Sunday, July 26, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
We're really here... (pinch me!)
Our first family trip, and we're in FLORIDA! Loving it! Here's a sample of our fun...
Monday, May 18, 2009
I'll huff, and I'll puff...
On Good Friday an F-4 tornado tore through the city of Murfreesboro. One of the hardest hit areas was the Blackman community where we live. This YouTube footage shows the tornado passing over I-24. Where you first see the funnel touch the ground on the left of the screen - that's where we live!
We were so blessed to come through the storm safely with barely a scratch on our house. Many of our neighbors however were not so fortunate. As you leave our house and head toward I-24 the damage gets worse and worse. Our closest neighbors had roof damage and lost backyard fences. At the end of the cul-de-sac houses had windows blown out and structural damage. The photos really speak for themselves.
I also want to thank everyone that helped us out - for all the prayers, to the Hills who loaned us a generator, and a BIG thank you to my brother and his family for taking us in that night at the last minute. We love you all!
Getting older...
I simply cannot believe that my little boy is growing up so fast! Ryan turned four at the end of March and I'm coming to the realization that my baby boy is not a baby anymore. The birthday party was a big hit. We lucked out with a gorgeous day and had the festivities outside which was great considering that fitting everyone in the house makes things a little tight. The family made the pilgrimmage from Clarksville and we also invited our next-door neighbors, the Wootens. We had a Thomas the Train party complete with decorations (thanks, Summer!) and Thomas-themed cake. Some of Ryan's gifts included a family membership to the Discovery Center here in Murfreesboro, LOTS of Thomas accessories like a crane and bridge, clothes, swim stuff, pirate stuff, and much more. Our big gift to him was his first bicycle. Our first attempt resulted in a two-hour assembly followed by a refusal to ride so Jon ended up taking it back and trading it in for a smaller green one that Ryan picked out himself. All in all, a great day that Ryan will remember for a long time.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
I'm a big girl...
Jenna has been growing by leaps and bounds and I can't believe she's almost 15 months old! Some of the recent mile stones are: hair long enough for pigtails (tooooo cute!), at least eight teeth breaking through in the last month, and we're practicing using a spoon for the first time. Enjoy the pics and video!
March Madness...
March has been an incredibly busy month - and it's not even over yet! Between major projects in my masters classes, Jon managing a major installation of lights and projection equipment, and the little ones usual nuttiness we have had our hands full. Just wanted to catch everyone up who's been bugging me about updating the blog. (Maybe this will get me off the hook for another month!)
March started with a snowstorm bad enough to cancel some of our church services and deep enough to build a snowman and start more than a few snowball fights. Jon and Ryan had a big time building our frozen friend.
We just went back to Clarksville to celebrate my brother Thomas' birthday and to see the family. It was just a one day trip but it was great to see the family. Ryan also got a birthday present from his great-grandparents and played with it all night as soon as we got home.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Ryan the mischievous...
My son Ryan never ceases to amaze me. He is constantly saying and doing things that literally cause me to do double-takes. Case in point, the other day I was putting Jenna down for her nap. I was taking a little longer than usual but Ryan was watching TV so I wasn't concerned. About the time I laid Jenna down, Ryan peeked in and said he had something to show me. This video says it all...
