Makenzie...
Our baby girl is the BIG 5 today!!! Seriously makes a Mommy and Daddy take a moment to reflect on times past and what an amazing little girl she's become=)
Makenzie is so smart, always wanting to learn more and more each day. She has the ability to entertain herself and then jump right into group play time... such an imagination! When I sit back and listen to her and the way she plays with her toys, it's so funny to get an idea of what a child thinks about and how they put their day-to-day knowledge and thoughts into play. Makenzie loves to color... staying in the lines isn't the priority, it's how many colors can I blend to make this picture look even better?! She really enjoys singing and dancing... we find her always moving and humming a tune, or even breaking out into full dance in the middle of the room. She may come across as shy at first, but watch out- she's a great entertainer! Makenzie learned from her big sister how to be an amazing big sister to her brother=) She pays a lot of attention to details on helping him learn through playing together. Such a big heart to share with everyone! Her favorite things to do are playing Barbies/Pet Shops/Polly Pockets with her big sister, coloring, dancing, singing, cheering, helping in the kitchen with cooking/baking, playing board games, trying to read, and watching/playing along with Daddy's Wii games.
Proud is an understatement... Makenzie warms our hearts and makes us want to see what's in store for the next year. We love you so much, sweetie... HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAKENZIE=)
Monday, September 27
Friday, September 24
Scenic Photography
Photography... My ultimate passion! Of course I love to cook, but when it comes to something that truly gets my heart going, taking pictures ranks as #1!!!
Since moving here to Tennessee, I've had the opportunity to venture out a few times to see the "views"... breath taking! It's amazing to see the hills, mountains, foliage, structures, etc... I could go on and on and on...
This is just off a very twisted road we take coming home from school every day
This IS part of the twisted path... known as roller coaster road for all the ups, downs, and belly flutters it causes
The leaves are slightly beginning to change... I love when the sunlight peeks through
Such a nice relaxing spot to just pull over and have a picnic
I am amazed at old structures... barns especially have a lot of character and stories to them
You can bet I'll be armed with my camera, ready to take more pictures of our surroundings! We're in my FAVORITE season of the year, and excited to actually experience a season=)
Since moving here to Tennessee, I've had the opportunity to venture out a few times to see the "views"... breath taking! It's amazing to see the hills, mountains, foliage, structures, etc... I could go on and on and on...
This is just off a very twisted road we take coming home from school every day
This IS part of the twisted path... known as roller coaster road for all the ups, downs, and belly flutters it causes
The leaves are slightly beginning to change... I love when the sunlight peeks through
Such a nice relaxing spot to just pull over and have a picnic
I am amazed at old structures... barns especially have a lot of character and stories to them
You can bet I'll be armed with my camera, ready to take more pictures of our surroundings! We're in my FAVORITE season of the year, and excited to actually experience a season=)Thursday, September 23
Fifth Disease
Oh, boy! Monday morning, William and I ran a few errands with Dannen. After returning home, we noticed Dannen's arms and legs had a red rash forming, just along the edges of his clothes. He didn't seem irritated at all, so we just agreed to keep an eye on it...
On Tuesday, the rash spread more on his arms and up onto the back of his neck. Still, no fever, itchiness, or appetite loss... FULL of energy, but looking very red.
Wednesday morning, I headed over to the Health Department, (Oh joy- don't we love not having insurance:(). We got info on insurance assistance and made an appointment for Dannen to be seen. His rash spread onto his face, neck, and more on his arms and legs.
This morning, we headed back to the Health Department very bright and early to find out he has Fifth Disease. It was quite surprising, but makes sense. About two weeks ago, right when we were getting ready to leave Florida, Dannen had a little runny nose and seemed uncomfy (thought it was from his two incisors breaking through). Fifth Disease begins with cold-like symptoms, then the child seems fine, with the rash breaking out afterward. Most people get this without the rash even showing up.
Since he doesn't itch, there's no need for creams or lotions. Since he doesn't have a fever, there's no need for Tylenol. (This is a Viral infection, not Bacterial.) Basically, we wait for the rash to go away... which could take 1 to 3 weeks!!! We're very thankful he's not in any pain=)
On Tuesday, the rash spread more on his arms and up onto the back of his neck. Still, no fever, itchiness, or appetite loss... FULL of energy, but looking very red.
Wednesday morning, I headed over to the Health Department, (Oh joy- don't we love not having insurance:(). We got info on insurance assistance and made an appointment for Dannen to be seen. His rash spread onto his face, neck, and more on his arms and legs.
This morning, we headed back to the Health Department very bright and early to find out he has Fifth Disease. It was quite surprising, but makes sense. About two weeks ago, right when we were getting ready to leave Florida, Dannen had a little runny nose and seemed uncomfy (thought it was from his two incisors breaking through). Fifth Disease begins with cold-like symptoms, then the child seems fine, with the rash breaking out afterward. Most people get this without the rash even showing up.Since he doesn't itch, there's no need for creams or lotions. Since he doesn't have a fever, there's no need for Tylenol. (This is a Viral infection, not Bacterial.) Basically, we wait for the rash to go away... which could take 1 to 3 weeks!!! We're very thankful he's not in any pain=)
Wednesday, September 22
Great Schoolwork!
Proud Mommy moment:Kaylie brought home her very first spelling test from her new school... She got a 105 A+!!! Her handwriting is amazing! She's always loved reading and spelling=D
Makenzie loves being a Kindergartner... she's been practicing writing her numbers and letters. She came home with a "stain glass-like" apple with cut out squares=D
Monday, September 20
New Home
With our new home being about 90% completely unpacked and organized, we're pretty happy to feel relaxed and comfy living in Tennessee:) I'm so proud of how much hard work my hubby put out in unloading and doing 90% of the "hard" work. This is the first home, of many many places we've lived, that he had good ideas of room layouts... guess it means it's a winner! It's been really exciting organizing and arranging our belongings. I'm a furniture mover by stress relief, and think it's going to be really rough not having "that urge" to move things:)
The awesome view outside our front door... so nice to look out into nature... very quiet and peaceful. There are a few stray cats that roam the hill early every morning, along with a family of Robins and Cardinals!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE our new kitchen... it's open, bright, and totally accessible all the way around. I believe the kitchen is the heart of any home. The idea of cooking and having everyone involved in our new home is super exciting!!!
Our dining room has a fire place!?!? It makes a lonely corner feeling comfy... can't wait to use it during the winter while eating a yummy oatmeal breakfast or Sunday afternoon roast- YUM!
Our patio, yes we finally have an outdoor place for out kids to play, run off some energy, and be safe all in one... I think the iron design along the brick wall is amazing... had to play with this picture to show the beautiful details:)
Our living room is HUGE! Off to the back left of the picture is a hallway to our half bath. With William's advice, we split the room into two areas: One focused toward the fireplace, and the other with a sitting area and desk/learning space. We do a lot of family play time with games, reading, projects, and computer time... might as well use the space and make it easily accessible!
This is the view from our desk/learning area... LOVE how open everything is! Since we face Northeast, the dining room window lets in the perfect amount of sunlight all day:)
And the biggest space that's keeps our kids interested and entertained... the stairs LOL We can always find someone either playing at the top, in the middle, or at the foot of these stairs! Kaylie likes to jump from the top to the middle landing, while Makenzie enjoys playing peek-a-boo with Dannen from upstairs. We're still getting used to Dannen climbing them... for the most part he does really well. It's those few times he gets distracted or excited that he'll wiggle too much and end up on his bottom, having to scoot down:) When he gets going, he's FAST!
The upstairs is a work in progress. Our room is pretty much done, just hoping to get a bigger bed (we downgraded from a queen to a brand new full a few months ago- UGH good and bad... good for the newness, but BAD for the size LOL). Our room has a nice fireplace too! Kaylie and Makenzie's room is ready for a makeover... we're saying buh-bye to the Princesses and hello to ??? Thankfully, they still love their bunk beds! Dannen's room is full of baby/toddler/Daddy boy toys... he still has the Dalmatian Dog and Fire Truck theme:) As for the hallway bathroom, I'm hoping to get something fun-themed for the kids.
All in all... this is by far the most loved home we've had, and there have been many LOL We love the town home atmosphere, neighborhood, and entire area. Being around happy, friendly people makes for a loved home:) Can't wait to have visitors!
The awesome view outside our front door... so nice to look out into nature... very quiet and peaceful. There are a few stray cats that roam the hill early every morning, along with a family of Robins and Cardinals!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE our new kitchen... it's open, bright, and totally accessible all the way around. I believe the kitchen is the heart of any home. The idea of cooking and having everyone involved in our new home is super exciting!!!
Our dining room has a fire place!?!? It makes a lonely corner feeling comfy... can't wait to use it during the winter while eating a yummy oatmeal breakfast or Sunday afternoon roast- YUM!
Our patio, yes we finally have an outdoor place for out kids to play, run off some energy, and be safe all in one... I think the iron design along the brick wall is amazing... had to play with this picture to show the beautiful details:)
Our living room is HUGE! Off to the back left of the picture is a hallway to our half bath. With William's advice, we split the room into two areas: One focused toward the fireplace, and the other with a sitting area and desk/learning space. We do a lot of family play time with games, reading, projects, and computer time... might as well use the space and make it easily accessible!
This is the view from our desk/learning area... LOVE how open everything is! Since we face Northeast, the dining room window lets in the perfect amount of sunlight all day:)
And the biggest space that's keeps our kids interested and entertained... the stairs LOL We can always find someone either playing at the top, in the middle, or at the foot of these stairs! Kaylie likes to jump from the top to the middle landing, while Makenzie enjoys playing peek-a-boo with Dannen from upstairs. We're still getting used to Dannen climbing them... for the most part he does really well. It's those few times he gets distracted or excited that he'll wiggle too much and end up on his bottom, having to scoot down:) When he gets going, he's FAST!
The upstairs is a work in progress. Our room is pretty much done, just hoping to get a bigger bed (we downgraded from a queen to a brand new full a few months ago- UGH good and bad... good for the newness, but BAD for the size LOL). Our room has a nice fireplace too! Kaylie and Makenzie's room is ready for a makeover... we're saying buh-bye to the Princesses and hello to ??? Thankfully, they still love their bunk beds! Dannen's room is full of baby/toddler/Daddy boy toys... he still has the Dalmatian Dog and Fire Truck theme:) As for the hallway bathroom, I'm hoping to get something fun-themed for the kids.All in all... this is by far the most loved home we've had, and there have been many LOL We love the town home atmosphere, neighborhood, and entire area. Being around happy, friendly people makes for a loved home:) Can't wait to have visitors!
Thursday, September 16
New State, New School!
Kaylie and Makenzie have almost completed one full week at their new school. We're so proud of their hard work and ability to jump right into their new surroundings. Kaylie loves her second grade teacher, Mrs. Hodge. She's made a bunch of friends, one of whom has called every day of the week wanting to "chat" with her new BFF. Kaylie even informed us that she is "dating" a little boy named Jacob... her explanation of dating is: A "play date" with a boy LOL I see some fun times ahead! Makenzie is doing very well in Kindergarten. She picked up on their lower case letters and has brought home so many neat little sheets of her work. No more station play or nap times... big girl work and homework for our smart cookie:) Tuesday was picture day... talk about making it just in time! We're excited about all the school events on the calendar. Great job, girls!!!New Theatre
WOW... the word used to describe William's new theatre. We made our way over to Pigeon Forge's soon-to-be 5 screen theatre, still being built. The area is absolutely beautiful! William had a twinkle in his eye when walking up to the building. With the front doors open, he walked right in asking to take a look around. (So excited!) He even took both girls through the construction to see the progress.
When he went back toward the actual theatres themselves, Kaylie and Makenzie enjoyed themselves outside, playing on the steps. William's theatre is located in the back corner of a V-shaped outdoor shopping plaza. There is a really neat putt-putt golf place in the middle, too!
Dannen wanted to get out and run around... "Dada, Dada, Dada!!!" =DWilliam's first "day at work" is tomorrow. He's meeting his boss to get things prepared for Saturday's huge job fair. He will be traveling to Cherokee, TN. to train on the equipment for the next two weeks. Since his corporate office is located just outside of Knoxville, he'll also get the opportunity to work there and get involved with more aspects of his company! Opening day is scheduled for October 15th... can't wait!
On the Move!
The night before we got on the road, all five of us stayed with my mom and sister... so thankful for their hospitality and a/c!!! It was a nice way to end our many years in Florida.
Saturday morning, I finished up the last few things at the apartment before helping load the kids up in the van and truck. Kaylie was very excited to ride with Daddy on the first leg of the trip.
The first thing Makenzie did was kick off her flip-flops and get comfy:P
Last goodbye waves from my mom and sister... Thank you for everything!
On the bridge of Daytona Beach's LPGA Blvd., a bunch of US citizens waved flags showing support on the anniversary of September 11th... amazing!
See ya later, Jacksonville!
Makenzie's turn in the truck with Daddy! Can't forget the yummy lunch, too:)
Kaylie went straight for my phone to play the Princess Puzzle games... so glad the phone and DVD player came in handy!
And then there's Dannen... he was a ball full of happiness 90% of the trip... every time he would see a truck, he would yell "DUMM!" At first we were like WHAT?!?! Then, we realized he picked that up from his favorite toy truck, Chuck... "I'm Chuck. I'm a Dump Truck!" SOOOO funny:)
Goodbye Florida, Hello Georgia... what a LONG state to drive! UGH:(
Look who caught up?
So excited to see this sign!!!
Just north of Atlanta... started to see the hills... oh and the rain!!!
Pardon the huge blurr, but the crazy photographer in me attempted to take a picture while driving in the rain. Dumb, yes, but how many times will we make this move? :)
Oh the rain... OMG I thought we were going to die! Anyone who really knows me can confirm my love for weather. In all my years of taking pictures of thunderstorms, driving in storms and hurricanes, and beginning my college career as a meteorologist, I have NEVER EVER been so scared to be in a storm than I was that night. It was around 7pm when we hit rain in the growing hills. Throw in traffic, construction, fast drivers whipping around corners up and down the hills, morons trying to stop on the side of the road, and tiredness... you get a very paranoid Mommy crying like a baby:( Thankfully, Dannen fell asleep and Makenzie was wrapped up in the Toy Story movie. William and Kaylie were in the truck behind me. At one point we lost each other, but caught up about 60 miles from our hotel. The one and only time I had reservations of our move came during this drive... "What in the world did we get into???" I look back now and remember praying so hard to get through safely. Welcome to living in the mountains... LOL
Time to relax in the hotel:)
Everyone was so wired from the drive, and ended up falling asleep around 11pm!
The next morning, we called Zamma and Auntie:)
Checking out the view... what are those over there? Oh, the mountains!
Both girls rode with Daddy on the last leg of the trip.
Hotel view:)
Driving over the bridge out of downtown Knoxville... that's University of Tennessee's football stadium!
This is the view down the road from our new home... just about 3 miles from our door:) Amazing to see the Smokey Mountains everyday! So glad we made it safely... ready to enjoy our new adventure!
Saturday morning, I finished up the last few things at the apartment before helping load the kids up in the van and truck. Kaylie was very excited to ride with Daddy on the first leg of the trip.
The first thing Makenzie did was kick off her flip-flops and get comfy:P
Last goodbye waves from my mom and sister... Thank you for everything!
On the bridge of Daytona Beach's LPGA Blvd., a bunch of US citizens waved flags showing support on the anniversary of September 11th... amazing!
See ya later, Jacksonville!
Makenzie's turn in the truck with Daddy! Can't forget the yummy lunch, too:)
Kaylie went straight for my phone to play the Princess Puzzle games... so glad the phone and DVD player came in handy!
And then there's Dannen... he was a ball full of happiness 90% of the trip... every time he would see a truck, he would yell "DUMM!" At first we were like WHAT?!?! Then, we realized he picked that up from his favorite toy truck, Chuck... "I'm Chuck. I'm a Dump Truck!" SOOOO funny:)
Goodbye Florida, Hello Georgia... what a LONG state to drive! UGH:(
Look who caught up?
So excited to see this sign!!!
Just north of Atlanta... started to see the hills... oh and the rain!!!
Pardon the huge blurr, but the crazy photographer in me attempted to take a picture while driving in the rain. Dumb, yes, but how many times will we make this move? :)Oh the rain... OMG I thought we were going to die! Anyone who really knows me can confirm my love for weather. In all my years of taking pictures of thunderstorms, driving in storms and hurricanes, and beginning my college career as a meteorologist, I have NEVER EVER been so scared to be in a storm than I was that night. It was around 7pm when we hit rain in the growing hills. Throw in traffic, construction, fast drivers whipping around corners up and down the hills, morons trying to stop on the side of the road, and tiredness... you get a very paranoid Mommy crying like a baby:( Thankfully, Dannen fell asleep and Makenzie was wrapped up in the Toy Story movie. William and Kaylie were in the truck behind me. At one point we lost each other, but caught up about 60 miles from our hotel. The one and only time I had reservations of our move came during this drive... "What in the world did we get into???" I look back now and remember praying so hard to get through safely. Welcome to living in the mountains... LOL
Time to relax in the hotel:)
Everyone was so wired from the drive, and ended up falling asleep around 11pm!
The next morning, we called Zamma and Auntie:)
Checking out the view... what are those over there? Oh, the mountains!
Both girls rode with Daddy on the last leg of the trip.
Hotel view:)
Driving over the bridge out of downtown Knoxville... that's University of Tennessee's football stadium!
This is the view down the road from our new home... just about 3 miles from our door:) Amazing to see the Smokey Mountains everyday! So glad we made it safely... ready to enjoy our new adventure!Until We Meet Again
One of the hardest things about choosing to move out of Florida has been leaving my mom and sister. Their home was right behind our apartment complex, maybe a 5 minute walk. We've been very grateful to have them close by for fun times. Hanging out at their community pool, yummy lunch visits, play time, movie night at out house, movies at Daddy's theatre... we did a lot together!
With the computers set up with Skype, facebook, emails, and of course phones set to speed dial, we prepped as much as possible to keep in touch through the miles.
The biggest "Zamma" moment has always been tickling my kids backs... ever since they were little, calm down time has been sitting with their Zamma and getting tickled (aka back scratching for a crazy amount of time lol). On the night before we packed everything up, my mom and sister came over for one more special visit.
Dannen learned quickly how much fun it is to have "Zamma" time:)
Auntie Tricia and our kids had a good night hanging out and just relaxing.
They can't wait to keep up with their weekly Skype calls.
Glad we had the time to spend together... can't wait for a hopeful Thanksgiving visit!!! =)
With the computers set up with Skype, facebook, emails, and of course phones set to speed dial, we prepped as much as possible to keep in touch through the miles.
The biggest "Zamma" moment has always been tickling my kids backs... ever since they were little, calm down time has been sitting with their Zamma and getting tickled (aka back scratching for a crazy amount of time lol). On the night before we packed everything up, my mom and sister came over for one more special visit.
Dannen learned quickly how much fun it is to have "Zamma" time:)
Auntie Tricia and our kids had a good night hanging out and just relaxing.
They can't wait to keep up with their weekly Skype calls.
Glad we had the time to spend together... can't wait for a hopeful Thanksgiving visit!!! =)So Much to Pack...
When we got the word about William's new job, we had 13 days until the moving truck rolled in to pack everything. Talk about PANIC!!! Thankfully I love love love to organize and pack... the fun began...
Every box and tote had a label for which room and a brief description of what was inside.
85% of our boxes came from Wal-Mart, with the remainder from William's theatre.
After school one day, the kids and I pulled out the crayons and markers to make teachers going-away cards.
Dannen had fun hiding his football and basketball in empty boxes.
Last box for packing... Kaylie and Makenzie fit perfectly!
We picked up the Budget truck Friday September 10th. Big thanks to our friends Chris, Jake and Pastor Aaron for their awesome help. It took just over 4 hours from start to finish. Thankfully, my mom watched our kids during the crazy evening...
Our "LOVELY" apartment complex screwed us. Friday morning, our A/C went out, and even after coming to the apartment twice before 2pm, they failed to fix it. Very angry and hot, we pushed through and got everything done. "Oh well, can't clean as much as we wanted with NO AIR!" UGH, what a sour way to leave the place we lived for the past 2 & 1/2 years=( We can honestly say it will NOT NOT NOT be missed with all the hectic times we had to deal with from ungrateful and rude neighbors. All we can do is be thankful for this new adventure and be grateful for the good times we did have... bye-bye Melbourne!
Every box and tote had a label for which room and a brief description of what was inside.
85% of our boxes came from Wal-Mart, with the remainder from William's theatre.
After school one day, the kids and I pulled out the crayons and markers to make teachers going-away cards.
Dannen had fun hiding his football and basketball in empty boxes.
Last box for packing... Kaylie and Makenzie fit perfectly!We picked up the Budget truck Friday September 10th. Big thanks to our friends Chris, Jake and Pastor Aaron for their awesome help. It took just over 4 hours from start to finish. Thankfully, my mom watched our kids during the crazy evening...
Our "LOVELY" apartment complex screwed us. Friday morning, our A/C went out, and even after coming to the apartment twice before 2pm, they failed to fix it. Very angry and hot, we pushed through and got everything done. "Oh well, can't clean as much as we wanted with NO AIR!" UGH, what a sour way to leave the place we lived for the past 2 & 1/2 years=( We can honestly say it will NOT NOT NOT be missed with all the hectic times we had to deal with from ungrateful and rude neighbors. All we can do is be thankful for this new adventure and be grateful for the good times we did have... bye-bye Melbourne!
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