Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Heart of a Champion

Heart of a Champion is the titile of a song currently playing on the local country music stations. I'm not sure if other cities/states have picked the song up yet or not.

Last week on my way home I was listening to 94.9's "online top 5 at 5:05" as I usually do. One day though, they played a song called "Heart of a Champion" that was just amazing. Before they played it, though, they gave a little background about the song. Corbette Jackson coupled up with The Lost Trailers (songwriter Stokes Nielson) and wrote a song about a firefighter in Corbette's hometown of Newnam, Ga. the firefighter's name is Chris Landreau and he is battling stage 4 Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and is in his second round of chemotherapy. Corbette, I learned was an American Idol "hopeful". I do not know how far he got nor what season he was on. Corbette learned about the firefighter through friends back home. Corbette and Stokes, assumingly after meeting Chris, sat downa dn wrote a song about Chris and his struggle. The song is amazing. Everyone needs to hear it and if you buy the song from itunes the proceeds (or at least a portion of them) go towards a college fund for Chris' children.

Here's a short article and video from Fox 5 about the song: http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/news/local_news/Song-Helps-Coweta-Fireman-Struggling-with-Cancer-20110318-am-sd

According to this article, this song is one of the most requested songs in the hostory of Kicks 101.5. WOW!

Here's a link to the song itself http://www.casttv.com/video/ioa0gzu/corbette-jackson-heart-of-a-champion-feat-the-lost-trailers-a-chris-landreau-dedication-video

I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did!

Thursday, March 10, 2011

this made my day

I came back to work from lunch and had an email from my sister attaching these pictures....this is what happens when you visit your older GIRL cousin and cant fend for yourself!!1 LOL!!!!

This picture looks stretched to me.....I dont know what is going on w/ this computer....



































Do these pics look strethec to you?? I think I need to upload them again.........

new puppy

Meet Duke, the newest member of the Knapp household. He’s a 3 month old mastiff/lab mix. We adopted him last night. It’s only been a few hours, so time will tell, but for now he seems very mild mannered, playful and loves Lucas, Turner and Hooch. Hooch, as usual, isnt impressed and is probably wondering when Duke is going back to where he came from!

Headed home last night (not the best pic)



















Watching me get ready this morning (I have no idea how to make it not be sideways...I saved it right side up?!)

  
Here’s a video of Duke and his brothers after they were born if anyone is interested… J http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kP9Jk81k0E&feature=player_embedded Duke is the lightest of the 4 fawn (tan) colored pups. In the beginning of the video he’s the one on his own over by his two black colored brothers. Duke didn’t inherit much of the mastiff mask.


Thursday, February 17, 2011

as usual....

As usual, my bloggin has been set aside- life always seems to get in the way and yet I never seem to have anything to write about. And, I think I was in so much pain after Lucas seizure I just wasnt ready to keep blogging. weird.

But, I'm back. For today anyway! LOL!!!

So what's new?

um.....not much. Eric, Lucas and I are currently sick. Not so fun. I turned 29 back in January. Still not fun! :P Lucas is now 1 week shy of being 17 weeks old and THAT is FUN!! He is hilarious. I can barely remember life before him! What did I do for entertainment before?!

We Lots of preggo friends- Meshai, Renee, Rachael, Ramsey, a girl from chruch and maybe more I'm forgetting! Hearing each new friend that 's expecting makes me jealous! I can't wait to have another one! but then again.....I'm a little worried it'll be too tiring and stressful! Maybe now I'm glad we decided to wait and have the next one closer to when Lucas will be 3 instead of having them 2 years apart- perhaps it'll make life easier w/ 2 to raise....?! Having them 3 years apart also means getting pregnant at the end of this year!! but I got pregnant w/ Lucas in December 2009 so I dont want their bdays to be TOO close. Is 1 month far enough apart for bday parties and such???

Oh, and did I ever blog ab the fact that I have to have an ovary removed? that's right folks, I am now only 1/2 a woman! LOL! Maybe I'll tell that story next time. And soon I will finally blog about the seizure.....it was too recent to post last time. I dont think I ever even finished the blog b/c of the tears.....but he is FINE!! A-ok!

Til next time

Monday, November 22, 2010

when it rains it pours

It's a cliche saying....but ti's true.  do things always come in 3's....good or bad? Earlier this year Eric had to get his gall bladder out. Earlier this month Lucas got Roseola which caused him to ahve a febrile seizure and now I have a cyst on my right ovary the size of a saftball and have to have the whole ovary removed unless they can save it, which is unlikely.

Please pray for my peace of mind. I know it will be fine...but it's just "antoher" thing to deal with. And I'm aggravated b/c I'd been saving my vacation and sick time this whole year for going out on maternity leave for the next baby in a couple years (it takes a long time to save up 12 weeks of pay) and now I'll be starting ALL OVER AGAIN since I'll be out 4-6 weeks with surgery. UGH!!!!!!!

Surgery prob wont be until mid-december....

WHY?!

Thursday, November 18, 2010

the gift of life

ramblings of a worry-wart mother......

I feel as though God is constantly reminding me of the fragility life. It is so precious and wonderful yet can be taken away in a heartbeat. Each breath HE gives us is a gift and we aren't promised our next breath. I truly believe that. I believe that each of us is put on this Earth for a reason and brought into each life's for a specific purpose. Not only that, but I also feel that we go through certain things in life (or others around us go through it and we are there to support them) and those things help shape the people we will become. I know that we've all been through some really great things, but we've also had some really rotten things happen. but we are who we are because of those experiences, life lessons and people whose paths we've crossed. I cant begin to understand why we have to go through some of those harrific things and why bad things happen to good people. I could never turn my back on God during these times but I can see how some people have. B/c in those moments of asking "why", there is no answer and it's impossible to understand and thus people turn their backs on God instead of turning their hearts towards Him. B/c he must not live us if he let it happen, right? WRONG. Suffering isnt easy. It's the hardest thing to go through. You dont know when it will end and usually only time will heal the wounds the hurt causes.

Our recent scare w/ Lucas was enough of a scare that I hope we never have to deal w/ anything similar again. (I'll blog about it later.) Even though he is fine now I couldnt image the pain if it had taken a turn for the worse and what parents go through when it does turn worse. We were lucky. We still have our little guy. Thank you Jesus. It's only by his Grace that it wasnt a more serious situation. But what ab all of those people who HAVE lost their little ones? Why didnt their little ones pull through too? How does God know which people to choose to go through certain battles?

Too many questions w/ no answers.

Boy, I sound like a debbie-downer, but really, these are things that run through the back of my head that I pray daily for God to give me peace about. I dont want to live my life in fear of what will happen and miss life along the way. I love life and I love my family and I love each and every moment we have together. I try not to take a single day or moment for granted but rather cherish each and every one.

But there is a reason why I tell both Eric and Lucas as often as I can how much I love them. There is a reason why I kiss them hello and goodbye everytime we see each other or part. There is a reason why everytime I put Lucas in his carseat I ask the Lord to "keep us and protect us" and kiss his head. I just worry so much that one day I wont do it and that'll be the day they are taken from me. I have a heavy heart somedays that Eric's, mine or Lucas' lives will be cut short. But I have been extra vigilant in reminding myself that we are the Lord's and He will only take us when He's ready to call us home. He is in control. Lucas isnt mine- he's God's. That's a hard pill to swallow.

Does anyones else every feel this way??? Or am I just rambling and not making sense?

Friday, November 12, 2010

another hike

so, Oct 16 we went to the tallulah gorge (see my last blog) and the following weekend, October 23rd,  we went to Amicalola and did some real hiking (not just stairs and climbing over boulders). It was absolutely gorgeous!!! We had the best time. It was nothing but nature and the occasional other hiker. We hiked about 5 miles that day and had a blast. Here are some pics:

Me and the Lukester


I love our Ergo! It's well worth the $ in general, not to mention for times like this!!


lunch time!


getting grapes from Daddy


yummy milk. A little boy works up a thirst w/ all that hiking! ;)














The handsome hubs

I just like this pic


We hiked at Amicalola Falls on Saturday then Sunday we went up to Springer mtn and did another 4-4.5 miles. Again, it was GORGEOUS!! the leaves were at their peak that weekend!

this is the view from the top of Springer mtn where the Appalachian Trail begins



Tuesday, November 2, 2010

tallulah gorge

3 weeks ago, on a whim, Eric and I took Lucas on our first family hiking trip- just the 3 of us. We debated where to go- I really didnt want to over do it since I'm so out of shape. We thought ab Stone Mountain, Kennesaw mtn, and a place we've been to before, Angel Falls by Lake Rabun. But we finally settled on the Tallulah Gorge. I've been to the Gorge overlook, but never IN the gorge. Oh my.....I had no idea what I was in for...!!!

 I turned Lucas around that morning for the first time in MY car. I was SO against it b/c of safety reason but he'd been crying for almost 2 weeks. The day I turned him around he stopped crying in the car so much.....so, I'll say it was worth it.



Before the hike: do you see Lucas??

Tehre he is!

at the top of the gorge- no "hiking" yet.



After descendint 500 stairs you get to the bottom. this is what you see to the left

And tot he right:

A person to get some perspective...BTW, she fell into the water right after I took this pic....

WE climbed over the river just like you see the lady doing in the pic above. that took ab 20 mins alone- it was HARD! the rocks are BIG and FAR apart! Once across you climb over big rocks and walk for a bit in the trees and ome to an opening- Look, it's our own infinity pool! :p We could have kept going but it was getting dark, since we startedt his adventure late in the day, and we didnt want to risk it.


My family <3


Looking back I can say I had fun....but while I was there I was miserable!!! There were LOTS of bolders to climb and 500 steps to descend/ascend to get in/out of the gorge. Uff! I'd do it again though.....once I'm in better shape and perhaps when we dont have Lucas---b/c of all the boulders!! I had NO idea!

Happy Halloween!!!

We took him to the trunk-or-treat at church
 



w/ his cousin Ethan


Hi mom!


A piece of candy in each hand!


Digging for more candy



@ home waiting on more trick-or-treaters to come. He did NOT want to be inside!!!


Shaking the nerds candy boxes like maracas


He wanted to walk away w/ all the families and kids as they were leaving!!!


I love this face!!!! He thinks he was getting away w/ walking away!


Trying to escape!


This is what I got every time I brought him inside- in b/w kids coming to the door.


I wanna go outside mom!


Please????

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

gold rush days

my mom and I started a new little tradition a fwe years ago of going to Gold Rush days each October. Unfortunately we missed it last year b/c Lucas had just been born and I completely forgot about it since I was completely consumed by him. I really wanted to take him last year too! But we got to go this year and I got some really neat stuff! One thing that I didnt like was the # of similar booths. Do there really need to be 5 or more booths dedicated to girls hairbows or dresses??? Ick. MAybe I say this b/c I' dont have a daughter. And there were a few other booths that I wondered how they got approved b/c their "craft" or "service" was just silly. I say get rid of the duplicate or silly booths and make way for more CRAFTS!!

Here are the goodies I got (minus the yard sign I havent taken a pic of)

I'm going to hand these from the tree in the front yard

the artist that drew this was at the festival and signed this for Eric. He's going into retirement!


cute door hanger!

I also got a yard sign that says "our pumkin patch" and has our names on it- it's so cute!