Badger Blog

There went another year!

2011-05-31T11:59:00.000-07:00

I'm back! Wow! Just found my blog after 1 1/2 years. Had to call Kristen to see how to even log on to this crazy site again. In case you are wondering where I've been....well....LONG STORY. Shortly after my last blog John and I separated. After 6 months in Nashville by myself I decided it was time to move back to Knoxville to be near my family. What a move it has been. I loved Nashville and my life there but God seems to have had another plan for me. John and I had 23 years together which resulted in the greatest gifts of my life - the twins. Logan and Lauren are about to turn 20 yrs old on June 22! They are the absolute joy of my life.

Not sure what's ahead for me yet but I think God still has an awesome plan for my life. Bring it on Lord!

What a difference a year makes!

2010-08-24T12:20:00.000-07:00

Has it been almost a year since my last post!!! A lot has happened since coming home from Chicago last September. Let me figure out how to get around this blog again and I'll start posting again. See ya soon!!

Thanksgiving in Chicago!

2009-12-10T06:35:00.000-08:00

I went to visit Lauren in Chicago over Thanksgiving weekend. What a great city to spend the holidays in. Shopping, Shopping, Shopping! The weather turned out to be really good. Great for walking around. Below are a few pics of our weekend.

Thought this was a beautiful site of the river on Michigan Avenue at sunset.

Lauren in front of the MANY theaters in downstown Chicago. She and Dustin

went to see Young Frienkenstein last week.

Lauren working on a project due later in the week.

I'll post more pictures once I get them all off my phone!

Country Music Singer Jamey Johnson

2009-11-18T08:45:00.000-08:00

Living in Nashville you occasionally get to see those in the music industry around town. One of our parents at Davidson Academy is actually Jamey Johnson. If you haven't heard his new song "In Color" you need to google him and listen to it. It's great! He just won Song of the Year at the CMA Awards last week. He's got that Hank Williams, Jr/ George Strait type voice....old country! He brought his daughter to school the other day and I took my picture with him. Nice guy!

Guess who flew in from Chicago!

2009-11-17T06:16:00.000-08:00

I'm talking on the phone Friday night with my sister and all the sudden I see that Lauren is beeping in on my cell. I told Jane I'd call her right back and switch over to see what's up with my baby girl. She's like "what are you doing mommy?"...I say I was just talking to Aunt Jane what are you doing. She says "I'm with Dustin and we're just hanging out." About that time the dog starts barking and I turn around to see her and Dustin walking through the kitchen door. I scream and she cries! That little stinker flew in from Chicago for the weekend and didn't even tell me she was coming. What a surprise. I was actually planning on going to Knoxville to market so she's really lucky I hadn't left town yet. It turned out great having her ride home with me on Saturday morning to see Logan and the family. We all went out to eat at this great Mexican restaurant Saturday night. We kept the secret going so Logan was just as shocked to see her as I was. Here's a picture of them from the restaurant.

You gotta love 'em. They sure grow up fast. Can't believe they're in college now and off doing their own thing! I miss them so much!!!!

Moving Lauren to Chicago!

2009-09-22T08:24:00.000-07:00

Lauren moved to Chicago this weekend! We ended up renting a little Penske truck to move all her stuff. That way I could fly back on Sunday instead of driving back to Nashville by myself. Below are pictures of the big adventure! I picked up the truck at 8:30 am on Thursday hoping to be loaded by 9:30 and on the road....NOT! Here's a picture of Lauren's room the MORNING we are moving her to Chicago for THE NEXT THREE YEARS of her life!!!

BEFORE...

AFTER!What can I say. THANK GOD FOR HER SWEET BOYFRIEND. Dustin came over to help her pack the rest of her things while I ran to get the truck. That is the sweetest guy ever. She is one lucky girl to have him. He went with us to help drive/unload the truck then flew back Friday afternoon. He's awesome!

Lauren and Dustin at this great Thai restaurant we found.
Here are more pictures of the trip and her apartment.

The Sears Tower... The front of her apartment. Super Target is at the end of the block! Can you see it!

Texting "boyfriend"!

At night looking out her living room window. She's on the 15th floor!

GREAT place to eat Chicago deep dish pizza.

Good Luck Baby!

Hiking in the Smokies

2009-08-19T13:18:00.000-07:00

Just a few pics from our hike in the Smokies this weekend. We moved Logan into UT on Saturday and Sunday morning headed to the mountains for a hike and a picnic.

24 HRS AND COUNTING!

2009-08-13T07:22:00.000-07:00

Where did summer go? It seems the twins just graduated high school a couple of weeks ago and now Logan is leaving for UT in the morning. What a week it's been. God did another "God thing" last night as only He can do. Logan worked all summer saving up money so he wouldn't need to work at UT for a while. As of last weekend he had over a $1000 in the bank. Last night he had $4!!!! He decided Sunday (his last day working at Best Buy before going seasonal until Christmas) he would buy a TV for his dorm room after talking with the other 3 guys he's sharing a suite with. Two of the 3 guys seems great. Not sure about the 3rd yet but maybe he'll be fine once everyone gets there and they actually meet. Logan's been talking to them all on Facebook and they all can't wait to meet. One guy is from Memphis, one is from Canada, and one is from Pikeville, TN (the 3rd guy that they're not sure about!). Anyway, he knows lots of people from high school that's going to be there so I'm sure it will all work out.

About the $4 he has to his name! We've been working all week packing up his room and trying to get his car in order. He had a recall and once at the dealer they said he needed his timing belt changed, and a couple other belts, and "while they're at it" he probably needs to go ahead and get his water pump changed because it's never been changed and it'll be the next thing to "go" probably. Well, all this was going to cost over $500. Logan's heart sank. It would be ALL his money. My car actually needed some work last week at a cost of $401 so John and I were totally broke. Here's where God comes into the picture once again...John is rummaging around the garage and finds a water pump that he had bought for his jeep back in MAY!! He had forgot he even bought it. He never got around to changing it out but we had a little extra money at the time so he went ahead and got it. He comes running in the house last night after we had dropped Logan's car off at the mechanic to at least get the belts changed out and said...."take this back to auto zone and change it out for Logan's". Logan's face lit up and off we went. We get there and the guy says John's was $35.99 BUT Logan's is $69.99. Logan's face dropped to the floor. All I had to my name until pay day on Friday was $20!. I look at Logan and said "sorry baby". We proceed to tell the little guy at Auto Zone that we're trying to get our son to UT and that he only has $4 to his name to get there. The little guy looks at us and says..."come on"....Logan and I look at each other but we follow the guy to the cash register. He looks at Logan and says "You've GOT to go to college!" He overrode the cash register and did an even swap w/John's water pump. Logan is like "dude, are you kidding me. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!" We are about in tears at that point....I KID YOU NOT. The little guy just smiles and says "Good Luck" as we walk out the door. WOW!!! I call John and he starts laughing and crying at the same time. The guy basically gave him a $70 water pump for $36.

You have no idea the circumstances that have transpired over the summer for this kid to get to college. That will be for another post! God is so good. I ran the water pump to our mechanic this morning and Logan's car will be ready this evening. He leaves for UT in the morning!!!! Thank you Jesus!

Continuing on....

2009-06-02T07:18:00.001-07:00

Here are a couple of pictures John was able to get of Logan and Lauren on the front row.

Yeah...they just officially graduated! At least John got to see it LIVE. The rest of us can only enjoy the picture!

After graduation we all went to eat at the Marina. By then the rain had ended and we got to enjoy a beautiful sunset.

Grandma was freezing from being so wet at graduation so Grandpa went to the car to get her a sweater. He returned with this! No sweater in the car but he found a shelf liner??!!!?? Who has this just laying in their car. We laughed so hard but Grandma put it around her shoulders anyway. She said it did knock off the chill from the water.

The evening ended with cake and ice cream back at the house. Lauren and I made the cake and she decorated it with the school colors. Good job baby!

Commencement!!!

2009-06-02T06:02:00.000-07:00

More pictures...this time from Commencement. What a night!!!! Every year the school holds the ceremonies OUTSIDE on the football field. That way the parents and guests can see all the graduates from the stands. It's really a great setup if weather cooperates!!!! But this year....CAN YOU SAY DOWNPOUR !!! The day started out ok and we were pretty sure the rain would hold off JUST ONE HOUR for us to get through commencement. Here are a few pictures with the grandparents at the house before heading over to school.

(notice the sun shining in the window!)

The kids had to be at school to get lined up by 5:15. Commencement started at 6:00. We didn't hardly get set down til DARK CLOUDS began rolling in. Can you say...BACK UP PLAN! Who doesn't plan a backup plan when you are having an outdoor event in May. I bet we hadn't been sitting 10 minutes until we began to hear THUNDER. The sky began to darken and still we all sat there. Did I mention the twins graduating class is between 350 and 400 students. Thus, LOTS of people were there!

As it began to sprinkle and then RAIN...yes rain...EVERYONE kept waiting for someone to come to the stage and announce SOMETHING...cancel, postpone, move to another venue...something.

I kid you not...every parent, grandparent, and guest sat in the POURING RAIN until 5 minutes til 6:00. 5 MINUTES BEFORE IT WAS ABOUT TO START I TELL YOU! These crazy people even sent the chorus kids out to the METAL bleachers to sing in the pouring rain and thunder. The poor girls were all carrying umbrellas and screaming as only girls can do every time the wind/rain would blow. They were COMPLETELY DRENCHED in five minutes. Right before they were about to sing a teacher FINALLY dismissed everyone and told them to go back to the gym. Some of the kids starting screaming to their parents in the stands...."They just postponed commencement until 7:00". Can you even believe this. Now what! people had been there since before 5:00 just to get good seats and have those video cameras just perfect for this ONCE IN A LIFETIME EVENT!! Here are a few pictures of us sitting in the rain.

Grandpa and Grandma in the RAIN!

Me and Mom huddling under our umbrellas

Did I mention that some people didn't even have an umbrella! This poor family a few rows in front of us looked like drown rats in their Sunday best clothes. I kid you not...you would have thought they had just jumped out of a swimming pool. This poor grandpa in front of me barely had his head under his family's HUGH golf umbrella in front of him. You should of seen the water pouring off that umbrella onto his BACK and down his shirt. All we could do was laugh.

Moving right along....its now a couple of minutes before graduation is suppose to START and suddenly across the loud speaker we hear..."Graduation has now been moved to the gym. Please precede that way". John and I looked at each other and at the same time said ARE YOU KIDDING ME!

Everyone immediately began moving as quickly as possible to the gym....still in the POURING RAIN I must add. Can you say TOTAL KAYOS (not sure if that is spelled right but you get the picture). Never have I ever seen such a mess. Everyone was WET TO THE BONE and were told to cram into a hot gym with no chairs and no organization whatsoever. People were hanging from the railings it was so crowded. People were standing in the middle of the gym floor just trying to get out of the rain outside. Police began TRYING to clear an emergency exit to the doors but people had no where to go. The principal finally got on the speaker and asked everyone to "squeeze" as far to one side of the gym as possible so they could pull out the bottom bleachers so the seniors could march in and set down. The ONLY good thing about this mess was that the graduates had been lined up in the gym the entire time waiting to march onto the field so they were the ONLY ONES DRY!!!

Because so many people were standing on the floor no one could really see anything...except those pressed right up next to the seniors on the floor. John finally pushed his way to the front of the crowd the whole time saying "Excuse me, can I get through to take pictures of my kids on the FRONT ROW....we can't see them from the back of the gym!!!!!" Basically, John was the only one in our family who saw anything. People were talking the entire time and you BARELY heard the students name being called out to recieve their diploma. Here are a few pictures of the TOTAL KAYOS!

to be continued....

Baccalaureate

2009-05-11T07:01:00.000-07:00

Sunday the church recognized all seniors during the 10:45 service. Afterwards we had just enough time to grab lunch and get back to church for baccalaureate.

Senior Assembly at HHS

2009-05-11T06:55:00.000-07:00

Busy, busy weekend! Friday was Senior Assembly at school and then everyone picked up their cap and gowns. After running home to change clothes the kids then headed to the senior picnic at the lake hosted by the school. One more week until Graduation!

Senior Banquet at Church

2009-05-11T06:51:00.000-07:00

Our church hosted a senior banquet for the graduates recently. Logan had to work but Lauren, John and I went. The food was great and they had an awesome chocolate fountain.

PROM!!!

2009-04-27T08:06:00.000-07:00

Well, prom finally arrived! Lauren was so excited and looked absolutely gorgeous. I took off work Friday to go with her to have her hair and makeup done. Check out some of my favorite pictures below.

Logan Places 2nd in the State!

2009-04-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

Logan placed 2nd in the state at FBLA finals in Chattanooga. He could go to Nationals in California this summer but no one from his school is going so it would be pretty expensive to go on his own. Bummer!

The Illinois Institute of Art - Chicago

2009-03-26T11:53:00.000-07:00

Wow....I LOVE CHICAGO! Lauren and I flew to Chicago for the weekend to visit The Illinois Institute of Art. They have a great fashion program which is said to be one of the best in the country. Chicago was nothing like I thought. The city was really clean and we felt safe the entire time which I didn't expect at all. I pictured it like New York City but it wasn't like it at all. The weather couldn't have been any better...it was cold yet warm enough to walk around and see the city and of course SHOP. Our plane landed around noon on Friday and we decided to take the El rather than a cab to the hotel. Wasn't sure how that would work but I wanted to see if Lauren could actually get to and from the airport if she was on her own. It seemed to be the choice of transportation for everyone so we gave it a try. It took about 45 minutes to get to the hotel which was located in downtown Chicago. The ride was fine and gave us an opportunity to see some of the surrounding city. The El stops ever so often to let people on/off. Pretty cool. After we checked in the hotel we walked a couple of blocks to eat lunch at this awesome Thai restaurant before heading to the art institute to meet Linda our Admissions Rep. She gave us a tour of the school and we filled out the rest of our admissions material.

Downtown Chicago just outside the front door at AI

Lauren in front of AI

By the time we finished at AI it was 5:00. We had made arrangements to visit some friends, Roy and Jennifer, for supper which worked out great. They took us to the best pizza place. They say there is no pizza like Chicago pizza and they are right. That was the best deep dish pizza I have ever put in my mouth. YUMMY! After we ate, we walked back to Jennifer's office to get the car and they then took us by the apartments Lauren would be staying at. It actually was only about 6-7 blocks from the hotel and then they dropped us off. Thank Goodnesss. We were so tired of walking by then I'm not sure we would have made it back without getting a cab.

We "FELL" into bed exhausted the minute we hit our room. What a day! The next morning we woke to another beautiful sunny day. Lots of exitement downtown as there was a Saint Patrick's Day Parade going on and people were EVERYWHERE dressed in green. Families and kids were walking everywhere. They even turned the river GREEN! Lauren looked at me and said "This is SO my city. I've got to move here" and I must add I agreed. I could see her all over this city. There is so much to do and the shopping is unbelievable. I think I want her to move there just so I can go up and shop!

Here's Lauren after they turned the river GREEN with downtown Chicago behind her.

We grabbed a quick bit to eat in the hotel lobby at Starbucks and headed to the El. Saturday morning was the actual Open House at AI. By lunch we were finished and had the entire rest of the day to SHOP and eat!!! All the great shopping in Chicago is on Michigan Avenue so off we went. First stop....Urban Outfitters. We hit shop after shop until we couldn't walk anymore. We decided to give our feet a rest and headed to eat at The Cheesecake Factory. Then more shopping. OMG...by 9:00 we decided we hadn't even touched the surface of this city but we were so tired Lauren said she couldn't walk anymore. Did I mention she had on high heeled boots. Who does that! I knew we would be walking non-stop so I wore comfortable shoes but Lauren would rather "look good" than be comfortable. Oh well, she'll have to figure that one out on her own! No way is she listening to her MOTHER!

We finally headed back to the hotel where we BOTH changed into more comfortable clothes and decided to walk down the block to McDonalds for a quick late night snack. Little did we know that there was MORE great stores just around the block from our hotel. We had totally missed them because we were always heading to the El and never turned the block to see what was down there...so we HAD to hit a few more stores before they closed. There was even another Urban Outfitters STEPS from our hotel that we never knew was there. Lauren just about freaked out!

Sunday we woke up and had to pack up everything before heading for our tour of student housing. Our appointment was at 11:00 and we had a late check-out at 12:30. Cutting it close I know! The day was beautiful so we headed out walking again to the apartments about 6-7 blocks from the hotel. Couldn't believe the security it had. I was so impressed and really feel safe if Lauren ends up living there. There's a grocery store in the bottom of the building along with a McDonalds. There wasw also an indoor pool and workout room and the nicest laundry facility I've seen. It even had lounges to wait in while you did laundry. Also there's an outdoor track on the roof next the the pool which is awesome. I can't imagine living somewhere this nice in college. Lauren loved everything about it. The studio apartment was adorable (but small) but what do you expect in Chicago. It will work though. Now Lauren just has to figure out how to pay for all this. Everyone we talked to says she needs to leave her car in Nashville and not even bring it to Chicago. I see now what they mean. You either walk or take the EL EVERYWHERE YOU GO. It works out just fine.

Presidential Towers in downtown Chicago

We made it back to the hotel by 12:30 just in time to check-out and grab our luggage. Back to the EL and our 45 minute ride to the airport. Can't beleive everything went so smoothly for us. So unusal for the BADGERS. Even Lauren said we don't normally have such good luck...I've been saying 2009 is our year! Finally....it's about time!

Now where did I put that debit card!!!!

2009-03-10T12:30:00.000-07:00

Lauren wanted to cook supper Monday night for us so I sent her to the store to grab a few things. Before you say "Wasn't that sweet of her wanting to cook for her family" let me just say Dustin is in Florida for Spring Break!...hence one little girl is BORED out of her mind. She is however an AWESOME cook so whatever works! I give her my debit card and off she goes to the store. About 15 minutes after leaving I get a call. "Mommy, don't get mad BUT...I can't find your debit card anywhere!" Why was I not surprised. But since she did sound on the verge of tears I tried to remain calm and told her to dump out her purse and double check everywhere. Even go back to the car if need be and trace her steps. After a couple of minutes on the phone with her and "listening" to her shuffle around the store she finally finds it (I think buried LOOSE in the bottom of her purse).

Back to shopping.... I assume all goes smoothly as she arrives home with several bags and begins cooking supper and a GREAT supper it was! Tuesday morning as I'm rushing out the door to work I say "Lauren, I need my debit card back". She gives me that "weird" look and says "I thought I gave it to you last night." "uh...NO......! She precedes to tell me "Yes I did....it was in the plastic grocery bag that the food was in....I REMEMBER SEEING IT!"...let me just say...who does that! Does anyone out that THROW their debit card in their grocery bags? Have I mentioned she takes after her father...ok...that's another blog! We find the grocery bag ON TOP of the trash with the receipt crumbled up inside and NO DEBIT CARD.

Enough time wasted...I head out the door at the same time yelling behind me for her to look for it when she gets home from school that I HAD TO HAVE IT BACK TODAY!!! Well, let me just say my ONLY debit card is no where to be found. Knowing it would take 7-10 days to get another one and we are leaving for Chicago on FRIDAY! I'm in a little panic. With a few "polite" exchange of words (on both our parts) I am at my wits end I make her go through the garbage can when I get back home that evening. You would have thought I asked her to donate one of her kidneys to me to save my life!!! Well after finding some rubber gloves she finally went through the trash "piece by piece". No debit card!

This morning without further ado I call the bank and explain "I" lost my debit card and I need to cancel the old one and order a new one. The lady was nice and said she'd take care of it. A few minutes later she calls me back and says..."just wanted to let you know that your card was turned it at the grocery store but she had already cancelled it and I couldn't just go pick it up but I had to actually be issued another one." Did I mention it will take 7-10 days to get another card and I'm leaving for Chicago in 3 days! I haven't had a chance to tell Lauren about the card being turned in yet. I think I'll let her sweat it out until I get home tonight. I'm sure she's tearing up the house still trying to find it .....you think...NOT!

And she is going to survive living in CHICAGO on her own...can't wait to see how that one plays out!

2 weeks since last post???

2009-03-05T12:24:00.000-08:00

Wow! Time is flying by. Can't seem to get caught up on anything. Even blogging! I do have a small excuse though since I have been sick as a dog with the worst cold I've had in years on top of a sinus infection. Thank goodness for antibiotics and Zicam. If you haven't tried Zicam I'm telling you that stuff works.

Ok...on to more important things. My babies! Ok they aren't exactly babies anymore but you know what I mean. Logan finally got another vehicle. A beautiful white Pathfinder. It even has a sunroof! Why is it that our kids seem to drive better cars than we drive. I didn't even have a car until I was in college for 6 months because it took me that long to work and save for a down payment. Hence...CAR PAYMENT FOR THE NEXT THREE OR FOUR YEARS And then it was "just a car". And did I mention he paid CASH for it! Hence NO CAR PAYMENT.

Now for Lauren...well we had another fender bender last week. (ok maybe not all our kids drive better vehicles than ours!) I knew it wasn't good when she calls me crying into the phone "it wasn't my fault ("this time"), she came out of no where!!" I asked her if she called the police and she says "no". I ask "where are you"..."still sitting in the turning lane in the middle of the road"!!! What am I going to do with this child? Hello...911. I'm thinking is anybody hurt, how bad is the wreck, you know a million things run through your mind when you get a call like that. I immediately hung up and called the police then called her back. Luckily I was just pulling out of work so I was only 15 minutes from her. By the time I get there the police had them both off the road and she was somewhat calmed down and her crying uncontrollably into my phone was the worst of the entire incident.

How many more days now until graduation and she's possibly "out of here?"

Well, I hear they are never really "out of here" but I like saying it anyway.

Basically the car only had some white paint scratches on it and was bent in just a little and thank goodness...STILL DRIVABLE...oh yeah and no one got hurt. John shows up at the scene just before we pull off and as only a father can do says to Lauren..."well at least you have matching fenders now".

Back to Logan. Have I mentioned "I LOVE THAT CHILD!" Logan has been pretty involved this year in a club at school called FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America). They went the other day to a Regional competition and who do you think came home with a first place and a second place ribbon? Yes, that's my boy! He placed first in...get this...only Logan!..."Computer Operating Systems and Technology Concepts". I guess PlayStation and Xbox hasn't been a TOTAL lost for us over the years! If you pass Logan's room he is normally talking on his headset while playing xbox live online with someone in Europe (I kid you not!), textting on his cell phone while at the same time "monitoring" My Space on his computer carrying on several conversations at a time with that too. Talk about multi-tasking. I get a headache just walking in his room. And the temperature is at least 10 degrees hotter than the rest of the house because of all the electronic equipment he has going. Well, anyway, in a couple of weeks he is off to State Finals for FBLA and if he wins he said he could get some scholarship $$$$$ for college. Go for it BABY!

Kids...gotta love them!

Logan Officially Accepted to UTK

2009-02-18T07:27:00.000-08:00

YEAH! Logan found out yesterday that he was accepted to The University of Tennessee! GO VOLS!!

As everyone knows, John and I both are alumni from UT so to have our only son be going there as well is so exciting for us. Can't wait for football season! I guess we will HAVE to go check on him this fall like all good parents would do. Maybe we can work that around home football games. Angie...if you are reading this...let me just say...SAVE THOSE SEASON TICKETS FOR THE BADGERS!

Introducing Raining Grace!

2009-02-14T08:15:00.001-08:00

My webstite is officially up and running. Check it out at www.raininggrace34.com

I'm going to try and link it from my blog but I might have to wait until Logan gets home tonight. He's my technical support guy!

Website coming along

2009-02-10T08:28:00.000-08:00

My website for Raining Grace is almost complete! Just working out a few "kinks" and then we should be up and running for business. If you are looking to create a website you must check out the folks at The Web Way. They are great to work with...and VERY PATIENT (...with me!) Thanks Jill!!!!

My baby is almost home!

2009-02-03T17:58:00.000-08:00

Lauren is on her way home from Utah as I write this. She called to say her plane is delayed so they may not land here until midnight. I did get a "small" update (cause I can't wait to hear EVERY detail of the trip!). She woke up this morning with looks like pink eye and they had to take her by a clinic for meds (at a cost of $125!!!) They wouldn't take her insurance info from me over the phone. What's up with that! Just something else to deal with along with getting my taxes in order this week...sorry, that's for another blog! Well, she said she is SOOOO sore from snowboarding. Even went off a ramp once she said. Of course she did...her name is Lauren Badger isn't it!!!! That child has NO fear (just like her daddy and she hates it when I tell her that). Well, time for the Mentalist to come on so I gotta go. I LOVE this show....Simon Baker is a cutie!

Not to be outdone by Logan...Lauren hits Utah!

2009-01-30T07:10:00.000-08:00

Well, after MUCH consideration I finally decided to let Lauren go snowboarding in Utah with Dustin's family. They leave today at 3:40 pm so please say a prayer for her safety! It's her first experience on an airplane and I so wish I could see her face as the plane lifts off the ground. She's loaded up w/magazines to read on the flight and of course packed everything in her closet in the LARGEST suitcase we could find. Girls!! You gotta love them. I think Logan took the smallest bag he could find last weekend and MAYBE a fresh change of clothes each day. Lauren probably has 5 outfits to choose from each day she it gone. And of course hats, scarfs and gloves have to match corresponding outfit! I'll let you know the highlights next week from her trip and hopefully I'll get some good pics as well.

Nashville Flea Market and Snowboarding...all in the same weekend

2009-01-26T06:54:00.000-08:00

What a busy weekend our family had. John & I decided at the last minute to get a booth at the state fairgrounds and see if we could sell our bags. We went into it knowing it was NOT our market but still wanted to give it a try. We realized by Sunday our time would be better spent sticking to women's conferences and our target market. BUT...I did enjoy hanging out w/my hubby! It's been a long time since we spent the entire weekend together just talking and laughing. The bad thing is we ate way too much junk food...nachos & cheese, hot dogs, hamburgers...oh and a vendor next to ours was selling homemade chessbars!!!! YUMMY!

Logan also had a fun packed weekend. He went snowboarding with 5 other guys to Paoli Peaks in Indiana. He says he's never been so SORE in his life. Let me just say the boy is skin & bones!! No wonder his muscles (what he has of that is!) were in shock! Have I mentioned lately that I LOVE THAT CHILD! I prayed ALL weekend for him to be safe and actually had to call him a couple of times just to check on him. I know....but he's my baby! I did refrain from panicking too much when he had not called in last night to tell me when he would be home. By 10 pm I couldn't stand it any longer so I had to call him. He answered and was like "I'm 2 minutes from the house". Thank you Lord for protecting my baby AND letting him have a great time.

Anybody want to buy a car!

2009-01-21T13:54:00.000-08:00

Well, I said 2009 was going to be our year. But first we HAVE to get rid of Logan's car. He broke down again on the intersate Friday night. Turns out this time it's his radiator. Needs a new one! There goes another $350 at least.

Son NOT included....he's a keeper...just has bad luck w/cars. I love this child!!!

Scripture Bags

2009-01-10T07:57:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited! Just received my spring line of scripture bags. All I did the month of December was cut fabric! I think they turned out great though. I'm still working with the web designers for my new website Raining Grace. Can't wait to show it to everyone. Keep checking back...shouldn't be long now.

Goodbye 2008...Hello 2009!!!

2009-01-07T06:43:00.000-08:00

What a year! I think John and I have come through one of the toughest years of our marriage. We were so ready for 2009! Just a little update on everyone....John has started a chair business with his cousin Bill. We hope it will supplement his income until his REAL job finally kicks in. Sales is so unpredictable as everyone knows. For those who don't know, John is in Medical Sales and started just over 2 years ago with 7 accounts. He has grown the business to about 60 new accounts now and hopefully 2009 will bring him great success w/them. They say it takes 3 years to see any signigicant reward in this business. Boy are we ready to see the fruits of his labor! I'm still working in Development at a private christian school but after 10 plus years working in development I'm ready for a change. Hopefully once our new campus is built I can move in another direction there. Until then, I'm starting my bag business up again. As soon as my new website is finished I'll let everyone know where to find me! I've changed the name of the business to Raining Grace. Can't wait to share more about it with you in the coming months. Now for the twins....it's their senior year and it's already half over. I can't believe it! Lauren is working 3 part-time jobs as she only goes to school 1/2 a day. That girl loves being busy! Logan is taking College English this semester and an elective so he is out of school 1/2 a day as well. He's trying to get a head start on college by getting freshman english out of the way. With all the math he's taken he should test out of freshman math at UT. He hopes to get accepted into UT's engineering program this fall with a little head start of some of his courses. In additon to school, Logan is also working part-time. He LOVES Best Buy and especially the in-store discount that he gets. He just bought a HUGE flat screen tv in preparation of going to UTK this coming fall. We are working on all the housing and applications right now including FINANCIAL AID!!! Can anyone help us fill out this FAFSA thing!!!! Hope you and yours have a great 2009! Check back as the year unfolds for the Badger family....I think it's going to be an exciting year!

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord,

plans to prosper you and not to harm you,

plans to give you hope and a future."

Jeremiah 29:11

(Many people stop at vs 11 but I like to read on into vs 12-14...)

"Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me,

and I will listen to you.

You will seek me and find me when you seek me

with all your heart.

I will be found by you, declares the Lord,

and will bring you back from captivity"

Decorating for Christmas

2008-12-05T12:28:00.001-08:00

A dear friend in Texas made this for our family!

My skinny little tree!

Zack visits Music City!

2008-10-27T07:15:00.000-07:00

Zack came to visit us this weekend to check out "the scene" in Nashville. We showed him Music Row and a few venues and then ate downtown. We're trying to get him to move here to pursue his music career. I think he is going to be the next Steven Curtis Chapman! Mark my words!

Halloween Party

2008-10-20T08:11:00.001-07:00

Lauren and Dustin dressed as Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf for a Halloween Party they went to. Pretty cute! The Big Bad Wolf just better have behaved himself is all I can say!!! Would you trust this face??

Logan gets his car tags...finally!

2008-10-20T08:01:00.000-07:00

Finally....Logan gets his car tags! After saving and saving, Logan found this beautiful midnight blue intrepid June 23! and has been trying to pass the emissions test ever since. Finally it passed. It only took 4 months and 2 warnings from the cops! Good job baby! Now drive safely!!

Senior Pictures

2008-10-16T10:02:00.001-07:00

I finally got Logan and Lauren's senior pictures back. They turned out great...and they should for the amount of money they cost me! My babies are growing up fast. We are already 1/2 way through Fall semester. Spring semester they only go to school 1/2 a day and then work the afternoon for co-op credit. I can't believe we are already applying to colleges and signing up for on campus housing. Wow....where did the time go!!!

Go Vols!

2008-09-08T07:16:00.000-07:00

What a great weekend we had going back to BIG ORANGE country! It was Logan's turn for a school visit. Saturday was UT's Open House where we were able to tour the campus and check out the dorms and facilities. Logan loved every minute of it and John and I enjoyed going down memory lane as well. Boy, alot has changed since our days there. It has been 20+ years now! Wow, I can't believe my babies have grown up so fast. If Logan gets accepted to UT he will be gone this time next year. At least I get to keep Lauren close (at AI) for a while.

Our day started with a Pep Rally of sorts with the cheerleaders and Smokey leading us in a few cheers. It was great! From there, we divided up into groups and began our walking tour of the campus. And I mean THE CAMPUS. We were hot, sweaty, and tired by the time we finished. One of Logan's friends (and our previous neighbor) Chris started UT this Fall and we met up with him for a little visit afterwards. All in all it was a pretty fun day. Logan says he can't wait to get there. He is definitely majoring in Engineering but not sure if electrical or computer. He can decide that a little later on though. We are so proud of him. He's a great kid!

Below is our tour guide Joel Cummings in front of the TorchBearer (and John and my old stomping grounds - the College of Communications). He was so funny! He was UT's Mascot last year where he and Smokey won the National Championship for College Mascots. Go Vols!

After our tour at UT on Saturday, we checked in at the hotel and then went to Jane & LaMar's for a cookout. It was nice visiting family. Here is Mom and I at the hotel.
Logan, Nannie, Lauren and Dustin

Labor Day Cookout!

2008-09-02T09:05:00.001-07:00

John and I at Aunt Pamie's house in Murfreesboro.

Lauren & Dustin (going into their fourth month together!)

Logan and Princess

Here are my nephews kids. Aren't they the cutest little things.

Shawn's daughter Abre Jade and Michael's precious little boy Giovani.

Going Beyond w/Priscilla Shirer

2008-08-25T12:01:00.001-07:00

What a great weekend! Me, Mom, Jane, Kim, Amanda and Auntie attended Priscilla Shirer's Going Beyond event at Long Hollow Baptist Church Friday night and Saturday morning. For those who seek more of His mercy, more of His grace, more of His word, and more of His heart, this was the place to be. Priscilla delivered a wonderful message from the Book of Exodus about Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt. We "camped out" in Exodus 13:17-18 where we learned that there are times in our lives that in order to cross over into "The Promised Land" we must first flee from the person (the enemy) and the place that the enemy is ruling. Just as Moses was the Israelites deliverer, Christ is ours. If you don't know Him but would like to know Him, I would love to tell you about my Saviour (2 Tim 1:10), my Lord (Acts 2:36), my Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4), my Friend (John 15:14), and my example (1 Peter 2:21). When you meet Him, you will never be the same!

Below are Kim, Jane, Amanda and Auntie. We had perfect seats Saturday morning; dead center about 8-10 rows from the stage (thanks to me getting up at the crack of dawn to get there!). Actually, I wanted to attend the prayer session at 7:30 about an hour before the doors opened. It was definitely worth getting up a little bit earlier for.

What's one of the best things about attending a Women's Conference....eating out! Here we all are at the Rain Forest Cafe in Opry Mills. Yummy!!

Mom (isn't this a good picture of her!). I just love her!!!!!

The Art Institute of Tennessee - Nashville

2008-08-13T07:21:00.001-07:00

Lauren & I went to an Open House at AI this past weekend. We had a great time touring the campus and learning more about their programs. When we walked in the first thing the staff said to Lauren was..."What program are you interested in? No wait...FASHION". They said they could spot a fashion student a mile away! She just smiled. By the time we left I think we both knew we had found her school. She loved it! They also offer off-campus housing just a mile down the road in a wonderful gated apartment community. You have four students to an apartment with all students being in the same program so her roomates would all be fashion students. Perfect! She'd still be close to home yet begin to gain some independence living on her own.

MY BABY'S GROWING UP!

Beach Time

2008-07-24T11:09:00.000-07:00

It's Beach time!

My little brown girl! Thank God she has her Daddy's pretty skin. She could lay out all day and not burn.

Ha! Ha! They don't know I took this one.

SOS

2008-07-24T10:47:00.000-07:00

"LaMar...it's Pop...these girls are driving me crazy. How do you put up with them on a daily basis? Jane hasn't stopped talking since we pulled out of the driveway. OK...I'll check in later. If I don't make it back, you can have the old red tractor!

St. Augustine

2008-07-24T10:45:00.000-07:00

Rachel & Lauren trying to act cool.

Lauren at the square in St. Augustine. There was a sign at her feet that CLEARLY said "Do Not Cross Fenced Area". Before I knew it she was over the fence yelling "Mommy, take my picture, HURRY!"

This is my favorite picture of the entire trip by far. My Pop! He always walks patiently along clasping his two fingers behind him everywhere we drag him. Some of my fondest memories are watching him walk ahead of me as a kid!

Poor Pop!

2008-07-24T10:34:00.001-07:00

Aunt Jane talked THE WHOLE WAY TO FLORIDA!!! ...and then some. Here is Pop after four hours driving up front w/Jane as co-pilot. Poor Pop! I think he fell asleep before we even made it back on the interstate.

2008-07-24T09:21:00.000-07:00

Pop and Lauren

Florida Trip w/Pop

2008-07-24T08:37:00.001-07:00

Pop took me, Lauren, Jane, & Rachel on a short vacation last week to Jacksonville, Fla. I've never been to his house there. We had a great time laying out at the beach and touring St. Augustine. Here is Lauren and I outside the Kingfish Grill where we ate dinner in St. Augustine. Yummy!

Lauren + Dustin

2008-06-12T18:36:00.000-07:00

This is Lauren and her new boyfriend Dustin! They've been dating for a few weeks now. Aren't they just adorable?! He's a keeper!