Friday, July 31, 2009
Watermelon Girl and her trusty sidekick, Cheek Boy
Nora likes to sport both the shorts and pants on her watermelon pajamas. You are supposed to wear either the shorts or the pants, but little missy won't have it that way! She's quite the stylist! Also, my little man is getting so big. Love them, love them!
P.S. That is yogurt spilled all over the front of Nora's pjs. I forgot a big this morning while she was feeding herself.
Latest on Baby Jordan
Ok...here's the scoop. Jordan was born last night. Kim began contracting, and by the time Keith got the nurse, Jordan's little foot popped out! She was breech, so they quickly delivered via C-section. Jordan is doing pretty well. She is in the NICU, but is not on a respirator, just a C-pak (sp?). That is the little clear, plastic tube that gets stuck in the nose to force air into the lungs. The doctors were encouraging that if things continue to progress well that Jordan may be home as early as 2-3 weeks, but more likely 4-6 weeks. Please pray for them all, especially Kim who has yet to see her baby girl and is recovering from surgery.
Update on Baby Jordan
I just got off the phone with my Momma. She didn't have much information, but she did tell me that Baby Jordan was born sometime yesterday evening. She is 3 lbs, 6 oz., born at 32 weeks. Obviously, she is doing pretty well or we would have more information, but lots could have happened between last night and now. As soon as I get more info about her status, I will update again. Thanks for praying for this sweet baby girl. God is sovereign and has numbered all of our days. Please continue to pray that Jordan will thrive and be a testimony of God's amazing sustaining and healing power!
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Prayer Request: Baby Jordan
Please be in prayer for my cousin Keith and his wife Kim. Kim is 32 weeks pregnant with their first baby, a little girl to be named Jordan. Last night, Kim's water broke! She is in the hospital where they are trying to keep her from delivering as long as possible. They live in Birmingham away from family. Please pray for Kim's health and that Baby Jordan will stay in utero for a few more days atleast. Pray that delivery will go smoothly for Kim and that miraculously, Baby Jordan will be strong and healthy! I'll keep you posted!
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Tales of Nora
It's hard to believe that in less than one month, Nora will be turning two years old. She is changing so quickly and is growing up faster than we want her to. I have threatened both Nora and Liam that I will stop feeding them so that they will stop growing! It makes me sad that they are growing up so fast!
I thought I would record a few funny stories about Nora that have happened lately. She is quite the funny and quirky girl!
Blame Shifter
Lately, Nora has been in denial about the fact that she goes poo poo. Whenever she has a dirty diaper, she says, "Shoo-wee, brother! Shoo-wee!" We'll say, "Nora, did you go poo poo?" She'll tell us no and that it was "Brother." "Shoo-wee! Brother! Shoo-wee!" It seems that she is already blaming her brother for things that she does!
Type A
Nora takes after me in so many ways. A lot of it, I think, is because she spends so much time with me. Her mannerisms are starting to mirror mine, and even though she looks so much like her Daddy, it's in the way she moves and in her facial expressions and in her personality that I see myself. I recently bought a cubed bookshelf for Nora's room to put her books and a few toys in. I, for one, was really excited about putting the shelf together and getting it set up because I love organization and having a place for everything. Well, on Saturday when we got it installed in her room, you would have thought we struck gold! Nora was so excited about her new shelf and immediately began putting her books in the cubes. Like Momma, Like Daughter!
Little Miss Routine
From infancy, Nora has been one for routine. This is all part of her like-Momma-ness and her Type A personality. She's so funny about repeating things. And seriously, once we do something once a certain way, she is so quick to remind us that it must be done that way again. The way we put her to bed (Bear, Baby and Blanket all have a particular spot in the bed); the songs we sing in the bathtub and while getting her pj's on (I MUST sing "Rock-A-Bye Baby" while drying her off); what she eats for breakfast (waffles and banana with a few additional things that rotate in and out). Her new kick is eating lunch outside on our back porch. I started doing this a few weeks ago since the weather has been so nice during the day. It's beautiful with the cool breeze, so we have a picnic and eat outside. She gets such a thrill out of this and gets pretty upset if it's raining and our plans get disrupted.
Music Lover
Nora loves music! She is getting really good at "singing" songs. By this, I mean that she has pretty much memorized a few of them and can nearly sing them by herself. Of course, it usually must be a group effort. Her favorites as of late are "Crushed," "The Lion Song," and "Ask, Seek, Knock." These songs come from a children's worship CD that is used for her children's ministry class. They are called Seeds Family Worship cds, and I highly recommend them. The words in every song are straight from the Bible and have been great for me as a way of memorizing scripture. I think they probably bless me more than Nora, but I am loving that she is learning God's Word at such a young age. Jonathan and I are considering putting Nora in a music class here in Knoxville this fall since she loves music so much.
Chick-fil-A Guru
The only fast food that we really ever eat is Chick-fil-a. I mean, we have nothing against other fast food places, but I can't tell you the last time I've been to McD's or Wendy's. Whenever we are going to get something quick for dinner, it's pretty much a no-brainer that we are going to get chick-fil-a because (a) my husband is addicted and (b) my daughter is addicted and (c) I pretty much can't think of anything else I'd rather have either. Nora lovingly refers to Chick-fil-a as "chicken 'n fries." She can put away a kid's meal like no one else and loves her "dippie." Many times Jonathan will come home and ask Nora about her day. He'll ask her what she did and what she had for lunch, and almost always the answer is "chicken 'n fries." Even though that is NOT what we had, she just loves to eat it and so I guess it is wishful thinking.
Water Junkie
This summer has been a blast with Nora. I tell you, the world has expanded tremendously now that Nora is mobile. She has been able to enjoy so much, especially being outdoors. Since Jonathan's parents have a pool, we've been able to take her swimming a good bit. She loves to get in, but hasn't graduated to putting her head underwater yet. Also, Nora loves the Splash Pad. There are two in Knoxville...one is simply the fountains in Market Square (not sure if that really qualifies as a splash pad), and the other is in a park near the lake with TONS of water toys and sprinklers and splash pad stuff! I though Nora would be a ninny the first time we took her, but she just went after it like crazy! She doesn't mind getting water in her face or in her eyes and the fact that the water is FREEZING doesn't seem to bother her either. It's so cute! Also, whenever she has her swimsuit on, she LOVES to wear her swim coverup or her "cover" as she refers to it. Last week at the Market Square fountains, I put her coverup on because I thought she was cold, and then she refused to take it off. I eventually just let her get it wet so that she would continue playing.
There are just a few tales of what Nora's doing these days. A few more blinks and my baby girl will be two, then three, then 18. What am I going to do!?
I thought I would record a few funny stories about Nora that have happened lately. She is quite the funny and quirky girl!
Blame Shifter
Lately, Nora has been in denial about the fact that she goes poo poo. Whenever she has a dirty diaper, she says, "Shoo-wee, brother! Shoo-wee!" We'll say, "Nora, did you go poo poo?" She'll tell us no and that it was "Brother." "Shoo-wee! Brother! Shoo-wee!" It seems that she is already blaming her brother for things that she does!
Type A
Nora takes after me in so many ways. A lot of it, I think, is because she spends so much time with me. Her mannerisms are starting to mirror mine, and even though she looks so much like her Daddy, it's in the way she moves and in her facial expressions and in her personality that I see myself. I recently bought a cubed bookshelf for Nora's room to put her books and a few toys in. I, for one, was really excited about putting the shelf together and getting it set up because I love organization and having a place for everything. Well, on Saturday when we got it installed in her room, you would have thought we struck gold! Nora was so excited about her new shelf and immediately began putting her books in the cubes. Like Momma, Like Daughter!
Little Miss Routine
From infancy, Nora has been one for routine. This is all part of her like-Momma-ness and her Type A personality. She's so funny about repeating things. And seriously, once we do something once a certain way, she is so quick to remind us that it must be done that way again. The way we put her to bed (Bear, Baby and Blanket all have a particular spot in the bed); the songs we sing in the bathtub and while getting her pj's on (I MUST sing "Rock-A-Bye Baby" while drying her off); what she eats for breakfast (waffles and banana with a few additional things that rotate in and out). Her new kick is eating lunch outside on our back porch. I started doing this a few weeks ago since the weather has been so nice during the day. It's beautiful with the cool breeze, so we have a picnic and eat outside. She gets such a thrill out of this and gets pretty upset if it's raining and our plans get disrupted.
Music Lover
Nora loves music! She is getting really good at "singing" songs. By this, I mean that she has pretty much memorized a few of them and can nearly sing them by herself. Of course, it usually must be a group effort. Her favorites as of late are "Crushed," "The Lion Song," and "Ask, Seek, Knock." These songs come from a children's worship CD that is used for her children's ministry class. They are called Seeds Family Worship cds, and I highly recommend them. The words in every song are straight from the Bible and have been great for me as a way of memorizing scripture. I think they probably bless me more than Nora, but I am loving that she is learning God's Word at such a young age. Jonathan and I are considering putting Nora in a music class here in Knoxville this fall since she loves music so much.
Chick-fil-A Guru
The only fast food that we really ever eat is Chick-fil-a. I mean, we have nothing against other fast food places, but I can't tell you the last time I've been to McD's or Wendy's. Whenever we are going to get something quick for dinner, it's pretty much a no-brainer that we are going to get chick-fil-a because (a) my husband is addicted and (b) my daughter is addicted and (c) I pretty much can't think of anything else I'd rather have either. Nora lovingly refers to Chick-fil-a as "chicken 'n fries." She can put away a kid's meal like no one else and loves her "dippie." Many times Jonathan will come home and ask Nora about her day. He'll ask her what she did and what she had for lunch, and almost always the answer is "chicken 'n fries." Even though that is NOT what we had, she just loves to eat it and so I guess it is wishful thinking.
Water Junkie
This summer has been a blast with Nora. I tell you, the world has expanded tremendously now that Nora is mobile. She has been able to enjoy so much, especially being outdoors. Since Jonathan's parents have a pool, we've been able to take her swimming a good bit. She loves to get in, but hasn't graduated to putting her head underwater yet. Also, Nora loves the Splash Pad. There are two in Knoxville...one is simply the fountains in Market Square (not sure if that really qualifies as a splash pad), and the other is in a park near the lake with TONS of water toys and sprinklers and splash pad stuff! I though Nora would be a ninny the first time we took her, but she just went after it like crazy! She doesn't mind getting water in her face or in her eyes and the fact that the water is FREEZING doesn't seem to bother her either. It's so cute! Also, whenever she has her swimsuit on, she LOVES to wear her swim coverup or her "cover" as she refers to it. Last week at the Market Square fountains, I put her coverup on because I thought she was cold, and then she refused to take it off. I eventually just let her get it wet so that she would continue playing.
There are just a few tales of what Nora's doing these days. A few more blinks and my baby girl will be two, then three, then 18. What am I going to do!?
Monday, July 27, 2009
Fun in the Fountains
Last week, Amy and I took Nora and Layla (and Liam) downtown to Market Square to play in the fountains. The girls had a great time! The weather was a bit overcast, so it wasn't too hot. We packed a picnic lunch and had our "samiches" while sitting on our beach towels. These two girls are so cute and I love them so much!
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Lately.....in pictures
Yo Yo Yo
Enjoying an "Icy King" cone at Chick-fil-a
We found Nora relaxing in Liam's swing one day. She had no help from us. Sorry for the poor picture quality on this one.
Sleepyhead
See that shiner on her forehead? (again, not the best picture)
Someone has decided to try running in the house with her eyes closed. Doesn't work too well, ya think?
Sooooo big!
Going for a walk
Nora sporting some makeup. She got into my eyeliner.
Breakfast on the porch
Monday, July 20, 2009
Chicken Marsala
This is one of our favorite dishes at Italian restaurants. We really fell in love with it at the restaurant that used to be in Turkey Creek called Vinny and Me. Unfortunately, I think the economy got to the owners and they closed down after we had only just discovered it. Anyways, Jonathan and I came across this recipe on weightwatchers.com the other night and I gave it a whirl for supper. It is delicious and is very simple to make. Jonathan said, "This would be something I'd love to eat even if it wasn't on Weight Watchers." So, here it goes!
Chicken Marsala
Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil
1 cup mushrooms, fresh, sliced
1 lb. uncooked, boneless, skinless chicken breasts (four 4 oz. piece)
1 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup Marsala wine (I bought Marsala cooking wine)
1 1/4 cups canned beef broth, reduced-sodium, divided
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
Directions:
1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and saute until tender and releasing liquid, about 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, place chicken on a plate and season both sides with thyme, salt, and pepper. Move mushrooms to outer edge of skillet once cooked. Place chicken in center of skillet and saute until golden, about 2-3 minutes per side.
3. Add wine to skillet; simmer 1 minute. Add 3/4 cup of broth and simmer, uncovered, until chicken is tender and cooked through, about 8 minutes. (I scraped the bottom of the pan to get all the good stuff off of the bottom and into the sauce, just like Rachael Ray tells you to).
4. Dissolve cornstarch in remaining 1/2 cup of broth in a small bowl; add to skillet. Simmer until sauce thickens, stirring constantly and incorporating mushrooms into the liquid, about 1 minute. Serve chicken with mushroom sauce spooned on top. Yields about 3 oz of chicken and 1/3 cup of sauce per serving.
***I served this with roasted asparagus and whole grain pasta mixed with butter and parmesan cheese. It was yummy!
***For anyone interested in the weight watchers points here, one serving is 4 points (chicken and mushroom sauce only).
Chicken Marsala
Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil
1 cup mushrooms, fresh, sliced
1 lb. uncooked, boneless, skinless chicken breasts (four 4 oz. piece)
1 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup Marsala wine (I bought Marsala cooking wine)
1 1/4 cups canned beef broth, reduced-sodium, divided
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
Directions:
1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and saute until tender and releasing liquid, about 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, place chicken on a plate and season both sides with thyme, salt, and pepper. Move mushrooms to outer edge of skillet once cooked. Place chicken in center of skillet and saute until golden, about 2-3 minutes per side.
3. Add wine to skillet; simmer 1 minute. Add 3/4 cup of broth and simmer, uncovered, until chicken is tender and cooked through, about 8 minutes. (I scraped the bottom of the pan to get all the good stuff off of the bottom and into the sauce, just like Rachael Ray tells you to).
4. Dissolve cornstarch in remaining 1/2 cup of broth in a small bowl; add to skillet. Simmer until sauce thickens, stirring constantly and incorporating mushrooms into the liquid, about 1 minute. Serve chicken with mushroom sauce spooned on top. Yields about 3 oz of chicken and 1/3 cup of sauce per serving.
***I served this with roasted asparagus and whole grain pasta mixed with butter and parmesan cheese. It was yummy!
***For anyone interested in the weight watchers points here, one serving is 4 points (chicken and mushroom sauce only).
Nora's New Favorite Song
Jonathan and Nora were playing around on Sesamestreet.com the other day when they came across this video of Elmo and Andrea Bocelli. Since then, Momma has been "singing" this song to Nora constantly. I finally decided to put it on the blog so I can just pull it up for her on the computer and let her watch the real master at work. He's got such an amazing voice....Mr. Bocelli that is.
Hope your little ones enjoy!
Hope your little ones enjoy!
Saturday, July 18, 2009
I Feel Like A New Woman....
Liam slept for 7.5 hours straight last night! He didn't even wake up once for me to put the paci in his mouth. I fed him at 10:15 and he didn't wake up to nurse until 5:45. It is wonderful! I hope this happens more often, but regardless, I am just thankful for the sleep.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Love/Hate Relationships
I currently have two love/hate relationships going on in my life: breastfeeding and the pacifier.
First of all, let me say, my love for these things far outweighs my hate. Actually, I won't even call it hate. I just dislike these things at random times, when my patience is running thin or I am being selfish or just tired.
I love breastfeeding my babies. Nora decided she'd call it a day much too early for my liking, but I am glad we had the experience for six or seven months. Liam is a great nurser about 90% of the time. He has the occasional fussy day where he fights me to nurse or my milk won't let down fast enough for him. I can understand....I am not happy when I am hungry either. I usually feel a strong dislike for breastfeeding in the early morning hours and the first feeding of the day, which is usually around 8:30. Liam, for whatever reason, acts like he has totally forgotten what it is to breastfeed. He won't eat very much, but acts hungry, and he spits up all over me. Ah, another reason, I dislike breastfeeding....being covered in spit up. I know I have a scent about me these days that must not be too appealing. Sour milk stinks. Period. But, then there are those feedings when everything works like a charm. He eats, the milk stays in his belly, and he is a happy camper for the 2.5-3 hours until we do it all over again. If you can't tell, we had a yucky feeding time this morning, and I just need to vent. I have to remind myself that it will be merely a blink before my baby boy is all grown up. I know there will be a day in the near future when I will cry because he is moving on. I need to remember the precious moments and cherish the times that I simply hold my baby in my arms, uninterrupted. Him and me. Not to mention all of the health benefits that really make a momma love breastfeeding.
Okay, the paci. Now, I don't love this one nearly as much as I love breastfeeding. It is a necessary evil. Nora never took a paci, so this is a whole new world for me. Liam loves it, but really only takes it when he is going to sleep. He requires more of the sucking to relax him and doze off. I love the paci because I can simply lay him down in his crib, stick the paci in his mouth, and he'll dazzle off to dream world without as much as a whimper. This is MAJORLY different than how Nora went to sleep. She did the whole "cry it out thing" at about two months old which we really haven't had to do with Liam. (The "cry it out thing" is another necessary evil for some children and is another love/hate relationship in my life). My strong dislike for the paci comes in the middle of the night. Liam will stir in his sleep (usually around 3:00 am), and my dilemma is: Is he hungry? Or is his simply changing sleep cycles? Do I get him up to nurse? Or do I stick the paci back in his mouth? How many times do I stick the paci back in his mouth before I decide he's not just stirring, he really is hungry? Am I depriving him of food he needs or am I training him to sleep? AAAHHHH!!!
See my problem?
This usually means plenty of interrupted sleep for Momma.
I worry too much.
Get over it, Casey.
One reason, I love the paci, is because it so obnoxiously cute and ugly at the same time in this precious boy's mouth. Why he loves this particular paci over the other ones is beyond my comprehension, but he does.
Enough of that. I am going back to my baby....He's ready to eat, I hope.
I really do love being a Momma. These are just baby mole hills that I make into mountains out of fear and anxiety. I'm praying God changes these things in me.
First of all, let me say, my love for these things far outweighs my hate. Actually, I won't even call it hate. I just dislike these things at random times, when my patience is running thin or I am being selfish or just tired.
I love breastfeeding my babies. Nora decided she'd call it a day much too early for my liking, but I am glad we had the experience for six or seven months. Liam is a great nurser about 90% of the time. He has the occasional fussy day where he fights me to nurse or my milk won't let down fast enough for him. I can understand....I am not happy when I am hungry either. I usually feel a strong dislike for breastfeeding in the early morning hours and the first feeding of the day, which is usually around 8:30. Liam, for whatever reason, acts like he has totally forgotten what it is to breastfeed. He won't eat very much, but acts hungry, and he spits up all over me. Ah, another reason, I dislike breastfeeding....being covered in spit up. I know I have a scent about me these days that must not be too appealing. Sour milk stinks. Period. But, then there are those feedings when everything works like a charm. He eats, the milk stays in his belly, and he is a happy camper for the 2.5-3 hours until we do it all over again. If you can't tell, we had a yucky feeding time this morning, and I just need to vent. I have to remind myself that it will be merely a blink before my baby boy is all grown up. I know there will be a day in the near future when I will cry because he is moving on. I need to remember the precious moments and cherish the times that I simply hold my baby in my arms, uninterrupted. Him and me. Not to mention all of the health benefits that really make a momma love breastfeeding.
Okay, the paci. Now, I don't love this one nearly as much as I love breastfeeding. It is a necessary evil. Nora never took a paci, so this is a whole new world for me. Liam loves it, but really only takes it when he is going to sleep. He requires more of the sucking to relax him and doze off. I love the paci because I can simply lay him down in his crib, stick the paci in his mouth, and he'll dazzle off to dream world without as much as a whimper. This is MAJORLY different than how Nora went to sleep. She did the whole "cry it out thing" at about two months old which we really haven't had to do with Liam. (The "cry it out thing" is another necessary evil for some children and is another love/hate relationship in my life). My strong dislike for the paci comes in the middle of the night. Liam will stir in his sleep (usually around 3:00 am), and my dilemma is: Is he hungry? Or is his simply changing sleep cycles? Do I get him up to nurse? Or do I stick the paci back in his mouth? How many times do I stick the paci back in his mouth before I decide he's not just stirring, he really is hungry? Am I depriving him of food he needs or am I training him to sleep? AAAHHHH!!!
See my problem?
This usually means plenty of interrupted sleep for Momma.
I worry too much.
Get over it, Casey.
One reason, I love the paci, is because it so obnoxiously cute and ugly at the same time in this precious boy's mouth. Why he loves this particular paci over the other ones is beyond my comprehension, but he does.
Enough of that. I am going back to my baby....He's ready to eat, I hope.
I really do love being a Momma. These are just baby mole hills that I make into mountains out of fear and anxiety. I'm praying God changes these things in me.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
This Really Makes My Bones Hurt
I love how she holds her arms out midair.
I love how she screams the whole time, "I jumping!"
I love how she squeezes her Daddy's cheeks and gives him kisses.
Not Exactly What I Was Going For.....
I started recording this a few weeks ago to try to capture Liam's smile. It melts my heart and he is the sweetest boy. However, as soon as I whipped out the video camera, he became so intrigued with the little red light, that I couldn't get him to focus on the task at hand. HOWEVER, I post this video so you can hear one of my favorite sounds. I love the little breathing noise that he makes in this video. This is something only heard from newborns and I fear that my little boy has already outgrown making this noise. So glad I got it on video. Pardon my video skills....they aren't very good.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Backseat Driver
Yesterday morning, as we were pulling out of our neighborhood on our way to church, a car came driving down the hill at an alarming speed. Unsure if Jonathan saw the approaching car, I (in my always eager way to help out my husband) screamed, "Watch out!" I truly wasn't trying to take over the wheel, I wasn't trying to control his wonderful driving. I was just genuinely concerned that this overzealous car was going to slam into the side of us, squishing me and my Nora. Disaster was avoided as Jonathan, who saw the car the whole time, stopped and let the maniac go on his way.
However, someone in the car was paying attention, very close attention. I cannot tell you how many times on the way to church after that "incident" that Nora screamed out, "Watch out!" "Watch out, car!" Jonathan and I just giggled, realizing once again how everything little thing that comes out of our mouths is fair game for observation and repetition from Nora. She even remembered her new phrase last night as she and Jonathan went to the grocery store together. What have we gotten ourselves into? What have I done!? HAHA!
However, someone in the car was paying attention, very close attention. I cannot tell you how many times on the way to church after that "incident" that Nora screamed out, "Watch out!" "Watch out, car!" Jonathan and I just giggled, realizing once again how everything little thing that comes out of our mouths is fair game for observation and repetition from Nora. She even remembered her new phrase last night as she and Jonathan went to the grocery store together. What have we gotten ourselves into? What have I done!? HAHA!
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Wanderlust
I don't know about you, but I told Jonathan this morning that I officially have the itch to travel. His face lit up and said, "Me too!" I don't know what it is. Maybe that it's the middle of summer and everyone seems to be planning a vacation or trip to the beach. Maybe it's because I have been home bound for most of the past two months and the cabin fever is really kicking in. Maybe it's because we are finally in a really good groove with two kiddos and my courage is starting to resurface. Who knows!
Now, if we could just find a beach that is, say, a forty-five minute drive away? Know of any?
I said I wanted a vacation. I never said I wanted to drive in the car all day to have one!
Now, if we could just find a beach that is, say, a forty-five minute drive away? Know of any?
I said I wanted a vacation. I never said I wanted to drive in the car all day to have one!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Now, I Don't Drink Evian....
Never have, actually. But I might be convinced to give it a try because this video is so stinkin' cute!
Monday, July 6, 2009
July Fourth!
We had a wonderful July 4th weekend! Jonathan was off of work on Friday, so we got to enjoy three days with him uninterrupted. We spent all day Friday and Saturday at Jonathan's folks' house visiting with his cousin James, his wife Joan, and their two teenage boys Will and Eric. James and Joan are from Crystal Springs, MS, just outside of Jackson, so they had a long drive to get all the way up here to Knoxville. We hadn't seen then since Thanksgiving, so we were so excited to get to see them and spend some good quality time with them. We really had a lazy and relaxing weekend...lots of eating, hanging out by the pool, boat rides, naps, and even a neighborhood cookout. It was a great time!
On Friday morning, I woke up with the WORST crick in my neck ever. Now, I have had the occasional crick, but this was unlike anything I have ever felt in my entire life. It was in my neck, my shoulder and down into the middle of my back. My entire left side was so stiff that I could hardly hold Liam to nurse him. As a result, I didn't do much on Friday but lounge around, but Jonathan took Will and Eric out in the boat on the lake and the boys all wake boarded. It has been over five years since Jonathan has gotten to do that, and he got up the first time! He had a blast, but was super sore all day Saturday and Sunday.
Saturday we headed over to the Bradshaws after breakfast. Jonathan and Nora hit up the pool early, Liam napped, and I lounged around on the patio with Ms. Joyce and Joan. The Bradshaws next door neighbors hosted a neighborhood July 4th cookout with food and music and fun for the kids. We went over for a little while, but it was really hot and humid, so we didn't stay too long. Instead, we all got on our swimsuits and swam in the pool. We grilled out and had a delicious spread for supper before heading home to put the kids (and ourselves) into bed before the fireworks really got started. Yep, we slept through the July 4th fireworks. What can I say, we're parents of two small children. We were pooped!
Jonathan and Nora enjoying a snack
After swimming, making potato salad
Liam napping
Will, James & Joan
Mr. Paul on the grill
Nora does this in public, often. We're working on it!
Big Girl at the party
Liam and Momma
Nora and Ty petting a puppy
Liam napping through the party
Kisses for Daddy
Playing in the bouncy thingy
Swinging
More napping. Aren't they sweet?
Ty came over to tell us that they were "serving" and that we were welcome to come on over.
Lunch on the patio
James getting some R&R
Daddy & Nora
Baby Feet...they make me happy.
Our own little firecracker.
Kisses
On Friday morning, I woke up with the WORST crick in my neck ever. Now, I have had the occasional crick, but this was unlike anything I have ever felt in my entire life. It was in my neck, my shoulder and down into the middle of my back. My entire left side was so stiff that I could hardly hold Liam to nurse him. As a result, I didn't do much on Friday but lounge around, but Jonathan took Will and Eric out in the boat on the lake and the boys all wake boarded. It has been over five years since Jonathan has gotten to do that, and he got up the first time! He had a blast, but was super sore all day Saturday and Sunday.
Saturday we headed over to the Bradshaws after breakfast. Jonathan and Nora hit up the pool early, Liam napped, and I lounged around on the patio with Ms. Joyce and Joan. The Bradshaws next door neighbors hosted a neighborhood July 4th cookout with food and music and fun for the kids. We went over for a little while, but it was really hot and humid, so we didn't stay too long. Instead, we all got on our swimsuits and swam in the pool. We grilled out and had a delicious spread for supper before heading home to put the kids (and ourselves) into bed before the fireworks really got started. Yep, we slept through the July 4th fireworks. What can I say, we're parents of two small children. We were pooped!
Liam hanging out on the patio
Jonathan and Nora enjoying a snack
After swimming, making potato salad
Liam napping
Will, James & Joan
Mr. Paul on the grill
Nora does this in public, often. We're working on it!
Big Girl at the party
Liam and Momma
Nora and Ty petting a puppy
Liam napping through the party
Kisses for Daddy
Playing in the bouncy thingy
Swinging
More napping. Aren't they sweet?
Ty came over to tell us that they were "serving" and that we were welcome to come on over.
Lunch on the patio
James getting some R&R
Daddy & Nora
Baby Feet...they make me happy.
Our own little firecracker.
Kisses
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