Sweet Life in the City

Well we are home. We got back Thursday night and then Jeremy got back Saturday night. He had a wonderful time and wants us all to go back next summer for a few weeks. Well we still do not have internet at our house so I am at a friends house and using her wireless for a few minutes. The kids are doing great. They are still recovering from the trip and being away from home. Well I will write more on Friday. Here are a few pictures of the kids from the last few days.

We are heading back to TN today. It was really nice being home for a few days. I cannot remember the last time I was home when it was not a holiday. We are leaving in a few hours and then we are stopping in Sesser , IL to get the kids pictures taken by Jessica Hollis Photography. She takes amazing pictures and I am very excited for her to take the kids pictures. I am a little nervous since we will be traveling 4 hours before we get to her. I am also not sure what Chloe will do. She still is my smiley little girl but she has been making these weird faces when I am trying to take her picture. I think she is trying to say cheese and it just looks like she is mad or something. Jessica took our wedding pictures 9 years ago and I think it is neat my kids will have their pictures made by her too. Anyway, the kids have been really good this week. They all slept good every night and have played well together. Sam is not quite ready to go home. He said this morning, "Mom I am not excited a...

We are still having a great time here in Illinois. Monday night my mom and I went shopping for a few hours. Tuesday I worked until noon and then came back to my parent's house and put the girls down for a nap. Last night we went shopping again and we went to my favorite pizza place, Monical's Pizza. There is not a Monicals near our house so we love going there when we are home. Today I worked until about 1:30 and then came home and got the kids a bath and the girls are taking a nice nap. Tonight we are having a little birthday party for Chloe with my parents (her birthday is July 8 th ) and then we have church tonight. Here are a few more pictures from yesterday and today. The pictures of them outside were taken in my parent's neighbors yard. We took the kids over to the neighbors house so she could see the kids and her backyard was just beautiful. The other pictures are from today at work.

Well we are in Illinois. We arrived last night around 9:30. We had a really great trip. I think I mentioned that my nephew Kraig came with us and he was such a big help on the trip. The kids were up late last night but slept pretty good once we went to sleep. Chloe woke up at 6:45 and then we all got up and went to work at my dad's business. Those of you that know my parents can just skip over this but for those who do not know my dad owns his own business called Douglas Net Company. He bought the company when I was a little girl and we grew up working in the factory. They make fish nets and many other products (check out www. douglasnets .com if you want to know more). My siblings and I worked there every summer but I have not worked there since I have been married. My dad is swamped right now with business (which is really good) and I need a little extra cash, so I worked today and the kids came up there with me. The kids played in empty boxes most of the morning while I worked....

Well there is not much going on here today. I went to Curves this morning and now I am trying to finish up getting packed for our trip to Illinois and get the house cleaned. It is really hot here today so we are keeping the kids inside today. Jeremy and I are going on a date tonight so that will be fun. We are going to see the movie "The Proposal" that comes out tonight and get something to eat. Janna is coming to watch the kids. The kids are getting excited about our trip to Grandma's house. Sam and Emma keep putting toys in their backpacks thinking they are taking all that stuff on the trip. I have to keep sneaking the things out of their bags. Sam is starting to play cowboy again and he wanted me to video him telling a cowboy story. It is so funny to hear him say "howdy ya'll ". Emma is doing better on potty training. She does so much better when we keep a pull-up on her. If we put underwear on her she has more accidents, but she is staring to get the han...

http://youtube.com/v/eoE6CZHJJeE

Yesterday was a pretty busy day and I did not get much done around the house. Yesterday morning I went to Curves and then went to the store for a few things. After I got home we took the van in to get serviced. We got home and the girls got a nap and then we went back to pick up the van. I was panning on coming back home before church but our power went out and so it was pretty hot in the house. We ended up going to church so Jeremy could work on some stuff and then we went to eat at our favorite Mexican restaurant. We went back to church and had church and then the excitement began. It was really cloudy and rained on and off during church but not a big deal. We (the youth group) meet in the basement of the parsonage so when we were done I headed up to the church to get the kids. I am at the door and my friend comes running up to me telling me that a tornado has been spotted in the area and we need to head to the basement. As I stated yesterday, I am TERRIFIED of storms but thankfully ...

We had a pretty eventful day. I got to sleep in this morning and it felt WONDERFUL. After I got up I started cleaning the house and getting the laundry done. Unfortunately it does not look like I did anything to the house. After lunch and the girls nap we decided to go to the zoo for a few hours. We have not been in awhile so we thought it would be a nice treat for the kids. We were almost to the zoo when a warning went off on the radio saying that a severe thunderstorm was issued for the counties around our house. I did not think much of it until I realized that Molly was outside on her tie out. We got to the zoo and we walked around and the animals were quite active. We were there about 30 minutes when we heard someone say something about a tornado warning being issued. A few minutes later the tornado sirens started going off. OK so I am TERRIFIED of storms. I try to stay calm but my insides just start to freak out. We headed for the exit and when we got to the parking lot the sky l...

We had a pretty good day. The kids slept until about 7:30 and probably would have slept longer if my dear Sam had not wet the bed. Jeremy and I are taking turns sleeping in this week so today was his day to sleep in and tomorrow is my day (Yea!) I planned on getting all the towels and blankets washed from the trip but I had to get the sheets cleaned first. After Jeremy got up we all got ready and went up to Vandy to visit Papaw Stacks. He is not really our papaw but they are a very dear couple that has been great friends with Jeremy's family since he was a little boy. He and Mamaw are very dear to us and our kids. Papaw fell and broke his hip a few days ago and had surgery yesterday. Because of his age and health they were not sure how the surgery would go but he did really good. He grinned from ear to ear when he heard Samuel in his room today. Sam and Emma made him a card last night and they were so proud to give it to him. After the hospital visit we went to eat lunch and then...

I know that we all celebrate Mother's day in May every year, but when June 14 th rolls around I feel like it is really Mother's Day. Four years ago today Jeremy and I boarded an airplane to Detroit and we were handed the most precious gift we had ever been given. The impossible was made possible, we were parents. The joy that filled our hearts four years ago has only grown more and more as we watch our Samuel grow into a little boy. Samuel has changed so many lives in just the few years we have known him and I believe that he will continue to change the lives of those around him. Most of you that read my blog have the privilege to know Samuel and so you already know the things I am about to say and I am sure you agree. Samuel is a very special boy. He is definitely a boy and so he has his moments of disobedience, but most of the time he is very sweet. Sam is kind and tenderhearted. He looks out for those around him and he is very aware of those who need help. To know him is t...

For our first night home after a long week the kids actually did great. Chloe was a little difficult to get to sleep but Sam and Emma went right to their beds. I heard Emma crying at about 2:30 and she was standing in the living room. I think she was really confused about where she was. I got her a little drink and then out her back in the bed and she fell back asleep. I went in to check on Chloe and she had flopped to the end of the bed so I put her back on her pillow and covered her up. The girls have been waking up at 6:15 every morning while we were gone but they slept until 7:40 this morning. They have eaten breakfast and are now playing with their toys. Jeremy is not feeling well so I am letting him sleep and then I think I am going to exercise. Tomorrow is Sam's 4 th Gotcha Day so I think I am going to get a cake for him. We have Homecoming at church tomorrow and then the teens are getting together tomorrow afternoon.  Well here is a little more about our trip last week. We...

We are all finally home! We had a great week but I was ready to see the girls. We did so much this past week and I will share more tomorrow and maybe post some pictures. Sam did so great this week. I thought for sure he would be in complete meltdown mode by the end of the week but he was still a trooper today. The girls also did good at Gran and Papa's house and they were very excited to see us this evening. Emma is just talking up a storm and she seems to have grown up so much this week. We are all VERY happy to be home. We got home about 6:00 and then Chloe and I ran to the grocery store. I have a mound of dirty clothes and I am not looking forward to putting everything away. Well check back tomorrow for pictures and more information from our week.

I know, I know, I said I was not going to post but I had to share a funny story about Sam. We just got home a few minutes ago from running a few errands and getting our car washed by our youth group. We got home and Emma was still dry from all our errands so I put her right on the potty when we got home. Chloe was needing help with something so I stepped out of the bathroom for a minute. When Emma goes potty she gets an M&M and she gets 2-3 M&M's if she poopies in the potty (sorry for the gross wording). Well Sam was in the bathroom with Emma and I heard him saying this to Emma after she went potty," Great job Emma. Now you get an M&M. But you know what, if you have diahria you get FIVE M&M's." That boy cracks me up!

I know I said I was not going to blog anymore but I have had some people ask me about how Molly is doing so I thought I would post these pictures and give a quick update. Molly is still the main attraction around our house. The kids just squeal with delight when she is around. I thought I would have a hard time keeping Molly an outside dog but I have done really good about keeping her outside. We have a long tie out for her outside under some trees and she is very content out there. We bring her inside before bedtime to play with her and then she sleeps in the garage. We are still looking into and pricing fences and things like that but for now the arrangement is working. I took her to the vet yesterday and she already weighs about 15 pounds, so she is going to be pretty big. She is a really sweet dog and Sam has taken on the responsibility of getting her food and water. 

So I do not have a lot of pictures today. This picture was taken on Wednesday after we got done eating. I just got back from Curves a few minutes ago and thought I would blog a few minutes and then finish getting packed. I thought I would give a quick update on the kids. Samuel- Sam is my big helper these days. He helps me vacuum and load the dishwasher. He helps me with the laundry and he helps me water the plants. He is becoming such a little man and is getting so excited about starting school. He plays really well with his sisters and he is just a sweetheart. He is such an encourager. He still loves to play with all his trains and he still loves to write and draw. We are still having some trouble with him sleeping all night in his bed but it is getting a little better.  A few funny stories about Sam. Sunday at church there was a little boy who just turned 2 so he was going to Emma's Sunday school class for the first time. His dad dropped him off and the little boy was just screa...

Yesterday was a really nice day. Yesterday morning I went to the chiropractor for an adjustment, we went to the local pizza place for lunch, I went to get an amazing massage, and the we had youth group last night, so it was a great day. I am a little sore from the chiropractor and massage. I have been having some problems with my hip for a few months now. It has been hurting from my hip and all the way down my left leg. Well it is Bursitis. I thought the chiropractor was trying to kill me when he was working out the muscles in my leg. He showed me some stretches and I am supposed to just rub my leg as hard as I can to loosen it up. Well I need to go. I have to take Molly to the vet for some more shots and then I am going to go exercise. I then need to get back and clean and pack. Well I will write more about the kids tomorrow and what they are up to these days tomorrow. Have a great day. 

It has been a pretty busy morning. The kids slept until about 8:00 so that was nice. Jeremy cooked some eggs and bacon and then I went to Curves. After Curves I had to go to the post office and mail some shoes to my sister that she had left at my house. I also made a quick stop at Good Will. I was looking for some work clothes for our trip next week but I could not find any. It is hard to find petite pants at Good Will. I then went to Wal -Mart because I forgot something yesterday when I was there. Sam and I went yesterday to the store and we bought some flowers that we planted yesterday. It was so hot outside but it feels nice to work outside. The girls are taking a nap and we are planning on going swimming when they wake up. It started raining a little just a few minutes ago but we are hoping it is just a short shower passing through. Jeremy and Sam are leaving this afternoon to go to camp for the evening. Tomorrow is our 9 th wedding anniversary and Jeremy has planned a very relaxi...

Sam and Emma from the pool party, and yes that is a pig in the picture behind Sam. The family had a trained pig that stays in their house.

We had a wonderful weekend with my sister and niece. Friday we went shopping and then had so much fun with my brother and and his family. My nephews are getting so old. It is hard to believe that Kaleb will be a senior this year. Saturday Kristy and I took Sam and Isabel to see the movie UP and it was so cute. I was not expecting it to be such a great movie. After the movie we went to a girl in our youth group's house for a pool party. The pool was kinda cold so the girls did not want to get in the water. My sister left yesterday, we had church and then we had a fellowship night and pie and cake auction last night at church. We had the auction to help raise money for the kids to go to the Nationals this summer. We actually raised the full amount which was a little over $2,000. The evening ended with a pie in Jeremy's face to the highest bidder. Several people pooled their money and let Sam bid on throwing the pie. He was so funny! Well Sam won the bid and got to throw the pie i...