Happy Halloween

> Sorry, but there will no Flintstone appearance today! We did that at Disney World for the Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, but today it's just not happening! Fred and Wilma are out of town, so Barney and Betty just couldn't stand to be all alone! The kids will dress up, so I'm sure I'll have some pics after the festivities tonight.


We made our annual trip this week to the pumpkin patch. It was a quick, short visit because it was cold and windy...at least to me it was! The kids and Jake carved the pumpkin into a vampire pumpkin and it proudly sits on the front porch. We baked the pumpkin seeds afterwards...the kids love that part and we have all been lovin' those seeds this week!

KC and CC wanted to get on this tractor. This is as close to being a "farmer" my kids will probably ever be! Jake and I are not exactly the "farm" type, so the kids' chance is pretty slim. :) Most farmers probably don't spend 3 hours at the hair salon having their hair highlighted and cut just right...Jake! Hey, but it looks good! Plus, I can't say too much since I spend that much time or more at the salon and more fequently than he does. The kids at least enjoyed this "tractor" moment.

I hope you have a fun Halloween and get lots of yummy candy!

SoBo and Atlanta Motor Speedway

The good old 98 raced this past weekend in South Boston, VA. It was cold when we got to the track on Thursday night. Friday was practice and qualifying. Saturday we woke up to rain, which delayed our racing, but it finally cleared and racing was underway. The car was not as good as we had wanted, but we made the race. Unfortunately, on a restart a car (with a 14 yr. old driver) missed a shift (maybe because he doesn't know how to drive) and piled up 4 or 5 cars behind him! We got sandwiched in between 2 cars, which brought our night to an end! I hate when we wreck!!! The car was pretty messed up, but not as bad as it could have been. The radiator got busted, so we couldn't pit and make repairs and get back on the track. Our night was done, and it was the end of our 2008 PASS season. We plan to race a few other extra races still, with some other series besides the PASS series. The 98 is getting fixed as I speak, type, whatever! Hopefully we'll be back at it next weekend, and we'll be outside of ATL, closer than alot of our races!
Friday and Saturday at the track must not have been enough for us...we drove straight to Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Nascar Cup Race. We pulled in behind all the traffic about 30 minutes before the green flag. We were in the motor home, so we couldn't park just anywhere. We found a good spot, but it was a good distance from where we would be sitting. Jake had the genius idea to get our golf cart out of the trailer and use it. I wasn't real sure about it...I don't like to get in "trouble" and thought by doing this and trying to park it somewhere near the gate was asking for it!
We all hopped on the cart, drove right to the entrance with no problem, and watched 325 laps of racing. Now it was time to leave and I had a knot in my stomach! Here we are driving along with tons of people, trams, buses...everyone trying to leave at the same time. There were security people directing people across crosswalks and cars. We roll up and they would stop traffic and people to let us through! I don't know what the deal was, but maybe because of the big 98 on the front of our golf cart with Carswell Motorsports written on it the people thought we were "official" or someone who was going somewhere important! All I know is we got right through the mayhem and back to our RV with no problem and no traffic! Just leave it to Jake to always figure something out!

We had a fun day at AMS, and we were glad Mom was with us and able to go racing too! I wanted Jeff Gordon to win, but at least he had a decent day. Carl Edwards is not my favorite, but Mom likes him, so at least her car won. I think my hearing is almost back to normal now. I was hearing roaring noises for days!

It's all so worth it just to hear those motors, smell that fuel and rubber...AHHHHH!!!! Gosh, now I'm already wishing next weekend was here or I was racing somewhere this weekend!!! Oh well, I'm going to get some BEACH in this weekend and count down my days till the next race.

Have a fabulous weekend!

School Projects...Ugghhh

Do you get the impression that I don't like school projects?? I know they are for a reason...I guess some sort of reason! How my school projects I did all those years ago are helping me in life now, I'm not really sure, but maybe in some strange way they are! If nothing else they are helping me, help my kiddos with their projects. There you go.
Needless to say, we have spend the last two evenings working on a project with the C-Man. I am happy to announce it is finished, and he has taken it to school this morning. It is out of my house, I have discarded all project remnants of any sort from my house, I am a free woman!!! For today at least. I already know there's another one coming soon, but I'm trying to block that from my immediate thoughts! I'm going to have a project-free day and night...really, no matter what comes home in the backpacks! Maybe it's because my kids are 11 months apart and 1 grade apart...somehow we have a project or report due at least every other week, and be assured if it's a big assignment both kids will have one due the same week and on the same day! The bright side is...we have gotten them all completed (so far!), on time, and got an "A" on them all (again, so far!). I may have more gray hairs and be cross-eyed but hey, Welcome to My World! or just a small fraction of it ;) Have a wonderful Wednesday...I sure plan to!

Back at the Track

We finally were back at a race track this weekend. Our last scheduled race was canceled due to bad weather in N.C., so it's felt like forever since we've raced! We were in Greenville, SC at Greenville-Pickens Speedway with the PASS series. Friday we had a practice day, and our car just wasn't right all afternoon. After tons of adjustments, a good night's sleep on the motorhome, then more practice time Saturday morning the issues finally got resolved. Qualifying came and we were sitting in the #2 position. Not bad after how we had practiced! Once the race started it wasn't long before the 98 was running 1st. We led most of the laps, and had some hard racing going on side-by side with more than 1 different car. With less than 10 laps to go we got passed on the track, no biggie we could get it back, but then another car tried to squeeze by at the same time and hit our front fender. It tore up the front left side and made Justin think he had a tire going down. End of a long story...we ended up finishing 6th. Not a horrible night or a bad finish, but when you taste Victory Lane nothing else is the same!
We'll try again...sooner than later this time. We have a weekend of racing coming up at South Boston Speedway in South Boston, VA. GO,GO,GO 98!

Time with my man

Last week Jake and I went to the beach together, alone, for 4 nights. We had a great trip hanging out together, sleeping late, laying on the beach until the sunset every day, and doing some good eating too! Our good friends Kim and Jody came down to hang-out a few days, so it was nice to spend time with them. The "excuse" we had to get away was that Jake had an annual homeowners meeting and the condo board meeting he had to attend. That was a good "excuse" to go down early and spend a few days. Not that we really needed an excuse, but it was our reason to be there. Everyone needs to get-away sometimes with their man alone...it's good for you! :) We celebrated Kim's birthday, and grilled some steaks and scallops for dinner. YUM...but the singing before her birthday cake topped it all! Very melodious trio of Jody, Jake and me...glad there's no recording of that! hahaha. HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIM!!!

We are back now and ready for the start to this week. We have had alot going on with school and projects due, so I'm hoping for a calmer week. Later this week our schedule involves some RACING, so we're counting down to that! Have a happy Monday!

Can't ever get enough!

The Georgia National Fair was in Perry, GA., so of course we had to find a day to visit. It had been years since we went to this fair, so we had forgotten how MASSIVE it is! We didn't even see everything...almost overwhelming. The rides are always a highlight with the kiddos, so we rode plenty of those.
Jake and CC rode this one alone..... because this is what it did...as each seat spun around! I didn't feel the need to throw-up, so I sat it out!
We ended the night going to the Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean concert. That was fun! Jason Aldean was who I was most excited about seeing, yet Luke Bryan ended up being my favorite. Now we're just waiting around to see where the next fair might be! Hmmm, we have an RV...we could go on the road with the fair and get paid to be there every night??? Noooooo, we have all our teeth still, but at least it's something we can fall back on! HAHAHA Just Kidding!
Just a fall thing you gotta love!

I've Been Tagged!!!

I was tagged by my sister a week or two ago, and today I was tagged by my BFF Kim. Now I guess I better play along. Here's how it works:

1. List the rules of the game
2. Tell 6 random things about yourself that others may or may not know
3. Tag 6 more people at the end of your post
4. If you're tagged...just do it and play along

Here we go, 6 random things you may or may not about me:

1. Before I got married my middle name was Jo...why mom would name me Deanna Jo I'm not sure!
2. I was in beauty pageants as a child. In one all the little girls were asked what they wanted to be when they grew up. Most girls were prepped by their parents for the answer and replied with doctor, lawyer, teacher, ect. I, on the other hand, gave an authentic answer...I wanted to be a teenager so I could wear make-up and not have to order off the children's menu! Yes, I was all of 4 years old and I did win that pageant.
3. I know how to clog...I took clogging for years in N.C. and was in a group that traveled and performed.
4. I started dating Jake when I was 15 years old and we never broke up even once...got married when I was 19 years old.
5. I got pregnant with baby #2 when baby #1 was 8 weeks old! (Jake thought it was embarrassing!)
6. I have a belly button piercing...have had it over 9 yrs.!

That's all....Now who will I tag??? I'll pick Lindsey Dorner, Michelle Helms, Annissa Hackney, Devin Lee, Stephanie Sims, and Julie Allen. Come on girls, I did it so you can too! Have fun!

Jubilee 2008

We have just returned from 3 days of Jubilee! That would be our annual Senior Adult Conference in Gatlinburg, TN. We had over 6,000 in attendance this year. We are thankful that everything went well and ran smoothly. We had music from Sandi Patty, Greater Vision, The McKamey's, Squire Parsons, and Ricky Skaggs. We heard some hilarious comedy from Dennis Swanberg, good preaching from Junior Hill, and last but not least some fabulousness from the one and only Johnny Hunt. WooHoo! ( me partial?!? No way! Hahaha) Needless to say it was a great line-up of musicians and speakers. It was all topped off with some beautiful, fall-like weather in the Smoky Mountains. A big thanks goes out to all our staff and volunteers who were a major part in the conference and its success!
Now on to the final stages of planning for Xtreme. It will be here before we know it! Jubilee is a great conference for Mature Adults, but Xtreme one the other hand is XTREME in the real sense of the word! Here we come!