Great Smoky Mountains Vacay

Alright, so first off let's clarify that SMOKY is actually a correct spelling of that word. Looks weird, right? According to dictionary.com the word smokey refers specifically to police cars, while smoky describes all things having to do with actual smoke. This is as great a shock to me as it is to you (unless you're Chrysta and you just happen to know these things as a result of your freakish' DNA).

With that out of the way, I'll tell you we had one flippin' good time. Great place to stay, great activities, GREAT FOOD, great company, GREATAMAZINGFABULOUS food. Did I mention that the food was outrageous? It was.

We all arrived Saturday and sat around starving while we waited for Chrysta to arrive with the food. Which she did around, oh, 1 or 2 AM if I'm not correct? Yes? Anyway, we eventually ate and we liked each other a lot more after that.

Sunday we laid around catching up and eating food (this will be a theme). Jerry and Sam - both triathletes (the former getting ready for his 2nd Iron Man), decided a scenic bike ride was in order. They left at approximately 10 AM and returned about 8 hours later. At which point we all went on a lovely waterfall hike. It was described to us as family-friendly. Meaning, if you place your children in a headlock the entire way they will narrowly avoid falling to their deaths over the sheer cliffs that lined the entire trail. In fact, while hiking the trail we happened upon a man who had done just that and was sitting, bloody, in the middle of the trail waiting for the National Park Service Search and Rescue team to, well, Rescue him. Happy Sunday everyone! We stepped gingerly over him and kept trekking. By the top my nerves were utterly shot and I was an anxious mess. Chase, who thinks nothing of risking his life, de-robed, climbed the rocks and held himself in the largest part of the waterfall for a few minutes. On the way back down the mountain we got to stand in line while the Search and Rescue team stabilized the aforementioned bloody man.

Monday began with the first Kilgore 5k run, which was later re-named the Fanny Autrey Memorial 5k (because our finish line was in a cemetery right next to dear Fanny's tombstone). Before setting out we drove around looking for a flat course. In the middle of the Smoky Mountains. So yeah. What we ended up finding was the Great Diablo Course From Hell. My IronMan brother was driving and I was in the backseat. My sisters-in-law Christy and Sara who are half-marathoners and triathletes respectively, were all, "Oh yeah, this looks okay." I was crying and shaking. So let's just cut this description short by saying that what I ran was the Fanny Autrey Memorial 2.5k. And I have zero shame. I nearly died on that course more than once. I will add that I cruised in at 21+ minutes AFTER my IronMan brother who finished the entire thing and then pranced around for a couple minutes before saying he needed to get more miles in and proceeded to run up the Pikes Peak look-alike that our lodge sat atop of.

In order, Triathlete, Army Guy, Half-Marathoner, IronMan, Triathlete, uh, me, Marathoner/Navy guy.

After the FAM5K (wow, that looks like Fam 5K, which is what it was), we gathered the rest of the crew and went tubing on the river. That was so sweet! There were lots of mild areas and lots of areas with rapids. At one point you could paddle over to the side and jump off a rope swing. All told it lasted about 2.5 hours and was a slamming good time. Cameron and Miles were able to go with us, too! Cam even got his own tube and we teamed up while Miles rode on daddy's lap. Cam got so good by the end that he was telling ME when to lift my bum to avoid slamming it into rocks (which I did - OUCH!).

Tuesday was free day #1 and we did some additional laying around before heading back to the Park to find a good swimming hole. We found one with some decent sized rocks and Chase, Jerry and a couple of the kids decided to jump off of them. This, of course, set the scene for Wednesday.

I can't let Tuesday end without including our Iron Chef cook-off. There were so many good dishes I almost became diabetic. Mmmmm...

Sweet obesity, that cobbler was good.

Wednesday. The boys had their usual golf day in the morning and when they arrived home that afternoon we decided to go jump off some cliffs. I am not usually one to do things like cliff jumping, but I figured why not. When we arrived we saw a sign that detailed exactly how many deaths had occurred at that location and advised us not to "be next." That's always encouraging.

So we hiked up to the spot and jumped in:) My first jump was nearly fatal, I'll admit. I lost my nerve just as I was jumping and ended up kinda falling. My husband and brother were NOT happy, but I resolved to try again. It looked VERY high from the top but once you were at the bottom it looked manageable.

Chase, Jerry and Scott all took turns scaring the daylights out of me by jumping off higher rocks or doing backflips off the cliffs (and asking me to TAPE their almost-deaths! WHO DOES THAT?! "Hey honey. I'm going to try to kill myself. Can you make sure to hit the record button on time?!"). Anyway, it ended up being a freaking good time.

Just FYI, we're meeting with our insurance agent (Bro-in-law) tonight to discuss more life insurance. Not kidding.

Bird                                              Bird and Carl about to launch

My brother, Scott. He can fly planes and go to POW training but jumping off of cliffs is a little scary.

Sara and Lylla (and Bird) took turns yelling crazy things whilst jumping. My faves were some Harry Potter spells and "I Like it Chunky" from Madagascar 2. Jerry pondering

Thursday was Girls Day Out (a much-anticipated day by all the females over the age of 12). We hit Gatlinburg for some window-shopping and people-watching. Good things to do in Gatlinburg - lots to see:) We mostly just enjoyed being together. I'm blessed to have sisters and sisters-in-law who are just rad. I just love being with them.

That evening the real party began with Kilgore Idol. I've already posted some videos of the event but let me tell you it was AAAAAAA-Mazing. Who knew we had so much raw talent in our family? Mom and Dad even joined in the fun! Sara earned some serious UMC bonus points when she appeared looking like this to sing Pat Benatar. Ooohhhhh yeah.

"One ticket for the side-pony express, please!"

Scott got censored. Supafreak indeed.

Lydia singing "I Will Survive." The girl's got soul! (Apparently not inherited from her black-hearted mom)

Friday was the last real day of the reunion and a free day. We started by hitting Ober Gatlinburg to do the Alpine slide and some other rides before heading back to the cliffs for some more jumping. After everyone returned for jumping I served Heart Attack Chili for dinner followed by Coronary Cupcakes. Mmmm...

Saturday it was time to pack up and head west. A horrendously sad day. I'm not going to bother giving you the details of our 15 hours in the car. You can probably guess.

But it was totally worth it:) Love my fam.

I'm not afraid to embarrass those I love either.

And I don't mean just by the fact that I exist (Chase can assure you that my very existence has embarrassed him many, many times).

Here's sister Chrysta attempting to sing The Rose. She was rocking some sappy affectations when other sisters Cathryn and Alyssa (Bird and Lylla) had to show some "support."

We'll start in order of Most Ridiculous.

If you ever wondered if I was afraid of making a complete idiot of myself, wonder no more. Behold, Kilgore Idol Karaoke Night. If anyone has the video of me Kanye West-ing it into Bird's finale please let me know. Until then, you'll just have to make due with my version of Respect by the venerable Aretha Franklin (who I sound JUST LIKE, right?!).

Don't worry, I'll post about the reunion soon...

because it was AWE.SOME.

But today I'm in serious need of some laughter and light-heartedness. And these little youtube videos fit the bill nicely, thank you.

Reunioncationalizing Part Deux

Cam preparing pictures for cousins...

Reason #849 I love being a mother

Freshly washed sheets or blank canvas?

Reunionicationalizing

6 days until the reunion.

Holla!

Mama Rawl turns...

Yesterday was Mama Rawlins' birthday. She turned an age that I will not specify out of my great love for her. But I will say that she was 20 when she had Chase. And he will be 30 in February. But that's all I'm saying.

So to mark such a momentous occasion we had a little party. We originally thought about doing a BIG to-do; you know, whoop it up Texas-style. But the sons reminded the wives that their mommy isn't really one who loves attention in that manner. So we put our party planning books away and focused on something smaller. A surprise dinner - family only! - at Logan's Roadhouse. We got a little room in the back so the kids could all have freedom (freedom which included Chase allowing Miles to wield as many as THREE STEAK KNIVES at a time, but that's another story). It was nice. T-Bull was surprised and seemed to enjoy herself. A good time was had by all.

See that sweet blow-up of Tori? Looks a lot like Miles, don't you think?!

Brandon, Danielle and Cam at the kids' table. Brandon should enjoy this. He's intensely impressed whenever he's featured on the internet.

\ She makes her age (which will not be mentioned) beautiful, right?!

Opening her AARP card. I've been holding on to that puppy for a couple weeks.

The Cake*.

The tables were decorated with pictures of T through the years.

Happy Birthday Tori!!! We love you!

 

*As usual with my brood there is always a Story. The story behind the cake is this: I ordered a beautiful custom cake for Tori. We brought it home and set it on the counter. Miles went down for a late nap and I took Sophie into her room to play. A few minutes later, Chase came in looking serious, got down on the floor and gripped my shoulder. Looking right in my eyes he said, "The cake is destroyed. I don't know what else to tell you. I don't know how to say it any other way." Apparently Cameron had wanted to either hold it or take a look, we're not sure. But he pulled it off the counter and it landed top down. After scraping it off the floor it looked like this.

Here's Cam being remorseful.

Anyway, with only about an hour until we had to leave for the restaurant I called Jen to tell her what happened. She made a few suggestions, but we both figured we'd have to just get a generic cake. As I was scrubbing icing off the floor, though, I got a call from Brian. I guess he found a Walmart in the area who could do it but he had to get there fast. And they couldn't do any writing or anything. BUT, he got it done! I like to think there was probably some charming smooth-talk from Brian. There usually is.

Open head, pour out contents.

There's no real purpose to this blog (note to reader/self: am in love with the use of italics in blogging. There's just nothing better to drive home a point...too much? Okay, yeah.). But I'm nothing if not an excellent sharer.

Firstly, you should know that during the summer months here in Texas my daily routine changes so that everything gets done before noon, when things heat up. The gym, cleaning, errands - all of it. So after lunch when nap time rolls around we've resorted to movies. One for the boys, one for me. Which brings about my point. I've become smitten with Netflix instant play. Why? Because they have so many, many BBC goodies. It's a veritable candy store for the Austen-lover in me. After stumbling onto this blog and finding the author's list of Sumptuous Literary Adaptations, I was hooked. So far I have North and South, Daniel Deronda, Under the Greenwood Tree and Wives and Daughters under my belt. And there are enough to sustain me through the entirety of the summer. Oh, netflix. How do I love thee?

Second, I keep hearing about this book. I can't make up my mind as to whether or not I will read it. The library doesn't have it, so I'd have to buy it. And that makes the decision much harder. I'm intrigued by the idea though, right? Am I? I can't tell. The best quote from amazon.com's Editor's Review is this: "But critics also pointed out that this parody shows that Austen’s novel has remained so powerful over time that even the undead can’t spoil it." Hmmm...so provocative!

Third, my boys play a lot of "good guys and bad guys" games. I fully support this. My brothers used to run around the neighborhood at night in full-on camo and face paint playing "war." And they all turned out pretty well. Anyhoo, we hear a lot of "he's a bad guy!" in our house, so Chase thought it would be fun to teach them to say, "he's the antagonist!" It's. Awesome. We took them to the mall play area a couple of days ago and they kept running up to us yelling, "He's the antagonist! Get him!"

Last, this song has me utterly convinced that Thom Yorke is not of this world. Because no earth-bound, CO2-secreting mammal should be able to come up with this kind of thing. It's just not natural. And that, that is why we love him.

Go ahead. Have a look-see. (To be continued...meaningful compversation about the evils of child labor. Feel free to watch North and South to bone up on this subject,)

A-camping we go

So in a couple weeks we'll be heading off for our family reunion. Have I mentioned I crazyexcited? No? I'm seriously CRAZYEXCITED people!

Anyway, our original plan was to camp along the way. We do this when we are on long distance trips. I think it's glorious fun. Mostly because it means I'll get to make s'mores but that's normal, right?

So as our trip approaches I started thinking about the fact that we would soon be camping. And I started to vacillate. On the one hand, I think camping is awesome. On the other hand, I really appreciate air conditioning and a mattress while I'm trying to sleep. But what really got me thinking was all the camping gear we were going to have to bring, in addition to the rest of our vacation crap. So I started to look at hotel rooms in our area...and remembered the OTHER reason we love to camp. We like to save money! To get a hotel in a decent (not nice, just bug/nast free) place with a pool was going to be upwards of $125!!! Holy recession, Batman! I mean, Chase did just get a nice little bump in salary but we didn't plan on spending it all on a hotel room for one night!

So I went back to the camping plan. And lo and behold, look what I found!

Did you know KOA campgrounds have these little beauties? For $50 a night you can sleep in a little cabin with electricity, air conditioning, a double mattress with bunkbeds?! Plus you get all the awesomeness of camping without having to drag all the gear. We just need to pack some frozen hot dogs and s'mores materials in the cooler and bring pillows and bedding and we're home free. The kids get to sleep in the woods, have a bonfire, go swimming and have access to a playground.

Needless to say, we're tres excited!

If you have 21 minutes...

Check this out. This is an interview of an LDS student attending Harvard. She's well-spoken, well-researched and dang it if she isn't just a big ball of cute.

Day of Faith: Personal Quests for a Purpose - 3. Rachel Esplin from Harvard Hillel on Vimeo.

Got more questions? Go here.

In need of a good ab workout?

    

And a special one for all my UMC lovelies...

Insert title here...

Not feeling creative today. But feeling the need to update.

Behold...

I felt creative(ish) in June. Refinished the boys' bookshelf, which was a lovely light oak veneer - you know, one of those classy Target numbers from our college days. I think it's cuter in Guacamole with some fun paper mod podged in. And by george it was time for Sophie to have a tutu. I need to fill it out more, though.

Ramen noodles on hot summer nights. I'd rather have the stove on for 5 minutes, than 20. And yes, I know. I'm, like, the world's most amazing mom. You don't have to tell me. Oh, and we call those "Kung Fu Panda noodles" at my house and my kids like to eat them with Tofu. Thank you, Disney.

Hot summer nights means Miles likes to doff his clothes in favor of wearing just a Darth Vadar mask. May the force be with you.

Sophie doing her post-nap/sunscreen hair Nick Nolte impression. Dead ringer if you ask me.

Fourth of July we hit IHOP for the traditional Rawl-family breakfast. Afterward we went to Kevin and Susan's to party like it's 1999. The kids swam like fishies. Miles was maxin' and relaxin'. And I made these patriotic pies. I used the crust recipe found below and this pie recipe. Mmmmm..... And don't laugh at my crust. It tastes good even if looks crazy.

Crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup lard (I use margarine, butter or shortening)

6 tablespoons cold water

 

Cut together first 3 ingredients, then slowly add water. Divide dough in half, roll into two balls, cover in saran wrap and chill for at least 4 hours. Makes two 9-inch crusts.

***This is my chicken pot pie crust recipe. To use for sweet pie, add 2 T. sugar to dough and then do an egg wash over dough and sprinkle on sugar before baking.

If you like the BBC (*cough* BETTER) version of Pride and Prejudice...

Please tell me you've seen North and South.

No, not THAT North and South.

THIS North and South.

Just trust me on this one. Trust. Me. The last scene makes all 212 minutes worth it.

p.s. I swear it has nothing to do with my super secret crush on Richard Armitage. I SWEAR.

Up the Ante

So to celebrate the last 30 days of our weight loss challenge and to kick it into high gear we've made a decision: No ice cream and no eating out (Chase gets exceptions for work lunches that he can't get out of - he's still new, you know) for the month of July. Well, for the first 30 days of July. We'll be traveling July 31 on our way to our kick-a vacation and will thus be eating out.

We figure this will help us save some money as well, since I tend to cook less (and eat out more) during the summer. And ice cream...well, duh. We get thank you cards from Ben and Jerry on a regular basis. They're kids are going to enjoy college because of us.

So, go to your local restaurant and enjoy some ice cream for me this month.

Extra, Extra! Read all about it!

Yesterday Chase started a new job with this company. Grant Thornton audits this company and he's been the Senior on the audit the last two years. They had a position open up and called Chase out of the blue to ask to meet with them. It took several weeks to get everything lined up, but he started his new job yesterday. For those who know, or are concerned about any SOX issues, it's a private company (for now) so there was no cooling-off period necessary.

He has an official title - Cost Manager. And an office with four walls and a door (no windows, no nameplate...but it beats hotelling!). The company is growing and I'm not entirely sure what I'm at liberty to say. But the idea is that his position is going to grow and evolve over the next few years as the company makes some major changes.

Anyway, there you have it. A new job, a new salary, new benefits, new office. Chase parted with GT on really good terms - his mentors and partners are all happy for him and made multiple offers of, "Let us know if we can ever do anything to help you!" That was my biggest fear - that this would create a rift between us and the company that has been very, VERY good to us. So we feel really good about the way it has all gone down. GT was a superb training ground for Chase and allowed him to develop and impressive skill set. We'll miss the end-of-audit parties and Christmas parties with all our friends there. But we're confident that this is the right road for us.

Question:

Do you think if they did a geographical survey they would find that there is a strong correlation between proximity to Dairy Queen and enlarged waistlines?

Because if I lived even one mile closer I'm pretty sure my arteries would explode.

Me+PBC blizzard 4EVR.

I am Mother.

Around Mother's Day I thought about doing a series of posts focusing on the role of mothers in today's world. I thought of posting all of the reasons I chose to be a mother even when the outside world looked tempting, promising. I imagine I intended to write some sort of treatise, expostulating and waxing poetic.

But then, I just got too busy...you know, being a mom!

So rather than use my own language, I'll just borrow that of Elder Neal A. Maxwell. It's superb and reminds me of just what I'm doing every day.

"When the real history of mankind is fully disclosed, will it feature the echoes of gunfire or the shaping sound of lullabies? The great armistices made by military men or the peacemaking of women in homes and in neighborhoods? Will what happened in cradles and kitchens prove to be more controlling than what happened in congresses? When the surf of the centuries has made the great pyramids so much sand, the everlasting family will still be standing, because it is a celestial institution, formed outside telestial time. The women of God know this."

and (my personal favorite line)

"You rock a sobbing child without wondering if today’s world is passing you by, because you know you hold tomorrow tightly in your arms."

(taken from "The Women of God." Ensign, May 1978)

I very strongly believe there is great power in motherhood. There will be time, when my children are gone and creating their own homes and lives, that I will be "free" to sleep in, travel, work more, etc. I know I will never, ever look back on these years - sleep deprived and chaotic as they may be - and say, "I wish I would have spent less time with those darn kids!" I know the years during which I am the WORLD to them are short and yet so very vital. And no matter what else I do to help shape the world THIS is my real chance! These little creatures that Chase and I are co-creating with God - just imagine their potential! The things we talk about as we snuggle in bed; conversations had during long trips; values shared and taught through every day living; examples set and followed. All of these will shape and form my children. And when they are ready to be out in the world what will they share with their friends? Whose life will they change for the better? Sure, they could be President or discover the cure for cancer. And the world would laud them and mark them a success. But my goal? My real goal is to produce children who quietly befriend the shy, awkward kid and help him know he is a Child of God, beloved of the Father; a kid who walks around confident that mom and dad love him; a child who looks for the best in others; someone who is a great teacher, while still being teachable. The possibilities are absolutely endless.

This is what drives me. This is why I am Mother.

And we're off!

SO the reunion is about 7 weeks away and Chase and I have decided to have a little healthy competition. We're going to see who can lose the most percentage of weight (Biggest Loser Style). I'm totally going to win because I'm ahead of the game with the working out. Chase is - overall - a better eater than me, though. I blame it on Kilgore genes which have, for 26 years, allowed me to eat anything I wanted while not really having too many consequences. I just never noticed the asterisk on the Kilgore Gene Contract which mentioned that my metabolism will go to pot upon having either a.) my second child, b.) my 26th birthday, or c.) all of the above. It's been an uphill battle since those events.

Anywho, we haven't decided what the winner will receive but I guess I should start thinking about what I want since I will TOTALLY be the winner. Eat that, Chase! Seriously, eat it. I'm going to WIN!!!

p.s. NO, there will be no before pictures or stats. I have standards. Plus there are probably sensitive viewers who read this blog. No need to scar the innocent.

Also too...

A couple weeks ago I decided to make Rice Krispy treats using brown crisp rice. Um, you should also too. Holy cow! SO GOOD! I'm not sure exactly how great a benefit you're getting by using brown crisp rice over regular krispies, but I know they taste good. And the ones I use (Barbara's) are organic, so hey, there's a plus. Additionally, I add 1/4 C. milled flax seed to the marshmallows and stir it in right before adding the crisp rice. I think it gives it a nice nutty taste and really does add nutrition!

Chrysta, you were asking about homemade granola cereal that's healthy also too. Maybe take a look at this recipe (there are tons of recipes on that site. I'm a SLAVE to that site.)? I'm not an expert on health. Maybe Kelly (health guru extraordinaire and good friend) will chime in.

The lazy days of summer are here!

The boys' self portraits. Love the details, Cam. (and just fyi, that backwards letter "P" located directly on his crotch is to signify that he is wearing pants. And you know, I appreciate that. Miles appears in his usual ensemble.)

Shari, check out those wings! I got this pink Radio Flyer MoPed-style trike at Walmart after Christmas for $15!!! I was going to hold onto it until her birthday in December but after Miles pushed her off HIS bike for the 80 millionth time I decided that the girl needs her own whip. So Chase put this together for her and she spent about 5 minutes posing on it before hopping off to let the boys have a turn. Later I noticed her sitting happily on Miles' trike while he and Cameron fought over Pinkie. Problem solved.

The Trio of Spideys...

In other news, with the end of school/beginning of summer I will find myself with a wonderful addition to the family. Every Monday and Friday Chase's cousins, Brandon and Danielle (ages 11 and 9), will spend the day with me as my mother's helpers. I am beyond excited! They are so great with my kids and I know we're going to have a great time together. I'm already dreaming up all the things they can help me with and all the stuff they can do with the kids. I may even just plan on taking a NAP on Monday and Friday afternoons. What would that be like?! Oh, joyous day.

Also too, it bears mentioning that the Kilgore Fizz-amily Reunion is less than 2 months away. Good golly miss molly I'm looking forward to this. We're going to be taking up residence in this fly lodge. I. Can't. Wait. So fun. L to the O-V-E my fam.

Because sometimes it totally pays to blogstalk...

Step 1: Go to the bathroom.

Step 2: Watch video.

Step 3: Get off the floor.

Step 4: Send video to everyone you've ever known.