Little Country Boys

Last week I decided that the boys and I were going to visit my family in Tennessee. Kevin was originally going to go with us, but ended up having to stay back to finish up paperwork for the relocation company and the last minute items before we listed the house. I thought, how hard could it be to travel with two kids? Well, let's just say the trip took forever!!! If one did not have to go potty, the other was ready to eat. I felt like we stopped 20 times! But all in all it was not that bad, it just took ALOT longer than usual!

Holden was so excited to go that he woke up super early and put his backpack of toys and DVD's in the car and said he was ready to go. He loves going to Meme's, Memaw & Granddaddy's house to visit!

Once we got there my mom, Meme, took Rylan and I do not think his feet ever touched the floor. If she was not holding him then she was feeding him. And Holden was spoiled by both grandparents and Aunt Becky Ann too! Jeez no wonder both of them did not want to come home!

While we were in Tennessee, Holden went fishing for the first time and caught a fish! It blows my mind, how much a country boy Holden is and I think Rylan will be too. He loved digging for worms and fishing. Loves to sit in all the trucks, tractors and four-wheelers. He talked about going hunting...what is this really my child?? I guess that Turner blood skipped me and went straight to the boys.

We went swimming at Aunt Rhonda's, or better known as Paul Roy's house to Holden. Went to the Memphis Zoo, which we love! Visited with my old and dear friends from high school. Every time I go home, I always think about how when I was younger, I could not wait to get out of that town, and now I long to get that back. I think I have more of an appreciation of a small town life and the people who make that town still my home.

Thankfully, on Tuesday night Kevin surprised me and flew in to drive back with me. What a great surprise and added help for the ride back to Georgia.
Holden keeps telling me he wants to go to "the real Memaw's house". I am trying to plan our next trip home, hopefully it will be soon.

Allie & Rylan

Rylan enjoying his food...

Holden & Ashford riding the scooter

Aunt Becky Ann & Holden

Feeding the birds at the Memphis Zoo

It was a hot day at the zoo! We needed a rest:)

First Fish!!!

Dad-Daddy's Helper

We hired our favorite handyman (Dad-Daddy) to help with a couple of minor house issues before we placed the house on the market. I can not decide if Holden was trying to be a handyman himself or if he was pretending that his drills were guns. Either way, don't they both look cute in their matching doo rags!

9 Month Check-Up

Yes, Rylan is actually almost 10 months old but with everything going on I have hardly had time to breathe. But again, better late than never....

What are we doing now??? Crawling, pulling up, cruising, and more or less getting into everything!! What do we eat?? Everything! Holden will not eat anything and Rylan eats anything and everything. I guess they balance each other out!

Here are some of the stats from Rylan's 9 month check-up:

Weight: 19lbs 4 oz.

Height: 29.25 inches

Head Circumference: 18 inches

As you can see, he is growing so fast.

First Weeks of Summer

Yes, I am a little behind with our blog. So I am going to try to catch up. Let's see how I do! Here are some pictures of us enjoying the first days of summer.

Holden the crocodile hunter???
The boys enjoying the neighborhood pool
Below are some pictures of the boys enjoying Imaginations at Play. I had never been before but I will make sure we make another trip before we leave town. Holden & Rylan had a great time!

Digging for dinosaurs. I saw this on a website where you bake plastic dinosaurs into cupcakes and then have the children dig for the dinosaurs with Popsicle sticks. We read several dinosaur books and then I told him he could dig to see what he could find. Holden really thought this was neat an was great for a rainy day activity. (Note: I boiled the dinosaurs before to sanitize and also to make sure that they would not melt.)

Lastly, enjoying the sprinkler with swords and golf clubs...such a boy!

A Change of Scenery? We Are Moving!

The past two months have been stressful since Kevin was laid off from AIG. And no, he did not receive a large taxpayer bonus. After weeks of phone interviews and several cross country trips, our family had a decision to make. Kevin was fortunate enough and blessed to receive two job offers: Liberty Mutual in Cincinnati, Ohio or Travelers in Hartford, Connecticut. As a Southern Girl, neither one sounded appealing! However, we had a decision to make. After many thoughts and prayers, we decided that Cincinnati was the best fit for our family. I will mention that Kevin tried to convince me that Ohio was part of the Confederacy and sorta like the South. At any rate, Kevin will be leaving on June 29th to start his new job while the boys and I will stay here until the house sells. Wish us luck!

As you might know, change is difficult. I have lived in the Atlanta metro area for 10 years - met my husband, bought our first house and had two wonderful boys. It will be especially hard saying goodbye to Kevin's family. They have been such a blessing to us and our boys. Goodbyes are never easy, but it reminds me of this verse: "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain" Hebrews 13:8. So we embark on the next chapter of this strange, wonderful journey in Ohio.

We Are Pulling Up!

What happened to my little baby?? Rylan is now pulling up on everything! If he is not crawling somewhere he is trying to stand up! We had to drop the crib to the lowest level! And I thought he was going to wait to really start moving-I guess I was wrong!

Last Day of 3 year old Preschool

Thursday was the last day of the 3 year program of preschool. I was so sad!! Holden is growing up so fast - you can see how much he has changed and grown in the past 9 months. Additionally, our time with Mrs. Jan and Mrs. Julie has come to an end. Yes, I was a mess! Mrs. Julie is the sweetest too! She wrote the sweetest note to Holden with a gift. (I would have scanned the note, however, she wrote it on blue paper and you would hardly be able to read it.) Here is what she wrote:

Dear Prince Holden,

What a wonderful friend you are to all! I am so proud of you! I will miss you this summer, but will think of you often. Especially, when I see Boots, baid-aids, Elvis, Pirates, orange, and Prince's. You are the BEST! I love you, Mrs. Julie

Here is a picture of Holden the first day of school in August and with his birthday t-shirt:

And my little man on Thursday with Mrs. Jan & Mrs. Julie.

What a GREAT year! Now summer has begun!

End of the Year Party!

Well, the school year is almost complete. Holden's last day is Thursday. However, we had the official End of the Year party today. The kids enjoyed painting rocks, dancing, eating lunch, and presenting Mrs. Jan with a keepsake album with letters and pictures of her students from the past 20 years.

Mrs. Jan is a remarkable individual. She cares very dearly for our kids, and her passion for teaching is demonstrated by all the meaningful things she does for them. She plans field trips on days we are not in school, she makes each child their very own special t-shirt for their birthday and presents them with a gift and a bible. The list could go on and on.

We have been blessed to have such a wonderful teacher and even better person. She truly is a blessing from God. After 20 years of teaching at Mount Pisgah, she has decided that this year will be her final one. In January she became a grandmother for the first time. As you might imagine, she does not want to miss a single moment. She will be missed but always remembered!

Here are some pictures from the party:

Holden's memory book

Summer "Fishy" buckets for Holden's friends.

Born To Ride?

This picture/post is for Dad-Daddy...




In case you can not see what is written on Rylan's shirt, it says "Born To Ride". A vintage Harley Davidson shirt my friend Cheryl gave us. When I picked Holden up today from school, he asked where was his motorcycle shirt. I guess you have two boys willing to ride with you some day. Not sure Momma is ready though!

Dodgers Last Game

Our first season of T-ball has ended. And what a season it has been. I am not certain that Holden understands the concept of running the bases after hitting the ball, but he has perfected his batting stance. I do know that he had a lot of fun and provided everyone with a good laugh or two by the way he goes after each ball that is hit, pointing when and where he is going to throw the ball, posing before he gets up to bat and running back to the dugout after he touches first base.

As a treat to our Dodgers, we had a little celebration for the kids after the game. They enjoyed their pizza and cookies. Each boy received a trophy for their great effort and hard work.

Week of Activities

What a week! Holden's preschool class has had a jam packed week of activities.

Monday and Tuesday were busy talking about the exciting things everyone is doing this summer.

Wednesday, was our Bearamy Party at Build-A-Bear. Our party was suppose to start at 10:00 am, (when the mall opened). Mrs. Jan made reservations weeks ago and sent out invitations to each child for the party. Well, we all showed up at 10:00 and the store was not open. Along with 2 other employees we waited, and waited as you can imagine 14 3 & 4 year old's do NOT wait patiently! We were waiting on the manager with the only key to open the gate...thankfully Northpoint Mall has a play center, so the kids could play while we waited. I really was not thrilled about this, since I ALWAYS avoid the play center because it just screams...GERMS! However, we did not have a choice. After waiting until 11:15, yes, an hour and 15 minutes later, the manager showed up, our party started! The kids were so excited to get their very own Bearamy! If you have not been to Build-A-Bear, let me tell you, it can cost a small fortune to make a bear and buy an outfit. Lucky for us, since the manager was so late, everyone was allowed to choose whatever bear they liked and a shirt, on the house. I would hate to have to be the one who explains why 14 kids received them for free. After everyone finished their bears, we enjoyed lunch and a Carousel ride.

On Thursday, the class participated in Field Day. Let's see, they got to do so much:
-Chalk, bubbles, & a bean bag toss
-Relay Race, trying to make a goal off Ms. Jan, Sack race, & running around the field
-Hot Potato with Ms. Mary Anne
-Crafts with Ms. Patty
-Tattoo fun and Popsicles
Whew! Then the presentation of the ribbons.

Everyone did a great job and had lots of fun! (The pictures were sent from school so here is the link to Shutterfly if you would like to see all the fun!)

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8CYtGbZm1cNWi&emid=sharshar&linkid=link5&cid=EMsharshar

Parade of Nations

The Parade of Nations is very similar to the closing ceremonies of the Olympics. It is a gathering and an opportunity for both T-ball and soccer teams to participate in the grand celebration of sport. This past Friday night was the Annual Parade of Nations.

The soccer teams are named after countries while the T-ball teams are named after MLB baseball teams such as the Dodgers (our team), Braves, Cubs, and Yankees. Each team has their own flag, and every child carries a small team banner. After the introduction, the players march around the field. When the parade is finished, we enjoyed a cookout featuring hotdogs, hamburgers, chips, and dessert provided by the church cooking team. The celebration was so much fun and such a great idea for the teams and their families. The last game of the inaugural season is next Saturday, May 16th at 11:30. The boys will be receiving trophies for their hard work. If you would like a great laugh, come join us and cheer for our Dodgers!!

Update-We have baby birds!

Just in time for Mother's Day...the baby birds arrived. Actually, I think they arrived a couple of days ago. However, with all the rain that we had, we have not been in the backyard to check on them until today.

Aren't they cute!

Boots and a Bicycle

Yes, I know this is not the safest way to practice riding a bike! But Holden would ONLY wear cowboy boots today. And he was determined to ride his bike once the rain stopped.

The real picture should have been of me. Picture it...I had Rylan on my hip, (his favorite place to be), the camera, and I was trying to run to stay close just in case he fell. If you can imagine-what a sight! But a better picture is of a Holden in his boot riding his bike. He is such a boy!

What To Do Wednesday...

With the chances of going to the park vanishing as the rain continued today. I tried to think of something to do. We decided to paint rocks. I know, not very creative but Holden loved it. Plus, it kept him busy for a long time!

Rylan enjoyed watching too.

Once the rain let up, we found the perfect place to set the painted rocks. (I think they look like Easter Eggs!) While we were outside I noticed that my rose bush was blooming. Somehow my curse of not having a green thumb has not rubbed of on this bush. Thank goodness!

Now, Ms. Jan and Ms. Julie will be receiving some flowers in honor of Mother's Day. Seeing that they "mother" Holden 3 days a week. However, I could not find matching vases to use at the house. Hence, the mason jars will just have to do. A little country chic.

If the rain holds off, we might make it to the park tomorrow.

We've Graduated To The Duck...

Rylan is completely steady sitting up now. So I decided it was time to move him from the baby bathtub to what we like to call "the duck." With his new found freedom, and not to mention space, he is now loving his bath and bath toys.

However, bath time would not be complete without Holden jumping in to take his bath in "the duck." He always thinks he is missing out on something! Now, somehow, he is taking two baths. First bath in "the duck" and then his real bath in his bath tub. I think he is actually just trying to prolong not going to bed, but I could be mistaken.

Derby Day

Some of our friends in the neighborhood have an annual Kentucky Derby Party, complete with horse betting, hat contest, mint juleps, and lots and lots of food.

As you can see my boys did not want to wear their hats...and so much for a picture. Oh, well at least we tried!

I forgot to take pictures of the party since the camera was in the diaper bag. Even though our horses did not win, fun was had by all.