Mommy's Little Helper

Mackenzie and I planted some Pansies this morning in the front flower beds. She was actually a very big help. She loved every minute of it. As we planted, she decided to name several of the flowers. We have a "Sarah" and lots of them named "Big Bertha" (I have no idea where that came from). As we were planting, it occurred to me that this is my last year with my little girl at home. She starts Kindergarten next year! It gives me a lump in my throat thinking about it. Sometimes I wish I could freeze my babies and keep them little forever. But Jonathan says that I say that at every age. I guess I enjoy it all! I am so blessed.

Golf Anyone?

Fall is here! This afternoon we took advantage of the ABSOLUTELY PERFECT weather and took a family outing to the golf course. Jonathan did most of the playing, but we all got in a few shots. Jackson loves to drive the cart and wash all the golf balls. Mackenzie even practiced her cartwheels on all the open space. I got a golf lesson as an excuse to cuddle with my hubby in public. So much fun... we are definitely planning to do it again soon.

Under Construction

My sister, Mandy, and her husband, Chris, are building a house in our neighborhood! Jackson and Mackenzie are so excited that their Aunt, Uncle, and cousins are moving right around the corner. We can watch all the construction from our front window. Tonight we took a bike ride in the neighborhood and stopped by to get a close look at the progress. Jackson brought some of his tools to do some work and speed things along. He and Mackenzie had a blast hammering, sawing, and measuring everything in sight. Note to Uncle Chris... you can expect a bill some time next week.

Our Cades Cove Trip (Better Late than Never)

I just remembered that I forgot to post this fun day! A couple of weeks ago, we took the family to the mountains. Jackson and Mackenzie had lots of fun wading in the river after our picnic. They especially loved watching their mommy almost slip and fall in the water every time she took a step! What can I say...my flip flops were slippery.

Afterward, we decided to go around the Cades Cove Loop. They thought it was so much fun. They kept yelling out, "I think I just saw some wildlife!" It was cracking us up. I have never seen them get so excited about seeing a squirrel or bird. Actually, we saw one deer and even a sleeping bear! (We were given the tip about the bear...sure enough, we stopped on the road and saw it a few yards away in the woods.) Jonathan and I vowed to take advantage of the mountains more often.

Dinner with the Coopers

We had a spontaneous Labor Day Weekend dinner with our cousins Carson and Cameron. The hot dogs and brownies were yummy... thank you Uncle Lynn and Aunt Robyn!

The boys had a great time wrestling around in the living room. (Mackenzie just played referee and cheered them on!) Afterward, they went outside and jumped on the trampoline with Uncle Lynn and Jonathan. Good times!

Friends from Indiana

We had a good visit last week with some old friends who drove in all the way from Indiana. Jeff and Jaqui Huxford made the trip down with their two little ones, Jayce (2 years)and Jenna (14 months). Jonathan and Jeff were in residency together when we lived in Bristol. The kids played together really well, and it was fun to catch up. It just went by way too fast...now it is our turn to make the long trip to the Hoosier State!