Thursday, July 24, 2008

Pulliam Picked a Peck of Peppers


Here are the prize peppers from my garden. The garden started off as an experiment, and it worked!!! I have a ton of tomatoes (all green), bell peppers, cucumbers, cayenne and jalapeno peppers. I just planted what they were selling in the greenhouse at the high school. Next year, I am going to plant stuff that I actually like. So, if you would like some cayenne or jalapeno peppers, or any idea of what to do with them, let me know. I am very proud of my garden, it is like Christmas everyday...I go out there and get my presents. I would like to give a special thanks to those who helped me...Brock for tilling, Amber for the fertilizer, and John Dean for sitting on his golf cart and telling us what to do...oh yeah...and my dad. He is who inspired me and taught me to appreciate the simple things in life...like my tiny veggie garden.

Saturday, July 19, 2008

The Tams

Last night Brock and I were without kids. When Grant goes to his mom's house, Gentry feels the need to go to my mom's house (we joke and say my parents have visitation every other weekend). The two of them hate to be together, but can't stand to be at home without the other. So, with both of the kids gone, we went to dinner at Poor Richard's and joined his parents at The Tams concert at the The Arts Council Depot. I have no pictures because this was an impromptu trip. Pictures or not, we had so much fun! It was a great way to spend a summer night! I highly recommend it if they ever come around again. They are a great mixture of beach music and R&B. Not only was the music good, those guys have some moves...I was tired just watching them. One of the members has been on the road with The Tams for 51 years, he is 71 now...he was amazing. For real, check 'em out. ~Shanna

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Charleston, SC











On the way to the beach, we spent the night in Charleston. I just love it there! Actually, I just love southern cities with a lot of history. We spent the night at the Francis Marion downtown and we were able to walk to everything. We took a carriage ride and shopped at the market. The kids had a good time, but Brock and I really enjoyed taking in the sights, history and beautiful architecture.

I got a new computer!










Reluctantly, I had to turn in my Dell laptop in exchange for a Mac. I have nothing against a Mac, but it is just a pain to switch everything over. As a lot of you know we have been on vacation and that is the reason I have not posted anything in a week. While on vacation we discovered this little program on the Mac called Photo Booth. You can take pics with the built in computer camera and distort them (as you can see from the pictures I will post). Some of them are down right scary. Hope you enjoy the photos of my dorky family. ~Shanna

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Poolside Fun!






My posts are a little out of order, but Sunday we enjoyed some time out by the pool. I know that you will recognize Gentry and Grant in the pictures, the new addition is my niece, Hallie. She is the sweetest child. I waited a long time to have a niece (or a nephew) and she was definitely worth the wait.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

What a crazy week it has been...


Our anniversary celebration was short lived, Brock and I received a phone call around 2:30 am Tuesday morning that changed our lives. I know this sounds crazy, but over the course of a week and a half, our family has dealt with three deaths. I have heard the old wives tale that death comes in threes, but never believed it. Brock and I both lost a great aunt, but I think the most profound loss was the loss of Brock's grandfather, James Lewis Hulsey. Although I have only been in the family three years, I have learned that Grandaddy Hulsey was the patriarch, a well loved man that left behind a legacy. He loved his family dearly and always did his best to help out those less fortunate. I wish I could list the many examples of his generosity, but I am afraid there just isn't enough room on this blog. However, I would like to share one of the many stories Brock has told me. Grandaddy owned the Georgianna Motel in Gainesville, Hulsey Brothers Paint and Body and Wrecker Service and after he sold those businesses, he worked for the Hall County Correctional Institute in Gainesville. Unlike most guards, when he took his inmates out on work detail, he took care of them. He would sneak them honey buns and pickles from home. They were assigned work detail at Chicopee Woods. People would talk about how they would drive by and see him sitting ouside in the shade with the inmates eating lunch. Now this might not sound like a big deal, but he had the opportunity to eat inside where it was cool. However, since they would not allow the inmates inside, he politely told them he would not be eating inside either. Not only was he a generous family man and lover of his fellow man, he was a decorated war hero. Grandaddy never liked to boast about his accomplishments. He was awarded 3 Bronze Stars during World War II. He served in the Asiatic Pacific area during World War II, where he wiped out a group of seven Japanese operating a radio station to pick up information on American movements. Grandaddy Hulsey was also awarded the Philippine Liberation Ribbon and the World War II Victory Metal. He never boasted of this and it was not until recent times that his own family learned of his accomplishments. He leaves behind his wife of 66 years, three children, four grandchildren and two great grandchildren and he will be missed greatly by all. Please remember his family in your prayers. Even though he had a great, long life of 85 years, his family is left with a void that will never be filled.

Monday, July 7, 2008

Happy Anniversary!


Today, Brock and I are celebrating our first wedding anniversary. It was very low key, we had a yummy dinner at Joni's on Lake Burton. It was a nice change of scenery. The past year has been great. I could not ask for a more sincere, supportive, loyal, hard working and loving husband. He has been my voice of reason on more that one occasion and I love him more and more every day. Not only is he a great husband, but he is an incredible father who likes nothing more than to spend every possible moment with Gentry and Grant. They have such a great male role model to look up to. Although this is far down the road, it is my hope that Grant will grow up learning from Brock how to treat a wife, and Gentry will use him as a guide when she decides to marry. I am so incredibly blessed to have Brock in my life. I used to keep a slip of paper in my Bible (for 6 years I might add) with a list of all the things I was looking for in a husband. I had List A - the things I wasn't willing to compromise on and List B - the things I could live with. I knew I was in trouble after I met him and glanced over the list and he had every characteristic on my List A. So what that he wasn't musically inclined or tall. I realized that those things aren't that important after all. Who knew that my Prince Charming would arrive in a 1987 Isuzu Trooper. It has been a great year, and I hope there are many more. Like my friends Regina and Paul, it is never too late to live happily ever after!

Saturday, July 5, 2008

1st Annual Post Circle Pond Party (PCPP)










We celebrated the Fourth of July with our neighbors at John Dean's pond. Aside from a few mosquito bites and a few 1st degree burns, we had a good time. It was a nice time with nice folks. Here are a few pics of our great neighbors.