Happy Birthday Hank!

Happy birthday to the greatest person I know! Never in all my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would marry someone as great as my husband. One of my favorite things about Hank is his ability to make any situation 100 times more fun than you ever thought it could be. Chase and Nolan always choose to spend time with him "because he is so much funner" than I will ever be! Although his "fun" side is what truly stands out, he is also the most patient, loving and sensitive person. My parents have always said that Hank is a "jewel", and I know they are referring to how he deals with a crazy person such as me!

I love you my love!

Happy 4th of July!

Our First 4th of July Spectacular turned out to be quite the success (no one caught on fire). Little did we know that in Georgia everyone puts on their own fireworks show from their own home so there is no need to leave the comforts of your driveway! We started our show a little early and after thinking that our $55 at the fireworks store in Alabama would really make all our neighbors jealous...we heard a huge BOOM! It was the neighbors behind us who had FOR REAL fireworks, like the kind that professionals use! According to Hank and Steve they must have spent $3000 just on fireworks! CRAZY what these southerners do and spend purely for fun!

Waterslides, Broken Noses & The Kill

What an exciting time to be a kid (especially in LaGrange). Legal fireworks have to be the best thing since fried okra. We had a very exciting month in June. Our front yard was transformed into a slip-n-slide mecca. Hank and Steve bought a 100ft roll of plastic from Home Depot, added some dish soap, and the slip-n-slide was open for business. Jess was sick the entire day (bummer for her) so Hank, Nolan, and Chase spent the entire day outside on the slip-n-slide. Thankfully there were no incidents or accidents. (We can't say the same thing for fathers day!)

Fathers day started out perfect. Hank was given 2 miniature sleeping bags which happened to be the perfect size for Nolan and Chase. The gift will be perfect for the upcoming camping trip at the beach. After church we grilled a 4lb fillet, had mashed potatoes, rolls, and broccoli. The steak was phenomenal and the night was outstanding. The kids were done with dinner and started playing in the other room. The adults started relaxing and suddenly a scream came from the other room. Jess and Steve jumped from their seats to see what happened. When I got to the room, Jess was holding Nolan (who was screaming and holding his nose). Jess had a panicked look on her face, and she said, "I think Nolan broke his nose!" I took him over to the chair and tilted his head back. His nose was already swollen and he had a black line right across the bridge of his nose. Jess called the doctor and he told us since Nolan was so young, the cartilage in his nose hadn't hardened enough to break, and he would probably be fine. About 5 minutes after the accident, Nolan was ready to get back to the playroom and start playing again. It was only after an hour of interrogation that we finally got the whole story of what happened. Apparently Nolan and Trent were playing a game where Nolan would stand on the bed and jump off. Trent was supposed to catch him, but instead they both collided and Nolan rammed his face into the wall. I really think Nolan will turn out to be a MMA Fighter.

It's been a long tradition with hunters (especially in the south) to drink the blood of their kill as a sign of...well who really knows? Anyway, I thought it only appropriate to show Nolan's first kill of the year. He completely slaughtered an innocent Popsicle. I think he's really taken to the southern style of fashion as well. We will be sure to update everyone after the 1st Annual Armstrong firework festival being held tonight. (hopefully the house will be standing, and NO visits to the emergency room will take place.)

Happy Fathers Day Dad!

I once heard a quote that reads, "Small boys become big men through the influence of big men who care about small boys." Through the past 35 years I've had many ups and downs in life. I'm so blessed to have a dad who has always stood by my side. One thing my Dad told me that I still use to this day was when he told me, "Son, tomorrow is another day." At the time I still may have been too immature to truly understand the words of wisdom he relayed to me. However, now that I'm older, I've used that quote more times than he will ever know. I've had great opportunities in my life and never went without anything. Whenever I have felt down or upset, I use that quote my Dad gave me to realize that I control my mood, actions, happiness, and life. I know that the following day is a chance for me to start fresh.

Thank you Dad! Thank you for being a teacher, a friend, a counselor, a hard worker, an example of love and kindness, and thank you for giving me a lifetime of unconditional love.

I have 3 favorite pictures of me and my dad. The first is a picture of when my dad dropped me off at school in Utah. I couldn't have been more excited to get into my own apartment and have a new chapter of my life begin at school. The picture is of my Dad and me on the front steps of the apartment. For whatever reason, I look about a foot taller than my dad. I love that picture because I really felt that I was finally doing what I should be doing in my life, and that my Dad was proud of my decisions. I looked everywhere for the picture, but I cant seem to find it. Trust me, it's a good one.

The second picture I have of my Dad is a picture (again) of the two of us. We were in Maui at Haleakala. We had to get up at 2am to get a van ride up the volcano and then ride our bikes down the volcano to the bottom. It was freezing on top of this volcano, and I remember walking out away from everyone with my dad and watching the sun come up. We didn't talk a whole lot while the sun came up that morning, but I felt the love my Dad had for me and I felt that we had a mutual bond that could never be broken.

The last picture I have is of my Dad and Chase on Memorial Day in 2005. They were eating Oreo's and having some kind of grandpa/grandson conversation. I'm so glad I have such a great relationship with my Dad and I'm so happy he loves my family and is such a big part of my families life. I love you Dad! Happy Fathers Day!

Happy Fathers Day...

Dad and the Georgia Grandkids

As mentioned in our previous posts we have just returned from an amazing time in Southern California. For the first time in over a year I was able to go "home." You tend to forget how wonderful home really is until you are back in the comforts of family and friends. One of my favorite things about being home is going on a run with my dad. For those of you who do not know my dad, he is, in my opinion, the greatest dad anyone could ask for. It is so great to spend one-on-one time with him just talking as we run. We seem to understand each other and our conversations seem warm and comforting. My dad has not always enjoyed going on these runs. Just 5 years ago he made the committment to lose a lot of weight. He has accomplished and lives a healthy lifestyle. What an amazing accomplishment. I am so proud of you dad!

Moving to Georgia has been a great blessing in our lives. Although, owning your own business can be quite challenging at times. I feel blessed that I was able to work so much with my dad during my younger years. He too was a business owner and I saw the trials that he faced, I also saw the success that he reaped after good hard work and never giving up. Those memories that I have allow Hank and I to keep moving forward with our goals. Thank you Dad for teaching me the value of good hard work!

My Dad has taught me so many wonderful things. He has taught me the importance of family. He always supported my brothers and sister and I at each of our various activities, whether it be a soccer game, a baseball game, a piano recital, an awards ceremony...he was always there. He has been at every major event from graduations to weddings and most recently to 6 baby blessings as a grandfather.

Thank you for supporting us, loving us, and most importantly teaching us all you know! We love you Dad with all our hearts...thank you for being the greatest Dad that anyone could ever ask for!

Children of the Corn

Finally the fruits of our labor prevail. We just harvested about 9 ears of corn from our garden (minus the 2 that Nolan has already eaten). The ears are only between 6"-9" long and have about a 4"-6" circumference, but it is the sweetest corn I have ever tasted. I pulled an ear off the plant and peeled back the husk. I was a little hesitant, but I bit right into the raw corn and it was great. Nolan couldn't get enough and we had to stop him at 2 ears. We are still harvesting the beans, peas, and flowers.

The cucumbers and tomatoes are coming along and we should be eating those within the next 2-3 weeks. I'm expecting my raspberry and strawberry plants to start producing again in about a month or so. We've also had an abundance of flowers (See Picture Below) it's great because Chase helped me pick all the flowers and then surprised Jessica at the front door with a huge bouquet. It actually looks better in person than it does in the picture.

The other fun thing going on right now is the abundance of fire-flies and frogs. The other night, Chase, Nolan, Trent, Steve and I went out on Safari and went on the hunt for fire-flies. We had a blast chasing the fire-flies around the yard and putting them all in a bug catcher. Overall, we are all having a great time in GA!

Beach Time

The thing I love the most about this picture is the way Jess has Chase slung over her shoulder out in the water. It's still in question whether or not he's my kid because he's terrified of the waves. Nolan of course was NOT having any contact what-so-ever with the water. "It too cold Daddy." However, he had no problem destroying Chase's sandcastle while Chase was in the water.

Anyway...Many,many,many more pictures to come. Currently we are still operating on West coast time and desperately need to get re-adjusted. Going to bed at 1am or later just doesn't cut it. Thanks Aunt DeeDee for the pictures!