More Sadness..

Paul's uncle (Paula's brother) passed away this morning.  He has been in poor health lately and recently had an episode he didn't recover from.  The next few days are going to be hard on everyone.  We are still coping with Paula's passing earlier this summer.  It doesn't seem right to lose someone else so quickly, but we know he is in Heaven with his sister now and God never gives us more than we can handle.

The After and a Titans Game

Luke helped me remove the door knobs.

His favorite - cotton candy!

She was not happy that she was not going to the game

Really unhappy...

Front door, after

Back door, after

We went to church this morning and Paul decided that he would like to go to the Titans game and take Luke. He tried to find tickets beforehand, but wasn't able to.  We went home a while before the game.  Katherine thought she was going, too.  She got her ball cap on like Daddy and Luke.  She was so happy right until they left without her.  She cried and cried.  She literally cried for 30 minutes and fell asleep on the couch.  She was so mad she couldn't go.  We knew it was going to be warm and didn't think we were ready for all 4 of us to go to a game.  We would hate to spend the money on 4 tickets and she would be ready to go after 30 minutes.

While she was napping I finished up the doors.  I am fairly pleased with how they turned out.  They  both required several coats.  I have a lot of paint left so I might pain the entry door from the garage into the house.  We'll see.

Luke and Paul had a great time at the game. They found tickets at a reasonable price and stayed until the very end. They were glad they did because the Titans pulled out a last second win over San Diego!  Fun memories for both of them.  We will wait a little longer until we take sis to a game.

Before....

I have been contemplating painting the exterior doors for a while now.  I finally decided on a paint color and Paul had it mixed for me this week.  The weather is supposed to be great this weekend so I figured it would be a great time to start on the project.

Another Saturday, another craft...

This week we went to Lowe's for their kids craft.  I am definitely a Lowe's girl, but not when it comes to their kids' crafts.  Home Depot is much better equipped to accommodate all the kids.  At Lowe's we literally sit on the floor to work on the project.  The kids don't care, but it is not too comfortable for the adults.  We enjoyed breakfast at The Red Rooster before heading to Lowe's.  We are relishing the free weekends in September because when October hits we will go non-stop for several weeks.

Fun Day in Murfreesboro!

Luke changing a tire!

Working on the car -- his favorite activity!

We had a fun day today.  The kids have been asking to go back to the Children's Museum in Murfreesboro for a while now.  We went to Home Depot this morning for the monthly kids craft which was a plane from the new Disney movie.  Then we had to go by Bill's to do some things.  After that we headed to Murfreesboro.  The museum was packed.  When we got in we realized why it was a free admission day to promote family wellness!  That was a nice surprise!  We stayed for a few hours.  There really is a lot to do there.  The kids love playing in the water area.  Luke's favorite thing was the "garage" which is sponsored by Nissan.  The kids can fix tires, fill the car with gas, work on the engine, etc.  For some reason Katherine would not let me take her picture today, but Luke was all about it.

When we finished there we enjoyed a very late lunch at Chuy's which is always a hit!  We had  great day!

Big Helpers

We grilled out for Labor Day.  The kids still love to help us in the kitchen.  They helped Paul slice onions which they thought was fun.  Our weekend is low-key. I had to work yesterday and am working tomorrow.

Morning with Daddy

Katherine being silly in her baby doll bed!

Ice cream goodness!

Fun at Chik-fil-a

Wore this girl out

I had to work this morning so Paul and the kids spent the day together.  Today was the kickoff to college football!  This is, by far, our favorite time of year.  It was great to have ESPN College Game Day back on TV this morning before I left!  The kids and Paul found plenty to do while I was gone.  They worked outside, played and went to Chik-fil-a for lunch.  When I got home this afternoon they were both asleep upstairs while Paul watched football.

Rushing Fall

The kids had a great time with Mom last night.  We had several things to do today so we picked them up fairly early.  Katherine and I got our hair cut this afternoon.  This was the first time I have taken her to the salon with me.  She did great and really liked it!  She looked so cute when she was finished.  The girl put some "curl enhancer" in it; that along with the humidity made her look like Shirley Temple!  She would not let me get a good picture of it though.

Tonight we went to the farm to visit Pop.  We took some thick cut pork chops from a new meat market in.  town.  They were great!  We had corn on the cob and a salad.  Luke really wanted to build a fire and make s'mores so that's what we did. It was a pretty night, but probably too hot for a bonfire.  We all enjoyed sitting outside.  Anytime we are outside at night the kids like to talk about Nene being way up high in heaven, past the stars.  They talked about her a lot tonight.  I think we were probably all a little misty-eyed but it was dark so we didn't know.  The kids miss her bunches and go in waves talking about her.  We are all still adjusting to our lives without her in it.

Unexpected Night Out

Luke has been asking to go to Texas Roadhouse for a while now.  For whatever reason those type of steak houses are not my favorite.  We have  actually only been there one other time.  Mom called while we were on our way to Hendersonville and she was in the area so she joined us. The kids were so excited!  The food was actually really yummy.  The kids were entertained by the singing/ dancing wait staff.

Mom asked if the kids could go home with her and spend the night.  We jumped at the opportunity!  She took them home from the restaurant. Paul and I weren't really sure what to do since we don't go out very much and never go out in that area.  Normally we go to Nashville.  We ended up at a lakefront restaurant/ bar called The Rudder.  It was such a nice fall-like night that we sat outside and listened to the live music.  It was so nice and relaxing -- just what we needed!

Making Progress

Luke is getting settled in to being a Kindergartner. Paul and I are adjusting, too.  He loves going to Extended Care which is good since he is there almost everyday.  It is overwhelming how much communication goes on between the teacher and parents.  It is great, though.  He gets a little progress report sent home everyday. He had one day that he was not a nice friend on the playground and had a negative comment sent home.  Since talking to him about it he has had much better days!  He really seems to be making friends and loves his teacher!  We are so thankful!

Five Guys

I picked Luke up from Pop's after work.  They had a great day together!  Luke ran errands with Pop, rode on the tractor.  He feel asleep in the swing when I got there.  He was worn out.  We left there and went to get Katherine. We decided we wanted to go to Nashville to meet Paul for supper. Luke chose Five Guys which is always a favorite.  After that we went to Green Hills mall to shop for a little while.  We were on the hunt for a new lunch bag for Luke.  We looked, but finally decided to order one online.  Excited that the weekend is upon us!

Day Two.

I rushed from work to get Katherine then we rushed to get Luke picked up.  I was so anxious to hear about his day!  When we got there he was so quiet.  I kept asking him what was wrong.  He didn't want to get in the car.  Finally, after I was driving he told me he didn't want to leave school.  He was having fun!  I was so relieved!  I thought maybe he had not had a good day.

He is going to spend the morning with Paul and the afternoon with Pop tomorrow.  Friday he will be with Pop all day.  Hope he will want to go back to school on Monday after a long break off!

First Day of Kindergarten!

We were all up and at it early this morning!  Paul started the day by cooking a special "First Day of School" breakfast - pancakes!  Mom came so she could take Katherine to school so Paul and I could both take Luke this morning.  We took a lot of pictures.  Luke was a little nervous when we got there, but he did fine when we left.  None of us shed any tears -- I couldn't believe it!  A little girl from church is in his class and a lady mom knows from work has a little boy in his class, too.  The boys go to school today and tomorrow then the girls go Thursday and Friday then they all go next Monday.  Kind of a funny phase in schedule but I guess it works!

When I picked him up this afternoon he didn't have a lot to say about his day.  He will be in extended care in the afternoons.  I know he will get used to that, too.  Hoping this is a great year!

Little Dancer

Today was a big day in our house!  Paul and I had a parent/ teacher meeting with Luke's teacher.  She is so sweet and we are excited Luke is going to have her.  Luke stayed with Ms. Wanda and Mr. Jimmy while we met with the teacher.  He had a good time! It was so nice that he was able to stay with them.  We don't have many options for kid-sitting these days.

Luke and I spent the rest of the afternoon together doing whatever he wanted to.  It was our last Mommy and Luke day before he starts school!  He is a little nervous about tomorrow, but I am sure he will do fine.

Tonight was Katherine's first ballet class!  She was so excited to put on her leotard and "slippers".  There were a lot of little girls in her class, too many, actually.  The teacher offered some other class options.  I think I will wait until next week to see if the class size goes down some.  Katherine seemed to have a good time.  Will see if she wants to go back next week!

Pop's Pool Party

The kids helped Pop blow his candles out

Yesterday was Bill's birthday.  Some of his friends had a little get together for him last night so we celebrated as a family today.  We all went to Jon and Kristen's to swim.  After the rain cleared out it was a beautiful day!  The kids loved playing in the pool and did not want to get out when it was time to eat.  Jon grilled kabobs which were great and something different than the typical burger.  Kristen made a homemade cherry pie that was wonderful!  Bill really seemed to enjoy himself.  It was hard celebrating a birthday without Paula there and we all miss her everyday.  We know she is watching us though!

Movies!

We celebrated Luke's last day of Preschool by going to the movies together.  It is embarrassing to admit how long it has been since Paul and I have been to the movies -- about 5 years and I am not joking!  It is funny how having kids changes your lifestyle.  We used to love to go to the movies and went very regularly. Luke is so particular about movies we haven't been in a big rush to pay a lot of money only to have to get up and leave 20 minutes in to it.  He doesn't like anything remotely scary.  He has been talking about seeing the Planes movie.  Since it is by the same people that made Cars and he loves that movie we thought this would be a safe bet.

We decided to do it up right and got a huge bowl of popcorn and shared it between the four of us.  It was yummy!  The movie was pretty cute.  It was pretty much exactly like Cars except the characters were planes.

Sinking In

After going to the Bash at school tonight it is really sinking in that Luke is starting Kindergarten!  His teacher is super nice and I think she will be great for him!  We met a couple of children that will be in his class.  He got to look around at how the room is set up and see where he will be sitting everyday.  Due to the rainy weather the "bash" part was held in the gym.  There were bounce houses everywhere.  He had a blast running around.  We saw several families that we know which was nice.  Tomorrow is his last day at Little Lambs.  It hasn't quite sunk in with Katherine that Luke is going to be at a different school. This could be hard on all of us!

Last Week

It's this fella's last week of Preschool!  Can't believe this time is coming to an end, but we know he is ready.  He is having a hard time adjusting to the idea he will be going to school somewhere different next week.  We are going to meet his teacher at the Back to School Bash later this week.  I am hoping that helps some!

Lazy Saturday

Getting his paint on!

Visit with Kitty

Kitty is always happy to see the kids!

For the first time in months we found ourselves with a Saturday with absolutely nothing planned!  We started the day at Home Depot for their kids' craft.  The project was making a Home Depot delivery truck.  It was an easy project and the kids enjoyed it.  We also scored some clearance bushes -- Azaleas for $3.50.  Paul accidentally "killed" all the azaleas at our mailbox a couple of years ago and we never got around to replacing them so this seemed like the perfect opportunity.  After the Depot we went to Gallatin to see Kitty.  She was actually getting her hair done which the kids thought was funny.  She is about the same -- asking the same questions repeatedly and her hearing is very poor.  She loves seeing the kids though!

We stopped and picked up lunch and went to visit Bill.  The kids had fun.  It was too humid to play outside much but they entertained themselves with all kinds of toys and books.  Neither kid took a nap today which is very unusual.  We stopped at Mom's on the way home to check on her smoke detectors.  They have been beeping so Paul fixed those pretty quick.

Paul surprised the kids after supper by suggesting we go to the pool.  It was a perfect night for the pool and it wasn't crowded at all.  Luke is getting more confident around the water which is good.

Family Night

Bill and Paula went to Carrabbas at least once a week since the restaurant has been in Hendersonville. Before that they frequented the Green Hills location.  They were definitely "regulars" and had come to be friends with the managers and wait staff.  Some of the staff even came to Paula's visitation.  The manager had told Bill he wanted the family to come in for a meal "on the house".  It worked out that everyone was free tonight so we all met.  It was emotional for all of us, especially Bill.  The staff bent over backwards to ensure we had everything we could possibly want.  They even brought out a piece of cake at the end for Bill's birthday which isn't until next week. It was just a great night of fun and fellowship for all of us.  We actually have not all been together since the funeral.  The three boys have been rotating going to see Bill and it makes more sense for us to split our time up.

The kids were so well behaved.  Luke sat at the opposite end of the table from us.  He entertained Claudia and Lauren the entire meal.  He looked so grown up to us.  Katherine loved on her Papa most of the time.