She can tie her shoes!

Marley is always in to something, especially at nap and bed time. Well I walked in her room the other day and she was using her devotion book (their is an illustration in it) to teach herself how to tie her shoes. So I sat down with her and tried to walk her through it a few times, not thinking she would get it, but she did!

Independence Day

What a fun 4th of July! We started it off by going to a friend's house on the 3rd and celebrating with them. There were over 40 kids there and they scary part was they were all happy (no fighting, no one got hurt, no one was mad, just lots of fun). The food and the friends were great! Then on the 4th we had the parade that goes in front of our house. I think it gets funner for the kids every year! Friday Gavin spent the night with us and then Saturday we had dinner with the Pates. This week we are having a lemonade stand and then off to Lenoir City!

No Pictures :(

Well I have lost my cord that goes from my camera to my computer, so I cannot download pictures right now.  Hopefully I will find it soon.  We had a great week, last week.  We started the week off with two 1/2 birthday parties, one for Marley and the other for Ty.  They had a great time.  Then Wednesday we left to go to Nashville with Josh for two nights.  We watched cable (we don't have it at home), went to the Nashville Zoo, went to the Maryland Farms YMCA (they had a great pool, but SO many rules), and ate good food.  It was really nice!  When we came home on Friday we went to Alexian to hear Bluegrass music, Saturday to a birthday party at the Spirit Barn, Saturday night to a Lookouts game (fun but hot), and Sunday after church we went to pick blackberries.  I will have lots of pics when I can post them!

I've Been On Summer Break Also

 What a busy, busy summer! It seems like a lot has happened and I can only remember part of it!! Both Marley and Ty have been taking gymnastics with Charity Painter this summer and they love tumbling, the bars and the beam. The next picture is Josh's father's day picture, and yes Marley is in her underwear, that is how we roll around here. Josh did not get much for Father's Day since we just bought a new car (Honda Fit) but he is well appreciated for all that he does for our family.

 This picture is from Vacation Bible School at Signal Mtn Presbyterian Church.  We got to walk thru the Tabernacle and go to the VBS Martketplace.  Our church does a wonderful job teaching the children about God's love and entertaining them at the same time.

This video is of Ty and a African Crested Crane from the Chattanooga zoo.  It is good to know that we are not the only ones that Ty tries to "interact" with.  :)  These kids love to learn and love animals!

This is a picture of Ty's 2nd lost tooth.  He is growing up way too fast!  We have also been in Atlanta to see Jimmy Buffett, our kids have been to stay with their cousins in Sweetwater, TN.  Ty also went with Nana, Papa, Connor & Beckett to Pigeon Forge and Marley had girl time in Lenoir City.  This week we have celebrated 1/2 birthdays, so stay tuned for those pics!

Busy 1st Week of Summer

So it has been a busy first week of summer. I am trying to keep the kids busy with crafts, so on the first day we decorated aprons! The next day we met the Beard's at Chuck E Cheese for games and that was fun. After that we headed to Muscle Shoals, AL for some pool time fun. When we got back, we heard that Josh's new Honda Fit was in, so he drove Ole Brownie out with the kids one more time. I almost cried when I saw it leave, we have a lot of memories in it, in the last 16 years. And finally we had a going away party for our friends the Boggs on Friday night. We will be sad to see them leave, but we wish them well as they start their Colorado adventure. As far as Memorial Day weekend goes, we are just going to take it easy. We have hiked from our house to Signal Point, then to Rainbow Lake and back home this morning and who knows what we will get into tomorrow. This is going to be a fun summer!!

What a Great Season!

Well baseball is almost over. Ty has had a really good season and we are so proud of him! He has improved a lot and learned more about the game. His team, the Rockhounds, also have had a fantastic season. They were league champs and are currently in the tournament (but are one loss away of being out). Thank you to the grandparents and all of his friends who came out to watch. This has been a great group of boys and parents to get to know and I think we will all be a little sad to see it end. Go Rockhounds!!

Happy Mudder's Day (that is how Marley says it)

What a wonderful weekend! First we started it off with a lovely, outdoor, and easy dinner at the Pate's house and then Mother's Day activities on Saturday (run/ride the River Walk, Who Fest, cake, trip to Signal Mtn Nursery for some surprise lantana, and yummy steaks). On Sunday we went to church and then hibernated inside all day while it rained. Ty surprised me Sunday with a gift at my door. It consisted of 6 of his own pennies, a poem, an American flag, a shovel, seeds, and lots of art work. It was very sweet and I almost cried. Mezzie started riding her bike this weekend and I included a picture of her in her super cute Toms! I am so thankful for our grandmothers and our moms. We love them so much and wouldn't be the people we are today without their guidance and love. I hope everyone had a wonderul Mother's Day!!