Fall Break

The girls were out of school all last week for Fall Break. All the girls (J had to work) went to Indiana for a few days the beginning of the week. We visited a wonderful apple orchard/ pumpkin patch and also went to a Fall festival called Riley Days while there. The girls LOVED picking apples, making caramel apples, and just being and Grandma and Grandpa's house.
Coordinating for church...

...inside sign at Orchard
Mollie picking apples
We gave Mia and apple that kept her busy the entire time we were there. She nibbled on it the couple hours we were there and was practically gone by the time we left....so proud of her OWN ice cream cone!

...waiting on the hayride
...girls in front of a very tall tower of pumpkins and gourds
We came home for one night and then left for Maryville, TN (outside Knoxville) to visit our close friends, the Dockerys, who moved away about a year ago. They have 3 boys (Nathan is 6 months younger than Morgan, Landon is 2 months younger than Mollie and Benjamin is 3 weeks younger than Mia!) Amazing how close in age they all are! We enjoyed spending the day with them and that night in their beautiful new house. Unfortunately, I couldn't find my camera that day!
The next day we left for Gatlinburg where we spend that day and night and started home around lunch time on Saturday. The girls didn't understand that it wasn't all rides, but more walking around and looking! We had fun, but everything is very expensive to do. I wanted to shop the outlets, but they were craziness too!
...riding up the Sky/Chair lift up the mountain

...at the top
...our busy week caught up with Mia...she hardly EVER sleeps in a stroller!..Mia cut 4 teeth (2 of them molars) in the last 2 weeks so she's not been eating much of anything. On this night we went to a family style place. No one likes pinto beans, but this was the one and ONLY thing that she'd eat! She loved them!

... Mia's not real sure about the fake bears

Back to back field trips

Morgan and Mollie both had their first field trips of the year last week. I was fortunate and got to go both days. Luckily Mia was allowed to go on Mollie's trip so I only had to find someone to keep Mia for one of the days. Mollie's trip was an outside community walk of Murfreesboro (fire dept, city hall, library, etc) Morgan's trip was a historical home with stations set up outside to "try" things from the past.
Mollie's class sitting on the front of a firetruck (Mollie is 3rd in back).

Traffic control center
Ms. Cockrell (both Morgan and Mollie's Kindergarten teacher) loves Mia...and she loved her earrings!
Mollie "trying" not to get wet in the fountain.
Class picture
...so excited about first field trip (and first bus ride)!

And now, Morgan's field trip the next day!
wearing "old" clothes
...learning about quilting
Class picture...Morgan is the long-legged one 3rd from right (not counting teacher)

...washing clothes on washboard
...Morgan and Evan "sawing" a log

Mollie's 5th Birthday parties

On the Friday before Mollie's birthday, she had a friend party at Maggie Moo's ice cream place.
After everyone washed their hands, they got to go in the back of the store and help make a batch of ice cream!!

While the ice cream "cooks" they could taste anything flavor they wanted!

Then, they got to go behind the counter 2 at a time and mix together the kind they wanted to eat!

Wow!!! Doesn't Maggie the cow seem extra- tall today? Oh, wait...it's Jason!!!!

The girls with Maggie!

Outside before leaving...

After the party ended, we quickly at dinner with some friends that were there and came home. Mollie had just asked to sit with me about 5 minutes before this picture. I'd say that after her first 3 full days of school and then a party, she was a little tired!



On Saturday, we had Mollie's family party at our house. I was a terrible photographer though and forgot to take pictures of the main event. We borrowed our church's waterslide for the kids and I don't have a single picture of it! And I forgot to take a picture of Mollie's cookie cake. It was beautiful with pink and purple icing that read "Happy 5th Birthday Mollie" and had microphones and stars all over it to go along with the Hannah Montana theme. I got all this on video, but no real shots!! Sorry!

Here were the kids eating
Bryan was having WAY too much fun on the trampoline!! They would take breaks from the waterslide for a while and move to the tramp.
Mollie posing and singing with new microphone! She's such a big girls!

School starts!

I know that it's been a couple months since I posted anything...sorry! Things have been a little hectic around here with school starting and Mia and I having strep last month, then Morgan getting it this month... Anyway, here are some starting school pictures.

Morgan with her 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Essary


Mollie with her Kindergarten teacher, Ms. Cockrell (this is also who Morgan had)

Morgan's 1st day

Mollie's 1st day (1/2 day)--Can you tell she's super-excited?

This was the first day they both went so Jason could take them both like he normally would!

Mia and Mommy watching them leave...crying!

Here is part of what Mia does while her sisters are at school...this and climbing the stairs!

Mia's 1st birthday

We can't believe Mia is a year old already. She's not walking yet, but crawling everywhere and into everything. She wants to play with anything that's not her toys! We had her party on the 4th- a watermelon themed party.

Here is a short video of Mia and her cake. We thought she'd love it since she is a wonderful eater and likes almost everything. She played with it immediately but then didn't like it on her hands!

Chicago

Last weekend, Jason and I went to Chicago for our 10th anniversary (a little early...it's really July 10). The kids stayed in Indiana with my parents and had a ball swimming in their pool! Here are some pictures from the weekend.
This was our room...there was a desk behind the bed.


Jason looking at Navy Pier
...view of the city
...eating deep dish pizza at Gino's East. Good, but different...they put the sauce on top!...out for a nice dinner Saturday!