The Campbell Pack

Feed Your Mind

2012-02-01T21:48:00.001-05:00

This picture is a link to an album of pictures sent from my microeconomics students. Somehow, as I was talking about fried okra in class, I came around to the idea that students should graph with their food as part of their studying for the first exam on Friday. So I offered a couple points of extra credit to whoever graphed with food and sent me a picture of it. Here is the result.

An Extraordinary, Ordinary Saturday Morning

2012-01-28T10:24:00.005-05:00

With two girls, two dogs, and two full-time jobs that can have unusual hours, we are learning that nothing can be taken for granted, particularly a lazy Saturday morning spent together as a family.

We started out the morning with a little breakfast (which after the week of stomach bugs we've had, this in itself is quite an accomplishment). Caroline had some oatmeal, and gradually became more efficient at getting it from the bowl to her mouth.

Lily took a perch on the table to watch the show....and listen to the Fresh Beats on Mama's phone. Which reminds me, I asked my Micro class on Friday if they have heard of The Fresh Beat Band. The response..."No, is that, like, some group from the 80's?"

Thatcher, ever the dignified one, couldn't bare to watch the spectacle.

But Gator kept opportunistically close in the event a little something dropped his way.

When the vacuum came out after the family walk this morning, some eager to lend a hand, while others attempted block out the noise by any means possible.

Caroline at the Beach

2012-01-23T22:36:00.005-05:00

As part of the pictures for Papa series, here are some beach pictures of Caroline from Christmas time. We'll work on taking some more recent ones and getting those posted in the next few days.

TJO

2012-01-15T23:22:00.003-05:00

I am comforted by how many times a day I think of my father.
I realize now that his voice will never leave me and that is a
treasure I rely on.

WarDog

2012-01-14T17:53:00.003-05:00

The Boys have been feeling a little neglected over the past years and wanted some more pictures of them being posted to the web. Since they both seem to have overcome their fear of the new camera, taking and posting some pictures of them is a bit easier. The Boys were hanging out with us one night while we were reading and studying after the girls had gone to bed.

As an aside, Thatcher has always had a proper English name....Thatcher Fitzwilliam Campbell. However, Gator has never had a middle name. After reading War Horse....I've decided that the perfect middle name for him is WarDog.

The Emerging Personality of CJ

2012-01-10T22:56:00.003-05:00

The emerging master of facial expressions.

CJ even found a way to add her emerging personality to her sleeping.

This evening we were playing a combination game of telephone and hide and seek....who could those two little feet behind the curtain belong to?

Its CJ!

The Harkey Clan

2012-01-07T22:57:00.002-05:00

Christmas in Hilton Head, 2011

A Fine Fellow

2012-01-04T14:15:00.003-05:00

Congratulations Emily on matching to the Wake Forest Fellowship in Sports Medicine for the 2012-13 academic year. The Demon Deacons will be in good hands.....even this guy!

Christmas Day - family and fun!

2012-01-03T22:59:00.006-05:00

After the excitement of Santa's visit and all the presents wore off we went over to Uncle Kevin and Aunt Carrie's unit for a big family brunch.

Trying out the new pink Radio Flyer Santa brought Lily for Christmas

Having fun on the new princess off-roading quad!

Uh-oh....the blondie has gained control of the rocket launcher!

Clowning around with Uncle Jonathan

Christmas Morning - Did Santa come?

2012-01-02T14:05:00.011-05:00

Of course he did! And he brought some exciting presents this year, including a new pink bike and "the Ariel movie." Here are some of the sights from Christmas morning this year :)

Peeking around the corner...its all anticipation!

Apparently Santa and his reindeer were very hungry last night....though you don't need to be too hungry to find Gran's cookies delicious!

Checking out stockings so full Santa could not hang them back up!

Unwrapping "the Ariel movie"!!!

Poor Caroline was pulling double duty Christmas morning, opening presents and taking pictures of herself doing it!

Nana and Papa's princess quad looked like so much fun to ride that....

Caroline spent a lot of time riding on the box instead!

Somehow, when the monkey bread came out, Daddy picked up a "lil' snuggie"...

Christmas Eve Activities

2012-01-01T14:05:00.007-05:00

This year, since we new we were going to be moving units in Hilton Head on December 24th, we decided to hold off on decorating a tree until Christmas Eve. I've always enjoyed carving pumpkins with the girls on the afternoon of Halloween, and thought this might be a similarly fun activity for the family....and it was! We used some colored lights and a few balls, but for the most part the decorations were construction paper chains and popcorn/cranberry strings. Though it was born out of necessity this year, we had so much fun that it will be a tradition that we will keep into the future.

Lily got to open one Christmas present early!...she choose one that was from Uncle Jonathan.

Gran, being the cookie fabulista that she is, led the cookies for Santa Claus team. She found some little bear cookies and "edible" markers that allowed Lily to draw pictures on the cookies for Santa to eat. As you see below, Lily was also concerned about the reindeer and decided to leave out some broccoli and water for them...the peppermints were for Santa and the reindeer I think.

Polka-dot did his job (as usual) and told Santa exactly where to find the girl's Christmas tree. If you ask me, Santa probably didn't have any objections to dropping off their presents on a beautiful night in Hilton Head either....though I hear he did have to get a little creative to fill up the tires on Lily's new bike....

Wild New Year's Eve...

2012-01-01T13:57:00.004-05:00

slumber party in our bedroom! There's nothing this family would rather be doing to celebrate New Year's than spending it together....and we are celebrating that for as long as its true (likely to end sometime around Lily's entrance into middle school).

Caroline's First Trip to the Beach

2011-12-29T23:13:00.008-05:00

Our trip to Hilton Head for Christmas this year marked the first time that Caroline has visited the beach. Here are some pictures from the first time she walked on a beach and actually got to see the ocean.

Pre-Christmas at Gran's

2011-12-29T23:00:00.004-05:00

We spent the weekend of December 10th at Gran's house in Knoxville. This trip served several purposes....first, it was a get-together for Emily's high school girls posse, second, we were able to go out for my birthday and have reliable babysitters (thanks Gran and Jonathan), and third, Lily got to open her "big" present from Gran so that we wouldn't have to take it all the way to Hilton Head and back.

Decorating for Christmas

2011-12-29T22:47:00.004-05:00

Alright, so the actual day may have already passed....but now is really the first time I've had the time and energy to catch up on some posts, so here we are putting up the Christmas decorations. Lily and Emily split the tree ornaments into two groups....those that are Caroline-proof and those that aren't! Lily was a big help putting ornaments on the tree. You could tell where the ladder was because she would really fill out that space with ornaments (two and three on the same branch) The girl is thorough!

God Bless Poor Santa Claus

2011-12-21T21:48:00.005-05:00

We went to the Biltmore last weekend so the girls could visit with Santa. They were excited (at first) and Lily had planned out exactly what she was going to ask Santa for Christmas (the Ariel movie). Unfortunately, the early excitement in these first few photos was short lived...

It all began with the actual approach to Santa....who it should be noted, was an excellent fellow and not scary/mean/intimidating in the least. Lily got a little nervous and took off running, then we heard the crying. She had fallen and scraped her knee. Compounded with her trepidation meeting Kris Kringle, she melted down completely. Of course, Caroline was not far behind her...and here are images from the fall out.

Of course, some hot chocolate always helps sooth those ruffled feathers :)

Playground Pictures from Thanksgiving

2011-12-20T21:19:00.006-05:00

Pictures from a trip to a local playground during the Thanksgiving Holiday.

Thanksgiving Day 2011

2011-12-05T22:53:00.008-05:00

Random pictures from the day's festivities

The Chefs!

Turkey Trot 2011

2011-12-05T22:02:00.012-05:00

So the family traveled to the JC this year for Thanksgiving. Donna and Jonathan came up from Knoxville, while the NoVa crew came down for a long weekend. A few of us braved the early morning chill on Thanksgiving day to participate in the Turkey Trot 5K in downtown Johnson City. Here are some pictures from the event (it should be noted that Emily, Lily, Caroline and I were the 6th stroller to finish the race....unfortunately we had to replace the wheels on the stroller after the race because we went so blazin' hot fast that they melted off!)

What's up Kappa?

Caroline was psyched out of her mind!

It may have been a little early for Lily.....

Two beautiful blondies!

Yep, definitely a little early for Lily.

The action shot! I clipped a guys heel with the stroller shortly after this...but come on, if you're letting a double stroller pass you when you were lined up ahead of us as a "6 minute mile"....whose fault is it really!?!?

Getting the hardware for being the 6th stroller across the line!

Lil' playah.

The whole crew that day.

Chip and Ashley (and Number 2)

The Speedway in Lights 5K

2011-11-13T23:24:00.010-05:00

This year we heard about a 5K that actually goes through the Bristol Motor Speedway "Speedway in Lights" display. As two people who have always enjoyed running and are always looking for ways to entertain our children while we run, we were very excited about this event! As it turned out, however, CJ slept through most of the race, and Lily ended up running quite a bit of it herself!

Here is Lily and Emily getting psyched up before the start.

Caroline buckled in for the ride.

Lily did a nice job running in this race, there were several long stretches where she held her own!

While Lily was doing all that running, Caroline was doing some QC on the bulbs.

Some action pictures!

Heck yeah we took the turns hard, we're not afraid of the grade! Eat your heart out Intimidator!

This is the first race we've run where they had roasted marshmallows at the end. As you may imagine, Lily was a huge fan....though she got tired of the roasting part and took out her bag of marshmallows cold.

A family picture at the spot where you enter the speedway.

Billfest

2011-11-07T13:21:00.002-05:00

Bill's formal inauguration as the 15th President of Milligan College was the last week in October. As part of the festivities (affectionately known as "Billfest") I arranged to have a speaker come deliver a lecture on campus describing the role that business and entreprenuership have to play in extending God's kingdom. Michael Miller of the Acton Institute came and delivered a talk that was well received by the students and business community. Here is a picture of the three of us following Michael's lecture.

Happy Halloween!

2011-11-01T21:39:00.013-05:00

Lily enjoys not only designing our Jack-o-lantern each year, she likes to name it as well. This year, we'd like you to meet Zella.

Gran got to make it up for the festivities!

The architect and contractor showing off Zella.

We took Zella out front to put her in the porch decorations.

While we were working on the porch, we heard a noise coming from inside the house...

Caroline was getting excited about this whole trick or treat thing!

Big sister found an even bigger bucket that she wanted to take trick or treating. After we explained that all the candy would be Caroline's since it had her name on it, Lily went back to the pink jack-o-lantern bucket! In the process, however, candy did get left in this Caroline bucket, which is where Thatcher found the Tootsie pops that he enjoyed eating. My best guess is that he got through 3 before I figured out what he was up to.

Our annual trick or treating crew was looking good on Halloween!

A daylight view of the fall display on our front porch....tip for buying mums, get the ones that have lots of buds but haven't bloomed yet....and water them (go figure).

Our very pumpkiny front porch was quite popular with trick or treaters again this year. In fact, one nice family stopped to take a picture on our front porch because it was their little one's first trick or treat ever!

Glow on Zella, glow on.

Lily's Pumpkin Bread

2011-10-30T22:51:00.004-05:00

So Lily didn't have the greatest of weeks last week (as you can tell from these pictures). The upshot of course is that we got some quality daddy-daughter time. Here are some pictures from our adventure making pumpkin bread!

Trunk or Treat at Grandview

2011-10-30T22:35:00.005-05:00

Grandview had their trunk-or-treat tonight, so we braved the cold to take part in the festivities. Lily decided to be Cinderella this year, and we helped Caroline decide to be one of Cinderella's mice....Suzie. I pretty much think Emily has gone too far this time with the level of cuteness that is going on...these two were just adorable running around the parking lot!

The designer - with her adorable daughter wearing the home-made costume.

While Lily tried out the moon-bounce, Caroline discovered that she had two hands, one for her candy bucket and one for Lily's!

Storybook Character Day at School

2011-10-28T15:05:00.002-05:00

Today was Storybook Character Day at school (which as we've come to find out is the less ghoulish way to celebrate Halloween for preschoolers). Lily is dressing as Cinderella for Halloween this year, and Caroline is going to be one of her little mice. The parents were invited to come in and read the story that generated their child's costume choice. So here is a piece of the Reflection for today that has Lily dressed as Cinderella in the top picture, and me reading Cinderella to her class in the bottom picture.

2010 Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences Peter Diamond

2011-10-20T09:13:00.002-05:00

On Monday I had the opportunity to take a group of students to hear Peter Diamond, the 2010 Nobel Laureate in Economics, lecture at the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga. Its not often that we are able to drive a few hours to hear such a prestigious speaker in this part of the world, so the students were almost as excited as I was. Professor Diamond was recognized with the Nobel prize for his work relating to search costs in the labor market. A consummate mathematician and modeler, Professor Diamond's work sought to include the real world frictions that are often overlooked in the tidy world of neo-classical economics. Among his most contentious conclusions is that unemployment benefits do not significantly affect the ability of employers to fill job vacancies during recessions (when labor markets are slack). President Obama tried to appoint Professor Diamond to the Federal Reserve Board several times in recent years. However, after his appointment was blocked by the Senate he withdrew his nomination.

On a personal note, Professor Diamond is an extraordinary lecturer. He has a clear voice that carries very well. If not for his intelligence and value to the economics profession, I'm convinced he could have had a successful career in radio.

Juicy

2011-10-16T13:53:00.022-05:00

The first apple farm we went to on Saturday was a relatively small, Mom-n-Pop type affair. They had a really nice selection of pumpkins and gourds....Lily and Caroline each got to pick out their own personal pumpkins. But the best part of this place was the apples! When we walked up to their apple selection area we were greeted with a smile and a sampler! We each got a Fuji apple and were sold instantly. We bought a bag of them and a bag of Granny Smiths.

Big sister...point of order...I'm not currently choking, enough with the Heimlich!

We got to meet Juicy the Apple Bug!

In case you are wondering, the answer is yes....Lily is rolling around on top of a $50 pumpkin...thank goodness it didn't break!

Lily found Papa's hokie bird (though he's hard to make out in this shot)

My two blondys!

Caroline was very interested in the billy goat...I'm pretty sure that she had designs on riding him around the barnyard.

I see you billy goat!

The girls each got to pick out their own personal pumpkin/gourds here. Caroline chose a uniquely colored acorn squash, while Lily opted for a striped sugar pumpkin.

Grandad's Pumpkin Patch and Apple Orchard

2011-10-15T21:39:00.015-05:00

We did a little driving in western North Carolina over the weekend and made it to Hendersonville, a place known for its apple orchards. You can do pick your own or just buy freshly picked at a stand. We go with the stand approach and manage to have some fun while we're at it. This is the second farm we stopped at on Saturday. What drew us here was the barbeque stand. Pitboss barbeque is apparently award winning in NC (they had all their trophies lined up on the stand), and while I'm not a celebrity barbeque judge, I can tell you that it was delicious! CJ, who was a big fan of it as well, became my barbeque buddy.

Mary Hudson's 4th Birthday Party

2011-10-15T21:29:00.005-05:00

So it was a girls affair, with Mary Hudson traveling to a super cool water park in Pigeon Forge for her birthday this week. While Caroline stayed home with Daddy, Lily got to go out and enjoy the festivities. Naturally, Lily really enjoyed the water park, particularly the wave pool where she checked her fear at the door! The cake and ice cream made it the perfect birthday night!

Adventures in Food

2011-10-15T21:19:00.005-05:00

Sometimes, its the ordinary things such as a spaghetti dinner that can become such memorable experiences :)

A Family of Jeep Lovers

2011-10-15T20:59:00.009-05:00

So its been a year or two since Santa brought the Jeep to Lily for Christmas. She has never taken a great liking to it, possibly because on Christmas morning she put her foot on the pedal and took off, not knowing how to stop it (by letting up) and got scared. Well, there is nothing like an interested sibling to rekindle your interest in an old toy that had fallen from memory. These pictures tell the story, the only remaining question is about Santa's lack of forsight in bringing a one-seater!

Hey big sister, hop on, I'll give you a lift!

Uh-oh! Big sister, where'd you go?!?

A Perfect Purple Day

2011-10-08T21:59:00.019-05:00

Whenever our parents come to stay with us, we cannot believe how fast the week seems to go by. This time was no different, we simply could not believe a whole week had passed and were going to be sad to see Nana and Papa go....but not before we had one more adventure together! There's just nothing like a tailgate and football game at JMU on a beautiful early fall day. Here we are getting the day started with a little help from the Colonel.

What can I say, the girl has got good taste in clothing.

As respectable a family of Duke Dogs as I've ever seen.

Smokey the Dog must have hitched a ride up with us from Tennessee to visit his neighbor to the north, Duke Dog.

Lily was so good being around Duke Dog! I guess we've talked about him enough that she feels comfortable around him....not only did she smile for this picture, but as we were leaving she tracked him down to give him a high-5!

The Marching Royal Dukes take the field and show off some of Lily's favorite shapes!

Papa! You so crazy!....that's not a Duke Dog hat you're wearing....is it?

Thanks for all your help this week Nana and Papa!

Harvest Pics

2011-10-02T20:53:00.004-05:00

These are just some random pictures from the garden. The carrot crop came in really well this year, and there are still quite a few out there. We're just pulling them as we need them, and letting the rest continue to grow. I pulled out a couple last week that resembled Russian ICBMs!

The award for most prolific crop of the garden this year will go to the jalapenos....we've had so many that I even tried canning for the first time! Here's to delicious nachos year round!

Gran's Week at the Downingten Estate

2011-10-02T20:33:00.009-05:00

Happy girls, excited to see Gran!

Lily is showing Gran her new book full of week pictures from Lily and Caroline's first year.

Sisters playing :)

Gran, Gator, Lamby, flower blanket....and Lily too....I think....
Just so precious.

Stickley Farm

2011-10-02T20:07:00.010-05:00

Having Mattie keep Lily, and now Caroline, has always been such a blessing. We never have to worry for a moment about the level of love and attention they receive at her house. What is even more special is that every spring and fall Mattie leaves town for a couple of weeks. This gives us a great opportunity to get spoiled by our parents for a couple weeks. Nana and Papa are here this week.....on their first full day here we visited Stickley Farm for some fall fun!

There is something pink and cute in this fall display somewhere....can you find it?

What's a girl gotta do to get Nana and Papa to look at the camera?

Lily got to enjoy the "bounce pillow." It was actually a pretty cool inflatable that I have not seen before. It inflated over a large area, but only a few feet off the ground. The ultimate effect was that of a giant trampoline!

It seems that jumping for 15 minutes straight can wear a girl out!
Come on, seriously....when Caroline has mastered looks like this one by age 1, what chance do we have when she's older?

This hayride brought back memories of our last hayride....picking out a Christmas tree in North Carolina!

Looking for the "Great Pumpkin"

Does a father need an occasion to dote upon his daughters?

2011-09-23T21:41:00.012-05:00

No, we're not trying to betroth one of the girls to Commodore Norrington, but they have been awfully cute lately. Particularly Caroline who continues to develop her little personality....or shall I say her big personality in a little body.

A couple of sisters (and a brother) clowning around one night before bed. Its nice watching them all have so much fun together.

Caroline's new thing....the kissy face!

The ever watchful (and excited) eyes of Gator.

Sweet girl.

Cruising one morning with the necessities: one of big sister's flipflops and the ever important cup of milk.

Ole' Bubba making sure everything is running smoothly in the morning.

Playing one of our favorite games, peek-a-boo with a hat from the dress-up chest.

Aliens are Wierd

2011-09-23T21:27:00.008-05:00

One morning, out of nowhere, we noticed that we had a mushroom "crop circle" in the front yard. This circle was eerily symmetric, containing a few on the inside as well. The best we can figure is that some alien funguys landed their fungus shaped starship in the front yard one night and left the circle....next thing you know we'll be visited by huge vegetables that talk.....oh wait!

The Carnies

2011-09-18T12:01:00.014-05:00

We took advantage of the beautiful early Fall weekend and went to the TN Valley Fair in Knoxville. As a kid, I remember Dad taking me there as TVA was a sponsor. I haven't been in probably over 20 years (wow that makes me feel old!). It sure was different than I remember, but I think Lily had fun and hopefully we made some special memories...
As you'll see below you'll never get a bigger smile from Lily, than when she's on the merry-go-round! But surprisingly she loved the Ferris wheel, too, which was funny considering Dave and I both were a little freaked out by it.
And we had to get a quick pic by the Mayfield cow...which has been a fixture of the Knoxville landscape for as long as I can remember. He usually sits out in front of their headquarters by the interstate.

Just thought this was cute.. Totally caught in the act!

The Great MFFL Buffalo Creek Regatta of 2011

2011-08-31T10:16:00.010-05:00

Our Statistics and Fantasy Football course kicked off last night with the initial class meeting to discuss the syllabus, set the rules and determine draft position. Each of the students drew a number from a hat that they thought was their draft position. However, it was actually just the number for one of the boats that were racing in the Great MFFL (Milligan Fantasy Football League) Buffalo Creek Regatta of 2011. Each player's draft position was determined by where his/her boat finished in the race (yes, there is one woman in the class!)

One Fine Day

2011-08-30T20:01:00.012-05:00

A picnic at the Biltmore on a late summer day....its hard to find a more enjoyable way to spend your Sunday afternoon.

More Pictures from Nana and Papa's House

2011-08-21T16:35:00.005-05:00

Pool time at Nana & Papa's!

2011-08-15T21:06:00.008-05:00

During our visit to Nana and Papa's house, we got to spend a lot of time at the pool....whether it was the inflatable one on the deck or the actual neighborhood pool, it sure was a lot of fun to cool off during those hot weeks!

Pool time takes a lot out of Caroline....and Papa!

8 Great Years!

2011-08-13T23:10:00.005-05:00

Emily and I about to go out and celebrate our eighth wedding anniversary! (thanks to Nana and Papa for the babysitting :)

Birthday Extravaganza!!

2011-07-27T09:19:00.026-05:00

I believe it is only fitting that the ultimate non-planner (referring to myself) wound up with our children's birthdays one week apart. We have had birthday-palooza around here but it's all been wonderful and both girls have had a great time celebrating one another!

Caroline's shindig was at the house - with our usual set-up. The rain broke just in time for us to enjoy the outside with yard games and the new palyset.

This was Mom's creation for Lily's birthday - she took these to celebrate with the kids at school. Great Job Mom!!

What does every 4 year old girl want for her birthday? A Tool Set of course!!! This was specifically requested by Lily....

For Lily we took advantage of the 'all inclusive, just bring the cake' deal at Wallabies our local indoor inflatables play-place...at first I was resistant wanting to do most of the work myself...then sense struck me and I was SO grateful to give over control, especially with CJ's looming the next week. Lily and her friends had a blast.

This last pic is of Lil's and her friend Jacob being 'rambunctious' in the soft-play area...too much fun!

Week 51

2011-07-17T11:40:00.009-05:00

CJ is standing and crawling everywhere - not quite walking yet - but I'm totally okay with that considering Lily only crawled for about two weeks before she decided she would prefer to walk instead. We really are enjoying this crawling stage we missed with Lily!

This year's summer project (and the girls' collective birthday gift) was a newly renovated playset. The one we had came with the house and it was not weathering gracefully...so it was time for an upgrade. Dave got the process started by himself and did a fantastic job getting everything prepared for him and Papa to finish it up. Now supposedly this was a '6 hours and you're done' job according to the manufacturer of the new set.... that was not exactly accurate - but they did finish in one good day's work...and I think they did an amazing job - especially modifying the structure to bridge over to the remnant of the previous playset.
Thanks Daddy and Papa!! A job well done!

The Faces of a Birthday Goofball!

2011-07-10T21:55:00.007-05:00

Lily got a birthday box this year with goodies wrapped inside. Most of it was small though because her and Caroline's big present this year is a new playset, which is a gift from Gran, Nana & Papa, and us! Now, about the building it part....if anyone is bored this week PLEASE come help me...all assistance is appreciated :)

And some dancing!

The Colors of Deliciousness

2011-07-09T20:40:00.002-05:00

Roma tomatoes
White "Islander" peppers
Green peppers
Jalapeno peppers
Hungarian wax peppers
Flying saucer squash
Cucumbers
Gremlin gourd

Week 50: Happy Fourth of July!

2011-07-04T22:08:00.004-05:00

The first half of July is an exciting time around our household....the birth of a nation and two children all in a 2 week span!

Sometimes being patriotic can taste so good!

A pink and purple house for blue jays

2011-07-04T21:54:00.005-05:00

So I mentioned a few posts back that the Ladybugs class had painted a bird-feeder for their playground. Lily was fairly interested in the painting and bird part of the investigation, and of course I'm always looking for a fun wood-working project during the summer, so we set about making a birdhouse for the backyard.

This house is loosely based off some designs I found on the internet. It seemed a little small to me, so I added to the dimensions as I went. In the end, it turned out pretty well for a project whose measurements were only finalized after the cuts were made.

This house is supposed to be for blue jays. In particular, the opening is 1.5" wide which should accommodate them...I'll be interested to see who actually does move in. It was a true team effort, I did the cutting and assembling while Lily did the painting. As you can tell from the pictures, we went with a coat so thick that it might be drying well into next year.

Week 49: Pool time!

2011-07-04T21:43:00.005-05:00

Spending a little time in the shark pool, getting ready for visiting Nana and Papa in August....but the pool is so boring compared to those interesting blocks!

Had to find a shot with the blocks in the background, out of CJ's line of sight!

Random Pictures

2011-07-03T13:50:00.008-05:00

Sisters playing together.

A look of drooly determination.

Early harvest...flying saucers, cucumbers, and all kinds of peppers (I can at least differentiate between the sweet and hot varieties)

Bath-time fun!

Remembering to take a picture of our furry kids every now and again.

Looking like such a big girl.

Reflections

2011-07-01T10:06:00.002-05:00

Here are a few snipets from the newsletter that Lily's preschool classroom sends out periodically. Emily and I love this aspect of the school because it allows us to discuss the same topics with Lily....and just because its fun to know what's going on! In one of the pictures below you can see Lily painting a birdfeeder with her class. Knowing that they did this, we talked to Lily about it and found out that she would like to paint a bird house and hang it in the backyard....so we are in the process of building it now!
June 15, 2011

June 20, 2011

June 22, 2011

June 30, 2011

Pepsi? Seriously?

2011-06-23T14:53:00.002-05:00

This is a newspaper advertisement from a couple years back. We have one employer and one relative in this picture....can you guess who they are?

Week 48

2011-06-18T20:40:00.002-05:00

The Growing Season

2011-06-13T09:37:00.011-05:00

Now I have a whole mess of different tomatoes and peppers in the garden. I'm not sure what some of them are...but in come cases, the shapes are already giving them away. In the first picture below, you can see a tomato taking on the short, pudgy, wrinkly shape of a brandywine. The following picture features the familiar elliptical shape of Roma tomatoes.

The morning glory is starting to climb its trellis in the foreground of this bed, while sunflowers and cucumbers take off behind it.

These squash leaves belong to the gremlin gourds, they are climbing the fence nicely. This was an idea I borrowed from Uncle Kevin.

Looking like El Jefe the jalepeno!

Several of the onions are starting to show some serious growth...can't for the life of me remember which are the sweet (yellow granex) vs. the storage (pumba) though.

The garden in some nice morning light.

Week 47: Gigantic Baby Saves World

2011-06-12T19:58:00.005-05:00

....from an invasion of flying saucers!!!

This is what happens when the week picture gets taken while Mama is on call at the hospital...total anarchy! It should be noted that after the gigantic baby defended Earth from the flying saucer squash invasion, she then destroyed Earth herself in an attempt to get the week blocks.

As for the flying saucer squash, they are pretty much like any other summer squash. They are delicious and prolific in the garden....so if you're ever visiting east Tennessee you better remember to lock your car doors at night or you could end up with a flying saucer invasion!

Week 46: The Biltmore

2011-06-07T19:23:00.009-05:00

So, after 7 years of living in east Tennessee we have finally decided to by season passes to The Biltmore Estate in Asheville. It is a beautiful estate with plenty of room to picnic, walk and enjoy the tranquility of nature. It doesn't hurt that they have a pretty sweet vineyard as well with wine tastings year round. (if you're ever visiting and interested in a wine tasting, tell us so we can take advantage of these season passes!)

Caroline's week picture is in front of the actual Biltmore house. You may be wondering how we got her to smile on a hot and sunny afternoon.....

....and here would be the answer. Unprompted by us, Lily hopped up to the driver's seat and did her best KISS impression to get Caroline to smile. I suppose we're fortunate that she didn't peel off down the front lawn of the estate!

The Flying Saucer has landed!

2011-06-05T23:06:00.003-05:00

Although Caroline is not quite sure what to make of it....

Week 45

2011-06-05T22:56:00.007-05:00

The Week 45 picture is from a brief trip to Knoxville to celebrate Emily's birthday. All 6 of us drove out on Sunday afternoon. Gran and Uncle Jonathan were good enough to keep an eye on all four kids while Emily and I enjoyed a night out for dinner and a movie to celebrate her 23rd birthday! On Monday, we spent some time at Gran's school where we actually took the week picture.

Are those matching outfits?....thanks Nana and Papa!

Area 51

2011-06-03T20:03:00.002-05:00

This is only a temporary title for the garden this week in honor of the second vegetable to make an appearance this year....the elusive flying saucer squash! We're hoping that Caroline will approves of these so, in the event that they produce like most summer squash do, we'll save some serious money on baby food this summer.

Of course, the first vegetable to come in were the sugar snap peas, and they are delicious. A good number of them don't make it out of the garden after being picked. Even Caroline agreed with them after I steamed and mushed some up today.

Week 44

2011-05-30T16:08:00.005-05:00

'The Scrunch'

This is Caroline's favorite way to express herself these days.
Scrunching up her nose and laughing through it all at the same time.
We revisited our old stomping grounds and took a nice walk at the VA -
which provided for the backdrop for multiple week pics for Lily -so
we thought we would take advantage for Caroline, as well.

The Professor's English Garden

2011-05-25T22:34:00.012-05:00

Its finally here! All the time researching, raising seedlings in the garage, digging and redigging (I've dug the same ditch so many times I feel like a Keynesian!) will hopefully pay off in a month or two. Everything is in the ground and starting to come up. This year I've got a mix of tomatoes, peppers, carrots and onions. There's also a unique summer squash, two kinds of pumpkins (Polar Bear and Champion), Gremlin gourds and sugar snap peas.

If you look closely at this picture, you can see a decorative black trellis towards the back of the garden. It will soon be occupied by a morning glory, a climbing flower that has the peculiar trait of attracting ladybugs. Forget about the preying mantis which is just as likely to kill another predator insect (or, yes, its mate) as it is a garden pest, one ladybug can consume up to 5,000 aphids in its lifetime!

I hope its half as much fun to eat as it has been to grow! If not, then I'll just take Papa up on his offer to move down here and sell all the produce on the side of 36....after all, it was Papa who originally glossed it the "English Garden."

This bed is a good illustration of the companion planting I am trying this year. Placing different vegetables in the same bed mixes up the scents and tends to confuse predators. In most of these beds I've got some mix of tomatoes (Great White, Valencia, Brandywine and Roma), hot peppers, sweet peppers and onions. Its good to mix onions through out the garden because pests generally don't like the strong scent from any member of this family. The tomatoes are surrounded by marigolds for protection from pests. Then I add an herb or two for an additional scent and hopefully the ability to attract some predator insects.

The first produce of the year will be some delicious sugar snap peas!

Nasturtiums are great to have in the garden. Not only are they a bright and attractive flower, but they excel at attracting predator insects. They also serve as a "trap crop" for aphids...distracting them from less tasty meals such as cucumbers and tomatoes.

Mexican Tarragon has a powerful odor that just about all garden pests hate. Great to plant in the middle of a bed.

Borage is one of the best plants at attracting bees....which are beneficial because they tend to prey on the pests and will also do some pollinating while they are in the area!

A classic combination....pictured here is a French Marigold (the African variety work well too) long believed to protect tomatoes from many garden pests that would love to eat your tomatoes but hate the smell of the marigolds!

Carrot seedlings on the rise! I mixed together three different varieties of seeds to get a nice rainbow of color out of this part of the garden. The varieties are a tribute to Duke Dawg with White Satin, Deep Purple and Hercules.

Crawlee McCrawler

2011-05-25T22:21:00.004-05:00

Not that Lily doesn't observe the attention Caroline gets for crawling and decide to do a little of it herself...but this post is definitely about Caroline. She did a real crawl for the first time this week. Nothing like kids allergy medicine to motivate infants to crawl!

I'm touching it! I'm touching it!

And finally the payoff....pleased as pie with herself!

Lily's Preschool Class

2011-05-25T10:37:00.003-05:00

I picked up the class picture today for Lily's first year of preschool....thanks for a great year in the Yellow Room!

End of Year Party at Preschool

2011-05-23T23:02:00.014-05:00

Well, it was a good first year of preschool. Its hard to imagine its over! I can't believe a whole year passed of me dropping Lily in the car line, picking her up at lunch and then dropping her at daycare (only to be picked up again with CJ at the end of the day).

One thing is for sure, Lily loved it! She made lots of friends (we think) and certainly had plenty of stories to tell from her days. We got a really great scrapbook at the end of the year that had pictures and art projects in it from the whole year. The decision to move her to the ETSU Early Child Learning Center was difficult, but in the end we think its for the best. She is already excited about "4 year old school"....and it worked out nicely because we think she will be able to start sometime in June when her preschool was out for summer.

Well, here are some pictures of the end of year picnic party for the 2010-11 Yellow Room at Munsey Preschool!

Week 43

2011-05-22T12:00:00.006-05:00

We've had so much rain lately, that when this weekend offered up a beautiful sunny day, we wanted to make the most of it. We went exploring in a park in Brisol, just over the state line that I had seen in passing, but had never been to before. What a gem! It has wonderful playgrounds, walking trails, and picnic areas, which is what we sought out. We found a table and grill tucked next to a pretty stream. It reminded me so much of the Chimneys in the Smokey Mountains (which is by far one of my most favorite places). Lily was dying to go into the stream, but we certainly were not dressed for that, next time we will bring 'water shoes.'

As far as updates on CJ, she is definitely 'finding her voice.' We have nonspecific 'mama' and 'dada' and all kinds of other sounds, that sometimes come in waves when she's in the mood. Her top left tooth is coming in more and the top right is threatening to make an appearance, I have a feeling the poor thing will be snaggle-toothed for awhile.

I wanted to add this picture, because I just love the way she sits with her little feet crossed...

Week 42

2011-05-21T09:30:00.004-05:00

So Caroline is still not crawling, though she loves to get up on her hands and knees and think about it. But more than that she loves to stand, with support, of course. She may end up like Lily and basically skip the crawling stage. She pulled up on this toy basket, so we thought that was the perfect place to capture her.

A Royal Affair

2011-05-14T16:55:00.007-05:00

So in case you missed it there was a wedding recently...
I had been anticipating it since they announced it, while simultaneously staying away from all the pre-wedding coverage and speculation. The media has a way of taking the joy out of anything...

I DVR'ed the beginning and got Lily up around 6:45AM to get our 'Tea Party' started. We had scones and strawberries, and for our 'tea' we had a choice of cocoa mix or Hershey's syrup to go in our hot milk (to be poured from the teapot, of course).

I have a very distinct memory of watching Diana get married and seeing her long train as she ascended the stairs of the church. This is no doubt one of my earlier memories. Since that time I have always loved the Royals...despite all the sarcastic remarks this position encourages. Considering I was the same age Lily is now, I wanted to make it special for her too. I think her favorite moment was when she saw that the "princess's" daddy got to walk the "princess" down the aisle...so sweet!!

(wanted to wear these pajamas because they say Princess on them)

Just to show that CJ was there, too!

Week 41

2011-05-11T15:15:00.007-05:00

So if you look REALLY closely Caroline's first little tooth (front left) has finally appeared!

My first Mother's Day with my CJ!

Enjoyed another stay with Nana and Papa!

Easter Week Activities

2011-05-08T14:19:00.010-05:00

Week 40: Easter!

2011-04-25T07:41:00.008-05:00

Just a little taste of our BIG weekend...much more to come!

Week 39

2011-04-22T13:00:00.005-05:00

So the second attempt at getting CJ to look at the camera for the week picture, didn't go as I wanted. But, she has the beautiful purple dress that almost perfectly matched the purple tulips, so I had to give it a try. Below you see the blocks have mesmerizing power over this baby, and it's never enough to get just one, she won't stop until they are all conquered.

Dave and I got inspired and cleaned out the girls closet as well as the stored clothes in the attic. Can you find the baby?

Week 38

2011-04-22T12:41:00.010-05:00

TULIPS!!
We are finally able to reap all of Dave's hard work planting his favorite flower.

But of course he took off to the Bahamas when they first began to bloom...so Mom stayed with us and helped keep the wheels on the bus, so to speak.
Here's Caroline enjoying a hilarious game of peek-a-boo...through the sheer scarf, of course!

And Lily actually smiling at the camera...which should fully explain how much fun she was having doing crafts with Gran. She always brings such fun things to do!

ZOO!

2011-04-11T12:44:00.011-05:00

Lily loved the meerkats...they are so expressive with their body language..and I think you can read Lily's here, too.

Somebody should have told me to take off my stupid sunglasses...otherwise this is a pretty cute picture! Caroline loves the Bjorn, she loves to be outside and she loves to SEE what's going on.

Of course, the highlight for Lily, the MERRY GO ROUND!!! So glad we saved this for the end of the day or we would not have seen the rest of the zoo!

CJ is such a trooper. She didn't sleep the whole day, until finally her little eyes could not take it anymore. She fell asleep on the walk to the car.

Week 37

2011-04-04T14:56:00.004-05:00

We took a quick trip to the Knoxville Zoo on Saturday. Mom and Jonathan joined us. It was such a gorgeous day to be outside...finally breaking free from this cold cold winter. We thought we would have Caroline pose by the turtle since we have such a great picture of Lily by him as well. In hindsight, we should have thought of that earlier, because by the time of the picture she was well past her nap and no interest in anything but the leaves on the ground.

May 30th, 2009

More Zoo pics to come!

Spring Anticipation

2011-03-26T09:35:00.006-05:00

Tulips...the economist's flower!

It seems as though the concrete rabbit is also eagerly awaiting the arrival of spring.

Peonies coming up!

The rhubarb is vigorous, as usual.

Yep, we actually have some asparagus this year. These are coming from crowns there were planted last spring. This year we can expect a handful of stalks....but in another year the big harvests will really begin!

The onions have come up well and are continuing to grow. They will be transferred out to the garden around the time of the last frost (early May).

Week 36

2011-03-25T08:14:00.005-05:00

Well Spring is definitely trying to make an appearance and it is none too soon. Caroline loves to be outside and feel the breeze on her face. She is SO happy to finally be turned around like Big Sister in the BOB. Using a little pillow behind her for support, she fits perfectly and now Lily has a little more elbow room without the car seat beside her. (Needless to say the hills are just a bit easier without that extra weight!)

As a small aside, notice the Lily's sandals. She hand picked those and insisted on wearing them out of the store...I obliged (I'm not sure why)...and she didn't take them off the whole day. She has such an opinion on what she wears, when I find something she likes (and I like) and is so excited about, it is hard to resist.

Week 35

2011-03-21T19:12:00.014-05:00

Sorry about the blocks..this is week 35.. I will need to learn how to use photoshop to fix this situation :)

We had an 'All girls day' which included a quick trip to Asheville to visit with Anna, Mary Hudson and Laura. What fun!! It was non-stop action keeping up with the four girls, but so much fun. After taking every toy out at Anna's house, we treked to the park for a picnic dinner and fun on the playground. There were also multiple artificial turf soccer fields that finally emptied, allowing our girls a chance to crawl around on them.. I love watching babies with other babies, somehow they just know who they are dealing with..

Since we took a pic and posted it for Lily when we finally turned the co-sleeper into a play-yard, I thought the only fair thing would be to post a similar pic for Caroline. She's taken to it quite well...she's not mobile quite yet, but it's still nice to know that she's contained and her environment is somewhat controlled.

Week 34

2011-03-13T13:51:00.007-05:00

We had a great week with Nana and Papa and were so sad to see them leave Saturday morning. The week really flew by and we just can't believe its over.

Saturday morning, as Nana and Papa were leaving, we participated in the "Chasing Snakes Run/Walk" again this year....and again this year, we did more walking than running. (Tried to get Nana and Papa to stay for this one, but got a really strange look back from Papa) The Duallie performed beautifully, and we even got some St. Patty's Day beads for Caroline and Lily to enjoy!

Sleepyheads

Good Ol' Boys

2011-03-09T19:38:00.004-05:00

Just the good ol' boys,
Never meanin' no harm,
Beats all you've ever saw,
been in trouble with the law
since the day they was born
-Waylon Jennings

Week 33: Nana and Papa!

2011-03-09T19:07:00.007-05:00

This is Caroline's first go in the high chair, and she loved it! She is one who just likes being close to everyone else, and apparently the high chair gave her just that feeling.

Caroline, sweet as she is, was trying to help set up the blocks for the week picture.

Nana, Papa and Lily having a little cookie bakin' time!

Week 32

2011-03-06T18:34:00.003-05:00

So...maybe the whole "Lets take a week picture of Caroline asleep" thing didn't work out so great...for Caroline at least.

(So this is what we get when I've been on nightfloat and then on hospital service and then on call....when will it end!! Too bad my poor baby has to suffer for it!)

Silly Style Day at School

2011-03-06T18:31:00.003-05:00

Week 31

2011-03-06T18:27:00.002-05:00

Garden Season 2011!

2011-02-26T10:59:00.007-05:00

So you may be thinking its too early for gardening, but no!, it is just the right time to start your onion seeds indoors. This year, Lily and I have picked a wonderful variety of flower and vegetable plants to put in our garden. We ordered most of our seeds from Johnny’s Select Seeds (JSS) so that we could get unusual varieties that can’t be found in local nurseries.

Our first seeding this year is onions. We are planting two varieties, Yellow Granex and Pumba. In my research over the winter, I learned that the Yellow Granex is a sweet onion, that when grown in Vidalia, Georgia, becomes the popular “Vidalia Onion.” Not sure what they will call the Yellow Granex we grow out back.....Johnson City Onion doesn’t quite have the same cache. Pumba is a variety from JSS that grows well in the south and does better in storage than the Yellow Granex. Onions have a longer growing cycle than most vegetables, which is why we are starting them so early. The other alternative to growing onions is to “over winter” them, meaning you plant them in the fall for an early summer harvest. Uncle Kevin is currently experimenting with this technique.

Finally, Lily and I have to thank you Uncle Jonathan for his Christmas present, “The Vegetable Gardner’s Bible”….it has contributed a great deal to the fun we have lined up for this summer!

Best Car Wash Helper EVER!!!

2011-02-21T20:20:00.003-05:00

Week 30: Happy Valentines Day!

2011-02-21T20:16:00.002-05:00

Week 29

2011-02-13T20:14:00.004-05:00

This sweet outfit was given to Caroline by lovely friends Amy and Erin. They were so sweet to come visit soon after Caroline was born. It's so great when we are able to get all together..there are so many little ones running around. It's such a joy to grow into adulthood with old friends.

The sign in the back is from a new friend. One of my fellow residents has a creative streak and luckily the girls benefited from his idol time! He made name plates for Caroline and Lily..so sweet!

Happy 100th Birthday Hazel

2011-02-06T22:21:00.009-05:00

We spent most of the day today in Hillsville for my Great Aunt Hazel's 100th Birthday Extravaganza! We can only hope to be so blessed as to be half as sharp as Aunt Hazel is at 100 (not to mention alive)! So Happy Birthday Aunt Hazel, here's to that 107!

Week 28

2011-02-05T19:07:00.004-05:00

mopkMN BHNHCRFBFV ,NMBN M V BM NVVB V J,IJM TY6E56
The above is Caroline's input on the matter :)
Caroline had her 6 month check up this week.
Her stats are 89% for height and 85% for weight. I think we all know there won't be any 'slim kids' around this household..as my friend Elizabeth said...I gave birth to a toddler...that's just fine 'cause she is 100% mamma's milk made.

Just a quick note about Caroline's outfit. This was given to me by a patient of mine. I wanted to make sure I captured it in this way, because this is no average patient. She is one of my OB continuity patients, which basically means, I followed her throughout her pregnancy and delivered her baby. Being in Family Medicine, we only manage 'low risk' OB. This means that usually everything flows without a hitch, with the only hiccup being a c-section if for some reason the labor does not go as planned....

To say this labor did not go as planned is an understatement. I won't drag out the details, but my patient, to no one's fault but the law of numbers, almost did not survive her labor. She became very ill and the baby became in distress requiring an emergent section. The baby was out in less than three minutes (I thankfully had an amazing OBGYN on with me that night). My patient developed DIC and HELLP syndrome and was moved to the ICU. I've never been so scared in my life for someone under may care. To add to all of this, I was almost full term myself and this was when Dave was in the Ukraine. I remember staying up at night checking in to the hospital from my computer at home. Luckily most pregnant women are otherwise healthy young women, and this was the case for my patient. Her youth pulled her through and four days later she was released.

I soon went on maternity leave myself and did not get to see her at her post-partum follow-up. Once I was back, I had the very pleasant surprise to see my patient and her beautiful son come visit me before they were leaving for overseas. At that visit, she presented me with a present that included this outfit. I was so taken by surprise and truly touched. I don't think she will ever know what an impact she made on my as a physician...I truly will never forget her.

Week 27

2011-01-30T20:38:00.007-05:00

Caroline is still working hard on talking without syllables.
We mainly speak in 'ppplllhhhh' these days...she loves for you to have
a conversation with her... it almost appears as though she expects it.

She's fulfilling her 6 month old developmental requirements well. Luckily
she hasn't shown stranger anxiety yet (Lily was about 1 month early on that
milestone..) but she definitely lets us know that she doesn't like it when we walk away from her. She also gets very excited when she sees one of us, oh how I love this age.

Just havin' a little fun..

Week 26

2011-01-23T10:16:00.005-05:00

So we are officially a week behind in posting.
This pic was taken relatively on time, sorry for the delay in actually getting it on the blog. Caroline is in full swing eating her cereal and I introduced sweet potatoes this week. It went over quite well, and it appears that Caroline, following in her sister's footsteps will too be a good eater. (Really didn't expect anything else coming from this stock!)

Cowboy Woody is also in the pic, because the Toy Story 3 figurines have been one of the biggest hits from the Christmas toys. Both Lily and Caroline love to play with them....it's so cute to listen to Lily say 'Well, Tarnation!' and 'Buzz Lightyear to the rescue!'...and Caroline has discovered that they are the perfect size for her little hands and mouth..

TJO

2011-01-15T11:20:00.006-05:00

To live in the hearts you leave behind
Is not to die.
~Thomas Campbell

Now with two granddaughters he will never know...

They will know him.

Week 25

2011-01-12T17:41:00.007-05:00

Week 24

2011-01-08T23:17:00.003-05:00

This week Caroline is posed with her favorite chew toys. Reaching, grabbing, and gnawing are her favorite activities these days. We try to keep most of the targets mouth appropriate, hence the chew toys. She is sitting up by herself (without the 'tripod stance') for longer and longer periods. She was doing well in this shot, but she definitely had a daddy spotter just out of frame :)

Week 23: Christmas Take 2

2010-12-31T13:17:00.024-05:00

For the most part, I think the pictures speak for themselves. It was an abundant Christmas with Nana and Papa and wonderful to spend with a cousin! Jackson is so much fun and always on the go! Dave wanted to know why I posted the last pic of Lily. Mostly, I guess, because for me this blog is as much about us using it as a virtual diary, as it is about us sharing our lives with others. Lily was so overstimulated that day that she could no longer process any more requests of pictures, or demands of her attention. I felt that picture captured her in that moment.

Week 22: Christmas; Take 1

2010-12-18T22:54:00.020-05:00

We'll be celebrating with the Campbell's on Christmas this year, so we headed out to Gran's house today to celebrate with her and Uncle Jonathan before they took off for HHI. Considering this is the first Christmas Lily will remember, might as well have as many chances to open presents as possible. I don't think one package was opened without her assistance. How much fun to have a baby sister to open presents for...the best were the enthusiastic phrases of excitement 'oh my gosh' and 'awww, yay' even before the wrapping was off the reveal the gift. She does love to be dramatic. Caroline, as usual was along for the ride with her wide-eyed smile.

This is for me to remember our first cereal eating experience with Caroline. It went as expected...but she tolerated it and will get me out of a feeding for now, so I'm very excited about that! My little baby is growing up!

Week 21

2010-12-12T22:15:00.006-05:00

Here's a quick comparison of the girls...thought I might try to do this every 10 weeks or so. We are enjoying our sweet Caroline more than my words can do justice. She is using her 'words' so often these days. She'll just go on and on...sometimes she'll furrow her brow as if to emphasize her point. My absolute favorite thing is when I lean in and she reaches those dimpled baby hands up to my face...first one hand, then with a steady concentrating stare, the next..and then the open mouth...love it.

Here's a glance at our two trees. The first is the tree in the front window. It's so pretty from the outside. The second is our new acquisition thanks to Mom's school partner Mrs. Hall. This is her 9 foot tree that she graciously passed down to us because it just became too much for her and her husband to put up. It looks great with our high ceiling. We are so grateful!!