The Hanks come "Walking in Memphis"....

...Well at least Collierville for that matter! Thursday May 30th Jennifer, Sara, Ali, Rachel and McCaleb (sadly Tim had to stay back at home but we are waiting with baited breath for the next trip and hope that he will be joining them on that one!!!!) arrived in the grand city of Collierville, Tennessee. Jennifer is the first of my sister's to come to our new home and we were all really excited to have her and all the kids here for a visit. I was really looking forward to spending some more time getting to know Sara (you know, alone, QUALITY time) as well as really have some good ole play time with the other three kiddos and just hang out with them "Dolly" style. It was the normal hot and humid day here in Tennessee when they arrived but beautiful none the less and Jennifer's kids LOVE to be outside. After getting them settled in we played outside blowing bubbles and then played on the sidewalk with chalk. Chad and the boys had to leave for hockey practice and we stayed out there for a good while tracing each other then filling in the faces. Later we had a spaghetti dinner (or B-sketti) as Jennifer's kids call it and then Pop, Nini, Kelsey, Alex and Amy stopped by for a quick visit before it was early to bed for everyone after a long, long first day.

The next morning we had breakfast together then decided to head to the YMCA to go swimming. Now anyone who knows any of our children.....each of them are waterbugs and they were in the water constantly. They LOVED it. The boys really had a blast playing with them and they all...and I do mean ALL the kids, went down the big slide (it could have been the ice cream that Jennifer was bribing them with...I don't know?!?!?). Sara really became attached to Austin at the pool, she was calling him Aslan...and from then on Aslan was his name! We had lunch at the pool and then headed back to the house midafternoon with a carful of wornout puppies. And the kids were tired too. :0) That evening we had everyone over for a cookout. We had hamburgers and hotdogs on the grill (thank you chef Chad and patty master Sara), some backed beans that Cyndi made that kicked boo-ha(hense the name but I can't repeat that name in this blog...) and some corn on the cob. Then later the kiddos had some ice cream and we roasted marsmallows and had s'mores by the chimenae. It was a great night and we really enjoyed being together.

Saturday morning was just a lazy kinda morning. We spent the morning, actually most of the afternoon too, just being pretty lazy around the house. The kids just played here. They played on the computer, played with the dogs, played with their sticker books, and just were great while Jennifer and I worked on some cards. Then later that afternoon the crew came over and we headed to Osaka's (a treat that ANYONE who comes to visit will most likely get to endure with our family) Hibachi grill and enjoyed some Japanese cuisine. It was so much fun watching the kids and their wonderment and awe while the chef was preparing the food and "putting on his show" for us while he was cooking. I think that they really enjoyed themselves...not to mention everyone enjoyed the food. We stopped after dinner at Maggie Moo's for the much promised ice cream and everyone became slightly miserable then rolled back to the cars to head back to our house. We ended the evening just enjoying one another's company and playing with the kids.

I know that Jennifer and the kids were able to spend all of Sunday with Daddy, Frances and the gang in Mississippi because I had to work all day and I know that they had a wonderful time. They left to return to Kentucky on Monday morning and Austin and Bryson went back with her because they would be traveling to Washington DC with Mamoo and Papoo the following week.

We all so enjoyed Jennifer, Sara, Ali, Rachel and McCaleb coming to visit us in Tennessee. We know that it wasn't easy to pack everything and everyone up knowing that you had just done it a few days before but it meant so much to all of us to have you here with us for a few days. For you to see where we are now and to see the area around us. To share a little in the new life that we are living now and to allow us to have you in our home and "spoil" you all for a few days. You may be my big sisterJennifer but more so you will always be my cherished friend and it meant SO much to have you here with me to share some special time with you-

Love you all and miss you already-Jodi/Dolly, Uncle Chad, Austin/Aslan, Bryson

Love to you all and til next time

Martin Family Reunion

5/24/08

Well, the day after Austin's graduation it was time to head to Union City, Tennessee for the Martin Family Reunion. This would be the first one since the passing of Grandpa and although it was kinda bittersweet for me to be going...because he wouldn't be there in body....I was glad to be going to see Mom, Dad, Uncle Jed, Aunt Carol, Jennifer and the children. PLUS...being from a Baptist bred family...you know that we know how to cook so there is always good food to be eaten so I was bringing a hearty appetite with me and I was ready for some good ole country cookin (and I knew mom was making Brisket!!!!!!).

o we made the 2 hour trip from Collierville to Union City and headed in to the church and enjoyed the fellowship, the food and just the relaxation of the afternoon. I was able to meet my niece Sara for the first time and she was not only ADORABLE.....but she was a hoot. She was so much fun and she took to everyone just fabulously. She seemed like she had been part of the family for years already and just adapted to everything just wonderfully. Jennifer and the children are going to be visiting next week for a few days and I can hardly wait to be able to spend a few days alone with all of them. I can't wait for some quality time. Especially to get to know little Sara a little more.

Anyhow, the afternoon went by too quickly and then it was time to head our seperate ways. We all said our goodbyes, packed up our vehicles and went our seperate ways until the next time. Chad, Austin and I (Bryson stayed back in Tennessee, or rather Mississippi with Pop and Nini) headed to the cemetery to visit the gravesite of Grandma and Grandpa for a few moments. And then after that....headed back home to Collierville. Austin and I caught some ZZZzzzz's on the ride back home (sorry honey) so when we got home, it was nap time for Chad.

All in all a good day for everyone. Bellies all full, naps taken and another day of memories made.

Love to you all and til next time-

Pomp and Circumstance

5/23/08....

well-now that we have recovered completely from the New York trip and have the boys back from their trip from their trip to Washington with Mamoo and Papoo it is time for some catching up in my blog.....

On May 23rd Austin Lee Hudnall graduated from Middle School and will become an official High School student beginning this new school year in the fall. It seems just yesterday that Dr. Curtis High was telling me that I was almost done with all the hard work and all the months of feeling bad with kidney infections and all the "glorious" associated things that come along with pregnancy to welcome the beauty of your first born child. It is truly a miracle to hold a child in your arms for the first time. To count their fingers and their toes, to look into their eyes. And to make a promise to them at that very moment to make their life as perfect as possible and to keep them as safe in this world as you possibly can because it is the promise that you made to God and that he expects from you when he blessed you with the responsibility of giving you the gift of a child. Well, Austin has definately been that. A blessing. From day one. He has never ceased to amaze Chad nor I in his infinate wonder of the world and all that it holds in it. He has never met a challenge that he wouldn't take on full force and there wasn't a goal that he set that he didn't meet. We have always been so proud of him....of both of our boys. And today as we see him graduate from Collierville Middle School, we are so proud of him yet again, because we know that we took him from school in Kentucky at a very "touchy" time in his life when friends are so important to a young man. Yet Austin took another challenge on and embraced it and conquered it and he rose to the top shining like a super star. He has made so many new, and wonderful friends since moving here to Collierville and we are so proud of him and his decisions. And he will take those friends with him to his High School Years and they will have some great times ahead of them....oh I am sure they will get into some trouble. I am sure we can ALL remember some of our High School Days.........(ahhh the memories) but they will stick together and be there for one another through thick and thin and make lasting memories that will be something that they can hold onto for a lifetime. So here's to you Austin. For your accomplishment's in graduating Middle School and in the years ahead of you in High School! Good Luck Baby. We all love you-

Love to you all and til next time-

New York City...Take Me Out to the Ball Game....

Well, the day finally arrived. The moment that the entire trip, the gift, the clues....the whole thing was centered around. It was finally here. It was finally time to make our way to the subway to head downtown to Yankee Stadium. Yeah Sure!!! We could get a cab or better yet as Chad said, we could get a limo and go first class to the stadium, but we wanted to do it all NEW YORK style and go to the subway, buy a ticket and ride in the subway from Grand Central Station all the way to 161....Yankee Stadium. And then we entered Grand Central Station...my heart started beating a little faster but, ok I was still alright. It was a busy time of day. People had places to go, people to see. Me too! We walked up to the counter and we were directed to where we were to go and headed in that direction. We bought our round trip tickets on the subway and waited along with alot of other people to get on the train as I tried to calculate how ALL these people would get on this ONE train. My heart was still racing and I was a little nauseated (it was a little warm in there!!!) and then here comes the train. AND YES!!!! All those people DID fit on that ONE train and let me tell you not many people got OFF to accomodate that many people getting on. As we made our way downtown, there were several stops along the way to pick up...yes pick up...more sardines into our tin can and when we finally arrived at YANKEE stadium Chad asked me "well, what did you think of the subway?". I think that the look on my face said it all.

My subway experience quickly faded as I laid eyes on the beauty of the stadium. The sight that I had come all this way to see. And the dream that Chad had fulfilled for me. I felt so special. He had made this week so special already for me with all that we had done. With the things that he had done for me this week and the special things that we had shared as firsts together. The gifts that he has given me have been phenominal and now this.....to fulfill this dream is just beyond words. I just can't even begin to express to how I am feeling. I know that I always tease with him about it being over "baseball players" and "Derek Jeter" but for him to know what it meant for me to be able to just SEE the Yankees play in their stadium before it was torn down and to make that happen for me means so much to me. NO, I don't know all the Yankee history. No, I can't tell you every little detail about past and present players and their stats and No I don't know ever rule about baseball but I do love the game, I do love the Yankees but moreso I do love my husband for making this trip happen for me. Yes, Derek Jeter is my favorite player and no I don't know every detail and stat about him. But I enjoy watching him play as well as the rest of the team. But all in all, it was a wonderful night...a wonderful dream come true and from the most WONDERFUL husband, best friend and my all time favorite player to watch ever!!!!! Thank you for making this dream happen Chad!

SO, as I was saying....we arrived at the stadium around 5:15-ish and game time was 7:05pm. We wanted to be able to have plenty of time to take in the sights and absorb all of the atmosphere as well as hit the shops and do some picture taking. So we found out seats, which were AWESOME, and settled in to see what the YANKEE buzz was all about. The stadium was really pretty and the field was beautiful. We watched both teams warm up and then......

GAME TIME!!!! We enjoyed a great game, GREAT atmosphere and great ball park food (I mean where can you go to a ball game and get sushi???). We really had a great night!

Well, I am sad to say that the Yankees lost to the Royals that night 2-1 BUT it was still a wonderful night at the stadium watching the boys play their game, and sharing this dream come true with the only one I would have wanted to share it with....even if he isn't a Yankee fan.

Love to you all and til next time-