Time Flies When You're Havin' Fun!

It's been almost 2 months since we've updated our blog, and so much has happened since then! We've celebrated Thanksgiving, my 28th birthday, Nana's 50th birthday, Jeff's 29th birthday, and Christmas. With all this going on, we've attended numerous parties and parades, baked dozens of cookies, and travelled thousands of miles. Hopefully soon, this blog will be completely up-to-date with all our new pictures and stories of our many, many exciting adventures.
Here are just a few random pictures of where we've been and what we've been up to . . .

While back in our hometown for Thanksgiving, we were able to join with Jeff's brothers and sisters to throw a surprise 50th birthday bash for Nana. All the grandkids-12 last time I counted-had fun gathering around the table and helping blow out the candles.


The week after we returned home, it was my turn to have a celebration. The boys took me to Spaghetti Warehouse in Memphis; and after dinner, we dug into a huge brownie topped with ice cream, of course! As you can see in the picture, Jonathan, Aaron, and Caleb were enjoying the finger-lickin' yummy dessert!

As soon as all these birthdays rolled by, it was time to start preparing for Christmas. What better way to get ready for Christmas than to meet some of our favorite wintery friends. Caleb's school was fortunate enough to get a visit from Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. To top this off, the kids boarded a winter train and took a short ride to a petting zoo full of live animals. They thought this was so much fun and weren't quite ready to end their day, although hot chocolate and cookies were waiting inside for them!

Caleb's class wasn't the only one gearing up for Christmas. Aaron and his buddies from school had activities every week it seemed. We made a stocking at home to hang on the fireplace in the hall at school. His class also made ornaments and painted Christmas t-shirts to wear for their party. Many other moms and I volunteered to help with painting so I was able to capture the moment on camera. Aaron loves for me to come to his school to help, and I love to be such a huge part of his Kindergarten experience! So it works out well.

Jonathan's class didn't get to play quite as much as the other two. He's in second grade, and they have a little more work to do; so I don't have any pictures of him at school. He did, however, have a Christmas party; but, much to my utter disappointment, the camera's battery was dead when we got ready to snap some pictures.

I hope these pictures will suffice for now until I can get the time to post again soon! Keep checking back for more Christmas pictures and for our vacation pictures.

Big #5

Happy Birthday to Aaron!! He's now 5 years old! And he's still the same, sweet little boy he was when he was born. Last year was his first year to play soccer and t-ball and this next year, I think I'll cry when we drop him off in Kindergarten. Wow! I can't believe it's that time!! So here's to Aaron's special day. These pictures include some celebrating at home and with family in Minden.

Party @ the Park

We celebrated Aaron and Caleb's birthday on June 23rd with a party at Olive Branch City Park. Their friends Tyler, Ethan, Miles, Carolyn, GW, and Bailey showed up, and, despite the heat, had a great time! Here are some pictures of the festivities.

Birthday Dinner

Our final stop during our visit home was at Mama Nance and Daddy Wayne's house for a birthday dinner for the boys. The boys received books from them that they have really enjoyed reading. Thank y'all for dinner and the gifts. We enjoyed our visit very much! Here are some pictures of the boys enjoying birthday cupcakes.

Birthday Celebration @ Nana & Pepaw's

While we were back home visiting, we went to Nana and Pepaw's and had a grand time! The boys played with their cousins, Carson, Cameron, and Clayton; loved on their great grandparents, Nenaw, Mammaw, and Roy; and visited their aunts and uncles, Emily, Tim, Chad, Cindy, and Darren. They also ate yummy chocolate birthday cake and ice cream, and opened presents from Nana and Pepaw. We were so excited when the boys opened up some good ole' LSU Tiger wardrobe! Jonathan also got another Nintendo game, "Mario Kart." Aaron and Caleb each got a Viewmaster and a Spiderman car set. Then, Aunt Emily, Uncle Tim, and Carson gave the boys a tabletop basketball game. Thanks everyone for the presents. The boys haven't stopped playing yet! Here are some pictures of the fun we had! (By the way, all the kids' clothes were in the washer because they had a wonderful time playing in the mud! So please excuse the pictures of the half-naked kiddos.)

He's a Big Boy Now

It's official: Caleb's not a baby anymore. This past weekend, we celebrated Caleb's 4th birthday. It just so happened we were back home visiting so Ma cooked the traditional birthday pancakes and both Ma and Pa sang with us! Here are some pictures and a video we captured on Caleb's special day!



Caleb got a Pocket V-Smile from us that he can play fun learning games. Ma and Pa gave Caleb and Aaron both a pair of boxing gloves, and Dana gave Caleb "Blue's Clues" game. Thanks everyone!

Happy Birthday Jonathan!

We had a pool party for Jonathan last weekend and we had a blast! Ma, Pa, and Dana came in to visit, and a couple of Jonathan's friends showed up too. These are the pics we took.