SNOW...

On Sunday, Feb 19th we had a snow.  This was a wet snow...perfect for snowballs and snowmen!! 

We don't have a good yard to sled in, but we tried.  The kids thought it was fun for me to push them down.  It was worth seeing the happiness on their face!

Gerren was sick and sleeping, so he didn't go out.  Once inside we made some hot chocolate that he enjoyed.

Valentine's Day

Confession moment...I think I have a problem!!  This year I was thinking up all the cool valentines we can do for school.  Izzy loves crafts as much as I do, so the craftier the better with her.  I found some cute crafty boy valentines for Gavin.  Nope...doesn't like anything.  He finally tells me that he just wants a Superhero valentine.  I just happened to be in Wal-Mart that night, so I stopped by to look at the Valentine cards.  I was actually surprised at how cute they were...some had pencils, sticker, or tattoos.  Cool, right?  Well....I just couldn't force myself to buy them.  Don't get me wrong, Gavin would have loved them, but somewhere deep down inside of me it felt wrong!!  Crazy.  So, we settled.  We made a superhero valentine card.  Still cute and kind of homemade. 

For Izzy's valentines, we made bracelets for all her classmates.  We started with multicolors, but then she had the great idea to make them the school colors!  Cool...

 And we made a cute little holder for all her valentines.  Look familiar...it's and ice cream bucket with fabric mod podged to it! 

For Valentine's Day we had a nice dinner at home (complete with candlelight).  Yum...food was good!

The Little House On The Prairie Effect....

Izzy has been reading Little House on the Prairie at school in her RTI class, and she has really enjoyed it.  The did a drawing with the covered wagon from a milk carton.  It's all I can do to keep Gerren from eating the pretzels.  He doesn't mind that they have glue on them...

The other day, Izzy and I ran to Averitt to pick up something that I left at work.  On the way home she spotted two Averitt trucks.  She asked if they ever let me drive them.  I explained to her that I had not because you had to have a special license.  She then had many more questions about CDL and training to drive trucks.  I told her they had schools to teach people.  She wanted to know who taught the first people to drive.  She said...oh, I know...God must have put a You Tube video out.  I reminded her that You Tube hasn't always been around...and that when I was her age we didn't have computers.  She said....and I bet you got your water from a "hold in the ground."  Love her!!! 

She has had such an inquiring mind recently.  We have talked about everything.  Why some cars use regular gasoline...other diesel.  When I say talked about it...I mean on a 7 year old level.  :)

Gerren has also started calling me Maw-Maw.  His Daddy does encourage him, but he started it on his own.  

Happy Birthday Dad

Friday was my dad's birthday.  He would have been 59!  It was a neat morning.  Izzy is really at the age to understand so much now.  I got to tell her about his birthday 8 years ago....That's the day we told them that I was expecting!  We came up with a poem...that is what they are reading in the pic.  Said something like...."on this day we have a tale...in 9 months a young one will prevail."  When Gavin looked at the pic, he said...Is that Brian.  Gerren stood and stared at the pic for 2 mins (which is a long time for a 2 year old).  Izzy just smiled when I told her she would have been Pa's Princess and how he would have always had YooHoos for her!

Meeting the Governor

On January 23rd, Josh had the opportunity to meet the Governor of Tennessee.  It just so happens that Josh just finished up a portrait study of Governor Haslam and his wife.  With Josh's connections, he was able to present the portraits to the Governor.  The Governor sent Josh a signed copy of the photograph to say Thanks!  Pretty Cool....  I have an amazing talented husband :)

Gerren, how about you?

For some reason, Gavin has "lazy bones" when it comes to getting dressed.  He always asks for help.  This morning, believe it or not, we were all behind!  Josh was trying to get ready, and I was getting dressed.  Gavin was begging for help.  We told him to do what he could on his own (take off PJs, etc).  He said "Gerren, how about you?"  Apparently you are desperate if you are willing to let your 2 year old brother help you get dressed! 

One of those calls!!!!!!

Friday morning (Jan 27th), I got one of those calls.  You know the kind that you don't like to get about your kids...and your legs shake on the drive home.  Gerren had tripped.  No biggie because falling happens a lot around our house.  Problem is that he started to pass out...eyes rolling back....lifeless in Nana's arms...lips turning blue.  That has a way of freaking a person out.  When I got home, I could tell he was shaken up.  Thankfully, a few mins later he seemed back to normal.  He was carrying a plastic hanger when he fell, so we think the hanger might have hit his neck in just the right spot (or wrong spot).  He was back to himself in no time, but Daddy took the rest of the day off to be sure.  We didn't let him take a nap that day either.  At bedtime, he was ready to sleep.  He didn't even notice that I came in and took a pic.  I just love sleeping babies (even when they aren't babies anymore).  There is just something about it that is so sweet!

While I was at it, I thought I would get more sleeping kids pics....

 Can you see blankie?? :)

Izzy wasn't ready to sleep...just snuggling with Baby Kate and Julie.