Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

We usually try to take a ski trip before Christmas but this year the ski thing just didn't seem to work out. Since we fly standby (and now so does Hank and Holly) we started looking at place we could go where the flights seemed to be open. I think it was Wednesday when someone suggested Cabo in Mexico. The flights were great leaving on Thursday so we packed our bags, made few arrangements and headed to the airport on Thursday morning.
To start the trip off, we were late getting to the airport and missed the one hour before flight arrival requirement. The computers would not let us print our tickets and it looked like we were not going to make it. Finally, a really nice Delta employee helped us out and printed our tickets for us. We made it!!
When we got to Cabo Dave realizes that he left his driver's license at home so I had to rent the car which also meant I had to drive!! Yikes! I don't know if any of you have every actually tried to drive in Mexico but it is quite an experience. The one rule of driving is that there are not rules. If you come to an intersection, there are no stop signs. It is basically first come first serve. Really scary, especially when you decline the rental car insurance!!
We only stayed until Saturday but we had the best time. We ate at local taco restaurants where they serve authentic Mexican food. It was so yummy! The beaches were beautiful and the people were so nice. We will definitely be going back to Cabo in the future!

Dave's Graduation

Dave finally finished all of his CFP classes. He had his graduation the other night. We were so proud of him. He has worked extremely hard for this!! He took the exam before Thanksgiving and we are still awaiting the results. Either way, I couldn't be more proud of him!!

Tea Party

So Madison got invited to a tea party the other day. A girl in her class was having a tea party at her grandmother's house and Madison and a few other girls from school were invited. I was really excited for Madison because I thought it would be fun thing to do. So after church I drove her to the address on the invitation and was planning to drop her off and do a little Christmas shopping before going back to pick her up. When I pulled up to the house I realized it was a very large white antebellum home. The front lawn (which was very large) was FILLED with cars. I was little confused as to why there were so many cars since only a few girls were invited. So we walked up to the front door where the grandfather was waiting to greet us. When we walked in the front door the foyer was filled with little girls and their mothers. I soon realized that I would be staying for the tea party (which was fine but not expected). After asking around, I found out that this family does this tea party every year and every year it gets more and more extravigant. There was over one hundred girls there plus their mothers.

So here was the schedule of events:

1. Walk from room to room with your group to hear the history behind the particular Christmas tree or trees in that room. There was a lady waiting in each room to speak as you came in (sort of like the Tour of Homes). The girls also received 5-6 ornaments from the various rooms.

2. Go downstairs where you find your designated table with gingerbread houses for each girl to decorate. Eat cookies and drink tea.

3. An elf reads a story about Mrs. Claus.

4. Mrs. Claus enters to talk to the girls.

5. A ballerina from the Nutcracker does a dance.

6. Decorate your gingerbread house (girls dressed in elf costumes come around with trays of candy and your own icing tube for you to use).

7. Santa Claus enters while girls are decorating.

8. Once you are finished with your house take it over to have your picture made with Santa and Mrs. Claus.

A special thanks to Butch and Marsha Thompson for opening their home to all these girls and giving them a wonderful Christmas experience!!

Manager's Meeting

Every year my dad's company has a managers meeting where all the managers as well as the corporate employees come to Atlanta for a conference. On Saturday night they always have a really fancy dinner and give out awards etc. This year, my dad is retiring (after 29 years) so he wanted my whole family there. My dad has been a really big part of why the company is where it is today and the company has been a huge part of his life as well. Naturally, the decision to retire did not come easy and has been a source of mixed emotions for him and my mom. I could not be more proud of him. He has worked so hard and it makes me happy that he has finally come to the place in his life where he can start to do some things for himself.

Softball Party

Yesterday was Madison's end of the season softball party at Buffalos. It was interesting to see all the girls in regular clothes. You get so used to seeing them in uniform. The girls had so much fun sitting together and being silly. At the end the coach said something nice about each girl and gave them their trophy. I can't believe the season is over. I don't know what we are going to do in our free time now.

Rattlesnake Mountain

My parents have a cabin on Fort Mountain (in between Elijay and Chatsworth) and we love to go stay for the weekend. We call is Rattlesnake Mountain for two reasons. 1st: When they were building the cabin they found several rattlesnakes on the property. 2nd: When we were little my dad used to tell us these stories about "Rattlesnake Mountain" every Thanksgiving. He would make up these adventures that these kids had at "Rattesnake Mountain" and he would continue the story every Thanksgiving. He would usually tell it on the way home from the mountains at night. It was always so scary!!

Dave and I love to go to the cabin and sometimes we will go for several weekends in a row. We have gone for the past two weekends. The leaves are absolutely gorgeous this time of year up there. There are so many colors surrounding you.

We usually hike some when we are there and also ride 4-wheelers. They have 18 acres of land so if you pass the house (which is a really scary, steep, rocky road) there are several switch-backs and at the bottom there is a stream and a waterfall. We have built a couple of decks down there with a fire pit. Our newest addition is an amazing rope swing. It is so much fun!! So here are a few pictures from our weekend.

4th Grade Performance

Madison has been learning how to play the recorder this year so the other night at the PTA meeting the 4th graders had a performance that mixed singing with playing their recorder. Madison ended up standing in the worst place possible on the risers and we could hardly see her. Oh well, we were still proud!!

Halloween

Madison was a ladybug this year for Halloween. She has gone trick or treating with her friend Ivey for the past several years. Ivey lives across the street from Dave's parents. Last year and again this year, the parents of another girl in the neighborhood offered to drive the kids around in the back of their trailer with bails of hay and lights, the whole 9 yards. So Madee and Ivey did that again this year.

Dave and I stayed at the house and waited for trick or treaters. This year we decided to scare the kids when they came to the door. The houses that had scary stuff were always the best!! So, Dave hid under a tarp by the walkway. When they kids walked up he would growl and try to touch their leg from under the tarp. The kids would scream and then go to walk up the stairs to the front door. But I hid under the stairs in a black cape and a Jason mask (hockey mask). They would still be recovering from their scare when I would let them see my face (the hockey mask) and try to grab their leg from under the stairs.

Most of the kids really liked it but we had this one kid that didn't quite appreciate our love of a "good scare". He came walking up (his mom was waiting in the driveway) and passed by Dave. When Dave growled at him he screamed so loud and high pitched (it was like a scream in a movie). Then he tried to run up the stairs and I reached my hand through the steps. He just froze and started screaming over and over again. Then he finally ran away crying!! I felt horrible!! His mom ran to meet him and told him it was o.k. that it was Halloween and that what it is about. She had to hold his hand to get him to go to the door. Then the mom says to her son, "It's o.k. honey it just some teenagers boys playing around." Ouch!! Then to make it worse Dave (who had come out from under the tarp at this point) says, "Actually that's my wife" and points under the stairs.

Pumpkin Stuff

We finally carved our pumpkin last night. Dave and Madee carved one a few weeks ago at his parents house but it was more to just get the seeds out of it to cook. They did the traditional triangle eyes and nose. So last night we got out the carving kit and picked out a pattern to make our masterpiece pumpkin. I must say, it turned out pretty good!!

You Can Vote However You Like

This is a video of students from a school in Atlanta. I think it is kind of catchy! Of course you can vote however you like...as long as it is McCain:)

Silver Comet Half Marathon

Phil applying "glide" to Dave's nipples so they wouldn't chaff. What a pal!!

Dave and I ran our first half marathon this past Saturday. Several guys from Dave's office went also. Dave finished in 1:49 and I finished in 2:02. I felt pretty good for most of the race but as soon as I stopped running at the end, my whole body ached. It is alot of stress on your body to run on pavement for 13 miles!! And my body definetely felt it. After the race we went back to Phil's apartment to soak our legs in the freezing cold pool. It is supposed to help with soreness. I couldn't make myself do and but the guys did. I'm thinking now that I probably should have. I am still limping around.