Woolly worms, pumpkins, and lotsa pur-tay leaves

Well, my oh my fall came, and fall is going ... (the photo below, of Adam hugging the tree, I took two weeks ago, and now those leaves are g-o-n-e, poof!)

We've been having a WONDERFUL fall. Busy busy and wonderful. Savannah has ridden her first "real" (aka non-pony) horse and held her first woolly worm. Adam climbed a hay-bail pyramid, raided Actors Theatre of Louisville's annual get-rid-of-costumes sale (see his new hat below), and auditioned for the "Best Christmas Pageant Ever." He is Garfield in what will be a modern (hilarious) version of the play. Garfield is the male version of Gladys and he gets to do the infamous "Sha-zam" lines.

And we hit Gallerein Farms again this year for our wagon-ride to the pumpkin patch (when we swore after moving to Ky last year and having that experience, that we would never again grocery-shop a pumpkin, we weren't kidding!)

For those of you wondering, yes, I did abandon my Back in the Saddle blog. No, I've not abandoned getting back in the saddle. In fact, I am one-and-a-half classes away from finishing my first vet tech semester, and am in the process of applying for an externship at a major equine hospital here. Just too much blogging blogs a girl out. See, in the meantime, I created Shelby on Stage... I figure one can only blog about one's family and oneself so much. Shelby on Stage benefits so many in the community, and since I am taking over PR/publicity for our community theatre, it play right along with that. And I love it. Love the people I am meeting in the theatre world.

In the meantime, to make and save $$, Savannah is at home with me (wonderful, challening, amazing, difficult) - at least next school year after she turns 3 - and I have expanded on my freelance writing and personal training businesses to add pet sitting and senior support services. I am combining them all into one umbrella business, called Helping Hands:






Steve is doing great, too - he and Adam right now are actually out shooting fall photos for his newspapers special Fall section. His columns rock - he was meant to be here and meant to do what he is doing.

Happy birthday to my dad this month, happy 6 years to my sweetie, and Happy Halloween to all!

And Savannah ...

Savannah is doing wonderfully as well. She is loving the cooler weather. Why? New outfits!! And this first one is my favorite. It was one of the first outfits we ever bought for her. Before we knew who she was, before we even knew a thing about where we even going in China, or when. I saw it in Cracker Barrel of all places and I thought, Raggedy Ann! I loved her as a kid. It seemed then like it would be forever until our daughter would actually wear it. Even now, at size 3T, it's too big, but when she saw me put it in her drawer, Savannah started laughing - so hard she had happy tears - and, of course, I had the memory and almost lost it... so on the outfit went on this morning, with lots more laughter, and running to see the finished look in "mama's big mirror."

The last photo is Savannah with an Alpaca. There is an Alpaca farm about 10 minutes from our house, and we've driven by often. She loves them, as do I. But at "Alpaca Days" last weekend Steve and I took her and she was able to get up close and personal.

Good times!

Boo!

Well, it seems as if the start of the school year has brought one major reality - daily, or even weekly, blogging is not in the cards. But I can't really blame it all on second grade. I've sort of refocused my life in spurts lately - all in good ways.

Blogging, as many know, was brand new to me when we started our journey to adopt Savannah in 2005. As a writer, I fell right in love. And then, while waiting for her, Adam joined our family. More blogging fun ensued...

Then, the blog became such a convenient way to update family and friends on our journey as it continued - our family seemingly ever changing and adapting in its 4-member form. And when we moved to Kentucky about one year ago, I really latched on - my blog was my place to share the ups and downs of a home un-sale/sale, adapting to the ice after living in the Sunshine State, etc.. Not knowing anyone here, you all became my friends. And some of you, now truly are. Some of you I am meeting this weekend for the first time, and I can't wait!

While this blog will forever remain, I will be limiting it now to mostly family photographs and goings on. And for privacy, won't be connecting to places like Facebook... I hope you'll still check in from time to time - as I will with you!

And on that note. Let's talk Adam. I am so overdue on the last round of Seussical photos. It was absolutely amazing. They ended up adding two more shows after the first six sold out. Adam was exhausted by the end but had the time of his life and is ready for more stagedom. He misses the other kids immensely. There were 95 total, and all of them, even the teenagers, were like a giant family, and treated him like a little brother. This first photo was his sort of "trademark" of the show. Where he puts his arms out and sings, "Meeeeeeeee, tooooooooo!" and everyone smiles and laughs. LOVE IT!

Seussical Survival

This is a photos first, words second post - wow, what a change!

Round 1 - check! Round 2 - starts this Thursday. Hopefully Adam won't be sick this time!

Talk about learning perseverance, among other things! Poor kid on Thursday started to feel bad. But he somehow managed to gut it out, the doc, who felt "golf ball-sized nodes" in his neck, put him on a whopping strong antibiotic, and Adam performed in all the Seussical Jr. shows - Thurs night, Fri night, Sat night, and two shows Sunday. And you would have never known he was carrying any germs with him on stage. He is so in love with the theatre, he just beams, it's an awesome thing to watch. And his new Seussical family, what a great group of children and parents!

Meanwhile, a couple of the Wickersham Brothers started ailing on Sunday, so just all-around hoping this break over the next few days will find everyone feeling back to their normal selves. We are so proud of Adam, all the cast and especially the show's director, Amanda Simmons. She has worked wonders with 94 (yes NINETY-FOUR) kids, ages 6-18). The show is AMAZING. Of course, we were excited to see Adam opening night, but we had no idea what we were in for. I cannot wait for my mom to see the last show!

I Heart Faces - Wee 36 - Contemplative and 'Pets'

Savannah is in both of my I Heart Faces entries this week. The first, "contemplative," is described by the I Heart Faces folks as this: thoughtful observation; full or deep consideration; dreamily or wistfully thoughtful: a pensive mood; expressing or revealing thoughtfulness; quiet modes of apparent or real thought; can be marked by some sadness, but doesn't have to be.

Here is my other photo, for the "pets" category (no, doesn't have to be your pet, and this goat is not ours!). I admittedly got lucky, shooting this just after she and the goat head-butted - then she laughed!)

Be sure to check out the other contemplative and pet shots over at I Heart Faces, they are extraordinary as usual!!

Why you should do this...

A former co-worker of mine - we worked together at the Herald & Review (he still does) - has a photo entered in the Editor & Publisher Photos of the Year competition. It is entitled “Goodbye Daddy.” Judges will vote on these awards very soon. They also have a People’s Choice Award category. Here is the link. And here is why I hope you will take 1 minute to vote:

1) Kelly Huff, the photographer, is a really good guy (you'll just have to take my word on this one, I guess).

2) This photo is wonderful - see for yourself.

3) The story it tells, in one photo, I believe is getting lost. It doesn't matter which "side" you are on when it comes the war, or any war. Feelings are feelings. Little boys and little girls miss their mommies and daddies.

P.S. At last check, Kelly's photo was in the lead, but it could change quickly so please vote if you love this photo as much as I did!

Theatre Mania - our Two-Week Challenge

Happy Labor Day y'all! We ended up dodging predicted rain, which meant Savannah got a much needed pony ride fix as well as some serious animal face time, particularly goats - at our church's FamilyPalooza. While other kids stretched their arms out as far as they would go to give a goat a tiny nibble of corn, Savannah plopped a squat right by the goats for about 20 minutes while they licked her, ate corn off her head that she was picking off the ground and managing to get more on her than in the goats' mouths, and then, as she finally tried to get up, knocked her over repeatedly ('love taps' I called them, because she was loving every minute of it - they couldn't help that she was dripping in corn dust by then and their heads just happened to be larger than hers).


















Adam is off to the start of "tech week" tonight for Seussical Jr. and oh-so-excited to be in costume for the first time. Mom traipsed him to countless stores (literally, we tried to remember and failed) to find bright orange shoes to match his shirt. We collapsed and celebrated the successful find with dinner at Applebee's and a beaming Adam gave a full costume fashion show to Dad and Savannah when he got home. Both Adam, as Young Kangaroo, and his counterpart Tori, starring as Sour Kangaroo, also are wearing the cutest denim overalls I found thanks to Amazon.com saving the day.

Anyway, tech week basically means running the show every night, then shows Thurs-Sun (with two on Saturday), then starting it all over again for a second week ... and in between Mom and Dad tag-teaming him to wash the spikes out of his hair so he can look presentable for school the next morning (and not break their hair rule). To make sure he gets enough zzzzzs we're letting him sleep in 30 whole extra minutes. Mom literally throws his clothes on his slumbered self and sends him out the door with some food-to-go like an orange juice box, bagel and a yogurt, which he can eat in the car while Dad drives to school. Ahhhh such is the life of a theatre boy.

They took casting photos last week (see below) and this week start shooting in-costume group shots. Will post those (and write more - about other things in life, such as my NEW job!!!) as we come up for air. Cannot wait for Steve and I to see Seussical Jr. on Friday night! We're so proud of you Adam!!!!