Randomly Riggs

Valentines Day Brownies!

2012-02-10T15:12:00.001-08:00

Valentines Day is probably one of my favorite days!! Yes I know its NOT Feb 14Th yet, but I'm just getting a head start on it!!!! Tonight Abby and I made heart shaped brownies! Abby LOVES brownies, they are her favorite dessert!! So in honor of Valentines Day.....here are our brownies!!!!!!

Drum roll please......................

Baked and ready to go!

YES the cookie cutter worked!! I was worried they would fall apart!

Add a little powdered sugar and a homemade stencil and look what we have!

YUMMY!!

this is "brownie scraps" as Abby calls them and she added a little powdered sugar to them and now they are ready to eat!!! LOL

Lets Play Catch Up.....January 2012!

2012-02-10T14:23:00.000-08:00

WOW! I am so far behind on my blog so I'm doing one post for the month of January! The weather has been very warm this January so we were outside alot! We avoided all sickness until Abby came down with Bronchitis last week...:( Chad found out he has Basil Cell Carcinoma on his nose and is scheduled for surgery in a couple weeks. So we have been busy busy busy.......here's the highlights!

January included the following activities:
- 3rd grade Awards Day
- Brady riding his tricycle outside for the first time
- Abby building a birdhouse with her Daddy
- 3rd grade spelling bee
- Catholic Schools Week
- The Bite

Abby received the Science Award and the Homework Award at the 3rd grade awards day!

Brady rode his tricycle outside for the first time...and LOVED it!!

Abby got REAL woodworking tools for Christmas so her and her daddy spent one afternoon building a birdhouse!!

Abby won the 3rd grade spelling bee and came in 8Th out of 30 at the school spelling bee (grades 3-8) as a 3rd grade representative!!

This past week was Catholic Schools Week and Abby was given a beautiful rosary by Cardinal Rigali!!!

and last but not least was the first battle wound Abby has ever received from her brother...he was upset we wouldn't let him have Abby's beta fish and he threw a fit, trying to make him feel better she picked him up and .....boom, he bit her on the chest!!! Lets just say he wont be doing that again anytime soon!!!

I need to do better on my blogging, things have just been so hectic around here. On top of all this I started a diet last month too....more on that later!

Christmas 2011

2011-12-27T21:10:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!! I just wanted to share our Christmas with everyone. We had a wonderful holiday. It was very busy but very fun. We are blessed beyond belief with loving family, traditions, and the ability to give our children the magic of Christmas.

Throughout the Christmas holiday season we have 4 places we go to. My parents, Chad's parents, Chad's grandparents, and our house!! Below are some pics from all our travels this holiday season!

The kids with their Uncle Jonathan and his girlfriend Caitlin

The kids with Mawmaw and Pawpaw Riggs at their house on Christmas Eve.

All of us with Nan and Poppy (Chad's grandparents) on Christmas Eve

The kids with my mom and dad on Dec. 21st

My aunts got Brady the Thomas the Tank Engine Wooden Roundhouse for his train table. He loves trains!!

My aunts got Abby the Nintendo 3DS and she was thrilled!!!

Brady got the Little People Farm and Tractor from Nene and Papaw Cox!!!

Abby got the Melissa and Doug Horse Stable from Nene and Papaw Cox!!

Brady got a bike from Mawmaw and Pawpaw Riggs!! Cant wait for the weather to cooperate so we can take it out!

Abby got a Kindle from her Mawmaw and Pawpaw Riggs!! She was so excited!

Christmas Morning!!!

Brady with his Santa gifts!!!!!

Abby looking at her Santa gifts!

The kids and I got Chad a Craftsman tool chest for all his tools! I have to share the story, I was afraid he would guess what it was so I had my parents pick it up and wrap it and put it to the kids. Christmas morning I told him it was too heavy for the kids to unwrap he needed to do it for them....yep we totally fooled him. He loved it!

I took the money and gift cards I got for Christmas from my family and Chad's family and bought myself this awesome new bedding, sheets, and pillows!

My gift from Chad was a Pandora Bracelet! I love it so much!

My parents also got me an awesome vacuum cleaner (I know--but I like those kinds of gifts, its something I wouldn't buy myself!) and baking dishes. I didn't take a pic of them because I was too busy taking pics of the kids!

Abby turns 9!!

2011-12-19T19:43:00.000-08:00

Today my little girl Abby turned 9!!! What a blessing she has been to our lives. She is the sweetest, kindest, most caring little girl. She is such a wonderful child. I cant say enough good things about her, yes she's my daughter but she has such a wonderful soul and is such a delight!

She took her sweet time coming into this world. I was in labor with her for 15 hours and finally at 8:18pm she made her grand entrance! Her personality beamed right away--she did not cry when she was born she just made a little sound to let us know she was OK. She was such a good baby and has continued to be a great kid.

She is definitely a daddy's girl! She loves to crawl into his lap and sit on the couch and watch TV with him like she was still 2 years old. When she is sad or hurt she wants her daddy!!

She adores her little brother to no end. When he is upset she is upset, when he is hurt she is the first to run to him, she kisses him good night EVERY night, and she worries about him all the time (even though we assure her he is fine and we will take care of him! LOL). When we were pregnant with Brady we worried she would not adjust well (she had been an only child for 6 years), we had a pregnancy scare when I was about 12 weeks along and she had to go to the ER with us....she sat and cried saying "please let my little brother or sister be OK"....she was the first to hold him when he was born besides me and Chad. She loved him before he was born and is the BEST sister in the world!

Some interesting facts about Abby at 9 years old:

Her favorite animal is a horse!
Her favorite color is blue!
Her favorite places to eat are Steak N Shake, Cracker Barrel, and Subway!
She loves to watch the 1981 Spider-Man cartoon with her brother!
She loves fashion design and says she wants to be a fashion designer when she grows up.
She loves to play board games, especially Monopoly!
She loves to read the series "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" and Warrior Cats Manga books.
She is in 3rd grade and her favorite class is Art!
She runs cross country for her school in the fall and plays AYSO soccer in the spring.
Her favorite person in the world is her brother Brady!
She is learning her multiplication tables!

Happy Birthday Abby!! We love you so much and we are so proud of the wonderful young lady you are turning into!!!

A daughter is the happy memories of the past, the joyful moments of the present, and the hope and promise of the future.
-- Author Unknown

Happy Anniversary!

2011-12-07T13:53:00.001-08:00

December 5th was our 13th wedding anniversary. I don't like the number 13 but Chad assures me in this case it is NOT an unlucky number! :)

I was 20 years old and Chad was 21 when we got married. WOW, that sounds so young today!! I do have to say that God blessed me with a wonderful husband. He has given me two beautiful children and a life I am so thankful for.

Some interesting facts about us:
We met on January 26, 1998
We went to Cherokee NC to Harrah's Casino for our honeymoon (our one day honeymoon..LOL)
We LOVE to go watch plays!!
We both LOVE pizza!!
We LOVE to watch Notre Dame Football!
Chad chose our daughters name and I chose our sons name!!
We have a standing date every year on Black Friday!!
We never hang up the phone without saying I love you.
We leave each other silly notes all the time.

Here are some photos our our wedding! I wonder what Randy Fenoli from Say Yes to the Dress would say about some of these fashions??? LOL

And here we are now!

I love you, not only for what you are, But for what I am when I am with you. -Roy Croft

Birthday Party and Bears...Oh My!!!

2011-12-06T19:31:00.000-08:00

Sunday we had Abby's 9th Birthday party at Build A Bear with all her friends. Her real birthday is really close to Christmas so I always bump the party to the first of the month so people aren't so busy and her friends can attend. December birthday's are kind of hard to do, especially when its really close to Christmas!!

All the kids seemed to have a great time and Abby was beyond happy!! After the Build A Bear fun we went to the food court for a Rudolph cookie cake and gifts. I never know if you should open gifts at the parties or not, all the parties we have been to except a couple the kids opened the gifts so that's what we did too and no one seemed to mind.

Abby is so blessed to have such wonderful friends and she was so happy they all could make it. Great party!!!

O Christmas Tree!

2011-11-26T18:02:00.001-08:00

We put our Christmas tree up last night! I love putting our tree up, we turn on Christmas music and go to work!! Its so fun to talk about all of our ornaments! There are only a few ornaments on my tree that doesn't have a story that goes along with it like why we have that ornament, who got that ornament for us, who made that ornament, etc. We have several ornaments on our tree that were on the white and silver Christmas tree we had at our wedding reception. Those are my favorites! Abby has made several ornaments in school and those are my favorites too! So yes all my ornaments are special and the top of the tree is my favorite part, I love to make it huge!! I love our Christmas tree!!

Tree up, lights on, bows on....

Lights and bows on, ready for the ornaments!

getting ready to hang ornaments! The kids had to look at every ornament!

Abby hanging her handmade ornament she made in 1st grade!!

Brady playing with the Santa car ornament I got when I was a little girl!

Abby playing with my wooden Santa I hang on the wall!! LOL FUNNY!!!!!

Chad's Notre Dame ornament we bought in South Bend, Indiana a couple years ago.

Vera Bradley ornament, this is my favorite one of the three I have.

Santa heads, we have several stuffed in our tree! I love them!!

Cousin Eddie's RV....That there...that's an RV...

The Elf and ladder...he's been climbing our tree for 10 years now!!!

White birdhouse ornament that was on our wedding Christmas tree!!!

St. Nicholas!!

Our Boxer angel ornament..in memory of our first dog Sadie!

Brady's Elmo ornament...one of the gifts on the ornament has the name Abby on it. Im sure its for Abby Cadabby but it was so fitting!!!

Ring-o-gingerbread men

The top of the tree....personally I think the MOST important part of a Christmas tree!!

Abby and Brady had a great time helping hang the ornaments! I hope they always help me decorate my tree!!

Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time. ~Laura Ingalls Wilder

Fantasy of Trees 2011

2011-11-23T18:15:00.000-08:00

Every year we go to the Fantasy of Trees at the Knoxville Convention Center. Its the most awesome place to get into the holiday spirit!! We went today and had a great time. Brady was so interested in everything that we kind of "flew" through it and I didn't get many pics of trees and I didn't get any of the gingerbread houses or wreaths! Oh well, there's always next year right??!! :)

This tree matched Abby's hat!!!

Brady

OH NO!! Not the Cheese Touch!!!!

Abby and the reindeer!

Abby and Brady, I'm not sure what hes looking at but he was in awe of the entire place!

I really loved these, they were all over the place!

AWESOME wooden Thomas the Tank Engine tree!!!

Daddy and Brady

Beautiful old Chevy!

Abby gets this reindeer painted on her face every year!! LOL

Painting our wooden reindeer's!!!

The following pics are NOT the best we have ever taken there, the kids were worn out and hungry so these are the best we could do on our way out...LOL

Me and the kids

Family pic...hmmm LOL

Downtown at the Sunsphere! Brady thought it was so awesome!

24 Things I Am Thankful For....

2011-11-21T18:24:00.000-08:00

I decided to make a list of 24 things I am thankful for since Thanksgiving falls on November 24th this year.

1. My Husband who I have had a crush on since the first time I saw him. He has given me this wonderful life and these beautiful children and the best 14 years I could have ever imagined. He is my best friend and my #1 fan. He takes care of us and makes sure we have everything we need. He makes me smile, laugh out loud, and still gives me butterflies. He knows when I need a hug, a shoulder to cry on, or a hand to hold.

2. My Children who make me laugh and smile everyday. They bring me joy I could have never imagined before I was a mother. They love me unconditionally and their hugs are tight and hearts are so big.

3. My Parents who have always been there for me and I know I can count on them for anything. I am truly blessed to be their daughter. They gave me all they could and sometimes they gave me more than I deserved.

4. My House that keeps me warm and dry in the winter and gives me a place to lay my head at night. My home is my job and I am so proud to have it when so many people don't have homes. I love my house and I always want to make it better than it is and a place my children are comfortable in and feel at home. I think a home is one of the most important things a child can have.

5. My Warm Bed that I get to sleep in every night and a soft place to lay my head.

6. My Friends who are there for me when I need someone to listen to me and I know I can count on them. I don't have very many really close friends but the ones I have are the best friends I could ever imagine and I love them so much.

7. My Husbands Job which affords me to be able to stay home and raise my kids, gives us health insurance, pays our mortgage.

8. Cheeseburgers my favorite food of all time!

9. Hard Times, I know this sounds strange but without them we could not be so thankful for the Good Times!!

10. St. Joseph School which educates my daughter in the best way possible and allows her to learn about religion as well as academics.

11. Sweet Tea--without it I could not make it through an entire day!!

12. Books because without them the world would be a boring place!

13. Television which is a strange thing to be thankful for but I love nothing more than to curl up in bed at night and watch it!

14. My Pets that keep the house alive with mischief and smiles ( and sometimes alot of frustration) but they do keep me company when I need them too and they never ask for anything in return.

15. The Young and The Restless which I started watching when I was 5 years old at my Granny's house. I would get out of Kindergarten at half day and go to her house and watch it while eating Peanut Butter Crackers and drinking a coke! :)Its a memory I will never forget and I still watch the show every day.

16. Snow- I love to go to bed on a cold night and wake up to alot of snow and the silence that comes with it, when you walk outside and you cant hear anything but the still of the world and the sight of winter.

17. Electricity, I cant imagine what it was like years ago when they had no electricity so I am very thankful each day that I have it.

18. Santa Claus who brings the magic of Christmas to the heart of children and adults. Life isn't always easy but the sound of bells and the sight of Santa makes me smile and the magic he brings to children is priceless. Both my kids still believe and I hope when they learn the truth they will still be in love with the idea of the Spirit of Santa!

19. Freedom. I am so thankful to be a citizen of the United States of America and for the freedom that gives me. I am so thankful to live in a country where people can make their own choices in the way they live, the faith they practice, the person they marry, and the way they raise their children.

20. My iPod without it I would be lost when I take a shower, drive in the car, clean my house, or sit at my computer. I love you iPod! :)

21. Dearfoam Slippers that I wear EVERYDAY and cant imagine my life without them.

22. Oreos they give me comfort when I am down and out and I cant help but smile when I see the holiday ones with the red center, the spring ones with the yellow center, and the fall ones with the orange center. Thank you Oreo for your variety and yummy goodness!!!

23. XBOX because you bring such happiness to my husband and make him smile when no one else can..LOL

24. God--because without Him none to the above 23 items would be in my life!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving and a safe Black Friday, yes I will be out there among the crazies that day and will be so thankful I am!!

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Paint....Pain....Proud....:)

2011-11-17T19:07:00.000-08:00

I have been wanting to repaint the downstairs of our house for some time now but it seemed like such a hard job and would take so long I just kept putting it off and putting it off. Well, Friday we went to Lowe's and bought a ton of paint and supplies and Saturday morning we started in the kitchen and finished Monday night in the dining room.

WOW, what a job! I think its the largest project we have done to this house! We finished it up with only a few battle wounds. I had legs so sore I could hardly walk and the worst headache ever (paint fumes I'm sure!) and my husband is sporting a new hole in is body thanks to a pin nailer!! We laughed alot, wanted to cry alot, and thought about giving up several times along the way. But it was so worth it and what an experience to spend 3 whole days with my husband making our home so beautiful!

Lots of paint and supplies--let the fun begin!

Living Room
Before-We had never painted the living room. When we moved in it was this strange goldish brown color and it seemed like such a job to paint it so our things did match OK so we just left it this odd color.

After- Summer Sparrow (a historic looking brown) replaced the "gold" color. I love it so much, it really brings out the white molding and trim and make the room feel so cozy.

Before- The fireplace was almost lost in the "gold" color that was on the wall. It just didn't seem to stand out and the "gold" looked more dirty than "gold" so it was a much needed change!

After- I think the new color brings the fireplace out and the white looks so good against the brown. I am so happy with this color and the way it turned out!

Kitchen
Before- the kitchen was yellow when we moved in, we repainted it a deeper yellow shortly after moving in, I'm still not sure why we painted a yellow kitchen yellow again?? LOL

After-Evening Eclipse ( a deep blue) replaced the horrible yellow on the walls. We added a back splash. My husband used wainscoting for the back splash then he took a regular piece of pine and used his router table to actually hand make the molding and trim on the back splash. It turned out so pretty!

I replaced a horrible picture of a flower with this nice collage of family photos on the kitchen wall.

I also took Chalkboard paint and made a "Shopping List" chalk board next to the pantry door. Its so easy to just make your grocery list during the week on the wall and copy it onto paper on shopping day!!

Hallway
Swiss Chocolate and Smoked Oyster replaced the icky Yellow and Hunter Green walls in the dining room and hallway. Please ignore the baskets of junk in the dining room, I still don't have it all put away yet! LOL

Dining Room
Before-Dining room walls. They were the same yellow as the kitchen and a hunter green that had faded over time.

After- Dining room walls are now Swiss Chocolate and Smoked Oyster. I'm hoping to get a better pic of the dining room in a few days and I will update the post.

We still need to repaint all the trim and molding white and I really want to paint my kitchen cabinets black using milk paint...but thats on hold until we recover from this round of painting!!! I am still trying to get the house back in order, here's hoping its done in time for Thanksgiving!! LOL

My Cat!

2011-11-08T18:56:00.000-08:00

We adopted Shannan last September so we have had her a little over a year. This is the sweetest, coolest cat ever! She will lick you on the cheek, come when you call her name, and lay on your chest and rub your face with her paws. I swear sometimes I think she thinks shes a dog!! She loves to play with the Husky and the Husky loves to play with her....I was worried she would eat Shannan when we first got her but after Shannan smacked her in the face they became quick friends!! LOL Just wanted to share these pics of my kitty!!

Cumberland Gap

2011-11-08T18:35:00.001-08:00

On Saturday we took a road trip up to Cumberland Gap with Chad's family. We visited TN, KY, and VA all in one day!!!! We started out with a picnic complete with KFC and birthday cake!!! Then we went to see some buffalo. Then it was off to take a hike and see a cave. Next, we went to the gift shop and to the Pinnacle Overlook. The day ended with ice cream sundaes and french fries!!!! It was such a nice day and so much fun! The kids really enjoyed it! It is definitely a road trip I would suggest!

Chad sat on this cannon when he was little!

Which way do we go? Which way do we go??????? LOL

Mawmaw's birthday cake! It was yummy!!

Boo! at the Zoo! 2011

2011-10-28T11:03:00.001-07:00

We have been going to Boo! at the Zoo since Abby was one year old. We love it so much! Some years you get a ton of candy and some years you don't but its the atmosphere and experience that makes it such a wonderful thing to do! We thought this year was one of the best! There seemed to be more trick or treat stations and of course the last station gives out Krispy Kreme donuts and they are GREAT!!!!

Chad doesn't always get Halloween off so this is our "Halloween" tradition! I don't know what we will do when the kids are too old to go!! LOL

Abby was a lucky witchbone witch and Brady was of course Charlie Brown!!!!! They had such a good time. We went with some friends but of course I got so caught up in the excitement I didn't even get a photo of our friends! :( Sorry!

Maybe an Artist???

2011-10-22T19:24:00.001-07:00

Im beginning to think I might have an artist on my hands!!!! Abby sat outside tonight and drew these cats!!! Great Job Abby!!!!!

Our nice evening....

2011-10-22T19:14:00.000-07:00

We are so enjoying our fenced in backyard this Fall!! Tonight we sat outside and played Horse Bingo. Then Abby decided to draw some pictures and Brady "mowed" the backyard with his lawnmower! I rearranged the patio a few weeks ago and the kids are really loving the playhouse being on the patio and not in the yard. I could stay out there forever watching them play. Once again I have to say it....I LOVE FALL!!!!

Our tree is changing colors...so pretty!!!

Fresh flowers!!!!

Brady mowing the yard!! Hes such a hard worker!

NO, we can NOT cut the tree down....just go around it!

My handsome boy!!

Beautiful Abby!!!!

Fall Festival

2011-10-22T19:03:00.001-07:00

Today we spent the day at the school Fall Festival!!! It was such a nice day, beautiful weather and great fellowship with all the people at such a wonderful school and community.

Abby and I ran the Dinosaur Toss for an hour. This is the 5Th year we have ran a game booth at a Fall Festival...we are PROS at it!!! LOL

Then Abby played some games and won some prizes. On several occasions she decided to get her little brother a prize instead of one for herself. She's such a wonderful big sister. He LOVED everything she picked out for him!

She also picked a few things for herself, yes mostly stuffed animals and candy!! LOL

She also HAD to have her face painted. She picked a cat....big surprise there huh?? LOL
It was such a great day!!! I love Fall!!!

Brady's gifts from his sister!

Abby's Prizes!!!

In here, life is beautiful.-Cabaret

2011-10-21T19:32:00.000-07:00

Chad and I try to go to Abingdon, VA to see a play every year at the Barter Theater. It is one of my favorite places to go. The town is so pretty and the actors at the Barter are wonderful!!!
This year we saw Cabaret! It is my favorite play we have seen so far. My husband said he still likes Dracula best!! I do think we were probably the youngest people in the playhouse that day!! LOL If you dont know anything about Cabaret then all I will say is its definately "mature" themed! The gasps from the little old women were so funny!! I'm sure they were thinking "Well, I've never!!!" LOL
The actors were so good! They made the play so enjoyable and the standing ovation was WELL deserved! I would highly recommend this play, it ends in Novemeber so take a drive up to Abingdon and enjoy the show!
I LOVE plays!!! I wish I could see one every week!

Does it really matter so long as you're having fun?--Sally Bowles

Well I finally did it.....

2011-10-21T19:05:00.001-07:00

I actually decided to go on Facebook Vacation! I was on it way too much and decided to detox myself. I went three weeks without ANY FB!! I am getting on to share pics and see what my friends are doing but NO MORE having to be on FB everyday...my life is way too busy for that!!!

More and More Cross Country..GO BULLDOGS!!!!

2011-10-01T19:29:00.001-07:00

4th race of the season was at Hardin Valley Academy! It was a good course for the kids to run but NOT spectator friendly at all! We saw them run by at the beginning and then saw them run through the finish shoot!!

More Cross Country..GO BULLDOGS!!!!

2011-10-01T19:18:00.000-07:00

3rd Race of the season was at Melton Hill Park. It was a good run and we all got some exercise hiking to the course and back to the car!!!! LONG walk!!

2nd Race of the season was at Cove Lake State Park. It was a tough course!! But the girls did great!!!

The Mudroom

2011-10-01T19:13:00.001-07:00

We decided to turn our old coat closet into a mudroom. I took pics of the entire process but we decided we only needed one computer in the house so we put mine away. We thought we had backed up all my photos but realized it copied my husbands files OVER mine!!!! So now I have to try to recover ALL my photos off my hard drive. No time for that right now so all I have are pics of the finished product!! We painted it to match the playroom. The inside of the door has basket weave trim. I found the bench at Homegoods! LOVE IT!! I think it came together rather nice considering how long it actually took to complete this "SMALL" project!!!

Brady's First Playgroup

2011-10-01T19:07:00.001-07:00

My friend Becky just moved to town and is starting a weekly playgroup. Brady had never been to a playgroup before. He had such a good time and it was really nice for him to be around another little boy!! Hes surrounded by girls! LOL

He enjoyed playing with his friends Alex and Alyssa. Cant wait for next week!!

Cross Country! Go Bulldogs!!!!!!

2011-09-07T19:46:00.000-07:00

Abby joined the Cross Country team at her school this year. Tuesday was her first race and it was pouring rain and chilly!! What a way to start the season and her very first school sporting event!!

She did great and had such a wonderful time!

The elementary school girls run 1 mile.
Abbys time was 8 minutes and 42 seconds.

She had fun even in the rain!!! Go Bulldogs!!!!

Its that time again...Consignment Sales!

2011-08-26T18:24:00.000-07:00

I am always looking for a good deal! I love to hit all the Fall and Spring consignment sales in town. Its time for the Fall ones now and I am having a blast checking them out.

I went to Jack and Jules first. I didnt really find anything at that sale. I did get Abby some books and Brady some books.

Thursday I went to Picky Chick. It was really really good this year. TONS of stuff. I plan on going back tomorrow morning to see if a few things I saw are marked half off. I found some great deals for Brady. Check it out:
All for $20

Duck Duck Goose is next!! A little over 3 weeks until this awesome sale. I also consign in this sale! Cant wait to see what they have this season!

Back to School....3rd Grade!!!

2011-08-25T05:41:00.000-07:00

Back to School!!!! Wow, I cant believe summer is over and we are back in school!

3rd Grade here we come! Abby is so excited about:
1. Having her own locker!
2. Changing classes!
3. Running Cross Country for her school!
4. Seeing all her friends everyday!

Not so excited about:
1.Having real grades (A,B,C,D,or F)for the first time.
2.Getting up early.
3.Starting AR's again.

I think 3rd grade is going to be challenging but Abby will do just fine. I have decided to write the spelling words on our chalkboard every week so she has them in her sites everyday! Finally using the chalk board for more than Hangman!! LOL

Happy School Year everyone!

Finally a Date Night....

2011-07-24T18:19:00.000-07:00

Our summer has been so busy that we hadn't had a chance to have a date night in a very long time. With Soccer camp, VBS, sickness, and my husbands work schedule we were just BUSY. Finally this weekend he was off work and my kids were invited to a birthday party so my parents took them to the party and we were able to take the MG out on the town!

We rode around for a little while and ate dinner at The BelAir Grill, we had never eaten there and boy were we missing out! Great food, great time with my hubby, and then we came home and curled up on the couch and watched a good grown up movie (yea no Disney or Pixar or cartoons!!!!! WOO HOO). Much needed mini vacation for mommy and daddy!

VBS

2011-07-24T18:15:00.001-07:00

Last week Abby went to VBS for the first time! She loved it so much and had such a good time.

Our church did the "Shake It Up" version and it was centered all around food. They learned some really great songs, about all kinds of foods, a fun dance, lots of fun, and most importantly they celebrated their faith!

5 Drawer Chest Project

2011-07-24T18:02:00.000-07:00

I had been looking for Abby a new dresser for several months. She still uses her changing table as a dresser! Someone gave my aunt this 5 drawer chest so I told her I would take it and redo it for Abby. Seemed simple enough! Sand, paint,done...right?? LOL Well, it turned out to be a pretty hefty job. I had to work on it in the garage and the heat index outside was about 105 degrees the day I started this project. I sanded it the first day and was too tired to do anything else, not to mention the wood cracked and fell apart as the sander went over the top.

The next day my husband showed me how to use wood putty and a nail gun! I put the putty on, built the wood back up, let it dry and resanded it...looked pretty good! Then I primed it and let it dry. I painted it the same day and it was so hot outside the first coat dried in about 2 hrs. So I put the second coat on and let it dry overnight.

The next day I put the old drawer pulls back on, I debated buying new ones but the old ones were so vintage and they looked really good so I just put them back on it. I was very pleased with how it turned out and now Abby has lots of extra space for all her clothes!...and yes we are still using the changing table too, just for pajamas and swimsuits! :)

Stormy Summer!

2011-06-29T18:58:00.001-07:00

I have heard that April showers bring May Flowers but instead this spring was pretty nice and summer has been really bad!! We have had continuous storms. Last week it stormed EVERY day. Most of the storms were fast and scary. One night we woke up to the cell phone beeping, it was a tornado warning for our area so we got up and turned on the news...boy was it a long night!!!! The news said there was strong rotation heading our way, the worst they had ever seen and it was so dark they couldn't confirm a tornado or funnel cloud so we should take cover immediately. We prepped the pantry and while the kids slept (we didnt want to wake them unless we had too!)we watched the TV ready to jump at any second...thank goodness it took a right turn and headed south and broke up fairly soon after that.
I have never seen such violent weather. I don't like it at all!! I love a good thunderstorm at night occasionally but this is getting out of control. We have had a couple good days so hopefully maybe these storms are over for now.

Below are some photos I took last week of the storms!

Pedi/Mani--Girls Day!

2011-06-29T18:45:00.000-07:00

On Monday Abby and I went to the mall and had our very first ever professional pedicure. While she had her fingernails done I had my very first ever pedicure. Needless to say I felt my feet were horribly ugly so I was always embarrassed to even go in and ask. Well the people were so kind I decided why not?!! It felt so good and I walked out of there feeling like I had brand new feet. Abby said hers felt good too, they just painted her toes and fingers she skipped the foot soak and all the grown up stuff, they did her cuticles so she was happy!!!

It was such a fun experience and I plan on making it a monthly treat! I had no idea that a pedicure would make my feet feel so much better, I thought it was all just for pretty toenails but it actually made the bottoms and heels feel so much better.

The Secret in our House...LOL

2011-06-06T19:52:00.000-07:00

As silly as this sounds one of my dreams in life was to have a king size bed, well when we bought our home over 5 years ago, my husband bought me a new bedroom suite. YES, a KING size bed...woohoo. The first one we bought was too big when they delivered it, the bed was so tall it wouldn't fit up our stairwell so we had to send it back..I was so sad. So off to the store we went to find a different one. I don't know how I missed this one but when I saw it I fell in love with it. Its my favorite thing in the house besides my husband and kids..LOL!!

After 6 weeks of frustration waiting on it to be delivered and sleeping on a mattress in the floor...it finally arrived, I was so excited and pleased! BUT...a few days later I noticed the beautiful molding around the top of the chest was really loose, the more I shook it and messed with it the looser it felt so I decided to just leave it alone, I was NOT returning it to wait another 6 weeks to have it replaced. Every time I would clean it I would be nervous and very cautious with the molding, I did not want it to fall off!!! LOL

Remember, that was 5 years ago, well today my husband noticed it was loose for the first time....I thought I mentioned it, but I guess not..anyway, he decided to take a look at it and then I heard the words "hey honey..did you know this was a drawer?"..WHAT???? A drawer!!!!! Yes it was never a "loose piece of molding" it was a drawer that was slightly open! LOL So now I love it even more, not only do I have an awesome story to go with it I gained an awesome secret drawer!! LOL and yes I do feel a little stupid that I never bothered to even pull on it!! HAHAHAHA!!!!!

Here are some pics of my favorite piece of furniture in our home now!!!!

what I thought was "loose" molding

Figured for 5 years it would fall off at anytime it was so "loose" LOL

but WAIT..what is this??? Its a Drawer!!!!!!

Check it out, my new drawer!

Soccer Season Spring 2011

2011-05-07T17:09:00.001-07:00

Wow, hard to believe that soccer season ended today! Abby loves to play soccer, we think its "her" sport!! This season she played for Coach A and her team was the Panthers. Abby really came into her own this season, scoring 15 goals for the entire season! So proud of her!!
The team had a cookout to celebrate the end of the season and they were given a trophy! Abby LOVES trophies!! LOL

Looks like we are headed to Lady Vols Soccer Camp in June!!!

Abby #16

Brady's 2nd Birthday Party!!!

2011-04-29T08:02:00.001-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRADY!!!!!

Brady had a small birthday party here at home this year. It was a Thomas the Tank Engine themed party. He loved his cake and got tons of great gifts! Mommy however, didnt get any pictures of him opening his gifts!!!! Way to go Mommy!! LOL

Brady is 2!!!

2011-04-29T07:28:00.001-07:00

I cant believe my baby boy turned 2 years old last week!! Seems like yesterday we brought him home from the hospital!! He is such a blessing to us and we love him so much!

Some facts about Brady:
*He is now sleeping in a "big boy" bed.
*He loves Thomas the Tank Engine and Imagination Movers.
*He sings along with Imagination Movers all the time.
*He loves it outside.
*He loves to jump on the trampoline.
*His favorite food is Mac & Cheese.
*He is obsessed with shoes, he changes shoes at least 2 times a day and will not go without them on his feet!
*He hates taking a bath.
*He takes one nap a day (if I'm lucky!!) :)
*He sleeps all night.
*He will only drink milk or water.

Brady-
Origin: Irish and Gaelic
Meaning: Descendant Of Bradach or "Broad Island" or "Large Chested"

Abby's First Holy Communion

2011-04-19T18:37:00.000-07:00

Abby had her First Holy Communion this past Sunday. What a special day for our family!! I am so proud of the young lady she is. She loves God so much and prays all the time. When her cat was lost she stopped looking for her, knelt down and prayed for God to protect her, every time we hear a siren or see an emergency vehicle she stops what shes doing and folds her little hands and prays "Please protect them in their time of need". We are so blessed to have such a great and special little girl! Joining the Church and putting her in Catholic School is one of our greatest accomplishments!!!

O Lord Jesus Christ, Who said to Your Apostles: "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you," regard not my sins but the faith of Your Church, and deign to give her peace and unity according to Your Will: Who live and reign, God, world without end. Amen.

Duck...Duck...Goose Time

2011-03-29T09:48:00.000-07:00

Well, its that time again. I am preparing for another consignment sale!!!! My bedroom looks like it should be on that show "Hoarders"!! What a mess!!! Sorting, hanging, pinning, tagging, etc. I usually do really well so its worth the mess and all the work. So this is what I will be doing for the next two weeks!!!

Cookie Time!!!

2011-03-29T09:42:00.000-07:00

Abby has testing at school all week so this is a NO HOMEWORK week!! So last night instead of doing math and spelling we were able to do something fun....we made Chocolate Chip Cookies!!! Abby did everything except turn the oven on, put the cookies in the oven, and take them out of the oven. She cracked the egg, stirred the mix, scooped them out, etc. She did a FINE job and they were VERY tasty!!!!!!

Cee Lo Green - Forget You

2011-03-24T14:53:00.000-07:00

I love this song right now!!! Makes me sing and dance everytime I hear it and the video is SOOOOOO cute!!!!!

Homemade Wreath

2011-03-17T17:22:00.000-07:00

I needed a new wreath for my front door so I started shopping for one. Well, I soon realized to get the one I wanted I was going to have to fork out almost $100!!!! My mother in law is very crafty so she told me she would bring some stuff over and help me make one. So, I went and picked out my flowers. She brought the grapevine wreath and the wire. She showed me how to wire the flowers to the wreath and said "Now make it" LOL. So I sat on the back patio and made my very first wreath!!!!!

It was frustrating at times and could get pretty intense trying to get that wire through the grapevine but all in all I was very pleased with what I ended up with when I was finished!!!!

I think I might have a new hobby because it was very fun to do, I think I will make wreath #2 next week....Stay tuned.....

Happy St. Patricks Day!!!!!

2011-03-17T17:07:00.000-07:00

May you be in heaven 1/2 hour before the devil knows you're dead.~Irish Saying

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!! We put on our green and went down to the Irish Times Pub. We go there every year for Patty's Day to have lunch. School is on Spring Break so both the kids got to go with us this year. We had a good time, ate outside, and it was a very nice lunch!!!!

Coupon 101

2011-02-27T19:14:00.000-08:00

On Saturday I went to the 2nd Annual Coupon Fair. It was nice and I learned alot about coupons and was inspired to try to start using coupons! I usually clip them, put them in my purse, and months later toss them because I forgot to use them!!!

This is the loot bag they gave us as we walked in the door of the Fair. I filled it with tons of information and freebies!!

I went to the store today and I purchased a zippered binder, dividers, plastic photo sheets and a Sunday paper. I made my coupon binder and went to town clipping coupons! Here are some photos of my binder.

Family Field Trip!

2011-02-27T18:53:00.001-08:00

We took a road trip to Oak Ridge today to see the American Museum of Science and Energy. I hadn't been there since I was in middle school. I thought Abby would love it and she totally did! She could have stayed there all day! Brady enjoyed some of the bright colors and lights. We had a very fun and informative time! A great way to spend a rainy Sunday afternoon!!!

Of course the kids got souvenirs! Brady got a stuffed microbe of the Common Cold (who would think the common cold would be so cute???!!), and Abby got an anti-gravity bird which is really really neat!!! We got season passes so I cant wait to go back, who knows maybe Abby will come home with a robot next time and Brady can get a stuffed MRSA or Measles Microbe!!! LOL

Brother + Sister = CUTENESS!!!

2011-02-27T18:48:00.001-08:00

Over the past week I have snapped some really cute pics of my kids. They have enjoyed our new backyard when the weather permitted!!

How adorable are they??!!!

New picnic table I got the kids!!

Brady's Haircut!!!!

2011-02-27T18:44:00.001-08:00

I did find time Monday to take Brady for his first professional haircut!! We went with a spiky short hair cut! I am a huge fan of boys and men with very short to no hair!! LOL

Isn't he just sooo cute?????!!!!!

Project Fence!

2011-02-27T18:30:00.000-08:00

WOW! What a crazy couple of weeks we have had around the Riggs household!! I have been so busy I haven't had time to blog at all. Last Friday we started putting up our privacy fence and boy what a job that turned out to be!! Our back yard was fenced in but we had a HUGE side yard we wanted to add to the back yard so the kids would have a safe big place to play this summer.
Chad and I decided it would be best to rent an auger and not dig the holes by hand. SO, we went on Friday morning and rented it for the weekend. Friday after lunch we started our fence by digging the holes and setting the posts in the ground. It went really quickly and I am so proud of my husband for such a great job. Friday night and Saturday we had some family come and help. By Saturday night the entire yard was fenced in!!!!
Sunday we put up a small picket fence to keep our dogs out of the bigger yard and away from the kids when they play. So now the dogs have their own yard to do with that they want! LOL
I am now in the process of fixing my patio, getting the kids some outside toys, and doing some planting. However, the weather is not cooperating with me at this time so all those things are on hold. Can't wait until Spring gets here and the cold and rain are gone, normally I love winter but with my new yard and new ideas for the outdoors I am actually ready for Spring this year!!! I will post more pics as the outside transforms into a relaxing oasis!! LOL

Be My Valentine!

2011-02-14T19:52:00.000-08:00

I have looked into your eyes with my eyes.
I have put my heart near your heart.
- Pope John XXIII

Valentines Day is one of my favorite holidays!!! I love all the pretty decorations in the stores and just he entire "Love" theme of the holiday!! Unfortunately, this year my husband had to work so we didn't get to go out to celebrate. Last night we put the kids to bed and watched TV. It was really nice and so sweet. This morning I woke up to beautiful flowers from my wonderful husband!! I LOVE flowers!! Mixed bouquets are my favorites. I hope everyone had a great day and felt loved!!

Abby had a Valentines Day party at school but there are no pictures because Chad was called into work early and since Brady is still sick I had to miss her party. She said it was super fun.

I gave the kids their Valentines goody bags after Abby got home from school. Poor Chad had to miss it! But we had a great Valentine's day anyway!!!

I think these flowers I got today are the prettiest flowers I have EVER gotten!!!

Kids goody bags!!

Catholic Schools Week 2011

2011-02-04T16:55:00.001-08:00

Happy Catholic Schools Week 2011!!!

This week, Catholic schools all around the country celebrated all they do within their communities as part of the annual Catholic Schools Week Celebration.

The purpose of the celebration is to shine a light on the work the students, teachers and staff do both inside and outside of the classroom, growing students in their secular education and religious lives.

Abby's school had special things planned everyday.
Monday- Silly Hat Day (I forgot to take a pic but we had a sparkly sun visor with pipe cleaners stuck all through it)
Tuesday- Priest Appreciation Day and All School Birthday Party
Wednesday- Silly Sock Day and Dismiss at 1pm
Thursday- Out of Uniform Student Appreciation Day
Friday- Red and White Day

Abby has so much fun all week!!! Catholic Schools Week is such a fun week for our school and I am so happy we were at St. Josephs School this year!!

Silly Sock Day! I put ribbon through the socks!

Out of Uniform Day!!!

Red and White Day!!

Go Bulldogs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Abby finally got some grades back! Here is a picture of her FROG book which is her daily planner and homework/communications folder. I am so proud of her grades. Considering all the changes she has gone through transferring to a new school she had done fabulous!! I am so proud of her!

My bulletin board and dry erase weekly calendar, THE only way I can keep up with things!!!

No Homework Pass for wearing her school uniform to Mass the Sunday before Catholic School Week!

Blessed are you, O Lord our God.
You give us time for growing and learning
and you give us the gift of Catholic education.

Treasure Hunting.....

2011-02-04T16:34:00.000-08:00

Last week I went to visit my parents. They live on a fairly large farm. My dad has a huge field here he keeps Abby's two little horses. I was talking to my mom about one time when I was smaller I found a huge pile of old bottles down behind their house and my dad said "come with me". So we went down into the horse field and he showed me an area with broken glass and bottles sticking up out of the ground. We started digging and we found a lot of glass bottles. He estimated they have to be at least 37 years old because that's how long my parents have lived on the property. We think its just some junk piles that were made by people who lived there many many years ago, kind of like a homemade landfill. We only dug for awhile. I plan on going back this summer and digging deeper and seeing what I can find!!! How exciting!!!

Here is some of what we found, I only had time to wash a few! We found glass Clorox bottles, Vick's vapor rub, paint thinner, some soda bottles, jars, wine bottles, and medicine bottles.

Car Transformation...Work in progress.....

2011-01-24T10:45:00.000-08:00

So "we" bought a new car several months back....new to us that is!! LOL Its become my husband's newest hobby and he has worked soo hard on it!! Its finally to the point we can enjoy it and this past weekend we took it out a few times!!!

Here are some transformation photos of it!

Abby's First Reconciliation

2011-01-23T16:59:00.000-08:00

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended thee, and I detest all my sins because of thy just punishment, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, who art all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of thy grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Saturday Abby had her First Reconciliation. Now she has done two of the Seven Sacraments. Baptism and First Reconciliation. She was so nervous but she has prepared since August for this big day!! To make it even more special her Daddy took her in the antique car!
First Reconciliation is a childs first confession. This is usually done when they are in second grade.

Sacrament of Penance The sacrament consists basically of four acts of the penitent and the priest:

Contrition: First the penitent (the repentant sinner -- the root word in "penitentiary"), must be aware of his sinfulness and must be truly sorry (contrite) for his sins. Another word for repentance is "contrition". He must repent his sins, and seek the sacrament of penance -- that is, to go to confession to a priest.

Confession: The penitent confesses to a priest all the sins he can recall -- after examining his conscience -- that he has not confessed before. The confession is entirely private -- the priest-confessor never reveals anything the penitent confesses. Traditionally confession takes place in the "confessional", a small room where the priest and penitent are separated by a screen to assure complete privacy and anonymity. It is also permissible, if both the priest and penitent agree, to administer and receive the sacrament of penance "face to face" in another room in the church reserved for this purpose. The sacrament can take place elsewhere, in an emergency.

Act of Penance: The priest-confessor proposes certain actions -- penance -- for the penitent to perform. This may be saying certain prayers and/or performing some other fitting action. The person who performs this penance thus shows his sorrow for his sinful acts. This helps him to overcome his faults, and the harm his sins have caused others -- to be reconciled with them and with the Church, and to return to behavior consistent with being a disciple of Christ.

Absolution: After the penitent accepts the acts of penance, the priest, by the authority that the Church has given him (see the quote from John 20:22, 23 above), absolves the sinner; that is, he grants God's pardon for the sins.

We are so proud of you Abby!!!! Your such a faithful little girl!

Busy Times......

2011-01-21T18:55:00.000-08:00

We have been super busy since the holiday season ended. Abby started her new school, it has snowed ALOT, and things are just settling down from Christmas!

We had a wonderfully big snow a couple weeks ago. Chad was off work and Abby was out of school and we took advantage of it and went outside and played for a couple hours. Brady liked it this time, last time he HATED it and cried if we sat him down.

My last hair cut and color was about 4 months ago I am guessing. My hair was such a mess with roots and dull color!! I went yesterday and got pampered some and had my hair colored and trimmed up and shaped. Felt good to have that time to myself and I walked out of there feeling like a new person!!

Brady is a sleeper!!! He loves to sleep and he sleeps ALOT!! This was the other morning when I had to get him up to go take his sister to school an hour late due to weather...he did not want to get up! Notice he is holding Woody's hand, he sleeps holding Woody, he LOVES Toy Story!!! Rise and Shine sweet baby!!!

2011-01-06T19:21:00.000-08:00

When snow falls, nature listens. ~Antoinette van Kleeff

It has been a very snowy winter here in Tennessee! We actually had a rare white Christmas. January has proven to be WINTER!!! Lots of snow this week and more expected over the weekend. This morning was a little strange, we had alot of snow and fog. I have never really seen a foggy snow before and when the sun was rising it was just kind of strange outside.

I love snow and winter. If it has to be winter and cold--snow just makes it better.

I think the air is crisp and the world just seems so beautiful during a great snowfall. The snow we got last night is by far the prettiest we have had. It laid on the trees like I have never seen it before. The snowflakes yesterday were HUGE!! SO pretty and the best part about it was travel was not treacherous so you could get out today and enjoy the beautiful scenery.

I cant wait to see if we get more snow this weekend and this may seem strange but wouldn't a white Valentine's Day be nice??

Outside my kitchen window this morning

Drive home yesterday afternoon

My front yard after about 2 hours of snowfall

I took these two on my way to the store this morning

Our Lifestyle Change...

2011-01-01T20:07:00.000-08:00

"We buy things we don't need with money we don't have to impress people we don't like."
— Dave Ramsey (The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness)

So with the new year my husband and I have decided to take on a new financial lifestyle as well. Don't get me wrong, we do OK but like most Americans we have our fair share of debt and bills to pay.

My husband has become a huge follower of Dave Ramsey. After reading his book Total Money Makeover my husband insisted I download it to my NOOK and read it as well. He says "this is what we need to do". So I am in the process of reading it and we are working on baby step #1. In the meantime,we have sworn off credit cards and cut them all up--NEVER to use one again! We are working on a budget and getting ready to live out of paper envelopes with cash only! I know that sound FUN doesn't it??!! LOL Plastic just seems to fit in a wallet better huh?? LOL

What I like about Dave Ramsey is that he has been there. He has been in debt, he has fell on financial hardship and he came back and it worked for him! We need to change our family tree so our kids will not see the financial hardships generations before us have seen. If we don't change it then who will?? I cant tell my kids credit cards are not OK to use and then they see me use them. I want my kids to grow up knowing how to use, save, and manage money.

I know some people who read this will say "oh they must be having financial hardship to do this", well no not exactly. My husband has a great job and we do OK. BUT, do we have a nice emergency fund-NO, do we own our home-NO, do we have consumer debt-YES, so why not take control now before something happens and its too late to do anything about it?? I am so excited to try Dave Ramsey's plan. I know several people who have and are far better off because of it.

I read somewhere once that marriage is about love and divorce is about money. LOL!!! It seems according to statistics that alot of divorces happen due to money issues and the stress money issues can cause. I don't want that to happen to me and my husband. So as of Jan.1 if you ask us to go to dinner or go to the movies and we say no, its nothing personal. Its an experiment we are doing as a family to as Dave Ramsey says---"Live like no one today so we can live like no one tomorrow!"

YES, we cut those suckers up!!!!!

We are going on the Dave Ramsey Financial Plan and excited to do it!!!

Debt Free and Saving Money is where we want to be!!!!!

I will definately keep you posted on how we are doing with it. Here's to 2011 being a financial success for us! Now to continue with baby step #1-gotta save that $1000!!

A Few of My Favorite Things......

2011-01-01T19:50:00.000-08:00

So its the start of a new year and with that I wanted to share with you some of my favorite things!!! These are things I use everyday or at least a couple times a week!!
1. Neutrogena Deep Clean Cream Cleanser
2. Keurig Coffee Maker
3. Bare Escentuals Mineral Make Up
4. Black Berry Curve
5. NOOK by Barnes and Noble
6. Worlds Softest Socks- I can only find them at Socks Galore in Tanger Outlets
7. Bruno Mars CD
8. Faux Fur Trapper Hat- Yes, I have a fur one and I LOVE it!!
9. Old Navy Lounge Hoodie
10. Dearfoam House Slippers
11. Under Armour Tennis Shoes
12. Chick Fil A #1 Combo- once a week treat!
13. Green Mountain Breakfast Blend Coffee K-Cups (with cream and sugar!!)
14. Bruces Wood Floor Cleaner
15. Yankee Candle Farmhouse Apple (which is discontinued but back for limited time!)

Happy New Year!!!!!

My Beautiful Daughter.......Abigail turns 8!!

2010-12-20T10:53:00.000-08:00

A daughter is a bundle of firsts that excite and delight, giggles that come from deep inside and are always contagious, everything wonderful and precious and your love for her knows no bounds.

Barbara Cage

Wow! I can't believe my baby girl just turned 8 years old! Where does the time go? Seems like yesterday I was in the hospital waiting on her to be born. 15 hours of labor later there was the most beautiful little baby girl with one eye open holding her daddy's finger. She was such a good baby and today she is such a good little girl. I am so blessed to be her mommy!! She loves her Mommy and Daddy so much, especially her Daddy. She is definitely a daddy's girl all the way!! She adores her little brother beyond explanation. She is so protective of him. Sometimes I find her in his room just holding him and hugging him.

Abby loves horses and cats.
Abby loves art and loves to draw and paint.
Abby is a natural storyteller.
Abby wants to be an art teacher when she grows up.
Abby believes in God and can tell you alot about her faith and beliefs.
Abby is in 2nd Grade.
Abby loves Barbie Dolls right now and she also love Littlest Pet Shops
Abby has a dog named Mishka, a Siberian Husky, she got for her 6th birthday.
Abby has a cat named Shannon, a tabby, that she sleeps with every night.
Abby's loves Toy Story movies.
Abby is the best big sister.
Abby's favorite food is Chick Fil A's waffle fries dipped in Polynesian Sauce!
Abby loves the beach and would live there if she could
Abby loves history and is always asking historical questions.
Abby's favorite color is purple (at the moment, just changed from Minty Green). LOL
Abby's favorite drink is Sprite.

Here's to a great year for my little girl and many more to follow. We love you so much Abby! Happy Birthday!!!!

Some Reasons I Love Christmas!!!!

2010-12-08T18:53:00.000-08:00

Hot Cocoa

Decorated Store Windows

Advent

Santa- The child in me still believes!

Wrapping Paper

Christmas Lights in Gatlinburg, TN

Fantasy of Trees

Receiving Christmas Cards

Oh Christmas Tree!

2010-11-27T06:39:00.001-08:00

I love my Christmas Tree!! It's more of a "memory" or a look at the past tree. Below are some pictures of some of my favorite ornaments and my favorite things on the tree. Chad and I bought the elf and ladder our first Christmas. I love that elf and ladder so much! Of course I have several Vera Bradley ornaments!! I have alot of homemade ornaments Abby has made me in school. I love the star with her picture on it. She did that one in First grade! The Santa in the car is so old. My parents neighbor gave that to me in 1990 (I think)and the tree hook fell off years ago so now I just sit him in the tree somewhere. Of course I guess my favorite ornaments are the ones off our wedding tree, we were married in December and we had a Christmas tree in the reception that was decorated in white and silver. The little gazebo ornament was on that tree along with the snowflake garland and white pearl garland. I have some others but these are my favorites. My kids have their first ornaments on it as well so those are sooo special too. We stuff Santa into our tree, we have done this for years, we have Santa heads, stuffed Santas, and we just take them and stuff them in the branches. OH, and lets not forget Cousin Eddies RV from our FAVORITE Christmas movie!!!! We decided 6 years ago to stop putting an angel or star on top of the tree. I have this HUGE peppermint bow I put on top of it and ribbon hangs down the top of the tree. So this is our tree!!!!!

It's The Most Wonderful Time..........

2010-11-27T06:09:00.000-08:00

So I started decorating for Christmas this week!!! I can't believe its almost Christmas!!! I love this time of year!! We had to buy a new Christmas tree this year. We had a prelit slim tree for the past 6 years and I LOVED that tree. Last year we had the middle lights go out and had to put a string of lights in it. Well this year we only had a small area on the bottom work. That was it...we were done with prelit trees. We bought this really nice Pine at Target. I love it. We also got some fancy lights for it. They are red, clear, and white. I cleaned out alot of old decorations so I feel a little bare this year, maybe I need to go buy some new stuff! LOL Welcome Christmas........

New Playroom....to be continued....

2010-11-04T09:53:00.000-07:00

So, I have started a project I cant seem to finish. It's starting to really irritate me because I had such big plans for this new playroom. We had an extra room downstairs that was the dining room but I really needed a place for the kids to play and stay occupied downstairs so we moved some things around and ended up with an empty room----FINALLY---my playroom could start.....well that's about as far as I have gotten. My husband wants to build some built in bookshelves and storage so we haven't gotten that done yet, I need a nice area rug and some storage, and I need to hang my pictures and things. I had this great idea to use chalkboard paint and make a chalkboard on the wall---well my nice big chalkboard ended up classroom sized, which is ok but I joke I made a school room instead of a playroom!!! I think when it all comes together it WILL be fabulous, but right now this is all I can show you...stay tuned!!!! :)

Before

After

Wedding Weekend

2010-11-04T09:39:00.001-07:00

Over the weekend my husband and I went to his friend and co-works wedding in Gatlinburg. I thought we were going to die on the way up the mountain, seeing how to get to the wedding location we drove through a golf course (I think we took a wrong turn somewhere LOL), around curves that had us seeing the back of the car from the front LOL, and very small roads with no guardrails and drop-offs that gave me goose bumps!!!!! However, when we finally arrived at the wedding location I do have to say it was probably on of the most beautiful places I have ever seen in my life!! Truly it was Fall everywhere!!! It was a very intimate wedding and very sweet. I felt honored to be a guest and my husband was a groomsman (his second job hahah-seems he is in a wedding all the time!). The reception was really great, if you sat in front of the candy apple wrapped in orange paper you won the centerpiece on the table, yea I won the centerpiece at our table! Yay me!!!!! The food was Thanksgiving themed with turkey, dressing, green beans, salad, potatoes, and rolls. Very yummy!!!
Below are some pictures from the wedding. It was an awesome time.

My Beautiful Children!

2010-10-20T10:42:00.001-07:00

I took these photos at my moms house over the weekend. Sometimes I realize that I get so busy that I dont really take very many pictures anymore. These turned out so great!

Boo @ the Zoo 2010

2010-10-20T10:32:00.001-07:00

Well, we made our annual trip to Boo @ The Zoo this past weekend. I don't know what I am going to do when the kids are too old to go! We have been going for about 6 years now and we LOVE it!!! Granted if you go looking for a bag full of free candy you will be sorely disappointed. The kids get just enough candy to make it fun, mom and dad get some good local coupons, and that free Krispy Kreme Donut is to die for!!! Abby loves to ride the carousel since it goes backward for this occasion!!! LOL I guess we are just Halloween people, we love Halloween!!!

Fall Decor at the Riggs House

2010-09-20T20:11:00.001-07:00

I love this time of year! I am a huge holiday house decorator! I usually decorate for Valentines Day, St. Patricks Day, Easter, Fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas!!!! For the Fall Season through Thanksgiving I usually just use my regular Fall decorations, about a week before Halloween I will put out a few Halloween decorations. So here's what I have done so far!!!

New Sink Installation

2010-09-20T20:00:00.000-07:00

First of all let me tell you I am ALL girl when it comes to home DIY. My thoughts on a new sink was you take one out and put the new on in and its all done. WRONG! Ha! I didn't realize when I asked my husband to install my new sink that it would require new pipes and an extra trip to the home improvement store! We had a regular stainless steel sink that the previous owners had in the home. I had saw a few online photos of colored sinks and I was really impressed when I saw some of the colored sinks were on the cabinet displays. So we decided to get a new sink!! I got the black sink with the small basin and a large basin. I LOVE IT!!!! Its amazing what a difference such a small upgrade can do!!

Dollywood

2010-09-20T19:49:00.001-07:00

So we finally made it back to Dollywood on Labor Day! We had not been since the summer BEFORE Brady was born. Brady stayed with NeNe while we took Abby. She loves it so much and he is still rather small for such a long hot day! Abby rode the elephants, bumper cars, sky rider, did adventure mountain, mystery mine, and river rampage! This was her first REAL roller coaster trip, she rode Mystery Mine and loved it but said she would never do it again!HA HA!!! It was a much needed trip with our little girl. I sometimes think when people have more than one child they tend to forget that each one needs their own special time!

A Day with Friends

2010-09-20T10:15:00.001-07:00

Before school started we went and spent the day with our friends the Reagans. Abby and Wesley have been friends since before they were born! LOL They always have fun together and the great thing about that is while they hang out and play---I get to hang out with one of my best friends as well--Adrienne! We have been friends for around 10 years. We worked together at JCPenney back in the day!! LOL Its always fun hanging with the Reagans!

Fall

2010-09-14T18:44:00.001-07:00

Fall is my favorite season of the year! I love being able to open the windows in the house and enjoy the cool breeze that flows throughout the house. There are SOO many things I love about Fall but I wanted to list a few of my favorite things about Fall!

1. Beautiful Leaves!!
2. The scent of my Apple candles burning throughout the house!!
3. Candy Corn!!

4. The Corn Maze at Oakes Farms in Corryton, TN!!
5. My family's annual Bonfire and Hot Dog Roast!!
6. Pumpkins!!

7. Great Fall TV Lineups!!
8. Long Sleeve Shirts and Jeans!!
9.Hot Chocolate!!
10. Watching Football with my husband!! Go Notre Dame!!!!

St. Mary's Catholic School - Blue Ribbon Winner!

2010-09-09T19:27:00.000-07:00

Today the U.S. Department of Education announced the winners of the 2010 Blue Ribbon of Excellence Award to 254 Public schools and 50 Private schools in the U.S. We were at our open house when the principal made the announcement that our school had won the award! Only 10 schools in TN received the coveted award. Two of those schools were local catholic schools. St. Mary's and St.Joseph's.

Sending Abby to private school is not an easy thing to do. We have to give up alot to afford to send her. Between us and my parents we somehow are blessed enough to give her a wonderful education and I am so proud that we send her to a school that really cares about her education and well being. I am thankful everyday that she gets to go to such a great school and no matter what I have to do Brady will follow behind her to this great school!! Way to go St. Mary's!!!

Newest Family Member

2010-09-04T19:06:00.000-07:00

After much debate we decided to let Abby have a cat. I didn't want a kitten, so we went down to Young Williams Animal Shelter (www.knoxpets.org) and took a look at the cats they had up for adoption. I was surprised that they didn't have alot to choose from. However, we narrowed it down to two cats, a white long haired Siamese female and a smokey gray short haired male. As we turned the corner to get someone to show us these cats Abby yells Oh My Gosh Mommy----Look at this one, I love her. It was a brown faced, gray and black striped Tabby. She was 1 year old and SOOO sweet. We visited with her and decided to adopt her. We went back the next day and picked her up. Her name is Shannon. She is the sweetest cat.

After having her for only an hour we thought she had escaped and was missing. The entire house was devastated. We searched and searched for her and couldn't find her. Some neighborhood boys said they saw her run into the empty wooded lot behind our house. We knew she was gone!!!!! After 4 hours of searching the neighborhood and surrounding areas we ended the search on a devastated and sad note. That night I was woken up by the Husky tearing the baby gate down and as I jumped up guess what?? There was Shannon, she was NEVER outside, she was just hiding from us! We were all so happy to see her! Needless to say she LOVES to hide! So I am sure we are in for years of mischief and sweetness from her!

New Riggs Ride!!!!

2010-09-04T18:41:00.001-07:00

So my husband Chad has been looking for an old antique or classic car for some time now. He was really interested in old British cars but the ones we found were either completely restored and very expensive or so junky you could never repair them without having a fortune to spend on it.

Well a few weeks ago he got on the hunt for one again and we came across this beauty! The motor and mechanics are completely redone and it runs like a dream. Yes there is ALOT of cosmetics that need to be done but I think a nice paint job and some new chrome and she will shine right up! This is a 1968 MG MGb Roadster.

Our future plans for it are to paint it British Racing Green (similar to Hunter Green)and some clear coat, redo the interior, replace the fenders(which brand new ones came with the car we just have to have them put on), and get some new chrome and wheels for it. I think she will fix up nicely. Don't get me wrong---this is TOTALLY my husbands car, but I think watching him redo it will be as much fun for me as it is for him. He works so hard to take care of us, he sacrifices things he wants so we can buy the kids things and do things with the kids, so I am SOOO proud he could buy this for himself. He DESERVES it sooooo much!! I will keep you updated on the restoration and upload pics as we do work to it!!!!

Duck Duck Goose.....

2010-09-04T18:34:00.000-07:00

Well my first consignment sale is done and over! I really enjoyed it, of course there were a few snags but it was fun and I made some money! Now to start getting ready for Duck Duck Goose.
Come Play....
Duck Duck Goose
Oct. 7-11
Former Kmart Building Next to West Town Mall

I am super excited to do this sale, I actually have time to get a ton of stuff ready before the sale so hoping to do a little better this time!! I love consigning!!

My First Consignment Sale!

2010-08-24T18:24:00.000-07:00

Well, I took the plunge last minute and decided to participate in a local consignment sale. I attended as a shopper last year and LOVED this sale! I spent the last weekend hanging and tagging clothes and finally finished up at 11pm last night!!! I mostly had some of Brady's little clothes and some of Abby's clothes. I had a few baby gear items. I guess we will see Saturday if it was worth all the work!! I'm really excited about it!

Go Irish!

2010-08-24T18:00:00.001-07:00

Abby joined the Catholic Youth Football Cheerleading Squad this year! This is her first year cheering and she LOVES it!!! She is doing very well and I cant wait to go to the next game. My favorite cheer is :

We're big B I G, we're bad B A D, and we're boss, B O S S, B O S S, boss!
They are so cute doing that cheer! I love it!!!

I am really liking her cheerleading, alot better than soccer. It seems to fit her personality much better!! The Irish won their first game 22-6 against Gibbs!

Back to School!

2010-08-24T17:51:00.000-07:00

Wow! I just noticed I haven't blogged in 18 days!!! We have been so busy getting back to school! Between buying school supplies, new clothes, and getting things ready for the first day I have not had any time! Not to mention a baby that has had a diaper rash so bad I had to take him to the dr and hes on 2 different medicines for it!

I officially have a 2nd grader now!!!! She is loving school again, I am so glad I have one that loves school and I can only hope the other one follows her. She is in class with some of her close friends again this year and she was separated from so of them too, so she was nervous and a little sad she would miss some of her friends but she sees them at lunch and recess so she is very happy with 2nd grade!

The first day of 2nd grade at St. Mary's School:

Below Abby and Molly compare missing and loose teeth LOL:

Cell Phone Bling

2010-08-06T20:35:00.000-07:00

I decided to vamp up my Blackberry today. There is a kiosk at the mall that sells cell phone and ipod covers. I saw a really cute floral print one so I looked at it. Of course Abby said "get the diamonds Mommy, get the diamonds they match your phone!" So after looking at about 10 covers I broke down and let the lady put the diamond one on my phone---oh my gosh, I LOVED it!!!! I know it may be a little flashy for "mom" but hey a girl can let loose every now and then!!!!! LOL Check it out. Its a little hard to tell in the photos but it has black, purple, pink, and clear sparkly diamonds all over it!! BLING BLING!!!!

Love and Lemonade

2010-08-06T20:25:00.000-07:00

Abby decided she needed to help the animals at Young-Williams Animal Shelter. She set up a lemonade stand in our yard. We have some wonderful neighbors who came and bought from her. Her sign was soooo cute. It said Cost-Donation, and was very colorful and sweet. She loves collecting money for a good cause. She collected $11.70 so we are going to set up a couple more at some yard sales and then send out donation in at the end of the month! Let me know if you want to help her out! All donations will go to the animal shelter! Email me or comment and I will get you information. I will also post when we are doing the next one!!

Kids Say AND Do the Darndest Things.....LOL

2010-08-03T13:45:00.000-07:00

Isn't that the cutest face you have ever seen???? LOL Well she has the attitude to go with it!!!

Today we went to the mall and when I stepped on the escalator, I looked down and then back up and I got disoriented and fell backward and was hanging onto the rail! LOL My leg was all skinned up and there I hung trying to get my balance, I looked back at Abby and rolling her eyes she said "Mommy everyone is looking at you!" As we came to the bottom of the escalator there were people standing in line to get their car registration renewed and had seen the entire thing, they were looking at me and giggling, I just smiled and Abby announces as loud as she can" I DON'T KNOW HER!!!!" LOL It was so funny. Never mind that mommy fell for three days and skinned her leg all up, she just wanted those people to know that she DID NOT know me!!!LOL Ahhhh, to be a mom!! My husband didn't help matters any either, when we told him what happened he goes "OMG, honey we cant take you anywhere without you falling!!" I am so glad to have such a supportive family!! I do have to say you never know what each day will bring in this family!

Check out my injury---LOL!!! and my Grandma House shoes I wear ALL THE TIME. No I didn't have them on at the mall!! :)

When friends come to town.............

2010-08-03T13:34:00.000-07:00

Last week one of my best friends and Brady's godmother, Jennifer, came to town with her little girl Mackenzie. They live in Florida. They used to be our neighbors but had to move! We spent Wednesday with them at the mall. The kids watched the movie Ramona and Beezus which they LOVED and highly recommended!!
Then on Saturday we went to our friends the Drafts for a cookout. We had an awesome time! Its always great to spend time with friends!!!

Recently We Are BUSY!!!

2010-07-23T15:01:00.001-07:00

Wow! What a busy week we have had!! I took the kids to the mall shopping for a school backpack for Abby on Monday. We ended up with a really cool backpack AND I got a really cool insulated lunch tote to carry extra milk and drinks for the kids when we are out and about!!
Then on Wednesday I had to take Abby to the dr. She has had a constant tummy ache for a couple weeks. Looks like she was just constipated-to much info Im sure LOL- they gave her some meds and she seems good to go now, but on the way home we decided she needed a hair cut so we went and had her trimmed up!!
Then on Thursday I worked the school uniform sale. This was the first time I have ever done a consignment type sale. I took some old uniforms to the sale and bought some new (new to us anyway) stuff. I ended up making $64 in the sale and the new stuff I got was $67, SOOOO I got 2 Plaid Jumpers, 2 Plaid Skorts, 6 pair of uniform shorts, 2 pair of uniform pants, 2 sweatshirts, 2 PE shirts, 1 polo shirt, and 1 spirit wear tee shirt all for $3, yes $3----I love a bargain!!!!!
We have also been gathering up this years school supplies, whew, who knew kids needed sooo much stuff!!
Today I took Brady for his drs appointment. His 15 month check up. He is such a small little guy, he weighed 21 lbs 11 oz!! But all was well!! He's on a constant growing curve so they said no need to worry about anything. He has started hitting his head on the floor when hes mad, I asked them about it, the doctor laughed and said its testosterone!! Just ignore it and he will stop doing that!!! Funny little guy!! Well, lets see what the weekend has in store for us!!!

Fish, Family, and Fun

2010-07-18T13:43:00.000-07:00

We finally took the trip to the aquarium that we had promised the kids! Yes, it took us almost all summer to get there but we finally made it!!! This was Brady's first trip and he LOVED it!!! The new penguin exhibit is AWESOME! The kids get to crawl through the habitat and come face to face with the penguins!!! We totally utilized a free child's ticket so Brady and Abby both got in free! Yea Me!!! Of course Abby had to get a stuffed penguin and Brady got a light up sword! It was a great trip!

After the aquarium we ate at OCharley's and then did some shopping at the outlet malls!

Sewing 101

2010-07-14T13:08:00.000-07:00

Abby has been dying to learn to sew. She ALWAYS wants me to get the sewing machine out and teach her, however, I am no seamstress myself. I can sew straight lines, mend a hole or do a small easy project. I CAN NOT sew any kind of clothing! For some reason sleeves and pants are beyond my realm of understanding! LOL

We found a pillowcase project at Wal-mart and Abby wanted to make her brother a pillowcase. The package said Easy and Fun! Finish in One Hour! OK this was not the case at all, the instructions were not correct come to find out, they had been translated from another country and it was not fun trying to figure out what in the world they were SUPPOSED to say. After following them the best we could we ended up having to look on the Internet to figure it out. Watching numerous YouTube videos and looking at a ton of sewing websites I finally figures out how to save the project!

The best thing to come from this project was Abby got to use the sewing machine for the first time and she loved it. I set it up and started her stitches and she finished them, by the end of the project she could start and finish her seams. She loved it! She sewed all the seams but the last border piece which was our trouble piece. She did a FINE job and I was very proud of her! I think Brady will LOVE his pillowcase "sissy" made him!!!!

Genealogy, Family Trees, and Our Past

2010-07-10T18:44:00.001-07:00

Several years ago my husband became interested in his ancestors and where he came from. We never took the time to research it much until recently. We both decided to start tracing our family and see just where we came from. We joined Ancestry.com which is the most amazing website ever! We have spent numerous hours the past few months tracing our family tree and collecting pictures from relatives. We have decided to dedicate our dining room to the history of our family and we are going to put pictures and family heirlooms in there. What better place to honor your family than your family dining room?

One definition of family I saw was perfect for this post.
Family: A group of persons sharing common ancestry.
I love this definition because it truly is the meaning of family when you are trying to trace your roots!!

Don't get me wrong, this has NOT been easy by any means. My husband is having more luck than I am. He has traced his family on one side back to Ireland. I am still in the United States and pretty stuck as of this moment. I just wanted to share with you all what I am doing and will keep you updated on how its going. If I find out I am related to someone famous or royalty you all will be the first to know! HA HA!!!

Below are some photos my aunt gave me of my grandparents:

My Grandfather and Grandmother- Dad's parents

My Grandfather and Grandmother- Mom's Parents

My Grandfather a few years before he passed away

My Grandmother with my dad and his brother and sisters when he was little

Laundry Room Redo!!!

2010-07-07T12:43:00.000-07:00

I decided to repaint my laundry room! I figured it would be an easy project since its soooo small! It had never been painted before and still had the construction eggshell paint on it. Not to mention ALOT of scuffs and nail holes from old wire shelves the previous owners had installed. We painted it Valspar- Garden Fresh, its a bright greenish yellow and we put up new shelves that we reclaimed out of the old play room. Take a look, its AMAZING what a fresh coat of paint will do!! Now maybe I will be motivated to do my laundry!!!

My Projects.....Finally....

2010-07-05T18:18:00.001-07:00

I have so many projects I want to get done before Fall and the holidays!!

I finally got my kitchen in order. I cleaned off my counters and finally placed my small appliances where I REALLY wanted them to be. I moved the coffeemaker next to the fridge and got rid of the bottle station since Brady doesn't take formula or cereal anymore I figured he could have cabinet space now!

I also cleaned my fridge out, took everything out of it, scrubbed it down with soap and water and redid the inside and organized it!!! Yea me!!! What a job, it took me 2hours!!!!

I also finally got Abby's glowing planets put up in her room, she got them in December at her birthday party!! Bad Mommy! Thanks Daddy for helping us get them up!

I also painted an old bookshelf we had downstairs and gave it to Abby for her room. She needed more space for her books and awards! I also redid her walls and moved her shelves and bulletin board.

I have been a busy girl lately and this is only the beginning. My next project starts tomorrow, painting the laundry room and organizing it. My main project is to paint my kitchen cabinets, put up bead board as back splash, and paint the kitchen blue! Then I will move on to the dining room/family history room after I get all my genealogy in order and photos scanned and framed. I also have to paint that room so wish me luck!!! Will post as I get things done.....could be awhile!!! :)

4th of July

2010-07-05T17:57:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we went to visit my husbands family and celebrate the 4th of July.
I made fruit kabobs with strawberries, blueberries, cherries, grapes, and marshmallows. They were super yummy!!!

The kids played in the pool and had fun hitting the pinata! Of course when the pinata is full of silly bands and candy how can you go wrong!!

Brady had a great time especially when it was time to relax and he crashed with the Mayor of Lafollette, Mike, on a big animal print floor pillow!! LOL The Mayor is my husbands uncles father-in-law. Abby thought it was awesome the mayor was there!! LOL

Of course we had our annual volleyball game. I played two games then gave up, I am no good at volleyball!!!

The night ended with a lot of fireworks. It was a great night with family and friends, cant wait until next year!!!!!!!!!! Happy 4th of July!!!!

My First 5K!!

2010-06-28T18:50:00.001-07:00

About 2 months ago I decided I wanted to start exercising and getting into better shape. I decided to motivate myself by running a 5K! I had about 6 weeks to train however, the weather here in east TN has been horrible. It has not been out of the 90's and 70% humidity in about 4 weeks. So I had to try to get my walk/running in by 9am and with two kids that was not easy! Then we went on vacation for a week and I didn't get to train any. I got the worst cold ever while on vacation so my 5k was upon me before I knew it and since I had told everyone I was running it. Well, I had to run it!!!

I decided the night before the race I was NOT going to do it. I was so nervous and upset I hadn't been able to train like I wanted to that I figured there was NO way I could even walk a 5k and finish before lunch!! LOL Well with the motivation of my daughter who is 7 and was running it, and my husband who is a seasoned runner and running it, well I had to do it.

I set a personal goal of doing the race in a hour of less. I told myself it was OK if I had to walk some of it just not all of it. The gun went off and there I went running along with everyone else, even some people behind me. Before I knew it, everyone was gone! I felt SOOO alone, no one in front of me that I could see, no one behind me! But I had to keep going. after the first mile I felt like quitting. No way I could run 2 more!! The next thing I knew some guy was yelling out 35min, what?? I had made it 2 miles, one to go! I kept on going, running, walking, jogging, running, etc. I looked up and saw my husband and daughter coming back to run with me!! I almost cried as they had all ready finished and they came back to run in with me. I crossed the finish line in 54min 32 sec!!!! Yes I was last in my age group and 5Th to last in the entire race but I didn't care. I FINISHED!!!!!! I won a medal too!! Besides a trophy in Kindergarten it was my only other award I have ever gotten!

Crossing that finish line was one of the greatest accomplishments of my life. My husband said he had only seen that determination on my face two other times, when I gave birth to my daughter, when I gave birth to my son, and when I crossed that finish line!!! I love my family so much. Looking forward to the next race!

Happy Father's Day to My Daddy

2010-06-20T18:23:00.001-07:00

"He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it." - Clarence Budington Kelland

To my Daddy:
Happy Father's Day! Thank you for being such a wonderful daddy and the best papaw Abby and Brady could ask for!!!! We love you so much!!!! I am lucky to call you my daddy!!!

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-20T18:01:00.001-07:00

• "I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father's protection." -- Sigmund Freud

To Chad:

I am so thankful everyday that God blessed me with the most wonderful man to be the father of my children. He is strong, caring, kind, gentle, respectable, honest, protective, and intelligent. I hope one day my kids realize how lucky they are to have him as their father.

He is the apple of Abby's eye and she has him wrapped around her little finger, when she looks at him he is a pat of butter in a frying pan.

Brady looks at him as if he is amazed of his larger version of himself. If he turns out like his father there is one lucky lady out there somewhere and she doesn't know it yet.

I am a lucky wife to get to share this life with you and watch our children grow and learn. I hope you had a wonderful Father's Day! We love you so much!!!

Storm at North Myrtle Beach

2010-06-16T17:57:00.001-07:00

These photos were taken around midnight the first night we were there on vacation, I was standing on the balcony taking them and decided that might not be such a great idea so I stood in the doorway of the balcony and took these shots from about 11:30pm until after midnight watching this beautiful storm cross the ocean! Remember it was DARK and the lightning was AMAZING, how it lit up the entire area!

North Myrtle Beach Family Photos

2010-06-16T16:59:00.001-07:00

North Myrtle Beach 2010

2010-06-16T16:49:00.001-07:00

This year we went back to North Myrtle Beach for vacation. This was Brady's first vacation and he was cutting teeth so it was testing to say the least. We took my mom with us this year, it was her first time to see the ocean. I think she liked it! Here are some candid shots from the trip.

Lady Vols Soccer Camp

2010-06-09T12:27:00.000-07:00

This is Abby's second year to go to the Lady Vols Soccer Camp! She LOVES it. I honestly have to say it is one of the BEST camps around! It lasts from Monday-Friday, 9am to 12 noon. They do drills, obstacle courses, learn skills and moves, tour the complex, and have a TON of fun!

Let Summer Begin............

2010-06-09T12:17:00.000-07:00

Well Summer has officially started for us! We drug out the water hose, sprinkler, and pool this past week! The neighbors Emma and Sarah came over to play! The kids had a great time. Its been so hot here that I have been tempted on more than one occasion to run through the sprinkler myself! Here's to a great summer!!!!!

Abby and Emma

Brady and Sarah

Summer Learning

2010-06-08T17:23:00.000-07:00

As a mom I always look forward to summer vacation to take a break from school. However, Abby's 1st grade teacher sent home a letter that was very informative about how important it is to keep kids reading and learning during the summer. Here is some advise from her letter:

-Get summer workbooks (obtained from any school supply store) so they do not lose any of the reading, spelling, phonics, writing, grammer, or math facts and skills learned the previous year.

-As little as 10-15 minutes a day on worksheets or workbooks along with 10 minutes of reading will go along way this summer.

- Make regular trips to the library and encourage reading

- Purchase or make math flash cards for simple math facts

-Provide a new notebook or blank book and have your child keep a daily journal. Encourage good penmanship,spelling, and punctuation.

-Reader's Digest Magazine is an excellent source of short, concise, and often humorous stories to read to each other

I decided instead of a workbook to look online for printable worksheets. Here are some GREAT sites I found:

www.dadworksheets.com
www.superteacherworksheets.com
www.tlsbooks.com
www.education.com

I just wanted to share this with all you moms and dads out there with school aged kids. Happy Summer!!!

Happy Birthday Husband!

2010-05-26T19:44:00.000-07:00

Men are like wine: some turn to vinegar, but the best improve with age.- Pope John XXIII

May 25 was my husband Chad's birthday! This day probably means more to me than it does him because to me it was the day my husband and father of my children came into this world. Without him my life would not be "my life".

Chad- I love you with all my heart! Happy Birthday!!!

I read the following is very appropriate for birthday wishes for someone you love.

Irish Blessing
May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.

May God be with you and bless you;
May you see your children's children.
May you be poor in misfortune,
Rich in blessings,
May you know nothing but happiness
From this day forward.

May the road rise to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the warm rays of sun fall upon your home
And may the hand of a friend always be near.

May green be the grass you walk on,
May blue be the skies above you,
May pure be the joys that surround you,
May true be the hearts that love you

Bridging to Brownies

2010-05-23T12:36:00.000-07:00

On May 15th Abby was awarded her advancement to Brownie Scouts. Her troop only has 3 girls in it right now we are hoping to have more join when school starts but if not thats ok too, less girls means we can do more for them! We had a small reception after the ceremony. It was total cuteness!!! Here is the song Abby taught them and they sung it when they walked upon the bridge (thanks Chad for making the bridge)!

We're Brownie Scout girls one and all
and together we belong,
We wear our patches upon our sashes,
and stand cute, small, and strong.
This is the Brownie Scout girls song
and its not to terribly long!!!!

Daddy and Diapers

2010-05-21T06:48:00.000-07:00

I sent my husband to the store for milk and diapers. He returned from the store with a look of pride on his face and said "Look what I got!" it was Huggies Little Movers Denim Diapers! LOL LOL I cracked up, I had seen these online and seriously thought it was a joke! I honestly had no idea Huggies really produced these "special edition" diapers! They are cute and so far just as good as regular Huggies, I say go out and get you some, even if its just for the pictures!!

DIY- Episode 1 LOL My Bathroom Remodel

2010-05-11T13:34:00.000-07:00

I decided to take the plunge and remodel our half bathroom downstairs. It gets used ALOT by us and guests so I felt it needed a makeover in a bad way. When we moved in the walls were a brownish gold color and one wall was a flat faded maroon. It was such ugly colors and I tried to make it look nice with wall decor and accessories but 4 years later it was just plain dark and ugly so I spent the entire day Monday painting and redoing it. Here are the before and after pictures. I painted the oak wooden cabinet black and I am very happy how it turned out!!! My next project will either be my laundry room or the dining room.............to be continued!!!!

Mothers Day

2010-05-10T20:34:00.001-07:00

Loving God,
as a mother gives life and nourishment to her children,
so you watch over your Church.
Bless these women,
that they may be strengthened as Christian mothers.
Let the example of their faith and love shine forth.
Grant that we, their sons and daughters,
may honor them always
with a spirit of profound respect.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.

Happy Mother's Day!