I'm Back!!!!!

For those of you that have been wondering where I went...I'm back! My home desktop was unable to keep up with my blogging needs, so I had stopped making posts. But, Santa was good to me...I have my own little web-book now! I am super excited. So, no more excuses...blog updates will be here soon! I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas! Lots of love! Amy

Back On The Lake!!!

It was a beautiful day...that translates into "it's a lake day!" After a busy morning/afternoon, we made our way to the lake to check things out! We have never made it out on the lake in April, but today we did! We had lots of fun; followed by a little bit of an adventure. It seems the first time out each season brings along a new opportunity to learn about what can go wrong. In prior seasons we have had planing issues, generator issues, and then today we had engine issues! We really aren't sure how we fixed it, but at one point we had no engine power! That's right, there are two...neither of them made a sound. After doing our best to figure things out...the manual was retrieved from the cabin and did not give us much to work with...we tried calling the marina. They told us they were racking their brains, but they just didn't have anything big enough to tow us in. So, we tried one last time and managed to get the port engine going. Once we were in route, we actually got the other one going too. Prior to momentarily losing our engines (for 45min), we had a nice ride and Blakely got to get her toes wet! As you can see from the picture of her "driving" the boat...she was not phased by the lack of engine power! Once we made it safely to the marina, she was thrilled to find the ducks were still there waiting to be fed more goldfish! All in all, it was a great day...another lesson learned!!!

Easter with the Family!

We had a great Easter! It was lots of fun having most of my family join us at our house after everyone got home from church and had a chance to change clothes. We decorated more eggs, had a yummy lunch, and then had an Easter Egg hunt. It was lots of fun! We finally had some nice weather, so we headed to the backyard to take a few family pics! Blakely had lots of fun!

The Easter Bunny Visits Blakely!

Blakely was very excited when she saw that the Easter Bunny came to see her! She was even more surprised when she found the letter from the E.B. himself! He left her a thank-you letter because she left him a special egg. He also hid 12 eggs for her to find! After eating one treat(a Reece's Egg) it was off to the bath tub to play with her little doll that can swim. After that it was time for a real breakfast, and then off to church! We had a beautiful Easter Service to help get our hearts and minds in the right place! What a special day!

Blakely Decorates Easter Eggs!

Blakely had lots of fun decorating her eggs this year. She wanted everyone to decorate their own, and she wanted to mix up the dye by herself! We had lots of fun, and we made lots of beautiful eggs. The best part was when Blakely asked to make a special egg for the Easter Bunny. She wanted to give him something to keep since he was going to leave her something! As you can see above, she made a very special egg and a note...complete with an illustration. She was so excited when he left her a thank-you note!

Blakely Loves Easter Egg Hunts!

This year we had lots of Easter Egg Hunts! Our first stop was the Annual Easter Egg Hunt at the Mahoney's. We had lots of fun, and the family picture above was taken there. The next egg hunt happened at school..those pics are the ones with Blakely in her polka dotted coat. Finally on Easter Sunday, we had two egg hunts. The first one was from the Easter Bunny himself (inside our house) and the next one was in our backyard after church and a change of clothes! You can see Blakely celebrating finding the last egg! Needless to say, we have lots of candy and plastic eggs!

Soccer Starts!

Blakely has officially started soccer, and I have officially become a "Soccer Mom." (Well, minus the mini-van.) Today, we went to the soccer fields to watch as our little girl started a brand new sport. It was quite hilarious watching these little kids running around, trying to figure out exactly what to do. She is playing on a 6U AYSO team with 2 of her friends. They had their first practice 30 minutes before the game, so you can imagine how funny it was watching them try to figure it all out! Blakely was a little intimidated at first. She wasn't quite sure what to do with all those legs kicking at the ball at once. We have video of her actually kicking the ball and then running away from it during one of the plays! (This was my favorite moment...it was just too funny!) Her coach is our neighbor, and he is great with the kids. Even though Daddy was a little disappointed that Blakely didn't immediately become a super star, he was proud that she managed to make two goals! Once she figures out that she can be aggressive, we may just have a true soccer player on our hands...until then, more ecouraging words from Uncle Drew and Coach Todd will just have to do! Good job Blakley-boo!!! Go Stars Go!!!

Makenzie Time!

Spring Break also allowed for the two cousins to spend some time together! As you can see, even though Makenzie is only 3 weeks old, Blakely still seems to find different things for them to do together. She loves giving "baby cousin" Eskimo kisses, holding her in her arms, and laying down to rest with her...well, Blakely doesn't actually do much resting. They are having lots of fun getting to know each other. Makenzie already turns her head when she hears Blakely talking to her. I bet these two are going to have a blast together!!!

Spring Break Playdate!

On Thursday of our fabulous Spring Break, we headed to meet Abi and her Mommy for a playdate. We had lunch together at the girls' favorite spot (Chick-fil-a), then we headed back to Abi's house to have some fun! The girls played with all sorts of things inside before heading to the backyard. They discovered a new way to go down the slide together and had fun "riding" their horsey swings. Blakely and Abi always have lots of fun together, and I enjoy visiting with Marianne too! As always, Blakely was less than pleased when it came time to leave! Thanks from having us over, we had a great time!

First Zoo Trip of the Spring!

Last week was Blakely's official "Spring Break" from preschool. We weren't sure what the weather was going to be like, but it actually turned out to be pretty nice! On Tuesday, which was also St. Patrick's Day, we donned our green and headed to the zoo for a little Mommy/ Daughter time! It was a perfect day! We saw the prarie dogs out in their exhibit for the first time ever, the elephants were moving around too...even if they were a little stinky, and we watched the penguins as they were being fed their lunch. We packed our own picnic lunch which we enjoyed outside at the Safari Grill. Before we left, Blakely chose two souvenirs to mark our first trip to the zoo this Spring. What a great way to spend St. Patrick's Day during Spring Break!!!

Welcome to the Family Baby Cousin!

As you can see, we have recently welcomed the newest member to our family! My sister had Makenzie Grace on February 27th. Blakely was super excited about having a new "baby cousin." She couldn't wait for her to come out of her Aunt Suzi's tummy...and lots of questions had to be carefully answered about this wonderful phenomena. Unfortunately, the hospital where Makenzie was born wouldn't allow Blakely around her new cousin. So, we waited for her to come home, only to be thwarted by some viral thing. Needless to say, my little girl waited patiently to do what you see above! She couldn't give "baby cousin" enough kisses once they finally had their official meeting. She loves holding her and kissing her so much! As you can see, Nana is happy to have her two sweet little girls in her arms where she can give them lots of love!

Here is Blakely's post about the above collage...

This is my baby cousin and her name is Makenzie! I love my baby cousin with lots of, lots of kisses!!! I most like holding her because that way I can give her lots of kisses! Her head is so soft and I knew that she was going to be a girl, because they had the same doctor as I had when I was born. That's why I love my baby cousin!

Throw Me Something Mister!

During the week of Mardi Gras, Blakely's school had a Carnaval Celebration of their own...complete with floats and throws! The Greenhouse students (preschoolers & kindergartners) spent the month of February learning about Mardi Gras, and helping to make decorations and masks for the celebration. The kids were thrilled when the parents & teachers showed up with "real floats!" Senora Cindy(Blakely's Spanish teacher) took a few moments to go over the appropriate way to throw the beads & candy, they calmly loaded onto their floats, then off they went around the campus to throw their goodies to the crowds (first through fifth graders, and a few lucky parents). We were warned by the principal to keep our antics "G rated"...in other words, no authentic behavior to earn beads...ha ha ha! (It was actually pretty funny when she said it.) Anyway, the kids had a blast. I was really glad that I just happened to be lucky enough to be around when a parent was looking for someone to assist with the float decorating! After all that hard work throwing beads and candy, the kids headed back to their classrooms to end the celebration with some authentic King Cake...yum! A special thanks goes out to Mimi and Pops who sent a special package with authentic Mardi Gras throws & decorations!

More Great Pics of the Birthday Fun!

Blakely's 5th Birthday Party!

For Blakely's 5th birthday party, we headed to the mall to paint pottery at Liza Moz! It was a lot of fun! As you can see, we had lots of little 4 and 5 year olds ready to help Blakely celebrate her birthday! They started by choosing a piece to paint; then came the tricky part of letting them each choose their own colors. After a little chaos, everyone had their supplies and it was pure magic after that. Once everyone had a chance to paint their piece, we had a snack and sang happy birthday. Then it was off to unwrap the mountain of wonderful gifts her friends & family so generously gave! We weren't sure it was all going to fit in the car, but somehow we made it home with everything...even her balloons. As you can see from the pictures, everyone had a great time! She enjoyed having all her friends, family, and even her teacher join her to celebrate! What a party!!!!

Blakely's 5th Birthday with the Family!

On Friday, February 20th, 2009, our little girl turned 5!!! It is amazing how fast the time has gone by. After a family dinner at McDonald's (Blakely's choice), we went home to celebrate her birthday with all my siblings and Nana! Blakely wanted a chocolate purse cake, so I did my best. She wound up with poodle cupcakes, this cake, and a poodle cake...she was able to make lots of birthday wishes this year! It was the perfect ending to a special day, and she got lots of nice gifts...you can see her showing off one of the Calico Critters sets Nana got for her in the collage above. Happy Birthday Blakely Boo!!! We love you!

Blakely's 5th Birthday Party at School!

This was Blakely's first ever b-day party at school! Since she had chosen to have a pink poodle party this year, I decided to make poodle cupcakes for her class party. We sang happy birthday and let her make a wish before she blew out the candle. Everyone loved their chocolate poodle cupcakes! Blakely loves her class, and it was fun to have a little celebration with them at school on her actual birthday! Thanks for the memories everybody!!!

Playdate at the Park!

Blakely has really enjoyed Aunt Emily's sudden arrival back in Knoxville! On this particular day, Aunt Emily and Aunt Laura picked up Blakely for a fun filled day at the park! After I loaded the car seat into Aunt Emily's new (and Mommy approved) Exterra, handed over a bottle of hand sanitizer, and then gave all the instructions I always do...just to make myself feel better...they were off! They did a little of everything; from playing frisbees, to exploring the new equipment on the playground! I think one of Blakely's favorite parts was snack time! Somehow, she managed to start this adventure with cheese puffs & juice and end it with a "yellow" icee (also known as the mountain dew flavor)! Needless to say, she was on a sugar high for quite some time after she arrived home! All in all, it was a great day! She will be sad when Aunt Emily heads back out of town!!!! Thanks for the pics & the memories Em!

I'm A Big Girl Now!

As all of you know, Blakely was not blessed with a thick head of hair! Up until now, I have trimmed it whenever necessary. However, over the last few months, Blakely has brought it to my attention that she has never had her hair cut at the salon like Mommy. So, I decided that I would give in and finally spring for a "real haircut!" She has accompanied me almost every time (perk of having a stay at home mom:)!) and thus far has been satisfied with just getting a sucker while she watched. Because of this, she was fully aware of how it worked! She didn't want to miss out on any aspect of the experience. She wanted the shampoo, cut, and blow-dry! So, with that, I give you "straight haired" Blakely! She was so proud of her new haircut and straight hair, that she deemed a bow unnecessary! As you can see, I also had my hair cut and blown-out...she insisted Daddy take a picture to prove it! Thanks Monique! Blakely really enjoyed herself! Now we have to brace ourselves as she gets ready to turn 5 on Friday!!!

Crazy Hat Day!

Today was "Crazy Hat Day" at Blakely's school! Since Valentine's Day is just a few days away, we decided to use that as our inspiration! We fashioned this heart flower garden out of craft foam, chenille sticks, and pom poms! Hopefully it makes it through the day!

It Really Snowed!!!

Okay, I stand corrected!!! We actually can get a "real snow" in East Tennessee. Even though it is in the 60's this week, last Monday it was snowing! The weather changed so quickly that we couldn't believe our eyes. As Blakely and Billy headed out the door to school, it was simply raining...then within a few hours, school was cancelled and we had several inches on the ground! It was a very wet snow, so we waited until it stopped snowing, and then headed out for some fun! Blakely had one very specific mission...make a snowman. Daddy started with a conventional snowman in mind, rolling the snow into a large ball for the base...but Blakely informed him that she wanted it to be as tall as her. Hence the very narrow snowman. Daddy abandoned his conventional method for a new approach. As you can see, they just kind of packed it on! The end result was perfect! We raided the pantry to give him a face. He has oreo eyes, a carrot nose, and a fruit roll-up mouth! It was nice to have Daddy home to enjoy in the fun! Now we are ready for Spring!!!

It's Sleepover Time!

Blakely was very excited when she and her friend Mallory managed to finagle a sleepover. This was the first time Blakely had a friend over to spend the night. They had lots of fun! We picked Mallory up from her house and then headed to get some pizza for dinner. Once we arrived at our house, they went straight to the playroom and spent the rest of the night there until it was time for their bath! After their bath, they settled in for a movie and popcorn before brushing their teeth, reading some stories, and snuggling in for a good nights rest! We loved having Mallory over...now we have to see if Blakely can make it through the night at someone else's house. So far, her record is about 3am at Abby's house!

Suzi's Baby Shower

A few weeks ago we all gathered at Lulu's Tea Room to celebrate the upcoming arrival of Baby Makenzie! We had a great time with all of Suzi's friends, and she received lots of wonderful gifts. We weren't sure everything was going to fit in her new "baby mobile." :) As you can see, my Mom did a great job on the cake; everyone loved it as always! We only have a few more weeks until we get to finally meet her! Blakely can't wait to play with her "baby cousin!" She has big plans for them once she arrives!

Suzi's Shower

For some reason the collage wasn't showing up...I couldn't get it corrected, so here it is by itself! Sorry!

Our special little snowman!

Last but certainly not least was our final endeavor before heading indoors! As you can see, we made a snowman. He is currently residing in our freezer...for how long I don't know. Blakely worked quickly to create the little guy, and then ran to the yard to find some sticks for his arms. Once she figured out that wasn't going to work, she came up with a clever idea. Our eyes are raisin halves, his nose is a baby carrot, and his arms are grape vines! Blakely is proudly showing off her finished project, before drifting off to sleep in Daddy's chair...tiara, sparkly shoes, Christmas socks & all! What a day!!!!

Day 2 of the snow!

Blakely couldn't believe it when she awoke to find it had snowed...ever so lightly, again, overnight. It was quite a bit colder, but on this day we found a neighbor-friend out playing too. Blakely decided it was now or never; if she was going to make a snow angel...the time was now! She and Mac did their very best. If you look closely, you will see that they are on the driveway. Blakely's snow angel wasn't complete until she defined her head, and added a crown! We had a lot of fun this day too, but the bitterly cold wind sent us in after about 45min.!

A few snapshots!

I kept snapping pictures of Blakely as we played...these are just some of my favorites. I love the 2 where she isn't looking at the camera, but is observing the snow as it falls! I love watching things through her eyes sometimes!

Blakely loves to have snowball fights!

Here is another thing Blakely had on her list...snowball fights! She wasn't worried that the snow wasn't up to her waist...where there's a will, there's a way! She scooped snow off of every surface she could find! My only request was that she not throw it in my face! We were giggling and having a good time when Daddy came home to find us covered in snow!

Yeah! It finally snowed!!!!!

Blakely finally got her wish! Earlier this winter we had what we count as a snowfall...a.k.a. a dusting. Much to Blakely's dismay the first time this happened, she had to go to school. However, this time it was not a school day. She had a long list of activities she wanted to complete...the first of which was catching snowflakes on her tongue. Being the little comedian that she is, after doing so...she smacked her lips and said, "huh, needs a little salt!" Anyway, I enjoyed being home with her and getting to play outside until we were frozen!

Dance with me Daddy!

As you can see, it was Daddy's turn to join Blakely at dance. They didn't waste anytime...Ms. Sheena put them to work at the barre, and then had them crossing the floor too! You can see the concentration on Billy's face as he and Dennis(Abi's daddy in the blue shirt & khakis) observe what they are to do next! I wish the lighting would have been better...I really didn't get a great shot! It probably didn't help that all the Mommy's were cracking up at the Daddy's doing barre work...you should have seen their faces when it was time for the grande plie!!! Priceless! We are so proud of our little dancer!!! She is really excited about the upcoming recital in May...she gets to have 2 costumes this year. She is a toy soldier for her tap number, and a fish for her ballet! We can't wait!