general happenings...

School's almost done for the summer break (for Hannah; she ends tomorrow. Scotty finished last week). Life slows down to a less frenetic, more idyllic pace. Here's what we've done since you last got an update:

In case I never mentioned it here, I am now a part of the church orchestra at First Baptist Church of Lexington (not to be confused with Lexington Baptist Church, which is where Scotty went to preschool, lol). As the orchestra has started to grow, we decided to have a night out to bond and get to know each other better. Roy, our musical director, set up a date for dinner at 5 Guys Burgers and Fries. GOOD EATS! I dubbed this our Orchestra Night Out, or ONO for short, and this name stuck. For our most recent ONO, we went to Shealy's, a barbecue buffet.For the record, I am not fond of SC barbecue...it's a mustard-based sauce, and while I like mustard, I just don't like it on my pulled pork or chicken. I prefer "red sauce barbecue"...and it's hard to find here in Columbia. Will have to drive to Famous Dave's in Augusta for some good bbq, lol!
Shealy's is a well-known buffet, with a TON of food to offer. We took the FBC bus, loaded all the "band geeks" on the bus, and road-tripped to Batesburg-Leesville. When you arrive at Shealy's you're greeted with this:
please wash your hands, thank you!!!


No being greedy here...there's way more than enough, so small portions (to start with) are greatly encouraged!

From fried chicken, fried chicken livers (oh MY, but these were tasty!!!), pulled pork barbecue (mustard and vinegar based)...some great mashed potatoes and gravy, rice, macaroni and cheese, a ton of veggie choices, and a fantastic dessert bar. I was WAY beyond STUFFED...but it was fun.


a sample picture of the buffet...

My plate - at the noon position: homemade creamed corn, then fried chicken, chicken fried steak (under the chicken, lol), fried chicken livers, mashed potatoes with some sawmill gravy, and green beans. That was round ONE...I didn't manage to take a picture of round two. Oh...and PULLEY BONES...don't ask me what they are, but they are SOOO good. I'm guessing it's part of the white breast meat, with some bone in, fried up....

Dessert...it ended up being a great silhouette shot!!

Then my wonderful friend Ali, from Augusta, GA came to visit. Ali's been a part of my life since I moved to Augusta back in 2003. She was there for Scotty's birth, and her love of God was an immense and influential force on me during that time. You'd think that living only an hour away from Augusta, I'd see her more often, but this was the first time we got together since moving to Lexington! She had some classes to take in Irmo, so I had her and the kids come over for dinner. We christened our new dining room set with Ali! Of course, I spent so much time talking that I didn't even think to take up the camera until just before she stepped out the door!


Ali's always got a great smile on her face. If you haven't read her blog, you NEED to. She is an amazing Christian blogger, who uses her life experiences and pulls the bible in to show how God works. Her blog is A Cup of Cold Water. Go visit her sometime. Get REFRESHED.


This is E., Ali's youngest. Oh, MY but she's a fireball. I think E. will be Ali's challenge...but her greatest love as well. Yes, she's as impish as she looks!


This is J., Ali's "middle child"...a very serious child, but gentle and kind-hearted. I enjoyed sitting next to her for dinner...she was kind and quiet and ate all her food, said please and thank-you, and ma'am and sir...LOVE it!


Then there's A...adorable. I've known him since almost birth, I think! He hasn't changed, except for growing bigger. A's always been a kind boy, quiet natured, but curious and fun to play with. Hannah always had fun with him when we lived in Augusta...but now, it was Scotty's turn. And A didn't let the age bother him. He and Scotty hit the "boy room" with a vengeance and had a blast.


Scotty and his new pal!

Spring is almost done here, and in my last photo post, I showed you some of the lovely birds we've had visiting. Well, we've had other "critters" too...first, on a wet Sunday morning:


This little guy managed to wedge himself in between the screen door and the sliding glass door of our patio. Don't know HOW he got there; I'm thinking the millipedes (yeah, we seem to have an invasion of these critters around here right now) attracted him. He was wedged pretty tightly, as you can see. I ended up getting him out, and he just JUMPED back on the door...had to chase him off. I think he LIKED it there.

The next day, we had a Luna Moth visit us. It hung out on the screen of the breakfast area windows, then moved to the sliding screen.




I particularly love the antennae on this moth. It's really a large moth, perhaps 4" wingspan, 3" from head to tail.

Hanging on the screen door.

More to come in partie deux!