Our Weekend In Pictures

My parents came down last Friday for Grandparent's Day. The kids were so excited to sing their songs, give their special gifts and show off their classroom. It means the world to us that my parents made the trip down to see the kids.

On Friday night, Jason and I ate dinner at our favorite gourmet pizza place. We ate dinner outside since the weather was just perfect. After dinner, we headed over to the War Memorial Auditorium for The Avett Brothers concert. They are not my favorite, but they are very talented musicians and I actually enjoyed it.

Saturday night, we headed over to Opryland to the Acuff Theater. Jason's sister is a member of the TuneTown Show Chorus and we were treated to seeing her perform.

On Sunday, my brother took Jason, Joshua and Abby Kate to the Titans Game. They had an absolute blast!

Here are some pictures from all of our weekend fun!

Saying the pledge

Our little builder

Grandparent's Day 2008

Abby Kate showing Nana her special gift

Joshua and his PawPaw

Abby Kate and Joshua with Mrs. Ruthie

Joshua and Abby Kate

Abby Katherine

Jason and Joshua

Our little princess with her sunglasses and pink lipstick

Dinner at Davinci's

Opryland

Joshua and his new Titans' Football

Go Titans!

Jason and Abby Kate

A Gift

My husband has always lavished me with the most wonderful gifts. This morning he left me with the gift that you see pictured!?!

Rock the Vote

Laura Beth, a friend of mine from high school and college, posted a similar poll on her blog awhile back. I really liked the idea, so I just made a poll for my blog. You don't have to have a blog or an account to vote. Your vote can be anonymous (if you don't leave a comment), but if you select other, you know that you have to leave me SOME kind of a comment!!! :)

I really want to know who you are. Go and Rock the Vote!

My Target Clearance Find

This morning I took Joshua to get his hair cut. He is now sporting a really short "do"! He has the thickest and craziest hair of any boy that I have ever seen. I think that we have counted at least 6 cowlicks in his hair. Shortly after getting Joshua's haircut, I headed over to Target to pick up a few things. Yesterday afternoon, Abby Kate decided to take Jackson's Elmo Remote Control for a dip in the toilet. Of course it could not be saved - seeing as how it was fully submerged in the water. In an effort to teach Abby Kate the importance of respecting other people's belongings, she had to make a withdrawal from her piggy bank. She bought Jackson a little plush Elmo that he has yet to let go of. Hopefully she learned her lesson.

Anyways, I better get on with the point of my post....

My Target Clearance Find.....Milk Chocolate M&M's for 28 cents!!!

Your Turn

Today, I am heading off to the beach with some girls from church. To say that I am excited, would be quite an understatement. My sweet hubby took a vacation day so that I could go to Destin for 4 days and 3 nights!!! He will be "the man" for the next 4 days. I can't wait to hear the stories about what he and the kids did while I was away.

Since I'll be away for a few days, it's your turn!

1. What is your favorite thing to do at the beach?

2. How much did you pay per gallon at your last stop at the gas station?

3. How often do you wash your sheets?

4. Who was/is your favorite boy band?

5. What fall show are you the most excited about?

6. What do you snack on while watching a movie?

7. What football team do you root for?

2013

I received my Education Certification in the mail today!!!! I am thrilled that everything worked out just fine. My certificate is good for another 5 years!!!

Jackson at Fifteen Months

Jackson Cash
21 pounds, 29 inches

I can walk.

I can say mama, dada, thank you, done, more, milk, hi, bye, bye bye, bubba, ball, touchdown and eye.

I love to climb ANYTHING!!!

I like to pat the Bible (or Momma and Daddy).

I shake my head "no" when I don't want something.

I have 12 teeth.

I like to play peek-a-boo.

I love playing outside.

When you ask me where my eyes are, I always point to my ears and giggle.

I love imitating my brother and sister. My favorite thing to do is to reach in the snack basket and "ask" for a snack.

I WILL NOT eat solid foods.

I love to play in Abby Kate's room. She pretty much keeps the door closed at all times now.

I have recently started "grunting" and pointing at things that I want.

I cry every time my mom leaves me in the nursery or in Bible class.

I love to swing when outside.

I don't like being told no.

I still love to cuddle and be held.

I can give the sign for touchdown.

I love to clap and dance.

I love to play with cell phones and keys.

I am definitely the baby in the family!

*Jackson is such a blessing to our family. He brings us all so much joy and happiness. He is definitely at the stage where he is constantly keeping us on our toes. He loves to play independently, but also craves playing with Joshua and Abby Kate. He absolutely adores Abby Kate! She is so protective of him and very nurturing. Joshua and Jackson love to wrestle around with each other. Joshua loves to "go and get" things for Jackson. He is so sweet to him. I get really tickled with Joshua and Abby Kate when I ask for them to clean up their toys. They get so frustrated with the mess that Jackson has made. One of Jackson's favorite times of the day is when Jason comes home from work in the evening. He loves running up and giving Jason the biggest hugs.

*Today at Jackson's check up our doctor did confirm that he has asthma. We now have medicine for him at the house if his breathing becomes labored like it did a few weeks ago.

*Jackson will take either one or two naps a day. He actually "requests" for his naps. He will go and get his pacy and his burp cloth (we still don't have a name for the thing) and point to his crib. If he really wants to nap, he goes down without a peep. We usually put him down for bed at night any time after 7:30. He will always rest his head on my shoulder before I put him down for the night. He sleeps until 7:30 in the morning. Here lately, he has been sleeping in as late as 8:30.

You Be The Judge

The following argument took place in our local Target this afternoon between Joshua and Abby Kate.

Abby Kate: It's a swim suit.

Joshua: No, it's a bathing suit.

Abby Kate: It's a swim suit.

Joshua: No, it's a bathing suit.

Abby Kate: It's a swim suit.

Joshua: No, it's a bathing suit.

Abby Kate: It's a swim suit.

Joshua: No, it's a bathing suit.

Me: (Finally realizing that my kids were arguing) Abby Kate and Joshua, it is a bathing suit and a swim suit. They are the same thing!

*So, what is it to you, a bathing suit or a swim suit?

Where Were You?

On September 11, 2001, I was teaching Math to about 30 sixth graders in Kingsport, Tennessee. I can still remember the coolness in the air as I got in my car and headed to work that morning. I had about a 30 minute drive to the school that I was teaching at and I took notice of the crystal blue skies that morning. After teaching the 1st and 2nd period classes, my cell phone rang. I had a student that was withdrawing from school at my desk. When I picked up my phone, I was surprised to hear Jason on the other end of the phone. He quickly told me what had just happened in the 5 minute break between 2nd and 3rd period. At that moment, I completely froze! Everyone was still moving around me and no one knew the news. I quickly ran out into the hallway and found the other sixth grade teachers and told them what had just happened. I found it very odd to be the one passing along the news, like it was some kind of a dream. We all immediately ran down to the library and turned on the TV to see the devastation. I was completely lost and afraid. I did not understand what had just happened and why. We were able to watch the TV for a few minutes before heading back to our classrooms. I remember walking back down the hallway and thinking about what I had just seen. Do I tell my 3rd period class? Do I just put on a happy face and pretend like nothing happened? Do I teach? What should I do? I was at a complete loss for what to do next. I think that the students picked up on my emotions, but I did my best to begin teaching the lesson for the day. One by one, my students were immediately being called to the office for dismissal. I remember seeing the looks on their faces. At first, the students were kind of excited - they were leaving school, but then all of their looks turned to confusion. It was at this point that I closed the book, put down the chalk and sat down in front of my students and told them what had happened. I was flooded with questions that I was not able to answer. I really don't remember what happened from that point forward. I do remember my drive home. I remember coming into the house and hugging Jason. We sat down on the couch and began watching the news. I think that we stayed up until midnight that first night. Everything around us stopped.

In 2002, Jason and I vacationed in New York City. We had a great time seeing all of the sights and taking in a game at Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium. On our first day, we made it down to Ground Zero. The posters were still hanging along the fence and the construction vehicles were moving around the debris. The silence at Ground Zero was noticeable.

Today, my heart goes out to all of the families that lost a loved one on this day seven years ago. The memories of that day are forever etched on my heart.

Ground Zero, 2002

No Time To Work Out?

I found this a bit funny!

Wild Child

The other day, I decided to keep a mental list of all the things Jackson "got into" over the course of a single day. This is just the stuff that I can remember. Most of these are repeat offenses! As you can tell, he's absolutely into EVERYTHING!!!

• Pulled a table over on top of himself

• Climbed on top of a toy table to get on top of a bookshelf

• Put Abby Kate's "little trinkets" in his mouth that I had to fish out

• Turned on the bathtub faucets in my bathroom

• Climbed on top of Abby Kate's desk to pull down the art supplies

• Climbed the couch (countless times)

• Played in the potty

• Pulled the dishwasher door down on top of himself

• Climbed on top of the kitchen table and put safety pins in his mouth (they were closed)
  

• Got hit in the head with the vacuum cleaner (that one was mom's fault)

• Fell off of the stool in the pantry while snack hunting

And he does all of this in the two seconds that I take my eyes off of him!

The child can climb anything! When I take him into the grocery store, I tighten the strap as much as I can AND keep my hands on him at all times. He will ALWAYS manage to wiggle his way out of the seat belt and turn himself completely around and STAND UP in the shopping cart! He does the same thing with the restaurant high chairs. For some reason we always get the one that is missing the seat buckle. Do these people not know what kind of child we have? I'm afraid that his next climbing project will be his crib! So far he is showing no interest, but I'm sure that the pitter patter of little Jack's feet will awaken us from our slumber all too soon. I think that we have an extreme sport kid on our hands! Rock climbing/base jumping/anything thrilling or dangerous!

Our Trip to Chuck E. Cheese and A Few Little Extras

Last night, Jason and I took the kids to Chuck E. Cheese for the first time. When I was a young little girl, one of my favorite places to go was Showbiz Pizza. I even had my very own "Showbiz Pizza Birthday Club" card. I would always get a special reward to Showbiz for getting 100's on all of my Spelling Tests from my 3rd grade teacher. When I was a teenager, I worked at a daycare and we would take our 2 and 3 year old class to Chuck E. Cheese. I was really thrilled to take our kids yesterday. It was a huge hit! They absolutely LOVED it! (I think that Jason and I loved it as much as they did!) We ended the night with dinner at Logan's (even thought the pizza actually looked really good).

This is a game Joshua was born to play. Swing away, son!

Jason showing the kids how to play Skeeball!

Abby Kate took Chuck E. Cheese on a little drive.

Jason and Abby Kate loved playing video games together!

Jason and Joshua riding a wave runner.

Jason really got into the game!

Our little guy at Logan's

Here are some pictures of the kids playing around the house.

Joshua and his cars

Did you notice how they all have their own parking square?

Go Vols!

Joshua and Jackson

I found Joshua and Jackson reading their books together.

Such a big boy!

Menu Ideas - Dinner

I've loved reading up on all of the menu ideas that have been posted. We have tried "mixing up" our normal breakfast and lunch routine with several of your suggestions. Thank you all for your suggestions.

My most thought out meal of the day is dinner. I always make my "dinner menu" before I head out to the grocery store. I have found that this saves time and money when shopping for a family of five. I find that I probably fix the same thing a couple of times a month. There are weeks where our dinners are more Italian or Mexican (when I am trying to get more than one meal's worth out of the french bread or the tortillas). I love cooking dinner for my family and friends!

I want to break this "Menu Ideas - Dinners" into several posts over the next few weeks. Please share some of your favorite meals. I'm sure that WE all love having something new to try!

Dinner - Main Dish
*Here is one of our favorites.

Spaghetti Casserole

(from my Mimi)

1# ground chuck
green bell pepper - diced
onion - diced
whole tomatoes (15 oz. can)
sharp cheddar cheese
spaghetti
salt/pepper
Tbsp. sugar

1. Brown meat, onion, pepper and drain. Cook spaghetti according to package directions.
2. Chop tomato and add (with the tomato juice) to meat mixture.
3. Add salt/pepper (to taste) and sugar.
4. Pour cooked spaghetti into the meat and stir.
5. Pour spaghetti and meat into a casserole dish.
6. Top with cheese and bake at 350 until the cheese is melted.

*I always get all of my ingredients chopped before I start to cook. I just work better this way. This is a great meal to "half" and freeze (just save the cheese for later). Or you could "half" this meal and take to someone that just had a baby or is sick.

Now it's your time to share one of your family's favorite "main dishes"!

Abby Kate's Room

Before

After

My parents bought Abby Kate her new white furniture this past winter. She absolutely loves it! My grandparents have helped in accessorizing her new room. I am still wanting to put up some more pictures, but I don't know how long that will take.

You Can Never Have Enough Randomness

I have a few random thoughts floating around in my head, so I guess that this post will be a bit random.

*I just accidentally hit the return key, so my post posted without being written.

Random Thought #1 - I can't get enough Krystals! Yum-Yum.

Random Thought #2 - One of my favorite shows is Everybody Loves Raymond. Jason and I own all of the box sets and just finished up the finale show this weekend. I really love that show!

Random Thought #3 - My DVR is FULL of home improvement shows! Why? If you know anything about us, it is that we are NOT DIY type people.

Random Thought #4 - My kids' favorite songs right now are, "Barbara Ann" by The Beach Boys, "Hot, Hot, Hot" by Buster Poindexter, "Lions" by Lost and Found, and "Rocky Top".

Random Thought #5 - I'm glad that Jason and I chose NOT to go to the beach this past weekend.

Random Thought #6 - Didn't really care for the Chick-Fil-A free chicken strips yesterday. But, they were free!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jason and I headed down to Montgomery with the kids the other day. We visited our friends Jamey and Kenny. We had the best time and enjoyed watching the volleyball games and the football game. Joshua, Abby Kate and Jackson loved playing with Avery and Braden! We ended up leaving the game around 10:00 Friday night and did not get in bed until sometime after 1:30 AM. At 3:30, Jack woke up having difficulty breathing and Jason headed out to the ER with him. About half way there, Jackson's breathing returned to normal and he came back home. I don't know what caused Jackson to have that much trouble breathing, but it was pretty scary. The only thing that I can think of, is that we were out in the heat and humidity at the game. The last time that we were outside like that, Jackson had difficulty with his breathing. I am anxious for his 15 month appointment to roll around, so that we can figure out what is going on.

Saturday night, we all headed out to the mall to Build-A-Bear. The last time that we were there, we received an $8 off coupon that was due to expire on Sunday. We told Joshua and Abby Kate that we were there to make a bear for Jackson. They were so excited and so precious making Jackson his monkey. "Jack-Jack", the monkey, has two hearts from Abby Kate and Joshua. Jack LOVES his monkey!

The weather was so nice this morning. I spent about an hour outside with the kids. I am so happy that Jackson is now walking. It makes our times outside much more enjoyable and Jackson is absolutely LOVING being outside!

I told you that it would be random...