Myrtle Beach

Myrtle Beach
I was able to attend a training for work in Myrtle Beach this last week....I know rough huh! Myrtle Beach is in South Carolina and the average temperate was about mid 50's. The beach was absolutely beautiful and I took several long walks during my week stay. I was able to eat at some fun (and very good restaurants) do a little shopping on my down time (scored some really great deals too!!!) and took a tour of their boardwalk shops. It would be such a nice place to visit in the summer months but I'm sure very crowded too. Lots of fish/seafood places to eat as well. The training itself was great....with an instructor that was able to keep your attention. I learned alot and hopefully will be able to apply it here in my work environment (making my job easier in the long run!). I feel quite fortunate to have been able to receive the opportunity to go!
I absolutely postively LOVE the Beach!!!

These CatFish were all over in a pond that was in the middle of a Boardwalk Outdoor Shopping Mall. They are so ugly!
On the last day....savoring the views.

I totally took my own picture. I just learned (from some guy at the training) how to set the timer on my camera. Worked out pretty good.

In between classes.... I think I could get used to a place like this very easily!

The Boardwalk Outdoor Shopping Mall

I almost bought them.... they were very tempting.

This was our class. Two folks from M&T Bank, one from Bank of Mellon, one from Regions and four of us from Wells. We went to lunch at this really REALLY good fast food restuarant, The Steak and Shake. The burgers there were so good. It was set up like an old fifty's diner. They sat you, took your order and served you. It was kinda cool and not expensive at all.

I had alot of fun taking different pics......

The ocean view just feet from the hotel.


I wanted to brave the water (it was kind of warm) but choose not to..... This place would be a great place to go though in the summer season. It was absolutely beautiful!!

We actually stayed in Condo's that were within walking distance from the conference rooms. It was like it's own personal community with the beach just feet away.

One morning on my way to the daily training. There were these little ponds all over the grounds and boardwalks to cross over them. There was green tree's still and flowers!!! I loved it!

Jayden

I love this kid!

Jayden wanted to wear his spy goggles to bed.....

Another reason to hate Winter!

Mckelsie & Jayden got really sick right after Christmas. Mckelsie started with high (really high...) fevers, cold chills, aches and pains, sore throat.... yep Strep! Jayden began his trip with Strep a few days after Mckelsie. The following week it was my turn. I was so sick of being everyone being SICK! I don't think we left the house for a full four days.

Christmas 2009

CHRISTMAS 2009

Sam read "Twas the Night Before Christmas" on Christmas Eve. I love this picture!

Hurley & Mckelsie

Gabe & Jayden opening their loot Christmas morning.

Mckelsie

Rachael

Jayden

Mckelsie & Gabe opening their loot!

Mckelsie & Grandpa Steve

Grandma Shar (aka Mom), Hurley, Rebecca

Gabe & Jayden

(best Christmas present ever!!!)




So Sam and I have been dating now for almost 6 months. For the last 6 years I have spent Christmas over at my mom and dads but Sam and I decided to enjoy Christmas this year together with our kids. Sam, Rachael and Gabe slept over and luckily Santa was able to find all of us just fine. It was really nice to have company for Christmas Eve and morning. Grandma Shar and Grandpa Steve came over for the opening of Christmas presents, so they didn't miss out on our Christmas morning. It was really fun to see all the kids open presents and reminded me of what's left after a tornado strikes! It was a disaster with four kids.... I have no idea how my parents did it with five kids. This year, the big item was a Wii. The kids have played with that non-stop! It's been really fun! We spent the rest of the day with Sam's family and then with mine. It was a good year and I feel so blessed to have the family that I do, the children that I do and good people to share the joy of Christmas with. I have so much to be grateful for this year.

Chapman Family Christmas Party 2009

CHAPMAN FAMILY CHRISTMAS PARTY 2009

Lilly (aka- Rudolf)
Jayden, Mckelsie & Great Grandma Ruth

Dub, Jayden & Rebecca

Grandpa Wes, Mckelsie, Jayden & Grandma Vickie

(I tried to get a "normal" picture!!!)

Rebecca & Uncle James

Dub & Jayden

Santa & Jayden

Santa & Mckelsie

Mckelsie had written her Christmas List on the gameboy....

The Gang....anxiously waiting Santa's bag!

Joanna & Jason

Joanna & Bella

Mitch, Jayden & Dub

Zakk, Max, Sarah & Alyssa

Thought:

I heard the funniest thing on the radio this morning about how much winter sucks. So it's been said that spring is like foreplay, summer is the sex itself, fall is when you fall asleep after the sex and winter is when you wake up alone with her/him gone and find out she's/he's stolen all of your stuff!

I know, kinda crude but I thought it was so funny, mostly because I hate winter!

Thought:

WE ARE NOT HUMAN BEINGS GOING THROUGH A TEMPORARY SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE. WE ARE SPIRITUAL BEINGS GOING THROUGH A TEMPORARY HUMAN EXPERIENCE.

Thoughts / Stay...

Another of my thoughts/stories that I found... and really liked. It has such a good message and after going to the funeral of my friends 10 year old little boy, this makes that much more sense. Other people tend to be able to say things better than I could....

A nurse took the tired, anxious serviceman to the bedside. "Your son is here," she said to the old man. She had to repeat the words several times before the patient's eyes opened. He was heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack, he dimly saw the young uniformed Marine standing outside the oxygen tent. He reached out his hand. The Marine wrapped his toughened fingers around the old man's limp ones, squeezing a message of love and encouragement. The nurse brought a chair so that the Marine could sit beside the bed. All through the night the young Marine sat there in the poorly lighted ward, holding the old man's hand and offering him words of love and strength. Occasionally, the nurse suggested that the Marine move away and rest awhile. He refused.
Whenever the nurse came into the ward, the Marine was oblivious of her and of the night noises of the hospital - the clanking of the oxygen tank, the laughter of the night staff members exchanging greetings, the cries and moans of the other patients. Now and then she heard him say a few gentle words. The dying man said nothing, only held tightly to his son all through the night. Along towards dawn, the old man died. The Marine released the now lifeless hand he had been holding and went to tell the nurse. While she did what she had to do, he waited. Finally, she returned. She started to offer words of sympathy, but the Marine interrupted her. "Who was he?" he asked. The nurse was startled, "He was your father," she answered. "No, he wasn't," the Marine replied. "I never saw him before in my life." "Then why didn't you say something when I took you to him?" "I knew right away there had been a mistake, but I also knew he needed his son, and his son just wasn't here. When I realized that he was too sick to tell whether or not I was his son, knowing how much he needed me, I stayed." The next time someone needs you ... just be there. Stay.

Completely Random....

Here's some completely random pictures that were taken in December....

Rebecca & Sam

Rebecca

I love this one.... Mckelsie eating olives while playing her gameboy. We love our green olives!

Hurley

Play-Doh Fun

PLAY-DOH FUN..... are we ever too old to play with it?

What fun Play-doh can be right!? I haven't bought my kids play-doh for a very long time. I guess I got sick of cleaning it up from all over the floor. I was out Christmas shopping and saw it and thought that the kids would enjoy playing with it and it might keep them out of my hair for more than 10 minutes at a time. Jayden played for atleast 1 full hour with it! I loved seeing how creative my boy is.