Our Sweetness...

Mimi has got to be one of the sweetest and kindest baby GURLS on the planet. When God gave us our second child he could not have picked a more perfect fit.

So, to brag on her a little...

Shan and I talked to her about 2 weeks ago regarding her thumb sucking. We had a very grown-up talk with her about it because the Dentist encouraged it.

After explaining why she needed to stop and how it would make her have "buck" teeth (like her cousin Caleb...I had to throw that one in)...she said she would stop.

Hands down she did...that night.

I would go in and check on her at night to see is she was doing it and she would be a sleep on her back with her hands underneath her. This girl has so much determination and drive it is incredible.

I always refer to her as our "Perfect Child" and not that the others are any less but she tries so hard ALL the time. Her spirit is what keeps our family moving in the right direction sometimes. She loves, cares, desires to please and always is GREAT sister (well almost always...she is only 7).

Not to mention that she is beautiful like her mother and has MAD soccer SKILLS...Mia Hamm better look out.

Another winning day for the Burch Clan...

So, I organized the first every UGLY Shirt Day at Avocent and guess who won?

CORRECT!!!

You are looking at the UGLIEST Shirt to grace the doors of Avocent...or at least for this competition.

C'mon, do you see the shirt I have on? Who could beat that?

I am planning a UGLY Sock day in the next few weeks as well...may not win that one but I will try my hardest to.

Tiny funny...

She went to bed the other night and I went in to kiss her.  As I was leaving the room she said, "Daddy, be careful because Mommy is in a Big Move."

She lost me and I asked her what she said and again she said, "Mommy is in a Big Move."

Mary Frances then said, "Do you mean a Bad Mode?" and she said "Yes, that is what I said."

So, Big Move...Bad Mode...it's all the same...I guess?

The Burch Sports Report…

MiMi…lost on Saturday but scored the teams only goal in a 2-1 loss.

Her goal was off a cross field pass…one touch and shot…and I mean shot.  That thing went to the back of the net like a PRO.  Everyone “WOE’d” and then cheered when it went in.

We have been working on this for a several weeks now and I think she finally understands the concept.  She played hard and good…she is going to be a very skilled player one day.

Tiny…her team one 28-0 and she scored 6 or 7 goals.  We actually lost count which is sad.  Her coach moved her and another little boy back to defense and told them they could not score anymore.

The funny thing is by putting them on defense they did not score anymore but the opposing team never had a chance to score either.

NealBoy…has started training for the Special Olympics.  He will be doing the 100m and Softball throw as well as Swimming.  And YES, of course he has a Speedo like Phelps (along with a swimmers cap and goggles)…I had a pic with him in his garb but got a new phone and lost it.  I will make sure to get one soon…real soon.

Frontporch view

View from our front porch here in Huntsville. The picture does not give it justice because you can see the Ridge/Mountain line GREAT and it is beautiful. If you click the thumbnail below it will enlarge but still is not as good as the real thing.

Also, to get an idea of our location/elevation you can see the Rocket at the Space & Rocket Center from here as well. It is only the top of it and you can see it really good at night but still...pretty cool. We are about 12-15 miles from the Space Center depending on the route you take.

I believe the Mountain we are located on is called Cap Shaw Mountain...but that is a straight up STEP OUT.

The weather as been AWESOME here as well the past week...low 70's to the mid 60's with a slight breeze.

More pictures to come when we finally buy the house...I do not want to jinx the process. It is still not our house yet so until then we will wait.

For My Shan...

For My Baby Mama...

Since we have been in Hunstville things have been so up in the air it has been crazy. For the first 2 months we were nomads bouncing from place to place - week to week.

Once we finally decided on the home we are currently in and trying to purchase it made things a little easier...BUT we still had no Frig or Washer/Dryer. We eventually got a dorm size frig from my parents and that helped some but not having a Washer/Dryer with 3 kids in school was hard.

So a few weeks back I decided that my beautiful and loving wife deserved more...and so we went to SEARS and HOOKED her up. She asked how much ($$$) and I told her she did not have a limit. She has been so patient and kind thru all this I thought that was the least I could do for her.

Below is the Frig we had been using and the new one. The new one is a Whirlpool Gold series and has a cool feature...the ice is contained in the door. That way there is more room in the freezer...which is something we both liked.

This is the Washer/Dryer that she got...it will do 18 towels or a King Size comforter. It is a GE and has some really neat features that she has already feel in love with.

Ok...so it's not the moon but My Ole' Lady deserved it. For her to pick up and leave 17 years of friends, church, etc...and never really complain...that is AWESOME.

I could never express the love I have for her in words but what I can do is make sure all her needs and wants are taken care of...and then some.

Shan...you ROCK more than HS3, The Jonas Brothers, David Cook, Bon Jovi & Chris Daughtry combined. (Yeah, sounds gay but she knows how much that is.)

Labor Day Weekend

Labor Day weekend...yeah it's late...SO WHAT!?!?!

My parents came over to visit for the first time since we have moved into the "New" house. You know...the one we live in but have not bought yet...that one.

Had a great time and on Monday went to the Space & Rocket Center for the first time. It was very cool and while we were there we saw "Fly Me to the Moon". The kids really loved it because it was in 3D.

It was nice to have a break and spend some time with my wonderful kids, beautiful wife and amazing parents.

It's great to be blessed by God to have so many EXTRAODINARY people in my/our lives.

Enjoy the pics...

Tiny...

So, Lilli came to me the other day we started ruff-housing and she said...

"You better watch it Daddy...I know Kung-Fu Panda...HIYAH!!!"

I had to stop and laugh and while I was laughing she gave me a swift kick to the grandkids (you know what I mean).

FutBol II...

So, MiMi had her first team practice last night and it went well.

She is playing on an ALL girls team and they are pink and black. The name of the team is The Pink Bubble Gums...don't ask...the girls picked it and voted on it.

It was a good practice and there are two other girls on the team that are as good as MiMi or maybe even better. Although, they did do some running at the end and Mim's blew the doors off them all...EVERY TIME. So much so that Bam Pressnel was running with them and he said he actually found himself needing to speed up so she would not out run him.

Something funny...they just had enough girls to scrimmage so Lilli volunteered to play goalie against them. This girl is FEARLESS!!! She really did good...Ms. Kasey would be proud of her. They even asked if she could play on their team.

I was very proud of Mim's...she really shined...as if one of my children would not on the soccer field. What was I thinking?

I love my GURLS...they are AWESOME sisters to each other and even more AWESOME to their special brother. God always knows what he is doing...regardless of what we want or think. I could not have asked him myself for a more perfect family.

Futbol...

The girls start soccer this week…and I am so looking forward to it. We will have practice every night of the week except Wednesday…and games on Saturday.

Last night went well…Lilli rocked the field.

So much so that one boy yelled, “She scores all our goals…man she is good”. Another little boy said after practice, “Mommy, that little girl is better than all the boys”. At some point during practice a mother asked Shan how long Lilli had been playing soccer and she told her only one season…she was shocked at how good she was.

What can I say…it’s in their blood.

We did not catch the name of the team but our colors are Orange & Black…the only thing more AWESOME than that would have been Red & Black (if you don’t know us then you don’t know why).

Lilli was not able to get #1 so we had to take #2…which I guess is ok…we will make do I guess.

MiMi is lucky because Brandon “BAM BAM” Pressnel is one of her coaches…we will see how she stacks up with her team tonight.

Dancing Like a Monkey...

So, Nealboy and I went to a Tennessee Valley Vipers game tonight (http://www.vipersaf2.com/).

They are a part of the "Arena Football 2" league. I do not know much about them or the league but regardless we had fun. It was good to spend time with my little buddy and do a guy thing together.

We met Uncle Ron, Caleb & Parker as well as Arron, Cheryl & Jonathan there. We all sat together on the second row from the field...AWESOME seats.

Nealboy, Caleb, Jonathan & Uncle Ron...

We ate supper there and Bubba had to have a plastic horn you blow into...and of course what ever he wants he always gets. He also had a blast dancing ever time a song played and I mean every time...until the game ended.

Go nealboy...go nealboy...it's your birthday...

This was a playoff game for the "ArenaCup" against the Manchester Wolves. After a 0-3 start this season, the Vipers won 45-35 for the American Conference title before 4,881 fans in the Von Braun Center. The Vipers (13-6) advance to the ArenaCup to play the winner of Amarillo vs. Spokane for the af2 championship. (http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3702972)

Like I said...we had fun and are probably going to look into season tickets next year.

Michael Phelps ROCKS!!!

Before I start this entry I must first apologize to a good friend of my wife's...Melissa Lester. Shan is so terrified you are going to be offended by this entry...more specifically the picture. So, view at your on risk.

Make sure you click the picture to see the full sized image...that is the only way to get the full effect.

So, I have never been a fan of swimming but I will have to say that Michael Phelps has at least peaked an interest with our clan.

Now, is this guy the GREATEST Olympian of all time or even the GREATEST Athlete ever? I don't know nor do I know what to call this dude but he is something...and something AWESOME.

So, why the pic???

Well, I went for a run the other night to try and start getting back in shape a little (FYI...since taking the job here I have gained 25+lbs and gone up a pants size...to much fast food). So, when I got back I was waiting to take a shower to see when Phelps was going to swim. They announced it was going to be 10 minutes before his race...so, I jumped up and ran to the shower.

Shan stayed in the living room watching the Olympics...that's when my plan went into action.

I was in and out of the shower as fast as possible...ran and got my pants and went to the garage to get some goggles...and all the while Shan had no idea.

I then ran into the living room yelling USA and telling her I needed a medal...of course we had one somewhere.

Shan being in total shock had nothing to say except..."What the Judas Priest are you wearing???" (it is possible she may have said something other than "Judas Priest" but if she did I would never tell...you would have to ask her about that).

Needless to say Phelps won his race and of course it was because of my support and dedication to make a fool of my self...I lost my shame a long time ago and have no concept of when too much is too much...but hey, I can say that Shan and the kids life's are never dull, boring or normal.

If you would like a life size cut out or poster of the above pic please let me know...I will be glad to send you one.

Lots of Socks, A Girl & Country music???

These pics are in Honor of…

1. The SOCK Capitol of the World…Fort Payne, Alabama.

2. Karen Clifton…the Bestest Drum Major to ever live on the Mountain.

3. And of course the band…ALABAMA (I know absolutely nothing about these guys other than there are these life size statues of them there…which I find funny).

We drive thru there every time we go to GA these days…and it just so happened I had to drive that way Wednesday & Thursday this week. Long story short…my Pops had to have surgery and I drove over for it. Every thing is good…he is just in a little pain now.

House update...

So, we are living in the house we are trying to buy...if you can call it that.

We are all in the master bedroom on air mattresses with no furniture, pots or pans, tv's, etc. I guess you could say this is the closets Shan will ever get to ruffing it.

We did decide that we are going to unload our POD this weekend regardless.

Why???

School is starting and the kids need to be in a normal environment...that's pretty much it.

I am still loving my job and Shan...well, Shan is dealing. Not exactly what she envisioned but it is slowly working out.

I guess one KEWL thing did happen this week...I got to meet KC (Katie Couric...KC is what her friends call her).

New House???

Well, we are working on a new house in Huntsville. It is a pre-foreclosure and this deal has been going on for about a month now. We hope to close the end of July...please keep us in your prayers as we work on this.

Here are some pics of the house...

(Of course this is the front)

(Of course this is the back)

These are the pictures from the MLS...so the yard does not look that good. It has been vacant for a long time and needs some touchup in places. With that being said...it is a GREAT neighborhood, good location in town, wonderful size and hopefully we get it at an AWESOME price.

Once the deal has closed we will post more pics but that is it for now.

Hike-A-Thon I

Well, this was our first attempt at a "Day Hike" as a family.

As part of our 4th of July holiday we spent half a day at Monte Sano State Park (http://www.alapark.com/MonteSano/). We arrived around 11:00 and had a picnic lunch that consisted of Checker’s hamburgers and fries (that I LOVE). May not seem like much of a picnic but Shan saved the good stuff for later that night while we watched the fireworks.

After the kids finished we let them play on the playground…where they had a ball of a time on the “see-saws”. They had never seen or played on one before and thought it was the greatest thing since spice racks.

SIDE-NOTE: We saw a Skunk at the playground that had gotten its head stuck in a yogurt cup and died…it was kind of funny but a little said too…but more funny. All I could think of was PePe Le’Pew.

After some time playing we all took a potty break…and then decided to go for a Hike on one of the many trails the park had to offer. We opted for the North Plateau Loop…which was 1.2 miles and seemed to be a less strenuous hike than the others.

Now, keep in mind that Shan has never hiked a day in her life and is not much for the outdoors. Not to mention we are attempting this with a 9yr boy (who still has some issues with his feet after his surgery), a 6yr girl (who is a “girly, girl of ALL girls”) and a 4yr girl (who is a walking accident waiting to happen).

Thus the beginning of “The Clan of Burch - Hike-A-Thon I”…much more eventless than the name would appear but hope to have many more over the years.

Shan took the front with the kids in the middle and me pulling up the rear. Lilli talked the entire time and fell 8 times…I lost count after that.

I explained to the kids what a “Blaze” was on the trees and how it helped us know where the trail was. Shan and I also tried to give them as much safety advice as we could, like…never leave the trail, always stay together, chase snakes because that will make them run away and always throw rocks at bears when you see them because they like to play catch…you get the idea.

Something sweet if you will…we were walking up a small incline and I mentioned to Shan that when hiking (Bum Knee’d Renegades…HOORAH!!!) these steps are what really kill my legs. As soon as Neal heard me say that he came back and grabbed my arm to help me up the steps. The cool thing is we came to several other places like that and he would wait on me or would run back to help me up…without Shan or I saying a word to him. He is an AWESOME son!!!

MeMe had a blast…she asked about butterflies, the trees, flowers, animals. She talked about all her friends in Montgomery and that they would have had fun doing this. She has been a real trooper the past few weeks and I think it did her as much good as it did me to be in the woods.

We finished up the trail and headed back into Huntsville for the fireworks that night…which is another story.

SIDE-NOTE: I wore a knee brace that day just to try it out for our next HikeFEST…and seem to do well. The only problem was when we got home that night I took it off and found a TICK…up until that point I think Shan had a great time. Honestly…that freaked her out a little but we are talking about my wife which should be no surprise.

It's been a while...

So...it has been a while since we last blogged. That means there is a lot to tell.

Shan and the Kids moved up here "officially" June 1st...this has been what has happened so far.

Week 1 - We (being all 5 of us) stayed at her brother's house because they went to Disney world.

Week 2 - Me, Shan, Lilli & Neal lived in the Residents Inn...MeMe went to my sisters in Valdosta.

Week 3 - Shan, Lilli & Neal went to my parents...while there my Dad was admitted to the hospital for abdominal problems. MeMe came up later during the week.

Week 4 - They all 4 stayed at my Mom's for half a week and the rest at Shan's Mom and Dad's in Dalton.

Week 5 - We are back at her brothers because they are going out of town again for the 4th.

This whole time I am staying in Huntsville during the week and driving to where they are on the weekend.

In the process we are trying to find a home, sell our home in Montgomery, find schools for the kids, etc.

Honestly it is getting OLD...real OLD. We need a home so we can all be together.

There is a lot more but that is it for now.

Short Day Hike

Took a short day hike with the girls and some scary monster behind a tree.

There are trails all over the place here and tons to do outdoors on the weekend.

Work...

This is my NEW office in Huntsville. My actual office is on the opposite of the building from where this picture was taken. This is the "Gobal" Headquarters for Avocent...we also are leasing addtional space in another building in town.

AVOCENT...

The company I am working for now is called AVOCENT in Huntsville, Alabama.

Baby Luke

Baby Luke Alford was born today to She She and Uncle Gave. Big Brother is Biscuit and Big Sister is Kay Kay.