Joseph!!!!!!!

Dear Joseph- Today is June 25!! It is your day to celebrate!!! Three years ago today you had your major surgery to connect the tube from your mouth to your tummy! Please read JOSEPH'S DAY.  Jesus is so good, and you my son are a miracle!We had a follow-up appointment at Vanderbilt this week for your sensory integration difficulties. We decided to make a special trip out of it! We took just you to Nashville and spent the night with Aunt Kim!! Buddy, you love her! You have loved her since the day you were born, becauses she was there too! Before we went to see Aunt Kim's ballgame we went to a field by the airport and watched airplanes!!! You loved this! I thought we may get arrested for my parking and walking areas, but I wanted you to see those planes!!

Then we headed to Aunt Kim's 9:00 p.m. ballgame!! Oh my, you have never stayed up this late! But- you did great!!! You thought you were big stuff at that game! Everyone could hear you screaming "smack it", "hit it Aunt Kim", "HIT IT", or "wun.!"

The next morning we had a special treat!! One of Mommy's favorite places to eat in Nashville is the "Pancake Pantry." Your brother went there when we were living in Nashville waiting for you to be healed when you were born! But this day we celebrated with you and had special "bear" pancakes and ham "snakes!" Buddy you are doing great, and your Daddy and I had so much fun spending time with you!

We love you Joseph! Thank you Jesus for this little boy!

Cousins and library

Over Johnathan and Joseph's birthday weekend we had special company! Anthony's family came and stayed at our house to celebrate with us! Grandma Gail and her five dogs and Aunt Missy and her three little girls were here. Our house was crazy busy!! We did manage to spend time together with the cousins at the new library! It was a great trip out! The children's library has a farm animal carasoul that is gorgeous! More details later on that!

Jordyn

Lexi

Joseph, Hannah, and Jordyn

Little things....

I cherish the little things. I want to remember the small voices that say "my luv you brudder." Or "us two boys." Or Jayne Elizabeth singing "i am peshal, i am peshal, God luv MEEEE." Or Johnathan saying "Mommy, my need tell you something." Then he begins his long story about bears in the bushes or his friend "Sam" working cows.  These are the moments that make my life. These are the reasons I stay home. This is why we still rock our 18 month old baby girl to sleep. Maybe even why we say "no" to TV, and yes to time together as a family. God is faithful, and I am thankful. I love my husband, and adore these kids. There is crying babies everyday, somedays all day! But, I do have help and these are the moments I live for. I wouldn't trade the tantrums for anything, because these are the moments.

Mommy and Daddy date night

Summer picnics in our backyard

Lightning bugs!

"mommy, you see them??!!"

brothers

Daddy and daughter naps

Yes, we still snuggle these boys in our bed, and love it.

Visiting Daddy on his long days at work

Grocery shopping with a family of five

Joseph pretending to be Daddy at his work..."you sick animal?"

An afternoon at the icee shop

Yes, these are the moments. Happy Father's Day Anthony. Thank you for giving me these moments.

Home sweet home

This summer we have prioritized a few home improvements that we would like to get done! First we decided to take on our house, then we will remodel the family lake house...whew! We thought our house needed some major updated "curb appeal." What we thought would be a simple "patch and paint" job to our front porch turned into a construction project!!! At this time we also replaced all the shutters, removed and updated the old landscape with cracked cement, and changed the front door! We are really enjoying the new look! Enjoy our before, during, and after photos!

Yes, the entire front porch had to be removed and replaced!

The previous landscape, unchanged from original homeowners!

After photos!

Welcome to our home!

Also added night accent lighting!

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.....  Joshua 24:15

Best Friends Veterinary Hospital

Over the weekend the clinic had the second open house since moving into the new facility. My Dad came up and cooked sausages, hotdogs, ribs, and chicken! It was great courtesy to our clients and the community to open up the clinic for tours and staff consultations. I am very proud of the staff for the hard work they put into preparing for the day!  We introduced the new veterinarian Dr. Parker, and announced the hiring or our fourth veterinarian Dr Noe! Our hope is that the staff will be better equipped to provide the best veterinary care and allow Anthony time at home!

VBS 2010

Vacation Bible School 2010 was awesome, and exhausting!!! The theme this year was Saddle Ridge Ranch, a perfect theme for our little cowboys!! So, when Brody and Briggs' church offered a three year old class that Mrs. Dana and Mr. Joe were helping with were so excited to sign up! This was the first peer group activity the boys did without us and outside our home church. I taught first grade at our home church so I was not able to be in the boys' class over at Homestead Baptist! Ugh, that was hard. But Anthony did stay at Homestead most nights! The boys did fabulous!!!!!! I think I will be singing "Saddle Ridge Ranch, rounding up questions and driving home answers" in my sleep! It was a very busy week, but worth every minute!

yep, oreos, marshmellows and hotdogs! The boys love Brody and Briggs' church!

The cowboy theme was perfect!

Their performance on stage was fabulous!!!

Sing boys, sing!!!!

Jayne Elizabeth made it up on stage too!

Over at Central Baptist, first grade teachers!

                                                      Mrs. Jill, Mrs Connie, Mrs Elizabeth