The Brothers Not Grim

My Adventures in Rio de Janeiro - Day 9, 10 & 11

2009-06-12T08:40:00.000-07:00

Sunday, I didn't take a lot of photos (have to get some from Lezlea) because outside of church and the Hippie Fair, Julia had a surprise birthday party for Marcia. Our instructions were to get Marcia out of the apartment and occupy her for about an hour or so to allow folks to arrive.

Julia had invited over 20 guests. She had quiches and salads (my favorite was cous cous which I have since gottent the recipe for) and then there was this wonderful dressing made out of peanut butter. The birthday cake was certainly the one of the best I have ever eaten. It had an apricot filling.

Marcia's friends were very warm and friendly. I had many pleasant conversations with several people. They were very generous with the many lovely gifts that they showered upon Marcia.

Uncle Guy and I just before church.

On Monday, (supposed to be our last day), we went to Barra and ate at a local restaurant called The Nativo. The food was pretty good but the view of the beach was the best. Here is Julia.

Here is another photo of Julia with her dog, Brisa.

Guy and Julia dropped us off at the airport about 8 PM. We got on board our plane (scheduled to leave at 10:10 PM). After three hours of waiting, our flight was cancelled due to mechanical problems. They put us up in the Intercontinental Hotel in Barra. The hotel was very nice but the cab ride was very scary. It's like the driver was in a Nascar race. He drove excessively fast. Lezlea was in the back with praying hands telling me to be praying as well. We finally got checked in around 5 AM.

Uncle Guy had given me three vintage bamboo fly rods to carry home to Ted (a very thoughtful gift). Unfortunately, I couldn't carry them on the plane so I had to tape them to the side of my large suitcase and then have the case wrapped in plastic to protect it and keep it all together. This would not have been a problem except that my clothes and toiletries were in that wrapped suitcase. I was not anticipating another night's stay. Thankfully, I had packed my toothbrush in my carry on. I had to borrow items from Lezlea to get me through the next day.

Here is a view of the beach from our hotel.

This is a view from our hotel room on the 11th floor.

This is a view of the hotel pool from our room.

The airline arranged for buses to pick us up and take us back to the airport around 3:30 PM. As soon as we reached the Delta desks, we learned that we were to fly Continental and our flight was leaving in an hour. This flight left Rio, flew to Sao Paulo and then on to Houston. From Houston I got a flight straight to Charlotte.

The hardest part of the entire trip was my lack of communication with family. It was very expensive, so I limited my communication to emails everyday and I called from my uncle's Skype account three times. By the time I finally got home, my poor husband was so frazzled from not knowing exactly my predicament that he had a dozen roses in hand when he picked me up at the airport. He said it felt like we had been apart for months.

Rio is beautiful. I plan to go back with Ted at our earliest opportunity.

My Adventures in Rio de Janeiro - Day 8

2009-06-09T12:04:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, Marcia, Guy, Lezlea and I headed to the Forte de Copacabana. Along the way we saw a few noteworthy things.

Here is some more of that unique grafity that you see all over the place.

The beaches were particularly crowded on the weekends. Here you can see all of those umbrellas on the beach.

They have a portion of the road reserved just for bicyclists and joggers along the beach stretch. Lezlea and I noticed that we didn't see any fat Brasilians.

Here is the entrance to the Forte de Copacabana.

I think these guys are modeled after the guards in London. You know, the ones who are supposed to be absolutely still, not smile, blink or acknowledge your presence.

The views from the fort were awesome of Copacabana beach. Ironically, along the beaches are the resort hotels and condos. On the mountainside, you see the favelas (slum areas).

Here is my Uncle Guy and his wonderful wife, Marcia.

Another beautiful view from the fort. I love all the mountains.

Here I am in front of the stone wall at the fort.

This is the entrance to the actual fort.

Here I am with my Uncle Guy. We ate at the Confeteria de Columbo here at the fort. I have to say it was some of THE BEST food I've eaten. I had this most wonderful salad. We also ordered three different pastries (the kinds with meat and cheeses and chicken in them). I would love to learn how to make them or at least find a place to buy them.

This place is known for it's desserts so we had to try them. Lezlea got a brownie with ice cream and whipped cream. It looked good, but she said it was the best brownie she had ever had. That is saying something. I think I had a little chocolate tart that was very good as well, but I really loved the cheese pastries. Brie is a very popular cheese there and I've not had much exposure to it. I just bought some to try and make some Brasilian dishes with.

After lunch, we dropped Guy back off at the apartment to rest. Marcia needed to go to the grocery store so Lezlea and I went with her. Across the street from the supermarket was the most wonderful cemetary Lezlea or I had ever seen. It was beautiful. Hundreds and hundreds of beautiful sculptures, ornate headstones of all shapes and sizes. We marched in with cameras in hand and the attendant shook his head that we weren't allowed to take pictures. The only thing I could figure is it was either a privacy issue, or a respect issue. My thought was, what better way to pay tribute to their loved one's passing then the beautiful art.

Lezlea and I learned from then on, to be more discreet with our cameras. My camera was smaller and less noticeable, so I snuck a few photos. Marcia said that both of her parents were buried in that cemetary. She was surprised we weren't supposed to take photos. Maybe because we looked like American tourists?

Some more from that cemetary.

These headstones were huge! It looked like all burials were above ground in crypts.

Here is a photo from the supermarket. It had a parking garage below it. On the bottom shelf is the milk in cartons that we drank the whole time there.

Afterwards, Marcia took us to a beautiful park where this old mansion rested underneath Corcovado Mountain. Inside, they had turned it into a place where students could showcase their art. There was a little eating place and small tables all around a pool (that obviously wasn't being used at the time - water dingy).

At the top right of this picture sits the Christ statue on top of that mountain. You can barely see it in the photo but you can see it clearly from that perspective. This photo is inside the courtyard area.

Here is Marcia inside the courtyard. She was truly a wonderful hostess. She has a sarcastic quick wit about her that makes her such a perfect fit into the Archer family. :)

My Adventures in Rio de Janeiro - Day 7

2009-06-09T10:24:00.000-07:00

On Friday, we met Dennison (a friend of Guy's from church) in downtown Rio for a walking tour. Just a few nights before we had attempted an evening in downtown Rio that we decided was not for the faint of heart. Rio at night was kind of scary. We chose NOT to get out of the car, but instead, drove around for a while and headed home. There was trash in the streets (that was cleaned up by morning) and we saw transvedite hookers (very creepy).

Rio during the day was a very different experience. I never felt unsafe even though the streets were very crowded.

This is Dennison and my Uncle Guy.

This is one of the street vendors in Rio. He was very nice and was kind to show us different exotic fruits.

This is actually a church or cathedral in Rio. We didn't go inside but saw pictures of it later in a book and wished we had. It was very unique.

Dennison, Guy and Lezlea

We rode the trolley and this was one of the views from it.

This is one of the churches that we went inside of. Wow! It was gorgeous. Dennison joked about how depressing it was and it was, but it was very ornate and beautiful inside anyway.

Lezlea and I standing by the front doors of the church.

A view on the inside.

My camera just didn't do this church any justice.

This is Dennison and Lezlea and we are walking thru some of the streets that cars can't go through. I was amazed at how many people there were. I have never seen so many cars, buses and people in one location as in Rio. However, I have also never been to New York or Washington DC. :)

My Adventures in Rio de Janeiro - Day 6

2009-06-05T17:28:00.000-07:00

Thursday was very relaxing. Marcia took us to the Jockey Club. Not only do they have Horse Racing, but they have a very nice gym, tennis courts, pool, restaurant and alas, a spa. The spa was our destination. We got manicures, pedicures and massages for a fraction of what it would cost in the states.

This is a view of the front of the recreation building.

This view is overlooking the horse track.

Afterwards we went shopping in downtown Ipanema.

Another view of downtown Ipanema.

This is another view looking out the window of Guy and Marcia's apartment. I love the cobblestone streets all though they are rough on cars and bodies.

My Adventures in Rio de Janeiro - Day 5

2009-06-05T17:01:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday (May 20th - Also Lezlea's Birthday), we took a jeep tour through the Tijuca forest and on up to Corcovado Mountain where the giant statue of Christ sits. I learned that the statue was a gift to Brasil from France. Julia ditched school and went with us.

This is Julia and I.

These are our tour guides, the man outside the jeep is Leo.

Lezlea, Julia and I sitting in the jeep.

As we were climbing the mountain into the Tijuca forest (Rio's rain forest) it actually got cold and rained some on us. Lezlea got really cold and purchased this plastic rain jacket to help keep her warm and dry. I couldn't resist taking this picture of her. :)

This is me next to this beautiful waterfall. My camera just didn't do it justice.

I love how green and lush it is here. Something we learned about this forest is that many years ago, it was a coffee farm. The original rain forest was cleared and coffee trees planted. It ended up being disasterous for the city of Rio because the coffee trees sucked up all the water that fed into the city. The emporer had the whole area replanted. It took 6 men 13 years to accomplish this task.

Here is that beautiful Jesus on top of Corcovado Mountain. There is a tiny chapel in the base. Here is Lezlea along with several other tourists so you can get an idea of how big this is.

A closer view.

A view from the Christ statue.

This is one of the many beautiful views from the Christ statue. The city just seems to go on and on and on and on and on........

This little creature is a cross between and anteater and a raccoon. It didn't seem to be very afraid of tourists and they came up very close. They were used to getting food.

At the end of the day, we celebrated Lezlea's birthday with a cake. The decorations were an edible Book of Mormon (El Libre de Mormon) and an American Flag. I think this will be one of Lezlea's most memorable birthdays!

My Adventures in Rio de Janeiro - Day 4

2009-06-05T16:43:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, Marcia took us to Pao de Acucar (Sugarloaf Mountain). This mountain sits in the middle of the bay area. You can see it from many points of the city. It is a popular tourist attraction. You ride a cable car from the ground to the top of a smaller mountain. On top of the smaller Mtn there is a recreation area with refreshments, theater (or place for live concerts), etc.

From the smaller mtn, you ride another cable car up to the top of Sugarloaf. The views are magnificent. It is amazing how populated the area is.

This is a view riding the cable car from the ground.

This is a view from the smaller mountain.

This is me, of course.

This is Lezlea and I in front of an antique cable car with Sugarloaf in the background.

This is Marcia with Sugarloaf in the background.

Riding the cable car up to Sugarloaf.

Look at that view!

My Adventures in Rio de Janeiro - Day 3

2009-06-01T11:12:00.000-07:00

Monday, we took a walk to downtown Leblon with Guy. We had some shopping at the supermarket that needed doing.

Here is Guy as we are walking down the street in his neighborhood.

It is not unusual to see unique grafity on walls and buildings. Some of it is really quite good.

I like the mosiac look on the sidewalks.

Here is Lezlea and Guy.

The markets are full of uniqe and interesting foods. The smaller eggs are quail eggs. They are very popular and I am told taste pretty much the same as a chicken's egg.

Lezlea and I drink a lot of milk. The milk here is in boxes that don't have to be refrigerated (like some soy milk or rice milk in the states). It tasted good, we just went through a lot of boxes of it instead of gallons.

After shopping, we put Guy in a taxi home and Lezlea and I walked the remaining few blocks to the beach. (Leblon/Ipanema - are connected). We walked the length of the beach to the rocks overlooking Cobacabana as well.

Ironically, those houses lining the side of the mountain are the slums (favelas) of Rio. They have the best views.

The waves were pretty good today. You can barely see a surfer to the left in this picture.

My Adventures in Rio de Janeiro - Day 2

2009-06-01T05:40:00.001-07:00

Sunday morning we got up and got dressed for church. Our Uncle Guy joined our church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) approximately 5-6 years ago after a trip to the states and a visit with our parents for three weeks. During that time, he attended church with them 3 times telling the Sunday School teacher on the second week that his lesson was the second best lesson he had ever heard. When asked what the first one was, he replied that it was the previous week's lesson.

He returned to Brasil and requested the missionary discussions. It's great to be able to talk to him about the gospel.

Here I am with my Great Uncle Guy. (Can you believe he is 87?)

This is Lezlea and Guy.

This is a view from outside the apartment complex in Leblon. I really like the bricked streets (the way they look, not the way they feel driving on them).

This is looking up to the apartment's laundry room and kitchen area.

We took a taxi to church. Taxi's in Rio are great. They are clean and relatively new vehicles. Aside from the aggressive driving in Rio, Taxi's are a terrific way to travel.

This is Lezlea outside of the church building.

The name of the church in Portuguese.

The church building.

We went to the famous "Hippie Fair" in downtown Ipanema. Lezlea and I both said it was the best flea market we had ever been to. It's the best place to buy authentic Brasilian items...art, jewelry, clothing, shoes, you name it. We discovered that the malls in Rio are very expensive and carry designer stores with designer prices.

We had dinner at the Yacht club. I tried ox tail and actually liked it. It was a good chance to try some of the local cuisine with other safe options if I didn't like it...buffet style.

This is Marcia and Julia (our cousin).

My Adventures in Rio de Janeiro - Day 1

2009-06-01T05:22:00.001-07:00

After 9 hours on a plane orginating in Atlanta, GA, my sister, Lezlea, and I arrived in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil at 8:35 AM, Saturday, May 16, 2009. We were greeted at the airport by our Great Uncle Guy (and I do mean Great!) and his daughter, Julia.

After visiting for a while and then taking some time to rest, Marcia took us to a beautiful park not far from where they live. It was a little cloudy that day but at least cool (May is the beginning of Brasil's winter). You can't really see the beauty of the area in pictures. You have to be there.

This is Marcia, Uncle Guy's wife. She is brasilian and quite a wonderful hostess too. She was so awesome at helping us to plan our time and the places to go. She took us quite a few places herself. In addition, she is a wonderful cook!

These are all pictures just around this lake park area. Very beautiful!

Together Forever and Ever and Ever and Ever...

2009-04-24T17:57:00.000-07:00

This past Tuesday we had the privilege of attending the temple sealing of our very good friends, Paul and Alicia Mears at the Columbia, SC temple. It was such a special occasion and several of our other church friends attended as well.

Here are Paul and Alicia with three of their children and Alicia's step-mother.

Paul and Alicia.

Paul and Alicia twitterpated. Ah, love!

Ted and I standing in front of the temple.

Truthfully, the whole experience left us "twitterpated" as well. We can hardly wait until we can be sealed together also.

Family Fun in Sunny Florida

2009-04-24T17:23:00.001-07:00

I love my family and I hate that we now all live so far apart. Heather and Kevin are in California, Mom, dad and Nana are in Florida, Lezlea and Brent are in Tennessee and Tamara is in Alabama. Ted and I are in North Carolina and all of his family is living in this state. Unfortunately, some of them are up to 5 hours away. So, when I get to together with my family, we plan for fun and take lots of pictures. These first 3 photos I swiped from Heather's family blog. Thanks chicka!

Heather and I strike a facial pose. Probably one of our favorite things to do as we are both incredibly goofy. I think it's just an Archer trait.

I love to laugh, but it's the true sign of having fun.

Here Heather and I are with our 95 1/2 year old grandmother. She doesn't look it does she?

This is my dad and mom and then Heather and I.

Once again, the silly faces must present themselves.

Kevin has no trouble keeping up with Heather. He's just a big kid himself! :)

Here we are...all the family we were able to muster. Myself and Ted, Heather behind Kevin, Mom behind dad, then Nana, and then Aunt Linda behind Uncle Brian.

Fun in Sunny Florida!

2009-04-24T16:56:00.000-07:00

Last week, Ted and I took a week vacation to Florida to visit with my parents who live near the Tampa area.

One of the highlights of our trip was attending a session in the Orlando Temple for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It is a beautiful building both inside and out. We experienced the feelings of peace and happiness that can only be found inside that building.

Ted said he felt short next to my father.

We had the opportunity of going to Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom. My brother-in-law, Kevin, was our own personal tour guide. He grew up in Southern California near the original Disneyland and over the years picked up interesting tidbits of information. He made the adventure more interesting. Unfortunately, it ended up being a very busy day and we spent a lot of time standing in lines waiting to ride this and that. My favorite ride was "The Haunted Mansion." I also really enjoyed Space Mountain. Ted did too. He has now experienced his first trip to a theme park of any kind. What better way to get christened than to go to Disney!

Collin at the Carnival

2009-04-24T16:46:00.000-07:00

Just a few weeks ago, Collin's kindergarten class visited the Drexel Fairgrounds for a Letterland Carnival. Amongst the festivities were a puppetshow featuring the Letterland characters, booths for each letter of the alphabet and carnival rides.

I am very impressed with the teaching methods for my kindergartner. He is reading at age 6 and able to sound out many big and difficult words. I had fun participating in this activity and thought I would share a couple of fun pictures.

Collin's a Character

2009-04-22T16:45:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month (April), Collin participated in his school play - something about the tortoise and the hare. Here is a photo of him delivering his lines and then standing with a few classmates afterwards.

First Snow!

2009-01-21T13:06:00.001-08:00

Yesterday we had our first snow. It seemed to pour down out of the sky as if in buckets and it was beautiful to watch. The boys were very excited to get out in it and play.

Collin, Ted and I worked on a snowman (the snow was a little powdery so this was a challenge) and both boys got to sled down the neighbor's yard (our yard is a little too steep to attempt. They might not have been able to stop).

I liked Ted in his uniform so I had these pictures taken.

Last week, Ted took me target shooting. I have a pistol that I haven't shot in years. I love the gun with the scope. I don't know what kind of gun it is but aside from it being too heavy for me to hold (had to prop it on the side of the pick-up) it was great fun to shoot.

December's End

2009-01-16T12:00:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve, all four of Ted's children came to stay with us. We ate, we chatted, we opened presents and we watched "The Dark Knight." The biggest surprise was our gift from the kids. They had had their picture taken together and a blanket made from that picture. It's awesome! They are an attractive bunch!

Both of my boys were in Birmingham with their father, so the day after Christmas, we headed South for a few days. I took Ted to the Vulcan Statue. Birmingham was known for it's Iron Ore production many years back. Vulcan is the Greek God of Iron. It's a huge statue that sits atop a pedestal that you can go in and overlook the city of Birmingham and it's surrounding area. We lovingly call Vulcan the "Moon over Birmingham." You'll understand when you look at the picture.

The highlight of the trip for me was seeing my sister, Tamara. I tried to think back to the last time I had seen her and the last time I could actually remember was after our sister's wedding two years previously.

She is working as a manager and event coordinator at The Garden Cafe at the Botanical Gardens. She really loves her job and is good at it.

We also enjoyed a dinner and an evening with my longtime friend, DJ Berney. Ladies, he's single.

Let's Hear it for North Carolina!

2009-01-15T14:56:00.000-08:00

The weekend before Christmas, Ted had Coast Guard duty at MSU Wilmington. He was the gent in charge of CDR May's retirement party. This particular event carried a lot of pomp and circumstance and was very detailed in it's presentation.

Here is Ted with me and also alongside his Commanding officers CDR Nadeau and LCDR Dostie. They are great men to work with.

After several days in Wilmington, we headed to the outer banks of North Carolina. We had a 2 1/2 hour ferry ride to Ocracoke Island. Here we saw one of the unique lighthouses that sit along this beautiful coastline.

We continued our travels up the outerbanks where we spent the night in Kitty Hawk. I had mentioned an interst in seeing the Wright Brother's Memorial and Ted made it so. After which, we stopped by the Lost Colony of Manteo (me by this beautiful moss covered tree) and ventured through a little aquarium in that town. The best part of the aquarium where the silly pictures we had taken.

Our last stop this particular trip was Jerry and Evelyn's home (Ted's father and step-mother). We had a wonderful dinner provided by Evelyn and enjoyed some wonderful gifts and conversation. Ted's sister, Paula, and her family were with us as well. Paula performed a little "surgery" on me while there. I think it's called Microderm Abrasion. She literally scraped the top layer of dead skin off of my face with a razor.

Ok, I made that sound scarier than it was. Afterwards, my face felt so smooth but a little tender. She warned Ted not to startle her during the process but we all laughed because she is very professional at what she does. Thank you Paula!

Here are some photos from that fun family gathering.

It's A Wonderful Life!

2009-01-14T06:45:00.000-08:00

I got myself involved in a local theatrical production of "It's Wonderful Life." While at auditions, my son, Blaine, surprised me with a desire to participate as well. We both walked away with parts. I obtained the part of Mrs. Carter - bank examiner (it's a Mr. in the movie) and Blaine became young George Bailey and the newspaper boy.

Along the way, Collin and Ted were added to the mix. Collin became a caroler and was in the first and last scenes of the play. He was very proud of his part as you can tell when looking at the pictures. Ted, bless his heart, helped out back stage by moving props and then was an extra in several scenes. All in all, it was a wonderful experience and we are all so glad that we did it but also glad that it is over. I had forgotten just how much time and energy it took to participate in something like this.

Here are some photos from the play:

Many of our friends from church as well as several of the boy's teachers from Icard Elementary school came to support our family in this production. We were also blessed to have several family members drive from Cookeville, TN, Atlanta, GA, Birmingham, AL and Pulaski, VA to be there. Here are some photos of family members that came and stayed with us. We loved having you here and please come again!!!!!!

Christmas at Amy's

2009-01-14T06:09:00.000-08:00

The first of December marked the beginning of many activities for the Brothers family. We had a wonderful get together at Amy's house (Ted's sister). All the family was gathered including a few extra special folks. Judy, Ted's mother, put up a tremendous spread of food all by herself! She is an excellent cook.

Some of the extra curricular activities included some rides on the dirt bike. The boys really enjoyed that, including me!

Blaine was very excited to meet a new cousin, Jackson. They hit it off very nicely.

Here we have all the gang together.

Siblings! Ted and Amy

L-R: Anna, Caroline, Marlena, Miranda and Jackie with Blaine in the front. I think the boy likes being surrounded by so many pretty girls. :)

Caroline, Judy, Marlena and Miranda

Miranda, Marlena and Trey

Go for Gatlinburg!

2009-01-14T05:30:00.000-08:00

Ted and I took a spontaneous trip to Gatlinburg, TN in November. Just one full day and a night of fun. Ted had never been and I only once. We both decided another trip was going to be necessary. Here are some of the pictures that we took that trip.

That's me out there on that rock.

I met an Elvis Impersonator at the Elvis Museum and Gift Shop in Pigeon Forge. He has been doing this since 1971. I saw a clip of him and went Wow! I asked him if I could get my picture taken with him. He said, "Like this?" He suggested we put the picture of him as Elvis in the photo with us. His name is Tim Turney if you are looking for a good Elvis impersonator.

(Ted and I overlooking the city of Gatlinburg)

(There's a parrot on my head!)

Hey! There was a Blaine's Grill and Bar!

Poor Ted - always on the phone!

Thank Goodness For Thanksgiving

2008-12-30T17:06:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I think it is because we get together as families without the pressures of gift giving. We eat great food, and play games, laugh and enjoy each others company. I feel very happy at Thanksgiving and this year was one of the best.

This year, my sister Heather with her husband Kevin were able to make an appearance at our sister's house in Cookeville, TN. Along with them, came our parents and 95 year old Grandmother. All of us were together except for Tamara who was unable to attend.

We enjoyed a friendly family rival of Laser Tag. As Heather pointed out on her blog, our mother placed the highest score on the first round. We were all quite surprised as she is not typically the "playful" type. We also fully expected Lezlea to reign supreme as she has beat us all in the past. To top it off, we had Ted who is a professional law enforcement officer. It truly is the quiet ones you need to watch out for. Go Mom!!!!

Here I am with my sisters, Lezlea and Heather.

Below I am with my sister Heather, brother Brent and my son Collin and nieces Rebekah and Hannah. - So Silly!

Here is my brother, Brent, and his wife Dana next to their youngest offspring, Adam.

I am so Thankful for Friends! While visiting Cookeville, I got to see my friend Shellie Willis and Best buds and former band mates Steve and Trina Sliger.

Halloween It's Not

2008-12-30T16:52:00.000-08:00

Halloween is way past us, but I'm very behind in updating this site. So, to make me happy, I'm doing it a step at a time.

First, I want to say that this years Halloween was probably the most fun I've had. I don't typically care anything for Halloween. I don't watch scary movies, I don't typically enjoy the tedious walking the kids from house to house and I rarely dress up. I suppose this attitude comes from two things. For one, I was forbidden to trick or treat after fourth grade when my father, mother and myself were diagnosed with Hypoglaucemia. Suddenly sugar was poison and for all intensive purposes, it was for someone with our diagnosis. However, it was difficult as a kid to understand and accept that reason.

Second, I had little support from my first husband to help in the festivities. I was left alone to tackle the festivities for the boys....getting them ready, driving or walking them from home to home and various activities. It wasn't so much fun by myself.

This year, Ted and his attitude made all the difference in the world. He made it fun for me and since he loves Halloween, got me excited about it myself. We thoroughly enjoyed the church's trunk or treat activity and for the first time since I was a kid, I enjoyed the stinkin Holiday. :)

Ted's Birthday Weekend

2008-10-29T06:52:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we celebrated Ted's birthday by having his kids come visit. We took some family pictures at a park in Valdese.

Trey, Caroline and Marlena were able to come. Miranda had to work. As it turns out, it was a great weekend. It was the first time Blaine and Collin had met Marlena. I think they are thrilled to have older step-sisters and a step-brother. Ted's kids were very good to my kids.

These are just some photos I had taken with my camera. We actually had Jeanna Vickers come and take some professional photos. They turned out great.

I Can't Believe It!

2008-10-22T12:39:00.000-07:00

Just this past Monday, I stopped into the Valdese Community Center to see if there was anything I could become involved with. I was looking for something like Art lessons, Couples dancing lessons, etc.

I asked the nice lady behind the counter if I could be put on the open auditions list to try out for any upcoming plays or musicals. To my surprise, they were in the process of putting together "It's a Wonderful Life" for Christmas. She asked if I could come back at 7:00 PM to audition.

Ted was having to work so I took the boys with me. Most of the parts had been assigned but there were a few left. I auditioned for the part of Miss Carter, the bank examiner and got it. The director asked if there were any young men that would like to audition. A boy of about 9 or 10 raised his hand and went up to audition for the part of young George Bailey. Blaine suddenly decided he wanted to try out. Now, this is a boy who is so incredibly shy that he won't even stand and say a few lines in the Primary Program every year or give a talk in Primary. I was stunned that he was even interested.

He wanted me to raise my hand to tell the director but I said that was up to him. He was called upon and stood up to go up on the stage and froze. He looked at me as if to question what he was just about to do. I simply told him he could do it. The director noticed his hesitancy and said, "Son, you'll do just fine."

He went up on stage and did an excellent job. I couldn't believe it! When he sat down next to me, he was so excited he couldn't wait to hear if he got the part. The director continued to ask him to read the part and sent us both home with a play book. I, on one hand was thinking, what have I gotten myself into? I haven't done any acting in such a long time. Now, I have to memorize lines, blah, blah, blah, but the excitement I felt for my little boy was so overwhelming.

Maybe, just maybe, he is beginning to come out of his shell. How can I not participate in this? Mom and son, in a play together. How cool is that?

On another note, I traveled to Cookeville, TN last weekend. Brent and Dana are getting ready to move and were in great need of the boxes I took with me on my move to NC. To top it off, Lezlea, needed me to get the rest of my junk out of her house.

I went without the boys because their father was in NC visiting them and Ted had Coast Guard. While there, we had a small reunion with "the Band."

Band members Steve Sliger, Melissa Brothers and Brent Archer were present.

In addition, our family had a night of Jack-o-Lantern carving. The boys had a blast!

This coming weekend 3 of Ted's kids are coming to stay with us for the weekend. It's Ted's birthday and we are going to have a big family photo taken. I am excited to take pictures and post of them. They are such great young women and young man!

My First Blog

2008-09-19T06:37:00.000-07:00

Well, I've never done this cyber posting of all my personal information before. Ok, besides getting on LDS Singles.Com and then finding the sweetest husband ever (those websites do work). I've enjoyed visiting my sister, Heather's, family blog and decided this IS a cool way to keep in touch.

A lot has changed in my life over the last 2 years such as.....moving from Birmingham, AL (my home of over 20 years) to Cookeville, TN. I went through a divorce, worked an exciting sales and marketing job that allowed me to travel to places like Grapevine, TX, Philadelphia, PA, Vienna, VA, Orlando, FL and Los Angeles, CA. My most recent change, I got married to Jerry Theodore "Ted" Brothers, Jr. on May 3, 2008 and moved to Hickory, NC. Yes, now I am Sister Brothers but it's not as funny as Brother Brothers.

Tennesse was a good place for me the last two years. I was close to my sister, Lezlea and my brother, Brent and their families. If it weren't for Lezlea and Dana, my sister-in-law, my life would have been very difficult. They really picked up the slack for me with my two boys. While I worked, they would pick the boys up from school and keep them until I got off work. When I was traveling, they kept them overnight, sometimes for 4 or 5 days at a time. I really appreciate you two so much!

Cookeville was a small college town (home of Tennessee Tech) and it had a hometown feel. It didn't offer a lot by way of excitement or shopping but I felt very content there. Besides, we were only an hour away from Nashville, the Country Music Capital of the world. If I hadn't been working so much, I think I could have spent a lot of time in Nashville.

Hickory is a really nice area. It's not huge, but it does offer quite a bit more than Cookeville did by way of shopping and activities. Some of the most beautiful scenic views can be seen close to our house. We live in the mountains not far from Asheville or Charlotte.

Now, let me tell you a little bit about my sweet husband. He is a wildlife enforcement officer and the district captain for this area. He's been at this job for 25 years and will be eligible for retirement in the next 3-4 years. As if that wasn't enough, he is also a Lieutenant in the Coast Guard Reserve. He has put in 19 years in that job as well. He has four beautiful children from a previous marriage. The oldest, Miranda, lives in Raleigh. She specializes in the cosmotology field. Next is Marlena who works as a pediatric nurse in Albemarle. Caroline is a senior at East Carolina University in Greenville. Last but not least is Trey. He just turned 20and is still weighing his options but leaning heavily toward a degree in Architecture. They have been so great at welcoming me and accepting me into the family. I feel very blessed.

I was recently called to be the second counselor in the RS presidency at church. I am over Enrichment. I work with some great ladies and have really grown fond of many folks here in my new ward.

I now have the opportunity of being a stay-at-home mom and though I am so grateful for that opportunity, it is taking some getting used to. I've been accustomed to being on the go constantly that I have struggled with all the free time I suddenly have. I have signed up to help out at the boy's school, and want to take some art or pottery classes. I got to read a thick book. I started the Twilight Series by recommendation of Heather. I'm not sure what I think of it.....it's so bizarre and interesting at the same time. I find that I want to read them even though I find the story a little un-nerving.

Well, enough of my jibber jabber right now. Hope you enjoy the photos and if I haven't heard from you in awhile, take the opportunity to write me. I'd love to hear from you.

Melissa