"What happens on the mountain, stays on the mountain."

That was the catch phrase at this year's Beersheba Bash. Hosted by our friends the Hunters and the Whitfields, more than a hundred adults and kids gathered at the top of the mountain in Beersheba Springs. The crowd included such notables as Councilman, Adam Dread and Amy Marsalis of News Channel 5. Les jokingly said the party represented the "third-tier" of who's who in Nashville.

We all had loads of fun with activities such as swimming, hiking, horseshoes, and most of all, the "Pork Butt Roasting!" More than 30 pork butts (pictures of the "butts" to be posted later) were roasted all day on a fire pit along with bushels of fresh corn on the cob. To wash it all down, there was a handy beer truck with taps on the side, parked in the yard!


Throughout the day, we rode bikes around the tennis court,



played in the sand box,






and when we just couldn't stand the heat any longer, we went down to the river for a swim in the cool water that comes from a nearby cave.

The food was great...

And, for a little downtime, there were rocking chairs and checkerboard tables along the wrap-around porch. But, Sydney and I preferred lounging in the hammock.

With all the day's activities, Sydney and Sarah missed their naps and didn't get in bed until after 10:00. Now, most of us would sleep late after such a big day and late night. Oh no, not my girls. They were up the next morning at 5:15! So, we loaded up the car and headed home (missing out on the breakfast of eggs and left-over pork!)

We're all looking forward to next year's Bash!

So, after months of procrastinating, I am now attempting to launch our web log. Until now, I've been keeping a hand-written journal of Sydney's and Sarah's childhood since their births. I guess you could call this "blog" my e-journal. Makes since, though. I mean, what a great way to not only keep up my weekly (or monthly) updates of the girls accomplishments and such, but I can also add pictures and share all of this with friends and family at the same time! Now, not EVERYone will be particularly interested in EVERY post I make, but I'll try to make it entertaining nonetheless.

I'll begin my first entry with a couple of recent photos of the girls. To date, Sydney has a vocabulary that increases exponentially on a daily basis. And, ususally her phrases and comments make us roll with laughter. When leaving a restaurant the other evening, she turned around facing the dining area of customers before we exited and said loudly "Bye everybody." I think a few people said "bye" back. Like most normal girls, Sydney is all about "shopping." Thing is, she relates shopping to wearing hats. Now, where she got that, we don't know. But, whenever she comes across a hat, she puts it on and says she's going to the "tore." When I ask her what she's going to get at the store, she ALWAYS replys, "Popsicles."

Sarah's favorite pasttime these days is sneaking up the stairs. And, boy, she's FAST! Sarah is no longer the quiet, mild-mannered and easy going baby girl she used to be. She has a tantrum that is unmatched by Sydney, believe it or not! When she gets mad...look out! Lately, I catch her in the backseat of the car taunting Sydney by acting like she's handing Syd a toy then, at the last second, she jerks it away and giggles. Sydney's days of being the KING and the BOSS are numbered!

Between these two little girls, my days encompass the full range of emotions. I often recall the scene from the Steve Martin movie, "Parenthood", where he compares his hectic life with 3 young children to a rollercoaster ride. Amid the craziness, chaos, and stress, you look back and realize how much fun it all really was.