It's Practically Here!

No, I'm not feeling Grinchy, but after watching that movie atleast once every day since November 29th I think in Grinch speak. I don't have a lot to say...just Merry Christmas!!!!! Every day that it gets closer I get more excited! I hope you guys are having as much fun this week, and that you have a great Holiday.
-Ho, ho, ho!

P.S.-Tell me your ways of not going overboard on your kids-we are having a hard time with that!

Thanksgiving!

I know...we are pretty behind in our blogging, but Christmas is coming upon us so quickly we needed to take a minute and talk about Thanksgiving. Each year, for Christmas and Thanksgiving, we rotate between our families. We just about drove ourselves crazy the first several years of being married, trying to make it everywhere in the short weekend's for the Christmas and Thanksgiving holidays. For us, it works because we spend the actual holiday with one family unit, and celebrate with the other family unit(s) on another day close to the actual holiday. Much less stressful! Anyway, we celebrated this past Thanksgiving holiday with my parents. My sister and her husband came up from Charleston SC and we all stayed at my parents house in Oak Ridge. It was super fun, the boys love playing at Nana's house and getting all the attention from my parents and my sister. I got to hang out with my Dad and Mylin and watch the Vols beat the crap out of Siena and Georgetown in the Old Spice Classic tournament, which I thoroughly enjoyed. On top of that, we had an outstanding dinner with all the standards...turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, corn, and of course my favorite, greens....then we had some pumpkin pie and some insanely good chocolate pie. The next day, Jennifer got up with the other crazy people out there and went shopping at 4 in the morning. Not to be outdone, Mylin and I went to Walmart and fortunately survived...even though it was a madhouse. Mylin picked up a new TV and I got several items for the boys...including a new Wii system that is going to be from their Pop. Unfortunately we did not take any pictures of the festivities to share on our blog...so hopefully I'm doing it justice by my ramblings! Hope everyone else had a wonderful Thanksgiving as we all have so much to be Thankful for.

Draven's Report Card

Draven got his very first report card from the 1st grade last week and he did outstanding! He made all A's and E's! In fact, the lowest grade he got was in science, which was an E-...and he's said that is his favorite subject. As a reward, my Dad and I took him to a UT Mens Basketball game last Wednesday. Tennessee was playing UNC-Asheville and since Draven is a Jr. Vol, he got in free and me and Dad got discounted tickets as well. Granted, they were in the nose-bleeds...but that didn't matter, we had a great time. Draven enjoyed the game...the funny thing is that he was probably most fascinated with the scoreboard and how it worked. He kept asking about it so I basically explained every statistical catagory to him and how it worked. When Tennessee finally pulled away in the second half, Draven kept saying off the wall stuff like "UNC better get their act together!"....and "Boy, UNC is pretty slow" I'm not sure where he gets that from ;o) Anyway...he had a great time hanging out with the fellas, eating popcorn, M&M's and Coke, and probably most of all...staying up past his bedtime....and oh yeah, he got to meet SMOKEY!! ~Pierce

Holiday Cards

I have started taking orders for Holiday Cards! Please check out my card blog to see the 5 new styles I have created this year. Thanks-Jenn

Happy Birthday Draven!

On Tuesday, November 4th, Draven turned 6! My first little baby is a big 6 year old. It's fun and sad at the same time-you'll probably have to commit me when he leaves on his mission. On Tuesday he was off school for the election, so we went to the library and met Grammie for lunch. When Grammie asked if he was excited to be turning 6 he said, "All the kids in 1st grade are 6, and now I am too." He also chose pizza for his birthday dinner.
On Friday we surprised the boys and took them to Disney on Ice. Pop had gotten tickets for Pierce, Draven, Brody, and me as part of his birthday gift to Draven. It was an Incredibles themed show, and Draven and Brody had a fabulous time.
On Saturday we had our family over to celebrate the birthday boy. Grandpa, Pop, Grammie, Aunt Carol, and Uncle Bill were here. Draven picked corn on the cob and green beans to go with the chicken for dinner, and chocolate cake with strawberries on it for dessert. No superheroes this year, just strawberries and chocolate! Unfortunately Draven was still feeling a little sick-we've all had it this week, and didn't want any of his birthday cake. He got a big piece at lunch today though! Draven got Superhero Guess Who, Cranium Cadoo, a set of Magic Treehouse Books, a new wallet, a Veggie Tales movie, a Cadoo book, two comic books, and a savings bond for presents. When he opened the comic books the "sensative" older brother in him said, "I don't think Brody can read these. They look like they are made for 6 year olds." We agreed he should read them first and decide if they were appropriate for his little brother!
Draven, you are wonderful boy! We are amazed by your kindness, your thoughtfulness, and your talents. Your brothers look up to you, and you are a blessing to our family. We love you.
Like father, like son.

Our First Fieldtrip

On Halloween, before all the Trick or Treating began, Draven had to go to school. The wise professionals at the school realized it would be difficult to teach anything to a bunch of Halloween crazed children, so they planned a field trip to The Little Ponderosa Zoo for Oct. 31st. This was Draven's first field trip, and I was really excited that I got to go along with him as a chaperone. We used to live in Clinton, but I never knew they had such a fun zoo back in the woods! The kids got to touch African foxes, goats, camels, Zonkeys (Zebra/Donkey mix) and lots of other animals. They also got to ride on ponies. We spent the whole day there and the kids seemed to love it. I am definitely planning to go again and take the other boys; if anyone wants to go with us let me know!Zack, Draven, & Dominic

Halloween 2008

This year we started Halloween two weeks early. Draven & Brody first wore their costumes on Oct. 19th to the Halloween Train Ride on the R&R Railroad. My Aunt Carol took them and her husband's grandson's family. John-the grandson-has three kids; two boys, ages 7 & 5 that the boys really enjoyed playing with.

Then on Oct. 23rd we joined Aunt Carol and John's family at Boo at the Zoo. The Zoo set up a short trail with stops along the way for candy. The highlight though, was the ride on a camel! Draven wasn't going to do it until he saw his younger brother getting ready to climb on; then he thought it might be fun.

Finally, we all planned to attend a Halloween party and Trick or Treat at Travis' house. Travis is Pierce's friend from the gym. The boys were dressed up as Boba Fett (Draven), Mr. Incredible (Brody), and a "Little Devil" (PJ). I finally got with the program this year and dressed up as a witch-wart, fake eyelashes, and all. On the way though, PJ started throwing up :{ So, we turned around and Pierce dropped PJ and me off at home and took the other boys to the party. I was feeling a little sorry for myself, so I ordered Papa John's pizza (Pierce doesn't like that brand), and I ate more than my share of Halloween candy. Later that night I got sick. The big boys really enjoyed their party though. Pierce said the neighborhood was crawling with kids and everyone decorated for the event. Next year we are thinking to find a theme that the whole family can dress up in-Star Wars or something!

I'm an Esme & a Doris

I finally found a time when I could finish this quiz...I've started it a couple of times. I'm not surprised by my results, but a little disappointed-who WANTS to be the Mom?

Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!

A Calico Giveaway!

I've been snooping on this blog for months, and have finally been in the right place at the right time-Thanks Katy Beth-for one of her giveaways. Cally makes such fun, cute things and I want to win, so mention my name every time you visit her blog-PLEASE!

P.S.-This is the night for contests and quizzes because I think I'm sick and I don't have the energy to think of anything fun from my own life to talk about! I'll be "back on the horse" soon!

I'm a Doris

I saw this cute, 2 question quiz on Deb's blog. It is interesting and fun, and I saw myself in a lot of the answer. Try it out!

Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz...

You Are a Doris!

You are a Doris -- "I must help others."

Dorises are warm, concerned, nurturing, and sensitive to other people's needs.

How to Get Along with Me

• * Tell me that you appreciate me. Be specific.


• * Share fun times with me.


• * Take an interest in my problems, though I will probably try to focus on yours.


• * Let me know that I am important and special to you.


• * Be gentle if you decide to criticize me.

In Intimate Relationships

• * Reassure me that I am interesting to you.


• * Reassure me often that you love me.


• * Tell me I'm attractive and that you're glad to be seen with me.

What I Like About Being a Doris

• * being able to relate easily to people and to make friends


• * knowing what people need and being able to make their lives better


• * being generous, caring, and warm


• * being sensitive to and perceptive about others' feelings


• * being enthusiastic and fun-loving, and having a good sense of humor

What's Hard About Being a Doris

• * not being able to say no


• * having low self-esteem


• * feeling drained from overdoing for others


• * not doing things I really like to do for myself for fear of being selfish


• * criticizing myself for not feeling as loving as I think I should


• * being upset that others don't tune in to me as much as I tume in to them


• * working so hard to be tactful and considerate that I suppress my real feelings

Dorises as Children Often

• * are very sensitive to disapproval and criticism


• * try hard to please their parents by being helpful and understanding


• * are outwardly compliant


• * are popular or try to be popular with other children


• * act coy, precocious, or dramatic in order to get attention


• * are clowns and jokers (the more extroverted Dorises), or quiet and shy (the more introverted Dorises)

Dorises as Parents

• * are good listeners, love their children unconditionally, and are warm and encouraging (or suffer guilt if they aren't)


• * are often playful with their children


• * wonder: "Am I doing it right?" "Am I giving enough?" "Have I caused irreparable damage?"


• * can become fiercely protective

Take Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz at HelloQuizzy

The First Day of 1st Grade

Ok, so 2 months ago we were so excited because Draven was starting Kindergarten. Well, that was before he amazed all of his teachers, principal, and reading and math specialists. So, today my baby boy started 1st grade. I think I'm having a harder time with this than I did with the first day in August! We are so proud of him, but it's still hard.

This was a very hard decision for Pierce and me, because we don't want him to feel overwhelmed, or upset down the line because he is the youngest in his class. Luckily his birthday is the first of November so he'll only be the youngest by a month or so. Finally we decided that he is far enough ahead of the other students in kindergarten that he's going to get bored quickly, and he needs the stimulation from learning new things to keep him interested. I was worried that he was going to be upset or stressed by this change, but he seemed pretty excited. We told him that when Daddy does really well at work that he sometimes gets promoted, and because Draven was doing so well, he was getting promoted. He seemed to like that. My dad and I took the boys to Chuck E Cheese's last night for dinner to celebrate-that may have helped with the excitement! They just had school pictures done this week. I think that's the reason for the cool guy pose!

Good luck Draven-we think you are super-duper little trooper! We love you.

My Brother's Blog

I've done it! I've influenced someone else to start a blog! Alice would be proud. My brother and sister-in-law, Jason & Kristin Rupp, have started their own blog. When you get a chance you should check it out! They are always up to something fun-a trip someplace wonderful or something. Kristin is a school teacher, so I bet they will have some funny stories too!

My New Blog

I have created a new blog for my card sales! I have decided to try selling my handmade cards, so if you need a card or 30, just let me know! Please check out my new blog at jennerousheart.blogspot.com

Thanks-Jenn

Frank Adolph Rupp IV

My brother, Frank, passed away suddenly on Monday night. He was 41 years old. My mother came home to find that he had fallen down the basement steps and died from a blow to the back of his head. It was a great shock.

I never doubted that my brother was a good man. He was the "free spirit" in our family, and spent his 20's following The Grateful Dead and Phish. He loved his 13 year old son, Quentin, more than anything; and my mom second to that. He always had a smile on his face and loved to talk sports, music, and the great outdoors. He was very intelligent and an amazing cook. In my last conversation with him, on Saturday a week ago, I told him he should open his own catering company-he truly was awesome. Pierce says one thing he really admired about Frank was how involved he was in his son's life. He was his baseball and basketball coach, and Quentin was definitely Frank's best friend. In looking at pictures this week, almost all of them were of Frank and Quentin. Even though I feel appropriately tied to my responsibilities, the thing I loved and admired most about Frank was that he had the courage to quit his job and go off in the wilderness for weeks, or follow Phish not knowing where he would sleep the next night or how he would eat. He was an adventurer and found a way to accomplish the things that brought him joy.

We miss him, but I truly believe he is now free to learn the gospel and gain strength away from his addictions. I hope my Grandma Grier, who died 2 years ago, is up there setting him straight! Draven said tonight that Frank is in heaven with Heavenly Father and Nephi-I really liked that.

Please pray for my Mom and Quentin.

Draven & School

Just a little update on our Kindergartener...he is doing very well. Every morning he says he has a tummy ache and doesn't eat breakfast, but every afternoon he tells me he loves school and it's the best thing in his life! He is still nervous to leave in the morning, but he does it. He gets out of the car with just a quick hug and kiss, and walks into the school by himself. I think it's as hard for me to watch him go as it is for him to do it. He has gotten a green ticket, for behavior, every day, and has set a goal to get a green ticket every day for the whole year! His teacher, Mrs. Knight, is very impressed with his reading skills and has told everyone else in the class to go to Draven if they need anything read. She has also set up an appointment with the Reading Specialist to determine what grade level he is reading and comprehending on. We're very interested to find out the results of that!

He Did It!

Our sweet little boy, PJ, finally figured out that he could walk. Two weeks ago, on August 21st, he took his first steps. He woke up from his nap and just started walking. He would climb up in his rocking chair, sit down, slide off, and then take a few steps. Before the night was over he was up to 8 or 9 steps in a row! Now he can get to a standing position without holding on to anything, and just goes around the house walking. Not to anything, just walking!

This video is very dark, but it's the only one we have and it was so cute we put it on anyway...

Brody's 1st Trip to the Dentist

This is the 3rd post of the night, so be sure to read to the end-our anniversary vacation-there are a few pretty pictures to see!

Also last week, Draven, Brody, and I went to the dentist. Draven has been before, but this was Brody's first time. Brody is pretty outgoing and tries new things easily, so I didn't do a lot of lead-up for him. I mentioned it over breakfast that morning when he asked "what [he had] to get dressed for"-his words. When we got there, he got a little stage fright, but when I showed him the prize box, he jumped in the seat! He did really great, and did just what the technician told him too. He was even the first to see the dentist. I'm proud of you, My Brody!

The 1st Day of School

Our little man had his first day of school last Tuesday, August 12th. He was very apprehensive leading up to this day-he gets very uptight when faced with new things, but he did great! The whole family, including Dad, piled in the car and drove the 1 1/2 minute ride to school. Draven had his new Spiderman backpack, his new Hulk lunchbox, had on one of his favorite shirts (What Time is Recess?), and his Teddy-as requested by the teacher. I walked him in to school, where we had to wait in the gym without talking until the 7:40 bell rang. We found our way down the hall, and into Mrs. Knight's classroom. Draven had gone with Grammie to a "meet the teacher" night while we were at the beach, so he was able to show me where to go. All of the parents stayed for a couple of minutes while the kids got settled playing with Playdough. When it was time to leave, Draven started getting a little weepy and clingy, but the teacher got his attention by asking him what he was making with his playdough-it was smooth sailing from there. He told me that they watched the Corduroy movie and then went looking for Corduroy's button in all the important places-the bathroom, the hall, the cafeteria. He is going to staggered start days for two weeks, so there were only 5 children in the class, Draven and 4 girls. He made a new friend, Teagan. They gave each other a hug and played legos together. Tomorrow we go for a 30 minute literacy testing session, and then again for school on Tuesday. By the way-I haven't cried yet. I think I probably will, but not yet. I'm feeling quite a bit of relief right now!
As a side note-Draven wanted that picture taken there, in front of the tv, because he said it would be like he was in a movie!?

The Newlyweds

To celebrate our 10th anniversary, Pierce and I went on a trip to Panama City Beach. The last time we were there was on our honeymoon, 10 years ago. Our parents watched the children (including the 10 yr. old dog) for a whole week while we were gone. It was wonderful! We rented a convertable Sebring, spent some time reliving old times, and spent a lot of time just hanging around. Some of the fun things we did included snorkling, going to a waterpark, building a sandcastle, and eating on the beach at some fun restaurants. Of course, the best part of the beach for me is the beauty of it. The sunsets, the sound of the waves all night, the feel of the sand as it exfoliates your feet, the smell of the saltwater, the taste of good seafood. I just love it. And I loved being there with my wonderful man. Before we left, Pierce bought me the new Stephanie Meyer book, Breaking Dawn, so I spent every spare moment reading it for the first few days. Then, the first morning we were there we got a call on the room phone saying that I had a delivery at the front desk. So, I got dressed (it was only like 11:00) and went to get "my delivery." Pierce had flowers sent to the hotel-a dozen roses and six callalilies. Callalilies were the main flower from our wedding-isn't he the best! This vacation was a great time for us. We got to be together and make another memory to cherish.

Happy 10th Anniversary

Today Pierce and I celebrate our 10th Anniversary. I love Pierce with all my heart, and I can't believe we have been married this long. Except for the 3 kids, it feels like we are still newlyweds to me. He is a wonderful husband, and I can say without a doubt that Heavenly Father helped us find each other. One thing that Pierce does that makes me love him more every day is the way he is with our children. He is firm, but loving, and he can also be so silly with them. I can't wait to see our boys grow up to be just like him. I tell Pierce sometimes that he's not allowed to die before I do, because I could never find anyone as perfect for me as he is. Pierce I love you, and I can't wait to share the rest of our lives together!

Shaking the Cosmos

We have been practicing for school the last week or so, and I have found that Draven is not going to be the problem in the morning. It will be me. I love to sleep in or at least laze around for an hour or so. But I have been trying and last night I made all the boys' lunches like I will be when school starts-event #1. Then, this morning I woke up on time-event #2, then I made a nice hot breakfast for my family-event #3. Well, those three events, all in one day, apparently started the world shaking because as I was finishing up the eggs there was a loud crash that shook the house. I looked in the living room-everything in order, then as I was turning around I looked out the glass door that leads to the deck and noticed tree debris. As my eyes moved upward I saw a tree laying on the corner of our house and on our new deck! A huge tree from our neighbor's backyard fell diagonally between our two houses. I can't believe it didn't just level his house, but everyone was blessed that it only did minor damage. Do you think I can use this as a reason why Pierce needs to get up and make breakfast in the morning?! :D

Safely Gathered In

I have to thank my friend Deb for putting a link on a recent post for the blog, Safely Gathered In. I have just spent the last hour reading every post that has ever been written on that blog! It is all about Preparedness-an overwhelming topic I know, but they are breaking everything down and making it seem so doable. Since the blog has only been online for 2 months we are not very far behind. Right now they are working on Car Kits and beginning a 3 month supply of food storage. There is a great plan for organizing your list to shop for a 3 month supply, a new recipe every Friday using only food storage, and tutorials for cooking/canning, etc. I can't wait to share this site with everyone-thanks Hannah & Abs for all the work.

Star Wars II-Attack of the Clones

Draven wanted to blog...I wanted to watch star wars 2 attack of the clones so daddy wanted to watch it with me at night, so I liked it!

School Prep Begins

Today the boys and I went to a couple of different stores-Big Lots & Staples to take advantage of their 1 cent sales. If you need school supplies be sure to look in the paper on Sunday because I've gotten everything we need plus some for under 25 cents each. Anyway, after the "fun" shopping trips we took Draven to get his hair cut. He asked at the beginning of the summer if he could grow his hair out like his favorite cousin, Quentin. So, we agreed that he could grow it out for the summer, but before school started he would get it cut. So, today was the day. I thought he looked grown up with long hair, but seeing him now I'm wondering where my 5 year old went!

Dave Matthews Band!!

Long awaited Concert Review...
As many of you know, we took a trip to Charleston on the July 4th weekend to visit my sister and watch our favorite band…DMB! I have been a fan of theirs since they came on the scene in the early 90’s and have been to 15 shows over the years. Of all 15 and Jennifer's 13, we can safely say without hesitation, this was the best concert we have ever witnessed….DMB or otherwise.

First of all, the concert was general admission seating and was at Joseph P Reilly Park where the Charleston Riverdogs(semi-pro baseball) play. We got there early (about 4pm), got in line with the other DMB crazies and were able to score ourselves a spot appx 6 rows from the stage….really close! It was really exciting because we had to try and outrun the other DMB crazies to get to the stage! Jennifer had made a sign earlier that day, which at the time I thought was a little silly but I didn’t hold her back or anything. On one side she put in a request for her favorite song (called #36), and on the other side she put “DMB sets us free!! Happy July 4th!” It was in red, white, and blue lettering as you can probably see from the picture.

Just before the band came out, the entire stage was covered by a HUGE screen that displayed graphics of the American Flag while playing Jimi Hendrix’s version of the star spangled banner over the speakers. After the star spangled banner, the screens lifted and DMB went into their first song, Seek Up, which has a really slow intro. As Dave stares out to the crowd and looks our way, I hold up Jenn’s sign and he gives us a smile. The really cool part is that later in the show, the camra man (who films the concert for video to display on the bigscreens) pans across the crowd and we hold up the sign again and it’s displayed on the big screens….DMB Sets us Free! At this time, the rest of the band take notice to it and are obviously smiling and talking about the sign. At the very end of the show, Dave waves to the crowd and throws his guitar picks out….he looks our way again and I hold up the sign again and he points right at us, waves, and gives us a peace sign as he walks off the stage. Carter (drummer) also comes over to our side of the stage, points to us with a drum stick and chucks one over to us…I had my hand on it but couldn’t pull it away from the 2 other guys in front of me….rrhhhhhgggg!!! Very disappointing but Jennifer consoled me with the fact that it was definitely meant for us.

Aside from the reaction we got from the band because of Jennifer’s sign, it was just an amazing show. The energy of the crowd was off the hook and the band was on fire and played a really energetic and fun show. They had 3 cover songs (which is rare for DMB)…they played Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer”, Neil Young’s “Hey Hey My My,” and another song called “Sail Away” which referenced Charleston in the song and made the crowd go nuts…this was also an independence day related song. Sledgehammer was really fun and it was a great song for them as Dave sounds very similar to Peter Gabrial. They had Tim Reynolds (phenomenal guitar player) playing electric throughout the whole show...this is another reason this show was so amazing. They don't normally have the electric guitar in the mix and he sounds great with the band. They also had a guest (Jeff Coffin from Bela Fleck and the Flecktones) on the horns that replaced Leroi Moore who was injured in an accident a few days before the show. This guy had crazy energy and was jamming all over the stage and having fun….considerably different from Leroi. I'm not a huge Neil Young fan but they rocked the house with Hey Hey, My My for the first song of the encore and then when we thought it just couldn't get any better...they closed out the night with Tripping Billies. The crazy thing is that they played the last 5 songs of the set with closing style jamming and energy.

Here is the setlist…
Seek Up
Old Dirt Hill
Best of What’s Around
Crush
You Might Die Trying
#41
Everyday
Cornbread
Sail Away (Cover Song…not sure who)
Sledgehammer (Peter Gabriel Cover)
Ants Marching
Sister
So Damn Lucky
Louisiana Bayou
Crash Into Me
So Much To Say-->
Anyone Seen the Bridge?-->
Too Much

Encore:
Hey Hey, My My (Neil Young Cover)
Tripping Billies

Anybody interested in listening to this live show or nearly any other DMB show for that matter, there is a great website that allows you to stream live DMB shows on your computer. You have to sign up but it’s totally free and totally worth it if you are a DMB fan. Here’s the link.

Aunt Lanie & Uncle Mylin's

Our next stop was my sister's place in Charleston, SC. After a long 5 hour drive from Augusta GA, we were super excited to finally arrive at our final destination. We were all so wiped out that we just ordered a pizza and hung out on the first night. Draven wasted no time in checking Aunt Lanie's DVD collection which to our surpise, included the classic 1970's TV show WONDERWOMAN!! The boys loved the show and it brought back memories for Me and Jennifer because we grew up watching it on TV. Brody always goes after Aunt Lanie's cast iron train and is content with that as long as he can keep it away from Draven. I think PJ was just happy to be somewhere for a while...we all were.

On Saturday, we all took the boys to the beach for the first time! We also got to hang out with our twin couple, the Kinney's. They, along with the Smartt's, have been pregnant and have 3 kids that are the exact same age has ours. They are pregnant again so obviously that makes Jennifer and Me a bit nervous!

The boys were so excited and had a blast playing in the surf and getting hit by waves. Throwing sand became a big hit as well as you can see in the video...it was really windy so the sound on the video is not the best.

Malt-O-Meal Coupons

I've been really working hard lately to get coupons for as many things that I buy as I can. I've been printing them online, cutting them from the paper, etc. Did you know that the Parade Magazine in the Sunday paper has coupons in it?! Anyway, today I went to the Malt-O-Meal website and printed lots of $1 off coupons. If you send a request, through the website, to stores that don't carry that brand, they'll give you a $1 off coupon for any of the cereals. Then they also had $1 coupons for 3 specific kinds of cereal. I printed 2 or 3 of each one! I have found that Malt-O-Meal is less expensive per ounce than the other cereals at the store, then with the $1 off, it is a lot less! Walmart is one place I've found it around here. Happy Shopping!

Next Stop-Birmingham

Well, with my surprise party on Sunday, we didn't leave for Birmingham until Monday. Pierce was going down there to help one of his former peers at IKON with opening a new site, and the boys and I went to visit friends and so we could just drive straight to Charleston from there-Pierce wouldn't have to come back to K-ville to pick us up. On Tuesday we met up with my friend Kelly and her 3 boys-Eli, Brandt, and Asher. We drove to the middle of nowhere and picked blueberries. It was more fun than I thought and really cheap. We paid $8 for over a gallon of organic blueberries. One funny and aggravating part was that Draven decided to be stubborn and not say he was sorry when he got in someone else's car and started playing around. So, he spent the first half of our time there sitting in the van until he said he was sorry. So, after blueberries, the owners drove us around the farm on a hay ride, and picked sunflowers for us. Then the boys fed a donkey and some sheep from their hands. It was very fun, and they enjoyed playing with old friends.



Wednesday we had to check out of the hotel so the boys and I went to the park and the mall just to waste time until Pierce finished working. The park was really fun and relaxing. That afternoon we drove to Augusta, GA and stayed with our friends Verina & Sam Scroggins. Sam was actually on call-he's a dental surgery intern-so we didn't see him. But again, the boys got to play with Scott and we got to see our old friends. We still miss the friends we had in B-ham. It was nice that we had a reason to see them again.

I'm 30

I am having very mixed emotions about moving into this stage of my life. Pierce turned 30 last year and had a harder time with it than I thought he would. So, for the last 9 months I've also been thinking about turning 30 and what it means to me. My friend Rebecca couldn't wait to turn 30 because she said her 20's were so tumultuous that she thought her 30's would be more settled and she liked that. I can see her point; in your 20's you get married, start having babies, finish school, move wherever the job is, leave your family, etc. In your 30's your husband usually has a good job, you're used to being a mom, you just kind of flow. But, lets look at the other side of things. In your 20's you get married, have babies, finish school, have few enough responsibilities that you can lay out at the pool for a whole day without watching any kids, leave for a road trip at the drop of a hat, whatever. Don't you remember all those things with fondness? I definitely do. And, what do you do in your 30's? You live the thankless job of raising toddlers, and time passes so quickly that you don't even know what day it is.

So, the conclusion I have come to is this. I don't want to go back. I have a wonderful life and I love my husband, my kids, our life. But, at the same time I am sad to leave that place in my life behind. We will never be the free spirited 20 somethings we were; we will be the responsible 30 somethings we couldn't wait to be. I feel like I'm saying goodbye to the 29 year old Jennifer and hello to the person my children will remember me as. It's bittersweet.

Happy? 30th Birthday to Me!

Ok, I know we've been missing in action for weeks now, but I'm trying to get back on track. I thought summer was suppose to be the relaxing time of the year?!

So, after Six Flags (Pierce forgot to mention that PJ got a new dresser from IKEA while we were there!) we stayed the night in a hotel and drove home Sunday morning. We planned to go to church with my mom at the Farragut Ward since we had missed our meetings while we were driving, then rush home, pack the car, and drive to Birmingham. Just thinking about it was making me crazy, but when I suggested to Pierce that we skip church with my mom and get an earlier start he said no. I have to say I was surprised, but he had just given a talk in church the week before, so I thought he was being extra spiritual or something and who's going to stand in the way of that!? So, after church my mom and I drove home and when I walked in the door there were all these people in my house yelling surprise! I have to admit my first thought, before I processed everything, was how long are they going to stay-I have to pack! Pierce and my Mom had told me we were going to celebrate my birthday after we returned from our vacation, so I was totally surprised! My husband is so wonderful. I love surprise parties, so I was really excited. We had yummy food to eat, and my Aunt Carol made a delicious Chocolate Raspberry Cake. It really made me feel special to have my friends and family here to celebrate. Thank you to everyone who came and helped. I have the best friends and family a 30 year old girl could ask for!

Fun Idea

I just saw this on Katina's blog. I thought it was much more fun than the usual tag, so play along! Here are the rules: 1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember! 2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments.Happy Memories to You!

Six Flags over Georgia

As many of you know, the most recent Copeland Tour began on June 28th at Six Flags in Atlanta, GA. The company I work for (IKON Office Solutions) put on an employee appreciation day and treated us to a day at Six Flags. Grammie came over friday night to babysit the boys so Jennifer and I could get up at 5am to head to Six flags in hopes that we could arrive there in time for the gates to open. We were able to achieve that goal and as we arrived we hooked up with another co-worker and his buddy and went straight over to get in line for Goliath (pictured above). For those of you that like roller coasters, this is far and away the best one we have been on. It's a fairly new roller coaster that has probably been there for a couple years now. Since we got there early when the gates opened (which is the way to go!!), we were able to get on the ride within about 15 minutes AND we road in the very front! It starts off like the typical roller coaster, slowly ascending to 200 feet high, with a sweet view of the city at the top. Just as you soak that picture in, you begin the super fast (appx 70mph)fall down 200 feet and up and around and down and everywhere in between. Super super fun ride that got the adrenaline going and pretty much ruined us for the rest of the day.

Next we road Superman, which was a ride that I have wanted to try since it was built back around 2001...last time we were there it was a crazy wait for that ride. It was super good, it definitly makes you feel like you are flying. The only part that made me a bit nervous is that it swooped down towards concrete and gravel a couple of times and I was scared to death my long legs were going to be scraped to pieces!!

We also road a couple other rides before getting a little wiped out and dehydrated from the hot weather. I also paid $10 to get in a 3 point shooting game that I absolutely did terrible in. I made 1 shot out of 12....which is horrendous. I'm a decent long range shooter but it just wasn't my day for this and it was irritating especially since I was talking it up beforehand. Lucky for me, Jennifer didn't marry me for my amazing basketball skills ;o)

On a tragic note, in case you didn't see the news over that weekend, there was a death at the park that day at the Batman ride. This ride is up there with Goliath and previous to riding Goliath was my favorite ride. We were waiting in line for Batman for about an hour and a half and we were just about 10-15 minutes from getting on the ride when the line stopped moving and police were making there way through the line in an urgent fashion. There were a couple of Six Flags employees coming down through the line and although they didn't say anything, you could tell by the looks on their faces that something was not right. Apparently, a 17 year old boy and his friend were there as a part of a church group and hopped 2 six foot fences to grap a hat that had fallen off the roller coaster. One of the two boys got struck by the roller coaster and it killed him instantly. We didn't know all of this at the time and the park did a good job of evacuating the area. We learned what had happened later that night when we got to our hotel room...it was a little eerie to say the least.

Getting Ready for DMB!

Jennifer has been really ready for a change of music...so in preparation for our upcoming vacation to Charleston SC on July 3rd, we decided to have an all Dave Matthews Band playlist. We will be going to see them in concert on the 4th at the baseball stadium there (Joseph P. Riley Park). My sister lives in Charleston and we are going to spend a long weekend with her and her husband Mylin. If you like DMB's music, tell us your favorite song!

Guess What We Bought Today...

Today I took the boys shopping for some new underwear. Draven needed it, and Brody just wanted it. We saw some boxer briefs on sale in the Sunday paper and Draven told me he thought he was old enough now to wear those instead of his tighty whities. He also thought it would be cool to be like Daddy! It seems that each time we purchase new underwear (at least for the boys), all of the "boys" in my family think it's cool to put it on their heads...we even have a picture of Jedi wearing underwear on his head somewhere. So, hopefully Pierce won't be too embarrassed that I'm sharing this cute tradition with you!

Happy 1st Birthday, PJ!

On Thursday, June 5th, PJ celebrated his first birthday. We went to Chuck E. Cheese's for Draven's soccer party that night, so technically PJ can say his awesome parents took him to Chuck E Cheese's for his first birthday! Then on Saturday we celebrated at home with our family. Grammie, Pop, Nana, Grandpa, Aunt Carol, & Uncle Bill joined us for dinner and cake. We had Asian Chicken Salad Wraps (one of our favorites and super easy) and two delicious cakes from Aunt Carol. She used to bake for several restaurants around Knoxville, and is a magnificent cook! Aunt Carol made PJ his own cake, just like she has for each of the other boys, and a Coffee Gonoche (spell?) for everyone else. PJ ate more cake than the other boys have, but he didn't dive into like we were hoping. None of the boys have, and we keep waiting for it! Like my mom says, "they're just too polite-" I guess. Then on Monday, Pop took us to Famous Dave's for PJ's birthday dinner-did you know Famous Dave's gives you a free meal for your birthday?! It was fun and our server was really cool. He brought out a big bowl of ice cream with hot fudge and Nesquik on top-YUM!

So, I'll take this opportunity to tell PJ how much I love him. He is such a fun boy and a wonderful addition to our little family. He loves to watch his brothers, and I even caught him learning something new from Brody today. Brody was showing PJ how to climb up a mat and then slide off the end at the gym today. They'd do it and then both laugh-I loved it. He's a constant thumb sucker which may be an issue in a year or two, but right now just makes him more adorable. He still lets me love him, and I'm trying to treasure each hug and snuggle because they leave so quickly. PJ, you are amazing and beautiful. I love you.

The Hulk

Last week we went out on our first double date in about 3 years. We went to see the new Narnia movie with the Roses'. We had lots of fun, and one of the funnest things was this gigantic statue of The Hulk. Pierce is really excited about the movie, and we're going to see it Friday night. Hopefully I'll get something for going to see all these fun "guy" movies, because "You won't like me when I'm angry!"

Tagged by Deb

My friend, Deb, tagged me the other day...now it's your turn!

How To Play This Game of Tag: Post these rules on your blog. List: 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 goals, 3 current obsessions/collections, 3 random surprising facts about yourself. Tag 5 people at theend of your post by leaving their names. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog!

3 joys:
1. Pierce
2. The boys
3. Me time

3 fears:
1. Outliving my children
2. Losing my husband
3. Not being a good Mom

3 goals:
1. Lose weight
2. Finish college
3. A home in a better school district

3 current obsessions/collections:
1. Craft stuff
2. Teacups
3. Blogging (or so my husband says)

3 random surprising facts about me:
1. I love exercising-never thought I'd say that.
2. I broke my back when Draven was 6 months old and we had just moved.
3. My kids are all 2 years and 3 1/2 months apart in age.

I tag. . .
Alice, Laura, Lindsey, Kristin!

Our New Garden

Two weeks ago, before we left for our vacation, we replanted our front garden. It used to be shaped like a thin rectangle across the front of the house, and the only things in it were rosemary and weeds! We started on Monday and worked all week to finish it before we left. We reshaped it to be a half circle, dug out the grass in the new area, pulled all the old railroad ties out, moved the dirt around so it wasn't so high on the far side, and planted all new bushes and flowers. It took forever, but it was fun to do. The boys helped and because Pierce was really busy with work and school I ended up doing some of the heavy stuff myself. It made me feel big and strong and tough; I liked that too! My dad really helped out too, coming over 4 days in a row and letting us borrow his truck-that was the boys' favorite part! The bushes are burning bushes and something I can't pronounce or spell, but that look really cool. We also planted knock-out rose bushes, yellow daisies, and a Yoshimo Cherry Tree in the middle. Along the front we have Lamb's Ear, Columbine, and some purple flowers. We also planted Crocus bulbs, irises, and daffodils. Those won't come up until next year, but I think it still looks good even without them! All the plants are perennials so we won't have to plant anything else, just weed like crazy.