Terps In Memphis

Mud

2012-01-27T17:38:00.000-06:00

I went out to throw the ball around with Bentley and Jillian came out to join us. I told her if she wanted to play anywhere other than the patio, she'd have to go get her boots. She did, and both she and Bentley proceeded to get mud-dy!

Detroit Auto Show

2012-01-23T21:35:00.000-06:00

Scott flew to Detroit this weekend to meet up with our friend Mark and take in the Detroit Auto Show.

Some highlights...

The casino:

The bakery they found that had some of the best desserts ever ( I think they went more than once!):

The Auto Show itself:

And cold snow in Detroit!

This morning, I texted Scott to see if he'd taken any pictures of the two of them together. Apparently he hadn't, so he got this one in the airport:

Fingernails

2012-01-22T11:24:00.000-06:00

First time painting her nails:

Highs and Lows of a Saturday

2012-01-21T16:21:00.000-06:00

Daddy's out of town this weekend, so we're trying to stay busy and avoid too much crankiness. Some highs and lows...

High: discovered a volunteer opportunity in the paper this morning. There were some animals seized at a traffice stop who were being treated very badly. Now there are 15 folks coming to Fayette county to tend to these animals and the call went out for snacks and drinks for them. We bought some at Wal Mart and dropped them off:

Low: Bentley getting one of Jillian's toys and biting me as I tried to get it away.

High: Making these Valentine's gifts with Ryan:

Low: Jillian not taking her nap.

High: Kids showing me how they can spider swing:

Low: A two-year-old who didn't take a nap and now wants to drink the gatorade right out of the large container:

Then drops it, breaking the cap, spilling it and resisting time out:

High: blowing bubbles making it all better and a dog who apparently likes bubbles!

High: A tired dog!

Wishbone

2012-01-21T16:13:00.000-06:00

Yes, it's January, and we just got around to doing the wishbone. It does have to dry out, you know!

Jillian won!

MLK Day On!

2012-01-16T16:08:00.000-06:00

My school, St. George's sponsers MLK Day On (as opposed to day off) and offers a number of service opportunities for anyone who is interested. I showed the list to Ryan and ask him to pick one for us to do. He selected helping out at Shelby Farms and after getting the ok to go wiht young kids, off we went!

They had us clearing brush that had been cut in a one-two acre section of woods by the dog park. It was very cool to see both of them so involved:

Jillian only lasted about 20 minutes, but then she amused herself playing with my phone until we were done. Ryan helped the whole time and had fun chatting with the 6th grade boys who had come along.

A job well done! I love exposing my kids to volunteering, especially when we can do it together!

New Desk

2012-01-10T20:57:00.000-06:00

We are moving things around a bit. Changing around the bonus room around since it won't be primarily for crops anymore. Bringing down the desk that was mine as a kid for Ryan so he has a place to do his homework. That meant getting a new desk chair. Jillian helped try them out:

Got one and Mommy assembled it, but then someone didn't want his picture taken (don't tell him you saw this picture):

He is loving organizing his stuff and working there!

New Year's Eve!

2011-12-31T23:49:00.000-06:00

Had a full day planned, but managed to sneak in some picture taking in the morning:

The Hanlon's came over for lunch and it was great to have them to ourselves and catch up a bit. Hopefully a trip to Iowa is in our 2012 future!

Arlan, Ava, Jillian & Ryan:

We hadn't taken a group picture since before Ava was born, so we got a new one for my fridge:

After a friend made brie at our college party a few nights ago, I put it on my list of goals for 2012. Ha! Got it done in 2011! Not sure it was the most gourmet thing around, but it was melty and yummy! Brought it to the Hollingsworth's where we went to ring in the new year:

They have Just Dance 3 which I had heard good things about. We had a blast trying it out. Think we might have to go trade in our Just Dance Kids for this!

Even better, a video:

Jillian went down soon after this, and we headed outside for some fireworks. I played around with my camera and got some fun shots. Jessee:

Claire:

Scott:

Ryan:

Gretchen:

Me:

Can you see Lance's foot running out of the picture?

Back inside to ring in the East Coast New Year on Lance's awesome TV, then watched some Cars 2 until Central Time New Year!

Happy New Year!

Starry Nights

2011-12-30T21:38:00.000-06:00

We managed to get in on the last night of Starry Nights!

The kids were excited and Bentley came, too:

This is a cool display like a pinball machine. When the ball ends at this sign, it lights up, "Kapow!"

Reflection in the lake:

Gingerbread man:

Under the sea section up through the woods:

Love this last section where they surround you with stars above and beside:

Post Christmas

2011-12-29T15:31:00.000-06:00

Do you think a new leaotard makes one better at gymnastics?

Look how she's getting her leg out...can a cartwheel be far off?

Picked up some new Jibitz while we were away:

Ryan got a Cars 2 racing game that kept him busy for awhile:

Final Days of the Trip in Maryland and Virginia

2011-12-28T15:22:00.000-06:00

We left Bel Air and picked up my randmother for lunch in Catonsville. Spent some time back at her house opening presents after lunch.

Then it was off to Northern Virginia where we partied with our college friends. I convinced Jillian to wear a bow again!

All the kids: Zoe, Ashe, Izzy, Emily, Wesley, Nolan, Ryan, Ketzel & Ezra, Harper, Jillian, Caden and Ainsley.

And the ~~paparazzi~~ parents:

My family:

Instead of gifts, we made goodie bags for all the kids...a bunch of junk that would keep the kids busy while we were at the party, but we could throw away when we left!

Light up balloons (being dropped from the loft):

Glow fairy wands (and swords for the boys):

We spent the night with Mark and Shelby and exchanged gifts in the morning before heading home.

Jillian and her godfather:

It was a long drive home, but we got there soon after midnight!

The Day After Christmas

2011-12-26T21:49:00.000-06:00

Another easy going day. The kids played around the house.

Ryan wants a DS, and it seems that Jillian likes them too!

My niece, Kate was patient when I said, "Hold on! That's some good light!" and proceeded to adjust my camera and take like 20 shots. It was worth it!

Kate, Cheryl, Ryan and I went ice skating. Ryan did great for his second time! He hung on to the wall the first couple times around, but then got going!

Kate spent a lot of time on the ice, but always got up! We discovered by the end that is we kept her focused on something in front of her (like her aunt skating ahead), she was much more steady

Notice how it looks like he's running?

Meanwhile, Everyone else went bowling:

Later, we went out for sushi! There were so many of us eating it that it came in a boat!

Alex didn't get ice cream today like everyone else, so Scott & I snuck him in some Ben & Jerry's later that night!

Christmas in Maryland

2011-12-25T00:09:00.000-06:00

I don't think I have gotten a good Christmas morning picture yet! Doesn't she look excited?

After reading the Christmas gospel, the kids dove into their stockings:

The tree looked so nice!

Santa brought Jillian some leotards for "nastics":

a tinkerbell sweatshirt:

and the baby she asked for (in her arms):

Ryan got a fingerprint art book:

a robe, some new glow-in-the dark sheets, and a set of Roald Dahl books.

Later, we played games:

Can't beleive my nephews are freshmen in high school this year!

Watched games:

And played family Minute to Win it!

THe first contest was a marshmallow toss:

Matt was the only one to get it in!

Next up was cup stacking. I went first (no one got my picture), followed by Rachel who beat me by one cup!

Sadly, Gene beat her by one, as well. Apparently, it is good to go last.

Which was good for team Beatty in the final event! Team Sprouse was off to a good start:

but faltered and didn't have any ornaments hanging when the minute was up. After a hotly-contested disqualification by the Foley's, all team Beatty needed was one to win. We put up our one set and let the clock run out.

After which, we showed our talents to hang all 5 sets without any falling.

Santa, finished with his busy night, came back to visit us again. There was no hesitation by Ryan, who immediately knew it was Grandad.

And maybe Jillian sensed it too, because she got about as close and friendly with him as she had with any Santa this season, showing him her doll and thanking him.

Later, he stuck around while we opened other presents and she went over on her own to show him what she had received!

The best part of the night was that the kids all ate together and even my little ones didn't need too much of our attention, leaving us to enjoy the laughs with the rest of the grown ups.

A very good day indeed!

Christmas Eve in Bel Air

2011-12-24T23:46:00.000-06:00

After a totally uneventful (long, but no traffic!) drive up to Maryland yesterday, we had a nice easy going day with Scott's family in Bel Air today. It started with new Christmas pajamas from Ozzie!

We went to an early children's mass with the Sprouse's and loved seeing the kids act out the nativity for the gospel!

Got our family Christmas picture:

And one of this cutie in her Christmas dress and hair bow! (I didn'tmake it...got it for a steal at a children's clothing sale!)

After mass, we met up with the Foley's at an Italian restaurant for Christmas Eve dinner (so good!):

Then back to the Sprouse's for Christmas carols and frolicking.

Cousins:

We went back to the Foley's and they went to church. Ryan got Ozzie ready to make the trip back to the north pole:

We barely made it waiting up for the Foley's, but then got everything ready and settled down for our long winter's nap (not so long when your kids get up at 6 am!!).

Next Up: Charlotte

2011-12-23T23:28:00.000-06:00

We spent most of the week before Christmas in Charlotte with my folks. Scott visited his properties, we hung out, did last minute Christmas shopping, lots of crafts, and played with new toys:

Where's Jillian?

Peek-a-BOO!

One thing I made while here is this shirt I'd seen on pinterest. My friend Gretchen made one for her daughter, but she is a better seamstress than I and fused then sewed her ribbon on. She gave me the ribbon (thanks Gretchen!) and I opted to glue it on with fabric glue. Here's hoping it holds up!

I also convinvced Jillian to wear a bow!

We went out carolling (I havent' done that since girl scouts!). It was a very mild night and my aunt drove some of the ladies around in her convertible:

Others of us walked or rode in the wagon:

Ryan rang the doorbells:

The last day before we left, the kids and I went to the Reedy Creek Nature Preserve for a winter nature hike and scavenger hunt. It was nice to have a little time outside and we learned about fungus!

First Stop: Atlanta

2011-12-17T23:09:00.000-06:00

The first stop on our east coast holiday tour is Atlanta! Scott's company's regional Christmas party was tonight. The woman who organized it was so thoughtful to bring Santa in for our kids and one of the regional manager's children. My parents were kind enough to drive down to meet us an watch the kids so we could enjoy the party tonight!

Jillian, still not sitting on Santa's lap:

During the ~~gift exchange~~ dirty santa game, someone encouraged Scott to pick the package that contained this:

He's a good sport and likes to make the game fun, but it did get stolen from him before the game was through!

Daddy's New Toy

2011-12-11T22:59:00.000-06:00

Scott got an ipad. And the kids are so excited! Ryan's downloaded a Magic Treehouse book.

And they've downloaded Cars 2. This will be great on car trips because it has bluetooth and the Sienna has bluetooth, so they can hear the movie through the car speakers!

Christmas Cookies

2011-12-11T22:19:00.000-06:00

It's time for our annual Christmas Cookie baking and delivering! Both kids helped me take the wrappers off of the hershey kisses (Jillian was really good at it!):

These were a new addition this year:

Only Ryan and I went to the mayor's office this year. It happened to be pj day at school:

We made a few more batches:

And went out all four of us today to deliver to our five Bartlett Fire Stations:

At least one station always invites the kids to sit in the fire trucks!

Zoo Lights!

2011-12-09T22:40:00.000-06:00

We planned to go to Zoo Lights with Jennifer, William and Kate (Ryan's friend). But a few of his other girl friends (McKinley and Helen) from his old school heard Kate was going and came along too! These four were in Little Georgies together when they were three!

Jillian got in on the act, too:

They all sat on Santa's lap:

But not Jill. She did tell him she wanted babies for Christmas:

The kids loved running around the lights...until they knocked one down! Uh-oh!

We stopped in Teton Trek for the hot chocolate and cookies we'd brought along. Glad to have some time with Jennifer and can't wait for Melissa to be back to join us next year!!

More Snow!

2011-12-07T22:24:00.000-06:00

This one stuck around overnight and into the morning. It was perfect...beautiful, fat flakes that clung onto the tree branches, but didn't stick on the roads!

Look what the boys made me...

2011-12-03T22:05:00.000-06:00

My wonderful sister-in-laws got us our nativity statues many years ago (maybe before we were married). We always set them out on top of burlap and sometimes surround them with pine branches cut off our tree (which we obviously can't do this year).

Today I told Scott what I really wanted for Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus (who I prefer to leave off the scene until Christmas, but I usually get overruled) was a stable.

We looked at a few online and came up with our own little sketch. Then the boys went to work:

And here's what they came up with. I LOVE it! All I really wanted was something simple.

I am impressed at Scott's ability to take a woodworking idea and create it!

Christmas Countdowns

2011-12-01T22:03:00.000-06:00

We do a few things to count down to Christmas at our house. First, a paper chain (I am pretty sure we took links off in the past, but Ryan insisted on adding links this year):

Then a few advent calendars...one Fisher Price one that I bought, and one that my mom got at a craft fair. Good to have two...fewer disagreements:

Finally, the local paper puts out a calendar at the beginning of the month and prints a little picture everyday to add to it, so it tells a nice story by Christmas:

Ironically, we will not be home for the weeks surounding Christmas this year, so we will miss finishing all of these up! Oh, well. It will ekkp the munchkins occupied until then.

Jillian's Take on a few Christmas Favorites

2011-11-30T21:52:00.000-06:00

Jingle Bells:

And a line from Polar Express:

Magical Birthday Snow

2011-11-28T21:43:00.000-06:00

Not sure it's ever snowed this early since we've lived in Memphis. So it must have been magical birthday snow just for Scott!

Scot did not get a typical birthday cake this year...he had an apple pie over the weekend with family and tonight we had fruit tarts and cannolis:

Opened presents:

The kids tried on his new puppy dog pj's. And shook their booties:

Happy Birthday Scott!

Thanksgiving Happenings

2011-11-26T21:05:00.000-06:00

Good times were had over Thanksgiving weekend. Here they are in totally random order:

Everyone loved Grandad's ipad:

We painted nails (clear):

We cuddled:

We (I mean Scott and Ryan) cooked a turkey:

We cleaned:

We put up our first artificial tree (and love it! If I can't go cut down an adequate one, I'm in for this!):

We went for a hike in Stanky Creek:

And plated with instagram after the hike:

We visited with some friends (and friends-of-friends) who were in town for the holidays:

We got into Vaseline and hair accessories:

We played Battleship:

We had tea parties:

We dissected turkey parts:

We loved on Casey:

And played tug of war:

We sat outside by the fire pit:

And watched football from outside:

We played at Shelby farms:

We went swimming (ok, Casey went swimming) for the first time:

Although Bentley was having no part of it!

Getting clean afterwards:

And we celebrated Scott's birthday!

Pop-a-doodle-doo

2011-11-19T23:16:00.000-06:00

It's kind of hard to hear her, but I don't ever want to forget what Jillian called roosters when she was 2 and a half.

2011-11-18T23:11:00.000-06:00

Ryan had his soccer banquet Wednesday night. It was a fun season!

Thursday in school, Mrs. Beer pulled his second loose tooth!

And tonight, RYan's friend Jared (from soccer, above), joined us to watch St. George's beat Harding Academy for a trip to the state championship football game!

The Tortoise Versus the Hare

2011-11-12T22:02:00.000-06:00

I finally talked Ryan into trying out for a play and it was a GREAT experience for him! The Missoula Children's Theatre came to St. Francis for one week to audition, practice, and put on a show for students in grades K-8. Monday was try out day. We had talked about what kinds of things he could do to help his chances (being happy and positive, listening and following directions), but I was nervous because I had heard that a few kindergartners that had tried out last year didn't make it. Here we are waiting for the announcement:

He (and I think all the 1st graders who tried out) got a part! He's in Curly's Fan Club. He had practice a few days after school, and then on Friday night, we all went to see him:

Here's the whole fan club:

One of the MCT folks (JT) is a guy I used to tutor with (whose real passion is theatre). Ryan really liked him and it was great to see him enjoying his new job!

The story was a spin on the toroise and the hare, and Ryan's fan club came on stage everytime one of the actors said "race time" to sing this:

The MCT did a great job and it didn't cost us anything for Ryan to do it. I hope he decides to do it again sometime!

Braids

2011-11-09T21:53:00.000-06:00

Look what Miss Kelly did to Jillian's hair today!Not sure what's cuterm the braids or her smile!

Christmas Card Photo Shoot

2011-11-06T21:39:00.000-06:00

Today, my family humored me as we did our annual Christmas cards photo shoot. I thought this field at Shelby Farms might be a good spot and that the hay could be a good back drop. Tried out some "poses" I'd seen on photography blogs.

I like the idea of the family all standing, but it didn't work out too well. Not sure why...maybe too far away?

Got this cute one:

Next we tried sitting down. This one probably would have been it if Bentley hadn't been blocking Ryan's face. Don't be surprised if you see this pose in the future...I like the composition.

Being silly...the timer feature can takeup to 10 consecutive pictures.

Trying to get two kids and a dog to sit still and look at the camera may be impossible!

We have a winner!

A few good individual shots (no tripod or timer necessary):

Ryan took control of the camera for a bit:

And got this shot that I LOVE! The color, the angle, the composition! It's just a fun, whimsical shot (which is why it's now my FB photo!):

Why, yes, I'll wear your glasses, Mama. Do you mind if I wear them upside-down? It's the only way to go!

Over to the dog park. Caught some "God light."

And a parting shot:

Pitching In

2011-11-05T17:13:00.000-05:00

Ryan decided when he got home from school the other day that we needed to rake the leaves in the backyard. He and Jillian did a great job getting it started!

Now, mind you, we only have one, ok, two trees back there, so it wasn't a whole lot of leaves. But clearing the leaves made finding the dog poop much easier! :)

Today, we bought a few trees to replace ones we took out over the summer. This is supposed to be the best time of year to plant new trees...we hope they do well!

And, if you're not helping to plant trees, you might as well walk around in your super cape!

Halloween Part 3

2011-10-31T22:49:00.002-05:00

Ryan's class party was after I finished teaching for the day, so I got to go check out the fun!

Ryan and his buddy Joshua:

Mrs. Beer playing along with the room mom to show the kids how to play the "guess what Halloween picture's on my back" game:

Ryan's picture:

First grade vampires:

Back at home:

Ready to go Trick-or-Treating! At the last minute we added the tiara and turned Jillian into a Princess Zombie. So much cooler, don't you think?

The house all decked out:

After trick-or-treating, Ryan likes to hand out some of the candy:

Who needs brains, when you've got Kit Kats?

Shelby Farms and a Second Helping of Halloween

2011-10-30T20:59:00.007-05:00

Five years ago, when they came to visit, the playground at Shelby Farms and Cory looked like this:

Now, they look like this:

Ready...

Set...

Go!

Noah:

Jillian:

All three kiddos on the basket swing:

Ryan and his godfather did some climbing:

Me and the kids crossing our fingers to avoid the many "cheese touches" that were going around all weekend:

Cute family:

Friends:

This is to replace the five year old picture on my refrigerator that Jillian is missing from:

Me and my Bud:

Slides:

Train!

I do believe this park is my favorite place to take pictures!

Then it was off to the dog park. We let Bentley off his leash for the first time and he did great! He still doesn't really come when we call, but he stayed in the area where we were and didn't get into it (other than sniffing) with other dogs).

The lake at the park:

Later today, we participated in our neighborhood's annual Halloween Parade:

Super Bentley came along, too!

The friend who used to organize it moved away (to Maryland!), so we took a picture in front of her house for her:

Zoo Boo!

2011-10-29T22:52:00.001-05:00

Cory, John, and Noah joined us at Zoo Boo! Noah borrowed some of Ryan's dress up clothes and Ryan and Jillian tried out their Zombie outfuts for the first time. Ryan kept asking the volunteers hading out candy if he could have their brains!

A Visit with Friends!

2011-10-29T20:53:00.000-05:00

Cory and John and Noah came to visit us this weekend!! They have not been down to Memphis since before Noah was born and we are so thankful that they made the trip!!

Scott picked them up at the airport and took them around town a bit, ending at my school, where I wasjust finishing up and got to go home with them!

Saturday morning, we all went to Ryan's soccer game:

Stopped by Goodwill on the way home for part of Ryan's halloween costume, and found this big truck for "Big John":

and Little Ryan:

Ryan and Noah had a great time playing together. Aunt Cory joined them for a game:

Here, they were working on the car:

The new Christmas tree Scott ordered came on Saturday, so they helped us assemble it. Don't worry, we took it down afterward!

Boosterthon Fun Run

2011-10-27T20:42:00.001-05:00

Many thanks to those of you who donated to Ryan's Fun Run at school. He had a great time running it! First up were the kindergartners, and our friend Claire:

Ryan and the other first graders cheered them on as they ran and offered high fives:

Then it was times for the first graders!

The teachers marked off their shirts every lap:

Happy fun runner:

Big Girl Bed

2011-10-23T20:02:00.001-05:00

Jillian has not even attmepted to climb out of her crib. But, the talk has turned to "Big Girl Beds." She sleeps in a bed at her sitter's house for naps. And while on a recent trip, she and Ryan shared a hotel double bed successfully for the first time:

I was all set to get a new twin bed for her around Thanksgiving (it was also going to help us sleep all the visitors we have coming), but Scott had this idea instead:

Now, this is not a modern day, convertible crib. This crib was my mother's. But it worked! And someone will tell anyone who listens about her "Big Girl Bed."

Fall Fun with Nanny & Gramps

2011-10-19T19:45:00.003-05:00

Spent a lot of time outdoors while Mom & Dad were here. At the Agricenter:

At home:

Playing dominoes:

Playing with the new football Ryan got from the Boosterthon folks:

Swinging:

And just some general being silly:

Shelby Farms Woodland Discovery Park

2011-10-15T22:39:00.001-05:00

I took the kids to the Shelby Farms Woodland Discovery Playground a few weeks ago while Scott was out of town. Only had my iphone which doesn't take the greatest pictures, but with instagram, i jazzed them up a bit:

We went back today with Nanny and Gramps and Scott.

Jillian's First Camping Trip!

2011-10-02T22:24:00.001-05:00

After getting Scott a new, bigger tent for Father's Day, we had a long hot summer with no chance of using it. We finally found a weekend with no soccer to try it out.

The tent's great! Definitely big enough for all of us, plus Bentley!

There's a doggie door (or a Jillian door) for him, too! Who knew?

Dinner by lantern:

Someone likes camping:

She went to bed just fine and the rest of us hung out by the fire:

Cold night and morning, means a second fire:

Other than barking at all the people who walked by late at night, Bentley did well, too!

Pancakes anyone?

Yes, please!

Cold girl:

Practicing her "nastics":

Great family camping trip!

Soccer

2011-09-24T16:21:00.002-05:00

Soccer brought some changes this year. We're still playing with Arlington, but we're trying something a little more challenging. First change: summer practices. The first and second graders practiced together over the summer:

Next change: a paid coach (who happens to also be the dad of one of our players). My understanding is he played college ball and MLS until he got hurt.

We are not a traveling team...we still play the other rec teams, but the coach has been teaching them moves and drills and Ryan's making a lot of progress.

Taking a pass from his buddy Jared:

Breakaway:

One of the new moves the coach encourages them to use:

Playing goalie:

Big kick:

Throw in:

St. George's Homecoming

2011-09-23T10:06:00.001-05:00

I took the kids to St. George's homecoming game tonight. Hung out with Heidi:

And Jillian hung out with Xander:

The homecoming princesses:

And a few alumni:

Heidi with a former student who is now teaching at St. George's:

More alumni with Mr. Philpott:

I have a cute shot of Ryan on my shoulders like this from a few yers ago:

St. George's fans:

More fans: Ian, Aidan, Heidi and Xander:

Gymnastics

2011-09-21T21:36:00.002-05:00

After taking the summer off, Jillian has started back into toddler gymnastics. I was amazed how she progressed last spring, but even more so to see how much she'll do now that she wouldn't do in the spring.

She's walking her feet up the mat to do somewhat of a handstand:

Climbing the cargo net:

Swinging on the rings:

Hanging from the bars with Coach Katie:

Bat hang:

Cimbing up the cargo net on the inflatable slide (and sliding down the other side):

And jumping! Like crazy! Off of things, into the foam pit, on the trampoline. Amazing!

She loves her "nastics"!

Scrapfest!

2011-09-18T20:43:00.001-05:00

A whole bunch of things came together to get me to Minneapolis this weekend. Kellie was moving to Iowa, she and Sarah realized that it was cheaper to fly into Minneapolis (only 3 hours away from Kellie's new home) than Des Moines, and Archiver's was hosting Scrapfest at the Mall of America. Why not have a girl's weekend?

Sarah and I flew up to Minneapolis, and Kellie drove in. Once we met, we headed to the mall for some make and takes at the vendors' booths:

We weren't quite sure what to expect and with airfare and hotel, we were being a little cheap, so we only took one class. Turns out we got our money's worth back in product! We will take more in the future! Here we are in the Bella Blvd class:

There were some scrapping celebrities on hand. Heidi Swapp:

Tim Holtz:

And the only one I really cared to have my picture with: Elizabeth Karchner:

Becky Higgins stopped by at some poitn too, and I am sad to have missed bumping into her!!

The whole weekend was about standing in lines. We heard the line at one booth (Little Yellow Bicycle) was over 2 hours long! Some woman brought folding chairs to sit on in line!

There was even a line at the Archiver's store (but that one moved quickly!):

Saturday night, Kellie and Sarah humored me and we drove to Wisconsin so I could get a new state. I now have all the states east of the Mississippi!

As long as we were at the Mall of America, we might as well do some Mall of America things. We hit the boot store a few times:

We planked:

We rode a ride:

We got our picture taken in a shark tank:

Checked out the lego store:

And on the last day, we went back to the Echo Park booth for their final door prize drawing:

I happened to catch a check in from an old school friend who lives in California that she was going to be in Minneapolis that weekend too. We worked it out to have breakfast on Sunday morning and it was so good to catch up with her! Haven't seen each other in almost 20 years!

The Delta Fair

2011-09-09T23:38:00.001-05:00

We missed it last year, but Ryan and I made it to the Delta Fair this year! I am so glad someone in my family likes to go ride rides and eat fairfood!

We got in and got our hand stamps:

Ryan needed to ease into it this year, starting with the small swings.

Then we rode the spider:

I think he ran through every fun house they had:

The little roller coaster (we got the front seat!):

The bigger swings (took a little convincing):

We rode another bigger coaster that Ryan had ridden with me a a few years ago, then he was just brav enough to ride my favorite:

This one's not bad in terms of hills, but the way it goes around the corners makes it a little scarey!

Last up is our traditional ferris wheel ride. I layed around with my automatic settings a little:

On the way out, Ryan rode the slide:

And got locked up in Davey Jones' Locker:

Seattle: Last Day

2011-09-06T20:14:00.001-05:00

On my last day with Katy in Seattle, we went back to Pike Place Market to eat breakfast, buy some fresh salmon to take home and take her somewhere she hadn't been before: the gum wall:

All together now, eeeeewwww! But I contributed:

Then, after some delay that almost had me spending the night in Atlanta, I was on my way home. The mountain paid me one last farewell:

So for all of you out there who have heard that Seattle is this rainy, depressing city, I don't know what you're talking about. It was absolutely beautiful the whole time I was there and I can't wait to go back and do more exploring! Plus I had a super-cool host!

Seattle: Day 3

2011-09-05T20:36:00.005-05:00

This morning we hopped on the ferry to Bainbridge, then drove to Port Townsend:

Great way to get a view of the Seattle skyline:

The view from the restaurant where I had a salmon BLT for lunch:

Saw a lighthouse:

Played with Instamatic on my phone:

Found a spot that would have been great for a full family shot had my full family been with me:

Put our toes in Puget Sound:

Then headed back on the ferry. As we pulled out of Bainbridge, I started taking pictures thinking how beautiful the point was with the moon:

So pretty:

Then I looked closer and BAM!

Noticed that the mountain was finally really out. When you finally see it as big as it is in Seattle, it's amazing!

Here's me and the mountain:

Hmm...what else can we get in the picture with the mountain? How about the Seattle skyline and the mountain? OK.

This is the view from Kerry Park. And we werenot the only ones up there enjoying the evening view. Lots of photographers. There were two who were kind of sneaking around not looking at the sunset, but looking at the attractive couple all dressed up watching the sunset. OMG! He's going to propose! And she nodded yes. And the sneaky people got pictures of their now engaged friends. Awesome!

And Katy got this shot of me, the mountain, and the skyline!

Then the mountain turned pink:

And I got a shot of the mountain, the skyline and the moon:

What more could you want from a day in Washington?

Seattle: Day 2

2011-09-04T20:08:00.006-05:00

On day 2, we did a proper tour of Seattle. Parked down by the waterfront, then headed up to the famous Pike Place Market. Oh to be able to shop there anytime I wanted!

When you go in under this sign, one of the first things you see is the famous fish guys who throw fish.

And though the market has a lot of fish:

and other creatures from the sea:

it is also full of colorful flowers:

fruit:

and other colorful items grown and created:

There were lots of performance artisits, including this gentleman playing "Rocky Top":

outside of a place many of you will be so excited to see (although I don't particularly care): The ORIGINAL Starbucks:

Then it was over to a mall (Sorry, Kate, can't remember the name...West Lakes? West View?) where there were some delightful stores full of yummy handmade and cool items. Spent awhile there, and then hopped on the monorail :

To the Space Needle!

Side story: On one of only two trips I have taken to NYC in my life, Cory, John, Scott and I walked through the lobby of tower 1 of the World Trade Center. We were cheap and elected not to pay the $11 to go up to the observatory and instead went downstairs and had Ben & Jerry's in the little mall under the World Trade Center.

So, when Katy asked, "Are you sure you want to go up in this?" I did not hesitate to say,"Of course!"

And up we went! Here's "The Mountain." That would be Mt. Ranier, which hadn't really been "out" much since my arrival.

The Real World Seattle house (and we did drive and walk by where "the slap" occurred, but did not renact it):

Back down on earth, we took a few more pictures:

We walked over to the Sculpture garden and got this shot:

Wandered around the waterfront and had a yummy seafood dinner. On the way home, Katy showed me the Freemont troll:

Katy set me free for a few hours Sunday night to have dinner with an old friend from middle/high school and his wife. It was a ton of fun to catch up, and I cant wait to bring my kids back to play with theirs! I am very disappointed to say I did not take a picture of the three of us. :(

Seattle: Day 1

2011-09-03T20:15:00.003-05:00

My first full day visiting Katy in Seattle, I convinced her to take me to Oregon. I mean, it's only 3 hours away!

And right over the border is the beautiful Columbia River Gorge! We first traveled up to Larch Mountain Lookout where you can usually see 5 peaks. That orange haze you see...it's not a bad camera. There were forest fires about 100 miles away. So you can't see the three mountains behind me.

I think this is Mt Ranier:

And I'm pretty sure this is Mt. St. Helen's (can't wait to come back and take the kids here!):

Then it was off along the Columbia River Highway, starting off at the Vista House:

Along this road, there are a bunch of beautful waterfalls. First up...

Next...

Not quite as high and majestic, butstill...

We somehow missed Bridal Veil Falls (guess I'll have to go back!), so next it was...

The most popular waterfall is easily accessible from the highway, so it meant a lot more people. You may have seen photos of this one before...

Absolutely magnificent, even with the crowd:

I started hiking up, but it was getting late, so again, something for my next trip. On the way back down:

This is Oneonta Gorge. We think there's a beautiful waterfall back there, but didn't come prepared to climb over the log jam and through waist deep water. In the meantime, check out how lush it is!

A great day in Oregon!

End of August

2011-08-31T20:10:00.001-05:00

While Scott was out of town and Ryan at a slumber party, Jillian and I got some Yolo on the Collierville Town Square. She likes m&m's on top!

Saturday night, I did a midnight bike ride through Memphis (with over 1000 other people, including Ian Rubin de la Borbolla, my friend Heidi's husband). It was so.much.fun! Can't wait to try it again next year with Scott & Heidi!

Jillian tried out a single ponytail:

Our New Dog?

2011-08-22T18:38:00.002-05:00

After visiting with the dogs at the special adoption event at Petsmart last weekend, the boys may have convinced me to get a dog. We checked on the internet for small dogs and discovered Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. I thought they soundd like a good fit for us, but the pure breds were kind of pricey and we kind of wanted to support a rescue dog.

Then Scott found a spaniel/pekingnese mix near us whose owner didn't have time/space for an enthusiastic dog. We went down to meet him on Tuesday, and ended up getting him for a weekend visit Saturday.

Meet Bentley:

On the way home we took him for a walk at Patriot Lake:

Ryan loves him and he seems to like us ok so far.

We introduced him to Aunt Katy on Skype:

He took a bath with Jillian:

Sems to like hanging out with Scott:

And definitely loves our fenced in backyard:

We interupt this post on Bentley to bring you fishy kisses from Jillian:

And now more Bentley:

End of Summer Odds and Ends

2011-08-12T21:59:00.005-05:00

I got ahold of Scott's phone tonight and found a bunch of pictures that he took this summer. Those and some others that didn't fit into our summer posts seem a fitting way to bid farewell to summer as I go back to school on Monday.

Two kids on a plane:

And picking up a new state (Utah) on the way home:

Fun California license plate from Aunt Sandy:

It wasn't all fighting between my little ones this summer. Here, Ryan shared his drink:

Shopping at Home Goods in Northern Virginia:

Using Ryan's flashlight as a microphone:

Touring the Pink Palace with Nanny and Gramps (saw the Tahiti IMAX movie, too):

New Tinkerbell pj's from Nanny and Gramps:

In the waning weeks of summer, with our trips finished and temps in the upper 90's, I was pulling out all the stops to keep them entertained and out of my hair. Setting this up kept them busy for most of a Sunday afternoon:

And later the same week, Ryan pulled out his trains. He did the whole set up on his own, didn't get frustrated, and was so excited to share it with Jillian when she woke up from her nap! I took this as they played together to remind myself that they do get along most of the time:

Jillian at the cabin in Greer's Ferry:

Scott gave me a break the other evening and the three of them got creative with Jillian's blocks:

So I'm ok with the end of summer (especially if it means saying adios to the heat!). I feel like it's been a full, fun summer and I am so thankful for everything we got to do and everyone we got to see. Here's to a great school year!

First Day of First Grade!

2011-08-10T22:29:00.001-05:00

Ryan commented this morning how good he looks in his uniform! Must be the tan. Here's my only good shot from the day:

Here, Jillian imitates her big brother's usually sullen expression in pictures:

Ryan's very excited that one of his best buds, Joshua, is in his class. Not excited enough to really pose with him, but oh well!

Two things I most want to remember about today: Ryan taking my hand as we crossed the street to the school this morning and him telling me when I picked him up that he "loved first grade!"

More Greer's Ferry

2011-08-07T21:48:00.001-05:00

A few more of us out on the boat:

This morning, I took my early risers out to try and find Bridal Veil Falls. The parking area was well marked, but not the trails. We wandered for awhile and found some neat rock formations:

Finally found a viewing platform and figured the falls must be close.

Unfortunately, there wasn't much water falling. We didn't trek down to the bottom (it was over 100 degrees in Greer's Ferry this weekend!), but hope go back sometime after it rains!

One more trip out on the boat before heading home. Ryan has become quite the first mate, helping Matt when we left the marina and returned.

The Joys of Summer: Greer's Ferry Lake

2011-08-06T21:45:00.004-05:00

Out on the boat last night and again tonight. It's amazingly hot here, but on the water, there's a breeze and it's been quite choppy. The water is quite pleasant.

Aunt Barb taught Jillian how to work the shades and pose like a movie star:

And no one had to show her how to jump in! She's just as fearless on the boat as she is at the pool!

The whole family in Greer's Ferry Lake:

Tired bunch:

Video from Barb:

More Swimming Lessons

2011-08-04T21:31:00.001-05:00

While Ryan does swimming lessons, Scott works out and Jillian and I "swim in da big pool!" The car wash:

The shower:

Jumping off the side:

I love that there is such a big 2 1/2 foot deep area that she can play in:

A little Jillian video:

Meanwhile, Ryan works on his breast stroke:

And his crawl:

Then they practiced saving the swimming instructor:

And we found out that my little bean fits inside a locker:

The Joys of Summer: Old and New Haunts

2011-08-04T14:46:00.004-05:00

We braved the high Memphis temps today for an early trip to the zoo with our friends Heidi, Aiden and Xander. We hit the Animals of the Night exhibit first and were treated to the animals with the lights up! Since they are nocturnal, the zoo has reveresed their sleep patterns and the lights are always off when you come during the day. We could actually see many of the animals this time (although many were still sleeping):

Jillian wanted to see the "oooh-ooh, aaah-ahs" (monkeys). Ryan:

Jillian:

And Aiden:

The kids were hot (we spent some time in the air conditioned Polar Bear area just after this):

Watching for sea lions:

And over at Teton Trek, I should have known better than telling a 2-year-old just to get her feet wet:

We had no plans for afterwards, and Heidi suggested trying Jerry's Sno Cones which we had never been to. Wow! It was awesome and only 13 minutes from our house! We will be going back!

Cherry makes your teeth red:

Getting every last drop:

Strawberry makes your whole face red:

But grape, apparently doesn't:

Even Xander enjoyed it!

TRI

2011-07-30T10:34:00.002-05:00

I never thought I was the type to run a marathon (4 hours of running just doesn't sound fun to me!), but a few years ago I thought a triathlon might be a physical challenge I could reach for. Last year I heard about the Annie Oakley Super Sprint Triathlon. It is a female only race. It is a 400 m lake swim, 11 mile road bike, and 2 mile trail run. I knew I could do all those things separately, maybe I could put them together in one race.

So in January I started swimming at school. My goal was once a week, but it probably was more like once a month. I was biking at least once a week and running when I could. In May and June I really picked it up, running 2-3 times a week, biking 2 times a week, and swimming when I could. I really thought I could do this!

After the 5K in July I started to question if I could really do this. I bought a road bike from a friend and that brought a new set of insecurities because it had clip in pedals and my first ride I fell twice.

The week before the race, I came to terms with a lot of things. First, this race was for me. I had to do it at my pace (which I didn't do in July's 5K) and I had to focus on MY goals. I was not racing Carrie (my good friend who was also running this, but is a faster biker and runner than I am) or anybody else. For this first tri, I was just racing me. This week I ran, biked and swam and felt really confident going into today.

My goals for the race:

1. Finish it. As long as I completed it, I told myself I was not going to walk away disappointed.

2. Not be last.

3. Finish in under 2 hours. I was estimating 30 minutes for the swim, an hour for the bike, and 30 minutes for the run. There was part of me that thought I could do it in an hour and a half (15 min/50 min/20-30 min), but I didn't want to be disappointed, so I stuck with 2 hours.

Saturday morning was nerve racking! Got to Herb Parsons Lake around 5:30 am and got ourselves ready. Glad to have lots of time to get everything set.

And finally, I dove in (second from the left)!

About 12 minutes later I got out and was ready to bike:

One hour and three minutes into it, I rolled in...no falls, but couldn't unclip my second foot when I was done, so I just unstrapped it and ran in! The bike ride felt really good and was a little faster than my normal 11 mile time.

At this point, I thought, maybe I can do this in 1:30! Even though this leg was where the tired feeling set in my 2 mile trail run/walk was enough. I did run the last 1/4 mile which was back out of the woods where everyone could see. And I made it!!

Don't let that time fool you. It was a staggered start. Ryan points out my actual chip time below:

That's 1:29:31 if you can't read it! And he's covering my friend Carrie's time right below mine. She did it in 1:26! I am so happy with how the whole thing went! And I learned a lot in the process. Things I chose not to worry about this time could earn me some time next race. Buying a tri-suit so I don't have to add clothes and can have a quicker transition for example. I will also do more endurance training. The run was when I really got tired. Carrie and I did one bike/run, but I will do more of those before I do this again.

Thanks for reading this and thanks to everyone who supported me through this!!

First Lost Tooth!

2011-07-29T10:31:00.001-05:00

Yesterday morning, the loose tooth was hanging on by just a bit, so when Scott came home from work, we tried again:

And had success!

And the tooth fairy did not disappoint!

The Joys of Summer: Swimming Lessons

2011-07-27T22:27:00.002-05:00

Ryan is taking swimming lessons this week and next at the Y:

They are teaching him real strokes which is what I think he really needs at this point. Breast Stroke:

And they get to jump in the deep end when they're finished:

The Joys of Summer: Summer Storms

2011-07-22T22:16:00.002-05:00

We had a few storms pop up out of the blue today. Didn't do much to squelch the crazy heat and humidity, but made for some entertainment. The first storm drew Ryan and I outside while Jillian was napping because it was raining at one end of the street, but not at the other.

Leter, there was another storm and we're thankful that they were long enough to water everything today!

Dumping water in a bucket:

Dumping water on herself:

Today, they were cooperating!

The Joys of Summer: Swimming!

2011-07-21T13:05:00.003-05:00

It was over to the Paulo's pool today for swimming with friends! I finally found Ryan's old swim vest to see if it would work for Jillian. She's been using an inner tube all summer and doing well with that, but I thought I'd feel more confident with her in the deep end in something that didn't require her to hold on to it.

On Tuesday, she tried it out the first time. It kind of flipped her over and she had to get the hang of controlling herself in it, but soon she was pointing to the deep end and the diving board. The first dozen or so times, she held my hand jumping off it, but you can see that today, she's Miss Independent:

How about a video?

Ryan's gotten stronger this summer too, swimming greater distances and starting to work on some strokes.

I couldn't get them to get together and smile, so this will have to do:

The Joys of Summer: Picking Peaches

2011-07-17T13:01:00.001-05:00

You can pick peaches just about all summer at Jones Orchard.

The white ones that Scott likes best are ripe now and they taste like honey!

The Joys of Summer: The Summer Drive In

2011-07-15T21:49:00.000-05:00

Ryan has been planning his birthday party since spring. It was getting pretty complicated and I was worried he was going to have such a grand plan, that he would be disappointed with the final real product.

Then he changed his mind and suggested a Cars 2 party at the Summer Drive In.

We got a group of his friends together at our house for pizza and cake.

Then loaded them all up and took them to the drive in:

It was hot, and the boys were full of energy (we filled them up with sugar AND it was a full moon!), but it went really well!

The Joys of Summer: More Summer Birthdays!

2011-07-13T21:37:00.002-05:00

Today someone's turning seven! And we're all excited to celebrate with him!

Nanny and Gramps are in town for it. We had pancakes for breakfast and blew out candles for the first time:

Ryan picked Stevi B's for dinner (of course) and we were excited that Matt and Barb, and Melissa and Mason could come and join us! Cars 2 cupcakes:

Yum!

Ryan and Mason have been friends since Ryan was 3 weeks old and we're sad that he is moving to Florida in 2 days! Glad he could celebrate with us tonight!

Finally, it was off to get his birthday present, a new bigger bike!

The Joys of Summer: Old Friends

2011-07-10T21:33:00.001-05:00

We are so lucky that when we come to town our friends make an effort to meet up with us. After the beach, we headed to Mark and Shelby's and more friends came over Friday night to hang out.

Jillian and Emily in their cute nightgowns:

Ryan and Wesley being silly boys:

Wesley and Mr. Shane:

Saturday morning, we got in the lake behind their house:

And raced some RC boats around the lake:

And as we packed up to head home this morning, Jillian found a nice spot sitting in a cooler, "talking" on Miss Shelby's old phone:

More OC

2011-07-07T15:18:00.003-05:00

Scott was very intent on getting Casey (his parent's dog) to the beach. Discovered that the national park onm Assateague Island had dog beaches, so we tried that yesterday.

Casey may need a little time to get used to the water:

We did play in the water and sand for a bit and flew a kite:

But, sadly it started raining not too long into our visit and we left. Did get to see the ponies on the way out, but because of the traffic, rain and my position in the back seat, this is the best shot I could get:

That night we had dinner out in Delaware on our way to a magic show! This guy was great! His show was all card tricks. Dad got called up to help with one, then Ryan did! Here's Ryan and Jon Armstrong (the magician) after the show:

And the card that Ryan (and two other audience members before him) had to sign:

This morning we did another of my favorite things to do in Ocean City: rode bikes on the boardwalk (good thing since we hauled the bikes all the way from Memphis!). Can you see Jillian in her seat up ahead?

After that, we had lunch at Mackey's:

And came home to give Jillian a nap. While she napped, Ryan and I went out to make a grandmother bracelet to Grammy and hit the Kite Loft to get Ryan his own kite.

We did the beach in the afternoon and tried it out:

Jillian says it's going to go up:

Sadly, the kite did not want to stay up:

So we went back to the boardwalk to exchange it and get some Fisher's popcorn and more Dumser's!

The Joys of Summer: Ocean City, Maryland

2011-07-04T14:52:00.000-05:00

What would summer be without a trip to the East Coast? We made the two day trek opting for the route over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel as opposed to dealing with July 4th traffic around DC and over the Bay Bridge in Maryland. We LOVE the brindge-tunnel! Can you see Jillian napping in the side mirror below?

Hit the beach on Sunday and got right into digging:

More digging on Monday the 4th, along with burying:

So lucky to have in-laws who live close to the beach and family who could get away to see us here for a few days. So a family trip can double as a trip to the beach. All the cousins:

Just the girls:

The surf was right up on the beach all week, but the kids still caught some waves:

He even smiled through the wipe outs:

Waiting for a good one:

Catching it:

And some of us just got in:

The big boys:

Tonight, the Sprouse's headed home, but the Foley's stuck around and the kids rode in Grandad's convertible to go get Dumser's!

Fourth of July 5K

2011-07-04T13:09:00.002-05:00

Both Scott & I have been running lately and I have run a few 5Ks in the last year. I thought it'd be fun to run one together. This trip seemed like a great chance, since mom & dad could keep an eye on the kids for us. When I mentioned it to my sister-in-laws, they thought my nephews (who are both training for their first high school soccer try-outs) might be interested. We even talked my brother-in-law into joining us!

Here we are in Dewey Beach this morning:

I had been running well lately, and was hoping for a 28 minute finish. I was figuring I could beat Scott (who I have been running faster than) and Mike (who is naturally athletic, but hadn't trained at all).

Well, I set out fast (turns out, too fast). Did an 8 1/2 minute first mile (not sure I've ever run a mile so fast) and got passed by both Mike and Scott and died on the last mile. Ended up with a time similar to many of my other 5K times which was a big disappointment for me and made me kind of re-evaluate how I am running.

On the flip side, I am so proud of everyone else who ran! My nephew Matt was 58 our of 785 runners and 10th for his age group (14-18...and he's at the low end of 14!). Alex finished second out of our group. Mike finished in about 29 minutes and Scott in his fastest 3 mile time ever!

It was nice to have the family at the finish line:

Here we are post race:

Still Loose

2011-07-03T21:11:00.000-05:00

Despite the grown-up tooth pushing up behind the baby tooth:

And despite tries by daddy and lots of others to get it out:

the loose tooth is hanging on!

The Joys of Summer: Downtown Memphis

2011-06-30T14:22:00.005-05:00

Today started with blueberry pancakes! Scott flipped them to be sure I didn't burn them:

Then there were some stickers:

And a little fort:

Then we headed dowtown. First up: the Peabody Ducks. It's been awhile since we have done this and I think it was Jillian's first time!

The Barbour family:

My little cutie-pie:

Went here for lunch:

Hooray for paper boats!

Some interesting sights:

And some funny instructions:

Next it was off to possibly the only activity one can do outdoors in Memphis in the hot summer: Mud Island River Park!

Jillian was steadier than I expected:

She and Ezra enjoyed splashing:

All the kids went under one of the bridges:

Including Jillian:

Out she comes:

Love this one:

Hanging near the fountain:

Snack break:

Me and the kids:

Back at home we enjoyed some homemade guacamole:

Later that evening, the kids watched Gnomeo and Juliet:

And after the kids went to bed I learned a new game (actually won the first hand!):

The Joys of Summer: Visits from Friends

2011-06-29T14:09:00.002-05:00

Friends from Maryland visited us on their big round the country trip 2011. Thye have three children close in age to Ryan and Jillian, so it was big fun for two days!

Apparently, Zoe and Ketzel enjoy dressing up and putting on plays as much as Ryan does:

Jillian got into it too:

It's kind of our tradition to have barbecue at least one night that friends are in town! Ezra got his first taste of Memphis BBQ tonight:

More playing:

Stories beofre bed:

Slumber party in Ryan's room (flash back to New Year's Eve):

The Joys of Summer: Picking Blueberries

2011-06-29T14:00:00.001-05:00

I thought we had missed prime blueberry picking while we were away in California, but they are still available! The Barbour family came to town today and joined us in Mississippi to pick blues!

The little ones liked them:

The big kids picked a bunch:

The Mommys did, too:

A fine harvest:

We made blueberry cobbler, pancakes, and milkshakes!

Leaving San Diego

2011-06-26T13:56:00.001-05:00

Today we finished up our trip to California. We had a fantastic time with the Burgamy's and Canaris's and we are so thankful to them for their time and hospitality.

Aunt Sandy could't resist getting a picture of us and our lovely rental car (which we avioided driving most of the week except to the beach so we wouldn't get Aunt Sandy's car sandy), the Crown Vic!

We flew home through Salt Lake City, which means a new state all around, even if it is with an asterisk:

Back home we were met with a wall of heat and humidity right out of the airport. Home, sweet home!

Day Eight in San Diego: The Midway

2011-06-25T12:47:00.001-05:00

Ryan started playing battleship this year and I thought it would be cool to show him what a real aircraft carrier was. Who better to ask than a retired naval commander (Uncle Kirk) to see if we could get aboard one. Turns out, anybody can get aboard the Midway, a retired aircraft carrier turned museum in San Diego's harbor.

We started our journey on the hanger deck:

And then journeyed into the ship. Uncle Kirk called these knee (or was it knee-cap) breakers. Apparently the sailors became very adept at running through the halls and hurdling these. Jillian had a little trouble:

She liked the bunks, though:

Uncle Kirk briefed us:

Doesn't Ryan look interested?

Scott and Jillian are ready for their dog fights!

Back on the hanger deck, there were lots of cockpits you could sit in:

Little boy, big ammunition:

Little girl, big stairwell/ladder:

And everyone got in the brig:

The kids worked hard on the ship:

And, finally, the flight deck:

Jillian drove some planes around:

She and Daddy checked out one helicopter:

And then another. This one was used to pick up capsules from the Apollo missions, including Apollo 13:

Too much excitement for little Jacob. He was a good sport to spend most of the day on the ship!

They take your picture on a green screen when you first get on. It's a nice momento:

Aunt Sandy got this one of us with the "island" in the background:

Scott and the USS Midway:

We had a fabulous lunch at the Fish Market afterwards and Aunt Sandy read to the kids:

And we thought the paving outside of our house was cool...

2011-06-24T22:38:00.002-05:00

It's funny that something that many people view as an inconvenience is really a fun happening when you have young kids. They are "undergrounding" the power lines in my aunt and uncle's neighborhood and wouldn't you know that they started on her street the week we were visiting? So many times this week, when the kids were grumpy, we'd take them outside to see what the construction guys were doing.

In the morning at 7am:

Ryan made such good friends with them that they let him put his name in the concrete!

And one evening, we finally went out and and climbed around on the equipment:

Day Seven in San Diego: Old Town

2011-06-24T12:38:00.002-05:00

My aunt and uncle's home is in Mission Hills. From there, it is only about a half mile walk to Old Town San Diego, so today, we walked down to explore with the kids (Uncle Kirk had taken Scott and I down on Sunday).

Later we returned with everyone for dinner at Casa Guadalajara which is where my cousin had her rehearsal dinner the last time we were in town. It was yummy! Jason held onto both little ones while we waited:

Aunt Sandy got this good shot of me and Scott:

And the kids threw pennies in the fountain:

Got these shots of the kids back at the house:

And the rest of the evening we just relaxed, played ping pong and blew bubbles:

Day Six in San Diego: Point Loma

2011-06-23T11:35:00.010-05:00

Scott and I went to Point Loma when we visited San Diego in 1996, but I didn't know anything about the tidal pools. Aunt Sandy thought Ryan might enjoy it, but the truth is that we all did! Ryan was old enough that we didn't have to hold onto him, which made it easier to hang on to Jill. The drop offs at the water's edge were a little scary at times.

Looking for sea life:

Mostly crabs scurrying around and shellfish clinging to rocks:

Found a few hermit crabs:

And Jillian was willing to hold it for a second:

The grey didn't burn off until around 4 today, so it was a good day to be doing this. Ryan took this one for us:

The boys headed down to explore:

While Jilly and I took some self portraits:

Love the layered stone:

And the splashing waves:

Most of what we saw was just along the water's edge (they say the best time to comeis in winter at low tide, so we are a bit out of season), but we did find one true "pool" back in a little cave. In it we saw fish that were really well camouflaged.

Scott and Jill on the outer edge of the pool:

Ryan crawling through the cave:

Jillian working it:

Favorite family pictures:

We left the tidal pools and headed back up the hill to the original Point Loma lighthouse located in Cabrillo National Monument:

The lighthouse was closed for some reason when Scott and I were here in 1996, but this time it was open for us to walk through.

Jillian tells me that they are up there:

We could climb almost to the very top:

Close enough to get this shot of the light:

And at Cabrillo's actual monument, Ryan and Scott recreated a pose made famous by Scott and Aunt Sandy 15 years ago:

After this, we met Aunt Sandy, Sarah, Jason and Jacob for lunch at one of Sarah's favorite restaurants: The Corvette Diner. Great burgers, yummy milkshakes, and awesome music make for a fun lunch!

The sun came out later for us to walk to a park. Jillian and Jacob slid together today: