Let it Snow...the Snowpocalypse of 2014

Snowmegeddon in Alabama.  Two inches of the Devils dandruff took this town and state out o business.  I was at work, and the boys at school, when we started hearing the warnings that the snow was coming.  And at work I went out to watch it fall, and thought even then that WOW, that is sticking already.  Well, then schools were going to let out early...then buses were not going home...then I was going to leave to pick up the kids, and by that time 280 and all of birmingham was a traffic mess.  

Magan called in a panic, and our neighbor Flynn made an attempt to get the boys, but no luck.  We all spent the night apart.  The boys spent the night at the new Forest oaks Elementary.  I spent the night at my work (with a pillow purchased from Target).  The next day came and roads were still iced over.  Sam's teacher Mrs. Meeks and her husband were able to get the boys home, and I knew I wasn't staying in Inverness another night.

So luckily I had packed to work out the previous morning, so I had all my stuff for a shower that morning.  Then after I decided to make the 15 mile hike back home, I found that I had my sweatpants that I could wear under my pants, I had my tennis shoes for better grip, and after checking through my car I found a Spiderman ski mask that one of the boys had left.  

So I got a ride from a guy at work to the Kohls up the road, then hitched with another guy down to 119, another ride from a guy took me over double oak mountain but left me back out in the cold at Hwy 41, then like someone looking out for me as I walked down the median of Hwy 280, I saw a buddy of mine (Brandon Rawls) from church.  I waved at him and he looked at me like I was crazy.  Then I remembered I was still wearing the spiderman ski mask.  Luckily he stopped after I removed it quickly.  And brandon gave me a ride all the way back to about 2 miles from the house, where he was trying to make it up a hill, and slid back down spinning a 180 past two cars...and coming to a rest on the shoulder of the road.  So out we got and started walking where another ride was found by a guy in a BigOleTruck.  Well, the BigOleTruck got both Brandon and me home...Glad for the snow to be gone!

Overnight Adventure on the USS Alabama

These pictures are a little out of order, but I am getting overblogged right now.  So our Scout adventure began at Blakley State Park, where we toured the Civil War battlefields, and then drove over to our overnight adventure in the USS Alabama.  Our sleeping arrangement had Sam on top, Dave in the middle, and me way down on bottom.  And I hope you enjoy some of these pictures, as I forgot to get the camera, so I bought the old school wind up film camera.  Wow, how did we make it with those cameras.  Sam and Davis kept asking me to see the picture after I took it...I told them, no problem, you just need to wait about 2 weeks.

We made it as high as you could go on the ship...that's us in the picture above.

At the Blakely State Park, we found the "Hanging Tree" which gave me a wonderful time to share with my boys that ole American pasttime of hanging people.  Apparently the "hanging branch" had been hit by lightning and fell, so I have heard that the hangings...or is it hungings...have ceased.

We also met our good friend Colonel Frazier.  Both the boys asked if we would be able to see him again, and were very happy to meet and talk with him about staying on the battleship.  He seemed to still be doing well, and remembered us the next morning and told us bye as we were on our way out.  Colonel Frazier fought in WWII and was taken as a POW in the Pacific.  He was a part of the Bataan death march.

Some of these pictures just make me smile, because I always capture the same rooms with me and the boys.  We were able to tour all three tours of the ship (front, back, top...nope, don't know the navy terms) that night when we arrived on the ship.  I remember it being the coolest thing when I spent the night on the ship to go off on my own, so I let Sam and Davis go off to find a scuba diver that Davis had seen earlier.  We found the bunk where Bob Feller (MLB player) slept while on the ship.  I also found the exact (Com'n I was close) bunk where I slept when I was a kid.  Pretty cool.

And a Blast from the Past below (Seriously, one of mine and Magans favorite pictures of all time below)

At the state park, the kids got to play red rover acting as sides of the Civil War.  It was a mighty battle, but in the end no one won.  And on our way home, we saw this cool Lamborghini.  Awesome car, and the owner was cool about me taking pictures of it, even tho he laughed when I pulled out the disposable camera.  Disposable was on 0 tho, so had to pull out the IPAD for this last picture.  

Around the House

Just a few pictures of life around the house.  We have become crazy tablet fans.  Sam and Davis now have tablets for "education"...yet always playing "Tower Defense Balloons 5"  I think.  And I purchased a game for Belle that has all of the Disney princesses on it.  She loves it, and also she plays a Disney game where she tours disneyland and the rides there.  Mom also let the kids build a gingerbread house, then when she had no idea how to help them, pulled a super excited dad in to actually build the gingerbread houses.  I love seeing Davis' excitement at the house, then sadness at it falling apart, then happy again when I put it back together.  Such drama with that boy.  

Nashville with the Kids (Day 2 - Science Center)

New Years Day 2014, and how do you start off the year well, you start it off with Bob Evans restaurant.  Man this is good food.  And Magan loves the blueberry crepes...no matter what time of the day we are there.  After a big breakfast, it was off to our next surprise for the kids...The Nashville Adventure Science Center.  

This was a really fun Science center with a 7 story (story being a level the kids could play on) activity area that went all the way up above the roof.  Magan made it up pretty far with the kids, but the kids made it all the way to the top.  On the way back down, Magan said another Dad was on his way up and asked Sam and Davis what it was like at the top.  Magan said that Davis quickly replied "It's like Paradise", which I am sure gave that guy the extra incentive to push on to the top.  Also while playing on one of the top levels, Belle got her hand stepped on and was hurt pretty bad.  Turns out it was Davis, but he explained to me very calmly that she had "put her hands in the exact place his foot needed to go".  

It also had a wing where the kids could learn all about how the body works and how food moves through the body (the tunnel through the intestines, then slide out the anus with a poot noise when you hit the ground at the end of the slide...I don't know, but that is taking science too far...Belle agreed and would not go down the colon slide).  

Sam and I toured the space area, which was really cool, and later both him and Davis (altho not together, Sam is too much like his dad, and was nervous at first) went on the Space jump, which was terribly uncomfortable with the harness placement.  I jumped with Davis, then with Sam when he saw how much fun it could be.  

I did have a scary moment when I lost Belle for awhile.  Belle, I am sorry if you are still having nightmares about this as I still do sometimes from when Granny and Grandaddy lost me in the tunnels at Six Flags.  But you went down one of the tubes (probably a artery or a vein...all of this was trying to teach us something, so it was probably an artery as you were going away from me) and Sam and I couldn't find you.  We made the wrong decision to go to the top of the activity center (remember 7 stories), while you choose to go down and try to find me in the Body Works wing.  When we finally got down to you, I was so sad to see you wandering around in there crying.  "I was looking for you" you told me with tears in your eyes.  Sorry Belle, we were looking for you too.  

Belle, Sam and I also played a fun game in the Body Works area where you get a chance to shoot the germs in a Buzz Lightyear type area.  It was fun, but it had some Germ robots that talked to you and told you how to play the game.  Well, Davis is terrified of shots and needless to say was not a big fan of even going into the "Body Works" area.  We talked him into going into this game area as I seriously thought him having a laser gun getting to shoot these things would be fun.  Soon as we entered this room and Big talking germs started talking about being in his body, he told me he was out of there.  And he did...dropped his gun, and left and never walked back into that body area.