The good news is that my camera is repaired, in the mail, and on the way to me. The other good news is that it was under warranty and there was no charge! I will get a new video up of Annabelle singing for you as soon as it arrives. Her Annie covers have come a long way in the past month or so.


We celebrated my Granny's 80th birthday a few weeks back with a cookout at the 'rent's house. The kids really had a great time playing with my cousin's kids. Grandaddy got the boys busy splitting firewood. They loved that.

The girls played on the swings. At one point they were all dressed up in Mimi's dress-up clothes. I wish I had gotten a picture.....so cute.


Here is the wood splitting action. I can't wait until we move to our next house because we plan on having a wood stove in the basement. I realise that the fun of cutting wood could wear off after a while......but, no, actually it may not because Seth seriously cuts wood for fun. He always has.




Of course there was singing! Granny loves for us to sing for her.


Doesn't Granny look great? She still push mows her yard.


Ah yes, and Leslie was there. How could I forget to mention that. I miss her so badly this week. Her visit was so wonderful!





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We made another trip to Dollywood this past Thursday and Friday.



This time Annabelle rode the flying elephants and a horse on the Merri-go-round.



We soaked them again on the river battle ride.




The best part of the trip this time was definitely the show. It was much better than I had expected it would be (and I had high expectations). I am no theater critic but I think I could say that it was my favorite play ever. Dolly Parton wrote all of the songs and the theme of the play was her love for the Smokey Mountains. Nothing entertains me more than live music with singing and dancing........ and gymnastics too! We watched the show both Thursday and Friday and loved it each time! The boys both said that it was their favorite part of the day. I will admit that the entire time I am watching anything like that I am aching inside to be up there doing it too. I totally missed that calling in my life. .... got married and had babies instead I guess. Maybe when my kids are older I can go be in a musical at Dollywood and you can all come see me!





Saturday morning Annabelle and I had to get up early and drive home so I could teach class. Mimi and Grandaddy took the boys and Kiah "loafing". They found a really great craft fair, went to and arcade, and hiked to a cool waterfall. I hate that I missed out!


I am not sure where this museum with all of the taxidermed animals fell into the picture but Adam told me all about the snakes and foxes and bears and such there.

I have obtained more pictures from the events surrounding Leslie's visit. On that Thursday, Amie called me around 9amish and said sleepily, "uh, do y'all want to got o Dollywood?" I was taken a little off guard, but I truly love spur of the moment plans and told her "absolutely".
In a couple of hours we were all off to the state of Tennessee where the country music is sweet... as is the syrup at the abundant pancake houses throughout the land!

The most significant occurrence of this trip was the advancement Annabelle made in her amusement park riding. Folks, she actually rode a horse on the Merri-go-round this time rather than on the bench in Mimi's lap! The child is not a daredevil in the least, which I have found to be quite helpful in my parenting experience. She and Caleb are both overly cautious and that along with their advanced physical strengths and balance are of little worry for me most of the time in that sense. I rarely have to worry about either of them falling. Adam is another story though! Anyhow, she was so very proud of herself for riding a horse and the teacups. Amie and I had to ride those with them which was pretty uncomfortable for us. We both noticed that we are so much queasier these days after having our kiddos and spending so much of our time barfing from morning sickness. We just tried to focus on something not spinning and push through.


The River Battle still remains to be our favorite ride as a whole. We got Leslie on it and Amie, Dad and I SOAKED her and Chuck from the shore. It is so much fun to shoot those things.


Lanie is showing the girls one of the hundreds of caterpillars she found along the sidewalk that day.



Annabelle and Lucie in the kiddie rides. I think Annabelle rode the ducks 7 times.




Posing for a picture


Riding the tram back to the car.....tired, wet, dirty and hungry. but oh so happy!



How funny, Amie just called and asked if we wanted to go this Thursday.
I think we just might. (remember, we have season passes)


There is a new show that opened this past weekend that I cannot wait to see. Don't worry, I will write all about it for you in a week or two!

Let me set the scene for you. I just got Annabelle down for her nap and told the boys I was taking a shower, so play nicely in their room for fifteen minutes and then we would get to work on school. Of course, then, I thought to myself, "I should probably check in on my facebook" as I am horribly addicted to it. So I sat down and wrote a comment or two to my friends when I heard these little voices and footsteps RIGHT OUTSIDE MY SECOND STORY window! The boys had removed a screen from their bedroom window and were taking a little stroll on the roof. Much to their surprise, Moma was NOT in the shower yet.



Don't worry, they won't ever do it again. I nipped that in the bud. (is it bud or butt....never thought of that)



It is never boring around this house with those guys.





Anyway, I am sure you are wanting to see a few more cute pictures of my children.
Here you go:































































Jonathan and Beth were in charge of the whole egg hunt and he is giving the rules to the children:
1. Everyone has a few special eggs with THEIR names on them. If you find an egg with someone else's name, DO NOT TELL THAT PERSON. Just leave it alone. They could not grasp this concept. especially Lucie!

I guess that was the only rule. That and no punching the Easter Bunny.






The thing I hope I remember the most about that day would have to be the joyful moods all three of my kids were in. They were so happy and jolly and had so much fun. I guess one can't ask for much more than candy, a grandfather dressed as a bunny, a pinata (yep, we had one of those too) a fire in the outdoor fireplace, and of course forgiveness and
eternal life from Jesus dying for our sins and rising from the dead.




















There have been times when I think, "Oh dear, I'll bet that Beth thinks we are the weirdest family ever..."

then I remember that she is in love with Jonathan....the weirdest of us all.











By the way, can everyone see the new background? Isn't it gorgeous?

Last Monday, Leslie and Paul treated us to a day up at Chimney Rock park. It was beautiful weather and a very fun day. Here are the pictures:


If there is a tree, the boys will be up and in it in no time!
























It has been too long since I got to hike. It was much easier than I thought it would be with the three kids. Well, Annabelle was the only one I worried about, but she walked the whole trail to the waterfalls and back which was over 2 miles. Let me go back....she actually RAN the whole trail and set the pace for the rest of us.









I carried her in the backpack up some of the stairs to the chimney part and then switched off with Paul. She freaked out a little but he did so well making her comfortable with him.




Paul was a ton of help and fun that day. He spent the day teaching the boys everything and anything that related to our adventure.

He and the boys ran the trail back pretending they were on dirt bikes and jumping the rocks. Caleb and Adam thought it was the greatest thing ever!







The kids were impressed with the huge flag at the top. Isn't this a neat picture?

They have closed off the skyline trail that we used to take to the top of the falls so we were a little bummed about that. We had ice cream at the little shop up there instead.



It was so good to be up in my beautiful mountains. I get this overwhelming feeling in my chest at times like that and Leslie is just the person I want to share it with. We only could have been happier if we were wearing old timey sundresses and singing and playing music together up there. We love to believe that we were born in the wrong time period anyway.






















That night we rented The Last of the Mohicans. (it was filmed up there) The boys were captivated and Paul helped explain the happenings and history behind the story. He knows a lot about history. a lot.




I just love the music and mountains in the movie.


Let me see.....I think it was Thursday night that we had "girls night" at Mom's house. There was lots of laughing and Dad had to tell us to keep it down for the neighbor's sake more than a few times.


We all BEGGED Jonathan to hang out with us too. He finally gave in and made the night!


Did I tell you that Mom and Dad got a sweet, huge hot tub for their outdoor living space?

Caleb, Caleb, Caleb

While I am waiting for a few more pictures from my sisters, I wanted to write about something I have thought a bit about lately. We went to bed much later than normal during Leslie's visit which led to some major bedtime meltdowns (and a few during the day as well) for the kids.....in particularly my Caleb. One night after we had a horrible episode of flipping out, spankings, and desperate prayers I sat and thought about how hard it has been to parent Caleb. He is an extreme child, with a serious temper. It would make perfect sense to think that I might struggle with loving Adam more because he has always been so easy and sweet and lovable, but I tell you this, I truly love them just the same......so much that it takes my breath away at times. Whenever Caleb flips out and screams that he hates me....and even that he hates Annabelle (which I wear him out for!), a very short time later he is so sorry and distraught over his behavior. His repentance is so sincere and sweet. It is also helpful that I have always struggled through life with my temper and when he is raging mad, I can understand how he feels and hopefully relate to him better.


By the way, the worst episode was because his underwear wouldn't fit right. I can look back at that and chuckle now....not so funny them though.

I have been on a blogging hiatus for the past two weeks because we have been totally preoccupied with spending time with our dear Aunt Leslie. She came to visit us from California and we had to soak as much of her in while we could. There are lots of pictures to post and outings to record on here so it may take me a day or two to get everything in.

We started it all out with a post-Easter Egg Hunt. "Gran-granny" (that is what Annabelle calls him to entertain us all) dressed up as the Easter Bunny once again this year and Jonathan and Beth hid an absurd amount of eggs for the kids to hunt. Here are a few pictures that Beth took:

Annabelle loved this headband that Mimi got her. I wish you could have seen her face when she pulled it out of her bag of prizes that afternoon. precious!


My dad enjoys the grandchildren so much and goes to great lengths to do special things for them and with them. Well, I think he wears the bunny suit to entertain the rest of the family just about as much. Oh my......did I mention that Paul was here to experience this? I am pretty sure he thinks we are crazy. Well, he says we are all "high-spirited".

Isn't that a nice way of putting it?




I think this was later that evening. Dad likes to buy the gradkids Colts attire to wear when they are over. Adam really really digs it and insists on wearing a pair of pajamas that are a couple of sizes too small when he sleeps there.

I will post more pictures of that event later.
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The next day Amie and I went to a PiYo workshop at the gym which was very very cool. It is a class that combines pilates, yoga and strength training. I am excited about teaching it and doing something fairly new.

Then I joined the boys up at our friends house for "dirt bike day". Seth said that Adam probably road 500 laps around the trail that day. The kid will ride that little 4wheeler for hours and hours!

Caleb got some time in to ride too.

They looked so darn big on it this time! Both of them have grown so fast in the last year or so.



The house is up on a mountain and has breathtaking views off the porch. It is just a wonderful place to be. AND, I think for the first time ever (counting the little gal in Kirsten's belly) there were as many kids there as dogs. We are finally not the only ones with kids! YAY!


Oh yeah, and Leslie got to come take some of my classes at the gym. I got a couple of country music aerobics cds and so we had a country themed class one morning. I know what you are thinking....how corny, right? yeah, but step aerobics is pretty corny in itself. I have fully embraced that. It is a pretty fun way to get a good workout in!

Here we are after class: