We "heart" Chick-fil-a!

It's no surprise that the Hackney 4 loves the Chick-fil-a.  With 2 owner/operators and countless employees that go to our church and also a brother that performs for the Family nights, we are well connected.  We may start referring to our church as the "Blessed Brethern of the Chick-fil-a".   This week was customer apprecation week so let us express our appreciation for the Avon Chick-fil-a (the one we frequent) and Chick-fil-a's everywhere with our Top Ten List

Top Ten Reasons the Hackney 4 love Chick-fil-a

10.  We know the owners and 1/2 the employees by name.  Chris, Lew, Ryan, Isaiah, Ashley....we know we'll be taken care of. :)  Rachel once knocked over my entire cup of coffee.  It went everywhere.  Chris had us moved to another table, new coffee, and everything cleaned up in no time!

9.  Family night - Free kids meal every Tuesday + kids activities

8.  Have you ever had the Peppermint milkshake at Christmastime???  It's the bomb-diggity!

7.  Special appearances by the Cow!  Rachel LOVES the cow.  She insists he's real and not someone in a costume.

6.  Christian ran company....never open on Sunday....always plays Christian music in the restaurant.

5.  Free Breakfast Tuesdays....free entrees during certain times of the year on Tues. morning = "happy time"

4.  Employees like Roxanna.  Roxanna works hard!  She always has a smile on her face.  She has the tables cleaned as soon as someone leaves.  She'll take our trash for us.  She refills our drinks.  She's been a living object lesson to my kids on the importance of doing your job to the best of your ability.  No matter what that job is.

3.  Any place that results in my husband dressing up in a shirt with "cow" spots and a cow hat is great!  To bad my battery died tonight before I could snap that photo!

2.  FREE CHICKEN - we won the Free chicken for a year giveaway.  Give the Hackney Four 52 free combo meals and you've got 4 happy campers.

1.  I'm sure the employees have bad days, but you would never realize it.  I love it that any request is met with "My Pleasure!"

So there you have it......Eat Mor Chikin!  And if you're in the Indy area get your chicken at the Chick-fil-a in Avon or 86th & Michigan!



4th Fun

Had a full day of fun!  Started the day off with the Brownsburg parade.  Aside from a little rain that fell before the parade started, everything was great.  Not too hot....lots of friends.

The collective Hackney, Lusk, Bohrer, & Tincher crews

Jim salutes his favorite part of the parade, the ICE BARN!

After the parade it was off to Daniel and Becky's for a cookout.  Great hamburgers courtesy of grill master Daniel.

Then into Indy for Freedom Blast.  We were supposed to meet up with some friends to watch off the roof of a parking garage, but found out last minute that the garage had been closed.  No problem - off to the War Memorial park to stake out some primo fireworks watching seats.  Garrett and Aaron rounded up some snap caps that had been discarded in the grass

Rachel passed the time playing cards with Daddy and Memaw

Five minutes before the fireworks my tripod broke and I was left trying to hand hold the shots.  Not too good, but the fireworks were still fun!  Even more fun....freaking Mom out by slicing and dicing through post-event Indianapolis traffic.  :)

Terrific Third of July

Had a great morning at church followed by lunch with the family.  To wrap up the day:  a cookout, swimming, smores, and fireworks with friends.  Doesn't get better than that. :)  But first, a little sparkler art.

This next one is especially for my friend Heather, the "Miss North Carolina, Southern Baking Queen"  The  flag cake with cream cheese frosting that I made.  BAM!

Lots of good food and fun topped off by the perfect smore - courtesy of Dusty's superior marshmallow roasting skills!

Sparklers for a bunch of kids....line 'em up and light 'em up!

Nature's fireworks

Shot tonight from the back deck

If it has 3 leaves.....

LET IT BE!!!!  In what may be the dumbest move I had made in a while, I decided to clear out an overgrown area in our yard.  I worked a little and was about to go in when I remembered there was a plant growing up in the fence by the shed.  I proceeded to cut it with the trimmers and pull it out of the fence.  The result:  not good.  Quoting the Indiana Jones movie:   I chose.........poorly!  2 days later this was the result.

Now aside from the fact that I don't have an ounce of makeup on....it's a scary photo. :)  It's on my neck, face, ear....you name it.  The swollen area under my eye is actually 10 times better in this photo than when I woke up.  I went to the doctor and got a steriod shot on Tuesday.  It did nothing.  I called back in and they wrote up a perscription for Prednisone, so we'll see how that works.  What's worse is that Dusty was out there with me and he's extremelly sensitive to the stuff.  He's in worse shape than I am.  We're both on the steriods.  Hopefully it clears up soon.  We're compensating for our misery by eating ice cream.  So when this clears up, we may both need to go on a crash diet.

Weekend Party

Spent the weekend in Illinois celebrating Dusty's parents 50th wedding anniversary.  Had a great time with family.  It also happened to rain almost the entire time of the party, but we were in a building at the park so it was OK.  Turned the park into a swamp, but everyone had a good time visiting.

Golden

I know, not a lot of blogging lately.  First of all, we've been lazy this summer so far.  Aaron is away this week at youth camp and Rachel and I have occupied our time by swimming, renting movies, and generally taking it easy.  And second, I've also been a bit preoccupied with party planning.  Dusty's parents, Larry and Leona, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary this weekend.  We off to party on Friday evening.  This is a big deal and must be celebrated! :)  It's becoming harder and harder to find a couple that has been married that long.  They are a wonderful example of the importance of marriage and family.  They are the best in-laws in the world and I'm proud to be their daughter-in-law.  HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!