Beautiful Morning

There are some things about the morning that are beautiful - birds singing, a colorful sunrise, the quiet stillness. Some things are just full of beauty.
Then there are other morning things that have a hidden beauty.
This is what we call "I can get up on the potty all by myself, Mommy. And when I can't figure out how to turn around, I'll just glare at you like it's all your fault." There is hidden beauty there. Really. There is.

This is what we call "bed head." Again, the beauty is hidden.

Don't you see it?

A Cliff's Notes Version on July & August

For those of you who depend on this site to keep up with what's up with the Baders, I offer you my apologies for this overdue post. Sitting in front of the computer has turned my stomach sour lately, so I've neglected my blogging duties. Here's a brief log of the past couple months.

Caroline painted for the first time. It started tame . . .

and ended wild.

Anna and Luke spent many a summer day pretending to be one thing or another.

Caroline turned two.


Luke spent a lot of time with his BFF, Colton.

We spent a few days with my parents in Sweetwater.
Anna caught a fish.

Ryan and I celebrated 10 years wed at my uncle's cabin. We hiked to this cool waterfall, played tennis, ate out, went to a baseball game, & saw some lovely fireworks.

We went to Six Flags and a Braves game with Ryan's little league team.

Anna and Luke started school.


Anna turned eight.


And now it's nearly September!
Our lives are busy with work. (Ryan is still the youth minister at Grandview, and I'm still teaching ballet part time, and babysitting one day per week.)
The kids are involved in their activities. Anna does ballet and choir at the arts center. She also takes piano and plays soccer. Luke does tae kwon do and basketball. Caroline just poops on the floor. She's too busy for any other activities.

A Taste of June

Oh, the places we go! June has been one awesome, busy month. I'm working on separate posts for all that's been going on, but here's a little taste:

We spent the first week of June at Camp ACC. We tried to get muddy as often as possible. I really do so love doing muddy laundry. I love how it affects the following three loads of laundry and was just tickled pink to have some.


Anna and I participated in a ballet program. It was entitled "Genesis" and was about creation. I was a tree (think "ent" Tolkien fans) and Anna represented a season. Can you guess which one?

We headed from the stage to the beach. Hilton Head with my sister, brother in law, and mom was a lovely get-away.


We'll just skip over the part about someone turning 31.

One day's rest, or maybe I just packed all day, then off to Washington DC.

We headed from there to Puebla,Mexico where we met some awesome Mexican folks and worked ourselves sore.



And now for a sneak peek of our next adventure!

First Place

Well, the season's not over yet, but Ryan's baseball team is currently in first place in the American League. We've really enjoyed some nail biters lately. Go Lightning!!

And now . . . for the winner of the "Cutest Fan" Award:



And the "Sweetest Fan"

And "The Joker"

Boy, Caroline sure did get a lot more press than the other two. Why's that? you ask. Three words: cheeks, curls, chub

My camera just can't control itself.

May Mania

May is a crazy month. Besides having a neighborhood yard sale, church sale, preparing for our ballet program, and honoring graduates, Anna & Luke have had some fun things going on at school. The both dressed silly for spirit week which ended with the annual walk-a-thon fund raiser. They call it a walk-a-thon but it's actually run-a-thon. They both gave it their all and raised a nice chunk of cash for the school.

They also had a festive Cinco de Mayo party one evening that featured some Mexican dancers, food, and pinatas. Our whole family enjoyed this evening, especially since we're preparing to go to Mexico next month.
They've also taken a trip to the Bristol Theatre, had a field day, and class pool parties. Their social lives are leaving our's in the dust.

Bravo!

Anna had her first piano recital this week. She played a lovely duet with her Gran/piano instructor. We were so proud. She has learned so much this year and was very confident about playing in front of a crowd. Sorry Grandma and Grandpa, we video taped her playing but I've yet to learn how to put it onto the computer. Believe you me, when I figure that one out, I'll have loads of funny clips to share from the past years. Hopefully those will be coming soon. For now, here's a lovely picture of Anna and Gran.

Summertime?

On April 25, a good two months before summer, we took the kids swimming at their PawPaw's pool. Our good ol' Tennessee weather never ceases to amaze. Although the water was freezing, the kids were thrilled and actually swam quite a bit. I was perfectly content to sit in the sun a observe the fun, but Caroline had other plans. She promptly fell right into the pool just so I could join in the freezing fun. I'd just like it to go on record that I have saved the lives of all three of my children countless times. Just in case there's ever any thought of my going into a nursing home one of these days, I'm keeping track.

More Easter Festivities

We went to Ryan's mom's house for our traditional Easter dinner and a day of relaxation and egg hunting.

Easter Festivities

One thing I really like about Anna and Luke's school is that it is nestled in the middle of a nice neighborhood where lots of the kids live. Each year, a student from each class hosts the Easter egg hunt for their class. Another thing I like is that parents and siblings are always welcome. Caroline joined me as we walked to Anna's party then headed to a different house for Luke's party. It was a beautiful, warm day for egg hunts. We also learned about Easter traditions is different cultures, had some yummy homemade treats, and made some ice cream sundaes.

CHUB

Chub is crazy stuff. In the first couple years of life, we spend lots of time oohing and aahing over how cute it is. Sometimes it's so cute, I whip out the camera to get some shots like these:

We get lots of comments.
Nice ones like "Oh she's such a healthy little baby!" "She must be a really good eater!"
Then less nice comments like "Boy, she ain't missed many meals!" and "Look at those rolls!"
And then we get comments that furrow my brow. "Do you think she's getting a little too chubby?" "Her cheeks are so big!"
And my personal favorite "She's fat!!" (This particular comment usually comes from someone I could say "Right back atcha!" to with no regrets.)
Personally, I'm lovin' the chub. At least for a couple more years.

Special Time

One of my absolute favorite activities with the kids is spending time with just one of them. There's just a whole new dynamic created when I'm alone with one of my children. Anna and I recently (er, kinda) spent an evening in the food court at the mall. We ate cookies from the Great American Cookie Company. (Just in case you're wondering, Anna chose the chocolate chocolate chip, and I opted for the traditional double doozie, of course.) After giving ourselves time to recover from the stomach ache, Anna summoned enough courage to jump on that cool trampoline that sits right in the middle of the food court. This was a really big deal for Anna. She's slowly overcoming her fear of doing things in front of other people, so I was super proud of her. It was a great, memorable evening with our little sweetheart.

Spring Break

Swimming, play dates, parks, oh my! This year, we stayed home for spring break which proved to be lovely. The first couple days were quiet at home due to a little belly sickness of Anna and Luke. But once everyone was well, we had a lovely time.
On Tuesday, we went shopping for a pretty little dogwood tree and some azaleas. I dug a total of 18 holes in the ground that day (could've made a golf course) and could barely move that night.

The kids had fun helping me dig but were mostly interested in the worms!!!


On Wednesday, Luke went to a friend's house while Anna had a friend over to our house. That afternoon, we met Ryan at Willow Springs park for some lunch. Anna played with a friend from church,
and Luke made a new pal. (But he's not in any pictures.)

Caroline loved the fact that she was big enough do everything herself.

On Thursday, Anna and Luke both had friends over to play. Anna and her friend played with their American Girl dolls and had a birthday party for her friend's doll.


Luke and his bud loved the trampoline and yummy ice cream cones.

That evening, we went to the library. Luke went to a story/craft time.
Anna read to a dog. Yeah, they actually have a program where children can read to a therapy dog. Sounds kinda crazy unless you're seven. Then it sounds really cool.

On Friday, we went to Rita's for free Italian ice day. Yummy!!

Then we headed to Freedom Hall pool for a refreshing dip.
We love goggles.

And kickboards (Luke calls it his speedo. I haven't had the heart to tell him what most people are referring to when they talk about their speedos.)

We also love peeing in the pool. I know, because I was holding her when the water temp rose about 15 degrees.

On Saturday, Ryan was on a trip with the youth group, so the kids and I took one final trip to Bay's Mt.

We had a picnic.

And we listened to a funny guy tell us about this cool owl.

Did I mention that the owl was cool?

It was a week of activity bliss.
And now we return to our regularly scheduled lives, already in progress.

the big 0 - 6

I'm just a hair late posting news of Luke turning six. Just a month and a half or so, no big deal. He's the middle child. No one really gives a hoot anyway, right? Just kidding. Luke is a super duper sweetheart. Recently, he likes to say "Mom, I don't like you. I don't even love you. I love, love, love, love, love, love you infinity!"

Here's the birthday boy with his new bike. Sadly, my camera was misplaced during his party, so this is all I have to offer. He was excited to get to stay home on his birthday. (It was a snow day.) He had lots of fun at his party and is very proud to be a big six year old. BTW, see those dark brown cabinets in the background. Say adios, 'cuz their currently being transformed to a lovely white.

Budding Author

I love noticing little things about the kids that make each one unique.

Here's a taste of Anna:
Anna will never leave me alone without asking "Mommy, will you be lonely?"
She cries at least three times a day.
She LOVES school.
She is very cautious while riding her bike and will rarely let off the brake.
She gets white milk in the cafeteria because it's healthier even though she likes chocolate better.
She reads her Bible at night with a flash light under the covers.
She writes long, creative stories but can't spell worth a lick.
She adores one on one time with family members and asks for it frequently.
She loves every extracurricular activity she has tried even if she's not particularly good at it.
She'll eat anything.

And now Luke:
Luke never wears underwear. Honestly, the next time you see him, I dare you to check.
He gets very scared by movies that would not scare most kids. (Last year's VBS video, for example.)
He is tender hearted and compassionate but doesn't show it in public.
He screams bloody murder at the thought of feeling pain.
He's as smart as a whip. Ask him any perfect square root you can think of and he'll figure it in 5 seconds or less. No joke.
Luke is dumbfounded by the thought of getting white milk when chocolate is within reach and Mom's nowhere to be seen.
He goes top speed on his bike and scooter until he collapses from exhaustion.
He is ever so slightly arrogant.
He just turned six and still sucks his thumb.
He loves to make people laugh. He makes up jokes and occasionally comes up with one that is funny.
He's very concerned for Caroline's safety and will scream if she does anything dangerous.

Here's Caroline:
She asks "What's that?" no less than 1 trillion times each day.
She holds her own with big brother and sister and sometimes even bullies them.
She likes to sing, and oh, this is the sweetest sound ever.
Next to "What's that?" her next favorite phrase is "I hungy." She eats A LOT.
She loves to sit in someone's lap and read the same books over and over.
She likes to know where everyone is. "Anna home?" "Daddy go?" "Oh, ok."
She goes to sleep holding her favorite blanket and sucking her thumb.
She loves hairs. She'll pull one off the hairbrush, wrap it around her fingers, then stroke it while she sucks her thumb. Yes, that is weird.
And the reason for the photos above: Caroline loves to lie on the floor and write. She holds the pencil perfectly and scribbles away.

Growing up on a Dairy Farm, vol. 2: Getting too attached

Rule #1 for living on a farm: Don't get attached to the animals.

Those of you who know me well know that I'm not too terribly fond of animals. We've had our current dog for a year and a half or so, and I just really don't care for her. There's absolutely nothing wrong with this animal. She brings joy to my family. She's fairly well mannered. She's clean. She's a good ol' dog.
I just happen to care nothing for her. Honestly, if she got run over tomorrow, I'd have to fake cry in front of my children just to, well you know, seem human.
Don't get me wrong. I'm a loving person. I get attached to lots of things - trees, blue jeans, my children. So why am I so hard hearted toward animals? Well, here's my theory. And it's a good one, if I do say so myself.
I haven't always been so unfeeling toward creatures. There was a time when I adored my many pets, including cats, dogs, calves, insects, and yes, pigs.
For several years, my dad raised pigs. I didn't care for them much. They were dirty, smelly, and typically unfriendly. They ate our table scraps which seemed really gross, so I rarely paid them any attention. That is until my dad brought home two cute little red piglets. These little guys were not your typical pigs. They were clean, small, cute, and most importantly RED! I kid you not, it was love at first sight. My dad noticed my fondness and allowed me to name them. "Cherry" and "Strawberry" of course. What else could you name two adorable little red pigs?
Now, let it be known that my dad did not make us work on the farm much. We had some seasonal jobs, but nobody was waking us up at 5AM, nosiree.
I did, however, make sure these little guys were well taken care of. They were fed the best scraps from our table and were often visited. They were my pigs. My pets. My pals.
But, as you very well know, we were raising my "pals" for a purpose. I, like Fern, was unaware that these pigs would one day be someone's breakfast. I'm sure my dad knew of my fondness for the pigs. How could he not? As he anticipated the day of the pigs' demise, surely he thought about how best to handle this tough lesson. A heart to heart about the purpose of animals? Maybe some new piglets to replace those lost? Was he wrestling with these thoughts? Was my dad losing sleep over my impending heartache? Well, come to find out, no. He didn't give a rip.
The fateful day came in the form of a routine trip to the slaughter house in Knoxville. As my sisters and I wedged ourselves into my dad's truck, I was excited. A trip to Lay's meant cash in my dad's pocket and Krystal burgers on the way home. Yippee! "Let's get goin'," I thought. "I'm hungry!"
As we drove away from the farm, I happened to peek in the back of the truck. The pigs were wedged tightly together. Dirty, smelly, yucky old slop eating pigs. But, wait. Hold on second. What's that red I see? It couldn't be. But, it is! "Daddy, what's goin' on? What are Cherry and Strawberry doing back there?" I waited for his reply. Some words to explain why my pigs could possibly be accompanying us to a place they should never go. I can't really recall my dad's response, but I'm sure that he looked at me like I was nutso and said something like "Well, what d'ya think? They're goin' to Lay's with the rest of 'em."
I'll never forget the sights and smells of that place. You could actually see dead pigs hanging from hooks as they traveled through an enclosed passage that went over the road from one part of the plant to another.
As I think back on this moment, I realize that it changed me forever. Never again have I felt strongly for an animal. So there. The next time you see my dog nudge me for a little affectionate petting and I callously push it away, you won't judge me. You'll think of Cherry and Strawberry. And, oh yeah, if you ever cook breakfast for me, if you could kindly leave certain proteins off the menu, I'd be ever so grateful.

Growing up on a Dairy Farm, vol. 1

Recently I've been feeling nostalgic about my days growing up on a dairy farm. My mind has been flooded with memories that have lain? dormant for many a year only to rise up of late and shock my conscious mind. I feel the need to share some of these memories. I'm not sure why. Maybe I just want to make sure that they don't creep back into my subconscious never to return. Maybe my dad has been on my mind a lot lately and I want to remember all I can about being with him when I was little.
My plan is to occasionally narrate a memory of the farm. I will rarely have a photo to accompany the memory because I wasn't really thinking about my blogging needs at the time. So, we'll just have to use our imaginations. I anticipate that they will sometimes entertain, sometimes enlighten, and oftentimes shock those who did not have the privilege of growing up on a farm. They may be funny, dull, or just weird. They'll always be true and accurate to the best of my ability. So here goes.
Growing up on a Dairy Farm, vol. 1:
OK, so I know I said I wouldn't have photos, but I actually do have one.


This picture says a lot.
1. My mom was my hair stylist.
2. I had not yet been educated on how to flatter my round face in photos.
3. I sometimes forgot I was a girl.
4. I knew from experience that one must always tuck one's pant legs into one's
boots.
5. My eldest daughter looks like me.
6. See that propane tank in the background? Yeah, well you thought it was a
propane tank, but really it's a horse. My horse. "Rusty" to be exact. It took
me hither and yon. It's just taking a break to munch on some grass.
'Till next time.