There's No Place Like Roam

Four years of Rock City and Santa. Look at how much they have changed!!

Traditions are the best. So glad to have found Old McDonald's farm in Sale Creek to continue our pumpkin patch tradition. Pumpkin slingshots and pedal tractors? YES!!!!

Now this little getaway was amazing! Blue Ridge, GA is adorable and the kids had so much fun picking apples. They are begging to do it again next year. This was Graham's 6th birthday present. We picked apples, and then took the train on an excursion to the next town over and found some yummy Mexican food for lunch. The train took us right back to Blue Ridge and the leaves were at peak this weekend. The Toccoa river ran near the train tracks and there were so many adorable cabins along the way. Will definitely check out VRBO for a future weekend trip!

Graham has been practicing his scissor skills at school. I ask him to keep it to paper only! He received a nice buzz cut at great clips just in time for cold weather! Reminded me of the time Hunter found his "brains".

I've been driving everyone crazy with my latest obsession, Chalk Paint!

Finally lost our first tooth!

Late this spring I decided it might be time to look for a new job. When we first moved I had hoped to get a training development position at the Volkswagen Academy, much like I had at AIDT for Honda. Well, VW has a very different take on e-learning than Honda does, so no positions were opened while I was searching for a job.  Fast-forward 3 years and it just so happened that a position opened at the VW Academy the very day I decided to look. On July 7th I began working at Chattanooga State Community College located at the VW Academy, administering Volkswagen's tuition reimbursement program as well as assisting the Learning Management System Administrator with tracking/reporting on employee training. Two months later and I'm loving it!

 

We don't need a beach vacation. Just some blood, sweat and tears and 6 gallons of deck stain! ;-)

A rare, kids-free getaway to Asheville. Biltmore tour, Biltmore 15K, and Chimney Rock in North Carolina.

My baby graduated from Pre-K at Tyner Methodist Preschool. He's ready for big boy school!

We made a quick trip to Alabama to visit the in-laws and our friends from West Park Heights.

The boys slept in this morning, but my office running partners had their fill of the "color packets" and sent all of our extras home with me. Of course Hunter and Graham thought this was FANTASTIC!

In January, a coworker and I convinced several ladies to join us at the Color Me Rad 5K. Well, today was the day. Three of us ran, and three walked...but we all had a good time, even with the rain!

Carter is trying Golf this Spring. He had his first lesson last night at The First Tee of Chattanooga. He loved it and Jason is looking forward to playing with him soon!

Hunter decided to play baseball this year. Wow, kids have improved a LOT since Tee Ball! He's having a tough time keeping up, but he's having fun and has some great coaches.

I came home from work to a dead chipmunk in the driveway. I'm unsure of its cause of death, but Jason is on night shift and the trash runs in the morning. I ask Carter and Hunter to deal with it, but they wanted no part, even for a dollar. Graham said "I'll do it!" I fully expected him to back out, but he really didn't hesitate. I did get a 100% price increase after he fully evaluated the situation, but it was totally worth it! ;-) The video is here:  http://youtu.be/Nfa0I0mfB-s

So telecommuters don't get snow days, but I did get an early Valeversary surprise outside my office window. 16 years tomorrow and I swear he ask for the same gift he would have wanted 16 years ago - a gallon of Bondo and a gallon of primer! Ha! LOVE HIM! ~Kay

Graham McKinney is quite the character! Our conversation while we were waiting for the doctor at Graham's 5 year old checkup. Graham: I can't wait until I'm as old as you are. Kay: Why is that? Graham: BECAUSE...I will have my own house and a wife and that will be *AWESOME*! Kay: Oh really?!? Graham: Mom, will you watch my three kids when me and my wife are both at work? If I pay you two dollars and one cent? Kay: Lol...sure! Graham: Do you want to be called a babysitter, or a nanny? Kay: Grandma will be just fine! :-)

On Tuesday, January 28, 2014, we were told by the NWS and local meteorologists that we had a 30% chance of a light dusting of snow. I chose to work from home and got the boys off to school. I started a meeting at 9:00 and noticed that it had started to sprinkle...but was not yet snowing. When my meeting wrapped up at 10:00, I glanced out the window and the ground/road was completely white. It was snowing and it was STICKING. I was surprised that school had not yet cancelled, but I had another meeting at 11:00. I chose to go ahead and pick up Graham. On the way out of the neighborhood my tires spun all the way up the big hill. I was immediately concerned that I may not be able to get back home. Schools announced they were dismissing at 11:00, and I arrived to pick up Graham at 10:30. When we passed the road to the elem/middle schools, I realized that the roads were already blocked with cars who could not make it to the school. Buses were unable to get to the schools.  Graham and I made