Well, its official, we saw Santa! Tonight we went to a local event at the "Magnolia Manor" which is a all around wedding and event site. They did a very nice job with holiday cheer, by providing outdoor movies, marshmallow roasting stations, indoor shopping and musical entertainment and of course, Santa!! Ben told Santa he wanted mittens and Maddie told him she wanted a gold necklace with a key!

It's Football Time in Tennessee!

Finally, we got to go to a UT football game! We are joined by friends and family and had a great time. This was the UT-Ole Miss game. We came away with a win which was even better! A noon game made for some early tailgating- but we didn't mind. Here our friends, the Montanari's get their first taste of TN football

Ben Turns 7!

Ben is 7. I find it so hard to believe! We had a "Camp Out" birthday party for him and 4 of his buddies. We had a tent in the backyard, complete with a campfire and lots of food and supplies. A sheet tacked to the deck- hanging below- made for a great stage for shadow play and flashlight tag was a fun pasttime too. But, as boys will be boys, they mostly just ran and ran and ran in circles with various weaponry such as light sabres, swords and just anything that resembled a gun. What fun!

Our Little Scientist

First grade has been full of high points, and this past week was no exception...Ben got to be an Ichthiologist (fairly sure I didn't spell that right) but he is a scientist who studies fish. He and his classmates got to participate in an Ocean's conference that allowed the little scientists share all their findings. They all dressed the part too. Doesn't Ben look absolutely academic? Who knows, this may be a harbinger of things to come.

Fall Break! BEARY FUN

Michel, our Brazillian exchange student- "the big brother"

Family Talent Show!

My affinity for blogging has declined dramatically. Call it life, call it being busy- whatever it is, I am falling down on the job as chief blogger of the family. As I explore the blog-o-sphere, I get slightly overwhelmed and paralyzed by the amazing creativity and talent out there....then I stop and realize, this is just my dynamic scrapbook that really only gets visited by myself, so why cave to all that pressure? Just get the dang pictures posted - the grandparents in Florida really deserve it! So here it goes...

On October 14-16 we went to Wears Valley at the foothills of the Smokies and spent two nights in a huge cabin overlooking a beautiful view. Highlights include getting to celebrate Michel's birthday- let me introduce you to our exchange student, from Brazil- who is Japanese! We had a great time ushering in his 17th year! Also on the trip we all had fun playing games, eating lots and having our first Family Talent Show. This was all great and very cozy.....then we had a visit from the bears. No, I am not kidding. Friday night a mama bear visited our trash receptacle which was locked in a sturdy cage. She manhandled it no problem and threw the huge structure shockingly close to our car. Little did we know, the excitement would continue. Saturday night, we cooked out steaks and had a beautiful spread as we all sat down to dinner. We left the back door out to our enormous deck open, as it had gotten a bit hot with all the clamoring to get the food prepared. Well, bears love steak too! As we started to eat, we were all shocked when my niece yelled "A Bear!" Thinking she was kidding we all thought "yea, right" Then, we saw a baby cub- about 4 feet tall sauntering into our cabin. My dad came to the rescue and shoo'd him away, and we were all safe! A surreal experience to say the least, and not exactly a kodak moment- so no photos!

Fall in the Smokies is splendid- and lots of fun was had by all. Great memories!

Wow How Time Flies!

Maddie at preschool last year...09-10. Now look at the next photo....she got so big!!

Here is Maddie smiling ear to ear because she is so excited about the new school year. She loves her new teachers. We are off to a great start. Mama is sure happy! We are so thankful for all the nurturing people God has sent our way to help care for our children. We are looking forward to lots of fun and memories ahead. Now, if I could only find the pause button...

Maddie last year.....


Maddie this year!

Ben: Kindergarten (above) and 1st grade. What a difference a year makes!!

Kindergarten. New year, new school building...we have so much to be thankful for. Ben is excited to start his 1st grade year. So far he has been most interested in the kickball games at recess, but overall he is very happy. He has a class of 12 and he loves his new teacher, Mrs. Babbit. We are proud of you Ben!

Flower Girl Power

I just had to post this photo even though it is a little out of order. I was having a small problem downloading photos from my camera and this one lagged behind for some reason. Maddie recently got to be in my cousin's wedding as a flower girl. It was a beautiful ceremony and luckily Maddie's debut as a flower girl went just fine. I am pretty sure this could be her album cover when she hits the big time.

Their Future Looks Bright

So, last night was interesting. Before bed, the kids decided to play barber shop/beauty shop. Maddie got decked out *notice the pink high heels. Ben was just hanging in his boxers and t-shirt. too cute. It was good clean fun. And, no scissors were ever used! thank goodness.

A Day in the Life

Ok, see this picture of Maddie? This is how she greeted me this morning. She slept until 8:30 (pretty sweet!) and proceeded to dress herself and greet me with a "Hello Mi'lady". Ben chimed in and they proceeded to have a great morning. They each made up their own beds! (I am recording this in my blog because I will never believe it when they are teenagers.) We went on the Bloomsday at UT gardens which is a yearly event that proves to be as hot as it is interesting. So, with lots of Kettle Korn in our bellies, we came home tired, and wathced a movie and enjoyed the afternoon. Fleeting.

One Word: Disney

Ok. Need I say more? I had to do a collage, because I could not sit here long enough to upload all the photos. I must say, we had fun. the other hand, we have fun pretty much anywhere. So, I am pleased to say we probably do not need to go back any time soon, but we did create some spectacular memories.

Maddie the Ballerina

Maddie was exposed to her first dance experience, Kinderdance. She had a great time and here, at the end of year recital, we got to see mucho talent. I see bright lights in her future! Go Maddie.