Years go by....

And you write nothing!  Life goes on.  Then you child reminds you that you have a blog, when he does a google search of his name and The Ronayne Rules pop up.  Happy for that!

Facebook seems to have taken over the daily blogging for a lot of people.  It's where I "store" my pictures.  I've done pretty well at getting them printed, but I don't have one place where I electronically store things.

Colin has a baseball game tomorrow - he's on the JV team and plays at catcher.  He's backup, so he doesn't play a lot, but I'm awfully proud of him for making the team.

And I promise again to post more - and post more videos and photos!

Grand Canyon

We left LAS Vegas behind - didn't mind leaving it - and saw dirt devils - little dirt tornados - on the way out of town.  The boys were fascinated!  All I could think of was the tasmanian devil from the cartoons of my youth!

You can just see it in the distance.  A dusty, small tornado.

Anyhow, we took a non-hurried drive to Tusayan, Arizona.  It's amazing that the boys did NOT play their nintendos the whole way - I actually caught Andrew just looking out the window at things.  We tried to impress on them that the whole country was different looking - not just what they see out their backyards.  What were the differences?  No grass, check.  Adobe houses, check.  Tile roofs, check.  Just want them to be aware of what's out there.

Tusayan turned out to be a 2 1/2 block town just a few miles outside of the grand canyon.  I would so stay in this town again.  It all looks relatively new.  Many hotels, a few restaurants and a couple of shops.  Oh, and a gas station.  Everything is so close together you walk everywhere.  We ate in two of the local places - and at a Wendy's.  The prices at Wendy's were TWICE what they were at the one in Charleston.  Sigh.  We went to a steak place - which I wouldn't visit again.  And a great little pizza place recommended to us by our Pink Jeep tour guide.  So glad Mike suggested we take this tour.  We saw so much more than we ever would have on our own.  We went to the East Rim and saw things that our tour guide explained to us.  Did you know the FAA was started because of a plane crash in the grand canyon?  Well, neither did I!  Just interesting little facts, and it was nice to have someone there to get all four of us in a picture.  (You know, Mom is rarely IN the photo, since she always is the one taking the photo!)

It really is a beautiful sight to behold.  While at the South Rim, we hiked a little bit.  Just enough to say we did it.  We went down the Bright Angel Trail to the first tunnel.  Very cool, and I felt that altitude difference coming back up.  This is where I wish I were more fit. I know the boys could have easily gone down further on the trail, but I was worried about ME getting back up!  We saw a rattlesnake, chipmunks, deer and mule poop.  No, we did not take the mule trip nor did we see any coming back up the trail.  The boys had fun just being goofy in a beautiful place

It was cool, believe it or not.  When we arrived in Tusayan, I'm guessing 58*.  When we toured with Pink Jeeps in the morning (we started about 1030) it was 70*.  I would bet it only got to 80* or 82* the whole day.  It was very pleasant, and as Colin said, "I don't sweat in this dry heat!"  I kinda liked it.  But we ended up buying the boys jackets because I had forgotten to tell them to pack those.  And I knew it would be cool in Durango and Silverton...which will be the next posting!

PHEW!
Our vacation is over!  It was a great time - and I must say, perfectly planned.  (Of course, it was, I planned it!)
Day one:  fly to Las Vegas.  Our flight left in the afternoon, so we had plenty of time to finish packing, get a good meal in and get to the airport to wait....  The boys were excited because they had never flown before!  Easy flights with Southwest - we got the seats we wanted and no major problems.  I would definitely fly them again.  I paid extra to get the early check in - so we had good seat assignments in the 20s on each flight.

Day two:  Get up and get to the Hacienda Hotel outside of Vegas near the Hoover Dam.  We were to catch a float trip in the Black Canyon at that hotel.  We got into their van and drove to a restricted area (cool!) and got in these huge rafts to float the next 12 miles.  The Dam was right behind us - an awesome sight to look at from the river on up.

Here is Mike, after we've gone a little bit away from the Dam.

After our float trip, we went up into the Dam itself.  We took the Powerplant tour, which was the shorter of the two offered.  It was very cool to ride down 50+ stories in a smooth elevator - and it took only seconds.  We got to see some of the generators.  Awesomeness!  I must say, going in the afternoon they say won't be crowded, and it wasn't.  We had about 48 people on our tour - and it seems like that was everyone at the dam itself.  When we went out to the observation deck, it seemed as though we had the whole place to ourselves.  

And the best part?  The boys got to go to the Dam(n) gift shop and get some Dam(n) souvenirs.  They were so happy to tell everyone they were going on the dam tour, and going to the dam bathroom.  We have warned them NOT to tell it that way when they go back to school!  

We went on the Strip that evening.  We parked at Treasure Island (free parking at all the casinos!) because we were going to see the free pirate show outside.  We waited and got pretty good "seats" (we actually stood) and could see both sides of the show - the pirate side and the siren side.  It was a cheesy, lip-synched show, but still, we enjoyed it.  What we didn't enjoy was the THRONGS of people trying to all leave at the same time.  The boys and we saw an altercation where M-F'er was thrown around like you or I would say "and."  I just knew that fists were going to fly - luckily, they didn't.  But we got to walk around and see the lights and go into another casino, the Venetian.  Mike and I didn't gamble even one cent.  Honestly, I would have, if the machines had made sense to me bu just looking at them.  I really felt like kountry with a  "K" come to town.  After a stop at a few souvenir shops - yes we joke that this was the 2013 Ronaye Family Gift Shop Tour - I was just D-O-N-E.  It was 11:30 p.m. and time to go back to the hotel!

More to come on the week's adventures later!

 

Done.  With.  Work.  For.  The.  Day.  But is' not yet 4:00 p.m. and I don't get to leave until 4:30 p.m.  And I don't feel like asking to leave early.  So, I was having middle school angst, and now I have family vacation angst.  We are scheduled for a BIG vacay in the summer, complete with rental cars, flying and lots to see and do.  All my angst is with Southwest and their boarding - the boys have never flown before and I want to make sure we can sit together.  They are too old for family boarding.  Yes, I will pay the early check in fee.  I am still worried.  But the savings are TOOOOOO much to not consider them seriously.  Mike, too, is adamant that each parent sit with a boy...  Sigh.  Now for something random.

This is an old photo of mom.  It just makes me giggle.  I hope that 30 years from now when the boys are telling THEIR children about their Bammy, they remember she was cool enough to sport an eye patch and a do rag.

I have middle school angst like there is no tomorrow. Andrew starts 6th grade next week. I don't remember being this nervous when I started middle school. And I had every right to be nervous then. I started at First Baptist in the 7th grade after being at Ashley Hall for 6 years. Bruce was at FB, so that's where I had to go. Nothing like being tortured by your big brother on a daily basis. We rode the bus together. Yeah, Mom, that was a GREAT idea. Thank goodness I met Kimmie Hughes that year. We're still friends... I actually CRIED last night after the middle school orientation. I can't begin to tell you why, other than my baby is growing up. This is what it is all about. Raising your kids so they do grow up. I'm just not ready. Not by a long shot. Here's to hoping that by Wednesday I've gotten over this. I'm okay with Colin being in the 5th grade this year. Been there, done that. I think I'll even be okay when he finishes. But with Andrew, I'm so angst-y. I hate it! I don't know if part of it is related to his recent outbursts, which are partly hormonal, I'm sure. But he is DYING to get some independence, and I'm just not ready to give him as much as he wants. Yes, I realize that at some point I'm going to have to, but not now, okay? I think I should probably be happy that 2 or three days out of the week he still will hold my hand when we walk somewhere or give me random kisses. And I am happy when he does that. I just dread the day when it stops...

Wishes and Likes

Nothing much to report today. No pictures to add. No stories to tell. Maybe just musings... I wish I was a better gardener. I wish I had more willpower. I like that I can cry at sappy commercials. I wish I didn't think about the future so much and what it will be like without certain people. I just need to enjoy them while they are here. I like that I have a big vocabulary and use big words in daily conversations. Not just to use big words, but they come naturally. I love bacon. I wish that I didn't love bacon quite so much. I wish that (sometimes) I was busier at work. I like living close to my mom and dad. I'd be happy if they lived next door! I wish that I were more produtive. I love that my 10 year old wants me to give him 100 kisses at bedtime. It's a game for us. I like the way a buzz cut feels when I run my hand over the buzzed head. I like the way sunscreen smells. I like the way pluff mud smells. I wish Mike liked the way pluff mud smells. I like it when my kids tuck ME into bed.

The boys had a beatdown... So, this past weekend the boys got into their first real fist fight. Andrew ended up with a black eye and a bruised shoulder. Colin had lots of scratches. And I sat there and let them do it. Now, don't get me wrong. I didn't want them to keep beating on each other. But you know the advice you've always heard - don't get in the middle of two dogs fighting? Well, the same applies to a 10 and 11 year old. I shouted for them to stop - they didn't. When they were starting to wind down, I got in the middle and sent each to a corner. Then they started up again. And have I mentioned the cuss words? Yes, they know all of them. I can only wonder what my nice, elderly neighbors think. They had to have heard the screaming. Not yelling, S-C-R-E-A-M-I-N-G. I felt (feel?) rather like a parenting failure. Mike was not home at the time. So there was nothing he could do. Once they had gotten it out of their system - Andrew went storming off to his room and Colin sat down on the couch and cried. He was worried that he would be in lots of trouble. But I didn't really punish them. Took TV away for the weekend. But really, by the end of the day, they were back, playing with each other. Is this normal? I mean, Bruce beat the crapola out of me when we were little, but we never really played together and he never really "hurt" me. And he certainly never did it when mom or dad were around. So should I have washed their mouths out with soap? We ended up having a "family meeting" once Mike was home. Lots of "We're disappointed" and "You should know betters" but no real consequences. Of course, I felt bad ALL DAY. Cried a lot. But really, by Sunday evening, at the pool, they were playing like the best friends that I see them as (usually). What else should I have done? Or was it all right for me to just let them get it out of their system? And why am I second guessing my parenting decisions? And really, I had thoughts like "this is when I wish we only had one child" or "I have to seriously endure this for another ten years or so before they 'grow out of it?'" Sigh. Here it is two days later and I'm still obsessing, although my kids have basically forgotten about it. They were concerned over how to answer "What happened to your eye?" because neither wanted to say they had fought with each other. Anyhow, not the greatest subject for posting, but it was on my mind this morning.

This may be one of my favorite pictures - ever. It's like the modern day Rat Pack, but comprised of 10, 11 and 12 year olds! This is Andrew (with the stylin' hat); our friend, Will (I was in his parent's wedding!); our cousin, Ben; and of course, Colin. I love that they are in seersucker and shorts. They had so much fun at this wedding and I didn't have to worry about them once. Not even when they said they were snake hunting. For water moccasins. Poisonous snakes. Nope, at the time, wasn't worried a teensy bit. Was just having fun enjoying myself. Knowing that they were having fun. Not worrying about my parents - Mike was there to drive them back to the hotel if they wanted to leave earlier than the rest of us (they did). Just enjoying. We were in a beautiful setting celebrating with old friends and family. Everyone says they love this photo of me and Mike. I like it for all of the above reasons, but not that I think it's a particularly good photo of me. Why are "we" so critical of photos of ourselves? We just need to get over it! So for everyone who says this is a great photo, "thank you!!"

A year in the making

So it's been a year. I often wonder how people who blog daily do it. I mean, where do they find the time? If they work full time, when to do it? If they are stay at home folks, do you have dedicated computer time? Since I'm on the computer all day at work, I rarely want to get on it when I am home. Although we don't have a good laptop or wifi at home, and maybe that is why... Is it any wonder my friends laugh at me when I say I am not connected to my cell phone. And Mike thinks I check it all the time. So much happens in a year... The boys grow up so much. Andrew is YEARNING for independence now. Colin has made huge strides in baseball and athleticism. I probably gained the 25 lbs. I just lost. Mike just keeps plugging along! Maybe if I dedicate myself to this I can start posting on a regular basis. What would be a good regular basis? Every day is just another way of setting myself up for failure. Once a month? Once a week? What do I think I could do? This makes me realize that I don't take as many pictures as I used to, either. Thank goodness for the camera on the phone - and instagram. Makes me think that I have actually had some photos in the past year. Sometimes it has been a concious decision NOT to take pictures. Since Mike is rarely the one initiating photos, I'm always the one doing it. And sometimes I want to LIVE the life, not just document it. So, we'll see what develops...

Really long time, huh?

I just realized how long it's been...I'll try to do better!

Pumpkins

Being a Christian is like being a pumpkin. God lifts you up,
takes you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. He opens you
up, touches you deep inside and scoops out all the yucky stuff--
including the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc. Then He carves
you a new smiling face and puts His light inside you to shine for
all the world to see.

Happy Fall, Y'all!

The best day...

Our friend, Heather Anderson with Good Eye Photography, took family photos yesterday out at Sunrise Park. (I hope she doesn't mind that I took pictures over her shoulder!)

It was just a perfect Fall day in Charleston...

I just love my three boys!

Elder....

So, my church asked me to be an Elder. My truly elder brother thinks this is hysterical, along with my husband. They have taken great delight at calling me elderly. Yeah, so NOT funny Mike and David!

(The Elders in the Presbyterian church make up the session, which is kind of like a Board of Trustees to a univeristy. I start classes in "eldership" next week, so I'll be able to tell you more if you ask...but just wait a while before you ask.)

The reaction when I tell people that I've been asked to be an Elder is much like when I told people I was going to be the Director of Protocol at The Citadel...it usually goes like this, "What, did they run out of other people?" or "Uh, have they MET you?" I laugh, but now I'm wondering if I should be offended. Or maybe if I'm just not showing my enough of my Christly side. (Is Christly even a word? Hmm, one more thing I'll have to ponder.)

I've been on our Fellowship Committee for a couple of years now. The boys go to our church's day care. Granted, i am not in church every Sunday, and we've just about completely dropped off the face of the earth as far as Sunday school goes...but I've been involved. Visible. WHy is it so odd that they would ask me to be an Elder?

I know I'm not the best Christian. I am flawed. Waaayyyy flawed. But aren't we all? I mean, we should strive for perfection, but really, only God is perfect.

It's a journey I'm excited to take. I'm ready to find out more about my "Christly side." And I hope that by me taking this journey, that someone else out there thinks, "Hmm, I could do that, too."

My Stick Family from WiddlyTinks.com

Bad, Bad, Bad

So I have been terrible lately, ignoring this blog! It's not because we are boring and I haven't taken cute pictures or anything like that....it's just that, well, I've been Facebooking. Yes, it's true. But it is so EASY to keep up with folks on FB. I know, I'm lazy - I shoudl be out there making REAL connections, and not just computer connections. Sigh.

Forgive me?

Please?

If you do, I'll let you in on some of my latest obsessions....other than Facebook.

Yes? Great!

• Have you seen www.thepioneerwoman.com? Ree Drummond is AWESOME in a single word. When you have three hours, read her book online - From High Heels to Tractor Wheels. And then look at her confessions. And then look at her cooking. Oh, her cooking makes me swoon.
• Roasted pecans. Love them. Can't get enough.
• Hair straightening. My hair is about as long as it has EVER been. And I am obsessed with using the straight iron to get it even longer. Yeah, I actually need to get it cut - I have no hair "style." But still. I love it when it is long!
• Tootsie Rolls. The little, teeny midgee ones. I can eat one or four and not feel guilty. Mmmmm.

That's about it for now.....
:-)

Summertime photos

Andrew has ben practicing so hard to learn how to dive!

Pool Boys

Colin's 7th birthday

We had an "army" party at the Pirate Playground. This is one of the best parks in all of the Lowcountry. My boys love it. Anyhow, am I a terrible mommy for forgetting the candles? We had him pretend to blow out the soldiers on his cake (which he helped design!)

Speaking of cakes, the cake lady at the Harborview Piggly Wiggly is the BEST. If you need a cake, she can do it. She has done all of our birthday cakes for the last few years.

We didn't have too many kids - which was nice and manageable. And we planned nothing but playing and eating cake and opening presents. They all played and played and played!

forest house, part deux!

Mmmm. cooking marshmallows over the fire!

More from the forest house