Bader Party of Five

The scales just won't tip.

2010-07-12T21:58:00.003-04:00

It's been nearly a month since I dropped my precious camera and caused its untimely demise. A lot can happen in a month . . . a trip to Mexico, a little girl's third birthday, a little boy off to camp,the ripening of luscious fruits at one's grandparents' farm, a camping trip to Kentucky, babysitting one's precious nephew for the first time, a young girl teaching an even younger girl her first ballet positions, and so forth. A lot can happen in a month. It's nice to have photos of those happenings. It's not nice to not have photos of those happenings. These happenings are going to keep happening, so I'm feeling a little rushed shopping for a new camera. I've gotten advice, researched, and debated, but I just can't seem to make up my mind. Should I flip for a real camera and not make any purchases for oh, say, a year? Or should I just buy another point & shoot and save the extra moolah to build a sewing space? I've weighed the pros and cons of both but those scales aren't doing anything.
So here I sit. And those happenings keep happening while I wait for the scales to tip. Obviously, I have no photos to add to this post so I'll add a random one.

This is my Pappaw reading the paper. So glad I caught this happening.

The Secret Garden

2010-06-05T22:08:00.004-04:00

Anna and I had a lot of fun in our spring ballet program. Our friend, Lindsay, did such an awesome job arranging and directing this lovely story. Thank you, Lindsay!

Anna had some very sweet friends come to watch.

Hugs from Daddy.

Uncle Ross, PawPaw, Luke, and Daddy with their snowflake

Anna loves her Gran.

We were a little busy backstage, so I only took pictures of one of my classes. I'm so glad I did because this is such a fun class. Aren't they precious?

And one more shot of our sweet snowflake . . .

Home

2010-05-26T10:29:00.003-04:00

Deep breath. That's what I take when I see this picture. Is it just me, or does this picture provide instant relaxation and peace?

I love this place. This is the home that my great great grandparents built way back in 18?? (I'll have to research that date.) It's located about ten minutes from my house on a farm in Jonesborough,TN. This is the farm they worked for years until my great grandfather took over, then my grandfather.

I also love this place. It's located within sight on the same farm. We call it "Pap's house." Pap was my great grandfather. I remember his shiny bald head, overalls, and Little Debbie snack cakes.
This is the home he built right after my grandfather was born. He and my great grandmother lived here the rest of their lives and raised their son there (my Pappaw.) I lived here in the summers during college.

I love the kitchen.

My great grandmother cooked on this stove. It still works.

Caroline likes this little porch that houses an old washer & dryer and a sink.

I love the sink.

I love this porch swing.

And yet, another place I love. This is the home my grandfather built when he and my grandmother married. Again, it's within sight on the same farm. My dad was raised here, and my grandparents live here still. They planted this enormous tree.

Here's Pappaw, just this afternoon. He's changing the oil in his tractor. I love watching him work.

Mammaw's watching, waiting for him to ask her to help. He does. Then she holds a funnel while he pours some oil into a can. They help one another. They're both in their 80's and healthy and happy and wonderful in just about every way. I . . . love . . . them.

I love this farm. Currently, it is home for Mammaw & Pappaw, my sister & her husband (and new baby :), my aunt & uncle, my second cousin, and one of these days . . . the Baders. I want to live on this farm (or at least near it) so very badly. I think about it a lot. I'm actually blogging about it. Oh well, someday we'll live there . . . probably . . . maybe . . . or maybe not. One can only hope.

I love the gardens.

I love my cousin's horse. (I don't love the flies all over his eye. That's just gross.)

I love the hay bales. BTW, why doesn't the sky ever look like this in my neighborhood? Neighborhood shmeiborhood, that's why.

I love the hills.

I love the cherry trees.

Caroline loves them too.

We picked these today.

I love the apple trees (and the pear tree, grape vines, and blackberry bushes. But I didn't get pictures of those.)

I love the memories I have here.

I love letting my kids run amok. They can wander away from the eyes of adults to explore. They dig for worms and look at trees. The roll down hills and get muddy. They're not held captive by constant supervision. They learn and grow without my assistance. They're free.

I love the history, the stillness, and the fact that everything is so . . . well, real. It's not perfectly manicured. It's not pristine. The homes aren't large, or perfect, or new. They were made by the sweat of the people who lived in them. They were built by my ancestors. The land was worked, tended, and cared for by the people who love me.

It's home, plain and simple . . . and until I have a heavenly home,it always will be.

Welcome Ben!!

2010-05-24T23:20:00.004-04:00

Benjamin Clark Hall was born to my sister and her husband on May 20. He weighed 9#2oz. and was 20.5 inches long. Mom and baby are doing well. Welcome Ben!!

Beauty Shop

2010-03-15T21:06:00.001-04:00

Here's the look.

Caroline and I took naps at the same time recently. She woke up first which is always a downer. Usually I can dig deep and come out of my slumber before my body is ready. But not this time. I just couldn't shake it, so I told Caroline to go play with Luke while I rested a little more.
The next thing I knew, I was awake and the house was quiet. I thought
Wow, I'm so glad I got to sleep a little more.
Hmm, the kids are really quiet.
They're such good kids.
I wonder how long I slept.
I hope they're not dead.
I guess I'll get up and check.
As I eased down the quiet hallway, I caught a glimpse of silent movement from the bathroom. It was our youngest. She gave me the look. You know the look? The "I've been doing something that's probably not good but maybe if I smile really sweet, you won't care" look. I get it often.

I know a lot of kids cut their own hair at one point or another. It's a rite of passage, really. But doesn't it usually happen so innocently?
The sweet child is sitting at his desk cutting out a heart for Valentine's day. The scissors ever so slowly creep up to the bangs and just take a little bit off the top. Uh-oh mom. I cut my hair a little.
That's what I picture.
But not our baby. This girl had been making plans for weeks, and she finally had her chance.
The crime scene . . .

As you can see, my two year old set out all the hair cutting paraphernalia. You can see it all there. Scissors? Check. Comb? Check. Water bottle? Check. Stool because I have short, chubby legs? Check. Trash can placed perfectly in front of the stool to catch the trimmings? Check.
She even took her shirt off to prevent the hair itchies and had the broom out for clean up.
Is this the same girl who can't wipe her own nose?
I walked over to the trash can and found the evidence.
I've always thought cut hair looks disgusting in the trash can. It makes me feel queasy.

As I looked at Caroline's head, I couldn't see where all this hair had come from. I searched high and low for a bald spot but there was none.
Then I found it. Apparently, my daughter's hair cutting plan had reached beyond her beauty shop set up. She had ever so gently lifted the top of her hair, cut a chunk of the under layer then covered it back up so no one would know.
What's wrong Mommy? Are you mad at me?

Here's a profile view. The whole section is buzzed.

See the pretty pony tail?

Put it down. It makes me queasy.

We are so in for it.

Luke's 7th Birthday

2010-02-14T23:18:00.002-05:00

We're all tuckered out from celebrating Luke's big birthday. We go a little crazy with the birthday parties.
It started with a "friend party" at our house. Luke wanted a party that included fire, wii, a fish cake, hot dogs, marshmallows, and a sleepover. On the day of the party our friendly neighborhood meteorologist was telling us we were to have 10 inches of snow so most of the boys did not sleep over.
But at least they came.

Fire and hot dogs, the perfect combination . . .

Blowing the fire OFF the hot dogs proved entertaining . . .

Ryan was clearly thrilled . . .

I don't really remember snowflakes this large, but the boy in blue is clearly stunned by the one that alighted in the center of his forehead.

Here's what boys turn into when they play too much Wii . . .

And of course a fish cake. What's a party without a fish cake?

A few days later we went to my grandparents' house in Jonesborough for a "family party." My parents, sister, brother-in-law, and niece were there to enjoy the celebration.
Caroline enjoyed the cheese.

Luke and Anna cuddled with Ryan while watching Wheel of Fortune. (I can not recall any evening spent at my grandparents' that did not include Wheel of Fortune.)

Luke got a rock digging kit, which he promptly put to good use.

He also got an awesome boomerang. (This boomerang is so awesome, it now rests at the top of a really tall tree at the end of our neighborhood. When the directions told us to throw it in a wide open area, it turns out that it meant an area the size of oh, maybe Texas.)

Happy Birthday bud.

We love you.

Harry and Nat

2010-02-10T21:11:00.002-05:00

Here's a song for snow days.

Board Breaker

2010-02-10T08:01:00.000-05:00

Luke recently had his first board breaking seminar at Tae Kwon Do. Our expectations were not exactly high. We'd thought he'd have some fun, but break boards? This kid can't handle the thought of pain.
But Luke proved us wrong. Here's the stunned look on Ryan's face when Luke broke the very first board he took a swing at.

Then he broke another one.

And another one.

Luke snapped every board he had. And then he broke one with his foot.

Evidently it's pretty tough to break a board with one's foot, so here's Ryan saying "Luke, you are officially cool."

And Luke's words when it was all over? "This'll be great wood for the fire pit."

Storytime

2010-01-28T21:32:00.000-05:00

I recently took Caroline and her friend Ella to storytime at the library.

It went swimmingly for the first twenty minutes or so. Caroline LOVES Ella and is typically more mature when they're together.

After the honeymoon period, something snapped inside Caroline's two year old brain, and suddenly all was not well. Here, you can see the look in her eyes. "Hey Ella, I know I'm being nice to you right now and all, but you better buckle up, 'cause that's all about to change, sista'!"

She didn't want to share the puzzles. She didn't want to share the books. And she certainly didn't want to share her mother's lap. I'm so very glad I caught this look on her face.
If you look closely, you can see the puzzle pieces she's clutching behind her back. She's thinking "Maybe if I hide them from Ella, she'll forget I ever took them from her. Plus I'll tilt my chubby little cheeks to the side like this and she'll think I'm so cute, she'll forget all about it. That works with my mommy."
Then came storytime. Here are a few conversations between Caroline and myself.
Here Caroline, place your ticket in the basket so we can go in to storytime.
No.
Do you want to sing?
No.
Look at the bunny!
No.
That was a funny story!
No.
It's time to go. Hold my hand.
No, hold you.
Look, they're going to give you a sticker. Would you like a sticker?
No.
Aah, nothing like a stimulating, thought provoking morning with a two year old.
On the way home:
I like the storytime Mommy! I like the library!
Well, ya coulda fooled me!!

Stinkers. It was all a part of their grand scheme.

Way to go!

2010-01-20T20:46:00.012-05:00

Hello sweet Anna.

Sometimes I think I spend a little too much time making fun of my kids. Maybe our blog readers are getting the wrong idea. I really do love my children. I'm very thankful for them even when parenting gets the best of me. So here's a nice one for our Anna.

Anna is a sweet girl. She has some sour moments (mainly with her little brother,) but all around she's sugar. She's eager to please us and crumbles if she thinks she has saddened us. Sometimes this concerns me. We occasionally have a "toughen up" chat.
Anna likes to ride her bike and scooter. She'll eat anything in sight. She loves ballet.

She reads every night in bed until we tell her she has to stop. If Caroline is sad, she'll climb down to the bottom bunk and sing songs with her or read to her.
Just a side note - We are fully aware of our youngest child's belly and intend to address the issue on the trampoline this summer. Now back to Anna . . .

She enjoys her soccer team.

She likes to sleep with ALL of her stuffed toys. She likes to cook and says she will one day be a cook, a librarian, a vet, a gardener, an artist, or a missionary.

Every day she gets off the bus and asks "What are we gonna do that's special tonight?" She takes really long showers. She loves to play the piano and is learning all about it from her Gran.

She loves her buds and would have one over every day if we let her.

She likes to fish with her Grandaddy.

She LOVES to swim.

We just love our Anna. Recently, she entered an arts competition at school. She composed a song on the piano and courageously entered it into the competition. You may ask why this is so courageous, so I assure you, it took a lot for Anna. She was so scared to enter. But she did it anyway. (Maybe our "toughen up" chats are working!)

Well, long story short, Anna won the competition for her school.

And then she won the city-wide competition.
Now, I'm not going to tell how many entries there were (there was no second or third place.) because that just doesn't matter. Anna went out on a limb and did something she was scared to do. It's so great to see her reap the benefits. Way to go Anna!

Look out World!

2010-01-15T15:06:00.005-05:00

We just signed this little gal up for preschool. She'll be going two mornings per week this fall.

In the van, on the way to register:
We going to the library, Mommy?
No, we're gonna go visit the preschool.
Like Anna and Luke?
No, this is a different school. This is the school you'll go to when you turn three.
I'm five now? (third child response)
No, Caroline, you're two.
Oh, I'm three.
No, you're two. When you're three, you'll get to go to preschool.
We're going to preschool now.
Yes, we're going to VISIT the preschool for just a little while. When you're three you'll get to go a lot.
Oh. They have animals at the preschool?
Yes, they have two birds.
Oh, they have two birds. We're going to PRESCHOOL!
On the way home from a 30 second preschool visit where we walked in, picked up a registration packet, walked out, and watched all the little kids having fun on the playground. (A visit that included neither birds nor toys.)
Mommy, I want that playground.
Well, that's just for the big three year olds. You'll get to play when you're three.
Mommy, I want that playground!!!
Not today. Next time, you'll get to play on the playground.
Mommy I don't want to leave that playground!
(This last phrase preceded lots of crying. LOTS of crying, all the way home until she fell asleep crying.)

Look out world!

She's headed your way!

Now that's a lot of candles!

2010-01-15T14:54:00.003-05:00

Better late than never! I hope you had a great birthday Siena!!

Luckily the light from the candles impedes the viewer's ability to count them!

Just in case!

Love you all!

Resolution

2010-01-06T22:04:00.010-05:00

See a rooster on a leash below.
OK, for all three of you who read this blog, I apologize for beginning this post with an apology, but here goes. I'm sorry I'm negligent with my blogging. Truth be told, I haven't felt like it. Plus, and this is the main reason for my neglect, the wireless services we mooched off an unsuspecting neighbor disappeared last fall and I was left to brave the roads with my chillin' and go to the library to do all of my Internet business. Naturally, that's no fun so it's now been since September and I'm way behind.
However, a new day has dawned on the Bader household. I say a NEW DAY has dawned and please brace yourselves for this one . . . we now have our own "mifi" (which is probably not even how you spell it, but I don't care enough to inquire of the spelling because I proved my spelling genius when I was young and still have the trophies to prove it.) The point is I can now access the Internet legally from my own home. I think we're only about 10 years behind everyone else in America, but hey, better late than never.
So there. Because we are cool and have mifi, I've made the resolution to blog more.
Here goes with a "brief" summary of the last few months.

Luke walked a rooster on a leash because we're just cool people and do things like that. We're also teaching him to have dominion over all God's creatures, or maybe we're taking advantage of his love for animals, whichever floats your boat.

Luke is a Tae Kwon Do master. Oh wait, let's rephrase that because our unfortunate last name just doesn't quite convey what I'm meaning.

Anna's beautiful.

Caroline is a better cook than I am.

Ryan & I got to see U2 in Atlanta for a 10th anniversary / birthday gift from his dad. Seeing U2 live now ranks up there with my wedding day, the birth of my children, my baptism, and my first taste of roasted red pepper hummus.

We went on a hike in Erwin. We tried to lose our kids, but dang it if they don't have a sense of direction after all.

We trotted like turkeys.

We celebrated Christ's birth AFTER I pulled my hair out trying to get a family Christmas picture that made us at least APPEAR to be a happy family.

We played in some snow.

Our favorite part of fall - the fire pit.

Harry Potter, a farmer, and a clown. (Anna would die if she knew this was online.)

I got schooled in chess many a time by my wizard of a son.

I taught some jokers how to dance.

Whew! For those of you who are still reading this, thank you for staying the course. For your reward, a reminder of why I just can't help but share our lives with you.

Beautiful Morning

2009-09-14T21:16:00.003-04:00

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

2009-08-29T22:08:00.007-04:00

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

2009-07-02T22:30:00.007-04:00

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

2009-05-25T22:57:00.006-04:00

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

2009-05-25T21:18:00.001-04:00

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!

2009-05-14T22:57:00.002-04:00

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?

2009-05-14T22:43:00.002-04:00

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

2009-04-19T21:57:00.002-04:00

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

Easter Festivities

2009-04-19T21:51:00.003-04:00

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

2009-04-19T21:36:00.003-04:00

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

2009-04-06T23:11:00.002-04:00

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

2009-03-22T15:39:00.009-04:00

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

2009-03-14T21:51:00.005-04:00

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

2009-03-10T23:58:00.002-04:00

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

2009-02-10T23:20:00.006-05:00

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

2009-02-10T22:34:00.011-05:00

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.

Great Grandma & Grandpa

2009-02-10T21:18:00.005-05:00

We were blessed with several days with the kids' Great Grandma & Grandpa from Missouri. They were so wonderful to get out and see the kids in action. They attended one of Luke's basketball games, one of Anna's ballet classes, and their school musical. Thanks for coming Grandma and Grandpa! We love you.

Luke had fun being silly with his friend during the program.

Anna did a sensational job with her first ever speaking part in a program. Two years ago I would have fainted if you told me she would ever volunteer for a speaking part. It was only a few lines, but hey, I wouldn't have volunteered. We were very proud.

Super Commercial Party

2009-02-04T01:04:00.004-05:00

We always watch the Super Bowl with our youth group. This is lotsa fun (as long as there are no wardrobe malfunctions which makes it just a little awkward.) I'm never ever into the game, but I do so love all those crazy commercials. This year's was particularly cool because of the addition of 3D!

This little piggie had blisters.

2009-01-27T19:51:00.002-05:00

There are parts of my body that make me crazy self conscious - parts that I've never been particularly fond of being seen. I'll spare you the details.
Then there are the parts that I like. For awhile I thought I had really pretty hands. Not so much now because I'm seeing my age in them, but there was a time when I thought they were very nice. My belly has always been nicely flat (unless it was the home of a fetus.) My hair is silky smooth, and the red streak in my hair is pretty cool, too. I like all these things. They make me smile. But, by far, one of my favorites is my feet. They're nicely shaped with pretty nails. The toes are a little long, but hey, nobody's perfect. I enjoy wearing flip flops and sandals with no reservations. In essence, I'm proud of my pretty feet.
With that said, it's time to say goodbye to them. No more perfectly manicured nails, no more soft, smooth, callous-free skin, no more, I say, no more. Yes, my pretty little piggies' days are numbered. A future of blisters, callouses, and broken, gnarly nails awaits. All thanks to these pretty little gems.

I made the crazy decision to go on pointe this semester, something I thought I'd never do. It's somewhat expensive, painful, and time consuming - something one would normally begin at age 11 or so and most likely quit by the age of 25. But I really wanted to give it a go. It's a new challenge, an important part of ballet, and something that will make me a more well rounded teacher. Plus, it's just beautiful. I could watch dancers on pointe for an eternity.
And, let's face it, I'm not getting any younger. So, it's either now or never. It's quite humbling to be in class with girls one third my age, but hey, one third is better than one fourth, right? My goal is to do it for at least a year, and so far it's going swimmingly. We'll see what my ugly little toes and tired ankles have to say next January.

I'm too stupid to talk to you.

2009-01-15T22:04:00.004-05:00

Here's a clip from one of our favorite comedians. If you like it, you can click on more of his sketches when it's over. Siena & Rachel, this is the guy I've been talking about. Next time we meet, he's coming along too.

Christmas

2008-12-28T22:39:00.005-05:00

I typed this up a while back and totally forgot to post it. So now that it's the middle of January, here's a Christmas post.

December is such a jolly month. The highs are seemingly endless as we hustle from one event to the next. It begins with all the fun December Sunday evenings at our church with the Hanging of the Greens, our choir program, and the annual Christmas Jazz Night. Then comes our Christmas ballet program, parties at school, and gifts from students. The kids get out of school and enjoy evenings with no homework and lots of time to relax and play. Ryan is home a lot more. We go out for ice cream and drive around looking at the lovely Christmas lights. Then there's decorating the tree and the house, shopping, wrapping gifts, baking cookies, surprising neighbors, reading Christmas books, watching Christmas movies, and spending lots of time with family. It's just such a wonderful time.

Then comes January. Let it be known that I'm not a big January fan. No major holidays to celebrate, no festive parties, no programs, an extra few pounds from all that December food, cold, yucky weather. Poor January. It's kinda like the middle child of months. No offense, Sharon.
Oh well, to balance out the post here are a few happy shots of Christmas. These just might be the only ones you see for awhile. :)

Baby Ballerinas

2008-12-21T23:29:00.003-05:00

I just love the last day of ballet class each semester. We usually take a little time to chat about our program (Speaking of our program, it went really well, but I left my camera at home and have NO pictures. I might have to swipe some from someone else.)
Anyway, my students, who's ages range from 3 - 6 get the chance to chat about what they enjoyed and didn't enjoy about the program: the bright lights, watching the older girls dance, getting pretty flowers from Dad, etc. Inevitably, someone mentions how "exciting" it was to wait in the dark behind the curtain. What they're referring to is the five or so minutes before it's their turn to go on stage. We have to be completely silent and still, which is sometimes hard for little ones, but I kid you not, they're so much better at doing this than the 13 year olds. They take their roles very seriously. This is so funny to me, because it's what many parents fear will be too scary for their little dancers.
After we discuss the program we have a special class time when each child gets to "be the teacher." They basically just show us a favorite position, jump, stretch, or sequence then lead their fellow classmates in executing the movement and making any necessary corrections. This is absolutely hysterical. If you know a three year old, just imagine her (toddler belly and all) telling a friend that she needs to "straighten that leg a little more." "Don't look at your feet!" "Tummies in!" I'm sore the next day from suppressing my laughter.
Here are some pics of my lovely dancers. They are just wonderful, sweet little girls, and I'm so thankful for the joy they bring me each week.

Betcha Can't Guess

2008-12-21T23:00:00.003-05:00

Caroline has recently entered the world of self feeding with utensils. As we enter this new stage in life, I have been reflecting on Anna and Luke's experiences with self feeding. I recall mealtimes that have been full of laughter, joy, and pride as we've watched our little one learn to nourish her/himself. Then, I unfortunately recall those meals that have included sighs, grief, annoyance, and impatience. Why is it, I wonder, that we handle similar situations so differently from day to day? On this particular day, Caroline's state of messiness made me laugh and cry tears of joy. As you see, I even whipped out the camera. But on a different occasion, those tears may not be quite so joyful.
Ah, the power of a mother's moods.
Well, moving on, betcha can't guess what that yummy brown stuff all over Caroline is. Pudding, you say? Nope. A gooey chocolate bar? Unh - uh. Ice cream? Try again. Can't guess? Well, I'll tell ya. Black beans, baby! Straight from the can. And she was lovin' 'em!!

Luke's First Team

2008-12-21T22:45:00.004-05:00

A few weeks ago, Luke began his first experience with an organized sport. He is now a member of the Lake Ridge Golden Bears basketball team. Considering he's the only kindergarten player, he's doing alright. Most of the boys are quite a bit bigger and more experienced, but Luke's fine with it. This is definitely the year for him to learn how the game works, simple dribbling, passing, and shooting skills. He has a great coach and loves being part of a team. These are some shots from his first game. Sorry no action shots. My camera's doesn't do so great with those. But really, these pictures speak volumes about what was most important to Luke that night.

Ho Ho Ho

2008-12-10T21:31:00.002-05:00

Ryan and I both loved Santa when we were growing up. So when Anna was born we discussed the whole Santa debate. We really wanted to let our kids experience Santa. But we weren't too keen on telling them a big fat lie and crushing their dreams one day. So here's what we came up with. We decided to let them in on the Santa experience but be willing to tell them the truth the first time they sincerely inquired about his existence.
Well, last Christmas the kids popped the big question. Hesitantly, we did as planned and told them the truth. They took it pretty well. We still put out cookies for Santa, we still sprinkled oatmeal on the yard for the reindeer, we still read Santa books and watched the Polar Express (LOVE IT) and of course, we still opened our gifts from Santa on Christmas Day. It wasn't as magical as the previous year when they still believed, but it was still lots of fun. We were pretty satisfied with how we handled everything until Luke's kindergarten teacher pulled me aside a few months ago.
Now I forgot to mention that when Luke learned that there was no Santa, he was a mere four years old. That's pretty young to know the truth, so we emphatically encouraged him (well, maybe we threatened his life, I don't really remember) but we emphasized the importance of letting his preschool friends who still believed in Santa learn the truth from their parents, NOT him. Shockingly, he obeyed, as far as we know.
Flash forward almost a year later to a lovely October day in Luke's kindergarten. (Yes, that's October. Not December or even November. I really had planned to remind Luke and Anna about our little promise to let believers' parents tell them the truth, but in October? Goodness, there's no way I'm thinking that far ahead!) Well, a year is a long time for a little five year old, and needless to say, Luke either forgot or just didn't care and took it upon himself to blab to truth to an unsuspecting friend.
Well, this little guy didn't take it quite as well as Anna and Luke had, nosiree. The poor lad who's third grade sister still believes too told his mom what that mean boy said about Santa. His mom told Luke's teacher who promptly moved Luke's seating position away from the grieving boy. Now the Baders have become that family who doesn't believe in Santa.
Good grief. Such drama.
Anyway, I'll leave that story as a backdrop to our recent ride on Knoxville's Santa Train. Ryan's dad treated us to this fun ride through some of Knoxville's countryside. Even if Caroline is the only believer left in our family (not for long, I say, not for long) we had such a nice time riding the train, eating yummy snacks and hot chocolate (Polar Express style) listening to a sweet Christmas book, and visiting with old Ho Ho himself. The troublemaker. No really, it was such a sweet, fun experience that the kids will remember for a long time. Thanks Paw Paw.
An afterthought: After detailing Luke's kindergarten blab tale, an old memory crept out of my subconscious. I distinctly remember sitting in my kindergarten class at a tiny round table with three friends (one of whom was constantly getting sick because of the amount of glue he injested) as we colored a picture of Santa climbing out of a chimney. This was my comment: "This is so stupid. Santa isn't even real." The reason I so vividly remember this is not because I thought that I had ruined the magic of Santa for my friends. No, that selfless thought never entered my brain. It's because I was horrified at the prospect of my teacher finding out I had said the word "stupid." Maybe Luke was just trying to pass on a little kindergarten family tradition.

Two Holidays

2008-12-10T21:00:00.002-05:00

We're a little behind on our posts. So here's a little catching up.

Halloween was big fun again this year. Anna dressed up as a dog, complete with our real dog's collar. Luke was a ninja, and Caroline was a lion but didn't really know it. All she knew was that when our neighbor stuck a stick with a ball on the end of it in her mouth, she was in toddler heaven.
We started right after school and toured the neighborhood. I'd like to take a moment to thank our neighbors for being so kind to our children. We received some really nice treats including lots of yummy sweets, Halloween bags and buckets, books, puzzles, and special toddler friendly treats. We are blessed with such kind neighbors. Thank you!
Then we traveled out to Jonesborough to some family members where we were greeted with some very special home made goodies from Mammaw and Pappaw.
From there the guys and the gals split up.
Ryan took Luke to a Science Hill football game. Luke was excited to be able to be on the field helping Dad and PawPaw video the band. Anna and I put Caroline to bed then had a girls' night with games, books, and an American Girl video. Lotsa fun.

Thanksgiving was full of way too much food and lots of family time. We all enjoyed the Thanksgiving Feast at Anna and Luke's school. This is a super meal provided by the parents of the multiage classes, and boy is it a feast! My tummy is still feeling that one.
We woke up early and did the Turkey Trot (a family 5K) which was lots of fun when Caroline wasn't crying. The rest of the day was spent with my family in Jonesborough, which is always filling and relaxing.
The day after Thanksgiving was spent with Ryan's mom, aunt, uncle and cousins and some friends in Johnson City. My favorite part of this day was going on a nice long walk with everyone through Ryan's mom's neighborhood.
Needless to say, we have SO MUCH to be thankful for.

Lovely

2008-11-23T21:29:00.004-05:00

I had the privilege of teaching a beginning ballet class at church this semester. I love teaching ballet, but I must admit that I've never enjoyed a class as much as this one. These are such precious little girls. They LOVE dancing. Our class times were full of chatting, giggles, smiles, hugs, and watching one another express our emotions through dance. We had a wonderful time together. To finish off our fall semester, they performed a worship dance that we've been working on each week. They were beautiful. They truly worshiped God through their dance. Maybe I'll have a video soon.

Bride and Groom

2008-11-20T20:25:00.000-05:00

My niece is now a lovely married woman. She and her high school sweetheart had been dating for five years and decided it was time to tie the knot! They got married in the church where they met and have been attending for years. It was such a sweet little country church out in the middle of some beautiful farm land. I thoroughly enjoyed the drive and the serenity of the church setting. Anna and Luke were ring bearer and flower girl which was just adorable. They did a great job. Congratulations Nicole and Michael! Thank you for letting us be a part of your special day. We love you guys!

Still celebrating

2008-11-13T21:15:00.001-05:00

The year 2008 has been a big year for many of my friends and myself. When I use the term "big," I'm not meaning physically large. No, be ye not misunderstanding. What I'm trying to communicate with the word "big" is a feeling of sadness, anger, confusion, disillusionment, regret, and an altogether sense of depression. Why so downcast, you ask? Unfortunately, I was born in the year 1978. You might be saying to yourself, "Hmm, what's so unfortunate about 1978?" Well, I'll tell ya. 1978 was exactly 30 years ago. Which means I'm now 30 myself. Last year I was a babe in my 20s, now not so much. Fortunately, I age at the same rate as everyone else and my friends and hubby are experiencing this right along with me. We'll get through it together. Maybe.
Just joshin'!. I really don't care that I'm 30. I'm actually kinda glad because I've celebrated this birthday for 6 months now, and it looks like I'm gonna keep on celebrating 30 till I turn 40!
So far, I've had a trip to Vegas, a weekend with Ryan, dinner out, a party with family, a day with Ryan (for his big 3-0 day), and an evening with Siena and Rachel for Siena's big day, and a party with Rachel for her's. Next is a day at the spa with these same gals.
When I turned 29 I think I maybe got dinner and some gifts. Is it just me or is 30 like the best age ever?

Our Children Across the Globe

2008-11-06T21:02:00.013-05:00

When Ryan and I were dating, we decided to sponsor a child through World Vision, a mission organization committed to helping ease the pain of poverty and disease while communicating the love of Jesus Christ. We chose a precious little three year old girl from Lesotho, South Africa. Here is the first picture we received of her.

Isn't she precious? Well, this little girl grew over the years.

She is now a beautiful 14 year old young lady.

Several years ago, we decided to sponsor two more children, one for Anna and one for Luke.

Here is Betinha. So cute. Every time I look at this picture I want to take out a tissue and wipe her little nose clean.

Maybe she's a little handful.

And here is Baphelele. Precious. . .

. . . and maybe a little shy.

Here are some shots of Anna and Luke holding their pictures. We took these to send to the kids so they would know we received their photos.

All three children are from different parts of South Africa which is a total coincidence since World Vision works with kids all over the globe. I think that's God's way of telling us we need to go visit all of them one day.
They all live in communities plagued by famine and disease. Mostly we receive positive updates of all that is going well in their communities: wells being dug, schools being erected, food, clothing, and health care being provided. We receive their pictures and personal notes and drawings. They always look very healthy which is such a victory itself. We have occasionally received letters of sadness informing us of the deaths of fathers, mothers, and grandparents. We suspect these are deaths from preventable disease, deaths that may not have occurred had they lived in different circumstances. They seem so far away, theirs lives so difficult and unfair.
But lately I've been feeling their closeness. When I hold their letters and pictures in my hands I realize I'm touching something they've touched. The physical distance between us is not really that far. We're a part of the same world. We have the same needs. We're watching them grow just as rapidly as our own children.
Aren't they just wonderful? It really is amazing to be a part of their lives.
We would like to ask you, our friends and family, to remember them in your prayers each time you remember our own children. And if you would like to know more about child sponsorship, visit worldvision.org.

Mmmm Fall!

2008-10-27T22:16:00.001-04:00

WE LOVE FALL!!
Each time the weather changes and a new season begins, the Baders welcome it with open arms. (Except for nasty winter, of course, which is the season to celebrate all things dead and brown.) We always look forward to the changes: the changes in weather, the changes in activities, the changes in nature. In winter, we look forward to the warmth and flowers of spring. In spring, we look forward to summertime swimming and barefeet. In summer, we anticipate fall's cool (but not cold) evenings, pretty leaves, pumpkins, Halloween & Thanksgiving, cuddling up under blankets to read, and making s'mores on the fire pit. I love taking pictures of the kids in a big pile of leaves or cuddling up with some big, fat, pumpkins! Of course, we all know what comes after fall, but we'll not dwell on that.

To the Zoo

2008-10-23T21:52:00.003-04:00

Our fall break consisted of a couple days to relax, a day for play dates, a wedding, a church picnic, and a trip to the Knoxville Zoo. It had been a few years since Anna and Luke had been, so they were super excited. Caroline had no idea what the long drive was all about but she did enjoy the cool animals and catching a cat nap in her stroller. Anna and Luke loved EVERYTHING. They excitedly ran from each area to the next until we had seen everything (and none too soon since our enthusiasm had thoroughly been drained after several hours.) This was a very nice day trip for everyone and helped add a little excitement to our fall break.

Trip to Pittsburgh

2008-10-23T21:01:00.001-04:00

We traveled to Pittsburgh, PA for Ryan's cousin's wedding a few weeks ago. The drive was less than desirable, but seeing Ryan's family was great. Ryan officiated the wedding, which was outside at a beautiful golf course. It was lovely, and we wish Bryan and Christy all the best. Unfortunately, I took no pictures of the wedding itself. But I made sure I got some of Great Grandma and Grandpa Bader who are faithful blog readers. We love you all!

Hooray for Nebulizers!

2008-10-13T22:41:00.006-04:00

These are some shots I took of Caroline at the doctor's office recently. She looks pretty happy, so you'd never know that just a short time before this visit, she could hardly breathe. Basically, over the past six months, on three separate occasions, she'd gone from absolutely no symptoms of anything to labored breathing worthy of panic over the course of just a few short hours.
We (Ryan, myself, and the doctors) are perplexed about what is causing her lungs to respond so violently. We thought maybe she has a seasonal allergy that was causing the trouble, but the results from a blood test indicate otherwise. She's not allergic to anything. She's not catching some type of sickness. Her lung tissue just seems to suddenly react to something and swell. Weird.
Luckily, modern medicine has come up with something cool called a "nebulizer" that works like magic. We simply squirt a little medicine into a machine that turns it into a mist which Caroline then breathes in while wearing a sad little mask. It takes about 10 minutes, which can seem like an eternity, so we sing songs to pass the time. Caroline's favorite is "The Wheels on the Bus" just in case you were wondering.
Anyway, this little modern miracle turns Caroline's frown upside down as you can see above. Who knows? Maybe one day we'll discover the answer to her lung phenomenon. Until then, we're starting to run out of ideas for cutsie toddler songs that don't get irritating after repeating 11 times. Any ideas anyone?

You ain't foolin' me!

2008-10-13T22:18:00.002-04:00

Caroline is a pretty good eater. She has, however, recently rebelled against raw carrots. This is disconcerting not only because carrots are healthy, but because they're my tried and true stand by for a no prep way to get vegetables into the growing bodies of my children. You can pretty much count on carrots with most any lunch we have. So you can imagine my horror when I saw Caroline spit them out recently. I thought, "What's this? You don't like the carrots? Oh, no. What does the rest of the world do at lunch time with no carrots? We have a peanut butter sandwich, a quarter apple, milk, and . . . well. . . what? We've gotta get a veggie in there somewhere. Maybe I could steam some broccoli. Or how about some yummy sweet corn? Maybe a nice side of peas. Oh, but wait. I forgot. I don't really do the whole cooking thing at lunch time. I put off that horrid practice until the evening hours when I force myself to turn on the stove. Whatever shall we do?" Hey, maybe I'll let her dip them in some peanut butter. Yeah, that's it. Camo the carrots! She'll never know the difference. Here you go Caroline. Here's some peanut butter and some yummy orange . . . umm . . . sticks! yeah, for dipping. What are you doing Caroline? No, baby. You've gotta bite the sticks. Come on Caroline. Don't just lick the peanut butter off. It's a really yummy orange STICK. BITE it! Please? Just bite the orange stick, dadgummit!! Good grief. Now I've gotta go and turn on that stove. And it's not even 5:00 yet.

Soccer?

2008-10-13T21:20:00.003-04:00

Growing up, Ryan and I both enjoyed sports. Between us, we've played basketball, baseball, softball, tennis, golf, and football (well, powder puff and intramural, but that counts, right?) We've always hoped our kids would also enjoy sports. I've always thought I'd be open to them playing whichever sports they chose.
However, the day Anna asked to take up soccer, I was less than thrilled. I know nothing of the soccer world, other than the fact that touching the ball with one's hands is frowned upon. Nevertheless, our firstborn is now a ballet dancing, piano playing, soccer girl. I'm enjoying watching Anna and asking as many questions as she is. Why is she going that way? Why did she just pick up the ball? Why doesn't she just shove her out of the way? I think #3 is a boy. Yep, I'm sure of it. Go, Anna, go!! No, the other way!

Caught!

2008-09-24T22:07:00.002-04:00

I knew it was just a matter of time. The day Caroline learned to open cabinets I said to myself "She's gonna find that treat jar one of these days." Sure enough, I walked into the kitchen the other day to find this. When I walked in, she turned to see me and completely froze. I just know she was thinking "Uh oh, this is really good stuff. It's gotta be bad." Unfortunately for Caroline, the treat jar now has a new home in an upper cabinet.

Labor Day and a lot of Caroline

2008-09-18T21:22:00.007-04:00

So I'm a little behind. My parents, grandparents, and sister's family came over for a little Labor Day get together. As usual, Caroline manages to get into almost every shot. Our "other kids" are old news I guess. Poor things. Thirty years from now, they're going to use this blog as proof when we're having this conversation.

"Oh mom, you were so easy on Caroline. Anna and I could look at you wrong and get spanked. Caroline could slap you're face and you'd be like "Oh, look Ryan. Isn't she cute? She's asserting herself. Quick, get the video camera. And oh, could you spank Anna and Luke? They just looked at me funny."
I'll reply with an "Oh, whatever! It just seemed that way because she was the youngest. I treated you the same way when you were her age." Then they'll roll their eyes at me, which is completely unacceptable, so I'll spank them then go take a picture of Caroline.

Another birthday?

2008-09-18T21:22:00.003-04:00

It is just me, or am I constantly showing another birthday celebration? Could it be that my kids have birthdays more than once a year? Maybe that's why their growing so quickly. Anna is now 7. I'm positive she just started preschool last year, so there really must be some kind of time warp occurring with our family.

Nights of the Bizarre

2008-09-03T22:04:00.002-04:00

Sunday nights in August are bizarre for the youth of our church. They've enjoyed Ryan's weird games and crazy ideas with notable patience and pleasure. This past week's homemade slip n slide wasn't too bizarre, except for the fact that no one ended up in the emergency room. Now, that was bizarre.

One Last Hoorah

2008-08-24T23:16:00.002-04:00

Our last big event of the summer is our annual trip to Atlanta with Ryan's little league team. Ryan's dad is the team sponsor, so he plans a great weekend for the players and their families. We all load into a big charter bus and head down for a couple days to catch a Braves game and visit a theme park. Last year was Six Flags, so this year we went to White Water. Talk about fun for the kids. This is one of their favorite parts of being our children. They love the water slides, sleeping in a college dorm, going to see the Braves, and eating a lot of good food. But their favorite part by far is the bus ride. Luke always sits in the back with Ryan's little leaguers. (No car seats required.) He feels like such a big boy with them and has enjoyed this part of the trip since he was 2.
Anna always sits right behind Ryan and me with a little sister of one of the players. Most of the time they color, read, giggle, and enjoy little girlhood. We were shocked at one point, however, to turn around and discover Anna and her friend enthusiastically kissing their pillows. Ryan and I looked at each other what an "Are they doing what I think they're doing?" kind of look. We're fairly certain they were pretending to kiss boys, but we're telling ourselves they were just expressing their love for their pillows. Yeah, that's it. They were really nice pillows.

We also went to a little place called Dixie Land Park. There were quite a few fun rides including one you'll see below that was honestly the most frightening ride I've ever experienced.
This is a pretty big statement because I've ridden roller coasters all over the country. I love the thrill of a good scary ride. This one, however, had to be breaking like forty two codes. You're simply strapped into these seats connected to a wicked long arm that blasts you around to unspeakable heights. You're suspended upside down over really solid looking pavement with NOTHING over your shoulders. I screamed. I screamed loud and hard. The entire time. The blood vessels in my eyes are still healing.

Sweetwater

2008-08-18T22:45:00.003-04:00

I grew up in a small town called Sweetwater, TN, located about 2 1/2 hours southwest of where we are living now. My parents still live there and run their dairy farm with the help of one of my sisters and her husband. Ever since Anna was born, we've tried to make the drive about once every 2 to 3 months to stay for several days and visit.

This last visit was a fun one. My parents recently moved to town but still run the farm which is several miles outside of town. Being "in the city" has added a lot to our visits. During our latest visit my mom and I walked with the kids to the duck park so they could traumatize a bunch of overweight geese and ducks. We enjoyed some time at the school playground that is a couple blocks from my parents' house. We spent an afternoon at the city pool. We also had some time to just relax and be with my sister and her family.

Athens is a neighboring city where I went to high school. It is home to one of the most awesome playgrounds I've ever seen. Take a look at those slides! Shouldn't there be pools at the bottom? Shouldn't the sign read "Welcome to Athens Regional Park where your kids will enjoy zooming down really high slides, climbing a web that is two stories high, sitting on some really hot surfaces, and a field trip to the ER!"
For me, a nice part of going to this park is that I frequently discover some long lost friend from high school who has brought her children to play. It's great to reconnect after so many years. How many years has it been? Oh, it's not really been many. Did I say after "so many" years? I just meant that it seems like it's been awhile. It's really not. I'm really young, you know. Really.

In Remembrance of our only boy (not really)

2008-08-07T00:04:00.019-04:00

Once upon a time, a baby boy was born.

The baby boy was loved and nurtured.
He laughed and danced.
He posed for silly pictures.
He experienced joys . . .
. . . and frustrations.

He was sweet. As sweet as they come . . .
. . . and silly. As silly as they come.
Oh, how his family loved him.
Then one day, one horrible sad day, the boogie man stole the boy from his loving family.
And he was never to be seen again.
Just kidding. The boogie man didn't really steal the boy.
No, it was something called Kindergarten.
And they did see him again.
Just not as often.
Oh well, at least we still have Caroline . . .
. . . till the boogie man strikes again.

The Slushie was the best part.

2008-08-06T23:42:00.000-04:00

For Christmas this past year, Ryan's dad ("Paw Paw") decided to treat us to tickets to some area attractions. Every month, we receive another Christmas gift in the mail. The kids have loved this. Some of the tickets have been to Fun Expedition, the Gray Fossil Museum, and Barter Theatre. The latest was for Wetlands. This was a fun, hot day for us all. Anna & Luke loved the slides most of all. Anna was a little disappointed that she wasn't tall enough to ride the big slides (weird since she was tall enough last year) but she handled it pretty well. Mom & Dad's favorite part was finding a comfy, shady area to relax. The kids had fun eating a blue slushie and sharing with their baby sister. Oddly, I came away with no swimming pictures but plenty of the slushie.

Snakes in the Library

2008-08-03T23:36:00.001-04:00

Our city library has provided our family with some great entertainment this summer. The kids' favorite was the day "Safari Greg" brought some unusual creatures. He ended the show by bringing out one of the biggest snakes I've ever seen. That's when I pulled out the camera for some shots of the kids with wide eyes and expressions of caution. Is it really OK for that thing to be in the library?

Sweet Shots

2008-07-27T00:02:00.003-04:00

We drove up to Rocky Mount which is a hop, skip, and a jump from our home for some family pictures. My friend, Rebecca, did a great job. For more pics or to order some, just check out Rebecca's site at rebeccamarrphotography.com. She's really good and super reasonable. Thanks Rebecca!

Miss you Dad

2008-07-26T23:46:00.003-04:00

Ryan is currently soaking up the sun in the Cayman Islands. We're totally jealous, but this is his celebrating the big 30 equivalent to my Vegas trip in May. We hope you're having fun Dad. Miss you lots. Here are some of our favorite shots of our favorite guy.

Senior League

2008-07-23T22:26:00.002-04:00

Most of you know that Ryan is a big baseball fan. He loves following the Atlanta Braves and coaching Little League. You may not know, however, that he still enjoys playing. He and some of his buds plus a few youth group fellas try to get together occasionally (ok, once a year if he's lucky)for a game. This year we also cooked out to make it fun for the families too. Caroline was especially moody this evening, but everyone else had a great time.

Hit the Deck

2008-07-23T22:19:00.003-04:00

Ever since we bought our house a couple years ago, we've been wanting to build a deck. Now it's finally complete and we're loving it. It's so nice to be able to step out of the kitchen to check on the kids playing in the back yard. We're also eating nearly every meal outside. Ryan's mom surprised me with a fire pit for my birthday, so the kids are seeing s'mores in our future and Ryan & I are seeing cozy fall evenings by the fire.

To celebrate the new deck, we invited friends over for dinner. I didn't take any pictures of our evening until after the meal when I just had to break out the camera. My friend, Lisa, and I had gone into the living room to relax and watch our babies play. We expected the guys to follow, but as we talked we noticed they were taking awhile. Those of you who know Ryan know that he is an amazing housekeeper ( honestly, he's teetering on OCD.) But when we have friends over, we usually enjoy the evening and worry about the dishes later. Imagine our joy when we discovered them doing this back in the kitchen. What a beautiful sight! Oh, and to be fair, George didn't make it into the pictures, but he's in there drying and putting the dishes away! You guys can come over anytime.

New Life

2008-07-23T22:06:00.003-04:00

I had noticed that each time I went to water a hanging basket of petunias, a bird would usually fly out of it. I hadn't thought much of it until about a week ago when I took the basket down so Luke could water it. Nestled down among the flowers was a sweet little nest containing five tiny blue eggs. We were all so excited. We quickly placed it back on its hook and went inside to watch the mother fly back to her eggs. A couple days later, we took it down again and there was a tiny naked bird. It was the cutest little thing I've ever seen. Luke, our little tough guy even responded with "Aawh, it's so sweet!" He was so anxious to put it back so it's mommy could come back and keep it warm. This morning we found two more had hatched. Then this evening there were four. (We're hoping the fifth egg is hiding under a sibling.) How exciting to witness sweet new life.

Just the Two of Us

2008-07-12T23:02:00.002-04:00

We thought our July 4th festivities were complete around 11PM on July 4. Anna and I, however, decided to take in a concert and some extra fireworks in Jonesborough on the 5th. This turned out to be such a special evening with Anna. When she is alone with me (and just about any other adult) she magically matures. Ten minutes before we left the house she was a silly little six year old girl. As we drove out of our neighborhood, she transformed into an observant, thoughtful, young lady with these words: "Mom, I'm so glad we're going out just the two of us. Isn't everything so pretty when the sun is almost down and there are plants all around? I love how everything feels so cozy and warm." This started our evening off well.
When we got to Jonesborough we parked on Main St. and lazily walked through the Jonesborough Days vendors until we arrived at the Trey Hensley concert. Some of you may not know that we have such a talented, young (he just graduated from high school) musician local to our area. He put on a great show.
Following the concert we enjoyed a root beer and a trip to the Lollipop Shop. My favorite part of the evening was waiting for the fireworks to begin. We spread out a blanket, sat down and chatted for awhile. The conversation we had was just so pleasant. She even commented on how she missed Luke and how he would have enjoyed the evening too. Just as I was thinking about how much Anna was growing up, she hopped off the blanket to dance to some music and catch fireflies. All of a sudden, she was a little girl. What an amazing, wonderful point in life. She can easily enjoy moving from young lady to little girl. She doesn't know she's changing and maturing. She's simply enjoying it.
When the fireworks began, Anna laid her head down on my lap and "oohed" and "aahed" over her favorite glittery fireworks. I, on the other hand, spent most of the time looking at Anna, playing with her hair, and "oohing" and "aahing" over the little beauty with her head on my lap.

Fourth of July Festivities

2008-07-08T22:32:00.003-04:00

June is a very busy month for Ryan. With camp and two missions trips, he was only home for a week and a half throughout the entire month. So when July 4 rolls around, we not only celebrate Independence Day, we also celebrate the return of our husband and dad. This year, we celebrated with the Jonesborough parade, inflatable games and hotdogs at a church near Freedom Hall, then Johnson City's fireworks show. The kids love this holiday. Even Caroline enjoyed the festivities and was a trooper staying up way past bedtime. What a great day for everyone.

Happy Birthday Caroline!

2008-07-08T21:26:00.002-04:00

Our family had fun celebrating our baby's first birthday. She devoured her yummy cake and had fun opening and climbing on her presents. Big sis enjoyed her role as assistant present opener. Caroline received diapers and wipes (yeah!), money, a safety gate, gift cards, a babydoll, bath toys, a beach towel, clothes, and sunglasses. Thanks to everyone for helping make it a special day!

Yeah Summer!

2008-07-03T08:24:00.001-04:00

I was very excited for Anna's last day of school. Summer is our time to enjoy long, fun days outdoors. Most of our time is spent in the backyard. We're blessed with some sweet neighborhood kids who love to come over and play. And sometimes we're blessed with a break when our kids decide to go to their houses. Summertime also calls for swimming at Warrior's Path, friends' homes, or the lake, sleepovers, lightning bugs, Hawaiian ice, the Lakeside Cinema, and sleeping in our tent. Caroline is becoming one of the kids rather than the baby. She enjoys the fun right along with everyone. For us all, it's just a great time of year.

Dollywood (in Anna's words)

2008-07-03T08:21:00.001-04:00

Anna is making her blogging debut with her memories of our annual trip to Dollywood with Gran. Enjoy.
Me and my family went to doly wood. It was fun.And my mom and me rode the sky ride. it was fun. And my granma rode the cars with me to.And my favrit thing to do was the water slide. And I love doly wood and Gran so so so much and I am very very very happy. Another thing that I did was play in the water area. I also rode blazing fury. it felt like everything was on fire. It was so so fun.

Mammaw & Pappaw's Cherries

2008-06-14T23:06:00.002-04:00

My grandparents have two wonderful cherry trees growing in their yard. Up until a couple years ago, they had three. One was very small, however, and we decided it would be a great addition to our yard. So we dug it up, and now it stands near our mailbox. It was doing great until "The Great Frost of '07." Ever since then, it is only half living. When I say "half" I mean you could draw a line down the middle and have a thriving tree on one side and firewood on the other. Needless to say, our cherry harvest was tiny (the birds at them all.)
My grandparents' trees, however, flourished this year. So we've been picking cherries like crazy. Anna's really good at this now. Luke, on the other hand, eats more than he saves. They make scrumptious cobblers!

Camp ACC

2008-06-14T22:45:00.002-04:00

Ryan directs a senior high week of camp at Camp ACC in Unicoi each summer. This always proves to be a fabulous week of fun and growth for the students and volunteers alike. Some highlights from this week were visiting some elderly friends in local nursing homes, improving some homes, a "Lost and Found" concert, crazy messy games, lots of great speakers, learning some new words (Tao, Namaste, Ubuntu, Solidaeridade), making some new friends, reconnecting with some old friends, worshiping our God as one body, and witnessing a friend join that body. For more pics, check the camp out at campacc.com

Happy Daddy Day!

2008-06-14T21:44:00.004-04:00

I'm one of those grown women who still calls her father "Daddy." Maybe it's because I'm Southern. But maybe it's because he's more of a "Daddy" to me than a "Dad" or "Father." Daddy is a dairy farmer. He loves to farm, keep up with UT Football and the Lady Vols basketball. He's a wonderful singer and puts on productions with a local chorale. He has always been faithful to the church and his family. He and my "Mamma" (yes, they are still "Mamma" and "Daddy") have been married for almost 40 years. Daddy is currently fighting cancer and will soon beat it. He is the best Daddy and Grandaddy I could have ever imagined.
And here's to the other dad in my life. Anna, Luke, and Caroline are blessed with a dad who spends much of his life playing, reading, driving, disciplining, teaching, tickling, laughing, comforting, hugging, kissing, and loving his children. What a great dad.

We love summer!!

2008-05-30T23:19:00.006-04:00

LOST

2008-05-30T22:55:00.001-04:00

We had fellow LOST fans over to enjoy the season finale and mourn the loss of our favorite show for another 9 months.

Not So Sweet

2008-05-30T22:44:00.002-04:00

I've been painting banners for Ryan's week of camp. I must have had a moment of insanity last night when I left baby and paint in the house alone.

Sweet Caroline

2008-05-30T22:23:00.002-04:00

This has been a big month for Caroline.
She learned to crawl forward (she'd been scooting backward for a few months) and is so happy with her new found mobility.
She learned to pull up to a standing position.
She drinks big girl milk from a big girl cup.
She has started talking a little.
"tie du" = "thank you"
"Da" = "dad" or "dog" whichever is within sight
"eee" = "wee" on the swing
"Mama" makes me smile as I trick myself into believing she's referring to me.
She can give kisses.
She can wave hello and good bye.
She can laugh when we say "no." Bad news.
Really, though, Caroline is super. She's happy and pleasant most always and brings out the best in her siblings. Here's to our 11 month old sweetie.

Country Music Video

2008-05-30T21:51:00.002-04:00

I had several short-lived part time jobs as a high school student. The most memorable, by far, was when I held the position of stall cleaner outer at a local horse farm. It was my job to stop by after school several days a week and scoop poop. Sounds like drudgery, but I actually loved it for a time. I was never a huge country music fan, but I did like a few of the hits, namely Shania Twain's "Any Man of Mine." I embraced the role of southern belle on a horse farm while scooping the poop and belting out Shania's truths. However, tragedy struck one day when I was cleaning the stall of a massive stallion that was worth about 10 zillion bucks. Evidentially, I left the stall door open a little too far. When he noticed this he bolted, nearly killing me in the process. He ran fast. He ran far. I ran fast to the owner's home for some help. After some yelling, cussing, and whipping on the part of the owner, the horse was safely returned to his stall. I was in tears. They never called me to come back. I've been scared of horses ever since.
All these fond memories came rushing back when we took our youth group to a local horse farm a couple weeks ago. It was a lot of fun. We had to stay inside to ride because of the nasty weather, but everyone enjoyed the beautiful horses anyway. Anna and Luke had a great time. Honestly, though, the minute they brought out a huge stallion, my heart started pounding a mile a minute and I was so relieved when it was time to leave.

VEGAS

2008-05-12T21:52:00.003-04:00

For the past ten years, a group of girlfriends and I have been going on trips together each year. When we were in college, we always went camping for two reasons. 1. We like camping. 2. We had no money. So, when we graduated and stared making some bucks, we began alternating camping with more elaborate trips. We've been on a cruise to the Bahamas and on a beach trip to St. Augustine. But this year was the biggest yet. We've all either just turned 30 or will be turning 30 soon (please note that I am still 29 :) , so we decided this year we'd do something big. Our destination? Fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada!! What a blast we had! We stayed at the Venetian which was gorgeous and wonderful in every way. We had dinner at the Eiffel Tower which was probably the nicest meal I've ever had. We walked the strip, watched many Bellagio fountain shows, played the slot machines, ate some really good food, attended a Cirque du Soleil performance (my favorite part of the trip), laughed, talked, relaxed, and had an amazing trip.

And, oh, to the kind people of Las Vegas, I would like to extend my sincere apologies for thinking you an immoral group of crazies. I actually left my wallet in a cab one evening. Yes, in Las Vegas of all places, my wallet fell out of my purse unbeknownst to me. I was prepared to never see my wallet or its contents ever again. But the next day, the kind people at the lost and found office for Checker Cab Service returned my wallet which contained every dime I had in it, credit cards, etc.

Thank you, Joy, for all the hard work you put into planning the trip. Thank you, Ryan, for being a great single dad while I was gone. And thank you girls for your friendship. I loved all our long chats. What a refreshing, fun time.

God's Gift

2008-04-29T23:37:00.002-04:00

Last fall, the kids and I planted some bulbs outside. We have really enjoyed watching them emerge from the cold ground and bloom into beautiful spring flowers. The kids check on their progress each day. Luke and I had a heart to heart about God creating flowers just because he loves us and wanted to give us something beautiful. Sometimes I think talks like these don't really mean much, but this one did. Luke stopped, looked around, and said "Yeah, that's nice." I prayed that his love for the flowers and the knowledge that God made them for his enjoyment would bring him into a deeper appreciation for God's tenderness. Sometimes it's hard to express beauty to a boy. But I really think Luke got it that day. What a gift.

First Swim

2008-04-29T23:30:00.002-04:00

Caroline was a little too small to swim last year. So, even though it probably wasn't quite warm enough, I let her and Luke swim a little last week. Poor Luke didn't get in a single shot. He's the middle child, so what do you expect? Anna was at school, so she missed all the action. Oh, but the baby. We do love her. Look at all that chub! She's irresistible.

In Our Own Backyard

2008-04-29T23:17:00.002-04:00

Anna and Luke had a day off from school last Monday, so we decided to venture out to Gray for our first visit to the new fossil museum. We all enjoyed learning about the animals that once roamed our area. It's so cool that people are traveling from miles and miles to see what is just down the road from us. The kids especially enjoyed the BIG T-rex display. Her name is Sue, and although she wasn't found here, she was still impressive.

Happy Birthday Kassidy

2008-04-29T23:12:00.002-04:00

My (Beth) niece turned eleven last week. My sister, Sharon, and her husband has us over to celebrate. Even though Kassidy is older than our kids, they have a blast together. Happy birthday Kassidy!

Jonesborough Kids' Day

2008-04-29T23:02:00.002-04:00

We enjoyed Jonesborough's Kids' Day last week. The kids got to make some neat crafts, eat ice cream, have their fingerprints made, see a magic show, sit in some big machines, and enjoy a day just for them.

Looking Out

2008-04-29T22:41:00.003-04:00

Caroline enjoys sitting at the front door watching the neighborhood happenings. This is precious to me. I imagine her little mind soaking in the outside world and yearning for the freedom to explore it. For now, I enjoy the fact that she is with me. She is protected. I simultaneously fear and look forward to the days when she is no longer looking out at the world, but is actively participating in it. So goes the bittersweet reality of raising children. Fortunately, the sweet far outweighs the bitter.

Finally!

2008-04-29T21:16:00.002-04:00

Those of you who know me well know that I am fairly new to the whole computer world. For years I have shunned it as a less than personal way to communicate, a lazy way to get information, and one more thing to keep me sitting on my rear instead of getting things done. Well, I recently had a change of heart when I discovered the whole blog phenomena. For some reason, I really enjoy reading blogs (I have a bunch that I check almost daily.) Do other people do this? Am I becoming a blog geek? I also use email lots more than in the past and even do the whole Facebook thing too. I know I'm 10+ years behind most other people, but I really just didn't have a desire to be in the computer world. Anyway, I've been unable to access the Internet lately, and I've been going nutso!! I am totally hooked. Lucky for me, here I am, back in this new world and pleased as punch.
In other news, I'm headed to Vegas this Friday with some girlfriends to celebrate turning 30!! I'm thrilled and about to explode with excitement. We'll be returning next Wednesday. I'll be sure to post some pictures and highlights of the trip. Thanks, Joy, for planning everything for us. You're super duper!

Willow Springs

2008-04-17T22:01:00.001-04:00

Willow Springs Park has been our home away from home lately. It was a beautiful day Wednesday, so we enjoyed a picnic lunch and some playtime instead of our usual Backyard Burgers day.

Caroline has a Checkup

2008-04-08T22:25:00.000-04:00

Caroline had her 9 month check up last week. Thankfully, she didn't have to get any vaccines. She did, however, have some blood drawn to do some routine tests. I was nervous for her, because they did it big girl style, through her arm. As I watched them tie off her arm with that awful rubber band, I thought "Oh man, she's gonna lose it now." They even had an extra nurse come in to hold her down. I turned my head and waited for the wail. Things seemed to be taking a while, so I looked down to see what the hold up was. I was shocked to discover that the needle was already in. She was calmly observing it all. She even thought nothing of the needle stuck in her arm for a good 20 seconds. No tears. Not even a whimper. What a champ! I, on the other hand, got a little woosy when I saw that big needle in her arm. Afterward, she had fun picking at her band-aid. I know these were her thoughts. "What's that?" "Hmm, I wonder if it'll come off." "Ouch, that kinda pulls." "Oh look, I got it." "Ooo, what a pretty red dot on it."

A Team of Our Own

2008-04-08T22:09:00.000-04:00

Sometimes we joke, emphasis on the word "joke," that we'll keep having kids until we have enough for our own baseball team. Tonight we got in some practice time for the Bader team.

Best Day Ever

2008-04-01T21:45:00.000-04:00

Here's to one of the best days ever. I have no pictures to show for it, but here is a summary. Typically, Tuesdays are great simply because I have NOTHING on my schedule. No ballet, no laundry, no preschool for Luke (hence, no driving), no shopping, no church, and nothing for Ryan in the evening (dinner as a family). I generally thoroughly enjoy Tuesdays. However, today was special. It must be known that I love to mow the yard. The combo of being outside on a beautiful day (alone, because the kids might get hurt), the smell of freshly cut grass, sitting (we have a riding mower), looking around the neighborhood, feeling the warm breeze, and being productive really makes me content. Today, I got to mow for the first time since last fall. I've been looking forward to it, honestly, since last fall. And today was perfect for it. The weather was warm and breezy, and the sky was bright blue with cotton ball clouds. This started my day off right. After mowing, I brought Caroline out to sit on a blanket and watch me work in the flowers (another one of my favorites). She sat forever, completely entertained with picking grass, examining it in her tiny fingers, tasting it, spitting it out, then doing it all over again. Luke was completely happy swinging, digging for worms, laughing at Caroline eating grass, jumping on the trampoline, creating a zoo with his toys, and just being a boy. Then, my neighbor who has been in Florida since January (nice to be retired) came over to catch up. I really enjoy spending time with her. She's a fresh breath of wit, encouragement, and wisdom. We ate lunch outside on our picnic table then went for a walk with the stroller. After this, we all took a nice nap (could it get any better?) until time to get Anna off the bus. Then we enjoyed planting some more flowers, riding in the wagon, and a lovely dinner. When Ryan got home from Little League practice (no family dinner was the one drawback), I greeted him with "We have had the best day ever." We finished the day off with some nice showers and an episode of "Just for Laughs." I couldn't possibly be as thankful as I ought to be for such a fabulous day.

Easter at Gran's

2008-04-01T20:55:00.001-04:00

Easter Sunday has become one of my favorite days of the year. Sometimes, driving to church is less than picture perfect. Frustration over rushing the kids out the door, cries of anger between siblings, breakfast & makeup in the car can add up to a stressful journey. But not on Easter Sunday. As we drive to church on Easter, I am confident in our purpose. And the stresses of the morning seem to pale in comparison to what we are about to experience. Our Lord is risen! What a wonderful reason to celebrate, and what wonderful people surround us and join in the celebration. Truly, this is what our faith is all about. This is why we endure such mornings. To sing alongside my family for our Lord who has conquered the grave - what greater pleasure do we have as a family?
It's become our tradition to spend Easter Sunday at Gran's (Ryan's mom) after church. There's always a wonderful home-cooked meal, some egg hunting (of course), and some nap taking. Funny - that's exactly what we do at my grandparents' house the day before Easter. Maybe next year we'll get really creative and do something different. (Probably not due to our "do it once, do it always" mentality.) Uncle Brad spent some time reading to the kids, and Uncle Ross got teary over how well Anna read a book to him. She really does seem grown up when she's reading aloud. We get that "We're so proud" mixed with "We're bummed she's big enough to be doing this" feeling that we seem to get at least once a day now. PawPaw (Ryan's dad) and Ryan enjoyed some March Madness, and the kids & Gran played Monopoly for the first time. We don't typically color coordinate, but we were all in yellow for the occasion. Caroline wore a super sweet bunny dress courtesy of Emily Helphinstine. Anna and Luke got some yellow to match. What a great day, complete with a great photo of all three kids. To get them to sit out in the 40 degree weather right before bedtime and smile their best fake smiles only took a sugary bribe. Thanks for the treats Gran!

Easter in Jonesborough

2008-03-27T22:25:00.000-04:00

We spent this past Saturday (the day before Easter) at my grandparents' in Jonesborough. My sister, Sharon, and I cooked a few dishes, but my grandmother did the rest. My mom came up for the weekend which was nice too. The kids had fun hunting eggs with their cousin, Kassidy. We got some nice shots of them on Mammaw and Pappaw's white fence with their horse, Levi, in the background. It was a beautiful, windy day. My favorite part was the nice long nap everyone took after everything was said and done. I've always loved napping at Mammaw and Pappaw's house.

Lightning Spring Training

2008-03-27T22:08:00.000-04:00

It's that time of year again. This is Ryan's eleventh year coaching little league baseball in Johnson City. This year's team is looking pretty strong, so we're looking forward to a good season. We've grown to really enjoy our time at the ball field each spring. It's fun watching the boys play and spending time with their families. Anna and Luke love playing at the field and hanging out with the team. Pretty soon, Caroline will be joining in the fun too.

If we build it, they will play.

2008-03-27T21:35:00.000-04:00

This past Christmas, Ryan's mom, aunt, and grandmother all chipped in for a swing set for the kids. The work began when it arrived a few weeks ago. Ryan, his dad, and an unsuspecting youth from church put a lot of hours into its construction. After several days of tilling, mulching, ordering a slide without a crack in it, hammering, and screwing countless pieces together, we have a very nice set for the kids. I (Beth) was admittedly not that thrilled at first. I had visions of the dog chewing it to bits and digging up every inch of the ground cover and mulch (which she's already discovered is loads of fun.) However, the final result has already provided hours of fun and exercise for us all. Their great big grins say it all. Anna, Luke, and Caroline would like to send out a great big thank you to those who helped by providing $$$, time, and energy!!

Early Easter

2008-03-06T00:27:00.000-05:00

I know it's not Easter yet, but everyone looked so cute last Sunday before church, so I set up our own little photography studio in our bedroom. Anna and Caroline loved having their pictures taken for spring. Luke, however, was not interested, and I only got two shots of him, both of which are not that great. He was pretty miserable, so I let him go change (we only make him wear collared shirts for pictures and weddings) and I had fun taking more shots of the girls.

Last game of the season

2008-03-06T00:11:00.000-05:00

For the last several years, we've enjoyed season tickets to the ETSU men's basketball games, courtesy of Ryan's dad. It makes for a good date night or a fun night for the whole family. Sometimes, they provide inflatable games for the kids which is a big hit. At this last game of the season, Anna found some friends from school and sat with them. She definitely seemed a little older as we watched her sitting with her buds.

Getting a head start

2008-03-05T23:58:00.000-05:00

We went down to our neighbor's the other day to have our first Easter egg hunt of the season. Anna is wearing an apron because she was taking a break from pretending to be a waitress. Caroline was our audience from the stroller. We're pretty serious about our egg hunting. At my (Beth's) grandparents in Jonesborough, we hunt eggs all year round. Anna & Luke love it, and so do I. We made a bunch of paper eggs last Saturday, and I told the kids a sad third child story from when I was young. Because my sisters were older than I and grew out of egg hunting before I did, I would hide eggs for myself around our house. Then, I'd wait a while (long enough to forget where I'd hidden them) and then go hunt them. Pretty sad.

She can stand!

2008-03-05T23:46:00.000-05:00

So Caroline needs to hold on to something, but still, she can stand! She actually can stand unassisted for about 4 seconds, but I'm not quick enough to get a picture of that.

Caroline has Friends

2008-03-05T23:30:00.000-05:00

Caroline has a couple of good friends to hang out with occasionally. The cute little guy is Gabe, son of our friends Andrew and Joy from Jacksonville, Florida. The pretty little gal whose sock Caroline is interested in is Grace, daughter of friends Rachel and Donnie. Caroline may seem too little to enjoy play dates, but she actually loves watching other babies and kids.

Sitting in the Big Tub

2008-02-11T22:47:00.000-05:00

Caroline's first time sitting up in the big tub wasn't the big soppy mess I thought it would be. She did have fun splashing a little, but for the most part, she was very subdued. She had the sweetest little look on her face as she watched her feet move in the water. Her chub is absolutely adorable when she's in her birthday suit, and THOSE CHEEKS just get cuter every day.

Totaled

2008-02-11T22:30:00.000-05:00

So Ryan calls me one Wednesday evening after church and says "Hey, it's me. I just wrecked the car." He reassured me he was fine but went on to explain that not only had he wrecked the car, but he had actually slid over a small cliff and rolled several times. He had just taken one of the youth group kids home in the Watauga community (bad news), and the roads were very slick from some rain. As he went around a curve, he began to slide and kept on sliding and rolling until he came to rest on a horse farm. We still can't really believe he didn't receive ANY injuries. We're thanking God for that and the fact that we got a much nicer replacement car out of the deal. A big thank you goes out to my brother in law, Mark, who found us a great car.

Christmas 2007

2008-02-11T21:36:00.000-05:00

Christmas was a special time this year for many reasons. This was Caroline's first Christmas, so we cherished every moment with her. Some of our favorite memories are:
*Getting our tree and decorating it
We make a night of it by going out to eat after we choose the tree (CiCi's this year was pretty lame but the kids were sooo excited about it , we think we might do it every year.) We come home and decorate it while listening to Christmas music. Then, we drink hot chocolate and watch a movie.
*Christmas Eve at my (Beth's) grandparents' home in Jonesborough
This is what I've been looking forward to every year since I was little. All of my dad's family comes together to eat and open presents. It's a wonderful tradition.
*Christmas morning at home then at Gran's
We stay home long enough to open gifts and relax a little. Then we head to Gran's (Ryan's mom) for brunch, presents, and dinner that evening. The kids love throwing the wrapping paper in Gran's fire place.
*Anna and Luke's homemade gifts
Anna and Luke spent a lot of time making Perler bead ornaments and pictures to give as gifts. You could tell by the look on their faces that they truly enjoyed giving and seeing their presents opened by others.
*Christmas services at Grandview
Our church is such a wonderful place to be at Christmas. We love the season of Advent and being with our church family during this time. We are so thankful for the love of our Lord and celebrating his birth with those we love.