First Annual Movie Night on Cottonwood Trail

On Saturday night our cul-de-sac had it's First Annual Movie Night. Just about all our neighbors attended. It was a great time to meet and to get to know our neighbors. We watched Jumanji...a good choice...it was interesting to both young and the not-as-young...

I don't think any of our neighbors are actually from Georgia...I'm going to list some of the places the people in our neighborhood are from...New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Missouri, Texas, Iowa, California, Oregon, California, Florida, Arkansas, Wisconsin...just to name the ones I know of...they are all VERY nice and their kids are very nice too. Although i have to say Cameron is getting "tired of the girls tearing off [his] clothes..." This is not a joke...Cameron was very upset at the end of the night and he told Sheri, "Mom, you have to tell them to stop chasing me - I'm serious Mom...look what they did to my shirt...you need to tell their mothers...Aunt Tricia wouldn't let them do this to Tommy..." OK...he didn't really say the part about Aunt Tricia but the rest of it's true...and I did tell him I would talk to their mothers...

A couple of the men on the block are big motorcycle riders and as a few of you know I am planning on buying of motorcycle...however, recent events have made this purchase less critical...but I'm still thinking about it...and it's nice to know I might have a couple of guys to ride with...

As anyone who knows me knows...I'm not good at small talk - so I have to make things up to make myself sounds interesting....in case anyone asks you...I have climbed Mount Everest...I went to school with Tiger Woods...and I invented silicone...

Not everyone was invited to Movie Night - Jewel was a little upset she wasn't invited...here she is pouting...



I had to get my yard work done before I could go to "Movie Night"...some people question whether I ever actually do yard work or if I just talk about it...hmmm...hmmmm...



Luckily the yard work I committed to today was 'planning what I am going to do with the yard..." Also, I don't want to do the heavy work yet...that's waiting for Kenny Croke to come in town...

But for anyone who questions whether I ever do "yard work"...here's proof....

The First Annual Cottonwood Trail Movie Night festivities began at 7:00 p.m.

Here are some of the neighbors mingling...you can't see me but at this time I was telling a neighbor about my brush with a Great White Shark while I was scuba diving off the Great Barrier Reef...



When the sun went down everyone got into position...



The "Big Screen" a bed sheet on the back of the house... You don't see me because I had to step out of the movie theater for a while to take care of some very important business...



As you can see it was a full house...standing room only...



Kelsie and Heather sitting in the balcony with friends...



Kelsie, Heather, and friends...enjoying Jumanji...



It's a wrap...the night was a raving success...

Back to School Pool Party & Cameron's Groupies...

Our Subdivision had a "Back to School Pool Party' on Friday Night. When I arrived at our pool at 6:00pm last night it looked like Van Cortland Park Pool on a Saturday in August. There were kids everywhere!! It was a great way for the kids to meet other kids and also for the parents to meet other parents. We sat at a table with all the other parents in our cul-de-sac. There were a lot of them and they were all around our age with kids our kid's ages. They were very nice and we are planning on having them over in a few weeks. They also told us about a "Movie Night" they are planning. One of the father's has a projector and he's going to hangup a big sheet on one of the trees and we'll watch a movie while we're sitting in someones front yard (getting eaten by mequito's(?)) eating popcorn. I also met a couple of other fathers - one who was from the Bronx and knew all about Kingsbridge, Riverdale, New York Pizza, Dirty Water Dogs, and he was a Yankee Fan. The other one was from Yonkers and worked for UPS. Everyone we met was very nice. Maybe one of them will be my friend :)

Something that was VERY funny was what happened when Cameron showed up at the pool. There were about seven ten year old girls swimming together in the pool and when they saw Cameron they said, "He's Here!! There's Cameron! There's Cameron! Come on let's get out of the pool - he's here!" This is not an exaggeration! Later on after we got home some of the same girls came to the door and asked if Cameron could come out. I told them he was outside playing. I didn't realize he was actually in the basement with a couple of other boys playing SoCom. The girls RAN - not walked - RAN - looking for him. I heard them screaming, "He's inside!" When I walked to the backyard they were saying, "There he is! I can see him!!"

Below is a video I took before I shooed them off.

Mom...I'm sure you're thinking "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree..." but I really need your help...how did you handle it when the girls in the neighborhood used to climb up our fire escape to look in my window...I need your advice...I'm concerned with his safety - you know how groupies can be... :)

Cameron's first day of school...

icwuw

Pandemonium - but we'll miss it :)

There's nothing like a quiet Friday evening at home after a rough week at work...

I didn't say it was quiet last night...I just said there is nothing like a quiet night...

You might think that after all of the chaos and distractions...I'm looking forward to getting back to my "normal life"...nothing can be further from the truth...I know I speak for the whole Hand Family when I say we will miss Kristi, Mike, Brant, Jennifer, Sydney, Natalie, Shayna, Madison, Cody...

This video says it best...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdDSJ2NddyE

The Chaos is Over...But We Miss You ALOT!

Why we love Uncle Kenny

Eating Crab with the Jensen's

YaAoMm

Living the "Jet Set" life style...:)

Stone Mountain - check

Zoo - check

CNN - check

Aquarium - check

Coke - check

Swimming - check

Sal's - check

Fat Matt's Rib Shack - check

Joe's Crab Shack - check

Chillen' after living the "Jet Set" life stye - check!!!

091159

Home Sweet Home :)

Invaded

Invaded by relatives ...from the top of the steps going down...Mike Murray (brother in-law), Cody Jensen (nephew), Cameron James Richard Philip Hand, Brant Jensen (nephew), Sydney Jensen (Brant's oldest daughter), Kristi Murray (Sister in-law), Madison (Shayna's daughter), Shayna Jensen (niece), Natalie Jensen (Brant's youngest daughter), Jennifer Jensen (Brant's wife), Kelsie Lyn Gardner Collins Hand, Sheri Lyn Gardner Collins Hand (not pictured - Jewel, me)

Next chapter...Invaded by the Murreys and Jensens...

The previous owners of our house left behind some speakers, wires, and a box with bunch of nobs and switches. They were sitting on the shelves in the Rec Room...they'd still be sitting there if it wasn't for my nephews Brant and Cody. They said, "Oh you have surround sound..." I said, "Aaaa...ya...surround sound..." They said, "Oh you haven't hooked it up yet..." I said, "Aaaa...ya...sirind sound...ya...haven't gotten around to hooking it up yet." They said, "Looks like your missing some speaker wires and some cables..." I said, "Ya...wires...cables..." They said, "If you buy some cables and wires we can hook it up..." I said, "Now that's something I can do." 15 minutes later we were off to Walmart. 15 minutes after that we were back to my house...and Brant and Cody were off to work...



My nephew Brant Jensen...



My nephew Cody Jensen...my niece once removed...Sydney Jensen (Brant's daughter)...my niece once removed...Natalie Jensen (Brant's other daughter)



Natalie and Kelsie (my daughter once removed...)