Christmas Dresses 2011

Beautiful Kate ready for church.

First, she had to show me how her dress twirled, though!

A lovely Claire and her American Girl, Bethany.

Championship Game 2011

All smiles! The surprise limo arrived to some excited football players!
Happiness inside the limo!

Off they go to the championship game.

Our united team.

Sam is at the coin toss in the background on the left #32.

Look at the cute, little cheerleader that showed up to cheer on her cousin.... Bonnie Kay!

No win this year, but happy with his 2nd place trophy!

Sam's team pulled out a win (20-0) last week in the second-round playoff game against a team that had beaten them in the regular season. This week we headed to the championship game against an undefeated mega team. We were all certain that the possibility of a win was remote, but the coaches made sure to make the day memorable for the guys with a surprise limo to transport them to the game. They were beyond excited when it pulled into the parking lot. As expected, they didn't win, but I think most of the boys were happy to have made it that far. The coaches did a great job uniting the team by teaching them how to always help your teammate out, tailgating parties, and various other activities.

Did anyone hear that huge sigh of relief? It is over for another year!

Cowgirls and Indians

Kate dressed up as Jessie from "Toy Story" and Claire was Pocahontas tonight for Halloween.
Claire's costume was borrowed from her friend Emma's mom who
wore it in a play when she was in school.

Cute lil cowgirl Kate!

We spent the evening at our church's Trunk Or Treat then on to visit grandparents. Claire's quote of the night: "I think I've had enough candy. My brain is hurting, and I have a little bit of throw up in my throat." Yeah, that's the sign you've had enough!

Saturday Night Football

Sam scored great seats to the MTSU football game this past Saturday night. He also ended up with some new team shirts and baseball cap as a result of a conversation with the MTSU girls' basketball coach last week (who is a family friend.) Sam invited a good friend to go along with us, and they had the best time commentating the game even though the team was getting badly beaten! If the coach had just let these two either coach or play, I'm quite sure (according to the boys) that they would have won.

Here Comes Kate

Aww, look at how sweet and innocent this precious girl is.

Any teacher would be blessed to have such an angel as a student.

Don't let the picture fool you.

She left her angel wings on the couch because she was anything but once she entered Mother's Day Out the first day. She had a few problems like not wanting to switch activities when it was time, throwing her coloring page in the floor, not letting the teacher help her at potty time, taking her shoes and socks off at the lunch table, not staying in her seat at the lunch table, running amok during naptime until she finally napped when threatened with the teacher telling her Mommy, and last but not least...sticking her tongue out at the teacher. The last offense was due to having fallen the day before and biting the tip of her tongue, so that is kinda understandable. The others, not so much. After Tuesday's fiasco of a school day we went over the rules on Wednesday. Over and over. On Thursday I left her there with the fear of returning with an even worse report. But, to my great surprise and answered prayers she had in the words of her teacher a "fabulous" day. WHEW!

Sam is 11!

Could there be any other kind of cake for him?

I forgot the candles. Again. Kate stood ready to give him her #3 candle, though!

Sam had a sleepover with three friends. When we went to check on them at almost noon, we found one curled under Kate's bouncy house, Sam on the ottomon, another one wadded up in a chair, and this guy sleeping through the ball pit. That's what happens when you stay up til 4:30 AM! My downstairs looked worse than a frat party house.

Happiness over what this gift means...the new Madden game to a new video gaming system!

Claire's Sweet Shop

Claire had her 8th birthday party last night with a Candy Shop theme. We created an old-fashioned candy store and ice cream parlour. We also had a candy themed scavenger hunt where the girls eventually found coins to spend in the store. It was so much fun (and so much work!) But the girls had a blast, and there was lots of giggly excitement!

Here are a few more pictures on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2343816316484.2143125.1282268881&l=903602b818&type=

New Family Member!

Claire, Aunt Betty, and I made a girls trip last weekend to the American Girl Atlanta Boutique and Bistro. It was an early birthday trip for Claire to choose her first AG doll. She chose a look-alike doll that she named Bethany. Here are the links to Betty's blog with lots of great pictures.

http://c2drvryf.wordpress.com/2011/08/06/american-girl-claire/

http://c2drvryf.wordpress.com/2011/08/07/american-girl-the-bistro/

http://c2drvryf.wordpress.com/2011/08/07/atlanta-trip-part-3/

Kate Sings!

How about a little entertainment from Kate to start your day off right?! Isn't she the sweetest! Next time we will turn off "Dora" before her concert begins. :-)

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Kate is 3...almost!

Her birthday is tomorrow, but her party was tonight....so she's almost 3.

She requested a Caillou cake.

Big girl blowing out her own candle this year.

She wanted Caillou's face.

Movies from Sam, yay!

This was waiting outside for her!!

She spotted it and said, "My car!"

Climbed right in.

Ready to roll! She loved it, and took off driving pretty well for an almost 3 year old.

The rest of the pics are on fb here: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2248877863082.2138339.1282268881&l=2ffff7b6a5

Mid-Summer Wrap-Up

Play dates

Fun with friends

Stayed cool

Visited New York...sorta

Demonstrated nose talents

Looked for career choices?

Went to VBS!

Didn't kill the garden...yet

Relaxed

Entertained baby cousin

Looked cute at the swim meets

Oh yeah, and swam at the meets

And swam some more

Had a sick daddy on Father's day

But we ate his cake anyway!

It's been a busy, busy summer. The older kids are attending a day camp three days a week all summer while Kate and I do our own summer activities like play at the park and swim. Swim team has taken a lot of time with practices and several meets. VBS at our church and also with friends at their churches has kept me shuttling kids around. We've taken a day trip or two and have a few more planned before summer's end. Lots of family, friends, sun, and water are keeping our summer going.

Year of the Cicada

Every thirteen years we Middle Tennesseans are bombarded by cicadas. Fortunately, our own backyard was not completely taken-over, but we had our share. I assumed my girls would be terrified and spend all 6 weeks of the infestation indoors, but not Claire! Once I gave her some info to read on them, she became a friend to them. Rescuing them. Catching them. Sharing them. Eww. Before they burrowed away for another thirteen years I had her pose with a few. Hard to believe she will be 20 when they reappear!