Ryan and Jessica have set a date for their wedding! It is August 9, 2008. Needless to say, activity has picked up quite a bit around our house. The couple has been practicing their cooking on the two families, which is quite a treat for me after working all day! I am so excited to have this event to look forward to and all of us wish the two of them a blessed life together.

Dean, Ryan, mom and I just returned from a very nice vacation in Tennessee. We rented a condo on Norris Lake near LaFollette. The condo was three levels and slept 12. Ryan had the whole bottom floor to himself, while Dean, mom and I had bedrooms on the top floor. That gave him a chance to play his guitar into the late hours without impacting us at all. I only know he was doing this because I happened to go downstairs to do some laundry. There was a most beautiful and challenging golf course less than a mile from the condo. Ryan and I played 18 holes twice while we were there. The reason it was so challenging is that the fairways were narrow and there were steep slopes usually on either side. If you had a slice or a hook, the ball most often disappeared! Still, it was great fun! Dean and mom rented a cart and went with us to take pictures. While they were with us, we saw several deer run out across the fairway. The views were spectacular. In addition to playing golf, we went into Gatlinburg and ice skated. (I took my skates with me.) That was a lot of fun! Dean took two kayaks and had a great time exploring the lake, and one day we rented a pontoon boat and really had a chance to explore. Many beautiful rock faces along the banks made great diving platforms and interesting little caves--great for exploring. The water was crystal clear and very clean and the swimming was great. No worries about alligators or snakes! At the end of the week, we went up to Cumberland Gap and took in some history of the area. Overall, the week was delightful and one of the best vacations I've ever had!

Marian