Thanksgiving Part 1

We went to Brandon's parents in west Tennessee to have Thanksgiving this past Saturday. Here's a picture of the boys with their great grandma Polly. Then Brandon headed out Sunday with our neighbor to go interview an Alabama player (don't know who even though he has told me a million times...I guess I keep tuning him out when he talks about it). Our neighbor is writing a book about Alabama's 12 National Championships so Brandon has graciously offered his time to help hold the video camera and what not while they are interviewing. So I thought I would share the picture as Brandon is so excited about getting to meet these people...I do know one of them is Todd Bates a defensive captain from the 2004 team who is helping with the book so I do listen sometimes.

Cold Sunday Afternoon Photos

We took the boys to an old church up the street to try to capture a few pictures before the holiday season starts which also includes both their birthdays. So here is our attempt to get them both looking and smiling at the same time. The last picture is how the majority came out...Parkes is obsessed with Cash's head and has to touch or hug it all day long and poor Cash isn't usually thrilled by it.

Halloween...Better late then Never

Well Halloween was a couple weeks ago, but I finally got some pictures downloaded from all the excitement. We went out to the Farmers Market like we've done every year since Parkes was born to let him and Cash pick out our pumpkins. This year Parkes picked out a white, orange and green pumpkin. He was once again a cowboy (3rd and last year...he did ask to be it again this year so is just so happen to work out well). Cash was a frog which was the same as Parkes his first Halloween. Cash tried a lollipop for the first time and loved it.We carved the pumpkin this year exactly how Parkes drew it which made him very excited. Cash, however, was not a big fan of putting his hands inside the pumpkin. We went trick-or-treating with our neighbors...5 boys who I'm sure will get into all kinds of trouble growing up.Cash is now 10 months and is quite the eater. We have Parkes who refuses to eat anything that isn't a carb or has any remote flavor. And then there's Cash who if I give him veggies that haven't been roasted, sauteed or cook in some way in seasonings he spits them out. He has been the last two weeks on all table food and is loving it. He had hamburger and mac-n-cheese the other day, but his favorites are baked sweet potato fries, baked potato and curry butternut squash soup....so different then Parkes. Here he is enjoying some veggies out of some soup. And finally, this is how Parkes decided to sleep a few weeks ago. He cleared all his toys out of one drawer from his train table and put in his pillows and fell asleep. Hope you have a great week. We are getting our front porch put on so lots of fun construction going on over here.

Game Day!!!

Okay I just wanted to say how proud I am of Bush's integrity from his speech congratulating a man who has done nothing but trash him for a year. Also, curious about all the people I know in my life that say how bad the last eight years were exactly how the last eight years negatively affected them personally since Bush keep our country safe for all these years and has had to deal with some poor choices made prior to him and a much lower approval rated Democratic congress. Bush has gotten so much hate from Americans and to set up a transition team to help Obama especially with how he was greeted to the White House really shows what a classy guy he is. (sidenote....interesting that the Dow had its biggest drop post election ever today) So all that rambling said I decided to post some pictures from the Ole Miss/Alabama game...another event that the outcome was not what I wanted. Brandon and I went on our way home from the beach with some friends and left all the kids behind with a babysitter for 10 hours for some fun tailgating and game watching. And I must add that Ole miss beat Alabama in all numbers except the score (of course that's the one that matters). '

Beach Trip

Okay so here are way more beach trip pictures then you probably ever cared to see. The sad thing is it's only about 1/8 the number of pictures I had taken. We had lots of fun after a few sleeping changes...we were suppose to have a 3 bedroom house and like last year I got a call a month prior saying we couldn't have it because it was in foreclosure so we got moved...unlike last year we got downsized to a 2 bedroom instead of upped to a 6 bedroom. They had a pull out couch that Brandon and I attempted the first night with great intentions that would then give Parkes and Cash the twin bedroom, but we could feel every spring and our head was a good foot below our feet so we decide to all share a room from then on out which can lead to some sleeplessness which has now continued with Cash since we got home....hopefully it will pass soon. Parkes, Jay and Cash all very much enjoyed the beach this year spending hours digging, building and eating (Cash) the sand. Parkes and Jay playing with the fish Jon and Brandon caught. They enjoyed fishing with their daddies....if I was better organized I'd put all the fishing pics together but I'm trying to get out the door to a much needed girl's night so you'll have to scroll down to see the other one). The pool was a big hit with the kids and adults for some late afternoon wind down from the day. We went to a local playground on a cloudy day for the boys to run around. We enjoyed the zoo again this year. And finally the tent Laura brought...that did look much bigger on the box, but when we got it put together was pretty small and blew away quickly. The boys did enjoy playing in it for a few minutes though.

Beach Trip...More to Come

Okay here's a few pictures for y'all to enjoy until I get around to getting more on here.

9 Months and 5 Years...Lots to Celebrate

Well to my surprise Cash is 9 months today, I told the nurse at his appt today he had just turned 8 months...the month has flown by. The head nurse at his doctors was my nurse when I was little and she was his nurse today because his normal nurse was out. Everything about him looked great and he did his best to show off for the doctor. He has moved down to the 55% on weight weighing in at 20 lbs and 14 oz. His height has moved down as well and if you remember he was already in the 5% last check up so he is now below the curve so we get to go back in six weeks for another weigh in to check if he is continue to climb up just at his own rate...he measured 26 1/4". It really isn't to crazy, however, for the genes he has. His two cousins have been below the curve and Parkes barely squeezed by staying just barely above the curve...so no big surprise. Here's pics of the boys in their Alabama gear for the weekend. Brandon has now built his outdoor TV into the shed with a hatch that opens so he has an outdoor theater for the games...you see his priorities on what gets done around the house first. We have a busy two months coming up with trying to meet my deadline on the house, vacation, holidays, school, anniversary, birthdays, etc. so if I am slow to post sorry...I'll do my best for my couple loyal readers. Brandon and I are celebrating 5 years of wedded bliss on Saturday so I changed the music to have the band that played at our after party of our wedding. It was such a fun day 5 years ago, I couldn't of imagine a more relaxed (yes I was relaxed), fun day celebrating with family and friends. And of course the five years that have followed haven't been too shabby either. I would of never imagine I would be celebrating my 5th year anniversary with three wonderful boys. **** Okay I had to add that Brandon thought it was very funny that I put a song "Best Free" for our anniversary....it was the only song from Lower Level I could find online.

Working on the House...Always

Well no new pics, but was just going to share this website with those in Nashville looking for good deals. www.faithfulprovisions.com/ It is a friend of my sisters who taught her coupon shopping and has grocery store deals as well as drug store and any other good deals going on around town....definitely worth checking out. We have just been watching football and working on the house. It was a GREAT football weekend at the Waymire house (sorry Engesaths). We have gotten the kitchen cabinets painted minus a few touch-ups from where I keep running into them last night, and we have the new wall in the living room all sanded and ready for paint....I spent most of yesterday on my hands and knees scrubbing the floors from drywall dust hopefully for the last time for awhile. We marked 5 years in our house this month and in those 5 years we have added a 750 square foot patio, a large smoker, a carport and shed with driveway, popped up the roof to make a master suite and alabama room upstairs, put new floors and Parkes room, new vanity in downstairs bath, took out two walls in living room opening it to a small office and building new wall separating from Parkes room, took out one wall in kitchen opening it to dining room, rearranged and painted kitchen cabinets, took out existing stairs and added a spiral staircase, removed brick chimny down middle of the house, rearranged laundry to make laundry room/mudroom, and added french door on back of the house with a butler's pantry area walk through to door. All of which we have done ourselves (minus framing upstairs, drywall upstairs, and taking out two walls in living room, but Brandon did help on all those projects) and most of which still needs finishing touches to be complete. We didn't really start doing stuff until 3 years ago and it is starting to take it's toll on me....I'm ready to be done (at least for awhile). So we made a goal to get it all finished up by the boy's birthdays/Christmas. I'm making a list of all the finishing touches to be done and hopefully get the front of the house reshingled and front porch added in the next month and we will be able to just enjoy our house for a little while.

No Gas so Let's Walk

Well the gas situation in Nashville has been crazy, and I planned on waiting out all the lines and thought I could make it through the weekend, but sure enough Friday my light came on and I only found one gas station with gas and it has lines like crazy and was complete chaos. So I drove home and Brandon was going to go out late that night to find out the closest station to us with gas had a 45 mins wait which I would of run out of gas waiting. So Brandon got up bright and early saturday morning and head out in search of gas with no luck and a car that wasn't going to make it to another gas stations. Luckily our generous neighbors waited out a line and filled up a gas can for us so I had a little gas, but not enough to waste driving around so we packed up the kids in the stroller and took a leisurely walk down the greenway to Target Saturday morning. We brought along the camera so here's some lovely pictures from our adventure. Parkes and Cash enjoying looking at the creek below. Parkes loves the greenway because he can run along the whole thing without me telling him to hold my hand. The walk wore Cash out and he napped on the way home with his new shoes on. Parkes picked me some flowers with the help of Brandon. Then we spent the rest of the afternoon watching football and playing in the yard. Brandon had a friend getting rid of a large tv that I told him he was not allowed to bring into our house. So Brandon being Brandon decided he would use it outside so he could watch the games under the carport. So here's Parkes and Cash watching football in Parkes' elephant chair and then Brandon and Parkes enjoying some football while relaxing in the hammock. We were about to all pile in the car on Sunday afternoon to head to Dickson to get some gas so we would be able to go to work this week when we got a call that the gas station in our neighborhood just got gas and because it is off the main roads we had no wait so everything worked out perfectly and we decided that we really should just walk to Target more on pretty days.

Finally Bath TIme is Fun

Parkes has always loved bath time, but Cash hasn't been the biggest fan of water from the beginning. He finally started warming up to it towards the end of the summer and just in the last couple weeks has started to have fun splashing in the tub with Parkes. Below is the new activity that Parkes and Cash like to do around the house....I'm waiting for it to end badly, but they both think it is so funny that it is entertaining to watch. Cash doesn't sit still for long these days and has enjoyed having some friends over so Parkes isn't the only one getting to play with others. And whenever I take a picture of Cash, Parkes poses for his picture.

Mr. Independent

Cash was 8 months yesterday...crazy. He has become a very independent, happy baby. He prefers to feed himself his bottle and does not like to be cuddled and rocked (his teachers laugh about it in his class that they want to hug and rock him to sleep, but he wants no part in it). He always makes his presence known if we are not paying attention to him by screaming not crying just more of a scream to say hey I'm over here. He also has started making a growling noise which he finds very amusing. He still hasn't decided to crawl on his knees but still does his arm crawl/push move to get around and he's getting more daring on standing up on things by trying a few steps around things, but he still has a ways to go on that since it usually ends in a scream as he falls, but he is definitely frustrated he can't keep up with Parkes. Cash is very much a mommy's boy which is very different then Parkes who likes for me to go out at night so he can hang out with daddy. It's been so much fun seeing Cash's personality come out and just how much both boys seem to be like Brandon.