Amazing Refiner

Malachi 3:3 says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."
This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.
One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.

That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watchhim at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says:"He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver." She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?"
He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in it"
If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has his eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.

There's No Place Like Home!

There were no weekend activities at the campground this weekend, so we decided to come home Sat. evening. We got everything straightened up and packed, and did a few last minute errands. I went back to The Children's Place, and bought 2 more pair of flip flops for Bri, 2 pair of sunglasses (her insistance!)and 2 pair of camo fleece mittens for Shawn. They match the fleece jacket and hat I bought previously. They were only 49 cents so I bought both pairs they had. Elton went to the Amish store that has recently opened up, and bought some Horseradish cheese- we had it the last time we were in Lancaster and loved it. We got home about 9:30- surprisingly I was energized and unpacked and put away all of our stuff, did 2 loads of laundry. It was sooo nice to be back in our King size pillowtop, after our crappy trailer mattress! :0) This morning I finished the rest of the laundry and cleaned out Shawn and Brianna's closets. I have a ton of stuff to take to the Goodwill tomorrow. It felt really good to declutter and "improve my Chi"! The girls and I went to Dad and Janet's to visit for a little while, they were tiling around the new tub- I liked the new tile much more than I expected to- I wouldn't call it black, I would consider it more of a charcoal. I think it will be really pretty. Then we went to Bobby and Tracy's to pick up Chris, he had spent the weekend there, and was helping Bobby rebuild an engine. It was good to see him! I had intended to come home and work on Bri's wallpaper, but I'm tired. I'll work on it tomorrow... Hopefully I'll get it knocked out, or at least mostly- I'm ready to start on Shawn's mural. Kathy should have my shower invitations done Monday or Tuesday- I'm anxious to see the finished product.

VA Aquarium

Yesterday we decided to go to the VA Aquarium- another first for us. It was a nice facility, in definite need of some cosmetic improvement inside, but they were working on it. We spent several hours and probably didn't even see half of the aquarium. We didn't venture out onto the nature trail or over to the Salt Marsh Aquarium. The girls loved it, Katherine delights me in the way she wants to read the signs, and experiment with the hands on demonstrations. She is such a smart cookie! :0) They didn't have too much in the way of fish, and the jellyfish exhibit was closed. However; the shark tank was pretty nice. We happened to be there for feeding time, so we stuck around and listened to the presentation and watched the show. Disappointingly, the sharks are individually fed from overhead scaffolding, a fish is attacked to a piece of PVC pipe and lowered into the water in front if the desired shark. The portions were surprisingly small, and I must say that I was hoping for a bloody feeding frenzy- it would have been much more exciting! They have an IMAX theatre onsite. This is the second time that we have seen an IMAX show- they are really impressive! At the Exploris museum in Raleigh we watched something about the Deep Sea- I don't remember the exact title... Yesterday we saw "Dolphins and Whales." They were also offering showings on Dinosaurs and Underwater Monsters. Since we had the girls with us it wasn't hard to make up our minds on what to see! Brianna is obsessed with Shamu! She was so cute during the movie, she kept reaching out and trying to touch the animals! It was adorable, when she couldn't touch them she would take off her 3D glasses and try to figure out what was going on! She must have done it 10 times- it was hilarious. Wish we had got it on video! Again- traffic was a nightmare! There was a 8 mile backup at the tunnel on our way back to the campground! We avoided it entirely, but I'm not sure how far out of the way we had to go to do so. I'm quite impressed with my husbands internal GPS- I would probably still be sitting in the traffic jam. Elton's like" We'll take such and such to this town, and then we'll get on whatever until we get here, and then we can jump onto this highway." It's so nice that he can do that, but I found myself looking at him wondering "WHY is he telling me this? I certainly won't remember... I could care less how we get there as long as we get there!" Guess its a guy thing... I think I would really like GPS. I may have him look into it. Some of us would really benefit from it- some of us who get lost 2 miles from home! LOL!

A Day at the Zoo

Today we went to the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk. It's a nice place, but I guess we are just spoiled after the NC Zoo- which is FAR superior. Brianna was so geeked up about seeing the tigers, and they had one- which was sleeping... She loved the spider monkeys though- they had a really nice set up for those, and they were actually interacting with her through the glass. Elton and I really liked the giraffes, I don't think I've ever been that close to one before- they really are beautiful. Katherine had the most fun chasing after the peacocks (a game Brianna started- she loves to chase birds and squirrels! ;0) ) and playing on the huge rope spider web they had set up in the farmyard area. The drive to Norfolk wasn't that bad- 40 miles tops, but we got stuck in traffic jams @ the Hampton tunnel both coming and going :0( I think we'll stick with the NC Zoo from now on, even though Asheboro is about 2 1/2 hours from our house. Maybe we'll be able to go this fall, when the weather is nice (Asheboro is soooo hilly- spring and fall destination only!) It was a nice change of pace though, we've done Busch Gardens the past 2 days. The weather would be perfect for Virginia Beach, but we'll save that outing for when Chris is with us in a couple of weeks for Spring Break. Somehow I don't think he minds missing the Zoo! Another big outing and no accidents- way to go BriBri! I think she's really got the hang of this potty thing- thank God! I don't want 2 in diapers! LOL!

We watched "Into the Wild" last night. It was kind of long, but a really interesting story nonetheless. I think I will read it and see how the book compares to the movie. Movies have a tendency to overromantisize things, and from what I read on the internet this morning, he wasn't nearly as prepared as they portrayed him to be...

We are currently watching Two Brothers- about 2 tiger cubs who are seperated and later reunited- SNOOZER! Even Katherine appears to have lost interest... Bri is sleeping, and has been since the ride home from the zoo- hopefully will remain that way until tomorrow morning! Poor thing- she has played hard today!

Randy Whitley 6/13/75-3/26/00

Do not stand at my grave and weepI am not there; I do not sleep.I am a thousand winds that blow,I am the diamond glints on snow,I am the sun on ripened grain,I am the gentle autumn rain.When you awaken in the morning's hushI am the swift uplifting rush Of quiet birds in circling flight. I am the soft starlight at night. Do not stand at my grave and cry, I am not there; I did not die.

Busch Gardens- Rest for the Weary

Yesterday was a busy day! We went to Busch Gardens, Blockbuster, Wal-mart, and to buy more propane. We ran out Monday night- thankfully we were still awake and were able to plug in the electric spaceheater, and throw another blanket on each of the beds. The nights have been getting down into the 30's and would have made for a rather rude awakening Tuesday morning! The girls had a ball at B.G. Elton got some video of them on the big swings- Brianna was so cute- screaming with delight! We left about 5:30- it was starting to get pretty chilly and the wind had picked up. That's the beauty of having passes, you can come & go as you please and don't feel like you're wasting money. I love the fact that we get free preferred parking too (thats normally $20/day) I hate taking the tram in- it wouldn't be so bad now since we are stroller free, but only for 49 more days! Bri was quite the Daddy's girl yesterday, wanting to hold his hand in the parking lot, ride with him all 3 times we took the sky lift... Maybe she was just buttering him up? She was so exhausted Elton had to carry her out of the park! This was really our first all day outing since we have done away with the pull-ups. Only big girl panties for Bri Bri now! She did really good- no accidents! :0) She is so stubborn and a horrible potty trainer just like Katie was. There is too much going on in life to take the time to stop and potty! Found a Strawberry Rhubarb pie @ Wal-mart- which is probably my alltime favorite pie- I've never seen it on the East Coast. We made a couple when the kids and I went to visit my mom in Washington last summer. This pie pales in comparison- not a whole lot of strawberries, only a few pieces of rhubarb- lots of goo... Nothing like the pies at Grandma's house with the fresh strawberries and Grandpa C's homegrown rhubarb! Katherine got a couple more Hannah Montana t-shirts while we were out. She is obsessed! Hannah Montana clothes, jewelry, make-up, perfume- even a wig! Oh well- we needed to add to her summer wardrobe anyway, and they were really cute... We came home and fixed dinner, and started to watch "How to Eat Fried Worms" well- Katherine and I did. As unbelievable as it sounds Elton and Bri both found alternative pasttimes. Bri watched Max and Ruby in the back bedroom, and Elton played "Stronghold" his current favorite computer game. I made it about 1/2 way through the movie and passed out on the couch! Elton woke me up when it was time for bed...

Vacation Extended AGAIN!

Well I woke up this morning and wondered "Why am I going home???" I'd be bored most of the week- Chris has school, hockey, and football practice starts this week- I'd get to see him for about 20 minutes a day and then he'd pass out... It would just be Bri and me 24/7. So I called my Dad who had already offered to meet us 1/2 way pick him up and keep him the rest of this week. Grandpa and Nana to the rescue! Elton left about an hour ago to meet them. Katie and I are just chillin'. Unfortunatly Bri is asleep (I'll be regretting this later!) but right now we're enjoying the peace and quiet. Probably wake her up in a few minutes and take the girls to the pool. Need to do some laundry too since I wasn't planning on staying this long... Will probably go to Busch Gardens tomorrow, had planned on going today, but by the time we all got showered and fed this morning, and went to the Pottery (Chris wanted to go to the knife store) none of us were really feeling Busch Gardens. Katherine and I bought some really cute cosmetic bags there- hers is black and pink and mine is pink and green. I'm almost thinking hers might be cuter... but I do LOVE pink and green. I also got 2 smaller bags that match. They were all 40% off. The people who worked there were so nice! I saw a bag that I would have LOVED for a diaper bag, but since we are having a boy- pink and green probably wouldn't be the best choice! LOL! The lady offered to order it for me in brown and blue. I'm very excited and can't wait to see it. I didn't even make it to Country Treasures- one of my alltime favorite stores! Figured that I had already spent enough money and since Elton was waiting in the car for the kids and I... (THAT is my typical shopping husband!) Hopefully I'll have some great new pics to post tomorrow...

Extended Vacation...

Couldn't bring myself to go home today... Having such a nice time. I don't want to leave Elton and Katherine here- I miss them so much when they are not home! It will be o.k. if Chris misses 1 day of school. Lazy day today- only a couple of activites: coloring fun and family movie. Elton took the kids to the General Store and the Trading Post in Williamsburg so I could take an uninterrupted nap. These late nights are really taking their toll- I've never been able to sleep in- I'm up with the sun. I appreciate the quiet mornings- I had about 3 hours before anyone was up and about this morning. But by afternoon I was dragging... Better stock up on my naps now- there won't be any this week with only Brianna and I at home! Spent a couple of hours at the pool this evening. Washed some clothes for Elton and Katherine- sneaky suspicion that if I don't do it, it won't get done! ;0) There are some things that Daddy just doesn't do! Although I must admit, he has been exceptionally good with childcare and cooking lately. I think he knows that I am super tired... I'm taking my prenatals, but think I will make it a point to add some more iron to my diet. Elton cooked chicken on the grill today, rice a roni, corn on the cob, and crescent rolls. I could get used to this!

Busy Bunnies!

Saturday was quite a busy day! ODW had an Easter Egg Hunt at 10, well technically they had 3- one for the little kids (6 and under) one for kids 6-12, and then one for all ages. The girls had a ball, and Chris- who of course wouldn't participate actually hung out with me the entire time, walking to all 3 different fields! Bri Bri was in 7th heaven- her best friend Aryanna was there and they spent most of the day together. ODW offered egg dyeing at the Pavillion, craft hour, pool games, a Bunny Popper race, and a Bunny Hop (DJ Dance) from 8-11. The girls lasted about an hour at the dance- they were so cute- shaking their booties! ;0) Then Brianna, who was EXHAUSTED from her busy day passed out in my arms. Chris went back to the trailer and got a blanket for her to lay on and we tucked her in a corner. Katherine spent most of the rest of the evening sitting with her- she was so tired too, but insisted that she wasn't ready to go home. Brianna has been asleep for the past 12 hours- I guess all these activites really took their toll on her- not to mention the 2 hours that she spent in the pool! I decided that I desperatly needed a nap and Daddy volunteered to take B. to the pool, I slept about an hour and walked up there, Katherine had finished Craft hour, and decided to join them. There were several little girls in there for them to play with and they were having a great time! There are so many cute bathing suits for sale in the little girls dept., but I pass them all by. The bathing suits with the built in floating padding are one of the best inventions ever! Although, I must admit that they are not very attractive- the benefits certainly outweigh the lack of fashion consciousness! Elton had planned on cooking chicken on the grill, but the kids were keeping us so busy, we opted just to eat leftovers instead. We had plenty from the night before, Elton ended up going to Ukrops, and buying some of their Macaroni and Cheese from the deli section (Kristy- Aryanna's mom insists that its the best in the world) I really liked it, you could tell it was homemade with real ingredients, and I'm almost positive that it had eggs in it. It reminded me of the Mac and Cheese we had in Savannah at Paula Deen's restaurant- The Lady and Sons. The rest of the family was not crazy about it. As far as boxed M&C goes, I am a Kraft girl, Elton is a Velveeta guy, which I find personally kind of disgusting. I hate the toxic orange cheesy goo that you have to squeeze out of the envelope- I think it has a strange aftertaste... I am having mixed emotions about going home today. One one hand, I am having a great time, and don't want to leave Elton and Katherine up here for another week, and on the other hand- the trailer is not especially condusive to comfort! I miss my pillowtop mattress! I hate this couch- I would have brought our old family room couch up here, that we recently coonverted to Brianna's big girl room. It was extremly comfortable! Except- #1 this one folds out into a bed when necessary, and #2 the hassle of getting the couch up here, and the fact that it might possibly not even make it through the door. In fact that is a distinct probability! The door is not especially generous. I started on my spring cleaning yesterday, and only finished the outside. Our screened in tent, which was fine 3 weeks ago, had dryrotted and torn in several places (they only last about a year, and unfailingly need to be replaced after winter...) The rug that we had under the picnic table finally gave up the ghost, and we had various junk in the storage bins, that I either decided to trash or take home. Conveniently Chris deemed our closest dumpster "too full" so we put the stuff in the back of the van and HE drove to another dumpster on the other side of the campground. If he would have bothered to remove the suitcases from the back of the van, or at least folded the back seat down, all our junk would have easily gone in one load. But of course we had to make 2! He did surprisingly well, and so did I! I didn't freak out once. I absolutely positively 100% HATE the idea of him driving! Once we were doing yardwork and needed to move the cars back in the driveway to blow out from underneath of them- I mean we're talking straight back- maybe 15 feet and I was so panicked and full of instructions that Chris was like "never mind mom, you do it)! I don't want to be that mom. UGH!

Another Delightful Day @ Outdoor World!

Today has been a wonderful day! We got up this morning, and Elton made breakfast: sausage, eggs & cinnamon rolls. Mmmm- we love them and rarely eat them, but Elton had done the grocery shopping, so there was more than our usual number of treats! ;0) Chris, Katherine and I straightened up the trailer, took the garbage out, did the dishes etc. Things are quite a bit more relaxed in the trailer. Whomever said smaller places are easier to clean never stayed in a 38' travel trailer with 3 kids! We have stuff EVERYWHERE! We started watching "Hairspray", I didn't watch enough to really comment on it, but it seemed funny. I hadn't bought anything for their Easter baskets, so that was my mission this morning. Surprisingly Elton decided to go with me (he must have really missed me these past 5 days!) We went to the Children's Place, and he was so patient. I'm like a kid in a candy store in there! I love digging through the bins. Bargain shopping is my passion! He even actively shopped! Sometimes he can be such a perfect husband! I bought Bri 4 pair of flip flops (we LOVE flip flops!) 2 pair for $5. I will probably end up going back and getting some more. 3 pairs of pink socks and a super cute scarf from the bargain bin (49 cents each) 2 sweaters for next winter from the $2.99 rack, and 3 really nice winter hats for the baby (also .49). I actually remembered to use my 15% off code, and recieved another one for my next visit.

Then we went to the Dollar store, well I went to the Dollar Store (you can't drag Elton in there!) He went to an adjoining Gourmet food store. Bought some Easter basket stuff- really had a disappointing selection of things. Apparently everyone had the same idea- that place was packed! I did the majority of my Easter shopping at Wal-mart. I try to do more than candy, I guess it would be more like a "spring is finally here" basket. flip flops, cute sunglasses, jewelry etc. Katherine got a t-shirt, 2 pair of flip flops, some Hannah Montana bracelets, a Hannah Montana sports bra and panty set. (I need to make it a priority to take her bra shopping, we tried once before but we had Brianna with us- enough said...) Brianna got a kite, some jewelry, and a Hi Ho Cheery-o's game, and 2 summer outfits. Chris who is too old and too cool for a conventional Easter basket, got his fair share of the candy, some Axe body spray, some mechanical pencils (the only thing he will use at school), and some money. The Easter bunny understands what its like to be a teenager!

We made a parent judgement call and decided to go ahead and give them their Easter baskets, that way they could actually use their new stuff, pig out on their candy, Chris could spend his $ instead of ours ;0) etc. We sent the girls to the park when we got home so we could assemble their baskets. We set them out on the picnic table outside, and sent Chris to go get them and tell them that we had seen a rabbit, and he was going to try to shoot it, but Daddy told him not to it might be the Easter bunny. It was so cute, she looked like she was about to cry! That quickly changed to delight when she saw her basket and wasted no time dragging everything out and exclaiming over every little thing! ;0)

The campground has been keeping Katherine occupied all afternoon: Candy Bar Bingo (always a favorite!), a Scavenger Hunt (she won), Pool Games, and "real" Bingo. Elton and Chris shot pool this afternoon, and then Elton, Bri, and I took a nap. I've missed my afternoon nap this past week, Brianna keeps me busy! This has been a good pregnancy, no morning sickness, or any other annoying symptoms, but I do get really tired.

Kitchen Remodel

I've decided to post some pictures of our recent kitchen "remodel" . The pergo floors are new (Thanks to my rather handy husband!) so are the Stainless steel fridge, dishwasher, and stove. My kitchen now looks so "gourmet" I think I should cook better/more frequently than I actually do! Do you think this all could have been a hint from my DH??? We finally changed the wallpaper in there last year- after hating the old stuff for 9 years! Grapes are NOT my thing. I'm only surprised it took me that long to change it! My cabinets (new when we bought the house in '98) are still in good shape. I would LOVE some granite countertops, and a stainless microwave and toaster oven. I mean- it all should match right??? ;0) Eat your heart out Paula Deen!

Williamsburg Va!

Well we arrived! We left as soon as Chris got out of school, stopped for gas, and Chick Fil A. Chris and Brianna were asleep before we even reached Rocky Mount and slept all the way to the campground. They'll probably be up all night after their 2 hour naps, but it was a nice and peaceful drive. No bickering or fighting over the radio. We got here about 6 and the kids opened their Easter Baskets that Nana sent along (Yes, I know its a couple days early, but there really isn't anywhere to hide them here and since the Easter Bunny will be visiting Sunday...) The kids (and I) have been eating chocolate nonstop and the girls love their Hannah Montana T-shirts and bubbles. Bubbles are one of BriBri's alltime favorite things! Elton and Chris decided to watch "I am Legend" since this didn't appeal to the girls and I we went to the pool. What could be better than an indoor pool??? The indoor hottub. Since I didn't want to boil the baby, I refrained. But it was soooo tempting! Daddy was quite impressed with the Easter cake Brianna and I made for him. She decorated it so beautifully- twice as a matter of fact! We did it once and I put it in the oven for "safekeeping" SOMEONE scraped off most of the frosting. There were tiny little fingerprints all through it. Thankfully we had another can of Cream Cheese frosting, and it is good as new. He has been hinting for a cake for a while (none too subtly I might add) and since it is Easter we decided a carrot cake would be the perfect thing! Appparently it doesn't take long to turn my kids against me. Elton and Katherine have only been gone 5 days, and already I can see a change in her- acting like quite the Daddy's girl! Hmph! ;0) Elton has been Mr. Fixit since he's been here. He fixed the regualator on the gas- it's so nice to be able to use the furnace instead of our space heaters. He installed a new lock on the bathroom door- for some reason, it has never wanted to close properly. Gone are the days of propping a Listerine bottle against the door! I finally filled out the survey from my last Children's Place purchase- got a code for 15% off my next purchase. I LOVE The Children's Place outlet in Williamsburg. I went a couple weeks ago when we were here for Jessica's Baby Shower (less than a month to go until Hunter Michael arrives!) I got a huge bag full of stuff for about $22! They have the best deals. I think the most I paid for anything was $2.99. I bought Bri 2 pair of super cute jammies, tons of socks, several pair of tights (2 pair for $1- and they are the patterened ones- score!) bought several things for the baby. A sleeper, 3 hoodies for next winter, some camo pants (at Chris's insistance ;0) ) Williamsburg also has a great kids Consignment shop- it was closed the last time we were here though. Easter has snuck up on me this year- didn't put up any of my decorations. I guess we've had enough going on this year! We haven't even decorated eggs yet. Will make it a point to do it tomorrow. The campground will have tons of activites this weekend, so we'll try to get the egg dyeing done early. Katherine is affectionatly called "The schedule Nazi" the first thing she does when we get here is run to the trading post for a schedule. We have to plan our whole vacation around their activities! Buying the membership to this campground was one of the best things Elton ever did. Admittedly I kind of flipped out when I found out- we didn't even have a trailer! We spent a year with a pop-up, and quickly realized that we needed something much much bigger, something that we could leave permenantly set up on site. It's so nice to have our "Vacation Home"! 2 bedrooms, an actual bathroom (!) a full kitchen etc. We spend as much time here as possible.

My 1st Official Blog

I have been weighing the pro's and con's of blogging for quite awhile now. On one hand it never seems like there are enough hours in the day to accomplish half of the things I intend to, on the other hand, I think it would be somewhat cathartic. I imagine it will be nice to look back on previous posts and see what life was like at a certain point in time. My kids are growing up so fast, Chris is 15 (gasp!), Katherine 10, Brianna 3, and Shawn -56 days. Perhaps this will be an easier way to record their lives than their oft neglected Baby Books!


I guess I will start with me... I'm 31, married to my soul mate/best friend. We have been blessed with (almost) 4 wonderful children. I think we must have a baby addiction! Everytime one of our children stops being a baby we have another one. I'm currently 8 months pregnant with our fourth (and last) child. It's bittersweet. Our family will be complete. 2 boys (my husband Elton refers to them as our "Bookends") and 2 girls. Each of our children have such unique distinctive personalitys- I can't wait to meet Shawn- I hope he's an easygoing baby! My primary aspiration in life is to be the best wife/mother I can be. Some days it feels like I am failing miserably, but other days I look at my children, full of pride, and think that I'm not doing too bad! I recieved my Batchelors degree in Biology and am currently working on my Master's of Library Science online. I'm not very far along in the program but am enjoying it thus far.

My husband Elton is my rock. He keeps me grounded. Not to say that he's perfect- but I wouldn't trade him! He works in pharmaceuticals and is currently working on his Master's of Business Administration. He is very ambitious and driven. We have many of the same goals and values. God truly blessed me when he brought him to me.

Chris is a typical teenage boy, one minute he is a monster, the next an angel. I think he gets his moodswings from me! Out of all of our children he is the one who reminds me the most of myself. His tastes and interests change on a whim, I guess he is just trying to find out who he is, and what his path in life will be.

Katherine is such a sweet quiet child- too nice at times. She has a lot of her fathers qualities about her, and a lot of my mother. I hope she has also inherited their inner strength. I think she has...

Brianna- I think this one will be a handful! I dread her teenage years! She is VERY mischevious, but also very loving. She has such a delightful personality, it's hard to stay mad at her for very long.

Enough background information. Tomorrow as soon as Chris gets out of school we will go to Williamsburg- our "home away from home". Elton and Katherine have been there since Sunday and I can't wait to see them. It's been a long 4 days. Busch Gardens will be open and we are looking forward to spending Easter at the campground. I truly love it there! They have so many great activities for the kids, I'm sure I will have plenty to blog about and hopefully some great pictures to post.