The news is good!

We went to my appointment and sat in the waiting room where I am sure everyone could hear Joey and my hearts beating out of our chest. They brought us back in the ultrasound room where I proceeded to start crying before we even got started. I had held it together pretty well up until then. It was fear. As I lay back on the table I just took a deep breath and reminded myself that things are what they are and we have to accept what happens to us. It was Matthews birthday so I had to keep it together for him, no matter what. As soon as the woman started the ultrasound, my very first view, I could see that the sac no longer looked empty. She and the Doctor commented on my "flipped" uterus and how it made for a really hard ultrasound. She pushed on my stomach which was uncomfortable and made me kinda nervous. She said she definitely saw a yoke sac and then finally........ a little fetal pole. The boys just stood there looking confused and Joey looked slightly relieved. She asked me to take a deep breath and hold it and..... swoosh, swoosh, swoosh. Every ones face lit up as they realized it was indeed our babies heart beating. It was 119 bpm, which they said was fine for a first trimester baby. You know in the back of my mind I was worried it was me and not the baby. I guess the doctor could tell because he came right over and took my pulse. "It's definitely not you" he said. When I asked if he felt like things were okay he said he was very optimistic, but that we should be careful and check again in a week or two. We went to Chuck E Cheese's to celebrate Matthew's birthday and then came home to eat his M&M Carvel cake he had picked out. I have been so sick I haven't been cooking much less baking. The next day I woke up feeling horrible. Our landlord came by because our water had failed the water test and had a very small amount of coliform bacteria in it. I have been drinking and cooking with the water. Nerves shot again. We have to use bottled water even to brush our teeth until Tuesday when they can fix it. I felt like I was going to throw up with them standing right there. I was so glad when they left. When I went to the bathroom realized I had started spotting a little. I immediately went to bed for two hours and didn't get up until I could no longer wait to pee. I felt so sick. I'm sure the nerves were making it worse, but by late afternoon I was wishing to go to the hospital. I have to be REALLY sick to want that. You know when your sick and you get an IV and it just makes you feel so much better. I felt like I needed that. I have been trying to keep up with my fluids but I am not good with that. I am pretty sure the spotting was from having the ultrasound and it has tapered off since then. It was so nice having Joey here with me this weekend. He brought me food and kept me hydrated. I can not imagine what someone would do if they were working and felt this way. I am so lucky to have Max home with me too. He has been such a big help, taking the dog out, making food for his brother and checking on me. He will be such a big help with the baby. Joey and I in a joint effort made potato soup this weekend. It was the best batch in as long as I can remember. It was just what I needed. So the house, laundry, school work, and everything else will have to wait for now until I am feeling better. I am so glad that our life is what it is and all of that can wait.

So we're hangin' in

Well we've made it through the weekend. No cramping or spotting, just nauseated and peeing a ton. Too much, I believe. The nurse said that I don't have a UTI. I do. I have been thinking about my appointment last week and there are a few things that are really bothering me. I refused all of the fetal tests and the HIV test. I had one years ago and I don't need another. There is this sonogram that they do around 11/13 weeks to test for Downs Syndrome.. The lady at the front desk seemed floored when I said that I wasn't interested in having it done. She said she "strongly" suggested that I have it done so I could make my decision from there. I looked her right in the face and said "What decision would that be?" She stumbled.......bad. Her reply......."Oh you know, what would be best." I just shook my head. What is wrong with some people?? Would she walk up to a sweet child with Downs and tell them that it is a shame they are alive? I want a baby. Another child to love and teach, and for our family to enjoy. For her to suggest I would only want what she thinks would be a "perfect" child really pissed me off. Maybe a baby with Downs would be perfect for us. Maybe we would be perfect for it. No one leaves comments anymore so don't go and leave me a comment now about someone you know who has a child with Downs and how hard it is. Ask them, they wouldn't trade their child in. Any who.......
I have never been as sick feeling with any of my other pregnancies. I have always been tired and a little nauseated, but when I get up in the night or first thing in the morning I feel pretty bad. Happy to feel bad, but still bad. I haven't gotten barely anything done here. I am spending most of the day on the bed with the kids. Yesterday I made a big roast, we had a roaring fire, Christmas music on, and we were going to decorate the tree. COCO had thrown up in the morning and seemed to get worse as the day went on. While we were doing the tree she threw up blood. That made me really nervous so we looked up an animal hospital in the area. Joey took her and the kids and I stayed home with the fire and the roast in the oven. I felt like I would stress too much going too. I don't need to stress right now. They did x-rays and said they didn't know what it was. The Vet gave her three meds and Joey a bill for $395. Thanks. She offered to keep her overnight for $1,000. She also gave her fluids in her back instead of through an IV. New to me. Joey brought her home and she has been laying on the bad with me just resting. I have given her syringes of water, a few saltines, and her meds. She seems to be doing okay She is so little (6lbs) and I get nervous easy with her. It's like when your kids are little and get sick, you worry more than when they get older. Seems like they can handle more the bigger they are. I am in need of a shower and am going to try and get something done today. Wish it was Thursday already.

Oh well

So I'm not supposed to do this. I don't care, I need to. I think my blog these days is for me mostly anyway so I need to get it out. I am pregnant again and I am so scared. I know after last time I should wait until I am in my second trimester before I say anything to anyone. I found out about two and a half weeks ago when we were staying in the hotel. I didn't help Joey with moving anything for fear that something may go wrong. I spotted for four long days. Not bad and I have been hoping it was just implantation bleeding. As soon as I found out I went and got progesterone cream in hopes that I could keep my level higher than last time. When I had the miscarriage my progesterone level was 6.5. That's bad. I went Monday for my blood work it was 12.7. That is supposed to be high enough. We'll see. I saw the doctor today and had an ultra sound. There was a very obvious sac there, but it didn't look like much in it. He said it may just be too early and to come back in a week. Sound familiar?? Yes, that's what they said last time. I miscarried two days later. I am trying to stay positive, but it is sooo hard. I want this baby bad, I need it. I see babies and I feel like I am suffocating. I felt better about things this time, I had more hope for some reason. After the sonogram I felt like this wasn't even real. I almost felt kinda nutty. Like my mind and body were saying, "wait a minute, I can't handle this". I know I can handle anything, I did before, but I don't want to. Things may end up being okay next week. I so want them to be. I am nauseated and tired and the doctor said that I am also slightly dehydrated. The next week is going to be so hard and long. I am just going to take good care of myself and rest. My next appointment is Thursday, Matthews birthday. Maybe I will celebrate one of my children's birthdays and celebrate that I will be having another one. To anyone that happens to read this please do what ever it is that you do: pray, send positive energy, cross your fingers,anything...... for our health and strength.

Maine

Our visit to Maine was great. We didn't get there until 5am Thanksgiving morning, but we were so excited to see everyone it was worth it. My sister made a wonderful meal and pumpkin pies that were absolutely delicious. I was tired, but my heart was truly thankful for so much.

On Friday we went to visit my cousin Kari and her husband Aaron. We grew up together, but have not seen each other in years. Our kids played together like they had known each other for ever. It was so good to see her and meet her kids.

Matthew, Max, Eli, Laney, and Mia

Next we went to visit my friend from high school Ali and her husband Aaron. We went to the LL Bean outlet store and to one of my favorite old school stores, Mexicali Blues, in the old port. I needed to find new boots for the boys at Beans and a new scarf for me at Mexicali. Within 30 seconds of walking through the door of Beans we realized that Matthew and Mady could be trouble together. After that we went back to Ali's were she had delicious white chicken chili in the crock pot waiting and fresh baked beer bread.

Mady, Matthew, and Max

Sam, Gabe, Will, Madison, Max, Isabella, and Matthew.Rosie, Auggie, and CoCo in the front row. Mad is so mature and handsome. Will is handsome and seriously funny. Sam was a little boy the last time I saw him and now he towers over me and is so smart. Bella is so pretty and girlie. Gabe and Matthew were busy, very busy.

My sister and I laughed a ton and as usual my favorite times with my sister were hanging out on her bed chatting and when we actually got to spend some time alone shopping.

This is the real us, my favorite us.

My sister is great!

Finally!!

We are in our new house, surrounded by boxes, and so happy to be. This move has been so stressful, but as always we made it through and are only stronger because of it. Joey moved the last of our things in last night (we have way too much stuff!!) and we returned the u-haul at midnight. Poor guy, he has taken this whole thing like a champ. He is tired and sore and has just kept going. I have been under the weather and not much of a help. My mission right now is not to unpack, but to find a way to pack out of all the boxes. We are leaving tomorrow to go to my sisters in Maine for the holiday weekend. I am so excited to see her and her family! I have a few other family members and close friends I want to visit, but not a whole lot of time. We are all tired but I think this little trip, as long as we don't hit major traffic, will be a good little break for us. Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Thankful......

In a hotel with clean water that welcomes my dog
I am clean
My kids are clean
Mini coffee maker to make soothing tea
Mini lincoln logs
Books
Free wifi
I bring crafts everywhere with me
A Whole Foods down the street to get Dinner and something to ease my chest discomfort
Knowing that on Saturday we will have a (not old and charming, but new/safe/clean) house to move into
Grateful that we homeschool and we can learn everywhere and anywhere
I will hopefully see my beautiful sister and her family next week
My boys are funny and sweet
My husband is handling everything that I can't/don't want to

I have to say it

Ready for this one???? We are moving again. Yes, that's right....... again. This STINKS!!!!!!!!! We had terrible movers (ripped couch, broken bed, broken other things, ruined furniture, ruined food, and sooo much more) who won't return our phone calls or emails. We are living among boxes and have dirty water, no not just dirty, bad bacteria. We actually had no water at one point. We spent 3 hours and $23 at the laundry mat today. The lady who owns the house that we were going to live in is now pissy. PISSY????? Dirty water - small children....Pissy?? I am about to loose my mind. We found a new house to rent today and hopefully will be able to move in this week. She has decided she doesn't even want us to stay here until we can move so we will be heading to a hotel for the next few days. Hotels are real inexpensive huh??? Especially when you need a refrigerator and microwave and have a dog. We have one vehicle so the boys and I will have to stay in the room the entire day while Joey is at work. On the plus side...... I can finally give my kids showers instead of sponge baths with gallons of spring water and they won't have to ask if it's okay to flush or wash their hands. We will do school stuff and go for walks in the parking lot. Awesome! I know I'm complaining, but I have totally had it. Between the job loss, miscarriage, being in separate states for over a month, horrible movers and trying to live like this, I am emotionally spent. Dishes with no water...... sucks. We have had to buy so many jugs of water in the past week. It's almost 2:30 and I can't relax enough to go to sleep. My chest has been bothering me for the last month or so and we don't have health insurance yet so I just try to slow down and not get to hot. It doesn't feel like asthma, I'm not sure what it is. It would be so nice if we had friends in this state. I've got to find some peace soon.

So we are in New Jersey.......

I honestly don't even want to post about our move right now because it hasn't gone smoothly to say the very least. So we have moved, but I will wait to post about it until I have something better to say. Lets just talk about something else .........................
My sister and I have agreed we would like to do a handmade Christmas this year for each others families. We are going to swap gifts at Thanksgiving to avoid having to ship them. I have started a few fun projects but I am very behind. I can't share because my sister obviously would see, but I will share pictures after Thanksgiving. I am so ready to be settled and get to work on them again. I also want to get the boys school work started back up and get back in the kitchen. I haven't been cooking and I am feeling major withdrawals. I guess right now the thing I want the most in sleep and something clean. Anything........myself, the boys, clothes, water, house..... anything.

Breathing.......

I am feeling sad lately. There seems to be lots of baby talk and new babies around me. I know there is nothing I can do to bring the baby back and all that stuff, but I can't shake the quiet emptiness. Most of the time I am okay. Other times I get the lump in my throat that I have to smile and act "normal" around. Sometimes I just cry. I can't help but think of how big we would both be at this point and the plans that I had for us that will never be. I know.... I can have another baby, but it doesn't take away the hurt. Nothing does and I guess it never will. I will have a house update soon. We did get the one I talked about and the movers will be here in two days. It's a big beautiful house. We are so happy to have finally found our "home".

Waiting.......

This is the house....no. This is the house.....no. This one is definitely the house.......um no. I love being at home. My home is truly where my heart is. I stay home sometimes for a week or two at a time and it doesn't bother me a bit. Then I go to the grocery store. Yes, people make comments and tell me I need to get out more. I'm fine. So, finding the right house is so important to me. We have been through so many and we may be done, but I hate to say anything yet. The taxes on the farm house were 12k a year......thinking?? Yes, that would be $1,000 a month added to your house payment. So we decided against it. There are a few things that I want in a house: wood stove/wood burning fireplace (for heating), yard to play in and have a garden, a clothesline, and a decent size kitchen. I spend so much time in the kitchen so I need space to cook and store everything. The fewer bathrooms the better. I don't like cleaning bathrooms. That all said I obviously don't like moving. It turns my everything totally upside down. We have moved three times in 6 years. Each time it has been for a job improvement for Joey and I have had beautiful brand new houses, but seriously........it screws with me bad. We need to wait until our house sells to buy another so my ideal situation is to rent a house that we could buy when ours sells. One move. It may not work out that way with this house we are looking at right now. It's so great that I decided that I would just cherish the time we could live in it. We hope to know tomorrow. This is our house in Georgia. Don't you want to buy it?? Someone you know that wants to move to Georgia???

I am still alive

So the packing continues, but the house hunting has halted. As soon as I laid eyes on a renovated 100 year old farm house, I didn't want to see anything else. It's just beautiful. About an acre of land complete with garden, clothes line, huge chestnut tree, and lots of room to run. The important things have been updated and rest has been left alone. I could sit and dream about the house and the life we would have there for hours. The house is for sale so we are trying to convince the owners to rent to us until our house sells. They've just got to. It's perfect. Joey is home for the weekend and my parents are also coming. Baseball tournaments start this weekend for both boys. Max turned 11 on the thirteenth so we will invite a few friends over to celebrate. Sometimes I can't believe I have been a mother for so long, a third of my life. I just love it. I was scared by the thought of being pregnant after the miscarriage, but now I ......... well I'm not scared any more. I want more babies someday. I guess it's meant for each of my kids to be 6 years apart. Only time will tell. Our CSA started back up this week after a few weeks break to plant for the winter season. I love having all of the fresh veggies to choose from and the giggles from the boys as they scurry away with what they have swiped from the counter. I will miss the winter growing season when we finally move back up north. I am going to can as much as possible to stretch or fresh vegetables into the winter. Other than that I can't wait to bask in the beauty of having four wonderfully distinct seasons. I am going to take those thoughts with me back to the boxes. It will be so nice on the flip side.

Patience

Part of Joeys going away meal. He is getting used to New Jersey and I am packing and trying to get things ready for the boys and I to go also. There are so many wonderful old farm houses there but they are all just a little to far away from Joeys work. I have to keep reminding myself that we are only renting until our house sells and we find the "perfect" house there. Patience and hope....... and and the bright side...... It'll all work out, it always does.

This week

Night games in jackets watching our favorite pitcher. One of the many characters that comes to visit us daily.
Park dates with friends.
Decorating cookies that we promptly threw away after the boys went to bed.
And some more canning to round out the week.

Boxes and boxes, and more boxes being filled which isn't much fun,

but a wonderful opportunity to continue my quest to simplify.

Moon & Celebrity

So you'll notice the moon on the sidebar. My sister and I are greatly influenced by the cycles of the moon. Our dreams, among other things, tend to be wild during the full moon. We were chatting about these little moon cycles people have on their blogs, so I decided to find one. My name, Cynthia also means goddess of the moon. Enjoy!


And the celebrity look alike at the bottom was something I found, I think, on Jen's blog www.mimimitchell@blogspot.com . She's funny. So I went to look but I didn't see the post on her blog....... maybe I missed it. I saw it around the time I had the miscarriage, but I may have been looking at older posts. Anyway, I was bored at the time and tried it. Don't Google the girl I look 96% like unless you are looking to get an eye full.

Weekend Doings

Some beauty from our walk in the woods at dusk, full of exploring and laughs.
Mixed up some of my favorite tea.
De-beaning as we call it.
Sunday night canning.

Dilled beans and veggie pickles.

We will do more pickles this week.

Three baseball games, baseball pictures, and packing......lots of packing.

Philly

Ships
Phillies Stadium
Eagles Stadium
Flyers Arena
Flying through the Philly airport.

Boys and Baseball

Finally to the age division where you can play CATCHER!!! He's perfected his stance over the past year.
Determined.
And the game ball goes to.........yeah baby....... Matthew!!!!!!
Matthew and Coach Daddy

Still Waiting.............

Completely in limbo. We have begun packing and getting moving quotes and all that crap...ooops I mean important details. We still don't have the written offer, it is being signed off on at corporate. I have mass amounts of green beans from our CSA basket this week (and okra) that we are going to can tomorrow in an attempt to do something fun. It is a good thing the boys have baseball or we wouldn't have any idea of the day or date. We don't wear watches or eat at meal times any more. I kind of like living life on our own time. I have been reading a lot in between packing and online house hunting this week. Staying up way to late to get to the end of the books, or falling asleep with them on my lap and picking them right back up as soon as I open my eyes in the morning. I have been feeling really sad about the baby and find it helps to have my mind constantly engaged in something other than my thoughts. The weather has been cooler the past few days and it is so refreshing. Maybe we will know tomorrow, maybe not. At least we'll have yummie food!

Still Foggie (yes it's y, I know!)

No go for the local job.......... so packing it is. The local guy felt Joey was over qualified and found someone less qualified and willing to work for 20k less a year. The NJ company let him know that they finished drawing up the offer today and we will receive it in the next few days. I just keep reminding myself of how beautiful it will be to have a white Christmas again when I think of packing and being on my own with the kids for a month or two. I have been lucky, very lucky. I have lived in three new homes since we got married. We lived in one when we got married, built one a year later (job move) and then bought the one we live in now , new, two and a half years ago. We won't be living somewhere new in Jersey. I am OK with older, I am not OK with dirty. Snobbish spoiled brat........ I know, I know. Ugh I suck. I just can't put my little in a dirty tubbie. I have a very clean kitchen sink ( yes people have commented on it) and I like it. Maybe an old house with a new sink and bathtub???? We can't turn the job down unless the offer is real bad because it's an offer and a great company. Joey said he would like the job and that is important. But go to www.bestplaces.net and compare the town you live in with some towns in New Jersey on the cost of living comparison page. The housing is 121% more expensive there than here and 47% more expensive over all. That scares me. I want to live simply and debt free and I just don't see that happening there. I am going to do some searching in Pennsylvania. That excites me, being close to Amish country. We have a lot of thinking and figuring to do in the next few days. We have started getting the house ready for the realtor to come by and getting things together that can be packed now. I have the overwhelming urge to get rid of tons of stuff. I just might do it. Simple is so good.

Waiting............

So we found a cute town and some nice neighborhoods, finally. We also found an apartment that we would really like. Are you ready????? 2,300 a month. Yes that's right, $2,300. We all felt terrible the whole trip and were sick. We eat all natural food - mostly organic, use all natural cleaning products, and all natural body care products. Sometimes you don't realize the difference it makes until you go away and have to eat out and use hotel products ( I don't fly often and didn't know about the 3oz. or smaller in your carry on rule - I hate to waste and when I had to throw my things away at the security gate, I wanted to cry!) Flying and lots of driving is not typical for us. We all felt so toxic. I couldn't wait to get home and cook for my family. So Joey will have a written offer from that company tomorrow, but we are hoping for an offer from the company here that he interviewed with last week. If Joey takes the job in New Jersey I will stay here with the kids to get everything packed and put the house on the market. That will not be any fun and I would much rather be playing and learning with my kids. Yes, and cooking and sewing. We were learning about boats last week. We read about different types of boats, what they are made of and how they move. Things that sink or float and why. Matthew was very interested in steam powered boats so we spent extra time looking at them and then made noodles for lunch so we could make our own steam. When we drove through Philly there we so many large boats and I got some pictures. I love when things like that happen, unexpectedly. I had to down half a bottle of wine in the parking lot before we flew home to calm my nerves some because the remedy that I took just wasn't cutting it. Have you ever had a child have to poop on the airplane??? Yeah two people just don't fit. Wiping your child and trying to not knock them into the toilet is rough. This all seems very random and not put together well so I should probably get some sleep and try again tomorrow. I hope I have good news to share on the job front.

Trying to be Positive

The company that Joey interviewed with last Friday called Monday morning and asked if our family would fly to New Jersey Tuesday morning to see the area. So here I am in New Jersey fighting the urge to flee to Maine to see my sister. I could be there by late afternoon just in time for tea. The area is not pretty at all, I mean not one bit. It is so expensive. If I picked my house up and brought it here it would be worth at least 400,000. No joke. We are trying to keep open minds and will look closer to the coast today where it may be visually more pleasing. I wish we were really excited about at least one of our options. I'll let you know.

Oh the Weekend........

Friday: Picked up Daddy at the airport
Saturday: Baseball........twice. Yes, four hours in the blazing sun. They love it, so I love watching them.
Dinner at our friends beautiful home.
Scrrrrrrreeeeetching halt....... ER visit. The boys were in their sons room jumping on the bed (we didn't know they were) when we heard a VERY loud thump. You know that scream that you will hopefully only hear a few times in your childs life when you know that something is very wrong??? If followed the thump. It was Matthew. My heart stopped briefly. I kicked off my flip flops and went running. He was coming down the hall towards me in the dark and I scooped him up. When I got in the light I could see the blood coming from his mouth and nose. His lip was already huge and the bridge of his nose was getting wider. He held his head and said it hurt "so bad". My legs were shaking and I felt like I was going to be sick. I love him so much and can't stand to see him in pain. We couldn't get the real story at first because no one wanted to get in trouble or get anyone else in trouble. I needed to know he was OK so we went to the ER just to get checked. He had fallen off the bed onto the hard wood floor on his face. He is okay and we left with instructions to wake him up every hour to talk to him. His little face is swollen and bruised up. He is such a positive spirit and brave. Oh I just love him so much.
Sunday: Starting to get the house ready to list if we move to New Jersey. We will probably know this week. Lots of talking and gathering information to make our decision.
Now: Sleep. I didn't sleep much last night . I was so worried and I guess with everything that has happened recently.

Our Family Tree

This is our pregnancy tree. I am glad that we did this. When I was younger I was a nanny for a vegan, eco friendly couple. He is an author and speaker who was one of the founding members of Food Not Bombs and she was just an amazing woman. At the time she was a surrogate mother for a couple who could not have children of their own. She had the baby at home and afterwards I was helping wash the blood off of her legs and feet. Looking up at her I felt so sad for her. I watched her carry the baby, went to her midwife appt. with her, saw the effort she put into taking care of herself and the baby, watched her nurse the baby and then hand him to his new mother. She explained to me that having her son was the best thing that ever happened to her and that she was giving that gift to another woman . Amazingly selfless. Anyway, after we had a party and planted a tree in a large planter with the placenta. It was a beautiful closure. When I was in the middle of losing this pregnancy and we were deciding what to do I remembered that day. I decided that would be the best way for me to handle it. I know it would not be for everyone, but it is for us. I still feel kind of foggy sometimes. I am a pretty in control of situations person, I make stuff happen. Well, I am learning to be comfortable with being out of control. I would do anything to still be pregnant.......but there is nothing I can do, nothing. Things seem to be playing out in their own way for us right now and I am letting it happen. Trying to be still and step back. I feel a little conflicted because sometimes it feels negative. I can't really explain it. I guess I am still trying to find my balance. Joey is in New Jersey today at a job interview. It's 14 hours in the right direction for me. I would only be six and a half hours from my sister and that would be great. We haven't seen each other in two and a half years and that makes me so sad. I miss her and her family terribly. There is also a job in Ohio that he has looked at. Ohio would be okay too. Staying here is fine although I like new places, people and experiences. I have been able to experience many things through moving and traveling. We will see what plays out. I am open to anywhere because you never know what a new place will bring.

Some of My Favorite Things

I love owls. I was trying to take a picture of him but he was looking away. I said "Mister owl could you please look at me?" He slowly turned his head and looked right at me. Joey and the boys got a kick out of that.
These wall hangings were in the carousel building at the Chattanooga Zoo.
The arts and crafts section was my favorite at the Creative Discovery Museum. There was clay, paintings, a self portrait area, and lots more.I know it is so easy and child like but I love to do rubbings. I was doing a Celtic knot.
We didn't eat here but next time we will. There are tables in the court yard to the left. I would love to own a little place like this one day. I would have soups, stews, and chowders all day everyday. I would love to do this with my sister, she could make lots of yummy breads and muffins.

Labor Day in Chattanooga, TN

Learning to build an arch at the Creative Discovery Museum.

In places like this I like the boys to wear matching shirts so I can look for one shirt to find them.

Dr. Matthew at your service
Archaeologist Matthew
Digging Dinosaur bones.ROARRRRRR

The boys with Clifford the really Big Red Dog and Emily Elizabeth.

I know that bone has so many germs on it, but when he lifted his head up it was sooooo cute I couldn't say anything until after we took a picture.

Max loves things like this and can figure out how just about everything works. Smarty Pants and he's so handsome too.

Chattanooga Zoo

The chimps were so funny. This guy was just hangin' out.
I think these frogs are just the coolest, but they'll kill you.

Clowning around in the store where I won't spend stupid amounts of money on bad plastic toys. I started buying the boys patches a while ago from the places we visit and I am going to make them wall hangings to display them. So they got patches and they are learning it's about the experience and not the cheap toys.

He ran over to the table, grabbed the hat, and hit the floor. He said " Mummie look they have shells." I love his thoughts.

We be jammin'.

This just melts my heart. They really are buddies.

Something New for our Minds

We needed to get away and have a new recent memory for everyone. Camping is perfect...... simple, natural, and fun. I am laid back about what the kids can have when camping. They have had soda (with caffeine no less) and lots of smores late night. Good times.
My camera skills aren't great and they get worse with beer. Sorry.