Oh Hey, Friday!

We've been gone a while.  We've been a busy bunch.  Getting older, traveling and such.

Today I'm linking up with September Farm and The Farmer's Wife for Oh Hey, Friday!

1. I turned 28!  I'm still 27 in my head.  I think I lied to a few people when they asked how old I was turning because this past year has gone by so quickly.  To be honest, I am too busy thinking about the fact that my baby is about to be three to care that im two years from 30.  :)

2.  We went to Highlands, North Carolina.  We got rained on, but had a blast.  

3.  We beat Georgia!  He literally paced the floor the whole 4th quarter.  

4.  We went to Disney World.  Best vacation ever!

5.  We celebrated Halloween!  My little Minnie Mouse and Miles from Tomorrowland got to dress up three times this year.  Griffin now thinks every other day is Halloween.  He loved Halloween so much this year.  It may end up being his favorite holiday.  I do love it, but I'm a Christmas girl through and through.  I'll be interested to see if he loves it as much.

Happy Friday!

Oh Hey, Friday!

I feel like I blinked and this week went by.  We have been busy, busy bees over here, and we aren't slowing down any time soon. This time of year is always a non-stop, super fun, mess -- and I LOVE it. 

I'm linking up with September Farm and The Farmer's Wife for Oh Hey, Friday!

And with A.Liz Adventures, Carolina Charm, The Good Life, and Hello! Happiness for Five on Friday.

1. Please take a look at Christina's posts at Carolina Charm about her sweet baby Thomas, and say a prayer for their family as he has his first surgery today.  

2.  We went to the TN Valley Fair this Monday!  Stephen and I had been once before to see Boyz II Men a few years ago. (Yeah, it was awesome).  This time we had the kiddos so it was a little unnerving for an anxious lady such as myself, but we all had a blast.  Griffin had way too much fair food, and Hallie was entertained by all of the lights and noise.  We let him ride the monster trucks, and he pretended it was Blaze and the Monster Machines so he was a very happy camper.  The coolest thing was probably the petting zoo where we all saw a kangaroo jumping for the first time.

3.  Griffin stayed at school the whole three hours both days this week! Sure, we had to bribe him with a $15 truck from Target, but I say we worry about that later.  Small victories.  He even walked in instead of insisting we carry him!  Go Griffin, go

4.   We went to the Dixie Stampede in Pigeon Forge last night.  Hallie was not the biggest fan, but Griffin LOVED it!  We got tickets last year for Christmas from my brother and his fiance.  I love gifts that we can all enjoy together and so cool that it was something none of us have ever done before and just a short drive away.  We will be taking him back in a few years for sure so maybe he can participate in the chicken races :)

5.  Monday is my 28th birthday, and we intend to celebrate all weekend long.  

Happy Friday!   

Our Weekend

This weekend was a good one (even with the tough loss). Friday night my best friend and her husband came over for pizza and an "ice ceam shamich," as Griffin says.  Griffin loves her so much and so do I. She is growing on little Miss Hallie Bell. She was showing her momma's girl side and stayed with me almost all night.

That Fall feeling stuck around through he weekend, and my parents were camping at Indian Boundary so we loaded up on Saturday and took a beautiful, hour and a half ride to visit them.

 We roasted hot dogs and marshmallows and played at the campsite before heading out for a few adventures. 

We drove on a very curvy road to get a look at a beautiful waterfall called Bald River Falls. It was right on the road so I was nervous, and Griffin hated being held the whole time, but it was worth it. Little Sis was mesmerized! 

Then we headed home, and everyone in the backseat napped the whole way. Hallelujah. We got home just in time to cheer on the Vols and get our hopes up, only to have them completely crushed in overtime. Well, there's always next week :)

Happy Monday!

Feels Like Fall...

It's really been feeling like fall in East Tennessee, and I'm LOVING it.  I'm pretty sure it's a dirty trick, but we will take what we can get. 

It was rainy on and off all day. I had to pick Griffin up from school early because he "missed Momma Daddy." Bless his heart. He reallyyyyyyyy wanted to go home, but I convinced him we had to stop and get Momma a Pumkin Spice Latte first. Then, we went straight home and put a huge roast in the crockpot. 

Yep, seems like fall to me 😍

Oh, and this:

Pinday Wednesday

There are tons of recipes for crockpot meals I am dying to try.  Mornings are Hallie's happiest time, and Griffin is usually content to play with his toys without constant Mommy entertainment before lunch so its the way to go if we want to have dinner on the table  before 7-8.  We tried a  crockpt lasagna recipe  last night, and it was pretty good!  

Find the recipe HERE.

I did tweek it a little bit. I skipped the mushrooms since I knew Griffin wouldn't  eat them and added a chopped onion and half of a red pepper when I browned the meat. We really liked it, but next time, we may not use all of the cheese. 

We cooked it for four hours and then enjoyed with some sauted broccoli and sliced bread with pesto. 

This one is a Pinterest win for sure! 

Happy Labor Day!

Happy Labor Day, Friends! 

Hope you are having as much fun as we are 😊.

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Oh Hey, Friday!

Bring on the three day weekend! We have had a crazy few weeks over here laying tile in the kitchen (finally) and out of town family here for a surprise 75th birthday extravaganza. We have zero plans this weekend other than watching college football, Go Vols!, and getting our big girl some new pjs.

I'm linking up with The Farmer's Wife and September Farm for Oh Hey, Friday!

And with Carolina Charm, A.Liz Adventures, and Hello! Happiness for Five on Friday.

Here's my five:

1. We are on a preschool roller coaster over here. Last Thursday, we went to pick up Griffin from school only to find out he cried the entire three hours. Not only did he cry, he sat by the window the whole time we were gone. I can't handle that. That's too long. We went back and forth about sending him anyway since he is only two and a half, if he started next fall, he would still go two whole years before kindergarten. Tuesday, I got called to pick him up at 10:30, but he stayed the whole time Thursday, only crying on and off. Fingers crossed for a better week next week. 

2. Griffin started a little mommy/daddy and me soccer class on Tuesday, and he loved it! He could not stop smiling and giggling, and he tried so hard. Soccer was just what the Dr. Ordered after our traumatizing morning of preschool. He talked about Coach Derrick (pronounced coach Dewict) on the way home, and then my heart exploded.

3. I think my sweet girl is teething, and I'm nervous.  Griffin would cry the day of, pop through and tooth, and was happy again.  I have heard horror stories from mom friends.  We will see how this goes.

4. It's Football Time in Tennessee!! Well tomorrow! We both graduated from UT, and there is nothing like a Tennessee football game. The game this week is in Nashville, and most of our friends are going. We will make it to a few games this year, but babysitting a 4 month old who is exclusively breastfed and doesn't love a bottle is kind of a tall order for the grandparents at this point so we are choosing the games wisely. Nonetheless, we will be tailgating and watching at home in our best orange. 

5. With all that said, on Fridays, we wear Orange! 

Happy Friday! 

Ten Movies I Will Watch Over And Over

There is just something about a good movie on TV on a weekend afternoon that really makes me happy. I'm not a napper. Never have been, other than a brief time in college when my normal bedtime was 3 am. I'm just bad at it. It takes me forever to fall asleep, and if I do, I'm a total grump when I wake up. I can totally "rest" on the couch with a cold drink and a good movie. 

Growing up, every Sunday afternoon in my house was nap time. My parents lived for these naps, and still do, but now they have no kids at home and average 1-2 naps per day. This left my little brother and me to our own devices, and he was a much better napper. One can only jump on the trampoline and swing by yourself for so long. Some days it was all war movies, but other days it was like finding gold.

My list of go to movies has changed a little over the years. I have several that I watch over and over. They just don't get old.

10. Runaway Bride

 I saw this in the theater when it came out. It makes me want it to be Fall all the time. And also, move to Maine.

9. A Cinderalla Story

I saw this in theaters as well. (Total Lizzie Maguire girl right here.) 

Fun Fact: I fell in love with the scene where they go out and dance alone at the empty wedding. When I saw it, I said I would walk down the aisle to that music. Sure enough, my husband and I hired a guitarist and violinist to play the acoustic version of "I'll Be." Loved it! 

8. Sex and the City

This one is long, but sucks me in everytime. (The finale of the actual show does also). This movie is best watched when husband is not home. 

7. Bride Wars

This movie is why I picked my bridal bouquet. 

6. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

Classic for all girls my age. 

5. What to Expect  when You're Expecting 

The adoption is my absolute favorite. I cry everytime. 

4. Pitch Perfect

Hilarious 

3. Hocus Pocus 

Maybe I making up for lost time because I was a little scared of this one for a while when I was little, but I wised up quickly. 

2. Sweet Home Alabama 

This movie also gets me wishing for fall and reminds me of home. 

1. Christmas Vacation 

This is my number one favorite movie of all time. NEVER.GETS.OLD. My husband feels the same. Some members of my family do not, ahem that little brother i mentioned earlier. He's a party pooper. Hopefully our kids are as cool as we are, and when it's age appropriate of course, they will know it all by heart as well. 

Oh Hey, Friday!

Oh what a crazy week it has been. We went from a slow, relaxing summer to madness overnight. Both kids are rebelling. Our sweet little girl prefers our quiet house (with the exception of her brother) to birthday parties, church, the store. She calms down the second we get home or the second company leaves. I've never seen anything like it. I can't say I blame her. I've been known to be a bit of a homebody myself.

Linking up with September Farm and The Farmer's Wife for Oh Hey, Friday!

And with A. Liz Adventures and Hello! Happiness for Five on Friday.

1. We were supposed to have family pictures taken this week. It's a longggg story, but I didn't end up with many newborn photos of Hallie. The few I have are great, but our whole family isn't really in them, and it makes me sad. We have a gift certificate for a family session that has been burning a hole in my pocket since 2013. Meant to be used in 2014, but it never worked out. We've been waiting to use it. My sweet husband, BLESS HIS HEART, tried to set something up. He got the date and time so we bought coordinating outfits and waited for her to answer him about the place we picked. Monday came and still nothing. I finally tracked down her phone number and sent her a text. Turns out, she asked him if Monday was fine, and he never answered her. For one month we were planning on these pictures, and she gave the spot to someone else after not hearing back from him for 7 days. Poor guy. In his mind, he said "yeah, sounds great." Maybe he forgot to hit send. We shall never know. This friends, is how we do it over here haha. Never a dull moment. Reschedule you say? Oh, no. Did I mention the photographer is nine months pregnant and being induced in a few days? I knew this could go one of two ways. I could allow steam to come out of my ears and my head spin off like I felt like doing, or I could try my best to remain calm. I'm so glad I wasn't mean to him because He knew it was a big uh oh, and had already left a message for a different photographer for an appointment next week before he even got home. I would have felt terrible. We may be a disorganized mess, but I sure do love that husband of mine.

2. I started teaching my first Sunday school class this week! I have the sweetest little group of kindergartners and the best helper. I have waves of guilt occasionally for not using my teaching degree. Every year about this time, I see and hear about all of the beginning of the new year excitement from teacher friends. Only an ex teacher would day dream of organizing papers, making charts, and using a staple gun to decorate bulletin board after bulletin board. I have always prayed I would be able to stay home with my babies one day, and I know in this stage of life, it's right where I belong. I am beyond blessed to have this little dream of mine come true. I think an hour each week talking about Jesus with a few kindergartners is just what I need! 

3. While I was teaching for the first time, Hallie had her first day in the nursery! I was a little nervous, but she did great. I taught my class, went down to nurse her, and then I made it just in time to hear the sermon. Then, We packed up and went home to enjoy the rest of the day all together. I tried to get some pictures, but she was pretty over the big pink dress by the time I got to it.

Trust me, she looked super sweet in that dress. 

4. Then the big day came, and Griffin went to school for the first time. I posted about that HERE. So far only a few tears, and a whole lotta cute! 

5. All I have to say is thank goodness for good friends with kids who understand little babies who only want Mama and toddlers who lose their minds at Chikfila. I don't know if I could do life without them. Three cheers for iced coffee, chicken minis, and an escape proof play area! 

Happy Friday! 

Hallie Bell 4 Months

Our little Hallie turned 4 months on August 7th. We took her for a check-up on the 13th, and she has grown so much! 

She now weighs 14 lbs 3 oz and is 24 & 1/4 inches long. 

Poor baby had to get 3 shots.  They were definitely worse this time, and it completely broke my heart. She ended up with a fever for two days. 

At four months, our girl LOVES to talk, smile, laugh and be tickled. As long as someone is paying attention to her she is usually happy. She really likes when she can see her brother playing and when he talks to her.  Her #1 favorite thing to do is be held, and her happy place is in Mommy's arms. 

She is a little more difficult to get to sleep these days, but once she's good and asleep, she can sleep until 8 am sometimes! Whoo hoo. 

She is exclusively breast fed, and she eats at least every three hours during the day. She can go as long as 10 hours at night.

She does NOT LIKE playing by herself for too long, her car seat, loud noises or a lot of people. She doesn't like to get hungry. She likes for me to know when she's about to be hungry and feed her before it becomes a problem. 

Little Hallie Bell is just a sweetie. I call her my angel baby. We can't get enough of her new little personality and the sweetest smiles ever. She fits in our little family perfectly 😍

Preschool

Our sweet guy started preschool yesterday. I have gone back and forth too many times to count over the last yer about starting this year (2 years 8 months) or waiting until next fall. We decided to go ahead with a little Mother's Day out program two days a week for three hours. It will give him a chance to meet some new friends, play with some new toys, and hopefully learn a few things in a group setting. Plus, it will give Hallie some alone time with mama.  I just hope we aren't constantly sick from all the germs that will inevitably follow him home.

We got him up extra early yesterday, put him in the shower, and he got a special breakfast. 

When we got there, he walked right in and started playing. We hugged and kissed goodbye, and that was it.  There were a few tears when we picked him up, but only because he saw other Mommies and daddies and was looking for us. He recovered quickly once he found us. The teacher accidentally gave his papers about his day to someone else. She clearly did not understand my type of crazy and that I would treasure those papers forever. She quickly realized by my face I'm guessing, and promised to get them to me next time. 

So far I have heard about a boy in a blue shirt and a girl in an orange shirt. He tried to tell me their names so I will see if they actually exist tomorrow. 😊

We can't believe our little man is already in preschool. I miss him when he's gone, but I know I need to practice for the real thing in a few years. His first night of Awanas is tonight. So much big boy stuff this week! 

Oh Hey, Friday!

This week absolutely flew by with preschool parent night, Dr. visits and birthday parties.  

The weeks are getting shorter, and I blink and the weekend is over.

Time, please oh please slow down.

Linking up this week with The Farmer's Wife and September Farm for Oh Hey, Friday!

And A. Liz Adventures for Five on Friday!

We will keep this short and sweet.

1. Griffin hates his potty seat.  I mean HATES it.  He runs from me when it's time to try to go, and begs to get down when he's up there.  He said it hurts his bottom?  I guess we will be going back the store for a plan B because he was doing so well, but he maybe went twice this whole week.  Fingers crossed for better luck next week.

2.  This article about breastfeeding is hilarious and 100% true.  I especially like #43 about moving the glass of water with your mind.  I would add #44. "Dang it, I need to pee!"

3. I shared my maternity photos in this post, and after just clothes shopping for my just had a baby and she's always eating wardrobe, I'm missing my cute bump.  Wouldn't trade her for the world, though.

4.  Speaking of little Miss Hallie Bell, She is 4 months old now, and as sweet as ever.

5.  Griffin and Hallie are just so sweet to watch together, and they don't even know it.  She stops crying when he talks to her, and he is an awesome brother who can't stand to see Sissy sad.

Can you spot the one thing they both got from Mama?

Chin dimples all around!

Happy Friday!