Beach here we come!!!!!

Well, Andy and I are off for a much needed vacation. I am so ready to get out of town and get to a place where we can relax and have some F-U-N!!! We are going to Hilton Head with some of our good friends Tori and Doc for a loooooong weekend. I am so excited. They are bringing their totally precious and beautiful baby girl, Reece. I am so excited to get to hang out with her and cover her with hugs and kisses. I will post pictures of the trip when we get back. So until I get back... everyone have a safe and relaxing Labor Day!!!!!

We are the CHAMPIONS...

my friend! Yeah, we did it, she did it. The US Women's Basketball Team won THE GOLD MEDAL! I could not be happier if I had won one myself. I always want all of my friends and family to be successful and happy and I am always excited when great things happen to them. There is something about Kara that makes me just long for success and happiness to come her way. I think that it has to do with the first-hand experiences that I have had watching her dream and then working so hard to make both her personal and professional dreams come to fruition. (That word was for you, Kara!) If you have ever met Kara, then I promise that you have never met someone that works harder! She is determined, goal oriented, and passionate. She lets nothing get in her way and when she finds that there is an obstacle in her path she finds the best way to push through it and does not stop until she is finished.

Saturday was a thrilling day for our family. I went over to my mother's house and we sat on her bed, screaming at the TV, wishing and hoping and demanding that the US team pull out a victory over Australia. We got our wish. Not only did the us win but Kara played out of her mind. She sparked the team each time that she checked in to the game. She had 15 points, went 4-4 from the field, 1-1 from the 3-point line, 4-4 on free throws, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal in 18 minutes. She was perfect. I could not have asked for a better game. I have seen Kara after losses in college. I have seen the tears stream down her face and I wish to never see that again. I have seen the hurt of defeat and felt the pain that she felt each time. Saturday was wonderful. Saturday I got to see the grin from ear to ear and happiness dripping from her. Saturday I got to see Kara represent the US and become the best in the world. Saturday I got to see Kara become and Olympic Champion and see a Gold Medal placed around her neck. Saturday was a wonderful day!

There were doubters; and it has been said time and again that she was the last person picked for this team. It has been said that there were bigger names that should have gotten her spot. I don't think that those people have an argument anymore. Throughout the tournament Kara stepped up each time she was on the court. She sparked her team through her tough defense and smart play. She picked her times to shoot and when to pass. She brought an energy to the court that was undeniable. In my eyes she carried this team. She brought the passion that the rest of the team feed off of. Although I could not be there (and oh how I wish that I could have been in China) I was there in spirit. Our whole family was there in spirit! Kara represented us all and did a wonderful job. I am so proud of you, Kara! As your professional rebounder, you made me so proud and I could not be happier for you! I can't wait to see you soon!

Here is a picture of Kara that I think best represents her emotion on Saturday! I got it off the WNBA website and the photo credits go to: Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images. Thank you for capturing Kara's moment in ways that words cannot!!

COWS!!!!

I never try to hide the fact that my favorite animal is a cow. I love them. I wish that I had one of my very own that we could keep in the backyard. A couple of months ago Andy and I were given a deep freezer from a very dear friend. Since it is just the two of us we don't have a great need for it but thinking down the line (when we do have lots and lots of children, did you hear that Andy, lots and lots- hee hee hee) that it may come in handy. Well after we put it in our garage, Andy said to me one day; I think that we should get a cow! I got really, really excited and finally thought that all my dreams of owning a cow had a chance of coming true. I said, "Oh really, but where will we keep it? In the backyard?" For those of you who have not see our house, we live on maybe a half an acre and although our backyard is perfect for a dog, it would not quite be big enough for a cow and all of their... shall we say...poop! So for Andy to even mention getting one I was shocked. My questions were quickly followed by an answer that I don't even want to think about. He replied, "No Cameron, for the freezer. We could by a whole cow from the processor and put it in the freezer to cook with." Although I am not opposed to eating cow meat, I was floored at the idea that we would have a whole cow in the freezer. We have yet to get a cow but I was very disappointed that Andy did not want to get me a new pet for the backyard. Maybe down the road we can get one, yeah right...

So I told you all of that to show you these glasses that I found online. My mom bought these glasses for me and some my my darling friends when we were in high school. I loved them then but love them even more now since I don't have them to drink from everyday. The rule with these glasses was that they were only allowed to be used for milk and nothing else. Here is the picture of the glass.

They are so cute and I wish that I had a set now to drink my milk out of. I guess I will just have to save up to get them. They are just precious. Here is the link to where they can be purchased if any of you want to have some fun milk glasses... http://www.benningtonpotters.com/product/188/specials

High School Soccer!

Well, the season unofficially but officially starts tonight. If you don't know what I am talking about I will let you in on the little secret... I am the assistant coach for the West High School Girls Soccer Team. It takes up quite a bit of time during these next few months and I know that can be hard on Andy and I, but I love getting the chance to make a difference in the lives of some pretty cool young women. I love teaching them to be not just better soccer players but I try to teach them to be better women. It is hard and I fail a lot, I know that. Luckily I have a wonderful husband that keeps me pointed in the right direction when it comes to these girls. They test my patience daily and I constantly have to remind myself that I was kind of like them when I was their age. It is really hard to imagine. It also reminds me that I am glad that I am not in high school anymore. That was not always a fun times and there was always drama, and apparently there still is.
The season is starting tonight and we will be tested for the first time. We have played in a few short games and then the alumni game but this will be our first test tonight from another local team. I am excited to see what our girls bring to the table. We still have a lot to learn but I can't wait to see them get out on the field together.
I will have to be careful about how much I talk about what goes on with these girls since I have not gotten any of their permission to talk about them on here and I don't want to have to unpost (I think that I just made up a new blogging word!) anything. I will say that I have an awesome coaching staff, of which I am very proud to be a part of. I hope that this season is better than past, we have set some goals and I hope that I can help this team realize some of those goals. I will keep you posted!!!!! Go Lady Rebels!!!!!

Update on Rhian

I just wanted to update all of you that have not yet heard. Canada won their game today and Rhian assisted in the game winning goal. I was really disappointed in her latest blog entry because she never gives herself any credit. She is an awesome player and the entire world needs to know about it.

RHI YOU ARE AWESOME... have I ever told you that before!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Way to go Canada!!!!

All in favor of parent licencing say "I"

"I"
My faithful readers know that at my former job I was a Case Manager. I worked with children that were somehow involved with DCS (Department of Children's Services). All of these kids were there due to some sort of a "family issue" either caused by the parents or in some cases by the child. I worked with foster kids, juvenile justice kids, and adopted kids. It was a wonderful job filled with lots of joy, but at times it was a heartbreaking experience. What I came to learn about the occupation of "Social Workers" is that they are under paid and over worked. They deal day in and day out with emotionally gut wrenching issues and are not fairly compensated for it. You are supposed to be "On Call" 24/7 for your families, and at times have to make YOUR family take a backseat. It is so unfair to both the worker and the families they work with. Both parties suffer resulting in more family breakdowns. While I was working I had some wonderful kids on my case load and some wonderful families. Kids that wanted to be better behaved and really worked on getting along and some parents that really wanted to have a happy, healthy family. I was wonderful to be a part of. I also had some kids that did not see a future for themselves and did not want to try. There were also parents that were just trying to make it until the kids were out of the house and out of their hair and they did not want me to be around. I was the problem and they wanted me out of their home and life.
Today I was came upon an article that just about ripped my heart from my chest. This is one of the most awful stories of neglect that I have ever heard. This is where the title from the post comes from. All the time we are required to fill out a form and show proof that we are capable of driving a car, being an employer, teaching children, coaching children, giving blood. We are not required, however, by anyone at anytime to prove that we are DESERVING (yes I said deserving) of raising a child. Now, Andy and I do not have any children yet. I hope and pray that we are blessed with the chance to be parents, and I would be all for taking classes to show people that we will do our best to make sure that our children are raised in a happy and healthy environment. Why is one of the most important jobs in the world regularly overlooked? Why are parents allowed to have children in the most horrible of environments. It is unbelievable and heartbreaking.
The following story does show all of us that even with all of the horrible people out there, that there are some wonderful people as well. The family that stepped up in this article deserves to be recognized and honored for the wonderful gift that they have given this child. A gift of wonderful parents that give her all that she needs and a brother that even when he gets less than his fair share of his parents attention is willing to help his sister learn and grow. Amazing. What an amazing family.
I would like to warn you this story is a hard read. Hard in that it is a story about one of the worst child abuse cases that I have ever heard, and ends without proper punishment of those involved...
http://www.tampabay.com/features/humaninterest/article750838.ece

O Canada...

So as my faithful readers have read, one of my best friends is currently in China getting ready to represent the USA on the basketball team. What most of you don't know is that one of my teammates from college is also in China getting ready for the Olympics, but she is playing on the Canadian women's soccer team. Her name is Rhian Wilkinson and she is awesome. Rhian is one of the best players to ever come through the Tennessee Women's Soccer program and she is also one of the nicest and coolest people that I know. She has her own website that can be found here: http://www.rhianwilkinsonsoccer.com/index.html . I am sure that she would love for you to stop by her website when you get a chance. I have read that she does not love to write the journal entries as often as she does but I love them and can't get enough of them. It has been a great way for me to keep up with what she is doing, where she is in the world and all of her fun adventures. The best part is that when she plays the US she calls us, "those Americans!" I think that it is so funny!

At any rate,I just wanted to give her a shout of from her old home here in Knoxville, TN! We miss you Rhi and hope that you guys do awesome in China!!!! Good Luck!!!!!!!

Here are some pictures that I "borrowed" from her blog. In the top picture she is on the bottom row, third person from the left...

I love this one. It really shows her passion. As I said before Rhian is one of the sweetest people in the world but if you try to cross her this is what you will get. I think that I read that she was protecting her goalie and doing a good job I might add. I just wish that I could have heard what she said to this girl. You are AWESOME RHI!

This is the way I remember her. Go Vols. As they say at Tennessee, once a Lady Vol, always a Lady Vol!!!! Go Big Orange!!!!!