Camping!!

So we decided it was time to introduce our children to the wonderful world of camping. We've been wanting to do this for a long time, but were worried mostly how Logan would handle it. I'm glad to report that he did awesome! Camping is one of my favorite things to do as a family and am glad we can add it in to our activities from now on. It was a gorgeous weekend down in the Smokies. We only stayed for one night, but it was a lot of fun. We got to walk around the park, check out the streams, play a ton of board games, sit around the fire and of course, roast some marshmallows and make s'mores. The kids absolutely loved it. Emma was so excited that as soon as she woke up the morning we were going, she went in and woke Logan up yelling,"We're going camping today, hurry and get up!" My favorite part is just sitting around the campfire. The kids did really good about not getting too close and staying within our site. We will definitely have to go again for a longer stay next time, but it was a good taste of things to come. Enjoy all our pictures!

It isn't a trip without an Emma injury. Fortunately, just a bruised knee.

Enjoying the fire, just like her Mama

Waiting for lunch. New thing for me this camping trip, bear proofing. Had to keep all of our stuff in the car at all times.

Helping Daddy set up the tent.

Love my Monkeys!

I am loving this southern winter!! 60 on Valentine's Day?!?!?! It was so nice that we decided to take the kids to the zoo, never would have happened back in IL this time of year. It was so nice to be able to spend some time outside. I am definitely ready for spring and by the looks of the forecast it looks like it is finally here in TN. We had a wonderful day as a family. I love my little monkeys. I think Logan had a lot more fun this time around now that he's a little older. He's such a parrot when it comes to Emma, just saying whatever she says. It's so cute to watch as they play together.

Winter Fun!

Well we have had a much snowier winter here in Tennessee than we thought we would, but the kids have sure enjoyed it. A few weeks ago we got enough snow for the kids to play in it with our neighbor's little boy. He and Emma have a lot of fun together. I can't believe it's 2011 already. 2010 went by way to fast. What a busy year! 3 weddings, 2 new babies, move across the country, several trips back to IL, and so on. I'm hoping this next year is much quieter. The kids are growing like weeds. Logan turned 2 Jan. 6th. He's becoming quite the chatterbox and fortunately we're able to understand him much better now. He loves to mimic Emma and follows her around everywhere. He is a handful to say the least. One minute he's cuddly and sweet and then for no apparent reason does a complete 180. But we still love him. He loves to play jokes and make you laugh. Very much like his Daddy. Emma turned 4 Jan. 31st. She's becoming such a little lady. She was so excited to finally get out of nursery and into Sunbeams. I'm in the primary now so I get to see her while she's in sharing time. She's the one who raises her hand and wants to help out with everything. I'm glad she's so enthusiastic and I hope it lasts. She's a great big sister and is very patient with Logan most of the time. She doesn't like it too much when he plays with her petshop though. Those are her new favorite obsession. She keeps asking to have as much as her Aunt Marissa and I have to explain that Marissa has been collecting those for 5 years now so it'll take time. On a sad note, we found out our puppy Jessie has cancer. The doctor removed a small mass while she was getting spayed. After lots of research and talking with an oncologist, we've decided to let nature take it's course. It's a pretty aggressive cancer and treatment only buys you a little time. So far she is energetic and happy so we'll just have to wait and see what happens. They are giving her about 6-8 months. I'm hoping to makes it to at least a year old. But overall our family has been greatly blessed. I'm so thankful for the wonderful family and friends we have. Jake has been blessed with a wonderful job and we have a beautiful home. I often wonder why I'm so lucky to be married to such a wonderful man. We will be celebrating 5 years this March. Time flies when you're having fun!!

Loving the Fall!

Just thought I'd post a few pictures we took this last Sunday. It was such a beautiful weekend that we decided to drive down to the Smokies and have a picnic in the mountains. We also took Jessie with us to try to get her used to the car. We're planning on driving home for Christmas and I would like to take her with. She wasn't too thrilled about the car, but she did like to be outside in the trees. She has more than doubled her size now since we got her. Puppies grow up way too fast. The kids love her and training is coming along. I think she's going to be a great dog once she's all grown up.

The kids are doing great. Logan is starting to talk up a storm and Emma has finally learned her ABC's. She has been so stubborn every time I tried to teach her, but thanks to Super Why she has them down. She really wants to be in school. She gets very jealous every time we pass a bus or school that she can't go in. Maybe next fall I'll sign her up for preschool. We'll have to see.

Sorry, blogger is being difficult at the moment.

Updating

So I totally didn't realize so many months had passed since I last posted. My apologies. It has been one crazy year. So to hit the main points as you all know, we moved to Knoxville, TN in May. It was a true blessing how things happened to fall into place in buying our house and moving here. I feel we made the right choice in coming here. The area is beautiful, the people are amazing, Jake is enjoying working for a company that does things right, and I LOVE that he doesn't have to travel. The only downside is being so far away from family. I do miss all our little get togethers and the everyday events. Fortunately, we have been able to make it back home twice since we've been here. 10 hours is a LONG time in the car for 2 toddlers, but we've made it work. I think it'll be a while until we do it again though.

The move in process has been a slow one. We're taking small steps in furnishing and decorating. So far I've painted the living room, the kid's bathroom and our bedroom. I can't tell you how excited I was to finally have a house to paint, but after going through 3 different colors in the living room, I am taking a break from the painting. About a month ago we finally got some furniture for the living room. It's nice to have something to sit on down there. The improvement that I was most excited about though was the fence! It's so nice to be able to have the kids outside without having to chase them down or worry about them getting into the drainage pond. And with the fence, came a dog!

I finally got Jake to let me get my puppy. I've been waiting to have one for years. I've been checking ads for awhile now and found the cutest little puppy. We got her a week ago.
She's a Weimaraner/lab mix. She has the black of the lab, but we think she may end up with her mother's blue eyes. Emma got to name her so she named her after her favorite Disney movie of the moment, Jessie. Overall she has been a pretty good puppy. We no longer have to get up during the night to take her potty and she's only had a few accidents in the house, mostly do to rainy days. I took her to the vet on Friday and found out she has roundworm and ringworm, so that wasn't very good news. So she's on some meds and is doing great. Just hoping the kids don't pick it up.

So overall we're enjoying our time here in Knoxville. We've been able to go into the mountains a few times and we bought a membership to the zoo so it's fun to go there for a few hours. So much fun having it less than 10 minutes away. The kids are growing up fast. Logan is no longer a baby that's for sure, he has grown into a little boy this summer and is picking up words everyday. Emma is a little firecracker. She has such a strong personality, which will serve her well later in life, but for now it can be a little challenging. But she can also be a little sweetheart and can suck up with the best up them. Well I best be getting back to my kids so I'll leave with some pictures and hopefully I'll get back on and update soon.

Our new home!

So our offer was accepted!! I can't believe they didn't counter! I'm so excited to finally have a house that we can move into. One less thing on my mile long checklist done! I am really excited about this house. It is in a brand new subdivision, I just love new construction. The hardwood floors are REAL, no laminate!! So gorgeous! As per our offer, the kitchen will have stainless steel appliances and an island put in before we move in. It's going to be great. Unfortunately we won't be able to get until after May 21, but that's okay. There's a light at the end of the tunnel. I am feeling so very blessed right now. I am feeling more and more like Tennessee is where we are supposed to be. The Lord is truly guiding us. This new job is going to open so many doors for our family. Jake is finally going to be able to go back to school and finish his degree. One of the best benefits is NO MORE TRAVEL!!! I can't tell how nice it will be to have him home. He's been gone for almost 6 weeks now and we are all burnt out. Luckily, he's getting out of the company just when he would have been traveling for several months straight. The trips are just stacking up. So his last day will be April 23 and we head out to Knoxville May 2 and will be staying at a hotel until we can close. It's going to be a crazy next month but I know we'll get through it. Jake finally comes home from Australia tomorrow night and then we head out Thursday for Nauvoo for his brother's wedding. I'm excited to take the kids around. Emma's finally old enough to enjoy some of it. Alright, well I'm signing off for now. Later!