Carmen's Birthday

Last weekend, we went to Arrington Vineyards for my friend Carmen's birthday. We had soooo much fun and we brought quite a spread... chicken salad, meat and cheeses, pastas salad, mozzarella salad..you name it, we had it. Reagan was also old enough to watch the kiddos while we ventured inside for a few minutes. We used to see each other often, but now that we live so far apart, we don't get to visit much. However, every time we do, it's just like old times. I love friends like that! I wish I had a scanner so I could upload old pics when Jake was a baby and Reagan was four. Anyway, time flies and we still love to see each other. Happy birthday Carmen!








I told Jake to sit in Reagan's lap because I have a cute picture at home of her holding him in her lap when he was a baby! Ha!

Jake is 8!

sweet, birthday boy.....

a snowcone maker!
and flavors!









counting out 8 candles

8 year old interview(I got this from a friend's blog)

Favorite color: red
Favorite food: spaghetti
Favorite thing to play: play at the pool
Favorite show: Phinneus and Ferb(sp?)
What do you want to be when you grow up: a fireman
Why? because you get to see lots of big fires and big hoses
What are you good at? baseball
What do you think about starting 2nd grade? nervous
Why? B/c I have to see new people
How is 8 years old different then 7 years old? B/c I feel like I am taller
What do think about your little brother? he does bad stuff to me
What makes you mad? people hitting me
Do you think you follow directions well? not all the time
Why not? I don't know
What do you think about me? good because you buy me icees
What do you think about dad? I like him, because when you are napping, he takes me to Dicks
What do you think about the world we live in? it's fun
What's amazing about it?All the fun rides, like at Disney, like Test Track

First (and hopefully last) broken bone!

So we were at Cedars of Lebanon on May 27th with my friend Donna M. and her grandchildren. She had taken us on a lovely hike explaining to us about the cave and all the foliage that surrounded us. Afterwards, we headed to the playground to let the kids play on the playground. Riggs immediately went on the monkey bars and out of the corner of my eye, I saw him drop. Now, please know that he is a master of the monkey bars. Coach Shawn says he is the best one in K-Smart at school. Sometimes he drops at home and he just runs off!

But this time was different. He didn't land on his feet. He was more on his back. Later on he said that his friend was in the way at the end, so he dropped. As I picked him up, he was shaking. Shock, I guess? I knew that this was bad and he was really freaking out! He could move it, though not well, and I was hoping for a sprain.

As time went by, it got hot, hard and more painful. This was at 11:27 a.m. and the doctor wanted to see it before x-rays. Of course, they didn't open back up, until 1 p.m., but they let us in at 12:45 p.m. to see us. After she saw it, she said that it was broken, and sent us to Summit for x-rays. She said that if it was a simple break that they could cast it, but if it involved anything more complex that we could go to Vanderbilt. The x-rays hurt like (you know what) evidently, because they have to move it certain ways. It was quite the ordeal. One minute after the x-rays were done, the tech sent us back to her office. That meant it was bad, and she agreed as she nodded her head. It turned out to be a break in the radius and ulna, and one of them was displaced. So that meant they had to put him to sleep. It was hard enough to get x-rays while he was conscious, much less moving it back!

So Jay met me, and we were off to Vandy. We got there at about 3 p.m. and there wasn't a dry hair on Riggs's head. They went ahead and started him with morphine since he was getting an IV anyway and it was the first relief that he had since 11:30. He was nervous about being put to sleep, but the pain had subsided somewhat. The worst part for me was when they put him to sleep. I held his hand, and there were tears running out of eyes, and all of a sudden he wasn't there, with his eyes still open. It was the worst thing for me to see. Then they asked us to step out of the room. I hated it. Even though there were about 5 doctors and specialists and 3 nurses on there, I hated it. But after about 5 minutes, they asked us to step back in before he awakened. Then he started to blink and he saw me and it was better.

After the final x-rays, we got to leave at about 9 p.m. He woke up in the night in pain, but the pain medicine we gave him quickly worked. Now over a week later, it's hard to keep him down. They asked us to help him be still (no running, jumping) for the first 10 days, so it will set and then he can do more activity. On Monday we will go back, and hopefully we will get a half cast, maybe waterproof? He has recently noticed that his world had been shaken with not playing, swimming, baseball, etc...Hopefully it can come off before we head to the beach on July 4th! We will see. So that's it...hopefully our last experience with a broken bone!

The Dangler

We have not lost many teeth around here; Jake had no teeth at a year old, so losing them has been a slow process, which the dentist says is better actually. He has lost three teeth total. The first one he pulled when it wasn't even loose and the last two were so ready that the adult tooth was already in behind the baby tooth. This was his first top tooth to lose, and I think it really makes them look different, as opposed to losing bottom teeth.

This one pretty much dangled. It was so ready to come out, it started to turn yellow and die! Gross, I know. I told him that he would probably end up swallowing it. So yesterday, he had it at breakfast, and then when we got in the car, it wasn't there. Needless to say, we never found it, and he was a little concerned that tooth fairy would not come. Although, we lost the last one too, and never found it, and she still came.

Well, the tooth fairy FORGOT! I guess because it happened the morning before, it just slipped my mind. When I woke up the next morning, it hit me. When I walked in their room, they were anxiously looking for it, so I went and got the money and without them seeing, I put it down by the side of the bed, kind of underneath, so it looked as if it had fallen. When Jake finally found it, his worried look disappeared, and I could tell they fell for it. Whew! That was close. I felt bad, but at least I didn't have to explain why she didn't come!

Our new dog Bristol...NOT!

Ok so we have been looking to get a dog, preferably a Boxer, and have been scouring the paper, online, breeders to find the right one at the right price. I have never had a dog, however I have had cats, and Jay is allergic (so he says) so a cat is out of the question! Although I feel it would be an easier transition into the pet world, as opposed to a dog. But I figured, boys need dogs right?

So we were at the ball field, and out of nowhere, as if fate had predicted, one of the parents walked up with a sweet 8 week old puppy who had been venturing out on Lebanon Road. She said she couldn't take him home because she had a 200 pound Mastiff. The dog was very calm and smelled like strawberry shampoo, so we decided to take her home to "babysit" for the weekend. I named her Bristol, because I thought it was a good name and it fit her.

After one night, let me say puppy= baby, except you can't put a baby in a crate and leave! She was such good dog; she didn't jump, bark, wasn't hyper, and they said she was a nice breed. In fact most people said that she was the calmest puppy, they'd ever seen. She still required a lot of work with potty training, giving her attention, and other things, and did I say potty training? I tried to make sure she smelled nice, but the "dog" smell kept coming back. Also, the tracking in of mud, wasn't fun to deal with, and getting up at night to let her out was enough to make me rethink wanting to have another baby. So let's just say that this sweet, lovable, ball of fur turned out to be a THORN IN MY SIDE! I HAD TO GET RID OF HER! (insert panic attack here!)

The kids unfortunately inherited my lack of love dogs, so it wasn't hard to convince them to get rid of her. She was definitely "old" news after oh about two days! The only one to convince was the hubby. It was difficult, but after convincing him that I was going to be the one taking care of her and the fact that I already had two "dogs" to care for as well as other responsibilities that I can barely keep up with, he conceded.

We found a family for her, and let me say after I returned home , I felt like Mel Gipson in Braveheart...FREEDOM! I thought in my head! So I guess the "babysitting" stint was a good trial run. A dog is definitely not for us, and why you would want one, I don't understand now, but maybe later?? I am just glad we didn't pay hundreds of dollars to figure out all of that!

Sister graduates!

A couple of weeks ago, my niece, Alexandra, graduated from my alma mater, Harding Academy of Memphis. I really feel old because I was fifteen when she was born. She was my first niece and I remember really being excited about her being born. My children adore her and we are going to miss her going off to college. It seems like only yesterday when she was learning how to walk and talk. Time sure flies!

























Here are all the cousins: Riggs(6), Jake(7), Honor Grace(9), Christian(11), Kennedy(13), William(13), Court(15), Alexandra(19)

Riggsy is 6!

We didn't do parties this year. Riggs invited a friend over and we went to "cook in front of you" Japanese restaurant. Needless to say, his friend started to feel bad and started vomiting as soon as we walked into the restaurant. We had to take him home and he ended up having a stomach bug. We went back to the restaurant and had a great evening. Here are top 10 things about Riggs for the year 2009-2010

1. He still like anything to do with the yard (mowing, blowing, weedeating, weeding,.etc.).
2. He dresses like he is going to "work" like Daddy everyday unless I protest...khakis, button-up, belt the whole nine yards.
3. Adding to #2, he is very particular about what he wears and it is a constant battle between us.
4. Still doesn't like TV much, but he loves the old movie " Born Free."
5. He loves animal planet.
6. Favorite food is probably nachos, chicken fries, and fruit.
7. Still a sleeper, and will nap anytime, anyplace.
8. He has developed a love for baseball, and practices all day, everyday.
9. He still doesn't like milk or chocolate.
10. He is probably the most well behaved in his class, can't say that at home!

Riggsy has developed into a worldly, inquisitive thinker, type of guy. We also think he is a hoot and we don't know what we would do without him! Love you, Riggsy
birthday breakfast


Definitely the favorite present









A catchback...awesome!
















His kindergarten-bridge class