Birthday Fun

Hey Mommy! That cake looks yummy!

Enjoying lunch with my sweet baby!

This week has been my week. I believe in celebrating the entire week of my birthday. Tuesday night we had a family birthday celebration. Mom brought my favorite cake from The Flour Shop decorated with pink roses. Beautiful and delicious! Jax enjoyed a few bites of cake. Of course, he also enjoyed all of the attention! He has a habit of stealing the spotlight.

Yesterday - my actual birthday was a great day. My husby surprised me by taking the day off. My boys took me to lunch - mexican - yummy! After lunch I went for a pedi and did a little shopping with my birthday money. It was such a fun day.

What I've Been Doing

This week has been busy for me. I took on the challenge of reorganizing and clearing out our storage room. We have a large space just off of our guest bedroom that is great for keeping seasonal decorations, wrapping supplies, teaching materials, etc. We had accumulated several empty boxes -you know - "just in case we have to return it." Unfortunately, we kept adding to the mix and didn't take the time to recycle those that we knew we didn't need anymore. I spent Wednesday night making trip after trip to the garage with those empty boxes. This morning I broke them down and took them to the recycling center. My husby even let go of his XBox 360 box - I'm proud of you, honey! I still have some work to do. My goal for the month of November is to sort through my Christmas decorations and keep only what I know I will use. I feel a great since of accomplishment for what I've done so far. Of course, there's always more to be done.

Breakfast at Puffy

Saturday morning I enjoyed breakfast with my wonderful friends, Erin and Ann Marie at Puffy Muffin. We share a love of their famous Ginger Tea. We talked and laughed for about two hours. I always enjoy these breakfast outings with my girlfriends. I wish we could get together more often but both are very busy girls. We are planning a bridal shower for a dear friend of ours so we discussed all of the fun details for that. Such a fun morning - thanks girls!

CoCo

Last summer (before Jax arrived), CoCo and I spent a lot of time on our couch. We ate popsicles (it was a hot summer) and napped most afternoons. I think CoCo misses that time with her Mommy!

Am I adorable or what?

Three years ago today, John and I travelled to the small town of Smithville on a beautiful Saturday morning to see a little pup named BeBe. I had gotten the notion that I wanted a dog - a Newfoundland to be exact. John found a "newfie" mix on petfinder.com. John contacted the Dekalb Humane Society and the journey began. The Humane Society was having adoption day at the local Food Lion. When I first saw her I doubted that she was any part Newfoundland but after looking into those big brown eyes I had to bring her home. John signed the adoption papers and we were on our way. I immediately changed her name to CoCo just because I loved the name. She lived with me until John and I were married in February of the next year. We had lots of good times together as "single girls."

CoCo is such a special part of our family. Jax loves her and she is very sweet with him. I know they are going to be the best of friends as Jax grows up. She is a gentle and sweet-natured dog (although she has quite a loud bark.) When I look at her I can't imagine how anyone could have left her on the side of the road when she was just days old. I'm thankful that she is part of our lives. She brings great joy to our family and we love her very much.

Jungle Fun

Jax, Uncle Jay and I enjoyed a fun day at the Nashville Zoo. Jax loved the giraffes. We were almost close enough to touch one of them. He also liked the meerkats. It was the perfect day for a stroll around the zoo. All of the animals were out and enjoying a lazy day. We are so glad that Uncle Jay could go with us. We look forward to going again soon.

September 12

Before John and I tucked sweet baby Jax in last night, we read the book September 12th - We Knew Everything Would Be All Right. It's a precious book that was written and illustrated by first-grade students of H. Byron Masterson Elementary School in Kennett, Missouri the day after September 11, 2001. It's a book that I read to my second graders each year as we remembered that tragic day in our country's history. Although Jax is too young to understand I wanted to begin a tradition of reading it as a family each year on September 11 because one day Jax will understand. I want Jax to grow up being grateful for the great country in which we live. I watched much of the coverage yesterday of the memorial services for the victims of that sad day. Of course I remember where I was. I actually did not learn of the attacks until I took my class to lunch that Tuesday. The first thing I did after returning to my classroom was call my mom. I just wanted to hear my mom's voice because then I knew it would be okay. I recall hearing our first lady, Laura Bush say the exact thing. She called her mom just to hear her voice. There's just something about moms.

I'm so grateful that our country is safe and has not been attacked since that day - something that we may not always remember. For the many criticisms that President Bush has received, I believe that he deserves a thank you for doing all he has to make our nation a safer place.

Meet Tyler

Meet Tyler my new "nephew". Isn't he adorable? My brother Jay adopted him on Monday from Happy Tales. He is three years old and just precious. Jay surprised me on Tuesday when he came to visit. Jax loves him and CoCo is happy to have another "cousin." Jay has another dog, Scruffy that I simply adore. CoCo and Scruffy love to have play dates. Tyler is going to love them, too. Welcome to our family - Tyler!

Special Day - Special People

Happy Grandparent's Day - Mema and Granddaddy!

Jax took Mema and Granddaddy to lunch on Monday to celebrate Grandparent's Day. We went to Logan's Roadhouse - one of our favorite places! As always we had lots of fun and Jax ate lots of cheese. He's not ready for peanuts just yet! Thanks for being such wonderful and loving grandparents. We love you!

Precious Moment

Mema and Granddaddy gave Jax a Mickey Mouse several months ago and he has grown very fond of The Mouse. He bites his nose and carries him around with him. A few days ago Jax and I were playing our "get cozy" game so I tucked him and Mickey in a cozy blanket and captured this precious moment. I'm so glad my camera was close by. Priceless!

A Little "ME" Time

What a wonderful day! I took a little time for me today. My first stop - a long awaited pedicure. It was so relaxing. I read a magazine without being interrupted - once! After my pedi - I walked through the mall making a few stops to pick up some things. It was so strange not pushing a stroller with my sweet baby. I always miss Jax when I am away but it was nice just to take my time and not worry about his schedule. I appreciate my wonderful "husby" taking care of Jax while I took a little time for myself.

This afternoon John, Jax and I went to the Franklin library to pick up a couple of books that I had requested. It was John's first time to visit our library and he was very impressed. In a few months, Jax and I will be going to Toddler Story time. I'm looking forward to those mornings.

Tonight has been a quiet evening at home. Jax is asleep, John is playing his "favorite" computer game, CoCo is.... actually I'm not sure where CoCo is but she's probably snoozing in "one" of her favorite places and I am getting ready to watch a special report on FOX NEWS about our next vice president Sarah Palin!

I feel very blessed!

Crossing the Finish Line

We did it - both with record times! Jay crossed the finish line with a time of 28:52 and I came in a few minutes later with a time of 36:35.

I ran a little faster knowing that my boys were waiting for me at the finish line. Jax loved the bracelet I received for finishing the race.

Gustav

I am so thankful to be safe in my home tonight. I have watched the coverage of Hurricane Gustav almost all day. I found myself with tears in my eyes as I watched people boarding planes and buses as they were being evacuated. I'm thankful that they are being transported to safe places but I'm sad for them because they have to leave their homes and most of their belongings behind. I realize that material possessions can be replaced but I can't imagine having to leave my home and not knowing if I will be returning to it because a home is very different than a house. A home is a place of warmth and fond memories. My prayers and thoughts are with the people of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. As I drift off to sleep in a few minutes, I will be thinking about how fortunate I am to be in my home with my family because it is something I sometimes take for granted.

Granddaddy Celebrates

Tuesday was Granddaddy's special day. Jax and I met Granddaddy, Mema, Uncle Jay and Uncle John at Cracker Barrel for a birthday breakfast to celebrate his day. Jax loves his Granddaddy so much. His little face lites up when he sees him or just hears his voice. We enjoyed a delicious breakfast and shared a few laughs too. It was a fun morning.

Yesterday, Jax and I had a lazy day. We read, played and enjoyed being at home. A few chores got done too.

My "husby" is going to be off from work tomorrow because of a dental appointment in the morning. He needs a driver so Jax and I will be taking him to the dentist. I look forward to having him home for a long weekend.

Monday is the Franklin Classic 5k. I'm looking forward to it and I'm hoping to improve my time from my last 5k. My brother Jay and I have a great time participating in these races. It's a fun time for us to spend together. I'll let you know how it goes.

Bye-Bye Curly Locks

I get my curls from my Mommy!
Thanks Daddy! Great job!

Last night John and I gave Jax his first haircut. Actually, I watched as John cut my sweet baby's curls. We had talked about cutting his hair but had decided to wait until Sunday. During bathtime we changed our minds again so John grabbed a pair of scissors and starting cutting. Jax was so good. He just played with his bath toys as usual. I was a little sad when I realized what we were doing but I've already tucked a few locks safely away in Jax's baby book.

Today has been a lazy day for us. We went to church this morning and went to the mall this afternoon but not much in between. We watched the closing ceremonies of the Olympics. Incredible! We are going to miss watching them each night.

My Gold Medalist

What a fun day! Jax and I went to Gymboree today. This was our second time so Jax was familiar with his surroundings. We had so much fun playing together and with the other children. At times he would just sit and watch the other babies with a look of fascination on his face. He loved Miss Jenna's musical box. He definitely received a perfect "10" on his floor program today!

After Gymboree we visited with Mema and Granddaddy for a little while. Jax was a trooper for letting Mommy stop by the grocery store before falling asleep a few minutes from home.

Family Outing

This afternoon Jax and I met John at Green Hills Mall for a quick stroll and then we went to Pizza Perfect in Hillsboro Village for a quick bite. John had hockey practice at Centennial Sportsplex so it was a wonderful reason to travel to Nashville for the afternoon. Jax and I have been homebodies for the past week so it was nice to get out. Pizza Perfect is a favorite place for us. When John and I were dating we ate there almost every Sunday after worship. It brings back a lot of happy memories.

My home is very quiet at this moment. John hasn't gotten home from his practice, Jax is sleeping peacefully and Coco is just hanging out with me. I miss John when he is away but I enjoy my quiet nights.

Girls' Night Out

Last night, I had a fun night (early evening) out with a dear friend. We had a delicious dinner at Chili's. Our time together always goes by too quickly. We talk about everything from school happenings (she is an elementary school principal) to our wonderful husbands. We are planning a bridal shower for another friend so we had fun making plans for a special day for her. My sweet friend is always so understanding so when I said I wanted to get home to kiss my baby boy goodnight she smiled and said of course. I'm very blessed to have her in my life and I cherish the time we spend together.

Getting It All Done

I'm a planner. It drives my "husby" crazy because he's not. I like to know when something is going to be done and I want it done by then. After Jax came along my planning got a little more complicated. The one thing I was struggling with was housework. It seemed that I never got done what I wanted done in a day. Finally, I took the time to make a schedule. Wow! What a difference it has made! I no longer try to do everything or too many things on a given day and I've given myself two days off a week (from household chores that is)! I have so much more time and I'm definitely a lot more productive each day. It is amazing how taking a few minutes (which I didn't think I had) to map out a plan has changed my world. I may actually get to scrapbook wedding photos after all.

Brave Boy

Jax went for his one year wellness visit today. He was very brave as he received his vaccinations. He has the sweetest pediatrician. He is very gentle and patient with Jax. We are enjoying a quiet afternoon after our busy morning.

A Day of Celebration

Welcome! I'm so excited to begin my blog on this very special day. One year ago today God blessed John and I with a beautiful baby boy. The past year has been filled with happy moments, tired days and nights and more love than either of us could have ever imagined. Yesterday, we had a wonderful birthday celebration with our loving families. It was an afternoon filled with lots of laughter and fun. Jax loved the attention and lit up when everyone sang Happy Birthday to him. He has many new toys and books to keep him busy.

Today, John and I took Jax to Build-A-Bear Workshop. Bananas is the newest member of our family. Jax loved watching his new monkey come to life and he squealed with delight as I dressed him. I believe that he and Bananas will be the best of friends. John and I enjoyed spending the day with our precious baby boy. He is truly a delight and we feel so blessed.

I look forward to sharing a glimpse of our little part of the world with you. Please visit often.