Posting at last.

Tom has been telling me I need to post something on the blog...well here goes. I don't have much time, I'm trying to clean the house and decorate for Christmas so we can accomplish lists of tasks before we leave for Hawaii. There are either not enough hours in the day or I need a maid, and a butler, and a cook, and a secretary, oh sorry got carried away there. Wait it's Christmas, does anyone know where I can get an elf or two, or maybe an oompa loompa? In all of the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, the things to do, the gifts to buy, and the food to cook, my goal is to make these times fun and memorable for my family. It's not about traveling here or there to make sure we stop by everyone's celebration or even the perfect gift. It's about Christ and freedom. It's about loving the life we live so we can live the life of love.


I wanted to include a picture so you could see how well Tom's decorated the house. He always does a great job!

Smoky the Bear says...

I realized today that I did not appreciate "smoke jumpers" as much as I do now. Today we went to the cabin to check on things before our trip next week, and while there we decided to "burn off" some underbrush beside the cabin. Just as Stephanie and I were talking about how it was a good day to burn because of the lack of wind... mother nature began to blow causing the "little" fire to spread rather quickly!!! What started as a little burn project beside the cabin turned into us burning about 2-3 acres! The fire got away from us in a matter of minutes. We finally called 911 for the Volunteer fire dept. to help out. Trust me... we are in the middle of NOWHERE with just dirt roads and two new county road signs to guide them to us. Luckily for us, we had two guys working up the road that got the call and came to our rescue. Thank God for them!! Between the two of them and Stephanie and I, we finally got it under control before the pump truck arrived. I can honestly say I was scarred beyond all you could imagine. At one point the flames were shooting up 2o+ feet into the air. Luckily we all had rubber boots on to help keep the flames from our jeans, however the down side is that me and Stephanie have blisters on the soles of our feet due to the heat. WOW, now I know for sure I do not want to go to hell! Trust me, the pictures do not do it justice. We are just happy that no one was hurt and nothing was lost! Now I am truly ready for relaxing in Hawaii next week!!!

Weary Travel Day

Well it's 12:10 am EST and I am just now getting ready for bed. This day started at 4:40 am CST with my departure from Little Rock heading to Nashville for a lunch meeting via Chicago. After lunch , my travels took me to Greensboro, NC for a dinner meeting via Charlotte. Now my day will start 4:40 EST heading to Little Rock via Dallas. With travel days like today all I can think about is "just a few more days until Hawaii"!!! Hopefully we will be able to go to the cabin tomorrow. There just isn't enough hours to complete everything! Oh well, I guess I'll keep trying!

Time to Decorate

Today in between phone calls and e mails, I found myself in the storage building and in the attack pulling out the Christmas decorations. I love this time of the year, but hate the part of getting it out and putting it up after the season. One day I would like to hire someone to do it all for me. There is just something about this time of the year. The chill in the air, the smile on "most" peoples faces. It brings out the kid in me! (not that I needed much help in getting him out!!)

Clay's Surgery

Clay is home and the surgery went well! His only request was to go to "Red Lobster" for lunch! His lip is swollen but should go down in a few days.

Right now we are getting ready for our Hawaii trip next week. I can not wait to sit back in a hammock and just listen to the waves. We plan on going on a "Whale watch" tour as one of our excursions along with the snorkel trip as we did last year.

Post Turkey Day Blahs!

Well Thanksgiving has come and gone and I must say we are truly blessed! To me the best part of the weekend was the time spent with my family. The road trip was full of memories! I got to spend some quality time with my brother and sisters and their kids. A house full of kids is an understatement! I must say I am thankful my boys are older!!! hahaha

Clay will be having surgery Monday morning in Little Rock, so we came home early so we could get settled down and prepared for it. It is a small surgery but still, it is a "big deal" to him. Please keep him in your prayers!

Road Trip!!

"Wow dad, we must have jumped that rail by like 50 yards! "

Turkey day is just a day away. We are heading to Oklahoma to see my sisters. I am really looking forward to spending time with everyone! As far as "Turkey Day", I can honestly say that I am more of a "honey glazed" ham man! I guess I am looking forward to seeing family more than the food. The more I eat the more I have to run.

Speaking of running, I have officially entered in my first 1/2 marathon. I will be running in the Carlsbad, CA 1/2 marathon January 20th. I will fly out to San Diego the day before and catch up with some friends, then run the next day. I must say I am a little nervous, not about finishing, but finishing with a respectable time. We'll see!!

Well... we have arrived! The Thompson's are now offically "Bloggers"!!! I figure this will be a good way for family and friends to keep up with our trips and travels. Speaking of travels, we are getting ready for our second trip to Hawaii in a few weeks! Right now, time seems to be standing still!!! Trust me, we will be sending as many pictures as possible!