Come on February

Is it me, or is the shortest month of the year seemingly dragging on forever? I am so ready for spring- as are most people; hey at least I live in the south- we are looking at 70 degree weather by the end of the week. So I should just stop my whining right now. We did get a little dusting of

snow,and we had a little fun. It is President's day weekend- a very underrated holiday I must say. We took a jaunt up to Pigeon Forge this weekend, and the crowd was quite sparse. We toured the "upside down house" better known as Wonderworks, Amusement Park for the Mind. More on that later.

So, Family Valentine's Day was fun and as I try to begin some family traditions , I sure hope this one sticks. We had a nice dinner with a wimpy attempt at decorating! But Ben really liked the flower petals- he called them mushrooms at first. Maddie really enjoyed her chef-boy-ardee ravioli- you would not believe how she can put them away!

Lastly, I just wanted to leave family and friends with snapshots of my beautiful blessings. It has been a difficult week, as it started with terrible news of a great loss. A family we know and love lost their 16 mo. old daughter on Monday due to a tragic fall. My heart goes to the Myers family. Lauren's little life was a blessing to so many. Her funeral and eulogy led me to appreciate my friends and family all the more. So, to my loving family and friends far and near- I love you. I am so thankful for the blessings of my children, my brother, sisters and brothers in law, aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, neices and nephews, friends, my Mother and my Father, Mothers and Fathers in Law, and of course my husband. I am also thankful for Jesus Christ who saved my life. Life is Good.

Geez I am a Lazy Blogger!

Ok, both children are asleep, we have no company, and the boxes are pretty much all unpacked. Unfortunately my trusty blog readers are either out of town or have given up on me- Margaret, I hope you are still there! Anyway, I wanted to post some photos, and update friends, family and the random voyeur (where is Tucker- how do you spell that??) My friends son recently won the Knox county spelling bee- way to go Tucker...anyway, I digress.

Winter can be such an isolating season. We parents with kids are relegated to germy indoor playgrounds or the trusty- glad to have- home. We are new to our neighborhood and are looking forward to warmer months so we can get out and meet some buddies. Here is a shot of our new hood. We have this HUGE hill made up of two empty lots across the street from us- it is massive- the only thing missing is lots of snow. I just noticed, too, that Dad is all bundled up, but Ben is strangely coat free. hmmm. please, noone call dhs.

A beautiful thing going on now, is that I am watching Maddie grow up before my eyes, so I thought I would share some great shots of her. She loves to eat, and that is great. She is trying out her independence. She is crawling and exploring everywhere. Thanks to big brother Ben, she is learning to fend for herself too.

Another great aspect of raising children is watching them develop friendships. My girlfriend and I "trade" playdates every Monday, this past Monday was our turn to host Ben's buddy- what fun they had. They washed dishes-during which they both got soaked. Then they opened a "store" complete with a cash register- and the contents of my pantry.

Otherwise we have been busy and enjoying kids and family. Parenting is the hardest yet most loved job I have ever had. Every day is a gift.

Also a note, today is my Grandfather's 91st birthday. He is an amazing man. This is my shout out to him I suppose. He has never used a computer that I know of, but I think he would enjoy this blog. So, Grandaddy, here's to you, your life and all that you mean to your family.