Sage - A Dear Friend

Let me tell you about some of our dearest friends here in Punkin Center, USA. They are the Fohner's (Phoner-- for those of you wondering how Fohner is pronounced). Gerry, Kerry, Will, Shannon and their long list of beloved pets live in what we call "The Fohner FunHouse."

About five years ago, we met Gerry and Kerry during a Crawfish Boil they have at there house to help Will and Cason get to know each other since they were going to the same school. Little did we know then Will and Cason would become best friends and Gerry, Kerry and the rest of the gang would become so near and dear to our hearts.

During Halloween, they would always have a party and call it the Fohner Funhouse because Kerry would have the best activities planned for all the kids.

Cason would ask me in the summer, "Mommy, Can we go to the Fohner Funhouse today?"

I would remind him that the Fohner Funhouse is only at Halloween.

The Fohner's have several pets, which are ALL loved and adored by everyone, even Mr. Whiskers the snake (whom is NOT my favorite).

Today, it is with great sadness I write because Sage, the best Brittney Spaniel you could ever wish for, passed away today at the age of 14. Oh, what a wonderful life he had to spend with such a caring and loving family.

Say a little prayer today for the Fohner's, I know they are going to miss Sage for a very time.

RIP Little Buddy 10-31-1995/08-19-2009

Snow in Orlando?!?

With Disney's creative genius it does snow in Orlando!!

No, I am not kidding. They have a water park named Blizzard Beach. It is just the coolest. Everything there is designed to appear to be covered in snow.

The kids play area is called Tikes Peak and children can cross an icy river while holding onto a rope. They can also go down a water slide that looks like a sheet of ice and Cason's favorite attraction in the play area was Fahrenheit Drop, a zip-lining adventure in to the frozen tundra..

This is Summit Plummet... A water-slide that drops 130feet straight down... Of course, Andy and Cason HAD to ride it...



They had the best time...


Andy did mention after he clocked in at 61MPH on the decent, that on the way down his bathing suit got all up in his business if you know what I mean! Nonetheless, PRICELESS expression...


Thanks Disney's Blizzard Beach, We had a BLAST!

Magical Moments 2009- Day 1

Andy, Cason and I just got back from Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. The last time we were there I was pregnant with Cason and only ride I got to ride was It's a Small World. This time we had the time of our life.... One of the coolest things EVER happened... I hope you are sitting down when you read this....

Are you ready?....

Here it comes.....

We, The Browns, were chosen as Disney's Guest of the Day at Hollywood Studios!!! How Exciting was that?!?! It was totally AWESOME!!!

A Disney Cast Member came up to us told us he had given us a Magical Moment and I thought he wanted me to apply for a VISA! He assured us it was for real.

Here is the Disney Cast Member from France who chose us... Sorry I didn't get his name, I was so wrapped up in the moment it has left me.

We really didn't know what to think at first and then he told us that by picking us it ensured us front row seats and we never had to wait in line!!!

The AeroSmith Rock n' Roller Coasters line was 120 minutes!!! You can't imagine the excitement!! It was just the neatest thing ever to happen to us...

Here is Cason after we were chosen and had the ride of our life...

Can you tell how excited he was?

Army Wives - Coming Home

All I can say is WOW!!! This weeks episode of Army Wives was one of the best to series date in my opinion.

Let's talk about Joan and Roland.... "I am woman hear me roar" Joan was kickin' it in last weeks episode. I hope to see Evan and Jennifer gone for good after last weeks episode. They are such a sweet couple on the show. I love to see a good butt-kicking after someone catches the other person in the wrong and Joan did just that... Bahahahah....

Loved hearing Frank tell Evan,

"Respect Sir, but you're dead"

Evan, "No"

Frank, "Yes now hit the ground" hahahahaha

On to Emilynn and Michael Holden.... My heart was just warmed by the fact that even through the tough times this family has went through the love between a daughter and father came to light and showed such a soft (Claudia Joy) side to Emilynn. Claudia Joy escorted Hinen (forgive the spelling) back to be with her relatives at an Air Force base in Turkey (not Hickory Farms but the country :-)

Last but certainly not least FRANK and DENISE....First of all I loved the loved the song they chose during the scene..Okay this is where the WOW came from,

Who doesn't like a good love scene when it is tastefully done.... All I can is GO Frank and Denise! Frank did a complete 180 and found the love that he had always had in his heart for Denise, even after the mistakes she had made. They are really trying to make a go of it....when..... the commanding officer calls and gives Frank his orders to be deployed back to Iraq?!?!

This is turning out to be the best season yet of Army Wives. I would encourage you to go to and catch up if you haven't starting watching.... This is MUST SEE TV at it's BEST!!!

Sorry I didn't post last week, but we left on Saturday for WDW and had to watch on DVR this past Saturday.... It was a good one I promise...

To Run or Not to Run... That is the question

I have to be honest is saying, "I am not an exercise enthusiast!"

Recently, a group of my friends starting joining all these 5K races around Morgan, Lawrence and Cullman County and of course, wanted me to join. Myself not be a party-pooper by no means thought "Hmmm, What they hey... It should be fun and good for me."

Little did I know.... It kicked by bahookey (that's another word for BUTT for those of you that haven't watched the movie Open Season)!!!

I will have to say I have organized a couple of 5K for my church, http://fairviewchurchofgod.blogspot.com/ and with a lot of help from other members the 5Ks were very successful. I think I was only involved because of my organization skills, not that I know anything about running!

I decided that if I didn't want to be a loser I needed to really shape it up and get in shape.

My first purchase...... Shoes!!! Let me just say, "my dogs were barking after the first 5K" because I didn't have the right shoes. So off to FleetFeet, http://fleetfeetsports.com/ I went.

It was a WONDERFUL experience. Not only did they custom fit my feet with the help of a treadmill; it was found that I pronate (my left arch falls in) when I walk... hence, all the "barking my dogs were doing". Who would have ever thought?

So after about 1.5 hours in the store I left with these beauties



You know I mentioned my left foot pronates? Well I had to pick up these babies too


Oh course, the salesman wouldn't let me leave without the newest kind of running socks... I thought to myself.... SOCKS... How much difference could a pair of socks make? But, on the other hand... the guy had been soooo nice and I had been there asking a million questions and took up and HOUR AND A HALF of his time so I said to myself.... BUY THE SOCKS, ANDREA. So here they are...


So, after all that about the shoes, I joined a program call No Boundaries 5K Program, that helps you train with others at your level for 10 weeks. A friend from church, Melanie Eubanks and I are starting on Tuesday and we will train every Monday evening for 10 weeks. I am keeping my fingers crossed and hoping that I can get in a little better shape and not to let finishing at the top become a priority but just finishing be my goal.

I will keep you posted on my progress.

Oh, I almost forgot..... Look how good my feet looked in the complete ensemble..(Photo courtesy of Cason Brown:-)

On My Honor, I Will Try....

to update my blog more often....Gosh, I apologize for the long periods of no new blog updates!!!

Those of you that know me personally know that my life at work since 04-10-2009 has been literally HAIL. We have experienced the largest hail storms(that's right x3) since 04-10-09 our state has ever experienced.

This is not the reason I am writing tonight. I have two reasons:

Two of my friends are dealing with two different kinds of sadness this week.

First, a dear friend shared that she lost her dearest friend of 50 years earlier this week. My heart is so heavy for the grief and sadness she is experiencing right know. My friends are very near and dear to my heart and I cannot imagine the loss of one of them. As I lift her up in my prayers please do the same.

Secondly, a situation was brought to my attention regarding a woman I go to church with; she and her husband were hoping that the judge would allow them to adopt thier grandson they are raising. Well, the judge decided to give the mother of the little "one more chance". The grandparents TRULY have this little boys best interest at heart. Please lift this family up in your prayers as well

I also noticed I now have 2 followers. You heard me 2!! CaseyLane follows now and let me just tell you, her little baby Landon is so sweet you could eat him with a spoon (I think that is a southern saying)!

Feel free to click on Follow (Me) and you will be listed as a follower and will receive updates as I post a new post or when comments have been made about a post you make a comment on. I welcome all comments and really do like reading them and I know other visitors to the blog will enjoy reading them as well.

If you will say a prayer from them when they cross your mind.

So much for know,
Andrea

Army Wives --Incoming

So as I have mentioned, I'm in love with Army Wives on Lifetime.

If you are a fan and don't want to know the "low down" or some might say the "down low"...

Please note --- This post could verifiable be a 'spoiler' post for those who haven't watched.

Here are some thoughts I have about tonight's episode, Incoming.

* Is everyone in agreement that Emiline is totally pushing Claudia Joy's buttons? OH MY, I have to say I never even thought about dying my hair RED! Speaking of Claudia Joy, don't you just love the relationship she and now 2-Star General, Michael Holden have?

* Pam and kids moved into the new house on post and my my it look lovely. I hope Chase likes it, but from the previews of next weeks episode, it sounds like he is going to be a total jerk about it.

* What do you guys think about Joan? I guess not being affiliated with the military I can't understand the since of duty she feels so strongly about.

* Last but certainly not least...Frank and Denise.... I don't know why, but I am feeling such sadness for Denise. I know that she had an affair while her husband was in the war fighting for our freedom, but for some reason I just feel for the poor woman. When Jeremy, Frank and Denise's son, lost his little dog, Lucky, because his commanding officer told him to get rid of it, I started to feel like Jeremy was going to die and that would be tie that brings Frank and Denise back together.

Hmmmmm.... What are some thoughts about tonight's episode or speculations about what the season has to hold?

Remembering Michael...

I am still in absolute shock...

CNN headlines read "Michael Jackson 'King of Pop' Dead".

Can you believe it?

I used to LOVE Michael Jackson. When I was in the 3rd grade Thriller was released and along with it came "Thriller - The Video". We moved that summer and had one of those big huge satellites in our backyard and could pick up MTV!!

I know you are thinking "Big Deal Lucille", but back in the day.... it was a BIG deal.
My sister, stepbrother and I would watch it over and over. My stepdad has always been a HUGE music fan so 104.3 (our local pop/rock channel) was on ALL the time. We listened all the time and when Michael would come on we would sing.

Okay, let me just say, when all the weirdness started from him, I stopped listening, but give credit where credit it due.... The man was a musical/dance genius. Weird as all get-out but a genius in his own right!

So paying tribute to Michael Jackson, I loaded my ipod of some of my favorites:

• ABC - Love me some Jackson 5
• I'll Be There


• Thriller (FYI..I used to be scared to death of this girl at school that wore a Thriller t-shirt like 3 times a week! Honestly, to this day she puts chills up the back of my neck when I run in to her YIKES!!)


• Billie Jean
• We are the world
• Beat It
• Black or While
• Smooth Criminal
• Man in the Mirror

What are some of your favorites?

SPAM-a-lama

So you know I am still leaning all the ins and outs of blogging?

Can anyone tell me how to remove a comment, which I think is SPAM?

Hmmm.. I am at a loss :0

Andrea

Army Wives

Okay, let me just ask "Am I the only one absolutely IN LOVE with the show Army Wives on Lifetime?"

I am a huge Catherine Bell Fan, even though I don't like some of the choices the writers had her character to make.

The show just had it's 3rd season opener last week and let me tell you "I love it"

Check it out at http://mylifetime.com/ (I hope I figured out the link button:-)

One the neatest things about the show, is after each new episode and go onto http://mylifetime.com/ and watch the webisode... Very exciting!!

If you don't watch, it is on every Sunday night at 9:00 Central Time.

Beginning to an End.....of my caffeine addiction

Those of you that know me, know that I love my Mt. Dew

You also know that I love my Venti Carmel Macchiato on a cold winter day

Thanks to my friend Barb, I have recently found a love for International Delight Chocolate Eclair Creamer in my morning coffee...YUMMMMM YUMMMM

As much as I LOVE all the great-tasting caffeinated drinks I enjoy on a regular basis, I am giving them up as of today, June 15, 2009!!
Say a little prayer for me, the last time I tried to give up cold turkey I thought my eyeball was going to pop out from the horrific headache!
Wish me luck and I'll keep you posted.

My first "TAG"

I have been on the blogtrain for about 3 months and counting and this is my first tag. My friend from way back BamaGirlinAZ tagged me. How Exciting?!!

You know me, I like rules and from things I read about other bloggers, they like rules too...

So here they are:

A) List 6 unimportant things that make you happy
B) Mention and link to the person that tagged you
C) Tag 6 of your favorite bloggers to play along and comment on their blogs to let them know they have been tagged.

Sounds easy enough... Let's try it and see if it works from my end. (If not, don't hate me and remember it is my first tag :-)

1. Having my inbox at work completely empty before I leave the office. (Does say something about my obsessive compulsive behavior patterns?)

2. My Mary Engelbreit Home Companion magazine collection.

3. Making the "neatest" Christmas Stockings for my family using hand dyed linen and Lizzie Kate Chart Designs.

4. Blogging

5. Pulling the tabs off of Pull & Seal Envelopes (Who wants to like an envelope YUCK)

6. Crossword puzzles (Only the ones in the back of People, because I like celebrity news)

You're It:

1.

2. bramblypines

3. buttercupcountsherblessings

4. Ok this list is PRET-TY weak with only 3 blog friends... I just didn't know if it was in the "rules" to tag someone if you really hadn't made contact with them...

Thanks Whit, I really had fun with this. Hoping next time, I will have met more people.

Andrea

Monday Memories

This morning was the first morning of Pine Ridge Day Camp for Cason and it remined me of the first time he went to Camp Chula Vista for overnight camp. He stayed three nights and four days. I missed him terribly, but he had a wonderful time!!!

My friend, Dree, was one of the counselors and she sent me this photo.


Keep in mind, I packed 4 days worth of clothes and this was the 3rd day in his pajama pants that he wore the entire time he was there!!! To breakfast.... horseback riding.... after showering... to sleep in.... You can imagine for a 7 year old that had been wearing the same pair of pajama pants for 4 day smelled like when we picked him up!!!!

A New Love???

Even though I have just begun my whole "blogging adventure" I must say "I LOVE IT."

I have been reading tons of blogs and just get so caught up in everybody's lives.

Is this normal?

I read these blogs and feel like I could just call folks up on the "teli" (Cason's word he used for-ev-er when he talked about nonother than the telephone) and chat with them.

Over the next few weeks, I hope to take my blog in kind of a different direction. I want to learn as much as possible (i.e. how to use Mr. Linky, how to market to blog to get more readers {or does that just happen?}, followers). I don't want to be known as a "bloghopper" (sounds like a word we southerners like to use for a girl that has several boyfriends at the same time) but I love reading about other peoples lives, ideas and families.

The more I tell you there wierder I seem, RIGHT?

I am going to fill my brain with an endless supply of blogging knowledge...Ok I am sort of a nerd... Really try and not be, but always have kinda been. Just tired of living in denial..:-)

I'll try it out and if doesn't work, we'll go down another path.

Now on to "THE BLOGGING"... Andy and I will be volunteering at St. Ann Catholic School this weekend at thier Annual Seafood Festival/Community Yard Sale. I would put my friend, BamaGirlinAZ in blue letters about now, but I haven't figured that one out yet!

I don't normally HIT yardsales on a weekly basis, but reading her blog and made me want to go out and find treasures for under $10.

The St. Ann Yard Sale is HUGE... There should be 15-20 families participating and the neat thing is ALL the money is going to the school. The whole community gets involved so there should be lots of good stuff.

After the St. Ann YardSale/Seafood Festival it's off to Point Mallard for picnicing, waterslides and my favorite, the balloon glow...

Should be loads of fun for the whole family.

Monday Memories (on Tuesday)

Here's a memory that will sure enough make "chill bumps" on you.

When I was a little girl, I had very long hair. All the way to my waist until I was in the 3rd grade. We had this counter next to the stove that my grandmother would let us lay on while she washed our hair in the sink in FREEZING COLD water...

I remember whinning asking her, "Mamaw, Why is the water sooo cold when you wash my hair?"

Her response, " You know what happens to chickens when you put them in hot water don't you?"

I answered, "No"

She said, "All thier feathers fall out, that's why we wash our hair in cold water. We don't want to be bald now do we?"

YIKES!!! I think that would border on the edge of child abuse this day and age..:-)

This was one of many Old Wives Tales she had. Do you have any Old Wives Tales you would like to share? How 'bout Home Remedies (I will be sharing some of those soon too) we all need to know about?

Do you PhotoFiddle? I just did..

Apparently photofiddle.com has been around a couple of years, but from time to time, I can be a little slow. I just ordered a picture of my family as a watercolor...

How cool is that?

They also had an instant coupon once you registered on thier website...

Even Cooler..

Check it out if you haven't already or share your experience with photofiddle.

Celebrity Saturday

One of my favorite celebrities is Nicolas Cage. How can a scrawny (I think that's a southern word too) little worm in Raising Arizona



end up looking like the hunk that he is in one of my all-time favorite movies National Treasure?



Oh... let's not forget the stone fox he was as Stanley Goodspeed, opposite Sean Connery in The Rock.



I would have to say, if I ran in to him on the street (of course I'm not going to run into him on MY street), but if I just happen to see him maybe when I visit Hollywood one day, I may just have be one of those camera crazed paparazzi...

The Great Outdoors

Okay, Imagine you are outside in the country...

Close your eyes.....

Take a nice deep breath....

What do you smell?

In Punkin Center, the not-so-pleasant aroma of fresh chicken litter, right out of four (4) Mega Poultry Houses. Lots of people have poultry houses, including my dad around in Alabama. Actually, Georgia, our neighboring state is the 4th leading poultry state in the nation!! Pretty impressive with Poultry Folks. Huh?

There are several different "kinds" of poultry houses you can own. You can grow the baby chickens until they are about 12 weeks old and they are called "broiler" chickens. Then you have the chickens that lay eggs for the baby chickens to hatch from and they are called "breeder" chickens. (It's a good thing we women are not called Breeders. Someone might leave with a black eye.... Did I just say that?) Then you have the "layers". They are the one that lay the eggs that go to the grocery stores.

When Cason was younger we would go out sometimes after it rained and I would exclaim

"UGGG, I hate when they spread the chicken litter!!"

He turned to me one day and took a deep breath in and said,

"It smells like to money to me, momma"

A future argibusiness major maybe?!?

You see the chicken litter is an all natural fertilizer for the hay fields and gardens. It helps make all the grass a vibrant green and makes the hay grow like wildfire. It also keeps the EPA happy with no harmful chemicals to pollute the earth.

Now..... when you have science project due in the 3rd grade about agri-culture you will be well-informed on what kinds of chickens there are, what the fertilizer is used for and what thier "poop" smells like!

I would love to wake up and smell the brisk ocean breeze or evergreen mountain springs from time to time, but right now Punkin Center, USA suits my fancy.....

What smells do you smell in Your Great Outdoors of where you live?

Life is good,
Andrea

Monday Memories

Birthdays growing up were very memorable to me BECAUSE.... I was always sick!! I had the worst set of tonsils EVER! (I had them out when I was 20 and literally thought I was going to die!)

On my 12th birthday, I never will forget, my mom took my sister and stepbrother to town and I was at home in the bed for the 3rd year in a row, this time with mono YUCK, and when they came back she had bought me the coolest pink phone imaginable, a set of flannel sheets (as you know it gets pretty cold in the south) with penguins on them.

The best present of the day though was an extra-large pepperoni pizza with the pepperonis shaped like a smiley face...

Awwww, thanks MOM...

Look Through My Window

My favorite window in my house is looking out my little dining room out onto the porch being able to see all the pecan trees. Yes, pecan trees can be somewhat of a pain with all the stain they leave on your siding and brick, but with a Clorox and a pressure washer it comes right off.

The pecan trees are about 60 years old and the neat thing about them is that my grandparents planted them when they were first married.

Usually every other year we are abundantly blessed with pounds and pounds of pecans. This past fall we gave away over 50 gallons of pecans. I hope to have enough "spare time" (when that will be I will never know) one day to pick, shell and sell the nuts at the local farmers' market.

For those of you wondering.... the kitten's name is Greys. He's the newest member of Cason's minizoo.

Monday Memories (on Tuesday)

Just a little background, from good ol' Punkin Center, I live on the same road I grew up on. I know you are probably thinking, "Girl, move on why don't ya?", but I really like it here.

This memory came to me on Sunday while spending the evening with my oldest and dearest friend, Brandon. He lives around the road from our family and he has lived on the same road all of his life as well. Growing up in the household with grandparents you can imagine that my sister and I were raised in kind of an older way of thinking.... No video games, only washing our hair in cold water (another day another post) and even stranger Old Wives Tales, but one of the greatest things about growing up at thier house was the time we spent playing cards in the evenings. Remember we were NEVER allowed to have an ATARI (I know taking everyone back a few years) and cable wasn't even an option in Punkin Center, so we played ROOK everynight.

Has anyone ever heard of or better yet played ROOK? It was always the best fun and made Brandon and I friends for life.

I revisited this when Sunday, Brandon came over for the first in many many years and we picked up right where we left off. Friends Forever.

The cool thing is... Cason is just the right age to start playing and hoping it gets him away from the Wii/DS/Computer!

Until next time,
Andrea

btw... Cason loved playing ROOK and can't wait until next Sunday!

Freaky Friday

Spring... One of my favorite times of the year. Everything from azaleas to Bradford Pear trees begin to bloom. Allergies run wild and tornadoes seem inevitable here in the South. I have never been one to the scared by the weather, but when you have children of your own; weather is a whole different animal.

Good Friday was yesterday and school was out and I had a sitter, Faith, lined up for Cason. They had plans to eat at Red Robin and go over to the Monaco to see Monsters vs. Aliens. While in the movies, a severe weather treat was imminent and the Monaco had an Emergency Plan in action. Hats off to them for having everything in place!!They moved everyone to the center of the Monaco to make sure they were in the safest part of the complex. Whew.. that was relief, but that feeling (do you know that feeling I am talking about?) the one that makes your stomach do somersaults worrying about your child when they are not with you... I was just sick. The only good thing was the movie had started late and the Monaco gave everyone a FREE movie pass for the next movie they go see.

I must say one reason we love Faith, the sitter, she kept me up-to-date on everything that was happening where they were and didn't completely freak-out (almost but didn't officially)!!

After everything Faith and Cason had been through they drove home and rode around the block (3 miles around Brown Road in Punkin Center, USA) on bikes and was chillin' out by the time I got home.

Kuddos to you Ms. Faith Plunkett.

The Day the Squirrel Went Bizerk!! (Not the Ray Stevens Version)

Well, it's spring here in the south and the grass is starting to grow and folks are beginning to spend a lot of time outside. Earlier this week, my son and I were outside when we noticed our dog, Dojo, chasing a squirrel. Cason yelled for him to "STOP" and about the time he stopped the squirrel made a "beeline" (that's word some of us southerners like to use) up the telephone pole. There the squirrel sat scared out of his mind and Dojo patiently waiting for him at the bottom. Cason and I were so interested in what the squirrel was going to do we sat there waiting to see just what was going to happen next. I thought to myself "Well, he only can come down because he has no where else to go?"

About 10 minutes passed and with Dojo waiting for the squirrel to come down; the squirrel made a run for it and about half way down the pole jumped off and ran to a tree, unbeknown to Dojo as he was still sitting at the bottom of the telephone pole. We laughed and laughed as Dojo just sat there with nothing on the telephone pole.

This whole situation made me think of my personal relationship with God. Sometimes WE are like the squirrel feeling like we have been run up a telephone pole with no where to go. We sit at the top of the pole waiting for God to do SOMETHING and then we realize the fact that He has given us the ability to "jump to another tree" and that He has been with us the whole time! The world is like Dojo waiting at the bottom ready to eat us alive if we come down the telephone pole of life and let our guard down.

Praise be to God for always being with us, and giving us wings to fly or the know how to jump from a telephone pole to a tree...

Until next time,


Andrea

My "Home"town

Hi Everyone,
I want to first start by thanking our good friend, Faith Plunkett for helping me understand more about the whole blogging concept. I know, I know you are probably thinking.... Andrea get with the program. The truth is I just don't take the time to share our lives with folks who we don't see or talk to on a regular basis.

This stops NOW. As of today, March 22, 2009 you have my promise to keep you all up-to-date on the happenings in Punkin Center, USA (a.k.a. My Hometown).

My family has been living in the same community, Punkin Center, my whole life. Not a lot going on in Punkin Center. We have a 4-way stop, a Feed n' Seed Store and a kickin' Volunteer Fire Department. What makes Punkin Center home is the life I have with my family. We always have something going on and always have a story to tell. Just ask anyone that knows us. I hope to share some of these with you over the next few months.

Until next time,

Andrea