The Miller Family

Family Valentine's Day

2012-02-10T22:36:00.000-06:00

This year Clarence and I decided that we wanted to have a family Valentine's Day dinner. So, since restaurants are so busy right around Valentine's Day and especially on the big day, we decided to celebrate last Saturday. Clarence and I really enjoy going to the Melting Pot downtown. We have been just the two of us, a couple of times. Well since the boys are both older, we decided that we would venture out and take them with us. We were a little nervous about how they would behave, so we reinforced that they had to be on their best behavior. They did not disappoint us at all. They were so well behaved and enjoyed every minute. I think they realized as soon as they walked in the door that it wasn't like any place they had ever been to. I had never paid attention before, but there were actually several other children there as well. Our more picky eater, Isaac, was very open and tried everything. I was so proud of him! Alex, who will eat anything was so happy to get to try everything. We did the full four courses. We started with Cheddar Fondue, Caesar salads, a mixture of meats including chicken, shrimp, steak and lobster and vegetables and finished the night with marshmallow dark chocolate with oreos. Everything was fantastic, as usual! I think we may have just found an annual family tradition!

Last weekend we also took our doggies to get long overdue haircuts!

Ginger Pot
The Mama

Goliath
The Daddy

Willy Wonka
The Son

Defrosted

2012-02-02T20:59:00.000-06:00

It has been unseasonably warm here this January. I mean, this is what it looked like around here about this time last year:

So, this past weekend, the boys got outside and helped Daddy defrost the freezer in the garage while he was straightening up the garage. I'm not sure if we're going to have a winter or not... We may just move right on into Spring. You never know in Tennessee though, we could end up with some snow in March or April! I registered our boys for soccer again this spring, so I do hope if it snows that it does so before the season starts!

Hungry

2012-01-17T13:20:00.001-06:00

I got a Kindle for Christmas from my parents, and on Sunday, I bought my first Kindle book. I hadn't paid much attention to it in the passing times I heard about it, but I thought I would try it. The Hunger Games. Oh. my. goodness. I am as obsessed with this book as I was with the Twilight Series. I have finished the first two sections of the first book in less than two days, and I assume I'll be buying the other two books in the series before the weekend. Oh, and I will be going to the theatre to see it in March. I told Clarence he has to go with me because he'll like it. If he enjoyed reading like I do, he would like the book too; I'm sure of it.

the one I'm reading now

the 2nd one

the last one

2012

2012-01-12T22:37:00.001-06:00

Well, we're 12 days into 2012, so I guess it's time that I post about the New Year. We had a great New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. The boys spent the night with Nana and Pops and we had dinner with friends and saw New Year's Eve at the theatre. It was a pretty good movie, and perfect for the evening. Then on New Year's Day, we picked the boys up and went to my parents' house. Usually we have a big late lunch of dressing and all that kind of food. But, in keeping with our different Christmas dinner (enchiladas) we ordered pizza from Papa Johns and Momma cooked black eyed peas. She said we had to have them with our pizza.

I never did post about it, but before New Year's, my parents, Isaac and I went to the Zac Brown Band concert. Clarence was supposed to go, but he was at the beginning of his stomach virus at the time and couldn't make it. So, Isaac took his place, and we had a great time!

I have thought a lot about resolutions for this new year, and since I never really keep any, I decided to put more thought into it and make some that I can actually keep. So, here they are:

1. Eat less and drink more water. If I lose some weight, great.
2. Slow down. Enjoy today and enjoy time with my children and my family.
3. Stop living in the future. Think less about what I'm going to do, and more about what I'm doing or need to do now.
4. Have more dates with my husband. We've been married for almost 10 years, and we need to still make time for each other. Not as Momma and Daddy, but as husband and wife and friends.

I think that's about it for now. That's all I've been able to come up with so far anyway. I have read a lot of other posts regarding resolutions, and the one that I remember the most is a person who posted about choosing a word to live by or strive for for the new year. I like that idea, so I'm going to pick one too. My word is going to be PEACE. I want to be more content and have more peace. I want to feel less like I have something more to do or something more to be (professionally). Back to the above, I want to live more in today and less in the distant future.

Ok, well that's enough for tonight. Here are some pictures from the last couple of weeks.

Isaac and I before the show

Jimmy DeMartini - an awesome fiddle player!

Zac

the end of the show

Granny and Isaac playing the Wii on New Year's Day

playing in our first sort of snow of the winter - not much to play in, but they did anyway!

throwing itty bitty snowballs

got 'im!

love this face!

A picture he let me snap while he was playing Just Dance 3

It's a little late, but Happy New Year!

Brrr....

2012-01-04T20:17:00.000-06:00

The Friday before New Year's Day, the boys and I went to the ICE! exhibit at the Opryland Hotel. We went with Nana and the boys' cousins. Here are pictures from our fun morning.

The face Isaac made because of how cold it was

Devin and his beautiful smile

The characters from Madagascar saving Christmas

Donny

Coconuts for all

making goofy faces

Alex

Pineapple Head

Jaylen

Another group picture

Camden

Christmas

2011-12-26T21:08:00.002-06:00

On Christmas Eve Clarence fixed breakfast for Grammy, Grampy, Aunt Sandi, Uncle William and Logan and Lucas. Breakfast was delicious and the boys enjoyed opening presents and getting to play together.

Alex, Logan, Lucas and Isaac

Alex and "the Real Lightning McQueen"

Isaac with his iPod

Christmas Eve night we went to Clarence's father's house to have dinner and open presents.

Nana, Isaac and Alex

Cousins: Camden, Devin, Donevyn, Jaylen, Isaac and Alex

so excited about his Trash Pack toys

excited about his Kirby Nintendo DS game

Our tree Christmas Eve night

Isaac playing with the Nintendo 3DS that he got from Santa

Alex with a game for his Nintendo DS

After the boys played with their gifts on Christmas morning, we went to my parents' house to spend the rest of the day. We ate, opened presents, played and just had a good time.

Merry Christmas! We spend so much time getting ready for it, and then it's over in what seems like a matter of seconds. Now that Christmas is over, I'm ready for soccer, spring time and then summer! The winter can just hurry up end already. =)

More Christmas

2011-12-22T22:35:00.000-06:00

Tonight marks the beginning of my "Christmas Break" from work. I'll be off until Tuesday, then it's a short week and another long weekend for New Year's. Last weekend we went to Chuck E Cheese to celebrate some December birthdays: mine, Anna's, Grampy's and Michelle's. We all use this time to exchange gifts with Anna, Michelle's daughter.

Isaac got a charger for the Ipod Shuffle that Sandi bought him for Christmas (that he doesn't have yet, btw)

Alex got a remote control race car

He was super excited about it, and he played with it for about half a day before he ran the batteries out.

Another picture of Isaac and his gift

Anna opening her gifts. She got more gifts since they were for her birthday and Christmas.

Little Logan playing with his trains from Anna and Michelle

On Monday, C brought home a box from Mike, one of his friends that he met through work. In the box was a really cool 3D solar system. Isaac and Alex wanted it put on their ceiling as soon as possible. So, that's what C did!

Alex on his bed while Daddy was hanging the solar system

The cool solar system. It glows in the dark and looks really cool under the black light, shown here.

We have a busy next few days planned. Tomorrow we're taking the boys to see the new Chipmunks movie with the boys' cousins. Then on Saturday morning we're having Christmas Eve breakfast here with Grammy, Grampy, Sandi, William and their boys, Lucas and Logan. Then, Saturday afternoon, we're going to C's Dad's house to have Christmas with them. Sunday morning we'll see what Santa brought the boys and then spend the rest of the day at my parents' house. I'm thinking that I'll get up early Monday morning and see what Christmas things I can find on sale. Should be a nice, tiring weekend! But oh so much fun! :)

Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas Card

2011-12-14T14:37:00.002-06:00

This year we had two different Christmas cards, but this one is the one that the masses were mailed.

We took these pictures while at the beach in October. I love that this card isn't the traditional cold weather and snowflakes kind of Christmas card. :)

Happy Birthday to Me!

2011-12-13T21:48:00.001-06:00

This past Sunday was my 32nd birthday! On Saturday, Clarence and his mother went Christmas shopping, and I stayed home with the boys. When Clarence got home, he gave me my birthday presents, and in true Clarence fashion, he went ahead and gave me my Christmas present too! :) For my birthday, he got me a couple of the dvds I asked for: Mr. Poppers Penguins and The Help, and for Christmas, he got me a camera that we had been looking at for a few months. After I opened my new camera and took a few pictures, we went to Red Robin for dinner. When we came back home, we watched Mr. Poppers Penguins and The Smurfs. Both of them were really cute. However, I'll have to watch The Smurfs again because I got distracted playing with my new camera and missed parts of it.

playing with my new camera

stylin'

my children never fail to have a dirty face in a picture

before dinner

watching The Smurfs

watching The Smurfs and playing the DS

Willy Wonka

On Sunday we went to my parents' house. After I took a few pictures we went to have a late lunch at Logan's. I had originally wanted to go to Margaritaville, but I decided against it since you have to pay to park downtown. After lunch we went back to their house and I opened my presents and we all had cake and ice cream.

my parents

momma with her grandsons

Peanut, my parents' dog, and Willy's sister

my 2nd birthday cake from Publix, Clarence got me one too on Saturday :)

Tonight after I read the boys a couple of books, I decided to try to take their picture in front of our Christmas tree. It is so hard sometimes to get a good picture of these two!

They had to have Willy in the picture
We actually have two more dogs, Willy's parents, but conveniently, they were hiding.

my boys
I think Alex has a Rolo in his mouth in this one ;)

checking out the Christmas tree

Christmas is just around the corner! It's time to get the last minute gifts and finish wrapping all the presents so we can enjoy next weekend. I'm off on Friday and Monday before and after Christmas, so I'm looking forward to the short work week next week!

This weekend will fly by quickly! Saturday we are going to Chuck E Cheese to celebrate the December birthdays with Grammy and Grampy, Aunt Sandi and Uncle William and our friends Michelle and Anna. Grampy, Anna, Michelle and I all have birthdays in December! Then on Sunday, we'll have Christmas with Clarence's mother. It's going to be a nice busy weekend. Maybe we'll be able to go by the Ice! exhibit at Opryland sometime this weekend... We shall see!

11 days and counting...

Fun with Photos

2011-12-04T21:45:00.000-06:00

Tonight I decided to have some fun with our camera. Here are some of the shots.

I took a picture of a picture here. We had family pictures made yesterday, and I didn't get any digital images. So, I took this one to have one to post to Facebook.

our Christmas tree just because

a camera setting that picks up only the shades of red

and the one that picks up shades of blue

I can't remember what this one is, but I think it looks pretty cool.

same family picture as above, but with the blue feature

and another ornament with the red feature

I got most of my Christmas shopping finished today. Just a couple more items, and I'll be ready to start wrapping everything!

First Christmases

2011-11-28T22:51:00.002-06:00

For old time's sake

Isaac's 1st Christmas - 8 months old

Alex's 1st Christmas - 6 weeks old

Tis the Season

2011-11-27T20:03:00.000-06:00

Most of our Christmas shopping is done and Thanksgiving has passed. Our Christmas trees are up and Christmas portraits have been made. It is officially the Christmas season. Soon I'll be ordering Christmas cards and finishing up the rest of our Christmas shopping. This time of year flies by so quickly. 2012 will be here before we know it!

love a good picture of the boys with Santa even with Alex's sleepy eyes :)

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T21:27:00.001-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!

foggy cold Thanksgiving morning

frying turkeys

fall colors in our front yard

ready to eat some turkey

Alex's Christmas tree that he wouldn't let me wait until tomorrow to put up :)

Pump It Up Alex!

2011-11-13T20:45:00.000-06:00

We had Alex's birthday party at Pump It Up today. Lots of cousins and friends joined us, and we all had a great time. Here are pictures from our fun times!

watching the safety video

Alex and his girlfriend, Sierra

Alex and Nana

stopping long enough for me to get a picture

Kelli and Steve

playing air hockey with Sierra

Aiden

Isaac

Sierra, Aiden and Alex going down the slide together

Isaac and Lucas

Alex in motion

Sierra getting excited that she scored on Alex :)

Lucas

Donevyn rock climbing

Jaylen rock climbing

Isaac rock climbing

The whole crew and Alex showing us how old he is

couldn't find a Super Mario Bros cake, so Rescue vehicles were Alex's next choice

Happy Birthday again to my big 6 year old! :)

Happy Birthday Alex!

2011-11-10T19:44:00.002-06:00

Today is Alex's 6th birthday! Clarence and I took off work today so we could spend some special time with Alex. First we took McDonald's to him for lunch, and after fighting to leave him at school, we went back later and took snack for him and his class. After snack we took both Isaac and Alex home from school. When we left the school, we went to Publix so Alex could pick out a dessert for his birthday. For the most part, it was a great day! Alex did have a melt down when he opened his birthday present. While he loves his cowboy boots that we got him, he wanted a toy too. Oh well, he'll just have to wait until his party on Sunday! Here are pictures from our day.

before school

lunch with my birthday boy

opening his card from Granny and Granddaddy

opening his cowboy boots

the cake he chose at Publix

playing with the magic candle

our boy loves chocolate!!

On Sunday we'll have Alex's party at Pump It Up. He can't wait, and I have to say, I'm looking forward to it too! :)

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T23:25:00.001-05:00

Since this Halloween fell on a week night, not a school night though since tomorrow is parent-teacher conference day, we stayed on our side of town and went trick or treating with our friends Kelli and Steve.

These pictures are from before we went trunk or treating yesterday and from tonight.

ninjas

Me and Kelli

Alex and I

Isaac and I

Daddy wasn't with us again this year since he's in Vegas for the SEMA show. We miss him, but we are so proud of the work he has done and the attention their car is getting at the show.

Happy Halloween Everyone!

Fall Break: Day by Day

2011-10-26T10:44:00.006-05:00

Well, Hello there! It has been several days since I posted last. But, we have been busy! :) The boys had their fall break from school, 6 whole school days, so we decided to take a family vacation. We typically don't go anywhere in the fall, but this year, I decided we were going to do something new. This summer I read about the Bowl of Barrys trip to the Kennedy Space Center, and I decided that it was something our family would enjoy. So, I researched it further, and therein lines the beginning of our Fall Break family vacation. I had been planning a trip to Atlanta to visit the World of Coca-Cola for sometime this summer, but we never made it. So, we combined the two trips.

FRIDAY

We left on Friday two weeks ago and headed for Atlanta, GA. It was a nice ride and the Atlanta traffic wasn't too bad. Before visiting the WOCC, we walked a few blocks to the underground mall to have lunch. It just happened that it was during lunch time on a work day, so it was quite fun finding a place to sit and standing in line to order our food. After lunch, we walked back to the WOCC to get our tickets and start our tour. It was very interesting to hear about the history of Coca-Cola, and to see how the brand has evolved over the years. I think our favorite part was the tasting room. It was a large room with drink stations that represented each continent and the Coca-Cola brand drinks that are distributed there. Other fun parts of the WOCC were the 4D Movie with moving seats and the walk through the bottling operations room.

After our trip to WOCC, we decided to try to get out of Atlanta before rush hour. We almost succeeded; the traffic wasn't too bad. We drove from Atlanta to Valdosta, GA and had planned to stay there the night. But, for some reason, all the hotels in Valdosta were booked, and we ended up driving another few miles to Lake Park, GA.

SATURDAY

On Saturday morning, when we got up we drove the rest of the way to Cocoa Beach, FL. It didn't take long to arrive in FL after leaving Lake Park. It was a nice surprise to see how close we were to the state line. It took us just a couple of hours, and several dollars in toll fees, to arrive in sunny Cocoa Beach, FL. The highway we took to North Atlantic Avenue took us by Port Canaveral. It was so neat to see the large cruise ships that were docked waiting for their next voyage. Once we arrived at our hotel and discovered that our rooms were not ready yet, we went down to the beach. After a short walk through a parking lot and down the 200 yard walkway, we made it to the beach. The weather was warm and there weren't a lot of people out, so it was perfect.

SUNDAY and MONDAY

On Sunday and Monday we spent our mornings at the beach and our afternoons at the pool. It was so relaxing and fun. Isaac had so much fun riding the waves with his boogy board, and Alex had fun building sand castles and running in the water. On Sunday night we went to Walmart to get some things and then we came back to the hotel. We decided to have dinner at the Bistro, the hotel restaurant. The food was great, reasonably priced, and it was the first restaurant I had been to that has flat screen TVs in the booths. That's a great idea if you ask me! On Monday night we went to the World Famous Ron Jon Surf Shop and then we tried a restaurant that we don't have in our town, Boston Beef and Seafood. I'm not a seafood eater, but everyone else said the food was good.

TUESDAY

On Tuesday the weather turned crummy so we spent the day at the Merritt Island Mall. We ate lunch at the Mall and then went to see Footloose at the theatre. C and Daddy didn't really want to see the movie at first, but I think everyone ended up enjoying it.

WEDNESDAY

On Wednesday we decided to go to the Kennedy Space Center. The day started out cloudy and dreary, but after a couple of hours, the weather cleared up and it was a nice day to be outside. Which is a good thing since there was so much to see at the KSC. We saw Hubble 3D and another movie about the mission to the Moon. But, I think our favorite experience was the one in the Apollo mission control room at the Apollo/Saturn V Center. Since the room had not been changed since all those many years ago, it was so neat to see what the room looked like and to hear the correspondence that happened that day as the shuttle blasted to the Moon. Our trip to the KSC ended with a trip to the Space Store. When we left the KSC, we drove over to Port Canaveral and had dinner at Fishlips Waterfront Bar and Grill. It was nice to have dinner by the water, and the big cruise ships!

at Hubble 3D

Alex wouldn't stand by the Space person

the control room

it was actually on the Moon

THURSDAY

On Thursday, though the weather had cooled off significantly, we spent all day outside. I'm sure we looked like crazy people on the beach at 9:00 in the morning in 60 degree weather, but we still had fun! It was nice and warm by lunch time anyway. :) We went to the pool in the afternoon too, although Alex spent most of the time in the hot tub. :)

splash!

FRIDAY

Bright and early on Friday morning, we packed it up and headed back to Nashville. We made it 700 and something miles in 13 hours, and that was with 3 stops along the way. Not too bad! I drove the whole way, and it didn't seem bad at all. I was concerned with how the boys would do riding so far in one stretch since the ride down was broken down into 3 to 4 hour increments. But, they both took naps, and it wasn't too bad. Although, I'm not sure Granny and Granddaddy will travel that far with us again! :)

We ended our Fall break with a trip to Sears and the zoo. More on that later. It deserves a post all of its own!

Heart Walk and Memories

2011-10-03T23:34:00.000-05:00

The boys and I had a busy Saturday while C was working. Our day started with the AHA's Heart Walk. My mother walked with the boys and me and it was a great walk. The weather was perfect and the boys were really good and didn't complain once about how far we walked...only complained about having to go to the bathroom! :) After the walk, we had lunch at McDonald's and then went to Walmart to get the ingredients to make ice cream cone cupcakes. After we went back to my parents' house and made the cupcakes, we went by to visit the boys' other grandparents. Afterwards, we took C dinner at work and headed home after a long busy day. Though we had a good time, we missed daddy. I am so thankful for the vacation coming up so we'll have a whole week to spend with him (and Granny and Granddaddy, my parents).

no one was smiling, but I still like this picture

It was a beautiful day for a walk

Alex waiting to go to the bathroom.

Isaac also waiting to go to the bathroom. We had to wait to cross the street. I told them not to drink so much before the walk.

The cake mix and icing for the ice cream cone cupcakes

Adding sprinkles

Alex eating sprinkles

Granny and her grandsons

my boys

yum!

Random Pictures

2011-10-02T19:45:00.002-05:00

a really funny close up!

another funny close up

goofs

waiting for the bus before school on a rainy day

the last picture with this umbrella before he broke it...

brothers

Alex wanted his picture taken with Granny's flowers

riding his bike at Granny and Granddaddy's house

my new Spiced Cider wallflower from B&BW

Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin soap from B&BW

Green Apple Candy soap in the boys' bathroom, also from B&BW. The skeleton glows in the dark! Pretty cool...

A day in the life...at least today anyway

2011-09-28T20:59:00.000-05:00

It is that time of year again when my husband is working almost uncountable hours on the project that he and his boss at Milestone Paint and Body are taking to the SEMA show. The SEMA show is in Las Vegas, the first week of November, and right now is crunch time. Especially since we are taking a family vacation during Fall Break, the 3rd week in October. So, C has been working a lot and that leaves me to do most everything. That being said, I thought I would give a quick rundown of how today has gone. It is currently 8:41, and I got up at 6:45 this morning...

6:50 - Got the boys up for school. We are running late as the bus usually comes right about 7:30...
7:25 - Boys are up and dressed, trying eat their Cheerios before the bus arrives.
7:28 - They are still inside getting their backpacks on and I hear the bus outside. So, I rush them out the door knocking Alex down and spilling Cheerios in the process. But, the boys made it to the bus as I am handing Isaac his glasses so he doesn't forget them.
7:35 - I leave for work
4:50 - I leave work to pick the boys up from aftercare.
5:35 - I have the boys and we are headed to pick up Isaac's Nintendo DS charger that he left at our friends' house over the weekend.
6:00ish - We arrive at our friends' house and the boys start playing.
6:45ish - We leave and head home to start dinner/homework/baths/a little tv time/teethbrushing

The next few things are a blur as far as the time frame. So, I'll summarize... We walked in the door and I decided what to have for dinner. Thank goodness for Schwan's Home Delivery, because they have made dinner so much easier. I put the Angus Meatloaf patties in the oven to cook. Then I started helping Alex with his homework. Also during this time, I dealt with Isaac's MAJOR attitude about what I'm not exactly sure. It resulted in him getting in the shower and me threatening no dinner for him. Then he straightened up. When dinner was ready, the boys and I ate together and tried to start watching Spooky Buddies (we didn't get far on that). When I finished eating dinner and the boys were finishing up, I put chocolate chip cookies (also from Schwan's) in the oven for dessert. When Alex finished his dinner, (he's almost always last), I gave him a quick shower. Then I decided since it's Wednesday, I need to wash some clothes to be sure C has clean ones for work. During that time, the timer for the oven went off, so I had to quickly retrieve the cookies from the oven so they didn't burn. Mission accomplished, the cookies were great! I had one as I was telling the boys it was time to go to bed. But, not before Alex had an ice cream pop and Isaac had 2 chocolate chip cookies. Also while they were watching Spooky Buddies and eating their dessert, I prepared their lunch money for tomorrow and put it in their backpacks. Finally, after the desserts, we stopped the Spooky Buddies DVD, after I promised they could resume it tomorrow, and went to brush teeth and get in the bed. Whew! Are you tired yet? After the boys got in bed, I returned a phone call and then decided I needed to document this day. So, here we are.

Before I can go to bed I have to put clothes in the dryer, clean up the kitchen and then hopefully stay awake until my hubby gets home. What a day. Tomorrow will be a nice change of pace though. It is HCA Community Day and I will be volunteering with Love Helps. It is local nonprofit organization that works in our public schools to encourage student achievement and responsible behavior. I am really looking forward to it.

It is now 8:58. My day summed up in 17 minutes... Not bad.

Fall Pictures

2011-09-17T21:04:00.000-05:00

Today I have been in a pretty grumpy mood. So, to brighten my day, I decided to take some pictures of my boys. I am really pleased with how they turned out. I even had them printed at Walmart and framed a couple. Happy Saturday! Not quite ready for fall, at least not until we get back from the beach. More on that later...

I remember

2011-09-10T21:20:00.000-05:00

I was sitting in my internal audit class during my senior year at Lipscomb University. I received a text message on my beeper from Clarence. We were engaged then, not married yet. He told me that a plane crashed into one of the World Trade Center buildings. I remember wondering what in the world was going on. Terrorism was not the first thing that came to mind. Then I left school a short time later to go to a meeting as part of my internship with HCA. I remember hearing nothing but news about the two planes that had now crashed into the Towers. I remember driving down I-40 near the airport and not seeing one plane in the sky. It was the weirdest feeling. I wasn't really sure what to feel. Once I arrived at the conference center where our meeting was to be held, it was decided that it just didn't seem right to go ahead with the meeting. So, we all left and I headed on to the office where my internship was. I remember one of the ladies in the office bringing her young son to work with her that day because she just couldn't bear to take him to daycare. I didn't really understand it then, but now that I'm a mother, I do. In times like those, you want to keep your children close. You want to feel like you are protecting them and that they feel safe, even if they don't really know what is going on. I remember hearing Lee Greenwood's song on the radio and tears coming to my eyes because "I am proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free, and I won't forget the men who died who gave that right to me, and I'll gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today. Because there ain't no doubt I love this land. God Bless the U.S.A." Never before that day did that song mean so much to me, did I have so much pride in our Country. I remember seeing the footage of the towers falling and people jumping from windows so many stories above the ground. I was shocked by those images among many others. I had that strange compulsion to keep watching the footage in complete disbelief. I will never forget that day and all the lives that were lost. It still stuns me today that our Country was the victim of such an attack. It is almost unreal that it was such a premeditated action. 9.11.01, 9-1-1. Unbelievable. I remember. 10 years later. I will never forget.

Summer is winding down

2011-09-06T20:21:00.000-05:00

A couple of weekends ago we had tickets to take the boys to see the Titans play the Chicago Bears in a preseason game. C and I are Chicago Bears fans, and our boys are Titans fans. It was a fun night. Grampy got the tickets from work, and our seats were great! The Bears ended up losing by one, but it was ok because it was so fun to see the boys so happy that their team won.

To wind down our summer, we all went to Nashville Shores with Nana and Pops and all the cousins. I think everyone had a great time despite the rain. I was so happy that C joined us this time. I think he had a good time too because all the children were having so much fun.

Now that Labor Day has passed, the end of summer has officially come. So now, we're in the full swing of school and waiting for Fall Break. I'm sure the weeks will fly by!

Daddy's special pancakes

Alex was pretty excited about his special name pancakes

our great seats!

excited after the Titans scored

Urlacher!

pretty excited to be there

C and I in our Bears apparel and Isaac in his Titans'

Camden playing in the sand at the playground where Donevyn played football on Saturday

Devin, Donevyn's brother, playing at the playground too

My dirty boy. If he's not dirty, he's not having fun!

Jaylen playing at the playground

my big boy

Isaac seriously tired of me taking his picture

Another pic of Devin

Donevyn at Nashville Shores sitting in the floats that were stacked up

Isaac playing in the floats too

another one

Jaylen playing in the floats too

Everyone who went to Nashville Shores:
Devin, Jaylen, Donevyn, Parris (Donevyn's Sister), Camden, Isaac and Alex
It was Parris' birthday! :)

Alex before we left the house to go over to Kelli and Steve's.

Weekend Family Fun

2011-08-22T22:31:00.000-05:00

This weekend C took a car to another car show for work. They ended up winning two more awards this weekend. Way to go Milestone! While C was at the car show, the boys and I went to watch the boys' cousin, Donevyn's football game. Isaac and Alex have been saying that they want to play football, so I wanted them to see what it is really like. It was hot on Saturday. A perfect example for Isaac for what it would be like. Since he was hot just standing there watching Donevyn, he decided that maybe he's not ready to play football yet. After the football game, we took the boys to Nana and Pop's house to swim. That was about the only good thing to do when it's hot!

Then on Sunday, the boys were invited to spend more time with their cousins at Chuck E Cheese. So, C and I took the boys up there for a little while and then when back to get them when Nana was ready to go home. I think they had a good time. Nana said they ate good and spent all the tokens. In the meantime, C and I got to go to the grocery store alone. Oh how much easier and peaceful it was without children! :)

Today started the second full week of school for the boys. Everything is going really well so far. The boys are doing great in school and still behaving. I hope it lasts all year! Alex made Friday a little more lively when he decided that he was going to run from the school bus when it came. You should have seen me running down the sidewalk chasing after him! When everyone asked him why he ran, he said he just didn't want to go to school. Oh dear... He has sooo many years of school ahead of him. He needs to get over not wanting to go to school now, or the next 16 years are going to be long ones! Any way, he finally did get on the bus, after one of our neighbors helped me get him on there. I asked the bus driver to ask Isaac to come to the front of the bus and walk him back to a seat. He was such a good big brother!

Here are some pictures of our weekend. This week the boys and I go back for our 6 month dental check ups, and I hope everything goes well!

Parris, Chris and Devin

Chris and his son Devin

Donevyn on the field, #1

Devin, Camden and Alex

Isaac and Parris
Isaac was eating a snow cone and apparently unable to smile.

Alex, Isaac and Nana

Cam with his Smurf blue tongue!

Alex with his I-don't-know-what-color tongue!

The little ones swimming: Alex, Devin and Camden

Relaxing in the fish float

Devin with his puddle jumper float

my big boy with his ring

Wilson County Fair

2011-08-17T19:55:00.000-05:00

This has been the boys' first full week of school. Things are going well so far. The boys have been riding the bus to school in the morning, and Alex loves it! I am so proud of how well he is adapting to school. Isaac is doing well and has gotten back into the swing of things very well. He has had homework every night this week, and the last two nights he has had it finished before we get home. I'm glad he's finally using Fun Co (after care) for something other than playing. Alex has had homework once this week. He didn't want to do it at first, so he needed a little encouragement.

This past weekend, C's work took several cars to the car show at the Wilson County Fair. The boys and I tagged along so they could have fun at the fair. We bought them wristbands so they could ride as many rides as they wanted to. Isaac rode several, and Alex wanted to ride a lot more than he was tall enough for. Most of the ones he was tall enough to ride didn't go fast enough for him. So, he rode his favorite ones over and over. Here are some of the pictures I took while we were there. I forgot the good cameras, so these were taken with my phone. :(

the tractor pulls

Isaac and Alex riding together

Isaac and Alex on the smaller ferris wheel

Isaac on the bumper cars

one of the trucks I liked at the show. Not one of Milestone's.

Alex riding by himself

Isaac and Alex next to the Viper that C drove to the show. It won 1st place in its class. Some of the other cars they took won awards too. Pretty awesome.

I love this old car. It's not one of Milestone's either.

Another picture of the old car

C will be going to another car show this weekend. So, the boys and I are trying to find something fun to do since we won't be tagging along this time.

Back to School Success!

2011-08-11T16:35:00.003-05:00

Today was the boys' first day of school. They only went half a day, so I took the day off work. Our morning started off well. The boys didn't give me too much trouble getting up. Alex woke up about 1:30 this morning complaining of a tummy ache. The first thought that popped into my mind was, "oh no, not on his first day of Kindergarten!" I gave him some Pepto and told him he could get in the bed with us. It came to mind that he might be nervous about his first day of Kindergarten... not sure about that though. He was feeling fine this morning, regardless. So after I got them up and they got dressed we actually had several minutes to sit around before we left for school. Our mayor encourages all parents to take their children to school on the first day, so that's what I did. We got to school about 7:30, and the boys and I lugged in all of their school supplies along with their backpacks. One parent asked me if I had bought the whole store (because the bag I had was one of those big Target ones like you get at Christmastime, full of supplies), I felt like I had as heavy as the bag was. But, I try to accommodate all of the teachers' requests, because I feel like it's the right thing to do. Anyway, when we got to school, we went to Alex's class first. His supply list was the longest and bag the heaviest. I was feeling most nervous about this moment. Anyone who knows my Alex knows that you never know what to expect with him. I wasn't sure if he would be excited like he said he was, or if he would completely melt down when I went to leave. Thankfully, he was still very excited, and didn't care a thing about me and his brother leaving him. As soon as he got to his classroom, he remembered where his locker was and went immediately to put his backpack in it. He was so proud and excited. I took a quick picture of him and his teacher, Mrs. Tomes, and then Isaac and I walked to his room. I was so relieved! My big boy walked into Kindergarten full of confidence! Makes this Momma's heart proud too!

Isaac remembered exactly how to get to his classroom and went straight to his desk to start on the busy work his teacher had laid out. I left his school supplies and then got a quick picture of him and Mrs. Allen. Mrs. Allen told me that her children weren't much older than Isaac when they wouldn't let her take pictures with their teachers anymore on the first day of school. She jokingly said this will probably be the last year he'll let me get away with it. I hope she's not right! I like those first day of school with the teacher pictures... :)

While I took the boys to school this morning, I let them ride the bus home since I was there. I told Isaac that he needed to sit with his brother and make sure that he did not get off the bus without Alex. And he listened! I was waiting outside when the bus got home, and when it stopped in front of our house, Isaac got off first, and Alex came following right behind him. They came running to the house and exclaimed how great their first day at school was. I am so glad they had a great first day, and I hope it is just a preface to a great school year!

my big Kindergartener

my big 3rd grader

brothers

all my men: big and little

Momma and her boys

backpacks on, ready to go

another backpack shot

Isaac just had to have a sling backpack, and Alex loves Transformers. His backpack is reversible, so he can display Bumblebee or Optimus. Pretty cool.

Alex and his teacher, Mrs. Tomes. Her room is decorated like the ocean. And another interesting fact: her husband also teaches at the boys' school.

Isaac and Mrs. Allen

Running from the bus to the house

Also running from the bus to the house and watching his friends go to their house

So, I would say the first day of school was definitely a success. It has been a great day!

#1 For Family Fun!!

2011-08-09T22:15:00.003-05:00

Last week we had the privilege of going to Holiday World again. Clarence's Dad and Stepmom invited the boys, Clarence and I to go camping with them and to the parks: Holiday World and Splashin' Safari. We left after work last Wednesday and arrived in Santa Claus, Indiana around 8:30. Thursday and Friday we spent the whole day at Holiday World and Splashin' Safari. This was the first year the older cousins got to ride all of the rides and roam the park without an adult. I would have been nervous, but these three boys stuck together and looked out for each other. In total, there were 4 adults and 6 boys. Yep, 6 boys: two 8 year olds, one 7 year old (8 in September), two 5 year olds and one 3 year old (4 in September). The three older boys rode almost everything in the parks at least once. Isaac really surprised me with his sense of adventure. He rode Pilgrim's Plunge with his cousins, and then he and I with his cousins rode the Voyage. Both of these rides are pretty scary, but fun! Isaac wasn't sure that he wanted to ride the Voyage. It is one of the fastest and roughest roller coasters I know of. We stood in line, and when we got up to being next in line to get on the coaster, he said, "I don't know if I want to ride this." I told him it would be scary at first, but then he would love it. And, he did! After it was over, he said, "It's scary, but it's fun!" That's my boy! I am looking forward to riding many more roller coasters with him! Alex will be there right along with us when he gets old enough, because he was sad he couldn't ride the roller coasters yet. There was one roller coaster at Holidog's Playground that was small enough for him to ride, and he rode it 4 times while we were there. He also rode the smaller version of the Liberty Launch which takes you straight up in the air and then drops you a few times. He loved it! I see lots of theme park visits in our future!

Until our next trip, here are some pictures from our adventures at Holiday World, where "We're #1 for Family Fun!" Must have heard that 100 times....

Nana and Pops rented a golf cart while we were at the camp grounds. It was very handy to transport the boys to the playground.

Nana with her boys: Alex wouldn't look at the camera, Isaac is holding him, Jaylen is next to Isaac, Nana is holding Camden, next to Camden are Devin and Donevyn

Alex and I on the back of the golf cart

at the playground

on the slide at the playground

Devin - 5 years old

Alex - 5 years old
Camden - 3 years old

Jaylen - 8 years old
Donevyn - 7 years old (almost 8)
Isaac - 8 years old

Sitting by the camp fire

just a little wet :)

yep, they got wet too

Alex on the ride like the smaller version of the Liberty Launch

Jaylen on the Salmon ride

The Turkey Twister... or something like that... The kind of ride that makes your stomach turn!

This trip, I guess, would be considered our only real vacation of the summer. The boys start school on Thursday. We went to the Preview Night at school tonight to meet Isaac and Alex's teachers. I am still trying to get used to the idea of both of my boys being in real school. I have a Kindergartener and a 3rd grader. What!? This should be an interesting year. I heard Isaac's teacher telling another parent that 3rd grade can be quite a transitional year. I hope Isaac continues to do well and takes the challenge head-on. Of course, his Daddy and I will be here to encourage him and help him along the way. It could be one long school year. We shall see! Clarence also started school tonight. He started with University of Phoenix to earn the rest of the credits he needs for his Bachelor's degree. I am beyond words proud of him for going back to school. He is such a great example for our boys!

Getting Ready for Back to School

2011-08-02T20:35:00.001-05:00

This weekend we took the boys to get new shoes for school. They love new shoes so much that they never want to take them off. This time I wouldn't let them wear them to bed, but I did let them put them in the beds with them. My boys are so silly!

Alex sleeping with his shoes

Alex's new shoes

Isaac sleeping with his shoes

Isaac's new shoes

Today was Alex's Kindergarten Orientation. He was so excited this morning until it was time to go to the classroom with the other children that were there this morning. Then, he had to have a teacher walk with him to the classroom. After he was finished, and the parent meeting was over, he was very excited to tell me all about what they did. He said he is not going to be upset when he goes back to school next Thursday for his first day. We shall see! I hope he's right. Otherwise, the first day of school is going to be a hard one for this Mommy. I can be excited right along with them, but when they get upset, so do I. I'm sure Isaac will do fine since he's a 3rd grader now.

so excited, just waiting in the hallway

full length to show his new shoes :)

Afterwards, going to the babysitter's house He wrote his name on his name tag. :)

Family

2011-07-29T09:47:00.001-05:00

Granted, it's not the best picture, but here is a family picture that Clarence's Mother took on Saturday after lunch.

It wouldn't be too bad if Isaac wasn't mad... :)

Happy Birthday Clarence!

2011-07-25T21:45:00.000-05:00

Clarence's 36th birthday was yesterday. We started our celebrations with lunch with his mother on Saturday. Then on Sunday, his birthday, we took the boys to my parents' house where they had a nice big breakfast. While they were with my parents, we went and had a nice lunch at PF Chang's. It was Clarence's first time to eat there, and I think he liked it! After lunch and quick trips to Electronic Express and Costco, we went back to my parents house for ice cream cake from Maggie Moo's. I think Clarence had a nice birthday weekend. We love him very much and are so thankful for him!

Alex enjoying Daddy's birthday ice cream cake

my boys (Alex not wanting to smile...)

Granddaddy and Isaac - I LOVE this picture!

Brothers, Cousins and Sunshine

2011-07-17T23:14:00.000-05:00

After my adventures in cleaning out the house, I had two bags of clothes to send to Goodwill, and our house is now a little more organized. There is still more work to be done, but it will have to wait for another day.

Toward the end of last week, I took the boys out to Milestone to spend some time with Clarence's boss's boys, Cody and Eli. They had a great time riding their bikes, the fourwheeler, and the Ranger.

Then, on Friday, the boys and I went to Nashville Shores with Nana, Jay and Camden. We met up with Nana's friend and her grandchildren. Isaac had a great time with Jay and Nana's friend's granddaughter. They were so cute together!

Here are some pictures from our week. It's back to work tomorrow. I enjoyed the time with my boys this week, but I will be glad to go back to work tomorrow.

Alex riding his fourwheeler at Milestone

Isaac riding his bike at Milestone

Alex at Nashville Shores

Isaac, Alex and Camden at Nashville Shores

Isaac and Jay

Isaac trying to make it across

He never let go

He made it!

Sunkissed and watching a DVD together

One Month

2011-07-11T22:41:00.000-05:00

Today is the first day of our staycation. The boys' babysitter is on vacation this week, so I took off the week to stay home with them. And since Daddy is working and we don't have funds to do much, we are spending the week at home. My goal this week is to rid our home of extra stuff that we haven't seen or used in the past year or longer. But, what dawned on me this morning is that the boys will be starting school one month from today. The summer is flying by as I knew it would. Before long, we'll be shopping for back to school stuff! Fun! In the meantime, I think the boys are enjoying spending time with each other. :)

Isaac playing his DS and Alex looking over his shoulder.

So far I have cleaned out our bedroom nightstands and started on the boys' closet. Next up is to finish the boys' closet, then our closet, the kitchen, and finally the toy room again. I cleaned it out a few weeks ago, but it is still a cluttered mess. So, it must be addressed again. I am tired of stepping over toys! I'm going to have a nice haul for Goodwill again!

Phone Pix

2011-07-07T13:43:00.000-05:00

I was going through the pictures on my phone today, and I realized that there some cute ones that I haven't posted. So here you go! Enjoy!

Alex and I at one of Isaac's soccer practices

Isaac on the playground at school on one of the last days of the school year

At school on the same day as the one above

Alex on graduation day, getting ready to line up and walk to the auditorium

Isaac at Which Wich on Mother's Day

My boys, just a couple of weekends ago

One more day, and it's vacation time! The boys and I are not planning to go anywhere, and it is going to be nice to just be at home with nowhere we have to be! :) Daddy will be working all week. :(

Happy 4th of July!!!!

2011-07-04T22:51:00.000-05:00

Happy 4th of July from our family to yours!

Happy Birthday Granny!

2011-06-25T20:27:00.000-05:00

Today is my mother's birthday. She and Daddy came over to have hamburgers and dessert. Clarence grilled delicious burgers as usual, and we had pie afterwards. Here are a couple of pictures I took while my parents were here.

Granny with her boys

Isaac telling Granny about the movie that was on tv

Granny and Grandaddy in their matching camo.

Happy Birthday Granny! We love you!

Father's Day 2011

2011-06-20T19:35:00.001-05:00

This Father's Day was pretty uneventful in our house. Clarence wasn't feeling well, so he stayed at home yesterday while the boys and went to visit my father. After we visited with my daddy and went to the store, we came back home and made cupcakes. The boys helped me, and they turned out great! It's too bad that Daddy's belly was hurting too bad to enjoy them with us. And, apparently, Daddy gave Alex his sick belly, so Alex had to stay home with Daddy today. Normally I would stay home with our boys when they're sick, but today was my first day at my new job. It was a great first day, and I am looking forward to all I am going to learn!

My husband and our boys

My Daddy and his grandsons

Me and Daddy

Cooling and waiting for icing and sprinkles

Adding sprinkles

Adding more sprinkles

Ready to eat!

Our summer weekend at home

2011-06-12T21:32:00.007-05:00

We had originally planned to go down to CMA Fest this weekend, but it was just too dang hot! Also, we haven't had a weekend at home with nothing to do in quite a while, so it was nice to stay at home. I was off work Friday, and Isaac and I spent the day at home. I washed my husband's truck and cut the grass in the front yard. Yesterday we spent most of the day inside and cleaned house. Today, it was a bit cooler outside, in the 80's instead of the 90's. So, we cut the grass in the back yard, and then I washed my car. After all that, Isaac, Alex and I rode our bicycles around the neighborhood. We had a great day, and a great weekend!

Isaac and Alex playing with the Geotrax trains

Isaac and Alex playing together again

I love this picture. Despite the messy toy room in the background. :)

Our busy weekends

2011-06-07T20:34:00.026-05:00

So our busy weekends started two weeks ago. The boys, Clarence and I were invited to Jacob's sons' birthday party. Clarence works for Jacob at Milestone Paint. Jacob, his wife, and their two boys live out in the country and have what I would consider a farm. They have a large lot of land and a variety of animals. The boys had a great time seeing the animals and swimming.

Isaac in front of an old building

Alex looking through the fence at the animals

this cool guy wanted to be let out :)

petting the small horse

Alex with his ring pop colored tongue

the boys by the pool

After the party a the Miles' farm, we rushed home so we could visit with Matt and his family. They were passing through town during their visit to the U.S. Matt and his family live in Japan and were here for a visit. It was great to see them again. His girls have really grown!

Clarence and Matt - they grew up together and have kept in touch over the years

Alex and Marie, Matt's youngest. They are less than a year apart in age.

A picture of everyone before they left. Marie, Michelle, Nicole, Alex and Isaac (I think I got that in the right order... :))

The next day we took the boys to the Renaissance Festival. Alex likes knights and castles, so we thought he would like it, and he did.

This weird looking man greeted us as we entered the festival

another interesting sight

the back of the castle

a horse at the jousting match

Isaac and Alex with their cousin Lucas inside the castle

the boys watching the jousting

another random picture of one of the flowers in our yard

and another one

And finally, this past weekend we went to Selmer for Decoration Day. The first Sunday in June is set aside to decorate the graves at the small town cemetery. Clarence and I go every couple of years. This year, we drove Clarence's aunt's van loaded up with all the boys. Clarence's aunt and uncle took a separate car.

at the rest stop

Alex not looking too happy

that's better

Isaac

Lucas

Logan

Well, that was a long post. I need to start posting more often! We were planning to go to the CMA Fest this weekend, but we may just end up hanging around here. I am off work on Friday, so maybe we'll go do something fun then.

Changes

2011-05-27T19:40:00.028-05:00

Ok, I can't figure out why it is staying all the way down there, and won't let me move it up here.

The month of May has flown by! I remember thinking when I got Alex's school calendar for May that his graduation day seemed so far away. Well, time flew as it always does, and Alex is now officially a Kindergartener. His graduation ceremony was on Wednesday. It was very well organized and a very proud moment for Clarence and I. Our baby graduated from preschool. Our baby. I wasn't as sentimental then as I thought I would be. It really hit me today as this was Alex's last day at preschool. He will be spending the summer with the lady who used to keep him, and then he will start Kindergarten at Isaac's school in August. I did ok dropping Alex off at school this morning, but this afternoon was bit harder. I don't remember being so sentimental on Isaac's last day. I think I am sad because Alex is a little sad. He told me he is going to miss his friends. But, I know he is also excited about going to his brother's school and making new friends. When we left the daycare today, he was sad. But, by the time we got to Isaac's school to pick him up, he was super excited about his new school and getting to ride the bus next year. That helps a momma's heart. I don't want Alex to be sad about the friends he's leaving; instead, I want him to be excited about getting older, going to big school, making new friends and learning a lot. I think he is, and it is going to be a new adventure! Two school age children? I'm not old enough for this! :)

Here are some random pictures I have taken since my last post, and pictures of graduation and Alex's last day of preschool.

the bird's nest on our fence

some of my favorite blooms

Isaac with his mohawk :)

our graduate

getting ready to receive his diploma

ringing his bell

he did a great job!

excited that so many people came to see him graduate

Alex and one of his best buddies, Austin

a close up of Alex's name on the cake that had all of the graduates' names on it

a cookie with his name on it too

Alex with Sierra, his girlfriend, Mrs. Shelley and Mrs. Patsy, his teachers, and Mae, another friend

Alex and Sierra again. They are soccer buddies too. They both play soccer for the same league. Fun times!

Other changes are coming too; I will be starting a new job in June. It is going to be a great career opportunity, and I am really looking forward to it. I am so thankful to work for a large company that offers such great growth opportunities.

We have a busy weekend planned. Soccer season is over, but that doesn't mean things are going to slow down. The first part of our summer is going to be busy too. This weekend we have a birthday party to go to and the Renaissance Festival. Next weekend it's off to Selmer for Decoration Day, then CMA Fest, then a family wedding and Father's Day, and then my Mother's Birthday. Whew!

I just realized too that I didn't post pictures from the boys' last soccer games of the season. I'll have to have another post just for that.

After our busy weekend, I hope to have more pictures to share. Happy Memorial Day weekend!

Mother's Day 2011

2011-05-09T21:13:00.014-05:00

This Mother's Day weekend we had soccer games on Saturday as usual. After the soccer games we spent time with family. We had a nice lunch at Logan's with Grammy and Grampy. Then after the afternoon at their house, we went to visit my mother and daddy, Granny and Granddaddy. After Isaac played basketball and Alex rode his bike, we went to Nana and Pops' house. Isaac and Alex got to play with their cousins, and we capped the night off with some pizza.

Then, on Sunday, since it was my day, I decided what we did. First, we took the boys to the Charlie Daniels Park to play. They had never been there, but I think they had a great time and are looking forward to going back soon. After the park, we went to Which Wich for lunch. It was a beautiful day, and I enjoyed spending time with my boys while eating outside. On the way home, we got some steaks to grill. After we got home, the boys rode their bikes while Clarence and I sat outside and watched them. It was a nice afternoon. Here are some pictures from our weekend.

my boys always seem to have something on their face... this I think is the cupcake he got from Publix.

Grammy, Alex and Isaac

Granny, Isaac and Alex

Nana, Alex and Isaac

Isaac at the park

Alex at the park

Me and the reasons I am a Mother :)

Being silly

Isaac on the zipline

Our Easter

2011-04-26T21:10:00.018-05:00

We had another great Easter weekend. After the boys' soccer games on Saturday, we went to have pizza before Clarence went back to work. While we were there, the boys colored Easter pictures. Each year we set out the Easter baskets and the boys look forward to seeing on Easter morning what the Easter bunny brought them. When I was getting their baskets ready to set out this year, Alex said that he wanted to leave the Easter bunny the picture that he colored. I'm sure the Easter bunny loved it! He did a great job!

The Easter bunny took Alex's picture, and then filled the boys' baskets up!

The baskets had swimming trunks, Reese's peanut butter cups, M&Ms, a big egg filled with Willy Wonka candy, and colored bubbles.

The colored bubbles seemed like a great idea...but definitely not so much fun once they got all over everybody's clothes! :( Thankfully, they really are washable!

The boys in their new outfits the Easter bunny brought

Alex blowing his orange bubbles

After we cleaned up the colored bubbles mess, the boys changed into their new clothes that Granny and Granddaddy bought them.

Alex looking grown up

Isaac looking even more grown up!

my boys in front of Granny's rose bush

We had a busy Easter! After an egg hunt at my great Aunt Betty's house, we took my parents' boat back to their house (C cleaned it for them), and then we went to another egg hunt at Nanny and Papaw's house.

Alex hunting more eggs

Isaac getting excited about more eggs.

After the boys were finished hunting eggs, we found a surprise! A frog! He must have jumped out of the surprise egg, because it was empty!

On Sunday while Isaac was playing before the egg hunt, his glasses were broken. So, yesterday after school I took him to get new ones. Thank goodness for insurance! Here are his new frames, same frames, new design.

extreme close-up

The design

We had a busy, but good, Easter weekend. It was nice to spend time with family and see people we haven't seen in a while. I am looking forward to what I hope to be an uneventful upcoming weekend. It's only Tuesday, and I'm already exhausted! :)

You're how old????

2011-04-14T19:17:00.003-05:00

This past Sunday was Isaac's 8th birthday. I say it every year, but where does the time go? Why does it move so quickly? I remember wishing my way through my pregnancy with Isaac, just wishing the time would move quickly to when we would get to meet him. Since he was born, time hasn't slowed down one bit! I remember thinking when he was born what a wonder and amazing creation he is. I was worried about how I was going to take care of him, protect him and teach him. Over the eight years he has been with us, I can say those worries haven't changed. But, now I can say I am proud of how smart he is, how he loves his brother and his family, and how independent he has become. He does most things for himself, and I miss the days of changing his diaper, feeding him and doing things for him. I never thought I would miss those things, but I do. But, I look forward to seeing what the future brings for Isaac. He is an intelligent boy and his future is very bright.

For his birthday, we took Isaac and some friends from school, other friends, and a cousin to see Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules. He had a great time, and we did too! The movie was pretty good. After the movie we came back to the house to grill hamburgers and hotdogs. After presents we had ice cream and cake too. It was a nice afternoon, and I think all of the boys had a good time.

So, for a trip down memory lane, and to warm a Momma's heart, here are some pictures:

A couple of days after Isaac was born

1st birthday

2nd birthday

3rd birthday

4th birthday

5th birthday

6th birthday

7th birthday

the whole crew outside the movie theatre

(funny how the birthday boy's not even looking at me!)

my big 8 year old

(8 seems like such a big number)

opening his gifts

his birthday cake

(He had to settle for a soccer cake since I couldn't find a Diary of a Wimpy Kid one... :) )

Time, please slow down, or at least remind me to remember every moment. Because like the song says, one day I'm gonna miss this!

Just boys being boys

2011-04-02T18:11:00.008-05:00

This afternoon I decided to take some pictures of the boys while they were outside playing. Isaac's birthday is next Sunday, so we decided to go ahead and get him his birthday present early. Since he has grown so fast in a little over a year (since he got his last bike) we decided to buy him a bike for his birthday. And, since he is so opinionated like his mother, I decided that he should pick it out himself. So, after we got the bike home this afternoon, he and Alex played outside for a couple of hours.

Can you tell what his favorite colors are? Everything is black and red...

An Evil Kenevil in the making...

And because I love flowers, here are a couple of pictures of ones that are in our yard right now.

Blah...

2011-03-29T22:33:00.008-05:00

It's rainy and cold here again, and I'm just wondering where Spring went?! Please come back...

Anyway, I registered Alex for Kindergarten yesterday, and he was so excited! After I filled out all the paperwork, they took us through the Kindergarten wing to give us a peek at the classrooms. I'm not sure, but I think Alex may have been a little overwhelmed. I found myself being a little sad as I drove Alex to Pre-K that morning; I can still remember the day he and his brother were born and I can hardly believe how fast time has flown. In just a few short months I'll have a 3rd grader and a Kindergartener! Ahhh!!

In other news, Clarence has been given the opportunity to be a part of a tv show through his job. He and the guys he works with will be part of a larger group of volunteers who are going to be restoring vehicles for people who have amazing and rough life stories. It's kind of like Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, except with vehicles. His first two days of taping will be April 11th and 12th, and he will be taping other days throughout the month of April. He's pretty excited, and I am too. What a great opportunity! This is the link to the show: http://searchandrestoretv.com/

Here are some recent pictures I have taken with my phone...

A couple of Isaac's school papers that I am especially proud of!

Alex at the doctor's office for his 5 year old check up

Here's to hoping the sunshine and warm weather returns quickly! Good night all!

Spring is here!

2011-03-20T19:01:00.013-05:00

Spring is officially here, and we have had a few beautiful warm days. I love it! Yesterday the boys had their first soccer game of the season. This is Alex's first season to play. He has been so excited at his practices, and he seemed ready to play his first game Saturday. However, as game time drew closer, he got closer and closer to Daddy and said that he didn't want to play. Thankfully after standing on the sidelines for the first half, talking to the coach for a little bit, to granny and grandaddy, grammy and daddy, he finally decided he would play. So, Alex played the whole second half of his first game, and he did a fantastic job! He ran around the field trying his best to kick the ball, and he did a great job doing it! Also, his 'girlfriend' from school was on the other team, and that was just too cool for him. I think he went a little easy on her though and didn't try to kick the ball away from her when she had it. :)

This is Isaac's third season, and he is enjoying playing more and more. I am so proud of him and can hardly believe how big he's getting!

It has been quite the beginning to this soccer season. Isaac and Alex's cousin, Lucas, is also playing soccer this season. So, it is going to be quite an adventure catching parts to everyone's games. Especially when they play at the same time! Lucas played first yesterday, and Isaac and Alex both played after him at the same time. Thankfully, the fields all three boys played on were close together. The grandparents sat in a central location and could see both Isaac and Alex's games.

Happy First Day of Spring to everyone, and here are some pictures from our first weekend of soccer in 2011.

Chuck E's again and a young carpenter

2011-03-06T18:28:00.008-06:00

This weekend we helped the Carons celebrate Aiden's 6th birthday at Chuck E Cheese. Two weekends in a row is enough to last us for a few months! :) The boys had a great time though, and that's all that matters!

the birthday boy!

Aiden and his really yummy birthday cookie - yep, a cookie! It was so good!

After Chuck E Cheese, we went to my parents' house so Grandaddy could show Alex how to use his new tools and to give him some scraps to work with.

Alex sound asleep on the way to granny and grandaddy's house

Isaac wanted to be a part of it too, so he decided to try out Alex's saw. It was hard work!

Alex trying out his screw driver

Daddy showing Alex how to use Grandaddy's power screw driver

We had a great weekend! Today we've done nothing but stay home! One more week and then the boys and I will be home a few days for Spring Break!

Changes and Birthdays

2011-02-27T20:01:00.011-06:00

Over the last two weekends we have bought new furniture and done some work to the kitchen. Here is a picture of our new kitchen table and the new paint. Our old table only had 4 chairs; this one has 6 and should be perfect when company comes over for dinner. The paint colors make the kitchen look brighter and bigger. I chose the red 8 years ago that we painted over, but I have to say, I like this much better! Too bad it took so long to pick out these colors!

our new table and the new paint

When we bought the table, we also got two new couches for the living room. We love them!

the new couches in the living room

a picture of the boys on the new couch

Yesterday, after we stayed up all night Friday night and Saturday morning painting the kitchen, we went to Chuck E Cheese to celebrate Logan's 1st birthday. Although we were exhausted, we had a great time!

The birthday boy! He can cry if he wants to!

That's better!

Logan's super cute birthday cake - picked out by big brother Lucas

Alex at Chuck E's

Isaac at Chuck E's

We ended our weekend with a nice visit with my parents for my Daddy's birthday. We went to Logan's for a late lunch, then to Costco to get a new rug for my parents' house, and then to look at what we really hope will be our next (and last) new house! More on that still to come... We ended our evening with my parents with a yummy Maggie Moo's ice cream cake.

What I'm Lovin' Wednesday

2011-02-16T20:20:00.003-06:00

1. The warmer weather we've been having! It is really making me have Spring Fever!

2. My new CD - Thompson Square! Favorite song of course, Are You Going to Kiss Me or Not

3. That today is Wednesday and there are only two more work days until the weekend.

4. That we're probably going to get some new furniture this weekend.

Happy Hump Day!

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T21:14:00.011-06:00

We had a great Valentine's Day! Alex asked for an ice cream cake, so his Daddy went to Dairy Queen to get one. After dinner, we all enjoyed a piece. Yummy!

Our yummy ice cream cake

The valentine that Isaac made for me. Alex made one for Daddy that looks like mine. :)

smiles with my boy

smiles with my big boy

the only one I could get of me and my honey

(Alex had to squeeze in too)

Cheese!

Isaac after bath time. Is it just me or does he look grown up with glasses?

silly faces

more silly faces!

enjoying the ice cream cake

I hope everyone had a great Valentine's day. I have three of the very best Valentines!

Glasses, a Mess, and a new CD

2011-02-11T21:49:00.008-06:00

Last weekend we took Isaac to get his first pair of glasses. His vision was tested at school before the Christmas break, and we received a referral from the school stating that he needs glasses. So, we took him to get some. He picked out the frames himself and has worn them almost all day everyday since! His first day at school with them was a little tricky because he was worried that the children were going to make fun of them. I called Isaac's teacher after I dropped him off at school that morning to tell her how Isaac was feeling. She thanked me for calling her and said that she would talk to Isaac. I emailed her a couple of hours later to check on him, and she said he was doing great with them. She said she and the class encouraged him and told him how cool they are. It's amazing how hearing from someone else, the same thing his mother said, really sinks in! I am so excited for Isaac because now he says he can see so much better! Isaac has always made good grades, and now his Daddy and I are wondering if his grades will improve even more now that he can actually see what's on the board in the classroom!

my boy...growing up too fast

a close up of the cool frames he picked out

On Wednesday of this week we got another snow storm here in Nashville. Thankfully Isaac was dismissed from school early and I was able to get him and Alex and get home before all the snow started. The evening's snow was the main story on our local news, and they were reporting that it was taking hours for people to get home. I am so glad I wasn't stuck in the traffic! It was so cold that all the preparations to melt the snow just didn't work. It didn't help either that the snow was coming down so heavily and quickly. Due to the snow, the boys, Clarence and I all stayed home yesterday. Thankfully I have the capability to work from home, so I was still able to get a lot accomplished. Clarence worked on cleaning the house, and the boys... well, they helped mess up what he cleaned up. As usual!

Here is a picture of the mess that Alex made before he fell asleep. I guess it's hard, tiring work to make such a big mess!

And, since my new favorite song is by this group, Clarence bought me this CD today. I love that man! :)

Camp Fire

2011-01-29T22:28:00.006-06:00

Tonight we decided to start a fire in the fire pit. Since we don't own a shredder, this is our way of getting rid of sensitive documents. Alex said we were having a camp fire, hence the title of this post. The boys enjoyed throwing all the paper in and making the fire bigger. But, when it came time to sit still and enjoy the warmth of the fire, they were bored. So, here are some pictures of our camp fire.

the flames

Alex and I - I love his sweet smile

Isaac and I - I love his too

All my boys

(Alex is trying to blow the fire out here...)

Pictures that make me smile

2011-01-28T22:02:00.007-06:00

Most of these pictures are old, but I wanted to post something to make me smile. :)

Alex checking out some glasses

my sleeping angel

Mr. Goofball

my big boy eating snow

I do not want to dwell

2011-01-27T22:26:00.004-06:00

So, I'm not sure how I feel. During some moments during the day, I feel fine and realize that everything happens for a reason. Others, I'm so sad and all I can ask is, "why?". I remind myself that I am very blessed to have two healthy boys who thrive in their environments and are so smart and stubborn like their Daddy and me. I try to remind myself that we weren't even trying to have a baby, so why am I so sad? It's just the loss of the idea of having another Miller baby...diapers, formula, little socks, dirty diapers, toothless grins, crawling, laughing, first steps, etc. All of it, the good, the baby and the ugly. I had already gotten used to the idea of going through all that again, and for now, it has been taken away. I try to find peace in the fact that at least there was no baby to begin with instead of one without a heartbeat. I think that would have been a lot more difficult, if that's even possible to imagine. We told our boys last night that we are not having a baby right now. Alex just said ok and continued playing. Isaac didn't take the news quite as easily. He wanted to know more about what happened and why. Unfortunately, we don't know why, and that's what we had to tell him. He said, so we'll have a baby next August then, not this one? And I guess for now, that's the million dollar question... when will we have another baby? Only time will tell.

From Disbelief to Reality

2011-01-24T15:58:00.003-06:00

"You better take another one", "Congratulations!", "Really?!", "How exciting!"... These are all responses I got when we told someone that Clarence and I were expecting another baby in August. We found out on New Year's Eve and told our families a week or so later. From the very beginning we had questions about how we were going to make it work with another baby. We talked through it and we were ready with a plan for welcoming the newest addition to our family. I think we were finally getting to the point of being excited. We both wanted another child, maybe not yet, but we definitely wanted one. I felt like something wasn't right from the very beginning. It didn't feel the same as it did when we were expecting Isaac and Alex, but I dismissed it, and hoped that I was wrong. Then my fears were confirmed. I had spotting and then bleeding today. I had already called the doctor's office twice and knew that I had an ultrasound scheduled for Wednesday. But, I just couldn't wait any longer. I got in to the doctor's office today for the ultrasound. I have never been as nervous or sad as I was today. To have an ultrasound where you know something's not right is just not a fun experience. The ultrasound tech searched, and she found the place where a baby should be, but there was nothing there. Nothing. No baby. No heartbeat. No nothing. In that moment I was numb. I was expecting it, because I knew something wasn't right, but it still hurts and I couldn't help but cry. After the ultrasound, we went over to see my doctor. She tried to put the pieces together for the timing of the pregnancy to see where things should be at this point. Since I should be nine weeks, she concluded that this is just not a normal pregnancy. They drew my blood today and will again on Wednesday. The expectation is that my hormone levels will be lower on Wednesday, confirming the miscarriage. The hardest thing for us at this point is explaining it to the boys since we have already told them that a baby is coming. We don't think Alex will question it, but Isaac may have more questions. He's smart and will want to know what happened. I guess, in reality, nothing happened. There was never a baby, and that's what we'll tell him. A test said Mommy was having a baby, but when the doctor checked, there wasn't one. That's easier, to me anyway, than telling them that there was a baby, but he/she is not living anymore. For that, I am grateful. I am also thankful for my two healthy boys and my husband who loves us all. I am thankful for friends and family and all their kind words during this time. We will have another baby one day, and when we do, it will be the right time.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-15T20:04:00.005-06:00

For New Year's Eve this year, we went to Kelli and Steve's house again. We had a great time! Here are a few pictures from our night.

This is a really cute one of Kelli...

The girls...and Mickey Mouse

Me and the hubby. This was the best one I could get.

This is one of the only ones I got of one of our boys. Kelli was trying to make Alex give her a hug before he went back upstairs to play with all the other boys that were there. :)

Christmas a few weeks late...

2011-01-11T20:40:00.015-06:00

Well, it's a few weeks late, but we had a great Christmas! We spent most of Christmas Eve with my parents. We went over for a late breakfast and stayed most of the day. We all had a great time and the boys got two very cool presents!

Isaac eating his new favorite breakfast food, sausage cheese balls

Alex doing the same and looking so cute!

Alex was so excited to open the Last Airbender DVD from Granny and Grandaddy

Isaac with his very cool laptop from Granny and Grandaddy. Alex got a very cool gift too, a Vtech VReader. He loves reading his books!

After spending the day with my parents, we went to Clarence's Dad's house for dinner and more presents.

Isaac playing on the pogo stick at Nana and Pops' house. He got pretty good at it! I think he might just have to get his own for his birthday.

Here's Alex playing the guitar he got from us for Christmas with his new Woody pjs and cowboy hat. Love my little cowboy! He was singing a song that he made up.

Alex dancing with his guitar

After opening presents at home on Christmas morning, we went to Clarence's Nanny and Robert's for lunch.

Woody Buzz - Woody hat and Buzz Lightyear wings

Isaac was so excited to see that he got the Nintendo DS that he had been asking for.

Little Logan on his first Christmas

Isaac with his DS. He looks so grown up; before we know it he'll be a teenager!

Alex and Logan - Alex likes babies

Alex opening his Jessie doll from Aunt Sandi. He was so excited! He thought that Santa forgot to bring it to him because it was one of the last presents he opened on Christmas day.

Christmastime

2010-12-23T23:04:00.010-06:00

The past few weeks have been really busy for us as it usually is this time of year. It seems like things start being busy at Thanksgiving and don't stop until New Year's! For my birthday this year, Kelli, Steve, Clarence and I went to Santa Fe to have dinner, and then we were going to go see the Christmas lights at Opryland. I say we were going to, because when we got there and realized they were charging $18 to park, we turned around and left.

Clarence and I at Santa Fe

For my birthday, my parents gave Clarence and I tickets to see the Trans Siberian Orchestra. I had seen them before, but this was Clarence's first time. When we left for the concert, it was snowing pretty hard. We didn't realize that by the time the concert was over that it was going to be such a mess! It took us an hour to travel what normally would have taken only 15 minutes. Trucks like Clarence's don't like roads covered in snow and ice! By the time we got to my parents' house, where our boys were, we decided that we would just spend the night instead of trying to make it across town all the way back home.

Clarence's truck in the snow

the best picture I got of the show from my phone since I left my camera in the truck

Later that same week, Alex had his Christmas party and concert at school. He was excited his brother and I were there, but he didn't want to sing in the concert. He finally warmed up enough and sang the last two songs.

Before the concert... I was trying to encourage him to sing

After the concert was over... all smiles!

Last weekend we and the boys assembled and decorated their first gingerbread train. They enjoyed assembling it, but left most of the decorating up to me. :)

Isaac helped with the peppermints

And finally...
Last night my mother and I went to see the Garth Brooks Rescue Party concert. It was awesome! I am so glad my mother and I were able to get tickets and that we could spend that time together. 9 sold out shows to benefit flood relief is amazing, and says a lot for our great state of Tennessee, not to mention those who came from out of state just to see Garth!

Garth did two shows a night. We went to the 6:00 show, and there was another one that was supposed to start at 9:00. But, I doubt that it did, because at 9:00 we were stuck on 5th avenue in the crowd of people trying to get in and out of the arena. It was ridiculous, like nothing we had ever seen before. I heard on the news people were comparing it to Marti Gras. All I can say is, if that's what Marti Gras is like, you can count me out! It was crazy! But, like everyone else there probably thought, Garth is worth it! :)

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and I hope everyone has a great Christmas spending time with family and friends. Here in Nashville, we're hoping for the first white Christmas in several years!