From the mouths of babes...

December

2011-12-30T15:02:00.007-05:00

I try to convince myself that I am going to keep up with things better but I somehow always manage to fall behind. This month was super busy as I am sure that everyone else is in December as well.
Typically we make our gingerbread house on Thanksgiving. This year did not work out that way so Sweet Pea and I decorated it on the 15th. It turned out cute and with a lot less stress this year. We bought the pre-made gingerbread house versus the ones that you have to piece together yourself this year and it saved a lot of time. The real fun is all in the decorating and sneaking candy anyway. Sweet Pea and I took turns squirting the left over icing in our mouths to get that good old sugar rush afterward.
The finished Gingerbread house

On the 15th, I had lunch with my work. On the 16th, I took my mom, sister, and nephew Christmas shopping. My mom is the worst to wait until the last minute and hates driving anywhere at this time of the year so I did my good deed for the month. I enjoyed the time out though and my nephew was great for me. We had fun looking at all of the Christmas decorations out and about and laughing at all the craziness.
On the 20th, we got together with some friends to eat dinner and exchange presents. The girls got Amazon gift certificates (although they did not fully comprehend the reason yet) and we got a single serve Keurig machine. The hot chocolate is delicious! Both of the girls have had to have hot chocolate at least once a day since we received the gift. The girls also put on a little dance show for us that they coordinated that evening, which was funny to watch!
Our new Keurig

I took the 21st off with plans to visit my best friend from college but she ended up having to work so me and the girls ran a few errands to piece together the last of the Christmas presents and wrapped gifts that evening (that hadn't already been completed).
On the 23rd, we went to Dollywood to check out the Christmas lights. It was cold but it could have been much worse and the crowd was not horrible.
Christmas lights at Dollywood

On Christmas Eve, we went to Matt's aunt's to eat and exchange presents. The girls received Amazon and Itunes gift cards (and I again had to finagle my way around why with Pumpkin Pie), Hello Kitty water bottles and banks, and fudge and pecan pie. The sweets were the girls special requests from their aunt.
Bailey and Shelby playing

We always celebrate Christmas with the kids on Christmas Eve because Christmas day is so busy with everything else. The girls each got a new jewelry armoire, Ipod Touch, and Kindle Fire, among other presents. We gave Pumpkin Pie her Ipod touch as her big present and Sweet Pea the Kindle Fire. Matt snuck upstairs and put the Kindle Fire on Pumpkin Pie's desk and the Ipod touch on Sweet Pea's desk to find when they carried their other items upstairs. Pumpkin Pie is oblivious to the world at times because she never noticed the huge gift on her desk until we pointed it out. The girls were absolutely thrilled because they had no idea that Christmas was going to be so nice for them this year. I told them not to expect this kind of gift giving every year because we rarely spend quite so much on them.
Me and Bailey
Bailey's presents

Bailey after he opened his presents- he snuggled up with his new penguin and went to sleep. I think he liked all of his gifts (candy cane bone, his favorite dog food, peppermint flavored bones, some new toys, a blanket and a new picture frame for his picture).
Matt's presents- Grippo's, popcorn, new gray Bass shoes that I thought were super cute, sweater, khakis, socks, etc. His big present is already on the desk; he got a new computer for Christmas but given he picks those kinds of things out, he got to get it early.
Sweet Pea's presents
Pumpkin Pie's presents

My presents- Coach purse, new shirt (based on Courageous movie), and odds and ends. My big gift was an Ipad 2 but Matt is not good with keeping secrets so I got it early :)

Christmas day we were blessed with being able to attend church. After church, we went to my grandparent's home. We ate dinner, read the story of the birth of Jesus and then opened presents. The girls again got way more than they should ever get.
Bailey sticking his head in his new toy box from his wonderful aunt and uncle

After my grandparent's house, we always go to my best friend's house for the evening. It gives me some much needed unwinding time from the holiday stress and I love that I can just be silly with her and she gets it. I got a couple of really cute pictures of the kids running around playing cowboys with their hats and guns. I received an M&M's popcorn bucket, cups, blanket, clock, and Ipad case. The girls got Ipod cases and Kids Dance 2 for the Wii.
My M&M clock
Me and Matt on Christmas night

In between a couple of work things that I had to do this week, I have managed to get all of the presents put away, the house cleaned, and all of the Christmas decorations stored safely in their boxes for next year. On the 29th, we took another trip to Dollywood. This time we went to ride the rides and have fun versus seeing the lights. By the time we left Dollywood, the whole parking lot was full and people were parking at Splash Country. It was ridiculously crowded!
Matt on Adventure Mountain- pretending that he is going to fall. Sweet Pea had been requesting to do Adventure Mountain forever and they finally decided to wait in line for the "adventure". The line wait was about an hour long and that is short compared to previous estimated times.

Today we have all chilled out and rested from the holiday busyness. Matt finally touched some of the paint up that I have been fussing about for a year. Let's hope he did it right because I don't want to fuss about it again. Hope everyone else has enjoyed their holidays as much as we have.

November

2011-12-03T20:53:00.004-05:00

November has been a good month. The weekend of the 12th, we took the kids to the Wilderness Water park. We promised that we would do that in place of a birthday party this year. Sweet Pea's best friend and dad were able to go with us and we all had a great time. We also went to Dollywood.
Weekdays are always packed with work, homework, music lessons/practice, basketball games/practice, etc.
Wednesday night before Thanksgiving was awesome! My sweet husband took me to see Breaking Dawn-part 1. I admit it; I'm a Twihard. I've read the books several times and Matt even has the audio books on his Ipod that he has listened to a few times in addition to reading the books.
Thanksgiving day, we gave thanks with dinner at home with just me, Matt and the kids. After we ate, we visited with Matt's family for a few hours. We kept up our tradition of getting the kids new pajamas and a new ornament and then decorating the Christmas tree. I did a little online Christmas shopping and purchased a few little extras that we wanted.
Friday we ate lunch with some friends, did a little shopping and then they came over to the house to visit for a little while.
Saturday was Thanksgiving dinner with my family. Matt fried fish and my sweet uncle fixed my spaghetti with tomato juice. Friday evening, my Papaw had a mini stroke so it was great getting to hang out with him and seeing him doing alright (everything considered). We also got to meet my cousins girlfriend, who is a sweetheart (and I might be partial because she wants to be a therapist!).
Sunday was church and then my best friend from college (and her husband and daughter) came to visit. We ate Red Lobster for lunch and then hung out at the house. Jason played Wii- Just Dance 3 which was one of the funniest things to see. AND even better than that...I got my Green blow up M&M to go outside with Red that I got last year.
So we are back to the regular work week and running around like crazy again. Most of my Christmas shopping is complete and any outings we have now are just because we want to get out of the house and get a good laugh at the craziness. I am planning a shopping day with my mom because she isn't done with shopping yet.
The girls had their music recital today and did an awesome job. God has blessed our family with so many wonderful things, people, and privileges. I am very fortunate to have a home and a family that I love so much.

Thanksgiving dinner- (above) Bailey begging for food, (below) the spread- Macaroni, potatoes, biscuits, and turkey- YUM!

Our new tree, our old tree was 9 years old and falling apart.

Me and Matt in front of the tree

Me and Bailey- he loves to pose for pictures.
Papaw with his grandkids.

Clouds

2011-11-07T19:39:00.003-05:00

I remember as a kid that I would lay on my back in the yard and look at the clouds to try to find things in them. As silly as it sounds, Matt and I still occasionally play this game when we are driving some where or just hanging out. I try to get the kids into the game but they are missing some imagination! Occasionally they will play but often just make fun of me and Matt.
Fast forward to Sunday...I saw the most incredible cloud ever! It was completely a cloud with no jets, airplanes, huge birds or anything causing the effect. I also thought it was slightly ironic that I caught a sign in the picture that reads "Hill blocks view". I often am reminded of how we forget God is still in control when we are in the valley. Those mountains we have to climb can keep us from looking just a little bit higher and seeing God with His outstretched hands like a parent holding out their arms for that baby just learning to walk. This had to be God's gift to me on Sunday just to remind me that just over that next hill, He is there waiting with outstretched hands and encouraging me to keep going.

Disney On Ice

2011-11-07T19:04:00.002-05:00

Gepetto

The Green Army guy- I told Matt that this guy has definitely been playing Michael Jackson on the Wii.

Belle (Beauty) and the Beast
Genie

Timon rubbing Pumba's belly

Tuesday, we took the girls ice skating with some of the performers for Disney on Ice. I think it made the show much more fun to look for the people that they met. We went to to the performance on Saturday and it was wonderful. The characters changed it up a bit this year and skated around the edge of the rink shaking kids hands and giving high fives after the performance (for those that had floor seats). I think the girls had a great time and I know I did.

2011-10-16T14:24:00.003-04:00

My family celebrated quite a few birthdays in September. My Papaw's birthday was one of them.
Me hanging with my brother! He was stinky and sweaty from working at the barn.
We took a day to go to Dollywood with my mom, brother, sister, and nephew. Overall, we all got along which is a miracle.

My brother wearing powdered sugar. You would think we would grow up at some point but my brother and sister still aggravate one another quite a bit.

The three of us.

Me and the best guy in the whole entire world. I never tell Matt enough how much I love him and appreciate him but he has to be the sweetest, most thoughtful, and most obedient :) husband in the world.

Bailey begging! But who can resist that face.
Bailey decided that he wanted to help scrapbook so he jumped up on the desk. I am happy to report that I only have about 10 pages left to do to finish the Disney trip.

Saturday, we went to Rogersville to visit the family and then to hear Herman Cain speak. Matt is leaning towards him for the Republican presidential candidate.

Pumpkin Pie celebrated her birthday Thursday. We have had several small get-togethers to celebrate her and Sweet Pea's birthdays. We got the girls Disney On Ice tickets and outfits. Sweet Pea wanted Rapunzel this year and I had the cutest top and skirt made for her. I can't wait for her to wear it. Pumpkin Pie wanted something slightly more mature this year so I opted for a dress and long sweater in pinks and browns for her, which she absolutely loved as well. The girls also received Just Dance 3, some other clothes, some money, and we are planning a small Pigeon Forge attraction trip within the next few weeks.
The girls celebrated their best friend's birthdays last weekend at a gymnastics center. They will be attending Disney on Ice with us again this year as well. We are looking forward to another few busy weekends (and weekdays) ahead and have quite a few things planned.

July/August

2011-08-31T17:09:00.003-04:00

Because I am technologically challenged, these are completely out of order and random. The tea set was something that Sweet Pea picked out on a trip to Toys R Us for her back to school present.

The car is a present she chose for pulling a tooth.

Poor Bailey was still sleepy after I got out of bed so he wanted to lay back down and snuggle under the blanket. I didn't get a picture of him this morning but he found the blanket on the couch in the playroom and decided to snuggle up under it after we all woke up today.
The next four pictures are me and my nephew playing tickle monster. Since he was itty bitty, we have played the "Don't give me a kiss" game and he has added in the element of tickle wars now.

Bailey hanging out by the fence. The neighbor has two big labs on the other side and Bailey likes to taunt them.

My cutie husband eating birthday cake (my nephew's)

One of my nephew's birthday presents was a water gun. He had been playing with it for a little while and I had given the time warning to go in for baths. He ran out of water in the gun and got mad because I refused to fill it back up so he gave me the pouty face.

My nephew chose Smurfs for his special birthday cake at our house.

My nephew's shoe fetish...I can blame that on his mommy! He calls each pair his "awesome" shoes.

These are my roses that I received for Mother's day. I'm not a plant person and was not given warning of how big these things actually get. I hope they have enough room because they are growing quickly.

My goober husband couldn't make room on the shelf for the pizza box so he thinks he was being creative by placing it in the door. Needless to say, my OCD kicked in and I had to reorganize the fridge to make the box fit on a shelf!

So the kids have started back to school. We did the ritual going for junk food after orientation and paid a visit to Krispy Kreme again this year. The workers put on a show for the kids and made funny looking doughnuts and coated them with extra icing (just for show) but the kids got a great kick out of watching. As you can see from the pictures, Sweet Pea chose a tea set for her back to school present. I didn't take a picture of Pumpkin Pie's present but she chose a fashion design book. She has big dreams of being a fashion designer when she grows up, despite me repeatedly explaining that she still has to go to college to become a fashion designer. School is not her favorite thing!
The weekend before that, my nephew came to stay with us because I didn't get to attend his birthday get together. He picked out his special cake for our house and opened up his presents...only to ask for more! The girls love having him at the house and he is so funny!
I have been attempting to get things ready for the consignment sale coming up but it has been a very slow process. We did get through most of the kids clothes and the girls have decided to part with some of their toys. The kids (mainly Matt) got a basketball goal several weeks ago and we are now looking to purchase a new grill. Matt seems to have worn his out in a very short three years; 2 burners are not working and the grill slats are wearing out. It seems to be his favorite way of cooking and I sure don't want to be the one to deprive him of that luxury.

2011-07-02T21:18:00.004-04:00

The desk

My cool new mugs

Bailey with Shelby- we babysat Shelby while his mommy was on vacation.

My nephew attempting to dance

Sweet Pea caught a fish

My birthday was wonderful. We spent the Saturday before my birthday with some great friends. I got a set of M&M mugs that were personalized. SWEET!

The Wednesday before my birthday, my husband and girls surprised me with a new scrapbook desk and chair. I had been using a card table that was not very spacious or sturdy. I had finally branched out from the closet to moving my stuff to the play room. I did go out and purchase a lamp since the lighting in the room is not that great after the sun goes down. I have been working on the Disney scrapbook since I was inspired by seeing someone else’s progress on theirs.

On Friday, we went out to eat with my husband’s family. Chicken Fajita Nachos are one of my favorite foods!

On Saturday, my actual birthday, we went to visit my grandparent’s and my mom. My mamaw fixed one of my other top favorite foods, spaghetti with tomato juice.

On Sunday, my cousin went to church with us and then out to eat at Red Lobster. Wow, my whole weekend was filled with favorite foods!

For Father’s Day, the girls and I got Matt some UT DVD’s that he has been asking for. We visited my grandparent’s again on Sunday and hung out with the family. Mamaw even cooked for us, which is a huge task since caring for my Papaw takes up so much of her time and energy.

This past weekend, we kept my nephew. I had promised that we would go to Chuck E. Cheese when he came down and he does not forget anything. He loved Chuck. After we left, he asked if that was Mickey Mouse and I explained that it was Chuck but he is a mouse too. My nephew says, “Can you tell Mickey to come see me too?” He is a riot. At Kohl’s, he found some John Deere shirts and says, “Oh My God. You have to buy me those.” He got to pick out two, one of which I am saving for his birthday pictures since he is doing his party in tractors. We went to Norris Lake on Sunday to see all of Matt’s family. They are staying for the week for the family vacation. The kids went fishing and then ate Strudel for supper.

We went back to see the family again on Tuesday and the girls went fishing again. I never would have thought that fishing would hold their attention for very long, since it never has in the past but they both stuck with it for quite some time. The girls were disappointed that they did not get to go swimming but I will have to make that up somehow.

This weekend will be another busy weekend. It seems that something is always going on. We planned to visit my grandparents today but I woke up not feeling well. We have church on Sunday, and a party on Monday. I would like to squeeze in a little sleep and maybe a little scrapbooking time somewhere along the way but my house keeps shouting “CLEAN ME” and I keep trying to drown that sound out.

Graduation and Field Trips

2011-05-28T18:10:00.005-04:00

I just love this picture for some reason. Bailey is such a cute doggy!

Bailey playing in the sprinkler with the kids.

Ice Cream at Mayfield's...still doesn't compare to Matt's homemade lemon ice cream (just like my Mamaw's)
Dolphin at the aquarium

American Idol couch

Coke bottles from around the world

Matt on the American Idol couch

An Albino Alligator

Each of the girls took field trips at the end of the school year. Pumpkin Pie went to the Coca Cola museum and the aquarium. Sweet Pea went to Mayfield and the park. Matt was able to go on both field trips, not that I would have ever let either of my children go out of state without one of us.
The school year has finally ended. I have been very blessed that both of my children are very smart. Sweet Pea had the highest GPA in her class and Pumpkin Pie was one of four to achieve the A and B honor roll in her class. Both also done extremely well on their standardized testing, testing out at several grade levels ahead in every subject. Pumpkin Pie even received Post High School (PHS) scores in several areas.
We had the pleasure of keeping my nephew last weekend and the kids played in the sprinkler, blew bubbles, and drew with chalk. The weather was so nice and it was a shame to stay inside. Matt also worked on fixing my new flower bed for the roses I received for Mother's Day. I will post finished pictures of it as soon as it is actually finished.
My nephew is the most hilarious kid ever, right up there with mine. Friday night on our way home, he shares with us that he has a cat and it doesn't fly. I tried to interpret this 3 year old language and thought he was referring to a kite. I was wrong...he said, "No! I have a cat and cat's don't have wings. It won't fly."
We went to my cousin's high school graduation today. It was packed in that gymnasium. We are so proud of her for graduating and hope she has a blast when she starts off to college this fall. We visited with my grandparent's after the graduation. I am looking forward to church tomorrow and relaxing on Monday. We are getting together with friend's next weekend to celebrate my upcoming birthday. I enjoy those times so much because the food is always so yummy!

Partying

2011-05-17T06:54:00.004-04:00

The goat dressed up for the birthday party

One of the dog's dressed up for the party

Matt and Jason paddling. You would think they were both out of shape or something!

For Easter, we bought my nephew a Paper Jam Guitar. I forgot to send batteries, which I typically do try to remember to do. I had my mom deliver the toy to him and she later informed me that he did not like the guitar.

This weekend, we visited with my nephew and I asked him about the guitar. Apparently no one put batteries in it for him and he responded to me with, “It’s crap!” I explained to a 3 year old that his mom would have to put batteries in it but I am guessing that will not change his opinion much at this point.

He also asked me if he could come to my house to get presents. I explained that I sent his presents to his house because he did not come home with me on Christmas, as was planned. I listed off the things we bought him, which he did recall but says, “No, mamaw got those for me.” Again, because my mom delivered the presents to him, he associates her with the present. No more presents will be delivered through a third party.

We took the kids to Dollywood Saturday morning to make up for Pumpkin Pie having to miss a trip to Zuma with church. It wasn’t that crowded and the weather was nice (not too hot and not too cold).

We did go to visit my grandparent’s this weekend and cleaned house for mamaw. We planned to mow but it looked like it was going to rain so we put it off.

We also went to Kentucky for a birthday party this weekend. Matt and Jason were hilarious paddling the paddle boat around the pond. It was nice to hang out with friends and I plan to get up there more this summer with an extra day off from work each week.

Blast from the Past:

Sweet Pea has a different personality than most kids. She is quick to smart off and is good with comebacks. A few weeks ago, she was scratching and my mom asked her what was wrong. She responded that she had a yeast infection (which she did have over a year ago). Mom jokingly tells her that she should drink beer for that, knowing we do not allow our children around alcohol and we do not drink. Sweet Pea says, “We have A&W.”

This past week, Sweet Pea smarted off to me. Pumpkin Pie says in her Sweet Pea voice, “I’m sorry, mom.” Sweet Pea says, “That wasn’t me. I don’t say I’m sorry.” She means it too…the child is not known to apologize for anything because she means what she says when she says it and does not back down from it. I wonder where she gets that from!

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-07T20:01:00.004-04:00

My new dishesThe dishes in the cabinet
Matt trying to do the bunny hop on Pumpkin Pie's bicycle

I guess I got quite a bit accomplished today. I managed to clean out the top of Pumpkin Pie's closet, fix their princess frames from Disney (yeah, it has been 2 months since we went), and we took the girl's to ride their bicycles.
I also got my dishes put up in the China cabinet. They were my Mother's Day present from Matt and the girls. The dishes are identical to my mamaw's dishes that I grew up having family dinners on (well, the first part of my life). They look beautiful in the cabinet and I can't wait to have our family dinners with the dishes to create memories for my girls. Sweet Pea is in the process of growing me some Daisies and is so excited that they have sprouted.

Sweet Pea did a project at school this week in honor of Mother's Day and I had to share what she answered in the "complete the sentence" project.
1. My mom's name is Amber.
2. Mom's favorite food is Quasodea (Quesadilla).
3. In her free time, Mom likes to rest.
4. Mom likes the color yellow.
5. My mom's favorite vacation spot is Disney World.
6. Mom's favorite holiday is Mother's day.
7. She likes that holiday because we give stuff to her.
8. My mom likes it when I snuggle with her.
And the best answer is...
9. What my mom likes best about being a mother is she gets to have me.

How much more can a mom ask for on this special holiday!
Tomorrow, we are going to visit my grandparent's. My papaw is being released from the hospital with hospice so please keep them in your prayers.

Moving

2011-05-01T19:09:00.003-04:00

The view from Matt's mom's house

We moved Matt's mom out of her house this weekend. That was a huge chore and made for a long Saturday. I am sore today! The view from her house was beautiful though. I guess that is the benefit when you live 30 minutes from civilization. We are very thankful to have her living closer by now so we have less worrying to do about her traveling back and forth.

Funny:
On our way to Matt's mom's, Sweet Pea is checking out some of the houses on the drive. If you recall, we had tornadoes this past week. Sweet Pea asks, "Mom, did they get hit by a tornado?" Matt and I reply, "No dear, Kentucky always looks this way."

Prayers:
Please pray for my Papaw. He has returned to the hospital again and antibiotics are no longer helping the infection. My grandparent's have been a major support in my life, as I am sure that most people's are, but mine have been tremendous! I love them both with all of my heart!

Funnies

2011-03-22T18:38:00.002-04:00

Sweet Pea is the smarty pants in this house, next to me of course. Matt was cleaning behind her after breakfast last week and informed her that she needed to hold over her plate because she got Poptart crumbs everywhere. Sweet Pea replies, "That's just the way I roll."

Last night, Sweet Pea said the blessing before dinner, which is her responsibility. Midway through, I hear, "...and please don't let mommy or daddy get arrested." Hmmm, I can't say that either one of us has been yet! Maybe it has been her prayers keeping us safe.

Disney World

2011-03-20T19:58:00.004-04:00

I usually don't post pics of the kids but since you can't see her face clearly...this is when Flynn pulled out the tiara!
It is a joke between some friends of ours that David has a crush on Pocahontas. So, of course, Matt had to have his picture made with her just to tease David.

This giraffe walked right up to our jeep and around the back during the safari trip.

Picture of the castle- I would love to have my own castle!

Matt with Donald, just because he can!

Our vacation was absolutely the best vacation ever. It was well worth the wait and we deserved it after four years with no vacation. I will try to sum the events up so as not to bore you with all of the great things we did (and by bore, I mean make you jealous).

Day one and two, we spent at Magic Kingdom. We met a bunch of the characters, attended the Princess breakfast in the castle, and rode lots of rides. Sweet Pea really enjoyed the People Mover of all things. Matt loved the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, which was really cute! Pumpkin Pie enjoyed it all so much that she really could not pick one thing. Stitch was the favorite of day two because he cleaned his ears with the girls ink pen. He also shooed Matt away from watching over his shoulder.
Day three, we went back to Magic Kingdom that morning for one purpose- to see Rapunzel. The lines for her show had been so long and it was the one thing that we just had to do. It was so worth it. We were at the end of the line for the first show and Rapunzel and Flynn spent at least 15 minutes with the girls just hanging out. Flynn also pulled the tiara out for Pumpkin Pie (which he did not do for anyone else) and gave her his "smolder" which made her all googly-eyed. Man, I am in trouble when we allow her to start dating. Rapunzel and Sweet Pea talked about Sweet Pea letting her hair grow out and how long it will take to wash and fix it!
On day three, we also visited the M&M store. I was a little disappointed but still spent enough money to make up for the disappointed feeling! I did get a necklace and earrings there to show off my love of the cute little guys.
Day four and day seven, we visited Hollywood Studios. We all agreed that Toy Story Mania was the best ride there. Matt and Pumpkin Pie rode the Tower of Terror and she didn't throw up. On day seven, Matt rode the Aerosmith roller coaster and said that it was alright but still doesn't compare to Dollywood's roller coasters.
Day five, we visited Animal Kingdom. The safari was great! I was a little upset that the staff at Animal Kingdom were not very friendly but overall, it was a nice park. We did ride Expedition Everest and Kali River Rapids. The Kali River Rapids was not my favorite. I wore a poncho to protect myself from getting soaked because the weather that day was not extremely warm. Sweet Pea looked like she stepped out of a shower after the ride and I came out quite wet as well. Matt and Pumpkin Pie barely had a drop of water on them, which didn't really seem fair.
Day six, we visited Epcot. The countries were beautiful and the kids enjoyed collecting the stamps from the different countries. We had Mexican dinner that night and I was not impressed with the food. They refused to make any accommodations to my meal, even putting the rice on the side instead of under my fish! Maybe I sound whiny but seriously! We received VIP treatment for the 3 Caballeros ride, just because the girls looked super cute. There are perks to having cute kids after all!
We were going to spend day eight at Magic Kingdom but we woke up to pouring down rain with no sign of letting up for awhile so we headed on home. We had some wonderful meals and the meal plan was well worth it. Our travel agent was super and arranged everything, giving us other tips as well. If you are considering a travel agent, let me know and I will hook you up. She even arranged a special family photo shoot for us at one of the hotels (so the castle would be in the background). The girls had so much fun and it was the family vacation that I always wanted when I was a kid. I am so glad that I had the opportunity to give this trip to my girls and hope to do so again in a few years. It is truly the most magical place on earth.

Snow

2011-01-17T21:36:00.002-05:00

UT versus College of Charleston...horrible calls!

Matt and the girls made me an M&M man (instead of a snowman).

Matt insists that it was Bailey's fault that the snowman turned yellow!

We finally had to force Bailey to come in. He had snowballs collecting on his legs that we had to gradually work off.
Bailey rubbed his nose in the snow as soon as we went outside. He loved the feel of the snow. Yes, he is sticking his tongue out at me.

The girls have been taking ice skating lessons and are loving it. They are doing much better, although I do not foresee the Olympics in our lifetime. We continue to stay busy with life and I am counting down the weeks until our vacation. I am getting very excited and would already have the suitcases packed if Matt would let me.

Christmas

2010-12-26T18:02:00.008-05:00

I guess I will start at the beginning… Thanksgiving day, we had dinner at my grandparent’s home and Matt’s aunt’s. We typically decorate the tree on Thanksgiving but unforeseen circumstances (i.e. supposed to get a new tree) caused a delay so we put the tree up the day after Thanksgiving. And yes, it is still the old tree! My nephew came home with us and we held our tradition of everyone getting new pajamas for cutesy pictures. Bailey got in to the candy canes while we were decorating! I took the kids out that afternoon and got some Christmas pictures of them. However, it is now the day after Christmas and guess who still hasn’t developed any of those pictures.

The weekend before Christmas, our best friend’s came over and we got a special gift for their girls and ours. They are all getting to take ice skating lessons, which I hope they enjoy. Bailey also got to open one of his presents, a Snuggie. We had Gondolier’s pizza for dinner which happens to be one of my favorites and we received great presents.

We visited Matt’s aunt and family on the night before Christmas Eve. We had KFC and opened presents. Matt’s cousin just had surgery so it was a very laid back event.

Matt’s cousin and family came to visit from Kentucky and the girls opened presents with them.

Bailey watching Matt fry the ham

We celebrate Christmas Eve with our girls and I went overboard yet again. Matt and I fixed a wonderful breakfast with country ham, homemade biscuits, gravy, and scrambled eggs. The girls were in Heaven! I have to admit the gravy turned out a little better. Maybe practice does make perfect.

Matt received his Ipod Touch that he just had to have. He also got the Black Ops game for his PS3 and some other small items. I received a new purse, the Twilight Saga books (because you just have to read them more than once…one hundred times), Scene It Twilight Saga board game, and some M&M stuff. Our special treat was matching Vols shirts for me and the girls. They have Hello Kitty on them and say “Hello Kitty, Hello Volunteers.” We have tickets to the New Year’s Eve game this year. Bailey received dog bones, dog food-the good stuff, two new stuffed-or actually unstuffed dog toys, and two candy cane bones. One of the bones was wrapped with Sweet Potato and he had it chewed off within minutes of me finally getting it open for him. He absolutely loves the Sweet Potatoes!

Pumpkin Pie received a new rug, storage chest, luggage, clothes, video games, books, computer games, American Girl accessories, a memory foam pillow (she asked for it), a back pillow, and a volleyball. Sweet Pea received Olivia the Pig toys, Teacup Piggies and accessories, pig kitchen items (she asked for them), luggage, clothes, and a back pillow. Did you notice the pig theme with Sweet Pea! She even asked for a real live miniature pig and I (YES, I) even considered getting one. I spoke with a lady about one after doing some research but opted out because I was fearful that the pig would not be able to walk up the stairs on those stumps for legs and the bed would be crowded for Sweet Pea when the pig reached its full size of about 60lb. Maybe next year we can get the pig! I was also concerned about how Bailey would get along with another pet in the house. Unfortunately, we would not be able to name the pig “Piglet” since that name is already taken by my sweet cousin’s dog. However, Sweet Pea was trying to choose between “Cinderella” for a girl and “Harold” for a boy. Cinderella I understood but I honestly have no idea where Harold came from.

Sweet Pea's present pile

Pumpkin Pie's present pile

Matt's present pile

Bailey's present pile

My present pile

Matt dancing...so funny!

Me and my brother

Me and my sweet love

On a side note, Sweet Pea and Pumpkin Pie went to work with me several days the week before last because of the weather and school being out. A woman (Kathy) in our office questioned the girls about what Santa would be bringing them for Christmas. Sweet Pea gave me the look and I stated that it was all right. Sweet Pea proceeded to inform Kathy that “Santa’s dead.” Kathy politely looked at Sweet Pea and informed her that she had now ruined Kathy’s Christmas. Sweet Pea actually thought it was funny that Kathy believes in Santa.

Christmas Day, we went to my Grandparent’s and ate until none of us could possibly hold anymore food. The girls (and Matt and I) received more wonderful presents. We are so spoiled. After we left my Grandparent’s, we went to my best friend’s house. After opening yet more presents, one of which I received in October (a blow up M&M for my yard), the kids played the Xbox 360. Matt even got involved and did some dancing to Bel Biv Devoe. If you don’t remember them, you are too young!

It started snowing on the way home and a little over halfway home, the roads started to get slick. We thankfully made it home safely and I managed to get most of the Christmas presents put away neatly. I am already looking forward to taking down the Christmas decorations and getting my house cleaned back up and in order. I always look forward to that one day each week (sometimes every two weeks) that everything is clean and in its place. It doesn’t last long so I have to savor it. Matt will be staying home with the girls this week so I don’t plan to clean before mid-week or I know I won’t get to enjoy any of it. We have been blessed tremendously and have really enjoyed the holidays with our family and friends this year. It is always a good thing to say the holidays were rather uneventful in my family. I have also enjoyed time home with the kids and relaxing. We caught up on some movies and video game time. All of the American Girl doll stuff is neatly organized (one of mine and Sweet Pea’s favorite things to do) and Pumpkin Pie’s room is fairly organized right now too, thanks to me.

End of October and November

2010-11-21T15:12:00.004-05:00

Making Gingerbread Houses this weekend. Each of the four girls decorated one and Kari and I decorated the fifth one. It is the North Pole village!

Bailey with his elephant. We are huge fans of these unstuffed plush toys for dogs. Bailey has always loved plush toys but ate the stuffing out of them within a day. It is cute to watch him with the elephant though because he carries it everywhere like a security item.

We went to Disney on Ice several weeks ago and had wonderful seats. We were on the second row so we were right in front of all of the action. The girls loved being so close and I have to admit that it was pretty nice.

I had a kidney stone at the time of Pumpkin Pie's birthday. We made her a cake but the decorative icing I bought for it ended up being a clear yellow so it did not show up well (or look that well but I am not a cake decorator). Sweet Pea chose a cheesecake for her birthday, which we bought because I have no idea how to make cheesecake. Pumpkin Pie chose doughnuts to take to school and Sweet Pea chose mini-cupcakes.

We also had to make a shopping trip the week after Pumpkin Pie's birthday. In the matter of several weeks, she managed to outgrow nearly everything she had for the winter. We bought Sweet Pea a couple of things too just so she wouldn't feel quite so left out with always getting the hand-me-downs.

The weekend before last, we went to eat with my best friend and her family. I love Red Lobster!!! Afterward, we did a little shopping.
Last weekend, we went ice skating with our best friends. We had a great time but those ice skates can hurt your feet.
This weekend, we had Thanksgiving dinner with our best friends. My Papaw is in the hospital again with pneumonia so we are not sure about our family Thanksgiving. I was so looking forward to it too...biscuits, gravy, fried chicken, country ham, mashed potatoes, okra, spaghetti with tomato juice...my Mamaw has me spoiled (and overweight!).
I have over half of my Christmas shopping done and I am pretty sure that I will be doing the majority of the rest of it online because I have had "shopping rage". People can be so rude during the holidays, or any other time of year for that matter but it seems to be worse right now with more people already coming out to shop. My mouth tends to get me in trouble and it would be better for the world if I stay home and not be so rude to others.

All the way into October...

2010-10-17T18:11:00.003-04:00

Matt and his BFIL (Best Friend In Law)
Matt attempting to play football with his friends.

A rare happening...someone took a picture of me!

Matt chilling in the heated pool at last weekends party! It was beautiful.

The really neat party favors that I worked so hard on.

I finally took my nephew's 3rd birthday pictures but I haven't checked with my sister to see if it is all right to post any of them yet. They did turn out really cute and I do have a favorite!

We attended the Shriner's Circus last weekend but I did not take any pictures then. We also attended a birthday party for one of my best friend's two children. It was at a beautiful location and the girls (and my nephew) had so much fun, especially swimming in a heated pool in October.

I finally cleaned out all of the baby stuff and sold almost everything I have. We also have a small fund going for our trip to Disney World next year, which I continue to remain super excited about. We have several meals booked and have started purchasing cute outfits for the kids for the trip.

We had the girls birthday party this weekend, despite my battle with a kidney stone since last Sunday at 2 a.m. I did go to the hospital and it is only 3mm but dang, it hurts! I still haven't passed it and have had to miss four days of work. I did work one day last week but I only had two sessions and I left a little bit early, if that counts for working.
The girls party was wonderful and we are such a blessed family to have friends that love us, despite my personality! The girls received many gifts but their favorites were their new American Girl dolls. Sweet Pea got Mia and Pumpkin Pie got Julie. They also got some new clothes for their dolls and new Vera Bradley messenger bags, wallets, and money to go in their new wallets. My kids are soooo spoiled and I seem to continue that trend! We had a Mickey Mouse theme this year since we have planned the Disney World trip (have I mentioned that yet?!) and the party favors turned out cute, even if I did them myself and have to brag about it myself.

So we are off to another week and I am praying to pass this stone. I have had so much time to think of corny jokes about it, such as plans to start my own pet rock collection, rock band, etc...
We are in the works of making plans for this coming weekend. We are working on party, Dollywood, or Boo at the Zoo, and maybe a couple of other options. We also have plans to attend Disney on Ice in two weeks and dinner with friends, and maybe a Halloween party that is less Halloween and more kid friendly. I guess we will wait and see.

August (and some from July)

2010-09-04T10:24:00.006-04:00

Kendra and Larry
Me and Kendra (I am starting to show my age)
K-Dog's cake
Pumpkin Pie's back to school present
Sweet Pea's back to school present

Matt chasing my sister with cake icing

Bugaboo's birthday cake

I’ll try to remember the highlights of the past few weeks but it all seems to run together anymore.

Towards the end of July, we attended K-Dog’s birthday party and took my nephew along, knowing he would have a blast. I really have been slacking with pictures, even at a birthday party!

My Papaw was back in the hospital for a little while and we made the trip to Kingsport to visit him and to celebrate my Mamaw’s birthday, if you can call a hospital room a celebration place. My Papaw is back home for now, although he still does not feel well and his strength continues to decrease (and not come back) each time he is sick.

I have spent some time preparing for the school consignment sell because we are finally getting rid of all of our baby stuff. Sweet Pea is almost 7 and I think it is high time that we put thoughts of more children aside.

The girls have started back to school. Sweet Pea chose two Olivia the Pig play sets for her back to school gift and Pumpkin Pie received more American Girl books. Sweet Pea is starting to give her a run for her money on reading though. Sweet Pea got a new backpack this year, although I didn’t take a picture. Pumpkin Pie still had three brand new backpacks so we are using those before we buy another one for her. Both girls are loving their teachers and doing well so far. Music lessons start back again in a couple of weeks and Sweet Pea will be with her original teacher, who blessed us with her return this year! We aren’t sure who Pumpkin Pie’s teacher will be for music yet and she is currently contemplating joining the band to play the Clarinet.

We went to my nephew’s birthday party this past Friday. Saturday, we met my mom and sister at Dollywood. Matt’s mom went with us and within an hour of being there, she passed out and became very ill. We have been working towards a medical issue that she has been having for some time and think the passing out is related. Matt spent the remainder of the day in a hospital emergency room with her. She has two more doctor’s appointments in the next week and a half so we are in prayer that they can find the source of the brain blockage and resolve it easily. Sunday, we attempted to make Dollywood up to the kids and went back for another three-four hours. It wasn’t very crowded and the girls got to ride the remainder of the rides that they missed on Saturday.

I am still working on completing the rest of the stuff for the consignment sale and we are celebrating Matt’s grandfather’s birthday this weekend. My family also has several birthdays’ coming up so lots of cake and ice cream in my future. Yum!

Sweet Pea came to my husband and I the other night and stated that she could not use her mouthwash. Keep in mind she has three loose teeth that she refuses to let us wiggle. Sweet Pea states, “I can’t use my mouthwash because it builds strong teeth. That is why my teeth won’t fall out.”

Ahh, the logic!

We have been super busy this week- Monday we mowed, Tuesday we went to the grocery store, and Wednesday I had to clean the house. Tuesday, when we were leaving Walmart, we saw a guy hang gliding. Pumpkin Pie pointed him out and then got in the vehicle. Sweet Pea asked who the guy was, insisting on knowing his name. I replied, “Bob, me and him go way back.” Sweet Pea was fine with this answer and got in the vehicle. As we were leaving the parking lot, the guy was a lot closer and Pumpkin Pie pointed this out. Sweet Pea looks at her sister and says, “Hey, do you know who that is?” Pumpkin Pie says, “No, who?” Sweet Pea says, “That is Bob. Mom knew him way back.” We all laughed!

Wow, a month...what did you miss?!

2010-07-12T19:35:00.003-04:00

I guess you could say we continue to live our hectic lives. However, it hasn't felt as hectic as usual, maybe I am actually relaxing a little more. That would be funny, wouldn't it!
For my birthday, Matt got me a new Coach purse and a scrapbook drawer organizer thingamabob (that is an actual word right). One of my best friend's got me a M&M lunchbox and a plant, which I am infamous for killing. My other best friend got me a Pandora bracelet and several charms. I have to say I am one spoiled chick!
I can't remember if I shared what I got for Mother's day so you get to hear it again possibly-the first four seasons of Ghost Whisperer. I know the show can be a bit cheesy but I happen to like it.
The girls and I got Matt a Blu-ray player and a leaf blower for Father's day. Tell me how horrible that is- we don't have a single tree in our yard but he wanted a leaf blower so he doesn't have to sweep the grass from the sidewalk after I mow. Yes, you heard me...I have been mowing the whole yard all by myself. Matt still does the weed eating but I am woman, hear me roar!
We have spent a lot of time hanging out with friends and enjoying the summer. We have spent several occasions at our friend's neighborhood pool and we of course have a blow up pool in our back yard. It has also been so hot outside that we have spent quite a bit of time inside reading, hanging out, and watching television. One could say that television could rot the brain but I figure mine was probably rotten to begin with.
We visited Matt's grandparents in Asheville for his grandmother's 90th birthday! She looks good to be so old! It was good visiting with his family too. Unfortunately, my fibromyalgia was killing me so I wasn't in the best mood for traveling. The girls are counting down the weeks until school starts back and we are already getting psyched about school supplies, which ranks really high up with Christmas stuff for me! We have plans for the next few weeks so I hope that the girls enjoy their last few weeks of freedom.
Matt and I have also recently decided that if we continue to wait around for extra money to fall from the sky, we are never going to get to Disney world. So we are attempting to plan an all expense charged trip for the spring. I don't want the girls to be so old that they don't enjoy it. If you have planning to tips to share, that would be great! Or if you would like to donate to our "Save our sanity- give us a vacation fund" , contact me and I will tell you how. Just joking!
On another note- I put off ever watching Twilight because I thought that it was a teeny bopper thing and didn't want to go there. I finally broke down and watched it and I am now addicted. I read all four books in 8 days! I had to wait on the additional Bree Tanner book because it was out at the library or it would have been completed in there too. Then I had to watch New Moon and for my anniversary, Matt took me to see Eclipse. Matt has now decided to listen to all of the books via audio book, because he is not as big of a reader as I am. I think it is cute that my husband actually enjoys it as much as I do.
My papaw has been in the hospital for the past 2 1/2 weeks and hopefully will get to come home this week. Keep him and my mamaw in your prayers. It seems that antibiotics just don't fight his infections very well and he seems to stay sick.
So now you have the past few weeks in a condensed version. I haven't been much into the pictures lately and what I do have includes the kids so sorry that I don't have to much to share at this time. I will try to get some to share soon. Hope everyone else is enjoying summer as much as we are.
We took the girls to my mom's to ride the miniature horses.

Matt with one of his Father's Day Presents.

Bailey climbed into the clothes that just came out of the dryer!

What a nice short vacation

2010-06-08T20:33:00.007-04:00

I am blog illiterate so i am struggling with the photo thing. Typically, it shows my pictures and I can type under them but this time, it is showing the HTML junk so I will just have to give you a run down. All of the pictures are from Sunday afternoon and not in any particular order but I feel confident that you will be able to figure them out...1.J wearing his "Indiana Jones" hat, 2. The ducks as Matt was chasing them, 3. Matt fishing, 4. J having to bait Matt's hook because he is scared of worms :), 5. L taking a fish off the hook (for Matt)- you have to love a pretty woman who isn't afraid of worms or fish, 6. large mouth bass that J caught, and 7. Skeeter in her dress. Cassie was still at the house or I would have a picture of her in a dress as well.

I guess we will start at the beginning of our four day stay-cation...
Friday:
Matt's friend, Cody came over to hang out. The girls played on the slip-n-slide and a wet trampoline. I became a little more than nervous about the trampoline so it didn't last too long. After running around in the backyard all evening, Matt, Cody, and I watched "Alice in Wonderland" and Matt and Cody played video games. It was a nice start to a vacation.

Saturday:
We filled up the kiddie pool and played outside most of the morning. Late afternoon, we joined our best friends at their community pool, swam, ate pizza and cupcakes, swam some more and finally headed home around 8:30. After giving the girls their showers, we pretty much crashed.

Sunday:
We enjoyed a nice morning at church and then headed to Kentucky to visit my best friend from college and Matt's best friend from forever. The kids went swimming in their pool (which Matt remembers swimming in when he was a kid, it's just moved locations), then to the jacuzzi, ate some pizza, and headed out for more fun. The kids got to ride on the Rhino (a 4x4 utility vehicle). They chased the ducks, played with the dogs, and fed the goat. They went fishing in the pond and Pumpkin Pie caught the first fish, which happened to be the biggest catfish caught from it. Sweet Pea had to of course fall in the mud and get her behind filthy. Bugaboo (J and L's daughter) is a hoot...she was kissing the fish, trying to stick them in her daddy's pocket, and even tried to feed one the worms that they were using for bait (which makes sense). They threw back all of the fish that they caught but Bugaboo had to play with each one for a minute before she would allow it to be thrown back. J gave each of the girls time in the tree swing which essentially sent each child propelling about 15 feet into the air with tree limbs all above them. At least they were strapped in and he was willing to do the same with his own child. The kids loved it. J made a camp fire and the kids got to roast marshmallows and eat smores, although my girls had to be difficult. Pumpkin Pie only wanted graham crackers and chocolate bar. Sweet Pea only wanted an unroasted marshmallow with chocolate bar in between. We relaxed for a while and the girls rode around on the power-wheels and took turns for trips on the Rhino again. We left Kentucky around 8:30 so it was nearly 10 when we got home, bathed the girls, and crashed again.

Monday:
We joined our best friends at Cracker Barrel for a delicious breakfast before heading over to Dollywood. We hung out there for several hours and enjoyed many rides with the kids, along with my favorite thing about Dollywood- frozen cherry lemonade. After Dollywood, we headed to Tanger so I could pick up a present for a friend's son's party in two weeks and we headed home. After we got home, we mowed the yard and cleaned off some outside toys to get rid of. You can imagine by that point, I was exhausted.

Tuesday:
We got up today and cleaned up, then headed out to take some pictures of the girls since I haven't taken any in a while. Unfortunately, the sun was so bright and the day was so muggy that the girls were not into it and I only got a few good shots. We ran a couple of errands and headed back home for another afternoon of playing outside. It was very noticeable that the kids are completely run down and looking forward to returning to their normal schedule tomorrow. I have definitely enjoyed the time with the kids and with some great friends. My body couldn't handle too much more of this vacation stuff.

Our weekends are full for the next four weeks at least. I get to spend next weekend with my best friend and we have a birthday party each of the following weekends to attend. I will also be celebrating my 8th wedding anniversary in a few more weeks. More about that when the time comes. I also have to fit Father's day in two weeks as well. Hmmm, where is the time to sleep and rest!

I guess I could fill you in on other small things

2010-05-16T19:03:00.002-04:00

Now that you have heard my tragedy, I can tell you about the rest of my life. Mother's day was very nice although I don't have any pictures. The family gave me the first four seasons of "Ghost Whisperer" and a Donkey Webkinz (because it fits their dad) and Matt picked wild daisies for me. We visited my mamaw and mom on Saturday, along with my sister, her boyfriend, and my nephew. I have been absolutely swamped at work and following two bouts of kidney stones, I feel a little more functional now. I did see a urologist this week and one of the stones is being analyzed. I also was asked to do a urine collection, which just sounds completely gross. It is just what it sounds-collect all of your urine for a full 24 hours. I am putting that off for now! My fibromyalgia has been a little difficult these past few weeks but I think it is a combination of the heavy work load, stress, and general fatigue from life. My baby girl graduated from Kindergarten this past week and it seems that her life is flying past me. It seems like it was just yesterday that she was laying in the floor jabbering with me and laughing. Now her jabbers are to back talk! She no longer laughs with me but at me! Both girls got an American Girl doll-Lanie and Sweet Pea also got a new bicycle, since she has outgrown her other one. My girls are very spoiled but I am so lucky to be able to spoil them and for that I am very thankful. This weekend, we kept my nephew and spent our time lounging around the house since it was so humid (before the storms) and then it stormed the remainder of the time. Plus we had the lice issue to deal with. My mom and her boyfriend bought two miniature horses this weekend so the kids wanted to see them. The mom should be broke within a week and the girls are already plotting how they are going to get back down there soon to go riding the horses. The mom horse is also expecting so I am unsure of how long until there will be a third horse to enjoy. Sweet Pea has been asking for a real horse for a while now so I guess she gets her wish. I just hope they don't end up getting her a real pig too. I am sure that I have left a few things out that were probably pretty important but I am human and I have work to do and I have to prepare for court this week. I would love to share pictures but sadly, my camera is collecting dust because I have been so scatterbrained and have honestly missed some wonderful photo opportunities.

My Worst Nightmare

2010-05-16T18:58:00.002-04:00

Of all the things that I could dread in this world, LICE would have to be on the top of my list. I have made it this far in life and never had to truly endure the experience. My brother caught lice when he was in Kindergarten but I was only a young teenager and did not truly understand the experience. Pumpkin Pie complained of her head itching Saturday and her dad (being all manly) checked her head to say that she just wasn't washing her hair well. Later, when I caught wind of this previous conversation, knew that I needed to check for myself. I was horrified at the sight I found. We spent the remainder of the evening scrubbing everyone's hair with the special shampoo (although no one else was found to have anything) and then washing bedding, vacuuming, spraying items down with the special spray, etc...I didn't get to bed until after 1:00 a.m. I had nightmares all night and resumed my "cleaning" this morning. I have gone through everyone's head again and cleaned even more. I don't know that I will ever sleep well again. This has been a very tragic experience for me, even though it seems small to most others. Let's hope that lice never enter my house again. By the way, I only found a total of five bugs on her head, which I am sure is not a lot but was way too much for me to handle.

I wish I could come up with catchy titles!

2010-04-18T17:41:00.006-04:00

It is hard trying to come up with a catchy title each time I post. Plus, I try to include so much into each blog but also keep them short so they cover quite a bit of our week.
Last weekend, we took a trip to Kentucky for a birthday party. We had a really good time just hanging out with Matt's cousin and family. I always enjoy hanging out with Val. Saturday, we made some stops on the way home to take pictures for Pumpkin Pie's Tennessee Notebook (School project). We visited Cumberland Gap, Pinnacle Overlook, and Lincoln Memorial University and Museum. I was exhausted by the time we arrived home, particularly because we stayed up so late the night before laughing and talking.
Monday, we took the girls to a nearby parking lot to ride bicycles. Pumpkin Pie is the only child I know her age that cannot ride a bike without training wheels. We have pushed and pushed to try to get her to the point where she will/can ride without training wheels and she insists that she could not do it. We took the training wheels off several years ago but she would not brave the ride so we told her it had to be done this week. She actually started to get the hang of keeping the bike up and going straight after about an hour of efforts. Her legs are still bruised up now though. She did not get the hang of using the brakes and kept putting her feet down to stop so the pedals caught her legs. Add that on top of all of the wrecks she had and she looks like she is black and blue with a little bit of peach mixed in. We are going to have to purchase a new bicycle for Sweet Pea though. She is riding Pumpkin Pie's first bicycle (which she received at 2 years old) and it is quite small for Sweet Pea. We have been looking but haven't found just the right bike yet.
The rest of the week was busy as usual with typical things going on. Thursday, I came down with something that I will assume is allergies so it put a damper on the week. Saturday, we went to Dollywood. Matt's mom, my sister, nephew, sister's boyfriend, mom, her boyfriend, and his two kids, along with us packed in to Dollywood around 10:00. We had a really good time and got a few cute pictures. I didn't take the big camera because it was supposed to drizzle all morning (which it did) and I didn't want to risk ruining the big camera. I have to say that I enjoy being with my extended family more now than I ever has. I don't always approve of every decision that my mom makes but we do seem to get along better now than we did in the past years so it was good to get to enjoy things with her being a mamaw that I would have loved to have enjoyed when I was a kid. It was good for the girls to have both of their mamaws with them and get lots of love and attention. Any time that I can get with my sister and nephew is also a definite bonus.
Last night, Sweet Pea threw up several times but seems to be all right today. I continue to struggle with these allergies, which has really knocked me for a loop. On top of that, Matt is heading to Wisconsin for work for a couple of days. I hope the girls can survive me!

Blogger is acting up AGAIN so I will just explain the pictures. One is of Tad and Val from the birthday party, 2. Josh (sister's boyfriend) and me giving him a hard time about looking for a job, 3. Josh and his pink elephant, 4. Picture of me and Matt at the arboretum (Pumpkin Pie took the picture).

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T21:47:00.000-04:00

I would welcome any kind of break right now. .. I had so many things planned that I wanted to do and so few of them actually got accomplished. Matt drove his mom home Friday and assisted with a few loose strings to the loss of his dad. Friday afternoon, we intended to run a couple of errands because I had not finished getting the items for the girls Easter baskets. Those plans changed when the transmission light came on in our vehicle. An hour and a half and $110 later, we headed home because we were tired and hungry and traffic was horrible. Luckily, the whole transmission wasn’t going out; it was just the solenoid switches that had to be replaced. It was still frustrating since we just had the tires and the rim replaced.
Saturday, we had an Easter egg hunt at church and the girls best friends were able to join in the fun. We went to the arboretum after the egg hunt so I could take some pictures of the girls but the girls were not in a picture taking kind of mood. We headed on out to run the errands that I didn’t get to Friday night only to find out that the one thing that Pumpkin Pie really wanted was no were to be found. I knew I should have bought it when I first saw it. We headed back home to put stuff away and then met up with some of Matt’s family for dinner at Red Lobster. It was very yummy but the service was very poor last night.
Sunday was a wonderful morning. None of us argued and the girls got ready for church without a major argument. They looked so sweet in their Easter dresses and were actually well-behaved. After church, we headed to Kingsport to visit my Papaw who has been in the hospital since early on in the week. However, due to shuffling around (moved from one hospital to another and then from one floor to another) we had been unable to visit with him until he was settled in somewhere. He immediately started crying when we came in, which would typically be out of character for him. He seemed to be feeling better but would go off on tangents while talking and you had to figure out where he was going with a thought or what he was actually talking about. That was pretty difficult to do and it seemed to aggravate him if you didn’t know immediately what he was thinking. I guess I will have to sharpen my mind reading skills.
So, we planned to play outside more, take the kids to ride their bicycles and dye Easter eggs. Those things were not accomplished. I did eventually find Pumpkin Pie’s cherished item (Peace Puppy from Webkinz) and the Easter gifts were a hit. I also received a super awesome gift from Matt…I got an ice chopper and Cherry slushie flavoring. To explain why that is wonderful- I love, love, love frozen Cherry lemonade from Dollywood but as you may know, it is not available year round. So, with Matt’s purchase, I am now able to freeze my own lemonade, crush the ice, and add however much Cherry flavoring I want to this stuff and live the life of luxury with my one passion of the summer. I will just have to stock up on Cherry flavoring while I can find it.
Next week proves to be even busier than this week…music lessons, trip to Pigeon Forge to buy our season passes for Dollywood (even though we won’t have time to go in and enjoy the park this week), doctor’s appointments, birthday party, and a trip to Matt’s mom’s to help her get some stuff cleaned out of the house. I am looking forward to a break soon.

Sweet Pea's Funnies

2010-04-04T21:45:00.000-04:00

So Sweet Pea has been on a roll lately…
Sweet Pea woke up in a grumpy mood and Matt commented that she woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Sweet Pea replied, “I can’t wake up any other way. My bed is against the wall.”
Sweet Pea had to be strongly encouraged to get ready for school one day last week and she was quite a little terror about it. As she reluctantly went to the bathroom to get ready, she stated, “Mommy, God says to not terrorize your children.” I did not respond but she started moving a little faster after the look I gave her.

Bailey's First Birthday

2010-04-04T21:16:00.007-04:00

The presents: Tennessee Jersey, orange bone that makes noise, and birthday cake stuffed toy.

Bailey wearing his jersey and chewing on his cake toy.

Happy Birthday Bailey!

He knows that he is the cutest dog ever.

Eating marshmallows!

Bailey is officially one human year old! His birthday was March 23^rd but due to the circumstances in our household, we did not get to celebrate until this past week. Bailey loved the attention. He received a Tennessee jersey, birthday cake toy (that he has already bitten a hole in), and an orange bone that makes noises in dog tone. He ate canned dog food, which he has never had before and received three small marshmallows since marshmallows are his most favorite food ever. Matt even had to feed him his dog food with a spoon which was hilarious. We are so lucky to have Bailey in our home and he is such a well-behaved and loving dog. Happy Birthday Bailey!

Well...

2010-03-21T21:34:00.002-04:00

It started out as a good weekend...
Friday evening, I was feeling pretty decent so I called up my bestest and we went walking. It is the first exercise I have had in quite a bit (since it is currently against doctor's orders). Matt and the girls hung out with their bestest's and played. They were filthy by nightfall. We brought the girls home and ordered out (Cracker Barrel- Friday nigh fish fry). Sweet Pea and Pumpkin Pie had their first sleep overs. Pumpkin Pie went with my and her bestest and Sweet Pea's bestest stayed all night here. I have been attempting to allow more freedom for the girls and it went very well.
Pumpkin Pie had a ball game Saturday morning. Her team won and she almost made a shot! She is definitely planning on practicing up for next year. She has basketball tournaments Monday and Tuesday. We played outside all day Saturday. When we brought the kids in, they had to be carried to the showers to strip down. They were so nasty that the floor of the tubs turned black from the dirt. We received bad news Saturday...my long time best friend's ex-husband (whom she has a daughter with) passed away.
Sunday, we almost made it to church on time...which would be a record for me. I enjoyed the service very much. We went by Toys R Us and Target afterward. Sweet Pea got two new DS games and a Zhu Zhu pet, since Pumpkin Pie got new glasses. Our dog doesn't know what to think about the Zhu Zhu pet. Sweet Pea and I hung out and watched a little television. We also made plans to be with my long time best friend and her daughter tomorrow evening but then we received more bad news. Matt's dad passed away tonight and his mom is having an extremely hard time with it. His dad has suffered the majority of his life with Muscular Dystrophy and had just recovered from pneumonia so it had seemed that he was out of the woods for now. Please keep Matt and his mom in your prayers as arrangements are made and people are traveling. Also pray for my long time best friend and her daughter. It's a lot to take in over a weekend. I have a couple of pictures to share from the weekend but I also have stuff to prepare for tomorrow so pictures will have to wait for a few days.

Weekend

2010-03-14T21:28:00.002-04:00

Thursday afternoon, we met my mom and picked my nephew up. We were looking forward to some outside (park, zoo, etc.) play time. Unfortunately, it rained the whole weekend. Thursday evening, we attempted to go to Duck, Duck Goose. However, it was crowded and three fussy kids who did not want to shop were not having it so I didn't get to find any great deals.
Friday morning, we had Easter pictures made, which turned out wonderful. We attempted to find new eyeglasses for me and Pumpkin Pie but could not find any we liked. We had an eye appointment that afternoon and thank goodness my eyes are not getting worse. Sorry to say that is not true for Pumpkin Pie and we are on the hunt for cute new glasses for her again! We stopped by McDonald's after the eye doctor for a job well done- all three kids being well behaved just does not happen that often. We played inside the remainder of the afternoon but the kids didn't seem to mind (since the rain kept us in).
Saturday, I attempted to purge some stuff in my room and made quite a bit of progress. The kids had to stay inside yet again but played together well and I even got the privilege of playing with them some. As you may recall, I am often excluded from play time because I am not much fun (according to the girls). We took my nephew home that evening and stopped by my grandparent's for a delicious supper. I love having visits with my nephew and my grandparent's so that made the week great.
That brings me to today...my husband hit the snooze (or so I thought) and we woke up too late for church. Of all the days my kids decide to sleep in, it would be on a Sunday. We went to Target though (needed some basics) and headed back home to do some more cleaning. I decided that since I didn't have my vehicle right now, it would be a good time to clean out the garage. I have a neat pile of things that I am purging and the garage is ready for it's baby to come back home. Afterward, I took a nap and again, my husband did not wake me up until 6:30 (guess what time church starts!). So I played Wii with Sweet Pea this evening!
Matt's dad is off of Life Support and should be moved to a regular hospital room tomorrow. He is recovering much faster than the doctor originally predicted, which is a good thing for Matt's mom. She has been under so much stress.
So it is back to a normal week...the girls go back to school, I have to work a full five days, and we are back to the regular running around (music lessons, basketball games, doctor's appointments, etc. the list goes on and on). Not exactly the spring break we had hoped for but overall, I can't complain.

My vehicle

2010-03-14T21:24:00.004-04:00

Thursday, as I was driving to work...maybe I shouldn't even say driving to work because I had barely made it out of my subdivision, when a stinky thing happened. We live close to a school and the buses have a turn off near our subdivision exit. Often times, the buses will swing wide to make the turn. I was on the receiving end of a rude bus driver who did not seem to care that I was driving down the road (on my own side) when they decided that my side should belong to them as well. To prevent them from hitting me, I swerved off the road...just my luck-it was a ditch instead of a yard. That being said, I have to replace a rim and since it was about time for new tires anyway, I am going ahead and replacing all four tires instead of just the one. Total damage- approximately $1,000. I just wonder if the damage would have been worth it if the bus had hit me instead of me swerving?! We now have a loaner car which we may have until Monday or Tuesday (since Honda doesn't keep rims on hand).

Is that a dog or a cat!

2010-03-08T22:17:00.001-05:00

Bailey decided to climb up onto the computer desk one day last week and I was lucky enough to catch a couple of pictures of him. He was attempting to retrieve a stuffed animal so he did climb with a purpose. He is so much fun.

Zoo and the park

2010-03-08T21:57:00.005-05:00

George put on quite a show for the kids. He was running around and playing with his blanket, chewing on things, and climbing around on the other chimpanzees. He was probably the highlight of the zoo.
This zebra was being such a model. He was so very GQ. I know he was a boy too because my youngest daughter managed to point that out!

Saturday was so nice out...
We started out with Pumpkin Pie's basketball game. She did a marvelous job, even though her daddy doesn't practice with her nearly enough. After her game and her best friend's ball game, we ate "Pizza Palace" (as seen on Food Network) at World's Fair Park with our best friends. After eating, we spent the afternoon at the zoo. The animals were all out and about and we got some cute pictures. The kids are in most of the cute pictures and as you know, I don't advertise my children so you have to take my word for it. After the zoo, we had desert at Marble Slab. Sweet Pea wasn't a huge fan but Pumpkin Pie would have eaten the whole store.
Matt's aunt prepared a birthday dinner (belated) for him of his favorite foods, Chicken and Dumplings and Mandarin Orange cake. Sweet Pea and I ate Bojangles but she did eat fruit salad and has now decided that she likes Blueberries.
Sunday, I was absolutely wore down. I stayed in bed most of the day, getting up only when necessary because I was so fatigued.
I think I overdid it again today though. We went to visit my grandparent's and we took the girls and my nephew to the park for about an hour. Again, I got some really cute pictures but... We had a great time visiting with my nephew but unfortunately, we will have to wait to see what happens before he can come to stay a few days with us and we can complete our plans to go to the water park.
That brings me to the stressor of the week...Matt's dad was placed in the hospital last week with double pneumonia. The doctor currently has his dad on a respirator but it is unclear as to whether he will be able to come off the respirator or they will have to do a tracheotomy. The possibility exists that he may actually get worse, so please keep him in your prayers. This is not the way we planned to spend the girls spring break so we can only hope that things will improve. The girls are very understanding and I am very fortunate to have such mature young ladies for daughters. I love them so much. More fun things planned for the week ahead!
A picture of Matt playing with the kids (hey, where are the kids?!)

Is it March already?

2010-03-01T20:30:00.004-05:00

This year is already flying by and I feel like we have been busier than ever. I moved offices at the end of December and took some time to adjust in January. I am now back into the full swing of child therapy and loving every minute of it.

Pumpkin Pie took a trip to the aquarium with school last month. She is turning into quite the little photographer and loves taking goofy pictures of herself with her friends.

Matt and I took a date night for Valentine's day. His aunt and cousin came to the house to babysit on a Friday evening and we ate at Cracker Barrel (because it seemed to be the least crowded of restaurants) but was very enjoyable. I didn't even call to check on the girls a single time. I was very proud of myself. Saturday, Matt's aunt and cousin took the girls to get a manicure and out to eat at Olive Garden. We did call a few times that morning but I managed without freaking out too bad. I know that I really need to loosen up and let my girls have a break from me once in a while.

We have enjoyed the snowfall that we have received, although we only had one snow big enough to really play in. We built a snow man that the girls ended up tearing down. We had a snowball fight and we pulled one another around the back yard on sleds. Bailey loved the snow but was a freezing furball when we finally made our way back indoors.

We have spent several weekends with my nephew and actually had his and the girls pictures made a couple of weekends ago. We also plan to get their Easter pictures made in the next couple of weeks. I have ordered the girls Easter dresses and already have little booger's shirt but had to order his pants. I love, love, love Gymboree but the store didn't have one of the girl's dress size so I decided to order all of it online. I could really get in trouble with that.

Pumpkin Pie started basketball season a few weeks ago and I actually get to watch a basketball game or two in the next couple of weeks.

I am completing my application to become a Registered Play Therapist (RPT), which may not sound like a big deal, and may not even get approved but there are only approximately 20 RPT's in the state of Tennessee. I am pretty excited about the possibility so keep your fingers crossed.

We celebrated Matt's birthday this past weekend. We ate dinner with our best friend's on Saturday evening and Matt received a "Dad's against Daughter's Dating" (DADD) shirt, which he is already making plans on where all he will be wearing this shirt to (intimidation tactics). We didn't get to do anything big this weekend but Matt received his present from me and the girls a couple of weeks ago. We bought him a new 32' flat screen TV for the bedroom. There was a selfish motivation to it as well...I wanted the PS3 out of my living room and this was the only way to motivate him to do so.

Pumpkin Pie and I are also trying holistic treatment for her migraines and my fibromyalgia. So far, she has shown a reduction in migraines and I am optimistic that she may be able to come off the medicines soon. As far as the fibromyalgia goes, I have seen results but not exactly what I was looking for. I guess some results are keeping me optimistic that some things have to get worse before they get better and that this will eventually (hopefully soon) improve.

As you can tell, we have had a lot going on but I have not taken a lot of photos lately and while we have been doing a lot, it does not feel like a lot of it has been noteworthy. Stay tuned though...spring break is coming up and we do have several things planned to do with the kids!

Some Stories to Share

2010-01-08T14:32:00.002-05:00

I hope that everyone had a Happy New Year! Unfortunately, we did not get to spend the evening with some of our favorite friends due to their family experiencing the stomach bug. However, we had a nice quite evening at home. The girls made it to about 10:00 and they became so tired and irritable that we suggested they go on to bed. I have decided that I am not setting actual New Year's Resolutions because I often lose the paper that I write them on or forget them or some other sad excuse. This year, I want to do what is right for my life. I want to take each day/week/month and better my self along the way without having a set destination. I think this serves two purposes- 1. I won't feel like a failure if I don't reach the goal and 2. I won't quit when I reach the goal because I will always be striving for improvement.
I thought I would share a few cute stories that occurred over the holidays so sit back and enjoy.

Locked Out
A couple of Sunday's ago, Matt locked us out of the house. It was one of those moments that I can know look back on and laugh but wasn't funny at the time. As I commented in the last post, we got to spend several days with my nephew. After church, we took him to Build-A-Bear. It was his first time and he made a Frosty the Snowman and had a wonderful time doing so. We picked up dinner on the way home and planned to return to church for the evening service. Unfortunately, we did not make it...Matt had locked the garage door earlier that day because Stinker (my nephew) had been playing with the button and Matt didn't want him to get hurt. We have chain locks on the other entrances to our house and Matt had not removed either of those on this particular day. Our garage door apparently shuts when locked but will not open. So an hour and a half later, several phone calls, and a trip to Lowe's for bolt cutters and a new chain, we finally get into the house with three tired children and some cold dinner. Plus, we did not make it for church service that evening. My husband has learned a valuable lesson!

Costume jewelry
This one is way cuter...
My mom came to visit several days before Christmas. She asked if I had any small boxes (about the size of a jewelry box) and that led to several questions from Sweet Pea (who talks all of the time). My mom said (at some point during the conversation) that she had an Avon box but she kept her "costume jewelry" in it. Sweet Pea continues on with the conversation and mom said something about wearing her costume jewelry to church. Sweet Pea says, "Is that so people won't recognize you?" It took me a minute to catch on- she thought that her mamaw was wearing a costume to church!

Two times a year people
While my mom was here, we made a quick trip to Target for a couple of last minute items. My mom has the tendency to speak things that should be left unsaid, especially in front of my children. When we pulled in the parking lot, Pumpkin Pie asked why it was so crowded. Mom informed her that many people only come out two times per year (tax refund time and holidays). I did discuss this with Pumpkin Pie later and in private to explain my mom's thoughts in a much more appropriate manner. However, while in Target, an elderly woman approached me and asked if I knew where the shoes were located. I provided directions, since I am very familiar with the Target stores. Pumpkin Pie looked up at my mom and stated, "That must be one of those two times per year people."

Holidays

2009-12-28T21:09:00.006-05:00

Bailey opening his Christmas present- We caught a video of Bailey trying to get into his present under the tree, despite previously being told "no". He also woke me up one morning with his candy cane bone lying next to me and his eyes begging me to open it up for him.

Matt bought me a Ty beanie baby of a dog (named Barley) that looks a lot like Bailey. Bailey was a little jealous.

The Gingerbread House (decorated on the 21st)

Bailey with one of his toys

Pumpkin Pie took this picture when Bailey was hanging with them in the play room (watching a movie)

Bailey in the first snow of December. He thought he was in hog heaven!
Me, my brother, and my sister- I don't think we look anything alike (or more like I don't look like either of them).

Oh my goodness...where do I start? I guess I will start by giving a run down of what December has had in store for us.
Matt left at the end of November for a business trip in Wisconsin and returned at the first of December. I handled myself very well, managed to get the girls ready for school each day (lunches and snacks included) and get to work on time. I also prepared supper, kept the house and all chores maintained, and spent some much needed quality time with my girls. We were so excited to have Matt back home though! Then the real madness of the holidays began...
4th: Girls music recital- absolutely wonderful and both of the girls played beautifully.
6th: I attended a woman's meeting with my best friend and enjoyed myself.
8th: Christmas program at the girls' school. Pumpkin Pie is in the choir and Sweet Pea played a cow. It was very cute and the kids did a magnificent job.
12th: Our best friend's came over to celebrate the holidays with dinner and gift exchanges. The girls received personalized watches (one of their favorite gifts received).
13th: My best friend from college and my husband's best friend from childhood, along with their precious daughter came to visit for the holidays. They brought the girls personalized items as well. Pumpkin Pie was most enamored with our friend's daughter singing and pretending to play the piano. She took over 20 pictures and 3 videos of it, which is so like me.
19th: We were supposed to visit Matt's family in North Carolina. However, those plans changed due to the snowy weather. We did eat a delicious dinner at his aunt's home and Matt's mom came to visit (technically, she was supposed to be in North Carolina but did not reach that destination due to the 6 inches of snow already in North Carolina. She did end up staying all night. The girls received another favorite of their gifts (actually two)- Mamaw bought them Vera Bradley backpacks and their aunt bought them certificates for a manicure. That evening, Matt's friend and his girlfriend came over to hang out for the evening, which ended up being awkward because of Matt's mom being here but that is a much longer and more personal story.
21st: My mom came to visit for the afternoon. We started the gingerbread house and Pumpkin Pie had been asking for some assistance with making friendship bracelets. We all attempted but sadly, I have never been very crafty. After mom left, we finished the Gingerbread House, which did not turn out like the picture on the box. The girls had a great time decorating the house and discussing plans for next year's house.
23rd: Matt's cousin and family came to visit for the holidays. They brought the girls so much stuff that I wouldn't know where to begin.
24th: We have a tradition of opening gifts with the kids on Christmas Eve. We emphasize the kids understanding the true meaning of Christmas and typically spend Christmas day running from place to place. Christmas Eve is OUR time together and to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Our children could not come up with any thing in particular that they really wanted for Christmas this year so they both ended up getting books (Pumpkin Pie received American Girl books and Sweet Pea received all of the new Olivia the Pig books that came out- due to her pig obsession). Sweet Pea also received a new music stand to hold her music when she is practicing violin. Pumpkin Pie received some fashion design items because she wants to become a fashion designer someday.
25th: Christmas Day- We started out by going to my sister's mom's house to take my nephew and sister their gifts. We then rejoined with them at our Grandparent's home where we had the traditional Christmas dinner, specially prepared by my Mamaw. She happens to be the best cook in the world. We exchanged gifts and had the traditional reading of the Christmas story. This year, my aunt had a beautiful story published about her mom's values and experiencing Alzheimer's and finding the blessings through such a frightful experience for those involved. We read it aloud and I managed to not cry in front of everyone. After leaving Mamaw's, we went to my mom's home where the girls received even more presents. We still had one more stop to make though, my bestest buddy's house to hang for the evening. It is becoming a traditional way to wind down a wonderful Christmas. We also received a special surprise this Christmas. My sister let my nephew come home with us for several days.
28th: We took my nephew back home today and Pumpkin Pie cried. Sweet Pea was sad but also enjoys being the baby, which she is not when Rotten is with us. I say "Rotten" because the girls have spoiled him. He can simply whimper and the girls run to take care of whatever he wants.
This year has been filled with so many blessings. Matt and I are very fortunate to have family and friends to celebrate with. We still have many more activities planned for the week before we have to return to work and school. One of those tasks is to definitely clean my house! I received so many thoughtful and wonderful gifts but the most important gift is the love of Jesus. I have already started thinking about my goals for the new year and am so appreciative of the wonderful things that have happened over this past year.

The Blue Box

2009-11-30T21:08:00.003-05:00

I received a very special gift today...the blue box. My wonderful husband hid the gift in a cookie jar and sent a text with the picture and a note saying, "I love you." I came home and opened the jar (because I am curious like that). I found the special gift and was thrilled that my husband is sweet enough to think of me on such a random day. I promise to share the real reason on Friday, but it isn't as amazing of a reason as you might think.
I love my husband and adore him greatly. He is the perfect man for me.

Thanksgiving Holiday

2009-11-30T20:23:00.006-05:00

This week was another wonderful week. Wednesday, Matt and I did some Christmas shopping and finished cleaning the house in anticipation of the plans ahead. Thursday, we attended dinner at Matt's Aunt's home and enjoyed a wonderful meal and visited with some much missed family. Thursday night started the thankfulness for us though. We picked up my sister and nephew and headed to Sevierville to view the Shadrack light show- which was so amazing. My nephew was in awe of the lights and the girls were pretty amazed too. We celebrated a family tradition that we have attempted to stick to for some years now. Every year, we each get a new pair of pajamas and enjoy decorating the Christmas tree as a family. My sister, nephew, both girls, and my husband decorated the tree while I snapped pictures of the wonderful memories. Matt got Superman pajamas this year. I got black and white polka dot pajamas. My sister got gray and blue artsy design pajamas. My nephew got polar bear pajamas and each girl picked out some Christmas design pajamas.
Friday, Matt attempted some Christmas shopping but only obtained a few goodies. He did, however, get the one thing that I requested for Christmas- a steam mop (don't act surprised that it is a cleaning supply). We took the girls and my nephew to see the miniature train set up at UT gardens, then to see the Three Rivers Rambler (which I did not realize would be running), and on to Worlds Fair Park to take some pictures and let the kids enjoy the playground. We managed some awesome pictures of my nephew on the train tracks, playing with his new Thomas the Train, and wearing his new train shirt. He has a passion for trains right now! We are planning some Christmas pictures of the girls this coming weekend. We did a little Christmas shopping Friday evening and watched the Polar Express.
Saturday, we had to take my sister and nephew back home. It is so sad to see them go back home but we have plans to see each other again in a few weeks. For those who don't know, they live about two hours away from here. I love them both so much and enjoy my time with them, which I never get enough of. We also visited with my grandparents Saturday and ate some delicious home cooking, courtesy of Mamaw.

From the light show in Sevierville
Matt in his Superman PJ's, decorating the tree

A photo from the miniature train exhibit

I have given a lot of thought to the changes in tradition this Thanksgiving. I have been so accustomed to our Thanksgiving breakfast at Mamaw's and I missed it so much this year. My Papaw is getting sicker and preparing a large meal has become a burden that my Mamaw can no longer bear. My Papaw has talked with me about his progressively worsening health and his preparation for death. I think about all of the changes that I have seen among my family over the years and how each one has been a struggle when I was faced with it but new traditions were celebrated in its place. I worry about how another lost tradition will be replaced when it was such a significant part of my life. I am thankful that I have traditions that I have started with my own children and I want to continue to instill those things with my girls. I want Thanksgiving to always be important to my girls and hope that they always remember that Thanksgiving is a religious holiday (started to celebrate how blessed our lives are because of Jesus' sacrifice for our sins, our ability to have religious freedom, and God providing much more in our lives than we ever deserved). I love my family more than anything on this Earth and am truly thankful for the many blessings in my life.

Disney on Ice

2009-11-22T21:07:00.004-05:00

We went out to eat with our best friends and attended Disney on Ice: Finding Nemo last night. The girls had a great time and Disney did a pretty good job with this show. The girls had matching dresses and hairbows (thanks to Val) and received tons (I do mean tons) of compliments on their outfits. Apparently, not too many people could find Nemo apparel and the girls are so doggone cute, everyone had to give compliments. The girls ate the attention up!
After the show, we all rejoined at the house to play an hour (or more) of Super Mario Bros. on the Wii. It was so much fun. The only thing that could have made the night better would have been better food at Applebee's and if Kari hadn't been so tired. She goes all of the time.

Next week is sure to be filled with activity too. I am planning on cleaning and putting up the Christmas tree. My sister and nephew are planning a visit for several days, and of course, giving thanks to God for another wonderful year (plus some yummy food at Matt's Aunt's). I am hoping to get all of the presents wrapped and possibly getting Christmas pictures made. Plus, we have another couple of fun activities planned for the kids.

First lost tooth

2009-11-19T22:00:00.002-05:00

Sweet Pea chose a Barbie set with the puppy for her "tooth present". The second picture is right after I pulled her tooth. It didn't bleed too bad.

Sweet Pea lost her first tooth today. I cried at how fast my babies seem to be growing up. Pumpkin Pie was so sweet to tell her sister that it wouldn't hurt too bad as I wiggled it back and forth. Sweet Pea didn't cry at all and was so excited to have her tooth out. I placed it in a baggy for her to show off at school. We called a couple of people and texted a couple of others. She gets to pick something out from Walmart this weekend (since we do not believe in the tooth fairy).

where did she get that brain from?

2009-11-19T19:32:00.002-05:00

Pumpkin Pie was studying for her science quiz tonight when she came upon a problem...

Child: Mom, I can't find the answer to number two.
Me: (Reading question: "In which of the three states of matter does air exist naturally?") OK, what are the three states of matter?
Child: Liquid, Solid, Gas...(pause)...Oh, I thought it wanted to know which state in the United States!

Hmmm...did she get that brain from her dad?

I have RELAPSED

2009-11-15T22:05:00.001-05:00

We had a great time last weekend. We had the privilege of keeping my nephew all weekend and took a trip to Dollywood (his first time and to celebrate for Sweet Pea's birthday). Since we have been so busy, we decided to be absolutely lazy this weekend.
On to the relapse...last Christmas, we purchased a Wii for the girls. You can guess who plays it the most though. I became addicted. I thought I kicked the habit and had stayed away for a little while, afraid that I would get sucked back in. Well, today, temptation was too much. I purchased the new Mario game. I didn't play it before the night service at church because I knew that I would end up skipping service. However, after church-it was ON! Matt and I have spent the last hour realizing that we do not believe in team work (you would have to play the game to understand). I am already withdrawing and thinking about how I will get my next fix. After music lessons tomorrow, me and the girls may need some "quality time."
Pray that I do not get sucked into Mario World!!!

Halloween and special birthdays

2009-11-02T19:32:00.002-05:00

Friday night, we attempted to get ready so we could attend a festival at a local church. I failed at my attempts but I came away with a cute story. On the way home from school, Sweet Pea asked, "Are we going to the vegetable?" (instead of festival).
Saturday, we enjoyed some wonderful company for a nice dinner at home and the kids had a great time playing.
Sunday, we took a trip up to Norris dam after church so I could get some fall photos of the girls before all of the leaves were gone. After church (Sunday night), we ate dinner at Cracker Barrel with some friends from church. Sweet Pea fell asleep on "Tiff-Tiff" halfway through the meal.
Sunday was also an important day for my bestest. Kendra celebrated her birthday, although she wouldn't answer her phone so I could sing to her. But a tradition is a tradition...so I made up for it by singing, "A Very Merry Unbirthday" (from Alice in Wonderland) to her today. She shared a cutesie with me as well...apparently, she complained yesterday that I had not called to sing our traditional day after the birthday song. Her daughter informed her that I could not sing it to her because IT WAS STILL HER BIRTHDAY! Gotta love that half brain we share! Sunday was also our dear, sweet cousin, Val's birthday. She wouldn't answer the phone to hear us sing either. I wonder if people are trying to send us some sort of message?!
Wednesday is Sweet Pea's birthday and she is very excited.

Circus and Nephew

2009-10-25T19:38:00.004-04:00

The Grand Finale- the human cannonball!
The circus- getting ready to shoot the human cannonball. My pictures did not turn out well. I took in one of the girl's cameras and the lighting obviously was not ideal.
What a cutie pants!

We had another blessed and wonderful weekend. Currently, we are battling an unfortunate circumstance but I know that God is going to work it all out. Just having that peace was enough to make the weekend great. Saturday evening, we enjoyed Cracker Barrell with our best friends before going to the circus. We had the pleasure of keeping my nephew Saturday and Sunday. He absolutely loved the animals and the clowns at the circus. He was a perfect angel for us all weekend (given his age). The girls were so well behaved and kind to him, which made me extremely proud. Sunday, our preacher started a new series of messages regarding tithes and offerings to God. Then we visited with my grandparents and returned my nephew. Sweet Pea asked if we could pay my sister so we could keep him. She thought $5 would be enough! We are looking forward to the week and hopefully will get to spend more time with my nephew soon.

Wonderful Weekend

2009-10-12T21:02:00.003-04:00

I had the best weekend ever! We planned this trip several months ago and it was so worth it. The kids want to make this a yearly tradition. Our girls' birthdays are three weeks apart and my best friend's birthday, as well as her two children have birthdays within several days of each other. To celebrate this year, we went to the Wilderness Waterpark. We enjoyed the best company in the world, great food (because I didn't cook it), lots of playing in the water, and we did some shopping.

The girls added to their Webkinz collections and Sweet Pea added more pigs to her collection. We had to add the Webkinz to their accounts as soon as we got home. They could not wait!

In other news, Bailey had his "air bubbles" removed today. He is sleepy but is moving around really well. He has been jumping up and down on furniture and climbed the stairs. I promise that I have tried to keep him rather still but it is not working.

Pumpkin Pie celebrates her birthday tomorrow. She is such a diva! She finally picked out part of her birthday outfit this weekend- a mauve twirl skirt from Pampolina. Now we have to find a sweater and shoes to go along with it. It was so much easier when she would go into Gymboree and get an outfit with all of the coordinating accessories! She has a new piano teacher this year and seems to be excelling. She doesn't seem to mind practicing near as much as she used to.

The Christmas Oinking Pig

Sweet Pea's Webkinz

Pumpkin Pie's Webkinz (her volleyball team is named the cardinals)

Our view: I convinced my best friend to go down that waterslide with me. Ohhh that memory will stick with me forever- her facial expression was absolutely priceless.

The birthday cake- yummy!

The Aquarium

2009-10-02T19:12:00.003-04:00

We took the girls to the aquarium today. We also planned to go to Dollywood, since the rain was supposed to end around 1:00. However, I ended up being miserable at the aquarium and we had to head back home afterward because I was literally puking my guts out the whole way home. Shout out to the Pilot station for the sturdy baggage that assisted with the long trip home. I've held down a little bit of food for the past hour so I think it is passing. I feel miserable though about the girls not getting to do more. We had also planned to shop for Pumpkin Pie's birthday outfit. I guess it will have to be put off for another day. Enjoy the pictures!

It happened

2009-09-27T11:18:00.002-04:00

We woke up at 7:00 a.m. with Pumpkin Pie running a fever of 102. She says she feels fine other than a sore throat and congestion. She is eating fine and playing fine, even though she is confined to her room with a limited number of things to do. I guess we will be seeing the doctor for a third time in a week and a half. I'm afraid our doctor is going to think we are horrible with our kids getting so sick. I promise they are washing their hands frequently and I am going through sanitizing things often. I limit what they can touch and do and am keeping them confined to one area throughout their sickness. What am I doing wrong!

When will it end??!!

2009-09-26T22:49:00.003-04:00

These are totally random but they fit the way that I have felt for the past two weeks.
Sweet Pea had the flu last week and on Monday, 20 of the 29 kids in her class were absent due to illness. Now, Pumpkin Pie has a sore throat and is complaining of not feeling well. Matt and I took turns staying home with Sweet Pea this past week. Of course she wanted to run wild when her fever went down and was clingy and lethargic when it was up. How did I entertain her you ask...we colored. I thought she did an awesome job on the Little Mermaid picture and she even took the picture of it by herself. She may have some artsy skills in her after all. It sure isn't genetic though.
I have the cutest dog in the world. This is now his favorite place to sleep and get away from Sweet Pea. He is under my bed on top of my summer shoe box.
We had the water bottle out this week to fix one of the kids hair. Matt decided to spray Bailey with it and Bailey thought it was a wonderful game. He kept trying to lick the bottle and he would push Matt's hand with his paw to get Matt to spray more water for him. I have a video but it is a little lengthy, so I will spare you.
Matt fried ham a week ago and this piece came out of the skillet like this. Can you see the smiley face?! I promise that we did not make this up.

Matt found the M&M in his recent snack attack and thought it looked like a heart. He had to share it with me, which was sweet since I LOVE M&M's. They are just so cute (and yummy).
Many of you may know the struggle I have had with Pumpkin Pie's hair. She has some wild hair that has this wavy, kinky thing going on. So I decided that I would be hair stylist for a day. I permed my daughter's hair! I used big rollers on it and didn't leave it on as long as the box said but she likes it and it has been way more manageable in the mornings when she is getting ready for school.

Another piece of ham...Sweet Pea thought that this one looked like a heart.

We have been very busy recently, between school, homework, music lessons, work, sanitizing the whole house every day to try to prevent sickness, doctor's appointments, etc... I will be glad to have a shorter week this week. I am off Thursday and Friday and am planning some activities with the girls (since they will be out of school). Next Friday, we are going to a water park for the girl's birthday's. We will also be celebrating birthday's with one of my best friend's and both of the girl's best friends. We are very excited! We also have the circus coming up and Disney on Ice coming up. I am currently searching for birthday outfits for the girl's birthday pictures and am really looking forward to those. It has been forever since I have taken any pictures of the girls (beyond everyday pictures). Let's pray that Pumpkin Pie doesn't get "sick, sick" and the rest of us can stay healthy. We have way too many fun things planned to get sick now.
Oh, and being the wonderful mom that I am-I have helped Sweet Pea extend her vocabulary. She recently learned the word "imbecile" and knows the meaning. I am just joking about the wonderful mom part!

Air bubbles

2009-09-07T20:00:00.002-04:00

This story is a little embarrassing so be prepared.

We recently cut Bailey's hair again (to keep it short but allow it to get a little longer before Winter). Normally, I could handle questions from my kids without panicking. I guess I wasn't prepared this time. Sweet Pea happened to notice a set of private parts that boy dogs carry around. When asked what they were, I freaked at how to explain this to a young child (which is not the typical me...it could be the illness my body was apparently trying to fight off). I responded, "Those are air bubbles. He just needs to poot." She bought the answer but I have a feeling that I should prepare because the question is sure to arise again when he poots and the "air bubbles" don't go away.

I guess it had to get us...

2009-09-07T19:50:00.003-04:00

Thought I would share a cute picture of Bailey snuggling with his favorite toy- the Mickey Mouse rattle.

So, I guess I could have expected that I would get sick. I see kids all day long and they carry in germs but I really tried to avoid it. I have them put GermX on their hands when they come in and I have sanitized my office several times in the past couple of weeks. Sunday morning, it started out as a migraine. Today, I have laid in bed all day long with a low grade fever. I am going stir crazy because I haven't felt like sitting up. I hope that I feel well enough to work tomorrow. I don't think I can stand another day laying in bed! I feel so lazy...
Pray that the rest of the family doesn't get this junk.

Counting

2009-08-15T22:41:00.001-04:00

Everyone likes to think that their child is super smart. Mine are always proving me otherwise. As we were reading our Junie B. Jones books this evening, Sweet Pea wanted to count the footsteps on one of the pages. It went something like this...
SP:1...28, 29, 20
Me: 30
SP: ...38, 39, 20
Me: 40
SP:...48, 49, 20
Me: 50
SP:...58, 59, 20
Me: Child, when are you going to catch on that it ain't 20!
Sweet Pea and Pumpkin Pie bust out laughing and I'm left wandering if either of my kids can count past 20. (It must come from their dad!!!)

An Ode to Mrs. B

2009-08-15T22:36:00.004-04:00

As we were shopping today, we came across a sign that I had to purchase (you will be receiving it soon). The sign reminded me so much of Mrs. B that we had to get it. It is confirmation that you are now officially a southern redneck!

Dollywood

2009-08-15T21:50:00.007-04:00

As many of you know, school starts back this week. It will also mean that my youngest starts Kindergarten. Each year we get a gift for the kids as a "have a good school year" and we love them kind of present. This year, I probably did a lot more than usual because it has been a rough few months (ok, maybe a rough whole year). We took the kids to Dollywood today and I obviously caught this picture of Matt attempting to stop a car with no brakes. He can be such a dork! The girls had a great time and my mom joined us for the trip, which allowed for more rides with the girls individually since mom could be with the one we were not riding with. Sweet Pea rode Dare Devil Falls for the first time this year. I thought she would be terrified but she was ready to go again. We had the traditional funnel cake and went by a store on the way home because it was the only store that had the one thing that Sweet Pea really wanted as a gift.

So, for the gifts... 1. trip to Dollywood, 2. a silver bracelet, 3. a monogrammed heart charm and necklace and another silver necklace with a charm that says "Daddy's Girl", 4. the newest Junie B. Jones book, which happens to be an activity book about going to school (because we adore June B. in our house), 5. Sweet Pea got a new computer game and Pumpkin Pie got a new DS game, and finally 6. Sweet Pea got a ring with a flower (the thing she really wanted) on it and she added to her collection of stuffed pigs today. We spent the same amount of money on the girls even though the number of gifts are not even. I know that some people get hung up on that issue but the girls understand the concept.

Here are a couple of pictures...the ring and the Junie B. Jones book and the pig-

Just for the record, I am having a really hard time with Sweet Pea starting school. Although we plan to have more children, health concerns are putting that on the back burner. That leaves me with feeling like it may be my last one to go off to school. I do cry every year when Pumpkin Pie goes to school for the first day, just for the record. But anyway, it is a sad thing for your youngest to go off to school and makes me dread Pumpkin Pie's teenage years rapidly approaching. Although it is still several years away, it seems to be coming at me like a freight train.
I also thought that I would show off the girls backpacks. Sweet Pea insisted on having two backpacks this year (polka dots from Gymboree and black/white Damask print that her cousin was able to get for us). She actually wanted more but I insisted that two was more than she could carry at one time. Pumpkin Pie has three backpacks that she has accumulated over the past few years that have proven to withstand HER. We typically have to purchase at least two backpacks per year (and we are not talking cheap backpacks) because she is so hard on them that they fall apart. These have managed to outlast her, although the Limited Two backpack is giving in.

Breaking it Down

2009-08-15T21:37:00.004-04:00

I know it has been a little bit but I will make up for it over the next few days. I will try to break this up into a couple of smaller posts so it may make more sense. I can be a little random in my thoughts right now.
So, for starters...just a picture to show off how much Bailey is growing. He is really into stuffed toys and squeaky toys right now. We are trying to teach him how to play fetch but he may have ADHD. He can only fetch about three to four times in a row before he gets distracted. Who knows...maybe that is normal for a 5 1/2 month old puppy!

Sweet Pea's joke of the week

2009-07-19T18:30:00.000-04:00

Sweet Pea has recently started telling jokes. This is her new one this week:

What is a 9k?

A dog running backwards.

Updates

2009-07-19T18:03:00.002-04:00

Matt and I have both been working overtime recently. Matt's company is rolling out a new system and my company is starting some new services (which I've been fortunate enough to be a part of). The girls have been having a great summer. We have spent time playing on the slip n slide, the kiddie pools, at my best friend's pool, hanging out with my other best friend, trips to Dollywood, and so much more. Needless to say, I am looking forward to a break.
Bailey is growing like crazy. He is about 5lb. and has had one haircut. Matt trims his nails every other week and he gets bathed weekly. He doesn't care much for the nail trimmings but he really enjoys bath time. He is so loving and sweet, but sure likes to chew on some fingers. He is losing his teeth right now and is a typical kid with the teething (tired, runny poop, chews and slobbers, etc.).
I have been going through some of my own stuff but that is another issue. Just keep me in your prayers. I am also starting to feel the pending sadness that goes along with my youngest child starting school this year. I look back and think, "where did the years go?" It seems like yesterday that she was learning to walk and talk. I feel like I have missed so much and now my baby girl is going off to Kindergarten. My oldest child is the typical, prepubescent smarty pants so I feel certain that I will not miss this phase of her life. Just teasing- she is a bundle of fun too. I never know what smartellic comment she will come out with next and I honestly do look forward to some of them because it shows so much of her personality. I am truly thankful that she feels comfortable enough to tell me what she thinks because this has definitely been an issue with her in the past. She acts more and more like me all of the time. Poor Sweet Pea was destined to be like me anyway so Matt has a lot of struggles with three females around. Bailey seems to have sided with the girls too so Matt doesn't even have that in his favor. Super Mario (our beta fish) couldn't care less.
Well, it is off to another week. Lots to do and no time to do it in. We have three very special birthdays coming up at the end of the month and then a bunch more for the remainder of the year (at least three per month until December). I am also starting to think about Christmas time so I am looking forward to shopping and goody ideas.

So much fun

2009-06-16T21:51:00.002-04:00

I thought I would share a couple of new pictures of Bailey since he is growing so much. He looks so fat with all of that fur. However, he looks like a drowned rat in the bath. We had a wonderful week last week. We went to Dollywood on Tuesday and Friday. We had dinner with a couple of friends on Thursday night and went to another very dear friends house on Friday evening for my birthday dinner, which was delicious (ribs, grilled chicken, fried chicken, baked potatoes, the works...yummy). I slept in Saturday morning and was awoken with a sweet breakfast in bed. My husband can be very sweet at times. I guess it makes up for the times that I think that he is being a jerk. Then, we got to visit with my best friend from college and her husband and daughter on Sunday. I am so thankful to have so many wonderful friends and wish that I got to spend more time with each one of them. We have another busy week, as usual. I hope everyone else has a great week and remember that Father's Day is coming up. I guess that means that I have to do something sweet for my husband!

What the ....

2009-06-06T19:14:00.002-04:00

Sweet Pea came out with a whopper this week: "What the h*ll?" I didn't overreact although I felt the urge. I calmly asked where she heard this and she said, "but mom, {child's name} at daycare said that one day." We had a talk about how it was not very lady like and I would expect to not hear that from her again. She came back with the rebuttal that her pastor says that word. So then we had to have the talk about how saying that word referring to the place is not a bad word but saying in the terms she used were bad words. No one told me parenting would be so difficult or that kids could make you look like such a bad person. I am thankful she didn't use that term in public so I didn't have to deal with the looks from other parents. What next?!!!

Our week

2009-06-06T19:07:00.002-04:00

Sweet Pea's furniture came in this week. Unfortunately, it has strange spots on it and a customer service guy is coming out Tuesday to look at it and determine if it can be fixed or will have to be re-ordered. We took Sweet Pea to the movies today; we saw Up. It was a very cute movie and Sweet Pea sat still through the whole thing. Pumpkin Pie went to the mall with her aunt and cousin. She got her nails painted pink and purple with hearts on her thumbs and to Build-A-Bear. It was good for her to have a break from us today. Overall, we have had a good week, busy, but good. Next week should be a little better because we are taking several days off to do some other stuff- maybe a day at Dollywood, swimming pool time, and lounging around the house time. I promise to post pictures as soon as the girls rooms actually are finished. Matt still has to put Pumpkin Pie's new desk together too. Men are so slow to do anything!

Update on Bailey

2009-06-06T19:00:00.004-04:00

Bailey is doing great! He sits at the back door when he needs to go potty and is only waking up one time during the night to go potty (at about 4:00 a.m.). He went to the vet this past Monday and got his shots and heart worm medicine, plus flea medicine. He is so playful and loves the girls. Enjoy the new pictures!

Welcome Bailey

2009-05-30T19:58:00.003-04:00

Meet Bailey! Bailey (a Shih Tzu) is the newest addition to our family- an early birthday present for me. I have been wanting a dog for some time and when we found Bailey, my heart melted. I knew that he would be perfect for us. He has been absolutely the sweetest thing in the world today. He has been so snuggly and only cried a little when we bathed him (because I am a clean freak). We noticed that he looks a lot like Gizmo (for those who remember the Gremlins) when his ears flop up. He loves having his belly rubbed!