Free Toys with Some Imagination

Recently, Maddie had seen a play grill in a catalog. I knew the love of grilling would be fleeting, so we improvised. My neighbor had left this perfectly good box on the curb, so i decided to do some recycling. We made Maddie's grill and got hours of playtime. No mastercard needed. yay!

Happy Birthday Grandmama!

Goin' to the Chapel

This past Spring was eventful to say the least! We got to head to West Tennessee and all the kids were in a beautiful wedding for my beautiful cousin, Amy Beth. The kids did great and we all had a fun time. Congratulations to Matt and Amy on your big day. It sure was fun getting all dressed up!!

St. Jude Trikathon!!

Well, I finally got around to downloading all 327 photos that were just hiding out in my digital camera! What a load off. Anyway, thought I would document this great Spring day. I am in charge of our preschool's St. Jude Trikathon, and this year it was a big success. We raised over $1200 and had a great time to boot. Maddie got to tag along even though her class did not participate. Fun times just kept coming from here into the Summer.

Happy Mother's Day!!

So, today is a good day. I spent so many years being sad on this day, that now I can hardly contain my happiness. Thanks to a great husband and two beautiful children (thanks be to God!) I have a full life and every year I have a new level of understanding about life. Today I am blogging from my brand new hp G62 laptop. I have not yet learned all the bells and whistles, but I will eventually get there. Here is how I started my day. More to come on how the rest of the day goes. A big shout out to my own mother and my very special mother-in-law, Ju Ju!! I love you!!

Fun in the Mountains

This Saturday was a big day....we actually saw the sun all day!!! March has been a cruel month so far, so we were thrilled to get out and do some exploring in the Smoky Mountains! We started off the day by checking out the Fiber Arts Festival in Townsend. We saw a sheep getting sheered, and then we saw some interesting fiber loving folks who actually spin the yarn into thread and yarn the old fashioned way. It was very interesting and I was impressed with the talent.






After this learning experience, we went on to Tremont to hike this most excellent hike. It is not on the park's hiking trail maps, and we were informed about it after stopping at the coffee shop in Townsend (Thunderhead Perk is awesome!) . This was the perfect hike for the family- One mile out and it ends at a beautiful waterfall.







This was a great shot, and very telling of our day out and about! Thanks be to God for such beauty surrounding us!

Freeze Frame

Recently I was making observations around my house that reminded me that I am in a season. A beautiful, fleeting season. So, with my handy camera I just recorded a few things that I want to remember. I want to remember this when I am old(er than i am now), when I am bored and tired(er than I am now). I promise these are not props, nor did I stage any of these photos. I am often reminded of my life motto as a still new parent: The Days are Long, but the Years are short.

some colorful vocabulary by Ben on the marker board in the playroom. So glad he can spell now.

noteworthy: this is in the playroom. We are anticipating painting and have allowed the kids to write on the walls with chalk....until now. Isn't that special?

designer tile makes a great backdrop for the mammoth playmobil collection we have.

In the Kitchen with Mama

Recently I was on a cooking jag (not uncommon) and Maddie independently retrieved her toy mixer and started cooking right beside me. It warmed my heart. We made a memory! As you can see my kitchen does not lack in the electronic appliance area. But seriously they all pale in comparison to my Kithen Aid stand mixer. I just love it. Maddie is a girl after my own heart.

Snow Much Fun

When it snow in "these parts" it is a big deal. The kids (and grown ups) had a blast. We say, Let it Snow!

Deja Vu

The other day I was sitting at the kitchen table and looked over and saw Ben dragging out the pantry items to create something uniquely Ben. I was suddenly reminded of a time not so long ago that Ben had done the same thing when he was much younger (March of 08 or just 4yrs. old) In the updated photo he was technically "organizing the pantry" in the first he was playing musical instruments. hmmm.

Maddie's new look

Well Maddie has a new look! I officially lost the hair war! No bows, no baretts. So, I went for a bob. Isn't it cute! Also, notice Ben's pajamas in this picture...he was clued in on the official "snow dance". Here's what you do if you want it to snow: Wear your pajamas inside out, put a pencil on the windowsill and flush an ice cube down the toilet! And guess what? It worked!! It is snowing like crazy right now! More photos to come!