Harbin Family Herald

Will Be Updating Soon!

2010-12-21T16:13:00.000-08:00

Now that we will have a couple of weeks out of school, I hope to be updating our family blog soon. I have gotten so far behind on just about every project I am working on. (Getting bits and pieces done on a lot of stuff - just not finishing anything - UGH!)

Check back soon and hopefully, I will have some updates for you!

Special Visitor at ABS 6th Grade Science Class

2010-08-26T08:58:00.000-07:00

Chase's 6th Grade Science Class had a special visitor today.

Chase asked his teacher if he could bring our cat, Josie, to school today for an "extra credit show-n-tell project". Mrs. Denton allowed him to do so. He had to tell the class where we got her from, her age, what kind of cat she is, and why she has such a funny hair cut. (You may remember a previous post about Josie's hair cut.)

The kids seemed to love her. She allowed them to pet her. But, after the presentation, this was the first time she ever acted glad to go back in her pet taxi.

Here are a few pictures:

First Day of School

2010-08-11T09:42:00.000-07:00

Chase went back to school on August 9, 2010. It is so hard to believe he is in 6th grade now. He is looking forward to school more than I thought he would. Of course, he did not want me to go inside with him and take any pictures with his teacher this year. So, I snapped a picture of him at the house before we left that morning.

Hunter did not get to start KG until August 10th, 2010. The girls went to school on Monday, the boys on Tuesday, and they were all together on Wednesday. He was sooo ready to go. Here is a picture of him outside of his classroom.

Mrs. Nave shows him where to hang his backpack.

Mrs. Nave gives him his cool KG name tag.

Hunter will have two teachers this year. He will spend part of the day with Mrs. Nave and part of the day with Mrs. Adams. They will be doing some team teaching this year. I'm really impressed with what they have planned this year.

Hunter and Mrs. Nave

Hunter and Mrs. Adams

Hunter colors a booklet about himself

Hunter's class lines up to go to Chapel

Going down the hall to Chapel

First Day in Chapel as a Kindergartener (I got a little teary-eyed in Chapel when I heard all of the children singing. But, I composed myself until after I left the school building.)

A gift from Mrs. Nave and Mrs. Adams to the parents made me cry. I did not read the poem and letter until after I got in my car. Then I cried most of the way home. Inside the little baggie was a bag of tissues, a tea bag, and a hershey's kiss with a cute little note from the teachers telling us what to do with each item.

Hunter and Chase both had a great "first day" of school. I miss them. But, I have so many chores to do while they are away to keep me busy! Hopefully, I can get a little more organized this year and keep things neat and tidy while they are at school. I have their rooms and closets done. Now, I will have to work on the playroom, kitchen, and my room. I have many plans and ideas and hopefully I will get them done!

Thanks for checking up on us today! I hope you all have a great day!

Wallace Family Reunion (Papa Kelley's Family)

2010-08-11T09:36:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, Kelly, our boys, and I went to the Wallace Family Reunion in Cullman, AL. It was fun seeing everyone. But, it just makes me miss Papa Kelley even more. I miss his sense of humor and his stories of growing up with his brothers and sisters. He really had a way of making everyone he came in contact with smile. He and Mama Neanie will always hold a special place in my heart. Below are a couple of pictures from the reunion.
Down in front: Hunter and Brock
In Back from left to right: Chase, Kimberly, Kelly, Dalton, Mom, and Aunt Jenny

Kelly and Kim turn 42 years young!

2010-08-03T14:24:00.001-07:00

Dad and Chris invited us to their house for mine and Kelly's birthday celebration! I can't believe we are 42 years YOUNG! Chris cooked dinner for us and baked a yummy cake!

Daddy was not feeling all that well. But, he still had fun. This is a picture of us with Dad and Chris (and Brock).

Kelly and Mark

Since my husband had such a hard day, there is no picture of us together because he did this before I could get someone to take a picture of us. He's gonna kill me for posting this one!

Brock, Hunter, and I enjoyed a little game of "stacking the chairs".

Chase and Dalton

I took a few more photos, but did not post them all here. If you want to see more, just look at my photo album on facebook. Have a great day! Happy Birthday, Kelly! Love you! Many thanks goes out to all of the sweet birthday wishes that came our way, too!

Josie's New Hair Cut

2010-07-20T14:02:00.001-07:00

Our cat Josie's fur became so matted because she would not let us brush her. So, she had to take a little trip to the vet to be groomed. They gave her a "lion cut". She looks cute. But I will be glad when her fur grows back out and we have our old cat back. She acts like she feels humiliated. But, if she would have let us brush her, maybe she would not have had to get her hair cut!

Here are a couple of "before" photos:

Here are a couple of "after" photos of her "lion cut".

I never could get her to look at me for her "after" photo. I think she is mad at me!

Limestone Bible Camp

2010-07-17T09:30:00.001-07:00

Chase spent this past week at Limestone Bible Camp at Camp Neyati in Guntersville. He had a great time. When I arrived, they were gathered at the pavillion for Awards. Hunter and I found Chase and sat down next to him. Then a lady that worked at camp all week tapped my shoulder when she realized I was Chase's mom. She pointed to Chase and said to me, "You didn't have to worry about that one this week because he did great! He was very enthusiastic and had a great time." That made me feel really proud and relieved. Of course, as a mom, I worried all week about whether or not he was having fun, fitting in with the others, behaving himself, etc. Before I left, a couple other people told me how well Chase did that week in the Bible class and at the cabin. Two of the boys from Chase's cabin were baptized this week, too.

In Bible classes, they learned about making choices. They went to chapel in the morning, had a daily song service, two bible classes per day, and enjoyed other fun activities such as arts and crafts, egg toss, volleyball, canoe races, and swimming. They also performed in a skit and had a banquet one night.

I found this picture on the camp website of Chase's Bible class.

This is an award that Chase's cabin received for the last three days of camp for keeping their cabin clean.

In this picture, Chase is all packed up and ready to go. And, Mom is so ready to bring him home!

Luke (one of Chase's roommates) and Chase

Chase's group (called the John Deeres) won first place in the athletics competition during the week. For each activity this group participated in they were given points for how well they performed. At the end of the week, their group had the most points. Also, Chase and his canoeing partner Colby Phillips came in second place in the canoe race that week.

Hunter was so glad to see Chase!

Dalton and Brigett are up in the stands.

Chase, Dalton, and Brigett (All three of these are from Holland's Gin)

Dalton's Volleyball Team were the champs in the Volleyball Tournament

Happy Birthday Grandma!

2010-07-17T09:27:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday, Grandma! We love you! Here are a few pictures from the birthday party!

Chase is gone again...

2010-07-12T13:20:00.000-07:00

Kelly and I dropped Chase and Dalton off at Limestone Bible Camp yesterday in Guntersville at Camp Neyati. There are about 100 campers there this week. I think there are about 10 boys in the sixth grade cabin. As opposed to his humble sleeping quarters at Boy Scout Camp a couple of weeks ago, Chase will be a lot more comfortable this week in an air conditioned cabin.

When I left him, he had chosen a top bunk near the front door. He and Dalton cannot stay in the same cabin because they are not in the same grade. Chase was a little disappointed because he did not know anyone in his cabin. But, he was fine when I left. This will be a good experience for him to learn how to meet new people and not rely so much on his older cousin.

Their Bible curriculum for the week is about learning to make the right choices. He will be in two Bible classes per day. They will also have a song service everyday. He will have some free time to go canoeing, swimming or make some kind of art project daily. They will be doing a skit one day this week and have a banquet one night this week, too. This year's theme for the banquet is "country fair".

They have some great views of Lake Guntersville. It looked like they built some new benches set up like an outdoor classroom in several areas overlooking the water. Maybe they will enjoy the scenery as they study from God's word.

To find out more about Limestone Bible Camp visit their website at www.limestonebiblecamp.org.

Alabama Adventure, July 5, 2010

2010-07-12T07:09:00.000-07:00

Kasey took the boys and me to Alabama Adventure in Bessemer, AL on July 5, 2010.

To find out more about this theme park, click on the following link.
http://www.alabamaadventure.com/index.html

The boys were so excited. Hunter was a little unsure about some of the rides, but after getting on, he really enjoyed it. Chase wasn't afraid to ride anything. I was afraid, but rode anyway. Kasey rode on three rides. But after the third ride, he got really sick. We thought we were going to have to leave. But, he held out a little while longer to let the boys have a little more fun. On the way out, he won a giant Pokeman Picachu which Hunter claimed right away. It was almost as big as him. Not long after we left the park, Kasey felt even worse and asked me to pull over to stay the rest of the night at a hotel in Fultondale. He was feeling too sick to ride the rest of the way back to Athens. I hated that Kasey spent most of the day feeling sick. But was very appreciative of him for sticking it out as long as he did for the boys' sake. We don't get to spend much time together as a family, so we made the best of it. Enjoy the slideshow of some of the pictures from our day together.

This picture slideshow generated with Smilebox

Boy Scout Camp 2010

2010-06-26T07:34:00.000-07:00

Chase went with ABS Troop 21 to Boxwell Scout Reservation in Lebanon, TN for Boy Scout Summer Camp during the week of June 20th - 26th.

Kasey and I dropped him off on Sunday at camp. We didn't hear a word from him until we went to the family night program on Friday night. As a mom, I could not wait to see him. But, I made a promise to myself on the long drive to camp that I was not going to embarrass Chase by running up to him and hugging him in front of all the other boys when I got there. I was pleasantly surprised when we saw Chase and he wrapped his arm around me and told me he loved me and he missed me this week. AWWW!

When we arrived at the reservation, we purchased our meal ticket at the "Cripple Crab". They gave us a map and told us how to get to Chase's campsite called "Camp Craig".

I think we walked about 1/2 mile to get there. His campsite was located right on the waterfront in a beautiful location.

This was Chase's humble abode during the week:

After we saw Chase's campsite, we went to the flag lowering ceremony. As all of the boys gathered in their formations, it was such an amazing site to me. All of the boys were required to wear their uniform shirts. They had to remain silent during the formation. Suddenly we heard the staff scouts marching from another area of the camp toward the flag pole. There were about 30 of them marching and singing in unison. When they arrived, they shouted out some commands to all of the boys and the flag lowering ceremony began. Then they entertained the scouts before dismissing them for supper. Here are a few pictures from the flag ceremony:

After the flag ceremony, we went to the cafeteria for supper. The scouts had to enter the cafeteria in silence, wait for the prayer, then sit in silence until their table was "tapped" by a staff scout.

When their table was "tapped" they were allowed to enter the line to get their food. The scouts served us BBQ sandwiches, baked beans, salad, and peach cobbler. It was actually pretty tasty.

The staff scouts were quite talented. Some of them formed a Camp Craig Band and they performed for us during our meal. They also got the scouts involved in a "buffalo dance" which was hilarious!

After our meal, the boys were responsible for cleaning their tables. They each had assignments: wiping off table, taking trays to the garbage can, sweeping, and mopping. Guess what job Chase got to do? He can put this new skill to work at home!

After they finished cleaning up, we had a little free time. Chase took us on a little tour of Camp Craig. This was one of the sites where they met each night for the campfire ceremony.

Here are some pictures of their swimming hole. Chase had a lot of fun here!

We met at the flagpole at 8:30pm to prepare for the closing campfire ceremony. Some of the Scout Staff led us by carrying torches to the campfire site on the waterfront.

All of the scouts were getting pretty tired by this time.

The Camp Craig Band performed for us again:

At the end of the campfire a member of the Scout staff stressed the importance and honor of achieving Boy Scouts' highest achievement - Eagle Scout. As he talked, other staff members used torches to light a flaming eagle across the lake from our campfire. Then the staff members gathered in a circle around the campfire and sang a scout song.

As we were being dismissed I heard another scout tell his mom, "I love this place. This is the best place on earth. I want to come here every Summer." I think Chase feels the same way. He had a great time. We have already noticed some great changes in him. He not only fulfilled many of his rank requirements and earned two merit badges, but I think he learned way more from his peers and scout leaders this week than we will ever know. He has so much more confidence in himself and just seems all around a much happier boy!

Boxwell Scout Reservation

2010-06-22T12:04:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to Boxwell Scout Reservation in Lebanon, TN.

http://www.virtualboxwell.org/v2/index.html

This is where Chase is staying this week. It looks like a lot of fun! I hope it is. Can't wait to see him on Friday.

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-20T19:28:00.001-07:00

We made Kasey a photobook for Father's Day made up of photos of him and the boys over the years since they were born. If you copy and paste the link below into your web browser, you should be able to see a sample of the book we made.

http://www.mixbook.com/photo-books/holiday/father-s-day-4803119

If that does not work, you can view it on my Facebook Profile.

He loved it. He looked at it several times when we gave it to him.

I wish I would have had enough time to scan photos of Kelly, me, and our Dad to make him one. But, scanning those old pictures takes a long time. Maybe if we started on it this year, we could finish it by next Father's Day! We need to make a Grandparents book with pictures of the family with Grandma and Grandpa!

We did not get to do much for Father's Day today because we dropped Chase off here today...

It is in Lebanon, TN. So, we spent most of the day on the road. While he is there, I will be doing this until we get to see him on Friday...

On Friday, parents will be invited to eat dinner with their scouts and attend the campfire ceremony. Hopefully, I can get some good pictures then.

Home from the hospital...

2010-06-19T05:31:00.001-07:00

Kasey scared me half to death Thursday morning telling me that the left side of his face and his left hand were numb. Of course, the first thing that came to my mind was a stroke. I woke up the boys and we headed to the ER. Kelly later met me at the hospital and took the boys home with her.

They began running tests to see if Kasey was having a mini-stroke. They decided to admit him so they could observe him for 24 hours, run more tests and make sure that they would not send him home before ruling out any risk factors for heart attack or stroke. All of the tests came back fine. The doctors feel like the numbness in his hand and face were not related to each other. Kasey suffers from migraines and they think that the numbness in his face could be related to his migraine. He told them that he got too hot at work one day this past week and that it started feeling numb in his face then. It would come and go. So, they also thought it could have been related to heat exhaustion and dehydration.

The numbness in his face went away later Thursday night. But, his hand was still tingling and numb. They are pretty sure it is from a pinched nerve. We are home now and he is feeling better.

Thanks so much to Grandma and Kelly for taking care of our boys the past two days! Thanks for all of the calls and visits to check on him! We love you!

Chase's work at Day Camp is over...

2010-06-12T18:12:00.000-07:00

During this past week of June 7th - 11th, 2010, Chase attended Cub Scout Day Camp at Point Mallard in Decatur, AL.

Boy Scouts of America is celebrating it's 100th Anniversary! This was a banner that all of the scouts made on the first day of camp.

This was Chase's third year attending Cub Scout Day Camp. But, this year was different because this year he got to wear a t-shirt with this on it:

Since Chase "bridged over" to Boy Scouts in May, he decided he wanted to volunteer as a Den Chief this year at Cub Scout Day Camp to earn some service points for Boy Scouts and for Jr. Beta Club.

Kelly's son Dalton also worked as a Den Chief this year. Here is a picture of Chase and Dalton. Part of the week they helped with the Bear Den and part of the week they had to work with a Webelos Den. This picture was taken at the end of the day during their closing Flag Ceremony.

Chase had a good time as a "staff member" and the adult leader he was assigned to said he did everything that was asked of him and she appreciated his help. This week was a great way to teach him what it means to be a good servant to others. He worked from 7:30am until 3:00pm daily exept for one day when camp closed early due to weather and one day when I had to pick him up early for a doctor's appointment. Needless to say, he was one tired scout each day!

He was proud of the signatures from fellow scouts and cubscouts on his shirt. This has become a tradition at camp each year.

This is a group picture of Chase and Cody with one of the dens they helped this week. Chase is the second one from the left on the back row.

Now, he has one week to relax before heading off to Boy Scout Camp next week. We will be dropping him off in Lebanon, TN next Sunday evening (June 20th) at Boxwell Reservation. He will spend a whole week working on requirements for various merit badges and scouting badge requirements. He will also get to take part in some fun activities, too, such as swimming, hiking, biking, dodge ball, crafts, games, campfire activities, etc. He is so excited about it. I will be nervous while he is gone. But, I am also happy for him and I know it will be a good experience for him. The parents will be invited to the Campfire on the last night of camp and hopefully I can get some good pictures, then.

One Year Anniversary with Weight Watchers!

2010-06-05T07:29:00.000-07:00

One year ago, I joined WW. It is one of the best things I ever did for myself. I met my goal in November 2009 and have not gained anything back yet. Hopefully, I never will! (Not trying to brag - just proud of what I finally accomplished after a lifetime of weight problems)

Before Picture Taken in June 2009
After Picture Taken in November 2009

Most Recent Photo Taken in May 2010 at Hunter's Preschool Graduation

ABS Boy Scout Troop 21 Bridging Ceremony

2010-05-25T10:56:00.000-07:00

On Monday, 5/24/2008, Chase "graduated" from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts. This was a happy and sad time for me. Chase has been a member of ABS Cub Scout Pack 25 for five years. It is hard to write this post without shedding a tear or two. I am very proud of what Chase and all of the other boys in his den have accomplished.

In first grade, he started out as a Tiger Cub:

That year, he and Kasey won second place in the Fishing Rodeo at Joe Wheeler:

They also placed 2nd at the ABS Pinewood Derby and 4th Place at the District Pinewood Derby. Their car also won "Best Design" at the ABS Pinewood Derby.

In second grade, he was a Wolf and earned his Bobcat Badge:

In third grade he was a Bear Cub.

As a Bear Cub he got to spend the night on the USS Alabama Battleship in Mobile, AL and ride in a helicopter at the Battleship Park:

He and Kasey also won the Father/Son Cake Decorating Contest that year at the Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquet.

In fourth grade he became a Webelos I Cub Scout. As a Webelos I Scout, he earned the Super Achiever Award for completing the requirements for all 20 Webelos Activity Badges. He earned a Compass Emblem and 3 emblem points. In addition, he earned the religious emblem called the Loving Servant.

Our family earned the BSA Family Award that year:

Kasey and Chase built a pinewood derby car that broke the ABS Track Speed record, won the ABS pinewood derby, and placed 2nd in the District Pinewood Derby:

As a fifth grader, Chase became a Webelos II Cub Scout:

He earned the 50 miler award for hiking 50 miles:

He earned the 2010 Year of Celebration Patch and ribbons (BSA celebrates its 100th Anniversary):

He and Kasey won the father/son cake decorating contest at the Blue and Gold Banquet:

He earned the Joyful Servant Award for completing a 3 month Bible Curriculum for the Cub scout religious emblem:

And he earned Cub Scouting's Highest Level of Achievement called the Arrow of Light:

This is a picture of a blanket we gave Chase with all of the patches he earned over the past five years.
In addition to these patches, Chase earned 17 Academic Belt Loops, 17 Sport Belt Loops, 10 Academic Pins, and 5 Sports pins over the years as a Cub Scout.

Last night, that chapter in scouting came to a close as he bridged over from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts. He is now a proud member of ABS Troop 21.

The Harbin Family is preparing for the Bridging Ceremony:

The Webelos shoulder loops and neckerchief are removed by Kasey and Mr. Roth:

Chase and his family "bridges over" to join ABS Boy Scout Troop 21:

Chase's cousin, Dalton, welcomes Chase to ABS Troop 21 by placing the Boy Scout neckerchief and shoulder loops on his uniform.

New members are inducted into ABS Troop 21:

A few ducks at Big Springs Park wanted to join the ceremony:

Gary Boyd, leader of ABS Troop 21, welcomes the new Boy Scouts to his troop:

ABS Boy Scout Troop 21

Time to eat!

Dalton and Chase

Kasey and Kimberly

Hunter and Kasey

We are proud of you Chase! We are proud of all of the boys in ABS Troop 21!

Many thanks goes out to Kelly for taking pictures for us! Love you, Aunt Kelly!

Chase's Last Day of Fifth Grade 5/24/10

2010-05-25T10:37:00.000-07:00

Chase's Fifth Grade class celebrated the end of the school year with an outdoor party on the playground. Of course, Hunter enjoyed the festivities, too. Cousin Maddie was also celebrating the end of her second grade year on the playground. So, Hunter was excited to see her, too. Chase will miss Miss Atherton, aka - Miss A. She left a great impression on him. He said people called her "Miss A" because the "A" stood for "awesome"! Ha! Ha! Enjoy some pictures below of his last day at school:

Chase and Miss Atherton

Fifth Graders present Miss Atherton with a gift of appreciation

Cousin Maddie and Hunter

Hunter loves to swing:

ABS Fifth Graders with Miss Atherton (Chase is at the very top making the silly face, of course.)

Jr. Beta Fundraiser Talent Show (5/22/10)

2010-05-25T09:59:00.000-07:00

Members of the ABS Jr. Beta Club will be attending the National Jr. Beta Club Convention in Louisville, KY in June. As State Champions, they will be competing in the National Talent Contest and two members will compete in Social Studies and Woodworking contests. To help with expenses, they sold tickets to an "Old Time Diner" themed dinner at the ABS cafeteria on 5/22/10.
Afterwards, students of ABS performed in a Fundraiser Talent Show. Prior to the show, students had to audition in front of Dr. Olson, the principal, to get his approval before appearing in the talent show.

Chase and two of his friends made it into the show. Eliza Cross and Lacey Beth Black sang "Over the Rainbow" while Chase accompanied them on the piano. Here is a video below of their performance. My video is very fuzzy, but you can hear them. I thought they did a good job. They were very brave to perform in front of a packed auditorium, especially for fifth graders:

Kasey and Hunter are enjoying the show:

All of the students did a great job and the Jr. Beta Talent Members showed us their State Winning performance as a Grand Finale! We wish all of them best of luck at Nationals! I did not get to record their performance at the Fundraiser Talent Show. But, if you would like to view their winning performance in Mobile click on the link below. (If clicking on it does not take you directly to the video, copy and paste the web address into your internet browser.):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1nx6SXBsH4

2010 ABS Awards Day

2010-05-22T06:13:00.000-07:00

May 21, 2010 was Awards Day at ABS. Chase and our nephew, Dalton, both received awards for their hard work throughout their 5th and 6th grade year.

Chase received a certificate for maintaining an overall A grade point average: (Chase is the third person from the right)

Chase also received a Bible Award for memorizing the 65 Generations of Jesus and the 50 Chapter summaries of the Book of Genesis: (Chase is the first person from the right)

Dalton received a certificate for maintaining an overall A grade point average: (Dalton is the second person from the right)

Dalton also received a Bible Award for memorizing the Chapter Summaries and Outline of the Book of Acts: (Dalton is the first person from the right)

Dalton received a Presidential Academic Fitness Award for maintaining an overall A grade point average over the past three years (4th - 6th grade). (Dalton is the first person from the right)

We are so proud of both of them!

Hunter's Pre-school Graduation

2010-05-18T12:31:00.000-07:00

Hunter's Graduation from Pre-school was on May 17, 2010. He did such a good job and we are so proud of him. He had a great school year. We were so blessed to have Mrs. Lisa Davis as his teacher and we will miss her very much. All of the teachers did such a great job organizing the graduation ceremony. The children sang songs for us and they showed a sweet slideshow at the end. Of course, there were tears. We are sad to leave Little Tots and we are sad to see Hunter grow up so fast. But, we are so happy over his accomplishments and look forward to many more milestones! Enjoy the following slideshow of graduation night!

Photo slideshow created with Smilebox

Congratulations to the Lady Tigers and Uncle Mark!

2010-05-15T19:20:00.000-07:00

Kelly just called and told us that Mark's girl's softball team from Armore High School won the State Championship this evening in Montgomery. We are so happy for him and the girls! Way to go Uncle Mark and the Lady Tigers! Below is a picture from their win at the regionals. This picture came from their school website:

Kindergarten, Here I Come!

2010-05-14T07:13:00.000-07:00

Hunter had his Kindergarten Readiness Interview with Mrs. Nave and Mrs. Adams at Athens Bible School on Wednesday, May 12, 2010. He was so excited about it. The teachers asked him to use scissors to cut out a picture of a bear. They asked him questions about his ABCs and 123s, shapes, colors, address, phone number, and birthday. He can't wait to start school this Fall. I know he is going to have a great time!

Hunter's Last Day at Little Tots Pre-school

2010-05-14T07:07:00.000-07:00

Hunter's last day at Little Tots Pre-school was on Wednesday, May 12, 2010. Their last day was a fun-filled day of jumping and sliding on a large inflatable moonbounce, using hoola-hoops, blowing bubbles, and drawing pictures on the parking lot with sidewalk chalk. Of course, the parents provided some good snacks and drinks, too! Hunter has learned a lot this past year at Little Tots! We sure are going to miss Mrs. Lisa! She has been a blessing to our family! Click on the slideshow below to see some pictures from Hunter's last day at pre-school!

Create a slideshow design

Chase Earned the "Joyful Servant" Achievement Award in Cub Scouts

2010-05-11T22:06:00.000-07:00

Every Cub Scout is given the opportunity to participate in a Bible Study Curriculum that is part of a Servant Leadership Series.

This is a 3-month Bible Curriculum which is meant to nourish the scout's understanding of serving God, serving others, and developing himself as a servant. The curriculum is based on the scripture in Philippians 2:1-11 - modeled after the example of Jesus Christ, who "took the very nature of a Servant."

The most effective style of leadership in our families, churches, nation and world is "Servant Leadership". This program is dedicated to this belief. All award requirements are based on Biblical teachings and practices of the Church of the New Testament.

When a scout chooses to participate in this program, he has to select a mentor (other than his parents) to help him with his studies. Chase's uncle Mark agreed to take on this job. They met on several occasions to discuss various scriptures that were used to teach Chase what he needs to do to become a good servant to God and to others.

After completing all of the requirements, Mark presented Chase with the Joyful Servant Achievement Award at tonight's pack meeting. Here are a few pictures of Mark and Chase from the pack meeting on May 11, 2010.

We are so proud of you, Chase!
Thank you, Uncle Mark for all of your help!

"Till We Meet Again!"

2010-05-11T21:37:00.000-07:00

My grandparents, Kelley and Eulene Wallace, aka "Papa and Neanie", are buried at the cemetery next to Chances Cross Roads Church of Christ in Cullman, AL.

The church that meets there will always be near and dear to my heart. My parents have been divorced since I was very little. So, while Kelly and I were growing up, we would spend every other weekend in Cullman with our Mom. On Sundays, our Mom allowed us to go to church with our grandparents at Chances Cross Roads. Many of the members there were great aunts and uncles, cousins, and our great grandparents were members there, too. They taught us many important lessons in Bible classes there and Kelly and I were both baptized there as teenagers. I will always cherish those years that I got to spend with my Chances Cross Roads Family and the years I spent with my grandparents and other family members in Cullman.

We placed some new flowers on Neanie's and Papa's tombstone. The flowers turned out really pretty.

Since Neanie loved hummingbirds so much, I added this little hummingbird windchime to the flower arrangement.

The wind was blowing pretty hard that day, so I got to hear some pretty music while I sat there thinking about how much I missed my Neanie and Papa.

We also placed a flag near Papa's military memorial stone. If he could see it, I think it would make him smile.

Oh, how I wish I could hear Papa tell me another one of his "Nip, Tuck, and Pearl" stories or tell me one of his funny jokes. I wish I could hear Neanie read another Bible Story to me and tuck me in at night. I'd give anything just to be able to hug them and tell them that I love them. But, I know they are with God and they are together again. That gives me great comfort. "Till we meet again!"

Hunter and Brock

2010-05-11T21:28:00.000-07:00

Dalton and Kelly went on a sixth grade field trip to the Space and Rocket Center last week. So, Brock came to visit Hunter and me that day. They had a lot of fun together playing trains in the playroom. But, they had the most fun outside. Brock loves to drive Hunter's police car.

Hunter loves to ride the scooter. They were pretending that Hunter was speeding and Brock was going to give him a ticket.

They both had a lot of fun that day!

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-08T05:36:00.001-07:00

I want to wish all of those special "MOMS" in my life a very Happy Mother's Day! I love you all. For those who have gone on before us, I saw this little poem on a friend's FB page and thought it was cute. I placed Neanie's name in the poem. I miss her very much!

If roses grow in Heaven; Lord, please pick a bunch for me.
Place them in my Neanie's arms and tell her they're from me.
Tell her that I love her and I miss her every day
And when she turns to smile, place a kiss upon her cheek and hold her for awhile.
Remembering you Neanie, and while there's an ache inside my heart,
I know one day we'll meet again and then we'll never part.
I miss you and wish we could talk!

Chase's First Piano Recital (May 1, 2010)

2010-05-01T18:28:00.000-07:00

We went to Chase's first piano recital today. He began taking piano lessons from Scarlot Henson at Athens Bible School in September 2009. He has been doing a great job throughout this school year. Mrs. Henson organized today's recital so the children could show all of the parents how hard they have been working. Chase and his teacher, Mrs. Henson: Chase Click on the following video to hear Chase play "Lean on Me", "Over the Rainbow" and "Hedwig's Theme - from Harry Potter. The video image is fuzzy because I had to use my digital camera to record him. My other video recorder would not work for some reason. You can't see Chase clearly, but you can hear how well he performed today.

Happy Birthday, Grandpa! (May 1, 2010)

2010-05-01T18:25:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Grandpa's 62nd birthday today! Chris cooked a great meal for all of us. She also baked a cake and some cookies. We all went to their house to PARTY! Check out some pictures from Grandpa's big day in the following slideshow! Enjoy!

Photo slideshow made with Smilebox

Jewelry Party Rewards

2010-04-29T09:11:00.000-07:00

I hosted a Premier Designs Jewelry Party in my home on 4-15-2010. Margie Bishop was our jeweler for the night. If you ever want to host a Premier Designs party, I highly recommend you giving her a call. She did a FABULOUS job! I won't post her number, but if you want to get in touch with her, call me and I will give it to you. We had a total of 24 guests and we had so much fun playing games and trying on jewelry. We also enjoyed some refreshments afterwards.

Thanks goes out to all of you who were able to come. And, thanks to all of you who were not able to come to the party, but placed an outside order. Because of all of your sales, I was able to reap some great jewelry rewards!

I earned 12 half price items and $476.00 worth of free jewelry. I divided up some of my half items and free items with my sister Kelly. Including the items she purchased, she wound up with seven items of jewelry and I wound up with 18 pieces of new jewelry (12 of which were free - the others were half price)!

I was excited to see that all of these boxes were mine:

I couldn't wait to open those boxes and see the new jewelry! I would have taken a picture of Kelly's, too. But, I thought it would be better if I didn't open her boxes first! To get a closer look at the pretty jewelry, click on the picture and make it larger.

Chase's Kitty Cat Photo Shoot

2010-04-29T09:06:00.000-07:00

I was uploading some pictures from my camera and discovered a bunch of pictures Chase took of our cat Josie. I won't post all of them, but here are a few cute ones:

ABS 5th Grade Field Trip - 4/20/2010

2010-04-22T09:27:00.000-07:00

Chase and I went with his 5th grade class on a field trip to the Adventure Science Center in Nashville, TN on Tuesday, 4/20/2010.

Nancy, Cody, Sandra, and Austin rode with us on the trip. We arrived a little bit late because one of our passengers got a little car sick on the way. I am sure my driving had nothing to do with it! Ha! Ha! Although, I did have to slam on my brakes once on the interstate after getting into heavy traffic.

We had a educational and funfilled day! We learned many things in various classes like: working as an astronaut, gravity and force, magnets, solids-liquids-gasses, and how to dissect a sheeps brain. (Chase did not make it through the sheep brain dissection. He had to leave the class early! I think he realizes that he no longer wants to be a Vet.)

After the classes were over, we had some free time to take part in other activities like: the microgravity wall, moon walk, climbing adventure tower to see the cityscape of Nashville, and other fun experiments.

Click on the slideshow below to see some pictures from the field trip.

Digital slideshow made with Smilebox

Hunter's 5th Birthday Celebrations with Friends and Family

2010-04-22T08:04:00.000-07:00

Hunter turned 5 years old on 4/3/10. On the day of his birthday, he enjoyed a small personal Thomas cake with just Mom, Dad, and Chase.

On 4/4/10, we celebrated with the grandparents at our house. Kelly's family also joined us. We had so much fun!

We did not party with his friends until 4/17/10. Hunter wanted his friends to join him at the Onyx Gym for some fun. It was a little hard planning a party this time of year because of ball season. But, we managed to get a party date that worked better for some. We still had a few missing because of games. But, Hunter had a blast with those that were able to make it!

Whatever you do, do not ask Chase about the foam pit! If you have not already heard the story, email me or call me and I will tell you about it. Very scary moment! All I have to say here is, "Clayton Hamm is our hero!"

Click on the slideshow below to see some photos from all of his birthday fun!

Slideshow design made with Smilebox

Oh, Happy Day! - 4/18/10

2010-04-18T12:15:00.000-07:00

We are rejoicing and praising God today for moving Chase toward wanting to obey the Gospel. He was baptized this morning! Glory to God! Happy Day!

We love you Chase and we are so proud of you!

2010 Blue and Gold Banquet

2010-04-10T20:27:00.000-07:00

We attended the ABS Pack 25 Blue and Gold Banquet on Saturday night, April 10, 2010. This is Chase's last year as a Cub Scout. He will soon move up to Boy Scouts. This year's theme was an Olympic Theme called "Going for the Blue and Gold."

Each den was responsible for decorating their tables. Then we had a friendly competition to see who did the best job at decorating their table using this year's theme. The Webelos 1 Den (fourth graders) took top honors this year.

There was a Father/Son Cake Decorating Contest. The cakes had to incorporate this year's banquet theme. Kasey and Chase took home the first place ribbon for their cake.

Here, Kasey and Chase are working on their masterpiece.

Hunter wanted to help, too!

The finished product!

They used blue and yellow M&M's to put a "Blue and Gold" spin on the Olympic Rings. They printed out little flags to represent the Cub Scout Rank Badges and glued them on toothpicks. The torch was made by filling an ice cream cone with yellow icing. Then they spread red and yellow icing on sugar wafers using them as the flames on the torch.

Kasey and Chase with their First Place Ribbon for their winning cake...

Click on the slideshow below to see more pictures from the banquet:

Free picture slideshow personalized with Smilebox

Chick-fil-a Charity 5K (April 10, 2010)

2010-04-10T19:47:00.001-07:00

Dalton and I both entered the Chick-fil-a 5K Run/Walk to help raise money for the Jessica Elkins Spinal Menengitis Awareness Foundation. Dalton ran it in a little over 25 minutes and I walked it in a little over 50 minutes. He did a great job. I was just glad to finish. You can see some pictures in the slideshow of our adventure:

This picture slideshow made with Smilebox

Easter 2010

2010-04-06T05:22:00.000-07:00

Easter Goodies

Hunter was looking sharp!

Chase looked handsome, too!

We can't leave out Josie!

Grandma and Grandpa with all the grandsons!

Easter Party at Little Tots - April 2, 2010

2010-04-06T04:55:00.000-07:00

Hunter's Pre-school Easter party was on Friday, April 2, 2010. Hunter helped me make these cute little bunny cupcakes to take to the party.

Hunter and Mom

Hunter and Mrs. Lisa

Hunter went straight for the cupcake!

He had fun making his own easter basket.

Hunter, Aaron and Walker show off their handmade Easter baskets.

Time for the Easter Egg Hunt

When we got home from Pre-school, we decorated the left-over cupcakes. We made them a little different this time. We had a fun day!

Happy 5th Birthday Hunter!

2010-04-03T14:41:00.000-07:00

Hunter's 5th Birthday was on Saturday, April 3, 2010.

He enjoyed a small Thomas cake on Saturday with Mom, Dad, and Chase.

On Sunday, we celebrated with the Granparents and Aunt Kelly's family.

On Monday, Miss Lisa let him be a "birthday king" for the day. He wore his birthday crown proudly.

Family Portraits - 2010

2010-04-02T12:17:00.001-07:00

This picture slideshow created with Smilebox

Spring Break 2010

2010-03-19T17:42:00.000-07:00

This slideshow design customized with Smilebox

Mark and Kelly let the boys and me tag along on their trip to Gulf Shores for the girls softball tournament. The girls played great even though they did not win the tournament.

Kelly and I made it to a couple of Mark's games while trying to fit in some fun in the sun for our boys. Everywhere we went, Hunter found some pretty girls to flirt with (he called it "flirping"). I told Dalton and Chase they may have to start taking some lessons from Hunter.

It was very cold, but we managed to get them out to the beach for a little fun in the sand. We took the bigger boys to the American Eagle Outlet at the Tanger Mall to get them a few things. We also found a train museum that the little ones loved.

We had a great time. We did not do a whole lot. But, just getting to spend some time with each other was fun for me. We missed Kasey and wished he was with us. But, he said he could not get away from work. Enjoy the slideshow of some of the pictures from the trip.

ABS Wins at Jr Beta Convention (March 11-12, 2010)

2010-03-19T16:06:00.000-07:00

Chase and I had a great time at the Alabama Jr. Beta Club Convention in Mobile, AL. This was his first year to go. He made a project to be entered in the arts and crafts competition. But, right after we attached the paperwork to his wood project to register it into the competition, I dropped it and broke it. I felt so bad. But, he did not get mad at me. He can just try to make something for next year.

Me and Chase

Our hotel was great!

On the way to the Convention Center

Mobile Convention Center

The Jr. Beta Members from ABS who particpated in the Talent Competition won first place. Also, Christian Usery won the Woodworking competition and Jonathon Moss won the Social Studies Competition. They will be invited to compete in the national convention that will be held in Louisville, KY. If you would like to see a video of the Jr. Beta Talent, click on the link below or copy and paste this address in your web browser: (When you watch the video, keep in mind that these performers are in grades 5th thru 9th grade. You will be amazed at their talent at such a young age. All music was performed by the students. They did not use any karoke tapes. They did a great job!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1nx6SXBsH4

Here are a few pictures from the convention:
Group Pictures of the Performers in the Talent Competition

Group Picture of all the ABS Jr. Beta Members who attented the convention:

Getting Ready for Junior Beta Convention

2010-03-08T15:35:00.000-08:00

This is Chase's first year in the Jr. Beta Club at ABS. The Jr. Beta Club Convention will be held in Mobile this week. So, we are excited about going and supporting the club from ABS in competitions being held there. We have been very busy getting ready!

Chase was hoping he would not have to wear his back brace during this trip. But, Dr. Ellis told him today that he has to continue wearing the brace twenty-three hours a day for FOUR MORE WEEKS! UGH! He was not happy about that. He has been wearing it now for eight weeks! But, it is for the best.

Hunter will be spending the night with Kelly one night and with Grandma the next. He is so excited about going to their house. But, we have not told him Chase and I will be going to Mobile. We are just going to withhold that information and just let him have fun knowing he is taking a little vacation of his own.

I still have plenty to do to get ready for the trip so I will go for now. I will post pictures from the trip soon!

Another Snowy Day in Alabama March 2, 2010

2010-03-02T09:05:00.003-08:00

This morning we woke up to this:

We watched the news to see if Chase's school would be delayed or closed. Our school was not on the list of closings or delays. So, we drove to school very slowly in this:

This is what it looked like at school. Chase hopes they will have another snowball fight today:

We wish Chase could be home with Hunter and me as we did this:

Lego Workshop at ABS

2010-03-01T17:39:00.001-08:00

Chase and Colton Richter partnered up at the Lego Workshop at ABS last week. They made a remote control car out of legos. They had a few technical difficulties, but they got it to work. It did not win any races, but they had a great time working on it.

"On Broadway"

2010-02-20T06:40:00.000-08:00

On Friday night, February 19, 2010, Chase participated in the ABS Elementary Musical. His fifth grade class performed "Phantom of the Opera". They did a great job and Chase loved his Phantom costume! Check out some pictures below:

Hunter's Preschool Valentine's Day Party

2010-02-19T12:25:00.000-08:00

Click on the slideshow below to see pictures from Hunter's Preschool Valentine's Day Party at Little Tots. He had a blast! Enjoy the show!

Harbin Family Herald

Will Be Updating Soon!

Special Visitor at ABS 6th Grade Science Class

First Day of School

Wallace Family Reunion (Papa Kelley's Family)

Kelly and Kim turn 42 years young!

Josie's New Hair Cut

Limestone Bible Camp

Happy Birthday Grandma!

Chase is gone again...

Alabama Adventure, July 5, 2010

Boy Scout Camp 2010

Boxwell Scout Reservation

Happy Father's Day!

Home from the hospital...

Chase's work at Day Camp is over...

One Year Anniversary with Weight Watchers!

ABS Boy Scout Troop 21 Bridging Ceremony

Chase's Last Day of Fifth Grade 5/24/10

Jr. Beta Fundraiser Talent Show (5/22/10)

2010 ABS Awards Day

Hunter's Pre-school Graduation

Congratulations to the Lady Tigers and Uncle Mark!

Kindergarten, Here I Come!

Hunter's Last Day at Little Tots Pre-school

Chase Earned the "Joyful Servant" Achievement Award in Cub Scouts

"Till We Meet Again!"

Hunter and Brock

Happy Mother's Day!

Chase's First Piano Recital (May 1, 2010)

Happy Birthday, Grandpa! (May 1, 2010)

Jewelry Party Rewards

Chase's Kitty Cat Photo Shoot

ABS 5th Grade Field Trip - 4/20/2010

Hunter's 5th Birthday Celebrations with Friends and Family

Oh, Happy Day! - 4/18/10

2010 Blue and Gold Banquet

Chick-fil-a Charity 5K (April 10, 2010)

Easter 2010

Easter Party at Little Tots - April 2, 2010

Happy 5th Birthday Hunter!

Family Portraits - 2010

Spring Break 2010

ABS Wins at Jr Beta Convention (March 11-12, 2010)

Getting Ready for Junior Beta Convention

Another Snowy Day in Alabama March 2, 2010

Lego Workshop at ABS

"On Broadway"

Hunter's Preschool Valentine's Day Party

ABS Pinewood Derby (2-6-2010)

Hunter's Trip to the Circus with Little Tots Preschool Friends

Chase's Artwork of our Cat Josie

Fat Cat

An "Eggselent Eggsperiment" - Jan. 26, 2010

Trip to the USS Alabama Battleship - Jan/2010

Poor Chase has a new fashion statement!

Chase earns awards at ABS Pack Meeting 1-12-10

Chase and Dalton were in the Spelling Bee

Kimberly Earned Lifetime Status at Weight Watchers

Ladies Ornament Swap 2009

Hunter's Gingerbread House

Christmas 2010

Eventful Christmas Eve 2009

McClary Tire Christmas Party

ABS Pack 25 Visits the Nursing Home 12/18/09

Hunter's Christmas Party at Little Tots 12/18/09

5th Grade Christmas Party 12-18-09

Hunter's Field Trip to Santa's Village - 12-09-09

It's finally beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the Harbin House - 2009

Fun in the Snow 12-05-09

Getting into the Holiday Cheer

Giving Thanks 11-26-09

Finally Met My Weight Watchers Goal 11-23-09

Hunter's Pre-school Thanksgiving Party

Another Hike on 11-21-09

Chase and I went on a Pack Hike 11-14-09

ABS Thanksgiving Luncheon with Chase and Dalton

Chase gets Cub Scout Award at Pack Meeting

Chase's Talent Show Performance at ABS 11-13-09

Star Student at Little Tots Pre-school