Ragged-Arse Tinker Cattle Thieves

NOTE: the title of this blog is not in reference to my children! Read on...


Hello Cats
I hope you all are well. I miss you all. Eli and I have been sort of discouraged with some things here regarding our church (nothing personally involving us) and it has made me feel for the first time a strong desire to pick-up and go somewhere new. Our time at this church has been for me the first time in my Christian walk that I have been exposed to church politics and the unpleasant qualities of people within the church--it makes me sad for I wish we could all be one big happy family.

There are a lot of good things about where we are right now but there are also some undesirables. If we end up staying for a longer stretch of time some things will have to change. I've never really considered our stop here in Indy as a permanent one--but as of now we have nothing else to go on. Some days I enjoy that we are in a stable 'holding pattern' but then some days I really wish I knew what was coming our way in the next 10 years. Hmph...

I got my hair cut today--nothing outrageous or buzzed. Let's just say, "Brown football helmet"--which is better than the ratty Willie Nelson mane I had. It's long enough that I can still smell it--which is good--for it comforts me. I'm a 29 year old hair smeller--is that kind of like having a blankie?

The kids are doing well. Duncan turned 11 months today. He's not far from walking. He got bumped on the mouth today and poured forth more blood than we've ever encountered with Kenna--we have a feeling we'll be spending some time in the ER with him as his years unfold. He knows no fear, has no restraint and is into EVERTYHING! I can't even open the bathroom door without him making a bee line to get in there to play with the toilet. The other day I discovered wet toilet paper on his hand from where he had found his sisters unflushed potty! He continues to growl and whack on things like a regular caveman. Kenna on the other hand is very much the little lady. She likes to draw my attention to the fact that she's sitting with her legs crossed like, "a little lady". I have no idea how I have ended up with such a prissy little thing as my daughter. You all saw how I was in college--I'm anything but prissy. Not Kenna--she loves dresses and frisking around like a little sprite. Her and I start BSF next week. I'm eager for her to be with other kids as well as learn some great things about Moses this year. Eli may be participating in Detective School in October. It doesn't mean that he is becoming a detective--it's simply training that will look good on his resume should he decide to pursue a detective position.

Hard to believe that Dunk, Adeline and Anderson will all be turning one shortly. Then Fulty will be spittin' out another and Bets not too long after that! Bets--when is your due date?

Is anyone else interested in Corn Day the second weekend of October? I haven't talked to Vanessa about it yet but I was thinking it would be fun to go with one or both of my children. Eli works that weekend.

I'm reading a biography about our nations 2nd president, John Adams. Byrd has already declared me weird but I think it's pretty good. I'm learning a lot of facts about our nation that most Chinese have committed to memory. I felt it was my civic duty to be informed and break the cycle of being a stupid American. If Jay Leno ever catches me on the street I will be able to tell him a lot!

I saw Wall-E the other day--very good and I recommend it. Eli and I also watch the 90's movie, Rob Roy and we learned a new name to use for our enemies, "Ragged-Arse Tinker Cattle Thieves"--I love Scotland! Another one to watch if you have $.99 to blow at Blockbuster.

Well...don't be strangers Girls!
Lizzy

Trip to the Mt. LeConte

Eric and I just hiked up to Mt. LeConte this past weekend with some people he knew from his home church. They hike a lot...so needless to say, this has just confirmed how incredibly out of shape I am. Eric's calves are sore today and I on the other hand can barely move. :)

Anyhow, I thought I'd post some pics for you all. Don't they make you just want to come back to Tennessee, all you non-TN cats? Bets, this reminded me of the time I went with you and Randy and Greg and Steph during summer school that one year. Good memories! It also reminded me of the time when Ryan Moulden and Faith and Kristin and Erin-? went to hike Mt. LeConte our freshman year but they didn't take a flashlight, they got up there when the sun went down and then realized they had to come back down in the dark with only a keychain light. Remember everyone was flipping out and they didn't get back until like 2am or something?

Oh, I got a message from jamie ketchen the other day - she saw in the Oak Ridge paper that Deena is back in town and teaching at Oak Ridge elementary - I bet Jerry got a job there at Oak Ridge. I'm going to try to call her soon; how fun that Deena is back!!

Meow, cats...love you all!

- klep

You Shoulda Heard Me from the Sidelines!

Hey Cats,

In midst of a busy season i must pause to tell you that Atley had his first soccer game on Saturday and scored two goals! After one of his goals he came over to the sidelines, ran by, and shouted, "i love you mom!" as he ran past. It was really cute and i hope he still does it the day he plays in his first World Cup. :) He just loves organized play! Anyhow, he was the smallest, youngest kid out there but you would have never known it. There were some kids that were most likley 1st graders but that didn't stop him from runnin' under them and stayin right up on the ball. I, of course, yelled the whole game from the sidelines. It was so much fun. However, the best part of the game for me as a mom was at one point when Atley was sitting on the sidelines and a kid from the other team got hurt and went running over to his parents. Atley, as soon as he noticed, got up and went over to him, bent down and put his arm around and talked to him to try console him. I don't care if he never scores another goal, so long as he continues to grow a heart of compassion for others.

I was thinking today about how, even in our children, we begin to see their little spiritual gifts develop. I think about Kenna and they way she loves to worship and Atley with how he loves to cheer people on and take care of them and you just really begin to see their little gifts and abilities develop early. It's just really cool. We don't deserve any of it.

As a side note, by dear daughter spent most of the game with my small trial size bottle of lotion rubbing it all over whoever would let her...not sure where that fits in the spiritual gift test!

Much love to you all!
Meow.
Mandycat

Hi Cats,

Liz, I love the YMCA story! What maddening feats we achieve for the sake of efficiency!!! I love you and I imagined your skinny naked butt!!! I laughed outloud. All is well in the land of corn and coal! We are finally in our house and settling in as well as we can. Scott works alot right now, adjusting to the job, but loves it overall. I start working part-time after labor day at a little pre-school called Jumpstart! I am excited! I also plan to tutor and host people from the BCH in my home. Liz---I feel like Mrs. Eubanks, but 100times less graceful! Anway, I love and miss you all! We will be in K-town the last weekend in September, perhaps we could meet for lunch--Catty-Bets-Klep???? See ya

Boxwoods

Our house has 3 boxwood bushes that sit right outside our front door. Every time I pass by them around mid-August and into fall I always think of old Johnson Hall. Every door to that dorm had boxwoods planted outside of them. Does anyone else recall that smell?
If you need to be reminded you're all welcome to our house for a little sniff...oh the nostalgia!
Liz

For a Good Laugh...

Chrisandchadgetskinny.wordpress.com

They are sort of catlike in the attempt to keep up with each other, don't you think?

Meow.
Mandycat

who can follow that?

after lizzie's post, nothing will seem as entertaining. i'll keep mine short and informational. thanks for the prayers, the politte clan is doing better. the kids are over their virus and are now fighting off and ear infection and a diaper rash from hell with a yeast infection, but they're on the upswing. my labwork came back and whether or not it was parvo-virus, i had already been exposed to it earlier in life and had anti-bodies to protect me. yay! gotta love protective antibodies. i have been on insulin for 2 days, now, and i'm not sure how that's going, yet. it caused me blood sugar to drop way too low yesterday, so I think they will have to adjust my dosage. we'll get it figured out, hopefully before I go into a diabetic coma.
we are enjoying a little bit of johnson reunion time, as Marcus and Amanda Fife have just moved to Cleveland. They are living about 20 minutes from us and we have gotten together countless times already. Marcus accepted a worship ministry at a christian church in the area, and steve is sure that his evil plan is starting to come together. they were up until midnight last night playing xbox, just like old times.
well, i have to go mail off invitations to the twins' 1st birthday party. wow, a year old already. this is crazy.
miss you all!
-fulty