Manntastic

TN Updates!

2011-02-02T19:42:00.000-08:00

Greetings, one and all - from Johnson City, Tennessee!! Things are going well...and as of today we are officially settled! What made it 'official' you may ask? Well -after 19 long days of waiting, we finally have internet access!! :)

We've really been enjoying our time here so far! The people are very welcoming and friendly ... and the views...w o w! We actually have a decent mountain view from our kitchen and bedroom windows!

Everything has been pretty fast-paced for Stephen at his new job as the Worship Arts Pastor @ Grace Fellowship! He was fortunate enough to have a couple of Sundays to be a part of the congregation and get a feel for things before he started leading last week!

Bella Rose is doing very well :) She is, of course, on Prozac...so that has obviously helped, but - she's found her little spots around the house and has definitely made herself at home! There's an awesome park right down the road from us and we've gone a couple of times to walk/run around! She's also a big fan of the local PetSmart store! We've walked up and down the isles of that store many times already!

Stephen and I have joined a Community Group with other couples our age and are going through the book 'Radical.' After just one chapter we are anxiously anticipating what will come of our time together as a group!

I'm still looking for a job - which will be much easier now with this whole internet thing! :) Stephen and I have been looking through real estate booklets, circling houses to check out!

I feel like we are starting to really settle in a little.

Thank you so much for your prayers...

Until next time,
Correne

Two Year Anniversary!

2009-07-16T11:15:00.000-07:00

This week is definitely our party week! Tuesday was our 2 year anniversary and tomorrow is Stephen's birthday!

Stephen came by the office Tuesday with a beautiful bouquet of roses/baby's breath and took me out for lunch (so romanntic!)...that night we dressed up and enjoyed a tasty -very filling- dinner at Arigato's! After dinner we were brought a piece of chocolate cake with two candles in it and were serenaded with a song/drums :) I took Wednesday off and we spent the day in Charlotte! We walked around the mall, where I enjoyed my first crepe ever :), and then we both took in our first Ikea experience!

Tonight I will be decorating my Guitarmann's cake -and tomorrow we will have dinner with his parents, then have cake and presents at our place!

My latest claim to fame...

2009-04-17T11:30:00.000-07:00

I just found out that I am in a Nascar/Victory Junction commercial that stars Kevin Costner!(No I've never met him) I was told by a friend of mine from Victory Junction (where I use to work)! This is a clip from the commercial - it goes pretty quickly and I'm only on there a second (maybe!)... Enjoy :)

2009-04-13T11:49:00.000-07:00

Lou came over Thursday to spend the weekend! He and Bella wore each other out! They had lots of fun inside, but not as much as outside!!In the first picture Bella got to the ball first, but was soon disappointed to find that Lou didn't really care! We had them hooked to each end of our 50' rope! They stayed within 50 feet of each other the whole time! :) :)

In the second picture they are chasing after Stephen! They did this for quite some time until Stephen could no longer run! Poor Lou had to run twice as fast as Bella to keep up,...but as you can see - he was able to hold his own!! :)

This last picture captures the peace in our home after a long day of running and playing! I had to be careful taking this picture, because when I would get out the camera - they both were sure that I was getting something out for them...which would, of course, ruin the moment! (And if you are trying to figure out what is on the TV...yes...it is Suze Orman!)

Saturday we did a lot of yard work! I planted flowers around the mailbox, in the hanging basket, along the back of the house and in the island! And I am still in pain from all of that!

Sunday we enjoyed part of 'Easter in the City' held at the coliseum! It was really good! Then, after letting the pooches play just a few minutes longer, we drove to Troy and enjoyed a delicious meal prepared by my mom! We had a good time with the family hanging out, talking about...everything :)...watching a movie and taking lots of fun pictures!!! It was a great Easter!

This one is for Blake...

2009-04-09T11:44:00.000-07:00

...because I know how faithfully he checks manntastic...I thought I would share that Stephen and I enjoyed a tasty dinner at Five Guys with Blake, Ashley and Scott! We had a great time and learned all about Blake's business ideas (top secret stuff...I won't talk...so don't ask)! :)
So there you go - great friends, great dinner, great evening!

Happy Easter!!

Yay for Krispy Kreme and Chick-fil-A!!!

2009-04-06T07:54:00.000-07:00

So!!! We went to Kripy Kreme as promised on March 28th... I was more excited about it than Stephen was - until we found out that we not only received one free item off of the menu - but we also received a free dozen donuts!!! :) We got an assorted mix of our favorites...Stephen got an iced coffee and I enjoyed a Kool Kreme shake!! That was a good day! :)

Then...I heard on the radio last week that Chick-fil-A was giving a free breakfast a week, for a year, to the first 100 who showed up on Saturday morning. The line started at 9:00pm Friday and the prizes were given out at 6:00am Saturday! We got there about 9:15 and were numbers 19 and 20! We wore our wrist bands proudly and enjoyed music, games, free nuggets and ice 'dream'! :) Stephen participated in the jump rope competition, but the rope was a little short, making it very difficult...

There was a line check every hour until 11:30... that is when we all got to go inside and eat ice cream - and when Stephen and I had the pleasure of meeting the two Chick-fil-A cows! The little one was SO cute!

We set up our tent and air mattress around 12:30am, I stayed awake until about 1am - then slept on and off for the next four hours. Stephen stayed up the whole night and watched movies on his ipod! At 4:45am we packed everything up and were ready for the 5:30am line check...then we filed in at 6:00am for our gifts, which included little chick-fil-a cows, t-shirts, candy, toys...and of course, the vouchers!!!!!!! :) I slept a lot Saturday - Stephen only slept a few hours and then transformed the back yard with all the energy he had!!! :)

Good times :)

And We're Back...

2009-03-26T08:53:00.000-07:00

The 'fun weekends' haven't stopped!! Two weekends ago Stephen led worship for a middle school snow tubing retreat! He enjoyed snow tubing while Bella and I enjoyed girl-time! Bella is notorious for pouting when Stephen is gone for more than a few hours, and she didn't disappoint :) She just moped around and slept - which was fine with me!!
This past weekend we got to go to Atlanta and hang out with some friends! We got the nickel tour of the area, had lots of fun at The World of Coke (pictured above), enjoyed tapas at a hoppin' place downtown, and ended our stay attending North Point! We really enjoyed our time and the drive down and back wasn't too bad (easy for me to say since I slept a good bit on the way back!).

I'm looking forward to the new Krispy Kreme store opening this weekend!! Since I am on their email list (okay - so I love donuts!), Stephen and I got a special invitation that we must have in hand in order to partake in one free item from the menu! It doesn't get any better than that! :)
So,...there you go! snow tubing, atlanta and krispy kreme...life is good :)

Fun Weekends!

2009-03-12T07:31:00.000-07:00

Well, February 28th we went to Troy and had a good time with my family - we were slaughtered in a game of Cranium, but it was a lot of fun! March 8th we not only enjoyed the AMAZING weather, but also enjoyed the 'Bold' service at Green Street Baptist in High Point. Stephen played bass for both services - everything went well!

The spring-like weather has inspired some spring cleaning!! I've cleaned out the garage, the linen closet, & the top of the closet in the spare bedroom! I hope my 'cleaning mood' lasts another few days! That would be GREAT!

Well - that's all for now!!! Until next time, Correne.

GO DEACS!

2009-02-19T07:05:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Scott was given tickets to see Wake and Georgia Tech play - and graciously invited Stephen and me to go, along with Diane! (Don was not feeling well...)

We had a lot of fun and Wake played well! We were about 20 points ahead the whole game! The final score was 87-69! Go Deacs!

Pictures coming soon...hopefully!

2009-02-16T07:35:00.000-08:00

Hey! We have actually done some exciting things since posting Christmas lists! :-D I was waiting until I uploaded some pictures - but I guess those can continue to wait! :)

The week of New Year's we spent a few days at the beach! December offers great hotel rates and decent weather!! We had a lot of fun! It was good to get away!

February 7th-10th the Manns went to visit the Manns! Brian and Andrea are in Houston and have a new addition! Little Elliot Zachary!!! Elliot is very chill and Ethan (their 3 year old) is super sweet (he really likes the sound of my name so I got to hear "Aunt Correne" alot - it was cute!). We got to go to NASA while we were there, too, which was a cool experience!

Valentine's Day was special! Stephen got up before I did and (due to the fact that I sleep until something/someone wakes me up) he & Bella were able to go to Krispy Kreme to pick up some heart-shaped donuts, then he got roses, chocolates and a really soft stuffed bear - he set it all up on the kitchen table with a card! So thoughtful!!!! I just got him some of his favorite candy and a card :)

Well,...I will work on posting pictures!

Until next time...stay classy Winston Salem...

Christmas Time

2008-11-22T08:52:00.000-08:00

I know it's not even Thanksgiving yet, but I've started working on my Christmas List:

Stephen's List
This Desk
Gun Safe (Walmart--$20)
9mm Bullets (Walmart--$20 for 100 rounds)
Tommy Cologne
Home Depot Gift Certificate
Wake Forest Hoodie (like this one)
Iron Gym--as seen here (can buy at walmart)
Itunes Gift Cards

Cakes, cakes and more cakes!!

2008-10-10T06:37:00.000-07:00

So I've made/decorated a couple more cakes and thought you might like to see them!! :) The white cake with the pink flowers was just a practice cake...and the one with chocolate icing was for my boss' birthday!! This month is full of cake making! Next week I'm making a birthday cake for one of the girls I work with, then the last week of October I am making a sheet cake for a baby shower and a cake for Halloween! I'm really excited about both of them!! I will be sure to post pictures (if they look good :)

So...that's all I have! That and the news that Bella Rose is going to be a bumble bee for Halloween! Fun stuff!!

Update

2008-09-16T08:22:00.000-07:00

So, I decided to write a little update since I now understand that there are two people who look at the site :) (hi, Lindsey and Brie!) We've had lots of fun stuff happen in the last little bit! Of course, my birthday was one!! Stephen did a great job putting together a little celebration! I received very thoughtful gifts...including a bicycle from Stephen! Unfortunately, after asembling the bike, we noticed a few problems and decided it should go back. So I have ordered an ESV bible instead!! I am really excited about it! Salem Chapel uses ESV, so I guess I'll be 'official' now! I hope to put my new name on it, too!!
I also started a cake decorating class on my birthday!! (Thank you Lindsey!!) I am taking it with Stephen's mom, and we are having a lot of fun. Of course Dianne has the experience of birthday cakes for 3 kids over the last 32 years, so she is considerably better than I am,...but I'm getting there! The picture is of my second cake :)
Well,...I hope this update will be sufficient for now :) I am hoping to get some pictures from the LifeGroup 'girls night out'! We went out for my birthday and had a great time! When I get those pics I'll update again! (No pressure Amanda!)

Camps

2008-08-11T06:59:00.001-07:00

I just got back from 2 camps. I started out at Garden City (at the beach) for a week full of screaming, ice cream, water slides and of course ministry! After the Thursday morning session, I drove straight to camp #2--a Missionary Kids (MK) camp.
Although they will be stuck with the MK label for life, they're actually all about to enter college. Some of them flew straight in from the country where their family serves. Most of them don't really favor USA culture and want to go back overseas. Makes you re-think that missionaries are "giving up so much" to go overseas (at least culturally)--when in fact they wouldn't have it any other way. They see the average American Christian as really missing out.
The worship services confirmed my theory that the key to vibrant worship is the perspective of relying on God and grace in daily life and then coming together to celebrate in that together--not "being starved for worship" (as some think is the reason as to why missionaries worship so well) and not the "professionalism" of a service (people can congregate and be sincerely impressed by the Olympic opening ceremony without having a deep love of China).
All in all it was a good trip. Hard to believe it was within a week's time.

Purple toe...blue boot

2008-07-25T11:40:00.000-07:00

Well, I am feeling much better since surgery - and in celebration I have enjoyed some quality time with my pup! Wednesday, during my lunch break, I decided it would be fun to chase Bella around the living room (that is her favorite thing in the world)! After several laps around the couch, I got a little too close to the wall. I nailed the wall with my left foot. Stephen and I heard a noise that sounded somewhat like a 'crack' - and I was speechless!!! I tried to walk it off, but that was not happening! So, I propped it up and put a bag of frozen peas on it. Then Stephen was kind enough to find his crutches and I was off to work - which is where everyone who has ever broken a toe, confirmed that I had broken mine! I didn't plan to go to the Dr. except that I had some really weird bruising...so I went and was told that I had a fracture that went up the center of the bone! I was given a 'post-op shoe' (yeah...I know you want one!) and told to wear it for 4 weeks! At that time I will go in for another x-ray to be sure everything has healed up properly!
I guess I'll have to find another game to play with Bella Rose! :)

1 year and 27 years

2008-07-19T16:49:00.000-07:00

The 2nd and 3rd weeks of July are pretty big in the Mann household. Our 1 year was on the 14th. My Dad's birthday was on the 10th, Scott's was on the 16th (the big 30) and mine was on the 17th (the big 27). For our 1 year, we got the hook up for a weekend at a lake house--jet ski included along with sizzling fillets at Ruth's Chris.

My birthday was fun and low key. I got some home depot gift certificates for my new found passion of yard work, a sweet air chair, a book I've been wanting, an outdoor games kit, and a hose nozzle.

Stephen's Birthday Wishes

2008-07-02T21:08:00.001-07:00

Correne and I have an ongoing debate about birthday wish lists. If you ask me, what's more practical than having a list so loved-ones can get you what you want without the hassle of guessing. If you ask Correne, that takes away from the thought and sincerity of it all--because that's the point right?

Well, since I'm posting, here's what I'm hoping for, come July 17th:
--An Air Chair
--A Bike Rack (for a Civic or Ion)
--A Badminton set for tons of fun in the back yard
--A bean bag toss game
--A Home Depot gift certificate (I can't get enough)
--A Boss RV-5 Reverb Pedal
--Itunes giftcard

Mann Recovery

2008-07-02T10:29:00.001-07:00

Stephen and I have successfully made it through a week and a half of 'recovery' and now I am back at work! Stephen has been an amazing caregiver! And our LifeGroup/church along with the ladies I work with were so kind to provide many meals (and a little company!). Bella was spade last Thursday and has had a handful of complications - so she is now wearing an E-collar. She hates it! She has become more comfortable with the whole situation, but I still don't think she is a fan! She will have to wear the collar at least another four or five days...
It would be so great if Stephen and I could get a little of Bella's energy!

Appendectomy

2008-06-23T15:00:00.001-07:00

Correne and I have had more fun on a Saturday. She had been having pain in her stomach since Wed. but didn't know what it was. Finally, it got so bad Saturday morning that we had to cancel our trip to Troy to see her parents and go to the ER. We waited for about 40 minutes (not bad) and then she had some blood work done and then a CT scan.
Soon after, they came back with the news that we feared but kind of expected---the appendix needs to come out. Within probably 30 minutes, she was in the pre-op room answering questions about anesthesia. I grabbed dinner and came back to a wife who was in serious pain and dry heaving after a few ice chips.
Saturday night was pretty rough, but Sunday was much better. Now we're at home, and I'm playing the role of nurse. At least there's no changing of the bedpan.

Backyard--Before and After

2008-06-23T14:58:00.000-07:00

I tried my hand at being a landscaper.

Lifegroup Outing

2008-06-23T14:47:00.000-07:00

A few weekends ago, we had a fun weekend getaway with the Lifegroup. The Deatons were kind enough to hook up the stay at their parents mountain house. We even brought Bella. She didn't go with us though on the hike to the waterfall.

Graduating Class of 2008

2008-06-23T14:41:00.000-07:00

Bella Rose Mann completed her puppy classes, and we are quite proud parents. She has mastered: sit, down, roll-over, leave it, take it, stay and we're working on beg. The best part is that she now rings a bell hanging on our door when she needs to "go outside." Every dog owner should teach this one.

Our House

2008-06-23T14:30:00.000-07:00

Just because we like our house so much, here's a picture of it. For those who didn't know, I bought the house next door to the one I lived in with Scott for about a year.

Manntastic is BACK

2008-06-23T14:28:00.000-07:00

Of all of the websites I've done, for some reason I just didn't want to update manntastic. It's not because I didn't care, it's because I didn't feel like going through the hassle. But thanks to Blogger and an iframe, posting will be much easier. It will be manntastic!