Final Weekend of Summer 2012 9/16/12

We say it each year, “where does the summer go?” We love to see it come and feel relief as it begins to exit. We’ve been smack dab in the middle of these long days of extreme heat, uncounted hours of mowing, and the extra hours of the days filled with countless other to-do’s.
Taking a much needed break, we humbly captured Jackson and Abigail having some innocent moments of fun in the back yard with each other and sprinkles from the hose. Final summer weekend fun!

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Can’t believe how fast this boy is growing!

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Love this girl’s favorite thing to say, “This is the best day ever!”

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Together they made a see saw from things they found out back. They loved their new invention!

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After her nap, Isabela joined some of the fun even though she wasn’t too happy being contained by big brother as Abigail was in front “driving” the truck. Check out those long legs!

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These two are so sweet. I love watching them play together. I love it even more that they can find satisfied fun right in their backyard, rarely tiring of each other or what’s around them.

Grapes, Grapes, and More Grapes

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Loaded and ready for delivery! Watch out for the yellow jackets!

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Our 2012 experience from the perspective of a five year old! His favorite things- grapes and trucks! I prompted the subject of “delivery” and we started with a few key words. He successfully constructed the complete sentences as well as the spelling, and then finished with a colorful picture!

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Once delivered, some rode on an escalator and some were emptied by a fork lift, which both Jackson and Abigail loved.

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All of the grapes ended up as a bright beautiful juice!

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Lucky we were to have watched the whole cycle from start to finish! It’s great being a farmer growing grapes!

It’s Harvest Time!

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We are excited to share that our sweet hanging clusters of grapes are ready to be harvested!

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The vines that we have carefully cared for all year long are hanging full of fruit.

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Hanging full of sugar filled juicy grapes that are good to eat right in the field, or canned for juice or jelly.

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This is Isabela’s first harvest that she is walking and grabbing at the clusters.

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Love Jackson’s smile to his daddy. Love it more how hard of a worker he constantly is!

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Boots, skirt, crown, and buckets. All things needed for a successful harvest!

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We are full of joy that the late spring freeze did not destroy all of this year’s crop!

Nothing Can Replace a Good Book! 8/31/2012

I can’t find anything in this world for our children more enriching than a good book. A book with fantastic pictures as well as text can soon become a child’s best friend in this fast paced world! From their earliest development we as parents have followed the studies and read to our babies. As a teacher I can’t express enough how this early intervention helps later in the classroom. Books are such an exciting way to stimulate our children’s brain. The development of letter recognition and expanding vocabulary, later fosters listening, comprehension, and writing skills.
Directly we allow our children to imagine, learn, become curious, and be enthusiastic about the world around them. Through characters of people or animals our children can discover what to love, find courage in, resolve problems of, and have empathy for most of life’s situations.
Books boost confidence in our children and create uncounted hours of bonding between parent and child. The more we read to children, the more they enjoy literature. The more they enjoy reading, the better readers they will become. A good reader is usually always a good student. Inspire reading in your life. At a minimum children should be read to for at least twenty minutes scattered throughout the day. As they grow they will still have the need to be read to, but they also should have the skill reading orally to anyone else for correct pronunciation, enhancing their language skills making it easier to express themselves in their lives. Put a book in the hands of a child and they quickly can discover anything is possible.

In our home we have been very fortunate to be a part of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Each of our children have been registered since they were born. Associated with “Books From Birth Foundation” by Gov. Bredesen in 2004, all of Tennessee’s ninety-five counties put books in the hands of children. From birth to age five, each child monthly receives a book in the mail from Dolly’s Imagination Library. Helping to foster a love of reading in children, Dolly Parton says, “The seeds of dreams are often found in books.” As mommies, excited about our children’s future, let’s plant these seeds early so too our children can continue pursuing dreams, reading and changing their world!

The pictures below are early days of falling in love with books. I LOVE the one of Jackson reading to Abigail in March of 2009.

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Isabela was just a few days old in this photo sharing her first story time!

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Family Moments, Part 2 Memories

Continuing to share some favorite moments with our special people. I’ll continue adding.

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Abigail and Amy

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Jackson and Stephanie

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Abigail with Aunt Teresa

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Jackson and Abigail with Cousin Saxton

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Abigail and I with Saxton and his mommy Amanda

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Nana and Papaw treating four of the five grand kids at Dollywood

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Nana helping plant grapes

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Cousin Jaydie could not wait to meet you Isabela

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Jackson’s first fishing trip with Papaw

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With Papaw and Cousin Elijah. You boys together are wild!

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Cousins enjoying each others company!

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Learning to bake…or play with the flour

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Isabela and Aunt Fran

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Both middle born girls

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Nana and grandbabies, minus Elijah

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Nana and Isabela

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Cooling off in the cool creek during FOUR HOT summer days without power!

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Newest cousin Synclair with her brother Saxton, and her mommy Amanda.10/2012

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Janice, our dear sweet friend. She gave the best piece of advice offered to me as a mother, “let the children become what God intends. Be patient, give them/him(specifically Jackson’s many years of crying and shyness) time to grow out of and become the amazing child they/he can become.” My spiritual friend, the one I turn to for guidance in our family relationship.

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Big buddies, Jackson with Ras. Always a smile, some funny humor, and a sucker! Great vineyard neighbor.

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Our sweet, thoughtful, and caring friend Debbie and her puppy Gracie. Gracie was born about the same time as Isabela.

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Our special friend Al from Hearthstone. The girls love dancing with him! Jackson likes his Steelers’ hat.

Family Moments, Part 1 Memories

A look back to all of the very important people in my children’s lives. Some of these special people we see often, weekly, or even daily. Some of them from time to time. Regardless of the frequency of our visits, each of them have touched our life and have been an important part to our growth.

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Fran, Nana, and Margaret
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Cousin Amanda

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Papaw and grandson

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Mamaw Judy

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Nicklas

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Aunt Brooke and Uncle Mikey

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Jackson with Cousin Jayden

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Aunt Amy

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Aunt Marnie and Jaydie

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Aunt Fran at Amy’s pool

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Abigail with Uncle Mikey and with Papaw in the previous picture

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Jackson and Uncle Mickey

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Jackson with Aunt Doris

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Aunt Faye with us and the sisters

First Birthday’s Looking Back Memories

Still excited about Isabela’s first birthday, I thought I’d share some first birthday memories of Jackson and Abigail. Time flies when you are documenting the little faces you love!

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Celebrated with a Clifford the Big Red Dog party.

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May 10, 2008

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The dump truck is still his favorite toy. It is always loaded with trucks, books, or people!

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My Thanksgiving baby is one! November 27, 2009

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She loves this puppy

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First Birthdays! Isabela’s

I can’t believe how quick these new bundle of joys grow. In the early days after delivery when we are so focused on caring for this new fragile life, a first birthday is something we aren’t looking to. However, with each new milestone; the coo’s, the smiles, the crawls, picking up the Cheerios, etc., so too does the calendar give us the first birthday celebration.
I am looking back to share our first birthday moments here in our life.

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Isabela with Nana

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With cousin Jayden and Abigail, we ALL love this wagon!

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Yummy cake, my first time tasting!

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Check out the ruffled diaper cover, so precious!

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Still licking the icing from her fingers.

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So blessed to have three healthy, happy babies. Happy First Birthday Isabela!

Springtime means Easter!

Happy Easter!

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Isabela’s first Easter, 2012

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Easter Memories

Earlier Easter Special Moments with the little birds.

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March 2008, Jackson’s First Easter

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April 2009, Abigail’s first Easter

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Abigail is sitting in my rocking chair from when I was a baby. My daddy gave it back to me a few years ago after refinishing it.

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Easter 2011

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Abigail with Nana and Aunt Fran

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They love their Easter baskets

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