The First Two Weeks

I have really enjoyed my first two weeks at home with the kids and we are still celebrating "the best summer EVER."  They still said that after I whipped out the summer workbooks:) 

We have already marked off quite a few things from our Summer Goals list like:

*Go to Dragon Park (glad we marked this off but the kids didn't really think it was too fun)

*Have a tea party (this was a sleepover breakfast tea party so I am pretty sure I got bonus points for this)

*Build a HUGE fort (this doubled as our afternoon reading nook for a couple of days until I couldn't stand the clutter of it all-Darrell is really starting to get to me on all this orderliness:)

*Paint something-the kids picked out a piece for Father's Day and maybe Great-Grandfather's Day

*Have a Banana Split Party-this is the only picture I got and I am not sure why, but we will do this again since I have so many leftovers and there are more kids in the neighborhood that didn't get to come.

*Water Fight-or the after effects

*Go to the Farmer's Market-we biked there and I was a little frightened so Darrell found me an alternate (aka longer) and less busy route home.  I will do that again for sure.

*Camping-this was so much fun or at least it was fun after we had returned to Memphis and had a hot shower and warm bed.  I will be adding this to next years list.

* Dance Party with the cousins to Christmas Music

*Went to the Zoo with LOTS of cousins.  Jackson loved the twins and was pushing, holding or feeding them the entire time.

And then a few things that were not on the list:

I can't wait to see what the next two weeks bring!  I see Great Grandparents, Beaches, Snipe Hunting:) and lots of pool time in our future.

Summer Goals 2013

It is official, I have turned in my resignation and thanks to my incredible husband I will get to try being a stay at home mom.  This new full-time job of mine isn't set to start until the end of May, but that hasn't stopped me from making a list of things I want to do this summer:

Our goals for "The Best Summer EVER!"

Canoe the Harpeth

Go to the Library

Tell scary stories in the dark

Backyard Camping

Real Camping

Paint (outside:)

Make a lemonade stand

Play at the spray park downtown

Go fishing

Have a picnic

Water fight

Play dress up with Linley

Go to a farmer's market

Make smores

Plant veggies

Family Movie Night

Go to movie in the park at Pinkerton

Have a baking day and deliver to neighbors

Make homemade popsicles

Eat breakfast for lunch

Play board games

Go to the zoo

Have a banana split Party

Visit a Museum

Go to the beach and see Great Grandma and Great Grandpa

Paint our nails-Let Jackson paint something that isn't his nails

Roller Skate

Wash the Car

Have a tea Party

Do a science experiment

Have a Karaoke contest

Go bowling

Have a dance party

Go to dragon Park

Build a HUGE fort

Go to VBS

Ride Bikes to the donut shop and actually eat a donut

Go hiking

Take lots of pictures and Make a photo book

Make a time capsule

Do the Barnes and Noble summer reading program

Do pinterest Activities

Go to Sonic happy hour

Mail artwork to grandparents and great grands

Pick up trash on Darrell's running trail

What do you think?  Can we do them all?  Am I missing things?

He's Nine

 I really can't believe he is 9 or that I have a 9 year old.  I do love him so much and here are just 9 reasons why:

1. He chooses wisely the friends he keeps near and offers great loyalty, laughs and adventures to them.
2.  He loves to perform "random gravity checks"
3. He always says "I'm Okay" after those "random gravity checks"
4. He is wise beyond his years in ways no school test could ever measure.
5. He asks me questions about life, God, and eternity that make me feel both proud and stupid:)
6. He has a great love for all things outdoors and I hope that will lead to many years of us being able to "play" together.
7.  He risked getting made fun of on the bus because he answered YES(by raising his hand) to the question: "Raise your hand if you like your Dad"  [side note: it is sad that he was made fun of for this, it is sad that not everyone raised their hands, but I am so proud that he has a dad worthy of a hand raise.]
8. He makes a room light up with his smile, jokes, and general sense of lightheartedness
9.  He loves others in a way that is a great reflection of God's love of me.

Happy last year of Single-digits.  We all love you!

Merry Mountain Christmas

We had a great Christmas in the Smokies this year. We rented a cabin and my side of the family spent 5 days together in a large house with lots of food and good wine.

Here is the trip backward:

Santa left gifts, here are Jackson and Linley's piles:

Just before bedtime the three youngest cousins left out cookies for Santa.  Unfortunately the magic of Santa is gone for Jackson and there is only so much pretending an 8 year old boy can do.

The kids each got a Christmas Eve gift and Jackson got a waterproof camera from Gee and Grandaddy.  I promise to share those awesome underwater pictures another day:)  Can't you see him saying "YESSS!"

LOTS of wrestling and horsing around happened

This is the post scavenger hunt treat for finding everything on their lists:

Our Scavenger hunt that Aunt Cake planned:

 My favorite outing was our first day there and we went snow tubing.  This was so much fun, even buying really expensive gloves since no one thought to bring gloves to the mountains, in the winter, on a snowy hill:)

Second favorite part of the trip was Kate giving Jim his Christmas present early our first night:
A trip to Italy with four of his Closest Friends!!!!!!!  Yeah!  

Can't wait for that trip:)