The Sullivans

New Years

2012-02-08T12:26:00.000-06:00

We went to ICE! on half price day, and it was really cold!

Bonnie was rocking the ice slide. She still talks about it!

Bonnie, Daddy, Guerry and Sam all bundled up...and for a good reason! It was 9 degrees inside.

On New Years Day, we got to go to "Aunt Brooksie's Daddy's House" for a New Years Lunch. Bonnie and Sam had a lot of fun, and we even got to go on a Hayride. What great weather for January 1st!

We went on golf cart rides as well...another hit with the kids!

New Years Eve's weather was awesome as well. We spent the morning at the zoo. Here's a picture of Bonnie and Addy checking out the fish.

We rode the zoo train on New Years Eve!

Christmastime

2012-01-08T16:10:00.000-06:00

This year was, by far, the best Christmas ever. Bonnie was way into this year, which was great! She loved pointing out every Christmas light display, yard blow-up, Christmas tree, Santa figurine, ornament, elf, etc. etc, etc. Another thing about a two-year-old is that they cannot keep secrets at all. She told Brandon that we bought him a golf club the minute he came home from work one day. She also told Pappaw about his mug on Skype. Good memories! Here's a smattering of Christmas pictures. I apologize for them being in random order. Enjoy!

Painting Pappaw's mug at Third Coast Clay

Bonnie and Daddy each gave each other a golf club for Christmas!

Uncle Ryan reading the Grinch on Christmas Eve

Cousins opening a present after brunch on Christmas Eve

Brunch with cousins

Aidan and Bonnie are putting out cookies for Santa. Aidan even made reindeer snacks at school!

Bonnie having Christmas tree cake and boiled custard

Daddy carving the roast beast

Katie and me at the Christmas party-Ryan must be having an awesome time in the background!

Kissing cousins by the tree. Love.

Another memorable dirty Santa exchange this year. Justin wins the prize for best gift this year!

Grace wins the prize for best outfit-honorable mention to Drew for the Patriotic Santa cardigan.

Addy and Bonnie sporting their party favor wares at Sallie's birthday lunch

Katie G's annual girl party.

Bonnie was reading her Bible to her naked barbies one morning.

When the besties got together to exchange gifts, guess what? Santa came! Bonnie was really proud of her gift from Will.

He read a story to Ansley and Bonnie.

Group shot! Baby Hayes was the rockstar of the Christmas season. The big kids LOVE him. The night after this party, we were talking to a friend of mine from school. I told Bonnie to tell her which special person came to see her the night before (thinking she'd say Santa), and she said, "Baby Hayes!"

"I'm two!"

Bonnie and Alex were sheep in the Christmas Pageant at church.

Bonnie and her precious teacher, Miss Grace, at her Christmas party at school.

Polar Express Pajama Day at school-love my fourth grade team!

Bonnie and her buddy Sarah after their performance at school

We went to the English Tea sponsored by the ladies of the church. Bonnie thought it was awesome-she had her own tea pot of milk:)

Bonnie and Granny at the Tea

Aidan and Bonnie at the Christmas parade

A Barefoot Family Thanksgiving

2011-12-28T20:27:00.000-06:00

If you are reading this, you've probably heard about my family's Thanksgiving or experienced it for yourself. It is not like most Thanksgivings because a. it is held in a barn, b. our main course is whole hog, not turkey, and c. our after-dinner activities consist of shooting skeet and playing kickball. Oh, and you can always count on at least 75 people being there. It's the fun-loving, have-a-good-time, enjoy-being-together, laid back kind of holiday. It is always so much fun!

Everybody gathering around, waiting on dinner to be ready!

Uncle Randy working on that hog

Uncle James built this amazing fort next door to Pap's. It was awesome!

Uncle Hue took everybody on a really fun hayride.

Another Uncle James invention-a kid favorite!

Bonnie's first at-bat in the kickball game

Daddy and Bonnie getting ready to run!

Bonnie and Lucy look like linebackers due to their jackets being worn under their jerseys.

They were so cute!

The Meadow Lights Carousel-woo hoo!

The girls loooove the Meadow Lights train!

Pullen Park

2011-12-26T20:29:00.002-06:00

I know that I am waaay behind on blogging. It seems like every post begins that way lately. Such is life with a busy two year old! I figured that I needed to start with Thanksgiving where I left off. When we landed in Raleigh for Thanksgiving, mom and dad picked us up and took us to the coolest park ever. The citizens of Raleigh are so fortunate to have this park. It has real rides for a dollar a piece, not to mention a great playground. It was a great way to begin our holiday weekend. More pictures of Thanksgiving to come!

Fantastic Fall

2011-11-07T20:50:00.014-06:00

I had the opportunity to join Bubs on his work trip to Washington for Fall Break. Wow! What a beautiful state! I am so thankful that it worked out so that I could join him. We had a lot of fun getting to see that part of the country.

Beautiful Couer D'Alene

Downtown Spokane
Columbia Valley Wine Country
Beautiful Snoqualmie Falls...There is a hotel directly next to this bluff. I would really like to spend the night there. Can you imagine how well one would sleep when this is your background noise?
Pike's Place Market in Seattle. We did bring home our very own salmon on the plane, and we've been enjoying eating it since we've been home!

Daddy and Bonnie carved a pumpkin to get ready for Halloween.

We went to Morristown for Lucy's birthday party! Bonnie is aiming for the pinata in this picture.

We had a great time celebrating Lucy Pop's 4th Birthday.

I think we accumulated about 12 different pumpkins before Halloween. Bonnie loves pumpkins!

We visited Gouls at Grassmere, and Bonnie rode the flamingo while dressed as Snow White.

On Halloween night, Bonnie told her Snow White doll, "I look just like you!"

Sam and Bonnie had a ball on Halloween! They will definitely be looking forward to it next year. She's already been asking when Halloween will be again.

Busy, busy

2011-09-12T20:40:00.012-05:00

Bonnie loves to ride the flamingo on the zoo carousel.

Bonnie and Dad on a walk at Radnor a couple of weeks ago.

We went in on this bounce house with the Rudolphs and the Simmons. Awesome parenting decision on our part. These kids had so much fun on Saturday during the UT game. I think we got our money's worth just on Saturday!

This is the best group shot I could get. They were too busy having fun!

Bonnie got to ride a pony at the Greek Festival this weekend. She looks so stoic.

She loved, loved, loved riding the horse. She hasn't quit talking about it!

She also loved this slide at the Greek Festival. It was great because she got to land in a big ball pit at the bottom. You can see the excitement on her face!

Really cute face right before hitting the ball pit!

She followed the animals around in the petting zoo sprinkling about 3 pellets of food for them on the ground.

Bonnie and Sam were so excited to get push-up pops at Chuy's!

Hello out there!

Long time, no see! I know it has definitely been too long since I've blogged. I've started back to school, and I've been a little overwhelmed. It's amazing how easy it is to adjust to not working after ten months, but how hard it is to readjust to working after just two months off. It's kind of strange how that happens!

Summer Staycation

2011-08-02T14:52:00.010-05:00

Bonnie wearing Ansley's hat and smiling with Aunt Erin.

I hate to admit it, but this is our last week of summer. Of course it has flown by like every other summer, and like every other one we have packed as much fun in as possible. We went to the beach, we played with friends, explored the city, went to visit family and friends, went to the zoo, and just had a great time. I will be sad to see it end. BUT this year I decided to blow it out our last week instead of spending the last week sulking. We kicked off our "stay"cation on Sunday at the Carnton Plantation Concert Series with our friends. It is safe to say that Bonnie enjoyed the concert A LOT! She loved to dance to U Zoo, a U2 cover band, and loved being with her friends as well. On Monday we went to school to do a little work. She got to color all over butcher paper with markers, hang out with my 4th grade team, run up and down the hallway-good times. She slept for 3 hours when we got home. Today we have had some fun play time with Sam, and we went to lunch with Erin, Sallie, and Sam at Puffy Muffin where Sam and Bonnie split a cupcake. We're well on our way to ending our summer with a bang. No sulking here!

Bonnie and "T" having some fun going upside down, and back up again!

Sweet Baby Hayes made his debut social appearance at the concert. He is so sweet! If the "big" kids (and I use that term loosely) touched his feet once, they touched them a hundred times. Sweet Baby Hayes just kept snoozing....so incredibly cute.
Ansley, Bonnie, and Will are having a popsicle....yummy!

Woohoo! This girl loves to dance!

Bonnie kicking up her feet with Daddy

Bonnie is giving Sam a ride in the baby doll stroller!

The Fourth in Clearwater

2011-07-11T12:52:00.014-05:00

OK, so fireworks are always neat and fun to watch. This year was even better because a) Bonnie was old enough to stay up to watch them without having a meltdown b) she was so excited, and c) we got to see a really neat fireworks display because we had a 12th floor view of them over the bay in Clearwater. It was really cool. Not only did we get to see the Clearwater show, but we could also see about 10 other shows all around Tampa Bay. What a way to celebrate America's birthday!

Bonnie and Dad after dinner at Island Way-yummy! Bonnie's face is hilarious in this one!
We also went to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. It was a neat place to see because the rehabilitate sea animals here. There was even a dolphin with a prosthetic tail who will have to spend the rest of her life at the aquarium. We also saw a little baby dolphin who was rescued a few months ago.
Also a neat thing about Clearwater is this playground right by the pier. It has a big pavilion built over it, so it's shaded. And it's built in the sand which makes it really fun:)
Going down to the beach to check out the sunset!

Oh yeah! She's having her snack on the beach, and looking extra cute with her belly showing in her bathing suit (aka-her babing suit).
Watching the fireworks with Mom (above), and Dad (below).

Whoever came up with the idea to put these little play areas at the airport deserves a pat on the back.

"I go Minnie's House"

2011-06-23T15:28:00.006-05:00

We went to see Emily and Bettis in Bloomington last weekend, and all Bonnie has talked about this week is going back to see them. I can't blame her. We all have so much fun when we're with the Bettises. We don't get to see them enough!
While we were there, Bubby and Bettis did the "Big Bub's Burger Challenge" Adam Richman did this on Man vs. Food. He ate 3. Bubby and Bettis only ate one each, but they got their picture on the wall. This picture is to show how big the burger was. In the foreground is the "Mini Bub"-Bonnie's burger. Because it's in the foreground it appears bigger, but just compare the bun to the pickle on her plate. The middle one is mine (a regular quarter-pounder), and the one on the end is the Big Bub-it is as big around as a pie crust before it is cooked. At one point Bonnie said "You ok, Daddy?" Well, they both finished it-and got their picture on the wall as seen below. Way to go, Dad!
They chose the "We're about to puke" pose for their shot!

This picture is from earlier this week-Bonnie and Sam on Adelaide's tricycle built for two:)

Bonnie and Lucy Time

2011-06-16T13:38:00.005-05:00

Day One: Monkey Joe's. It's hard to tell whether they liked bouncing or falling better. They also really enjoyed the cars, as you can see.

Uncle Dex has been in town for work this week, which is always fun. This week has been even better because Lucy and Aunt Mel were able to come, which means Bonnie and I had some quality time with the girls.

They are riding the train at the zoo in this one. They both loved that!

I love the relationship forming between these two. They are making lots of memories that we can joke with them about as they get older:)

Laid Back Since Way Back

2011-06-08T08:41:00.008-05:00

We went to the outdoor store yesterday, and one of the t-shirts for sale said Topsail Island, NC-Laid Back Since Way Back". I like it. That's why I love this vacation so much-no hustle bustle-just hanging out, doing what you want. We've had a a great time so far. A perfect vacation for the end of the school year!
The girls swam in Lucy's blow-up pool yesterday morning. Fun!
They each ate an average of 6 popsicles yesterday-tiny popsicles, but still a lot!
I love my brother, yes I do!
Grandma and Pappaw with the grandgirls and their matching shirts!
Bonnie and Lucy playing at the restaurant

Beach Baby!

2011-06-05T09:54:00.006-05:00

This and That

2011-05-18T20:22:00.005-05:00

Flapping her wings at this year's Spring Program. The video of this little number is hilarious, but unfortunately too long for Blogger.

Uhhhh....check out this serious case of bed head! Niiiiiiice!

The carousel at the carnival in Franklin... as a parent, you finally realize why your own parents were so against these thrown-up-in-a-day carnivals when you were a child.

Is this not the cutest baseball player EVER? Bonnie loved watching Aidan play so much that we even had to watch a random little team practicing while we were at the park earlier.

Easter

2011-05-10T21:05:00.003-05:00

Our pretty Easter girl

Grandma had some special flowers for Bonnie to flower the cross at church.

Friends

2011-05-05T21:26:00.005-05:00

One of my favorite weekend activities is to get together with our friends and cook, play, eat, drink, and laugh. And with four kiddos at this age, we sometimes have tears, too. But, friends make everything just a little bit sweeter. Especially when you have friends as good as ours. Bonnie hosted her first dinner party in her room a few weeks ago. I love these pictures. I love these kids!

Will, Sam, Ansley and Bonnie

Sunday Brunch

2011-04-26T20:52:00.002-05:00

I am no artist, but I had this shot all planned out. And, besides my lack of photographic ability, I love the way it turned out. Take out the flash and the shadow from the street, and I have captured a fantastic moment. We were having brunch at Bonnie's new favorite restaurant, 55 South. She loves to sit in the window and watch the people passing by. I love her expression, and Nana, Da, and Daddy's as well. I love it.

Springtime

2011-04-18T20:16:00.005-05:00

The flowers at Nana and Da's were so beautiful a few weeks ago. I couldn't pass up the chance to take Bonnie's picture.

Erin gave Bonnie this bubble gun for her birthday, and she has loved playing with it since the weather has been so nice.
Daddy and Bonnie at the zoo a few weeks ago. Bonnie was a fan of the flamingos.

This poor goat probably gets sick of being brushed by children all day, but it was a good sport anyway.

Birthday, Part Deux

2011-04-12T20:31:00.005-05:00

On Bonnie's actual birthday, we went to Nana and Da's for a yummy birthday supper. Note how many holes there were in the icing before the cake was even cut!
As the birthday song crescendos, Bonnie's excitement for her cake is out of control. Just check out those dimples.
Just can't get enough icing!

The Big Birthday Party

2011-04-11T20:47:00.005-05:00

All of the kids are watching the Bounce U instructional video before the party started!

Fearless Ansley! Watching Ansley go down the slide about 50 times was one of my favorite parts of the party. I felt like I needed a nap just watching her!

Gigi and Aunt Erin had a fun time in the boxing ring!

Lucy and Bonnie sliding together!

I am frantically trying to catch up on the blog...we'll start with Bonnie's birthday party, which was actually before Spring Break. We had her party at Bounce U, and it was a hit, I believe. Everybody had fun bouncing, sliding, and boxing. It was fun just to watch the kiddos. They had such a great time-definitely worth the money!

Spring Break

2011-04-10T14:15:00.006-05:00

The day that Lucy stayed with us was St. Patrick's Day, so both girls were sporting their green.

First of all, I just want to say thank you for keeping up with us through my blogging hiatus. I have my computer back (thank you, Dad!) and I have a lot of pictures to post, so I plan on having lots of posts in the next few days, so bear with us! I wanted to post some pictures from our Spring Break, which was incredibly already 3 weeks ago. We had a great time in NC at Pap's farm, and getting to hang out with Lucy all day on Thursday. Mom and Dad were in town this weekend, so I grabbed a few pictures from their computer before they left. Again, many thanks for your fortitude in following this blog .

Lucy is giving Bonnie a ride in the stroller.
Bonnie had some close encounters with some animals while we were at Pap's farm for Spring Break. In this picture she is saying, "Hey, Chicken!!"
Camden and Bonnie are just running wild. Camden was so sweet to loan Bonnie his SpongeBob fishing rod.
Bonnie is learning the ins and outs of fishing from Pappaw.

A girl of many hats!

2011-03-16T09:43:00.007-05:00

Well, what can we say? We have a girly-girl on our hands. This child loves to accessorize! Her favorite thing to do is dress up in hats, different shoes, mardi gras beads, bracelets-you name it. If she can get her hands on it, she will put it on. She'll even wear a helmet on her tricycle because it is an accessory. Here are some recent photos of her all done up. Enjoy!

Coming Soon!

2011-03-01T13:58:00.003-06:00

Apologies, everyone!
I let the month of February go by without a blog post. It was a busy month, and I have lots of pictures and videos to post, but I am experiencing some computer problems. And, yes, I also tend to procrastinate!

I do just want to mention that holy moly! I have a two year old! It is incredible to me that the rosy baby the nurse handed me exactly 2 years and one week ago is the same person who reminded me that my shirt was orange the night I tucked her in on her birthday. Time goes by too quickly, but I am trying to soak in every minute of it. I am so blessed. My cup truly runneth over!

I promise to update as soon as my computer issues are solved...hopefully that will be in the month of March!

End of January Pictures

2011-01-30T20:05:00.003-06:00

Just a few new pictures for me to keep up with the blog! For those of you who are counting we've had 9.5 snow days, so we've enjoyed the fabulous weather this weekend. Although it's been fun, it's kind of nice to be saying so long to January.

Her two favorite things: her table that Santa brought and Charlotte painted, and her balloon!

Snow Daze

2011-01-10T20:18:00.008-06:00

We heard the snow was coming our way, so we thought "we've got to get out of the house before the roads get bad!" So, Sunday afternoon we took our girl to the Adventure Science Center. She thought it was pretty fabulous. I had been dreading the snow a little because we only had one and a half snow days left before we would have to start making them up. Don't get me wrong-I'm a school teacher. It is against everything I know to not look forward to a snow day. I would just rather have those days off in warm weather when we can go to the park, swimming pool, etc.

But, when I got up this morning and saw how beautiful the snow was at our house, it completely changed my 'tude. It was a winter wonderland. Besides, there are things you can do on a snowy day that you can't do in the summer-like build a snowman. So, I thought to myself "what would Ruth Tart do?" (for those of you who don't know, that's my grandmother, and the most admirable person I've ever known) Well. I'll tell you exactly what she'd do: she would take that baby out and play in the snow, which is what we did. I have the most wonderful memories of playing in the snow with my grandmother when I was younger. She could flat build a snowman, igloo, sled, spend all day outside-and then come inside and make you the most delicious treats you've ever had. I hope Bonnie has those same memories of snow days. I'm no Ruth, but I aspire to be as close as I can.
I like this picture a lot. She thinks this whole solar system exhibit is pretty neat, well except the "walk through the stars" part. That creeped her out a little bit, but you literally can't see anything.

Back at home on the snowy day-baking cookies.

She's been pretty much hanging in her pjs all day, except when we layered on snow clothes.

Here it is: the big snow man! Impressive, huh? Maybe not, but we did the best we could!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-03T21:03:00.007-06:00

Yay! Bonnie is finally looking at the camera and smiling for pictures...but you have to be quick, because her patience is still a work in progress!

Cousins are clearly too focused on Santa to worry about getting their picture taken!

Bonnie and Aidan just so excited for Santa Claus to come. They were so sweet and cute on Christmas Eve.
We went for a sledding adventure at Grandma and Pappaw's after Christmas. Bonnie and her pal Smokey are checking out the accumulation.

Bonnie's checking out Grandma's "Noopy Dog".

One thing I'll be happy to leave in 2010....the Vols suffered a pretty rough football season this year. Here's Ryan, Bubby, Guerry, and me at the last pitiful game. I still want to cry just thinking of it! Hopefully our young guys will work hard in the off-season, and get ready for a great 2011 season.

Happy 2011 to everyone!

Happy December!

2010-12-21T21:16:00.012-06:00

I love this month! It's been a great December so far. We started it off picking out our Christmas tree, I turned 30 on the 10th, we've already had 3 inches of snow, and best of all-we get to spend lots of time with our favorite people, our friends and family. We'd like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. We are so blessed by the people in our lives!

Snow Day! Bonnie helped me make EggNog Creams (cookies) to share at the Tom Joy Christmas Project Wrapping Party. I think her new favorite activity is washing her hands.
We also made gingerbread men and ginger 0h-snaps! after school one day.

Bubby and me on my birthday

Greatest girlfriends of all time-we had so much fun in downtown Franklin on my birthday!

My favorite Christmas Party-our friends have a silly gift exchange every year, and it is always so much fun. This year it was at Erin's new house, and the gift exchange was memorable once again!
Sam's Junior Christmas Party-Will is standing by to help Sam with his new toy!

Best attempt at a semi-group shot: no one is looking, and two of the kids are not even in the frame!
Bonnie is helping Will open his gift. She has been chomping at the bit to open a present!

Poor Corduroy ended up swimming in Duke's water bowl :(

Merry Christmas to all......and to all a good night!

The Christmas Program

2010-12-04T08:23:00.002-06:00

We're so lucky to have such a great day care for Bonnie. Last night was their Christmas Program, and it was so much fun. All of the kids from infants to Pre-K participated with their own songs, and they didn't think twice about getting up in front of the crowd and performing. They do a really great job of keeping each act quick and the action moving. Here's the toddler class's performance. Bonnie is in the green dress, and I wish I could have gotten a better angle on it. I didn't want her to see me, though. I also didn't get a really sweet part where each of the kids carried a present down the aisle to put under a Christmas Tree for charity. It was really cute, but here's what I did get...

Enjoy!

Thanksgiving...

2010-11-29T21:11:00.008-06:00

...oh wonderful Thanksgiving. We have so much to be thankful for.
Uncle Randy showing Bonnie a baby goat

Branson and I are ready for some kickball! Thanks to Beverly for the fabulous shirts-great idea!

Bonnie and Lucy are pounding out some tunes on Pap's piano.

Oh, the joy a travel airbed can provide!

Bonnie is petting one of the horses at Aunt Alice and Uncle Buck's.

We are so lucky to live in a town where there is always live music. Good live music. So, we decided to take Sam and Bonnie down to Broadway to hear some good music. After all, they've lived in Nashville for almost two years, and hadn't been to a honky tonk yet! They loved it, and you should see Sam dance-that boy has got the moves!

Disclaimer: It was 4:30 in the afternoon when we had our babies in a bar, and it was very tame.

More Fall!

2010-11-16T20:42:00.008-06:00

Checking out the Franklin Pumpkinfest with Dad

Practicing our forward roll!

Bonnie's Halloween outfit wasn't all that creative but she already had a cheerleader outfit, so it worked out perfectly.

Vols cheerleader and Darth Vader!

Remember how scared Bonnie was of the animals back at the fourth of July petting zoo? She kind of liked it a little better this time. First she warmed up to the huge pig from outside the fence.

She really liked the bunny, but the goats still frightened her.

Bubby and I went to the Ole Miss/UT game on Saturday. Talk about a perfect fall day! Beautiful weather, homecoming, and a big Vols win against Ole Miss!

The knuckleheads and me after the game celebrating, or drowning sorrows-depending on how you look at it!

A dream come true

2010-11-01T20:54:00.003-05:00

Bonnie and Lucy playing together, having so much fun, and just being too adorable for words. I think "a dream come true" pretty much sums it up! We are LOVING playing with cousin Lucy when we can, and skyping when we can't see each other in person. She is such a joy~we are so blessed!

Fall Gallore

2010-10-19T20:26:00.016-05:00

Happy Fall everyone! I apologize for neglecting the blog lately. For the past week, I have been obsessed over Dexter and Melanie's blog. As I'm sure you know, they are in China getting Lucy! Hooray! I get up every morning and check their blog, and it's the last thing I do at night. They are on an 11 hour time difference, you see. So, we get to Skype with them in the mornings before they go to bed, and at night when they are getting up. Make sense? Yeah, I am still getting used to it! But, we won't have to wait long because we get to see them on Friday! Yipee! I can't wait because I have the cutest niece in the country, nay, the world!

Here are some Fall pictures we've taken recently. We went to Gentry Farm on Sunday for Aidan's birthday. It is hard to believe our precious nephew is 4 years old! He is getting so big!

Our girl amongst the pumpkins.
This slide was really fun. It had a ladder inside the barn and a fast slide, which she loved.
33 inches, according to the pediatrician, and the large scarecrow.
Sweet cousins!
Bonnie's favorite part was the kitchen in the big barn.
Super-fast slide! Many a young'n ended up with dusty pants because this one pretty much dumps you off at the bottom.
What's more fun than digging in sand? Wheat and corn, of course!
Checking out the goats
Bonnie really enjoyed Aidan's birthday cake and ice cream!

We are on Fall Break this week, and are visiting Grandma and Pappaw. Ahhhhhh Fall Break...the perfect time of year for a week off. We are loving it! We went to the Greene County Pumpkin Patch, and boy did they have some really cool pumpkins. I'll have to take a picture of our carved jack-o-lantern. It turned out quite well!
It's okay, Mama. I've got it! Love how she has her tongue out to the side. She's really working hard!
She's proud of her pumpkin, and she doesn't want any help carrying it.
Okay, let's talk about the car bed. Grandma and Pappaw have this fabulous toddler bed that Bonnie just adores. And who wouldn't? It is a pretty cool bed, after all.
It has a sun roof!
How cool is this bed?

Fall Good Times

2010-10-06T20:47:00.003-05:00

Well, first I have to apologize to my dear friend, Joy. I've been meaning to upload a cute video of Bonnie doing her Dancing with the Stars routine for a really long time now. I really tried to do it tonight, but of course there is a problem with the video. So here is a sweet picture that pretty much sums up why I love fall so much: beautiful days, football, and spending time with friends. I love this picture of Sallie, Sam, Bonnie, and Erin. Joy, I promise to bring the flip to school tomorrow ;)

Wild as a mink, but sweet as soda pop!

2010-09-19T20:39:00.005-05:00

Well, football season is in full swing and already the month of September has flown by, and is already two-thirds over. It happens every year, but it always surprises me, too. We've been busy as usual during this time of year. Bubs and I went to the first UT home game, and Bonnie stayed the week with Grandma and Pappaw since we went the following weekend to Baton Rouge for Dan and Mary Scott's wedding (Yay! Congratulations, Thornes!). Bonnie had a fantastic time at her grandparents' house, and we missed her terribly. But we have enjoyed this past week all the more since she is back home.
She has quite the cute UT wardrobe! She is a Vols girl through and through!

Sallie and Sam came over on Saturday for the game while the dads went to Knoxville for the UT/Florida game. Bonnie and Sam decorated sugar cookies during half-time. They literally played until they dropped, and had a ball.

Check out Bonnie's cheerleader outfit-thanks Grandma and Pappaw!

Saturday in the Park

2010-08-29T20:42:00.006-05:00

This weekend was marked with the official end-of-summer tradition in our family-Bubby's fantasty football draft. It means that fall is right around the corner, and we'll be busy, busy, busy. We're excited about it all. FOOTBALL is here again, our good friends Dan and MSB are getting married, and Sweet Lucy will be coming home from China at long last. Bring it on, fall! Before we know it, we will be getting ready for Christmas. But in the mean time, we're gearing up for next weekend-UT's first game. Let's Go Vols!

Lazy Saturday morning in the park. I call these the kissing holes. She loves to stick her face through, and look for Bubby or me to kiss.

Taking the swinging bridge with full confidence.

Swinging and checking out the other kiddos on their adventures.

Her new favorite thing at the park-the balance beam. She hops off the end and runs back to the beginning saying "gain!" "gain!" (again).

Summer's Last Hurrah

2010-08-09T19:57:00.002-05:00

We had our friends over for the last Saturday night of summer. Here's the precious video of Bonnie and Ansley doing Ring Around the Rosie. So, now summer is over (sigh...), I am getting excited for fall and football season to start. Hooray!

Summertime

2010-07-26T19:58:00.010-05:00

Oops! Apologies, everyone. I typed before I posted pictures, so read the bottom, then look at the pictures. Or, for some of you, it's perfect because you can just do what you came here to do: look at the pictures and be done! From the zoo a couple of weeks ago. I would seriously consider building one of these "soft play areas" to cover our back yard. Especially now that Bonnie is in her climbing stage. It would be great, and Bubby wouldn't have to worry about cutting the grass!

Bonnie and Sam living it up at the zoo! They both loved this area, and riding the carousel side by side.

We went to Carnton Plantation on Sunday night for their Summer Concert Series. Sam is rocking out to the Jimmy Buffett cover band. Check out his faux-hawk. So cute!

Bonnie is trying her best to get Gigi to eat a strawberry.

Bonnie is considering joining in on the dancing, but is thinking twice. We later did the limbo. Bonnie was spectacular, but Daddy and I weren't so great, but at least we tried!

Summertime...

...it makes me think of that great tune from Porgy and Bess. Love it. It has been a whirlwind of a summer so far (and I say so far because I am hanging on to my last two weeks of summer by my fingernails). I've either been leaving town or coming back in town every weekend since June 5, and I really wouldn't change a thing. Don't get me wrong, it is nice to put away the suitcases for awhile, but this summer has been great. I am buying a lottery ticket for every draw in hopes that I won't have to go back to school in two weeks...wish me luck! The only comfort of summer ending is that fall will be right around the corner. Another season that I love, maybe the most, if I could combine it with getting a break from work for two months. But at any rate, I cannot complain because I am very blessed.

Most recently we've travelled to Morristown for two showers in honor of Dexter, Melanie, and Lucy. It is getting so close, and the excitement is pretty much out of control at this point. We are counting weeks instead of months, and it's a good thing because we are all so excited. Now she has clothes, and shoes, and a beautiful room filled with great toys and other gifts just waiting on her. It seems so real, and so wonderful. I just can't wait to meet her.

Here are a few photos from our recent adventures. They are dedicated to Aunt Brooksie, who lives in dreary old Manhattan and misses Bonnie and Samuel so. She stays on me to update my blog, and I am grateful, because sometimes I am neglectful of it. Right now, for instance, I would probably be asleep on the couch instead of updating the blog if I hadn't gotten an email from her. So, here you go Aunt Brooksie. We love you, and can't wait to see you in a few weeks!

A Fun Fourth!

2010-07-12T21:04:00.004-05:00

Happy Birthday, America! We had fun celebrating the Fourth of July this year. We went down to Franklin on the Fourth. They closed off the streets and had some awesome barbecue, and a fun petting zoo. Well, Aidan at least enjoyed the petting zoo. A goat got a little too close to Bonnie, and she did not like it! She did enjoy riding around and waving her flag, though. I wish I knew how to upload the pictures that Bubby took on his phone onto the blog. Does anyone know how to do that? I have gotten as far as using the power cord (also a USB) and plugging it into the computer. I just don't know what to do after that. I need some help here, and as I am a visual learner, I cannot consult the owner's manual.

Anyway, after Franklin on the Fourth, we went to Guerry and Sallie's for a cookout. We had a great day, and we hope you did, too! The only bad thing about it is that it means summer is going by too fast! Not on the fourth, but I love this one with the watering can-classic summer!

Bonnie and Sam playing on the fourth!

Ansley and Bonnie sporting their matching swimsuits!

Will and Sam having fun in the pool, cooling off!

Seagrove

2010-07-03T21:13:00.016-05:00

We had a wonderful time in Seagrove this week with Nana, Da, Uncle Ryan, and Aidan. The weather? Not the best. I think we got the outer bands of Hurricane Alex for about four days. Luckily, we were able to get out to the beach and pool between the breaks. We also had a beautiful day yesterday before we came home. It was fun and relaxing, and we had some great food. Thanks, in part, to Bubby, his dad, Ryan and Guerry catching some yummy grouper and snapper for us!

And no, we did not see any oil or smell it. We did see plenty of BP workers out on the sand looking for it. The captain of the deep sea fishing charter that took the guys out said that there are 126 charters that go out of Destin Harbor. Out of those, only 12 are still fishing. The rest are working for BP, out looking for oil and reporting it. So, it is definitely visible, even though we actuually saw no oil.

We did have two celebrity sightings, though, which is always fun. We saw Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboy and more importantly, former Vol Tight End. We also saw Sean Payton, the coach of the Saints. Don't know what was up with the NFL sightings!

Here are some photos from the trip. We had a lot of fun, and I am really looking forward to sleeping in my bed tonight!

This huge moose came through the restaurant and totally awed Bonnie and Aidan!

Bonnie is having a strawberry at breakfast

Yum! French Toast!

Checking out the pier in Baytowne with Dad

Playing Peek-a-boo in the curtains

She LOVED playing with Aidan and Uncle Ryan!

Aidan loved playing in the tide pools. Notice the weather-not ideal, but it could have been worse!

The rain didn't deter Bonnie one bit. As a matter of fact, we had to chase her down and bring her out of it!

Dad, Bonnie, Guerry, and Sam in the pool. We were lucky to be on vacation at the same time as Guerry, Sallie, and Sam, so we had playdates just like at home!

Bonnie's face is so funny in this picture. We were talking to some people from Franklin, and they were telling us how cute she is. This is the face she was making the whole time. Not sure what it means, but it was cute!

We stopped in Alabama on the way home to let Bonnie pick some blueberries, because she loves them so much. I love this picture of her and Brandon!

Ft. Lauderdale

2010-06-25T21:26:00.007-05:00

Somehow, I got lucky enough to go to the beach 3 times in the month of June. Lucky, right? As a matter of fact, Bubby is loading the car as we speak to go to Destin with Nana, Da, Ryan, and Aidan tomorrow. We are excited! Last weekend, I headed to Ft. Lauderdale with some of my girlfriends to celebrate Katie G's (aka Gigi's) birthday. She turned the big 3-0 in style! It was really nice to get away with my girls for a weekend. We always have a great time together, and it has been awhile since we've all been on a trip with just the girls. Here are some photos from our trip:
G, Katie, me, Brooks, and Courtney poolside.

Katie and me in our cabana, our "bed by the sea". Talk about comfortable! These mamas enjoyed getting some relaxation time!

G and me at her birthday dinner at Shulas

Katie and Erin getting some R & R on the beach

Erin, me, Bethany, and Katie after dinner at Yolo. Incidently, you've never smelled more cologne in your life than at a trendy bar in Ft. Lauderdale. Those dudes are serious about their skinny jeans and smelling good!

The Original Big Kids

2010-06-16T13:56:00.002-05:00

Here's the picture that inspired the one of Bonnie, Hayden, and Camden on the cooler last week. We were at Portsmouth Island, and I would say it was the mid eighties by the looks of it. We had so much fun on those trips, and used our imaginations well....as you can tell.
L-R: Dexter, Todd, Jay, and me. Ahhh, wonderful childhood memories.

Beach Pictures!

2010-06-11T20:42:00.012-05:00

Well, tonight is our last night at the beach. We are a little sad because we had such a great week. But, we are so, so, so excited to see Daddy tomorrow. That makes leaving the beach easier, although it is tough to leave such a beautiful place where we've had so much fun. Here are some pictures from the last few days. Oh by the way, how do you like the new layout? I am testing it out. We'll see how it goes...

Bonnie's uniform for the week: diaper and t-shirt

I like the backward cap-it adds a little something to complete the outfit.

The family picture before Dex, Mel, and Pap had to leave :(

The World's Best Uncle and Aunt

Our sand crab

She loves to break up the clumps of sand!

Grandma and Bonnie!

Fun times with cousins! Up on the top bunk having so much fun!

Cousin Camden having fun in the sand!

The cooler picture!

I will have to scan and post the "Original Big Kids" picture of me, my brother, Jay, and Todd on the cooler circa 1985. This is re-make of the original with the next generation.

This picture is so funny because she was actually fussing, but it looks like she's all smiles!

Pretty girl in her pretty dress that Ansley gave her for her birthday

Topsail Island

2010-06-08T13:06:00.009-05:00

Bonnie and I are continuing to live the good life this week. We're in NC with my family having a ball. Here are some shots from Dexter and Melanie's camera from our trip so far. We sure are enjoying it~
Here's Pappaw flying a kite.

Bonnie got a new hat, which she is enjoying (sometimes).

Ready to hit the beach!

Uncle Dex is getting her ready for the sun....so cute! Luckily, they wear the same SPF.

She likes her beach chair, and the sand.

Walking the beach in her pjs. What's better than a morning walk on the beach?

Sweetest picture of Bonnie and Uncle Dex. Don't you know that she can say Dex-ter almost better than any other word in her emerging vocabulary? That's a pretty hard word-and that's because he's extra special to her. She loves her Uncle Dex and Aunt Mel. Annnnd-They got some exciting news yesterday! China has sent their LOA, so they are officially Lucy's parents! Hooray! They can now proceed with the next step-getting Visas. They had to leave the beach to go get it done. We will miss them the rest of the week, but we're so excited to be one step closer to Lucy!!

Yay for Summer!

2010-06-03T12:35:00.008-05:00

"School's Out for Summer!" and Bonnie and I are taking full advantage! We've had a great week so far, and we're only two days away from our trip to the beach with Grandma, Pappaw, Uncle Dex, Aunt Mel, and Pap. We are getting so excited. I just wanted to add some pictures from this week before we hit the road.
I've been trying to have her stay awake longer in the morning, and to take her nap more mid-day. The result? She falls asleep in her high chair!

We went swimming with Sallie, Sam, and Mrs. Ida Louise. Bonnie liked it a lot better than the baby pool.

We've been to the park a lot. She can now navigate the whole playground apparatus, and goes down the big slide all by herself.

Not even thinking twice about the big slide.

Yay! A good close-up! This is exciting because usually I get something more like the two photos seen below. Mary Scott and I were laughing about this the other day, and I thought I should include some eyes-closed pictures, too. That is what 75% of my pictures are, after all!

Lovely.

Classic!

A girl and her Pap

2010-05-30T08:31:00.002-05:00

We had an intresting week. The good news is that school is out-hooray! The drama this week has been our leaking pipe from the street to our house. This has earned us the title "The biggest Jerks in Nashville". At least it appears that way. You see, after the flood, our city was on mandatory water conservation since one of the two water plants was completely out of use. We took this very seriously. We conserved as much as we possibly could, and we jeered at the reports on the news of people who were stockpiling water and going to the car wash.

Then we got our water bill from this month, and it was 5 times the usual amount!! Apparently, we had a leak, and I'm sure the mayor's office had us tagged as a household who was stockpiling water in our tub, pots, pans, etc. Anyway, we had the plumber come out to give us an estimate-which was outrageous-so Bubby ended up digging a ditch through our front yard on Monday to cut the cost of the plumber's bill. The good part about all of this is that my dad came to help with the ditch, and we ended up getting to enjoy some bonus Pap time! See, every cloud does have a silver lining!

Here's a sweet video of Bonnie and Pap taking a walk:

Wild Woman

2010-05-18T20:50:00.011-05:00

Well, it has been too long since I have blogged. Gee, if only I had a couple months off from work so I could just get caught up on some things. Oh wait! That is going to happen in just a week and a half-yipee!! I am officially counting down the days until the end of another school year, and getting so excited about the upcoming summer. We've been so busy lately. Even though Nashville has had the rainiest month on record and we have been a little bummed because our house hasn't sold, neither has stopped us from getting out and enjoying this wonderful time of year.

So here's what we've been up to lately:
taking walks

lifting weights

playing alot!

hanging with Sam, and attempting to have fun in his baby pool, but Bonnie wasn't a fan. Oh well, she had fun hanging out at the table with him

Mommy and Daddy went to Steeplechase and had a great time with our friends

We had our friends over for a cookout, and had some fun playtime.

Bonnie picked some flowers for Sam

Sam picked some flowers for Bonnie

Will got to hang out with Aunt Erin on the couch. He was very happy about it!

Silly girl, just playing-what she loves best!

Get ready-she is so big! Doesn't she look so big in this picture?

Ta-da!

2010-05-04T07:26:00.002-05:00

Miss Bonnie has been practicing her walking the past few days. She will now take a few steps with some prompting. She's getting pretty good, as you can see, she can even turn around! She just doesn't choose to walk as much as she crawls!

On another note, we are thankful to let you know that we are all doing fine after the flood. We didn't suffer any damage, and as a matter of fact we never even lost power. One of our windows leaked a little, which puts us in the lucky category. So many Nashvillians are suffering heavy losses of property. Please continue to keep our city in your prayers. It will be a long road to get back on our feet.

Is she walking yet?

2010-04-28T21:07:00.005-05:00

Just wanted to share some updated pictures...and for those of you who are wondering, she still isn't walking. I have incurred a little bit of mommy guilt because I am often told that I must be spoiling her by carrying her too much or I've put shoes on her too early. That's okay, though. I'm sure I've taken too much of the credit in other areas. Enjoy the pictures, and have a great weekend!

EASTER picture!! Grandma, Bonnie, and Pappaw-I love, love, love this picture! Bonnie is practicing her fierce look in case she ever wants to become a supermodel.

Favorite Sunday afternoon activity? Watching Daddy cut the grass. She goes from window to window!

She loves playing with her baby and stroller.

...and give her baby the bottle

Wearing Daddy's shoes in the kitchen

Sliding

2010-04-13T19:59:00.002-05:00

Look who's a pro at going down the slide all by herself!

Sweet Springtime

2010-04-11T20:44:00.009-05:00

Yay! Springtime is finally here! We've loved being outside the past couple of weeks. We are so fortunate to have a park across the street. The weather has been so nice I think we've been over there almost every day. Here are some of my favorites from this season so far. I will upload some of Bonnie on Easter, but we took all the pictures of that day on Mom's camera, so it may be awhile before I post them. But, I promise to post them!
Bonnie and Sheila at the Simmon's egg hunt. Sheila's sister took some beautiful photos from the hunt (including this one)!

Bonnie and Sam at the hunt

Bonnie has adapted this hands and feet crawl since she's been wearing dresses. It's pretty cute.

She's still practicing walking, but getting more brave all the time.

I tried to take some pictures of Bonnie with the beautiful flowers at Nana and Da's, but she wasn't interested in any flowers. She wanted to check out the fountain. But, I love this one anyway!

At least some flowers made it into the background!

Sweet girl just checking it out. I like this one, too:)

My Niece Lucy!!!!!!

2010-03-29T20:37:00.002-05:00

It is official-my brother and sister-in-law got their picture and referral for their daughter, Lucy Liya Justis! Little does that sweet girl know, but her life just changed on March 25. She is getting a set of incredible parents, not to mention an aunt that is already nuts over her. It's wonderful how overwhelming happiness can sneak up on you. I thought that I was as happy as could be to just know that Dexter and Melanie would become parents. When they called to tell me they got the referral, it was just amazing. I will never forget it-just a feeling of sheer joy-and longing to be there to hug their necks.

Now, I just have to be patient and wait for her to get here:) Keep them in your thoughts as they prepare to welcome sweet Lucy. Oh, and if you want to see her precious face, just click on their blog! I promise it will make you smile. Yay for Dexter, Melanie and Lucy!

School Play and Simmons Egg Hunt

2010-03-27T20:16:00.011-05:00

We've had a great weekend so far celebrating certain Springtime rites of passage. Bonnie was in a Springtime Easter Pageant at school. She was a flower-so cute. Then, our favorite team is in the Elite 8, which is awesome. And today we went over to the Simmons' Easter Egg Hunt. It's been a great weekend!
Here's a picture of Bonnie in her 'stume Friday night.

She and Sam decided to sit out the hunt, and had other friends bring them some of their eggs.

Super-cute-Sam

Ansley was sweet enough to share her eggs. She did a great job finding some good ones!

Post-egg hunt. Some of the kiddos had an after-party in Sam's room. Bonnie's already had a wardrobe change into PJs because she had water all over her dress.

Bonnie and Ansley are hanging out at Sam's table. Have you ever seen a more precious piece of children's furniture? Our very talented friend Charlotte painted it.

The dudes are hanging out while all the wild women run around playing.

Bonnie's bunny ears actually stayed on for awhile, surprisingly. But, then they were history. She did appease us long enough to get a picture with Daddy.

OK, I am having trouble uploading the video from the pageant. I'm not sure if it's because it's too long or what. I will look into it!

Well, life on the farm is kind of laid back...

2010-03-18T20:15:00.008-05:00

...there ain't much an ol' country girl like Bonnie can't hack!

Hello out there! It has been awhile since I've blogged. Can't believe March is two-thirds over already. Don't you just love Springtime? Or at least this last little part of winter is here, but Spring is so close that you are just giddy anyway. The first few daffodils are out, the sun has made an appearance, and the temperature has surpassed 60 degrees-an even bigger blessing this year!

We have been on Spring Break this week, and Bonnie and I have had a big time with Grandma and Pappaw visiting Pap in North Carolina. I have always loved going to visit our family in North Carolina. I have so many great memories of playing with all my cousins growing up. We were always up to something. I love getting field peas with lunch, a treat from Sherry's Bakery, and still playing kickball every year with my cousins. Plus, I love spending time with my Pap. He's just a cool guy. I loved him as a child, but really enjoy his company as an adult. He's so funny! And, I am really proud of him. He had surgery recently, and he has worked so hard in therapy to regain his strength and mobility. It was a great thing to see, especially since he wasn't doing all that great last time I saw him at Thanksgiving. He is doing so much better, and we are all so grateful.

I think Bonnie also enjoys the Greater Benson/Newton Grove area as well, and will probably grow to love it just as much as me. Here are some photos from her adventure this trip:

Eating breakfast at Triangle Waffle-Pap's a regular for breakfast, so everyone already knew she was coming. They all had a fit over her!

Going for a golf cart ride

Watching her pup run around like a crazy dog-having a ball. She knows EVERY mudhole in Meadow, I'm convinced. She is pretty good about washing off in the pond anyway. Besides, she hardly ever wants to come in while we're there. She lays under the carport and waits for someone to drive up to throw her ball for her.

Bonnie and Pappaw feeding the fish

She's demonstrating how to use Pap's walker in this one.

Checking on the goats-yep, they're still in there!

Birthday Dinner at Nana and Da's House

2010-02-28T19:39:00.010-06:00

Here are some photos of Bonnie's birthday dinner. She is feeling much better now, and we hope that the ear infections are behind her. But, she still managed to have a great birthday despite being under the weather. These pictures were from the day after her birthday.

What a face!

I love this picture because she looks like she has those fake "Bubba" teeth in her mouth. She is too cute!

Her cake and mini-cake.

Nana and Dad presenting her cake during "Happy Birthday". She looks perplexed by this....

....but it didn't take her long to appreciate it!

Touchdown!!

Cool purse from Uncle Ryan and Aidan!

She got a doll from Nana and Da. She loves it!

Happy Birthday, Teeny!

2010-02-22T19:50:00.005-06:00

On her actual birthday-in pajamas and on the couch, but with a smile for us. That's our girl!

Playing with her birthday balloon with Daddy the morning after her party

Playing with best friend Ansley at her party...more pictures forthcoming!

Well, our Teeny Little Super Girl is one today! Wow! What a year it has been. It is so hard to think about that little teeny tiny baby when I see my big girl. We have certainly been blessed. Bonnie is such a joy to us and everyone!

We had a great party on Saturday with our friends and family. The weather was perfect-so nice to see the sun again. We were able to be outside for a lot of it, which was great. It was so nice to celebrate this incredible year with the people who have just given us so much support and love. We wish we could have invited about 30 more people, but with 1200 square feet in February you just can't count on everyone having a good time being packed in like sardines.

We were supposed to go over to Nana and Da's house tonight for Bonnie's birthday supper, but yep, the daycare called at 1:30 to say that she had a 102 fever, so Bonnie and Daddy spent the afternoon going to the doctor and snuggling on the couch. Double ear infection-go figure. Oh well, we'll celebrate tomorrow night. It's like her Aunt Mel told her: it's better to stretch out your birthday as long as you can!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-13T07:13:00.004-06:00

Bonnie's class at daycare exchanged Valentines yesterday, and Bonnie had her first taste of candy. If this is any test for how much she will like her birthday cake, then we are in for a real treat. I think she may have a little bit of a sweet tooth. She is her mama's daughter, after all.

I hope that everyone has a wonderful Valentine's Day. Brandon and I celebrated last night. We had a delicious dinner at Cafe Nonna, and then we went for drinks at Patterson House. We felt kind of old and lame because we had decided that if there was no parking around Patterson House, then we would just come home and go to bed. However, there was a spot. So we went in and paid $11 a drink with all of the trendy Nashvillians. All in all, a great, fun evening. Great food and fantastic company, a perfect Valentine's celebration!
She's thinking, "Oh, thank you Daddy, for this most wonderful treat!"

And in this one she's thinking, "Best day ever!"

I've tried for 12 hours to upload the video of her opening Valentines, and I'm frustrated with that....but enjoy the pictures! Happy Valentines Day!

Sleepy Lunchtime

2010-01-29T12:44:00.003-06:00

Miss Bonnie was having a grilled cheese on this glorious snowday. She got verrry sleeeepy, and couldn't make it through the green beans. Warning: I would not watch this video if you are at work and feel a little tired. This will only make you want to curl up and take a nap!

Pictures!

2010-01-20T20:16:00.006-06:00

I've had a few people complain about not having many pictures since we got the Flip camera, and to make it worse I haven't posted (or taken) many pictures OR videos lately. Geesh! I've got to get on the ball. We've been pretty busy lately. Brandon has been out of town a lot, and Bonnie has either been sick or getting over being sick. I hate to complain because they are all minor illnesses in the great scheme of things, but it sure will be nice when Spring gets here so that hopefully all the germs will go away, we can spend more time outside, and Daddy will not be on the road as much.

On another note, it is hard to believe that Bonnie will be 11 months old Friday. I find myself doing a double take sometimes because she is so big and doing so many things. It seems like lately someone has pushed the fast forward button! I can't believe that this precious girl crawling around and babbling is my little baby. People warned me, but WOW! Time really does fly!
Sitting pretty. Note that she has enough hair to (barely) hold a real bow!

Oops! The point of this cup is to hold the goldfish IN!

Playing with toys and oh so big. Did I mention she is getting 4 new teeth?

After bathtime....she loves taking a bath in the tub, but she doesn't like getting on her pjs when she's done!

Peek-a-boo

2010-01-10T19:21:00.002-06:00

Okay, I promise to slow down with the videos. We've just had so much fun recording Bonnie's antics the past few days. I need to remember to get out the regular camera every now and again! But, here's one more for now...enjoy!

Baby, it's cold outside

2010-01-07T19:12:00.002-06:00

Well, the weather has been interesting this week. It has been so cold for such a long time. They've been calling for snow all week. They called off school last night (yipee!), AND.........we got a dusting. Seriously, a dusting. I have been looking forward to taking Bonnie's picture in the snow for the first time, but I'm afraid you wouldn't be able to tell if it was snow or if the film was just bad on the camera. It wasn't worth Bonnie or I getting out of our pajamas, which is where we have been all day. Don't get me wrong. I will never complain about getting out of school. And to make it even better, we are out again tomorrow. We have never gotten out two consecutive days in my 5 1/2 year tenure with Metro, so that in itself is exciting. I just always pictured it would be because we had at least 3 inches!

So, anyway, I hope this video warms you up a little. It's Bonnie playing with Duke, Guerry and Sallie's dog (Samuel's dog). He is so sweet-and he can clap! How many dogs do you know that can clap?

Videos!

2010-01-04T20:40:00.002-06:00

Brandon and I got a really cool flip video camera for Christmas (thank you Mom and Dad), and we've been making a ton of videos of Bonnie. I am pretty sure that was the point-we upload videos of Bonnie for Grandma and Grandad! Here's the trial run. I am still trying to figure it all out. But, if you are in the market for a video camera, I would highly recommend the flip. It is really simple to use, and it has really cool features. I am just trying to figure out the editing! Best of all, it is really small so you can always have it handy. There will be more videos to come for sure!

This is one of Bonnie and her friend Ansley playing at our house. They had such a great time together. Of course we didn't have the camera handy when they did the really cute stuff like hug each other!

Simply having a wonderful Christmastime

2009-12-27T11:15:00.011-06:00

We're having a wonderful holiday break. It started out kind of rough with Bonnie having bronchiolitis and an earache, but she was on the mend by Christmas Eve. Now we are in Morristown for a few days spending time with Grandma, Pappaw, Uncle Dex, and Aunt Mel. We hope that everyone has had a great Christmas as well. We love you all!

We went to lunch with our friends on Christmas Eve for Aunt Sallie's birthday. Here's a picture of Bonnie with her Aunt Gigi.

She kept getting distracted by the bow, but eventually she opened her first present from Aunt Gigi.

She's getting the hang of it!

It's a piggy bank! The perfect gift from Aunt GiGi-the accountant!

After she opened her first gift, she was ready for more after her nap!

Cousins Nick and Hayley are so sweet!

Bonnie got a really cool phone from Aunt Connie and Uncle Wayne on Christmas Eve.

Aidan and Bonnie on Christmas Eve

Daddy and Bonnie by Nana's Christmas tree on Christmas Eve.

Bonnie was impressed with Aidan's train station on Christmas morning. He was so sweet. He wanted Bonnie to play with it, too!

Thanksgiving and Such

2009-12-14T20:43:00.011-06:00

We had yet another great Thanksgiving at Pap's house. It is so wonderful when all the family converges on Meadow for a great time, fabulous food, wonderful company, and a friendly game of kickball. It just doesn't get any better!

Eating lunch with Colton on Thanksgiving. She loves it!

Bonnie and Cousin Camden-She was only one day away from being born on his first birthday. It looks like they're plotting something in the picture!

Sweet cousins!

The annual cousin card game-this year we branched out and played Catch Phrase as well. And, we had to go out to the barn because of sleeping Bonnie at Pap's house.

Mommy attempting to catch a fish with Daddy on Pap's really cool pier-he can even drive his golf cart out on it!

Uncle Dex is giving Bonnie a bath in Pap's sink.

From Thanksgiving to Christmas. "Okay, Mom. I'll sit for one picture with my first tree."

"Okay. That was it. See you later!"

Samuel came over to watch the SEC Championship game. He's really into the game. Bonnie is really into him!

They say we're young, and we don't know. We won't find out until we grow...

....So put your little hand in mine. There ain't a hill or mountain we can't climb.

Adventures in Crawling

2009-12-01T20:38:00.004-06:00

Well, Little Miss Bonnie has been into a lot since I last posted. Most of all, she has been scooting. I would not call it crawling, as she is not up on all fours. But she is becoming very effecient in getting from one place to another. Most of all she just wants to get somewhere that she can pull up. She's getting very good at this as well!

On another note, I hope all of you have had a great Thanksgiving, and are geared up for the Christmas season. We had a great trip to NC for Thanksgiving, even though we had to take Bonnie to the ER for an ear infection on Friday. Of course none of the pediatricians' offices were open in a 5 town radius, so we ended up in the ER. But, being our little trooper, Bonnie did well. And most importantly she is feeling much better!
How proud is she for pulling up like a big girl? I love this picture!

After awhile she gets tired of standing up and needs help sitting back down. But she immediately pulls up again!

Another pull-up picture. You can tell that the coffee table is her favorite prop. I like this one because she's wearing her red boots that Aunt Mel bought her in NC.

Bonnie's Christening Photos

2009-11-15T19:02:00.002-06:00

Do you want to check out the photos from Bonnie's big day? Just go to: www.bethlessardphotography.com. Click on "Proofing". Our password is Bonnie (it is case sensitive). They'll be up until Saturday. We are so pleased with them. If you're looking for a photographer in Middle Tennessee, we highly recommend Beth. She is so talented, and such a sweet person as well. Well, what are you waiting for? Go check them out!

Wednesday Fun Day!

2009-11-12T19:51:00.004-06:00

Bonnie's daycare was closed for Veteran's Day, so I elected to take the day off to hang out with her. I'm sure I could have made arrangements for Bonnie, but I was all too happy to volunteer. I needed a day off, anyway. It was such a great day, and the weather was so beautiful. We had so much fun!
This picture isn't really from Wednesday. It's from Sunday, but I had to post it anyway because I love it so much.

Ok, so maybe raking leaves wouldn't be first on the list of things I'd like to do on my day off with Bonnie, but it had to be done. We had fun anyway...and we got some vitamin D. Plus it was worth it. Our yard is looking better than ever thanks to Bubby working so hard and planting new grass. And, we got a lawnmower from Mom and Dad. That has been a big help as well!

Sallie was having a lunch for some friends with babies. Luckily for us, it just happened to be on the day I got to stay home. We had so much fun! We tried to take a picture of all the babies together, which was an adventure.

Take two: Adelaide's making a break for it! She's had enough of babysitting!

Bonnie's Big Weekend

2009-11-02T20:00:00.009-06:00

She had a very good weekend, indeed. It started Friday with her grandparents coming to town and picking her up early from daycare. The fun continued on Saturday with more grandparent spoiling, the Franklin Pumpkinfest, and Uncle Dex and Aunt Mel coming in town. And, she topped it all off with her Baptism and luncheon Sunday. Thank you Nana and Da for hosting such a wonderful party! I don't have many photos of her baptism yet (besides this beautiful picture her Uncle Dex and Aunt Mel took), but you can get a peak at http://www.bethlessardphotography.com/

Pretty girl in her dress. Isn't this a great photo?

Aunt Mel and Uncle Dex feeding her some fruit and vegetable yogurt.

Nana and her Bumblebee

Dad, Bonnie, and the Great Pumpkin

Our precious neighbor, Mrs. Rhoda, and Bonnie. This was her one and only Trick-or-Treating stop.

What a fun weekend!

Miss Smiles-a-lot

2009-10-27T17:15:00.004-05:00

First of all, aren't these shoes so cute? I wanted to take a picture of them, and I love how her ankles are crossed!

So cute after church on Sunday

She's working on trying to crawl....

Bonnie and Dad watching football Sunday afternoon

8 Months Old!

2009-10-18T11:58:00.002-05:00

Well, not quite, but she will be 8 months old this Thursday. Hard to believe, I know! Here is a sweet fall picture I made this morning after church. We are so blessed with our sweet, happy girl!

Bloomington!

2009-10-06T19:54:00.008-05:00

We went to Bloomington last weekend to visit Emily and Bettis. We had such a great time. Every time we get to be with the Bettises it's just so much fun. We always look forward to it so much, but then it goes by too fast. But, we sure did have fun while we were there, and we got to see a Big Ten football gameday atmosphere.

Dad and Bonnie at the tailgate. Go Hoosiers!

Emily is tickling Bonnie at lunch...she loves it!

Emily, Courtney, and Bonnie. Courtney is expecting a little girl in January. She has on a really cute shirt that says, "Hoosier Mama?"

Tailgating! Yay!

Mrs. Nancy and Bonnie

Dad and Bonnie taking a stroll around the stadium

As you may have noticed, I have added a blog to my Favorites list. As most of you know, my "aunt clock" has been ticking for awhile now, since my brother has been married for 8 years. But, I am thrilled to say that my brother and sister-in-law are adopting a child! They tell me not to get too excited yet because it might take awile. But I just can't help it-I am beside myself with joy because they are going to be the most amazing parents. Lucy is going to be one lucky girl, and I am going to be one proud aunt. So, if you want to follow along on their adventure, check in with them via their blog. And, please keep Lucy, Dexter, and Melanie in your prayers. We just can't wait to get her here: safe and sound and showered with love by our family!

She's Bee-autiful!

2009-09-30T19:47:00.010-05:00

Trial run of Bonnie's Halloween Costume. It's so cute-it even has a little stinger on the back!

I want to eat her up all of the time, but the bee costume is irresistable!

My parents came in town this past weekend, and it was so much fun, as always. Here's a shot Mom took of Bonnie playing in her bed while Mom and I packed up all of her too-small clothes and baby gear. Wow! I can't believe she's outgrown so much so fast!

This is what I found when I heard her wake up from her nap.

Bonnie is wearing the Smokey hat at Cracker Barrell. Mom and Dad taught her how to wave and say hi. She's still working on it!

Mom, Dad, and Bonnie before Bonnie's first UT game in Morristown.

Bonnie loves, loves, loves her Grandma. And, I'm pretty sure the feeling's mutual!

Another photo from Labor Day. She raspberried the whole weekend! She's pretty much over that now, but still does it on occasion. Thank goodness she doesn't do it very much while she's eating anymore!

She's eating puffs at Cracker Barrell. I think she looks like Brandon in this picture!

Some Tom Joy friends met last night for pizza. Bonnie's got that Joy, Joy, Joy down in her heart. She's under Joy's spell of love in this picture! Bonnie adores Joy, but that makes sense. Her Mom adores Joy as well!

Fun Weekend

2009-09-20T19:37:00.010-05:00

We had so much fun this weekend hanging out with our friends and family. Bonnie loved having her friends over to watch the UT game on Saturday!

Bonnie woke up early on Saturday to play!

She had some quality time with Dad and Susie.

Her boyfriend Samuel came over to watch the game with her. Isn't he absolutely adorable? Bonnie sure thinks so.

Bonnie "jumped" on the Vols. Everyone else cheered them on, but Bonnie contributed by jumping!

Bonnie always loves to see and play with her GiGi!

How much did Bonnie love Jim and Grace? So much!

And, of course, she loved getting in some play time with Aunt Erin.

Bonnie and Samuel's first photo together. Sallie and I also tagged along on their lunch date today.

Bonnie and Mom played on Sunday while Dad went to the Titan's game. We had a fun time taking a walk and going to lunch with Sallie and Samuel. We had so much fun, in fact, that she hasn't taken a nap today, and was in bed by 6:30.

She loves playing with her toys on her playmat. It's her new favorite activity. She's really studying them in this picture!

Around the House

2009-09-17T19:58:00.009-05:00

I've tried to get a few pictures of Bonnie just hanging out this week, but the problem is that she will not hold still! She just likes to bounce, roll, and laugh too much to take a picture. So, sorry some of them are a little blurry!
First biter biscuit-success!

Bonnie and her pal Susie just waiting for Mom to give them some food!

She has two teeth, but I couldn't get a good picture. It's a good picture of a smile, though!

Hanging out with Dad, Susie, and Violet-her talking dog!

Bath time! It is so nice not to have to drag out her infant tub now that she can sit up so well.

She loves playing with her rubber duckie. Sorry about another blurry one!

Sitting Pretty

2009-09-09T20:53:00.004-05:00

Our big girl is sitting up unassisted! Hooray! Here are some photos I've snapped the last couple of days.

A girl on rocky top with two great uncles!

2009-09-07T17:43:00.006-05:00

Hey all!
Well, we've had a great long weekend. We went to Morristown to spend some time with the family, and Brandon and I went to the UT game on Saturday. We were very happy with the outcome, and Bonnie had a great time with her grandparents. She also got to meet her Great Uncle Hue (Thanks for coming down from D.C. UH! We love you!) and she got to meet her Great Uncle Larry on the way home on Sunday. What a wonderful time we had. We hope all of you have had a great weekend as well, and we appreciate you checking in with us. As another summer officially comes to a close, we have two things to say: Welcome, Fall! Go Vols!

Bonnie's Great Uncle Hue, my mom's brother

Bonnie's Great Uncle Larry, Brandon's mom's brother

Bonnie and Grandad

Grandma and Grandad bought a swing for their house. Bonnie liked it a lot!

Bonnie's UT dress (the 6 month version). Look at this face-so cute!

Another funny face. Her Uncle Dexter asked, "What did you do? Show her an Alabama picture for her to make that face?"

Finally!

2009-08-30T16:36:00.010-05:00

Yay! I am finally able to add some more photos of Bonnie to the blog! I was afraid I might start receiving threats if I didn't add some pictures soon. Actually, Brooks did threaten to not talk to me anymore if I didn't.

Can you believe that Bonnie is 6 months old? I can't! Time flies so quickly. We have been really busy lately. Bonnie has started daycare, and is doing really well. Her teacher says that she is the easiest baby she's had in a long time. Also, our good friends Sallie and Guerry had their little Samuel last week. We are so happy to finally meet him. He is so wonderful!

Here are some things about Bonnie at 6 months:

Everywhere we go people always ask "Is she always this happy?" and I have to say yes. She is very content, especially when we are out and she gets to see new people. We are so fortunate!

She likes all of her fruits and vegetables so far.

She has a tooth! It just broke through, and it's so tiny!

She has become a little clingy. She doesn't like it when Brandon or I walk out of the room sometimes.

She is so much fun-I love being her mom!
Pretty girl

She still loves her Jumperoo!

Check out those beautiful legs!

Henry and Amanda came over before school started. I love this picture of Bonnie holding on to him!

She still enjoys being with her puppy. She laughs at Susie now, and gets really exciting to see her. Susie still loves to lick her face. Susie is benefitting from Bonnie trying new foods. The first time we gave Bonnie those little puffs, she ate one while Susie ate 3 that fell on the floor!

Pretty girl hanging out with Mom before she had to go back to school.

Shoes! This is her real first pair of shoes. She has others that don't fit yet, but these were so cute that my dad went nuts for them when he was here visiting. He had to have them for Bonnie.

This one's for you, Aunt Brooksie. Sorry it took so long to post, and thanks for the great dress!

Coming soon...

2009-08-20T20:36:00.002-05:00

Hi Everyone!
I apologize for the lack of posts lately. The hold-up is caused by two reasons:

1. I have started back to school, and I am still learning how to squeeze my Bonnie time into 4-5 hours a day when I am used to spending all day with her.

2. I lost my camera, but my dad has loaned me his. Mom and Dad are sending me the cord to hook up to my computer very soon.

Thank you for being so patient, and for keeping up with us through our blog. We have the most amazing and wonderful family and friends. We love you all! XOXO

While Mom and Dad are away...

2009-07-30T21:03:00.012-05:00

Bonnie will play and play and play!

Dad and Dan on the beach! We had a great time with our friends Dan and Mary Scott.
Brandon and I took a vacation to the beach last week while Bonnie stayed in Morristown with Grandma and Grandad. We missed her so, so much. She, of course, had a wonderful time getting spoiled, spoiled, spoiled.

First item on the agenda-Grandma and Grandad bought Bonnie a Jumperoo. She loves it, and was a pro by the time we got back.

Bonnie got to spend some time with her precious Uncle Dex. Don't they look alike?

Uncle Dex is feeding Bonnie, and Bonnie appears to be really relaxed and happy!

Look how she can prop up on her arms. She is getting so big!

The cheek profile picture-my favorite!

She bounced until she dropped!

Pap even turned her Jumperoo so she could watch 'toons while she bounces.

Aunt Mel and Bonnie had some quality time, too. They went shopping and to the park. Bonnie loves her Aunt Mel!

Bonnie is wearing Uncle Dex's hat-so cute!

Topsail Island

2009-07-16T19:17:00.011-05:00

Bonnie and I were lucky enough to get to go back to the beach for a quick trip and fun times with the family. This time we went to Surf City and also visited with Pap. We had a great trip, and Bonnie did really well with the plane ride and airport mess again. We are so lucky! Everyone loves to see a baby, and loves to talk to Bonnie except at the airport. There, people look at you like you are the devil and are praying that you are not on their flight, or at least they don't have to sit anywhere near you. Hopefully our fellow passengers have maybe changed their minds about that stereotype because Bonnie has been such a good passenger. Hopefully she will keep it up!
Grandma and Bonnie on the sandbar

Aunt Alice and Bonnie are having a good time!

By now, Bonnie is a bonified beach bum.

We decided to ditch the bathing suit this particular day (Bonnie's, not mine!) She was on the beach for a long time, and was so good. She was just a little warm in her bathing suit, so we made her the Waterbabies Baby.

Bonnie's trip "in the ocean". Her tiny footprints were so cute in the sand. We tried to take a picture, but it didn't turn out so well.

Cousins doing the manly-man thing with their catch of the day.

Cousin Camden is a manly-man, too! He ain't afraid of no stinkin' fish!

Bonnie enjoying some carrots. She actually lifted her bib and tried to lick the carrots from it!

Grandma, Mom, Pap, and Bonnie. We love our Pap!

More Photos from our trip...

2009-07-09T20:11:00.012-05:00

Here are some more photos from Florida from Mom and Dad's camera as promised. I'm not going to say much because I know why you really look at the blog...the pictures!

Bonnie eventually got used to the water, but I love this picture...what a face!

Playing in her shades

So adorable in her cover up!

Grandma and Bonnie at the wedding Emily and Bettis are man and wife!

Yay! We got to see Bernie, too!

We are only a little over a month away from little Samuel's arrival. We can't wait to meet him! Aunt Sallie is so adorable as a prego!

Bonnie is doing her best to keep it together at the reception. She did really well, but eventually had a melt down and went home. I was really proud of her, though! She is such a good little traveller.

Beach Trip #1

2009-07-05T09:50:00.014-05:00

We got to spend the week in Destin last week to celebrate the wedding of our friends Emily and Bettis whom we dearly love. It was a great week that we enjoyed so much. I'll be adding some more photos next week from Mom and Dad's camera. They are better at having the camera handy than we are! We just want to say Congratulations to Emily and Bettis-we love you!

Emily and me after the wedding

We also got to spend some time with Sallie's niece and nephew, Isaac and Caroline, while we were there. I am so glad our family vacations coincided. It's always great to see them (and Tanya and Thurston, too!)

Daddy is showing Bonnie the beach for the first time. I think she's pretty impressed!

Grandad with Bonnie-we are so lucky that Mom and Dad were able to come with us. They were a huge help with Bonnie, especially while we attended parties for Emily and Bettis. And, we had a great time enjoying their company-especially Bonnie!

Mom and Dad at dinner. We are also so fortunate to have such a laid back and happy baby. She does so great when we take her to dinner (as a rule), and did I mention it took us 10 hours to get home on Saturday? She was so good....and we are so very lucky!

Bonnie is posing in swimsuit ensemble #1

First time in the pool-very thoughtful expression

Bonnie and Emily at the Welcome Cocktail party

Bonnie and Grandma on the beach-Bathing suit ensemble #2 from Emily

Just checking it out!

Exhausted after a full day of activities!

Cereal!!

2009-06-16T20:03:00.010-05:00

We decided to give Bonnie some cereal tonight, and had so much fun doing it. We're not sure how much ended up in her stomach, but she seemed to enjoy it!

Not so sure about this...

What do you think, Dad?

Yummy!

Hanging out in her Bumbo seat

Our little beauty

When we got Bonnie ready for church on Sunday, we kept her bib on so she wouldn't mess up her dress before we could get out the door, but she slid down in her boppy and this was the result. So funny!

Here is a video of the cereal experience. It's a little long, but I hope you enjoy it!

I'm going to have to keep my eye on her....

2009-06-12T13:01:00.005-05:00

Bonnie has become a LOT more mobile this week. She is now rolling all the way over everytime she is laid on her back. The trouble is that she can't roll back over and after a while she gets pretty frustrated with that. She has only gone from tummy to back successfully one time. I have included a video (that I hope will work!) in this post of her rolling over.

Here is a picture of her exersaucing!
This morning I went to let Susie in and when I came back Bonnie was doing a backbend over her Boppy. It scared me when I saw it, but she was just as happy as can be!

This is her face in the backbend. She was just hanging out!

Here's the video...enjoy!

Just doing big girl things...

2009-06-04T09:15:00.008-05:00

Just being a happy baby...wearing her monkey ensemble from Minnie!

She's rolling, rolling, rolling! This is from back to front. She just can't make it over that arm to get all the way to her stomach!

I don't know what caught her attention that she had to roll to see. Maybe the light from the window?

Playing on her changing table

Getting some tummy time in on her changing table. She hates it less now that she can push up so far. She's pretty proud of herself!

Going to sleep on Daddy!

She's getting carried to bed in this one. How sweet!

NC Trip (Part 2)

2009-05-28T14:41:00.009-05:00

Finally, here is the latest installment of the NC photos. Mom and Dad are visiting us in Nashville, and all of these were on their computer. We are so happy to have them visiting us, especially while Brandon is out of town. The three of us were sick this weekend, but Brandon is recovered, I am feeling much better, and Bonnie still has some congestion, but is acting like her old happy self again. I am glad to see this little ordeal on the way out. It is no fun being sick, especially when all you want to do is take care of your sick baby. We hope everyone is having a great start to their summer!
I had to include this picture, because I think she looks just like Bubby in this one!

Bonnie and her Great Grandad.

Uncle Jay

Caleb didn't just want to see Bonnie, he wanted to hold her!

Brody, Caleb, and Aunt Candace

Christal

This makes me feel old because I can remember Christal being this young, and now she is about to graduate from high school!

Dalton and Delaney thought Bonnie was pretty cool.

Savannah was anxious to get her hands on Bonnie as well.

Our big 3 month old girl!

2009-05-21T11:06:00.006-05:00

It's unbelievable to me that Bonnie will be three months old tomorrow. She is growing so fast, and I can't help but think about that dreadful day in August when I have to take her to daycare. Don't get me wrong, I am so thankful that I will have been off work with her for 5 months. I know how lucky I am for that, and we have visited some really nice Daycare Centers where the workers have been so nice. But, I guess I'm a little jealous that they will get to spend all day with Bonnie while I'm at work. She's such a joy to me. I realize and appreciate all of the cliches about becoming a parent. I am a ball of mush when it comes to her. I adore everything she does, and I get so excited about each new milestone, no matter how small. Here are some facts about Bonnie at this age:

She has found her hands-she is mesmerized by them!
She likes to stand (with some assistance) on her legs. She is very strong!
She loves to be outside-she's really enjoying this nice weather, although I'm afraid she has allergies!

Bonnie's ready for the beach this summer!

Charlotte gave these little bloomers to Bonnie. She's worn them on several occasions, and as I put them on the other day, I noticed that they are now too small (a little tight around the thighs). It was kind of like the end of an era, so I had to photograph them before putting them away.

Bonnie loves to play on her little gym. She will laugh out loud at the smiley face that plays music.

I tried to put her on her stomach for some tummy time (which she hates) while she was distracted by her toys.

But, she found her favorite toy of all, her fist, and tried to fit it in her mouth again.

Our Trip to NC (Part 1)

2009-05-13T10:22:00.013-05:00

We've had such a fun time in North Carolina so far. Bonnie did a great job riding on the plane. In fact, the hardest part of the ordeal was getting the stroller through security. I was holding Bonnie and trying to explain to the security man how to fold the stroller in order to get it up onto the x-ray belt. He was trying really hard, bless his heart! Finally, a lady working the x-ray had mercy and came over to whip it right up!

We've had lots of visitors, and we've had so much fun seeing everyone. One thing to mention is that with our family, everyone in the generation above you is called "aunt" or "uncle", even though they are in fact your cousin. For instance, Jay Parker is my second cousin, but to Bonnie he will be called "Uncle Jay". This is because he is in the generation older than Bonnie. This has been a source of confusion to many, but it's just the way it is, and always has been. So, although I only have one brother, Bonnie will have lots of aunts and uncles on my side of the family.
The generation photo of me, Mom, Pap, and Bonnie

Camden wanted Bonnie to play with him, but she just stared at him. He's showing her how to use his swing.

Aunt Tammy brought Camden over to see Bonnie!

Aunt Mildred came by to visit with us as well. She's Bonnie's great, great aunt!

Todd is the "baby whisperer". All babies love Todd.

Aunt Alice holding Bonnie at the sale. Bonnie looks pretty happy!

Uncle Leonard and Aunt Beverly are so sweet, Bonnie was falling asleep!

Aunt Angie is showing Bonnie to Aunt Christine, another great, great Aunt!

Uncle Buck was Bonnie's first visitor to Pap's house.

There will be more to come later. We have lots of pictures of our trip!

Fun Times with Friends

2009-05-04T10:01:00.007-05:00

First, let me apologize for the layout. I am trying to figure this thing out, and the layout of the photos is out of order. We had a great week of visiting with friends. We are so excited about going to NC next week to see Pap and all of our wonderful cousins. We'll have plenty of photos to post, so be sure to check back with us!
Sweet Smiley Girl

Bernie came over for her first visit with Bonnie. She's all swaddled and ready for bed in this picture!

Erin came over on Wednesday as well. She and Bonnie had a fun visit with each other.

Bonnie and Ansley were so cute laying beside each other on Saturday. Ansley wanted to lay her head on Bonnie, and Bonnie loved smiling at Ansley. It was the first time that they actually noticed each other, and it was too cute.

And, of course Susie had to get in on the action!

Springtime!

2009-04-27T09:59:00.011-05:00

We went to Bonnie's two-month appointment on Thursday. She weighs 11 lbs. and is 23 inches long now. She also got her shots, which was traumatic, but at least she wasn't too fussy that night and she never got a fever. So all in all, not so bad!

Here's Bonnie posing with her band-aids on her thighs after getting her shots on Thursday.

We went to play group with Charlotte and Adelaide on Friday. At first, we thought that Adelaide was wanting to play with Bonnie...

...but later we found out that Adelaide was only interested in Bonnie's carseat.

We went out to Santa Fe (that's Santa Fee hrere in Middle TN) to eat some yummy Cajun food Friday night. Since there are no pictures of the three of us, we had Sallie snap one while we waited. It was such a gorgeous night. It was so much fun to ride through Leiper's Fork and see all of the pretty horse farms in the lushness of Springtime.

We also went to the Franklin Main Street Festival this weekend. Bonnie is asleep on Nana's shoulder, ready to go!

Cousin Aidan and Bonnie are ready to go check out the festival!

Bonnie slept most of the time we were there!

Uncle Ryan and Aidan are having fun dancing to the band! Aidan especially liked the guitar!

More Easter Photos

2009-04-18T10:32:00.011-05:00

Here are some more of Bonnie from Easter. We had a great time visting Morristown getting to spend some quality time with everyone. I can't believe that Bonnie will be 8 weeks old tomorrow-time is going too quickly! Here are some things about Bonnie at this age:
She loves to hear music.
She smiles with her whole face-her eyes, everything shines when she is happy. I think you can tell that she is smiling from looking at the back of her!
She does not like to lay on her tummy-she fusses a lot until we turn her back over.
She doesn't like to be cold or naked, but she is getting better about bathtime.
She loves her puppy-I know I post a lot of pictures of the two of them, but I just can't get Susie to hold the camera so that Bonnie and I can pose!

Mammaw Eva and Pappaw Bill with Bonnie

You can't see Mammaw Eva in this picture, but she is looking over Pappaw's shoulder making Bonnie laugh-so cute!

Bonnie with her William Shakespeare look. She was having a great time riding around on Easter Sunday!

Check out Bonnie's Bunny socks that she got from the Easter Bunny!

Bonnie's First Easter and Trip to Morristown!

2009-04-13T10:22:00.009-05:00

Uncle Dex, Aunt Mel, and Bonnie at Easter Lunch. Aunt Mel bought Bonnie's Easter dress way back in November when we were in NC for Thanksgiving. It fit perfectly!

My oldest friend, Sara, and her little girl Ally with Bonnie and me after church. Ally is just a few months older than Bonnie, and Sara is just a few months older than me!

Bonnie after her bath on Easter morning

Daddy and Grandad are making Bonnie smile!

Bonnie and Grandma Sue asleep together

Bonnie and Mammaw Eva's first meeting!

Mammaw Eva could make Bonnie laugh and laugh. It was too cute!

Uncle Dex and Aunt Mel hanging out with Bonnie. She's wearing her "I love my Auntie" pajamas that Aunt Mel gave her!

I will post more pictures from our trip when I get back to Nashville. Bonnie and I are staying a few extra days in Morristown. We're having fun visiting and playing with our family and friends! I hope everyone had a Happy Easter, and enjoys a Happy Spring!

Saturday Morning

2009-04-05T15:44:00.006-05:00

Bonnie and Dad getting a little extra sleep

Hanging out with Susie

Susie gives Bonnie a kiss every morning.

Weekend Update and Grumpy Wakeup

2009-04-01T12:45:00.007-05:00

Katie came over to see Bonnie while she was taking a break from studying on Friday. She brought Bonnie a sweet bulletin board to hang on her wall. Thanks, Kates!

Aunt Mel and Uncle Dex spent the weekend with us, and we had so much fun! This was the first time Aunt Mel met Bonnie because they were sick the weekend she was born. Then I was sick the next weekend and we just couldn't get it to work out. So, we were extra excited to have them come to see us! Bonnie is smitten with her Uncle Dexter and Aunt Mel!

This was the first time Aunt Mel held Bonnie!

When Bonnie was taking a nap yesterday, I walked in and saw these little eyes peeking up over her blanket. She had the grumpiest, yet most adorable expression!

Grumpy face number two...she looked put out.

Oops! It's the same picture again. I'm not sure how to delete pictures, but I'm working on it!

More Bonnie Photos

2009-03-28T17:05:00.007-05:00

I tried to get a picture of Bonnie smiling, and got several expressions.

Sleepy....

Happy....

Contemplating....

Excited....

And happy again.