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!