Kellee's Birthday Weekend

First I want to thank everyone for all the wonderful cards, emails, and calls on my birthday. I have never received so many cards from so many friends and loved ones and it truly made my day. Thank you for the gifts and all the love and kindness you all showed me this year. It's very difficult moving to a new state and building new friendships, especially when you have such great friends at home, but I have to say, I truly feel that I have a WONDERFUL group of friends up here and could not be happier that I moved to Tennessee! I feel so blessed that I met Jason and could not have asked for a better, kinder, more loving and thoughtful husband. I love his family and appreciate all that they do for me and still cannot believe how lucky I am to have found them.

Ok - on to the pictures since you all know you'll be getting thank you cards!!

We started celebrating on Tuesday night (9/23) by going to Jason's mom and step father's house for some presents. They then took me out to my favorite restaurant, The Tavern. Jason's Aunt Pat and cousin Brittany stopped by while I was opening presents and Granny and Jim came to dinner with us!

This is my mother in law (Jo), Jason and I before opening presents

This is Greg and Jo joking around - I wanted you all to see how great Greg looks after the liver transplant - he's doing GREAT!

This is (from the left) Brittany, Aunt Pat, Jo, and Me (with Junior in the back)This is Jason and I with Granny and JimAnd me and my cutie-patootie little cousin, Brittany! This is Jason and I at the Tavern On Friday, 9/26, after a CRAZY week at work, Jason and I decided to take a trip down to Gatlinburg to get away. We stayed at our favorite hotel, the Park Vista, and decided to explore some hiking trails on Saturday for my birthday. I could not think of anything better than spending my birthday with my best friend, in my favorite place on earth, hiking. Unfortunately, it was overcast and I was worried about getting 5 miles into a trail and having it rain, so we decided to take a horseback ride instead. Great decision - it was awesome! The horses were MUCH healthier and stronger than those we rode in Aruba! We had a great time. This is me on my horse, Strawberry! Notice that everyone else's horses are moving on, while mine stops to eat...Jason and I at the end of the ride with our horses Strawberry and Dot Here comes the best part of the day...so we leave the horses and head to the apple barn for some yummy apple cider! After that Jason tells me that we have to get home to Johnson City because he was planning to surprise me by taking me out to dinner at a restaurant I've never been to and we have reservations. So we head back and had to stop at his work in Greeneville because we smelled like horses :) We tried to clean up a little because we were running late for our reservation and had no way of making it home to change before dinner. Well, it turns out that Jason had planned a surprise party for me with my friends up here! I was SHOCKED! He had worked for weeks on getting everyone together at Russo's Saturday night! I was FLOORED! Anyway - here are some pictures from that party. You all have no idea how much that meant to me!

This is a picture of half of the table - with the nut balloon that David Campbell was kind enough to pick up!! For those of you who I talk to all the time about my friends up here, I'll tell you who everyone is :) (From the left is: Jeff, Wendy, Zak (all from our Sunday School class), me, Jason, my brother in law Nick, and his girlfriend, Rachel). This is another view looking down the table (from the right) Wendy, Jeff, Jennifer Clements, Ryan, Nina (all from our Sunday School Class), and Jennifer Holtsclaw (my supervisor) Misty was so sweet and gave me a beautiful picture for our house - this is Jason and I with the picture, which said "It doesn't matter where you go in life...what you do...how much you have...it's who you have beside you" I can't think of a better quote for me! Thank you Misty!More pictures of people at the party. This is my friend, Jennifer Holtsclaw next to Nina and RyanOne more picture of the table from the left you can see my friend Beth next to Jennifer's daughter, Myra, and Jennifer across from Beth and Jennifer is Rob, Misty's hubby and the back of David Campbell's head!This is Myra taking picturesThis is my brother in law, Nick, and his girlfriend, RachealMe and my MistyWendy and Nina Jennifer and JeffMe and my work buddies, Beth, and Jennifer (before they left me for other jobs!)Jennifer and her Myra Me and Jason with our good friends Jennifer and David Campbell Nina and RyanWendy and ZakMy birthday cake, thank you Jennifer!Jason feeding me birthday cake - well, one bite :)

Some of our friends from Sunday School

Me and Jason with Misty and Rob

And finally, me and Jason with Nick and Racheal

Thank you all again. I know I have said this a LOT before, but without friends and family, I would have nothing. I love you all and thank you for making my day! Nothing makes me happier than being around those I love!

Smooches,

Kellee

A Sunday Drive...

Jason and I decided to take a relaxing drive and try to do some local hiking today. We first tried to go to Doe River Gorge, however no one was there and we weren't sure where to find the trails, so we resorted to one of Jason's favorite places as a kid, Blue Hole. We drove over to Blue Hole where we climbed on rocks and looked at a little waterfall. Usually people are jumping into the water, however it was not too hot out today and the water levels are down, so it was nice and quiet. Later, we drove back home through Shady Valley and enjoyed the peace and quiet. Here are some pictures from today's adventures!

First we hiked up to the top - this is Jason looking down on Blue Hole.

That's Blue Hole behind me :)

Next, we hiked down to the water.

After we returned home, Jason and I made some hot apple cider and sat on the porch with Bubby.

Isn't he beautiful!!!

Have a great week!

Smooches!

A Very Special Day, Indeed...

As most of you are unaware that today is a National Holiday, I felt the need to educate you! Let me be the first to remind you that today is my sweet young Josephine's 8th birthday! WOO HOO! 8 years! I can hardly believe she's that same sweet small puss I brought home from the Humane Society in November of 2000! As a special treat, Jason and I gave Josephine a plate of chicken - her FAVORITE! Below you'll find a picture of Jo doing one of her favorite things, besides sleeping...

FINALLY

At long last...a storm with a good name...I've heard that the latest tropical storm is now named Josephine - who would've thought that someone would finally realize what a great name Josephine really is!?! After naming rocks, dogs, cats, birds, and any other creature I could find, Josephine...someone has finally topped me!

Our Labor Day Trip

We hope you all had a wonderful long weekend. Unfortuantely I had to work all weekend, finishing up reports, and poor Jason did not have much to do, but relax :) So we decided to take Monday off (like normal people) and travel over to Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina. Unfortunately, the weather was not very good...there was an unexpected front that came through and when we first got there visibility was zero! But we decided to enter the park anyway and we were glad we did. After a nice lunch at the restaurant, the temp jumped up a little from the initial 58 and the clouds cleared out a little. Later, we decided to trek over to Linville Falls and enjoyed a nice hike to the Erwin Lookout.

Enjoy the pictures!

Me at the bear exhibit - Just for you Suz!!

And Jason - feeling not so happy about being so close to black bears...

Next we visited the Eagles - this one's for you Brooke...he's bathing...

Next we went to Split Rock...literally a split rock...which is over 461 billion years old

This is a picture of me at another split rock...I like to call this one "Kellee in the Crevasse," for those of you who are nature freaks like me and LOVE the show "Man in the Wild" you would understand that it is not pronounced "Crevice" but "Cre-vasse" with the emphasis on the "asse".

Jason by the road...

And then Jason relaxing by the fudge shop :) Looks like our front porch!

Next, we climbed out on some cliffs...unfortunatley, that zero visibility thing came into play here...

It's funny that although everyone climbs out on these cliffs like it's nothing, Jason and I were nervous being that we are SUCH HUGE CLUTSES!

No explaination needed!

If Jason had a thought bubble in this picture, it would say..."Let me get this straight...you want me to walk across WHAT?!? And it's secured HOW?!? The things I do for love..."

More pictures of us...on big cliffs...

Next, because he's such a great husband and married to such a nature freak...I convinced Jason to hike down a trail below the bridge with me...This is us in front of a cave...I wanted to go in but that was where Jason drew the line :) Can you see the thrill on my face? :)

Jason insisted that I add this picture - his favorite that he took today...

On our way out of the park...this is Jason with Grandfather Mountain in the background...And me...

Next, we headed over to Linville Falls, where again, I convinced Jason to hike quite a way...this is us at the top of the overlook...You can just see the waterfall in the background...the river is VERY high right now!

A better view of the waterfall...

Just chillin' at the top of the world...

This is at a lower observation area, right next to the vortex of rushing water...I wonder how deep that water is...

Jason and I by the upper part of the waterfall...

After that, we headed North on the Blue Ridge Parkway to Boone, where we ate a YUMMY dinner at the Daniel Boone Inn! A full day of exploring, exercise, yummy food, BEAUTIFUL scenery...and home before dark...I know I've asked this before, but honestly...how could you possibly want to live ANYWHERE else?!?

Smooches!