Brothers and sisters....

.....hanging out by the Christmas tree, waiting for Santa....

Micro-malfunction

Our microwave oven recently went on the fritz, which opened the door for me to pursue some home improvement in the last months of our stay at this house. I'm not sure what was wrong with it, but the bright flash and smoke smell were definite indicators of a Situation NG diagnosis. So, we decided instead of trying to fix it we could buy and install a new one for about the same amount. After doing our requisite internet research and checking a few different local retailers, we finally found a replacement at a great price (Em had a "feeling" about going by Sears....don't ever doubt the power of female intuition). In the process of removing the old unit and installing the new one (pictured above), I learned a lot about over-the-range microwaves. For example, did you know that there are three different kinds of exhaust options on microwaves.....fascinating stuff, I know!

Happy Birthday Papa!

Happy Birthday! A 32 year old and a 17 month old

So there are several things going on in these pictures.
1. We are celebrating two birthdays, Dave is now the mature age of 32, and though you might think I transposed those numbers, sadly I did not. And Lily is now 17 months old - hopefully we'll get a block pic in the next few days. She has hit such a talking curve, she's picking up new words daily and her personality just bubbles over sometimes. Hence, the inability to keep her still especially when she has somewhere to go....


2. You might note Lily's handy artwork on her sign. She loves drawing, scribbling, whatever you call it, with anything she thinks she can get to write. She was very proud of her efforts.

3. Today was the first time I tried to put her hair in pigtails, and I have to say I 'm a big fan, so you'll probably being seeing more of that..



4. The beads around Lily's neck are taken from a collection of MardiGras via Savannah beads that have become her favorite play-toy. It is so entertaining to watch her take them off and put them on, over and over, and bestow them to any other member of the family she deems appropriate. Thatcher, for example, was lovingly draped in five varieties this afternoon....he's such a good dog, and I might add he kept his regal dignity the whole time (your welcome T-bone).

5. For those who are very detailed oriented, you might notice the unusual arrangement of the ornaments around the bottom third of the tree. We made an effort to put Lily-proof ornaments in her reach and she conveniently arranges and then rearranges them at her whim. The cutest anecdote is when she points to the shiny red balls and says 'apple.'Also keeping in the birthday spirit, we had the pleasure of visiting with Alison, Kyle and Hayes at the Harrelson's house yesterday in Asheville. It actually was Alison's b-day yesterday, as well. So, Anna, always being the gracious host, made birthday goodies for Alison and Dave. Thanks Anna! We did the best we could to get the three little ones to pose together, it didn't go so well. It wasn't much improved when the moms joined in....probably had something to do with the three different cameras trying to get each one's attention in a different direction....but here's what we got!

Thanksgiving in Knoxville

All different kinds of sugar

Like Father Like Daughter...

Month 16

It was particularly windy during our attempt to get a month picture. This and toddler-hood (see below) didn't produce the best opportunity to capture Lily at 16 months, but I think you get the idea.

Again, I said it was windy....not real wild about this pic of me, but it's good of everyone else, so I'll suck it up...and it's rare we get someone to take a pic of all three of us, so take it where you can get it, I suppose!

A morning of 'textural' experiences!

The Mac

I was fortunate enough to attend a McCain rally in northeast Tennessee the day before the election. Though obviously unsuccessful in his bid for the White House, I still enjoyed the opportunity to attend the rally and partake in a small piece of history.

Election Night Party

Dave and his political class sponsored an election night party and Lily and I joined for as long as she allowed. Lily was kind enough to help her daddy out by preparing the candy bowls for the tables. She did such a great job, she would reach into the bag of tootsie-rolls and carefully transfer them to the bowl. It was too cute! (and amazingly she did not try to eat every one!) She also loved playing with all the balloons. What are political parties without balloons?!The turnout (though Lily and I were long gone and tucked into our respective beds) well exceeded Dave's expectations, with well over 250 students attending. This required a third pizza run for him but it was well worth it for the fellowship on such an historical night.

The New Do?

Introducing our baby, 'Pebbles.'

Halloween Hunny

It's that time again, and the same question regarding costumes was asked this year, as last. "What in the world will this child tolerate?" For starters Nothing on the head, so for this age group that eliminates about 99% of the options (especially the cute ones). So I ended up making her this honey pot, with the idea that we would suspend a bee over her head.....well that really didn't fly either (no pun intended). So, as you see in the pic below the bee was relegated to a parental accessory.

We had so much fun walking around with Lily. We visited the Tree Streets (for those of you who know Johnson City) for our trick-or-treating. It's a wonderful atmosphere with everyone dressed up and sitting out on their front porches. Towards the end Lily really got the hang of it and was reaching in the baskets full of candy and signing "Thank you" as we left. She was such a trooper and she loved watching all the other children.

Stopping to taste the loot, through the wrapper that is..

There's just nothing like the first taste of chocolate...with rice puffs....

Taking a quick break before heading back out....

Yes, we hear you Kramer. My question is, if your thoughts are so worth hearing, why must you yell them??

Grandparents Galore!