Fun on Fall Break!

Last weekend, we were in Gatlinburg for fall break! We had a blast with all the family! We stayed in a really nice cabin that sleeps 16...included a hot tub, 7 TVs, and tons of space for everyone...even napping little ones! Everyone had a great time. We carpooled down with Erin and the boys and Alyssa, Andy, and their boys. We stopped and shopped for a little while once we got there and then headed to the cabin for some chili and relaxing! On Friday, the kids all enjoyed hanging out with Mimi, Poppy, and Aunt Katie (who had arrived late Thursday night, after most everyone was asleep) and eating Uncle Roo's pancakes. We then packed up the cars and went into Pigeon Forge for supper and Go-Carts! It was lots of fun....even for the little ones! On Saturday, we woke up to chocolate chip muffins and blueberry muffins that I made and then headed out to the outlet malls with some of the kids, while the men took the others hiking! We stopped for pizza on the way home and then settled in for some football! It was a nice way to spend the evening. Erin and James left with the boys after the UK game b/c James had drill the next morning. On Sunday, we went to Flapjacks for a yummy breakfast and then said our goodbyes to Mimi, Poppy, and Aunt Katie who had a loooonnngg trip back to the Sunshine state. We then cleaned up the cabin and left to head home. It was a great trip and we had a blast! Oh, here is a pic that I forgot to add in the slide show....we took the round about way home and went thru a little town that had a perfect place to stop and check out the scenery!

Dancing With Joy

Don't you wish you could dance with such abandonment? Trey loves music and he just can't help but dance when he hears some....whether we are in the car, at home, church....you name it. I just love to watch him! I am sure God is smiling when he sees Trey dance!

A Little Ditty

This is a song that Meg has been practicing for a few weeks...she now has it memorized. Meg has been playing the clarinet for a little over a month. She has band twice a week at school and loves it! We have had no problems getting her to practice (other than it sometimes terrorizes the dog!). She has done great and we are very proud of her! Enjoy her mini concert!

My Toothless Wonder!

It is official....baby number 2 has lost her very first tooth! It has been very loose for a few days now, but it was still very attached until last night when she was wiggling it and it got stuck as she was trying to twist it. She got it fixed back to normal, but I was afraid if she lost it at school, she might not end up bringing it home and I couldn't let that happen to the FIRST ONE! So Mommy pulled it out last night with no tears from Lily...just a big smile! She woke up this morning to a very nice letter from the Tooth Fairy and 2 one dollar bills and a very shiney Sacagawea coin! This after the excitement we had with all the cousins at the Fire Prevention Parade downtown last night. It was an hour long parade (can you believe there were that many fire trucks/floats??), but we had fun just hanging out. We haven't seen Ethan and Finley since July! Of course, Ethan and Wilson just love fire trucks! We had lots of fun and plan on spending some more time just hanging out in the next couple of weeks while Ethan and Finley are here visiting. Some of the pictures did not turn out so well b/c my batteries were dying and the lighting was not great, so sorry about the quality. If Erin got some better pictures, I will replace mine with hers.

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Cousin Pumpkin Picking Time

Alyssa called and invited us to go to the pumpkin patch with them yesterday afternoon. It turned out to be quite a warm day, but it was lots of fun. We picked a big pumpkin (18.7 pounds) and the kids each got a little pumpkin of their own. We ate a yummy apple slushie and played in the big play area. Wilson and Luke spent a lot of time in the sand, while the girls played on the slides. Trey even went down the pipe slide by himself! Trey also enjoyed eating the straw! Luke and Trey also went on their very first train ride and saw some horses too! Everyone was worn out (and a bit dirty) by the end of our time there! This is my favorite time of year. It is so nice to be outside without being miserable, the air smells crisp, and it is a great time of change with all the colors of the leaves (although with the drought going on, I doubt we get much of a color bang this year). Thanks for inviting us to come along guys!

Weaponcraft Assistant Instructor

Fancy title, huh? That is Daniel's official title now that he has completed the ten day course at a regional training center for the National Guard. He left the day Lily woke up sick....so now you know why I had such a horrible week! Luckily Meg and I made it thru healthy. Daniel is now certified to help units that are mobilizing to go to Iraq/Afghanistan to brush up on their combat arms skills. I am just glad to have him home! However, I did have some friends help take good care of us while he was gone. We ate supper at Alyssa and Andy's one night and were supposed to eat at Heather's another night, but with all the sickness going on at our house at the time, I had forgotten (sorry again, Heather!) and one of my coworkers (Heather) came over to hang out and eat with us. So all in all, the kids and I survived and Daniel enjoyed his course (minus all the weapons needing to be cleaned). I am very proud of my soldier!

Way Up High In An Apple Tree.....

Lily's class went to the Orchard today to pick apples! It was lots of fun and we got to eat yummy apple doughnuts and apple cider. However, it was like a heat record today (as it has been for the past two days) here, so the heat was on! We all needed a bath tonight! Oh, and I added the pic of Trey just for his daddy!