Let's Go 'Bama!

John, Jax and I enjoyed watching the Alabama - Tennessee game on Saturday.  Jax makes his daddy proud when he says "Roll Tide Roll"!  We were very happy with the outcome!  Go 'Bama!

Pumpkin Farm Fun

John and I took Jax took to Gentry's Farm last Saturday for a morning of pumpkins, chickens, games and more.  The weather was perfect  - a beautiful blue sky and warm sunshine.  Jax checked played a few games, went through the barn maze, checked out the chickens and petted the goats.  Then it was off to see the cows and farm.  The hayride was fun and we saw a few newborn calves. After the hayride it was time to pick a pumpkin.  Jax found the perfect pumpkin for carving a Jack-o-lantern and he found a "baby" pumpkin to go with it.  I love family days like this.  We all had a great morning and look forward to going again next year.

PJ Day

Last week Jax had Pajama Day in his Mother's Day Out class.  It was very odd to say to him "let's get your pjs on" as I was getting him dressed for school.    When I picked him up I  forgot to take a change of clothes.  Not a big deal except I had promised him that we could go shopping for a Halloween costume that afternoon.  I offered to take him home for a quick change but he was totally content to go shopping in his pjs so off to Target we went.  He decided to be a fireman this year and we found the cutest jacket and hat.  He couldn't wait to get home to try it on.  He is an adorable little fireman.  I hope he actually wears his costume this year since last year he refused.  I think he's really excited  so we will see.

My Birthday Weekend Continues

My birthday celebration continued on Saturday.  John and Jax took me to Merridee's for a tasty breakfast of french toast, eggs, bacon and potato casserole.  And yes.. I brought home some of those yummy fat-free cinnamon rolls.  I keep a stash in the freezer. 

 Our usual family pic!

 Yummy!

 So excited!  Who knew knives, forks and spoons could get such a reaction!

 Getting organized!  Makes Mommy so proud!

 I love my hubby...

 and my hubby loves me!

 The best time of the evening - everyone was so quiet even Jax! 

On Saturday night my parents and brother came over for another birthday celebration.  We enjoyed BBQ, slaw, baked beans, pasta salad and fruit.  My mom brought my favorite cake from the Flour Shop in Brentwood.  White cake with white frosting - so yummy!  It was such a fun night.  I am so blessed to have a family that loves me so much. 

My Birthday Weekend Begins

What can we eat next, Granddad?

Mom and me

Dad and me

Jax having fun with Mema!

My birthday began with yummy lunch with Jax and my parents at Merridee's in Franklin. Merridee's is one of my favorite places. I stop in at least once a week to pick up a few fat free (yes- it's true) cinnamon rolls but I haven't enjoyed lunch there in a while so it was a nice treat. They had a delicious wild rice soup on Friday. I may have to stop in at lunch time more often. My fun day continued when my mom stopped by my house later with a birthday balloon bouquet. What a delightful surprise! Of course, my little guy had fun playing with them. He loves balloons.

My little guy with Mommy!

Helping Mommy blow out her candle.

This is gooooooood!

My boys treated me to a special birthday dinner at Outback Steakhouse.  We go every year now on my birthday since that's where John and I went the night we got engaged.   He didn't propose there but I remember having a really fun birthday dinner so it's just a happy place for me.  Time goes by so quickly.  That was five years ago - October 8, 2005!  Anyway, back to this year.  We had a delicious dinner.  Both of my boys love steak so they were happy.  I enjoyed my usual - Chicken on the Barbie.  We continued the celebration at home with a yummy cupcake from Merridee's.  Jax helped me blow out the candle and open my presents.  My boys are very good to me.  They made my day special and I love them very much.

Lunch with Savannah

Savannah and Jax

 I think she likes it!

Jax and I took Savannah (my niece) to lunch on Wednesday.  She is a college freshman and loving every minute of it.  I had asked her to go to lunch a few weeks ago but life got busy and so Wednesday was the first day that we could go.  It turned out to be a couple of days before her birthday so we were able to celebrate her special day.  She chose Panera Bread in Green Hills so off we went.  We had a fun lunch with lots of laughs and good food.  She was excited to open her gift and I think she really liked it.  We hope to enjoy another lunch sometime soon! 

Toy Story - Disney on Ice

What a fun Sunday!  We began our day  at church.  Jax had a great class talking about forgiveness and making an adorable happy face.  I am so proud of the way he just marches into class these days.  John and I are helping with Children's Worship for the month of October so we enjoyed being with the little ones during worship.  Jax did great singing and listening today.  He hasn't taken to CW as easily as he has Bible class so I'm glad he had a good day.  After church we went to Pizza Perfect for a quick bite before going to the Bridgestone Arena to enjoy Toy Story on Ice. It was a delightful and colorful show with all of Jax's favorite characters.  We did not tell Jax that we were taking him so he was very surprised.  He did great through the entire show but got a little tired toward the end.  It was a fun family outing. 

Our Days at the Beach

YAY!  We're finally (almost) to the beach!

Tasty orange juice from the Orange State!

A first night visit to the beach!

My little sand baby!

Ready to ride the waves!

 Don't worry - John was close by!

 Getting a little tired.

 A perfect pose!

Greeted by a beautiful rainbow on Sunday morning!

 My boys!

 A little unsure and.....

 a little cold.

 My little green frog!

 A pillow fight with daddy!

 Lunch at Pier Park followed by....

 yummy ice cream!

 Our last night at the beach.

John, Jax and I took a fun family vacation to Panama City Beach last week. Our journey began with an overnight visit with Grandma in Huntsville then we headed South. Yes - we heard many times during the trip "Are we at the beach?" All in all Jax did great on the way down. He just got restless a few times but we took a few breaks and he was fine. We promised him that he could go to the beach as soon as we got there so even though it was already dark we gathered a bucket and shovel and went to the beach. He was so happy to touch the sand and play for a few minutes. Needless to say he had to have a bath when we went back to the condo. He was covered from head to toe.

The next day we were at the beach bright and early for a fun day of sand and sun.  Jax loved playing in the water.  I got a little nervous a few times because he was so brave and was not afraid to swim around on his own but John stayed close to him and he did great.  We enjoyed walks on the beach.  Jax found lots of seashells to bring home.  The pool was a little cool so John and Jax spent more time swimming than I did but I enjoyed sitting poolside watching the fun.  We went shopping one morning for a while but Jax was anxious to get back to the beach.

It was a fun time for our family.  We left CoCo with my brother Jay so she had fun playing with Tyler and Scruffy.  I missed her a lot.  She may have to join us next time.