GRANDMOTHER'S ARE SPECIAL

JULY 4TH EVENING, WE WENT TO MY MOMS! THE KIDS SWAM WITH EMILY AND ADAM AND THEN WE SHOT SOME FIREWORKS! CARTER WASN'T TO FOND OF THEM BUT JAYCIE LIKED THEM, THE ONES THAT WERENT TOO LOUD ANYWAY! WE HAD A GREAT TIME! ENJOY THE PICTURES!

WATCHING THE FIREWORKS

BEING A LIL MOTORBOAT

THEY BOTH LOVED THE SNAPPIN POPS

THIS IS MY FAVORITE OF THE NIGHT! SO SWEET !!! 

GOD HAS TRULY BLESSED ME WITH A WONDERFUL FAMILY BUT MOST ESPECIALLY A WONDERFUL GRANDMOTHER! SHES EVERYTHING TO OUR FAMILY! SHES A TRUE CHRISTIAN THAT SEES THE BEST IN EVERYONE! SHES SUCH AN INSPIRATION AND I JUST LOVE HER SO MUCH!!! 

I FOUND THIS BIRTHDAY CARD FOR MY GRANDMOTHER THIS YEAR AND IT WAS THE MOST PERFECT CARD I HAVE EVER FOUND FOR ANYONE!

HAVING YOU AS A GRANDMA MEANS BEING LOVED, ENCOURAGED AND CARED ABOUT. IT MEANS HAVING A PAST TO STAND ON AND A FUTURE TO REACH FOR, A FAMILY TO BE PROUD OF, AND A PLACE TO COME HOME TO. 

IT MEANS BELIEVING IN YOURSELF BEAUSE SOMEONE ELSE BELIEVED IN YOU FIRST. HAVING YOU AS A GRANDMA IS SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL TO CELEBRATE!

 SO MY PRAYER IS TONIGHT, GOD HELP ME TO BE A LEAST HALF OF WHAT MY GRANDMOTHER IS. SHE HAS TRULY INSPIRED ME TO BECOME ALL I CAN BE,YOUR NEVER TOO OLD TO STOP LEARNING, ALWAYS SEE THE BEST IN PEOPLE, AND TO ALWAYS PUT FAMILY FIRST! GOD HELP ME BE A GODLY WOMAN THAT YOU WANT ME TO BE AND THAT MY GRANDMOTHER CAN BE PROUD OF! THANK YOU LORD FOR ALL MY MANY BLESSING!!!

TWO LIL MONKEYS

HERE ARE MY TWO LIL MONKEYS AFTER DINNER ONE NIGHT! ARENT THEY THE CUTEST? 

SO THIS MORNING, I GAVE THE KIDS A BATH AS USUAL AND I WAS JUST LETTING THEM RUN AROUND IN THEIR DIAPERS UNTIL RIGHT BEFORE WE LEFT FOR CHURCH. WELL JAYCIE BROUGHT ME THIS SHIRT OF EMILY'S ( DONT KNOW WHERE SHE GOT IT) AND CARTER TOOK IT AND WAS TRYING TO PUT IT ON JAYCIE SO I HELPED HIM OUT AND OH MY GOSH IT WAS SO CUTE ON HER! I TIED IT IN THE BACK AND IT LOOKED LIKE A LIL PROM DRESS ! LOL ! HOW ADORABLE! A LIL MINI ME !!!

LOOKING AT THIS PICTURE MADE ME STOP AND THINK ABOUT THIS TIME LAST YEAR. SHE WAS SO LITTLE THAT SHE WAS ALL SLUMPED OVER WHEN I PUT HER IN THE SWING!  THEY GROW UP FAST !

WE HAVE BEEN SWIMMING A LOT LATELY! EVERY DAY CARTER SAYS " MOMMA CAN WE GO SWIMMING PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE" ITS SO CUTE AND SO HARD NOT TO SAY YES! HE HAS LEARNED THAT IF HE SAYS PLEASE THAT MORE THAN LIKELY WE CAN DO WHATEVER HE ASKS! SO OF COURSE HE TAKES IT TO EXTREME AND SAYS PLEASE LIKE 500 TIMES! HES DEFINITELY TURNING INTO A THREE YEAR OLD AND MY MOM ALWAYS HAS TOLD ME THAT THREE IS WORST THAN TWO AND I THINK SHES RIGHT! DONT GET ME WRONG, CARTER IS SUCH A SWEET LOVING SMART KIDS BUT HES JUST STARTING TO GET THAT ATTITUDE THAT I DONT LIKE. I JUST KEEP TELLING MYSELF,ALL KIDS GO THROUGH IT, ITS JUST PART OF GROWING UP. THIS PHASE WILL BE GONE AS QUICK AS ALL THE OTHERS WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH! I CANT BELIEVE IN 6 MONTHS HE WILL BE THREE AND BE IN PRE SCHOOL. BUT I KNOW HES SOOOO READY, ITS JUST HARD TO LET GO OF MY BABY!

JAYCIE IS NOT SCARED OF ONE THING! SHE LOVES LOVES LOVES THE WATER! SHE WILL LET GO OF YOU AND SWIM BY HERSELF. SHE WILL GO UNDER WATER AND COME UP LAUGHING. SHES A MESS!!! SHE IS SOOO STRONG WILLED! IF SHE WANTS SOMETHING SHES GOING TO GET IT AND GET VERY MAD UNTIL SHE GETS IT! THINGS HAVE TO GO HER WAY OR YOU ARE GOING TO KNOW ABOUT IT! SHES STILL SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT IN HER OWN BED. SHES STILL NOT OFF THE BOTTLE YET WHICH IM NOT TOO WORRIED ABOUT. SHES MY BABY RIGHT? SHE HAS LOTS OF TEETH NOW.  STILL WEIGHS 22 POUNDS, WHICH SHES GETTING A LIL BELLY ON HER BUT SHES GETTING VERY TALL LIKE HER BROTHER! I JUST BOUGHT HER SOME 12-18 MONTH JEANS AND THEY ARE ALREADY TOO SHORT. SHE HASNT EVEN WORN THEM YET! UGH! SHOES, SHES ALREADY OUT GROWN ALMOST ALL HER SHOES FOR THIS SUMMER TOO. SHE NOW NEEDS SIZE 6. CAN SOMEONE PLEASE STOP MY KIDS FROM GROWING FOR A HALF A SECOND PLEASE !!!!

CARTERS FAVORITE WAY TO SWING. IT WAS LAST YEAR TOO ! 

MISS SASSY

WE HAVE HAD A GREAT SUMMER SO FAR. ITS ONLY HALF WAY OVER AND WE CANT WAIT TO SEE WHAT THE SECOND HALF BRINGS!!! A COUPLE THINGS WE WANT TO DO IS GO TO THE RIPLEY WATER PARK, NASHVILLE ZOO(AND MAYBE WATER PARK), KENTUCKY LAKE, AND IM SURE A FEW MORE SPUR OF THE MOMENT SMALL TRIPS SOMEWHERE! WE LOVE TO BE ON THE GO ANS SEE ALL WE CAN SEE AND DO !!! WE HAVE DECIDED THAT WE ARE GOING TO TRY TO GET TO ALL 50 STATES WITH THE KIDS BEFORE THEY ARE 18. WE MANAGED TO GET THROUGH 5 ALREADY ON OUR TRIP TO FLORIDA SO WE ONLY HAVE 45 MORE TO GO. ALASKA AND HAWAII WILL BE OUR LAST TWO AND WE WILL TAKE A CRUISE TO ALASKA AND FLY TO HAWAII BUT THE OTHER STATES WE ARE PROBABLY GOING TO DRIVE THROUGH CUZ I HATE FLYING AND ROAD TRIPS ARE SO MUCH MORE FUN ANYWAY!

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY EVERYONE! THIS YEAR, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A FEW YEARS, WE DID NOTHING THIS WEEKEND! MY PARENTS BROTHER AND EM AND ADAM ALL WENT TO CURRENT RIVER FOR THE WEEKEND. GENE HAD TO WORK THIS WEEKEND SO ME AND THE KIDS HAVE PRETTY MUCH DONE NOTHING THIS WHOLE WEEKEND! I KINDA THOUGHT WE WOULD BE BORED BUT ITS ACTUALLY BEEN PRETTY NICE! WE HAVE PLAYED OUTSIDE, WENT SWIMMING,TAKEN WALKS AND JUST ENJOYED EACH OTHER! ITS BEEN GREAT! SO HERE ARE A FEW PICTURES I MANAGED TO GET OF THE KIDS TODAY AND YESTERDAY ! ENJOY.

GOD BLESS THE U.S.A. HAS ALWAYS BEEN ONE OF MY FAVORITE PATRIOTIC SONGS BUT THIS YEAR IT HAS A LOT MORE MEANING! NOW THAT IM OLDER AND I HAVE A FAMILY AND KIDS LISTENING TO THAT SONG JUST PUTS EVERYTHING INTO PERSPECTIVE..AT THE END OF THE DAY ALL THAT REALLY MATTER IS THAT I HAVE MY FAMILY AND GOD AND NO ONE CAN TAKE THAT AWAY! THEY ARE ALL I NEED IN THIS CRAZY WORLD! THANK YOU TO THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE FOUGHT AND IS STILL FIGHTING FOR OUR FREEDOM!  IM SO GLAD TO LIVE IN AMERICA WHERE WE ARE FREE TO WORSHIP THE LORD! GOD BLESS AMERICA !!! 

If tomorrow all the things were gone
. . I'd worked for all my life,
And I had to start again
. . with just my children and my wife,
I'd thank my lucky stars
. . to be livin' here today.
Cause the flag still stands for freedom
. . And they can't take that away.

    And I'm proud to be an American
    Where at least I know I'm free
    And I won't forget the men who died
    Who gave that right to me
    And I gladly stand up
. . next to you and defend her still today
    Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land
        God bless the USA

FLORIDA VACATION JUNE 2010

THE PAST TEN DAYS WE HAVE BEEN IN FLORIDA ON VACATION! WE HAD A BLAST!!! WE ENDED UP GOING ALL OVER FLORIDA BEFORE WE GOT HOME! WE LEFT ON FRIDAY MORNING AND DROVE STRAIGHT TO CLERMONT FLORIDA WHERE GENE'S SISTER LISA AND HER HUSBAND SHELTON LIVE! IT WAS A 15 HOUR DRIVE! THE KIDS DID GREAT IN THE CAR! SATURDAY WE SLEPT IN AND JUST RESTED AND ENDED UP GOING TO DOWNTOWN DISNEY TO EAT DINNER AT T-REX CAFE! AWESOME PLACE ! GREAT FOOD AND GREAT SERVICE! DEFINITELY KEPT THE KIDS ENTERTAINED! SUNDAY WE DROVE 4 HOURS TO MIAMI TO MEET GENE'S HALF BROTHER AND HIS SON! WE TOOK AN AIR BOAT TOUR AND SAW LOTS OF ALLIGATORS WHILE WE WERE THERE! WE ALSO WENT OUT TO DINNER WITH THEM AND WENT TO THE BEACH! WE HAD A GREAT TIME! MONDAY WE WENT TO SEA WORLD! HAD A BLAST! TUESDAY WE WENT TO DISNEY WORLD- MAGIC KINGDOM! I THINK I WAS MORE EXCITED THAN THE KIDS TO BE THERE! IT WAS SO FUN!!! WEDNESDAY WE WENT TO TAMPA TO BUSCH GARDENS. MET ELMO, RODE SOME RIDES AND TOOK A TOUR ON A TRAIN. THURSDAY WE WENT BACK TO SEA WORLD TO SEE THE SHAMU SHOW, LIVE ELMO SHOW AND A FEW OTHER THINGS THAT WE MISSED MONDAY. FRIDAY WE PACKED UP AND HEADED TO PANAMA CITY BEACH AND SPENT TWO NIGHTS THERE AND JUST SOAKED UP THE SUN ON THE BEACH WITH THE KIDS! WONDERFUL WAY TO END THE VACATION! PLUS IT TOOK OFF A FEW HOURS OF OUR TRIP HOME SO IT WASN'T SO LONG! WE HAD THE BEST FAMILY VACATION EVER! WE ARE DEFINITELY GLAD TO BE HOME THOUGH! I WILL DO A BLOG ON EACH INDIVIDUAL DAY OF OUR TRIP. THIS IS JUST AN OVER VIEW OF IT ALL! HERE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE PICTURES FROM OUR TRIP!