hanging out waiting for their event.

A quick shot with mom ...

The sunset was absolutely beautiful!

A serious game of cards in between events; let's take a closer look ...

Jared won first place in his event for freestyle, shaving 4 seconds off his best time ... way to go Jared!!!

Fun for the 4th

2008-07-05T08:08:00.001-07:00

Thursday morning, we headed out to Norris Dam State Park to meet up with the Bakers (friends from our previous small group at River Oaks) for a fun-filled day of pontoon boating, tubing, and swimming ... The weater was perfect!

A few pictures before we head out ...

The Baker family ~ who we enjoyed the day with ...

Just look at that water! Oh, yes, and the ducks too :))

Jared suiting up for his first tubing adventure of the day.

Garrett, Jared, and Matt enjoying a leisurely pull in Big Bertha ...

Filling up Big Bertha after she deflated a bit; cost, 50 cents. Watching Greg try to figure out how to use the vacuum cleaner on Big Bertha ... PRICELESS.

So we set out agan with Big Bertha filled up and ready to go ... who are those gorgeous girls?

He's a natural !!

Greg and Jenny enjoying their day.

Anchoring down for for a leisurely swim ...

Matt checking things out for the new arrivals.

We spent the night with the Bakers Thursday night and had a great time of catching up with each other, grilling, playing games, and the most important thing of all, sitting around the fire roasting marshmellows for Smores :)) Thanks Greg and Jenny for a marvelous time!

Friday evening, we headed over to "Camp Roberts" as Jared likes to call it, for a fun-filled evening of eating and playing ...

The kids enjoying playing with their Sparklers!

Jared's best buddies ever ... 4 of the Roberts boys ...

Happy 4th of July!

Small Group Photo

2008-07-02T23:12:00.000-07:00

Instead of adult Sunday School, River Oaks has small groups that meet at different homes on different nights. This is our group. We spend every Wednesday night with them, so they are a very important part of our lives. We eat together and we share our lives together by learning what it means to grow in the likeness of Christ; by encouraging each other, helping each other, and just plain loving each other.

We are minus 2 people in this picture; Benssy (Christy's husband who is in Basic Training for the Navy - for more details, visit Christy and Benssy's website under "Friends and Family" to the right), and Dawn Wayman. Our younger members, Laney and Isaiah are also not present in this picture.

Jared and Laney-girl :)) We feel it is an important part of Small Group to have the children be a part as well :))

We can't have small group without have a little fun! Show me your tongue!

The Newvines Wild Weekend ...

2008-06-30T09:07:00.001-07:00

Each of the Newvines had different and fun experiences this weekend ...

Starting with David ...

David, Chris, and Joe went on a motorcycle retreat where they rode a total of 480 miles over the weekend.

David taking care of some final preparations on his bike.

Mike giving David a goodbye hug ... wishing if he weren't so tired, he would go too ...

Almost ready ...

And off they go !!!

On Friday afternoon, the 3 "adventurers" started at the Borders ... heading through Wears Valley over into Metcalf Bottoms, then over the mountains into Cherokee, and then onto Maggie Valley where they stayed for the night across the street from a big Harley Davidson rally. Saturday morning, they left Maggie Valley and rode to Blowing Rock, NC via the Blue Ridge Parkway. They were chased by rain Saturday, but managed to "outrun" the storms :)) They stayed at the Blowing Rock Lodge on Saturday night and were WILD boys, taking in a late night movie, The Incredible Hulk.

They were on their way again Sunday by 10:30 a.m., but were not so fortunate this time to outrun the rain. They got soaked in Elizabethton and Johnson City. David had on his Frogg Toggs to keep him from getting soaked, but said he was glad there were no cameras on this trip because he said he looked like the Michelin Man on 2 wheels.

They all arrived home safe and sound Sunday afternoon about 4:00 p.m.

Jared and Mom's Weekend:

Mom wasn't on her toes enough to bring the camera, but Friday night Jared had his first experience at the Drive-In movies at Parkway Drive-In. We rode over with Amy (who is a long-time friend and former room-mate from the "old" days) and her little girl Hattie. Dawn (a friend from small group) and her friend Hannah met us there. Dan and Melissa (long-time friends from S.H.) weren't far behind with their 2 girls. And then we stumbled upon Julie (long-time friend and former room-mate) and John with their 3 children! I also ran into LaDonna (whose husband was on the motorcycle retreat with David and Chris) and her boys, and chatted with them for a bit. So anyway, we arrived around 7:15 p.m. and hung out until the movie came once it got dark about 9:30 p.m. We watched Wall-E. I don't highly recommend paying much money to go and see it (if any), but then again, Jared liked it.

Saturday night was a night to remember in the Staples parking lot ...

Oh yes we did!! We whipped out the lawn chairs and gathered to watch the Aloca fireworks without all the hastle of the crowds ...

Kathy, Kate, and LaDonna enjoying a good laugh.

Is that a laptop??? I thought we were here to see fireworks??

The newest members of our Small Group came to be a part of the exciting parking lot action ... Curt and Dawn.

The fireworks were very enjoyable, we had a great view, AND we didn't have to fight ANY traffic to get home !!! Thanks for letting us in on your secret LaDonna!

Sunday Evening ...

Curt (in the above picture) is a former drummer for ShadowWax, a local rock band. They asked him to fill in for them for a show, so the Borders and Newvines decided to go and check him out ... Jared took this picture ... what a great job!

We weren't able to get pictures once we got inside, but what a great job Curt did! Napoleon Dynamite would say, "he's got really good skills ... probably the best that I know off" ... Seriously though, we were excited to be able to see him live in action, and so thankful to have him and Dawn with us! :))

And, the Borders definitely extend us in ways we never thought, like keeping us up WAY past our bedtime ... :))) Soooo, here we are, living life on the edge by peeling into RJ's at 10:30 p.m. for dessert, and low and behold ... they have NO dessert! Oh well, it was fun anyway and saved us a few calories. It was a great weekend.

Breast Cancer Awareness

2008-06-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

This is a free and easy way to help provide women free mammograms who can't afford it. All you have to do is click the pink ribbon every day.

It's a great site to get updated information about breast cancer as well.

ROCC vs The Dragon Pit

2008-06-20T21:58:00.000-07:00

David stepped in for a game because River Oaks was short a couple of players. He is definitely planning to play in the fall.

Stretching and warm-ups ...

Prayer before the game ...

It was a nail-biter! ROCC fought hard, but The Dragon Pit came back and won 12 to 9.

Finishing up prayer with the other team after the game.

The Lazy Days of Summer ...

2008-06-19T17:03:00.000-07:00

What could be better than hanging out with your best bud??

Later today, Phillip came over to play with Jared. What did they do for fun? They whipped out the History of the World Book and were studying the Vikings and other amazing events in World history!!

They studied up and then they got on Google Earth and looked up St. Paul's Cathedral and The Sistine Chapel.

Learning something during summer vacation ... yippee!!

The Evolution Theory ...

2008-06-17T05:49:00.000-07:00

First thing this morning, Jared comes to me and says: "Evolutionists want to prove that people came from apes. It's just not right, but some people try to prove it by the looks." Then he shows me two different faces:

Normal-looking People:

Ape-looking people:

How's that for disproving Evolution!

Father's Day Continued ...

2008-06-15T17:45:00.000-07:00

Jared and Matthew enjoying some time together at Pap's.

The cousins "hunting for treasure"

Look at all that amazing treasure!

*************

This picture is from back in March, but just in case you forgot what we look like ...

I was tempted to put a picture on with you, Mom, & Jared, but decided I wanted to continue to have a relationship with Mom :))

So ... here is a picture of David's new ride ... (I say his Father's Day present for the rest of his life; he says till next Spring) ...

He became fully legal Friday with taking his written test and then the road test. Hopefully it will save us some gas money!!

Love you Bunches Dad ~ hope your Father's Day is wonderful!

The Newvine Garden ... (Updated)

2008-06-11T10:27:00.001-07:00

Sunday Morning, (Father's Day) ... I got about 4-5 pounds of broccoli out of the garden! I made David taste it to see what he thought, and he said he really felt special; his wife serving him broccoli for breakfast on Father's Day :))

Thought I would take a quick shot of the day lillies in the yard. The flowers are really beautiful this year!

Here's a full shot of the garden ...

This year we are growing lettuce, cabbage, cucumbers, taking a stab a strawberries and watermelon, peppers, broccoli, squash, zuchini, and of course tomatoes!

Look at that broccoli!!

About another week or so and the squash will be ready ...

We harvested lots of cucumbers and LOTS of tomatoes from last year's garden. I was able to make lots of spaghetti sauce (or starter for chili) and we still have a couple of jars left :))

Flying Dolphins vs Holston Hills ...

2008-06-10T22:03:00.000-07:00

Jared's first swim meet of the season (Tues 06/10/08),
and he cut his finger while cutting a pear to eat.

Jeremy and Jared ... good buddies.

You will see the name "Jake" written on Jeremy's arm above. All the Dolphins arms had the name "Jake" written on them as Jake Thomas was a Flying Dolphins teammate. He passed away a couple of days ago from what was presumed to be a heat stroke; he was only 14 years old. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Jake's family.

Jared gearing up ...

Take your mark ...

Go!

Jared in full attire ...

Heat 12 Freestyle; Heat 32 Backstroke; Heat 62 Relay

In Jared's heat for freestyle, he swam for 27 seconds (25 yards) and for backstroke, he swam for 36 seconds (25 yards). He took 2nd place for freestyle and 4th place for backstroke. Great job Jared!!

Jared's Art Work

2008-06-09T16:20:00.001-07:00

Greenback School was offering Art Camp for a week and Jared learned some amazing things as well as created some amazing art!!

An Alligator in the Grass ...

Pablo Picasso #1 ...

Boy Running with Dog ...

The Family ...

Pablo Picasso #2 ... (mom's personal favorite)

Paul Klee Impression of Jared ...

Self Portrait ... Andy Warhol Style

The Dog ... M.C. Escher wannabee

(Jared's Personal Favorite)

A Bug's Life - The Matisse Way

Jared's Haircut

2008-06-09T15:52:00.001-07:00

We decided it was time to get Jared's haircut, and he was pretty agreeable.

Well .... maybe...

Before ....

After ...

Just LOOK at those dimples!!

Jared's Go Cart...finally done!!

2008-06-07T14:08:00.001-07:00

David and some friends working on Jared's go cart

Mike, David, and Chris - they were excited to surprise Jared!

We presented the Go Cart to Jared at Small Group on his Birthday ...

Jared was delightfully surprised !!!

Small Group ???

2008-06-01T16:52:00.000-07:00

Every week we get together with several people from church. It has been a wonderful experience for us and very healing in many ways. This is an important way for us to grow in our knowledge and experience of the Lord, and it gives us the opportunity to invest in each others lives.

Sooooo, this isn't what we do every week, but we do like to have fun!

We have a couple of Star Wars fans in the group ...
(I typed "Warts" at first instead of Wars) ... hee hee

The Force Against the Dark Side ...

Oh no! The Jedi has turned against his Padawan!!

Who wants to play???

May the FORCE be with you!

This is all the ladies could see in the dark ...