More Pictures from Our Southeast Adventures

Here is Simon and Evie playing in Ringgold, Georgia's new children's park.

This is Simon and Grey, the son of a friend of Matt's.

This morning when Matt was dressing for church, Simon approached him with some advice.

Simon:  Dad, I want you to put your beard in the trash can.

Matt:  What's wrong with my beard?  You don't like it?

Simon:  It looks weird.  I want you to get a new beard.

Matt:  (laughing)  Okay, but I don't have time this morning.

Simon:  You need to get one with a smiley face on it.

Having sincere, overflowing fun at the park and creek ....

Nana, Simon and Evie

Uncle Ollie and youngsters crossing the dangerous rapids ~

Mommy and Evie out in the McDaniel's backyard.

Sarah and I bought these matching shirts probably 5 years ago - at a gas station en route to church summer camp !  It is probably my favorite t-shirt!  

Matt poses for me with his father's summer pride - GIGANTIC elephant ears!

They've been growing, nurtured on the mountainside for 30 plus years by the McDaniels.

Matt holding Evie protectively as they walk by to the house.

Evie was sleeping a lot on Friday, even falling asleep in my lap.

The next morning we took her temperature, and it was 101.9 !

We took her to a doctor who thankfully was available that Saturday morning, only minutes away, and was covered by our insurance.

She is on antibiotics (her first) for an ear infection.

Matt and I play a fun game sometime.

Guess the status -

One of us will read Facebook Statuses aloud, and the other guesses the author.

Before Dinner last night, Matt and I took Simon on a walk in their "neighborhood"  (mountain) to find treasures.  Simon carried a bag to collect his treasure.

Matt's brother Ollie asked Simon if his daddy had any brothers.

Simon replied, "My daddy has lots of brothers at Gospel for Asia."

My cup runneth over ...

Sick Evie peeping out from the Ergo carrier ...

The view

I was reading Southern Living magazine yesterday as I blogged at the Panera's in downtown Chattanooga (while I waited for pic to upload)

So, apparently we are visiting 4 of the top 10 Most Beautiful Southern Autumn Cities:  #2  Asheville, North Carolina & #5 Birmingham, Alabama & #6 Chattanooga, Tennessee and #8 Atlanta, Georgia.

And we'll be in the Greenville, South Carolina area a little bit which didn't make it the list ... However, there was a separate article by Travel featuring the top #3 cities nationwide to visit this Autumn and Greenville came in at #2.

I love this picture of my two men walking so purposefully together.

A picture of Matt's parents' home that we took from the porch of the new house just built across the street.  Matt grew up in this home - since he was a year old or so.  This afternoon I was driving to Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia to the Panera's there that has free wi-fi so I could update this blog.  I called my mom as I was driving here, and she said that we almost lived in Fort Oglethorpe.  She said they "tried" to make it happen, but it wasn't God's will.  My dad preached at a church here in Fort Oglethorpe, apparently, on Easter Sunday of 1979, my first Easter.  So, I could have lived 15 minutes or so from Matt ....

My parents realized they would rather live away from family and be where God wanted them, than to be close to them in a "forced" opportunity.

Likewise, we sacrifice our Southeast-affections for where we believe God has us.  And look at God's goodness, we get to visit the Southeast on a support trip! 

What if your last name was Azine and you named your baby daughter Mag?

Mag Azine

If this past week is any indication of how much I will eat over these "holiday" months, then I will be doing good to maintain weight, much less lose any!

I made pumpkin chocolate chip muffins for the road trip.

Sandy has made this amazing apple cake with a caramel-ish icing and a couple of homemade apple pies.  The apples were bought in the mountains of North Carolina.  And we had this homemade chocolate poundcake WITH icing.

But, I have a very high sugar tolerance and am handling it all quite well :)

We have tried to keep us our exercise habits - something I enjoy and find necessary to my mood and well-being!  Nothing better than a walk/jog and listening to praise music.

HOWEVER, I found that I can jog about 1/2 as much here on the mountain.  Where are my flat sidewalks of Carrollton?  Not even Charlie Hall's Marvelous Light song could keep me moving.  I did this ingenious walk/jog with Matt where he jogged the whole time and when I saw him turning to circle back to me, I would jog, thus making him think I jogged more than I did :)

Simon "found" some watermelon on our nature-walk.  Growing wild next to the driveway at the house being built.  Some workers must have eaten watermelon and spit out the seeds ...

A close-up picture of the baby, wild watermelon

Uncle Ollie has been treating our children to lots of playtime and attention!

Our treasures from our walk

Funny story:  a new friend of ours that works at Precept Ministries (and shall remain anonymous) recounted a funny story to us.  She was in a meeting with Kay Arthur, and Kay asked for a pen.  She handed Kay her pen that featured Jim and Pam!  I don't know, but it just cracks me up to think of Kay Arthur conducting a meeting unknowingly with a JAM pen.

This was last night in downtown Chattanooga, which is apparently THE place to be on a Saturday night.  We were going for nostalgia and practicality (wi-fi).

One of my fondest memories of this Panera is meeting Kellie Hill here once as we passed through the area!

I was reading magazines while I waited for pictures to upload!  I love magazines!  I love getting ideas for redecorating.  I used to have a guilty-mindset for my passion there, but I've realized God has given me the desire and creativity for decorating and organization, so I'll continue to trust him for incredible bargains at resales or stores, ways to reinvent and rediscover things we own, or hand-me-downs!  However He does it is fine! I just really, really enjoy that type of thing, as I have time of course!

A picture-session after church.

The posed ones didn't turn out well, but I like these candid shots.

Evie and I didn't actually get to go to church, with her fever and all, but we were dressed for it all the same.

Matt and his crazy-new obsession with these thrift-store sunglass finds.

The guys.

The other night I tucked Simon in and was getting in my cuddle time.

I asked him if he would go for a walk with  me the next day.

He said, "No, you three girls can go for a walk.  Us guys are going to hang out."

But when he is not feeling well (as pictured)

 he wants nothing more than his mamma for some cuddle-time :)

Apparently I should have kept Simon home from church as well.

He seemed to be running a fever later that afternoon 

and almost went to sleep (immediately) in my arms.