Happy Anniversary Shara & Jason!

One year ago today, I watched my closest and best friend, Shara exchange vows with her sweet husband, Jason. So today she is celebrating her First Wedding Anniversary, which is something every couple looks forward to. The only problem is that Jason, who is serving in the United States Army, is deployed. This has been a very hard and trying time for Shara. Just in the year they have been married, they have lived in El Paso, Texas, moved back to Tennessee for a small time then Jason got shipped to Germany, where they thought they would be stationed together. So Jason left and started all his settlement time, before Shara was sent her orders to go over, Jason was deployed. So today, I will keep her busy trying to keep her mind off things. We have a day of shopping, chatting and of course I'll take her out for her wedding anniversary dinner at her favorite restaurant.

I just want to wish them both a HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

Shara, I love you and will try my best to make your first anniversary the best ever! Remember that Jason loves you with all his heart, and would do anything for you. If he was here he would pamper you will flowers, candy and all those other small surprises!

Merry Christmas!

We want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas! Like most other families, we start crazy mode tonight. We have Christmas at my Mom & Dad's tonight, then we wake up with Santa presents and celebrate on Christmas morning. Then we will have a HUGE Christmas dinner at Mom & Dad's on Christmas Day. On Friday morning we will be leaving for the weekend for Christmas with the Hurley's.

I wanted to go ahead and post this before things got tooo hectic. I am actually sitting here while giving Riley's his breathing treatment. I had to take him to the Dr yesterday evening because he has this nasty barking cough. Well, to my surprise when Dr. Welch came in and listened to his chest, he immediately starting talking about admitting him to the hospital. So after another breathing treatment in the office and several prescriptions, he let us come home under very strict orders. This morning the pediatrician has already called and checked on us, and Riley has improved some, so hopefully he will be better for Santa.

I hope and pray for safe travel for everyone who is traveling this holiday season, whether it's just down the road or hours away. I want everyone to remember the families that have been affected by the tragedy just less than a 1/2 mile down the road from our house. So many families lost all their Christmas present or just the fact that they can't spend Christmas at home.

Everyone please remember the reason for the season!

TVA Mudslide!

I just wanted to let everybody know that we are ok, and weren't effected by the ashslide that happened this morning. Even though it is very close to our house. We have received several phone calls, text messages and even emails from friends and clients.

This is a sad situation being so close to Christmas. Just keep all the families affected today in our thoughts a prayers!

Here's the story!

KINGSTON, Tenn. (WVLT) -- As the sun came up in Roane County, the extent of the devastation of a sludge slide was evident after a dike broke, blanketing hundreds of acres around the TVA Kingston Steam plant with a mixture of ash and water that knocked at least one home into the middle of a nearby road just after midnight Monday morning.

There were no fatalities and no serious injuries, but at least three homes are unlivable just days before Christmas.

It's a huge mess that's going to take a long time to cleanup.

TVA engineers are inspecting the scene from on the ground from the air, and they're finding out that there's a lot of work to be done, and it won't be easy.

In some places, the sludge and debris was piled 20 feet high.

Officials now say 12 homes were damaged, including three that are uninhabitable because of major structural damage and mud.

Even a Norfolk Southern locomotive and engine got stuck on the tracks, but TVA CEO Tom Kilgore says that train was removed before noon Monday.

Roane County EMA director Howie Rose says, "At approximately 12:30 this morning we had a 9-1-1 reports of a mudslide in the Swan Pond and Swan Pond Circle area."

A dike had broken on an ash containment pond at the TVA Fossil Plant, also known as the TVA Steam Plant, in Kingston.

A wall of water and sludge from the 40-acre pond caused widespread damage for a half mile.

TVA spokesman Gil Francis says, "We've had about five inches of rain, and we think that perhaps the rain and the freezing temperatures may be a contributing factor to the ash pond slide."

Rescuers are thankful that a slide of this magnitude didn't take any lives, and there were only two minor injuries -- two people rescued from a home knocked off its foundation -- and they don't need to be hospitalized.

TVA engineers are trying to figure out what to do next.

TVA President and CEO Tom Kilgore says, "We're doing several things, establishing water sampling in the river so we know what's migrating downstream we know what's in that water, then we're looking to clean up the road."

Cleanup could take weeks or months.

The ash is a byproduct of burning coal, and it goes into these ponds when where it stays. The pond itself was about the size of 30 football fields.

TDEC is on the scene and we know the EPA was notified.

The fossil plant has remained operational throughout this, but they only have about 50 to 60 days worth of coal on hand, and the train tracks used to bring the plant's fuel is covered in sludge. That means the plant will have to stretch their supply of coal to make it last, Kilgore says.

Santa 2008!

Well again this year we were unable to get a picture of both the boys with Santa, but at least we got one of Riley and Santa. Hayden wouldn't even go near him, he just yelled from the corner to tell Santa what he wanted. He did get close enough to him to get a cookie. So maybe next year we can have a picture of both of them on his lap...LOL!

After we left Santa's shop we headed to Build-a-Bear to get Riley's monkey fixed and of course they had to get new ones!



Once we left there we made it to get our ornaments made. The boys picked their favorites again this year.

It's finally beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the Hurley house!

So today I finally got my tree and all my decorations done! I am so behind this year. I normally have it up around Thanksgiving but we have been SO busy lately. Tomorrow we are going to see Santa and have our yearly Christmas ornaments made! The boys placed every single ornament on the tree this year, so it is truly a work of art. If you notice at the bottom there is just one single string of silver star garland. Riley told me that a Christmas tree isn't a Christmas tree without some tinsel! LOL! He also made me take my bows and ribbons off cause he said that a star has to be on the top of the Christmas tree not some silly bow!

Riley's baseball party

The Braves celebrated their season today with a party at the bowling alley with pizza and cupcakes. Riley is actually a pretty good bowler considering this was his first attempt. He got several spares!

Riley said the blue cupcake was YUMMY!

HE LOVED bowling, he just couldn't wait on the ball any longer....LOL!

They're in the mail!

So today I put all 185 Christmas cards in the mail. Yes, I did say 185 total, 60 was for my clients and 125 was for our close family and friends. Hope you guys enjoy them. I sure am proud of them!

Hayden's make-up hints!

So this morning while I was in the shower, this is what Hayden done with my make-up.



This is what the boys done to their bedroom yesterday about 15 mins after I cleaned it!

Happy Birthday Emma!

Today Emma celebrated her 3rd birthday. I have been so busy at work, I already had clients scheduled that night till about 10 and Craig was still at work,so Kristin picked the boys up and took them.

Thanks Kristin! That really meant a lot to Craig and I, as everybody knows our kids come first, and it means a lot to us when our friends understand that and offer to help! Especially those of you that don't have kids, it's a totally different world. The small things are what counts!

Anyways, the boys were SO excited about her party, they keep on asking Mom all day if it was time for the party yet! They love Emma to death

Kingston Christmas Parade!

So today the boys attended their first Christmas parade. Technically Riley went when he was a little baby but doesn't remember. Last year we got them ready to go and they both fell asleep. Needless to say, they LOVED it. Thanks Levi and Brandy for letting us hang out at your office, so we didn't freeze to death!

Be prepared because next year, we are going to put our own float in! The boys are really excited about the idea.