The Parker Family

Visit with Santa

2011-12-22T12:14:00.005-06:00

The kids went to visit Santa at the Bass Pro Shop. We went last year for the first time and really enjoyed it. They have games for the kids to play, crafts, and coloring areas. The boys also love the big fish tank and stuffed bear (their words). Sweet little Taylor slept through our entire adventure and liked sitting in Santa's lap! Santa told Jackson he needed to cut his list by 2/3. Jackson had made a list of all kinds of stuff and a bunch of legos that he wanted. We are looking forward to a visit from Santa on Christmas Eve...hopefully, Buster the Elf has been reporting all of our good behavior;) There is not anything like Christmas through the eyes of a child!!!

Drew and Jackson are letting Santa know what they would like for Christmas! Legos for Jackson and Imaginext stuff for Drew and we think Taylor would love a baby doll since we do not have any of those at our house!

The boys were excited about the addition of a carousel!

The store is all decorated for Christmas, and it is really pretty!

Taylor's Birth Announcement

2011-12-22T09:16:00.000-06:00

Little Lamb Pink Baby Announcements

Birth announcements, Valentine's cards, & invitations by Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

Thanksgiving Day

2011-12-05T15:34:00.002-06:00

We celebrated Taylor's first Thanksgiving with a traditional lunch at my parents' house in Columbia. Both of my grandmothers, my great aunt, Andrew and Katie celebrated with us. The boys enjoyed playing football outside and watching football inside with daddy and Uncle Andrew.
In the evening, we went to Mama Linda and John's house for dinner. Several of Andy's family members were there. After dinner, all the boys went to see The Muppet's Movie. Jackson and Drew really enjoyed the movie!

It is not easy to get a picture of all 5 of us...

Native American Day

2011-12-05T15:14:00.004-06:00

Jackson's class had a fun time celebrating Thanksgiving with a Native American Day. They had each painted a brown pillowcase to wear and rotated to different stations to learn more about Native Americans.

Jackson and Zachary

Jackson and Mommy

Liam and Jackson work on their cave drawings.

Jackson weaves his basket.

The class also painted and colored a totem pole, made butter, and ate corn cakes. Jackson was proud of his finished products!

Thanksgiving Feast

2011-12-05T14:36:00.003-06:00

Drew's preschool had their annual Thanksgiving feast the week before Thanksgiving. It was so fun to see Drew and all his sweet friends and their parents. It is a tremendous blessing that Drew is in learning so much in a wonderful place! We are so thankful for his school and the sweet teachers!

Drew adores his friends, Andrew and Walker. We hear all about the fun they have in their classroom, on the playground and in the gym. They are sweet AND silly little boys--just the way it should be!

Taylor--One Month Old

2011-11-23T20:11:00.003-06:00

Our sweet little baby girl is one month old! She continues to melt our hearts everyday, and her big brothers love her so much (mostly because she just sleeps and eats). Taylor has been a wonderful little baby and we hope this pattern continues. She eats about every 3 hours during the day and has a 4-5 hour stretch most nights. She likes to sleep in the swing, in someone's arms or her crib during the day. During the night, she sleeps in her bed in her room. She likes to be swaddled but have her arms and hands by her face. Baby girl has already slept through many Star Wars battles, hockey games, basketball games and wrestling matches (all performed by her brothers). When she is awake, she loves to be held and watch the mobile on her swing. She is also fascinated by the fans in our house. Drew really enjoys holding baby Taylor and is very attentive and loving to her. Jackson likes to protect her and watch out for her. Thankfully, they have both been very helpful.Taylor is wearing newborn diapers and mostly newborn clothes. Her 0-3 months clothes are still really big. She probably weighs between 8-9 pounds.
The first month has not always been easy! Jackson and Drew have each been sick at different times. Drew started it with strep throat, then acute bronchitis, and then walking pneumonia. He has taken 2 different antibiotics, a penicillin shot, steroids, and breathing treatments and missed over 2 weeks of school. Once Drew was better, Jackson had strep throat and walking pneumonia. He took antibiotics and breathing treatments and missed 3 days of school. During the past month, we were at the doctor's office for 6 different visits and also got our flu shots. I jokingly asked our doctor if we could get a frequent patient punch card!

Brand New Big Brothers

2011-10-24T12:46:00.004-05:00

Jackson and Drew were so excited to meet their new baby sister. They came to the hospital on Saturday before and after their soccer games to hold her. The boys had stayed with Grammy and Papa on Friday night.Daddy introduces baby Taylor to the brothers! Drew said, "hi Taylor! I'm Drew." They were both so sweet to her.

Our new family of five!
Drew had to hold Taylor again and get a good look at her.

Baby Taylor

2011-10-24T11:55:00.004-05:00

Baby Taylor made her big debut on Friday evening at 8:38 pm. We were all a little shocked that she was so early and came so quick (we arrived at the hospital around 6 pm). Of course, one look at her and we were in love! Baby girl is precious!

Mommy and daughter

She weighed 6 lbs and 9 oz and was 18 in long.
Taylor and her first of many big bows!
Daddy and daughter
The new addition to our family...we are so blessed by God and thankful to Him for this amazing gift!

Brentwood Hills Christian Camp

2011-09-08T15:07:00.002-05:00

This summer was Jackson's first year at Brentwood Hills Christian Camp. He was able to go because his daddy also went as a counselor. Jackson loved everything about Junior Camp! He had fun in Bible class, swimming (twice a day), going to the creek, playing four square, shooting basketball, and playing softball with the big boys. We were so proud of how well he did at camp! He is already asking about going back next year!

Jackson's envelope on the camp line. He loved getting mail (and candy) and even sent some mail to other people at camp.

He and his friends had so much fun in the Poplars cabin!

Andy, Jackson, Robbie, and Tyler on the last night of camp

Holiday World

2011-08-16T16:15:00.008-05:00

In July, the boys and I headed to Santa Claus, Indiana, with my best friends from college. This was our third trip and each trip gets more interesting as we add more kids! All the kids love staying at Ms. Jennifer's house because of her cool playhouse and they all get to sleep together in the basement. However, there was very little sleeping this year;) The adults love being able to hang out together and stay up late talking and trying to get the kids to go to sleep. We always eat at the Cheddar's in Owensboro, Kentucky, whenever we visit there.

The kids were all smiles after lots of chips and mini corn dogs for dinner.

Ready for bed--but not ready to go to sleep!
Seth, Sadie, Drew, Asher, Carter, Jackson, Emma, Katie Anne, and Sawyer
Moms and kids are ready for a day at the park!
All the kids rode the Hollidog Roller Coaster (thanks to Amy for riding with Drew).
By the afternoon, Drew was exhausted and fell asleep in the chair by the pool.
The kids all had a blast at the wave pool!

UT Sports Picnic

2011-08-15T16:10:00.003-05:00

UT had their annual Sports Picnic a few weeks ago. The boys (including Andy) are definitely ready for football season. Jackson and Drew were so excited to wear their jerseys. Just a few more days until the season starts...It's almost "Football Time in Tennessee!"

Jackson and Drew got to meet 3 of the players. The players were so friendly and kind to the boys.

Dallas Thomas, Tauren Poole, Jackson, Drew, and Malik Jackson

Swimming Lessons

2011-08-15T13:48:00.009-05:00

In July, both of the boys took swimming lessons at Old Natchez Country Club. Drew was so excited to take swimming lessons for the first time. He is not scared in the water and had a lot of fun each day. He was skeptical of the slide and would always stop at the end. His coach had to actually pull him into the water a couple of times. By the end of the two weeks, he had learned to do streamline flutter kicks, crawl stroke and dolphin dives (underwater swimming).

Coach Allie helping Drew with his flutter kicks and coming down the slide.

This was Jackson's second year to take swimming lessons with Coach Scott. He learned so much! He worked on his crawl stroke, his back stroke, treading water, and started learning to dive. He really gained more confidence with his swimming this year. He loved going down the slide at the end of lessons each day.
Coach Chloe helping Jackson with his crawl stroke and dive.

At the end, both boys were presented with swimming medals for a job well done!

Summer Fun

2011-08-14T16:45:00.002-05:00

Our family has had so much fun this summer. None of which has been documented on my blog:(

I am in the process of updating some of our exciting summer. We have spent many days at the pool with friends, vacationed, had several play dates, went to a few outdoor concerts in the park, enjoyed VBS, went to soccer and basketball camp as well as two other camps, went to swimming lessons, and had a wedding. So lots of summer posts to follow...if anyone still reads this!Here are the boys enjoying their slip n slide in the backyard!

Molly Kate's Fundraiser

2011-08-14T16:31:00.002-05:00

Our sweet friends, Zach and Mandy Evans, are adopting Molly Kate from China. They recently had an amazing fundraiser at Katy's Hallmark. We are so thrilled for their family and cannot wait to meet Molly Kate. I am sure she and our baby girl will be big buddies like their brothers. You can read more about the Evans family adoption here. Jennifer, Melissa (who drove from Birmingham for the evening), Mandy, Amy, and I have been friends for 15 years!!
Parker and Evans boys as Ultimate Warriors--face painting compliments of Mandy's brother
Drew and Seth
Carter and Jackson

Atlanta Braves Game

2011-08-14T16:14:00.004-05:00

Before summer ended and school started, we wanted to take the boys to a Braves game. We made a very quick trip to Atlanta at the end of July to eat at The Varsity and catch a game. The boys were very excited about riding the MARTA and going to batting practice. They had so much during the game! Both of them decided to bring home foam tomahawks as souvenirs from the game.

Jackson and Drew outside Turner Field

Andy and Drew

Me and Jackson

Family Picture

Mother's Day

2011-06-01T09:06:00.003-05:00

We celebrated Mother's Day with a lunch on Sunday for the majority of our family. It was great to be together and the boys were so excited to have everyone at their house. They love showing everyone their toys and fun stuff that they like to do at home. Jackson and Drew are a huge blessing to me and so many other family members!

The Williams Family

Drew, Mama Linda, and Jackson

Jackson, Aunt Amanda, and Drew

Moments with Moms

2011-06-01T08:08:00.002-05:00

Drew's preschool had Moments with Moms before school finished. Drew has loved going to school and playing with all his friends especially Walker. We have also enjoyed some time together while Jackson is in kindergarten.

Kids' Marathon & Country Music 1/2 Marathon

2011-06-01T07:49:00.004-05:00

Jackson worked and ran a lot during the month of April to complete the Kids' marathon. He ran 1 mile every day with a group at school then ran his final "26th mile" on Friday night, April 29, at LP Field. Ready to run...

Jackson's #1 fan--DrewJackson and his friends from his kindergarten class had fun training together and running the race as a group.
Go Jackson!!!
Mommy and Daddy are so proud of Jackson!!
On Saturday morning, April 30, Andy and I ran the Country Music 1/2 Marathon. Andy's company, DCI, had a group to run and raise money for Kidney Camp. They have the camp every summer for kids who are on dialysis or have had kidney transplants. Over 40 people from the corporate office participated in the 1/2 marathon and raised over $25,000 for the cause. We were so thrilled!! Also, Andy did great in the race with a time of 1:39...so proud of him!

Easter Egg Hunt

2011-05-05T17:06:00.002-05:00

For Easter, we spent the day in Columbia. We had lunch at Grammy and Papa's house then went to Granny Evans' house to hunt eggs and have dessert. Both the boys were so excited about hunting for eggs!

They both had to wear their new sandals for the egg hunt!

Easter Morning

2011-05-05T16:51:00.003-05:00

The Easter bunny visited our house and left some treats for the boys. They both love playing hockey in the house and had asked for a goalie helmet. The Easter bunny was able to find a Predators street hockey helmet for them to share along with the Tangled DVD. There was also a special request for a chocolate bunny.

Jackson models the goalie helmet and his other Easter goodies.

Drew's turn to wear the helmet. He is also showing off his new sandals.

Preschool Easter Party

2011-05-05T16:41:00.003-05:00

Drew's class at preschool had an Easter party and egg hunt. They had some yummy treats in their classroom before going to the playground to hunt for Easter eggs.

Drew is ready for the egg hunt.

And they're off...

Drew finds his first egg!
Drew and Walker are comparing what they have found.
Drew's sweet little 2's class

Saturdays in the Spring

2011-05-05T16:39:00.002-05:00

Our Saturdays have been busy this spring...Jackson is playing baseball for the Dodgers and Drew is playing soccer for the red team. They are both having so much fun!

Preschool Spring Program

2011-05-05T16:28:00.003-05:00

Drew's preschool had their spring program at the beginning of April. The 2's classes said their memory verse and sang songs. They sang "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands," "Love Grows," and "Lord's Army." They were precious!!Mommy and Daddy are so proud of our sweet boy!

Drew and Katie
Papa and Grammy with Drew

Predators Hockey

2011-05-02T08:52:00.006-05:00

The Nashville Predators have had a wonderful season, and the boys really enjoy hockey. They play games all the time at home with their "hockey guys" and with their hockey set. Jackson knows all the players and their numbers. Shea Webber is Jackson's favorite player, and Martin Erat is Drew's favorite player. We have been blessed to attend several games this season. The boys like to arrive early and watch them practice. Because of this, they have both gotten several pucks from the players (which they think is so cool!). When we were in Tampa this fall, we were able to see the Preds play the Tampa Bay Lightning.Jackson and Drew both got pucks at this game, because there were not many Preds fans at this away game. Jackson got a puck from Shea Webber, and Drew got one from Shane O'Brien. They were so thrilled!
The whole family enjoyed watching the Predators win on the road!
In December, we went to see the Preds play with some people from Andy's work.
Thanks to Katie, we were able to go to the game on St. Patrick's Day. The crowd was more rowdy than normal that night.

Drew with his "fang fingers" when the Predators had a power play.

In April, we were able to attend the Predators playoff game against the Ducks. The crowd was so loud and it was a really fun game.
Doesn't Jackson look like a real hockey player with his front tooth missing?!? HA!

The Parkers say, "Let's Go Predators!"

You've Got a Friend in Me

2011-05-02T08:49:00.003-05:00

The boys received Buzz and Woody pajamas for Christmas. These two brothers really do love each other, even though it may appear differently at times. Nothing better than sweet and clean boys in their jammies!

On the Mend

2011-02-22T16:10:00.003-06:00

My sweet little Jackson had to have some minor surgery on his belly button last Friday. It was related to his surgery and hospitalization from last year. We waited until Thursday night to tell him, because he is a big worrier. There were definitely tears and some anxious moments at VCH, but overall he did great! What an answer to lots of prayers! He was all smiles after the Child Life Specialist brought him all kinds of fun stuff! He looked adorable in the pajamas they gave him.After surgery, he was still groggy and a little irritable. I think he was really hungry. He loved his Popsicle. He went back to school today and doing good (unless little brother decides to hit his stomach).

Valentine's Party

2011-02-22T16:04:00.002-06:00

Drew and his friends celebrated Valentine's a day late because of the snow. He has a sweet class at preschool. It is fun to watch them interact with each other and their teachers when I go to the parties. They all enjoyed their yummy treats!Drew and Walker are being silly!
Andrew and Drew really liked the balloons.
Jackson's party was scheduled for the Friday before Valentine's Day and it was a snow day. Sadly, they did not get to reschedule their party. I think he enjoyed handing out his Phineas and Ferb Valentine's to his friends.

Super Weekend

2011-02-07T13:33:00.004-06:00

Our Super Bowl weekend was super busy and super fun. On Saturday, Jackson's basketball team played great and had a good win! Jackson scored 4 points...yay! He was thrilled as you can imagine.

Jackson loves to wear his sweatband in the games.

On Saturday night, we went to the Sweetheart Banquet at church. It was a cowboy theme. We sat at a table with some other "young guns" and enjoyed the delicious food and just hanging out while our kids were entertained with a movie and a few games of 4-square.

Christine let me borrow a plaid dress from her, and it was so cute! Thanks, Christine!

On Sunday, I had to do my half marathon training after church. It was a little rough, but I survived. After that, we headed to a birthday party at Pump It Up. We also had our NFL Super Bowl party after that. It was an "equal rights" party! The Neanderthals watched the game at Cory's house, the Feministas had dinner at Bucca di Peppo, while the Little ones enjoyed a supervised party at Pump It Up. Thanks to the Calendines for a fun night for all!

Jackson and Brody enjoyed playing at the party. They also watched some of the game on the TV. I had to record the last of the game and let Jackson watch it this morning. He did not want us to tell him who won.

Star Wars Night

2011-02-07T13:26:00.002-06:00

Lipscomb had a Star Wars Night at one of their basketball games. The boys were thrilled to dress in their costumes for the event. Jackson was a clone trooper, and Drew was Darth Vader. Drew was unsure about the people who were dressed up and opted out of the pictures. Seth, Drew, Jackson and Carter--the Star Wars enthusiasts (along with their dads)

January

2011-02-07T13:11:00.002-06:00

The month of January has been filled with lots of snow and sickness for the Parker family. As a result of that, Jackson only went to school 11 days last month. Even now, he has not had a full week of school since December 10. For Tennessee, we have experienced a great deal of snow. One bonus of the snow days has been some fun lunches/play time for the kids with their friends. Luckily, Jackson and Drew both got sleds for Christmas from Mama Linda!

Jackson and Drew played in the snow and tried not to freeze. They did love the hot chocolate with marshmallows when they came inside the house.

We celebrated the upcoming arrival of Melissa's baby boy with dinner at Maggiano's and a slumber party at Amy's house. It was so much fun to be together!

Jackson has been playing basketball and Andy is coaching his team. Jackson is #12 for the red team.

Happy Birthday to Andy on January 29th! We celebrated with a yummy dinner at Martin's BBQ in Nolensville. The boys are showing their "game faces!"

Jackson's Birthday

2011-01-24T14:14:00.008-06:00

Jackson celebrated his sixth birthday on Friday, January 7th. Drew and Mommy took Krispy Kreme donuts to his class during lunch. Mrs. Conway made this birthday crown for him to wear all day. On Friday evening, Jackson had his birthday party at Pump It Up with his friends. He was so excited about his Star Wars cupcakes. All the kids had a blast on the inflatables. They were running around and sweating! Jackson was so blessed to have friends from school and church join us to party!

Christmas Programs

2011-01-24T13:54:00.006-06:00

Jackson played the part of Joseph in the Christmas play at our church. He really just stood beside the manger. They performed at both Children's Worship Services on Sunday morning and then for the entire congregation on Sunday night. It was the sweetest chorus of little voices singing "Joy to the Lord" and "Go Tell it on the Mountain." They also recited Luke 2:11. "For unto you is born this day, a Savior who is Christ the Lord." Jackson and his friend (and shepherd) Aden
Mary and Joseph with the little baby Jesus
After the service, the children as well as others from our congregation sang Christmas carols in the Family Life Center.

Drew's preschool had their annual Christmas program. He did really well during the program with the songs and hand motions. They sang the "Christmas Hokey Pokey," "Jingle Bells," "If You're Happy and You Know It," and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas.""Someone" let big brother go late to school, so he could see the preschool show. Jackson was so excited to go back to his old school.
This is Drew and Walker chillin' with their candy canes after their performance. They are too cute!
There truly is nothing sweeter than hearing the voices of little children singing, especially praises to God!

Christmas Parties

2011-01-24T13:43:00.003-06:00

Jackson and Drew had so much fun at their school Christmas parties this year. Jackson's kindergarten class made Gingerbread Houses. The kids had so much fun designing their very own creation. He has made some sweet friends in his class that he likes to play with. This is Drew's first year at preschool, and he loves it and all his friends. He does not provide much information about his day, but I know he is having fun. He has the sweetest little class!

Pictures with Santa

2010-12-29T09:38:00.001-06:00

Jackson and Drew with Santa at the Bass Pro Shop

Pictures of our family at our church's annual Breakfast with Santa

The First Christmas

2010-12-25T08:41:00.002-06:00

It's a story known the whole world 'round
About a shining star and a little town
Shepherds watching their flocks by night
Saw the star, saw the light
Three kings traveled very far
Guided by the shining star
They reached the place where the baby lay
Away in a manger on that special day

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord."
Luke 2:11

Merry CHRISTmas!!

On Thursday, we took the boys for a little surprise (a last-minute visit to Santa). When we got to the parking lot of Bass Pro Shop, Andy said we are going to see "someone who is very important this time of year." He asked them to guess who it was. Jackson immediately yelled, "JESUS!"

More Chicago

2010-08-07T20:38:00.008-05:00

On Monday, we took the boys to the Shedd Aquarium. They were fascinated by all the fish and Jackson loved the interactive screens. Each of them had to measure their height by this huge fish.

Jackson's favorite part of the aquarium was the sharks and all the bigger fish.

Drew loved all the turtles. He loved to find them in the tanks. Both of the boys also found Nemo or some other orange clown fish which they were thrilled to see.

There were even penguins there and the kids could pretend to be penguins and play in the polar area. Drew is modeling a nice penguin suit.

There was a great view of the Chicago skyline from the front of the aquarium. Jackson and Drew would always point to the "tall, tall tower" (Sears now Willis Tower).

For lunch, we went to Ed Debevic's which is a 50's style diner. It was a really neat atmosphere and the servers are rude to you and joke with you the whole time. Jackson thought that was so funny!

Andy and Rebekah (all photos of us are courtesy of Jackson)...not bad for a little photographer!

After a quick dip in the pool at our hotel (which I may have counted as the boys' bath), we headed to the corner of Clark and Addison, Wrigley Field. It was so fun to be back there. Not much had changed from when I was younger. Wrigleyville is such a neat area. We had fun walking around before the game and seeing the rooftop seating (which had been added since I was there, people used to just stand on the rooftops). Here are some pictures of us at Wrigley Field. This was our souvenir stop for the trip--Andy and I got shirts, Drew got a hat, and Jackson got a pennant and Wrigley Field sign.

We sat on the first base side under the upper deck.

Family photo under the lights at Wrigley Field. Luckily the score cannot be seen on the scoreboard. The Cubs lost the game 18-1.

Chicago

2010-08-07T15:35:00.007-05:00

For the past 3 summers, we have visited a different MLB stadium and see a game. Our travels have included Atlanta, St. Louis, and Cincinnati. This year we decided to go to Chicago and see 2 baseball games. Chicago is really fun and exciting city. When I was younger, my family went several times to see the Cubs play. It was neat to be able to take Jackson and Drew to the Windy City. On Saturday, we drove to Chicago and ate dinner at Portillo's (a fun hot dog place) near our hotel in Skokie. Their chocolate cake shake was amazing! On Sunday morning, we ate breakfast at Walker Brothers Pancake House. It was yummy...Andy ordered their famous apple pancake which was a huge apple fritter.Jackson and Mommy enjoying our pancakes and french toast.
After breakfast, we decided to make the 40 minute drive to Wisconsin. Why? Well, Andy and I would like to visit all 50 states and neither one of us had been there. After a short photo shoot at the welcome center, we headed back to Chicago to ride the train to US Cellular Field.

Both of the boys enjoyed the White Sox game against the A's. Jackson decided he wanted some nachos (which he and Drew devoured) and a "throwback" Sox hat.
Family photo at US Cellular Field
When we left the game, we went to eat dinner at Giordano's, a Chicago style pizza place. Here is the wonderful pizza that we all enjoyed.
Jackson and Drew loved it!
Following our delicious pizza meal, we walked to Millennium Park to see the "bean." Here are the boys posing under the bean.
Here are the boys in front of the Buckingham Fountain.
Jackson loved that we got on the El train at Jackson station. One of Drew's favorite parts of the trip was riding the train and the shuttle bus.

Holiday World

2010-07-28T09:03:00.007-05:00

Jackson and I went to Holiday World with some friends of mine from college and our sweet kids. We all decided to take the older kids, and they had so much fun. Melissa, our friend who lives in Kentucky that we miss so much, has a sister that lives in Santa Claus. Jennifer was a wonderful hostess, and the kids loved her playhouse. When we arrived they played outside until dinner and then went back outside to play some more. They all had a big sleepover downstairs! Jackson loved it! The mommies had lots of fun chatting upstairs. The next morning we headed to Holiday World. We did several rides in the park before heading to Splashin' Safari. This water park is huge and incredible. Jackson's loved the wave pool and kids' slides. All the kids had so much fun together! We are going to try to do this every year.Katie Anne, Sawyer, Jackson, Carter, Emma, and Grace take a break from playing

The whole gang before heading to Holiday World

UT Picnic

2010-07-28T08:45:00.002-05:00

Last Thursday, we decked out in our Big Orange and headed to the UT picnic to meet the new coach Derek Dooley. Drew really wanted to see some football players and watch a game. Jackson was excited to wear his jersey and meet the coach. Andy won a contest on 104.5 and we got an opportunity to meet Coach Dooley prior to dinner. As a bonus, we also got to meet Bob Kesling. Our family was very impressed with Coach Dooley. What a gracious and nice man (a change from last year)! Only a few weeks until "It's Football Time in Tennessee!"

Mother's Day

2010-05-26T09:07:00.002-05:00

Birthday and Bon Jovi

2010-05-26T08:51:00.004-05:00

For my birthday, Andy took me to the Bon Jovi concert at the Bridgestone Arena. We had so much fun rocking to the songs. I remember singing You Give Love a Bad Name in the hall in the fourth grade. Bon Jovi has been a music staple for so many years, and it was amazing to see them in concert. Also, thanks to our amazing babysitter-Miss Emily!

After the Country Music 1/2 Marathon, we celebrated with dinner at The Cheesecake Factory...yummy! I was also very blessed to have a "surprise" at Baskin Robbins with some of my sweet friends...thanks!

Trunk or Treat #2

2009-11-05T14:49:00.000-06:00

Buzz Lightyear and little monkey man had so much fun at Trunk or Treat with their friends from church. They were so excited to see what their friends dressed as for Halloween. Drew liked sampling all the suckers. Each time he would get a new sucker, he would hand us his old one and want to open a new one....silly monkey!

Trunk or Treat #1

2009-11-05T14:41:00.000-06:00

This year the boys were able to go to Trunk or Treat at Aunt Amanda's church on the Sunday night before Halloween. Amanda and her friends had quite the Halloween display. The boys had so much fun looking at all the decorated trunks and getting candy. Drew was obsessed with a little boy dressed as Elmo. I think he assumed it was the real Elmo. He kept following him and smiling.

This year Jackson chose to be Buzz Lightyear. He loves the Toy Story movies, and we cannot wait to see the new movie in 3D. He wanted Drew to be Stinky Pete, however we decide he would be a much cuter monkey.

Halloween Parties

2009-11-05T14:37:00.000-06:00

On Thursday, we were so excited to have not one but two Halloween parties. Jackson's preschool party was in the afternoon. His class loved making silly pumpkin faces. Jackson thought it was so funny that his pumpkin had donuts for eyes. These sweet children have so much fun together every day and it was fun for me to be in his classroom and hang out for a few minutes. Drew loved playing at all the fun centers in Jackson's classroom.

On Thursday night, our neighborhood had its annual Halloween party at the Clubhouse. They have food and all kinds of games and crafts for the kids. Above is a picture of Drew and our neighbor Sam. Everyone, including me, thinks they look so much alike. Their birthdays are one month apart and they are big buddies. Below is Jackson fishing for prizes at the party.

Here are the sweet kids that live in our cul-de-sac. We love playing with them and are so blessed to have great neighbors. Tiger Sam, Dora Lilly (she looks so much like Dora in real life this was the perfect pick for her), Elmo Darren, Monkey Drew, and Buzz Jackson pose for the camera.

Baa, Oink, Quack, Moo...Drew turned TWO!

2009-10-31T10:21:00.000-05:00

For Drew's second birthday, we celebrated at Walden Farm in Smyrna with lots of his buddies. Drew loves cows so a farm theme was chosen. All of his friends had a blast playing at the pumpkin farm. It was a great location for a birthday party because of all the kid-friendly activities. Thankfully the weather cooperated and it was a gorgeous fall afternoon despite a rainy start to the day. The mud did not stop these kids from having fun in fact I think they enjoyed. Not sure how the moms liked it!

We are so blessed by sweet little Drew! Each day is a new adventure with him. This was our chance to celebrate him and all he means to us! We love you, Drew!

**Lots of birthday posts below. It was so hard to pick just a few pictures so I did several collages with pictures from the afternoon. You can click on them to enlarge if you would like. Also, a huge thanks to my amazing friend Christine who took lots of these pictures for me.

Let Him Eat Cake!

2009-10-31T10:09:00.000-05:00

For Drew's birthday, we had a fabulous barn cake complete with animals made by the extraordinary Emily High. It looked amazing and Drew was really excited about eating it. After we picked it up, he kept saying, "me cake." After the party he chewed on one of the sugary pigs. Not only did the cake looked good, he also tasted great. It was a sweet ending to fun afternoon at Walden Farm.

Birthday Boy

2009-10-31T09:52:00.000-05:00

The sweet little birthday boy had so much fun at his 2nd birthday party. He loved everything at the farm--riding the tractor, swinging on the tire swing, and playing in the hay maze and corn stalks. He was excited to wear his rain boots that Grammy and Papa got for him. They came in handy since the birthday boy decided to jump in the mud at the end of the party.

Corn Crib

2009-10-31T09:42:00.000-05:00

All the kids enjoyed the Corn Crib at Walden Farm so much. The moms joked about getting one of these for our house. They all played so good and gave the moms and a few dads the chance to chat. The kids could have played in there for hours. I am sure there where lots of corn kernels in clothes and shoes when everyone got home.

Party People

2009-10-31T09:20:00.000-05:00

We were so blessed to celebrate Drew's birthday with so many of our friends who are definitely like family to us. Drew loved hanging with all of his and Jackson's buddies. These children are super sweet and had a blast down of the farm even though they all got a little muddy.

Gentry's Farm

2009-10-14T20:18:00.008-05:00

Jackson's Pre-K class took a field trip to Gentry's Farm and had so much fun. The afternoon started with a picnic lunch, then they played in the barn with all kinds of centers, did a maze, looked at different farm animals, took a hayride, and then picked a pumpkin. Drew tagged along and had so much fun. He tried so hard to hang with the big kids.

We hear bits and pieces about all the fun they have at school and different things they do, however it was really a treat to see all the kids together and just watch them. Most of these sweet kids are beginning their third year together. They all adore each other so much and have a blast with their awesome teachers. I truly wish I could be a fly on the wall in their classroom for a day.

Meet the Predators Night

2009-10-10T07:39:00.009-05:00

Last Tuesday night was Meet the Team night with the Nashville Predators at the Sommet Center. Thanks to the Mayes family we were able to go to the cool event! At the beginning of the season, the Predators open the arena to all their season ticket holders and all the players are there to meet the fans and sign autographs. My boys were super excited! Jackson wanted to wear his jersey, which meant Drew also wanted to wear a jersey. Luckily, Jackson's Gnash jersey was not too big for Drew. The lines were crazy for certain players. Thanks to our Disney line swap skills, we were able to see the majority of the players and keep the boys entertained. Drew really wanted to see Gnash, however we kept missing him.

Jackson got to meet Patric Hornqvist and Ryan Jones first. Jerrod Smithson and Martin Erat were so nice to Jackson. All the players were extremely kind and talkative to the boys. They were all impressed that Jackson recognized them and knew their numbers (without any prompting from Andy or me).

Jackson also meet the team captain, Jason Arnott. He has a life size poster of him on the back of his bedroom door that he got at a game last year.

Jackson and Ryan Suter

Jackson with two of his favorite players, Shea Weber and Steve Sullivan

The boys played hockey while they waited in line to meet the team.

Jackson and the Predators goalies, Dan Ellis and Pekka Rinne

Jackson showed Jordin Tootoo his signature game face. All of Tootoo's groupees thought this was hillarious.

Going to the Chapel!

2009-10-08T14:58:00.006-05:00

Robert, my cousin, and Brandy got married in Cookeville last weekend. They were so sweet and asked Jackson to be their ring bearer. He was excited because he relishes any opportunity to perform. Rehearsal went great, and he told me the rings on the pillow were pretend. Jackson and I also enjoyed the rehearsal dinner that night. He was thrilled with his Titans presents.

Jackson wore a white suit that my aunt had made for my cousin (the groom) to wear in a wedding when he was little. We were glad it fit Jackson perfectly and looked cute on him.

Andy thought Jackson looked like Tattoo from Fantasy Island. I think this was his first time to wear a tie. Wow...he is growing up so fast!

The happy couple is on their way to the reception, which was at a beautiful winery in Baxter. Congratulations to Robert and Brandy!

Go Titans Go!

2009-09-24T13:42:00.002-05:00

Last Sunday, we went to see the Titans play the Texans. Despite an early lead, the Titans lost in the end...very disappointing. Luckily, it did not rain on us. Since the Titans lost, the highlight of the game was the Logan's cheeseburger before the game. For some reason, those are the best! Andy and I each have one before every game. Jackson was excited to watch the players practice before the game. He also loves to watch them run out of the big helmet before the game. Even though he cheered really loud and banged the seats on third downs, he could not help the Titans win.

Jackson and Uncle Andrew before the game

All smiles prior to the game

The National Anthem sung by Ronnie Millsaps (I love patriotic stuff)

If you watched the game, there was a controversial call on a return. For the rest of the game, the fans were a little unruly and chanted some bad words. We told Jackson that people were not being nice. Everytime they would start booing and chanting, he would cover his ears.

The Breakfast of Superheroes

2009-09-24T13:38:00.002-05:00

Superman and Batman enjoy a delicious breakfast of Krispy Kreme doughnuts (courtesy of Mr. Incredible).

Could a little boy be more excited about breakfast?

Labor Day Weekend

2009-09-07T18:46:00.006-05:00

Our fun weekend actually started on Thursday night, Andy and I had a wonderful date night. He surprised me with dinner at Maggiano's (delicious Rustic Shrimp and Chicken and Apple Crostada) and then we went to see Wicked at TPAC. The Wicked show was incredible. Elfaba (the wicked witch) did an amazing job on all her songs and the choreography was outstanding. I am putting the Wicked soundtrack on my wish list. Jackson took a few pictures of Andy and me before we left.

On Friday afternoon, Jackson and I took to Drew to Grammy and Papa's house for the night. Drew went with them to his first football game to see the CA Bulldogs. Supposedly, he had a wonderful time and had fun with them on Saturday.

Bright and early on Saturday morning, Andy, Jackson, Amanda, and I headed to Knoxville to see the Vols first game of the season against Western Kentucky. Jackson loves going to the games and had a blast before the game watching the Vol walk and the band march into the stadium. He could not wait to wear his Eric Berry jersey and cheer for his favorite team.

Here is Coach Lane Kiffin's first run through the T at Neyland Stadium. Watching the team run out at the beginning is one of my favorite things.

Jackson took a picture of Andy and me enjoying the game. We sat in the sun the entire game and roasted. It was unbelievably hot! Thank goodness the Vols put on impressive show and beat the Hilltoppers!

On the way home from Knoxville, we stopped in Cookeville so Jackson could get "fitted" for a tuxedo that he will be wearing in my cousin's wedding in October. This should be very interesting!

On Monday morning, Andy and I ran the Franklin Classic 10K. It is a great race in and around downtown Franklin and was special for us because we ran by our old subdivision and ran most of the course in areas we have run many times before.

At the race, they also had lots of fun stuff for kids. Jackson and Drew loved the bounce house and the big slide. They wanted to do it over and over again. Andy had to go down the slide with Drew. They also got some cool balloon swords.

Jackson was thrilled that Gnash made an appearance at the race. He immediately ran up to him and hugged him.

For lunch on Monday, we headed to Chick-fil-A for FREE chicken sandwiches. They were giving them away if you were wearing a shirt for your favorite team. Of course, we supported the Big Orange!

Brotherly Love

2009-09-04T08:54:00.003-05:00

Even though my little boys do not always get along and play nicely, they really do love each other. Drew wants so badly to be a big boy like Jackson and do everything he does. Here are some recent pictures of their loving side.

Ready for Sunday worship
Eating pancakes and watching Disney channel
Loving on each other
Playing on the baseball field and dugout at Crockett Park

Preschool

2009-09-03T15:24:00.003-05:00

Jackson has been extremely excited about starting back to school. The festivities began last Thursday with Parent Open House. On Friday morning, we went for our Sneak-a-Peek to meet his teachers and see his classroom. He wished they could have stayed longer and had more fun with his buddies. Most of theses children have been in class together for 2 years and love each other so much. On Tuesday, he had his first day of school and absolutely loved it. We have been trying to get him to write his name for a long time and he never has any desire to write anything but the J. When I picked him on Tuesday afternoon, I asked what they did at school. He replied, "I colored a picture and then wrote my name." I was surprised. He did in fact write his entire name on his coloring sheet (with a few mistakes). Yay! Further proof that positive peer pressure does exist.

Jackson and Miss Angela (his other teacher, Miss Jennifer, was out of town)

Playing blocks and cars with Hagen

Playing in the kitchen with Carter, Seth, and Drew

Official First Day of School Photo

One last hug for the brothers. Poor little Drew has been so upset that Jackson is at school. He keeps saying, "Me Chool" and continually asks where Jackson is. There have even been tears over NOT going to school. When I walked Jackson to his classroom on Wednesday, Drew pitched a fit when we left. He really wanted to stay and play with Jackson at preschool. Even though they have their moments, he definitely loves his brother and misses him so much.

Cincinnati Reds Game

2009-08-22T14:22:00.003-05:00

The Reds played the Nationals at night, and the Nationals won big. This meant the game was not extremely interesting. We still had a fun time. They had a great family fun zone where the kids played before the game. Drew enjoyed all the food associated with a baseball game.

Drew watching the game. He would say "ball" and act like he was throwing the ball.
Outside the ball park before the game started. The stadium is right on the river and we had a beautiful view from our seats of the ferries and boats.

Louisville Slugger Musuem

2009-08-22T14:07:00.004-05:00

This is our third year to take a baseball trip (Drew's first trip). We have always gone in August and go to a different Major League Baseball stadium to see a game. This year we travelled to Cincinnati, however we stopped to see the Louisville Slugger Museum on the way. We got to see how they make the bats, engrave them, and stain them.

Every bat begins a billet. Drew and I are holding an example.

Jackson and Drew both got mini bats at the end of our tour. I am hoping these do not become weapons that they use to hurt each other.

Jackson and Andy got to hold Louisville Slugger bats that were actually used by Jim Thorne and Mickey Mantle.

Outside the factory and museum is the world's largest baseball bat.

This is the big glove and ball at the museum that is made from Kentucky limestone.

Williamson County Fair

2009-08-22T08:52:00.006-05:00

Our family had so much fun at the Williamson County Fair. The boys loved seeing all the animals, participating in the farming exhibit, and riding the carnival rides. Drew enjoyed the Little Ones Farming exhibit for the first time. Here he is getting in bag of corn to use for feeding and planting.

Drew picking his apple

Me and one of the apples of my eye

The boys on the big tractor

Jackson loved all the carnival rides and would have done all of them if we had let him. He loved this obstacle course that ended with a huge slide.

Drew and Jackson both love motorcycles so they had to do this ride. The boys had so much fun riding it with Brody.

All Fresh and Clean!

2009-08-21T15:25:00.005-05:00

After a week on the Mount Antero, we were all so ready for a shower! After lunch at an awesome pizza place (I can assure that greasy pizza never tasted so wonderful) and a walk around downtown Salida, we headed to our hostel for showers and clean clothes. The week ended with a banquet and devotional at Wilderness Trek base camp.

All the girls are smiling because we are so thrilled to finally smell good!
The boys!
Crew 1 rocked it the entire time! Our group headed to Sonic for a late night snack. My choice was a peanut butter fudge shake...so yummy. Robbie and Reed ordered extreme tots. It is so crazy that they do even list it on the menu. Tots, chili, cheese, ranch dressing, onions, jalapenos...EXTREME!
Back at the Hostel, we had time for a few more games of PooHead which a favorite at camp.

Summit Day

2009-08-21T15:00:00.005-05:00

On our summit day, we had to get up very early to start our hike. It was still dark outside and cold. I was not looking forward to getting out of my warm sleeping bag/cocoon. After a quick breakfast, we begin our hike to the top of Mount Antero. The sun was coming up and we had beautiful scenery along our way.

Andy and I are all bundled up for the hike to the top.

These are some cheesy pictures we took at a stop on our hike. This was the point on our hike where the trail became extremely rocky.

Hooray! We made it to the summit!

I still cannot believe I actually did this, and definitely would not have been able to without our awesome group and guides. It was so amazing and beautiful at the summit. It was so untouched by the hands of man, so you could appreciate the beauty of what God created for us to enjoy.

Amanda, Chelsey, Savannah, Katie, Rebekah, and Sloan

All the guys

Rebekah and our wonderful guide, Katie

Mommy and Daddy with our son Kendall--we love those Mayes boys!

Andy and Robbie

Here we are with the Mt Antero sign after our hike out the next day.

Wilderness Trek was a truly life changing experience. Every aspect was incredible. Even though it was physically and mentally tough, it was so worth it. I have new appreciation for certain things in life. Each day I try to see God's beauty in my journey!

Rappelling and Hiking

2009-07-29T11:58:00.007-05:00

On Sunday, we begin by taking down our base camp and heading to Mount Princeton to rappel. Most of us had never done that and were a little apprehensive. Andy and I were almost the last ones, so we had a chance to scope out all the others and get an idea of what to expect. We had fun when it was our turn and successfully made it to the bottom of the 100+ foot cliff. It was a little unnerving to not be able to see below you until you actually took a few steps. Robbie has pictures of us on the cliff, so I may post those later.

Andy and I hanging out before our turn to rappel.

Mark Slagle--our guide

Russell and Kendall enjoying our lunch of Goober and crackers.

After rappelling, our group hiked to Low Camp and set up camp for the night. We had a glorious meal of Parmesan noodles, canned chicken and Cheez-its. Anything would have tasted fabulous because we were starving. On Monday morning, we up bright and early to start our hike to High Camp. Here is Andy and me with our backpacks on and ready to go.

Andy and I posed with "baby" aka Santitas chips. We took turns carrying these chips to High Camp because we did not want them to get smashed.
Our group spent most of Monday hiking.
Amanda and Chelsey did a great job of encouraging everyone on the trip!

Getting Ready for Trek

2009-07-28T15:07:00.003-05:00

On Saturday morning, we drove to Salida, Colorado to begin our Trek experience. Before we checked in, we had our last greasy meal at Sonic and a last minute stop at Super Wal-Mart. Andy and I grabbed some snacks for our trip (beef jerky, cashews, granola bars) as well as some other necessities. When we checked in, we were all oriented to the ways of Trek. We were all issued our gear as well as any group supplies that we needed to carry. I got very lucky and carried the first dinner and a fuel can. The downside was I got to carry the trash from the first dinner for the rest of the week. We all set up our tents and did a rock climbing wall. Fortunately, there are no pictures of me on the rock climbing wall. I swung a little too much after I reached the top and almost took out Zach Bradshaw. That night, we slept in tents at base camp.

Distribution of Trek gear

Setting up our girls' tent. The five of us stayed in a 4 person tent and had so much fun! Here we are still clean and smelling good.

Rebekah, Amanda, Chelsey, Savannah, and Sloan

Andy on the rock climbing wall...he told everyone he was "awkward yet efficient."

Colorado Springs

2009-07-28T08:21:00.003-05:00

Andy and I just returned from a fabulous trip to Colorado for Wilderness Trek. We went with 18 other people from BHCC and had an amazing time in God's beautiful creation. On Friday, July 17, we flew to Denver to begin our incredible journey. Our flight left the airport at 6 am...it was a VERY early morning! Once we arrived in Denver, we drove south to Colorado Springs. After a lunch break at CiCi's, we drove through the Garden of the Gods. It is beautiful red rocks.

Then we headed to the Olympic Training facility for a tour. This is where they train athletes for swimming, wrestling, weight lighting, and men's gymnastics. It was really neat to see the time and dedication it takes to become an Olympic athlete.

We spent Friday night in Colorado Springs. Since Andy and I rarely get to see movies, we went to see Harry Potter that night. I was so tired from being up so early that it was hard to stay awake for the entire movie.

Firecracker, Firecracker--boom, boom, BOOM!

2009-07-05T19:37:00.002-05:00

The Parkers begin their Independence Day with the Cadillac Firecracker 5K in Brentwood. Andy pushed 70+ in the double stroller and had an amazing chip time (in my opinion). I was pleased with my time, however I do it for fun not for stats.

After the 5K, there was Kid Race. Jackson did it last year and loves to talk about running races. He was thrilled to have his own number and very proud that his number was bigger than ours.

Jackson did good during the race. He alternated between running and walking.

Jackson was very proud to get his Participant Ribbon.

For lunch on the 4th, Andy's grandfather came to our house for an All-American meal. Andy grilled cheeseburgers and hot dogs for us, and we had baked beans, corn on the cob, strawberries, and chips. Dessert was apple pie a la mode. All the boys and I enjoyed our meal and time together.

Drew, Andy, Jackson, and Grandaddy

After a little rest, we headed to our neighborhood pool. Drew and Jackson had a blast jumping into Andy and swimming around. Drew can say "pool" and point toward where the pool is located.

We watched the Crockett Park fireworks with our neighbors in their backyard. Then Andy put on his $20 fireworks exhibit in the cul-de-sac for some of the neighbors. The boys loved watching the Roman Candles, spinners, and sparklers.

Preparing for the 2026 Olympics...

2009-07-05T17:55:00.001-05:00

Church in the Park

2009-07-05T17:42:00.004-05:00

Our class had Church in the Park last Sunday night at Owl Creek Park. It was a wonderful time for all of the families...we played, ate, had a devotional, and played some more.

Drew and Daddy relax before all the festivities.

Drew and Colton have spotted something exciting.

Brody, Jackson, and Frances had a big time watching two guys play basketball against each other. They even picked one of the players to cheer for and told me the other player was in time out when they first got there.

This is their reaction when their player scored. I love the look on their faces...Priceless!

The "big boys" (aka dads) had fun throwing the football across the playground.

Blue-eyed blondies...Libby, Drew, and Austin are too cute!

Drew is so excited about planes. He was showing me one flying over us.

Colton is so precious. He had so much fun playing on the playground.

Jackson is getting some squeezes from Mr. Jarrod (aka Mr. Jerry)

CA Soccer Camp

2009-06-29T11:09:00.004-05:00

Jackson went to CA Soccer Camp last week. He was actually too young, but when your Papa and Uncle Andrew are in charge you can join the join. My dad has been coaching the soccer team at CA for around 10 years. Since my brother now works at CA, he coaches the junior high team and assists with the high school team. My parents and brother are huge soccer enthusiasts. They are really hoping Jackson and Drew will love soccer as well.

The camp was in the morning from 7:30 am until 10:30 am. He went two days for half the time and two days for the whole time. He had so much fun. I was so proud of his willingness to try everything and stick with the bigger kids. He loved doing all the drills and having a scrimmage at the end of each day. A highlight was get to wear a blue penny during the scrimmage.

Jackson and the other kids work on their dribbling.

Uncle Andrew with Jackson before working on some ball skills.

Coach (aka Papa) demonstrating some footwork.

Every year they plant a tree by the soccer field on the last day of camp. They are holding up four fingers because this is the fourth year of soccer camp. The kids are ages 5 to 12.

On the last day, Papa turned the sprinklers on and let the kids run and play on the field. Jackson told me, it was "sprinkler soccer."

When we would leave after dropping Jackson off at soccer camp, Drew would keep saying, "Jack...ball." He had fun kicking the ball while he was there.

Uncle Andrew and Drew

Father's Day

2009-06-28T15:45:00.006-05:00

On Father's Day, I woke up feeling horrible. Andy and the boys went to church and I headed to the walk-in clinic. I found out that I had strep throat. It was not the Father's Day celebration that we had planned. We had to postpone our festivities due to my sickness. Andy is always a great dad and rolls with the punches, so he was not upset. However, I felt horrible in more ways than one. Thankfully after a few doses of antibiotics, I felt so much better. Andy went ahead and opened his present on Father's Day. We had gotten him some gear for Wilderness Trek in July.

We celebrated Father's Day a week later with dinner at Shogun. Jackson and Drew had never been to a Japanese Hibachi grill. When pulled into the restaurant, Jackson asked what kind of food it was. We told him it was like Pei Wei but you get to watch them cook the food. He immediately pulled out chopsticks from our last trip to PW and replied, "great...I have my chopsticks." We had no idea they were still in the car.

Family Picture (notice Jackson holding his chopsticks)

Watching the "dinnertainment" as Andy called it. Jackson was mesmerized and so excited about the fire. Drew, on the other hand, was scared and wanted to sit in Andy's lap. However, he loved watching the fire at the table's close to us and would clap.

Jackson loved our chef. They talked the entire time. He was so friendly and kind to Jackson.

He even let Jackson wear his hat!

Jackson posing on the rocks outside and still holding his precious chopsticks. When we left the restaurant, he called it "Cookeville" several times. I think he got confused about them cooking the food in front of you. Look out Moe's--this may be Jackson's new favorite place to eat!

Pigeon Forge

2009-06-28T15:03:00.004-05:00

At the beginning of June, the boys and I went to Pigeon Forge with my family. We were very blessed to all stay together in a great chalet. It was a little scary driving up the mountain to get there. It was steep and curvy. Jackson loved the air hockey, foosball, and pool tables inside the chalet. Outside, he loved "swimming" in the hot tub. We set up the baby pool on the deck for Drew.

Mommy and Drew on the deck

Drew would stand by the door and stay, "out" until someone would take him outside.
Everyone loved our lunch at the Apple Barn. Drew especially liked the apple fritters. Who could resist that yummy goodness?

Jackson wanted his picture in front of The Apple Barn sign, so he could "remember it." This is very rare. He usually gets upset and wants nothing to do with pictures.

The boys had fun playing at the pool. The baby pool even had a cool mushroom sprinkler.

They also had fun playing at a local playground one afternoon.

Drew really liked crawling in the tunnel.

Drew on the rocks outside The Old Mill.

Granny, Grandaddy, Rebekah, Jackson and Drew before we headed home.

Jackson, Grammy, Rebekah, Papa, and Drew

The Track

2009-06-28T14:08:00.004-05:00

One afternoon while we were in Pigeon Forge, we headed to The Track. Jackson really wanted to ride the go karts, and we thought Drew would enjoy the kiddie rides. Drew loved to see all the go karts zoom past us. He would say, "brmmmm!"

My cousins, Anna and James, had fun riding the Wild Woody.

Papa and Jackson rode the go karts together. Jackson had a look of pure excitement on his face the entire time.

Drew loved the swings. He laughed and smiled the whole time he was riding. When he got out, he kept pointing at them. I guess he wanted to do it again.

Jackson got to pick three rides to do in the kiddie area. He chose the "caged carousel" (ferris wheel), the train, and the airplanes.

Drew did three rides as well--the swings, carousel, and train. He loved all of them!

We all rode the train together.

Putt Putt Golf

2009-06-28T13:43:00.006-05:00

Jackson believes that it is not a vacation unless you play putt putt golf. He has been looking forward to playing with my grandaddy since he found out we were going to Pigeon Forge. He is so funny to watch, because he will keep hitting the ball even it has not stopped. On some holes, he is extremely focused and does a good job. On other holes, he just wants to hit the ball as many times as possible.

The boys are ready to play putt putt! I found these matching shirts for them that say "Miniature Golf Jr. Champion" and could resist putting them on.

Drew had to have a putter and the golf ball in his hands at all times. He got upset when he threw his ball into the water and we were unable to retrieve. Luckily, he was satisfied when we gave him one of ours to use.

My sweet grandaddy swinging the putter. Even at 80 something, both my grandparents played and had a good time.

Jackson with the serious golfers, Uncle Jeff and Anna.

Here is the whole group after 18 holes of putt putt in the hot sun.

Camp Okawehna

2009-06-28T13:00:00.005-05:00

This is Andy's ninth year to spend a week at Camp Okawehna. It is a camp for children with kidney disease or have had a kidney transplant. They set up a full dialysis unit in one of the buildings, so children will have the opportunity to spend a week at summer camp. The "carnival" is always on Monday night and that is usually the night we go to see Andy and have fun. Jackson loves going to camp and cannot wait until he is old enough to stay the whole week. This year, he did get to spend one night at camp. He thought is was "so, so cool." Jackson and Drew loved all the carnival games and inflatables.

Here are they are playing a toss game.

Daddy and Jackson
Jackson did the entire obstacle course inflatable on the first try. He probably did the course a dozen times that night. He loved all the climbing and jumping.

Daddy and Drew

Whee! Andy took Drew down the big slide several times. Drew thought it was wonderful. I do not think Andy enjoyed carrying all 30+ pounds of Drew to the top each time.

Jackson loves the big slide. He did it numerous times and was completely fearless.

Yummy cotton candy...what carnival is not complete without junk food.

Also at camp was a tethered hot air balloon. We waited in line for a long to be able to go up. This was the boys' first time to "ride" in a hot air balloon. Jackson loved it, however Drew thought it was too loud and too hot because of the fire used.

Ready for lift off...

Here are two views from the hot air balloon of all the fun stuff at the camp carnival.

Jackson also tried his hand at boxing. I think the equipment was a little big for him, but he still enjoyed it.

Drew and I left Jackson at camp with Andy for the night. We did not get to experience the magic show. Andy says it is quite entertaining. Here is Jackson with the magician who likes to be referred to as The Mysterion.

Oh Baby!

2009-06-19T10:21:00.005-05:00

On Saturday, June 6, I was blessed to be at two baby showers. It was a fun day for me and my friends. We enjoyed celebrating Molly and Dana's pregnancies and cannot wait to meet Millie and Alex sometime in July. Candie, Laura Beth, and I hosted a brunch at my house. Breakfast foods and a beautiful cake from Emily were on the menu. All the girls had fun being together and looking at all the girly pink baby stuff for Millie.

Beautiful Molly with letters Candie made to hang in Millie's room

After a quick pit stop at church to set up for VBS we headed to April's house for Dana's baby shower for Alex. She got lots of precious blue boy things. Here are several of the girls who came to the shower. April, Lauren, and Ashley had a wonderful shower with lots of delicious desserts including homemade ice cream.

From the looks on our faces, we must have loved the gift she opened ;)

Boys will be boys!

2009-05-30T13:25:00.001-05:00

This picture of my boys is my absolute favorite! Aren't they precious?!?

Here would be the opposite of precious. The boys were going to hold hands for a picture. Drew promptly took Jackson's hand and bit his finger. I doubt this will be made into an 8x10.

These pictures are sweet. I like Jackson's face in one and Drew's face in the other. Maybe with some fancy head swapping on the computer, I could have a keeper.

Pictures of sweet Jackson

2009-05-30T09:54:00.000-05:00

Sweet pictures of Drew

2009-05-30T09:53:00.002-05:00

These are some pictures of Drew that Wendy took. He is not very easy to photograph because he does not like to look at the camera and really likes to suck his thumb. Even with all that, she was able to get some pictures that capture the "essence" of Drew.

Family Pictures

2009-05-30T09:41:00.002-05:00

Last Tuesday, we had some family pictures made in at The Landings. Ironically, this is where Andy and I lived 9 years ago when we got married. It was neat to be back there taking pictures with our two boys. There is a creek on the property. Unfortunately, Andy and I were the only ones who would stand in it. One of these will most likely become my new blog header. If you have a favorite, please let me know because you will have to look at every time you check my blog:) I tried doing some "touch-ups" with Picasa, which was fun.

Beach Pictures

2009-05-24T14:01:00.004-05:00

A trip to Destin would not be complete without some pictures on the beach. This is a picture of us on the beach after dinner at The Back Porch. The sun was setting and it was gorgeous outside.

These pictures are in Grayton Beach after dinner at The Red Bar. The sand dunes in Grayton are so pretty.

Playing in the sand

2009-05-24T13:47:00.004-05:00

Jackson and Drew enjoyed playing in the sand. Drew liked it better than Jackson and would just lay in it. He was perfectly content to be completely covered in sand. However, Drew did not like the ocean waves. It was a little frightening for him. Jackson wanted to build a sandcastle.

Fun in Destin

2009-05-24T12:56:00.008-05:00

Our trip to Destin was really enjoyable and fun. The boys got to do a lot of fun things. Andy and I liked being able to run in the mornings and spend the day hanging out with the boys. Drew started walking more while we were gone. On our first night, we ate at Fuddpucker's. Jackson and Drew loved the playground and seeing the alligators. Jackson even got to touch a live alligator.

We ate breakfast at the Donut Hole twice...yummy! We got some extra donuts to eat the other mornings at our condo.
Drew loves donuts! He can devour a whole donut with no problem.
Jackson also loves donuts (glazed are his favorite). On our second trip he got a huge cinnamon roll and shared with Drew.

Since it was a little windy and chilly, we headed to The Track one afternoon to have a little fun. Jackson and Andy rode the Wild Woody. Drew was extremely jealousy. He stood by the fence and cried every time they drove by us.

Putt putt golf is a vacation must for Jackson. On the first hole, Drew actually threw the ball for a hole in one from the place where you begin.

Jackson also had a hole in one. He was so excited and had a blast playing with a real putter and golf ball.

After some fun at The Track, we headed to dinner at The Back Porch. We enjoyed good food and a great view of the ocean.

Jackson and the shark at Bass Pro Shop. While inside the store, he and Drew loved watching the fish in the big aquarium.

Jackson and Mommy enjoying some good food at The Red Bar in Grayton Beach.

Andy with the boys after dinner

Ready to go the pool!

After swimming in the pool, we had to bundle the boys up for the walk to the condo.

Jackson loved swimming in the pool. It was chilly and windy most of the time, so we would sit on the side of the pool while he would swim to the rope and back. Jackson also liked playing Monkey in the Middle in the baby pool.

Our condo had a great view of the golf course and a lake. It was so pretty!

Jackson with Giggles the clown at the Harborwalk. He was so proud of his sword!

After dinner at Dewey Destin's new Harborside Restaurant, we took a walk and looked at all the boats. Andy and I had a death grip on Jackson's hand the entire time.

Mother's Day

2009-05-11T10:59:00.004-05:00

Happy Mother's Day to all the amazing moms!

Our family celebrated Mother's Day by having lunch for all of our moms and grandmothers at our house on Sunday. It is always nice to have our families together. The boys had fun being with everyone, and both of them loved the meal.

It is a tremendous blessing to be a mother to two sweet boys! They fill my life with so much joy and happiness.

Andy, Drew, Jackson, Mama Linda, and Grandaddy

We missed Mama Gwen and Daddy Parker.

Grammy, Granny Evans, Rebekah, Jackson, Aunt Gertie, Papa, Drew, and Uncle Andrew

Uncle Andrew, Jackson, Grandaddy, Granny, Rebekah, and Drew

Rebekah and Andy (photo by Jackson)

The best gift of all was Drew taking several steps on Sunday. He walked across the room holding his ball popper then his vacuum cleaner. Then at the mall play area he took several steps completely unassisted, however I missed that because I was in a store. We are so thrilled that he is making progress. Way to go, baby Drew!

Moments with Moms

2009-05-11T10:47:00.004-05:00

On Thursday, Jackson's preschool hosted Moments with Moms. The teachers had yummy fruit tea and Italian cream cake for all the mommies. The children had painted special flowers for us, and they gave us a precious picture of our child as sweet mementos of this school year. Jackson has absolutely loved his year at school. His teachers are wonderful and all his friends are so sweet. He loves school so much that he wants to stay for extended care whenever he can.

Jackson was so proud to give me the gifts he had made for me!

Mommy with Jackson and Drew

Jackson with Miss Mallory and Miss Sherry, who are awesome teachers! He loves them so much, and we have been so pleased with everything he has learned.

Jackson is being silly with his friend, Carter.

Too cool for school...Jackson, Lyla, Hagen, and Anna were chilling after the party!

Jackson are always want to stay for extended so he can play with Hyatt.

Drew is 18 months old!

2009-05-08T16:05:00.005-05:00

Sweet baby Drew is now 18 months old and full of energy. He is still topping out the charts in weight! At his well visit with the doctor, he weighed 30 pounds (91%) and was 33 1/2 inches (83%). The boy is healthy and growing. As you can tell, he loves to eat and will eat most anything. His favorites are grapes, mandarin oranges, oatmeal, any kind of pasta, fries, and green beans. The preferred method of eating is to place his food on his spoon/fork with his fingers and then eat it. He also needs a napkin at every meal if other people have one.

Drew's favorite word continues to be "ball." He says it all the time. When I come to get him out of his bed, he looks up at me and says, "ball?" He has even been known to sleep with a ball in his crib. He has gotten very good and throwing, kicking, and shooting the ball. His other words are dada, mama, hat (pronounced at), and uh-oh. He tries really hard to say book, balloon, bubbles, shoes, swing, shoot, and Jackson. He can point to most of his body parts especially those on his face (when he wants to). He barks and moos when he sees a dog or a cow.

Drew is definitely into to lots of stuff. I am constantly picking up after him. He loves to dump whatever he can find on the floor. He is a fast crawler, but still is not walking. He is cruising on furniture and climbing on everything. We went today for an evaluation with a physical therapist. He is on an 18 month old level for balance and stability, however he is on a 10 month old level for locomotion and movement. We will be going to see the physical therapist weekly until he fills in the gap. I was so pleased with his therapist and look forward to her help. Hopefully, we will be walking and running very soon!

Drew also loves to be outside and will point out the window and grunt. He has been upset lately because he does not understand that we do not go outside when it is raining as well as thundering and lightning. This has caused several tantrums at our house (I cannot wait to see what the terrible 2's and 3's have in store for me). Here are pictures of him outside and loving life. He would swing for hours if we would let him. Drew is definitely a daddy's boy. He would prefer daddy over mommy most of the time and wants to daddy to put him to bed. He loves wrestling with daddy and Jackson at night. Do not be fooled...this baby is tough and can handle it!

Mommy and her Drew baby--You are an amazing little boy! I love it when you lay your sweet head on my shoulder or crawl into my lap. You have the sweetest and best laugh in the world! I love the way your eyes light up when we play peek-a-boo. Your mommy loves you so much!

Birthday Celebration

2009-04-30T16:35:00.009-05:00

Here are some pictures of me and the boys on Saturday night when we celebrated my birthday. We had a delicious dinner at The Cheesecake Factory, where we enjoyed their yummy chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake.

Mommy and Drew (who is sweeter than any dessert...most of the time!)

Jackson and DaddyAndy has some madras shorts that he got a few years ago, and I found the matching ones this year for both boys...so adorable! We walked around the mall after dinner, and Andy said he got several, "Ahh's" because of the matching shorts.
In honor of my 32nd birthday, here are some things on my "bucket list."

See all 50 states
Go on an Alaskan cruise with Andy
See Walt Disney World at Christmas time
Run another marathon (this will be awhile if ever, maybe the Marine Corps Marathon)
Run the Minnie Half Marathon at Walt Disney World
Wilderness Trek (Andy and I have been wanting to do this and we will be going in July)
Hike down the Grand Canyon and back up
Become more proficient at sewing
Read entire Bible
Go on a mission trip with Andy and the boys someday
Visit the City of Children again
Meet a US President
Get caught up on scrapbooking and stay current
Make a t-shirt quilt with my race shirts or old Pi Delta shirts
Learn to garden (my Granny Evans and my Grandaddy Williams both have really green thumbs maybe I have it in me...somewhere)
Be a contestant on Wheel of Fortune (yes, I love this show)

Country Music Half Marathon

2009-04-26T12:52:00.009-05:00

Saturday was the Country Music Marathon and Half Marathon. Andy and I ran the half marathon this year. This was Andy's fifth time to do the race and my fourth. We did the full marathon once in 2003. We begin training in January for this day. There is a lot of preparation, excitement, and anticipation for race day. The Country Music race is really great with lots of bands, crowd support, cheerleaders and food. This year it was hot and sunny on the course. I had a fun time running the race this year and managed to survive the hills and heat to have my personal best time in a half marathon (2 hours and 6 minutes). I am a slow and steady runner:)

If you have ever considered walking or running the half marathon, you should definitely do it. Here are some reasons why I love it and especially the Country Music race in Nashville:

The crowd and runners provide so much "entertainment" and encouragement on the course.
I love seeing all the other runners when we loop around on Belmont Blvd. Yesterday, I was so happy to see Andy, my brother, Chad, Laura Beth, Cayce, and Natalie.
The signs that people make on the course are great. Some of my faves are "Don't look back like Lot's Wife" (in front of a church on West End) and "Obama Checks at the Finish."
Seeing people I know and even those I don't know on the sidelines clapping and cheering for everybody.
The sense of accomplishment when you cross the finish line and receive your medal!

Here is a picture of Andy and me before the race.
My brother decided to run the race this year. Way to go, Andrew! Hopefully, he will decide to do it again next year.

Our cheesy picture for the day...Rebekah and her man!

Here is what the Parkers do after a half marathon: REST and

EAT!

Jackson took this picture of me at The Cheesecake Factory on Saturday night. We ate there to celebrate my birthday and finishing the race.

PARKER MARATHON TIMELINE
(this is only for my benefit because I was trying to figure out which races we did and when...feel free to stop reading now)
2002: Watched the marathon on News Channel 5 and talked about how we could never do that.
2003: Andy and I decided we should try to do the full marathon and see what happens because it was 26.2 miles on April 26th, my 26th birthday (however I could barely run 30 minutes without stopping). I ran with Team in Training program to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. It took me 5 hours and 6 minutes to finish, however I was so happy that I ran the entire 26 miles. Andy finished in under 5 hours.
2004: Andy and I ran the Walt Disney World Marathon together in January. It was really cold that day in Orlando and I had to buy an extra shirt at the expo so I would not freeze. We huddled together with David, Craig and Candie before the race. We ran the entire time, kept ourselves entertained by singing songs, and finished around 4 hours and 50 minutes. That night we celebrated with dinner at Boma in the Animal Kingdom Lodge.
In April of 2004, we ran the Country Music Half Marathon. I found out two days before the race that I was pregnant. The start of the race was delayed because of lightning and rain. Andy ran part of the race with Robbie, and Laura and I ran the entire race together. She was a great running partner and I still remember her eating oranges from a total stranger in the Belmont area (which is so unlike her). She still jokes with me about screaming for a strawberry banana PowerGel (I had a green apple one the year before that tasted horrible).
2006: Andy ran the Country Music Half Marathon while Jackson and I raced around town to see him and cheer for him. Andy finished the race in 2 hours and 3 minutes. It was so fun to be in crowd and cheer for the runners, however I really missed being in the race.
2007: Andy and I both ran the Country Music Half Marathon. At the time of the race, I was 3 months pregnant.
2008: Andy and I ran the Country Music Half Marathon on my 31st birthday. I wore a shirt that said "BIRTHDAY GIRL."
In August of 2008, we both ran the Disneyland Half Marathon. There were a ton of people who participated and it was fun to run through the castle at Disneyland, through California Adventure and all around Anaheim. Since we can be delusional at times, we spent the day before the race and the day of the race riding all the rides at the park.
2009: Andy and I ran the Country Music Half Marathon with our personal best times. This was my last day to be 31:)

We all scream for ice cream!!

2009-04-19T12:57:00.003-05:00

On Tax Day, the boys and I celebrated with free cones at Maggie Moo's. This is a "special" for Jackson sometimes, and he absolutely loves their cotton candy ice cream. Drew loves any flavor of ice cream. These sweet boys may not look like me, but they definitely got my love for ice cream. Lots of you know that when I was growing up my dad would make me and my brother a milkshake every night. Of course, we had to eat good at dinner (I will not recount the times I did not get a milkshake because I would not eat my corn or peas). When I would have slumber parties, he would make them for all my friends. YUMMY...They were and still are the very best milkshakes. Because of that, milkshakes and ice cream are my kind of comfort food.

The boys had so much fun eating their ice cream and being silly that day. Jackson loves that his tongue is blue after eating cotton candy ice cream. Drew opted for udder cream that day, and I tried carrot cake (which was actually good).So excited to have a blue tongue!This is Drew literally screaming for ice cream because I took Jackson's cone from him.What an adorable and messy little boy! Here is Drew finishing off Jackson's cone for him.

Easter Sunday

2009-04-13T15:26:00.005-05:00

The above picture is actually from last Sunday when we celebrated Aunt Amanda's birthday at Montgomery Bell State Park. We are all wearing our "Easter outfits" so I decided to include it. Last Sunday was a trial run of the outfit selections. As you will see below this picture is better than any picture taken on Easter day. Will I ever have a good Easter picture of all of us? All I need is smiling and looking at the camera...is this really too much to ask. I am starting to think it might be. Jackson kept telling me, "I am done with pictures." Enough of my ranting...

Jackson and Drew woke up on Easter morning to find lots of surprises from the Easter bunny. Jackson was thrilled to get some puzzles, Batman pajamas, Hercules DVD, Predators sign, and a knight costume.

Drew loved his ball, Cubs hat, sunglasses, trains, and Dumbo DVD. The kid would love to always have on a hat and be holding a ball. He actually slept with his ball on Sunday night.

Jackson had to model his knight costume. Andy has been telling him stories before bed for several months about a knight named Lancelot and little boy named Jack. Jackson loves to act out the story.

Drew and Andy before leaving for church. We went to church with my parents in Columbia.

This was the only way Jackson would let me take a picture of him. He wanted to have his foot on the soccer ball.

Possibly the worst Easter picture ever taken...please look at Jackson's face!!!

The pictures were not getting any better, so we gave up...maybe next year!

After eating lunch at my parents' house with my brother and grandparents, Jackson and Drew had an Easter egg hunt. Jackson was determined to get more eggs than Drew.

Drew enjoyed hunting for eggs with Andy.

Jackson with all the eggs he found.

Drew trying to open his egg...such determination.

One more attempt at a picture of me and Drew

Spring Break

2009-04-13T14:50:00.003-05:00

Last week was Jackson's preschool spring break. We had a really fun and somewhat busy week while he was out of school. It was a taste of the fun we are going to have this summer with two energetic boys. On Monday, Brody came over to play while his mommy and daddy worked. He and Jackson had so much fun together. They entertained each other and played hockey together. On Tuesday we went to see the bunnies at Phillips Toy Mart and ate lunch at Chick-Fil-A. Since Andy was in Cincinnati last week, we headed to Columbia on Tuesday afternoon. While we were in Columbia, we visited both of my grandparents and got to see Aunt Donna and Uncle Rick who were in town for a few days. Jackson and Drew also got to go to see Papa and Uncle Andrew's soccer boys practice. They love to play on the field with the big goals. Drew was so happy and content to kick the ball in the goal. On Thursday afternoon, we came back to Nashville to watch CA play Overton in soccer. Jackson and Drew played on the sidelines with one of the practice goals. We planned to see a puppet show at the library on Friday, however it was already full by the time we got there. So we settled for playing and eating at McDonald's with our buddies Sawyer, Sadie, Carter, and Seth. The fun continued for Jackson on Saturday with a special treat to go see a movie with Mama Linda and Aunt Amanda. While they were enjoying the movie, the Easter bunny went shopping with Drew. Live bunnies at Phillips Toy MartDrew had so much fun watching the train at Phillips. He was mesmerized by it. Sweet baby Drew in is Easter pajamasJackson and Drew playing on the soccer field.Drew kicking it into the net!Jackson and Uncle Andrew at CA soccer practice
Uncle Andrew and DrewJackson and Mama Linda with all the Easter goodies she brought for him and Drew. He is holding his parachute bunny. He and Andy have been dropping it down the stairs.

Brentwood Rotary Run

2009-04-11T12:30:00.005-05:00

Andy and I ran the Brentwood Rotary 10K today. It was definitely windy and chilly at the start of the race. My parents came and entertained the boys (or their car's DVD player did) while we ran the race through McGavock Farms, Maryland Farms and Granny White Pike. The race started and ended on the Brentwood High School track and was a good mix of rolling hills and flat stretches of road. Andy and I both did our personal best 10K times...yeah! Just two more weeks until the 1/2 marathon. We are hoping for nice weather and another fun race.

Andy and I before the race Jackson crossed the finish with Andy and then me. He was thrilled to go across the finish line.The best part about the Rotary Race is the pancake breakfast that follows. Yummy pancakes and sausage! We all enjoyed some good breakfast foods cooked by the wonderful Rotary members.

Easter Egg Hunt

2009-04-07T08:01:00.006-05:00

On Sunday, our church had their annual egg hunt. Jackson was really excited, especially since he had missed two other egg hunts. He wanted to find "the most eggs." I really wanted him to find some with chocolate and peanut butter, because Jackson does not like PB and I love it.Jackson with the Easter bunny (Dr. Tom)
Jackson told him he was not the real Easter bunny, because the real one is at the mall.
Drew was traumatized by the Easter bunny. Jackson always loves people in costumes. I am not sure the Drew has the same affinity. Every time he would look at the Easter bunny, he would scream and cry.Jackson hunting for eggs.Jackson and Ford being silly. They have been in the same class at preschool for two years and are buddies.The Tanners, Drew, the Austins, and Jackson taking a break after the big egg hunt.Jackson is showing everyone all the eggs he found.The Tanner girls and the Parker boys check out the treats inside their eggs. Drew is actually looking for treats in Frances' basket. She might have some good stuff in there.Now it is Drew's turn to look for eggs. He did really well because he thought they were balls and wanted to get all of them.

Go Big Blue!

2009-04-07T07:46:00.002-05:00

Jackson's spring soccer season started on Saturday. He kept talking about it and that his team was really tough. We hoped the excitement and enthusiasm would actually be present at the game. His team did really good. Several of Jackson's loyal fans (Mama Linda, Aunt Amanda, and Emily) were there to help us cheer for Jackson. We were so proud of his improvement from the fall. He actually went for the ball, did not fall down as much (he has a flare for the dramatic), stole the ball from the other team, saved a goal, and scored some goals for his team.

The Oak Hill league does not keep an official score, but an older brother of one his teammates kept the stats for everyone. He declared the blue team the official winners...yeah!Kicking off at the beginning of the game.Jackson is trying to get the ball from the other team.Jackson and his teammates are sitting on the sideline and cheering for the other players.He shoots and he scores!! Way to go, Jackson!!

Preschool Program

2009-04-02T13:39:00.003-05:00

Today was the Spring Program at Jackson's school. The theme of the program was God Keeps His Promises and the children sang songs about Noah and the Ark. Jackson and the other 3's were the builders of the Ark. They had construction hats and little hammers. Other classes were animals, the rain, and the sun. The entire program was so sweet. There is something truly amazing about children singing and especially when they sing about God!
Jackson saying, "God told Noah to build and ark and Noah obeyed." He was thrilled to get to hold a microphone and did a great job with his first speaking part. Of course, we bribed him with a treat from Sonic!
Little workers building the ark..."Who built the ark?"All the kids got a special treat from their music teacher for doing so good!
So proud of our sweet little boy!

Molded by the Maker

2009-04-02T13:30:00.002-05:00

BHCC had their women's retreat last weekend in Dickson, and the theme was Molded by the Maker. It was an amazing and uplifting time! We learned how to embrace the "cracks" in our pots. Being with other Christian women is a tremendous blessing. My sweet roomies and I had so much fun together and stayed up way too late. My life is enriched by all of you. Our craft for the weekend was clay pottery.