College Buddy

There are some people you meet in life who make an everlasting impression, and you just know that you will always be friends. Trent is one of those people. Randy met Trent in the dorms at JSU, and they became card-playing, music-loving buddies. Later on, they became fraternity brothers together. I was introduced to Trent while he was helping me move my "stuff" into my new apartment in Jacksonville. He and Randy kept making us laugh so hard we could barely stand up straight! Trent, Randy, and I had many, many adventures in college which included: helping each other move, grocery shopping, playing cards, visiting redneck flea markets, and way too many others to name! Trent also shared our wedding day with us by standing up as a very handsome groomsman. Trent is from Virginia Beach, VA, and Randy and I got the chance to visit him at his home there after graduation which was right down the road from one of my favorite lighthouses, Cape Henry. We have kept in touch with Trent through the years, but it has been awhile since we have seen him in person. Luckily he was in town today from Cedartown, GA, so he spent the afternoon with us. We took him to Greenbriar for lunch--YUMMY! Then we came back to our house to play catch up.
He also...

played with Caitlin and Harrison a bit. Trent has 2 daughters their same ages, but he couldn't bring them along on this trip.
Then we posed for some pictures together.

Have we changed any since this next picture was made way back in 1992?!?

Wow! I forgot what I looked like with bangs!

A Little Travelling Music, Please

After a little work this morning, we hit the road with Randy's parents (Grandmother and Grandaddy). I had found a little railroad museum while online one night located at Cowan, Tennessee, and I thought my little train enthusiast would enjoy going to visit the trains. It's located in a quaint little town right outside Winchester, TN, and as you can imagine, Harrison was mesmerized by the trains!

Posing with our chauffeurs in front of the main attraction

They wanted to go into the little red caboose so badly, but it is still being renovated.

We got to climb all over the trains!

After walking around the little town of Cowan looking at the trains and scenery, we were a little hungry. So Grandaddy and Grandmother took us to a place they have been to numerous times with their church group.

This is Miller's Grocery. It's actually a restaurant, and you have to make reservations to eat there (which we did from outside on the porch!). They serve home-cooked, Southern fare--YUMMY!! We ate chicken fried steak, fried green tomatoes, corn nuggets, cole slaw, fried okra-all that good stuff that is soooo bad for you!

This is a picture of all of us right after we had cleaned our plates but before the delicious desserts were served! I just couldn't get my camera out fast enough to take pictures of the food!
We had a really fun day today, and to think when I woke up, I thought, "What are we going to do today besides work in the yard?"

Doctor, Doctor, Give Me the News

Harrison had his 4 year well check-up visit today. He was very cooperative and used his manners so nicely! Here are his stats:

• He weighs 34 pounds (25th percentile).
• He is 39 inches tall (25th percentile).
• He has 20/20 vision.
• His blood pressure and pulse was completely normal.

Dr. Horton said, all in all, he is a very healthy four-year-old, but he did fuss at him a little bit for not eating his vegetables! He did praise Harrison for still sitting in a car seat! We talked about how Harrison does NOT stay in his bed at night. Every night he comes downstairs somewhere between 2:00-3:00 a.m. to get in his sleeping bag in our bedroom. He has only slept in his bed all night long a handful of times! Dr. Horton suggested using a reward system. I'll let you know how this goes (I'm not hopeful). We also talked about how Harrison's eyes swelled up the last time he petted a cat. Dr. Horton said he probably does have allergies like Daddy, but let's not worry about that until it really becomes a problem. Dr. Horton was pleased with everything and said he would see us next summer for all those shots for school! YUCK!!!!

Here Harrison is getting measured by Pa-Pa on Father's Day. My Daddy has all the grandkids' measurements on the laundry room door starting with their one-year birthday. My sister and I have said that when they move, we want that door!

Ma Ma Se, Ma Ma Sa, Ma Ma Coo Sa

When I was in 5th grade, I put this poster up on my wall....

...and my Mom had a royal fit!!!! (she didn't care for the manner in which I had applied it to the wall) Anyway, it hung on my wall along with posters of Tom Cruise, Rick Springfield, and Karate Kid Ralph Macchio all the way through my horrific middle school years. My best friend, Kim, and I called up the local radio station and requested Thriller, just so we could tape it off the radio. Don't you know that was a great recording?! We played, rewound, and replayed that song so many times just so we could learn all the words to it. THEN....the video came out!!!! We didn't have MTV at my house, just the big 4 stations. So I had to go next door to watch it. I remember being in awe of it all!

I am just so sad this morning that a pop legend from my growing-up years has passed away. I know he turned into such a weird man these last few years, but I still feel like a part of my childhood is gone.

Papa's Got a Brand New Toy

My Daddy, that is, got a new car today! He sold his battered 1994 Buick Regal that was involved in a hit and run accident the very night they bought it and decided he needed a convertible Volkswagen Bug to take its place. Needless to say, Caitlin and Harrison were thrilled!! He ordered it from a dealer in Houston, TX, and it was delivered this morning. He drove straight to our house to show off his new toy!

Pa-Pa and his new toy

Out cruising the neighborhood with the top down

Caitlin has already asked if she can have it in 7 years! Yikes--is it that soon?!

All the Men in My Life

After serving Daddy breakfast in bed, we headed off to church. But not before taking a few pictures, of course!

My sweet family
I asked Randy/Daddy what he wanted for lunch, and he said what Caitlin was hoping for--sushi! So after we changed clothes, we headed to Bridge Street to the little Japanese restaurant tucked next to the carousel where apparently they serve pretty good sushi. I wouldn't know because I eat the chicken teriyaki Bento Box there! Then it was off to hand out presents to the Grandpas! We are sooooo lucky to live in the same town as our children's grandparents. They get to see them on a regular basis, and we never have to travel for holidays. It is so nice!

Helping Grandaddy open his presents

Randy and his Dad
Next it was off to Pa-Pa's house. Luckily they only live about a mile away from each other! Do we have it easy or what?!

Giving Pa-Pa his presents

Me and my Daddy--I couldn't have asked for a better role model growing up! I love my Daddy!

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to the best daddy around!!!
I love that you are strong for our family....

I love that you provide for our family....

I love that you make us laugh.....

And most of all, I love how much our children love you....

You are the greatest, and I couldn't have picked a better Daddy for my children if I had tried! Thank you for everything you do for us. I love you!!!

Seussical, Jr

Yesterday we, along with Rush, Grayson, and Shelby, and their mom, Meredith, got the chance to see one of my former students, Katie, in her very first play--Seussical, Jr. at the Von Braun Civic Center. It was absolutely fantastic! Both Caitlin and Harrison loved it. There was lots of singing and dancing which Caitlin thought was great, and there were lots of silly Dr. Seuss characters that Harrison knew and loved. We all had a great time! Katie did a great job in her first acting job, and I can't wait to say one day when she's all grown up and famous, "I was her Kindergarten teacher!"

Me and Katie--she played the Baby Kangaroo

Caitlin and Katie after the play

Of course, now Caitlin wants to be on stage!

Crocodile Dock

This week Caitlin, Harrison, and I participated in our church's Vacation Bible School. The theme was "Crocodile Dock," and it was all about God's love. Harrison's favorite story was the empty tomb. He was able to tell us all about it at supper that night. I love that he is learning the Bible stories at such a young age! Caitlin loved learning about the Passover. It was a story she got to study a little bit deeper this year since she is a little older. She said it really made her think about how easy we have it now. I am so proud of both of them and how much they are learning about the Bible. I prepared the snacks for the Nursery children this year which was a new job to me--usually I am in a room with one of them. I was free to visit both of them at different times throughout the week which was nice! Caitlin has said that she wants me to be with her next year which might be a great idea since she will be in Summer Explosion, not VBS!

Here we are ready to go in our matching t-shirts.

Harrison posing in front of the dock. I asked him where his other arm was, and he said he was holding a toy.

Caitlin and her Crew--she loved it because it was all girls, none of those yucky boys!! Now if I can just keep her thinking that way until high school!

Birthday Meal

Earlier this week we were treated to a delicious meal at PF Chang's for Caitlin's birthday by Ma-Ma and Pa-Pa. We met them there, and surprise! My niece, Stephanie, got to come along too! It was fun for Caitlin to have her there. I got my usual fantastic Kung Pao Chicken, while Randy tried something new. I don't remember what it was, but it was a delicious beef dish. Caitlin and Harrison shared rice, spring rolls, and our dishes. We were all pretty stuffed by the end! But not too stuffed to walk with Pa-Pa down to Maggie Moo's for an ice cream cone. I just don't know where my kids put all that food!!

Posing on one of the humongous horses outside PF Chang's

Finishing up our delectable meal--Randy, Harrison, Me, Caitlin, Stephanie, Ma-Ma, and Pa-Pa

Caitlin used her new camera to take these pictures, and I just noticed that the date and time are not set! Oh, well--something else to do!

Slip Slidin' Away

Harrison got a Slip N Slide for his birthday, and we have put it to good use this week in this hot weather!! Daddy even went down it a time or two, but he wouldn't let me get his picture while doing it!

It's a 3-D Shark Slip N Slide that even came with 3D goggles. Much more uptown than the yellow sheet of plastic and the hose that I had when I was little!

Harrison doesn't like to slide on his tummy--he would rather crawl down it!

Caitlin's the resident expert!

My Baby No Longer....

...or so he says! I say that no matter how old he is, he will still be my baby!
This was my baby boy four years ago...

...and magically overnight he has changed into this handsome boy....

He was the best baby, hands down! He loved to sleep (isn't that what every new parent wants?), nurse, and look at his big sister. She was a big source of entertainment in those early days! I just loved to snuggle with this precious baby who God had blessed us with--I still do! I say a prayer each morning thanking God for bringing me this sweet angel. I can't wait to watch him grow and change over the years, but I wish it would slow down a little bit!

Happy 4th Birthday Harrison!!

Four Years Ago...

...we were anxiously awaiting the birth of someone's new baby brother. This is what I looked like:

Can you tell Caitlin already loved him? She must have told us a thousand times before he was born that she was going to love him more than any other big sister in the whole, wide world!
On this night four years ago, we checked into the Women's and Children's Hospital at about 10:00 pm so that our precious baby boy could be born the next day.

Have you seen my baby??

Nine years ago she looked like this....

...all sweet, peaceful, and snuggly. I loved every little thing about this tiny miracle who God had entrusted to me. I just couldn't get enough of her. I guess that's why she nursed every 3 hours on the dot! I loved absolutely every minute of it, though.
Suddenly, she has transformed into this beauty....

I don't know where the time has gone!!! I still love every little thing about her right down to the freckle on her little tiny toe! She is so precious to me, and I thank God for her every day.

Happy 9th Birthday Caitlin!!!

Nine Years Ago.....

...I looked like this

and went into labor at 9:30 pm. Randy took me to Huntsville Hospital (babies were delivered at Main back then) around 11:00 pm, and we got ready to welcome our precious baby girl into the world!

Caitlin's Birthday Party

On Saturday, we had Caitlin's birthday party at Dublin Park's outdoor swimming pool. After much praying on bended knee, it went off without a drop of rain! Caitlin was lucky enough to have lots of school, church, and dance friends come to celebrate with her. They were: Anna, Carly, Delaney, Annie, Madelyn, Sarah, Hannah, Shelby K, Rush, Grayson, Shelby W, Kayla, David and Mary. She also had all of her grandparents come to her party as well as her Aunt Dana and her cousin, Stephanie. They had such a good time swimming, and I did not have to get in AT ALL to rescue anyone!! She got a lot of nice presents which included several gift cards (her favorite). And Ma-Ma and Pa-Pa got her a camera so that she can join the Paparazzi as my friend Heather calls it! As of this afternoon she has already taken about 50 pictures, so I guess she is officially a member, Heather! It was so much fun celebrating my baby girl's ninth birthday, but I still can't believe she is that old!!

Harrison's Birthday Party

On Friday, we had Harrison's birthday party a few days early at Jump Zone. It is the best place to have a kids' party because I DIDN'T HAVE TO CLEAN MY HOUSE!!!! Plus kids have soooooo much fun! He had 9 friends from church and the babysitter's come--that's a lot for a four-year-old! They were Carter, Kate, Rush, Grayson, Shelby, Amber, Noah, Riley Beth, and Andrew. Plus we were lucky enough to have all the grandparents there and his Aunt Dana and cousin Stephanie. They played until they were hot, sweaty, and red in the face, including some of the grown-ups. All of them were asking for a drink. Then it was time for pizza, cake, and the most important part of all: presents! He got so many cool toys that his dad was a little bit jealous. And I think Harrison almost doubled his monster truck and Matchbox car collection. :) I am so happy we got to celebrate my baby boy's birthday with such great family and friends.

Out to Lunch

Today I went to lunch at Ketchup with my First Grade co-workers plus a few extras. We were lucky enough to have Teisha and her two precious children join us. She teaches 3rd grade at our school and is the daughter of Thea who teaches across the hall from me and is such an inspiration to me. So it was a family outing as well since I had my two babies with me. (I can still call them babies until they're 18, right?) We were also joined by Sarah who taught with us up until a few years ago when her husband moved her to Tennessee:( She's a fellow blogger as well. It was a fun and chaotic lunch with lots of catching up to do since we haven't seen each other in what?! 2 whole weeks!!! And we got to celebrate 2 birthdays--Jennifer and Mary Beth. We have so much fun when we are all together--too bad Petra and Ashley couldn't join us. I really enjoy working with this wonderful group of girls!

Here's the Gang--Beth (holding Cole), Mary Beth, Nakita, Thea, Caitlin, Saige, Andrew, Harrison, Debbie, Teisha, Jennifer, me, and Sarah
Thank you, Debbie, for taking care of Harrison and his fork issues!!

Sarah and me by the fountain at Bridge Street. I miss her a lot! Very touristy, don't you think? But Sarah has not been to Bridge Street before today, so she really was a tourist.

Andrew, Harrison, and Caitlin by the fountain too.

Walking to Maggie Moo's after lunch (like we really needed ice cream after that big meal!)

Unique Birthday Present

I asked Harrison what present he wanted to buy Caitlin for her birthday on Tuesday.

He replied, "Panties."

Now tell me, what nine-year-old doesn't want to open up panties from their brother at their birthday party?!

Kids Kingdom

On Wednesday, we took Caitlin and Harrison to Kids Kingdom to play. They have activities to pick from for the summer, and this is what they picked for Wednesday. (See, Nakita, we are using them!) Luckily we got all our playing done before the storm hit!

Arrr, Matey!

"Sittin' on the croc of the bay..."

Luckily they like to play together....sometimes!

They thought this was just hilarious!

The tire swing was their favorite part of the morning! I remember loving the tire swing when I was little too.

I am so thankful that we have this fun playground nearby because it keeps them entertained for hours!!