The End of 2005

Christmas break is almost over. I can not believe how time has flown by. I had lots of fun in NYC. It was great to spend time with Alana and Xander. Below was the iteneray for the trip.
Saturday 12/17
kelly arrives 6:30ish8:30ish dinner at Alana and Xander with Barclay and Dana
Sunday 12/18
11am brunch at miss mamie's spoonbread (yum), the cloisters5:30pm christmas concert at riverside churchdinner in the neighborhood Ethiopian place
Monday 12/19
10am ice skating in central park, lunch at home2:00pm MoMAcoffee break, city hall and brooklyn bridge, ground zero dinner in Chinatown with shopping
Tuesday 12/20
shopping in neighborhood a take cab to airport 12:30 for 5:00 flight (making sure we have not traffic delays).
I left the day the transit strike began. It was quite an experience. The streets near their apartment on 120th streets are never crowded, and they were bumper to bumper on Tuesday morning. I took a taxi to the airport early, but I did not have any problems. (Please see Alana and Xanders blog)

When I arrived home, Steve and I did some last minute shopping, and celebrated Christmas with our extended families. I gave Steve a UGA hanging light to hang above the table in the basement, several shirts and books. Steve gave me the coolest stainless steel Coleman cooler with my “new” initials on the top (KWB), a pearl necklace, a ring of love diamond necklace, and meaningful charms for my charm bracelet. Most of this week, I have spend cleaning my house and Steve’s, buying Christmas decorations for next year, and hanging curtains. Steve has spent most of the week working on real-estate and mortgage stuff. We have not big plans for New Years Eve, and I return to school on Monday Jan. 2, 2006.

NYC

Greetings from New York City. I arrived here Sat. evening after RUNNING through the airport due to marta having delays. I just knew that I would miss my flight. It took 30 min. to pass through security. I arrived at the gate at 3:15, the time my flight was scheduled to depart, but much to my relieve it was delayed. I finally regained my breathe and had a very nice flight. When I arrived at Alana and Xanders, we had a great dinner with John, a friend from Piedmont, and his girlfriend Dana. Sunday morning we had brunch at Spoonbread, a really neat soul-food resturant in the neighborhood. We took the subway to the Cloister, part of the Met. It was really cool and the parks in the area were amazing. We met up with Alana brother, his wife, her brother and friend for a church concert and dinner at an African resturant. Today will have a full day ahead, begining with iceskating.
Steve is at home working on his bird pen. He had dinner last night with my family. I think he is working today. I heard that Tut really misses me, and I miss him too!

Schools out for Winter (or at least until Jan. 2, 2006)

What can I say? Steve still has no power after 36 hours. He has jsut purchased a generator, saying this will never happen again. I still have no home phone, thus no internet. I am at Steve parents on the internet printing out my boarding pass for NYC. The ice really wasn't that bad, and not even that pretty this time - no cool pictures.
I have enjoyed my two extra days. I got a chance to clean the house, pack, wrap gifts, go to the gym and relax.
Signing off from the Bryant house!
-Kelly

A Cold Week in the South

Boy was it cold this week. I was hoping for snow/ice, but nothing. The news says that we may have snowflurries tonight, but I am not getting excited. I think I will get my share of snow next weekend in NYC ( I can not wait). Steve is planning several grouse hunting trips, he says when the cats away the mice will play, but I am betting that he just sits on the couch and watches movies.
I had a nice birthday. I have had way to much junk food in the past few days. Today I have a Christmas dinner with family in Lula.
Only one more week of school...I think I can make it!

SEC Champions!!

It has not been a very eventful week in the adventures of Kelly and Steve. The work week was great for me, it went really fast. Steve spent two days hunting with Crates. Friday night we had dinner in Dahlonega and watched the lighting of the town square. Saturday it was cold and rainy. We went to the outlet mall in Dawsonville and almost finished up Christmas shopping.
We were not very hopefully that GA would win the SEC championship against LSU. Steve began watching the game at my parents, while my mom wanted me to take her shopping. Then the rest of my family went to sleep, so Steve went to his parents to watch the game with a more alert crowd.
After church today Steve is making soup and I hope to spend the day matting artwork for the house (unless I get distracted, which easily happens!)
-Kelly

Another win over Tech

Steve got sick during the game and went to his house. I continued decorating and cleaning for a bit then went to bed. Steve could not stand the thought of missing the game so he went over to his parents for the second half. Today was a very low key day. Mom and I went to target, then Steve and I hung out at my parents for dinner. Three more work weeks til Christmas break…I hope I can make it and still keep my sanity!

Go Dawgs!

Steve was all excited about the GA vs. GA Tech game tonight. I spend most of the day cleaning and putting up Christmas decorations my house. Steve went back to Baldwin to get another pair of flannel lined pants. Mid-afternoon we went on a short hike to Coppers Creek in Suches. There we saw really large tulip trees. Some had a circumference of more than 15 feet. The game is beginning….more to come!

No ‘Black Friday’ fun for me

Last night Steve and I attended our second annual lighting of the Richs-Macys great tree at Lenox Mall. We did not do a great job of estimating the time it would take to ride MARTA. We had to wait what seemed forever for the train to arrive and we did not arrive at the tree until 7:50, just in time to see the tree light and Steve’s favorite part the amazing firework display. On the way home we encountered a truck explosion just south of Dawson County on GA400. I saw sparks underneath the truck in front of me, then in less then 30 seconds the truck had pulled off in the median and was fully engulfed in flames. Two very lucky guys got out with less than first degree burns. It was really crazy just like in the movies.
This morning I only went shopping at Wal-Mart to purchase Steve some of the $3.44 DVD that were on sale. I could not fathom getting up at midnight to do the marathon shopping, so I stayed in bed and will have to finish my shopping on line. We rode to Baldwin around noon so Steve could get at pair of flannel lined Carhart pants at Irvin’s Store. We stopped by Cornelia Kmart and Wal-Mart, but they did not have electricity so we just left. (side note-Winn Dixie has closed the a locally owned grocery store is in its place) On the way home we took a side trip thru the Piedmont College Campus. I can not believe how much it has changed in the past five years. Steve cooked dinner for my aunt and uncle and I cut mats while they watched a movie. Tomorrow Steve will be getting ready for one of the biggest football games of the season…GOOOOO DAWGGSSS!

Great Smoky Mountians

Yesterday the “Adventure of Kelly and Steve” (also known as the –Adventures of Steve and Kelly) took the two of us to Cades Cove, TN in the Great Smoky Mountains. We departed Frogtown at 7am and returned at 11pm, thus we had a full day of fun. We neglected to have get a map, because Steve was certain than he had a map in his head, next time I will not believe him-I am going to get an atlas today! The tops of the mountains were covered in snow and the road over the mountain was closed, but it did not snow on us.

We spend a portion of the day in the knife store, but good news-Steve found the perfect pocket knife after three years of searching. We entered Cades Cove around 2 and spend most of the afternoon driving around the 11 mile loop. We saw two small coyotes, a group of turkey and geese. Although we did not see a bear, we did see more than a hundred deer. Approximately ten of which were very large buck - 6 to 10 pointers! It was really cool. I took hundred of pictures. I can not believe that I had never been there before. You really need to stop by if you are close. I want to go back in the summer with the jeep to see the bears.
Gotta run for now. We are off to see the lighting of the Richs-Macys great tree in Atlanta and to the outlet mall shopping at the Midnight Madness sale.

Drinking café au lait to stay warm and awake…
Kelly

Two Day Work Week... I Like This!

Schools out for Thanksgiving!!! Yeah. I finished all of my Christmas shopping this afternoon. I ordered some stuff on line, and then Steve and I went to the outlet mall in Dawsonville after school. When I arrived home this evening, I was pleasantly surprised to see the champagne glasses for the wedding had arrived. They are perfect with little daisies etched around the top (btw-daisies are the theme for the wedding).

Steve finally finished the dog box that he had been making for his an Kalicrate’s bird killing adventures (yes I am opposed, but it was a compromise). I assume that is what he will be doing while I am in NYC next month.

Yesterday I finished and washed the “rag quilt” for the master bed room. I have had so much fun this fall making quilts. Who would have imagined that I would be spending my free time behind a sewing machine? On that note who would have guessed that I would be engaged to a college football fanatic?

A Rainy Monday

November weather is here. Today is so rainy and dreary. This weekend was less than exciting. Saturday Steve and his brother in law spend the morning getting the hot tub in working order. Now Steve is happy and may never work again. Saturday evening we went to Atlanta to the thrift store, ate at Hooters and we to the mall. Sunday we attended church at Cresent Hill, the church we are getting married at in June.
Trying to stay dry...Kelly

Finally Friday!

I thought this day would never come. The children have been crazy this week. I knew it was a full moon even before I looked outside. Only two school days next week... I can not wait. Steve and I are not sure what the weekend holds, maybe a hike or some Christmas shopping, or middle school basketball.
-Kelly and Steve

Weekend Fun

Saturday Steve and I climbed to the top of Blood Mountain. We were at the base of the mountain around 8 a.m. so there were not many other hikers. There was a slight breeze in the air and the views were fabulous. Most of the leaves had been blown off of the trees in an early Thursday morning wind burst, so the color was not as amazing as we had hoped for. As we neared the top, I did cartwheels on the rock face. Steve just knew that I was going to fall off and have to be airlifted out, but luckily I practiced safe cart wheeling! We purchased a Northeast Georgia hiking book and hope to find other cool placed to hike this winter.

The excitement for a dreary Sunday was encountering five week old marmoset monkey named Tinkerbelle (The worlds smallest monkey). She is owed by the Chestatee Wildlife Preserve, but her “mommy” was at the neighbor produce stand. Steve and I spent at least an hour playing with her. She loved Steve’s watch. We think it was the ticking sound that intrigued her. She also enjoyed crawling around in my hair.

Monday also held much excitement in the LCMS art room during my 8th grade class. As I was helping all students work on there weaving projects, two students that were finished were looking for markers in my desk when they yelled “you have a snake under your chair!” I thought it must be a joke, but no, really there was a very small snake under my desk chair (maybe 6 inches). I am still unsure of what type of snake it was. It had the coloring of a copperhead, but no marking. I had the brave maintenance guy, Edward, to remove it as I scream-“DON’T KILL IT! It was set free across the road from the school. I am just hoping there are not other snakes just hanging out in my room. Hey, but now my students really do believe that I am Medusa!

-Medusa (Kelly)

A wonderful Fall Afternoon

What a beautiful day. Steve had to work late, so Tut and I went on a walk to the river. The leaves are almost a full peak and the weather is amazing. Steve and I are hiking on the AT to Blood Mountian on Saturday and I can not wait.
-Kelly

New Stuff

Steve and I are just attempting to figure out this blog thing.
More to come....
-Kelly