Bernauer Family

Pop

2011-09-13T13:18:00.005-04:00

My grandfather, Gordon Hardesty, passed away on Aug 25th at the age of 102. I spoke at the funeral and thought I would post below what I read that day. He was so very special to me and so many.....

Today we are here to celebrate the life of a man that had an extraordinary heart and was truly a special man. My Pop lived a long happy life. He was undoubtedly the kindest most giving person I have ever known. He was always lending a hand, helping a friend or family member and he was in my eyes simply amazing. He was a wonderful son, husband, brother, father, uncle, friend and Pop. He was passionate about many things throughout his life. I wanted to touch on a few of those today.

His childhood was spent in Mill Creek. He was the youngest of the children and many of his nieces and nephews were very close to him. He went to school in a one room schoolhouse at first and then went to Newport through 7th grade. Each year in the spring he would have to quit to help at the family farm and he told me after a couple of years in 7th grade he had had enough. In the 1920 census his occupation is listed at age 11 as Farm Laborer. He began working at this point and over the years worked in many businesses…in New York and Philadelphia and throughout Carteret County…..in the seafood business, he opened a gas station, of course the car business. He was a successful salesman and a hard worker. He loved the car business best and always loved cars. He told me he started driving at 5 years old. He always made sure my car was running ok and had good tires. Many people have come up to me over the years and told me that if it hadn’t been for Gordon Hardesty they would never have gotten a car, a loan, a house, a job etc etc. He constantly tried to help people. He would give you the shirt off his back.

Pop loved his family.
He and my Grandmama were married 71 and ½ years as he would tell you…don’t forget the ½. He once told me that when he first saw her walking down the street in Morehead City where she was visiting her aunt he fell in love on the spot. He said that her beautiful red hair “did him in”. I am so proud that I also got the red hair gene and I passed it along to my Callie too. He was a good father to Gordon Jr, Patsy and my dad Jerry. He provided a home that was filled with love, fun and sometimes his temper. We have some really great stories of when Grandmama pushed him to his limit such as the “refrigerator story” that I’m sure some of you have heard. By the time I came along he had mellowed quite a bit and I could not imagine my sweet Pop having a temper. I would always try to get him to tell me I was his favorite grandchild and he would say. “You know I love you all the same”. When my dad was born Pop was 38 years old….Gordon Jr and Patsy were 15 and almost 13. Pop said he thought he would never see him graduate from high school. Not only did he see him graduate from high school and college but he got to see his children graduate from high school and college….he even got to see his great-grandson Arthur graduate from law school. He said he never would have believed it was possible. I am so thankful that he got to be a part of my children’s lives. I watched a video the other day when the twins were babies….there was Pop, 95 years old, down on the floors on all fours talking to the babies who were lying on a blanket. Up to this week the twins never left the house without Max shaking Pop’s hand…since that’s what men do Pop said, and Callie getting a hug and a kiss….and Pop always said “ Pop loves Callie and Pop loves Mac”. For some reason he always called him Mac. For me Pop was my hero. He was already retired when I was a kid so I reaped all the benefits of being the youngest grandchild. He took me with them when they traveled, we spent nights down at our camp in Otway “the valley” and days fishing he net…..he carried me on his back in Disneyworld when I got too hot and he carried a very large doll baby carriage all over England because Grandmama said Allison just had to have one of those. That man was the epitome of what a wonderful Pop should have been.

Another passion of his was traveling….he traveled to all 50 states, Russia, Europe, Canada you name it he went there. He and Grandmama love to travel and had many friends they traveled with. His motorhome days were some of his favorite times. He took his family on vacations in a time when people did not travel like they do today. My dad has wonderful stories of trips out west to see his brother in Montana. Pop passed this love on to his family and we have been on some amazing trips over the years.

He loved the Republican Party. He enjoyed being a County Commissioner and on the various boards he was on during the years. He continued being active until his late nineties. He has been called “Mr. Republican” by many in Carteret County and he along with a handful of others are responsible for the Carteret County Republican party we have today. I remember being little at meetings and conventions and thinking he was the most important man in the world.

He loved this church. My Grandmother, Alice Windley said when she worked here she always knew she could count on him to be a Pall bearer, an usher, or whatever she needed. He never said no. He spent many hours here and loved the people. Even after he wasn’t able to attend he continued to watch ministers on TV and loved to discuss the sermons. He truly was a Christian man who was a great example to others.

This is a day I have been dreading for many years. Luckily we all have wonderful memories we can cherish. I cannot adequately put into words all that he meant to me. Recently I read the book “Heaven is For Real.” In this book it says that when you get to heaven you are young again. I imagine Grandmama and Pop are driving around in Heaven today…in a Lincoln of course, both young and beautiful as they once were…..holding hands talking about what a wonderful life they shared together. He can see to drive which he missed terribly and she is sitting there with her sweater on backwards telling him she wished he had stopped at the store she saw 5 miles back. I know for sure they are smiling down on us today.

I would like thank everyone who helped care for Pop over the last few years. I would especially like to thank my Aunt Patsy who made it possible for him to be able to stay at the place he loved the most….124 Ann St.

I would like to close with a poem I found that describes how I feel today:

As we look back over time
We find ourselves wondering .....
Did we remember to thank you enough
For all you have done for us?
For all the times you were by our sides
To help and support us .....
To celebrate our successes
To understand our problems
And accept our defeats?
Or for teaching us by your example,
The value of hard work, good judgement,
Courage and integrity?
We wonder if we ever thanked you
For the sacrifices you made.
To let us have the very best?
And for the simple things
Like laughter, smiles and times we shared?
If we have forgotten to show our
Gratitude enough for all the things you did,
We're thanking you now.
And we are hoping you knew all along,
How much you meant to us.

And now it is time to say goodbye…..I find it fitting to say what as he said to me every time we hung up on a phone call….I would say goodbye and he would say “Right-O.”

Oh My!!

2011-06-16T12:12:00.010-04:00

Washington DC in Dec for ECU Bowl Game

It has been a long time since I posted last!! The twins had a great 1st grade year! They have both lost some teeth and are growing up. Since October we went to Washington DC to the ECU Bowl Game, had lots of snow in Carteret County, the twins turned 7, we went to Disneyworld and celebrated Pop's 102nd birthday. Below are some pictures from the past few months.

Beach Weekend in May

Baseball

Disney

Easter

Twins Turn 7!

4 Months Later...

2010-10-07T10:58:00.010-04:00

I cannot believe I haven't written since June. It was a busy summer for the Bernauer's! The twins are now in first grade! They love school and are busy with soccer, scouts, dance, riding lessons, etc etc! This also keeps Korey and I busy!

Below are some pics from this past summer.

Family Reunion

Great Wolf Lodge!!

Out in the boat!

We have been enjoying seeing the Pirates play. Max loves the games!

I can't believe it!

2010-06-09T10:52:00.006-04:00

My babies have finished Kindergarten! I am depressed because 1st grade sounds so old....but they had a great year. Ms Debbie and Ms Gina were so wonderful!! I will update more soon!

Class Party at the camp.

Long Overdue!!!

2010-02-25T10:46:00.013-05:00

I am a bad blogger...however, I am great at facebook!!! That is why this poor blog has been neglected.

We had an AMAZING time in Pittsburgh and Washington DC. It was great to visit with Prudence, Kevin and Blake. We went sledding and sight-seeing and I had so much fun catching up with Prudence!! We are already talking about planning another trip up there in the Fall.

The twins LOVED Washington. We did the Capitol and White House tours and stayed at the L'Enfant Hotel which was within walking distance to everything. We also went to the Smithsonian and National Zoo. Max was in heaven!! He also went to see his favorite....the Lincoln Memorial. Yes, he is 5 year old and loves history. He got that honestly!! Callie enjoyed the White House best but said the Red Room should be called the Pink Room because it looked more pink than red. Only her!!

We have been busy with day to day things....school, dance, church etc. Max is getting ready to start tee ball and Korey will be coaching again. No tee ball for Callie Margaret this year....she said she didn't like the hitting, running or catching. She did like the pink batting helmet and sitting on the bench :) She is now taking riding lessons and LOVES it!! She has loved horses since she was a baby.

Another exciting thing that happened that was shocking....It snowed here and we actually got about 7 inches!!! The kids loved making a snowman and a snow woman!!

Last weekend I went to the Black Eyed Peas concert to celebrate Sheila's (my sister-in-law) birthday. It was awesome. They were great. This weekend we are going back up and go to the circus and stay with Caroline.

Next weekend we are heading up to Hatteras to see Korey's grandparents and relatives. It has been awhile since we have been to visit so we are really looking forward to it!

We redid our living room recently and painted it navy with off white bead board at the bottom. It looks wonderful!! We have a new couch and two new chairs! We still need a rug but that will have to wait!

I am exhausted just writing all that we are up to so I think I will go take a nap!

Christmas, Memphis and New Years!

2010-01-09T22:15:00.008-05:00

Christmas was great. The twins got way too much! For New Year's my dad and Karen took Korey and I to the Liberty Bowl where ECU played Arkansas. We lost and it was FREEZING but we had fun. We went to Tunica, Mississippi while we were there and ate at Paula Deen's new buffet. It was AMAZING!! Next week we leave to go visit my friend Prudence and her family in Pittsburgh..we are so excited to get to visit with her and see her house and on the way back we are going through Washington DC and go to the Smithsonian and White House etc. Here are a few pics from the past month.

November & December!

2009-12-15T21:15:00.010-05:00

Wow...it has been over a month since my last post. It has been busy around here with Thanksgiving, my birthday, parades, the Nutcracker and Christmas parties!! The twins are very excited about Christmas. They ask everyday if it is tomorrow. Last weekend the twins and I went to Raleigh and saw Disney on Ice and had brunch with Santa with Mama, Caroline, Caleb & Reagan. It was lots of fun and I squeezed in a little shopping too! Here are a few pics from the past month.

Kelly & Larran's Engagement Party :
Shawna, Lauren, Prudence & me

Thanksgiving Program at School

Mother/Daughter Ornament Exchange

Nutcracker

Disney on Ice

Brunch with Santa

Myrtle Beach

2009-11-10T08:50:00.004-05:00

Korey and I went to Myrtle Beach this past weekend with my mom and friends Eleanor & Alex and their son Jud and his wife Michelle. We stayed at Litchfield Beach & Gold Resort. It was really nice. The girls went shopping and the boys played a lot of golf. It was lots of fun. We ate at Tripp's at Broadway at the Beach Saturday night and it was delicious!!! Prime Rib and Ice Cream Pie....I was in heaven!!

The twins were also in Myrtle Beach but they were with my Dad & Karen and we never even saw them. They were very busy.....Swimming at the indoor pool at the hotel, going to the Ripley's Aquarium, Build-a-Bear Workshop (where she made a pink unicorn with high heels and a sequin vest and he made a turkey dressed as a policeman), Dixie Stampede, Alligator Adventure and they even did a little shopping!! They had a fun-filled weekend and came home with way too many toys!!!

This week is a busy one like normal....however, soccer is over for the season so that is one less thing we have to do! Max got a trophy for playing this year. He had a great time and even scored a goal at his last game. Callie Margaret is busy with dance and will be preforming in the Nutcracker in December.

Halloween

2009-11-01T22:27:00.004-05:00

I am too tired for a long post but I wanted to post the twins Halloween costume pictures. Callie Margaret was a bride and Max was a toucan. They had so much fun trick or treating!!

Tired

2009-10-08T08:35:00.005-04:00

I am always tired. I love to sleep late and I don't get to do that anymore!! The twins have to be at school by 8:00 so I am dragging myself out of bed every morning!! It drives Korey nuts. He pops right out of bed...before the alarm goes off. That is ridiculous!! Callie Margaret is just like me and Max is like Korey!!

We have been busy with soccer, dance, weddings, ECU games and lots of other fun things. Last weekend was the Seafood Festival. The twins rode rides and played games Friday night. October is a busy month for us!! I have 4 weddings this month. We are going to the state fair next weekend. I can't wait for all the delicious stuff to eat and the twins love to ride the rides!!

My dad started his chemo treatments this month. He is doing good so far. Keep him in your prayers. It has been a tough couple of months but he is doing great!!

The twins love school so far....they do not like homework. They are so funny these days. Age 5 is such a cute age. Well, I have a lot to so today so I better go get ready. :)

Parade

2009-09-12T23:33:00.011-04:00

Today was the Beaufort 3ooth Anniversary Parade. Pop rode in the parade since at age 100 he is the oldest male Beaufort resident. The twins rode with him and loved throwing out candy. After the parade they had ice cream at the courthouse and then Korey took Max fishing at the camp. It was a great day! Callie and I had "girls time" while the boys went fishing.

Kindergarten!!

2009-09-01T21:47:00.009-04:00

Well, the twins have started kindergarten at Beaufort Elementary. They love it. They went last Wednesday for 1/2 a day and today was their first full day! I cannot believe they are old enough to start school!! They are so excited. Here are a few pictures from the first two days.

August..so far

2009-08-09T21:14:00.007-04:00

August has been busy! We are getting ready for the twins to start Kindergarten so we have been busy buying school supplies and starting to go to bed early and getting up early so they (and I) will be ready at the end of the month. I cannot believe they are starting "real" school. They have been going to Ann Street since age 2 but Kindergarten at the "big" school is totally different. They are so excited and I am glad they are ready!! However, I just cannot believe it has been 5 years since they were born.

This weekend was pretty relaxing. I helped Aly with a bridal photo shoot yesterday and we had lots of fun. Today we went to church and then relaxed at the house until we went to eat at Korey's parents house.

Next weekend we are going to Raleigh to stay at Caroline's and go to the Jimmy V Cancer Foundation Gala. We are excited!!! Plus Max will love the museum we are taking him to on Saturday morning and I think Callie, Caleb and Reagan will have fun too!

Here are a few recent pics....

I am slack

2009-07-23T11:30:00.008-04:00

It has been way too long since I last posted! We have had a busy summer so far. The twins have enjoyed 2 bible schools and have loved swimming in the pool. We had a great 4th of July down at the camp. I have had gall bladder surgery and a horrible ear infection but seem to be feeling a little better now.

July 11th was my cousin Laura's wedding. I was a bridesmaid and I directed the wedding also. It was in Durham, NC at Hope Valley Country Club. She loves swing dancing and the late 30's early 40's so the wedding had that theme and everything was so gorgeous! We had dresses made from a vintage pattern and our hair was done in that style. My nephew Jacob said I looked like one of the nurses from Pearl Harbor! It was a lot of fun and a fabulous wedding and reception!

Last weekend we all went to Greenville to celebrate my nephew Trey's 16th birthday! I cannot believe he is 16. It feels like he was born yesterday...but since I was in 8th grade when he was born I know it was a long time ago!!

Please keep my dad in your prayers. His first surgery went well and in August he will be having his second surgery to remove his kidney.

Well, I must go fix lunch for the twins and Korey. I will attach some pics of this past month!

A month later....

2009-07-03T08:51:00.006-04:00

Well it has been almost a month since I posted last!! Time flies! I had my gall bladder surgery July 1st and I am home recovering well. My dad is also home recovering. He is doing pretty good for the serious surgery he had. He will have another surgery in August to remove his right kidney. We have been busy with work, weddings and the twins. They love summer and love to play on their waterslide down at the camp. We had a party their last weekend for the Tee Ball team so I will post a pic of that and some from the summer so far.....

Surgery!

2009-06-06T09:19:00.003-04:00

Everything I am doing lately revolves around surgery! My dad had his cancer surgery on June 2nd. He is still in Pitt but doing pretty good. It was a very long and extensive surgery, but it went well. It will be a long recovery. Korey and I are going back to Greenville today and spend the night to visit. Please keep him in your prayers. After he recovers from this surgery he has to have his right kidney removed. My granny also had surgery on the 2nd but luckily is wasn't as bad. She had her gall bladder taken out and is doing great! The last surgery will be mine....yes I too have to have my gall bladder taken out in the next week or so! Hopefully they can do it laproscopically and it will be outpatient. Well, I better go pack for Greenville!

Graduation!

2009-05-22T16:24:00.008-04:00

My sweet babies graduated from Ann Street Pre-School today! It seems like yesterday I was signing them up for the 2 year old class and now 3 years later here we are!! They looked so cute in their caps and gowns. Afterwards we had a party at Shevans Park for all the kids, teachers and parents. It was lots of fun. Here are a few pics from the day....

Birthday and More

2009-05-03T20:43:00.014-04:00

On their actual birthday.....

Well, we ended up having a great 100th birthday party for my Pop. He had a great day and a lot of people came to wish him a happy birthday. He was in the paper and loved all the attention! The happy week was also a sad one because we found out that my dad has cancer. It is in his kidney and in his chest on his sternum. We are praying that it can be taken care of by surgery but we will know more by next week. It has been a very emotional week and I ask for everyone's prayers for our family.

Since my last post we have been busy with tee ball, dance practice, weddings, parties and work! I guess it is better to be busy because then I don't sit around and think about my dad all the time. We went to Trey's (my nephew) ball game this past week. It was a good game and he played great. I cannot believe he is almost 16!! My mom's birthday was last Wed so we celebrated that at Ribeye's Steakhouse. On Thursday we had a tee ball game and Max actually caught 4 ground balls and threw them to first base. We were shocked!! Callie was miserable and asked to quit in the second inning.....this may be her only season!!

Today at church Callie Margaret threw up so we had to leave early. She has felt bad all afternoon and slept for 3 hours. Now she will probably be up until midnight!! It is always something....

Well, enough for now. Here are some pictures from various recent events!

At the Aquarium...

Down at the Camp

At Beth's baby shower

Pop's 100th!

Trey's game at WCHS

Tee Ball

Birthday!!!

2009-04-22T12:15:00.003-04:00

Today is my Daddy's 62nd birthday and my Pop's 100th birthday!!! I hope they both have a very Happy Birthday!! I cannot believe my Pop is 100 years old. I have never thought of him as old and now I realize that he was almost 70 years old when I was born! That means that the time he carried me on his back through Disneyworld because I was so hot he was almost 80 years old!! He is amazing. I cannot imagine the changes he has seen in his lifetime. He is an amazing person. He is undoubtably the nicest, most generous man on the planet. My dad was born on the same day and this has always been special to him. Tonight we are having a family party to celebrate their birthdays! On Sunday afternoon we are having a drop in party for Pop's 100th! I know he will enjoy all the company and the family getting together. He now has 5 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and 7 great-great children!! Almost all of us will be there to celebrate! I will post pictures after the party!!

Tee Ball & Egg Hunts

2009-04-06T10:21:00.013-04:00

This past weekend was a busy one! The twins had their Tee Ball Parade & Opening Ceremonies on Saturday. They were so cute. Korey is coaching the team which is interesting. He is so serious about sports and these are 4-5 year olds that are silly and have no idea what they are doing. After their first practice I said, "Well, how did they do?" Korey said, "Well, Max is a whiner and Callie is a cryer." Great....I know he loves that. Anyway, they did have fun at the parade and they were announced at the ceremony and then each of them got to bat once. Their first game is Thursday at 6pm. I can't wait.

On Sunday, we had our Easter egg hunt at church. They kids had so much fun. Yesterday afternoon while Korey cut the grass, the twins and I were outside enjoying the pretty weather when they saw a bunny. They of course chased it away. After it hopped away I asked the kids if they thought it was the Easter Bunny. Callie Margaret immediately said, "Uhh... no mom...hello..the Easter Bunny is white." Duh. What was I thinking???

Here are a few pics from our fun weekend.

100 Movies to See Before you Die

2009-03-24T11:10:00.004-04:00

I saw this list on Yahoo and though it was neat. I have seen all the ones with the X's in front. I think I counted 49. So almost half....is that good or bad?? I love movies!! I once took a Film Lit class in high school. Mrs. Frivance was the teacher and it was one of the best classes I ever took at East Carteret. I am glad we watched movies that we probably would have never watched otherwise. I really enjoyed them and learned quite a lot in that class. Many of our everyday sayings come from classic movies. See how many of these you have seen.....

12 Angry Men (1957)
(x)2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
400 Blows (1959)
8 1/2 (1963)
The African Queen (1952)
Alien (1979)
All About Eve (1950)
Annie Hall (1977)
Apocalypse Now (1979)
The Battle of Algiers (1967)
The Bicycle Thief (1948)
Blade Runner (1982)
Blazing Saddles (1974)
Blow Up (1966)
Blue Velvet (1986)
(X)Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
Breathless (1960)
(X)The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
Bringing Up Baby (1938)
(X)Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
(X)Casablanca (1942)
(X)Chinatown (1974)
(X)Citizen Kane (1941)
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
(X)Die Hard (1988)
Do the Right Thing (1989)
(X)Double Indemnity (1944)
Dr. Strangelove (1964)
Duck Soup (1933)
(X)E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Enter the Dragon (1973)
The Exorcist (1973)
(X)Fast Times At Ridgemont
High (1982)
The French Connection (1971)
(X)The Godfather (1972)
(X)The Godfather, Part II (1974)
Goldfinger (1964)
(X)The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1968)
(X)Goodfellas (1990)
(X)The Graduate (1967)
Grand Illusion (1938)
(X)Groundhog Day (1993)
A Hard Day’s Night (1964)
In the Mood For Love (2001)
It Happened One Night (1934)
(X)It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
(X)Jaws (1975)
(X)King Kong (1933)
The Lady Eve (1941)
(X)Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
The Lord of the Rings (2001)
M (1931)
M*A*S*H (1970)
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
The Matrix (1999)
Modern Times (1936)
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
(X)National Lampoon’s Animal
House (1978)
(X)Network (1976)
Nosferatu (1922)
(X)On the Waterfront (1954)
(X)One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s
Nest (1975)
Paths of Glory (1958)
Princess Mononoke (1999)
(X)Psycho (1960)
(X)Pulp Fiction (1994)
Raging Bull (1980)
(X)Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Raise the Red Lantern (1992)
Rashomon (1951)
(X)Rear Window (1954)
(X)Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
(X)Rocky (1976)
(X)Roman Holiday (1953)
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
(X)Schindler’s List (1993)
(X)The Searchers (1956)
(X)Seven Samurai (1954)
(X)The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
(X)Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
(X)Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
(X)Some Like It Hot (1959)
(X)The Sound of Music (1965)
(X)Star Wars (1977)
(X)Sunset Blvd. (1950)
(X)Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
The Third Man (1949)
This is Spinal Tap (1984)
(X)Titanic (1997)
(X)To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
(X)Toy Story (1995)
The Usual Suspects (1995)
(X)Vertigo (1958)
(X)When Harry Met Sally… (1989)
Wild Strawberries (1957)
Wings of Desire (1988)
(X)The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Women On the Verge of Nervous Breakdown (1988)
The World of Apu (1959)

Birthday Weekend!!

2009-03-17T11:38:00.011-04:00

Last Friday the twins took cupcakes to school to share with their class. On Saturday they had their 5th Birthday Party at Dropins. They had lots of fun!! Here are a few pics from Friday & Saturday. This morning we woke up to Callie Margaret throwing up! There is a virus going around and of course one of us had to get it. I am hoping it doesn't spread to the rest of us!

Before School:

School Cupcakes

Sign at Gaskill's

Dropins

Twins 5th Birthday

2009-03-12T21:47:00.009-04:00

Today my sweet babies turned 5. I cannot believe it!! We had the "family" party tonight at our house. We had pizza and cake and ice cream. Everybody had a great time and the twins got WAY too many toys!! They are spoiled rotten. Tomorrow they will have cupcakes at the school! The cakes for tonight's party were a horse and a flounder....yes only in Carteret County do kids have flounder cakes. Tomorrow they will have a toucan and a Hello Kitty cake. Here are some pics from the party!

Free Stuff

2009-02-28T20:12:00.002-05:00

Can you say "Free?"
I'm totally copying this straight off Leah's page because I want my free gift. No shame.

My friend Leah posted this great idea on her blog too... And by posting precisely what I'm posting at this very minute, I'm qualifying for something FREE from her, and in return, I promise to give something free to some of my readers!!!

Here are the rules. :)1- I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!2- What I create will be just for you.3- It'll be done this year.4- You have no clue what it's going to be. It may be a story. It may be poetry or an article on properly cleaning your face before a masque. I may sew or paint something. I may bake you something and mail it to you. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure!5- I reserve the right to do something extremely strange. So there you have it. And I say - To the first 5 people who reply here - You too will be the proud owners of something you acquired absolutely F-R-E-E from me! :)Chop Chop!

The catch? Oh, the catch is that you must repost this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on your blog. Oh, and be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it!

There..... totally copied and not ashamed at all. I do give good gifts so you will all be happy I am sure....if anyone actually reads this. :) Allison

Update

2009-02-19T19:45:00.003-05:00

Well, not much has happened since the circus incident so I haven't posted lately. I am finally feeling a little better. I am still tired and not 100% but I am on antibiotics so hopefully they will kick in soon! I am enjoying American Idol and all the other good shows on right now! I love Danny and you can see him on Aly's blog. I am also in love with watching Extreme Home Makeover re-runs. It gets me every time when that bus pulls away and the family sees their new house for the first time.

Well, when something exciting happens I will post again but until then I guess I should enjoy the calm!! In a month the twins will turn 5! I cannot believe it! Here is a picture from last years party! It seems like yesterday they were born and next week I have to sign them up for kindergarten.......

The Circus

2009-02-11T21:35:00.002-05:00

For those of you that know me you know my life is kind of a circus. With twins it is always hectic! However on Sunday we went to the real circus at the RBC center in Raleigh. It started out as a normal outing. Korey, the twins, my sister, my niece and my nephew and I all were enjoying the Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey circus when I came down with a stomach bug! I went to the lobby by myself to use the restroom (and to go throw up) when my body totally shut down (from dehydration we guess) and I passed out right in the middle of the hallway of the RBC center in front of a million people...and did I mention that I was totally ALONE!!!! The first aid people finally roused me enough so that I could tell them where Korey was sitting. The next thing I know I am in an ambulance heading for Rex Hospital in Raleigh!! I woke up again and I was in the ER with Korey at my side!! Very scary!! Yes, I myself caused a circus at the circus!! 7 hours later I was released. I slept Monday until 2:30 in the afternoon and then we headed back to Beaufort. I am just now starting to feel better. Whatever that nasty virus was I am glad it is gone!!

My body for some reason always does this when I get sick. I have passed out in some crazy places.....RBC Center, NYC Hotel, ECHS Gym, in the middle of a cheerleading stunt, my house, and probably the most embarrassing was at the Spot in Beaufort with a mini-skirt on so everyone saw my underwear!! Oh well, no one can say I'm boring!! There's always excitement with me around!

Weird Questionaire

2009-01-28T20:04:00.002-05:00

I was tagged to do this and it seemed like fun so here goes. Feel free to do it too!!

Do you like blue cheese? No
What flavor Kool-Aid is your favorite? Pink Lemonade
Do you get nervous before a doctor appointment? Usually
What do you think of hotdogs? I like one occasionally
Favorite Christmas movie?It's a Wonderful Life
Can you do push ups? About 1
What's your favorite piece of jewelry? Engagement ring
Favorite hobby? Reading
Favorite quote of the day?"Not a lot of help on this side" said by my Pop today to me when I tried to help him. Obviously I am not too strong!
What's your weight? Too high
Middle name? Hardesty
Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment?I really want to put my pajamas on, I am tired, I do not want to fold all that laundry
Current worry? Money
Current hate right now? Old age
Favorite place to be? Disney World
Where would you like to go? London
Do you own slippers? No
What color shirt are you wearing right now? Purple
Can you whistle? No
Favorite color? Green
Would you be a pirate? I am a Pirate!! Arggg
What songs do you sing in the shower? Songs playing on the radio
What's in your pocket? Receipts/change
Last thing that made you laugh? Max singing
Worst injury you've ever had as a child? Broken Arm
Do you love where you live? yes
How many TVs do you have? Four
How many dogs do you have?One.
Cats?Zero.
What is your favorite book? Gold Coin and Silver Coin by Andrea Kane
What is your favorite candy? Hershey Bars
What songs do you want played at your funeral? You raise me up By: Josh Groban and River in Judea

Disney World!!

2009-01-20T23:07:00.008-05:00

Here are a few pics from our week at Disney World. We had a blast!!

My Babies

2009-01-05T23:25:00.005-05:00

Tonight as I was setting up my mom's new computer I found some files that made me smile. I was saving all her pictures so she wouldn't lose them and came across some of my sweet babies when they were little babies. They are turning 5 in March and I cannot believe how fast time has flown by. It seems like yesterday they were born. Here are a few of the pics I found. I hope they make you smile too.

Their first day home together (she came home first and he came 4 days later) At this point they both weighed a little over 4 lbs. each.

Taking a nap with Daddy

New Year....New Goals

2009-01-01T20:01:00.004-05:00

Well, here it is 2009!! I cannot believe it. This year I plan on trying to accomplish some things so I thought I would document them here and that way maybe I will try and actually do them!!

1. Keep my house neat.....this will be the hardest one.

2. Try to not let the laundry get so far behind.

3. Keep my car clean...also a tough one.

4. Lose at least 15 lbs...not sure it this will be by diet or exercise but neither sound good at this moment.

5. Save money.....good luck with that... I know

6. Have game night with my friends at least every every other month.

7. Visit people that I don't get to see often.

8. Take the kids to the park/aquarium more.

9. Do a girls night out more often.

10. Cherish every moment with my Pop who will turn 100 in April.

I was thinking about 1909....the year Pop was born. As many of you know I am a Titanic buff and I realized today that this was the year construction began on the Titanic. One hundred years ago....think of all the changes my Pop has seen in 100 years. When he was born Teddy Roosevelt was president. He has lived through 18 presidents. Below is a picture from his 99th birthday party. Also, there is a picture from October 2007 when Pop went back to the house he was born and raised in for the first time in many years. It was neat to see where he grew up and where he and my grandmama lived when they first got married. The house is still standing and is located in Mill Creek. He and grandmama moved to Beaufort and lived on Broad St. first and moved into their house on Ann Street where he currently lives in 1946.

Christmas!!

2008-12-27T13:42:00.008-05:00

Another great Christmas has come and gone. We have been VERY busy! We had an engagement party for my cousin Laura and her fiance Luke on the 23rd. On the 24th we went to church, exchanged gifts at the Daughtry's and went to Korey's parents. Christmas day was so fun. The twins got WAY too much!! They are very lucky to have so much family that loves them so much! Here are a few pics from Christmas Day.

Meeting Baby Blake

2008-12-16T21:32:00.006-05:00

Yesterday Lauren and I traveled down to Wilmington to meet Prudence's new baby boy, Blake. He is soooo cute!! A very happy baby! We had a great visit. We don't get to see her much because she has moved to Pittsburgh so we were so happy she was down visiting her mom in Wilmington so we could catch up with her and meet Blake! Here are a few pictures from the trip. We also snuck in a little shopping.....me and Lauren shopping??? Shocking I know :)

4th Picture!

2008-12-13T18:52:00.003-05:00

Leigh Anna tagged me...

Here are the rules:

1. choose the 4th picture folder on your computer

2. choose the 4th picture

3. explain the picture

4. tag at least 4 people to do the same

This was my 6th birthday party at Dairy Queen in Morehead City. It was a Cabbage Patch Theme. In the picture you cannot see me because I am turned around and I am hidden behind Lauren's (Daughtry) head. Also in the picture are my cousin Laura Windley, Natalie Moss, Carla Hales, Prudence Carver Evancic, Kristin Donaldson Wood, Jill Ballou and Hillary Hall. This was a mix of my friends from Beaufort and St. Egbert's.

I tag whoever wants to do it! It was fun :)

Top 25

2008-12-04T10:22:00.018-05:00

I saw a top 25 movie characters list online today. I did not agree with it so I decided to make my own top 25 list.

First their list:

25. Yoda (Empire Strikes Back)24. Ash (Evil Dead)23. Harry Callahan (Dirty Harry)22. Red (The Shawshank Redemption)21. Michael Corleone (The Godfather series)20. Forrest Gump (Forrest Gump) 19. Jules Winnfield (Pulp Fiction) 18. Travis Bickle (Taxi Driver)17. Hans Gruber (Die Hard)16. Neo (The Matrix trilogy)15. Ferris Bueller (Ferris Bueller's Day Off)14. The Terminator (The Terminator series)13. Gollum (The Lord of the Rings trilogy)12. John McClane (Die Hard series)11. James Bond (007 series)10. Vito Corleone (The Godfather I & II)9. Ellen Ripley (Alien quadrology)8. Captain Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy)7. The Dude (The Big Lebowski)6. Indiana Jones (Indiana Jones series)5. Hannibal Lecter (Silence of the Lambs)4. Han Solo (Star Wars trilogy)3. The Joker (The Dark Knight)2. Darth Vader (Star Wars series)1. Tyler Durden (Fight Club)

Now my list:

25. Rocky Balboa

24. Ferris Bueller

23. Cher (Clueless)

22. Danielle (Ever After)

21. Vivian Ward (Pretty Woman)

20. Rudy Ruettiger (Rudy)

19.Kevin McAllister (Home Alone)

18. Benjamin Martin (The Patriot)

17.Scottie Ferguson (Vertigo)

16. Rose Dewitt Bukater (Titanic)

15. Mary Poppins

14. Marty McFly (Back to the Future)

13. Forrest Gump

12. Sandy Olsson (Grease)

11. Jeremy Gray (Wedding Crashers)

10. George Bailey (It's a Wonderful Life)

9. Lloyd Christmas & Harry Dunne (Dumb & Dumber)

8. Allie Nelson (The Notebook)

7. Annie

6. Scarlett O'Hara (Gone with the Wind)

5. Napoleon Dynamite

4. Maria (Sound of Music)

3. Dorothy Gale ( Wizard of OZ)

2. Willy Wonka

1. Clark Griswold (Vacation)

What would yours be???

Thanksgiving and Pirates!

2008-12-02T22:50:00.006-05:00

Thanksgiving Day we ate at my mom's for lunch and then had birthday cake and dessert at my Pop's house and then had dinner at Korey's parents house! It was a busy and fun day.

On Friday we went to the ECU game. The Pirates won! We had a great time and enjoyed the game and tailgate!

The Big 3-0

2008-11-26T22:28:00.009-05:00

Yes, tomorrow is my 30th birthday! Not good :) I was thinking today about how blessed I am and that the past 30 years certainly have been an adventure.

Tomorrow is also Alyson's birthday! We were born on the same day in the same hospital 5 minutes apart. I was born first, which until now seemed good but that just means I turn 30 first. This has always been a special part of our friendship. We not only have the same name, we have the same birthday as well. Growing up, I always heard about the other Alyson from Harkers Island that was born the same day as I was. We became friends in about 5th grade when I took Gymnastics at her mom's dance studio. When we started high school at East we were in the same homeroom and most of the same classes so of course we became the best of friends.

These are pictures from our 4 years in High School. She is probably going to kill me for posting these, but at least our senior one is good. :)

9th grade. I think I weighed all of 90 lbs here. Those were the days. This was taken on spring break in Emerald Isle.

10th Grade. This was taken Nov. 27, 1994 at my house. Our 16th birthday party!

11th grade. We had these taken because someone gave Mrs. Susan a free portrait session from Olin Mills so we took it! All good friends at some point have their pictures taken together....Lauren and I had some beautiful ones taken in 5th grade by the photographer at Roses. They were all lovely. We had a good time anyway. :)

12th grade Prom. We had a blast. Those are days that should always be cherished. I think back now and miss those days at East Carteret.

Happy Birthday Aly. I love you!

39 Things

2008-11-12T16:23:00.002-05:00

39 Things You Can't Possibly Know About Me

1) What is in the back seat of your car right now? Car seats, DVD players, DVD's, toys and probably some sticky candy.
2) Name 3 people who you talked to today?Aly, Lauren, Caroline
3) What were you doing at 8 am this morning? Getting the twins dressed for school.
4) What were you doing 30 minutes ago?working!
5) What is your favorite board game? Trivial Pursuit
6) Have you ever been to a strip club? No
7) What is the best ice cream flavor? Mint Chocolate Chip
8) What are you wearing right now?Blue Shirt, Brown Pants
9) What was the last thing you ate? cake
10) Have you bought any new clothing items this week? no
11) What's the last sporting event you watched? Duke Basketball w/Korey
12) If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? London
13) Who is the last person you sent a message to on Myspace? Rose
14) Ever go camping?yes, I'm not a good camper
15) Have you ever lost anything down a toilet?Jewelry
16) Do you use smiley faces on the computer a lot? yes
17) Are you someone's best friend?yes
18) What are you doing today?working
19) Where is your mom right now? Home or Shopping
20) Look to your left, what do you see? Files
21) What color is your watch? Silver
22) What do you think of when you think of Australia? Koala Bears
23) Do you have a dog? Yes Luke
24) Do you love someone right now? yes
25) Have you met anyone famous? Yes, George Bush and John Glenn
26) Any plans tomorrow? Work
27) Are you happy? Very
28) Where are you right now? Desk
29) Favorite pair of shoes? my Rainbows
30) Are you jealous of anyone? People with no debt
31) Is anyone jealous of you? of course :)...who doesn't want TWO four year olds
32) What time is it? 4:30
33) Do any of your friends have children? Yes!! Lots of them do.
34) What do you usually do during the day?work.
35) Do you hate anyone right now? hate is so strong...
36) Do you use the word 'hello' daily? yes...and I use it like Alicia Silverstone does in Clueless.
37) How many kids do you want to have? I always said 3 but now I am thinking 2 is a nice number!!
38) How old will you be turning on your next birthday?30!!!!... not good
39) How did you get one of your scars? Fell from my backporch onto an A/C Unit

Halloween

2008-11-01T23:03:00.006-04:00

I am too exhausted to post due to a very busy weekend, but I did want to show off my adorable penguin and unicorn. They had a great Halloween and we have LOTS of candy at our house!!!

I

2008-10-28T10:42:00.009-04:00

I...

I....stole this from Leigh Anna's blog

I am... a mom

I am Glad... it is Fall

I think... I need more sleep

I know...that I am messy

I want... to be more organized

I have... so much to be thankful for :)

I wish ... my grandmother was still alive

I hate... dishonesty

I feel... that I am very blessed

I hear... cars passing by

I smell... nothing....totally stuffed up

I wonder...what my kids are doing at Grammy's

I regret... dating a couple of my old boyfriends :)

I love... when my kids smile with their eyes squinted

I Hope... Korey and I are always as happy as we are today

I always... worry about things I cannot do anything about

I am not ... laid back

I believe... everything happens for a reason

I don't always... want to get up in the morning

I win... at Trivial Pursuit

I lose... my keys often

I never... seem to have enough time

I listen... to showtunes

I am scared of... frogs

I read... US Weekly

I am happy that ....the twins are going to be a penguin and unicorn for Halloween

I love these faces.....

Cutter's 1st Birthday!

2008-10-27T10:44:00.010-04:00

Sunday afternoon we went to our nephew Cutter's 1st birthday! The twins had so much fun playing games, going on a hayride and helping Cutter open his presents! I cannot believe he is already 1. Time flies!! This week we have a busy week...soccer games, dance, Halloween parties and Halloween!! I will post pics Friday!!

Weekend Fun

2008-10-20T22:20:00.010-04:00

This past weekend was busy and fun! On Friday, Korey and I took the day off to go with the twins to Mike's Farm. Ann St. Pre-School does this every year and it was lots of fun yet again! They do a hayride, each pick a pumpkin, sing songs, see animals etc. Here are some pics from that day.

On Saturday Korey and I went to the ECU game. The twins went to a birthday party. On Sunday my dad and Karen took us to the state fair. It was so much fun and we ate a lot of junk!! Here are some pictures of the kids at the fair.

Another Family Reunion

2008-10-15T21:27:00.004-04:00

This past Sunday was the Hardesty reunion. This reunion has been going on since the 1950's. This year was really great. Pop (my grandfather) is 99 years old and went to the reunion. My brother and sister and mom got to come and it was so nice to see everyone. Here are a few pictures from that day. When your grandparent is 99 you cherish every moment with them. I was so glad he got to go and see everyone.

This week has been busy as always. Work, soccer, dance etc etc etc. On Friday Korey and I are taking the twins on a pre-school field trip to Mike's Farm. They are so excited! I will post pics when we get back.

Seafood Festival

2008-10-06T15:16:00.009-04:00

It has become a tradition at our house to go to the Seafood Festival every year on Friday night for the past 3 years. Korey's parents joined us this year and we all had a blast. Here are some pics of the twins riding rides and having fun.

Church, Soccer and Another Birthday!

2008-09-27T08:39:00.000-04:00

Before Church

They finally looked at me.

2nd Soccer Game

Reagan turns 2!

This past week was crazy. as are all weeks in the Bernauer house! We went to church on Sunday, had dance and soccer on Tuesday, I had cantata practice on Thursday and last night we had a birthday party for Reagan (my niece) at my mom's house. Today I have another wedding to direct and the reception for this one as well. This makes four weekends in a row!! I am exhausted!! Korey has gone to the ECU game today. Maybe they will get back on track and win today!! Here are a few pics from our week. The first ones are before we went to church on Sunday. After 7 tries I finally got one that was half way decent. It took the first 6 to get them to look at me. I don't know how Aly does it!

Things that make my day!

2008-09-23T15:52:00.000-04:00

The Top 20 Things That Totally Make My Day and Make me Smile:
1. Actually getting the kids to school on time.
2. Hearing old family stories.
3. Checking others blogs!
4. A really good steak.
5. Reading old notes from high school.
6. Checking on the twins after they go to sleep.
7. Reading in bed.
8. Fall weather.
9. A good teen movie/tv show....yes I love Mean Girls, HSM, Gossip Girl etc
10. Walking through homes that are still under construction.
11. ECU football.
12. Weddings.
13. Clean Sheets.
14. Having lunch with friends.
15. Looking at old pictures or yearbooks.
16. Singing in the car with my kids.
17. My kids running toward me when I go to pick them up after work.
18. Having a dinner party.
19. Cake...I love birthday cake!
20. Listening to the twins talk to each other when they don't know I'm listening.

Birthday!

2008-09-17T10:01:00.000-04:00

Last Saturday we all met in Jacksonville at Texas Roadhouse to celebrate my nephew Caleb's 4th birthday! We had a great time and the food and cake were really good!! We were very glad Pop felt like coming! Here are a few pics.

1st Soccer Game

2008-09-10T14:11:00.000-04:00

The twins had their first soccer game yesterday. Their team name is the Crickets. Their numbers are #2 & #4. They each scored a goal and had lots of fun! We were all there to witness their soccer debut!

Tweetsie Railroad & the Mountains

2008-09-03T21:44:00.000-04:00

After the ECU game in Charlotte on Saturday we went up to Boone since it was a long weekend. The kids loved Tweetsie Railroad (except.....don't ask Max about the Indians)! We went to the Mast General Store where they stocked up on lots of candy and we ate way too much at the Daniel Boone Inn. We also stopped by a mountain stream and let the kids (myself included) splash around. My favorite part was when Max (fully clothed) fell in the water and hopped up soaking wet and asked me, "Mama, is it okay if I get my shorts wet?" I had to laugh right out loud.

Go Pirates!!!

2008-09-01T23:09:00.001-04:00

We went to Charlotte to see ECU play Virginia Tech. It was HOT, but it was worth it! Since the kids were with us Caroline and I only saw the beginning and end of the game! Here are some pics.

Final score ECU 27 Va Tech 22!!

How 'bout those Pirates!!!

Family Reunion

2008-08-24T21:22:00.001-04:00

I took these pictures today at our family reunion. The twins always have so much fun because there is a stage to play on and lots of other kids.

This is reunion is for my Granny's mothers family. Her name was Alice Mills Stewart. They have this Mills reunion every year on the 4th Sunday in August in Washington, NC. It has been happening every year for 100 years!

On our way home we went to the hospital to visit my Pop who has been in since Thursday night. Hopefully he is coming home tomorrow! Yesterday afternoon he was visited by Elizabeth Dole who was visiting Carteret County and was at the hospital for a meeting and stopped by his room to see him. He talked politics for the entire visit! He is 99 and all the nurses over there can't get over the fact that his mind is perfectly fine! He is giving orders over there left and right!!

Soccer

2008-08-20T23:13:00.000-04:00

The twins are playing soccer this Fall. They are really excited. Here are a few pics from their 1st practice! Korey and I neither one played soccer so we have no idea what we are doing! Oh well, they look cute in their cleats!

Childhood

2008-08-19T10:05:00.001-04:00

I stole this survey from Lauren Hancock's blog because it looked like fun!!

If you were born before 1995, then this survey should be easy for you to fill out!If you weren't... don't even bother, you'll just be confused!

What spice girl did u like?

Ginger...red hair

Did you watch S Club 7?
nope

What was your favorite, Sandlot or Little Rascals?
Sandlot

Did you ever have light up sneakers?
No

Cinderella or Snow White?
Cinderella

Did you wake up really early just to watch cartoons on Saturday morning?
Yes, but not too early, I loved the Smurfs, Scooby Doo, Pound Puppies and Pac-Man

What was your favorite holiday?
Thanksgiving

Did you ever try to stay up on Christmas just so you could see Santa?
No we were so lazy my mom had to wake us up on Christmas morning!

Did you ever watch Bill Nye the Science Guy?
No not really

What grade did you like the best?
4th grade Mrs. Leatherman and 6th grade Mrs. Haskins

Ninja Turtles or Power Rangers?
I really didn't like either...I was more of a Strawberry Shortcake or My Little Pony or Care Bears type gal

What Power Ranger were you?
Never watched them

Did you ever own a Chinese jump rope?
No

What was your favorite thing to eat?
I loved to eat Roast Beef at the Beaufort House Sunday after church.

What was your favorite color(s)?
Purple

Did you prefer, Where in the World is Carmen San Diego or Where's Waldo?
I loved the Carmen San Diego game.
Do you ever miss being a little kid?
Yes I loved my childhood...but I am enjoying making my children's childhood as good as mine was.
What was your first pets name?
Quacky the Duck

Who was your best friend in kindergarten?
Lauren Daughtry and Hilary Hall

Are you still friends with the person you were best friends with in the 3rd grade?
I was best friends with Lauren and Hilary...Lauren and I are still best friends

Where did you live when you were 7?
103 North Shore Dr. in Howland Rock...best neighborhood! We had so much fun!

How many times have you switched schools including preschool?
Ann St. Preschool, St. Egbert's, Bft. Elem, Bft. Middle, ECHS, ECU so that's 6 times

What did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to own an ice cream store at Beaufort Plaza...ha ha

What was your all time favorite movie?
Annie

Did you watch Rocco’s Modern Life?
No

Who was your favorite character in Doug?
Porkchop the dog

Did you like War heads?
Nope

Did you ever want to watch slime time live?
yes i always wanted to be slimed..and DoubleDare was the best show ever...i always wanted to go on that show when I was a kid

Did you ever wonder what the slime on slime tv was?
I saw it at Nickelodeon Studios in person!

Who was your favorite rugrat?
I didn't watch it alot except with my nephews but I guess the twins Phil and Lil

Evening Boat Ride

2008-08-17T16:46:00.000-04:00

The twins have been begging to go out in the boat and go swimming. We finally had a chance yesterday evening. It was so fun! Here are a few pics from our boat ride!

Prudence's Baby Shower

2008-08-06T09:07:00.001-04:00

Diaper Cake Lauren and I made!

Opening gifts!

PALMS

Me and Prudence

Saturday we had a baby shower for Prudence in Wilmington. It was great to get together and see everyone. She is not going to find out what the baby is so we had fun guessing what we thought it is going to be!

Countdown

2008-08-01T13:08:00.000-04:00

Here is a cute "countdown" I found on another blog. ...

TEN FIRSTS-

First Best Friend:- Lauren

First Email Address:- ash1127@mail.ecu.edu

First Pet:- Quacky the Duck

First Piercing:- Ears...5th grade...still mad at Prudence for making me do it.

First Real Crush:- Kevin McIntosh...8th grade

First CD:- Not sure....Maybe Color me Badd

First Car:- Chrysler Lebaron Convertible...the most fun!

First Stuffed Animal:- White Bear...lost him in 7th grade..still looking for him.

First thing you do in the morning:- Hit snooze alarm...numerous times

First Team you were on: Beaufort Braves T-ball

NINE LASTS-

Last Beverage:- Diet Coke

Last Trip:- Myrtle Beach

Last Movie Seen @ Movies:- Sex and the City

Last Phone Call:- Caroline

Last Song Played:- Bleeding Love

Last Bubble Bath:- About a month ago

Last time you had Mexican food: El Zarape About a month ago

Last book you read: Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich

Last school you attended: East Carolina University! Go Pirates!

EIGHT HAVE YOU EVERS-

Have you ever dated one of your best friends?- Yes

Have you ever been arrested?- No

Have you ever skinny dipped?- Yes

Have you ever been on tv?- Yes

Have you ever kissed someone, and then regretted it?- Oh Yes

Have you ever broken the law? No

Have you ever gotten in a wreck? Sort of..does running into a cemetery wall count?

Have you ever flown in an airplane? Yes

SEVEN THINGS YOU ARE WEARING

1.Dress

2. Underwear

3. Bra

4. Flip Flops

5. Ring

6.Bracelet

7. Watch

SIX THINGS YOU’VE DONE TODAY

1. Emailed

2. Worked

3. Talked on the phone

4. Ate Lunch

5. Drove

6. Written

FIVE PEOPLE YOUR AGE YOU HAVE KNOWN SINCE YOU WERE 5 THAT YOU STILL KNOW: (NOT RELATIVES)

1. Lauren

2. Prudence

3. Mimi

4. Kristin

5. Jill

FOUR STATES YOU HAVE VISITED:

1. Florida

2. Nevada

3. New York

4. Maine

THREE PEOPLE YOU CAN TELL ANYTHING TO … IN NO ORDER!!!!

1. Lauren

2. Mama

3. Caroline

TWO PEOPLE THAT MAKE YOU LAUGH:

1. Callie Margaret

2. Max

ONE PLACE YOU WANT TO GO:

1. England

Clay's Baptism and Crazy Kids

2008-07-27T23:02:00.000-04:00

Today was Clay's baptism. Korey and I are his godparents! He is such a sweet baby. We had lots of fun at Lauren and Jason's house at lunch. After lunch and a quick nap (Korey....not the kids) we went to the grocery store and the twins had to wear their new sunglasses. Everyone in Food Lion laughed at them!!

BUSY BUSY BUSY

2008-07-18T14:18:00.000-04:00

I have been so slammed I have not had time to write lately! This week the kids have been at bible school. They had a blast! Korey and I hosted a game night at our house last Saturday night for 4 other couples. It was really fun! We played win lose or draw. We laughed so hard. It is fun to get together with no kids...and act like kids! This summer has flown by! The twins are getting so big....growing like weeds!

2008-07-07T16:46:00.000-04:00

This is a mosaic meme created by you, about you, but using public photos.
It was a lot of fun to make . I stole the idea from Wendi on Aly's page. I am her blogger stalker.

Try it.
Here’s how it works . . .Answer each of the questions below.Surf over to Flickr (set up an account if you don’t have one–it’s quick and easy) and type your answers (one at a time) into the search bar.From the choice of pictures shown only on the front page, click on the one that moves you.Once the page with your picture opens, copy the URL.Surf over to the Mosaic Maker, set up your mosaic, and paste your URLs.Click “Create!”

The Questions: (and my answers)

1. What is your first name? Allison

2. What is your favorite food? Cupcakes

3. What high school did you attend? East Carteret

4. What is your favorite color? Green

5. Who is your celebrity crush? Freddie Prinze Jr

6. What is your favorite drink? Diet Mt Dew

7. Where would you go on your dream vacation? London

8. What is your favorite dessert? Cake

9. What do you want to be when you grow up? Wedding Planner

10. What do you love most in life? Family

11. Choose one word to describe you? Fun

12. Your Flickr name? (I used my last name.) Bernauer

It was fun!

July 4th & Myrtle Beach

2008-07-06T18:15:00.001-04:00

We had a cookout at Pop's for the 4th of July. The twins had a blast. On Saturday Korey & I took them to Myrtle Beach. We went to Broadway at the Beach to the Aquarium and to the Dixie Stampede for dinner! Here are some pictures of the weekend.

Crazy Eights

2008-07-03T12:54:00.000-04:00

Eight Things I Have a Passion for:
1) Family. I have a great family, married into a great family and love my children and nieces and nephews very much.
2) Friends. I have some incredible friends. Even in our busy lives we are still the best of friends.
3) Church- recently we have gotten quite involved at the church and are really enjoying Sunday School, Young Adult get-togethers, board meetings etc
4) Traveling- love love love to go out of town!
5) Cooking...love to cook sweets
6) Eating....see above :)
7) Clothes and Shoes
8) Weddings...enjoy planning, directing and attending

Eight Things I Would Like to Do Before I Die:
1) Visit all 50 states
2) Learn how to sew
3) Pay off all debt.
4) Travel to Europe
5) See a size 4 again.
6) Build my dream house
7) See my kids and grandkids grow up
8) Have enough money for a cleaning lady.

Eight Things I Say a Lot:
1)Stop it!
2)No you may not have another Hershey Bar!
3)Put your shoes on!
4)For goodness sake!
5)I love you!
6)Did you hear what I said?
7) Don't touch that!
8) Get back in that bed!

Eight Books I Have Read Recently:
1) The Other Boleyn Girl
2) Bambi
3) Dinosaurs & Reptiles
4) The Animal Alphabet
5) The Children's Bible
6) Maisy takes a bath...horrible
7) What color are your underwear Mr. Elephant?...yes it's a children's book
8) Lean Mean Thirteen

Eight Movies I Have Seen Eight Times:
1) Annie
2) Shag
3) Cars
4) The Notebook
5) Dumb & Dumber
6) Wedding Crashers
7) Sound of music
8) Wizard of Oz

Which have you done?

2008-07-01T10:29:00.000-04:00

Below is a list of items. The directions are to highlight the ones you have done. My answers are below...bold and in red....and I tag everyone else to try it..it was fun!

1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby's diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said “I love you” and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time.
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don’t
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money...just won $3 from Sat. night's lottery...big money!
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name...(when I got married)
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair....for the play The King and I
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all fours
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe
113. Buried a child
114. Gone to a Broadway (or equivalent to your country) play
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book
128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in an historic place
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one...(does miniature golf count?)
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating
135. Run a marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away....I went next door ha ha
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
166. Worn knickers
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hotel
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a campfire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had hives...too many times to count!
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Know CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible..the old LeBaron..good times
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Responded to a NJP newsletter

Fishing

2008-06-22T20:47:00.000-04:00

Tonight Korey took the kids fishing in the pond behind the house. They had so much fun. Here are a few pics.

Boat

2008-06-15T16:44:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we went out in the boat. The kids had so much fun. They went swimming and loved "driving" the boat! Here are a few pictures from our trip.

Laughter

2008-06-09T21:36:00.001-04:00

When you are really stressed out and going crazy with the day to day nuttiness.....all you need to hear is your children's laughter to make you smile and you realize that the only thing that matters is them! Forget all the rest and just laugh with them.

Memorial Day

2008-05-29T21:09:00.000-04:00

We spent most of the Memorial Holiday down at our "camp" in Otway. The twins and their cousins had a great time camping out and loved their new waterslide!

Dance Recital

2008-05-28T09:24:00.000-04:00

Callie Margaret had her first dance recital a few weeks ago. She was a Summer Daisy! She loved dance this year and will take it again next year. Here are a few pics from the big event!

Tell All Tag

2008-05-22T09:12:00.000-04:00

Answer the following with only one word.
1. Where is your cell phone? ....................Pocketbook

2. Your significant other?.......................Handsome

3. Your hair?....................................Messy

4. Your mother? .................................Wonderful

5. Your father?..................................Fun

6. Your favorite thing?..........................Twins

7. Your dream last night?........................Crazy

8. Your favorite drink...........................Malibu

9. Your dream/goal?..............................Stressfree

10. The room you're in?..........................Office

11. Your children?.....................................Adorable

12. Your fear?...................................Death

13. Where do you want to be in 6 years...........Beaufort

14. Where were you last night?...................Church

15. What you're not?.............................Patient

16. Muffins......................................Blueberry

17. One of your wish list items?.................Waterslide

18. Where you grew up?........................... Beaufort

19. What you read last........................USWeekly

20. What are you wearing?........................Black

21. Your TV?.....................................Watched

22. Your pets?...................................Luke

23. Your computer? ..............................Fun

24. Your life?...................................Nuts

25. Your mood?...................................OK

26. Missing someone?.............................Grandmama

27. Your car?....................................Love

28. Something you're not wearing?................Socks

29. Favorite Store?..............................Steinmart (Is that one word??)

30. Your summer?.................................Busy

31. Like someone?................................Friends

32. Your favorite color?.........................Green

33. Last time you laughed........................Today

34. Last time you cried?.........................Yesterday

Favorite Places

2008-05-14T09:43:00.000-04:00

I saw this tag from Tuesday Tell All's blog on Leah's Page and I thought it was cute so here goes....

Favorite Place To:

grab lunch- Spouter Inn - Love the Otway Burns Sandwich and Spouter Chowder!

go for Date night- Dinner at Ribeye's...maybe a movie..not much action around here!

pick up some creative goodies- Spouter Inn Bakery

keep the kids busy- Aquarium @ PKS or Shevan's Park

get wet- Water Boggan @ Emerald Isle

buy a treat- General Store - love the ice cream and jelly beans

shop for fun- Harbor Specialties- cute shoes, bags etc etc etc

get some fresh air- Front Street Boardwalk

splurge- Island Grille...So Expensive..So Good!

drive for a weekend away - Hatteras or Boone

That was fun! I am glad Leah has so many neat blog friends I can stalk!

Trike-a-Thon

2008-05-07T09:27:00.000-04:00

The twins had a Trike-a-Thon at their pre-school (Ann Street) to raise money for St. Jude's. Max was a speed demon (as he calls it) and did over 40 laps. Callie Margaret however...not so much. Only 7 Laps and she was exhausted! One time he lapped her twice!! Here are some pics!

Pop's Birthday

2008-04-28T13:05:00.001-04:00

My grandfather turned 99 last week. Here are a few pics of the party.

Zoo

2008-04-16T10:05:00.000-04:00

Here are a few pictures from the Zoo in Asheboro from this past weekend. The twins had so much fun! Max has not stopped talking about it since we left!

Leah's Tag

2008-04-07T23:42:00.000-04:00

I'm answering a tag, stolen from Leah's blog. I am her blogger stalker.

*10 years ago...I was freshman at ECU living in Player's Club with Heather, Brianne and Andrea. I was very homesick!! However, I loved going to Target and Harris Teeter and spending time with my nephews, my sister, my brother and sister-in-law.

*5 things on my to-do list- Clean House, Wash Laundry, Fold laundry, Put away laundry, (see pattern??), Dishes

*Things I would do if I was suddenly a billionaire~ Hire a nanny, quit working, go to England, buy my mom a new car and buy a boat....and pay off my bills!

.*3 Bad Habits~ Biting my nails, worrying, grinding my teeth

*Places I have lived~Beaufort, NC~Greenville, NC

*Things most people don't know about me~ I have a lot of food quirks...like how I order cheeseburgers differently depending on where I am...(McDonalds-Must. & Ketchup, The Spot - Plain, Applebee's - W/mayo).....weird I know. I am also a huge SLOB. I love waterslides. I am afraid of frogs.

Jobs I have had- Hostess and Waitress at Sanitary, Cashier at Summer's Treasures, Ad Sales Rep at News-Times, SAHM for 21 months, Bookkeeper at the News-Times, Office Manager at Bluewater GMAC, and Wedding Director/Planner

I am now going to bed. I will be so tired when that alarm goes off in the morning!

Family

2008-04-03T09:01:00.000-04:00

This morning I have been thinking about how blessed I am to have such great family and friends. My grandparents have always been such a huge part of my life and I think that it is important to be around family while growing up. This is the main reason we moved home after college. My grandfather, "Pop" is getting ready to turn 99 this month. Can you imagine the changes he has seen. His stories are amazing....and they are true! I think older people have the most amazing life stories. It amazes me how he did what he did in a time where things were not as convenient as they are today. A small boy from Mill Creek became a man that has traveled to ALL 50 states, Europe, Russia and so many more I could never begin to tell. My grandmama came from Otway and was so poor she lived in a 2 room house with her parents and 9 siblings. Because of her meager beginnings she was always so careful with money. She used to hide it in the freezer. She told me that was her "cold cash". After she died, we found hundreds of dollars she had saved from Birthday Cards etc all packed away neatly with her 1000's of programs from all of our ballet recitals, church programs, school plays etc. I think she had the newspaper clippings from every time I made the honor roll! I miss her so much everyday. She lived to be 89. Callie Margaret is named for her. My Hardesty grandparents were married for 71 1/2 years...can you imagine?? My Windley grandparents were married 61 years. What a thing to look up to. In this day it is so rare. One of my favorite memories is watching Granny and Grandaddy walking home from church holding hands...yes, at 80 years old still holding hands. It makes me smile. I am so glad my children have all their grandparents around to spend time with. I cherish the memories of my childhood and I feel sure they will do the same.

My Favorite Things

2008-03-25T08:42:00.000-04:00

Taking a cue from Leah's...things you might not know, I thought I'd share (as Maria from the Sound of Music would say) a few of my favorite things!

My Favorite.......
Place: On my Pop's porch in the swing in the Fall or Spring.
Book: The Devil's Arithmetic
Movie: Willy Wonka and Annie
Memory: My parents dancing in their bedroom. They did this often usually to beach music.
Trip: NYC in 1987 to see my brother in the Macy's Parade and we had Thanksgiving dinner at the World Trade Center Windows of the World Restaurant (plus it was my birthday)
Day: Friday
Color: Green
Food: Close call between Steak and Cupcakes!
Song: I love music....but if I have to choose it would be This is the Moment from Jekyll and Hyde
Ice Cream: Mint Chocolate Chip
Grade: 11th....we had so much fun plus I only weighed about 95 lbs.
Birthday: I think it was our 18th when Alyson and I had one together at Clawson's
Holiday: Thanksgiving...it's just about sitting down with your family and enjoying a nice meal together and realizing how blessed you are without all the typical "holiday" stress...plus some years it is my birthday like this year....except this is is the big 3-0.
Word: Actually...because Max says this in every sentence and it is so cute.
TV Show Current: Too many to choose just one...Grey's Anatomy, The Tudors, American Idol
TV Show Past: Tie between 90210 and the Brady Bunch
Website: Of course www.alydart.com Her passion for photography and life and her extreme talent shows through in the most unbelievable photographs you have ever seen. I have never been happier then when I viewed the proofs of the twins. I love to look at the blog and see what she has done next! I now know what life looks like through her eyes and it is a wonderful place.
Store: Stein Mart
Soft Drink: Diet Mt Dew
Historical Topic: Titanic
Musical/Play: Annie.....but I do love the Sound of Music
Restaurant: Sanitary...so many happy times. I smile when I walk through the door and remember some of the best times of my life.
Thing to Do: Is to watch my children smile, especially when they are running toward me with their arms outstretched.

and of course....Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes, Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes, Silver white winters that melt into Springs, These are a few of my favorite things!

Easter

2008-03-24T14:22:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we had a great day! We went to Sunday School and Church and then went to visit all the relatives! The twins got so much Easter stuff it was like Christmas again. Callie Margaret told me that she had figured out that Jesus died on the cross so that when she and Max were bad it was ok! I thought about it and really she is pretty close! They looked absolutely beautiful and I cannot believe how big they are getting. It seems like they were just born! I am just beginning this blog stuff so hopefully I will be posting often. I enjoy everyone else's so much. :)

2008-03-24T12:06:00.000-04:00

New!

2008-03-24T12:01:00.000-04:00

Due to the fact that I love to read all the Hancock Family's blogs I have decided to do one of my own. I do not know how exciting it will be but here goes..... :)