My Beautiful Granddaughter!

She was born tonight....weighing in at 9 pounds 8 ounces and 21 inches long! She is beautiful.

When Will I Be A Grandma????

Well, the time is here and my first granddaughter is due to be born...and we are patiently waiting but she has decided to take her time :-) The good news is if my daughter in law has not started labor by Saturday night the doctor is checking her into the hospital and inducing her labor...so one way or the other I will have a granddaughter on Sunday...Monday at the latest. YAHOO!!!! Photos will follow.

I had the opportunity to visit with my son and daughter-in-law this past weekend. Janell is beautifully pregnant and they just moved into their new home! It made me very happy to see the great life they have together. Matt is really excited with his new home, his amazing wife, the opportunity to be a Dad and his job. It makes me pleased as a Mom to see my child's life unfolding in a way that makes him so happy and me so proud.

While visiting with my son I took the opportunity to visit Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons which is only a couple of hours from his home. What an amazing place! I thought I would post a photo of sunrise at the Grand Tetons for your viewing pleasure...this picture was taken about 6:00 in the morning.

Michael Phelps - The Greatest Olympian of All Times!

I don't know about anyone else...but for me Michael Phelps was the definitely the most exciting thing going on in the world last week...or should I say the most positive thing going on in the world last week. I watched each of his races and held my breath as a couple of close finishes were accomplished. Wow! I was impressed, excited, proud, happy....the range of emotions I felt were interesting. I guess what made me the most excited about and for Michael Phelps is that he has proved to America what extra hard work can lead to...ACCOMPLISHMENT!!!!

As I have watched his interviews since his great accomplishment of receiving 8 Gold Medals and also read a ton of articles about him, I realized that he was a kid with a dream. His life was not easy by no means....he was raised by his single Mom who Michael remembers working and completing her college education which illustrated to him the importance of hard work, he was picked on as a kid in numerous ways and fashions, suffered from ADHD, struggled with his relationship with his father...but yet he came out on top. HARD WORK! To the youth of America he has proven to you that anything is possible as long as you are willing to work hard.

I will close with one final statement, which my son sent to me about Michael

Phact! Michael does not shave his body hair. His body hair chooses not to grow out of awe and respect.

GO MICHAEL!!!!

Mammoth Cave and Lincoln's Birthplace

Even though I am a native Kentuckian I seldom take the time to enjoy all the wonderful sites in Kentucky. I recently took a short vacation with a friend and we decided to tour around Kentucky a little. One of the coolest places in Kentucky is Mammoth Cave. Mammoth Cave is the largest cave system in the world consisiting of 367 miles of cave system....and per my tour guide much is left to be discovered.

We did hike several miles of the cave. The temperature is a consistent 52 degrees so if you plan on visiting there remember to take a jacket or hoodie for hiking inside the cave. It was well worth my time and energy to visit this incredible place as the sites are quite amazing. The photo above was taken during our hike and is called a tubular passageway. I walked through at least 2 miles of this type of passegeway.


This photo was taken of the Niagara Formation inside the cave. This was quite amazing to view....I only wish I had had more time to spend viewing it! You will see this formation featured on many post cards.

Not only were the caves beautiful but the park was filled with beautiful animals. My favorite were the deer. Check out the photo of Bambi below!

There were also a few laughs to be had in the park. My favorite was the "Little Hope Cemetery." Well, hopefully you thought it was as funny as I did...I don't think it needs an explanation as to why it is funny!




On this trip, we also visited Abraham Lincoln's birthplace which was quite interesting as well. I am including below a photo of the shrine dedicated to Lincoln which is on the property where he was born as well as a photo of the natural spring on the property, which is probably where Lincoln took his first drink of water! I also included a photo of the cabin inside the shrine. Originally it was thought to be the actual cabin where Lincoln was born but thanks to the History Channel they proved that wrong. The carbon dating showed it be built about 20 years after Lincoln was born. However, they do show a really neat video inside the visitor's center so if you have the opportunity to visit there I strongly suggest you see the video.

We also toured My Old Kentucky Home during this visit...but those photos will follow in a few days! Enjoy!

Tybee Island - A Well Kept Secret

While recently on a business trip to Savannah, Georgia, I took the opportunity to visit Tybee Island...mainly because I wanted to walk on the beach and feel the waves from the ocean beat up against my feet and legs. I really didn't know much about the island...but thought it is surrounded by ocean why not give it a try....and how excited I am that I visited there!!!

When crossing over to the island the first thing I saw was a sign indicating "Turtle Crossing." What in the world? Then I discovered that the Turtle Crossing was for sea turtles...yes the endangered sea turtles...HOW AWESOME IS THAT! The residents are very aware of this endangered species and they stop and break for them when crossing the roads on the island...and yes they do cross the roads...rearing their heads up at you as if to say I am doing the best I can...just wait a minute. Wow! What an awesome opportunity to view these creatures.

Then of course there is the beautiful historic lighthouse that calls in the ships....having existed since the 1700's. While I did not get to tour the lighthouse due to lack of time I did get to view it.

The birds on the island are amazing. I will not go into the many types of birds there but I have posted a picture of the pelicans.

Anyway, if anyone out there is looking for a beach vacation where it is quiet, beautiful and lacking in tourists....Tybee Island is for you. While taking my walks (I went 2 evenings) I was one of maybe 30 people on the beach. It was awesome! Check it out.

My Cincinnati Reds!!!!!!

Today I attended the Reds vs. Sox game at the Great American Ball Park! Even though we lost I loved being at the game (we beat the Sox last night). Just being in the park makes me excited and happy.

I took a few pictures of today's events which I am sharing through a slideshow. I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed the game.

One of the photos needs a slight explanation. My daughter attended the game with me today, as well as her friend Kelley and her husband Kyle. When Beth and I attend sporting events together, whether baseball, hockey, etc. we look for one individual attending the event who is...well let's just say way too involved in the game to put it nicely. We call the game "Spot the Idiot." You will see our choice in the slideshow.

Also, I realized today how much baseball has become part of my summer enjoyment. For the last 6 years I have attended several games a year...I LOVE IT...but most of all I love the Cincinnati Reds! Onward and Upward Guys!

The Grand Canyon

At the end of a recent business trip, I was afforded the opportunity to take a mini vacation. Since the business trip was in Las Vegas, Nevada there were quite a few places in the west to choose from. But fortunate for me there was only one place my body was willing to take me....and that was one of the most incredible places on earth....The Grand Canyon! I even love saying those words! This was my second visit to the Canyon and while the weather was not as cooperative this time as the first I still loved every second of it since in my personal opinion this is one of the most inspiring places on earth.

The photo above was taken of me the last evening I spent in the Canyon. As you will notice notice from the photo...I was sitting on the very edge of the Canyon at sunset! It was incredible! Even looking at the photos makes my heart race.

As I mentioned the weather wasn't cooperative the first couple of days; however, on a very positive note this allowed some beautiful photos to be taken. The photo below was taken of a storm that was occurring over the Canyon. At the end of the storm we were hoping for a rainbow. While a rainbow did not happen...the sun did shine through and the rays shining on the Canyon were amazing.

Sunrise occurred very early on the Canyon, at 5:15 a.m. actually. Most mornings I was out of bed around 4:45 to get dressed to enjoy this beautiful moment in time. The photo below was taken of a sunrise on the Canyon. You can see the skies were cloudy but yet Mr. Sunshine was able to shine through and make his appearance. The beauty was such that it simply takes your breath away.


The photo below is a panoramic photo taken at Hopi Point. This was one of the last days I spent at the Canyon and the weather had quite an improvement. There were several clouds in the sky which created beautiful shadows over the Canyon. If you look closely to the left of the photo you will see the Colorado River which runs right through the Canyon.

My hope in life is to some day hike the Canyon. Since I have little sense of direction I definitely need those with me that are skilled in that area. While I have not accumulated a group as of yet...I hope to do so.

On a similar note, while leaving the Canyon and returning to Las Vegas to catch my flight we were able to see Hoover Dam which is quite an interesting place. We were also able to enjoy some nice views of Lake Meade. For your viewing pleasure I have attached a photo below. And yes, the water really was that blue!

Also along the ride home in a small town not far from Hoover Dam (sorry but I can't remember the name) we discovered several desert big horn sheep. They were absolutely gorgeous! We watched them for about 45 minutes and got some great photos. They didn't mind that we were there so we took the time to enjoy them.

To finish my blog...I must mention that I can not take credit for any of these wonderful photos. They were taken by a very close friend of mine who will remain nameless since I did not ask permission to use the name. My friend claims to be an amateur photographer but those of who know this person know fully well amateur is not the appropriate description.