The Jacksons

Saying Goodbye

2010-02-01T13:16:00.006-06:00

Bailey
April 1996-January 2010

After 15 wonderful years we had to say goodbye to our beloved Bailey. He joined our family 1 year after Ron and I were married. We soon began to refer to him as our first child. After years of living in apartments we finally settled in a house in Hendersonville where Bailey got his first yard. He also got his first sibling. But he never even flinched and loved on Anna from the day she came home from the hospital. I always thought in Bailey's mind he considered her just another person that could pet and love on him. Once Luke came along he had yet another set of hands to pet him and love on him some more. Here are few moments with each of us that I was able to catch with the camera.

Anna and Bay cuddling.
Bailey helping to clean up. (we sometimes called him our "Hoover")
This picture became a yearly tradition at Thanksgiving. He knew his daddy would give in to that adorable face.
On of my favorites.

We love you Bay and miss you already!!!!!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

2009-12-05T22:06:00.005-06:00

We are getting into the Christmas spirit here at our house....finally!!! Since we traveled for Thanksgiving it seems that December was upon us before we knew it! We started our annual construction paper chain on the 1st and so far we have put up the kids trees, colored in a really large Christmas coloring book, watched Christmas cartoon, shopped for a care package for a soldier and now....finally, we have a tree in the living room! That's right, 1 down 1 to go. This year, I went shopping on black Friday and got a great deal on the tree above at Walmart. I have to say, it is absolutely perfect. It fits the spot just right and now we can have a tree upstairs and one downstairs to enjoy!
Here is Anna putting up her tree in her room. Also, you can see our beautiful paper chain in the background. :)
Oh boy, Luke is really into Christmas this year! He was so excited about being a helper today....he insisted on hanging his own stocking.
Here is a photo of my Christmas Village. Other than the tree, it is my favorite decoration! I would have more but as you can see, I'm just about out of room! I'm hoping to get some outside lights up this year but.....well, we will just have to see. It is hard to do when your hubby gets home at 5pm and it's dark out! If we are able to get some up, I will be sure to post some pictures!

The kids first Titans game

2009-11-02T16:15:00.005-06:00

We took the kids to their first Titans football game this past Sunday. They weren't too excited to go because their cousin Elena had been here all weekend and they were tired. Once we got there though, they got real excited and they had an awesome time. Luckily, we had suite tickets and they were able to walk around as they wanted to. Also, there was an endless amount of popcorn for Luke. Anna enjoyed all the other food and also liked learning a little bit about football. Here is Luke trying to get a closer look:

Here is our family shot:(notice the new member Anna is holding? it's T Rac, the Titans mascot)
The view from our seats:
The cheerleaders that came by for a visit: (Luke was his charming self as usual)
We had an awesome time! We were home by 6:30 and the kids were so exhausted they were ready for bed!

First Day of School- 2009

2009-08-15T22:01:00.005-05:00

The first day of school was last week on Wednesday, August 5. The morning went more smoothly than I imagined. Ron had to go in early that morning which left me to get them ready and try to get pictures and get to two different schools on time. I had prepared that it would be a disaster....however, the kiddos were so excited about going to school and they were angels! They even cooperated during the photo shoot and it only took 5 minutes rather than the 15 or 20 I imagined in my mind it would take. Here they are together: Here is Anna, a 2nd grader:
Luke is headed to preschool this year. He is going to Hendersonville Bible Kindergarten (HBK). He is in the 4 year old class and he goes everyday for half the day...
Here is Luke headed inside:
Luke standing outside his room: (can you tell he is excited?)
So far, Anna loves her class and teacher and has gone right back into her routine. Luke is making adjustments. His new class is quite different than what he was use to. He is learning to sit in his assigned seat and he is learning he can't just get up and go play when he feels like it. I'm so excited that he is making lots of new friends and the teacher is so excited to have him in her class.

Mother's Day Tea

2009-05-13T21:38:00.002-05:00

Anna's class invited all the moms to school for a Mother's Day Tea last week. It was so thoughtful of the teachers to do. The children made us lots of presents and they worked really hard on their program. They each took turns reading parts of a poem and then they each read what they had written down about their mom.
Here is the beautiful table that they decorated:
We took the some extra time for an outdoor photo shoot since Anna was dressed up. She loves it when she has an opportunity to wear a dress.
Hopefully, I'll get some new pics of me and Luke soon....right now he is hard to catch!

Luke's Birthday

2009-04-29T21:21:00.003-05:00

Hard to believe that our youngest turned 4 last Friday! We celebrated with a backyard cookout with a few close friends. He insisted on a Mario party (even though mommy tried to convince him to do something else because the Mario stuff was difficult to find). The kiddos played on the jeep and took turns swinging and playing t-ball. They all played so well together!! Here are a few pics I took:
the cake:

the pinata:
the kiddos:
fun on the jeep:
Luke is obsessed with Mario thanks to our Wii and Anna's Nintendo DS. However, we think it is adorable and allow him to play his favorite game Mario Party 8 in moderation. He has such a good nature about it...when he's not playing the real thing, he uses his little figures and just plays pretend Mario. (note: he is holding little yoshi in the jeep picture).

Paint Patrol

2009-02-17T09:34:00.003-06:00

Here is Anna's basketball team (The Flames) at a Belmont game. Ron organized an opportunity for them to work as the Paint Patrol. What does that entail? Wiping up sweat! The girls thought it was great and they had a lot of fun together. Here is Anna taking her turn wiping up the floor:
Here are some of the girls with the Belmont mascot:
Luke was there too! He mostly enjoyed the popcorn and was ready to go by half-time.
Go BRUINS!

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

2008-10-16T23:11:00.004-05:00

It is hard to believe our baby girl is 7. On Tuesday we celebrated with close friends that have become like family with dinner and an ice cream cake. Friday we plan to celebrate again with her school friends at the "jumpy place". She is so big, I feel like she is already a teenager. She has let us know that she has now outgrown Disney princesses and her new favorite thing is Camp Rock and her nintendo DS. WOW! Where did the time go?

Our Little All-Star

2008-09-21T13:28:00.003-05:00

Anna decided to play softball this fall rather than soccer. She has decided to try all the sports before deciding which one she wants to stick with. She has played soccer for 2 seasons, danced for 6 months, took swimming year round for 3 years and this winter we will be trying basketball.
Yes, she is a busy girl. Anyway, the softball season is going well and she has learned a lot. It is coach pitch/tee ball which basically means they get to attempt to hit off the coach and if unsuccessful they hit it off the tee. She typically has been playing pitcher (which is why she is wearing a batting helmet in the field):

She is getting the hang of batting. Just yesterday, all the girls hit off the coach and we only had to use the tee one time in the entire game!
Each team bats 10 batters (it doesn't matter how many outs you get or don't get) and when you hit you can only take one base. Here is Anna getting ready on second base:
I played softball all my life so of course I have really enjoyed practicing/teaching her the sport. Luke has gotten in on the play time too and is acting like he might be a lefty. Here he is running the bases after the game:
I'm already looking forward to spring ball...

Disney on Ice

2008-09-16T23:49:00.011-05:00

The kids had a blast going to "daddy's old work" for Disney on Ice. This was Luke's first time because in the past he was either too small or it was a "girl" show.
Here is Luke's face when he saw Lightening Mcqeeen:
At intermission we treated them to some popcorn. We couldn't bring ourselves to drop $10 on cotton candy, though.(Even if it came with a fairy hat)
The show was great and Luke's favorite part was the seeing "Cars and Mickey". Anna like it all and couldn't decide on a favorite. I really like the Lion King part. The music is just awesome and the costumes always amaze me. I'm just glad Ron was with us rather than us meeting him there because he was working the show. :)

A Walk Through Nature- The Musical

2008-09-16T23:49:00.004-05:00

I know these are hard to see but the room was kind of dark and we were up in the bleachers.
These are some pictures from Anna's first school program. The first graders worked hard every day learning their parts. They sang several songs together as a group and then each class stepped down to the microphone and recited their poem. Anna's class was entitled "Rain". This program was so cute and they had so much fun performing it for us at the PTO meeting. The music teacher did an awesome job.

Here is Anna's class taking a bow:
I tried to post a video clip but for some reason it wouldn't load. Oh well, you get the idea. Mommy and Daddy were so proud and even Luke enjoyed it. He has been running around the house singing about crickets and bees!

Back to School

2008-08-11T13:37:00.005-05:00

Anna started 1st grade today. The morning went smoothly. Last night she said she was a little nervous but this morning she was up out of bed and really excited. Of course mom had to have some pictures before we left the house. Look at how much she has grown in just 1 year.

Our California Adventure

2008-08-08T00:29:00.014-05:00

Ok guys this is going to be a long post with lots of pics from our vacation/business trip to Anaheim California. Ron had a conference to attend (the IAAM- International Association of Assembly Managers) in Anaheim, California and asked me to tag along. Since I had never been out west I was pumped! We drove to Georgia and dropped the kids off with Mima and Tia Anita and then flew out of Atlanta. That's right this was a kid free trip. :) We stayed at the Hilton right next to the convention center:

After checking in to the hotel, we jumped in the rental car and headed to Newport Beach. There, we had some great seafood sitting outside looking out at the marina. This was just awesome. Thanks to Beth for the tip on the great restaurant.

The next day we took an Amtrak train to San Diego for the day. We went to ComicCon- the largest comic book convention in the world. This was way cool and very entertaining. We got to see lots of people dressed up in their favorite characters, a few famous guys...Lou Ferigno from the Hulk and of course my favorite by far Jack Bauer, oh I mean Kiefer Sutherland, and buy some cool stuff. At the convention, we went to a 24 panel where the director, writers, Jack and Tony Almata answered questions from the audience. This was my favorite thing we did the whole time. (Disneyland was a close second). We also got to see the trailer for season 7 and a sneek peek at an episode....looks like it's going to be as intense as ever.
Here is a shot of downtown San Diego:

After the conference we headed down to the bay for some dinner and I took a few shots of the view:

The next day, Ron had to attend classes so I hung out at the pool until it was time to get dressed up for the opening reception.

Day 3...Disneyland. What can I say? We had an absolute blast!

We got an early start so we were able to finish up in Disneyland by lunch and we headed over to California Adventures. I was scared to death on the Tower of Terror and the roller coaster was great except it shoots you 0 to 60 in 3 seconds and well... that just made me feel sick. I felt better 30 minutes later and we off again to have more fun. (didn't ride the ferris wheel just took pictures of it)

After a long day at Disney, we slept in a bit and Ron had a 12:00 tee time at this amazing golf course:

Meanwhile, I headed out to sight see and shop! :) Here are some pics of the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, Ca. The pictures don't do it justice...it was a really amazing place to visit.

The last day there, Ron had classes in the morning so I headed out to see Huntington Beach:

On the way back to the hotel, I was sitting at a red light and started to feel my car shake. I looked around to see if someone was shaking my car... no. That would be the 5.4 earthquake. Our California adventure was complete! Ron was on the 4th floor of the hotel and said it was very freaky to feel the building move feet side to side but also feel the up and down shake at the same time.
After the excitement died down, we hopped in the rental and headed to LA. We went to Hollywood Blvd. and took in the tourist sites(Mann's Chinese Theater, Kodak Theater, the stars walk of fame and of course the Hollywood sign). Then, we took in a Dodgers game.

Man, what an awesome trip! The weather there was incredible (high of 75 breezy and 0 humidity) but we missed out kiddos and were ready to come home!

Keeping cool

2008-07-12T12:49:00.003-05:00

We love the Y for swimming, but this summer we have really enjoyed the fountains at The Streets of Indian Lake:
Bring a your kids with a change of clothes, towel and lounge chair...we'd love to meet ya there!

Long Hollow 4th of July

2008-07-12T12:35:00.004-05:00

I finally got around to blogging. My computer is so slow sometimes I just don't feel like turning it on. So, if you ever send me an email and I don't respond right away....now you know why. Anywho... here some pictures from the 4th . We headed over to the church around 7pm for some play time. I forgot to bring the kids a bathing suit and change of clothes so it was all I could do to keep Luke from getting on the wet slides...This year they had lots of cars for folks to look at. This is our good friend/neighbors car. (Jerry and Sherry Holman). He drag races for fun...
My kids with Sherry and Jerry's granddaughter, Jillian:
We didn't make it in time to ride the ponies but we did make it for a train ride:
Here is Luke sitting with Ron gazing at the fireworks. Even though they only lasted 10 minutes the kids had a blast. We headed home and played with some sparklers and shot off some of our own fireworks.
Hope everyone had a great 4th!

A Day at the Lake

2008-06-27T16:50:00.002-05:00

After being home for only 2 days, I jumped in the car again for another road trip. Me and the kids headed to Georgia to visit my parents and my sister and her family. We spent Saturday at Lake Lanier . The lake is so low, there are lots of sandy "beach " areas. We anchored out on her big boat and took the ski boat along for fun. Look what Anna learned to do:Yes, Luke is actually sleeping in this picture: (with cousin Alec, age 11)
Before falling asleep on the ski boat this is what Luke was doing:
It was a beautiful day to be out on the lake so we got tons of sun. After all this waterplay, we headed back to my moms house and crashed. So fun!

Wilmington, NC

2008-06-23T09:42:00.002-05:00

Last week we headed to the east coast to visit Ron's brother and his family. It took 12 hours to drive there and surprisingly the kids were great. They watched movies, listen to books on CD, played travel games and colored. They were very excited each time we crossed a state line so at this rest stop we snapped a picture:We stayed 3 days and had a great visit and stayed busy. We spent the first day relaxing in the pool (recovering from the day in the car). The next day Ron and his brother, Brian played golf while we took the kids to downtown Wilmington. We took a walk on the boardwalk and then played at the Children's museum. Here is Anna on the boardwalk:

Here is a shot of all the kiddos before going out to dinner: (Anna, Ben, Will and Luke)
We spent a day at Topsail Beach. The kids had a blast running all over the beach and into the waves. Anna really loved it. The smaller kids were a little timid at first, but by the end of the day they were all about it!
Here is a shot of Uncle Brian showing Anna how to fly a kite:
Even though it was a long drive, we had a great time and it was worth it! Thanks Brain and Carrie...can't wait to visit again!

Water Play

2008-05-25T20:43:00.001-05:00

School is out and summer break is here! The kids are already excited about getting in the water whenever possible. Friday we spent the day at a friends house and it wasn't long until the kids were hot and wanting water play. They took turns playing gladiators while running through the sprinklers.
Sunday, we took our second trip to The Streets of Indian Lake fountains. This outdoor mall just recently opened and it is about 2 minutes from our house.

This time we just came in our swimsuits and brought towels, sunscreen and a change of clothes. It was great, especially since Ron watched the kids while I did a little shopping! :)

The CMT Show

2008-04-14T07:46:00.000-05:00

My hubby has been working hard for 7 days on this show (well actually longer if you count the planning stage) and today is showday. Try and catch it tonight at 8/7c and see what he's been up to at "the Curb".

Easter

2008-03-26T11:02:00.000-05:00

The kids were excited Sunday morning to find buckets of goodies waiting for them when they woke up. The most exciting item? Webkinz! The Easter bunny was thoughtful enough to bring 2 so that there wouldn't be fighting over just 1. Anna has already named hers "Sam" and Luke's is "Lulu". Next, Anna and I decorated eggs. This was a fun activity that I had not done since I was a kid. Anna really liked adding the tattoos. Here is a shot of the final products:
We dressed up in our Easter best and headed to Cheddars for lunch. The kids were good and for once I got this great picture of the 2 of them together!

Since we didn't have much luck this year with egg hunts (the MOPs egg hunt was rained out and the big ol' egg drop was a bust) we decided to hide eggs in the yard. Luke really got into it and Anna found the only money egg (it was worth $1).

A Visit to the Zoo

2008-03-21T21:17:00.000-05:00

We took Luke to the zoo for the first time today. We haven't been since Anna was about 3. I have to say I'm impressed with the new additions. It is so much better since they have added the giraffes, alligators, lorakeets, and monkeys. Luke was excited to see all the animals but he got real excited when he saw the Anaconda in the Unseen World exhibit. He said "WOW! That's the biggest one!" When I told him it was an Anaconda, he started telling me interesting facts about the snake he has learned about on "Go Diego, Go!"
Here are a few pics from our day:

The family shot:The little man on daddy's shoulders:
The girls showing Luke some love:
The boys brushing a goat in the petting area:
Luckily we got there early and left at lunch time because it got really crowded. Afterwards, we headed to the nearest McD's to feed the kids and then headed home for naps. Thanks to Bobby and Karen for taking us as their guests! We might have to get a family membership soon!

Check out my Slide Show!

2008-03-20T22:20:00.001-05:00

JAE Easter Egg Hunt

2008-03-20T21:25:00.001-05:00

Anna's school, Jack Anderson Elementary had egg hunts for the kids today. Luke and I arrived early to "hide" the eggs. As you can see, we just scattered them across a large open field. The picture below is a shot of 2 of the classes lined up before the whistle blew. Here is Anna and Luke lined up. Luke is counting 1-2-3-Go!
Here is Anna pretending to hunt eggs for the sake of mom. I tried to get her during the actual hunt but it was chaos and I was too busy trying to keep up with Luke!
After the hunt, Luke and I hung out in the classroom. Luke got to join in on an art activity and he really got into it. Of course, he loves to draw...especially with chalk.
Hopefully I'll post more pictures this weekend. If not, Happy Easter everyone!
<"...It is true! The lord has risen..." Luke 24:34

Bummer!

2008-03-20T21:19:00.001-05:00

Well it was a disappointing first day of the NCAA tourney... however the Dawgs are headed home to hang some banners! What a great week for Georgia basketball!
Also, what about the BRUINS? Wow, what a game! So close! I don't usually pull for Duke to lose but tonight I really wanted the upset! Well, they are only losing one starting senior so look out for Belmont next year.

March Madness

2008-03-19T10:10:00.000-05:00

Anyone else excited about the tournament? Needless to say we are stoked that the Dawgs were able to secure a spot after winning the SEC championship! This is my one of my favorite times of the year!

Luke's Big Boy Bed

2008-02-19T08:55:00.000-06:00

I must say.... I love the convertible crib!

7 Random things about me

2008-02-19T08:21:00.001-06:00

I was tagged a while back by Karen and Jennifer to list 7 things about myself. So, after putting way to much thought into it here is what I came up with:

1. I have never been west of the Mississippi River. I really like to travel it has just not been possible for me to do that often. On the positive side...we (me and Ron) are planning a trip to California this summer.

2. I'm left handed.

3. I love live music. We recently went to The Factory in Franklin, TN to see the taping of Sara Evans and Maroon 5 Crossroads for CMT. Can't wait for that to air....Next we are going to see Bon Jovi and Daughtry in April.

4. In my spare time, I love to scrapbook. I'm really not that creative but I just love the idea of preserving photos for generations to come.

5. I'm a nurse and can stand blood and guts. However, there is one thing that freaks me out....EYEBALLS. That's right, don't come to me with an eye injury people because I'll wig out.

6. I've been married 14 years this May to a wonderful man I met while in college. We worked at Walmart.

7. I can't stand clutter. I declutter my house at least twice a year. At out house we say "everything has it's place or it's trash".

Now it's my turn to tag some one. Tracy, Amy L., and Leslie...your it!

At last.... A Snow Day!

2008-02-13T11:58:00.000-06:00

We were all so excited to finally have a snow day today. We bundled up and headed out for some playtime and of course for a photo shoot. The kids stayed out for about 15 minutes and then decided it was just too windy. Here they are all bundled up:Luke was cracking me up because for some reason he was 1. afraid to walk on the snow and 2. afraid of gloves (afraid to wear them and afraid for me to touch him with mine on).
Bailey has always loved the snow. Just before this he was rolling around in it like a puppy (he is almost 13) but I was slow on getting out there with the camera.
So, overall we didn't have a whole lot stick and the roads were clear but we got an extra day to stay home together!
The view from our back door: (Anna is standing next to the slide):

Precious Pic

2008-02-09T18:55:00.001-06:00

After a long day... they are finally asleep! I went to move them to their beds and I just thought... "this is a kodak moment". Just thought I would share.

8 things about my Kids

2008-01-26T16:27:00.000-06:00

A while back, I was tagged by Karen and Ashley to list 8 things about my kids. Sorry it took so long girls... here goes:

Anna:
1. Six years old and going on 18. She is a huge help to me especially when it involves Luke. We have just started assigning her chores and are now paying her an allowance.
2. Has been swimming year round since she was 3 and has already "competed" in a swim meet.
3. Loves her brother! She has taught him so much... alphabet, shapes, colors and even how to spell his name! She wants to be a teacher when she grows up.
4. Enjoys shopping with mommy especially at Ms. B's used bookstore. (Hence the need for an allowance).
5. Spends a lot of her time writing, drawing and coloring. Her latest creation was a dinosaur book that took her the whole evening to create, draw, color, write in and staple together.
6. Favorite sport to play is soccer.
7. Favorite cartoon is "Tom and Jerry".
8. Loves to go anywhere that sells Icees. She loves to mix all the colors together.

Luke:
1. Very polite 2 1/2 year old. He is good about saying thank you, please, and excuse me... hopefully that will continue.
2. Loves his big sister! If he can't find her, he will walk around the house saying "where Anna go?".
3. His happy place is My Gym. He asks to go there almost everyday.
4. Favorite cartoon is "Little Einsteins" and "Tom and Jerry".
5. Favorite pajamas... Little Einsteins.
6. Favorite toy.. pat pat rocket from the Little Einsteins.
7. Loves popsicles ( He even chooses them over chocolate).
8. Outgoing (the boy doesn't have a shy bone in his body) and loves to entertain.

One Word

2008-01-16T12:17:00.000-06:00

This year instead of making a long list of new years resolutions that would after several weeks be long forgotten, I was encouraged to pick one word to focus on. After considering the areas in my life that I would like to work on or maybe even change I have chosen my one word... self control. The bible has much to say on this topic but here is the verse that has stayed with me:
"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "no"to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self controlled, upright and Godly lives in this present age." Titus 2:11-12 (NIV).
This year I plan to focus on saying "no" to worldly things and use self control in many areas of my life that I want make changes (time management, finances, taking better care of my self ie. eating healthy and exercising). What is your word of 2008?

Pictures from Christmas Morning

2008-01-10T13:58:00.001-06:00

Christmas morning was so much fun! Both kids were so excited to see what Santa had left for them. Here's Luke with his new tool bench:The one thing Anna really wanted this year was a gymnastics Barbie:
Grandma and Granddad got Luke this fantastic train table:
This year Luke really got into opening gifts. Anna could hardly stand it. She is so use to opening gifts for him. As you can see, he caught on...
I decided to surprise everyone with new shirts to wear on New Years Day. Luke was too busy with the tool bench and train table to be in a picture.
After all the gift opening, we jumped in the van and headed to my mom's house. We made it in record time (just under 4 hours and 30 minutes), probably had a lot to do with the fact that everything was closed so we didn't stop except for bathroom breaks. The kids were great in the car. It certainly helped that Santa brought new movies for each of them... how did he know?

Happy New Year

2008-01-03T16:53:00.000-06:00

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas! Happy New year and... GO DAWGS!

New Family Photo

2007-12-14T21:33:00.001-06:00

It seems almost impossible to get a family picture these days. I think mostly because Luke is 2 1/2 and almost never sits still or looks at the camera. However, I have to admit that I'm usually the one with the camera and am rarely in pictures and I'm ok with that. Today, we went to Playhouse Disney LIVE! This was Luke first live show and he was very excited to see Mickey, The Einsteins, Darby and Pooh and of course Donald Duck. Thanks to our friend Mary at Municipal for taking this family photo and for our tickets!

Magical Thanksgiving

2007-11-28T13:43:00.000-06:00

We took Anna to Disney World over Thanksgiving. That's right, just Anna. Luke was well taken care of by Sherry, Grandma and Granddad. They were all very excited about spending time with just Luke. The day before we came home he asked about us.... needless to say he had lots of fun and hardly realized we were gone.
We had a fantastic trip! We had great weather, rode lots of rides, met lots of characters, ate lots of great food, saw lots of great shows, saw a parade every day and fireworks every night. We were up early and out late. Anna did great. Here favorite ride was Big Thunder Mountain (a roller coaster in Magic Kingdom). Her favorite character she met was Ariel. Her favorite meal was breakfast at Chef Mickey's (see pic).
This time, MGM Studios (soon to be known as Disney's Hollywood Studios) was my favorite. The day parade was great and I love the shows there. Also, the night time show, Fantasmic is the best show there. Here is a picture in front of the new Sorcer Hat at MGM.
We didn't spend much time at Epcot. There just isn't a whole lot for little kids there. We went over in the afternoon, rode the Nemo ride and a few others and stuck around for the Illuminations fireworks show. We didn't get to go inside Spaceship Earth (the thing that looks like a golf ball) because they are renovating it.
I do love Animal Kingdom. Anna enjoyed it too. We had a great safari ride and saw lots of animals. Also, the Lion King show was incredible! Here we are in front of The Tree of Life. We didn't go in because the 3-D shows kinda freaked Anna out. She saw one and that was enough for her.
This last picture is one of my favorites. I love the statue of Walt and Mickey and well the backdrop is beautiful. We actually had to wait in a small line to get her picture made here.

Well, I could go on and on. I'll just sum it up with one word... FABULOUS! I'm already planning our next trip with Luke! :)

Halloween- Part 2

2007-11-02T10:55:00.000-05:00

Trick or Treat! After a long day on the field trip we headed out into the neighborhood for some goodies! Anna dressed up as a High School Musical Cheerleader and Luke was Pablo the Penguin from The Backyardigans. I was able to talk him into wearing the head piece for a few pictures but then he was done with it. The rest of the night he would waddle and say "I Pablo" but all with out the hat. Oh well, he was happy and so adorable saying "Twick Treat" at each door.

Luke with his head piece on and Anna looking big enough to actually be a cheerleader...
What team? WILDCATS!
Luke posing like his sister...
Family shot...(the head piece is no more)

Halloween- Part 1

2007-11-02T10:39:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween!!! This was a very big day for us this year. Anna had her first field trip to Honeysuckle Hill Farm. It was an absolute beautiful day and this place is great. There is lots to do and lots to learn on this farm. Anna's favorite was the Hillbilly pig races. That's right, actual pigs racing. Very entertaining. Anyway, here are few shots taken at the farm.....

Class picture in front of the corn maze...
Playing on the playground...
Checking out the petting farm...
Learning what it is like to milk a cow...

Fall Break- Day 3

2007-10-27T16:07:00.001-05:00

The last day of our mini vacation, we visited The Creative Discovery Museum. This place was amazing and and had so many things for small children to do. The Dino exhibit was complete with dress up clothes, a sand pit where the kids could dig for bones and of course all kinds of educational activities about Dinosaurs. Luke's favorite spot was the water table (complete with waterproof smocks). This water table had small fountains and a rock waterfall. He was in heaven. They played for 2 hours and then we headed back to Nashville.

Fall Break- Day 2

2007-10-24T16:42:00.000-05:00

I had to split the Fall break post into days because I've been short on time... so here is what we did on day 2:
First, we headed out to the Tennessee Valley Railroad and took a train ride. The kids were very excited to ride a real train. After a 15 minute ride, we stopped and watched as they put the engine on a turn table and then rode back to the station.

Next, we rode up to Lookout Mountain to Rock City. This place was a maze and we got all turned around. We went through a bunch of caves and tunnels which the kids didn't care for but the view off the mountain was beautiful. After we found our way out we headed back to the hotel to watch football and rest!

Fall Break-Day 1

2007-10-23T21:14:00.001-05:00

Last week we took a mini vacation to Chattanooga, TN. We've lived here almost 10 years and we have never visited the attractions there. Anna's birthday was the same weekend so we decided to celebrate by taking her to see some of the sites. Ron's mom and dad met up with us there for the long weekend.
Here's what we did the first day:
We started out spending the day at the Aquarium. Actually, this is all we did. That place is big (I know it doesn't touch the one in Atlanta, but we were traveling with 2 small children) and the kids loved it and wanted to spend time staring at everything.

The kids even enjoyed the opportunities to touch and feel the lizards, fish and sting rays. (I just stood back- way back and took pics). The family favorite was the penguins. Those little guys were not only cute but also very entertaining. It was almost as if they were putting on a show for us -diving in and jumping out over and over again. They even would swim up to the glass and just look at us. Way cool!
To top off the day, we hit Ben and Jerry's for ice cream. After that it was back to the hotel suite so everyone including the adults could crash!

Happy Birthday Baby Girl

2007-10-21T17:04:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm about a week behind in posting. My biggest excuse is that I'm just plain tired and have been crashing after the kids are in bed. But in my defense we did venture out of town last weekend and I've been busy with my "room mom" duties as well. Anyway, my baby girl turned 6 last weekend! WOW... time flies. She is as big as she looks and acts well.. like a big girl. The other day she didn't find it necessary to hold her daddy's hand while crossing the street..ouch did that hurt! She is doing great at school and the best part is she loves to go and loves to learn. When she's not at school, we are either at swim lessons or soccer practice or she's at home pretending she's at school. This year for her birthday we met her Grandparents in Chattanooga for a long weekend (I'll post more on that later) and when we returned our best friends next door had a party planned for her. This weekend more family is coming to see her and she's excited about seeing her cousins. Not a bad way to celebrate 6 great years!

Happy and Handsome

2007-10-10T22:23:00.000-05:00

This month Luke is 2 1/2 years old. He is always on the go. Recently we started classes at My Gym and he loves it. He is so happy there. This has been a great way for him to get rid of his energy but also he is learning balance, coordination and surprisingly how to listen and follow the teachers instructions. Last week we took a trip to a Madison Creek Farm. They had pumpkins and a small hay maze for the little ones. Mostly he played with a toy tool bench... I guess we know what to get him for Christmas.

Let's talk football!

2007-09-23T21:46:00.000-05:00

Did anyone happen to catch the Georgia vs. Alabama game Saturday? We did! As a matter of fact we had great seats just behind Georgia's Redcoat Marching Band. That's right ... roadtrip! We left Saturday around 12:00 (thanks Karen and Bobby for watching the kiddos). We made it in time to take in some tailgating and to meet up with my former youth minister. We decided to squeeze in behind the band with other Georgia fans (our actual seats were in the end zone with the Alabama fans). This took us right back to our college days of cheering along with the band, standing sideways the entire game and putting up with a few drunk fans. I just have to say... What a game!!! The Dawgs played well and while I thought for a minute they had blown it they came through with a touchdown in overtime! HOW 'BOUT THEM DAWGS?!!!!!

High School Musical on Ice

2007-09-16T12:03:00.001-05:00

The HSM on ice tour was in town this weekend. We made it a girls night out. Karen and her little one and me and Anna had dinner at Blackstone and then headed on over to the Sommet Center for a 2 hour show. The first act was HSM and the second act was HSM 2. Since Karen and I have seen both these movies a hundred times and listened to both soundtracks a million times, we were jammin' with the girls. It was fun and as always Disney knows how to entertain!

First Soccer Game

2007-09-09T13:01:00.000-05:00

Take a look at Anna in action. She was all smiles! This is her first year and we were unsure of how she would do but she loves it. I actually thought she was going to score while I was filming this.

1st day at Kindergarten

2007-08-15T11:11:00.000-05:00

Anna had her first day of school yesterday. I was a bit worried that she would get upset when I started to leave her but she did great! She walked into the room and started pointing out books that she liked and she found her cubby right away. I did okay and didn't cry... until I got into the car. Of course I took some pictures...

When I picked her up she was all smiles. She had a really good day. What was her favorite part? Eating in the cafeteria. She liked making the food choices and she said the food was "Yummy!".

Zumba!

2007-08-11T22:40:00.000-05:00

How many of you have heard of this workout craze? About 3 weeks ago our family joined the YMCA (again). I started out just using the treadmills and bikes thinking that there was no way I would be able to keep up in an aerobics class. But then....I discovered ZUMBA! This is the most fun I have ever had working out. It is low impact aerobics with a latin twist. The music is upbeat and motivational and you just find yourself shakin' your groove and having a blast! You can read more about it at www.zumba.com. and if you want to go to the Hendersonville Y with me and try it out just let me know!

Kindergarten here I come!

2007-08-09T14:08:00.000-05:00

Today we visited Anna's new school for orientation. She got to meet her new teacher and even got to meet some other little girls that will be in class with her. Her kindergarten class room was amazing with lots of bright colors and letters, numbers, and words everywhere. She had fun exploring in the class and we also found the cafeteria, library, and the gym. For the next 2 weeks she will go only on Tuesdays for half a day (this is part of our county's phase in program) and then after that she will go everyday. She's all signed up and ready to go!

Another trip to Georgia

2007-08-08T16:36:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago, Ron had a business trip so I loaded up the kids and off to Georgia we went. My sis (Anita) and I got to spend time doing "girl stuff". We started it off with a manicure and pedicure together -no kids allowed. The next day we spent the day doing our 2 favorite things... yard sale shopping and scrap booking. After that, we loaded the kids up for a day and the lake but it rained us out so we just skipped that. But, the next day was beautiful so off we went Pool's Mill Park. There is an old covered bridge with small waterfalls. The kids really liked it but Anita and I were nervous someone was going to slip and get hurt. Anyway, we did enjoy a picnic together. That night we went to Stone Mountain Park to check out the spectacular Laser and Fireworks show. It did not disappoint. Lots of fun for everyone!

Georgia Trip

2007-07-18T15:10:00.000-05:00

We visited family in Georgia over the 4th of July holiday. We had a week packed full of stuff to do. We started with a lazy day at the lake on the 4th and then went swimming at a friends and of course watched some fire works that night. We went to Lake Lanier Islands water park. Anna had a blast riding almost all the water slides and Luke loved the giant kiddie area they had there. We also took a canoe trip down the Chattahoochee. Luke stayed at the house with Mima while me, Ron, Anna, my dad and my sister and all of her family went to "shoot the hooch". At first Anna was frightened by all the talk of possibly turning over but calmed down and had fun. Here are some pictures of us at the lake...
My sister and her 3 kids...
Anna jumping off the side of the boat...
My mom and dad...

Anna stopped just long enough for my mom to shoot this photo of us...
Luke chillin' at the pool...

Summertime!

2007-06-29T17:22:00.000-05:00

Fundom Kids

Swimming with Ms. Sherry

Summer is here and we are on the go. So far, we have been to the library story time, free movies at Opry Mills, swimming with Ms. Sherry, sleepovers with our neighborhood friend and of course at Karens too. Today we went to Fundom Kids for the first time. It is in Joelton, TN which is only about 15-20 minutes away. It is a renovated skating rink with lots and I do mean lots of fun stuff for the kids to do. There are jumpys, tricycles and cars, dressup areas, and centers to play in such as a kitchen, a classroom a firestation and.. there is a cool castle that the kids can climb in and slide down. Anyway, lots of fun for only $6 and a McDonald's across the street for lunch afterwards.
Here are some of our summer photos so far!

Locks of Love

2007-06-14T21:53:00.001-05:00

Anna has been wanting to cut her hair for a few months now. I told her after her ballet recital we would cut it and donate it to Locks of Love. (This gave me and Ron both time to adjust to the idea, the ability to put it up in a cute bun and the time needed to grow it long enough to donate the minimum 10 inches). As we got closer to the "cut" date she had mixed emotions. A few times she seemed to be hesitant and said she wanted to wait. But, I was able to convince her that it would indeed grow back if she decided to let it grow long again and I told her how happy someone would be to get her natural highlighted hair!

Tiny Dancer

2007-06-10T13:19:00.001-05:00

We had an exciting day on Saturday. Anna had her 1st dance recital. I wasn't sure how she was going to take it (getting up on stage in front of all those people) but she loved it. She had a great time getting dressed up and getting to wear makeup. She performed a tap, ballet and tumbling routine. After the show, we surprised her with flowers and her trophy. We went home and celebrated with a cookout. Karen and her kiddos came over (thanks to her for keeping Luke during the recital) and Ms. Sherry and Mr. Jerry joined us too. The kids had a blast cooling off on the slip and slide!

Our Little Graduate

2007-06-08T11:00:00.000-05:00

Anna had her pre-k graduation this week. She looked so adorable! They marched in to pomp and circumstance and yes I cried. It was so sweet. They called her name and she got a certificate. Also, the kids sang some cute songs at the end and the slide show had me crying... again. Here are some pictures of us (the proud parents), Anna with her teachers and Anna with one of her best friends.

It's time to Bike

2007-05-23T22:32:00.000-05:00

I' m so excited that Anna is riding her bike independently. She is finally getting the hang of it and is enjoying herself! Now that she 's off without mom, I can ride my bike with Luke in tow. He loves it! He even loves putting on his helmet! He runs around saying "bicycle, bicycle". We haven't ventured too far from the house but in time we will be making laps around the neighborhood!

13 Wonderful Years!

2007-05-16T21:56:00.000-05:00

This past Monday, May 14th, Ron and I celebrated 13 years of marriage. We took photos on Sunday since I only saw him for about 10 minutes on Monday morning. We did go out on Saturday though. After dropping my kiddos off with Karen, we headed for our annual dinner at Outback. We love some Alaskan King Crab! Yes, we go to a steak house and have seafood. It is awesome! We really enjoyed our time out together. This was our 3rd date night this month... Yeah!
To Ron: You are my world! I love you.

Mother's Day

2007-05-16T21:46:00.000-05:00

This Mother's day was special but unfortunately Ron had to go in to work. We did get to go to church together but decided to go out for dinner another time since it would be crowded and we were pinched for time. The kids were great for me while Ron was away and I actually took a little nap. This was a good thing since I too had to go in to work. Here are some pics we took in our neighbors yard. (I have flowers that don't seem to want to bloom... oh well, I'm trying.

Rainy Day

2007-05-09T14:03:00.000-05:00

This past weekend we had a yard sale. It rained both days of the sale but on Saturday it didn't just rain, it poured. The kids were having fun hanging out with me in the garage but then decided it might be fun to run, jump and skip in the small creek that had formed between my house and the neighbor's house. They had a blast. They were absolutely soaked and were even plopping down on their bottoms. I, the committed scrapbooker, was under an umbrella capturing it on camera. That was a fun.. trying to hold an umbrella and use a camera at the same time. Needless to say, the yard sale was a bust but the kids were great entertainment!

Milky Way Cake

2007-05-01T23:53:00.000-05:00

This past week I celebrated my birthday with friends at Chef's Market. They have a great selection of desserts and after a long debate (I can never make a decision) I decided to go with the Milky Way cake. It was scrumptious! Of course you can't go wrong with chocolate cake and caramel. Thanks Karen for inviting me and calling others to join us!!

Luke is 2 years old!

2007-04-25T22:07:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday Luke! He turned 2 on Tuesday the 24th. I can't believe how fast 2 years have gone by. He is getting big and can hold his own with older kids. My family came up from Georgia for the weekend. We had a house full but we loved it! My sister came with her 2 kids and they enjoyed playing on the slide. On Saturday, we celebrated with a Backyard Backyardigans party. The water table from Mima and Papa was a hit and Luke eventually climbed in it. He also got a tee ball set, a cool backyardigans guitar, a tonka truck. Later in the evening, we all went to the Family Fun Center. My parents bowled and the kids enjoyed the bumper cars and laser tag. Anna even got on the virtual rollercoaster!

Egg Hunt

2007-04-14T16:13:00.000-05:00

I can't believe I forgot to post pics of egg hunting! We actually went to 2 egg hunts, both before Easter. This turned out to be a good thing since I'm sure most egg hunts on Easter Sunday were inside due to the cold. These photos are from our MOPs egg hunt at Moss Wright Park. The little ones 2 years old and under hunted in a roped off spot and the kids 3 and up were challenged by finding eggs only of a certain color. Anna of course hunted for her favorite color, pink. After the hunt we headed over to the picnic and playground area. We enjoyed watching the kids play kicked back in the shade. Ron had taken the day off to recover from the Charleston trip so he was able to be there. Great fun!

Our visit to Cleveland, TN

2007-04-10T22:16:00.000-05:00

We had a great time in Gatlinburg and Karen posted a great recap of the trip. However, she mentioned she would let me post the trip home. So, here it is.... Beth and I were gabbing away and occasionally dealing with whichever child was having a crisis/meltdown and found ourselves on 75 south headed toward Chattanooga. I noticed a sign for "Cleveland Next Exit". I calmly said "Somethings wrong. We are not where we are suppose to be. That sign said Cleveland." Beth shouted "Ohio?" I cracked up laughing and we continued to laugh all the way to Chattanooga and on up to Murfreesboro. We couldn't believe it. Our trip was 1 1/2 hours longer than it should have been. The kids were overall good and just kept watching movies. I was a little stressed out because I had planned on getting Anna to her dance class that evening and I couldn't help but think of the time and gas I had wasted by not paying attention to where I was driving, BUT..... Beth and I had a great time laughing and gabbing some more, only this time I didn't take the wrong interstate! It was great for memories!!!!

He is Risen! Happy Easter!

2007-04-08T14:20:00.000-05:00

We started the day with Church. The service was awesome with a great message and incredible praise and worship. We had lunch with The Holman's (aka our Tennessee family). We took photos there since it was too cold to be outside. Hopefully we can get some outside shots in a week or two! Hope you enjoy the Resurrection Season!

A Road Trip... again

2007-04-07T21:57:00.000-05:00

Me, 2 girlfriends and all of our kids (6 total) took a quick trip to Gatlinburg this past week. It came up at the last minute when a time share came open for us to stay in. We hit a Scrapbook Superstore that was awesome. We took the kids to an "upside down place" called Wonderworks. It was neat and the kids got to do some fun stuff. We also took them for a swim in the indoor pool. Luke was happy to be in the water and is proving to be fearless. He just walked right up to the edge, leaned over to reach a ball and about gave me a heartattck! The kids had a great time and the moms stayed up late watching chick movies and scrapbooking! Lots of fun! Thanks Karen for hooking us up in the time share!

Beach Bound

2007-03-25T22:06:00.000-05:00

What started off as the longest road trip ever ended up with a great day at the beach and a beautiful wedding. My cousin got married Saturday in Charleston South Carolina. We left Thursday and drove 6 hours on the dreaded I-40. Yes, we hit traffic which landed us just south of Asheville for the night. Friday, we headed down I-26 for 5 hours and finally arrived in Charleston. Saturday was an unbelievable day on the beach. It was terrific weather and the kids were so happy! It ended with the wedding Saturday evening at sunset. After the wedding my sister and her family, my mom and dad and the four of us stopped for a kodak moment. Sunday, we drove back to Nashville and thankfully, it only took 9 hours.

Birthday Bash

2007-03-17T15:54:00.000-05:00

My sister out did herself once again. She loves to host parties and they are always a big hit. This year for my niece's 9th birthday we had a big cookout with friends and family. The "jumpy" was a big hit (except with Luke, who chose to just standback and watch). Here are photos of my sister with the birthday girl and Anna is jumping in the background. Also, Anna is preparing to take a swing at the pinata. Luke was entertained by a giant hershey kiss toy that played music when you opened it... Lots of fun and a gorgeous day!!!

Sunny Day

2007-03-08T21:48:00.000-06:00

We had a beautiful day today! The sun was shining and it felt great to be outside. So great, Anna and friends decided to have a treehouse picnic! After lunch, they took turns swinging and playing soccer. FUN!

Weekend Visit

2007-02-25T16:56:00.000-06:00

As I shared previously, we had a relaxing weekend with the kids. We also had Ron's parents visiting. We stayed home and played games and watched movies. It was great.. very relaxing. Grandma and Granddad loved playing games with Anna and helped Luke "draw draw" on his magna doodle toy. Good time but too short!

Getting Big

2007-02-25T16:31:00.000-06:00

So... I know that this has been happening. I mean, since the day I became a parent people have said "Enjoy it because they grow up fast." Well, this weekend it seem to hit me hard. My babies are getting soooooo big. Here are 3 photos to prove my point. Anna enjoys playing on her laptop (nitro notebook) and then offers to read Luke his bedtime story. The next day she says she'll hold him since he is a little grumpy after nap and look..... he's getting as big as she is. Well maybe not as tall but he's catching her in pounds. He already eats more, drinks 1/4 of a gallon of milk in a day and can hold his own if she tries to take away a toy. Life gets so busy and hectic if was nice to stop and do nothing all weekend but "enjoy" our little ones!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2007-02-17T21:24:00.000-06:00

For Valentines Day we had a party at Anna's school. We successfully made cupcakes the night before (complete with pink icing and yummy sprinkles). The cupcakes were a hit and even Luke enjoyed some snacks. He is so big, he just fits right in with all the kids in Anna's class. Anna's friend was hanging out with me while her mommy and daddy caught an afternoon movie. She enjoyed visiting Anna's classroom and Anna gave her a complet tour!

"I'm hiding!"

2007-02-17T21:19:00.000-06:00

This is Luke's "i'm hiding" pose. He usually dose it when a commercial featuring the rockem' sockem' robots bust through a wall and fight with a truck. Sometimes he will run and hide behind the recliner. It's precious, don't you think?

Snow Day #2

2007-02-05T08:59:00.000-06:00

Sunday morning brought more snow! We got 1/2 inch of snow and it was a bitter 19 degrees when Ron and Anna went out to play. They tried to get Sherry and Jerry (next door) to come out but they enjoyed the view from inside while sipping coffee...Next they headed down to a friends house where they had fun slipping and sliding on her swing set slide. Anna came in and warmed up by cuddling with her brother!

Let it Snow!

2007-02-02T15:22:00.001-06:00

What a surprise! We had expected snow Thursday and didn't get any, but today we got about 1 1/2 inches! Anna was so excited I'm surprised she waited until after breakfast before heading out into it! We bundled up and had snow fights and attempted to build snowmen and then played with friends from the neighborhood! Even Sherry from next door joined in the fun and she and I had a great snowball war! Fun day!

Our little ballerina...

2007-01-28T20:33:00.000-06:00

Anna started dance lessons last week. Here she is practicing her poses and her twirls. She is taking tap, ballet and tumbling. Her favorite so far is tap. Even when she isn't dressed in her leotard she still practices! Anna's new favorite movie and book is Barbie's 12 dancing princessess. She loves to play UNO and of course loves playing with Luke! She is a great big sister and is constantly reading to him or playing along side him. These are great times!

What is "sick-a-la"?

2007-01-28T20:14:00.000-06:00

Luke's favorite treat... a Popsicle aka "sick-a-la"!
As you can see he enjoys every drop and even licks the stick. He asks for one several times a day and will stand at the freezer door asking for one. So cute!
He is growing so quick. He is 21 months and last weighed in at 32 pounds. He is talking/babbling a lot. His newest word is "Nana" aka Anna. His new favorite show is the Backyardigans. I think he likes it because of all the music and dancing.
He loves to collect all the balls he can find and ask you to juggle. Ron juggles and he thinks it is funny. Mommy just throws them up pretending to juggle. Then he is off to collect them again!

Happy New Year!

2007-01-14T22:35:00.000-06:00

We hope everyone is having a great new year so far! We have finally settled back in after living in chaos for 2 weeks. We were out of town for Christmas and it took us that long to unpack, clean up and for the kids to play with all their new toys. Ron is back to work and has been busy with basketball season. The kids are back to their routine. Anna started back to school, gymnastics, Wednesday night church and swim lessons. Luke is just hanging out as usual and enjoyed being back at Ms. Brenda's last week. This weekend we just sat back and caught our breath and now we are ready for 2007!

Christmas morning

2007-01-05T10:02:00.000-06:00

What a morning! Anna had a great time opening the gifts while Luke enjoyed playing with whatever was opened. After the gift opening we jumped in the car and headed for Georgia. The kids did great and were just excited about seeing everyone!

Christmas is here!

2006-12-24T12:14:00.000-06:00

Thursday we has dinner with our neighbors, Sherry and Jerry, Brandi and Brandon (now known to us as B1 and B2). The food was yummy and the kids were excited to get to open some presents! Anna got her most requested item- the fisher price digital camera! She went right to work taking pictures of every moment thereafter. Did I mention every moment? I have no idea were she learned this....Anyway, Luke loved his weeble wobble castle, aka wo wo's.
B1 and B2...
Weeblot castle....
Me and Sherry :)

What an Adventure!

2006-12-16T23:04:00.000-06:00

We took Anna and a friend to The Adventure Science Center in downtown Nashville. It was really cool. We got to play around in the snow, see lots of stars in the planetarium and play on lots of cool "toys" like this car Anna is on. You could even practice changing the tires! The girls had lots of fun running around from one thing to another!

We love a Parade!

2006-12-15T11:09:00.000-06:00

Here are some photos of us at the Hendersonville parade. Anna thought this was a blast! Not only did she enjoy all the stuff in the parade, she really liked that they threw candy! The bubble bus came by and she danced in the bubbles and Santa was last on the big red fire engine. It was a beautiful day and lots of fun! (Luke was a Sherry's taking a nap)

Tis' the Season!

2006-12-15T10:49:00.000-06:00

The Christmas festivities have begun! We have had so much fun decorating, shopping and taking part in lots of special activities like riding the train at the mall. We saw Santa and Anna was very excited to tell him all about the pink camera she wants. Luke, however, wanted nothing to do with him so he waved from a distance. They also had singing and storytime at the mall. Luke decided to take a catnap. This is unusual but precious, don't you think?

Storytime

2006-12-09T12:58:00.000-06:00

What a sweet big sister! Ron snapped this photo the other night at bedtime. Anna loves to make up stories and show Luke the pictures. Precious!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

2006-12-05T21:33:00.000-06:00

Hope everyone had a great turkey day! We enjoyed our visit with Grandma, Granddad and Aunt Ann. Anna enjoyed being Grandmas kitchen helper. Notice her new apron (a birthday gift from Grandma) . Bailey got some kitchen time as Ron carved the turkey (this has become a yearly photo). Notice Luke is MIA? We ate while he napped so mom and dad could enjoy a peaceful meal :)

Anna's first camping trip

2006-11-29T14:29:00.000-06:00

Anna just recently went camping with Grandma and Granddad for 3 days. She had a blast! She really enjoyed staying in the airstream aka Nicolette. They played lots of games and watched some movies. They hiked 1 mile and got to see some caves. The camp fire was also fun. They made smores and made up songs. Thanks Grandma and Granddad for a great time!

Firehouse visit

2006-11-10T18:12:00.000-06:00

Today our MOPS (mothers of preschoolers) visited a local firehouse. The firemen were very nice to take time out for all our kids. The kids got cool firemen hats and got to sit inside the fire engine. Anna thought it was great but Luke wouldn't have anything to do with a strange man putting him in a strange truck. Go figure?

So.... Luke found what he thought was a cool manhole to play on (see above). He is starting to stand in place and make a jump like move but his feet don't leave the ground. He finds this very entertaining. The kids had fun and the moms learned some tips on fire safety...it was cool!

Oh no....SHOTS!

2006-11-03T14:29:00.000-06:00

Today was a day I've been dreading for a while...doctors visit. I knew Anna would need shots because she starts school next year and I knew she would be asking me about it as soon as we hit the door. Luke also needed shots because he is still at the age where he gets shots almost every time we go. He also needed a flu shot. I told Anna ahead of time if she was brave at the doctors office we would go to the mall and ride the carousel and have an icee. Then I told her if she were super duper brave we would stop by our favorite bookstore (Ms. B's used bookstore) and she could pick out a book.

Well, needless to say Anna was super duper brave and she hardly even shed a tear. Luke of course screamed as soon as they started to hold him down but let's face it, it's tough when you don't understand what is going on. Mommy needed a kleenex too! So here are some pictures of them enjoying their new books and taking a ride on the carousel. They had so much fun I think they forgot all about their ouchy!

Happy Halloween!

2006-11-02T12:23:00.000-06:00

Welcome to our blog! This is all new for me so bare with me. Many thanks to Karen for all your help with setting this up!
We had a great time trick or treating. Anna was an adorable Tink and Luke was too cute in the giraffe costume. We had to go with a one piece outfit for him otherwise he wouldn't have kept it on :)
We went out around the neigborhood with friends and were so thankful for the great weather! The girls had a blast running from house to house. We stopped for a short break at a neighbors. The were showing a movie on the side of thier house and serving popcorn, hotdogs and cider. It was great!