The Copeland Family

PJ's Hospital Visits

2011-03-20T21:18:00.005-04:00

The week of February 25th, we had a bit of a scare of the unknown with PJ. He came back from a trip to Nana and Grandpa’s house not feeling well and running a fever. The next morning, he still had the fever and also complained of his neck and the back of his head hurting. Jennifer contacted the Doctor’s office and explained the symtoms…they asked her if he could turn his head and look up to the sky. When she asked PJ if he could do it, he tried and could not do it and it obviously hurt him to try. They told us that we should go ahead and take him to Children’s Hospital and have him checked for Spinal Meningitis. At this point, both of us were a little freaked out because we didn’t know much about Meningitis, but we knew it wasn’t a good thing and could be deadly if not treated in time. When the Dr checked him out, he said it didn’t look like meningitis, however during the checkup, they did find that he had strep throat…which was a surprising relief compared to meningitis. They gave him a shot of antibiotics and sent him on his way.
After a couple of days of antibiotics, he was still not getting much better at all. Jennifer took him to the Doctor for another check up and they discovered that he may have an abscess in his throat….for anyone that doesn’t know, this is a pocket of fluid that gets infected and starts to swell. The danger is that it could cut off the air passageway. We took him again to Children’s and they confirmed that was in fact what he had. To treat this, they had to give him another separate round of IV antibiotics and steroids in hopes of healing it without having to do surgery. Luckily, the abscess was in a favorable location for antibiotics and was caught before it got too big. That evening, Pop (Jennifer’s Father) and I gave him a Priesthood blessing that he would recover and be well taken care of should he need the surgery. As soon as the blessing was finished PJ looked at us and said, "The blessing didn't make me feel better." We told him it might take a little while to feel the effects :). Thankfully, the antibiotics took effect and he only had to stay 2 nights at the hospital while they monitored everything. With having strep throat and an infected abscess in his throat, it’s pretty safe to say PJ had a rough week. He was a really tuff guy though…he was definitely not himself, but didn’t complain very much and really appreciated all the visitors and gifts he received at the hospital. He specifically asked that Zoe (his "beautiful" best friend) come visit him, and it really lifted his spirits when anyone came to visit. The nurses really seemed to enjoy him as well….they kept wanting to call him Raymond, but he would always correct them and say that he was PJ….and only his brothers and family could call him Peej. In the photo, you will also see him wearing a headband, Nana gave him this to help his head feel better and he was convinced that it worked because he hardly took it off the whole time he was sick…what a cute fellow!

Ellie Stands

2011-03-20T21:14:00.002-04:00

One more exciting event at Ellie's birthday party was that she stood up by herself. I got a picture of the second time-the first time was way funner, but it's still an exciting moment in time!

Ellie's 1st Birthday

2011-03-20T20:20:00.007-04:00

March 1, 2011 our baby girl turned one year old. I can't believe it's already been over a year since she came into our family! I was suppose to be back in shape by now...wonder what happened with that? :P Anyway, we celebrated her birthday on Saturday, March 5th with a family get together. Pop, Nana, and Grandpa came over for a Spaghetti Dinner and birthday cake. We enjoyed dinner, but the real fun began with dessert! Our children have been less than enthusiastic when it has come to their 1st birthday cakes, and we were interested to see how Ellie would handle it. For each 1st birthday, my Aunt Carol has made a special little cake just for the birthday child. The boys touched it, ate a bite or two, but really just weren't interested in their cakes. Ellie was not that way! She started out trying to touch the fire on her candle; after the singing she sat for a moment looking at her cake. Then she ran her hand gently along the surface of it, then poked one little finger into the icing. After tasting that she went to town! She grabbed little bits of icing and cake and shoved them in her mouth as quickly as her baby hands would go. She basically ate from one small section to the point that her whole hand was inside the cake and touching the bottom of the plate before she moved to a new section. She didn't get totally messy (much to her mother's relief), but she definitely enjoyed her first birthday cake.
Ellie received some fun gifts including a felt shopping bag full of "food," a Little People castle with princess & dog, a pink tutu & pink hair, a savings bond, and some new dresses.
As Ellie grows it is bittersweet for me. I love seeing her learn new things, hearing her talk/babble, and watching her interact with her family. I already miss the little baby who would sleep on my chest and look up at me with wondering eyes as I fed her. Since I can't (and probably wouldn't want) to go back, I will hold those memories inside me.
I can't wait to see the amazing things in store for this amazing little girl!
"Happy Birthday to You!"
Just a touch
"This is SOOO Good!"
"Want to share?"
Princess Ellie with Knight Draven

The Boys & Their Basketball

2011-03-06T21:08:00.002-05:00

Its basketball time again for 3/5’s of the Copeland crew. Daddy is playing with the Bonus Brothers (Primetime and Jarome), Draven (#2) is playing in his 3rd season, and Brody is playing in his very first season. Draven is on the heels of playing a season of flag football last fall, which he really enjoyed. He is doing well, and has really improved his dribbling and shooting….the main thing he needs to work on is that natural aggression and competitive fire.
Brody is probably the most excited about basketball, he really just started playing back in the late fall (2010) and went to a few clinics with Draven. He literally could barely dribble the ball….it’s only a few months in and he is dribbling very well for his age. He loves to practice, he practices nearly everyday…he even wants to go to Draven’s practice so he can practice on the sideline while Draven practices. It’s super cute….he really wants to work at it….the sky is the limit if he holds on to that desire.
Daddy and the Bonus Brother gang just completed their regular season and finished as the overall #1 team with only one loss. They are all excited about the upcoming tournament….and the annual party that follows!

Our 1st Pinewood Derby

2011-03-06T21:02:00.001-05:00

Now that Draven is 8, he is now in Cub Scouts at our church…and it was just in time to start preparing for his very first Pinewood Derby race. Since I don’t have much woodworking materials around the house, my father, Draven, and I went to a friends house that has a woodshop. He was really good about showing Draven everything he was doing and how to safely cut the wood to the design that Draven and I put together. After the cutting, Draven decided he wanted an all black car with decals of one of spiderman’s arch enemy’s, Carnage. We added a little racer to the cockpit, it’s actually a lego alien from the video game HALO. We also got our weight all the way up to the 5 ounces allowed, sanded down our axels and added lubricant and everything we could within the rules….we were feeling pretty good and excited. On race day, we placed 4th out of 9 cars. Draven was a little disappointed but we still had a blast. The top 4 cars were all really really close, so it was very competitive and we have some ideas to improve our speed next time. Needless to say it was a super fun experience and we’re excited about next year.

Brody's 6th Birthday

2011-03-06T20:29:00.005-05:00

February 18, 2011 our sweet Brody turned six years old! He is such an incredible boy-sweet, caring, sensitive, funny, etc., etc. He is usually excited about something and loves school-especially Mrs. Smith! This year Brody had a friend party and a family party-they're usually combined, but we made pizza at the friend party so Brody got to have 2 separate parties. Brody's cousin, Quentin, and Grammy & Pete were able to be in town for the parties, so that made the day extra special. .
At lunchtime, his friend, Tyson, came over and they made personal pizzas, played basketball, and ran around outside. They looked cute in their little aprons and made some interesting looking pizzas!

At dinner, Nana & Grandpa, Pop, Grammy & Pete, Quentin, and Aunt Carol & Uncle Bill joined our family for hot dogs and cake to celebrate Brody. Some of his presents included an Imaginext Joker Funhouse, a Rebounder for the basketball goal, a slime making kit, a telescope, some books, and a US boardgame It was a full day, but so worth it for such a special boy! We love you and your amazing little spirit, Brody!

Brody's 1st Day of School

2010-12-20T11:10:00.002-05:00

We now have 2 in school….Brody started kindergarden this year and he started off like a pro. Our school had an open house a few days before school started to give the kids and parents an opportunity to see where there class was and to meet the teacher. His teacher’s name is Mrs. Smith and she has been teaching kindergarden for 20+ years….she seemed really nice with only one major flaw, she’s a HUGE UGA Bulldog fan. Her ENTIRE room is decorated with UGA logos and colors.

On Brody’s first day, Draven and I walked him down the hall and the whole time he told me he knew where it was because all he has to do is look for the Bulldog on the door. When we get to the class, he said hello to Mrs. Smith and gave me a hug like it’s no big deal and gets in line with the other kids waiting on class to start. It was much harder on me and Jennifer than it was for him. He told Jennifer that he wanted me to take him the first day because, "he didn't want to walk down the hall holding a girl's hand!" We are so very proud of how confident he can be at times and he is so excited about being in school and learning new things every day.

We are writing this blog a few months into the school year, and even now, Brody is still doing great and although I have never seen them do it, Draven tells me they give each other a hug at the split where they go their separate ways to class. I really wish I could get a picture of this because it would be a wonderful thing to keep and show them later. They also wave to their Daddy (especially Draven) nearly all the way before they get to the door to go into school or by the time my car is gone, whichever comes first. I’m really going to miss these days when they pass me by.

Draven's Baptism

2010-11-28T21:30:00.003-05:00

November 6, 2010 our little boy, Draven, was baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. In preparation for this day, Draven took the discussions from the missionaries. He really seemed to listen, and think hard about what he was doing, which I was really happy about, because this is a big step. Baptism is the first covenant we make with Heavenly Father in this life and it was important to Pierce and me that he understand and feel good about what he was doing. Draven received some gifts at his baptism-new scriptures (a quad), a journal, a picture and journal from his Primary President, LeAnn Lunsford, and some scripture accessories. He gave me the opportunity to read his journal after he wrote about his baptism, and it was beautiful! I'm so glad I have the chance to see glimpses of my Amazing Draven in amongst the 8 year old Sassy Draven :). He said he felt like Heavenly Father was right beside him and that the Spirit engulfed his body. Pierce was able to Baptize him and confirm him into The Church (give him the gift of the Holy Ghost), I gave a talk on Baptism, and our friend Clark Ensminger talked about the Holy Ghost. While Pierce and Draven were drying off we did something a little different...we had everyone there write a note or testimony to Draven and then I put them in a little photo book-later I'll do something cool in his scrapbook, but for now I wanted him to be able to see them whenever he needed to. They were all wonderful, but one I especially liked said "you are now one of Heavenly Father's soldiers." How awesome to be lined up next to Him!

I am so proud of Draven and his decision to become a member of Heavenly Father's church. I am especially proud of his desire to do good. This seems to be a hard age right now, but he is such a good boy and wants to Choose the Right. He's a thinker by nature, and I've seen him contemplate the right and wrong and tell me that he doesn't feel good about that-whatever it is. He prays often and chooses to read his scriptures on his own. How can we ask for more?!

Crash!!

2010-03-07T20:01:00.006-05:00

No...this is not in reference to your favorite Dave Matthews song of the same name. On the day before Halloween (Oct 30, 2009), I decided to come home from work to have lunch with the family and my world got literally rocked in the blink of an eye. I was turning left on to Western Avenue at the intersection of Copper Kettle and Western. I was first in line at the red light and when it turned green, being the cautious driver that I am, and remembering what my dad taught me years and years ago...always look to make sure everyone is stopped or at least coming to a stop. Seeing that they were, I proceeded to go and turn left onto Western...when I'm in the middle of my turn, I look to my left and see a car coming down the center lane with no intention of stopping. My first thought was Oh my, he doesn't even see me and it was the most helpless feeling in the world...he literally does not stop until he is about 10 feet away from my car. I tried to turn away and speed up but then BAM!!! A sound that I believe will forever go through my head when I go through any intersection from now on. I was knocked clear across the intersection and my car died and rolled into the Taco Bell enterance way. The impact knocked the glasses off my face and my phone came free from my belt and flew across the car. After taking a moment to gather my senses, I found my phone and called 911 and no one answered....thinking I may have dialed the wrong number, I tried again, and still no answer. So, I call Jennifer and try to calmly tell her that I have been in a pretty serious accident and ask her to call 911 for me and right at that time, the ambulance arrived...no seriously...that fast. They were there minutes after the wreck...they were only a couple of blocks away eating lunch. I told Jenn they were there and that I needed to talk to them. I could feel my extremeties but pain was really starting to set in bad on my lower back. The firemen arrived and they had to cut me out of the car which took a little while...they had me strapped in with a jacket to keep me from moving too much and I was getting extremely claustrophobic. They finally got me out and put me on the straight board and loaded me in an ambulance. Long story short, I got to the hospital and they thought I had broken my pelvis but the x-rays came back negative. I was extremely blessed...all I kept thinking of was not being able to play with my kids, work, play ball, etc...thinking the worst.

That night, my home teacher from our church came over and gave me a blessing. The blessing stated that I would recover with minimal soreness and be able to return to work and my normal activities. The Doctors told me I would be extremely sore the following day and very sore for a few weeks up to about 6 weeks. The following 2 days I was pretty sore but nothing like I expected and was able to go to church and to work the following week (my wreck was on friday). Needless to say, I'm extremely thankful our Father in Heaven was looking out for me that day and also thankful for the blessing I received for a quick recovery. It was an eye opening experience that things can happen beyond your control that can change your life forever...I'm very blessed.

Back on Track...

2010-03-07T19:49:00.002-05:00

We have severely fallen behind on our blog and need to get back on track! We have been so incredibly busy these past 5 or 6 months they seem like a blur, however we do have a lot to show for it. So...over the next few weeks, we will try to bring our blog up to speed with all the things we've been doing over the fall and winter and bring you into the spring with our new baby, Eleanor Grace. Posts to come...stay tuned!

Cute VT/HT Idea

2009-10-15T14:42:00.003-04:00

My friend Deb, from Utah, has a cute idea for October Visiting Teaching/Home Teaching on her blog. Check it out!

My Brody

2009-10-15T14:00:00.004-04:00

I have two, cute and short, stories to share about Brody! A little background to these stories...Brody has a teddy bear, named Teddy, who he loves very much. Teddy has a family of his own, his own "voice," and is Brody's best friend. A few weeks ago Brody told me that Teddy needs a friend and that he (Teddy) is going to ask Santa to bring him a stuffed Elephant friend for Christmas. Also, Brody loves umbrellas! He loves them so much that he'll use them even when it's not raining-along with the rain boots that he wears every day. Sometimes we call him Mary Poppins because the umbrella he has been using has a floral painting on it.

Today Brody & I went on a little date while Draven and PJ (it's fall break so D is out of school) were with Aunt Carol at Chuck E Cheese. So, today we decided that we would go to the store and buy Brody his very own umbrella! He found a "CARS" umbrella that he LOVES! He has told me thank you and that he loves me about a dozen times in the 4 hours since we got it. After the store, we went to CiCi's Pizza for lunch. While there Brody played the claw game and won a brown bear dressed as a pumpkin. He has gotten really impatient waiting for Santa to bring Teddy a friend-so "Pumpkin Doggy" is Teddy's new friend. They hugged and played together for an hour after we got home. "Pumpkin" has a very deep voice and had lots of fun riding in the car for the first time.

Brody's such a cutie!!

It's A Girl!

2009-10-15T13:28:00.002-04:00

Pierce and I are happy to announce that we are expecting a GIRL baby on March 5th! After three boys it almost doesn't seem real, but that's what the pictures show, so we're going with it. We are having another ultra-sound next month because she was turned so that her ribs were in the way, and we couldn't see her heart completely. I'm excited to have the chance to see her again!

So far the only name we have come up with is Eleanor Grace-after our grandmothers. We would call her "Ellie." If you have any favorite suggestions please tell us!

Felt the Baby today!

2009-09-16T14:20:00.002-04:00

I will be 16 weeks on Friday, and as I've sat here playing on the computer today I have felt the baby kicking! What fun!! Go to the doctor tomorrow and will schedule my ultra-sound then!

Brody's in Preschool

2009-09-16T14:10:00.003-04:00

The first week of September, three friends and I started a Preschool group for our 3 and 4 year olds. Lindsey, Brenda, Katie, and I take turns having the class in our home once a week. We are teaching the kids their alphabet, numbers 1-10, colors, and shapes. Today was my turn and we learned about the letter "C" and the circle. The kids are so cute-3 boys and 1 girl-and they get excited about the smallest things. Today we made Cookies that were shaped like Circles; pictures of elephants, catapillars, and snakes made out of Circles, and pulled lots of "C" things out of a bag. It's really fun seeing the kids learn new things and have fun with their friends. Brody asks me every week day if it's time to have Preschool. It's one of the only ways to get him to wear clothes instead of a costume all day!

Draven-2nd Grade!

2009-09-16T13:56:00.004-04:00

Ok, ok...it's been a month since school started, but atleast I'm doing it! We are still waiting on Pierce to share our vacation info. with you and that was before school started!

August 17, 2009 Draven started 2nd grade. He was excited to go back, but also wanted to be home with us instead. His teacher's name is Mrs. Robertson and she moved from 5th grade to 2nd grade this year. So far his favorite subject is Music again; unless you count Recess as a subject! He's having fun making new friends and is excited about the Science stuff that he will be learning soon. Even though the TAG (Talented & Gifted) program doesn't start until 3rd grade, Draven started a one-on-one class with the TAG teacher last year and has already been seeing her this year, once a week. I think he will really enjoy the different things he learns in that program.

His class has already taken a field trip to Safety City where the kids got to drive electric mini-cars, ride bikes, go through a smoke filled house and out the window, and "walk the streets" of a mini-city. I just hope Draven can stay motivated this year and learn to slow down a little and not make silly mistakes on his work. I guess we all do that, but I still worry about it.

My Amazing Husband

2009-08-06T21:58:00.003-04:00

Every year, on our Anniversary, I tell my husband how wonderful he is, how much I love him, and how perfect he is for me. I worry that it's going to get redundant, and seem insincere, but when you're married to the perfect man what else is there to say!? Now, he has put his sweet self out here for all of you to see too (see below), and I just have to say-Am I the Luckiest Girl in the World or What!?

When we got married I loved him, but we all come with expectations about what our marriage is going to be like, and I was prepared for some rocky times. I have been continually amazed by how magnificent (yes I'm using all the adjectives I can think of!) he really is, and how much Heavenly Father loves me, because he sent me Pierce! There is no other way I could have gotten so lucky! I know, if you haven't thrown up yet (Alice), you're thinking, "My husband is really good too, maybe better than that Pierce guy because..." But that's what is so amazing to me! I got the perfect man for ME. Heavenly Father knew ME, and gave me just what I needed. I hope you are as lucky in love!

Pierce. You are amazing as a Man, a Father, and a Husband. You continue to make me proud every day, and I don't want to be anywhere but with you. I love you more now than I did at dinner!
-Jenn

Happy Anniversary!

2009-07-31T15:33:00.002-04:00

11 years ago, I couldn't have imagined that I would love her more everyday now than I did even then. It just keeps getting better and better...she is my best friend and so much more. I love you Jennifer....hope you enjoy the video....Happy Anniversary.

We're expecting the 4th edition to our Family!

2009-07-19T21:13:00.007-04:00

Jennifer is 7 weeks into what will be the 4th and likely final installment to our family! We are both excited and looking forward to welcoming our baby on or around March 5th....just in time for March Madness ;o)

Draven has said that he would like to have a little sister and is ready to be a big brother once again! Brody and PJ are still a little unsure what all this means and Jedi is probably saying to himself "Oh no, not again." ;o) We would like to have a little girl as well, to mix things up a bit, but at this point we just pray for a healthy baby. All is well at this point and we will likely find out what we are having sometime in October. You will find over to the right on our blog a Baby Ticker showing where Jennifer is in the pregnancy.

Our First Broken Arm

2009-07-19T20:52:00.007-04:00

Well, it has begun...the first broken bone in our family goes to PJ. Jenn and I always thought Brody would be the most prone to accomplishing this feat. On Wednesday, July 8th, PJ fell out of his crib and broke his arm. Although I knew it was hurt, he calmed down fairly quickly and I checked his arm for any swelling and even checked his grip. He seemed to be fine so he went back to bed and that was it. The next day we kept an eye on him and he acted normal, favored his arm a little bit but not enough to cause concern. On Friday, a day and a half later, he took a spill while running around the house with the boys and he began favoring his arm heavily...at this point we thought it to be better safe than sorry and take him to the Dr. The Doctor checked him out, very much the same way we did, checking his grip and feeling of his arm. He seamed to be fine but the Dr did a thorough job and took an xray...sure enough, he had broken it in 2 places. They were amazed that he hadn't been pitching a fit and crying in pain for the last 2 days...I guess the little guy has a pretty high threshold to pain. Mommy and the boys took him over to Children's Hospital where they put his arm in a splint to hold him over to Monday for his arm to be fitted with a cast. The Orthopedic Doctor who saw him said there wouldn't be a need to set the break as it was positioned well to heal on its own. PJ tells us from time to time "Me no want that" referring to his cast, however he's been a pretty tuff guy about the whole thing. On another note, he did want the hospital bracelet on for several days after...he did not want to take that thing off.

Now...the funny thing is, Jennifer and I literally had a discussion about 2 weeks prior to the accident about transferring PJ's bed to a toddler bed but decided to wait a little longer because he wasn't trying to get out of it at that point. Needless to say, it's now changed to a toddler bed and he is very proud ;o)

4th of July

2009-07-19T20:45:00.004-04:00

Our family headed up to Brazil, Indiana to celebrate July 4th this year. You may remember that my Mom moved there when she married Pete. Pete is one of 12 children, so when they throw a party it's a big deal. We had a lot of fun and did all the small town, 4th of July, things you can imagine...we started with a garage sale, touring the covered bridges in the area, a carnival, and birthday celebration for 3 at Pete's brother's house on Friday. Saturday we journeyed to the Volunteer Fire House Pancake Breakfast before cooking and heading to the park for the big family bar-b-que and picnic. After dinner we played with sparklers and put the boys to bed before the fireworks started. They were so tired that they didn't wake up, even though the neighbor across the street put on a 30 minute show! Sunday was church, and Monday we headed back home after breakfast at the Sunrise Restaurant (Pete's favorite)! All in all it was really fun and really exhausting!

Saturday was the family picnic, and we brought our patriotic shirts, red and blue sunglasses, and glittery temporary tattoo to wear. What can I say, they told us there was a prize for the most patriotic! The big downer of the day was the fact that it was about 68 degrees and raining the entire day. The adults were freezing, but the kids didn't even notice; they took off their shirts and shoes and played on the water slide and with the water guns all afternoon. One big highlight was the wagon Pete made to drive the kids around. He spent a lot of time designing and building it, and I have to say I was impressed! He even drove an two hours on Friday to buy a riding lawn mower strong enough to pull it. I hope you can see in the pictures how nice it was.

Happy Cake

2009-06-19T14:56:00.004-04:00

June 5, 2009 my baby, PJ, turned 2 years old! We started the celebration on Friday night at The Farmer's Daughter for dinner. All the servers sang "Happy Birthday" to him and he loved it. Every time he had a bite of his ice cream with hot fudge he would sing "Happy...to Me!" Then on Saturday night we had the grandparents over for dinner and Pierce's favorite cake (PJ's too little to care anyway right!). Again, he loved the birthday song and was really excited about his new red monster truck, Diego Saves the Dinosaur truck, and Batman pajamas. This time when he saw his cake he said excitedly, "HAPPY CAKE!" We also celebrated Pete's birthday on Tuesday, and "Happy Cake" was big excitement again. It was very cute!

I am starting to miss the baby PJ, but the little boy PJ is so much fun that it's worth it. I have started calling him my sweet boy instead of my sweet baby, and every once in a while he'll say, "Me, Her baby." I confirm he is still my baby, and then we both feel better!

!I Love you, my PJ

New DMB Album!!!

2009-06-09T13:09:00.005-04:00

Well, it's finally here and I picked up my copy of the new Dave Matthews Band album, Big Whiskey and the Groo Grux King last week on release date (6/2). Of the 7 studio albums released by this band, none of them are bad, however the big 3 released in the 90's were by far the best in my opinion. In the 2000+ era they have released 3 albums and 2 of the 3 were more "pop" sounding albums which is not DMB's sound in the opinion of many hardcore fans (which obviously includes me). Not bad albums, but not great either...Busted Stuff was an excellent album that came out back in 2002 and was mostly songs written by DMB back in the 90's as well.

With that being said, this new album is by far and away the best album they have released since the 90's. It doesn't sound like the newer pop sounding albums and it doesn't sound like the old stuff either...it has it's own unique style and sound...and it's great. Definitely an album you can listen to and enjoy from start to finish. If you like DMB at all and need some new music, go pick it up....you won't be dissappointed. ~ Pierce Copeland's stamp of approval ;o)

Working Out and Stuff

2009-05-24T22:06:00.003-04:00

33 Days ago I started a new exercise/diet plan. Before that I had been working out about 2/3 days a week at the gym and trying to do Weight Watchers online. I was not succeeding enough to lose anything and I was really frustrated. I am very bad about cheating-I L O V E Sweets! So, I was at Sam's and on an endcap they had the Biggest Loser, 30-Day Jump Start book. I really like watching the show; I think it's really motivational and all that, and I had some Personal money burning a hole in my wallet, so I bought it. For every day it gives you exactly what to eat-3 meals and 2 snacks-and exactly what workout to do (6 days a week). Except when we needed to eat out, to see family, Pierce's graduation, etc., I stuck to the plan religiously. I never missed a day of working out and because of the way the food is laid out, I was never hungry. Sometimes I couldn't eat everything I was suppose to because I was so full!

Anyway, in the first 28 days I lost 8 lbs. and a couple of inches on my hips and chest. I have seen a new muscle in my leg and arm, and the outfit I wore for my mom's wedding-that I had to wear a girdle with-fits now, without the girdle! It's not the kind of results you see on the show, but had I not had 3/4's of a Chocolate Bar Cake at my house after Pierce's graduation I would have lost more! I show Pierce every time I see something new, and he is very supportive. He said today that he'll still love me, even though there is less to love! He better love me more! No one else has said anything. I guess I don't look that different yet, but I've definitely noticed the difference.

I'm shsring all this because I am proud of myself. That is one of the main reasons I have had for losing weight/getting fit. I feel awful about myself when I pig out on ice cream, or eat 5 brownies in one day, but I've never been focused enough to do anything about it. The Biggest Loser book has really helped me with that. So, if you see me, don't ask how it's going-I find that I start failing when I talk about it too much, but if you do notice I look different I would love to hear it! I have started the book over-for 30 more days-and my next goal is to run a 5K at the end of the summer. A 5K isn't very far, I could probably do it now, but I want to RUN the whole thing with no walking breaks. Wish me luck!

My Mom's Wedding

2009-05-24T21:40:00.006-04:00

Way back in March my mom got married to Pete. I have been waiting to blog about it until I had some better pictures to show you, but I haven't gotten any yet (hint, hint), so I'll atleast tell you a little bit and may have to do an update if I ever get to see any pictures from the ceremony :(

In January, when she was in Indiana for New Year's, my mom got engaged to Pete. They were planning to wait a little while to get all the "stuff" worked out, but then in February, they decided to just do it. Four weeks later, they were married in the chapel in Farragut where my mom attends church. Her bishop married them, Pete's son-Doug-was the Best Man and I was my mom's Matron of Honor. Everything was very simple, but mom did a nice job of making it beautiful. Almost all of Pete's 8 living siblings were there, and my brother and his wife, Jason and Kristin, and my nephew, Quentin, were there. Mom's sister, Dale, and her two children came down from Pennsylvania, and Auntie Dale made the wedding cake! I don't really know how many friends came, but I know we were busting out of the reception room!

The week before the wedding her friend, Carol, and I threw her a bridal shower. My mom has lived and worked in Knoxville for over 25 years so she had friends there from many different areas of her life. We called the shower a "Pamper Me Shower" since my mom and Pete already have most of the "house" stuff a person could ever need. So, everyone brought lotions, jewelry, manicure gift certificates and things like that. Even though Carol got lost picking her up, my mom finally arrived and I think everyone had a fun time.

The weekend after they were married, my mom moved to Indiana. I miss her being here, but we have cell phones and she and Pete got Pierce and webcam for graduation, so it can almost be like they are here!

My Husband, The College Graduate!

2009-05-24T20:54:00.004-04:00

May 9, 2009 my husband graduated with a BS in Organizational Management with a concentration in Marketing! After 12 years of being in college off and on, one class at a time, he started an excellerated program at Tusculum College two years ago. 49 weeks of the year he had atleast one class a week, for 4 hours, plus "team" meetings some weeks. He worked really hard, even at the end when he didn't want to, and did an awesome job. He had mostly A's in his classes and received letters from some of his professors about the great work he did. I am so unbelievably proud of him! I cried before the ceremonies began, and really cried when I saw my wonderful husband walking in wearing his silly cap and gown. I hope, even though the boys are young, that we will help them remember how hard their daddy worked and what a great example he is for them.

So, May 9th my Mom, Dad, Aunt Carol and Uncle Bill, Pierce's Mom & Dad, Pierce's Sister-Melana, and our family drove up to Greeneville, TN where the main Tusculum campus is located for the graduation ceremonies. We had to arrive really early so Pierce could practice, so my mom and I took the boys around the campus, which is beautiful, and snapped some pictures. Tusculum is the oldest college in Tennessee and some of the buildings and trees where really neat. The graduation ceremony was short and sweet, but so special because Pierce was there! He was so much taller than most of the people dressed in robes that Melana commented that it looked like he was with a bunch of little kids!

After the ceremony we drove a couple of miles to Chuckey, TN and one of the best restaurants I have been to. It is called "The Farmer's Daughter," and everything is good ole' southern cookin'. They bring everything family style and it is all you can eat, with drink and dessert included. We picked two meats and the meal came with about 12 side dishes. My aunt had made a Chocolate Bar Cake (I didn't know dessert came with our meal) so several people had two desserts! If you ever want to drive a couple of hours to a beautiful area of Tennessee and have a fabulous meal-only on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday-then this is one place I would really recommend. Next to the restaurant was a little Amish store that had everything! They even had bags of Lucky Charm type marshmallows that you could buy. I got some homemade jam and Root Beer flavor Twizzlers. While we were out to lunch we also celebrated Mother's Day. The boys and Pierce gave me the new EA Sports, Wii Active so I can workout at home sometimes, and Pierce game me a framed certificate that talks about the support and love I gave him while he was working on his degree. I cried again!

10 New Cards

2009-05-19T21:58:00.003-04:00

I have spent the last couple of weeks making a year's worth of cards for a friend. In the process, I created 10 new cards! I'm excited about them, and have put them on my card blog if you would like to see them. I am doing a fundraiser too. It's called "Send the Boys to Summer Camp." Through June, if you buy more than 5 cards in one order, they are all $1.00 each!

I hope you are having a great last week (or close to last week) of school!
-Jenn

Easter 2009

2009-05-03T20:16:00.003-04:00

Yes, I know Easter was a month ago, but we're a little behind still...Easter festivities started Friday with a Young Women sponsored Easter activity at church. Draven invited his friend Zack from school and his whole family came. They have another boy, Wyatt, who is 2 and he and PJ had fun together. When we got home from church my mom and Pete were sitting in our living room! They had come down from Indiana as a surprise, so it was good to have them here for Easter. The Easter Bunny came early to my mom's house, so we went over there Friday afternoon to see what he had brought for the boys.

On Sunday we had our fourth annual Potluck Salad Easter Dinner and Egg Hunt. The weather was perfect; sunny and warm enough that we could eat outside on the deck. Pierce's parents, my dad, my mom and Pete, and my Aunt Carol & Uncle Bill came. Draven and Brody got new "zip" ties and PJ wore a new white polo shirt and sweater jacket. The zip ties were neat because they are like regular ties that stay "tied" and have a zipper that makes the neck bigger and smaller. Very cool! The food was delicious as always with deviled eggs (my favorite!), Asian Chicken Salad, Broccoli Salad, Potato Salad, Ham, Rolls, Pasta Salad, and Coleslaw. We also had keylime pie and lemon cream cheese pie for dessert. All the boys had fun hunting eggs and finding their Easter Baskets. The Easter Bunny tried to stay away from too much candy this year so each boy got jelly beans and an orange chocolate bunny. Then they got whistle balloons, a frisbee, a dump truck, sidewalk chalk, and Spiderman, Ben 10, and Animal Sticker Books. The whistle balloons were the biggest hit! After you blow them up, you let them go (outside only) and they fly around whistling as the air escapes. Several of them landed on our neighbor's roof or broke, but that's ok; they were meant to be a use up and throw away item anyway.

It was great to spend time with our family, enjoying the rebirth of Spring. Getting together with family is really special to me, and I'm grateful for the real reason for Easter and the opportunity it gives us to be with our family always.

New Playlist

2009-05-03T20:15:00.005-04:00

OK...as promised. Now that the DMB festivities are over, the playlist has been changed to our favorite tunes from the 90's and now. Ok, so mostly the 90's at this point...only because I'm the one putting it on here and I can't seem to let go of the 90's ;o) Let us know what your favorite tune is from the 90's and now, and it might find itself added onto our playlist. With my approval of course ;o)
~ Pierce

Dave Matthews Band Show

2009-04-26T20:31:00.013-04:00

On 4/20/09, we went to see the DMB with our friends Eric & Kelly in Birmingham. We all went to eat some BBQ at Full Moon BBQ before the show. For those of you unfamiliar with Birmingham, it has great BBQ. There is literally a BBQ joint within blocks of wherever you are in Birmingham, it's crazy....it's also crazy good. We left in plenty of time to make the show, however we barely made it in time. Full Moon was about 5 mins from the venue and we left there about an hour and a half before the show even started and traffic was so bad it took us 45 mins to go about 5 miles....and to make things worse, when we get to the show, the will call line is a mile long and barely moving. We finally got in, missed the opening act and didn't sit for 5 mins before Dave and the Band came out....wheeewww! That was a close one!

Now...this was my 16th time seeing the DMB...crazy huh? What makes them so good is that no show is the same and this one was no exception. We got to hear an incredible set that flowed very well. They played some really old tunes like Recently (one of their first songs) and jammed out some of my personal fav's like Ants Marching, Grey Street, and Dreaming Tree. They played 3 brand new songs (Funny the Way it is, Why I Am, and Spaceman) from the upcoming album and all of them were great. I believe we all agreed that Why I Am was probably our favorite of the 3...it has a great upbeat sound and a great hook. It will likely be the second single from the new album....I'm always excited for new DMB music, however their past few albums have just been OK in my opinion. This album has the makings of being a great one. Ok...back on track...they jammed out the song Recently with some clever rhythm changes (Did I ever mention Carter, their drummer, is a phenom) and jams with the horns that were crazy! Same goes for Rhyme and Reason, Ants, Cornbread, and Grey St....crazy jams! Dave let the crowd sing nearly the whole song called Jimi Thing...it was pretty cool. After Jimi Thing, they went into a Jam called "Anyone seen the bridge" into the song Too Much (Just for a second) as a fake...then into a rocking Tripping Billies to close the set. Now...in amongst all of this...Dave was in a funny mood all night, dancing crazy and being silly on stage, talking to the crowd quite a bit which also added to the entertainment value as he is a pretty odd individual.

The Encore was super...They played a few verses of another incredibly old song of theirs called Blue Water and then Dave played a very pretty song called "Sister." After sister, we all got a super surprise of DMB covering the old 80's song "Burning Down the House." It was very very awesome...and it wasn't even over then. We got Rapunzel as a closer, which is one of mine and Jennifer's favorite songs. It was a great great show...always leaves me wanting more. This was also Eric & Kelly's first time seeing DMB...and Kelly's first big rock concert in general. We all had a great time and I think DMB set the bar pretty high for Kelly with it being her first show...tons O fun. Below is the setlist they played and a pic of all of us before the show.

Don't Drink the Water
Dreaming Tree
Recently
You Might Die Trying
Why I Am (New Song)
Rhyme and Reason
Funny the Way it is (New Song)
Ants Marching
Raven
Crash Into Me
So Damn Lucky
Spaceman (New Song)
Cornbread
Grey Street
Jimi Thing
Anyone Seen the Bridge--->
Too Much (Fake)--->
Tripping Billies

Encore:
Blue Water (First verse)
Sister
Burning Down the House (Talking Heads Cover)
Pantala Naga Pampa--->
Rapunzel

Picture of all of us before the show...

Our Trip to B-ham

2009-04-26T20:06:00.005-04:00

Last weekend our family traveled to Birmingham, AL to visit our friends and see a DMB show. It has been a year since we were last there, but we haven't seen most of our friends since Brody was 6 months old (4 years ago), so we were really excited to catch up with everyone. We stayed with good friends, Eric and Kelly Smith, who we also went to the concert with. The Smith's have three boys too-Eli, age 7; Brandt, age 5; and Asher, age 2.

On Saturday Draven & Brody participated in a track meet that the Trussville, AL Track Club was having. Our friend, Kelly, created the track club last year, so we had an in with the staff to get the boys signed up! They each ran the 50 meter, 100 meter, 200 meter dash, and 200 meter relay. They also had the opportunity to participate in the Shot Put and the Long Jump, but we missed the announcement for the Long Jump so the boys only did the Shot Put. Draven really enjoyed running and "getting exercise," but his inexperience hurt him a little. He came in 3rd, 4th and 5th in his events. He got better as the day went on, and worked really hard. Brody was the only boy in the 4 and under group, and they awarded the top boy and girl, so Brody won all his races! He really did win the 50, and would have won the 100, but he stopped half way through. We think he got confused and thought he should stop at the same spot he did for the 50 even though we explained it a couple times! The 200 was half way around the track and Brody lost some steam on the longer distance-I think he was 3rd overall. Brody has been wearing his medals ever since. It was really fun to have the boys participate, and Kelly's boys, Eli & Brandt, were participating, so boys had fun cheering them on too.

Sunday we attended church in our old ward and got to see lots of people! It doesn't seem like we've been gone from there very long, but when we saw the youth it seemed like we had been gone half a life time! The boys I used to sing with in Primary were passing the sacrament! Pierce enjoyed giving the Alabama fans a hard time about Coach Saban, and they did the same about Coach Kiffin. After church our friends, Aaron and Jordan May, came to the Smith's and we grilled hamburgers and let the kids play until we heard a tornado siren and we all came in. Luckily the tornado warnings were south of us so we didn't all have to huddle in the basement while we were eating!

Monday we visited our old house and had lunch at Nikki's Authentic Southern Restaurant-one of Birmingham's best eateries-before going back to rest up for the concert. Draven still talks about our "old yellow house" sometimes and seeing it made us all a little homesick for it.

I'm pretty sure Pierce feels differently, but if it was just up to me, we would still be in Birmingham. I love our friends and family that are here, but Birmingham, and the memories of our family there, have a special place in my heart. Brody was born there and our family grew so much, as a family, while we were there. I never thought I would say I miss Alabama, but I do!

Leroi Moore 1961 - 2008

2009-04-10T09:18:00.012-04:00

As you may or may not know, Leroi Moore, the saxophonist for DMB passed away last fall. He passed due to complications from an ATV accident that actually happened a few days before the July 4th show we attended last year. It's extremely weird to me seeing photos of the band (like the one from our earlier post) without him in them. He was known for being extremely shy and almost always wore sunglasses on stage because of it. He was also known for being extremely funny and a prankster. He was a huge part of their unique sound and I don't believe it will ever be the same without him. The new album is going to be a tribute to him. The album is called "Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King." Groogrux was a nickname given to him by the band and I have know idea what it means. I've posted below a link to a tribute video to his memory...you may want to pause the player on our blog located at the bottom of the blog so you can hear the music in the video. The song played is called #36 and is off their first album...its an instrumental song that features Leroi.

Here's a video regarding the upcoming album and how it is dedicated to Leroi...

Operation Rescue Teddy 2

2009-04-06T13:48:00.005-04:00

Those of you who read our blog when we went on vacation last year may remember our Operation Rescue Teddy post. Brody's teddy was lost at Cumberland Caverns and we had to drive an hour both ways to rescue him. Well, last week, we had to rescue Teddy again. This time from being hit by a car! As we were leaving a friend's house, we were riding with the windows down and Brody was letting Teddy look outside. Suddenly, he jumped out the window! Teddy may be 4, like Brody, but he has not learned to keep his hands and feet inside the car yet. So, Mommy had to turn the car around, park on a side street, and make her way along the very narrow edge of Pleasant Ridge Road to rescue Teddy. One thing that was really cute was that the cars that were coming slowed down and waited for me to run down and pick Teddy up. The car in front was driven by two old ladies-they have probably had to rescue teddies themselves! Brody was very grateful, and Teddy said, "I love you," so I guess it was worth it.

A Milestone

2009-04-06T13:38:00.003-04:00

Today is Monday, Laundry day. Which means that I have no clean socks. So, I decided to borrow some of Draven's, thinking of course, that they would be a little smail, but do-able. No, they fit! Draven's foot is only about 1/2 inch smaller than mine. I didn't plan on sharing clothes with my boys at all, but definitely not when they were 6 years old. I can't believe my little boy is as big as me in any way, but I guess it is a milestone; to be celebrated?!

Dave Matthews Band!!!

2009-03-29T20:55:00.006-04:00

Yep...It's that time of year again! Another stop to see DMB! As many of you already know, we are huge fans and we always try to sieze the opportunity to see DMB at least once every tour. DMB is starting their tour a little earlier than normal this year, with spring dates to kickstart support of their latest album to be released on June 2nd....can't wait! We are going to see them play in Birmingham, AL on April 20th. We have some great friends down there (other than DMB:o) and we are looking forward to catching up with them and hanging out for a few days. If all goes as planned, I will just be getting finised up with school a few days prior and this will be my little graduation getaway celebration of sorts. It can't come soon enough!

In light of this post, I just changed the playlist to all DMB so enjoy if you are a fan...I guess I'll add the 90's and now music I promised in the previous post after the DMB festivities are over ;o).

OK....We really promise this time!

2009-03-29T20:24:00.004-04:00

As you can see, our blogging has been pretty non-existent in 2009. It's been a crazy 1st quarter of the year for us. I doubled up on my course load this semester to ensure I graduate in May and it's been a killer for me but I'm almost done! Jennifer has been busy making cards, organizing enrichment activities at church, and helping her Mother plan a wedding. Draven has finished up a season of basketball and we celebrated Brody's 4th birthday last month.

Now we're getting back into the swing of things and documenting all the fun stuff we get ourselves into and all the blessings we encounter in our lives...we'll try to catch you up on some of the high points from the past couple months over the next few weeks. We just changed the design of our blog just to prove we're serious ;o). Coming soon...we're changing our playlist. Jennifer says she wants to live into now and have more modern music on our blog...I have a hard time with this because I am still very much stuck in the 80's and especially the 90's....so maybe we'll meet somewhere in the middle and have a 90's and now playlist.

New Cards & a Promise

2009-02-15T21:16:00.005-05:00

Ok, I promise to really blog very soon, but I'm trying to get to bed early tonight, so for now just 3 new cards...
The first was inspired by my son's birthday and the invitations we needed for it, the second is a "Thinking of You," and the third is a really cute "Get Well Soon."

Ka-chow: If you know a little boy you have probably heard of Lightning McQueen from the movie "Cars." This card features road map paper, with the phrase "ka-chow" in the lower right corner, and a 2 dimensional character sticker highlighted in the center (the "Cars" character varies). This is the perfect card for a little boy birthday! I used it for our invitations, but it could also be used for birthday or thank you's. Because the cost of materials was higher than usual for this card the price is $2.25 per card or $10.50 for a set of 5.

Butterflies & Blooms: This card features floral embossed background paper with a patterned accent and butterfly stamp. The stamp is highlighted with glittery pen. These are great for "Thinking of You, Birthday, etc." Paper patterns and colors will vary. Set of 5 for $5.50 or single cards for $1.25.

Tasty Medicine: These cute mice are the perfect way to say "Get Well!" Solid background, patterned and coordinated color paper strips, with the mice colored to go with the colors in the papers. Inside message: "Hope you feel better soon" Paper patterns and colors will vary. Set of 5 for $5.50 or single cards for $1.25.

Please visit my card blog for more samples, and custom orders are available. Coming soon-Easter and Graduation designs!

Our weekend...

2009-01-25T19:25:00.003-05:00

So, as promised I have the full story on our weekend with my mom's fiance and two of his sisters...They all-my mom, Pete, Peggy, and Elissa-came to our house for dinner and card playing on Friday and Pete brought the dinner (chili) and an Indiana sweatshirt for me and an Indiana t-shirt for Pierce. The man knows how to make a good impression! Pete's sister, Peggy, brought new clothes for the boys too-super cute church clothes mostly. So, after our boys did their best to be the center of attention for a couple of hours, we put them to bed and played cards. Saturday my mom and Pete cooked us breakfast before the boys and I joined them for a ride through the Smoky's and lunch at Bubba Gump's Seafood House in Gatlinburg. Pete works with disabled students at the high school where he lives, and the patience he has learned doing that really paid off during the 4 1/2 hour car ride with the boys! Today the boys and I joined my mom for church in Farragut before seeing Pete and his sisters off. Overall it was a good weekend, and probably for the best, my opinion of Pete has not changed. If he makes my mom happy, and will continue to make her happy for the rest of their lives, then he's great. Also, the boys love him. Draven has said several times that "Pete is fun!" and he and Brody both couldn't wait to see him this morning at church. My poor mom-the Grammie after all-was left high and dry!

You may have noticed that my wonderful husband was absent from some of the activities this weekend. He was home Saturday working on our house, and at our ward Sunday working on his calling. We are trying to sell our house so there is a lot of maintenance type stuff that we've been working on, and with tax season upon us the Ward Clerk (my husband) has a lot to get done. I missed him this weekend, but I'm so proud of all he does for us!

The Happy Couple No. 2

2009-01-20T20:41:00.004-05:00

My mom got engaged over New Years and I'm a little behind in posting about it, but I was waiting for "someone" to send me a picture to include in the post. My mom met Pete online and they have been talking on the phone for about a year. In November, for Thanksgiving, my mom ditched us and went to Brazil, Indiana to finally meet this man face to face. (She didn't really ditch us, we were with the inlaws for the holiday) Then she went again for New Years and that's when Pete popped the big question! We haven't met him yet, not sure how I feel about that, but he seems to be very nice and he makes my mom happy. They talk on the phone 24/7-like they're in middle school again-and he's coming here to meet all of us and see mom this weekend. My mom says he's the nicest man she's ever met, but I'm sure he can't be as good as Pierce-no offense Pete. So, I'll have to give you the full scoop after that!
Congratulations to my mom, Lynn, and her fiance, Pete!

New Valentine Designs!

2009-01-05T21:35:00.001-05:00

For Christmas I received a fun little Cuttlebug die cutter and embosser from my wonderful, handsome, perfect husband (he made me say that), so you'll notice that both cards feature embossed and die cut papers!

Valentine Stamp: Sets of 5 for $5.50 or single cards for $1.25 each. This card features two embossed stamps, white ribbon, and a Valentine themed paper on the right. One stamp says, "Love" and looks like a postage stamp, and the other is embossed with a pretty design. The inside message says, "be mine!"

Be Mine: Sets of 5 for $5.50 or single cards for $1.25 each. This card features a textile embossed, solid color background with white satin ribbon and a "Love stamp. The front says, "be mine" and the inside is blank. Perfect for your own loving message!

It's Practically Here!

2008-12-23T21:11:00.003-05:00

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!

2008-12-09T18:10:00.003-05:00

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

2008-12-07T21:05:00.004-05:00

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

2008-11-13T10:27:00.003-05:00

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!

2008-11-09T21:37:00.004-05:00

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

2008-11-09T21:26:00.004-05:00

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

2008-11-09T20:46:00.004-05:00

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

2008-10-19T20:51:00.002-04:00

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!

2008-10-19T20:32:00.003-04:00

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

2008-10-19T20:03:00.002-04:00

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

2008-10-09T13:17:00.004-04:00

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

2008-10-09T13:11:00.003-04:00

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

2008-09-25T15:46:00.002-04:00

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

2008-09-21T21:26:00.003-04:00

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

2008-09-07T21:17:00.004-04:00

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!

2008-09-07T21:05:00.004-04:00

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

2008-08-17T21:54:00.004-04:00

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

2008-08-17T21:34:00.005-04:00

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

2008-08-17T20:49:00.005-04:00

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

2008-08-01T12:39:00.004-04:00

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

2008-08-01T12:23:00.004-04:00

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

2008-07-29T21:23:00.003-04:00

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

2008-07-28T14:13:00.002-04:00

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

2008-07-28T13:54:00.005-04:00

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!!

2008-07-27T19:52:00.008-04:00

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

2008-07-27T17:00:00.007-04:00

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

2008-07-25T15:16:00.003-04:00

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

2008-07-20T22:51:00.006-04:00

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

2008-07-20T22:11:00.004-04:00

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!

2008-07-20T21:50:00.006-04:00

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

2008-07-20T21:48:00.001-04:00

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

2008-07-13T20:59:00.005-04:00

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!

2008-06-22T20:42:00.003-04:00

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...

2008-06-11T23:29:00.003-04:00

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!

2008-06-11T22:55:00.004-04:00

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

2008-06-11T22:45:00.004-04:00

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

2008-06-05T13:47:00.003-04:00

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

2008-06-03T20:55:00.004-04:00

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.

Coming Home

2008-06-01T20:36:00.004-04:00

Cute bottom chasing ducks
Saturday was our final day of vacation. I was really trying to convince Pierce to stay another night, but no such luck. I was excited to get home, but at the same time I was having so much fun just being with our family and away from our daily responsibilities. The last night, Friday, Pierce and I made s'mores again after we put the boys to bed. Then we sat by the fire and just talked; about the boys, our vacation, all the things going on in our lives right now. I think that was my favorite part of the whole trip. Pierce and I talk and communicate really well, but that night was just better.

Each of us has a different favorite part of the trip so here's the list:
Pierce-the Caverns
Me-the last night
Draven-the Cavern & the Waterpark
Brody-the swirly slide (at the waterpark)
PJ-I think he liked chasing the ducks the best.

PJ also learned a new phrase on our trip; "Jedi says woof, woof." No one can understand him except the family because his version sounds more like "Dadi, puff puff."

PJ & Pop at Reunion
On our way home we detoured through Chattanooga for a small family reunion. We met at Riverpark and had a picnic and let the kids play. The reunion was for my paternal grandmother and her sister's children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. My grandmother had 7 kids (only 3 were represented) and her sister, Marguerite, had 4 so there were quite a few of us there. It was the first time I had met most of Aunt Marguerite's family. We also visited my great-Aunt Louise. She is 89 and living in a nursing home, so it was good to see her again.

Camping, Day 5

2008-05-30T20:10:00.006-04:00

Today started out just like all the others-with Pierce making a delicious breakfast; today it was pancakes and sausage again! Then we headed to Rutledge Falls. These falls are on privately owned land, and the owner generously lets everyone enjoy them. The trail was really steep, so Jedi, PJ, and I stayed at the top overlook, but Pierce, Draven, & Brody went all the way to the bottom. You can swim in the pool made by the waterfall, but we decided it might be a little cold this early in the season!
The area around the waterfall was beautiful. The house was an old, brick, civil war era home, and they had this cute red barn in one of the fields. The sun was great today and as we were walking back to the car I just thought this scene was really pretty...
Then, because it was so much fun yesterday, Pierce took D & B back to the rec center water park. Again they had a great time, and got to show off what they could do (going down slides and such) to their DAD! After PJ's nap they came back and we all went to the pool here at the campground. It has a slide and a jacuzzi, so it was fun too. PJ did not like the water at all! I don't know if it was too cold or too big or what, but he cried and held on for dear life.
The boys are totally exhausted! So exhausted that we can't get them to go to sleep. Urgghh!

Now We're Camping

2008-05-30T19:44:00.006-04:00

For dinner on Day 4 we finally made a fire, roasted hot dogs, and made s'mores! As you'll remember, Pierce is very particular about what constitutes "camping." You have to be in a tent, you have to have a fire (even if it's 90 degrees outside), you have to have roasted hotdogs, and you have to have s'mores. The last one was just added two years ago, when my brother, Jason, and I finally introduced him to this delicious camping treat. So...the boys loved it! They helped roast hot dogs and marshmallows, and loved eating it all up. Thankfully we can really say we went camping this week!

Day 4: Operation Rescue Teddy

2008-05-30T19:21:00.005-04:00

On Wednesday night, Brody had discovered that Teddy was missing. Teddy pretty much goes everywhere with Brody, however he especially wants him around a bedtime. We came to the conclusion that the last time we had Teddy was at the cave. Jennifer called the next morning and the staff confirmed that Teddy was indeed at Cumberland Caverns. Jennifer and the boys set out for Operation Rescue Teddy. While Jennifer and the boys set out on this important mission, I stayed back at the camp to study for my Economics exam that has been making me a bit nervous. Needless to say, Teddy was indeed rescued and the trip was well worth the 1.5 hour round trip. Brody is comforted to know that Teddy is not lost in the dark cave alone.

Later in the day, Jennifer and the boys also went to a local recreation center that has a really cool water park. We were very impressed with how nice it was for a public recreation center. It was only $11 for Jennifer and the boys to use the facility and the water park had all kinds of fun. It had a water fort with slides, water guns, and water pretty much spraying in every direction. It also had a lazy river to float through along with a beach that had water spraying up as well. The best part of this park was probably that it was very much designed for little kids as the deepest part of the whole park was only 3.5 feet deep....the majority of it was 2-3 feet deep so Brody could walk around without us having to carry him. Draven was in heaven and Brody had a great time as well although it took him a while to build up enough courage to slide down the slides on the fort. Just before they left he finally built up the courage to take the journey down the slide and he was SOOOO proud of himself. All I heard about when they came home was that he went down the slide all by himself!!

Camping: Day 3

2008-05-29T21:12:00.006-04:00

So we got off to a good start on Day 3...we took a little trip to McMinnville TN to visit the Cumberland Caverns. As you can hopefully see by the pictures, it was a beautiful place. The boys were really excited to go underground....I kept telling them it was the batcave where batman lives, but I'm not sure they believed me. Our tour guide was pretty good and told us a lot of stories about how the cave was found, that it was used to make Salt Peter (part of ammunition for gun powder) for the civil war. The boys didn't care much about that but they did enjoy climbing around in the cave. The only part they didn't like was the part where the tour guide turned off the lights and showed us what complete darkness was like. So dark you cannot even see your hand in front of your face. The darkness didn't last but for a moment but the boys were glad the lights came back on. Enjoy the photos...the ones of the jeep were from when we left the cave. They use those to drive into the cave for maintenance and such.

Leaving the Cave

Later in the day was a little rough....We think the boys were pretty wiped out from the cave and so were Mommy and Daddy. We got back to the cabin from our trip to the cave a little late so we had to be a little quick about getting our stuff out and set up the campsite....for real camping ;o). I ended up breaking one of the poles to our brand new, only used once tent...the good thing is, this part was repairable. When we got the tent completely set up, the boys decided to play inside, and who wouldn't...its a pretty cool tent and they've never been camping before. So as they are playing, Draven decides it would be pretty cool to zip up the divider between rooms and jump into it.....well, it only took one time and before we even knew what he was trying to do....RIPPP!! Big whole in the side of the tent....the brand new, only used one time, pretty expensive tent. Needless to say, Mommy and Daddy were pretty irate at the moment. We were all tired, I had just spent an hour getting the tent to cooperate, Jennifer had rushed to get everything out of the cabin, etc, etc...we all had a bit of a meltdown. We knew Draven did not do it on purpose and did not know that what he was doing was necessarily wrong, so we tried not to be too hard on him....it was a learning experience to say the least. We bought some Duck tape for Draven and me to repair the hole enough for the week, but longterm it is not really repairable and we will likely have to buy another tent. Aside from this misadventure, we had a fun day going to the cave and spending our first night outside.

Camping, Day 2

2008-05-27T20:26:00.004-04:00

Here are some pictures from Day 2....and we posted some pictures on Day 1 as well.

So, today was much more fun than yesterday. We didn't do anything special, but I think that is why it was so much fun. Pierce made blueberry pancakes and sausage for breakfast (yum!), and then we spent the rest of the day goofing off. We played at the playground three times, took a walk on the Nature Trail, read books, the boys watched a movie, etc, etc. We did end up staying in the cabin one more day because it was suppose to thunderstorm again. Did it? No, of course not :( We hope to be in our tent tomorrow which will be good, because according to Pierce we aren't camping right now. This is just a hotel where you have to walk across the pavement to use the restroom. I'm not sure I'd go that far, but I was all excited to be in our tent and doing the whole camping thing.

Tomorrow we are planning to visit Cumberland Caverns in the morning. The boys seemed to think it would be cool to be underground!

Camping 101

2008-05-26T21:30:00.004-04:00

Rain
Our Cabin
1. Get to the camp site before the rain starts so you can get the tent put up.

2. Talk to someone who has stayed at the location where you are planning to camp.

3. If the pictures look too good to be true, they probably are.

4. No matter what, have fun anyway!

There are no pictures today, but I'll be sure to get some posted tomorrow. This has not been the picture perfect start to our vacation that Pierce and I dreamed of, but we are still excited and the boys are too-tired, but excited. Before I give you the dreary details, let me started by telling you a cute Draven story. I was in the bathroom with Brody for his 20th trip today (he had a lot of water on the trip), but Pierce just told me this...He and Draven were in the cabin-I'll get to this next-and Draven excitedly told Pierce, "come here, I have to show you something!" So Pierce went into the boys' room and Draven said, "This is the happiest I've ever been in my whole life!" And showed Pierce his sleeping bag and his bed and was really excited. Doesn't that melt your heart?! It makes all the craziness worth it.

OK, to the details...The trip was uneventful except for the 5 stops we had to make before we could really get started-eating lunch, Pierce's work, Pierce's other work, pee pee breaks, etc. Why is it that when you're trying to get somewhere with a car full of kids you have to stop a dozen times? It always happens! Draven also asked every five minutes how many more minutes it would be before we got there-his version of "are we there yet," and Brody kept asking when we were getting to Nana's house?! So, we finally get to Manchester, TN and we are all excited, driving down the interstate, spotting the exit sign, when we notice the KOA sign just off the interstate on the left. Yes, just off the interstate. Who ever heard of a "campsite" that has the calming sounds of 18 wheelers 200 feet away? Then, I went in to register and the kid at the desk asks if we want to upgrade to a cabin for the night, because it's suppose to rain. Nah, we say...it won't be that bad. Just as we got the tent laid out on the ground the lightning started and the clouds opened up! We sat in the humid car for an hour hoping it would let up soon. It finally did, but our campsite was so water logged that we couldn't set up the tent. So, after sitting through an hour in the rain, I went sheepishly back into the office and asked if we could upgrade to a cabin. I think that should have been Pierce's job, but he did the driving instead. Then we went to the highclass eating establishment, Walmart, for dinner because everything was so wet we couldn't start a fire. While at Walmart, the KOA man called and said he had made a little mistake. The cabin he had put us in was rented for tomorrow and could we please move all our stuff to another cabin?! So, we are spending tonight in the comfort of a 2 room cabin, all in beds, and thinking about staying here tomorrow too, as it's suppose to rain all day again. The weather.com people had it all wrong!

We are still optimistic though, and the boys can't wait to get to the playground and the fishing pond, which really are very cool. I think they have to have something awesome to put in the pictures to lure you here. While sitting in the rain Pierce said he wanted to have a real Griswald family vacation...he may just get his wish!

It's Over!!

2008-05-18T21:17:00.004-04:00

Our second season of soccer has ended. I have to say that this season was NOT fun. Things started out pretty good-Draven was really excited and was getting into it more, but then our coach became that coach you never want...cancelling practice after you're already there, not calling when a game or practice is cancelled, changing the date of the make-up games 2 and 3 times, etc. We also didn't really have a team mom-we still don't have trophies and don't know when the end-of-season party will be. So, with the decline of our coach's attitude came the decline in Draven's attitude. It was a struggle to get him to go and once there he didn't seem to care. On Friday we had our last make-up game and Draven told me he wasn't going. I explained that he had made a commitment to play and he would finish the season. It was only 2 games after all. He seemed ok with that, but then when we got to the game he said-"I'm never playing soccer again!" He did though.

Hopefully we will have another season to talk about in the fall. If not we'll have more time for basketball-Draven's current favorite!

*In the picture Draven is the tall one on the right.

A Talented Friend

2008-05-09T23:42:00.005-04:00

I just want to take a minute (or paragraph) to tell you about a woman I met because of blogging, and her wonderful card making talents! A few weeks ago I was looking for ideas for singing time at church, and in my Google search a woman's blog popped up. The woman's name is Deb, and she was on the same blog server that I am, so I thought I'd check it out. Well, she has awesome ideas for singing time! She's the 2nd counselor in Primary and takes over the chorister duties when necessary. I invited her to take a look at my blog so she could get an idea who this random person was snooping on her blog! Then I found out that she makes and sells notecards as a side job. As you can see from the pictures they are super cute and really reasonable. Like, $1 to $1.25 per card! You can barely buy simple, generic cards from that price. I have placed two orders with her and I've been really happy with the cards and with her turnaround time. If you are interested in seeing more samples check out her blogs, designs-by-deb.blogspot.com or debreynolds.blogspot.com If you decide to order from Deb, please mention that you heard about it here because I'll get a nice gift for the referral!

This Time In Our Lives

2008-05-07T14:54:00.004-04:00

On Sunday I wanted to post about a fun day I had with the boys, but didn't get around to it. Then today I read two other posts about similar topics-from Laura & Notes from the Trenches (careful, this one cusses) and I decided to write my story anyway...

Last Friday I had so many things I wanted to get done-shopping for new shoes, PJ's first hair cut, cleaning the house, exercising, cooking a good dinner, etc., etc. So, we started out bright & early. By the time we got to the mall it was time to eat. We ate at Chick fil A and Draven was soo big! He threw the trash away, went to get straws by himself, and helped keep PJ happy. Then we went to get shoes for PJ. Yes, I'm a sucker for Stride Rite shoes when they're learning to walk... It must have been a good day because I had fun watching the boys run around the mall, twirling around, running in front of the stroller. We even dropped pennies in the fountain-twice. After shoes we stopped at Godiva Chocolate for a sweet treat! Three pieces of chocolate for $5.50. It was ridiculous, but the boys enjoyed it. Then I let them run around some more. Usually I'm way to focused on what needs to be done next to waste this much time, but it was fun!

On the way home we heard "My Green Kite" which is one of the boy's favorite songs. So, we decided to go fly our kite instead of cleaning. We never really got it going, but the boys had fun being outside.

What impressed me the most in this is how much fun it was to play with my boys. How often do we remember what a blessing it is to be a kid again with our kids? Since then, when I see the boys playing, I'm reminded of Friday and what fun my boys are. It helps me be more patient.

Signs of Spring

2008-05-07T14:21:00.005-04:00

Flying Kites

Climbing Trees

Summer Cuts

Outside Play

Eggs & Flowers

O, How I love the Sun!

A Trip to the ER

2008-05-07T14:04:00.003-04:00

With three boys this probably won't be the last time we see the ER, but this time it was my turn. I was at home, after having worked out, last Wednesday when I started having trouble seeing. Like I had stars in front of my eyes. Then I started feeling dizzy and my head hurt. So, I laid down for a while. Pierce got home for lunch about that time, so he was there to help with the boys. Then I was sitting on the couch, talking to the boys, when my hands and face started going numb. The numbness moved around both arms and all over my face. After a couple of hours we decided to go to the ER to see what was wrong. They did a couple of tests-an EKG, an MRI-and finally told us that they didn't know what was wrong. :( They said it definitely wasn't a stroke or MS, and told me to go see a Neurologist. Pierce and I think it could have been a pinched nerve in my neck or something, but we really don't know. It kind of freaked me out, so if you have had any experience with something like that let me know!

Survivor's Story - Chris Lofton

2008-05-02T10:22:00.003-04:00

This is an amazing story about an amazing young man. Many of you know I am a big fan of Tennessee sports but most especially basketball. Chris Lofton is truly the face of the re-emergence of UT Men's Basketball. I almost feel bad for getting frustrated at the beginning of the season because of Lofton's slump....this truly explains the reasons for the slump and it's amazing that even with the slump, he was still playing at a very high level. Take the time to read this article...its an amazing story.

It is on the front page of espn.com, however here is a direct LINK

One Word

2008-04-29T20:13:00.002-04:00

I got this one word tag idea from Alice. Feel free to play along...

Just one word
1. Where is your cell phone?
Ear
2. Your significant other?
A Gift
3. Your hair?
Droopy
4. Your mother?
Great
5. Your father?
Cool
6. Your favorite thing?
Flowers
7. Your dream last night?
None
8. Your favorite drink?
Coke
9. Your dream/goal?
Family
10. The room you’re in?
LR
11. Your hobby?
Scrapbooking
12. Your fear?
Friendless
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years?
Alive
14. Where were you last night?
Here
15. What you’re not?
skinny
16. Muffins?
Maybe
17. The last thing you did?
Bedtime
18. What are you wearing?
pajamas
19. Something you’re not wearing?
glasses
20. Your mood?
Midline
21. Your summer?
Awesome!

Our Fun Weekend

2008-04-27T20:36:00.010-04:00

The fun began Friday night with our Ward's Spring Picnic. Alice is so good at her calling, I guess that's why she didn't replace me as the Primary chorister. :) I made Cream Cheese & Jam Turnovers; a recipe I got from another blogger. I thought they were great and so easy! My mom and dad were both there with us, and the boys had lots of fun playing croquet and throwing the football with daddy. I've shared my favorite picture...

Then on Saturday we were looking for something fun to do...there wasn't even soccer to interfere. So we packed a lunch and headed to West Knoxville for Earthfest. Go Green! Draven & Brody had lots of fun digging in a compost pile for worms, making newspaper hats, and playing catch with a tennis ball and empty milk cartons (I thought that one was a little extreme). I forgot my camera, so you'll have to plug into my head to see how cute Draven was in his newspaper hat. Brody wouldn't wear his so I did. As we walked to the car lots of people were laughing.

When we got home I finally planted our vegetable garden. Last year I planted at the end of March, because that's what things say to do for our region. Then everything died when the mid-April freeze happened. So, this year I waited, and the mid-April freeze came again. This year we moved the veggies to the side of the house (Pierce cringed every time he came home last year when they were in the front), and I planted roma & sandwich tomatoes, corn, & watermelon. We also have peas that the boys planted at Earthfest, and Strawberries that have been growing. Does anyone know how peas grow? I can't decide where to put those.

Tonight we had FHE. Pierce gave a lesson on Journaling. We talked about how we're printing our blog entries to use as a journal, but that the boys also need to write their own thoughts. So we had Draven and Brody each tell us their favorite part of this week while I wrote it down. Draven had fun with that. Brody said his favorite song is My Green Kite, by Peter Himmelman, and his best friend is Draven (it was Brielle on Wednesday so who knows how long this will last). I think PJ is most excited about finally learning to pull up and sit down on his own. Does anyone have any good ideas for getting Brody to participate more in FHE?

The most fun part of the weekend was spending it together. With soccer, mowing the grass, grocery shopping, etc. sometimes it's hard to just play together, even on the weekends. So that was my favorite part!

More Addicted Than I Thought

2008-04-27T20:19:00.002-04:00

68%

So I saw this quiz on Alice's blog and thought I would probably be below 50 for sure, but there were some trick questions! Of course I've blogged about something as it was happening...hasn't everyone?

Brotherly Love

2008-04-23T19:35:00.005-04:00

Most of the time, when I think of Draven & Brody's relationship, I would call it Love/Hate. They love to hate each other; but today I have gotten to see the love side twice. I think it bears noting!
This afternoon when we got home from the park Draven wanted to finish his soccer treat (the snacks he got after the game). So I told him if he was going to eat it right then, with Brody right there, he would have to share. He said ok. So, they were standing at the table, sharing a rice krispy treat, when Brody said, "Draven, I love you." Then he leaned over and gave him a hug. It wasn't silly or dramatic, just simple and sweet.
Then, tonight I put them to bed early because we had been to the park, played in the sandbox outside, had two neighbor boys over, and they were so wired that they were making me crazy! As I was doing the dishes I noticed that they were still talking a lot, so I went to their room to tell them to be quiet. When I walked in Brody & Draven were up on Draven's top bunk getting ready to go to sleep. I told Brody to go to his bunk. A couple minutes later they were still talking. Usually by this point, oh yeah they got up once too, I would be pretty upset and near the yelling stage, but today is a good day...So, I walked in the room and Brody & Draven are in Brody's bed. When I told them they were nearing the end of my patience, and Draven needed to get in his own bed right now, Draven said, "But, I just want some time with Brody." What could I say? I gave them 10 minutes to be asleep.

Journaling

2008-04-20T22:30:00.004-04:00

Ok, so I have 4 journals started, that I'm suppose to be working on, but never seem to find the time to do it. One for each of the boys, plus mine. I'm suppose to write on Sunday, but here it is 10:31 and I'm still blogging. So, I'm using a wonderful idea that I got from my friend Lindsey-I hope you have your baby soon-Rose! I have copy and pasted all of our posts into a Word Document and I'm going to print them and put them in a nice 3 ring notebook. Since I have an obsession with everyone having their own-memories, books, whatever-I'm going to print duplicate copies of the posts that are interesting to more than one of us. So, I'll have my book, Draven his, Brody his, etc. An added bonus to this idea is that I can print the pictures that we've included on the post and have it right there with the "journal" entry! I'm even including the random posts-80's music and Helping Hamburger, etc. because I decided that when I read back over my life I want to remember the place I was in, and that includes pinching pennies at the grocery store and setting up our new blog. Just an idea for you! And yes, I'm printing this one too!

Happy Birthday to You!

2008-04-20T22:04:00.003-04:00

Today is my mom's birthday! She turned 39 again. We love her very much and are so lucky to have her close by...she's the best baby sitter I know '0) Seriously, she's a great mom, and Grammie, and mother-in-law. She is one of my best friends. Now we just need to find her a man!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Our Temple Trip

2008-04-20T21:03:00.004-04:00

This weekend we went to Atlanta, GA to visit the temple. We went with my mom and the three boys-what were we thinking? The boys, Mom, not you! Anyway, we left Friday at 2:00 pm and came home Saturday at 4:30. PJ didn't take a nap the whole time we were gone, and Draven & Brody were less than delightful. I can't really blame them...I felt like kissing the ground when we finally got out of the car for good.

But. It was a wonderful trip. It always is when we visit the temple, and it's been too long since we took that kind of trip. My mom was able to get the paperwork ready for my grandmother, who died in July 2006, and I was able to participate in doing her work. What a blessing. Now maybe she's teaching my grandfather-he's stubborn and probably needs her help! We took pictures, as you can see, and I just didn't want to leave. I love being that close to the spirit! Plus, we finally got a family picture...

Draven Stakes His Claim

2008-04-17T11:02:00.003-04:00

A couple of days ago Draven asked for a piece of paper and a pen, so I gave it to him. He's always writing something down-usually a list of movies he wants to see, has seen, etc. So, then he asked if he could have some tape; I asked why. He didn't want to tell me, but I gave it to him and kept an eye on him. He went over to his toy box and put this sign on it. If you can't read it, it says, "Keep Out, My Toy Box." He said that in the Little Critter books (some of our favorites), Little Critter has a sign like that on his door, but it says "My Room" instead of "My Toy Box." We agreed that the toy box belongs to Brody too, and when PJ gets older he can look in there too; it's only Mommy, Daddy, and any other big people that are not allowed.

Our New Piano

2008-04-17T10:48:00.004-04:00

On Tuesday our new piano was delivered! It was actually my mom's piano, that she bought when I was a kid and taking piano lessons, but to us, it's new. The piano tuner is in the other room right now tuning it! Lucky for us, my mom was looking to clear out some space in her living room, so the piano is now in our dining room. We are thinking about started piano lessons for Draven-following the "every child will play an instrument and a sport" motto. He is still a little young, but our neighbor teaches and she is convenient and has good rates. So, we'll see how it goes for a couple of months.

He is already playing, as you can see in the picture. He picks a song from the Primary Song Book, looks at the words while he "plays" notes on the piano. He even sings along to his playing. I think it's really cute! I am even more impressed that he lets Brody play with him. They are such a good team.