Noah's Ark

Apple Picking

2011-10-07T01:22:00.002-04:00

Wow, I didn't realize it has been nearly a month since I last posted to this poor neglected blog! We have been super busy around here with all things fall. Mimi has been on Fall Break this week and we have enjoyed getting to spend some time with her!

A couple of weeks ago, we went with Noah's new playgroup to The Fruit & Berry Patch in Halls, TN. It was an awesome day........the kiddos got to go through a mini corn maze, pick apples in the apple orchard, ride a wagon to feed goats, and drank apple cider from their very own apple sipper cup!

I just finished my photography class with Emilie! She is so amazing and I learned a ton in just 4 short weeks! So, take a look at a few of my latest photos of our apple picking extravaganza!

Noah looking for apples to pick

Lyndee (2 and 1/2), John Michael (almost 3), & Noah (3 and 1/2) examining the day's pickin's.

feeding the hungry little goats

the kiddos and Mommies on the wagon ride

I know I have a lot of practicing to do when it comes to photography, but I LOVE it and hopefully, it will get easier the more I do it!

Muffin Tin Monday ~ Apple of My Eye

2011-09-19T01:18:00.000-04:00

We had so much apple fun last week in Flight Preschool! Here is Noah's apple-theme muffin tin meal...

He had applesauce, an apple-shaped cheese sandwich, apple juice, apple jacks (for dessert), and an apple love note from Mommy! His favorite part?...the note! He was so excited asking, "how did I get mail for lunch?" Amazing how something so simple can mean so much to a little one's heart! :)

I didn't take many photos last week, but we are continuing the theme for a few more days & I hope to take some more pics. On Sunday, we took our annual trip to Applewood to eat lunch and take some pictures. Here are three of my faves from the day.

Memaw, Noah, & Mimi playing in the grass outside the Apple Barn

This one is actually taken on a walking train behind Gatlinburg, but it was my absolute favorite from the day!

I love the expression on Noah's face when Daddy was playing with him...so sweet!

In my photography class last week, I learned how to adjust my camera's shutter speed to get cool effects in my pictures. I was so excited to try out the technique on a waterfall...super cool, huh?

The Go Vols Game

2011-09-13T09:11:00.000-04:00

I know I'm waaayyyy overdue with posting about our first UT game of the season...so sorry! Noah & I have both been a bit under the weather...ugh! Thankfully, we are now on the mend and I can get caught up on everything that had to be put on hold!

Noah did SO MUCh better at the game this year than last. He now can sit still-ish and loves talking to the other fans around us, doing the wave, and seeing the band! His favorite part, however, is during the kick return and shouting, "aaaaaaahhhhhhhhh.............OOOOOHHHH" when the ball is kicked! He even has to practice kicking the ball at home! He asks, "When I get big, can I go and play with them down there?" Oh, my! You never know! ;)

Anyway, enjoy our photos!

We stopped on the way to the stadium for a quick mini photo session! How do you like Noah's Mommy-Made UT shirt?

Everything was going great until the band was playing their Pre-game show. Then, this happened...

The lower level fans had to quickly evacuate into the concourse due to a storm (complete with wind, thunder, & lightning)! Woo-hoo, another storm that we just happen to be right smack in the middle of! How will we ever get Noah not to be afraid of storms??? We were blessed, however, because our seats are under the awning. We did get a little wet AND a little cold (but not drenched like we could have).

After a while, the storm passed and Tennessee football continued as normal! WE WON...YAY!!!

Here's a quick pic I snapped as we were walking back to the car. I think the stadium is so pretty at night!

P.S. I'm so excited to be taking an online photography class right now from Photo By Emilie! She is an amazing photographer and I found out about her classes from Shelly at The House of Smiths, one of my go-to blogs! So, I have had one class, and will have 3 more! Maybe I'll really learn how to take good pictures...we'll see!

Football Theme

2011-09-07T23:11:00.000-04:00

Our Flight Preschool week was a little short last week because we were preparing for a visit from some out-of-town family, but we did accomplish a few things for our Vol Football theme! Take a look...

This week in our Raising Rock Stars curriculum, we focused on the letter Hh, the number 3, the word "and," and the Bible verse, "Honor your father and your mother."

Here's our focus board.

Noah is getting much better with cutting! :) Here he's cutting apart his H word cards. I bought Fiskar's training scissors and I LOVE them...they ONLY cut paper (not clothes, skin, or anything else he may find).

He liked his craft project this week ~ making Mommy & Daddy!

1. Fine Motor Transfer

I made "Big Orange" rocks out of little white rocks from the good ol' Dollar Tree. I drew orange T's on them with a Sharpie. Then, I put them in my football-shaped tray and Noah used ice tongs to transfer them from one compartment to another.

2. Letter Recognition

I made a circle printable with all the lower case letters and Baby Smokey in the middle. I printed it onto sticker paper and attached it to a paper plate. Then, I called out a letter for Noah to hunt and clip the clothespin onto it.

3. Vol Memory

I made several football shaped cards with UT pictures on them in pairs and we played Memory. Noah is getting better at just turning over 2 cards at a time and taking turns ~ a challenge for a 3-year-old!

On our magnet board this week was a number recognition and counting activity. I found these cute little football players (already in orange...bonus :) and tweaked them a little to fit my activity. Then, I added different numbers to each of their jerseys. I made footballs with dots on them. Noah had to match the dots on each football to the number on each jersey.

For our special snack this week, we made sugar cookies in the shape of T's. Then, Noah got to put on orange icing (his favorite part ~ a little icing for the cookie, a LOT of icing for Noah, a little for the cookie...)

UT game pics coming soon!

{linking up HERE}

Muffin Tin Monday ~ Football Time!

2011-09-05T21:45:00.001-04:00

It's football time in Tennessee and in our house, we are ALL VOL!!! So, last week, our Flight Preschool theme was football and Tennessee Volunteers! GO VOLS!!!

Take a look at our muffin tin meal (minus the muffin tin)...

Astro Turf = lime jello
T Sandwich = cheese sandwich cut with my T cookie cutter
Orange Pom Poms = cheeto's
Vol Juice = mango juice with Noah's sippy cup inside our Tennessee cup

Good ol' Smokey went Grizzly hunting on Saturday!!!...46 to 16...YAY!

{linking HERE}

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Theme

2011-08-30T10:00:00.001-04:00

One of my all time favorite books to read to my kinders was always Chicka Chicka Boom Boom! So, instead of just reading it to Noah, I decided to make it into a full weekly theme! Since the book is about letters that go up a coconut tree until it gets too full and falls down, there are a ton of activities that can be incorporated into this theme. Here's what we did.

Ouch Letters ~ found HERE at Peace, Love, & Learning and modified to include matching numbers to dots

Color Match Trees ~ freebie download HERE

Coconut Clip Cards ~ freebie download HERE

I found the tree at Oopsey Daisy and just used my magnetic letters for Noah to act out the story.

All week, Noah worked on pages from my Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Mini Unit. You can purchase it HERE.

In the pocket chart this week, Noah had to match the upper case letter palm trees to the lower case letter coconuts. This activity is in my unit above.

Our special snack this week was a Coconut Fruit Salad. I found the recipe at Peanuts Are Evil.

We had planned on making a variation of this handprint palm tree art project from A Mommy's Adventures, but we ran out of time because we were getting ready for house guests.

Ok, I think that sums up our coconut-ty week...hope you enjoyed following along with us!

Muffin Tin Monday ~ Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

2011-08-29T20:14:00.000-04:00

Chicka chicka boom boom, will your tummy have enough room?

Last week's theme in Flight Preschool was centered around the book, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. For Noah's muffin tin meal, I actually didn't use a muffin tin because it wouldn't fit! So, I used a plate, but still made it cute. I wanted to create a coconut tree scene with a palm tree, coconuts, letters, and the sun, so this is how it turned out...

palm leaves: green apple slices
palm tree trunk: Wheat Thin Stix
letters: letter & number crackers
coconuts: pretzel M&M's
sun: cheese cut into a circle

Let's Have Tea

2011-08-25T05:00:00.007-04:00

This past weekend was my cousin, Bonnie's baby shower! She's having a baby girl in October to be named Brynn Arabella! I love the name they picked out...beautiful! Her shower was tea-party themed and the hostesses, my Aunt Debbie and cousin, Jamie, did an awesome job! Guests were encouraged to wear hats if they wanted to and I (because I love dress-up days) pulled out a fancy hat that I found at an antique store years ago. I felt like I was living in London, pretending to be a Royal, but it was so fun! Take a look at some pictures!

Bonnie, the guest of honor and Mommy-to-Be

the gorgeous food table

the hand-crafted food labels with monogrammed tea bags {B for Bonnie, baby, & Brynn}

My Aunt Nancy's famous homemade mints (so yummy)

beautiful flower arrangements

the guests' tables

Jamie & baby Penelope (10 months)...how cute are they?

Aunt Debbie & Penelope (she's loving those pretty pearls)

my tea party ensemble :)

Isn't Mimi a pretty tea party lady?

Bonnie & Ewing, we wish you the best of luck and are praying for you! We can't wait to meet baby Brynn and welcome her into our family!

In Flight Meals {Bubble Up Pizza}

2011-08-24T05:00:00.000-04:00

Last week, we tried out a new recipe that I found on one of my new fave recipe blogs, Plain Chicken. It's called White Bubble Up Pizza, and holy cow... it was good!! Sam's review was, "we need to add that to the meal rotation," so I guess he liked it! ;)

Here's what you need...

2 cans Pillsbury Grands Jr. biscuits
1 jar Alfredo Sauce (15 oz)
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
2 cups mozzarella cheese
2 cups chopped chicken
cooking spray

Here's what to do...

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut biscuits into quarters and place in medium bowl. Toss biscuits with alfredo sauce and garlic powder. Add chicken and half of the cheese. Toss until well blended. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Pour biscuit mixture into pan and top with remaining cheese. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes, or until biscuits are done.

Back to School Theme

2011-08-23T05:00:00.000-04:00

Our first week of Flight Preschool was a success...YAY!!! We actually accomplished everything I had planned (which was a surprise for me)! Noah is a whiz at his work and gets things done speedy quick! If I can just get him to slow down a bit with coloring, I'll be doing good!

Here's some music from our week!

Our first Raising Rock Stars Unit was so much fun & I really feel like Noah grasped the idea of the lessons. This first unit is about letting your light shine & I even got out our flashlight and let it shine under Noah's shirt to represent Jesus inside our hearts. The "light" that comes from us should show everyone else that Jesus is inside!

He had memorized his Bible verse by Wednesday, which is awesome! Take a look at some of our pictures from the week...

For our special snack this week, Noah made a school bus out of a graham cracker, yellow icing, chocolate teddy grahams, and raisins inspired by The Virtual Vine.

Our pocket chart activity was a Brown Bear Brown Bear color word matching game. I found the pictures and color words at Doodle Bugs Teaching.

Noah had a blast taping his Bible verse together!

"It's taller than me, Mommy!"

For one of our art projects, Noah tore yellow paper to make a school bus. This was a fave activity from the week!

Noah's finished bus...beautiful!

If you want to download your own bus, here you go!

Bus Collage

Noah's Bible verse craft

I plan on taking Noah on Friday to our library for Story Hour and this was our first time there. However, they were having staff training and not starting it until September. Oh well, Noah had fun anyway!

All of my Back to School theme printables are available in my Teacher's Notebook shop HERE.

Back to School Muffin Tin Lunch

2011-08-21T19:45:00.001-04:00

Ring the bell, school is in...and lunch is served! This past week, for our Back to School theme week, I made Noah a lunch perfect for the classroom!

For the pencils, I used Nabisco Wheat Thins Stix, the erasers are mini strawberry marshmallows, the abc's and 123's are Letter & Number Cookies, and the soup is Chef Boyardi ABC's & 123's microwavable soup!

**UPDATE: Since I had some sweet gals ask about the cookies, here is a picture of them. I found them at Kroger, and they are actually Kroger-brand All Natural Letter & Number Crackers. They are pretty tasty too! :)

Have a yummy Monday!

Memaw, Watermelon, & School, OH MY!!!

2011-08-17T09:35:00.000-04:00

Last week, Sam finally got to get a watermelon out of Mimi's garden that he planted and we are SO proud of it! It weighed a whopping 17 pounds and they tell me it is delicious (I'm not a watermelon fan)!

Noah came running in saying, "Mommy, I held the watermelon and it kind of rolled and almost dropped on the floor a little bit!"

Last Sunday, we celebrated my Memaw's birthday in Cades Cove. We cooked hamburgers and hotdogs and had a great time! Noah "helped" Memaw open all her presents!

Then, he got to play in the creek again with Daddy!

We came prepared this time with water shoes and swim trunks!

Monday marked our very first day of Flight Preschool! Even though I woke up with a severe migraine, hearing Noah bounce into our room yelling, "Mommy, I'm ready for school!" warmed my heart! Here is what we are doing each week...

calendar & weather
a Raising Rock Stars unit
a fun theme that includes language arts and math skills
handwriting of the letter of the week
three tot trays
two art projects
a magnet board activity
pocket chart activity
one cooking project

I know that sounds like a LOT, but Noah really flies through everything, so we really only have two hours a day of "school work!"

This week, we're working on the letter L, the number 1, the sight word, "see," the Bible verse, "Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." ~Matthew 5:16, the theme is Back to School & Colors.

Noah is working on his Tot Trays and counting crayon erasers (found at Target Dollar Spot) onto apple number cards.

sorting school houses by size

His favorite Tot Tray activity this week is the "Time Out" game where we take turns drawing a letter card. If he can say the letter name and sound, he keeps the card. If you draw a "time out" card, you lose a turn.

How sweet is this picture? His little hands counting cute crayons! :)

Steamie in Knoxville

2011-08-09T08:51:00.000-04:00

We have been busy busy busy around here! I have been working in the wee hours of the night getting things ready for Noah's "Flight School" (starting next week...yikes!) In the meantime, we had a visit from Sam's grandparents who live in KY this weekend and his cousin, who is getting ready to head back to college in Alabama. Noah had a great time playing!

After dinner on Saturday night, we were driving home and Sam noticed a steam engine on the tracks in Knoxville. There is NEVER a "steamie," as Noah calls it here, so he was BEYOND excited to see it. We parked in the Calhoun's lot and waited by the tracks for it to come by. I made a video with my phone. Sorry for the shaking video...I've never claimed to be a movie director! ;)

Stay tuned for much more info {and pictures} of our Flight School setup.

Picnic in the Mountains

2011-08-01T09:43:00.000-04:00

This past Friday night, I thought it would be fun to take a picnic to Cades Cove and let Noah do one of his fave activities...throwing rocks in the water! We took hotdogs, chips, and cupcakes and had a yummy meal. Then Noah had so much fun wading in the creek and letting his toy dinosaur "swim."

We were there right before sunset, the perfect lighting for pictures, so I got some awesome shots!

enjoying our picnic (one of Noah's favorite things about the picnic was using our new Zoo Pal plates).

"Mommy! How are you standing up there?"

Wading Buddies

action shot...mid rock throwing!

I got a picture with my boy, but came VERY CLOSE to falling in the water (just like I did EVERY time I went to Cades Cove when I was little ~ good gracious!)

our only shot of all 3 of us, but Noah was a little bit over the camera at that point!

Bet you never saw a dinosaur swimming in a mountain river!

Wanna see how much our boy has grown? HERE is the last time he went wading in this exact spot 2 years ago!

Hey Coach!

2011-07-29T05:00:00.001-04:00

This week, Sam's company, Genera, had a dinner to honor the farmers that have worked with them in their Bio-Fuels and Switchgrass Project. It was held in the Tennessee Terrace in Neyland Stadium. I had never been on that side of the stadium before...it is awesome! It was also really cool to walk out and see the stadium completely empty. In about a month, it will be filled with about 104,000 of our closest friends, all decked out in their UT orange!

the jumbo-tron with a custom greeting

Sam was a speaker at the dinner and he did an awesome job, as usual! He is so talented in public speaking. Just don't ask him if he agrees! ;)

The keynote speaker, however, was none other than Derek Dooley, Head Coach of the Tennessee Vols. I got to meet him, and he is so sweet!

{all photos by Bob Longmire}

He took lots of questions from the guests with one exception...no one could ask "When are we going to win a championship?" Who knows, maybe this is our year! GO VOLS!!!

In Flight Meals {Pepperoni Roll Ups}

2011-07-28T08:51:00.001-04:00

I was searching for a quick dinner to make last night and came across these awesome Pepperoni Roll Ups at Dinner with the Donnell's. So, I got right to work and had dinner ready in 20 minutes...YAY!

All you need for these little cheesy wonders are...

mozzarella string cheese {which Noah calls "push up cheese"}
pepperoni
crescent rolls

{Here's How to Make Them}:

Separate the crescent rolls into triangles.
Add 3-4 pepperoni slices to each crescent.
Add one half of a cheese stick on top of each crescent.
Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes.
Serve with a side of marinara or ranch dressing.

Yumminess!!!

Welcome!!!

2011-07-26T02:11:00.001-04:00

Hello & welcome to our new & improved family blog! We would love it if you would become a follower! :)

A few weeks ago, Noah went to his sweet friend, Lillian's, 4th birthday party at a bounce house! He had so much fun bouncing, sliding, and playing the day away! Lillian wanted a Rapunzel/Tangled theme and at her mom's request, I helped make some of the decor and invitations!

all bounced out!

I made Noah a Flynn Rider shirt with an iron-on for the party!

all the bouncy kiddos

Lillian's awesome tower cake

Jennifer decided to display the food in iron skillets.

a pretty Princess wish

Jennifer, Lillian's mom and my sweet friend, used 4 POUNDS of yarn to make braided hair for all the party girlies. That is party dedication, my friends!

Jennifer & Shane, the party was excellent & Noah had a blast! :)

Crazy Fun Days

2010-11-18T01:48:00.001-05:00

I thought I would give you a little glimpse into what Noah has been up to these days!

Noah saw an episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse where Goofy turned into a "Goof-bot" and insisted that we had a Goof-bot in the garage! So, Daddy found some supplies & made him into a Noah-bot! Notice the bucket for a hat, safety goggles, work gloves, some kind of hunting gear for a belt, and Daddy's shoes ~ STYLIN'!!

The best part of the outfit???...the Thomas undies!

Noah loves his November sensory tub full of popcorn, leaves, feathers, fabric swatches, and scoopers!

We made a teepee complete with a campfire that lights up! He reads his Thanksgiving books & plays with his trains in there!

Part of our Thanksgiving Tiny Teach: counting out the correct number of clothespin feathers and counting glass acorns & pumpkins into turkey cups with numbers.

He glued feathers onto our feature letters (T & I)

Our special fall snack (fall tree made from a graham cracker, peanut butter, pretzel rods, and M&M's)

Now, Noah asks for his "tree snack" every day! I have a few more Thanksgiving snacks up my sleeve, though, that he doesn't know about yet!

Lots more Thanksgiving fun to come next week! 7 days 'till Turkey Day!!!

"Frick or Freating"

2010-11-09T05:00:00.002-05:00

We got back from WV just in time for our annual Halloween Bash at our house. To read all about the party, click HERE. Stay tuned for party guest costume pics!

Now, on to the pictures! This year, Noah started telling us he wanted to be Thomas the Train back in July, so that's just what we did. I made his costume (with the help of my Memaw & Aunt Tanya) out of a blue sweatsuit, an iron-on transfer for Thomas' face, and felt for the buffers. I actually SEWED!!! Wow, what's the world coming to? He wore his train hat that he got at Cass Railway in WV last summer and he was one CUTE Thomas! Sam was the train engineer and I was the train conductor. Although, several people told us we looked like Genevieve and DC from the Disney show Choo Choo Soul! Aaaaaand...we kind of did!

Noah was SO EXCITED about Trick-or-Treating this year! He loves his sweets & a night all about candy is right up his alley! We only went around our neighborhood on Saturday night and then to some family's houses on Sunday night. He pronounces his "tr" as "fr," so when the doors opened, he proudly yelled, "Frick or Freat!" Then, when he saw some toys inside one house, he asked the lady, "Noah come on in?" After that, he wanted to go in ALL the houses with Mommy & Daddy trying to explain, "We're not visiting, we're just getting candy!" Debates with 2-year-olds are lots of fun!

Choo Choo Soul

And, here we are..the train crew!

Noah all ready for CANDY!

Thomas & The Engineer

Thomas & The Conductor (Noah can always make me laugh)!

Noah with our Scarecrow Family

Finally time for "Frick or Freating!" He rode around in his wagon because there was quite a bit of walking (trust me...I felt it the next day...note to self, must exercise more)!!!

We had a spooktacular Halloween weekend! So, anybody need any candy? We have enough to last 4 years!!!

A Terrible Loss

2010-11-07T23:21:00.000-05:00

Hello, everyone! It's been a while since I posted because our family has just suffered a great loss! On October 24, Sam's Grandad was called home to be with our Lord. He passed away peacefully after being hospitalized for 7 weeks due to injuries from a fall.
Please pray for peace and comfort for our family during this difficult time!

{Grandad's first picture with Noah}

What a proud Great-Grandad!!! He stayed at the hospital until 4:00 am to see him when he was born & I think he was the first person through the door when visitors were allowed in!

{April 2010 - Noah's 2nd birthday party}

He never missed a special occasion!

Grandad, we love you and we'll miss you so much!

P.S. I do have Noah's Halloween pictures & will share them very soon!

Apple Picking

2010-10-20T10:19:00.000-04:00

A couple of weekends ago, after learning about "A is for apple" during our Tiny Teach, Sam & I took Noah to the Apple Barn for his "field trip." We had made an apple picking bag by painting apple halves and stamping them in a red & green pattern on a plain canvas bag. So, Noah took his bag and found some apples to put in it. Then, we ate lunch at the Applewood Restaurant where he had apple fritters and apple julep. He LOVES everything apple and eats applesauce I think every day!

We had such a great time with the Apple of our Eyes!

His first sight of an apple!

picking apples & putting them in his new bag

sweet boy

our little apple farmer

posing in an apple wagon

I couldn't help but think about the last time we took pictures of Noah at the Apple Barn. He was 5 months old. Look how much he has grown!

To see what all we learned about & did during our Apple Week, click HERE.

Zebras, Ostriches, & Rams, Oh My!

2010-10-07T22:56:00.001-04:00

This week, we were so excited to go with my friend, Bridget and her little girl, Livia, to Circle G Farms. It was the craziest farm I have ever seen, but we both had so much FUN!!! You can drive through in your car or ride a wagon around on the farm. We rode in Bridget's car & put the two kiddos up front with us. There were antelope, deer, rams, pigs, ostriches, zebras, goats, and llamas ~ wow! We bought one bucket of feed and the animals just come up to the car windows while you feed them! Crazy, I tell you! :)

All night long, I kept thinking about those freaky ostriches staring at us with those piercing yellow eyes, ooh, talk about spooky! Anyway, Noah spent most of the ride with his head buried against me and saying, "Ooh, ooh, Mommy, I can't like that!" It was a little too up close and personal for him (and me), but it was definitely an experience! Noah's favorite part was getting to pet the baby pig, see the turtles, and sit on the donkey named Lollipop! Thank you, Bridget, for taking us on an adventure!

feeding the zebra out of the window

Don't look at me, Moo-Moo!

petting the baby piggy

Noah & Livia playing with the fake gator ~ notice where Noah's foot is...he's such a BOY!

sitting on Lollipop...Noah said, "Hello, Farmer," to that man!

Tiny Teach

2010-09-23T13:38:00.000-04:00

For a while now, I have been planning to do some "teaching" with Noah at home. I don't think Sam & I will put him in a Preschool until he's 4 and even then, it will just be 2 or 3 days a week. Since I am blessed to be at home with him, I can combine my 2 favorite things, being a Mommy & being a Teacher. Noah's little brain is like a sponge right now and he's learning at lightning speeds. So, why not take this opportunity to teach him some basic knowledge of letters, numbers, & much more?

So, this is our very first week of Tiny Teach & Noah has had a blast! I'm focusing on a letter a week along with a theme so this week we learned the letter C and our theme was China (because that's where Sam is right now ~ for a whole week YUCK!) He comes home tomorrow, though, and we are SO EXCITED to see him!

Here's a few pictures of our Tiny Teach this week. Tonight, we're taking a "field trip" to a Chinese restaurant (I'll post post pics of that soon).

driving his cars on our C Road

We glued cheerios on a letter C & colored pictures that started with C.

We made C's & cars with playdough.

We finger-painted a Chinese flag.

Noah said, "Mommy, am I an 'ottist'?" I told him he was an artist and he said, "Well, where's my hat?"

Anybody know where to get an artist beret???

We read, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, and then we made cookies (with pumpkin candies on top) :)

See that sneaky look on his face? He's thinking, "Wonder what Mommy will do when I eat this dough?"

Here's our lovely cookies!

We made a panda bear with circles & glued it on a paper plate.

Stay tuned for more pictures from our C Week in Tiny Teach! :)

It's a Zoo Out There!

2010-09-21T01:41:00.000-04:00

Last Sunday, we took Noah to the Zoo for the first time! We've been trying to go for a while, but our plans were always changed for some reason.

Noah LOVED seeing all the animals & says his favorites were the monkeys and the alligator (& no, not the FL Gators!) He thinks they are too LOUD!!! The whole time we were at the UT game this week, Noah kept saying, "Go to Mimi's house!" I thought it was an AWESOME game, by the way, and that we played very well against a good team! GO VOLS!!!

Anyway, back to the zoo...enjoy these pis! Oh yeah, I have added a "Followers" gadget on the right sidebar, so if you read our little blog, please enter your info. I'm just curious who reads about life with our little Pumpkin! :)

a happy boy at the Zoo

seeing the "zraffes"

the cutest animals EVER

enjoying the day with the family

Giddy-up, turtle!

the goat salon

Busy Labor Day

2010-09-09T10:25:00.000-04:00

We were so busy last weekend, we barely had time to stop & breathe! Friday, Sept. 3 was Mimi & Papa's 40th anniversary, so we started the day off eating breakfast with Mimi (Papa's favorite meal was breakfast ~ any time of day). Then, we took flowers to Papa's grave and walked to Papa's bench at Fort Loudon. Noah is so sweet because every time we go see Papa's grave, he finds pine cones on the ground to lay on his stone. Later that evening, we went out to eat in Gatlinburg. All day, we were reminded of Papa, so we know he was with us!

My Mama & Daddy always had such a special love! They had been together since Mama was 13 and Daddy was 15. They loved being together & doing fun things all the time! They always included me & I hope we can do the same for Noah. My parents always showed me that love conquers all & even though they can't be together physically right now, Daddy remains in Mama's heart (& mine) forever! We know he's watching over us & we're doing our best to tell Noah about his Papa every day! Noah is SO MUCH like his Papa, so a part of him will always be here. When I get sad & miss Daddy so much, I just look at Noah...he always makes me smile!

Mimi took some beautiful yellow roses to Papa's bench! (just like the ones in their wedding)

the back of the bench

From the time we got to the bench, till we were halfway back down the trail, a butterfly stayed on Mimi (Papa)! We also saw 3 deer on the trail in the heat of the day (Papa)!

Then, on Saturday, it was "Football Time in Tennessee!" We took Noah to his very first game & he LOVED it! He clapped & cheered and sang, "Rocky Tock!" He made it until half time before he started getting antsy and we thought that was pretty good for a 2-year-old!

Pre-game prep

Mimi's Little Vol

Warm Up "Hut 1, Hut 2"

Someone on the street gave Noah a plastic football & he asked me all evening "Mommy, got No-No's ball?"

Here we are in Neyland Stadium in our new seats (under the awning ~ yay)!

Daddy's Football Buddy

On Sunday, after church & a nap, we went to Boomsday or as Noah calls it, "Boom Day," He loved the fireworks & his blinky butterfly that he HAD to have!

Noah mesmerized by the butterfly

Giving Daddy hugs

waiting for the show with Memaw & Mimi

On Monday, we went to our friend, Kylie's 3rd birthday! She is an avid Mickey Mouse fan, so her party was Mickey & Minnie-themed. I helped with some of the decor & Noah had such a fun time bouncing in the bounce house, playing with the water table, & digging in the sandbox!

Let's Bounce!

sweet Kylie opening her birthday gifts

Whew! That about sums up our weekend! We had so much fun & very little rest, which explains why Noah & I both started getting sick on Tuesday! That's the price of a busy weekend, I guess (plus the weather change)! Hopefully this weekend, we can get some much needed rest (oh, after the next UT game and...) Oh well! Who needs rest, right? :)

Anniversary Photos

2010-09-01T10:08:00.000-04:00

In June, Sam & I celebrated our 10-year anniversary! We took an overnight trip to Atlanta & had a great time going to Ikea (AWESOME), to a movie, and out to eat. The main event, however, was a lifestyle photo session with an amazing photographer. I was going to post a video I made using our photos to this blog, and my MM&T blog, but since it took me all night to upload it the first time, I'll just be linking to it.

So, click here to read that post and see our movie.

Memaw's Birthday

2010-08-25T22:45:00.000-04:00

My Memaw celebrated her 82nd birthday on Aug. 12. We usually go to the Cades Cove picnic area for her birthday dinner, but we didn't really think a picnic at 98 degrees would be very fun! So, we all went to her house for dinner instead. Mom & Aunt Tanya made a delicious meal complete with three (count them), three desserts ~ one coconut cake, one pie, & mini cupcakes (because some of us don't like coconut)! Noah was loving the sweets!

I made napkin rings and a cake topper to match the plates and napkins for the party! We all had a great time & I hope Memaw had a wonderful birthday!

Memaw's cake with my cake topper {we all call her something different, as you can see}!

Everyone was cracking up because Noah blew out her candles before she had a chance to.

Preparing to blow out her candles!

looking for fireflies with the boys

This past Monday, Aug. 23rd would have been my Memaw & Poppy's 64th wedding anniversary! Poppy went to be with Jesus in 2005, but we still remember this very special day in their lives. I always loved looking at pictures of Memaw & Poppy when they were dating. I think the 1940's with all the Sailors in their dress whites & the girls in their flowing dresses was so romantic! I was born in the wrong time period, I think.

my favorite picture of Poppy & Memaw from their dating years

Here they are on their 50th anniversary {14 years ago}!

Hit the Showers!

2010-08-10T12:11:00.001-04:00

Noah reached a new milestone this week! For a long time, Noah has REFUSED to take a shower, only baths! However, this past Saturday, he told Daddy, "No-No want to take a shower!" So, into the shower he went & he LOVED it!!!

So, he's no longer scared of the shower & bath time is much more interesting now!

Next milestone...getting rid of that paci (help us Lord)! Our goal is to be paci-less by 2 1/2 which is October 4th. We'll see!

Day Out with Thomas

2010-08-03T14:12:00.000-04:00

Noah's new obsession is THOMAS THE TRAIN!! He has quite the collection of trains & he can tell you which trains are steam engines, which ones are diesel, what their names are, and what colors they are. It's very impressive!

So, when we found out that the "Day Out with Thomas" in Bryson City, NC, was last weekend, we HAD to get tickets! It was so fun & Noah had a blast! He got to meet Sir Topham Hat & ride the real Thomas train! If you have a child or grandchild that loves Thomas, I highly recommend this trip! Take a look at the pictures so you can see for yourself the amazement on Noah's face!

Noah first sees Thomas!

Then the EXCITEMENT sets in!

meeting Sir Topham Hat (Mayor of Sodor)

"Yeah, Mommy, going to ride on Thomas!"

waiting for Thomas to round the bend

Thomas the Train, up close & personal

All Aboard!!!

"Come with Noah, Mimi!"

Choo Choo, here we go!

Finally, Noah gets his ride on Thomas the Train!!!

Ice Cream Summer

2010-07-22T00:34:00.005-04:00

Last night, while playing outside with Daddy, Noah came running in the house yelling, "ICE CREAM TRUCK" over and over! He wanted to buy an ice cream from the truck and Daddy said he could. So, I had to grab my camera for this first ice cream truck experience.

The driver is the same man who came to my classroom's end-of-the-year picnic for my kids' yummy treat. So, he remembered us. Noah chose the Shrek lime green popsicle & ate every bit of it! There's nothing like an ice cream truck that reminds me of summers from my childhood! The song is even the same! :) Enjoy the pictures & here's hoping you can have a yummy ice cream treat sometime this summer!

"Look, Mama, there it IS!"

So many choices!?!

Shrek is the winner!

Yum, it's "delicious!"

To celebrate this new ice cream milestone, I would like to offer my 2" printable circle tags from my SWEET TREATS collection as a free download. If you decide to have an ice cream party this summer, you can use these tags as cupcake toppers, ice cream container decorations, or cup labels. Click here to download.

What We've Been Up To

2010-07-12T10:42:00.012-04:00

Whew! We've had a busy few days! Last Thursday, Noah & I went to Books and Blooms at the UT Trial Gardens with our friends Bridget and sweet Livia! The kids had a great time & I highly recommend this free activity to anyone with a young child! The kids listened to 3 stories, colored a frog with markers, sang fun songs, and got to play in the sprinklers {Noah's favorite activity}! Books and Blooms takes place every Thursday at 10:30 am. Check it out!

Noah saying, "Wooooooooo!"

BFF's Noah & Livia

Future Sweethearts??? You never know!

Cutie Pie Livia

My fave picture of Noah in the sprinkler

Then, on Friday night, Noah went to his very first movie, Toy Story 3 and had a great time! Even though he got up and down out of his seat and asked frequent questions like, "Who dat, Mommy?" and "What's happening, Daddy?" he made it through just fine! Sam & I liked it too and couldn't remember the last time we saw an animated movie at the theater. We love them too! (picture coming soon ~ it's on Daddy's phone)

On Saturday, we went to my cousin's Jamie and Nick's baby shower. Go here to see pictures from that fun event! In October, Noah will have a new 2nd cousin, Penelope Grace Allmon! He's very excited!

On Sunday, after church, we went to Noah's friend, Lillian's 3rd birthday party at Pump it Up! He had so much fun!!!

Look at the terror on Noah's face ~ after that, he was content

to run around and roll on the mats.

all the party kiddos

Lillian, the sweet Birthday Girl

Max, Lillian, & Noah

Noah took a 3.5 hour nap today & got some much needed rest...now, when do I get to take a nap {yeah, right ;)}!

HAPPY FOURTH!!!

2010-07-04T23:58:00.000-04:00

From our family to yours, we hope you had a FABULOUS FOURTH OF JULY!

As the fireworks sizzled in the night sky above me, I was reminded why we celebrate this holiday. I am so thankful to live in America...the land of the free & the home of the brave! No matter where you are today, I hope you tasted something sweet or spicy at a cookout, sang along to a favorite Patriotic song {mine is Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA"}, were dazzled by a beautiful display of fireworks, and most importantly, enjoyed the day with your precious family & friends! Happy Birthday, USA!!! :)

Back From the Beach

2010-07-03T13:00:00.002-04:00

Well, we are back home from all our traveling! We had an AWESOME time at the beach and Noah loved it as always! He dug in the sand for hours, walked a hundred miles back and forth to the ocean carrying water in his bucket, ate seafood, rode some rides at Broadway at the Beach, at Superman ice cream, and found lots of pretty seashells! Take a look at the slideshow of our favorite pictures!

Slideshow generated with Smilebox

Let the Summer Trips Begin!

2010-06-24T12:17:00.006-04:00

In the month of June, we have/will be taking 3 trips. The first one was to Atlanta for our anniversary on June 12. The second was last weekend to WV to visit Sam's family. I feel like I unpack just to pack again. Maybe I should just live out of my suitcase, that would be easier!We had a great time & Noah always loves visiting the farm! :) Take a look at some of my favorite pictures from the trip.

Noah feeding the "bock bocks"

eating at Food & Friends & Noah learned the art of eating noodles, "suck it up"

the Jackson family

We saw the most beautiful rainbow ~ a double all the way across the sky!

Noah in my all-time fave outfit with Mimi at Cass Railroad

Noah called his outfit his "Father's Day shirt and hat."

my little Railroad Racer

the look on Noah's face when he saw the train coming for the 1st time

posed in front of the engine ~ Noah is wearing his new train hat, a gift from Pap & Mommaw

I love this pic ~ our little farmer tending to the chickens

Noah got to drive the "John Deere tractor" with Uncle Boom

seeing the moo moo's up close and personal with Daddy

Now, as we rest up from this trip, we're preparing to go to the BEACH~YAY!!!! Noah is so ready to play in the water and build a sand castle (I hear it every day)! :)

Super Max

2010-06-17T00:32:00.009-04:00

On Sunday, we went to our Godson, Max's 5th Superhero birthday party at the Sevierville Park Pool. They had a splash pad, which Noah absolutely LOVED! I think he stayed in there the whole hour and a half except to come out to eat his cupcake (his fave food) :) Noah enjoyed getting to play not only with the Birthday Boy, but with his friends, Karson & Eli. I got to see one of my favorite past Kindergarten students, Catherine, too! She's going into the 4th grade...wow! :) I realized that my very first 3rd grade class at Lenoir City during my internship will be Seniors in the fall! My first Kindergarteners will be going into the eighth grade! Oh my, now I really feel old! :)

We cannot believe Max is 5! Where has the time gone? We have had the pleasure of watching Max turn from a sweet little baby into the smart, kind, and handsome little boy that he is today! {See pictures below.}

I helped Becky with some designs for the party and she did a super job with all the decor and food! It was a great party and I hope Super Max had an incredible birthday! We love you, Max!!!

Max, right after he was born

Max's 1st farm birthday party

Max's 2nd John Deere birthday party

Max's 3rd Monster Truck birthday party

The only birthday we don't have pictures from is #4...I forgot my camera. :(

Here he is today, our 5-year-old Godson!

the Superhero decor

My baby splashing around!

Lori & Karson

Eli, who is also 5! My my!!!

the Birthday Boy's Mama & her Goddaughter and my former student, Catherine

in anticipation of the fountain :)

10 YEARS!!!

2010-06-11T08:13:00.009-04:00

Yesterday, June 10, was our 10 year anniversary! WOW, I can't believe it has been that long! So, I thought I would do a little blog tribute to our 10 years of marriage. Here goes...

We met in September 1996 at The University of TN.

Our wedding day...June 10, 2000

We moved into our first apartment in West Knoxville. We lived there while I completed my teaching Internship at Lenoir City Elementary and Sam completed his Master's classes at UT.

{I've learned a thing or two about decorating since then!}

We graduated with our Master's degrees in 2002

Sam in Forestry and me in Elementary Education

We both got our first "real" job in 2002. I got my first teaching position at Sevierville Primary School teaching Kindergarten (that pic is my very first class :) Sam got a job at UT as a Research Assistant in the Forest Products Center.

We bought our first house in October 2002 in Seymour.

We have travelled A LOT in 10 years. We've been to...

Jamaica (honeymoon)

Myrtle Beach (every summer)

Wilmington, NC

Oregon

Washington

Buffalo, NY

Niagra Falls

Paris (pic below)

Rome

London

Venice

Disney World (twice)

In July 2007, we learned that we were expecting!!!

In November 2007, we found out it was a BOY!!!

Here I am a few days before Noah was born. I was not one of the lucky ones that had an easy pregnancy. Mine was filled with 24/7 sickness, Braxton Hicks contractions starting at 5 months, Pre-term Labor at 32 weeks, and bed rest for 6 weeks. But, when I held Noah in my arms for the first time, I knew it was ALL WORTH IT!

Our nursery was all ready to bring our baby home!

On April 4, 2008 (after a 13-hour labor & a C-Section), our miracle, Noah Rhett Jackson was born at 1:12 am.

Here we are today...a happy family of three raising a sweet, energetic, smart little boy!

In the last 10 years, Sam has been my best friend, my soul mate, my supporter, & my love of a lifetime! Here's to the next 10 years together...wonder what they will bring? :)

One Sick Boy

2010-06-06T12:07:00.003-04:00

Noah has had a hard few days! He started running a HIGH fever on Wednesday night (up to almost 105). It turned out that he has a virus called Stomatotus that causes blisters in his mouth and throat. Today, he has a bad rash on his body too! We have felt so bad for him because he has been in so much pain!

He has kept playing through it all and it only slowed him down a little bit! When his fever got better on Friday, he felt much better! Now if he can just start eating normally again and get his strength back, he'll be back to the same bubbly Noah!

Here are a few pictures from Memorial Day weekend. On Saturday, we went to our neighbor, Austin's 5th birthday party that I helped plan. On Saturday night, we had a cookout at Aunt Becky and Uncle Andy's house. Sunday was church & playing at Mimi's house. Monday, we tried to take our boat out, but the motor quit after a half hour on the lake. So, hopefully with some repairs, we can try that again soon.

An excited boy riding the "Bat Mobile" at Austin's party

a quick pose with Mommy

all ready for Church

Noah caught his first fish with Daddy on the boat (actually 5 fish) :)

Hopefully, we are on the last stages of Noah's virus and we can get back to our summer fun! We have two trips planned for this month, one to WV and one to North Myrtle Beach & Wilmington...YEAH, can't wait!!!

What Noah's Been Up To

2010-05-29T09:36:00.005-04:00

Noah is one BUSY boy these days! When we're at home, he pretty much sticks to this schedule...

8:00 - wake up

8:30 - breakfast (faves are oatmeal, blueberry muffins, pancakes, & waffles)

9:00- play inside (& he HAS to watch "Max and Ruby" on TV)

10:00 - morning snack

11:00 - play outside (sandbox, playhouse, basketball, bubbles, tractor)

12:00 - lunch (faves are grilled cheese, chicken "bock-bock" nuggets, applesauce, & rice)

1:00-3:00 - nap

3:00- afternoon snack

4:00 - play inside & help Mommy cook

5:30 - Daddy comes home - YEAH!!

6:00 - supper (these days, we have a hard time getting him to eat anything unfamiliar, he

loves mac 'n cheese, rice, chicken, french fries, spaghetti, hotdogs, corn, biscuits/rolls)

7:00 - play outside with Daddy & help him water the plants & pick strawberries

9:00 - bath

9:15 - bedtime snack

9:30 - brush teeth

9:45 - get blankie, pacie, & "lay on the couch" while watching "Max & Ruby," or "Wow Wow

Wubzi"

10:00 - bedtime (Mommy "rubs No-No's back" and sings him to sleep)

Then, I have all these plans to get things done after Noah goes to bed, but by that time, I'm pooped and all I want to do is "lay on the couch," (but NOT watch "Max & Ruby :})

So, that's a peek into Noah's days as a busy two-year-old! :)

helping Mommy make cupcakes

He had just broke the eggs for me (messy, but fun)! :)

Putting the cupcake liners in the pan.

The cupcakes are ready to be baked!

His favorite toy these days ~ TRAINS!!!

He even likes to listen to & sing the train song "Folsom Prison Blues" by Johnny Cash:

"I hear the train a-comin', it's rollin round the bend..."

riding his tricycle & we've just now started wearing our sunglasses

He shoots, he scores!

Happy Memorial Day weekend!!! :)

Our Trip to KY

2010-05-19T09:12:00.004-04:00

Last weekend, we travelled to Louisville, KY for Sam's cousin, Sarah's high school graduation celebration. Since they had so much snow, their school trip to NY was rescheduled and the only time they could reschedule was during graduation. So, the seniors got the choice of walking in the graduation ceremony or going on the trip. Sarah chose NY! :)

However, the family celebrated with a BBQ in the park and her church had a Foot Washing ceremony for her and one other graduating senior. We were happy to get to go and be a part of both celebrations!

Noah LOVED the park because there was a slide, cupcakes, and other kids to play with. Sam's other three cousins (Katelyn, Amanda, & Millie) all took good care of Noah for us! We're so glad that Noah is an awesome traveller - he did so good on the trip! :)

I am so used to being the one taking all the pictures. On this trip, however, there were cameras everywhere. I got these pics from Amanda & Sarah's facebook pages. Thanks, girls for the awesome pics!

I love this picture of me and my boy! :)

Noah sliding with Millie

Noah's fave food...cupcakes!

I brought cupcakes for the BBQ & made toppers for Sarah!

walking in the park with Millie & Grannie Curry

waiting for church to start

Congrats, Sarah! In August, she's heading to The University of Alabama (despite the snide remarks by us UT fans)! We can't wait for Oct. 25 (UT vs. Bama)! GO VOLS!!!

All kidding aside, we wish her the best of luck and we know she'll do great!

Noah's Pirate Bathroom

2010-05-13T09:25:00.006-04:00

I realized today that I hadn't shown you the pictures of Noah's new pirate bathroom decor. We got it done right before Noah's birthday, but the pictures got lost in the mix of parties, Easter, and vacation. Sam did all the hard work, I just had the vision (which is the way it usually seems to work out). :) Arrr, matey's, enter at ye own risk!

the sign on the door (spooky, huh?)

the view from the door

Our bathroom before was done in an ocean theme, so I already had the navy/white striped shower curtain. I just removed the shower rings and tied the curtain on with pieces of red rope. We also already had the blue wooden ship wallpaper. We had the rope trim at the top of the wallpaper there also. The treasure box was a gift from Sam's mom for my classroom. It now houses Noah's bath supplies and toys. I bought the blue and white towels at Walmart and had them monogrammed at Me and Mommy to Be.

the other corner of the room

The ship wheel mirror was a purchase from the beach long ago. I found the small square canvas pirate prints at Home Goods on sale for $5 each (woo-hoo!) The two adorable Ahoy Sailor prints were a 1st birthday gift for Noah from Aunt Jenny & Aunt Heather. We added new stainless steel hardware that I love.

the new light fixture

Ever since we moved into our house, I have very much disliked the gold fixtures in the bathrooms. So, I was thrilled to add this new one. I think it looks like lights in a boat. :)

the painted wall & border

We (umm, I mean...Sam) painted the bathroom a "happy red" and we picked the cutest pirate border at Lowe's for the top.

Noah brushing his teeth in his new bathroom.

Shiver me timbers, our tour is through. Tell me what ye think & tell me no lies...or ye walk the plank! {Sorry, couldn't resist the pirate lingo! :)}

Day with Mimi

2010-05-07T07:40:00.004-04:00

On Wednesday, Sam took a business trip to Chicago, so Noah & I spent the night with Mimi. This is only the 2nd time Noah has spent the night there. Now that he is sleeping in a "big boy bed," it is much easier. I took my bolster pillows that strap to the mattress & he slept in my old bed by himself. Fortunately, Mimi was able to take a day off on Thursday and we had a fun day!

We took Noah to the park and he he LOVED it! Sandy Springs Park in Maryville has a play area specifically designed for little ones which is awesome! I didn't have to run up and down a million times with him which was a relief for me! :) After the park, we went to Noah's favorite restaurant, Chick-fil-A, which he calls, "Chick Ole". I have to tell you this funny story. At the park, there is a bouncy whale (Noah loves whales), but every time he went to get on it, someone beat him to it. I told him he had to wait his turn. So, he looked at the girl on it and yelled across the playground, "Get off!" It's hard for adults to wait patiently and for a 2-year-old, it's nearly impossible! He did finally get his turn & after 1 minute on the whale, he was a happy boy! :)

Then, after a short nap, we went to Memaw's house to play. Noah loves running down a grassy hill in her backyard (which was a favorite for me when I was his age). He also got to go up in the treehouse that belongs to my cousin, Andrew. He is 22 now, but it was a Christmas gift for him when he was little. Noah loved it!

Then, when Sam's flight came in from Chicago, we met him for dinner at Chili's. We tried to eat at the new Cheddar's, but the wait was an hour and with a toddler, you just DON"T do that! :)

Thank you, Mimi for spending the day with us...we had a great time!

Noah showing Memaw an "a-pane"

Noah playing hard

my sweet boy

Now, when I pick him up, he tries to walk over me :}

running down the hill into Mimi's arms

sitting on the picnic table for a picture

playing in the treehouse

Happy Friday,

Funny Boy

2010-05-03T10:59:00.003-04:00

Noah has always had a great sense of humor, but now that he is talking more and more, he is CRACKING us up!

During bath a few nights ago, Sam yelled for me to come see Noah. He had bubbles on his face and was saying, "bubble beard" over and over!

Bubble beard boy :)

Yesterday, he fell on the driveway and got a big boo-boo on his knee. When I took him in to get a band-aid, he saw how bad it looked for the first time. He said, "Oh, no, man!!!"

"Oh man," is one of his favorite phrases these days, and last night, he wanted a cupcake before dinner and was standing on his tippy-toes with his hands on it when Daddy caught him and said, "No, Noah, not yet." He started crying and said, "Oh, man!"

At O'Charley's, he had been sitting on a crayon in his booster seat, so when he got up, his whole seat was yellow. He said, "Oh, no, how'd that happen?"

Some of our favorite words he says these days are..."as-par-ga-gas" (asparagus) "al-ga-gator" (alligator), "bolcano" (volcano), "fawry, mommy," (sorry, mommy)

We are having so much fun watching and listening to him grow each day...he's a hoot!

Vacation Catch Up!

2010-04-27T09:38:00.001-04:00

Hello. I tried to update the blog each night of our trip, but after going to the Magic Kingdom, I was too pooped to even open my computer ;) So, be prepared for A LOT of pictures to catch up.

On Friday, we drove from Clearwater to Orlando. Our hotel was on Disney property and was A.W.E.S.O.M.E!!! If you ever need a good place that is affordable and close to the parks, check out the Hilton at Bonnet Creek. The pool was amazing & Noah loved it. It had a lazy river all the way around, a water slide, and a "beach" kiddy pool.

the pool area

After lunch, we played at the pool for a while. Then, we went to Downtown Disney ("Disney Town," as Noah says) for dinner. We ate at T-Rex, which is owned by the same people who own The Rainforest Cafe. It was seriously cool ~ there were roaring dinos, a giant octopus, a jellyfish table, and all sorts of neat things to see. We sat in the Ice Cave which was all blue. Then, every 20 minutes, there was a meteor shower. Noah had so much fun roaring and chomping like a dino the whole time.

eating at T-Rex {ROAR}!!!

On Sat. morning, we went to a Character Breakfast at the Polynesian Resort. Noah got to meet Mickey, Pluto, Lilo, & Stitch while he 'ate' (& I use the term loosely) breakfast! Who can eat when Mickey is walking around everywhere? Ok, ok, we did because the food was amazing {Hawaiin bread, Mickey-shaped waffles, & a skillet of eggs, bacon, sausage, fried potatoes, and fruit} YUM!!! Noah even got to be in a parade with all the characters shaking a maraccca! When the parade was over, he said, "Awwww, parade AGAIN!"

meeting Lilo

meeting Stitch

meeting Pluto

meeting Mickey

dancing in the parade

Then, on to the Magic Kingdom. Noah got to meet Chip & Dale, Snow White, Alice in Wonderland, Mickey, Minnie, & Goofy! He rode the Small World ride, Dumbo, the Barnstormer Roller Coaster, the Mad Hatter's Tea Cups, the Pirates of the Carribean, the train, saw Mickey's Philharmagic show, and the Winnie the Pooh ride. Noah's favorite thing, however, was riding the monorail. He loved it so much, we bought him a little play monorail to take home. Whew! We stayed from 11:00 'till 7:00 (closing) and we were all sufficiently pooped. Noah did take a short nap in the stroller, which helped him a little.

meeting Chip & Dale

meeting Snow White

dancing with Goofy in the Street Party

meeting Alice

meeting Minnie

meeting Mickey (again)

our family with Mickey & Minnie

Mickey's house

the Barnstormer roller coaster

spinning in the "tea party"

Argh, Matey's!

Noah sings, "Yo ho, Yo ho, and a bottle of juice"

flying with Dumbo

He did soooo good with the whole vacation and is turning into quite the little traveller! I was a little sad for it to be over, but I'm glad to be home! We're getting some much needed rest now!

Thanks for traveling with us & remember what Disney World always shows me...

Believe in the magic of every day & dreams do come true!!!

Florida {Day 2}

2010-04-22T22:48:00.005-04:00

Hello again from Florida! We had another beautiful day here! Noah slept ALL night until 8:00 am (YEAH!!!) So, after he got up, Noah I went down to the beach to play while Daddy was in meetings. Noah wore himself (& Mama) out running back & forth to the ocean to fill up his bucket with water.

Sam met us for lunch on the pier and Noah was amazed by the seagulls who would come dangerously close to us for food. After lunch Noah took a 2 hour nap in the room (i'm lovin' this big boy bed thing) while I caught up on some etsy orders. When Sam got done with his conference, we took Noah to the pool and beach again.

For dinner tonight, we walked to a restaurant near the pier called Crabby Bill's & had delicious seafood! We watched the sunset again, but from the beach this time. While taking pictures, we met a man who sings/plays in a island music band called "The Birds of Paradise." He thought Noah was so cute & let him see his special Lion of Judah guitar. He shook Noah's hand and said he gave him the "gift of music." Then, he gave Noah a flower picked from the hotel garden (which I'm pretty sure is not allowed ;) & told him to give it to me. It was so sweet! Enjoy our pictures from today!

eating at Crabby Bill's

gorgeous shot of a sailboat & the sunset (taken by Sam, not me) ;)

the Lion of Judah guitar

Here, Mommy!

I love getting a flower from my boy (illegal or not) :)

Super Noah

I love this picture (& I actually took this one) ;)

Noah's tickled!

Look at Noah being such a boy ~ throwing sand for the millionth time today!

I love this picture too!

Watching the sun going "down down down, baby!"

sandy piggies

Tomorrow, we head to Orlando...Mickey's House, here we come!!!!

Away We Go!

2010-04-21T23:44:00.004-04:00

Once again, it has been a while since I have posted anything. I have been preparing for this trip & doing etsy orders left and right (yeah!) So...without further adieu...our trip to Florida begins!

We left this morning on a flight to Clearwater Beach, FL. Sam has a conference here and Noah & I got to tag along this time. Noah did GREAT on the plane! The flight was only 1 hour & 15 minutes, so not bad!

We got to Clearwater about 11:00 this morning, so we had time to grab some lunch and head to the beach! Noah had a blast playing in the sand and ocean & Mommy got to lay in the sun for a while :)

Then, we went out to eat at a fun seafood restaurant called Frenchy's tonight. After dinner, we walked to a pier near our hotel to watch the sunset. Noah said, "sun goin' down, down, down." Then, when it was out of sight, he said, "OH NO!!!...sun gone!" He is too funny now with everything he says! We had a fabulous first day & Noah even went to sleep around 10:30 in the "big bed!"

ready for take off!

Noah "digs" the sand! ;)

Noah in his new outfit...looks like a Children's Place ad, doesn't it?

He was saying, "Hold, Mommy, hold!"

Notice his sweet sandy hands!

sunset on the pier

me and my boy

a real Pirate boat (for tours, but pretty cool)!

a view of the beach & pier

See you tomorrow for another fun day at the beach! XOXO

Easter Birthday

2010-04-11T01:20:00.004-04:00

Sorry I am late with these Easter pictures! I had so many Easter/birthday/party pictures to go through, it took me a while! On the pictures below, you can click to enlarge.

In all the birthday hullaballoo, Noah did get to color a few eggs & make them glittery. In the photo below, he is checking out his basket from the Easter Bunny. He loved his farm animal eggs & the Bunny also put money in some of the eggs :)

Noah's actual 2nd birthday was on Easter, so after his "friends party" on Saturday, we had our Family Party combined with Easter at our house after church on Sunday. Noah was so excited & off-schedule after his party that he did not sleep well. We finally all got to bed around 2:30 am & then got up for the 9:00 am church service. So, needless to say, he was not in the best of moods for pictures after church. But, we did go to the UT Trial Gardens for a few poses. Even though it was difficult to get a smile out of him, you can still see his cute little Easter suit.

After pictures, Noah got a much needed nap while we prepared for lunch with the family. Mom, Memaw, Aunt Tanya, & Aunt Maxine made the most delicious meal! I ordered a picture cake from Kroger {& forgot to put on my cake toppers, but just pretend they are cute, ok?}. I also made a small dessert table with candy, cookies, & sweets. I made Noah's #2 party hat to match all our other party supplies. The napkin rings had Noah's picture on them {forgot to take a picture of that too ~ sleep deprivation, what can I say?}! I did get a picture of the menu cards with my duck & bunny graphics.

After lunch, Noah hunted Easter eggs & enjoyed his cake! Thank you so much to our wonderful family who came & celebrated with us! It was a great 2nd birthday for my precious boy!

Here's a video of when Noah first saw his new outside play toys!

My Baby is 2!!!

2010-04-05T15:35:00.005-04:00

WOW! Look how much he has grown in one year!

Still lovin' the cake!!! :)

I can't believe my baby turned 2 yesterday! We had 2 successful parties over the weekend to celebrate Noah & he had so much fun! I am exhausted & still recovering from all the work, but it was all worth it when Noah said it was a "Good, happy day, Mommy!"

On Saturday, we had all his friends over for a Wonder Pets party. We had 9 kiddos ranging in age from one to seven. I will soon be posting much more info about the party when I get the pictures. A photographer friend of mine, Zabrina, took pictures (both for Noah's 2 year photos & of the party). So, I should be getting them in about a week.

Then, on Sunday (Noah's actual birthday & Easter), we combined the two for a huge family celebration lunch at our house. Mom, Memaw, Aunt Tanya, & Aunt Maxine all made some yummy dishes & I had the cake & sweets. Noah got some awesome birthday gifts including a sandbox from us, a playhouse from Mimi & Great-Memaw, a picnic table from Aunt Susie, & Uncle "Boom," & a ride-on "John Deere Tractor" from Pap & Mommaw. He is all set for spring & summer playtime outdoors.

Here is a few pictures from the Wonder Pets party. There will be much more soon!

Click the picture to enlarge.

Happy Birthday, our precious Noah Rhett! You are our sunshine, our most amazing gift from God, & the one who can always make us laugh! Thank you for making these last two years the BEST years of our lives!

Long Time...No Post

2010-03-19T23:37:00.008-04:00

Hello All! It know it has been a long time since I have updated my blog. I was sick for a week and a half with a BAD stomach virus and a cold. Then, we took an impromptu trip to Savannah during Mimi's Spring Break. Now, back from my trip and finally feeling better, I can get back to blogland.

I have LOTS of great pictures to share from our trip. Mom, Memaw, Aunt Tanya, Noah, & I set out for Savannah on Monday & spent two & a half days there. We didn't know this when we planned our trip, but Savannah hosts the 2nd largest St. Patty's Day festival in the country. We shared the streets with 400, 000 of our closest STRANGErs. We saw the most interesting green outfits (if you can call them that), & ALL things green during our stay. On Tuesday, we dined at Paula Deen's restaurant, Lady & Sons, for lunch, and then at her brother's restaurant,Uncle Bubba's, for dinner. They were both de.li.cious!! We shopped, went sightseeing, visited Tiby Island, & saw the Tiby Island Lighthouse while we were there. We all had a wonderful time! Enjoy the pictures!

The 4-hour St. Patty's Day Parade:

Mimi's favorite float - Sonic

One of the many Irish Bagpipe Bands

One view of the street

Noah, ready for the parade

Our newspaper waiting for us in the hallway at our hotel - GREEN :)

Tiby Island Lighthouse

Beautiful houses

trying to channel my inner photographer & get a "sun flare"

the beautiful Forsyth Park fountain

Me & my boy

detail on the fountain (notice the green water :)

eating at Lady & Sons

Aunt Tanya read that this store, the Paris Market, was in the city -

I have read about it in Country Living ~ one word...AWESOME!!!

Here we are on River Street in front of another green fountain.

Mimi & Noah with "lellow" tulips.

Me & Aunt Tanya & the pretty red flowers

Noah stopping to smell the hibiscus!

Memaw & Noah

Paula Deen's restuarant

I thought this photo was hilarious - fireman with kilts walking down the middle of River Street - only in Savannah :)!

All the way there, Noah wanted to see "big ol' ships," & that's just what he saw!

I hope you enjoyed your trip through Savannah with us!

Giddy Up!

2010-03-03T21:11:00.002-05:00

Daddy went to Texas last week for a conference & he visited the Alamo. He brought Noah back his very first cowboy hat. Noah LOVES to wear it & insists that he rides his rocking horse or rocking giraffe while he is being a cowboy! He even went into my closet and got out a pair of my boots & wore them while he had his hat on. He loves to say, "giddy-up!"

Those song lyrics keep ringing in my ears when I see him wearing his hat, "Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys," but he's just too cute!

Check out my boots he is sporting!

Noah's First Trip to the Aquarium

2010-02-22T09:32:00.000-05:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Valentine's Date In the City

2010-02-18T00:27:00.005-05:00

We started the weekend off with a surprise Superman-themed Valentine's Day dinner for Daddy. Click here for pictures and details.

On Saturday, we made Valentine cookies. We cheated and used the ones already sliced and ready to bake, but Noah still had fun wearing my vintage apron and putting the cookies on the pan.

Noah Tollhouse

On Saturday night, we took Noah on his first trip to the Aquarium. He LOVED seeing all the "fishies," "yellow fish" (jellyfish), "eels," & "big 'o fawks" (big ol' sharks). Then, we ate dinner in Gatlinburg & drove home in the snow! Aquarium pictures are coming!

Here's a sneak peak!

Every year, Sam & I go out and do something fun on Valentine's Day. In years past, we have gone to Bed & Breakfasts, went dancing on a riverboat, saw Broadway plays, went to a Swing Dance in Chatanooga, & enjoyed many a fancy dinner. This year, Sam planned a date in the city ~ Downtown Knoxville to be exact. We ate dinner at the newly renovated S&W Grand (it has a very retro 40's & 50's design). Then, we went next door to eat gelato at Coolato Gelato. We know we're crazy for eating ice cream when it is freezing outside, but it has the best gelato & the closest I have found to real Italian gelato! Last, but NOT least, we went next door (again) to the new theater to see "Valentine's Day." It was an awesome movie and will soon become one of my favorites! We had a great date night!

Freezing, but having fun in the city!

Yes, that is snow falling, but I was GOING to have my picture!

We owe all of this fun to two important people...Mimi & Memaw. They babysat Noah & had a fun Valentine's night with him complete with new cars, cupcakes with gummy bears on top, and a hot dog (Noah's fave)!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

2010-02-09T19:51:00.006-05:00

Sam turned 32 last week, so he can no longer say that I'm "older than him!" He knew that I would make him some party accessories, but made one request for them to be "masculine." So, I took some landscape pictures he had taken in Canada to make him cupcake toppers & napkin rings. They turned out pretty cute!

We started the day off meeting him for brunch. Then later, we went out to dinner with the family to Puleo's {yum}! I ordered his incredibly sweet cupcakes from Cities Cupcake Boutique. Sam found them for my birthday & they are awesome! Each cupcake is named after a city. I had Paris cupcakes (strawberry) & Sam had a mixture of Genva (gingerbread that Noah calls "ki-koo men") & Atlanta (Smore's).

Sam had a great time celebrating his birthday & Noah was glad there was another reason to have cake! Instead of "Happy Birthday," he says "Happy Cake," which I agree is one sweet part of a birthday!

the yummy cupcakes

the napkin rings

{although they are prettier on the underside}

Make a wish, Daddy!

Yeah, happy cake!!!

enjoying a good meal

a happy family

Noah's {Break-out} Music Video

2010-02-02T11:28:00.003-05:00

Days with Noah

2010-01-27T17:45:00.007-05:00

We are having so much fun these days with little "No-No" (as he says his name)! He loves to play with leggos, cook with his Mickey kitchen, and put together puzzles. His vocabulary is growing by the minute & we are amazed at how much he knows already!

Last Saturday, we went to Gatlinburg to eat dinner with Mimi & Great-Memaw & to take some Valentine pictures of Noah. I'm working on some Valentine projects that I needed a picture for. I'm still going to take some more when the weather gets better {above 40 degrees, please!}.

I thought I would share some funny things Noah has done lately. While eating in Gatlinburg, he said (in a not-so-quiet voice), "Hello people, No-No's here!" Then, while in the car, Noah says, "Look, Daddy, a hay bale!" Yesterday, he was "helping me" clean. He watched intently as I stood on a stool to dust the fan in the bedroom. He ran to his room saying to himself, "stool, stool, stool." He came back with his bathroom stool. Then, he ran back saying, "broom, broom, broom," & came back with his play broom. He stood on his stool & tried to clean the fan with me.

wearing his big boy Wonder Pet undies

His favorite thing to do after bath ~ have Daddy hold "both" him & me which started because my back hurt too bad to pick him up after my cyst ruptured.

Memaw, Noah, & Mimi in Gatlinburg

Daddy, Noah, & Mommy in Gatlinburg

one of my fave Valentine pics

As I was taking pictures for my esty shop, Noah sat down in my "make-shift studio" & posed like a model.

I can't believe he will be 22 months next Thursday ~ two more months until he's 2 {WOW}!

I Turn 32 & Start Falling Apart

2010-01-20T16:46:00.002-05:00

I turned 32 on Jan. 7 and on Jan. 14, while Sam was out of town for work, I started having intense pain in my lower abdomen. I called my Mom at work & she came over & rushed me to the doctor to find out I had a 3 cm ovarian cyst that had ruptured. The whole thing really scared me because the pain was so bad that I almost passed out & I was so worried about Noah.

Anyway, I am much better now ~ just very sore in my ovaries and in my lower back. Carrying Noah is very difficult now, but I'm getting better each day! My wonderful husband and mom took such good care of me & Noah last weekend. I was pretty much confined to the couch while I continued to take Advil & Tylenol. The dr said she could give me a stronger pain medication, but I don't like taking much if I can keep from it. Pain pills make things much worse for me.

Please go here to see the pictures from my birthday! It was great despite the snow!

December Rewind

2010-01-06T09:38:00.004-05:00

Hello Friends! I know it has been a while since I have written a blog post. I tried to keep you up to speed with slideshows, but just let me fill you in on our December. Sevier Heights' "Living Christmas Tree" was Dec. 19-21 & this was the 6th year Sam & I had been in the drama cast. This year, we both danced & it was really fun! However, with Sam & I having LOTS of rehearsals at the same time, it was VERY difficult. Mimi was keeping Noah for us 4 nights a week AND working 40 hours. It was the hardest on her, and we can't thank her enough for all her help!

Then, on the night of our dress rehearsal at Thompson Boling Arena, Noah got sick with the croup! He was so bad that night that we were on our way to the ER when he finally started breathing normally. So, we went back home. That night was filled with bundling Noah up & taking him outside in the cold to open his airway, taking turns letting Noah sleep on our laps, & no one in the house sleeping at all! Thankfully, we took him to the dr the next morning & he was given a long-lasting oral steroid. It made him CRaZy, but it worked! He had a couple more nights of strained breathing, but no more BAD nights.

Since Mimi was taking care of him while he was sick, and she was already run down & tired...she got sick too! After two weeks of medicine & rest, she is finally starting to feel better.

Noah was able to see "The Living Christmas Tree" & he loved watching Mama & Daddy dance. Here are some pictures of us in our costumes (that Sam just LOVED ;)

our first dance - "Best Time of the Year"

Our last dance, "Triumphal Entry"

We twirled streamers & the boys

Our second dance, "Santa's Back"

Sam's favorite costume {wink}

As an answer to many prayers, Noah was feeling much better by Christmas & had a great time opening presents & seeing all his family! He still wasn't eating much at all & he couldn't run around like he wanted to, but overall, he was MUCH better! He has since regained his appetite (he ate a grand's biscuit with apple butter for breakfast this morning :) & can run & play like normal! Thank you, Lord!

Noah's Playdate with Livia

2010-01-03T09:22:00.001-05:00

Noah's 2nd Christmas Highlights

2009-12-29T21:56:00.001-05:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Our Train Ride With Santa

2009-12-16T13:40:00.002-05:00

The Jackson Elves are Back!!!!

2009-12-13T22:46:00.001-05:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Noah's Snowy Day Video

2009-12-06T22:12:00.001-05:00

Thanksgiving Weekend

2009-12-01T09:40:00.004-05:00

We had a whirlwind of a Thanksgiving! On Wednesday night, Mimi & I shopped until midnight. Then, on Thanksgiving morning, we headed to Kentucky to have lunch/dinner at Sam's aunt and uncle's house. Noah had a blast playing with Sam's cousins! The youngest, Amelia, is in 2nd grade and she never left his side. He was worn out when we left, so he slept the whole way home.

Noah on Thanksgiving in his cute turkey shirt we made together.

Noah with two of Sam's cousins, Katelyn & Amelia

On Friday, I went on my annual 12-hour marathon shopping trip with Mom, Memaw, and Aunt Tanya. Noah & Sam stayed home and played all day! On Saturday, we decorated our house for Christmas and Noah was AMAZED at all of the pretty lights! We're having so much fun watching him experience Christmas this year! Noah helped us decorate the tree and he even put our angel on the top.

Our little elf decorating our tree.

Topping the tree with our angel.

Dollywood

2009-11-20T00:07:00.003-05:00

This past Sunday, we took Noah to Dollywood to see the lights. We rode the Polar Express 4D Experience and Noah LOVED it! :) We also saw the "Christmas in the Smokies" show and Noah was much more entertained this year that last. Noah & I rode the 50's cars and he loved "driving" all by himself. The lights were beautiful and we had a great time!

Preparing for our ride on the Polar Express.

Watching the Tree Lighting Show

(Can you tell Noah did not have a nap that day?)

Riding the 50's cars (in my favorite color - pink)!

Breaking Heart

2009-11-17T23:55:00.006-05:00

This past week, we had to say good-bye to a beloved family pet, my cat, Grady. I got Grady the summer after my Freshman year in college as a kitten. He was the most loving, sweet, and playful cat you could ever ask for! When we got married, he stayed with my Mama & Daddy, along with our other kitty, Amarillo. For a year now, Grady has been battling Feline Diabetes. He had lost weight, was constantly hungry & thirsty (but could never get full), was losing muscle control, and was in kidney failure. So, after many prayers & a recommendation from a trusted veterinarian, we decided to have him put to sleep. Hopefully, we saved him from a month of unnecessary suffering! However, that doesn't make our hearts hurt any less! He will forever be in our hearts and we believe he is in Cat Heaven (finding fun things to play with ;) We'll miss you, Grady!

Grady's favorite thing to do...relax!!! (We love this pose!)

Kuddos to Daddy!

2009-11-17T23:49:00.002-05:00

A few months ago, Sam applied for a grant from The US Department of Agriculture and The Department of Energy to help fund his Switchgrass project for UT & Genera Energy. This week, he found out that he (& his team) were awarded the grant worth 2.34 million dollars!!! Out of 1200 proposals, his was one of only a few to be granted! This is a huge accomplishment and Noah & I are sooooo proud of him! Way to go, Daddy! :)

ENOUGH!!!

2009-11-06T21:11:00.004-05:00

Ok, I have to post this hilarious video of Noah carving our pumpkin. I was trying to get Noah to point to his nose and say the word, but he was not interested. He kept giving me an annoyed look like, "I know where my nose is already!" After asking him about 10 times to do that, he turns to me and says what sounds like, "Enough!" It made me laugh, so I hope you get a kick out of it too!

A couple of days before Halloween, Sam & I went to the Haunted Maze with our friends, Jenny & Stephen. We had been once before, but it was the first year we were married (almost 10 years ago). It was MUCH different than I had remembered! It scared me so much that I didn't get to sleep until 3:30 am that morning! Anyway, we had an awesome time despite the scary hunched masked goblins who kept saying, "I just want a kiss!" to me ~ ooh, creepy!!!!

A group pic in front of a spooky hearse.

Sam & I in the maze (& trying to get out!)

Jenny & Stephen in the maze

A "Moo"velous Halloween

2009-11-02T10:28:00.005-05:00

Noah had a super "moo"velous Halloween dressed as his favorite thing in the whole world...a cow! He is definitely our child because he LOVES to dress up! He runs and looks in the mirror when he has on something special!

We started off the week of Halloween at the pumpkin patch at Maple Lane Farms. We rode a hayride, picked pumpkins, and went through a mini monkey maze. Our little punkin had an awesome time!

Our Pumpkin Patch pics

Then, on Friday night, we had our annual Halloween party! Noah had a blast playing with all his friends in their cute costumes. A farmer, Darth Vader, Indiana Jones, a ladybug, & a dragon all came to our party! Some creative adults also dressed up...a referee (so cute, Mimi), a sassy black cat, and of course, Sam & I were the farmers (trying to round up our little moo moo)! Go here for more party details.

Our Halloween pics

On Halloween, we made it to a few houses, but decided not to trick or treat in the whole neighborhood because of the yucky rain. Noah has just gotten over a sinus infection & we didn't want to chance getting sick again. We did want him to get to say "tricky" (his version of "trick or treat") because we have been practicing for a month! =)

All together, we all had a "moo"velous Halloween! Mimi even surprised us on Halloween & dressed up as a cow too! Noah was so shocked...her name for the evening was "Mi-Moo!"

What a Cute Boy!

2009-10-28T06:09:00.003-04:00

A few weeks ago, we had outdoor family portraits as well as Noah's 18 month portraits taken by Jessi Ringer of 5 Rings Photography. I found out about her through my good friend, Julie Link. I have to say, Jessi is by far, the BEST photographer I have ever seen! Her sharp eye for light, angles, and positioning is amazing!!!

You can see some of the pictures on her blog. I LOVE every single one of them, but I think my favorite is the close-up of Noah looking back at the camera & holding our hands (above). She captured Noah's personality so perfectly!

Leave Jessi a comment on her blog!

Thank you, Jessi! They are all so amazing!

Happy Birthday, Mimi!

2009-10-25T23:23:00.004-04:00

Today is Mimi's birthday and we celebrated with a party at our house. We had an awesome fall meal of hotdogs and chili and I tried my hand at homemade cupcakes with my new party punches that I'm selling on etsy. See more about our party here.

Mimi had a great time with our family and Noah was worn out from so much playing! He loves his "people!" Happy Birthday, Mimi...we hope you enjoyed your day!

Mimi & her cupcakes

Make a wish!

Noah helping Mimi open presents.

Imagination Movers

2009-10-14T14:17:00.003-04:00

Last night, Mimi and I took Noah to see Disney's Imagination Mover's in concert. Since it was Noah's first concert, it took him a few minutes to figure out what was going on. By the second song, he was clapping, yelling, and dancing along with all the others! They put on a great show and we all had a wonderful time! Lesson from the show: reach high, think big, work hard, have fun!!!!

a popular picture spot for all the fans

the Movers singing and dancing

having fun!!!

Half-way to Two

2009-10-08T23:00:00.003-04:00

Well, it's hard to believe, but Noah is a year and a half (+ a week) already! I haven't posted in a while because we have been super busy! So, here are a few pics to catch you up on our lives.

On Mimi's fall break, we took a trip to Wrightsville Beach and Wilmington, NC. We have been there countless times, but for once, "One Tree Hill" was filming, which is my favorite show. Mimi and I watched three scenes being filmed and met two of the actors! The town of Wilmington was having Riverfest that weekend. The festivities included The Invasion of the Pirates with a lighted boat parade. I had to dress Noah up like a pirate for the fun! See more pics in the slideshow below.

Arrrgh, Matey!

A trip to Townsend on a great fall day found Noah playing with pumpkins and meeting the Mayfield Cow! He loves "moo-moos" so much and thought the big one was AWESOME! Since he is going to be a cow for Halloween, we said he was doing research to get "into character!" :-)

Ooh, a big "mumkin"

"Hiiiii moo-moo!"

A couple of weeks ago, Mimi, Sam, Noah, & I went to the Hot Air Balloon Festival at Pellissippi State College. It was really cool when they lit the balloons and had a show to music...beautiful!!!

difficult to get a good picture in the dark, but here is our best shot

Fall is Near

2009-09-24T12:44:00.007-04:00

My favorite time of year is upon us! I love fall & everything that the season brings! Fall to me is UT orange, pumpkins, the changing leaves, the crisp fall air, and the bright blue sky.

Last weekend, we watched the UT game with our neighbors, the Allen's. Noah had a ball playing with Cody-7, Austin-4, and Lyndee-7 months! He was so tired that night that he fell asleep listening to me talk (that never happens)! We tried to get a picture of all the kiddos in their orange, but we were not successful at getting all of them to look, let alone smile, at the same time! I got one shot of all of them sitting in one place, but none of them are looking at the camera.

The future generation of Vol fans!

Yesterday, Sam, Noah & I went to pick out our outside fall decorations. Noah LOVES pumpkins ("punks") and tries to pick up every one! We got some lovely mums and Cinderella Pumpkins to go with our family of scarecrows for our yard.

Our little pumpkin picker

Happy Fall, ya'll! We can't wait to see Noah experience the season this year since he can walk and talk! Fall blessings to all!