Hammons Family Happenings

Four Generations

2011-01-13T17:53:00.004-06:00

On August 1st, we were in Cleveland, GA for a family gathering with the Gurley side of the family (my maternal grandfather's). Since we were all there and looking decent, we decided to take a four generations photo with my Granny, my Mom, Ellie, and myself. We had taken some of these right after Ellie was born, but I'm so glad we took another!

July 2010

2011-01-13T10:58:00.003-06:00

July was another jam-packed month, but the main focus of our whole month was our trip to the beach. We were so excited to receive an invitation to my cousin Kelli's wedding at the beach and since we'd never taken the kids to the beach before, they were doubly excited. All three of the kids loved it! Sam tested our limits a bit by venturing our farther and farther into the ocean, but at least his swimming skills improved! Jack stayed a little closer to the beach and really enjoyed building castles with his Uncle Mike. We took a little pool for Ellie and she played in it for HOURS without complaint. The beach was beautiful, the wedding was beautiful - all in all, the best trip we've had in a long time.

June 2010

2011-01-12T22:58:00.004-06:00

June had us moving and shaking all over the place! We went on a great trip with one of Aaron's brothers and his family to Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg and had a fantastic time at Dollywood. Sam was finally old enough to have his first solo go-cart ride. Our month was filled with a few other firsts too - Ellie's first lollipop, and yes, even her first pigtails. Thankfully, her hair is much longer now and mommy can put it up much faster. Our life is now filled with hair bows galore and I love every minute of it! I also got to see a DOUBLE RAINBOW! It wasn't my first, and I hope it won't be my last, but still, it was amazing!

In Memory

2011-01-12T21:05:00.004-06:00

As a separate post, I wanted to pay tribute to the family of Shane Malone and the entire Storm team. Sam was privileged to be on the same baseball team with Shane and was honored to call him friend. Shane was died tragically in an accident in April 2010 and while it was a very difficult time for the entire team, it truly made us a family. This picture was taken with the banner that will reside at the Shane Aaron Malone field at Central School and with the EMCRA. Shane and his family will forever be in our memories and prayers.

May 2010

2011-01-12T20:59:00.004-06:00

May was a very busy month in our house. The boys both had wonderful seasons of baseball come to a close - Sam in coach/kid pitch and Jack in instructional t-ball. The end of school came way to fast and both our boys made us so proud on awards day. Sam finished first grade on the A/B honor roll and Jack completed Pre-K with flying colors. Once again we were blessed with the most wonderful teachers and we're forever grateful for their time and patience with our boys. Ellie started off the month with chicken pox, but ended it completely healthy and discovered the joy of swinging for the first time. Sam played in his first piano recital (and my first spring recital as a teacher, too!) and did exceptionally well. Finally, we ended the month at the Cotton Row Run where I completed my first 10K and the boys did the 1 mile fun run. Whew!

Ellie's 1st birthday party

2011-01-12T19:27:00.004-06:00

We had a grand time at Ellie's first birthday party. She got way too many presents and had way too much fun with her birthday cupcake, but it was fantastic to share such a special occasion with so many of our friends and family. I had my first foray in fondant usage and I think I was pretty smart to pick a nice, simple polka dot theme. Not too bad if I do say so myself! Ellie got what continue to be some of her favorite toys, and some of my favorite clothes for her - including the cutest pair of kicks you've ever seen! She devoured her cupcake so well that she ended up in the bathtub before we could even go home. All in all, a wonderful way to celebrate a wonderful first year of life for my little ladybug!

No More Worries!

2011-01-12T19:22:00.004-06:00

So, in an effort to ease my conscience about just exactly how behind I am with my blog, I've decided to make some big collages and group as much together as possible. I'm new with collages, so bear with me if these first few are pretty basic and boring. I'll work on it! So, I'm starting with last Easter (yes, I am that far behind). We had a lovely Sunday and enjoyed a yummy dinner at my Mom's house. We usually get a family picture, but for some reason I can't find any right away. So, here's some of at least the kids - they looked marvelous! That's lovely Aunt Karrie with Ellie on the bottom right. We had a great time doing an Easter Egg Hunt at New Market Baptist to spend some extra time with the family too.

Love

2010-09-24T09:54:00.003-05:00

I love the craziness that is my life right now. I love that from 6am until 11pm I'm running around with hardly any time to eat or sleep or do anything except wipe runny noses or change dirty diapers. I love watching my boys play soccer and football and losing my voice cheering for them. I love being responsible for teaching each of my children almost everything they will learn about how to be good, ethical, hard-working people. I love walking by my refrigerator and seeing the chore charts covered up with stickers. I love that my house is always cluttered with toys and cleats, backpacks and baseball hats, baby dolls and dirty laundry. I love watching my little girl finally start really walking and then laugh at herself because she's having so much fun in something so simple. I love the way our house doesn't really feel like home until Aaron walks in at the end of the day. I love that I have so many pictures from the last few months that I never have time to download them and update this blog! I love that Heavenly Father has given me this amazing family and the energy to keep up with them. Love, love, love.

I want one!

2010-08-05T16:12:00.001-05:00

This looks absolutely FABULOUS! I definitely want one ASAP!

http://www.sugardoodle.net/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6344

A Rough Start...

2010-05-10T13:08:00.003-05:00

Ellie's first month as a one-year old has been a rough one to say the least. It got started with a bit of a tumble at Mom's house. She's pulling up on everything and one of her favorite places to do it is on the window ledges at Mom's. They're really low to the ground and allow her to see out the window, which she loves. So, Aaron and I were out for the night and all three kids were at Mom's and from what we can figure (Sam was the only one that actually saw her fall), she slipped, caught her cheek on the window ledge on the way down, and then smacked down on her hand, REALLY hard. She ended up with a lovely bruise on her cheek and by the next morning, a really swollen hand. We were so worried about her hand that I took her in for x-rays the next day. No breaks - just really bruised, but since her bones are completely formed yet and much of her hand is cartilage, the entire thing was bruised and looked terrible. We wrapped it up for a few days to help with the swelling and to keep her from hitting it again and while it looks much better now, more than two weeks later, you can still see the bruising across her knuckles and it's still a little sensitive to the touch.

Our next trip to the doctor was early Saturday morning when Ellie woke up covered in red welps - yep, it's chicken pox. She was scheduled to get her first dose of the vaccine in two months, but she was evidently exposed at some point in the last week. We're really not sure where she got them because she doesn't come in actual physical contact with many other kids, but nonetheless, she's covered. I think it's a pretty mild case, hardly any on her arms and legs, but it's still no fun. She had a few that looked infected, so the doctor put her on an antibiotic just in case, some eye drops for her left eye that also looked really red, and a prescription-strength antihistamine to help with the itching. Thankfully, the antihistamine seems to be working really well because she's not scratching at all. She's such a trooper, but it's so hard to see her pretty little face covered up with those nasty bumps. Poor little thing! Let's hope the other 11 months of her first year turn out a little better!

Let's Go Strawberry Pickin'!

2010-05-10T12:42:00.002-05:00

At the end of April, Ellie and I got to go with Jack on his very first field trip. We went to Brown's Farm and picked strawberries. We had so much fun and the strawberries were delicious! Jack even managed to talk me into checking him out and bringing him home after the trip was over - the little rascal! I'm not sure if he had more fun picking the strawberries or one his very first bus ride, but nonetheless, it was a great day!

My Little Artist

2010-04-22T13:41:00.003-05:00

In March, Sam was chosen as one of about 20 kids from New Market to display a piece of artwork in the Huntsville Museum of Art Children's Gallery. He completed this piece when they were studying Picasso. He's always loved to draw and paint and it's amazing to watch his talent grow as well as his excitement to show us his work at the museum. We are truly proud of our little man!

One!

2010-04-20T21:17:00.007-05:00

My little angel is one! It is completely unbelievable how fast this past year flew by and while I can't help but be a little sad that my "baby" is quickly becoming anything but a baby, I'm so excited for all the days, weeks, and years ahead that she can grow into a beautiful young lady. Aside from the nasty little case of separation anxiety we've been going through, Ellie has a wonderful personality and is the light of our little home. She absolutely adores her brothers and can't stop grinning when they enter the room or even when she sees a picture of them. They always return the favor with a quick hug or tickle - makes a mommy smile! At one year, Ellie:

weighs in at 18 lbs, 1 oz (5 - 10th%) and 28 3/4 inches long (40th%)
is crawling all over the place and is pulling up, but doesn't really act that interested in walking - she doesn't really need to when she has two big brothers to get her anything she could possibly want!
is quite a momma's girl - this is kinda new to me - I wasn't home the entire first year with either of the boys, so a longer-than-seems-normal separation anxiety phase is new, but we're working on it! If anyone wants to volunteer to keep a sweet, adorable little girl that might potentially fuss the entire time I'm gone, let me know! In all actuality, I think she's fine when I leave, she just fusses if I'm in the room and she's not with me - ugh!
is still learning to love new foods, and while she digs crunchy stuff - cheerios, goldfish, any kind of cracker - she's a little more apprehensive about things like chunk meat and veggies. She doesn't seem to be very picky though - a plus!
has an expanding vocabulary - she's started repeating things that we say and even said "my birthday?" on her birthday itself - so cute!
loves, loves, loves chocolate - that's my girl!
adores music of any kind - she dances when a good beat comes on, sings along with me when I sing to her, tries to play the piano ALL the time, and bops her head if she's in her car seat and can't shake her little hiney. I love this about her!
squeals, smiles, and crawls as fast as she can to her daddy as soon as he walks in the door - I tear up every time.
truly completes our family - you know that feeling where it's just right - yep, that's us.

I can never express how grateful I am for all of my children and for the most amazing husband that chose to create them with me. I am one proud mommy.

10 months!

2010-02-10T12:50:00.003-06:00

It's hard to believe my little angel is so quickly approaching the one-year mark. She hit 10 months on Monday and is doing so well! At her nine-month check-up she weighed in at 17lbs, 13oz (30th%) and 27 1/2 inches long (50th%). Unfortunately, shortly after her check-up she had a nasty fight with RSV, but after lots of nebulizer treatments and a tremendous amount of prayer from all our family and friends, she is fully recovered and is once again this smiling little girl. Right now, Ellie:

Is all about Daddy - she started saying Dada a few weeks ago and can't stop smiling whenever Daddy is near (I love this!)
Loves play time and will sit in the floor for hours playing with whatever she can get her hands on
Continues to adore her brothers - she especially loves pulling their hair
She isn't quite "crawling" yet, but manages to scoot herself all around the floor - when she gets up on all fours, she tends to go backward and ends up stuck underneath the couch!
Is still the easiest, best baby in the history of the world - everyday we say prayers of thanksgiving for this little angel that we have been entrusted with and that she is healthy and happy!

Time to start the party planning!!!

Yet Again...

2010-02-10T12:27:00.002-06:00

So here I am playing catch-up again...I'm beginning to think one of life's tests of patience is understanding that I will NEVER really get caught up on everything! So this is a collage of all of our family Christmas gatherings. We started the festivities in Decatur with the Hammons clan, spent time on Christmas day with the King side of the family, took a big trek to Colorado to visit the Lyons, and then wrapped it up on the 4th of January with the Coons/Gurley side. Thankfully, our Papa Don was feeling better after being in the hospital on Christmas Eve/Christmas Day and we had a fantastic time. It was a wonderful first Christmas for Ellie and she had the most fun playing with the bows her brothers took off their presents. Overall, we are so extremely blessed and a good bit spoiled too!

Does it get any better than this?

2009-12-13T21:46:00.003-06:00

Thanksgiving

2009-12-13T21:29:00.005-06:00

We had a lovely Thanksgiving this year and it seems only appropriate that we're eternally grateful for the most amazing gifts we've ever been given. Who else, but your children, can make you want to laugh, cry, pull out your hair, and jump for joy all in the same moment. I can never express my gratitude for these three little spirits that have been entrusted to my and Aaron's care. They are truly my angels here upon the earth.

Unbelievable - right?

2009-12-13T21:21:00.004-06:00

That's how I feel about my first foray into sewing - it's unbelievable that I actually finished it! I've been wanting to try a little something here or there for awhile, but since both of my boys are past the "wear cute homemade stuff" age in general (with a few exceptions), I figured I might as well just wait for my little girl to come. So, I made Ellie a quilt back in the spring (finished it about two hours before I went to the hospital in labor!), but hadn't tried to sew anything until this month. A friend of mine from church convinced me to go with her to Sirs and just bite the bullet. So, with A LOT of help from my highly educated Mom and a good bit of encouragement from my sew-all-the-time MIL and SIL's, I tackled a nice, easy dress for Ellie and I did it! It's even fully lined! I'm going to work on some more stuff soon - let's see if I can expand my horizons!

Chicago notes

2009-11-19T18:36:00.002-06:00

So, in an effort to get the post in, I totally forgot to put anything about our trip to Chicago in my "October" post. Aaron had to go for a conference and since I have been itching to get out of town, Ellie and I decided to go with him. She was FANTASTIC on the plane both ways and was a doll the whole time. We had time to do a little site-seeing and got to check out the Museum of Science and Industry, Navy Pier, and the Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower). That was a ton of fun, although the glass "ledges" that you can stand in and be literally over Chicago were a little nerve-racking for me. We did, however, spend most of our time wishing that the boys were there with us - they would have had a blast! In short, we can't wait to get back on a real vacation!

Life...

2009-11-13T09:01:00.015-06:00

...has been extremely busy - I just can't seem to keep up! So, to go back and play catch up, here's our month of October...We began the month with a trip to the doctor for check-ups all around.

Sam - 46" tall and 47.6 lbs; Jack - 40" tall and 36 lbs; Ellie - 25 1/4" long and 14 lbs, 9 oz. She's hit a pretty average size and seems to be staying there. After some traumatic shots and blood draws, everybody is healthy and now very happy (Jack's no longer anemic so no more yucky iron drops!).

The next day we left for my Dad's to visit over fall break. We had a fantastic time - most of these pics are from a great place Sandy found called "Monkey Joe's" that was full of big inflatables for the kids to jump on.

The whole gang with Papa

Coons

We also got to visit with Great Grandpa Dave - his first time meeting Ellie.

We went on to celebrate Sam's 7th birthday. Coincidentally, this is a picture of my second Wilton cake - Sam picked out all the colors and even helped me with the decorating.

He also lost one of his front teeth on his birthday - he wiggled and wiggled all the way home from church and then pulled it himself - a job that usually falls to Mommy! He then proceeded to lose the second one the very next day. He also had school pictures just a few days later, so we'll have Mr. No-Teeth pictures for the yearbook too! (Another side note - those were actually the make-up pictures at school - we had him skip the first ones because his face was covered with poison ivy...ugh...boys!)

Finally...Halloween! I had fun getting Ellie all dressed up in her orange and black and then again in her orange and blue - War Eagle!

We had two Skywalker's this year - Anakin and Luke - I have a feeling they'd be Star Wars characters every year if we let them! Aaron mentioned dressing Ellie as Princess Leia, but I refused to put her in a Star Wars costume her very first Halloween - maybe next year!

Chicago

2009-11-13T09:00:00.001-06:00

Here are some pics from our trip to Chicago - more info to come!

The Cake!

2009-09-29T10:33:00.004-05:00

Some of my family and I love to read the Jan Karon Mitford Series - it's basically the evolving story of a small town preacher, his life, and the lives of those around him. It's very entertaining and always very funny. One of the revolving themes in the book is the food - what people bring to the potlucks, what the reverend himself cooks, etc. One of the most famous dishes in the series is Esther's Orange Marmalade cake - it's always chalked up as one of the most decadent cakes ever and typically gets the reverend (a diabetic) in lots of trouble. After she began the series, the author was getting tons of requests for the recipes, so she decided to put together a cookbook which I was fortunate enough to receive as a gift from my father-in-law a few years ago. I immediately looked up the cake recipe and wanted to make it, but it's one of those absolutely from scratch, lots of ingredients, triple-sifting types of recipes and I just kept putting it off. Well, this year for my birthday, I decided to try it out. I didn't get it done by my birthday, but I did finish it up on Sunday - AMAZING!!!! The recipe is lengthy, so if you want a copy, send me an email or post a comment and I'll get it to you. Until then...let your mouth water away!

What We Believe

2009-09-02T09:31:00.002-05:00

My girlfriend Becki posted this link on her blog yesterday, and after taking the time to read through, I felt impressed to add it to mine as well. This blog follows a family that is enduring a most difficult trial and the blessing that their faith has been for them. It will take some time to go back and read all posts from the beginning, but it will not only give you a sense of some of the basic precepts of our faith, but also a greater appreciation of the love our Heavenly Father has given us through our family and friends. I am so grateful to have the knowledge that my family is forever. For my family, I love each of you more than words can say and feel more than blessed to have you in my life.

http://nelsonsforever.blogspot.com/

First Days and Check-ups

2009-08-27T15:19:00.007-05:00

In trying to yet again play catch-up, I thought I'd combine a few of the things we've been into the past few weeks! The boys had a fantastic first day of school - Sam is in 1st grade and is officially too old for Mommy to walk him to class - at least he let me get a pic at home before we left. Jack is in Pre-K and while we debated about whether to do a half-day or full-day, with Ellie at home and with Jack's high-energy personality, we figured the structure was better for both of us! We absolutely love his teacher (she was Sam's Pre-K teacher too) and he is truly thriving

Next up, Ellie officially turned 4 months old and had a fantastic check-up. She weighed 13 lbs, 1 1/2 oz (up to the 40th% from the 10th) and was 25 inches (up to the 75th% from the 10th) - that's four inches in two months! Her hemangioma is already fading and everything else checked out well - the doctor said she is absolutely perfect!

Along with that milestone came another one - solid food! We started out with some cereal, but

the doctor gave us the go ahead to start with 1st foods, so we're slowly introducing all the fun stuff - we've tried sweet potatoes, prunes, carrots, green beans, and bananas - so far so good! We also got a brand-new, girly girl high chair - thanks Grandma and Papa Coons!

Conversation II

2009-08-03T21:59:00.002-05:00

Preface: The first Sunday of each month is "Fast Sunday" at our church and we fast for two meals and take that time to pray for and focus on a need in our lives. Here's a little something from our last Fast Sunday.

Sam: Mommy, why aren't you eating breakfast?

Me: Daddy and I are fasting today.

Sam: Oh, I know what that means.

Me: Really Sam, that's great - what does it mean?

Sam: It means that you eat really fast so that we can get to church on time. :)

Conversation

2009-08-03T21:56:00.003-05:00

Sam: Mom, do you know what I want to do when I grow up?

Me: Nope, tell me.

Sam: Well, I'm going to work with Daddy most of the time, but then I'll spend the rest of my time driving monster trucks.

Me: Are you REALLY sure that's what you want to do?

Sam: Yes mam - if I work with Daddy I'll have enough money to buy my monster truck!

Oh, heaven help me with this one!

Three Months

2009-07-21T23:47:00.006-05:00

It's hard to believe that three months have already passed since the little miss joined our family. Taking a note from my fellow blogger friends, I thought I'd do a little update on Ellie. She's up to about 11 1/2 pounds and 23 1/4 inches. At three months, she...

sleeps wonderfully - 10 to 11 hours at night - and yes, we know how blessed we are for this
loves taking baths
isn't crazy about tummy time, but we're working on it
loves getting her diaper changed
smiles for pretty much everybody, but does it more quickly for her daddy and her big brother Sam
is finding her voice and likes to talk to us and sings along with mommy
giggled for the first time this past Sunday on mommy and daddy's anniversary
buries her head in the crook of daddy's arm, especially in the evening when he gets home from work - I mean completely buries - you can only see the back of her head - she doesn't do this for anybody else - just daddy!
has eyes that can stare right through you and make you want to jump through hoops just to keep her happy...this is going to be problematic later!

Little of That

2009-07-21T23:22:00.005-05:00

Our botanical gardens had a "Big Bugs" exhibit-type thing that we had been trying to get to since it started back in March and we finally made it on the last Saturday it was open. We got to see all of the amazing bug sculptures, played around in the kids garden and had a lovely picnic with Aaron's dad and stepmom. The kids had a fantastic time and of course, Ellie had a nice stroll (and nap) in her bug outfit too!

Little of This

2009-07-21T23:07:00.007-05:00

A little bit of catch up...back at the end of June we went to the Harmony Park Animal Safari - it's this great drive through safari where you can feed the animals as you go. We had the best time! One of the emus kept putting his head in the truck and scaring the kids (especially our nephew Kortlan). In his defense, the emu kept sneaking up on him and surprising him! There was also a gorgeous white horse that we were so excited to feed; unfortunately, we weren't feeding it fast enough and it scratched my truck! Later on the trek, there was a huge llama that also wanted to stick its head in the car - this lead to a yucky spitting incident - gross! After all was said and done, we needed quite the car wash and vacuum, but laughed harder than we had in a long time. Definitely worth the trip!

King Family Fun

2009-06-29T16:41:00.004-05:00

We just got home from our annual King Family Reunion - this is my granny's side of the family and we always have a blast getting together each year. It was everybody's first chance to meet Ellie and her newest cousin Luke whose about six months older than her. I can't wait for them to get a little bit older and be the best of friends! Can you tell my little miss is starting to get some chunk on her - I love it!

Love these guys!

2009-06-18T16:26:00.002-05:00

I do love these boys!

Our little peacemaker

2009-06-18T16:15:00.007-05:00

We were so excited to have almost our entire family at our house a few weeks ago for Ellie's blessing - all three of our children have been blessed by their Daddy in our home. Aaron's mother made a gown shortly before she passed away that we were able to use with all three of our kids (she made the "H" monogram blue so that it could be used with boys or girls), but we were able to use the bonnet this time too! Our little Ellie was so precious - what an amazing experience!

Memorial Day

2009-05-28T09:00:00.005-05:00

We had a great Memorial Day this year - it started out with the Cotton Row Run - this is my fourth year participating and I wasn't sure that I'd be able to do it just six weeks after having Ellie, but my cousin Kelli and my SIL Karrie both agreed to walk it with me and we had a great time! We then headed over to Nana and Poppy's for the traditional breaking in of the pool. The water was only about 70 degrees, so the adults all just watched, but the kids had a fantastic time. The best part - my SIL Brandie and her family are here visiting from Colorado!

Sam's last day

2009-05-28T08:49:00.004-05:00

Sam's officially finished with kindergarten and received certificates for completion, Indian education, and excellent attendance at awards day. Here he is with his teacher (we love you Mrs. Amanda!) and his best friend Will.

All Smiles!

2009-05-28T08:48:00.003-05:00

Look What I Did!

2009-05-28T08:43:00.006-05:00

For the first time in my life, I canned something! I've helped Granny before, but this was all by myself - go figure!

Catching Up

2009-05-28T08:38:00.003-05:00

Since I'm a little behind on my posts, I'm going to try to cram in a few while I have a minute. Had a great Mother's day this year - after going to our church, we went and surprised Mom and Granny at theirs and then had a yummy lunch at Mom's house. This is one of the things Sam made for me at school this year - I love his answers! Okay, all but the one about black and gray hair, but we clarified that later - he now knows that my highlights are blonde - not a speck of gray on this head!

Ellie's pictures

2009-05-15T09:11:00.006-05:00

Here's a slide show of pictures my girlfriend Mary took of Ellie yesterday. I absolutely love how the turned out!

Shopping!

2009-05-13T11:08:00.002-05:00

Last Saturday Ellie and I went shopping - we needed to pick up a few things, but more than anything, we wanted to get out of the house. I picked up this onesie about two and a half years ago - okay, so maybe that was pushing the whole wishful thinking thing a little too far, but just look where it got me!

Ellie - four weeks

2009-05-13T10:47:00.006-05:00

I took these last week at four weeks - the little miss is looking more and more like Sam these days - I'll try to get some infant pics of him scanned in this week so that the comparison is evident. Her one month check-up went okay. She was only at 7 pounds which means she gained about six ounces from the time we left the hospital - clearly not enough - so we're trying to add some to each of her bottles. We were going to try some karo syrup too, but it upset her tummy a little, so I stopped that after the first few nights. We go for another weight check this Friday to see if we've made any progress. Yet another similarity to Sam - we had a horrible time (and still do) getting him to gain any weight. Other than that, she's doing great and meeting all of her milestones perfectly. She has a bit of a clogged tear duct in her right eye, so it gets a little goopy every now and then, but she should grow out of it soon. My girlfriend Mary is going to take some pics tomorrow - so excited about that! I'll get some posted as soon as I can!

3 weeks

2009-05-01T14:23:00.002-05:00

It's amazing how fast the time flies! Ellie's doing so well and getting too big already. I especially love the one where it looks like she's waving.

2 weeks already!

2009-04-22T11:59:00.003-05:00

It's hard to believe that two weeks have already come and gone. Here's the latest of the little miss - content as usual!

Easter

2009-04-19T13:57:00.002-05:00

Easter Sunday was a little too soon for us to head out with the little miss, so Aaron took our devastatingly handsome boys to church. After they got home, we headed over to my Aunt and Uncle's house for a wonderful meal and great company with family. Aunt Karrie got to spend some time with Ellie and even though we'll have to wait until next year for Ellie's first real Easter outfit, her first Easter is one I'll certainly never forget!

Lots of Pics

2009-04-09T12:04:00.004-05:00

Here's a few more of little Miss Ellie - she already has an amazing personality and is so laid back! I'm sure I'll be posting a million more, especially after this afternoon when she gets to meet her big brothers for the first time!

She's here!

2009-04-09T07:25:00.003-05:00

Eleanor Rosemary Hammmons arrived and came in at 6 pounds, 15 ounces, 19 inches long at 11:18pm. Ellie's healthy, perfectly formed, and amazing. More pictures to come later!

Opening Day

2009-04-07T07:52:00.004-05:00

This is Sam's first year of coach-pitch baseball and this past Saturday was opening day. The NM Braves had a great time and played in one short scrimmage game - Sam played pitcher. Not sure what he's trying to say in this picture, but I think he's trying to give everybody a head's up that they're number one! Here's to a great season!

The Zoo - again

2009-04-07T06:28:00.003-05:00

So we decided to make going to the zoo during spring break a tradition - especially because this year I couldn't travel any further than Birmingham! The boys love the zoo and would go once a week if we let them! I've attached a slide show with quite a few pictures from our adventure - disclaimer: Sam and Jack took quite a few of our pictures. Frankly, I love the way they see things through the camera! Also, notice in all the pictures where the boys are playing in the "foam" that Jack's head is completely dry and without any bubbles - yep, we fight getting anything on his head at every bath time!

Ellie Update

2009-03-31T17:25:00.003-05:00

My 36-week appointment was today - she's weighing in at approximately 7 pounds, 3 ounces - a little more than I was hoping. We're still planning on inducing on the 15th if I don't go before that. She's still up really high, so we need her to stop putting on weight and move down - think you can all stick that in your prayers?! Thankfully, she's really active, in the right position, and still a girl - that's right - that makes three separate ultrasounds now and more clear views each time. What in the world will we do when the kid actually comes out the gender we expect?

The Circus!

2009-02-27T19:04:00.002-06:00

I was so excited today - I got to spend most of the day with my Sambo and his kindergarten class at the circus. Sam and I had the best time - he and his best buddy Will sat together (notice the wink!) and had a great time through the whole thing. While my favorite were the elephants, Sam's were the tigers - hands down! I can't wait for the time two years from now when I get to share this special day with Jack Jack and his kindergarten class!

My little helper!

2009-02-10T11:21:00.002-06:00

Who says I need a maid - I've got my Jack Jack!

Should've Known

2009-02-10T11:12:00.003-06:00

We decided to order a new car seat (Jack's was too old anyway) and stroller and since we're having a girl, why not go girlie! I should have known that a new present for the baby would yield endless hours of fun for the boys - the box became their new house and with a little help from daddy, had a door, windows, and eventually, even a sunlight! I think I'm going to put cardboard boxes on the top of their Christmas lists this year!

7, 7, 7

2009-02-05T08:48:00.004-06:00

Alright - I usually ignore these tags, but I was curious to see what this one would actually turn out like - so you go to your 7th picture folder, find the 7th picture and then tag 7 other people. This one is Sam on Easter Sunday 2005 - he would have been about 2 1/2 and I would have been about five months along with Jack. What a cutie! Umm, do I know anybody to tag? Probably nobody that hasn't already been tagged, so Brandie, Sara, Mary J., Becki, Trudy, Wendi, and Clarissa - you're it!

A Look Alike

2009-01-27T17:06:00.003-06:00

So Aaron and my Granny both swear she looks like Jack. I can see a little of both boys. Good news - I'm still measuring at 30 1/2 weeks which is where I was last week, so she's slowed down a little! I'll keep going every two weeks until 35 or 36 when she'll do another ultrasound to try and determine Ellie's size. We'll be able to make a decision about when and how she'll arrive then (or at least try to!). All else is well!

Updates!

2009-01-22T08:33:00.002-06:00

Thankfully, I seem to be able to control my diabetes with just my diet - no insulin necessary! That was a welcome relief. Unfortunately, even with my sugars balanced out, this little one is still measuring about four weeks ahead (30 1/2 weeks at my 26-week check-up). We'll have to keep a really close watch on her for the remainder of the time, but luckily I have my 3D/4D ultrasound scheduled for Tuesday, so hopefully we'll get some good pictures of the little (maybe I should say big) girl. In other news, while I'm able to keep my blood sugar balanced, that's about all. I took a nice little tumble in the driveway yesterday. The doctor monitored Ellie and me for about 30-45 minutes and gave me the all clear. Just a few scrapes and bruises and some whining on my part to accompany the soreness this morning. I'm so grateful that she's okay - maybe I should slow down?

YUCK!

2009-01-06T09:49:00.002-06:00

Okay, so while this pregnancy has been anything but easy, I was hoping I would catch at least a little bit of a break when it came to my glucose-tolerance test at this morning's 24-week appointment. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. I failed the one hour preliminary test, and failed it pretty bad. That, coupled with the fact that my doctor is pretty sure I had undiagnosed gestational diabetes with Jack (he was over 8 pounds and had a broken clavicle) led her straight to a diagnosis this time. She's not even bothering to send me for the 3-hour test - at least that part is good. So now, I'll go next week to a diabetes education class where they will give me a schedule for the four readings I'll have to take every day and instruction on insulin administration if Dr. Callison determines that I need it. She says I'm doing everything possible to prevent having a big baby this time - decent diet, exercise, low weight gain and high iron numbers - still I measured 28 1/2 weeks when I should have been measuring 24 - ugh! I think it's a good thing they took my blood pressure at the beginning of the appointment and not at the end! Still, I'm thankful that overall, my little girl is healthy and strong (Aaron felt her kicks very clearly last night!) and that Heavenly Father has chosen to bless our family with her little spirit. Now if we just get her here under eight pounds, I'll be ecstatic!

Jesus wants Jack for a sunbeam!

2009-01-05T11:17:00.002-06:00

My little one is a sunbeam this year and officially out of the nursery - crazy, isn't it!

Jack wasn't so sure when we first went to primary - he found his seat okay, but absolutely REFUSED to smile!

By the end - he was begging to stay!

Did you see?!

2009-01-05T10:18:00.001-06:00

We're down to double digits - less that 100 days to go now! How in the world will I be ready in time?!

Hammons Family Christmas

2008-12-27T19:40:00.003-06:00

We had a wonderful time in Decatur celebrating Christmas with Aaron's family. We missed those that weren't able to make it, but we had a great time with all the kids - especially little Hogan. Doesn't he look just like a little candy cane!

Christmas Eve

2008-12-27T19:25:00.004-06:00

We've joined in the wonderful tradition of leaving "cookies" and milk for Santa. This year, the boys decided to color their own letters/pictures and we left a brownie and a peanut butter M & M's cookie. We, of course, can never forget the reindeer. So after leaving some reindeer food on the lawn (Jack made it at preschool), we also left him a carrot.

Early Christmas

2008-12-22T08:22:00.003-06:00

Aaron surprised all of us by ordering new furniture. We've been planning on doing that for awhile, but just hadn't gotten around to it. With Ellie coming in April, I think Aaron decided he'd better get anything new he wanted for the house now since all of the funds will be channeled into her wardrobe! Oh - he got a new HD TV and blu-ray player too - is it bad to REALLY love stuff this much?!

Had to do it

2008-12-22T08:12:00.002-06:00

Couldn't resist this one - although he insists that he's a "really big boy", he'll always be my little angel.

Ward Christmas Party

2008-12-17T16:37:00.003-06:00

Our ward Christmas party was the first Friday of the month and we had a great time. Sam was recruited at the last minute to play Joseph in the nativity and he and his friend Ashlyn made the cutest little Mary and Joseph.

Jack was excited to see Santa this year again. I would say that Sam was too, but he figured out RIGHT away that his Poppy was Santa's "helper", so he didn't think he needed to sit in his lap. By the time the night was over, Jack had figured it out too - guess that's the last year for that!

O Christmas Tree!

2008-12-17T16:30:00.005-06:00

We had a great time putting up our tree this year. As always, it MUST be a real tree, so the boys went with Aaron to pick one out, cut it, and bring it home. After Aaron and I got the lights on, I started unwrapping the ornaments and Aaron and the boys put them on. I don't think I hung a single ornament - what luck!

Sam got to be the lucky one to put the star on this year!

It's a girl!!!

2008-12-09T22:23:00.004-06:00

Yep - it's a girl. This time, we got a REALLY clear picture and we're finally going to get our girl!!!

THANKS!

2008-11-24T13:08:00.002-06:00

Since it has now been a month since Sam's birthday party and three months since Jack's party and I still have a list of thank you notes that haven't been written, I decided to acknowledge that it probably wouldn't ever get done and post my thanks here instead. So, a big thank you to all of our friends and family who did so much to make Jack and Sam's birthdays the best they've had so far. Aaron and I never cease to be amazed at how much you guys all do for us and especially for the boys - not just on their birthdays or around the holidays, but all year round. We are so blessed to be a part of a wonderful family and an amazing group of friends. This Thanksgiving, we're thankful for you!

Happy Haunting!

2008-11-04T05:04:00.003-06:00

We had a great Halloween this year - we had two Spidermans - the good and the bad. When Jack decided he wanted to be Spiderman, Sam jumped right in and decided to be Venom. I wonder how much longer we'll be able to convince them the dress along with the same theme - maybe one more year if I'm lucky! Our day started with a trip to Daddy's office for trick-or-treating. They had both costume and door contests at Biztech this year, so Aaron and Micah went all out and built a pirate ship. They won the door contest and Micah won the costume contest (Aaron was still changing clothes during the judging, or else I'm sure he would have won!). We then moved the entire pirate ship to church and built it around the truck for trunk or treat. The kids got so much candy and our "treasure chest" of candy wasn't even half-way empty. Guess next year, we don't need to buy fifty pounds! The boys had a great time playing games at the Fall Festival at church too. I think they liked the football toss the best, but I didn't get a picture of Sam becuase he sent a spiral straight through the first time. Hopefully that aim will pay off one of these days! Just a side note - see if you can find the one or two pictures I got with Jack with his mask actually on - my little genius has such a big head that the mask wouldn't allow him to open his eyes!!

Jump Crazy

2008-11-04T04:56:00.002-06:00

We had Sam's 6th birthday party back on the 18th at Jump Zone in Madison - what a great place! The kids had a blast and were totally worn out by the end of the day. I think the adults that decided to jump around had a great time too (myself included)! We had a terrifc crowd and a great day all together! I can't believe my first little baby is six!

Georgia Aquarium

2008-11-04T04:51:00.003-06:00

Aaron took a day off of work back during fall break and we took the boys to the aquarium in Atlanta. We loved it and the boys had such a great time. My favorite - the Beluga Whales - they were amazing. I think the boys liked the whale sharks the best just because they were so big. Sam even took some of these pictures - see if you can pick out his photography skills!

Playing catch-up

2008-10-22T12:00:00.004-05:00

Okay - so I'm going to try to get caught up today for the past few weeks (okay maybe several weeks). The baby is doing well. I'm thirteen weeks along and everything is progressing very well. The baby was a bit stubborn at yesterday's doctor appointment (it took longer than I would like to find the heartbeat), but once we did it was nice and strong and in the upper 160's. I go back on November 18th for my next check-up and we scheduled the ultrasound for December 9th. Hopefully a new doctor and new ultrasound machine will give us a better view than we had with the boys! Either way, we'll have a 4D ultrasound near the end of January, first of February, so we'll be able to verify then.
Our house has been somewhat chaotic - we've been wanting to redo our floors for sometime, but we decided (Aaron and I still fuss over who's idea it was) to go ahead and repaint the whole house in the process. The kitchen is pretty much done and while the hardwoods were put down in the living room yesterday, we've had to order more for the hallway and then we'll just have to finish installing and painting all the trim. Aaron's done the largest bulk of the work, but I've done a little here and there. Next we'll tackle the three bedrooms including the study which will soon become a nursery. They'll all get new paint and carpet too. Aaron's even thinking about making us a new headboard for the master bedroom, so we'll be pretty busy from now until...well, I guess forever!
All else is well - Aaron and IntelCell are doing great. There was a fantastic article in the Fall 2008 Huntsville R & D magazine about Cellulosix (the company Aaron took to this year's Alabama Launchpad competition), but they also discussed IntelCell a little and got a hair to do another article. So, Aaron will be on the cover of the Winter 2008 edition (January, I think). When the Huntsville Times got wind of that, they called for a story too. All this press has got to be good! I'm so proud!
Okay - I'll do my best to get all of our recent pics up and try to stay caught up - we'll see how that goes!

Number 24

2008-09-23T18:04:00.002-05:00

Grandchild number 24 (on Aaron's side), Hogan Arthur Richardson, arrived on September 7, 2008 to proud parents Betsy and Michael. This is number 3 for them - Hattie is now 7 and Clark is 2 1/2. He's the sweetest little thing and we had such a great time visiting them. Of course, Sam and Jack woke up every person on the floor, but what else is new. Happy Birthday baby Hogan and welcome to the family! On a side note - how great does Aaron look - of course, he decides to get small right as I'm getting ready to get fat!

Ultrasound Number 1

2008-09-23T17:54:00.002-05:00

Aaron and I got to see the baby today for the first time. He/she is doing very well with a whopping 176 beats per minute heartrate and a nice strong spine. Of course, that's all we could make out, but the technician and the doctor both said that everything looks great. A bonus - there's only one! My official 40-week due date is April 30th, but since we're trying to go for a size and labor closer to Sam's than Jack's (a.k.a. short and easy at two weeks early with a six pounder versus induced and hard at one week early with an injured eight pounder!), Dr. Callison marked me down for Wednesday, April 15th - that's two weeks and a day early, and on a Wednesday to make sure she's not out of the office or in surgery. If I don't go on my own by that day, she'll help me out! Man - do I love my doctor! A tax break on tax day - that's a happy thing!

Jack's first day

2008-09-17T11:57:00.006-05:00

Jack started preschool last Tuesday, September 9th. His first day was actually supposed to be Thursday, September 4th, but he woke up that morning with a nasty fever, so I had to keep him home. He absolutely loves preschool and is never ready to leave when I go to pick him up. The first day, I believe his comment was - "I not go with you, Mommy - I live at preschool!" That's my boy!

Late updates

2008-09-17T11:57:00.003-05:00

My very first blog post ever was last August when Aaron and I spent the weekend at the Gaylord Opryland hotel in Nashville to see Alton Brown and the celebrity chef series. We're big fans of Alton Brown (Good East, Feasting on Asphalt, and now Feasting on Waves on the food network - he also hosts Iron Chef America) and had such a great time last year that we went again this year on August 16th. We had a fantastic view from our room this year (thanks babe for the upgrade!) and couldn't stop laughing at the seminar - he's a riot! So nice to be away, just the two of us - even if it is just once a year!

Jack's birthday

2008-09-11T17:17:00.001-05:00

I'm finally getting around to downloading all the pictures and video of Jack's birthday. We had a great time at Chuck E. Cheese (I actually didn't mind it that much!) and Jack was, as always, spoiled rotten. Thanks to everybody that attended - he had the best time!

How Can I Be

2008-08-29T08:58:00.003-05:00

This song was introduced to me by my niece, Brittany, and it's amazing! There are a few different versions including the original artist's version on YouTube.com. There's also one with three missionaries playing ukelele's which could be my favorite, but this one had to be tops since it had pictures of the Savior. Hope you like!

Nickname

2008-08-27T18:40:00.003-05:00

Yep - it's already got a nickname - I want lots and lots of spicy stuff. Eggs - add some tabasco; chili - add more hot sauce; buffalo wings - bring it on! Guess I should take out stock in Tums now!

Guess what?!

2008-08-23T19:01:00.001-05:00

Jack won't be the baby anymore!

It's Done

2008-08-15T20:24:00.004-05:00

The potty training is finished! I'm one of those wait until they're begging me to potty train kinda girls and I did just that with Jack. Sure enough, Tuesday morning he woke up and said, "Mommy, I ready to use the potty." So, after two days of wearing pull-ups and keeping them dry, we're in underwear. Not a single accident so far! I'm so proud of my little man - here he is with his completed potty chart. Notice the piece of gum in his mouth - that's his favorite "I used the potty" treat!

Dinner with Papa

2008-08-15T15:52:00.007-05:00

My dad, a.k.a. Papa Coons, was in the area last week for a Tennessee Fire Federation conference (is that right, Dad?) and we got to go up to Shelbyville, TN to meet him for dinner last Friday night. Aaron and I loaded up with my brother Michael and SIL Karrie and took all the boys for a visit. We had a great time and it was so great to see Dad.

You're HOW big?!

2008-08-11T09:01:00.002-05:00

Friday was Sam's first day of Kindergarten! We did a half-day of pre-K last year, so he was already used to the routine, but this is the first time he's been away for the whole day. I'll admit, it was weird, but so quiet. Evidently, my second child can entertain himself very well and mostly very quietly without his brother - go figure! We had a good day and Sam absolutely loves school and loves Mrs. Amanda, his teacher (isn't she pretty!). My big boy is growing up too fast!

The IronMan

2008-08-05T12:40:00.000-05:00

Four's

2008-08-04T12:35:00.002-05:00

A) Four places that I go to over and over: Gym, Publix, Church, Target

B) Four people who e-mail me (regularly): Dad, Sandy, Brandie (posts from her blog), Losing it with Jillian Michaels - does this count?!

C) Four places I love to eat: Macaroni Grill, Conner's, I Love Sushi, Jason's Deli

D) Four places I would rather be right now: At the beach, asleep, back at the hotel in Niagara Falls - it was amazing!, with Aaron

E) Four tv shows I watch all the time: Jeopardy, Jon and Kate Plus 8, Throwdown with Bobby Flay, Iron Chef America - there are a ton more that haven't started back up yet (Heroes, The Unit, Grey's Anatomy, The Biggest Loser, American Idol - thank heaven's for DVR)!)

I'm the good witch and the bad witch!

2008-07-26T21:48:00.003-05:00

Okay - so as some of you may know, I'm an absolute "Wicked" fanatic! When we were in Niagara Falls, we walked past a conference center on the Canada side and low and behold, a big poster of Wicked was displayed! At first, I freaked at the thought that the tour was right there and I didn't even know it - luckily, or unluckily, it had ended the weekend before. So, I still didn't get to see it, but at least I wasn't close but no cigar either! At any rate, I decided to check for upcoming productions online and it's going to be in Atlanta in October and Birmingham in April! Not sure which one we're going to yet, but Aaron (when I woke him from his sleep to ask) said, sure, we can go! Looking around a little more, I found this quiz you can take to see if you're more like Glinda or more like Elphaba. This is the response - somewhat accurate, although I think we all know that I don't ALWAYS know when to keep my opinions to myself!

Go to http://quiz.ivillage.co.uk/cgi-bin/uk_politics/tests/witch.pl if you want to take the quiz yourself! Happy witch hunting!

You're a bit good, and a bit wicked!

You are a mixture of good witch Glinda, and wicked witch Elphaba. You may have strong opinions, but you know when to keep them to yourself, and try to avoid conflict unless it is absolutely necessary. You like a night out with a big group of friends, and you are often fun and gregarious, but you never try to overshadow anyone. You can be just as happy sitting in a corner chatting to a good pal as you are in the centre of the dance floor prancing round your handbag!

What?!

2008-07-22T19:56:00.003-05:00

While we were in Palmyra, we saw this - a vending machine with live bait! Evidently it's pretty common here - they said you can find one anywhere you would normally see a vending machine - even sometimes at car dealers! And they say Alabamians are rednecks!

Kirtland, OH

2008-07-22T15:49:00.002-05:00

The last stop in our trip was Kirtland, OH. This is also an important place in our church history and served as a gathering place for the Saints after they left Palmyra. We saw the schoolhouse, the Newell K. Whitney house and store, the Johnson Inn, and then finally, the temple which was the first temple built after the organization of the church. All in all, we had a great, although tiring, trip. We finished out the day in Cincinnati, OH and then drove home last Friday. I would definitely recommend any of these sites for potential trips - we hope to someday go back. Even if we don't, we have some memories that we'll never forget. We got a ton of video too (Aaron bought us a new camera for our anniversary), and if I figure out how to get it in any time soon, I'll upload those too!

Niagara Falls

2008-07-22T15:00:00.002-05:00

Our second stop on our vacation was Niagara Falls. We spent most of the first day on the American side of the falls at the State Park. We started out with a movie on the legends that surround the falls and then we went straight for the Maid of the Mist boat ride. We actually rode out in a boat to the bottom of the falls. The views were all just amazing. We also hit the observation tower, ALL the gift shops, and then headed over to the Cave of the Winds. We rode down under the falls in an elevator and then walked out onto a deck that walked along side and somewhat underneath the Bridal Veil part of the American Falls. The upper part is called the Hurricane Deck and we all got drenched! Aaron and Sam loved it the best - we had to basically pry Sam away. What an experience - standing under Niagara Falls! We got back on the trolley that toured all around the State Park and headed to our hotel. We stay at the Sheraton on the Canadian side of the falls, so after making it through customs, we got checked in and went up to our room that had an amazing view of the falls too! Our dinner reservations were at the Fallsview restaurant on the floor below us, also with a view of the falls! Man! Finally, we ended the day up in our room watching fireworks over the Horseshoe falls (closer to the Canadian side). We rounded out our Niagara trip at the Aquarium and Discovery Center. We were then on our way to Kirtland, OH!

Palmyra, NY

2008-07-22T14:27:00.003-05:00

We were so excited to finally take a family vacation this year - the first time the four of us have had an actual vacation together (aside from visits to family). Our first stop was Palmyra, NY. This is a very special place in our church history and we had a great time. We started at the Joseph Smith Farm and there toured the log cabin, the frame home (80% original!), the threshing barn, the cooper shop, and the sacred grove. Our second day, we visited the Book of Mormon publication site, the Palmyra temple and then drove out to the Peter Whitmer farm where the church was organized in 1830. We finished up with the Hill Cumorah Pageant - amazing! We've got pictures at each of these places and too many to describe individually. There is one picture where the boys are standing by the rail at the temple looking out over the sacred grove - I think it's my favorite. What a blessing to be in this wonderful place where many important events in the history of the church took place!

It's Time to Party!

2008-07-22T14:21:00.002-05:00

Sam had a great first t-ball season this year. They had a perfect season without losing a single regular season game - not bad for a team of first-timers! They made it into the fourth round of tournament and we could not have been more proud! We had party a few weeks ago and had a great time. Way to go, Young Bucks!

Happy Anniversary

2008-07-19T23:42:00.001-05:00

Happy 11th baby!

Aaron Update

2008-07-19T23:32:00.002-05:00

So along with Aaron's company IntelCell, he has been working as a consultant for a company called Cellulosix out of the University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa - War Eagle, nonetheless!). So he entered the Alabama Launchpad Competition with Cellulosix (he won third place and $25K with IntelCell last year) and in April, won second place and $50K. This past week (while on vacation), we got a call to find out that the first place team was disqualified and Aaron and his business partner Micah are now officially the first place winners! That brings their total prize money to $100K that will go toward the development of the product and hopefully another successful company! After so much time and many years of hard work, we are always so grateful to see how our Heavenly Father continues to take care of us and keep us on the right path. I'm also so grateful that my husband works so hard each and every day so that I can stay home with our two precious little ones. Thanks baby!

July 4th

2008-07-06T21:04:00.004-05:00

We had a fun fourth this year. The day started at Nana and Poppy's house and lots of swimming. We were small in number this year - just the four of us and Aaron's sister Sara with her son Burley. We missed having all the rest of the family there whether because of vacation, distance, or sickness. However, it was so busy I only got two pictures! We then met my mom and stepdad for dinner and moved on to the Huntsville Stars ballgame. It was raining when we got there, but quit right as the game was starting and left us with really great weather for the rest of the game. Great game too - it was tied at one all for the majority of the game and then in the bottom of the 10th, our first batter, Cole Gillespie, jumped up and knocked one out of the park to win the game. Great finale for the game and introduction for the fireworks. Jack did okay, but he's still not crazy about the noise that comes along with big fireworks. I didn't take my camera into the game, but got a few shots on my phone. I'll get those posted as soon as I figure out how to get them off my camera!

My Little Cowboys

2008-07-06T20:53:00.004-05:00

We sent the boys to vacation bible school at New Market Baptist Church this year. My brother was in charge and did a fantastic job. The theme was "Cactus Canyon" and they learned all about blazing trails with the gospel. They even got to ride horses! So, for the big finale, I had to go all out with their attire!

Lake Winnie

2008-07-06T20:40:00.003-05:00

Aaron was able to take the day off last Thursday (the 3rd) and we decided to take a long overdue trip to Lake Winnepesaukah outside of Chattanooga. Our friends Mickey and Mary had been raving about their recent trip there, so we decided to give it a try. The boys had the best time - we rode rides, did the paddleboat (with Aaron and Sam paddling...okay, just Aaron), and even managed to do the skylift, although that was tricky getting on holding Jack and dealing with a bum foot! All in all, we had a great time and I would definitely recommend it. My favorite - the water slide I rode in with Sam - we got soaked, but I haven't had that much fun in awhile! The best tip - go on a Thursday - kids get in free and the ride pass is discounted - can't beat that!

Just My Luck!

2008-07-06T20:34:00.002-05:00

Yep, it's broken. Luckily, it's just a stress fracture and I only have to wear this stupid boot for three weeks total. These types of fractures are usually from overuse and since I waited so long to train for the Cotton Row Run and packed it all in the two weeks before the race, that's probably what did it. Thankfully, it doesn't hurt when the boot's on, so I'm making it pretty well. Also thankfully, I can still go to the gym, I just have to limit my cardio to the bike. Just something else to deal with!

Catching Up

2008-07-06T20:28:00.004-05:00

Okay - so I'm a little behind. The next few posts should hopefully get everyone caught up! First - on Saturday, June 14th, Sam lost his very first tooth! The following Friday, the 20th, he lost his second. They're both already coming in also! He did really great and got a whopping $5 per tooth - man, inflation! We keep telling Sam that we only got a quarter at best per tooth, but I don't think he really gets it. I tried to tell Aaron that I thought the tooth fairy might be going a little overboard, but he thinks it's just right!

More Info

2008-06-08T21:49:00.002-05:00

Per request - more info on IntelCell - so, basically, they are working on an automated cell culture system - this will revolutionize the way cell culture is done in biological laboratories and will aid in the development and treatment of many diseases/disorders. Okay - just go to Intelcell.biz for more info!

Congratulations to Aaron!

2008-06-06T10:36:00.003-05:00

So, after two years of work, Aaron's company, Intelcell, is officially funded with money in the bank! Aaron received funding from members of the HAN (Huntsville Angel Network) and closed on the money on Wednesday. They are the first company to ever raise more than $1 Million dollars - definitely noteworthy! Most of the investors said it was the best presentation for funding they had ever seen! So, they're busy during their first month of operations getting everything set up and running - I couldn't be more proud of all his hard work - it's finally paying off! Way to go, baby!

Memorial Day

2008-06-05T13:31:00.003-05:00

We had a nice, if somewhat quiet, Memorial Day. The day started with the annual Cotton Row Run here in Huntsville. I have participated in the 5K race for the past 3years and, I am proud to say, made my best time yet! We then headed over to Nana and Poppy's house for a celebration. Their pool wasn't quite ready yet, so the kids had a great time in a little shark pool. Sam, Jack, Hattie, and Clark were wet and wild!

Alabama Jubilee

2008-06-05T13:25:00.003-05:00

So, we decided to go to the Alabama Jubilee that occurs every Memorial Day weekend in Decatur. They have hot air balloon demonstrations and races, which is why we originally went, but they evidently only fly at 5am and 5pm, neither one of those times fit into our schedule. Instead, we just checked out the tractor show (with rides for the kids) and the car show. That was cool - there was a 1924 fire truck that Sam found fascinating, and replicas of the General Lee and Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane's cars from The Dukes of Hazzard. It was hot, but fun!

Sam's Big Day

2008-06-05T13:20:00.003-05:00

Sam graduated from Pre-K on May 19th. Their theme was "Let the Magic Begin" and Sam got to kick off the whole ceremony with a top hat, cape, magic wand, and a big "Abracadabra!" He had a fantastic time and we are so grateful to his teacher, Wendi Moring, for all her hard work. He's also pictured here with his friend, Will. They are on the same T-ball team, and in the class picture collage Mrs. Wendi put together, they were always side by side! On to Kindergarten we go!