'Why are we on I -75?'

This past weekend we went to visit Ryan and Briana in Ohio. After getting out of the Army in May, Aaron's brother and his wife bought a house in a suburb of Columbus. Their house is very nice! And if I wouldn't have forgotten the camera , you would have gotten to see pictures.

Anyway, Myles, their youngest brother, was also there helping them get settled into their house. Briana is 7 months pregnant so she isn't allowed to lift the boxes. We went up so Aaron could help Ryan build a fence in their backyard for their dogs, Lacey and Rosie. So on Saturday while the men were outside slaving away at the fence, Briana and I hung out inside in the nice air condition fetching them water and snacks.

It was a fun/productive trip! It is nice that they are only a few hours away and we can visit each other when ever we want.

On a side note, I didn't just get us lost on the way up but on the way home as well. And I have no idea how! We stopped off of I-71 for a drink and snack. Once back on I think I was too distracted by my peanut M&M's and I missed the exit.

Darn M&M's.

Pictures and Books

As of today, I have added three fun categories to my blog. I know a lot of you love to read (like me!) so I thought I would add some 'book stuff'. First, I thought I would share what I was reading with 'On The Nightstand'. Also, I made a list of 'Books To Read' that I would recommend. If you have any books you like/love and want to share please do so under any comment section.

Secondly, I have added 'Picture of the Week'. I have been learning more and more about digital photography and I am having fun practicing. So I thought, why not share some of my practice photos with you. Don't be too hard on me I am only a beginner!

Enjoy!

Always room for more!

We have had a few visitors since we have been here in Kentucky. Ryan and Briana came the 3rd day we were here. It was a lot of fun having them here but not having any of our household goods didn't make it that comfortable for them. But next time when they come we will be more prepared!

More recently, my good friends, Ryan and Elizabeth, stopped by for an overnight visit on their way to OH. They brought with them Will, their two year old, and Megan, their newest addition to the family. We had a lot of fun catching up! Although, the time went to fast.

Will wasn't too sure of Boone. They are more of a cat family. He would say 'big scary dog' but then when Boone licked him, he laughed. I love the sound of kids laughing!

Along with visiting a good Mexican restaurant, we also took them to the Patton Museum on post. Will had a lot of fun looking at all the tanks and 'big guns'. He was also able to run off some energy before they started off to their next destination.

On a random note, I couldn't help but laugh at Aaron. He looked like a giant compared to Will. I had to take a picture of it.

It was great to see them all again and to meet little Megan. I can't wait until next time. Hopefully, we will make it to NC while we are here to visit them.

Anyone else want to visit? Come on down!

A giant watermelon anyone?

Today Aaron, Paul (our new friend) and I ventured to the Vine Grove Autumn Daze Festival. One our way we stopped at the BP for some money and batteries. We learned quickly that it isn't only vehicles who refuel at the stations. These ponies were refueling with lunch.


Once at the festival we found 'booths' of food, jewelery and random crafts. We also came upon a fruit and vegetable contest. This watermelon did not look tasty.
There was Grandma's Kettle Corn stand complete with Grandma!

For our entertainment the Lincoln Cloggers! They were a lively bunch and their legs moved really fast. While looking for information about this group, I found this website www.clogdancing.com , where 'cloggers come together'. Who knew?

I had the most fun watching this man join in the festivities. You could tell he was having fun by the giant smile on his face.
All in all it was a fun time. We got to experience a little of Vine Grove's traditions and eat some good bbq ribs as well.

A day in the life...

Boone is still crazy! But he seems to be adjusting to Kentucky life. He likes the warm weather but I think he likes the air conditioner even more! He did great on the ride down here. Although, if you ask Aaron I think he got 'kissed' too many times.


He took to the house right away but I think he only felt truly a ease when the furniture arrived.

He spends his days in the sun.

And I even think when we are not home, he enjoys the new TV. All in all he is doing great. Although, ask me again in 6 months!

Do you take this woman...

I woke up to great news today! One of my best friends, Mandy, got engaged last night. Don't she and Tom make a cute couple?!

Congratulations love birds!

"Dunder Mifflin, this is Pam."

Aaron and I love The Office. And I know many of you share this love too. We already own the previous two seasons, so it should be no surprise that we went out and bought season three when it came out on DVD.

We watched all 4 discs in a span of two days! Aaron and I both laughed hysterically the whole time. I would recommend buying the set for the episodes as well as the deleted scenes. For those of you who have never seen the TV show here are a few facts: The show is based around a little paper company, Dunder Mifflin Inc. And the majority of the show takes place in their Sranton, Pa office branch.

Dunder Mifflin has hired a plethora of personalities; those of which I can’t even begin to explain. You must watch! While the show it not based on a ‘real life’ company, if any of you have spent any time outside your homes you will have already met some of these personalities in your daily lives.

If you haven’t seen an episode of The Office, I highly recommend it. You should look for the season premiere coming this fall on NBC.

Learning a little about Fort Knox

Driving down the highway to Fort Knox, the most commanding building you will see is the United States Bullion Depository. This facility holds the largest portion of the United States' gold reserve. There are, however, other facilities housing gold around the United States. You may not have known but the Philadelphia Mint, Denver Mint, San Francisco Assay Mint and the West Point Bullion Depository also hold a portion of the gold.

Built in 1937, only guards and employees of the US Treasury Department are allowed access. There are no tours given and no visitors allowed. Only two exceptions have been made to this rule; Presidents Franklin Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman. Even though the depository is located on Fort Knox, the Army will only become involved with the depository if the building comes under attack.

Now onto the gold…

The gold bars are only a little smaller than a building brick. The gold bars are around 7” x 3-5/8” x 1-3/4” and contain around 400 ounces of gold. Each bar weighs about 27-1/2 pounds and is worth approximately $17,000. That is crazy isn’t it!?

The vault door that leads to the gold weighs in excess of 30 tons. So don’t even think about trying to steal any of it! Not to mention you wouldn’t make it past all the barbwire fence and guard posts that sit a top the building. I read that no one person know the whole combination needed to unlock the vault.

I also read that the vault has been used to guard other important things at different times in history; Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, the Articles of Confederation, Lincoln's Gettysburg address, three volumes of the Gutenberg Bible, and Lincoln's second inaugural address.

It is a really cool building but I don't think I would risk my life for a peek inside!

It's going, going, gone!

Aaron and I decided it was time to take a break from unpacking and to start exploring. Our first trip here in KY was to the Louisville Slugger Museum. (Sorry, for the lack of pictures. I forgot to charge the batteries. )

We were able to wander around the museum taking in all the rich history as well as tour the factory. I must say that was our favorite part! Hand carving a bat can take 30 minutes but with the help of today's technology the machines are able to carve out a baseball bat in just 30 seconds.

The factory churns out approximately 1,500 bats a day and about 1 million baseball bats a year. That is a lot of bats! We were told that there are about 8,000 variations of baseball bats. But the baseball players today choose only from about 300 different models.

At the end of our factory we received little 'slugger' bats. I decided not to use my mini bat to play ball with the elves. I did, however, decide to place the bat beside my bed in case of intruders. :o)

If you are ever in Louisville, KY it is a definite must see!

New at this...

Hi Everyone!

After enjoying other friend's blogs, I have decided to try creating a blog of my own. I thought it would be nice for family and friends to be able to track our adventures no matter where we were living.

So bear with me as I learn to blog!