"Thank You" isn't enough.

Daniel and I have been working to clean the yard up at our house for the past month or so and we never could have gotten all of this done without our wonderful families. I don't know how we will ever thank them for their time and energy they have put into the house and yard. Daniel's dad and grandparents came over yesterday to see the house for the first time and they spent the day helping Daniel take limbs and trees to the landfill. I plan to get yard pictures today and post them soon. For now, here is a picture from yesterday.

House Progress

We started work on the house this weekend. Daniel, Daddy and Tom began removing the ceiling under the porch and the floor of the porch. Underneath the ceiling the boards look great and we love how open it makes the porch feel. Here are the pictures.

Before:

 

Peddlin For A Cure

This Friday Morning at 6:30am about 300 bicycle riders will leave from the Monroeville Square and ride 90 miles to the USS Alabama battleship in Mobile, AL to raise money for the American Cancer Society.  This ride is for those who suffer with cancer, those who have lost loved ones, those who are fighting, those who will fight, and those who have lost the fight.    This will be my sixth year to ride, my Dad's fourth year, my brothers second year and my sister-in-laws FIRST year to ride. There is no other more satisfying action in this world than to know that you have given of yourself to help someone else. God has given me health and strength, what more can I do with that but give it back to Him to help His children who are sick.  And what a blessing to share this fun day with my family.

Here's a little History on "Peddlin"
In 2004, Fred Kelley, a co-host of the Monroeville based "Phil and Fred" radio show was asked by the Chair of Monroe County Relay to help bring relay back to what it was in the past. Fred told the listeners of the Radio show that he would ride his bicycle from Monroeville, Al to the U.S. Battleship in Mobile, Al if he could raise $1,000 for the relay . Within 20 minutes he had raised $2,000. He called this event “Peddlin' For A Cure”. The word got out and eight other riders decided they would ride with him. The riders raised $34,000 for Monroe County Relay. The next year April 14, 2005, Fred asked Debbie Lee to help him coordinate the event again. That year he decided to ride from Monroeville to Montgomery, Al to the State Building. This ride was 106 miles. Again he got on the radio and within one hour he had $5,000. He had 33 more riders join him in the ride. They rode all night again. They were greeted by Gov. Bob Riley on the steps of the Alabama State Building. The riders raised over $67,000 that year. The Monroe Co. Relay raised over $140,000. April 14, 2006 they had over 100 riders that rode from Monroeville to Orange Beach, AL. (118 miles). Riders rode all day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m that night to Water Front Park. There were over 300 people at the park to greet them that night. They raised over $95,000 and the relay went over $180,000. April 6, 2007 (Good Friday) they rode from Monroeville to Mobile into Fort Conde' (94 miles). In 2008 they rode the 5th Anniversary Ride back to the Battleship in Mobile Alabama and in 2009 the ride was from “Monroeville to Hank’s House,” The Hank Aaron Stadium in Mobile, AL. and included close to 300 riders that raised close to $300,000. This years ride will be from the courthouse in Monroeville, AL and will end at the Battleship in Mobile, AL.

Here's a link to my personal fund raising page -
Rachael's Peddlin Page

We all ask for your prayers this week and especially Friday. Please pray for safety for all the riders and crew that will be with us and those who are fighting cancer.

St.Patty's day in a blur...

St. Patrick's Day came and went in a whirlwind of activity. So much so that I am writing this now (2 days later) for my own sake so I don't forget the date of so many special events. To start the day, Beth (my roommate from college) was schedule for a c-section at 8:30am. Everything went as planned and baby Cooper Allen Prine was born on St. Patty's day.

March 17th is also Stephanie (my cousin) and Bill's anniversary. CONGRATULATIONS you two. 3 years!!

After all the excitement there was more to come...Daniel and I closed on our house Wednesday afternoon. That was WILD. I say wild because so many people were there for the festivities. (pictures to come soon of the party). Daniel and I were there of course, Uncle Andy, the lawyer, the Bank Rep, My parents, and my bosses, Harvey and Kevin. Daniel and I are so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends. Although I think Kevin and Harvey were there lobbying for hunting and fishing privileges. ;-)

First Fishing Trip

Daniel and I went fishing for the first time yesterday at the pond on the property at our "soon to be" house. He got a few bites and caught one. I know we will enjoy spending time here fishing and being outside. We can actually walk from the house through the woods to this pond.

Here is a picture of Daniel's first catch out of the pond

HOME SWEET HOME...well almost

This is going to be our home.

We are buying my Uncle's house in Chestnut Alabama. The house was built in 1937 and Uncle Andy has done such a wonderful job adding on and rearranging the layout of the home and yard. YOU SHOULD SEE THE YARD... flowers and trees galore We are working in the yard already, getting the fence ready for our dogs. There is a busy highway nearby and we want to keep them safe.

The kitchen is REALLY neat! here are a few pictures from there.

There are so many neat things about this house. I will continue to post pictures and try to take more now that it's sunny and things aren't covered with snow as you see below.

This is the back of the house and the Koi pond on the patio

Here, Daniel is surveying the deck and the sun room on the back of the house. 

It Snowed in LA (Lower Alabama)

FINALLY!!! We got a "Snow Day." It's been years since it has really snowed in south Alabama, but this snow made up for that. It didn't stick around long, but it was beautiful while it lasted. Here are a few pictures from our "Snow Day" in Beatrice. Sunny came over for the weekend since Tom was in Kansas working and Troy University was closed because of the weather. It was great hanging out and playing with the fam. We really did miss Tom.

        

                   Sunny and Dallas

We had a snow ball fight with Jeff, Sharon, Joe, Gabby and Anna. Here are a few action photos.

 

  

We went to our camp and built the snowman from the first picture.

 

  

  

Sunny making her snow angel

 

 

The Puppies had a blast in the snow also! They really didn't know what to think of it all, but got the hang of it quickly...well, most of them. Dallas, Tom's Dalmatian, tried to eat all of the snow. 

 

This is Daniel's dog Shula

And Molley...she had a blast!! Getting that hair clean later...not so much!

A sweet friend in town took a picture of the bank where I work. The snow is amazing!!

OH!! I almost forgot. SNOW CREAM!

 

Here's how we made it:

1 gallon of snow

1 cups of sugar

1 tablespoon of vanilla (plus a little more)

2 cups of milk

mix together and serve immediately