Nashville Y'all

We spent some time in Nashville recently visiting Papap, Grandma and Uncle PJ.   We went for our annual company meeting and of course to visit.  We did a lot of relaxing.  And shopping.  And eating.   Let's start with travel day 1.  We survived the almost five-hour drive to catch the plane.  Got right on the plane...flew to Denver....then immediately caught our next flight to Nashville.   Unfortunately our seats were separate on the first flight so this was the only picture I got of Avery's first plane ride.  Awww well.

The boys did great traveling.  They are pretty content with an endless supply of snacks, toys, shows, and video games.  But the little cold they had from the week prior surged out of control and W couldn't stop coughing on the second flight.  J wasn't as bad but we knew he wasn't far behind.  Geoff ended up taking W to the ER on the second night and taking J to urgent care a couple of days later.  Hey, it just wouldn't feel like vacation without at least one visit to the doctor!

We landed in Nashville at 11 p.m.  Since we were the last ones off the plane the pilot offered to let the boys sit up front for a picture.

 Fast forward to the next morning.  Little sister looking a bit confused about what just happened.

She is finding her own way to get around.  The first thing she does is get in the push-up position.  Then she drops her face down then inch-worms herself where she wants to go.  Grandma was encouraging her to do some push-ups.

 Papap!

 Uncle PJ...at brunch on Mother's Day with his nephews and niece.

We didn't realized until later that my mom was wearing my purse so she looks like she is wearing suspenders.  Or a gun holster.  It is Tennessee after all y'all.  You never know if you'll need a gun at brunch.  :)

 Happy girl on the drive home.

 I think A really looks like a doll in this picture.  A doll playing with a helicopter and a fighter jet.

 Geoff and I before heading out on a date night.  We went to the newly renovated Opryland Mall.   It had been closed from the flood they had in Nashville.  We had a fun night out and I even got Geoff to go into one store with me.

Little one did not want to stay contained in her co-sleeper.  She would move all over the place for naps and yes I am mortified to say that she even scooted herself right off the bed one afternoon.  Thank God she immediately stopped crying the moment I scooped her up.  This is a pic Geoff took from his phone when he went to check on her during a nap.  She had worked hard to get over to a clothing pile then looks like she fell asleep.  After this, the sleeper stayed on the floor and of course she stopped trying to get out of it when we put it on the floor!

 Grandma got to spend a couple of days with Jack and Wyatt while the rest of us were in meetings.  Aunt Amy and Uncle Matt were also in Nashville for the meeting and thankfully Amy watched Avery at the office during the first day and Avery just stayed with me for the meetings on the second day...she did great!  Grandma pulled out some toys for the boys...I used to love this felt toy.  Here is W with his creation:  "a sailboat parked on land with a horsey next to it and black clouds was raining at that place."

 J's choo choo train:

 While downtown for the meetings we took a lunch break and went to a German restaurant.

 Avery with Uncle PJ and Uncle Matt.

Our company enjoyed a ride on the General Jackson on the last night and had dinner on the boat and got to see a show.  It was the perfect weather for a cruise downtown. W with Geoff.

J with Uncle Matt.

Mom, me and A (oh and Wyatt squeezing Avery).

  Thanks for the fun visit Papap and Grandma!!

PJ met us at the airport to send us off!

Special Day

We thank God everyday for our blessings.

At the end of February we formally recognized our newest blessing at our church.

Our pastor and friend David Dendy baptized Avery just a couple of weeks before he and his family moved to Iowa.

 It was almost five years to the day (March 18) that the boys were baptized in Florida.

 Great Scott!  Do we look young or what?!

It was so nice to have Pastor Dendy baptize her.  He gave her a wooden cross and walked her down the aisle while the congregation sang "Jesus Loves Me."

She is such a blessing and truly is a gift from God.  

Picture Catch-Up Part 1

I am still struggling with the new camera and new computer but trying to be patient.  Here is a huge surge of pictures that I found on the computer.  Next up, pictures from my old camera and IPHONE!  Here is Avery and the little roll on her leg.  Yes, it seems like she has just one roll most of the time.   

 Some pictures of the boys rock climbing one weekend.  Geoff is so good about taking Jack and Wyatt to the gym and they play games:  here is Wyatt trying not to "fall" into the water (the mat) where Geoff is the shark!

And they rope up and climb to the top:

And they boulder:

And then Geoff works on strengthening his fingers with some added "resistance".  No thank you very much.

Group pic...it is cold in that gym sometimes hence the hats!

I think their ice-cream trip tradition after climbing helps motivate them as well.

I look at these pictures and so love the small everyday things.  Here are a bunch of little joys we are enjoying. 

Big brothers.

 Paintings the boys bring home from school.   

This one...

...explained by this.

Milestones.  The boys and Avery on the day Avery turned six months old. 

 Little hands.  

Building Dr. Seuss-looking snow forts during our random-surprise-you-never-know-what-you're going-to-get-in-the-spring-weather.

Pony rides.  Yee haw! 

Lego helicopters. 

And lego "walkers" (from Star Wars) and building runways with legos.  I thought this one by Wyatt was great...it even held up his lego passenger plane.

Big wrinkle-your-eyes-kind of smiles. 

Staying in our pajamas into the afternoon (or all day) if we want to.

 Just out-of-the-bath baby.

 Little toes (and mine desperately needing a pedicure-sorry!)

Tongue smiles.

Snuggling.

Rainbows.  And hail.  And sun and snow.  And rain.  All in one day.

Rolled-up blue jeans.

New sweaters.

 Mermaids.  Or rather kicking out of the jammie leg and snuggling them into one by the morning and looking like a mermaid.

Joy.

Joy.

I'll take all of it.