Will's Birthday Party

Abby and Beau sitting on top of a huge bale of hay.

Beau taking his pumpkin to Mee-Mee.

Beau riding a tractor at the pumpkin patch. Yes, he threw a fit when we took him off of it.

The birthday boy and his smash cake.

Abby and Beau petting the animals.

Abby showing Will around on the farm. What are cousins for? The beautiful cake - made by Aunt Ann.

This past weekend Michael and Courtney came into town to celebrate my nephew Will's 1st birthday. They had a party at a pumpkin patch near town. It was so much fun, and it was the most beautiful weather (after raining all week). The kids had a great time! It is always so good to get all of families together! Happy Birthday, Will!

New House - Again

Abby and Beau enjoying some popcorn and a movie.

So, this is a picture of the second new house. Since the first house fell through, we went for our back up plan number 1. Just pray for us that we don't have to have another back up plan. That could be a (big) problem. We actually really liked this house when we visited last time, and we are very happy to have the contract signed on it! It is contingent upon inspection - which should be done sometime this week, so please pray that goes well, also! It is one level, hardwood, cute porch, etc. If anyone is interested in a virtual tour go to

http://vt.realbiz360.com/MLS-21371.html

We definitely will have a little more work to do on this one, but the kitchen is nice and updated and the kids have nice big rooms, as well as an office for Toby. It's all good! We are excited. One of the first things we will be having done is having the outside painted, though. Any ideas for color schemes. I think it is a little drab now. The bushes in the front will be removed also - just an fyi. I think I would like to paint the door black and put some black wicker on the front if I could find some for cheap. Should I keep the rest of the house yellow and white - just a little brighter? Change the colors? Incorporate another color? Any ideas, you artists out there?

House News

For anyone that may not already know, the house that I have posted below is no longer going to be our house. The contract for the people we were buying that house from fell through b/c their contract fell through on the house they were buying. Great. I know....We decided to make an offer on another house that we had liked on our last visit down, and we are waiting to come to a final price negotiation right now. I'll keep ya'll posted and post a picture of that house if we get it!
In other news, we are headed to Johnson City this weekend to visit Toby's family one last time before the move and to attend Toby's (and Michael's) 5 year medical school reunion. I am excited about the trip, but have to admit I am glad this will be the last of the traveling (hopefully) until we move in November. We are kind of tired and have lots of packing to do! My last day of work will be 2 days before Halloween, then I will focus on packing. Sounds like fun, doesn't it?
The kids are doing well and we are just trying to get in as much fun as we can with friends and family before we leave. Thanks so much to everyone for being so supportive of us during such a big change in our lives. We are talking about going ahead and putting full/queen size beds in both of the kids' rooms when we move- therefore- there should be plenty of room for visitors anytime! I am starting to get a little sentimental about leaving as the time gets closer. I know we will miss everyone so much, as well as our jobs, school, church - all of these things that are so familiar and comfortable! I am bracing myself for an adventure where everything and everyone is new. It still does not seem real! Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we start this new chapter in our lives.
I was going to post a few pictures of the kids but for some reason I can't get my pictures to come up. Who knows...I'll try to post some soon...

Mission Accomplished

Here is a quick picture (not a great one, but you get the idea) of our new house to be! Toby and I made the long haul southwest to our future hometown to try and find a house this last weekend. We drove around all day Saturday visiting many, many houses and most of Sunday with our realtor. Luckily, we ran across this house that was for sale by owner on our way to get coffee Sunday morning! It is a great house - very solid with a cute little fenced in backyard for the kids to play in. It also has the good ol' garage that is a must have for Toby. The floors are all hardwood and the house has beautiful windows that go all the way from the floor to the ceiling almost! There is lots of closet space. The only thing we are not crazy about is the kitchen - but it is nothing that a little work won't fix! (A fresh coat of paint and some new counter tops is all it needs really - all of the appliances are very new and up to date...) We are really excited to have this (mostly) taken care of. It is just a couple of miles from both of the hospitals Toby will work at and a few blocks from Abby's school. You could literally walk on a nice day! We are very excited and wanted to share our good news. I'll wait and post pictures of the inside when it has our stuff in it!!

Honeysuckle Farm

How cute is this picture? They are all getting a good look at the pigs. There were three pig houses in the back of the pen (you can see two of them in the picture) - straw, sticks and brick!

Beau and Lola holding hands and trying to decide where to go next...so much to see...

Abby, Beau and I after lunch. Beau is still working on a chicken nugget. Behind us where the flags are is where they had the pig races. They were really funny to watch run around. I'm not sure the kids knew quite what to think.

Niki, Austin and Lola in front of the pig pen. Lola was so good about keeping her hat on. Beau just yanks his off and throws it on the ground.

They have a couple of milking cows set up for the kids to "milk the cows" - its pretty realistic and the kids loved doing that.

Lola at the swings. That big thing set up behind her with the tires is a huge sand box. We managed to keep our kids out of that, though...thank goodness!

Beau trying to carry his pumpkin. A fall shortly followed this picture. He and Lola just couldn't quite keep their balance and walk with the pumpkins. It was pretty funny.

Niki's cousin that worked at the farm helped Abby find a great pumpkin!

Our motley crew - of course Beau is the only one not looking at the camera!


Well, today Niki and I packed up our four kids, strollers, snacks, lunch, drinks, jackets, hats, cameras, purses, etc. etc. and headed out to Honeysuckle Farm in Joelton. We try and go every year in the fall, and sometimes in the spring for Easter. The kids love it, and it is fun to look at pictures from the past and compare them to now to see how much they have changed (and how many we have added)! Honeysuckle Farm is a great place - they have tons of different animals for the kids to pet and learn about, as well as a lot of fun activities - corn maze, hay ride, playground, etc. The kids had a great time and got to pick out their own pumpkins before we left to go home. I'm going to have to drive quite a long distance next year to keep up the tradition! Thanks for going with us again Niki, Austin and Lola! Happy Fall everyone!

My Man

My Man
1. Who is your man? Toby
2. How long have you been together? including dating, about 8
3. How long dated? 1 1/2 years
4. How old is your man? 32
5. Who eats more? Toby most of the time, but I have to admit I have eaten more than him on occasion
6. Who said "I love you" first? Toby (actually he said, "I think I am falling in love with you" - he will be so embarrassed if he reads this...)
7. Who is taller? Toby
8. Who sings better? oooh, neither of us are very good
9. Who is smarter? Toby by leaps and bounds
10. Whose temper is worse? Toby's is worse when he finally looses it (we're talking throwing things at the TV because the Vols are loosing), but I nag and complain more as well as have a very quick tongue (I am trying to work on that, though)
11. Who does the laundry? all me
12. Who takes out the garbage? Toby, unless he forgets. Then its me.
13. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? me
14. Who pays the bills? Toby
15. Who is better with the computer? Toby by leaps and bounds
16. Who mows the lawn? Toby He has a VERY green thumb like his daddy, and he is very picky about the yard.
17. Who cooks dinner? Me about 95% of the time (unless grilling)
18. Who drives when you are together? about 50/50
19. Who pays when you go out? His money is my money and mine is his, so it doesn't really matter who pays when we go out. It comes from the same place...
20. Who is most stubborn? probably me, but we're both pretty stubborn
21. Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? usually Toby unless I just know I am dead wrong
22. Whose parents do you see the most? my mom
23. Who kissed who first? Toby kissed me, although we argue about that one. Our memories seem to differ on that one...
24. Who asked who out? Toby - he drove all the way in from Johnson City his first year of medical school on a weekend to take me TGI Fridays and back to his friend's apartment to watch There's Something About Mary
25. Who proposed? Toby - we were meeting for a weekend at my Aunt Ramona's house in Knoxville. I beat him there. When I got there the house was empty (no aunt, no nieces and nephews like there usually were). There was a bottle of wine chilling on the counter. I wondered, but thought it was something for my aunt later? I plopped down on the couch and watched TV until I heard Toby pull in. He opened the door and before I even turned to see him a little yorkie ran by the couch. I thought he had let a neighbor's dog in, but he proceeded to tell me he had bought me a dog! I was (very) surprised, but happy about this. The dog, however, had different feelings. It was terrified to be there (as it had just been give shots, groomed, and ridden for 2 hours in a truck with Toby). It ran and hid and had diarrhea on the floor in my aunt's piano room! After we cleaned that up we were sitting on the cough and I was holding and petting the dog. Toby kept asking me what I was going to name it. I kept saying I didn't know and suggesting different names. Toby (finally) suggested I check the tag he was wearing - maybe that had a name on it? The tag around his neck was a red heart that said "I love you. Will you marry me?" I was like, "Oh! Oh! Oh my gosh! Oh! I get it!" He got on his knee then and said, "I brought you something else,too." Then he pulled the ring out of his pocket. Of course, I said yes and the rest is history. Poor Toby, we laugh about it until this day. The plan was for the dog to run in and jump in my lap and me read the tag. He had to spell it out for his air headed wife to be, though. Such a romantic guy, though. I am a luck girl!
26. Who is more sensitive? definitely me-I cry at anything, commercials, movies, anything...
27. Who has more friends? I think we both have a good amount of great friends
28.Who has more siblings? 2 older brothers. Toby has one little sister
29. Who wears the pants in the family? I think we both have one leg in

Whew - I tag Amber, Courtney, Christine, Heather Mc, and Pamela

Pigeon Forge 2007

Michael and Courtney in Neyland Stadium after the game. That is the Tennessee River behind them with the "Vol Navy" on the water.

Toby, Abby and I after the game. Nice and sweaty...but the Vols won so it was all worth it!

Much to her mother's dismay Abby is dead set on being a cheerleader in both the near and far futures. Her daddy was nice enough to walk her down to where they were cheering in the 4th quarter and let her see them up close. He said 3 or 4 of them ran up and have her high fives and they all waved to her and made a big to-do over her. She loved that, of course. She told Toby that they had to stay down there until the game was all the way over.

She can not get enough of the cheerleaders... Waiting, waiting, waiting for the game to begin...

Enjoying a candy necklace in the shade before the game. Some nice (drunken) Vol offered to take our picture and then couldn't figure out if she had pressed the camera button or not. It was pretty funny...

Pregame back at the condo. A few more years and Beau will be going right along with us, I'm sure!

Beau taking a swim in the tub. I'm not sure why his lips look purple in this picture...

The 3 cousins playing together. Aren't they cute. Abby helped take care of Will and entertain him all weekend. She will be quite the babysitter some day if I do say so myself! I think her favorite part of the trip was getting to see her cousin. Beau like Will, too. He continues to try and hug him by laying on top of him. Will is never quite sure what to do. Beau doesn't quite know what to do when Will screams at him while he eats (because he wants a bite of whatever it is Beau happens to be eating at the moment). These three are hilarious together. I'm sure it will get even funnier as time goes on...

Papaw (Toby's dad) playing with Will on the porch of the condo. Will liked his mustache a lot!

Uncle Michael hanging with Will and Abby. They had just gotten there and Abby was soooo excited to see them!

Abby putting Beau's hat on on Aunt Jody. Abby thinks it is hilarious and proceeded to tell her how big her head was.

This weekend we had a great time in Pigeon Forge compliments of Papaw Smith. This is either the 3rd or 4th year in a row we have done this one weekend in October. It is so much fun to get together with family and enjoy a weekend filled with food, family and a great UT game! Thursday night we arrived fairly late. The condo is always so nice and roomy, and this year was no exception. Thank-you, Papaw! Jody and I went to Walmart after Grey's Anatomy and stocked up on groceries for the weekend. Friday we went to the Apple Barn for brunch and then we enjoyed a fun filled day of great shopping while the guys stayed at the condo with the kiddies. The intent was to get a lot of Christmas shopping done. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. I bought ONE Christmas gift. How sad is that? I have got to get on the ball! Anyways, Saturday morning Toby's friend Jammey came up and took our pictures (essentialmomentsphotography.com) for us - thank-you Jammey!! Then it was off to the UT game. We had a great time catching up with old friends and watching UT beat Georgia! It was Abby's first official UT game. I think she had a lot of fun although it was very hot and tiring! As seen above, her favorite part of the game was the cheerleaders. Thanks for the great tickets, Aunt Ramona! The biggest shout out goes to Aunt Jody who stayed back at the condo in Pigeon Forge watching the two boys. THANKS AUNT JODY! You are the best!! It was another great weekend in Pigeon Forge, and I can't wait until next year when we go again! (Although it will be a much longer drive...I'll worry about that next year...)

Busted Lips

Last week both of my children fell and busted their lips within hours of one another. Beau went down the slide backwards and on his stomach on the playground and his face hit the bottom of the slide as he landed. In typical Beau fashion he got up and kept on playing. Abby was actually jumping and singing "5 little monkeys jumping on the bed" (really, I'm not lying...) as she fell off of the bed and busted hers! She, of course, cried and cried and went and looked in the mirror and cried some more...

Night Night

Aunt Ramona sent Abby a bunch of Erica's old Barbies. Abby has toted them all around at once and thinks it is the neatest thing that they once belonged to Erica. She thinks Erica hung the moon...

Daddy reading Beau and Abby a Dora book before bed.

Always brush your teeth before bed!