This blog now has a new purpose

I am totally copying my friend Mandy's idea here but I recently went on an internet search to find the best site to create a book out of our blog. I am so happy I did this! I have been thinking that it sure would be nice to have a paper copy of all this memory-keeping we seem to be doing on our blog, especially since my efforts to keep my photos organized over the past few years have failed. So ta-daaaaa!!!! I now have a nice book of our blog! It really is easy to make. You just upload all of your blog posts (you can pick and choose which ones you want) and edit the photos as you wish. I used Blurb and was really pleased with the results!! Take a look....

The Caterpillar Project: Update

Ok...so I have learned that we are not going to get a good picture of these stinkin' caterpillars while they are in the little container. They have now moved and are all hanging "upside down" as Madelyn says and getting ready to form their cocoons. Here are the pictures I attempted:

The Caterpillar Project: Day One

Madelyn is beyond excited about this project. She wanted to call everyone immediately today when we checked the mail and saw that yes indeed, the caterpillars have arrived. For Christmas she received a butterfly kit in which you send off for some caterpillars (with a $6.00 check of course). When they arrive (in a special container), you watch for them to turn into cocoons and then place them in a butterfly cage and wait for butterflies to be born! The whole process is supposed to take about 3 weeks. I have no idea if it will be successful or not!! We thought it would be fun to share this project on the blog....we'll let you know when we have butterflies!

Jesus Loves Me

I just have to share a funny little thing that happened tonight. We were starting the going-to-bed process (which can sometimes drag on and on....) with Madelyn. Justin was telling her that she needed to start helping him pick up toys in the living room. She of course, didn't listen after repeatedly being told. Justin called for her to come upstairs and asked her why she did not listen to what he had asked. Here was her explanation: "But Dad, I was just sitting downstairs reading my Bible. I was reading about how Jesus loves me".

Ok. So how can you argue with that?!

Firecracker Firecracker, BOOM BOOM BOOM!!

We certainly had a fun filled Fourth of July weekend this year. To kick the weekend off, Justin and Dave (Robin's husband) ran in the Fireball Classic 5K on Friday night. It was Justin's first 5K (shouldn't you first start doing 5K's and then move up to half-marathons?!). He did great and finished in 26 min 28 sec.

Robin and Madelyn at the race...

We packed all kinds of activities in on the Fourth. We went to the Farragut parade, which has become a tradition over the last few years, then over to my step-sister Jessica's house for a cookout, then to Jim and Donna's for a little swimming and THEN to Kingston to RELAX, eat and watch the fireworks! WWHHEEWWW....we were tired after all of that. I must confess...we did not make it to church the next morning because quite frankly...we were pooped. We had a wonderful Sunday. The whole family actually took TWO naps in ONE DAY!!! It was truly heaven on earth!!!

Waiting on the parade...

Drew is not too excited about the parade...

In Kingston...

Old friends and summer camps!

The weekend that mom broke her hand just so happened to be a weekend that I was going out of town all by myself (which never happens!). The good thing about Facebook (for those of you who are not on there) is that you reconnect with old friends!! That is exactly what has happened with many of my high school friends. Melanie, Hope, Kim and me used to be completely inseparable in high school. Melanie and I do a pretty good job of keeping in touch but somehow time has gotten away from us and Hope and Kim. Husbands, jobs, babies....you name it, we all get busy. But anyways, now that we are all on Facebook it is so easy to keep in touch (that sounded like a commercial, huh?). SOOO.....a few weeks ago Hope and I made a quick trip up to Baltimore to go to Kim's wedding reception. When I say quick...I mean quick. We flew up early on Saturday morning, quickly found some good outlet shops to go to (what's a trip without shopping, right?!) and then over to Kim's. The reception was outside and was so nice (except for the call I received right in the middle of it from Justin telling me about Mom being in the ER because of her fall :-(. Then on Sunday, I visited with Dad and Melanie a little bit (they live just 20 minutes away from Kim) and then Hope and I flew back into Knoxville around 11:30 Sunday night. It was a fun weekend and it was so nice to catch up with old friends.

Madelyn is having a busy summer so far. She went to soccer camp and cheerleading camp and loved them both (although she may have loved the cheerleading camp a little bit more based on all of the new "shows" she's been putting on lately...). At cheerleading camp they all made signs that they used in one of their routines. Madelyn's sign was a picture she drew of her and her friend Lane...it was so funny. I had to post a picture of it. It is so funny because suddenly Madelyn is into drawing things. We have art on display all over our refrigerator! Some of her little drawings are so cute!!

The self portrait (check out the glasses...)
Father's Day

And in Drew's world...he now has 2 teeth! I'm telling you, this boy is trying to hurry up so he can move on to eating hamburgers! He is an eater! He is also on the move. He has the military crawl completely mastered. He is all over the place!

Cade's Cove

ConcordQuest 2009

Okay, so I haven't posted anything in 1 month!! Instead of one huge post, I'm going to have several small posts! I'll catch up eventually! There has been so much going on over the last few weeks. First of all, my poor Mom. She had a really bad fall down a steep driveway and broke her hand in 5 places (her beloved left hand I might add). She needed surgery and required 6 pins in her left ring finger and little finger. So her summer pretty much stinks. I don't know what's hurting her most: her hand or not being able to keep Madelyn and Drew for several weeks. Don't worry, Mimi....we'll let you catch up on LOTS of babysitting as soon as you are up to it!! :-)

In June we had bible school at our church. Let me just say that VBS at our church is truly like no other. It's called ConcordQuest and is a huge event. I think there were over 2,500 kids there each day. I helped in 2nd grade crafts this year. Riley and Kaylee came and both of them prayed to receive Christ as their Lord and Savior! What a huge blessing! Madelyn really enjoyed the week and is still talking about it. She was in her friend Lane's class and was so excited to have "Professor Sage (our pastor, Brother Doug. This was his character's name in the play)" sign his autograph on her t-shirt. Even Drew had fun hanging out with other babies in the nursery!

Everyone is super-tired of Michael Jackson tributes I know. I am too. But, as a child of the 80's and early 90's..I have to say that I love those songs. I'm picking just one for my blog as my tribute. He was one strange dude that's for sure. I can't help but wonder where he is spending eternity right now. Let's hope somewhere along the way someone shared Christ with him.