Memorial Day - Giving Thanks

On Memorial Day weekend we want to express HOW MUCH we have to be thankful for. Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. We are forever grateful for them...

We were able to spend another wonderful Memorial Day at the lake at Grammie and Pop's house which reminded us of all the ways that we are grateful for the Lord's mercy and the undeserving gifts he has poured upon us:
We are grateful for our family, our cousins that we can spend time with...

And for the tons of fun we have playing with them...


We are grateful for the food that we are fortunate enough to be able to eat...whether we like it...

...or not!...

We are grateful for new family members and new babies all over the world...a true miracle of God
(and for A.M's thighs!!!! what a cutie!!!)

We are grateful for the members of our family who never cease to amaze us with their loyalty, comfort, and ability to see past all our imperfections and think we hung the moon...





We are grateful for God's Glorious earth and nature...


(the lizard above is what Hunter is pointing to)

We are grateful for beautiful water to swim in, AND for the ability to be able to swim.


We are grateful for chocolate ice cream and all the treats we are able to enjoy.

We are grateful for uncles and daddies that play with us and know how to make everything fun.

And for the wind in our hair!


We are grateful for the energy, excitement and pure joy that comes from our children:
They are simple. They are pure. They are forgiving. They are funny. They are innocent. They make us remember how much fun the simple things in life are and how we spend too much time complicating things to make them seem better. I am grateful they reminded me how much fun it was as a child to just jump into the water.
Thank you Hunter...

thank you Christopher...

and Drake...

We are grateful for the times we feel like we are on top on the world...


Hunter is very thankful for pajamas, which he may live in for the rest of his life if I would let him, AND for his Scooby Doo Crocs.

and we are even grateful for pictures that we think are just too awesome to not put on the blog...I love you Sophie!!!

But on this day in particular, we are so thankful for this beautiful country and for all those who protect it.
GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!!

I am a little LOST

Phew!!!! Ever since we got back from the beach it has been a very difficult month for us. The combination of 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 is just about to do me in. If there is any way a child could act out, MINE have been doing it. The past week was so much better though. Last week was our last week of school for the summer (now I could CRY!) but until now, I couldn't even sit down to do a post because the only words that would come to mind were ones that I would get in trouble for saying on the blog. They would all have to be bleeped. I have missed blogging about soccer this Spring, our beach trip, their last day of school, digging for worms and how Hunter says "there there little guys, lets go back in the dirt." But now things are getting a little better so now I can finally blog again in sanity.

Okay, so we all know the season finale of LOST was on Sunday night, it was 2 1/2 hours long and Kyle and I were too tired to stay awake so we watched it last night instead. After watching it I was left feeling a little "unsettled" is how I keep putting it. I mean, I do LOVE how all the characters were reunited with their loved ones and ended up together they way they should have been, but I still have so many questions. Like, Daniel Farraday (Widmore), when Desmond told Daniel's mother that he would be leaving too, but not with him, what in the world did that mean? Did he not go to Heaven? I realize they have left the ending so that you could kind of interpret it how you wanted, but there were so many things that still did not make a whole lot of since for me. Kyle told me last night I should get on some LOST chat rooms, and though I think that is a very silly idea, if I have some time today, I just might actually end up there...so please people, call me or email me to discuss so that does not happen to me!
I also have to say, I did not cry at all, until Vincent (the dog) laid next to Jack while he died....that is when my tears started flowing....JUST LIKE A DOG!!!! How can you not love them. I got up after the show and sat next to Divot on my den floor and just cried while a scratched his tummy. Pathetic I know. I think I just needed a good cry.
AND I had a horrible dream last night: that I died but could still walk around and see my family. I would talk to them and they would respond, but in my dream I asked them if they could see or hear me and they said no, they could just sense me there. How sad is that!!!!! THANKS A LOT LOST!!!!!
All in all I am so glad we were a LOSTIE (thanks for the term Callen) but I might need to see a psychologist now....

On another note, Kyle and I got to go out Saturday night and dress like "adults." We had so much fun! Nothing like a good looking guy in a tux!

I love this town!

Well...coming back from the beach and not watching the news for a whole week Kyle and I had no idea what was going on until Sunday morning several friends were calling and texting us telling us to not come back and we had no idea why! But of course even after finding out what was going on, we still did. I am still in shock at all the damage (just google flooding in Nashville if you do not know what I am talking about). Here you can get a little piece of what happened. At least 21 have been found dead so far, several women delivered babies in their own homes because they could not get to the hospital, cars and school trailers floating down streets, 10 feet of water in the conservatory of Opry Land Hotel and the Grande Ole Opry, billions and billions of dollars of damage was done and it was absolutely devastating to Nashville.
However, I have never been so proud to live in Nashville as I am now.
This is a city that has come together to get each other back on their feet more than I could have ever imagined or hoped for. People are just going out to volunteer to help people tear out ducts, drywall, floors, furniture, etc etc to help people they don't even know. And once one house is done, people don't stop, they just move on to the next. No one is standing around waiting for the government to help, or waiting for someone else to do the work, people are just reaching out to their Nashville family, no matter who they are and helping in any way they can. The Holy Spirit has been surrounding this town in an amazing way. Our church, and I know most others have provided to be an amazing resource to find out how to help, who to help and what to do. We have friends at out church who have literally lost everything.
I wanted to show a few pictures of Kyle and some of his Bible Study group on Saturday
This first picture is just one of thousands of streets that look like this...everything from their house emptied into their front yard to be thrown away

This is a picture of how hard it was to find a spot because so many are there to volunteer

This was one pile the boys made from one house

And another

O'Charleys was there providing free hamburgers for all the volunteers. It was amazing there was so many volunteers just to help volunteers constantly driving by offering water, cokes, coffee, sausage biscuits, sandwiches, etc.

Another pile they made from another house

a car that had been completely under water now caked in mud

The boys


I know 49 counties have been declared "disaster areas" so far so there will be some more help coming, but the instantaneous drive to help from the citizens of this city has been incredible. There is so much more work to be done, but I feel like the morale is up and people are still seeking ways to help.

Evil Spirits BEGONE!!!!!

Well, we had a fabulous week at the beach but I cannot even begin to blog about that right now due to several things:

First and foremost, there is so much damage and devastation in Nashville right now that have not only affected the whole city and billions of dollars worth of damage to it, but also to close friends that have literally lost EVERYTHING. It does not seem right, at the moment, to blog about our great trip.

But second, we have literally about 500 pictures that I don't even know how to sort through them at the moment.

However, the one thing I can blog about is that some evil spirits have entered into my 3 year old child and I wish them GONE! What happened to my sweet child? Someone took him out and replaced him with a mean, defiant little boy and I am not sure what to do with him right now. Any advice from ANYONE with a 3 yr old, or someone who has had a 3 yr old or knows one? I need any help I can get right now.