Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Day Trip & Birthday Party

Brian had a meeting in Knoxville today so we went with him.  We also stopped in Pigeon Forge for a little while at The Apple Barn.

 Tonight at Lifegroup, we had a 40th birthday surprise party for my friend Wendy. The men met somewhere else tonight, so we had all of our usual girls and several other women from church too.
 She was really surprised!




Happy Birthday Wendy!

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Lots Of Fun!

Yesterday was Memorial Day, and we had a great day just hanging out at home.  In the evening, we went out to practice tennis for a while.




 Then we went to Megan and Tyler's house to eat ice cream!
 These three were very interested in a movie.
 Today, we went to play with Rachael, Riley, & Ethan at their house.  I didn't get any pictures of the trampoline, but the kids loved it! Then we all went to McDonald's for lunch.
 The kids and I made a stop at Barnes and Noble on the way home.
 They never miss an opportunity to perform.


 They were still performing tonight before bed.  It was an interesting production of Beauty and the Beast.

Parker's artistic interpretation of the Beast.
The wedding scene
 Fun times!!!

Monday, May 28, 2012

I'm About To Break Your Heart

I really don't want to be the bearer of bad news...but you have a right to know the truth.

House Hunters is one of my favorite shows EVER! I love seeing the different houses in different parts of the country.  It's very interesting to compare prices and see what you get for the money in different states and cities.  The different styles of homes and decor also pull me in.  And we can't forget the thrill of guessing which house they will choose.  Of course, the predicting is followed by congratulating myself for my obvious intuitive wisdom or yelling at the people that they are making a horrible choice that they will regret for years to come! Why can't they see that I know what's best for them???

House Hunters is actually kind of a thorn in Brian's side because it's set to record on the DVR.  Since it's on HGTV so often (approximately 27 times a day), it really does seem like it's always recording.  He gets frustrated because it's always on! I really think he secretly kind of likes it though because he watches it with me sometimes and plays right along.  Of course, he still acts all irritated when it comes on to protect his tough guy image.  So for years, I've been innocently watching, predicting, congratulating, and yelling.  Then, I came across this...

The Truth About House Hunters

WARNING: Do not click that link unless you are prepared to handle what's on the other side.  If you click and read, there will be no turning back.  Don't say I didn't warn you!

I'm sorry.  So very sorry.

(I still watch it.  Pretty much every night. With Brian aka Mr. Tough Guy.)

Sunday, May 27, 2012

More Swimming!

The kids went swimming at the country club today.  They love those diving boards!






Saturday, May 26, 2012

Lazy Days Of Summer

We've been swimming all day yesterday and today.  I mostly just have pictures of lunch and Lucy Cate though!






Claire also drew some mighty fine pictures on the driveway!



Randomness

1. Claire just pulled another tooth.  I'm convinced that she pulls her teeth just to get money.  Soon, she will have no teeth left in her mouth.  Also, the tooth fairy is going broke.

2. I discovered that is not a good idea to watch Food Network while walking on the treadmill.

3. So I watched Melissa and Tye instead.  Do you remember Melissa Rycroft from The Bachelor, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, and Dancing With The Stars? She's really cute.  Anyway, it wasn't a great idea either because I was crying for the last ten minutes when her daughter was sick. The crying affected my breathing which turned out to be bad treadmill activity as well.

4. I am about to give The Hunger Games another try.  I'll let you know how that goes.

5. Brian finally (bless his heart) got our new mulch put down today.  It was blazin' hot outside, but he persevered.  It looks so much better, and our neighbors are very grateful The Washington County Hillbillies have straightened things up a bit.

6. So far, summer vacation is a big hit around here.  Especially with me.  Nothing has really been cleaned or organized yet, but that swimming pool sure is fun!



Friday, May 25, 2012

A Trial Run

Brian made his winning Pioneer Woman recipe for family the other night.  I forgot (AGAIN) to take a picture of it.  It was so delicious though.  We made s'mores again for dessert.  

Colin & Kayla

The Brianaby Himself

Claire roasting her marshmallow
(Max looking for crumbs)

Tackling Colin

Coming up with a game plan with Chad

Girl Talk

Lisa & Kayla


Dollywood

On our first day of summer, we went to Dollywood! 

Claire and I rode the shooting star!

Lucy Cate's first trip to Dollywood and first ride!


Claire and Aunt Brenda on the BIG swings

Nana and her friend Charlotte

Megan and Parker







SOAKED!

 I love her little hand and face in this picture!