Fall Break

Last week was fall break for the kiddos. We had a stay-cation this year, and really enjoyed it. We went to the movies, got to hang out with Minima and Bitiba, went hiking, played mini golf, went to the MTSU game, and ended the week with a cross country meet. We also enjoyed some time just hanging at home. It was a much needed break for us all. I'll get some of the pictures on here soon.

Where in the world is Lily?

Homecoming parade

Chloe's first parade

Chloe and her friend from school and soccer

Chloe got the hang of it pretty quickly...wave and look cute! :)

Success!

Chloe in action!

Can you tell it was quite windy at the soccer game?

Chloe got close to the goal a couple of times Sat.

This isn't really an action shot, but it's on here because it cracks me up. She's completely off the ground, so I guess it is an action shot!

Meet Creepy

Creepy makes his web every night, and it goes all the way from a tree branch to the ground. We leave Creepy alone, and he returns the favor. I love watching him in his web, but I'm also careful to not walk through it. There's nothing worse than walking through a spider web, and wondering if the spider is now on you. Ok, there are actually worse things, but it's definitely not fun!

Chloe playing soccer

Keith's parent were up for a visit recently, and snapped this picture. I was at Avery's meet, and Keith had guard, so we were thankful for the help! Chloe really loves to play in the goal, and she's always paying attention. I missed her game again this past weekend, but Keith was there, and told me that she played goalie again. She didn't let them score on her, and from what I hear, they were on her end for most of the quarter. Chloe is really enjoying soccer, but she's already mentioned that she wants to try softball!

even MORE cross country pictures

I would like to take credit for taking these photos, but I can't. Another mom did, and I'm so thankful! She gets some great shots!! The first picture is from last weekend. In my last post, I shared a picture of the last thing I saw, and this is closer to the finish line. Avery was making his move, and ended up passing both of them. I love the look of determination on his face!

This picture is from a couple of weeks ago, when Avery won. Avery apparently loves an exciting finish. :)

Avery had another meet this weekend, and he did great. He ran 1.5 miles in 9:08, and finished 8th. This was the toughest race so far for him, because it's a flat, wide open course, and it's fast. Now he has two weeks to train for a regional meet (and state qualifier). It's a tough one, so I'm sure he'll be training hard.

more cross country

So this picture is from Avery's meet last week. This is at the end of the race, headed to the finish line. Keith and I were cheering him on at different spots along the way. Keith was up at the top of the hill, closer to the end. This is the last view I had of Avery during the race. He's in fourth at this point. The guy who won finished over 30 sec ahead, so that's why you can't see him. I was excited for Avery that he got fourth, but I knew he might be a little disappointed after winning the last meet. So, I met back up with Keith after, and was super excited and surprised to learn that Avery was actually second! He was able to pass the other two at the top of the hill. He's killing me with these last minute sprints!! :)

Brady

Keith snapped this picture of Brady at Avery's last meet. He's not a fan of pictures, so my favorites are usually candid ones.

Chloe's writing

Chloe's teacher showed me one of her papers today while I was in the classroom helping. (This is one of the reasons I love volunteering so much.) They had a writing prompt, which is something they really start doing in third grade, but they start practicing this year. They were told to write about what would happen if they woke up one morning, and their pet could talk. I love Chloe's paper! I can maybe hear myself in it. Just a little. :)

Sunrise

I'm up early every morning with Lily, so I've seen some amazing sunrises (<-that doesn't seem right, but I'm going with it!) After a few days of just enjoying them, I decided to get some pictures also. I don't think Lily appreciates them like I do, but she enjoys running around outside while I'm taking pictures at least!

Someone doesn't like her leash!

stupid human tricks

For some reason, I'm unable to move my big toe and middle toe independently of each other. I've always said that I'm wired wrong. This is just one example. I find it to be strange and funny, so I've decided to share it with you. You're welcome! Happy Friday y'all!!

Poetry at it's finest...or not

Pick up your room every single day

Clean or dirty, put your clothes away

Make your bed

Comb your head

Your teeth you'll brush

And rush, rush, rush!

The dishwasher holds your dishes

That would grant me one of my wishes

Help watch Lily

Because she's so silly

Clean the toilet, sink and tub

Get to work and scrub, scrub, scrub!

You're getting older now

So come on, I'll show you how

To see you vacuum and sweep

Would literally make me weep

Finally at the end of the day

Go outside and play, play, play!

Spoiled?

Every week day morning, after getting the kids to school, I come home and sit down and have some breakfast. I usually sit in the living room and watch a little tv, and just have a few moments to myself before starting on laundry or dishes. Lily has become very familiar with this, because every morning, she comes over to me and expects to get in my lap and fall asleep. Some mornings I take a little longer to get my breakfast, and when I go to sit down, she's already there waiting on me. She just sits in front of the couch and patiently waits for me to get there. But if I don't pick her up, she lets me know that she's tired of waiting!

We have a very spoiled puppy!

pictures from Saturday

Riverdale invitational

Today was Avery's second cross country meet of the year. He finished 4th in his first one on Thursday, and was very happy with his race. Today was even better....he won! It was a very close race, until the very end. It was so exciting to watch! Since Brady was with me, I asked him to video, while I took pictures at a different spot. I'm so glad I did, because he got a great video of an awesome finish! I love hearing him cheer Avery on. :) It was a great day!

7 random facts about me

1. I cannot wash dishes without getting water all over my shirt.
2. Chewing(<-verb, not a noun) gum makes me sneeze.
3. I eat skittles in twos, and by color, starting with green and ending with purple(least favorite first).
4. I hate to sneeze in public, but in church is the worst. I've forgotten how to sneeze quietly, and it makes me panic.
5. If I actually think about going up the stairs, while going up the stairs, I almost always trip. This happens often.
6. I scream every time I see a centipede, even if someone has already warned me that it's there. The boys find this very funny.
7. I have to resist the urge to hold my breath every time I pass a cemetery or go over a bridge.

I'm sure there's a medical condition that explains this. :) Happy Friday!

Who knew?

Who knew that band would be Brady's favorite thing about middle school? Crazy! We're so happy that he not only likes it, but truly looks forward to it. I have to admit that I'm surprised that he choose to play the tuba. I thought maybe percussion, or possibly trumpet, but I never imagined he would play the tuba. He said he chose it because of the big sound he made when trying it out. He now has one to keep at home, and one he plays at school, which is great, because it would be really hard to lug that thing back and forth. He even asks to practice! Thankfully, Lily has adjusted, and no longer runs for her life when he plays. :) I love seeing him do something he enjoys!

Morning glory

I love morning glory! It grows on the fence at the back of our yard. I love seeing it every morning while I'm outside with Lily.

What a kid!

Brady had a baseball game tonight. He got to pitch(for four or five batters), and was happy with how he did. He had a good attitude even though he isn't getting much playing time. He encouraged his teammates. While I'm proud of him for all these things, nothing makes me more proud than the fact that he led his team(and coaches) in prayer after the game.

It's not the first time that the kids have reminded me what's really important, and I'm certain it won't be the last. Way to go Brady!

I think they were tired!

Baseball and soccer have begun!

Our crazy fall sports season has begun! Last night Brady had his first baseball game(and his first chance to pitch!), and then bright and early this morning Chloe had her first soccer game. It was surprisingly hot at eight in the morning, but Chloe had fun anyway. It was kinda nice to get the game out of the way, and have the rest of our day. We have another week and a half until cross country starts, and that's when the craziness really begins. So, if you need me from now until mid October, I'll most likely be at one sporting event or the other! Fun times.

Lily's big adventure

We recently went to visit some good friends that live an hour or so away. Because Lily's still so young, and because we have such amazing friends, they let us bring her with us. It was so much fun as always to hang out, and by taking Lily we were able to stay longer. I still think they should live just around the corner! :)

Anyway, we introduced Lily to their dog, Max, who just happens to be a very large german shepherd. I was nervous about it, just because she's never been around other dogs, much less one that could eat her if he wanted. Of course, Max is a very well behaved dog, so that helped me relax a bit. We didn't let them just play together, but they were nose to nose several times. They both did great, and looked like they really wanted to play. I think the only way Lily would have been hurt is if Max accidentally stepped on her while playing! It was so cute to see them together, and the difference in their size was just comical. It was a fun day, and we hope to let them visit again soon!

I got a few pictures of them, but the one below is my favorite. Lily was running and jumping around and having fun, but in the picture she either looks terrified or crazy, or maybe both! Click on the picture and look at her eyes!!

wordless (and toothless) Wednesday

Meet Lily

Here are a few facts about Lily...

• she's about 2lbs, and should be 4-6 full grown
• she's scared of loud noises
• her arch enemy is the broom
• she loves to sneak up the stairs
• she hates when anyone leaves, and is super excited when they get home
• she loves to go wake the kids up in the morning
• surprisingly, she doesn't like to ride in the van, but thankfully she didn't mind on the 16 hour ride home when we got her
• she's totally spoiled :)

Ok, ok, ok...I'll blog, Renee!

soon... :)

My boys

Here's my new favorite picture of the boys(all three)!

My Dad, the race car driver!

Our family recently cheered on my Dad as he raced around the track at 140mph!! No, he doesn't have a new job, but he did really get to drive a race car. It was the Nascar Experience at Nashville Superspeedway. I think he had a blast, but we all had fun watching him too!