Tay Tay Turns Three...Almost- November 5, 2007

My sweet baby girl had an early birthday party(real birthday is November 24th) due to the upcoming birth of her sibling. We had so much fun planning her princess party! She loved the crown cake and cupcakes I made for her and that made my heart melt to see her excited face when she saw them. Here is one picture of the location. We had her party in the Rainbow Party room at USA Baby Superstore. What a great place!!! It is all indoors, padded floor for the children, painted in a great jungle/underwater theme, and climbing toys. She was so tickled to share the space with her friends.

These are just a couple of shots of her party. I will add more if needed, however I don't want to bore you all with my ST's (Jen, you know what I'm sayin') third birthday party pics.
She loved every minute of it and THANKFULLY we pulled it off before the new addition to the Reid's arrived.
Thank you to all of our friends and family members that braved the weather to come out and join us. I know some of you were sick and couldn't make it...you were missed. Thanks to everyone!

Chicken and Bear become friends-October 31, 2007

Is this not the most precious chicken you have ever met? My sweet niece, Ella Grace, was a chicken for Halloween. She was ready to go Trick-or-Treating for the night and grabbed the black bear upon walking out the door. I just had to get a photo! She was such a trooper for being a "big girl" one year old. We could eat her up! Now, would she taste like chicken? JK

Where do you go for a '91 Bonneville headlight and taillight? October 27,2007

Why Pull-A-Part of course! You see, after the Church Halloween festival the night before, Daddy got pulled over for not having a working headlight and taillight. The policeman was nice enough to let him go with a "I use to have an old car as well" sad story. Once we all arrived back at the house, we were frustrated that NONE of the local car part stores carried the parts for a 1991 Pontiac Bonneville so that we could fix 'ole Bonnie Blue.
Well, THANKFULLY there is a local Pull-A-Part ("junk yard" as Gavin calls it). The catch is you have to go out on the lot (ages 16 yrs and over) and dismantle the car on the lot yourself in order to purchase the parts you need. Daddy grabs his tools, pays the cashier a $1 and heads off into the wild car yonder - not to emerge again until 2-3 hours later. Oh, but when he came back, We saw the biggest smile on his face and a crate FULL of parts for 'ole Bonnie Blue. Talk about our lucky day.
The photos above show you what children 16 and under do to bide our time. In one, Tay is playing up the camera and the other she is flexing her muscles while Gav-man observes a strong cheerleader.
The photo below shows the cheerleader helping her father install the "new" part for Bonnie. We won't get pulled over for lack of effort now. She actually is in "better" shape then when we drove to SC for her purchase. Good 'ole Bonnie got a face-lift!

Spiderman meets Cinderella at Church-October 26, 2007

Here are my angels in their Halloween costumes. They are precious to me. Spiderman was unrecognizable by his friends which made him so excited that he could be so secretive. My Cinderella was down right adorable. With it being so chilly outside at church, she had to wear her jacket which covered up the princess part - however she didn't know the difference. I loved seeing them so happy to share their costumes with their friends. Posted below are some other photos of them with their friends.

Concentration-October 20, 2007

I love watching this sweet boy concentrate on the soccer ball while in the game. I am living through him during these games. I can remember that awesome adrenaline rush like it was yesterday. Now granted, I am NOT able to relive those days right now, but someday in the near future I will be back out there playing with my sweet boo bear.

Gentry's Farm-October 14, 2007

We made it to Gentry's Farm this year. This was the first time we have attended this incredible event. We have heard so many good things about it, however we felt like the children we not old enough to "get it", so we simply didn't go. Now it will be attended by the Reid's yearly.
One of Chris' football coaches at BA was coach Jimmy Gentry, so this event also had a special meaning to him. Here the famous coach sits with Chris and the kids. Well, Tay and Gavin we not so sure, however Chris and Mr. Gentry are all smiles with the reunion.
Another cool aspect is little cousin, Ella, came to the farm and surprised us! Here she is in her USC Gamecock cheerleading outfit. Doesn't she look precious?!
Oh, the tire swing! As you can see in the picture above and below, Gavin and Tay loved the tire swing. I forgot about having so much fun on the tire swing as a kid until I saw their faces. What fun!
Now it is time to go pick our pumpkin and leave. I just love this photo. Daddy walking with his babies. What a sweet moment!

Weekend Away

Here we are! All smiles! This picture was taken right before we got in the car to head to Gentry's Farm from our weekend away with Fluffy and Giggy. We had a great time!
Can't leave out Alexander in the stroller and Superman in Gavin's arms!

Q-dog

My cousin, Quinton, is my only cousin on my mom's side of the family. He is such an awesome guy! I find it interesting now that I am 30, what type of relationship with either family members or friends really "last" through the years. I am so grateful that my relationship with Q has turned out the way it has. His wife Erin is precious and their little girl, Taylor Paige, is just as cute. They made the trip up from Jacksonville, FL to see family and friends and we are so thankful we are on the short list.
They are due with their second child January 22. I sure do wish our grandparents were alive to see the family blossom!
And yes, those are little mermaid panties Tay is sporting for the camera. :)

Fall Fesitval/Church Picnic

We had a blast at our church's fall festival. The kids enjoyed the games and the parents enjoyed the fellowship. Here is a picture of a dear friend of mine. Amy, her husband, James and myself went to high school together. Now we live in Franklin and go to church together. Amy was pregnant with Annie at the same time I was pregnant with Tay, so needless to say the two girls are twenty days apart and in the same two year old class together. Now by looking at the picture, you can tell we are pregnant at the same time again. Not planned I promise. She just gave birth to a little boy...wonder how far apart these two will be???
Here is a precious picture of two awesome daddies and their sweet daughters. Our friends Erron and Julie came out to the picnic and brought their three little ones to play. We had a great night!

Friends Since 1982-September 22, 2007

Here are two friends that are friends via the moms. Sweet little Conner and Sweet little Gavin are big buddies. It is such a sweet site to see knowing that us moms, Kelly and myself were the same way as little girls.

Praise Ye The Lord-September 9, 2007

These pictures our from the Two Year Old Bible Ceremony. I just love these photos! How awesome is it when your family loves to worship and praise the Lord?! We love reading our bible stories at night as we tuck G & TM into bed. And now that TM has her very own bible, we read out of hers as well as G's. God is so good to me because he has blessed me with a man who loves to attend a church that is great for all of our needs. Talk about getting your cup filled daily!

First Day of School-September 5, 2007

Here are my precious Angel's standing outside their school on the first day. I just love this picture of them! Tay is entering as a two year old and Gavin is going in as a four year old. They are our pride and joy!

Friday Night Lights

Yippee! Can someone say "Football Season"? I sure do love this time of year! What a great night! I can not tell you how precious the kids were that night. Must have been the thrill of the game to bring out the energy in them. Tay was the dancing diva and G-man loved watching the plays from under the scoreboard.
You see, the stands were SO full that we (and many other football fanatics) were bringing in lawn chairs & blankets just to catch a glimpse of blood, sweat and a good 'ole fashioned Williamson Co. game. Here we are,sitting on a blanket in the Brentwood Academy in-zone. What more can you ask for? Great weather, plenty of energy, and a great memory.
Here are my three favorite people in the world! I know you are saying to yourself, "I only see Daddy and G-man." Well, if you look close enough, there are a pair of little legs between her Daddy's. Tay wanted to be right up there in all the action. Both she in G love football! Some qualities are fun passing down, others don't need to be mentioned!

Is she in my head?

As I am reading another woman's post on her blog (she doesn't know me and I don't have a clue who she is), I am honestly thinking, "Is this lady in my head?". I could almost swear I have had these thoughts at one time or another. If you can't relate, don't judge, just know that you are in the minority.
I have come to grips with reality that I will never look like Fergie, Janet, Madonna, Angelina, well, let's just say anyone that is in front of the TV camera.
I can hear my darling husband say, "I love you just the way you are.". Even though I am VERY grateful for his sincere words, you and I both know I still have to deal with what's in my head. Needless to say, this mom has nailed it!
Read on and ladies, if you are a mom or not, let me know how you feel:

It’s 9:30 am. I’m in line for my second coffee of the day, behind her. She’s got on some trendy, black yoga gear from head to toe. She’s wearing mascara and lip gloss. Her hair is shiny and it smells good.

I’m in flab squeezing jeans that make my upper body look like a muffin top. I’m wearing mascara too, but it’s from yesterday. It’s under my eyes now, deepening the dark circle effect. I haven’t washed my hair and I feel the urge to scratch my scalp, but maybe it’s because I’m thinking about my daughter’s play date last week. (“It’s so nice to finally be lice free,” chirped mom, upon pick-up). I’m not sure if I’ve got on a bra.

Some days, I want to be that mom. You know the one - good hair, great clothes, and a nice bag. But some days I’m happy, even smug, that I’m not. After all, I spend most of my day with people who would never notice that I am in need of an eyebrow wax. (I’m referring to my kids, but I’m pretty sure my husband would never notice either.)

When I do clean up though, my lip gloss, earrings and clean shirt evoke the same question. “Mommy, why do you look pretty? Are you going to a meeting?” Sadly, they’re often right.

Without fail, anytime I leave the house looking really awful, I regret it. There was the time I ran into an old boyfriend after throwing a coat over my pajamas to pick up bagels with my daughter. It seemed like a great idea at the time – an early morning adventure. She had un-brushed hair, mismatched socks and a nightgown, topped off with a sparkly tiara and rubber boots. Adorable. I had run a brush through my curly, fully dry hair and my face was splotchy from a drugstore facial. I was also 4 months pregnant. Not a good look.

So I try to get it together, not just because I may run into an ex, but so I can hold my head high at such exciting venues as the grocery store, the library and the gas station. I do feel better with brushed teeth and clean hair and perhaps those around me appreciate it too. I’ve even been known to wear stretchy yoga gear on occasion. After all, there are reflective surfaces everywhere, and I’d like to walk by them without startling myself.

Coach Fisher, Pick Me!

Gavin was SO EXCITED for the TN Titans to be playing at home tonight, he went into his closet and changed into his jersey. (Please, don't tell him Kearse doesn't play for the Titans anymore!) Chris and I love football and could not be more proud of our children for following in our footsteps. Tay's face lights up like a Christmas tree and Gavin has fireworks in his eyes. They are most precious to watch during the game. You would think that Tay has been recruited for the cheerleading squad and Gavin is playing for Coach Fisher.
Chris and I are so blessed to have our football loving family!

Ho! Ho! Ho!

Anyone else up for believing that Santa can come in August? Well, Taylor Marie wanted to wear her Santa hair bow today and who am I to say no?. We have been looking forward to cooler weather and she thought this might be the next best way to get the job done.

In Need For a Trim

We started out our morning with Daddy getting his haircut at Dave the Barber in the Factory and ended the morning with the kids getting their first haircut at a "kid's" place. We have been going to our dear friend Mrs. Lori for our haircut. Mommy is growing out her hair and the kids hair, so we haven't had a cut in SO LONG! With all the heat lately and the kids starting school, we decided this morning for a trip to a hair cutting place. (It also helped that we had a buy one get one 1/2 off coupon).Here is my sweet muffin cup getting her hair trimmed. I love how her hair curls up all over the place. I think she is just down~right adorable!
Here is my buster boo bear getting his hair trimmed. His hair looks so good longer around the top I think. He is getting to be such a sharp looking boy. Not just my sweet baby boy anymore. Now, this picture cracks me up. We are in the parking lot and I ask them to stand next to my sharp looking Caddie for an "after" shot. Looking at this picture it looks to me like Gavin is posing behind his sister like a bodyguard. It says, "You mess with her, you mess with me!". I sure do love these precious babies!

Would You Like Fried Rice with that?

So, we got the call from Grammie and G-Pa Friday for dinner. If you know us at all, we are always looking for a good dinner out of the house. (Hince why Chris and I are not very good at losing weight!) Grammie reminded Chris that he was going to be treated to a free dinner because he was the only one to properly place the needle and draw blood while she was in the hospital.
We love Shogun's in Cool Springs, so we packed up the car and went. Here is a picture of us at the table. I was sitting next to Gavin, so for those that judge (you know who you are), he wasn't flanked out there all by his big boy self. As you can see, a hibachi grill and I are tight! The kids love the shrimp, Chris loves whatever comes his way and I am a fillet girl! From the previous posts, you know that Grammie is the one who makes the awesome surprises with her sewing machine. Here you have yet another example of her handy work. She informs us that she has a surprise for the kids, so we proceed to her car. The kids are on full alert for something spectacular and Grammie doesn't disappoint. She takes out the Spiderman pillowcase with GAVIN embroidered on the side, and a Lightin' McQueen and 'Mater pillowcase with TAYLOR MARIE embroidered on the side. (Yes, for those wondering why that type~Tay did request something in that fabric. She loves the movie!)
Needless to say, we came home shortly after and they we already undressing and redressing their pillows. Grammie loves to make scrub hats you know and since her lovely son has a big 'ole head, she is always trying something new. Here is Chris' newest hat and a great shot of him with his dad. We had a wonderful night! Thank you Grammie and G-Pa!

Is It Fall Already?

Look at my precious Boo Bear! Isn't he just adorable? I am so excited for him to start soccer this fall. He had his first practice on Tuesday. We really like his new coach and his new teammates.
Since I love soccer, I am really excited he is learning gross motor skill, getting his energy out, learning how to share responsibilites with other team members, and getting in shape all at the same time. Chris and I are learning the ropes with not speaking up when we notice him doing something "not correct". We keep looking at each other saying, "The coach will notice and he will correct him." To remind us of our "place". Case in point: The pictures shows the coach stretching while sitting on his hiney and holding out his right arm. You can see that my child is sitting on his green soccer ball while holding out his left arm. Paying attention? Why yes, we are, we are just not listening to what he is saying.
Now, there is my Tay Tay. She is the most patient little one on the sidelines. She either sits on the sidelines or gets up and dances. You can see Gavin in the background doing a drill while Tay is turning around and around.
Yes, that is the lovely TN grass we are standing on. Franklin is on a mandatory water use restriction due to the lack of rain and HIGH HEAT. Today was well over 106*F. The heat index was at least 115*. I promise you the "grass" is more like pine needles. You can't sit down or fall down or else you will have cuts on your legs and arms.
All this to say, "Is it REALLY Fall already?". School is back in session and Metro is running 1/2 days due to the extreme heat. This weather has taken a toll on our outside activities.