Finally a New Post. . .After a Brief Intermission

It is our pleasure to introduce the newest member of the Whaley clan...Sophie (II)!

Sophie before her grooming appointment last week...

Chris at the new gazebo decked out for the ghost tour and his storytelling...

JJ's 11th b-day party highlights...Celebrating with great friends...

Yep our Lil' Man will be 11 years old in December!Putt-putt...

Climbing...

Video games...Opening gifts...

NASCAR decorated cupcakes....

Hitting the tracks...

And pizza!

At Grandparent/Family Day at JJ's school...Yep, he had his grandparents and sis there to celebrate the last time before he heads to middle school next year. J and T planned and wore their matching Sponge Bob shirts.

Whew! What a relief to be back and almost feeling 100% better!

Yes, I have been sick for the past few weeks. After spending the weekend of September 24-26 with kidney stone pain, I was placed in the hospital on that Monday. My surgery was on Tuesday, September 28 to have it removed. That weekend and week was a complete blur. I was overwhelmed by pain and it its grip for awhile. The post-op stuff I endured was almost as bad as the stone pain the weekend before. I was getting better by Sunday, October 3, and went to work starting on Monday. Last week I was just in survival mode. I went to work, took care of the kids, our furry babes (Yes, it's plural now. . .more to come in a moment.), did dishes and laundry, kept the house picked up, and finally collapsed in the bed. I was in no mood to post! And thank goodness that I have such a great husband to pitch in and take care of the kids and their needs and wants.

Plus, we have had several deaths in our family. . .my great aunts Jo and Myrtle passed away within two weeks of each other. These ladies were a part of my growing up years and both were my Grandma Barger's sisters, one biological and one a sister of the heart. In fact if it weren't for my Aunt Myrtle and Granny McCartt, my grandmother would have never had a chance at life. They took her in, nurtured her, and loved her as their own. I owe a lot to ladies like these, and it is sad that as I get older, I am losing them. But, my faith keeps me going that one day I will see them again.

Furthermore, there have been too many people in the last two weeks (either co-workers, co-workers' spouses, parents of friends, and relatives) who have been diagnosed with some form of cancer. I am praying for each of them that they find the strength to fight and have peace during whatever course of treatment they must endure.

Now I am feeling more like my normal self and getting some of these heavy things off my chest, you are getting the low-down on the Whaleys last two weeks in one long post!

First, during my kidney stone attack and armed with pain pills, we had J.J.'s 11th birthday party for his friends and cousins at the NASCAR Park in Seiverville/Pigeon Forge on Sunday, September 26. The weather wasn't as cooperative as we would have liked, but despite the rain showers off and on, the boys had a great time. Jonathan, as you can imagine, was all smiles the whole time. The staff was great to make this a memorable birthday, and they even gave us free tokens for the games and each of Jonathan's guests received a free pass to go back at another time because of the rain.

Besides this one day in the last couple of weeks, the weather has been beautiful here. In fact, on the evening of Friday, Oct. 1, Chris and Paw Lowell took the kids to the Pellissippi State Community College Balloon Fest. (I was home trying my best to get better!) With his trusty phone camera, Chris kept me up-to-date on their adventures that evening. The kids really enjoyed looking at the balloon display, as they lit them up for that evening's event. They didn't get to ride in one, but maybe we can all go back next year for that experience.

Now to our newest furry family member. . .Like I mentioned before, I was getting better by Sunday, October 3. In fact, I was feeling the effects of cabin fever. So, that afternoon, we headed to Chuck E Cheeses to let the kids play some games. Next door, there is a pet shop. As we were coming out of the pizza place, the kids asked to go inside. I let Chris take them in, as I had heard some bad things about the pet shop. Just as I settled in the van, Jonathan came out and said, "Dad wants you to come inside to see something." So I went in, and as I scanned the store to find them, I saw Chris cradling a white poodle who looks almost identical to our beloved Sophie we lost about eight years ago to congestive heart failure. Well, you can just guess that neither one of us could leave that store without her! In fact, as we were getting the details about her, she curled up in my arms and fell asleep, just the way Sophie I used to. So, the rest is history. She was born in June and is about four months old. After taking her to our vet the next day, we discovered that she is very healthy. Furthermore, a grooming appointment on Thursday, she looks even more Sophie-like. Now we know that she is a different dog, but we couldn't name her anything else. So, Sophie II is a happy member of the Whaley clan, and the kids and Perci couldn't be more joyful! In fact, Perci loves having a furry sis to pal around with and curl up with to take a nap. They are really two peas in a pod and are very entertaining when they both get wound up. Leash training and potty training are now in our daily routine, but eventually she will get used to it, and it will just be a thing in the past. Chris and I both can't help believe that she was a little gift sent down from heaven just for us, as we both have really missed Sophie I terribly.

This past weekend was just perfect as far as the weather and the trees are beginning to dress in their fall colors. Chris participated in the fifth annual Cornstalk Heights Ghost Tour. He was a storyteller/actor and portrayed a man who was tormented over arsenic poisoning incident that happened in our town in the 1800s. According to the story, his daughter's wedding cake was laced with arsenic and 35 wedding guests became ill. Nine died including the man's son. No one ever discovered where the arsenic came from and how it ended up in the wedding cake. Chris did an awesome job, and many in our community said he was the best of the bunch. As I still wasn't up to par and dealing with my allergies (breaking out in hives), I didn't get to be a tour guide this year (I knew I wasn't up to climbing all the hills and dales of the neighborhood.), but I did go over to the park to watch Chris in action. And you know I thought he was the bomb! This is always a good fundraising project to make our Kilifer Park even more great. With the funds from the last four years, we were able to make improvements such as addition of the gazebo and its landscaping.

As far as this week, I am trying to play catch up at school, as I missed a week. We have the usual going on. . .football practice and ballet. But, next week brings fall break. . .AND our fall cruise to the Bahamas! Wow, now that I am feeling better, I am really getting excited, as this is our first one ever! Paw Lowell is going with us, as well as, some of my teacher friends and their families. This was just one of those great deals that we couldn't pass up. But, boy do I have lots to do until then.

I may get one more post in this week. Because of my sickness, the kids and I haven't done many fall activities like going to the local pumpkin patch to pick out our carving pumpkins. I hope to get that done before we leave, so I will do a quick post with some pics.

Hope that all our fans have a great week! Happy Fall!