Quality Time with the Cousins

The last few days have been great fun. Aunt Cathy and the kids came to visit us from Kentucky! My girls had it made with all kinds of girlie attention thrown their way by their older cousins. It is so much fun watching all the cousins interact and bond. My big hope is that they can somehow move here so we can see them all the time! While they were here, we went swimming at Maryland Farms, saw a concert at Cheekwood, explored the Discovery Center at Murfree Spring, attended the Celebration of Freedom at our church complete with fireworks, and walked around the Franklin on the Fourth. A wonderful time was had by all and we hope that our dear cousins will return again soon.

Coffee Kids

Before anyone calls Child Protective Services on me, they are actually sipping chocolate milks.

Cheekwood Botanical Gardens

Mimi and Poppa gave our family a pass to Cheekwood so the girls and I packed a picnic lunch and set off on another fun day adventure. Natalie was our guide as we hiked the sculpture trail. The girls were excited to turn each corner and discover yet more sculptures. Their favorites were the little animals that they could sit on.

It may be my imagination but I think my little Natalie is growing again, both emotionally and physically. She has been very helpful with me lately at the stores and in staying close by. She also has started helping me to calm her little sister and make her happy. Now don't get me wrong, she of course still has her moments of tyrannical three year old-ness but I am starting to see a light at the end of that tunnel and a glimpse to age 4. Very exciting!
We found a nice little gazebo to eat our lunch in amongst the beauty.
All in all, the girls hiked the entire trail and more. A great time was had by all!

Noelle's Birthday Festivities

It has been a roller coaster of a birthday for our now 2 year old little girl. We started the festivities off on Thursday at The Monkey's Tree house with our little friends Jackson and Gavin. After a whole lot of monkey business, the troops moved and set up camp at nearby McDonald's where we had lunch and monkey cupcakes. On Friday evening, we brought more monkey cupcakes to a summer concert to share while the girls danced to catchy kid tunes. Then on Saturday, we attended the RC Cola and Moon Pie Festival which was tons of people outside in sticky 100 degree weather, all eating sugar covered and fried foods. Thus, it was pretty fun! We finally finished up the celebration at Noelle's favorite restaurant; Old Spaghetti Factory where she happily tore into her mac n' cheese and ice cream. What I haven't mentioned is that Noelle exhibited symptoms of a festive birthday stomach virus after being at Monkey's Tree house. The problem was that it seemed to come and go at will, for 8 hours or more at a time, so it left me thinking that maybe it was just too much junk food. This makes us thankful that our kids are hardly ever sick. Well, happy birthday and get well soon Monkey!

Noelle is almost 2!

In anticipation of Noelle's second birthday next Sunday, I have created a montage of her last year, age 12 months to 24 months. Hope you enjoy viewing it as much as our family does!

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Mud Pies

So today I took the girls to Edwin Warner Park Nature Center where we had signed up for a mud pie activity program. It was a huge hit with both the girls. We don't have any dainty dirt haters here in our family! Natalie and Noelle were actually the only ones from about 20 kids to sit in the mud puddles instead of simply play in them. After playing in the mud, the Nature docents took us all on a creature hunt in a nearby creek (that we walked through). Our group found tiny crawdads, strider bugs, a baby water snake (luckily not IN the water with us) and eventually a salamander. Noelle happily picked up rocks and sticks while walking through the creek. The next activity was the making of actual mud pies. By this point, Natalie was visibly uncomfortable in her very damp and dirty clothing. After telling the docent that she made a "cat mud pie" we decided it was time to call it a morning. After a nice warm strawberry bubble bath and lunch at home, my girls are off to what I hope will be a very quiet time/nap experience. We can't wait to sign up for more of these programs in the future!
The Before Picture..


Nothing Stops Miss Natalie from a Chance to get Messy!


Noelle Digs the Mud Too..


Natalie in her Element


Certainly Sisters


Noelle the Nature Girl



A Walk in the Creek


Happiness is Being a Muddy Three Year Old

Now in Nashville

I am happy to report that our family has relocated successfully to Nashville. We left all in one car on a late Wednesday afternoon and arrived in Nashville on the next Sunday night (night before Memorial Day) very late. On the way to Nashville, we ate at many a Cracker Barrel, visited with Grandma Diane and Grandpa Ted, explored the Alberquerque Air Balloon Museum, and a park in Memphis. Other than that, we were basically stuck in the same rain storm during the entire trip over. Although we made it to Nashville on Monday, we did not get to see our moving truck arrive until the following Saturday. I hadn't realized how much I took baby gates, television, toys, and beds for granted. The girls ran loudly (hardwood floors thoughout the new place) around the entire place and had to invent new games to entertain each other or to tick off their parents. Now though we still live in a sea of boxes, I am ok because the baby gates are up, the toys are out, the television is happily buzzing during those times when Mama needs a minute, and (heavenly angels singing) my wonderful husband has set up the internet and my computer.
You may ask what we have been up to since we couldn't be unpacking all last week and I will tell you that we have been fairly productive. I immediately mapquested the closest Super Target and Super Wal-mart and gleefully raced though the aisles with those "super-carts" they have there where the kids can be latched in as well. We also toured the YMCAs near us and decided to join both (the universal pass) because while the closest one is good enough, the one about 25 minutes away is a country club. It actually WAS a country club and they changed it into a Y. Imagine, you enter through two doors on a rocking chair covered porch to find a front desk in front of you and behind that, a Subway Sandwich shop IN THE Y! There are also many indoor and outdoor tennis courts, awesome daycare, spin classes, a movie theater workout room that plays a different movie every day on a large screen, and finally, the coolest pool for kids outside ever! It has splash areas galore, an outside tunnel style playground, waterslides for old and young kids, a beach style lagoon, kiddie pool and snack shack called "Pirates Cove." We have of course been already to the pool several times.
In some more of our furnitureless free time, I found the perfect bunk bed on craigslist for Natalie. It looks like one of those kinds that you would find at summer camp. The old wood ones that will outlive all of us. It has a full bed on the bottom and twin on the top and Natalie adores it. She sleeps on the top of course. Noelle meanwhile is very frustrated since she can't quite climb to the top yet. This is a good thing since she would run right off the top gleefully if given the chance. Another thing that I have done is to discover some of the parks and trails around here. This place is basically teeming with life and it is so nice to have huge trees all over the place. Natalie, Noelle and I took a picnic lunch to a nearby park yesterday and hiked a trail. We saw butterflies, a salamander (I think) and lots of red tailed hawks. Earlier in the week, we met up with my friend Jennifer and her kids and went to a Discovery Center out near where she lives. Not only is the Discovery Center incredible, but they have a wetland walk adjacent to the center which is really neat. I spotted two Northern water snakes. The girls won't be swimming in the creeks and streams here any time soon!
We also got to visit with family here which was very nice and we hope to visit with them again soon. We are so grateful to have the living situation that we do here and look forward to many happy family memories. I am sure there are a lot of other things that I have forgotten to mention. Even though it has been an emotional rollercoaster, I feel that things may finally be settling into what I hope soon will be a perfect life for our family. Today Natalie asked me "Momma, do you like living here?" I asked her back "Do you mean do I like living in Nashville? Yes, I do, Honey.. Do you like living here Natalie?" She smiled, probably thinking of the pool all morning and said "Yeah."

Our family at the Alberqueque Air Balloon Museum


A Family get-together at Cracker Barrel, a beloved family restaurant

Chris and the girls in Memphis with Elvis

The girls invent new games in the empty house

Noelle rings the dinner bell at a park playhouse

The girls take a break from hiking and eat their lunches off the trail

Hiking in paradise

Bunk Buddies

The Cowboy Hat

The other day during a break from packing, I went thrift store bargain hunting and discovered a sweet little children's cowboy hat. Every kid in Nashville ought to have a cowboy hat right? Noelle discovered it at home, flipped it up onto her head, looked at me with her big blue eyes and exclaimed "AHOY!" I think we have a lot to learn..

Limbo Lost, Direction Found

For nearly a year and a half, our family had been stuck in limbo. My husband's stable job was lost in January of '08 and since then our future had been completely up in the air. Making future plans was impossible. A feeling of dread and helplessness couldn't help but seep into our lives. Job interviews would pop up and tease us with their possibilities only to then not come through. It was a roller coaster of ups and downs as we attempted to the best of our abilities to remain positive and optimistic that we would get over this long period of unemployment. Well, I am very happy to report that our limbo is finally alleviated. My husband has a job offer. In less than a month, our family is headed for our new life in Nashville Tennessee! C. will be teaching high school math which is something he has always been interested in doing. We have a direction at last!
I am sure it will be a change going from life in Southern California to life in Nashville. I have never lived in the South before but I am excited about all the great things I hear about Nashville. We have been craving an easier life and also a slower paced life. While living in Southern California certainly has it's merits, it also has it's costs. Mortgages are through the roof, job competition is fierce, and neighbors don't necessarily help each other out or even know each other's names. I am looking forward to finding new trails to explore, new festivals to experience, and new churches to attend, but first we have to say goodbye to all that we love here in our present home. Goodbye to living close to my mom and dad, and brother's family. Goodbye to oranges and guavas growing in my backyard. Goodbye to an awesome playgroup, MOPS, preschool, and all our close friends. Goodbye to our beautiful house which we previously thought we would grow old in. Goodbyes are hard, but honestly, limbo was a lot harder. Instead of bobbing aimlessly in an ocean, it is as if we are now swimming toward an island. Please stay tuned for what we discover there.

The Girls these Days

Natalie's Common Phrases:
1. (After being scolded) But I was just.. (substitute lame excuse here)
2. I said..(current demand at that minute)!!
3. Momma/Dada, I have a question..
4. Be quiet Noelle!
5. Today? (Questioning about a fun activity discussed for future)

Noelle's Common Phrases:
1. I help you!
2. It's old. (in reference to her milk once it is empty)
3. I touch it? (in reference to EVERYTHING)
4. Milk peas!
5. I do!

Some Funny Recent Antics:
1. Natalie said "I'm an anteater. I eat ants!" Since I am used to Natalie saying she is all kinds of animals I said "Yes, you are an anteater." As her grin broadened I noticed something between her two front teeth.. a dead ant!

2. Noelle was in the car with me while Natalie was in preschool. As I looked in the rear view mirror, I saw Noelle pinch her own belly and then yell "Momma, Nah-ee pinch me!" Ah, already a master of the blame-sister game!

3. As Natalie was picking up plastic Easter eggs that she was playing with she said "Momma, me and Noelle are egg officers!"

4. Noelle spotted a toll booth style building and exclaimed "Look Momma, a baby house!" Then she saw some sort of factory with large cylinder shaped structures and said "Look Momma, big drums!"

5. Natalie in the car randomly said "Momma, I am not a fan of wipes..I am a fan of candy!"

Likes and Dislikes for Natalie:
Likes pink, cats, dogs, The Nutcracker, baths, and the spinning poles at parks
Dislikes eggs, not being the center of attention, automatic flush toilets

Likes and Dislikes for Noelle:
Likes monkeys, bubbles, balls, trucks and tractors, and doing things herself
Dislikes bread, sharing, time out, wearing shoes, and staying in the stroller

The Best Thing about Natalie Right Now: Her creativity and sense of humor
The Best Thing about Noelle Right Now: Her affection and curiosity about the world