Happy December!

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

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...

...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!

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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!