Orlando

I'm clearly due for an update considering my last post on here was in September.  Being a teacher, mom, wife, and dancing with the stars addict has cut into my time to write and I apologize.  The Smith's recently had a nice trip to visit my dad and his wife and Orlando couldn't have been a better spot for a family reunion. My sister met us there and Shadow got to visit a new state (This makes 7 for him and he is only 2 1/2 so he has a great start.)  We enjoyed the time with family tremendously and had some really fun days at Disney World and Universal.

Jordan and I love Disney.  Actually we are obsessed so it's only natural that we feel we should pass on our affection for Disney to Shadow.  We are doing a really good job too.  He loves Mickey and all of his friends, cuddles with his stuffed Dumbo and Tramp, and watches Toy Story at least once a day.  We only went to Disney for one day because Shadow is not going to remember much of the trip, but his reaction to the rides and characters was priceless.  I'm blessed that I get to relive my childhood though his eyes.

We got our picture taken with the lovable Pluto first thing, so Shadow looks disappointed because he couldn't stay and play with him.  Can I just say how much I love the entrance to Magic Kingdom.  The instant you see Main Street and that Castle you are a kid again.

I wanted to get a picture with my real Prince Charming :)

The Castle at night takes on different colors and the fireworks are a perfect ending to day of magic.

Having read all the Harry Potter books, Samantha and I wanted to see the Harry Potter world at Universal.  We went to Universal on Election Day.  The weather was perfect and the lines were small.  It was a great day until we got home and watched TV.....but that's another story.  At Islands of Adventure you can meet your favorite Super Heroes, see the Cat in the Hat, and grab a butter beer before you venture through the halls and chambers of Hogwarts Castle. 

We met Captain America!!!  I think I was more excited than Shadow.  How can you not love a Super Hero that protects the American Way???

 

Samantha, Jordan and I went on the Forbidden Journey ride that is in Hogwarts.  Sam and I just marveled at all the paintings and staircases that brought us back to the books we so enjoyed.  The ride was a lot of fun too, but it did shut down mid ride while we were in a room full of spiders.  Not cool.

 

The four of us escaped The Hulk.  I think Jordan was a bit worried he wouldn't.

 

 

This trip was special because we don't get to see Dad and Lorna very often.  The time we spent together was very rewarding and we hope to see them again soon!

Horses and Superheros

One of the best things about getting married, or being married (besides finding your true love if you are Disney fans) is the joint possession of each others "things."  For example, when Jordan and I got married, he gained a Wii and I gained several bonsai plants.  Jordan gained seasons of FRIENDS on dvd and I gained seasons of Desperate Housewives on dvd. Jordan gained a taste for coffee and I gained a new found interested in Sunday news shows.  The list could go on but one of my favorite "things" that I got when I married Jordan was his sister's family.  She has two boys and a girl and they are the youngest, hippest, funniest fraternity you will find.  Once you throw Shadow into the mix you have a real force of nature.


We had the pleasure of their company during Labor weekend and Jordan and I took it upon ourselves to show them a good time.  The kids wanted to see horses so we thought the Kentucky Horse Park would be the perfect place for that.  The day was grey and overcast, but the smiles were bright as we walked around the park, looked at the horses and learned more about the importance of the horse in the course of history. 

Grant, Grace, and their uncle Jordy enjoyed a trail ride around the park.

Greyson got to go on a pony ride and they let Shadow sit on the pony for a little bit.  Maybe he can ride next time ;)

You can truly spend the whole day at the park.Their are several barns and museums you can walk through, trolley rides, restaurants, and show events to watch.  We enjoyed petting some of the horses and marveling at their size and beauty.   The museums on the grounds have some great displays about horses around the world and also artifacts from the Kentucky Derby, World Equestrian Games, and several trophies and awards that have been collected from various horses over the years.

Being the history nerd that I am, I was impressed with the museum.  It was so interesting to see how important the horse was to early Americans, Europeans, Asians, Arabians; and also how they are valued and used as a vital resource by each culture.

One of the museums has the trophies won by Secretariat on display.  The one on the left is from the Derby, the right is from the Preakness and the middle is the triple crown trophy that was awarded after winning the Belmont stakes.


The rest of their visit was spent at the Newport Aquarium in Cincinnati, searching for the perfect cupcake, eating Five Guys, realizing that teenagers that work at the GAP have no idea what they are doing, ordering take out Chinese food, and very insightful and intellectual discussions about whether Christian Bale or Micheal Keaton plays the better Batman. 

So I go back to my favorite reasons for being married.  You get twice the family, twice the memories, and also you maybe figure out that your family is just a bit nerdy like yourself.  I do enjoy my Wilkins much, much more than those bonsai plants.

A visit from Auntie SJ

Since our move to Woodbrook Place we have invited family to come and check out our new pad, my sister included.  I think the last time I invited her to come was back in May?? Last weekend, she finally made the 3 hour journey from Nashville (better late than never!) and Shadow got to spend some time with his "Auntie SJ."

I looked forward to her visit all week and just like we always do when family comes to visit, I started planning what was sure to be the best Kentucky weekend ever.

Jordan and I thought it might be fun to take her to Frankfort.  I'm sure several of you are mumbling under your breath, "Frankfort? Are your for serious?"  Yes.  Serious.  Jordan and I love Frankfort.  Maybe it is because we didn't grow up in his area so the novelty hasn't worn off, or maybe it's because it really is a cute little town with some very "Kentucky" things to do.

Our first stop was the state capitol to see the giant Abraham Lincoln statue that proudly stands in the center of the rotunda.  The grounds surrounding the capitol are very pretty with several flowers and plants. The governor's mansion and a flower clock are within walking distance.  The day was a bit muggy but we got some nice pictures.  You can see in the picture above how Shadow is devising another one of his "let's run from mommy and daddy because I think it's funny" shenanigans.

Just across from the capitol is the governors mansion.

And a rather neat flower clock.  Shadow liked the water fountains, of course.

Frankfort is also home to a Frank Lloyd Wright house. This was the hook to get Samantha to go, ha!  Apparently, she LOVES Frank Lloyd Wright houses.  When she met her boyfriend, one of the first things they realized they had in common was their joint interest in these very unique works of art.  I had no idea.  So we took pictures and she got to send one to her boyfriend (who was in Mexico by the way, missing all of this Frankfort Fun.)  Unfortunately, it is a private residence and you can't look at the inside :(

 

 After we had some lunch, we went to the cemetery to see Daniel Boone's grave.  It is placed at one of the highest points in the cemetery so you get a  picturesque view of downtown Frankfort, the Kentucky river, and the state capitol building.   Although he died in Missouri and was buried there first, his body was moved here to Kentucky because he had spent so much time here and was very involved in its settlement.  I've been told Missourians are a little bitter about that.  Oh well.  They have Jesse James and Harry Truman.   

Both Daniel Boone and his wife, Rebecca, are buried here at this marker. Each side of the marker depicts a scene from his life spent in Kentucky, but doesn't tell you specifics.

After a couple of bourbon balls from Rebecca Ruth's, our Frankfort excursion came to an end.  We made our way back to Lexington for a much needed nap so we could end the day perfectly with a showing of The Hunger Games at the dollar theater.  Samantha still had not seen it yet and I wasn't going to protest seeing it for the 2nd time.  But first we would have dinner at Saul Good.  Parisian Pizza and Chocolate Fondue for dessert.  Can we say, "yum?!?!"  I don't think they ever had anything like this in District 12.

Who are you if you're not angry?

I have been debating on whether or not I wanted to write about this.  I asked myself, is this blog supposed to be an outpouring of my most inner feelings and emotions, or just a fun way for family to keep up with the Smiths and our activities.  I told myself it could be both.  I enjoy writing and I like using this blog as an artistic outlet for me to share memories with others, rant and rave about current events, recommend movie and book choices, etc.  But the main reason I started the blog was to keep a record of my experiences as a wife and mother, to preserve the memories that Jordan, Shadow and I make together as a family.  But let's face it, not all experiences or memories are good, so it would be dishonest of me not to share the not-so-happy things as well.

I feel like I could write several pages worth about this and I'm not sure where to start so let me just be frank.  I had been very depressed and angry for quite sometime.  Why?  My parents clearly didn't love each other anymore and were to be divorced.  What makes it a bit ironic, even humorous really, is that this all started just a few months before Jordan and I were married.  Yes, here I am, looking forward to my new life with my new husband, only to watch my parents crumble into co-existence, rather than be the loving, wise, experienced married couple that I think a lot of young newlyweds hope their parents can be. 

However, I had a glimmer of hope.  Shadow.  I just knew that they would straighten up once Shadow arrived.  I thought to myself, they will want to be in his life together.  That they would look beyond the problems they were having and find a way to overcome them so they could relish the joy that Shadow was going to bring to everyone.

No such luck.  My parents would divorce and the separation was anything but pleasant.  I began to see my parents for the imperfect beings that they are and began to lose faith in their wisdom that I feel all children hold their parents accountable for.  I was starting a new family with Jordan and Shadow, only to watch my old family fall apart.  In a way, I felt like my entire childhood died when their marriage did.  I had visions of Shadow going to visit Grandma and Grandpa.  I wanted the big holiday and birthday celebrations for him like I had when I was growing up. But I knew these wouldn't happen like I had planned.  I would look at our family pictures from vacations, graduations, etc.  The memories seemed tainted even though I saw four smiling faces looking back at me.

So, to say I was angry would put it mildly.  I was furious at the situation, sad to let go of the hopes of future family memories to be made, angry with their behavior, and overcome with a feeling of loss.  So much of who I am today I owe to my parents.  I grew up thinking we were such a strong family, but perhaps I was always looking through smoke and mirrors.  I spent days and days and months and months searching for a reason for the dissolution of my family.  I began to feel like I was losing touch with who I was as a person. And what angered and depressed me even more was I saw how my fury not only hindered me, but Jordan and Shadow as well.

I sought out counseling and was blessed with who I found.  My counselor reminded me that I have my own family now, and that what has happened is not my fault  In fact, it's not my problem at all!  Every child learns one day that their parents aren't perfect.  And it's ok!  She coached me on ways to pray to find the strength to forgive, to realize it is never too late for a happy childhood, and to find the peace and rest in the Lord that would carry me through this.  She helped me remind myself of who I was and who I needed to be for my husband and little boy.  She asked a very important question that broke the chains of resentment and allowed me to move beyond the despair of what had happened.  During our last session she asked me, " Who are you Amanda, if you're not angry?"

Holy Crap!  I am so much more than my anger.  I am a loving an compassionate wife and mother.  I am still a child and I forgive as I have been forgiven.  And let's be honest, I'm a little weird.  I try to make people laugh, I am a good listener.  I value family, faith and freedom.  I geek out about things like the Royal Family, Disney, books, fashion, libraries, politics.  I was meant for another decade.  I would have voted for Eisenhower, swooned over Cary Grant at the movies,  and caught every episode of I Love Lucy.  I am a teacher and I am here for others.

My counselor told me, " Don't you think all of that is more important that your feelings of anger?  Don't you see how much more to you there is and how much you will continue to hold out on your family if you don't let yourself be the things you are when you're not angry?"  She was so right.  I had let my anger wrap around my like a thousand vines and ensnare every good thing about me.  I was being ungrateful for the many good things God has blessed me with.  My parents are a part of these good things.  I love them just as much separately, as I did when they were together.  I would try my best to move past this and find the courage to be above my anger.

And as they say, 'time heals all wounds', I found that prayer and love were healing mine.  I can say I am very close to a point where I can be a peace about what has happened.  I can see how happy my parents are now and how they are still involved in Shadow's life.  Perhaps not like I had imagined, but in the crazy way God had planned.   This isn't to say the divorce will never poke at my heart a bit, the devil knows that it will bring me down.  But, I don't have to give him the satisfaction of letting the anger take over.  Like I said before, I am above my anger and the devil will just have to deal with it.  After all, I am a weird Harry Potter-Royal Family-Hunger Games-super-hero obsessed wife-mother-teacher, and you just don't mess with us.

Pintrest Project (1)

Since moving into our house this past February, Jordan and I have slowly been adding pieces to our decor.  We have done a pretty good job, but the back room/den/office/guest room/Shadow's play area had a lot of blank space on the wall and was in some desperate need for color.

Pintrest to the rescue!  I looked around for cheap ways to fill up the space without having to spend a lot of money.  And since Pintrest never disappoints, I found what I was looking for within two minutes.  However, the project would take longer, much longer, than that.  It's funny how Pintrest makes you think you will become the next Martha Stewart, and then you attempt the project and realize you are just a girl with a staple gun.

This was the end result.

You will need:
insulation board from Lowes
Staple Gun
Staples for your Staple Gun (because they don't come with the gun like you would think ;)
Fabric
Something to hang the board


The insulation boards at Lowes are 8' x 4' and come in various widths.  I chose a 1 inch width and the board was about $13.  My original idea was to split the board into 3 even panels to hang, but my utility knife had problems making clean lines while cutting.  If you had a space big enough to keep the boards whole I would recommend that.  Or find some other tool that will make a cleaner cut.

Next, I found some fabric at Hancock Fabrics on sale.  I got 2 yards of upholstery type fabric and paid maybe $10.  Then, just like a Christmas present, I wrapped the board with the fabric and stapled along the edges. Since the fabric I used was striped, I had to be very careful not to pull too hard with the fabric because the striped would start to look a bit zig-zagged.  I sure felt pretty fierce using a staple gun though.  Quite fun.

Jordan helped me hang up the board, centered above our futon.  We attached a little bracket to the back. (I'm not sure what they are called, but they have the jagged edge at the bottom.) So, here is what the back room looks like now.  (We already had the wall sconces on hand.)

Even though I didn't get my three panels like I wanted, Jordan was sweet enough to convince me that just one looked fine and got the job done.  The room does look a bit warmer now so I am pleased.

Newport Aquarium

One of the many great things about living in Lexington is its proximity to other cities and fun things to do.  Cincinnati, OH is about an hour and fifteen minutes away so Jordan and I thought a day trip one Saturday would be nice.  We had wanted to take Shadow to the Newport Aquarium for some time and woke up one morning saying, "Let's do it."  So, another Smith adventure was underway.

Newport, KY is just across the river form Cincinnati.  The Aquarium is in a promenade among restaurants and shopping with a great view of the Ohio River and downtown Cincinnati.  We took a few minutes just walking around, taking in the views, and then the seasonably hot weather lured us inside.

The Aquarium is home to thousands of fish from all parts of the world.  Some very pretty, some very ugly, and some that make you wonder, "Is that really a fish?"  But I think the thing Jordan and I enjoyed the most was watching Shadow's reaction to everything.  That is what is so fun about having children, you get to see the world again through there eyes.

One of the main attractions at this aquarium is a 14 foot alligator they have named Mighty Mike.  Shadow wasn't sure what to think about him, and I wasn't either.  He is enormous.  I tried to imagine what I would do if I saw this monster in the water or on a boat next to me.  As much as I wanted to tell myself I would be brave and be able to escape Mighty Mike, all I saw in my head was myself freezing in horror as I gave Mike an easy kill.  We quickly moved on.

This picture was taken after we had to get after Shadow for wanting to climb on the walls and beat on the glass.  He is too young to understand, but I had to tell him that it scares the fish and embarrasses mommy when he does that.  He ponders on this for a few moments and simply says "okay".

The Aquarium is home to penguins too!  Shadow kept laughing and saying "bird!" They all were very cute and properly dressed in their natural tuxedos.  Shadow wanted to take these home.

But the thing Shadow liked the most was the shark tank.  Every time one would pass us he would cry out and laugh and then look at us to see if we saw it too.  I was afraid he would be a little scared like he was with the alligator, but he was having too much fun.  It was hard to pull him away when it was time to go. You can see a video of Shadow and the Sharks below.

We quickly exited through the gift shop, trying to avoid the numerous displays of bouncing balls and stuffed animals and found some lunch at Five Guys.  We filled our tummies and were ready to head back to Lexington.  That is, after Mommy had to stop at H&M and Shadow went to the Disney Store. :)

Guns. The good,the bad ,and very ugly.

There is something to be said about the way  journalists pounce on a horrifying tragedy involving innocent Americans and use it as a way to promote their own political agendas, as well as their ignorance when it comes to the origin or cause of the event.  Since every one is talking about the Batman movie massacre and using it to defend or argue against our 2nd amendments rights, I think it's only fair that I jump on this as well.  And I can, because I am not a journalist :)

When I first heard the heartbreaking news, my mind quickly went to prayer and not politics.  It wasn't until I started hearing the typical liberal media make an immediate biased attack on conservatives by reporting that the shooter, James Holmes, had joined the tea party movement in Aurora last year that I started getting huffy.  Jordan and I both knew conservatives would be targeted and that debates about gun control would start to take over the evening news.  However, one minor detail: this James Holmes was a middle aged man, while Psycho James Holmes was 24 years old.  Clearly not the same person.  Aren't journalists supposed to research and confirm things before they report them?  Sorry libs, I'm afraid Sarah Palin had nothing to do with this one.

Guns are dangerous.  Criminals and the mentally disabled in possession of guns is catastrophic.  People with guns have protected people.  People with guns and killed innocents.  What do you do?  We are granted the right to bear arms by our Constitution, yet I'm sure our founding fathers didn't mean for us to grab the coolest assault weapon we can find and keep it conveniently located under our bed.  I like to think they entitled future Americans with this right as a way for us to stand up and protect our family and possessions.  Then you think about Gabby Giffords and Trayvon Martin and you wonder, if guns were harder to possess, would these incidents have only ended up with minor injuries that boo-boo bunny and a Dora the Explorer band-aid couldn't fix?

I can't help but answer yes.  However, I also can't help but answer no.  I believe evil will find a way if it is determined.  If someone wants to hurt a mass amount of people, they will do it, with a gun or without.  What if someone in that audience had their own gun handy? Could they have taken down the shooter and saved lives?  What if  Holmes didn't have a gun and only came in with a toxic gas bomb, would less people have died.  Again, I can't help but answer yes to both questions.

Like so many things in our lives, I think this issue is an issue of balance.  The first video below is of Hilary Clinton making some comments on gun control and I felt like she really says it best.  The second is one of Chuck Norris because all good republicans always check to see what Chuck Norris would say.  

I shake my head in anger when I think of the families effected by this horrible event.  I hate that it takes something like this to fire up the people to think about possible solutions when , like Hilary says in the video, we should be smarter than this.  Something should already be in place, something in balance, to prevent mass murders like this from happening.  So the next time something like this happens, which I hope it won't, time won't be wasted on evaluating the conservative or liberal influences. 

 I think about my role as a teacher.  I think about the students that are always angry, shy, and bullied.  I pray that I am given the strength I need to reach these students in effort to give them hope and a positive outlook on life.  I strive to be a good role model and to make an impact on them so if they ever get into a situation where they will harm themselves or others, they may one day think back to "something Ms. Smith said."

I think about my role as a parent.  Perhaps this is where it must start, with family.  I humbly ask for God to guide me in my role as a mother so I can prepare Shadow with what he needs to lead a life pleasing unto Him, but also a life that will serve others.   A life where he will be devoted to taking care of his family and community and not to destroy it.  And, most importantly, I hope he knows that it is very impolite to ruin a good movie!!!

So maybe this answer is as simple as this:  Let the hunters have their rifles, let the people have their little handguns.  Keep the bad-ass-assault weapons locked up unless their is a military worthy situation.  Hire good teachers.  Be good parents.  Pray.

A Little Trip to Little Rock

While most people are spending their summer vacations hiking in the mountains, soaking up the sun at the beach, or embracing the magic at Disney (I hate you by the way), Jordan and I took a day trip to the most exciting city of Little Rock, AR.  And it was a good time!  We were already vising family in Missouri and Arkansas for Independence Day so, being that we were already in the neighborhood, we decided to take a little trip to Little Rock.

If you know us at all you will see why Little Rock was a perfect choice for a happily married, politically savvy, history loving couple.  Fine, we are nerds.  But at least we have each other, right?  

Our itinerary was as follows:

Jordan and I started our trip by enjoying the very scenic-less 3 hour drive to Little Rock, by way of Hastings in Jonesboro, AR.  Jordan sold a lot of books he found at his parents house in hopes to make a few dollars for our trip.  But to Jordan's chagrin, the lady only gave him store credit which he used to buy a DVD combo of Arthur/Arthur on the Rocks and I finally got my hands on a copy of Mockingjay.

We arrived in Little Rock in time for lunch and decided to try the local fare at Doe's Eat Place.  It's a small joint just blocks from the State Capitol and was a popular lunch destination for Bill Clinton while he was governor. 

One cheeseburger and catfish platter later, we were at the Arkansas Governors Mansion for our (free) tour.  It was here that we decided we should challenge ourselves with the task of touring every governors mansion in every state....we shall see.  The mansion was beautiful, of course.  We looked around thinking to ourselves, "Did Bill sit here?", "Did Chelsea use these stairs?", "Was Hilary angry about the placement of the silver in this room?".  However, I suppose I was more excited to be in the former home of Mike Huckabee.

The gardens were very pretty but in 100+ degree weather they were even prettier from inside.  I think we only stayed out long enough to get this picture.  Poor little Socks is even buried in the gardens among the roses and magnolias.

After the tour we were so tired and hot that we decided to go ahead and check into our (free) hotel room.  But first we took a quick look at Little Rock Central High School, the historic site where 9 African American children bravely walked into their new school for the first time.  Unfortunately, they were not greeted with open arms and President Eisenhower had to call in the national guard to keep the angry mob at bay.  (Tangent:  for all the Kennedy and MLK lovers, this is case and point that Republicans did indeed start the battle to end segregation and promote Civil Rights across the nation.  This is not to discredit the incredible leadership of MLK or the pretty face of JFK, but just trying to give credit where it truly is due.)

After a bite to eat and a puzzling but entertaining showing of Prometheus, we turned in for the night to prepare for our day at the Clinton Presidential Museum and Library.  I was very impressed with the collections and exhibits the Library had.  I enjoyed learning more about his administration and found a new found appreciation for his work.  I can honestly say I would vote for a Clinton over Obama any day. (Only if their isn't a Republican on the ticket.)  You could look up his schedule for every day he was in office and The Museum had an exact replica of the Oval Office as it had looked during his time as President.  There are several things from Bill and Hillary's childhood which I found endearing.  Sometimes we forget that everyone was at one time a child with great dreams. I remember there was an essay on display that Hillary wrote in the 6th grade saying she wanted to be a teacher or a physicist when she grew up.  It's funny to think that lawyer, First Lady, Senator, and Secretary of State hadn't crossed her mind yet.

We ate lunch at the restaurant that is at the museum and then hit the road for the 3 hour drive back to Jordan's parents house.  We were excited to give Shadow his prizes and to share our pictures and stories with our family.  We arrived only to find that Shadow hadn't missed us that much because he was having too much fun with his cousins.  And you can't really blame him.  They are great kiddos and always love having little Shadow around. This is a picture of them at McDonald's after they went swimming.  It looks like fun was had by all during our little trip to Little Rock.

Lions, and Tigers, and Bears, Oh Wine!!

The feeling that I had on the last day of school was so surreal.  I knew that the year was over and I had somehow survived my first year of teaching.  While I sat screaming hallelujah on the inside, my little cynic voice was still telling me, " Um, you know you have to do this all again in the fall right?"  Damn you inner cynic.

Of course I would start up again in the fall, but I was going to blissfully enjoy my summer up until then.  And the first way to do that would be a trip home to Kansas with my mom and Shadow.  The plan was that Shadow and I would do the 10 hour drive over there with Mom, and then I would fly back with Shadow a week later.

So, a 10 hour drive with a 2 year old was ahead of us.  Shadow can normally handle being in the car for 4 hours at a time before he starts fussing that he is stuck in his car seat and needs to get out.  Thankfully, Mom's dog, Sadie, would be riding in the back with him to keep him entertained.  Not to mention the Mickey Mouse and Elmo DVD's as well.  Shadow did very well with the ride so we were able to make it to Kansas City.

The next day we took on the 3 hour ride down to the farm.  But, being the wine lovers we are, we had to stop at Somerset Ridge that conveniently happens to be on the way.  Mom has often told me about her little winery so I was eager to stop. It was very cute, sitting among trees and fields of wheat, with bottles of red and semi sweet whites on the wall, decked out in bottles with buffalo and sunflowers.  I think we left with 4 bottles. 

We made it to the farm that day and I was glad to be out of the car, possibly even more than Shadow was.  I was looking forward to spending time with my grandparents.  My grandma would be having knee replacement surgery while I was there so we got most of our visiting done during the early part of the week.  Since the farm is no where near a "hop skip and a jump" away from any kind of advanced medical treatment, her surgery would be done in Manhattan, KS.  

When she went in for surgery I took Shadow down to Derby, just south of Wichita, to see my Grandma Hemingway.  We talked about the weather, her bridge club, and jeopardy.  She later took us out to eat at the local Village Inn.  We had to get there before 6 so we could get the good deals and the free piece of pie with our meal.  Shadow wasn't too thrilled at the idea of sitting in a booth so he thought it necessary to hop over into the next one.  Let's just say I ate as fast as I could so we could get home.  Grandma made me a fuzzy navel that night and we watched the Queen's Jubilee celebration on television.  Oh yes, we party hard at Grandma's House.

The next day I was anxious to get back to the farm and check on my other grandma.  I took Shadow to the Botanical Gardens in Wichita.  It was early, so it was still cool and there was a breeze.  He enjoyed looking at the flowers and fountains and seeing how fast mommy could run after him.  We both especially enjoyed the children's garden where Shadow got to play in a tree house, sit on lady bugs, and play instruments.  It was a fun day.


Later in the week my mom and I would discover another winery that will go on my top 10 list for sure.  We went to visit grandma in the hospital up in Manhattan, and it just so happens that Wamego is only about 10 minutes from there and home to the Oz Winery.  I was in heaven.  Downtown Wamego is lined with old shops and restaurants, bordered with American flags on every light pole. The winery is just a block from the Oz museum.  I have never been so impressed with a creative idea before.  This winery took the movie to whole other realm, by making wines to compliment characters, places, and objects from the movie.  The artwork on the bottles was enough to get me interested.  I left with 'Run Toto Run' and mom left with 'Drunkin Munchkin'.  I've determined that this will be a mandatory stop on every future Kansas trip.

Sadly, our trip to Kansas went by to fast and it was time to head home.  Shadow would take his third airplane ride so I wasn't nervous about having a 2 year old by myself on a plane.  We said our good byes, hopped on the plane, ready to see Jordan (daddy) again.  The plane took off and Shadow was a pill the whole time.  Screaming, wining, kicking, etc.  Our previous flights were a bit smoother because I think he was too littler to know what was going on.  Peanuts from a kind stewardess, a giant cookie from passenger 15C and a lollipop from the mother behind me, seemed to occupy Shadow for short periods of time.  Jordan will be accompanying me on our next flight.

Jordan greeted us in Nashville as we arrived safe and sound.  We were going to stay overnight in Nashville so we could visit with Samantha until we went back to Lexington.  Before I could give my sister a hug I hurriedly opened my suitcase, hoping my precious Kansas wines had made it in one piece.  Priorities, right?

And They're Off!!!

I love Kentucky.  I love it's history, it's natural beauty, it's people.  I love that Abraham Lincoln was born here before he became a vampire hunter.  I love that Kentucky is home to one of the reatest basketball teams in the country (I'm speaking of Murray State here).   I love the bourbon.  And I love that it is the home of the "greatest two minuets in sports"  The colossal event know as the Kentucky Derby.

Last Saturday was spent soaking up the sun with my husband and our friends from West Virginia.  We opted not to go to Churchill downs this year.  The seats were going to be pricey and we didn't really care to see the crowd explode when John Calipari arrived.  Instead, we watched the races for the day at Keeneland racetrack here in Lexington.  They have the Derby simulcast on several screens throughout the clubhouse and on the track.  It was close to home, less expensive, and more casual.  It was fantastic.

You have the option to buy a table in one of the clubhouse rooms but we just brought our lawn chairs and sat down by the track.  While the atmosphere is a bit more chill, you still get that same Derby experience, only you don't have to wait in line to use the bathroom and the Mint Juleps taste just as good.  You can still dress up in your Derby hat, or you can wear shorts.  It was very comfortable for an all day event.

We sat and talked and walked around the vendors.  We proudly put our bets down on horses we just knew would win.  When the Run for the Roses came up Jordan and I talked about who to pick.  We did our research and read the experts opinions.  Between the two of us we picked Union Rags to win, Bodemeister to win and place, and we bet on Dullahan and Gemologist to place or show. 

Once you here the trumpet "call to the post" everyone cheers as the most anticipated race is about to begin. The crowd cheers as their horses appear on the screen in hopes that they beat out the competition.  I recorded my groups reaction during the race....which went to I'll Have Another.  Where did he come from anyway?   Bodemeister and Dullahan came in second and third respectively.  So, Jordan and I did win some money, which we gave to our babysitter once we returned home!

Golden Globe predictions!

It's here!!! One of my favorite nights on television. A night for me to pretend that I've joined the likes of Robert Osbourne, James Lipton, Roger Ebert, and the rest of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. For this one night, I get to be a nerdy film critic, and pretend that I know anything and everything there is to know about a "award worthy performance."

I just love the movies. I have a huge appreciation for the art of it and seeing characters come alive on screen. I have had huge disappointments (ahem, Kirsten Stewart as Bella, horrible.) and I have been delighted (Every person in every Harry Potter film) just the same. I love an original story or the same old lighthearted stories that seem to repeat movies every 2 years or so. I like to get lost for 2 hours in another person's story. Old and new, funny and sad, good and evil, I love them all.

The Golden Globes typically give you an idea of who will be gracing the Oscar stage next month, and they also lead in the SAG awards which is always fun. I've gone through the list of Golden Globe nominations and have made my predictions based reviews, having seen some of the performances, or whose dress I think I will the best. Jordan and I saw My Week With Marilyn and Williams deserves the nomination for sure. I was also happy to see The Help nominated for best picture, and three actress awards. I'm excited Rooney Mara is nominated for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I haven't seen the movie yet, but after reading the book, I'm not suprised that her performance would be nominated. And can Leonardo DiCaprio please win an Oscar soon? He has improved so much since whimpy Jack Dawson that froze to death in Titanic. I've heard so much about Midnight in Paris and The Artist so they are on my list to see soon. Along with Iron Lady and The Descendents.

So here are my predictions for tomorrow night. And what will they be wearing?!!?

Best Motion Picture:Drama: The Descendents
Best Actress-Drama: Viola Davis
Best Actor-Drama: Leo. DiCaprio---please!
Best Picture-Comedy: The Artist
Best Actress-Comedy: Michelle Williams
Best Actor-Comedy: Jean Dujardin
Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer
Best Supporting Actor: Jonah Hill
Best Director: Woody Allen

I'm just giddy with excitement. www.goldenglobes.org