Jeff's family in Illinois

Stacey's cousin got married this past weekend and Stacey, Emma, Isaac and Abby were all in the wedding. Jeff and Abby above.

Jeff and his beautiful family!

Stacey, Emma, Isaac and Abby

This was all of Stacey's family but the picture did not turn out well and I couldn't figure out how to fix it!

Emma, Abby, and Isaac

Isaac and Abby

Welcome Home from Iraq Landon!!

Randy and I drove to Jacksonville to see Landon who has returned from Iraq a week ago. It's about a 2 hour drive and rained most of the day in Jacksonville. We spent the day with Kim, Steve, Adam (Natalie's husband) and Haley and Landon. Steve spent the past two days painting the baby's nursery, living room and kitchen. Landon took Steve, Randy and I on a tour of Camp LeJeune. It was fun to see the base and where Landon works and to hear all that he has been involved in the Marines. Congratulations to Landon who was promoted to Corporal. Later we all went out to eat at Tony's Seafood and Oyster Bar Restaurant. YUM!

Haley made this sign to welcome Landon home - outside their apartment!

Landon in the front of his apartment.

Haley and Landon

Haley and Landon in the freshly painted nursery. Ella Marie is to arrive in about 6 weeks.

Adam and Landon - good buds!

Kim and Landon and Haley's newest family addition - a male puppy that is a blue pitbull.

Haley and Kim

The gang hanging out in Landon's living room.

Randy and Steve and Kim in the kitchen.

The building that Landon's works at Camp LeJeune.

Explaining how this amphibian truck/tank - whoops, sorry, Landon, I forgot what it is called!

Steve and Landon in front of his battalion sign.

Isaac's win in the football tournament

Congratulations to Isaac on the win of his football team in the tournament coached by dad - Jeff Chapman. Thanks to Kent Chapman for the pictures.

Go ISAAC! Kris Chapman, Steve and Kim Chapman cheering him on! Thanks for going guys!

Stacey getting Isaac ready for the big game

Kris Chapman and JoshKris Chapman's daughter

What have we all been doing in North Carolina?

Randy & I at Rebecca Sarver's wedding last Friday night, October 10.

Randy and I at Casey and Nina's wedding in September in Illinois.

We thought we would start this blog to keep family and friends informed of what we are doing here in the lovely state of North Carolina. Today was beautiful with temps in the 80's. Our church "Church Alive" has started Saturday night services a month ago and they are going well. We attend on Saturday night, so Sundays become actually a day of rest with just hanging out at home and getting some stuff done. Saturdays are full with soccer, baseball games to attend with 4 grandchildren involved in these sports. Today, Randy, worked on his metal art and made 6 more pieces that are truly so very creative. He's the best!! I've attached pictures of what he made today. Collin and Noah have been busy helping the youth to work on the loft in the gym at church. It's going to be a coffee bar when they are done.
Some of Randy's metal art creatures. He has a 5 ft alligator he made that is in the gift shop Imaginese.

These are the metal art pieces he worked on today. He has 24 pieces in two stores - in Cary (Imaginese) and Holly Springs (Shabby Rose). None are the same. Each one is uniquely created.


Collin playing baseball.

Collin playing first base.
Noah played soccer at the state games in Greensboro in June. His team won 2nd place.

Clayton (Jamie & Renea's son) ready for his baseball game.

Kylie playing T-ball-They were at the Hurricanes Hockey game the night before, thus, Kylie's Hurricanes tatoo on her cheek - fake of course!

Clayton playing soccer. Jamie coaches his team!

I worked on my scrapbook all day finishing 8 more pages. I did our trip to Illinois in September with Jeff's children and their open house at school, Casey's wedding and my 40th high school class reunion.

Casey & Nina Carroll's wedding in Illinois!

Randy and I with Jeff's children- Abby, Isaac & Emma before leaving for their open house at their school!

Congratulations Jeff for getting on the Honor List at ICC. He's working on a degree in teaching at the elementary level.

Collin is a freshman at Fuquay Varina High School and he is really enjoying it. He said it is really different than what he was used to. Noah is in a new middle school in Holly Springs. Ben and Clayton go to school at Holly Grove Elementary - Ben in 4th and Clayton in 2nd. It's a year round school and they are tracked out for 3 weeks every 9 weeks. I will be watching them when they are tracked out in another week. Kylie goes to preschool every day from 9-1 PM at the Methodist Church in town where Diane teaches.

Kylie (on the left) in science class at pre-school. Thanks, Diane for the picture.

I planted lettuce and spinach this week and it is already up and growing well. I'm hoping Randy will build me a coldframe and we will have fresh lettuce and spinach all winter. For those of you who know my past experience with tomatos here in North Carolina, you will appreciate the fact that mine did wonderful this year - producing from end of June and are still producing today. I have one plant that is 12 feet across (seriously) and producing like crazy. Miracle Grow really works! The stem is the size of a small tree trunk.

The famous 12 ft tomato plant. Katy - send this to your family in Reidsville!! See if they can beat that! HA!

Jamie and Joe rode their motorcycles to Rockingham drag strip to see the motorcycle drag races today. Renea was over today and said Clayton and Kylie got to ride horses today. They have neighbors across the street that have some horses. Clayton has a baseball game tomorrow night and Collin has a baseball game on Tuesday night. Randy and I have small group from our church called "life groups" on Thursday nights.

Left to right: Jamie and Renea, Jay and Diane, Jeff and Stacey, Joe and Katy.

Randy & Jean and all the grandchildren.

Joe & Katy's wedding - June 11, 2008 on St. Lucia Island

We celebrated Joe and Katy's wedding in June and we were so excited that Jeff's family could be here with us. Marilyn came from California and Lori, Kim and Natalie came from Illinois.

My sister, Marilyn from California and Jeff.

Haley, Natalie, Kim and Lori - Lori flew (in an airplane, for all you jokesters out there) for the first time in her life. Thanks, Lori, for coming!


We look forward to seeing Landon Chapman, Haley, Steve, Kim and Adam this coming weekend when we go to Jacksonville to see Landon who is arriving back from Iraq this week. I'll post pictures next week.